Book of Proverbs - Part 2

Here are a few thoughts on the way Proverbs is related to the other poetical books of the Bible:

Book of Job - we come to the presence of God through suffering
Book of Psalms - we come to the presence of God through prayer, praise and worship
Book of Proverbs - we come to the presence of God through wisdom and godly living
Book of Ecclesiastes - we come to the presence of God through the fear of the Lord
Book of Song Of Solomon - We come to the presence of God through intimacy

Book of Job - we find Christ through meditation on all aspects of life

Book of Psalms - we find Christ through communion as a foundation of life

Book of Proverbs - we find Christ through wisdom applied to our life

Book of Ecclesiastes - we find Christ through understanding the meaning of life

Book of Song Of Solomon - We find Christ through relationship with Him in every area of life

Proverbs: After the title and author are laid out in Chapter 1, verse 1, verse 2 offers five parallel statements that are the foundation of the entire book:

to know wisdom and instruction, to perceive the words of understanding

1. Know - yada - not just knowing with one's mind, but doing what we learn. To know by experience, and to become skilled in what we know. It also means to discern, to find out, to be alert, to carry out a decision or to put wisdom into action.

2. wisdom - chokmah - the goal and subject of this book. The Hebrew word for wisdom means "the things that controls or makes something firm or fixed in place." This wisdom is more to do with justice rather than simply intelligence. It is a practical and moral intelligence which produces a strength of character and practical knowledge on how to become established and controlled in one's life. This word, wisdom means that we are discovering God's thoughts on a matter and seeing life as God sees it.

3. Instruction - muwcar - sometimes translated as "discipline," refers to the method and process of attaining wisdom. "Discipline" involves obedience so that we will submit to God's higher authority for our lives. This is wisdom through correction and training.

4. Perceive - biyn -to have discernment and to separate. This involves knowing with the mind as well as the spirit and to give careful consideration to a matter and then stand apart with what is right. It also means, to give attentions to a matter and to turn the mind to a thing and give it due attention; to be prudent.

5. Understanding - biynah - means that we can discern good from evil - this is the ultimate intelligence.

Book of Proverbs Part 1 HERE
Book of Proverbs Part 3 HERE

Book Of Proverbs 1

I want to look at the Book of Proverbs for a while - not sure how long.
I am interested to see how Psalms and Proverbs are related:

Psalms - written (mostly) by King David
Proverbs - written (mostly) by David's son, King Solomon

Psalms - takes the heart of man to God and focuses on praise to God

Proverbs - teaches the wisdom of God to man and focuses on living out our praise as righteous sons of God

Psalms  - is vertical to God

Proverbs - is horizontal about people

Psalms give Divine counsel

Proverbs give practical counsel

Psalms offer God's commands

Proverbs offer human opinions

Psalms help you to know God

Proverbs help you to know yourself and others

Psalms are prayers and songs inspired by God's presence

Proverbs are human opinions inspired by God's wisdom

Proverbs flow out of praise. When we praise, we hear God's heart and wisdom. Without praise, our knowledge will not be able to grow into wisdom - we will become legalistic.

Psalm 1 has 6 verses - they are closely related to the first 7 verses of Proverbs chapter 1:

Psalm 1:1-6

Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,

Nor stands in the path of sinners,

Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;

But his delight is in the law of the Lord

And in His law he meditates day and night.

He shall be like a tree

Planted by the rivers of water,

That brings forth its fruit in its season,

whose leaf also shall not wither;

and whatever he does shall not prosper.

The ungodly are not so,

But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.

Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment,

Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

For the Lord knows the way of the righteous,

But the way of the ungodly shall perish. 

Proverbs 1:1-7

The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel:

To know wisdom and instruction, To perceive the words of understanding,

To receive the instruction of wisdom, Justice, judgment, and equity;

To give prudence to the simple, To the young man knowledge and discretion—

A wise man will hear and increase learning,

And a man of understanding will attain wise counsel,

To understand a proverb and an enigma, The words of the wise and their riddles.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,

But fools despise wisdom and instruction.

• Both are written to teach a young man

• Both are written by men who went through serious moral failures and who came through by worshiping and walking in the fear of God

• Both are written by men who said their desires were "one thing." David's "one thing" desire was to dwell in the house of the Lord forever (Ps. 27:4) Solomon's "one thing" desire was that he would have wisdom (2Chron. 1:8-10)

• Both are foundations of wisdom

• Both give a contrast between the wise and the foolish; godly and ungodly living

• Both give warnings for unrighteousness and explain the blessings of righteous living

• Both carry a revelation that carries on throughout the Word of God: Psalm 1 begins with the word Blessed and ends with the word perish - this choice between blessing and perishing is the essence of the whole Gospel message; Proverbs 1:7 gives us the starting foundation of the whole Gospel: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge

Book of Proverbs Part 2 HERE
7 more things from the Book of Proverbs HERE

For Your Information - Psalm Headings

Here are the meanings of the 16 Psalm headings...just in case you were wondering:

1.   To the chief musician - the choir director (55 in all).

2.   Aiyelet Hash-shahar - the doe of the morning (Psalm 22)

3.   Alamot - young woman's choir (Psalm 46)

4.   Al tashhet - do not destroy (Psalm 57-59; 75)

5.   Gittit - winepresses (the autumn feast of Tabernacles)(Psalms 8, 81, 84)

6.   Jeduthun - a choir leader's name: consistent praiser (Psalm 39, 62, 77)

7.   Yonat elem rehokim - a dove on distant oaks (Psalm 56)

8.   Mahalat - dances (Psalms 53, 88)

9.   Mut-labben - death of the champion (Psalm 9)

10. Neginot - stringed instruments (Psalm 4; 6, 54-55; 61, 67, 76)

11. Nehilot - inheritances (Psalm 5)

12. Sheminit - the eighth, referring to a male choir (Psalm 6, 12)

13. Soshannim - lilies (referring to Passover, Spring Festival; Psalms 45; 69)

14. Shoshannim Eduth - lilies of testimony (Feast of Weeks or Pentecost; Psalm 60; 80)

15. Shiggaion - maybe refers to loud crying or praise (Psalm 8)

16. Selah - lift up, perhaps indicating a lifting up of the voice or the instruments or even the hands. Selah also refers to a time of waiting (occurs 71 times).

The Tablecloth

Apparently, this is a true story..... it makes you understand that things happen for a reason .

The brand new pastor and his wife, newly assigned to their first ministry, to reopen a church in New York State, arrived in early October excited about their opportunities.

When they saw their church, it was very run down and needed much work. They set a goal to have everything done in time to have their first service on Christmas Eve.

They worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls, painting, etc, and on December 18 were ahead of schedule and just about finished.

On December 19 a driving rainstorm hit the area and lasted for two days.

On the 21st, the pastor went over to the church. His heart sank when he saw that the roof had leaked, causing a large area of plaster about 20 feet by 8 feet to fall off the front wall of the sanctuary just behind the pulpit, beginning about head high.

The pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor, and not knowing what else to do but postpone the Christmas Eve service, headed home.

On the way he noticed that a local business was having a flea market type sale for charity, so he stopped in. One of the items was a beautiful, handmade, ivory colored, crocheted tablecloth with exquisite work, fine colors and a Cross embroidered right in the center. It was just the right size to cover the hole in the front wall. He bought it and headed back to the church.

By this time it had started to snow. An older woman running from the opposite direction was trying to catch the bus. She missed it. The pastor invited her to wait in the warm church for the next bus 45 minutes later.

She sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor while he got a ladder, hangers, etc., to put up the tablecloth as a wall tapestry. The pastor could hardly believe how beautiful it looked and it covered up the entire problem area.

Then he noticed the woman walking down the center aisle. Her face was like a sheet. "Pastor," she asked, "where did you get that tablecloth?" The pastor explained. The woman asked him to check the lower right corner to see if the initials, EBG were crocheted into it there. They were. These were the initials of the woman, and she had made this tablecloth 35 years before, in Austria ..

The woman could hardly believe it as the pastor told how he had just gotten "The Tablecloth". The woman explained that before the war she and her husband were well-to-do people in Austria. When the Nazis came, she was forced to leave. Her husband was going to follow her the next week. He was captured, sent to prison and she never saw her husband or her home again

The pastor wanted to give her the tablecloth; but she made the pastor keep it for the church. The pastor insisted on driving her home. That was the least he could do. She lived on the other side of Staten Island and was only in Brooklyn for the day for a housecleaning job.

What a wonderful service they had on Christmas Eve. The church was almost full. The music and the spirit were great. At the end of the service, the pastor and his wife greeted everyone at the door and many said that they would return.

One older man, whom the pastor recognized from the neighborhood continued to sit in one of the pews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he wasn't leaving.

The man asked him where he got the tablecloth on the front wall because it was identical to one that his wife had made years ago when they lived in Austria before the war. and how could there be two tablecloths so much alike?

He told the pastor how the Nazis came, how he forced his wife to flee for her safety and he was supposed to follow her, but he was arrested and put in a prison. He never saw his wife or his home again.

The pastor asked him if he would allow him to take him for a little ride. They drove to Staten Island and to the same house where the pastor had taken the woman three days earlier.

He helped the man climb the three flights of stairs to the woman's apartment, knocked on the door and he saw the greatest Christmas reunion he could ever imagine.

This story was written by Rev. Howard C. Schade (died 1989) - First Reformed Church in Nyack, New York. The story was published in 1954 Reader's Digest.

So when the road you're travelling seems difficult at best, just remember that God can use every storm to bring His blessings. He is able to restore and provide even when all seems lost.

The Importance Of Worship

I am trying to write a short paragraph on the importance of worship for a Swedish website. Trying to put the greatest subject on earth into a few words is a daunting task indeed. Please read this, and if you have any suggestions - please let me know:

Worship is the primary reason for our existence. We were created to worship – not just to do worship, but to be worshipers. Our Father doesn’t seek to be worshiped - the Bible shows us that the Lord is looking for worshipers (John 4:23), and in every book we find that worship is a central theme. He created us to have fellowship with Him, and not just to do things for Him.

The Westminster Shorter Catechism puts it this way: “Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him for ever.”

Worship is important because this is how we come into God’s presence and enter into deeper intimacy with the Father. Worship makes way for the vital two-way conversation between God and His people, it ensures that we become more and more like Him (2 Corinthians 3:18), and it give us authority and strategies against all the powers of darkness in this world.

Blind, Autistic Boy Sings "Open The Eyes Of My Heart"

On Sept 30th, 2011, Christians from all over New Hampshire were invited to their State Capitol to sing. Here is one boy singing "Open The Eyes Of My Heart."

Beautiful.

Yesterday I saw the movie "Incredibly Loud And Extremely Close" which is a story of a boy with some form of autism who lost his father on September 11th. I don't mean to use this site to advocate movies, but this was a good one.

Anyway, each of us need to "tune" the eyes of our heart today:

Eph. 1:18 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,

The word "enlightened" in Greek is photizo - meaning to give light, shine, to give understanding, to illuminate.

God's glory is the "light" that needs to shine in our hearts. We can use "the eyes of our hearts" to photizo, or capture "photographs" of revelation of God's character and presence.

Num. 6:25 The LORD make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you;

119:130 The entrance of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple.

Is. 60:1 Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you.

60:19 "The sun shall no longer be your light by day, Nor for brightness shall the moon give light to you; But the LORD will be to you an everlasting light, And your God your glory.

If you have never heard this 6.51 clip from Dr. S. M. Lockridge, then you MUST. This is so inspiring, please take a few moments out of your day and listen:

That's My King

Dr. Lockridge March 7, 1913 - April 4, 2000

Born in Texas - the oldest of eight children, Lockridge was Pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in San Diego, CA. from 1953 t 1993

Notice the list at the beginning - Jesus is a 7-Way King:

He was born King -

He is King of the Jews

He is the King of Israel

He is the King of Righteousness

He is the King of the Ages

He is the King of Heaven

He is the King of Glory

He is the King of kings and Lord of lords

What an inspiring speech!!