I may not be rich, but God has blessed me with a roof over my head, a consistent supply of food, a supportive family, and a stable government. Nothing I do or say can ever pay for this. I don't deserve this more than the next person. So it is my responsibility to take what God has given me, and give to the next person.
Showing posts with label Poor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Poor. Show all posts
Current Events
Poor
Testimony
I may not be rich, but God has blessed me with a roof over my head, a consistent supply of food, a supportive family, and a stable government. Nothing I do or say can ever pay for this. I don't deserve this more than the next person. So it is my responsibility to take what God has given me, and give to the next person.
Stability with God
I may not be rich, but God has blessed me with a roof over my head, a consistent supply of food, a supportive family, and a stable government. Nothing I do or say can ever pay for this. I don't deserve this more than the next person. So it is my responsibility to take what God has given me, and give to the next person.
Bible Study
Chapter Study
Faith and Belief
Isaiah
Messianic Prophecy
Poor
Prophecy
Women
California seems like it is always on fire, and last year (2018) was the worst fire season in recorded history.[13] As heartbroken as I am for the people who suffered in these fires, I have to also point out that California—the home of Hollywood—is the state where if you look for how the people voted on controversial issues or how they live their lives, and compare it to how God commands us, they're known for their opposition to God's ways. Of course fires, in general, isn't a new thing for California. The original tribes that lived there before colonization had their own techniques to deal with the fires which resulted in less disaster than what we see today.[14]
Interesting fact: something in the world is actually always on fire. There's even a map that plots all of the fires seen each month over the course of about 18 years.[15]
The beginning of Isaiah 30 also mentions two places that are not easily recognizable: Zoan and Hanes. Zoan separated Egypt from Goshen—this is where the Israelites lived during their tenure as slaves in Egypt. Hanes is also a city in Egypt, thought to be either Tahpanhes or Ahnas-el-Medeeneh. Tahpanhes was in the eastern part of the country while Ahnas-el-Medeeneh was about 70 miles away from Cairo.[7] [8]
Luckily, Isaiah tells us exactly why they were punished: they despised the Word. The people turned against the law of God and refused to take the Word of God into their hearts. John tells us that Jesus is the Word, so even though He hadn't been revealed to the Israelites yet, the same character is meant when God references the Word. This passage is also one of the reasons we should know that what God commanded of the Israelites didn't just evaporate into thin air. When God is angry with Israel, it's usually for idolatry, but it's always for breaking the law. However, it's never ceremonial. We don't find that the Israelites failed to keep the sacrifices or that they failed to keep a feast. That's not to say they never failed with these things, but to point out that these aren't thee reasons God is angry with them. It's always something that leads back to the law of God or the teachings that Jesus expounded upon. If God was angry about disobedience then, He's definitely angry about it now.
Isaiah 30:26 talks about the light of the moon being as bright as the sun, and the sun being 7 times brighter. This seems to be a stark contrast to the end times where the Sun and moon are darkened. We can either conclude that this prophecy is not for the end times, or that the sun and moon are symbolic. Before we really jump into this, I want to point out that since the moon reflects the light of the Sun, it makes sense that if the Sun is brighter, the moon will also be brighter. One can't be brighter without the other also being brighter. The ancients may not have known this, but God certainly did because He created it that way.
Lots of things came to my mind when I read this verse. For starters, I thought about climate change (more commonly referred to as global warming). Although the sun isn't necessarily changing, our self-destruction of the Earth is causing a change in how we feel the effects of the Sun. Ultimately this could cause us to feel as thought the Sun is 7 times brighter. If the rays of the sun are having more of an impact, it also possible that moon seems more reflective because it would be taking advantage of the same vulnerabilities in our atmosphere.
Some people believe this is a reference to a nova. If you're like me, in school you learned about a supernova but not simply a nova. When I first read the theory, I thought nova was a shortened way to reference a supernova and completely against the idea, since a supernova would destroy the Earth in the process and their theory suggested the Earth would still be existence after the fact. However, I felt like I needed to confirm my hunch (that was the Spirit leading me to wisdom!), and I discovered that a nova is similar to a supernova but nowhere near as powerful. In the event of a nova, less material is ejected from the star and the star still exists after the fact.[12] Now I fully understand the theory and why it could apply to end time events. In Revelation 6:8-11, we see an angel given power over the Sun. This is followed by fires and great heat. If the Sun did nova, it would fit Isaiah's reference to become 7 times brighter, it may eject some matter which would cause damage to Earth, generating heat and fires. What's more is that the Sun would be significantly darker after the fact.[11] The one catch with this theory is that nova generally happen in binary star systems making it scientifically unlikely for our Sun. Of course, that doesn't mean it's impossible.
I'd also like to point out a difference in tone between the KJV and the CSB for this particular verse. The KJV talks about binding up the breach against the people, which reads as punishing those who went against God's people, as well as healing the people, whereas the CSB sounds like its only a healing process. The former allows for the above interpretation whereas the latter reduces the meaning to a simple happily ever after (implicitly leaving out the punishment of those who did not turn back to God).
When the Israelites ran into some trouble in, they were at the point that the list should have been whittled down to their "ride or die" choice. That choice should have been God, but if you know anything about their history, you already know they didn't choose God. Instead, the put their faith in Egypt (Isaiah 31). They trusted the tangible things they could see with their eyes—horses, chariots, and a great army. They took matters into their own hand, and God lays out a "woe" to them because of this choice.
We like to see progress being made. Think about how much more satisfying it is to drive on a backstreet uninihibited versus driving on the interstate, where traffic is bumper to bumper. One is immensely peaceful; the other is extremely frustrating. We like to see our selves moving forward toward a goal. We typically feel helpless in a situation that we're not actively working in, and while praying to God is an active step in resolving any problem, we often don't feel like it is. Instead we look for tangible, but less viable, solutions from the world.
Think of it like this: something major happens, and instead of calling you best friend to help you sort it out, you call a bully who use to harass you all the time. That's exactly what Israel did. God saved Israel from Egypt. The Egyptians were not allies of Israel, and they weren't known for their helpfulness nor their morality. Yet God was all three of those things!
Fortunately for us, when we do stupid things like this, God is always willing to take us back. If we repent of our foolishness and run back to Him, He will make a way for our return. We might have to endure some punishment, but He will clean up or mess too. We just have to have faith.
The original Hebrew word translated to liberal in the KJV and noble in the CSB, is × ָדִיב (nadib). According to Strong's Concordance, it means "noble, generous, inclined."[3] One might wonder why the KJV chose the word liberal, but the literal definition of liberal actually makes sense in the context as well.[5] One of the definitions of liberal is actually "generous." Think of the phrase, "apply liberally." Basically, the righteous are generous, which is why they do not behave as the unrighteous, who take from the poor. The opposite of generous is greedy, and we see that clearly in the description of how the unrighteous behave.
While this isn't a prophecy or commentary on the politics of the U.S., it can still be used to assess the state of the government or the motivations of individual politicians. The ones whom God would have lead will be generous; they will want to give to the people and take care of people. Those backed by Satan will be about money, about helping the rich, and will implement policies designed to hurt the poor.
The relationship between men and women as it concerns God is actually quite interesting. It is possible that because the men have provided so well for the women—through their unrighteous connections with Egypt—the women feel no need to be concerned with God. Remember, Ephesians 5:23-24 tells us that as head of the house, the man is supposed to connect woman to God. So, since the men are not seeking God, the women aren't either.
Of course, there is also the converse situation that women can pull men away from God. Adam chose to disobey God because he followed Eve. The Israelites constantly dabbled in idolatry because they married pagan women—*cough* Solomon *cough* Samson *cough*. So, it's also possible that it was the women who started this descent from God.
That's why I find the relationship between men and women, biblically speaking, to be interesting. So many people harp on men leading and women being submissive, that they miss the point that both parties are responsible for each other. If one person in the relationship is walking away from God, it's very easy for the other person to follow. Part of the vows should be a responsibility to re-center the couple back on God if/when the other person is lost.
It almost seems like Isaiah is giving a pass to those who were wronged first, as though it's OK for them to play tit-for-tat, but given the Bible's overall stance on turning the other cheek, I don't think that's what Isaiah is getting at. We have sympathy and mercy for people acting in self defense, wether their choice is right or wrong. We also have sympathy and mercy for those who don't know any better—for instance, a 3 year old that finds a gun and accidentally kills someone. It's not right that they killed someone, but we aren't going to blame them for it (hopefully). Similarly, if you've been wronged your whole life, you've been taught that is how you treat people; you don't know better. Or if you've been severely wronged, you may lash out, at which point it's easy to sympathize with you despite knowing your action was wrong. The people Isaiah is speaking of don't have this excuse. They're just be horrible people because they want to be horrible people. There's no sympathy for them.
In short, when you know better, you should do better.
There are several passages in the Bible that reference God's name being on the Temple forever, but the Temple is gone. So what God really meant was that as long as the Temple is there, His name is on it. Similarly, we aren't given eternal life unless we surrender to Jesus, so we can be alive, burning forever. However, we the fire is everlasting because the death it causes is everlasting. I'll try to do a more in depth post on the concept of hell in the future, but I wanted to point this bit out since Isaiah mentions it as part of the judgement.
Isaiah 29-33: Woe to the Unbeliever
Introduction
Isaiah 29-33 presents a series of woes. Any time I see the word "woe" coming from the mouth of God, I immediately feel the severity of the situation. When God starts with woe, chances are you've already exhausted quite a few chances to abort your foolishness, repent, and return to Him. These chapters name the nations and types of people that God is condemning and give us a glimpse at the fate that awaits them. Despite being directed at specific people in Isaiah's time period, many of these warning apply to us as well. Let's learn from the past and make sure we aren't imitating any of the people God is pronouncing a woe upon.A Punishment for Jerusalem
Ariel or Jerusalem
Ariel means "Lion of God" in Hebrew. The lion was associate with the tribe of Judah, and as such, the name came to be associated with Jerusalem.[5] This is why Isaiah 29 calls the city of David (Jerusalem) Ariel.Punishment
There are five punishments, or plagues, foretold to come upon Jerusalem in Isaiah 29:6. All five are also found in revelation.- Thunder (Revelation 8:5; 11:19)
- Earthquake (Revelation 6:12; 8:5; 11:19)
- Great noise / Rumbling (Revelation 8:5; 11:19)
- Storm and tempest (Revelation 16:21)
- Fire (Revelation 9:18; 13:13)
- Scattering (Matthew 26:31; John 16:31; Acts 11:19)
- Hail (Revelation 16:21)
Fires
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| Photocredit: Unsplash.com/Nathan Lindahl |
Interesting fact: something in the world is actually always on fire. There's even a map that plots all of the fires seen each month over the course of about 18 years.[15]
Scattering
The New Testament shows us evidence that God's people have were scattered, at least in the early days of the Church. The Old Testament constantly warns Israel that they will be scattered, and they too were scattered. Whether Isaiah meant the scattering would only happen to believers, or whether he was informing us that groups of people in general would be scattered, we've seen scattering happen throughout history as well. If we look at scattering in the general sense, assuming all the people of the world are scattered and scrambled like eggs, we can easily point to the refugee crisis. Wars, genocides, violence, economic collapse, etc., are driving people from their homes and into foreign nations.[16] People are pouring out of certain areas in search of safety and stability. Even if a nation suddenly decided to roll out the welcome mat for refugees, transplanting a significant number of people from one country to another would only cause overpopulation problems. This is one of the excuses used to keep people out (I say excuses because I don't think they're actually concerned with overpopulation). Another issue is that depending on where a person is located and what the situation is in their country, it could be easier to escape to this country or that country. As such, the populations fleeing these countries are scattered.Storms
Let's face it, because I'm from the coastal lands in the Southeast, tempest means hurricane to me. Of course, it could also refer to Nor'easters, tornadoes, snow storms, and any other dangerous weather situation. Research shows hurricanes are increasing in strength,[17] and of the strongest 10 recorded Hurricanes to strike the U.S., 5 are from the last 20 years.[18]Blind to the Truth
In Isaiah 29:9-12, we learn that the people are unable to understand the truth even though it is right before them. Although this is presented as a metaphor in which no one can read a particular book because the right combination of "learned" (or educated) and able to unseal the book, there are quite a few instances in the Bible that this could actually be alluding to. Daniel 8:26; 12:4,9 tells us a book is sealed for the end times. Revelation 5 shows Jesus being the only person worth to loose the seals of the book. An interesting aside from modern time is that schools and places of higher education lean away from God, teaching children to doubt. The deeper you go into school ("learned), the more disbelief you will find. Thus those who are less educated may be able to break the seal, through faith and belief, but they may not have the tools to interpret the book.Rebellious Children
Isaiah 30 pronounces a woe upon the rebellious children. However, God is not referencing children who are unruly and refuse to listen to their parents here. He is actually referencing the people of Israel who are His children. God describes how they are rebellious in the first few lines. First, they have decided to take the advice of someone other than God. Note that this doesn't necessarily just mean doing the opposite of what God tells them to. Have you ever had someone ask you a question, then go ask someone else the same question, and instead of taking your answer they take the other person's, which was exactly the same as what you said? It's possibly the most annoying thing in the world. As children (or teens, perhaps), we're really bad at doing some version of this with our parents' advice. We value other sources, so our peers saying something is cool or uncool has more weight than what our parents say. We have to be careful not to do that to God; our acceptance of His ways should come from an acceptance of Him, not just that the world happens to agree on that point. If we fail do this, like those being addressed in Isaiah 30:1, we won't be covered by the Spirit, and that leaves us vulnerable. Thus, this warning is for those of us who have turned against His wisdom and decided to follow in the ways of the world. For Israel, the worldly temptation was that of Egypt; they put their trust in Egypt's gods and armies. Today, the U.S. acts as Egypt. People from all over the world seek out American customs and take on the ways of America (which have roots in pagan Egypt![6]). The real battle is against Satan, earthly forces and customs will never be enough to win this war.The beginning of Isaiah 30 also mentions two places that are not easily recognizable: Zoan and Hanes. Zoan separated Egypt from Goshen—this is where the Israelites lived during their tenure as slaves in Egypt. Hanes is also a city in Egypt, thought to be either Tahpanhes or Ahnas-el-Medeeneh. Tahpanhes was in the eastern part of the country while Ahnas-el-Medeeneh was about 70 miles away from Cairo.[7] [8]
Symbols
Isaiah goes on to describe a burden that exists on certain animals, we can be sure this is symbolic. The animals mentioned are the young and old lion, the viper, and the firery serpent. Using my knowledge of symbols elsewhere in the Bible, I would say the lion is Judah. Jesus is sometimes referred to as the Lion of Judah, but because it mentions a young and old lion, I am led to believe this might reference the old and new covenant believers. Similarly, Isaiah juxtaposes these two lions with a viper and a serpent. Obviously the serpent is Satan. So, who is the viper? The only thing I could come up with is maybe the antichrist system.Why They Were Judged
Many of the judgments in the Bible are the same, whether it be plagues, drought, captivity, or death, they all serve as divine punishment. The details of judgement may be important for identifying when a prophecy is fulfilled, but ultimately the thing we should be concerned with is why judgment fell on these people. If we can identify their mistakes, we can keep from making the same ones and thus avoid punishment.Luckily, Isaiah tells us exactly why they were punished: they despised the Word. The people turned against the law of God and refused to take the Word of God into their hearts. John tells us that Jesus is the Word, so even though He hadn't been revealed to the Israelites yet, the same character is meant when God references the Word. This passage is also one of the reasons we should know that what God commanded of the Israelites didn't just evaporate into thin air. When God is angry with Israel, it's usually for idolatry, but it's always for breaking the law. However, it's never ceremonial. We don't find that the Israelites failed to keep the sacrifices or that they failed to keep a feast. That's not to say they never failed with these things, but to point out that these aren't thee reasons God is angry with them. It's always something that leads back to the law of God or the teachings that Jesus expounded upon. If God was angry about disobedience then, He's definitely angry about it now.
A Teacher
Isaiah 30:19-22 talks about the Teacher that will come and lead the people back to God. Matthew 8:18-19 is just one of countless examples where Jesus is referred to as Teacher in the New Testament. It is through His teachings and His gift of the Holy Spirit that we can return to truth. Isaiah alludes to the Holy Spirit when he references a voice guiding the people in the right direction.The Lights of the Sky
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| Photocredit: Unsplash.com/Jordan Wozniak |
Lots of things came to my mind when I read this verse. For starters, I thought about climate change (more commonly referred to as global warming). Although the sun isn't necessarily changing, our self-destruction of the Earth is causing a change in how we feel the effects of the Sun. Ultimately this could cause us to feel as thought the Sun is 7 times brighter. If the rays of the sun are having more of an impact, it also possible that moon seems more reflective because it would be taking advantage of the same vulnerabilities in our atmosphere.
Some people believe this is a reference to a nova. If you're like me, in school you learned about a supernova but not simply a nova. When I first read the theory, I thought nova was a shortened way to reference a supernova and completely against the idea, since a supernova would destroy the Earth in the process and their theory suggested the Earth would still be existence after the fact. However, I felt like I needed to confirm my hunch (that was the Spirit leading me to wisdom!), and I discovered that a nova is similar to a supernova but nowhere near as powerful. In the event of a nova, less material is ejected from the star and the star still exists after the fact.[12] Now I fully understand the theory and why it could apply to end time events. In Revelation 6:8-11, we see an angel given power over the Sun. This is followed by fires and great heat. If the Sun did nova, it would fit Isaiah's reference to become 7 times brighter, it may eject some matter which would cause damage to Earth, generating heat and fires. What's more is that the Sun would be significantly darker after the fact.[11] The one catch with this theory is that nova generally happen in binary star systems making it scientifically unlikely for our Sun. Of course, that doesn't mean it's impossible.
I'd also like to point out a difference in tone between the KJV and the CSB for this particular verse. The KJV talks about binding up the breach against the people, which reads as punishing those who went against God's people, as well as healing the people, whereas the CSB sounds like its only a healing process. The former allows for the above interpretation whereas the latter reduces the meaning to a simple happily ever after (implicitly leaving out the punishment of those who did not turn back to God).
What is Tophet?
When I first saw the name Tophet, I couldn't figure out if it was a person or place. Tophet was a city of great importance to the nations around Israel. It functioned as a burial ground for all the pagan sacrifices the surrounding nations had made, including child sacrifices.[9][10] This is not a place the Israelites should have been mixed up with. God is alluding to the death of the king and suggesting that he will be unceremoniously buried amongst the pagans.Phone A Friend?
Chances are if your car broke down, there's at least one person that you would dial to come help you out. If you were in a deeper, more personal situation, that list of people might shrink. As the situation becomes more and more severe, the number of people you'd trust to help you would probably shrink, until you got to that one person you know has your back no matter what. Colloquially, we'd call that your "ride or die" friend.When the Israelites ran into some trouble in, they were at the point that the list should have been whittled down to their "ride or die" choice. That choice should have been God, but if you know anything about their history, you already know they didn't choose God. Instead, the put their faith in Egypt (Isaiah 31). They trusted the tangible things they could see with their eyes—horses, chariots, and a great army. They took matters into their own hand, and God lays out a "woe" to them because of this choice.
We like to see progress being made. Think about how much more satisfying it is to drive on a backstreet uninihibited versus driving on the interstate, where traffic is bumper to bumper. One is immensely peaceful; the other is extremely frustrating. We like to see our selves moving forward toward a goal. We typically feel helpless in a situation that we're not actively working in, and while praying to God is an active step in resolving any problem, we often don't feel like it is. Instead we look for tangible, but less viable, solutions from the world.
Think of it like this: something major happens, and instead of calling you best friend to help you sort it out, you call a bully who use to harass you all the time. That's exactly what Israel did. God saved Israel from Egypt. The Egyptians were not allies of Israel, and they weren't known for their helpfulness nor their morality. Yet God was all three of those things!
Fortunately for us, when we do stupid things like this, God is always willing to take us back. If we repent of our foolishness and run back to Him, He will make a way for our return. We might have to endure some punishment, but He will clean up or mess too. We just have to have faith.
A Prophecy
Isaiah 32 is prophecy made up of 3 parts. First, Isaiah relays information about the leaders of the coming kingdom. Second, he gives us information on the wicked in the world. Finally, he leaves a message to the women of the nation.The King
The first couple of verses definitely sound like a Messianic prophecy. Isaiah is speaking of this great king who will come and restore justice to the nation, which is exactly what Jesus is doing. Biblical scholars actually debate whether this is a genuine Messianic prophecy, or a reference to a righteous king like Hezekiah or Josiah.[1] Because God is known for His double prophecies, I lean toward both interpretations being true. Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of most prophecies given in the Old Testament, because it's purpose is to point us to salvation.Liberals
If you're reading the King James Version, you'll notice something very interesting in Isaiah 32:5,7-8. In these verses, Isaiah starts talking about "liberals." In verse 5, he says the vile (or the wicked) are not liberals, and in verse 7 and 8, he contrasts the liberals to the vile, implying once again that they are not the same. If you forget to put the verse in the context of the Bible, you might think he's endorsing the Democratic party or the political left, which is often referred to as "liberal." However, I'm fairly confident that's not what Isaiah was referencing. So, I checked out the verse in other translations and did some research on the original Hebrew word.[2]The original Hebrew word translated to liberal in the KJV and noble in the CSB, is × ָדִיב (nadib). According to Strong's Concordance, it means "noble, generous, inclined."[3] One might wonder why the KJV chose the word liberal, but the literal definition of liberal actually makes sense in the context as well.[5] One of the definitions of liberal is actually "generous." Think of the phrase, "apply liberally." Basically, the righteous are generous, which is why they do not behave as the unrighteous, who take from the poor. The opposite of generous is greedy, and we see that clearly in the description of how the unrighteous behave.
While this isn't a prophecy or commentary on the politics of the U.S., it can still be used to assess the state of the government or the motivations of individual politicians. The ones whom God would have lead will be generous; they will want to give to the people and take care of people. Those backed by Satan will be about money, about helping the rich, and will implement policies designed to hurt the poor.
A Message to Women
In Isaiah 32:9-19, a message is given that is specifically for the women. The women have also been lulled into a false sense of comfort and complacency. God warns that all their lavishness and riches will be taken from them.The relationship between men and women as it concerns God is actually quite interesting. It is possible that because the men have provided so well for the women—through their unrighteous connections with Egypt—the women feel no need to be concerned with God. Remember, Ephesians 5:23-24 tells us that as head of the house, the man is supposed to connect woman to God. So, since the men are not seeking God, the women aren't either.
Of course, there is also the converse situation that women can pull men away from God. Adam chose to disobey God because he followed Eve. The Israelites constantly dabbled in idolatry because they married pagan women—*cough* Solomon *cough* Samson *cough*. So, it's also possible that it was the women who started this descent from God.
That's why I find the relationship between men and women, biblically speaking, to be interesting. So many people harp on men leading and women being submissive, that they miss the point that both parties are responsible for each other. If one person in the relationship is walking away from God, it's very easy for the other person to follow. Part of the vows should be a responsibility to re-center the couple back on God if/when the other person is lost.
Endgame
When the people of Israel return to righteousness (re: return to God), the result will be peace. I found it interesting that God speaks of hail in his judgment of the unrighteous, because it's also mentioned as a plague of the final judgement (Revelation 8:7; 11:19; 16:21).The Spoiled
In Isaiah 33 we see another example of needing context to understand a particular word. Here, Isaiah warns those who are "spoiling" that have not been spoiled and those who "deal treacherously" with people that have not be dealt treacherously with. Usually when I say "spoil" I mean it in the sense of spoiling a child. Most parents who spoil their children have good intentions but take things too far. I don't think anyone spoils their child with the intent of crippling the child's growth. However, the context of this passage clearly implies negative intentions on the person's part. Spoiled in this context, means to ruin with malicious intent—such as to spoil the ending of movie, or to spoil the surprise.It almost seems like Isaiah is giving a pass to those who were wronged first, as though it's OK for them to play tit-for-tat, but given the Bible's overall stance on turning the other cheek, I don't think that's what Isaiah is getting at. We have sympathy and mercy for people acting in self defense, wether their choice is right or wrong. We also have sympathy and mercy for those who don't know any better—for instance, a 3 year old that finds a gun and accidentally kills someone. It's not right that they killed someone, but we aren't going to blame them for it (hopefully). Similarly, if you've been wronged your whole life, you've been taught that is how you treat people; you don't know better. Or if you've been severely wronged, you may lash out, at which point it's easy to sympathize with you despite knowing your action was wrong. The people Isaiah is speaking of don't have this excuse. They're just be horrible people because they want to be horrible people. There's no sympathy for them.
In short, when you know better, you should do better.
Everlasting/Forever
A lot of people believe when you die, if you go to hell you will burn for all eternity. I'm not one of those people. I believe that those who are sentenced to hell will burn out of existence; that state is for all eternity unlike the first death we we go through now, but that's for a different post. I bring it up because Isaiah 33:14 is one of the verses people might think supports an eternity of burning, after all, it does say everlasting. Isaiah also makes a reference to the tabernacle that will never be torn down in Isaiah 33:20. The tabernacle in question is clearly not the Temple of Solomon or the on that was destroyed in 70ad. I point these two examples out because it's important to think about how each verse works with the whole of the text and the concept of forever/everlasting in the Bible is quite interesting.There are several passages in the Bible that reference God's name being on the Temple forever, but the Temple is gone. So what God really meant was that as long as the Temple is there, His name is on it. Similarly, we aren't given eternal life unless we surrender to Jesus, so we can be alive, burning forever. However, we the fire is everlasting because the death it causes is everlasting. I'll try to do a more in depth post on the concept of hell in the future, but I wanted to point this bit out since Isaiah mentions it as part of the judgement.
For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; he will save us.Isaiah 33:22
References
- Holman Bible Publishers. Holman KJV Study Bible, pg. 1169. 2014
- "Isaiah 32:5". Interlinear Bible, via Bible Hub; visited March 2019
- "5081. nadib". Strong's Concordance, via Bible Hub; visited March 2019
- "Liberal". Merriam-Webster; visited March 2019
- "Ariel". Bible Study Tools; visited March 2019
- "Was America Ever A Christian Nation?". YouTube
- "Hanes". Bible Study Tools; visited April 2019
- "Zoan". Bible Study Tools; visited April 2019
- Emil G. Hirsch and Ira Maurice Price. "Tophet". Jewish Encyclopedia. 1906
- "Mark Cartwright. "Tophet". Ancient History Encyclopedia. April 15, 2016
- G. H. Rieke. "Sometimes the Final Stages of the Life of a Star Result in Violent Explosions". University of Arizona: Natural Sciences 102 Lecture
- Connie. "Revelation 16:1-11". End Times Studies. March 7, 2010
- Dennis Romero. "California had nation's worst fire season in 2018". NBC News. March 9, 2019
- Debra Utacia Krol and Allison Herrera. "California wildfires weren’t always this destructive". High Country News. November 15, 2018
- Paul Przyborski and Robert Levy. "Fire". NASA Earth Observatory; visited April 2019
- Megan Specia. "The Five Conflicts Driving the Bulk of the World’s Refugee Crisis". NY Times. June 19, 2018
- "Global Warming and Hurricanes". Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory. February 8, 2019
- "Strongest Hurricanes: 10 Most Intense Atlantic Hurricanes on Record". The Weather Channel. June 16, 2018
Book Review
Culture
Current Events
Justice
Mercy
Poor
Racism
Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson is a phenomenal book. I don't usually put much stock in books being "#1 New York Times Bestsellers," but this book truly deserves that title. I usually fly through books, and putting a book down or making slow progress usually indicates that I won't finish it because the plot or the writing just isn't drawing me in. But this book... It took me a little over a month to read. Part of the reason was because I was reading 2 other books at the same time, but really, the issue was that it's to real to read through in one sitting.
I learned my lesson when I binged watched the Kalief Browder story on Netflix,[1] and Mr. Stevenson's book is full of true stories highlighting the same faults in our criminal "justice" system. The overarching story is that of Walter McMillian who was wrongfully convicted of murder through shady practices and sentenced to death in Alabama. Mr. Stevenson, a young lawyer just beginning his career, started the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) to assist people like Mr. McMillian, and quickly became engrossed in the case. As Mr. Stevenson recounts the long, hard journey to establish true justice for Mr. McMillian, he weaves in the stories of countless other clients he was able to claim justice for. From wrongly accused men on death row to adults who had been imprisoned with life sentences as mere children, we get a glimpse at how unfair the system is to minorities and to the poor.
I had to put the book down every few pages because the injustice was so unsettling. There were times I wanted to quit reading; after all, I know our justice system is rigged. I couldn't, though. It was unsettling to read, but think how unsettling it is to live. Can you imagine knowing you're innocent but being on death row? Watching people leave, smelling their flesh burning from the electric chair knowing you'll never see them again, and knowing that one day it could be you? That's what many of the people highlighted in this book lived through.
The book isn't just about justice, though. It's also about mercy. Sometimes people do commit crimes and sometimes they should be punished for what they did. However, mercy is must come with the judgment. Mercy must be the final outcome. After someone has paid their debt to society, mercy must be granted. Rehabilitation and reintegration into society is no small feat, but it must take priority to avoid reentry to prison or suicides like that of the young Kalief Browder.
While I'm 100% positive that the book will always be better, there is a movie in the works. Michael B. Jordan will star as Bryan Stevenson and Jamie Foxx will star as Walter McMillian. It is scheduled to be released on January 17, 2020.[2] Nonetheless, I highly recommend reading this book, and I also encourage you to check out the Equal Justice Initiative,[3] which is still working to provide justice to those society has condemned and forgotten.
Book Review: Just Mercy
 |
| Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson |
I learned my lesson when I binged watched the Kalief Browder story on Netflix,[1] and Mr. Stevenson's book is full of true stories highlighting the same faults in our criminal "justice" system. The overarching story is that of Walter McMillian who was wrongfully convicted of murder through shady practices and sentenced to death in Alabama. Mr. Stevenson, a young lawyer just beginning his career, started the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) to assist people like Mr. McMillian, and quickly became engrossed in the case. As Mr. Stevenson recounts the long, hard journey to establish true justice for Mr. McMillian, he weaves in the stories of countless other clients he was able to claim justice for. From wrongly accused men on death row to adults who had been imprisoned with life sentences as mere children, we get a glimpse at how unfair the system is to minorities and to the poor.
I had to put the book down every few pages because the injustice was so unsettling. There were times I wanted to quit reading; after all, I know our justice system is rigged. I couldn't, though. It was unsettling to read, but think how unsettling it is to live. Can you imagine knowing you're innocent but being on death row? Watching people leave, smelling their flesh burning from the electric chair knowing you'll never see them again, and knowing that one day it could be you? That's what many of the people highlighted in this book lived through.
The book isn't just about justice, though. It's also about mercy. Sometimes people do commit crimes and sometimes they should be punished for what they did. However, mercy is must come with the judgment. Mercy must be the final outcome. After someone has paid their debt to society, mercy must be granted. Rehabilitation and reintegration into society is no small feat, but it must take priority to avoid reentry to prison or suicides like that of the young Kalief Browder.
...Walter had taught me that mercy is just when it is rooted in hopefulness and freely given. Mercy is most empowering, liberating, and transformative when it is directed at the undeserving. The people who haven't earned it, who haven't even sought it, are the most meaningful recipients of our compassion. Walter genuinely forgave the people who unfairly accused him, the people who convicted him, and thee people who had judged him unworthy of mercy. And in the end, it was just mercy toward others that allowed him to recover a life worth celebrating, a life that rediscovered the love and freedom that all humans desire, a life that overcame death and condemnation until it was time to die on God's schedule.
While I'm 100% positive that the book will always be better, there is a movie in the works. Michael B. Jordan will star as Bryan Stevenson and Jamie Foxx will star as Walter McMillian. It is scheduled to be released on January 17, 2020.[2] Nonetheless, I highly recommend reading this book, and I also encourage you to check out the Equal Justice Initiative,[3] which is still working to provide justice to those society has condemned and forgotten.
References
- Benjamin Weiser. "Kalief Browder’s Suicide Brought Changes to Rikers. Now It Has Led to a $3 Million Settlement.". NY Times. January 24, 2019
- "Just Mercy (2020)". IMDb; visited March 2019
- "Get Involved". Equal Justice Initiative; visited March 2019
Crumbs
Food
Podcast
Poor
Season 1
God calls us to be generous and not be greedy. We are not to take everything for ourselves, but meant to give freely to those in need. #LoveYourNeighbor
Season 1 Episode F
Generosity
God calls us to be generous and not be greedy. We are not to take everything for ourselves, but meant to give freely to those in need. #LoveYourNeighbor19“When you reap the harvest in your field, and you forget a sheaf in the field, do not go back to get it. It is to be left for the resident alien, the fatherless, and the widow, so that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. 20When you knock down the fruit from your olive tree, do not go over the branches again. What remains will be for the resident alien, the fatherless, and the widow. 21When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, do not glean what is left. What remains will be for the resident alien, the fatherless, and the widow. Deuteronomy 24:19-21 CSB
| 00:01:31 |
Hey guys! Welcome back to the PSALMS to God podcast. So when I was 14, my parents decided that I should get a job, and of course at 14 there aren't that many options for a job, but I managed to get a job at a fast-food restaurant. And it was quite possibly the worst job I've ever had in my entire life. People are rude. People are really rude. If you're a fast food employee, know that I sympathize with you, and I promise if I ever come in your store I will not be rude to you, no matter what happens. You know, when I first started there I had no idea what I was doing. I had never had a job before—I was 14—and they gave me no training. They just kind of threw me up there and when things didn't come out right, whether it was my fault or what it was the people in the back’s fault or whether it was actually the customer’s fault because they didn't order whatever they thought they ordered, most of the time I got cussed out—and when I say that, I mean there were customers that would come in and just curse you out. Never mind the fact that I was a 14-year-old child, and I've always look young for my age, so I probably looked about 10. I don't really know how people can get it in their spirit to cuss out a child, but they did. | ||
| 00:03:03 | And I hated that job, but I had plans for that money when I got my first paycheck. I was like, “when I get this paycheck, I'm going to buy all the stuff that my mom said I could not buy,” and you know my parents were saying that I didn't need that I just wanted. And I was going to buy everything that I wanted. So the day came that I got that paycheck. And y’all, that pay check was scarce! If my memory serves me correct I got about $20, and that $20 probably wouldn't have even covered the gas that it took my mom and dad to get me to work for those two weeks. I mean I don't even know if I could have bought one thing that I wanted with that. Most of it probably went to food. I was a big fan of buying food—I'm still a big fan of buying food—so I probably spent the money on food. | ||
| 00:04:06 | But I was so upset. I didn't understand. You know, I was good at math, so when I calculated out how many hours I worked verses the hourly rate that I was supposed to make, $20 was not the number I was coming up with. Of course, this is the moment that I started to understand taxes like you know America was founded on, you know, the whole slogan “taxation without representation”[1]—and yet children can’t vote but we[2] still get taxed! You know, I'm not going to—that’s not what this episode is about though. We’re not going off into that tangent. | ||
| 00:04:41 | What I want to talk about is the feeling that I had when I realized how much money the government was taking out of my check, to the feeling that I have now the government is still taking money out of my check, and to what is taught in the Bible about how we are supposed to be providing for those who are less fortunate than us—and the connection of those things. | ||
| 00:05:05 | So like I said, at 14 I was livid. I did not understand and I was not happy about it. At 30, I don’t look at my actual pay stub. I looked at it at the very beginning when I first worked there just to make sure everything was right and it looks reasonable. Now I do not look at it I just look at what actually goes into my account, because if I stop and think about how much money the government is taking I probably will still feel some type of way. But the fact of the matter is the Bible teaches us that we're not supposed to take every single drop of our labor, the fruit of our labor, and take it for ourselves. | ||
| 00:05:46 | So in the Bible, it specifically mentions fruit vines, olive trees—things that would have been very common to the people of Israel at this time. This was an agrarian society, so pretty much all of their wealth and all of their livelihood would have came from the crops and the things that they were growing. Today we live in a different type of society where the fruit of our labor is actually monetary most of the time. And so what God was saying in the passages that I read at the very beginning of the episode from Deuteronomy 24 the last couple of verses, is that the people were not supposed to pick every single fruit off of the bush. They were supposed to leave some behind. And after they had gleaned it—I don't know how many of my listeners are actually farmers or have had like a garden even like a little tiny, you know, kitchen garden or something like that—a lot of times when you pick things you might pick every single ripe thing on the bush but things may come back later and there may be a second harvest or maybe you just get one more fruit that you missed or something like that. | ||
| 00:07:05 | They weren't supposed to go back and claim that. All of that was supposed to be left for those who didn't have anything, and if you follow through the Old Testament, any time they mention the widows, the fatherless, the strangers or the foreigners, they're always talking about the people who were the poorest in society. People who have less opportunity. The people who are not necessarily afforded rights the way that other people were; they were supposed to be protected and taken care of. And one of those ways was by leaving this food so they could come and get it. And when they would come to get this food there was no expectation that they would pay the owner of the field for it. It was just it was just known that you know after the harvest, whatever was left would be for those people.[3] | ||
| 00:08:05 | So for instance, the second job that I ever had, it was also in Food Services but it was not at a fast food place. It was at a waterpark, and one of the things I learned at that place was that at the end of the day we were supposed to throw away all of the food that was left over. So if we had leftover hamburgers or leftover hot dogs or whatever, we were supposed to throw it away; we weren't supposed to save it and like reheat it and serve it the next day. That was against some sort of DHEC rule or violation. Now, in that same city, just down the street—like maybe like a block down the street—was a place where most of the homeless, the poor, there were also some unsavory characters—those people live very, very close to where I worked. And so, you know, sometimes they did venture that far up, sometimes the didn't, but we were also not allowed to give the food to them, which makes no sense to me. It didn't make sense to me then; it doesn't make sense to me now. But it would have made so much more sense: we have this leftover food, we can't sell it, nobody wanted it, we are not allowed to serve it the next day, why can't we just give it to the homeless people who have no food? That makes so much more sense than throwing away perfectly good food. | ||
| 00:009:37 |
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| 00:11:33 | The problem is produce doesn't last forever. So that means that at the end of the week, a lot of this food has gone to the bad. I know me personally, I've gone in the grocery stores on multiple occasions and pulled up—ou—you know like a piece of fruit that has mold on it, and I'm like, “That's gross! Like it's already molded”—now I don’t want any of it. This is part of the reason why, because they're overstocking, but then they have to throw away food. And it's mind-boggling because there are people who are starving. Obviously, you know there are countries that are having this problem—whole countries. I know like Venezuela had a food shortage problem—I think they still have a food shortage problem.[5] Meanwhile in America, we're wasting 40% of our food. | ||
| 00:12:23 | But then right here in America, we have people who are struggling to have food. I think it's somewhere on the order of—oh the number is escaping me. I will post it in the transcripts if you're curious, but it's something like 1 in 6 Americans have what's called food uncertainty, meaning they don't know where their next meal is coming from. And that is one too many. So you know, it should be 0 in 6, is what I mean. | ||
| 00:12:59 | There is a lot of trouble with getting food to people who need food because everybody needs food, and so I just think it's interesting because it's not something we really don't talk about in the church. And it's a problem that should be talked about in the church, not only because it's a humanitarian issue, but also because it's commanded of us in the Bible to take care of these people and to make sure that they have what is necessary. | ||
| 00:13:30 | And one of the reasons I wanted to bring it up in this particular time, in this particular moment, also you know as we inch closer and closer to 2020 and election season, something to keep in mind is that, like I said, we have a duty and a responsibility as Christians to take care of the less fortunate and those who do not have. But also to remember that when you don't have basic necessities, particularly when you're talking about food, when we are talking about shelter, things like that that. That is what drives people to desperation; that is why people wake up and do crazy things—whether it's they’re committing violent acts or crimes or whether it's that they decide to go sell drugs or something super reckless. When you wake up and you can't feed your children, you can't feed your family, and you feel like you have no other option, that's when you do desperate things—and it makes sense, because you're trying to get your basic necessities. | ||
| 00:14:45 | So if we as people who can spare that one, you know, as the Bible says, the one or two olives that are left on the tree, if you have just anything to spare. If you can leave that behind for those people, and you know they're gathering a little bit from me, a little bit from you, a little bit from over there, then it eases that tension. It eases that need to go off the deep end and do something drastic to get those necessities, because we're actually providing for them. And so as a society, we are responsible for each other. And so I would just urge you, and myself, that as you go through your life and you go through your day-to-day life, don't necessarily focus on what you want and how hard it is for you to get what you want, because there are other people who have even less. There's always somebody that has less than you[6] And we have a duty to not let ourselves get caught up in the capitalist, consumerist ideology that is pedaled to us in our society today. | ||
| 00:16:05 | I definitely, you know, as I was getting ready to do this podcast and as I sat down and thought about it, I am blessed beyond what I should be blessed with. There is nothing that I could ask more for. Everything that I could need, I have, and that is exactly the lesson my parents wanted me to learn when they made me get that job, that very first job. They wanted me to understand the importance of want versus need. Yeah sure I want a house with a pool—a private pool—that would be really nice down here in South Florida. I can't afford that, but I don't need that, you know. There are lots of things that I see that would be nice to have just to have. I love to just be able to jet off on vacation all the time, I can't do that. But I have all of the necessities; I can pay my rent, I have a place, I have a roof over my head, my refrigerator is stocked, and I know where my next meal is coming from. And that is something to be thankful for. Everybody doesn't have that. And when I think about that, I realize that I owe it to myself to not forget that, and one of the ways that helps me not to forget that is just like God said: is to make sure that I'm giving back to other people. So whether that's financially, whether that's with your time, whether that's just by stopping and being nice to somebody, just trying to make their day better, whatever you have left in you, make sure you can give it to somebody else to help them. | ||
| 00:18:02 | OK so that ended up being a little bit longer than I intended or expected, but it's a topic that's near and dear to my heart and so I wanted to say all that I had to say. I hope that you will think about it throughout the week and that you will pay it forward. So the transcript for this particular episode will be on the website at www.psalmstogod.com/generosity. Thank you guys for listening and for tuning in. Don't forget to like and subscribe. Follow of me on social media, whatever floats your boat. I can't wait to talk to you guys again. See you next time. |
Footnotes and References
- I meant “No taxatation without representation” was the slogan, taxation wihtout representation was the problem, but y’all understood what I meant, I hope. (No Taxation without Representation)
- Clearly I’m not a child anymore; I don’t know why I said we instead of they but that’s what I said.
- This is evident in the story of Ruth, who secured food for her and her mother-in-law from the fields of Boaz
- Dana Gunders. Wasted: How america is losing up to 40 percent of its food from farm to fork to landfill". Natural Resources Defense Council Issue Paper, IP: 12-06-B. August 2012
- "Venezuela crisis: How the political situation escalated". BBC. January 24, 2019
- OK, so at some point yes there is one person where no one has less than them; but this is not just in reference to tangible objects and when you start counting the intangible and mixing it in, you’re comparing apples to oranges, then it gets complicated.
Christian Walk
Fruit of the Spirit
Graduate School
Poor
Testimony
Luckily, I don't think I was ever what you would call a brat, but I'm not sure I was ever truly humble, either. I was probably in middle school when I realized I was blessed to have more than some, but I still knew people who had way more than me from a monetary standpoint. While money can't buy happiness, it sure does seem to make life easier. Being in the position I was in, firmly rooted in the middle, I was content but not cocky.
The moment I became humble was 2 years ago when I first deployed my devices for the research I would go on to use for my dissertation. A device sat in the bottom of each trash can in the university cafeteria, fulfilling the purpose of measuring the food wasted by customers. My goal was not only to provide the cafeteria with a simple and efficient way to measure how much food was being wasted, but to use that data in real time to inform the student body about how much food we waste and inspire changes in behavior. The United States actually wastes 40% of the food we produce and 1 in 6 people are living with food insecurities (i.e., they aren't sure when or where their next meal will come from).[1] The premise inspired me to educate our student body. After all, if we only take what we need, we lower the demand which also lowers the cost. At the very least, we leave the food preserved so that it can be donated to food shelters at the end of the day.
I thought I was emotionally attached to the project from the get go, but it wasn't until I deployed the project that I was humbled beyond words. The first few months of the deployment were basically a disaster. Interference and poor wifi signals meant my devices couldn't connect to the base station and the base station could communicate with the server. Every day I would have to investigate why I wasn't receiving data, which often meant emptying the trash, reaching in, and checking on the device. The smell inside those trash cans was atrocious; there were many occasions when I thought I would barf. Students in the cafeteria would see me and whisper to their friends as they walked by. A few people stopped to tell me that whatever I'd dropped in there wasn't worth it, and I should just buy another one.
My heart broke. Why? Because there are people who go through garbage for real, because they have no other choice. Most of us are only a paycheck away from homelessness ourselves, and yet we stare at these people. Most of us wouldn't dig through our personal garbage, let alone a public one. There wasn't even garbage in the can while I was inside, but I could smell the rot and people thought I had lost my mind. After I was done, I would wash my hands and walk across campus wondering if I had absorbed the smell—was everyone around me thinking I smelled like garbage? Of course, I was free to get in my car, go home, and shower as many times during the day as I needed. I could change clothes and truthfully, at any point I could have said this is too much I want a different project. There are people who don't have those luxuries.
During that deployment, I found a new respect for the poor and a deeper appreciation for all God has blessed me with. It's so easy to see people with more and feel like we don't have anything, but we have far more than some. If you don't have to worry about where your food is coming from or how you're going to pay for it, you are blessed. I ask you to remember that as you prepare your meals, as you pick up food from buffets, and as you clean out your pantries. Don't just throw food away, if you can, find a food bank or soup kitchen and donate it. Don't stare or shudder at those less fortunate than us who have to wear the same unwashed clothes day after day or who are so desperate for food they'll reach in the trash for our leftovers. God called us to take care of them! It starts by humbling ourselves and realizing we are the same.
A Lesson in Humility
Humility, or meekness is one of the fruits of the Spirit that is really powerful when it hits you. You won't forget it once you feel it.
I've been meaning to share this post for almost 2 years, but getting the words out has been hard. I have to start by admitting that I am profusely blessed; there is no doubt in my mind that I've found favor in God's heart. My family, both immediate and extended, loves me—sure we may have our moments of craziness, but when it comes down to it, the family pulls together. I didn't have to understand adult things when I was a child; the fridge was always full, the bills were always paid, no one touched me inappropriately, the adults around me weren't struggling with addictions, etc. God gave me everything I needed for happiness and success.Luckily, I don't think I was ever what you would call a brat, but I'm not sure I was ever truly humble, either. I was probably in middle school when I realized I was blessed to have more than some, but I still knew people who had way more than me from a monetary standpoint. While money can't buy happiness, it sure does seem to make life easier. Being in the position I was in, firmly rooted in the middle, I was content but not cocky.
The moment I became humble was 2 years ago when I first deployed my devices for the research I would go on to use for my dissertation. A device sat in the bottom of each trash can in the university cafeteria, fulfilling the purpose of measuring the food wasted by customers. My goal was not only to provide the cafeteria with a simple and efficient way to measure how much food was being wasted, but to use that data in real time to inform the student body about how much food we waste and inspire changes in behavior. The United States actually wastes 40% of the food we produce and 1 in 6 people are living with food insecurities (i.e., they aren't sure when or where their next meal will come from).[1] The premise inspired me to educate our student body. After all, if we only take what we need, we lower the demand which also lowers the cost. At the very least, we leave the food preserved so that it can be donated to food shelters at the end of the day.
I thought I was emotionally attached to the project from the get go, but it wasn't until I deployed the project that I was humbled beyond words. The first few months of the deployment were basically a disaster. Interference and poor wifi signals meant my devices couldn't connect to the base station and the base station could communicate with the server. Every day I would have to investigate why I wasn't receiving data, which often meant emptying the trash, reaching in, and checking on the device. The smell inside those trash cans was atrocious; there were many occasions when I thought I would barf. Students in the cafeteria would see me and whisper to their friends as they walked by. A few people stopped to tell me that whatever I'd dropped in there wasn't worth it, and I should just buy another one.
My heart broke. Why? Because there are people who go through garbage for real, because they have no other choice. Most of us are only a paycheck away from homelessness ourselves, and yet we stare at these people. Most of us wouldn't dig through our personal garbage, let alone a public one. There wasn't even garbage in the can while I was inside, but I could smell the rot and people thought I had lost my mind. After I was done, I would wash my hands and walk across campus wondering if I had absorbed the smell—was everyone around me thinking I smelled like garbage? Of course, I was free to get in my car, go home, and shower as many times during the day as I needed. I could change clothes and truthfully, at any point I could have said this is too much I want a different project. There are people who don't have those luxuries.
During that deployment, I found a new respect for the poor and a deeper appreciation for all God has blessed me with. It's so easy to see people with more and feel like we don't have anything, but we have far more than some. If you don't have to worry about where your food is coming from or how you're going to pay for it, you are blessed. I ask you to remember that as you prepare your meals, as you pick up food from buffets, and as you clean out your pantries. Don't just throw food away, if you can, find a food bank or soup kitchen and donate it. Don't stare or shudder at those less fortunate than us who have to wear the same unwashed clothes day after day or who are so desperate for food they'll reach in the trash for our leftovers. God called us to take care of them! It starts by humbling ourselves and realizing we are the same.
 |
| Photocredit: Unspalsh.com/Mihály Köles |
References
- Dana Gunders. "Wasted: How America is Losing up to 40 Percent of its Food From Farm to Fork to Landfill". Natural Resources Defense Council Issue Paper, August 2012. IP: 12-06-B.
Bible Study
Chapter Study
Death
Ecclesiastes
In God I Trust
Offerings
Poor
Speech & Language
Ecclesiastes 5&6 makes us reevaluate the way we look at religion and wealth. Without meaning to, we often take up secular attitudes and opinions toward these two topics, which can cause us to drift away from God. It's important to put everything in perspective. Remember, Solomon's main theme in Ecclesiastes, is if I died tomorrow, what then?
Top
Today, we experience the same problems. Some people go to church every week without ever developing a spiritual relationship with God; they just go because that's what they've been taught to do. We don't sacrifice anymore, but we pray for forgiveness from Jesus who acted as the ultimate sacrifice. Many are not taught that we are free because of Jesus' sacrifice, but the significance of Jesus as a sacrifice is lost in translation. Therefore, we repeat the same mistake Solomon is calling foolish: we expect forgiveness from Jesus while simultaneously continuing to do evil.
We must remember to build a relationship with God first and not do things out of habit but because we are moved to do so by God.
One of the things that stood out to me was the disapproval of lengthiness. Solomon says fools have a multitude of words and that we should watch how much we say. It's hard to know how much is too much, but I think the best way to gauge is sincerity, which requires introspection and honesty with ourselves. For example, growing up, everyone said these long elaborate prayers when blessing the food; so, when we individually blessed our food, I would think long pauses in between my words, because I thought I was missing word. The truth is, the only words required are those in our hearts. We don't need to repeat ourselves or use 10 synonyms in a row to make the prayer/speech sound better.
In addition to speaking out of vanity, just to hear ourselves speak, there's also the issue of missing other people's points of view. Sometimes we should stop to listen.
Later, in Ecclesiastes 6, Solomon tells us a mouth can cause flesh to sin. When I first read that, it seemed odd. In my mind, I was thinking of Jesus' statement that if you are angry at your brother without cause you are guilty of murder, and assuming that if you speak the words, the sin of the thought came first. However, as I pondered it more, and thought of today's world, I realized what Solomon was saying. Sometimes we seduce people into doing things they shouldn't with our words. Solomon wasn't necessarily saying my words would cause my flesh to sin; he was saying my words could cause someone else's flesh to sin. The last thing I want is to be standing before God and Him tell me it was my fault so-and-so committed this and that sin! Watch what you say—I know I will.
We all know the saying that money can't buy happiness, so it's not surprising that Solomon would tell us riches were all for naught. Solomon tells us that working men sleep soundly but the wealthy can't sleep at night. While this could be a subtle hint that the wealthy didn't accrue their wealth honestly, I think Solomon is actually talking about something else entirely. When you have a lot of money, everyone wants to be around you, whether they have your best interest in mind or not. People try to steal your money or swindle you out of it. You have more complicated taxes and likely more stress maintaining your finances.
Even if you could sleep soundly with your wealth (and I'm sure some of the wealthy do sleep soundly at least some nights), Solomon reminds us that you can't take it with you when you go. We can earn as much or as little as we want, but in the end, when we die, riches do us no good. Whether we consider wealth money and jewels, or livestock and land, once we die these things become obsolete. The best you can hope for is passing that wealth on you your family, which means you might as well share the wealth from the beginning.
It sounds pretty bleak when you think about it; especially since we live in a society that glamorizes wealth. However, we should remember that God has something even better for us in the end. God's gift to us after judgment is served and evil is eradicated is so wonderful, we won't even remember this life! Now that's something to look forward to.
Solomon tells us that even if a man has everything one could consider important—family, wealth, longevity, etc.—but he doesn't not enjoy his happiness, he's worse off than a still born)! That's a strong statement, but I understand where Solomon is coming from. If you go through life blessed and are blind to your blessings, you've also closed your eyes to most of what's happening in the world. I wake up knowing I have a home, parents who love me, and my health, meanwhile an 8 year old child just died trying to protect his 7 year old sister from being raped![1] People on the Islands have lost everything, both family members and their possessions, in the wake of Hurricanes Irma and Maria.[2] People in Venezuela are starving and without medical care.[3] People in Myanmar are being gunned down for no reason whatsoever...[4] So what kind of shallow existence would I have if I was unable to recognize my blessings from God?
One of the biggest misconceptions about the Bible is that people go straight to Heaven or Hell after they die. Revelation makes it clear that when Christ comes back there will be two separate resurrections: 1 for those who are saved (1 Thessalonians 4:16 and Revelation 20:4-5) and 1 for those who did not believe in Christ (Revelation 20:6). Solomon is probably referring to the time between a person's death and the second coming of Christ. Everyone goes to the pit, also known as Sheol. This is not to be confused with purgatory; Sheol is simply a resting place for the souls of the dead.[5]
Solomon's point was that whether you are good or bad, you must die at some point. Death does not prey on the evil nor spare the righteous. We have to live each day with purpose because just like those who follow Satan, we could die at any moment. We all have the same short term fate. The people of Solomon's time didn't know God's full plan (hence the name Revelation for the final book of the Bible), but even if they had known, once we die our fate is set. Thus, it makes sense that Solomon would reference the consequences of the first death without expounding on the ultimate fate of believers and non believers.
Ecclesiastes 5&6: Religion & Wealth
Ecclesiastes 5&6 makes us reevaluate the way we look at religion and wealth. Without meaning to, we often take up secular attitudes and opinions toward these two topics, which can cause us to drift away from God. It's important to put everything in perspective. Remember, Solomon's main theme in Ecclesiastes, is if I died tomorrow, what then?Introduction
In Ecclesiastes 5 and 6, we get more information about our relationship with God as opposed to religion and the vanity of wealth. It's important to remember that Solomon was questioning the meaning of life. In doing so, he points out the futility of certain actions people take thinking it will improve their chance of getting to Heaven. It's interesting to contemplate the fact that God has infinite time, with infinite knowledge while we have a very short time and limited knowledge. It makes sense that we fall into the devil's traps of wasting our time on trivial matters.Top
Vain Sacrifices
Solomon addresses those who give sacrifices without considering the evil things they've done (or are doing). For most of us, religion is actually something we do out of habit more than love or spiritual connection. This allows us to detach from our actions, essentially making them void. In Solomon's day, the issue at hand was sacrifices. Some people brought sacrifices to God because thats what they thought they were supposed to do; however, they continued to do evil and sin. They weren't necessarily sorry for their actions nor did they link the death of the animal as their own punishment for sin being transferred to the animal.Today, we experience the same problems. Some people go to church every week without ever developing a spiritual relationship with God; they just go because that's what they've been taught to do. We don't sacrifice anymore, but we pray for forgiveness from Jesus who acted as the ultimate sacrifice. Many are not taught that we are free because of Jesus' sacrifice, but the significance of Jesus as a sacrifice is lost in translation. Therefore, we repeat the same mistake Solomon is calling foolish: we expect forgiveness from Jesus while simultaneously continuing to do evil.
We must remember to build a relationship with God first and not do things out of habit but because we are moved to do so by God.
Watch What You Say
I used to be really bad about saying the first thing that came to my mind. Over time, I've learned that somethings are better left unsaid, and others need to be said a certain way. Though we are told in many places to mind our tongue, Solomon warns us about our speech again in Ecclesiastes 5.One of the things that stood out to me was the disapproval of lengthiness. Solomon says fools have a multitude of words and that we should watch how much we say. It's hard to know how much is too much, but I think the best way to gauge is sincerity, which requires introspection and honesty with ourselves. For example, growing up, everyone said these long elaborate prayers when blessing the food; so, when we individually blessed our food, I would think long pauses in between my words, because I thought I was missing word. The truth is, the only words required are those in our hearts. We don't need to repeat ourselves or use 10 synonyms in a row to make the prayer/speech sound better.
In addition to speaking out of vanity, just to hear ourselves speak, there's also the issue of missing other people's points of view. Sometimes we should stop to listen.
Later, in Ecclesiastes 6, Solomon tells us a mouth can cause flesh to sin. When I first read that, it seemed odd. In my mind, I was thinking of Jesus' statement that if you are angry at your brother without cause you are guilty of murder, and assuming that if you speak the words, the sin of the thought came first. However, as I pondered it more, and thought of today's world, I realized what Solomon was saying. Sometimes we seduce people into doing things they shouldn't with our words. Solomon wasn't necessarily saying my words would cause my flesh to sin; he was saying my words could cause someone else's flesh to sin. The last thing I want is to be standing before God and Him tell me it was my fault so-and-so committed this and that sin! Watch what you say—I know I will.
Vows
Vows are defined in Numbers 30 (I also have a post on that chapter). In Ecclesiastes 5, Solomon tells us it's better not to make vow unto God than to make one then not pay it. The payment he speaks of is in reference to the offerings and monetary givings that are associated with the vow. I think in most things, it is better to just not, than to say you will and fail. When you bail out on things you've committed to, you seem flaky and people loose faith in you. Imagine if God didn't follow through with His promises... How awful would that be!?The Poor
It seems pretty clear to me, simply by the fact that almost ever book in the Bible contains passages about the treatment of the poor that God really wanted us to pay attention to those with less than us. Solomon tells us not to marvel at the fact that people commit atrocities against the poor because God is on the side of the poor and God is highest authority.The Rich
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Even if you could sleep soundly with your wealth (and I'm sure some of the wealthy do sleep soundly at least some nights), Solomon reminds us that you can't take it with you when you go. We can earn as much or as little as we want, but in the end, when we die, riches do us no good. Whether we consider wealth money and jewels, or livestock and land, once we die these things become obsolete. The best you can hope for is passing that wealth on you your family, which means you might as well share the wealth from the beginning.
It sounds pretty bleak when you think about it; especially since we live in a society that glamorizes wealth. However, we should remember that God has something even better for us in the end. God's gift to us after judgment is served and evil is eradicated is so wonderful, we won't even remember this life! Now that's something to look forward to.
Appreciate What You Have
We often dwell on the things we don't have. We complain about things that may seem trivial if we step back and look at our world. God blesses us everyday, and we often ignore that. From good health to a roof over our head, God makes sure we have everything we need, even if we don't have some of the things we want!Solomon tells us that even if a man has everything one could consider important—family, wealth, longevity, etc.—but he doesn't not enjoy his happiness, he's worse off than a still born)! That's a strong statement, but I understand where Solomon is coming from. If you go through life blessed and are blind to your blessings, you've also closed your eyes to most of what's happening in the world. I wake up knowing I have a home, parents who love me, and my health, meanwhile an 8 year old child just died trying to protect his 7 year old sister from being raped![1] People on the Islands have lost everything, both family members and their possessions, in the wake of Hurricanes Irma and Maria.[2] People in Venezuela are starving and without medical care.[3] People in Myanmar are being gunned down for no reason whatsoever...[4] So what kind of shallow existence would I have if I was unable to recognize my blessings from God?
Fate of the Dead
Solomon says something interesting when he talks about the fate of people when we die. He says that we all go to one place. If you read that verse without thinking about it, it sounds like Solomon is saying it doesn't matter whether we do good or evil because we end up in the same place. (A lot of people lean toward believing that too, because most people assume everyone who dies is in Heaven—but that's a post for another day.) That's not what Solomon is saying, though.One of the biggest misconceptions about the Bible is that people go straight to Heaven or Hell after they die. Revelation makes it clear that when Christ comes back there will be two separate resurrections: 1 for those who are saved (1 Thessalonians 4:16 and Revelation 20:4-5) and 1 for those who did not believe in Christ (Revelation 20:6). Solomon is probably referring to the time between a person's death and the second coming of Christ. Everyone goes to the pit, also known as Sheol. This is not to be confused with purgatory; Sheol is simply a resting place for the souls of the dead.[5]
Solomon's point was that whether you are good or bad, you must die at some point. Death does not prey on the evil nor spare the righteous. We have to live each day with purpose because just like those who follow Satan, we could die at any moment. We all have the same short term fate. The people of Solomon's time didn't know God's full plan (hence the name Revelation for the final book of the Bible), but even if they had known, once we die our fate is set. Thus, it makes sense that Solomon would reference the consequences of the first death without expounding on the ultimate fate of believers and non believers.
Logic Over Desire
It's interesting that we always say "follow your heart" but Solomon warns us not to follow our desires. Note, there is a subtle difference between the heart and desires: desires usually spring from the heart. The problem is, our desires change and may not be good for us. We don't always know what's best for us, but God does. We must give our hearts to God and allow Him to purge our desires and replace them with His own. As we align our heart with God, then we can follow it knowing we are following Him.References
- Minyvonne Burke. "California boy killed trying to protect younger sister from mother's abusive ex-boyfriend". NY Daily News. September 25, 2017
- Joe Sterling and Cassandra Santiago. "For first time in 300 years, no one is living on Barbuda". CNN. September 15, 2017
- "Venezuela crisis: What is behind the turmoil?". BBC. May 4, 2017
- Max Bearak. "One month on, a bleak new reality emerges for 436,000 Rohingya refugees ". The Washington Post. September 25, 2017
- Emil G. Hirsch. "Sheol". Jewish Encyclopedia. 1906
Bible Study
Chapter Study
Ecclesiastes
Friendship
In God I Trust
Love
Marriage
Poor
Wisdom
In Ecclesiastes 4, Solomon reminds us of how much better life is with two (or more) people, rather than one. Friendship is the one trait, Solomon never writes off as vanity, which means it must be worth a lot! Before jumping into friendship, Solomon discusses power and watching the evils of the world.
In Eccelesiastes 4, Solomon reminds us of how much better life is with two (or more) people, rather than one. Friendship is the one trait, Solomon never writes off as vanity, which means it must be worth a lot! Before jumping into friendship, Solomon discusses power and watching the evils of the world.
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Comforter is another name for the Holy Ghost.[1][1] God is the comforter for the oppressed, but when you're in a state of oppression, you probably won't feel comforted, even though He's there. Think about Job; think about the Israelites. Even though God was always in control, these people still experienced pain, sorrow, and despair. God being our Comforter merely means that He heals us and gives us peace. Since the Holy Spirit also gives us wisdom, and other gifts, He helps us to deal with the issues we are facing. On the other hand, the oppressors are in opposition to God cutting them off from His comfort. There many passages in which God condemns those who oppress His people.
The author continues this thought reminding us that two is better than one. He doesn't specify a husband and wife, though that was what first came to my mind. Of course, this could refer to friendship or family, as well. When one person falls, the other can lift him/her up. Companionship is important; people give each other purpose. Friendship is the only thing the author of Ecclesiastes never calls vanity—something we should remember.
Ecclesiastes 4: Don't Go Through Life Alone
In Ecclesiastes 4, Solomon reminds us of how much better life is with two (or more) people, rather than one. Friendship is the one trait, Solomon never writes off as vanity, which means it must be worth a lot! Before jumping into friendship, Solomon discusses power and watching the evils of the world.Introduction
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Top
Oppressors vs. the Oppressed
In a game of would you rather, most people would probably choose to be the oppressor over the oppressed. However, the author reminds us that both positions suck. It's self explanatory why being oppressed isn't the good side of the fence. Given the the two options, oppressor definitely seems like it would be better, because you have power. Except, you give up your humanity and your soul when you mistreat people. The author says neither group has a comforter, which is interesting when you think about it.Comforter is another name for the Holy Ghost.[1][1] God is the comforter for the oppressed, but when you're in a state of oppression, you probably won't feel comforted, even though He's there. Think about Job; think about the Israelites. Even though God was always in control, these people still experienced pain, sorrow, and despair. God being our Comforter merely means that He heals us and gives us peace. Since the Holy Spirit also gives us wisdom, and other gifts, He helps us to deal with the issues we are facing. On the other hand, the oppressors are in opposition to God cutting them off from His comfort. There many passages in which God condemns those who oppress His people.
Best State of Life
Ecclesiastes 4 acknowledges 3 states our lives fall into, pre-birth, life, and death. Of these, pre-birth is ranked as the point we are best off, with death coming in second, and life trailing in last place. The rationale is that before we are born, we haven't seen any evil—essentially we're like Adam and Eve were in the garden. Once we die, we cease seeing evil, but as we live, we are constantly bombarded with the sorrows of the world.Alone?
If a man is single, with no children, and no family, why does he work hard to accumulate wealth? This seems to be the main question posed in this chapter. The author asks what good is such wealth considering the fact that we can't take anything with us when we die? The heart of this question is, who will reap the fruit of our labor and who will enjoy the fruit with us. A life alone isn't worth much...The author continues this thought reminding us that two is better than one. He doesn't specify a husband and wife, though that was what first came to my mind. Of course, this could refer to friendship or family, as well. When one person falls, the other can lift him/her up. Companionship is important; people give each other purpose. Friendship is the only thing the author of Ecclesiastes never calls vanity—something we should remember.
References
Bible Study
Chapter Study
In God I Trust
Patience
Poor
Proverbs
Wisdom
Women
If King Lemuel is not Solomon, Lemuel is either a nickname for another Israelite king or a gentile. Israelite history does not list a king named Lemuel for either kingdom. This means it could be one of the few entries in the Bible written by a gentile.
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Second, Lemuel advises kings not to drink wine or other strong drinks (i.e., liquor). Not only is excessive drinking unhealthy, the impairments caused while inebriated could cause social, political, or financial damage. People make poor decisions while under the influence and often say or do things they regret. To put it in modern times, how well do you think a meeting with a drunk Donald Trump and leaders from countries the US doesn't particularly get along with will go? Kings must be in proper condition at all times because the people look to them for an example and there is always the possibility of a crucial matter needing his attention spontaneously occurring at a time that interrupts his festivities. Only those who have nothing going for them drink.
Finally, he tells us to speak up for those who are disadvantaged by poverty or disability.
The latter portion of Lemuel's proverbs deal with describing a virtuous woman. In the original Hebrew, this is actually an acrostic, in which the first letter of each line of the proverb constitutes the Hebrew alphabet.[2]
The following is a list of qualities Lemuel says belong to a virtuous woman:
This is far from the sexist views of women that have developed over time. Within these verses, it does say that she rises early to bring meat (or food) to those in her household, which is closer to the definition of womanhood society has created. However, in the context of the verse, it seems to show that with her earnings from her labor she takes care of her home. She does not horde the fruit of her labor for herself. If the woman is to represent the Body of Christ, this verse could easily be a reference to tithing, where rising early signifies giving the first of our efforts.
Note that this isn't necessarily saying that women have to be super heroes and are responsible for bringing everyone in their house to salvation. A virtuous woman is most likely to marry a God-fearing man because the Bible tells us not to yoke ourselves with non-believers. Thus, she and her husband will be an example for their children. She will aid in training them to be faithful servants of God.
In today's world, it seems like a lot to expect a woman to know how to sew and make clothes, but when I think about the fashion industry, this seems more relevant than ever. Women's clothes are a disaster. Ignoring the fact that it's almost impossible to find clothes that fit properly due to the variety of shapes and sizes we come in, there's still the issue of appearance. Most of our clothes were not designed for practicality or comfort, but for sex-appeal and aesthetics. Who is designing these clothes? Well, all of the famous designers I can think of are men. How different would the fashion industry be if we were designing our own clothes? How much more empowered would we be if we simply made our own clothes without concern to sizes? I've never sewn an outfit, but I think Lemuel is on to something big here...
Proverbs 31: A Virtuous Woman
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No one is perfect, but Proverbs 31 gives women a glimpse down the road of perfection. We find her several virtues we should strive for to make us better women. These help us to strengthen our relationship with God, which subsequently, strengthens our relationships with those around us.
No one is perfect, but Proverbs 31 gives women a glimpse down the road of perfection. We find her several virtues we should strive for to make us better women. These help us to strengthen our relationship with God, which subsequently, strengthens our relationships with those around us. Introduction
Proverbs 31 is the last chapter of proverbs and attributed to King Lemuel, who writes with inspiration from his mother's wisdom. Like with Agur, the identity of Lemuel is a mystery. Once again, there are scholars who believe this could be a nickname for King Solomon. This would make the woman whom inspired the wisdom Bathsheba.[1]If King Lemuel is not Solomon, Lemuel is either a nickname for another Israelite king or a gentile. Israelite history does not list a king named Lemuel for either kingdom. This means it could be one of the few entries in the Bible written by a gentile.
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A Few Tips
Before diving into the virtuous woman, Lemuel gives a few tips. First, he advises against a man giving his strength to women. While this could mean the man is not to give up his position as head of the house, it does not mean that the woman can never have what she wants. Since the verse references women verses one woman and goes on to talk about things that ruin kings, it seems more likely that this verse is talking about polygamy. A man who is married to multiple women, spends his energy pleasing his wives. This leaves less time and energy for other matters of importance.Second, Lemuel advises kings not to drink wine or other strong drinks (i.e., liquor). Not only is excessive drinking unhealthy, the impairments caused while inebriated could cause social, political, or financial damage. People make poor decisions while under the influence and often say or do things they regret. To put it in modern times, how well do you think a meeting with a drunk Donald Trump and leaders from countries the US doesn't particularly get along with will go? Kings must be in proper condition at all times because the people look to them for an example and there is always the possibility of a crucial matter needing his attention spontaneously occurring at a time that interrupts his festivities. Only those who have nothing going for them drink.
Finally, he tells us to speak up for those who are disadvantaged by poverty or disability.
A Virtuous Woman
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A Metaphor?
Is the virtuous woman real, or is she just a metaphor? If you remember, Solomon personified wisdom as a woman in his first proverbs. There are also many passages, particularly related to end time prophecies, in which a woman is used to signify the church. Given this knowledge, it's possible that the woman spoken of in the passage is merely a metaphor for wisdom or the church and the traits are meant to be applied to them instead. The traits given could be easily applied to the Bride of Christ or wisdom.[6]The following is a list of qualities Lemuel says belong to a virtuous woman:
Valued Above Rubies
She is worth more than rubies (Proverbs 31:10)
Proverbs 31:10 tells us a virtuous wo an is hard to come by and her value is more than rubies. Most of us would agree that people (male or female) are priceless, which definitely makes them worth more than rubies. Nonetheless, I was curious as to what a comparison would look like. Rubies can cost as much as $100,000 per carat![3] A carat is 200mg (0.00044 lbs)[4] and according to the CDC, the average woman weighs 168.5 lbs[5] which would be equivalent to 382,151.57 carats. At the lowest price per carat—$100—that would be $38,215,157.00 and at the highest price per carat—$100,000—that would be $38,215,157,000.00. Based on this Lemuel is saying women are worth more than millions or even billions of dollars. Obviously this passage is speaking in figurative terms, as I mentioned before, people are priceless, but the numbers definitely drive home this fact.Trustworthy
Her husband can trust her (Proverbs 31:11-12)
Trustworthiness is an important trait for men and women alike. Lemuel tells us that a virtuous woman is trusted by her husband because she doesn't bring evil upon him. Considering the fact that the Ten Commandments already commands us not to bear false witness (lie), it stands to reason that a woman of God would be honest and therefore trustworthy.Business Woman
She works with her hands willingly (Proverbs 31:13-16)
Verses 13-16 pretty much shatter any argument that women are not capable of managing a business. Lemuel says that a virtuous woman not only works with her hands, but "bringeth her food from afar," "considereth a field, and buyeth it," and "perceiveth that her merchandise is good." In short, the virtuous woman is about to make money and cultivate wealth. Lemuel tells us that she is able to import her food, which we know costs money, and that she is able to buy land. Not only does she buy the land, but she works the land to produce goods that she considers on par.This is far from the sexist views of women that have developed over time. Within these verses, it does say that she rises early to bring meat (or food) to those in her household, which is closer to the definition of womanhood society has created. However, in the context of the verse, it seems to show that with her earnings from her labor she takes care of her home. She does not horde the fruit of her labor for herself. If the woman is to represent the Body of Christ, this verse could easily be a reference to tithing, where rising early signifies giving the first of our efforts.
Compassionate
She helps the poor (Proverbs 31:20)
A virtuous woman has concern for the poor. This makes sense considering God continually reminds the men of Israel to be mindful of the poor. This is also illustrated in the fact that she provides for her maids (the poor) in addition to her family.Fearless
She does not fear (Proverbs 31:21)
This is an interesting verse; it says that she doesn't fear snow because all in her house are clothed in scarlet. At first glance, it doesn't seem to make any logical sense. However, to be clothed in scarlet is to be covered in the blood. At the time of authorship, this would have referred to the sacrifices at the temple, whereas today it would refer to Jesus, our ultimate sacrifice. The snow is inclement weather, a storm, or hard times in our life. She doesn't fear for her husband or her children because she knows they are covered and protected by the grace of God.Note that this isn't necessarily saying that women have to be super heroes and are responsible for bringing everyone in their house to salvation. A virtuous woman is most likely to marry a God-fearing man because the Bible tells us not to yoke ourselves with non-believers. Thus, she and her husband will be an example for their children. She will aid in training them to be faithful servants of God.
Independent
Her husband is free to carry out business because he doesn't need to oversee her (Proverbs 31:23)
No one wants a spouse they have to watch like a child. Proverbs 31:23 states that the virtuous woman's husband is known at the gates, which means he is free to carry out his business as needed. He doesn't have to be at home with her all the time for their household to function, for her to feel safe, etc. A virtuous woman can operate and carry on business as usual even when her husband is gone. Remember, at the time this was penned, there was no such thing as phones, a car or even a bicycle. When a woman's husband left to do business he had to travel on foot or by beast (donkey, horse, camel, etc.). He might be gone for days depending on where they lived in relation to where he needed to go. Once again, this is the complete opposite of what society began to teach about women.Seamstress
She makes lavish coverings (Proverbs 31:22,24)
The virtuous woman is able to make beautiful garments to sell. They are of the highest quality. Note that purple was the most expensive color to purchase; this is why it is associated with royalty. Once again, it should be noted that purple, being associated with royalty, is ascribed to the woman. If the woman represents the Bride of Christ, she is the bride of the King and thus royal. In subsequent verses, it says she is clothed in strength and honor, which de-emphasizes fashion and physical coverings.In today's world, it seems like a lot to expect a woman to know how to sew and make clothes, but when I think about the fashion industry, this seems more relevant than ever. Women's clothes are a disaster. Ignoring the fact that it's almost impossible to find clothes that fit properly due to the variety of shapes and sizes we come in, there's still the issue of appearance. Most of our clothes were not designed for practicality or comfort, but for sex-appeal and aesthetics. Who is designing these clothes? Well, all of the famous designers I can think of are men. How different would the fashion industry be if we were designing our own clothes? How much more empowered would we be if we simply made our own clothes without concern to sizes? I've never sewn an outfit, but I think Lemuel is on to something big here...
Strong
She is strong and honorable (Proverbs 31:25)
Both Proverbs 31:17 and 25 refer to the virtuous woman's strength. Strong is not usually a word associated with femininity, but it goes all the way back to Genesis. God created Eve as a "helpmate," but the Hebrew word translated to "help" is ezer. It occurs 21 times in the Bible and most times, it delineates God's help to mankind.[7][8] In essence the word can be thought of as meaning strength. Although this may include emotional strength and fortitude, Proverbs 31:17 makes it clear that Lemuel is also attributing physical strength to the virtuous woman.Wise
She is wise and kind (Proverbs 31:26)
Proverbs 31:26 reminds us to let wisdom and kindness guide our words. I know first hand that sometimes (particular at a certain time of the month), it is easy to say harmful and ridiculous things. However, I also know first hand the power of using wisdom and kindness in conversation to bring a blessing to someone. Not only do people respond more positively to wisdom and kindness, but we are made in God's image and should thus reflect His wisdom and kindness in our speech.Hardworking
She is not idle (Proverbs 31:27)
There is a lot to be done in a day. Whether a woman is a housewife or a career woman, the list of things to get done in a day as an adult is excruciatingly long. We don't have time for idling. A virtuous woman knows how to prioritize and manage her time. I learned this first hand in the past two years. As a notorious procrastinator, I felt like I never had enough time to do things I wanted to do, but when I looked back on my days, I could figure out where my time was going. Eventually, I realized that instead of taking out the trash, I took several stupid quizzes (such as the ones BuzzFeed publish) online. Instead of reading the Bible, I browsed Facebook and read comments under controversial articles. I couldn't believe there was so much time wasted throughout my day. Now that I focus on how I spend my time and prioritize what needs to be done, I'm much more successful at getting everything done. Plus, I still manage to squeeze in free time to relax. So I definitely understand where Lemuel is coming from here. He's not saying that the virtuous woman does everything in the house, but that she manages her time well enough to accomplish more.Praised
Her children and husband praise her (Proverbs 31:28)
It seems like a lot of pressure on a woman to be praised by her children and husband, and yet it seems quite normal. After all, a husband who loves his wife would praise her, would he not? Children on the other hand are a lot harder to please; we often go through rebellious phases in which we hate everything our parents do or say. If we're lucky, however, we live long enough to grow out of this phase and begin to appreciate the decisions our parents made. I do not think that Lemuel meant a virtuous woman is always praised by her husband and children, though. Most people are unable to always praise Jesus, who is perfect, so it's quite unreasonable to expect people to be able to praise a human indefinitely. Furthermore, proverbs consistently tells parents that they must punish and chastise their children to steer them in the right direction. Thus, at some point, children will bear ill feelings toward their parents. Usually, as we age, we come to realize our parents were right and resume praising them. I think Lemuel was referencing this endpoint.Godly Woman
She fears the Lord (Proverbs 31:29-31)
Naturally a virtuous woman is one who fears the Lord. The virtuous woman knows that favor (among people) and beauty are no where near as precious as salvation. As such her actions lead her in the path God has set for her. Instead of spending her time cultivating favor among people (like a politician) or focusing on her beauty, she is out doing the work of God (as stated in the above traits). The second verse, which states that her works speak for her at the gates, can be interpreted in two ways. The most obvious is that when she appears at the gates of heaven, her work will testify to her righteousness. The second, requires knowledge of the time period. As mentioned earlier, business was often carried out at the gate in the cities. This is where Boaz approached Ruth's nearer kinsmen (Ruth 4:1). Men would gather here to discuss important matters. Therefore, the passage could be indicating that the men at the gate would recognize her dedication to God through her works.Intimidation
One of my friends wrote a blog or Facebook post on how intimidating this passage on a virtuous woman can be (I wish I could remember who and where so I could link it). When we read through this, it seems like the virtuous woman has everything. She's an independent career woman who makes her husband proud, takes care of her house, rears her children well, manages her time, sews her own clothes, is wise and charitable, has a relationship with God and is strong. That's a lot to live up to, which explains why Lemuel says a virtuous woman is hard to find. Many of these traits are dependent upon the others. For instance, if a woman is not God-fearing, she can't remain clam in tough situations and her wisdom will be limited. If a woman does not manage her time, she won't be able to make time for business endeavors. We can't read this proverb and become a virtuous woman overnight, it takes patience, prayer, and purpose.Why Isn't There a Proverb on the Virtuous Man?
I've heard people ask why there isn't a mirrored passage that describes a virtuous man. The question is meant to accuse Biblical writers, and therefore God, of placing a heavier burden on women than men. However, they neglect the fact that the Bible most often addresses men. The authors refer to their audience as men most of the time. With the exception of sewing, most of these traits are commanded of the men throughout the Bible, and even though there isn't a passage that commands men to sew, men are the ones placed in charge of creating the coverings for the Temple and priestly garments (Exodus 35:30-35).Examples
the Bible doesn't explicitly refer to any of the women mentioned as being virtuous as defined in Proverbs 31, but I'm sure many of them were. When we think about Eve, Miriam (Moses' sister), Sarah, Rachel and Leah, Mary, and Martha, we know that none of them were perfect. Eve ate the forbidden fruit. Miriam overstepped her bounds chastising her brother over his choice in a wife and was punished with leprosy. Sarah didn't trust God to give her a child. Rachel and Leah fought over Jacob's love. Mary and Martha accused Jesus of being too late to heal Jesus. These women are not perfect, but they are given to us as examples, which should be a reminder that we will not be able to fulfill ever trait all the time. We must strive to do the best that we can, learning from our mistakes and pushing forward.References
- "Lemuel". Bible Study Tools; visited August 2017
- Michael D. Marlowe. "Acrostics in the Hebrew Bible". Bible Researcher; visited August 2017
- Dr. Barbara Smigel, Dr. Joel Arem, Donald Clark, Richard B. Drucker. "Ruby Value, Price, and Jewelry Information". Gem Society; visited August 2017
- "Carat (mass)". Wikipedia; visited August 2017
- "Body Measurements". Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. May 2017
- "What should we learn from the virtuous woman in Proverbs 31?". GotQuestions.org; visited August 2017
- Heather Farrell. "The Real Meaning of the Term "Help Meet"". Women in the Scriptures. November 9, 2010
- "5828. Ezer". Bible Hub; visited August 2017
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