Would You Rather: Strength vs. Wisdom

Would you rather is a fun game to play, particularly when getting to know someone. A person is asked to choose betwen two things of equal desiring—making it hard to decide and opening dialouge as to why the person chooses the option they choose. Recently I stumbled accross several versions of "Would You Rather?: Bible Edition" and found the questions quite intriguing. I've decided to answer one every Sabbath. Let me know your answer to today's "Would You Rather?" in the comment section.

Would you rather have the strength of Samson or the wisdom of Solomon?

Answer: Wisdom of Solomon

Backstory

Samson

Samson was a miracle baby, given to God before he was even born. His mother took a Nazarite vow for him and God granted him strength like no other. Samson had quite a few rough patches in life and struggled to live up to his calling. He was betrayed by Deliah and ended up losing both his eyes and his strength in the betrayal. Despite this, he ultimately succeeded in killing many of Israel's enemy.[1]

Solomon

Solomon is the son of King David and Bathsheba who inherits the throne of Israel. Solomon asks God for wisdom and becomes the wisest man in the world. Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon were all written by Solomon. Like Samson, he has moments of weakness and struggle, but ultimately fulfills God's plan.[2]

Rationale

At surface level, the question is would you rather be wise or strong. There are so many situations where wisdom is more helpful than brute strength, and even in the cases where you need strength, wisdom allows you to engineer a solution. From that perspective, wisdom is an easy choice for me.

However, if you look at the lives of these two men, it becomes more nuanced. Both men struggled in life. Solomon tells us all is vanity and Samson ends up with his eyes gouged out. Solomon marries 1000 women (that can't be wise) and Samson's "claim to fame" is that he killed a lot of people.

¹The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. ²Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity. Ecclesiastes 1:1-2 KJV

But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house. Judges 16:21 KJV

What I learned from this question and studing the lives of Samson and Solomon is that the trait itself isn't really that important. Samson had great physical strength, but he didn't have self control. He let his desire for women get him into trouble. Solomon had great wisdom, but he didn't always use that wisdom to the glory of God. The key to success is choosing to follow God, whether you are strong, or wise, or a healer, or anything else. These gifts only do you so much good if you don't fully surrender them to God.

Ultimately, I chose the wisdom of Solomon because of the contributions he made and how we remember him. I think I would rather be known as a wise person (who sometimes doesn't listen to my own advice) than someone who killed people (even if it is in the name of God or for the good the people). That's just my personal preference. Which would you choose and why?

References and Footnotes

1. Judges 13-16
2. 1 Kings 1-14
3. I found many versions of "Whould You Rather?: Scripture Edition"; this question was found in both versions made by Rebecca of Out Upon the Waters and Megan of Church Leaders

Song of Solomon

Song of Solomon is beautiful poetry. This book reminds us of why love and marriage is so beautiful! Solomon was the wisest man to live, yet he took the time to compose such beautiful poetry. He knew that the beauty of love is to be appreciated. Although we don't know the time period between Song of Solomon and Ecclesiastes, love remains one of the few things Solomon never calls a waste of time or "vanity."

Introduction

Song of Solomon, also known as Song of Songs, is known for its theme of love. It is by far the most sensual book of the Bible and has been known to make many of our more conservative brothers and sisters blush. Of course, that just means there's even more to learn from this book than meets the eye!

Song of Solomon is one of two books in which God is never actually mentioned (the other is Esther). Like with the book of Esther, we can see the symbolism of God and our relationship with Him in the book even though He isn't mentioned by name.
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Author

As implied by the name, Song of Solomon was written by King Solomon, the son of David. This is the standard position held by Judaism and Christianity. Not only does the title attribute authorship Solomon, 1 Kings 4:32 confirms that Solomon wrote 1005 songs (Song of Solomon being the one preserved by God). However, there are critics who believe the book was not written by Solomon.

Critics argue that Solomon's name was added to the title later, despite the fact that there isn't any proof of this. Biblical scholars argue that the structure of the book, which pays homage to the symbolic numbers 7 and 10, supports the inclusion of the name at the beginning of authorship because it marks the 7th occurrence of Solomon's name in the book (I'll talk about the structure in this post too).^[1]

Personally, I find it hard to believe someone would be able to successfully pass off a writing as that of the famed King Solomon. Solomon was highly respected by the Israelites and is known as one of the best kings to ever rule the nation. Granted the average person may not have been well versed on Solomon's life and writings, the scribes and priests would have been. In order for a scroll to miraculously appear and be attributed to Solomon, it would have had to come at the hands of someone who handled the records. This person would not have been solely in charge of this task (Numbers shows that responsibilities were doled out by tribe and family). Other scribes and priests allowing this insertion to slide, though possible, seems quite unlikely, to me.

The more logical argument against Solomon being the author of book is that he had 700 wives and 300 concubines.^[1] It's hard to imagine a man knowing anything about love with that many women at his beck and call. However, once again, if you break down the facts and look other relationships in the Bible, you'll see that this is also a faulty conclusion.

For starters, it's unlikely that Solomon was intimate and close with all of his wives and concubines. For the concubines alone, if he slept with a different woman each night, it would take him almost a year to sleep with all of them. If you include all his female companions, he'd have to sleep with at least 3 different women each day to be able to say he slept with all of them within the year. I know some men may think of that as a dream come true, but let's face it, it would be pretty hard to run an entire nation and manage that sex life too.

More than likely, many of his "marriages" were actually treaties and for show. If you've ever studied history, you know that the easiest way to prevent war or to grow power is to unify two kingdoms. Throughout history, alliances were formed through the marriage of royals. In some cases it may even expand a ruler's domain. For instance, if a king only had daughters and his daughter married the king (or king to be) of another nation, the daughter's husband had a better chance of "usurping" the throne from any male relatives who would challenge her rule as queen. It was customary for nations to send kings their princesses to cement ties between the nations. A lot of these marriages were probably political and Solomon may have only spoken to some of these women once or twice.

Regardless of Solomon's relationship with each of his wives, the truth is, he was bound to love one more than the other. It's hard not to choose favorites... Whether it's with friends, children, aunts/uncles, etc., if we're honest, there's usually a favorite. Just because Solomon had 699 wives, it doesn't mean that he couldn't have fallen madly in love with number 700. Furthermore, if he was madly in love with the first woman he married, it doesn't mean he wouldn't have taken other wives/concubines for political purposes.

On a smaller scale, we can see this scenario play out for two other Biblical patriarchs: Abraham and Jacob. Abraham was in love with and married Sarah. However, when Sarah wasn't able to conceive, she gave him Hagar as a wife. Sarah was still Abraham's love, he simply took on an extra wife as a means to an end. Jacob did the same thing. Jacob was always in love with Rachel, and his favoritism of Joseph, Rachel's first born child, proves this never waned. Jacob was tricked into marrying Leah, and given two additional wives when Rachel and Leah went through periods of barrenness.

In the end, neither argument against Solomon being the author is based on factual evidence and the ideals behind them are faulty as well. There isn't any solid evidence to argue that Solomon wasn't the author, so we take the Bible at its word that Solomon is the author.

Date Written

Another reason to believe Solomon really did write this book is that there is compelling evidence that dates the work to his time period. The style of writing matches the Egyptian love songs of Solomon's era^[1]—let's not forget one of his wives was Egyptian (1 King 3:1). This would place the date of authorship roughly between 1000bc and 930bc. Tradition holds that Solomon wrote this book in His youth, before he grew his harem of wives.

Song Structure

Do you remember in school when they taught poetry units? There were different types of poems that had different requirements for their structures—some had a specific number of syllables or a rhyme scheme. Solomon's poem has structure, too. This is just more proof that the Bible is great literature!

Chiasm

Solomon's poem uses a chiastic structure. A chiasm is created when ideas are presented in sequences, followed by the mirror of each idea in the opposite sequence. For example, if you have two ideas (A and B), and their mirrors (A' and B'), the poem would be presented as ABB'A'.^[3]

Song of Solomon has the following outline:^[2]
A : The Beginning of the Story
B : Invitation to Enjoy a Spring Day
C : Night of Separation (Preceding the Wedding)
D : Wedding Day
C': Night of separation (Following the Wedding)
B': Invitation to Enjoy a Spring Day
A': The Conclusion of the Story

Numbers

In the Bible, the numbers 3, 7, 10, 12, and 40 often appear in conjunction with God. 3 represents the Godhead and perfection. 7 represents spiritual completion (7 days of the week, 7 feasts, 7 judgments, etc.). 12 usually represents a nation (the 12 tribes of Israel, 12 Disciples, 12 sons of Ishmael, etc.). 40 usually represents a generation—the Israelites wandered for 40 years, until the old generation had passed away.^[4]

As I said earlier, Solomon's name appears exactly 7 times. These 7 occurrences are actually symmetrical. Solomon's name is mentioned twice in the last section, thrice during the central section, and once during the first section. If you include the title to make 7 occurrences, his name occurs twice in the first section. There are also 7 sections. In Song of Solomon 4:1-5, seven praises are given to the woman.^[1]

The number 10 also is utilized. A grouping of 10 praises is given both in Song of Solomon 5:10-15 and 7:1-5. Also, the abstract word for love (in Hebrew) can be found 10 times throughout the text.^[1]

Message and Purpose

There are four main interpretations of the book. What I love about the Word is that God can pack so much meaning and information in to a single story!

Marriage: the Church and Christ

There are many who take away a message about Christ and the Church. The New Testament clearly refers to the church as the Bride of Christ and many parallels are drawn between an earthly marriage and our spiritual relationship with Christ. As such, it is natural for Christians to draw parallels between the excitement, beauty, and purity of love and marriage discussed in Song of Solomon and apply them to our relationship with Christ.

Some argue that this cannot be the primary purpose of the book because the church had not yet been revealed to the people.^[2] I understand where they are coming from, however, I think the book can still be a metaphor for God's love of His people. While the nature of the church including all who believe in Him was not revealed until the New Testament, God did have the Israelites, who were still unified, at the time Solomon wrote this work. The love that God has for Israel, is the same love a man should have for his wife. I think it's still possible that God could have intended that to be a message for the people of Solomon's day.

Marriage: Infidelity

Another interpretation of the book focuses on infidelity. We know that infidelity or adultery is wrong; it's one of the Ten Commandments, proving that God felt strongly about it. Though we generally talk about infidelity and adultery in relation to marriages, the Bible constantly uses adultery to describe us turning away from God. It makes sense that He would give us an entire book dedicated to warning against adultery.

If you pay close attention in Song of Solomon, the woman in the text falls in love with a shepherd. While some believe the shepherd to be an alias for Solomon, others believe them to be separate people. If the shepherd is not Solomon, then the story is about a woman who stays faithful to her shepherd love and reject the opportunity of infidelity with King Solomon. The underlying message, though overtly about staying true to your spouse, is still about our relationship with God.

A shepherd brings to mind the image of the lowly, the meek, and even the poor. Whereas a king represent wealth, power, and confidence. In staying faithful to the shepherd, the woman makes a statement about the character of the man (the character of God) being more important. People also point out that in the text, the shepherd is always out in the countryside while the king is always in the city. This could be a statement about rejecting the world and worldly things (like power and wealth) for the simplicity of God.^[2]

The Remnant Church

Another interpretation of the text is that the woman represents the remnant church of the end time. Her lover represents Jesus. In this context the song tells of the excitement of rejoining with Jesus at His second comping.^[2]

Sex and Love

A final interpretation is that the book is an encouragement to keep the purity, beauty, and excitement of marriage in tact.

Unlike all the other books of the Bible, I actually remember the first time I read anything from Song of Solomon. I was in high school and the leader of Youth Ministries at my church was making a point that there was something for everyone in the Bible. She read a passage from Song of Solomon and we were all surprised to hear such passion coming from the Bible. We often think of Christians as prudes—just envision the Puritans! Sex and romance are seemingly taboo subjects in the church, so like menstruation, death, and other taboo subjects, the church pretty much avoids talking about it at all costs.

That's the reason Song of Solomon stands out so much. Solomon has composed a love song that doesn't shy away from this aspect of a marriage. We aren't used to the Word or the church being so open about how love and marriage should be. However, I think that's exactly why God inspired Solomon to write this book.

God ordained marriage in the garden of Eden before the fall. The idea of a man and woman falling in love with each other was part of God's perfect world. Assumably Adam and Eve's marriage would have included the intimacy of sex even if they hadn't eaten the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge. After all, when you take away the sin of lust, jealousy, and pettiness, and then, add natural compassion for all humanity, as it would have been in the Garden of Eden, how could one have broken a marriage covenant without sex being involved? God designed sex and love to be a wonderful experience for mankind—within the confines of a faithful marriage.

I think this message often gets lost as pastors and youth leaders trying to inspire us to keep our hormones in check. Especially in our society where people marry later (leaving hormones raging for longer) and everything we see promotes sex and sexuality. So, instead of it being seen as the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, it's taught as something to be ashamed of. Like with most things, if you simply ignore it, it festers and Christians turn to worldly sources to get information about Godly pleasures. That's a recipe for disaster.

Song of Solomon reminds us that love and intimacy go hand in hand. It reminds us of what we have to look forward to in our spouse, while at the same time reminding us of the spiritual love and intimacy we have with our Savior.

References

1. Holman Bible Publishers. Holman KJV Study Bible, pg. 1107-1111. 2014
2. William MacDonald. Believer's Bible Commentary, pg. 919-921. 1995
3. "Chiastic Structure". Wikipedia; visited November 18, 2017
4. Numbers In Scripture. Bible Study for Life; visited November 18, 2017

The Pointlessness of Life

This post is a reflection of what I learned and took away from Ecclesiastes. Although Solomon starts off seeming to prove the pointlessness of life, we see exactly the opposite: everything in life always points back to a singular point. That is the purpose of life.

Introduction

Ecclesiastes is one of the more depressing—er, grounding—books of the Bible. In this book, Solomon is both asking and answering the question: what is the meaning of life? Unfortunately, what we often define as worthwhile endeavors, Solomon reminds us are fruitless. If we forget the overall message of the book, this can lead to an overwhelming feeling of purposelessness (both while reading this book and in life). In the end, Solomon concludes that all that matters in life is surrendering to God.
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Does Being Good Get You Anywhere?

When one of my friends graduated from high school, he bragged about having perfect attendance from kindergarten through his high school graduation. The first question I asked him was what it had gotten him. He didn't get a special scholarship. He didn't finish at the top of his class. He didn't even get a nice plague or trophy. All he received was a piece of paper saying congratulations. Meanwhile, I had taken off the maximum number of days allowed pretty much every year since middle school, and I'd received the highest scholarship the state awarded, finished in the top 5 of my class, and earned cords, medallions, etc. to wear at graduation.

On the surface, it seems like what he did was worthless—I definitely thought so when he told me. Why would you put in extra effort or suffer if you don't receive anything? It's only when you put the question in context that you begin to see Solomon's point. Having done what you know to be right is more satisfying, despite the fact that you may not always be rewarded by the world. We may have to wait, but after judgment day, we will receive our rewards from God. Further, we should be acting accordingly simply because it's right, not because we expect to get something out of it.

In general, this is how life works: sometimes we put in all the honest time, work, and effort we can only to fail, while the people who seemingly did nothing that reap all the rewards. That's discouraging. It's even more discouraging when we have the mentality that if we follow God and do what He says, our life will be rainbows and unicorns. We see ourselves failing despite doing our faith and lose faith! However, God's rewards are long term; we won't always get our blessings in this life! Not to mention, Biblically, most of God's people suffered greatly. These people were persecuted by the government, by Satan, and by society as a whole.

It's easy to lose focus when we witness this scenario in our life. As we fail to see the fruit of our labor, we will naturally wonder why we bother. It is in the moment that we must remember Solomon's final words about serving God. Our soul duty is to serve God, regardless of how we perceive our lives. At our lowest and highest points, the only thing that matters is our relationship with God. We have to remember that this life and these material things are only temporary, regardless of our relationship with God; but if we surrender to Him, our true future awaits us in His kingdom.

Planning for Death

Solomon talks about death a lot. It's a topic many people stray away from, but it's the one thing we can all agree is inevitable. Yet, it's also wildly unpredictable. Some people live to be well over 90, while others dies as infants or toddlers. I could live another 60 years, or I could die tomorrow. We can't control this aspect of our lives. This fact doesn't change based upon the amount of good I have done.

What we can control is whether we will have a second life (which won't end!). As such, we should strive to always be ready. By ready, I mean confident that if something were to happen in the next few seconds causing me die, I want to be all set to face judgment. This means constantly repenting of our sins, forgiving those around us, and making amends for the wrongs we've done. If death comes within the next moment, I want to be clean in God's eyesight and securely written in the Book of Life.

The Meaning of Life

People have been pondering the meaning of life for all time. Some people conclude it's about touching the lives of those around you; others conclude it's about the legacy you leave behind. In a way, both of these theories are encompassed in surrendering to God. If we are walking in our purpose and submitting to God, we will definitely touch the lives of those around us. We will exude compassion, love, joy, patience, etc., and these characteristics will guide our actions to positively impact the people around us. We may not have the most beautiful legacy on Earth after surrendering to God, but we will have a legacy in Heaven, which is much more important.

Conclusion

The brutal honesty of the book is quite refreshing. Despite the phrase "all is vanity" seeming to be the motto of the book, this book actually motivates me. It reminds me that the world's measure of success is false. I am reminded of how everything always points back to God, and I believe this is the key to living a Christ-centered life.

Proverbs 25-29: Hezekiah's Collection

Though written by Solomon, these proverbs were compiled at the urging of King Hezekiah. As such, these are also a reflection of what Hezekiah thought was important.

Introduction

Photocredit: Unsplash.com/Graham Holtshausen

Perhaps not as famous in the minds of people today as Solomon or David, King Hezekiah was one of Judah's best kings. He was determined to maintain a good relationship with God and get Israel back on the right track. Proverbs 25:1 tells us that he had his men compile proverbs written by Solomon. This may have been for his own learning, or as a reminder to the people.

Today, these sayings from Solomon are handy because they contain wisdom about our relationship with God and our everyday actions, but for the people of Israel during Hezekiah's reign, they represented much more. For them, Solomon was a famed king who represented the heigh of Israel's excellence. Actually quotes containing his thoughts and wisdom would read as a call to return to greatness.
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Respect Authority

One of the first things we learn as children—or rather one of the first things we're supposed to learn—is to respect authority. Although it's lost favor among scholarly parenting advice, "because I said so" is a familiar phrase we've all hear from our parents. When I was a child, I thought my mom said no just to say no, but once I hit my mid twenties, the tone of a lot of those memories changed. I realized that many times she had a good reason to say no, but sometimes, she really did say no just to say no. We don't learn anything from getting our way all the time or when everything is handed to us on a silver platter. Sometimes we have to go through something to learn from it.

Like our parents, God knows much more than we do about life and the universe. we He is not obligated to share the mysteries of the world with us, but we are welcome to seek out answers. Sometimes He may answer us with "because I said so," but he will also provide answers.

When it comes to authority, there are usually rules and protocols that have to be followed. In the book of Esther, which was written well after Solomon and Hezekiah, there are multiple interactions between the less powerful and the king. Vashti, the King's primary wife before Esther, is banished for not appearing when the king summons her, conversely, Esther fears approaching him without first being called. Solomon echoes Esther's thought pattern that great leaders can only be approached after we have been invited to do so. Luckily of us, God has already extended an invitation!

Another part of authority that we often have trouble accepting is that of judgment or punishment. Most of us don't want to be punished, and thus we don't want to be caught either. However, when we seek out God we get many of those answers that used to be a mystery to us. Solomon explains that only those who seek God can understand his judgements. When we aren't aligned with God's purpose, much of what He does will seem strange.

Watch Your Speech

Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth.Proverbs 26:20 KJV

When I was young, they used to teach the saying "sticks and stones can break my bones, but words will never hurt me." Proverbs 25:15 says that a soft tongue breaks bones. I've definitely met people who thought the old saying was flawed. Many believe that words actually do worse damage than broken bones. Bones heal naturally, but the heart and mind are much harder to repair. Still, when I read Proverbs 25:15, I thought there was something interesting about the phrasing—what exactly is a soft tongue? A harsh tongue seems like the tongue of a bully or someone who is spewing damaging words. Soft sounds much more benign. Placing the verse in context, we can assume a soft tongue is one of gentleness, that can be used for persuasion. You are more likely to break a person (i.e., change their mind) with a gentle tongue than with forceful words. Another thought that popped into my head is that if you only speak good without acknowledging truth that maybe less gentle, you endanger people. This would be the equivalent of allowing people to continue harmful behavior because you are too polite to intervene.

Proverbs also tells us that if we maintain an angry countenance, we will drive away rain. Upon reading this verse, I wondered if we were to take this figuratively or literally. Rain could represent the blessings of God. An angry countenance would surely drive a wedge in our relationship with Him and those around us, causing a figurative drought in our lives. Of course, during the time this proverb was penned, agriculture was a major part of everyone's day to day life. Lack of rain was one of the worst things that could happen. Unlike today where we can important food from other areas (in most cases), they couldn't ship food from across the world to cover a shortage. Lack of rain would be a curse and judgement for people.

Solomon also condemns flattering and hasty words. One of the definitions of flatter is to lavish insecure compliments.^[3] Flattering is essentially lying, which God already told us to do. An example of flattery proving to bring about ruin happened with a child I know. The child was constantly praised (re: flattered) for his ability to sing. However, the child wasn't that good at singing. When the child performed in front of an audience, he did not receive the warm praise he was used to and was left humiliated in the midst of the crowd. We should be honest when we speak to people.

In being honest, we should also think through those words. Hasty words often come out wrong. I use to be notorious for saying exactly what was on my mind. Although those words were honest, many times they weren't phrased in the best way. Solomon tells us the fool says everything but the wise wait to speak because they're assessing their speech. Somethings don't need to be said at all, while other things simply need to be rephrased.

Wealth and Poverty

Although what we consider wealth has changed over the centuries, the dynamics of power versus poverty have not. Proverbs warns us about clinging to the desire to be wealthy. Money (or whatever constitutes wealth at the time) is not forever. Money may be able to buy you the best doctor, but it can't buy you friends and family to sit in the hospital with you. It can't buy your way in to Heaven, either. Faith in God is more valuable than the money; not because believing guarantees your survival in this life, but because it guarantees your survival in the next life.

God wants us to focus on helping those who do not have. Proverbs tells us that when we help the poor, we will be blessed. Taking advantage of the poor, ignoring their plight, and oppressing them are all condemned. Proverbs goes so far as to tell us that only a kingdom that takes care of the poor will last forever. If you look throughout history, it is usually the poor that rebel to overthrow the kingdom because they are unsatisfied. This group has the least to lose, so they're easily motivated to take action. On top of that, they're usually the largest group. Right now, in the US, the poverty rate is estimated to be just under 15%.^[4] The wealthy make up only 1%. Only if a majority of those in the middle side with the rich, are the poor out numbered. God has called us to stand with the poor, and since He stands with them, even if we screw up and leave them outnumbered, they'll still win in the end.

Temper

This was touched on in previous posts, and also a bit in the section on watching what you say. Essentially, the Bible condemns anger and violence. Arguments and fights are not to be hastily entered.

This is one of the areas I personally struggle with; I am easily angered by the words and actions of others. One thing I've learned as I attempt to be more Christ-like and peaceful is how wonderful God is that the littlest things don't bother Him. I imagine if God were to be as easily angered as we are, the end of the world would have come along time ago. I imagine, Jesus would have never died on the cross—how many of us would willingly suffer so, knowing the world would still reject your sacrifice? Putting it in perspective helps to calm me. If God can be patient and forgiving, after all that we've done, surely I can be patient and forgiving with my neighbor.

Reproof

Much of Proverbs discusses the necessity of reproof. Reproof is the act of correcting our behavior, wether it is instituted by ourselves, our brothers and sisters in Christ, or God Himself. We are meant to control our actions. I've met many people who insist a drunk person is who the person really is and that people should live without inhibitions. I've always disagreed with this statement and Proverbs 25:28 agrees that you are to control yourself with rules (i.e., morals). The same way we are taught to walk, talk, eat, and behave certain ways in public, we teach ourselves how to react to certain situations. We are who we choose to be. It says a lot that when placed in uneasy situations you choose to take the high road. The devil wants us to believe that the broken and sinful nature we are born with is the only nature we can have, but that simply isn't true.

We should be open to the criticisms from God and our fellow believers. This is how we steer ourselves to righteousness. Those who choose to ignore the warnings from God and their loved ones are walking on the path of destruction. It is more important to set ourselves right and to be honest with those around us than it is to keep wisdom secret from them. As people, we need both punishment and reproof to see more clearly.

Compassion

As he that taketh away a garment in cold weather, and as vinegar upon nitre, so is he that singeth songs to an heavy heart. Proverbs 25:20 KJV

The first part of Proverbs 25:20 is easy to comprehend. The second part is a little more confusing. In today's society, we often give our licenses as a security measure. An example would be when touring an apartment complex. In Solomon's day, people left their coats as a sign that they would pay or come back. Throughout the books of law, God explains the importance of using common sense when requiring such a thing. Many poor people would have only one coat and in cold weather this was a crucial item of possession. Clearly, taking away someone's garment when they need it is a horrible thing.

Assumably, vinegar upon nitre is also bad. However, I wasn't sure what nitre was, let alone what vinegar would do to it. Nitre was a mineral mined in ancient Egypt at the time (there's also a mineral called nitre today but it isn't the one being discussed in this passage). When vinegar was poured upon the mineral it would cause an unpleasant reaction resulting in a hissing sound.^[1]

These horrible actions are what we enact when we brag and boast around those who are in pain. We should be mindful of those around us and practice compassion toward their situation.

Foolishness

Proverbs has made it clear that "fools" are wicked people. Solomon tells us that honoring them is like snow in the summer. Whether this is to mean improbable or pointless, it clearly illustrates the how frivolous it is to continue in the path of foolishness, which is equated to wickedness.

Solomon reiterates this by telling us we shouldn't put our faith in men who are unfaithful when we need help. Do not be confident in an unfaithful man when there is trouble. It's not that someone who is unfaithful to God is incapable of being faithful to you. The problem is whether they can actually help you in a time of trouble. If I'm on a plane and the plane is crashing, sure, my mother may be there for me, but she isn't a pilot and she doesn't know how to fix the situation. Similarly, our friends and family who are not following God cannot give us Godly direction in a time of trouble.

Solomon brings up an interesting and seemingly conflicting point in Proverbs 26:4-5. First, he tells us we should follow up foolishness because we're stooping to their level. However, he turns around and tells us we should answer them in kind so they don't leave thinking they're right. Which is it? Many times, especially in the world of social media, people argue back and forth without the slightest exchange of information. The arguments quickly descend to name calling and pointing out grammatical errors. Sometimes people just don't want to hear the truth and sometimes we lose our message because we become too stubborn and prideful (like the fool) to deliver it. At other times, however, we need to put a stop to whatever is being said. Perhaps it is to correct the person in the wrong, or prevent others in the vicinity from harmful information. In those cases we must maintain our patience and temper to correct the situation. Essentially Solomon is reminding us that there is a time for both.^[2]

Fellowship

Proverbs discusses who we should fellowship with. We should provide something to our friend-group that enhances and improves those around us. Similarly, we should surround ourselves with people who make us better. For this reason, Solomon tells us not to keep company with harlots. Many automatically assume this is a reference to prostitutes or promiscuous women. but I'm not so sure. I would agree that anyone engaging in ungodly behavior willingly, with no intent to repent and change is probably not who God intends for you to spend all your time with. However, the word harlot is often used to describe idolatry. Israel is often said to have played the harlot when they turned away from God, and in Revelation, one of the central figures is the Whore (or harlot) of Babylon. Given this, I believe Solomon is talking about those who have turned their back on God, in general, not simply those who are promiscuous.

In general, we think of friend circles as second to family. There are countless sayings that equate to blood is thicker than water, but in reality, friends develop by choice and may actually be better than family. Some people are born in to loving families where everyone is seeking God and the relationship is pleasant. However, on the opposite end of the spectrum are people born in to abusive families. There are also families who may be loving, but may not know God. Nonetheless, Solomon reminds us that a good friend who is near to us is better than a relative that is far away. It goes without saying that this is true when it comes to physical distance. It is much easier for my friends in South Florida to visit me than my family in South Carolina. However, I think this could double as a spiritual reference. Having friends who are nearer to you in the spirit can be more helpful in your spiritual growth than a family member who is far from you.

Pride

Pride is one of the most dangerous human traits. So much goes wrong when we allow ourselves to be prideful. This is why Solomon warns us to be wary of a proud heart, even if it is our own. We aren't to trust in our own heart, which is hard to put into practice. So many lessons taught by the world encourage us to follow our heart, when in actuality, this can only be done safely when our hearts are one with God.

The Wicked and the Just

These proverbs spend a great deal of time discussing the contrast and interaction between the just and the wicked. Solomon provides the followings points on righteousness versus wickedness:

1. People are happiest when righteous people lead them; when the wicked lead people mourn
2. Where there is no vision, people perish; those who keep the law (the vision) delight
3. A king who has understanding and knowledge prolongs his kingdom; rivaling princes bring instability
4. If you turn away from the law, your prayer will become an abomination
5. Punishment is great for those luring the righteous away from God
6. We should not hide our sins; we must admit them and cast them aside to prosper
7. Provide for your enemy

Solomon also reminds us that perception changes everything. The wicked are an abomination to the just and the just are an abomination to the wicked. Our ideas conflict and thus cause us to perceive our actions in a different light. As we follow God, those who do not will see this unfavorably. Meanwhile, we will view their behavior as unfavorable. As long as we keep the law, we are contending with the wicked.

Jesus

Proverbs 27:26 tells us that lambs are for clothing. What's interesting about this passage is that while lambs do provide wool for clothing, Jesus is called the Lamb of God and He clothes us in righteousness.

Misc.

There are a few other proverbs that I wanted to bring attention to before closing the post:

1. Hating covetousness prolongs your life (probably because it reduces your stress)
2. Proverbs 26:13-16 covers slothfulness
3. Overeating honey will cause you to vomit (i.e. too much, even of a good thing, is bad for you)
4. Confused about Proverbs 27:14? See the commentary provided here. (Essentially, we are to be mindful of when and where we show our appreciation.^[5])

Solomon also tells us that to the hungry soul, bitter things are sweet. This has two meanings. First, have you ever been so hungry that you weren't sure if the food you were eating was actually good or not? When you're starving, anything tastes good. This concept applies to our lives as well. When we are devoid of our relationship with God, we crave something to fill our soul. Even evil looks good at that point. Another take on this phrase deals with God's punishment. When we need chastising (as discussed in the section on reproof), the punishment is bitter. However, because we need that punishment to lead us into righteousness, it's actually sweet.

References

1. John Gills. "Proverbs 25:20 Commentary". Bible Study Tools; visited July 2017
2. "Do Proverbs 26:4 and 26:5 contradict? How can both verses be true?". GotQuestions.org; visited July 2017
3. "Flatter". Merriam-Webster; visited July 2017
4. Mark Gongloff. "45 Million Americans Still Stuck Below Poverty Line: Census". Huffington Post. September 16, 2014
5. Proverbs 27:14 Commentaries". BibleHub.com; visited July 2017

Proverbs 23&24: Saying of the Wise

Proverbs 23 and 24 contain more wise sayings by Solomon. In this post we discuss a few of them and how they apply to life today.

Introduction

I haven't included everything Solomon says in Proverbs 23 and 24, but I touch on the Proverbs I had to think about. There's also a self-explanatory summary of some of the behaviors addressed by Solomon in these chapters.
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Literal or Metaphorical?

Proverbs 23:6 says that we should not take the bread of the wicked nor covet his meat. Which could be literal, especially considering the regulations in the dietary law. A person not following God is likely not following these restrictions and may feed us unclean food. Of course, bread and meat both represent substance; remember, Jesus is the Bread of Life (John 6:35). We should not take their teachings and ideas or covet their way of life.

The verses following Proverbs 23:6 also suggest this could refer to the untrustworthiness of a person. Breaking bread is often seen as symbol of unity or alliance, however the wicked person can't be trusted to uphold his end of the deal.

We Fall Down, But We Get Up

Photocredit: Unsplash.com/Myles Tan

Do you know the song "We Fall Down" by Donnie McClurkin? The song talks about how God's people are those who get back up after they fall. Proverbs 24:? echoes this principle. Everyone sins and everyone falls, but people who trust in God rise above the obstacles while those who do not follow God, wallow.

Landmarks

Proverbs 23:10 says not remove the old landmarks; this is a repeat of Proverbs 22:28. Scholars believe that the landmark in question are the inheritances of the tribes. Many of the modern translations (e.g., NIV) use the word boundary instead of landmark.^[1]

Strange Woman

Proverbs 23:27 discusses promiscuous and strange women. Both are compared to holes in the ground one can fall into. Essentially, Solomon is warning men not to get involved with these women. You're probably thinking that this is pretty odd coming from a guy who had 700 wives, many of whom were "strangers" to Israel.

This verse could have multiple meanings. Obviously there are dangers when becoming involved with people (male or female) that are promiscuous; this is how STDs are spread. Similarly, if we aren't familiar with the customs and culture of a person, or their culture conflicts from our own, problems can abound. However, this could also be a reference to spirituality. Harlot, whore, and adulterer are all used to describe worshipping another god. Solomon could have been warning us to steer clear of those whom have left the service of God. These interpretations are true regardless of gender.

Condemnations

• Gluttony
• Favoritism/Bias in judicial proceedings
• False witness
• Working for the purpose of becoming rich
• Delight at someone stumbling or falling (not just literally, but figuratively, as well)
• Drunkenness/wine

Endorsements

• Knowledge is strength
• The fatherless (orphans)
• Two wrongs do not make a right

References

1. "Proverbs 23:10 Commentary". BibleHub.com; visited July 2017

Proverbs 10-22: More of Solomon's Wisdom

Solomon tells us that it is better to be hated than to be without bread. He didn't say this because he was obsessed with the rolls at his favorite restaurant, either. In the Bible, bread always represents substance. Jesus tells us the bread it His body and what is the Body of Christ? His believers, who sustain His Kingdom on earth. Solomon is telling us that substance (both literally and spiritually) is more important than being liked an accepted by the world.

Introduction

A lot of topics are covered in these proverbs—eventually, I will separate out the topics covered across the whole book into individual posts. Below, I cover the highlights of the verses found from Proverbs 10-22. Major points include listening to our parents, following the commandments, non-violence and peace, criticism, and treatment of the poor. Solomon tells us that wisdom is more valuable than gold and silver! I can't cover everything, so I strongly encourage you to read Proverbs often.

³⁰There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the Lord. ³¹The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the Lord.Proverbs 21:30-31 KJV

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The Commandments

One of the main points of Proverbs is to remind us to keep the commandments. Since these Proverbs were written by Solomon, who is suspected to have also penned Ecclesiastes, which proclaims the whole of our duty is to serve the Lord and follow the commandments, it stands to reason Proverbs would echo that sentiment.

The law of the wise is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.Proverbs 13:14 KJV

Solomon informs us that the law is very important in our life. We know that we are actually saved by grace, but with grace, we gain a desire to follow God's Word. The commandments are not particularly convenient to keep, but they are prudent to our survival. Think about all the troubles that come with alcoholism, drug usage, sexual immorality, violence, etc. Surely, by listening to God this will save us from pain. When we accept Jesus as our King (the point of salvation), He gives us the Holy Spirit, Who inspires us to keep these commandments.

Follow the Ways of Your Parents

Many of the proverbs stress that children are to heed the wisdom of their parents. When we sin and reject wisdom, we are an embarrassment to our parents. Similarly, we are an embarrassment to God (our Father) when we disobey Him. Proverbs not only reminds us to follow our parents, but reminds our parents that they have to train us. Famous proverbs such as "spare the rod, spoil the child"^[3] and "train up a child in the way he should go and he will not depart"^[4] substantiate Solomon's point that children have to be corrected to help them grow into wise adults.^[5] Once again, this principle can be applied to each of us as a child of God; we should be thankful when God corrects our behavior.

Violence is of the Wicked

Photocredit: Unsplash.com/Adam Birkett

Proverbs has so many verses that say violence is the fruit of wickedness, I don't know why this isn't quoted in church more often. Anger and violence are things we resort to when we are unwise and do not know the love and peace of God. This is something most people could guess, even if they don't think about it often.

What we don't really talk about is the entertainment of violence. I've mentioned this in previous posts, but I'm going to mention it every time it comes up in scripture because you may not have read my previous posts. Basically, Solomon warns us that the wicked not only commit violent acts but that they enjoy violence. This encompasses everything from egging on schoolyard fights, to reality TV, movies, and video games. I was never a fan of violent video games, but boy did I have an affinity for violent movies. I used to joke with my friends that every movie I owned that wasn't a Disney movie (and even some of those fall into this category), either someone dies or something gets blown up in the first 5 minutes. My favorite franchises were The Fast and the Furious, Transformers, and The Dark Knight. In my mind, it was harmless because I would never advocate for such violence. When I interned for the government, I had to drive through a check point and saw one of those massive guns for the first time in real life. I was not amused, entertained, or impressed. Ever since then, I've wondered, why am I ok with watching people use these things on TV? I would say it's because I know that the movies are fake, but does it matter? Do you think God is entertained by fake adultery or fake murder? I don't know about you, but I can't see God being amused by watching people pretend to commit acts He told us not to commit.

Proverbs 12:20 tells us that those who preach peace find joy. In grade school, people often crowd around fights, egging them on and talking smack. However, Proverbs tells us that it's an honor to end a fight. Naturally, the wise are able to think through their anger and approach confrontation with a level head. Of course there is a time for war (Ecclesiastes 3:8) and Proverbs confirms that sometimes we have good reason to war. However, the take away is that this isn't to be a first choice or a first instinct. We should be slow to anger.

Laziness

God promises us rest, He created a whole day for rest, but that doesn't mean we have a pass to be lazy! Proverbs condemns laziness in several verses. Solomon tells us not to sleep during the harvest, that the lazy don't prosper because it impedes our path.

Having grown up on the farm, I can tell you without a doubt, you have to be ready for the harvest if you intend to reap anything. My parents planted a blueberry bush for me since I love blueberries (and they're crazy expensive in the store!). I used to casually pick berries off when the urge hit me. Unlike a real blueberry farm, where the purpose of the bush is to produce enough crop to sell, I just ate as I pleased. It never failed that the squirrels and the bugs often beat me to the punch. By the end of the bearing season, it was pretty hard to find berries that hadn't been tainted. If I wanted to sell those berries for profit, I needed to be ready the moment the harvest began and I should have cleaned the berries from the bush.

I don't think Solomon's words in Proverbs are restricted to a physical harvest in a garden. The Bible often refers to us as branches or vines that bear fruit. There is definitely spiritual wisdom to be found in the advice of not being asleep during the harvest. Whether God is harvesting us or we are harvesting gifts of the Spirit, you don't want to miss that.

In the moment, being lazy is the easy, but when we're lazy, we waste something (time, money, etc.). It takes the least effort and causes the least stress. However, in the long run, we miss out on the blessings God has for us because we didn't sew the effort to reap the benefits. Not to mention, it would be silly to sew the effort only to miss reaping the benefits because you were too lazy to collect the reward.

Reproof

Reproof or reproach is the act of chastising someone when they have done wrong. Proverbs touches on this process quite a bit. The main take-away is that fools do not take criticism well, but wise men are quick to adjust their behavior. One verse goes so far as to so that a wise man will learn more from the reproof than a fool will from being disciplined! We must be able to accept the truth when presented to us. It easy to believe that those accusing us of wrong as the ones in the wrong (see below on pride), especially in a world where deception runs rampant. We must take criticism with grace and pray on each point. Often we dismiss issues based on our own conclusions or because of who it is that is criticizing you. However truth is truth, no matter who's mouth it comes from. God uses all manner of people to relay His messages. Before we get angry or wave away criticism, we should bring the issue to God. We should ask "Lord, is this true? Is this something I need to fix?" (I know it's easier said than done! I struggle with this myself. Let's make a deal to pray for each other. I'll pray for you to be able to accept criticism and you pray for me, ok?)

Pride

Pride and vanity are discussed a lot in Proverbs. Most of us know it's bad but we don't always know why or where to draw the line. I'm sure God wants us to have some pride in ourselves. I'm proud to call myself a follower of Christ. I'm proud to say I was fearfully and wonderfully made. However, there's a line we shouldn't cross. We don't want to take on a holier-than-thou attitude in which we consider ourselves "better Christians" or "more Christian" than others. We don't want to be full of ourselves, flaunting our beauty as though it's something we have power over. In the movie Sydney White, the "queen bee" at a university flips out because someone else is voted more beautiful than her; we don't want to be that person.

Proverbs advises us to be humble. I know and you know that we should be humble because we really are lowly creatures compared to God, even compared to the angels. Nothing I've accomplished in life is of my own hand. For those who are struggling, however, Proverbs gives us a more practical reason for being humble: it comes before honor. Whether people are Christian or not, no one likes a braggart. You will not go far bragging on yourself, but when you allow your actions to speak for themselves, that is when honor is bestowed upon you.

Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.Proverbs 16:18 KJV

One of the problems with becoming prideful is that we want to trust in ourself more than God (lean not on your own understanding, right?). From the very beginning all the way to today, people have relied on their own "wisdom" to make decisions, forsaking God's wisdom. Eve chose to believe the serpent and her own eyes rather than listen to what God said. Today we listen to the media and pop culture to define right and wrong rather than listen to God. This is all rooted in pride. Proverbs 21:2 tells us than in our own minds, we're always doing right, but only God's way is actually right. We vainly believe that we are good, even when we are wrong; people don't set out to be the villain of the story, usually they actually believe their own foolishness. This is what pride leads to.

An interesting note on pride is found in Proverbs 16:5. Solomon tells us that despite being joined hand in hand, with people, a proud heart will not go unpunished. We live in a society that prides itself on unity, which causes us to think anyone promoting unity is good. Unfortunately this is not the case. We can get along with our neighbors and talk about coming together in peace all while trying to magnify ourselves. Just because our end result may be desirable, doesn't mean God won't judge our heart.

Money Matters

Money is a big deal in our society. During Solomon's time they didn't have debit cards or paper money, but wealth and the concept of being rich still existed. Solomon leaves us a few tips about acquiring wealth in Proverbs.

One thing Solomon reminds us of, which is reiterated in the New Testament when Jesus tells the rich man to give away his riches to follow Him, is that it is better to be poor with great riches in Heaven, than to be rich on Earth with nothing in Heaven. Solomon tells us that is better to have a good name, than money. If you have a good reputation, people will try to help you, but if you have money with a bad reputation, nothing can fix that. People may put up with you, but they'll be happy to see you fall too.

Of course, wealthy in and of itself isn't bad. Many of God's chosen people were blessed and wealthy. Solomon was one of those people. If your wealth is earned from honest labor, you will be made prosperous and likely it will multiply. However, wealth obtained through vanity (i.e., ungodly activities), will be lost.

Photocredit: Unsplash.com/Jay Castor

When you're on the right path, you know that Earthly wealth is of this world, that you can't take it with you when you die. Proverbs 13:22 tells us that a good man leaves his wealth to his descendants. A long time ago, I remember being pretty irate with Steve Harvey for promoting the idea of spending every dime he had and not leaving anything for his children. People flocked to his comment, praising it, and suggesting the children should have to work for their fortune just as he did. From a secular point of view, this is why the poor stay poor and the rich get richer. I know people who graduated from college with $0 student loan debt and a trust fund from mommy and daddy to buy a house or invest in a business. Meanwhile I know people who graduated with tons of debt and have little to no support from their parents. Obviously the people who inherit are in a better place to succeed in our world. Spiritually, you have to think what life would be like if God took that approach toward our salvation. Imagine if Jesus had said He refused to die on the cross for us because He already had His robe and His throne. Imagine if He said we needed deserve anything He created and we needed to work and create our own stuff.

Another warning Solomon gives us is that those who love pleasure end up poor. In the list of pleasure, Solomon includes wine and oil. These were and still are fairly expensive items. If you spend all your money on lavish items like Ferraris and marble tile, of course you won't have anything left over!

Solomon tells us not to put our faith in wealth. Money can't buy everything; for example, all the money in the world can't cure you of an incurable disease. Certainly it may provide you with more comfort or prolong your life, but it won't cure you nor will it stop you from dying. Only God can save you from death.

The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.Proverbs 11:25 KJV

Solomon also talks about our wealth as it relates to others. Cheating people out of money is forbidden by God, and according to Solomon, unwise. False weights were not to be used to receive more or pay less than the agreed upon amount during business transactions. Conversely, Solomon advises that we scatter our blessings, i.e., be generous. Generosity leads to more success, but stingy behavior leads to poverty. Note that in Proverbs 11:25, Solomon isn't referring to political liberals and conservatives; he's referencing generosity.

A Godly Woman

Proverbs 31 contains a detailed description of a virtuous woman, but there are other proverbs that speak on the matter as well. Since Solomon starts the book personifying wisdom as a woman, I like to ponder what these verse would mean in that context as well.

Solomon says that a virtuous woman is good for her husband but a wicked woman will harm him. The Israelites struggled with this. They often married women from pagan nations—Solomon was guilty of this himself—and then fell into idolatry. Critics of the church often complain about the expectations placed on women, but I find Solomon's advice to be interesting, and empowering. Solomon never says a virtuous man is good for his wife. In the New Testament, Paul says a woman may convert her husband or a husband may convert his wife, but Solomon, the wisest fully human man to live, only specifies a virtuous woman to be a great treasure.

Feel however you may about the standards women are held to, but it is true that men will often go through extreme lengths to please women. From the beginning, man desired a partner. Women were created to fulfill this desire. Adam was so fixated on Eve that he left her talk him into eating the forbidden fruit. The truth is, a good woman does have the power to affect positive change in a man. Solomon says that men who find a wife find a good thing and obtain favor from God (Proverbs 18:22). Isn't it odd, then, that it is women who are looked at funny if they are unmarried?

The Rewards of the Righteous

Solomon lays out the basis of salvation when he talks about the rewards of being righteous. Despite the fact that most afterlife is a hotly debated topic in modern Judaism, Solomon clearly understood that God had a plan to deliver us from death. Solomon says the righteous are delivered from death and inherit the Tree of Life. We see in Revelation 22:2 and 14 that after all is said and done, those who remained loyal to God (the righteous) will come before the Tree of Life and enjoy eternal life.

Sacrifice, Punishment, and Justice

Justice is important; we know that. Solomon tells us that justice and righteousness is better than sacrifices. When the Israelites presented sacrifices to God, it was part of the forgiveness process. Therefore, this is actually the opposite of the adage "better to ask forgiveness than permission." God despises the sacrifices given by the wicked! This relates to Jesus saying there will be many claiming to know Him that He will not recognize. It's not about the action, it's about the heart.

Speaking of the heart. Many times people sacrifice goals, dreams, values, etc. for those around them, only to be angry and resentful in the end. Other times Solomon tells us it is better to let well enough alone and be without if the sacrifice will cause us to be angry and resentful in the end. We're being told that sometimes we can't afford to pay the price of the sacrifice. Aren't you glad Jesus could afford to pay for everything?

Forgiveness

We all mess up; no one is perfect. Thankfully, God is a forgiving God. We can rest easy knowing that when we repent, God will hear us and forgive our imperfections. That is, if we're truly repentant. Solomon reminds us that if we continue to repeat transgressions, we cause a problem. This advice isn't just for our relationship with God, but our relationship with family and friends. If you do wrong by me once, of course I'll forgive you. However, if I notice it to be a pattern, I'm probably going to be less likely to forgive you.

Solomon tells us not to reward evil with good. Forgiveness could be considered one of the good things people are rewarded with. From this perspective, we have to remember that evil would be the intentional and repeated actions of a person. Clearly, Jesus tells us to forgive 70 times 7. Even though we may forgive people, I think Solomon's point is that we do not want to confuse evil doers by blessing them for bad behavior.

Treatment of the Poor

One of the things that really grinds my gears is the way so called Christians treat the poor. Jesus was a champion for the poor and the both the Old and New Testament testify to this fact. Proverbs is no exception, there are several proverbs detailing our treatment of the poor. We are told that if we oppress the poor to increase our own wealth, we will suffer—specifically, we will "come to want."

"20 The poor is hated even of his own neighbour: but the rich hath many friends. 21 He that despiseth his neighbour sinneth: but he that hath mercy on the poor, happy is he." Proverbs 14:20-21 KJV

Many people assume this means that the rich will lose their money, their companies, their fancy cars, etc. Life proves that this isn't really the case. Instead, we see them fall apart emotionally, which is far worse. We see them battling depression and drug addictions. The Clintons stand accused of spearheading the mass incarceration of Black men, specifically poor Black men,^[1] as well as misappropriating funds donated to a relief fund meant for the poor in Haiti.^[2] They're still rich, but I wouldn't want to be them for even a second. Nothing about their demeanor suggests a happy life. Can you imagine how it must feel to know you lost the presidency to Donald Trump? The man won by promoting hatred toward Hispanics and Muslims, was supported by White supremacists, and yet Hilary Clinton also lost Barack Obama, a former Muslim who is also Black...

God is the Creator of both the rich and the poor (and everyone on the spectrum in between). He wants us to have a heart for those who have less than us. You don't have to be millionaire rich for these words to affect you. As a graduate student making less than $30k a year, I still had more than many people. While God may not expect me to build a homeless shelter, considering I can barely pay my own rent, He does expect me to be mindful and considerate of these people. If there is something I can do to aid my fellow man, I should be doing it!

Lies and Deceit

The lip of truth shall be established for ever: but a lying tongue is but for a moment.Proverbs 12:19 KJV

I mentioned "little white lies" earlier, and Solomon uses proverbs to give us a host of wisdom on the error of lying and deceit. All forms of deceit, from lying to cheating to slander are condemned in Proverbs. Solomon tells us not be fake and not to allow negative influences in our lives.

Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.Proverbs 20:1 KJV

The problem with deceit is that it is exactly what it is: deceiving. The grass looks greener on the other side and even the righteous are easily seduced to follow in a deceptive path. It takes discernment from the Holy Spirit to see through deceit.

Who's in Your Circle?

I'm probably dating myself with this reference, but there used to be a cell-phone commercial focused on the question "who's in your circle?" The idea was that those in the circle were the ones closest to you and whom you talked to the most often. These were the people you wanted to be able to talk to for free. Google+ still imploys a similar method for profiles, and we often use the phrase "circle" to describe cliques in society.

Words like "circle" and "clique" tend to have a negative connotation because they refer to exclusivity. Not everyone can be in the "premier" circles of society and so often they seem snobbish and elitist. God wants us all in the circle that goes to Heaven, but we have to choose to be there, and most people haven't made that decision. As such, sometimes we have to excuse people from our circle because we just aren't going the same way.

Solomon reminds us that we pick up the habits of those we are around, so he advises that we surround ourselves with wise people and avoid people who are foolish or prone to anger. If we have wise friends, we receive wise advice; if we have foolish friends, we receive foolish advice.

Solomon also reminds us that while blood may be thicker than water, friendship is often more nurturing than familial ties. I often joke with my parents when one talks about something crazy the other one did. They'll say "that's your mother/father" and I'll respond, "yes, but you chose to marry them." It's all in fun, but the truth is, we can't help who our family is. Some of us have wonderful families, and some of us have horrible families. On the other hand, we are fully in control of who our friends are. Our siblings (think Joseph and his brothers) or parents may wrestle with us, but we should choose friends that have our best interest at heart!

Misc.

He that winketh with the eye causeth sorrow: but a prating fool shall fall.Proverbs 10:10 KJV

Proverbs 10:10 says winking can cause sorrow. If you're like me, you read that passage, scratched your head, and said "come again?" After reading this proverb, I was totally confused. It's paired with a "prating fool" falling, and the use of "but" to combine the phrases implies this is an opposite action. However, falling isn't the opposite of sorrow, in fact I would think they were in the same realm. So let's take a look at this verse.

He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the Lord.Proverbs 17:15 KJV

To prate is to talk for a long time, usually about something unimportant,^[6] so a prating fool would be someone who is prone to idle chatter. Apparently all this talking will cause them to fall. How does this compare to the winking eye? Today we think of winking as a flirtatious gesture in which we quickly blink only one eye. That's not what is meant in this passage. Here, Solomon is referencing those who turn a blind eye to what is happening around them. Your lack of intervention causes pain and sorrow in those victimized by the situation you are ignoring.^[7]

This passage is meant to show us that running our mouths about things we know nothing about can cause trouble, but not intervening is also a troublesome action.

Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set.Proverbs 22:28 KJV

Apparently there is one landmark that was not supposed to be removed. It wasn't the Temple, because Solomon built the Temple and it was God who set the location. Also, the Temple wasn't a landmark, so much as a holy place. Landmarks are there to give direction or information, so whatever Solomon was telling them not to remove in Proverbs 22:28, was meant to provide direction to the Israelites. Scholars believe he was talking about tribal lines or inheritance boundaries. There are also some who think this could refer to theological disputes that have been settled by our forefather.^[8]

References

1. Aviva Shen. "Hillary Clinton Says She Agrees Her Role In Mass Incarceration Was A Mistake". Think Progress. March 6, 2016
2. Michelle Ye Hee Lee. "Did the Clinton Foundation raise ‘hundreds of millions of dollars’ for a hospital in Haiti that was never built?". Washington Post. June 13, 2016
3. Proverbs 13:24
4. Proverbs 22:6
5. Proverbs 22:15
6. "Prate". Merriam Webster; visited July 2017
7. "Word of Wisdom - He That Winks With the Eyes Causes Sorrow". The Salt of the Earth. May 17, 2016
8. John Gills. "Proverbs 22:28 Commentary". Bible Study Tools; visited July 2017

Proverbs 1-9: Exhortations and Warnings

The first 9 chapters of proverbs are basically an address to the audience by King Solomon. He warns us about the traits of the wise versus the unwise and gives us advice on how to find wisdom. Did you know Solomon personifies wisdom as a woman? That's pretty important when interpreting passages about women in these chapters.

Introduction

Photocredit: Unsplash.com/Rodion Kutsaev

The book of proverbs is introduced with the information that Solomon is the author and is providing this wisdom to help people gain understanding. Although Solomon frequently uses the phrase "my son," I think it can be assumed that he is referring to all people, not just his own son. There is much wisdom in these beautifully written proverbs. This post does not touch on every point made in these chapters but provides a brief overview.
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Fear of the Lord

Before Solomon starts feeding us wisdom, he defines it as fear of the Lord. We can only begin to understand wisdom when we fear the Lord. This is reaffirmed in the New Testament, in which we are told that wisdom comes from the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:12-14). We only have access to the Holy Spirit when we bow to Jesus and accept His leadership. Thus, we can't have wisdom until we acknowledge God as King of our life.

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.Proverbs 3:5 KJV

I quote this verse often. We like to rationalize our behavior, thoughts, and desire, often eschewing God's teaching in favor of our own beliefs. I don't know how many times I've been speaking with a fellow Christian and their arguments are littered with "I think" or "I believe" but devoid of "thus saith the Lord" (I'm probably guilty of this myself). Yet, God tells us not to base our decisions on our own understanding. Our understanding is faulty and limited. We need to tap into God's understanding to make wise choices. Solomon tells us we are not to refuse the instructions of wisdom, because whoever finds wisdom finds life.

Lady Wisdom

The personification of wisdom as a woman begins in Proverbs 1:20. It is easy to read Proverbs at random and think every text that references a woman is actually about a woman, however, it is important that we take the words in the context of the book as a whole. Solomon clearly defines wisdom as a "she," meaning in proverbs written by Solomon, we must consider whether a text about a woman is actually referencing a physical woman or a wisdom. Considering the Bible often uses a woman to symbolize the church, which has access to the Holy Spirit Who provides wisdom, it is not odd that wisdom is also personified as a woman.

Throughout the text, Solomon warns us about interacting with "strange women." Solomon tells us the woman is tempting and sweet like honey (Proverbs 5:3-4) and has forgotten the law (Proverbs 2:16-18). Strange women were women from other nations who often drove Israel into idolatry. They were likely very beautiful and perhaps very likable people. However, they didn't follow God's commands and by following them only bad things would come. It's a classic case of "all that glitters isn't gold." Although it is very possible that Solomon was warning us about forming close relationships with women (or men) that don't follow God, it seems unlikely. Why? Because Solomon had 700 wives, many of whom were from pagan nations. Granted this was his downfall and perhaps he was wise enough to see this, I doubt he would have authored proverbs condemning his own behavior.

Wisdom is a set of thoughts and ideas, gleaned from careful observation, experience, and other such guidance. While we generally thing of wisdom as one set of ideas, it is possible to have "strange wisdom." Strange wisdom would be ideas that are contrary to God's commands. These could also be sweet and tempting; the wrong thing often sounds fun and exciting. Since the wisdom is strange and contrary to God, it makes sense that it would be described as forgetting the law. Thus, the words could apply to either.

Wisdom is said to be more precious than rubies; later, in Proverbs 31, a virtuous woman is also said to be more precious than rubies.

In Proverbs 7, Solomon references a harlot, which again could be referencing a woman who has loose morals or a the act of betraying God with idol worship. In fact, the description of the harlot sounds a lot like the Whore of Babylon given in Revelation. They are both arrayed with fine linen and with jewels. She has carved works decorating her bed, which could be the idols. She seduces men to do what they please until the appointed day. Once again, this could be reference to a physical woman seducing men, or a pagan religions luring us away from God.

Keep the Commandments

Almost every chapter in proverbs establishes the need to keep God's commandments. The commandment to honor our mother and father is particularly highlighted. Regardless of our parent's beliefs, their age provides them with experience. As such, their advice should have a strong weight in our lives. Of course, in the context of Solomon and the Israelites, the Israelites were commanded to pass down the commandments of God (Deuteronomy 11:19). As such, parents should be telling their children the same things God told them. That makes it even more important to listen. Naturally, if your parents are instructing you to behave in an ungodly manner, neither Solomon nor God would expect you follow their instruction (Matthew 10:37). Solomon is simply telling us to stop and consider the words of our parents before recklessly following our own thoughts.

Solomon instructs us to hide the commandments within our hearts. Proverbs 7:3 says for us to bind the commandments to our finger—this represents our actions—and write them in our heart—this represents our intentions. The crux of the new covenant is the fact the commandments are written in our hearts! God has always wanted us to follow Him out of love. He doesn't want us methodically caring out his law; he wants us to feel the law in our heart. This makes us more likely to keep them because we want to, not because we have to.

The 10 commandments tell us that if we honor to our mother and father (as Solomon as already re-instructed us to do), our lives are prolonged. Solomon tells us that keeping the commandments in general will grant us a long life. Logically this makes sense. If we steal, kill, covet, lie and live recklessly, we increase the likelihood that we will die.

The Way of Sinners

Solomon warns us not to follow sinners; he calls them greedy and violent. It is easy to get swept up in the world when we are looking from the outside, but when we surround ourselves with people whose beliefs do not align with our own, if becomes even harder to remain steadfast in our commitment to God.

The more we sin, the more we close ourself to God. We close our ears to knowledge because we want to go our own way. Unfortunately, the more we continue to do this, the less likely we are to understand wisdom when it is presented to us. We must pray that we are open to God's wisdom so that we do not end up in this predicament!

Give to God

We are told that God should receive the first of everything. We are to acknowledge God first in all that we do and the first fruit of our labor is to go to God. This applies to so much more than money. Perhaps this means the best of your work should be given to those in need (remember Jesus said when you do for the least, you do for Him). May it means you use your skills to help build and strengthen the church.

Peace

Wisdom provides peace. When we behave foolishly, we make life hard for ourselves and stir up strife. The confusion and stress of these things make life unpleasant and chaotic. Along with this peace, we inherit rest. If we are following the commandments, which Solomon has already told us is a part of wisdom, we will be honoring the Sabbath and gaining rest. People who are not following God will not have these luxuries and they will not get sleep.

In the New Testament, Jesus tells us it's a sin to be angry with our brother without cause (Matthew 5:22). Solomon gives us similar instruction, warning us not to fight with people without just cause (Proverbs 3:30).

Laziness

Solomon tells us to consider the ways of the ant. Ants are one of the strongest animals known to us, and they're hardworking. Ants work together without ceasing, carrying burdens more than 5,000 their bodyweight,^[1] just to preserve their community. Can you imagine if behaved that way concerning God's kingdom?

The 7 Abominations

We've all heard the "7 Deadly Sins:" pride, envy, greed, wrath, slothfulness, lust, and gluttony. Proverbs 6:16-19 gives us the a similar but slightly different list of 7 abominations to God. This is the list we should memorize.

1. a proud look
2. lying tongue
3. hands that shed innocent blood
4. a heart that devises wicked imaginations
5. feet that be swift in running to mischief
6. false witness
7. he that sews discord among brethren

Traits of the Wise

Wise men have certain traits. Among them is the ability to refrain from violence and envy. We are often tempted to respond to our oppressors with violence or we desire what they have. We should not be modeling ourselves after those who do wrong and we shouldn't want anything they have. Not only is this fundamentally bizarre, often the reason they behave the way they do is because they aren't satisfied with their own life.

Wise men will take criticism and put it to good use. We understand that we are not perfect, that we can always be improved to become closer to God. However, those who do not trust in God do now have this wisdom; they are offended by criticism and will not correct their behavior.

Wisdom and the Beginning

In this passage, wisdom is being spoken of as being with God from the beginning. It is confusing; is wisdom being personified as Christ? Or an angel? The Holy Spirit? "those that love me and seek me early shall find me" why early?

Symbols?

There are many symbols that repeat in the Bible, but when we aren't explicitly told that something is a symbol, it's hard to know if the subject matter is literal or symbolic. In Proverbs 9:16-18, Solomon talks about bread and water. Both of these are used symbolically throughout the Bible. Water usually symbolizes rebirth, and bread symbolizes the Word or the substance that sustains life.^[3][4] If thought of as symbols in this verse, the stolen water and secret bread of the wicked would be stolen life and secret wisdom.

Have you ever heard the phrase "we're living on borrowed time?" As sinners, this a very true statement. The moment we sinned, we deserved death. However, God gives us time to commune with Him and achieve salvation. If we spend our life carelessly and never seek out our Creator, we are wasting the time God has given us to make things right. Since we will fail to find salvation living this way, we can never repay Him, thus we have stolen a life.

As Solomon exemplifies, knowledge is not supposed to be secret. I'm always wary of ministries who want to sell you the truth about God. The way to eternal life is not secret; God wants everybody to know! It is only the wicked who keep secrets and collude with each other behind closed doors.

Also in Proverbs 9, Solomon reference the 7 pillars wisdom's house is set upon. Since wisdom is not a literal person, the house cannot be literal, and therefore its foundation is not literal. The number 7 implies perfection and completion; it appears with almost everything in God's Word. These 7 pillars must be principles that make up a strong foundation for wisdom. Some believe the 7 pillars are those listed in James 3:17.^[2] The traits listed in James are as follows:

1. pure
2. peaceable
3. gentle
4. easy to be intreated
5. full of mercy and good fruits
6. without partiality
7. without hypocrisy

Another proverb that deals with symbolism is that of Proverbs 5:15. We are told to drink from our own well. The symbolism of the water is given throughout chapter 5. The chapter deals with adultery and the destruction that follows it. Solomon is telling us to be pleased and satisfied with our own spouse (the water from our own well). The instruction not to go out sampling other waters is a reiteration of not committing adultery.^[5]

References

1. James A. Foley. "Ants Can Support 5,000 Times Their Body Weight Before Losing Their Heads. Nature World News. February 10, 2014
2. Henry M. Morris, Ph.D. "The Seven Pillars of Wisdom. Institute for Creation Research; visited July 2017
3. "Water". Bible Study Tools; visited July 2017
4. "Bread". Bible Study Tools; visited July 2017
5. William MacDonald. Believers Bible Commentary, pg. 804-805. 1995