Wisdom for the young:
Proverbs 6:20-23
“My son, keep your father’s commands and do not forsake your mother’s teachings. Bind them on your heart forever; fasten them around your neck. When you walk, they will guide you; when you sleep, they will watch over you; when you awake, they will speak to you. For these commands are a lamp, this teaching is a light, and the corrections of discipline are the way of life.”
WOW! This passage in and of its self is powerful. Just a simple read and it’s still hard hitting. But, dig into the interpretation of it, and it’s fully loaded! Let’s start with the verbs:
KEEP- to guard; watch; PROTECT; OBEY; maintain; and observe [our Father’s commands]
DO NOT FORSAKE- don’t abandon, reject, desert, OR STOP THINKING ABOUT [your mother’s teachings]
BIND- tie; BE STRONG; JOIN WITH; BECOME ONE WITH [both of these within your heart. Develop it into your character]
FASTEN- bind; fasten; PUT ON [ live by them, become them]
WALK- move to and fro; LIVE BY and make a PATTERN OF YOUR LIFESTYLE
GUIDE- lead [when we live by what our parents teach us, they guide us through life]
SLEEP- lie down; rest
WATCH- guard; protect; take care of; CELEBRATE [obedience isn’t a sad thing! It brings us joy. It betters our life. It guards us even when we sleep.]
AWAKE- to pass the summer [or as life goes by]; to arouse; come to life; awaken [living in obedience brings us LIFE]
SPEAK- spread out; enlarge; expose [As we are enjoying life in obedience, we are blessed! We are increased! And we are also searched out, our hearts are exposed, our character is open to being refined and made better]
When we see the deeper meanings of these verbs, it’s impossible to not see the joys and benefits of laboring to make it our character to obey. Our desires must be inclusive of what we’ve been taught. It’s all about our character; and what we do with what we know.
There’s more:
It will be a LAMP [represents showing the way of truth], and a LIGHT [bringing joy, cheerfulness, and relief from trouble].
One last important note:
Proverbs was written to depict a father preparing his son for life, and a mother as his teacher. Is this not life as we know it? Realize that in the last verse their council is equated as just as important in his life as the Word of God. For, isn’t God’s Word a “Lamp unto our feet, and a light unto our path” [Ps.119:105]?
Think on these things!
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
A History of Israel
Israel’s History: A Glance into the Mind of Foreign Countries
General Genealogy:
1. Abraham and Sarah
2. Isaac
3. Jacob [also called Israel]
[This is the lineage of the Israelites and not a full genealogy of the family lines.] Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are referred to as the Patriarchs; the fathers of Israel. We know Abraham was given a promise by God, that he would be the father of a nation, and that through him nations would be blessed. Isaac was the quietest of the Patriarchs. And Jacob was the youngest, a twin. He convinced his brother Esau to sell to him his birthright as firstborn for a bowl of porridge; then deceived his father Isaac to receive it.
Jacob bore twelve sons, each representing the twelve tribes of Israel:
1. Reuben
2. Simeon
3. Levi
4. Judah
5. Issachar
6. Zebulun
7. Joseph
8. Benjamin
9. Dan
10. Naphtili
11. Gad
12. Asher
General history:
Abraham [before God changed his name he was Abram], was raised in Haran. Haran was a city steeped in pagan tradition, who worshiped the “God of the Moon”. Nothing is said in scripture of Abraham being a godly man BEFORE God sought him out. It’s most likely he also was a worshiper of the “moon god”. It is at the time God changed Abram and Sarai’s name to Abraham and Sarah, that we see true change of character as followers of God [a symbol of salvation]. After Abraham was Isaac, not much is to be said about his walk with God. It is noticeable that he followed God. Jacob followed God. However, we see that only one generation removed from Abraham, there’s idol worship being mixed into the scene. Rachel, Jacob’s wife, stole idols from her father’s house and hid them with her things as they were moving.
We know about Joseph, how he was sold into slavery, but became ruler over Egypt. During the famine, Jacob and his eleven other sons moved WILLINGLY into Egypt in order to survive. And there they lived for approximately the next 430 years. After Joseph’s death, it is said in Exodus 1:2 that a new king arose shortly after, who hadn’t heard of Joseph. He was forgotten. It’s easy to conclude thus, that Israel has also in majority, forgotten Joseph; or more importantly, “Joseph’s God”.
Parallel:
When we read in Exodus of the Israelites lack of faith, we often respond in confusion. How could a people who experienced God to such a degree, struggle being faithful so such an extent? Looking back through their history however, we see the lack of the knowledge of God through the generations. These were a people who didn’t know their God, but were familiar with pagan culture and ritual. Until Sinai, there was never a command to worship no other God but Christ. Their familiarity lied with idol worship and sacrifice to unloving, inanimate gods.
Do we not see the same today? Especially in the third world, and muslim nations? There are many people groups today who are familiar with the same lifeless traditions. Now, we can understand their mindset, and allow God to better show us how to teach and meet their needs for a real God; a God who is relational. Intimacy with God and repentance is a foreign concept. However, there is still a miraculous understanding of sin.
General Genealogy:
1. Abraham and Sarah
2. Isaac
3. Jacob [also called Israel]
[This is the lineage of the Israelites and not a full genealogy of the family lines.] Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are referred to as the Patriarchs; the fathers of Israel. We know Abraham was given a promise by God, that he would be the father of a nation, and that through him nations would be blessed. Isaac was the quietest of the Patriarchs. And Jacob was the youngest, a twin. He convinced his brother Esau to sell to him his birthright as firstborn for a bowl of porridge; then deceived his father Isaac to receive it.
Jacob bore twelve sons, each representing the twelve tribes of Israel:
1. Reuben
2. Simeon
3. Levi
4. Judah
5. Issachar
6. Zebulun
7. Joseph
8. Benjamin
9. Dan
10. Naphtili
11. Gad
12. Asher
General history:
Abraham [before God changed his name he was Abram], was raised in Haran. Haran was a city steeped in pagan tradition, who worshiped the “God of the Moon”. Nothing is said in scripture of Abraham being a godly man BEFORE God sought him out. It’s most likely he also was a worshiper of the “moon god”. It is at the time God changed Abram and Sarai’s name to Abraham and Sarah, that we see true change of character as followers of God [a symbol of salvation]. After Abraham was Isaac, not much is to be said about his walk with God. It is noticeable that he followed God. Jacob followed God. However, we see that only one generation removed from Abraham, there’s idol worship being mixed into the scene. Rachel, Jacob’s wife, stole idols from her father’s house and hid them with her things as they were moving.
We know about Joseph, how he was sold into slavery, but became ruler over Egypt. During the famine, Jacob and his eleven other sons moved WILLINGLY into Egypt in order to survive. And there they lived for approximately the next 430 years. After Joseph’s death, it is said in Exodus 1:2 that a new king arose shortly after, who hadn’t heard of Joseph. He was forgotten. It’s easy to conclude thus, that Israel has also in majority, forgotten Joseph; or more importantly, “Joseph’s God”.
Parallel:
When we read in Exodus of the Israelites lack of faith, we often respond in confusion. How could a people who experienced God to such a degree, struggle being faithful so such an extent? Looking back through their history however, we see the lack of the knowledge of God through the generations. These were a people who didn’t know their God, but were familiar with pagan culture and ritual. Until Sinai, there was never a command to worship no other God but Christ. Their familiarity lied with idol worship and sacrifice to unloving, inanimate gods.
Do we not see the same today? Especially in the third world, and muslim nations? There are many people groups today who are familiar with the same lifeless traditions. Now, we can understand their mindset, and allow God to better show us how to teach and meet their needs for a real God; a God who is relational. Intimacy with God and repentance is a foreign concept. However, there is still a miraculous understanding of sin.
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