I was going to make a post last night but forgot about site maintanence. Well I'm through Isaiah 33... I have a lot of thoughts, beginning with Proverbs since I didn't post any of those thoughts...
A lot of principals are repeated in Proverbs so I won't go through individual passages, but there are just some themes that really stuck out to me. If I want to be wise, there are two steps I need to take which is: 1) hang out with wise people and don't get caught up hanging with a foolish crowd. 2) Do not resent rebuke but rather take it as constructive criticism and use it to help me grow. It seems to me that a soft, loving, patient heart is a wise heart, while a hard, stubborn heart (which I have a lot) is a foolish heart.
Also, I need to avoid temptation. The foolish thing about sin is that it leads to death, yet it can look so seductive up front. I don't want to damage myself continually through sinning, and I need to realize what all sins really are and there's nothing attractive or good about it. In Isaiah 3:16-26 it says the daughters of Zion's secret parts will be made known. This is what he says about them: "Instead of a sweet smell there will be a stench; instead of a sash, a rope; instead of well-set hair, baldness; instead of a rich robe, a girding of sackcloth; and branding instead of beauty." How attractive would strippers/prostitutes/inappropriate content stars/etc. look to us if they were revealed for what they really are and not for what their outwardly seductive appearance looks like?
Also two more things about proverbs. Proverb 1:7 says "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction." Wisdom is commonly viewed as someone that sets people above others and makes them better and smarter. But real wisdom comes not from setting ourselves higher, but lower. It isn't about gaining, it's about willingly serving and submitting to God. To further that point, Isaiah 10:15 says "Shall the ax boast itself against him who chops with it? Or shall the saw exalt itself against him who saws with it? As if a rod could wield itself against those who lift it up, or as if a staff could lift up, as if it were not wood!" An axe can't be more wise then the man who uses the axe, how can we as men boast in ourselves or put ourselves above God because of what we perceive as our wisdom? True wisdom is in humbleness and submission to God.
Also I want to point out Proverbs 8:22-36, just because it says some very insightful things about Jesus. I won't go throw them, but just wanted to bring attention to those verses, cuz I love em!
Ecclesiastes 1:18 "For in much wisdom is much grief, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow." The more we know, the more open and perceptive we are to pain. That means if we are to increase wisdom, we have to prepare our hearts for it and be diligent, less we become overwhelmed with grief.
Ecclesiastes 3:12-13 "I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives, and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor--it is the gift of God." See, God wants us to work hard and be productive, and He wants us to enjoy the goods of it! It makes Him happy to see us work hard and be successful and find joy in it!
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 "Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up." Makes me think, one person with their heart on Jesus, following Him with all he has, can do amazing things. How much more can two people, who both have their hearts completely focused on Jesus, can accomplish?
Ecclesiastes 5:10-11 "He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver; Nor he who loves abundance, with increase. This also is vanity. When goods increase, they increase who eat them; so what profit have the owners except to see them with their eyes?" What a great lesson on materialism
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 - I love that this book has a conclusion, and it's very clear: fear God and keep His commandments!
I don't have much to say about the Song of Solomon, other than it makes me want to get married even more... lol
Isaiah 5:18-23 - Isaiah gives his woes for all different types of people. There are some tough things here like "Woe to men mighty at drinking wine..." I have many friends who say they love Jesus, but often they compete in drinking games. They cheer and laugh and egg each other on, and congratulate those who can drink the most. There are all sorts of things Isaiah gives woes to here, but they are some pretty tough messages and I need to be very careful as I don't want to be someone that Isaiah "woes" to.
Isaiah 6:3, the Seraphim are crying to each other saying "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!" That's so awesome, the entire earth, everything we know and even the things we don't know, they all proclaim God's glory!
Isaiah 7:14 - Talks about the sign, which is a virgin giving birth to a son (Jesus). I love the name it gives Him here: Immanuel, which means "God-with-us." It isn't God for us, or God above us, it's God with us, abiding IN us, loving us! Praise the Lord!!
Isaiah 9:6 - <3 I love you Jesus!
Isaiah 14:12-17 talks about satan. I love this verse about him "Those who see you (satan) will gaze at you, and consider you, saying: is this the man who made the earth tremble, who shook kingdoms, who made the world as a wilderness and destroyed its cities, who did not open the house of his prisoners?" There will be a day where we will see satan for what he really is, and I bet you we will shake our heads and go really? That's what tripped us up? That's what made us stumble so badly?
okay woah that was long. I think that's all my thoughts for now. God bless you all, how's the reading coming for y'all?
A lot of principals are repeated in Proverbs so I won't go through individual passages, but there are just some themes that really stuck out to me. If I want to be wise, there are two steps I need to take which is: 1) hang out with wise people and don't get caught up hanging with a foolish crowd. 2) Do not resent rebuke but rather take it as constructive criticism and use it to help me grow. It seems to me that a soft, loving, patient heart is a wise heart, while a hard, stubborn heart (which I have a lot) is a foolish heart.
Also, I need to avoid temptation. The foolish thing about sin is that it leads to death, yet it can look so seductive up front. I don't want to damage myself continually through sinning, and I need to realize what all sins really are and there's nothing attractive or good about it. In Isaiah 3:16-26 it says the daughters of Zion's secret parts will be made known. This is what he says about them: "Instead of a sweet smell there will be a stench; instead of a sash, a rope; instead of well-set hair, baldness; instead of a rich robe, a girding of sackcloth; and branding instead of beauty." How attractive would strippers/prostitutes/inappropriate content stars/etc. look to us if they were revealed for what they really are and not for what their outwardly seductive appearance looks like?
Also two more things about proverbs. Proverb 1:7 says "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction." Wisdom is commonly viewed as someone that sets people above others and makes them better and smarter. But real wisdom comes not from setting ourselves higher, but lower. It isn't about gaining, it's about willingly serving and submitting to God. To further that point, Isaiah 10:15 says "Shall the ax boast itself against him who chops with it? Or shall the saw exalt itself against him who saws with it? As if a rod could wield itself against those who lift it up, or as if a staff could lift up, as if it were not wood!" An axe can't be more wise then the man who uses the axe, how can we as men boast in ourselves or put ourselves above God because of what we perceive as our wisdom? True wisdom is in humbleness and submission to God.
Also I want to point out Proverbs 8:22-36, just because it says some very insightful things about Jesus. I won't go throw them, but just wanted to bring attention to those verses, cuz I love em!
Ecclesiastes 1:18 "For in much wisdom is much grief, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow." The more we know, the more open and perceptive we are to pain. That means if we are to increase wisdom, we have to prepare our hearts for it and be diligent, less we become overwhelmed with grief.
Ecclesiastes 3:12-13 "I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives, and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor--it is the gift of God." See, God wants us to work hard and be productive, and He wants us to enjoy the goods of it! It makes Him happy to see us work hard and be successful and find joy in it!
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 "Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up." Makes me think, one person with their heart on Jesus, following Him with all he has, can do amazing things. How much more can two people, who both have their hearts completely focused on Jesus, can accomplish?
Ecclesiastes 5:10-11 "He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver; Nor he who loves abundance, with increase. This also is vanity. When goods increase, they increase who eat them; so what profit have the owners except to see them with their eyes?" What a great lesson on materialism
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 - I love that this book has a conclusion, and it's very clear: fear God and keep His commandments!
I don't have much to say about the Song of Solomon, other than it makes me want to get married even more... lol
Isaiah 5:18-23 - Isaiah gives his woes for all different types of people. There are some tough things here like "Woe to men mighty at drinking wine..." I have many friends who say they love Jesus, but often they compete in drinking games. They cheer and laugh and egg each other on, and congratulate those who can drink the most. There are all sorts of things Isaiah gives woes to here, but they are some pretty tough messages and I need to be very careful as I don't want to be someone that Isaiah "woes" to.
Isaiah 6:3, the Seraphim are crying to each other saying "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!" That's so awesome, the entire earth, everything we know and even the things we don't know, they all proclaim God's glory!
Isaiah 7:14 - Talks about the sign, which is a virgin giving birth to a son (Jesus). I love the name it gives Him here: Immanuel, which means "God-with-us." It isn't God for us, or God above us, it's God with us, abiding IN us, loving us! Praise the Lord!!
Isaiah 9:6 - <3 I love you Jesus!
Isaiah 14:12-17 talks about satan. I love this verse about him "Those who see you (satan) will gaze at you, and consider you, saying: is this the man who made the earth tremble, who shook kingdoms, who made the world as a wilderness and destroyed its cities, who did not open the house of his prisoners?" There will be a day where we will see satan for what he really is, and I bet you we will shake our heads and go really? That's what tripped us up? That's what made us stumble so badly?
okay woah that was long. I think that's all my thoughts for now. God bless you all, how's the reading coming for y'all?
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