Proverbs Chapter 30!

[AdoptedByGrace]

I'm feeling lead by the Lord to take a look at the 30th Chapter of the book of Proverbs. I'm not exactly sure of how many parts that this will, be, so I'm totally trusting the Lord on this!

We will start with Proverbs 30:1-4

"The sayings of Agur, son of Jakeh-an oracle. This man declared to Ithiel, to Ithiel & to Ucal: I am the most of ignorant of men; I do not have a man's understanding. I have not learned wisdom, nor have I knowledge of the Holy One. Who has gone up into Heaven & come down? Who has gathered up the wind in the hollow of His hands? Who has wrapped up the waters in His cloak? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, & the name of his son? Tell me if you know!"

This chapter is written by a person that we simply know as Agur. It is possible that he may have some connection with Solomon, since the majority of these proverbs are from Solomon.

Verses 2-3 initially are a little strange to us. It seems that Agur is doing nothing but putting himself down. I mean, look at what he is saying about himself:
1. That he is ignorant.
2. That he doesn't understand.
3. That he is not wise.
4. That he doesn't know God.

But if there is ever one factor in the Bible, it's that there is always a lesson that can be learned. This fact gives us an anticipation for what will be forthcoming in the following verses.

Verse 4 is where we really get into the meat of where this chapter is headed. Through a series of questions, he shows all of us that when it comes to the ways & understanding of God, we are all terribly ignorant! After all, how can someone who is as finite as man, understand & comprehend someone who is as infinite as God?

WHO HAS GONE UP TO HEAVEN & COME DOWN? This question would seem to indicate the many appearances of the pre-incarnate Jesus.

1.Genesis 32:24-the man who wrestled with Jacob.
2. Daniel 3:25-The fourth man in the firery furnace with Shadrach, Meshach, & Abednego.
3. Joshua 5:13-14-The man who Joshua met before the battle for Jericho.

To mention a few. Jesus IS the only person who HAS traveled between Heaven & Earth, (& is going to do it again when He returns!)

WHO HAS GATHERED UP THE WIND IN THE HOLLOW OF HIS HANDS? WHO HAS WRAPPED UP THE WATERS IN HIS CLOAK? WHO HAS ESTABLISHED ALL THE ENDS OF THE EARTH? Needless to say, I don't think that there is any question in Agur's mind what the answer to all these questions are? He is WELL AWARE that it is God! Rather, he is expressing the greatness of God, the creator of everything, as we see in the first chapter of Genesis! Also, all through the book of Psalms, we see David & the other writers extolling the majesty of nature, & the fact that God IS the source of that majesty!

WHAT IS HIS NAME. When Agur asks this question, He already knows the answer to this question! Yet the name of the Lord could not be mentioned by the Jews. It seems that Agur is acknowledging the greatness of the Lord, & expresses a longing to know & understand the God with the name that He cannot say.

....AND THE NAME OF HIS SON? *WOW!* What a prophetical statement! Here is definitely one of the early references to the Christ, the Messiah. It was the norm in the OT, that the son would be the inheritor from his father. And indeed-"The earth is the Lords & everything in it.....".(Psalm 24:1)

Let us pray.

"Heavenly Father, how great You really are in all the earth. How infinite You are that we ignorant, finite little humans can even begin to understand who You are. Yet it IS your wish that we humans WOULD know you. Lord Jesus, it is ONLY because of your coming down to this insignificant little planet, that we truly CAN begin to understand who God really is! You showed us that! Christ Jesus, we can never know why You & You alone came down from the majesty of Heaven to dwell among us, other than to show Your love for each one of us, by dying for each one of our sins, & rising from the dead on the third day, that we may live! We praise Your Name, & Your Name alone, Lord Jesus, that even if it is only the smallest bit, that through You, we CAN know the great love that the Father DOES have for each one of us, & that is enough for us! You showed us that the finite CAN know the infinite, through the power of your Holy Spirit! Reveal to us, O Lord, Your greatness, that we my be Your witnesses to the world! We ask this in Your Name alone, Lord Jesus! Amen!"


Bill
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Proverbs 30-Part 2-Verses 5-6
Continuing on with our study of Proverbs 30.

Now we take a look at verses 5 & 6.

"Every word of the Lord is flawless; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him. Do not add to His words, or He will rebuke you, & prove you a liar."

EVERY WORD OF THE LORD IS FLAWLESS. This is one of several verses supporting the inerrancy of Gods word. God's word is perfect in every way, because GOD is perfect in every way! Let's look at some other verses that support this statement:

2 Timothy 3:16-"All Scripture is God-breathed...."
Isaiah 40:8-"The grass withers, the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever."
Psalm 18:30-"The word of the Lord is flawless..." (Virtually identical!)
Psalm 119:89-"Your word, O Lord, is eternal."
1 Peter 1:23-"....through the living & enduring word of God...."

The word of the Lord IS flawless, perfect, everlasting, & on & on & on! There is not any other religious work that can make that claim!

HE IS A SHIELD TO THOSE WHO TAKE REFUGE IN HIM. Now what is the purpose of a shield? To protect you, so you can keep on fighting! Probably the most familiar verse in Scripture regarding a shield, is found in Ephesians 6:16, where it talks about the armor of God. Notice how the shield is the last item mentioned in this chapter. Why? Because it is the shield of faith-the very core of our belief. And where do we get faith from? The word of God!

Lets look at some other references to God being a shield:

Genesis 15:1-"I am your shield, your very great reward."
Deuteronomy 33:29-He is your shield & helper, & your glorious sword."
2 Samuel-"He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him." (Identical to verse 5!)
And I could go on & on. Have you ever noticed all the recurring themes that are found all throughout the Bible, even when they were written millenia apart? This shows the consistancy of God's word as well!

Then we have the word "refuge". What is a refuge? It is a place of safety, where one can be & feel protected. Some references are:

Deuteronomy 33:27-"The eternal God is your refuge..."
2 Samuel 22:3-"He is my stronghold, my refuge, & my savior." (This sounds like it could come from the NT!)
Psalm 9:9-The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed...."
Psalm 14:6-....but the Lord is their refuge...."
Isaiah 25:4-"You have been a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in distress."
Jeremiah 16:19-".....my refuge in a time of distress."
Nahum 1:7-"The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble."

Again, we notice the recurring theme across the millenia, all saying the exact same thing!

Now we look at verse 6. (This is very, very important to the Christian church! Bill)

DO NOT ADD TO HIS WORDS, OR HE WILL REBUKE YOU & PROVE YOU A LIAR. This is a MUST for ALL Believers! If there is ANYTHING that you have doubts about that a preacher or someone else said-look it up in the Bible! In the early church-THERE WERE NO DENOMINATIONS!!!!! There were only 2 Religions-the Jews & The Christians! No Methodists, No Lutherans, No Catholics, No Baptists-No denominations WHATSOEVER! Just Straight foreward, Biblical CHRISTIANITY!! Denominations are a creation of MAN-not God! God never intended His church to be divided like it is now!

There was Christianity & ONLY Christianity! If you ever have any questions about whether or not something is Biblically accurate or not-look in the BIBLE! It MUST be your ONLY source as to what is Godly & what isn't ! ALL OTHER DOCTRINES will BE PROVED false in the light of God's word!

(Ok, enough preaching! ) I'll end this part of this study of Proverbs 30:5-6 with the admonition that we find in Revelation 22:18-"I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book. (And when you think about it- isn't the entire Bible one book of prophecy? Bill ) If anyone adds anything to them, I will add to Him the plagues described in this book."

Only what we find in the Bible can be trusted! My church has a saying-"If it ain't in the Bible, we don't believe it!" If it isn't in the Bible-don't trust it! It isn't from God!

Let us pray.

"Dear Heavenly Father, we give You all the praise for this marvelous book that we call the Bible! We praise You & You alone that everything that we could ever need is rigtht at our fingertips, written by Your divine inspiration! We thank-you for it's truth, it's perfection! We thank-you for the guidance that it provide us, for what it has to teach us. It is perfect, because YOU are perfect! Help us never to take it for granted, but to use it to test ALL things that we doubt are truely from You! By the power of your Holy Spirit, may it guide our lives, so that they would be pleasing only to You, Lord Jesus! That You would be glorified in all that we do! Always remind us that we should never add anything to it, but always take it at face value, for that is the way that You have always intended it to be! We ask this in Your precious name, Lord Jesus! Amen"

Bill
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Proverbs Chapter 30-Part 3-Verses 7-9

Continuing on with our look at Proverbs Chapter 30, this time at verses 7-9.

"Two things that I ask of You, O Lord; do not refuse me before I die: Keep falsehood & lies far from me; give me neither poverty or riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have two much, & disown You, & say, 'Who is the Lord?' Or I may become poor & steal, & so dishonor the name of my God."

TWO THINGS THAT I ASK OF YOU, O LORD; DO NOT REFUSE ME BEFORE I DIE. Agur realizes to whom he is talking to here, & showing proper reverence to the Lord. I keep thinking here of Matthew 7:7-8, where we read-"Ask, & it will be given to you; seek, & you will find; knock, & the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; he who seeks, finds; & to him who knocks, the door will be opened." This is without a doubt, the only way to approach God, when we are in need. I love the way that it looks, when you stack up the words, ask, seek, & knock, because it so simply explains what God wants each one of us to do!
(A)sk
(S)eek
(K)nock

Just ask. Several other verses that come to mind are:
1 Kings 3:5-"At Gideon, The Lord appeared to Solomon, during the night in a dream, & God said-'Ask for whatever you want Me to give to you.'"
2 Chronicles 1:7-"That night, God appeared top Solomon, & said to him, "Ask for whatever you want me to give you." (Almost identical, except this time, it appears that Solomon is awake!)
Luke 11:9-"So I say to you, 'Ask, & it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, & the door will be opened to you." (Here we have virtually the same thing as we have in Matthew 7:7-8, but this time recorded by Luke!)
Luke 11:13-".....how much more will your Father in Heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?"
John 16:24-"Ask & you will receive, that your joy will be complete."
All we have to do is ASK!

KEEP FALSEHOOD & LIES FAR FROM ME; GIVE ME NEITHER POVERTY NOR RICHES, BUT GIVE ME ONLY MY DAILY BREAD. We may feel many times that God is too busy to be concerned with, (what seems to us), menial requests. Yet Agur realizes that that is EXACTLY what God wants! It is never wrong to ask God for a simple request like this! That's what God wants! He will NEVER turn away a person who is hurting, or a seeker of knowledge!

But I digress! We see Agur asking the only source for truth-God!

GIVE ME NEITHER POVERTY NOR RICHES, BUT ONLY MY DAILY BREAD. This is a prayer that so many of us, (& I include myself here!), need to pray for! So often we pray for riches in one form or another. With me, it would be money to pay my medical bills, because they seem to be looming over me! But what did Agur say, as he continues?

Just enough to live on from day-to-day. Isn't that beautiful? And this echoes 2 verses from the NT as well! Matthew 4:44 reads-"Jesus answered, 'It is written: Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" Matthew 6:33 says-"But seek first His kingdom & His righteousness, & all these things will be given to you as well." It is up to US to depend on God for the necessities of life FIRST & FOREMOST! And what happens when we trust God for the nesessities first? Everything else will be supplied! Also check out the nesessitiy of waiting on the Lord! Psalm 40:1-"I waited patiently for the Lord; He turned to me, & heard my cry." When we put what is REALLY important first, God WILL provide!

OTHERWISE I MAY HAVE TOO MUCH, & DISOWN YOU, & SAY, "WHO IS THE LORD?" OR I MAY BECOME POOR & SEAL, & SO DISHONOR THE NAME OF MY GOD. This verse is absolutly beautiful, because Agur realizes that either too much money, (which results in pride), or too little money, (which results in dishonor0, both of which all Christians should not allow in their lives!

Pride has no place in any Believer's life! Look at the results of it!
2 Chronicles26:16-"But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride lead to his downfall."
Proverbs 29:23-"A man's pride brings him low......"
Obadiah 1:3-"The pride of your hearts has deceived you......"
& probably the best know verse regarding pride-Proverbs 16:18-"Pride goes before destruction....."

No! Pride has no place in a Believer's life!

Then we look at what dishonor leads to:
Dishonoring your father-Leviticus 18:7
Dishonoring a relative-Leviticus 20:9
& the worst of all-Dishonoring God! -John 8:49-".....but I honor my Father, & you dishonor Me."-Romans 2:23-"
....do you dishonor God by breaking the law?", & of course, vers 9 here, which we just looked at.

Let us pray.

"Heavenly Father, how often do we ask for what we need with the wrong intentions! You are all we need! Your Word tells us that above all, that we should focus everything that we are on You above all! Forgive us, Lord Jesus! Forgive us for putting anything else before You! Convict each one of us, Lord Jesus, by the power of Your Holy Spirit, to examine our own lives-to realize that you & You alone MUST come first in our lives! That we are nothing without You! That we can't do anything by ourselves, & we need You & You alone to help us witth EVERYTHING in our lives, no matter how small! You alone are God! There is no other! Convict us to realize that the only thing that truely matters in our lives is You & Only You! For NO ONE is worthy of praise, honor, & glory like you, Lord Jesus!
In Your name, & Your name alone, Lord Jesus, we pray! Amen."

Bill
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Proverbs Chapter 30-Part 4-Verses 10-14

We roll on with our look at Proverbs Chapter 30.

Let's look at verses 10-14:

"Do not slander a servant to his master, or he will curse you, & you will pay for it. There are those who curse their fathers & do not bless their mothers; those who are pure in their own eyes and yet are not cleansed of their filth; those whose eyes are ever so haughty, whose glances are so disdainful; those whose teeth are swords, & whose jaws are set with knives to devour the poor from the earth, the needy from mankind."

DO NOT SLANDER A SERVANT TO HIS MASTER, OR HE WILL CURSE YOU, & YOU WILL PAY FOR IT. This verse could stand all by itself, but it has a very real tie-in with verses 11-14.

We talked about it before in the previous study, but we see it again here-that being the sin of pride.

Speaking falsehoods against another usually has a way of backfiring. This is definitely true of this verse. We never know how a person is going to react when lies are spread about him. Slander can even ruin a persons life as well! The primary message of the Bible, above all, is love-God's perfect love, as exemplified by the death of His Son on the cross of Calvary. The Jews were guilty of slander against Christ as well. Now we know through Scriptural accounts that Jesus did indeed forgive them, (Luke 23:34).But the damage had already been done. Their attitude towards the Christ would be their undoing. They were cursed by their own words, & the surrender of Jesus to the cruelty of the Romans. What was that curse-the destruction of their most holiest place-the Temple, in 70 AD. Jesus himself, even foretold of it's destruction in Luke 21:6-"But Jesus said to them, 'As for what you see here, (the Temple), the time will come when not one stone will be left on another; everyone of them will be torn down.'", It DID happen, & all because of the Jews disbelief, ( & that included their slander against Christ!), & they did INDEED pay a terrible price! This was their "curse"!

This takes on an even stronger meaning today. All the unsaved who deny Christ! Look at what their "curse" is in Revelation 20:11-13! Particularly the second half of verse 13-".....and each person was judged according to what he had done." The word "done" IS all-inclusive here, not just physically done, but every word that was ever uttered as well! Matthew 12:37 confirms this: "For by your words you will be aquitted, & by your words, you will be condemmed."

Starting in verse 11, is where we see where pride can really take over:

THERE ARE THOSE WHO CURSE THEIR FATHERS, & DO NOT BLESS THEIR MOTHERS. This goes in direct contradiction to how God wants each of us to feel towards our parents. The most basic example of this is the Commandment-"Honor your father & mother." Jesus knew exactly how important this was in His OWN relationship with HIS Father! Does Luke 11:2 sound familiar? "Father, hallowed be Your name." There are probably more references to Jesus' attitude towards His Father in Matthew & John! Here are just a few of them:

Matthew 11:25-"I praise You Father, Lord of heaven & Earth.....".
John 5:17-"Jesus said to him, 'My Father is always at His work to this very day, & I too am working.'"
John 14:28-".......for the Father is greater than I.......".
And of course, John 14:31-".....but the world must learn the I love the Father, THAT I DO EXACTLY WHAT MY FATHER HAS COMMANDED ME.'"

As for mothers, look at what kind of a man is disrespectful to his mother:

Proverbs 10:1 & Proverbs 15:20-he is foolish.
Proverbs 20:20-"If a man curses his father or mother, his lamp will be snuffed out in pitch darkness." (I think that this COULD mean that he will have to live without the benefit of his parents wisdom &/or strength.)
Proverbs 29:15 says: ".....but a child left to himself disgraces his mother." (If this doesn't promote a mother's responsibility to her children, I don't know what does!) Put this verse together with Proverbs 1:8...."and do forsake your mother's teaching." & Proverbs 6:20-"(agin repeated here, to emphasize it again!), and do not forsake your mother's teachings.", & we see just how important a mother really is!

...THOSE WHO ARE PURE IN THEIR OWN EYES, & YET ARE NOT CLEANSED OF THEIR FILTH; THOSE WHOSE EYES ARE EVER SO HAUGHTY, WHOSE GLANCES ARE SO DISDAINFUL; THOSE WHOSE THEETH ARE LIKE SWORDS & WHOSE JAWS ARE SET WITH KNIVES TO DEVOUR THE POOR FROM THE EARTH, THE NEEDY FROM AMONG MANKIND. These verses show the pitfalls of not just pride, but from what many times can stem from pride-self-righteousness! These kind of people are pictured like ravening wolves, & without any consideration for anyone or anything but themselves! If only they would look at the consequences of their own actions! In OT times, we see what happens to the King of Assyria, a self-righteous & proud man-"Isaiah 10:12-19, with special emphasis on verses 16-19!

In modern times, look at some of the famous people, whose lifes have been crushed-people of high power like the Enron Execs, & Saddam Hussein, & popular people, like Michael Jackson. Might pride, or self-righteousness be involved in their downfalls? (It's not outside of the realm of possibility.)

Let us pray.

"Heavenly Father, we see in this study the dangers & consequences of our actions. We know that for those who don't know You, they will have to answer for everything that they have done during their lives. But we praise You, Lord Jesus, that we are no longer accountable for all the terrible things that we have done in our lives, because they have been washed clean by the Blood of Your Son, Christ Jesus! We praise You, Lord Jesus, that when we who know you stand before you, You will say to us, "Welcome home, my beloved child. Welcome home to that which I have prepared for you." No amount of praise can we even begin to offer for that blessed hope that awaits us, because we chosen to follow You, & have been washed clean by the Blood that you shed for each one of us on that cross! To You be all Glory, Honor, & praise forever & ever, & ever, Lord Jesus! It in is Your Name alone that we all say with a joyful shout...............AMEN!"

Bill

 

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Proverbs Chapter 30-Part 5-Verses 15-16

Continuing with our look at Proverbs Chapter 30, this time looking at verses 15-16.

"The leech has two daughters. "Give! Give!' they cry. There are three things that are never satisfied; the grave, the barren womb, , the land which is never satisfied with water, & fire, which never says, 'Enough!'"

THE LEECH HAS TWO DAUGHTERS. 'GIVE! GIVE!' THEY CRY. Now this initially seems like a very strange verse. Now, I don't know a lot about leeches, but the leech, could possibly be referring to Satan. Certainly, he IS a leech on the back of the Body of Christ, especially if we are not protected by the armor of God, talked about in Ephesians 6:10-20! A leech does not let go easy, & this imagery could be looked at as to why it is so hard, (especially for backslidden Believers), to come back to the Lord. Perhaps we can look at the two daughters as being PRIDE & SHAME. PRIDE-that we find it so hard to deal with admitting that we have "screwed-up", & SHAME-being the knowledge that we have sinned against the Lord, & don't feel worthy of approaching a Holy God. Certainly, because of the conviction of the Holy Spirit, we DO feel inadequate to approach a Holy God, to admit that we "screwed-up!" And both PRIDE & SHAME do run very deep in a Christian's life. (I have to be so careful not to be proud of myself, & think that it was me that wrote these posts, when in reality; I am simply the vessel that God uses. The words are straight from Him! Bill ) And in regard to SHAME; so many of us have been used so powerfully by God, & yet, when we sin, the shame of it really drags us down, sometimes to the worst cases of despair. It is so vitally important to realize that PRIDE & SHAME, are INDEED, the daughters of Satan, the leech.

THERE ARE THREE THINGS, (SATAN, & HIS DAUGHTERS, pride & shame!) THAT ARE NEVER SATISFIED; FOUR THAT NEVER SAY, "ENOUGH!" Let's looks at these four things.

The first is the grave. Well, certainly Death will never say "Enough"! Let's face facts, my brothers & sisters-We are all going to die sometime. When Adam & Eve ate the the apple in the Garden of Eden, (Genesis 3:1-24), death entered the world at that point. Up to that point, I think that we can guess, (although it is never stated!), that Adam & Ever were probably immortal. (There is no indication to indicate that they weren't!) But all too painfully, we see the results of our sins between God & us! Physical Death-(".....for dust you are, & to dust, you will return."), Genesis 3:19, but also Spiritual death as well-"There is no one righteous......".

But there is GOOD NEWS on the horizon, my Brothers & Sisters! Look at Revelation 20:14-"Then death & Hades were thrown into the Lake of fire." Death, itself, both spiritual & physical, is going to be thrown into the Lake of Fire! (I do concede that I find myself very curious as to what form Death took, that John would recognize it as such! Bill) But this is irrelevant. Cross over to 1 Corinthians 15:55-"'Where, O death,, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?'" Now we can take a look at this verse in two ways. One: Death IS stripped of its power, (Revelation 20:14), & Two: because we have a greater hope in each one of us! Look at Matthew 24:40-"Two men will be in the field; one will be taken, & the other one left." It is generally accepted by most Christians, that this is referring to the , that is so beautifully described in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.

What is the order of Death's "life" cycle?
1. There is an end to Spiritual death-2 Corinthian 5:17-"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come."
2. That there is the possibility that some of us will not see death-1 Thessalonians 4:17-"After that, we who are still alive and are left, will be caught up together in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air."
3. Death itself, is cast into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:14)

Now we look at the second item on the list here-the barren womb. All through the OT, we see women that couldn't have children. Most notably-Sarai, (Genesis 11:30), although there are minor characters as well-Seled, (1 Chronicles 2:30), Jether, (1 Chronicles 2:32), & Hannah, (1 Samuel 1:2). In the NT, the woman second only to Mary-Elisabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, (Luke 1:7). But I think that we would not be amiss, if we think of the "barren womb", as our own hearts as well, without God. For a woman, (at least from what I have heard-I'm a bachelor, so I don't know a thing about this subject! ), there is no greater joy than having a baby. Well, I think that for many of us, the joy that many of us have experienced when the Lord came into our hearts, could be similar to a baby coming into the world. A woman is barren no more after she has had a child. In the same way, we are barren no more when the Lord comes into OUR lives, as Lord & Savior. (Something to think about!)

Then there is the land that, is never satisfied with water. We call this a desert. Certainly, the ancient Jews were familiar with deserts-they wandered around in one for 40 years! But I think that we can look at this more in the symbolic sense-that of the spiritual desert that our lives are, before we came to know Christ! First: even in the desert, no matter how little moisture there is, there is still life. Think of us as plants in the desert, with our roots buried deep in the earth, (The Word of God!). But even desert plants still need some moisture, or they WILL DIE! As the cactus raises its "arms" towards the source that helps it to grow, so to do we raise our arms to the only source that can help US grow, (spiritually)- Our Lord & Savior, Christ Jesus!

Finally, we come to the last item-fire. This is without a doubt, the most dramatic example of something that will never say enough!

Have any of you ever watched a candle slowly burn itself down? The flame is all-consuming. On a much larger scale, seeing a forrest fire-the fire can NEVER have enough! All through the OT, we see the all consuming nature of fire:
Exodus 13:21-22-The pillar of fire.
2 Kings 1:10-14-The story of Elijah & the priests of Baal.
2 Chronicles 7:1-Fire coming down from Heaven.
Daniel 3:6-26-The story of Shadrach, Meshach, & Abednego.

Then we see God represented in fire:
Exodus 3:2-The burning bush.
Exodus 24:10-Fire on the mountain.
And most notably-in Acts 2:3-4, the Holy Spirit as Tounges of fire.

These examples, however, are not of consuming fire, but spiritual fire-that reveals the Majesty of God! It is a fire that gives revelation, rather than creating destruction!

Let us pray.

"Heavenly Father, we give You & You alone, for being the source that we can never have enough of. We praise Your Holy Name, for the Living water, that truly satisfies, that of Your Son, Jesus Christ, who died that we may live. We sing of Your power by the power of the Holy Spirit's fire, that we are given the power to be Your witnesses! You ARE enough, Lord God! We need NO OTHER! In Jesus Name, & His Name alone do we pray! Amen!"

Bill

 

[AdoptedByGrace]

Proverbs Chapter 30-Part 6-Verses 17-19

Continuing on with our look at Proverbs Chapter 30.

Let's look at verses 17-19:

The eye that mocks a father, that scorns obedience to a mother, will be pecked out by the ravens of the valley, will be eaten by vultures. There are three things that are too amazing for me, four that I do not understand; the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a snake on a rock, the way of a ship in the high seas, & the way of a man with a maiden."

THE EYE THAT MOCKS A FATHER, THAT SCORNS OBEDIENCE TO A MOTHER, WILL BE PECKED OUT BY THE RAVENS OF THE VALLEY, WILL BE EATEN BY THE VULTURES. Now this is some pretty gruesome imagry, don't you think?

I'm not going to say too much about this verse, except that it a indicator of how vital the commandment of "Honor your mother & father." really is! (Exodus 20:12) While it is very unlikely that our eyes actually WILL be pecked out by ravens, or eaten by vultures, it is clear from this verse what, (symbolically), could happen to us when we choose, or have to deal with the "ravens" & "vultures" that we deal with in the real world. We deal with them in the workplace, shopping, & even in our own government! These ARE people many times who belong to Satan, who would like nothing better than to "eat" us alive & make our witnesses ineffective for our Lord!

THEN THERE ARE THREE THINGS THAT ARE TOO AMAZING FOR ME, FOUR THAT I DO NOT UNDERSTAND. So often. we think and/or act like we know everything-that there is nothing more that we need to know, in regard to our work, our families, or even God HIMSELF! But we don't! Paul realized this is 1 Corinthians 13:12-"Now we see but a poor reflections as in a mirror; then soon we shall see face to face." Only when we see our Lord & Savior face-to-face, we we truly know everything!

The first three items listed here, refer to the majesty of God in nature.

Is it really a surprise to see that the eagle is our national symbol? How many of us have seen an eagle in flight? It really IS a magnificant sight! Look at what Scripture says about the eagle:

Deuteronomy 28:49-the eagle as a symbol of destruction.
Deuteronomy 32:11 (The Song Of Moses)-where God Himself is likened to an eagle, looking after its young. (This really IS a beautiful picture! Bill)
Job 39:37-revealing that man has no control over what goes on in nature-that nature itself is beyond man's comprehension!
Proverbs 23:5-talking about how a man's riches are so very transient-that they can suddenly disappear, like an eagle taking flight.
Obadiah 1:4-referring to the pride of Edom-Where an eagle, great though it may be, is still mortal, can be brought down, just like a nation can.
And a verse that is familiar to many of us-Isaiah 40:31-where we, when we are right with the Lord, are indeed able to soar, (symbolically), like the eagle in God's love & purpose in our lives! ([I think that I can say for all of us who know the Lord, that we would like to be able to do this more often! I know I would!)

Next, we have the snake.

Now this is one creature that we can never be too careful with, because the snake is too unpredictable! Let's see what Scripture has to say about the snake:

Exodus 7:12-the snake as a symbol of God's power.
Numbers 21:9-the snake as a symbol of life. (One the the very few, if any, times!)
Psalm 58:4-the snake as a symbol of destruction.
We can also extend the snake image to the enemies of God, who are out there to destroy the witness of God's people!

Then we have a ship at sea.

Even today, as great as our ships may be, they are still no match for the power of nature!

Here are some references to illustrate this:

Jonah 1:4-the waves threaten to break apart the ship.
Acts 27:15-again, the waves threaten to tear about the ship.
Acts 27:31-the ship as a place of safety.
How often have we felt like a ship, being tossed at sea in the waves of life, or adversity?

Finally: we come to an item that initially seems very out of place in this listing-the way of a man with a maiden. I believe that this is referring to the courtship process. But at the same time, it could also be referring to a man & his wife as well.

But what IS this "way"? There have been an untold number of books published about love than could be counted! The are supposed "experts" in the field of sex & love! There are almost an infinite number of websites for those looking for love! Then, sadly, there is the perversion of love into nothing more than an animalistic drive.

But the "way", in all four of these items is LOVE-God's, (& ours), love of the majesty of nature-both physical & emotional, as well as "spiritual", which we will now see.

The true LOVE is the love that the Father has for each of us who have been Born-Again, by the sacrifice of Christ Jesus on that cross of Calvary! Jesus showed God's love for the beaten, downtrodden, hurting people of this world
in the most dramatic way possible-by dying as a sacrifice for our sins, & rising again from the dead, so that we may have life, & not an eternity in Hell, separated from God forever. The greatest love ever known is brought up so beautifully in John 3:16-"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life!"

The Father showing this kind of love, is truly what the "WAY" is! And we can never truly, any more than we can truly comprehend nature, truly comprehend just how great His love for us REALLY IS!

Let us pray.

"Heavenly Father, when we look at the glorious nature that You & You alone have created, we find ourselves in awe that You could love us as You do! We, like the Psalmist, find ourselves asking the question-"What is man, that you should think of us?" Lord Jesus, You & You alone thought of each one of us while You were on the cross. You thought of us, knowing that one day, we too, could exprerience some of that love, by choosing to follow You & You alone! We can never even begin to thank-you for that love-the love that did indeed show us that You ARE THE WAY! Grant each one of us new strength, that we would show that kind of love to the world! We ask this in Your Name, & Your Name only, Christ Jesus! Amen!"

Bill

 

[AdoptedByGrace]

Proverbs Chapter 30-Part 7-Verses 20-23
Continuing on with our look at Proverbs Chapter 30.

We now look at verses 20-23:

"This is the way of an adulteress: She eats & wipes her mouth, And says, 'I have done nothing wrong'. Under three things the earth trembles, under four it cannot bear up; A servant who becomes king, a fool who is full of food, an unloved woman who is married, & and a maidservant who displaces her mistress."


"This is the way of an adulteress: She eats & wipes her mouth, And says have done nothing wrong' I believe that this image could be interpreted as love gone bad. I don't think that I need to point out how perverted love has become in our society today-a society where sex & love are interchangable. As the line between sex & love blurs, the wisdom of what is right & what is wrong blurs as well. Sex was never meant to be used so casually, without regard for it's consequences. And what are those consequences? The death of the conscience-that inborn sense that everyone has that tells us what is right & what is wrong. We see here, that this woman does not think that there is anything wrong with what she is doing. Add to the fact that she feels no remorse for her actions-a complete de-sensitizing of the conscience, & the loss of the ability to tell between right & wrong.

Under 3 things the earth trembles, under four it cannot bear up; A servant who becomes king, a fool who is full of food, an unloved woman who is married, & and a maidservant who displaces her mistress." In these verses, initially, we do not see what is so terrible. Yet, when we look at each of these people, we see that they all are people who have been elevated to higher posistions in life.

First, we see a servant who becomes king. What must be going through his mind when he is suddenly thrust into a posistion of not serving others, but finds himself being served? What would he do with all this power? I think that a lot of what he would do, would depend on how he was treated as a servant. If he was treated justly, I think that there would be a good chance that he would be a good ruler. On the other hand, if he was treated unjustly, the potential for what he could do would be almost unimaginable! This could also refer to us as well-who have been working under an unkind boss, because it is these people who shape our destiny's.

But we can look at this from a different viewpoint as well! A servant is subservient to his master. In our relationship with our Lord & Savior, Christ Jesus, we have the perfect master-one who is never cruel, but loving. A master who understands us, & our needs. A master that will never ask more of us than we are capapble of doing. By obeying Him, if we are put in a posistion of power, we would have the perfect role model to follow. And we are put in a posistion of power! Power over no people, but over the forces of Satan & His minions! (Ephesians 6:16-"......with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one") That really gives us earth-shaking power!

Then we look at the fool. The fools represents one who is not wise, but ignorant, or one who simply doesn't care about anything!

Let's look at some examples of a fool:

Psalm 14:1, & Psalm 53:1-he denies God.
Proverbs 10:8-he comes to be ruined.
Proverbs 10:23-takes pleasure in evil-things that may be pleasurable, but have no lasting value.
Proverbs 13:16-acts without thinking.
Proverbs 17:16-can't handle finances.

Are we guilty of any of these things? Then we are or have played the fool, & the results of that can very easily lead to disaster.

Now we see a married woman who is not loved. There is nothing worse than not being loved, (I'm speaking from personal experience here!). It can cause frustration, which could lead to revenge, or maybe turning to other men, to seek out the fufillment that she needs. Remember the adulterous woman we first looked at? A good example of this would be the Jerry Springer Show! (Bear with me here!) What is the problem, with virtually every show-an unfaithful woman, (or man). Isn't it sad that instead of having compassion for the person, we laugh at them-another de-sensitizing of the conscience-just like the aduterous woman!

Then look at our last person here! Remember the story of Hagar-she displaced Sarah in Abrahams life, at least as far as children-for a time! And what happened? A whole new nation was created!

Wait a minute! Aren't we talking about the adulterous woman that we started with here? The perversion of love, that we see love & sex as interchangable? But even more important: Is the fact that the pontential for disaster, reaching beyond these current situations that each of these people find themselves in! Just as we see that the actions have repurcissions far beyond just being a fool. Just As a servant who becomes king, which could have repercussions far beyond his present situation. Just as the married woman who is unloved, (as we see on the Jerry Springer Show-where we do indeed see that an unloved woman's actions can extend far beyond what the immediate situation is!

We see that whatever we do, we must also realize that what we DO could have repercussions far beyond what we currently find ourselves in.

Yes, the earth does indeed tremble with terror at the repercussions of what we do! Matt 12:36-37-"But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of Judgement, for every careless word that they have spoken. For by your words, you will be aquitted, and by your words, (And actions, as well! Bill), you will be condemmed."

let us pray.

"Heavenly Father, we see from this study that what we say & do indeed does have consequences far beyond where we currently are right now. Forgive us for anything that we have said or done, that might have hurt someone. Forgive us for what we have done that might touch others! Forgive us for not totally trusting in You & You alone, for everything that we are. We turn only to You, the one who can forgive us ANY wrongdoing, that we would not abuse our freedom to do or say whatever we please! You ARE our Master, Lord Jesus! Correct us when we "screw up", that we may learn from our mistakes, & not cause dire consequences. Help us to trust You & You alone, for EVERYTHING in our lives, that we truly would be Your mouthpieces. We ask this in You blessed name! Amen!"

Bill

 

[AdoptedByGrace]

Proverbs Chapter 30-Part 8-Verses 24-28

Closing in on finishing up Proverbs Chapter 30!

We now look at verses 24-28:

24 "Four things on earth are small,

yet they are extremely wise:

25 Ants are creatures of little strength,

yet they store up their food in the summer;

26 coneys are creatures of little power,

yet they make their home in the crags;

27 locusts have no king,

yet they advance together in ranks;

28 a lizard can be caught with the hand,

yet it is found in kings' palaces."

Verse 24 shows that physical characteristics are no indicator of inner strength. First, we see the ant. Compared to humans, they ARE of little strength. But the thing that we can see from them, is that they all have one common purpose-the colony! I think that many of us at one time or another, have seen pictures of these enormous anthills on various nature shows. Ants are wise by God's power, because they show how it was for the early Christian church! Look at Acts 2:44-47-"44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved"

Like a colony of ants, the early Christians were totally unified in their purpose. Everything was shared, & need was addressed immediately. This is how God's church SHOULD be-a growing, living, breathing body where Christian Brothers & Sisters support each other, & devote their time to obeying God's word! This is a good lesson for all of us!

Verse 26-26 coneys are creatures of little power, yet they make their home in the crags. I'm not sure what various translations say, but according to my liner notes, coneys are creatures similar to the woodchuck or badger. They are burrowers. They know how to find protection, when they need it. In much the same way, we too should be like these burrowing animals-burrowing our way into the Word of God, seeking protection against the forces of Satan. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says-" 16 All Scripture is Godbreathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. We see that God's word is useful for EVERYTHING that we need to live the kind of life that God wants us to live! If we ever have any questions, , we can always find it in the Bible, for protection against the enemy!

Verse 27-2 locusts have no king, yet they advance together in ranks; We see here a very small insect, that when they are in very large numbers, , have might beyond belief. We all have heard of the damage these swarms of locusts can do to crops! But, in relation to the Christian Church, this can be a good thing, because when the church is in one accord, nothing can stop it! We looked act Acts 2:44-47 earlier, where we saw Believers being added to the church every day. But back up a little, & look at verse 41-"....Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day." Pentecost started off with a very small number of people, (somewhere around 120, according to Acts 1:15). & after Peter delivered his first message, that number grew to over 3,000! And it didn't stop there! Look at acts 5:14 & 6:7-"Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number......the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith." What started as a small group of Believers, totally committed to the lord, became very much like a locust swam that could not be stopped! Look at the history of Great revivals in the early 20th century, & how many were saved by speeches from men like Moody, Spurgeon, & Wesley! These are all good examples of a very small number of people can grow into a force that cannot be stopped, just like a swarm of locusts!

Verse 2Anxious"a lizard can be caught with the hand, yet it is found in kings' palaces." Here we see the image of a lizard. As it says, they were everywhere, even in the king''s palace! Now, we see that many Believers WERE caught during the Early Church. But even during the OT, people knew that nothing could escape God's power! Look at 1 Samuel 14:6-" "Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, "Come, let's go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised fellows. Perhaps the LORD will act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the LORD from saving, whether by many or by few." While we know that Jonathan was talking about a physical battle, it's principle, can also be applied to Believer's in the real world, & the effect of our witness to others. Nothing CAN hinder the Word of the Lord, or stop it from convicting others to salvation! Maybe this verse is even a little prophetical as well, in that Jesus was all alone in the preaching of His message, & yet look what has happened after all these years-His message is still being preached EVERYWHERE! Like the lizard, it is everywhere-in the woprkplace, the streets, EVERYWHERE!!!amen!

Job was also aware of the power of the Lord-Job 41:33
Abraham was also aware of God's power-Hebrews 4:13-14

GOD'S POWER CANNOT BE STOPPED!

Let us pray.

"Heavenly Father, as we have seen though we are small, we ar NOT unimportant! You started your church with one Man-Your Son, Christ Jesus. Your church comprises millions of Your children, now Lord Jesus! All because of one person. You are our Lord! You are our Savior! You have shown us that each one of us CAN make a difference! Lord Jesus, help each of us to realize that we are ALL important to You, & that each of us CAN be used in a mighty way! That, through surrender totally to You & You alone, we CAN make a difference! We ask this in Your Name & Your Name alone, Lord Jesus! Amen!"

Bill

 

[AdoptedByGrace]

Proverbs Chapter 30-Part 9-Verses 29-31

1 more study left!

We are looking at verses 29-31 now:

" 29 "There are three things that are stately in their stride,

four that move with stately bearing:

30 a lion, mighty among beasts,

who retreats before nothing;

31 a strutting rooster, a he-goat,

and a king with his army around him.



30 a lion, mighty among beasts, who retreats before nothing; First we look at the lion. Even today, there is something so impressive about a lion-the way he walks, the way he acts, that declares that he is indeed the king of beasts! Scripture has some things to say about him as well. Basically, though, he is pictured pretty much as a predator:

Genesis 49:9-The strength of a lion is symbolized.
Ezekiel 19:3-The Strength of the Lion
2 Samuel 17:10-Again, the strength of a lion.
Psalm 7:2-Talking about the Lion ripping things to pieces.
Amos 3:8-The fearsomeness in the lions roar

All these references refer to an extremely powerful beast. But all these different symbols also can refer to of how Christ is going to come back to earth as well! Look at Revelation 19:11-16: " 11 I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. 13 He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. 14 The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. 15 Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS."

Christ Jesus will came back to earth, as frerocious as a lion-He shall come as a predator to conquer all who oppose him!

a strutting rooster Here is a true example of pride! The rooster is the king of the barnyard, showing himselfl for all the hens! But in the NT, he takes on a new role-that of the fufillment of a prophecy! Remember when Jesus told Peter that he would deny Him three times? That WAS a fufillment iof prophecy when Peter DID deny Christ-

Prophecy-Mark 14:33
Fufillment-Verse 72

Prophecy-Luke 23:34
Fufillment-Verse 60

Prophecy Matthew 26:34
Fufillment-verse 74

Prophecy-John 13:38
Fufillment-John 18:27

The rooster represents truth being revealed-that all of us will, (in one form or another), deny Christ sometime-either in actions, words, or a combination of both. If we are truly honest with ourselves, we WILL admit that we ARE guilty of this at at least one point of our lives!

a he-goat Then we have what is referred as a "he-goat". There really aren't many references to this goat as a "stately creature. About the only reference that I could find was in Daniel 8:5 & 7-"As I was thinking about this, suddenly a goat with a prominent horn between his eyes came from the west, crossing the whole earth without touching the ground........ I saw him attack the ram furiously, striking the ram and shattering his two horns. The ram was powerless to stand against him; the goat knocked him to the ground and trampled on him, and none could rescue the ram from his power." Now I don't really know why the Lord was so insistent on using a male goat as a sacrificial offering, during the OT, but we can't help but see in this goat, the similarities to Christ, being a sacrifice, for all mankind! Never was a female goat used-only the male. But one of the most dramatic references to a male goat being used as a sacrificial animal, is found in Leviticus16:9-10-"Aaron shall bring the goat whose lot falls to the LORD and sacrifice it for a sin offering. But the goat chosen by lot as the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the LORD to be used for making atonement by sending it into the desert as a scapegoat.

Well, I think that this is an excellent description of Christ, who indeed DID have the sins of the world laid upon Him! Jesus was made the scapegoat for all of us!


a king with his army around him. Finally, we have a picture of a king with his army around him. Certainly, a king would feel very comfortable with a substantial army around. But we can also look this a s a symbol of Christ's army, as described earlier in this study. When Christ returns with His army, He will lead an army that , unlike a mortal one-CANNOT BE DEFEATED! We, who are Born again Believers WILL be a part of this glorious army!

For us who know Christ as Lord & Savior, there really IS no greater anticipation than that!

Let us pray.

"Heavenly Father, how we thank-you that You & you alone have chosen us as Your Children! That one day, we will indeed be a part of that great army of Your Son, Christ Jesus, as He returns to earth to claim what is rightfully His & His alone! We cry out-MARANATHA-even so, COME LORD JESUS! We cannot wait any longer, Lord Jesus! Come be the Ruler over all the earth! Come-take back that which is rightfully Yours & Yours alone! We long for the day, when YOU & YOU ALONE WILL RULE! Even so, Lord Jesus! Come! In Your Majestic & Holy Name we pray, with eager anticipation! Amen!"

Bill

 

[AdoptedByGrace]

We finally are finishing up Proverbs Chapter 30! *YEA!*

(Just kidding! It really HAS been a fantastic study! ! I hope that all of you have been as blessed to read it, as I was to be used by our Wonderful Lord to write & post it!)

We close with Verses 32-33:

" 32 "If you have played the fool and exalted yourself,

or if you have planned evil,

clap your hand over your mouth!

33 For as churning the milk produces butter,

and as twisting the nose produces blood,

so stirring up anger produces strife."



If you have played the fool and exalted yourself, or if you have planned evil, clap your hand over your mouth!I see in this verse God telling us to have second thoughts to the qualities of PRIDE, FOOLISHNESS & EVIL! We see the consequences of each-PRIDE- Proverbs 16:18-"Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall." , Foolishness without wisdom-Proverbs 10:23-"A fool finds pleasure in evil conduct, but a man of understanding delights in wisdom." , & EVIL-Hosea 7:2-"but they do not realize that I remember all their evil deeds. Their sins engulf them; they are always before me." All 3 of these qualities have the consequence that results in sin, which results in death-Romans 6:23-"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."



For as churning the milk produces butter, and as twisting the nose produces blood, so stirring up anger produces strife." Notice that these are all actions-churning, twisting, stirring. We know that words can condem us, but actions have just about the same consequences, because they produce what we know as strife! A very good description of what strife does is found in Habakkuk 2:8-17-"Because you have plundered many nations, the peoples who are left will plunder you. For you have shed man's blood; you have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them. 9 "Woe to him who builds his realm by unjust gain to set his nest on high, to escape the clutches of ruin! 10 You have plotted the ruin of many peoples, shaming your own house and forfeiting your life. 11 The stones of the wall will cry out, and the beams of the woodwork will echo it. 12 "Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed and establishes a town by crime! 13 Has not the LORD Almighty determined that the people's labor is only fuel for the fire, that the nations exhaust themselves for nothing? 14 For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD , as the waters cover the sea. 15 "Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbors, pouring it from the wineskin till they are drunk, so that he can gaze on their naked bodies. 16 You will be filled with shame instead of glory. Now it is your turn! Drink and be exposed The cup from the LORD's right hand is coming around to you, and disgrace will cover your glory. Look at how the Lord rewards the results of strife!

We must ALWAYS be aware of what qualities, or actions we must avoid, because there are dire consequences. Strife can tear apart a church, city, country, & we must always be on the watch for that!

Let us pray.

"Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus, & Holy Spirit, we praise You & You alone, three-in-one! We praise You & You alone that you have revealed so many important truths to us throughout this study! WE pray that these truths will be imprinted into our hearts, that we may truly understand how You want us to live, & what we should avoid at all costs! Lord Jesus, we turn to You & You alone, to guide us on this hard path that we tread! Help us, by the power of Your Holy Spirit, to walk the straight & narrow path that You have set before us! Help us to realize that even if we SHOULD fall, that You are ALWAYS there to pick us up again & again! We turn to You & You alone, Our Lord & our Savior! In Your name, & Your Name alone do we Pray! Amen! amen! "

Bill