God’s Holy Word
Proverbs 3:1-24
1 My son, do not forget my teaching,
but let your heart keep my commandments,
2 for length of days and years of life
and peace they will add to you.
3 Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you;
bind them around your neck;
write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 So you will find favor and good success
in the sight of God and man.
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.
7 Be not wise in your own eyes;
fear the LORD, and turn away from evil.
8 It will be healing to your flesh
and refreshment to your bones.
9 Honor the LORD with your wealth
and with the first fruits of all your produce;
10 then your barns will be filled with plenty,
and your vats will be bursting with wine.
11 My son, do not despise the LORD’s discipline
or be weary of his reproof,
12 for the LORD reproves him whom he loves,
as a father the son in whom he delights.
13 Blessed is the one who finds wisdom,
and the one who gets understanding,
14 for the gain from her is better than gain from silver
and her profit better than gold.
15 She is more precious than jewels,
and nothing you desire can compare with her.
16 Long life is in her right hand;
in her left hand are riches and honor.
17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness,
and all her paths are peace.
18 She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her;
those who hold her fast are called blessed.
19 The LORD by wisdom founded the earth;
by understanding he established the heavens;
20 by his knowledge the deeps broke open,
and the clouds drop down the dew.
21 My son, do not lose sight of these—
keep sound wisdom and discretion,
22 and they will be life for your soul
and adornment for your neck.
23 Then you will walk on your way securely,
and your foot will not stumble.
24 If you lie down, you will not be afraid;
when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.
(ESV)
God’s Holy Wisdom
Proverbs calls the seeking of wisdom from God’s Word a spiritual nest, if you will, which promotes growth, peace and security within one’s own life. The Bible is widely overlooked in today’s society and even within the Church. We have programs for children, teens, adults, and seniors, yet it seems that most of these programs deal mainly with coming together as a community and less than coming together as a church. Not all programs are bad and, in fact, promote camaraderie and fellowship between members of a given church. The main problem is that some of the programs that are “put on” by the modern church are socially strong and scripturally weak. The early church came together for “Agape Feasts,” which we have discussed at length at our vestry meetings because we all love to eat, but they also included the Eucharist (Communion) and the singing of psalms and recitation of prayers. They formed their liturgy around a big family dinner. They had the social gathering and helped the poor and needy, while also studying, praying, and singing the Holy Scriptures. One cannot be neglected without the other, because if we neglect a disciplined schedule of Scripture reading we tend to forget what scripture actually says versus what we “believe” it says. I found a great illustration which listed a group of children’s interpretation of what was being read to them from the Bible. Here is the list in its entirety:
IN THE FIRST BOOK OF THE BIBLE, GUINESSIS. GOD GOT TIRED OF CREATING THE WORLD SO HE TOOK THE SABBATH OFF.
ADAM AND EVE WERE CREATED FROM AN APPLE TREE.
NOAH’S WIFE WAS JOAN OF ARK.
NOAH BUILT AN ARK AND THE ANIMALS CAME ON IN PEARS.
SAMSON SLAYED THE PHILISTINES WITH THE AXE OF THE APOSTLES.
MOSES LED THE JEWS TO THE RED SEA WHERE THEY MADE UNLEAVENED BREAD WHICH IS BREAD WITHOUT ANY INGREDIENTS.
THE EGYPTIANS WERE ALL DROWNED IN THE DESSERT. AFTERWARDS, MOSES WENT UP TO MOUNT CYANIDE TO GET THE TEN AMENDMENTS.
THE FIRST COMMANDMENT WAS WHEN EVE TOLD ADAM TO EAT THE APPLE.
MOSES DIED BEFORE HE EVER REACHED CANADA . THEN JOSHUA LED THE HEBREWS IN THE BATTLE OF GERITOL.
THE GREATEST MIRICLE IN THE BIBLE IS WHEN JOSHUA TOLD HIS SON TO STAND STILL AND HE OBEYED HIM.
DAVID WAS A HEBREW KING WHO WAS SKILLED AT PLAYING THE LIAR. HE FOUGHT THE FINKELSTEINS, A RACE OF PEOPLE WHO LIVED IN BIBLICAL TIMES.
SOLOMON, ONE OF DAVIDS SONS, HAD 300 WIVES AND 700 PORCUPINES.
WHEN MARY HEARD SHE WAS THE MOTHER OF JESUS, SHE SANG THE MAGNA CARTA.
WHEN THE THREE WISE GUYS FROM THE EAST SIDE ARRIVED THEY FOUND JESUS IN THE MANAGER.
ST. JOHN THE BLACKSMITH DUMPED WATER ON HIS HEAD.
THE PEOPLE WHO FOLLOWED THE LORD WERE CALLED THE 12 DECIBELS.
THE EPISTLES WERE THE WIVES OF THE APOSTLES.
ONE OF THE OPPOSSUMS WAS ST. MATTHEW WHO WAS ALSO A TAXIMAN.
CHRISTIANS HAVE ONLY ONE SPOUSE. THIS IS CALLED MONOTONY.
These are all very humorous and sweetly innocent in their delivery, but they belie a deeper truth in today’s church with its exhortation of scripture. There are pastors and priests who never encourage their people to read the Scriptures and to become intimately acquainted with the God who bled and died for our sins upon the cross of Calvary. Instead, they promote “good thoughts” and “positive attitudes,” replacing “I am the way, the truth and the life” with moral relatives like positive actions and happy personalities. I would like to think Jacob and Joshua would’ve have probably beat these whiny “positive thought gurus” behind the woodshed for teaching errors in God’s Word and I can easily imagine St. Peter grabbing a sword and making some of these false teachers earless. I am kidding, obviously, but sadly these same positive preachers and priests will stand before the Great White Throne and say, “Lord, Lord, didn’t I preach good/positive things in your name? Didn’t I have all the great programs for all the people in MY church? Didn’t I fill the great stadiums of America and flash a winning smile in your name? People even said I was a great guy and a great example of a Christian…” Jesus will reply, “Depart you worker of iniquity into everlasting punishment, I NEVER KNEW YOU.” That one sentence from the Lord we love and serve will devastate the strongest man. You see, we can strive all our lives to be a good person and do the right thing (in our own eyes), but unless you know what God demands from us as the Proverbs declare, we cannot have that “spiritual nest” within God’s Word. In a society that loves to deal in moral relatives and claim abortion is a-ok, homosexuality is just another expression of human “love,” divorce as many people as you want and God couldn’t care less, never read your Bible-its just words anyway, having a good attitude is all that matters, if you don’t hurt others party hard and do whatever you please. Unfortunately that is not the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I couldn’t see John the Baptist including those things when he said, “Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand!” Repentance and true understanding of God Holy Word does not come through mere acknowledgement of it, it comes through changing your behavior to mirror the behavior God demands from His children AND acknowledging His authority in your life. Jesus came into the world to save us from our sins and restore us to true relationship with God the Father. The Holy Spirit comforts, encourages and empowers us to live righteous lives that are pleasing to our Father. He also instructs us in paths of truth and righteousness as we STUDY God’s Word and seek His divine will in our lives. We cannot, as Christians, be ignorant of what scripture teaches us, nor can we make apologies for the moral absolutes of God our King. We are His servants, He is not our servant. We must be so well grounded in God’s Word that when there is a falsehood or an error being perpetrated upon God’s people we can call it out and quickly squelch it in Jesus’ holy name.
I have said some hard things by society’s measurements. Yet, I make no apologies. Katherine was reading the story of Charles Wesley when he was confronted by a disgruntled congregation member which believed Wesley had gone to far to condemn sin. The story quotes Charles Wesley as saying, “I make no apologies and you are still a damned sinner.” Now that is what this world needs: a man of conviction that stands firmly upon the Word of God and does not flinch when questioned about God’s will or about the Word itself. I think many preachers, pastors or priests may get a bit of cotton in their mouths and mumble through things, but what God requires is a heart of conviction and determination that says, “No matter what they may so or do to me, God is still King and He is still Lord.”
I hope, in the end, I have encouraged you through this exhortation to become involved in a regimented study of the Bible and the Will of God that is made plain in its pages. For in the end, there are two questions that will be ultimately asked on the Day of Judgment: “Did you love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind….Did you love your neighbor as yourself?” Both of these cannot be accomplished if you do not know God’s Word. How can you purport to love and honor a God you do not know? How can you truly love your neighbor as yourself if you do not warn and instruct them in the paths of righteousness?
Amen.
