Proverbs in the Psalms

“The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple.” —Psa. 119:130 NRSV This verse from the most magnificent of the psalms, reads like it came straight out of the book of Proverbs. The psalmist proclaims that the unfolding of your words gives light. The Old Testament Word Study Dictionary says that unfolding means: “An entrance, an unfolding. It indicates a place of access into something. Used of God’s words, it refers to the understanding and wisdom they give to a person (Ps. 119:130).” As we gain access to the words of the Lord, we begin to really see for the first time, and this leads to understanding, as the second half of this verse makes clear: it imparts understanding to the simple. We know from Proverbs that the simple are those who are naive and pliable. They can go either way: the way of the fool, or the way of the wise, it all depends on whom and what they choose to follow. Here the psalmist says, “if you want to learn understanding, O simple person, if you want to flourish in this life the way that Yahweh intended you to flourish, then you will let God’s words direct your paths.”

Spurgeon comments here: “Those whom the world dubs as fools are among the truly wise if they are taught of God.” Derek Kidner points out the close connection this truth has with the experience of the two disciples who met Jesus on the road to Emmaus after his resurrection: “Did not our hearts burn within us … while he opened to us the scriptures?” (Luke 24:32; cf. Acts 17:3.)

Grace for Fools

“Fools, because of their rebellious way, And because of their iniquities, were afflicted.” (Psalm 107:17, NASB95)

If you know anything about the book of Proverbs, then you know that the word “fool” is a very strong one in the Bible. A fool doesn’t love God and doesn’t obey his commands and encourages others not to as well. Fools despise wisdom and discipline. Here the psalmist says that fools were afflicted because they were rebellious and sinful. In other words, this type of person is in difficulty because of their own sinful choices. We read this passage and say, “well, they deserved what they got!

Here’s the amazing thing. Go down a couple of verses and read this about fools: “Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress;” —Psa. 107:19 NRSV. Now this is inconceivable. The fool, who through his own foolish, sinful, and rebellious choices, cries out to the Lord and the Lord hears him/her! This is grace for fools and it is amazing to contemplate. The Tyndale Commentary points out here: “guilt shows up God’s rescuing activity as grace: ‘love to the loveless’, not merely to the hapless (as in the rescue of the lost or the overwhelmed in verses 4–9 or 23–32).

The New Testament version of this truth is: “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.” (1 Corinthians 6:9–11, NASB95)

There is a whole host of sins that get in the way of us inheriting the kingdom of God. The hope for fools here is that Paul suddenly says, “Such were some of you!” Our sin is no barrier to God’s grace. Indeed, it only makes his grace shine all the brighter.

Two Years

“After two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus; and since he wanted to grant the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul in prison.” —Acts 24:27 NRSV

Felix, who was the governor of Judea when Paul was arrested, knew that Paul was innocent of the charges against him, but kept him in prison until Felix was replaced by Festus. Paul sat in prison in Caesarea for two years waiting for a decision about his case.

Paul believed that God was going to send him to Rome so that he could proclaim faith in Jesus in the capital of the empire. We know from history that God did send him to Rome; however, God did not act before having Paul cool his heals in the equivalent of house arrest for two years.

The point here being that very often our time frame is not God’s time frame. I assume that there were occasions during his two years languishing in custody in Caesarea, that Paul wondered what God was up to. Why was God taking so long to act? What good did it serve the cause of Christ for him to sit in chains in Caesarea, when he could be in Rome proclaiming Jesus Christ?

Only God knew. I’m sure Paul accomplished some important things during his time in Caesarea. We just don’t know what those things were. I’m sure God had a plan and a reason for delaying Paul’s trip to Rome for two years—not to mention sending him in chains—we can make educated guesses, but ultimately God’s timing is best, even when we don’t understand what he is up to

A Devout Man

“He was a devout man who feared God with all his household; he gave alms generously to the people and prayed constantly to God.” —Acts 10:2 NRSV

Luke describes Cornelius the centurion here, a man who was a God-fearer, but so far did not understand faith in Jesus. What I find interesting is that in the next verse, Luke says that Cornelius’ faithful living went up as a memorial before God. In other words, God noticed Cornelius’ faithfulness and sent Peter to speak truth to him.

What was Cornelius doing that God noticed?

• He feared God
• He gave generously to the people (presumably the poor)
• He prayed constantly to God.

Cornelius didn’t earn salvation through what he was doing, he demonstrated his devotion. God noticed and sent Peter to tell Cornelius and his household the truth about how one is reconciled to God. Through Peter’s preaching and the coming of the Holy Spirit, Cornelius and all his household were brought to faith in Jesus. A poignant moment in Acts.

We would do well to follow Cornelius’ pattern of devotion, not so that we will be acceptable to God, but because when Jesus changes our life, he also changes our priorities, and his priorities become ours.

These Strange Ashes

“He has walled up my way so that I cannot pass, and he has set darkness upon my paths.” —Job 19:8 NRSV

Elisabeth Elliot, in her excellent book, These Strange Ashes (Republished as Made for the Journey) recounts the strange ashes that God made of her first year as a single missionary in Ecuador. Working with the Colorado tribe and attempting to reduce their language to writing, she goes into the tribe knowing that God had called her to be a missionary, that she was doing God’s will, that God wanted the Colorado tribe to hear the gospel, so she assumed that God would bless her efforts. Instead she received strange ashes:

1. She witnesses the death of a Colorado woman in childbirth, the woman who dies is not yet a believer.
2. Her language helper, who is a Christian and one of the only people in the world who is fluent in both Spanish and Coloradan is shot in a dispute and killed.
3. 9 months worth of language notes, a Colorado alphabet and priceless information about Coloradan grammar and language are irretrievably lost when her bag disappears from the top of a bus.

Elisabeth Elliot is left asking God, why he seems to be burning down his own work, rather than blessing her efforts.

I thought of Elisabeth’s experience as I read Job’s lament this morning: He has walled up my way so that I cannot pass, and he has set darkness upon my paths. This is the lament of a man who assumes that God will bless his effort, for he has lived rightly before God, yet all he receives from God is strange ashes. Here are some other expressions Job uses in the same passage:

• He has stripped my honor from me
• He breaks me down on every side
• He has uprooted my hope
• He has also kindled His anger against me

We kinda sorta get an understanding of Job’s strange ashes at the end of the book, though God never does get around to explaining why. Elisabeth Elliot can kinda sorta see part of what God was doing in retrospect, but never really has a “this is why God seems to have burned down my work with the Colorado tribe,” answer. This is the mystery of God. Sometimes he acts in ways that we do not understand, and he doesn’t seem to feel the need to explain to us what he is doing. Our job is to trust him, even when we don’t understand what he is doing.

Human Glory over God’s Glory

“Nevertheless many, even of the authorities, believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they did not confess it, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved human glory more than the glory that comes from God.” —John 12:42–43 NRSV

This is a stinging indictment from John of those who confessed Christ, but were afraid to admit it lest they be thrown out of the synagogue, like the man born blind was in John 9. The comment for they loved human glory more than the glory that comes from God is very strong and gives on an indication of how those who followed Jesus saw it.

We shouldn’t be too hasty in condemning these type of people because if we shine a mirror at ourselves, we might find more than one instance of having fear overrule our faith; more than one time when we could have spoken up about our commitment to Christ, but didn’t; more than one event where we “sort of hid” what we believe. It’s a strong temptation, and even John himself would abandon Christ in his hour of deepest need. The truth is, if we hold our lives up to this mirror, we will all fail in one way or another.

Fortunately for us, God’s grace is stronger than our own fear and God will not abandon us, even if we fail him. “The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning,” writes the author of Lamentations, aren’t we grateful for that truth.

The Joy of Jerusalem

“They offered great sacrifices that day and rejoiced, for God had made them rejoice with great joy; the women and children also rejoiced. The joy of Jerusalem was heard far away.” —Neh. 12:43 NRSV

Nehemiah 12 describes the dedication of the walls of Jerusalem after the people had worked so hard and so quickly to raise them up. The wording that is chosen is especially vivid: The joy of Jerusalem was heard far away.

This must have been an amazing moment because those who were there, who were rejoicing with great joy—women and children included—were rejoicing because they understood the symbolism of the walls of Jerusalem being rebuilt. What God had promised—the return from exile—had come to pass and they were living witnesses of the moment. Rarely in one’s life does one understand at the moment of an event that it is an important moment of history, but this was one of those times. No doubt the rejoicing was even greater because, as the author points out, God had made them rejoice with great joy. They were rejoicing and God had made them rejoice, it was no doubt quite a sight to behold.

Don’t forget that probably most of the people in attendance had been born in captivity. They had never been to Jerusalem before the return from exile, which clearly means that during the long years of exile, when Jerusalem lay in ruins and the people saw no way for them to return to the promised land, they were talking about it with their children, sharing the promises of God, and hoping in the future, saying: “things don’t look good now, but we trust in God’s promises, we will return to our land.”

We would do well to emulate their faithfulness as we eagerly await the return of Christ.

Noah’s Faith

“By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.” (Hebrews 11:7, NASB95)

The next example of faith that our author raises is Noah. It’s hard to imagine what Noah must have thought when God told him to build this gigantic boat because it was going to rain. A lot. A flood was coming and one the likes of which no one had ever seen. [It’s also possible, but not clear, that it had never rained on earth before the advent of the flood.]

I love what follows next. The text says that Noah in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household. The word translated in reverence means: “to reverence God, to be influenced by pious awe.” [Mounce Greek Dictionary] It is translated in various ways:

• in holy fear – NIV
• moved with godly fear – NKJV
• He obeyed God – NLT
• in reverent fear – ESV
• respected the warning and – NRSV

The Complete Word Study Dictionary comments: “Noah’s action was not out of cowering, servile fear. Rather, he took what God uniquely revealed to him as if it were an oracle that He was going to flood the earth and that he should build an ark. Noah took God at His word, that what He was telling him was eu, good, right, and he received (élaben) it as such. He did not build the ark out of fear but from having received God’s oracle as truth to be believed.”

Noah’s actions in regards to God’s command, taking God at his word in reverence, and following through by building the ark, demonstrated his faith and trust that God’s message was “truth to be believed.” It’s a beautiful demonstration of faith.

 

Abel’s Faith

“By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying about his gifts, and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks.”—Heb. 11:4 NASB

The author of Hebrews doesn’t bother to explain who Cain and Abel were because, writing to Hebrew Christians, he understands that they already know that Cain and Abel were brothers who offered two different offerings to God. Abel’s offering was accepted by God, Cain’s was not. Cain’s jealous response was to murder his brother!

Abel’s offering was a witness or testimony or proof we may say, of his faith, and indeed it was God himself who testified or approved of Abel’s gift.

The author then takes us in an unexpected direction. He says that Abel through his faith, though he is dead still speaks. This is a profound truth. While from a human perspective, Abel’s life was tragic, he lived for awhile and was heinously murdered. God’s perspective is altogether different. Abel’s life wasn’t tragic at all. Indeed, his life is still affecting people to this very day [which would include when the author penned his letter and our own day] because Abel’s faith is a testimony to we who follow in his footsteps of faith.

Do you live an ordinary life? God can make it extraordinary through faith and faithfulness to him.

Mysteriously Complex!

“I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well.” (Psalm 139:14, NASB95)

What I like about this verse is how David has to stretch his vocabulary and imagination to capture what he wants to say about God. Here is how different translations handle the phrase I am fearfully and wonderfully made:

• I have been remarkably and wonderfully made HCSB
• making me so wonderfully complex NLT
• making me so mysteriously complex! – Passion Translation
• je suis une créature si merveilleuse LS1910 [I am a marvelous creature]

As I type these words my brain sends a signal to my fingers to push down certain spots on my keyboard and out comes something that not only I understand, but anyone else who speaks English can understand as well. How did that come about?

I lay in bed one night listening to the breathing of my wife sleeping next to me and marveled that she was sound asleep and making no effort to breathe at all, and yet her body made sure that she kept breathing even when she was sound asleep—which biologists call involuntary muscles. Where did they come from?

Or consider the hand. It can grasp the tiniest objects and lift them gently; it can sense cold and heat and feel the tiniest bit of pressure as my fingers rest on the keyboard. It’s a marvel of engineering that man has not been able to replicate. We could go on, but you get the point, David is correct, we are fearfully and wonderfully made!

Leave it to Charles Spurgeon to capture this truth succinctly: “We need not go to the ends of the earth for marvels, nor even across our own threshold; they abound in our own bodies.”