The Beginning of Wisdom

While the Bible is pretty clear that the beginning of wisdom is with God and from the fear of God (Proverbs 1), the 1st few verses of Proverbs have caused me to think about the subject of wisdom.  Proverbs is part of 5 Biblical books known as "Wisdom Literature."  Psalms, Proverbs, Song of Solomon, Ecclesiastes, and Job comprise these 5 books.  Job is the oldest book in Scripture (the date of writing), and Psalms is probably the most quoted.  But hear these words from Proverbs 1 and ask yourself, "What does this say about the END of wisdom?"  "These are the proverbs of Solomon, David’s son, king of Israel. Their purpose is to teach people wisdom and discipline, to help them understand the insights of the wise. Their purpose is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives, to help them do what is right, just, and fair. These proverbs will give insight to the simple, knowledge, and discernment to the young. Let the wise listen to these proverbs and become even wiser. Let those with understanding receive guidance by exploring the meaning in these proverbs and parables, the words of the wise and their riddles. Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline (Proverbs 1:1-7)."

Here is what I find remarkable about these words.

1. They are universal - Young, Old, Simple, Wise, and those who desire to do what is right.  The only group seemingly exempted are the fools!

2. They exist to bring good, success, and structure to life - God's Word is like that, isn't it?  The paradox is that the stable walls of structure are the strong fortress of freedom and goodness.

3. Wisdom seems to have no end - For those who have wisdom (those with understanding), seeking wisdom is a continual, lifelong pursuit.

Here is what I have observed.  In 1994 I went off to Asbury Theological Seminary to seek knowledge, and hopefully wisdom, about God, God's Word, and theology.  What I found was remarkable.  The men and women who taught there were consummate experts in their fields.  One knew the Book of Matthew by heart in numerous languages.  Another understood the mysteries of John's Revelation.  Yet, in the midst of this great knowledge, they pursued knowledge and wisdom daily.  They had understanding, but still pursued "the meaning in proverbs and parables, the words of the wise, and riddles."

I am reminded that Jesus spoke in parables, not to provide explicit moral teaching (though this teaching did/does exist).  Parables were intended to cause those seeking understanding to seek, dig, ponder, consider, and struggle with truths that aren't too far from the mystery of God.  They are not easy!  Just try to "go thou and do likewise" as you read the Parable of the Good Samaritan.  Attempt to understand why some are sheep and others are goats in Matthew 25.

Here's my point.  Those who choose wisdom eternally pursue knowledge and wisdom.  I believe this continues even after we are with God in heaven.  And why not?  Jesus comes so we will know what God is like.  Scripture is revealed so we will come to understand God, ourselves, and others.  "Seek, and you shall find.  Knock and the door will be opened to you!"  Be wise, my friends!

What Are We Doing Here?

“And the word of the Lord came to him: ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’” (1 Kings 19:9)

There is a lot of noise in the world. People shout. People bloviate. People rage. People predict catastrophe. People compete to see who can be the loudest, angriest, most offended, or most afraid. Sometimes it feels a little like Shakespeare’s famous description: “full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.”

Elijah knew something about noise. He had just experienced one of the greatest victories of his ministry on Mount Carmel. But after Jezebel threatened his life, Elijah ran. Eventually, he found himself hiding in a cave, convinced that everything had fallen apart. And God asked him a remarkable question:

“What are you doing here, Elijah?”

Elijah responded with what sounds suspiciously like “poor pitiful me.” I have been faithful. Everybody else has abandoned You. I’m the only one left. And now they’re trying to kill me.

There was truth in Elijah’s complaint. He really had been faithful. There really were people who wanted him dead. But Elijah had allowed his circumstances to distort his perspective. So God gave him a lesson.

There was a mighty wind, but the Lord was not in the wind. There was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. There was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. Then came a gentle whisper.

Maybe that is something we desperately need to remember. The Lord isn't necessarily in the loudness.

God isn't obligated to participate in the cultural shouting, bloviating, rumbling, and burning that surrounds us. Volume is not the same thing as truth, and outrage is not the same thing as righteousness. But God also isn't found in our carefully constructed “poor pitiful me” narratives. Sometimes we use our wounds, disappointments, and difficulties to convince ourselves, and perhaps others, that we deserve special treatment. Elijah's circumstances were difficult, but God would not allow Elijah's difficulties to become his identity.

And God wasn't fooled by the cave. Elijah could hide from Jezebel. He couldn't hide from God. And neither can we.

We can hide in fear. We can hide in busyness. We can hide in anger. We can hide in disappointment. We can even hide behind legitimate wounds. But eventually God's question finds us: “What are you doing here?”

Then comes the whisper. You are not a victim. You are not alone. You are not without community. And you are certainly not without God. Elijah thought he was the last one standing. God told him there were 7,000 others who had not bowed to Baal. 

Elijah thought his ministry was finished. God essentially said, “Get up. Go back. I still have work for you to do.” There were people Elijah hadn't met yet. There was an Elisha waiting to join him. There was a community Elijah couldn't see. And there was a God who had never left him.

Maybe God's question isn't really about Elijah's location. Maybe it is about Elijah's calling. “What are you doing here?”

Who Is In Your Boat?

Who Is In Your Boat? In 1st Kings 4, the leadership team of Solomon is identified.  I won't go into all of the names there, but 2 stand out.  They stand out because they represent great failures that rip the entire country apart.  Who is in your boat?

The first failure was overseen by Adoniram, perhaps not a betrayer, but part of Israel's failure. He was “over the forced labor” (1 Kings 4:6).  There is no indication that Adoniram personally betrayed Solomon. In fact, he seems to have remained loyal to the Davidic administration through David, Solomon, and into Rehoboam's reign. The problem was what his office represented.  Solomon's enormous building program increasingly depended upon taxation and compulsory labor. By the time Rehoboam succeeded Solomon, the northern tribes complained: “Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but now lighten the harsh labor and the heavy yoke he put on us…” 1 Kings 12:4. Rehoboam refuses their request and the northern tribes revolt, so Rehoboam sends Adoniram—the man in charge of forced labor—to them. The Israelites stoned Adoniram to death (1 Kings 12:18). His office had apparently become so closely associated with the burdens imposed by the monarchy that sending him into the rebellion was disastrous.  The Kingdom becomes divided.  

The second failure was Solomon himself.  He allowed and fueled the oppression of his people.  He tolerated practices that overly burdened the people, all for an ornate palace, and his vision of the building of the Temple.  Solomon was caught up in extravagance, building what would make him look powerful and strong, and narcissistic behavior.  He was all about himself.  Solomon failed to spend time with God, seek His will, and follow His plan.  

So, the question is a good one.  Who is in your boat? 

Who is in the boat when God brings the beauty of the miraculous catch of fish?  Who is in the boat when Jesus calls the disciples to go out together to a quiet place?  In this time of church meetings, as we prepare for the annual Charge Conference, who is in the boat?  THAT question is vitally important!

In the CREO retreat in Kentucky, we saw a small piece of art.  It was a boat painted on a paper bag ... a representation of the journey all of the CREO team and grantees share.  That treasured piece of art had beauty beyond the artistry that created it.  The boat told the story of mission, team, purpose, and a great shared journey, larger than anyone in the boat.

There was an interesting detail about that little boat.  It had no rudder.  It was powered forward by the ruach/pneuma of God's Holy Spirit.  The little boat welcomed all who shared the dream of a life following God to His perfect destination.  

Solomon chose his team based on connecting to the powerful, co-opting "yes men," and political expediency.  We must chose and become a team that shares mission, shares the beauty and discomfort of the boat, submits to the wind of the Spirit, and embraces "the beauty of the Lord our God who establishes the work of our hands."

So ... what is your choice?  Are you in the boat, or standing safely on the shore ... a spectator or a fan, a willing/working team member?  You are welcome, wanted ... but are you willing?  I pray the answer is, YES!

Couldn't Resist!

The end of 2 Samuel, and the beginning of 1 Kings are beautiful expressions of God's faithfulness and David's thankfulness, as the king closes out his life with God.  At the beginning of 1 Kings, David will "go the way of all the earth."  These last few chapters express David's love for God and his appreciation that God has been with him through all of his victories, all of his failures, and all of his time as king of Israel.  I want to stop on 2 passages here.

The first stopping place is something I couldn't resist (it's a song).  It is David's song to God (2 Samuel 22), expressed both here and in Psalm 18.  David says what all believers should be able to say if we realistically recounted our days of life.  David called, God heard; David was threatened, God delivered; David was weak, God strengthened; David wandered through sin and uncertainty, but God remained faithful. Both passages therefore become more than songs of victory—they are the testimony of an aging servant looking backward and recognizing that, through every season, “the way of the LORD is perfect” and “the word of the LORD is flawless” (2 Sam. 22:31; Ps. 18:30).  The Lord truly liveth, and blessed be the rock of our salvation!

The second stopping place is an application of the song and the Psalm above.  David is building an altar to God.  He buys a piece of property from Araunah (by the way, this property will eventually become Solomon's Temple).  The prophet Gad instructed David (from God's direction) to buy this site.  Araunah told David he could have this property and the oxen for the burnt offering, free of charge.  David responded, "I will not give to the Lord my God a burnt offering that costs me nothing (2 Samuel 24:24)." David didn't just remember God's blessings and faithfulness ... he responded in appreciation and thankfulness.

What can we learn from these two stories?  Maybe this:

1. God's presence with us through all of life is worthy of our praise, of our song, of our thanks, and of our last breath.  Even then, God is good "all the time."

2. James tells us, "faith without works is dead (James 2:26).  David demonstrates something the modern church needs to learn and apply ... praise without response is dead.  David's song of praise is made a living stone (an altar and a temple are built on this site) because David doesn't just sing ... he acts.

May we go and do likewise!  Praise with practice is alive!

Stopping for a Rest

In the book, Theo of Golden, we find a character (Theo) who has decided something important.  He will spend his remaining years in active pursuit of peace and rest that comes from doing 'Jesus things.'  Psalm 23 spells out some of these 'Jesus things' in one of the most beautiful poems found in Scripture.  "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.  He maketh me lie down in green pastures, He leadeth me beside the still waters, He restoreth my soul!"

Theo has lived a life of celebrity, success, pain, and loss.  He could be bitter.  He could become helpless and broken.  But Theo, a man of faith, becomes better.  Why?  That's what Jesus does.

Psalm 23 is all about what God does to create in us a character that makes the world around us better.  These first few verses speak to our hearts ... but do they change us?  Here are a few things Jesus is doing:

1. Jesus claims governance of our lives.  Sheep follow the shepherd.  Sheep are led by the shepherd.  Sheep stray and are sought, found, and brought home by the shepherd.  

2. Jesus provides.  The passage, "I shall not want," can be read several ways.  It can be read as having an attitude of being content in all circumstances (Philippians 4:11). It can also be read as a command.  I think both are true.  Jesus is sufficient.  In the song "Resting Place" (a 2016 song by I Am They), the group revives a 1891 song by Eliza Hewitt. Eliza Hewitt was a teacher who was attacked by a student in her class, an incident that left her in severe pain and with a lifelong spinal injury.  Wheelchair-bound, she still became a Sunday School Superintendent in her church and wrote hundreds of Christian hymns.  Jesus provides!

3. Jesus brings comfort. Jesus causes us to stop for rest.  The shepherd monitors the state of the flock, and knows when to stop.

4. Jesus brings peace. Did you know sheep don't like fast-moving water?  It gives them anxiety.  The shepherd leads the sheep beside still waters.

5. Why does the shepherd do all of these things?  He restores our soul.  That's what Jesus does!

I pray for church people who are so caught up in where they have been that they forget the shepherd is leading us somewhere.  I pray for many friends who constantly post about their frustration and anger with one political party or the other, to the point that they are obsessed.  I pray for those who are lost and need the shepherd to find them.  And then I think of the lesson of Paul (Philippians 4:11) and Theo from the book.

Theo has chosen to get out of God's way.  So he watches for the good in people.  He sees past facades and looks toward the soul that has been created by God.  Where he passes, lives are made better.  God is using him to show the story of shepherds, contentment, still waters, green pastures, and restored souls.  And THAT is a beautiful thing!

Presence

What does it mean when Scripture said, "Meanwhile, Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord. (1 Samuel 2:21)?"  Here's what it doesn't mean:

1. He had a perfect family.  Samuel lived in Eli's house with Eli's sons, both evil priests.

2. Israel was stable and peaceful. Israel was a country filled with corrupt leaders, and Samuel's calling would place him in difficult and dangerous conflict with some of those leaders.

3. Samuel's people were faithful followers of God.  Samuel's people envied being like the people in the land.  They had forgotten God called them to be different, peculiar, and chosen.

I wonder if God is saying something simple and profound.  Maybe 2 things:

1. God's presence rises above our circumstances.  In Philippians 4:7, Paul called it "peace that surpasses understanding."

2. God's presence lifts us out of our circumstances.   Psalm 130:1 says, "Out of the depths I have cried to You, O LORD."  The Psalmist goes on to say God heard the cry and lifted him up and set his feet on solid ground.

Oh, and that first word ... "Meanwhile."  Do you know God is present with his people when life is happening all around us?  Culture ... God is with us, guiding us.  Turmoil ... God is with us, teaching us.  Victory ... God is with us, keeping our heads from getting too big, or too self-centered.  Defeat ... God is picking us up, and encouraging us to go on in His perfect grace.  

Samuel, because he prayed, listened, communed with God, and lived in God's presence, saw a God that was bigger than anything he faced.  That same God was strong enough to give him the strength to live out his calling.  May we all live in that blessed place!

Pride Goeth Before a Fall

We have all heard the Proverb, "Pride goeth before destruction (Proverbs 16:18)."  Many of us have learned this the hard way, haven't we?  We revel in our situation ... our victory ... our prowess ... our superiority.  And then something happens to bring us down from our pedestal.

A man was given a medal at a church.  The medal was "To The Most Humble Man In Our Congregation."  The next week they took the medal away ... he wore it to church! That is how pride and arrogance work.  They both tell us the lie that we are better, smarter, stronger, and superior.  A Rabbi died and was given the ability to come back for a day.  A friend asked, "What does heaven think is the worst sin?"  The Rabbi responded, "Thinking you are better than other people."

Samson (Judges 16) had plenty to be proud of. He killed a lion with his bare hands. He defeated thirty Philistines. He caught 300 foxes, tied torches to their tails, and burned the Philistine crops. He killed a thousand men with the jawbone of a donkey. He tore the gates off the city of Gaza and carried them away. After a while, Samson must have begun to believe he couldn't be touched. Enter Delilah.

By Judges 16, Samson isn't simply flirting with a woman. He is flirting with disaster. Delilah keeps asking for the secret of his strength, and Samson keeps playing games with her. First he lies. Then he lies again. Then he gets closer to the truth. And finally, Samson tells her everything. Why? Maybe Samson had become so confident in himself that he believed even Delilah couldn't hurt him. This brings Samson to "the destruction" the Proverb mentions.  His hair is cut, but Samson wakes up and says, “I will go out as before, at other times, and shake myself free! (Judges 16:20).” Pride creates failure to see what was really going on.  Scripture says, "But he did not know that the LORD had departed from him.” he apparently forgot where his power came from.  And while a blind, humiliated Samson went out in a blaze of glory, his end came quickly, not as a hero but as a fool.

Can we learn from this story?  Can we see ourselves clearly ... and see God's better path?  Can we understand where any true power we have comes from?  Can we repent and learn the humility that truth brings?  "The Church's one foundation is Jesus Christ our Lord," "Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2:6-8)!"  AMEN