Proverbs 2:22: No inheritance for you!

“but the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the treacherous will be rooted out of it.”
-Proverbs 2:22

We’ve been looking at the last two verses of Proverbs 2 the last few times, and we’ve talked about how the Jewish people were promised the land of Canaan, and yet how God would allow foreign powers to come and conquer the land at times when the Jews turned their back on God and followed their own pleasures. We have also seen how these verses also speak to us about heaven.

I think a lot of people today just expect God to accept everyone, no matter what they do or say. Or at very least, most people believe that they are good enough for God. Wherever the cutoff line is, it’s below me!

The Old Testament describes us as harlots in places. It says that we have sold ourselves to the highest bidder. Frankly, some bids were not too high. We have turned away from God for women, for money, for power, for food, for popularity, for football games, for drink, for video games, for work, for anything we can think of. Is it any wonder that God would just kick the Jewish people out sometimes?

What have you put in front of God? Is it one of those things I’ve mentioned, or is it something else?

In truth, we’ve all done it. We’ve all abandoned God for something far less glorious. We have all fled, disobeyed His commands, ignored His Word, and have not acknowledged Him. We have been proud, arrogant, selfish, lustful, and ambitious.

And like spoiled children we demand that God accept us the way we are instead of coming to Him in humility.

How can we lay claim to the Promised Land? We are the wicked that will be cut off.

Except that there is Jesus.

Jesus has the power to move us from the “wicked” category to the “upright” category from the previous verse. When Jesus died, He took on the punishment that we deserve upon Himself. It is as though we were banished, and He went in our place. Except, once He paid for our debt by His Blood, He came back to life and ascended into heaven to prepare a place for us.

If we repent of our sins and believe in Him, we will find life. We will remain in the land forever.

Proverbs 2:21-22: This land is your land!

“For the upright will inhabit the land, and those with integrity will remain in it, but the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the treacherous will be rooted out of it.”
-Proverbs 2:21-22

Wow. We’re going to do two verses today. That is a first. I’m very excited.

I’m doing it because I want to give a good example of what Solomon is talking about. We learned last time that, in the Old Testament, God would sometimes bring a foreign army to take the land of Canaan away from the Jews when they had been disobedient.

One of my favorite books in the Bible is Nehemiah, which takes place at the end of one of these periods of exile. Jerusalem has been completely destroyed, and has been in ruins for decades. Nehemiah is a faithful man who works as the cupbearer the king. He basically drinks a sip of everything the king has to make sure it’s not poisoned. One day, Nehemiah hears from some other Jews, and he is suddenly struck with a profound need to see the city rebuilt. God softens the heart of the king to allow him to go, and so he goes to rebuild it.

This takes guts, my friends. There are enemies all over the place, and none of them want to see the Jewish people regain a little power by regaining their walled city. There is danger all over the place, and several people are trying to kill or discredit Nehemiah. But he, along with faithful people from all over, do the work. They rebuild the walls.

The town begins to flourish again, and one of the religious leaders, Ezra, holds a mass revival in the town where thousands come to God. The Jews have returned to their home.

After many years, Nehemiah returns to his post as the cupbearer for the king. But he learns some unrighteous people have come to Jerusalem and are messing everything up. So he goes back and runs them all out of town, beating up some as he goes.

Pretty cool.

This is exactly what Solomon is talking about. But this story also speaks of Jesus, and the “land” that is promised for us. You see, like Nehemiah, Jesus came to a broken land, a place ravished by sin and death, to rebuild. The walls He erected were not physical ones, but walls of a different kind. Was he not described as the cornerstone, after all?

He came in order to bring the faithful home, to protect them with the Spirit. To bring them together in Him.

And like Nehemiah left government and religious leaders in place when he left, Jesus sent to us His Spirit when He returned to heaven.

However, our cities, our homes, and even our churches have become infested with unrighteous men. There are pulpits all over filled by greedy men and blasphemers, leading people astray.

But like Nehemiah, Jesus will come again, and He will drive out the unrighteous.

This “land,” which is ultimately our adoption by God Himself, is for the faithful alone. Eternal life with Him is for the faithful. The others will be driven out.

So what makes a righteous person? Jesus. Only Jesus can make you righteous. See, we have all fallen into unrighteousness with greed, ambition, lust, and selfishness. We have all fallen short of God’s Glory. But like Nehemiah came to bring people into the city while they did not have the power to do it without him, so too did Jesus come to bring us into the kingdom, into the land, while we could not on our own.

Repent of the ways you have fallen short. Admit that you cannot make it on your own and believe that Jesus has done the work to make you righteous. Believe, and come inside.

Proverbs 2:21: Possession of the land

“For the upright will inhabit the land, and those with integrity will remain in it,”
-Proverbs 2:21

One of Shakespeare’s best plays is King Lear, which tells of an aging king who is going to split up his land between his three daughters. But, being a vain old dude, he wanted them to tell him how much they love him before deciding who will get what part. The first two daughters kiss up to him and flatter him, but the third basically tells him, “I’m not going to flatter you. You know how much I love you by my actions.” Lear disowns the third child, even though she is the only one who really loves him.

Thankfully, our Father in Heaven isn’t like old Lear. He is quite astute with a keen sense of justice. He wants to provide for His children. But when it comes to following Him, He is not interested in mere flattery. He wants us to have real faith in Him.

This passage is alluding to the Promised Land of Canaan. After the Jews were delivered from Egypt through Moses, they came to the Promised Land, but the people were too scared to go in and face the people already living there. Because of their lack of faith, God decreed that they would wander the desert for 40 years until the unfaithful had all died off.

After that time, possession of the land could almost be seen as a faith barometer. Whenever the people would turn away from God and go after their own pleasures and sin, God would allow another nation to come in and take over the land. When the people would turn back to God, the land would be delivered back to them.

You see, it is in faith that God’s people are to share in their inheritance. They have claim to it, but only in God, and not in themselves. Solomon is telling his son here, “Remain faithful to the Lord, and this will not be taken away.”

There are a lot of Christians out there who will ignore passages like this, because they are somehow unimportant, they will saw, under the new covenant with Christ. Is this part of an old system that has passed away? No, it’s not. See, the Old Testament is vitally important to Christians because it speaks of Jesus too (see Luke 24:27, for example).

In Christ we will inherit the Kingdom of God. It is a gift that we do not receive by good works or secret ceremony, but by faith. By His Blood He has washed away the sins of those who repent and follow Him, and we will follow into eternal life. Once redeemed by His Blood, we will remain in the Kingdom forever.

But it is only in this way that we can find life. “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?” (1 Corinthians 6:9). It works in the same way today that it worked in the Old Testament. In faith we remain. If we reject God and turn away from Him, we will fall to our enemies.

Jesus, in His death, has paved the way for us to receive this gift. It does not matter what you have done, what situation you are in, or the life you have lived. You don’t have to earn this. Only accept it by repenting and believing in Jesus. This is the way to the Promised Land.

Proverbs 2:20: So!

“So you will walk in the way of the good and keep to the paths of the righteous.”
-Proverbs 2:20

So.

It’s hard to begin a sentence with “so.” My high school English teacher very specifically told me not to do. I do it a lot.

It’s not necessarily wrong to start a sentence with “so.” But you usually don’t want to start your thought with it. “So” suggests that you are continuing a thought.

So that is why this verse begins with “so.” Because there was something that came before.

So what is it? What came before? Specifically, the first sentence of the chapter, which encompasses verses 1 through 5. Everything after that point just expands on that. That is why the other four sentences of the chapter begin with “for” (v. 6), “then” (v. 9), and “so” (v. 16 and 20).

So I bring this up because this verse is not a proclamation of what will be if you just avoid one adulteress woman described in verses 16-19. No, we’re going all the way back now to the beginning. This verse is what will be if you follow God and obey His commands.

So what? I mean, the paths of righteousness don’t sound like much fun. Yeah, they do, considering that verse 18 tells us that the alternative is death. The way of the good is not some tightrope of rules you have to walk, where one slip and you’ll fall into the fiery pit. It’s about being with the Creator of everything.

So it works out like this. We’ve all done wrong. The Bible calls this sin. We may not think much of it, but that is only because we judge ourselves based on other people. God judges with righteousness, and when you realize that even unwarranted anger, when measured against the standard of righteousness, is like murder, we can see how far we’ve missed the mark. We’re not worthy of the life God offers. Furthermore, any just judge, as God is, cannot just sweep our sin under the rug.

So He sent Jesus, His Son, who lived perfectly and without sin. He is the only one who does not deserve death, and yet He died anyway. He died to pay our price.

So if we repent, we can place our sins on Him, and He will pay for them with His blood. And in turn, He gives us His righteousness and Spirit. The Holy Spirit guides us in the way of the good. It is here we find life rather than death. It is here we walk with Jesus.

So we will walk in the paths of the righteous. I don’t know what you will encounter on this road. It can be very difficult sometimes. But I do know that I am with God every day here, and He watches out for me. And I know where it ends, and I will live with Him forever.

So whatever comes, it’s well worth it. I wouldn’t trade a moment of it for the ways of the world.

Sorry for all the sentences that begin with “so.” I couldn’t help it.

Proverbs 2:19: Too late . . .

“none who go to her come back, nor do they regain the paths of life.”
-Proverbs 2:19

There is a time when it becomes too late. For some, I suppose, it could be death. But for others, it is when there is so much sin in your life that there is no way for you even to repent.

What I’m going to say here is very controversial, and unfortunately, I don’t have a lot of room here to go over it. I’m going to do my best. Please forgive me if I fall short here.

Have you ever known someone who just seemed to be stuck in a certain sin, as though they had given their whole life over to that sin? Maybe it is anger, and there just isn’t just left to them except anger. Maybe it is grumbling and complaining. Maybe it is sexual sin, where it seems like that’s all they are is the sexual sin.

Maybe that’s what’s going on. They aren’t anything more than the sin.

I believe that the Bible teaches that there are people who go so far into sin that they cannot get back out again. Hebrews 12: 17 tells us that Esau was not able to even repent of his sin. The context here is that the writer of Hebrews is warning against sin. Avoid sin at all costs, he says, because sin can lead to defilement like in Esau:

For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears.

Paul tells us about those who turn away from God in Romans 1. Three times he tells us that God gave those people over to their sin (verses 24, 26, and 28).

Sin has a corrupting quality to it. You usually cannot just sin once. Most sins lead to bigger ones. Looking at revealing ads in a newspaper will sometimes lead a man to more revealing internet pictures, and then hardcore pornography. Shoplifting a candy bar may turn lead to larger thefts done more often. After years of faithfulness a man may cheat on his wife once, but after that, it’s not as big of a deal. Sin grows, infects, and starts to taint every part of your life. If you open the door, it’s going to come in and open the windows too.

I have heard many people tell me, “Oh, I’ll probably start seeking God when I’m older.” I understand what they are saying. They don’t want to be tied down by religion. They want to have fun.

But just like the alcoholic who refuses to admit he has a drinking problem, the people of this world have trouble seeing how enslaved they are to sin.

Is there something in your life that is like this? Is there something that started out as a small thrill, and now it has control of you? What do you spend your time, money, and effort on? What is it in this world that controls you?

I plead with you; do not wait for tomorrow. Do not even wait for later today. Address the issue of God now, today. Because if you go too far down that road, you won’t be able to regain the path of life.

There is a way out. These sins of ours have to be put to death. Only blood can get rid of them. But Jesus, the Son of God, died for us. He took our sins upon Himself and died. He is our way back to life.

Repent of those sins in your life. Repent while you can. And then follow Him. He alone can free you from whatever it is that enslaves you.

Proverbs 2:18: The road more traveled

“for her house sinks down to death, and her paths to the departed;”
-Proverbs 2:18

Have you ever met one of those people who just blame everyone else for their problems? It doesn’t matter what it is, they have an answer about how it is someone else’s fault. You even see this is really serious sins, like the guy who gets caught in adultery and will blame his wife for not being attentive enough.

It may be true that someone put that person in a bad situation, but to hear this person talk, you would think the bad situation took over his nervous system and began walking him around like a puppet! An inattentive wife is surely a problem, and yet the husband makes it out like the inattention of a wife took away all choice from him, strapped him down, and forced him to commit adultery.

I hear this quite a bit when talking about God.

You’ve heard it too. “If God is good and loving, why would He send me to hell?”

But just because we blame someone else doesn’t mean we’re right. Ultimately, the cheating husband is completely in control of his own actions, and he is not justified because he can try to shift the blame.

This is how we have done it from the beginning. When our first parents ate of the forbidden fruit in the Garden, Adam blamed Eve, and Eve blamed the serpent. But God wasn’t fooled. He punished each for his own sin. He punished the serpent for the deceit, the woman for eating, and the man for eating. Each person answers for himself.

The answer to the common question posed above is not one we want to hear. We want to hear that God is so loving that He’ll just ignore anything you do and bring you into heaven, as though love ever acts this way. The answer is, “If you go to hell, it’s not because God sent you there, but because you got up and walked there yourself.”

That’s what this verse is talking about. We’ve been looking at the adulteress. Solomon advises his son to avoid her. Why? Because hers is a road that leads to death, and she’s not worth it.

When we sin, we rebel against God. We turn from Him and march directly in the other direction. We think we know a better way, a more fun way, and so we take the road that looks better to our selfish desires. But when we walk away from God, you are walking toward death.

I’ve been on that road before. We all have. We have all chased our own selfishness at times, our own greed and lusts. We have all sinned and run headlong toward destruction.

And here’s where God’s love comes in.

See, God is so loving that He sent His Son to die for us. He was not content to say, “Let them go! They deserve it!” Though we certainly do deserve whatever we get. No, He sent His Son, and in death, His Son is able to save us.

To keep the analogy of the road going, it’s like Jesus stepped onto the road to death when he was killed on the Cross. He walked onto our road, stood in front of us, and told us how to get back to the road to life. He even shows us the way, leading us by His Spirit.

But to get there, we have to answer His call. We have to reject the road we’re on and follow Him. In other words, we have to repent. In repentance we admit that we’ve been wrong, and we need to change.

In following Him, we are given the means to change. We are given eternal life.

The question is not whether God loves us so much that He will ignore our sin. The question is if you are wise enough to heed the warning of Jesus and turn away from your own destruction.

Proverbs 2:17: Warning! Discussion of mature themes within

“who forsakes the companion of her youth and forgets the covenant of her God;”
-Proverbs 2:17

Last time, we started to look at the second major section of chapter 2: the adulteress. In that verse, we were mainly looking at the fact that she did not follow the God of the Bible, and what that means for us today. In this verse, let’s look a little bit at sexual sin in general, since this woman has forsaken the companion of her youth.

There seems to be a lot of confusion about sexual sin, so let’s define a few terms.

Adultery is when you cheat on a spouse.

Fornication is when you have any sexual contact with anyone who is not your spouse. A lot of translations will use the phrase “sexual immorality” here, which has confused people. Some have even gone so far as to say that this is only adultery, and fornication is not wrong. Well, that term in the Greek is “porneia,” and it means any sort of sex outside of marriage, including sleeping with your boyfriend, heavy petting, stripping for someone, posting pictures online, or anything else you can think of.

And if you don’t agree that these are sins, Jesus tells us “that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:28). So pretty much anything that will get you excited is also adultery, just in case you deny that it is poreia.

Homosexuality of any kind is also forbidden for both men and women (for example, Romans 1:27-28).

So is sex bad? Heavens, no! May it never be! The Bible speaks very highly of sexual relations, but that it was meant for marriage. Whether we want to admit it or not, there is a spiritual connection that happens when two people make love, and that connection was meant for one person.

God does not want to steal our joy, but to free us into real joy. He wants us to be sexually open and free within a relationship, without dragging around a past that probably lead to jealousy, shame, regret, comparisons, or what ifs. He wants us to experience one another unselfishly and lovingly, without restraint, for all our lives.

We bring honor to our wives like this. We show them love by waiting for them, by treasuring them, by making them the only one. We bring honor to husbands this way, by respecting them enough to make love to them only. We bring honor to those who are not our spouses by not taking what belongs to a future spouse. We bring honor also to God, by following His plan rather than our own momentary desires. We make the statement that He is more important than getting laid tonight. “You were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body” (1 Corinthians 6:20).

This connection is mirrored in the way Jesus loves His Church. He would do anything for His Church, and even died for her. His Church is not something He will leave for another church, or cheat on. He chose that Church from the foundation of the world, and there will never be another.

Even while we were sinners, Jesus died for us. Even when we were committing all sorts of sins against Him, including sexual ones, He came to earth and died upon the Cross to take our sins upon Himself. It is a wonderful feeling to know that someone has stayed true to you even before that person knew you. That was Jesus, even when turned to other things that seemed more important.

He will forgive you if you repent and follow Him. It may be that He chose you from the beginning of time and is calling for you now to join His Church. The Church is His bride, and even though we do not come pure, He has cleaned us with His Blood, and He welcomes us and will always stay true.

A wayward man will repent of his past when he falls so completely in love that his own desires are not as important. Repent also to God, for He is worthy of that love.

Proverbs 2:16: Who are you dating now?

“So you will be delivered from the forbidden woman, from the adulteress with her smooth words,”
-Proverbs 2:16

Solomon begins here a new section of advice, one that should have a great deal of meaning for us today, since he is talking about sex. (Yeah, I can already see my web traffic tripling over this series.)

So this first verse has a lot to talk about, so let’s dive right in.

In the first part of it, the “forbidden woman” (some translations say “strange woman”) is specifically referring to a foreign woman. So is Solomon telling us to stick to our own kind or something like that? Absolutely not. After all, Solomon’s great-grandmother Ruth was a Gentile.

No, when the Old Testament tells us not to marry foreigners, it is telling us not to marry outside our faith. It is worded that way because, at the time, Israelites typically followed the God of the Bible and other nations followed other false gods. So the Bible will sometimes say, “Stay away from foreign women,” in the context of marrying only within the faith. This is why we can celebrate women like Ruth and Rahab, both Gentiles, who were converted to the God of the Bible.

How does this translate now? It translates to, “Don’t date non-Christians.” We are called to hang out with non-Christians, to speak with them about Jesus, but not to date, court, marry, sleep with them, or anything else of that nature with them.

Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?
-2 Corinthians 6:14

But I love him! But maybe if I date him I can talk to him about Jesus! If I sleep with him then maybe he’ll come to church with me!

This is a huge problem in the church, and it comes out of two sins: idolatry and unbelief.

Idolatry because you put a boyfriend / girlfriend / fiancée / fiancé / whatever in front of Jesus. God tells us to not get into romantic relationships with non-believers, but you put that non-believer before God by obeying the non-believer instead of God. You sacrifice your time, energy, body, and conscience for that person instead of saving all for God.

If you ever disobey God for another person or thing, you have made that thing or person into an idol.

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
-1 Corinthians 6:19-20

It is unbelief when you decide that you need this person if you will be happy. Or when you say that you need to date that person so that he will come to Jesus. You do not believe that God’s grace is sufficient, and that He will provide for you, and that He can bring that other person to Himself without your help.

Why is this important? It’s important because no one can serve two masters. No one can focus on both God and to some husband who rejects God. In a marriage, both members together should be working toward God together. But if a wife is pulling you one way and God another, then you are going to be torn.

Solomon is the best example of this, because he eventually rejected his own advice and married a bunch of pagans. You know what? By the end of his life, he bowed a knee to those false gods because his wives were constantly pulling him in that direction.

Our love for God should be stronger than any attraction we find for someone else. If it’s not, then you have more to worry about than your boyfriend.

Now, what about the people who already married the nonbeliever? In this case, the Bible calls us to stay married (1 Corinthians 7:13). Do not let one mistake lead to another. Stay in the marriage, love as Christ loved, and He will be your guide.

God does not tell us these things to punish us or something, but for our own benefit. You see, Jesus is a greater gift than any man or woman can be. Because of our sin, we are separated from God, but Jesus, in death, took our punishment for us. Through Him we can have eternal life in a place without pain and death. And yet we are often so willing to trade that gift for a temporary one, like a boyfriend, sex, or just someone to pay attention to us. God tells us these things because He knows that His Grace is sufficient for us. We do not have to be like Solomon, who turned away from the blessings of God because his wives were tempting him to something far less wonderful.

If I have described you today, repent and flee to Jesus. He is faithful to forgive our sins, and He will always welcome us.

Proverbs 2:15: The great Ruler in the sky (pun intended)

[God will deliver your from] “men whose paths are crooked, and who are devious in their ways.”
-Proverbs 2:15

How do we know if a line is crooked? It’s obvious, you may say! If it’s curved one way or another, then it’s crooked. And what if the curve is very subtle? Then you may need a ruler to judge.

Let us turn the question to one that is often asked in these times. “What is normal?” What is right, for what is right for you may not be right for me?

When we judge ourselves by the people around us, it is like measuring a crooked line by a crooked ruler. What is straight? We cannot say for sure. And if we cannot say what is straight, then how can we know if something is crooked?

That is the problem in today’s moral climate. How can we know if we are doing right when we judge ourselves by our neighbor who is acting the same way as we are? If the blind lead the blind, as Jesus said, both will fall into the pit.

I’ve heard it a thousand times in moral debates. One person may say, “This behavior is wrong,” and the other person will counter, “And you’re any better?”

And the second guy has a point. If I’m going to try to help my brother with the speck in his eye, I need to first take care of the log in my own.

But all of this leaves us in a bad place. If everyone is walking a crooked path, then how can we even know what a straight path looks like?

Jesus.

When God tells us He will save us from men whose paths are crooked, He is telling us that He will place us on a path that is straight. You see, while we are looking at a bunch of crooked lines and trying to figure out what a straight on looks like, God has the ruler to help.

He sent Jesus Christ to earth to walk the straight path for us, and He is our example to follow. But that’s not enough, because my path is already crooked. Because I have so totally failed morally, I am not worthy of life. But that is why Jesus died. Though He was perfect, He still died for me, taking the punishment I deserve.

If I repent of my crooked ways and confess Him as Savior, He will place me on His own straight path.

I once walked a crooked path. I was once devious in my ways. Jesus took those sins away from me and gave me His righteousness. Now I am saved from that path, and I will not find the road’s end there, for that crooked road only leads to death. God has saved me from that fate, and He can save you too if you will repent and follow Him.

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Proverbs 2:14: Mine is an evil laugh!

[God will deliver you from those] “who rejoice in doing evil and delight in the perverseness of evil,”
-Proverbs 2:14

I am constantly amazed at the lengths this generation will go to deny the existence of evil.

We will excuse murderers and rapists because something traumatic happened to them as children, and therefore it’s not their fault. We will try to better understand terrorists so we will know what their situations are. Tyrants are asked to speak at American universities and are given standing ovations.

No longer are the Hitlers or today condemned for their actions. Actually, the only people who seem to be uniformly condemned in this country are corrupt CEOs. It’s good we at least find that offensive, but why we think that playing around with stocks is worse than killing people, I really can’t say.

Of course, when it comes right down to it, we all believe in right and wrong. We can preach all we want that everything is relative and that there is no evil, but if someone punches us in the mouth, we’re going to get upset. Why? Because we were wronged.

The world is filled with people who do evil and like it. From the dictator who takes perverse pleasure in his power to the man who likes to cheat on his wife, there is evil in this world.

And it’s not limited to them. How many of us like to get away with a lie, or would willingly cheat a neighbor in a business deal? “The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5).

The machinations of evil men are all about us, sometimes even in ourselves. What are we to do?

We are to follow after God. His Spirit is promised to help protect us, and He gives life eternal for those who would follow, so not even the efforts of a tyrant or murderer can destroy us.

Yes, we have all committed evil, and in doing that we have fallen short of God’s glory. We are unworthy of life. But when Jesus came to earth, He died on the Cross even though He did not deserve it. When He did this, He paid the price we owe in our evilness. He took on our sin, and in exchange He gives us His righteousness.

If we repent of all of those evil ways and believe that He is the Son of God, He will give us life. Accept His sacrifice and ask for His forgiveness. Turn away from evil and to the only one who is worthy.

Proverbs 2:13: I’m not a bad person!

[God will deliver you from those] “who forsake the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness,”
-Proverbs 2:13

I love the way this section is written.

Solomon has been talking about how God will deliver us from evil, and so now he’s going to give us several verses that tell us about the people He’s going to rescue us from.

It’s great because we’re all expecting him to talk about the murderers and rapists and people who talk in the theater, but that’s not where he starts. In fact, he starts with someone who may not be doing much wrong at all. He starts with us.

So often we want to look at the Bible and say, “I don’t really need to worry about this, because I’m not a bad person.” “Not a bad person” is the standard of so many people. When Jesus tells us to love, so many will respond, “Well, I don’t hate anyone, so that’s good enough.” When Jesus tells us to give, so many will respond, “Well, I don’t steal anything, so that’s good enough.” We aren’t bad, but we certainly aren’t good either.

Jesus tells us about the Day of Judgment, and it’s interesting what He says to the people who are to be cast out:

Then he will say to those on his left, “Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.”
-Matthew 25:41-43

I find that interesting, because He doesn’t say, “Depart from me, for you murdered people and talked in the theater.” No, the standard is not “I’m not a bad person,” it’s, “I’m a good person.”

The standard for Heaven is love: pure, undefiled, not seeking of its own gain, never failing, never faltering. That’s the standard.

We’re not good people, my friends. We have forsaken the paths of righteousness for the paths of darkness. We are this person in this verse. Maybe we’re not too bad compared to other people, but against God’s standard, we don’t make it.

We need His forgiveness. And that is why Jesus came to earth and died. See, we deserve to be cast out like those people in the passage above. But Jesus, who loved us even when we did not love Him, died upon the Cross to take our place in death. Then He rose again and returned to Heaven to make a place for us in eternal life.

If we repent of our failures to reach God’s standard and believe in Jesus, we will be saved. God will rescue us from this fate.

Proverbs 2:12: Those people always act frowardly!

“delivering you from the way of evil, from men of perverted speech,”
-Proverbs 2:12

In my research of this verse, I also read the King James Version, which reads, “To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things.”

And let me add that it will be a small miracle if I can catch my spellchecker as it changes every mention of “froward” and changes it for “forward.”

Like my spellchecker, I thought for sure the online version of the KJV misspelled something there. But no; according to dictionary.com, “froward” means “willfully contrary,” amongst other things.

Either translation will due, but both together tells us something. Solomon is speaking of men who speak evil, and they are doing so willfully, or on purpose.

The wisdom and discretion that the Spirit gives us will move us not only away from evil action (the “way of evil”), but also evil speech.

That’s a profound statement. I would say that most people think they are good people, but if you sit next to them at work or at dinner, you will hear all sorts of gossip, of glee at the misfortune of others, and so forth.

You ask someone if he is a good person, and immediately he will think about those people who murder or rape or steal. We judge ourselves against the worst this world has to offer, and we decide we’re pretty good.

Except, how many times is our speech froward? How many times is the way we talk to others just wrong? How much of our lives is spent on lust, greed, selfishness, and hatred?

Paul tells us that we are all slaves. In essence, we have enslaved ourselves to something, whatever it is we obey without fail. “You are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness” (Romans 6:16). That’s what this verse is talking about. The Spirit frees us from that slavery to sin and brings us in line with righteousness, in action and speech.

The truth is this. Whether I have actually killed someone is beside the point, I was still a sinner. In speech, thought, and action I betrayed God and others. I lusted, hated, and sought my own gain above others. I did not love.

If I compare myself to the worst of this world, I’m okay. But God’s standard is different. If we break any part of His perfect Law, then we are guilty of the entire thing (James 2:10). I am guilty, and I deserve death.

But Jesus was not guilty. He is the Son of God, come to earth as a man to die for me. And you. Even though He is innocent, He still died, and in that death He took my sins upon the Cross and paid their price for me. Then He rose from the dead to give us His Spirit and make a place for us with God for eternity.

And all I have to do is lay those sins upon Him and follow. If you repent from your sins and believe in Him, He will do the same for you. Because He rose from the dead, we can talk with Him today. Ask Him for His Grace.

Proverbs 2:11: Someone to watch over me

“discretion will watch over you, understanding will guard you,”
-Proverbs 2:11

Have you read the poem “Footprints?” It’s a nice little poem that has unfortunately been over produced on wall plaques and cards, though the idea of it is pretty good.

The basic plot is that there’s a guy walking with Jesus though the sand, and at the end of his road he looks back, and at the worst times of his life, he notices that there are only one set of footprints. He’s sort of upset, because these are the times he really needed his Savior. “Jesus,” he says, “where were you in those times?”

“Those are the times I carried you,” Jesus replied.

I think of Jesus a lot like this, as a guide and traveling companion, and that is true. But in this verse I’m struck by something else. You see, the trouble with thinking of Jesus as a mere guide is that sometimes you get too far behind for a guide. I remember one friend of mine who once wanted me to follow him to a certain part of town, but then he sped off, swerving in and out of traffic, and I had no hope to follow. Sometimes a guide can be like that.

But that’s not the full promise of Jesus. Yes, He does promise to be with us, to the end of the age (Matthew 28:20), but he also promises to send His Spirit (Acts 1:8). His Spirit is a guide, but He is a guide within us.

The promises God makes in this section of Proverbs is to change us from within, to guard us from within, to better us from within.

In this case, our new understanding will protect us. This understanding of God and His creation will first protect us by steering us away from sin in the first place, but it will also protect us from fear and worry, for we will know God, and we will trust in His plan. It will guide us against false teachers, and lead us in telling others the truth.

We will also have discretion to speak, think, and act wisely. How much trouble I would have avoided, even in the last week, had I only held my tongue instead of speaking or said something differently than I did!

The Hebrew word here is interesting, because it can also be translated “purpose.” I think the end result is the same. Someone with discretion will avoid distractions and traps, but so would someone with purpose. But I think the fullness of this word adds something to the verse. He gives us purpose. That is something I have found lacking in so many.

We do not get these things by being good or earning them. We cannot. We have all fallen short of God’s glory. In every moment of greed, selfishness, undue anger, and lust we fall short. That’s not the way we receive God’s Spirit.

We receive it through Jesus.

Only He has proven worthy of the glory of God, and yet He sacrificed Himself for us. He died upon the Cross to take the punishment for our sin. We need only accept that sacrifice through repentance and asking for forgiveness.

It is a free gift, made out of love, and with it comes discretion, understanding, purpose, and life.

Proverbs 2:10: The Walter Peck in us all

“for wisdom will come into your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul;”
-Proverbs 2:10

I was listening to a sermon this morning which was about, in part, how the new birth changes us. How we were once dead, and now live. How we can now see where once there was darkness.

And then the pastor said something very interesting to me, because it is something I’ve had to deal with when it comes to this blog. He said that if we use these sorts of phrases to people on the street (like, “We are all dead unless we have Jesus”), they will think we are mad.

I’ve had to think about that a lot in this blog, because Proverbs says things that are sometimes offensive to people who do not believe. Such as when it says that God is the source of wisdom and you can only get it from Him.

I am reminded of Walter Peck. Do you remember this character from Ghostbusters? He was from the EPA, and he was so determined to expose the Ghostbusters as frauds that he ends up releasing all the ghosts and causing terrible destruction.

We find this sort of person in life a lot (especially in customer service departments of major corporations). They aren’t necessary bad people, but they just don’t see the whole picture. Sometimes we are like that too. We find ourselves arguing a small point only, later, to realize that the issue was a much greater one.

I have to admit, if I had been a character in the movie Ghostbusters, I probably would have thought the whole thing was a scam.

When we encounter Christ in a real, there is an understanding of things that seemed so unimportant before. For me, I suddenly realized how my whole life had been leading toward Him, and I had an understanding of how He had been guiding me the whole time.

It was a very pleasant feeling, seeing all of this for the first time, even though I had lived it for more than twenty years.

When we speak of wisdom, we are speaking to the knowledge of our true place in this world, the true Power behind it all, and those things that are truly important. These are the things Jesus reveals.

And they can only come from Jesus and no other source. The reason for this is a simple one. Because we have done wrong in lust, greed, selfishness, and hatred, we fail to reach the standard of holiness needed to enter the presence of God. We have doomed ourselves in our thoughts, actions, and words.

Every other major religion in the world tells us to do better and make it up to God. But God is not someone who can be paid off in good works. He asks for holiness. Spiritually, we are dead in sin.

Jesus came to earth and lived a perfect life. Because He did that, He was able to take on our sin when He died on the Cross. He took our sins, and we can therefore take on His righteousness.

But this can only happen if we believe. Like Walter Peck, a lack of belief will only lead to disaster for us. It is only through faith that we find life. Repent of those years you tried to make it on your own and follow Him. You will find your eyes opened, and you will see as though for the first time. It will be pleasant to your soul.

Proverbs 2:9: Believing and understanding in the proper order

“Then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity, every good path;”
-Proverbs 2:9

What wonderful goals these are. When I read this verse this morning, I think that’s what struck me first. What if we all lived like this.

So many organizations have sought these goals. So many people have made this their mission. Let’s take a look at these ideas.

Righteousness. Righteousness speaks of how we act in all situations. To understand this is to never say, “What should I do?” for the right way is ever before you.

Justice. To know justice is to know what people require and what they deserve. To act justly is to act fairly, to carefully weigh the actions and motives or others and to respond well.

Equity. To be equitable is to be evenhanded of all people. Race, creed, or position holds no sway over you. You favor no one because of that person’s power, beliefs, appearance, or anything.

Understanding. Let me go backward in the verse, for the gift of God here is the understanding of all these things. They are not merely lofty goals, but things that can be achieved.

Then. Let’s go back again, this time to the very beginning of the verse, because it tells us how to achieve these things. “Then” tells us that this verse is a reaction to the ones before it. And if we go back even farther, we learn how we get these things.

Is it by discipline? By going to conferences? Through diversity training? Do we have to study for a year? Go on missions to understand the plight of the third world? Deprive ourselves of chocolate? Tell me!

No. We have to believe.

You see, the whole first part of this chapter is about seeking the Lord, and the Lord will give us what we seek.

Too often do we seek righteousness, justice, and equity to understand God. We join these organizations, give time and money, hold rallies, study philosophy, and all to get a glimpse of the eternal. We have it backward. What the Bible tells us is to “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).

Saint Anselm of Canterbury said it wonderfully: “Nor do I seek to understand that I may believe, but I believe that I may understand. For this, too, I believe, that, unless I first believe, I shall not understand.”

We seek to know God by chasing His attributes. No, let us seek God first, and He will show us His attributes as part of His nature.

To show us more of Himself, God came down to earth in the form of a man, Jesus. Jesus came to bridge the gap between us and God, so that we would not have to seek Him merely by chasing after righteousness and justice (which cannot really be understood fully without God), but by knowing Him, and in knowing Him, understanding.

Our sin requires punishment, and in His death on the Cross, Jesus paid our price, so now there is no excuse for us not to come. No sin in our lives is too great for His loving sacrifice. He calls with open arms, ready to bring us His own righteousness, His own justice, His own equity, and His own understanding. Most importantly, His eternal life. Repent of your old ways and ask for His forgiveness and Spirit, that you may understand. It will not work to seek understanding so that you may believe. You have to believe first, “then . . .”

Proverbs 2:8: Dad is coming!

“guarding the paths of justice and watching over the way of his saints”
-Proverbs 2:8

“Just wait until your father gets home!”

I’ve heard that threat in a lot of stories from a lot of people. I think for my generation and the generations before, there were multiple levels of punishment when you did something wrong. The first punishment would come from whomever was around at the time, whether it be your mother, a teacher, or someone at church. But then . . . dad would come home.

That threat was not an empty one. Usually, that first punishment would be bad enough, but then dad would come home, and he would hear the story for the first time, and he’d be angry. Usually, you’ve forgotten all about it. You’re probably in the back, playing with your toys, having a wonderful time, and then his car would pull up in the driveway, and you’d remember.

I’ve honestly struggled a lot with the idea of justice over the years. It is such a frustrating topic. We hear about violent criminals getting out on technicalities. Where is the justice? We hear about a rich boss who treats his employees terribly, and yet has great wealth. Where is the justice? Closer to home, I bet we’ve all seen someone recognized and awarded at work for something he didn’t do. It seems like everyone in the office knows he didn’t do it except the boss sometimes. Where is the justice?

Then there are the women who are raped. The family members of a young man who was murdered. The man who works so much to provide for his family that he hurts himself and becomes disabled. Where is the justice?

To many, the promise that God guards the paths of righteousness is an empty one. The world does not seem like a just place.

In Matthew 13:24-30, Jesus tells a story of a landowner who plants a bunch of wheat, but then an enemy comes in and plants weeds amongst the wheat. Well, if you tear up all the weeds right then, you’re going to pull up wheat too, so the landowner decides to let them both grow until the harvest, when he can safely separate them. In the meantime, all we can see is a bunch of weeds, and yet the landowner has things under control. God is like that.

And somehow, all of this makes sense. I don’t fully understand it, so I’m not going to be able to explain it. But God makes us an amazing promise in Romans 8:28 (NASB): “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”

For now, rain falls on the just and the unjust alike. But God is in control, and He will make it right.

Do you believe that? Maybe this story will help. Because we had all fallen into sin, God came down to earth in the form of a man, Jesus. Jesus was sinless, the only man who ever lived that was sinless. And yet He died one of the most painful deaths imaginable. As the only sinless man ever, He was therefore the only man ever who did not deserve to die, and yet He did. It was the worst crime this planet has ever seen.

But He rose from the dead, and He ascended into Heaven, and when He returns it will be as a conquering King, come to take His rightful place upon the throne.

He will find justice, though he was wronged beyond comprehension. But His sacrifice also paid the price for our sin. Justice demands that sinners pay with blood, but He paid with His own Blood. Repent of your sin and trust Him for justice. In the end, we will be satisfied completely and without regret.

He is watching, moving all things, and watching over His people here. For those who don’t repent, He will come as the father comes home to a disobedient child: with punishment. But for the faithful, He watches over us like a good father will watch over his child.

I still struggle with the idea of justice in the world, but I find great comfort in that fact that He has a better handle on it than me. I can let Him take care of it.

Proverbs 2:8: Saint Paul Lytle the Handsome

“guarding the paths of justice and watching over the way of his saints.”
-Proverbs 2:8

Is there a patron saint of blogs? Sadly, I would be half surprised if there were not. I was going through some of the Roman Catholic Saints once because I needed one for a book I was writing. The book was set in medieval times, and I needed a saint’s name to use as a location. There were so many I eventually had to find a list of strictly medieval saints just to get a handle on things.

But actually, that list is remarkably short, since there have been countless saints that have not been acknowledged by the Roman Church.

Like me, for one.

Seriously. I think I may start writing not as “Paul Lytle,” but as “Saint Paul Lytle.” Maybe I could put a cool title on the end too to distinguish me. “Saint Paul Lytle the Younger.” “Saint Paul Lytle the Proverbs-Guy.”

When we start talking about saints, we sometimes run into trouble. I love tradition, but this is one of those times when tradition has really messed it up. So when I saw that this verse was talking about the saints, I knew I needed to clarify some stuff right away.

A saint is not someone who was a great person, who died and was “inducted” by a church, and then who did some miracles like appear in a loaf of bread. No, that’s not what the Bible says a saint is. A saint is a Christian.

Take a look, for example, at Jude 1:3: “Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.”

Hebrews 13:24: “Greet all your leaders and all the saints. Those who come from Italy send you greetings.”

You’ll notice, for one, that the saints aren’t dead. Huh. You’ll also notice that all Christians seem to be lumped into that category. I cannot go into every mention of the word saint in the Bible, but do a search. You’ll find that the word “saint” means “Christian.”

But wait, you are saying. Isn’t a saint someone who’s really holy? Who’s blameless? Who’s got a direct line to God?

Yes. Those are Christians.

The Greek word for saint is hagios. It means pretty much that. Someone who is pure, holy, blameless. The Hebrew word means pretty much the same thing.

That’s us.

You see, everyone has sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Everyone has. Our pride, selfishness, lust, and ambition have separated us from the perfect holiness of God. In this way, there is no one we can call a saint.

But then Jesus came. He is the Son of God, and He came as a man to guide us. He died on the Cross, and in that death He took on our sins and paid the price we should have paid.

And in so doing, He has given us His righteousness. “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). Because He took our sins, we are now blameless before God. We are saints. And as saints, we have eternal life.

Do you believe that? If you have not repented of your sins to God and ask His forgiveness, I ask you to do so. Ask Him to take Jesus’ sacrifice for your sins. Repent and follow Him.

Think of baptism as the canonization process.

Proverbs 2:7: Finding the right path by just walking it

“he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity,”
-Proverbs 2:7

I had a coworker once who was somewhat of a party girl. She knew I was a Christian, and occasionally we would talk about Christ and such (though regrettably I did not speak to her much about these sorts of things). I remember distinctly during one of these conversations she told me something I had heard several times before from different people: “I’ll probably seek God when I’m older. Right now I just want to have fun.”

What struck me as odd about this statement was that this particular woman was miserable most of the time. She was just constantly in the bad mood. She may have made fun of me for NOT getting drunk all the time, but I was joyful, stable, and confident in my future, and she most certainly was not. I’m not really sure what “fun” she was holding out for, but I don’t think she was finding it.

She was not a Christian, of course, but I’ve seen this sort of thing in Christians as well, even in my own life.

When I first came to Christ, I accepted Him, but didn’t really do much about it. Not much in my life changed at first, and I really wasn’t doing much better in my life. But as I began to follow Him more, I noticed that the peace in my life increased.

I still sin. Probably a lot. And yet from His Word and His Spirit I have gained so much understanding a peace. I do not have to worry about all the little things of life, because I know my God will take care of me. I do not have to worry about decisions how to act, because I know which way is right. The more I obey, the more I find that this way is the only good path.

And the more I feel protected. Some of those sins that used to tempt me so terribly are all but gone from my life. Some remain, it is true, and yet even they are fading. The opinions and tauntings of others do not affect me nearly as much. Even other problems are taken care of. I know I do not have to worry about food or money, because He will provide. I still have a work, of course, and I am not rich, yet He makes sure I have enough. The more I obey, the more I realize that only He matters, and He will take care of me.

But the greatest provision from God is His Son. You see, I am not always upright, and I don’t always walk with integrity. I sin sometimes, and so I really have no claim on wisdom, peace, provision, or even life. I have lost that right. But in His death, Jesus took the penalty for sin that we should have paid. And therefore, when I repent, I have claim on His righteousness.

With righteousness, I have access to wisdom, peace, provision, and even eternal life. I can walk in the ways of Jesus because He took my place.

Repent of your sins and ask His forgiveness. It is only this way that we can have a relationship with God. There is no other way, because we have all sinned and fallen short of His Glory. Only through the Blood of Christ can we find life.

If you are already a Christian, please take a moment to pray for that party girl I mentioned. I have not seen her in years, but while she is on our minds, I ask you to pray for her.

Proverbs 2:6: Back to the source material

For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;
-Proverbs 2:6

We do a funny thing in schools sometimes. We will, in these cases, study books about a writer rather than just reading the works of the writer. This is especially true with Classical philosophers and older works. We read the summary, the criticism, or the explanations without ever reading the source.

Personally, I have found Plato much easier to understand than all the books ABOUT Plato’s philosophy.

It’s not that the books about Plato are bad. Quite the contrary. Some are very good. But they are not substitute for the original.

We cannot say we are a fan of Stephen King when we have only seen the movie versions of his books. That’s not Stephen King; that’s an adaption by someone else. We cannot say that we loved GREAT EXPECTATIONS when we only read the Cliff’s Notes. We did not read the novel! We cannot say that we are a Platonic scholar when we have only read a journal article about the Allegory of the Cave.

That should seem obvious, and yet it is not when we approach God.

See, we have tried every way on earth to understand all of this, to become wise. We have philosophized on the meaning of life, the universe, and everything. We have studied nature and her laws, seeking to find her source and beginning. We have taken apart the body and wondered what makes us tick.

And God tells us, “I AM the meaning of it all. I AM the source and beginning. I AM the One who makes you tick.”

It’s not that these things are bad. They aren’t. It’s just like reading the critical essay on Plato rather than reading Plato. The essay can help you understand better, but it’s not a substitute. Science and philosophy can help us understand better, but they are not substitutes for the truth.

God explained Himself in His Word. And here’s the cool thing. Then He came to earth in the form of the man, Jesus, to teach us even more. Consider if you were reading Plato, and you have these critics trying to explain it to you, and then Plato shows up and says, “Look, you have it wrong. Let me help you.” You’d let him, right? Especially if there were a test on Friday!

Jesus came to help us. We, being imperfect and flawed, are unworthy of the Glory of God. But Jesus came to take our rightful punishment on the Cross and give us His righteousness. It’s like the test about God is on Friday (and you have to get a perfect score), and Jesus, who is God, told you, “I okayed it with the professor. I’m going to take the test for you.”

Let Him.

How do you let Him? Repent of your worldly ways. Repent to God and ask for His forgiveness. Then follow Christ. Read the Bible and let it change you.

Do you have to give up science, philosophy, or anything of that nature? No. But now you’ll come at it with a wisdom and understanding of the truth behind everything. Wisdom comes from Him, because He is the only one who has seen it all. And not only that, He created it all as well.

Proverbs 2:5: Mocking the giants

“then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.”
-Proverbs 2:5

Let’s be honest here. I don’t think here’s ever been an age so full of its own understanding as this one is. I enjoy history, and I’ve found that, throughout those many ages, people have had a respect for what came before.

Not this one.

We think people of the past were backwards, stupid, and oblivious to everything that was going on around them. We even make up lies about the past, such as that the medieval man hated science, or that everyone before Columbus thought the earth was flat. (This is utter hogwash; the early Romans accurately measured the size of the earth, something that even Columbus failed to do more than a thousand years later. That the earth was round was commonly known long before Christ.)

We mocked the sciences of older times, even though our understanding is merely built upon theirs. Our time is like the dwarf on the shoulder of the giant, but the strange thing about our time is that we mock the giant because he doesn’t see as far.

And woe to he who dares to question modern science! The documentary Expelled interviews some people who did just that, and many of them lost their jobs. Take a look at the online discussions where someone questions (with scientific data) the validity of evolution. The responses will astound you. The message is clear: do not question what you are told. This is the truth.

Which is exactly what those older times thought about their science, though they at least had the humility to consider that they did not know everything.

Last time, we looked at the first half of verse 5. The second half speaks of finding “the knowledge of God.”

Our age is a dwarf atop a giant. Well, the next age will climb atop our shoulders and see farther still. Hopefully, they won’t make fun of us too much, but we deserve it. Here’s the thing. God’s still settled miles above us. Our new Tower of Babel of science will never reach Him, no matter how much we try to convince ourselves otherwise. He founded this box we are in, formed its every corner. And He did it through wisdom:

The LORD by wisdom founded the earth;
by understanding he established the heavens;
by his knowledge the deeps broke open,
and the clouds drop down the dew.
-Proverbs 3:19-20

Now we are within the box, trying to look out, but only He can see that far. We think we can see it all, but we cannot.

The knowledge of God is an understanding of the truth in all things. Why does the plant grow? Well, we can have a long discussion about the science of that, and it will be true. But the deeper truth is this: God caused it to. The science is not wrong, it’s just incomplete.

That knowledge goes deeper and better still, because it strikes right into the heart of grace and love. With His help, we can understand how far we have strayed from His truth. We will see how much we have sinned and fallen short of His glory. We will see that we do not deserve life.

But we will also understand the depth of love God has for us, that He sent His Son to come, to guide us, and to die for us. In that death, He has taken the punishment we deserve for our sins. But He also rose again, that we may have life after death.

This is love as you have never known, and it can be yours by only turning from your old ways, repenting to Him, and following. Then you will understand something deeper again, that He can restore you and make you new, that He will move you in ways you have never known possible. You will trust in Him, because you know His understanding surpasses all.