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Last Sunday January 8, 2012 I preached two messages dealing with The Creation and Corruption of Music.  In the evening service I outlined the following themes that are prominent in secular music, but for the sake of time and discretion I elected not to share specifically examples.  However in order to adequately cover the material, I have included them here.  

As I have spent the last 35 years evaluating this phenomenon since I became a Christian, I have found 5 major themes in most secular music. Those themes are:

1. Illicit sex and sexual perversion

2. Drug abuse (including alcohol)

3. Rebellion against authority

4. Violence (including the glorification of death, murder and suicide)

5. Anti-Christian, pro Satanistic philosophies
 
Let me illustrate these five themes. I need to warn you that some of the things you are about to read are somewhat graphic.

I. ILLICIT SEX.

Now when I first started teaching this material I used the music of the sixties and seventies as illustrations. Then of course as time marched on I used the music of each succeeding decade. And what I became obvious through those years was that the music evolves in style and there are new songs and new lyrics, but really the content doesn’t change except as I mentioned, it gets worse. So in the last 7 or 8 years I haven’t updated my illustrations, because it is unnecessary. I hope you won’t use that as an excuse to disregard the truths that I present.

Over the last several years Britney Spears has become the poster child for the dysfunctional pop idol. You probably don’t need me to tell you about the series of crisis situations that her lifestyle has caused her and her family. And today her music and videos are lascivious, lewd and obscene. But even early in her career, as pop sensation, while she professed to be a virgin, with millions of pre-teen, teen, and adult fans, the lyrics to her songs were far from innocent. But what message are Britney and the music industry sending them. Here's an example of the lyrics in her 1999 song "Soda Pop" from her album titled “Baby One More Time.”

"...we might start riding to the music tonight... a wicked time to the end... we'll flex tonight until they break down the door. I bet you we can pop like we've never popped it before. It's cool Britney when we get down on the floor... and we go on and on until the break of dawn".

Backstreet Boys, song Get Down. "If you want it to be good girl, get yourself a bad boy. There's a thing your mamma shouldn't know. There's a thing I really what to show you".

How about Garth Brooks The song "That Ol Wind, implies that intimate relations between strangers can produce genuine love. On the number one country hit She's Every Woman, Garth explained that he has had numerous lovers and fantasized about others.

Billy Ray Cyrus, song "Words by Heart”, recalls adolescent sex (that night on my bed).

Alan Jackson has recollections of a drunken romp with a "naked woman" in the song "Must've had a Ball".

The group KORN rattles off obscenities one after another. Of one of it's albums, Jonathan Davis, of the band said, "I just wanted something violent and full of cuss words". By the way much of contemporary Rock n Roll, is little more than audio pornography, with lyrics and content that I wouldn't dare speak.

Masturbation and sex with strangers is advocated on the KORN song "A.D.I.D.A.S", which stands for All Day I Dream About Sex.

Reba McEntire The song “The heart is a Lonely Hunter” implies that adultery is wrong but casual sex between single adults who meet in a bar is okay.

Spice Girls Sexual propositions and innuendo drive the vast majority of their tracks. Like: "Wanna make love to you baby...Get it on, get it on...If you wanna be my lover... and, slam you body down and wind it all around."

George Strait In "One night at a Time", an uncommitted couple shares "love all night", in a series of rendezvous.

Shania Twain suggests that hanging out in bars and giving in sexually to a sincere man are okay.

II. DRUGS

Drugs and secular music are inseparable. Where there is one, eventually and inevitably there will be the other. As long as there has been country music, it has glorified booze. The rock culture began in the sixties to promoted drugs. Here are some more recent examples.

While the Beastie Boys song “Get it together”, puts down the use of crack, their album "Ill Communication", pleads for the legalization of Marijuana.

Brooks and Dunn, a country duo, typically have lyrics in which whiskey flows liberally. Their song "Redneck Rhythm and Blues", lives for the work whistle and a trip to the local "waterin hole." If love goes bad they recommend beer and booze to ease the pain in songs like "More than a Margarita", "One Heartache at a Time", and "Tequila Town".

From Vince Gill's, (who professes to be a Christian), "When Love Find's You" Album. The song, "What Cowgirls Do", includes partying where they "chugalug long necks till the money's all gone".

John Michael Montgomery's song "Friday at Five, talks about partying "with a girl on my arm and a beer in my hand."

Smash Mouth a band based in San Jose California advocates the use of marijuana. Their song "Heave Ho" glamorizes pot smoking and alcohol.

Geroge Strait sings of a married man prone to drinking with the boys and "flirting with every woman in town. And alcohol pours freely on his, "I met a friend of yours today".

Goo Goo Dolls, a band out of Buffalo New York. Alcohol is equated with fun times in their song "Eyes Wide Open".

Green Day applauds cocaine and amphetamine use in the song "Geek Stink Death". "Tight Wad Hill" is the story of a thrill seeking drug addict.

311 glorifies pot smoking and hallucinogenic drug trips.

Usher, the Album "My Way", the song "Just like me" advocates the use of cocaine among other things.

Weezer, the song "Undone" opens with beer and blasphemy.

Revelation 21:8 tells us that one of the seven great sins of the last days will be what the KJV calls, "Sorcery". The NIV says, "those who practice magical arts". But the Greek is one Word "pharmakos". It is the word from which we get our English word Pharmacy and it literally means (enchantment with drugs). Today we would say "drug abuse". Satan uses drugs, including alcohol, mingled with music to undermine moral values.

John Lennon of the Beatles was a heroine addict.

David Bowie, who was a 70's rock icon, told Rolling stone magazine, "I was junked out of my mind most of the time.

III. REBELLION AGAINST AUTHORITY

Rebellion is the spirit of our age. And from the pelvic gyration of Elvis and the long hair of the Beatles, to the Outlaw music of Willie Nelson, music has done its part to foster this philosophy.

Bands with names like "Above The Law" give an indication of what their music is about.

Dave Matthews band, Album "Before these Crowded Streets", Song, "Don't Drink the Water", includes lyrics like these. "I live with my hatred, I live with my jealousy... I don't need anybody but me."

Pearl Jam tells their listeners, "I'll do what I want but irresponsibly".
The Spice Girls cut, "Do It" tells young girls to "make your own rules to live by", which includes defying parents and having sex.

By the way, God has an opinion of rebellion too. "Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft", I Sam. 15:23. Witchcraft was one of the sins in the Old Testament for which the death penalty was required. Ex. 22:18 " Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live."

IV. VIOLENCE, including bar room brawls, crime, murder, suicide.

Part of this is an extension of the aforementioned rebellion and much of it is because of the fragmented post‑modern culture. Hopelessness and uselessness of life is portrayed in much of this music.

On a quiet Louisiana night in early May 1996 at 2:30 in the morning, while the rest of his family lay sleeping, 16 year old Clay Logan stood in his bedroom listening to "The End" a song by the rock band The Doors. He waited for his lyrical cue from the lead singer Jim Morrison. Then to wake his sleeping family, Logan cranked up the volume. The lyrics said, "The killer awoke before dawn" the stereo blared. "He put his boots on and came to a door and he looked inside." James and Connie, rose slowly, wiping the sleep from their eyes. The music continued, "Father"? "Yes, son"? "I want to kill you. Mother I want to kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill... At that point James and Connie were fully awake. They started down the hall to find out what was going on. That's where Clay met them, brandishing a handgun. He fired several times, killing his mother and wounding his father.

Lyrics by the death‑metal band Slayer were connected to the rape, torture, and satanic sacrifice of a 15-year‑old girl

"Hate is what I feel for you/I want you to know that I want you dead". Those lyrics from Silverchair's Frogstomp album have been put on trial along with two teens, accused of murdering one of the boy's parents and five year old brother.

A police officer responding to a call for assistance was murdered by two teens who claimed to be taking cues from rapper Tupac Shakur’s album 2Pacalypse Now. They simply wanted to kill a police officer for amusement.

Listen to some statements from some interviews with modern music makers.

Popular folk rocker Tori Amos said in Rolling Stone magazine, "Our generation loves our pain, and if you dare _____ing take it away from us, we're going to kill you. We like our pain."

Rob Zombie lead singer with the heavy metal band White Zombie told USA Today, "I remember looking at the outline or dead bodies and pictures of Charles Manson in my mom's copy of Helter Skelter, and I thought it was the greatest thing I'd ever seen..."

The song "Amnesia", by the British band Chumbawamba describes the dismantling of a human head. And "Outsider" portrays life as miserable, bleak and pointless.

Ice Cube threatens shootings bombings and other forms of violence against designated targets such as the LA police chief. His music also approves of looting and is riddled with the basest profanity.

LL Cool J threatens censors with grisly violence. "I'll wake you up with an axe...I'll leave your bullet riddled body on the curb".

Rage Against the Machine's song "Down Rodeo” encourages the have-nots of society to lash out violently against the haves.

Alan Jackson's single all "American Country Boy" glorifies irresponsible living and "rowdiness". In "Hole in the wall" he vents frustration by damaging property.

Joe Diffie, a country singer from Oklahoma, sings of a lovesick man beating up another of the girl’s suitors in his song "Junior's in Love".


V. Anti-Christian and Occultic Philosophies

John Denver, said, "Rock has a greater influence than Christianity".

John Lennon, said, "Christianity will go. "We're more popular than Jesus".

Did you ever ask yourself why some of these people don't pick on Buddha, or Allah, or Krishna? The reason is because Satan is already in charge of false gods and counterfeit religions. And it's always been the goal of the devil to destroy the cause of Christ.

Mick Jagger, lead singer of the Rolling Stones said that the goal of the music industry has always been to control the minds of their listeners. It's interesting that the Bible says in II Cor. 4:4 "The god of this age (small g, speaking of Satan) has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God." And one of the ways he is doing it is through music.

Folk rocker Sara McLachlan said, in a 1998 interview, "I think the Devil has gotten a bad rap. The Devil is the fallen angel, the one who was willing to embrace his dark side, whereas all the other angels were in total denial. The Devil is more like us - we're all the Devil and we're all God".

The music of Beastie Boys promotes reincarnation and other Buddhist teachings.

Sheryl Crow's song "Maybe Angels" speaks of Christians who she addresses disrespectfully and says they "don't know nothin' bout saving me".

New Age contemporary artist Enya wonders if the "stars sign the life that is to be mine". a reference to astrological predestination. The song, "China Roses" speaks of being lead by the moon.

Other songs and albums produced over the last 40 years include: Hells Bells, Speak of the devil. Black Magic Woman, Goat's Head Soup, Satanic Majesty's Request, Sympathy for the devil, Dancing with Mr. D., Running with the devil, Black Sabbath, Highway to Hell, FrankenChrist.

These are just “a drop in the bucket”.  There are thousands more examples in the popular music of the last 50 years and many that are far worse than those mentioned.

The third step in learning to study the Bible is: APPLICATION, that is what does the Scripture mean to me?

Why do we study the Bible? The Goal of Bible study is not to do something to the Bible but for the Bible to do something to us.

Most Christians are like Photographs - overexposed or underdeveloped. The question we need to answer is not whether we've been through the Bible but whether the Bible has been through us. Bible study is never complete without application. Why? Well -

What happens when we fail to apply? Or better how do we read or hear the truth and fail to apply it?

1 We substitute interpretation for application. Bible study provides us the opportunity for self-evaluation. But it's possible for us to become like people you read about from time to time, perhaps on the streets of a big city who watch someone being robbed and killed and do nothing about it. They know what to do but don't. We do the same thing spiritually. We read the Bible or hear it preached or taught and know what it says and means, but stand by and don't obey. And we basically ignore application. Many people do this. We become satisfied to know what it says and what it means but never get any further. Why? Well for one thing application requires action and specifically it requires change.

2. We apply truth in areas we are already practicing. Example? If I preach on honesty, someone might say, "Oh yes I'm honest in this area or that area", but they don't allow it to penetrate into the areas where they're not honest. (You make the application there.)

3. If he does think of an area where he is not honest (or whatever the principle is) he rationalizes it and remains the same. Example? I knew a preacher who broke wild game laws on his land. His rationalization was that it was his land and he paid taxes on it and so the wild life belonged to him.

4. We substitute and emotional experience for a volitional decision. Example? The pastor preaches on witnessing and draws a vivid picture of people going to hell and so you cry or feel bad or guilty. But after the message is over you feel better so you don't obey. Being convicted by the truth and being changed by the truth are not the same.

Hindrances to Application: What makes application difficult.
1. Differences of opinion among Christians about what is right or wrong. Rom. 14:4-5. "Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind." (Grey Areas) Examples - Celebrating Christmas, Alcoholic Beverages, Worship - Sabbath or the Lord's Day. Some things are not simple. Most Christians can't handle that. They want a list of what is right and what is wrong...

2. Paradoxical Statements. (Seemingly contradictory statements that may never-the-less be true) Eph 5:21-22
(21) Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
(22) Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord.

Liberals use this all the time say that the Bible doesn't teach the submission of the wife in the Home.

But there is no contradiction. The whole passage is talking about Christ's relationship to the Church. The context is the church. Look at verses 19-20 "Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." Look at verses 23-24 "For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything."

In the home as in the church there is to be an attitude of mutual submission. But when it comes to the final authority the husband is to be the head of the home as Christ is the head of the Church. The emphasis is on Christ's relationship with the Church. The truth spoken about the husband wife relationship = while it is truth is not the major consideration.

So what about application? Are husbands and wives to submit, yield to one another? Yes. Is the wife to yield to the husband as the head of the home? Yes. There is no contradiction.

3. Pressures from Culture. I Thess. 4:3 "It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality;" Culture can influence application. Example - Today many people define monogamy as having sex with one person at a time for a given period of Time.

We must not even allow our application to be influenced by the pattern of the Christian community - ONLY BY CHRIST. The Bible says that homosexuality is an abomination yet today if you even as a Christian oppose homosexuality you are in the minority.

4. Prejudice and Biblical Truth come into conflict. The Bible says that I have to forgive any offense as many times as I'm asked...

James says that any respect of persons is sin so what happens to application when a church rejects people based on race, length of hair, dress?

Five Steps to Application.

1. Know the Interpretation. Wrong interpretation leads to wrong application. I Tim. 3:2 "A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;" From the Greek (aner mia gune) Literally (One Woman Man.) This is talking about a man who has a present tense commitment to one woman to which he is currently married. It doesn't mean a man who has been divorced. It doesn't mean a man who has had more than one wife. It doesn't mean a man who is unmarried.

Now if you don't have the right interpretation, you will have the wrong application.

2. Know the application situation. Know yourself, when you can study most effectively and not get drowsy. Know when you think most clearly - (Late at night - First thing in the morning).

3. Look for the application in the form of a principle. Matt. 8:5-10, 13. "When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. "Lord," he said, "my servant lies at home paralyzed and in terrible suffering." Jesus said to him, "I will go and heal him." The centurion replied, "Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and that one, 'Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it." When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him, "I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. Then Jesus said to the centurion, "Go! It will be done just as you believed it would." And his servant was healed at that very hour."

There is a principle of spiritual authority here. That is that you can't be over unless you are willing to be under. The centurian only had authority because he was under authority. All authority is like that. The reason many wives have not authority over their children is because they are in rebellion toward their husbands authority.

Some Properties of a Principle:
A. It should be contemporary. How does it apply to day. Application in the first century is interpretation.
B. It must not contradict another passage. God will never tell you to do in one place what he forbids in another.
C. It must be specific enough for a course of action. Remember, you have not applied until you have practiced.

4. Brainstorm in Relationships.
A. Probe a passage with questions. How would this relate to my home? cf. Principle of spiritual authority. How would it relate to my job... And make it personal - not how could my wife or husband apply this.
B. Let your mind run free. Think of as many ways to apply the passage as you can. We limit the affect to our lives if we confine the application to the first area that comes to mind.

5. Once you have identified the areas of application, formulate a plan of action. Decide what you are going to do and do it. Don't say, "Well I need to do that - someday". Decide at that moment how and when you are going to apply it or incorporate that truth into your life and then do it.

If you use it, this form of Bible Study - Observation, Interpretation, and Application will change you life.

The Animals Went in Seven by Seven

Gen 7:21‑22 "Every living thing that moved on the earth perished‑‑birds, livestock, wild animals, all the creatures that swarm over the earth, and all mankind. Everything on dry land that had the breath of life in its nostrils died." All land and air creatures were destroyed except for eight humans, seven of every "clean" animal and two of every "unclean" animal. Many people miss this point, but here it is in the Bible.

Gen. 7:2 "Take with you seven of every kind of clean animal, a male and its mate, and two of every kind of unclean animal, a male and its mate". What is the difference between a clean animal and an unclean animal, and why were seven of every clean animal included? You can find a list of clean and unclean animals in Deut. 14:1-20 and Lev. 11.

While the distinction of clean and unclean animals was established and preserved for us in the law, it was obviously known at least since the time of Noah. Mammals had to both chew the cud and have a split hoof to be considered clean. Cows and goats were clean, pigs and horses were not.

These unclean animals were forbidden to Israel primarily for the sake of physical health. Those animals that were called unclean were more likely to carry disease, and provide less nutritional value. Uncooked or half cooked pork would carry many harmful bacteria and parasites. Many of the forbidden animals were scavengers and without adequate preparation, would be unhealthy. However, at the time of the flood, man had not yet been given permission to eat meat. So why were more clean animals carried than unclean?

The first seven chapters of Leviticus outline the offering of various sacrifices commanded by God. Those chapters are very explicit that only clean animals were to be used. The reason Noah was directed to take seven of every clean animal was probably for the offering of sacrifices during the long stay on the ark and/or after they left the ark.

Immediately after Noah and his family emerged from their long stay on the ark, Genesis 8:20 tells us, "Then Noah built an altar to the LORD and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it.” "Clean" animals in the Old Testament, therefore, served not only to provide a healthy diet for Israel, but also to be a perpetual reminder of God's redemptive plan that He introduced in Genesis chapter three. This is also why, after Christ provided that promised redemption by His ultimate sacrifice as the Lamb of God, the restrictions between clean and unclean foods were lifted - Acts 10:9‑15.

The Duration of the Flood

It is reasonable to assume that if asked about the length of the flood, most Christians would reply, "Forty days and forty nights." That is how long the rain continued, not how long the flood lasted. To ascertain that information we need to look at some additional scripture.

Gen 7:11,"In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, on the seventeenth day of the second month‑‑on that day all the springs of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens were opened."

8:13‑14 "By the first day of the first month of Noah's six hundred and first year, the water had dried up from the earth. Noah then removed the covering from the ark and saw that the surface of the ground was dry. By the twenty‑seventh day of the second month the earth was completely dry.”

By comparing these two texts we can see that Noah and his family were in the ark for almost exactly one year. (Dr. C.I. Scofield, in the notes of his New Scofield Reference Bible, puts the time at precisely 365 days.)

The Existence of Cave Men

The material we've covered so far doesn't address this. Where does the knowledge of cave dwellers originate? The answer simply is from artifacts found in caves and pictures drawn on cave walls. Some would have us believe that the existence of cave dwellers somehow contradicts what we have seen in the Bible. That plainly is not true. Although we know that there were cave dwellers, and the artifacts and drawings tell us how these people lived, it doesn't tell us when they lived, or how other people in the world lived at the same time. The assumption is that just because some people lived in caves, everybody did. But that was no truer in ancient times than it is today.

It is also important to understand that these cave dwelling people were not part of early cultures that existed before the flood at all; but were after the flood, and were in fact a result of the fall. The result of the influence of man's sin on the race was a primitive culture. We know that before the flood and shortly after creation man was highly technical. He possessed the knowledge of metal work, musical instruments, and he lived in cities.

Gen. 4:17 "Cain lay with his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Cain was then building a city, and he named it after his son Enoch."

Gen. 4:21‑22. "His brother's name was Jubal; he was the father of all who play the harp and flute. Zillah also had a son, Tubal‑Cain, who forged all kinds of tools out of bronze and iron..."

We've seen that Noah had to have an incredible degree of technical knowledge to build the ark. God just told him how big to build it but he didn't give him detailed instructions. How many people even today could build a watertight ocean liner from scratch, out of wood? After the flood, as sin continued to affect the race, man spiraled downward, and civilization in some places more that others degenerated from God's original design. Therefore, the existence of primitive cultures does not disprove the Bible, or that God doesn't exist. Quite to the contrary, it demonstrates the depravity of man that resulted from the fall and that man's sin has separated him from God, just as the Bible says.

The Existence of Dinosaurs

Did Dinosaurs Really Exist? Of course dinosaurs existed. Why would that question even be posed? It has been asked because in their attempt to defend the Bible some well meaning believers have tried to say that dinosaurs really didn't exist but that God just buried dinosaur bones in the earth to fool man. That, of course, is ridiculous. We know that dinosaurs certainly existed. But a legitimate question is, did dinosaurs exist as contemporaries with man? Secular science says no. Anyone who has ever watched an episode of Jurassic Park knows that it is the consensus of the evolutionary community that dinosaurs became extinct some 65 million years before man came into existence. But there are some very obvious problems with this theory in light of what we have studied. One of those problems is that the world is not 65 million years old. It's not even 65 thousand years old. The earth, as we have demonstrated, is only about 6 to 10 thousand years old.

Another problem is that there is now substantial evidence that man and dinosaurs did indeed live at the same time. Scientists committed to an atheistic view of origins continue to hide or ignore these proofs, but they exist nevertheless. In the Pauluxy river bottom in Glen Rose Texas, Human footprints and Dinosaur tracks have been found together. Some of the dinosaur tracks have human footprints inside them. In 1924 an expedition exploring the Grand Canyon found drawings on cave walls depicting, men, dinosaurs and mastodons together.

The question that must be answered is how did men know what dinosaurs and looked like if they had been extinct for 65 million years? Even dinosaurs and mastodons, according to the evolutionary model, were supposed to be separated by millions of years. Also, these pictures must have been drawn after the flood because the Grand Canyon was most likely a result of the tremendous energy released in the flood.

Dinosaurs and man lived at the same time, and dinosaurs came through the flood on the ark. Genesis 6:19-20 is clear that two of every species of animal were to be taken onto the ark. “You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you. Two of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive.” (There was sufficient room on the ark for full-grown dinosaurs, but it is not necessary to assume that God brought only adult specimens to Noah. It could have been that juvenile animals were brought aboard.)

We also have Biblical evidence for the existence of dinosaurs after the flood. In the book of Job there is a description of something that could only be a dinosaur. Job 40:15-19. "Look at the behemoth, which I made along with you and which feeds on grass like an ox. What strength he has in his loins, what power in the muscles of his belly! His tail sways like a cedar; the sinews of his thighs are close‑knit. His bones are tubes of bronze, his limbs like rods of iron. He ranks first among the works of God, yet his Maker can approach him with his sword." There have been many attempts to explain this as some other creature, such as an elephant or hippopotamus, but no other animal fits this description. No elephant has a tail that "sways like a cedar". (See also Job chapter 41.) The creature described here could very well be a brachiosaurus, a dinosaur which grew to 80 feet in length, stood over 40 feet tall and weighed almost 90 tons. There can be little question that man and dinosaurs lived together both before and after the flood, as little as 4,500 years ago.

The Extinction of Dinosaurs

After the flood, the dinosaurs lived for a time on the earth with man and only subsequently became extinct. The flood had not only destroyed all animal life on the earth but all plant life as well. Before the flood, the earth was covered with plush vegetation, which provided sustenance for man and animals. It would have taken some time for this vegetation to be replenished; and as the conditions of the atmosphere were different after the flood, (the envelope of water that had surrounded the earth no longer existed), there would now be large portions of the earth that were barren and without vegetation. The large dinosaurs that were still herbivores would have required a great deal of foliage to live. It may have taken only a short time for them to consume all of the available food. If the large herbivores died out, the large carnivorous dinosaurs that fed on them would also have become extinct.

Of course there were other changes that would have affected the dinosaurs, such as climatic changes and disease that did not exist in the beginning, but gradually affected life on the planet. Another possibility that will be addressed later is that they may have been hunted to extinction. Whatever the cause, it should not surprise us that dinosaurs became extinct, as hundreds of other animals as well as plants have also disappeared since that time.

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After leaving Egypt, the nation of Israel entered Canaan about B.C. 1460 and was ruled by Judges for roughly 400 years until B.C. 1053 at which point Israel demanded and received a king.For the next 120 year Israel lived under the monarchy of 3 kings, Saul, David, and Solomon, each who reigned for 40 years. This was called the United Kingdom because all of Israel lived under one king.

In B.C. 733 after the death of Solomon the kingdom divided. Rehoboam, Solomon's son rejected the advise of the elders of the land and put a heavy burden of labor and taxes on the people of Israel.In response a portion of the nation rebelled against Rehoboam and ten of the 12 tribes who lived in the northern part of the country separated themselves, pronounced Jeroboam, who had been the head of Solomon's (labor union) as king. This northern kingdom which after this was called Israel set up it's capital in the northern city of Shechem.The Southern kingdom, which came to be called Judah, continued under the leadership of Rehoboam and consisted of he tribes of Judah and Benjamin.

Both of these kingdoms continued for several years each under a succession of kings.Israel, under several dynasties was characterized by a steady downgrade both morally and spiritual.Judah, according to God's divine plan and promise continued through several kings but only one dynasty, that of Judah, and the line of David (which God had promised would remain unbroken, and the line through which the promised messiah would come. Judah was characterized by decline with a 3 or four periods of spiritual revival especially under the reigns of Hezekiah and Josiah.

For centuries Egypt was the dominant world empire but in B.C. 833 Assyria came to power under Ashurnasirpal II.His son Shalmaneser III continued the Assyrian expansion but it didn't reached its zenith as a world power until the reign of Tiglath‑pileser III (744‑727 B.C.)Then in B.C. 722 the northern kingdom of Israel fell to Tiglath‑pileser's successor, Shalmaneser V.The wealthy and skilled laborers of those 10 tribes of Israel he took captive into Assyria.He Brought Assyrians to live in the conquered land and intermarry with the lower class Israelites who were left.Those who were taken captive intermarried and were eventually absorbed into the Assyrian people, culture and religion and ceased to exist at a distinct people.

In B.C. 626 Babylon (Modern Iraq), began to rise under Nabopolassar.In B.C. 612 Nineveh the capitol city of Assyria fell to Babylon which at that point became the leading world empire. Seven years later in B.C. 605 Pharaoh Neco of Egypt which was now the second most powerful nation tried to come along side of Assyria against Babylon but was defeated at the battle of Carchemish by Nebuchadnezzar, Nabopolassar's son.It was in this same year that Nebuchadnezzar conquered the southern kingdom of Judah.

When he did he deported a number of the leading Jews, (that is those who were wealthy, educated or skilled), back to Babylon. That deportation was followed by a second in B.C. 597 and a third in B.C. 586.In that year Zedekiah the "puppet king" of Judah who earlier had been placed on the throne by Nebuchadnezzar rebelled against Babylon, who then retaliated by destroying Jerusalem and the temple and taking all of the consecrated temple vessels to Babylon along with the captives.

Introduction to the Book of Daniel

A. It's Author:

The author of the book of Daniel is the character after whom it is named.Daniel was a young man probably of about 15 years of age, and of a family of nobility because he was taken in the first deportation of Jews from Judah in B.C. 605. God blessed Daniel and put him in placed of political influence for the entire time of the captivity.He was made ruler over the whole province of Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar.He was made the third ruler in the kingdom by Belshazzar.And he was made one of the three presidents over the whole Medo-Persian Empire.

B. Its Date:

Daniel was written around B.C 536, during the latter years of Daniel's life. It spans the entire 70-year of the "Babylonian captivity" and its prophecies span a period of at least 2500 years.

C. Its Value:

The book of Daniel stands atop of the apocalyptic (prophetic) literature of the Bible.Much of our understanding of the book of the Revelation depends on a proper understanding of the Book of Daniel.Because it is so important to our comprehension of the plan of God, Daniel has many critics. Because of their unbelief of prophetic revelation, so called "higher critics" deny the early date of Daniel.

They like to say that it was written during the Intertestament Period, (the 400 years between the writing of Malachi, the last book in the Old Testament and the birth of Christ. Specifically they say it was written around B.C. 170.They say that the "prophesies" in Daniel had already been fulfilled by this time and were therefore not prophecies at all. They were simply a record of historic events written in the form of prophecies.Of course what this position does is make Daniel a lie and an attempted deception.

The problem is that at least one of the prophesy in Daniel 9, predicts the exact day that the messiah would present himself as messiah in Jerusalem which happened some 200 years later than even the higher critics date the book. Therefore their denial of Daniel's early date is nullified. Also the Lord Jesus himself in Matt. 24:15 attributed the authorship of the book of Daniel to the prophet himself. "So when you see standing in the holy place 'the abomination that causes desolation,' spoken of through the prophet Daniel‑‑let the reader understand‑‑"

Not only that but the Septuagint, which was the Greek translation of the Old Testament, which was translated around B.C 250, contained the Book of Daniel.That means that not only was it already written, but it had been around long enough for it to be recognized as a canonical book and included in the Old Testament.

"Also Josephus the Jewish historian records an incident during the time Alexander the Great around B.C. 330 which support the early authorship of Daniel.When Alexander's invasion reached the Near East, Jaddua, the high priest went out to meet Alexander and showed him a copy of the book of Daniel in which, as we shall see Alexander is clearly mentioned. He was so impressed by this that instead of destroying Jerusalem, he entered the city peaceably and worshiped at the temple". (McGee P. 8) Ezekiel, Habakkuk, Jeremiah, and Zephaniah were Daniel's contemporaries.

D. Its Purpose:

John MacArthur said, "Daniel was written to encourage the exiled Jews by revealing God's program for them...Prominent above every other theme in the book is God's sovereign control over the affairs of all rulers and nations, and their final replacement with the True King". And that, "God had not suffered defeat in allowing Israel's fall but was providentially working His purposes..."

E. Its Divisions:

Chapters 1:1-2:4 Written in Hebrew to the Jews

Chapters 2:4-7:28 Written in Aramaic to the Gentiles

Chapters 8-12 Written in Hebrew to the Jews

Aramaic was the "lingua franca" (universal language) of the ancient world. The Aramaic section was written to the Gentiles to reveal the uninterrupted political supremacy of the Gentiles over Israel during a period of time called by Jesus, "The times of he Gentiles",

Luke 21:24 "They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled".

The times of the gentiles will last from B.C. 605 until the beginning of the millennial at which time political supremacy will be restored to Israel represented by the Christ who will occupy the throne of David in Jerusalem.(We are still living in the "times of the gentiles".

E. Its Outline

1. The historical introduction. Chapter 1

2. The temporary dominion and the final destiny of the Gentile world. Chapters 2-7.

3. The temporary subjection and the final destiny of the nation of Israel Chapters 8-12.

Warning Against Rejecting Wisdom
Proverbs 1:20-33

These verses provide facts pertaining to wisdom. And you will note that in them, wisdom is personified. “Wisdom calls aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the public squares;” Some have tried to read into this that “wisdom” is a reference to Christ. But probably not. In the first place it is set in the feminine - “she raises her voice”.

This is not a reference to Christ although I can understand why people would think that. Instead it is just a literary device to add understanding and to hold the attention of the listener.

Now the first thing we are told in verses :20-21 is that wisdom is available. And we are told of places where wisdom could be heard by large numbers of people as they went about their business. “Wisdom calls aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the public squares; at the head of the noisy streets she cries out, in the gateways of the city she makes her speech:”

Now what does that mean? Well it means that wisdom is available in everyday experiences. And that’s what we have said. Wisdom can be learned in life, both by making right choices and by making mistakes. And the point is that there’s no excuse for not learning wisdom. And that principle is even more true today than ever.

Beside life experience, today we have incredible opportunities to learn wisdom and we ought to take advantage of them. We have the Bible available in all sizes and colors, with and without helps. Most homes have several Bibles on the shelves. Yet how many evangelical Christians have ever read the Bible through even once? Very few.

And not only do we have Bibles but we have wisdom being taught by capable teachers in books and on the radio and television and the Internet. Yet very few who name the name of Christ take advantage of the wisdom that is available.

The second truth that Solomon shares with us here in verse :22 is that Wisdom can be rejected. “How long will you simple ones love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge?”

There are three kinds of people listed here who reject wisdom.
1. The “simple”. The inexperienced but teachable. Now the simple don’t always reject wisdom. Remember this is a person who is open to being influenced. Unfortunately he is sometimes influenced by the wrong things or the wrong people.

Sometimes a simple person learns wisdom and can become a wise person. But he can also go the other way and sometimes does and when he does he becomes a fool. See a simple person never remains simple. He/She either becomes a fool, or a wise person.

2. The “Scoffer.” This is a person who is skeptical, who is given to mockery, who is contemptible. I was this guy before I was saved. I was not a nice person. I ridiculed the things of God and yet I didn’t know a thing about it. I was ignorant and arrogant and then God changed me.

I want you to see that God can also change this person. There are people that we encounter sometimes that WE just think there is no hope for. That person could never be saved, there’s no point in witnessing to them. They’ll just reject it. They’ll ridicule it and me…. But folks listen to me - God can change any heart.

3. The “fool” pretty much always rejects wisdom because he thinks he knows it all. His greatest need is to see that he has a need. (Of course like the scoffer, there are a few exceptions.)

In verse :23 we see God’s loving reproof for the rejection of wisdom. “If you had responded to my rebuke, I would have poured out my heart to you and made my thoughts known to you.”

Notice the first phrase. The King James is probably better here. “Turn you at my reproof.” Wisdom calls for a “turning”. That is repentance. The Hebrew word here means literally a change of mind. To accept wisdom rather than reject it. And for those who do abandon foolishness and embrace wisdom, Solomon promises His blessing.

Reprimand and criticism is hard to take and few respond to it correctly. It damages our ego, and injures our pride, and yet accepting it and changing in response to it is necessary to a successful and victorious life and God’s blessings accompany a right response. Sometimes we have to be broken in order to have bad habits and attitudes replaced with good ones.

Verses :24-25 give us reasons why people reject wisdom. (KJV)“Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:”

A. Simple Refusal. 24a “Because I called and you refused”. This indicates a rejection of authority. There are some people, (including some who profess Christ), who just don’t like to be told what to do. And so they have a problem with any authority. That is a terrible characteristic for a Christian because we are taught in scripture to obey authority on numerous levels. That’s a topic for another time but it is an altogether wrong reason to refuse wisdom.

B. Insensitivity 24b “I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded.” This has reference to a person who is lacking in awareness or alertness. In Heb. 5:11 we find the Greek equivalent. “We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn.” The King James says, “dull of hearing”. They are “thick skulled”. It’s just hard to get things through to person because they lack understanding. They are slow.

C. Indifference 25a “But ye have set at nought all my counsel”- “you ignored all my advice.” The NASB says, “you neglected all my counsel.” This is a person who is apathetic. A man asked his friend, “Did you know that two of the church’s biggest problems is ignorance and apathy?” To which his friend replied, “I don’t know and I don’t care.” That’s this guy.

To “neglect” means to consider unimportant. Here’s a guy who says, “I’m not hurting anybody with the way I live, (Which is usually not true.), so what difference does it make. He just doesn’t see the importance of wisdom. It has no value to him and so he rejects it.

D. Defensive 25b “and would not accept my rebuke.” This is the individual who keeps reminding himself that the other person is wrong and should change, not him. He’s always on the defensive.

I know some people like that. They just cannot admit their fault so they always defend themselves and blame someone else. This kind of person is really good at projecting blame. Actually this is a major characteristic of alcoholics and addicts. They are always the victim and someone else is at fault for all their problems. They won’t take responsibility for their actions and the project their guilt onto other people.

Much of the rest of this section deals with the serious consequences of rejecting wisdom. It has come to the place where those who have rejected wisdom for so long, that God has actually taken the offer off the table. There is a limit to God’s patience. It is self imposed but yet it is there. Gen. 6:3 “My Spirit shall not always strive with man.”

Notice :26-28 We see here God’s response. “I in turn will laugh at your disaster; I will mock when calamity overtakes you- when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind, when distress and trouble overwhelm you. "Then they will call to me but I will not answer; they will look for me but will not find me.”

The King James uses the word “fear” “I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you.”

The ESV uses an even stronger word “I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when terror strikes you, when terror strikes you like a storm and your calamity comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you. ”

This person lives in fear. Did you ever meet anyone who lived in fear? It’s very sad. They are always afraid of something. Germs, global warming, war, terrorism, insects… They live in a constant state of fear.

But more than that, when difficulties come, when disaster strikes which it inevitably does in all of our lives, they find themselves not able to handle it. They don’t know what to do and so they panic. Why? What is wisdom? The ability to use knowledge to solve life situations. (Which they have rejected.)

Ok, look at verses :29-32 “Since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the LORD, since they would not accept my advice and spurned my rebuke, they will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes. For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them;”

Notice the phrase, “the fruit of their ways” Last week in verses :17-18 we talked about criminals who get caught in their own trap. Here we see that fools who reject wisdom will reap what they sow. They will reap the natural results of their actions. Gal. 6:7 says, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”

This is similar to what Paul says in Romans 1. Three times in that chapter the Bible says that “God gave them over”, indicating that God because people reject the Word and Wisdom of God, sometimes God just lifts his hand of restraint and allows them to be overtaken by their sin. In other words, there sin becomes its own punishment. No longer are they able to control it. Instead it controls them. That is exactly what alcoholism and many addictions are. Homosexuality is as well. As a matter of fact that’s one of the things Paul is dealing with there in Romans 1. Alcoholism is not a disease, it is “the fruit of their ways.” Homosexuality is not a genetic predisposition. People are not born homosexuals. It is a choice, it is sin, and it is the natural fruit of a perverted lifestyle.

You reap what you sow. If you sow violence you’ll reap violence. Remember we’re talking about choosing companions and we saw last week or the week before Solomon’s warning to his son about avoiding violent companions. Why?

We saw first of all it is because you become the people with whom you associate. And here Solomon goes to the next step and says that those who choose a lifestyle of violence are very often destroyed by that very thing. How often do we turn on the television, or pick up the newspaper, and see the fruit of the wayward who have spurned wisdom and pursued their own schemes to their own destruction? This is a universal principle and one that we need to teach to our children and our youth and our families…

Finally in verse :33 Solomon offers the alternative to the rejection of wisdom and those consequences. “But whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm.” Rather than violence, Godly Wisdom brings peace.

Warning Against Rejecting Wisdom
Proverbs 1:20-33

These verses provide facts pertaining to wisdom. And you will note that in them, wisdom is personified. “Wisdom calls aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the public squares;” Some have tried to read into this that “wisdom” is a reference to Christ. But probably not. In the first place it is set in the feminine - “she raises her voice”.

This is not a reference to Christ although I can understand why people would think that. Instead it is just a literary device to add understanding and to hold the attention of the listener.

Now the first thing we are told in verses :20-21 is that wisdom is available. And we are told of places where wisdom could be heard by large numbers of people as they went about their business. “Wisdom calls aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the public squares; at the head of the noisy streets she cries out, in the gateways of the city she makes her speech:”

Now what does that mean? Well it means that wisdom is available in everyday experiences. And that’s what we have said. Wisdom can be learned in life, both by making right choices and by making mistakes. And the point is that there’s no excuse for not learning wisdom. And that principle is even more true today than ever.

Beside life experience, today we have incredible opportunities to learn wisdom and we ought to take advantage of them. We have the Bible available in all sizes and colors, with and without helps. Most homes have several Bibles on the shelves. Yet how many evangelical Christians have ever read the Bible through even once? Very few.

And not only do we have Bibles but we have wisdom being taught by capable teachers in books and on the radio and television and the Internet. Yet very few who name the name of Christ take advantage of the wisdom that is available.

The second truth that Solomon shares with us here in verse :22 is that Wisdom can be rejected. “How long will you simple ones love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge?”

There are three kinds of people listed here who reject wisdom.
1. The “simple”. The inexperienced but teachable. Now the simple don’t always reject wisdom. Remember this is a person who is open to being influenced. Unfortunately he is sometimes influenced by the wrong things or the wrong people.

Sometimes a simple person learns wisdom and can become a wise person. But he can also go the other way and sometimes does and when he does he becomes a fool. See a simple person never remains simple. He/She either becomes a fool, or a wise person.

2. The “Scoffer.” This is a person who is skeptical, who is given to mockery, who is contemptible. I was this guy before I was saved. I was not a nice person. I ridiculed the things of God and yet I didn’t know a thing about it. I was ignorant and arrogant and then God changed me.

I want you to see that God can also change this person. There are people that we encounter sometimes that WE just think there is no hope for. That person could never be saved, there’s no point in witnessing to them. They’ll just reject it. They’ll ridicule it and me…. But folks listen to me - God can change any heart.

3. The “fool” pretty much always rejects wisdom because he thinks he knows it all. His greatest need is to see that he has a need. (Of course like the scoffer, there are a few exceptions.)

In verse :23 we see God’s loving reproof for the rejection of wisdom. “If you had responded to my rebuke, I would have poured out my heart to you and made my thoughts known to you.”

Notice the first phrase. The King James is probably better here. “Turn you at my reproof.” Wisdom calls for a “turning”. That is repentance. The Hebrew word here means literally a change of mind. To accept wisdom rather than reject it. And for those who do abandon foolishness and embrace wisdom, Solomon promises His blessing.

Reprimand and criticism is hard to take and few respond to it correctly. It damages our ego, and injures our pride, and yet accepting it and changing in response to it is necessary to a successful and victorious life and God’s blessings accompany a right response. Sometimes we have to be broken in order to have bad habits and attitudes replaced with good ones.

Verses :24-25 give us reasons why people reject wisdom. (KJV)“Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:”

A. Simple Refusal. 24a “Because I called and you refused”. This indicates a rejection of authority. There are some people, (including some who profess Christ), who just don’t like to be told what to do. And so they have a problem with any authority. That is a terrible characteristic for a Christian because we are taught in scripture to obey authority on numerous levels. That’s a topic for another time but it is an altogether wrong reason to refuse wisdom.

B. Insensitivity 24b “I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded.” This has reference to a person who is lacking in awareness or alertness. In Heb. 5:11 we find the Greek equivalent. “We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn.” The King James says, “dull of hearing”. They are “thick skulled”. It’s just hard to get things through to person because they lack understanding. They are slow.

C. Indifference 25a “But ye have set at nought all my counsel”- “you ignored all my advice.” The NASB says, “you neglected all my counsel.” This is a person who is apathetic. A man asked his friend, “Did you know that two of the church’s biggest problems is ignorance and apathy?” To which his friend replied, “I don’t know and I don’t care.” That’s this guy.

To “neglect” means to consider unimportant. Here’s a guy who says, “I’m not hurting anybody with the way I live, (Which is usually not true.), so what difference does it make. He just doesn’t see the importance of wisdom. It has no value to him and so he rejects it.

D. Defensive 25b “and would not accept my rebuke.” This is the individual who keeps reminding himself that the other person is wrong and should change, not him. He’s always on the defensive.

I know some people like that. They just cannot admit their fault so they always defend themselves and blame someone else. This kind of person is really good at projecting blame. Actually this is a major characteristic of alcoholics and addicts. They are always the victim and someone else is at fault for all their problems. They won’t take responsibility for their actions and the project their guilt onto other people.

Much of the rest of this section deals with the serious consequences of rejecting wisdom. It has come to the place where those who have rejected wisdom for so long, that God has actually taken the offer off the table. There is a limit to God’s patience. It is self imposed but yet it is there. Gen. 6:3 “My Spirit shall not always strive with man.”

Notice :26-28 We see here God’s response. “I in turn will laugh at your disaster; I will mock when calamity overtakes you- when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind, when distress and trouble overwhelm you. "Then they will call to me but I will not answer; they will look for me but will not find me.”

The King James uses the word “fear” “I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you.”

The ESV uses an even stronger word “I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when terror strikes you, when terror strikes you like a storm and your calamity comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you. ”

This person lives in fear. Did you ever meet anyone who lived in fear? It’s very sad. They are always afraid of something. Germs, global warming, war, terrorism, insects… They live in a constant state of fear.

But more than that, when difficulties come, when disaster strikes which it inevitably does in all of our lives, they find themselves not able to handle it. They don’t know what to do and so they panic. Why? What is wisdom? The ability to use knowledge to solve life situations. (Which they have rejected.)

Ok, look at verses :29-32 “Since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the LORD, since they would not accept my advice and spurned my rebuke, they will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes. For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them;”

Notice the phrase, “the fruit of their ways” Last week in verses :17-18 we talked about criminals who get caught in their own trap. Here we see that fools who reject wisdom will reap what they sow. They will reap the natural results of their actions. Gal. 6:7 says, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”

This is similar to what Paul says in Romans 1. Three times in that chapter the Bible says that “God gave them over”, indicating that God because people reject the Word and Wisdom of God, sometimes God just lifts his hand of restraint and allows them to be overtaken by their sin. In other words, there sin becomes its own punishment. No longer are they able to control it. Instead it controls them. That is exactly what alcoholism and many addictions are. Homosexuality is as well. As a matter of fact that’s one of the things Paul is dealing with there in Romans 1. Alcoholism is not a disease, it is “the fruit of their ways.” Homosexuality is not a genetic predisposition. People are not born homosexuals. It is a choice, it is sin, and it is the natural fruit of a perverted lifestyle.

You reap what you sow. If you sow violence you’ll reap violence. Remember we’re talking about choosing companions and we saw last week or the week before Solomon’s warning to his son about avoiding violent companions. Why?

We saw first of all it is because you become the people with whom you associate. And here Solomon goes to the next step and says that those who choose a lifestyle of violence are very often destroyed by that very thing. How often do we turn on the television, or pick up the newspaper, and see the fruit of the wayward who have spurned wisdom and pursued their own schemes to their own destruction? This is a universal principle and one that we need to teach to our children and our youth and our families…

Finally in verse :33 Solomon offers the alternative to the rejection of wisdom and those consequences. “But whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm.” Rather than violence, Godly Wisdom brings peace.

Thursday, September 9, 2010

The Foundations of Wisdom - Continued

(You can scroll down and read previous week's entries.)

1:15-16 “my son, do not go along with them, do not set foot on their paths; for their feet rush into sin, they are swift to shed blood.” The (KJV ) says, “My son, walk not thou in the way with them” “Walk not!”

Very simple advice that Solomon gives his Son. “Don’t associate with them.” Now why? Well Solomon will give an answer to that in the following verses but I want you show you something first. Solomon didn’t learn all of his wisdom from experience.

In this context, Solomon is not only the example of the wise man, but also of a simple man who did exactly what he encouraging his son to do. That is learning from his father. I want to show you something that Solomon learned from his Dad. Turn with me to Psalm one.

“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.”

Psalm 1:1 “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.” I read this verse from the King James Version because I memorized it years ago and I just like the way it reads. The (NIV) reads, “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.”

David, Solomon’s father wrote Psalm one. And just like Solomon in Proverbs, David begins the book of Psalms with instructions for avoiding the wrong kind of friends and in verse one he explains why. You will notice in that verse there are three points of posture. “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.”

And these three points of posture represent a progression. First he is walking, then he is standing, and finally he is setting. Now what’s the point? Well this represents the sequence of events in the life of a person who chooses bad companions. First he just walks occasionally with the wrong crowd. He’s just curious and sees no harm in accompanying them once in a while – just to see what they do and how they live. He remains loyal to his other friends, but begins to explore this new way of life.

But one time leads to another and another and another, and after a while, “occasionally” turns into “repeatedly”. And he finds himself no longer just walking in their presence once in a while. Now, he is standing with them continually. He has begun to adopt their ways. He still maintains some separation, but has begun to look upon them as more than just acquaintances. They are becoming friends, associates. His loyalties begin to shift. They are becoming his peer group.

Finally, after a time, he without even realizing it, takes the final step. He has begun to go where they go and do what they do, and think what they think. He has broken his relationship with his former friends, and perhaps his family. No longer is he an outsider looking in. Now he sets in their seat. He – has become one of them. David taught his son Solomon. Don’t associate with evil companions. Why? Because if you do, you will become what they are.

Now go back to Proverbs one and lets look at what Solomon adds to this. Why does he tell his son to “walk not” in the presence of bad companions? Notice what he says in

:17-19 “How useless to spread a net in full view of all the birds! These men lie in wait for their own blood; they waylay only themselves! Such is the end of all who go after ill-gotten gain; it takes away the lives of those who get it.”

Solomon explains that most of the time, the real victim of these criminal acts are the criminals themselves. He likens them to a man who sets a net to catch game birds, but becomes so anxious and so greedy that he rushes back and becomes entangled in his own trap.

There is an unwritten law that criminal behavior is self-defeating. Actually it is written. Jesus said, “They that live by the sword shall perish by the sword.” And even though this piece of wisdom is known full well, criminals persist in their destructive behavior.

Don’t you get amazed sometimes at the shear stupidity of brilliant criminals? It reminds me of a segment that Jay Leno does on the Tonight Show, called “What did you think was going to happen”, in which he shows a clip of some person doing some stupid thing that always results in calamity. And he concludes it by saying, “What did you think was going to happen?”

In that same vein I was thinking the other day about people like this Bernie Madoff the stockbroker and investment adviser who swindled family, friends, and clients out of 65 BILLION Dollars. And I thought that same thing.

How did he think he was going to get away with this? He had to know that eventually he was going to get caught. But kept on doing it. And now he’ll spend the rest of his life in prison. In the end, he’ll learn the hard way, the principle that Solomon is trying to teach his son. That crime doesn’t pay. Only the king wants his son and us to learn it by instruction and not experience.

Now I want you to notice one last thing. Solomon’s father also taught him this principle. Go back and look again at Psalm one. In verses 2 and 3, David expounds the blessings of the man who does not partner with evil companions, but instead loves and obeys the Word of God. But in verses 4-6 he tells of the end that will come to those who are “ungodly.”

“The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.”

Found a great article today that I wanted to share. I think you'll find it relevant, informative, and challenging.

"This column first appeared in The Pathway, official newspaper of the Missouri Baptist Convention."

As I was watching Fox News there was a report about how Islam was put in a more favorable light than Christianity in a New York City high school. Then quotes from a school book were flashed across the screen that said how Islam had brought beautiful art and architecture to Christendom. Next, high school young men were shown on their knees on prayer mats bowing and praying to Allah. In the background were a few young women that looked like they were covered in Moslem garb. Also, it appeared that there were a great number of students watching this scene in accepting awe.

We hear about how Islam is growing at a very fast rate in the United States and we wonder, “How could this be?” Now, I understand why. Young people are looking for respect and purpose in their lives. Many of our evangelical, conservative Christian churches offer this through the Lord Jesus Christ. Active youth are taught the reality of the Holy Bible; they feel the love of Jesus in their souls; they witness and serve in their community; even go on mission trips. When I was young I experienced this lifestyle, was a member of a great youth group that studied the Bible, witnessed, and served Christ. I even had the priviledge of being a Missouri summer missionary from Southwest Baptist University. However, most young people in our society never experience such a lifestyle.

Too many parents are tired from working all week and sleep in on Sunday, even those that claim to be Christians. They might take their children to Sunday School once in a while or let them go to VBS, which is better than nothing. However, many supposedly Christian parents are starving their children spiritually by neglecting to provide worship time for them.

As a public school teacher, I have come to realize that many of my students don’t attend church, don’t know who Jesus is, don’t know the Ten Commandments and are basically being raised godless.

Most TV programs and movies present Christianity as hypocritical and ignorant. Sexual immorality is praised and shown as an accepted life style. There is a vampire craze in most schools among the children, even in kindergarten. Some of my students wear vampire attire from the “Twilight” series of movies. The parents excuse it as a cute fantasy phase their children are going through. That is just like the satanic music that so many youth listen to. Parents excuse it as young music and say things like “We had our music, let them have their music.” In other words, it is like saying, “Let Satan teach my child the joys of vampirism, breaking all the commandments and blaspheming God.” That is irresponsible parenting. My husband and I raised our three children in church. They are all in their twenties now. They were virgins (one boy and two girls) when they married; their spouses are dedicated Christians. Our grandchildren are being raised in godly, Christian homes, and are being fed spiritually through active church attendance. Raising your children in the Lord works.

Young people look for purpose in their lives. They have a soul that hungers for spiritual food. The Islamic opportunities in high schools and universities meet the needs of many spiritually starving young people. It is great for young men because they are offered respect as a man, and in our liberal society men are put down and disrespected. Islamic young women are honored for their purity as future wives and mothers. So are Christian girls, but that is not popular in our immoral society. It is accepted that young woman and young men should be able to have sex without condemnation. After all, it is considered to be just be a natural thing for the highest form of evolved animal, as the godless theory of evolution is being taught as a fact in our public school system.

Converting to Islam offers young people not only respect and status, but it offers rebellion against parents and society. These youth can feel freedom from their parents, and can believe that they have been enlightened. It is too bad they haven’t felt enlightened by the Savior of the World, and do not feel a Christian fellowship with their parents. It’s too bad they haven’t been taught the terror of Islamic invasion of Europe several hundred years ago. It is sad that they don’t know about all the Christian churches that were destroyed and a mosque built over them. For example, the great Christian Church in Cordova, Spain, was torn down and an Islamic mosque was built over it during the invasion, as well as the mass murder of Christians. They should be told that the plan for building an Islamic mosque next to ground zero has been named “Cordova.” Does that mean the new mosque is part of a plan to wipe out Christianity in the U.S. as well as insult us by declaring Islamic victory over destroying the Twin Towers?

All the guilt should not be put on Islam. We parents, teachers, school boards and churches should be more active in teaching our youth and feeding their souls with the love of God. Boys should be taught how to be responsible, good men by adult men, who set a fine example as husband, father and Christian. Girls and boys should be taught sexual purity, and the morality of the Ten Commandments. Girls should be taught how to be pure, kind women and the value of being a faithful wife, as well as the blessings of motherhood by good Christian women. Unfortunately, this is not being done in many homes. Children are being raised by TV, movies, atheistic teachers and babysitters. The greatest thing a parent can do is raise their children in a godly home, in a good, Bible-believing church, and spend time with their children as a family. Our children are our future, they are the hope of our country. We must invest time, love and spiritual food in their lives. (Jeanne Chatman is children’s church director, Gasconade Baptist Church, and elementary teacher at Plato R5 School.)

The Foundations of Wisdom

Chapter 1:1-7 is the introduction to the book of Proverbs. The first major section of Proverbs covers the next nine chapters. Proverbs 1:8 – 9:18 is one long teaching proverb. After chapter nine the remainder of the book comes to us as short, to the point, sayings that are full of wisdom and instruction.

This long section is divided into shorter segments that comprise various practicalities of wisdom. The first of these subsections is Proverbs 1:8-19 and it deals with wisdom in choosing companions/ friends. (This is not dealing with choosing a mate. That will come later.)

The Bible has a lot to say about the kind of people with whom we choose to affiliate and Proverbs makes it a priority of the highest degree. Why is that? Well II Cor. 15:33 says, “Do not be misled: "Bad company corrupts good character.” Few people have more influence in our lives than our peers. So the friends we choose may contribute greatly to the kind of life we live.

Proverbs 1:8 “Listen, my son, to your father's instruction and do not forsake your mother's teaching.” First of all notice that this is not just information that Solomon is throwing out there to whoever will listen. It is very important to the King that this instruction be accurate because this is Solomon speaking to his son.

Notice the authoritative nature of the verse. Solomon speaks in imperatives. “Listen, my son…” “do not forsake…” Solomon intends to influence his son. So we need to take note as well. We MUST make it a priority to influence our children.

Also notice the inclusion of both parents. Both are responsible for providing instruction, not just one or the other. Parents are responsible for learning wisdom themselves and then for passing it on to their children. Parents, we are wise when we seize teaching moments and make the application of biblical truth or even life experience into the lives of our children.

Some of the highlights of my life are when my children acknowledge contributions that we have made to their spiritual lives and growth and wisdom. When I hear them say, something like, “I’m so glad I was raised in a home where my mom and dad taught us God’s Word…”

I echo the words of the apostle John who said in III John :4“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” It’s the number one goal that we’ve spent the last 30 years of our lives trying to achieve.

The primary place for children to be educated in the Word is the home, and the first – best teachers are the parents. Often parents blame the church if their children are not following the Lord. And a good children’s ministry and youth ministry can add a lot to the spiritual development of a child or youth but it is not first the responsibility of the church to make godly children and youth. It is the foremost responsibility of parents to rear their children in the Lord and to instruct them in the Word.

1:9 “They will be a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck.” Remember that the fool despises instruction, but we are reminded here that these instructions are not a burden but a blessing.

They are not a weight around your neck to force you into submission; instead they are like beautiful jewelry that make you a more attractive person. (These days I think they call it “bling”.)

Solomon uses a comparison here and says, like “bling” will make you beautiful or “eye catching”, which is the real motivation, this teaching will enhance your character and make you a more likeable person. Who wouldn’t like that? Who doesn’t want that?

Millions of dollars have been made on self help books that help people “Win friends and influence people”. They are supposed to help you improve your self-esteem and to become more popular. Proverbs will do exactly that by teaching you wisdom.

Ok, now Solomon offers a contrast. Remember these verses provide instructions about choosing your friends, and particularly the kinds of people to avoid.

1:10 “My son, if sinners entice you, do not give in to them.”
“if sinners entice you” is a vivid way of describing how innocent people fall into bad company. “entice” means to temp.

Now there is an important distinction here that I want you to be aware of. Solomon says, “Son, you’re going to be tempted”, then notice what he says is to be our response. “do not give in to them.” You have a choice.

Did you ever hear someone say something like, “I was tempted so
since I had already sinned, I just went ahead and did it?” Listen to me! That’s wrong theology. There is a difference between temptation and sin. It’s not sin to be tempted. Jesus was tempted but he didn’t sin.

People don’t fall into sin or fall in with the wrong crowd because they are tempted. They fall in because they yield to temptation. And here’s the lesson that we need to learn. The devil may tempt us but we don’t have to yield to the temptation. We have a choice and we can choose not to fall.

Verses :11-12 describe the crimes of these “sinners” who “entice”.

“If they say, "Come along with us; let's lie in wait for someone's blood, let's waylay some harmless soul; let's swallow them alive, like the grave, and whole, like those who go down to the pit;”

Notice the low regard for human life and property. Isn’t it amazing how current and relevant the Bible is? This could have been written in the morning paper. It was written 3000 years ago in Israel, but it sounds like modern America – or any other place and time in the history of the world, because sin always manifests itself in the same way. Satan always uses the same methods. And we can see that in the following verses.

In verses :13-14 we see the bait. What did the devil use to temp people in 1000 BC? The same things he uses today. “we will get all sorts of valuable things and fill our houses with plunder; throw in your lot with us, and we will share a common purse”.

It’s also amazing to me that some people what to say that the Bible is unsophisticated and out of date. Not so. If the sin is still the same then the solutions are still the same. So what were the temptations used to allure people into sinful associations three thousand years ago?

Look at the text.

:13 - Money, prosperity, easy wealth.

:14 - “throw in your lot with us” – What is that? Peer pressure. “we will share a common purse” – a communal social structure. (That’s just another name for a gang.)

Sound familiar. Evidently not much has changed in 3000 years. So if the temptation and the sin is the same, then the solutions and the council that Solomon gave to his son then, should be the same for us today also.

Proverbs 1:7 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.” Verse seven is somewhat of an independent verse and serves as the motto of the entire book of Proverbs. That is that “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge”.

The word fear is sometimes used to mean simply “reverence and awe”. And that can be right. For the Christian there is a certain familiarity with God that comes via the fact that we are born into God’s family. We are the children of God and the Bible tells us that we can address Him with the intimate title “Abba Father”, meaning “Daddy”.

And yet as I have mentioned before, we must never allow intimacy become irreverence. The old saying, “Familiarity breads contempt” is fitting here. It is possible for Christians to become so comfortable with our relationship to God that we become disrespectful. I have had on occasion to remind Christians, that it is probably not appropriate to use God as a character in a joke.

And that’s not to say that God is some kind of cosmic killjoy. You don’t have to read very far in the Bible to see that God has a sense of humor. God created humor. He gave us a sense of humor. And the Bible even tells us that God expresses that humor. Psalm 2:4 says, “He who sits in the heavens laughs”.

So it’s possible that because of that knowledge, it might be possible for believers to forget that God is indeed to be feared in the genuine sense of the word. And the word translated “fear” in this verse carries that meaning. To be afraid. Matt. 10:28 “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”

That’s not as some might think, a reference to the devil, but to God. Satan doesn’t have that authority, as scripture tells us in Rev. 20:1 that God will one day cast the devil himself into the lake of fire.

II Cor. 5:11 speaks of the “terror of the Lord” and it uses the Greek word “phobos” which is where we get our English word, “phobia”.

The verse which precedes this one, (verse 10), speaks of the Judgment seat of Christ, which is the judgment before which believers will stand to give account of the lives we have lived as Christians.

That’s right. It’s not only unbelievers who will face judgment for their sins. But we will stand in judgment for our salvation. It’s not a judgment to determine whether or not we will go to heaven. That’s already determined.

If you are born again, you’re going to heaven, but the question is, will you be embarrassed before the Lord by how you lived as a Christian? Now that adds a whole new dimension to the phrase “the fear of the Lord” doesn’t it?

You see, there are some Christians who are going to be embarrassed at the coming of Christ. Because they have not lived their Christian lives in wisdom. So the "fear of the Lord" is strong motivation for us to obey the Lord and to serve him with a pure heart.

OK we could go on about this phrase but we need to move on.

“Beginning” This is the starting point. It’s the same word as used in Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth”. This is the Genesis of knowledge. The point from which true knowledge is created. Now here’s the point, the principle. No one can understand truth unless they fear God. (We saw that last week.)

Verse seven also introduces a contrast that is seen throughout the book. Not only are we encouraged – challenged to attain wisdom through the fear of God, but we are confronted with the sad reality that many will reject wisdom. The verse concludes with these words, “but fools despise wisdom and discipline”. Unfortunately as we seek God and His wisdom we will always be surrounded by those who are going the opposite direction.

Of course part of our responsibility is to turn some of them around. Some of them are going the wrong way because they are fools who will immediately reject any attempt to instruct them. But some are going the wrong way because they are simple and just need to be taught wisdom. Of course they are all going the wrong way because of sin and so the place to start is by sharing the gospel.

You see, you don’t scold a blind man for walking the wrong way. Instead you show him the way, or restore his sight and then he can see the right way. The Bible says “The (g)od of this age has blinded the minds of those who believe not.” Unbelievers don’t see the truth because they are spiritually blind. So we must pray that God will give them spiritual vision. Then we can instruct them in wisdom.

However as we mentioned some people have self imposed blindness. The fool has better things to do than listen to wisdom and instruction.

1:5 “let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance--” Verse five is very important, first because it helps us avoid a potential error. In verse four we saw that the book of Proverbs helps the “simple”, (the inexperienced yet teachable) person gain “incisiveness, knowledge, and discretion”. But that’s not the only person who can benefit from the study of Proverbs.

Verse five, tells us that Proverbs can also benefit he “wise”. That is one who has already attained knowledge and a measure of wisdom. Notice it says they will “listen and add to their learning”. Again Proverbs is for everybody. Never get to the place where you think you’ve arrived – where you think that you have all the answers – if you do remember, that doesn’t make you “wise”, it makes you a “fool”.

I’ve met pastors like that. I have had people in churches I’ve pastured like that. I have had several who believed it – only a couple who has actually said it. I had one woman that told me, “There’s nothing you can teach me”. Well then I guess there’s nothing that God can teach her either, because what I teach I teach from God’s Word. We can all learn from God’s Word no matter how old, or mature, or wise we are. And that’s what we’re talking about here.

The word “learning” used here refers to knowledge that has been handed down and probably means this book of wisdom. In other words, Solomon says, “You who are wise, add the teachings of this book to the experience that you already have and you will be wiser still.

Now the second part of this verse says, “and let the discerning get guidance”. Instead of “discerning” the KJV says, “understanding” and is similar to the “understanding” found in verse 2. There you remember it spoke of the ability to make right choices, to read between the lines, and specifically to discern God’s will or God’s plan.

Back in verse two we didn’t spend a lot of time dealing with “understanding” because it was placed along another similar word, and was used primarily for emphasis. But here it stands alone so I want to take some time and deal with a little more.

“Understanding” means generally, to be intelligent, and yet in the biblical context, it is not intelligence as the world sees it.

What does the scripture say about understanding?

Well first, only a believer can possess genuine understanding of life and the world because of the illuminating power of the Holy Spirit.

Daniel 12:10 “Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand.”

The natural man does not possess “understanding”. It can’t be learned by unbelievers because of its spiritual nature. A text that we have looked at many times before about this very thing is I Cor. 2:14. “The man without the Spirit, (KJV “the natural man”), does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.”

This is the reason why an unbeliever can’t understand the Bible. To him its foolishness and it would seem equally foolish to an unsaved man that the world situation... is part of a divine plan.

So if “understanding” is not secular knowledge and is acquired through worldly instruction where does it come from? Job 32:8 “But it is the spirit in a man, the breath of the Almighty, that gives him understanding”

Since God is the author of the plan, He is also the author of understanding. What better instructor for a new invention than the engineer who invented it? Luke 24:45“Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.”

Ok if God possess understanding, how do I get it? In Daniel 9, Daniel who along with the rest of the nation of Judah, wanted to know if there would be an end to their captivity. But how could he know the will of God, the mind of God, the plan of God in the matter?

Daniel 9:2“in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the LORD given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years.”

Now notice what Daniel read. Jeremiah 25:11 “This whole country will become a desolate wasteland, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years.” Daniel understood from scripture that their captivity would last for 70 years.

Here’s the point. “Understanding” comes from the scripture. My pastor used to say, “Put a child of God in a dungeon with a Bible and a candle and he’ll know more about what’s going on in the world than a lost man who reads the news paper every day.”

Psalm 119:104 “I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path.” What was it we said “understanding” is? The ability to make right choices, to avoid wrong life decisions… Where did the psalmist say he learned to do that? “from your precepts” that is, from the Bible, the Word of God.

Now what are some other reasons for seeking to gain understanding? How else can it help me? Look at Proverbs 14:29 “A patient man has great understanding, but a quick-tempered man displays folly.”

The book of James, which as been called the Proverbs of the New Testament says, “My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.” James 1:19-20.

One of the characteristics of God is that He is “slow to anger”. That phrase is used of God nine times in scripture. James tells us that it is a character, which we as believers are to emulate. And Proverbs tells us that understanding helps us avoid being quick tempered. Now we’ll talk more about that when we get to chapter 14.

But not only does understanding help us be patient and slow to anger – look at Proverbs 16:22. (KJV) “Understanding is a wellspring of life unto him that hath it: but the instruction of fools is folly.”

Do you want to have joy and fulfillment in your life? Then gain understanding.

Now why is that true? Because a Christian with “understanding” sees the world from a different perspective. I remember when I was lost, before I became a Christian. I used to be frustrated with so many unanswered questions. (It’s the proverbial [pardon the pun] question – “What is the meaning of life”?) The world wants to know, but they are looking in all the wrong places and even when we try to tell most of them they reject it.

But I know the answer. Now I see the world from a different perspective. Now I “understand”:
Where I came from, where I’m going and why I’m here.
Where the evil in the world came from.
Why there’s no peace in the Middle East.
Why the earth has so much beauty when all the other planets are barren.
Why men and women don’t have peace.
And I could go on but you get the point, I hope and besides, we’re going to see this again in the next verse.

Proverbs 1:6 closes this section on the purpose for the book of Proverbs with a summary of what we’ve learned. There’s a wide range of popular translations of this verse so let me give you three of them.

(NIV) “for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise.”
(KJV) “To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.”
(NASB) “To understand a proverb and a figure, The words of the wise and their riddles.”

Again, Solomon, inspired by the Holy Spirit believed that the student of his writing would developed the ability to see life from a different point of view. (Really an eternal perspective.) That he/she would be able to grasp its significance. That they/we would have the ability to understand life’s enigmas – riddles - difficult problems and issues. All of those things we’ve already identified. This practical, everyday issues of life.

Now – That doesn’t mean God is going to speak to you audibly and tell you how much to put in the Annie Armstrong offering. But God’s word teaches us principles of stewardship that help us figure that out.

Or how much time to spend with our kids or grand kids, or for what offense we should spank them (And it does teach us to spank them.) and for what we should put them in time out. But it teaches us principles of family responsibility and child discipline.

Or where I should go and apply for a job today, or how many hours a day I should work, or how I should address my employer/employees, but it does teach us a work ethic and responsibility to work and it teaches us principles of employee/employer relationships.

Here’s a principle that I want you to remember. But don’t worry, because you’ll here it again because it is very important to understanding how to study and interpret scripture and how to apply it to our lives. The Bible is not a book of minute rules and regulations. The Bible is a book of Principles. That’s important.

First because rules and regulations are bound by time and culture and circumstances. If the Bible said for instance, “It’s God’s will for you to vote”. The people in the first century would not understand that because there was no such thing as a democracy in which the people had a voice. Now I believe for us in this place and at this time, it is God’s will for us to vote. How do I know that? Because of the principles of God’s Word that teach us how we are to relate to our government. Jesus said, “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s and unto God the things that are God’s” The Vote is something that belongs to “Caesar”, which is a reference to civil government.

Romans 13:1 “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.”

I Pet. 2:13 “Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, 14or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.”

Another reason it’s important to understand that the Bible is not just a book of minute rules and laws, but of principles is because you can always find a loophole in a law. That’s why there are lawyers.

If the Bible said, “You must fast 3 days a week”. Some people would fast during the day and eat at night. See what I’m saying. There are no loopholes in principles. It’s the difference between what we call the letter of the law and the spirit of the law. And we’ll talk more about that another time.

But the Bible is a book of eternal principles upon which we are to build our lives, and Solomon tells that if we read God’s Word, and learn these principles, we will be able to find the answers to the enigmas of life.

Check out these two sites. The first is my son's blog. Very moving and profound. The second is an article about the Twilight Saga. Read, Learn, Grow.

http://achaps.blogspot.com

http://www.equip.org/articles/the-twilight-saga

The next purposes of the book of Proverbs we find in verse :4 “for giving prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young”

Now the first one listed here is “for giving prudence to the simple” The King James says “subtlety to the simple,” but “prudence” is better and is reflected in most newer translations.

There is an interesting contrast here. In verse :3 we saw the “wisdom” there means decisiveness. This word refers to “incisiveness”. That’s from the word “incision” which means to make a cut, and that is appropriate because this is a person we might refer to as being “sharp”.

You see someone who encounters an emergency situation for instance and they know exactly what to do, and you say, “That guy is sharp”. That’s what we see here, except with a slightly different twist. It is used of being prudent toward evil.

In scripture we are told different ways to handle sin and temptation depending on the situation. In Matt. 4 we are taught to confront it with scripture. In James 4:7 we are told to resist it. In I Tim. 6:11 we are told to flee from it. Here is a man who knows how to handle evil. These proverbs “will help us avoid crafty and devious people”.

Now we are told that this is to be given to the “simple”. This is an important person in Proverbs. Or rather it’s important for you to understand who this is talking about. It comes from the word “pethi” which means, “open minded”. Now we’ve all heard people talk about how we need to be open minded. And that’s true. But you have to be careful because it’s possible to be so open minded that your brains fall out. That’s the picture here.

The NASB translates this word “naïve”. Now let me show you an important difference between two people who may at first look alike. This “simple” man/woman is a person who is inexperienced, yet teachable. Now there is another kind of person that we will meet in this Proverbs who is inexperienced but who is not teachable. This kind of person is called a “fool”. 1:7 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

The person we meet here in verse :4 is inexperienced and unlearned, but he/she is open to being influenced. The problem is that they are open to being influenced by both good and evil.

Now this is the reason why it is important to disciple new believers, to teach them the truth. Someone has said, “Not to teach good is to expose those who are inexperienced to the world of evil.” And that’s true – evil, bad theology, moral corruption… When a person gets saved, the devil loses a soul, but he will do everything he can to draw them away from truth and into error. But through instruction, the “inexperienced” can become the “incisive”.

The next phrase we see in verse :4 and the next purpose of the book, is to give “knowledge and discretion to the young”.

Now “knowledge” we’ve seen. It refers to accumulated facts, which are important, but knowledge alone, knowledge with nothing to balance it is dangerous. I Cor. 8:1 tells us that unbalanced knowledge causes arrogance. And it does. You know that. You’ve seen it.

Now there’s nothing wrong with being intelligent. There’s nothing wrong with being educated. I tell young people all the time, “You should get all the education you can”. But knowledge alone is not enough and if that’s all you have, you will end up being a fool, because you think you know it all and will become unteachable.

So knowledge must be balanced, but by what? :4 “discretion”.
Ok what is “discretion”? “Discretion” is “good judgment”, “discernment”, “the power of discrimination” – That is the ability to recognize the difference between right and wrong, good and bad. But as a Christian it goes to an even finer distinction than that. – Sometimes as Christians, the choices we make are not between good and evil, it’s between good and best. Should I do this good thing, or would it be better to do that good thing.

So “discretion” is the ability to chart your own course by making careful distinctions. Actually the word used here is a naval term that means to know where the shoals or shallow places lie and plotting a course to avoid them.

This is where we too often make a mistake and I’m glad God placed this here in the introduction to the book, because we need to know this up front. Yes the book of Proverbs teaches us Wisdom and other principles that enable us to solve life’s problems and to correct mistakes. BUT if we didn’t make the mistakes in the first place we wouldn’t have to solve them – right?

You see too often we spend all our time trying to solve problems instead of avoiding them. I have people come to my office and call me all the time to talk to me about how to solve their problems. But very seldom do I have people come and talk to me about how they can avoid the problems in the first place. And even when I teach it, as you can see by looking around, not many come to learn it.

Where are the shallow places in my marriage, and my lifestyle? Where are the pitfalls in my parenting…? Where are the rocks in my relationships…?

And not only identifying where those shoals are but how do I sail between them? How do I avoid problems with my money, with my marriage, with my children…?

Many start but few finish, because a lot of Christians, especially young Christians end up getting stuck on a spiritual gravel bar or run into some submerged snag and get pulled under and never get out.

Solomon says we can steer clear of those obstacles, and it is the purpose of the book of Proverbs to teach us how.

You can scroll down past this section and read part one if you have not already.

2. Personal Commitment to Church. Heb. 10:25 speaks of "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together..." A wife or a child should never have to ask this question, "Are we going to Church today?" Dad as spiritual provider you are responsible to see that you family is in regular attendance of a local Church. What do I mean regular attendance? I mean whenever they meet. Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night, special meetings. Now I know that everyone has to miss church sometimes but non attendance should be the exception not the rule. I've heard all the excused and so have you. "I'm to tired to get up. Sunday is my only day off. It interferes with our family time. There's nothing for the children. The kids don't want to go-(There's a good one. Who is the authority in you home anyway? Isaiah, speaking prophetically says, "children are their oppressors, and women rule over them.") You know what the truth is? It is that Dad is not personally committed and without that commitment it will require a miracle of God to build that commitment in you children.

A couple of months ago I sat down with a dad who professes to be a Christian but who seldom attends church and shared these things with him. I said, "You know that without exposing your kids to the truth of God's Word they are probably going to go the way of the world." I said, "you know that one day you are going to regret not taking the initiative to lead your family spiritually and you are going to come to me and ask, 'what can I do? My kids are in trouble and they are in rebellion', and I'm going to have to say, "I'm sorry but it may be too late". And he said you're right, you're right. But he has never gotten back in Church. Dads listen to me. One day God is going to require of you and of me an accounting for our families commitment to the Church. You say, "well I don't have to take my family to church, I'll just teach them to love Jesus at home". The Bible says that Christ loved the Church and gave himself for it. And you can't love Jesus with out loving what Jesus loved. We must love the Church.

3. Personal Commitment to Coaching. Spiritual Coaching. Spiritual training in the home. Eph. 6:4 "Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord." Before I go any further let me clear up a misconception. Just because children are reared in a home where, parents are saved, provided for materially, tithe, pray, Bible is read, does not mean spiritual training is taking place. There must be a specific emphasis on training. If not there is little chance the children will grow up loving God.

Now you may ask, "Why are you dealing with that under the heading of spiritual provision? Listen carefully, this is very important. It is because to be effective, training must be done in a spiritual context. There are all sorts of people trying to teach what I call a "secular morality". The world says "Just say no!" to drugs and sex. Do you know why it doesn't work? Because is carries no power to enforce it. You can know right from wrong but that doesn't motivate you to make right choices. If it did you'd never sin. But morality without spirituality is an allusion. There's no such thing. The difference in spiritual training is the Spirit of God that energizes us and provides the power to live rightly and to make right choices.

Now notice quickly 5 areas of spiritual training. Let me give you some key words to help you remember.

a. Example. We must be a Christlike example. You see a child does what his father says until he's about 15 then he does what his father does. Dad's, your kids will adopt your values. And not feigned values. They'll see through a facade of spirituality in a heartbeat. They live with you and they know what's important to you. One dad said, "I'm no model father but I try to live my life so that when someone tells my son he reminds them of me, he'll stick out his chest instead of his tongue". It's a child's innate desire to win the approval of his parents and this is what they'll think, "If he does it, then he must approve, so I'll do it too."

b. Educate. We must teach the principles God's word. Deut. 6: 6-7 "These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up." God says teach the principles of God's Word to your children. Dad, can you name on biblical principle that you have taught your children in the last 30 days? Could you lead your child to faith in Christ? You are responsible to teach spiritual principles like how to know God's will, and how to choose a mate, and manage money, and just how to be courteous. You have been given the responsibility to teach the values that will shape your children's lives. And you can do it anywhere - at home or away from home. In the house or in the car. I shared with some of you an opportunity that I had with one of my kids just the other day as we got away together and were sleeping out under the stars by a trout stream. We talked about what the Bible teaches about wisdom. A week or so ago I sat across the table at a restaurant with another of my kids and talked about the sufficiency of Christ in our lives. Take those opportunities, make those opportunities to instill the principles of God's Word into your kids.

c. Enforce. We are to discipline our children. Prov. 23:13 "Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you punish him with the rod, he will not die." Prov. 13:24 "He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him." Now I understand the problem of child abuse and there is no excuse for a man to brutalize a child. But understand that is a perversion and not a definition of biblical discipline. Godly discipline doesn't leave scars but it does leave and impression.

The reason it is important to discipline children is because it prepares them for life. There will never be a time when they are not required to be subject to someone's authority... And the reason many people can't stay out of trouble in school or keep a job or generally get along in life is because not been taught to respect authority. And that starts at home. Proper discipline including corporal punishment is not only essential it is healthy. Prov. 19:18 "Discipline your son, for in that there is hope; do not be a willing party to his death." Prov. 29:15 "The rod of correction imparts wisdom, but a child left to himself disgraces his mother." Discipline in the home prepares a child to function in the world.

d. Employ. We must train our children through work. Even little children can learn responsibility through chores. We are living in an age when many young people think that the world owes them a living. But it's not necessarily their fault. They've not been taught the value of work, or the value of possessions or privileges that have to be earned because everything has been given to them. I've told my children I wish I could afford to give them everything they want but it really doesn't make any difference because I wouldn't if I could. Because it wouldn't be fair to them. They need to learn a work ethic in order to get along in the world and its a lot harder to learn it all of the sudden when you find yourself out on your own than to learn it gradually as you grow up.

e. Entertain. We must train our families through fun. You need to learn to be fun. Let down your hair so to speak. Learn to enjoy your family. For some dads that's easy. Some have to work at it. And sometimes it's difficult if you have several children because they all may have different like and dislikes but with a little effort you can find some common ground and interests and enjoy having fun together. I remember setting down at the dinner table one time and one of my kids ended there prayer like this. "Lord please make us a family that laughs". A newspaper had a contest in which kids wrote in with a sentence of paragraph that said why "My Pop's Tops" One little boy wrote, "We have such good fun with my dad that I wisht I'd known him sooner." Dad, let me ask you a question that has been shaping how I parent for a long time. Are you fun to live with? If not then a major element is missing in the spiritual training of you family.

You can scroll down past this section and read part one if you have not already.

2. Personal Commitment to Church. Heb. 10:25 speaks of "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together..." A wife or a child should never have to ask this question, "Are we going to Church today?" Dad as spiritual provider you are responsible to see that you family is in regular attendance of a local Church. What do I mean regular attendance? I mean whenever they meet. Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night, special meetings. Now I know that everyone has to miss church sometimes but non attendance should be the exception not the rule. I've heard all the excused and so have you. "I'm to tired to get up. Sunday is my only day off. It interferes with our family time. There's nothing for the children. The kids don't want to go-(There's a good one. Who is the authority in you home anyway? Isaiah, speaking prophetically says, "children are their oppressors, and women rule over them.") You know what the truth is? It is that Dad is not personally committed and without that commitment it will require a miracle of God to build that commitment in you children.

A couple of months ago I sat down with a dad who professes to be a Christian but who seldom attends church and shared these things with him. I said, "You know that without exposing your kids to the truth of God's Word they are probably going to go the way of the world." I said, "you know that one day you are going to regret not taking the initiative to lead your family spiritually and you are going to come to me and ask, 'what can I do? My kids are in trouble and they are in rebellion', and I'm going to have to say, "I'm sorry but it may be too late". And he said you're right, you're right. But he has never gotten back in Church. Dads listen to me. One day God is going to require of you and of me an accounting for our families commitment to the Church. You say, "well I don't have to take my family to church, I'll just teach them to love Jesus at home". The Bible says that Christ loved the Church and gave himself for it. And you can't love Jesus with out loving what Jesus loved. We must love the Church.

3. Personal Commitment to Coaching. Spiritual Coaching. Spiritual training in the home. Eph. 6:4 "Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord." Before I go any further let me clear up a misconception. Just because children are reared in a home where, parents are saved, provided for materially, tithe, pray, Bible is read, does not mean spiritual training is taking place. There must be a specific emphasis on training. If not there is little chance the children will grow up loving God.

Now you may ask, "Why are you dealing with that under the heading of spiritual provision? Listen carefully, this is very important. It is because to be effective, training must be done in a spiritual context. There are all sorts of people trying to teach what I call a "secular morality". The world says "Just say no!" to drugs and sex. Do you know why it doesn't work? Because is carries no power to enforce it. You can know right from wrong but that doesn't motivate you to make right choices. If it did you'd never sin. But morality without spirituality is an allusion. There's no such thing. The difference in spiritual training is the Spirit of God that energizes us and provides the power to live rightly and to make right choices.

Now notice quickly 5 areas of spiritual training. Let me give you some key words to help you remember.

a. Example. We must be a Christlike example. You see a child does what his father says until he's about 15 then he does what his father does. Dad's, your kids will adopt your values. And not feigned values. They'll see through a facade of spirituality in a heartbeat. They live with you and they know what's important to you. One dad said, "I'm no model father but I try to live my life so that when someone tells my son he reminds them of me, he'll stick out his chest instead of his tongue". It's a child's innate desire to win the approval of his parents and this is what they'll think, "If he does it, then he must approve, so I'll do it too."

b. Educate. We must teach the principles God's word. Deut. 6: 6-7 "These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up." God says teach the principles of God's Word to your children. Dad, can you name on biblical principle that you have taught your children in the last 30 days? Could you lead your child to faith in Christ? You are responsible to teach spiritual principles like how to know God's will, and how to choose a mate, and manage money, and just how to be courteous. You have been given the responsibility to teach the values that will shape your children's lives. And you can do it anywhere - at home or away from home. In the house or in the car. I shared with some of you an opportunity that I had with one of my kids just the other day as we got away together and were sleeping out under the stars by a trout stream. We talked about what the Bible teaches about wisdom. A week or so ago I sat across the table at a restaurant with another of my kids and talked about the sufficiency of Christ in our lives. Take those opportunities, make those opportunities to instill the principles of God's Word into your kids.

c. Enforce. We are to discipline our children. Prov. 23:13 "Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you punish him with the rod, he will not die." Prov. 13:24 "He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him." Now I understand the problem of child abuse and there is no excuse for a man to brutalize a child. But understand that is a perversion and not a definition of biblical discipline. Godly discipline doesn't leave scars but it does leave and impression.

The reason it is important to discipline children is because it prepares them for life. There will never be a time when they are not required to be subject to someone's authority... And the reason many people can't stay out of trouble in school or keep a job or generally get along in life is because not been taught to respect authority. And that starts at home. Proper discipline including corporal punishment is not only essential it is healthy. Prov. 19:18 "Discipline your son, for in that there is hope; do not be a willing party to his death." Prov. 29:15 "The rod of correction imparts wisdom, but a child left to himself disgraces his mother." Discipline in the home prepares a child to function in the world.

d. Employ. We must train our children through work. Even little children can learn responsibility through chores. We are living in an age when many young people think that the world owes them a living. But it's not necessarily their fault. They've not been taught the value of work, or the value of possessions or privileges that have to be earned because everything has been given to them. I've told my children I wish I could afford to give them everything they want but it really doesn't make any difference because I wouldn't if I could. Because it wouldn't be fair to them. They need to learn a work ethic in order to get along in the world and its a lot harder to learn it all of the sudden when you find yourself out on your own than to learn it gradually as you grow up.

e. Entertain. We must train our families through fun. You need to learn to be fun. Let down your hair so to speak. Learn to enjoy your family. For some dads that's easy. Some have to work at it. And sometimes it's difficult if you have several children because they all may have different like and dislikes but with a little effort you can find some common ground and interests and enjoy having fun together. I remember setting down at the dinner table one time and one of my kids ended there prayer like this. "Lord please make us a family that laughs". A newspaper had a contest in which kids wrote in with a sentence of paragraph that said why "My Pop's Tops" One little boy wrote, "We have such good fun with my dad that I wisht I'd known him sooner." Dad, let me ask you a question that has been shaping how I parent for a long time. Are you fun to live with? If not then a major element is missing in the spiritual training of you family.

You can scroll down past this section and read part one if you have not already.

2. Personal Commitment to Church. Heb. 10:25 speaks of "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together..." A wife or a child should never have to ask this question, "Are we going to Church today?" Dad as spiritual provider you are responsible to see that you family is in regular attendance of a local Church. What do I mean regular attendance? I mean whenever they meet. Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night, special meetings. Now I know that everyone has to miss church sometimes but non attendance should be the exception not the rule. I've heard all the excused and so have you. "I'm to tired to get up. Sunday is my only day off. It interferes with our family time. There's nothing for the children. The kids don't want to go-(There's a good one. Who is the authority in you home anyway? Isaiah, speaking prophetically says, "children are their oppressors, and women rule over them.") You know what the truth is? It is that Dad is not personally committed and without that commitment it will require a miracle of God to build that commitment in you children.

A couple of months ago I sat down with a dad who professes to be a Christian but who seldom attends church and shared these things with him. I said, "You know that without exposing your kids to the truth of God's Word they are probably going to go the way of the world." I said, "you know that one day you are going to regret not taking the initiative to lead your family spiritually and you are going to come to me and ask, 'what can I do? My kids are in trouble and they are in rebellion', and I'm going to have to say, "I'm sorry but it may be too late". And he said you're right, you're right. But he has never gotten back in Church. Dads listen to me. One day God is going to require of you and of me an accounting for our families commitment to the Church. You say, "well I don't have to take my family to church, I'll just teach them to love Jesus at home". The Bible says that Christ loved the Church and gave himself for it. And you can't love Jesus with out loving what Jesus loved. We must love the Church.

3. Personal Commitment to Coaching. Spiritual Coaching. Spiritual training in the home. Eph. 6:4 "Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord." Before I go any further let me clear up a misconception. Just because children are reared in a home where, parents are saved, provided for materially, tithe, pray, Bible is read, does not mean spiritual training is taking place. There must be a specific emphasis on training. If not there is little chance the children will grow up loving God.

Now you may ask, "Why are you dealing with that under the heading of spiritual provision? Listen carefully, this is very important. It is because to be effective, training must be done in a spiritual context. There are all sorts of people trying to teach what I call a "secular morality". The world says "Just say no!" to drugs and sex. Do you know why it doesn't work? Because is carries no power to enforce it. You can know right from wrong but that doesn't motivate you to make right choices. If it did you'd never sin. But morality without spirituality is an allusion. There's no such thing. The difference in spiritual training is the Spirit of God that energizes us and provides the power to live rightly and to make right choices.

Now notice quickly 5 areas of spiritual training. Let me give you some key words to help you remember.

a. Example. We must be a Christlike example. You see a child does what his father says until he's about 15 then he does what his father does. Dad's, your kids will adopt your values. And not feigned values. They'll see through a facade of spirituality in a heartbeat. They live with you and they know what's important to you. One dad said, "I'm no model father but I try to live my life so that when someone tells my son he reminds them of me, he'll stick out his chest instead of his tongue". It's a child's innate desire to win the approval of his parents and this is what they'll think, "If he does it, then he must approve, so I'll do it too."

b. Educate. We must teach the principles God's word. Deut. 6: 6-7 "These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up." God says teach the principles of God's Word to your children. Dad, can you name on biblical principle that you have taught your children in the last 30 days? Could you lead your child to faith in Christ? You are responsible to teach spiritual principles like how to know God's will, and how to choose a mate, and manage money, and just how to be courteous. You have been given the responsibility to teach the values that will shape your children's lives. And you can do it anywhere - at home or away from home. In the house or in the car. I shared with some of you an opportunity that I had with one of my kids just the other day as we got away together and were sleeping out under the stars by a trout stream. We talked about what the Bible teaches about wisdom. A week or so ago I sat across the table at a restaurant with another of my kids and talked about the sufficiency of Christ in our lives. Take those opportunities, make those opportunities to instill the principles of God's Word into your kids.

c. Enforce. We are to discipline our children. Prov. 23:13 "Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you punish him with the rod, he will not die." Prov. 13:24 "He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him." Now I understand the problem of child abuse and there is no excuse for a man to brutalize a child. But understand that is a perversion and not a definition of biblical discipline. Godly discipline doesn't leave scars but it does leave and impression.

The reason it is important to discipline children is because it prepares them for life. There will never be a time when they are not required to be subject to someone's authority... And the reason many people can't stay out of trouble in school or keep a job or generally get along in life is because not been taught to respect authority. And that starts at home. Proper discipline including corporal punishment is not only essential it is healthy. Prov. 19:18 "Discipline your son, for in that there is hope; do not be a willing party to his death." Prov. 29:15 "The rod of correction imparts wisdom, but a child left to himself disgraces his mother." Discipline in the home prepares a child to function in the world.

d. Employ. We must train our children through work. Even little children can learn responsibility through chores. We are living in an age when many young people think that the world owes them a living. But it's not necessarily their fault. They've not been taught the value of work, or the value of possessions or privileges that have to be earned because everything has been given to them. I've told my children I wish I could afford to give them everything they want but it really doesn't make any difference because I wouldn't if I could. Because it wouldn't be fair to them. They need to learn a work ethic in order to get along in the world and its a lot harder to learn it all of the sudden when you find yourself out on your own than to learn it gradually as you grow up.

e. Entertain. We must train our families through fun. You need to learn to be fun. Let down your hair so to speak. Learn to enjoy your family. For some dads that's easy. Some have to work at it. And sometimes it's difficult if you have several children because they all may have different like and dislikes but with a little effort you can find some common ground and interests and enjoy having fun together. I remember setting down at the dinner table one time and one of my kids ended there prayer like this. "Lord please make us a family that laughs". A newspaper had a contest in which kids wrote in with a sentence of paragraph that said why "My Pop's Tops" One little boy wrote, "We have such good fun with my dad that I wisht I'd known him sooner." Dad, let me ask you a question that has been shaping how I parent for a long time. Are you fun to live with? If not then a major element is missing in the spiritual training of you family.

Proverbs 1:3 gives us the next components in the purpose of Proverbs.

The NIV says, “for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair;”

The King James probably provides the better translation in this instance. “To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity;”

Now first notice it says, “to receive”. That’s important. Because, (I’ve alluded to this, but I haven’t actually stated it.), No one has wisdom by nature. We’ve already seen that it comes either by experience - (Someone has said, if we ignore the past we condemn ourselves to repeat its mistakes.)

Or we get it through the study of scripture, and especially the book of Proverbs. Either way, it is something we receive as a gift, but it’s not something we’re born with.

Ok what is it we receive? "Instruction”. Now that’s the same word we saw in verse :2 – but instruction in what? Notice four things.

1. “Wisdom” Now this is slightly different from the wisdom in verse :2 (chokma) (which is the ability to use knowledge to solve life problems). This is (saw-kal') which might be better translated, “Wise dealing”. This is active wisdom. See you can have wisdom but not use it. This word implies action. It’s wisdom put into practice. It’s like common sense in decision-making. Maybe the best word to describe this attribute would be “decisiveness”. Here’s person who doesn’t second guess his decisions. That’s what this is. Proverbs teach us to be decisive.

2. “justice” Better “righteousness”. Now remember that there are two kinds of righteousness. We’ve discussed this before. There is positional righteousness that we receive by faith in Christ. It is when He takes our sin and gives us his position of righteousness with God. The second kind of righteousness is personal righteousness, or righteous acts. That’s what is being described here.

This is personal conduct that conforms to a relationship. Here the relationship is to the covenant law of God. So this righteousness refers to active obedience to the law. (Of course this was written during the Old Testament period when the only written part of the Bible they had was the law.) So for us this word would mean, active obedience to the Word of God – the Bible.

Notice it is “active” obedience. Not just knowledge of the Word. Not just an understanding of it. Romans 2:13 says, “For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous.”

Its God’s will for us to know the Word of God, but we must also act upon that knowledge.

3. “judgment” Now like “rightousness” is a better translation of the last word than“justice”, here, “justice” is probably a better translation than “judgement”.

“Righteousness” has to do with our relationship to God. “Justice” has to do with our relationship to man. And this word has to do not only with our conduct in obedience to God, but our conduct with respect to others. Our moral behavior. This is, “How to maintain an upright posture in a fallen world”. (I don’t remember who said that. – I wish I had.)

There is much in Proverbs about guarding our morality. And it centers on the existence of absolutes. There is such a thing as good and evil right and wrong. It is based on a divinely established moral order.

4. “equity” “Equity” means “straight, level or even”. This is a word that still even in modern English carries a similar meaning, even though it has shifted somewhat even in the last few decades. Let me give you and illustration. If someone is a criminal, one colloquialism we use of such a person is a “crook” or we say they are “crooked”.

30 years ago if a person didn’t drink or use drugs he was said to be “straight”. That’s changed in our contemporary culture. Today if a person is a heterosexual, he is said to be “straight”. All together, that’s the meaning here. Conduct that is straight forward.

Now let me make one final observation about this verse. All of these elements in the purpose of Proverbs exist as a part of a lifestyle, and not just independent actions. What I mean is that these qualities are to become so much a part of our character, that they don’t require contemplation. They are to become “second nature” to us so that we use them almost unconsciously.

When I was in the Navy I had a friend who was from the Philippines. He had learned Karate as a child and had practiced it all his life. So his reflexes were so highly tuned that it was almost impossible to catch him off guard and strike him. Any punch or kick toward him (even if he was not expecting it) was immediately blocked – defended, and an appropriate offensive response set in motion.

That’s the picture here spiritually. The purpose of Proverbs is to teach us and train us and tune us spiritually so that instantly, instinctively we will react and respond Biblically to whatever life throws at us.

Ephesians 5:22-23

Intro. Today we celebrate Father's Day. It is a day when we make phone calls and send cards and do the things that Dads like to do in order to demonstrate our love. I read recently some interesting facts that had been gathered about Father's Day. For instance:

1. The average number of gifts per dad on Fathers Day is 2.5, with a combined value of $70. (I'd like to see how that compares to Mother's day but they didn't give that information.)

2. On Fathers Day, 80 million pounds of beef are consumed on picnics and barbecues, and 100 million cards are mailed.

3. Someone said that the popularity of Fathers' Day, among women was because it gave mothers "social permission" to dress dad "the way she wanted him to look in her fantasies. I'm not sure I know what that means but it sounds interesting.

Here’s one I do believe.
4. More than any other day the largest number of collect calls are made on Father's Day.

Father's Day is a day we set aside to honor the men who gave us life. But you know there's more to being a father than just producing children.

You've probably heard it said and it is so true that just about any man can be a father but it takes someone special to be a dad. And we are going to talk about that today.

There is a difference between being a father and being a Godly father. And we are going to talk today about The Attributes of a Godly Father.

What Does a Dad Do?
Erma Bombeck wrote in response to that question: “I received a letter from a single mother who had raised a son who was about to become a dad. Since he had no recollection of his own father, her question to me was ‘What do I tell him a father does?’

When my dad died in my ninth year, I, too, was raised by my mother, giving rise to the same question, ‘What do fathers do?’

As far as I could observe, they brought around the car when it rained so everyone else could stay dry. They always took the family pictures, which is why they were never in them.

They carved turkeys on Thanksgiving, kept the car gassed up, weren't afraid to go into the basement, mowed the lawn, and tightened the clothesline to keep it from sagging.

It wasn't until my husband and I had children that I was able to observe firsthand what a father contributed to a child's life. What did he do to deserve his children's respect? What did he do?

He threw them higher than his head until they were weak from laughter. He cast the deciding vote on the puppy debate. He listened more than he talked. He let them make mistakes.

He allowed them to fall from their first two‑wheeler without having a heart attack. He read a newspaper while they were trying to parallel park a car for the first time in preparation for their driving test.

If I had to tell someone's son what a father really does that is important, it would be that he shows up for the job in good times and bad times. He's a man who is constantly being observed by his children.

They learn from him how to handle adversity, anger, disappointment and success. He won't laugh at their dreams no matter how impossible they might seem. He will make unpopular decisions and stand by them. When he is wrong and makes a mistake, he will admit it.

He sets the tone for how family members treat one another, members of the opposite sex and people who are different than they are.

He involves himself in his kids' lives. A father has the potential to be a powerful force in the life of a child. Grab it! Maybe you'll get a greeting card for your efforts. Maybe not. But it's steady work.”

A Father indeed wears many hats but two of them are so large that really all of the others can come under them. Those two attributes are Leader and Provider.

I. Leader. The average man marries for the wrong reason. To enjoy himself - not realizing the awesome responsibility. Eph. 5:22-23 is often used to teach the biblical doctrine of submission. But it also has implications for the husband that may be skipped over. It is God's announcement that men, whether they want it or not are the leaders in their homes. And with that privilege comes responsibility.

A husband is the president of a corporation with many divisions. (Housekeeping, food service, laundry, transportation, education, medicine, worship, recreation, finance, maintenance, and many others you have no doubt already identified. Yet how haphazardly men often take that responsibility.

Now sometimes a wife may be a dominate person and take over leadership in a family. But more often, the reason women find themselves in that position is because the husband won't lead and she says, "Well someone has to do it."

But if a man is being and doing what God intended, a wife cannot and would not want to usurp that position. "Pastor are you saying that women are incapable of leading a family?" Absolutely not! A wife may carry leadership admirably. But a family will never function properly unless the husband is in leadership. If you reverse God's design you hinder the outcome. Leadership begins with the husband even if he resigns the post.

II. Provider. Under this heading we find the rest of the attributes. Biblically there are three areas of provision.

In the introduction to Proverbs, (See www.ibcpastor.blogspot.com), we looked at verse one of chapter one and discovered that the title of the book is Proverbs, from the Hebrew [Mashal], which refers to short rhythmic statements that are catchy and full of meaning. And they had wide spread acceptance as teaching tools.

We also learned that most of the book of Proverbs was written by Solomon. It is possible that chapters 30 and 31 were not, but the names used there may be alternate names for Solomon. It really doesn’t matter. It doesn’t damage the book in any way if there were other contributors because it was all given under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and eventually canonized as scripture. So it is still the Word of God even if there were other authors.

So verse one gives us the author and the explanation of what Proverbs are. Verses 2-6 gives us the purpose for the book of Proverbs. We alluded to some of this last week.

Remember we said that Proverbs deal with choices people make. They speak of family relationships, business ethics, moral choices, and inner motivation, and again universal in their application.

Proverbs adapt themselves to our situation, and provide instruction in handling “life”. The issues and apprehensions of life that bog us down. The questions we ask about how to raise our kids and handle our money, and make the most of our marriage, and get along with our neighbors and our employers. These are the things that Proverbs teach us.

But I guess that’s really more about what they are. But in Proverbs 1:2-6 God tells us what His purpose is for this book. Why did he inspire it? Why was it written? Why did he make sure that it is available to us 3000 years later to read and study? Well in these verses he makes that very clear.

1:2 “for attaining wisdom and discipline; for understanding words of insight;”

God is very clear. This book was given first of all for attaining:

“Wisdom”. If we had to sum up the theme of the book of Proverbs in one word it would be “Wisdom”. We saw last week that this book along with Job, some of the Psalms and Ecclesiastes are known as “Wisdom Literature”

The word, “wisdom” comes from the Hebrew word “chokma”, and has different meanings depending on the context. For instance,

II Chronicles 2:7 “Send me, therefore, a man skilled to work in gold and silver, bronze and iron, and in purple, crimson and blue yarn, and experienced in the art of engraving, to work in Judah and Jerusalem with my skilled craftsmen, whom my father David provided.”

Here is means and is translated “skilled”. The KJV says, “cunning”.

II Samuel 13:3 “Now Amnon had a friend named Jonadab son of Shimeah, David's brother. Jonadab was a very shrewd man.”

In this verse it is translated “shrewd”. The KJV here renders it “Subtle”.

But in our text in Proverbs, it probably has to do with knowledge of the moral law of God – that is what God requires. And it refers to the ability to use that knowledge to live life rightly. There is a difference between knowledge and wisdom. Knowledge is simply the possession of facts. Wisdom is the ability to use those facts. It’s kind of like the difference between classroom instruction and practical experience. In the classroom, you learn facts. Then you go out and apply those facts to life, AND in the process you learn a whole lot more.

Brenda and I were talking about that the other night. She was saying that there were all these facts that she was being introduced to in her nursing classes. Some of them are clear and some of them are not. But when she has clinicals and sees those things put into practice, or she gets to practice them, they make more sense and the big picture begins to come together.

Proverbs was written toward the end of Solomon’s life because he had attained a great deal of wisdom through his life experience. That’s why Proverbs speaks highly of the gray hair of the righteous.

Proverbs 20:29 “The glory of young men is their strength, gray hair the splendor of the old.” That is young men delight to show strength and agility of body; whereas in old age physical strength is often replaced by wisdom and experience.

But not only is this book for the purpose of attaining wisdom, but also:

“Discipline”. If you have a King James, it says “instruction”. Now the basic meaning of both these words is “Chastisement”. You know what chastisement is? That’s when your daddy used to take you to the woodshed. “Discipline”, “Correction”. That’s the kind of instruction Solomon is talking about here.

Sometimes we learn instruction from experience, and other times it requires, “instruction”. I used to get a lot of “instruction” from my parents. And sometimes I get “instruction” from my heavenly Father. Does God ever take you to the woodshed? Now why does God do that? Because He loves us.

Hebrews 12:6 “For whom the LORD loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.” The New American Standard Version say, “FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES,”

So sometimes God is going to use the book of Proverbs to discipline us. Are you ready for that? We are going to see things that we are doing right. But sometimes we are going to be confronted with areas that we need to change. And it’s very important that we accept that. Why? Let me give you two reasons.

First, look at Hebrews 12:8 “If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons.” You see when God disciplines us, its evidence of sonship. What does that mean?

We all sin. As believers we try not to but we do. John says, I Jn. 1:8 “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” And when we do sin, God disciplines us, that’s what we just saw in Hebrews 12:6. But if God never spanks you. If God never chastises you. If God never disciplines you, then Heb. 12:8 says, you’re not a child of God.

Sometimes people come to me with questions about assurance of their salvation. They think they are saved but something has made them question it. So one of the questions I usually ask is simply this. Can you sin and get away with it. If you can sin and God doesn’t convict you about it and discipline you, if you’re not grieved by it, then you’re probably not saved. That’s what the Bible says.

Now the second reason discipline is important is because it’s worth it. Notice Heb. 12:11. “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”

God’s “instruction”, His loving discipline, administered to his sons and daughters is not without cause and it’s not without fruit. God’s discipline, while not pleasant at the time, ultimately produces righteousness in our lives. And that’s the point – and the purpose of Proverbs.

The third purpose for the book of Proverbs that we find here is also in verse 2. It is:

“For understanding words of insight”, (KJV- “to perceive the words of understanding”). This is the characteristic that we all pray our children will acquire. It is the attribute that we have tried to drum into the heads of our children since they were small. It is the trait we want our youth to learn – But – it is a quality that we all need no matter our age.

The words “understanding” and “insight” are similar words. The writer used them for emphasis to demonstrate just how extremely important this point is. Both words have the same root as the Hebrew preposition “between”. It refers to one who can “see between the lines”. Someone has said that it takes rare insight to read between the lines, and that is true. But the author of Proverbs is telling us that one who studies this book can, to a degree, achieve that ability.

It is the ability to decide upon a right course of action. It is the ability to make right choices. The ability to make accurate life decisions. To be able to discern the will of God for one’s life.

It should be pointed out that Genesis chapters ten and eleven are not recorded in chronological order. The events of chapter eleven occurred first. That is not an error but simply a literary device. It is part of the narrative art of Genesis to give the explanation of the event after the narration of the event.

Chapter ten identifies which nations descended from each of Noah's three sons. Chapter eleven explains how the dispersion of these nations transpired.

This information is important because without it, a cursory reading of chapter ten might lead some to believe that when the family of Noah began to increase, there followed a natural expansion, as mankind migrated across the face of the earth.

The fact is, however, as can be readily seen in chapter eleven, the people did not relocate naturally or willingly. In fact, there was a monumental rebellion against the idea of expansion and dispersion.

For whatever reasons, they wanted to remain geographically united. It was, however, God's plan to distribute humanity over the face of the earth, and scripture makes it clear that God communicated His will to the people, and that it was He who made certain it happened. From that dispersion sprang all of the nations of the world.

Duet. 32:8 says, "When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance, when he divided all mankind, he set up boundaries for the peoples according to the number of the sons of Israel."

Paul preaching to the men of Athens also makes reference to this in Acts 17:26. "From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live."

Chapter ten lists the names of the descendants of Noah through his three sons: Japheth, Ham, and Shem. Many of the names listed are not only names of individuals but also became the titles of nations and people groups.

The descendants of Japheth - Genesis 10:2‑5 "The sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech and Tiras. The sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Riphath and Togarmah. The sons of Javan: Elishah, Tarshish, the Kittim and the Rodanim. (From these the maritime peoples spread out into their territories by their clans within their nations, each with its own language.)"

From Japheth have come the Indo European nations. Gomer is the ancestor of the Celts. Among the nations that emerged from this son of Japheth are: England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. Various regions of Russia appear to have come from Magog, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras.

Madai is the father of the Medes. From Javan came the Greeks. Ashkenaz is the progenitor of the Turks and Germans. Elishah's descendants became the nation of Italy. Tarshish was probably the forefather of Spain.

Others that descended from Japheth include India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Romania, the Vikings, the Swedes, the Norwegians, and the Danes, to name just a few.

The descendants of Ham - 10:6‑20 "The sons of Ham: Cush, Mizraim, Put and Canaan. The sons of Cush: Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah and Sabteca. The sons of Raamah: Sheba and Dedan. Cush was the father of Nimrod, who grew to be a mighty warrior on the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the LORD; that is why it is said, "Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the LORD." The first centers of his kingdom were Babylon, Erech, Akkad and Calneh, in Shinar. From that land he went to Assyria, where he built Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, Calah and Resen, which is between Nineveh and Calah; that is the great city. Mizraim was the father of the Ludites, Anamites, Lehabites, Naphtuhites, Pathrusites, Casluhites (from whom the Philistines came) and Caphtorites. Canaan was the father of Sidon his firstborn, and of the Hittites, Jebusites, Amorites, Girgashites, Hivites, Arkites, Sinites, Arvadites, Zemarites and Hamathites. Later the Canaanite clans scattered and the borders of Canaan reached from Sidon toward Gerar as far as Gaza, and then toward Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha. These are the sons of Ham by their clans and languages, in their territories and nations."

From Ham came the nations that largely, though not exclusively, settled in the continent of Africa. Cush, it is generally agreed, became the people of Ethiopia. From Mizraim came the nation of Egypt. Put is synonymous with Libya.

Two exceptions to the descendants of Ham settling initially in Africa are the Sidonians, or the people of Phoenicia, (modern Lebanon.) The Hittite nations were the descendants of Heth and the Canaanites, who inhabited Palestine when Israel conquered the land, were also Hammites.

During the period of the Judges, Jerusalem was still called Jebus, because it was the home of the Jebusites, descendants of Ham through Canaan. Judges 19:10

Other nations and people groups that are of hametic descent are the Chinese, Japanese and other Asians, American Indians, Eskimos, Australian Aborigines, Polynesians, Pacific Islanders and others.

The descendants of Shem - 10:21‑31. "Sons were also born to Shem, whose older brother was Japheth; Shem was the ancestor of all the sons of Eber. The sons of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud and Aram. The sons of Aram: Uz, Hul, Gether and Meshech. Arphaxad was the father of Shelah, and Shelah the father of Eber. Two sons were born to Eber: One was named Peleg, because in his time the earth was divided; his brother was named Joktan. Joktan was the father of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, Obal, Abimael, Sheba, Ophir, Havilah and Jobab. All these were sons of Joktan. The region where they lived stretched from Mesha toward Sephar, in the eastern hill country. These are the sons of Shem by their clans and languages, in their territories and nations."

From Shem came many of the Arab nations and the Israelis. Elam lived in the area that became Iraq. Asshur settled in the region that is now Iran. Uz fathered the people of Saudi Arabia. Eber is the name from which we get (Hebrew), and through him came the Jews and all who descended from them.