Outward Behavior Reveals the Inward Heart - Proverbs 5-6

Proverbs 6:12-15 (ESV)

12 A worthless person, a wicked man,

goes about with crooked speech,

13 winks with his eyes, signals with his feet,

points with his finger,

14 with perverted heart devises evil,

continually sowing discord;

15 therefore calamity will come upon him suddenly;

in a moment he will be broken beyond healing.

The word “worthless” in the above verse (A worthless person ...) is defined by one commentators as follows:

The אד֨ בליעל, "man of Belial," is given a full description. He is a scoundrel; the phrase means more than "worthless," and less than "devilish." He is described as evil in 16:27, where he is certainly in bad company (16:27-30), and in 19:28 he is associated with unjust and false witness.

The word is used three times in Proverbs.  The term, in context of Proverbs, is speaking about a person who has rejected God’s Wisdom and becomes a “fool.”   A “foolish” man is one who rejects God and His Wisdom (see Psalm 14:1).   The context of the above verses shows us that what is in the belief structure of a person will come out in the behavior of the person.   You can’s separate behavior from belief.  This “scoundrel” rejects truth and, therefore lives a life that injures and harms truth.   Notice the area’s where this person’s life demonstrates his/her rejection of truth:

1. Crooked speech - no matter what they say you can’t trust their words.

2.  Winks with eyes - they use  non-verbal deception to get what they want.

3. Signals with his feet - this is a metaphor for more deception.  They take “steps” as though they are changing course or going in a great course, but they return to their old ways, sooner than later. 

4. Points with finger - they never go wrong.  They “point fingers” at everyone else and never take responsibility. 

5.  Heart devises evil - they are always (ALWAYS) possessed with evil and planning evil things (see Proverbs 1). 

6.  Continually sowing discord - they always try to have and make discord.  They never want harmony. They might step toward harmony.  They may wink at harmony.   They might point fingers that others are destroying harmony and not them.  But, it is them.  

But, they will get their fruit at the end of sowing all this discord.   Calamity will overtake them ... suddenly.  They will end up “broken, beyond repair.”   People who reject God’s truth all end up the same.  No matter who they are or what they see.  Their behavior, over time, will demonstrate who they are.  We are to not listen to them.  We are not to give them power in our lives.   

In this section Solomon is giving us the "qualities" of a useless or "worthless" man. Solomon wants us to beware of such men and wants us to know how to recognize them. In verse twelve we see that worthliness is first revealed by the tongue ... out of the heart the mouth speaks (Proverbs 4:23). If you hang out with people long enough and listen to their words it doesn't take long for their lips to convey the soils of the heart. What's in the well comes up in the bucket. So, it is important to listen to the mouth if you want to recognize the quaility fo the person you are with. Solomon lists other identifiers in the next few verses but the first he lists is the tongue. He wants us to listen. This is in stark contrast to the Words of Truth that are found in God's Word and in the life of those who seek wisdom. Those who pursue wisdom have different language than those who pursue their own selfish ends. God revelas the character of the heart though the conduit of the tongue. Just listen.

Leadership Should Lead Efforts Regarding Poverty - Psalms 72-74

Psalms 72:12-14 (ESV)

For he delivers the needy when he calls,

the poor and him who has no helper.

He has pity on the weak and the needy,

and saves the lives of the needy.

From oppression and violence he redeems their life,

and precious is their blood in his sight.

Psalm 72 is a prayer of Solomon’s asking God to give him, the king, justice in his leadership.  The he in the above passage (as throughout this prayer) is not God, but rather the king; the earthly leader.    The attributes that Solomon is praying for, however, are the attributes of God.   The above three verses are asking God to provide the king with the ability to rescue the poor and the needy.  This is something God does and is concerned about in human governance.    We have a lot of talk in our country over this very topic.   It could well be imagined what it was like in Solomon’s day.   He could very well have walked the streets of Jerusalem and see the poor and the needy.   His home, however, was filled with silver, ivory and gold.   In fact, the scripture states that there was so much sliver in his day it had very little value.   There was certainly then, as now, a disparity between the haves and the have-nots.   God wants us to recognize that among our society and wants to equip leaders who think this way.  The Bible is very clear about how the poor are taken care of.   That is not the topic of this prayer, however.  Here we learn that those responsible to care for the poor start with the leadership of the land.   We can debate how to do all we want, but leadership is to want to do it and lead the efforts.  

Unknown People Are Made Known by God - 1 Kings 14-17

1 Kings 16:1-4 (ESV)

And the word of the LORD came to Jehu the son of Hanani against Baasha, saying, “Since I exalted you out of the dust and made you leader over my people Israel, and you have walked in the way of Jeroboam and have made my people Israel to sin, provoking me to anger with their sins, behold, I will utterly sweep away Baasha and his house, and I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat. Anyone belonging to Baasha who dies in the city the dogs shall eat, and anyone of his who dies in the field the birds of the heavens shall eat.”

Have you ever heard of the prophet Jeremiah?  Yes, most have.   Have you ever heard a message about the prophet Isaiah? Yes, most of us have.  Have you ever heard a teaching on the run-a-way prophet Jonah?  Of course, almost everyone (even non-believers) have heard about the prophet swallowed by a whale.   But, have you ever heard a message, teaching or even a little devotional on the prophet Jehu, the one recorded in the above passage?  I have read through the Bible for decades.  But if I would have had a Jeopardy question tossed to me that had anything to do with the prophet Jehu, I would not have recalled his name.   In the Old Testament he is recorded in the above passage and then also here:

2 Chronicles 19:2 (ESV) 

But Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him and said to King Jehoshaphat, “Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the LORD? Because of this, wrath has gone out against you from the LORD.

2 Chronicles 20:34

(ESV) Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, from first to last, are written in the chronicles of Jehu the son of Hanani, which are recorded in the Book of the Kings of Israel.

Apparently he has more prophesies than just the one above.   Jehu, this obscure prophet, is asked to deliver a message to an evil king named Baasha.  In the subsequent verses in the chapter Jehu’s prophecy will come to fruition.    Baasha will be destroyed.   But we know little about Jehu other than the fact that he was the son of Hanani. In the Hebrew language his name means the Lord is He.   It is actually a popular name in the OT, as the name is used 58 times to refer to number of different people.   But this prophet is never-the-less unknown to us, except for these three passages.   This is a great picture how God can take a common man and use them in uncommon ways.   Jehu is delivering a message of doom and gloom to this bad king.    God can use people like  this to do His work and then we never hear of them again.  Too many people in Christianity want to be known for something.  But in God’s world and work He often uses the lessor parts of the body (a hand, a foot, a finger, etc.) to accomplishing something great.  They are not noticeable by anyone other than God.  But God uses the lessor to speak to the greater.  Note how Paul said this same thought to the church at Corinth:

1 Corinthians 1:27 (ESV)

But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;

Paul, himself was famous. But he also thought of himself as nothing before God and in doing God’s work:

2 Corinthians 11:5-6 (ESV)

Indeed, I consider that I am not in the least inferior to these super-apostles. Even if I am unskilled in speaking, I am not so in knowledge; indeed, in every way we have made this plain to you in all things.

Much of the book of 2 Corinthians is Paul defending himself on the one hand (toward those who are false teachers in the church) and commending himself on the other.   He knew he was insignificant and God could use anyone.   Look at the list of who God uses, besides just the Jehu:

1. Noah

2. Moses (thought he was unworthy)

3. David (a shepherd boy and adulterer)

4. Jospeh 

5. Jonah (a disobedient prophet)

6. Paul (a murderer) 

7. Peter (a fishermen)

8. Matthew (a tax-collector)

9. Onisimus ( a run-a-way slave). 

10. Esther (a widow)

11. Mary (a prostitute)

12. Lydia (a merchant) 

13. Sarah (a doubting soon-to-be mother)

14. Deborah (a prophetess)

15. Bathsheba (an adulterer) 

16. Rehab (a prostitute)

17. Martha (a super active and busy woman)

18. Mary (a virgin who bore Jesus)

19. Priscilla (a teacher in Acts)

20. An unnamed widow (who feed and cared for the prophet Elijah)

God uses insignificant people to accomplish His significant work.   Jehu was just a man used by God and then we hear little again.   We can be used by God and then not heard from again by other man.  But always known by God.  

  

Atonement!! Leviticus 4-6

Leviticus 5:1-6 (ESV)

“If anyone sins in that he hears a public adjuration to testify, and though he is a witness, whether he has seen or come to know the matter, yet does not speak, he shall bear his iniquity; or if anyone touches an unclean thing, whether a carcass of an unclean wild animal or a carcass of unclean livestock or a carcass of unclean swarming things, and it is hidden from him and he has become unclean, and he realizes his guilt; or if he touches human uncleanness, of whatever sort the uncleanness may be with which one becomes unclean, and it is hidden from him, when he comes to know it, and realizes his guilt; or if anyone utters with his lips a rash oath to do evil or to do good, any sort of rash oath that people swear, and it is hidden from him, when he comes to know it, and he realizes his guilt in any of these; when he realizes his guilt in any of these and confesses the sin he has committed, he shall bring to the LORD as his compensation for the sin that he has committed, a female from the flock, a lamb or a goat, for a sin offering. And the priest shall make atonement for him for his sin.

Sin is going to be part of our lives until we reach our final destination in Glory and God has completed our redemption.   The issues is NOT if we sin or not.  That is a given.   Those who put their trust in Jesus for the payment of their sins are forgiven and pardon and given the power to overcome sin.  But they are not free from the presence of sin.   We are set free from the penalty of sin.  We will eventually be set free from the presence of sin.   But today we are given power over the presence of sin in our lives.   In the above passage we read that the nation of Israel was certainly not free from the presence of sin.   This portion of Leviticus is about being truthful in our dealings with man and God and what happens when we are not.   The key to the passage is obviously the phrase and he realizes his guilt.   As stated, it is not a question if we will sin or note.  The challenge is if we realize it after we sin.   Are we conscious of our sin?  That is the work of the Spirit as He convicts us of our sin.   When Jesus was on the earth He taught His disciples that the Holy Spirit will come and when He comes He will do many things.  Here is one of them:

John 16:8 (ESV)

And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:

The question is not if we sin.  We will!  The question is not if we will be convicted of the sin!  We will!  That is the role of the Holy Spirit.  The ONLY question is if we respond to the convicting of the Spirit about our sin.   If so there is atonement for the sin.  This is Jesus’ work in our lives.   The Spirit convicts,  we confess, the Son pays for the sin and the Father forgives.   Atonement!! 

Benefits of Christ - Ephesians 1-3

Ephesians 1:15-20 (ESV)

15 For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, 16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, 18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might 20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places,

Paul is writing to the Christians in the city of Ephesus.   In Acts 19-20 we can read about his first visit there.   He caused a riot.    The people of the city, who made their money worshipping the false goddess Artemis, were fearful that the Gospel would destroy both their living and her reputation.   Never-the-less Paul preached.   The result was this amazing church sprang up in the midst of this evilness and chaos.    Paul is now writing to them to both commend them and encourage them to continue in this walk.  He has just outlined some amazing truth they should hear for their encouragement (vss 3-14).   In the above text we read about his prayer for them.  He prays five things over them (areas we should be praying over our churches today):

1. Verses 15-16.   Paul gives thanks to God for them for their current walk.    Sometimes church leaders want so much to see growth out of the members of the Body they forget to recognize the growth they see.   

2. Verse 17.  Paul asks God to give them an even deeper growth in the Spirit of wisdom and the knowledge of Him.  Paul wants them to know Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, even more and more.  Stagnation is not a virtue of the Christian believer.  Growth is both the requirement and the result of true belief.    

3.  Verse 18a.   Specifically, Paul wants the eyes of their heart enlightened so that they might know the hope of their calling.  We live, like these believers, in desperate times and evil days.   Paul wants them (and us) to be encouraged that there is a hope of Jesus return for our final redemption and glorification.   

4.  Verse 18b.  He also wants them to know what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints.   He, again, wants to get their minds off where they were and, instead, where they are going.  We have a glorious inheritance waiting for us.  

5.  Verse 19-20.   Lastly he wants them to remember, what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might.   Yes, we have great hope for the future but we also have great power to live for today.  

So, he wants to know the hope of their calling, the riches of His glorious inheritance and what is the immeasurable greatness of His power.   God provided all this to us by what he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places.   God raising Jesus from the dead did cover our sins. But He did so much more.   We have so much to live out in this life so we no longer have time to be indulged in the things of our past.   Growth in Christ is an imperative but also a rich blessing filled with amazing benefits in Christ.  

False Narratives Exposed - Luke 11-12

Luke 11:53 - 12:3 (ESV)

As he went away from there, the scribes and the Pharisees began to press him hard and to provoke him to speak about many things, lying in wait for him, to catch him in something he might say.

Beware of the Leaven of the Pharisees

In the meantime, when so many thousands of the people had gathered together that they were trampling one another, he began to say to his disciples first, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops.

The context of the above passage is taken from the events immediately following Jesus having dinner at the home of a Pharisee.   Many Pharisees were there and Jesus pronounced all types of warnings against them.  They were the picture of the religious and political powers of the day.   After Jesus leaves they begin to plot about how to catch Him in a hypothetical and/or false narrative.   Yet, it is Jesus who is the one who will reveal truth and expose them.   False religious leaders and power hungry political leaders have one thing in common:   They do not value the truth.  They subvert truth to accomplish their own end.  They want to lead others astray to keep their own power.  They use versions of the truth to do create narratives that promote their messages.  Jesus came to give truth.   In the above passage we read that what is said in dark will be exposed in the light.   The dark and light verbiage is a way of saying false and truth. This is why Jesus said:

John 14:6 (ESV)

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

In a similar conversation with the religious and political leaders, Jesus is stated by John as saying:

John 8:31-32 (ESV)

So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Jesus came to expose false narratives and give us truth.  He was the embodiment of truth.   When we are listening to the establishment of power we ought to use God’s Word to expose any false narratives in their message.  

Have You Ever Thought About Disobeying God? Ezekiel 1-6

If you are ever faced with a decision to serve God or not serve God; if you are ever faced with temptation to indulge in sin and forget God’s Word; if you are ever at a crossroads in your life to either obey God or disobey God, read this first:

Ezekiel 6:11-14 (ESV)

Thus says the Lord GOD: “Clap your hands and stamp your foot and say, Alas, because of all the evil abominations of the house of Israel, for they shall fall by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence. He who is far off shall die of pestilence, and he who is near shall fall by the sword, and he who is left and is preserved shall die of famine. Thus I will spend my fury upon them. And you shall know that I am the LORD, when their slain lie among their idols around their altars, on every high hill, on all the mountaintops, under every green tree, and under every leafy oak, wherever they offered pleasing aroma to all their idols. And I will stretch out my hand against them and make the land desolate and waste, in all their dwelling places, from the wilderness to Riblah. Then they will know that I am the LORD.”

The nation of Israel took the wrong fork in the road.  They decided to disobey God and worship the idols of the world.  As a result God sent them to into captivity and the above fury of His wrath. If you doubt God’s wrath, read the above.  If you question of God disciplines those He loves, read the above.  If you think you can sin without repercussions, read the above.  Paul said it this way:

Galatians 6:7 (ESV)

Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.

Ezekiel was sent to deliver this message to this disobedient people.    God sends His messengers to warn His people. When those people  disobey those messengers, God sends them new messengers to warn them about the destruction that will come upon them as a result of their disobedience.  God is not mocked!