The Bible: Strange & Beautiful

The Bible, if God's Word, would reflect His character. And God is unique, or strange. He is in a class all by Himself. It's impossible to say in all truthfulness that God is exactly like a . . . (fill in the blank). It's impossible because God is distinct from His creation, though His nature is reflected in it. We, by God's works, see a shadow of Him. And shadows do not give us details, only shape. But besides creation and God's works, we have the Bible, which is an objective testimony to His nature. And since God is strange, so is His written revelation. In other words, we should not expect the Bible to be altogether simple, but still quite clear. We should not expect to read only of "normal" ideas in the Bible. God is not "normal". And while the gospel is an unusually understandable message, it is simultaneously a mysterious one, because there is mystery in God.

Belief systems other than Christianity are quite simple. They say do this, not that, and god will favor you. In them there is nothing profound, or mysterious, or remotely beautiful or captivating or refreshing or saving. The hope of all other faith systems is the very one trying to benefit from that system; which is to say, there is no hope, because there is no divinely human Savior, humbling Himself to rescue His wayward and corrupt and helpless creatures. Christianity is for those who believe that their problem is within and salvation comes from without. All other belief systems are for those who believe their problem is without and their hope lies within themselves.

Get Wisdom -- Post 2

Proverbs -- Chapter 2

God is the supplier of real practical holiness (v1-8). He is the means and the end. He is the dispenser of transforming power, for both character and practice. This is why the writer of Hebrews, after preaching to himself and his readers on growing up spiritually, finishes by saying, "And this we will do, if God permits" (6:3).

Notice also the promises attached to the command to get wise -- all of the "if then" statements in the early part of Proverbs 2. God says that those who come to Him on His terms will "understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God" (v5); because it is "the LORD who gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding" (v6). There is more to true life-altering learning than diligent study. There is God, rewarding our right but flawed diligence with gifts eternal. The world has many Bible scholars who don't know the first thing about what the Bible means by what it says. They study and study for a lifetime but still can't see Jesus as God's sent Savior (cf Jn 5:37-42). Knowledge, apart from God's grace, makes a person arrogant, not holy (1 Co 8:1).

Related to this is the reality that apart from God's Word we know nothing rightly. That is, we know not the thing's connection to God and therefore know not it's true purpose. Since it is God that created all things and so gives them their proper meaning, we remain blind to the greater realities apart from God's written revelation. There are at least two ways for Christians to see the world: 1) As God's creation that He employs in His revelation as a thing happens to fit the lesson currently being taught. 2) As God's creation designed to be employed in eternally valuable lessons God is teaching. I believe the second understanding is the sound one. For example, when we see in the Scriptures that Jesus, by using children, teaches us how we come into His kingdom, I assume He designed children to teach that lesson, and not simply makes use of them secondarily (Mt 18:1-6). When the Apostle Paul wants us to understand the meaning of marriage he connects it to God's eternal purposes for the church (Ep 5:22-33). I take from this that God designed the marriage union to teach us about the union between Himself and His bride (Is 54:5). When Jesus wants to teach us not to worry He points us to the way birds feed and the way flowers grow (Mt 6:25-34). When He wants to teach us about how He cares for us He makes use of a flock of sheep and their shepherd (Jn 10). And of course the Old Testament is filled with particular designs with their full meanings known only much later when the New Testament is being penned -- things like the tabernacle, the temple, the sacrificial system, the priesthood, the Sabbath, the Law of Moses, feast days, particular characters (Melchizedek, for example), etc -- things which were only shadows and types and pointers to the coming Substance (Col 2:16-23; Ga 3; He 8-9).

I notice too in Proverbs 2 that God is shown to be active. He is storing up sound wisdom for the upright and shielding those with integrity and guarding the paths of justice and watching over the way of His saints (v7-8). Deism is wrong. God is not passive. He's the most active of all beings. His activity is the foundation of all activity. Without it, there would be nothing else (Col 1:17; He 1:3). The second two-thirds of the chapter reveal His activity of preservation, deliverance, blessing, and judgment. Yes, God is busy; busy with us, among other things. What a wonderfully comforting thought. And His Son said that He would always be with us, even until the end of the age (Mt 28:20).

Get Wisdom

Today I begin an ever so brief look at Proverbs, to make observations according to what I am able to see in a read through each chapter. I am an expert in nothing, including the Wisdom Books of Holy Scripture. But I do want to be wise. The only other option is to be foolish. And if my effort may help anyone else also seeking to gain wisdom, then I give thanks. I'll try to give some New Testament cross references for those interested in seeing Old Testament truth in New Testament texts.

Proverbs -- Chapter 1

What I notice right away is that God speaks to us as children (v8-10). This is a recurring theme throughout Proverbs, from chapter 1 to 31. God comes to us as a Father, as the Perfect Parent, much like I think He approached Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. You can see this in Genesis 3 when He comes to correct them following their rebellion. He comes to counsel and correct and hold out grace and truth (cf Jn 1:14-17). He also punishes, as any loving parent will (cf He 12:3-11). There is much here for Christian parents to see. Our parenting is to image God's care for His children. It's important that we raise our children in the fear of God, and in the instruction of the Lord (cf Ep 6). It's foolish to expect from our children what we have not deliberately taught them and modeled for them. And it's foolish to believe that our children are the exceptions that need no punishment. "He who withholds his rod hates his son. But he who loves him disciplines him diligently" (Pr 13:24). "Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child. The rod of discipline will remove it far from him" (Pr 22:15). I find it quite difficult to deliberately hurt my children, even for their own long term good. But I remember that faith in God's ways is required for all of life, the discipline of our children included. I can trust my feelings or I can trust God's Word. Trusting my feelings damages my children.

Also, it seems clear to me that our Heavenly Father means for us to live full lives; that is, lives full of good things. The best things may be immaterial, like those held out to us in v2-7; things such as wisdom, instruction, insight, understanding, prudence, discretion, learning, guidance, and the fear of the LORD. Other of the good things include the good warnings of Scripture, such as those found in v24-32. God loudly, clearly, and repeatedly calls out to His creatures to listen to Him and kindly but sternly warns us of the consequences of ignoring Him (cf He 2:1-4).

Finally, God is the designer of life. So it only makes sense to learn of Him and trust Him and heed Him (cf Mt 11:27-30). This is wisdom. It is the fool that "refuses to listen" when God has "stretched out His hand" (v24). It is the fool that ignores His counsel and reproof (v25); that hates knowledge and refuses to fear its Source (v29). It should be taken to heart that the wisdom God offers is a wisdom learned. Work is required -- the work of thought and prayer. It is not the mentally stupid who miss the wisdom of God. It is the mentally lazy and/or distracted (v32; cf He 2:1-4 & 5:11-6:3).

Good Things Mean God Is

Do not be deceived my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. 

James 1:16-18

If you ask the Bible why we have good things, the answer is that God, who is good, gives them to us. Without the God of the Bible there would be nothing, let alone good somethings. If the world were random having evolved as the naturalists and evolutionists tell us, would there be so many good things? I  don't think so. I hypothesize that there would be only what is necessary for survival but nothing for joyfulness. The design would be radically different; or, I should say, because there would be no design there would be no goodness. Our bodies would work, but without taste buds. We could procreate, but without intimacy and orgasms. I imagine you see where I'm heading with this. If God is the source of all goodness, then a world without Him is not good.

In the verses above the good and perfect gift being described is the gift of salvation from sin and its effects and consequences. But James means for us to recognize God not only as the giver of redemption, but also the giver of every good gift and every perfect gift. This text came to mind this morning when I was preparing my second of three breakfasts -- a banana slathered with Peter Pan crunchy peanut butter. I thanked God for that food combination believing that wondrous concoction to be a good gift from my Heavenly Father. And He gave it to me to enjoy (1 Ti 6:17). Food is fuel. Our bodies are designed to run on the stuff. Isn't it a gift that we get to like the fuel, not just consume it? God could have given lots of fuels that all taste the same, and/or taste bad, and/or have no taste at all. But He did the good and generous thing -- He gave a variety, with different tastes, textures, smells, etc. That's good.

Consider the many good things you have and enjoy. And consider the perfect salvation He gives in His Son Jesus Christ. And know that God is.

When He opens His hand, we are filled with good things.

Ps 104:27-28

God Is Not Ever-Suffering

I've been talking a bit about the existence of the God of the Bible and a person's belief in it. And in doing that I've spent a small amount of space describing those who take the atheistic or agnostic position. God's titles for such folks are "fools", "scoffers", and "scorners". And here's what I read this morning on the matter:

"The LORD's curse is on the house of the wicked, but He blesses the dwelling of the righteous. Toward the scorners He is scornful, but to the humble He gives favor. The wise will inherit honor, but fools get disgrace" -- Proverbs 3:33-35.

The Bible declares God to be patient, loving, slow to anger, and long-suffering. It does not declare Him to be ever-suffering. He will not strive with a person endlessly (Ge 6:3), as His flooding of the world proves.