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chochiyo_sama) wrote2008-10-20 06:38 pm
Book of Proverbs, Chapter 2
1 My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee;
2 So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding;
3 Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;
4 If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures;
5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.
I think these verses have to do with really seeking wisdom with the same intensity you would pursue riches. The first verse tells the "son" (all of us children of God) to "receive my words," meaning LISTEN to those words, then goes on to say "hide my commandments with thee." That, I think means that you should hide them in your heart to ponder and examine them in the quiet times when you are alone.
The second verse talks about "inclining the ear unto wisdom"--it's like cocking your head so you can her the wisdom the most clearly. "Apply thine heart for understanding" tells us that we should not just receive the words of wisdom--but we should apply them to our lives. We should reflect on them and find the meaning within them for ourselves--not just listen to the interpretations of others.
In the next verses, we are told that if we "cry after knowledge" and lift up our voices for understanding, seek after wisdom as if it were a valuable treasure or silver--if we really, really seek and struggle and strive for wisdom, we will come to the point where we actually comprehend the messages God is trying to teach us.
6 For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.
Wisdom and knowledge and understanding are all gifts from God.
7 He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly.
If we are righteous (committed to doing what is actually good--not just what is expedient or good only for ourselves), God stores up wisdom for us. Being a "buckler" for us means that God defends us and keeps us safe. A buckler is a shield, so God puts himself between US and anything that is trying to hurt us. Cool.
8 He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints.
God himself is the guardian of the pathways we walk on in our search for knowledge and discernment. He keeps us safe along the way.
9 Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path.
If we keep walking on the path God has set before us, we will undertand what true righteousness is--being Good with a capital G. In addition to righteousness, we will obtain good judgment. Not judgement as in judging others, I think, but judgement as in discerning what is right to do and what is NOT right to do. Equity is also promised...equity has to do with equality--so I think what is being promised here is the ability to deal fairly with all--including one's self.
10 When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul;
11 Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee:
When we fill our hearts with wisdom, and we find knowledge a pleasant, good thing in our souls, the ability to direct our journeys under our own discretion is given to us. As long as we stay within the parameters of what God has given to us, we are free to use our own judgement about a variety of other things. Our ability to understand will help us to survive and thrive.
12 To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things;
13 Who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness;
14 Who rejoice to do evil, and delight in the frowardness of the wicked;
15 Whose ways are crooked, and they froward in their paths:
Our ability to understand will protect us from falling into bad company (being in the way of the evil man), and will help us not to be sucked in by they froward man. Now, I thought froward was a typo. But I looked it up. "Froward" actually means WILLFULLY CONTRARY. Willfully contrary is a very bad and nasty thing. People who deliberately play at misunderstanding to prolong or start a fight. People who do things consciously KNOWING it will piss someone else off. People who argue KNOWING that they are in the wrong. These are froward people. They are people who PREFER to walk on the dark path rather than the path of goodness. The love to do bad things. They find it grand and amusing and charming to be deliberately difficult and unmanageable.
They walk the crooked path of evil rather than the straight path of goodness.
16 To deliver thee from the strange woman, even from the stranger which flattereth with her words;
17 Which forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God.
18 For her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead.
19 None that go unto her return again, neither take they hold of the paths of life.
I am assuming that the "strange woman" metaphor hearkens back to Eve and her temptation of Adam with the apple...her flattering words "go on and taste it...oooooh, it is sooooo delicious" leading him to take a big old chomp out of it. Though I must say, I am always more sympathetic with Eve than Adam. She was, afterall, tempted by SATAN HIMSELF (certainly a powerful force to resist) while Adam was just tempted by Eve. Just a woman. Not the evil overlord of hell.
Perhaps she is the "whore of Babylon," another metaphor. Or perhaps she is just the personification of taking the wrong road in life--not following the "guide of her youth" (the principles and good examples of her forefathers, forgetting the basic truths of God. Her "house" (the way of life she lives and tempts others to live) is a steep incline into doom. Following her path will just lead you to a bad end (dead).
People who fall into her snare don't escape--and they don't turn up on the paths of goodness, either.
20 That thou mayest walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous.
21 For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it.
22 But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it.
We are to avoid the evil woman and her snares so that we can follow the path of GOOD men. So that we can be faithful to our commitment to righteousness.
The people who stick to what is right will live in the land and have possession of it. The wicked ones will not be allowed to have a home. They will be pulled up like weeds and discarded.
sucks to be them.
Filled with wisdom
Good job! I know for me this is a book that transcends cultures and times . . . it looks like it is doing that for you, too. I hope it has relavence for you today, right where you are as well.
Ya know, you've had the same impact on me as this book is having on you. Simple truths simplify things when our thoughts get outta whack. Thank you for all the blessings, my dear friend.
Yours truly,
Pappy
Re: Filled with wisdom
He was so enthusiastic about his subject matter--you couldn't help but get sucked in too.
And he was the cutest thing! A short, rotund, balding fellow with a sly grin and a variety of "voices" he used for reading the character parts. He pulled in all sorts of allusions and references as well. He helped me see the links and connections between all sorts of things.
And he loved me. Thought I was clever and had insight. How could I help but love him back?
He also used to wear a kilt to class at least twice a week, and when asked what the appropriate undergarment for a kilt was, he replied, "A real Scot wears naught but his manhood under his kilt."
Ewwwww....TMI!!!!!
(I didn't sit in the front row directly in front of him any more after that tidbit of knowledge. At least, not while he was wearing his kilt!!!)
I think you give me too much credit, but thanks. You impact me too, my sweet.