Today we read the Song of Solomon also called the Song of Songs indicating that this might be Solomon’s best song. This book has been debated over the years. Some say it is an allegory of God’s love for Israel. Others say an allegory of Christ’s love for the church. Some say it’s a love poem between either Solomon and his Shulamite bride, or between a shepherd and a shepherdess.

At face value the song tells the story of a young man and woman looking forward to their marriage; and then the pleasure of a sexual relationship within the boundaries of marriage. The couple experiences separation in the story but ultimately they are restored back to each other. Song of Solomon emphasizes that sex is meant for marriages between one man and one woman. Couples that honor sexual boundaries and the marriage covenant honor the Lord and reflect their love for Him to the world. God uses the image of marriage as an illustration of His relationship with His people all throughout the Bible.

Later in the Story, Malachi will say to the Jews who have returned from exile in Babylon regarding marriages – “the Lord has been witness between you and the wife of your youth, with whom you have dealt treacherously; yet she is your companion and your wife by covenant. But did He not make them one, having a remnant of the Spirit? And why one? He seeks godly offspring. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously with the wife of his youth. ‘For the Lord God of Israel says that He hates divorce, for it covers one’s garment with violence’” (Malachi 2:14-16). And Jesus will be questioned by the Pharisees about marriage and divorce in an attempt to get Him to misrepresent the law. Jesus will respond saying that the Lord allows divorce under certain circumstances (Deuteronomy 24) because of our hardened hearts but it was never God’s intent for a married couple to separate – ”Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate… Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so” (Matthew 19:6-8). 

In the beginning of the Story, the Lord formed Eve and brought her to Adam saying that they should be joined together as one (Genesis 2:24). But then Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil bringing sin into the world. Now we are all born sinners trying to stay committed to another born sinner in our marriages for the rest of our lives. This is not possible without the Lord. 

God desires for us to show compassion, love, forgiveness, and restoration in our marriages which displays the character of Christ to the world. Paul will later tell the Christians, “Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband” (Ephesians 5:22-33).

Marriage is hard and the union only works well when both the husband and the wife are submitted to the Lord. It is easier for a wife to submit to a husband who is submitted to the Lord because she will trust his leadership. A man surrendered to Christ will seek His guidance in all aspects of his life and he will cherish his wife as Christ cherishes her. Therefore, it is important for both the husband and the wife to draw close to God and pray for one another as they walk together in marriage with the purpose of displaying to all the love Christ has for the church.

Solomon’s life is not a great example of preserving the marriage union. Many commentaries said that Solomon probably wrote this song earlier in his life because in Solomon’s later years he defiles the Lord’s design for marriage by acquiring a thousand women across the nations. As a result of Solomon’s disobedience, the Lord is going to tear ten of the twelve tribes from the hand of Solomon’s son and give them to Solomon’s servant Jeroboam. That’s up tomorrow, so keep reading. 

(Song of Solomon 1:1-8:14) 

#bibleliteracymovement #chronologicalbibleteaching

“Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise, and apply your heart to my knowledge; for it is a pleasant thing if you keep them within you; let them all be fixed upon your lips, so that your trust may be in the Lord; I have instructed you today, even you. Have I not written to you excellent things of counsels and knowledge, that I may make you know the certainty of the words of truth, that you may answer words of truth to those who send to you?” (Proverbs 22:17-21).

True wisdom comes from a correct view of the Lord which can only be found in the Bible. Solomon tells us to apply ourselves in seeking wisdom so that our trust may be in the Lord. The more we seek to know truth through His Word, the wiser we become which leads to a greater dependency upon the Lord. 

Solomon also says that we are to know the truth so that we may answer to others. Having knowledge of the Scriptures gives us confidence to share our faith with the world. Later in the Story, Peter is going to say “always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you” (1 Peter 3:15). 

Our hope is found in Jesus Christ and the truth is that we are all sinners in need of a Savior – “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8). Solomon says today that even “a righteous man may fall seven times and rise again” (Proverbs 24:16); because we can run to the Lord for restoration: 

• “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (John 1:9)
• “He who has begun a good work in you will complete it” (Philippians 1:6)
• “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you” (1 Peter 5:10)

Although Christians will stumble, we are not defined by our stumbling. We are defined as saints because Jesus’ bloodshed pays the price for our sins – “So then you are no longer strangers or aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God” (Ephesians 2:19).

Therefore, Solomon tells us, “Do not let your heart envy sinners, but be zealous for the fear of the Lord all the day; for surely there is a hereafter, and your hope will not be cut off” (Proverbs 23:17-18). We aren’t to envy unrepentant sinners who appear to flourish in this world. We are to fear God by submitting our lives to Christ and walking in the ways of the Lord, trusting and depending upon Him since we know there is much more in store for us than what this world has to offer. Everything that our human eyes can see will one day be gone but there is an eternal home awaiting those whose hope is in Christ. 

The Lord gave us His Word so that we may know Him and walk in freedom, not fear, just as Jesus will later say- “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciple, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32).

Tomorrow we read the book the Song of Solomon, so keep reading.

(Proverbs 22:17-24:34)

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In the beginning of the Story we learned that the Lord created us to work – “This is the history of the heavens and the earth… For the Lord God had not caused it to rain on the earth, and there was no man to till the ground… And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed… Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it” (Genesis 2:4-15).

Solomon knows the value of hard work and he warns against being lazy in today’s proverbs:

• “The lazy man will not plow because of winter, he will beg during harvest and have nothing” (Proverbs 20:4) 
• “Do not love sleep lest you come to poverty; open your eyes, and you will be satisfied with bread” (Proverbs 20:13)
• “An inheritance gained hastily at the beginning will not be blessed at the end” (Proverbs 20:21)
• “The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty, but those of everyone who is hasty, surely to property” (Proverbs 21:5)
• “He who loves pleasure will become a poor man” (Proverbs 21:17) 
• “The desire of the lazy man kills him, for his hands refuse to labor, he covets greedily all day long, but the righteous gives and does not spare” (Proverbs 21:25-26)
• “The lazy man says ‘There is a lion outside! I shall be slain in the streets!’” (Proverbs 22:13)

Later in the Story, Paul will also exhort the Christians to work hard – “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58). And when Jesus is sending out the seventy-two to share the Good News, He will say to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest’” (Luke 10:2).

We will get to the Missions and Church Eras later in our reading, where Paul and Jesus are teaching us to go and do the work of the Lord, but if you are alive and following Christ this is your work. We are currently living in the Missions and Church Era and the same charge that Jesus gave his disciples applies to all Christ followers – “‘Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ Amen” (Matthew 28:19-20).

The writer of Hebrews encourages us not to get discouraged from doing good works. Although we may never receive the applause or acceptance of man, the Lord sees all of our labor for Him and He will never ignore, dismiss, or forget it! “For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister. And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises” (Hebrews 6:10-12).

Therefore, do not let discouragement stop you. Each day pray, seek the Lord, and – “Press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us” (Philippians 3:14).

One more day of proverbs and then Song of Solomon. Keep reading!

(Proverbs 20:1-22:16)

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We all know the old saying “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me” is not true. Words are powerful and they can leave a positive or a negative impact on the receiver. In today’s proverbs Solomon speaks of using words wisely:

• “He who has knowledge spares his words, and a man of understanding is of a calm spirit. Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace; when he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive” (Proverbs 17:27-28).
• “The words of a man’s mouth are deep waters; the wellspring of wisdom is a flowing brook” (Proverbs 18:4).
• “A fool’s lips enter into contention, and his mouth calls for blows. A fool’s mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul. The words of a talebearer are like tasty trifles, and they go down into the inmost body” (Proverbs 18:6-8).
• “A man’s stomach shall be satisfied from the fruit of his mouth; from the produce of his lips he shall be filled. Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit” (Proverbs 18:20-21).

Later in the Story, Jesus’ brother James is going to say that no one can tame the tongue – “But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh” (James 3:8-12). 

The only way to produce fruit that is acceptable to the Lord is through the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus will later say that we must be washed and made new through the cleansing of the Spirit in order to have a heart which flows living water – “‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified” (John 7:37-39). Jesus will pour out the Spirit, also called the Helper, upon His people after his death, resurrection, and ascension to heaven. Therefore, while Jesus is on earth in the flesh, He will tell His disciples, “It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged” (John 16:7-11).

Jesus will also say that what flows out of our mouth reflects what is in our heart – “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45). So in order to have a heart from which words of life flow we must be born again, made new, through the power of the Holy Spirit. Paul will explain this in his letter to Titus – “For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life” (Titus 3:3-7). 

Once we have truly repented of our sins and accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior, He pours the Holy Spirit upon us giving us a new heart that hates sin. Does this mean that we will never say another ugly word again in the heat of anger and frustration? Probably not. There will always be a battle between the flesh and the Spirit. However, it does mean when we do stumble with our words as Christians, the Spirit will convict us, leading us to repent and to seek forgiveness and restoration with the Lord and the person we offended. 

As Christians we are called to walk in the Spirit – “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25). This means that we yield to the Lord’s control over our lives by seeking Him through prayer and time in His Word; by being thankful and praising and worshipping Him for what He has done for us through His Son Jesus Christ. When we walk in the Spirit and allow the Lord to discipline us in ways of righteousness, the appetites of the flesh become less appealing as we begin to crave a holiness of living and kindness of speech that can only come from the Lord.  

Keep reading.

(Proverbs 17:1-19:29)

#bibleliteracymovement #chronologicalbibleteaching

Today Solomon speaks of the righteous:

• “But righteousness delivers from death” (Proverbs 11:4)
• “The righteousness of the blameless will direct his ways aright” (Proverbs 11:5)
• “The righteous is delivered from trouble” (Proverbs 11:8)
• “But he who shows righteousness will have a sure reward” (Proverbs 11:18)
• “As righteousness leads to life” (Proverbs 11:19)
• “The desire of righteousness is only good” (Proverbs 11:23)
• “But the righteous will flourish like foliage” (Proverbs 11:28)
• “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise” (Proverbs 11:30)
• “The thoughts of the righteous are right” (Proverbs 12:5)
• “But the house of the righteous will stand” (Proverbs 12:7)
• “He who speaks truth declares righteousness” (Proverbs 12:13)
• “No grave trouble will overtake the righteous” (Proverbs 12:21)
• “In the way of righteousness there is life, and in its pathway there is no death” (Proverbs 12:28)

We have already learned that our righteousness comes from our faith in the Lord. It all started back in the garden in Genesis 3 after Adam and Eve were deceived by Satan and ate the forbidden fruit which brought sin into the world and broke man’s relationship with God. The Lord, however, did not leave them in brokenness without hope. He made them a promise to send a Savior to crush Satan. Then He killed an innocent animal and covered Adam and Eve with its skin. The covering of Adam and Eve in the garden with the skin of an innocent animal was a picture that pointed to the Lord’s promise of the innocent Sacrifice He is sending to atone for the sins of the world, His Son Jesus Christ. 

The Lord established in the beginning of this Story that it is the shedding of the blood of the innocent that atones for the guilty. Throughout the Story, the Lord calls for His people to trust in Him and His promises. Those who have faith in the Lord are deemed righteous. We saw this in the life of the first patriarch, Abraham, when the Lord appeared to him and promised him an exceeding amount of descendants – “And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness” (Genesis 15:6). 

People in the Old Testament were saved the same way we are saved today, by faith in the Lord as they looked forward to the day the Lord was sending the promised Savior. That is why all throughout the Old Testament, the Lord’s people observed the sacrificial system as a picture of what was coming through the perfect sacrificial Lamb of God, Jesus Christ. 

Today, we are saved by faith in God as we look back on what Jesus did for us on the cross, trusting in His completed work for our salvation. Jesus did for us what we can’t do for ourselves. He lived a perfect life and was offered up as the final sacrifice; therefore, our righteousness does not come from our works but from His. Paul will later say:

• “This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe” (Romans 3:22).
• “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:22).
• “It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God – that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption” (1 Corinthians 1:30).

So when Solomon says, “In the way of righteousness there is life, and in its pathway there is no death” (Proverbs 12:28), this is only possible through a relationship with Jesus Christ. The righteous, the ones who trust in Christ as their Savior, will not experience eternal death. Although this world will be a struggle and we are all guaranteed to die and leave this broken world one day, there is something far greater awaiting those in Christ. 

Jesus will later say to Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” And Martha will respond, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world” (John 11:25-27).

What is your response to Jesus’s invitation? Do you believe? The answer is the difference between life and death. Martha responded wisely. 

Keep reading. 

(Proverbs 11:13-25)

#bibleliteracymovement #chronologicalbibleteaching

“For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence. But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption—  that, as it is written, ‘He who glories, let him glory in the Lord’” (1 Corinthians 1:26-31).

In Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, he is saying that Jesus is the wisdom of the Lord. Jesus is the wisdom of God because Jesus is the Word of God, as John will later say – “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made… And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:1-3, 14).

When Solomon talks about wisdom today, he too says that wisdom has existed from the beginning; and since Jesus is the wisdom of the Lord who is coming to earth in the flesh as the Word of God, Jesus has existed from the beginning as the Trinity, God in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit:

• “The Lord possessed me at the beginning of His way, before His works of old. I have been established from everlasting, from the beginning, before there was ever an earth…I was beside Him as a master craftsman; and I was daily His delight, rejoicing always before Him, rejoicing in His inhabited world, and my delight was with the sons of men” (Proverbs 8:22-31).

Solomon goes on to say “For whoever finds me finds life, and obtains favor from the Lord” (Proverbs 8:35). So if Jesus is the wisdom of God, who is coming to earth later in the Story in the flesh to deliver the Word of God, a person obtains wisdom by studying and obeying the Word of God. Therefore, Solomon instructs us not to be lazy in this pursuit:

• “Wise people store up knowledge” (Proverbs 10:14)
• “The labor of the righteous leads to life” (Proverbs 10:16)
• “He who keeps instruction is in the way of life” (Proverbs 10:17)

Christ followers are active in their quest to know the Lord! They work diligently to receive His commands and store up knowledge so that they are walking in the way of life. Solomon, and later Peter and the author of Hebrews, will all agree that we must be diligent when following the Lord:

• “He who has a slack hand becomes poor, but the hand of the diligent makes rich” (Proverbs 10:4).
• “For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge…For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:5-8).
• “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6).

Being diligent means showing care or conscientiousness in one’s actions; nothing lazy about it! So let’s continue to diligently seek the Lord and His ways through His Word. Keep reading! 

(Proverbs 8:1-10:32)

#bibleliteracymovement #chronologicalbibleteaching

“To know wisdom and instruction, to perceive the words of understanding, to receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, judgment, and equity; to give prudence to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion— A wise man will hear and increase learning, and a man of understanding will attain wise counsel, to understand a proverb and an enigma, the words of the wise and their riddles. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Proverbs 1:2-7).

Solomon tells us that the purpose of Proverbs is “To know wisdom and instruction”, and “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge”. Knowledge is the understanding or skill that you get from experience or education and wisdom is what you do with the knowledge you have obtained. If Solomon says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, what makes a person wise is what they do with that knowledge.

So we first must ask the question, what is the fear of the Lord? Solomon says:

“My son, if you receive my words, and treasure my commands within you, so that you incline your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding; yes, if you cry out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding, if you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures; then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding; He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly; He guards the paths of justice, and preserves the way of His saints. Then you will understand righteousness and justice, equity and every good path” (Proverbs 2:1-9).

God has chosen to reveal Himself to us through His Word. To know the Lord you must know the Word. If you receive His Word and obey His commands then you will understand the fear of the Lord. See, we can‘t just make up our own god and what we think our own god tolerates and doesn’t tolerate. True fear of the Lord comes through the revelation in Scriptures that He is the Creator of all, He knows all things past and present, He knows the heart and thoughts of every person, and He will one day judge us all. Chrisitians, ones who put their trust in Jesus Christ, do not have to fear this judgement because our salvation is secure in Christ. Christian fear of the Lord is a reverence of God – “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:28-29).

So with the fear of the Lord comes obedience and a desire to serve God. Solomon says “My son, do not forget my law, But let your heart keep my commands” (Proverbs 3:1). This is the same command the Lord gave His people in wilderness – “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments of the Lord and His statutes which I command you today for your good” (Deuteronomy 10:11-12). 

The Lord is the one who will guide our ways for our good if we submit to Him:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths…My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor detest His correction; for whom the Lord loves He corrects, just as a father the son in whom he delights” (Proverbs 3, 5-6, 11-12).

Christian fear of the Lord is the knowledge that the Lord loves His children and hates sin. Out of love for us, the Lord will discipline His children when we veer off the path of righteousness – “For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:10-11).

JI Packer also defines the fear of the Lord as reverence and explains how it leads to wisdom in his book Knowing God:

“Where can we find wisdom? What steps must a person take to lay hold of this gift? There are two prerequisites, according to Scripture.

1. We must learn to reverence God. ‘The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom’ (Ps. 111:10; Prov. 9:10; compare Job 28:28; Prov. 1:7; 15:33). Not till we have become humble and teachable, standing in awe of God’s holiness and sovereignty (‘the great and awesome God’, Neh. 1:5; compare 4:14; 9:32; Deut. 7:21; 10:17; Ps. 99:3; Jer. 20:11), acknowledging our own littleness, distrusting our own thoughts and willing to have our minds turned upside down, can divine wisdom become ours.

It is to be feared that many Christians spend all their lives in too unhumbled and conceited a frame of mind ever to gain wisdom from God at all. Not for nothing does Scripture say, ‘with the lowly is wisdom’ (Prov. 11:2 KJV).

2. We must learn to receive God’s word. Wisdom is divinely wrought in those, and those only, who apply themselves to God’s revelation. ‘Your commands make me wiser than my enemies,’ declares the psalmist; ‘I have more insight than all my teachers:’ why? – ‘for I meditate on your statutes’ (Ps. 119:98 f.).”

Packer goes on to ask this question – “How long is it that you read right through the Bible? Do you spend as much time with the Bible each day as you do even with the newspaper? What fools some of us are! – and we remain fools all our lives, simply because we will not take the trouble to do what has to be done to receive the wisdom which is God’s free gift.”

Thank you Lord for the free gift of your Word which gives us sweet intimacy with You and wisdom to navigate this messy world. Amen. And keep reading. 

(Proverbs 1:1-4:27)

#bibleliteracymovement #chronologicalbibleteaching

“Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand by the sea in multitude, eating and drinking and rejoicing. So Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the River to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. They brought tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life.” 

“And God gave Solomon wisdom and exceedingly great understanding, and largeness of heart like the sand on the seashore. Thus Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the men of the East and all the wisdom of Egypt. For he was wiser than all men—than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol; and his fame was in all the surrounding nations. He spoke three thousand proverbs, and his songs were one thousand and five. Also he spoke of trees, from the cedar tree of Lebanon even to the hyssop that springs out of the wall; he spoke also of animals, of birds, of creeping things, and of fish. And men of all nations, from all the kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom, came to hear the wisdom of Solomon.”

Solomon is the wisest man alive because his wisdom comes from the Lord. In order to execute justice, we must seek the Lord as Solomon says in Psalm 72. Solomon speaks of his current reign as king as well as the future reign of the coming King, Jesus Christ:

Psalm 72:1-4 – “Give the king Your judgments, O God, and Your righteousness to the king’s Son. He will judge Your people with righteousness, and Your poor with justice. The mountains will bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness. He will bring justice to the poor of the people; He will save the children of the needy, and will break in pieces the oppressor.”

Solomon desires a heart that seeks justice and care for the oppressed. This is the heart of the Lord. When Jesus arrives on the scene, He will stand in the synagogue in his hometown Nazareth and read from the book of the prophet Isaiah:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord” (Luke 4:18-19).

After reading the Word of God, Jesus will be rejected by the people in His hometown. Eventually Jesus will be betrayed and killed by His own people but this is all part of the Lord’s plan for salvation for the world; because Jesus is going to defeat death by rising from the grave three days later. Then after forty days on earth, Jesus will ascend to His Father in heaven where He is currently sitting at the right hand of the Lord. However, we know from the book of Revelation, that one day Jesus is going to return as the “King of kings and Lord of lords” (Revelation 19:16); and every knee will bow down to Jesus and every tongue will confess to God (Romans 14:11). David’s son Solomon is currently experiencing a peaceful and successful reign as king but an even greater reign is coming through the future Son of David, Jesus Christ:

Psalm 72:8-14 – “He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth. Those who dwell in the wilderness will bow before Him, and His enemies will lick the dust… Yes, all kings shall fall down before Him; all nations shall serve Him. For He will deliver the needy when he cries, the poor also, and him who has no helper. He will spare the poor and needy, and will save the souls of the needy. He will redeem their life from oppression and violence; and precious shall be their blood in His sight.”

We are all needy; that is, we are all in need of a Savior. Our blood is so precious in the sight of Jesus that He is going to shed His own blood on our behalf so that we may have the abundant life; a life filled with fellowship with the Lord, all the way until He takes us home where we will praise Him as the King of kings and Lord of lords for eternity. 

Psalm 72:17-20 – “His name shall endure forever; His name shall continue as long as the sun. And men shall be blessed in Him; all nations shall call Him blessed. Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, Who only does wondrous things! And blessed be His glorious name forever! And let the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen and Amen.”

Tomorrow we start day one of eight days reading Proverbs. Solomon is going to share with us how to live wisely, so keep reading!

(1 Kings 4:1-34, Psalm 72, Psalm 127)

#bibleliteracymovement #chronologicalbibleteaching