PROVERBS 11
PERSONAL INTREGATY verse 1- 9
A false balance is abomination to the LORD
BUT a just weight is HIS delight – BUSINESS
When pride comes – THEN comes shame
BUT with the lowly is wisdom
WICKED & RIGHTEOUS
The integrity of the upright shall guide them
BUT the perverseness of transgressors
shall destroy them
WICKED & RIGHTEOUS
Riches profit not in the day of wrath
BUT righteousness delivers from death – WEALTH
The righteousness of the perfect shall direct his way
BUT the wicked shall fall by his own wickedness
The righteousness of the upright shall deliver them
BUT transgressors shall be taken in their own naughtiness
– WICKED & RIGHTEOUS
When a wicked man dies – his expectation shall perish
and the hope of unjust men perishes
WICKED
The righteous is delivered out of trouble
and the wicked comes in his stead
WICKED & RIGHTEOUS
An hypocrite with his mouth destroys his neighbor
BUT through knowledge shall the just be delivered
– WICKED & RIGHTEOUS
PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS verse 10- 17
When it goes well with the righteous – the city rejoices
and when the wicked perish – there is shouting
– WICKED & RIGHTEOUS
By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted
BUT it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked
– WICKED & RIGHTEOUS & MOUTH
He that is void of wisdom despises his neighbor
BUT a man of understanding holds his peace
– WICKED & RIGHTEOUS
A talebearer reveals secrets
BUT he that is of a faithful spirit conceals the matter
– WICKED & RIGHTEOUS
Where no counsel is – the people fall
BUT in the multitude of counselors there is safety
– COUNSEL
He that is surety for a stranger shall smart for it
and he that hates suretyship is sure – WEALTH
A gracious woman retains honor – and strong men retain riches
– HONOR & WEALTH
The merciful man does good to his own soul
BUT he that is cruel troubles his own flesh
– WICKED & RIGHTEOUS
CONSEQUENCES OF SIN verse 18- 32
The wicked work a deceitful work
BUT to him that sows righteousness shall be a sure reward
– WICKED & RIGHTEOUS
.As righteous tends to life
so he that pursues evil pursues it to his own death
– WICKED & RIGHTEOUS
They that are of a forward heart are abomination to the LORD
BUT such as are upright in their way are HIS delight
– WICKED & RIGHTEOUS
Though hand join in hand – the wicked shall not be unpunished
BUT the seed of the righteous shall be delivered
– WICKED & RIGHTEOUS
As a jewel of gold in a swine’s snout
as is a fair woman which is without discretion
– WICKED
The desire of the righteous is only good
BUT the expectation of the wicked is wrath
– WICKED & RIGHTEOUS
There is that scatters – and yet increases
and there is that withholding more than is meet
BUT it tends to poverty – WEALTH
The liberal soul shall be made fat
and he that waters shall be watered also himself
– WEALTH
He that withholds corn – the people shall curse him
BUT blessing shall be upon the head of him that sells it
– WEALTH
He that diligently seeks good procures favor
BUT he that seeks mischief
it shall come unto him
WICKED & RIGHTEOUS
He that trusts in his riches shall fall
BUT the righteous shall flourish as a branch
WEALTH & WICKED & RIGHTEOUS
He that troubles his own house shall inherit the wind
and the fool shall be servant to the wise of heart
WICKED & RIGHTEOUS
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life
and he that wins souls is wise
RIGHTEOUS
BEHOLD – the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth
much more the wicked and the sinner
WICKED & RIGHTEOUS
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 3 The integrity of the upright shall guide them: but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them. (5117 “guide” [nuwach] means to lead, to conduct, to be in charge of, create an opportunity, or to cause to rest)
DEVOTION: If are following the leading of the Holy Spirit in our life we will be open to what HE has to teach us at any moment. Once we make a commitment to the LORD we want this to happen.
The opposite is true of those who are not followers of the LORD. They are not open to the leading of the Holy Spirit but to the leading of the enemy of believers.
So we have two ways we can go in any action we take. We can follow the leading of the Holy Spirit or the leading of the world, the flesh or the devil.
In each decision we have to make a choice. For those who are upright it is a easy choice but for those who don’t know the LORD it is also an easy choice.
We are going to follow the one we want to serve. Those who want to serve the LORD will pray about every decision to make sure that they are honoring the LORD in their actions. Those who are not followers of the LORD will do what those who follow the devil will do.
Each group will follow the leading of the one who they are willing to follow. It follows that they are leading in two different directions. One is going to hell for eternity and the other is going to heaven for eternity.
Yes, there are those who claim Christ who have not listened to the LORD at times and because of that are disciplined by the LORD but they will still spend eternity in heaven. And yes there are people who are followers of the devil who make decisions that are good but they are not willing to follow the LORD or ask HIM to change their life into one that is pleasing to the LORD.
CHALLENGE: Our goal should always be to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit and that takes prayer and fasting at times to hear HIS voice. Remember to wait on the LORD for answers.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 5 The righteousness of the perfect shall direct his way: but the wicked shall fall by his own wickedness. (8549 “perfect” [tamiym] means blameless, complete, whole, entire, free of blemish, or without defect.
DEVOTION: There are many individuals who are described as blameless. In the New Testament individuals were called mature, the same way as blameless is used here.
There are three type of followers of the LORD in the New Testament: baby, milk and meat individuals.
The baby believers were newly saved individuals who are just beginning the process of their Christian life. They need instruction in everything related to God. They were willing to learn. They needed to learn. Other believers took them under their wing and helped them in areas of righteousness.
The second group is made up of individuals who have been followers of Christ for a longer period of time but were still not maturing in the faith. They were satisfied with just the basics. They didn’t want their Christian life to interfere with regular life. The author of Hebrews confronted this issue with individuals in the church that should have been teachers but they were still only drinking milk out of a bottle. They were being spoon fed instead of feeding themselves.
The third group is made up of individuals who want the “meat” of the Word of God. They are not satisfied with the basics. They want to know more. They want to have “fresh oil” each day. They memorize the Word of God. They used their spiritual gift/gifts in the local church. They manifest the fruit of the Spirit in their life. They put on the whole armor of God daily to go out to battle with wickedness. They would like to hear from the LORD: “Well done thou good and faithful servant,” when they stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ.
Our life should be one that follows the example of those who are considered “meat” eaters. We should encourage others to move forward in the LORD. Our daily goal should be to glorify the LORD with all our heart, soul and mind.
CHALLENGE: Don’t be satisfied with just the status quo. Be unique. Be mature. Move forward in your walk with the LORD.
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: 13 A talebearer reveals secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit conceals the matter.(1540 “revealeth” [galah] means to denude, be made known, lay bear, expose, disclose, uncover, or lay bear.
DEVOTION: How many secrets do you keep? When you are in ministry there are many people who share what is going on in their life that they want you to keep to yourself. We can share good things that we know about people but the private secrets are to be kept between you and them unless there are laws that are broken.
Here we have an individual who is a peddler of scandal. He/she wants to tell all the secrets he/she knows about those around him. He/she is one who betrays a trust. He/she is not a faithful friend or neighbor. He/she likes spreading bad news about people he/she knows.
Here we have a problem with those who know the LORD. Here is Solomon telling his son to not be one who spreads secrets about his friends. It is a general principle for all those who want to honor the LORD. Those who honor the LORD should be trustworthy or loyal to their friends. Those who honor the LORD are supposed to be enduring friends. An enduring friend is one who sticks closer that a brother.
There is a problem in our churches with gossip. Church is supposed to be a safe place to share our secrets. We should all have accountability partners in our church. However, in some churches there is a grapevine that shares secrets throughout the church community. This is not supposed to happen.
What should we reveal about others and what should we not. What should we reveal of our past and what should we not. God knows all about us and still loves us. Isn’t that great!!!
Those who spread gossip are described as those who don’t have a faithful spirit. We need to watch carefully what we say about people. Our responsibility is to be an encourager as much as is possible.
Are we encouragers? Look at the list under salvation in the doctrinal section of the devotional. These are words that should describe us regularly.
CHALLENGE: Ask the LORD to uncover in you areas where you are exposing things about people you know that you shouldn’t be sharing with others. Then act on what the LORD makes known to you. )
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 14 Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety. (3289 “counsellors” [ya‘ats] means consult, purposed, advice, give counsel, someone who gives advice about problems, deliberate, or one who speaks and urges certain directions of actions or thoughts.)
DEVOTION: When a pastor prepares a sermon he will go to many sources to find out what the Word of God is saying. The first source should be prayer to ask the Holy Spirit to give wisdom regarding a section of Scripture.
After a time of personal prayer and reading of the Word of God in the section to be preached he will then consult the Greek or Hebrew that is found in the passage to find out what the words mean in the original language. Once this is accomplished he will then consult commentaries to see what other men in the past or present have said about the passage of Scripture. I usually use at least ten sources to see what has been said by others who have held to a strong view of the inerrancy of Scripture.
Once this is accomplished the sermon is prepared with much prayer before it is presented to the congregation of the church. One sermon usually takes many hours. It is said that if a pastor preaches for thirty minutes it is like working an eight hour shift.
So individual believers need to have good sources of information to compare what has been given as advice regarding any issue they might be confronted with in life. To only look at something from one’s own perspective can cause problems in their relationship with others as well as with the LORD.
CHALLENGE: Before coming to a conclusion on a matter there needs to be input from the LORD and from those who are Biblically trained to come to the right conclusions on any question. Watch your sources of information.
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DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
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DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal) verse 1, 20
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Neighbor verse 9, 12
City verse 10, 11
Stranger verse 15
Woman verse 16
Men verse 16, 17
Wicked will not go unpunished verse 21
Fair woman without discretion verse 22
Expectation of the wicked is wrath verse 23
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
False balance verse 1
Abomination verse 1, 20
Pride verse 2
Shame verse 2
Perverseness verse 3
Transgressor verse 3, 6
Wicked verse 5, 7, 8, 10, 11, 18, 21, 23, 31
Naughtiness verse 6
Unjust verse 7
Hypocrite verse 9
Destroy neighbor verse 9
Mouth of wicked destroys a city verse 11
Void of wisdom verse 12
Despises his neighbor verse 12
Talebearer verse 13
Revealing secrets verse 13
No counsel verse 14
Co-signing verse 15
Cruel verse 17
Deceitful work verse 18
Pursues evil verse 19
Froward heart: abomination to the LORD verse 20
Without discretion verse 22
Miser verse 24, 26
Mischief verse 27
Trust in riches verse 28
Troubles his own house verse 29
Fool verse 29
Sinner verse 31
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Just weight verse 1
Lowly verse 2
Wisdom verse 2, 30
Integrity verse 3
Upright verse 3, 6, 11, 20
Guide verse 3, 5
Righteousness verse 4- 6, 18, 19, 31
Perfect verse 5
Deliverance verse 6, 8, 9, 21
Righteous verse 8, 10, 21, 23, 28, 30, 31
Delivered out of trouble verse 8
Just are delivered verse 9
Knowledge verse 9
Goes well with the righteous verse 10
city rejoices
Man of understanding holds his peace verse 12
Faithful spirit verse 13
Conceals a matter verse 13
Multitude of counselors used verse 14
Not a co-signer for stranger verse 15
Gracious verse 16
Strong verse 16
Merciful man verse 17
Sow righteousness verse 18
Righteousness leads to life verse 19
Seed of righteous shall be delivered verse 21
Desire of righteous good verse 23
Giver: liberal soul verse 24, 25
Diligence seeks good verse 27
Flourish verse 28
Wise at heart verse 29
Wins souls is wise verse 30
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
Destroy verse 3
Day of wrath verse 4, 23
Death verse 4, 19
Wicked man dies = perish verse 7, 10
Hope of unjust men perish verse 7
Fruit of the righteous is a tree of life verse 30
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QUOTES regarding passage
27 One generally receives the consequences of the kind of life he pursues, whether good or evil. The line stresses that there is a divine justice. The expression “seeks [NIV, ‘finds’] good will” (yeḇaqqēš rāṣôn) could refer to seeking God’s favor (see Ps 5:12; Isa 49:8): whoever diligently seeks good is seeking divine favor. (Ross, A. P. (1991). Proverbs. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs (Vol. 5, p. 965). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
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11:27–28. If a person pursues (seeks translates šāḥar, “to look early or eagerly for,” like looking for the dawn) good things in and for others he himself in turn receives goodwill (rāṣôn, “acceptance”; see comments on 8:35, “favor”; cf. 14:9) from others. It is reciprocal, as in 11:17a, 25. If a person searches for evil (distress or tragedy) to come on others it will come on him (cf. 11:17b). To have money is not wrong but to trust in it is (cf. 1 Tim. 6:9–10) because it and its owners are transitory (cf. Ps. 62:10; Prov. 23:5; 27:24; James 1:11). But the righteous, trusting in the Lord, flourish like a green leaf (cf. the tree in Prov. 11:30 and Pss. 1:3–4; 92:12–15; Jer. 17:7–8). (Buzzell, S. S. (1985). Proverbs. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 930). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
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It is again the retributive justice of God that is brought to our notice. The seeker after good shall be rewarded according to his faithfulness in endeavoring to bring joy and cheer to his fellows. But the mischief-maker, who rejoices in iniquity and desires the undoing of his neighbor, shall be undone himself. The confession of Adoni-bezek is a striking case in point (Judges 1:5–7). Caleb well illustrates the first clause (Josh. 14:6–13). (Ironside, H. A. (1908). Notes on the Book of Proverbs (p. 127). Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Bros.)
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Ver. 27. He that diligently seeketh good, &c.] Or early; who rises betimes in the morning, as the word signifies, and seeks both to do good, and to enjoy it all the day; who, in the first place, seeks the kingdom of God and his righteousness; who, in the morning of his youth, inquires after the best things; and diligently pursues what is for his own good and welfare, and that of others, and for the glory of God: procureth favour, both of God and men: or, seeketh favour; or that which is acceptable and well-pleasing unto God. But he that seeketh mischief, it shall come unto him; that seeks to do hurt to others; that which he seeks to do to them shall come upon himself; see Psal. 9:15 so antichrist, that leads into captivity, shall go into captivity; and that kills with the sword, shall be killed by it, Rev. 13:10. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 4, p. 408). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
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There is no negative existence. All of us are living for good or for mischief. True happiness—solid usefulness—consists in centering the interest on one valuable object—seeking good. Nor must this be done cursorily. We must not wait to have it brought to us. We must look out for it, seek it diligently, rise up early, and spring with joy to the work. Let us awake to the conscious responsibility of having the means of blessing our fellow-sinners in our own hands. Every talent finds its suitable sphere, and may be “put out to usury” with large returns. There is the practical exercise of “pure and undefiled religion—visiting the fatherless and afflicted;” the teaching of the ignorant; the instruction of the young—the rising hope of our Church—a work of deepening interest and anxiety. Let each of us try what we can do; and, whether it be little or much, do it prayerfully, faithfully, heartily; not damped by trifling hindrances;11 nor making the power of doing little an excuse for doing nothing. In living for others, we live for our true happiness. In seeking diligently their good, we procure favor; often from man; always from God.2 He honors a little strength laid out for him. He accepts the single talent.4 And ‘filling up every hour with some profitable labor, either of heart, head, or hands (as Brainerd justly observed) is an excellent means of spiritual peace and boldness before God.’
But Satan finds employment for his servants in seeking mischief. And how does their ceaseless energy put to shame our indifference! Yet their own mischief often comes to them. So Satan himself found it. The mischief that he brought upon man came upon his own head. His servants often become the victims of their own delusions,9 with the fearful aggravation of having dragged multitudes with them into the pit of ruin. What then will be the fruit of my diligence? Will it be a blessing or a curse to my fellow-sinners? O my God! may it be from thee, and for thee! (Bridges, C. (1865). An Exposition of the Book of Proverbs (pp. 111–112). New York: Robert Carter & Brothers.)
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FROM MY READING:
(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)
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Author of Peace
“For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.” (1 Corinthians 14:33)
Although these words were written with respect to church order, they express a general principle. “This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated. . . . And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace” (James 3:15-18).
Our world and our natural lives seem perpetually in confusion, turmoil, and strife, and the source is the evil one—“the god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4). The only one who can bring true peace is the Author of peace.
This is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ, for only “he is our peace” (Ephesians 2:14). He is the Author of peace, just as the devil is the author of all confusion and strife. Note the other titles of our great Author of peace.
He is called “the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus” (Hebrews 13:20). He is also “The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). Melchizedek, who was at least a type of Christ, if not an actual pre-incarnate theophany of Christ Himself, is called “King of Salem, which is, King of peace” (Hebrews 7:2). In 2 Thessalonians 3:16, He is “the Lord of peace.”
He is the Author of peace, the Lord of peace, the Prince of peace, the King of peace, the very God of peace! He is our peace! Someday, “he shall speak peace unto the heathen: and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth” (Zechariah 9:10). In that day, “the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly” (Romans 16:20), and “of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end” (Isaiah 9:7). (HMM, The Institute for creation Research)
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We are to hold other Christians accountable for the integrity of their lifestyles.
INSIGHT
Past generations of Christians have been guilty of excess in judging other people. The Inquisition and the Salem witch trials are glaring examples, but other examples abound throughout history. Today we live in an age of greater understanding and acceptance, which is certainly preferable – unless it degenerates into careless acceptance of things which are clearly wrong – in which case the pendulum swings too far the other way. We are to be tolerant of debatable things, but clear sin is to be dealt with. “Withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly” (2 Thessalonians 3: 6). (QuietWalk)
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THE APOSTOLIC TEACHING ABOUT JESUS
“Jesus Christ is come in the flesh’ 1 John 4:2
What is the apostolic teaching concerning Christ? Now in a phrase in our text John gives us the perfect answer. John does not use words like this haphazardly. Listen to the way in which he puts it: “Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God” (1 John 4:2). Now here is the statement: “Jesus Christ is come in the flesh.” Jesus Christ arrived in the world “in the flesh.” What does this mean? Let me try to show you how John in putting it like this was countering and answering some of those grievous heresies that had already arisen even in his day in the church, before the end of the first century.
Take the expression “Jesus Christ.” Why does John say, “Jesus Christ is come in the flesh”? Why did he not say that Jesus or Christ has come in the flesh? Ah, that is most important; that is his way of emphasizing the unity of the blessed person. The Lord Jesus Christ has two natures “the divine and the human”and yet there is only one person. The earlier chapters of 1 John make it plain that there were false prophets, antichrists, in the early church, and some of them said something like this: Jesus of Nazareth was just a man like every other man; but when He was baptized by John in the Jordan, the eternal Christ came upon Him and began to use Him; and the eternal Christ continued with the man Jesus until He came to the cross. But on the cross the eternal Christ went away, back to heaven, and it was only the man Jesus who died. There were two persons “the man Jesus and the eternal Christ.” No! says John; “Jesus Christ,” one person but two natures:the two natures in one person.
A Thought to Ponder: The Lord Jesus Christ has two natures ”the divine and the human”and yet there is only one person. (From The Love of God, pp. 31-32, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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The posthumous release of Stephen Hawking’s new book, Brief Answers to the Big Questions, playing off of the title of his bestselling A Brief History of Time, reminds us of much that endeared the physicist to our hearts and minds: his sweeping intellect, gift of explanation and simplification, self-deprecating humor, refusal to let physical challenges limit his life… and, of course, his insatiable curiosity. As Kip Thorne stated in his eulogy for Hawking at the interment of his ashes at Westminster Abbey: “Newton gave us answers. Hawking gave us questions.”
But I confess much disappointment in his “brief” answer to the biggest question of all, “Is there a God?” It’s not just that we disagree in our conclusions, but that his reasons for rejecting the existence of God are so… weak.
First, he only considers the existence of God in an impersonal sense, equating God with little more than the laws of nature. Hawking reasons that as a “law of nature,” this “god” could not exist outside of time. Taken together, this “time-bound law of nature” means that he is not even grappling with God at all. Which means he is not grappling with the “big” question at all—namely, is there a personal Being who exists outside of space and time?
This severely curtails his attempt to answer the question at its most significant level and makes his rather glib response to whether God exists intellectually irrelevant. For example, in maintaining that whatever “god” there is must exist in time, Hawking concludes that “then there is no possibility of a creator, because there is no time for a creator to have existed in… Time didn’t exist before the big Bang so there is no time for God to make the universe in.” Yet the very definition of God, across almost the entire intellectual spectrum, is One who exists outside of space and time.
(One more example of why scientists make bad philosophers and even worse theologians.)
Second, he states that the three ingredients needed in our “cosmic cookbook” for a universe are matter, energy and space. Yet none of them existed before the Big Bang, which means you have to explain how “something” came from “nothing.” Where did the energy come from? Where did the matter come from? Hawking wants to make a case that “space,” at least, was enabled through a simultaneous production of negative energy. But even if one buys into this explanation, it does not answer the questions surrounding the genesis of energy and matter. Not to put too fine a point on it, but the questions still remain: Where did the stuff that got “banged” come from and who “banged” it?
Third, when speaking of the laws of nature he holds to so reverently, he never bothers to ask what is arguably the most important question about those laws: How did they come into existence? This is particularly important when trying to explain how “something” could come from “nothing” through the Big Bang, which Hawking attempts to explain through the laws of physics (unconvincingly, I might add, and in a way that raises more questions than answers). As Alan Guth, one of the leading physicists of our day at M.I.T. has written, even if you could come up with a theory that would account for the creation of something from nothing through the laws of physics, you’d still have to account for the origin of the laws of physics!
In the end, Hawking admits that we now know the laws that govern what happens “in all but the most extreme conditions, like the origin of the universe, or black holes.”
Yes.
But it is precisely the questions – and mystery – surrounding those “extreme conditions” that consistently point to God. And why Hawking gives a very brief, but also very bad, answer to the biggest question of all.
And, sadly, now he knows it all too well.
James Emery White
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But What Does the Bible Say? By Kevin DeYoung
Now that the Supreme Court has issued its sweeping ruling in favor of same-sex marriage, we can expect an avalanche of commentary, analysis, and punditry. I’m not a law professor, a politician, a talk show host, or a public intellectual (whatever that is). I’m a pastor. I study and teach the Bible for a living. Which means, among all the things I may not be an expert on, I may be able to say something meaningful from the Scriptures. So as we pour over legal opinions and internet commentary, let us not forget what the Bible says.
The Bible says the Lord alone is God and we should have no other gods before him (Ex. 20:2-3). Not the state, not the Supreme Court, not our families, not our friends, not our favorite authors, not our cultural cache. No gods but God.
The Bible says we should love our neighbors as ourselves (Matt. 22:39). And who is your neighbor deserving of such love? Wrong question, just worry about being the neighbor you’d want for yourself (Luke 10:25-37).
The Bible says love is not the same as unconditional affirmation (James 5:19-20). Love is patient and kind. It does not envy or boast. It does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (1 Cor. 13:4-7).
The Bible says that disciples of Jesus will be hated as Jesus was hated (John 15:18-25; 2 Tim. 3:12). If the world loves us, it is not a sign of our brilliance, but that we belong to the world.
The Bible says that when reviled we should not revile in return (1 Peter 2:21-25). We should love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us (Matt. 5:44).
The Bible says Jesus came into the world to save sinners, especially the worst of sinners (1 Tim. 1:15). That means people like me, like you, and like the Apostle Paul who at one time opposed everyone and everything he later came to love and defend.
The Bible says marriage is between a man and a woman (Gen. 1:27-28; 2:18-25; Mal. 2:15; Matt. 19:4-6; Mark 10:6-9) and that homosexual practice is sin (Lev. 18:22; 20:13; Rom. 1:18-32; 1 Cor. 6:9;1 Tim. 1:10; Jude 7), but a sin from which we can be washed clean (1 Cor. 6:9-11).
Any Christian who really believes the Bible must believe all of the Bible. You can’t applaud what Jesus says about loving your neighbor from Leviticus 19, if Leviticus 18 and 20 are throwaway chapters. You can’t unpack the good news of Romans 8, if Romans 1 is overstuffed with cultural baggage. You can’t marvel at the goodness of God’s creation, if there is no good design in how he created things. Either the Bible is God’s Word or we are sufficiently godlike to determine which words stay and which words go.
The cultural breezes are blowing against us. The worldly winds are stiff in our faces. But the hard parts of the Bible are no less true for being less popular. The Bible says what it says, so let us be honest enough to say whether we think what the Bible says is right or wrong. Diarmaid MacCulloch, a decorated church historian and gay man who left the church over the issue of homosexuality, has stated the issue with refreshing candor:
This is an issue of biblical authority. Despite much well-intentioned theological fancy footwork to the contrary, it is difficult to see the Bible as expressing anything else but disapproval of homosexual activity, let alone having any conception of homosexual identity. The only alternatives are either to cleave to patterns of life and assumptions set out in the Bible, or say that in this, as in much else, the Bible is simply wrong. (The Reformation: A History, 705).
Yes, those are the only alternatives. I know books are right now being written by the dozens trying to make the case that the Bible is really keen on gay marriage, but it can’t be done. Not with exegetical and historical integrity.
Not with gospel integrity either.
A holy God sends his holy Son to die as an atoning sacrifice for unholy people so that by the power of the Holy Spirit they can live holy lives and enjoy God forever in the holy place that is the new heaven and new earth. Is this the story celebrated and sermonized in open and affirming churches? What about twenty years from now? And what if we flesh out the gospel story and include the tough bits about the exclusivity of Christ and the reality of hell? What if the story centers on Calvary, not as a generic example that love (defined in whatever we choose) wins, but as beautifully scandalous picture of a love so costly that God sent his Son into the world to be the wrath-bearing propitiation for our sins? What if the story summons us to faith and repentance? What if the story calls us to lay down everything–our ease, our desires, our family, our preferences, our sexuality, our stuff, our very selves–for the sake of the Storyteller? What if part of the story is believing that every jot and tittle in the Storybook is completely true?
I’d rather not talk about homosexuality again. But the world hasn’t stopped talking about it. And the Bible hasn’t stopped saying what it has always said. So let’s not be shrill and let’s not be silent. If you already know what the Bible says about homosexuality, don’t forget what the Bible says about all of life and godliness. We can be right about marriage and still wrong about everything else that matters. And if you like most everything else the Bible says, why would you on this matter of homosexuality decide the Bible suddenly can’t be trusted? If you won’t count the cost here, what else will you be willing to sell? The support for homosexual behavior almost always goes hand in hand with the diluting of robust, 100-proof orthodoxy, either as the cause or the effect. The spirits which cause one to go wobbly on biblical sexuality are the same spirits which befog the head and heart when it comes to the doctrine of creation, the historical accuracy of the Old Testament, the virgin birth, the miracles of Jesus, the resurrection, the second coming, the reality of hell, the plight of those who do not know Christ, the necessity of the new birth, the full inspiration and authority of the Bible, and the centrality of a bloody cross.
If Jesus is right and the Scriptures were spoken by God himself (Matt. 19:4-5) and utterly unbreakable (John 10:35), then the place to start when it comes to something as fundamental as marriage is also the place to end, and that’s by asking the question “But what does the Biblesay?” As Christians living in the midst of controversy, we must keep three things open: our heads, our hearts, and our Bibles. Don’t settle for slogans and put-downs. Don’t look to bumper stickers and Facebook avatars for ethical direction. And don’t give up on the idea that God has a clear word and a good word on this issue. God has already spoken, and he specializes in gracious reminders, so long as we stay humble, honest, and hungry for the truth. After all, man does not live by bread alone (or sex alone), but by every word that comes from the mouth of God (Deut. 8:3; Matt. 4:4).
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