Today's Reading: Proverbs 1

The Beginning of Knowledge

The Bible emphasizes that one of the greatest qualities we can possess is wisdom. The book of Proverbs begins by teaching us the value of knowledge and wisdom and how to obtain it. True wisdom involves not only growth in knowledge, but also the ability to use that knowledge in discerning what is right and true, then acting accordingly. The result of true knowledge will be purity in personal behavior and justice in dealings with others. Proverbs 1:7 contains the major premise of the entire Book – that true wisdom and knowledge in life can only be found by those who fear the Lord.

The Hebrew word for “fear” in this verse is “yir’â”. When used of God, this word means to have a deep and somber respect and reverence for Him. The idea behind the phrase, “fear of the Lord,” is that God is such an awesome and terrifying Being that you don’t want to fall into disfavor with Him. You must, therefore, treat Him with utmost respect and deep reverence. Tragically, in our world today, so many people have lost this sense of fear and respect of God. They arrogantly go about their lives as though the Lord does not exist and as though are no consequences for their rejection of Him. If you long to see spiritual revival in your community and nation, then pray for the fear of God to return to people’s hearts.

This deep respect and reverence for God is, according to Solomon, the beginning of knowledge. The Hebrew word for “beginning” means not only to be the starting point, but also “the principal element.”  It carries the idea of being “the chief ingredient.” The fear of the Lord is the foremost and most vital ingredient in obtaining wisdom and knowledge. Other ingredients are important as well, such as humility, a teachable spirit, and a desire to learn. But no element of gaining wisdom and knowledge is as primary as the fear of the Lord. Many learn-ed men and women have passed through history. But where did their knowledge go in the end? For some (those who feared God), they gained true and permanent wisdom. Others tragically never gained that true eternal wisdom. Their so-called “knowledge” only lasted for a season. The fear of the Lord is the principal thing that separates temporal knowledge from truth that last for eternity.

Your quest for wisdom and knowledge must begin at the same place – by fearing God and maintaining a deep and abiding reverence for His awesomeness. Submit yourself to His greatness and, with utmost respect, seek Him. All worldly wealth and education will one day lose its value, but true knowledge and wisdom maintains its value for all of eternity.

 

Today's Reading: Song of Solomon 7-8

Unquenchable Love

Song of Solomon is THE love song above ALL love songs, for it is the love song inspired by God to give us His perspective on love and romance. It is also a powerful allegory which presents the love of God for His Bride, the Church. The kind of deep love which a man and woman feel for each other is a remarkable (albeit inadequate) hint of the love which God has for you and me.

Here in verse 7, Solomon presents the permanence and value of love: “Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it. If a man offered for love all the wealth of his house, he would be utterly despised.” With these words, Solomon is saying that no amount of money can create or buy love, and no amount of misery or hardship can kill true love.

Christ’s love cannot be purchased for any price. His Love can’t be bought, can’t be sold—it’s not to be found in the marketplace. If a man gave “all the wealth of his house” it would fall infinitely short of obtaining God’s love. This covers any and every attempt to “earn” or “merit” God’s love. It is an impossibility that any amount of human effort could ever be enough to warrant God’s love. The good news is that this truth brings great freedom to those who understand and accept it. It is because we cannot purchase or earn or merit God’s love, that we can quit trying to and simply rest. When we recognize that God’s acceptance of us is the free and heartfelt expression of His love, we are set free from the tyranny of religion and of “being good enough” or “rich enough” or “holy enough.” We can cease our labor, and enter into His rest and leap into His loving arms.

Christ’s love cannot be quenched by “many waters” or “floods.” In Scripture, the word “floods” is often used of the miseries and trials and troubles which people face in life. The words of Song 8:7 express God’s great truth that His love is permanent and absolutely nothing can cause Him to stop loving you!  Isaiah the prophet wrote, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.” (Isaiah 43:2). Note the promise contained here… that He will not leave you when the floods of misery and difficulty come into your life. He never promised life in Him would be easy, but He promised His life and love will be with you the whole way.

His love for you is permanent and unchangeable! You did nothing to earn this love, and you can do nothing to terminate it. Even the greatest challenges of life are no match for the permanent and undying love God has for you. 

 

Today's Reading: Song of Solomon 5-6

You Belong to Him

One of the most intimate books in the Word of God is the Song of Solomon. In this book, we learn something of the love of Christ for His Bride, the Church which is vividly portrayed by the love of a shepherd/king for his lovely bride. The nine words in verse 3 sum up the message and theme of the whole book. Someone said, “This verse is the happiest verse in the Bible.''

Notice the sense of possessiveness in this verse. I am His and He is mine! I belong to Jesus and He belongs to me. What a wonderful place of pure love and security. When we realize who the Lord Jesus is, and we meditate upon the glory of His Person, and when we remember the extent and sufficiency of His work, how incredible it is that, sinful though we are, we belong to Him!

In what sense, and why is it really true, that you “belong to Him”? First of all, you are His because He created you. “Behold, all souls are mine,” declares the Lord in Ezekiel 18:4. He is the rightful possessor of all He has created – including you.

Second, you are His by election. You belong to Him because He elected you and chose you for Himself. Ephesians 1:4 says, “He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him.” You are His because He chose you!

Third, you belong to Him because the Father gave you to Him. John 6:37 tells us, “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.” As a human father “gives away” his daughter at the altar of marriage, your Heavenly Father has given you to Jesus.

Fourth, you are His because He bought you and redeemed you. He paid the price of your redemption. “You are not your own, for you were bought with a price.” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

Finally, you belong to Him because you presented yourself to Him by faith. Romans 12:1 urged you to “present your body to Him as a living sacrifice,” which as a follower of Christ you have done. You are His because you presented yourself to Him.

These are the cords of love by which our Bridegroom has drawn us to Himself and has made us His own. We are His by creation, by election, by donation, by redemption and by presentation. The Apostle John wrote in his First Epistle, “Behold, what manner of love the father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God.” (1 John 3:1) What love! You are His and He is yours!

Today's Reading: Song of Solomon 3-4

No Flaw in You

If someone were to call you “flawless,” how would you react? For many of us, our reaction would be something like, “Oh yeah, right - you certainly don’t know me if you think I’m flawless.” So often, the way we view ourselves is dramatically different from God’s view of us. We are so prone to seeing our failures, weaknesses, sins, and flaws. But that’s NOT what God sees!  Did you know that your Heavenly Father says, “there is no flaw in you”?

Listen to these words from Song of Solomon 4:7: “You are altogether beautiful, my love; there is no flaw in you.” That is Jesus’s voice speaking to you! There is nothing but admiration in God’s heart toward you. He looks at you with “googly eyes” as Someone who is entirely smitten with love for you.

The word for “flaw” here is used only 22 times in the Old Testament (also translated “spot” “blot” or “blemish”). It is used to describe the perfect sacrificial animals which were required. Leviticus 22:19-20 says, “You must offer an unblemished male from the cattle, sheep, or goats in order for it to be accepted on your behalf. You shall not offer anything that has a blemish, for it will not be acceptable for you.” The Jews were commanded not to sacrifice an animal with a blemish because the sacrifices represented the ultimate sacrifice of Christ, which had to be perfect and pure. As Jesus was without blemish, so too, the Old Testament sacrifices had to be without blemish.

The amazing thing here is that God describes you as flawless, without blemish, blot or defect of any kind, just as Jesus was flawless and without spot or wrinkle. That is the power of the blood of Christ. As we place our trust in Christ, God no longer sees our sinfulness or weaknesses or failures. He sees one thing – the flawlessness of His Son and His blood sacrifice on our behalf.

That’s how He can call you “altogether beautiful” and without “flaw.” Because He sees you in Christ. So, stop viewing yourself through your tainted human eyes, and start seeing yourself the way He sees you – perfect and flawless in every way. When you begin to see yourself this way, you will be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Your relationship with Jesus will deepen to a depth you never thought possible.

 

Today's Reading: Song of Solomon 1-2

Come Away My Love

This book of the Bible introduces itself as the “Song of Songs,” which is a Hebrew way of saying, “The Greatest Song” (similar to saying “King of Kings” or “Holy of Holies”). It appears to be authored by Solomon and contains eight chapters of love poetry. It is actually a collection of poems meant to explore the human experience of love and desire. Although authored by Solomon, the main voice of the book is that of a woman, portrayed as “the most beautiful of women.” The poems flow back and forth from the woman’s voice to the man’s voice shifting from scene to scene and expressing their deep love and affection for one another.

In addition to this being a Hebrew collection of poetry reflecting on the Divine gift of love between a man and a woman, this book also metaphorically reflects on the love between Jesus Christ and His beloved bride, the Church. This view of the book was inspired by Paul the Apostle’s words in Ephesians 5, where a husband’s love for his wife is presented as a symbol of Christ’s love for His Church (Ephesians 5:25-32).   

In Song 2:10, we witness the joy and excitement of the woman as her beloved calls out to her and invites her to “come away” with him. You can sense in His call that there is not a hint of regret, or dissatisfaction, or second thoughts. Nothing would please him more than to finally be in the arms of the one he loves. We see in this a beautiful picture of Jesus Christ calling to His Church, who He views as “beautiful and truly delightful.” (1:15) He calls His beautiful bride to “come away” with Him. He has no regrets. He has no hint of dissatisfaction with His Bride. He has no second thoughts. Jesus loves His Bride, the Church, and sees Her as pure and unspoiled. As a follower of Christ, He is not displeased with you, or dissatisfied with you in any way. His love sees beyond all of your human imperfections and He views you as “perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” (James 1:4) He is in love with you!

We often think of how anxious we are to finally be called home to Heaven by our Beloved Savior. And that day is coming soon when He will say, “come up here.” (Revelation 4:1) But don’t miss the amazing truth that He is just as anxious – and infinitely more so – to have us in His everlasting arms. He longs for the day when the “Marriage Supper of The Lamb” will be ready and we will share in His Divine love for eternity.

 

 

Today's Reading: 2 Chronicles 1 & Psalm 72

Amen and Amen!

It is unclear who the author of Psalm 72 was. Some say it was Solomon, as the notation in the heading says “Of Solomon.” Others believe it was authored by David, because the closing caption states, “The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.”  Most likely this was David’s final psalm as he passed the kingdom over to Solomon.  It contains David’s heartfelt prayer for the Lord’s blessing upon his son Solomon’s life, his government, and the nation of Israel.

Included in David’s petition are requests for wisdom, justice, prosperity, deliverance from oppressors, victory over enemies, and abundance in the land. As we read Psalm 72, we find that it goes far beyond Solomon and actually is a prophecy of the Son that was promised to David, even Jesus Christ, who would sit on the throne of David and rule it and establish it in order, in justice, and in righteousness, from henceforth forever.

During the glorious reign of The Son of David (which will soon be upon us) some amazing things will take place. Jesus will rule with pure justice and righteousness. He will be fair to all, including the poor and needy. The mountains and hills will bring forth prosperity. Those who had been plagued by evil and powerful oppressors will be delivered. The righteous will flourish, and peace will abound. His kingdom will encompass the entire Earth, and all kings and rulers will bow down to Him. Everyone will be blessed because of Him!  Oh, what a day that will be!

David ends his prayer with praises to God and His glorious name. In verses 18-19, he writes: “Praise the Lord God, the God of Israel, who alone does such wonderful things. Praise his glorious name forever! Let the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen and amen!”

This prayer & praise ends with the exclamation, “Amen and Amen!” The Hebrew word for “amen” literally means, “verily; truly; so let it be.” Its proper use is where one person confirms the words of another and expresses an emphatic desire for those words to come to pass. As the Psalmist proclaims the gloriousness of God’s name and speaks prophetically of the coming Eternal King, he is overwhelmed with the thought that God alone can and will do such things. And to that he emphatically says, “So be it! So be it!”

“Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20) Amen and Amen!

Today's Reading: 1 Kings 4

A Beautiful Mind

The Bible often uses the phrase, “as the sand on the seashore” as its way of saying “a ginormous amount.” In Genesis 22, for example, Abraham is told that his descendants will be “as numerous as the sand on the seashore.” In Psalm 139, the thoughts God has toward His children “would outnumber the grains of sand.” In 1 Samuel 13, the Philistine army is said to contain “soldiers as numerous as the sand on the seashore.” Jeremiah 33 tells us that the number of God’s heavenly angels is so large that they “cannot be numbered as the sands of the sea cannot be measured.” This is the Bible’s way of saying that there is such a large number that, even if you tried to count them, the number would evade you. It is a hyperbolic phrase which simply means “measureless” or “uncountable.”

Here in 1 Kings 4, we are told that Solomon was granted a “breadth of mind like the sand on the seashore.” This means that God gave Solomon so much wisdom and understanding that it was immeasurable. He was so brilliant that his IQ score could not even be measured. This tells us that he was more brilliant of mind than any other person on Earth. Solomon was an “egghead” with a beautiful mind and “ginormous” mental capacity. In answer to Solomon’s heartfelt and humble prayer, God gave him wisdom and understanding beyond measure. 

Why did God give Solomon such incomparable wisdom? There are several reasons. First, because Solomon was a worshipper of God. We are told in 1 Kings 1, that Solomon “made sacrifices unto the Lord.” He, like his father David, had come to know the LORD as the one-and-only true God who was worthy of his devotion. Second, because of his humility. Although raised as “royalty,” Solomon did not have a sense of entitlement or inflated self-worth. When he came to God, he came in true humility. Third, God granted Solomon wisdom because that’s what he asked for. The Lord had told him to ask for whatever he wants and Solomon asked for the great amounts wisdom and discernment it would take to govern God’s people. Fourth, Solomon was granted this surpassing level of wisdom because God had a plan and purpose for Solomon’s life – as a writer of Scripture. As Solomon learned great lessons of wisdom, he wrote them down as snippets of truth that all future followers of God could learn from and apply to their lives.

Finally, God granted Solomon the “gift” of wisdom to give us a real-life illustration of the “gifts of the Holy Spirit” which He would later bestow en masse upon the members of His Church. He wanted all of us to see that supernatural things can happen to normal people who will humble themselves and pray and submit themselves to God’s plan for their lives. Just as He granted Solomon a beautiful mind, He wants to grant you special powers and abilities to serve Him in a way that is beyond measure – as the sand on the seashore!