Month: April 2023

26
Apr
2023

Wisdom is a Hedge

We moved into our house seven years ago. Hard to believe we have lived here this long already. When we moved, we had our list of things we wanted in a house. One of the things I wanted was a yard big enough so I could have a garden. We found a house that met our wants that sat on 5 acres. The house we bought actually sits on an old Christmas tree farm. The place that I chose to have my garden that made the most sense on the property makes the garden hidden from the house. Since we cannot see the garden from the house, it is a perfect location for all the animals that are scavenging for food. All the delicacies that a fresh garden holds for all of these creatures: many deer, raccoons, groundhogs, rabbits, etc. I knew that I needed a fence, but I wanted a fence that matched the esthetics. As pretty and as natural as it was, it did absolutely nothing to keep out the animals. I worked very hard to cut down a tree and dig the post holes and build my fence. As pretty and natural as it was, it did not protect my precious produce. Out went the natural fence, and in came the industrial fence that continues to be tweaked.

The purpose of my new industrial fence is to protect, preserve, put a hedge, or guard my produce from the marauders that case my garden when I am not paying attention, mostly at night.

Proverbs 6 and 7 states that  the purpose of a son or a daughter keeping their parents’ teaching, which hopefully lines up with the teaching from God’s Word, is to protect, preserve, put a hedge, or guard from the forbidden or evil  woman/man.

The company we keep impacts our lives. We are influenced by those that we spend time with. Proverbs 6, 7 talk about someone entering into an adulterous relationship, but we also can take these principles and the outcomes of entering into an adulterous relationship and apply them to other relationships.

What is the purpose of listening to one’s parents or those that are older and wiser than you? They have years and experience on their side that those that are younger, their children, do not have. They have seen and experienced more in life, and want to protect their young from making mistakes that will forever impact their lives.

What impact can a wrong relationship have on your life? It can destroy (6:32), cause wounds (6:33), cause dishonor (6:33), and lead to death (7:27).

When we seek to fulfill a desire or gain satisfaction from something or someone that does not bring glory to God, it does not bring about anything that is positive.

Children are more precious than my produce that my family has spent much effort in protecting. Just as we have put up an industrial fence to be a protection around my precious produce, so the commandments and teaching (6:20; 7:1) of a parent are meant to protect their children from making foolish choices. I have fencing tall enough so the deer cannot jump over, buried fencing so the groundhogs cannot dig under it, and tiny openings so the rabbits cannot sneak through. So the teaching and wise words of wisdom of a parent are meant to put a hedge around their children to protect, preserve, and guard them from making foolish choices.

The difference between my produce and children is that children have a choice. They can choose to listen or choose to ignore the wise words of wisdom bestowed on them by their parents.

True satisfaction of our desires only comes from following God and His Word. Too often we think that we know better how to get the satisfaction that we are looking for. The trouble is that those that choose to follow their desires are deceived by those desires. They think that the satisfaction of their desires will be found their way. This is deceptive thinking (Prov. 14:8).

Every circumstance in life gives us the opportunity to make a choice. Will you choose to follow the path of wisdom (listening to your parents and others who are wise) or will you listen to your desires that are deceitful? The path of wisdom provides safety, but the path of folly destroys, wounds, and brings dishonor.

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19
Apr
2023

7 things that are an Abomination to God

When our girls were growing up, there were some things that met with instant punishment. First time obedience was a must. If we asked them to do something, they needed to do it the first time we asked and not the 10th time. Disrespect and lying were also big no-nos.  One of my daughters had a pretty rough day in the disrespect category. Another spent a long time in my bedroom until she decided to tell the truth. Those moments were pivotal in their lives. They understood the value of respect and telling the truth. As parents, there are things that require our immediate attention. These things must be corrected quickly because if they are not, the children will begin to lay down habits that will forever taint their lives.

God gave us His word so that we would know what was required of us. The things we should do and the things we should not do.

“There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are an abomination to him; haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.” (Proverbs 6:16-19).

In Hebrew writing there is a common literary device which is this 1+ saying. Six yeah seven. Not that they didn’t know how to count or they thought of one more thing after they started writing. Rather, it was common in the wisdom literature to draw attention to what was to follow. It also was used to draw attention to the last item in the list. The last item in the list had great value. As we look at each of these things in the list, we can see that when we do any of the first 6 things it will cause the 7th thing.

These are the things that God hates or are an abomination to Him. In other words, He absolutely abhors them.

  1. Haughty eyes

The first thing on our list is pride. The sin that took Lucifer from being an angel of light for God to an angel of darkness was his pride. Is. 14:13-15 is a quotation from Satan when he sinned. The word “I” punctuates the beginning of every sentence. “I will ascend to heaven…I will set my throne on high…I will sit on the mount of assembly…I will ascend above the heights of the clouds…I will make myself like the Most High…” The pride mentioned here is so strong that it can be seen in the person’s eyes. Their countenance portrays what is in their heart. Those that are proud will flee self-examination and will blame or attempt to destroy those that highlight their deficiencies.  Those that are proud hate failure. When they do fail, they won’t ever blame themselves. They will blame someone or something else. It is never their fault. Have you met someone who is unwilling to ever admit their fault? What about a person who refuses wise counsel? What about a person who thinks that the only person that is right is them?

  1. A Lying Tongue

Have you ever played 2 truths and a lie? Each person has to say 2 things about themselves that is true and one thing that is a lie. The lie has to be something that is believable. Have you met people who lie and are believable? You believe everything they say, only to find out later that they lied to you. Then when you confront them about their lie, they tell another lie to cover up the first lie. Many times when we are in the company of these liars, they make us feel uncomfortable. These with a lying tongue bring about confusion on the part of those that are within earshot of their lies. Do you ever feel a sense of confusion when you are in the company of someone or they make you feel uncomfortable? You need to start doing some fact checking. Not only do those that tell lies confuse others, they also are self-deceived. “…the folly of fools is deceiving.” (Prov. 14:8).

  1. Hands that Shed Innocent Blood

This seems evident that God would hate murder. After all, when one person murders another, they are taking the life of that person made in the image of God. Abortion is murder. There should be no debate about this. Yet there is. In 1919, Congress passed the 19th amendment that allowed women the right to vote. This topic has not been hotly debated in 100 years. This topic does not receive publicity. There are no longer debates regarding the legitimacy of this. Abortion, on the other hand, continues to receive much attention. We live in a fallen world that allows doctors to murder unborn babies. Those that believe the baby is a precious life made in the image of God fight for the rights of those unborn children. Those that believe it is “their body their choice” fight for the right to murder the unborn baby. God hates the shedding of innocent blood. Babies are the most innocent that there is. They cannot even put up a fight.  We must also remember the words of John in I John 3:15 “Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer…” It is not just the physical act of murder that God calls an abomination, it is also what we harbor in our hearts toward others that can be called murder.

  1. A Heart that Devises Wicked Plans

Do you ever wonder what is in your heart? Look first at how you respond to all the circumstances that happen in your life. If your response to every circumstance honors the Lord, you have a heart that honors the Lord. Our hearts in Scripture could also be called our desires. What is it you desire? What is it you want? When you lay awake at night and cannot sleep or you have a moment when your brain is not busy with work or whatever else may require brainpower, what do you find yourself thinking on? Are you dwelling on those things that glorify God like how to serve and love others? Or are you busy dwelling on how you can satisfy your selfish desires? If you are devising, scheming, or planning ways to satisfy your selfish desires, these are wicked plans. If you have to sin in order to accomplish the wicked plans your heart has devised, then you know that what you are planning is an abomination to God. Will your desires hurt someone else or will they glorify God? Take some time to consider what it is that you want. We do what we do, because we want what we want.

  1. Feet that Make Haste to Run to Evil

It is one thing to have a heart that devises wicked plans, but it heaps on our sin when we also carry out those wicked plans. These people are so eager to satisfy their desires they are hastily running to do evil.  We see this in our streets today. In so many big cities, we see people with feet that are quickly running to ransack buildings, cars, and people’s livelihood.  There is no respect of others or their possessions. We have allowed there to be mayhem and chaos. Sin does not produce peace, rather sin produces chaos and disorder. Two of our daughters are teachers. When there is peace in the classroom, it is because everyone is following the rules of the classroom. When there is chaos in the classroom, it is because the students that are creating the chaos are quickly running to evil. What surrounds your life? Peace and calm or chaos and drama? What is your heart devising that your feet are hastily running toward? Is it peace that brings glory to God or satisfaction of your selfish desires that is deceitful and brings chaos?

  1. A False Witness Who Breathes Out Lies

In the same list of seven things that God hates or are an abomination to Him, two of these mentioned include lying. Jesus calls Himself the ‘’Truth” in John 14:6. “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” The Word “truth” is used over 200 times in the Bible. Lying is an affront to the character of God since one of the names of Jesus is “truth.” Jesus calls Himself the “Truth” and the person mentioned here that God says is an abomination is a false witness. These are diametrically opposed to each other.  Satan is the Father of Lies. (John 8:44). As was mentioned earlier, someone who lies will make us feel uneasy or confused because we are never sure that what they are saying is believable. God, on the other hand, and His Word are the truth. Anything that contradicts God’s Word and makes us feel uneasy needs to be thoroughly investigated. Remember, “…the folly of fools is deceiving.” (Prov. 14:8).

  1. One Who Sows Discord Among Brothers

Pride, a lying tongue, a murderer, a heart that devises wicked plans, and feet that make haste to run to evil will bring about discord. A person that possesses any of the previously mentioned six qualities will bring about discord, a disruption of peace. Relationships are valuable. God created us to have relationship with Him. He created mankind to have relationship with each other. After God created man, He created woman. “Then the Lord God said, ‘it is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” (Gen 2:18). God created us in His design for relationship. Discord in relationship began to happen because of sin. We saw this first with Adam and Eve and the blame game that happened. We can cause discord in our relationships when we possess the first six qualities mentioned in this list. Others can cause chaos in our relationships when they sow discord. Have you had a disruption in a relationship? Maybe the relationship is not what it once was. Sometimes it is our pride or lying tongues that cause a break in the relationship. Other times, it can be others that sow discord by telling lies or creating drama/chaos in another relationship. Someone else can drive a wedge in another’s relationship with someone out of jealousy or desire to control a relationship.

In Hebrew literature, the seventh thing is the culmination. Discord, strife, conflict in relationships are generally caused by the first six things on this list. Do you have a relationship that has strife or discord? Or a relationship that is not what it once was? The first thing you must do is evaluate the cause. Did you cause it? Did the other person cause it? Did a third party cause it? God does not care who caused the disruption in the relationship. He tells us that no matter who caused the disruption, we should seek to mend it. “So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” (Mt. 5:23, 24) It is always your turn to seek to mend a relationship.

 

God sent His Son Jesus to reconcile us to Himself. (Col.1:19, 20). God highly values reconciliation. If there is discord, strife, or conflict between you and someone else, do not let your pride get in the way. Go and be reconciled. Jesus gave His life. That is how highly God values reconciliation.

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11
Apr
2023

Go to the Ant

I have been seeing and killing some black ants in my house. I always wonder where they come from and what makes them think coming inside is a good idea. I always see ants in my garden too. I move a rock or pull up a weed and they come scurrying trying to take their eggs to a safer place. We have all seen an ant carry an object bigger than itself. They have been documented to carry 20 times their body weight. If I carried 20 times by body weight, I would be able to carry 2,500 pounds. (If you do the math, you can figure out how much I weigh:). They will travel up to 700 feet from their nest for food, and will follow scent trails back to their nest after dark. Rather than sleep like humans do, they take eight minute power naps every 12 hours. Someone in the colony is always working. They are incredible creatures.

It is no wonder that God through the pen of Solomon told us to “Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise.” (Proverbs 6:6).

Solomon used the little ant as a reprove for those who are sluggards, in our terminology today they are lazy. What things can we learn from Scripture about the ant?

The 1st lesson we need to learn from the ant is that we need to be self-motivated and self-directed.

The ant does not have a “chief, officer, or ruler.” (Prov. 6:7) In other words, the ant does not have someone to tell it what to do. The ant does not need a boss telling them what time to be to work, what they are supposed to do for their work, and how much effort they are to put into their work. The ant is self-motivated and self-directed. How many company owners would love to have employees like this? We had some trees cut down last week. The guy who cut the trees down has done some work for us in the past. During previous times, he had multiple employees. This time it was just him and his dad. He told me that he had a hard time getting any reliable help that worked as hard as his dad did.

This concept is also applied in the home. Whether one is a spouse or a child, the concept of being self-motivated and self-directed goes a long way in building and maintaining godly home relationships. A child who is self-motivated or directed can see the things that need to be done such as keeping their room clean, picking up after themselves, or clearing the supper dishes. A spouse who is self-directed or motivated can also see the things that need to be done without having to always be asked to take care of needed chores around the house. A home is a team effort and when there is someone that spends most of their time sitting on the couch watching television or surfing their phone while the others are busy taking care of household chores, the “couch potato” would be considered a sluggard.

The 2nd lesson we need to learn from the ant is the need to plan ahead.

The ant “prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest.” (Prov. 6:8). In other words, the ant prepares for times ahead. The ant knows that she needs to follow the calendar and prepare for when food is scarce. My husband comes from parents who are planners, hence my husband is a planner. They have lists for their lists. We like to talk about next Christmas before we even celebrate the current Christmas. I don’t even get a chore complete and he is planning for the next chore that needs to be done. The ant prepares and plans for the future. Again, an employer would love to have their employees plan for the future. Knowing what projects will take more time and planning accordingly.

The 3rd lesson we need to learn from the ant is the need to glorify God through our responsibilities.

A sluggard or a lazy person is found in bed more time than they are found on the job. (Prov. 6:9). When we miss work because we are in bed, call in sick as many days as possible, or are late to work because we overslept, we are lazy. God has given us responsibilities that we need to accomplish. These responsibilities are used so that we can fulfill our purpose in life, to glorify God. (Is. 43:7). If our employers or our families cannot count on us, then we are not glorifying God. Our families count on us to be carrying our load of the responsibilities. When our daughters lived under our roof, they each had responsibilities based on their age and abilities. They did not get the option to sit and play all day, but rather they had to get out of bed and do their chores. The same goes for a spouse. He or she must be reliable and fulfill their responsibilities and not place the burden of all responsibilities on the other. Our goal in our families is to seek to steward the relationships that God has given us in a way that glorifies Him.

The 4th lesson we learn from the ant is that their hands are busy.

The sluggard “folds his hands” (Prov. 6:10). It is hard to be busy with your hands when they are folded. No work can be done with folded hands. The result of these “folded hands” is “poverty” and “want.”  A lazy person will have folded hands that will result in not providing for the needs of their family. If a child’s responsibility is to load the dishwasher and they never do, the dishes will be dirty and the family will want for clean dishes to eat their meals on. If the husband and/or wife do not go to work to provide for the bills that must be paid, the family will experience “poverty” and “want.”

A sluggard is not just someone that fails to go to work to meet the everyday needs they have. A person can be a hard worker outside the home, but fail to “carry their weight” in the home. If they do this, they are also a sluggard.

In America we have become accustom to wanting life to be easy. When we desire ease, we fail to value hard work. This desire for an easy life can be seen in many different areas of our lives.

As you evaluate your life, think about how you respond in every circumstance. Do you want to glorify God and work hard, or do you want to take the sluggard’s way out? Are you self-motivated? Do you plan ahead? Do you glorify God in all your responsibilities? Are your hands folded or busy?

Posted by ddykema5@gmail.com in The Seasons of Motherhood, 1 comment
05
Apr
2023

Confusion or Clarity

There are various methods for Bible study. As I have been writing this blog on the book of Proverbs, I have been making columns of the positives and negatives that are in each chapter. It certainly has helped me to organize the main concepts and ideas in each chapter. Proverbs calls these positives and negatives the way of the wise and the way of the fool. How many of us want someone to call us a fool? Wise? There are many different characteristics that define those that are wise or foolish. While we are on this side of heaven there will daily be things in our lives that would be characterized as foolish. The goal that God has for us is that with each day we live more wisely and continue to put off the foolish ways of our old self. (Eph. 4: 22-24).

As we enter Proverbs 5, we see wisdom contrasted with foolishness. Both wisdom and foolishness are referred to often as “she.” Proverbs 5 has four main characters. The father is speaking again to his son. We have seen this in the last four chapters. He is telling his son that he needs to be aware of the “forbidden woman” and be satisfied with the love of his wife.

Just because the father is speaking to his son, does not mean that there are only principles for young men in this Proverbs. There are principles in this Proverb for all.

Solomon says again that his son needs to listen, be attentive, incline his ear, and not depart from the wise words he was sharing with his son.  How many times have we as parents told our kids the same thing only in different ways?

I homeschooled my kids. I remember teaching a concept to one of our daughters. I explained the concept to her a number of different ways. Finally, the last way she understood it and said, “Why didn’t you explain it to me this way in the first place?” We all have different learning styles. We explain things how we understand them best first. That is what I did in this particular situation, but that was not the best way for her learn.

God has been using the pen of Solomon to tell us the same thing in different ways over and over again, and will continue to do so throughout the entire book of Proverbs. Why? We all learn different ways, and need things explained in different ways.

We understand the wisdom that Solomon was trying to impart on his son and also consequently on us. He keeps reminding him to listen. Do we listen to those that are wise?

The negatives in this chapter are the description of the forbidden woman, but no one is saying that only women are evil and men are perfect. Since Solomon was speaking to his son in this book, he would be warning him about the forbidden woman. If he was speaking to his daughter, he would have warned her about the forbidden man.

Let’s look at these qualities of the foolish person. They are deceptive (Prov. 5:3), leave us with a feeling of uneasiness (5:4), lead to a bad/deadly outcome (5:5), no thought to the consequences of their actions (5:6), no direction or goals (5:6), and self-deceived (5:6).

What happens to us when we do not listen and allow our lives to become entangled with a foolish person? We will lose our reputation and our integrity (5:9). The foolish are deceivers and manage to swindle others. God has called us to be good stewards of what He has given to us, but when we seek to satisfy our selfish desires the satisfaction we are seeking through these selfish desires never satisfies.

What is the conclusion of this chapter that compares and contrasts the wise and the foolish person? Proverbs 5:12-14 tell us what the foolish person looks like so then the converse of this would be the characteristics of a wise person.

“And you say, ‘How I hated discipline, and my heart despised reproof! I did not listen to the voice of my teachers, or incline my ear to my instructors. I am at the brink of utter ruin in the assembled congregation.’” (Prov. 5:1-14)

The wise person listens to those that are wise, searches God’s Word for the principles necessary to live a life of wisdom, and surrounds themselves with people that are wise. Do you run to God first when seeking to make a decision? Do you seek the counsel of those that are wise when making a decision? Do the people that you surround yourself with have godly goals?

The foolish person will leave us with a feeling of uneasiness or confusion. They will deceive you into helping them fulfill their desires, but have no care for what your desires are. They are seeking for others to meet their needs.

“For a man’s/woman’s ways are before the eyes of the Lord, and he ponders all his paths.” (Prov. 5:21)

Posted by ddykema5@gmail.com in The Seasons of Motherhood, 0 comments