THE LORD SPOKE (September 10)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Old Testament: Proverbs 23-25

Proverbs 25:1 - “These are more proverbs of Solomon, copied by the men of Hezekiah, King of Judah.”

Sometimes you can pick up some valuable insights from the footnotes of a book. They’re not [supposed to be] there just to fill the page or thicken the book. Proverbs 25:1 is a case in point. It’s a footnote that didn’t make it to the bottom of the page, but it’s a footnote just the same. It tells us several very important details about how our Bible, or at least this part of our Bible, came together. Look at what we learn from this passing comment:

A. Solomon wrote many more proverbs than those recorded in this book. We already knew that from I Kings 4:32, “he spoke 3000 proverbs and his songs numbered 1005". We have a portion of them here in the first twenty-two chapters and his “Song of Songs” is a separate book of our Bible but there once were several additional volumes in this collection. Interestingly, the rabbis have pointed out that the numerical value of Solomon’s name is 375 and that’s how many proverbs are recorded between 1:1 and 22:16 where a new section of “the saying of the wise” begins. Only 375 out of 3000.

B. That which is being added has been researched and the editors want to identify it clearly as an addition. They didn’t just hobble together a few nice sayings like a collection of mugs at a gift shop. Neither did they write the proverbs themselves and just attach Solomon’s name to give them greater literary authority and sell more copies of the book. Rather, they carefully collected these sayings and verified Solomonic authorship before inserting them as an identifiable package.

C. Those who are editing the text identify themselves clearly. They are “the men of Hezekiah”. No one is left to guessing where this material comes from or how it got here. There were five main periods of time in the Old Testament when revelation and collection of material took place.

1. in Moses’ day when the first five books were given - c. 1400 BC
2. by Samuel, followed by David and the Levites in preparation for Temple worship - c. 1000 BC
3. at the time of Elijah and Elisha when much of what the “speaking” prophets said was recorded and other written records were being compiled - c. 800's BC
4. in the reformation days under Hezekiah, as here in Proverbs 25:1 - c. 700 BC
5. under Ezra and the men of the Great Assembly - c. 400 BC

That’s far from the liberal theories of how the Bible came together. Most scholars today still hold to some out-dated form of the JEDP Theory or deuteronomistic history even though there is not one scrap of manuscript evidence for it. No one has ever found an “elohist” or a “yahwist” document. But here, tucked into a footnote of Scripture is a clear indication of how our Bible came together under the direction of the Holy Spirit. It is indeed a composition. And there were for certain some steps in the editing process. But these are very limited, frequently described, and often identified for us within the text. The final result is the God-breathed revelation that He intended for us to have. And, that He intended for us to read and apply!


New Testament: Revelation 16

What makes it so bad is that, even when given the opportunity, “they refused to repent”. Twice it’s stated (Rev. 16:9,11) and it’s implied elsewhere (e.g. Rev. 16:21). What is it that can bring a man to curse God for the results of his own sin?

It’s in the nature of sin. It distorts our view of things. It blinds us! It twists our thinking. It plays ugly tricks on our minds.

Back in Revelation 11:13, an earthquake caused the survivors to “give glory to the God of heaven”. Here, they’ve hardened their hearts and, no doubt, come up with any number of explanations to explain the earthquake. But, in the end, they curse God and refuse to repent. They fail to see their own sin. They don’t connect the dots. They don’t recognize that the calamities that are falling upon them are the result of their own badness.

That’s the way it is with sin. We become numb. We are quick to identify the faults of someone else and we can always find good reasons for why we are the way we are. But we don’t easily recognize our own failure. Or, if we do, we refuse to acknowledge it. It’s much easier to blame someone or something else. Even if that someone is God.

Sin will ruin you. It will destroy your ability to make right decisions. It will warp your judgment. It will break your fellowship with God. It’s therefore of vital importance for you to consider how you should deal with sin in your life. Here’s a plan to follow:

1. Examine every aspect of your life. Be systematic about it. Think through each part of your day - each activity, each relationship, each inward desire. Find and define your sin wherever it is.
2. Get counsel from others. They won’t miss your blind spots. Ask someone who loves you to help you identify attitudes and actions that are the result of sin.
3. Pray to God for help. No one could know your heart better. Ask Him to reveal even your hidden thoughts and motivations.
4. Confess your sin to Him. “If we freely admit that we have sinned, we find God utterly reliable and straightforward - he forgives our sins and makes us thoroughly clean from all that is evil.” (I Jn. 1:9, Phillips). Tell Him about it and ask for His help to deal with it.
5. Reevaluate yourself periodically. Don’t let the fire grow cold.

That’s the best assurance there is that you won’t find yourself somewhere in Revelation 16.