NOTE<Staff Edit to Members>Brinny is starting the thread for Chapter 1 here (I moved it here for her
)- Everyone read Chapter 1 if it is the 1st day of the month today (Today is July
1 that is why we are reading Chapter
1). Come back and give us your thoughts....Tishri1
just saw this...is this AWESOME or what??!!! THIS is soooooo what I need. it's officially July 1st, so i'm starting with
Proverbs 1, yay!!
Two things(well three) that stand out for me:
The repeated theme of the "fear of the Lord"
"wisdom is referred to as "she"
that wisdom almost "shouts" to those willing to listen
Note: it must take a lot of determined effort to "not hear" the "crying out" of wisdom....this ties right into verses 24-30. In the deliberate ignoring of and spurning of the wisdom being practically "shouted out" they seal their own destruction with their own hand.
How tragic.
Hi,
I have used this much. In one lad's case and he didn't listen, it was to tell him how to become wise. His Dad asked me to speak to him.
Wisdom, who I call God's Gal-Pal, rather than wisdom personified, but from my own work, if any work can be called my own, when the subject is understanding the Bible, speaks below on what she does when she is not listened to.
One day, I used that on a man. I first told him of my capabilities, and frightened his street buddy. This man then, with full verbal armor up, came to battle me. I said to him then, on your third lie, I will get up and laugh at you. Yes, I quoted Wisdom, God's Gal-Pal to me, and the one to me that God assigned to test all men, meaning males and females, for one attribute before she rewards them. It is their commitment to honesty.
The man and I talk, and I ask him why he is not working, as he is young and on the streets. Lie one happened. I said nothing. Lie two happened. I also said nothing. Lie three happened, and I also said nothing. My body did. I stood up, turned around and walked off, with not a word to him or a look back, just like Wisdom says here. I also listend to nothing of what he said then.
The man, uses lies and I figured that was why, I was sent to him to talk to him. In those day, it was either Jesus unknown to me, or The Holy Spirit unknown to me, and later I learned it could be Mary, or The Father unknown to me, that caused, and causes me to engage two street people, when normally I would not do that.
I figured God wanted to tell him something. It is that his lies are not that good. I only remember his emotions. He did not stand. He launched every set of words at me that he, could on my departure. And they were Those kinds of words, but he had gained. He had gained that some people know he is lieing when he is lieing. And, I am glad he was told that, maybe he can start getting off the streets now.
And again here, are ideas repeated to me. One is death in many places Biblically is life after this life, but without God.
Another is God's definition of a fool. God defines fool as one who does not believe in Him.
The definiton of foolish was really helpful for me later. In one case, Biblically it is said to not put God to a foolish test. And that has much more meaning to me, if I use God's definition found here, rather than the human definition of fool.
The other is the suggestion, that Wisdom is no personification, but really what God made/creatated in Proverbs 8 a real spirit person, who is female in gender.
LOVE,
...Mary., .... .
Proverbs 1 New International Version (NIV)
Purpose and Theme
1 The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:
2 for gaining wisdom and instruction;
for understanding words of insight;
3 for receiving instruction in prudent behavior,
doing what is right and just and fair;
4 for giving prudence to those who are simple,[
a]
knowledge and discretion to the young—
5 let the wise listen and add to their learning,
and let the discerning get guidance—
6 for understanding proverbs and parables,
the sayings and riddles of the wise.[
b]
7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools[
c] despise wisdom and instruction.
Prologue: Exhortations to Embrace Wisdom
Warning Against the Invitation of Sinful Men
8 Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction
and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.
9 They are a garland to grace your head
and a chain to adorn your neck.
10 My son, if sinful men entice you,
do not give in to them.
11 If they say, “Come along with us;
let’s lie in wait for innocent blood,
let’s ambush some harmless soul;
12 let’s swallow them alive, like the grave,
and whole, like those who go down to the pit;
13 we will get all sorts of valuable things
and fill our houses with plunder;
14 cast lots with us;
we will all share the loot”—
15 my son, do not go along with them,
do not set foot on their paths;
16 for their feet rush into evil,
they are swift to shed blood.
17 How useless to spread a net
where every bird can see it!
18 These men lie in wait for their own blood;
they ambush only themselves!
19 Such are the paths of all who go after ill-gotten gain;
it takes away the life of those who get it.
Wisdom’s Rebuke
20 Out in the open wisdom calls aloud,
she raises her voice in the public square;
21 on top of the wall[
d] she cries out,
at the city gate she makes her speech:
22 “How long will you who are simple love your simple ways?
How long will mockers delight in mockery
and fools hate knowledge?
23 Repent at my rebuke!
Then I will pour out my thoughts to you,
I will make known to you my teachings.
24 But since you refuse to listen when I call
and no one pays attention when I stretch out my hand,
25 since you disregard all my advice
and do not accept my rebuke,
26 I in turn will laugh when disaster strikes you;
I will mock when calamity overtakes you—
27 when calamity overtakes you like a storm,
when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind,
when distress and trouble overwhelm you.
28 “Then they will call to me but I will not answer;
they will look for me but will not find me,
29 since they hated knowledge
and did not choose to fear the Lord.
30 Since they would not accept my advice
and spurned my rebuke,
31 they will eat the fruit of their ways
and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.
32 For the waywardness of the simple will kill them,
and the complacency of fools will destroy them;
33 but whoever listens to me will live in safety
and be at ease, without fear of harm.”
Footnotes:
- Proverbs 1:4 The Hebrew word rendered simple in Proverbs denotes a person who is gullible, without moral direction and inclined to evil.
- Proverbs 1:6 Or understanding a proverb, namely, a parable, / and the sayings of the wise, their riddles
- Proverbs 1:7 The Hebrew words rendered fool in Proverbs, and often elsewhere in the Old Testament, denote a person who is morally deficient.
- Proverbs 1:21 Septuagint; Hebrew / at noisy street corners
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by
Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
