I think Solomon was wrong on this one.

I think the mere fact that Solomon himself was remembered as a really wise man proves this wrong.  How many fools from Solomon's generation do we remember by name? 

Ecclesiastes 2:16(NKJV)

    For there is no more remembrance of the wise than of the fool forever,     Since all that now is will be forgotten in the days to come.     And how does a wise man die?      As the fool!

The older I get the more certain I am of God's principals.

The older I get and the more I study Scripture the more certain I become of its principals.  One of them is that there are certain life lessons that we can only learn through trials and tribulations. 

Luke 22:31-32(NKJV)

And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. 

But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.”

Here we have Jesus letting Simon know that Satan coming after Him.  Notice what Jesus does and doesn’t do.  What Jesus didn’t do is stop Satan from testing Simon.  Jesus could have easily stopped him.  Instead Jesus prayed for Simon that he would make it through the testing.  To me that is confirmation of the principal that some of life's lessons can only be learned through tribulation.

Are all people "children of God"? Not according to John

I have always found this Scripture interesting.  There are many who say we are all children of God.  In a general sense I suppose that is true.  But in the specific sense that we are entitled to the promises of God as heirs in Christ I believe that is not true.  I point to this Scripture as proof of that belief.

John 1:10-13(NKJV)

He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 

He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. 

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 

who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Here is says very clearly that only those who believe in Jesus are entitled to be in the "family of God", heirs with Jesus, entitled to receive God's promises. 

Some would ask, isn't that exclusionary?  Not at all?  Each person gets to decide whether they want to be children of God.  Not a single person is being excluded.  Those who aren't children of God made that decision not to join the family so to speak.  Make sense? 

God mocks!

I found this interesting.  God sometimes mocks His people. 

Proverbs 1:26-27(NKJV)

    I also will laugh at your calamity;     I will mock when your terror comes,

    When your terror comes like a storm,     And your destruction comes like a whirlwind,     When distress and anguish come upon you.

Sometimes mocking is a useful tool. 

God is…wise

I guess the thing that strikes me is that there is a lot in the Bible about wisdom.  You'll see Scriptures below that tell us repeatedly that God is wise.  But there are many Scriptures as well that tell us to seek wisdom and also to choose wise leaders.  Nowhere in the does it say to seek out unwise and foolish people. 

So once again the Bible tells us to make a judgement.  We are to look at the words and actions of people and discern whether they are wise or not.  If they are wise we should consider what they say, consider their opinion on things.

If they are not wise we are to ignore their advice.

I've highlighted some things and commented on them below.

Deuteronomy 1:13(NKJV)

Choose wise, understanding, and knowledgeable men from among your tribes, and I will make them heads over you.’ 

I found this interesting.  Proverbs tells us to seek wisdom, knowledge, and understanding.  The verse above tells us to seek those exact types of men to lead us. 

2 Samuel 14:20(NKJV)

To bring about this change of affairs your servant Joab has done this thing; but my lord is wise, according to the wisdom of the angel of God, to know everything that is in the earth.”

Job 9:4(NKJV)

    God is wise in heart and mighty in strength.     Who has hardened himself against Him and prospered?

One of the things I have noticed is that often times wisdom and strength are combined in Scripture.

Job 11:12(NKJV)

    For an empty-headed man will be wise,     When a wild donkey’s colt is born a man.

I love Job's sense of humor.

Job 15:2(NKJV)

    “Should a wise man answer with empty knowledge,      And fill himself with the east wind?

Proverbs 24:23(NKJV)

These things also belong to the wise:      It is not good to show partiality in judgment.

Proverbs 29:8(NKJV)

    Scoffers set a city aflame,      But wise men turn away wrath.

Jeremiah 9:23(NKJV)

Thus says the Lord:      “Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom,     Let not the mighty man glory in his might,     Nor let the rich man glory in his riches;

Romans 16:27(NKJV)

to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen.

This one from the NT I find a little puzzling and I have written about it before.  All through the OT we are told to seek wisdom and become wise.  But here in Romans Paul says that only God is wise.  My conclusion is that in Paul's case he is simply using this as a rhetorical device to pay homage to God. 

Yeah baby! Confirmation of the NT in the OT!

As you know, one of my principals of studying Scripture is that I look for confirmation of a principal in both the old and new testament. 

Two days ago I wrote Ministry - Jesus Style .  I pointed out how Jesus put the saying don't cast your pearls before swine into practice.  In other words Jesus didn't bother answering questions that we not asked in good faith.  He recognized those questions for what they were and told the people to pound sand.

Today I found confirmation of that way of dealing with unbelievers in the OT.  Take a look.   

Proverbs 26:5(NKJV)

    Answer a fool according to his folly,     Lest he be wise in his own eyes.

Pretty cool!

I never made this connection before

 

Luke 21:12-13(NKJV)

But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons. You will be brought before kings and rulers for My name’s sake. 

But it will turn out for you as an occasion for testimony. 

Luke 21:17(NKJV)

And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. 

Seems to me that the Christian bakers being persecuted in this country are the beginning of what is being talked about in the first verse.

The second verse to me is indicative of what goes on today regarding Muslims and Christians in this country.  Politicians seem to be bending over backwards not to offend Muslims while going out of their way to offend Christians. 

Just mu opinion of what I am observing.

Ministry - Jesus style

I know I have pointed this out before but I think it is so important that I am pointing it out again.    Notice how Jesus dealt with unbelievers who wanted to play "gotcha" with their questions.

Luke 20:1-8(NKJV)

Now it happened on one of those days, as He taught the people in the temple and preached the gospel, that the chief priests and the scribes, together with the elders, confronted Him 

and spoke to Him, saying, “Tell us, by what authority are You doing these things? Or who is he who gave You this authority?”

But He answered and said to them, “I also will ask you one thing, and answer Me: 

The baptism of John—was it from heaven or from men?”

And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 

But if we say, ‘From men,’ all the people will stone us, for they are persuaded that John was a prophet.” 

So they answered that they did not know where it was from.

And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

Jesus didn't play their game and neither should we.  It's that whole casting pearls before swine thing.  Jesus took the time to answer honest and sincere questions from those who were really seeking.  But He didn't bother answering the questions from those who were trying to trap Him and destroy others faith.

Now there are some who would say that Jesus was able to discern the difference and we can't.  I would disagree.  For those who have openly chosen to become enemies of God, there really isn't any discernment required.  They have made their intentions known.  Use the example of Jesus when dealing with them.  Do not cast your pearls before swine! 

This is one of my very favorite parables.

The reason it is one of my favorites is that it addresses a couple of my hot button issues.  The first issue being those who think Jesus is a Socialist.  Jesus says "do business till I come".  That is an awfully funny thing for a socialist to say.  In addition you don't see Jesus condemning those who do business well do you?  In fact he goes on to castigate the one who doesn't use his God given talents to the fullest.

The second thing I like is that the last sentence once again puts to rest the idea of Kumbaya Jesus. 

Luke 19:12-27(NKJV)

Therefore He said: “A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. 

So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Do business till I come.’ 

But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We will not have this man to reign over us.’

“And so it was that when he returned, having received the kingdom, he then commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. 

Then came the first, saying, ‘Master, your mina has earned ten minas.’ 

And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.’ 

And the second came, saying, ‘Master, your mina has earned five minas.’ 

Likewise he said to him, ‘You also be over five cities.’

“Then another came, saying, ‘Master, here is your mina, which I have kept put away in a handkerchief. 

For I feared you, because you are an austere man. You collect what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.’ 

And he said to him, ‘Out of your own mouth I will judge you, you wicked servant. You knew that I was an austere man, collecting what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow. 

Why then did you not put my money in the bank, that at my coming I might have collected it with interest?’

“And he said to those who stood by, ‘Take the mina from him, and give it to him who has ten minas.’ 

(But they said to him, ‘Master, he has ten minas.’) 

‘For I say to you, that to everyone who has will be given; and from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 

But bring here those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, and slay them before me.’”