Sunday, June 27, 1999 This Week's Lesson:
In this week's lesson, which came from Proverbs 10:23-32, we saw that it is important for adults to choose right over wrong and hard work over laziness. Concerning the choice of the former, Solomon wrote that a fool looks on mischief and wrongdoing as sport. Psalms 36:3-4 says, "The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit: he hath left off to be wise, and to do good. He deviseth mischief upon his bed; he setteth himself in a way that is not good; he abhorreth not evil." To be sure, God is not pleased with the person who deliberately practices wrongdoing. Psalms 7:11 says, "God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day." Everyone fears something, and Solomon said that the fears of the wicked would come to pass. An example of that can be seen in the life of David, the king of Israel. David had committed a great sin with Bathsheba before all of Israel, and the result was that his fears came upon him. His own son tried to take away his kingdom. II Samuel 16:8 says, "The LORD hath returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead thou hast reigned; and the LORD hath delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy son: and, behold, thou art taken in thy mischief, because thou art a bloody man."
When we foolishly do wrong, we cannot escape God's mighty hand. While the wise person has understanding about how to live and will always be remembered, the wicked person shall be quickly forgotten. In Proverbs 10:26, Solomon next equated vinegar and smoke to laziness and showed the frustrations of an employer with a lazy employee. Vinegar to the teeth is bitter and hard to swallow. Smoke to the eyes is discomforting and makes it difficult to see. In God's eyes, being lazy is sinful. Not working and not caring for one's own are also wrong. II Thessalonians 3:10 says, "For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat." I Timothy 5:8 says, "But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel." Solomon wrote that the righteous person works and tends to their obligations. Such a person provides gladness for others, so they receive their strength from the Lord. Those who are lazy end in poverty. Workers of iniquity shall be destroyed. In Proverbs 10:27-32, Solomon said that the righteous would be steadfast and unmovable while the wicked would be easily moved.
It is important for us to remember that we are all sinful and without hope. Solomon spoke about extreme cases, but the truth is that each of us needs special help from the Lord because of our sins. Isaiah 64:6 says, "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away." Before God, we are all sinners. But the good news is that the Lord has given us the help we need. Romans 5:8 says, "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." As you go through this coming week, think about your relationship to your God and your Creator and let Him close any gaps that might exist between Him and you.
Tom of Spotswood"He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." (I John 5:12)
"And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13)
Send email to: tlee6040@aol.com