Archives for July 2020

OVERVIEW: 

The contrast between good and evil; warnings and instructions about life.

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

As we have constantly and consistently seen, all the way through the 365 Days of Pursuit, the Bible is filled with practical truths for living. Those truths are especially recognizable in the book of Proverbs, for it is really nothing more than a collection of God’s complex and diverse statements of what is TRUE about life, compared or contrasted with that which is NOT TRUE. As was suggested in Week 28, Day 4, one of the best ways to get these truths as a functional part of our lives is to read the chapter each day that corresponds with the day’s date. If we would simply add one chapter of Proverbs a day to our regular Bible study each year, do you realize that in the next 20 years, we will have made our way through the Book of Proverbs 240 times?! Before we know it, the contrasts and parallels of God’s truth will become recorded onto the hard drive of our mind, providing us with moment by moment wisdom as the Holy Spirit guides us to walk in the way with the wise. (Proverbs 13:20)

Wow! I couldn’t agree more with Solomon in verse one in today’s reading! “Better is a dry morsel, and quietness therewith, than an house full of sacrifices with strife.” (17:1) I’d much rather have my family all intact, living in peace (“quietness”) in a shack with just enough food to get us by, than to live in a fat house, able to eat whatever we jolly well please, but have it all in the midst of strife in our relationships with each other! (See also Proverbs 21:9) In the pursuit of the “things on earth” (Colossians 3:1–2), many Christians around the world, “GOT what they WANTED, but LOST what they HAD!” We must be careful! We must be wise! There are treasures in life far more valuable and precious than material wealth and monetary gain!

The second half of 17:6 packs such a wallop that I can’t just pass over it, though there’s not enough space in this venue to really nail all of the unbelievable implications of this tremendously powerful truth. Solomon simply says, “The glory of children are their fathers.” Note that Solomon isn’t giving instruction here concerning something we are to teach our children; he is simply stating a fact! The fact is, “The glory of children are their fathers!” What those seven simple words actually reveal to us, is that by God’s divine design, He places into a child’s little heart, even before they are born, a passionate desire to “glorify” the man in their life that they will refer to as their “father”. It’s what some choose to refer to as “Father-Power”. Because of “Father-Power”, more than anything else in our culture, environment, and education; more than the circumstances of our life or our socioeconomic level; even more than our MOTHER(!!!); humanly speaking, nothing has had or will ever have, a more profound influence and impact on who we are, what we are, and what we do, than our fathers! Whether he was present or absent; whether he was living or dead; whether we knew him very well or didn’t know him at all; whether we loved him, hated him, or somewhere “in-betweened” him; whether we admit it or not, the fact is, all of us were greatly affected and deeply impacted by the man in our life that we refer to (or, refuse to refer to!) as our “father”. Whether we are a son or daughter, a mother or a father, and whether we are old or young, the biblical information regarding fathers is something every person needs to understand. 

Once again, this venue will not allow for an in-depth analysis, but please allow me to attempt to at least provide a cursory glimpse into this vitally important biblical subject. For some reason, God chose to give to men in their relationship with their children, the same title He reserved for Himself in the relationship He has with His children! That “title”, of course, is “Father”. I stated this in the previous paragraph, but try to get your mind wrapped around the fact, that for some reason, God also chose to design human life in such a way, so that we are all a born into this world with the innate desire put to “glorify” the man in our life we call “Father”. It’s why totally unprovoked, a little boy will say while playing with his friends, “My Dad can ‘beat up’ your Dad.” Or, “My Dad is ‘taller’ than your Dad.” Or, “My Dad is ‘whatever’ than your Dad!” It is that way all over the world! Somewhere along the way you’d think we’d have to ask ourselves, “How do those thoughts even pop into their little minds?” The answer is “Father-Power!” (Proverbs 17:6b) I would suggest, that apart from the power of the Godhead, and the power of His word, “Father-Power” is perhaps “the” most powerful influencing force on human behavior in the universe! God’s intention in building this desire into a child’s heart, is that if a man will be a good steward of this incredible entrustment, by putting on display what the character of our “real Father” in heaven is like, it is an indescribably tremendous positive power for good! Through it, a father can develop such a significant relationship and bond with his children, that as his child grows and matures, he can use his temporal and earthly relationship with his children to connect them in a personal relationship with their real, Heavenly Father, in the intimacy of a relationship and bond with Him that lasts for all of eternity! Hallelujah! What a blessing, and at the same time, what a stewardship!

If, however, a man “breaks” his “Father-Power”, be aware that it doesn’t cause its power to be diminished one iota! It’s just that the power he wields in his child’s life ceases to be a positive power for good, and becomes a tremendously negative power for evil! Apart from God’s grace and mercy, in many cases, broken “Father-Power” will insure that his children will never want to have a part in a relationship with the God who wants us to find Him, and relate to Him, as a father does with his children. This is precisely why God tells us in the New Testament, “And, ye fathers (notice, specifically “fathers,” not “mothers!) provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.” When a father “provokes” his child (i.e. breaks his “Father-Power!”), it manifests itself in either a “rebellious wrath” (Ephesians 6:4), or a “discouraging anger” (Colossians 3:21). Interestingly enough, we could go to any major city around the world and on one side of the street, find a gang of angry young men, who don’t even know what they’re angry about, just looking for a way to demonstrate their anger, while on the other side of the street, is a man so broken down, he barely has enough fortitude to pick up his feet when he walks, much less, go find a job and become a responsible, mature adult. On both counts, it is just really two opposite reactions to broken “Father-Power”! Contained within God’s monumental declaration in the second half of Proverbs 17:6 concerning the passion He placed in children’s hearts to glorify their fathers, is the powerful, inherent message to fathers: “Make sure you don’t break your ‘Father-Power’!”

Note also that the first half of Proverbs 17:6 is also tremendously powerful. “Children’s children are the crown of old men…” You might have to wear the “crown” of being a grandfather to understand just how powerful those grandchildren are!

If you are prone to have “diarrhea of the mouth”, verse 27 of chapter 17 might be a great verse to memorize. Proverbs 17:27 says: “He that hath knowledge spareth his words: and a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit.” This verse has spawned quite a few catch phrases and quips through the years, such as:

• “Blessed is the man who, having nothing to say, refuses to give evidence of it.”
• “Silence is a hard argument to refute”
• “He can never speak well who cannot hold his peace.”
• “As a man grows older and wiser, he talks less, but says more.”

Chapter 18 and verse 1 is key. It lets us know that to arrive at wisdom, we must possess a “desire” that is so intense, that we are willing to “separate” ourselves from anything and everything that would interfere with that pursuit! If you are looking for a reason to continue on in our 365 Days of Pursuit (I hope you don’t need a reason!), this verse is a great one! “Through desire a man, having separated himself, seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom.” (18:1)

The “fool” on the other hand (18:2), has only one pursuit: “That his heart may discover itself.” How many “fools” (God’s identification, not mine!) have “LOST” themselves in the midst of trying to “FIND” themselves! The fact is, allowing our “heart” to “discover itself” is an invitation to disaster! We have been instructed to “KEEP our heart with all diligence” (Proverbs 4:23), not FIND it! Without that “guardianship” of our hearts, the “issues of life” coming out of it will destroy us! (Proverbs 4:23)

Verse 8 of chapter 18 is extremely graphic: “The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.” If you’ve ever been on the receiving end of them, you understand just how perfect that description is. The talebearer, in effect, is a murderer! He slays a person’s reputation and/or character with a sword that Psalm 57:4 and 64:3 identifies as the tongue. There are many hearts that are bleeding today because they have been stabbed by someone’s tongue. No, we can’t help it happening TO us, but we most certainly can help it happening BY us! Once again, it’s a heart issue. Jesus said in Matthew 12:34, “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.” As always, the heart of the matter is the matter of the heart! May God help us to “Keep (guard) our heart” today! 

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

• As THE KING Who sits on the throne of judgment — Proverbs 20:8. (John 5:22)

OVERVIEW: 

The contrast of the upright and the wicked.

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

Chapter 13 begins this way: “A wise son heareth his father’s instruction…” Remember, Solomon’s son was Rehoboam. Like any father, Solomon hoped that his son would follow his counsel, and actually “hear” and “receive” his instruction. For truth to be productive, it’s not simply enough that instruction be GIVEN, it must be RECEIVED! Solomon longed for his own son to apply the truth that he was imparting to him, so that his life would actually be “BRANDED” by it!

Note some of the wisdom and instruction in today’s reading to which Solomon was urging his son to both “hear” and “receive” recognizing that God inspired Solomon to write these things because He is, likewise, urging all of us to both “hear” and “receive” them!

13:7 — Maybe another way of saying it is: “It’s possible to have NOTHING, and yet, have EVERYTHING! And it is possible to have EVERYTHING, and yet, have NOTHING!” Jesus wrote to the church in Smyrna, saying, “I know thy…POVERTY, (but thou art RICH)…” (Revelation 2:9) Jesus also wrote to the church of the Laodiceans, saying, “…thou sayest, I am RICH…and knowest not that thou art…POOR.” (Revelation 3:17)

13:10 — Any and every time there is “contention”, whether it be in a marriage, a family, a friendship, a church, a neighborhood, or a community, the root of it is always “pride”. Pride is present in one of the parties involved, and sometimes, pride is present in both parties involved. But this verse is very forthright in connecting ALL contention with pride! When we are in a contentious situation, may we examine ourselves to discover the pride that may be lurking in us, before looking for where it may be found in others.

13:18 — There are just some people who won’t listen to anybody and no amount of correcting them seems to do any good. Solomon lets us know that following that path will lead us directly into “poverty and shame”. If we will respond in obedience when we are reproved, however, we are following a path that will lead us directly into honor. Perhaps we should all ask ourselves how we respond when we are corrected!

13:20 — Where we end up in life is largely determined by the friends we choose to hang out with. If we choose wise friends, we will become wise. If we choose foolish friends, we will be destroyed right along with them.

13:24 — The wording in the first half of this verse sounds rather radical, but the point is this…Sometimes people think they love their children too much to see them affected by the results of corporal discipline. If they could see, however, the result of how NOT disciplining their children ultimately affects their lifestyle and character, they would understand why God says they actually “hate” them!

14:12 — This is another verse that should be committed to memory! If it is in your arsenal of memorized verses, you will be surprised how often you will have the occasion to use it in witnessing to the lost. (Notice the repetition of this verse in 16:25.)

14:15 — This verse certainly has application in many avenues of life. We must be certain, however, to make application of this verse when it comes to listening to preaching and/or teaching! The same sentiment of Solomon in this verse is echoed in 1^st John 4:1: “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.”

14:20 — One would think that this would be a 21^st century A.D. problem, not a 1000 B.C. problem! Some aspects of our depravity, however, transcend time and culture.

14:23 — Maybe we could verbalize this verse this way: There are two types of workers in the world: those who work, and those who talk about working. Those who work will find PROFIT. Those who talk about working will find PENURY (extreme poverty).

14:26 — Everyone is going to fear something! Those who choose to “fear the Lord” will have a strong confidence and a place of refuge in typically fearful situations. Those who refuse to “fear the Lord”, will find themselves without a refuge and fearful in many situations.

15:1 — This is also a verse that should be committed to memory. All of us will have ample opportunity to apply its wisdom over the course of our lifetime!

15:10, 12, 32 — Very few people can handle others “correcting” them, “reproving” them, or “instructing” them. That rebellious attitude, however, will cost them in the long run!

15:17 — Having few material possessions, but having people who love you, is a whole lot better than having many material possessions, but having no one who loves you!

15:22 — Never forget the importance of seeking wise counsel, and a lot of it! We’ll never accomplish the things we really want to accomplish in life without it!

15:23 — We never really know what people are actually dealing with internally. Sometimes a simple word of encouragement to them can be used of God to bless and refresh them more than we would ever realize!

15:25a — Wow! What a strong warning! May it be used to humble us all!

15:27 — If we are always looking for a way to make a fast buck, or if we are constantly looking for how to get something for nothing, we will end up making decisions that will make life extremely difficult for our family.

15:28 — Think before you speak!

16:2 — Because of our tendency as humans to continue through life, seldom pausing for introspection to determine the real motives behind our actions, this is, perhaps, another verse that should be committed to memory to serve as a personal reminder to do so!

16:7 — This truth should certainly serve as a great motivation for us to make certain that our ways always please the Lord!

16:9 — Having a heart for God that has great passion for ways of serving and pleasing Him is awesome and necessary, but we must be certain that “OUR plan” for our lives doesn’t lord over our submission in allowing the Lord to direct us each step of the way into “HIS plan!”

16:18 — When we see the manifestation of “pride” or a “haughty spirit”, whether it be in ourselves, or in someone else, just know that things are on the verge of collapsing!

16:19 — We must learn to surround ourselves with people having a “humble spirit”!

16:32 — The only way to be “slow to anger” and “rule our spirit” is to be “FILLED with the SPIRIT” and to “WALK in the SPIRIT”! (Ephesians 5:18; Galatians 5:16)

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

• As the One Who punishes the proud — Proverbs 16:5 (Luke 14:11)

• As the FRIEND that sticks closer than a brother — Proverbs 18:24 (John 15:14–15; Hebrews 13:5)

OVERVIEW:

Wisdom’s invitation; the contrast between the righteous and the wicked; the contrast between the upright and the wicked.

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

As we begin chapter 9 today, just as we saw in chapter 8, wisdom is personified as a woman. Verse 1 of chapter 9 says, “Wisdom hath builded HER house…” In this chapter, the “WISE woman” is contrasted with the “FOOLISH woman”. Notice, also, in this chapter that both the “WISE” and the “FOOLISH woman” extend an invitation to the “simple” who is identified, in verse 4, as one who lacks or “wanteth understanding”. Both “women” have similar invitations, but very different motives and results!

Note in verse 1, that “…she (wisdom) hath hewn out her seven pillars”. These seven pillars are the seven manifestations of the Holy Spirit referred to in Revelation 4:5 as the “seven Spirits of God”. (See also Revelation 1:4; 3:1; 5:6) These “pillars” or “manifestations” are specifically identified in Isaiah 11:2 as:

1. The spirit of the Lord.

2. The spirit of wisdom.

3. The spirit of understanding.

4. The spirit of counsel. 

5. The spirit of might.

6. The spirit of knowledge.

7. The spirit of the fear of the Lord.

The invitation that is extended to the “simple” by both types of women (the “WISE woman” in verse 1, and the “FOOLISH woman” in verse 13) is to a “feast”. Notice that “wisdom” offers a feast of “bread” and “wine” in verse 5, which coincidentally enough, just happens to be the same elements of the Lord’s Supper. (1^st Corinthians 10:16) The feast offered by the “foolish woman” is described in verse 17 as “stolen waters” and “bread eaten in secret”. Though the verse says that her water is “sweet” and her bread is “pleasant” it is only temporarily satisfying! That “bread” and “water” ultimately ends up being a stinky pile of worms in the place where the fire is not quenched! (See Exodus 16:20 and Isaiah 66:24!)

What the Lord reveals in 9:9–10 is a key truth in the book of Proverbs. To “increase in learning” we must possess the “fear of the Lord” and have the “knowledge of the holy”. (i.e. Holy God, Holy Word, Holy Spirit, Holiest of Holies, Holy Place, Most Holy Place, etc.) Anyone who does not acquire this “knowledge” will be unable to make sense out of the Bible, will be unable to tap into life’s purpose, and will be forced to come up with his own meaning and purpose for living which will be “foolish” and completely irrational to the mind, will, and word of the Lord.

Perhaps one of the most incredible qualities of the Bible is its ability to transcend time and culture. Though it is thousands of years old, its relevancy and application to today is nothing short of supernatural. Because of the way the book of Proverbs was designed and structured by the Holy Spirit, Proverbs is perhaps one of the easiest books in the entire Bible in which to make application to those of us living in the 21^st century.

With that in mind, perhaps we will find it beneficial today to discuss what we might call the “big picture” of the book of Proverbs, which can be broken down into three “divisions”. (2^nd Timothy 2:15) These divisions can be identified by the three times Solomon identifies himself as the author of Proverbs. (Proverbs 1:1; 10:1; 25:1)

• Division One — Proverbs 1–9 
• Division Two —  Proverbs 10–24
• Division Three —  Proverbs 25–31

As we find ourselves, in today’s reading, moving into that second “division” (Proverbs 10–24), be aware that there are 375 actual proverbs (note that some proverbs extend into several verses) connected to one of three types of “couplets”: 

1. CONTRASTIVE COUPLETS.
The “couplet” in these proverbs is normally identified by the word “BUT”.
The intent is to catch your attention and present a truth by the compact presentation of some striking contrast, as in, “The lips of the righteous feed many: BUT fools die for want of wisdom.” (Proverbs 10:21)

• COMPLETIVE COUPLETS. The “couplet” in these proverbs is normally identified by the word “AND”.
The second line of the proverb agrees with the first, and often adds to it, or “completes” it, as in, “In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence: AND his children shall have a place of refuge.” (Proverbs 14:26)

• COMPARATIVE COUPLETS.
The “couplet” in these proverbs is normally identified by the word “THAN”.
The focus in these proverbs is often to what is actually the more excellent of the two things being “compared” as in “Better is a little with righteousness, THAN great revenues with right.” (Proverbs 16:8)

CHRIST IS REVEALED: As ONE who HATES LYING – Proverbs 12:22 — (Revelation 21:5, 8 – “He that sat upon the throne said…all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”)


OVERVIEW:

The dangers and pitfalls of sexual immorality; the father’s counsel to his son; the wiles of the strange woman; the blessing of wisdom, understanding, and truth. 

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

The four powerful chapters in today’s reading reveal how God has provided wisdom and understanding to preserve the purity of a person’s God-given sexual desires. God’s word reveals to us that these desires are actually holy, if they are reserved to be fulfilled in the chamber of a covenant marriage bed that is undefiled. (Hebrews 13:4)

We must be astronomically aware in every phase of life that the enemy of all righteousness will do anything and everything within his power to destroy our personal purity by seeking to tempt us to satisfy our sexual desires in the heat of passionate compromise, so that he may, thereby, not only defile the body of Christ, but contaminate communities, and ultimately, condemn entire countries by invoking God’s judgment upon them.

The person who is predisposed to do the right thing in terms of their moral purity is one who has predetermined to “keep (protect, guard) his heart with all diligence” (4:23), so as not to be lured away from his surrender to Christ’s Lordship. Understanding the benefits of wisdom is a major part of that process, as we also learned in chapter 4. We must, first, attentively “hear” the father’s instruction so we can understand his doctrine (teaching), so we can, then, purpose in our hearts not to forsake the instruction we have been given.

Chapter 5 opens with the father passionately admonishing his son to “attend” or to pay close attention to his wisdom, understanding, and knowledge so he will have the spiritual fortitude that will protect him from falling for the sexual allurements and enticements of the “strange woman”. The father warns that her words will be enticingly sweet, and that her smooth seductive mouth will be inviting. (5:3) He admonishes his son to look beyond the momentary pleasure connected to her, to where it will ultimately leave him: in a big pile of bitterness, shredded to pieces by her two-edged sword, having experienced corruption and death in every part of life that really matters, and having had his entire life turned into a living hell. (5:4–5)

The father’s advice is to do whatever we need to do to get as far away from her as we possibly can, before she causes…

1. our honor to be given to others. (5:9a)
2. our years to be given to the cruel. (5:9b)
3. strangers to control our money. (5:10a)
4. the things we’ve worked for to be given to strangers. (5:10b)
5. our health to be vanquished. (5:11)
6. cycles of regret and depression to haunt us for the rest of our life. (5:12–14)
7. God’s plan of experiencing the pure, fulfilling love of our life-mate to be obliterated. (5:15–19)
8. the future development of sexual addictions. (5:22)
9. the potential we once held in life to be forever forfeited. (5:23)

All of these losses progressively lead to the warning of idleness (often referred to as “the devil’s workshop”) and deceit in chapter 6. Notice that the culminating sum of disregard to these warnings is sudden calamity and irreparable brokenness. (6:15) In the devotional or inspirational application, this man Solomon is describing (“a man of sin”) is characterized in 6:17–19 by six things that the Lord “hates”, the seventh actually being an “abomination” to Him. In the doctrinal or prophetic application, however, the man Solomon is describing is none other than “‘THE man of sin” (2^nd Thessalonians 2:3), the very antichrist, himself. The seven characteristics include:

1. A proud look. (6:17a)
2. A lying tongue. (6:17b)
3. Hands that shed innocent blood. (6:17c)
4. A heart that deviseth wicked imaginations. (6:18a)
5. Feet that are swift to run into mischief. (6:18b)
6. A false witness that speaketh lies. (6:19a)
7. Sowing discord among the brethren. (6:19b)

Solomon has certainly provided incredible information and advice to help young men to avoid the pitfalls and disasters associated with the “strange woman” and yet He reserves some of the clearest, simplest, and best advice in 6:20–24 – just simply obey your father and mother! (Ephesians 6:1–2)

Note also in 6:25 that Solomon, the son of David, makes clear that the allurement of the “strange woman” isn’t, first and foremost, a BODY issue but a HEART issue! The adultery begins in the HEART through “lust”, and then, simply finds its expression in the BODY through the act. No wonder our Lord Jesus Christ, the son of David, said, in Matthew 5:28, “But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.”

Chapter 7 continues with the admonition to keep the father’s words and commandments to guard against the lure of sensual and sexual involvement so prevalent in every generation. Solomon warns that it is the young man who is “simple”, which is defined in this same verse as one who is “void of understanding”, who is easy prey for the “strange woman”, especially when his curiosity lures him into her neighborhood! (7:8)

As Solomon describes the “strange woman”, it becomes apparent that the ones she catches in her snare are actually those who are wanting to be caught! Sure, there’s seduction involved, but Solomon lets us know that any man could see her coming from a mile away, just by the way she was dressed, or in most cases, how she is undressed! (7:10) But Solomon lets us know that she also possesses three other unmistakable characteristics in 7:11:

1. She is LOUD.
2. She is STUBBORN.
3. She doesn’t like to STAY HOME.

These three traits should be a major caution to every young man who finds himself being attracted to a young lady possessing any of them, and should cause every young lady to do some major introspection to determine whether any of these characteristics have begun to surface in her life! Culturally, there is a temptation for teenage girls to possess these characteristics in order to gain acceptance with her peers, but it is an absolutely disastrous path to be on! Parents, recognize that we are not just bringing up SONS, we are bringing up someone’s HUSBAND and someone’s FATHER! We aren’t just bringing up DAUGHTERS, we are bringing up someone’s WIFE and someone’s MOTHER! The stakes are incredibly high, and sexual sin is so costly! (1^st Corinthians 6:18–19)

Notice in 7:15–18, that ironically enough, what this “strange woman” does would be totally appropriate if this preparation was done in anticipation of spending this time presenting herself to her husband. It actually fits perfectly in the context of the Song of Solomon!

The opening theme in chapter 8 is three-fold: wisdom, understanding, and truth. Note that in 8:15–21, Solomon personifies these traits into one “individual”, as it were, declaring that, “By ME…

1. …kings reign.”
2. …princes decree justice.”
3. …princes rule.”
4. …nobles rule.”
5. …all the judges of the earth rule.”
6. …are all riches and honor.”
7. …is leadership found into the way of righteousness.”

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

• As the CREATOR WHO prepared the heavens — Proverbs 8:27–31 (Hebrews 1:10; John 1:3)

OVERVIEW:

The purpose for the book of Proverbs; the enticement of sinners; the need for wisdom; the prerequisites for obtaining wisdom, knowledge, and understanding; the power of wisdom and knowledge to protect from the “evil man” and the “strange woman”; the rewards of wisdom; the instruction of a father.

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

The book of Proverbs is the revelation of wisdom from “the son of David, king of Israel”. (1:1) As that identification is made, it is imperative that we keep in mind the three applications of Scripture. (For a review of them, please refer to “Highlights and Insights” in WEEK 25, DAY 5.)

THE HISTORICAL APPLICATION: From an historical standpoint, Proverbs is the impartation of Solomon’s wisdom, the king of Israel, to his son, Rehoboam. (Note, the phrase “My son” is found as Solomon’s paragraphical “lead in” 23 times in this book.) It is a book written to a king’s son to teach him how to rule in a kingdom, as he employs the practical principles of life and leadership that flow out of understanding the difference between:

• The WISE (wisdom) and the FOOL (foolishness).
• What is RIGHT and what is WRONG.
• The “GODLY MAN” versus the “EVIL MAN”. 
• The “VIRTUOUS WOMAN” versus a “STRANGE WOMAN”.

THE DOCTRINAL/PROPHETIC APPLICATION: From a doctrinal/prophetic standpoint, Proverbs is the revealing of wisdom to the nation of Israel during the Tribulation Period. (Note how God identifies Israel in Exodus 4:22: “Israel is MY SON”.) Proverbs is a book written by Israel’s king to warn them against the antichrist (“THE” personification of the “evil man”) and the “fornicating” bed of false religion (“THE” doctrinal application of the “strange woman”) that will be so seductive during that time period. (More will be said about this identification of the “evil man” and “strange woman” below.)

THE DEVOTIONAL/INSPIRATIONAL APPLICATION: From a devotional/inspirational standpoint, Proverbs is the revelation of wisdom from Israel’s true King: the “King of kings”, the “Son of David”, the Lord Jesus Christ. (Matthew 9:27; 15:22; 20:30–31) He writes to all who have been made His “sons”! (John 1:12; 1^st John 3:1) It is a book written to teach a young man both how to live and to lead in a kingdom, the first “kingdom” being the “kingdom” of his own LIFE! He must first learn how to rule his own heart, mind, emotions, passions, and desires. When he has applied the wisdom of his King to that first “kingdom,” a young man is then ready to take on the responsibility of marriage, and bringing up children. After learning to “rule well” in the “kingdom” of his HOME (1^st Timothy 3:4), he is then ready to take on the responsibility of applying the wisdom of his King in the “kingdom”, as it were, of the CHURCH. (1^st Timothy 5:17)

Because he has applied the wisdom of his King revealed through Proverbs, he has learned how to rule in his spirit over the pitfalls men fall into that “disqualify” them from ruling in their homes and in the church:

• The love of self. (2^nd Timothy 3:2)
• The love of pleasure. (2^nd Timothy 3:4 – i.e. self-gratification, seduction of the “strange woman”, etc.)
• The love of money. (1^st Timothy 6:10)
• The love of this present world. (2^nd Timothy 4:10)

At the same time that a young man is learning to apply the wisdom of his King to the “kingdom” of his life and all subsequent kingdoms, if a young lady will likewise apply the wisdom of her King to her life, allowing Him to develop in her the character of a “virtuous woman”, the two will inevitably, in God’s sovereignty and wisdom, find each other. The godly young man will recognize the character of the woman to whom he should offer the proposal of marriage, and the godly young woman will recognize the character of the one to whom she should accept the proposal of marriage. He would be perfectly suited to fulfill his role of representing the Lord Jesus Christ (the “godly man”) in the home (Ephesians 5:25), and she would be perfectly suited to fulfill her role of representing the church (the “virtuous woman”) in the home. (Ephesians 5:24) As the home’s “keeper” (Titus 2:5) or “guardian” (Proverbs 31:27 – “looketh well” = “watchman”), she would be reporting to her husband the things that she sees that might put the “kingdom” of the home in jeopardy.  As the home’s “head” (Ephesians 5:23), he would be poised to make the decisions that would provide spiritual security and safety in the home.

In a very practical application, it is interesting to observe the connection of the 31 chapters of Proverbs to the days of a month. Most months consist of 31 days. Because of the importance of the subject matter and purposes of the book of Proverbs, many have found it a great spiritual discipline and habit to read Proverbs through each month, reading the chapter that coincides with the day of the month.

In the first four verses (1:1–4), God lets us know that Proverbs was actually designed to accomplish nine specific things:

1. To know wisdom and instruction. (1:2a)
2. To perceive the words of understanding. (1:2b)
3. To receive the instruction of wisdom. (1:3a)
4. To receive the instruction of justice. (1:3b)
5. To receive the instruction of judgment. (1:3c)
6. To receive the instruction of equity. (1:3d)
7. To give subtlety to the simple. (1:4a)
8. To give the young man knowledge. (1:4b)
9. To give the young man discretion. (1:4c)

The number nine in the Bible is the number of “fruit-bearing”. We might could say that Jesus wrote this book of the Bible to us to teach us how to have a fruitful life!

We look at the gangs that threaten safety in every major city (and in many not-so-major cities!) around the world and wonder how could society have so degenerated to such extreme and senseless violence. What Solomon reveals to us in 1:10–19 is that it is really nothing new! These verses reveal that there is something within our depravity that finds such behavior appealing and “enticing”, and will be a part of any culture where children grow up with no “fear of the Lord” (1:7), and do not “hear the instruction of their fathers, and forsake the law of their mothers.” (1:8)

For those who become frustrated because you can’t always make heads or tails out of what you read in the Bible, take heart! Trust God’s promise in 1:23, “I will pour out my spirit unto you, and I will make known my words unto you.” (1^st Corinthians 2:9–13)

Note also the related promise in chapter 2 and verse 6, “For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.” But notice, however, that there are five verses in chapter 2 that precede the promise of verse 6! Solomon reveals that there are seven prerequisites to receiving God’s wisdom, understanding, and knowledge.

1. We must RECEIVE His WORDS. (2:1a)
2. We must HIDE His COMMANDMENTS with us. (2:1b)
3. We must INCLINE OUR EAR unto WISDOM. (2:2a)
4. We must APPLY OUR HEART to UNDERSTANDING. (2:2b)
5. We must CRY OUT for KNOWLEDGE. (2:3a)
6. We must LIFT UP OUR VOICE for understanding. (2:3b)
7. We must SEEK and SEARCH for God’s WISDOM as we would for silver and hid treasure. (2:4)           

Notice the very next word in verse 5: “THEN”! After those seven prerequisites are fulfilled, “THEN” verse 6 will be a reality! The fact is, people don’t know God’s word, and thus, do not receive His wisdom, understanding, and knowledge (2:6), for the simple fact that they don’t really want it. God is basically saying to us through these seven prerequisites, “You gotta want it!”

Notice, when we really do want it, and we, thereby, “receive” it, it provides us an internal defense mechanism against sin! (2:10–22) Solomon says, “Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee (2:11), to deliver thee from the way of the evil man (2:12) …to deliver thee from the strange woman”! (2:16) Wow! Those are some incredible benefits!

The “evil man” and the “strange woman” are key characters in Proverbs and in life! Again, keeping in mind the three applications of scripture, in an historical and devotional sense, every culture has “evil men” who speak “froward” (perverse) things (2:12), love to do evil, and to pull others into their wicked ways. (2:14) But note, God’s wisdom, understanding, and knowledge is what “preserves” and “keeps” us (2:11) from these “ways of darkness” (2:13), and “the frowardness of the wicked”. (2:14) Every culture also has “strange women”: women we refer to today as seductive, loose, or whorish, who seek to lure and allure men sexually. Again, wisdom, understanding, and knowledge is what “preserves” us and “keeps” us (2:11) from her enticements and entrapments.

From a doctrinal or prophetic standpoint, the “evil man” refers to those in whom the “spirit of antichrist” dwells, which is the personification of the very devil himself. They are found in every culture, and yet will ultimately be represented in “THE antichrist” (Satan in a human body — 1^st John 2:18), “THE evil man”! The “strange woman” in a doctrinal or prophetic sense, refers to the “harlotrous” false religious systems of the world that seduce men (mankind) into her bed and hold them there. (2:19)

The “evil man” and the “strange woman” are to be avoided in a very practical or devotional sense because they make people’s lives a “living hell”! The “evil man” and the “strange woman” are to be avoided in a doctrinal or prophetic sense because they send people to a literal, eternal hell!

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

• As the SON OF DAVID; ISRAEL’S WISE KING — Proverbs 1:1 (Matthew 9:27; 15:22; 20:30–31)

• As the CREATOR WHO FOUNDED THE EARTH — Proverbs 3:19 (Colossians 1:16; Ephesians 3:9; Hebrews 1:2–3)

• As the TEACHER OF WISDOM — Proverbs 4:7, 11 (Colossians 2:3)

OVERVIEW:

Prayer for rescue and blessing; the Lord extolled for His goodness and greatness; praise for the Lord’s help; praise for Jerusalem’s restoration and prosperity; the whole universe and all of creation invoked to praise the Lord; Israel invoked to praise the Lord; everything that hath breath invoked to praise the Lord.

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

Join David today in Psalm 144 in “blessing” and praising the Lord by personalizing His great attributes and power delineated in verses 1 and 2. Notice the psalmist’s beautiful repetition of the personal pronoun “MY” in these verses! May we bless the Lord from our hearts today, recognizing that…

• He hasn’t just “strengthened” us, He IS our “STRENGTH!” (144:1)
• He hasn’t just made us “good”, He IS our “GOODNESS!” (144:2)
• He hasn’t just taught us principles of defense against the enemy, He IS our “FORTRESS”; He IS our “HIGH TOWER”; and He IS our “SHIELD”! (144:2) And…
• He hasn’t just made a way of escape for us, He IS our “DELIVERER”! (144:2)

Oh my, may we allow those blessed personal realities to preach to our souls today!

Based on the realities of how David describes our Lord in 144:1–2, by the time he gets to verse 3, David is essentially saying, “O Lord, in light of WHO YOU ARE, WHO in the world ARE WE?!” (144:3) David cries out, “Lord, what is man that thou takest knowledge of him! or the son of man, that thou makest account of him!” (I love the exclamation points that God has placed in His perfectly preserved word! Note that both statements in verse 3 are actually questions, but rather than being followed by question marks, they’re followed by exclamation points. So, just what are we to make of that? Perhaps the psalmist understood that, in light of God’s incredible GREATNESS and man’s incredible SINFULNESS, there could never be a suitable answer to the questions, so the QUESTIONS actually become major STATEMENTS of just how incredible, wonderful and awesome God actually is!!!!)

In light of God’s unequalled and incomprehensible awesomeness, the Psalm ends with, “…happy is that people, whose God is the Lord.” Perhaps this verse should cause all of us to ask ourselves: “Am I happy?” If not, maybe we should ask ourselves some penetrating questions about the reality of Christ’s “Lordship” in our lives!

May the cry of the psalmist’s heart in verses 1 and 2 of Psalm 145 be the genuine cry of our hearts: “I will extol thee, my God, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever. Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever.” A.W. Tozer’s (American pastor and author, 1897–1963) surmise of the evangelical church in our day was that “worship” is “the missing jewel” that desperately needs to be “rediscovered”. May we allow the glorious words the psalmist uses to lift up his praise and worship to the Lord in verses 3 through 21 become our words today, as we seek to “rediscover the missing jewel”!

Verses 1 and 2 of Psalm 146 are, likewise, great verses to “make our own” as we seek to the express to the Lord the total resolve of our hearts to praise Him, not just for the remainder of our time on earth, but for all eternity: “Praise ye the Lord. Praise the Lord, O my soul. While I live will I praise the Lord: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being.” (146:1–2)

Psalm 147:1 reminds us of the reason we praise the Lord: “…for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely (or beautiful).”

Psalm 148 teaches us about the three “heavens” (148:1 c.f. 2^nd Corinthians 12:2) from which our praise is to burst forth.

• The first “heaven” is from the earth to the clouds. (148:7–14) It is where birds and airplanes fly (what we call the earth’s atmosphere).
• The second “heaven” is that which is above the clouds to the “frozen face of the deep” (Job 38:30) that is billions and billions of miles above our heads. (148:3–6) It is what we call outer space.
• The third “heaven” is the abode of God, above the “frozen face of the deep.” (148:1–2) This is what John saw in Revelation 4:6 when he said, “And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal.”

The point of Psalm 148 is that praise is to be jubilantly declared from every place in the entire universe!

How incredible is the glorious simplicity of the psalmist’s exhortation to those of us who have been “beautified” with the precious gift of “salvation” (149:4), that, as His “saints” (149:5a), we make certain of two vital things! (149:5–6) First, that from a “joyful” heart that is bent on giving our Lord “glory”, we “let the high praises of God be in [our] mouth!” (149:6a) And secondly, that while we offer Him that praise, we have “a twoedged sword in [our] hand!” (149:6b. Also see Hebrews 4:12; Revelation 19:15; Ephesians 6:17) As we live in pursuit of God today (and every day!), may those two simple admonitions help us to concise our objective!

Could there be a more glorious way to end the book of Psalms than with the psalmist’s words in Psalm 150? The psalmist exhorts us to “praise the Lord” (150:1) in the place where He dwells (i.e. in His presence,” or “in His sanctuary”), and in all places that His presence and power are found (“In the firmament of His power”), which is to say, everywhere! (150:1) Notice also in verse 2, that we are to praise Him for all that He DOES (“His mighty acts”), which proceed out of all that He IS (“His excellent greatness”)! Notice in verses 3–5, that we are to praise Him with any and all musical instruments in existence, but most importantly, with the instrument of our mouth!

The book of Psalms ends with this final admonition: “Praise ye the Lord.” (150:6) To apply Nike’s popular slogan (coined in 1988), may we all “Just do it!”

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

• As the ONE WHO GIVES SIGHT TO THE BLIND — Psalm 146:8 (Matthew 9:27–30; Mark 10:46–53; John 9:1–41)

OVERVIEW:

Thanks for the Lord’s goodness to Israel; response to Israel’s captivity; thanksgiving for the Lord’s blessing; God’s omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence; prayer for protection against the wicked; prayer for sanctification and protection; prayer for help in trouble; prayer for deliverance and guidance.

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

Psalm 136 is a masterful and beautiful way of showing and stating that the God of the Bible, who is…

• “THE Lord;” (136:1)
• “The GOD of gods;” (136:2)
• “The LORD of lords;” (136:3)
• “The GOD of creation;” (136:5–9) and…
• “The GOD of heaven,” (136:26)

…is tremendously merciful, and has been demonstrating His mercy throughout all of history! (136:5–26) Twenty-six times in 26 verses we are reminded: “for his mercy endureth for ever.” To help us to contextualize “mercy”, as well as to help us have a genuine appreciation for it, keep in mind…

• JUSTICE is God GIVING us WHAT we deserve.
• GRACE is God GIVING us what we DO NOT deserve. 
• MERCY is God NOT GIVING us what we DO deserve!

Psalm 137 is a tremendously sad song about God’s people being taken captive by the godless Babylonian empire (representative of Satan’s false kingdom of religious systems in the Bible). This song (psalm) can and should, likewise, be felt and sung by those of us living during this time of “Laodicean” captivity! (Revelation 3:14–22)

Psalm 138:2 is one of the most important statements in all of the word of God concerning itself! The psalmist says: “I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.” In light of what the Lord’s “NAME” actually is (i.e. the sum total of all of His attributes!), and what the Lord says regarding His own name (i.e. Nehemiah 9:5: “Blessed be thy glorious name, which is exalted ABOVE ALL blessing and praise!”), how then, could anything possibly be exalted “ABOVE” His name? It’s certainly a great question that also has a great answer! God magnified His word “ABOVE” His name, because it is only through the word of God that all that God is (His name), is revealed to us, and it is only through His word that we actually learn how to “magnify” (Psalm 138:2), “exalt, bless, and praise” (Nehemiah 9:5) His “glorious” name!

In a world that has totally gone mad with reconstructive and plastic surgery to recreate what we don’t appreciate about “the look” God gave to us when He created us, Psalm 139 teaches us that the God who is omniscient (139:1–6), omnipresent (139:7–12) and omnipotent (137:13–17) made us look just like we look for His purposes! Rather than being all bummed and depressed about how He made us, we need to accept it, get over it, and use our “look” to fulfill His purposes for our lives! It is a wonderfully freeing day when we can thank God for all of the physical “features” that we at one time would have changed if we could!

Psalm 140:1 says, “Deliver me, O Lord, from the evil man: preserve me from the violent man.” The “evil man” is one of the main characters of the book of Proverbs of which we will go into detail in the coming days. We will see in the doctrinal/prophetic application, the “evil man” is none other than the antichrist of the Tribulation Period. Note the “singular” reference to the “evil man” and the “violent man” in verse 1, as if the psalmist were referring to just one individual, and yet, notice that the pronoun in verse 2 is plural: “Which imagine mischiefs in THEIR heart.” In 1^st John 2:18 God provides us the necessary cross reference to help us understand the psalmist’s terminology: “Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist (singular) shall come, even now are there many antichrists (plural); whereby we know that it is the last time.”

As we’ve seen continuously through the Psalms, at the end of the Tribulation Period, the antichrist will have united the nations (UN) in war against the nation of Israel. Notice that 140:2 states: “continually are they gathered together for war”. Then, notice the key word, that helps us to set the context, appears in verse 3: “Selah.” Once again, God reveals that as the nations of the world have united to “wipe Israel off the map”, just when Israel looks utterly helpless and hopeless, our Lord Jesus Christ will then return to judge His/their enemies and establish His rule and rest in His millennial kingdom, as the King of Israel! That context (see it set in verses 3, 5, and 8) prevails throughout this entire Psalm, pointing to “that day” when “the upright shall dwell in thy presence” (140:13) on the earth. It’s amazing the “doors” that open in the word of God with just a few simple “keys” of Bible study!

Verse 2 of Psalm 141, “Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense”, has beautiful scriptural ramifications. In the Old Testament tabernacle, the altar of incense was set just outside the veil where the Lord dwelt in the Holy of Holies. The incense that burned at that altar provided a delightful and beautiful aroma that made its way into the Lord’s presence. But make sure you recognize, that Old Testament tabernacle was actually just a picture (Hebrews 8:5) and when John was caught up to see the “True Tabernacle” in heaven (Hebrews 8:2), he wrote in Revelation 5:8: “And when he (the Lord Jesus Christ) had taken the book (the title deed to the earth), the four beasts and four and twenty elders (the church) fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps (the MUSIC of our lives!), and golden vials full of odours, WHICH ARE THE PRAYERS OF SAINTS.” Oh, may we recognize today, that our prayers are now that beautiful and delightful aroma that arises as incense to become a sweet savor in our Lord’s presence! May that incredible reality be just one additional and monumental motivation to cause us to pray more fervently!

In Psalm 142, the historic background and context is set for us in the title: “Maschil of David; A Prayer when he was in the cave.” (i.e. When Saul was seeking David’s life.) This is another great psalm to use as a guide during those times in our lives:

• when we find ourselves pressed by our “troubles” (142:2);
• when our “spirit is overwhelmed” within us (142:3a);
• when our enemies have “laid a snare” for us (142:3b);
• when we feel we’ve been forsaken by everybody and nobody “cares” (142:4);
• when we’ve been “brought very low” (142:6a);
• when we’ve been “persecuted” (142:6b); and…
• when it feels like our very “soul” is in “prison” (142:9).

It is encouraging to know that David teaches us by his example in this psalm that we can be honest with God about our circumstances of life and how they’ve caused us to feel! There are times in life when pouring our souls out before the Lord in the fashion of Psalm 142 is not only very necessary for us, but also very healthy for us, spiritually speaking. Yet, may we also constantly live with the recognition that there are billions of people who are alive on this planet, at this very minute, who have no idea that this psalm, that is so descriptive of their spiritual condition even exists! The reality is, if they knew enough about their spiritual condition to be able to articulate it, sadly, to our shame, they could repeat verse 4 with David, “I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul.” Oh, that God would use us to be that man or that woman today (and every day!), who will genuinely and passionately care for the souls of the lost, pointing them to the refuge, the mighty cross! Amen and Amen!

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

• As the ONE WHO DELIVERS SOULS FROM PRISON — Psalm 142:7 (Luke 4:18)

OVERVIEW:

Prayer for deliverance from lying lips; the Lord as the Keeper of Israel; prayer for the peace of Jerusalem; prayer for the Lord’s help; praise for the Lord’s deliverance of Israel; the blessing of trusting God; thanksgiving for the return from captivity; prosperity comes from the Lord; the blessedness of the fear of the Lord; prayer for the overthrow of Zion’s enemies; hope in the Lord’s forgiveness; childlike trust in the Lord; prayer for the Lord’s blessing upon the sanctuary; the blessedness of unity; the blessing of the night watchers; praise for the Lord’s works, and the vanity of idols and idol worship.

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

As the serpent (Satan) approached the woman in the garden, just imagine how differently her plight would have been had she been able to declare the first verse in today’s reading from Psalm 120: “In my distress I cried unto the Lord, and he heard me.” Just imagine what the outcome might have been had the cry of her heart been the cry of the psalmist’s heart in verse 2: “Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue.” Sure, it’s a wonderful thing to consider what might have been had the woman applied these verses, but how wonderful would it have been had we, likewise, applied these verses at key times of temptation in our lives! Obviously, we can’t do anything to change the voice we may have heeded in the past but we can certainly do something about the voice we listen to today, and the remainder of our days!

Do note that verses 2–7 of Psalm 120 are all pointing to the antichrist during the Tribulation Period in the prophetic application of these verses.

Psalm 121 also has incredible prophetic implications and applications for Israel. When her “help” comes, it will come from “the hills.” (121:1) God is careful to name these “hills” in His word:

1. Mount Sinai (Deuteronomy 33:2; Judges 5:5; Psalm 68:8)
2. Mount Seir (Ezekiel 35:2-3, 7)
3. Mount Paran (Deuteronomy 33:2; Habakkuk 3:3)
4. Mount of Olives (Zechariah 14:1–6)

Note also in Psalm 121, that during the Tribulation Period, God will establish the nation of Israel (121:3); He will “preserve [them] from evil” (121:7); and from “this time forth” (i.e. from the time of the Second Coming and throughout the Millennium) they will “come in” and “go out” of Jerusalem (121:8).

Psalm 122 is descriptive of what will take place in the Millennium.

If you’re finding yourself in the midst of a trial that is causing you to feel like your back is against the wall, and you are crying out to God to pour out His mercy upon you, from a devotional or inspirational standpoint, Psalm 123 will bless your heart! To gain the prophetic application, go back and read it again from the perspective of a Jew in the Tribulation Period awaiting the arrival of the Messiah!

Psalm 124 describes Israel’s literal deliverance from a literal flood and from literally being devoured by the enemy. For those who have the time to get into it, some key cross references are Isaiah 6:13; Revelation 6:9–11; Psalm 35:22; 44:22; Revelation 20:4; 12:15; Daniel 9:26; Jeremiah 51:34.

The prophetic context of Psalm 125 is the beginning of the Millennium, as verse 2 clearly identifies through the phrase: “from henceforth even for ever.”

Psalm 126 refers to the Second Coming of Christ when He “turns the captivity of Zion” and establishes His Kingdom on the earth. The “soul-winners” in verses 5 and 6 are those also described in Ecclesiastes 11:1–6, and yet, from a devotional/inspirational standpoint, certainly apply to us. When we travail in prayer for the lost, watering the seed of God’s word (Luke 8:11) that we have sown in the soil of men’s hearts with our tears, we will reach people with the gospel! God help us to do so while we still have time! (John 9:4b)

It is vitally important to understand and apply the truth of Psalm 127:1 to our marriage, our family, our church, and our nation: “Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it…” Psalm 128 is another vital and practical psalm in relation to our marriages and families.

Psalm 129 describes the scourging endured by our Lord Jesus Christ in His first coming, and yet, also points to the execution of His judgment at His second coming. Prophetically, Psalm 130 is a Messianic Psalm, and yet, from a devotional standpoint has tremendous practical implications. Psalm 131 is predominantly practical, with prophetic (Millennium) overtones in verse 3. Psalm 132 is literally filled with Millennium references. (See verses 11, and 13–18).

The “brethren” of Psalm 133:1 are the “brethren” of Matthew 25:34–42 and Matthew 28:10. Devotionally, however, don’t miss how very “good” and “pleasant” it is when all of the “brethren” in a local church “dwell together in unity!” (133:1 c.f. 1^st Corinthians 1:10) God help us to know that “goodness” and “pleasantness”!

Only Psalm 117 is shorter than Psalm 134. The context of this brief psalm is obviously the Millennium. Recognize that the “house of the Lord” in 134:1, is a literal house that will be built on this earth during the Millennium. (Ezekiel 40–44) Notice also, that the “servants of the Lord” mentioned in this same verse will stand in that house again.

By now, hopefully you are learning how to recognize the prophetic context of the Psalms (identifying the Tribulation, Second Coming, and Millennium references) while still applying these verses to your life devotionally in a practical sense. Try your hand at it in Psalm 135!

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

• As our PROTECTOR — the ONE WHO PRESERVES OUR GOING OUT AND COMING IN — Psalm 121:8 (John 10:9)

As DAVID’S FRUIT or DESCENDANT who will sit upon David’s throne — Psalm 132:11 (Luke 1:32; Acts 2:29–30)

OVERVIEW:

The greatness, power, and perfection of God’s holy word.

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

Psalm 119 is nothing short of a masterpiece. It is an “alphabet Psalm”, meaning that in that each of the 22 stanzas that are each comprised of 8 verses, each stanza begins with the 22 consecutive letters of the Hebrew alphabet (i.e. Alpha, Beth, Gimel, etc.) There is no greater treatise concerning the word of God in the entire Bible, or in all of existence for that matter, than this Psalm. Note that 173 verses, out of the 176, specifically refer to the word of God, keeping in mind that there are at least eight different terms used in referring to God’s perfect word:

1. law
2. testimonies
3. way/ways
4. precepts
5. statutes
6. commandments
7. judgments
8. word/words

Notice also that all eight of these terms are found in the first nine verses.

In terms of providing an overview of this incredible psalm, it is difficult to even know where to begin. There are just so many moving parts, and all worthy of discussion, making a simple overview almost seem to diminish the beauty and significance of this incredible work of art. But do know this, any person who is serious about God and His word needs to immerse themselves in this psalm, not only repeatedly, but continuously! This psalm reveals the key to becoming a man or woman of the word because it deals with our heart attitude toward the word of God. It beautifully reveals to us that the real issue concerning God’s word is NOT, first and foremost, our “KNOWLEDGE” of the Bible, but our “LOVE” for the Bible. (John 14:15, 23)

In light of that reality, as we approach this psalm today, perhaps the best question we could ask ourselves is, “Do I genuinely LOVE the word of God?” It is extremely important for us to realize that answering that question isn’t as easy as pointing to the fact that we have been faithful through the 365 Days of Pursuit, having already read through half of the entire Bible. That is certainly commendable, and yet, it isn’t necessarily an indication of our love for the word of God. For example, something as seemingly “spiritual” as reading through the Bible, might actually be something “carnal” because our motivation for doing it is the key! If our motivation for reading through the Bible is so we can “flaunt” that fact to others, or if it is somehow causing us to “feel good about ourselves” as Christians, it might be, that rather than our faithfulness being an indication of our LOVE for GOD and HIS WORD, it might actually be an indication of our LOVE for OURSELVES! (2^nd Timothy 3:1–2) Rather than revealing our PURSUIT of GOD it may reveal that we are PURSUING OURSELVES! Rather than our pursuit being to “KNOW GOD” by pursuing Him through the pages of His word, our real pursuit might be to impress others with our “KNOWLEDGE” of His word! (1^st Corinthians 8:2) Do recognize that many times the “love of self”, that Paul prophesied would be the overarching characteristic of believers in the last days, often comes in a very spiritual-looking package!

So, as we approach Psalm 119 today, would you take the time for some honest introspection to determine whether or not you genuinely “love” the word of God? Perhaps you’re thinking, “Well, if it’s not as easy as pointing to the fact that I faithfully read it and seek to know it, how can I determine whether or not I love it, biblically?” That’s one of the tremendous qualities of this incredible psalm! Because, as God inspired the “man after His own heart” (obviously, a man who loved God passionately!) to pen the psalms he composed, it is interesting that seldom does God choose to record those times when David actually expressed His love for Him! There are only two occasions where he actually does so, and as we read them, though they are certainly beautiful declarations, we’re probably not going to be overwhelmed by what might be considered the “heartfelt passion” of his expression! (See Psalms 18:1 and 116:1) In Psalm 119 alone, however, David passionately expresses his love for the word of God a whopping 11 times! There are certainly many lessons to glean and apply from that observation, but perhaps the most practical and applicable being the simple fact that it is impossible to separate LOVING the GOD of the WORD from LOVING the WORD of GOD!

Another of the beautiful things about David’s expressions of his love for the word of God in Psalm 119, is that each time, God was careful in inspiring him to do so, also included the characteristic his love for the word of God actually produced in his life. What these expressions of David’s love for the word of God then become for us is a way for us to search our own hearts to determine biblically whether or not we love the word of God! We can simply look at what God, through the psalmist, reveals were the practical and observable characteristics loving the word of God produced in his life, and then seek to determine whether or not those characteristics are likewise present and observable in our own lives! What Psalm 119 reveals to us are:

SEVEN WAYS TO KNOW IF YOU LOVE THE WORD OF GOD:

1. You know you LOVE the word of God BY WHAT YOU HATE. (119:127–128)

1. You will HATE every FALSE WAY. (119:127–128)
2. You will HATE LYING. (119:163)
3. You will HATE VAIN THOUGHTS. (119:113)

2. You know you LOVE the word of God BY THE HOLY ATTITUDE WITH WHICH YOU VIEW IT. (119:140, 160, 164, 72, 93, 103, 128, 131, 161)

3. You know you LOVE the word of God BY WHAT CONSUMES YOUR THOUGHTS.  (119:97, 15, 23, 48, 78, 99, 148)

4. You know you LOVE the word of God BY THE JOY YOU RECEIVE FROM GETTING INTO IT AND LIVING IT. (119:47)

5. You know you LOVE the word of God BY YOUR SURRENDER TO IT. (119:48)

6. You know you LOVE the word of God BY YOUR INABILITY TO BE OFFENDED. (119:165)

7. You know you LOVE the word of God BY THE DESIRE IN YOUR INNERMOST BEING TO OBEY IT. (119:116–167)

Based on those seven divinely inspired characteristics, can you honestly say that you love the word of God?

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

• By the PSALMIST WHO DELIGHTED IN FULFILLING GOD’S WILL — Psalm 119:47 (John 6:38; 15:10; 4:34)

OVERVIEW:

The Lord gives dominion to the King; the psalmist’s praise for the works of the Lord; the blessed man; the Lord’s exaltation of the humble; God’s deliverance of Israel from Egypt; the heathen idols contrasted with Jehovah; thanksgiving for deliverance from death; a psalm of praise; thanksgiving for the Lord’s saving goodness.

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

Psalm 110 is a very significant (and magnificent!) psalm. It is specifically this psalm that Jesus used to prove His deity when He sought to shut the mouths of the Saducees and Pharisees in Matthew 22. (see Matthew 22:23–35) The passage says, “While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The Son of David. He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool? If David then call him Lord, how is he is his son? And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions.” (Matthew 22:41–46)

Notice in verse one of Psalm 110, that 1000 years before Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem, David recognized that the Messiah, not only, existed (“The Lord said unto my Lord”), but acknowledged that the Messiah was “his Lord” (“The Lord said unto ‘MY’ Lord”) and understood that the Messiah would one day come in judgment upon His enemies (“Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.”) Psalm 110 is quoted no less than seven times in the New Testament: Hebrews 1:13; 5:6; 7:17; Matthew 22:43–44; Mark 12:36; Acts 2:33–34; Luke 20:42–43.

Psalm 111 is a psalm of praise for the “works of the Lord.” (111:2) God’s “works” in this psalm are mentioned in five different verses and described in nine different ways. Notice, God’s works are:

1. Great. (111:2)
2. To be sought out. (111:2)
3. Honorable. (111:3a)
4. Glorious. (111:3b)
5. Wonderful. (111:4a)
6. To be remembered. (111:4b)
7. Powerful. (111:6)
8. True. (111:7a) 
9. Judgmental. (11:7b)

Verse 10 of Psalm 111 is a great reminder to those of us living in the last days, because we have been brainwashed before coming to Christ, and for most of us, after coming to Christ, not to believe it! It is true as it stands, however, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom!” Notice, not “reverential trust”! Not “holy reverence”! But “FEAR”! All of our lives, Satan has been bent on teaching us to FEAR what God told us NOT TO FEAR (2^nd Kings 17:7, 25) and teaching us NOT TO FEAR what God TOLD US TO FEAR! (Exodus 20:20) It basically comes down to this: we will either fear God or we will fear man. (Proverbs 29:25) Jesus helps us get the issue in perspective in Matthew 10:28: “And fear not them which kill the body (i.e. men), but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him (i.e. God) which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” How’s that for tact and political correctness?

Psalm 112 describes the “blessed man” that we met in Psalm 1.

Psalm 113 describes the millennium.

Psalm 114 is a very brief overview of the events recorded in the books of Exodus and Joshua, and that will be repeated at the Second Coming of Christ.

Psalm 115 admonishes three groups of people to “trust in the Lord” and find Him as their “help” (aggressive action AGAINST the enemy) and their “shield” (protection FROM the enemy). The three groups are “Israel” (verses 9, 12a), the “house of Aaron” (verses 10, 12b), and “ye that fear the Lord” (verses 11, 13). Recognize that in the prophetic application, the reference to “Israel” is specifically the Jews in the Tribulation. The reference to the “house of Aaron” points to the Levitical priests who will be serving in the Millennial temple. The prophetic reference to those who “fear the Lord” is pointing to Gentile converts during the Tribulation. When you factor in the Millennial application of verse 18, it takes on even more beauty and significance: “…we will bless the Lord from this time forth and for evermore. Praise the Lord.” Won’t that be awesome?! Hallelujah!

Psalm 116 is a Messianic Psalm.

Psalm 117 is short and sweet!

Psalm 118 is the middle of the Bible and specifically verse 8: “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man.” Verses 22 and 23 of Psalm 118 are incredibly significant, and will be quoted at key places in the ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Apostle Peter, and the Apostle Paul. Psalm 118:22–23 says, “The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner. This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.” Jesus quoted this verse to the chief priests, scribes, and elders of Israel to show them that they were about to be the ones who fulfilled this prophecy. (Matthew 21:42; Mark 12:35–36: Luke 20:42–43) When Peter preached to the high priest, scribes, rulers, and elders of Israel in Acts 4, he quoted this verse to explain to them that they had actually fulfilled this prophecy. (Acts 4:5–11) When God inspired Paul to write the book of Ephesians to reveal the mystery of the church, the body of Christ, he, too, quoted this verse in Ephesians 2:19–21.

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

• As the ONE SEATED AT THE FATHER’S RIGHT HAND — Psalm 110:1 (Ephesians 1:20; Colossians 3:1)
• As the STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REFUSED — Psalm 118:22 (Matthew 21:42; Mark 12:35–36; Luke 20:42–43)