Under Gods command

Under Gods Command

Proverbs 9:11 For by me thy days shall be multiplied, and the years of thy life shall be increased.

Do you want to live long? Lady Wisdom offers free life extension! What an offer!

Do you believe the Bible? Here is a test – if you do, then you will believe this promise. God and men can tell if you trust God’s word by what you stress to preserve your life.

Here is the general rule from the God of heaven – if you love and practice wisdom, you will live longer. But if you choose to ignore or reject wisdom, you must love death, for it is coming for you (Pr 8:36). It will not matter if you eat well, exercise sufficiently, and have good doctors; God will cut you down for your foolish rebellion (Pr 13:9; 24:20).

Solomon neared the end of his long personification of wisdom (Pr 9:12; 8:1). The first person pronoun, “me,” refers to Lady Wisdom, last referenced by similar pronouns in Proverbs 9:5. The Preacher used this elegant and persuasive style to present the character and benefits of wisdom, which include the sure promise of long life. Are you interested?

Recall Solomon’s dream from the LORD (I Kgs 3:5-15). Readers for 3000 years have wished they could make his choice for wisdom and receive the additional benefits of riches and long life (I Kgs 3:13-14). Yet that is exactly what Solomon offers you here! By the inspiration of the same LORD! Riches and long life (Pr 8:18,21; 9:11)! All you have to do is choose wisdom as he did, and she offers these things as additional benefits.

Solomon observed more about life and analyzed it better than any ten of the world’s great thinkers. He summarized his findings without error in these proverbs, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (Eccl 1:12-18; 12:8-11). He observed life and death, and he saw that wisdom resulted in living longer, but folly would cut your days short (Eccl 7:17; 8:13).

Careful Bible readers should know that general rules have exceptions, especially when God’s dealings with any individual man involve many different factors. Therefore, the righteous may die young as a mercy from God (Is 57:1-2), and the wicked may live long and fat lives as a judgment (Pr 1:32; Ps 17:13-15). This proverb is still the general rule.

Christians sometimes forget the cause of death, though they should know better and never forget. The world fears dying, and they have rejected the Creator and His manual about their origin, nature, and future, so they research, promote, and worship diet, exercise, and various forms of medicine as protectors. They comfort themselves they can live longer than those around them, though God is not in all their thoughts (Ps 10:4; 49:10-13).

But the cause of death is sin! It is not eating too much fat or sugar. It is not the sedentary lifestyle of the 21^st century; it is not poor health care. It is sin! You cannot postpone death by reading another book on good health or trying alternative medicine. Death is caused by Adam’s sin and your sin (Rom 5:12-14; 6:23). Sin causes life expectancy to be 73 (Ps 90:10), and your rejection of wisdom shortens that (Eccl 7:17; 8:13). Believe it!

Every father wants his children to have long lives, so Solomon stated this rule about life extension to his son several times (Pr 3:2,16; 4:10; 8:35; 10:27; 28:16). He saw that wisdom tended to life in those that had it (Pr 10:16; 11:4,19; 12:28; 14:27; 19:23). Even ordinary men know that hard living – foolish and wicked living – shortens men’s lives.

But there is another factor beyond the natural consequences of folly and wisdom; there is the sovereign government of God. He gives long life supernaturally for wise choices like honoring parents (Eph 6:1-3) and showing mercy to brute creatures (Deut 22:7). Your Creator can easily shorten or lengthen your life, and your obedience is a key factor.

Wisdom can preserve your life naturally and practically by avoiding the hard life of sinners that shortens their days, by avoiding the sword of justice of the government avenging crimes, by avoiding the accidents that often claim the foolish, by avoiding the diseases associated with certain sins, and by avoiding the sovereign judgment of God, Who judges every sinner, sometimes by taking his or her life early.

True wisdom also lays hold of eternal life and makes ones calling and election sure, for endless days and perpetual years are the elect’s future, which is life extension far beyond any days or years added here on earth (I Tim 6:17-19; II Pet 1:10-11; I Thes 4:17). Christians know the real cure for the real cause of death – Jesus removed all their sins!

Under Gods Command

Malachi 2:13-14 Another thing you do: You flood the LORD’S alter with tears.  You weep and wail because he no longer pays attention to your offerings or accepts them with pleasure from your hands.  You ask, “Why?” It is because the LORD is acting as the witness between you and the wife of your youth, because you have broken faith with her, though she is your partner, the wife of your marriage covenant. 

The people were complaining about their adverse circumstances when they had only themselves to blame.  People often try to avoid guilt feelings by shifting the blame.  But this doesn’t solve the problem.

Lets Bring it Home: When you face problems, look first at yourself.  If you changed your attitude or behavior, would the problem be solved?

Under Gods Command

 Proverbs 8:14 Counsel and sound judgment are mine; I have understanding and power. 

What makes nations great? Since all men came from Adam and are of the same blood, why are differences among the nations so obvious and so great (Gen 3:20; Acts 17:26)?

How are some nations known for counsel, sound wisdom, understanding, and strength? Why do they have a reputation among other nations as being superior by these measures?

The answer is very simple, and it has more impact on national power and prosperity than all the factors that men can imagine combined. It is the degree of God’s wisdom in a nation. And where is that wisdom found? In the Bible, the inspired revelation from God!

Proverbs chapter eight is a long personification of wisdom as a woman. Lady Wisdom introduces herself (Pr 8:1-11), lists the blessings of wisdom (Pr 8:12-21), describes God’s use of wisdom in creating the universe (Pr 8:22-31), and concludes (Pr 8:32-36).

It is an error of interpretation to miss the context of this book and the figure of speech here and think Solomon wrote a mystical sermon about Jesus Christ. It helps to see his similar personifications of wisdom in other places (Pr 1:20-33; 3:13-20; 4:13; 9:1-12).

The context of Proverbs 8:14 is the wealth and power of nations, for Lady Wisdom continued on with clear descriptions of political prosperity and success. She described blessing of justice for kings, princes, nobles, and judges of the earth (Pr 8:15-16).

The counsel, sound wisdom, understanding, and strength here are the knowledge, prudence, freedom, liberty, inventions, advances, enlightenment, and power that some nations have and others do not have. These are intellectual, moral, and spiritual virtues.

Men have wondered for centuries at the greatness of some nations and the ignorance and poverty of others. Adam Smith (1723-1790) thought he had identified some important factors, and his book, “An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations,” published in the curious year of 1776, is still considered an important thesis to this day.

However, he and all other natural men lacking spiritual understanding overlook the most influential factor for the successes and destinies of nations. The decrees and providence of Almighty God are the primary reasons for the differences in all created beings, including nations (I Chron 29:10-13; Ps 33:12; 75:6-7; Isaiah 10:5-15; 45:9-10; Jer 18:1-10; Amos 3:2; Dan 2:20-22; 4:17; 5:18-21; Rom 9:21-24; I Cor 4:7; Rev 17:17).

There are also practical reasons. When a nation rejects God’s word, He will destroy that nation (Lev 18:24-30; 22:20-26; 26:14-39; Deut 28:15-68; Ps 9:17). When a nation fears God and the Bible, He will bless (Lev 26:1-13,40-46; Deut 28:1-14; Ps 33:12-22; 89:15-18; 144:11-15). The ancient difference between Israel and Egypt is remarkable, as God protected and prospered His people, while they plundered their Egyptian oppressors!

Then Israel took the cities, moved into the furnished houses, drank from the wells, and used the vineyards of the seven nations of Canaan (Deut 6:10-12; Josh 24:11-13)! God annihilated seven nations and blessed Israel to take their place based on obedience to His words. And such profound political wisdom is not taught in any university in the world.

The United States of America developed almost overnight from a few poor settlers on a wild continent to the wisest and most powerful nation on earth for one basic reason – the word of God was preached and obeyed more than any other nation since Israel under Moses or under godly kings like David or Hezekiah.

The pagan Indians, which could not read, write, calculate, build, or imagine a wheel, could only watch the progress, unable to even comprehend the witty inventions and conventions brought by the white men to their continent. Before America, there was England, where God’s word was published, read, and obeyed widely among its people.

These two nations were miracles after the Dark Ages that had blinded and enslaved Europe for over a thousand years, for they had greater counsel in their homes and public deliberations, wisdom in their courts and schools, understanding in their government and laws, and strength in their economies and militaries than any other nation.

The sun never set on the worldwide British Empire, which was ruled from a small island of the sea with only a small population. America turned a wilderness into the most free, productive, prosperous, and peaceful nation on earth in a few decades, which could when called upon fight wars against multiple enemies on multi-fronts without fear of defeat.

But now, with both nations in full-blown decline, the reason is just as obvious – they have forsaken the God of their fathers and His word. Both nations legislate and promote wickedness from abortion to same-sex marriages, from labor unions to bankruptcy protection, from pagan holidays to excluding prayer from schools, from cesspool entertainment to Godless education, and from neutered authority to confused civil rights.

Most of the churches that remain are dead with ritual, alive with Charismatic nonsense, or compromising as fast as they can to attract the unregenerate and worldly. Both nations religiously are in the throes of the perilous times of the last days (II Tim 3:1 – 4:4). The reason the collapse has not fully occurred yet is for the righteous remnant still in them and their prayers (Gen 18:23-33; Jer 29:4-7; I Tim 2:1-2). Pray for the peace of Babylon!

Each year and each election shows further decline into the abyss of confusion, ignorance, folly, and moral depravity. Counsel, wisdom, and understanding cannot be found. Financial integrity and wealth are nearly gone. Military strength is only a fraction of what it was. Its homes and institutions are jokes compared to previous generations. The proverb before you has never had a better illustration than Israel, England, and America.

For further enlightenment from this inspired rule of political wisdom and prosperity, compare the nations of the earth in any generation. Measure their general religious practice by faithfulness to the Bible or its principles, and then quantify their overall counsel, sound wisdom, understanding, and strength. There is a lesson for you to learn.

How do Catholic nations compare to Protestant nations? How do Muslim nations compare to Christian nations, even if the Christianity is mostly in form and name? What about those nations practicing Buddhism, Hinduism, animism, ancestor worship, voodoo, and so forth? Differences in counsel, wisdom, understanding and strength are obvious.

Reader! You can personally grow in counsel, sound wisdom, understanding, and strength by taking heed to God’s word yourself (Ps 1:1-6; 19:7-11; 119:1-176). You can have the certain words of truth to give to those who ask you any question (Pr 22:17-21; I Pet 3:15). You can also build a family tree from children trained in the words of Lady Wisdom.

The Bible is God’s gift of wisdom to His children, and it is your gravest duty and most glorious privilege to read it, meditate upon it, memorize it, promote it, defend it, and obey it. It is the only light in a dark world (Ps 119:128; Is 8:20; I Tim 6:3-5; II Pet 1:19-21). It can and will make you wise, if you will read it and attend to the faithful preaching of it.

Under Gods Command

Proverbs 7:27 Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.

What is casual sex? It is the way to hell! It will take you down to death! There is nothing casual about dying early and going to hell! Someone is lying to you about a fatal danger.

Why do they call it casual sex? Because they do it like hyenas without the love, morality, and commitment of marriage. Inferior to prostitution, it even lacks money compensation!

Why do they call it playing, partying, or having an affair? They feel euphemisms make their sins more acceptable. They hate real words with defined meanings like adultery, fornication, sodomy, or whoremonger, Bible words found in laws of civilized nations.

How casual are death and hell? They are man’s worst nightmares! Reader, the whole world is lying to you about the consequences of sex outside of marriage. Hate their lies! Hate their lifestyles! Hate their movies and music! God and Solomon have warned you.

The feminine pronoun “her” is the strange woman, the adulteress and whore of the parable here (Pr 7:6-23). After introducing the subject of sexual sins to his son (Pr 7:1-5), Solomon described at length a young man seduced into adultery by a cunning woman. He then concluded by begging his children to consider the terrible danger (Pr 7:24-27).

He warned his children that whorish women have wounded many men and destroyed many strong men (Pr 7:26). Think Samson and his horrible end. Think David and the painful consequences for adultery with Bathsheba. Think Solomon! Only the strongest men, like Joseph, can resist the powerful seduction of the adulteress (Pr 23:27-28).

What is the cure? Do not think about her (Pr 7:25)! Do not go near her (Pr 7:25)! Sexual sins begin with the eyes (Pr 6:25; Matt 5:28), form a plan in the mind (Job 31:1; II Sam 13:1-2), and then pursue the action (Pr 5:8; 7:8). All sin works this way (Jas 1:13-16). The adulteress cannot entice or hurt you, if you never think about her or get near her.

Can adultery kill you? Yes! Think capital punishment (in a moral nation), her jealous spouse, your jealous spouse, sexual diseases, blinded judgment, suicide from guilt, etc.

Can adultery kill you? Yes! There are other ways to die. Think of a destroyed soul, ruined reputation, lost job, wasted money, violated marriage, offended children, illegitimate children, painful guilt, sexual bondage, hated memories, and other living deaths! Even the world knows to blame the wasted and worn-out look of sinners on their hard living!

Can adultery take you to hell? Yes! If hell is the grave, the place where the dead are buried, it can take you there, as you just read (Ps 16:10; 18:5; 55:15; 86:13; 116:3).

Can adultery take you to hell? Yes! If hell is the lake of fire, the place of eternal torment, adultery can take you there as well (I Cor 6:9-10; Gal 5:19-21; Eph 5:3-7; Rev 21:8).

If casual sex is this dangerous, why no public warning about the death and hell behind the eyes, smiles, kisses, and embrace of a seductive woman? Because the devil and the world have conspired together to lie to you, and your sin nature loves to believe their lies.

Why no warning in the news? In the schools? In the military? Because it is not popular in a sin-obsessed and sex-addicted generation, and the guiding principles that now reign are popular approval, political correctness, serving pleasure, and rejecting God and the Bible.

But why no strong warnings in the large popular churches? For the same reasons above, for these worldly churches operate by the same principles – popular approval to keep the crowd coming, political correctness, serving pleasure, and rejecting the God of the Bible.

There is a warning! You are reading it. God and Solomon warned four times in Proverbs about death and hell for casual sex (Pr 2:18-19; 5:5; 7:27; 9:18). Get away from any whorish woman, and stay away from her. And the same applies to male whoremongers.

Does casual sex have pleasure? Sin has pleasure, and the Bible admits it – short pleasure for only a season (Heb 11:24-26; Job 20:5). The pleasure of casual sex lasts seconds, minutes, or hours; but the consequences last years, the rest of your life, or all eternity. There is no comparison. Samson’s minutes with a conniving and gold digging Delilah were not worth his years blind and grinding for the Philistines before committing suicide.

The best sexual pleasure is for a Christian husband and wife following the wisdom of Proverbs and the rest of the Bible. Their God created the male and female bodies, invented sex, and wrote the manual for its ultimate pleasure. If you doubt this, read Solomon’s love song in the Bible. If you have not experienced it yourself, read it again!

Parent, do you warn your children about sexual sins as boldly and plainly as Solomon did his children? Or are you too spiritually minded, puritanical, fearful, or naïve to line up with God and His word, missing the fact that the world hits them harder than any previous generation? If you are a mother, get real like godly women (Pr 6:20-26; 31:1-3).

There is another kind of whore. False churches are called whores in the Bible, and joining their worship is spiritual adultery and fornication (Ex 34:15-16; II Cor 11:1-4; Jas 4:4; Rev 2:20-22; 17:1-6). Get away from them, and stay away, for those that join them end up in the congregation of the dead and then hellfire forever (Pr 21:16; Rev 3:1; 14:9-11).

If your church and pastor do not preach hard against sexual sins, then you need a new church or pastor (Is 58:1; Jer 23:28-29; II Tim 4:3-4; Heb 13:4). It is a sign of the perilous times of the last days that Christians live and sound like the world (II Tim 3:1-5). If your pastor does preach like he should, then encourage him and pray for him.

Under Gods Command

Proverbs 6:17: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,

God hates seven things, and here are three (Pr 6:16-19). Solomon had just written, “These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:” (Pr 6:16). For success and wisdom in your life, you must get any aspect of these sins out of your life.

Pride, lying, and murder are accepted today (keep on reading), but they are an abomination to the LORD. He has not changed; He will never change. If you want the God of the Bible against you, allow one or more of these sins in your life (Ps 47:2; 66:3-5; 68:35; 99:3). If you want Him for you with blessing and favor, then hate these sins.

Corrupt societies try to outlaw hatred, but God still hates sin and sinners (Ps 5:5; 11:5; Mal 3:6; Heb 13:8). Do not deceive yourself. The God of heaven is not the senile old man painted by Michelangelo for popes and cardinals. He is angry at the wicked every day (Ps 7:11). And He will soon cast His enemies into hell (Ps 9:17; Matt 7:23; Rev 20:11-15).

Before excusing yourself from this proverb, remember three things. First, God hates more than seven sins – He hates all sins and sinners (Ps 5:4-6; 11:4-6). Second, the application is very broad and includes much more than you may think (Ps 119:96; Matt 5:21-22). And third, you will soon give a full account to God about these sins (Eccl 12:13-14).

The right meaning is important, or the self-righteous try to escape (Neh 8:8). When the Bible condemns a proud look, a lying tongue, and murdering hands, it intends more than a sinful face, speech, or actions. It includes every associated sin that would fall under that general category. For example, a lying email without spoken words is also condemned.

The LORD hates a proud look! He cannot stand any kind of pride in angels or men. He cast Satan and his angels out of heaven for pride (Is 14:12-15; I Tim 3:6; Jude 1:6). He hates self-esteem, strife, haughty thoughts, self-promotion, proud anger, an irreligious life, selfishness, boasting, conceited eyes, and stubbornness among other sins (Pr 13:10; 14:3; 21:24; 25:27; 26:16; 30:17; Ps 10:2-6; Is 2:11-12; Rom 12:3; Gal 6:3; II Tim 3:1-5).

The LORD hates a lying tongue! He loves truth, and He hates all deception. The devil is the father of lies, and his children are just like him (John 8:44; Eph 2:1-3). Liars are going to hell (Rev 21:8; 22:15). God hates exaggeration, fraud, misrepresentation, false witnessing, slander, haggling, flattery, silence under oath, and jesting among other sins of lying (Pr 10:18; 12:22; 19:5; 20:14,23; 26:18-19,28; Ex 23:1; Deut 19:16-21; Job 17:5).

The LORD hates murderous hands! He loves life, for He is the living God, and He gives life and breath to all (Gen 2:7; Is 42:5; Acts 17:25). Life is sacred, not because man is special, but because God created it and defends it. He demands capital punishment for murder (Gen 9:6), and anyone disagreeing is a fool. The devil was a murderer from the beginning, and so are his children, who are all going to hell (John 8:44; Rev 21:8; 22:15).

God hates abortion, backbiting, bitterness, debate, envy, grudges, malice, manslaughter, negligent homicide, strife, foolish anger, neglecting child discipline, railing, foolish killing of animals, ignoring cries for help, lack of mercy, wrath, withholding capital punishment, and talebearing as other sins of murder (Pr 12:20; 13:24; 22:6-7; 23:13-14; 31:8-9; Ex 21:22-25,28-29; Deut 22:6-8; Matt 5:21-26; Gal 5:19-21; Eph 4:31-32).

God’s word is to be interpreted and applied broadly (Matt 5:27-32; Luke 10:29-37). Its demands go far beyond the limitations your heart wishes were on them. These are things God hates, and yet they are hardly preached against today. Seeker sensitive types want you to think all is well. But you can see there might be one or two sins that condemn you! You need to get them out of your life and then teach these things to your children.

Is it fair to say pride is accepted today? Definitely! Psychologists, educators, and pastors exalt self-esteem, self-love, and self-confidence as cures for most relational problems, which are nothing more than psycho-babble terms for a naïve, selfish adoration of self. This is just one example of pride being accepted today. True Christianity is the opposite – the love of others over self (Matt 22:39; Rom 12:10; Eph 5:21; Phil 2:3-4; II Tim 3:1-2)!

Is it fair to say lying is accepted today? Definitely! Politicians make promises they have not calculated or never intend to keep. If caught in a moral or political error, they will spin words to avoid guilt. Legalese is a term sometimes used to describe lawyers playing with words (Luke 10:29). Have you ever haggled with a seller by pointing out flaws in the merchandise and then later boasted about getting the item at a low price (Pr 20:14)?

Is it fair to say murder is accepted today? Definitely! Anger or name-calling without a righteous cause is murder (Matt 5:21-22). Any abortion for any cause is murder (Ex 21:22-25). If strict child discipline can save them from an untimely death, then its neglect is a form of murder (Pr 23:13-14). Backbiting, talebearing, and whispering are means of destroying another’s reputation, which is a form of taking a life (Pr 18:8; 26:22; 12:18).

Reader! You are condemned! David put it this way, “If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? (Ps 130:3.) Even David, God’s favorite, knew He was in trouble if God held his sins against him. If God marked and recorded all sins, then every man is doomed to eternal judgment. And He does just that. He will show you every violation of this proverb in a day fast approaching (Eccl 12:13-14; Rev 20:11-15).

But that is not the end of the story, for David wrote next, “But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared” (Ps 130:4). Without forgiveness, God would be unapproachable; but there is mercy for those that call upon Him, which only the elect will ever do (John 3:19; 5:40; 6:44; 8:45). Faith is the result of predestination (Acts 13:48), for man by nature has only disgust and rebellion for the gospel (I Cor 1:18-24; 2:14).

God chose to forgive His elect before the world began by ordaining Jesus Christ to die as a substitute for them (Jn 6:38-39; 10:26-29; 17:2; Rom 5:6-21; 8:29-39; Eph 1:3-11; I Pet 1:20). God owes mercy and love to none; He gives it only to those He chooses (Ex 33:19; Rom 9:15). If you love Him, He loved you first (I John 4:19). By hating these three sins for His sake, your virtuous life by faith proves your election (II Pet 1:5-11; Ps 15:1-5).