Isaiah 36-38: The Zeal of the Lord

These chapters tell of the fate that comes to those who doubt God and those who trust Him.  Sennacherib thought he was so smart.  He had already attacked all the fortified cities of Judah and held Jerusalem under siege.  He was sure Hezekiah and his God were no match against his cunning and the strength of his army.  If he didn't sway the Israelites with his words of strength, he would sway them with his promise of a land flowing with bread and wine.

Then the commander stood and called out in Hebrew, "Hear the words of the great king, the king of Assyria! This is what the king says: Do not let Hezekiah deceive you. He cannot deliver you! Do not let Hezekiah persuade you to trust in the LORD when he says, 'The LORD will surely deliver us; this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.'

"Do not listen to Hezekiah. This is what the king of Assyria says: Make peace with me and come out to me. Then every one of you will eat from his own vine and fig tree and drink water from his own cistern, until I come and take you to a land like your own—a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards. - Is. 36:13-17 NIV

But Sennacherib had not counted on the 'Zeal of the Lord.' and his promise as spoken by the Prophet Isaiah.

"This will be the sign for you, O Hezekiah:
"This year you will eat what grows by itself,
and the second year what springs from that.
But in the third year sow and reap,
plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
Once more a remnant of the house of Judah
will take root below and bear fruit above.
For out of Jerusalem will come a remnant,
and out of Mount Zion a band of survivors
The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this. - Is. 36: 30-32 NIV

Not only would Sennacherib be defeated, but Jerusalem would produce the very crops he promised he would give them.  Hezekiah and the rest of the Israelites holed up in Jerusalem recognized the difference between threats without any substance and the Zeal of the Lord.  Only the Zeal of the Lord can accomplish the impossible.

Isaiah 32-35: The Redeemed of the Lord Shall Return

These chapters in Isaiah paint a picture of two different highways:

one is a deserted place

Look, their brave men cry aloud in the streets;
the envoys of peace weep bitterly.
The highways are deserted,
no travelers are on the roads.
The treaty is broken,
its witnesses are despised,
no one is respected.
The land mourns and wastes away, - Is. 33:7-9 NIV

and the other is filled with celebration.

And a highway will be there;
it will be called the Way of Holiness.
The unclean will not journey on it;
it will be for those who walk in that Way;
wicked fools will not go about on it.
No lion will be there,
nor will any ferocious beast get up on it;
they will not be found there.
But only the redeemed will walk there,
and the ransomed of the LORD will return.
They will enter Zion with singing;
everlasting joy will crown their heads.
Gladness and joy will overtake them,
and sorrow and sighing will flee away.- Is. 35:8-10

Someday, the world as we know it will be totally desolate, as God has promised.  No nation will escape his wrath.  But out of that barren wasteland will arise a highway for our God.  And those walking on that highway will enter Zion with singing.  The redeemed of the Lord shall return.

Isaiah 30-32: What Matters Most

This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says:
"In repentance and rest is your salvation,
in quietness and trust is your strength,
but you would have none of it.
You said, 'No, we will flee on horses.'
Therefore you will flee!
You said, 'We will ride off on swift horses.'
Therefore your pursuers will be swift!
A thousand will flee at the threat of one;
at the threat of five you will all flee away,
till you are left like a flagstaff on a mountaintop,
like a banner on a hill.
"Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you;
he rises to show you compassion.
For the LORD is a God of justice.
Blessed are all who wait for him! - Isaiah 30:15-18 NIV

Hidden in these chapters of woe for all of the nations is this one truth.  The Lord longs to be gracious to us.  It has never been the desire of his heart to destroy his people, to send them into captivity, or inflict any other sort of punishment on them.  He longs to be gracious, he rises to show compassion.  But most of the time, throughout history, His people will have none of it.  His people, the ones that he longs to protect, convince themselves that they have to take matters into their own hands.  What kind of God do we serve?  He is not a small god, he is not made of wood or clay.  Instead he is the creator of wood and clay and everything else.  He holds all the power of the universe in his hands, and he longs to be gracious to us.  When it comes to what matters most to Him, it is where we put our trust in all matters.

Isaiah 27-29: A Sure Foundation

What does it mean to be just and righteouess?  Did Isaiah see that God's justice and righteouessness is a lot different from that which man would devise. 

For it is:
Do and do, do and do,
rule on rule, rule on rule;
a little here, a little there." - Is.28:10 NIV
 
So this is what the Sovereign LORD says:
"See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone,
a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation;
the one who trusts will never be dismayed.
I will make justice the measuring line
and righteousness the plumb line;
hail will sweep away your refuge, the lie,
and water will overflow your hiding place. - Is. 28:16-17 NIV

The Lord says:
"These people come near to me with their mouth
and honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
Their worship of me
is made up only of rules taught by men.
Therefore once more I will astound these people
with wonder upon wonder;
the wisdom of the wise will perish,
the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish."
Woe to those who go to great depths
to hide their plans from the LORD,
who do their work in darkness and think,
"Who sees us? Who will know?"
You turn things upside down,
as if the potter were thought to be like the clay!
Shall what is formed say to him who formed it,
"He did not make me"?Can the pot say of the potter,
"He knows nothing"?  - Is. 29:13-16

It wasn't just in Isaiah's generation that things were turned upside down. If we could see ourselves as God sees us, we would see that our righteousness is as filthy rags:  our worship is merely repetitious, we treat God as if he were our creation rather than the creator.  Our 'do and do, do and do, rule on rule, rule on rule'; or as the King James puts it 'precept upon precept, line upon line' is merely applying lip service, while at the same time we would place a heavy burden of 'do and do' on our fellow brothers and sisters.  Righteousness is not just following the rules.  It is not just clean living.  It is not just singing the right songs.  It is not just giving to the right organizations.  Righteousness comes from falling on that precious cornerstone, the sure foundation that has been given to us.  Falling and trusting because there is no other alternative.

Isaiah 24-26: Perfect Peace

In Isaiah 24-26, Isaiah paints a very grim picture.  The earth will be completely laid waste and totally plundered. The LORD has spoken this word. - Is. 24:3 NIV 

The devastation will be greater than anything we can comprehend and encompass all of creation from the beginning of time.  It will not be just the inhabitants of a city, or a state, or a nation or even a continent that are destroyed. 

In that day the LORD will punish the powers in the heavens above
and the kings on the earth below. They will be herded together
like prisoners bound in a dungeon; they will be shut up in prison
and be punished after many days.
- Is. 24:21-22 - NIV
 
Yet in the midst of this calamity, there will be reason for praise.  God is bringing to fruition his plan.  It will be just as it was in Egypt with the first Passover.  The Israelites, who had sprinkled the lamb's blood on their door posts, were sheltered in their houses, while the Lord struck down all the first born of the Egyptians.
 
Go, my people, enter your rooms
and shut the doors behind you;
hide yourselves for a little while
until his wrath has passed by.
See, the LORD is coming out of his dwelling
to punish the people of the earth for their sins.
The earth will disclose the blood shed upon her;
she will conceal her slain no longer.- Is. 26:20-21 NIV

Yet those who trust in the Lord God, will be in perfect peace, they will be hiding under the Rock.

You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast,
because he trusts in you.  Trust in the LORD forever,
for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal. - Is. 26:3-4 NIV

Isaiah 21-23: Morning Comes and So Does the Night

Isaiah's oracles don't hold out a lot of hope for many.  Babylon will fall, the survivors of Arabia will be few, and Tyre will be destroyed.,

"Watchman, what is left of the night?
Watchman, what is left of the night?"
The watchman replies,
"Morning is coming, but also the night. - Isaiah 21:11-12

It's not easy to contemplate, but God's laws are immutable and his justice swift.  It's one thing to look at one's enemies and hope that someday they will get their just reward.  It's another to comprehend the finality of God's judgement.  As we long for the Savior's coming, we must remember that morning is coming, but also the night.

Isaiah 17-20: The Mystery of Prophecy

For we know in part and we prophesy in part, - 1 Cor. 13:9 NIV

What did Isaiah see, what was he prophesying about?  Did he understand it all, or did he write it down by faith, knowing, as the Apostle Paul did, that although the mystery of God and his intentions remains steadfast through the generations, the full knowledge of God's plan remains His alone.

All you people of the world,
you who live on the earth,
when a banner is raised on the mountains,
you will see it,
and when a trumpet sounds,
you will hear it
This is what the LORD says to me:
"I will remain quiet and will look on from my dwelling place,
like shimmering heat in the sunshine,
like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest."  - Is. 18:3-4 NIV

When the trumpet sounds and the banner is raised, we will know, we will hear, but until then we walk by faith.

Isaiah 14-16: The Fall of Pride

Throughout the centuries, God's enemies have looked on his people with derision.  They have been taunted, ridiculed, attacked, captured, slaughtered and oppressed.  But, regardless of how it may have looked at any point in time,  God has not forgotten or abandoned those he has chosen.

The LORD will have compassion on Jacob;
once again he will choose Israel
and will settle them in their own land.
Aliens will join them and unite with the house of Jacob.
Nations will take them and bring them to their own place.
And the house of Israel will possess the nations
as menservants and maidservants in the LORD's land.
They will make captives of their captors and rule over their oppressors. - Is. 14:1-2 NIV

All of these conflicts, this oppression of God's chosen, are nothing more than another chapter in the ongoing saga of the battle between God and the 'son of the dawn', the one who would usurp power from the Almighty himself.  But, God is the only One, the Alpha and Omega, the only one that was there before time, and none of His creation, no matter how brilliant, beautiful or powerful, can ever take His place.

How you have fallen from heaven,
O morning star, son of the dawn!
You have been cast down to the earth,
you who once laid low the nations!
You said in your heart, "I will ascend to heaven;
I will raise my throne above the stars of God;
I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly,
on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain.
I will ascend above the tops of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High.
"But you are brought down to the grave,
to the depths of the pit. - Is. 14:12-15 NIV

It takes enormous pride to think one can go against God or His people.  From Babylon, Assyria and Moab, to the current day, many have let their pride influence how they view God's people.  Pride has let them think that God's people are weak, inept and ignorant.  But, that pride is based on nothing.  God will always win.  Pride will always fall.  Always.

The oppressor will come to an end,
and destruction will cease;
the aggressor will vanish from the land.
In love a throne will be established;
in faithfulness a man will sit on it—
one from the house of David—
one who in judging seeks justice
and speeds the cause of righteousness. - Is. 16:4-5 NIV

Isaiah 11-13: Reclaiming a Remnant

Someday, God is going to do a marvelous thing.  A thing that will cause us to:
"Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name;
make known among the nations what he has done,
and proclaim that his name is exalted.
Sing to the LORD, for he has done glorious things;
let this be known to all the world. - Is. 12:4-5 NIV

In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his place of rest will be glorious.  In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to reclaim the remnant that is left of his people from Assyria, from Lower Egypt, from Upper Egypt, from Cush, from Elam, from Babylonia, from Hamath and from the islands of the sea.
He will raise a banner for the nations and gather the exiles of Israel;
he will assemble the scattered people of Judah from the four quarters of the earth. Is. 11:10-12 NIV

It isn't just our nation that is crumbling, that is falling into decadence, depression and decay.  It is the whole earth that is groaning.  Two things are converging:  wickedness and righteouesness.  But God is raising an army, an army that will only follow the true God, an army that will be victorious, an army that will come from the four corners of the earth. 

Listen, a noise on the mountains, like that of a great multitude!
Listen, an uproar among the kingdoms,
like nations massing together!
The LORD Almighty is mustering an army for war.
They come from faraway lands, from the ends of the heavens—
the LORD and the weapons of his wrath—
to destroy the whole country. - Is. 13:4-5 NIV

Listen, you can hear the noise.  It may be faint, but it is growing in every nation of the earth.  Here it is from Australia. 

Isaiah 9-10: Unlimited Government

What did Isaiah see when he prophesied in chapter 9 that 'there would be no more gloom for those who were in distress'?  (Is. 9:1)   Was he railing against his contemporary leaders, or did his indictment reach to the 21st century?  Was his vision limited to Israel and Jerusalem, or could he see through the future to our day as well?
Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees,
to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people,
making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless. - Is. 10:1-2 NIV

Fortunately, along with the indictment, comes a promise that is even greater. 
The people walking in darkness have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death
a light has dawned ...
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end.
He will reign on David's throne
and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this. - Is. 9:2-7 NIV

In this day and age, when it seems sometimes that governments all over the world are trying to take as much as they can, looking forward to an all powerful government goes against the ideology of limited government that many people are supporting. But this government will be different.  It will be one of justice and righteousness.  The government will be upon the shoulders of a Wonderful Counselor, a Prince of Peace...none other than the Mighty God and Everlasting Father.  And it's not just wistful thinking.  It will be a reality.  The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this!

Isaiah 6-8: Sanctuary or Stumbling Block

Isaiah's encounter with God in Isaiah chapter 6 are some of the more poignant words ever written.
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another:
"Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty;
the whole earth is full of his glory."
At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.
"Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty."
Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, "See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for."
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?"
And I said, "Here am I. Send me!" - Isaiah 6:1-8 NIV

What follows is God's indictment of His chosen people, who were 'ever hearing, but never understanding, ever seeing, but never perceiving.' (Is. 6:9):  their cities will be laid waste their crops devastated.  But still the people failed to respond.  When Uzziah's grandson, King Ahaz, did not respond, he was told that God would give a sign, an unmistakable sing that would be impossible to ignore.  Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and  will call him Immanuel. -Is. 7:14 NIV  They were promised a sign that could not be missed.. 

Assyria, the nation that they were so afraid of, would become a tool of the Lord.  They were fearful of the wrong thing.  They should have been fearful of the one that Isaiah saw, the one that caused the seraphs to cover their faces and cry 'Holy, holy, holy."  They should have been afraid of 'The LORD Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread,' - Is. 8:13

Even today, we miss all of the signs and still fear and give power to the wrong things. The one who is waiting to be a sanctuary is the stone that causes men to stumble.

Isaiah 3-5: Tell the Righteous

What a terrible picture Isaiah paints, both of the circumstances leading up to the downfall of God's people and the calamity that will most certainly befall them because of their rejection of God's ways.  He describes a time when the people are governed by mere children, when the elders plunder the poor and women are more concerned about their finery than being godly.

Youths oppress my people,
women rule over them.
O my people, your guides lead you astray;
they turn you from the path.
The LORD takes his place in court;
he rises to judge the people...
The LORD enters into judgment
against the elders and leaders of his people:
"It is you who have ruined my vineyard;
the plunder from the poor is in your houses. - Is. 3:12-14 NIV

Woe to you who add house to house and join field to field
till no space is left and you live alone in the land....
Woe to those who rise early in the morning to run after their drinks,
who stay up late at night till they are inflamed with wine....
Woe to those who draw sin along with cords of deceit,
and wickedness as with cart ropes,
to those who say, "Let God hurry, let him hasten his work
so we may see it. Let it approach,
let the plan of the Holy One of Israel come, so we may know it."
Woe to those who call evil good and good evil,
who put darkness for light and light for darkness,
who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.
Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes
and clever in their own sight. - Is. 5:8-21 NIV

What a stunning condemnation of Israel, and of all of God's people down through the ages; of all of those who are more concerned with their own position, possessions, comfort, health, safety and pleasure, than they are of God's commands.  Woe to them.

Yet, all is not lost.  Hidden in these chapters of calamity and woe is one promise.

Tell the righteous it will be well with them. -Is. 3:10 NIV

Tell the righteous that no matter what happens, no matter how wicked it gets, no matter who is in control, it will be well.

Isaiah 1-2: Let us Reason

How weary Isaiah must have been of all the evil doings of the kings and the entire nation of Israel.  God was even wearier still, and they both saw the results of sin on the nation.
Your country is desolate,
your cities burned with fire;
your fields are being stripped by foreigners
right before you,
laid waste as when overthrown by strangers. - Is. 1:7 NIV

I am weary, God says, of all your festivals and feasts (today he might say 'conventions, programs, fund raisers and pot lucks').
They have become a burden to me;
I am weary of bearing them.
When you spread out your hands in prayer,
I will hide my eyes from you;
even if you offer many prayers,
I will not listen. Your hands are full of blood;
wash and make yourselves clean.
Take your evil deeds out of my sight!
Stop doing wrong,learn to do right!
Seek justice, encourage the oppressed.
Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow. - Is. 1:14-17 NIV

But, God still offers hope:
"Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD.
"Though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
they shall be like wool. - Is. 1:8 NIV

We tend to concentrate on what Isaiah saw in chapter two concerning the last days where the mountain of the Lord's temple will be established.  But all of that was conditioned on God's plea to His people.
Come, O house of Jacob,
let us walk in the light of the LORD. - Is. 2:5 NIV

And so it remains today, we must walk in the light of the Lord, we must heed his commands to stop doing wrong, learn to do right, seek justice, encourage the oppressed, defend the cause of the fatherless and plead the case of the widow.  God has been trying to reason with his people through the centuries, hopefully it is not too late for this generation to learn. 

Song of Songs: A Love Song

The Song of Songs (or Solomon) sticks out in the middle of the Old Testament. What is that all about?  Songs between a lover and his beloved?   What does this have to do with God's plan for his creation?  Where is the great spiritual message?

...for your love is more delightful than wine. - Song of Songs 1:2 NIV

He has taken me to the banquet hall,
and his banner over me is love. - Song of Songs 2:4 NIV

My lover is mine and I am his; - Song of Songs 2:16 NIV:

...when I found the one my heart loves.
I held him and would not let him go...Song of Songs 3:4 NIV

Such love is difficult to comprehend, even more difficult to experience.



Dedicated to Derek Loux who is now in the presence of the Lover of his Soul.

Ecclesiastes 10-12: The End of the Matter

If one spends any time studying the books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, they will reach the same conclusion that the Teacher did.

Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body.
Now all has been heard;
here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep his commandments,
for this is the whole duty of man.

For God will bring every deed into judgment,
including every hidden thing,
whether it is good or evil. - Eccl. 12:12-14 NIV

We can make life as complicated as we want.  We can pile up wealth, fame, friends, possessions, but in the end, we will all face the same fate.  It is for God to decide, not some banker to measure our wealth, nor the poll taker to judge our influence.  Our success will not be measured by the number of people at our funeral or the number of cards and condolences we receive.  It will not be measured by any legacy we leave behind, not even the success of our children.  It will be measured by God....end of story.

Ecclesiastes 8-9: This is the Day

Most of us contend too hard.  We're driven, controlling, perhaps even obsessed, and yet is that the way God intended for us to live.  The Teacher saw the same thing, and his conclusions should cause us to rethink our position.

I have seen something else under the sun:
The race is not to the swift
or the battle to the strong,
nor does food come to the wise
or wealth to the brilliant
or favor to the learned;
but time and chance happen to them all. - Eccl. 9:11 NIV

So I commend the enjoyment of life, because nothing is better for a man under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany him in his work all the days of the life God has given him under the sun. - Eccl. 8:15 NIV

Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for it is now that God favors what you do. Always be clothed in white, and always anoint your head with oil. Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun— all your meaningless days. For this is your lot in life and in your toilsome labor under the sun. Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.  - Eccl. 9:7-10 NIV

One phrase stands out.  'for it is NOW that God favors what you do.'  Live life with gusto, the Teacher says, then you will find the joy God intended for his creation.  I'm reminded of the words of that old chorus:  'This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.'  This is the day!

Ecclesiastes 5-7: Don't Do It

Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong.
Do not be quick with your mouth,
do not be hasty in your heart
to utter anything before God.
God is in heaven and you are on earth,
so let your words be few. - Eccl.5:1-2 NIV

In this meaningless life of mine I have seen both of these:
a righteous man perishing in his righteousness,
and a wicked man living long in his wickedness.
Do not be overrighteous,
neither be overwise—
why destroy yourself?
Do not be overwicked,
and do not be a fool—
why die before your time?
It is good to grasp the one and not let go of the other.
The man who fears God will avoid all extremes. - Eccl. 7:16-18 NIV

Most of us have a tendency to become over zealous or over religious...thinking we alone know and can proclaim the truth.  We can't do it.  We're not that righteous or wise.  Most of the time, any words we utter, would be to keep people on a much narrower path than we would walk ourselves.  Don't do it.

Ecclesiastes 3-4: In His Time

To Everything (Turn, Turn, Turn)
There is a season (Turn, Turn, Turn)
And a time to every purpose, under Heaven

A time to be born, a time to die
A time to plant, a time to reap
A time to kill, a time to heal
A time to laugh, a time to weep
Words-adapted from The Bible, book of Ecclesiastes
Music-Pete Seeger

In these two chapters of Ecclesiastes, the Teacher is still repeating the refrain of  'meaningless, meaningless, all is meaningless.'  However, embedded within these verses, he answers his own question. 

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. - Eccl. 3:11 NIV

It is not an endless cycle.  It is not a meaningless existence.  There is a purpose to it all:  to the changing of the seasons, to birth and death, to mourning and dancing.  It is God's purpose.  It may not be what he originally intended for his creation before sin entered into the garden, but it is God's purpose.  We all hold eternity in our hearts, but can't quite grasp it.  So we go through our lives knowing that there is something missing, no matter how successful, or fulfilling our lives are.  But the promise is there...he makes all things beautiful in his time.

Ecclesiastes 1-2: Meaningless, Meaningless

The Teacher's description of his accomplishments sounds a lot like that of most of us in the developed world today.

I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards. I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them.  I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees.  I bought male and female slaves and had other slaves who were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me. I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I acquired men and women singers, and a harem  as well—the delights of the heart of man. I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me. In all this my wisdom stayed with me. I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor. - Eccl. 4-10 NIV

Yet in the end, he would cry

"Meaningless! Meaningless!" says the Teacher.
"Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless." - Eccl. 1:2 NIV

Nothing we do is of any lasting value, nothing we do can change the course of events.  Generations come and go, the sun rises and sets, the wind blows round and round, what has been before will be again...there is nothing new under the sun.  And yet, we're here.  God has placed each one of us here, in this day and age, for such a time as this.  The question that Solomon asked is the same one we face today.  What does a man get for all the toil and anxious striving with which he labors under the sun? - Eccl. 2:22 NIV

Proverbs 30-31: Enough Said

Much is said about the Proverbs 31 woman and many women today desire to be everything these verses describe.  It's possible we take these verses too lightly.  It's great to claim that our children call us blessed and our husbands praise us, but the bottom line is none of us can do this on our own power.  None of us can be virtuous, none of us can be that industrious, none of us can be that wise without God.  In the previous chapter of Proverbs, Agur was well aware of his limitations.

"I am the most ignorant of men;
I do not have a man's understanding.
I have not learned wisdom,
nor have I knowledge of the Holy One.
Who has gone up to heaven and come down?
Who has gathered up the wind in the hollow of his hands?
Who has wrapped up the waters in his cloak?
Who has established all the ends of the earth?
What is his name, and the name of his son?
Tell me if you know!
"Every word of God is flawless;
he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. - Prov. 30:2-5 NIV

That is why, the description of a wife of noble character ends with these words:

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.  - Proverbs 31:30 NIV

Man or woman, it really has nothing to do with our works, our words, our wisdom.  It has everything to do with our relationship to God.

Proverbs 28-29: Righteousness and Justice

The proverbs have said much about our relationship with the law, with our family and with our friends and neighbors.  Solomon, in addition to being the wisest man that ever lived was a king and ruler as well, so the proverbs also say much about government.  First and foremost, it is the hearts of the people that determines the kind of rulers they have.

When a country is rebellious, it has many rulers,
but a man of understanding and knowledge maintains order - Proverbs 28:2 NIV

Solomon's proverbs for governing all center around two themes.  righteousness and justice.

When the righteous triumph, there is great elation;
but when the wicked rise to power, men go into hiding - Proverbs 28:12 NIV

Evil men do not understand justice,
but those who seek the LORD understand it fully. Proverbs 28:5 NIV

The righteous care about justice for the poor,
but the wicked have no such concern. - Proverbs 29:7 NIV

By justice a king gives a country stability,
but one who is greedy for bribes tears it down. - Prov. 29:4 NIV

Righteousness alone is not enough to provide good government.  If we seek the Lord, we will understand and pursue justice as well. Justice is not self centered or self serving.  It is not something we demand for ourselves, but something we contend for as far as others are concerned.  The prophet Isaiah spoke of the results of justice being driven back.  We would do well to listen.

So justice is driven back,
and righteousness stands at a distance;
truth has stumbled in the streets,
honesty cannot enter.
Truth is nowhere to be found,
and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey.
The LORD looked and was displeased
that there was no justice. - Isaiah 59:14-15 NIV

Proverbs 26-27: As Iron Sharpens Iron

Do you see a man wise in his own eyes?
There is more hope for a fool than for him.  - Proverbs 26-12 NIV

Solomon knew that we needed each other as well as God to keep us on the right path.  Our relationship with our friends and neighbors is crucial to leading a godly life. 

Let another praise you, and not your own mouth;
someone else, and not your own lips. - Prov. 27:2 NIV

Wounds from a friend can be trusted,
but an enemy multiplies kisses. - Prov. 27:6 NIV

Solomon knew that we can trust those close to us to help us grow more than we can trust ourselves.  If we are wise, we will choose friends who will be honest with us about both our strengths and our weaknesses.  We will rely on them for encouragement and correction.  In many instances, they can become the voice of God that we cannot, or refuse, to hear.  They can be the sharpening stone that helps to hone us into perfection.

As iron sharpens iron,so one man sharpens another. - Prov. 27:17

Proverbs 23-25: When Evil Lurks

Proverbs has much to say about our approach to evil and our enemies.  As a young child, Solomon probably heard the stories over and over again about David fleeing from Saul when Saul was trying to kill him. He knew his father's approach to being persecuted and that may be reflected in his proverbs, but the sayings in these chapters reflect God's response to evil and our enemies as well.  The response to evil and to those who would seek to harm us comes out of the state of our heart.

Do not let your heart envy sinners,
but always be zealous for the fear of the LORD.
There is surely a future hope for you,
and your hope will not be cut off. - Prov. 23:17-18 NIV

Do not gloat when your enemy falls;
when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice,
or the LORD will see and disapprove
and turn his wrath away from him.
Do not fret because of evil men
or be envious of the wicked,
for the evil man has no future hope,
and the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.- Prov. 24:17-20 NIV

Do not say, "I'll do to him as he has done to me;
I'll pay that man back for what he did." - Prov. 24:19 NIV

If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat;
if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head,
and the LORD will reward you.  - Prov. 25:22-22 NIV

Don't envy, don't gloat, don't fret, don't try to get even.  Instead, love your enemies, do good to those that persecute you.  Does that sound familiar?

Proverbs 19-21: In Our Own Home

The proverbs talk a lot about how we are to treat our neighbors and the general public, but they also delve into areas that we would rather were ignored:  how we relate to our family, how we live in those most personal of settings.

A foolish son is his father's ruin,
and a quarrelsome wife is like a constant dripping.
Houses and wealth are inherited from parents,
but a prudent wife is from the LORD. Prov. 19:13-14 NIV

Discipline your son, for in that there is hope;
do not be a willing party to his death. - Prov. 19-18 NIV

He who robs his father and drives out his mother
is a son who brings shame and disgrace. - Prov. 19:26 NIV

Even a child is known by his actions,
by whether his conduct is pure and right - Prov. 20:11 NIV
 
If a man curses his father or mother,
his lamp will be snuffed out in pitch darkness.  - Prov. 20:20 NIV
 
Better to live on a corner of the roof
than share a house with a quarrelsome wife. - Prov. 21:9 NIV
 
Train a child in the way he should go,
and when he is old he will not turn from it. - Prov. 22:6 NIV
 
Folly is bound up in the heart of a child,
but the rod of discipline will drive it far from him.  - Prov. 11:15 NIV
 
It's not enough for us to have a public persona that is godly, we have to be righteous in all of our dealings, especially with those we encounter on a daily basis.

Proverbs 16-18: Only the Name of the Lord

The name of the LORD is a strong tower;
the righteous run to it and are safe.  - Proverbs 18:10 NIV

Sometimes the proverbs seem overly repetitious, but then there comes a phrase that grabs our attention and won't let go.  So it is with this verse. Several modern day worship songs have been written incorporating this verse, and it inspires us to sing out 'Blessed be the Name of the Lord.'  There is something that sacred about the name of our God that the mere mention of His Name is a strong tower, a refuge for the righteous.  God's name is of utmost importance.  That is made clear in the Ten Commandments:  Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain - Ex.20:7 KJV

Why is God's name so important?  Because it is our only salvation, our only strong tower.  The mention of any other name has no power.  Pharaoh, Caesar, Constantine, Henry the Eighth, King George, Napoleon, Washington, Lincoln, Roosevelt, Kennedy, Reagan, Obama.  None of these names have any power, none of these names can save.  None of these names are anything that we can run to and be safe.  There is only one name.

Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. - Acts 4:11-13

Blessed be the name of the Lord.

Proverbs 13-15: The Proverbial Proverb

The proverbs of Solomon go on and on.  At many times they appear to be repititious, repeating a few obvious truths about how we are to live our lives

Be good, be kind,
Be patient, be peaceful
Be gentle, be meek,
Be diligent, be wise
Be truthful, be righteous,
Fear the Lord.

Most of us know that these are the things we should do, but we fail so many times. Then, in the middle of Proverbs 14, the reason for our inability to do so pops out.
There is a way that seems right to a man,
but in the end it leads to death. - Prov 14:12 - NIV
 
The apostle Paul had encountered this dichotomy as well, and knew the source of our being unable to act as we should.
Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: - Romans 5:12 KJV

So try as we may, without an answer to the original sin, we will find it impossible to live as the proverbs suggest. 
But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. -1 Corinthians 15:57 KJV

Proverbs 9-12: It's Still the Same Old Story

The woman Folly is loud;
she is undisciplined and without knowledge.
 She sits at the door of her house,
on a seat at the highest point of the city,
calling out to those who pass by,
who go straight on their way.
"Let all who are simple come in here!"
she says to those who lack judgment.
"Stolen water is sweet;
food eaten in secret is delicious!"  - Prov. 9:13-17 NIV

So many of the proverbs seem obsolete in this day and age.  When movie stars and basketball players command millions while children are gunned down because they disrespected a classmate, how can anyone say that righteousness will prevail.  When the Housewives of New Jersey, with their plastic face lifts and plastic mansions become a hit television show, it appears that Folly has become the reigning king of society.  But Solomon knew it was all a illusion and so he comes back to the same refrain over and over again.

The wise in heart accept commands,
but a chattering fool comes to ruin.
The man of integrity walks securely,
but he who takes crooked paths will be found out. - Prov. 10:8-9 NIV

The desire of the righteous ends only in good,
but the hope of the wicked only in wrath.  - Prov. 11:23 NIV
 
No matter how the world appears to work today, God's laws are immutable; they are not subject to change. The life that is chosen here on earth determines the reward.
 
In the way of righteousness there is life;
along that path is immortality - Prov. 12:28 NIV

Proverbs 10-12: Universal Truths

Contrary to what it appears, Solomon seems to be saying with these proverbs, that righteousness will prevail and wickedness will not. Humility triumphs over pride. The generous will be blessed and the selfish will be cursed. Good will come to those who seek good and evil to those who seek evil. Prudence wins out over foolishness. Diligence brings a greater reward than laziness.

These proverbs are not just Solomon's words. They are God's truth. They are natural laws that govern the universe whether or not they are acknowledged. They are principles that have held fast down through the centuries and continue to do so today. It's tempting to think that the evil of this age will overwhelm the good. But that is not truth. Those who follow after God's laws will always prevail.

The man of integrity walks securely,
but he who takes crooked paths will be found out. - Prov. 10:9 NIV

Proverbs 5-9: Don't Be Seduced

Does not wisdom call out?
Does not understanding raise her voice?
On the heights along the way,
where the paths meet, she takes her stand; - Prov. 8:1-2

Don't be seduced, Solomon says.

Don't be seduced by folly.

Don't be seduced by an immoral woman, whether she be another man's wife or a prostitute.

Don't be seduced by people who would take advantage of you.

Don't be seduced by slothfulness.

For a man's ways are in full view of the LORD,
and he examines all his paths.
The evil deeds of a wicked man ensnare him;
the cords of his sin hold him fast.
He will die for lack of discipline,
led astray by his own great folly. - Prov. 5:21-23 NIV

Proverbs 3-4: The Wellspring of Life

Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight. - Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV

Above all else, guard your heart,
for it is the wellspring of life.  - Proverbs 4:23 NIV

The passages between these two verses talk about how we are to live. Honor the Lord with your wealth. Don't despise the Lord's discipline. Find wisdom. Preserve sound judgement and discernment. Don't fear disaster for God is your confidence. Don't withhold good. Don't plot harm or accuse anyone. Don't envy the violent. Hold on to instruction. Avoid the path of evil.  But these are just the outward manifestations.  In the end, Solomon knew that all of these commands come down to a matter of the heart. 

Let your eyes look straight ahead,
fix your gaze directly before you.
Make level paths for your feet
and take only ways that are firm.
Do not swerve to the right or the left;  - Prov.4:25-27

Keep you gaze on the Lord.  That is how you guard your heart.  Keep your eyes on him and he will keep your paths straight, he will keep you on firm ground, he will keep you from going to the right or the left.  Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.