Blogging the Apocrypha - Wisdom of Solomon 2

And...we're back.

Welcome to Part II of our interesting read into "holy philosophy" as it were.

Wisdom of Solomon

"...they reasoned unsoundly,"
What do we base our arguments on? Words we have heard from others? Our own thoughts? Where is God's truth? But, one might say, how do I know the Bible is true? I can't read Greek, Hebrew, nor Aramaic - so how can I determine whether or not my stance is based in God's truth? Shouldn't we then just give up, for it will prove too difficult to determine? No, once you come to know God's voice, you can discern His truth. Read His word and His Spirit will speak to you through it. Every time we read scripture we learn something new, which is why we can never be in the Word often enough.

"...hereafter we shall be as though we had never been,"
It is easy to think that after we die, that is it. What proof do we have outside of the Bible that our lives have meaning? Does consulting a medium and spending time with the dead enhance our living? No, only reading His word does. God created us to want to mean something - He wants us to realize how much we mean to Him. We mean so much He gave us His only Son Jesus to die on the cross for us. We have no other greater gift, and through Him we shall be with Him always after we are "no more" here on the earth.

"...everywhere let us leave signs of enjoyment, because this is our portion, and this our lot."
The empty philosophy of a life with no afterlife. The classic, "Why bother?" and "Just do it." Not considering all the possibilities can lead us straight down the path to Hell. Are we leaving signs of our enjoyment? These are idols before God. I don't think I am leaving any lasting monuments in my honor today, but I am creating evidence of my enjoying life. I must keep an eternal perspective. This is so hard to do when I am so tempted. Keeping the perspective is helpful in leading me to repentance and freedom. The truth sets us free.

"the righteous man...is inconvenient to us..."
Is it perverse for me to say that I enjoy being a stumbling block to sinners? It is a joy to see people reverse direction. Being an evangelical Christian and putting myself out there as one tends to be power enough. Knowing who people are talking to often makes them change even their conversation with me. Acknowledging holiness in ourselves too can create the same effect. Aw, spoiling their fun? Which to them, is everything, since there is nothing else. It's such a shame and so empty.

"...the very sight of [the righteous man] is a burden to us,"
Just walking in the room, being who we are, bearing His name is enough to make a difference. Let people know you're a Christian and watch the power of His name come to life and change the dynamic. If Christ were not powerful, there would be no effect.

"[the righteous man's] manner of life is unlike that of others,"
The classic, "How do we look different from the world?" issue. How do I look different? I sound different, I act different, but I fall horribly short every day. I fear I am more talk than action. The Lord knows my heart and my limitations and He still loves me. I pray the Holy Spirit will convict me further of my shortcomings that I might allow Him to work in those areas - especially the areas of high resistance - for me, those are continuing to pursue relationships with family members, maintaining purity of mind and thought when it comes to men, guarding my heart when it comes to engagement, marriage, pregnancy, and children. I so easily become a ball of negativity when I begin those tapes - bitter, resentful, depressed, and desperate. This is not the "manner of life" of a righteous person. I want more. Lord, help me.

"Let us test [the righteous man] with insult and torture,"
Amazing that people would even bother, but this is the behavior of someone whose dearly held beliefs are in question. The "party-poopers" must be stopped! We are not to fear these people.

"...they did not...[hope] for the wages of holiness."
They hoped for the wages of sin - death. Or even if they did not hope for them, they accepted them without question. In Christ we have the hope of the wages of holiness - somehow to attain eternal life with the Lord. Let me say this, we are either on one payroll or the other. We are born into the system. Let us ask the Lord to put us on His employee list again today.

"...God created us for incorruption..."
Things are not the way they ought to have been, due to the entrance of sin in the world. Will we allow it further entry through personal promotion? Ah, these are hard words for me to hear, but so freeing. I want to move toward incorruption, (for I am already totally depraved, rather than toward corruption. Prevent me from leading others astray as well, Lord.

"...through the devil's envy death entered the world, and those who belong to his company experience it."
My envy will be the death of me too, I can see it now. Envy will not get me the things I want in this life. I am wary of negating the envy in an effort to force His hand. I am just not that powerful. Yet, God gave me the desires, and I must imagine that He who did so will grant them to me as well. Following the devil and being a member of his company is at least a short-term contract. Praise God for giving us the ability to bypass death. Once we have died to ourselves, we have already undergone all the death that is in store for us. Our mortal bodies may cease to function, but our soul lives on with Him in Heaven. Praise His Holy name.