Blogging the Apocrypha - Wisdom of Solomon 15

Wisdom of Solomon

Well, hello again! A very Merry Christmas to you! And a lovely, wonderful New Year.


I came across this line while I was terribly bored at Christmas Eve service - a guest pastor preached and performed quite terribly. I tried not to be offended by the message. :) Anyway, I took the opportunity to pray through Psalm 32 (since I'm 32 years old,) and to re-read 1st Corinthians. It was God's Holy Spirit that drew me for I found this line that makes total sense in regard to the "Wisdom of Solomon" having been written by a Hellenic Jew.


1 Corinthians 1:22 "Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom..."


Doesn't this put the whole thing into perspective? Amazing how the Bible knows itself and tells on other pieces of literature that aren't authentic. We must be well-versed in being able to tell the difference and listen to varying opinions about history and interpretation, letting God's Holy Spirit reveal His truth.

On a semi-related side note, I'm thinking of blogging the Psalms next year - praying through them "aloud" as a demonstration of my approach to them. Amazing literature. I read them through a couple summers ago - one a day - it was great practice. I have a friend, Bruce, who reads five a day and a Chapter of Proverbs - every day! I'll have to work up to that.


Let's look at Chapter 15 - only a few more to go!


The first three verses remind me of 2nd Peter and Romans.


2 Peter 1:3 "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness."


Romans 6:15 "What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!"


Remarkable, this trickery of sin that we may not realize we are involved in until it is too late and our weak flesh presses forward into it. There were times I knew I was moving toward sin and felt myself walking further out on a thin limb of a tree - feeling myself very alone. Thankfully that has caused me to take precautions and move back, away from the edge. He has spoken to me repeatedly, warning me of pending danger and whispering His desires for me in my ear. Oh how He knows me and cares for me!


Verse four and the following verses are a bunny trail about idolatry again. I think we get the point. There is one line of note - verse eight where he talks about an idol being made of the same material that he is made of - earth. This is a good argument for those who think God is in everything around us. How can someone create something from scratch that he is already made of? The latter end of that line is somewhat strange and unbiblical - "required to return the soul that was lent him." Makes you think of all sorts of strange arguments. If the soul is not the personality, what is? Of course we are fashioned by God, but having been given free will and autonomy, surely we do not have our souls on loan, having these bodies on loan is a more popular argument.

A beautiful line about the lifelessness of someone who does not believe in the fullness of the one true living God, "His heart is ashes, his hope is cheaper than dirt, and his life is of less worth than clay, because he failed to know the one who formed him and inspired him with an active soul and breathed into him a living spirit." (Verses 10 & 11.) This is purely poetic, but we appreciate it very much.

I do like the metaphor also in verse 12 about our existance being considered an idle game. Some days it does seem like that. It is only when we are actively engaged in His work that we have our usefulness and our joyful purpose, whatever He set us to do.

Verse 16 also talks about a borrowed spirit. I see the poetic imagery, but let us not delve into facts here. Interesting discussion may ensue, however, about the basis of the personality - spirit, soul & body or just soul & body...my pastors are divided on the issue. Paul feeling it is the two and Alex feeling it is the three. Paul mentioned he was so disappointed to discover Alex's thoughts on the subject. I'm glad they don't always agree and have active dialogue.

An excellent and beautiful idea there too, at the end of 16, "no man can form a god which is like himself." That is an argument for those who feel God is "made up." Of all the gods that have ever been made up, who compares to the true living God who makes up Himself? One can not devise the mysterious nor fashion anything that is not a reflection of Himself. So if we are honest, could we have truly fashioned the Lord God and His gift of Jesus? That is hardly a reflection of the ways of man. Truly, His ways were not our ways, so how could we possibly have made Him up?

The last verse is somewhat confusing - about less desirable animals not having the blessing of God. We do say something about, "having been blessed with good looks." It was the weak and poor that the Lord blessed - the cripple son of the predecessor of David, the bleeding woman, the prostitutes and tax collectors. Every "gift" has its responsibility. For those of us who know our weakness, the greater gifts are given.

Blogging the Apocrypha - Wisdom of Solomon 14

More snow, more free time at work this afternoon. I see the end in sight too, so my pace as picked up. I am a runner at heart, trying to run the good race.

Wisdom of Solomon

More language at the beginning here about the inefficacy of idolatry. An idol being no more helpful than the wooden ship made to carry the sailor.

Great imagery here about the Lord giving us "a path in the sea, and a safe way through the waves." He does have a good plan for our lives if we but trust Him. Out of the noise of the hustle and bustle of commerce, business, greed, and gain, one can hear the calling to a higher life. The day to day grind often drowns it out and we are lost again and so easily distracted to have completely forgotten Him.

The next part focuses on the abomination of idols, the wood, being created by God, were twisted by sinful man. This is true of many things in our world. Our flesh is corruptable. We were given such minds so as to do great things-great things that quickly become small and become "traps for the souls of men and a snare to the feet of the foolish."

Verse 12 doesn't make sense to me. Although I understand and note the power of sexuality throughout the ages, and how fertility is intertwined with it, I'm not sure of this line. Verse 16 then talks about how these things are handed down generation to generation. One might say the same of the Jewish law.

The next verses talk about the power of the visual upon men. One might say the same about Catholic statues. Worshipping the power of the Virgin Mary slab of concrete is more disrespectful to the mother of Jesus than disrespecting the statue.

Verses 23 through 26 comes close to a description of modern times. Reminds me of when I read Jeremiah and mourned for the state of sin I discovered our poor American was in. She has certainly dirtied her undergarments and stained the pure democratic bed she was created in. Can we be rid of the sin? Only through repentance and Jesus' healing.

Our peace: "all is a raging riot of blood and murder, theft and deceit, corruption, faithlessness, tumult, perjury, confusion over what is good, forgetfulness of favors, pollution of souls, sex perversion, disorder in marriage, adultery, and debauchery." And we are happy and satisfied with this? No, we are drunk on the wine of the world! Dear Lord Jesus in Heaven save us!

"For the worship of idols not to be named is the beginning and cause and end of every evil." What are our idols? From there we will see the birth of our evils. Let us destroy them, you and I.

What a great couple of lines: "Because they trust in lifeless idols they swear wicked oaths and expect to suffer no harm. But just penalties will overtake them on two counts: because they thought wickedly of God in devoting themselves to idols, and because in deceit they swore unrighteously through contempt for holiness." We have no idea our idols are idols because we have no learned better. We have fashioned our own holiness in the day of the "Higher Power" - we have not learned to trust or to have faith in the unseen.

Lord, change our hearts. We want to be like you.

Blogging the Apocrypha - Wisdom of Solomon 13

Wisdom of Solomon

Lucky number 13! Okay, right. I don't believe in numerology. Although, numbers are significant, I am unsure divination are their purpose.

Anyway - digressing again! (You've caught on already that I like to follow bunny trails.)

The first line gets you right off the bat. This claims that "all men who were ignorant of God were foolish by nature," but the New Testament tells us that our nature is foolish. Our natural state of flesh is utter foolishness. It wants what it wants and will do whatever it takes to get it. With knowledge of God, however, we gain all we need for a life independent of our desires. The second part of the line is important, however. How can one, while continuing to look at the Creation, not recognize or acknowledge the Creator? And I agree with verse two - how could one assume that the Creation were better than the Creator? Who could be so foolish?

There are thoughtful prayers in verses three and four, "let them know how much better than these is their Lord,for the author of beauty created them," and "let them perceive from them how much more powerful is he who formed them." Verse five contains a most excellent point as well, "For from the greatness and beauty of created things comes a corresponding perception of their Creator." How can we not understand the nature of the Creator by viewing the Created? How can we rightly love the Creation while ignoring the Creator? It is certainly a disrespect of the Creation itself, let alone the Creator.

It is empathetic in part to its understanding to even today's seeker with "hopes set on dead things." Interesting to not that the idolator prays - just as much as the believer - and for the same things - "his marriage and children, for life...for aid...for a prosperous journey...for money-making, and work and success," - and then the illogic of it all - to pray to something that can not love, has never experienced sickness or sin, or has never taken a step, nor can work. And excellent line, "for life he prays to a thing that is dead." Asking for something from something that can not give it - what a colossal waste of time!

We must know our Lord is one who has experienced our life and has experience in the things we ask Him for. We may know through the life of Jesus that He knows us and our experience intimately so that He is the right one to ask for help from. He has loved, He has created a child, He has made journeys, He has been prosperous and poor, He has experienced our sin and sickness in His suffering and death, and He has worked - worked so hard to gain our attention. He, Lord of all, must know - and not merely through observation, but practical experience. We do not go to an uneducated, inexperienced "mentor" for help, but seek out those who demonstrate they know what they are doing. How much has the Lord demonstrated? We can trust Him.

Blogging the Apocrypha - Wisdom of Solomon 12

Wisdom of Solomon

And now for Chapter 12.

Wait, what, no greeting? Sorry...what? I got busy. What, you never been busy before? :)

Okay, so back to blogging.

We've only got 7 more after this!

Again, Chapter 12.

Right off the bat, verse one we've got an issue. "For thy immortal spirit is in all things." This is reminiscent of naturalistic pantheism, so we've got to tread lightly. Those who have received the Holy Spirit have been endowed with the very spirit that was in Christ Jesus. Those who have not, simply, factually and actually don't have His immortal spirit. Now one might argue that a bit of the Creator is in all His creation, but that is as true as my saying that a piece of me is in a piece of pottery I've molded. I may leave my mark on it, but I have not given it my spirit, although it may reflect my thinking and my heart.

Keeping the "rule" for who has the spirit and who doesn't, we can go forward and agree with verse two that it has the effect of ongoing sanctification. And thankfully, it is "little by little" - too much is simply too much.

Verses 3 through 7 refer to the worshippers of Baal written about extensively in the old testament. Verses 8 through 11 describe the Lord's grace and "sanctification" with even those who do not belong to Him. It is a wonder to think on that issue. I know the Lord was working before I knew He was. The Arminian calls this "prevenient grace" - grace that came before we knew about it. The Calvinist says that those who are called are predestined and always called. (Feel free to disagree here, these are but generalizations.) Amazing that we who are His own are sometimes so worried about being rejected by Him that we forget how much grace He has for those who care so little for Him. How much more should we who already love Him so and experience His presence delight in and feel safe in His shelter?

An interesting Messianic line in verse 12b - "Or who will come before thee to plead as an advocate for unrighteous men?" God so loved the world, that He gave such an advocate. I read recently that Jews believe that Satan is "The Accuser" and actually "works for God." If that were to turn out to be true, (which I don't believe it will - Satan is underestimated in that view - and the rest of evil unaccounted for in the definition,) then Jesus is the ultimate defense attorney. And, if it were so simple, why wouldn't a Jew take Him at that?

I do like the description of (which, who could rightly, truly understand God's reasoning - even Jesus said the only one who knew the mind of the Father was the Father, ) the judgment of God in verses 13-17. Summary: God cares for all men; we can not prove that God has judged justly or unjustly, and it is foreign to God to make an error in judgment. We must accept His final say, and when we are at our wits end to understand the many "whys" we burst forth with in this life, come to acceptance of this fact. His rule over His creation causes Him to spare it. Anything less would prove a smaller God.

I love verse 18b, "for thou hast power to act whenever thou dost choose," because it reminds me of a conversation I had with someone I loved a long time ago, the hostess of our young adult Bible study. God has all eternity to answer our prayers - whether in advance, after the fact, or at the very last second beforehand.

This demonstration of grace is our model.

The final verses speak of the comparison between the way the Lord handles those He loves, His Sons, and those He is enemies with.

Look at how He treated His own Son and how He has treated His enemies? He has been tough on the Son to show more love to the enemy. And the enemy has not understood it. Why is it so blind? How he shall rue the bitter day he discovers what he has rejected.

How is the Lord treating you these days? It is always interesting to peer into the stories of other people. To read the books the Lord is writing with their lives and see how He handles them. Sometimes I question certain chapters, Lord, but you MUST know best. I trust you do and that all your purposes will be made plain one sweet day.