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.