[If you have been here before, in May, then you might want to skip down below the green for today's post.]
"Thirty days hath September,
April, June and November
All the rest have 31
Except February which has 28
Except during leap year when it has 29"
NO I DID NOT WRITE THIS "POEM"! (Talk about free verse!)
And to make matters (far) worse, MILLERWRITES has created a Proverbs Pull-A-Part Plan that decimates that fine collection of wisdom in the book of Proverbs, by spreading commentary on each chapter out over 7 months (the good 31 day months)! Oh don't ask me to explain his system. You can try to decipher what he said about it at the top of any P31P posts from January or March if you like, or just follow along this month and figure it out.
All Bible passages are from the NIV, and are copied here from Biblegateway.com
REMEMBER: My ideas may be oh so mesmerizing, but you will get more benefit from simply reading the chapter itself!
So here I offer my amateur comments on verses 11-15. Today's inspired verses are in red, and my comments are neither (neither inspired, nor red).
PROVERBS 21
1 In the Lord’s hand the king’s heart is a stream of water
that he channels toward all who please him.
2 A person may think their own ways are right,
but the Lord weighs the heart.
3 To do what is right and just
is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.
4 Haughty eyes and a proud heart—
the unplowed field of the wicked—produce sin.
5 The plans of the diligent lead to profit
as surely as haste leads to poverty.
6 A fortune made by a lying tongue
is a fleeting vapor and a deadly snare.[a]
7 The violence of the wicked will drag them away,
for they refuse to do what is right.
8 The way of the guilty is devious,
but the conduct of the innocent is upright.
9 Better to live on a corner of the roof
than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.
10 The wicked crave evil;
their neighbors get no mercy from them.
11 When a mocker is punished, the simple gain wisdom;
by paying attention to the wise they get knowledge.
that he channels toward all who please him.
2 A person may think their own ways are right,
but the Lord weighs the heart.
3 To do what is right and just
is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.
4 Haughty eyes and a proud heart—
the unplowed field of the wicked—produce sin.
5 The plans of the diligent lead to profit
as surely as haste leads to poverty.
6 A fortune made by a lying tongue
is a fleeting vapor and a deadly snare.[a]
7 The violence of the wicked will drag them away,
for they refuse to do what is right.
8 The way of the guilty is devious,
but the conduct of the innocent is upright.
9 Better to live on a corner of the roof
than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.
10 The wicked crave evil;
their neighbors get no mercy from them.
11 When a mocker is punished, the simple gain wisdom;
by paying attention to the wise they get knowledge.
11) This makes easy sense.
12 The Righteous One takes note of the house of the wicked
and brings the wicked to ruin.
12 The Righteous One takes note of the house of the wicked
and brings the wicked to ruin.
12) It does society good when crack houses etc. are torn down.
13 Whoever shuts their ears to the cry of the poor
will also cry out and not be answered.
13 Whoever shuts their ears to the cry of the poor
will also cry out and not be answered.
13) This is one of those promises God makes, that we don't really want to hear. And giving a homeless schmoozer a dollar to get him away does not count.
14 A gift given in secret soothes anger,
and a bribe concealed in the cloak pacifies great wrath.
14 A gift given in secret soothes anger,
and a bribe concealed in the cloak pacifies great wrath.
14) OK, but is that second part ever justified?
15 When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous
but terror to evildoers.
15) So can justice be defined by who it brings joy to, vs. who it terrorizes? Or can the righteous and evildoers be designated by their respective response to justice? Both sides of the coin seem to be subjective here, but the truth of the matter is that all people everywhere are able to make all the judgments necessary to recognize all three entities: justice, the righteous, and the evildoers. There is a natural standard; inborn, and known by all, regarding every important behavior class.
Notice that the righteous are joy filled, even if the justice done upon them if deserved by their wayward acts. And that the evildoers complain and cower, even if they know their guilt. Hell will probably not be a cool gathering place of camaraderie for the rebellious, who will celebrate their fellowship under the pall of "so called" justice. No: But more likely a riotous and terrible maelstrom of denial and rebellion against justice's final word, until the true terror of reality and eternity combined, takes hold.
2 Corinthians 6:2 reminds us not to delay.
For he says,
“In the time of my favor I heard you,
and in the day of salvation I helped you.”
I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.
16 Whoever strays from the path of prudence
comes to rest in the company of the dead.
17 Whoever loves pleasure will become poor;
whoever loves wine and olive oil will never be rich.
18 The wicked become a ransom for the righteous,
and the unfaithful for the upright.
19 Better to live in a desert
than with a quarrelsome and nagging wife.
20 The wise store up choice food and olive oil,
but fools gulp theirs down.
21 Whoever pursues righteousness and love
finds life, prosperity[c] and honor.
22 One who is wise can go up against the city of the mighty
and pull down the stronghold in which they trust.
23 Those who guard their mouths and their tongues
keep themselves from calamity.
24 The proud and arrogant person —“Mocker” is his name—
behaves with insolent fury.
25 The craving of a sluggard will be the death of him,
because his hands refuse to work.
26 All day long he craves for more,
but the righteous give without sparing.
27 The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable —
how much more so when brought with evil intent!
28 A false witness will perish,
but a careful listener will testify successfully.
29 The wicked put up a bold front,
but the upright give thought to their ways.
30 There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan
that can succeed against the Lord.
31 The horse is made ready for the day of battle,
but victory rests with the Lord.
By the way...MILLERWRITES copy is COPYRIGHTED. Why cut and paste when you can simply copy the link?
15 When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous
but terror to evildoers.
15) So can justice be defined by who it brings joy to, vs. who it terrorizes? Or can the righteous and evildoers be designated by their respective response to justice? Both sides of the coin seem to be subjective here, but the truth of the matter is that all people everywhere are able to make all the judgments necessary to recognize all three entities: justice, the righteous, and the evildoers. There is a natural standard; inborn, and known by all, regarding every important behavior class.
Notice that the righteous are joy filled, even if the justice done upon them if deserved by their wayward acts. And that the evildoers complain and cower, even if they know their guilt. Hell will probably not be a cool gathering place of camaraderie for the rebellious, who will celebrate their fellowship under the pall of "so called" justice. No: But more likely a riotous and terrible maelstrom of denial and rebellion against justice's final word, until the true terror of reality and eternity combined, takes hold.
2 Corinthians 6:2 reminds us not to delay.
For he says,
“In the time of my favor I heard you,
and in the day of salvation I helped you.”
I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.
16 Whoever strays from the path of prudence
comes to rest in the company of the dead.
17 Whoever loves pleasure will become poor;
whoever loves wine and olive oil will never be rich.
18 The wicked become a ransom for the righteous,
and the unfaithful for the upright.
19 Better to live in a desert
than with a quarrelsome and nagging wife.
20 The wise store up choice food and olive oil,
but fools gulp theirs down.
21 Whoever pursues righteousness and love
finds life, prosperity[c] and honor.
22 One who is wise can go up against the city of the mighty
and pull down the stronghold in which they trust.
23 Those who guard their mouths and their tongues
keep themselves from calamity.
24 The proud and arrogant person —“Mocker” is his name—
behaves with insolent fury.
25 The craving of a sluggard will be the death of him,
because his hands refuse to work.
26 All day long he craves for more,
but the righteous give without sparing.
27 The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable —
how much more so when brought with evil intent!
28 A false witness will perish,
but a careful listener will testify successfully.
29 The wicked put up a bold front,
but the upright give thought to their ways.
30 There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan
that can succeed against the Lord.
31 The horse is made ready for the day of battle,
but victory rests with the Lord.
By the way...MILLERWRITES copy is COPYRIGHTED. Why cut and paste when you can simply copy the link?
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