Fountains of Wisdom-A Study in Proverbs (Part 33)-The Most Powerful Word of All

Throughout the book of Proverbs, Solomon keeps returning to the importance of words.  Words that give life and words that destroy are placed on display in almost every chapter.  Proverbs 18 is filled with admonitions concerning man’s tongue and speech.    Fools delight in hearing their own voices (verse 2); yet, ultimately their words and self absorption become the very snare of their eternal destruction (verse 7).  All of man’s wisdom and seeking understanding leads to eternal hell as he rejects the one truth of God’s Sovereignty, Righteousness, and Mercy.  Such fools are so caught within their own pride that they can never realize that they will be destroyed (verse 12).

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Words can bring life or they can bring destruction. They can be like torrential floods that destroy all in their path or like the bubbling gentle brooks that bring life

(verse 21 and verse 4).  They can stir up strife and contention (verses 3 and 6) or they can build up powerful friendships (verse 24).  Indeed, wise words may even be the thing that leads to finding a virtuous spouse (verse 22).  Too often we can bring our own arguments before the courts to prove that we are right until the cross examination of our hearts finds us guilty as charged (verse 17).  Too often we join a cause and speak boldly before we even know the truth of the issue (verse 13) or run about as gossips causing great harm that cuts deep within the innermost parts of another’s spirit (verse 8).

There is one word that brings life, hope, power, and joy to the soul.  That word is

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Fountains of Wisdom-A Study in Proverbs (Part 32) Laying Aside All that I might Have Christ

It seemed that my study came to a standstill when I reached Proverbs 18:1 and not because of how I originally saw it.  Instead, as I began to look at other translations and other paraphrases; I was baffled.  The more I have read, the more confusing it became.  It would appear that many have been just as baffled and that indeed people translate this into two very distinct and different ways.  I will present to you briefly the two interpretations and then I will return to that which I initially believed and found many who did concur.  Then I will leave it that you and God may need to discuss this verse and how it relates to you.

The verse as found in the King James Version is as follows:

Proverbs 18:1 Through desire a man, having separated himself, seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom.

The most popular of interpretations and commentaries is that of: “Men who withdraw themselves to seek after their own desires and thus become quarrelsome against true wisdom.”  In each of those it was that the word intermeddleth was viewed as always having a negative connotation and hence all these views hinged upon that.  However, the original Hebrew reportedly is somewhat vague and even after an exhaustive search, I have found that within the commentaries there remained this great divide.   I have prayed long and then turned to the Geneva Bible for some possible guidance.   For history sake the Geneva Bible predated the King James version by more than 50 years and is the first mass produced English translation.  It was the Bible that was brought to the United States when first settled and the one used by John Bunyon.  It was the first to be divided into chapter and verse, as well as the first with extensive marginal notes written by such reformists as John Calvin, Miles Coverdale, and William Whittingham.

Proverbs 1 (GNV): 1 “For the desire thereof he will ¹ separate himself to seek it, and occupy himself in all wisdom.” ¹He that loveth wisdom, will separate himself from all impediments, and give himself wholly to seek it.

Drawing used with written permission of Ronald Barba. © 2010 Ronald Barba and is protected under copyright laws. For copies please click on the link.

Am I  willing to count all loss for the sake of knowing Christ Jesus? Am I willing to lay aside everything else to be able to see Him in all His Glory?  Is He my greatest treasure—my fullness of Joy? 

Let’s read what Paul wrote:

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My Betrothed

By Effie Darlene Barba

 

My betrothed hath gone to distant land

Preparing all that He has planned

Majestic Castle I am told

With streets and walls of purest Gold

And one day soon He comes for me

So I His Glorious Bride might be

What Gracious, wondrous love He’s shown

He paid the price, made me His own

 

How was it that He saw beneath

My filthy rags and did bequeath

His Crown to place upon my head

While taking all my shame instead

 

There’s nothing in this heart of mine

Could e’er deserve such love divine

I’ll never know what He did see

And yet, He did, He’s chosen me

 

He sent His counselor to prepare

My every flaw to then make fair

A righteous robe to then adorn

One day soon, One precious morn

 

My Lord, sometimes, I feel so frail

And fear my love for you will fail

Oh Love, my Love, I need you near

Your face to see, your voice to hear

 

Your letters pressed against my breast

A whispered prayer at each night’s rest

Awakened at some midnight’s hour

I feel your strength in me empower

 

Each day I live, I love you more

That on that Joy my heart doth soar

The trials, pains all fade away

While I await my wedding day

 

My betrothed hath gone to distant land

Preparing all that He has planned

Majestic Castle I am told

With streets and walls of purest Gold

And one day soon He comes for me

So I His Glorious Bride might be

What Gracious, wondrous love He’s shown

He paid the price, made me His own

© 2014 Effie Darlene Barba

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to any brands, products or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides regarding the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Fountains of wisdom- A Study in Proverbs (Part 31) 

Proverbs 17: ^{19  (KJV)} He loveth transgression that loveth strife: and he that exalteth his gate seeketh destruction.

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What fools we are when these self exalting hearts seek to climb the corporate ladder by stepping on the innocent.  There is no boundary to the depth of evil that we are capable of just to justify our own selfish needs to feel more important or to gain praise.

Whoever heads down that path to exalt oneself destroys all those who are surrounding them and at some point, unless they repent will be destroyed themselves.

The wound runs very deep and the searing pain at times seems unbearable as I look back to that day when all I knew was about to change.  That morning my

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Fountains of Wisdom-A Study in Proverbs (Part 30)-Tested and Tried to Find Joy

This life with all of the trials, sorrows, pains, and joys is like a mystery being forever unveiled around us.  We seek to find contentment, joy, hope amidst storms, tragedies and trials.  Each detail of this life are fitted together like pieces of a puzzle creating, developing and forever changing who we are.  The question then arises, Are we becoming more like Christ or are we becoming depressed and bitter with life?  That is the question you and I each must ask of our own hearts.

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Our faith will be tried—that is a certainty.  If it were never tried, then the beauty and glory of our salvation would be as nothing.  A faith that is never tested is a meaningless faith.

To paraphrase Hebrews 11:1 “Faith is the absolute confidence that the promises of God that we hope in will come to pass and the absolute assurance that God is the Sovereign Creator of the Universe—even when our vision cannot see that.” And so we come to:

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