Proverbs 11:10 - Well Deserved Justice

Proverbs 11:10

When it goes well with the righteous, 

     the city rejoices,

And when the wicked perish,

     there is glad shouting. 

Message: Well deserved justice

Time: Proverbs records multiple individuals as its author with Solomon as the principal author. Solomon died in 931 BC though most think the book was likely in its final form sometime before the end of Hezekiah’s reign in 686 BC. It is a book that instructs people on the path of wisdom. It speaks to all of life and living our lives under the authority and direction of God.

What the Lord is Saying: Two positive responses in this verse - anything that goes well for the righteous and the wicked perishing - is a cause for celebration. 

New Living Translation - The whole city celebrates when the godly succeed; they shout for joy when the wicked die. -- wow, that's even more specific. 

Benson Commentary says, "A common rejoicing, partly for the just vengeance of God upon them, who had been the instruments of so much mischief." Yes indeed. This is what we are thinking all along. If anything this is one of the easiest to understand proverbs. For in this proverb, it speaks of outcomes and almost has no responsibility on a person. It simply speaks of what is to come. 

We can read this proverb and not feel like there is any action that it requires. It simply states the story of life - when good things happen to the righteous, we heartily agree and we are happy and we rejoice. It is the idea of "Yes." Maybe it is even, "Yes, finally." It is sort of, "That's the way it is supposed to be every time." We expect justice and justice has occurred. 

And yet the Proverb says, "When it goes well" meaning this is not an everyday, all the time, occurrence. Yes, it happens and yes, there is rejoicing, but it is not always the occurrence. The wicked bring others down. Seeing a wicked person receive good things is hard and it brings stress on us as well, but this is good, the wicked have received what we believe they deserve and we have shouts of joy. 

Vengeance has occurred. 

In this, we can look at good and the set up of morality and death and sin and heaven and hell and think, yes, His way is great. Why? Because the outcome has gone the way we want it to go. It is in these moments that we rejoice and shout with gladness. We are thankful. There is no more shaking our fingers at God, but instead we are rejoicing and praising God. 

I spoke with a person yesterday that said, "Why doesn't God just do _____." There is that feeling of God stepping in and making bad situations vanish or better. We want God to do those things because we think we know best and we think we know what God wants every time. But we must let God be God. And take responsibility. In this verse is responsibility. The choice has been made to be righteous or act wicked and because of that, the outcome should be certain, every time and for this we praise God. 

Yet, we need to always praise God and be thankful. 

This week a friend from Church died. I should be rejoicing. Yes, death is hard, but the outcome for my friend is heaven and thus, the City rejoices. The people left can move on and make it. The future is certain. 

Prayer: O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all of the earth. You are the Lord. You are the great one. Your ways have been established on this earth. You created the heavens and the earth and you always have had the best in mind for Your people. But Lord we make our decisions to follow You or not and while it is all under your sovereign control and ways, the outcomes we see are sometimes not we want. I am thankful though when the outcomes are what we want. Like in this verse, the righteous rejoice, the wicked perish and each has shouts of joy. Thank you Lord for Your ways that are greater than our ways and thank You that we can trust You every time. This is the Father's World. 

Note: If you are interested in other studies/devotions, check out my index of Bible Study's.

John 7:1-13 - At The Feast of Booths

John 7:1-13

1 And after these things Jesus was walking in Galilee; for He was unwilling to walk in Judea, because the Jews were seeking to kill him. 2 Now the feast of the Jews, the Feast of the Booths, was at hand. 3 His brothers therefore said to Him, "Depart from here, and go into Judea, that Your disciples also may behold Your works with you are doing. 4 For no one does anything in secret, when he himself seeks to be known publicly If you do these things, show Yourself to the world." 5 For not even His brothers were believing in Him. 6 Jesus therefore said to them, "My time, is not yet at hand, but your time is always opportune. 7 The world cannot hate you; but it hates Me because I testify of it, that its deeds are evil. 8 Go up to the feast yourselves; I do not go up to this feast because My time has not yet fully come." 9 And having said these things to them, He stayed in Galilee. 

10 But when His brothers had gone up to the feast, then He Himself also went up, not publicly, but as it were, in secret. 11 The Jews were therefore seeking Him at the feast, and were saying, "Where is He?" 12 And there was much grumbling among the multitudes concerning Him; some were saying, "He is a good man"; others were saying, "No, on the contrary, He leads the multitudes astray." 13 Yet no one was speaking openly of Him for fear of the Jews. 

Message: At the Feast of Booths

Time: John most likely wrote between A.D. 85 and 90. John's purpose in writing was, "that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name (John 20:31)."

What the Lord is Saying: Chapter 7 begins with Jesus in Galilee. In Chapter 6, he had crossed the sea of Galilee to Capernaum and spent time there at the synagogue speaking to people - Jews and the multitudes following after Him. He is in Galilee walking and not in Judea for his time had not yet come and in Judea he knew "the Jews were seeking to kill him." 

At this time, the Feast of the Booths is at hand. This is 6 months later from the Passover mentioned in Chapter 6. The Feast of the Booths was a joyous celebration as it brought many people together, celebrating the 40 years of Jews spent in desert after slavery. During this time Jews would make a trek to Jerusalem and live in small homes or sukkahs because this is how they lived after the exodus.  

On the heels of the last text is Jesus turning to His disciples after some of the multitude had left him, not really agreeing to give their lives in service to the Lord. Their belief was not complete. It was not surrendering all to the Lord (6:64). And now his brothers seek to tell Him (Jesus) what his purpose is to be as they want Him to make Himself known publicly before all. It seems normal to ask Him to go to Jerusalem with them to celebrate this festival, but Jesus knew something they didn't. He knew His death was on the horizon. But He had more to accomplish. Jesus would not go with them, but He still went, but He went in His way, at His time, so as to not place Him at the center of attention. 

The Jews did not like Jesus. He spoke in a way that communicated His authority, that He had come from the Father, sent by the Father and He is asking people to believe in Him for eternal life. The Jews had comfort in what they knew and Jesus was threatening this comfort. I even see today as Jesus threatens my comfort but to deny Myself each day is not easy. It is hard to surrender what I want for what He wants. I know there are riches that come from this and nevertheless it is difficult and against my nature. I have my own agendas as to what I want and want Jesus to be. 

Summary: Jesus' brothers ask him to join them on their journey to Jerusalem for the Feast of Booth and to publicly speak to people, but Jesus knows His time not yet come and will go in private. 

Promise: From Tabletalk, "When we preach the gospel, people may hate us as well. Let us make sure that they hate us because of the gospel message, not because of our offensive personalities."

Prayer: O God, you are Savior and Lord. You are the first and the last and You are the one that has come to save the World. Thank you for your message of hope continually in our lives. Thank you for saving me and taking me from the path of the wicked. Work in me continually to glorify You and make you known. Thank you for these truths. 

Note: If you are interested in other studies/devotions, check out my index of Bible Study's.  

Psalm 45:10-17 - The King's Glorious Bride

Psalm 45:10-17
Listen, O daughter, give attention and incline your ear: forget your people and your father’s house; then the King will desire your beauty. Because He is your Lord, bow down to Him. The daughter of Tyre will come with a gift; the rich among the people will seek your favor. The King’s daughter is all glorious within; her clothing is interwoven with gold. She will be led to the King in embroidered work; the virgins, her companions who follow her, will be brought to You. They will be led forth with gladness and rejoicing; they will enter into the King’s palace. In place of your fathers will be your sons; you shall make them princes in all the earth. I will cause Your name to be remembered in all generations; therefore the peoples will give You thanks forever and ever.

Message: The King's Glorious Bride

Time: The psalms were written by many different people across a period of a thousand years in Israel's history. They are thought to have been compiled and put together in their present form by some unknown editor shortly after the captivity ended about 537 B.C.

What the Lord is Saying:

To Cleave, One must Leave
This is an interesting passage, that I am growing to understand more and more. Verse 10 begins with, "Listen, O daughter." This could be the father of the bride speaking to his daughter, specifically addressing the daughters soon to be marriage and how she is to prepare and conduct herself as she begins that new life. "Incline your ear" which means these words are very important; listen carefully. We often walk through life with a big helping of junk food, primarily enjoying what brings immediate satisfaction, but this is a reminder to stop and prepare. Think seriously about the relationship and the union that you are embarking on here with your mate. "Forget your people and your father's house." Do not pine after that which you have left. When two become one, they leave father and mother and are united together. They begin a new life. Their focus is to be on each other. The daughter is told to not hold onto the past and her past surroundings and life. It can be normal because that past is comfortable and familiar. But, a daughter is now to focus on her husband and become familiar and comfortable in his presence. Often, the best thing 2 people can do that are married is not to live in the same town as their parents or nearby, but to begin to make a home for themselves that is unique.

Respecting the husband
"Then the King will desire your beauty" or then your husband will desire you. I wonder; wives often can't understand why their husbands are not more present with them, but are they present with their husband or are they living some place else? So, in response to leaving your current world, the King will desire you. The Bible is full of references of the new life we have in Christ. We are born again; killing the old man; a new creature, the old is gone. In the same way, a daughter leaves her world, forgetting her old home, and devotes herself to her new husband. She secures his affection.

"He is your Lord, bow down to Him" means that the wife is to show proper respect to Him.  These are words and actions that we normally use to describe our relationship with God or Jesus, but more intentionally here, they refer to the wife and her new allegiance to her husband. The tone of these words should spark in us not simply a leader/pupil mindset but more the union that should occur between husband and wife. The husband is to understand his role. This is tough because our culture has wandered so far from this type of wife/husband relationship.

Tyre was a city of great extent and splendor, and extensive commerce. It abounded in luxury and wickedness. There are no signs of the city today. This verse says Tyre will come with a gift; the rich among the people will seek your favor. I think the idea is our desire in life is for the good things, luxury, splendor, abundance. And the Psalmist is explaining that the result of having a proper respect toward your husband will bring great merit and outcomes to your life. Jesus said, "I did not come to be served, but to serve." Again, we must train ourselves according to God and His word; this is the best way, not societies way of every person for themselves. I was driving down the road yesterday and just looking at cars and reminding myself of the passenger seat that is present in every car. We are not meant to be alone, but to have someone with us.

Presenting the bride
Every marriage ceremony is the same: the father escorts the daughter down the aisle with the looking utterly beautiful, presenting herself, not to everyone, but to her future husband the best that she knows how. There is preparation; there is time spent getting ready. And it is always the same, the bride walks down the aisle ("Here comes the bride"). As this verse says, The King’s daughter is all glorious within; her clothing is interwoven with gold. I remember this in my own life. I was indeed starstruck like never before. It was indeed glorious. With Pamela that moment represented her well, as soft and gentle. It is easily the greatest gift that I have ever been given. And yes, it should remind me of the way I am to present myself before Christ. He is to receive my best.

But it is more than just a father and a bride, it is the bride's companions. We call it the wedding party, but what happens is amazing in our weddings. The men are all up front and then the wife's companions walk down the aisle one by one. She will be led to the King in embroidered work; the virgins, her companions who follow her, will be brought to You. Yet, here, it speaks of them following the bride. But, it is still the same idea. But they come in the same beautiful way, presenting themselves with glory and splendor.

Let's celebrate
The wedding is often an entire day of activity, but it can also be a celebration over several days. Obviously, some culture mark it with longer celebrations, but it is an event of joy and gladness and rejoicing. They will be led forth with gladness and rejoicing; they will enter into the King’s palace. The honeymoon is meant to consummate the marriage.  Maybe in those times there was an immediate entrance to the new husband's home and palace.

The King's Distinction
As the focus of this Psalm is on the King and What he is receiving, here it points out that rather than his fame or celebrity or distinction being derived from his position, wealth, or performance, instead what will set him apart will be his sons (or his children). This should focus us on what is most important -- our children. In place of your fathers will be your sons; you shall make them princes in all the earth.

And then here more specifically, I see that the wife is speaking and saying that her actions will cause the King to be remembered. I think this is important. The wife has a lot to do with the greatness of the husband. I will cause Your name to be remembered in all generations; therefore the peoples will give You thanks forever and ever. But, this also could be talking about the man presenting the one that is over all, the Messiah because the people will give thanks forever and ever.  I think it could go either way.

Promise: It is all about the presentation.