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I die devotionals, Nathan Dooley

Because they hated knowledge | P1-V29

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Wisdom Warns 

Proverbs 1; I die daily devotional.

29 Because they hated knowledge And did not choose the fear of the LORD.

When I think of the idea of hating knowledge, I think of the apostle Paul telling me… Galatians 6:11 See with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand. 12 Those who desire to make a good showing in the flesh try to compel you to be circumcised, simply so that they will not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. 13 For those who are circumcised do not even keep the Law themselves, but they desire to have you circumcised so that they may boast in your flesh. I was guilty of this wrong in the past for the comfort of myself, not wanting to share the gospel—to avoid the persecution of the cross—for the sake of my environment mixed with tempting desires to experience in this life, or what’s worse, to share the gospel with words of faith, but a heart filled with fear and want, not actually taking serious the power of the Word—my faith was in vain.

HATED KNOWLEDGE

When I think about my disobedience to God I think of what the bond-servant James says… James 1:21 Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. 22 But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; 24 for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. 25 But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does. I ask the question, “Why do people choose not the fear of the Lord?” And then clarity comes, the answers’ so evident, so true; yet here I remain as a man regretful of who I once was… the man in the mirror, until … I looked intently upon the perfect law of liberty. However, there are still those present with us today that choose rather to hate the knowledge of the cross and don’t fear the Lord. Don’t lose hope, keep praying for these people, but remain faithful to respect the justice of God in Christ our Lord. Let’s not fear persecution and keep looking intently at the perfect law of liberty.

  • What do you, and I, think of to be “hated knowledge”?
  • Why do these people choose not the fear of the Lord?
  • Are you and I looking intently at the perfect law of liberty?
  • How can we serve those who hate knowledge?
  • What can we do about those who don’t fear the Lord?

RECOURCE

Proverbs 1 (NASB)—blueletterbible.org
1 The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel: 2 To know wisdom and instruction, To discern the sayings of understanding, 3 To receive instruction in wise behavior, Righteousness, justice and equity; 4 To give prudence to the naïve, To the youth knowledge and discretion, 5 A wise man will hear and increase in learning, And a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel, 6 To understand a proverb and a figure, The words of the wise and their riddles. 7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction.  8 Hear, my son, your father’s instruction And do not forsake your mother’s teaching; 9 Indeed, they are a graceful wreath to your head And ornaments about your neck. 10 My son, if sinners entice you, Do not consent. 11 If they say, “Come with us, Let us lie in wait for blood, Let us ambush the innocent without cause; 12 Let us swallow them alive like Sheol, Even whole, as those who go down to the pit; 13 We will find all kinds of precious wealth, We will fill our houses with spoil; 14 Throw in your lot with us, We shall all have one purse,” 15 My son, do not walk in the way with them. Keep your feet from their path, 16 For their feet run to evil And they hasten to shed blood. 17 Indeed, it is useless to spread the baited net In the sight of any bird; 18 But they lie in wait for their own blood; They ambush their own lives. 19 So are the ways of everyone who gains by violence; It takes away the life of its possessors. Wisdom Warns 20 Wisdom shouts in the street, She lifts her voice in the square; 21 At the head of the noisy streets she cries out; At the entrance of the gates in the city she utters her sayings: 22 “How long, O naïve ones, will you love being simple-minded? And scoffers delight themselves in scoffing And fools hate knowledge? 23  “Turn to my reproof, Behold, I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you. 24 “Because I called and you refused, I stretched out my hand and no one paid attention; 25 And you neglected all my counsel And did not want my reproof; 26 I will also laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your dread comes, 27 When your dread comes like a storm And your calamity comes like a whirlwind, When distress and anguish come upon you. 28 “Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently but they will not find me, 29 Because they hated knowledge And did not choose the fear of the LORD. 30 “They would not accept my counsel, They spurned all my reproof. 31 “So they shall eat of the fruit of their own way And be satiated with their own devices. 32 “For the waywardness of the naïve will kill them, And the complacency of fools will destroy them. 33 “But he who listens to me shall live securely And will be at ease from the dread of evil.”

COMMENTARY

Matthew Henry (P1-V29) Commentary
[4.] Now they are eager upon their own way, and fond of their own devices; but then they will have enough of them (v. 31), according to the proverb, Let men drink as they brew; they shall eat the fruit of their own way; their wages shall be according to their work, and, as was their choice, so shall their doom be, Gal. 6:7, 8. Note,

  • First, There is a natural tendency in sin to destruction, Jam. 1:15. Sinners are certainly miserable if they do but eat the fruit of their own way.
  • Secondly, Those that perish must thank themselves, and can lay no blame upon any other. It is their own device; let them make their boast of it. God chooses their delusions, Isa. 66:4.
I die devotionals, Nathan Dooley, Salvational Engineering, Spiritual Insights

To understand the words of the wise | P1-V6

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The Usefulness of Proverbs

Proverbs 1; I die daily devotional.

 6 To understand a proverb and a figure, The words of the wise and their riddles.

It’s been nearly a month since I wrote of how the wisest person on the face of the planet received their wisdom—The proverbs of Solomon. And now here we are in the 21st century being fed of its milk and meat to understand the words of the wise and their riddles.

SPIRITUAL MILK AND MEAT

Take milk and meat as our example to a figure of spiritual speech: (a) milk is our figure of speech for those recently born into Jesus Christ by their awareness of good and evil, and (b) meat is for those grown to handle the many questions that newborns will have regarding this developing faith by their understanding to the meaning of the knowledge of good and evil.

NEW BELIEVER

If you believed in the gospel last month, your faith is in dire need of milk (the Word of God) provided through the sustenance of our Church Body (your local christian church). The Word of God has revealed to you your condition of death that separates you from God; in other words you’ve reached a state of awareness [enlightenment] to the nature of your condition—spiritual condition—of which condemns you to death because of sin. At this stage of development the soul hungers for the pure milk of the Word because eternal life is a promised result upon believing, but it takes time to grow.

The Helper (Holy Spirit) is that established energy and power of wisdom and truth; Jesus will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. You will go through a process of being born while aware of the experience, not like being born as a human baby of which we don’t recall; because a soul that is condemned to death ignores the wrath of God which is directed at the sin, not the person, that person has made a conscious choice to accept the wrath of God rather than repent of their sin by faith in Christ. So there is an experience of deep mourning or spiritual grieving by the separating of loved ones during this process of faith development; they are not accepting this truth when we are, and it’s a very painful spiritual endurance, but this experience is very necessary because it intimate-izes our relationship to God.

TEENAGE BELIEVER

At this stage of our faith development there are worldly experiences that will test us, train us, and much pain (healthy pain); think of it as becoming a super saiyan—dragon ball z style! Any of you readers familiar? Okay, well, the point is that our personality transforms into the calling of God; the ministry of reconciliation is taking shape in our psychology, and our faith is developing into a responsibility. Our frame of reference is shifting from an earthly temperial perspective to an immortally eternal perspective; so there will be much discipline from your parents (another figure of speech) whom—if is in Christ—will raise you up in that discipline of our heavenly Father. Expect much correction with edification as your soul is resurrecting to life from the dead (even though you’re awake to witness it).

Remember, it took 3 days before our Lord was resurrected from the dead and many more days later before ascending into heaven to be at the right hand of God our Father; so don’t let anyone try and tell you that this process of conversion happens simply in the day of which you believe, it takes time in respect of salvation. And as we continue to devote ourselves to the Word of God, the Holy Spirit will teach us the meaning of Truth; we will learn how to see through the facade of the deceiver, and discern good and evil.

RECOURSE

Proverbs 1 (NASB)—blueletterbible.org
1 The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel: 2 To know wisdom and instruction, To discern the sayings of understanding, 3 To receive instruction in wise behavior, Righteousness, justice and equity; 4 To give prudence to the naïve, To the youth knowledge and discretion, 5 A wise man will hear and increase in learning, And a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel, 6 To understand a proverb and a figure, The words of the wise and their riddles. 7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction. 8 Hear, my son, your father’s instruction And do not forsake your mother’s teaching; 9 Indeed, they are a graceful wreath to your head And ornaments about your neck. 10 My son, if sinners entice you, Do not consent. 11 If they say, “Come with us, Let us lie in wait for blood, Let us ambush the innocent without cause; 12 Let us swallow them alive like Sheol, Even whole, as those who go down to the pit; 13 We will find all kinds of precious wealth, We will fill our houses with spoil; 14 Throw in your lot with us, We shall all have one purse,” 15 My son, do not walk in the way with them. Keep your feet from their path, 16 For their feet run to evil And they hasten to shed blood. 17 Indeed, it is useless to spread the baited net In the sight of any bird; 18 But they lie in wait for their own blood; They ambush their own lives. 19 So are the ways of everyone who gains by violence; It takes away the life of its possessors. Wisdom Warns 20 Wisdom shouts in the street, She lifts her voice in the square; 21 At the head of the noisy streets she cries out; At the entrance of the gates in the city she utters her sayings: 22 “How long, O naïve ones, will you love being simple-minded? And scoffers delight themselves in scoffing And fools hate knowledge? 23  “Turn to my reproof, Behold, I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you. 24 “Because I called and you refused, I stretched out my hand and no one paid attention; 25 And you neglected all my counsel And did not want my reproof; 26 I will also laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your dread comes, 27 When your dread comes like a storm And your calamity comes like a whirlwind, When distress and anguish come upon you. 28 “Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently but they will not find me, 29 Because they hated knowledge And did not choose the fear of the LORD. 30 “They would not accept my counsel, They spurned all my reproof. 31 “So they shall eat of the fruit of their own way And be satiated with their own devices. 32 “For the waywardness of the naïve will kill them, And the complacency of fools will destroy them. 33 “But he who listens to me shall live securely And will be at ease from the dread of evil.”

1 Peter 2:1 Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, 2 like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, 3 if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.

Hebrews 5:11 Concerning him we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. 12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.

Luke 3:16 John answered and said to them all, “As for me, I baptize you with water; but One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to untie the thong of His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fork is in His hand to thoroughly clear His threshing floor, and to gather the wheat into His barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

Romans 12:1 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

2 Corinthians 5:11 Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are made manifest to God; and I hope that we are made manifest also in your consciences. 12 We are not again commending ourselves to you but are giving you an occasion to be proud of us, so that you will have an answer  for those who take pride in appearance and not in heart. 13 For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are of sound mind, it is for you. 14 For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; 15 and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf. 16 Therefore from now on we recognize no one  according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer. 17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 18 Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation,  19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.  21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

COMMENTARY

Matthew Henry (P1-V6) Commentary
2. As an interpreter (v. 6)-to understand a proverb. Solomon was himself famous for expounding riddles and resolving hard questions, which was of old the celebrated entertainment of the eastern princes, witness the solutions he gave to the enquiries with which the queen of Sheba thought to puzzle him. Now here he undertakes to furnish his readers with that talent, as far as would be serviceable to the best purposes. “They shall understand a proverb, even the interpretation, without which the proverb is a nut uncracked; when they hear a wise saying, though it be figurative, they shall take the sense of it, and know how to make use of it.’ The words of the wise are sometimes dark sayings. In St. Paul’s epistles there is that which is hard to be understood; but to those who, being well-versed in the scriptures, know how to compare spiritual things with spiritual, they will be easy and safe; so that, if you ask them, Have you understood all these things? they may answer, Yea, Lord. Note, It is a credit to religion when men of honesty are men of sense; all good people therefore should aim to be intelligent, and run to and fro, take pains in the use of means, that their knowledge may be increased.

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I die devotionals, Nathan Dooley

To give prudence, knowledge, and discretion | P1-V4

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The Usefulness of Proverbs

Proverbs 1; I die daily devotional.

4 To give prudence to the naïve, To the youth knowledge and discretion,

Scott has no idea who I am, but I was curious as to how long it takes for a seed to germinate and grow? The research brought me to his YouTube channel that is very… fitting, I think—for lack of a better word—considering yesterdays devo. In his video Scott has two avocado seeds; one seed germinated in a couple days whereas the other took about eleven months (11 months!) to germinate.

It’s unknown the reason for the 11 month old seed to have finally germinated, but it goes to show that even in right conditions the seed might not be ready—for the day of Christ—until hanging on the cross.

Luke 23:39 One of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, “Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!” 40 But the other answered, and rebuking him said, “Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 And he was saying, “Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!” 43 And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.”

PRUDENCE

There is a metaphor in these two avocado seeds; Jesus being the first fruits raised from the dead, and after that those who are Christ’s at His coming. Wisdom is giving us prudence by explaining the right environment (that we are currently in) to germinate and grow, but we must be honest and truthful about this environment. If we are not, then we are in danger of choosing to be naïve likely to grow as chaff and burned in unquenchable fire, rather than wheat put into a barn.

  • What about me is the Holy Spirit convicting me of?
  • What is the condition of my faith in Jesus?
  • Am I growing as wheat or chaff?
  • What chaff needs to be removed?

However, if you’re young having tasted what sin is might not be naïve, but suffering. You might be suffering because you haven’t tasted of the good Word of God and the powers of the age to come. You might be in need of discipline that reveals knowledge and produces discretion by what you understand as having been truly separated from God; the consequence, and responsibility, of living as a free agent experiencing the elemental nature of our ‘good and evil’ existence.

  • Are you suffering?
  • Do you blame God?
  • Have you accepted forgiveness?
  • Have you extended forgiveness?

It’s important that our encompassing field is an environment of faith for our heart to grow in the good Word of God. And as we continue to devote ourselves to the instruction of Wisdom throughout our day, we’ll germinate in a field of eternal life through Jesus Christ.

RECOURSE

Proverbs 1 (NASB)—blueletterbible.org
1 The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel: 2 To know wisdom and instruction, To discern the sayings of understanding, 3 To receive instruction in wise behavior, Righteousness, justice and equity; 4 To give prudence to the naïve, To the youth knowledge and discretion, 5 A wise man will hear and increase in learning, And a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel, 6 To understand a proverb and a figure, The words of the wise and their riddles. 7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction. The Enticement of Sinners 8 Hear, my son, your father’s instruction And do not forsake your mother’s teaching; 9 Indeed, they are a graceful wreath to your head And ornaments about your neck. 10 My son, if sinners entice you, Do not consent. 11 If they say, “Come with us, Let us lie in wait for blood, Let us ambush the innocent without cause; 12 Let us swallow them alive like Sheol, Even whole, as those who go down to the pit; 13 We will find all kinds of precious wealth, We will fill our houses with spoil; 14 Throw in your lot with us, We shall all have one purse,” 15 My son, do not walk in the way with them. Keep your feet from their path, 16 For their feet run to evil And they hasten to shed blood. 17 Indeed, it is useless to spread the baited net In the sight of any bird; 18 But they lie in wait for their own blood; They ambush their own lives. 19 So are the ways of everyone who gains by violence; It takes away the life of its possessors. Wisdom Warns 20 Wisdom shouts in the street, She lifts her voice in the square; 21 At the head of the noisy streets she cries out; At the entrance of the gates in the city she utters her sayings: 22 “How long, O naïve ones, will you love being simple-minded? And scoffers delight themselves in scoffing And fools hate knowledge? 23  “Turn to my reproof, Behold, I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you. 24 “Because I called and you refused, I stretched out my hand and no one paid attention; 25 And you neglected all my counsel And did not want my reproof; 26 I will also laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your dread comes, 27 When your dread comes like a storm And your calamity comes like a whirlwind, When distress and anguish come upon you. 28 “Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently but they will not find me, 29 Because they hated knowledge And did not choose the fear of the LORD. 30 “They would not accept my counsel, They spurned all my reproof. 31 “So they shall eat of the fruit of their own way And be satiated with their own devices. 32 “For the waywardness of the naïve will kill them, And the complacency of fools will destroy them. 33 “But he who listens to me shall live securely And will be at ease from the dread of evil.”

Matthew Henry (P1-V2) Commentary
III. For whose use they were written, v. 4. They are of use to all, but are designed especially,

  • 1. For the simple, to give subtlety to them. The instructions here given are plain and easy, and level to the meanest capacity, the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein; and those are likely to receive benefit by them who are sensible of their own ignorance and their need to be taught, and are therefore desirous to receive instruction; and those who receive these instructions in their light and power, though they be simple, will hereby be made subtle, graciously crafty to know the sin they should avoid and the duty they should do, and to escape the tempter’s wiles. He that is harmless as the dove by observing Solomon’s rules may become wise as the serpent; and he that has been sinfully foolish when he begins to govern himself by the word of God becomes graciously wise.
  • 2. For young people, to give them knowledge and discretion. Youth is the learning age, catches at instructions, receives impressions, and retains what is then received; it is therefore of great consequence that the mind be then seasoned well, nor can it receive a better tincture than from Solomon’s proverbs. Youth is rash, and heady, and inconsiderate; man is born like the wild ass’s colt, and therefore needs to be broken by the restraints and managed by the rules we find here. And, if young people will but take heed to their ways according to Solomon’s proverbs, they will soon gain the knowledge and discretion of the ancients. Solomon had an eye to posterity in writing this book, hoping by it to season the minds of the rising generation with the generous principles of wisdom and virtue.

1 Corinthians 15:20 But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. 21 For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming,  24 then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. 

Matthew 3:12 “His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

Hebrews 6:4 For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame. 7 For ground that drinks the rain which often falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God; 8 but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned.

OUTLINE

-Holy Spirit (Wisdom)
-Discipline of the Holy Spirit
-Love of a Holy God—Father
-Consequence and Responsibility