February 8 ▪ Day 39

Scripture Readings

Proverbs 10:26
Isaiah 27–28
II Peter 1–3
Psalms 39

Verse Focus (Proverbs 10:26)

As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes,
     so are sluggards to those who send them.

Meditation

The proverbs we look at in depth each day are but a selection from the entire book of Proverbs. Naturally, I selected proverbs that have made an impression on me over the years. Since I struggle with laziness, it’s not surprising to find that today’s proverb is another one that looks at the problem of sluggards. Proverbs 10:26 says, in the NRSV, “Like vinegar to the teeth, and smoke to the eyes, so are the lazy to their employers.” As the NIV puts it, “As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so are sluggards to those who send them.”

I love the taste of vinegar! Something I inherited from my father (who put vinegar on just about everything he ate, even things the rest of us wouldn’t dream of putting vinegar on). Still, like my whole family, I love to put vinegar on green beans and broccoli and sometimes on meats like roast beef or turkey. When I was a little girl, I even tried to drink vinegar once — although that one time was enough to cure me of ever repeating that experiment! But I confess I wasn’t really sure what vinegar does to teeth. So I google’d it.

The high acidic content in vinegar is actually quite damaging to your teeth. It dissolves the tooth enamel. Although diluted vinegar is sometimes used to whiten teeth, in its normal strength vinegar can cause permanent damage to your teeth. It can make you more susceptible to cavities and it can cause permanent sensitivities to temperature and certain flavors. Dentists even warn you not to brush your teeth immediately after eating vinegar (at the very least, you should rinse your mouth before you begin scrubbing).

As far as smoke goes, we’ve all gotten smoke in our eyes once or twice before. Whether from a campfire when the wind suddenly changed direction, or from the wildfire haze that we experienced this past summer — smoke to the eyes stings and enflames: it is unpleasant and extremely aggravating.

So we get a picture that employers find a lazy employee to be irritating and objectionable, to the point of even causing damage and decay. Yikes!

The NIV speaks of the sluggard in the context of that person being sent on some type of errand or task. In this respect, we might think less in terms of employer-employee relationships, and more of parent-child relationships. Although, of course, this proverb is less about the relationships and more about the situation that allows a sluggard to shine (so to speak).

It occurs to me that this could be how God feels about us. Do you dawdle when God tells you to do something? Naturally, you first you have to be sure that you’re really understanding Him correctly. And then you take your time as you consider whether or not you really want to obey. But what about those commandments that are for all believers? Are you a sluggard about sharing the gospel? Inviting a friend to come to Bible study?

Father God, I don’t want to be irritating to you or to anyone else. Nor do I want my sluggishness to cause actual damage. Please help me to stop indulging myself. I want to obey you immediately. Thank you for the Holy Spirit, who gives us the power of love and self-discipline. I pray in Christ’s name, Amen.

Isaiah 27 brings us yet another song of the vineyard, but this one is a little more puzzling in sections than the last one we read. Before we get to the song of the vineyard, however, verse 1 talks about the punishment of Leviathan. There are other Biblical references to Leviathan, who is seen as a powerful and immense sea demon or monster. With the “serpent” reference in this verse we see symbolism that relates back to the Garden of Eden. “Dragon” also references the book of Revelation. By this, we understand that “in that day” — after the judgment, or as part of the day of judgment — Satan will be completely defeated.

The song of the vineyard speaks of the LORD’s vineyard — he will protect and care for it. That part is easy to understand. But then in verse 4, it says that God has “no wrath” but if the garden produces thorns and briers He will burn it. Alternatively, verse 5 says that the thorns and briers could instead cling to God and make peace with Him.

It is unclear if verses 7 through 11 are speaking of the time before the day of judgment, or a potential future chastening. Verse 9 tells us that “by this” — by the exile and deportation of the Israelites — their guilt is expiated; their sin will be fully removed when the Israelites completely demolish the poles and altars to their false gods. The chastening occurs, however, because the people are “without understanding” (v. 11b): therefore, the LORD will have no compassion on them and will show them no favor.

The chapter concludes with another look at the future vision of redemption for God’s people. One by one the LORD will gather His people from where they had been scattered. When the trumpet is blown, they will all gather to worship on the mountain of the LORD in Jerusalem.

I like Isaiah chapter 28, but I find it difficult to understand. I catch glimpses. The bits that I understand don’t seem to fully mesh together as a whole. But I will write of what I see today.

The chapter is written to the leaders of Israel and Judah — corrupt priests, prophets and politicians. First, we have a contrasts between garlands. The first garland is those that the “drunkards” of Ephraim wear proudly — and we are given a picture of dissipation and overindulgence. The leaders of Ephraim once had a glory and beauty, but it is now fading and past. The drunkards’ garland is compared against the “garland of glory” and “diadem of beauty” that the LORD of hosts is for the remnant of his people (v. 5).

I notice in verses 5 and 6 that the LORD is different things to his people. He is a garland to the remnant. But He is also “spirit of justice” for the judges and “strength” to those who fight to protect the people.

Verses 10 and 13 both contain the words “precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little.” This appears to be way of describing basic instruction for children: repetition of laws, painstakingly teaching writing as stroke upon stroke, teaching “a little” here and there from all that Scripture has to offer. NIV translates this section as “Do this, do that, a rule for this, a rule for that; a little here, a little there” — but you get the same idea. The priests and Levites are only able to instruct children — they have reduced the law to a set of rules and have no understanding of the spirit of the law.

The prophet Isaiah declares that God will therefore speak to His people through “stammering lip” and “alien tongue” — through foreigners (v. 11). When He spoke to them of rest and repose, “they would not hear (v. 12).” Therefore God will speak to them as children. By understanding the word of God as a set of rules, the people will be snared and broken.

In verse 16 we have the Messianic prophecy of the “precious cornerstone” — the one who relies on this sure foundation will not be stricken with panic. But the rest will be stricken with “sheer terror” (v. 19) from the “overwhelming scourge (v. 18).” Verse 20 describes it as a bed that is too short and a blanket that is too narrow. Verse 21 describes the work that the LORD will do as “strange” and “alien.”

As the chapter winds up, Isaiah calls his hearers to pay attention and listen. He speaks of different methods of farming and harvesting based on different types of crops. The message I get today is that there are seasons — the chastening and threshing to come will not last forever. It is for a time, and a season. Verse 29 is a beautiful and fitting conclusion: “This also comes from the LORD of hosts; he is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in wisdom.”

Today we read the entire book of 2 Peter. It is only three chapters long. As you might recall from the other day when we read the book of Jude, scholars believe that Peter wrote this second epistle to confirm what Jude wrote in his letter. So Peter will write of false prophets and false teachers and the coming day of judgment. But he also writes of our ongoing sanctification, and gives us tools for the here and now.

2 Peter 1:2 is a verse that I have loved since college. A friend pointed the verse out to me — although I mostly read the NIV translation, he read this verse in the New American Standard Bible (NASB) and this was a verse he loved. “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.” I love that! Grace and peace be multiplied to you. Not just abundance of grace, but double, triple, quadrupled blessing and more. This is my prayer for all of you today.

Verse 4 mentions God’s “precious and very great promises” — it is through these promises that we “escape” corruption and “participate in the divine nature.” In other words, God’s Scripture and His promises to us are the very means of grace. Now if that isn’t a reason to study the Bible, I don’t know what is!

In this chapter, I particularly love verses 5 through 8. Verse 8 has become increasingly significant to me in the past year. This is what the Scripture says: “For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; ⁶and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; ⁷and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. ⁸For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” You might think of verse 8 as the kicker.

Do you ever feel lost or worthless? Do you wonder if your life matters? Sure, you’re a believer. But what is your purpose? Do you have a sense that you’re where you’re supposed to be in life? We all struggle with these issues (fortunately, not all the time). Here, in verse 8, we have the answer to these doldrums. If you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive. For me, that’s what’s at the real heart of my struggles: the sense that I’m not effective or productive or useful. But if I focus on adding goodness and knowledge and self-control… well, it’s another tool to fight the devil’s lies. Peter tells us to “confirm” our call so that we may “never stumble.”

As chapter 1 ends and goes into chapter 2, Peter first tells us that no prophecy ever came from “human will” — rather, prophecy comes from God. But then Peter starts talking about false prophets and false teachers. Do you find this a little confusing? Clearly, prophecy only comes from God. Yet false prophets claim their words are from God. So how are we supposed to know? In Deuteronomy 18:20-22, God gives the people the criteria for judging whether or not a prophet is true or false. It boils down to the fact that if the prophecy doesn’t come true, then it didn’t come from God. Of course, we do have other criteria to judge prophecy — we have the entire body of Scripture. If the words contradict God’s revealed Word in Scripture, that would be another indication that we should not trust what is being said.

As Peter writes about these false prophets and false teachers, he first reminds us that God did not spare angels or the ancient world or Sodom and Gomorrah — but He did rescue Lot. So we can be confident that God will rescue the godly (v. 9).

Several aspects of these false prophets stand out to me today. They “entice unsteady souls” (v. 15); they speak “bombastic nonsense” (v. 18); they are “slaves of corruption” (v. 19). Having escaped the slavery of corruption through Jesus Christ, they let themselves get re-entangled — and, Peter says, they are worse off than ever before. This reminds me of Jesus’ parable about the person who had a demon thrown out of him. He swept the house clean, but did not invite Jesus to occupy the house. Thus when the demon came back it brought even more, and the person ended up worse than he was at the beginning. Peter uses the proverb about a dog returning to vomit to describe the state of these people.

In 2 Peter 3, the apostle writes of the “scoffers”(v. 2) who mock the idea that Christ will return again. They have forgotten the history of creation and the destruction of the world by floodwaters in Noah’s time; neither do they understand that there is a coming judgment of fire.

Verse 8 is an important and beloved verse. Peter writes, “With the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day.” Therefore, he continues in verse 9, “The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance.” God’s time is not like our time. He delays fulfilling His promises to us in order that more might be saved.

Peter reminds us that the day of judgment will “come like a thief” (v. 10) — but while we wait, we should strive for holiness. Peter gives a final warning against false teachers. Since we are forewarned about this, we should not be “carried away” by their errors, losing our “stability (v. 17).” With this mention of stability, I see a subtle reminder to place our foundation on the true cornerstone, Jesus Christ. It creates a pleasing symmetry with the metaphor in Peter’s first epistle.

Psalm 39 is interesting. Written by David, the inscription says that this psalm is for “Jeduthun.” Jeduthun was one of the Levites appointed by David to oversee the music of the temple (see 1 Chronicles 25). Therefore, even though this psalm seems like a very personal struggle between the psalmist and God, it was meant for a corporate setting.

The psalm deals with the brevity and impermanence of life on this earth. Twice we are told to meditate (“Selah!”) after the words that we are but “a mere breath.” The psalmist resolves to guard his lips because of “the wicked” (v. 1). Perhaps he does not want to express doubts or concern in their presence. However, as he stays silent, his thoughts trouble him more and more until at last he speaks. Life is fleeting… worse, “my lifetime is as nothing in your sight” (v. 5).

In the next section we get a hint that the psalmist may be troubled over his sins. He speaks of the LORD chastising him. But our lives are too brief for such rebuke and discipline. As the psalm ends, the psalmist pleads for God to look away from him. He wants to enjoy the little time he has left on earth.

Father God, please give me understanding of you and your word. I’m grateful that this psalm shows us that we can approach you no matter how we’re feeling or what we’re thinking. Our lives are extremely brief in comparison with you and the way you move so slowly throughout our history. My life is nothing compared to a thousand years; to you this is just like a day.

Please help me to build my life on the true cornerstone of Jesus Christ. Help me to be stable, and help me to add goodness, knowledge, self-control, endurance, godliness, brotherly affection, and love to my faith. Lord, I want my understanding of you to make me effective and productive. Use me for your kingdom, and bless the work of my hands. I pray in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, Amen.