Scripture Readings
Proverbs 13:18
Exodus 25–26
Luke 7
Psalms 78
Verse Focus (Proverbs 13:18)
Whoever disregards discipline comes to poverty and shame,
but whoever heeds correction is honored.
Meditation
The more proverbs we look at, the more they sound the same to me! The themes are repeated over and over again: wisdom, discipline, and instruction lead to life, blessing, and prosperity, while disregarding correction and ignoring discipline leads to a very bad outcome. Isn’t this more or less what yesterday’s proverb said? But each proverb emphasizes a slightly different facet.
In the NRSV, today’s proverb says, “Poverty and disgrace are for the one who ignores instruction, but one who heeds reproof is honored.” The NIV gives slightly different wording, but the meaning is similar: “Whoever disregards discipline comes to poverty and shame, but whoever heeds correction is honored.” Instruction, discipline, correction, reproof — although there are different nuances to these words, we know that the Bible sees these as similar concepts. Discipline is correction, but discipline is also learning. Reproof is discipline, but it is also teaching.
When I was in college, I understood this proverb oh, so well. If I ignored the self-discipline of study, I would surely come to shame when the grades were handed out! I still tend to see more applications of this proverb in terms of self-discipline — eating and exercise are two areas that come to mind. However, I know discipline from others — and particularly from God — should also be understood.
Being honored for heeding correction is harder to envision. I’m not sure I can think of an example offhand, although I believe in the truth of this Scripture with all my heart.
Father God, please help me to be self-disciplined and also to heed your correction. Thank you that one of the fruits of the Spirit is self-control. I pray to always love and desire instruction, and to keep your word deep in my heart. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Exodus 25 and 26 detail some of the instructions about the tabernacle. In Exodus 25:8, God tells Moses, “Make me a sanctuary, so that I may dwell among them.” And so God gives Moses a plan for their place of worship. There is to be a tabernacle with its framework, curtains and coverings, as well as an ark to hold the covenant, a table for the bread of the presence, and a lampstand with cups shaped like almond blossoms.
As each of these items are described — since just about everything seems to be covered in pure gold! — I get a better sense of how wealthy the Hebrews became when they “plundered” Egypt by asking for jewelry before that last plague. And even though I have difficulty visualizing how things might have looked from these verbal descriptions, I still have a sense of the grandeur and the beauty of this traveling sanctuary. The colors used in the curtains — blue, purple, and crimson yarns — are colors we associate with royalty (although whether royalty used these colors because they were Biblical or simply because these colors were more expensive to produce is another question). They are also rich colors — and some of my favorites. 🙂
There are no images of humans in any of the tabernacle decorations. You might recall how — many years back with the King James Version was the only one that was typically quoted — in the Ten Commandments, the second commandment was given as:
Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
We don’t talk much about “graven images” today, since modern translations usually translate this verse as a prohibition against “idols.” The Hebrew word does reference idols, but it does so by describing them as carved figures in wood or stone — graven images. Some Christian traditions interpreted the prohibition against graven images to also include images in paintings, tapestries, and other likenesses as well. The only reason I mention this now is so that you might take note of what kinds of decorations do exist in the tabernacle, and later on in the temple. The lampstand has carvings that mimic almond blossoms, and the curtains of the temple have cherubim embroidered on them. Also, the ark of the covenant has a mercy seat with two carved cherubim that sit above the ark. But other than these, the tabernacle is quite simple — lavish, but restrained.
Note also that the interior of the tabernacle has a “holy place” as well as a “most holy place.” As you may know, the most holy place was where the ark would reside, and where God would be present. The priests did not go into this most holy place; they stayed in the outer chamber. Only once a year would one priest enter the most holy place. And it was the curtain that separated the holy place and the most holy place that was torn from top to bottom when Christ died on the cross.
Luke 7 tells us the stories of Jesus marveling at the faith of the centurion, raising from the dead the only son of a widow in Nain, responding to messengers from John the Baptist and then speaking to the crowd about him. Finally, we have the story of Jesus having dinner with Simon the Pharisee — and an incident where a sinful woman washed Jesus’ feet with her tears.
Today as I read this chapter I was struck by a verse that I’d never particularly noticed before. As Jesus was speaking about John the Baptist to the crowds, Luke tells us in verse 30: “But by refusing to be baptized by him [that is, by John the Baptist], the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected God’s purpose for themselves.” Wow! That’s just mind-boggling. God had a purpose for the Pharisees and the lawyers, too — granted, it was the same purpose as the tax collectors, soldiers, and other sinners who came to John the Baptist to repent, be baptized, and start anew. But they refused God’s call. They refused God’s purpose for themselves.
I can’t help but thinking of Psalm 95:7-8 — “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as at Meribah.” If we hear but refuse to respond, we harden our hearts. And as we harden our hearts, we soon lose the ability to even hear Him.
I know that Jesus was at odds with many of the scribes and Pharisees — the teachers of the law. And I know some of that came from their jealousy at Jesus’ popularity. But Luke’s comment about them refusing God’s purpose for themselves sheds new light on the situation. I find it incredibly sad.
As always, I am struck by Jesus’ comments to Simon about the one who is forgiven much versus the one who is forgiven little. As Jesus says in verse 47, “Whoever has been forgiven little, loves little.” This is a verse that should be important to all of us. Do you ever worry that your love has grown a bit cold? It’s easy for that to happen for us. Perhaps you envy those whose love for Christ has a depth and a certainty that puts your own to shame. If — for whatever reason — your love for Christ seems weaker than you want it to be, perhaps it’s because you haven’t really taken a look at your sins lately? Perhaps you’ve been coasting along on grace, not examining or confessing much of anything. Just remember, Whoever has been forgiven little, loves little.
Psalm 78 begins by asking the people to listen to its teaching. Verse 2 says, “I will open my mouth in a parable.” This should remind us of Jesus Christ: we should therefore also interpret this psalm to be a Messianic psalm.
The psalm’s teaching has been passed on from earlier generations and is meant for them also to teach their children “that they should not be like their ancestors (v. 8).” The psalmist recounts a history of God’s work on behalf of the Israelites, but also records how the Israelites were continually unfaithful. Rather than starting with the great deliverance from Egypt, however, the psalmist begins his history by talking about the events after they were freed. God divided the sea, led them by a cloud by day and a fire by night, split rocks to create water sources, gave them bread from heaven and quail to satisfy their cravings.
Even when God’s anger resulted in judgment, the Israelites continued to sin: “they did not believe in his wonders (v. 32).” Verse 34 tells us that when God killed them, then they sought Him and repented and sought God earnestly. But soon after remembering God, they began to lie to him again, flattering Him with their mouths while their hearts were far away. The psalmist tells us that God was compassionate, remembering that the Israelites “were but flesh (v. 39).”
As the psalmist speaks of how the Israelites had forgotten God, he reminds them of what God did for them in Egypt and how God treated their foes. Despite this, Israel did not obey God’s laws and they provoked Him with their idol worship. So the people were given over to “the sword” (v. 62); “their girls had no marriage song (v. 63).”
The psalm ends by talking about how God rejected “the tent of Joseph (v. 67),” but has chosen the tribe of Judah, and David his servant.
From this psalm, we see that our hearts are prone to wander. We learn not only of God’s patience and steadfast love, but of how He uses affliction to draw us back to Him. And as the psalm ends, we see that He has a plan for redemption.
Father God, thank you for this psalm. Thank you that all of your Scripture is meant to teach us and encourage us. Please help us to grow into the people you want us to be. Do not let us be like the Pharisees, who refused your purpose for themselves. Help us always to be attentive to your Holy Spirit. We pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.
A couple of thoughts on Luke 7. Perhaps the Pharisees, Saducees, church leaders who were jealous had never actually invited Jesus to have dinner with them. Then the woman who cleansed Jesus feet with her tears and rubbed perfume into his feet. What drew her to Him? Perhaps because she sensed He offered a love that was pure and for her. As a prostitute, she would only know a false shadow of love, men only wanting her for what she could give them. The song popped into my mind was from the 70’s “Looking for love in all the wrong places.” Jesus showed her the way to true love. I’ve always loved how she showed, perhaps her thanks, by cleaning what were likely dirty, worn, smelly feet, and rubbing into them scented, hydrating oil. Perhaps she knew how rare it was to be shown love and her thanks was to pass some to Jesus, through touch.
I never feel that my love has been cold, however, I do recognize that love is sometimes hard to do and takes a lot of action and energy. Love is easier to do when I continue walking closely to God. It is done by me but through God. I pray that my heart won’t wander too far from God and his mission work that I need to be doing.
I pray to be open to showing God’s love to those strangers I come in contact with. May the Holy Spirit guide me and work in my heart.