July 15 ▪ Day 196

Scripture Readings

Proverbs 19:13
Numbers 29–30
Matthew 15
Psalms 12

Verse Focus (Proverbs 19:13)

A foolish child is a father’s ruin,
     and a quarrelsome wife is like
     the constant dripping of a leaky roof.

Meditation

Proverbs 19:13 says, in the ESV, “A foolish son is ruin to his father, and a wife’s quarreling is a continual dripping of rain.” Ruin is a strong word, and we all know the irritation of a leaky faucet or a drip. It’s a kind of irritation that can drive you to madness, or to extremity of emotion.

When I read this proverb, I immediately identify with the querulous wife — likely because I’m a woman. And so I wince, and I resolve not to be such a complainer. Sometimes I identify with the foolish son, and — since I have no wish to harm my parents — I resolve to seek wisdom even more.

But today as I was thinking about this proverb, it occurred to me that I rarely consider this proverb from the point of view of the father and husband. Matthew Henry, the well-known Biblical commentator from the late 1600s, said regarding this verse, “It shows the vanity of the world, that we are liable to the greatest griefs where we promise ourselves the greatest comfort.”

But what strikes me about this verse, especially from the father and husband’s point of view, is how helpless he must have felt to change the behavior of his loved ones. Parents desire to teach their children wisdom; whether or not they are successful is a completely different story. Likewise, there are things we would love to change about our spouses. But it’s just not within our power. And that, I think, is the key to this proverb. It’s not within our power. It is, however, within God’s power. And this proverb is a call to prayer. Only God can turn a fool around. Only God can change habits of whining into attitudes of praise and thanksgiving.

The father cannot change his son or his wife. But he can change himself. Perhaps there are things the father can do to teach his child not to be foolish. Perhaps the husband can be more responsive to his wife. We need the Holy Spirit to mend our relationships, and to give us insight as to how we might be able to help others and how we might change ourselves. Because no matter whose point of view you take, the only good result comes from changing yourself into a better person. And that, of course, also depends wholly on God and His grace.

Father God, may you transform our characters so that we are not like the distant father and husband, the foolish son, or the contentious wife. Give us wisdom. Give us patience. And above all, give us love. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Numbers 29 details more holidays and the kinds of sacrifices the Israelites should make. Again, each holiday has “one male goat for a sin offering” in addition to the other sacrifices. The Day of Atonement, when atonement is made for the nation and for the altar, has the one sin offering in addition to the sin offering for the day of atonement.

The Feast of Booths (also known as the Feast of Tabernacles or the Feast of Tents) is interesting because the number of bulls sacrificed each day decreases in number until the seventh day when seven bulls are sacrificed. Yes, seven is the number of completeness. All told, 70 bulls are sacrificed. This particular feast — which falls in harvest time, in the fall — is the most expensive of them all. But it also celebrates the harvest and the completeness of God’s provision for the Israelites.

Numbers 30 covers the subject of vows. Regarding men, it’s very simple. As verse 2 says, “He shall not break his word. He shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.” But the situation with women is much more complicated. A daughter or wife who makes a vow can have her vow overruled by her father or husband — so long as he speaks up immediately after hearing about the vow. But if the father or husband does not speak up, then he confirms the woman’s vow and she must abide by the vows that she has made. Only widows and divorced women have the freedom to make and keep their own vows.

As a modern woman, it chafes a bit to read these regulations. I dislike the idea that a man can overrule what a woman wants to offer. Women are treated like young children. But then I consider that, financially, a father and daughter were one unit, just as a husband and wife were one unit. What the daughter vows affects the family’s finances, just as a wife’s vow affects the family’s finances. It would have been nice if women were also given veto power over vows, but since men were typically the bread winners, I understand why it was set up as it was.

In Matthew 15, the Pharisees take offense at Jesus because he says it’s what comes out of your mouth that defiles you, not what goes into your mouth (v. 11-12). In response, Jesus says in verses 13 and 14, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up. Let them alone; they are blind guides.” Let them alone. Why is this wisdom not taught to all Christians? Why do we feel that we must argue, or correct, those that misunderstand? Why do we want to fight our critics? Why do we find it so galling to simply leave them alone?

I think some of the desire to battle over theology and practice comes from sin — from pride. We want to prove that we are right, that we have the correct interpretation. We can wrap it up in a mantle of concern over the souls of those who believe wrongly, but again, I think it comes from pride. This is God’s world. He is the one who opens people’s eyes. He can defend the truth without our intervention. If some of Jesus’ critics are weeds that the Enemy has planted, what use will it be to waste our time fighting with them? They will be discarded when Jesus judges the world. Much better that our energy be spent on building up the believers than in fighting non-believers. After all, Jesus calls us to be peace-makers.

As I read about Jesus healing the crowds in Matthew 15, it strikes me again how motivated these people were to get help. We know they stayed there for days, bringing their sick to Jesus. They may not have had food to eat while they waited, but they waited anyway. The other thing is that Jesus was sitting on a mountain. They had to climb up to get to him. Imagine carrying your sick loved ones uphill in order to bring them before Jesus — now that’s dedication! Surely being on a mountain must have reduced the total number of the sick who were brought to Jesus, but they were still there for three days.

Verse 37 also strikes me. Jesus performs another miracle by feeding the four thousand. Verse 37 says, “And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up seven baskets full of the broken pieces left over.” It’s the excess that gets to me. When I think about feeding so many people, part of me expected that they would all have been given small portions. Sometimes we eat too much. So did God give them the amount they were supposed to eat on their diets? Considering they hadn’t eaten for days, they would have been very hungry. Tempted to overeat, certainly. But the Scripture tells us that they were all satisfied and there were seven baskets full of leftovers. The fact that there are leftovers tells me that everyone had as much as they wanted to eat. And some likely did overeat, while some were likely more frugal with their portions. But the food was there. If they had wanted more, they could have had it.

Sometimes when God performs a miracle, He gives you exactly the right amount. I have heard stories from relatives of God’s miraculous provision of finances for one need or another. In an amazing way, the exact amount of the shortfall mysteriously comes to you. And I suppose your faith gets strengthened because you see how God is able to provide exactly what you need to repair the car.

As I think about the feeding of the four thousand, though, I realize that part of me didn’t expect that God would satisfy their needs abundantly. Somehow, in my recognition of sinful patterns (overeating, overspending, overconsumption), I’ve come to the conclusion that my sin will limit how generous God is with me. And meditating on today’s miracle of the feeding of the four thousand helps me to realize that I’ve been looking at it wrong. I’ve been viewing God through the lens of my own sins. Yet God is lavish with His gifts. And I should expect and look for that generosity in how He relates to me.

Psalm 12 speaks of how God satisfies the desires of the poor and needy. In verse 5, the LORD declares, “I will place him in the safety for which he longs.” God rises to take action. He will keep the poor and protect the needy. Indeed, God has a special concern for those who are oppressed.

The psalm also teaches us that God’s word is trustworthy and faithful. If He says that He will arise, we can count on that. We can count on Him, period.

Father God, thank you that your words are pure words. Thank you that your Scripture has been tested and it is purified. Thank you that you satisfy the desires of those who are poor and needy. Thank you that you will protect us from the wicked. Thank you, too, that you are generous and lavish with your gifts. You are not stingy with your portions. You give more than we expect, more than we deserve, and more than we need. We ask that you fill our lives with your Holy Spirit. Let us praise you for the abundant life you give us in Jesus Christ. We pray in his name, Amen.