The Attributes of God:

The Timing of God Ecclesiastes 3:1-15 “He has made everything appropriate in its time.”               Often we look upon life; it seems like a series of chance events interrupt our life without meaning or purpose and incomprehensible to us.  There is a time to be born and a time to die. Yet the time is not only undetermined by us but entirely beyond our ability to grasp.  Just as we had no say in determining when we were born, we also have no say concerning the timing of our death.  The length of time and the events along the timeline of our lives are utterly undetermined by us.  The list of 14 different pairs of opposite ends of the spectrum illustrates that our lives are governed by a series of fixed events but not fixed by us.  Even though these events happen, we are powerless to cause or stop them in the end. These events happen whether we are ready for them or not....

The Paradox of Life Ecclesiastes 1:1-11 “Vanities of Vanities, says the preacher, Vanities of vanities! All is vanity.”               The book of  Ecclesiastes has long been an enigma to readers and scholars alike.  At first glance, the book seems to be the musing of a disillusioned sage who sees the world as hopelessly distorted.  In verse 2, we find a central theme of the book that seems to introduce the reader to the hopelessness of life.  The word “vanity” is used 37 times throughout the book and stands in contrast to the word wisdom/wise, which occurs 49 times.  However, surprisingly, in a book that is part of the wisdom literature of the bible (along with the book of Proverbs), even wisdom itself is seen as a source of grief and pain rather than joy and meaning.               The word “vanity” liter...

The Wise Recognize their Ignorance Proverbs 20:1-9 “Surely I am more stupid than any man… Every word of God is tested.”               Wisdom does not start with knowledge; wisdom begins with recognizing our ignorance.  At first, it seems that Agur contradicts the search for wisdom that has permeated the book.  Throughout the book, wisdom calls out for people to come and find her and gain knowledge and understanding of life.  However, for the writer, this starts by confessing his lack of wisdom and understanding.  This is not false humility nor a depressing confession of his inability to gain any insight.  The issue is not how little he knows; the problem is the standard by which he compares his knowledge.  The standard he uses to evaluate his understanding is God himself.  Rather than comparing himself to others, he looks at God, and in relationship to G...

The God of Wisdom Provers 3:13-26 “The Lord by wisdom found the earth, but understanding He established the heavens.” Vs. 19   Wisdom is more than just an attribute we must strive to ingrain in our lives.  Wisdom is an expression of the character of God that served as the foundation for all his creative works.  In Proverbs, wisdom is extolled as the foundation for all decisions.  The wise and fool are contrasted, not by their intellectual ability or even their successful ventures in business, but by their ability to operate within the framework of God's moral law.  While a person can be successful from a worldly perspective, it can be nullified if achieved outside God’s moral order.  Because of this, wisdom and understanding are the most valuable possessions one can have.  They are more precious than everything this world places value upon (vs. 14).  Wisdom is desired above all things, and no possession or attain...

The Appeal of Wisdom Proverbs 8 “Does not wisdom call, and understanding lift up her voice?   In chapter 7, folly is presented as a harlot calling out in the streets.  Like a seductress woman of the streets, she makes proud and boisterous calls to lure individuals with her appeal.  She promises pleasure and happiness, but her appeal brings only destruction in the end.  With her appeal for pleasure without consequences, she entices people to her sin.  But in the end, she brings death and destruction to those who follow her.  She even gives the false illusion of religious devotion in that she has fulfilled her spiritual vows and offered up her peace offerings (vs. 15). Yet, her house is the way to Sheol, descending to the chambers of death (vs27).  Such is the appeal of folly today.  With the same appeal, folly continues to entice people to embrace the new morality of pleasure (both sexual and material). The mantra...

The Source of Wisdom Proverbs 3:1-12 “Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and turn away from evil.”               What is the basis by which we determine moral truth?  This question has become hotly debated as traditional values conflict with post-modern values.  In this debate, the question we must ask is, “Whom do we believe?”  Do we turn to God and his morality revealed in the Bible or do we turn to popular culture and the ethics of our present culture?               Having stated that the basis of all wisdom is the fear of the Lord, the sage now turns our attention to the question: how do we determine right and wrong?  Where do we turn to find moral and spiritual truth?  In response to the question, the Sage confronts us with two options:  Do we trust in the wisdom of men, or do w...

  The foundation for Wisdom Proverbs 1:1-7 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.”               The book of Proverbs is widely regarded as one of the most practical books of the Bible.  Filled with proverbial statements and insightful wisdom, the book provides guidance and direction in the nitty-gritty of life.  It is a book that provides guidance and direction for almost every situation in life.               In the book of Proverbs, the wise is not necessarily the smartest. Even though the individual has an excellent intellect that enables the person to excel and succeed in business, the person may still lack wisdom.  In the world, people with incredible IQ and intellectual prowess are looked up to.  We see financial prosperity and career advancement as the measure of success.  The s...