THROUGH THE BIBLE IN THREE YEARS
This program of daily devotions is designed to take you through the Bible in three years. It is our desire to help you gain a better general understanding of God's Word.
Please understand that in a study this brief, we will be concerned with only the major emphases and context of the Scriptures.
Each day a devotion for one or two chapters is posted, beginning with chapter one of Genesis and going through chapter twenty-two of Revelation. You are free to print each page as it appears. If you miss a day, you may contact us and request that devotion. Please send your request, along with $.50 (p&handling) for each page to:
Bruce McGee,Pastor
205 Adams
Columbia, LA 71418
We have a great friend in Gary Godard. He has set up an archive page. To view ALL the prior devotions by Scripture, just clik
Bro. Bruce's commentaries for
the books of Genesis through 2Kings are
now available in hard copy for $7.50. Just mail your request for
COMMENTARY ON (BOOK NAME) to the address above.
PROVERBS
CHAPTER 7
1 My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee. 2 Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye. 3 Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart. 4 Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; and call understanding thy kinswoman: 5 That they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger which flattereth with her words.
Again we find that the focus of the "wise" person is upon the "Father's" Word. The Christian should keep the Bible in plain view at all times. They should be MEMORIZED and LEARNED (verse 3).
IF a person has an intimate association with God through His Word, that person will AVOID adultery (verse 5).
6 For at the window of my house I looked through my casement, 7 And beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding, 8 Passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house, 9 In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night: 10 And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart. 11(She is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house: 12 Now is she without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner.) 13 So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said unto him, 14 I have peace offerings with me; this day have I payed my vows. 15 Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee. 16 I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt. 17 I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. 18 Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves. 19 For the goodman is not at home, he is gone a long journey: 20 He hath taken a bag of money with him, and will come home at the day appointed. 21 With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him. 22 He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks; 23 Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life.
Here the Bible gives an example of a young man being enticed into adultery. This could also apply to a young woman being enticed.
The one being enticed is a "simple one," (verse 7) or one "void of understanding." Obviously, this person's focus is not upon the Word of God, and the directions of life that God gives.
The adulteress is pictured as crafty and cunning (verse 21). She claims to be religious (verse 14), but she is lonely (verse 19).
A person without God's Word may not realize that adultery is DANGEROUS (verse 23)! ((See also the commentary on Chapter 5))
24 Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth. 25 Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths. 26 For she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by her. 27 Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.
Sensual attraction by an adulterer or adulteress is magnetic. Refusal requires determined focus upon the Word of God and using the Word to make decisions.
Sex outside of marriage leads to "hell." The word for "hell" here is a word which means the grave.
CHAPTER 8
1 Doth not wisdom cry? and understanding put forth her voice? 2 She standeth in the top of high places, by the way in the places of the paths. 3 She crieth at the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in at the doors. 4 Unto you, O men, I call; and my voice is to the sons of man. 5 O ye simple, understand wisdom: and, ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart. 6 Hear; for I will speak of excellent things; and the opening of my lips shall be right things.
Just as worldliness is at the corner of every street, wisdom from God is more than available for any who would desire it.
To be sinful, a person must LISTEN to the world, desire to be like the world, and then be willing to participate in the wrongs of the world.
What God is saying here is that to be godly a person must do the same things. One must LISTEN to the WORD, desire to be like the Word says a person should be, then be willing to apply himself/herself to being as God teaches.
It actually takes LESS effort to be godly than it does to be worldly!! That's because when we surrender to Christ, He will HELP us to follow the teachings of the Word of God.
"But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." (John 14:26)
7 For my mouth shall speak truth; and wickedness is an abomination to my lips. 8 All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing froward or perverse in them. 9 They are all plain to him that understandeth, and right to them that find knowledge.
The Word of God is TRUTH. Perhaps that's why some people say "it's hard to understand." The Bible is NOT hard to understand when we are truly seeking TRUTH!
The person who has truly surrendered to Christ Jesus as Lord of his/her life, will find the Bible PLAIN for understanding!
10 Receive my instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold. 11 For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it. 12 I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions.
The REAL problem is receiving the Word of God and being willing to apply it to life.
All the fame, power and money of the world cannot compare to the riches of wisdom from God!
True wisdom is shown by PRUDENCE - making good decisions.
13 The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate. 14 Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom: I am understanding; I have strength. 15 By me kings reign, and princes decree justice. 16 By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth.
"Fear," (or genuine respect) for the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (See Proverbs 1:7). And the genuine respect for God will RESULT in realizing how pride and sin are UNgodly attributes.
A REAL leader will lead by making good decisions based on wisdom gained from God's Word.
17 I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me. 18 Riches and honour are with me; yea, durable riches and righteousness. 19 My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; and my revenue than choice silver. 20 I lead in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgment: 21 That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasures.
Love given is returned. When a person LOVES God's Word, the Bible RETURNS love to the person by showing him/her how to make decisions that are DURABLE in righteousness.
God's Word will LEAD a person in making right decisions. And when a person FOLLOWS the Word, he/she will find that the "riches" given are even MORE durable than the world's riches.
22 The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. 23 I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. 24 When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water. 25 Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth: 26 While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world. 27 When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth: 28 When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep: 29 When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth: 30 Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him; 31 Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and my delights were with the sons of men.
God has owned wisdom since before the creation of time. And God USED wisdom to create all things.
God created man and gave mankind "free will." This resulted in sinfulness, which God knew beforehand. But God has a plan for the JUSTIFICATION and REDEMPTION of man. That plan is SURRENDER to Jesus Christ as Lord. If a person does that, then God will JUSTIFY that person and exhonerate him/her from all sin!
My friends, THAT is true wisdom! It mystifies the reasoning of man! It is beyond comprehension of the finite mind! It boggles even the imagination!
But God's "delights" are with the "sons of men." His DESIRE is to see them forgiven and saved from eternal destruction.
32 Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye children: for blessed are they that keep my ways. 33 Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not. 34 Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. 35 For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the LORD. 36 But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death.
Wisdom, being personified here, calls to all mankind to LISTEN.
To HEAR God's Word of His offer of salvation, and FOLLOW that Word is to receive true wisdom. True wisdom brings LIFE.
To FAIL to hear and follow God's Word of salvation leads to DEATH - or separation from God for eternity.
The Bible is the revelation of Jesus Christ. It is also the revelation of the plan of God for the salvation of man. When a person HEEDS the Word of God, he/she will surrender to Jesus as Lord and find ETERNAL LIFE!
PLEASE CONTINUE IN BIBLE STUDY WITH US TOMORROW.