Sanam Doctrinam

The foolishness of man ruins his way,
And his heart rages against the LORD.
Proverbs 19:3

While being angry at the Lord is not justifiable, it is understandable. If, as Proverbs tells us, God is ultimately in control (16:1,9,33), then it is understandable why folks might blame God for calamity that befalls them through no fault of their own. Scripture extols those who know God to express confidence in His sovereign plan, even in the midst of great tragedy (Psalm 46:10). For example, righteous Job is positively portrayed when, after the loss of all he has, he exclaims, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I shall return there. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD” (Job 1:21).

Today’s proverb, however, speaks of those who ruin their lives through their own fault, and still get angry at God.

I’ve not been around that long, but I have discovered this is common in our world—including the Christian world.

There are a great host of Christians who might be called 911 Christians. That is, they live their life while ignoring God. They don’t seek Him in His Word. They don’t take His commands seriously. They don’t take time for prayer. Fellowship with the people of God falls to the bottom of their priorities, and corporate worship and teaching becomes an option only when it is convenient. They disregard the principles of God’s Word, living for what feels good at the time.

As a result of ignoring God, they reap the bitter consequences of their self-directed life. This may be as pointed a consequence as a sexually-transmitted disease. The consequences may, however, be far more subtle. The consequences of their ignoring their Creator’s claim on their lives may be simply that they don’t have any solidity and stability when trials strike. When their lives fall apart, they don’t even know how to respond from a biblical perspective. Either way, it is their foolishness—their careless neglect of God—that brings about disaster in their lives.

And, so, like a person dialing 911 when an emergency arises, these folks try to “call up” God, asking Him to intervene. When He doesn’t step in and fix everything, they rage at Him.

Though I’ve been talking in the third person, I think each of us has a tinge of 911 Christianity. We may or may not be living our lives in blatant disregard of God and His Word, but all of us neglect our Lord at some points. In fact, that neglect is what the Bible calls “sin.”

What can we glean from Proverbs 19:3? Just this: Stay near to God. To wander from Him and live our lives by our own will instead of His is the worst kind of foolishness. We end up hurting only ourselves and ruining our lives. There is no sense in being angry with God over a self-inflicted injury.

As I prepare to take a group of H.S. students to England in a month from tomorrow, I am having to do the work of cultural training. What we will be encountering while there will mainly be Sikhism, Hinduism, and Islam. The area we will be in is 25% Indian and Pakistani and heavily Sikh and Hindu.

It is interesting as you view the beliefs of both of these groups, that although they are different in some ways (Sikhism abandons some of the trappings of Hinduism, which is it’s predecessor), it all comes down to how good of a person you are. Instead of conversion creating a change in who you are, you must change who you are for conversion to be accomplished, if it can be accomplished at all. Part of the eastern way of thinking of this is in regard to Karma. Karma either sets you up for something better or for the fall in the next life (reincarnation).

I have to admit, I will be doing a lot of self training in regard to sharing the gospel in this sort of environment. I feel a bit like Paul in Athens as he gazed about and was troubled in his heart by what he saw, but I don’t know if I will be able to communicate or articulate as clearly as he, in regard to my audience. Please pray for this.

So I have to prepare myself, plus the others who are going with me, to effectively plant the seeds of Truth to those who are so used to something else. Beyond the challenge of getting everyone on the plane and through immigration, tackling the cultural changes we will encounter, etc. I feel the most apprehensive about sharing the gospel. Not out of fear, but out of clearly communicating it with those who have a reference point I am not used to referencing.

Please keep us in your prayers as we prepare!

A rich man’s wealth is his strong city,
And like a high wall in his own imagination.
Proverbs 18:11

Last week, we looked at the proper source of security in life: the name of the Lord. This week, I’d like us to spend some time thinking about the very next verse. Instead of telling more about the place to find security, it tells us where we oftentimes mistakenly look for security.

At the outset, we need to acknowledge that there are an abundance of places to seek security. Let’s consider a few.

Money. This one is the one dealt with in today’s proverb. Money is the answer to everything, Solomon observed (Ecclesiastes 10:19). In the realm of life under the sun, he’s right. Compared to those who live paycheck to paycheck, and all other things being equal, a person who possesses wealth has an easier existence than one who does not. Despite the oft-quoted adage that “money can’t buy happiness,” it must be added that money will buy a whole lot of other things. Money will buy a great host of conveniences that make life easier. Money is certainly a place people seek security in our world.

Relationships. For many areas of life that money doesn’t touch, relationships are an answer. Early in life, these relationships come in the form of a mother or a father. Even in adulthood, this can continue to be the place we seek security. How many times have we heard, “My mother is my anchor,” or, “I need my dad during this time”? As we mature, the hunt for Mr. Right or Ms. Right can become a search for security. We start looking for that perfect mate who can be our helper for life. Perhaps we seek security in friends. If we have good, close friends, we feel safe and protected.

Health. Nothing beats a good report from the doctor, does it? If the ticker’s doing a great job, our arteries are clear, nothing’s out of order, and our weight is within proper range, we can find a sense of security in the fact that medical science tells us that we will likely continue to live well for years to come.

Familiarity. It’s good to be in a place we know well and in which we feel comfortable. It’s nice to not have to worry about uprooting and moving to a new community and new surroundings. We feel secure when everything is well-known and expected.

Having provided four areas of life in which we seek security, I need to add that none of these provide ultimate security. Money runs out. The market may crash. Thousands of people lost millions of dollars in the dot com crash. Money isn’t a place of ultimate security.

Relationships fall apart. People divorce. Spouses desert one another, leaving the other with an aching sense of rejection. Friends become enemies. Parents die. Relationships let us down. There is no security here, either.

Our health gives out. It’s guaranteed. For every single one of us, our health will fail. In fact, our health will fail so badly, we’ll die (barring fatal accidents, etc.)! Death is the absolute health failure.

As for familiarity, it’s been pointed out that the only constant is change. We will not remain in a situation of the comfortable status quo for the course of our natural lives. The soothing warmth of familiarity cannot endure because things change.

Solomon selected only one of these four to identify as an inadequate source of security. He could have used any of the above. The vital word he used was “imagination.” The Hebrew word for imagination is sometimes used of idols. The idea is that an idol is nothing. The only thing that imparts significance to an idol is the imagination of the worshiper. The idol is but wood or stone. Similarly, Solomon says, the rich person can quickly imagine her wealth to be an insurmountable fortification that provides her absolute protection from the ills of life. Not so, says Solomon. Wealth is actually a rotten wall that falls at a moment’s notice (Proverbs 23:4-5). Pardon the pun, but you can’t bank on it.

The name of Yahweh (v. 10) is the only place we can go for certain security. Everything else will let you down. And, if you’re staking your security on it, you will likely be crushed in the collapse.

Be careful where you seek your security. You can only find it one place.

Please join in prayer for the Aaron Southwick family this morning. Aaron (a faithful reader and commenter on this site) and his wife Kristi are “afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed” because they are “always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in them.” See links here and here.

The name of the LORD is a strong tower;
The righteous runs into it and is safe.
Proverbs 18:10

We all want security in life, don’t we? Think about it. A snow storm is coming. We want to have plenty of food on hand. Why? Because it brings us a sense of security. We work in a trade where layoffs are common. We look for a company with which we will receive some assurance that our job won’t be terminated. Why? We want to feel secure. We try to minimize risk in our financial investments. Why? Because we don’t want to reach age 65 with not a dime in the bank. We avoid buying cars with mechanical problems. Why? Because we desire the sense of security having a quasi-reliable vehicle brings.

In a sense, the search for security drives our lives. It’s something we all want. Even inveterate risk takers are self-preservationists. Everyone (with the exception of people who commit suicide), at least cling to the security of maintaining their physical lives.

If you’re anticipating me saying that our search for security is wrong, you’ll be disappointed by what follows. Scripture never condemns the search for security. It simply tells us to make certain we go about it the right way.

This brings us to today’s Scripture, Proverbs 18:10. This verse describes the only place true security in life can be found.

Verse 10 simply tells us that Yahweh’s name is a strong tower. The idea of a name being a tower of refuge may be a foreign concept to us. Not so to the ancient Hebrews. An ancient name was equivalent to the person who bore it, because it expressed his nature and qualities. When Solomon speaks of “the name of the Yahweh,” he’s talking about God Himself.

Solomon says that when righteous people run to this tower that God is, they are kept safe. They gain true security. The verb translated “is safe” is a delightful one. Literally, it means “to be made inaccessibly high.” The idea is that we flee for safety to this tower, go up into it, and finds ourselves protected from the harm below. It is as if we find ourselves above the fray as a result of running to this tower. David says something strikingly similar in Psalm 27:5. There we read, “For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle; in the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock.” David was confident in the security God offered.

Now it is a fair question to ask how the righteous (those rightly related to God through simple trust in His Son) run to this tower. God is not a physical tower. Those who find security in Him must do so through faith. We find security in God by depending on His promises, by relying upon His Word. When we do so, we find perfect security.

We all want security. True security, however, is not found anywhere but in the name of Yahweh. If we run to Him, depending upon His promises, we will find the security only He offers.

Does that mean we will have unending physical preservation? Of course not. Instead, the promise here is that we will enjoy the security of living within the confines of God’s revealed will. God offers His tender direction and protection as a result of our trusting Him. Even if our body is destroyed by evil people, we will enjoy the tender confidence of knowing that we have pleased our Lord. Then we’ll know firsthand the truth of 1 John 2:17: “The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.”

Do you feel insecure? Trust the Lord to take care of you. Look to His caring protection and provision. Then, we will indeed find His name a strong tower.