The Mocker and the Brawler

For Friday, January 12, 2006
Proverbs 20:1

Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler,
and whoever is led astray by it is not wise.

The drinker takes on the personality of what he drinks. He becomes silly, turns foolish, and loses all sense of control so that he becomes a brawler. Many drink because alcohol releases natural inhibition. The shy person becomes extroverted. But he also loses control of his commonsense. He may feel unhibited, but in truth the alcohol controls him. He cannot make his own decisions.

For many alcohol gives them a mean personality. They easily take offense when others do not see how wonderful their lack of inhibition makes them. They are surprised to find others taking offense when they mock people. Can't everyone see how witty they are? Can't everyone take in the fun?

The drinker certainly is not wise while intoxicated, but his real lack of wisdom lies in not seeing that he cannot control his drinking. Scripture does not condemn the enjoyment of wine; but it does warn of the danger of intoxication. The immediate danger is turning over control of one's own personality. The long range danger is losing control when one is sober. The drinker cannot stop his drinking. He cannot handle reality while sober. He cannot even recognize that he is an alcoholic.

Wine is a mocker and strong drink a brawler, and their primary victim is the one who delights in them.

The Scoffer and the Fool

For Thursday, January 11, 2007
Proverbs 19:29

Condemnation is ready for scoffers,
and beating for the backs of fools.

Condemnation and beating is what scoffers and fools prepare for themselves. Scoffers will not win hearers (unless they are other scoffers and fools). For a brief time, some may try to listen to them, but will quickly realize that the scoffers have nothing constructive to say; indeed, that they delight in mocking rather than building up. Similarly, some will try to reason with fools but will learn the very folly of such effort.

Thus, all that is left for scoffers is condemnation. They will not listen to reason and even chastisement has no effect. They cannot be re-educated or reformed. What remains is to ignore them, and if they make themselves too much of a nuisance then to punish them. The best that can be done is to restrain them until their time of condemnation.

With the fool there is at least the possibility that a beating will sober them. They may possibly change some behavior to avoid punishment. Reason, however, is of little avail. As the earlier chapters demonstrated presenting lady Wisdom calling out to the foolish and not being heard demonstrated.

All the more wondrous then is the work of God in us. For we scoffed at his commandments and foolishly thought ourselves wise to ignore him. Yet, instead of condemnation; instead of beating, we received mercy. The Son of God was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed (Isaiah 53:5).

The Happy Wicked

For Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Proverbs 19:28

A worthless witness mocks at justice,
and the mouth of the wicked devours iniquity.

This is yet another proverb recognizing the inner nature of the wicked. They do not act wickedly out of ignorance. They do not have a miguided sense of justice. Showing them the error of their ways does not bring repentance. Rather, they are pleased the "error of their ways" is receiving recognition.

They like wickedness. As the proverb points out, they eat it up. To get away with a lie makes their day. A lie is not merely a tool to get out of trouble or to gain something they value. As a craftsman delights in the work itself, so the liar delights in his art of lying. The wicked sleep well at night. Like the righteous who lies in bed satisfied with having done good, the wicked are satisfied by having done evil.

Therefore pray for the wicked who believe the one big lie - that they are getting away with their wickedness. For the day of retribution will come. Pray for the wicked, for their only hope is that the Holy Spirit will turn their hearts of stone into hearts of flesh. Pray for the wicked whose evil deeds illustrate what we still do in our thoughts and too often in our own deeds, however subtle they may be. We all sin because we want to sin. Pray for the wicked, for such were we without Christ. Our hearts too were hearts of stone, and we are counted righteous only by the work of Christ for us.

Cease and Stray

For Tuesday, January 9, 2007
Proverbs 19:27

Cease to hear instruction, my son,
and you will stray from the words of knowledge.

Stop hearing instruction and you will not only stop learning more, but you will stray from the path of knowledge. Ceasing to learn more is not a matter of slowing down and letting others pass you by. Rather, it is straying off the path of knowledge altogether. A patient who stops receiving physical therapy too soon, not only stops improving but regresses. So it is for anyone who thinks he no longer needs to hear instruction.

James says that if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he will forget what he learned (James 1:22ff). Solomon is saying that if anyone thinks he no longer needs to hear, he will begin to do what is wrong. He will stray. He begins to interpret wrongly what he sees. He will make mistakes in judgment. And worse, he will lose his ability to discern when he makes mistakes. He no longer has the ability to hear.

The mark of wisdom is not reaching a plateau where you no longer need instruction. It is reaching the point where you delight in hearing instruction. Certainly for the believer, it is the delight in hearing instruction in the Word of God. The true person of knowledge cannot hear the gospel enough; he cannot receive enough instruction in the teachings of grace; he cannot hear too many times about the greatness of his God and the wonders of his works; he cannot desire too much to live a life that glorifies his Lord.

The Rebellious Child

For Monday, January 8, 2007
Proverbs 19:26

He who does violence to his father and chases away his mother
is a son who brings shame and reproach.

Rebellion against parents is an especially grievous offense in scriptures. Striking one's father or mother was punishable by death. Rebellion against proper authority is wrong, but there something more involved in the rebellion against parents. Proverbs speaks of the sorrow, bitterness, and shame that parents of a foolish son experience. There is something sacrilegious in committing actual violence against one's parents.

All the more then consider the offense against our heavenly Father. Earthly parents are themselves sinful and can exasperate their children so as to lead to violence. But our Father is righteous. Thus to rebel against him is to do violence against rightful and righteous authority. But more so it is to do violence against one with even closer connection than a parent - the one who created us and keeps watch over us. For we who belong to Christ it is to rebel against the one who has redeemed us and loves us with a steadfast love.

How great indeed is this steadfast love of the Father. For it is while we were sinners that Christ died for us; it is while we were rebellious enemies that Christ reconciled us. How much more then now that we are reconciled shall we be saved by his life (cf Romans 5:6-11). How great is the patience of God who forgives all our sins, even the ones committed today! This is not an excuse to sin, but it is an excuse to daily be in awe of our Heavenly Father who loves us with a steadfast love!