Posted on 01/09/2020 6:44:24 AM PST by Pilgrim's Progress
“For by me thy days shall be multiplied, and the years of thy life shall be increased. If thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself: but if thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it” (Proverbs 9:11-12 KJV).
An OT promise to an OT Jew who is promised physical blessings isn’t necessarily true of you and me. I realize that in America, it is different in the sense that we haven’t suffered very much persecution over here. But if you get saved in some countries across the world, and live it, it might be the end of you. In those places, wisdom might mean a short life. God’s promise to the church today isn’t necessarily physical blessings but spiritual blessings.
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3 KJV).
The Jew was blessed with all physical blessings. If he did right and lived the way that God told him to live, God would allow him to live a long life. One of the promises of honoring parents was that their days would be long upon the earth. And if they kept the Law, they wouldn’t be sick: “And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee” (Exodus 15:26 KJV).
Now, you can keep the Law as a Christian, and you can keep the commandments of God and do what a Christian is supposed to do and die a martyr. Especially is this true on a foreign field of service somewhere.
So, it’s an Old Testament promise and a general promise. It doesn’t always happen. If the whole nation was out of the will of God—even though a few might live right—the promise was often withheld from Israel. Israel needed to be in the will of God to be blessed by the conditional covenants.
“If thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself: but if thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it.”
The teaching here is that a man reaps what he sows. If a man is wise, he will profit by it. If a man is a scorner, he will bear it. He is not hurting anybody but himself. He is not increasing anyone else’s judgment, he is increasing his own. “Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; Who will render to every man according to his deeds” (Romans 2:4-6 KJV). He will reap what he has sown.
Now, it is true that others will be affected by his actions, but ultimately, he will bear his own judgment, his own burden.
Daily Bible study is necessary if we are going to begin our day with the right attitude and the right spiritual diet. Proverbs has 31 chapters, and most months have 31 days, so let’s read a chapter of Proverbs a day and see what God might have for us. As the Lord leads, share with us what God has shown you in a special way and by His grace let us build up a devotional repository. Let’s keep our knives and forks handy for some daily bread! Ideally, a chapter or two of Proverbs will fit in nicely with a good plan of reading our Bibles through each year.
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