Insightful Musings on the Scriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Greetings, dear people…

…on another beautiful morning. Becki and I got in another walk/jog. I even brought along the tennis ball flinger and a ball…and ran Dandy’s legs off. Actually, he still has them. They’re just a little shorter. Yesterday, following church, we had occasion to take lunch at a Denny’s Restaurant. The staffers there were wearing SEAHAWKS jerseys and t-shirts. Something occurred to me…so I volunteered some information to one of the waiters. I said, “You may not believe this, but I played football with the SEAHAWKS in Seattle for three years.” As expected, he looked at me in disbelief. Then I added, “I actually graduated from Sealth High School in Seattle, and we were called the SEAHAWKS.”

On with the day! Be blessed.

Love, Dad/Ray.

One of the strongest pieces of evidence to support Biblical authority and its divinely-inspired authorship is to observe the flow of harmony and continuity over the span of so many hundreds of years engaging so many human writers. For one to conclude that it just happened by accident or coincidence is like concluding that EVERYTHING ELSE just happened by accident or coincidence. No other Old Testament book presents a more clear statement concerning resurrection of the dead, judgment, and man’s one-or-the-other eternal destiny than what we have here. Those themes, of course, are supported and amplified by a large amount of New Testament revelation, not the least of which is Jesus’ emphatic declaration in John 5:28-29: “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out — those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned.”

Here’s the deal, as I see it—it comes down to this: If I am going to chafe against this facet of Biblical revelation that begins with my SIN and my need for a SAVIOR, and reject the Biblical idea of a future resurrection at which time I will be judged by a Holy Sovereign God and be assigned to either eternity with Him or eternity without Him—well, I think it would be quite appropriate to write off the whole body of Biblical presentation as nonsense—because if this is not true, then none of it is true. It would be quite reasonable to use its pages as fire starter or cigarette paper.

The verse following the FOCUS VERSE is about as awesome as it gets. “Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever” (12:3). My little bald head is having a terrible time bringing that image into clear focus. But here’s what is clear with high resolution: RIGHTEOUSNESS IS IMPORTANT! In other words, right standing with my MAKER/OWNER is important. And where do I get this RIGHTEOUSNESS? From me? Nope! I ain’t got none! I get it by SEEKING FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS (Matthew 6:33). In this regard, I can’t lead anyone to a place where I’m not—or pass on to someone something I don’t have.

Notice too that the status of being “wise” is contrasted here not with being foolish, but with being “wicked” (12:10). As I think about that, it occurs to me—“What’s the difference?” Foolish, wicked—I guess they’re both about the same in that they both end up in the same sad place. The wonderful Biblical Gospel announces that we are given opportunity to be neither.

The final word given to Daniel is a good final word for us too: “As for you, go your way till the end. You will rest, and then at the end of the days you will rise to receive your allotted inheritance” (12:13). Are you excited yet?