Insightful Musings on the Scriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Good afternoon, dear people.

It’s been a beautiful day here so far. Becki and I did our walk/jog early. And Dandy got his workout…so much so that he had to drop into his cold tub (opposite of a hot tub) again at the bottom of the hill in order to cool off.

I took some time early to coach Thano at climbing a fir tree near the creek, using my spurs, saddle, rope, chainsaw, etc. He has never done it and seemed to really enjoy the challenge. He zipped off a few limbs, then slung the rope over a limb and made the transfer from the flip-line to the rope, and rappelled down. Cool. Want to see a photo?

While Thano was up the tree, I had a call from a building inspector and had to go into town to preach at him—I mean confer with him over a sign installation. He gave full approval, and things did open up to have a good chat over our Biblical faith.

On to other things. Blessings on the rest of your day.

Love, Dad/Ray.

As a young guy, I had reason to wonder about the Biblical standard of “brotherly love.” The context for my wonder was my own experience, within my own family, living with my own brother, who was four years older. The idea was presented in Sunday School lessons and sermons as an ideal within the family of God. For example, I heard preachers make reference to Proverbs 18:24 as a picture of Christ’s relationship with His followers—“A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” My response was, “I sure hope so!”—because my brother wasn’t very supportive when we were kids. He seemed to love exploiting his superiority. All that turned around, however, when I was a sophomore in High School and I beat him in arm-wrestling. Suddenly, I had a new level of respect. But, if that’s how love and respect is supposed to work within the “family of God” (1 Peter 4:17), I reasoned, the “family of God” is in trouble!

The brotherhood of Jacob and Esau wasn’t very ideal either. In fact, the negative influence of their lousy rival-ridden relationship continues to this day in the conflict of the Arabs with the Jews. And, in view of the universal “Fatherhood of God” (Who disciplines and punishes His children for purposes of correction), and the “brotherhood of man,” there is an important lesson to glean from Obadiah’s prophecy against Edom, the descendants of Esau. Solomon was inspired with the same lesson when he writes, “Do not gloat when your enemy (who is still your brother) falls; when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice, or the Lord will see and disapprove and turn his wrath away from him (toward you)” (Proverbs 24:17-18). The author of Hebrews picks up on another quote from Solomon (Proverbs 3:11-12) when he writes, “"My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son." Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons” (Hebrews 12:5-9). The point is, even though my brother deserves it, and, at this point in time, he is performing like an enemy, I am not supposed to gloat and celebrate when he gets a whopper whipping. Why? Because that ceases to be love—which is prescribed by the Father as the operating system for the family of God—to the point that you are to even “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:44-45). That’s an order given by your Big Brother—Whom you could NEVER beat in arm-wrestling!

Here’s another reason to heed this advice: YOUR TURN IS COMING! How do I know? “…because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.” Bank on it!