Insightful Musings on theScriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

David is again overwhelmed with the volume of attacks against him. Not fun! I guess that’s one of the occupational hazards of being a king. It’s also one of the hazardous consequences of a sincere HEART AFTER GOD in the context of a FALLEN WORLD. Those who don’t like God don’t like people who do like God—especially those who love Him. But by the end of the psalm, however, David is inspired to reaffirm his bottom-line confidence: “All mankind will fear; they will proclaim the works of God and ponder what he has done.” His confidence is that things will not always be this way. God will call people to account for their rejection and rebellion against Him. He will not allow wrong and evil to run rough-shod indefinitely without accounts being settled. There is coming a time when all men everywhere in all time will be forced to face up to the absolute TRUTH of God, even if they have never done so previously. I am inspired with the same confidence while facing the threatening developments in the hostile environment of our own modern world. Paul stated well that confidence: “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9-11). This TRUTH is as integral to our Biblical faith as is the crucifixion, resurrection, and heaven. The sad fact is, however, that many, if not most, will only do that after it’s too late for their confession to benefit them.

“They will proclaim the works of God and ponder what he has done.” Hang on the word “ponder.” I am thinking that word represents what we can tag as perhaps the greatest shortcoming of mankind—simply failing to personally take time to think rationally about the vast display of cause and affect all around them—including their very existence—failing to exercise their own objective intelligence in examining the evidence—leading to the logical conclusion that it would be absolutely impossible for mindless matter, chance, and time to think up all that is—the order of the solar system—the order and spectrum of plant and animal life forms—even the absurd notion of accidental life in the first place. Here is my dogmatic scientific deduction: THERE CANNOT NOT BE A GOD!

Criminals who are caught in their crimes and sentenced are given time in prison to ponder what they have done. An unrepentant rebellious sinner will also be given a lot of time in eternity to ponder what he has done or not done in response to what He has done. That sure sounds like tell—with or without fire!

WISDOM is again the theme of Proverbs 4. The father/author pleads with his son to seek her, esteem her, embrace her, and never never never let her go. It’s easy to recognize how WISDOM harmonizes with the FOCUS VERSE. After all, WISDOM stops to ponder and appreciate what God has done. But that’s not all there is to it. Such pondering will also prepare one to effectively “proclaim the works of God.”