Insightful Musings on theScriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Greetings, nice people.

It’s hard to believe that it’s already 11:36am—and hard to believe it’s already June.

I did another round of sawmill work close to the beautiful Molalla River. After quitting, I put on a thin wetsuit and jumped in the river with the primary mission of recovering a $12 lure that got snagged on the bottom on the other side of the river. It would have been the pits to hike down to that bank from the other side. I was successful at finding my lure. But I was disappointed at not seeing much evidence of fish.

I need to get back there to carry on with that huge cut-list. Blessings on your day.

Love, Dad/Ray.

I see a parallel between the impassioned appeal of MISS WISDOM to the masses in Proverbs 1 and Jesus’ impassioned appeal to the world (as stated to Nicodemas) in famous John 3:16. “Wisdom calls aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the public squares…’How long will you simple ones love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge?’” (Proverbs 1:20, 22). Listen again to her heart-break over the general stubborn refusal to submit to “the fear of the LORD,” which is WISDOM: “For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them; BUT WHOEVER LISTENS TO ME WILL LIVE IN SAFETY AND BE AT EASE, WITHOUT FEAR OF HARM” (vv. 32-33). Now compare John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His Only Begotten Son, that WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH IN HIM (No one is forced to believe in Him—people have the freedom to hold to their simple ways, to mock, and to hate knowledge if they so choose—but there are consequences) SHOULD NOT PERISH, but have everlasting life.” Aren’t these messages about the same?

The law of sowing and reaping is a big part of both appeals: “…they will eat the fruit of their schemes.” Be reminded of Paul’s warning against the presumption that one can successfully violate that law: “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life” (Galatians 6:7-9).

In view of this overarching law, let’s reaffirm two technical facts:

1. “The fear of the LORD” is a choice. No one has to do so if they don’t want to.
2. (2) God does not send people to hell. People send themselves to hell by choosing to oppose the law(s) of God when they don’t have to.

When these basic cause-and-effect terms are understood, I think it becomes abundantly reasonable to embrace a wholesome priority FEAR of NOT “fearing the LORD.”

(Impulse thought: “THE FEAR OF THE LORD” (equivalent to a HEART AFTER GOD) is the MARK OF GOD—without which there is no “buying or selling” within the Kingdom of God—without which there is little or no cooperation with His terms and conditions so as to glean the benefits thereof. Contrast that with the antithesis of the “MARK OF THE BEAST”—which, incidentally, is fast approaching.)