Many individuals are consumed with saving the earth. While this is a noble idea, it would be wise to first learn what it is that is truly defiling the earth.
The Old Testament Law declares and expresses the mind of God. It demonstrates God’s hatred for sin and His desire for just judgment.
Man’s opinion concerning the sinfulness of sin very rarely reflects God’s holy, perfect, and righteous declarations. This is because man does not think like God. The Lord expressed these sentiments in Isaiah 55:8-9 when He said, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, . . . For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Even a cursory study of rebellion verifies these truths as a man generally thinks of it more lightly than he ought. Man describes rebellion as strong willed or independent; however, God provides an accurate description as He states that “rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.” Because God likens rebellion to witchcraft, the Old Testament punishment for rebellion was likewise death (Deuteronomy 21:18-23). There can be no doubt as to the seriousness of this sin from God’s perspective.
A sure sign of rebellion involves the rejection of God’s word. Throughout scripture, the Lord associates rebellion with a willful decision on the part of an individual or people group to refuse to hear. In Psalm 107:11 the Bible says, “Because they rebelled against the words of God, and contemned the counsel of the most High.” In Nehemiah 9:26 the scripture declares, “Nevertheless they were disobedient, and rebelled against thee, and cast thy law behind their backs.” Those who make their necks stiff in rebellion will not incline their ears in order to receive instruction (Jeremiah 17:23). They may accept the counsel of others but refuse the Lord’s counsel (Isaiah 30:1).
Scripture misconceptions are frequently based upon superficial understanding of Bible texts and truths. For example, very few Bible teachers seem to grasp the biblical definition of gluttony. Most people consider gluttony as referring to the sin of overeating. However, the Bible’s built-in dictionary suggests a completely different scenario. Consider the two parallels within our text. Proverbs 23:21 defines the drunkard as someone among winebibbers in verse 20. Additionally, Proverbs 23:21 defines the glutton as someone among riotous eaters of flesh in verse 20. This context shows us that gluttony is not determined so much by the amount of food eaten, but the manner of food consumption. The fact that gluttony and drunkenness are mentioned every time together further confirms this truth (Deuteronomy 21:20; Proverbs 23:21; Matthew 11:19; Luke 7:34). Notice that the last two references in Matthew and Luke refer to the false accusations hurled toward the Saviour. When Christ’s accusers referred to Him as a gluttonous man and a winebibber, they were referring to His associations with the publicans and sinners, not His personal eating and drinking habits!
The various dieting trends push for several additional times that man should eat. The Bible clears up any question concerning the number of meals an individual should eat in a single day. Believers should be very careful not to accept the latest trends as though they are the best or even from the Lord. Within scripture, one finds someone partaking of the meal commonly called breakfast (Judges 19:5), at other times, one finds someone partaking of a meal at noon (Genesis 43:16), and at other times, partaking of an evening meal (Luke 24:29-30). In the case of Elijah, the Lord only fed him twice a day (1 Kings 17:6). The most important truth to realize and consider: know that food purposes to give man the necessary strength to fulfil the will of the Lord.
One does not have to read much Bible before finding that God is completely worthy of man’s trust. The Lord preserved Noah and his family from a worldwide flood. God gave Abraham and Sarah a son long after it was thought to be physically possible. The Lord delivered the Israelites from Egypt and led them through a barren wilderness, providing their every need on the way to the land of Canaan. The Lord gave David a great victory when he faced the giant Goliath. God sent His only begotten Son to die on the cross for the sins of the world. He brought His Son out of the grave and now hears that Son as He intercedes on behalf of believers. No wonder David said, “they that know thy name will put their trust in thee.”
Modern Christianity has been redefining Bible terminology and fasting is no exception. Perhaps this is because Christians want to look spiritual without the necessary dedication. Some claim to be fasting from certain things like caffeine or sugar intake. The Bible does not offer anyone this type of latitude. True biblical fasting involves much more than refraining from some handpicked pleasure. According to our passage, Paul entreated the people to take meat because they had been fasting for two weeks. Esther 4:16 reveals that fasting consists of taking no food or drink. Although some Bible teachers have suggested that fasting means to simply refrain from earthly joys, fasting in the Bible always includes refraining from food or from both food and drink. Even the results of fasting identify that it is associated with depriving the body of food. In Psalm 109:24, David said, “My knees are weak through fasting; and my flesh faileth of fatness.” Foregoing earthly pleasures is a byproduct of fasting, not the sole object.
The Old Testament Law sometimes condemned the guilty without remedy and with little mercy for the oft offending party. Our passage explains one such instance. It describes the method by which God's Law punished a disobedient child following repeated attempts made to correct him. Certainly, the method of punishment has changed under grace, but the passage proves the importance of obedience. Though God’s method of punishment has changed, His requirement for obedience has remained forever constant. Failing to learn obedience at an early age presents a stumbling block that impedes future growth. Perhaps this is why the Old Testament Law was so strict in punishing offending children. Unfortunately, far too many children in Christian homes think that if they could simply escape the confines of their godly homes they could truly enjoy life. Some of these children simply can't wait to grow up to be finally free to do whatever they want. However, God demands obedience and judges disobedience regardless of one's misconceptions.
