Perceived strength can be one’s own worst enemy. After all, it leads people to think that they are more powerful and capable than they really are.
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.
David prayed that the Lord would watch over his safety but also prayed that the Lord would hinder the efforts of the wicked. He asked God to refuse to grant the desires of the wicked and return their mischief upon their own heads. Within this context, he also prayed that the evil conceived by the wicked might “hunt the violent man to overthrow him.” He spoke of a similar theme when he sang of the wicked, “His mischief shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing shall come down upon his own pate” (Psalm 7:16) or crown of his head. David knew the reward eventually yielded by violence was the return of violence upon the offender.
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 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.
Some Bible words are more difficult than others to define in the strictest sense; equity is one such word. Yet, the Lord provides enough information for any diligent student willing to compare spiritual things with spiritual (1 Corinthians 2:13). In Isaiah 59:14, the word equity relates to judgment, justice, and truth. The fact that the word equity occurs only ten times in scripture links it indirectly with the Ten Commandments. Within those ten occurrences, the word basically involves judging with equality based upon a just standard. Additionally, Judges 1:7 and 2 Chronicles 6:23 reveal that the related word requite means to get even or to return evenly. The Lord will prove in the future that this is the standard by which He judges (Psalm 98:9). Since believers are to be Christlike, this too should be true of His faithful followers.
