L
Lost in Sin!
Guest
Continuing on with our look at Proverbs Chapter 30.
Let's look at verses 17-19:
The eye that mocks a father, that scorns obedience to a mother, will be pecked out by the ravens of the valley, will be eaten by vultures. There are three things that are too amazing for me, four that I do not understand; the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a snake on a rock, the way of a ship in the high seas, & the way of a man with a maiden."
THE EYE THAT MOCKS A FATHER, THAT SCORNS OBEDIENCE TO A MOTHER, WILL BE PECKED OUT BY THE RAVENS OF THE VALLEY, WILL BE EATEN BY THE VULTURES. Now this is some pretty gruesome imagry, don't you think?
I'm not going to say too much about this verse, except that it a indicator of how vital the commandment of "Honor your mother & father." really is! (Exodus 20:12) While it is very unlikely that our eyes actually WILL be pecked out by ravens, or eaten by vultures, it is clear from this verse what, (symbolically), could happen to us when we choose, or have to deal with the "ravens" & "vultures" that we deal with in the real world. We deal with them in the workplace, shopping, & even in our own government! These ARE people many times who belong to Satan, who would like nothing better than to "eat" us alive & make our witnesses ineffective for our Lord!
THEN THERE ARE THREE THINGS THAT ARE TOO AMAZING FOR ME, FOUR THAT I DO NOT UNDERSTAND. So often. we think and/or act like we know everything-that there is nothing more that we need to know, in regard to our work, our families, or even God HIMSELF! But we don't! Paul realized this is 1 Corinthians 13:12-"Now we see but a poor reflections as in a mirror; then soon we shall see face to face." Only when we see our Lord & Savior face-to-face, we we truely know everthing!
The first three items listed here, refer to the majesty of God in nature.
Is it really a surprise to see that the eagle is our national symbol? How many of us have seen an eagle in flight? It really IS a magnificant sight! Look at what Scripture says about the eagle:
Deuteronomy 28:49-the eagle as a symbol of destruction.
Deuteronomy 32:11 (The Song Of Moses)-where God Himself is likened to an eagle, looking after its young. (This really IS a beautiful picture! Bill)
Job 39:37-revealing that man has no control over what goes on in nature-that nature itself is beyond man's comprehension!
Proverbs 23:5-talking about how a man's riches are so very transient-that they can suddenly disapear, like an eagle taking flight.
Obadiah 1:4-refering to the pride of Edom-Where an eagle, great though it may be, is still mortal, can be brought down, just like a nation can.
And a verse that is familiar to many of us-Isaiah 40:31-where we, when we are right with the Lord, are indeed able to soar, (symbolically), like the eagle in God's love & purpose in our lives! ([I think that I can say for all of us who know the Lord, that we would like to be able to do this more often! I know I would!)
Next, we have the snake.
Now this is one creature that we can never be too careful with, because the snake is too unpredictable! Let's see what Scripture has to say about the snake:
Exodus 7:12-the snake as a symbol of God's power.
Numbers 21:9-the snake as a symbol of life. (One the the very few, if any, times!)
Psalm 58:4-the snake as a symbol of destruction.
We can also extend the snake image to the enimies of God, who are out there to destroy the witness of God's people!
Then we have a ship at sea.
Even today, as great as our ships may be, they are still no match for the power of nature!
Here are some references to illustrate this:
Jonah 1:4-the waves threaten to break apart the ship.
Acts 27:15-again, the waves threaten to tear about the ship.
Acts 27:31-the ship as a place of safety.
How often have we felt like a ship, being tossed at sea in the waves of life, or adversity?
Finally: we come to an item that initially seems very out of place in this listing-the way of a man with a maiden. I believe that this is referring to the courtship process. But at the same time, it could also be referring to a man & his wife as well.
But what IS this "way"? There have been an untold number of books published about love than could be counted! The are supposed "experts" in the field of sex & love! There are almost an infinate number of websites for those looking for love! Then, sadly, there is the perversion of love into nothing more than an animalistic drive.
But the "way", in all four of these items is LOVE-God's, (& ours), love of the majesty of nature-both physical & emotional, as well as "spiritual", which we will now see.
The true LOVE is the love that the Father has for each of us who have been Born-Again, by the sacrifice of Christ Jesus on that cross of Calvary! Jesus showed God's love for the beaten, downtrodden, hurting people of this world
in the most dramatic way possible-by dying as a sacrifice for our sins, & rising again from the dead, so that we may have life, & not an eternity in Hell, seperated from God forever. The greatest love ever known is brought up so beautifully in John 3:16-"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life!"
The Father showing this kind of love, is TRUELY what the "WAY" is! And we can never truely, any more than we can truely comprehend nature, truely comprehend just how great His love for us REALLY IS!
Let us pray.
"Heavenly Father, when we look at the glorious nature that You & You alone have created, we find ourselves in awe that You could love us as You do! We, like the Psalmist, find ourselves asking the question-"What is man, that you should think of us?" Lord Jesus, You & You alone thought of each one of us while You were on the cross. You thought of us, knowing that one day, we too, could exprerience some of that love, by choosing to follow You & You alone! We can never even begin to thank-you for that love-the love that did indeed show us that You ARE THE WAY! Grant each one of us new strength, that we would show that kind of love to the world! We ask this in Your Name, & Your Name only, Christ Jesus! Amen!"
Bill
Let's look at verses 17-19:
The eye that mocks a father, that scorns obedience to a mother, will be pecked out by the ravens of the valley, will be eaten by vultures. There are three things that are too amazing for me, four that I do not understand; the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a snake on a rock, the way of a ship in the high seas, & the way of a man with a maiden."
THE EYE THAT MOCKS A FATHER, THAT SCORNS OBEDIENCE TO A MOTHER, WILL BE PECKED OUT BY THE RAVENS OF THE VALLEY, WILL BE EATEN BY THE VULTURES. Now this is some pretty gruesome imagry, don't you think?
I'm not going to say too much about this verse, except that it a indicator of how vital the commandment of "Honor your mother & father." really is! (Exodus 20:12) While it is very unlikely that our eyes actually WILL be pecked out by ravens, or eaten by vultures, it is clear from this verse what, (symbolically), could happen to us when we choose, or have to deal with the "ravens" & "vultures" that we deal with in the real world. We deal with them in the workplace, shopping, & even in our own government! These ARE people many times who belong to Satan, who would like nothing better than to "eat" us alive & make our witnesses ineffective for our Lord!
THEN THERE ARE THREE THINGS THAT ARE TOO AMAZING FOR ME, FOUR THAT I DO NOT UNDERSTAND. So often. we think and/or act like we know everything-that there is nothing more that we need to know, in regard to our work, our families, or even God HIMSELF! But we don't! Paul realized this is 1 Corinthians 13:12-"Now we see but a poor reflections as in a mirror; then soon we shall see face to face." Only when we see our Lord & Savior face-to-face, we we truely know everthing!
The first three items listed here, refer to the majesty of God in nature.
Is it really a surprise to see that the eagle is our national symbol? How many of us have seen an eagle in flight? It really IS a magnificant sight! Look at what Scripture says about the eagle:
Deuteronomy 28:49-the eagle as a symbol of destruction.
Deuteronomy 32:11 (The Song Of Moses)-where God Himself is likened to an eagle, looking after its young. (This really IS a beautiful picture! Bill)
Job 39:37-revealing that man has no control over what goes on in nature-that nature itself is beyond man's comprehension!
Proverbs 23:5-talking about how a man's riches are so very transient-that they can suddenly disapear, like an eagle taking flight.
Obadiah 1:4-refering to the pride of Edom-Where an eagle, great though it may be, is still mortal, can be brought down, just like a nation can.
And a verse that is familiar to many of us-Isaiah 40:31-where we, when we are right with the Lord, are indeed able to soar, (symbolically), like the eagle in God's love & purpose in our lives! ([I think that I can say for all of us who know the Lord, that we would like to be able to do this more often! I know I would!)
Next, we have the snake.
Now this is one creature that we can never be too careful with, because the snake is too unpredictable! Let's see what Scripture has to say about the snake:
Exodus 7:12-the snake as a symbol of God's power.
Numbers 21:9-the snake as a symbol of life. (One the the very few, if any, times!)
Psalm 58:4-the snake as a symbol of destruction.
We can also extend the snake image to the enimies of God, who are out there to destroy the witness of God's people!
Then we have a ship at sea.
Even today, as great as our ships may be, they are still no match for the power of nature!
Here are some references to illustrate this:
Jonah 1:4-the waves threaten to break apart the ship.
Acts 27:15-again, the waves threaten to tear about the ship.
Acts 27:31-the ship as a place of safety.
How often have we felt like a ship, being tossed at sea in the waves of life, or adversity?
Finally: we come to an item that initially seems very out of place in this listing-the way of a man with a maiden. I believe that this is referring to the courtship process. But at the same time, it could also be referring to a man & his wife as well.
But what IS this "way"? There have been an untold number of books published about love than could be counted! The are supposed "experts" in the field of sex & love! There are almost an infinate number of websites for those looking for love! Then, sadly, there is the perversion of love into nothing more than an animalistic drive.
But the "way", in all four of these items is LOVE-God's, (& ours), love of the majesty of nature-both physical & emotional, as well as "spiritual", which we will now see.
The true LOVE is the love that the Father has for each of us who have been Born-Again, by the sacrifice of Christ Jesus on that cross of Calvary! Jesus showed God's love for the beaten, downtrodden, hurting people of this world
in the most dramatic way possible-by dying as a sacrifice for our sins, & rising again from the dead, so that we may have life, & not an eternity in Hell, seperated from God forever. The greatest love ever known is brought up so beautifully in John 3:16-"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life!"
The Father showing this kind of love, is TRUELY what the "WAY" is! And we can never truely, any more than we can truely comprehend nature, truely comprehend just how great His love for us REALLY IS!
Let us pray.
"Heavenly Father, when we look at the glorious nature that You & You alone have created, we find ourselves in awe that You could love us as You do! We, like the Psalmist, find ourselves asking the question-"What is man, that you should think of us?" Lord Jesus, You & You alone thought of each one of us while You were on the cross. You thought of us, knowing that one day, we too, could exprerience some of that love, by choosing to follow You & You alone! We can never even begin to thank-you for that love-the love that did indeed show us that You ARE THE WAY! Grant each one of us new strength, that we would show that kind of love to the world! We ask this in Your Name, & Your Name only, Christ Jesus! Amen!"
Bill