About page made

I had started putting some things together for my About page ages ago and finally took the time today to finish it up, so people can see where I’m coming from.

Acts 2:14-39

Today has been the first day that I have been able to recite, from memory, the entirety of Acts 2:14-39. I am thankful and excited .

This was after listening to it every night for 7.5 weeks, and then spending some extra time at the end to make sure I had it just right.

I love Peter’s address here, as well as Paul’s address in Acts 17:22-31, which was much easier to memorize.

Arrr

Yarrr, happy Talk Like a Pirate Day, maties!

100% Support

Today, I reached 100% of my monthly financial support as a missionary with Wycliffe Bible Translators.

I praise and thank God for how He has worked in my life and in the lives of my supporters, having raised up both prayer and financial partners to be a very important part of my ministry with Wycliffe. This has definitely been all God.

After 18 months to go from 0% to 100%, it’s been a long, sometimes discouraging road, but I am thankful for how God has worked in me and taught me through it, shown me how I’m relying on Him so much, and for the many encouraging relationships that have developed.

The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, declares the Lord of hosts. Haggai 2:8 ESV (See also 1 Chronicles 29:11-16, Psalm 50:10-12, Deuteronomy 10:14, Psalm 24:1)

Reproved

Interestingly on the heels of leading Bible study on Reproof, and Pastor Alex’s sermon involving reproof, I recently experienced once again that sharp pain in your heart.

But in the midst of the pain and as I observed the way reproof and reconciliation works in a Biblically-minded body of believers, I rejoiced and was praising God as I saw the beauty of how the local church works, despite past rough circumstances or relationships, as we prioritize and submit to God’s Word.

Just as in Proverbs 9:8, I was amazed as I did indeed feel a great love for my reprovers welling up inside me.

A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.
Like a gold ring or an ornament of gold is a wise reprover to a listening ear. Proverbs 25:11-12

Proverbs on Words

I got to lead the College and Career Bible study on what Proverbs has to say about Words last Friday.

Proverbs is my favorite book, and Words may be my favorite topic in Proverbs, so that was fun.

A look at what we studied can be seen in my post here.

Game Night – Munchkin

Last Thursday we played the original Munchkin at Ian’s. I also got to give a Bible translation software demonstration first.

Sanjay won.

Fearing God, according to Proverbs

To fear God is to make Him your center and to live with regard to Him, checking your life against Him. See also this previous post on fearing God.

The following are some things we may be able to conclude about the fear of the Lord from Proverbs. These are based primarily on the ESV wording. Note that a possible source of error in drawing conclusions includes the special ways that Proverbs sometimes uses conjunctions and comparisons within a verse.

Proverbs 1:7a The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge

The fear of the Lord results in beginning to have knowledge, or growing in knowledge begins with attaining a fear of the Lord.

1:29 Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord,

Not fearing God results in calamity.

2:5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.

Seeking wisdom and understanding results in understanding the fear of the Lord.

3:7-8 Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.

To fear the Lord involves turning away from evil, and is related to not being wise in your own eyes. This results in healing and refreshment for one’s body.

8:13a The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil.

Fearing the Lord is hating evil.

9:10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.

Growing in wisdom begins with developing a fear of the Lord, or fearing the Lord results in beginning to have wisdom. Fearing God is similar to having knowledge of God (?).

10:27 The fear of the Lord prolongs life, but the years of the wicked will be short.

Fearing the Lord prolongs one’s life.

14:2 Whoever walks in uprightness fears the Lord, but he who is devious in his ways despises him.

Fearing the Lord is the opposite of despising the Lord. If one walks in uprightness, they fear the Lord. So, you cannot be upright and not fear the Lord; if one does not fear the Lord, they are not walking in uprightness. (by modus tollens.)

14:26 In the fear of the Lord one has strong confidence, and his children will have a refuge.

Fearing the Lord results in strong confidence. Fearing the Lord results in one’s children having a refuge. So, it may follow, not having strong confidence or one’s children not having a refuge means one does not fear the Lord.

14:27 The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death.

Fearing God is an abundant life (not in riches, but in life itself) (consider John 10:10), and this provides for escaping bad choices that lead to calamity and death.

15:16 Better[2896 towb] is a little with the fear of the Lord than great[7227] treasure[214] and trouble with it.

Having the Fear of the Lord and not having treasure are compatible (Or this is hypothetical). Fearing the Lord is contrasted with having trouble, so having the fear of the Lord may be distinct from having trouble. From this verse we may also be able to conclude that fearing the Lord is very valuable (though we would need more information).

Also, due to the fear of the Lord, one might seek or have little, as opposed to seeking great treasure and as a result falling into calamity.

15:33 The fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom, and humility comes before honor.

Having the fear of the Lord teaches you wisdom or results in wisdom.

16:6 By steadfast love and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the Lord one turns away from evil.

Fearing the Lord is or brings the ability to turn away from evil.

19:23 The fear of the Lord leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied; he will not be visited by harm. (See also NASB.)

Fearing the Lord results in life, which results in sleeping satisfied and unharmed. So, not sleeping satisfied and unharmed or having life means one does not fear the Lord (though compare NASB’s “may”).

22:4 The reward for humility and fear of the Lord is riches and honor and life.

Fearing the Lord accompanied by humility results in the reward of riches[6239], honor, and life (Or these rewards are for either of humility or fear of the Lord). Consider 15:16; maybe the reward is not immediate, or 15:16 includes a hypothetical picture, or “riches” are distinct from “great treasure” (hm, they are used for different things in the OT. 7227+214 vs 6239), or this involves a change of perspective to the one who has humility and fear of the Lord (for example, upon fearing the Lord, perhaps one does not care about riches as the world views them, so “riches” to such a one might be defined differently).

23:17 Let not your heart envy sinners, but continue in the fear of the Lord all the day.

Fearing the Lord is distinct from desiring the fruit of sin. One who fears the Lord does not desire the fruit of sin, nor is he discontent because he does not have it.

24:21-22 My son, fear the Lord and the king, and do not join with those who do otherwise, for disaster from them will rise suddenly, and who knows the ruin that will come from them both?

We are here commanded to fear the Lord (and also the earthly governing authority), and to not join with those who don’t (or perhaps simply meaning to not be a member of the set of people who do not fear, and not necessarily talking about “joining” a band of rebels). Not fearing the Lord and the king results in calamity (?).

28:14 Blessed[835 esher] is the one who fears[6342 pachad] the Lord always, but whoever hardens his heart will fall into calamity.

Always fearing the Lord results in being blessed/happy. Always fearing the Lord is distinct from hardening one’s heart. Not fearing the Lord results in calamity.

29:25 The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.

Fearing man results(see NASB,KJV) in calamity. Fearing man is distinct from trusting in the Lord; those who trust in the Lord do not fear man.

31:28-31 Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: “Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.” Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates.

A woman who fears the Lord will(see NASB) be praised and blessed(NASB v28).

Putting it all together

Seeking wisdom and understanding results in understanding the fear of the Lord (2:5).

These things result in having the fear of the Lord, or are related to having it:

• Do not be wise in your own eyes (3:7-8)
• Walking in uprightness (14:2)
• We are commanded to fear the Lord (24:21-22)

When you fear the Lord, the following will result or is involved:

• You will begin to have true wisdom and knowledge (1:7a, 9:10, 15:33)
• Turning away from evil (3:7-8), ability to turn away from evil (16:6)
• Healing and refreshment for one’s body (3:7-8)
• Prolonged life (10:27), having/living abundant life (14:27), life (19:23, 22:4)
• You will not despise the Lord or be devious in your ways (14:2)
• You will have strong confidence (14:26)
• Your children will have a refuge (14:26)
• Ability to escape (bad choices leading to) calamity and death (14:27) (so, wisdom)
• You gain something valuable (“fearing the Lord” itself) (15:16)
• Sleeping satisfied and unharmed (19:23)
• Riches (22:4, cf 15:16)
• Honor (22:4)
• Not desiring the fruit of sin (23:17)
• Not joining with those who don’t fear the Lord or the governing authorities (24:21-22)
• Being blessed / happy (28:14)
• Praise and blessing (31:28-31)

Fearing the Lord is similar to or synonymous with:

• Knowledge of God (9:10)
• Knowledge possibly? (possibly 1:29)
• Hating evil (8:13a), turning away from evil (3:7-8)
• Not hardening your heart (28:14)

Not fearing the Lord results in:

• Calamity (1:29, 24:21-22, 28:14, possibly 15:16)

Fearing man results in calamity (29:25).

To fear the Lord is knowing God, being good, and hating evil.

7-Eleven Day

Surely one of the most important holidays of the year, today is 7-Eleven Day. Today we celebrate the 79th year since the founding of 7-Eleven by drinking free 7.11 oz Slurpees.

I remember getting one when I was in 5th grade. Then I got one last year and also this year, but sadly, I didn’t manage to get to 7-Eleven on the right day for the times in between. …so many years wasted…

Fearing God

In the Proverbs Bible Study, it was wondered what it means to Fear God. Here are some thoughts on that.

God is powerful and none can defeat Him or bribe Him. Hebrews 10:13 says, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” Those who do not live for God should fear Him. God will punish sin.

Since the Christian does not await eternal punishment for sin, what does it mean for the Christian to fear God?

Consider this verse after the death of Ananias and Sapphira. “And great fear[phobos 5401] came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things” (Acts 5:11). Yet this did not result in people leaving the church. Acts 5:14 says, “And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women” (cf v13).

When the church began, Acts 2:43 NASB says “Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe[phobos 5401]; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles.”

Ephesians 5:21 says we should be “submitting to one another out of reverence[phobos 5401] for Christ.”

So we should have phobos for Christ. But probably not in the same sense as in Matthew 14:26 “But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear[phobos 5401].”

Consider also eulabeia 2124 and eulabeomai 2125.

We see an interesting statement in Acts 9:31: “So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear[phobos 5401] of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied.” These believers feared the Lord and were at the same time being comforted by the Holy Spirit.

Turning to the Old Testament, consider Psalm 34:7-10, 18-19 “The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear[3373] Him, And rescues them. O taste and see that the LORD is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him! O fear[3372] the LORD, you His saints; For to those who fear[3373] Him there is no want. The young lions do lack and suffer hunger; But they who seek the LORD shall not be in want of any good thing. [v18] The LORD is near to the brokenhearted And saves those who are crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all.” And Psalm 128:1 “Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in his ways!” God is powerful, but He is good to those who fear Him, take refuge in Him, and seek Him.

Spiros Zodhiates’ Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible helps explain 3372 to us, saying “There are two main types of fear described by yare: (a) the emotion and intellectual anticipation of harm, what one feels may go wrong for him; (b) a very positive feeling of awe or reverence for God, which may be expressed in piety or formal worship.” (Zodhiates 1733). This same Hebrew word is used both for being afraid as well as for reverence for God.

One way to understand fearing God is to look at a contrast. Consider John 12:42-43, “Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God” (Consider also John 7:13). These individuals believed in Jesus, but they feared man rather than God.

Psalm 56:3-4 NASB says, “When I am afraid[3372], I will put my trust in You. In God, whose word I praise, In God I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid[3372]. What can mere man do to me?” So, placing your trust in God results in not being afraid of man.

So for the Christian to fear God means, at least in part, that He is our concern. He is what we are paying attention to and acting in regard to, rather than in accordance with or for the approval or desires of man (whether others, or ourselves).

Hebrews 12:28b-29 says to “offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.”

The conclusion of Ecclesiastes says, “The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear[3372] God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).