Proverbs 24

Wisdom, Understanding, & Knowledge

 "By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established.  By knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches."  Proverbs 24:3

What a lovely analogy.  I'm not sure that I fully grasp it entirely, even now, but in my mind, there is an image of a beautiful, comfortable, stimulating home furnished with treasures.  However, these are not worldly treasures but spiritual ones.

I'm curious to tease out the difference between "wisdom"  "knowledge" and "understanding."  Is he trying to get at some deeper nuance here or just stating that when we take time to be discerning and thoughtful that our lives will be rich indeed?

wisdom

chokmâh
khok-maw'
From H2449; wisdom (in a good sense): - skillful, wisdom, wisely, wit.

understanding

tâbûn  tebûnâh  tôbûnâh

taw-boon', teb-oo-naw', to-boo-naw'

The second and third forms being feminine; from H995; intelligence; by implication an argument; by extension caprice: - discretion, reason, skilfulness, understanding, wisdom.

knowledge

da‛ath

dah'-ath

From H3045; knowledge: - cunning, [ig-] norantly, know(-ledge), [un-] awares (wittingly).

Those that manage their affairs with wisdom and equity, that are diligent in the use of lawful means for increasing what they have that spare from luxury and spend in charity, are in a fair way to have their shops, their warehouses, their chambers, filled with all precious and pleasant riches - precious because got by honest labour, and the substance of a diligent man is precious - pleasant because enjoyed with holy cheerfulness. -mh

On "house building" from Proverbs 14:1

 "Fleischer says: “to build the house is figuratively equivalent to, to regulate well the affairs of a house, and to keep them in a good condition; the contrary, to tear down the house, is the same contrast as the Arab. 'amârat âlbyt and kharab albyt. Thus e.g., in Burckhardt's Sprüchw. 217, harrt ṣabrt bythâ 'amârat, a good woman (ein braves Weib) has patience (with her husband), and thereby she builds up her house (at the same time an example of the use of the preterite in like general sentences for individualizing); also No. 430 of the same work: 'amârat âlbyt wla kharâbt, it is becoming to build the house, not to destroy it; cf. in the Thousand and One Nights, where a woman who had compelled her husband to separate from her says: âna âlty 'amalt hadhâ barwḥy wâkhrnt byty bnfsy. Burckhardt there makes the remark: 'amârat âlbyt denotes the family placed in good circumstances - father, mother, and children all living together happily and peacefully.” This conditional relation of the wife to the house expresses itself in her being named as house-wife (cf. Hausehre [= honour of a house] used by Luther, Psa_68:13), to which the Talmudic דְּבֵיתִי (= uxor mea) answers; the wife is noted for this, and hence is called עיקר הבית, the root and foundation of the house; vid., Buxtorf's Lex. col. 301. In truth, the oneness of the house is more dependent on the mother than on the father. A wise mother can, if her husband be dead or neglectful of his duty, always keep the house together; but if the house-wife has neither understanding nor good-will for her calling, then the best will of the house-father cannot hinder the dissolution of the house, prudence and patience only conceal and mitigate the process of dissolution - folly, viz., of the house-wife, always becomes more and more, according to the degree in which this is a caricature of her calling, the ruin of the house." -K & Dh

Proverbs 23

Proverbs 23:1-3

Gluttony, interestingly, translates the Hebrew nep̱eš, which has a variety of meanings including physical life (Pro_13:3, Pro_13:8), oneself (Pro_19:8; Pro_21:23), one’s appetite (Pro_16:26) or craving (Pro_10:3), and the seat of those cravings (Pro_21:10 is lit., “the wicked soul craves”). From that stems the idea of gluttony in Pro_23:2.  BKC

"My son, if your heart is wise, my heart too will be glad." Proverbs 23:13

I definitely feel this way about our children--if they choose wisely, it makes me happy and content.

Mark 7, the Evil Within

From BKC---I find this list of sinful behavior food for thought--especially interesting to have the Greek words thrown in there too:

"The catalog of evil Jesus gave has a strong Old Testament flavor and consists of 12 items. First, there are six plural nouns (in Gr.) depicting wicked acts viewed individually: sexual immorality (porneiai, “illicit sexual activities of various kinds”); theft (klopai); murder (phonoi); adultery (moicheiai, illicit sexual relations by a married person); greed (pleonexiai, “covetings”), insatiable cravings for what belongs to another; malice (ponēriai, “wickednesses”), the many ways evil thoughts express themselves.
Second, there are six singular nouns depicting evil dispositions: deceit (dolos), cunning maneuvers designed to ensnare someone for one’s personal advantage; lewdness (aselgeia; cf. Rom_13:13; Gal_5:19; Eph_4:19; 2Pe_2:2, 2Pe_2:7), unrestrained and unconcealed immoral behavior; envy (opthalmos  ponēros, lit., “an evil eye,” a Heb. expression for stinginess; cf. Pro_23:6), a begrudging, jealous attitude toward the possessions of others; slander (blasphēmia), injurious or defaming speech against God or man; arrogance (hyperēphania, used only here in the NT), boastfully exalting oneself above others who are viewed with scornful contempt; and folly (aphrosynē), moral and spiritual insensitivity."

We blow over such passages quickly as we are off to the next chapter we need to read.  We have a tendency to assume in our hearts:  "I've got this, God."  But which one of us does not need to stop and consider the list.  These insidious things creep into our hearts and minds so readily:

6 plural nouns:  sexual immorality (porneiai")---imagine the word "porn" comes from this

Mar 7:21  For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts...

What thoughts are evil?  What does he mean by this?

My emphasis below:


"One of the great lessons in this passage is that we must constantly test all teaching and all tradition by the Word of God, obeying what is of God and rejecting what is of men. At first a man may teach and preach a clear, scriptural message, gaining acceptance among Bible-believing people. Having gained this acceptance, he begins to add some human teaching. His devoted followers who have come to feel that he can do no wrong follow him blindly, even if his message blunts the sharp edge of the Word or waters down its clear meaning.

It was thus that the scribes and Pharisees had gained authority as teachers of the Word. But they were now nullifying the intent of the Word. The Lord Jesus had to warn the people that it is the Word that accredits men, not men who accredit the Word. The great touchstone must always be, “What does the Word say?” -Believer's Bible Commentary

Mark 6

"But in the next breath they were cutting him down: "He's just a carpenter--Mary's boy. We've known him since he was a kid. We know his brothers, James, Justus, Jude, and Simon, and his sisters. Who does he think he is?" They tripped over what little they knew about him and fell, sprawling. And they never got any further." Mark 6 The Message

Ah, the fickle nature of people. This reminds me of so many folks I've peripherally touched base with about Jesus---there is an arrogance that they know all about him, yet they do not know him at all.

[Herod Antipas is another half-hearted listener....intrigued enough to want to speak with him, even though it perplexed him, but not enough commitment to commit himself to Christ. The cost was clearly too high for Herod, and he eventually caved to the whims of a girl:

"... for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he heard him gladly." -Mark 6:20

The "Herods" always confuse me---apparently "Herod's temple" in our CC timeline is the expansion project of the 2nd temple headed up by Herod the Great. Herod Antipas was one of his sons, set over Gailee. It sounds like there may have been mental illlness in the family--in the father and in the children as the other son was deemed incompetent and the father was characterized as a "madman." From the Biblical accounts, Herod Antipas seems to struggle with Jesus and his relationships:

Herod (Hebrew: הוֹרְדוֹס‎, Hordos, Greek: Ἡρῴδης, Hērōdēs), also known as Herod the Great (born 73 or 74 BCE, died 1 BCE in Jericho[1]), was a Roman client king of Judea.[2][3][4] His epithet of "the Great" is widely disputed as he is described as "a madman who murdered his own family and a great many rabbis."[5][6][7] He is also known for his colossal building projects in Jerusalem and elsewhere, including his expansion of the Second Temple in Jerusalem (sometimes referred to as Herod's Temple) and the construction of the port at Caesarea Maritima. Important details of his biography are gleaned from the works of the 1st century CE Roman-Jewish historian Josephus Flavius.

The Romans made Herod's son Herod Archelaus ethnarch of Judea, Samaria, and Idumea (biblical Edom) from 4 BCE to 6 CE, referred to as the tetrarchy of Judea. Archelaus was judged incompetent by the Roman emperor Augustus who then combined Samaria, Judea proper and Idumea into Iudaea province[8] under rule of a prefect until 41. Herod's other son Herod Antipas was tetrarch of Galilee from 4 BCE – 39 CE. -Wikipedia

"There was no limitation on His power, but His purpose was to perform miracles in the presence of faith. Only a few here had faith to come to Him for healing." -BKC

"And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them." -Mark 6:5

"And they cast out many devils and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them." Mark 6:13

It's hard to come to the bottom of the issue of demons/devils. How to understand exactly what they are and are not? Not to overly fear them, but not to underly estimate them is tricky.

Strong's commentary on Neuter of a derivative of a daemonic being; by extension a deity: - devil, god."

Jairus's Daughter

A thought from Barnes:

"Something should be given her to eat - “He had raised her by extraordinary power, but he willed that she should be sustained by ordinary means.” He also in this gave full evidence that she was really restored to life and health. The changes were great, sudden, and certain. There could be no illusion. So, when the Saviour had risen, he gave evidence of his own resurrection by eating with his disciples, Joh_21:1-13."

Jesus was such a mix of hard/soft, spiritual/practical, a fascinating blend of qualities.  I love the way he thinks to feed her, physically sustain her here.  It definitely speak to the thought that his concern was not wholly just her spirit but her body as well.

The Woman with the Issue of Blood (Mark 5)

Worthwhile distinction made by JFB's commentary here:

"Yes, the multitude “thronged and pressed Him” - they jostled against Him, but all involuntarily; they were merely carried along; but one, one only - “a certain person - TOUCHED HIM,” with the conscious, voluntary, dependent touch of faith, reaching forth its hand expressly to have contact with Him. This and this only Jesus acknowledges and seeks out. Even so, as Augustine long ago said, multitudes still come similarly close to Christ in the means of grace, but all to no purpose, being only sucked into the crowd. The voluntary, living contact of faith is that electric conductor which alone draws virtue out of Him."  -JFB

This is one of the greatest mysteries of our faith---how some hear the Word, touch his hem, and yet come away unchanged, while others hearts are stirred.

Mark 5

Edward Knippers, Jesus & the Demonaic

Very rough trail of thoughts about hashing through Mark 5, the account of the demon possessed man where Christ frees him from "legion," and the demons seek refuge in the herd of pigs.



I've thought about the evil presence behind a mob--the group drive toward evil. It makes sense to me that there could be this type of multiple person evil within a person. Mobs strike me as harbors of evil. Courson also thinks there is a connection or lesson in the self-destructive choice of the demons to run the pigs over a cliff and connects this to the spirit of despair associated with suicide.


"Such behavior shows that demon possession is not mere sickness or insanity but a desperate satanic attempt to distort and destroy God’s image in man" (cf. TDNT, s.v. “daimōn,” 2:18-19). -BKC on the demonic man in the caves
All BKC:

"The command to the demon (Mar_5:6-10)

The brief statement of Jesus’ encounter with the demoniac (Mar_5:2) is now related in more detail. Three things indicate that the demon possessing the man was fully aware of Jesus’ divine origin and superior power: he knelt before Him (in homage, not worship); he used Jesus’ divine name in an attempt to gain control over Him (cf. Mar_1:24); and he brazenly appealed to Jesus not to punish him. The words, Most High God, were used in the Old Testament, often by Gentiles, to refer to the superiority of the true God of Israel over all man-made gods (cf. Gen_14:18-24; Num_24:16; Isa_14:14; Dan_3:26; Dan_4:2; cf. comments on Mar_1:23-24).The plea, Swear to God, was used in exorcisms and should be rendered, “I implore you by (I appeal to) God.” The demon did not want Jesus to torture him by sending him to his final punishment then (cf. Mar_1:24; Mat_8:29; Luk_8:31)."

Interesting that the commentaries seem to suggest that the man was not interested in being healed, but in manipulating Christ. Or is this the demons speaking and not the man? The demons want to be left alone. They intuitively recognize Christ on some level, recognized He was the son of God.

5:6-13 When the demoniac saw Jesus, he first acted respectfully, then complained bitterly. “How true and terrible a picture is this—a man bowed in adoration, petition and faith, and yet hating, defiant and fearing; a double personality, longing for liberty and yet clinging to passion” (Scripture Union Notes). -BBC

Reminds me of our discussion in group yesterday and the materials we are reading---God requires a response, and a genuine one, not one just stemming from self-interest or self-preservation.

“Countless multitudes still wish Christ far from them for fear His fellowship may occasion some social or financial or personal loss. Seeking to save their possessions, they lose their souls” (Selected).-BBC

I forgot that the demon-possessed man wished to accompany Jesus.

"A legion is a Roman military term used to denote a unit of six thousand soldiers, so it is possible that there were thousands of demons within this man." -Courson The message traslates "legion" as a "rioting mob."

Darby: "Now, when Jesus departs, he who had personally experienced the mighty effects of His love would have liked to be with Him; but he was to go home and bear testimony to those around him of all that Jesus had done. He was to serve in the absence of Jesus. In all these narratives we see the work and the devotedness of the Servant, but at the same time the divine power of Jesus manifested in this service."

Me too...I can relate to this man. Having found Jesus, who wants to serve apart from Him? Yet this is our calling...serving apart from His physical presence---yet He has not abandoned us---we have His spirit and are not orphans. And He is coming back when we will be by his side forever.

Matthew Henry's take on this:

" Christ would not suffer him to go with him, lest it should savour of ostentation, and to let him know that he could both protect and instruct him at a distance. And besides, he had other work for him to do; he must go home to his friends, and tell them what great things the Lord had done for him, the Lord Jesus had done; that Christ might be honoured, and his neighbours and friends might be edified, and invited to believe in Christ. He must take particular notice rather of Christ's pity than of his power, for that is it which especially he glories in; he must tell them what compassion the Lord had had on him in his misery."

Book of Proverbs 21

"Clean living before God and justice with our neighbors mean far more to GOD than religious performance." -Proverbs 21:3

"Nothing clever, nothing conceived, nothing contrived, can get the better of GOD." -Proverbs 21:30

Mark 4 Re: Parables

Briggs and I were discussing parables the other day.  Did God seek to veil the truth from some through these?  Did their own hardness of heart prevent them from seeing, believing, and being saved?  It's a complicated issue.   From Bible Knowledge Commentary on this:

"They were like the Israelites in Isaiah’s day (Isa_6:9-10). Isaiah said that this spiritual blindness and deafness that comes to people is God’s judgment. He particularly referred to Israel as a nation (cf. Mar_6:9, “this people”) for rejecting God’s revelation, especially as expressed in Jesus. They would see or hear the imagery of a parable but they would not understand its spiritual meaning. Otherwise (mēpote, “lest perhaps”) they might turn to God (repent) and be forgiven by Him.
Jesus’ audiences were not denied the opportunity to believe in Him. But after they persistently closed their minds to His message (cf. Mar_1:15), they were excluded from further understanding of it by His use of parables. Yet even the parables, which veiled the truth, were meant to provoke thought, enlighten, and ultimately reveal it (cf. Mar_12:12). They uniquely preserved people’s freedom to believe, while demonstrating that such a decision is effected by God’s enabling (cf. Mar_4:11)." -BKC

Dual nature of the Kingdom:

"Thus the parable displayed God’s kingdom as both present but veiled and future but openly glorious (cf. Mar_1:14-15)." -BKC

"In this parable Jesus pointed out the self-evident fact that a lamp, a lighted wick in a shallow clay bowl full of oil, was not meant to be lit and then hidden under a measuring bowl (as was done at bedtime) or a bed (lit., “dining couch”). Rather, it was to be placed on its stand where it would give light. Then Jesus explained (gar, for) whatever was hidden or concealed (during the night) was meant to be brought out into the open (for use in the day). This story from everyday life conveyed a spiritual truth for anyone willing to learn from it." -BKC

Mar 4:33  With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it. 

Mar 4:34  He did not speak to them without a parable, but privately to his own disciples he explained everything. 

Mark 1

From BKC:


The opening verse (a verbless phrase) stands as the book’s title and theme. The word gospel (euangeliou, “good news”) does not refer to Mark’s book, known as “the Gospel of Mark.” Instead it refers to the good news about Jesus Christ.

Those acquainted with the Old Testament knew the importance of the word “gospel” (cf. Isa_40:9; Isa_41:27; Isa_52:7; Isa_61:1-3). “News” meant that something significant had happened. When Mark used the word, it had

Using hyperbole (cf. also Mar_1:32-33, Mar_1:37), Mark showed the great impact John made on all areas of Judea and Jerusalem. The people went out and were baptized by John in the Jordan River (cf. Mar_1:9) as they confessed their sins to God. The imperfect tense of the Greek verbs portrays in motion-picture fashion the continual procession of people who kept going out to hear John’s preaching and to be baptized by him.


John emphasized the importance of the Coming One and showed his own humility (cf. Joh_3:27-30) by declaring that he was not worthy to stoop down (words recorded only by Mark) and untie the thongs (leather straps) used to fasten His sandals. Even a Hebrew slave was not required to do this menial task for his master!

"The opening words are literally, “And he was proclaiming as a herald, saying…” (cf. Mar_1:4). " BKC

The dove imagery probably symbolized the Spirit’s creative activity (cf. Gen_1:2). In Old Testament times the Spirit came on certain people to empower them for service (e.g., Exo_31:3; Jdg_3:10; Jdg_11:29; 1Sa_19:20, 1Sa_19:23).-BKC

The word “sent” is from a strong verb (ekballō) meaning “drive out, expel, send away.” Mark used it to denote the expulsion of demons (Mar_1:34, Mar_1:39; Mar_3:15,  -BKC

The thought is that of strong moral compulsion by which the Spirit led Jesus to take the offensive against temptation and evil instead of avoiding them. The desert (erēmos cf. Mar_1:4) region, dry uninhabited places, was viewed traditionally as the haunt of evil powers. -BKC

Again, a clear distinction is maintained between physical sickness and demon possession (cf. Mar_6:13). -BKC

The required response to which Jesus summoned His hearers was a double command: Repent and believe the good news! Repentance and faith (belief) are bound together in one piece (not temporally successive acts). To “repent” (metanoē cf. Mar_1:4) is to turn away from an existing object of trust (e.g., oneself). To “believe” (pisteuō, here pisteuete en, the only NT appearance of this combination) is to commit oneself wholeheartedly to an object of faith. Thus to believe in the good news meant to believe in Jesus Himself as the Messiah, the Son of God. -BKC