The virtuous woman

There’s quite a change of pace with the final chapter of Proverbs. 

Chapter 31 starts out with a big question for us – who is/was King Lemuel?  The first verse reads: “The words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him.”  Scholars have not agreed on this one.  Some ancient rabbinical commentators have taken it to be Solomon, and the mother, therefore, Bathsheba.  However, I found the blog of Dr. Claude Mariottini - Professor of Old Testament interesting.  Here are some excerpts:

This blog is a Christian perspective on the Old Testament and Current Events from Dr. Claude Mariottini, Professor of Old Testament at Northern Baptist Seminary.

The ancient Rabbinical commentators identified Lemuel with Solomon. The Babylonian Talmud (Tractate Aboth, Chapter 5) says that six names were given to Solomon: Solomon, Jedidiah, Qoheleth, Ben Iokoh, Agur, and Lemuel.

Many scholars believe that Lemuel was the king of Massa. Massa was one of the descendants of Ishmael and the leader of one of the Ishmaelite clans (Genesis 25:14).

I believe that the best explanation for the name of Lemuel in Proverbs 31:1 is to identify him as the king of Massa. Wisdom literature was widely known in the Ancient Near East and Israel did not develop its wisdom tradition in a cultural vacuum. It is evident that Israel borrowed some of its wisdom traditions from neighboring countries. One good example is the inclusion of Egyptian proverbs found in the “Instructions of Amen-em-Opet” into Proverbs 22:17-24:34.

Andrew Hill, in his book A Survey of the Old Testament (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2009), p. 381, said that if Massa was the name of a North Arabian nation, then the words of Lemuel in Proverbs 31 “may reflect the influence of Arabian wisdom on the developing Hebrew wisdom tradition. Massa has been identified with the tribes settled in northwestern Arabia near Teman (cf. Gen. 25:14; 1 Chron. 1:30).”

I have recently taken out a 14 day trial of Concord, an online study tool available from The Christian Science Publishing Society.  This tool gives students the opportunity to look up any word in the Bible, Mrs. Eddy’s writings, and the Hymnal, and to transfer collate citations by copying and pasting.  I haven’t actually used it very much as yet, but I am delighted that it is so practical.  For instance, I was taken with “poor and needy” in Prov. 31:9.  And it is in the Christian Science Bible Lesson (Subject: Love) for this week (Isa 42:17”When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the Lord will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them.” So I paid attention.  I heard echoes of hymn 75 (verse 1) of the Christian Science Hymnal:

            God comes, with succor speedy,

               To those who suffer wrong:

            To help the poor and needy,

               And bid the weak be strong.

 

I did go to the hard copy Hymnal Concordance to find that, but I went to Concord to find other references.  By clicking on the boxes I was interested in, I could copy all the ones I liked.  There are 29 citations in the Bible, though not all of them use the complete phrase “poor and needy.”  The only other reference is from the hymn already quoted.  There are no citations from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Eddy, although “poor” is not neglected there either.  I found that David’s Psalms held most of the citations.  I also found evidence of David’s humility –

            Ps 40:17 But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God.

              Ps 70:5 But I am poor and needy: make haste unto me, O God: thou art my help              deliverer; O Lord, and my make no tarrying.

                Ps 86:1 Bow down thine ear, O Lord, hear me: for I am poor and needy.

and of his compassion –  

                Ps 82:4 Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked.

Verse 10 brings us to that fine tribute to “The Virtuous Wife”, a phrase which NKJV uses as a heading for verses 10-31.  It also uses the phrase “virtuous wife” where KJV has “virtuous woman.”  Surely all these virtues are not expected to be those of one woman! 

Dummelow’s One Volume Bible Commentary tells us that these verses form “a complete alphabetical poem, each of its 22 vv. beginning with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet.”  He also adds: “No doubt we should need some additional features for the portrait of the highest type of womanhood.  The lady is not in the fullest sense the helpmeet for man.  She is too much the toiler on his behalf, to little the partner of his thoughts and plans.”  (Dummelow’s Commentary was first copyrighted in 1908; would he have written that in 2013?)

Anyway, I love the virtuous woman; she has her hand in God’s, and works, works, works.  Are her standards too high for us?  She sounds like an excellent student of Christian Science.  Mrs. Eddy tells us that, “The song of Christian Science is, “Work — work — work — watch and pray”” Message ’00 2:7-8.

Joyce Voysey

Where there is no wood, the fire goes out

On reading Prov. 26:20 and 22 “Where there is no wood, the fire goes out: so where there is no talebearer, strife ceases.  The words of a talebearer are as wounds*.  And they go down into the innermost parts of the belly,” I thought of all the spreading of tales on TV and other media these days.  How much damage do they do? 

Science & Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy gives us direction along this line of thought on pages 195-197.  For instance,

“Literary commercialism is lowering the intellectual standard to accommodate the purse and to meet a frivolous demand for amusement instead of for improvement.”

“The press unwittingly sends forth many sorrows and diseases among the human family.  It does this by giving names to diseases and printing long descriptions which mirror images distinctly in thought.” 

“Such books as will rule disease out of mortal mind, -- and so efface the images and thoughts of disease, instead of impressing them with forcible descriptions and medical detail, -- will help to abate sickness and to destroy it.”

*NKJV - like tasty trifles

This gives Christian Scientists plenty of prayerful work to do on behalf of mankind!  God’s dear children cannot forever be taken in by those tales, which puts me into the position of striving to be a doer of the work and not just a theoriser.

Mary Baker Eddy’s Miscellany gives me some direction:

My. 125:1-3 “Have you learned to conquer sin, false affections, motives, and aims, — to be not only sayers but doers of the law?”

My. 197:20-22 “I thank divine Love for the hope set before us in the Word and in the doers thereof, “for of such is the kingdom of heaven.””

Joyce Voysey

Counsel and encouragement: Proverbs 11 – 27

Julie Swannell

 

What wealth of counsel and encouragement these Proverbs provide for us.  Here are just a few that I’ve found helpful.

Prov 11:1 Moral courage

A false balance is abomination to the Lord; but a just weight in his delight. (KJV)

God hates cheating in the marketplace;
    he loves it when business is aboveboard. (The Message)*

 

Prov 11:2 Humility

When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom. (KJV)

The stuck-up fall flat on their faces, but down-to-earth people stand firm. (The Message)*

 

Prov 12:4 Marriage
A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband: but she that maketh ashamed is as rottenness in his bones. (KJV)

An excellent^[a] wife is the crown of her husband, 

  But she who causes shame is like rottenness in his bones. (NKJV)**

A hearty wife invigorates her husband, but a frigid woman is cancer in the bones. (The Message)*

 

Prov 15:23 The right word at the right time

A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good is it! (KJV)

Congenial conversation—what a pleasure!
    The right word at the right time—beautiful! (The Message)*

Prov 15:30 Spread good news

The light of the eyes rejoiceth the heart: and a good report maketh the bones fat. (KJV)

The light of the eyes rejoices the heart, And a good report makes the bones healthy.^[a]

Footnotes: ^[a] Proverbs 15:30 Literally fat  (NKJV)**

 

Prov 16:1 God’s plans are all that count
The preparations of the heart in man and the answer of the tongue, is from the Lord. (KJV)

Mortals make elaborate plans, but God has the last word. (The Message)*

 

Prov 16:3 Motivation
Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established. (KJV)

 

Prov 19:11 Self-discipline and compassion
The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression (KJV)

Smart people know how to hold their tongue; their grandeur is to forgive and forget. (The Message)*

Prov 20:1 Mental alertness

Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging; and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise. (KJV)

Wine makes you mean, beer makes you quarrelsome—
    a staggering drunk is not much fun. (The Message)*

 
Prov 20:4 Diligence
The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; therefore shall he beg in harvest and have nothing. (KJV)

A farmer too lazy to plant in the spring has nothing to harvest in the fall. (The Message)*

Prov 20:12 Perfect provision

The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the Lord hath made even both of them. (KJV)

Ears that hear and eyes that see—we get our basic equipment from God! (The Message)*

Prov 21:17 Satisfaction

He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man: he that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich. (KJV)

You’re addicted to thrills? What an empty life! The pursuit of pleasure is never satisfied. (The Message)*

Prov 21:31 Safety

The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the Lord. (KJV)

Do your best, prepare for the worst—then trust God to bring victory. (The Message)*

Prov 22:6 Education and Training

Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. (KJV)

Point your kids in the right direction—when they’re old they won’t be lost. (The Message)*

Prov 22:20, 21 Equipped with Truth

Have not I written to thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge, That I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth; that thou mightiest answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee? (KJV)

Prov 22:29 Excellence

Seest thou a man diligent in his business? He shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men. (KJV)

Observe people who are good at their work—
    skilled workers are always in demand and admired;
    they don’t take a backseat to anyone. (The Message)*

Prov 23:13 Correction

Withhold not correction from the child (KJV)

Don’t be afraid to correct your young ones; (The Message)*

Prov 23:23 Seek truth

Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding. (KJV)

Buy truth—don’t sell it for love or money;
    buy wisdom, buy education, buy insight. (The Message)*

Prov 23:33, 34 Beware strong drink

Thine eyes shall behold strange women and thin heart shall utter perverse things.  Yes, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast. (KJV)

Do you really prefer seeing double,
    with your speech all slurred,
Reeling and seasick,
    drunk as a sailor? (The Message)*

Prov 24:33 Beware laziness

Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep (KJV)

“A nap here, a nap there, a day off here, a day off there,
    sit back, take it easy—do you know what comes next? (The Message)*

Prov 25:5 Craftsmanship

Take away the dross from the silver, and there shall come forth a vessel for the finer. (KJV)

Remove impurities from the silver
    and the silversmith can craft a fine chalice; (The Message)*

Prov 25:27 Temperance

It is not good to eat much honey: so for men to search their own glory is not glory. (KJV)

It’s not smart to stuff yourself with sweets,
    nor is glory piled on glory good for you. (The Message)*

 

Prov 26: 2 Fear not
As a bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying so the curse causeless shall not come. (KJV)

You have as little to fear from an undeserved curse
    as from the dart of a wren or the swoop of a swallow. (The Message)*

 

Prov 26:20 Preventing strife
Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth. (KJV)

For lack of wood the fire goes out,
    and where there is no whisperer, quarreling ceases. (ESV)***

Prov 27:19 Know thyself

As in water face answereth to face, so the heart of man to man. (KJV)

Just as water mirrors your face, so your face mirrors your heart. (The Message)*

As in water face reflects face, So a man’s heart reveals the man. (NKJV)**

*The Message (MSG)

Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson
**New King James Version (NKJV)
The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
***English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.

 

Are we getting or giving?

Many years ago, I came across a very interesting article called "Giving and Getting" by Paul Stark Seeley.  While the world encourages getting of all things material, the Bible only requires our getting understanding.
You can find the article at Reading Rooms in the Christian Science Sentinel of 26th September 1923 or at http://sentinel.christianscience.com/issues/1923/9/26-1/giving-and-getting. 

Julie Swannell

Jesus parables sourced in the Old Testament?

How about Prov. 25:6, 7?  “Put not forth thyself in the presence of the king, and stand not in the place of great men: For better it is that be said unto thee, Come up hither; than that thou shouldest be put lower in the presence of the prince whom thine eyes have seen.” 

It brings forth a parable from Jesus, according to Luke 14:7-11: “And he put forth a parable to those which were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief rooms; saying unto them, When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him; And he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room.  But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee. For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”

I ask myself, “Do all of Jesus’ parables have a source in the Old Testament?”

Joyce Voysey

"What a friend we have in Jesus"

Joyce Voysey 

Prov. 18:24 sends me off on a journey of exploration on the Internet.  “A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.”  Who else could that sticky friend be but God, although the translations seem to stay with the human sense of friendship.  I was reminded of the little children’s book called My best Friend.  (I am not sure if this is still available in Christian Science Reading Rooms.)  By the way the NKJV directs us to John 15:14 in connection with this proverb.  It reads there: “You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.”  This quotes Jesus.

The other memory that came was of the hymn I sang at the Methodist Sunday School, What a Friend we have in Jesus.  I found the words on http://www.hymnsite.com/lyrics/umh526.sht.  Here they are.  (The tune is also on that site.)

 

        What a friend we have in Jesus,

        all our sins and griefs to bear!

        What a privilege to carry

        everything to God in prayer!

        O what peace we often forfeit,

        O what needless pain we bear,

        all because we do not carry

        everything to God in prayer.

 

2.      Have we trials and temptations?

        Is there trouble anywhere?

        We should never be discouraged;

        take it to the Lord in prayer.

        Can we find a friend so faithful

        who will all our sorrows share?

        Jesus knows our every weakness;

        take it to the Lord in prayer.

 

3.      Are we weak and heavy laden,

        cumbered with a load of care?

        Precious Savior, still our refuge;

        take it to the Lord in prayer.

        Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?

        Take it to the Lord in prayer!

        In his arms he'll take and shield thee;

        thou wilt find a solace there.

Aren’t they great words?  [How do I get back to black type, I wonder?  I did it!  The way one learns lessons on the computer!   There is a big A up there on the tool bar which does the trick.]  The only thing is that they equate Jesus with God, but as the Bible and Science & Health teach us, Jesus and God – one in quality, not in quantity.  (See S&H 360:28-19n.p.)

Wikipedia tells me that Joseph Scriven wrote the words, in 1855, to comfort his mother; his mother being in Ireland and he in Canada.  The music is by Charles Converse.  For sure Mrs. Eddy knew this hymn.  The hymn has quite a history.  It is used in Japan, Indonesia, and India (Hindi); Ella Fitzgerald is on YouTube singing it; Aretha Franklin has sung it; and during World War II the soldiers sang the tune with the words, When this lousy (?) war is over.

Wikipedia tells us that Joseph Scriven was born in 1819 of prosperous parents in Banbridge, Ireland.  He was a graduate of Trinity College, Dublin. At the age of 25, he decided to leave his native country and migrate to Canada.  His reasons for leaving his country seem to be two-fold: the religious influence of the Plymouth Brethren upon his life, estranging him from his family; and his fiancée’s accidental drowning in 1845 the night before they were to be married.^[2] The grief-stricken young man moved to Canada. There he again fell in love, was due to be married when the young woman suddenly fell ill with pneumonia and died. He then devoted the rest of his life to helping others.  In 1855, while staying with companion Mr. James Sackville, he received news from Ireland that his mother was terribly ill. He wrote a poem to comfort her called "Pray Without Ceasing."  It was later set to music and renamed by Charles Crozat Converse, becoming the hymn "What a Friend We Have in Jesus".^[1] Joseph neither intended nor ever dreamt that his poem would be published in the newspaper and later become a favorite hymn among the millions of Christians around the world.^[3]

Wikipedia says that the composer  Charles Crozat Converse (October 7, 1832 - October 18, 1918) was a United States attorney who also worked as a composer of church songs.  He was born in Warren, Massachusetts.

Commitment to work for God; pride rebuked

Joyce Voysey

Here is a favourite of mine: “Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established” (Prov. 16:3).  This passage reminds me of an inspiration I had some years ago with Gen. 1:26 and 27 (in part):

God gives us the idea – “God said, Let us make man…”
God gives us the method of accomplishing the idea – “So God created man….”

We are inclined to say, on receiving an idea from God (divine Mind) for some activity, “Thank you, God.  I will carry that out”, whereas we must wait for God’s direction on how to accomplish the fulfilment of the idea and not go off “half-cocked” with our own will.  (“Half-cocked” is very apt, as I found by definition: “To act prematurely or without reflection or too soon.”)

I reckoned that there are two parts to every activity – 1. Receiving the inspiration from God; 2. Waiting on God to tell us how to go about the doing of it.

-----------------------------------

We may be inclined to misquote Prov. 16:18 as “Pride goes before a fall.”  The proverb actually reads: “Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall” – something to be aware of. My thought recalled William McKenzie's letter quoted by Robert Peel in Mary Baker Eddy: Years of Authority (Note 40 on page 398):

On January 21, 1896, William P McKenzie wrote Mrs. Eddy in regard to the “awakening” she had brought to him:

I used to be very indignant when accused of being a theosophist for I was not even latterly acquainted with the doctrines of theosophy; but I have learned how my whole human mentality with its poetic idealism, aesthetic love, hero worship, pride of seeing hidden things, glory in mental power, had been a subtle spiritualising of matter—a putting of divine wisdom into human mind.  The uncovering was terrible & for a time I seemed to lose my consciousness of Good.  Then the intricacies of personality have been revealed as never before & after a long agony I seem to find myself alone with God.  I never had any idea before what was unconsciously in mind.

Solomon's 3000 proverbs and 1005 songs!

1 Kings 4:29-34

God gave Solomon wisdom—the deepest of understanding and the largest of hearts. There was nothing beyond him, nothing he couldn’t handle. Solomon’s wisdom outclassed the vaunted wisdom of wise men of the East, outshone the famous wisdom of Egypt. He was wiser than anyone—wiser than Ethan the Ezrahite, wiser than Heman, wiser than Calcol and Darda the sons of Mahol. He became famous among all the surrounding nations. He created 3,000 proverbs; his songs added up to 1,005. He knew all about plants, from the huge cedar that grows in Lebanon to the tiny hyssop that grows in the cracks of a wall. He understood everything about animals and birds, reptiles and fish. Sent by kings from all over the earth who had heard of his reputation, people came from far and near to listen to the wisdom of Solomon.

 

from The Message

Bible cross references

My new Large Print Ultra Thin Reference Bible – New King James Version (NKJV) reveals that many of the Proverbs are either echoes from previous Old Testament writings in the Bible, or are echoed in the New Testament.  For example: Prov. 12:18 “There is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword, But the tongue of the wise promotes health.”  We are advised to look at Ps. 57:4, where we find

            “My soul is among lions;

            I lie among the sons of men
            Who are set on fire,
            Whose teeth are spears and arrows,
            And their tongue a sharp sword.”

And for Prov. 12:21 “No grave trouble will overtake the righteous, But the wicked shall be filled with evil”, it offers I Peter 3:13 “And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good?”

This week’s Lesson-Sermon on Sacrament gives us another example i.e.  

James 4:6 “God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble” echoes Prov. 3:34

“Surely he scorneth the scorners: but he giveth grace unto the lowly” (KJV), or

“Surely He scorns the scornful, But gives grace to the humble” (NKJV).

My new book is wonderful.  It has excellent maps at the very back, a concordance, and Harmony of the Gospels.  And it is beautifully made with fine paper and leather covers with gold decoration and gilt edges to the pages.  Not only that but it would be an excellent wedding present, for at the very beginning it has pages to record ownership, marriage, births, marriages, and occasions to remember.

I like Prov. 13:24:

“He who spares his rod hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him promptly” (NKJV). 
“He who spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes” (KJV).

There are various reports of Mary Baker Eddy chastening her students.  How this Proverbs 13: 24 above explains her chastening! If she had refrained from chastening, she was evidencing less than love, her main focus of teaching.  She did, however, make it plain that she was chastening the error, not the person while the Biblical proverb seems to leave the chastening with the person.

Joyce Voysey

Love our enemies; George Bernard Shaw on the KJV of the Bible

Proverbs 11: 18, “A talebearer revealeth secrets, But he who is of a faithful spirit concealeth a matter.”  I find a correlative in Mrs. Eddy’s words, “We must love our enemies in all the manifestations wherein and whereby we love our friends; must even try not to expose their faults, but to do them good whenever opportunity occurs.” (Miscellaneous Writings 11:17-21)

I note that the New King James Version (NKJV) of the Bible was first printed in 1982.  I like what it reports George Bernard Shaw said about the KJV of the Bible.  It says (p. iii), “George Bernard Shaw became a literary legend in our century because of his severe and often humorous criticisms of our most cherished values.  Surprisingly, however, Shaw pays the following tribute to the scholars commissioned by King James: “The translation was extraordinarily well done because to the translators what they were translating was not merely a curious collection of ancient books written by different authors in different stages of culture, but the Word of God divinely revealed through His chosen and expressly inspired scribes.  In this conviction they carried out their work with boundless reverence and care and achieved a beautifully artistic result.” “

Joyce Voysey

Turning to the Bible for instruction

Hymn 79 (“God is wisdom, God is Love”) from the Christian Science Hymnal came to mind as I read Chapter 8 of Proverbs in my new Large Print Ultra Thin Reference Bible – New King James Version (NKJV). 

Did God dictate these beautiful words to Solomon?  Wisdom, Love, God, speaks; Solomon (or whoever the author might be) interprets somewhat.  In my new Bible, Chapter 10 is headed up: “Wise Sayings of Solomon.”  It also states that the proverbs of Solomon are to come.  At this point I read the Introduction to The Book of Proverbs in my new NKVJ Bible, so I thought I would include it here:

Some gems Proverbs 3-10

There are some lovely gems in the book of Proverbs.  Here are some of my favourites.  What are some of yours?

 

Prov. 3: 5, 6 “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”  Lean on God, the source of all intelligence and the great Shepherd.

 

Prov. 4: 12 “When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.”  Security is ours when we put our hand in God’s and use wisdom in all our endeavours.

 

Prov. 5: 15 “Drink waters out of thine own cistern...”  The grass is not greener on the other side.  Be grateful for what you have and look for the blessing right there in your own back yard.

 

Prov. 6: 6 “Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise.” Isn’t this vivid!!  What good lessons we learn from observing and being AWAKE to the animal kingdom at work.

 

Prov. 7 reminds me of Joseph strong stand in not being seduced by Pharoah’s wife.  I guess we can be seduced in many ways and so we humbly stand firm with God and trust that all God’s intelligent creation is upright and pure.

 

Prov. 8: 22, 23 “The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old.  I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was.”  Eternity has nothing to do with time.  Our real spiritual being has nothing to do with time.

 

Prov. 8: 30 “...I was daily his delight...”  Oh – how comforting is this!

 

Prov. 9: 6 “Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding.”

 

Prov. 9: 9 “Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.  The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom...”  That ties in with the first section of this week’s Bible Lesson on “Sacrament” where we are encouraged to worship God as universal good, the “altogether lovely”.  We are also told that to understand God “is the work of eternity, and demands absolute consecration of thought, energy, and desire” (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by M.B. Eddy p. 3: 15).

 

Prov. 10: 4 “...the hand of the diligent maketh rich.”  At the testimony meeting I attended this evening we heard many astonishing testimonies, one of which spoke of the depth of joy which is ours from God and which sometimes comes when we seem to have been through the worst possible circumstances.  The testifier spoke particularly of a passage from Psalm 57 i.e. “awake up my glory” in relation to this spiritually exalting feeling of joy.  This joy makes us truly rich.

 

Prov. 10: 20 “The tongue of the just is as choice silver...”  What we say, counts.  So let’s choose our words wisely!

 

Prov. 10: 22 “The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich and he addeth no sorrow with it.”  As this week’s Bible Lesson is all about blessings, this is a lovely additional promise to us all.

 

We watched the International Space Station zooming through the sky the other night from our boat here on the Queensland coast.  How extraordinary it was to trace its path across the star-lit night.  The Bible is a bit like that – its messages shine out and speed our journey beyond the earthly to the realm of new possibilities.  I’m so grateful.

Julie Swannell