Skeleton key: Found and lost

Imagine this scene with me:

“Based on the last letter, I think this is it.” the young priest says, as you both stand in front of a crude, scaled replica of Solomon’s throne.  You recognize it because it matches the description you had read before in the Old Testament book of 1 Kings:

A large ivory throne, overlaid with fine gold.  The throne had six steps; there was a rounded top at the back of the throne, armrests on either side of the seat, and two lions standing beside the armrests.  Twelve lions were standing there on the six steps, one at each end.

This replica was made of wood and painted to look like the precious materials Solomon would have used.  All of the steps had a small rug in the middle, and the lions on either side of the step were each labeled with a Latin name.  From the bottom step going up, the lions’ translated named pairings were: Wisdom-Discipline, Understanding-Instruction, Righteousness-Justice, Integrity-Shrewdness, Knowledge-Discretion, and Learning-Guidance.

“If this is it, there’s got to be a hidden compartment.  But then…we’d need a key of some sort,” you mutter to yourself.  Looking at the steps, you see the front of the first one has a faint label that says: The fear of the Lord.  Your eyes pop open wide as you realize what needs to be done next.  “It’s the skeleton key,” you excitedly tell the young priest. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, fools despise wisdom and discipline.”

You stand on the rug of the first step, with the lions labeled Wisdom and Discipline on either side of you.  You can’t reach the name plates while standing up, so you get down in a kneeling position.  From there, you can touch both name plates.  When you press them down at the same time, you hear a click as an unseen drawer from the riser of the next step opens up – right in front of your face.

A sharp voice broke the silence in the room, “What’s going on, here?”

You and the young priest turn around to see an older priest, leaning on a staff.  Although his body was declining, his piercing eyes let you know that his mind was still clear.  “I’m sorry, Your Grace,” the young priest stammered.  His face was draining color so fast that you were afraid he’d soon pass out.

The old priest’s eyes snap to you, and before you can get any words out, he lifts his hand.  “Let me guess.  You’re here for the Book of Life.  Don’t bother, the drawer is empty.”  You take a quick glance at the open drawer behind you, confirming what the old priest said.  He continued, “How about you tell me how you got this far, and I won’t call the police?”

You tell him your whole story, from the old man in the bookstore, the dream you had on the plane, the three letters you found in the Beit Ariela library from Artemis Danling, and the cyphers you found in each letter.  After hearing the details of your adventure, he says, “Let me fill in the rest of your story.  When I was a young priest, a treasure hunter, by the name of Theodore Bixon, came here searching for the Book of Life.  I saw him do the same thing you just did, and he found the manuscript in the hidden drawer.  He said it was exactly where his mentor told him it would be.  The Book of Life turned out to be an ancient copy of Solomon’s introduction to his collection of wisdom sayings – the first nine chapters from the book of Proverbs.  The manuscript was dated to be from about 200 BC.  If you would like to see it, you can find it at the Shrine of the Book, here in Jerusalem, displayed along with the Dead Sea Scrolls.  While Bixon was always credited with finding the manuscript, no one ever knew how he did it.  I’m sure they’d be interested in the letters you found, as well as your story.”

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And here ends our story.  I hope these vignettes have been helpful, at least as a different way to look at the beginning to the book of Proverbs.  The description of Solomon’s throne is from 1 Kings 10:18-20 (however, the names of the lions was something I added).  By now, you may also be able to quote the skeleton key from memory:

Proverbs 1:7
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, fools despise wisdom and discipline.

The book of Proverbs is divided up into 31 chapters, and – just like the old priest said – the first 9 chapters are simply the introduction to the actual collection of proverbs!  That’s a large amount of space, roughly 30% of the text, Solomon uses to convince his son that the pursuit of wisdom is supremely beneficial to his life.

In the introduction, Solomon discusses how wisdom will impact relationships, finances, work ethic, sexual temptation, and many other major life topics.  I highly recommend that you read through the introduction, too.  You’ll find clearly stated consequences for our life-path choices and a couple of interesting allegory stories that tell how our earthly lives can be either found or lost, purposeful or wasted.

From here, we’re going to look at a number of proverbs that will help us incorporate wisdom into our day-to-day choices.  Ultimately, that’s what wisdom is – the application of Godly knowledge so we can skillfully live our earthly lives.

So, realistically, Proverbs is the Book of Life.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

Skeleton key: Look again

Imagine this scene with me:

Tired of looking through dusty library books for information about The Book of Life, you go back to the bookmark letters you found a few hours ago.  You know that you’ve seen the name at the bottom of the first letter before, and it’s really starting to bother you that you can’t place it.

A quick internet search fills in your memory gap.  “A. Danling” was Artemis Danling, an antiquities dealer and occasional treasure hunter who took special interest in ancient puzzles and riddles.  According to your search, he had a knack for finding treasures that others had sought for years.  One site had a piece of information that really got your attention: on his deathbed, he bemoaned that there were still puzzles left unsolved; however, his biggest regret was that there were puzzles he felt he had solved, but could not travel to verify his hunch, due to his declining health. 

Unfortunately, you were unable to find any connection between Artemis Danling and The Book of Life, and there was no mentioning of a son with his last name.

After reading up on his life, your mind begins to spin.  Maybe…just maybe…the letters you found were more than just bookmarks.  The second letter’s text reads:

My son,
Don’t forget my teaching, my commands; for they will bring you many days, a full life, and well-being.
Never let loyalty and faithfulness leave you.
Tie them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart.
Then you will find favor and high regard with God and people.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding;
in all your ways know Him, and He will make your paths straight.
Don’t be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and turn away from evil.
This will be healing for your body and strengthening for your bones.

Honor the Lord with your possessions and with the first produce of your entire harvest;
then your barns will be completely filled, and your vats will overflow with new wine.
Do not despise the Lord’s instruction, my son, and do not loathe His discipline;
for the Lord disciplines the one He loves, just as a father disciplines the son in whom he delights.

“A. Danling” is signed at the bottom of this one, too.  Again, the letter’s formatting stands out to you.  Same as with the first letter, you notice how the letter’s structure helps drive the point that the father is making to his son – but you wonder if there is more to the letter than what you can see on the first read.

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It often takes me more than one reading of a paragraph or a Scripture passage to understand what the author is trying to say.  Large scoops of new information cannot be processed in just one bite.  There is absolutely no shame in going back to re-read something – it’s more important that you understand what the author is saying, rather than you reading something once and moving on just so you can finish.

The above passage is from Proverbs 3:1-12, and admittedly, Solomon says a lot in such a small section.  Fortunately, his consistent structure helps us understand.  Generally speaking, he says to “Do something” or “Don’t do something” and then gives a Benefit.  If we charted them out, here’s what we find:

Verses 1-4:
Don’t do something – Benefit – Do something – Benefit

Verses 5-8:
Do something – Benefit – Don’t do something – Benefit

Verses 9-12:
Do something – Benefit – Don’t do something – Benefit

Perhaps the best way to find an application from this text is to look at the benefits that Solomon describes and then do (or don’t do) what he says will get you there.

Want to find favor and high regard with God and people?  Then never let loyalty and faithfulness leave you…regularly practice them, as rhythmic as your heartbeat.

Do you want healing for your body and strengthening for your bones?  Then don’t be wise in your own eyes, fear the Lord and turn away from evil.  Staying out of a self-centered mindset and staying off the paths that lead to trouble provides more opportunity for healing, strengthening, and recovery.

Would you like to be fully supplied with food and resources?  Then honor the Lord with your possessions and with the first produce of your entire harvest.  Remembering that the Lord gave it all to you and to give back the first of your wages demonstrates your trust in God and His ability to provide for you.

Solomon presents many good benefits…go back and look at the passage again…which wise choice will you make, which beneficial outcome will you pursue?

Keep Pressing,
Ken

They will get theirs

We have always craved justice.  However, in recent years, there has been an increasing emphasis on correcting injustices within society – for wrongs committed today as well as those committed in the recent past.  This desire to right the wrongs is noble; however, there have been many ignoble attempts to carry out retribution or exact payment for injustices.  And then we often end up fighting about the ignoble means of handing out noble justice.  Who is supposed to be responsible for administering this justice and how far the punishment is taken have both been hot topics recently.  Accusations of corruption within the judicial branch of government appears in our news feeds frequently.  Stories and rumors of bad behavior are immediately blown up and judged via social media.  Being an election year always seems to put these issues to the forefront of our attention.

But what is a Christian to do with all this?  How can we proclaim a perfect God to a world that is far less than perfect?  We feel the same tensions that non-Christians do – Why do evil people seem to get away with stuff?  I’m glad when the bad guys finally get caught, but what about all those who do the same things and the authorities aren’t even aware of them?  How do we handle inconsistencies for how justice is administered?  What do we do when it appears that justice has not been served and someone “gets away with it” or receives a much lighter punishment than we would have expected?

These are not new questions.  These are concerns that people have always had, as they realized that their governments full of sinful people are trying to corral the actions of sinful people…this is not a formula to bring about perfect justice.  But that seems to be the best we have.  Even Israel’s King David and God’s prophets recognized this tension, and they asked God why injustice happens:

Psalm 94:3-7
Lord, how long will the wicked – how long will the wicked celebrate?
They pour out arrogant words; all the evildoers boast.
Lord, they crush your people; they oppress your heritage.
They kill the widow and the resident alien and murder the fatherless.
They say, “The Lord doesn’t see it.  The God of Jacob doesn’t pay attention.”

Jeremiah 12:1
You will be righteous, Lord, even if I bring a case against you.  Yet, I wish to contend with you:
Why does the way of the wicked prosper?
Why do all the treacherous live at ease?

Habakkuk 1:2-4
How long, Lord, must I call for help and You do not listen
or cry out to you about violence and you do not save?
Why do you force me to look at injustice?
Why do you tolerate wrongdoing?
Oppression and violence are right in front of me.
Strife is ongoing and conflict escalates.

This is why the law is ineffective and justice never emerges.
For the wicked restrict the righteous; therefore, justice comes out perverted.

Paul also dealt with our unfulfilled desire for justice in this manner:

Romans 12:19
Friends, do not avenge yourselves; instead, leave room for God’s wrath, because it is written, “Vengeance belongs to Me, I will repay”, says the Lord.

Paul’s quote goes back to Deuteronomy 32:35, reminding his readers that despite all they are struggling with, God promised long ago to make things right.

Although Paul goes on in his letter (Romans 13), to say that one of the ways God displays His wrath now through the appointed governments to do the work of justice and punishing those who do wrong…we’re still left with a judicial system that doesn’t always get it right.  Our judicial system does not always get all the evidence; it is not is able to understand all aspects of a situation.  Additionally, and sadly, our judicial system can be corrupted so that in some cases, those responsible are never held accountable. 

That is a lot of tension for us to stand in.  And while God’s statement “I will repay” is comforting, it can still feel a bit hollow.  Just like the Old Testament writers, we want to ask God…When?  When will wrongdoing be properly and fully repaid?

It’s likely not as swift as we would want it to be, but God has set a time and place for justice to be finally and fully served.  The apostle John records this moment as the last actions God takes before creating a new heaven and a new earth:

Revelation 20:11-15
Then I saw a great white throne and One seated on it.  Earth and heaven fled from His presence, and no place was found for them.  I also saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened.  Another book was opened, which is the book of life, and the dead were judged according to their works by what was written in the books.  Then the sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them; each one was judged according to their works.  Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire.  This is the second death, the lake of fire.  And anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.

Let’s make a significant observation here: there are two sets of books that non-believers will be evaluated by.  The first set is plural – the dead were judged according to their works by what was written in the books – and this the full and just evaluation of their deeds in this life.  The second is singular – anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.  As the text says, it is whether or not their name is in book of life which sends them to the lake of fire, not their bad deeds and neither do their good deeds rescue them from this outcome.

The purpose of being judged according to their works is to determine the level of torment and anguish each person will suffer in the lake of fire.  A garden-variety pagan, who rejected Jesus’ offer of eternal life, will have a very different experience from someone on the level of Hitler, Stalin, or Mao Zedong.  That is true, full, and final justice.  Everything that someone appears to “get away with” now will come to light, and God will properly handle it.

Although this gives us some more comfort just knowing there is a “when”…I know this still leaves us with some unsettled questions.  Take them to God.  He is big enough to handle your questions.  Ask, just like Jeremiah did: You will be righteous, Lord, even if I bring a case against you.  Yet, I wish to contend with you…

This is how justice will be served for those who do not trust in Jesus for eternal life.  They will get theirs.  But, then, what happens to Christians who do terrible things?  Do they get away with it, just because they became a part of God’s family?  We’ll look at those questions next time.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

Heaven on Earth

Some days I just get tired of people.  Or at least that’s what I say to describe how worn down I feel.  But in all honesty, it’s not so much that individual people that are wearing me down…it’s the clash of their self-tainted agendas with my own self-tainted agenda that leaves me feeling like the ocean has been pounding on the shore of my psyche.

How great would it be if we could just remove everyone’s sin nature from life’s equation?

We get an idea of what it will be like as John moves from describing the exterior of New Jerusalem to what he sees (and does not see) inside the city:

Revelation 21:22-23
I did not see a temple in it, because the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.  The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, because the glory of God illuminates it, and its lamp is the Lamb.

The fact that there was no temple in New Jerusalem is a significant change.  The temple was the central location for the people to meet with and relate to God.  God’s presence resided in the Holy of Holies, the most sacred part of the temple – and it was there that once a year the High Priest would meet with God on behalf of the people.

However, in New Jerusalem God’s dwelling is with humanity, and He will live with them (Revelation 21:3).  Access to God is no longer limited to a representative once per year…His presence will be so constant that His glory will negate the need for a sun in the sky!

The Holy of Holies was built in a cube form, both in the tabernacle (Exodus 26) and Solomon’s temple (1 Kings 6:20).  The cube shape of New Jerusalem also affirms that we have permanently entered into the most intimate of relationships with God – so close that a meeting place isn’t necessary because the entire city is the meeting place.

Revelation 21:24-27
The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it.  Its gates will never close by day because it will never be night there.  They will bring the glory and honor of the nations into it.  Nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those written in the Lamb’s book of life.

And so the ancient practice of honoring the greatest king by bringing him wealth from your nation will continue in New Jerusalem (e.g. – 1 Kings 10:10, Psalm 72:10-11).  These gifts to honor God will be brought by only those [whose names are] written in the Lamb’s book of life, ones who had previously accepted Christ’s offer of eternal life.

How magnificent will this city be?!?!  No corruption, no lies, no selfishness, no greed, no lust… nothing unclean will ever enter it.  How incredibility freeing would life be, if sin could not interfere?  Think about how smoothly New Jerusalem will function.  When today’s frustrations make you wish a change – your feelings are spot-on.  Our desire for sin’s removal will, one day, be fulfilled.

I hope you are as excited about New Jerusalem as I am…our forever home will truly be “Heaven on Earth”.

Keep Pressing,
Ken