[Shalom,


We begin Proverbs again today and I am expecting that we will be so much wiser this time through! Wisdom is what this book is all about! Solomon asked God for wisdom (2 Chronicles 1:10) and God made him the wisest man of his time! James 1:5 says:


5 If any of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask of the giving God [Who gives] to everyone liberally and ungrudgingly, without reproach or faultfinding, and it will be given them.


So ASK for wisdom, and then read and study Proverbs! If you are not willing to do that, you will not be able to understand the wisdom that comes from God anyway! Proverbs 1:5:


5 The wise also will hear and increase in learning, and the person of understanding will acquire skill and attain to sound counsel [so that they may be able to steer their course rightly]


The word "wise" here is the Hebrew word "chakam", which means:  intelligent, skillful, artful, shrewd, learned, prudent, crafty. God has given each one of us special gifts and talents, strengths and interests! The purpose is so that we can each be the best we can possibly be, bringing Glory to Him! AMEN!


The best natural definition of wisdom that I have heard came from a man named Louis Goldberg. He said that wisdom means exhibiting God's character in the many practical affairs of life. I like that one! The wisdom found in Proverbs is so very practical and easy to put in practice! yet some people still choose to NOT be wise! Verse 22 says this:


22 How long, O simple ones [open to evil], will you love being simple? And the scoffers delight in scoffing and [self-confident] fools hate knowledge? 


The best translation of this I have heard says:


"Hey stupid - how long are going to stay stupid?" 


DON'T be stupid! Get wisdom! God promises this for those who do: Verse 33:


33 But whoso hearkens to me [Wisdom] shall dwell securely and in confident trust and shall be quiet, without fear or dread of evil.


THAT is MY choice! How about you?


Revelation 7:2-4:


2 Then I saw a second angel coming up from the east (the rising of the sun) and carrying the seal of the living God. And with a loud voice he called out to the four angels who had been given authority and power to injure earth and sea, 3 Saying, Harm neither the earth nor the sea nor the trees, until we have sealed the bond servants of our God upon their foreheads. 4 And [then] I heard how many were sealed (marked) out of every tribe of the sons of Israel: there were 144,000.


These 144,000 Jews, 12,000 from each of the 12 tribes, were sealed from harm and anointed to preach the Gospel! We call them the Jewish Evangelists! They preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all those left behind when the Church of Jesus Christ is taken out of here! The fruit of their labor is seen in verses 9-10:


9 After this I looked and a vast host appeared which no one could count, [gathered out] of every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages. These stood before the throne and before the Lamb; they were attired in white robes, with palm branches in their hands. 10 In loud voice they cried, saying, [Our] salvation is due to our God, Who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb [to Them we owe our deliverance]!


I have read so many commentaries that state that the 144,000 are the only Jews who are saved and that the vast multitude are all Gentiles. NOT TRUE! The 144,000 are sealed by God for the work of preaching the Gospel. Verse 9 above says that the people before the throne were of every nation, tribe, people and language. There is not one mention of them being just Gentiles. These are ALL of those who received Jesus of Nazareth as Lord and Personal Saviour during the worst time of tribulation and persecution the earth has ever seen! Let's make it our goal to reach as many of this multitude as possible BEFORE we are taken out of here, so they don't have to suffer through that time. WE are racing toward eternity while THEY are running out of time! There is no more important work for us to do on this earth than that! All else SHOULD pale in comparison! And it will IF we really love HIM! Why? Because that is HIS #1 priority! AMEN!


Jeremiah 39 and 52 show the fulfillment of the Word of God's judgment on Zedekiah and Jerusalem. He had been telling them and telling them, through the prophets, what was going to come upon the city and the people because of their disobedience. They had plenty of time to repent, but chose not to. We can take encouragement from this for the positive, too! If God's Word promises something, it WILL come to pass! Don't be moved just because it doesn't look like it's happening immediately! Just make sure that you are obeying the Word so that the GOOD promises are what you have to look forward to! AMEN!


Shalom in Him!