Shalom,
Proverbs 9:9-11:
9 Give instruction to a wise man and he will be yet wiser; teach a righteous man (one upright and in right standing with God) and he will increase in learning. 10 The reverent and worshipful fear of the LORD is the beginning (the chief and choice party) of Wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight and understanding. 11 For by me [Wisdom from God] your days shall be multiplied, and the years if your life shall be increased.
Just as in Deuteronomy, when God very clearly pointed out the difference between the Blessing and the Curse, we see the clear difference between pursing Wisdom from God and pursing the empty, foolish and reckless ways of the world! We are faced with another choice! What will YOU choose? Verse 12:
12 If you are wise, you are wise for yourself; if you scorn, you alone will bear it and pay the penalty.
This is simply saying that you and I cannot live on the good choices of other people! We each have choices to make every day to go God's Way or not! I am personally responsible for my choices, and you for yours! Choose WISDOM! Here is Hillsong with "Blessed":
Revelation 15: 4:
4 Who shall not reverence and glorify Your Name, O Lord [giving You honor and praise in worship]? For You only are holy. All the nations shall come and pay homage and adoration to You, for Your just judgments (Your righteous sentences and deeds) have been made known and displayed.
There is no other logical choice for Who deserves our praise, adoration and worship than the One, True, Most High, Living, Almighty God of the Bible! And every person WILL one day bow their knee to HIM! I am glad that I chose to do so on my own! There are tremendous blessings in obeying God and His Word! DO IT!
Ezra 3:12-13:
12 But many of the priests and Levites and heads of father's houses, old men who had seen the first house [Solomon's temple], when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice, though many shouted aloud for joy. 13 So the people could not distinguish the shout of joy from the sound of the weeping of the people, for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the sound was heard far off.
The people had been working together to accomplish the task of rebuilding the temple. When the foundation of the "new" temple was laid there was a very different reaction from the older men who had witnessed the first Temple, which was built by Solomon, and the young men who were just so glad to be home again and free. The older men knew that this Temple could not even be compared to beauty and grandeur of the first one! What they neglected to remember here is that it was their own disobedience to the Word of God that caused the exile to take and the Temple to be destroyed. They needed to repent, first of all, then rejoice that they even made it back! Thank You, Jesus, for restoration of every good thing in MY life! AMEN!
Shalom in Him!
