Text: “The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion” (Proverbs 28:1).

Context, Context, Context: Solomon is penning part of what’s known in Scripture as the wisdom literature. The book of Proverbs is, well, just that–a collection of aphorisms. And one of Solomon’s preferred literary techniques is the use of antithetical parallelism. All that means is that the first half of a verse demonstrates one quality, whereas the second half of the verse demonstrates its opposite via contrast.

Two Types of People:

• The wicked person
• The righteous person

The first half of the verse pictures the wicked person as evasive, on the run, fleeing. Why? Because he is up to no good. He is crafty and shady.

The second half of the verse pictures the contrast of a good and righteous man. He is “bold as a lion.” Why? Because he has nothing to hide. He values transparency and his life is an open book.

Encouragement: Christ commands his people to be salt and what else? Light. “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet” (Matthew 5:13).

And light, too: “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house” (Matthew 5:14-15).

Jesus’ teaching is the same as Solomon’s. Why? Because all of Scripture is one coherent story. And what Proverbs 28:1 teaches is straightforward, namely, that God’s people are to be righteous, a people of the light.

An Instructive Ditty: “Be careful, little lips, what you say. Be careful, little ears, what you hear.” Those are some of the lyrics to a children’s ditty I recall from my church-saturated childhood. If you were reared in church, you may remember them, too.

Text: “You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not stand up against the life of your neighbor: I am the LORD” (Leviticus 19:16).

Teaching: Per Scripture, the tongue is a dangerous creation:

 So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things.How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell (James 3:5-6).

Ever been slandered? Ever been gossiped about? Of course, we all have. If you haven’t, count yourself lucky.

But God’s people are to be better than that. We are to remember the Lord, that the Lord sees, and that we will answer. “So then each of us will give an account of himself to God” (Romans 14:12).

Encouragement: There’s a lot of biblical wisdom in that children’s ditty, isn’t there?

“And thou wilt give thyself relief, if thou doest every act of thy life as if it were the last, laying aside all carelessness and passionate aversion from the commands of reason, and all hypocrisy, and self-love, and discontent with all the portion which has been given to thee.”

Encouragement: In modern parlance, do first things, first. Have the right priorities and act on them, not worrying about getting the credit.

Well said, Aurelius; well said.

Text:

Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it and laid incense on it and offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, which he had not commanded them. And fire came out from before the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord. Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord has said: ‘Among those who are near me I will be sanctified, and before all the people I will be glorified.’” And Aaron held his peace (Leviticus 10:1-3).

Context, Context, Context: God’s priests are called to holiness. We’re to be reverential towards God. Presumptuousness and cavalier dispositions are damning.

Teaching: God is holy. He is not to be toyed with or mocked or minimized. Sinners scoff at God to their utter ruin. Yet God welcomes sinners who are broken over their sin and look to God’s grace in the person and work of Christ.

Nadab and Abihu presumed upon God’s grace. And it was fatal.

Encouragement: Whosoever will may come, but we must come in recognition that we are dressed in filthy rags. That’s what our works are. Then and only then will God clothe us in his robes of righteousness.

The storms passed through and we weathered them safely. Significant rainfall, cold temperatures, ice, a dusting of snow, and winds, but we made it safely through it all. Other parts of our nation were less fortunate.

It never got above freezing today, but I had to get out of the house. I took to the hills.

After hiking a bit I sat down at my favorite spot to watch the sun set over the ridge. It was again moving to my soul. I even saw a healthy spike walk within a few yards of me.

Below are two pictures and a short video:

Like other preppers, I topped off with gas. I pulled into our town’s Ingles for some ethanol-free fuel for our generators. Why? Well, where we live, it may grow pretty ugly over the next few days, and power loss is likely.

When I pulled in to fuel up, another man was already at the pump. He was filling four large cans with ethanol-free fuel for his own generators.

“Looks like we’re thinking alike,” I said.

He looked up, saw me in uniform, and said, “Bring your gas can on over. It’s on me.”

“Are you sure? You don’t have to do that.”

“I have a lot of points built up. Come on over,” he said.

He even filled up my can for me.

I loaded my filled can in my vehicle afterwards and returned to him and extended my hand. We shook hands.

“Stay safe,” he said.

“Likewise. And thanks again,” I said.

There are kind folks about, dear ones. They’re out there–even at the neighborhood Ingles gas pump before the storm arrives.

Text: “You shall not spread a false report. You shall not join hands with a wicked man to be a malicious witness” (Exodus 23:1).

Context, Context, Context: Moses had just received the Decalogue from the Lord on Sinai. Moses, the shepherd/priest/intercessor, taught the people and loved them. One of the ways in which he did that was by teaching. Part of that teaching concerned justice–how Israel, a people who were supposed to be salt and light in the world, was to embody the character of God. And one part of that character concerned truthfulness, i.e., not bearing false witness. God is truth; therefore, his people are to be people of truth.

Question: Remember how the New Testament writer characterized the tongue? “And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell” (James 3:6).

Teaching: God taught the people through his servant Moses. And what was Moses teaching the people? He was teaching them about the crucial nature of human speech. How and what we speak reveals our nature. “What’s down in the well comes up in the bucket,” if you will. (My grandmother’s folksy wisdom!)

Encouragement: Israel as a whole professed a lot, didn’t they? They promised to keep the commandments. But they, like we, fail to keep them. But that does not abrogate God’s command for us to be holy. We are not to spread false reports, dear ones. We are not to join hands with the wicked. We are not to be people of malice. We’re to fear the Lord and emulate his character and thereby manifest that we have been wrought of God.

Text: “And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, and the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD” (Exodus 14:4).

Questions:

• Was it human craftiness that would be commended by Israel’s crossing the Red Sea?
• Was it Moses?
• Was it the people following Moses?
• Was it Pharaoh?

“No!” to each of the above questions. God was the one to receive the glory. Why? Because God’s the deliverer. God is the hero.

One of the most encouraging verses in all of the Bible, to me at least, comes from this same chapter. It is verse 14: “The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.” Yes and amen.

Teaching: One of the things I’ve noticed after all these years is that some people just cannot not be nosy and gossip. They seem to be consumed by it. My wife would tell you I’m the least nosy person ever. I am not going to be up in people’s business. It’s obnoxious. But some folks traffic there; they live in it. They seem unable to just stay in their lane.

Encouragement: But memorize Exodus 14:14: “The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.” Again I say, yes and amen. God will get the glory, dear ones. Count on it.