Category Archives: Loving God

Wisdom is Calling

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In Proverbs 8, Solomon gives wisdom a voice. He personifies wisdom as a woman who is describing herself and the benefits we can receive if we follow her advice. Some of the things we can learn about wisdom from this monologue are—Wisdom is the application of truth and righteousness (vss. 7-8). Wisdom is more valuable than silver, gold, or precious jewels (vss. 10-11). Those who follow wisdom experience blessings and peace (vss. 18-21), and they receive life and favor from God (vs. 35). Just and righteous kings rule with wisdom (vss. 15-16). And God created all things through wisdom (vss. 22-31).

In summary, one could deduce from this Proverb that wisdom is the right application of truth and humbly doing the right thing at all times. It should be valued above even the most precious things such as silver or gold. And, when followed, will bring honor, blessing, peace, and order to their life instead of chaos, fear, or stress (see Matt. 7:24-25).

So, where can we find wisdom if wisdom is so precious and should be sought after? Solomon answers that question in Proverbs 9:10. He says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” The next question is what does he mean by “the fear of the Lord”? Are we supposed to be afraid of God if we want wisdom? No, but to understand what Solomon means we need to examine the word “fear” more closely.

The word translated “fear” in this passage is the Hebrew word yirah and it has a wide range of meanings. It can mean having dread or terror from something such as when Israel was afraid of God when He appeared on the top of Mount Sinai (Ex. 20:18-19). Some feel this type of fear is self-centered because the focus is on “what will happen to me?” This is exactly Israel’s response to the Presence of God— “But do not have God speak to us or we will die” (Ex. 20:19).

The word yirah, however, can also mean to revere, be in awe, respect, or worship. In this case, the emphasis is not on what happens to the person, but on God’s glory, power, and majesty. And, instead of causing us to draw away from God as it did with Israel, it compels us to move closer to Him and motivates us to please Him like Moses (Ex. 20:21). When we encounter the power and glory of God, it humbles us and brings us to repentance because we recognize our sinfulness in the presence of His holiness (Job 42:1-6), but it also fills us with an awe-inspired love for God. We desire to grow closer to Him and learn from Him. We recognize that His laws are for our benefit because they teach us how to live, and a wise man out of this fear (awe, respect, reverence) for the Lord will put them into practice.

This type of fear of the Lord can be developed and I would challenge you to begin to discipline yourself to grow in the fear of the Lord and wisdom. First, pray for God to put a hunger in your heart to experience the Presence of God (Matt. 5:6). Ask Him to give you a passion for more of His glory (Ex. 33:18). Then, when you read your Bible, don’t read it merely to gain information about God. Instead, read it with the fear of the Lord. Read it with awe, wonder, and reverence (Ps. 19:7-11) as you sit down with the Almighty Creator of the Universe and listen as He speaks to you. Following this, go through your day with the fear of the Lord. Worship the Lord as you think about His power and glory (Ps. 63:1-4) and realize that He is always with you so that you want to please Him in everything you do (Col. 3:22).

Wisdom is calling, encouraging us to develop a true fear of the Lord that will make us aware of His awesome glory and will put a hunger in us to draw closer to Him. She then helps us apply God’s word to our lives so that we can find true life, blessing, honor, and favor from God. Will we listen?

Remember Lot’s Wife

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In Luke 17, the Pharisees asked Jesus about the coming of the Kingdom of God (Luke 17:20). Jesus responded by comparing the coming of the Kingdom of God with the days of Noah and Lot—that people will be going about their daily activities when judgment will overtake them suddenly. Then, during His description of the day of the coming of the Kingdom, Jesus admonishes the people to remember Lot’s wife (17:32). Of course, the people Jesus was speaking to knew immediately the story of Lot’s wife, as I’m sure you do as well. It is a very familiar story. But, before we look at the reason for Jesus’ reference to this story, let’s go back to Genesis 19 and review it again.

We know from Genesis 18-19 that the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah was so grievous that God could not ignore it any longer (18:20; 19:13), and He had no choice but to destroy not only those cities but the entire valley as well (19:24-25). Following His conversation with Abraham, God sent two messengers (probably angels) to the city of Sodom. Once the wickedness of the city became apparent during the night (19:1-11), the messengers told Lot to take his family and leave the city because they were going to destroy it. Then, taking Lot, his wife, and his two daughters by the hand, they led them outside the city and told them to flee to the mountains not looking back or stopping in the valley (19:15-17).

My previous understanding of the action from this point on is that, while Lot and his family were fleeing from Sodom, God began to rain down fire and brimstone upon the cities. And, as they were running away, Lot’s wife turned around to glance at the destruction and turned into a pillar of salt. However, after reading the passage a bit closer, I don’t believe that is exactly how it happened.

I recently noticed that when the messengers took Lot and his family to the edge of the city and urged them to flee, they said, “Escape there quickly, for I can do nothing till you arrive there” (19:22 emphasis mine). Then, in the next two verses, we read that, “The sun had risen on the earth when Lot came to Zoar. THEN the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah…” (emphasis mine). In other words, the destruction did not begin until after Lot and his family arrived safely at their destination.

However, when we get to verse 26 and read, “But Lot’s wife, behind him, looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.”, it becomes a little confusing as to when this actually occurred. There are different viewpoints on this, but my feeling is that Lot’s wife did more than merely glance behind her when she turned into a pillar of salt. The word “looked” in verse 26 is the Hebrew word nabat and it means to behold, gaze, observe, look intently on, or regard with pleasure, favor, or care.

I believe that, as they were fleeing, Lot’s wife, who was following behind Lot and their daughters, began to think back with pleasure on Sodom. Maybe she thought of her other family members or friends and didn’t want to leave them, or wanted to try to convince them to escape with her. Or maybe she remembered something she left behind and wanted to go back to retrieve it. For whatever reason, I believe she returned to Sodom while Lot and his daughters, not realizing that she was not with them, continued to Zoar. Once they arrived at Zoar, God began the destruction, and Lot’s wife was caught in it and became a pillar of salt along with everyone else in the cities. God provided a way of escape from the coming judgment, but Lot’s wife’s heart was still attached to Sodom. She chose the world, and it destroyed her.

This explanation of events fits with Jesus’ reference to Lot’s wife in His description of the coming of the Kingdom of God. In Luke 17:28-33, Jesus compares the coming of the Kingdom of God to God raining fire and brimstone on Sodom. He then says that when the Son of Man comes those who are on the housetop or in the field should not turn back to gather their goods from the house (17:31). He admonishes them to remember Lot’s wife (17:32) and concludes with a warning that if we seek to preserve our life we will lose it, but if we are willing to lose our life, we will keep it (17:33).

The point Jesus is making, and the lesson for us is that if we hold on to our old life, as Lot’s wife did, it will destroy us. Instead, we should be willing to give up our old life and the things of the world so that we might obtain the life of the Kingdom of God. He should be our desire above everything else, and He should be more valuable than anything the world has to offer. This is why the Bible tells us to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Deut. 6:5; Mark 12:29-30).

Therefore, it would be good to develop a daily habit of praying David’s prayer: “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!” (Ps. 139:23-24). Or “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit” (Ps. 51:10-12).  Lord, search our hearts so that there is nothing that is drawing us back to the world and hindering us from fully following you. Help us to set our heart on you so that we desire you above everything else. And help us to remember Lot’s wife!