Articles

Christian Education Devotionals (18)

These devotionals were originally written by Hope PR Christian School (Walker, MI) teacher Brian D. Dykstra for his fellow teachers. They are posted here for their broader significance and for broader use by Christian parents and other Christian school teachers.

Chastening

"Chastening"

Brian D. Dykstra (Teacher at Hope PR Christian School, Walker, MI)

*This article was originally written as a devotional for his fellow teachers at Hope CS. It is posted here because of its broader value for our website readers.

Proverbs 3:11-12: “My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of his correction: For whom the Lord loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.”

One of the responsibilities of fathers, and teachers who stand in the place of parents, is the chastening of children. Chastening is not something we eagerly anticipate doing. It is not pleasant. Whenever chastisement is given, we cannot help but wonder whether or not the chastening is given in the best way possible, or whether or not the child sees our love and godly concern for him. We are always walking a fine line of either chastening too much or too little. However, this being a covenant school, and standing in the place of covenant parents, chastening students is something we must do.

It is important to notice that the father here refers to this chastening as having its origin in the Lord. This covenant father is pointing out to his son that the chastening the son experiences does not originate in him, but in the Lord. Here we are not to view God as a Master who rules over servants. Neither are we to have in our minds the fact that God is also the Judge from whom nothing can be hidden. We must note that this chastening is of the Lord, Jehovah, the name of our covenant Father who is merciful and loving, and who delights in the fellowship of His people.

Anybody who has any experience in teaching or parenting knows there are times when children are annoying. The origin of chastening must be God’s law, not what annoys us. This is a temptation, especially when we are tired, run down or overburdened. Sometimes, we chasten for our convenience. Chastening must have its origin in God. This happens only when we have as our standard God’s law.

There are two attitudes towards God’s chastisement which we are instructed to avoid. First, we are not to despise the Lord’s chastening. To despise means to loath something because it is viewed as being worthless. Such despising could be expressed, “Let God do His worst to me for what He perceives to be my shortcomings. I am man enough to endure it and continue on my chosen way. Evidently, God disapproves of what I am doing, and therefore has brought something unpleasant into my life. So be it! My chosen way gives me pleasure. I don’t care about His correction. My way is right! As long as I may do as I please and get what I want, I don’t care about what the consequences of my sins may be.” We witness this attitude in various ways in our society. It is obvious that this response to the Lord’s chastening is not the response of faith.

The second attitude toward chastening is that we grow weary of His correction. This response does not appear to be as bad as the first, yet it is still not the response of faith. Sometimes, we are weary of experiencing a guilty conscience for our sins. After all, the wicked actually perform sin, and many times it seems they suffer no consequences for their sins. Not only do their consciences not seem to be afflicted, some even boast of their evil-doings. We, on the other hand, must implore God’s mercy and humble ourselves simply because we have sinful desires in our hearts! It doesn’t seem right. Why must we be chastened when there certainly are those who are much worse than we are. Such an attitude fails to recognize that God chastens us because He deals with us in His love. We should not be jealous of the wicked because their consciences have been seared or they seem to get away with sin. God allows them to go their own way because He has no pleasure in them. The Lord does not desire fellowship with those who are not redeemed. God will not correct them so He can walk with them and delight in their fellowship. He doesn’t love them.

God does not chasten because He sadistically enjoys seeing us squirm. God chastens those whom He loves and regards as His children. We have evidence that we are legitimate children of God when He chastens us. Our Father says He delights in us! God chastens in order to bring His children to repentance and obedient living. He will not allow us to walk in sin and assume the character or appearance of Satan, whose we were by nature. God will have us walk in His ways and will use His chastening rod to mould us into His image because He has purchased us with His Son’s blood. He will see to it that we resemble our new Master. Our Lord has not redeemed us so we can continue in the old paths of sin.

We must be quietly confident under our Father’s chastisement. We do not know His purpose with us or what our final place in His kingdom will be. God chastens so that we shun the way of evil and walk in fellowship with Him. Jehovah delights in us and would have us keep company with Him on the path He has marked out for us by His law. The Lord’s chastening maintains us in the way of fellowship with Him and the rest of His children.

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Honor the Lord With Thy Substance

Honour the Lord With Thy Substance

Brian D. Dykstra (Teacher at Hope PR Christian School, Walker, MI)

*This article was originally written as a devotional for his fellow teachers at Hope CS. It is posted here because of its broader value for our website readers.

Proverbs 3:9-10: “Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the first-fruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.”

Solomon in his book of wisdom now gives us some economic advice. Imagine, money-making advice from one of the most successful businessmen of his age! What size crowd would be drawn by Donald Trump were he to give a lecture in a large convention hall, especially if admission were free? I’ve read that he has a popular television series based on his business. He also is on the radio giving business tips. People who have the ability to make money are listened to very attentively. There are times when even the most disinterested of our students perk up their ears if they believe they will soon learn something which would help them to make money. No, I do not feel bad that I do not have a different audience because none of you strike me as possible attendees for the next how-to-make-money seminar.

Verse ten certainly presents to us a beautiful picture. We see a barn filled with plenty. Remember the teachers’ convention in Iowa? The fields were either ready for harvest or had been harvested already. Fields of corn and soybeans reached to the horizon. There were large trucks beginning to haul some of the harvest to grain elevators. It was hard to believe that there could be anyone in the entire world who would have to go to bed hungry.

Old Testament farmers would gather their harvest into barns. Barns gave protection as well as a storage area. A farmer whose barn contained heaped piles of the fruit of his labour would be joyful. Here was the product of all his diligent labour during the past growing season. He toiled through long days of back- breaking work to see his barn in this condition. The fullness of his barn would give him great joy. Here was the means to provide for his family!

We think of barns as holding the essentials of life, the grain which would be used to make bread. Solomon also speaks of the luxury and happiness of wine. A husbandman would be thrilled to see his presses to full with new wine that they were bursting. Perhaps he could already see the smiles on the faces of his loved ones as they drank wine with him.

Solomon instructs us on how to have such plenty. There seems to be a catch, though, because Solomon does not write about the proper methods of fertilizing, ploughing, pruning or rotating crops. There is nothing here about irrigation systems or what to do to care for the crops if they receive too much or too little rain or sunshine.

Solomon speaks of honouring God with our substance as the way to gain such prosperity. Those who had gathered in Solomon’s business seminar might now feel tricked out of their admission fee were they to hear such a business plan as that. There is similar advice in other places of the Bible. Jesus says to seek first the kingdom of God and all our earthly needs will be added to us (Matt. 6:33). In the days of Haggai, when the people said they could not give for the purpose of building the temple because they did not even have enough for their families, God told them to build the temple first, then watch as God opened the windows of heaven for them so that their barns were not able to hold all their increase. God also instructs us that the way to reap bountifully is to sow bountifully. The increase is in what goes out of the hand, not in what we strive to keep in it.

We give God the first-fruits of our increase. This is a reference to Old Testament history. God purchased for Himself the people of Israel in the night He slew all the firstborn men and cattle of Egypt. Israel’s first-born were now His. It was representative of the fact that He really had purchased them all, setting them free from the cruel bondage of Egypt. Israel then gave the first-fruits to God in appreciation and remembrance of all that God had done for them. Where would they be without His delivering arm? How much of the increase of their labour would be theirs if they were still slaves in Egypt?

How much should we give of our increase to Him? We have not been delivered from mere physical slavery. We have been set free from the bondage of sin and the prospect of continual death in hell. What will a man give in exchange for his physical life, let alone his soul?

Who can truly honour God with their substance? Would God be able to discern those who gave to Him only as a way to grow rich? What of all those who recently were so happy to learn about the prayer of Jabez as the way to have God prosper their work? What is first in their hearts? Is serving God their highest good or is serving Him only the means to obtain something which they believe is better still?

We might not be able to make the financial contributions which others can, yet may God be pleased with the lives of service we sacrifice to Him in the cause of the instruction of His covenant seed.

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Depart From Evil

Depart From Evil

Brian D. Dykstra (Teacher at Hope PR Christian School, Walker, MI)

*This article was originally written as a devotional for his fellow teachers at Hope CS. It is posted here because of its broader value for our website readers.

Proverbs 3:7-8: “Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.”

The purpose of Solomon in the book of Proverbs is to give wisdom. It would seem strange then that here he instructs his son to “Be not wise.” Even the ungodly value wisdom. There are a great number of self-help books and seminars which can be read and attended in order to make one wise in a certain area of life. For us as members of the Church, one of the reasons we value our godly friends is because we can go to them for wise advice. Of course, we are to seek after wisdom as God reveals it to us in His Word.

Obviously Solomon is not advising us against seeking wisdom. What we are warned against is being wise in our own eyes. One who is wise in his own eyes is proud. He has no need of further instruction because he believes he knows everything he needs to know in order to do what he wishes and live in a way which pleases him. He does not need to seek the advice of anyone. He will rely upon himself and his own skill. One who is wise in his own eyes is what public schools advocated a few years ago when they stressed the concept of self-esteem.

What is the result when men are wise in their own eyes? When tempted by Satan, Eve looked at the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and determined that it was a tree to be desired because it would make her wise. Judas, though he had performed miracles in Christ’s name, came to despise the Lord because he saw Jesus would not establish an earthly kingdom. Judas was imagining how rich Christ’s inner circle of friends could become if they would charge people for healing and the bread Christ could provide. When Peter witnessed the beginning of Christ’s trial, his wisdom saw only the Lord’s humiliation so he refused to acknowledge he even knew the man. Paul’s wisdom led him to persecute the early Church.

There are even more examples in our society. Who would have thought a hundred years ago that there would be state and national political battles over the definition of marriage? Man’s wisdom led to the development of the welfare state to care for poor families. Have the poor really been helped over the last fifty years? Man’s wisdom made divorces easier to obtain. It was claimed that this would be better for our legal system and would even benefit children. Has it helped?

The opposite of being wise in one’s own eyes is to fear the Lord. The proud imagine themselves someone to be reckoned with. Their opinions must be valued. Their authority must be recognized. The truly wise confess God’s lordship over their lives. A lord had complete control over his subjects. He made decisions for them. He told them what to do and where to go.

We fear our Lord. He has the authority to govern and direct our lives. We must humbly submit and confess that His will is best. Fearing our Lord also means we recognize all that He has done for us. He has been more than kind to us. Even when He has led us through ways we would rather not have been led, we knew God would never take His salvation away from us or any of His elect. We fear to do anything to offend the God who has done so much for us.

The fear of the Lord must result in departing from evil. Some departures cause sorrow and are, therefore, made hesitantly. Such is the case when we say good-bye to loved ones whom we know we will not see for some time. There are other departures which we make as quickly as we can. When my summer surveying requires me to do some work in active sanitary sewers, I do my work as quickly as possible and depart as fast as I can.

The fear of God will reveal to us the true nature of sin. We begin to see how horrible sin is and how foully it must smell to the holy God. The contrast between the sweet smell of fellowship with God and the stench of sin makes us depart from sin and walk in God’s ways.

Departing from evil gives spiritual and physical healing, health to the navel. Sin always has its dreadful spiritual effects, but the Bible also speaks of the physical consequences of sin. The adulterer sees his body consumed. The drunkard is slow and unreliable in his work, and is red-eyed. David spoke of how his unconfessed sin caused his bones to be old and dry.

Turning from the ways of sin can, at times, bring physical healing. Verse eight speaks of “marrow to thy bones.” Marrow refers to the moisture in our bones. This is in contrast to the dryness of dead bones, the dryness of unconfessed sin or spiritual death. Departing from evil through true confession gives spiritual life and health.

May our students learn true wisdom and fear God. Then they will turn from evil and experience the spiritual life of fellowship with their Lord.

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Trust in the Lord

Trust in the Lord

Brian D. Dykstra

Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

Solomon continues to instruct his son in the duties of godly living. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, is called by Charles Bridges, in his commentary on Proverbs, “the polar-star of a child of God—faith in his Father’s providence, promises, and grace.”

There are people for whom trust does not come easily. For those who have been betrayed, cheated or disappointed, trust comes only after many years. We have not been treated in such a way by our covenant God. He has never betrayed, cheated or disappointed His children although we have done so to Him. We have come to know Him through His Word where we read of His faithfulness to Israel, though we would say the Jews certainly did not deserve God’s preserving care. We can also see His watchful eye over the New Testament church. We can lean on this almighty God. We are confident His arm will not fail under the weight of our burdens.

The instruction is to trust Him with “all thine heart.” We must have a childlike confidence that God will watch over us by His providence so all His promises are kept. We must have all our trust in Him, and only in Him. To keep back some of our trust and to place it in ourselves or in another would offend our Lord.

We are not to lean to our own understanding. Yet, isn’t that part of the first sin of our first parents? The forbidden tree appeared to human understanding to be good for food, pleasant to the eyes and a provider of wisdom not yet possessed. We would be as gods! Hasn’t it been the same ever since? When man depends on his own understanding, has he ever walked the way which pleased and honoured God? How often doesn’t this happen to the youngsters in our care? How often do the young submit to the direction of their elders? Bridges writes, “If advice is asked, is it not with the hope of confirming a previously-formed purpose? In case of a contrary judgment, the young man’s own understanding usually decides the course.”

The understanding, intelligence, we can gain today is astounding. Even our junior high students have a greater knowledge of science and geography than did the greatest thinkers of earlier ages. The amount of information available to us today can boggle the mind. Has there ever been a generation with more knowledge which could be gained? Yet, we are not to support ourselves with our wealth of human understanding.

In whatever way we find God directing our lives we are to acknowledge Him. We must recognize God’s right to rule over us. Is this the way of the natural man? Sinful man will recognize no law but that which he has been pleased to establish himself. Man has become the final judge of right and wrong. Man bows before his own system of law as the standard of right and wrong.

God has the authority to direct our lives in whatever way pleases Him. Doing this is not a guarantee that all events will turn out the way we desire. It is not the case that being prosperous or successful is an indication that a person has learned to acknowledge God’s right of authority. Living a life of faith does not equal a life of prosperity and fulfilled wishes. By faith we will hold to God’s promise to His children that everything which happens to us, whether we consider it good or evil, comes from a fatherly hand. We must believe His promise that His providence is the best way for us.

God directs our paths. God will make our paths straight in the sense of having a true purpose and a glorious end. We must always seek His guidance even in matters which seem small or obvious. When Nathan the prophet depended upon his own understanding, he gave a false answer to David’s desire to build a temple for God. Nathan could not imagine God not being pleased to have the man after God’s own heart build His temple. Yet, God had to correct Nathan and show him the path which was right.

We must beware, however, not to think that when we acknowledge God and trust in Him, we will never make a mistake. Our decisions will never become infallible. God will use our errors to teach us humility and that His way is right.

May God be pleased to use us as examples to these students of trusting in Him, and acknowledging His authority over us.

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Mercy and Truth

Mercy and Truth

Brian D. Dykstra (Teacher at Hope PR Christian School, Walker, MI)

*This article was originally written as a devotional for his fellow teachers at Hope CS. It is posted here because of its broader value for our website readers.

Proverbs 3:3-4: “Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about they neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: So shalt thou find favour and good understanding the sight of God and man.”

In Proverbs 3, Solomon continues giving instruction to his son. The son is instructed in various duties in a godly life. Here Solomon is concerned with mercy and truth, two attributes of God which can be reflected by man.

Mercy is God’s will that His people are blessed by Him so they experience His covenant fellowship. Mercy is shown to those who do not deserve it. Think of a miserable prisoner who deserves a terrible punishment for a crime, who knows the judge would be totally just in executing a terrible punishment upon him, but who finds himself to be spared for no other reason than that it is the judge’s will. Mercy is also shown by those who stand in authority. It is the judge who shows mercy toward the condemned, not the condemned who shows mercy toward the judge.

Truth is what is right. Reality is accurately and completely stated with no desire to bend or twist the facts for one’s advantage. A truthful man will not use words in a way to deceive or deny the meaning of words. Getting an accurate answer from a truthful man will not require a careful definition of the word “is.”

Mercy and truth go together. A judge who disregards the fact of the committing of a crime, who pays no attention to the established laws and the punishments due to be given to those who break them, or who pays no attention to the facts or evidence in a case so he can allow the prisoner to go free, will not be called merciful. He will be thought of as negligent of his duties. A judge who pays strict attention to law, stridently executes punishment upon the guilty and passes out the maximum penalty at every opportunity, will be known as truthful but also as being hard as flint.

God is a different kind of judge. When God sets the guilty free, He can do so without being negligent. The Lord’s justice has not been violated or ignored. Jehovah has provided His Son who is able to suffer the most terrible punishment on our behalf. God can show His mercy without disregarding the truth of our guilt.

We are not to allow mercy and truth to forsake us. We cannot let them leave, just as Jacob wrestled with the Angel of the Lord and would not let him go until the Angel blessed him. As members of God’s church, we can only experience the blessing of fellowship within the bounds of mercy and truth. What would church life be without them?

Far from letting mercy and truth forsake us, we are told to bind them about our neck. This is a tight binding too. It is the type of binding you would use on a man who was a conspirator and you have captured him. He is a valuable prisoner because if he would escape, the safety of the king is in peril. A conspirator is bound or imprisoned in such a way as to make his getting away impossible. That is the value of mercy and truth to us.

We are to bind them about our neck. Some neck bindings are symbols of servitude. A slave has his chains of bondage, a prisoner has his chains of punishment and a dog has a collar as a symbol of being owned. Mercy and truth are a beautiful ornament, an expensive and valuable necklace. Those who wear such an ornament are seen to possess something of beauty and great value. An ornament of mercy and truth makes us attractive.

To have mercy and truth as an ornament on the outside, as mere decoration, is not enough. We are to write them upon the table of the heart. When we write things on paper, we have the purpose of giving them permanence. Quality paper can last for a long time. However, we are not to write mercy and truth on paper, permanent as it is. We must write them on tables, as of stone. The inscription on a properly maintained stone marker will last for a long time. This is the table of the heart. Mercy and truth must have a permanent impression on our hearts. Our lives, pictured by the heart, must be recognized as reflecting God’s mercy and truth.

When we live our lives this way, we will have favour and good understanding (success) in the sight of God and man. Even in the courts of the ungodly, Joseph, David and Daniel found favour in the eyes of men. When, at the age of twelve, Jesus was found in the temple, He had favour with those who spoke with Him. What can we say about favour in the sight of God? There is nothing better than to experience the blessing of His fellowship.

May God be pleased to use this school and the instruction of covenant parents to write His mercy and truth on the hearts of His children here.

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Forget Not My Law

Forget Not My Law

Brian D. Dykstra (Teacher at Hope PR Christian School, Walker, MI)

*This article was originally written as a devotional for his fellow teachers at Hope CS. It is posted here because of its broader value for our website readers.

Proverbs 3:1-2: “My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.”

In Proverbs 3, Solomon is stating the duties of life. We are to trust in God and honour Him. We must not despise God’s chastening hand. We are told of the benefits of getting wisdom and the comfort wisdom brings in life. We are also told how to deal with a neighbour in need and with those who oppress others. Yet, this whole section begins with the command to “... forget not my law.”

Let’s not overlook the first two words of verse 1, “My son.” Although what follows comes in the form of a command, these first words set a mood different from that of a harsh command which might come from an overseer. This is the voice of our loving Father. He is almighty, but He does not use His strength to punish us for our sins. Rather, His strength is used to deliver His people from their sins. As the maker and upholder of all things, He is able to provide what He deems is necessary for us.

The Father is here addressing a son. Yet, we should not think this address relegates daughters to second class status. Have you ever met a father who puts less effort into the instruction of his children who are daughters? Is the standard of behaviour lower for them? Are daughters viewed as having a less important place in the life of the covenant? How about it fathers, is the mother of your children second rate or not of vital importance to the covenant life of your home? Are her job requirements minuscule? Does any of this sound as God’s attitude toward the mother of His only begotten Son whom the angel Gabriel hailed as “highly favoured”?

The son is told not to forget his Father’s law. There are different ways to forget. We can forget because we become preoccupied with the affairs of life. Often we forget because of the weakness of our memories. Here, the son is told not to deliberately set aside the law of God. Such is the case when, after careful thought and evaluation, God’s law is not deemed to be worthy of keeping. We choose to establish our own standard of morality. God’s law is not suitable for the type of life we wish to live so we had best forget it so we can enjoy what this world has to offer. Of course, we understand what the end of such a life would be. I am reminded of a church sign I saw several times this past summer, “Live your life as if this is all there is, and it will be.” Some will wish this is all there is to their existence when they reach their final destination.

The son is told to keep the father’s commandments in his heart. We keep something that is valuable to us. If we have valuable possessions, we do what we can to reserve them for our own use. In bygone years, a keep was a place to guard valuables so no one could take them.

We have an interesting place of safe keeping mentioned here. These commandments are to be kept in the heart. Let the Pharisees beware! The service given to the Triune God through obedience must spring from faithful hearts. The commandments are not kept in the mind or mouth. We do not have some external decoration of obedience which camouflages a heart full of deceit. It is the heart from which are the issues of life. Heartfelt service alone is pleasing to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Verse two tells us of the sure reward of obeying the Father’s command. God’s law will add length of days, long life and peace to us. Do all of Jehovah’s faithful children live to advanced years and go to their graves with honoured heads of gray? That is not our experience. Besides, do we seek long life here so we can enjoy the charms of this earth? We will be given length of days in the land of rest to come. That is where we will have complete peace with God. Our sins and the possibility to sin will be removed so we will have no shame to ourselves or give any more offence to our gracious God. Peace with the Almighty! Could we desire something better?

May our faithful covenant God use this school so His children do not forget His law, but keep it in their hearts. In that way, they will have a peace worth having.

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The Way of Good Men

The Way of Good Men

Brian D. Dykstra, Teacher in Hope PR Christian School, Walker, MI

*This article was originally written as a devotional for his fellow teachers at Hope CS. It is posted here because of its broader value for our website readers.

Proverbs 2:20-22: “That thou mayest walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous. For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it. But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it.”

In the beginning of the book of Proverbs, Solomon tells us the purpose of his work. The people of God are to know wisdom and the young are to gain discretion. Here, at the end of chapter 2, Solomon repeats his desire for God’s children. We were told in verses 10-15 that when wisdom enters our hearts we are delivered from the path of wicked men. Verses 16-19 tell us that wisdom delivers us from strange women. These evil men and women seek to lure us to walk the same path as they do. It is the path which is broad, easy and comfortable, but the end of that path is certain destruction.

Now in verse 20 we are instructed that wisdom will lead us to walk in the way of good men. There were faster means of transportation in Solomon’s day. However, we are not told that we will run on this way. The goal is not that we will ride some animal or cart pulled by an animal on this way. Speed is not the emphasis. Our society is fast paced. Also, because there are so many churches and schools in our area, we can become very busy in events that are beneficial. Yet, there is a need to walk. Psalm 19 tells us of the speech of the night time sky, but how often do we slow down long enough to look at the stars?

Also, walking is something we can do for an extended period of time. Being on the way of good men is not a quick burst of energy which then results in our having to take a break for a time. This past summer my surveying crew chief and I were working on a small farm. The woman of the house came out to ask me how the work was going. She mentioned, “You sure do a lot of walking. Do you do this all day?” I replied, “Yes, I told my boss I could walk all day, but I will never run anywhere.” Walking is for the long term.

We are to walk on a way, a trodden path. We are not cutting a new path. We are not going where no one else has gone before. We are not chopping down trees and cutting brush to establish a new path. This way has been trodden by so many that the grass is gone. We are not struggling through bushes or hedges. This way is easily distinguished from the surrounding terrain. There are many who have walked this path before us.

The way is that of the good and the righteous. The good are those who conform to the standard of God’s law. This is not a denial of total depravity to say that there are good men. Aren’t we comfortable saying Enoch, Abraham, Joseph, Ruth, David and many others were good? What about the saints of our own personal experience? We simply must remember the source of the good. Are we good of ourselves? Try to find a saint who truly understands redemption through Christ’s blood who would say he is the source of his own goodness. How many do you think you’d find?

The righteous are the just. This is a moral and legal term. The righteous are free from guilt. A judge has declared them innocent of any wrong doing. Again, do you know of any fellow saints, or do you read of saints in history or Scripture who claim their righteousness is their own? Do you picture any saint who understands the holiness of God daring to say he is righteous enough in himself to enter heaven? No, the path has been walked humbly by those who by faith confess Christ to be their righteousness.

The chapter ends with the final destination of the upright and the wicked. The upright will dwell together. This will give us fellowship in a place which will last. We will not be on the shifting tides of water. The land is firm and stable. It is a place where God’s people will remain. We do not need to worry about being given an eviction notice. It is an everlasting place where God’s people will have fellowship with each other and with Him.

It is quite different for the wicked. The end is antithetical. There will be no common ground. They will be cut off. They will be separated and have no connection with this firm place of fellowship. They will be rooted out. Plants that are rooted out do not grow back. It is not as if they will be trimmed or cut back so they can grow back when God’s wrath is appeased.

May God grant us and our students wisdom to discern the path of the upright. The path marked by His Word leads to fellowship with Him in our Lord Jesus Christ.

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The Strange Woman

The Strange Woman

Brian D. Dykstra, Teacher in Hope PR Christian School, Walker, MI

*This article was originally written as a devotional for his fellow teachers at Hope CS. It is posted here because of its broader value for our website readers.

Proverbs 2:16-19: “To deliver thee from the strange woman, even from the stranger which flattereth with her words; Which forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God. For her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead. None that go unto her return again, neither take they hold of the paths of life.”

In these verses, Solomon continues to teach us from what evils we are preserved when godly wisdom enters our hearts. In the previous verses, we were told from what type of man we are delivered. In these four verses, we read of being preserved from evil women. Young men are taught to what type of woman they are not to be attracted. Our young women have here an example of what type of woman they are not to become.

There is surprising news about this evil woman in verse 17. We learn that she has forsaken the guide of her youth and has forgotten the covenant of her God. This is not what we would read about this woman, if she were of the Philistines or from some other of the surrounding heathen nations. She has not been brought up in the way of idol worship. The god of her younger years was not a convenient excuse for gratifying sinful desires.

She had been brought up in the sphere of the covenant. Jehovah and His law had been her guide in her formative years. She had been taught of God’s covenant. However, because she was not elect, the instruction given did not take root in her heart. When she became old enough, she wickedly forsook the instruction she had been given. The pleasures of a life of sin were what she desired. She must have been the cause of great heartache for her parents, as Samson caused grief for his.

Yet, she is described as being a strange woman. This is not a reference to some personality quirk which makes her unique from all other women you might meet in life. Although she was born and raised in the church, she separated herself from it making herself an alien to those who are truly God’s people. She immersed herself in a way of life which was supposed to be alien to God’s people. She is separated because of her unrighteous living.

She now, out of her hatred for God, His ways and His people, seeks to bring others with her. She does this through flattery. She uses her tongue to make smooth the way to her trap. If she speaks of her love and attraction for a young man, it is not sincere. He is merely a means to satisfy her sinful desires. Perhaps she speaks of how pleasant the experience with her will be. She will assure her victim that everything will be all right. Nobody will find out. There is nobody who will be hurt. Her words are insincere. To listen to her is to begin the sure slide down the slippery slope to self-destruction.

There is only one end when a man becomes involved with her. Her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead. Her house does not lead to the infirmary or the hospital. Her path does not bring its travellers to the place of illness or even severe bruising. She will lead to spiritual death. Solomon could speak from experience here. He loved many strange women. He built many temples for idol gods. Solomon’s heart was not perfect as was his father David’s. Solomon is a rare example of one who did escape the destruction of that path. God’s arm can reach to pluck out His own from the fire, but such people seem so few that we read, “None that go unto her return again, neither take they hold of the paths of life.”

Proverbs 22:14 tells us, “The mouth of strange women is a deep pit: he that is abhorred of the Lord shall fall therein.” No wonder the examples of those who escape judgment after once starting along this path are so few.

Our young men need discretion to recognize such women for what they are. It can be a difficult task in our world today. What type of woman is thought of as being desirable? Is modesty a valued virtue? What is thought of a young woman who expresses the desire to be a wife and mother in the home? How cherished is a submissive heart? It is not the look of chastity which radiates from the eyes of the women on the covers of magazines.

Our young women need strength and encouragement in home and school to develop the godly virtues of meekness, sobriety and modesty by the Spirit of Jesus Christ. The opposite of these characteristics is practically screamed at us every day in the media and marketplace.

May God give our students understanding hearts to discern what is truly attractive so that there are covenant homes raising a pure seed in the years remaining until our Lord’s return.

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Wisdom's Preservation

Wisdom’s Preservation

Brian D. Dykstra, (Teacher at Hope PR Christian School, Walker, MI)

*This article was originally written as a devotional for his fellow teachers at Hope CS. It is posted here because of its broader value for our website readers.

Proverbs 2:12-15: “To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things; Who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness; Who rejoice to do evil, and delight in the frowardness of the wicked; Whose ways are crooked, and they froward in their paths ...”

In verses 12-19 Solomon continues to instruct us from what sinful ways true wisdom will preserve us. In verses 12-15, we told from what type of man wisdom will preserve us.

God’s wisdom will prevent us from joining the wicked in his customary way of life. Evil living has become this man’s habit. This way has been walked so often by him and by others similar in heart that it can be easily distinguished from the surrounding terrain. The man who walks it can be recognized by his speech. His speech is described as being froward, proud and disobedient. He does not care to follow God’s good law and defies Him to do anything about it. Either he feels there will be no consequences for his sin, or he does not care what those consequences might be.

In verse 13, the subject becomes plural. This wicked man now has companions. They have left the paths of uprightness. They appear to have known the way that was right and just before God, but they forsook that way. Perhaps they were brought up in homes which had God-fearing parents, but the way of sin was far more appealing to them. The works of darkness became more appealing to the flesh. There no longer was any benefit for avoiding the path of the wicked.

This temptation has not diminished. We are, to varying degrees, social creatures. It can become difficult to walk the godly way when that way appears to be so solitary and ridiculed. The wicked seem to have plenty of companionship and good times. They are not sitting around with long faces as they contemplate their ultimate fate. They look happy. They have good times with their friends. They laugh and live care free. That their way is one of darkness can be hard for us to see at times. Lot sought some fellowship with Sodom and Gomorrah. Jacob’s daughter Dinah kept company with the people of Canaan. There is a real temptation for our young people to do what it takes to be socially acceptable.

The wicked also rejoice to do evil. That can appear shocking to us. How often don’t we feel sorrow and shame because our thoughts and desires are sinful! We see the darkness of our nature and are driven to our knees to ask forgiveness. Yet the wicked not only think such things, they actually do them. Then, when they do these things, they show no effect of guilt or shame. They are happy! They live care free, and their only concern in life is how to satisfy their next sinful desire.

Young people might wonder about what point there is to the godly life. Why do we have to deal with all that guilt? Why go through life with a long face when the world can provide such happiness? Only godly wisdom can reveal to us the end of rejoicing to do evil.

These evil men also delight in the frowardness of the wicked. The word translated here as froward is sometimes translated “perverse.” That certainly speaks of our time. Hollywood and our popular culture like to push the envelope of what is portrayed in entertainment or what is thought of as being funny. Entertainers who make the most money are often those who dare to say and do what others have not dared to do as yet. While there are some in our nation who bemoan the condition of our culture, their voices are easily drowned out by the many others insisting on their First Amendment rights. We can see how much our society delights in what is perverse by how profitable such enterprises are.

The ways of the wicked are crooked and they are proud of it. They will say that what is good is evil and that which is evil is good. They have convinced themselves that God will do neither good nor evil to them. They are as carnal Israel as they grew ripe for the judgment of God. The wicked believe their way is pleasant because its very crookedness prevents them from seeing the certain destruction which lies at it end.

We must warn students about the way of the evil man. It is appealing to our flesh. May God be pleased to use the instruction of this school and the homes represented here to cause His wisdom to enter the hearts of His people. Only He can preserve us in the straight way which leads to fellowship with Him in Jesus Christ.

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Wisdom Entering Our Hearts

Brian D. Dykstra, teacher at Hope PR Christian School, Walker, MI
This article was originally written as a devotional for his fellow teachers at Hope CS. It is posted here because of its broader value for our website readers.

Proverbs 2:10-11: “When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul; Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee.”

Solomon has told us the purpose of the Proverbs, warned youths of the enticement of sin, spoken of the result of scorning the call of wisdom and expressed the value of wisdom. Now we are instructed of the evils from which wisdom preserves us.

Wisdom, the knowledge of God’s Word, must enter into the heart. The verse does not say anything about inviting wisdom into our hearts. Our hearts are not being approached by a beggar seeking entrance, as if we hold all the power and nothing happens to our hearts without our permission. We are not told that we must make a choice to allow wisdom in our hearts. Apart from God’s grace, we are dead in sin and not able to do any good. Inviting or allowing wisdom to enter our hearts is impossible for corrupt sinners.

Wisdom enters our hearts. She does not have to wait for an invitation. She does not have to wait for us to open our heart’s door. She is not waiting pensively for us to make the right choice. God speaks and His wisdom enters. It is irresistible.

The location of wisdom is important also. If our knowledge of God and His Word is only in our intellects, He will not be pleased. It is out of the heart, not the head, that are the issues of life. Wisdom in the head will do nothing to change the corruption of the heart, though it may change the outward behaviour.

This wisdom must not merely enter our mouth, either. If all we do is speak of what we know of God, but His wisdom is not in our hearts, we will not truly live out of our faith. It would not take much temptation or trial to cause us to change what we say and live in a way that brings us more earthly convenience.

When God’s wisdom is in our hearts, we are changed. The law, which once seemed only to prevent us from doing everything that was fun, will become the way to express our gratitude for all that God has done for us. Such wisdom will seem to us to be sweeter than honey.

When wisdom enters our hearts, the knowledge of God will be pleasant to us, and the results given to us in verse eleven are sure to follow.

God will give us the discretion we need to recognize the difference between good and evil. This wisdom is not merely an external rule which keeps us from what is not proper in the eyes of men. It will not just prevent us from making a bad career move or cost us social standing among those who matter to us. It is a discretion which will preserve or keep us. This discretion will be as a bodyguard to us to keep us from the harm of the foolish way of sin.

Now we realize our total dependence upon God to keep His promises to us. Even if we are not able to remember all the names of our former students as quickly as we would desire, we do learn to care for them deeply. There are many things we would like to do for those about whom we care. We are concerned about their health and physical well-being. We want them to develop mentally and do their work properly.

However, that which is most important to us, that they grow in the wisdom of God and walk in His way, is something we can never do for them. No matter how much we love them, we cannot put life into their spiritually dead hearts. We cannot write God’s law there so they live antithetically.

Once more we are humbled and are forced to confessed our inability to change what so desperately needs changing. We depend completely upon our covenant God to keep His promises with us. We cannot pray well enough so that God will decide our students are worthy of allowing His wisdom to enter their hearts. We cannot be so pious that God is almost forced to shower blessings on us. We cannot rely on what we are, but we can safely rely on the God of Scripture who has revealed Himself to be merciful in Jesus Christ.

May our Lord be pleased to cause His wisdom to enter the hearts of our students so they have the discretion needed to live for Him.

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