Proverbs 8: Choosing Life Over Death
If there were ever a secular song that echoed the message of Lady Wisdom in the Proverbs, I’d say it was I Want You to Want Me by Cheap Trick (1977). The lyrics talk about the singer’s desire to be wanted, needed, and loved. They go on to describe the desperate situation of the object of their desire and how that person was lonely and crying but the singer wants to make all that better for them.
Listen to a similar cry from Lady Wisdom in Proverbs Chapter 8…
Proverbs 8:1-2, 4, 10, 14, 17-19, 21, 32-35 WEBUS
[1] Doesn’t wisdom cry out? Doesn’t understanding raise her voice?
[2] On the top of high places by the way, where the paths meet, she stands.
[4] “I call to you men! I send my voice to the sons of mankind.
[10] Receive my instruction rather than silver, knowledge rather than choice gold.
[14] Counsel and sound knowledge are mine. I have understanding and power.
[17] I love those who love me. Those who seek me diligently will find me.
[18] With me are riches, honor, enduring wealth, and prosperity.
[19] My fruit is better than gold, yes, than fine gold, my yield than choice silver.
[21] that I may give wealth to those who love me. I fill their treasuries.
[32] “Now therefore, my sons, listen to me, for blessed are those who keep my ways.
[33] Hear instruction, and be wise. Don’t refuse it! (Emphasis mine.)
[34] Blessed is the man who hears me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at my door posts.
[35] For whoever finds me finds life, and will obtain favor from Yahweh.
https://bible.com/bible/206/pro.8.1-35.WEBUS
Today, our seeker is standing at another crossroads like yesterday. The darkness isn’t hiding its final end, and with the door to the house of light open, the man can clearly see his two choices. I’m thinking he’s walked away from the temptress of chapter 7 and is now at least willing to listen to the possibilities of another way. Maybe he’s where some of us have been in our lives, standing at the end of a church service while the music team plays and sings the invitation song, Just As I Am. Our heart squeezes in our chest while stress turns our hands cold and clammy. We want so desperately to take that first step toward the altar, but fear and pride seem to paralyze us. We might be thinking: “What if God won’t accept me as I am? What if these people condemn me? What if all that happiness I’m seeing on these people’s faces isn’t real?”
Yes, most Christians began their walk with moments just like that. Even the song of invitation, written back in 1835, includes a lyric line that says, “Many a conflict, many a doubt. Fightings and fears within — without.” (The story behind the hymn is fascinating and has similar testimonies.) But we overcame those conflicts, doubts, and fears because something (or, more accurately, Someone) was calling us to trust God and give Him a chance to prove Himself. And when we finally took that first step out from our seat, the rest of the steps became almost a running pace to a place of sorrow and repentance. Then the fruit of that moment took us face to face with a flood of love and peace greater than we ever thought possible. Now, on the other side of that decision, most will tell you they are still glad they made it to the altar.
Proverbs 8 ends with the promise from Lady Wisdom in verse 35 followed by her strong warning in verse 36. Together, they read…
Proverbs 8:35-36 CSB
[35] “For the one who finds me finds life and obtains favor from the Lord,
[36] but the one who misses me harms himself; all who hate me love death.”
https://bible.com/bible/1713/pro.8.35-36.CSB
And here is a beautiful rendition of Just As I Am by “Sounds Like Reign” and recorded in a farm silo…
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Choosing the Tree of Life
In Deuteronomy 30:19, God says to the children of Israel that He gives them a choice between life and death and between blessing and curse. He follows that choice with the encouragement that they should choose life so that they and their descendants can live.
Obviously, if they choose death, they won’t be alive to bear descendants, but I think there’s even more to this. Remember that among the cursed behavior of these people, they were offering their children to the fires of the false god of Molech. Women actually self-aborted to give their babies to this worthless statue because they thought it would benefit them somehow. So, by choosing God’s blessings instead of continuing to live under the curse of serving false gods, their children received a benefit from God Almighty and from life itself.
I am happy tonight that as of today’s election, we have a majority of conservative senators in power. This means, we have a majority of those who support life for the unborn, life for our military, and life for our allies in Israel. Somehow, more people went to the voting booth and chose life, and I believe God is pleased with the USA–at least for today.
Chip Brodgen’s Infinite Supply newsletter is about life today. It’s about The Tree of Life…
Infinite Supply Image Nov Fourth
Click image to open a new tab/window to view the article at The School of Christ website.
November 4
The Cross: The Tree of Life
“To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life.”
REVELATION 2:7
Like Adam, we can choose to eat from either tree, but we cannot eat from both. Adam sinned when he fell into the flesh and yielded to his Self-life. He rejected the Tree of Life in favor of something that was “good… pleasant… and desirable” (Genesis 3:6). The Cross does not look like a Tree of Life at all. It is neither good, nor pleasant, nor desirable. It looks like death. Perhaps this is why Adam did not eat from it first.
But God’s End is not death, regardless of appearances: God’s End is Life out of death, which is resurrection. To eat of the fruit of the Tree of Life is to glory in the Cross of Jesus Christ and find Life out of death. It is becoming popular to preach and teach about the Cross these days, but how many are eating of its fruit? Can we really see the Cross as the TREE OF LIFE, and are we eating its fruit? We will know a true disciple of the Lord, not by words, but by fruit, and the Cross is the Tree of Life from which this fruit comes.
Source: Embrace the Cross by Chip Brogden
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So, from the beginning, free will has never meant that we have a right to choose bad behaviors and still end with good results. It has always been simply that we have a choice between life and death, blessing and cursing. I like the point the author makes about not being able to eat from both the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge that brought death. When Adam and Eve chose the tree of death, they were blocked out from the Tree of Life. And, even that was God’s mercy. If they ate from the tree that gave life after choosing from the one that gave death, they would have spent eternity in the state of death. But, once we have overcome through the blood of Yeshua, we will have the chance to eat from the tree that assures us eternal life in that state of overcoming.
Right now, with all the offerings on life’s plate, it may seem hard to know which ones to choose each day. So many of them are in gray areas in our minds because the enemy has strong sales tactics. But, if we can separate what we choose to only two subject headings–life and death–it should be easy to simply choose life.
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