Even his Prayer is an Abomination

I am probably the last one to get to the party on this.

I have been reading Proverbs with Jamie in the morning for awhile now. Noticed something different this time around. I have always thought of Proverbs, as Solomons proverbs. Almost as a separate category of left over wise stuff. I have never associated them as Gods directly.

As an evangelical, Proverbs have been none threatening to me. Because they really came across as “optional wisdom” ( I believe that’s a Rushdoony) and not commandments.

But as you read that first chapter its like the book fades in and out of Solomon speaking and then God speaking. Now all the word is inspired by God. But like verse 8 “My son hear the instruction of your father…”

But when you hit the end of chapt 1:26-33 the tone and tenor changes and this is God, not Solomon saying “ I will laugh at your calamity…mock when your terror comes… when distress and anguish come upon you….v28 Then they will call on me but I will not answer: They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me. Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord, they would have none of my counsel and despised my every rebuke. Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way."

In the day of calamity,distress, anguish and terror, no one will think to call on Solomon, you will call on God.

I now see Proverbs as the wise application, practical applications of Gods commandments, his law. Solomon didn’t spring forth with any new truth that is apart from Gods truth. If anything is true, if any fact is correct its only because its reflecting Gods truth. Just like The Psalms are Gods heart for his law and commandments, and they are just loaded with praise and wonder for Gods commandments .

Its that verse 28 ..Then they will call on me but I will not answer: They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me. Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord, they would have none of my counsel..

This reminded me of another passage that has the same ring to it and I think its because it’s the same topic.

In amos 2:1-4 he speaks of calamities coming and in verse 4 says “… because they have despised the law of the Lord and not kept his commandments…”

And in proverbs 28:9 "One who turns away his ear from hearing the law, Even his prayer is an abomination. When the day of adversity comes, it looks like how you have viewed and handled Gods commandments has much bearing on how God will respond." Heresy?

I have been trained to think that if you have asked Jesus into your heart then of course God is always ready to listen and answer our prayers. The commandments are Gods righteous decrees for how man should interact with one another. Jesus doesnt wipe out his own righteous standards for all of life. These are the standards/laws that he said he would write on our hearts.

How do we view Gods laws, his commandments? Are they honey to us? Why not?

In the Second Mayflower Swanson comments on the modern affection for subjective ethics “… the fact that Gods law is objective that makes it too dogmatic and authoritarian for the modern “Christian”….this use of the bible is far to objective for the humanist man because he would rather live, work and worship without directives from a God who has the right to be God over mans ethics. Natural man doesn’t want God hemming him in.” pg114

I think of all these years where Gods commandments have been like an afterthought to the modern church. Yikes!
follow up article