2020 Feb 26-Feb 27 Proverbs 7, Psalm 119 Stanza 15A
2020 Feb 26-Feb 27 Proverbs 7, Psalm 119 Stanza 15A
From time to time may we be reminded that to
truly benefit properly from consideration of spiritual matters, a prayer
to Jehovah for His blessing can bring His powerful and loving spirit and support in our
endeavor. Who wouldn't want that? And could we show appreciation when
finished, with a few words of appreciation to Him? How wonderful to
experience the blessing of Jehovah!
The remaining verses of the entire chapter, verses 6-27, involve somewhat of a story, a lesson against getting seduced into a course of immorality. Not only can sexual immorality be destructive physically, retracting diseases, even those deadly, but it is also spiritually damaging, not only to our relationship with God, our loving Father, but also to our relationships with others, among other things contributing to becoming disloyal in our dealings with others. How much better to wait and pray for God's blessing to find that person you can enjoy spending a lifetime with, becoming truly loyal to that one, as you both gain loyalty to God. What happiness this brings, in harmony with the arrangement of God! As expressed in Hebr 13:4, "Let marriage be honorable among all". How loyal marriages and families have contributed to the happiness of communities and nations! Let's look at Proverbs 7:6-12:
The 8 verses of stanza 15 express thoughts such as these: What determination by the psalmist to lovingly obey God! How can we avoid half-heartedness, and how does a proper motive aid us to keep God’s law?
Stanza 15A is this:
113 I hate the halfhearted ones, But I love your law.
114 You are my shelter and my shield, For your word is my hope.
113 I hate the halfhearted ones, But I love your law.
AIM TO LOVE THE GIVER EVEN MORE THAN HIS GIFTS. The Hebrew expression “hate” can mean to “love less.” Still, the psalmist seems to be contrasting his feelings for half-hearted ones with those for God’s law. Evidence abounds of God’s tremendous love for us as humans—how could we give our greatest love, the first place in our hearts, to anyone else? Half-hearted ones may go through the motions of serving God, but their hearts are really elsewhere. They need to ponder the gifts from God we each receive daily, including every breath, and worship the Giver, rather than worship any of these gifts themselves. The psalmist recognized God’s law as one of His greatest gifts, and expressed his appreciation for it, desiring to express his love for God by keeping His law. As 1John 5:3 says, “3 For this is what the love of God means, that we observe his commandments; and yet his commandments are not burdensome.” While we seek to encourage half-hearted ones to love God more fully, we need to guard our close associations, longing to maintain God’s favor first, along with those properly fearing God and keeping His commandments, which makes possible genuine peace, love, and truly an eventual end to hateful strife. (1Cori 15:33; Prove 13:20; Psalm 37:11).
114 You are my shelter and my shield, For your word is my hope.
DEEP TRUST AND HOPE IN GOD'S WORD. Jehovah’s word promises at least spiritual protection for His genuine servants, along with the gift of eternal life and happiness. We need to seek the honor of God’s name, representing Him well, seeking fully to live in harmony with His word. Spiritual traps and dangers abound in this world, but God can support us, our spiritual well-being, and our relationships with Him and, at least eventually, other God-fearing ones. Some may be protected physically, especially as God’s kingdom draws closer, as Jesus said to Martha, at John 11: “26 and everyone who is living and exercises faith in me will never die at all. Do you believe this?” Thus, faith, or deep trust in God and His firstborn Son, are vital for our spiritual and eternal lives. God certainly can be a shelter and a shield in a world of hardships, as we maintain our hope in God’s word, like the psalmist.
115 Stay away from me, you evil men, So that I may observe the commandments of my God.
THROUGH THE GATES OF GOD'S KINGDOM. What determination to love God! God said, in the first recorded prophecy in His word to mankind, that He would put enmity, or strife, between the offspring of His Seed, and that of the serpent, or Satan. (Genes 3:15). Now we see evil men trying to interfere with the psalmist’s strong desire to remain loyal to God by keeping all of His commandments. May we be wary of such tricks by wrongdoers, who do not yet appreciate God or His love as we do. Yes, Jesus came into the world “to save sinners,” but such ones need to show genuine sorrow over their past sins, and turn around from a wrong course to become obedient from the heart to God’s ways, to find real hope of permitted entry through the gate of God’s Kingdom. Rather than stumbling others away from serving God, they need to help and support others to obey God and His Son. (Matth 25:31-46). Perhaps, then, in God’s abundant compassion and mercy, their lives may be spared.
116 Support me as you promised, So that I may keep living; Do not let my hope turn into disappointment.


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