2020 Jan 13-Jan 14 Proverbs 2, Psalm 119 Review 1 of 8
J. Mark A. Campbell-Elanemy • January 13, 2020
2020 Jan 13-Jan 14 Proverbs 2, Psalm 119 Review 1 of 8
UPDATE 01/13 18:24: "Additions to comments on Prove 2:16-19." Hello, wishing you well this day in God's favor! Let's continue in Proverbs 2, verses 14-19, then review Stanzas 1-4 of Psalm 119!
Let's backtrack to include verses 10-11 to supply context...
"10 When wisdom enters your heart And knowledge becomes pleasant to your soul, 11 Thinking ability will keep watch over you, And discernment will safeguard you,...14 From those who rejoice in wrongdoing, Who find joy in the perverseness of evil, 15 Those whose paths are crooked And whose entire course is devious. 16 It will save you from the wayward woman, From the smooth words of the immoral woman, 17 Who abandons the close companion of her youth And forgets the covenant of her God; 18 For her house sinks down into death, And her paths lead to those powerless in death. 19 None of those having relations with her will return, Nor will they regain the pathways of life."
Lest we misunderstand verse 19, let's supply some background. This was originally written for the nation of Israel, living under the Mosaic Law covenant, which condemned sexual immorality and especially the sin of adultery severely. The spiritual implications of a decadent immoral influence among God's people was so serious that it was capital punishment for both consenting sharers in adultery--death by stoning for the perpetrators, unless God in His mercy intervened. This is why it is written that they will not "regain the pathways of life." It is life under this system that was meant--the "unrighteous" could still in God's mercy come back in the future resurrection and willingly submit to God's law and direction, finding eternal life. (Acts 24:15). Yet, all should take warning, as we are living ever near a time of judgment by God, from which there may be few returns to life. How vital to learn to submit to God's direction now! As 1Corinthians 6:9-11 shows for those becoming Christians, that some had been sexually "immoral, idolaters, adulterers," submitting to homosexual acts, and so on. But then the inspired word of God says "And yet that is what some of you were. But you have been washed clean; you have been sanctified; you have been declared righteous in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and with the spirit of our God." They thus changed their behavior to find agreement with God's will, and God forgave them, as they most likely weren't rebelling against God will full knowledge of wrongdoing. We cannot continue to practice what we know is wrong and expect God's continued forgiveness--we can make the changes and find greater happiness in doing so! In harmony with God's love and will for humans, one vital principle of God's word declares: "Mercy triumphs over judgment." (James 2:13). And 2Peter 3:9 agrees, saying "Jehovah...does not desire anyone to be destroyed but desires all to attain to repentance."
"10 When wisdom enters your heart And knowledge becomes pleasant to your soul, 11 Thinking ability will keep watch over you, And discernment will safeguard you,"
Prove 2:10-11 Wisdom is the successful application of knowledge, and thus knowledge should, with the gaining of understanding to see the big picture and all it's pieces, come "easily" and become pleasant to oneself. (Prove 14:6). Then, thinking ability and discernment will serve to protect one from many destructive traps. It is divine knowledge and wisdom that is a protection from serious wrongdoing. Included in this is "thinking ability" and "discernment"--the ability to discern between such things as right and wrong, good and bad, wise and unwise, more important matters and lesser ones, though still required by law. With prudent shrewdness we can see the consequences of our decisions, and come to hate what is bad in the healthy "fear of Jehovah"--fearing to displease our loving Father, to hurt Him in any way.
"14 From those who rejoice in wrongdoing, Who find joy in the perverseness of evil,"
Prove 2:14 Those rejoicing in wrongdoing are not acting in harmony with true love, which "does not rejoice over unrighteousness but rejoices with the truth." (1Cori 13:6). They are finding joy in lies, corruption and evil, their values becoming twisted as they are likely feeding their minds and hearts on foolish, corrupt or violent entertainment. Some comedies are providing laughing tracks, or sounds of laughter, over whatever is imagined should be funny, including wrongful speech and actions, at times harmfully twisting the values of the eventual audience. Wise ones are not misled into regularly feeding on such distorted ideas.
"15 Those whose paths are crooked And whose entire course is devious."
Prove 2:15 Thinking ability and discernment may protect us from those rejoicing in wrongdoing who are following "crooked" paths--distorted from the path of righteousness leading to life--their deceptive course, riddled with spiritual snares and fallacies, troubled by hurtfulness and sorrow, leads only to death, or destruction.
"16 It will save you from the wayward woman, From the smooth words of the immoral woman, 17 Who abandons the close companion of her youth And forgets the covenant of her God; 18 For her house sinks down into death, And her paths lead to those powerless in death. 19 None of those having relations with her will return, Nor will they regain the pathways of life."
_______
PSALM 119 REVIEW STANZAS 1-4
STANZA 1, Verses 1-8: HAPPINESS IS FOUND IN OBEDIENCE TO GOD.
Happiness depends on obedience to God's law, but only by exercising faith, or deep trust, in God, His word and His son, and the ransom provision for forgiveness of sins, with repentance. We must recall that Abraham's faith was "counted to him as righteousness," so we can develop a right standing with God, even while we have much to learn of God's right standards, endeavoring to keep them.
A few misunderstood terms found in verses 1-7 include these:
Verse 4 speaks of God's ORDERS to be "carefully kept." Recall Psalm 19:8 says "The ORDERS from Jehovah are righteous, causing the heart to rejoice." Clearly a command to do or avoid something, evidently with even more urgency or zeal than a command or commandment.
Verse 5 mentions observing God's REGULATIONS. These are defined as authoritative detailed rules or procedures, given to regulate or control an organization or system. When used in the plural in the Scriptures, this term may evidently be translated more simply as "INSTRUCTIONS."
TRUE HAPPINESS FOUND.
Also key to the first stanza is that it is possible and reasonable to keep God's laws and standards. The first 4 verses thus read as follows: "Happy are those who are blameless in their way, Who walk in the law of Jehovah. 2 Happy are those who observe his reminders, Who search for him with all their heart. 3 They practice no unrighteousness; They walk in his ways. 4 You have commanded That your orders be carefully kept."
STANZA 2, Verses 9-16: BY GOD'S WORD A YOUTH CAN REMAIN MORALLY CLEAN OR PURE.
KEEPING ON GUARD.
Verse 9 says: "How can a young man keep his path clean? By keeping on guard according to your word."Young children are often safeguarded by parents and other responsible
ones from much of the spiritual filth or contamination that degrades the
morality and spirituality of foolish and naive ones lacking the
understanding and shrewdness or prudence to realize the danger of such
things. Proverbs 22:3 says: "The shrewd one sees the danger and conceals
himself, But the inexperienced keep right on going and suffer the
consequences." As these precious children grow, they should be helped to
gain enough prudence to be aware and cautious of spiritual pitfalls
that are common in these "critical times hard to deal with." (2Timo
3:1). While loving people, they will still need to guard their
associations from "bad company" that "corrupts good character." (1Cori
15:33, NIV; 2Timo 3:2-5). Thus, how can a young man keep his path clean?
The answer is expressed this way in AMP: "By taking heed and keeping
watch [on himself] according to Your word [conforming his life to it]."
God's word, including the book of Proverbs, contains much divine
instruction that can assist all to protect their spirit from ruin. May
we treasure Christian teachings and guidance toward God's reward of
eternal life, peace, and happiness!
TREASURING GOD'S SAYINGS.
Verse 11 says "In my heart I treasure up your saying, so that I may not sin against you." Jesus said, at Matthew 7:24, "“Therefore, everyone who hears these sayings of mine and does them will be like a discreet man who built his house on the rock." In God's word are found many motivating expressions helping us remain faithful to God, as we ponder them, endeavoring to see how to live by them each day. These sayings need to affect, not only our speech, but also our actions. It is not enough simply to know God's standards, we need to develop heart appreciation for them, perhaps with shrewdness to see the blessings and rewards of choosing the right course, and some of the problems and troubles caused by choosing poorly. Thus we can more readily "hate what is bad" and choose a good path. (Psalm 97:10; Prove 2:20-22).
One more term often misunderstood, found in verse 16, is STATUTES.
God's STATUTES are mentioned, as something we should be fond of, helping us not to forget God's word. As used in the Scriptures, reference is several times made to a "lasting statute," meaning a law that held special permanence or longevity among all of God's laws. For instance, the day Israel had left Egypt en-route to the Promised Land, God said, at Exodus 12:14: "“‘This day will serve as a memorial for you, and you must celebrate it as a festival to Jehovah throughout your generations. As a lasting statute, you should celebrate it." The day has even carried over into Christianity, as the Memorial of Christ's death, as the Passover lamb foreshadowed Jesus' sacrificial death. Accordingly, at Numbers 9:14, God says, in reference to commemorating the Passover sacrifice: "...There should exist one statute for you, both for the foreign resident and for the native of the land." Thus all living among God's people were to keep His law. On one occasion, God added a "statute" to the existing law code, when requiring that no one enter the Holy compartment of the tabernacle "drinking wine or other alcoholic beverages." He then said "It is a permanent statute for your generations." Thus Jehovah may have set a precedent in allowing statutes to be added to the Mosaic Law when circumstances necessitated it. Such laws should always support and prove to be in agreement with God's laws and standards, never contributing to their violation. That was not the case with many of the traditions of Pharisees and others in Jesus' day, which taught people to do things in violation of God's written word. (Mark 7:9-13).
STANZA 3, Verses 17-24: FONDNESS FOR GOD'S WORD VITAL FOR FAITHFULNESS.
THE VALUE AND BEAUTY OF GOD'S LAW.
In verse 18, the psalmist pleads: "Open my eyes so that I may see clearly The wonderful things from your law." The psalmist recognizes that a person can be blind to the beautiful truths of God's word and law. This psalmist may have been a king, and accepting a bribe, God's law stated, at Exodus 23:8 "blinds clear-sighted men and can distort the words of righteous men." Also, any form of idolatry, exalting anyone or anything above the place only God should occupy in our hearts, causes those having eyes not to see, a reference to hampered spiritual vision. (Psalm 115). And Paul eludes to this, in referring to those influenced by Satan's godship, at 2Corinthians 4:4, "among whom the god of this system of things has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, so that the illumination of the glorious good news about the Christ, who is the image of God, might not shine through." Therefore, may we not be fooled into underestimating the value or beauty of God's law, nor the rewards of adhering thereto. Eternal life in true peace and happiness is surely worth every effort to attain!
LOOK TO GOD DESPITE REPROACH.
In verse 22, this request is made: "Remove from me scorn[or, reproach] and contempt, For I have observed your reminders." The psalmist pleads for Jehovah to take away any reproach motivated by hatred, even by fellow servants of God, who may have found fault with him, or even due to the sins or mistakes of a parent. He thus requests to be treated fairly according to his own integrity, rather than receive prejudice due to the errors of others.
BECOME FOND OF GOD'S REMINDERS.
And in verse 24, the value of reminders are highlighted: "I am fond of your reminders; They are my advisers." Godly reminders are thus useful to all when seeking guidance, as if requesting advice from trusted counselors.
STANZA 4, Verses 25-32: WE CAN REMAIN FAITHFUL UNDER SEVERE TRIALS.
We can remain faithful under the most trialsome circumstances. The inspired word of God says this, at 1Corinthians 10:13: "No temptation has come upon you except what is common to men. But God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear, but along with the temptation he will also make the way out so that you may be able to endure it."
CONTINUE SEEKING WHAT IS RIGHT.
In verse 25, the psalmist expresses himself this way: "I lie prostrate in the dust. Preserve me alive according to your word." He thus speaks as if "at the end of his rope." Nevertheless, He falls back on God and His promise to sustain him. Even if sins have been committed, it is faith, or deep trust and reliance upon God, that was "counted to [Abraham] as righteousness." Forgiveness can be found, and God can raise one up even from the dust. Psalm 55:22 says "Throw your burden on Jehovah, And he will sustain you. Never will he allow the righteous one to fall." May we continue trusting in Jehovah, seeking what is right. Psalm 34:19 says: "Many are the hardships of the righteous one, But Jehovah rescues him from them all."
TRUST NECESSARY FOR GENUINE PEACE.
Verse 29 says this: "Remove from me the way of deception, And favor me with your law." Living with falsehood or deceit is quite opposed to God's way of the truth. Genuine peace is not possible without being able to have faith, or deep trust, in God and in one another. Ephesians 6:23 says: "May the brothers have peace and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." The psalmist thus chooses faithfulness to God, wanting to know God's law and hold to it. Keeping God's law protects us from many dangers, both spiritually and physically.
REMINDED OF WHAT WE NEED TO LIVE BY.
And verse 31 reads this way: "I cling to your reminders. O Jehovah, do not let me be disappointed." Regularly going where God's word is read and discussed, and reading in God's law or word daily, even Bible-based publications that uphold divine truth, should bring to mind Christian commands and principles we need to live by. Jesus said we should make disciples, "teaching them to observe all the things I have commanded you." (Matth 28:19-20). Thus, of course, we would need to know "all the things" ourselves. This needn't be too difficult. Recall that in just 3 chapters of the Bible, Matthew 5-7, containing Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, we find as much as a fourth of all that God requires of true Christians. Also, how many appreciate all of the Ten Commandments as we should? (Exodus 20). Adding Proverbs 1-10, we may have well over a third of God's requirements! What other chapters in the Gospels or Christian letters can you find that contain valuable guidance and instruction? As we follow such counsel, may we find God's approval and blessing, and the hope which "does not lead to disappointment!" (Romans 5:5).
Find Life and See
Between Winchester, Virginia, and hopefully, Washington D.C., having confidence that our thankful trust in God will not fail to inspire us to the peace He has purposed via His Kingdom!
2026 07A/12 (Jlo) FLS START Blogpost 1 (1-3) Shorthand: ETH10A2: Update v.14, (7) PR-C(18.4), Update, (4A) Ps119 Review S05-07, Update, (PA3) More Orderly Time. / 05P2: Updates, New blogpost, (3) PR-A(02.5), (7) PR-B(11.1), notes. /
2026 07B/12 (Jlo) FLS Blogpost 2 (4-6) Shorthand: ETH07A2: Update, (4A) Ps119 Review S05-07. / 12P2: New blogpost, Update. /
2026 07C/12 (Jlo) FLS Blogpost 3 (7-9) Shorthand, Educ Note: ETH10A3: Update v.14, (7) PR-C(18.4), (PA3) Update, More Orderly Time. / 05P2: Updates, New blogpost, (7) PR-B(11.1). /
2026 06A/12 (Tru) FLS START Blogpost 1 (1-3) Shorthand: ETH08A1: Update, (4A) S07B. / 07A1: (7) PR-C(18.3), (4A) Ps119 S07A. / 05P1: Update, (7) PR-B(10.6), Update, (3) PR-A(02.4). / 07P2: Updates, (4A) Ps119 S06B, (2A) PS[2] and (2B) SW[2]. / 08A2: Update, (7) PR-C(18.2), PR-B(10.5), (4A) Ps119 S06A. / 12P1: (3) PR-A(02.3). /
2026 06B/12 (Tru) FLS Blogpost 2 (4-6) Shorthand: ETH07A1: Update, (4A) Ps119 S07B. / 07A1: Update, (4A) Ps119 S07A. / 07P1: Update, (4A) Ps119 S06B. / 06A1: (4A) Ps119 S06A. / 07A1: (4A) Ps119 S05B. / 07A2: Frmt, (4A) Ps119 S05A. /
2026 06C/12 (Tru) FLS Blogpost 3 (7-9) Shorthand, Educ Note: ETH07A1: (7) PR-C(18.3). / 05P1: Update, (7) PR-B(10.6). / 08A2: Update, (7) PR-C(18.2), PR-B(10.5). / 08A1: (7) PR-C(18.1). / 07A1: (7) PR-B(10.4). / 07A1: (7) PR-C(17.7). / 06A2: (7) PR-B(10.3). / 07A1: (7) PR-C(17.6). / 11A1: (3) PR-B(10.2). /
2026 05A/12 (Agr) FLS START Blogpost 1 (1-3) Shorthand: ETH08A1: W1p, Election article, (3) PR-A(10.6) and (7) PR-B(20.6,20.7). / 10A2: Update, Wildfires add, Update, (7) PR-B(20.5) also (3) PR-A(10.5). / 08A1: (7) PR-B(20.4) and (3) PR-A(10.4). /
2026 05B/12 (Agr) FLS Blogpost 2 (4-6) Shorthand: ETH09A1: (4A) Ps119 Review S12-22 Part 3 of 3. / 08A1: (4A) Ps119 Review S12-22 Part 2 of 3. / 06A1: (4A) Ps119 Review S12-22 Part 1 of 3. / 09A1: (4A) Ps119 Review Stanza 20-22. / 09P1: New blogpost 2/B and (4A) Ps119 S22A-22B. /
2026 05C/12 (Agr) FLS Blogpost 3 (7-9) Shorthand, Educ Note: ETH07A1: Election article, (7) PR-B(20.6,20.7). / 10A2: Update, Wildfires add, Update, (7) PR-B(20.5). / 08A1: (7) PR-B(20.4). / 05A1: (7) PR-B(20.3). / 07A1: (7) PR-B(20.2). / 09A1: Update, (7) PR-B(20.1). /
2026 04A/12 (Rtp) START Find Life and See (1-3) Golden Apples-A and Win-it Minute (2) Psalm Select and SongWeekly (3) Proverbs A