Tiny Devotional for Wednesday, 05-15-2024

 A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family who might drop by, plain bran flakes are better with honey.

Grievous punishment is for him who forsakes the way;
He who hates reproof will die.
Proverbs 15:10, NASB



I'm not sure why the translators of the New American Standard Bible chose the word 'punishment' in the first line of this verse. The Hebrew word is מוּסָר (mu-sar), and it's mostly translated as 'instruction'; sometimes 'correction.'

The reason it's important is that punishment implies a punisher, one who takes some aversive action on an offender; as given in the NASB, this sounds like “if you mess up, God is gonna GET you!” I don't think that's the correct message at all. I think that rather than say God will get you if you do wrong, this entire verse is talking about the logical consequences to someone who abandons the way of righteousness. That interpretation is strongly supported by the second half of the verse; it's not saying that you will be struck down if you hate reproof, only that you will die. 'Will die' and 'will be executed' are very different! 

The way of righteous is not a set of arbitrary rules, designed to keep us in line; instead, they are guidelines for a life lived in peace with our neighbors, and with ourselves, like traffic signs. The entire Book of Proverbs is a textbook for living in close contact with God, with our fellows, and with nature. The bad stuff that happens when we violate those rules are the logical consequences of our actions. It's a simple concept (but it took ME decades to figure it out).

He knew what He was doing when He wrote the guidelines. 

Peace be on your household.

Comments

  1. AnonymousMay 15, 2024 at 7:51 AM

    I'm still learning this🦄

    ReplyDelete
  2. Jesus SavesMay 17, 2024 at 5:30 AM

    Yes, a guidelines for a life lived in peace, that's the way of the righteous. Praise God my Brother Pat!

    ReplyDelete

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