Previous Challenge Entry (Level 4 – Masters)
Topic: Proverbs 1:8 (06/01/23)
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TITLE: Do As I Say, Not As I Did | Previous Challenge Entry
By Doug Laird
06/06/23 -
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“Listen” is an English translation of the Hebrew word s-h-a-m-a that means to hear for the purpose of applying what one hears to one’s thoughts and actions.
“Forsake” is an English translation of the Hebrew word n-a-t-a-s-h that means to leave or to reject.
In Proverbs 8: 1, Solomon speaks of following the teachings of parents.
Honoring and obeying one’s father and mother has the expressed endorsement of both Old and New Testament Scripture (1). But that does not make parents the perfect role models (2), nor do their personal failures relieve them of their parental responsibilities (3).
In keeping with the plan of God, it is in the home environment that one learns to respect authority.
The father/husband has been given the authority associated with his position of spiritual leadership.
A mother’s submission to the marital authority of her husband goes a long way in establishing the principle of authority in the minds of the observing children.
Both fathers and mothers have parental authority and responsibilities over the children.
Until one learns to respect authority, the stage has been set for a lifetime of self-induced misery and conflict. There will always be someone or something that has authority and a level of control over us.
What we don’t learn through instructional compliance, we will learn by suffering the consequences of our contrary choices.
Past personal failure on the part of the ones in positions of authority does not excuse them from their present responsibilities, nor does it justify rebellion on the part of subordinates.
With one exception (4), rejecting any form of authority is equivalent to rejecting God, who is the source of all delegated authority (5).
As we will see, Proverbs 1: 8 is not telling us to blindly follow the spiritual guidance of our father or mother, but to do so when the teachings are consistent with what God has to say.
Accurate doctrine is the truth, and falsehood is a lie, no matter who is conveying the message.
Better to hear the truth from a scoundrel, than to listen to the false teachings of a squeaky-clean wolf in sheep’s clothing.
I am not downplaying the need for persons in positions of authority to walk the walk as well as talk the talk. When the devil can’t attack the message, he will soften its impact by bringing up any known misdeeds and inconsistencies of the messenger.
At the same time, if past failures disqualified someone from future service, no one could serve God, hold, or remain in a position of divinely-delegated authority.
If past sin disqualified someone from future service, the later contributions that such persons as Moses the fugitive, David the adulterer, Thomas the doubter, Peter the denier, and Paul (Saul) the persecutor, would have never materialized!
We teach through our example, as well as our words.
It was no secret that the marriage of David and Bathsheba followed an illicit sexual affair, an attempted cover-up when Bathsheba became pregnant, and the arranged death of Bathsheba’s first husband (Uriah), in what was made to appear to be a combat casualty during military service.
As a result, their family would suffer a lifetime of severe divine discipline (6). This is not exactly the type of background from which we would expect ideal role models to emerge.
It must be understood that Proverbs 8: 1 is telling us to follow the instructions, teaching, and example of our parents when they are consistent with accurate doctrine.
No one is ever going to be in a position to judge another sinner, but every Church Age believer, especially those in positions of authority, have been commissioned (7), and therefore have a responsibility to inform others (8) on what basis we will ALL be judged (9) or evaluated (10) by God.
If we are to execute the post salvation spiritual life of discipleship, we need to be equipped (11) by a Biblically qualified pastor-teacher, in order to discern truth from error.
Most of our human teachers (parents/clergy) are sincere, but unlike God the Holy Spirit, our divine Mentor (12), NONE are infallible.
It’s been said that the road to destruction is paved with good intentions.
Therefore, the well-intended guidance offered by our human teachers (parents/clergy/family/friends), are to be screened in order to maintain the reliability of the guidance system of our edified soul structure, keeping our spiritual lives on track (13).
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(1) Exodus 20: 12/Ephesians 6: 1 (2) Romans 3: 10 (3) Duet. 11: 19 (4) Acts 5: 29 (5) Romans 13: 1 (6) 2Sam. 12: 10-14/Heb. 12: 6 (7) Matt. 28: 19, 20. (8) Ezek. 33 (9) John 3: 16, 18 (10) Romans 8: 1/1Cor. 3: 12-15 (11) Ephesians 4: 11-13 (12) John 14: 26 (13) Acts 17: 11/Matt. 7: 24-27/Luke 14: 26/Gal.3: 1ff
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