Key OT Teachings

[GWH]

PR 3:1 (cf. 8:21 & 18:19). Obeying God’s commands will bring prosperity. We discussed this truth briefly in connection with PS 128:1-6, but let us elaborate now.

The fact that godliness results in prosperity is not miraculous but quite logical or natural. Godly people treat their bodies as the temple of the HS and so will tend to live longer than unwise people. In the words of v. 8, being godly “will bring health to your body.” They obey God’s command to work, which is illustrated in PR 4:6-11 by observing the worker ant, so they will tend to get a job and earn a good living for a longer period of time than those who are irresponsible or lazy.

They value virtues such as integrity and maturity, so they will not waste what they earn on frivolous activities such as gambling, but be good stewards of what they earn and accumulate wealth. At least before taxes! Of course, life is never simple, and it is possible that a natural disaster or disease will befall godly people as well as the ungodly, but because they were probably active in church and charity work, when that happens it is quite likely that they will have many friends who will want to help them out of their difficulty. PR 3:27 instructs us to not withhold aid from those who deserve it.

 

[GWH]

PR 6:1-5. Be careful what you say. The children’s saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me” is an adage with which this proverb not agree. The book of James warns us against the damage that can be done by the tongue (cf. JM 3:7-11). May we always speak the truth in love (EPH 4:15).

PR 7. This proverb teaches men—and by implication women—to be wise and not have extramarital sex. Fornication is wrong for at least three reasons. It promotes venereal diseases and may produce unwanted babies, but unfortunately many people want to cure the disease or abort the babies rather than to behave responsibly.

The third reason is that fornication (and porn) undermines marriage and family, because a person who treats sex casually is unlikely to change and view sex as the act of marriage. However, it is not just the individual or couple who is affected by this attitude. It tends to spread and infect society, especially our young people through music and movies, which preach to them the message that extramarital sex is perfectly normal and acceptable, demeaning the value of waiting until marriage, marital sex and having children, which is the biological function of sex.

 

[GWH]

PR 8:22 speaks of wisdom in connection with the beginning of the world, which is how JN 1:1-3 speaks of the Word that became incarnate in Jesus. We have already noted that God is almighty and present everywhere. Now this passage indicates that God is all-knowing or omniscient.

PR 9:8-9. “Rebuke a wise man and he will love you. Instruct a wise man, and he will be wiser still.” Later in PR 17:10 we find, “A rebuke impresses a man of discernment more than a hundred lashes a fool.”

Jesus taught us to rebuke a fellow Christian who sins (LK 17:3), and Paul instructed Timothy to “correct, rebuke and encourage” believers (2TM 4:2). Sometimes we may think it is wrong to lay guilt trips on people, but the wise person welcomes being told about something he/she is doing wrong. If it does not apply, ignore it, but if it does apply, correct it and become a better person. We should always be trying to become new, improved versions of ourselves. Of course, it is a much more pleasant process if people are nice or tactful when they give us feedback!

 

[GWH]

PR 10. This proverb turns from praising wisdom to giving wise advice, much of which we have noted previously. For example, v. 2 warns against ill-gotten or stolen treasures, v. 4-5 teach the value of work rather than laziness, and v.14 reminds us to store up knowledge so we will have wisdom when we need it.

A new teaching is found in PR 10:8, “The wise heart accepts commands, but a chattering fool comes to ruin.” Some people tend to talk too much, and it is interesting to see this trait contrasted with the ability to be silent and obey commands, assuming they are lawful.

While it is okay to be talkative or outgoing, we need to be careful that we do not become obnoxious or regarded as full of hot air. PR 17:28 says “Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent.” We especially need to avoid gossip (PR 11:13). Our marriage or other relationships might have problems if we like to talk but are lousy listeners, so we may need to work on that. As PR 18:13 says, it is foolish to answer before listening.

PR 11:22. A beautiful woman with an ugly character is like a gold ring in a pig’s snout. Or again, “like a gold ring in a pig’s snout is a beautiful woman who shows no discretion [is a slut].” The same can be said of men.

Just as we noted in the Psalms that two parts of a verse interpret each other, so PR 12 contains a string of words or phrases that describe aspects of what it means to be wicked [he who hates correction = crafty = wickedness = disgraceful wife = wicked = men with warped minds, etc.].

 

[GWH]

PR 13:24. “He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who love him is careful to discipline him.” I don’t know if this recommendation of corporeal punishment applies equally to girls, but it does seem that boys may need to experience a little physical pain applied in appropriate cases and amounts. Of course, God does not desire child abuse.

Other verses in this vein include PR 10:13, 29:15, 23:13 and 22:15. In order for the rod or spanking to have the proper effect, the relationship between the child and parent must be loving and positive 90% of the time.

PR 15:11. God knows our hearts or thoughts and motives. PR 16:2 says “motives are weighed by the Lord”, and 17:3 says “the Lord tests the heart.” God is almighty or omnipotent and He exists everywhere or is omnipresent. Here we learn that God is all-knowing or omniscient.

God knows anything that is possible to be known including future events. However, if he knows what moral choices people will make in the future, He must do so in a way that does not take away moral free will in order not to nullify responsibility for those choices.

 

[PAC-fit]

God knows anything that is possible to be known including future events. However, if he knows what moral choices people will make in the future, He must do so in a way that does not take away moral free will in order not to nullify responsibility for those choices.

At the risk of overstepping the allowable input of OT reasoning, today, isn't my underscore subject to that Hebrews passage? ''Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those [choices] being tempted. (Heb 2:18)

 

[GWH]

At the risk of overstepping the allowable input of OT reasoning, today, isn't my underscore subject to that Hebrews passage? ''Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those [choices] being tempted. (Heb 2:18)

OT passages are key because they have relevance per NT teaching, such as the one in HB that you cited.

 

[PAC-fit]

OT passages are key because they have relevance per NT teaching, such as the one in HB that you cited.

I suppose that wouldn't sound so shadowy to me if I knew your use of 'relevance' is purely and ultimately being fulfilled by NT teaching.

 

[GWH]

I suppose that wouldn't sound so shadowy to me if I knew your use of 'relevance' is purely and ultimately being fulfilled by NT teaching.

Yes, the purpose of the OT (like creation and conscience) is to prepare the way for Christ.

 

[UnoiAmarah]

The scientific “big bang” theory regarding the origin of the universe is quite compatible with the biblical story, theorizing that just before the beginning all matter in the universe was compressed to a “singularity”.

The big bang theory is based upon the philosophical dictum that nothing comes from nothing. Ex nihilo nihil fit is recognized as fundamental principle of natural world that which is based upon two precepts. One being that anything that exists has an effectual cause for its existence and the other being that anything that exists cannot be its own effectual cause.

While the Christian Church attempted to use the Ex nihilo nihil fit dictum to prove that God was the creator of the universe, it failed as evident by the Christian church adopting the eternal universe as its interpretation of Genesis. You wouldn't be here saying it was compatible if you hadn't heard it being taught that it was.

The next generation won't even be able to recognize that it is not possible that the universe is eternal, they will be so full of all things are possible with the eternal One that it will become impossible for the eternal one to lie, because after all all things are possible with eternal one right?

 

[GWH]

The big bang theory is based upon the philosophical dictum that nothing comes from nothing. Ex nihilo nihil fit is recognized as fundamental principle of natural world that which is based upon two precepts. One being that anything that exists has an effectual cause for its existence and the other being that anything that exists cannot be its own effectual cause.

While the Christian Church attempted to use the Ex nihilo nihil fit dictum to prove that God was the creator of the universe, it failed as evident by the Christian church adopting the eternal universe as its interpretation of Genesis. You wouldn't be here saying it was compatible if you hadn't heard it being taught that it was.

The next generation won't even be able to recognize that it is not possible that the universe is eternal, they will be so full of all things are possible with the eternal One that it will become impossible for the eternal one to lie, because after all all things are possible with eternal one right?

On the contrary, the unique universe theory is one of the main evidences being used/cited in arguments by Christian apologists.

Atheists hoped scientific evidence would support an oscillating universe, but they have failed to prove that is the fact.

 

[UnoiAmarah]

On the contrary, the unique universe theory is one of the main evidences being used/cited in arguments by Christian apologists.

The 'unique' universe, also known as the 'fine-tuned' universe, is still based upon the precept that our currently known and observed universe is the result of its rapid expansion from an highly condensed preexistent state. If all space, matter, and energy was in existence at the time of the rapid expansion, then it is obvious that the rapid expansion did not create space, matter, and energy.

The term 'create' , when used in the scriptures of Genesis, has a more specific meaning than the common usage definition. When used on the scriptures Genesis it infers by implication a divine act that brings something into existence that had never existed in either substance or nature prior to the divine act that brought it into existence. Neither does it imply changing a preexisting substance from one form to another.

If space, matter and energy have no effectual cause, then under the First Cause argument that holds that anything that exists must have a cause, the big bang argument doesn't even try to establish an effectual cause for the primordial atom.