CRUEL AND UNJUST PUNISHMENT?

ALL HE DID WAS GATHER WOOD ON THE SABBATH

Numbers 15:32-36, "While the Israelites were in the desert, a man was found gathering wood on the Sabbath day. Those who found him gathering wood brought him to Moses and Aaron and the whole assembly, and they kept him in custody because it was not clear what should be done to him. Then the Lord said to Moses, 'The man must die. The whole assembly must stone him outside the camp.' So the whole assembly took him outside the camp and stoned him to death, as the Lord commanded Moses." (NIV)

He did it anyway! It was posted, made known to the whole assembly, no work was to be done on the Sabbath on punishment of death. (Ex. 31:14, 15, Ex. 35:2) The first test of the Sabbath law was, "does God mean what He says?" There would be no forgiveness or mercy granted to anyone who violates the Sabbath law. I mean how serious can this be? All he did was gather some wood on the Sabbath; on any other day this would not be a crime. He could present a good case in his defense; perhaps his wife or one of the kids was sick and he needed to light a fire for some heat. Does the death sentence for this infraction constitute cruel and unjust punishment? Then again, should we look at this law as a shadow that points to the substance that is to come? This being true, then the shadow loses its significance when the substance comes. (Col. 2:16,17)

ALL SHE DID WAS TRY TO HELP HER HUSBAND

Deuteronomy 25:11,12, "If two men are fighting and the wife of one of them comes to rescue her husband from his assailant, and she reaches out and seizes him by his private parts, you shall cut off her hand. Show her no mercy." This lady just wanted to help her husband, Wasn't that a good thing to do?

I could not help but notice the little footnote attached to this law, "show her no mercy." Certainly she would ask for mercy, and promise never to do this again. She would present a good case for her action. Perhaps she would say the other man was much bigger and he was hurting her husband, or, "how am I going to hold my little baby?" Then again she could say, "I will be forever a social outcast among the women in Israel and all who see me will know what I did." Cruel and unjust punishment, or is there a bigger picture that we should see? The law demands that we do it or suffer judgment. It does not seek our approval. There are no acceptable or extenuating circumstances to lessen the seriousness of any offence. When God instituted the law through Moses, He did not give the law the necessary equipment to show mercy or offer forgiveness; it can only condemn those who violate its demands. The commandments of God are not a shadow or a type; that means they never lose their authority over us. (Matt. 5:17,18 and Rom. 7:1-6)

MAKE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND THE LAW AND DO WHAT IT TELLS YOU

II Samuel 6:6,7, "And when they came to the threshing floor of the Nacon, Uzzah put out his hand to the Ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah, and God struck him down there because of his error, and he died there beside the Ark of God." (ESV)

We move forward 400 years from the giving of the Law at Mount Sinai. God has not changed His mind about the law.

Uzzah just wanted to do the right thing; there was no evil intent on his part. Keeping the Ark of the Covenant from falling off a moving wagon seems like a good deed, even his duty. If there are any extenuating circumstances regarding some flex in the law, this is a case where we could find it. If Uzzah understood the law regarding the Ark, he or his brother Ahio with him would have stopped that cart and waited for the Levites to carry it as commanded. The Ark was placed on a new cart, not an old one. This may be a show of respect for the Ark itself, even if it was not done according to the exact command. However, it was done in willful defiance of this clear-cut law. (Numbers 4:15 - 7:9) Whether Uzzah understood it or not, but by touching that Ark, he was approaching God, based on his good works. Why do people still think they can work their way to God? Like Uzzah, they don't understand the law of God, nor do they believe it should be taken too seriously. Many think of God's Commandments as being flexible saying, "I just don't believe God expects us to be perfect." My answer is, "Oh, yes, He does!" Understanding the Law of God makes this clear. Because we do not perfectly keep God's commandments does not mean God meets us halfway by dropping His demand for perfect obedience to the commandments He gives us.

THE LAW OF GOD DOES NOT FLEX OR BEND

Romans 10:4, "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes." Jesus kept the law perfectly so that in Him do we fulfill all the requirements. The demands of the law are given to us by way of promise, through faith in Christ.

II Corinthians 5:21, "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."

THE MYSTERY OF GOD

The mystery of God in His own nature and majesty is to be left alone. We have nothing do do with Him, nor does He wish us to deal with Him. He speaks to us in Christ; we cannot approach or deal with Him apart from Christ. We are to occupy our self with God incarnate. That is Jesus Christ and Him crucified." Luther

Reference:

Matthew 5:48

Deuteronomy 18:15-18

IT GOES WITH THE TERRITORY

If you could be anyone you wanted to be other than yourself, what or who would you be? Think big, you know, outside the box. We have all thought about it at one time or another. Let's start with a lion, a big ferocious "no one to mess with beast" who does not pay tax on anything. To some people, this is a "would if I could" dream. If you want to be a lion, you must consider the territory that goes with being a lion. Some things you might want to think about. First the down side, you would have to live in an extremely hot jungle. For your livelihood, you would have to chase down other animals, kill them, and eat the meat raw. You will have a short life; you will die in a fight with another lion or a hyena, or else you will starve to death. To survive, you must be mean and scary. You will not have a funeral or a burial; the vultures will act as undertakers and take care of the final arrangements. However, on the upside, you could live in a nice clean zoo, locked up in a cage with a chunk of raw meat thrown into your cage daily. Will this work for you? On the other hand, would you be better off being you?

How about a rich and famous movie star, "the glitter, the glamour, Hollywood?" Sounds a lot better than being a lion living in a hot sweaty jungle, going around killing for a living. Before you decide whether this would be better than being a lion, you need to look beyond what you see on the silver screen. Just about anything can sound appealing on the surface until you look at the territory that goes with it. There's somethings you need to consider. If you could be a rich and famous movie star, you would be subject to temptation at a level much higher than the average person has to deal with. Because you are rich and famous, you can never know who your friends are and who is using you. The rich and famous are just as famous for notorious failures in their personal lives. It's hard to name one of the rich and famous movie stars who has not had at least one divorce. If you have high standards, you will have to change your values to conform to Hollywood standards. Your personal life will be at high risk for divorce, drugs, and alcohol. Because you are rich and famous, you can abundantly afford to pursue a life of debauchery in an environment that makes it sociably acceptable. You may also have to deal with anorexia and other forms of eating disorders to maintain your star status; after all, "only thin is in." You will live on a diet; you will not eat as you once did. Your beauty and good looks are the most important things about you. Will this work for you? On the other hand, would you be better off being you?

REALITY CHECK

The difference between the lion and rich and famous movie star is a chunk of raw meat or hard-boiled eggs. What it means to be you and not a lion is that you have to pay tax on just about everything, but you are not forced to be a mean, scary person. You also increase your chances of a longer life, and you can cook your own food. Not being rich and famous means when you meet someone for the first time you will have to be introduced; they will not know your name and will not ask for your autograph. However, you can keep your privacy and not be hounded by scandalmongers. You do not have to worry about growing older and losing the love of your fans. You can have true friends who love you for who you are and not for what you can do for them or how they can use you to benefit themselves.

WE ARE WHO WE ARE

I Corinthians 15:10, "But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace which was with me." NKJV

Paul was comfortable in his own skin, at peace with who he was. Paul begins this statement with grace and ends in grace, with himself in the middle. We cannot change who we are, but we can change what we do with who we are. This determines the quality of life we live. We are who we are by the grace of God; this cannot be changed or altered in any way.

Lions are called the king of the beast. That means, "Respect! You don't mess with me." Likewise, it's not so much being a rich and famous movie star that we want, as it is the unconditional love and adoration they receive from their fans. No matter the scandal, the drugs, notorious failures in their personal lives, or the DUI arrests, we love them unconditionally and that is the end of it. We do not see the lion or our favorite rich and famous actor doing any wrong.

RESPECT AND UNCONDITIONAL LOVE

Lions are fearless, but if they were only known as scavengers, who would want to be a lion? The lion represents respect; we want what he has, not the territory that goes with it. Our favorite idols are glamorous, thin, beautiful, and well mannered on camera with their talent running a poor fifth. What they do with their personal lives, no matter how bad or good, is not a factor for taking them off a pedestal. They are unconditionally loved by adoring fans all over the world. Love and respect are inseparable; we love what we respect and we respect what we love.

ROMANS 3:11: - "NO ONE SEEKS AFTER GOD"

No one seeks after God; we seek the benefits of God apart from God. God's love is unconditional, and His respect for His creation is clearly seen in John 3:16, "That God so loved us that He gave His only son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life." God's unconditional love for us is based on who we are, not on what we are or what we can do for Him. Nor does He love us because we have earned it. God loves us and He accepts us, even with the territory that goes with it.

Romans 10:13, "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord will be saved."

and that is the end of it

WORLD RELIGIONS, WHO'S RIGHT?

WORLD RELIGIONS, WHO'S RIGHT?

A few years ago I read an article that stated 2 billion people worship 300 different gods along with their religions. They all claim that God has chosen them to be keepers of the way, the truth and the life. These are rounded off numbers, so they are not exact, but as the world population approaches the 7 billion mark, these numbers can only increase. To make it less complicated, let's work with the 300 different religion number. Could it be that all these religions are true, or at least have enough of the truth to satisfy God? Christians may site Matt 16: 13-16 as the bare minimum to gain entrance through the pearly gates.

Religious writer Lisa Miller writes, "truth cannot be shut up in one book, neither the Veda, the Koran or the Bible." She adds, "all religions have some truth but none have all the the truth." Eckhart Tolle, author of The Power of Now and A New Earth concurs, "all religions have wrong teaching." In today's world of academic enlightenment this sounds very scholarly. After all, who isn't wrong at least once in a while; nothing is perfect, right? The problem with this is that each of the three hundred world religions claim to have the truth, and therefore could have no wrong teaching. This being true, then 299 are wrong. For instance, truth can only have one meaning; truth is absolute. You can have contrary beliefs, but truth does not contradict itself. Truth does not change from culture to culture or from generation to generation. This is where the 300 align in claiming that only one possesses the way, the truth, and the life. The conclusion we have to come to is a no-brainer; 299 do not have the truth. It is only possible for one to be the authentic keeper of truth that comes from God. Ms. Miller and Mr. Tolle are both guilty of lazy research.

All religions demand obedience to their particular belief system. When a country infuses its state-run religion into its military, it becomes a dangerous and formidable foe. Japanese kamikazes who worshiped their emperor during World War II gave their lives by flying directly into American ships and killing thousands of Americans. The 9/11 Muslims who gave their lives to take down the World Trade Center lived from the time they arrived in America a riotous life of drugs, sex, and booze. Mohamed Atta, the pied-piper of the 9/11 attack, called for a prostitute to come to his motel room on the night before he was to board his flight to kill not only himself but also thousands of innocent people. That people purposely give their lives for their religious belief is a strong argument that they are indeed possessors of truth that only comes from God. However, the right question needs to be asked, "what is truth." Did all these people give their lives for the truth, or was it for their belief system? Were they brain-washed into believing a lie? For Mohamed Atta, it was 72 big bosom virgins waiting for him in heaven to continue his earthly life-style unabated. There should be no question in our minds that the 9/11 hijackers sincerely believed that a better place awaited them. They willingly made the ultimate sacrifice. Your country or your religion can ask no more from you. The question that begs to be answered is, "did God give us a Transcendent", that is a divine law, a standard above our own ideas of right and wrong, a standard to which we can all appeal, whether a prince or a pauper.

Epistemology; Is the science of religious knowledge. All world religions lay claim to the true knowledge of God; the control world religions have over the minds of people can pose a threat to others who are not like-mined. Therefore, all religions are fair game to be examined as to their claim and validity. All religions try to answer three questions; origin, morality, and destination. Every human-being believes something about God, even an atheist who claims there is no God is forced to render an opinion.

Deuteronomy records the final days of Moses before transferring leadership over to Joshua. Joshua would lead them in the coming war to conquer Canaan, but Moses prepares them for life in the conquered land. Deut. 4:39, "Therefore know this day and consider it in your heart, that the Lord Himself is God in heaven above and Earth beneath; there is no other." That was Moses, speaking to a naive generation who had grown up in the wilderness living on manna and his teaching. They knew nothing about God other than what was told to them by Moses. Their God is the only God there is; there is no other. He told them when they got into the land they were going to see a lot of different religions with many gods. Don't be fooled into thinking that they had a god just as we have one also. Deut. 4:40, "You shall therefore keep his commandments which I give you today, that it may go well with you and with your children after you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which the Lord your God is giving you for all time." Moses told them the stakes were high; as the first generation in the land, they would set God's standard for future generations to come. The Exodus agreement must be taught to their children so they can teach their children also.

Exodus 19: 5-8 - it was agreed by the Elders but not voted on by the people, "all that God has said we will do." Generation after generation tried to break the agreement, only to find that God was holding them to it. Truth is truth, and it cannot be changed through wishful thinking, nor can it be improved on. Deut. 4: 2, "Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the Lord your God that I give you."

How does Christianity differ from all world religions?

- It is a relationship not a religion or system of work.
- It has a sin-bearer all others do not.
- It is done, not do.
- Only in Christianity are we greater in death than we are in life.

DEATH PENALTY - FOR AND AGAINST

The Christian and Capital Punishment (Against)

The first reference to capital punishment is found in Genesis 9:6. The Noahic Covenant, "whoever sheds man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed; in the image of God made He man." Before the flood, man had filled the world with violence and bloodshed. There will be no more floods to stop the violence and bloodshed of man's inhumanity to man (Gen. 9:11). By the use of capital punishment, men were to quell the violence and restore the order of justice. God ordained social order and gave government the authority to rule over the social order.

Under Mosaic law, capital punishment for murder continued and even broadened. The basic principle was "life for life", "eye for eye," "tooth for tooth" (Exodus 21:25). Besides murder, the death penalty was used for such crimes as adultery (Lev. 20:10), and even for a stubborn and rebellious son (Deut. 21:18). The stubborn son and adultery is the height of disrespect for the feelings and convictions of those we live with and around. Life is to be respected. Some Christians believe the death penalty is not for today. Capital punishment was given to a moral government (Israel) under God's direct leadership. The problem with this view is that Israel was anything but a moral people. Because America is not morally responsible, we do not know how to properly execute the death penalty. We might ask then who was Romans 13 addressed to. Paul says this is the nature of the law, whether morally responsible or not.

Some Objections to Capital Punishment

A number of objections to capital punishment have been offered by those who oppose it. Three of them are worthy of comment from a Biblical standpoint.

1. The case of Cain. Capital punishment was not God's intention from the beginning. When Cain slew his brother, Abel, God intervened on Cain's behalf. God forbade anyone to slay Cain in return. "If anyone slays Cain," God said, "vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold (Gen. 4:15). God set a mark on Cain for his own protection to warn those who would seek to slay him to avenge the blood of Abel.

2 Jesus and the adulterous woman. Did not Jesus show His disdain for capital punishment by refusing to apply the Old Testament death sentence to the woman taken in adultery? Jesus said to her, "Go and sin no more" (John 8:11). Moses commanded the death penalty for adulterers; Jesus forgave them. Is it not then, more Christian to do away with capital punishment and exercise forgiving love?

3. The cross of Christ and forgiving grace. The cross and God's forgiving grace is in itself an argument against capital punishment. God does not desire to punish men, least of all with capital punishment. Rather, God desires to pardon men through Christ. All our crimes were nailed to His cross (Eph. 2:15,16). Christ's sacrifice redeems from the curse (penalty) of the law (Gal. 3:13).

The Christian and Capital Punishment (For)

1. The case of Cain only proves capital punishment by Cain's fear that someone would slay him. This was Cain's own natural expectation, "whoever finds me will slay me" (Gen. 4:14). It was justice, not injustice, that Cain feared. First, God Himself said, "The voice of thy brother's blood cries unto me from the ground" (Gen. 4:10). Crying for what? For justice. One naturally anticipates the loss of his own life as a consequence of taking another life. Second, God's answer to Cain implies capital punishment. "If anyone slays Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold." This no doubt means capital punishment would be used on anyone who kills Cain to seven generations. God Himself commuted the death sentence on Cain. There was no one to carry out the sentence. Surely God would not call upon his father to execute his only remaining son. Cain's case is the "exception" which proves the rule. From the beginning, God's intentions were that capital crimes should receive capital sentences.

2. Jesus and the adulterous woman. There is nothing in this passage against capital punishment. Jesus never claimed to have broken Moses' Law (Matt. 5:17). Moses' Law commanded the death penalty only if there were two or more eye witnesses (Num. 35:30). None claimed to be eye witnesses who pressed the charge of adultery. After they left, Jesus asked, "Woman, where are thine accusers? Has no man condemned you?" She said, "No man, Lord" (John 8:10-11). On the basis of no witnesses, the case was dismissed, "Neither do I condemn you." The woman had been given due process of the law. Under the Law of Moses, the judge has no power to condemn a person to death without two or more witnesses.

3. The cross of Christ and forgiving grace. This objection to capital punishment is built on a misunderstanding of grace. Forgiving a sin does not automatically rescind the results of sin. A drunk who confesses his sin has no right to expect God to take away his hangover. The grace of God takes care of the penalty of sin, but not always the immediate consequences. "Be not deceived. God is not mocked, for whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap" (Gal. 6:7). This appies to the Christian. The thief on the cross was saved, but not from the death penalty which he himself said he deserved for the crimes he had committed (Luke 23:41). "Truly I say to you, today you shall be with me in Paradise" (Luke 23:43).

When the Corinthians abused the Lord's Supper, God visited them with sickness and even death (I Cor. 11:30). The New Testament does not void God's moral law in the Old Testament. Even under grace, it is still wrong to lie, to steal, to commit adultery, and to murder. If these acts are still sin, then there are still consequences for doing any one of them. If then God's moral law has not changed, then the consequences for breaking them has not changed.

One final point should be made in response to the alleged inhumanity of capital punishment. Contrary to what some would have us believe, capital punishment implies the highest regard for human life. Man is of great value because he was made in the image of God. That is why it is a sin of great consequence to kill him (Gen. 9:6). The worth of the individual is so great that the highest penalty is attached to those who would take the life of even one man.

I WISH I HADN'T SAID THAT

Proverbs 10:19, "When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise."

In my study in learning how to deal with the tongue, it is hard to know where to start; the Bible is loaded with the significance of the tongue as well as the potential danger and the disaster it possesses. Like carrying nitro-glycerin, one wrong move and you have an explosion. "Sticks and stones can break your bones, but words can break your heart." I often think of the tongue as an accident waiting to happen. So I suppose Proverbs 10:19 is as good a place as any to start. "When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise. None of us knows as much as we think we know, but we are still willing to fight and argue over so many non-essential things that don't mean a hill of beans as far as time and eternity are concerned. "But he who holds his tongue is wise." Holding our tongue (setting a guard on our tongue) does not happen by accident; this is something that a wise person is in the process of mastering. Once in awhile I look back over the years and think of times when "I wish I hadn't said that" and wish I could have a chance to go back to do it right, to say it right, or to just keep silent. Many of these doors are irrevocably closed and making them right is no longer possible. The disrespect I had for my parents as a rebellious teenager is a haunting reminder to go back and make it right before the window of opportunity closes.

See also: Psalm 19:14 - "Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, Oh Lord, my strength and my Redeemer."

PROVERBS 13:20 - REMEMBERING BOBBY JOHNSON

I met Bobby Johnson in the eighth grade, the same year he moved up here to Michigan from a small town in Tennessee. Bobby had some problems with authority in his town in Tennessee with both police and his teachers. He was a little older then the rest of the class at 15 years old. He said the reason for the age discrepancy was that he had some problems with his teacher back home. She went out of her way to see that he did not pass. My friend Jerry and I along with a few others found him likable and began spending time with him . We spent time with him out by the ice pond just off school grounds at lunch and after school. We would listen to his words of wisdom which he was more than glad to give between puffs on his cigarette. I remember him saying he could write an absence note to his teacher and get away with it. He bragged that he could write answers on his sleeve for a test and hide it by curling up the sleeves of his shirt. Bobby was also connected. He didn't have any problem coming up with a six-pack of beer. None of us tried to be like Bobby. We simply admired him. We admired him for these things because we were too frightened to do them ourselves. Bobby turned 16 toward the end of the school year. His uncle had just taken over a car wash, and Bobby quit school to begin his career at the car wash. He exchanged his education for a wash rag at the car wash. To us, it sounded like a pretty good plan - not having to get up the morning to go to school - the car wash didn't open until noon. After about a month of this, the whole thing unraveled. His uncle suddenly left town in the middle of the night with the owner of the car wash and a few others hot on his trail. The last time I saw Bobby, three years later, he was flipping burgers at Top Hat. Bobby said he was married at 17, a father four months later, and divorced a year after that.

None of us ever intended to be like Bobby; but in some ways, Jerry and I picked up some of those traits. I dropped out of school at 17, and my friend Jerry dropped out at 16. I often wonder about some of the bad decisions that I made, like dropping out of school at 17. These were decisions that I made, but I often wonder how much influence Bobby had on me by my associating with him.

Note: The greatest impetus for change comes from those we associate with and from what we read. See also: Proverbs 19:27.

If we are responsible for the decisions we make, we must also be responsible for the people that we associate and bond with.

DOCTRINE VS. PERSONAL EXPERIENCE

Romans chapter 7 introduces us to the great wrestling match. In one corner you have the defending champion, DOCTRINE, pitted against the challenger, PERSONAL EXPERIENCE. The champ claims he cannot be beaten no matter how confident his challenger brags about how hard he has trained all his life for the life-and-death struggle. P.E. has worked hard to make himself a worthy opponent. The defending champ, without any mercy, defeats all challengers no matter how hard they train and work to defeat DOCTRINE who refuses to back down or change any of his outrageous claims that he, and he alone, will prevail over all who oppose him. The Champion has fought untold thousands of matches over the years, and he never seems to wear out or grow weary of the next match or deviate from anything he has previously said. I, even I, am the victor and will never be defeated, he boasts; I will defeat all who oppose me. Why doesn't the champion realize that all who wear the crown of victory get too old to continue the fight. Eventually, he is bound to lose to a much younger and stronger challenger. He is outdated, so let's face it the champ's been around a long time. His best years are behind him, he is yesterday's champion, he belongs to the past. It is true that many have claimed victory over him in the past, but they're gone and he is still here; hmm, this does present a problem for those claims.

Now for those who are looking for a new champion to believe in and lead them, help is on the way, 21st century-style. Personal experience has finally got it all together and is ready to deliver the knockout blow to the champ's long-time boastful claims. Now, P.E. is asking you to trust him on this. Certainly, there have been failures in the past to dethrone the champ. But remember, this is the 21st century and we have microwave ovens, not to mention you can buy the beer of your choice in either bottles or cans. We have a huge variety of everything to choose from. We also have a nice selection of religions to fit your needs. big on the P.E. list of supporters is Madonna who is a major sponsor - "everyone should choose their own religion because at the end of the day we all go to the same place." Well, silly me, I thought choice had to do with how I wanted my steak cooked. Wow! What a deal! I can't wait to get started in choosing my own way to heaven.

I would like to give special thanks to Madonna for her wisdom and insights for this article!

Doctrine (God's Word) Personal Experience (relying on the flesh)

PROVERBS, ANCIENT WISDOM

THERE ARE 66 BOOKS IN THE BIBLE, 39 IN THE O.T AND 27 IN THE N.T. IF YOUR LIKE ME NOT ALL OF THESE COMMAND A LOT OF OUR ATTENTION, SOME DO SEEM TO DRAW US TO THEM OVER OTHER BOOKS, THIS HAS A LOT TO DO WITH WHERE WE ARE AND WHAT'S GOING ON IN OUR LIFE. SO THIS CHANGES OVER A PERIOD OF TIME AS TO WHERE YOU TURN IN THE BIBLE. MAT4:4 JESUS SAID "WE ARE TO LIVE BY EVERY WORD THAT COMES FROM THE MOUTH OF GOD". ALL 66 BOOKS ARE IMPORTANT TO US BECAUSE THEY PROCEED FROM THE MOUTH OF GOD. THREE OF THESE BOOKS HAVE LONG BEEN OF SPECIAL INTEREST TO ME BECAUSE OF THERE INTERNATIONAL FLAVOR. PROVERS- GOSPEL OF JOHN- ROMANS. WHY PROVERBS? IT MAY BE OLD TESTAMENT BUT IT IS ALSO AN ANCIENT BOOK OF INSPIRED WISDOM THAT IS TIMELESS TO ALL GENERATIONS. THE PURPOSE OF THE BOOK IS TO MAKE WISE THE SIMPLE, THOSE WHO LACK EXPERTISE, AND LEARNING THE ART OF LIVING SUCCESSFUL LIVES. AT THE CORE OF WISDOM IS REVERENCE FOR GOD THROUGH HIS INSPIRED WORD. PROVERBS GIVES US DIRECTION AND PERSONALITY IN APPLYING NEW TESTAMENT TRUTH. OVER THE YEARS I HAVE SPENT A LOT OF TIME MEMORIZING FROM ALL THREE OF THESE BOOKS, BUT FOR LIVING WISE IN A FOOLISH WORLD, PROVERBS IS WHERE WE NEED TO BE.