My son, do not forget my teaching, but
keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and
bring you prosperity. Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around
your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and
a good name in the sight of God and man. (Proverbs 3:1-4)
In
yesterday’s blog, I made it clear that what I discussed wasn’t really what the
Solomon was talking about. It’s not that I don’t think the things I said are
true, it’s just that they weren’t really there to be drawn from the passage. I put
them on the passage. I even said so at the time. What I was saying really had
nothing to do with what Solomon said. I meant well, but I apologize for the
misappropriation of Scripture.
Today’s passage is of a sort that I think is often misappropriated. People see the words “love” and “faithfulness” and put on them what they want them to mean. There are quips about real friends helping hide the bodies. There are calls out there for us all to demonstrate unconditional love, meaning that we support the behavior of those we love because that is supporting the person. No matter what a loved one does, we are to aid, abet, and support that thing because it makes our loved one happy. That, they say, is love and faithfulness.
It’s not, or if it is, it is not Scriptural love or faithfulness, because Scriptural love and faithfulness always begins with God’s love and faithfulness as the model and follows with our love and faithfulness to God before it ever gets to our love and faithfulness to another human being.
If you have read the Old Testament, you’ve seen that God corrects the Jews. He corrects the other nations, too. Those that persist in misbehavior, He punishes. Abraham, Moses, and at least one of the prophets confront God about His behavior. Will He destroy the righteous with the unrighteous? What if there are fifty…forty…ten? What will the nations say if God forsakes the people He promised to take to the Promised Land? It’s OK to confront God about His behavior, but not our fellow-man about hers?
In the New Testament, we’re given guidelines. First, we address the issue one-on-one. Second, we stage an intervention with two or three witnesses from the Church. If that doesn’t work, we take the person before the Church. If that doesn’t work, the person is excommunicated until such time as the person repents. That is Scriptural love and faithfulness. You don’t hide the bodies. You suggest that the person turn himself in, and if he doesn’t, you call the police.
Today’s passage is of a sort that I think is often misappropriated. People see the words “love” and “faithfulness” and put on them what they want them to mean. There are quips about real friends helping hide the bodies. There are calls out there for us all to demonstrate unconditional love, meaning that we support the behavior of those we love because that is supporting the person. No matter what a loved one does, we are to aid, abet, and support that thing because it makes our loved one happy. That, they say, is love and faithfulness.
It’s not, or if it is, it is not Scriptural love or faithfulness, because Scriptural love and faithfulness always begins with God’s love and faithfulness as the model and follows with our love and faithfulness to God before it ever gets to our love and faithfulness to another human being.
If you have read the Old Testament, you’ve seen that God corrects the Jews. He corrects the other nations, too. Those that persist in misbehavior, He punishes. Abraham, Moses, and at least one of the prophets confront God about His behavior. Will He destroy the righteous with the unrighteous? What if there are fifty…forty…ten? What will the nations say if God forsakes the people He promised to take to the Promised Land? It’s OK to confront God about His behavior, but not our fellow-man about hers?
In the New Testament, we’re given guidelines. First, we address the issue one-on-one. Second, we stage an intervention with two or three witnesses from the Church. If that doesn’t work, we take the person before the Church. If that doesn’t work, the person is excommunicated until such time as the person repents. That is Scriptural love and faithfulness. You don’t hide the bodies. You suggest that the person turn himself in, and if he doesn’t, you call the police.
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