Category Archives: Nico Here

What Does Evil Have to Teach Us? – Proverbs 16

“The Lord has made all for Himself, yes, even the wicked for the day of doom.”
…
I propose to you, therefore, that the L’rd creates those who are prone to cause strife so that they may be like our tutors, helping to teach us right from wrong by showing us what true wrong looks like. Through experiencing the strife they cause, we learn what not to be like, and gain a greater appreciation for goodness.

Building a House or Tearing it Down – Proverbs 14

“The wise woman builds her house, but the foolish pulls it down with her hands.”
…
Well, in psychology it is often said that the house represents the self. One’s house is one’s personal space, a place that we can customize and make to represent us.

In high school I was in a psychology class where the teacher told us each to design a house, and she didn’t first explain that the house represented the self. After she explained that, she had us analyze each other’s houses a bit, and then told us a story about a student she’d had years ago.

Hypocrisy and Repentance – Romans 2:21-24

So, we see here that part of the importance of us following G’d’s Torah is not just so that we may be blessed, but so that His name may not be cursed among the nations. We, as His followers and His chosen people, represent Him. Time and again, I’ve heard anti-religious people reference the way that Believers act as the reason why they don’t believe anymore. Sometimes, these anti-religious people rejected any authority telling them they can’t do whatever they want. Other times, they were pointing out true hypocrisies.

Do We Take it To Court? Proverbs 25

There have also been cases of religious leaders intimidating people and thus intentionally making it difficult for them to go through the process of Matthew 18. Where they meet to discuss the matter that the offended party wishes to talk about, and the religious leader immediately makes the meeting a hostile one by shouting, throwing accusations, and otherwise biting back in exceedingly cruel ways.

In circumstances like that, outside authorities definitely needed to be called in to handle the matter, because leadership is held to a higher standard.

While 1 Timothy 5:17 says, “Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching,” and 1 Timothy 5:19 says, “Do not receive an accusation against an elder except from two or three witnesses,” we must also know that 1 Timothy 5:20 says, “Those who are sinning rebuke in the presence of all, that the rest also may fear.” If a religious leader abuses their position, cause harm to others, and this has been confirmed by the mouths of two or three witnesses, then this must NOT be kept a secret.

The Wisdom of Community – Proverbs 18:1,2

The first half of this suggests to me the importance of community, especially when it comes to spiritual matters. There was a time when I spurned religious community. I made all sorts of excuses, ranging from, “They’re all judgmental,” to “They’re hypocrites,” to “I don’t fully agree with them.”

The funny thing about that was, in coming to those conclusions, I myself was being judgmental and a hypocrite, and who cares if I fully agreed with them? The point is not to find people we 100% agree with on all matters (that’s never going to happen). The point is to find people who will help us in our walk with the L’rd. Their gait may be a little off, but so is mine, and so is yours, and so is everyone’s. In isolating myself, I sought after my own heart’s desires, and the heart is wicked and full of deception, as the Scripture tells us.

The Cruel Messenger – Proverbs 17:11

In our American society, we kind of see rebellion as a good thing. After all, our country was founded on an act of rebellion against a tyrannical power. I won’t get into a history lesson about the American Revolution. What’s important is that we understand that the kind of rebellion this passage seems to be talking about is different from that.

Tyrants who abuse their power and torment their people are in rebellion against G’d. Therefore, when the people successfully rise up against tyrants, it is to put a stop to those tyrants’ rebellions against G’d’s Law, which is above the laws of man.

What this is talking about is rebellion against righteous authority, both G’d’s and the authority of those G’d has put in charge over us. Rebellion against His Torah and against those He has anointed is the kind of rebellion that brings a cruel angel.

Do Messianics Trust Paul? 2 Peter’s Word About Who’s Trustworthy

Let’s talk about, “being led away with the error of the wicked.” The Greek word here translated as “wicked” is “athesmos.” The Greek word for “wicked,” however, is “kakos.” So, what is athesmos? If you look at it in the Strong’s Concordance, it translates to “lawless” or “unrestrained.”… be wary of people who twist Paul’s writings to suit their own agendas. This passage specifically refers to those people as “lawless.” …let us be careful not to read his epistles as we’ve often been taught to do so. Let us not assume that his writings are anti-Torah or anti-Law,

Spare the Rod – Proverbs 13:24

“He who spares his rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him promptly.” -Proverbs 13:24

This passage is often cited by people who want to promote beating children to get them to behave. While I would agree that spanking may have its place as a last resort (to be used sparingly, lovingly, and carefully), I do not believe that this passage is saying “beat your children with a stick.”
…
So, let’s present a more accurate translation that’s more to the point.

“He who refrains from his tribe (his people, his community) works against his son, but he who loves him seeks instruction.”