Where Do You Loiter?

 

“I have seen among the simple,
I have perceived among the youths,
a young man lacking sense,
passing along the street near her corner,
taking the road to her house,
in the twilight, in the evening,
at the time of night and darkness.”
(Proverbs 7:7–9)

Wisdom and folly are found in very different places. Wisdom stands on the street corners and lifts her voice to all who will hear: “How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple?” Her invitation to the fool is a call to change direction: “If you turn at my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make my words known to you” (Proverbs 1:22–23).

Wisdom is portrayed as easy to find, and her message is clear. Why, then, aren’t the simple flocking to her invitation from every corner of the city square?

The simple are loitering somewhere else.

They wait at the gate of folly. Night is falling. The businesses of the city are closing their shutters, and the folly of the night has begun. The fool knows the danger he is in, but he wonders how close he can come without getting burned. His loitering is rewarded by the arrival of temptation—her words, her dress, her perfume. All at once, he follows her. The trap is sprung, and his life is changed forever.

Why does he loiter?

The work of the day is finished, and as soon as his time is his own, he goes to wait by her door. His free time—his leisure—is spent awkwardly standing or pacing, watching at her house. How foolish is his heart, how oblivious to the danger! His heart longs for the temptation, the excitement, the enticement. He does not mean to go all the way—just a little further. Yet he sets himself on a trajectory that will bring his ruin.

So ask yourself plainly: Where do you loiter?
Not where you fall, but where you linger. Not the sin you commit, but the door you stand near. Wisdom calls in the daylight, but folly waits patiently for the evening. The heart is shaped long before the act.

Do not be deceived—no one stumbles suddenly. We drift by standing still. If you would walk in wisdom, then do not loiter at the threshold of sin. Turn your feet while it is still day, and order your time, your thoughts, and your desires toward the voice that gives life.

Glory and Influence

 King Lemuel’s mother was a wise instructor (Proverbs 31:1–9). She warned her son not to spend his strength—his time, money, spiritual capital, and moral authority—on self-indulgence. Instead, she called him to use his position as king to influence the plight of those who could not speak for themselves.

Kings possess glory (Hebrew: kābôd)—majesty and honor made visible. People are drawn to a king’s power, wisdom, and judgment. A good king therefore stewards not only his strength, but also his glory and, by extension, his influence. Lemuel’s mother exhorts him to “open his mouth”—to act publicly and justly on behalf of the poor and the needy.

Like strength, glory and influence must be stewarded. Any man must guard his character, both in public and in private, if he is to retain moral authority. Glory can be wasted—traded away for approval, comfort, or the avoidance of conflict. But a faithful king spends his influence differently. He aligns himself publicly with what is good, right, and true. He speaks with moral clarity. He expends his influence downward, on behalf of those who cannot repay him.

Spending glory and influence in this way may cost comfort, safety, relationships, and even reputation for a season. Yet men who desire to fulfill the dominion mandate and to steward their strength and influence wisely must listen to Lemuel’s mother. God gives strength and influence not merely to possess, but to deploy. They may be squandered, hoarded, or spent—but only when they are spent wisely are they used for the glory of God.

Making New Year's Resolutions

Two phrases stand out in the book of Haggai. The first calls the people of Israel to honest self-examination. The temple had remained unbuilt for sixteen years, and their familiar excuse—“The time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the Lord”—was wearing thin. “Consider your ways,” Haggai declares. The judgment of God surrounded them, if only they were willing to see it.

The second phrase—“Consider from this day onward”—invites them to move from examination, to repentance, to intentional change. Following this progression, Haggai offers enduring wisdom for the way we think about New Year’s resolutions.

1. Let Your Resolutions Be Biblically Informed

Make resolutions that move you toward greater obedience. God’s Word has a way of exposing the places where we fall short and clarifying the path forward. Listen carefully to what it says, even when it confronts you.

2. Make Repentance the First Step Toward New Obedience

Repentance allows the past to truly become the past. But repentance is not the final step. Do not waste time wallowing in remorse or shame. Turn instead in a new direction. Repentance clears the ground so that obedience can grow.

3. Anchor Your Resolutions in the Promises of God

What has God promised? Forgiveness. Peace. Security. Hope. In the New Testament, we are also given the promise of the Holy Spirit—His active presence and power enabling new direction, new strength, and lasting change. “Consider from this day onward.”

After the preaching of Haggai, the temple was rebuilt in five years. God’s Word, received with repentance and obedience, brought renewal where there had been long delay.

So consider your ways. And then, consider from this day onward.

 

The Intervention of the Word of God

 

The word of Haggai stands at the center of the story of the second temple. The entrance of the prophetic word is the pivot point of the narrative. Everything changes at that moment. The people respond in obedience and resume the work of rebuilding. God’s message, delivered through His prophet, becomes both correction and encouragement, moving the hearts of the people from repentance to obedience and from discouragement to renewed vision.

Haggai’s message unfolds in two distinct phases. First comes the command: “Consider your ways.” It is an invitation to moral reflection—to examine their circumstances and honestly reckon with the consequences of their disobedience. Then comes a second pair of calls to consider: “Consider from this day onward.” What grace and mercy are contained in those words. The message moves from judgment to hope, from rebuke to promise.

God’s encouragement takes concrete form.

“Fear not.”
Fear had been the original distraction that brought the work on the temple to a halt. Now God redirects their focus. When He is restored to the center of their lives and worship, fear no longer governs their decisions.

“In this place I will give peace.”
The Jews had been threatened with conflict over the rebuilding of the temple by the people of the land. God responds not with escalation, but with assurance. He promises peace in the very place of tension. The sovereign care of God transforms their outlook.

“From this day onward I will bless you.”
No more wages disappearing like money in a bag with holes. No more clothing that fails to warm. Blessing replaces barrenness. Restored fellowship with God brings not only security and peace, but abundance. What they reap will now far exceed what they sow.

The Word of God—and our response to it—is always the turning point. Repentance is never the end; it is the beginning. It opens the way to renewed hope, renewed vision, and renewed promise.

“Consider from this day onward.”

Do I Have to Know This for the Exam?

 

Sometimes students don't have a good appreciation for all the work that goes into that Monday morning English class. Long before the student was worried about missing the bus or staying awake in class, curriculum writers set educational goals for the student. What skills should he master at his age? Which concepts are still over her head and which can be safely introduced? The writer has then taken those goals and developed a scope and sequence - a plan to navigate from here to proficiency safely. The teacher has taken the textbook, the scope and sequence, and her knowledge of the student, and prepared Monday's lesson.

Older students show more interest in the direction of their education. College and graduate students begin to look at the educational goals with more care. Why should I take this course? Is it required? What will I learn? Because they are paying for the course, they want to know what the course will do for them.

The book of Proverbs also begins with educational goals. The author sets out his strategy right from the beginning:

“The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel: for attaining wisdom and discipline;

for understanding words of insight;

for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life,

Doing what is right and just and fair;

for giving prudence to the simple,

Knowledge and discretion to the young-

Let the wise listen and add to their learning,

and let the discerning get guidance-

For understanding proverbs and parables,  

the sayings and riddles of the wise."-Proverbs 1:1-6

          Solomon tells the student right up front what he intends to teach. The student knows immediately the benefits he will receive as a result of his mastery of the subject matter. The benefits are in the realm of wisdom, moral discipline, and discernment. Wisdom, as we have already seen, is the art of steering, a person's ability to navigate life successfully. Discipline is the training of the moral nature, the discipline of the will. Discernment is the ability to choose between options, not just right and wrong, but good, better, and best.

Stop for a moment and think about the ramifications of what Solomon has just said: The following chapters have the ability to move us from simple to prudent, from naive to discerning, from lazy to disciplined. How would our relationships be different if we were wise in our management of them? What if our decision-making were more objective, if we had the ability to see through emotion and competing interests? What if we had the discipline to do what is right once we knew what it was?

Anyone who has insomnia has seen the courses advertised on late-night infomercials: Through these notebooks, videotapes, and CDs we can lose weight, get rich through real estate, improve our memories even do complex math problems in our heads. Because they are advertisements, I have my suspicions about them. I've never ordered their products, but I've wondered in the back of my mind, what if they really do work?

Because our whole American culture is image-driven, we have a right to be suspicious. But, we ought not bring our suspicions to this book Solomon writes that this book can accomplish its goals. This book will deliver on its promises! Consider: It was written by the wisest man of his time (ask the Queen of Sheba). Behind the king is God, the Lord of the universe, guiding his hand, inspiring words, prohibiting error. The book we have before us has the seal of approval of the Sovereign Creator,

How to Read a Proverb

It will help us in our study of Proverbs to understand its forms and the art involved in Hebrew poetry. Instead of rhyming, Hebrew poetry uses parallelism. This type of poetry sets one line artistically next to another to communicate a single point. Look at the following proverb (14:32):

"When calamity comes, the wicked are brought down, but even in death the righteous have a refuge. "

Solomon shares one idea in two artistic ways: Your moral character will determine whether you stand or fall when trouble comes, For the wicked, trouble will be their undoing. For the righteous, they cannot ultimately be undone. There is a refuge waiting, even in death!

Elements in the first line can be found in the second: "Righteous" corresponds to

"wicked," "brought down" to "have a refuge," and "calamity" to "even in death." This provides balance in the poetry and aids our understanding of the proverb. Take the following example:

"A wise man brings joy to his father, but a foolish son grief to his mother,"

-Proverbs 10:1

I heard a sermon once which talked about the pride of a father when his son is wise and how his foolishness brought grief to his mother. It seemed as if the mother received no joy if her son was wise and the father shed no tears if the son was a fool. Such an interpretation could have been avoided if the reader tried to summarize the lines into one clear idea: The character of the child will affect the parents either positively or negatively. Can you see the elements in the proverb?

 

 

Wise man	Brings joy	To his father
Foolish son	(brings) grief	To his mother

The Character             Affects positively        The Parents of the child                        or negatively

 

The lines in Hebrew poetry can restate the same idea again to enhance its meaning. This is called synonymous parallelism:

"A quick-tempered man does foolish things and a crafty man is hated" (14:17)

"Evil men will bow down in the presence of the good and the 'wicked at the gates of the righteous." (14:19)

"A mocker resents correction;

He will not consult the wise" (15:12)

Most of the proverbs enhance the idea by antithetic parallelism, the second says the opposite of the first:

'The righteousness of the blameless makes a straight way for them, But the wicked are brought down by their own wickedness. " (11:5)

"A man is praised according to his wisdom

But men with warped minds are despised." (12:8)

Sometimes the proverb will have three or more lines (emblematic) or won't seem to have much of a relationship at all (formal), Some proverbs draw the comparison by stating that one element is better than another:

"Better to live in a desert than with a quarrelsome and ill-tempered wife." (21:19)

Hebrew poetry is sometimes beautiful, sometimes humorous, and most of the time right on target! The concrete expressions are memorable like "a jewel in a pig's snout" or "dwelling on the corner of a rooftop," Can you remember what the comparisons were? Such vivid expressions helped in retaining the lesson and remembering it when needed.

Proverbs are Life Observations

The Proverbs of Solomon arc life observations. They are general principles drawn from lifc the way God created it. Diligence can always be expected to bring wealth. Because we have a sovereign God, however, God may do something different in our individual circumstance Ask Job. Habakkuk complains to God, "Why do the wicked prosper?" In Proverbs, the wicked always get their due. Why? Proverbs is teaching us how we ought to live. It doesn't always, however, give us clues to what God may be doing. Consider this Proverb:

"Train up a child in the way he should go

And when he is old, he will not depart from it."

I know of more than one parent who is depending on this Proverb as a promise from God that a wayward child will return home. The Life observation that the proverb is pointing to is that the child will see the value in the training of the home and never depart from it. Proverbs are life observations to build a life on, not always specific promises to an individual.  The words of a proverb are carefully chosen so that they stick in a reader's mind or heart.

          Solomon is about to take us on a journey.  Not so that we may know more things, but so we can live out the wisdom he teaches.  His school is unlike any other, but the results are eternal.  And yes, we have to know this for the exam!

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A Meeting of Minds

         Her kingdom sat at the bottom of the Arabian Peninsula. Ships headed for Ophir and the purchase of gold passed by her shores. Her people were consummate traders. People came to her for gold and precious stones (Ezek. 27:22), incense (Isa. 60:6; Jer. 6:20), and slaves (Joel 3:8). Her people hailed her as a woman of enterprise, affluence, and a penetrating mind. She ruled with wisdom and honor.

        Legends have called her Balkis or Makeda. Josephus said she had an inquisitive mind, particularly in the area of philosophy. Wisdom, like economic trade, bridged the constraints of nation and ideology. She traded in goods, and she traded in wisdom. Wisdom is like that. It is valuable to all nations and can be recognized as true by all honest inquirers. It engages the whole man, teaching him both how to make a living and how to make a life. Wisdom was important. Sages traveled from one nation to another for learning, for testing, for increasing their knowledge of the world around them.

Those traveling past her kingdom brought her the wisdom of Egypt, of Israel, of Babylon. She sifted what she learned and applied the ideas to the perplexing questions of life. What is the nature of man? What is his purpose? Where did he come from and where is he going? What are reliable standards of good and evil and justice? Why does evil exist? What is the most responsible way to lead her people?

The people she ruled were descendants of Abraham through Keturah. They were the Sabeans who attacked Job's family (Job 1:15). Israel called them a nation "far off'- living at the southern edge of Israel's international field of vision. It was 1,200 miles from where she lived to the city of Jerusalem. The Arabian desert lay between.

        The Queen of Sheba amassed great wealth, but wealth was not her primary concern. She sought wisdom wherever it could be found. Her eyes were open to her environment, her whole world. News came down the Red Sea from Ezion-Geber. The new king of Israel, David's son, was doing some amazing things.

When Solomon took the throne, the nation was at peace with the surrounding kings. Solomon handled possible internal divisions by dealing quickly with Adonijah, his brother and rival, and two of David's men who had supported Adonijah, Joab and Abiathar (I Ki. 2:13-35).

Solomon made an alliance with Hiram, King of Tyre (Phoenicia), for cedar and cypress wood. The alliance added Phoenicia's technical know-how to Israel's economic resources.

Phoenicia was at the beginning of her commercial and expansion in the Mediterranean world. The king of Tyre built two fleets of ships for Solomon. The Mediterranean fleet returned every three years with gold, silver, ivory, iron, tin, apes, and peacocks (Jer. 10:9; Ezek. 27:12) imported from Spain (The probable location for Tarshish). Another fleet sailed the Red Sea from its port in Ezion-Geber to Ophir to trade in gold. These ships passed right by Sheba. News from those ships and the wealth they carried may have piqued the Queen's interest.

        The alliance between Tyre and Israel brought unprecedented wealth for both countries. Solomon was in control of the main trading routes between Arabia, Africa, and Asia. He taxed each caravan and traded for an incredible array of international wares. He traded for horses in the north (Kue) and bought chariots from Egypt (I Kings 10:28-29). His trade brought such wealth to Israel that silver was as valued as stone and cedar was as plentiful as the sycamore tree (I Kings 10:27). Israel was introduced to new kinds of harps and lyres for the musicians- "Nothing like them had ever been seen in Judah" (II Chronicles 9:11)!

        Solomon secured his international position by taking Hamath and making its cities storage facilities for his wealth. He made political and commercial treaties with many nations by taking their princesses as his wives. So expansive was his power that he counted a daughter of Pharaoh among his wives (I Kings 3:l ; 9:16). In the Amarna Letters, the King of Babylon, asked for the hand of a Pharaoh's daughter and was rejected: "...From of old, a daughter of the King of Egypt has not been given to anyone." It is a testimony to the greatness of Solomon that a Pharaoh conceded. Solomon built the Pharaoh's daughter her own palace in Jerusalem. She could not live in the palace of David because the holy ark had been there (II Chronicles 8:1l).

        Internally, he collected huge amounts in taxes for the temple and his building projects apart from taxes gleaned from trade (666 talents, see II Chronicles 9:13). He divided Israel into twelve administrative districts that blurred tribal lines and secured loyalty for the monarchy. Each district provided for Israel's governance for a month.

The Chronicler sums up the reign of Solomon like this:"King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth.  All the kings of the earth sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart. Year after year, everyone who came brought a gift- articles of silver and gold, and robes, weapons, and spices, and horses and mules " (11 Chronicles 9:22-24).

    Of all the kings and dignitaries who visited Solomon, the Chronicler focuses on the Queen of Sheba. Most no doubt came to Israel because they were drawn by the wealth. One good deal with Israel's king and they were set for life. It was something different, however, that drew the Queen of Sheba, Rich in her own right, wisdom drew her through the Arabian desert to visit Solomon. She and a very great caravan made the 1,200-mile trek. Wisdom had led her to some perplexing questions, and she wanted to hear his answers.

Her caravan must have made quite a stir when it arrived in Jerusalem. Camels carried large amounts of gold (120 talents), spices, and precious stones as a gift for Solomon. She received her audience with Israel's king. She had come to test him with hard questions, but when she heard the wisdom of his answers, she poured forth all her heart. He answered everything so  gently and so clearly that she stood amazed. When she heard his words, saw the worship at the temple, and the way even his servants were adorned, her heart was overwhelmed:

"The report I heard in my own country about your wisdom and your achievements is true. But I did not believe what they said until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not even half the greatness of your wisdom was told me; you have far exceeded the report I heard. How happy your men must be! How happy your officials, who continually stand before you to hear your wisdom! Praise be to the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on his throne as king to rule for the LORD your God Because of the love of your God for Israel and his desire to uphold them forever, he has made you king over them, to maintain justice and righteousness " (II Chronicles 9:50).

        Her testimony may have been colored by a cultural desire to compliment the king. But I think it was something else altogether. Wisdom as it appeared in the surrounding nations was a

fractured thing. Common sense was gleaned from many sources, but there seemed no unifying principle, especially in the big issues of life. One poet lamented that even if you lived your life as wisely as you could, "Who knows whether the gods will be pleased?"

        Read her testimony again. Solomon has pointed her to God. He has explained how all things begin and end with God. Solomon reigned under God's authority and his kingdom was a stewardship. Her pursuit of wisdom has ended in praise to the living God. He is source and Sustainer. One God rules and His revelation influences the wisdom of Solomon and becomes the lynchpin of her own understanding. Others had told her in fragments of the wisdom of Solomon. Now she has seen how everything hangs together. God is Creator and He rules with order, design, and wisdom. She has seen how wisdom provides for a nation through justice and wealth. Wisdom drew her to Jerusalem. She left with a deeper understanding of Solomon and Solomon's God. The aspect of wisdom that left her in awe was Israel's God.

Wisdom Has International Appeal

The visits of dignitaries to Israel picture for us an interesting characteristic of wisdom. Every culture seems to value its contribution. It doesn't seem, at first blush, to be religious at all. We can read wisdom from many cultures and even if they aren't distinctly Christian, we can profit:

"Build like a lord, go about like a slave;

Build like a slave, go about like a lord."

This proverb is Sumerian in origin, but we can still see its profit. It is like a flash of light that brings sudden, sometimes embarrassing, understanding. According to the proverb, we know that if we try to live beyond our means, we will wrestle with anxiety and fear, creditors and imminent loss. We will be imprisoned by our purchase. On the other hand, if we live well within our means and have a suitable margin for emergencies, then we are really free. You don't have to be Christian to see the wisdom in that. Proverbs can say clearly and quickly more than all the sermonic thunder of a Sunday message.

This is an important aspect of wisdom for our post-Christian culture. If we seek to live our lives by the principles of godly wisdom, then others will be drawn to our light. We may not have the drawing power of Solomon, but he is proof that wisdom works. Those disappointed with religion will still be drawn to a well-ordered life. Deep in the heart of every person is a need to find purpose, meaning, and a way to live life that matters. The Queen of Sheba is proof of that.

One Greater than Solomon is Here

        The story of the Queen from Sheba and her visit to Solomon was not relegated to the dusty shelves of history by the time of Jesus. Children and adults were well-acquainted with the stories of the Old Testament. Jesus used her story to make an important point.

        It didn't take long after Jesus began his ministry for resistance to build. People liked the bread he provided or the miracles of healing that came through him. What they didn't always appreciate were his words. For his words, they tried to stone him (Luke 4:29) and many walked away. Some stayed but only out of mercenary interests: "Teacher, we want to see a miraculous sign from you."

In one instance, Jesus refused and rebuked them with these words: "The Queen of the south will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon's wisdom, and now one greater than Solomon is here" (Matthew 12:42).

Jesus commends the Queen of Sheba for her single-minded pursuit of wisdom. She sacrificed much to travel from "the ends of the earth" to hear what Solomon had to say. Then he reminds his listeners that one "greater than Solomon" is here. The Queen had the ability to recognize the wisdom in Solomon. We are in a position to recognize the superiority of Jesus. His greatness expands beyond his teaching to his life, death, and atonement for sin. His greatness reaches to Heaven itself where He ascended after His resurrection to pray for the ones He loves.

The Jews of Jesus' time were responsible for a great sin. They neglected the opportunity that men and women from all times in history would have like to have had. They heard the words and wisdom of Jesus but did not respond. What might the Queen of Sheba one day say about us?

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