Posted by giveawayboy on September 03, 2002 at 08:23:18:
In Reply to: Exegesis (somewhat LONG) posted by PS on September 03, 2002 at 01:09:51:
: The Proverbs are a collection of wise sayings by various authors.......
: They are NOT promises of God, nor are they prophetic declarations from the mouth of God, nor are they articles in God’s Law.
: EXAMPLE 1 = Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.
: QUESTION = Has there never been a single believer who loved and raised their child in God's ways, and yet their child chose not to follow God, and died in an unbelieving state?
: CONCLUSION = You can't make a wisdom statement into an absolute promise from God.
Exactly! I've thought of this very same verse in the very same way before, pondering: What would a parent feel who STOOD ON THIS BIBLICAL PROMISE only to find out that it DIDN'T WORK. It's not that there isn't general wisdom here. It's that through the way it was taught to them, they could never be free to let themselves off the hook when Johnny 'turned out wrong'. I believe that false teaching has confused many parents. I believe that false understanding has also caused them to see themselves as failures.
We only know one way to read and apply all scripture--as God’s literal will for us, by which we will be judged. We’ve made it harder to live under grace than it was for the Old Testament Hebrews to keep the whole Mosaic law and all the doctrines of the religious leaders.
Oooooo....This is good!