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NASB | Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go [teaching him to seek God's wisdom and will for his abilities and talents], Even when he is old he will not depart from it. [Eph 6:4; 2 Tim 3:15] |
Subject: Mark: Many Proverbs not true? |
Bible Note: Hi Doc, Concerning your second question, "So you're saying that you are withdrawing... (2) Your examples of so-called "untrue" proverbs?" If you will recall what I said to Hank, to which I thought you were responding, I wrote: “I do not mean that these are not true proverbs.” I will stand completely behind this, and I have not presented what I consider to be a list of “untrue proverbs.” What I will do is modify a previous statement, to try to improve my clarity of expression: I had written, “There are many that are not exactly true in every instance,” which is what Hank had questioned me concerning. I had hoped that my explaination had been sufficient to show that I had intended to mean within the context and view of representing these sayings as promises. Since there still seems to be a lack of clarity concerning this, I will amend my statement to: “There are many that are not exactly true in every instance if they are to be understood as promises.” The examples I used were given to demonstrate the difference between a proverb and a promise. That is, as I have explained my understanding of what a promise is. Allow me to demonstrate more specifically with a single example: Proverbs 16:13 “Righteous lips are the delight of kings; and they love him that speaketh right.” This is a proverb of Soloman, wise beyond other men, accurately recorded and faithfully presented. Worthy of all consideration and acceptance. Suitable to guide us in life. As a king, you should delight in the lips of the righteous. When speaking to a king, speak righteousness, that the king may delight in you. If all is at it should be, with you, with the king, this is exactly what will happen. But does this constitute God’s unconditional commitment that every king will always, and without fail, delight in righteous lips? Or, if this is meant to portray God’s conditional commitment to do this provided certain conditions are met, what are those conditions? Where do we find them in Scripture? I do not find any conditional clauses associated with this referrenced verse. So then I move to the next issue. Is this, which you call a promise, performed in every instance, to the full measure, without exception? I would have to answer “no, it is not.” And this is where I would refer to the passage in 1 Kings: 1 Kings 22:8 “And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may inquire of the LORD: but I hate him; for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so.” This is a Scriptural example of an instance where a king did not delight in righteous lips. I dare say there may well be other examples. Can you show me the Scriptural conditions which were not met? Here’s my point. I cannot, and I do not believe that God makes a promise and then we find it not being kept. So if I find that if whatever I are reading that I may think is a promise, if I find that it is not being kept in every instance without exception, then the fault lies in me, and not with God’s Word. And that I must have simply misunderstood, and either that is was not a promise, or that there were conditions that I missed, that are nonetheless there. Now, since these are called by the Bible "proverbs", sayings (and by the context, "wise sayings"), and not "promises", and since I do not see that they portray unconditional commitment by the LORD matched with a perfect perfomance record as would be required of a "promise", either with or without associated conditional clauses, I do not see these as promises. Proverbs – sayings – parables – but not promises. But as Proverbs, make no mistake, I accept them as Divinely Inspired Scripture, useful in all areas of our lives. “I do not mean that these are not true proverbs. I do not mean that they are not divinely inspired Scripture.” I hope this serves to clarify the matter. Love in Christ, Mark |