Beware of the Big Names

[Proverbs 30:1-6]

The one name we really need to be excited about is the name of Jesus. The one person we really should want to hear from is Jesus. The one whose ideas we should really want to hear about are Jesus’.

Please don’t ask me right now about whose book I’m reading, or who my favorite pastor is, or about what big name person has made the biggest impact on my life. Right now, if you’ve got a big name in the Christian community, I’m really not impressed.

I think “well-known” and “pastor” should become an oxymoron. I believe in the New Testament, the pastors were nobodies. I mean, they were church members like everybody else - parts of the Body, using their gifts together with the Body of Christ. The one-pastor leader model, who is the sole speaker/teacher during the gatherings of the Body, is not to be found in the Bible.

The well-known guys among the communities of faith in the NT were actually apostles, like Paul. And they were well known not only because of their teachings and well-circulated letters, but because they suffered like dogs for the kingdom of Christ. They were beaten, imprisoned, tortured and sometimes put to death, but still kept on serving Christ and the churches, making disciples of the nations, advancing His kingdom.

There are still apostles and pastors and church members like that today. They have to hide, moving around, persecuted, beaten, tortured, and sometimes even killed. They don’t have any book deals, or DVD sets out there for purchase. They don’t do conferences or TV shows. They don’t blog. Their names are only big with the authorities who are trying to hunt them down and stop them.

Whatever their theology is, or their politics, or however great their gifts and talents and abilities are, don’t let yourself get impressed with anybody who’s got a big name. Jesus, the name above all names – His name is the one name worthy to be magnified.

A Time to Keep Silence

Proverbs 29:30 “If a wise man has an argument with a fool, the fool only rages and laughs, and there is no quiet.”

We must obey God, rather than men, even if the law of the land in which you live forbids you to tell others about your relationship with Christ. We are witnesses of Christ; we cannot help but give an answer to people when they ask about how we could have such hope and peace in our lives.

There is also a time when God may move us to refrain from speaking further with someone about the Good News of Jesus.

No one is going to move toward our Creator unless the Spirit of our Creator is at work in his or her heart. When we talk to people about Jesus, we can often tell that God is working in their spirit through our conversation because of how they are listening, because of the questions they are asking, and often because of their body language.

The wisdom of God is absent in the hearts of non-Christians. They are, at heart, fools (as we once were). When an unbeliever is making fun of you, laughing at your words, unwilling to listen, becoming increasingly more antagonistic, then don’t argue with them. In fact, try not even saying a word to them. Sometimes, our silence is enough to bring calmness to the situation and we can keep conversing.

We ask for wisdom, Lord, to know when to boldly move forward in speaking Your truth, and when to remain silent or walk away.

Walking Wisdom's Path

PROVERBS 28:26 – “Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered.”

Looking inward and trusting in ourselves leads, ultimately, to foolish living. Do you want to know the joy of close friendship with God? Do you want to feel like you are bringing glory to Him by fulfilling His desires for you? If yes, then be alert to when your mind begins to wander down the following pathways:

The pathway of “following your heart” - We hear that a lot, especially on American television. US culture is saturated with this sentiment. It’s been the source of a lot of poor decisions, the break up of families, a lot of idiot behavior.

The pathway of opinions, i.e., “What do you think?’ - If this is all there is when decision-making, then we need help. Lots of good ideas are out there, but what does God think about it? If we are asking for Godly counsel from a true brother or sister, a spiritual mother/father, then we’re headed in the right direction. But, too often, I think we like to get people’s opinions and take a vote on the best course of action.

The pathway of trying harder - Sometimes we just get off track from listening to God, from being still and knowing that He is God. I’ve been to several training events that were supposed to help open the door to a multiplication of disciples and churches in the place where we lived. Looking back, it felt so human-driven, and I thought that if I just kept trying with follow-up, and try harder, we’d see results. But, ultimately, God is the one who does the work, and we must simply see His hand at work and join in. Yes, we do have to put forth effort when making disciples, but there is a strong sense of God’s presence and peace and strength through it all.

God, help us to walk in your wisdom today, and deliver us from trusting in our own understanding, our feelings and our own strength.

True Brothers

Proverbs 27:17 – “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.”

I can probably count on one hand the number of Christian brothers I’ve had who have sharpened me like iron. This kind of sharpening is a painful process, but is necessary in going deeper with Christ.

Being sharpened by iron means humbly receiving open rebuke. When I’m wrong, I need someone who loves me enough to come and tell me (27:5).

Sharpening a man can also mean giving him timely, much-needed counsel from God. Brothers in Christ speak the truth of God to each other, giving encouragement and direction in the midst of weariness and, often, in the fog of spiritual warfare (27:9).

God, please bless us with true brothers and sisters who will sharpen us as useful instruments in Your hand, and give us grace, also, to be that kind of brother/sister in our communities of faith.

FOR THE GIRLS

While in college, I remember two girls who were a case study in the contrast between a woman with outer beauty and a women with inner beauty.

One girl was definitely attractive, the kind of girl who turns heads when she passes by. But she didn’t smile much, she often would not even acknowledge your presence if you passed her by in the hallway, even if there wasn’t another soul around. She didn’t appear to be very happy, and came across as very, well, snobbish.

Girl number two was not a great-looking girl, by any means. If you just saw a picture of her, you might describe her as downright homely. But there was something about her that just made people want to be with her, to get to know her. Her smile was contagious; she was not an in-your-face, over-bearing extrovert, but could be friendly and outgoing without even saying a word. You could see in her eyes and smile the love and peace of Christ.

Over time, semester after semester, I noticed that whatever outer attractiveness the first girl had was being completely cancelled out by her arrogant demeanor. She became ugly. By contrast, the inner beauty of the second girl rose to the surface; she was very attractive both inwardly and outwardly.

Please don’t be deceived by the call of this pagan world to think that outward beauty is your goal. Loving God and bringing glory to Him in all your relationships is a very beautiful thing, indeed.

“Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.” [Proverbs 31:30]

What Can Be Learned from the Lamed-Vovnik?

Proverbs 26:12 “Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.”

While I was in college I participated in a Sunday school class, and just this week recalled a lesson our teacher gave in which he used an illustration about the Lamed-Vovnik. It’s strange how God will bring to mind something from such a long time ago.

The Lamed-Vovnik are 36 people living on the earth, throughout history and continuing on today, who, because of their righteousness and humility before God, are the sole reason God does not pass judgment and bring the earth to an end. It’s an old Jewish tradition; it’s not in the Bible. Apparently, some ancient Jewish scholars came up with the story to help explain why God had not yet passed judgment on all the evil operating in the world.

The Lamed-Vovnik, or “thirty-sixers”, are not aware that they are Lamed-Vovniks, and they do not know about the existence of the other Lamed-Vovniks. If and when a Lamed Vovnik becomes aware that he or she is one of the thirty six, they would be immediately be disqualified from being one of them.

This Jewish mystical tradition also holds that the Messiah may possibly arise from one of the Lamed-Vovnik.

What can we learn from the Lamed-Vovnik teaching? It is said that Jews developed this tradition from the account of Abraham’s intercession for Sodom in Genesis 18. Sodom was a very evil, wicked city, but Abraham pleaded with God that He would not destroy it.

From 18:24 we read: “Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you then sweep away the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it? Far be it from you to do such a think, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?”

Abraham continues to pray for the people of Sodom, until God agrees not to destroy Sodom if there were but 10 righteous people living in the city: “He answered, ‘For the sake of ten I will not destroy it’”.

What if this was the reason God tarries today? Is God withholding judgment from the earth today because of unknown, humble servants of His whom, not being sinless or without fault, but humbly submitting to Him, are carrying out kingdom activity every day, in unknown places with no applause from men? The beauty of the idea is that these folks would hardly be aware of their own service to Him; they are Christians, just loving God and loving people.

The value in this tradition of the Lamed-Vovnik is in pointing us back to the account of Abraham’s intercession on behalf of Sodom, and in reminding us that, as followers of Jesus, we must be careful about who we make our “heroes.” The real heroes of the faith are pretty much nobodies in the eyes of the world. But God definitely knows whom they are, and is showing the world His great mercy through these disciples, who are not wise in their own eyes, and who are living lives of sacrificial service.