It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings. (Proverbs 25:2, NIV)
One of the things we have always loved about the game is that while we are not Arnold Palmer or Nancy Lopez, and not Lydia Ko or Jason Day, we too can tee it up and enjoy a round with friends. We can learn as much in our thirtieth year as we do in our first. In this way, we share the game with its greatest players.
With the coming of the Messiah, the fullness of revelation followed, and the Scriptures we hold in our hand are completely accessible.The proverbs catch us up one by one. This year we read a chapter and are struck by one brilliant line; next year we return to the same chapter and another truth blossoms before us. So I cannot say that I have never before seen today’s key verse, but it has probably never opened my eyes like it did this time around.
First we must recognize the words in their historical context. If you were not a member at court, your life likely consisted of one of three endeavors: a soldier, a farmer/rancher, or a merchant. Even women’s household duties often overlapped into their husband’s business. Simply put, there was work to be done.
Of course, these same professions exist in our time, but we’ve added so many others. And in Western civilization today, one task prevails: information management. We don’t go guessing at facts anymore; we just “Google it.”
In Solomon’s time, however, the luxury to read, study, and consider—these were uncommon. Priests and scribes were in the business, so to speak, but they didn’t have the riches to build the libraries of kings. And so it was that Solomon observed it to be a king’s glory to search things out. A king could engage counselors and tutors, consult the scrolls, play host to the sages and eminent courtiers. A king possessed the wherewithal to discover what a working man wouldn’t ever begin to consider. And among those things was the word of the Lord, delivered by prophets and recorded by scribes.
Here is where we find our own lap of luxury. In our time, the words of God are fully revealed, writ on the pages of your Bible. With the coming of the Messiah, the fullness of revelation followed, and the Scriptures we hold in our hand are completely accessible.
In considering this wonder—that God’s concealed mysteries have been widely revealed so that his glory shines brightest—we must ask whether we are keeping up our end of the bargain. Are we, like kings of old, scouring the pages, asking the questions, digging into the truths, “searching out a matter” so that we may find God in it? It is a privileged work.
And another challenge follows: to see to it that all people can become like kings. By this we mean to say that for every word you’ve read here today, there is still a people group waiting to read the Scriptures in their own language. In fact, many more groups than that—up to 1,800. As people of the Word, and blessed to read the Word and discover God in it, the last thing we should be is selfish or myopic. Let’s find a way to get the Bible into the hands of everyone!
(The leading Bible translation work being done today is happening through Wycliffe Bible Translators. Find out more about them here).
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Jeff Hopper
January 30, 2017
Copyright 2017 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.