So I faced the rock wall, arms trembling with fatigue. I had done bench press, and hang-wall exercise and it was time to finish the night with a hard climb! It was a dyno that a beastly jump. I had attempted it for weeks beforehand but failed everytime. I took a deep breath as I would attempt this difficult climb for the 50th time. Okay, let’s get it. I may have fallen 49 times, but I’m going to get it this time!
Suddenly, I noticed from the corner of my eye, a super-hot blonde that took notice, stopped what she was doing and was watching, so now fellas, you know the heat is on! I closed my eyes, I took a deep breath and grabbed hold of the starting block, positioned my feet hard onto the wall.
With a heft, I launched into the jump 10 feet over and actually landed the dyno (a climbing term meaning a jump)! Woah! I did it, now focus! I grabbed the next block and planted my foot hard on the stone that my hand used to be, flipping my self up onto the volume. Okay, now pistol squat up… with my right leg ready, I stood up slowly, shaking taking as big of a breath as I could and… NAILED IT!
I couldn’t believe it! I had reached the top, what a rush!
What’s going on climbers, let’s get it. So I’ve been in a season where I start each day at 4:30, I take a cold shower and hit the gym. After work, I race to the rock climbing gym and crush a few routes! And I have to say, that’s been a great hobby. Proverbs is shaped very much like a climb!
Today is the 23rd, so I’ll be looking into the 23rd chapter of Proverbs this post. What’s interesting is that this is the mountain peak of the entire book!
The Structure
The first 7 chapters have “my son” statements that form 10 homilies. This is where a dad would sit down with his kids and give them life lessons. No other book of the Bible has “my son” statements directly to the reader.
Between book 1 (10:1-22:16) and book 2 (25:1-29:27) is this amazing section where we see the mountain’s peak. Another way to look at it is like a song. Several implement a bridge in the middle where they put their most heart-felt and/or mind-hammering thoughts as loud as they possibly can!
The Peak
Now 22:17 has a strange heading and translators differ a bit. The reason why is in the word excellent. In Hebrew culture, thirty was a not only a number, but a prize group of champions. To attain to the thirty was a big deal. It’s like our Top 10 Countdown, or the Top 10 wildest animals or Top 10 best… you name it! So peak section (22:17-24:34) reads like this, have I not written for you these Excellent sayings. Now there are some that would say that Solomon copied or was inspired by an Egyptian wisdom writer named Amenemope, but this is a vast misunderstanding. For one thing, the word “thirty” isn’t in the Hebrew, it’s the word Excellent, and it sounds like thirty but isn’t. So don’t fall and miss the handhold! Keep climbing with me!
Now we dyno to the 23rd chapter! The beginning talks about gluttony and warning one not to be gourmand, and the ending is a warning against being drunk with wine and given to alcoholism.
My Son
Then, there’s a return of a familiar phrase, my son. It’s an echo of the introduction of Proverbs! Now I’m writing to the bros here, but ladies if you’re reading this, know that God has not excluded you. My son is short for my son and my daughter. When you have limited parchment and ink, abbreviations are common. For example, in the Torah/first five books, Yahweh (God’s name) often says, “for I am Yahweh your God” as a reason for commands. It’s shorthand for “I am Yahweh your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt–am a Holy God!” but instead of writing that every single time, he abbreviates. So don’t think for a second that the ladies are excluded here.
6 My Son Statements
Six times God himself refers to you the reader! The reason is similar to Genesis chapter 1! In the sixth day, God made mankind. So in the sixth time, God brings about the strongest most heartfelt cry in the entire book of Proverbs!
My Son, give me your heart and let your eyes delight in my ways!
My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes delight in my ways! For a prostitute is a narrow well…. Within the chapter, we see the verse split over two verses and rightly so. The first half I have as a heading, and the reason why is because it’s in a special place, it stands as the center of the whole book. Now the second half is the logical conclusion of it, but it is also a filler.
Understand that the first half of the argument, “My son, give me your heart and let your eyes delight in my ways!” is highest point, and the second half could be any sin in your life. If you struggle with eating too much, then God says to you, “My child, give me your heart and let your eyes delight in my ways, for gluttony is a deep pit!”
Consider something here, of all the descriptions of God, in the Old Testament does this match what you may have thought about God? My bros and I were eating some delicious spicy chicken sandwiches at Royal’s chicken, and man I’d say my burger was an 8 out of 10! But then I had to run to the bathroom because the spiciness hit hard, I’m telling you! During that night, one of the guys at the table asked a fair question, “what do you think about who God is?”
Maybe your dad wasn’t a great guy, maybe he was an awesome dad, or maybe he wasn’t there, I don’t know. But Yahweh God I can tell you this, is the Great God of Heaven. He made the Heavens and the Earth with 10 commandments. 10 times he said “an God said”. He starts Proverbs with 10 talks a dad has with his kids to reflect Genesis 1’s 10 commandments. And at the peak, the very top of the climb, God wants your heart, and your eyes to delight in his ways. That is Yahweh’s heart to you reader.
So often in our lives sin looks so tempting. Maybe another look at the computer screen, maybe a spin at the casino, maybe a drink of alcohol to numb the pain or maybe say another “hail Mary” and see if that’ll make you more religious, whatever your vice, God is saying, look away and look to him. In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve lusted after God’s power and wanted to redefine good and evil, eating the fruit that was forbidden. Had they heeded God’s loving voice, they would have heard the same thing, “my child, give me your heart! and let your eyes delight in my ways!”
Reader, if you delight yourself in Yahweh, he will give you the desires of your heart! You have reached the peak of Proverbs! What a rush. If you’re new to the blog, my name is Adam and I’m so glad you’re here. I post twice a week on Sunday and Wednesday so don’t miss out!
Keep… Grinding!