October 30, 2008

Today's Reading - Proverbs 30
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Following Scripture Verses

1. The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, even the prophecy: the man spake unto Ithiel, even unto Ithiel and Ucal,
2. Surely I am more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding of a man.
3. I neither learned wisdom, nor have the knowledge of the holy.
4. Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what is his name, and what is his son's name, if thou canst tell?
5. Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.
6. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.
7. Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die:
8. Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me:
9. Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.
10. Accuse not a servant unto his master, lest he curse thee, and thou be found guilty.
11. There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother.
12. There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness.
13. There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up.
14. There is a generation, whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men.
15. The horseleach hath two daughters, crying, Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four things say not, It is enough:
16. The grave; and the barren womb; the earth that is not filled with water; and the fire that saith not, It is enough.
17. The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it.
18. There be three things which are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not:
19. The way of an eagle in the air; the way of a serpent upon a rock; the way of a ship in the midst of the sea; and the way of a man with a maid.
20. Such is the way of an adulterous woman; she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wickedness.
21. For three things the earth is disquieted, and for four which it cannot bear:
22. For a servant when he reigneth; and a fool when he is filled with meat;
23. For an odious woman when she is married; and an handmaid that is heir to her mistress.
24. There be four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise:
25. The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer;
26. The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks;
27. The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands;
28. The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings' palaces.
29. There be three things which go well, yea, four are comely in going:
30. A lion which is strongest among beasts, and turneth not away for any;
31. A greyhound; an he goat also; and a king, against whom there is no rising up.
32. If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought evil, lay thine hand upon thy mouth.
33. Surely the churning of milk bringeth forth butter, and the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood: so the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife.

Today's Pathway:
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"There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother." - Proverbs 30:11

The author states that there is a generation that is very rebellious against their parents, and I believe that we can see that "generation" before our eyes today. Young people are rejecting their parents. This is being fostered by the music industry, and even the school systems, which encourage children and teens to make decisions apart from the knowledge and consent of their parents. The United Nations concerns itself with the Rights of Children, which means that they would have the right to disregard anything that their parents tell them. In my own experience I see children, even in church, who disobey their parents, and sass them. I have heard young people say disrespectful things about their parents. I have heard the children of the unsaved curse their parents. Truly we are living in the kind of day spoke of in Proverbs 30.

In addition, I find a very interesting comparison in this verse. It opens by talking about the generation that curses the father, and we would all say that that is a terrible sin. However, notice the second half, "and doth not bless their mother". There is a big difference between cursing someone and simply not blessing them, but Proverbs lumps them both together. In other words, I may not curse my parents, but if I don't bless them either, then I am guilty.

Many young people are not openly rebellious against their parents, but they simply tend to ignore them. They don't talk to them, they never say anything nice to them or about them, they simply obey them and endure them. This is not what the Lord intended the home to be. A child should be obedient, but he should also bless his parents. He should desire to be with them and to please them. He should praise them and make the feel appreciated. Failure to do so is to align himself with the generation that curses mom and dad, and that is not where he wants to be.

Pastor Mark J Montgomery