Provérbios 18
James Montgomery Boice · Citado em PreceptAustin
Provérbios 18:10
Boice writes that… the name of God is a Semitic phrase for speaking of God's attributes. To be protected by the name is therefore to be protected by the One Who is sovereign, holy, all-knowing, wise, compassionate, and anything else that can properly be said of God. And there is more, for to be kept "in the name" is not merely to be kept by God, as if He were only some distant force that could be called in to defend us if that were necessary. It is rather that we are actually in Him, much like being in a fortress. Thus, His power and other attributes surround us constantly. (The Gospel of John) Comment: The verse Boice is commenting on is in Jesus prayer to His Father for His disciples where He prays… And I am no more in the world; and yet they themselves are in the world, and I come to Thee. Holy Father, keep (tereo in the present imperative = continually) them in Thy name, the name which Thou hast given Me, that they may be one, even as We are. (John 17:11)
Provérbios 18:10
Boice asks: What does it mean to be kept in God's Name? We have already seen a partial answer to this question in our study of Jn 17:6. There Jesus said that he had revealed God's Name to those who had been given to Him. We saw in studying that verse that "the name of God" is a Semitic phrase for speaking of God's attributes. To be protected by the Name is therefore to be protected by the One who is sovereign, holy, all-knowing, wise, compassionate, and anything else that can properly be said of God. And there is more, for to be kept "in the name" is not merely to be kept by God, as if He were only some distant force that could be called in to defend us if that were necessary. It is rather that we are actually in Him, much like being in a fortress. Thus, His power and other attributes surround us constantly. Pr 18:10 catches this exactly by saying, "The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe." Indeed we are! Can anything touch us when we are safe in that fortress? (Boice Expositional Commentary – John, Volume 4: Peace in Storm John 13-17) Spurgeon describes the reality (in our trials, in our battle with our fallen flesh) of what it means for God to be our strong tower… The name of the Lord is a strong tower to the Christian, not only in opposition to other men’s refuges but as a matter of fact and reality. Even when he is not able to perceive it by experience, yet God’s character is the refuge the saint. THE CHARACTER OF GOD If we come to the bottom of things, we shall find that the basis of the security of the believer lies in the character of God. I know you will tell me it is the covenant; but what is the covenant worth, if God were changeable, unjust, untrue? I know you will tell me that the confidence of the believer is in the blood of Christ; but what were the blood of Christ if God were false; if after Christ had paid the ransom the Lord should deny him the ransomed, if after Christ had stood the substitute, the Judge of Men should yet visit upon our heads, for whom he suffered, our own guilt; if Jehovah could be unrighteous; if he could violate his promise and become faithless as we are, then I say that even the blood of Christ would afford us no security. You tell me that there is His promise, but again I remind you that the value of a man’s promise must depend on his character. If God were not such that he cannot lie, if he were not so faithful that he cannot repent, if he were not so mighty that he cannot be frustrated when he intends to perform, then his promise were but waste paper; his words like our words, would be but wind, and afford no satisfactory shelter for a soul distressed and anxious. But you will tell me he has sworn with an oath. Brethren, I know he has. He has given us two immutable things in which it is impossible for him to lie, that we may have strong consolation. But still what is a man’s oath worth irrespective of his character? Is it not after all what a man is, that makes his asseveration to be eminently mistrusted or profoundly believed. And it is because our God cannot by any means foreswear himself but must be true, that his oath becomes of value to you and to me. Brethren, after all, let us remember that the purpose of God in our salvation is the glorifying of His own character, and this it is that makes our salvation positively sure, if everyone that trusts in Christ be not saved then is God dishonored, the Lord of Hosts hath hung up His escutcheon, and if in the face of the whole earth He accomplishes not that which He declares He will perform in this book, then is His escutcheon stained. I say it, He hath flung down the gauntlet to sin, and death, and hell, and if he be not the conqueror over all these in the heart of every soul that trusts in Him, then He is no more the God of Victories, nor can we shout his everlasting praise as the Lord mighty in battle. His character then, you see, when we come to the basis of all, is the great granite formation upon which must rest all the pillars of the covenant of grace and the sure mercies thereof. His Wisdom, Truth, Mercy, Justice, Power, Eternality, and Immutability, are the seven pillars of the house of sure salvation. If we would have comfort, we can surely find it in the character of God. This is our strong tower, we run into it and we are safe. Mark you, beloved, not only is this true as a matter of fact, but it is true as a matter of experience. I hope I shall now speak the feelings of your hearts, while I say, we have found the character of God to be an abundant safeguard to us. THE TRIALS OF LIFE We have known full well the trials of life! thank God we have, for what would any of us be worth, if we had no troubles? Troubles, like files, take away our rust; like furnaces, they consume our dross; like winnowing-fans they drive away the chaff, and we should have had but little value, we should have had but little usefulness, if we had not been made to pass through the furnace. (Ed: O for grace to grasp the hand of this truth!) But in all our troubles we have found the character of God a comfort. You have been poor — very poor: I know some of you here have been out of work a long time, and you have wondered where your bread would come from, even for the next meal. Now what has been your comfort? Have you not said, “God is too good to let me starve; he is too bountiful to let me want.” And so, you see, you have found his character to be your strong tower. Or else you have had personal sickness; you have long lain on the bed of weariness, tossing to and fro, and then the temptation has come into your heart to be impatient: “God has dealt hardly with you,” so the Evil One whispers; but how do you escape? Why you say, “No, he is no tyrant, I know him to be a sympathizing God.” “In all their afflictions he was afflicted, the angel of his presence saved them.” Or else you have had losses — many losses, and you have been apt to ask, “How can these things be? How is it I have to work so long and plod so hard, and have to look about me with all my wits to earn but little, and yet when I have made money it melts? I see my wealth, like a flock of birds upon the fields, here one moment and gone the next, for a passer by claps his hand, and everything takes to itself wings and flies away.” Then we are apt to think that God is unwise to let us toil for naught; but, lo, we run into our strong tower, and we feel it cannot be. No; the God who sent this affliction could not have acted in a thoughtless, reckless, wisdomless manner; there must be something here that shall work for my good. You know, brethren, it is useless for me to attempt to describe the various ways in which your trials come; but I am sure they that know Jehovah’s name will put their trust in him. Perhaps your trial has been want, and then you have said, “His name is Jehovah-Jireh, the Lord will provide;” or else you have been banished from friends, perhaps from country, but you have said, “Ah! his name is Jehovah-Shammah, the Lord is there;” or else you have had a disturbance in your family; there has been war within, and war without, but you have run into your strong tower, for you have said, “His name is Jehovah-Shalom, the Lord send peace;” or else the world has slandered you, and you your-. self have been conscious of sin, but you have said, “His name is Jehovah-Tsidkenu, the Lord our righteousness,” and so you have gone there, and been safe; or else many have been your enemies, then his name has been “Jehovah-Nissi, the Lord my banner;” and so he has been a strong tower to you. Defy, then, brethren — defy, in God’s strength, tribulations of every sort and size. Say, with the poet, “There is a safe and secret place Beneath the vyings divine, Reserved for all the heirs of grace; That refuge now is mine. The least and feeblest here may hide Uninjured and unawed; While thousands fall on every side, | I rest secure in God.” THE SINS OF THE FLESH But, beloved, besides the trials of this life, we have the sins of the flesh, and what a tribulation these are; but the name of our God is our strong tower then. At certain seasons we are more than ordinarily conscious of our guilt; and I would give little for your piety, if you do not sometimes creep into a corner with the poor publican and say. “God be merciful to me a sinner.” (Ge 18:13) Broken hearts and humble walkers, these are dear in Jesu’s eyes. There will be times with all of us when our saintship is not very clear, but our sinnership is very apparent; (Ed: "Amen or Oh my!") Well, then, the Name of our God (His character of mercy) must be our defense: “He is very merciful “ “For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.” (Heb 8:12-note) Yea, in the person of Christ we even dare to look at his justice with confidence, since “He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1Jn 1:9-note) Possibly it is not so much the guilt of sin that troubles you, as the power of Sin. You feel as if you must one day fall by the hand of this enemy within. You have been striving and struggling, but the old Adam is too much for you. It is a stern (severe) conflict, and you fear that the "sons of Anak" will never be driven out. You feel you carry a bombshell within your heart; your passions are like a powder magazine; you are walking where the flakes of fire are flying, and you are afraid a spark may fall and then there will be a terrible destruction of everything Ah! then there is the power of God, there is the truth of God, there is the faithfulness of God, and, despite all the desperate power of Sin, we find a shelter here in the character of the Most High. Sin sometimes comes with all the terrors of the law; then, if you do not know how to hide yourself behind your God, you will be in an evil plight (condition). It will come at times with all the fury of the flesh (the fallen flesh), and if thou cannot understand that your flesh was crucified in Christ (Ro 6:6-note, Gal 2:20-note, Gal 6:14-note), and that your life is a life in Him (Col 3:3-note), and not in yourself, then you will soon be routed (defeated). But he who lives in his God (Col 3:4-note), and not in himself, and he who wraps Christ’s righteousness about him (cp Ps 132:9, Is 61:10, 1Co 1:30), and is righteous in Christ (1Co 1:30, Php 3:9-note), such a man may defy all the attacks of the flesh (1Pe 2:11-note - "wage war" = present tense = continually) and all the temptations of the world; he shall overcome through the blood of the Lamb. For whatever is born of God overcomes (present tense = continually) the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world-- our faith. And who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? (1Jn 5:4, 5) THE TEMPTATIONS OF THE DEVIL Then, beloved, there are the temptations of the devil, and these are very dreadful; but how sweet it is still to feel that the character of God is our strong tower. Walls of grace Bulwarks of mercy Without walls of grace and bulwarks of mercy, how can a tempted soul escape the clutches of the arch destroyer? But where the soul lies in the entrenchments of divine Promise all the devils in hell cannot carry it by storm. I saw this week, one whom many of you greatly respect — the former pastor of this Church, Mr. James Smith (1802-1862 - Index to some of his writings - very good!), of Cheltenham Since departed “to be with Christ, which is far better.” — a name well-known by his innumerable little works which are scattered everywhere, and cannot fail to do good. You will remember that about a year ago, he was struck with paralysis, and one half of his body is dead. But yet, when I saw him on the bed, I had not seen a more cheerful man in the full heyday of strength. I had been told that he was the subject of very fearful conflicts at times; so after I had shaken hands with him, I said, “Friend Smith, I hear you have many doubts and fears!” “Who told you that?” said he, “for I have none.” “Never have any? why I understood you had many conflicts.” “Yes,” he said, “I have many conflicts, but I have no doubts; I have many wars within, but I have no fears. Who could have told you that? I hope I have not led any one to think that. It is a hard battle, but I know the victory is sure. After I have had an ill night’s rest — of course, through physical debility — my mind is troubled, and then that old coward, Satan, who would be afraid to meddle with me perhaps if I were strong, attacks me when I am weak; but I am not afraid of him; don’t you go away with that opinion; he does throw many fiery darts at me, but I have no doubt as to my final victory.” Then, he said, in his own way, “I am just like a packet that is all ready to go by train, packed, corded, labeled, paid for, and on the platform, waiting for the express to come by and take me to glory. I wish I could hear the whistle now,” said he, “I had hoped I should have been carried to heaven long ago; but still I am right.” “And then,” he said, “I have been telling your George Moore, over there, that I am not only on the rock, but that I am cemented to the rock, and that the cement is as hard as the rock, so there is no fear of my perishing; unless the rock falls, I cannot; unless the gospel perishes, I cannot perish.” Now, here was a man attacked by Satan, he did not tell me of the bitter conflicts he had within, I know they were severe enough; he was anxious to bear a good testimony to the faithfulness of his gracious Lord; but you see, it was his God that was his stronghold; he ran to this — the immutability, the faithfulness, the truthfulness, the mightiness of that God upon whose arm he leaned. If you and I will do the same, we can always find an attribute of God to oppose to each suggestion of the Evil One. “God will leave thee,” says the Evil One. “Thou old liar, he cannot, for he is a faithful God.” “But thou wilt perish after all.” “O thou vile deceiver, that can never be, for he is a mighty God and strong to deliver.” “But one of these times he will abhor thee.” “No; thou false accuser and father of lies, that cannot be, for he is a God of love.” “The time shall happen when he shall forget thee.” “No, traitor; that cannot be, for he is a God omniscient, and knows and sees all things.” I say, thus we may rebut every mischievous slander of Satan, running still into the character of God as our strong tower. WHEN THE LORD HIMSELF CHASTENS US Brethren, even when the Lord Himself chastens us, it is most blessed to appeal against God to God. Do you understand what I mean? He smites us with His rod, but then to look up and say, “Father, if I could believe what Thy rod seems to say, I should say Thou lovest me not; but I know Thou art a God of love, and my faith tells me that Thou lovest me none the less because of that hard blow.” (See He 12:5, 6-note, He 12:7, 8, 9, 10-note, He 12:11-note) See here, brethren, I will put myself in the case a moment — Lo, He spurns me as though He hated me; drives me from His presence; gives me no caresses; denies me sweet promises; shuts me up in prison, and gives me the water of affliction and the bread of distress; but my faith declares, “He is such a God that I cannot think hardly of him; he has been so good to me that I know he is good now, and in the teeth of all his providences, even when he puts a black mask over his face, I still believe that “Behind a frowning providence, He hides a smiling face.” (Play William Cowper's God Moves in a Mysterious Way) [Read John Piper's biography on Cowper "Insanity and Spiritual Songs in the Soul of a Saint] But, friends, I hope you know, I hope each of us may know by experience, the blessed art of running into the bosom of God and hiding therein. This word to the sinner who has not yet found peace. Do not you see, man, the Christian is not saved by what he is, but by what his God is, and this is the groundwork of our comfort — that God is perfect, not that we are perfect. When I preached last Thursday night about the snuffers of the temple, and the golden snuffer trays, and the necessity there was for the lamps in the sanctuary to be trimmed, one foolish woman said, “Ah, you see, according to the minister’s own confession, these Christians are as bad as the rest of us, they have many faults; oh!” said she, “I dare say I shall be as well off at the last as they will.” Poor soul! she did not see that the Christian’s hope does not lie in what he is, but in what Christ is; our trust is not in what we suffer, but in what Jesus suffered; not in what we do, but in what He has done. It is not our name, I say again, that is a strong tower to us, it is not even our prayer, it is not our good works; it is the name, the promise, the truth, the work, the finished righteousness of our God in Christ Jesus. Here the believer finds his defense, and nowhere besides. Run sinner, run, for the castle gate is free to all who seek a shelter, be they who they may. (Proverbs 18:10 Our Stronghold) THE RIGHTEOUS The righteous (Ge 15:6, 32:11,28,29 1Sa 30:6 2Sa 22:45, 46, 47 Ps 56:3,4) - What word do you see in "righteous"? "Right"! The idea then is that righteous describes the person who is "right" with God. In theological terms we called that justified or declared righteous (right). How righteous does a man have to be before God? 100% righteous which is impossible for fallen men to achieve because we always fall short of perfection. The only man who was ever perfect (sinless) was Jesus and belief in His death, burial and resurrection is the only way I can become 100% righteous before God. When I believe in Jesus, His "righteousness" is placed on my "bank account" (imputed) in heaven (so to speak). Stated another way, on the cross, our sins were put on Jesus’ account (“numbered [counted] with the transgressors,” Isa 53:12) when He suffered the punishment that belonged to us (Isa 53:6). When an unregenerate sinner trusts Him, His righteousness is put on their account (2Co. 5:21), and they stand forever righteous and forgiven before a holy God. Now when God looks at me, albeit still a sinner, He sees me covered by the righteousness of His sinless Son (1Co 1:30). Hawker - The righteous; which limitation he adds to beat down the vain confidences of those men, who though they live in a gross neglect and contempt of God, will expect salvation from him. How did someone become righteous in the OT (before Jesus came and was crucified, buried and resurrected)? Abraham who became the "friend of God" gives us the answer, Moses recording that after God had promised Abram his "descendants" (seed) would be as the stars of heaven that… Then he believed in the LORD (Jehovah); and He reckoned (imputed) it to him as righteousness. (Ge 15:6) Comment: Sinners were saved the same way in the OT as in the NT - by faith. Abraham believed. He believed in the revelatory truth that he had received about the Messiah (cp Ge 3:15). He was in essence looking by faith toward the Cross while today we look by faith back to the Cross. Salvation is by faith alone in Christ alone in both testaments! Not by works. Not by obeying the Law. Not by carrying out the prescribed sacrifices and feasts. Salvation has always been by faith! The regenerate man or woman is then "righteous" in God's economy and is "qualified" to run into the strong tower of His Name. Righteous (06662) (saddiq) is an adjective meaning just, righteous. The root idea is one conforms to an ethical or moral standard. That standard could be "man" but the only standard acceptable to God is Himself. For practical purposes, one can say that righteousness is all that God is, all that God commands, all that God demands, all that God approves, and ultimately all that God provides in Christ. Paul summarized it in the introduction to his magnum opus, the epistle to the Romans writing that he was "not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power (dunamis = inherent power, God's power present in the message independent of the one who speaks it) of God for salvation (deliverance, rescue from penalty [eternal death] and power of sin) to everyone who believes (mental = mind understands the gospel and truth about Christ; emotional = embraces the truthfulness of those facts with sorrow over sin and joy over God’s mercy and grace and volitional = sinner submits will to Christ and trusts in Him alone as the only hope of salvation. Genuine faith produces authentic obedience), to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God (better translated “righteousness from God”) is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written (Hab 2:4 the gospel is in the Old Testament and has always been God's way of declaring sinners righteous as stated in Galatians 3:8), "BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH." (Romans 1:16, 17-note) "But now (not a time reference, but a change in flow of argument) apart from the Law (entirely independent of obedience to any law) the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets (the gospel was present in the OT - it was foretold in types and shadows of sacrificial system requiring the shedding of blood for atonement and it was foretold by direct prophecies), even the righteousness of God through faith (utter reliance on the living Lord Jesus Christ as one’s only Savior from sin and one’s only hope for heaven) in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned (all are born in Adam, inherit his propensity to sin and therefore commit sins) and fall short of the glory of God, being justified (declared righteous - pardoned from guilt and penalty of sin receiving imputation of Christ’s righteousness on one's "account", providing the righteousness sinners need to be accepted by God) as a gift by His grace through the redemption (click here for Greek word apolutrosis; see also How to do Greek Word Study) which is in Christ Jesus… For we maintain that a man is justified (declared righteous) by faith apart from works of the Law." (Romans 3:21-24-note; Ro 3:28-note) There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood by William Cowper There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel’s veins; And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains. Lose all their guilty stains, lose all their guilty stains; And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains. "What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about; but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? "AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS… Is this blessing then upon the circumcised, or upon the uncircumcised also? For we say, "FAITH WAS RECKONED TO ABRAHAM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS." (Romans 4:1, 2, 3-note; Ro 4:9- note) From the passages clearly a man or woman is declared to be righteous the moment they place their faith and trust in the gospel of Jesus Christ, Old Testament saints doing so by believing the promises of the coming Messiah and New Testament saints by looking back in faith to the finished work of Christ on the Cross. I would agree with the Amplified translation that it is the one who is "consistently" righteous who can run into the strong tower of Jehovah. In other words, it is not only the one who had been (past tense) declared righteous (Justified) upon the exercise of faith but the one who is living daily in the power God provides to live a righteous life (Sanctification). Proverbs 28:18 states a similar truth… He who walks blamelessly will be delivered, But he who is crooked will fall all at once. RUN DON'T WALK There is no safety in looking at the "strong tower". And when danger is pressing in walking is not the approach to take. The passage says they must "run". Run (rus/ruwts) means to make haste, to travel or to journey by moving one’s legs more rapidly than in walking and in some contexts it conveys the idea of a sense of urgency or a need to hurry. "To run against anything" (Keil). In Job 15:26 rus/ruwts is translated "rushes" How do you run into God's Name? Read His Word (especially His Names), Believe His Word, Obey His Word, Pray His Word. That's how we can run today. This truth begs the question - Are you running toward Him or from Him? How is your time in the Word? Are you a hearer of the Word and not a Doer and thus deluded? Where do you put your trust when fear producing circumstances/thoughts/people attack you? O beloved, run… run quickly… run with full assurance that He is there waiting… run to His Name. Later in Proverbs we read… Every word of God is tested. He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him. Comment: In context how does one take refuge in Him (Pr 30:5KJV = "put their trust in Him")? Clearly it is His tested and trustworthy Word (cp Ro 10:17). When the "loins of our mind" are girded with His Word of Truth, we are safe from the lies and half-truths that come at us from all quarters. The psalmist says… I shall run the way of Thy commandments, for Thou wilt enlarge my heart. (Ps 119:32) David illustrates what it means to "run" to the LORD… When I am afraid, I will put my trust (~"run") in Thee. In God, whose word I praise, In God I have put my trust (~"run"); I shall not be afraid. What can mere man do to me? (Ed: Why does David say this? Because he is in the "strong tower"!) (Ps 56:1,2) C H