The thief does not care for the well-being of those he victimizes. He cares for himself and only himself. He hurts and has no trouble hurting others.
The Lord, in His omniscience, has provided man with everything he needs through salvation and the grace that brings salvation. One might ask, “How does salvation teach sobriety?” A proper understanding of grace and salvation reminds man that he is completely inadequate in and of himself. Apart from the Lord’s intervention, man would be on a slippery slope towards the pits of hell. In his very best state, man’s righteous acts are no better than filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). When a man meditates upon his salvation and the grace of God that gave him salvation, he avoids the snare of pride. He knows full well who he is and what God had to do to make him fit for heaven. He knows he owes the Lord a great debt and determines to be alert in his daily walk.
The scripture never offers a positive viewpoint of meddling. One might consider intermeddling with wisdom as a good thing, yet the scripture teaches otherwise. Today’s passage states that a man through desire seeks and intermeddles with “all” wisdom. According to James, there are two major types of wisdom, earthly (James 3:15) and heavenly (James 3:17). According to Proverbs 18:1, the man intermeddles with all wisdom, including the earthly. He separates himself from the pure truth and opens his mind to all the various types of wisdom that the world offers. Just as the scriptural teaching on meddling in other places, the man has no business involving himself with the world’s wisdom.
The last few studies have sought to dispel the notion that the Bible condemns judging. Today’s verse is no exception. Notice that the verse begins with a coordinating conjunction. The word but indicates that our verse serves a continuation of the thought that preceded it. The previous verse refers to the natural man which is someone who does not know the Lord as Saviour. Because he is not saved, he cannot discern the things of God. Today’s passage states that the “spiritual [man] judgeth all things.” A spiritual man is not only a saved man but one who enjoys the peace of God and daily fellowship with God. The other scriptural designation for man (in addition to the natural man [unsaved], and spiritual man [saved and in good fellowship]) is the carnal man [saved, but not in good fellowship]. Since the carnal man lacks the proper fellowship with the Lord (1 Corinthians 3:1), he may discern but fails in the proper execution of that discernment. Those claiming that believers should not judge are simply foolish. In fact, a spiritual man will judge all things but do so only based upon righteous judgment (John 7:24).
Man-made religions have always unwisely taught followers to establish their own righteousness. In the garden in Eden, Adam and Eve clothed themselves with fig leaves in an attempt to cover their nakedness caused by sin. Men built the tower of Babel hoping that this device could help them reach into heaven. The Bible describes man’s righteousness as “filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6). Today's passage tells of a people who went about to establish their own righteousness by refusing to submit to God’s righteousness. Man-made religions all err in the same way. They think that some work or act of obedience can somehow establish a level of righteousness that will ultimately and eventually satisfy God. Yet, the Bible points out the repeated futility of failing to submit to the righteousness of God.
This passage from First Kings offers the reader keen insights into one of the most enlightening prayer requests found in the Bible. King Solomon’s prayer was in response to God’s offer in advance to supernaturally answer his requests. Solomon knew that he would be completely dependent upon God’s help to be the right type of king. His humility greatly pleased the Lord and God lovingly answered his request and more. Solomon’s prayer demonstrated his recognition concerning the importance of discernment as he asked for an understanding heart to discern matters of judgment. Without this understanding concerning proper discernment, Solomon would fall short as king. Where could the king find such help? Psalm 119:104 says that understanding comes through God’s precepts (His teachings found in scripture). Psalm 119:130 teaches that the entrance of God’s word into the heart provides understanding to even those who are “simple.” Proverbs 2:6 further reveals that knowledge and understanding come from God’s mouth.
