Cornerstone

Romans 1:18-2:16

In the comic strip, “Wizard of Id,” everyone knows that the king is very sensitive about the fact that he is short. It is important for the subjects of the kingdom to carefully avoid the subject of his stature. If the king can interpret any remark about his shortness as an insult dire consequences are sure to follow. Sir Rodney, the cowardly knight with the huge nose is not known for his quick wit. On this occasion he greets the king by asking, “How’s the shrimp?” He immediately realizes the folly of his ways. He breaks out in a sweat as he stammers and stutters, “I mean, how are the crustaceans?” It is too late.

Rodney is next seen suspended in irons from the wall of the dungeon. There is one in the kingdom, however, who does not fear the short temper of the King of Id. The Lone Haranguer gallops through the nighttimes streets of Id to cry out, The king is a fink!” This infuriates the short tempered king even more than his “shortcomings.”

The Lone Haranguer makes the king angry on purpose.

An angry sovereign who cannot punish those who defy him cannot command the respect of his subjects. The citizens of Id, who despise their runty ruler, view the impudent Lone Haranguer as a knight in shining armor who has championed their cause.

The King of Id is a sham sovereign of a worthless realm. But God, the sovereign King of the universe, is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. To make Him angry accidentally would be dreadful. To make Him angry on purpose would be sheer folly. And yet people do it every day by sinning against His righteous, holy character and law.

How do you make God mad? It´s easy

1. Degrade God. To consider Him as one who is less than majestic, holy and terrible.

2. Disapprove of morality. God is infuriated when people call the good, evil and the evil, good. To God all things are NOT relative.

3. Denigrate His expectations. God is holy and expects His people to be holy. To make excuse or give vain justification for a lesser standard doesn’t alter the Divine expectation.

4. Disregard judgment. God´s standard of judgment is based on truth, our behavior and His own absolute impartiality. When we make light of current or coming judgment we sneer in the face of the Almighty.

When God gets mad the mountains shudder, the wind holds its breath and demons fall to their knees in terror. It is only sinful humanity that doesn´t seem to notice.

Dr. Gayle Woods

Proverbs 19:1-8, 17; 22:16-23

Proverbs 19:3 has a number of choice words which give a graphic picture of what often happens in the lives of people who ruin their own lives but yet are too blind to see what is taking place. Again and again they reject the way of the Lord while planning a life of pleasure and self-indulgence. When their waywardness takes its toll they are left with the shell of a life and point their trembling feeble finger toward God in accusation. Consider the meaning of these words in order to get a better grasp of this sentence.

`iwwelet – folly, foolishness – Twelve times this word is associated with kesil which we studied in the last lesson. The foolish person makes a choice. It is a choice of moral insolence. He determines his own way. He draws his own map for life. Although he does not want to take the responsibility, this kind of way is his own fault, not Gods. He perverts his own way.

salap – distort, twist, pervert, ruin. The foolish determination to live a life of sin distorts that which could have been beautiful into that which is undesirable and distasteful. Evil so twists the sinful and foolish man that his way becomes perverted. The life which could have been profitable now lies in ruin.

za’ap – The root of the verb, means to storm or rage aginst. It suggests one who is bitter and dejected. This is a person who is enraged within himself. Inside a storm rages while on the outside people see a sad and troubled countenance. The same word is used to describe Asa when he was rebuked by the prophet Hanani. His inner rage led him to commit terrible atrocities. He was hardened in heart and when four years later he was diseased he still refused to call upon God.

The modern versions of this verse bring out thought of this verse. God often gets blamed for what we bring on ourselves. The wise man is saying that it is mans own foolishness that causes the problem. His folly destroys his lifes course. Even though he has fabricated his own ruin, he rages against God with spiteful accusations saying that it is Gods fault that his life did not turn out differently. (Keil and Delitzsch) (Tyndale Commentary – Proverbs) (Theological Wordbook of the OT)

Dr. Gayle Woods