Wisdom will save you also from the adulterous woman, from the wayward woman with her seductive words. – Proverbs 2:16

Today's Scripture Reading (December 14, 2025): Proverbs 2

I am not sure, in the "Me-too" era, that I am allowed to say this, but our culture often views sexual predation as a one-way street, with the man as the predator and the woman playing the role of the victim. While that is usually true, I am not convinced it is always true; I believe it can sometimes be more of a two-way process than we might want to consider. And once in a while, the woman even takes the lead in such predation. History is littered with women who have seduced their way to power and have been very successful at it.

One of those women was Cleopatra. Cleopatra was the last active Hellenistic Pharaoh of Egypt. She was a Queen who was willing to do anything to protect her Kingdom. Anything included pursuing a relationship with Julius Caesar, the upstart Roman Emperor. She even bore a son with Julius Caesar: Ptolemy XV Caesar, nicknamed Caesarion. Caesarion would be the last Pharaoh of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, though he served only a few days after his mother's death.

After the death of Julius Caesar, Cleopatra pursued a relationship with the man whom she hoped would be the successor to the Roman throne. It is probably the relationship for which Cleopatra is best remembered. The would-be Roman dictator's name was Mark Antony, but Antony would lose the race to lead Rome to Octavian. Cleopatra, with no more cards left to play, would commit suicide, and her son Caesarion would end his rule over Egypt a few days after Cleopatra's death with his execution by Octavian, who would rule over the expanding Roman Empire as Caesar Augustus. Cleopatra made the most of what she had to try to protect her Kingdom. It is not that the men didn't get anything out of the relationship, but there was definitely a two-way street. Other women who seduced their way into power would include Eva Peron, Elizabeth Woodville, and even the famous Anne Boleyn.

It was not what Solomon wanted for his son. The story of Cleopatra is essential to our understanding of this passage because the word we have here, "adulterous," also carries the meaning of "foreigner." An alternate translation of this verse might be, "Wisdom can save you from the female stranger in your midst, from the foreign woman with her seductive words" (Proverbs 2:16 – Garry Mullen). Adulterous is implied by the phrase at the end of the passage, "with her seductive words." But what we shouldn't miss is that this woman is coming to Solomon's heir with the needs of a foreign nation.

Wisdom also protects us from being enslaved to our desires. It demands that we think through our romantic relationships rather than letting our emotions decide for us.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Proverbs 3

For giving prudence to those who are simple, knowledge and discretion to the young— Proverbs 1:4.

Today's Scripture Reading (December 13, 2025): Proverbs 1

Solomon addresses this to his son and says that these proverbs are meant to help the simple think through life's issues. The wise can always add their thoughts, but this book is for the simple and the young. And it is not something we like to think about, but here is the truth: we are all simple-minded. More importantly, we all need to hear the messages in this Book of Proverbs, even if we have to struggle and compare its words with the rest of the Bible. One of the advantages of Proverbs is that the book gives us a lot of short, pithy sayings that are easily understood.

Need proof that we need this advice to the simple? Again, let's look at what Paul says about wisdom.

And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God's power (1 Corinthians 2:1-5).

I came to you simply, with a simple mind.

A story is told of a church that had a wonderful stained-glass portrait of Jesus at the front of the sanctuary. If you came into the church in the morning, looking toward the front, this image of Jesus glowed as the sun shone through the pieces of colored glass. But the platform was high, and the pastor was a reasonably large man, kind of like me. So, if you wanted to see the glowing Jesus, you had to come into the church when a service wasn't in session; on Sunday mornings, the image was hidden behind the pastor as he delivered his morning message.

One Sunday, the pastor was away, and in his place stood a much smaller man. And as he spoke, this beautiful image of Jesus peeked out over his head.

Amongst the congregation listening to the morning message was a little girl. And as she looked up from her play, she noticed that something was different at the front of the church. Finally, she figured out what it was and cautiously leaned over to whisper a question into her mother's ear. "What happened to the man who usually stands there so that we can't see Jesus?"

It is a challenge for all Christians: how do we reveal Jesus with our lives? More importantly, how do we refrain from hiding him? It was a question that Bob Hartman of Petra asked in the early 1980s.

They don't need no more elevated speeches
We're keeping Jesus just beyond their reaches.
Can't see the forest for all of the trees
They won't see Jesus till we fall on our knees (Lift Him Up, Bob Hartman, 1983).

There seems to be no doubt that Paul was well-trained in the art of making philosophical arguments. He had made them, persuading many, when he was an enemy of the church. Paul knew how a great debater could sway people from one side to the other. He also knew that the best orator is not necessarily the one in a position of truth. As Paul preached to the Corinthians, he wanted to leave that behind. His purpose was not to come as a salesman, selling people on Jesus. He was a witness. He understood that the "Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom" (1 Corinthians 1:22), but Paul was committed to not giving his audience what they wanted. He wanted to be the messenger and not the message. And the message he intended to preach was about Jesus. Paul would do everything within his power to ensure he did not stand in the way of the message. He intended to lift Jesus up and firmly believed that that was all that was necessary.

Hartman agrees. In the chorus of his 1983 song, he writes.

Lift Him up, higher and higher
Lift Him up, set the world on fire
It doesn't take much theology
Just lift Him up so the world can see
Lift Him up, tell the gospel story
Lift Him up, let them see His glory
It doesn't take any Bible degree
Just lift Him up so the world can see (Lift Him Up, Bob Hartman, 1983).

We don't need eloquence, and sometimes, to preach Jesus, all any of us need is a willingness to get out of the way. If the simple can understand, then everyone can understand.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Proverbs 2

You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours. – Psalm 128:2

Today's Scripture Reading (December 12, 2025): Psalm 127 & 128

In the beginning, God created Adam and Eve and placed them in the middle of a vast Garden. I have admitted that my image of that first Garden as a kid was just a bigger version of the vegetable/flower garden my grandfather had at the time. But that was just a child's understanding. It is more likely that the Garden was more of a wild space, filled with fruit trees and wild vegetables. As a result, Adam and Eve would have been gatherers; there was no need for them to plant, they just moved around the Garden and took what they needed to eat.

Of course, there was one tree from which eating was forbidden. It doesn't seem like much of a limitation considering that everything else in the Garden was clearly edible. We now face more limitations in nature. Sometimes it seems that the majority of what grows wild in the neighborhood is poisonous, and therefore forbidden for us to consume. But maybe that was what made this one tree so attractive; with everything else that was edible in the Garden, why wouldn't this one tree be edible as well?

For a while, Adam and Eve were successful at avoiding the fruit of the poisonous tree. But eventually, with the help of a serpent, they succumbed to the temptation; they ate from the tree.

Adam and Eve didn't get sick, at least, not immediately, but they were poisoned. They had experienced what it meant to go against God's dictates; now they knew, from experience, the meaning of evil. And that experience was going to cost them something, and cost all who came after them. God gave a portion of the penalty to Adam.

Cursed is the ground because of you;
    through painful toil you will eat food from it
    all the days of your life.
It will produce thorns and thistles for you,
    and you will eat the plants of the field.
By the sweat of your brow
    you will eat your food
until you return to the ground,
    since from it you were taken;
for dust you are
    and to dust you will return (Genesis 3:17-19).

Psalm 128 promises a partial reprieve from the sentence Adam received when he was banished from the Garden of Eden. We will work, but our work won't be in vain; our work won't only produce weeds and thorns. Our labor will support us; we will be able to live off the fruit of our work. It isn't the original Garden in which we were placed at the beginning, but it is as close as we can get after Adam and Eve's failure in that Garden. And it is what God has intended for us, that when we rely on him and give him the labor of our lives, the blessings and prosperity of the Garden of Eden can still be ours.  

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Proverbs 1

All Solomon's work was carried out, from the day the foundation of the temple of the LORD was laid until its completion. So the temple of the LORD was finished. – 2 Chronicles 8:16

Today's Scripture Reading (December 11, 2025): 2 Chronicles 8

Administrators are important. Somebody has to have the plan and understand what needs to be done and in what order. It is something I learned as a child at my grandparents' feet. My grandparents were home builders for a portion of their careers. It was an actual "Ma and Pop" operation. My grandmother was a great administrator. My grandfather was a strong, bear-like man and a very hard worker. And, at least from my memories as a kid, the combination was terrific. Grandpa did the heavy lifting with my grandmother's help, but Grandma understood the order and scheduled the outside contractors when needed. And together, they were able to keep to the schedule grandma had set.

I have a friend who was in a similar business for a while. Rather than building homes, they were flipping them. Often, that meant buying an older house that needed a little tender loving care and fixing it up so it could be resold, ideally at a healthy profit. At least from the outside, the problem with the business was administrative. The company was a partnership between friends, but neither partner seemed to have a clear plan for what needed to be done. As a result of this lack of an administrator, schedules were rarely met, and outside contractors had to be delayed and rescheduled. Frustrations boiled over because financial commitments couldn't be met, and profit margins narrowed as a result. It is all stuff that makes for an exciting home renovation show on television, but in real life, it produces a lot of stress that we just don't need.

The New International Version translates this passage, arguing that "All Solomon's work was carried out." The King James says, "Now all the work of Solomon was prepared." The intention of the verse seems to be that there was an order or design to the task of building the Temple. It was not just putting people to work. Someone had a design and knew exactly what needed to happen first, and what should be next on the schedule. It was the task of a good administrator.

So, this passage tells us that there was a good administrator at work in the Temple. Maybe that administrator was the King himself, but it was more likely one of the many Israelites on Solomon's capable staff. But someone good at administrative tasks was given the job. And as a direct result of that unknown person, the Temple of the Lord was finished. And worship could begin at the more permanent Temple in Jerusalem rather than at the seemingly temporary Tabernacle in Gibeon.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Psalm 127 & 128

Give thanks to the God of gods. His love endures forever. Give thanks to the Lord of lords: His love endures forever. – Psalm 136:2-3

Today's Scripture Reading (December 10, 2025): Psalm 136

In his closing addresses to Israel, Moses tries to set before Israel the things that would be important for their spiritual survival. It was likely a moment of great anxiety for Moses. The prophet knew that his time at the helm of Israel was coming to a close. He had trained Joshua to replace him. But the people of Israel were stubborn; they had tried Moses's patience, and he was afraid that Joshua might not be up to the task of leading such a group of wanderers. So, Moses tried to think of anything that needed to be stressed to Israel in his final days as leader of the nation. Part of this essential message included these words.

To the Lord your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it. Yet the Lord set his affection on your ancestors and loved them, and he chose you, their descendants, above all the nations—as it is today. Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and do not be stiff-necked any longer. For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing. And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt. Fear the Lord your God and serve him. Hold fast to him and take your oaths in his name. He is the one you praise; he is your God, who performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes (Deuteronomy 10:14-21).

The message is clear. The Israelites' Egyptian masters believed that their gods were superior to those of any other people in the world. But through Moses and Aaron, the God of Israel had proved that the gods of Israel were no match for Him. Of course, there was a reason. The gods of Egypt weren't real. They were nothing more than imperfect reflections of the God that does exist, as all gods are. Gods of our creation and gods designed to serve our needs will always fall short of the real thing. It was something Israel needed to always remember, but a fact Israel seemed continually to forget.

The Psalmist picks up this theme from Moses and Israel's history. The God of Israel will always be the God of gods and the Lord of lords because he is the only God. But the truth is that he is also bigger than our imaginations. Nothing and no one is equal to the God to whom we give our praise.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 2 Chronicles 8

Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; sing praise to his name, for that is pleasant. – Psalm 135:3

Today's Scripture Reading (December 9, 2025): Psalm 135

I love the story of Benedict Arnold. I know, it is a strange thing to say. But here is the story of a great American General. Sometimes I think that we forget that. Before he became our favorite traitor, Benedict Arnold was a successful General. He was entrusted with a campaign against Quebec City during the Revolutionary War. Although he failed and didn't achieve the goal, we sometimes forget that his failure was primarily due to faulty intelligence and inclement weather. The march on Quebec City shared many characteristics with Napoleon's attempt to defeat Moscow. However, Arnold stayed in the area, hoping for a second chance to conquer the city before spring brought reinforcements to the city on the thawing St. Lawrence River. A smallpox epidemic further reduced his chances of defeating the city. Benedict stayed until circumstances beyond his control finally forced him to remove his soldiers from the area.

But then something happened. Experts still dispute why Arnold changed sides. American author W. D. Wetherell attempts to paint the circumstances surrounding his decision to change from American to British. Wetherell argues that Arnold is … 

… among the hardest human beings to understand in American history. Did he become a traitor because of all the injustice he suffered, real and imagined, at the hands of the Continental Congress and his jealous fellow generals? Because of the constant agony of two battlefield wounds in an already gout-ridden leg? From psychological wounds received in his Connecticut childhood when his alcoholic father squandered the family's fortunes? Or was it a kind of extreme midlife crisis, swerving from radical political beliefs to reactionary ones, a change accelerated by his marriage to the very young, very pretty, very Tory Peggy Shippen (W. D. Wetherell).

In the end, Wetherell concludes that the best explanation for Arnold's decision is that he married the wrong person. But historians disagree about the character of Benedict Arnold. In the United States, ask anyone for the name of a historical traitor, and I am sure most will name either Judas Iscariot, from the story of Jesus's crucifixion, or Benedict Arnold; I am not sure which man will come out on top. Ask the same question in Britain, and I believe the answer would be Judas, Brutus (Marcus Junius Brutus), the betrayer of Julius Caesar. but more likely, the name of the most infamous traitor in Britain would be Guy Fawkes, associated with the "Gunpowder Plot" of 1605. Why the different answer? Because Benedict Arnold is a traitor in America, and I admit, probably in all of North America, but he is a hero in the United Kingdom.

The Psalmist says that God is good; period. It doesn't matter who you are; God is good. He cannot be anything else. I am not saying that we always get God right. But if something is evil, it is always us and never God. Sometimes, we misunderstand what God is instructing us to do. God is always good, always love, and always moral. Good is God's nature, and He cannot be anything else. We are closest to the character of God if we can remember that. And because these are the essential attributes of God, it is always a pleasant experience to praise Him as the Psalmist instructs.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Psalm 136

When Solomon had finished the temple of the LORD and the royal palace, and had succeeded in carrying out all he had in mind to do in the temple of the LORD and in his own palace. – 2 Chronicles 7:11

Today's Scripture Reading (December 8, 2025): 2 Chronicles 7

Vision is important; without it we have no idea of where it is that we will end up. Whenever I go on a trip, especially if I am planning on driving, I spend some time with a map and plan out where I am going to go, which stops I want to make, and how far I feel I need to go before I stop for the night. Vision isn’t much different from my trip planning. Vision is always about the future. It is a plan for where it is that we need to go. Vision sets the destination as well as the plan to get us there. And without vision, according Solomon, the people perish (Proverbs 29:18). A compelling vision for the future is the driving force that takes us into the future. Without vision, the future holds no attraction and there is nothing to bring us toward it.

This is only one verse in Solomon’s life, but I wonder if this is the point that Solomon’s life went wrong. The writer of Chronicles simply states that he had “succeeded in carrying out all he had in mind.” It is probably a time in our lives that we think would be good to experience. But in reality, it is the point where we lose the vision that we need to walk into the future. It is the place where we begin the death process; a moment when we have achieved everything and we lose our need for our vision. Without the need for a vision, we perish.

So, what exactly is your vision? What is it that drives you or attracts you to the future? Having a vision for the future isn’t optional, it is essential for life. Without it, our lives will spiral down out of control.

We don’t need a vague feeling that there is something in the future for us. We need to hear God’s invitation into purpose and into a specific vision of our future. Our lives are worth the effort of making sure that the vision is clear. So, what is your vision?

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Psalm 135