tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4827198164765289666.post4047632458435611365..comments2022-02-25T10:41:37.791+00:00Comments on Through the Bible: (249) September 6: Proverbs 10-11 & 1 Corinthians 15:1-32Grace Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18094188243868903336noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4827198164765289666.post-34703516867755985312014-09-08T08:04:31.086+01:002014-09-08T08:04:31.086+01:00Hi Cora. Yes, agree with all this and made just th...Hi Cora. Yes, agree with all this and made just this point on the Psalms. However, I don't think the difference is quite as absolute. It's very clear that the righteous often suffered under the old covenant, as Job, David, Daniel. Moreover, Paul can apply the fifth commandment to Christians as promising "long life on the earth" (Eph 6v3). The proverbs deal with generalizations which do to some extent apply beyond Israel because wisdom reflects the order of creation. What is different under the New Covenant is that God's people are scattered throughout the world and so more susceptible to its harsh realities, God is choosing to show how is power is made perfect in weakness in a special way after Christ, because this patterns him, and God's covenant looks primarily with its promises of life, health, prosperity etc to the new creation and not to a land in this one. Grace Churchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18094188243868903336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4827198164765289666.post-57977462141425664642014-09-06T08:23:26.211+01:002014-09-06T08:23:26.211+01:00Really appreciating these summaries in Proverbs, t...Really appreciating these summaries in Proverbs, thank you. However, for today's reading, would you consider that these statements about the righteous and the wicked, which seem to draw very straightforward connections between living wisely and living foolishly and the consequences outlined, were truer in the context of Israel as a theocratic nation than for believers living as God's people but citizens of a world which does not apply his commandments and is full of injustice towards the poor and powerless? Because many people are in poverty or suffering consequences of others' sin; not because they are lazy or foolish but because of personal circumstances being broken due to the sin of others, and/or economic tyranny on a local, national and global scale. I ask because I have experienced and seen others experiencing such consequences and think we need that New Testament perspective that the righteous can and do go hungry, or suffer economic hardships, or be the victims of unjust laws in this life, yet with the comfort of God's love in Christ, and knowing that he, the righteous Judge, will put things right when his kingdom comes. Without this perspective there can be a burden of guilt on those whose lives are not going well and feeling it is due to their lack of faith in these 'promises' as those who teach a 'prosperity gospel' play on. Hope this makes sense. Sorry for the long comment!Coranoreply@blogger.com