In Proverbs 9 there is a tale of two
women; a "foolish woman" and a “wise woman”. The foolish woman calls to persons passing by promising them stolen water and secret bread. This foolish woman does not legitimately have these things in her possession and makes this
offer to be tantalizing and appeal to the curiosity of mankind. She is successful at drawing in persons to her lair but, once this person enters, she captures
them to herself, leaving them in worse shape than when they first arrived. These persons are then likely not able to finish
their journey with strength after having been taken captive by this foolish woman.
A foolish woman is clamorous; she is simple, and knows nothing. For she sits at the door of her house, on a seat by the highest places of the city, to call to those who pass by, who go straight on their way “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here”; and as for him who lacks understanding, she says to him, “Stolen water is sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.” But he does not know that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of hell.
On the other hand, the wise woman has busied herself making bread, mixing wine, furnishing a real table and sends out maidens to invite others in for true, not stolen, sustenance. She herself is also crying out from the highest place, offering prepared food and drink to any who choose to show up. When these travelers arrive, they eat, drink and rest before continuing on their journey of pursuing wisdom and embracing understanding.
Wisdom has built her house, she has hewn out her seven pillars; she has slaughtered her meat, she has mixed her wine, she has also furnished her table. She has sent out her maidens, she cries out from the highest places of the city, “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!” As for him who lacks understanding, she says to him, “Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed. Forsake foolishness and live, and go in the way of understanding.
Compare the visual of the foolish woman to that of the wise woman. The stories are very similar, nearly alike actually, but there are a couple small, but crucial, differences between the two. I have underlined and bolded these similarities and differences since these are the most important elements of this poetically phrased parable.
The foolish woman is like those who promise things they cannot truly deliver, but draw in converts and capture souls to themselves with lies, deceits and a facade. Those who are like the foolish woman offer up tantalizing knowledge they only pretend to have. The foolish woman presents a facade of being a place of peace, a place where one can find truth and understanding but, in fact, she is as one who presides over the dead and those who enter become captive guests of hell, just like herself.
The wise woman, on the other hand, does not capture souls to herself, she does not hold them to her will, she serves exactly what she has promised, a bread of truth and wisdom, a drink of mixed wine that soothes the soul, a full spread to nourish and build up, and a place of peace, safety, comfort and rest. The wise woman sends these travelers back on their way fully refreshed and does not demand their money, dedication or capture.
Both the wise and the foolish woman call to the same simple people on their way but only one, the foolish woman, tantalizes with a promise of "stolen water" and "secret bread". This foolish woman sits by the high place, not in it. She promises mysteries of God with secrecy but cannot deliver. She does not belong in the high place and cannot enter. She pretends she belongs there, and her intent is to proselytize the unwary so she can ensnare their soul. She delivers food which does not nourish, offers stolen water from a tainted well, and gives nothing of value that will serve a person’s needs. She lives a lie and her home is a facade. The foolish woman entices travelers in much the same manner as the wise woman, but she has no maidens to send and sits alone in her offering up of secret bread and stolen water. Few who enter her gates ever leave because she ensnares their soul with lies and secrets. The wise woman sits in the highest place because this is where she belongs and she is only offering truth.
As Jesus traveled about with his ragtag bunch of “sinners” and “lowlifes” he did not capture men and women of great esteem who would then build him a physical church, temple or tabernacle dedicated to his memory. When a rich young man called him “good”, Jesus refuted this by saying, "why do you call Me good? No one is good but one, that is God.” Jesus invited people to come listen without judgment, healed their wounds and sickness, fed their bellies, gave them drink to quench their thirst, then sent them on their way fulfilled. He likely did not ever see most who came to him ever again, and found no need to offer up secrets to entice them in. He fulfilled every promise he made to them and spoke to them in parables of illustration to wake their minds to a few simple truths while he fed their needs.
We have today many denominations, churches and Christian movements which build their membership rolls by promising to share “secrets” of God. But God is not a secret and is, in fact, not far from any person. These secret doctrines offered are based strictly on suppositions, not simplicity. Matthew 24 warns there are many “foolish women” in the world and we should not be enticed by any of them;
“Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders…
The ways of God are simple, easily understood and are not secret or mysterious wonders or full of signs. The ways of God can be easily learned and do not require hours of study to understand. But don’t take my word for it. Here is but a sample from Psalms and Proverbs:
The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. Ps. 19
The Lord preserves the simple: I was brought low, and he helped me. Ps. 116
The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple. Ps. 119
To know wisdom
and instruction, to perceive the words of understanding, to receive the
instruction of wisdom, justice, judgment, and equity; to give prudence to the
simple… Pr. 1
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WISDOM
Anyone can crack open a book and write down what they read. Anyone can fill up a phylactery with knowledge and appear wise. Anyone can put together an assortment of scripture together and create a doctrine or two or many. True knowledge comes only from receiving wisdom, the understanding of wisdom and from no other place.
Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom…but the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness. Letter to James
The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding. Cherish her, and she will exalt you; embrace her, and she will honor you. Proverbs 4
The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down. Pr. 14
I have underlined those things in the letter James wrote to the twelve tribes, shown above, which show the true fruit of those who serve up wisdom and understanding on their table. Every one of these things center on three basic traits: humility, peace and mercy. All of the ways of God are peaceful, full of mercy and truth. All! There is no room for judgment at the table of God. If the place in which you stand serves a bread that does not taste of humility, peace and mercy, it is time to assess where you stand. Knowledge is not equal to wisdom and knowledge is not equal to the understanding of wisdom. Knowledge puffs up but the wisdom of the Spirit builds.
Einstein was wise when he said, “the pursuit of knowledge is more valuable than its possession.” We are to be seekers of wisdom, not just pursuer or possessors of vain knowledge.
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MYSTERIES
I occasionally get flyers in the mail promising to show me the mysteries of the end times, or they give me a promise to expose the facts of the creation of the earth. Most allege this creation happened roughly six thousand years ago, or portend the Revelation events are imminent so I must fear what is soon to come. These seminars are intended to invite me in. Fear sells.
The physical evidence does not usually support their “biblical” interpretation of the Genesis story. Genesis is likely somewhat, or entirely, allegorical and not cleanly historical. Genesis gives us only a very simple outline of this event. An event that likely took place over a much longer time-frame than just six human days. But no one knows for certain how many days, or eons of days, it took for the earth to form and become inhabited. We know very little of this event because we have only this sparse outline in Genesis from which to determine the facts. To be adamant is equal to vanity so we can be adamant on very little.
In my lifetime the “mysteries” I was shown in the ABC regarding the end times did not ever once come to pass. My father definitively “proved” mathematically Jesus would return in his lifetime. This he based on the date Israel regained statehood, but he died nearly four decades ago without any of his Revelation predictions or prophesies coming to pass. Others came after him making similar predictions, which also did not come to pass. I have heard differing tales of trumpets, vials, beasts, horses, angels and the like from multiple sources, inside and outside the ABC. These are always attributed to catastrophic current real life world events, intending to prove we are in the last days, but these dates and events pass with no prediction being fulfilled in the right time-frame. There have been many assumptions made, along with much conjecture of what will transpire in our lifetime, but with no truly valid proof. It has been stated many times, in the last century or so, the antichrist would soon arrive, the earth will fall into a one global government system, with one central bank, and instead of cash, debit or credit cards we would have a mark on our flesh with which to buy things like food, gas and toilet paper. There will be three and a half years of peace followed by three and a half years of utter chaos. If one were to accept this tattoo with which to buy and sell, they would then lose their eternal salvation. It was once presumed God would bring back manna as we hid in the hills waiting for the very end. Three men were sent into the hills to find a place for us to hide and eat manna but they almost died when they were caught in a blizzard. I heard tales of government plans to imprison those who are “believers”, simply because they follow the words of Jesus. It has been predicted there would be massive death in various forms around the globe very soon. There was even a prophesy by one man that those in San Francisco should run to a particular rock when the imminent falling of California into the ocean occurred. My father showed pictures of the weakening pillars that would soon collapse taking most of California with them. All of these predictions and prophesies went without fulfillment. These things may someday come to pass, who knows, and it may be in our lifetime, or it may not, but it is foolish to make such solid predictions as to when, where, how or even if they will occur.
There have been many “watches” throughout all of history. The center of power has shifted many times. During these upheavals there has been great tragedy but were not followed up with the coming of Christ. We have no way to know if the “watch” we are in is the final watch. Jesus spoke of this when he said; “And if he should come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.” There is a huge etcetera attached to that statement. Society has gone through many periods, or watches, of gradual building up of society with sudden rapid declines; good times followed by very bad times, periods of prosperity followed by days of famine and destruction. This is just the nature of the entire universe. Flux and change, seasons and orbits. Some or all of Revelation may be strictly figurative as well, and for certain not all is meant to be taken literal, and not all necessarily applies to the end of days.
Each of us are humans frozen in our own space and time. We see what lies ahead and behind through dimmed eyes. Supposition and conjecture about things such as the creation of the earth, or end of days Revelation, while tantalizing and interesting to hear, is nothing more than stolen water and secret bread intended to entice persons in with the intent of capturing their soul. The teachers of these things decry this “secret knowledge” to appear wise when, in truth, they are not possibly expert because true knowledge of these things is completely absent. An expert is one who can speak quite knowledgeably about things of which they truly have no clue. We, as humans, have no solid proof of what came before us and, for certain, we are unable to see what lies around the next bend of time. It is an impossibility. Our vision is much too dim.
Science is full of individuals making assumptions from experimentation, writing papers, presenting theories from their discoveries, only to have those theories smashed by more solid facts later. The age of mankind is continuously pushed back by new discoveries. Religion too presents its theories and often attaches God's name to them in an attempt to make them irrefutable. But a wise man examines everything for truth and evidence of stolen water and secret bread.
So the errors remain, as if they are the rock on which was must have faith. If we put our faith in doctrinal sand we will fail. Jesus represented love and tolerance, not formulated doctrine. Love is coupled with faith in the armor of God, the breastplate. Tolerance and love are the royal law and inseparable.
When we try to reveal the secrets and mysteries of God we will always fail because our days are short and numbered, we lack absolute proof of nearly everything, and acquired knowledge from past generations soon fades. There have been many centuries of persons predicting when Jesus will return, always without fulfillment. To seek to know anything perfectly is a loss of faith in the invisible and intangible God. Faith is the opposite of proof. God is not a bread to be eaten in secret. We need not steal his living water to drink. Those who claim to harbor this bread and water are like the foolish woman because both are free for the asking and not in any way complex, convoluted or mysterious. They are not truths that must be intensely studied to be discerned. The wisdom of God sets one free and does not capture.
The ABC, and other church organizations, declare to understand the mysteries of Creation and Revelation, but these are simply theories intended to tantalize those passing by into believing they have a better or deeper understanding than all others. This is not an uncommon practice. There are several other church organizations in my area, such as Jehovah Witness and Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, that regularly conduct similar creation and / or Revelation seminars. These mysteries have no value in building up or edifying one’s soul and they do not bring rest and refreshment. They are essentially “scriptural candy” intended to draw persons in so they can then become ensnared. It's a Pinocchio story. They are like the promise of secret bread and stolen waters made by the foolish woman but the only thing that follows that promise of sweetness is bondage.
Even the writer of Genesis, presumed to be Moses, severely abbreviated the story of Creation because they had no complete account of those days, in any form, written or verbal. Knowledge fades. There is clear evidence the writer of Genesis, written at least two-thousand years after the actual event of creation is considered to have occurred, obtained some or all of their information from ancient Mesopotamian writings once held in libraries that no longer exist. It is difficult to pass information between generations and it is these lost writings, likely imperfect to begin with, that memorialized the Genesis story passed down through history. It is certainly flawed by the abrasions of time itself, so the writer of Genesis spoke in very vague terms. We know this story in Genesis is a grossly abbreviated outline of time because, at a time when there was an account of only four people living on the planet, one of Adam and Eve’s sons was off building a city and had a wife with no record of whence she was even born. There is much we will never know.
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BABYLON CAPTIVITY
When the Hebrew people could finally leave the captivity of Babylon, many remained. Even though they were still technically enslaved, they were eventually free to go if they chose. But life had become quite comfortable in Babylon, after so many years in captivity. Many, after sixty-six years of captivity, had been born into this bondage and knew of nothing else. Some were simply too old to travel and so remained for the rest of their lives. Some acquired houses, farms, possessions, and even obtained Babylonian government posts. Even their king, who had once been fully imprisoned, joined the royal courts of Babylon when released from his imprisonment. The people, in their heart, had a desire to return to their ancient homeland, but many voluntarily remained in Babylon, in bondage, out of apathy or fear of what lay beyond those walls that enclosed them. The walls made them feel safe from the unknown outside, but it also imprisoned them.
To return to Jerusalem was a trek of over nine-hundred miles on foot. That does not sound far today, with automobiles that travel a mile a minute, and planes that travel at ten times that speed, but to one wandering on foot it was the equivalent of an eighteen-thousand-mile journey at freeway speed, through mostly barren land and desert. That is equivalent to a distance roughly three-quarters of the way around the globe, at the equator, at modern speeds. It is physically about half the distance of the Appalachian Trail, but with very few spots of respite along the way. It was a months long journey on foot, fraught with many unknown perils. But God had already led his people through the desert once before and those who did not make it to the Promised Land that time failed only because they did not have faith in God and grumbled once too many. This conflict of thought by the Babylonian captives is memorialized in Psalms 137. It begins;
By the rivers of Babylon, we sat and wept when we remembered Zion. There on the poplars we hung our harps, for there our captors asked us for songs, our tormentors demanded songs of joy; they said, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”
Some appeared glad on the surface, but were not as glad in their hearts. They sang the songs of Zion in Babylon, and lamented being held captive, but still did not come out of Babylon when they were finally allowed to leave. This was because they had become fully invested in where they dwelt and had set their roots in Babylon, not in a faith in God. In modern science we us the term “Stockholm Syndrome”, which exemplifies this human nature of putting faith in one’s captors, rather than struggling for freedom.
Babylon remains today, but is now a hidden, or a “mystery” Babylon. When the scripture speaks of “Mystery Babylon” it is not speaking of a specific place, church or specific group of people. It is not a direct condemnation of any denomination, religion, church or movement born out of the “mother of harlots”, considered widely to be the Catholic church. It is speaking of the “Hidden Babylon” of the heart which keeps a person who has been set free by the propitiation of Christ still enslaved to ritual, dogma, men’s doctrines and false religion. It is a trust in man, rather than a trust in God. They see their capture as a place that will protect them and provide “safety” so to come out of captivity is a scary proposition. It makes God much less tangible and, as tangible humans, we are not always comfortable with the intangible and unknown.
There is only one Chief Shepherd who divides those who are righteous and those who are not. Only the Lord knows those who are His. It is up to each person to determine where their feet stand and it is not for another to judge. If someone crosses our path, it is not incumbent on any of us to demand they follow our same exact path. We are all merely travelers in this same life.
One must ask themself; is the doctrine they adhere to one of a foolish bondage, like Babylon, or is it a wise freedom, like the spiritual Zion? This is where one must examine themselves to see if their feet stand in true faith on this sometime uncomfortable journey, or in the bondage of Babylon, a sometimes beautiful place filled with creature comforts that hide the actual bondage.
We do not worship
God in any specific place. If someone says, “go here, go there”, to find God,
we must not go because God is everywhere. We worship God in a temple made
without hands and we, each one of us, can become that temple, God’s building.
This is where we must worship. In God’s building. When we think of “church”,
where people gather, what we are really describing is “fellowship”, not
church or worship. I have stated this many times over the years and always get the same feedback "Well, we come here to worship God too, don’t we?” This after my saying worship
happens twenty-four hours per day within us. Of course we are still worshiping God
when we fellowship, but that worship is internal, the fellowship is an external building up of each other. It is for us.
The only necessary sacrifice taking place now in our temple is the propitiation, or perpetual sacrifice, of Christ. Fellowship is whenever two or more are gathered, building or none, to comfort each other and build each other up. This is wisdom. It is the foolish woman who condemns, judges harshly and tears down. It is truly that simple.
Churches,
denominations, religions, movements all offer differing brands of fellowship and encouragement. Some
are like that wise woman that builds up; others like the foolish woman who tears down. The wise provoke to
good works, edify a person’s soul with healthy bread, show people the well of
living water, invite them to eat and drink freely before they continue on their
journey again, without dedication or capture. Those enticed in by the foolish
woman will find themselves held in captivity by men’s doctrines, dogmas and statements
of a creed to which they must strictly adhere. In the long term they will find this nourishment deficient because the
foolish woman delivers a diet that produces a loss of faith and creates extreme apathy,
just like those who remained in Babylon. The wise woman provides fellowship that builds up and nourishes the soul and is never a place of
captivity.
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