Wisdom

I've been a Christian for many years, reading Bible passages, attending Sunday school, listening to Bible teachers on radio and TV as well as Sunday morning sermons. I thought I was somewhat familiar with what the Bible had to say. Something that I had never done until about two years ago was read the Bible cover to cover. I use Bible Gateway on my computer for lots of things including weekly devotionals. I noticed that they had a read the Bible in a year plan. You just sign up with your e-mail and they send you an Old Testament and a New Testament reading each day. I'm on my second time through and I am humbled by the lack of knowledge that I actually possess, both Old and New Testament. Some things are so graphic, especially in the Old Testament that if you would've told me they were in the Bible five years ago, I would've called you a nutbag. Something that I read recently and noticed for the first time humor, for example in the story of Samson and Delilah.

 Samson poses a riddle to 30 young Philistine men. Delilah betrayed him and gave the answer to the Philistines. Here is the question.
 “Out of the eater, something to eat;
  Out of the strong, something sweet."
The Philistines gave the correct answer.

Judges 14:18
New International Version (NIV)
18 Before sunset on the seventh day the men of the town said to him,

“What is sweeter than honey?
 What is stronger than a lion?”
Samson said to them,

“If you had not plowed with my heifer,
    you would not have solved my riddle.”

The next-to-last line, "If you had not plowed with my heifer", may have been a common phrase back then, but I had to chuckle as I read it  :-)

Something else that made me go "HUH" is found throughout the book of Proverbs. Here are a few examples, see if you can spot them.

Proverbs 1:20
Out in the open wisdom calls aloud, she raises her voice in the public square;
Proverbs 4:6
Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you.
Proverbs 9:1
Wisdom has built her house; she has set up its seven pillars.
Proverbs 14:33
Wisdom reposes in the heart of the discerning and even among fools she lets herself be known.
Proverbs 31:26
She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.

There are many more, I'm sure you noticed that wisdom is always referred to with a feminine pronoun.
I told Cheri and my mother-in-law that this is just more proof that God has a sense of humor.
This was one of those times when I should have kept a tight rein on my tongue  :-)

A young ventriloquist is touring the clubs and one night he's doing a show in a small club in a small town in Arkansas. With his dummy on his knee, he's going through his usual dumb blonde jokes when a blonde woman in the fourth row stands on her chair and starts shouting: ''I've heard enough of your stupid blonde jokes. What makes you think you can stereotype women that way? What does the color of a person's hair have to do with her worth as a human being? It's guys like you who keep women like me from being respected at work and in the community and from reaching our full potential as a person, because you and your kind continue to perpetuate discrimination against, not only blondes, but women in general...and all in the name of humor!''
The ventriloquist is embarrassed and begins to apologize, when the blonde yells, ''You stay out of this, mister! I'm talking to that little jerk on your knee!''

Much love, Dennis