Vision and Instruction

Americans and all of Western society are losing their respect for the Bible. Bible reading and knowledge have been in decline for years. Proverbs 29:18 states, “Where there is no vision, the people perish; but happy is he who keeps the law.”

We started exploring this verse by clarifying that “vision” refers to God revealing Himself through the Scriptures – the Holy Bible. The Holy Spirit gave us God’s words using human mediators. In addition, the Holy Spirit both directly and indirectly (through evangelists, pastors, teachers and others) helps us to understand and apply God’s words in our lives (John 16:13; Ephesians 4:11-12).

Next, we discussed how a more accurate translation of “perish” is “unconstrained.” When people no longer know God’s instructions on how we are to love Him and our neighbors (Matthew 37-40), we act selfishly and sinfully (Galatians 5:19-21). When our passions are constrained by His instructions, we reach out to others with the message of salvation and acts of God’s love through our service.

The second half of Proverbs 19:18 states “Happy is he who keeps the law.” The Law is God’s instructions to us found in His Word. God commands us to know His Word and to live according to it, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). It is important to handle it correctly because, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

Repeatedly we are instructed to be “doers” of Word and not “hearers” only. “For it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified” (Romans 2:13). Even worse, if we read but do not apply God’s word to our lives, we have a false sense of security that we are pleasing God, “But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.” (James 1:22).

Keeping God’s instructions is the ultimate source of happiness. In Hebrew, the word for “happy’ is “escher” which is also translated as “blessed.” We are blessed, we enjoy a better life, when we are obedient to God’s Word (John 10:10). The root word for “escher” is “ashar” which means to go straight. We are blessed when we walk according to His Word because, “narrow is the gate, and strait is the way that leadeth to life: and few there are that find it!” (Matthew 7:14).

Ezra is the priest that helped lead the people when they returned from captivity in Babylon. May it be said of us, what was said of him, “the good hand of his God was upon him. For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the Lord and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances” (Ezra 7:9-10).