Daniel 1:15 At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food.
Here we have a clear example of the practicality of God’s rules. There was no understanding of nutrition for most of human history. Even King Henry VIII of England would have lived much longer and in better health if he had eaten, for example, raw cabbage on a regular basis, because vitamin deficiency was a significant factor in his death. So here, there was no scientific knowledge, but Daniel and his friends had the fear of the Lord, and that is certainly the foundation for true wisdom. (Psalm 111:10, Proverbs 9:10) That not only gave them the courage to resist the rich food Nebuchadnezzar prescribed (that incidentally had been offered to idols), it also set them up to learn a lot of things, as it talks about in verse 17. The simple fact of the matter is that we can’t know everything, so God gives us rules to help us steer clear of pitfalls we otherwise wouldn’t avoid. People perversely think they are being “free” when they flaunt God’s rules, not realizing that they are walking straight into the devil’s traps. Dietary restrictions might not seem to have much spiritual importance – and indeed, under the New Covenant we are freed from those (1 Timothy 4:3-5) – but the principle is one of obeying God, which the Bible calls “the fear of the Lord.” People who rightly fear God do not live in abject terror, constantly thinking they are about to get “zapped.” Rather, they make God their first priority and their highest authority. In other words, if God said it, then that settles it. When we are fully listening to God, we will be good stewards of our bodies, as Daniel and his friends were, and we will have wisdom and insight when it comes to everything else as well.
The Lord blessed me with a high IQ, but I have learned the hard way that’s not the same thing as wisdom. We see people all around us who demonstrate that reality! I’ve learned that my analysis of a situation never has all the facts, so by definition I can’t make the best decision about it on my own. However, God has laid out general operating principles in the Bible, and if I seek to follow those, He “tweaks” my instructions however is necessary. He uses various methods to do that, speaking to me through people or events, or most often by internal nudges to do one thing and not another. However, if my attitude isn’t one of submission and obedience to Him, I’m not going to recognize those specific instructions. I have learned that indeed, “His commands are not burdensome.” (1 John 5:3) As the hymn says, “There is no other way to be happy in Jesus than to trust and obey.”
Father, the more I look back over my life the more overwhelmed and grateful I am at Your incredible grace. Left to myself I would have gone off the rails more times than I could count, but You hemmed me in in various ways and protected me. I identify with the writer of Psalm 119 more all the time! Help me be faithful in my obedience, not just for my sake but so that I will be an effective tool in Your hands for the blessing of those around me, building up the Body of Christ for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!
Virtual Vitamins 
The Bible; June 25, 2020
Jeremiah 8:8 “‘How can you say, “We are wise,
for we have the law of the Lord,”
when actually the lying pen of the scribes
has handled it falsely?'”
This verse speaks volumes to me. Many people indeed treat the Bible like a good luck charm, thinking that possessing it makes them special, when actually it is taking the Word into your heart to do it that makes the difference. (James 1:22) There is indeed great wisdom in the pages of the Bible, but until it is internalized and applied, it is useless. That much is a truth that is expressed many times in many ways throughout the Bible. However, it is the reference to “the lying pen of the scribes” that really stands out to me. We sometimes forget that the printing press wasn’t invented until over a thousand years after this was written. Books of all sorts were hand copied, and the people who did that for a living were called scribes. This one verse could explain a lot of “textual criticism” questions about the Bible! Most scribes were probably very faithful in their work, but some “copied” the text to make it say what they wanted it to. We have that issue with translations today. It is all well and good to render the Hebrew and Greek in English that is as easy as possible to understand, but theological and even moral positions can have all too much influence on the outcome. Also, this opens up the whole matter of Bible commentaries. My seminary professor grandfather wouldn’t allow any Schofield Bibles in his classes, because some of the students treated the footnotes as being as inspired as the text! Even today, there are preachers who preach more from commentaries than they do from the actual text of Scripture. Such commentaries are “the traditions of the elders” that Jesus spoke so strongly against. (Mark 7:1-13, especially verse 8) Today we see politicians and others quoting the Bible to justify all sorts of things, like abortion, that spit in the face of God. Handled that way, the Bible has nothing to do with wisdom!
The most unpleasant thing about preaching class in seminary was the requirement that I reference commentaries in every message. I was strongly reminded of my grandfather’s position on Schofield Bibles! Background information on the culture of the time a passage was written is certainly helpful, and I am amazed at the ignorance of some people about such things as geography and history. I desire to be knowledgeable about such things, but the Word of the Lord is transcendent. I read it every day precisely because God speaks to me through it. That said, my blog puts me in the position of a scribe, and I must never place my own words on a par with the Bible. He does speak through me, for which I am deeply grateful, but I must never say, “Thus says the Lord,” when He has not spoken. I want the Holy Spirit to be my guide, and to guide those who read and hear my words, so that there will be no distortion in the message.
Father, pride is always a risk here. Help me be both humble and bold, hearing and proclaiming what You are saying, so that Your Word may accomplish that for which You send it, (Isaiah 55:9-11) destroying the works of the devil (1 John 3:8) and setting people free, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!