Proverbs 29:18
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Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.
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Who has not heard this sound bite, "Where there is no vision, the people perish"? Here is one of the most abused verses in the Bible. This is the sound of words with no regard to the sense of words. Lord, save us from such ignorant and flippant use of your Scriptures.
Our proverb is often corrupted to seduce churches to borrow large sums of money to finance unnecessary building projects. The "vision" is a plan to grow the church in size; and "perishing" is continuing on the same course with a bought-and-paid-for building.
What a travesty of Bible interpretation! May the LORD bless us to read and understand the sense of this proverb, as Ezra read and gave the true sense to Israel (Neh 8:8).
As often in Proverbs, the parallelism tells us that "vision" is the hearing and reading of God's word. For a happy man is contrasted with people perishing, and the law of God is contrasted with "no vision." There is nothing here about dreaming or building plans.
The lesson is simple but powerful. God's word is a great blessing, and obeying it is the basis for true happiness: but where the word of God is not preached, the people will die in ignorance and folly from starvation for knowledge. Lord, save us from such ruin!
There are times when the Lord takes the word of God away from His people. Consider the early days of Samuel, who anointed David king of Israel. The word of the LORD, or a revelation from God, was rare in those days, and it is specifically called a vision. In general, God was not revealing Himself and His will to the nation until Samuel arrived.
And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision.
I Samuel 3:1
God took His word away at other times also. Under Asa, the nation had gone a long time without a teaching priest or the law of God (II Chr 15:3). And during Josiah's reign, the law of God, which had been lost, was found during temple renovation (II Chr 34:14). While in Babylon, God also took His word away from Israel (Ezek 7:26; Lam 2:9). Jesus saw His own people, without faithful preaching, as sheep without a shepherd (Matt 9:36).
Without the word of God to save him, man will zealously worship trees, burn children in sacrifice, teach reincarnation, believe he descends from monkeys, eat a cracker-god, kiss a stone in Mecca, worship buffalo, burn widows on funeral pyres, and so forth and so on. Without God's revelation, men wander out of the way of understanding and remain in the congregation of the dead, to perish there under Satan's delusions (21:16; Eph 2:1-3).
When Paul preached at Lystra and Athens, he explained that God had let the Gentiles walk in their own ignorant ways without His word for many generations, but He was now commanding men to repent of their ignorance (Acts 14:11-18; 17:22-31). Without Scripture, men will rush with greedy ambition into the vilest of lifestyles (Eph 4:17-19).
In our own world, great sections of it are closed to the reading and preaching of God's word. It is generally forbidden in Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, and other countries. Where it is not read and preached, the people suffer in ignorance and folly of all sorts. Without God's word such nations are "without hope" religiously (Eph 2:12; John 4:22; I Thes 4:13), and they cannot achieve the "witty inventions" of even natural progress (8:1-31).
One-sixth of the world is Catholic, where until recently people were not to read the Bible and the Mass was done in Latin. What superstitious ignorance! Compare a Catholic country with those around it, and the perishing of people through ignorance is visible. Since they did not receive the love of the truth, God sent them delusions (II Thes 2:9-12).
The logic is simple. Religious salvation is by calling upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. But how can they call without believing? And how can they believe without hearing? And how can they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach without being sent? God has withdrawn His word from a world that rejected it (Rom 10:13-17).
The LORD warns that one of His judgments is to take away the word of God and leave a people starving for Him and Scripture. The Lord says, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge" (Hosea 4:6). He describes the famine He will bring on a land: not a famine of bread, but a famine for hearing God's word (Amos 8:11-12). Lord, save us!
We are now in such a generation in America. We are in the perilous times of the last days (II Tim 3:1-5). Though living in an information explosion, we see a geometric increase in learning with no ability to identify or learn the truth (II Tim 3:6-7). False teachers are at work everywhere, deceiving and being deceived (II Tim 3:8-13). So-called Christians resent sound doctrine and truth, and they multiply teachers and entertainers who will tickle their itching ears and lusts with fables (II Tim 4:3-4).
Preaching is despised as an outdated, boring, negative thing. Entertainment rules!
There is no more vision! We are in the midst of a famine for God's word. Men are perishing in ignorance and folly! Christians in our own city are starving to hear and understand the word of God. Confusion and error reign safely on any and every subject.
What is the cure? God-called men must preach the Word of God faithfully and dogmatically. Scripture is completely sufficient to make every faithful minister perfectly prepared to instruct his people in all the wisdom of God (II Tim 3:14 - 4:2; Jer 3:15).
What is another cure? Honor faithful preaching of His word with ready and receptive minds, and do not despise old-fashioned Bible teaching (Ac 17:11; I Thes 5:20; Jer 6:16).
What is another cure? Treasure His word as the greatest earthly possession and delight in its glorious words from heaven (Jer 15:16; Job 23:12; Psalm 19:10; 119:72,103,111).
What else can we do? Humbly obey what we hear and read in sincerity and truth, not in outward compliance to a religious ritual and habit (Ezek 33:30-33; Luke 8:18).
What else? Show the true joy, peace, and hope in believing that will cause others to be encouraged and ask a reason of our hope (Rom 15:13; I Pet 3:15). Those under the influences of the Spirit at Pentecost did not count their vision a light thing (Acts 2:42-47).
There is great reward in having and obeying the Word of God (Ps 19:11). Moses told Israel that the precious revelation they had received from God was their wisdom and understanding above other nations (Deut 4:5-10), their righteousness and means for His blessing (Deut 6:20-25), and even their life (Deut 32:46-67). Building on this solid foundation will prepare you well for life's storms that will surely come (Luke 6:46-49).
Jesus said regarding His preaching, "If ye know these things, happy are ye if you do them" (John 13:17). He even told a woman that hearing and keeping the word of God was a greater blessing than being His own mother (Luke 8:21; 11:28). And James added that the blessing is for those who hear and do (James 1:25). Let us be hearers and doers!
The Holy Scriptures and the faithful preaching of them provide more value to a people than any other blessing. For obeying God's word saves from horrible ignorance and trouble, leads to the highest peace, prosperity, and pleasure possible in this world, and contains all the spiritual instruction to prepare for the next world. It teaches us how to walk with God with confidence of eternal life and personal fellowship with Him. Glory!
Our Lord Jesus Christ rose from the dead and ascended to the right hand of God. There He received great gifts and spoil for His victory over sin and death, and He has in turn given these gifts of ministerial ability and authority to preach the Scriptures to His people and churches. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad that you have seen the beautiful feet (Rom 10:15; Job 33:23-24) and heard the joyful sound (Ps 89:15; 68:11; Rom 10:18).
Dear reader, do you love, appreciate, read, and obey the Bible as you should? It is your life. Neglect it to the peril of life and soul. Exalt it to the happy blessing of the same.
The hired gun brought in by the ambitious pastor tells the contented church, "To be a big church, you need to think big. If you want to grow, then you need to think growth. If you want to triple your attendance in two years, then you need to build an auditorium that size. If you can dream it, you can believe it. If you can believe it, you can achieve it. Even God agrees. The Bible says, 'Where there is no vision, the people perish.' Get a vision, people! Get a vision of tripling the size of your little church! Sign your pledge cards today, and help your pastor get that multi-million dollar mortgage!"
www.letgodbetrue.com
