From the Pen of Paul. . .

Gleanings from Proverbs (4)

In our final article in this series, we want to look briefly at a number of lesser themes giving a few examples in each category. Consider these secondary themes:

Rich and poor; poverty and wealth:
Proverbs 10:15: "The rich man's wealth is his strong city: the destruction of the poor is their poverty."
Proverbs 11:4: "Riches profit not in the day of wrath: but righteousness delivereth from death."
Proverbs 22:1: "A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold."

The Proud and the humble:
Proverbs 11:2: "When pride cometh, then cometh shame."
Proverbs 12:9: "He that is despised, and hath a servant, is better than he that honoureth himself, and lacketh bread."
Proverbs 15:25: "The Lord will destroy the house of the proud."
Proverbs 16:18-19: "Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud."
Proverbs 18:12: "Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honour is humility."

Friends:
Proverbs 17:9, 17: "He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends."; "A friend loveth at all times."
Proverbs 19:4: "Wealth maketh many friends; but the poor is separated from his neighbor."

Neighbors:
Proverbs 25:17-18: "Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbor's house; lest he be weary of thee, and so hate thee. A man that beareth false witness against his neighbor is a maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow."
Proverbs 27:10: "...for better is a neighbor that is near than a brother far off."
Proverbs 29:5: "A man that flattereth his neighbor spreadeth a net for his feet."

Anger:
Proverbs 14:1, 29: "He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly." ; "he that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly."
Proverbs 15:18: "A wrathful man stirreth up strife: but he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife."

Hopes and fears; joys and sorrows:
Proverbs 12:25: "Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop: but a good word maketh it glad."
Proverbs 14:13: "Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful; and the end of that mirth is heaviness."

Kings and rulers:
Proverbs 19:12: "The king's wrath is as the roaring of a lion; but his favour is as dew upon the grass."
Proverbs 23:1-3: "When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee: And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite. Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful meat."

Masters and servants:
Proverbs 11:29: He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind: and the fool shall be servant to the wise of heart.
Proverbs 14:35: The king's favour is toward a wise servant: but his wrath is against him that causeth shame.
Proverbs 17:2: A wise servant shall have rule over a son that causeth shame, and shall have part of the inheritance among the brethren.

Conclusion: I hope that these articles have caused you to want to turn to the book of Proverbs and study it more. If so, read it slowly, meditate, and learn!
—Paul M. Wilmoth

From the Preacher's Viewpoint. . .

Was Adam Really the First Man?

"Was there a man before Adam? What does the Bible say?"

I suppose there has never been a time but that some have wanted to find fault with the Bible. So they look constantly to find inaccuracies and flaws with the grand old Book. However, it will stand the test. The Bible is not a book of science but what science is in it is true.

There are various views about man being on the earth. Some think the earth has been inhabited at different times by man. They do not believe Adam was the first man. I do believe Adam was the first man. The Bible says: "And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit" (I Cor. 15:45). I realize that not everyone who reads my articles believes the Bible to be the inspired word of God. However, that is another subject and I will not deal with the dependability of the Bible in this article. I am dealing with the question from a biblical standpoint, and taking it that most of our readers accept the authority of the Bible. Now if we accept what the Bible says as being true, and I do, then the first man was Adam. If you want to read about the account of creation, you will find it in Genesis 1-2. Genesis 1-2 agrees with I Corinthians 15:45. God called the first man Adam (Gen. 2:19). Hundreds of years later the Lord through Paul said the first man was Adam (I Cor. 15:45).

There is further evidence that Adam was the first man from what is stated about his companion. She was called Eve which is the mother of all living (Gen. 3:20). How long ago was it that Adam lived? No one knows the exact date. It could have been 6,000 years or more. But some are quick to say, "we have human bones that date back three or four million years." Are they sure of this? If so, then let them prove such to be the case. It is one thing for a scientist to walk into a classroom and affirm a thing is true, but it is another situation altogether to prove it. Sometimes some scientists are so cocksure of everything. Some walk around as though they were present when everything took place. They teach with such certainty that one would think they were eyewitnesses to it all. The truth about the matter is they often teach theory as fact. I realize that all of them are not like this but some are. Let me further say, I appreciate our scientists very much. But they must learn to stay within their realm and be honest in their work.

But some will say, "What about carbon dating?" Every truthful scientist will tell you that it is not always accurate, therefore it is not dependable. It is not the work of the scientist to start with to tell how man got here. His work is in the field of observation and experimentation with what is already here, not how it became or how it got here. Some of our ill-advised scientists need to realize this. Am I suggesting that they should not study as to how man got here? Not at all! I am merely suggesting what their field of endeavor is, and that they should recognize and acknowledge it. They should be willing to acknowledge their limitations truthfully and sincerely. I am for science as long as it stays in its proper place.

The Bible says Adam was the first man and I believe it because the Bible has been proven again and again to be true and trustworthy. If we have a scientist who denies the Bible to be true and trustworthy, then let him step out and defend his position in public debate. I deplore the brow beatings that some scientists give our young people in the classroom situation. Let all of us be fair and honorable in all things.
—Malcolm L. Hill