“Whoever despises the word brings destruction on himself, but he who reveres the commandment will be rewarded.” –Proverbs 13:13
When I hear the word despise I think of my response to broccoli. I use synonyms like hatred, revulsion, intense anger towards, etc. And, yes, I feel that strongly about broccoli. If given the option between losing a finger and eating broccoli I’d very strongly consider how much I’d be impacted by the loss of a phalange.
So when I think of someone despising the Word of God I think of one who has heated disagreement with God’s Word. I picture one who argues and rails against biblical truth. But the word despise doesn’t only mean loathing or hating something. It also means contempt. And contempt is “the feeling that a person or a thing is beneath consideration, worthless, or deserving scorn”. That’s not how I feel about broccoli, that’s how I feel about a show like Basketball Wives LA. I’ve never watched the show, I’ve never thought of watching the show, but can tell from what little exposure I’ve had to the thing that it’s a bunch of meaningless drivel that I wouldn’t consider giving an ounce of my time to. I don’t hate the thing. I just couldn’t care about it.
And that is how many people view the Bible. Sadly, even professing believers. We show contempt for the Word of God anytime we consider it beneath consideration on a particular topic to which it speaks. Those last four words are critical. You aren’t despising the Word if you don’t consult it to decide who to start on your fantasy football team. But you might be despising the Word if you’re battling anger, broken relationships, racism, politics, or a host of other things which the Bible actually does speak about.
I’ll be even more specific and say one area where I find myself prone to “despise” God’s Word is in the area of depression. I’ve spoken in the past about my struggles with “the black dog”. I’ve shared what it’s like when the lights go out and also warned about the dangerous pit of uniqueness. When the lights turn off in my brain I can easily feel as if my situation is unique. I can feel as if I’ve fallen deeper in the pit than anyone in the history of humanity. And I can also treat the Word as if it doesn’t speak to my situation. In the midst of darkness I’ll swallow the lie that God’s Word is irrelevant to my present plight. And when this happens I’m set in for a longer season.
The Proverbs tell me what happens when I despise God’s Word; namely, I bring destruction upon myself. What this tells me is that whenever I dismiss God’s Word as irrelevant what I’m doing is signing my own death warrant. This is why what I try to do is get in the Word, put myself under faithful preaching of the Word, read solid books, etc. even if I don’t feel a single thing or if it makes my darkened thinking angry instead of healed. I know that the means for my healing is the Word. This, I believe, is what it means in those moments to “revere” the Word. And it never fails to reward me.
Revering the Word and despising the Word has less to do with our emotional feelings towards the Word and more to do with the way we interact with God’s Word in our life. Am I surrendering and placing myself under it’s authority even when I don’t feel like it? If so I likely revere the Word. Am I quickly dismissing His Word as irrelevant and unconcerned with my situation? If so I’m likely one who secretly despises God’s Word.
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