For if you cry for discernment,
Lift your voice for understanding;
If you seek her as silver,
and search for her as for hidden treasures
Then you will discern the fear of the Lord,
And discover the knowledge of God.
For the Lord gives wisdom;
From His mouth come knowledge and understanding;
He stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
He is a shield to those who walk in integrity,
Guarding the paths of justice,
And He preserves the way of His godly ones. (Proverbs 2:3-8)
I went to the CNN website this morning to get a bit of news, only to see Pat Robertson’s name at the top. I clicked on his name, wondering why he was on the news, and was disappointed to see that he had made some statements that have understandably sparked outrage. A viewer called in with a question about how to deal with her husband’s infidelity, and Pat said, “Recognize, like it or not, males have a tendency to wander a little bit” and that the wife should make his home life so wonderful that he won’t want to wander.
Let me say that I watch CBN online nearly every weekday, so this blew me into the back seat, so to speak. It’s not the first time Pat has said a few things that have given me pause, but this was the first time that I stopped and wondered, hmmm, perhaps I need to change my viewing habits? Pat Robertson is a brilliant man, but there have been times when he has said things that should have been run through a prayerful filter first.
As I chewed on this, it came to me that Pat Robertson had become too iconic in my mind. Because of his extensive education, many years of vast experience, (he’s an attorney, received his law degree from Yale, etc.) and years of studying and expounding upon the Bible, I have respected much of what he said. I would listen intently when he was speaking, because I want to learn.
But when an individual becomes an icon, they’re ripe for a fall. We can listen to what learned people say, and respect them for their experience, but we must not ever revere them or take their words as gospel truth, because they are sinful creatures just like us, fallible, and capable of erroneous thinking.
Only God must be revered, because His word is the only infallible truth. And the beauty of His word is that it is absolutely immoveable. It is the line drawn in the sand. There can be no debate, question or shifting of blame. It is crystal clear. Adultery will always be a sin, and when a man or woman commits adultery, they alone are responsible for their actions. The responsibility will never rest on the shoulders of their husband or wife, regardless of how wonderful of a home they have provided or not provided.
Here’s the primary point I want to make. God’s truth is clear, concise, with no ambivalence whatsoever. It is black and white. And if we “cry for discernment and lift our voice for understanding,” God will give it to us. We can read the Bible and be taught His truth by the Holy Spirit, without having to look to Pat Robertson, the president, or anyone else to put their own personal spin on it. And as the world keeps trying to turn God’s blacks and whites into greys, we must look to Him for “wisdom, knowledge and understanding.” He will give it to us. Look at the scripture above:
He stores up sound wisdom for the upright
Here’s the direct translation from the original Hebrew:
and He secludes, He is secluding for upright ones reality
I always find the direct translation fascinating. To “seclude” means “to place in or withdraw into solitude; isolate; shut off; keep apart.” Therefore, God takes us apart from the world, and shows us reality. God’s truth is reality, not what others preach in this world, regardless of who they are, or how educated they are. If they are not preaching God’s crystal-clear, immoveable truth, they are living in a dream world of their own making.
Look to the Bible for God’s truth. Don’t take it second-hand from someone else.
