Blaming the Fire

Saturday, September 9, 2017

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“And Aaron said, Let not the anger of my lord wax hot: thou knowest the people, that they are set on mischief. For they said unto me, Make us gods, which shall go before us: for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him. And I said unto them, Whosoever hath any gold, let them break it off. So they gave it me: then I cast it into the fire, and there came out this calf.”

Exodus 32:22–24

While Moses was on Mt. Sinai with God, the Children of Israel came to Aaron and asked him to make an idol they could worship. More interested in pleasing the people than obeying God, Aaron complied. But when Moses returned and was angry at the drunken immorality and idol worship on display, Aaron refused to take responsibility. Instead, even though he had fashioned the golden calf himself, Aaron blamed the fire.

We may say that is ridiculous, and it is. But many times the excuses we give for doing wrong aren’t any better. I read about a woman who had been pulled over by a policeman for using her phone while driving. She indignantly protested, “I wasn’t texting and driving. I was just on Facebook!” As long as we are blaming the fire, or someone else, or the devil, we will not effectively deal with our wrongdoing.

It is only when we accept personal responsibility that the process of repentance and restoration can begin to work in our lives. The presence of excuses reveals that we are still holding on to our pride, and unwilling to let go of our sin. Though we may fool some people with excuses and shifting blame (although usually not as many as we think) God sees through our rationalization, and demands an accounting. If we want a close relationship with Him, we cannot blame the fire.

Today's Growth Principle
Rather than trying to excuse our sin, we should quickly repent and forsake it.

Old Testament Reading

Proverbs 8–9

CHAPTER 8

¹ Doth not wisdom cry? and understanding put forth her voice? ² She standeth in the top of high places, by the way in the places of the paths. ³ She crieth at the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in at the doors. ⁴ Unto you, O men, I call; and my voice is to the sons of man. ⁵ O ye simple, understand wisdom: and, ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart. ⁶ Hear; for I will speak of excellent things; and the opening of my lips shall be right things. ⁷ For my mouth shall speak truth; and wickedness is an abomination to my lips. ⁸ All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing froward or perverse in them. ⁹ They are all plain to him that understandeth, and right to them that find knowledge. ¹⁰ Receive my instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold. ¹¹ For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.

¹² I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions. ¹³ The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate. ¹⁴ Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom: I am understanding; I have strength. ¹⁵ By me kings reign, and princes decree justice. ¹⁶ By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth. ¹⁷ I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me. ¹⁸ Riches and honour are with me; yea, durable riches and righteousness. ¹⁹ My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; and my revenue than choice silver. ²⁰ I lead in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgment: ²¹ That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasures.

²² The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. ²³ I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. ²⁴ When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water. ²⁵ Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth: ²⁶ While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world. ²⁷ When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth: ²⁸ When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep: ²⁹ When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth: ³⁰ Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him; ³¹ Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and my delights were with the sons of men.

³² Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye children: for blessed are they that keep my ways. ³³ Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not. ³⁴ Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. ³⁵ For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the LORD. ³⁶ But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death.

CHAPTER 9

¹ Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars: ² She hath killed her beasts; she hath mingled her wine; she hath also furnished her table. ³ She hath sent forth her maidens: she crieth upon the highest places of the city, ⁴ Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him, ⁵ Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled. ⁶ Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding. ⁷ He that reproveth a scorner getteth to himself shame: and he that rebuketh a wicked man getteth himself a blot. ⁸ Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee. ⁹ Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning. ¹⁰ The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding. ¹¹ For by me thy days shall be multiplied, and the years of thy life shall be increased. ¹² If thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself: but if thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it.

¹³ A foolish woman is clamorous: she is simple, and knoweth nothing. ¹⁴ For she sitteth at the door of her house, on a seat in the high places of the city, ¹⁵ To call passengers who go right on their ways: ¹⁶ Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: and as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him, ¹⁷ Stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant. ¹⁸ But he knoweth not that the dead are there; and that her guests are in the depths of hell.

New Testament Reading

2 Corinthians 3

CHAPTER 3

¹ Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as some others, epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you? ² Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men: ³ Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart. ⁴ And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward: ⁵ Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;

⁶ Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. ⁷ But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: ⁸ How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? ⁹ For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. ¹⁰ For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth. ¹¹ For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.

¹² Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech: ¹³ And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: ¹⁴ But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. ¹⁵ But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. ¹⁶ Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away. ¹⁷ Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. ¹⁸ But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Proverbs Reading

Proverbs 10

¹ The proverbs of Solomon. A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother. ² Treasures of wickedness profit nothing: but righteousness delivereth from death. ^³ The LORD will not suffer the soul of the righteous to famish: but he casteth away the substance of the wicked. ⁴ He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich. ⁵ He that gathereth in summer is a wise son: but he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame. ⁶ Blessings are upon the head of the just: but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked. ⁷ The memory of the just is blessed: but the name of the wicked shall rot. ⁸ The wise in heart will receive commandments: but a prating fool shall fall. ⁹ He that walketh uprightly walketh surely: but he that perverteth his ways shall be known. ¹⁰ He that winketh with the eye causeth sorrow: but a prating fool shall fall. ¹¹ The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life: but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked. ¹² Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins. ¹³ In the lips of him that hath understanding wisdom is found: but a rod is for the back of him that is void of understanding. ¹⁴ Wise men lay up knowledge: but the mouth of the foolish is near destruction. ¹⁵ The rich man’s wealth is his strong city: the destruction of the poor is their poverty. ¹⁶ The labour of the righteous tendeth to life: the fruit of the wicked to sin. ¹⁷ He is in the way of life that keepeth instruction: but he that refuseth reproof erreth. ¹⁸ He that hideth hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth a slander, is a fool. ¹⁹ In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise. ²⁰ The tongue of the just is as choice silver: the heart of the wicked is little worth. ²¹ The lips of the righteous feed many: but fools die for want of wisdom. ²² The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it. ²³ It is as sport to a fool to do mischief: but a man of understanding hath wisdom. ²⁴ The fear of the wicked, it shall come upon him: but the desire of the righteous shall be granted. ²⁵ As the whirlwind passeth, so is the wicked no more: but the righteous is an everlasting foundation. ²⁶ As vinegar to the teeth, and as smoke to the eyes, so is the sluggard to them that send him. ²⁷ The fear of the LORD prolongeth days: but the years of the wicked shall be shortened. ²⁸ The hope of the righteous shall be gladness: but the expectation of the wicked shall perish. ²⁹ The way of the LORD is strength to the upright: but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity. ³⁰ The righteous shall never be removed: but the wicked shall not inhabit the earth. ³¹ The mouth of the just bringeth forth wisdom: but the froward tongue shall be cut out. ³² The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable: but the mouth of the wicked speaketh frowardness.