AS IRON SHARPENS IRON (HOW AND WHY)

From Proverbs 27:17

As iron sharpens iron,

so one man sharpens another.

A quick study of how iron us used to sharpen Iron during the period the proverb was written revealed the iron that was used to sharpen an iron tool is much the same as the common sharpening rod we find today in a cutlery set.

These rods were used to maintain the edge of a tool like a plow or sickle or and ax as well as maintain the edge on a weapon like a sword.

The rod when used properly kept the edge straight because of use the edge would start to lean with use. The rod would help straight up the edge to keep the tool's from leaning more and eventually breaking off leaving the tool dull. The rod when used frequently and properly would not remove much metal. This is not the case with modern grinding sharpening where the edge is filed or ground to get it sharp.

In the time of the period the rod was used to keep the tool or the weapon functional and looking good (Also, look at Eze 21:9).

A paraphrase of the verse could be.

As the rod maintains the tool,
so one man make another to look good.

God is a GIVER

There is a song,  "Blessed Be the Name of the Lord".

The line in the chorus, "The Lord giveth, He taketh away, Blessed be the name of the Lord..."
Some people do not agree with the term ‘He taketh away’ (I am one of these myself).  The principle is the Lord gives, gives and gives some more freely and does not take or require payments from people for anything. “God is no man's debtor, but a very good provider!”  God is not mean but kind He does not give us good things and then take them away for any reason.  Romans 11:29 states, “For God's gifts and his call can never be withdrawn.” Also, James 1:17, “All generous giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or the slightest hint of change.” God is not human and does not cruelly take back anything that HE has given.

It is important to consider the context of this verse from scripture, Job 1:21; And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.”  In context, the scripture is talking about life; not things or our stuff. Job was mourning the loss of his children, like the parents of the children in Newtown, CT. Job was not talking about the loss of his stuff as this song suggests.

Satan is the thief and robber.  Another point about the context is, it was the chief robber that did the taking. It was not the Lord at all that took from Job.  It was Satan (Job 1:6-12). The Lord does not take BUT accepts our offerings and accepts our pains and exchanges these for His benefits (Rev 3:17 and Is 61:1-7). It is the Lord that is the Provider. In fact he calls Himself Provider. A provider cannot be a taker.
I find it interesting that in the end of Satan's troubling Job, and his discussions with his friends, Job had changed his mind about ALL that he said.

In Job 42 Job Responds to the Lord:

1Then Job replied to the Lord: 2 “I know that you can do anything, and no one can stop you. 3 You asked, ‘Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorance?’ It is I—and I was talking about things I knew nothing about, things far too wonderful for me. 4 You said, ‘Listen and I will speak! I have some questions for you, and you must answer them.’ 5  I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes. 6 I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance.”

At the end Job is saying two things: first, he didn't know GOD based on what he had heard from his friends (or even from himself).  And second, he repented for / from what he said. In reading and using verses from the book of Job, we must always remember that which is written before God spoke  in Job 38 was mere human understanding / ideas (including Job 1:21).  (Job 38:1 Then the Lord answered Job out of the storm. He said: 2“Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge?)
Taking way is not pruning either.  An examination of pruning as laid out in John 15:2 " He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful."

I decided to lookup what the meaning of ‘prunes’ is: to cleanse, of filth impurity, etc; to prune trees and vines from useless shoots; metaph. from guilt, to expiate

This verse could (should?) read, "He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he beautifies so that it will be even more fruitful."

The concept suggested that God takes away impurity is like the concept that he takes away what is missing. You cannot take something from nothing.  I was wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked. And the LORD gave me comfort, peace, provision for all my need, opened my eyes to see him and clothed me.  You don’t take away darkness with a vacuum or a broom you add LIGHT. As Albert Einstein said, “Darkness does not exist. Darkness is merely the absence of LIGHT.”  More goodness is the answer to everything missing, lacking in our experience. 

 Also: http://escapetoreality.org/2010/08/02/does-god-give-and-take-away/#comment-51614

 

AS ALWAYS COMMENTS ENCOURAGED

Is there really MORE?

 Many times in the Christian circles I am exposed to, or involved with, I hear people, preachers and speakers calling out for MORE!  But is there really anymore?

I believe as the Michael W Smith song says, that God has given all that he has to give. (http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/michaelwsmith/thestand.html)

“I'll stand with arms high and heart abandoned
In awe of the ONE who gave it ALL
I'll stand
My soul, Lord, to you surrendered
All I am is yours”

Is God holding out on us?  Did he not give us the life and blood of His only begotten Son? Didn’t he give us and fill us with His entire, complete Spirit?

It seems to me that to cry out for, call for, ask for or beg for MORE is to imply that God is holding back.  This is the same suggestion (lie) that the serpent used in the garden (Genesis 3:4&5) that God was holding back, holding out that man’s eyes would be open. That God was withholding information about the nature and character of good and implying that there was good he was also withholding. And not only good but evil. Adam and Eve surely had no information about what evil was.

In my search of the Bible I can only find a Generous, a Good, and a Giving God.  THERE IS NO MORE FOR GOD TO GIVE (that I can find).  But some may quote the Gospel of Luke 2:52, “And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.”  But a close look at the word increase is the Greek word prokoptō, which means:

1.      to beat forward

1.      to lengthen out by hammering (as a smith forges metals)

2.      metaph. to promote, forward, further

2.      to go forward, advance, proceed

1.      of time: the night is far spent

2.      metaph. to increase, make progress

The word increase is not to get more but to lengthen and advance.  As an engineer I like the analogy of blacksmith hammering out a piece of metal to form something useful.  Victoria prefers the analogy of a lump of pizza dough. Pizza dough needs to be pressed out and formed into shape gradually.  As you press it out, it wants to spring back so you need to keep working one small area at a time. And if you work too much in one area, you can break through and if you do you can gently press the dough to fill in the hole.

The builder in me came up with a different analogy.  Imagine you are given all the materials and tools you need to build a mansion.  Everything in piles but you need to get the plans. But you still need the skills (you need to learn how to do framing, plumbing, wiring, concrete, etc ).  It is our good fortune that the Holy Spirit is committed to teach us all things and be our helper in all things. (Again God has already given us all things.)

But I can also suggest there is MORE, MORE surrender, MORE growth, intimacy with Jesus and, MORE like Jesus.  So, I suggest MORE is from me (us) 'NOT' the Lord. To paraphrase a friend, "We often have the perspective that it is God who needs to act when it is US the whole time that needs to respond to God.

James helps us understand how MORE works. (My paraphrase) Take as big a step towards Daddy as you can and Daddy will take a BIG step towards you! [James 4:8 Approach ye to God, and he shall approach to you. WYC]