TRANSMITTING TRUTH

Today’s Reading: Proverbs 23

Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion).

This is the facade of St. Catherine’s Church, with statues of Jerome and the Virgin Mary out front. Midnight Mass, carried around the world on TV Christmas Eve, originates from this church. Jerome translated the Holy Scriptures from Hebrew and Greek into Latin, the language of the Roman Empire, in a large cave located under this church. It is located next to the cave which we are told served as the stable where Jesus was born. Jerome’s cave stretches under the Church of the Nativity and is adjacent to the stable cave. This church is connected, wall to wall, to the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. Like Elijah’s statue on Mt. Carmel, Jerome’s statue is depicted as trampling on death. The last enemy, death, is defeated!

GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.

Key Verse: Proverbs 23:23

Buy the truth, and do not sell it, also wisdom and instruction and understanding.

Jerome (347-420 AD), who is depicted in the statue above, invested most of his life in producing the first complete translation into Latin from the original languages of Hebrew and Greek. His work became the official translation of the Bible for the lands of the Roman Empire. In a very real sense, Jerome bought the truth with an investment of 20 years of his life. He gave “truth,” “wisdom,” “instruction,” and “understanding” to the whole world. Other translations were made into other languages from Jerome’s amazing work.

Today’s reading may contain the longest section on any one topic in all of the book of Proverbs. Verses 20 and 21 refer to “winebibbers” and “the drunkard.” Then verses 29 to 35 are all about those “who linger long at the wine.” It’s a most serious warning which wise people will take to heart.

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Lord God, I pray for (1) truth, which is manifested in the gifts of (2) wisdom, (3) instruction and (4) understanding, to be constantly active in my life. I ask for Your protection against the temptation of too much alcohol with its mind-muddling effects and any other substances or activities that work against these four gifts. I pray this in the Name of the One who always demonstrated these qualities, Jesus Christ, Amen!!!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

Recently I stood in front of Jerome’s statue in Bethlehem as I was videotaping a Christmas show (click here and scroll to 29:00 near the end of the program). As I thought about Jerome, I thought about the great price paid by him and many others to give us our precious Bibles. My earliest memories of the Bible were of my mother opening her Bible each day at breakfast and at dinner while my Dad was overseas (1938-1944) reading lovingly and carefully. I had no doubt that this was the most important thing we did as a family. When my Dad arrived home in time for Christmas, he took upon himself the task of leading our family devotions. These influences are probably the main reason why I’m doing this daily blog!

Yours for publishing, reading, and learning the “Word of God,”

David