First shared on 1.29.23 during Youth Sunday at Alpha Baptist Church in Willingboro, NJ. First posted 2.3.23.
Much of the material was previously shared in a previous Proverbs 3:5-6 Bible study, “Christ-Conscious Conscience”.
Lord, help me not to lean on me; help me, Lord, to lean on Thee.
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Conclusion
Proverbs 3:5-6 is a very popular passage. But it has a very unpopular message.
My brothers and sisters, my fellow children of God. This is what our Heavenly Father says:
Don’t put one’s eggs in one’s own basket. Don’t lean on the flimsy foundation of our own (incomplete) understanding.
We may think we have good insight – but only God is good all the time, and all the time God is good. And His insight is unlimited.
We may have faith and trust, but we can misplace our trust.
In life, we creatures should rely on the instructions of the Creator of Life.
So, don’t follow your heart (Pr 3:7-8; cf. Jer 17:9). Trust in the LORD will all your heart.
For reliance on the self is defiance of the Savior.
Our limbs aren’t that long; let’s lean on His everlasting arms
In all our ways, in all that we do, we are to act like we know Him. Though our conscience might tell us different, we should be conscious of the Lord.
We must internalize godly characteristics and memorize godly commands (Pr 3:1-4). Remember His instructions – for the road tests of life will come.
And when they do, don’t merely “believe in yourself” (cf. Pr 28:26).
Just call on Him, brother, when you need a hand
Cuz we all need the God-we can lean on
If you might have a problem, well, He’ll understand
And we all need the God-we can lean on
Lord, I lean on Thee
Cuz I’m not that strong
Help me be Your friend (cf. Jn 15:14)
Help me to carry on
And, oh, it won’t be long
Till we all need, the God-we can lean on.1
Bibliography
- Brown, Francis, Samuel Rolles Driver, and Charles Augustus Briggs. Enhanced Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1977. [BDB]
- Davidson, A. B. Introductory Hebrew Grammar Hebrew Syntax. 3d ed. Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1902.
- Driver, S. R. A Treatise on the Use of the Tenses in Hebrew and Some Other Syntactical Questions. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1892.
- Ewald, Heinrich. Syntax of the Hebrew Language of the Old Testament. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1891.
- Gesenius, Friedrich Wilhelm. Gesenius’ Hebrew Grammar. Edited by E. Kautzsch and Sir Arthur Ernest Cowley. 2d English ed. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1910.
- Goldingay, John E. “Proverbs.” In New Bible Commentary: 21st Century Edition, edited by D. A. Carson, R. T. France, J. A. Motyer, and G. J. Wenham, 4th ed., 584–608. Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press, 1994. [NBC]
- Gzella, Holger, G. Johannes Botterweck, Helmer Ringgren, and Heinz-Josef Fabry, eds. Aramaic Dictionary. Vol. XVI. Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2018. [TDOT]
- Harris, R. Laird, Gleason L. Archer Jr., and Bruce K. Waltke, eds. Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament. Chicago: Moody Press, 1999. [TWOT]
- Joüon, Paul, and T. Muraoka. A Grammar of Biblical Hebrew. Roma: Pontificio Istituto Biblico, 2006.
- Koehler, Ludwig, Walter Baumgartner, M. E. J. Richardson, and Johann Jakob Stamm. The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament. Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1994–2000. [HALOT]
- Matthews, Victor Harold, Mark W. Chavalas, and John H. Walton. The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament. Electronic ed. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2000. [IVPBCC]
- Reyburn, William David, and Euan McG. Fry. A Handbook on Proverbs. UBS Handbook Series. New York: United Bible Societies, 2000. [UBS]
- Schultz, Richard L. “Proverbs”. In The Baker Illustrated Bible Commentary. Edited by Gary M. Burge, and Andrew E. Hill. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2012.
- VanGemeren, Willem, ed. New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology & Exegesis. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1997. [NIDOTTE]
- Walton, John H. Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary (Old Testament): The Minor Prophets, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs. Vol. 5. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2009. [ZIBBC]