Wisdom-Trek © - Archive 4

Thank you for joining us for our five days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. We are broadcasting from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. Today is Day 936 of our trek, and it is Wisdom Wednesday.

Creating a Biblical Worldview is important to have a proper perspective on today’s current events. To establish a Biblical Worldview, it is required that you also have a proper understanding of God’s Word. Especially in our western cultures, we do not fully understand the Scriptures from the mindset and culture of the authors.

In order to help us all have a better understanding of some of the more obscure passages in God’s word, we are investing Wisdom Wednesday reviewing a series of essays from one of today’s most prominent Hebrew Scholars Dr. Micheal S. Heiser. He has compiled these essays into a book titled I Dare You Not to Bore Me with the Bible.

Words are important. As part of creating a solid Biblical worldview, it is important to study some key and maybe controversial words within the Bible. While the human authors of God’s word had a specific meaning in mind when they chose certain words, translating them can cause us to have questions. Especially those who want to try and dispute the Bible. So today’s essay explores…

The prophecy of Isaiah [7:14] is among the most well-known passages in the book of Isaiah. It’s also one of the most controversial, for many reasons.

All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin (almah) will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means “God is with us”).

It’s difficult to get through the Christmas or Easter season without seeing one of the major news periodicals or educational television networks cast doubt about the meaning of almah in Isaiah [7:14], which is usually translated as virgin.

A favorite argument is that the Hebrew word almah cannot mean “virgin” but instead refers to a young woman of marriageable age, without respect to prior sexual activity. The more precise word for “virgin” is betulah a word not used in Isaiah [7:14]. The New Testament author Matthew, we are so often told, mistakenly assumed the term meant “virgin.” The argument is that his ignorance of the original Hebrew word led to the doctrine of the virgin birth of Jesus. But are these assertions correct?

It’s true that betulah refers to someone who has been sexually inactive, but does that mean almah never means virgin (Leviticus 21:3; Judges 21:12; Deuteronomy 22:23&28; Exodus 22:15)? Outside of Isaiah 7:14, the word almah occurs only six times in the Old Testament. In all but one of those occurrences, the context provides no clue as to the sexual status of the young woman or women (Genesis 24:43; Exodus 2:8; Psalms 68:25; Song of Solomon 1:3&6:8: Proverbs 30:10). Virginity is suggested, however, in Song of Solomon 6:8 almah occurs in the plural alamot,“Even among sixty queens and eighty concubines and countless young women.”

The distinction between queens, concubines, and alamot is important. A queen was a royal wife, which obviously entails a sexual relationship with the king. A concubine was a sexual partner who held certain privileges, but not to the level of a wife. This would suggest that the third group, the alamot, had no sexual relationship with the king. An almah in this text is a candidate to become a concubine or a wife.

This is precisely what we see in the book of Esther. Esther 2:3 reads, “Let the king appoint agents in each province to bring these beautiful young women into the royal harem at the fortress of Susa. Hegai, the king’s eunuch in charge of the harem, will see that they are all given beauty treatments.”

The story continues in Esther 2:8, “As a result of the king’s decree, Esther, along with many other young women, was brought to the king’s harem at the fortress of Susa and placed in Hegai’s care.”

Further on we read that Esther was held in waiting for 12 months with “young virgins” (betulah) under the supervision of Hegai while the king sought a new queen. The use of the Hebrew words “na ar” and “betulah” in this passage indicates that a “young woman (na ar) could certainly be a “virgin” (betulah).

Esther was eventually taken from the “young virgins” under Hegai to the king for an evening liaison. Afterward, she was assigned to a “second harem” supervised by Shaashgaz, who “was in charge of the concubines.” Esther [2:14] indicates that Esther was no longer a virgin, but now a concubine.

That Esther and the king had a sexual relationship during the night is clear from Esther 2:14, “That evening she was taken to the king’s private rooms, and the next morning she was brought to the second harem, where the king’s wives lived. There she would be under the care of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch in charge of the concubines. She would never go to the king again unless he had especially enjoyed her and requested her by name.”

To “go into a man or woman” is a common Old Testament euphemism for sexual intercourse (Genesis 16:2; [29:21]; 38:8; Deuteronomy [21:13]; 25:5; Judges 15:1).

The Esther story describes the king’s harem as divided into three groups: queen, concubines, and young virgins. The last of those groups is described as na’arah betulah, “young virgins.” In parallel, Song of Songs 6:8 which we read previously has the same threefold division, but uses almah (plural: alamot) to describe the third group or “virgins.” This indicates that na ar, betulah, and alamot can all three be descriptions of “virgins.”

Nonetheless, since Esther is never called an almah, could almah still be excluded from the Old Testament vocabulary for “virgin”? For the assertion that “almah” cannot mean virgin to be correct, na ar and betulah must never overlap with almah. But they do. In Genesis 24, Rebekah is referred to with all three terms (na ar in [24:14], betulah in [24:16], and almah in [24:43]), indicating that the terms could certainly be construed as synonymous.

But do we even need the word study? In an ancient patriarchal culture, a “woman of marriageable age,” like Mary, was a female who had at least reached puberty and so was capable of bearing children. Daughters in such a culture were under close supervision and restraint. Even in today’s sex-saturated culture, a significant number of girls in their teen years are virgins. How much more would this have been true of a young woman in a patriarchal culture?

Matthew was raised in this culture, and with the book of Esther, so it should not surprise us that he saw no incongruity in understanding almah to mean “virgin.” This would certainly be the logical conclusion in the minds and culture in which the Bible was written. Knowing this type of information can assist us in building on our Biblical worldview.

That will conclude our essay for this week. Next Wisdom Wednesday we will continue with the Old Testament as we look at Dr. Heiser’s next essay titled “Standing in the Council.” I believe you will find this another interesting topic to consider as we build our Biblical worldview.

Tomorrow we will continue with our 3-minute humor nugget that will provide you with a bit of cheer and help you to lighten up and live a rich and satisfying life. So encourage your friends and family to join us and then come along with us tomorrow for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

If you would like to listen to any of our past 935 treks or read the Wisdom Journal, they are available at Wisdom-Trek.com. I encourage you to subscribe to Apple Podcast or Google Play so that each day’s trek will be downloaded automatically.

Thank you so much for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and most of all your friend as I serve you through the Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal.

As we take this trek together, let us always:

I am Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Everyday! See you tomorrow!

Thank you for joining us for our five days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. This is Day 935 of our trek, and it is time for a 3-minute mini-trek called Wisdom Unplugged. Thank you for joining me on this trek called life.

This short nugget of wisdom includes an inspirational quote with a little bit of additional content for today’s trek. Consider this your vitamin supplement of wisdom for today. So let’s jump right in with today’s nugget.

Today’s quote is from Brian Tracy, and it is, “All successful men and women are big dreamers. They imagine what their future could be, ideal in every respect, and then they work every day toward their distant vision, that goal or purpose.”

Every success in life first begins with a dream within your imagination. You must imagine a successful outcome before setting out on the trek that will lead you to your destination. Along the trail that you follow may be many detours, obstacles, and setbacks, but it is through these fires that success is forged.

Liken success to being at the bottom of the mountain. As you approach the mountain, you may be able to see the summit far in the distance, but once you start up the steep and treacherous trail, there are many times where the destination is blocked. You take one step after another although it is difficult to tell at times you are getting closer each day to that desired summit. That is your goal and purpose – to reach new heights each day.

Some days you will make very little progress , other days you will achieve great forward motion. The key to success is to continue on each day, and soon you will reach your destination. When the days are long, and you are tempted to give up, remember what we are told in Isaiah 40:31, “But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.”

That’s a wrap for today’s Wisdom Unplugged quote. If you would like free access to my database of over 10,000 inspirational quotes, the link is available on the main page of Wisdom-Trek.com. As you enjoy these nuggets of wisdom, encourage your friends and family to join us and then come along tomorrow for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

If you would like to listen to any of our past 934 treks or read the Wisdom Journal, they are available at Wisdom-Trek.com. I encourage you to subscribe to Apple Podcast or Google Play so that each day’s trek will be downloaded automatically.

Thank you for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and most importantly your friend as I serve you through the Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal each day.

As we take this trek together, let us always:

I am Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Everyday! See you tomorrow for Wisdom Wednesday!

Thank you for joining us today for our five days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. We are broadcasting from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. This is Day 934 of our trek, and it is time for Meditation Monday.

Taking time to relax, refocus, and reprioritize our lives is crucial in order to create a living legacy. For you, it may just be time alone for quiet reflection. You may utilize structured meditation practices. In my life meditation includes reading and reflecting on God’s Word and praying. It is a time to renew my mind, refocus on what is most important, and make sure that I am nurturing my soul, mind, and body. As you come along with me on our trek each Meditation Monday, it is my hope and prayer that you too will experience a time for reflection and renewing of your mind.

Creeds are principles by which to live. If we want to live worthwhile and purposeful lives, it pays to choose and believe in a worthwhile and purposeful creed. Many have been written by others. A well thought-out one was written by John D. Rockefeller, Jr. It follows:

“I believe in the supreme worth of the individual and in his right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

I believe that every right implies a responsibility; every opportunity, an obligation; every possession, a duty.

I believe that the law was made for man and not man for the law; that government is the servant of the people and not their master.

I believe in the dignity of labor, whether with head or hand; that the world owes no man a living, but that it owes every man an opportunity to make a living.

I believe that thrift is essential to well-ordered living and that economy is a prime requisite of a sound financial structure, whether in government, business, or personal affairs.

I believe that truth and justice are fundamental to an enduring social order.

I believe in the sacredness of a promise, that a man’s word should be as good as his bond; that character—not wealth or power or position—is of supreme worth.

I believe that the rendering of useful service is the common duty of mankind and that only in the purifying fire of sacrifice is the dross of selfishness consumed and the greatness of the human soul set free.

I believe in an all-wise and all-loving God … and that the individual’s highest fulfillment, greatest happiness, and widest usefulness are to be found in living in harmony with His will.

I believe that love is the greatest thing in the world; that it alone can overcome hate; that right can and will triumph over might.”

We would all do well to read this creed often and practice it all year long.

Another short creed from God’s Word is contained within Micah 6:8.

No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good,

Next week we will continue our trek on Meditation Monday as we take time to reflect on what is most important in creating our living legacy. On tomorrow’s trek, we will explore another wisdom quote. This 3-minute wisdom supplement will assist you in becoming healthy, wealthy, and wise each day. Thank you for joining me on this trek called life. Encourage your friends and family to join us and then come along tomorrow for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

If you would like to listen to any of the past 933 daily treks or read the daily journal, they are available at Wisdom-Trek.com. I encourage you to subscribe to Apple Podcast and Google Podcast so that each day’s trek will be downloaded automatically.

Thank you for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and most importantly your friend as I serve you through the Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal.

As we take this trek together, let us always:

I am Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Everyday! See you tomorrow!

We are broadcasting from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. Thank you for joining us for our five days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. This is Day 933 of our trek and time for our Philosophy Friday series.

Each Friday we ponder some of the basic truths and mysteries of life and how they can impact us in creating our living legacy. As we continue on this trek called life, sometimes we have questions about life, so our Friday trek is a time when we can “Ask Gramps.” Gramps will answer questions that you would like to ask your dad or granddad, but for whatever reason, you are not able to. No matter how old we are, I know that all of us would like the opportunity to ask dad or gramps questions about life in many areas.

Today is the fourth episode in a new series delving into what makes each of us respond as we do to life situations. Understanding ourselves and how others may interpret life through their paradigm will allow us to interact with each other with more love and compassion. We began with an overview of the Enneagram specifically from a Biblically-based perspective. We then looked at how the Enneagram system works. Last week we explored the aspects of why the enneagram is such a powerful tool in understanding yourself a little deeper and how it can help you to understand others that you interact with and impact.

Today we will explore what is referred to as “wings” which are the numbers on either side of your predominate personality style. If you have missed any of our past three Friday series, I would recommend going back to listen to them or read the Wisdom Journals.

As a review, the tool that we refer to as the Enneagram (Any-a-Gram) is a circle with 9 interconnected points (Ennea refers to 9 and Gram refers to a drawing).  Check out representation of it below. I have also included a copy of “The Enneagram At-A-Glance” today, which was compiled by Suzanne H Eller.

If you would like me to send you a PDF copy click on this link. I would also recommend a recently released book The Road Back to You written by Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stabile. It is an excellent book about an enneagram journey to self-discovery.

When I discovered the depth of the Enneagram, it opened up a new horizon of understanding of myself first and has also helped me to understand others better. The Enneagram is the most useful tool of this type I’ve encountered for personal growth. Keep in mind, though, it is still only a tool and cannot replace or usurp the precepts that are found in God’s word.

So the questions for the next several week or months will be…

“Hey, Gramps, why do people act and react to situations and circumstances in life differently? How can I gain wisdom to better understand myself and others so that I can love, serve, and minister to them on a deeper level?” 

No one is a pure personality type. Everyone is a unique mixture of his or her basic type and usually one of the two types adjacent to it on the circumference of the Enneagram. One of the two types adjacent to your basic type is called your wing.

Your basic type dominates your overall personality while the wing complements it and adds important, sometimes contradictory, elements to your total personality. Your wing is the “second side” of your personality, and it must be taken into consideration to better understand yourself or someone else.

For example, if you are a personality type Nine, you will likely have either a One-wing or an Eight-wing, and your personality as a whole can best be understood by considering the traits of the Nine as they uniquely blend with the traits of either the One or the Eight. This is what the experts in the Enneagram have experienced over the years. They have also encountered some individuals who seem to have both wings while others are strongly influenced by their basic type and show little of either wing.

There is disagreement among the various traditions of the Enneagram about whether individuals have one or two wings. Strictly speaking, everyone has two wings—in the restricted sense that both of the types adjacent to your basic type are operative in your personality since each person possesses the potentials of all nine types. However, this is not what is usually meant by “having two wings,” and proponents of the so-called two-wing theory believe that both wings operate more or less equally in everyone’s personality. (For example, they believe that a Nine would have roughly equal amounts of his or her Eight and One wings.)

Observation of people leads me to conclude that while the two-wing theory applies to some individuals, most people have a dominant wing. In the vast majority of people, while the so-called second wing always remains operative to some degree, the dominant wing is far more important. (For example, Twos with Three wings are noticeably different from Twos with One wings, and while Twos with Three wings have a One wing, it is not nearly as important as the Three wing.)

It is, therefore, clearer to refer simply to a type’s “wing” as opposed to its “dominant wing,” since the two terms represent the same concept. There are a few individuals that do not have a strong wing at all because their primary personality type is so strong.

One other observation about wings is worth mentioning. In the course of studying the Enneagram through books, workshops, or training, many people in the latter half of their lives have reported the development of their so-called “second wing.” This is due to the fact that if we mature in a healthy manner, we tend to have fewer extremes in our lives.

In individuals who have been pursuing psychological and/or spiritual work, there appears to be more evidence that both wings are incorporated into their primary personality number. It is not clear, however, whether these students were merely seeing all of the positive potentials of the nine types unfolding in them as they matured—their second wing being one of the other seven types—or whether this was a specific development of the second wing type.

It is, of course, necessary to identify your basic type before you can assess which wing you have. In subsequent weeks, we will cover in detail the full descriptions of your type and its wings to more closely determine your Personality Types. You can also consider the descriptions of the two types adjacent to your basic type and decide which best applies to you, if either.

There is an internal structure within each personality type. That structure is the continuum of behaviors, attitudes, defenses, and motivations formed by the nine Levels of Development which make up the personality type itself. The exploration of these nine levels within the nine personality types (and the working out of all the traits that comprise each type) was originally begun by Don Riso in 1977, and was further developed by Don Riso with Russ Hudson in the 1990s. Their book Personality Types: Using the Enneagram for Self-Discovery is another good resource although they do not present the traits from a specifically Christian viewpoint.

Riso and Hudson were the first Enneagram teachers to include this important factor in their treatment of the Enneagram. The Levels are an important contribution not only to the Enneagram but to ego psychology—and the personality types of the Enneagram cannot be adequately explained without them. The Levels account for differences between people of the same type as well as how people change both for better or worse. Thus, they can also help therapists and counselors pinpoint what is actually going on with clients and suggest solutions to the problems they are having.

The Levels of Development provide a framework for seeing how all of the different traits that comprise each type fit into a large whole; they are a way of conceptualizing the underlying “skeletal” structure of each type. Without the Levels, the types can seem to be an arbitrary collection of unrelated traits, with contradictory behaviors and attitudes often part of the picture. By understanding the Levels for each type, one can see how all of the traits are interrelated—and how healthy traits can deteriorate into average traits and possibly into unhealthy ones.

As pioneering consciousness philosopher Ken Wilber has noted, without the Levels, the Enneagram is reduced to a “horizontal” set of nine discrete categories. By including the Levels, however, a “vertical” dimension is added that not only reflects the complexity of human nature but goes far in explaining many different, important elements within your personality.

Further, with the Levels, a dynamic element is introduced that reflects the changing nature of the personality patterns themselves. You have probably noticed that people change constantly—sometimes they are clearer, freer, more grounded, and more emotionally available while at other times they are more anxious, resistant, reactive, emotionally volatile, and less free. Understanding the Levels makes it clear that when people change states within their personality, they are shifting within the spectrum of motivations, traits, and defenses that make up their personality type.

To understand an individual accurately, it is necessary to perceive where the person lies along the continuum of Levels of his or her type at a given time. In other words, one must assess whether a person is in their healthy, average, or unhealthy range of functioning. This is important because, for example, two people of the same personality type and wing will differ significantly if one is healthy and the other unhealthy. (Spiritually, in relationships, and in the business world, understanding this distinction is crucial.)

Next Friday we will explore the Continuum of the Levels of Development more in-depth to learn how they are crucial in understanding ourselves and other more fully.

While the Enneagram is a powerful tool to help us understand ourselves better and also understand the perspective of others better, ultimately it should drive us to have more love and compassion both for ourselves and others. As we are encouraged in Philippians 2:1-2, “Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from His love? Any fellowship together with the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate?  Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose.”

Join us again next Friday as we further explore the Enneagram on our Ask Gramps episode. The information that we explore will allow you to unlock who you are as we travel on our trek of life and discover more about yourself and others as you impact God’s kingdom. I know you will find these insights interesting, practical, and profitable in living a rich and satisfying life.

Our next trek is Mediation Monday when we will help you reflect on what is most important in life. So encourage your friends and family to join us and then come along on Monday for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

The Enneagram At-A-Glance

If you would like a full PDF copy of The Enneagram At-A-Glance, click on the link above these graphics.

If you would like to listen to any of the past 932 daily treks or read the associated journals, they are all available at Wisdom-Trek.com. I encourage you to subscribe to Apple Podcast or Google Play so that each day’s trek will be downloaded automatically.

Thank you for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and most of all your friend as I serve you through the Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal.

As we take this trek together, let us always:

I am Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Everyday! See you on Monday!

Thank you for joining us for our five days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. This is Day 932 of our trek, and it is time for our 3-minute mini-trek called Humor Unplugged.

Our Thursday podcast provides a short and clean funny story to help you lighten up and live a rich and satisfying life – something to cheer you and provide a bit a levity in your life.

We are told in  Proverbs 15:30, “A cheerful look brings joy to the heart; good news makes for good health.” We are also encouraged in Proverbs 17:22, “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength.”Consider this your vitamin supplement of cheer for today. So let’s jump right in with today’s funny which is titled…

Ms. Jones, the 6th-grade teacher, posed the following problem to one of her arithmetic classes: “A wealthy man dies and leaves ten million dollars. One-fifth is to go to his wife, one-fifth is to go to his son, one-sixth to his butler, and the rest to charity. Now, what does each get?”

After a very long silence in the classroom, little Dewey raised his hand. The teacher called on Dewey for his answer.

With complete sincerity in his voice, little Dewey answered, “A lawyer.”

Sourced at: www.mikeysFunnies.com

I hope that has brought a smile to you for today.

For Thursday’s Thought, we can be thankful that we have an inheritance which is far great than any earthly inheritance.

Ephesians 1:11 – Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.

That’s a wrap for today’s Humor Unplugged. If you enjoy these short stories, let me know so I can continue to bring a bit of cheer to your week.

As you enjoy these nuggets of humor, please encourage your friends and family to join us and then come along tomorrow for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

If you would like to listen to any of our past 931 treks or read the Wisdom Journal, they are available at Wisdom-Trek.com. I encourage you to subscribe to Wisdom-Trek on Apple Podcast or Google Play so each day will be downloaded to you automatically.

Thank you for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and most importantly I am your friend as I serve you in through this Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal each day.

As we take this trek together, let us always:

I am Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Everyday! See you tomorrow for Philosophy Friday!

Thank you for joining us for our five days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. We are broadcasting from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. Today is Day 931 of our trek, and it is Wisdom Wednesday.

Creating a Biblical worldview is important to have a proper perspective on today’s current events. To establish a Biblical worldview, it is required that you also have a proper understanding of God’s word. Especially in our western cultures, we do not fully understand the Scriptures from the mindset and culture of the authors.

In order to help us all have a better understanding of some of the more obscure passages in God’s word, we are investing Wisdom Wednesday reviewing a series of essays from one of today’s most prominent Hebrew Scholars Dr. Micheal S. Heiser. He has compiled these essays into a book titled I Dare You Not to Bore Me with the Bible.

If asked who wrote the Book of Proverbs, most people who know anything about the Bible would probably say Solomon. It is my favorite book of the Bible, and that is the name that comes to my mind. Today’s essay explores…

The first chapter and verse of Proverbs announce: “These are the proverbs of Solomon, David’s son, king of Israel.” This is reiterated in Proverbs 10:1 and Proverbs 25:1. By its own testimony, though, the book of Proverbs had many authors. Proverbs 24:23 tell us, “Here are some further sayings of the wise,” which literally means, wise ones. This same idea that the proverbs in the book were written by a number of sages is reiterated in Proverbs 1:6 and [22:17]. We find that old traditions die hard, and the authorship of these proverbs is still debated. What role did Solomon actually play in writing this Wisdom literature?

In some passages of Proverbs, the sages who wrote the book are named. Proverbs 30 was written by Agur, son of Jakeh as is noted in Proverbs 30:1.  An interesting fact is that we know nothing else about him. Some believe Agur is a pen name for Solomon. However, there is little evidence to support this. The name may also be translated more commonly as “the assembler,” which may point to an anonymous collector of Proverbs who also wrote chapter 30.

Proverbs 31:1 informs us that King Lemuel wrote the famous chapter about the virtuous woman. In this verse, we learn that Lemuel was taught proverbs by his mother. There is little else known about this elusive king. Jewish tradition views the writer as yet another pen name of Solomon, but there is no reliable proof for this connection.

Proverbs 25:1 provides another insight into authorship, “These are more proverbs of Solomon, collected by the advisers of King Hezekiah of Judah.”  The word translated “copied” can also mean “transcribed.” This suggests that some of the proverbs, perhaps chapters 25-29, were produced by scribes living in the days of Hezekiah which was 715-687 BC, well after the lifetime of Solomon.

At least one anonymous sage did contribute to Proverbs. Portions of Proverbs 22-23 come from an Egyptian wisdom text composed before Solomon’s lifetime The Instruction of Amenemope. In addition, Proverbs [1:25] appears to be quoting Jeremiah 20:7 and certain portions of Zechariah 7. However, just because there may have been later additions to the book of Proverbs doesn’t mean the entire book is dated later than Solomon. There is also the possibility that Jeremiah and Zechariah were drawing on Proverbs.

Because Proverbs 22-23 draws on an ancient Egyptian wisdom text that pre-dates Solomon, it seems likely that Solomon may be one of the authors. In addition, the literary patterning in large sections of Proverbs (10:1-[22:16]) mirrors ancient Egyptian wisdom literature, in which Egyptian scribes gave collections of sayings a formal title and prologue. Keep in mind that Solomon married an Egyptian as one of his wives, so certain literature may have come from there and been shared by Solomon as the Book of Proverbs.

So who wrote these proverbs? Solomon did write the majority of it, but he had good and wise company.

Next Wisdom Wednesday we will continue with the Old Testament as we look at Dr. Heiser’s next essay titled “Immanuel’s Mother: Virgin or Not?” I believe you will find this another interesting topic to consider as we build our Biblical worldview.

Tomorrow we will continue with our 3-minute humor nugget that will provide you with a bit of cheer and help you to lighten up and live a rich and satisfying life. So encourage your friends and family to join us and then come along with us tomorrow for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

If you would like to listen to any of our past 930 treks or read the Wisdom Journal, they are available at Wisdom-Trek.com. I encourage you to subscribe to Apple Podcast or Google Play so that each day’s trek will be downloaded automatically.

Thank you so much for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and most of all your friend as I serve you through the Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal.

As we take this trek together, let us always:

I am Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Everyday! See you tomorrow!

Thank you for joining us for our five days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. This is Day 930 of our trek, and it is time for our 3-minute mini-trek called Wisdom Unplugged. Thank you for joining me on this trek called life.

This short nugget of wisdom includes an inspirational quote with a little bit of additional content for today’s trek. Consider this your vitamin supplement of wisdom for today. So let’s jump right in with today’s nugget.

Today’s quote is from Harrison Ford, and it is,“All I would tell people is to hold onto what was individual about themselves, not to allow their ambition for success to cause them to try to imitate the success of others. You’ve got to find it on your own terms.”

Nearly everyone desires to be successful in one or many areas of life, which is admirable. Unfortunately, many people attempt to become successful by imitating the success of others. You will never be truly successful imitating others. True success is becoming the best possible person that you can become. Success is to fully utilize your God-given talents and opportunities and fulfill His will for your life.

You are created uniquely by God for a specific purpose that only you can fulfill. If you attempt to be successful in imitating the success of someone else, you may miss that unique opportunity that only you can become. Do not rob the world of the impact your success can bring. You and the world will be much richer by you successfully becoming you.

Ephesians 2:10 – For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

That’s a wrap for today’s Wisdom Unplugged quote. If you would like free access to my database of over 10,000 inspirational quotes, the link is available on the main page of Wisdom-Trek.com. As you enjoy these nuggets of wisdom, encourage your friends and family to join us and then come along tomorrow for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

If you would like to listen to any of our past 929 treks or read the Wisdom Journal, they are available at Wisdom-Trek.com. I encourage you to subscribe to Apple Podcast or Google Play so that each day’s trek will be downloaded automatically.

Thank you for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and most importantly, your friend as I serve you in through this Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal each day.

As we take this trek together, let us always:

I am Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Everyday! See you tomorrow for Wisdom Wednesday!

Thank you for joining us today for our five days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. We are broadcasting from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. This is Day 929 of our trek, and it is time for Meditation Monday.

Taking time to relax, refocus, and reprioritize our lives is crucial in order to create a living legacy. For you, it may just be time alone for quiet reflection. Or you may utilize structured meditation practices.

In my life, meditation includes reading and reflecting on God’s Word and praying. It is a time to renew my mind, refocus on what is most important, and make sure that I am nurturing my soul, mind, and body. As you come along with me on our trek each Meditation Monday, it is my hope and prayer that you too will experience a time for reflection and renewing of your mind.  

What makes a person beautiful and attractive as opposed to someone who is considered ugly and unattractive? In our Meditation Monday today, I want us to reflect on…

We read in 1 Samuel 16:7, “But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.'”

In Western culture and, in fact, in most cultures, tremendous emphasis is placed on physical beauty. There’s nothing wrong with being beautiful and keeping ourselves attractive, but if that’s what controls our lives and is a cover-up for insecurity, we will be left very empty inside—and even more so as the years take their toll on our bodies.

Sophia Loren says “beauty is how you feel inside, and it reflects in your eyes. It is not something physical.” Sure that was easy for Sophia to say with her incredible physical beauty, but what she said was true. Better said, it would be, “True beauty is what you are inside.” If we are only loved for our physical beauty, we will never feel truly loved because that is not the real person.

As Saint Exupery said, “It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson put it this way, “Though we search the world over for the beautiful, we find it within or we find it not.”

Furthermore, we can only ever be loved to the degree that we are known—and that has nothing to do with our external appearance, but all to do with our inner being.

According to God’s word in Proverbs 31:30, “Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a person who fears the Lord will be greatly praised.”

Look for the true beauty in everyone that you meet, and even in yourself.

Next week we will continue our trek on Meditation Monday as we take time to reflect on what is most important in creating our living legacy. On tomorrow’s trek, we will explore another wisdom quote. This 3-minute wisdom supplement will assist you in becoming healthy, wealthy, and wise each day. Thank you for joining me on this trek called life. Encourage your friends and family to join us and then come along tomorrow for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

If you would like to listen to any of the past 928 daily treks or read the daily journal, they are available at Wisdom-Trek.com. I encourage you to subscribe to Apple Podcast and Google Play so that each day’s trek will be downloaded automatically.

Thank you for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and most importantly, your friend as I serve you through the Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal.

As we take this trek together, let us always:

I am Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Everyday! See you tomorrow!

We are broadcasting from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. Thank you for joining us for our five days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. This is Day 928 of our trek, and it is time for our Philosophy Friday series.

Each Friday we will ponder some of the basic truths and mysteries of life and how they impact us in creating our living legacy. As we continue on this trek called life, sometimes we have questions about life, so our Friday trek is a time when we can “Ask Gramps.” Gramps will answer questions that you would like to ask your dad or granddad, but for whatever reason, you are unable to. No matter how old we are, I know that all of us would like the opportunity to ask dad or gramps questions about life in many areas.

A couple of weeks ago, we began a new series delving into what makes each of us respond as we do to life situations. Understanding this and how others may interpret life through their paradigm will allow us to interact with each other with love and compassion.

We began with an overview of the Enneagram specifically from a Biblically-based perspective. Last Friday we looked at how the Enneagram works. This week we will explore a little deeper why the Enneagram is such a powerful tool in understanding yourself and how it can help you to understand others that you interact with and impact. As a review, the tool that we refer to as the Enneagram (Any-a-Gram) is a circle with 9 interconnected points (ennea refers to 9 and gram referring to a drawing). See a representation of it below.

When I discovered the depth of the Enneagram, it opened up a new horizon of understanding of myself and also helped me to understand others better. The Enneagram is the most useful tool of this type I’ve encountered for personal growth. Keep in mind, though, it is still only a tool and cannot replace or usurp the precepts that are found in God’s word.

So the questions for the next several weeks or months will be…

“Hey, Gramps, why do people act and react to situations and circumstances in life differently?  How can I gain wisdom to better understand myself and others so that I can love, serve, and minister to them on a deeper level?”

The Enneagram is a 3 x 3 arrangement of nine personality types in three Centers. There are three types in the Instinctive Center, three in the Feeling Center, and three in the Thinking Center, as shown below. Each Center consists of three personality types that have common assets and liabilities of that Center. For example, personality type Four has unique strengths and liabilities involving its feelings, which is why it is in the Feeling Center. Likewise, the Eight’s assets and liabilities involve its relationship to its instinctual drives, which is why it is in the Instinctive Center, and so forth for all nine personality types.

The inclusion of each type in its Center is not arbitrary. Each type results from a particular relationship with a cluster of issues that characterize that Center. Most simply, these issues revolve around a powerful, largely unconscious, emotional response to the loss of contact with the core of the self. In the Instinctive Center, the emotion is Anger or Rage. In the Feeling Center, the emotion is Shame, and in the Thinking Center, it is Fear. Of course, all nine types contain all three of these emotions, but in each Center, the personalities of the types are particularly affected by that Center’s emotional theme.

Thus, each type has a particular way of coping with the dominant emotion of its Center. We can briefly see what this means by examining each type, Center by Center.

In the Instinctive Center, Eights act out their anger and instinctual energies. In other words, when Eights feel anger building in them, they immediately respond to it in some physical way, raising their voices, moving more forcefully. Others can clearly see that Eights are angry because they give themselves permission to express their anger physically.

Nines deny their anger and instinctual energies as if to say, “What anger? I am not a person who gets angry.” Nines are the type most out of touch with their anger and instinctual energies, often feeling threatened by them. Of course, Nines get angry like everyone else, but they try to stay out of their darker feelings by focusing on idealizations of their relationships and their world.

Ones attempt to control or repress their anger and instinctual energy. They feel that they must stay in control of themselves, especially of their instinctual impulses and angry feelings at all times. They would like to direct these energies according to the dictates of their highly developed inner critic (superego), the source of their strictures on themselves and others.

In the Feeling Center, Twos attempt to control their shame by getting other people to like them and to think of them as good people. They also want to convince themselves that they are good, loving people by focusing on their positive feelings for others while repressing their negative feelings (such as anger and resentment at not being appreciated enough). As long as Twos can get positive emotional responses from others, they feel wanted and are able to control feelings of shame.

Threes try to deny their shame, and are potentially the most out of touch with underlying feelings of inadequacy. Threes learn to cope with shame by trying to become what they believe a valuable, successful person is like. Thus, Threes learn to perform well, to be acceptable, even outstanding, and are often driven relentlessly in their pursuit of success as a way of staving off feelings of shame and fears of failure.

Fours attempt to control their shame by focusing on how unique and special their particular talents, feelings, and personal characteristics are. Fours highlight their individuality and creativity as a way of dealing with their shameful feelings, although Fours are the type most likely to succumb to feelings of inadequacy. Fours also manage their shame by cultivating a rich, romantic fantasy life in which they do not have to deal with whatever in their life seems drab or uninteresting to them.

In the Thinking Center, Fives have fear about the outer world and about their capacity to cope with it. Thus, they cope with their fear by withdrawing from the world. Fives become secretive, isolated loners who use their minds to penetrate into the nature of the world. Fives hope that eventually, as they understand reality on their own terms, they will be able to rejoin the world and participate in it, but they never feel they know enough to participate with total confidence. Instead, they involve themselves with increasingly complex inner worlds.

Sixes exhibit the most fear of all three types, largely experienced as anxiety, which causes them to be the most out of touch with their own sense of inner knowing and confidence. Unlike Fives, Sixes have trouble trusting their own minds, so they are constantly looking outside themselves for something to make them feel sure of themselves. They might turn to philosophies, beliefs, relationships, jobs, savings, authorities, or any combination of the above. But no matter how many security structures they create, Sixes still feel doubtful and anxious. They may even begin to doubt the very people and beliefs that they have turned to for reassurance. Sixes may also respond to their fear and anxiety by impulsively confronting it— defying their fear in the effort to be free of it.

Sevens have fear about their inner world. There are feelings of pain, loss, deprivation, and general anxiety that Sevens would like to stay clear of as much as possible. To cope with these feelings, Sevens keep their minds occupied with exciting possibilities and options—as long as they have something stimulating to anticipate, Sevens feel that they can distract themselves from their fears. Sevens, in most cases, do not stop merely at thinking about these options, however. As much as possible they attempt to actually do as many of their options as they can. Thus, Sevens can be found staying on the go, pursuing one experience after another, and keeping themselves entertained and engaged with their many ideas and activities.

We will wrap up for today at this point.  Next Friday we will explore what is referred to as The Wing and Levels of Development where we will see how bordering numbers may influence your basic personality type.

While the Enneagram is a powerful tool to help us understand ourselves better and also understand the perspective of others better, ultimately it should drive us to have more love and compassion both for ourselves and others. We must realize that our source of truth is from God and can be found in His Word. Let us follow God’s example in Psalm 103:8, “The Lord is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.”

Join us again next Friday as we explore the Enneagram further on our “Ask Gramps” episode. The information that we explore will allow you to unlock who you are as we travel on our trek of life and discover more about yourself and others as you impact God’s kingdom. I know you will find these insights interesting, practical, and profitable in living a rich and satisfying life.

Our next trek is Mediation Monday where we will help you reflect on what is most important in life. So encourage your friends and family to join us and then come along on Monday for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

If you would like to listen to any of the past 927 daily treks or read the associated journals, they are all available at Wisdom-Trek.com. I encourage you to subscribe to Apple Podcast or Google Play so that each day’s trek will be downloaded automatically.

Thank you for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and most of all your friend as I serve you through the Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal.

As we take this trek together, let us always:

I am Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Everyday! See you on Monday!

Thank you for joining us for our five days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. This is Day 927 of our trek, and it is time for a 3-minute mini-trek called Humor Unplugged.

Our Thursday podcast provides a short and clean funny story to help you lighten up and live a rich and satisfying life – something to cheer you and provide a bit of levity in your life.

We are told in Proverbs 15:30, “A cheerful look brings joy to the heart; good news makes for good health.” We are also encouraged in Proverbs 17:22, “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength.” Consider this your vitamin supplement of cheer for today. So let’s jump right in with today’s funny, which is titled…

When I went to get my driver’s license renewed, our local motor-vehicle bureau was packed as usual. I took my number and waited and waited.

The lines inched along for almost an hour until it was finally my turn. By the time I got to the counter, I was not happy. I impatiently went through all the paperwork, got my picture taken, and finally got my license.

As I inspected the photo for a moment I commented to the clerk, “I was standing in line for so long, I ended up looking pretty grouchy in this picture.”

The clerk looked at his picture closely. “It’s okay,” he reassured me, “That’s how you’re going to look when the cops pull you over anyway.”

Sourced at: www.mikeysFunnies.com

I hope that has brought a smile to you for today.

For Thursday’s Thought, we need to learn to be pleasant at all times, as Ephesians 4:31-32 says, “Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior.  Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.”

That’s a wrap for today’s Humor Unplugged. If you enjoy these short stories, let me know so I can continue to bring a bit of cheer to your week.

Just as you enjoy these nuggets of humor, please encourage your friends and family to join us and then come along tomorrow for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

If you would like to listen to any of our past 926 treks or read the Wisdom Journal, they are available at Wisdom-Trek.com. I encourage you to subscribe to Wisdom-Trek on Apple Podcast or Google Play so each day will be downloaded to you automatically.

Thank you for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and most importantly your friend as I serve you through the Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal each day.

As we take this trek together, let us always:

I am Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Everyday! See you tomorrow for Philosophy Friday!