The Whistling Vicuna

Greetings,fans. I know it has been a very long time since I posted, but in my defense, I have been busy! The LORD has granted that I teach our Sunday school class and I have had the opportunity to preach a couple of services. I have also been doing a lot of performances with the music and even gained another gospel hour. My early a.m. work is steady and even picking up slowly, so I maintain a lot of hours there.

Our Sunday school lesson, for the past several months, has been he Doctrine of the Atonement,” written by Pastor Jacob Hiebert, of Scriptural Baptist Church in Peoria, AZ. It covered the atonement from the Old Testament practice and implication to the New Testament application by Jesus Christ. It was very in depth and allowed us to delve deeply into God’s Word.

We recently began a new study, “The Fruit of the Spirit” by Tom Ross, Pastor of Mount Pleasant Baptist Church of Chesapeake, Ohio. Check him out at www.pastortomross.com   He would appreciate it, I’m sure. This study of Spiritual Fruit revolves around Galatians 5:22-23, love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance. I look forward to being blessed in this study.

I am still working on a post, “Maintaining Relevance in the Workplace”. It is going very slowly,as does a lot of my writing. I have several stories (fictional) started and as with a lot of things, needs time to mature. I hope, though, they mature before I pass away!

The garden is in full Arizona fall swing. The herbs are all doing fantastically, we have kale, beets, Brussels sprouts, Roma tomatoes, mustard greens, and three kinds of chili peppers growing. Most will stay active through our mild winter though the basil may die back.

Lastly, thank you all for your kind comments. I do read them all, though not all are posted. I edit for content and web site compatibility. No liquor, gambling, porn ads, etc will ever be posted. But, thanks again for reading The Whistling Vicuna. By the bt, you can friend me at www.facebook.com/whistlingvicuna. No “the”, also at www.myspace.com/kcwestern

God Bless You

TWV

Feast   1 a : an elaborate meal often accompanied by a ceremony or entertainment : banquet   b : something that gives unusual or abundant pleasure   2 : a periodic religious observance commemorating an event or honoring a deity, person, or thing

 CHAG              pronounced khag or khawg   used 51 times    Ex. 10:9

                   From chagag, a festival, or a victim therefore: – (solemn) feast (day), sacrifice, solemnity

CHAGAG        pronounced khaw-gag’   used 4 times    Ex. 5:1

                   From a primitive root meaning to move in a circle, i.e. specifically, to march in a sacred procession, to observe a festival, by implication, to be giddy or dizzy: celebrate, dance, (keep, hold) a (solemn) feast (holiday), reel to and fro

 MISHTEH        pronounced mish-teh’   used 21 times    Gen. 19:3

                    Drink; by implication drinking (the act) also (by implication), a banquet or (generally) feast:-banquet, drank, drink, feast ([-ed], ing).

 Other words used for feast are, LECHEM  (lech’-em) means food (for man or beast), MOWED (mo-ade’) properly, an appointment, i.e. a fixed time or season, specifically, a festival.

 The word CHAG is the one used in Leviticus 23 for listing the FEASTS. It is used in conjunction with MIQRA  (mik-raw’), or holy convocations. Leviticus 23:37 says “These are the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD, a burnt offering, a sacrifice, and drink offerings, everything upon his day.”

 The Feasts instituted by God are:

Passover

Pentecost

Trumpets

Atonement

Tabernacles

 Old Testament Meaning

            Passover God’s freeing of Israel from bondage in Egypt    Ex.12

                            The death of all the firstborn of Egypt

            Pentecost God’s harvest    Lev.23

            Trumpets God’s gathering   Num. 10

            Atonement God’s mercy    Lev.16

            Tabernacles God’s dwelling among men    Lev.23:34

 

 New Testament Meaning

            Passover God giving his life for believers   John 3:16

                            Unbelievers dying in their sins   John 3:18

            Pentecost God’s firstfruits   Acts 2:1-4, Jas. 1:14

            Trumpets God’s jubilant calling home of the saints   ICor.15:52

                            Judgment upon the world    Rev. 8:2, 7, 8, 10, 12, vs.9:1, 13, vs. 10:7, vs.                                   11:15 

            Atonement God’s forgiveness    Rom.5:10-15, 19

            Tabernacles God’s dwelling in men    Acts 2:4, vs. 4:31, vs. 9:17, ICor.6:19, Eph. 5:18

 

 Feast of Passover

 Egypt = world

Lamb = Jesus

Blood = covering/life

Leaven = sin

Israel = church

 

     Exodus 12:1-20

   We find the feast of the Passover described first in the book of Exodus, chapter twelve, where it is called the “Feast of Unleavened Bread” (vs. 17). In vs. 11 it is called the LORD’s Passover. As a rule both terms are used when mentioning or describing this feast. (Exodus 12:8 & 17, Mark 14:12) Passover describes the action of God when He passed over the Israelite houses which had had the blood of the lamb stricken on the two side posts and the upper door post on them. It is a week and a half long feast beginning on the tenth day of the first month of the Jewish sacred calendar, and ending on the twenty-first day.

     The lamb was to be chosen on the tenth day of the month, (vs.3) and as with all sacrifices to the LORD, was to be without blemish. The lamb is a symbol of Jesus Christ as the Lamb of God (John 1:29, Rev. 5:6-8, 12-13), and the blood was shed and applied only once (Rom. 6:8-10, Heb.7:26-27 10:10-12, I Peter 3:18), at the first Passover in Egypt. Subsequent Passovers were a memorial to the first one and should be regarded like the current Lord’s Supper, again, a memorial. The lamb was to be killed on the fourteenth day of the month and was to be eaten in one sitting. It should also be remembered that the Old Testament day started at sundown. (Gen. 1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31, vs., 2:1-2)

    The eating of unleavened bread describes the action of the Israelite in obeying the command of God. Unleavened bread was to be eaten for seven days during the feast, hence the name Feast of Unleavened Bread. No leaven (yeast, soda, etc.) was to even be found in the tents (and later the houses) of the Israelites. Leaven is representative of sin; hence, not partaking of leaven is not partaking of sin. (Matt. 16:6, 11, also Mark 8:15, and Luke 12:1)

    The Israelites were also to eat bitter herbs. The Bitter herbs were representative of the bitterness of bondage. Some say the bitter herbs were lettuces, endives and kales, though in some modern Seders, green onions dipped in vinegar and salt are used. This is reminiscent of the Israelites lamenting and complaining about the lack of flesh to eat in Num.11:4-5. This displeased the LORD greatly, vs. 6-10.

 

 The Feast of Pentecost

Two wave loaves with leaven = #1 Jewish saints   #2 Gentile saints

   Pentecost means fiftieth. In the case of the Feast of Pentecost it was to be fifty days after the final wave offering of the Passover. It was to celebrate the harvest. (Lev. 23:15-16) The feast was to last only one day.  There was to be a burnt offering, a meal offering, and a drink offering (vs. 18) a sin offering, (vs. 19a) a peace offering, (vs 19b) and a wave offering. (vs. 20) In fact, all of the different types of offerings except the trespass offering were to be offered at the Feast of Tabernacles.

    The Feast of Tabernacles was to start after the Israelites, God’s chosen people, had gone into the land. (Lev. 23:9-10) The feast was to commemorate the harvest. In the New Testament, Pentecost shows the empowered church of Jesus going into the world and collecting the “harvest” of God’s called people. (Acts 1:8) That same day 3000 people were added to the church. (Acts 2:41) Jesus stayed with and showed Himself to His people for forty days after his resurrection, then was taken up into Heaven. Forty seems to be a number of preparation and completion. It rained upon the earth forty days and nights when God brought the flood. (Gen. 7:12) Moses was before God forty days twice. (Ex. 24:18 & Ex. 34:28) The spies spied out the land for forty days. (Num. 13:25) The Israelites wandered for forty years. (Num. 14:34) Jesus spent forty days in the wilderness fasting and being tempted for forty days. (Mt. 4:2, Mk 1:13 and Lu. 4:2)

    Ten days after Jesus rose was the Pentecost. God had prepared not only the apostles and disciples but the men dwelling in Jerusalem for the feast. Much is spoken about the “tongues” being spoken by the disciples, but little or no mention is made of the ones “dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. (Acts 2:5) God’s preparation of them is seen in verse 6-8. The lesson is clear. God speaks through His word, His bible. He prepares us, His called, to hear His word. To those not called (vs. 13) His word is not understood. The words can be read, but unless God has drawn one to the Son, they are just words on a page, not the Word of God.

     It is proper and right for God’s people to celebrate together in fellowship, to feast with each other, and to invite others to as a witness to God’s care and mercy to his church. (Lu. 14:13, 15-24)

 The Feast of Trumpets

 Trumpets in the Old Testament

Trumpets were blown for; assembly, alarm, journeying, war, days of gladness and days of solemnity, and over burnt offerings and peace offerings.

Trumpets were sounded as a memorial to God (Num. 10:1-10)

 There are four words in the Old Testament that are used for trumpet or trumpets.

They are;

   CHATSOTS(e)RAH   Trumpet(er)

   YOWBEL (yo-bale)    A silver trumpet, or the sound of it

   SHOPHAR                  Typically a rams horn or a curved horn

   TAQA’                         To blow a trumpet

 The Feast of Trumpets is a fall feast commencing on the first day of the seventh month of the Jewish sacred calendar, Tishri. This year, 2009, it begins at sundown on September eighteenth   and lasts only the one day, until evening on the nineteenth. Lev.23:24-25 describes the feast as a sabbath and a memorial. The feast precludes the Day of Atonement on the tenth day of the month and the Festival of Booths on the fifteenth. The memorial Feast of Trumpets is to call to remembrance God’s mercy in bringing His chosen people out of the land of Egypt. It is also a call to remember God’s caring for the Israelites during the forty years wandering. The month, Tishri, is also the month which begins the Jewish civil year, and has become a time of celebration. There was to be a special offering made by fire (burnt offering) in addition to the regular sabbath day offerings

    II Kings 11:1-21 picture or type of the revelation

   This passage in the Old Testament can be used to show a relationship between the Old and New Testaments and to show the importance of trumpets in civil and religious causes.

 There are two words that are related used in the New Testament for trumpet or trumpets.

They are;

   SALPIZO (sal-pidzo)  Used only in Mt.6:2  To sound a blast

   SALPIGX (sal-pinx)    All other uses in the New Testament

 Trumpets in the New Testament

Trumpets were abused in Jesus’ day (Mt. 6:2)

For the calling (assembly) of the saints (I Cor. 15:52)

To describe the voice of God (Heb. 12:19 sub-reference Ex. 19:16, Rev. 1:10, Rev 4:10)

To initiate the seven Trumpet Judgments (Rev. 8, 9, & 11)

The Feast of Trumpets ultimately commemorates the ascension of Jesus Christ as Lord of all (Rev. 11:15)

     The Feast of Trumpets is not mentioned in the New Testament. The significance of trumpets is really brought out in the Book of the Revelation of John. The trumpets sound the judgment of God upon the earth until finally the seventh Trumpet sounds the triumph of God and Jesus receiving back the kingdoms of the world (kosmos).

 

            The question, then, begs to be asked, “Were there any people who haven’t compromised?” And, “Are there any good reasons to NOT compromise?” Let’s look at the biblical record.

            Noah “found grace in the eyes of the LORD.” (Gen. 6:8) Noah, according to God, “was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God. (Gen. 6:9) God commanded Noah to build an ark (from an Hebrew word, te-bah, a box) large enough to carry many animals and Noah’s family. The book of Hebrews (Heb. 11:7) states that Noah was obedient to the command of God in building the ark, becoming “heir of the righteousness which is by faith. II Peter 2:5 states that Noah was “a preacher of righteousness,” or a herald of Divine Truth. Noah not only built the ark, but warned his neighbors of the doom to come. One can only imagine the worldly taunts that Noah suffered, yet he remained resolute and uncompromising in his faith in the word of God and becomes, as I Peter 3:21 says, “ The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.” In other words, Noah’s experience with the ark is a picture not only of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, but is also the picture of faith IN the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus (the Gospel) wherein we, too, become the joint-heirs with Christ (Rom.8:17).

            (Dan. 1:8-16) Daniel “purposed in his heart” to follow the will of God. (Dan.1:8) Daniel’s faith in God and His precepts would bring him to the attention of many great men. The first of these was the prince of the eunuchs. (vs. 9) Daniel proved the LORD in his diet, refusing the king’s meat. (Vs. 10-16)

            (Vs.17-21) The next great person was king Nebuchadnezzar, in a meeting after their Babylonian education. God had blessed these children of Israel especially (vs. 9) and gave them wisdom and understanding. The Bible is very clear that God is the giver of wisdom (Ex. 28:3, the first biblical mention of “wisdom”, Ex. 31:1-5, 31:6, etc.) Solomon, especially, knew the fount of wisdom sprung from the LORD.(II Chron. 1:7-12)

            Daniel is again called by God to receive His blessing in the matter of Nebuchadnezzar’s first dream. (Dan.2:1-3) The king, forgetting the dream but knowing the fear of it, calls for the sorcerers, magicians and the Chaldeans. The Chaldeans ask the king to tell them the dream so they can interpret it. (vs. 4-9)  In verses 10 and 11, the Chaldeans, like all slight-of-handers, fear for their lives when asked to do that which they truly cannot do. Only God knows what is and what will be, and only He can or will reveal it to people.  Nebuchadnezzar, of course, gets angry (vs.12-13). Oddly, the command includes Daniel and his fellows to be slain, for though they were wise men, having Godly wisdom, they didn’t appear to be present at the meeting. It was God’s providence that caused it, of course, for God had a plan to elevate Daniel and his friends to high places in the king’s government.

            Daniel asks leave to see the king then sets himself and his friends to pray for the secret of the dream. (vs.14-18) God reveals the dream to Daniel in a night vision and Daniel blesses and praises the Lord. (vs. 19-23) Daniel gives ALL glory to God as the revealer of secrets (vs.27-28) and Daniel again asserts that he has no wisdom but what is given by God. (vs.30) Daniel then tells Nebuchadnezzar what the dream was (remember, this is a couple of days after the king dreams) then tells the interpretation of it. God had told of the kingdoms coming and that “in the days of these kings,” (those of iron mixed with miry clay), “shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.” (vs. 43) The reward to Daniel from God is that Nebuchadnezzar “made Daniel a great man, and gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon.” (vs. 48) And not just Daniel was rewarded for his uncompromising faith, his friends were too. (vs. 49) 

            In chapter 3 of Daniel, we learn of the uncompromising faith Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, commonly known as Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. Here, Nebuchadnezzar makes an image of gold (Vs. 1) and causes the people of the land to worship it or die. (vs. 4-6) Remember that in chapter 2, Nebuchadnezzar declares that the God of Daniel was God. (Dan.2:47) In an effort to regain their former glory as the king’s wise men, some of the Chaldeans came and told the king that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were not worshipping the image. (vs. 8-12) Nebuchadnezzar flies into a rage and orders the three Jews into his presence to question them. Their answer to him shows the uncompromising faith they hold. As they say, “we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.” They didn’t even have to think about the answer they would give, having already “purposed in their hearts”, what they would do. (vs. 13-18) Nebuchadnezzar then commands that they be killed right then. (vs. 19-23) The three men are here rewarded for their faith. Not only does God save them from the fire, He walks with them through the fire! Nebuchadnezzar is witness to this act of God and is astonied. (vs. 24-25) He calls for the three to come forth out of the fire, which they do. (vs. 26) Then, as the “princes, governors, and captains, and the king’s counselors” gather  to witness God’s protection of the men, Nebuchadnezzar, again, praises the LORD. (vs. 28-29) The king then promotes Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah in the province of Babylon.

            This particular passage illustrates both the danger of compromise and the blessing of non-compromise. Nebuchadnezzar had previously experienced the blessing of God, and was moved to proclaim God as the God of gods. However, Nebuchadnezzar was not a believer nor called or chosen of God. God used him for His purposes like He used Pharaoh, for Gods own glory. Because of his unbelief, he allows himself to be compromised by the Chaldeans to the end of slaying the Jews and then God shows His power in saving the Jews. This is a type or illustration of the tribulation to come.

 

 

            Let’s turn our attention to the New Testament. In Acts 4, we find Peter and John being arrested for doing the will of God. This was immediately after the healing of the lame man at Solomon’s porch. In Acts 3:12, Peter gives answer to the people who were witnesses of the healing. Peter goes on to express the gospel from vs.13-26, to the end of the chapter. Then, in chapter 4, the priests, captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came upon them and “being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection of the dead.” (Acts 4:1-2)  As the men are questioned, Peter is filled with the Holy Ghost, and gives answer to the court. (vs. 8-12)  Peter and John’s uncompromising faith not only kept them safe, but they had opportunity to witness to the Jews “rulers and elders, and scribes and Annas the high priest, and Caiphas and John and Alexander and as many as were of the kindred of the high priest…” (vs. 5-6) Peter and John finally give the testament of the non-compromiser in verses 19 and 20, “But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” The world will always reject not just God but the counsel of God, His word, and the Word, Jesus Christ. (vs 21)                         There are many other illustration of the blessings of uncompromising faith in the Bible. An example is Stephen and his accusers who eventually stoned him to death. Where is the blessing there you ask? Stephen is allowed to preach to the Jewish council. (Acts 6:9-15 and 7:1-53) Stephen is shown a vision of heaven (vs. 55-56) and is then received into heaven by Jesus. (vs. 59) Paul, who as Saul consented to Stephen’s death, after his salvation was uncompromising in his faith. He was used by the Holy Spirit to write fourteen of the books of the New Testament, to intensify the ministry, and outreach to the gentile nations, to have hand at starting many churches throughout the then known world, was given the gospel by Jesus Himself (Gal. 1:11-12)

 

            Modern Christians are not exempt of the blessing of God for uncompromising faith. The Sermon on the Mount tells of the blessings for faith. (Matt. 5) Jesus prayed for us that we would be justified, sanctified and glorified for God’s glory through Jesus. (John 17:18-24)  The faithful Christian is promised a crown of life, (James 1:12 Rev. 2:10) a crown of glory for being a faithful pastor, (I peter 5:3-4) a crown of righteousness to those that love His appearing, (II Timothy 4:8) a crown of rejoicing for those who would “walk worthy”, (I Thess. 2:12, 19) and an incorruptible crown for those who strive for His appearing. (I Cor. 9:23-26)

            For and ending of the lesson we’ll turn to Ecclesiastes 12:13-14, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.”

Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary;

 Compromise noun 1 a: settlement of differences by arbitration or by   consent reached by mutual concessions

  b: something blending qualities of two different things

   2: a concession to something derogatory or prejudicial

 Compromise verb  1 obs to bind by mutual agreement

  2:  to adjust or settle by mutual concessions

   3: to expose to discredit or mischief

    vi     1 : to come to agreement by mutual concession

 2: to make a shameful or disreputable concession

 The Merriam-Webster Thesaurus;

 Compromise noun a settlement reached by mutual concession

  syn composition

  rel   golden mean, mean, middle ground, middle way;

     agreement, compact, contract, pact;

      arrangement, bargain, understanding

 Compromise verb    syn see endanger

  rel  blast, blight, mar, queer, ruin, spoil

  idiom cook one’s goose, play havoc (or hob) with,                                                    settle one’s hash

            Ideally, compromise is an agreement between to parties of mutual ethos and ethic that seeks equity of understanding or purpose. An example would be two farmers having each a field. One farmer might approach the other with a compromise. Your field, he says, is closer to my barn. My field is more productive than yours. I would like to exchange my productive field for your close field. The other farmer might say no, or, he might think to himself, I need a more productive field to feed my family which is larger than his. He is older than I and needs to work closer to his barn, so he says ‘yes.’ This is the ideal compromise. Each farmer GAINS something which will benefit him, his family, his employees, etc.

            In actuality, compromise tends to strengthen a weaker standing and weaken a stronger. An example might go thus;

            Rate evil and good on a scale of one to ten, evil being 1 and good being 10.

 _______________________________________

   evil 1          2          3            4           5          6         7         8        9        10  good

 

            Evil says to good, you are too good, and I’m too evil. Go to, let us make us a compromise. You drop two points down the scale and I’ll rise two points up the scale. Isn’t that reasonable? Good, being good, thinks, well, If I can get evil to be a little less evil, this compromise will be worth it. Ok, says Good, let’s compromise.

                    _____________________________

            evil  3            4             5             6            7           8  good

 

            Good has good intentions. His aim was to lessen the power of evil, and to that aim, felt that giving up some good power was worth it. After all, there’s still a lot of good about, all the way up to 8, and look, evil is all the way up to 3. The primary fallacy of this thought is that good goes all the way UP to 8, not down from 10, turning that negative into a ‘false’ positive.

            The secondary fallacy of this thought needs explication. Good, by nature, is good. Evil, by nature, is evil. Good will try to work with the situation of evil3/good8, and will be content, thinking that evil will be content with evil3/good8. Evil, being evil of course, will always go back to the starting point of one.

                      _____________________________________                                                                 

            evil  1           2           3           4           5           6           7           8  good

 

            It might be in the nature of good to complain that evil is cheating, but good would never think of doing such a thing and stays at 8. In fact, 8 seems to be working out pretty good. A little more freedom, a little more fun. Pretty soon evil begins complaining that good is too good still, so if I, evil, will raise two point up the scale, and you can come down the scale ONE point. That’s fair, isn’t it? two for one?        

            Compromise will always be detrimental to the compromiser. This can be applied to any situation that can be imagined. I want to sell my dollar for a dollar. If you sell me two of them, I’ll give you  a dollar and eighty cents. The compromiser always loses.

            Are there biblical illustrations of compromisers? Certainly.  From the beginning:

                        Gen. 3:4 Eve and Adam, “You won’t surely die.”

                        Gen. 29:21-30 Jacob duped (?) into marrying Leah and Rachel.

                        Gen. 34:1-31 The inhabitants of Shalem after Shechem defiled                               Dinah, Jacobs Daughter.

                        Ex. 7:10 – 12:30 The Plagues upon Egypt

            Countless, countless times throughout the biblical record compromise has proved the undoing of someone. And countless times throughout American history compromise has compromised the nation. Think of the Missouri Compromise of 1820. Designed to bring an equity of free and slave states, it not only institutionalized slavery in places that didn’t necessarily want it, it eventually became a major cause of the War of Northern Aggression.

            In an April 1820 letter to John Holmes of Massachusetts, President Thomas Jefferson had this to say of the Missouri Compromise-

“…but this momentous question, like a fire bell in the night, awakened and filled me with terror. I considered it at once as the knell of the Union. It is hushed indeed for the moment, but this is a reprieve only, not a final sentence. A geographical line, coinciding with a marked principle, moral and political, once conceived and held up to the angry passions of men, will never be obliterated; and every new irritation will mark it deeper and deeper.” – believing it to be the harbinger of death for the Union of States.

            For a conclusion we can look at Judas Iscariot. The Bible does not say when he joined himself to Jesus, only that Jesus chose him with eleven others (Luke 6:13-16) to be one of the apostles, though He knew that Judas would betray Him. (John 6:64)

            Matthew 26:14-16 shows how Judas went to the chief priests, seeking to betray Jesus. Matt. 26:25 shows the lie of Judas who, knowing that the Lord could and did discern the thoughts and motives of the heart, lied anyway. Matt. 26:45-50 shows the betrayal. Matt. 27:3-10 tells of the end of Judas, but the compromise in not yet done. Matthew, 28:11-15, shows how the Jews and gentiles conspired and compromised together as they had in the death of Jesus, to deceive the people of the resurrection of Jesus.

            Compromise among fallen Man is rarely, if ever, beneficial, but that same fallen nature strives for compromise. Proverbs 6:1-2 tells the tale of compromise. “My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger, Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.”