Running wild ∙∙

Running wild ∙∙

When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild. – Proverbs 29:18

Exodus 32:19-35

9 When they came near the camp, Moses saw the calf and the dancing, and he burned with anger. He threw the stone tablets to the ground, smashing them at the foot of the mountain.
20 He took the calf they had made and burned it. Then he ground it into powder, threw it into the water, and forced the people to drink it.
21 Finally, he turned to Aaron and demanded, “What did these people do to you to make you bring such terrible sin upon them?”

24 So I told them, ‘Whoever has gold jewelry, take it off.’ When they brought it to me, I simply threw it into the fire – and out came this calf!”
25 Moses saw that Aaron had let the people get completely out of control, much to the amusement of their enemies.

30 The next day, Moses said to the people, “You have committed a terrible sin, but I will go back up to the LORD on the mountain. Perhaps I will be able to obtain forgiveness for your sin.”

35 Then the LORD sent a great plague upon the people because they had worshiped the calf Aaron had made.

How do we genuinely acquire knowledge and gain a deeper understanding of the world around us?

Throughout history, people have relied on three key methods of learning: experience (empiricism), reasoning (rationalism), and revelation.

Empiricism teaches that knowledge comes from sensory experience—what we observe, feel, and perceive. Rationalism emphasizes logic, thought, and reflection as the foundation of understanding. Both methods have led to remarkable discoveries, yet they are bound by human limitations.

But could there be knowledge beyond what experience and reasoning can uncover? The answer is yes. God, who exists beyond human reality and limits, offers us a deeper source of understanding through revelation. When we enter into a relationship with Him, His Word opens a new realm of truth that goes beyond what we could discover on our own.

Biblical answers many of life’s biggest questions. It informs us of things we cannot know in any other way. It provides answers unobtainable through rationalism and empiricism. Is there really a God? What is God like? Why is there evil in the world? What is the Father’s provision for it? What is the nature and source of human sin? Why did the Lord Jesus Christ die? Why was He resurrected? What does the future hold, and how does history end? Such information is beyond human discovery. These truths are not accessible otherwise.

The Father exists apart and separate from the limited reality of people. Human capabilities are finite; the Father has no such limitation. Much of what man has “discovered” was actually revealed in the Scriptures thousands of years ago.

For instance, modern science affirms that the universe had a beginning. This is referred to as the Big Bang. This concept was revealed in Scripture in the first line of Genesis: “In the Beginning.”

Many people today dismiss the biblical revelation as a reliable source of knowledge, considering it outdated. For some, their disbelief in God rules out the possibility of supernatural revelation altogether. However, the Scriptures caution against rejecting this vital source of truth:

Proverbs 29:18 “Where there is no prophetic vision, the people cast off restraint.”

By neglecting revelation, we risk missing answers that only God can provide. Are you willing to explore the knowledge He generously offers?

REFLECT & PRAY

The times I’ve chosen my own way and done what was right in my own eyes and abandoned the truth of the Father’s revelation is embarrassingly high.

Father, help me take Your truth seriously. Make it the foundation of my beliefs and guide my actions.

INSIGHT

In Proverbs 29:18, the Hebrew word translated as vision is chazon. Chazon may be translated as “revelation,” “prophetic vision,” or “divine guidance.” It refers to the “wisdom to see beyond the present” or the “ability to foresee or anticipate the future.”

The Hebrew word translated as cast off restraint is para. Para means to “neglect,” “let go,” “let loose,” or “throw off authority.” It is used in the passive form in Hebrew and means to “lack restraint.” Without God’s vision, “we risk losing direction and restraint in our lives” (UBS).

Judges 21:25 captures this vividly: “In those days, there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” Similarly, Ecclesiastes 8:11 warns, “When a crime is not punished quickly, people feel it is safe to do wrong.”

When we depart from the Father and His truth, we often fall into anarchy and run wild. What happens when a society rejects God’s revelation, and everyone does as they see fit? You get a culture that looks much like 21st-century America (Stanley).

Can modern culture truly achieve harmony, balance, and restraint without absolute truth? Without a firm foundation of absolute truth, things are constantly shifting, unsettled, uncertain, and adrift. The social compact of civilization breaks down. We do what is right in our own eyes without regard for any higher authority or truth.

Choices have consequences, and poor choices have disastrous consequences. There are often unintended and unanticipated outcomes of bad decisions. Such consequences are often far worse than the choices themselves. Conduct that appears to be safe and appropriate can wind up being a disaster.

Proverbs 16:25 warns, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.”

In the Hebrew text, the metaphor is more vividly expressed: There is a way that seems right before a man, but at its end are ways of death. “A man stands at the beginning of a road, and it looks fine to him; but when he comes to an end, he discovers death lies before him no matter which way he turns” (UBS).

While God’s grace forgives our sins when we repent and approach Him in faith, He doesn’t always shield us from the consequences of our actions (Stanley).

Poor decisions often promise fleeting happiness, power, or fulfillment, yet they fail to offer lasting peace. Earthly achievements and possessions do not accompany us into eternity.

What truly matters isn’t what we gather or accomplish in this life but the eternal choices we make. Without the anchor of absolute truth, we risk drifting into decisions that lead to regret, ruin, and emptiness. Will we choose the path that seems right—or the one that truly is?

May we seek God’s guidance, allowing His truth to shape our choices and keep us walking on the right path.

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© Dr. H 2025