I’d love to go overnight camping. I haven’t had the chance to yet but I spend so much time in the mountains it’s only a matter of time. It’s fun to be out in nature. When you camp, you take as little with you as possible because the more you take the heavier your pack. You take just want you need. Since I’m a smaller woman, I really have to be mindful of my pack so it doesn’t completely weigh me down and I can make it to my destination. So, the less stuff the better. Plus, who needs all the extra stuff when you will have the beauty of nature to behold!? The answer is clear – you don’t need it.
Now, compare that to our homes. We have stuff – way more stuff than we need. Some even pay for extra storage places.
So, my home is heavy compared to the lightness of my pack because it’s my permanent dwelling place. It’s my home so all the things I need and don’t need for life are there. I don’t have to carry it around with me everywhere I go. It is my “home base.”
Now, think about the differences between houses and tents when you consider Solomon’s proverb. “The house of the wicked will be destroyed, but the tent of the upright will flourish.” It really stood out to be these morning. What is Solomon really driving at here?
In my opinion he is saying more than just the wicked will be destroyed while the upright will flourish. I think this proverb gives us a clue as to why by the wording he uses.
The wicked have houses. They consider this world their home base. But the upright, they have tents. They do not consider this world home. They understand they are only here for a little while. And that their home base is somewhere else.
This is the fundamental difference between the wicked and the righteous. One sees this world as their home; the other sees it has their temporary location. The underlying differences in this world view informs everything about both groups. One lives for self and for the moment. One accumulates stuff for this world. The other lives for God and for their future home. The other carries only what he/she needs because they know heaven’s beauty will be grander than anything this world has to offer.
Because of this difference, Solomon teaches us that ultimately the houses of the wicked will be destroyed but the tents of the righteous will one day flourish. Why? Because one sees this world has his home, while the other is just a traveler.
So, how do you see your life here? Are you building a house? Or, are you carrying your tent?
Adonai's Appeal 