Yesterday one of the verses that was given was Proverbs 10:12. I am a KJV lady all the way, it can be a challenge to read at times, but Lord willing (and I think He is), God will continue to help me understand it. I wanted to compare the versions of this verse because it holds so much in one tiny sentence.
Ok, so here we go:
NIV: Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers over all wrongs.
NAS: Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all transgressions.
ESV: Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses.
KJV: Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.
Different versions but God calls it and it’s black and white. Hatred will stir up strife and dissension.
Dissension is defined in the dictionary as:
A disagreement or difference of opinion, especially when leading to open conflict. Dissension.
Strife is defined in the dictionary as:
bitter conflict or rivalry: bitter and sometimes violent conflict, struggle, or rivalry. Strife.
Don’t you love a dictionary. I wonder how many people look up words in their bible so they can have a deeper meaning!
Ok, so it seems the Word is saying that if there is any of this, then hate is involved. We need to ask if we are hating!
LOVE: The dictionary has transitive verbs, and nouns as usage. Some we know won’t mean the love spoke of here because it would contradict other scripture, so here is love as a verb and noun as best as I can understand how to love someone who offends:
v. feel tender affection for somebody
n. very strong affection: an intense feeling of tender affection and compassion
We need to ask if we are LOVING!
Now take the last part of each compared verse. I love that they all were different: Wrongs, transgressions, offenses or sins. We don’t need to define it, we know what it means.
Romans 3:20: because by the works of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.
Now apply it in your situation. Do you hate? Do you love deeply?
What would cause strife or dissension in your heart? We all have it at one time or another. I asked God last night to help me love a non-believer who has done terrible wrongs to my husband. I’m finding it hard to love this person, finding it easier to hate him, and I asked God to show me how to apply His Love. I’m expecting great things with that prayer, not that the transgressor would be changed, but me. We have this tremendous power to love and overlook, and this power is by the grace of God, do you have this grace and power?
A situation where you treat your brethren with dissension or strife will hold as many times a heartache however. I’m seeing this in circles of people and how sad, sad it is. Brethren hold up the family of Christ. There should be no strife between them, there is a way to work it out. Do you have a situation where you can agree that these verses need to be applied and LOVE needs to cover the wrongs?
The deeper study of this verse was eye opening. May the Lord grant grace and mercy in our situations.
Blessings, Theresa