Keeping.

the Vision
"Where there is no vision, the people are un.restratned, but happy is he who keeps
the law." 29:18)
proverb is clear enough, once we underStand what Solomon meant by .
"vision;" The parallelism in this verse u.s the Hebrew poetry is often
comprised. of couplets of sentences which clarify or contrctst each other. In this verse
. "vision" parallels "law." In the Old Testament a was a means of divine _
revelation. J'he "law" the divine revelation. So the proverb means: withOut a.
direct revelation from God concerning his will' for us now and in the future, a
people, nation, conuminity or society will be unrestrained and ungovernable, and
will perish. A society maintain order, peace. and prosperity unless it is
. ' founded on the revelation of God's will in his 'ilaw," whether that society is a
faniily, church or nation.
. Furthennore, merely being in possession of a copy of that divine revelation, or
even taking pride in the possession of that divine revelation, or loudly professing to
believe that divine revelation is not sufficient to keep the people from being ungov-
and from perishing. If a people is going to be "h;tppy," i.e., blessed of God,
then tl).e "vision," i.e., "the law," must be."kept'' "Happy is he keeps the law."
If we, as church leaders, are to promOt:e life, health, and peace in our societies, we
diligendy le.ad the way in "KEEPING- THE VISION," i.e., the revelation of
God's will for 'the future. Keeping the visiOn involves twothings: (1). Faith in the
Vision; and (2). FaithfulnesS to the Vision.
KEEPING TIIE VISIONREQUIRESFAITH IN TilE VISION. By God's grace, .
we must sincerely believe in, trust in, lllld rely upon the Covenant promises of God
revealed in the Bible for the future of God's people in Christ. We must rely on
them, and allow them to shape our view of and response to the present and the fu-
ture. We must walk by faith not by sight, i.e., we must detert'l$e what we are
going to believe about the present ancl. the future from the Bible, and not from what
we see around us. We must pray that God would keep faith strong in him and in
the vision. of totally fulfilled covenant promises .on earth and in heaven by the
power of Christ's triumphant KINGDOM.
' '
KEEPII'TG THE VISION REQUIRES FAirnFuLNEss TO TIIE VISION.
What we believe in we must be faithful to; Faith in Christ produces obedience to
Christ, John 3:36. We must understand the revelation of biblical law to the accom-
plishment of the Vision of the Covenant and of the Kingdom. The Sovereign God
accomplishes the Vision ofhis Covenant and Kingdom oil earth through his i>eople
as they are faithful to his biblical revelation in every area of their .lives. His pro-
mises are fulfilled in their lives as they belielie in I esu.S, imd manifest that faith by
obeying his law. Biblical law is a plan, strategy, and blueprint fbrdorninion wider
God. Biblical law fulfilled by love is the tracks on wbjch the promise of the Vision
nms. Everything in our lives must be dedicated tO the realization of the Vision.
. . . . . . .
-Joe.Morecraft, III
The Counsel of Chalcedon May, 1989 2