You and AI | Thoughts about God

You and AI

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. Proverbs 1:7

AI-Powered Necklace Will Be Your Friend for $99. “Friend” is a pendant about the size of an Apple Air Tag. Avi Schiffman, the twenty-one-year-old Harvard dropout who invented it, said he created the device at a time when he had “never felt lonelier in my entire life.”

The onboard microphone listens to everything happening around you. Powered by AI, it will answer questions, but also send unprompted messages to engage in conversation and offer encouragement.

In other words, it’s a technological companion to make up for the real thing. Not a day goes by that we don’t use some form of technology. Technology’s influence on our lives stretches back thousands of years to the use of shovels and spears. Whether it’s as simple as a chair or as complex as the systems proposed with brain-computer interfaces, technology is all around. In the last decade or two, we have seen exponential growth in technological innovation. This has led to many asking fundamental questions about how we use technology and what kind of influence it has on our lives.

AI, short for artificial intelligence is the latest exploding on the technology scene. It is big and it is powerful. If AI algorithms are biased or used in a malicious manner — such as in the form of deliberate disinformation campaigns or autonomous lethal weapons — they could cause significant harm toward humans.

While a quick search in a concordance doesn’t yield words like ‘technology,’ ‘artificial intelligence,’ or ‘smartphones,’ Scripture does speak to how we are to live in this world in light of the message of salvation found in Christ Jesus. Technology has always posed difficult ethical and moral issues that are not directly addressed by Scripture. And as much as we want it to, the Bible does not explicitly address how to use or when to avoid certain pieces of technology. However, it does address the moral behavior of Christians in everyday life. The biblical approach to technology is not one of complete withdrawal nor unquestionable embrace.

As technology grows increasingly more complex and powerful each day, it is natural to ask about the moral nature of it. We see the power and influence that our smartphones have on our speech and how they have changed how we interact with one another each day.

As technology grows increasingly more complex and powerful each day, it is natural to ask about the moral nature of it. The Bible doesn’t talk about “intelligence” but it does talk about wisdom, actually in forty-five different verses.

Intelligence in the Bible embodies wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. These elements are seen as interconnected and essential for a virtuous life. Knowledge represents the accumulation of facts and data, whereas understanding underscores the interpretive process.

The Bible never makes blanket statements on whether specific technologies are inherently good or bad, but it does hold Christians to a biblically-grounded morality and engagement with the world around us. We must think wisely about how we use these innovative tools.

by John Grant
used by permission

FURTHER READING

• God is Timeless
• A New Default Setting
• The Benefits of Acquiring Godly Wisdom

Follow Us On:  Facebook  • Twitter  •  Instagram  • Pinterest

The post You and AI can be found at Thoughts about God.

October 9 | Life-Changing Wisdom

Proverbs 2:2

Incline your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding.

Some years ago, I was at a men’s retreat. The speaker issued a challenge to the group, which he said would change our lives: Read one chapter of the Book of Proverbs each day for a year. Since there are thirty-one chapters in Proverbs, reading a chapter a day would equal reading the whole book each month (reading two chapters on one day in the months with only thirty days). Reading the entire Book of Proverbs twelve times in a year, he said, would change our lives.

Well, I accepted his challenge. In fact, I did it more than once. And I remember the incredible impact it had on my life. Almost without fail, I would read a verse in the morning which would have some bearing on an event that took place during that day. The Proverbs of Solomon are the most practical, hands-on truths one could ever hope to find. And to saturate my mind with those truths day after day for a year turned out to be a powerful tonic for my spiritual life.

Anyone who takes seriously the wisdom of the Book of Proverbs will experience these blessings, and many more, as a result.¹

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¹  Jeremiah, D. (2002). Sanctuary: finding moments of refuge in the presence of God (p. 296). Integrity Publishers.

Look at the Book: Ecclesiastes [Infographic] | Bible Gateway News & Knowledge

Look at the Book: Ecclesiastes [Infographic]

Welcome back to Bible Gateway’s weekly Look at the Book series of short blog posts and infographics introducing you to the books of the Bible. The second of Solomon’s trilogy of wisdom books, Ecclesiastes shows a seasoned philosopher taking a hard look at the patterns of life. 

Scroll to the bottom if you’d prefer to see (and save) this article as an infographic. You’ll also find a handy 30-day reading guide. Or, for a challenge, you can do it in one week using the 7-day reading guide below. 

Summary 

Represents the painful autobiography of Solomon who, for much of his life, squandered God’s blessings on his own personal pleasure rather than God’s glory. He wrote to warn subsequent generations not to make the same tragic error. 

• Category: Wisdom 
• Theme: Meaning 
• Timeline: Around 931 BC 
• Written: Traditionally attributed to Solomon 

Key Verse 

“Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind.” — Ecclesiastes 12:13 (NIV) 

This Too Is Vanity 

The Hebrew word translated “vanity” expresses the futile attempt to be satisfied apart from God. Solomon’s experience with the effects of the curse led him to view life as “chasing after the wind.” 

“Vanity” is used 38 times expressing the many things hard to understand about life. 

7 Day Reading Guide 

(See 30-day guide below.) 

• Day 1: Ecclesiastes 1-3 
• Day 2: Ecclesiastes 4-6 
• Day 3: Ecclesiastes 7-9 
• Day 4: Ecclesiastes 10-12 
• Day 5: Song of Songs 1-3 
• Day 6: Song of Songs 4-6 
• Day 7: Song of Songs 7-8 

Eyes on the Prize 

In light of this judgment by God, the only fulfilled life is one lived in proper recognition of God and service to Him. Any other kind of life is frustrating and pointless. 

Access the rest of the series. Browse Bible studies for each book of the Bible. Or right-click on the infographic below to download and save the image for your reference. 

The post Look at the Book: Ecclesiastes [Infographic] appeared first on Bible Gateway News & Knowledge.

October 8 | 1 Kings 11; Philippians 2; Ezekiel 41; Psalms 92–93 (Part 1)

in few places does the word however have more potent force than in 1 Kings 11:1: “King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women.” In those days, the size of a king’s harem was widely considered a reflection of his wealth and power. Solomon married princesses from everywhere, not least, the writer painfully explains, “from nations about which the Lord had told the Israelites, ‘You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods’ ” (11:2).

That is exactly what happened, especially as Solomon grew old (11:3–4). He participated in the worship of foreign gods. To please his wives, he provided shrines, altars, and temples for their deities. Doubtless many Israelites began to participate in this pagan worship. At the very least, many would have their sense of outrage dulled, not least because Solomon was known to be such a wise, resourceful, and successful king. Eventually his pagan idolatry extended to the detestable gods to whom one sacrifices children. Thus Solomon “did evil in the eyes of the Lord; he did not follow the Lord completely, as David his father had done” (11:6). Of course, David himself failed on occasion. But he lapsed from a life of principled devotion to the Lord God, and he repented and returned to the Lord; he did not live in a stream of growing religious compromise like his son and heir to the throne.

The sentence is delivered (11:9–13): after his death, Solomon’s kingdom will be divided, with ten tribes withdrawing, leaving only two for the Davidic dynasty—and even this paltry remainder is conceded only for David’s sake. Had Solomon been another sort of man, he would have repented, sought the Lord’s favor, destroyed all the high places, promoted covenant fidelity. But the sad truth is that Solomon preferred his wives and their opinions to his covenant Lord and his opinion. During the closing years of his reign, Solomon had plenty of signs that God’s protective favor was being withdrawn (11:14–40). Nothing is sadder than Solomon’s futile effort to have Jeroboam killed—evocative of Saul’s attempt to have David killed. But there is no movement, no repentance, no hunger for God.

There are plenty of lessons. Be careful what, and whom, you love. Good beginnings do not guarantee good endings. Heed the warnings of God while there is time; if you don’t, you will eventually become so hardened that even his most dire threats will leave you unmoved. At the canonical level, even the most blessed, protected, and endowed dynasty, chosen from within the Lord’s chosen people, is announcing its end: it will fall apart. Oh, how we need a Savior, a king from heaven!¹

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¹  Carson, D. A. (1998). For the love of God: a daily companion for discovering the riches of God’s Word. (Vol. 1, p. 307). Crossway Books.

October 7 | 1 Kings 10; Philippians 1; Ezekiel 40; Psalm 91 (Part 1)

the visit of the queen of sheba (1 Kings 10) has often been spiced up in books and films until it has become a royal love story. Not a hint of love interest or sex scandal peeps out of the biblical text. The function of the queen of Sheba is to demonstrate by a concrete example that Solomon’s reputation had extended far and wide, and that that reputation was grounded in reality. Some observations on the encounter:

First, at a rather superficial level, this account provides an opportunity to say something about the nature of truth in the Old Testament. Some have argued that the Hebrew word for “truth,” ‘emet, really means “faithfulness” or “reliability,” and that it has to do with relationships and not propositions. Indeed, some argue, Old Testament writers simply do not have a category for true propositions. Like most errors, this one has a modicum of truth (if I may use the word) to it. Certainly ‘emet has a broader range of meaning than the English word truth, and can refer to faithfulness. But words can display faithfulness, too. The queen of Sheba tells Solomon that the report she heard in her own country about his achievements and wisdom was ‘emet: it was “true” (10:6, NIV); more literally, because the report was faithful, i.e., because the propositions conformed to the reality, the report was the truth. Away, then, with a reductionistic analysis of what ancient Hebrews could or could not have known.

Second, much of the chapter provides succinct descriptions of Solomon’s wealth, military muscle, successful trading expeditions in seagoing vessels, musical instruments, and more. Yet space is reserved for several explicitly theological themes. Royalty visited Solomon to listen to his wisdom—and this wisdom God himself had put in his heart (10:24). Indeed, Solomon enjoyed an extraordinary reputation for maintaining justice and righteousness in his kingdom, so much so that the queen of Sheba thought his achievements in this regard demonstrated “the Lord’s eternal love for Israel” (10:9).

But third, all of this is in some ways a setup for the next chapter. Despite all the blessings, wisdom, power, wealth, prestige, and honor that Solomon enjoyed, all received from the hand of God, the sad fact of the matter is that his own conduct was paving the way for judgment and the undoing of the Davidic dynasty. These convoluted developments await tomorrow’s meditation. Here it is enough to reflect on the fact that extraordinary blessings do not necessarily signal faithfulness. Because God is so slow to anger (surely a good thing!), the judgments that our corruptions deserve are often long delayed. Do not be hasty to assume that present blessings signal present fidelity: the terrible fruit of faithlessness may take a long time in coming.¹

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¹  Carson, D. A. (1998). For the love of God: a daily companion for discovering the riches of God’s Word. (Vol. 1, p. 306). Crossway Books.

You and AI | Thoughts about God.

You and AI

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. Proverbs 1:7

AI-Powered Necklace Will Be Your Friend for $99. “Friend” is a pendant about the size of an Apple Air Tag. Avi Schiffman, the twenty-one-year-old Harvard dropout who invented it, said he created the device at a time when he had “never felt lonelier in my entire life.”

The onboard microphone listens to everything happening around you. Powered by AI, it will answer questions, but also send unprompted messages to engage in conversation and offer encouragement.

In other words, it’s a technological companion to make up for the real thing. Not a day goes by that we don’t use some form of technology. Technology’s influence on our lives stretches back thousands of years to the use of shovels and spears. Whether it’s as simple as a chair or as complex as the systems proposed with brain-computer interfaces, technology is all around. In the last decade or two, we have seen exponential growth in technological innovation. This has led to many asking fundamental questions about how we use technology and what kind of influence it has on our lives.

AI, short for artificial intelligence is the latest exploding on the technology scene. It is big and it is powerful. If AI algorithms are biased or used in a malicious manner — such as in the form of deliberate disinformation campaigns or autonomous lethal weapons — they could cause significant harm toward humans.

While a quick search in a concordance doesn’t yield words like ‘technology,’ ‘artificial intelligence,’ or ‘smartphones,’ Scripture does speak to how we are to live in this world in light of the message of salvation found in Christ Jesus. Technology has always posed difficult ethical and moral issues that are not directly addressed by Scripture. And as much as we want it to, the Bible does not explicitly address how to use or when to avoid certain pieces of technology. However, it does address the moral behavior of Christians in everyday life. The biblical approach to technology is not one of complete withdrawal nor unquestionable embrace.

As technology grows increasingly more complex and powerful each day, it is natural to ask about the moral nature of it. We see the power and influence that our smartphones have on our speech and how they have changed how we interact with one another each day.

As technology grows increasingly more complex and powerful each day, it is natural to ask about the moral nature of it. The Bible doesn’t talk about “intelligence” but it does talk about wisdom, actually in forty-five different verses.

Intelligence in the Bible embodies wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. These elements are seen as interconnected and essential for a virtuous life. Knowledge represents the accumulation of facts and data, whereas understanding underscores the interpretive process.

The Bible never makes blanket statements on whether specific technologies are inherently good or bad, but it does hold Christians to a biblically-grounded morality and engagement with the world around us. We must think wisely about how we use these innovative tools.

by John Grant
used by permission

FURTHER READING

• God is Timeless
• A New Default Setting
• The Benefits of Acquiring Godly Wisdom

Follow Us On:  Facebook  • Twitter  •  Instagram  • Pinterest

The post You and AI can be found at Thoughts about God.

October 4 | Reactions to the Cross

Scripture reading: Luke 12:51–53

Key verse: 1 Corinthians 1:8

Who will also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Have you ever noticed how people in general like to discuss issues from an “open-minded” perspective? Some even pride themselves in their ability to consider many viewpoints without being judgmental. But somehow, should the topic of conversation turn to Jesus Christ or His death on the Cross, tempers flare and lines are drawn. Suddenly, some very “open-minded” people become angry and closed. The mere mention of His name can call up responses such as, “Don’t try to push your religion on me.”

Such reactions are not new. Paul explains in 1 Corinthians 1:18–20 (nasb): “For the word of the cross is to those who are perishing foolishness, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the cleverness of the clever I will set aside.’ Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?”

Jesus Himself warned in Luke 12:51–52 (nasb): “Do you suppose that I came to grant peace on earth? I tell you, no, but rather division; for from now on five members in one household will be divided, three against two, and two against three.”

Don’t be surprised by negative reactions to the Cross. Only those who cling to it for salvation can see the wisdom of God expressed through Christ.

Lord, help me to share Your Word regardless of negative reactions of others. Help me to guide others to see Your wisdom expressed through Christ.¹

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¹  Stanley, C. F. (2002). Seeking His face (p. 291). Thomas Nelson Publishers.

Look at the Book: Proverbs [Infographic] | Bible Gateway News & Knowledge

Look at the Book: Proverbs [Infographic]

Welcome back to Bible Gateway’s weekly Look at the Book series of short blog posts and infographics introducing you to the books of the Bible. The first of Solomon’s trilogy of wisdom books, Proverbs compiles many pithy sayings providing guidance for a righteous life. 

Scroll to the bottom if you’d prefer to see (and save) this article as an infographic. You’ll also find a handy 30-day reading guide. Or, for a challenge, you can do it in one week using the 7-day reading guide below. 

Summary 

Proverbs pulls together the most important 513 of the over 3,000 proverbs pondered by Solomon, along with some proverbs of others whom Solomon likely influenced. 

• Category: Wisdom 
• Theme: Wisdom 
• Timeline: Life of Solomon (10^th century BC) 
• Written: Compiled or authored by Solomon; likely assembled in writing by Hezekiah (ca. 700 BC) 

Key Verse 

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” — Proverbs 1:7 (NIV) 

Wisdom and Folly 

The recurring promise of Proverbs is that generally the wise live longer, prosper, experience joy and the goodness of God, while fools suffer shame and death. 

7 Day Reading Guide 

(See 30-day guide below.) 

• Day 1: Proverbs 1-5 
• Day 2: Proverbs 6-9 
• Day 3: Proverbs 10-14 
• Day 4: Proverbs 15-18 
• Day 5: Proverbs 19-23 
• Day 6: Proverbs 24-27 
• Day 7: Proverbs 28-31 

Pay It Forward 

Proverbs is also a pattern for the impartation of truth to the next generation. It contains the principles and applications of Scripture which the godly characters of the Bible illustrate in their lives. 

Access the rest of the series. Browse Bible studies for each book of the Bible. Or right-click on the infographic below to download and save the image for your reference.

The post Look at the Book: Proverbs [Infographic] appeared first on Bible Gateway News & Knowledge.

October 1 | 1 Kings 3; Ephesians 1; Ezekiel 34; Psalms 83–84 (Part 1)

christians sometimes ask why, if Solomon was so wise, he married many wives, ended his reign rather badly, and eventually compromised his loyalty to God.

The answer partly lies in the difference between what we mean by wisdom and the various things the Bible means by wisdom. We usually mean something pretty generic, like “knowing how to live well and make wise choices.” But whereas wisdom in the Bible can refer to something broad—such as knowing how to live in the fear of God—very often it refers to a particular skill. This may be the skill of knowing how to survive in a dangerous world (Prov. 30:24), or some technical know-how (Ex. 28:3). But one of the skills to which wisdom can refer is the skill of administration, not least the administration of justice. And transparently, that is what Solomon asks for in 1 Kings 3.

When he responds to God’s gracious offer to give him anything he asks for, Solomon acknowledges that he is only a little child and does not know how to carry out his duties (3:7). What he wants therefore is a discerning heart to govern the people well, not least in distinguishing between right and wrong (3:9). God praises Solomon because he has not asked for something for himself, nor even something vindictive (such as the death of his enemies), but “for discernment in administering justice” (3:11). God promises to give Solomon exactly what he asked for, along with riches and honor (3:12–13). The account of the two prostitutes each claiming the same live baby and denying that the dead one is hers, and Solomon’s resolution of their case (3:16–27), proves that God answered the king’s request. The entire nation perceives that Solomon has “wisdom from God to administer justice” (3:28). Certainly most Western nations today could do with a few more people similarly endowed.

As much as God praises him for his choice, this does not mean that such wisdom is all that Solomon needs to walk in fidelity to the covenant. Indeed, quite apart from the wisdom, wealth, and honor that he will bestow, God tells him that “if you walk in my ways and obey my statutes and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life” (3:14). But already clouds threaten: to secure his southern border, Solomon marries an Egyptian princess (3:1). Because they are popular, he does not abolish the proscribed “high places,” but participates in worship there (3:2–4).

God sometimes bestows wonderful gifts of wisdom—technical, social, administrative, and judicial skills—but unless we also receive from him a heart attuned to loving him truly and obeying him wholly, our paths may end disastrously.¹

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¹  Carson, D. A. (1998). For the love of God: a daily companion for discovering the riches of God’s Word. (Vol. 1, p. 300). Crossway Books.