Bind them continually on your heart; Tie them around your neck. When you walk about, they will guide you; When you sleep, they will watch over you; And when you awake, they will talk to you. Proverbs 6:21-22
There is such a blessing that comes from the teaching of Godly parents. They can bless us so much - if - we do not blow it by not taking what they say to us seriously. This is why Solomon told us in this proverb that we need to take these things and bind them on our hearts and tie them around our necks. This admonition to keep these teachings and truths on our heart and around our neck are both pictures of giving them a high place in our lives. This same admonition is given in Proverbs 1:8 about a parent's teaching - as well as in Proverbs 3:3 where it speaks about what we should do with kindness and truth in our lives. There are some things that we need to value as highly as possible. One of those things is the teaching of a godly father and mother. We are told in verse 22 that if we do this we will have a protection service that will function in our lives. We are told first that as we walk about these things will guide us. Consider how often you would be guided if you took the advice of a very godly set of parents. I can think of at least several serious disasters and problems I would not have if I had followed my father's advice on some financial matters. This is why, as parents, we need to be sure to teach our children the Scriptures and use them as the wisdom that we pass on to them. The wisdom of God's Word would guide our children everywhere that they go! The second blessing mentioned here is that as we sleep, these teachings and truths will watch over us. The word for "watch over" here is the Hebrew word "shamar" which means to watch over so as to protect. Whether you realize it or not, decisions you make are working either for or against you even as you sleep. Consider a financial decision to make a foolish investment. This investment is working even when you are asleep either to earn money or to watch it drop in value. In much the same way, decisions for godliness are working for us - even as we sleep. Following the godly advice of our parents will be working for us even as we are sleeping in our beds. Associations with others that might harm us - stopped by following godly advice. Decisions to invest in education - in a godly work ethic - to marry the right person - to live for the things of the Lord - all working marvelously for us every day we are alives. The final blessing mentioned here is that as we wake up - these things will be speaking to us. I remember a friend who has a godly mother who said to me that some of the things she hears that bless her - usually come in the sound of her mother's voice in her head. That is the value of what a parent teaches to a child when they take the time to teach them the Word of God. There are times we will hear them at a crossroads decision - and their counsel will be sweet to us. That is why we need to value you it like we would value some of our most prize possessions. Just a note as we come to the close of this particular proverb. As this proverb is true of a parent's teaching - it is even more true about the teaching and training of our heavenly father. His Word will bless us in the very same way - except with eternal blessings. How we need to heed Colossians and let that Word dwell "RICHLY" in our hearts. If we do - we will have God's Word lead us, watch over us, and speak to us all day long. What a blessing!
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"By me kings reign, And rulers decree justice. "By me princes rule, and nobles, All who judge rightly. Proverbs 8:15-16
Wisdom is the thing that rulers need more than anything else. That is what we get when we read today's proverb of the day. In the midst of speaking of all the things that wisdom does for us - God includes that it is by wisdom that kings reign and rulers do what is right. What is interesting about this passage is that it assumes that a king or ruler will do what is right. That is not exactly an assumption that we share today. Any authority that a king, ruler, prince, or noble has is what is called "derived" authority. They do not get their authority inherently, but receive it from God when they become a leader. This is something that is so important for us to remember. In years gone by kings would speak of how they rule by divine right. This was because the Scriptures teach us that there is no authority except from God - and all the authorities in this world are where they are only because God allows it. Unfortunately, the kings who said this said it because they wanted an absolute authority by which they could command their subjects to be submissive to them. They could have cared less about their people - what was important to them was their power. God, though, sees things differently. It is by God's wisdom that kings and rulers should decide issues of justice. It it by God's wisdom that princes and nobles decree justice. Thus, in the end, the authority that God gives to a ruler is to be used to ensure that justice and righteousness reign in that society. In the end, God makes it clear that all the authority that these rulers have - is to be used to decree justice - and to judge rightly. what a different way of thinking - and yet it is not foreign to those of us who study the Scriptures. All throughout the Bible we see that ever since the fall of man the world has been turned upside down. Mankind thinks all things are about man - but the reality is that all things are about God and His glory. When we turn from that - and have rulers who do not decree justice and do not live for God's righteousness - we have a mess. God desires to have all human leaders filled with His wisdom and understanding. He desires for them to make just and righteous decisions. That means He desires for them to rule according to His righteousness - and to establish His law in the hearts of men. He calls them to "judge rightly," and when He says this, He means that they judge according to His ways and according to His Word. Wisdom tells us that when a king rules as he ought to, he does so according to wisdom. When a ruler or a prince does what he should in governmental affairs - he is doing it God's way. I realize that if we were to say that today - many would have a stroke and would cry out that this is contrary to the separation of church and state that is in the constitution. But then again that would just reveal their ignorance first, because no such separation exists in the actual constitution, and it would reveal their spiritual ignorance second, because THE ONE THING that we must have as a nation is God's favor. A ruler who wants to rule by his own thinking and his own wisdom is not going to have the favor of God on his life - and by that fact - we won't have the favor of God upon our nation. That is why for me - one thing I look for in a leader is whether he is willing to speak positively about the Bible - and whether he looks to it for wisdom in leading our city, state, or nation. A man will be praised according to his insight, But one of perverse mind will be despised. Proverbs 12:8
Good godly Biblical-sense beats out common-sense every day. But what is interesting is that often common-sense, which we too often take for granted, comes from Biblical-sense. We read here that a man will be praised according to his insight. This word "insight" is a great Bible word. The word means to be intelligent and have good sense. But this is an intelligence that means more than just a mere book knowledge on a certain subject. It means an insight and understanding that is the gift of God. We obtain it as we seek God and seek to know God through the way He has revealed Himself through His Word - the Bible. This is why I stated at the beginning of today's post that common-sense actually arises out of Biblical-sense. Since studying Proverbs in depth I've noticed that the counsel that I offer to others has been radically affected. Rather than offer my own fallible insights and thoughts - I quote from Proverbs and Scripture as a source of counsel. By the way, this means it is no longer my counsel - but God's Word. A second "by the way" is in order too. A good counsellor is not always one with a degree or a certificate - but one with a good working knowledge of God's Word and how it speaks to every issue of life. Sorry for the digression, I'll get back to the point. People want that kind of counsel - and they say to me that I have great insight into their problems and situations. When this is said, I laugh and let them know that without the Scriptures I'm as dumb as a stump. Any profit they receive is because of God's grace and the way that "Biblical-sense" has affected my "common-sense." When a man is praised becuase of his insight - it is often due to the fact that He is studying and seeking to apply Scripture to life. My favorite people are my brothers and sisters who are in their 70's and 80's who have studied and sought to live out God's Word their entire adult lives. They are a treasure chest of wisdom and instruction, rebuke and correction, counsel and encouragement, knowledge and discernment. But there is another person out their offering their opinion and counsel. It is the one of "perverse mind." The word "perverse" here means to bend or to twist. It speaks of those who distort things and make them perverse and crooked. This one will be despised according to Proverbs. When we see where their counsel leads us we will hate their advice. The problem is that too often those of "perverse mind" are exalted in our culture. They are the ones who make movies and television shows that exalt sexual impurity. They tell us that a sexually immoral lifestyle is the bomb! We need to try it out and embrace the sexual revolution. What they don't tell us in their movie portrayals is the truth about sexually transmitted diseases, the truth about broken relationships and broken marriages. They speak of the pleasure without the payment - the joy without the judgment. When we finally learn where their perverse counsel has led us - we despise them for it and feel like we've been burned (because we have!). Don't seek out the counsel of the "perverse of mind." Be careful of the way you allow the culture and the world to color your thinking. We don't say it often enough in the church today, but the culture in which we live is a perverse and godless one. When we allow the print media and what is sent out over the airwaves to instruct us (and realize that they usually instruct us through what they call "entertainment") we are being taught by the perverse in mind and heart. Find those who have insight! Search out and locate those who have "Biblical-sense." Their counsel may hurt a little at first (especially if you've spent too much time among the perverse of mind) but in the end you will praise them for their insight and counsel. Don't be surprised though if they blush and defer all praise to the One Who gave us the revelation of Himself in the Bible. In the end, He is actually the One Who has all the wisdom and great insight. But that is because He is God! To understand a proverb and a figure, The words of the wise and their riddles. Proverbs 1:6
Here we have another of the purposes for the book of Proverbs. Solomon tells us that part of the reason for this book is to help us with understanding four ways that wisdom will be communicated to us throughout this book. First we see it is to understand "a proverb." The word for proverb here is "masal." It means a short, pithy saying, a prophetic utterance usually in the form of comparisons. If we are going to learn wisdom from this book, we will need to approach it as a collection of sayings that will be comparisons of things. This can be positive comparisons and negative ones. But to understand the wisdom God wants us to grasp - we are going to need to be able to compare things and learn from them. Often we will find a comparison in nature - that has a saying of how that aspect of nature shows a spiritual comparison to a wise man or a fool. Second we see that we will have "figures" put before us. Meliysah is the Hebrew word used here and it refers to a mocking or taunting expression. God's Word is going to use satire to describe some things to us. We will find that the proud and arrogant, the unteachable, the ones who reject reproof and rebuke are going to be mocked and and subject to satire. We should learn from these satires - but be sure to see them for what they are - satire and not a statement of absolute fact. Third we will run into the words of the wise. These is just simply things that wise people say to us. We will have godly advice handed to us in very plain language. There is no mystery to what is being said. It is as plain as the nose on our faces - and is to be taken in the plainest sense. Finally, there are the riddles of the wise. Hiydah, the Hebrew word here means an enigma. These were riddles - and were used at times by the wise men of the day to make their students think about what they were saying - to search it out so as to understand the wisdom that the wise man was seeking to impart. Of the four types of statements used in Proverbs, these will probably be the most difficult to understand. What we have in Proverbs is a very creative book that will seek to teach us God's wisdom. We are forewarned though that at times these sayings will need to be understood in the literary form in which they are written. We cannot take everything in Proverbs at a face value - and come away with the wisdom God desires to give us. There will be times when we will have to work a little (honestly sometimes we will have to work a lot) - to get the meaning of what is being said - and the wisdom it seeks to impart. What I will say is that even when it takes time - you will be blessed by the wisdom offered in this book. It is well worth the time and effort needed to dig out all that God has for us. So, let's make a commitment here and now to search this book and learn to mine all the treasures that are within it. The outcome will be precious gems of wisdom that will bless us, not just for a day, but for a lifetime. Oil and perfume make the heart glad, So a man's counsel is sweet to his friend. Proverbs 27:9
A man is blessed if he has friends who offer him godly counsel. When you have this you have something that both makes life sweet as well as fulfilling. To better understand this proverb we need to look at the oriental purposes for oil and perfume. The word oil here is the Hebrew "shemen" which means fat - and it was the equivalent of middle eastern butter in its usage. Shemen would be what a Hebrew Paula Dean would use in all her dishes to make them taste great. Seeing that I am a southerner - I now fully understand that "butter" makes the heart glad. I love how butter makes things taste. To the Hebrew at the time, they knew that this oil mentioned here was what made their food have its distinctive taste. When used properly - it took bland food and helped make it taste wonderful. In the same way, the counsel of a true friend is sweet to us. It makes life "taste" better. When we have the sweet counsel of a good friend - things that may seem bland and boring to do are changed. Having a good friend who counsels me to do the right thing - even though I've done it a thousand times and am bored with it - will help me do it another thousand times. They remind me that doing the godly thing will bring blessing in the end. Oil was also used for medicinal purposes. It was used to promote healing. There are numerous passages in the Scritpures that speak of pouring oil into a wound to soften and to heal it. These oils would have additives in them to help promote healing. How often has the kind and gracious counsel of a friend helped heal a hurt we have had in our lives. This counsel is sweet to us - just like oil is. Finally, Oil is also offered as a cosmetic. For a Hebrew oil was needed because they were in such a dry climate. The oil helped their bodies not become dry, hard, and brittle. I've had godly friends who have helped me be prevented from becoming dry, hard, and brittle in my personal and spiritual life as well. The second thing mentioned here is incense. This refers to the aromatic use of crushed materials which were burned to provide a smoke that perfumed the air. The non-religious use of incense was simply to help the aroma of a tent or other area. The counsel of a friend is like that to us. It just makes things better. To have someone to whom you can talk, bounce ideas and problems off of, and hear sound advice - is to have a life that is easier to live. These people can make "stinky" times in life be much better. There was also a religious use for incense. It was used in the temple on the approach to God. It is compared to the sweet savor of prayer offered in a godly way to Him. Here is where the counsel of a friend is very sweet to a friend. When that counsel is offered in light of prayer (your friend is praying for you) and it is offered with a view to having you in a right relationship with God - that, dear brothers and sisters, is very sweet counsel indeed! The counsel of a godly friend is something we should not be without as we walk in this world. What I find fascinating is a passage in 2 Corinthians 2:13. Paul was experiencing a time of blessed ministry in Troas - an open door for the gospel - yet he wanted to see Titus. There was something about the blessing of this brother - that made Paul leave that fruitful field and look for this brother. Now I know that Paul was discipling several younger brothers like him - but I also think that Paul was missing the blessing of the "oil and incense" ministry of a godly friend and co-worker. That is why a wise man will not take these kind of godly relationships for granted. He will cherish them and thank God for the sweet counsel of a godly man or woman in his life. If you have one of these relationships - praise God for it. If you do not have one - cry out to God and do what is necessary to cultivate it. The blessing it will bring to your live will be of greater value than you know. Two things I asked of You, Do not refuse me before I die . . . Proverbs 30:7
I love people who can simplify life for me. It is actually not difficult to make things difficult - people do it all the time. They have a gift for taking something that should be simple - and making it incredibly complicated and hard to understand. Then they charge you money to do what they have made difficult - since now you think there is no way that you can do it yourself. If you are wanting the simple made difficult, this is not a proverb for you. God has this proverb written to help us understand important life principles - and do so in two easy concepts. In future posts I deal with the actual request - but this post I want to deal with the writer and his heart in making the request. The writer here asks two things from God. He has learned the blessing of economy in his relationship with God. There are times for us to expand things out and look at multiple aspects of a live lived for God's glory. and these two things are two principles we should remember to live a happy life and one that is founded on sound biblical footing. This request is vital because the writer says here that these two things are things he does not want God to refuse him before he dies. That is the last thing we can learn from this man - he is passionate about his request. "Do not refuse me before I die!" This is the way the writer expresses the intensity of his desire. Lord, there are definitely two things I have to have. I must have them before I die! There is a passion here that often is missing in ordinary Christians. This guy does not want to end his life without knowing and having walked out two things. We later learn that these two things are to walk in the truth always - and to experience contentment. As he seeks the Lord for these things, he does so with a hunger that is inspiring. Too often in our lives we're not really sure what we're really going after and we are thinking about being committed to getting it - at least we're pretty sure that we are. That is not what we see here. We see a man that knows the importance of walking in truth - and walking with a contentment in what God has given him. He knows one thing - that falsehood does not lead to a good end in life - and that running after this world does not either. He is chasing after something much different and much more satisfying. We learn by verse 9 that what he truly desires is to please and honor God. He wants to live a life that acknowledges God and that will be pleasing to Him in the end. We so desperately need to embrace what this writer is expressing in our lives. Do you know and can you enumerate a few things - no more than three that you absolutely have to have in life? Is there a higher purpose for living in your life than just making it through life? Are you bored - unchallenged by life and the goal for which you are living, or the lack thereof? Make the time to get alone with God and hash out what really matters in your life. Find in Him and in His purposes a reason to live! Than, rather than just having life go by as you watch confused as to its purpose, you can go out every day and agressively give yourself to a purpose that goes far beyond life itself - it goes gloriously into eternity! Better is the poor who walks in his integrity Than he who is crooked though he be rich. Proverbs 28:6
Integrity and honor are character traits that are of high value in the kingdom of God. They make a person very wealthy even though at the time they may not have a fantastic financial bottom line. When someone is varying between two stances - which is what this passage called being "crooked," they can have all the money in the world and still be seen as far less successful than the poor man who lives a godly life. God's way of valuing things and people is far different than that of the world. The word "crooked" is very interesting. The literal Hebrew means, "perverse in two ways." What this describes is someone who is going back and forth between two opinions and two views. According to the Theological Wordbook of the OT this term refers to the twisted and perverting nature of sin. The word was also used to describe how a woman twists her hair for the purpose of putting it in braids. Thus the word came to mean the way that people twist their ways and choices contrary to what God commands and desires. The word is used to describe the way rulers "twist everything that is straight" (Micah 3:9). In a similar Proverb about the need for integrity, this same word is used to describe how fools are perverse in their speech. Too often the rich think they are beyond the law - or above it because of the influence their money buys in this world. I have several friends who are police officers who have told me again and again that they have far more trouble out of rich people they pull over for speeding than from any other group. They are told that they should give the rich person a warning or nothing at all because of all the people they know in City Hall. They try to throw their influence around to intimidate my friends in law enforcement into ignoring the law - or might we say perverting it. They want my friends to act crookedly. These guys write them tickets seeking to enforce the law - only to have them ignored by those in power when they come to court. Too many of the rich make the mistake of placing their hope in riches and what they provide in this world - rather than in God and the hope of His reward in eternity. I say this not to absolve the poor of integrity issues - because the problem is not money - it is the love of money. I've seen the love of money in every financial category there is. The warning here is to run after integrity and honor - and not allow money to make us think that these things don't matter as long as you are well off financially. Just an aside here for our mutual benefit. I've heard a saying again and again that grieves my heart. Here is the saying, "Money may not be able to make you happy, but it makes your misery much more bearable." Those who say that are truly deceived. They think that a few years of less miserable riches are worth trading for all of eternity. God does not countenance such foolishness. They are truly deceived because they do not understand that their momentary happiness in their wealth and stuff will actually make their judgment more severe. The Scriptures tell us, "To whom much is given, much is required." Whatever brief comfort they find in their things and their wealth will be infinitely offset by the searing judgment that awaits them for loving the world and therefore not having the love of the Father in them. Again - that was for free - because I'm tired of fools sounding wise to this world when they are only multiplying their foolishness for a judgment that awaits them at the throne of God. True wisdom is seeing the end, in this case eternity, and making sound decisions with God's ways in view. The poor man walks differently here because he walks in his integrity. The word "walk" is the Hebrew word "halak" which means to come and go, or to walk about. It was a word that was used to describe a flowing river, the blowing of the wind, and the movement of animals of all kinds. It was therefore used to metaphorically speak of the pathways of one's life - and came to mean the lifestyle that one chooses. This poor, wise man has chosen to walk out his life using God's wisdom as his guide. The best way to describe this integrity that the poor, wise man chooses is to walk with all of our heart in the things of the Lord. The word here for integrity was used to describe the way that men like David and Job spoke of walking with a perfect heart. This did not mean these men were sinless - just that they did not want to waver between two opinions and two ways of living. They wanted to live for the Lord with all their heart - all the time. There is something that God values greatly in this world. But what God values and what men value are two entirely different things. This world does not value living for God and His ways with a whole heart. They might give an honorable mention to the occasional religious person who they admire for a few moments because of their devotion to God, but they do not see this as a way of living for all men. They live for the things of the world - and chase after them with all their heart. But what is highly valued by men of this world is despised by the Lord. He is looking for men whose heart is completely given to Him. How much better it is to be one of these men - regardless of their financial bottom line. It is far better to be that kind of a man and poor - than to be the richest man on earth and only enjoy it for the mere length of a breath - which is how God describes this life in comparison with eternity. The plans of the diligent lead surely to advantage, But everyone who is hasty comes surely to poverty. Proverbs 21:5
Planning, to some this word is a blessing - to others (and honestly, I have to say I'm among this number) it is a difficult area of their lives. Yet the Lord has some very pointed things to say here to us about the blessing that comes from diligent planning rather than hastily put together things that happen at the last minute. We read first here that the plans of the diligent surely lead to advantage. The word "plans" will help us to see what is meant here. The word means a thought, purpose, or intention. The idea is that we are thinking through things - considering their purpose and intention - and therefore laying plans that will not only plan an event - but also plan it with a sense of purpose in what it is to accomplish. Here is something which every believer should seriously consider. God has given us the few years we have on this earth as a gift - but also as a responsibility and a trust. How we use these years are important. Do we have a purpose behind the things we are doing? Are they working for us an eternal destiny and an eternal reward - or are we just committing "chonicide" (just killing time). Too many times our lives are just being lived with no real purpose or intention behind what we are doing. That leads to a wasted life. Solomon is telling us that the plans laid with a sense of purpose and intention to live for God's glory and purposes - are beneficial to us. But they are not just haphazard plans - these are plans that are set in place with "diligence." This word means something sharp and industrious. It refers to those people who are living industrious lives that are sharp in their focus and intent. The root word for this referred to a sharp threshing sledge. This was used to cut the harvest - and was sharpened to make the job easier and more effective. One might complain of the time spend with a wetstone or file sharpening the metal. This is hard work after all - and it takes time to sharpen something well. But if you are having to cut entire fields of grain - you know that the few moments spent sharpening your tool can save hours of time and much additional effort. So plans laid by someone who thinks through purpose and intent can make living life much easier and more focused. These kind of plans lead surely to advantage. Here is one of the times when I prefer the King James translation to the NASB. The word here means an abundance. It refers to an abundance of profit, materials, harvest, or whatever the word refers to and modifies. It can also mean advantage or a more favorable position - a superior one to someone who has not planned and thought through their actions. When you plan - you will have abundance and advantage over those who have not thought these things through well. Planning does not negate labor and faithful effort at a task. But it does halp ensure that the labor and effort invested is leading to a desired end. This way of living is compared to someone who is hasty. The hasty man is the one who prefers reacting to life - than planning it. The problem is that reacting to our circumstances can have us being led, not by our purpose and intent, but rather by whatever happens. Circumstances begin being our leader - rather than us seeking to control many of our circumstances by moving in a planned direction and way. When you live this way, the result is poverty. Just as the plans of the diligent man will surely lead to an abundance and advantage - the lack of planning and diligent effort doing something well - will eventually lead us to poverty. God wants us to live on purpose. He does not want us to spend our lives just reacting to whatever happens. We can do much to guide our lives according to His principles if we will just spend time learning them and directing our lives according to them. We will find that God's Word gives us a path - gives us counsel on how to live and how to plan to do things that God desires. This will ensure that we live a life God blesses - not just one that He tries to guide through whatever emergency happens next. To do this - with diligence and purpose . . . is wisdom indeed. The lips of the wise spread knowledge, But the hearts of fools are not so. Proverbs 15:7
In life there are those we meet that just spread knowledge that is helpful to our souls. What a wonderful thing it is to meet such a men or woman. They are like an oasis in the midst of our wicked and perverse generation. It is a delight to talk to them - but even more of a delight to listen to what they share. This is the kind of person Proverbs speaks of today. Let's look more at what this today as we examine Proverbs 15:7. The lips put forth words that reveal what is in the heart. Here we see clearly that the wise have knowledge stored up in their hearts while the fool is devoid of it. The word for "spread" is very descriptive. It is an agricultural word that speaks of how a farmer goes into the field and scatters and disperses seed by casting it out on the ground. The wise man is taking every opportunity to cast out the seed so that it can bear a harvest later. Thus the wise man takes the opportunity to put out God's Word for a harvest that will come later in life. The wise man spreads knowledge. He spreads learning but his learning is not just head knowledge or uselessh information. He is spreading the kind of knowledge that leads to discernment, insight, and notion. Let's look at these three words for a moment to gain insight on what the wise man is spreading. When we have discernment we are learning to distinguish between two things that differ. We need to know the difference between good and evil, God's will and the world's mindset, the flesh and the Holy Spirit's work in our lives. The wise see things from God's perspective thus they can help us to learn the subtle and not so subtle differences between what is of God and what is not of God. They also help us gain insight. This word means exactly what it says, in-sight. It is seeing into things and realizing there is usually more to things that just their outward appearance. God says that man looks at the outside, but God looks at the heart. Therefore if we are going to see things as He does, we will need to see into the heart of a situation. The last word is notion. There's a word that we don't use much any more. Webster defines notion as an conception or impression of something. A notion can also be that conception or impression carried out to a theory or belief about a person, thing, etc. When we speak of the notions we receive from the knowledge of the wise man - these are not just the notions of an average person - but they are notions, beliefs, theories, conceptions and impressions gained from Scripture and from the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. To have a notion based on these things is to gain a way of looking at life - a theolry about people - about the world around you - but one gained from a biblical worldview. The proverb finishes with the fact that the heart of a fool is not like the wise man. He does not offer knowledge to others. He does not spread seed that will sprout and bring a godly harvest of righteousness and peace. His seed is filled with his own foolish notions, theories, and conceptions of life. Since these are governed by his own sinful nature - and by the world around him (remember and think a fallen world that rejects God's revelation and authority) they are useless. These things will bring about a harvest of foolishness and harm. How wonderful it is when we can surround ourselves with wise men and women. How marvelous it is that in our society and with our electronic capabilities we can expose ourselves to great men and women of God - actually hearing them speak - hearing them spread the seed of God's wisdom and Word to us. The truly wise person will seek to be in the range of their voices. A wise man will hear and increase in learning, And a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel, Proverbs 1:5
When does a person stop learning in life? According to Proverbs, only an unwise man stops learning. A truly wise man will hear things throughout his entire life and will continue learning from what he hears. Here in verse 5 of chapter 1 of Proverbs we see that in the opening statement of Proverbs a lifetime of learning is what the wise man embraces. The fool is the one who thinks he knows everything. He walks about in life thinking he has learned all he needs to learn. But it is a fact of life that we will never learn a billionth of all there is for us to know. Were we to spend a thousand lifetimes doing nothing but learning - we would only scratch the surface of all that there is to know in the universe - let alone know all there is to know about God. Therefore we should always be listening, studying, and opening our minds to learn as much as we can. Only this way can we ever hope to have a heart of wisdom. When the wise man hears the words of Solomon - and more importantly the Word of God - he hears. Note it does not say that he listens - for many listen but don't actually hear what is being said. The wise man hears what is said and allows it to sink deep within his heart. When he does so he increases in learning. The word for learning here is very interesting. It is "leqah" and it means learning or insight. The idea behind this word is not just gathering a group of facts. It refers to when a person has insight due to the facts that they know. Spiritual education requires that we know the facts - but it goes far beyond that. Spiritual education leads someone to be able to have insight - to be astute to what God is doing and saying. It means we are able to discern between good and evil - between knowing God and not knowing Him. When we increase in learning we are not just increasing in the amount of knowledge we have. We are increasing in our ability to walk with God and discern all things from His standpoint. The second half of the Proverb points this out to us. It tells us that a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel. When we hear and learn - we will also gain understanding and wisdom. We hear and are able to distinguish the difference between things - between choices - between outcomes. We understand the truth - and can apply the truth to every situation of our lives. In doing this we acquire the counsel of wisdom from God. The Lord makes Himself known to us - and knowing Him makes all the difference in the world. We see things differently - and definitely make different choices. A good question to ask ourselves is whether we are just gathering information - or we are gaining a greater insight and ability to make godly choices in life. If we constantly hear what God is saying to us in His Word, in the circumstances of our lives, and through the godly counsel of others, we will increase in our ability to discern and see things as God sees them. "THAT" will do wonderful things in helping us make good choices all day long - and over the course of our lives. |
Proverb a DayEach day, we'll take a look at a verse from the chapter of Proverbs for the day. Our hope is to gain wisdom each day - and from that wisdom - to have understanding to make godly decisions in the throes of everyday life. Thank you for visiting our website! Everything on this site is offered for free. If, however, you would like to make a donation to help pay for its continued presence on the internet, you can do that by clicking here. The only thing we ask is that you give first to the local church you attend. Thank you!
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