The wise will inherit honor, But fools display dishonor. Proverbs 3:35
Proverbs is all about the difference between the wise man and the fool. It is one of the major themes throughout this book. Therefore it should not be too suprising to see at the close of chapter three that we have a comparison between the wise and the foolish. The comparison that we see shown to us is what these two are receiving for their choices. The wise man receives honor - while the fool gets dishonor. What is most interesting though is how these two ends are described for us. The wise man is said to "inherit" honor. The Hebrew word "nahal" which is used here means to take property as a permanent possession. This was the word that was used to describe how Israel was to receive the promised land. The whole idea of inheritance also brings into focus that there is going to have to be a death for us to receive what God gives us. This points us to the sacrifices that were made when the Mosaic covenant was established. There was no covenant without blood - and without death. But for us the death is not ours - but the death of the sacrifice made on our behalf. Throughout the Old Testament that was the death and sacrifice of the animals upon which they had laid their hands and confessed their sin. But this was just a picture of what was to come. It was a picture of Jesus Christ who would take sin upon Himself and pay the full price for it. As a result, we would be able to inherit salvation - and honor from God. Truly, as the passage says, the WISE will inherit this honor. This reminds us that the ultimate wisdom from God, as stated in 1 Corinthians 1:21-24 is Jesus Christ as Him crucified. "For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God." The wise turn to Jesus - who is the wisdom of God unto us - as well as our righteousness and our redemption. The fool though is said to "display" dishonor. Here is a wonderful illustration of not just truth - but even of salvation and how we can know that we are saved. The wise inherits honor, but the fool displays his dishonor. Here we have a picture of the fool. Since he has no wisdom by which he can be honored in God's sight - all he has left is to live out his days displaying the dishonorable way that he lives. He shows forth what is in his heart - which is sin and dishonor. He has no work of grace going on inside of him - which is part and parcel of why he lives the way that he does. The lack of grace - the lack of salvation - the lack of wisdom - all will be disaplyed daily in a lifestyle that greives God. Dishonor will be given to God in how he lives because he is lost. So what we see throughout his life is not grace working to show honor - but foolishness and sin revealing dishonor. What do people see in us? What are we revealing or displaying to the world around us. If we were burnt in a fire - we would display the effects of the fire in our bodies for the rest of our lives. If we worked out 3 hours a day - there would be a display in our muscles of the fact that we have done this. What we see in the physical is also true in the spiritual realm as well. When we live by God's wisdom - or better said IF we live by God's wisdom - it WILL be seen in our lives. We will display an honorable life. If we are NOT displaying an honorable life, we should not lie and tell people we are living by His wisdom. IF we are being a fool - and living by the principles of the world - we will display dishonor in our lifestyle. If we are living in a way that dishonors the Lord - it is proof that we are living by foolish principles. There are many who ask the question, "How can I know that I am saved?" They may ask, "How can I know that I am doing God's will?" They want some kind of definitive thing that they can do once and say they know that they are saved. Yet God's Word tells us in a myriad of ways that the proof is in the lifestyle. This does not mean that we are saved by works - because God's Word is clear that it is only by grace we are saved. But . . . if there are no works - no change - no godliness - no living for God's glory and honor . . . we can honestly say that there is probably no salvation. If there is a continued lifestyle that displays dishonor to God - and dishonor towards His Word - dishonor when it comes to a righteous life - then we can know that we are living as a fool - and honestly - we don't know God through the grace He has given us in Jesus Christ.
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Do not envy a man of violence And do not choose any of his ways. For the devious are an abomination to the LORD; But He is intimate with the upright. Proverbs 3:31-32
Ours is a society that is enamored with violence. We glorify it daily in our entertainment mediums - movies, television, magazines, books, and newspapers. It is interesting that we also try to sit in judgment on cultures like Rome, saying that they were barbaric in their gladiator games and other forms of public violence. Yet, if we were to look at what we do and how we consume it - there is little difference in our two cultures. God says not to envy a man of violence or to choose any of his ways. The word for violence is very telling in this passage. It is the word "hamas" in the Hebrew - and it means to do violence or wrong. The word implies not just violence - but also cruelty, damage, and injustice as well. We are to stay away from people who are like this - who are violent - and whose violence is manifested in being cruel, unjust, and in doing damage to that which belongs to others. The reason some might "envy" this violent man is because of the gain that it brings him in the short term. Think about the people who in history have gained money, influence, and power because of their violence. Many of the world's most heinous dictators used violence to their advantage. But Scripture tells us not to choose ANY of the violent man's ways. This is because everything these men do is tainted by their violence. This is why I've included verse 32 with verse 31. There is another reason to reject the ways of the violent man - which is shown to us in verse 32. The violent are also "devious." The word devious here is the Hebrew word "luz" which means to be crooked or perverse. God is telling us here that when a man is a violent man - he will also be a perverse or crooked man as well. The idea behind this word is that being crooked and perverse is what a person is trusting in - as a way of walking through life. This word is used in Scripture to describe those who are wicked, perverse, and who reject God. They reject His ways - things like righteousness and truth - and choose instead to twist the truth to their advantage. When someone wants to trust devious and violent ways - they do not have a heart to seek God - or to learn from His Word. They do not want to walk with Him. That is why God says that these devious ones are an abomination to Him. This is because they utterly reject Him and His ways. We should also note the word, "for" that begins verse 32. This links what is said here to the previous verse. The devious are the violent ones - and the violent ones are those who function with a devious and God-rejecting mindset. They choose violence and deceit because they do not want to trust God with their plans and purposes. Since they do not have God's power at their disposal, they have to trust their own thinking (which is fatally flawed due to sin) and their own power. The last thing said in this verse is that God is "intimate" with the upright. What a wonderful thought this is for us - that God is intimate with us when we walk in His ways and choose His paths. The word "intimate" here actually means intimate counsel - and has the idea of being brought into a kind of inner circle where God shares His wisdom with us. So God is promising us that if we reject the violence and deceit of this present world's ways - that God will bring us into the inner circle with Himself for the purpose of teaching us. This particular proverb is one we should consider - especially when we consider the way our current society is so enamoured with violence. We see it in just about every form of entertainment we consume daily. When there is not violence in a movie or television show - it is almost completely ignored. We are inundated with violence - and the tendency is for this violence to more and more graphic in nature. This is happening at a time when we are watching a corresponding decline in our desire for intimacy with God. Is this just a coincidence - or - is it exactly what God is trying to get us to see in this proverb? The more we embrace violence - the more we will embrace deception and a rejection of God and His ways. The more we embrace violence - the less we will embrace God Himself - and with this we will also place a lesser value on the counsel of His Word. May God bring to us a return to Him and a corresponding turn from loving violence. Remember Jesus' name is the prince of peace - and His Word tells us, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God." (Matthew 5:9, NASB) Have I not written to you excellent things Of counsels and knowledge,
Proverbs 22:20 God's call to wisdom is a call to consider and live by excellent things - to live a life of the highest order. Some would call living for God a life that is boring and mundane. Nothing could be further from the truth. The one who considers the things of God and lives accordingly is one who sees the most excellent course - one that is spoken of in the highest terms possible. To consider this is to deeply plumb the counsel and the knowledge of God Himself. Far from boring - this is the most glorious pursuit a man can give himself to on this earth! The wise man begins by asserting to his pupil that in speaking of wisdom, he is speaking of something of the highest order of all. He speaks of writing to his pupil "excellent things." This is an interesting term, because it speaks of something associated with the number three. When referring to a a measure of something it usually refers to a large measure of a substance. It is used in music of an instrument with 3 of something on it - such as a lute. But when used in contexts other that this it refers to a high-ranking officer (who was called the third man in a chariot) or something that is of a very high worth. What is being communicated though is that what the wise man has given his student is the most excellent thing he could give him. This is a thought we should explore for a moment. Every parent wants to give the best things to their child. Unfortunately for most parents this means things they can buy and things that require money. But what the wise man is saying to his student - and what every father should say to his children is that what is most valuable you can receive without cost. The gospel is the most valuable thing we can give our chidlren and our students. Nothing can compare with it! We should give them the gospel - and give it to them within the context of teaching and training them in the Word of God. That is what is what is worth more than silver, gold, rubies, and diamonds! But is that the way we present the Word of God to our children - to our students - to others? No wonder they consider the things of God boring - we treat them like an ugly step-sister, rather than like a treasure that is worth searching a lifetime to find! But that is how this teacher refers to the material (the Word of God and the wisdom of God in it) that he has presented to his student. He speaks of counsels and knowledge next. The Word counsels is "moetsah" which means a plan, a purpose, and in some contexts it infers intrigue and mystery. The teacher says that the things of God are His eternal plans and purposes. It does speak of how God desires for us to live every day, but there is so much more. It speaks of what God is ultimately after in this world - and it ushers us into the very counsel of God Himself. This will be good for every day decisions - but it will also thrill and astound us as we see the eternal mind of God working out His own eternal purposes and plans. When Paul saw this in the book of Romans - he exclaimed in ecstasy, "Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD , OR WHO BECAME HIS COUNSELOR? Or WHO HAS FIRST GIVEN TO HIM THAT IT MIGHT BE PAID BACK TO HIM AGAIN? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen. (Romans 11:33-36, NASB) So infinitely far from boring, this is the stuff that thrills our hearts and makes our minds swoon at the very consideration of such grand things. He also speaks of knowledge. This is the Hebrew word "daath" which communicates to us that this was a technical and specific knowledge. It spoke of knwoing by experience, relationship, or encounter. This was the word used by Balaam in describing that God had revealed Himself to him in a vision. His response was astonished wonder and amazement. So as this teacher speaks to his student - he speaks of the awe-inspiring knowledge of God that comes as we truly know and experience him. Once again we say that this is far from boring. It is the knowledge of the Divine Himself. It is a thrilling thing. Let me ask a very serious question after looking at this proverb. Do you look at the Word of God and find yourself lost in wonder, awe, and praise? Do you see the Word and find yourself astounded by the glorious counsels and knowledge that it offers to you as the Holy Spirit takes you as His pupil and teaches you? What the teacher does here is to make his students stand back in utter astonishment at the joy of having the Word and the Wisdom of God available to them. He brings them to the point of panting after God and His wisdom - like a dog would pant for water on a fiercely hot day. He shows them the living water - but only after pouring salt on their tongues. He points them to a knowledge and an understanding that would make any sage jealous. Yet all he is doing is sharing the truth about God's Word with them. He is doing so with the hope that his students will long for it - and will desire to know it as he has in his lifetime. Oh may God give us such teachers - men who will whet our appetite for spiritual things and make us literally long for more every time we open God's Word! For the ways of a man are before the eyes of the LORD, And He watches all his paths. Proverbs 5:21
As was said yesterday, this is the main reason why the father is taking the time to counsel his son on the issues of moral and sexual sanity. Our ways are before the eyes of the Lord - or said another way - GOD SEES ALL THINGS. This has to do with the very nature of God. God is Spirit - and therefore can be all places at all times. This truth has to do with God's omnipresence and omniscience. God's omnipresence means that God is everywhere. There is not a place in the entire universe where God is not present. In Psalm 139 David wrote of this when he said, Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, even there Your hand will lead me, And Your right hand will lay hold of me. (Psalm 139:7-10) The idea of God's omnipresence is communicated when David tells Solomon that the eyes of Jehovah are on the ways of men. God watches our paths. David knew this because he thought no one was looking when he committed adultery with Bathsheba. God was looking - and he watched David's path into sexual sin. The day came when God sent one of His prophets, Nathan, to David to confront him openly about what David thought he had done secretly. The other doctrine that we see here is that of God's omniscience. God knows all things. He knows when we sin - and he knows when two people have agreed to get together and commit adultery. There is nothing that we can hide from Him - because He is God! His power and His might are unparalleled - but so is His presence and knowledge. There is NO limit to either of these things. Therefore, it is wise for us to remember this about Him - and act accordingly. This means understanding and knowing His Word, which reveals to us His heart on moral and sexual matters. Here is a verse that should help to guide us when it comes to the matter of moral and sexual sanity. Paul wrote to the Thessalonians about the need for each one of them to possess their own vessel in Ssanctification and honor. Here the vessel is themselves - and especially their sexuality. Here is what Paul said, For you know what commandments we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God; and that no man transgress and defraud his brother in the matter because the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we also told you before and solemnly warned you. 1 Thessalonians 4:2-6 God desires to sanctify us - and part of that sanctification is helping us to maintain moral and sexual sanity! We are to carry ourselves and our sexuality in "sanctification and honor" rather than in "lustful passion." When Paul later says that we should not "transgress and defraud his brother in the matter," what he is speaking of is adultery. The brother we transgress and defraud is the one whose wife with whom we've had adultery. Paul then gives us a promise in regard to this - that God will be the avenger in this matter. God sees and knows all - and as a result we should be wise and fear Him by turning from sin - especially sexual sin. This is not just a warning from a parent who is a little overprotective of his or her child. It is God, knowing our frame and our weakness - and warning us about how sexual sin can take us captive and destroy our lives. But I believe at the root of this admonition is not just a negative warning - but a positive one as well. If we know that our ways are before Jehovah - and that He is watching our paths - we can turn to Him in time of temptation. We can cry out to Him for deliverance and for strength to stand. We can know, as Scripture tells us, that no temptation that has overcome us is not common to man - but God will provide with it a way of escape so that we may endure. He is there - and when faced with serious sexual temptation we need to turn to Him, listen to Him, and in the process shut out the voice of the devil. He truly is there - not waiting to smack us upside the head - but waiting to meet us and strengthen us so that we may stand - and having done everything - to remain standing! Let your fountain be blessed, And rejoice in the wife of your youth. Proverbs 5:18
A call to moral sanity will always involve a call to rejoice in marriage. In studying to comment on this passage I noticed an interesting dichotomy among commentators. Many shied away from speaking of sexual love in marriage when referring to things in this passage. They wanted to make all the allusions and word pictures within it refer to children instead. I found this a little sad, because between this passage and the entire book of Song of Solomon, God does not even remotely shy away from the subject of the joys of physical intimacy within marriage. In the past too many in the church felt to speak of such things was dirty or out of bounds. But in donig so we relegated the idea of physical pleasure in sex to those who engaged in it outside the bounds of marriage. Now I am not advocating that we go into explicit detail about such things, because God has informed us in Hebrews that we are to keep the marriage bed holy, but I am saying that where God's Word addresses such things, we should not be afraid to address them as well. What we are encouraged to do here in this passage is to rejoice in the wife of our youth. We are told that to enjoy physical intimacy with our wife is to allow our fountain to be blessed. The fountain here is a picture of a life-giving source - and the blessed result of sexual intimacy within marriage is that children are produced - which continues the cycle of life. But God is not just speaking of having a child - He is speaking of the process of intimacy which is enjoyed within the sexual union of a married couple. He says that this should be a time when we are blessed. That means God, who made us sexual beings - and who also designed our sexual organs - knew that this was going to be an enjoyable act. He commands us here, through the father speaking to His son, that we should rejoice in the wife of our youth. It is clear that what is said in the following verses refers to love-making between a husband and wife. God wants that to be enjoyable. Please remember though the context of this passage. This is a father instructing his son about the dangers of sexual immorality and warning him to stay away from adultery and from fornication. It is wonderful to see that in the midst of a talk on moral sanity that a father would tell his son that God's intent for sex is that it be thoroughly enjoyed within the framework of biblical marriage. This is sexual sanity - and it is ignored only to the detriment and hurt of those who do so. But for those who grasp God's view of sex - who see it as God intended for it to be enjoyed - this talk between father and son is wonderfully liberating. It lets us know that God did create sex - and He created the biological reality that sex is very pleasurable. But it tells us such things within the context of God's intent for sexual union. And that can ONLY be blessed within the bonds of marriage. Within that union there is no guilt, no STD's, no prospect of illegitimacy, and no sense of sin. But when we get outside the boundaries which God has set for sexual intimacy, such things abound. That is why it is so vital that we speak with our sons and daughters of such things - because to leave those topics to others is only to surrender them to the sexual insanity that now rules the greater part of mankind. The mind of the intelligent seeks knowledge, But the mouth of fools feeds on folly. Proverbs 15:14
Here we have a comparison between the mind and thinking of the intelligent and the mouth of fools. One thinks and comtemplates on things while the other is far more interested in what he will say than what fills his mind. Let's take a few moments then today to see what the intelligent man as well as the fool can offer as far as instruction. Who is this intelligent man? He is the thinker for he wants to discern. He is observing and paying attention to what is before him, what is said to him, and what he sees in others. He considers things diligently because in the end he desires the knowledge that only God can give him. We read here that he is seeking knowledge. "Daath" which is the Hebrew word for knowledge here means that he seeks to have knowledge by experience, relationship, and encounter. He is not content with a knowing that is in his head alone. That is why this particular statement is interesting to me. It is the mind of this man that wants knowledge. In other words, even though he is a thinker, thinking is not all that he wants to do. He wants a thinking that results in action. Some refer to "daath" kind of knowledge as a path or a way that one walks - thus a lifestyle. So our thinker is contemplating and discerning a way to walk out his life. The fool here is living for a much more sensuous journey. We know this because he is not contemplating or thinking - but merely feeding on something. The word "feeding" means to graze in a pasture. The fool is not using his mind - he is using his mouth. He is spending his time grazing on folly. Since folly (ivoleth) means to be one who hates wisdom and who chooses instead to walk in folly - we see here a man who despises the wisdom and knowledge that God offers. This word also has a sense in which it also hates the morality that comes from a contemplated life. He doesn't want to think - he just wants to graze on the contemporary philsophies of the day. He is content to just feed on what is fed to him by the world system. Two paths are taken here - one toward disernment and knowledge - the other toward folly and whatever the world is slopping on his mental plate. One thinks and considers his path - wanting to experience all that God has for him. The other is hardly interested in God - unless the common talk is of him, her, or whatever mankind decides is god for the season. One lifts his head and stops to discern and deeply consider his path - his very lifestyle. The other pretty much takes the lifestyle that the world dishes out to him daily. In the end one lives a life of purpose while the other is driven by the spirit of the age. Consider well reader - for if you live only to consume what the world offers, a fool you will be. If you think well and often about where you walk and what you do, a rich reward of wisdom will be yours - and that from God Himself. So you will walk in the way of good men And keep to the paths of the righteous. Proverbs 2:20
There is a road map that God has for us - not just for a short journey, but for an entire lifetime. The proverb for today speaks of this in two ways. There are two words used here to indicate a way or a path. One refers to the way of good men - while the other speaks of the paths of the righteous. Let's take a look at both of them and see how we can gain a little bit of wisdom from them both. First we learn of the way of good men. This is the Hebrew word "derek" which speaks of a way that is traveled. The way that this word is used most often is to speak metaphorically of the pathway of one's life. This suggests to us a pattern of life - which is referred to in Deuteronomy 8:6 as an obedient life and in 2 Samuel 22:22 and Jeremiah 5:4 refers to a life lived for godly and righteous ways. Since the entire chapter focuses on the power of the Word of God in our lives - and our need to know it, study it, meditate on it, and apply it to our lives - then we can see that if we take the Word seriously - it will have a powerful affect on our lives. The biblical way is the way of good men. Those who have a sincere desire to obey the Lord and to serve Him and love Him will live good lives. Their lifestyles are worth emulating - and we can follow their way of life if we are committed to following the Scriptures. Second, we learn of the paths of the righteous. The word for "paths" here is the Hebrew word, "orah." This word is similar to our first. It speaks of a way or a highway. It is metaphorically used to speak of the literal path upon which someone walks - but also can refer to the course of their life - the characteristics of their lifestyle. These can be good or evil, righteous or deserving of judgment. Here since it speaks of the paths of the righteous, we are speaking of a good way to go. The difference between these two words seems to be that in the first, we are walking in the ways of the good men we see. It seems to have an immediacy to it - as if we have these men before our eyes. It speaks of following the examples of men who are alive and whom we seek to emulate because of their godly lifestyles. The second word speaks more of holding fast to the very way (lifestyle over their entire lives) of righteous men. Where do we learn of such men? First we learn of them in the Scriptures. We know of godly men throughout the Word of God. These are men who have an example and a lifestyle worthy of following. These are men like Moses, David, Elijah, Elisha, Hezekiah, the prophets and others in the Old Testament. In the New we have Peter, Paul, John, and Jesus. We need to look at both their daily lives - as well as the course of their lives and give ourselves to following their example. Do you have such men in your sights? Are you making sure that you and your children have the right kind of heros to emulate and to follow? We desperately need to change the kind of men we set before ourselves and our children in this generation. If we allow the media and the world to chose these men we will see thier bankruptcy poured into the lives of our children - as well as polluting our own hearts as to what a real man should be. Men like Jim Elliot, William Carey, John Patton, George Mueller, John Hyde, C. S. Lewis, Vanya, and Bruchko should be well known to this generation of the church. Unfortunately, they are relatively unknown and we are much poorer for it. May God give us a renaisance of Christian heros and men worthy of following before our eyes. May their example help to point the way and the path upon which we should be walking. The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, But the mouth of the wicked conceals violence. Proverbs 10:11
God speaks a great deal about "a fountain of life." That is why it is truly amazing to read that God says the mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life. Let's take a look at what the Word says about being a fountain of life - and learn to embrace the wisdom of having our mouth be all that this means. In Psalm 36:9 we read that the people of God are given the blessing of drinking the fill of God's presence in His house - and also to drink of the rives of God's delights. These things are said to bring us to know that God is the fountain of life. A second time in Psalm 68:26 God is called the fountain of Israel. Thus we see that "a fountain of life" coming from our mouths is simply that we speak of the Lord and the things of the Lord. This is confirmed further as we learn that Proverbs 13:14 tells us that the teaching of the wise is a fountain of life. As we experience these wonderful words, they teach us to turn aside from the snares of death - the sin that can ensnare us and destroy us if left undealt with in life. Proverbs 14:27 tells us that the fear of the LORD is a fountain of life - again telling us that when we live according to it, we will avoid the snares of death. Proverbs 16:22 reminds us that understanding is a fountain of life to those who have it - keeping us from the discpline of fools. All these various statements tell us something wonderful. To be a fountain of life - a righteous man or woman whose mouth flows forth with the blessing of God, we should strive to have all these things at work in us. That means that we embrace God Himself as the source of all that we offer to others - all that we speak and say. We know that God is also the one who allows us to teach and speak that life to others. But as we do, we also fear God and embrace understanding things as He does - speaking them as He would speak them to us. (Remember that the earliest definition of wisdom we had was that it was seeing things as God sees them.) As we speak according to the fear of God - speaking with His understanding, His wisdom as we teach others - we will be not just a fountain of life - but a fountain that protects them from death - its snares and its lies. The opposite of the fountain of life is what the mouth of the wicked offers to us. The wicked is speaking - but he is speaking falsehood - and he is not offering to others a fountain of life. What he offers is concealed violence. Since selfishness reigns in his life - he doesn't have a desire for others to be blessed. Deep down he wants what they have - he wants things for himself. There is not a fountain that flows outward - in giving life to others. He has a type of vortex that sucks all things toward himself. And when things begin to move toward taking something from him, no longer making him the center of things - he responds with violence. The example of this is best seen in the example of Saul. When he realized that God was taking the kingdom from him and giving it to another - he became very paranoid . . . and very violent. He watched as God blessed David - and it drove him crazy. He tried to pin David to the wall with a spear - tried to kill him by the hand of the Philistines - tried to kill him in his bed even while David was married to his daughter - and when his son, Jonathan stood up for David, even tried to kill him by throwing a spear at him. What flowed from Saul's heart was violence, even though he tried to conceal it with his mouth. It was eventually revealed that he was filled not with love and live - but with violence and hate. What is coming out of your mouth? Jesus let us know that what comes out of our mouths is what dwells in our hearts. He desires for life to flow out of us - for blessing to be what is spoken as we speak. But that will only happen as we embrace the righteousness that God offers to us in Christ. The way that we receive "the mouth of the righteous" is by embracing the only One Who can make us righteous, Jesus Christ. It is only as His life fills us through the Holy Spirit that we will have that mouth that blesses. May God give us the wisdom to embrace Him - and in so doing - have Him gloriously transform our mouth to speak so as to give life and blessing to all who hear us. Long life is in her right hand; In her left hand are riches and honor. Proverbs 3:16
Wisdom has many benefits for the one who chooses to walk in it. That is what we are told today in Proverbs 3:16. We are told that God promises by long life and riches and honor to the ones who walk in wisdom. First let us look at the promise of long life. When a man walks in God's wisdom he will walk in peace. Wisdom counsels us to be made right with God and to cooperate with Him throughout life. This will calm a man and grant him a longer life. Reports come back regularly explaining to us that a peaceful, tranquil heart is great for our health. Stress will kill a man in the end - because stress will release toxins in the body and cause the heart to have to work much harder than it usually does. Wisdom will also offer us long life because wisdom calls us away from the excesses of the wicked. Having embraced a life of moderation and temperance, we will be spared much of the difficulty that comes from the varied gluttonies of life. We are also told that wisdom will give us riches and honor. Throughout the book of Proverbs we read tremendous amounts of wisdom in regard to our finances and how we should operate in business. Having talked with several of the successful businessmen in my own congregation, they have assured me that reading the proverb of the day - and learning to follow the counsel of Scritpure on financial matters will yield wealth. I'm not talking about the kind of wealth that the health, wealth, and prosperity people tout. This is the wealth that acrues due to wise management of our money and our lives. Wisdom also holds in her hands honor for us. The word for honor here is "kabod" - which speaks of a weightiness in life. This speaks of honor given by others as they see how we live. Wisdom will help us to live an honorable life in the sight of God, which in turn will move the Lord to grant us honor in the sight of others - and most importantly, in His sight. Rather than health, riches, and honor due to a "name it, claim it" type of mentality, this passage is truly teaching us something amazing. Just for the fun of it - I would call this the "learn it, spurn it" mentality. As God teaches us wisdom - we learn from Him of His ways and paths. He instructs us in the way that we should go - and that has reference to everything we do and everything we are. We learn it - in His presence - by His Spirit - as He endeavors to educate us teaching us His Word. As we embrace His ways - we also learn to "spurn it." This simply means that the more we learn of wisdom and of God's Word, the more we will spurn the ways of this world, and the ways of our own flesh. This will help us to truly be blessed in all that we do. Before I finish with this proverb, I would like to show a couple of New Testament verses that reiterate this same principle for us - just using slightly different language. First is what Jesus says in Matthew 6:33, "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." Here in very simple language is the pursuit of wisdom. We learn to seek as the first order of business in our daily lives, His kingdom and His righteousness. Said another way, we seek for His rule and reign over every thought and action, and we have Him determine what is right in every situation. Truly this is wisdom - and the promise we receive? He will add all the other things (here refering to food and clothing) to us. The second verse is 1 Timothy 4:8, ". . . for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come." Here we see that wisdom will always lead us to live a godly life. This godliness is profitable here and now, as well as throughout all eternity. Seeing this, it is my hope for both you and me that we will embrace her - embrace wisdom - and find that in both hands there awaits us great blessing from God. Listen, my son, and be wise, And direct your heart in the way. Proverbs 23:19
There are some very serious consequences for those who become heavy drinkers or gluttonous eaters. These are things that we don't like to deal with today - because they tend to get a little personal when we confront them. Nevertheless, these things are not good for us, and they will rob us of the blessings of a good and prosperous life. Contrary to the nanny state that is trying to change people's behavior by legislation and shaming, God's Word takes a different approach. First of all, we see that the things that are being said are said from the mouth of a father. These are matters that the state are not to fix - they were meant to be addressed in the course of living within a godly home. The reason that these things are epidemic in our day is because of the rampant lack of godly homes. There are no longer fathers who take the time to regularly teach and train their sons to be godly men. There are also no longer those in our society that will know the Word in a way that will move them to impart wisdom to their children. The father here speaks to his son and lets him know from the start that the motivation for his comments is that his son would be wise. He is saying to his boy, if you are wise, you will avoid these kinds of lifestyle choices. Then he lets his son know that if he rejects such wisdom - there will be consequences. He does not seek to deliver his son from the consequences except a warning of what is to come. He is not wanting to just modify his son's behavior. He is seeking to help his son on heart issues. He says, "Direct your heart in the way!" Our current legislative overreach wants to modify behavior by taxing certain behaviors heavier - or trying to outlaw them altogether. They seek to stop smoking this way - or they try to so stigmatize smoking that people will stop out of shame. What this has led to is people who hold fast to their smoking - but not have to pay far more to do so. The sad thing is that in the end, the government (who is constantly in search of more money to spend) receives greater tax because of this behavior. This makes it to where they almost don't want to have smoking stop - because then their revenue stream will dry up and go away. Just addressing the outward behavior will do little or nothing to stop the problem. This father addresses the heart. He wants his son to be wise - and a wise man takes the time to direct his own heart into a way that does not dishonor God. He will direct his heart into ways that are not destructive to himself. Instead he will direct his heart into "THE" way. What is "THE" way? It is the way of the Lord. It is a way that puts great value on bringing glory and honor and praise to Him. It is a way that values the Word of God - and values the lifestyle that comes from honoring and obeying the Word of God. This is what the father wants - and it is a wise thing that he is seeking! Fathers, let's give us merely trying to change our son's behavior with poor motivators. Threats and harsh punishments will probably not turn the hearts of our sons to the right way. Let us speak the truth to our children, but at the same time aim for the heart. What we want is to see them choose wise paths - and heart-motivated change. May God give us the wisdom to speak to them this way - and then they will be blessed - not just with good behavior, but a good heart that motivates that behavior for a lifetime. Check tomorrow's post as we continue through the next several verses to see how the father uses wisdom - and an understanding of the biblical consequences that follow our actions. |
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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