For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching is light; And reproofs for discipline are the way of life. Proverbs 6:23
Today we are going to cover an amazing proverb that applies to every area and every aspect of life itself. Here, like in the gospel, we are told of "the way of life." Unlike in the gospel, this "way of life" is not one that can redeem us from sin - but it can be used by the Holy Spirit to make us a lifetime learner - a disciple who knows how God works through His Word and through the way that it is taught to us by the Spirit. If there was ever a day to listen closely - today would be that day. We are told of two things at the beginning of this proverb. We are told of the commandent and the teaching. These two things are compared to a lamp and to light. First we have the commandment. This is the same word that is used for God's 10 commandments. It refers to God's Law - and I believe beyond the Old Testament it can be applied to the inspired Word of God anywhere in the Old or New Testaments. We are told here that the commandment is a lamp. A lamp is something that can emit light if used properly. The lamp will always have the potential for light to come from it. It is something that holds light - and if lit it will radiate light. Interesting for us who understand the figures and types that are used for God's Holy Spirit, a lamp is filled with oil which is a type throughout the Old Testament for the Spirit and His work. When that oil is lit - the lamp produces light. In much the same way, the Word of God always has within it the teaching of the Holy Spirit - His leading and His instruction, warning, and rebuke. When we come to God's Word, the lamp, we have the wonderful working of the Spirit of God as He illumines the Scriptures for us. But before we think that simply reading or hearing the Word will always produce light, we need to remember that the commandment is a lamp. It can produce light - but it can also remain unlit and just be a lamp. There are those who misuse God's Word and no light comes forth. The devil himself quoted the Scriptures to Jesus - to try and get Him to sin. In that instance the lamp did not produce light - but it was abused to promote darkness. There are also professors even at semniaries who do not believe the Bible is the Word of God. The teaching they do promotes darkness. This means that we cannot make a blanket statement that when the Bible is taught or read that it always results in light. The second statement made here is that the teaching is light. First off we need to note here that we are not reading that the teaching is the light. "THE" light is reserved for references to Jesus Christ Himself - God - and amazingly enough, us when we are manifesting God's character to others. Here we read that the teaching is light. The word for teaching here is the Hebrew word "torah." Here torah means instruction or direction. In the Old Testament the word mean instruction in a general manner from God Himself. The idea here is that the command is the lamp - and when the Spirit or a Spirit-inspired teacher is instructing from it - the lamp becomes light - or begins to illumine with light. This is so important for us to grasp because it is the very way that God will instruct and teach us. We come to the Word, but we covet that when we do the Holy Spirit instructs us as we read and as we meditate upon what the Word says. Do not misunderstand me to say that the Bible becomes the Word as it is taught. That is false doctrine. The Bible is always the inspired Word of God that gives us the revelation of God. It is just that we are blind to it without the instruction of the Holy Spirit who opens our hearts and spirits so that we can receive what God says. That is why I think it is important to consciously ask the Spirit of God to teach us when we come to the Word of God. There is one other thing this passage teaches us about the functioning of the Word in our lives. Today there are many who teach that the major reason for God's Word is that we can "confess who we are" in a positive way. There is a potential problem with this doctrinal view. We can get to the point where we only receive "positive" messages about ourselves from God's Word - and not conviction of sin. When we read this passage though, it seems that we are learning something contrary to the positive confession doctrine. "And reproofs for discipline are the way of life." When we read this we have to come to the conclusion that a large part of what the Word of God is going to do is reprove us. It is probably at least one fourth of what it does because we read in 2 Timothy 3:16 that the Word of God is profitable for reproof. Actually the 2 Timothy passage says not just reproof, but also correction as well. The Word of God comes to us often to reprove and correct us. One of God's complaints against the false prophets is that they would whitewash Israel's sin. They would constantly talk about blessing without helping Israel and Judah to see that they had sinned against the Lord. It does not matter how many "positive" confessions you make to yourself, God, and others - if you have unconfessed sin in your life - God will not bless you. And since we are fallen creatures who live in a fallen world - we need for God to reveal to us that when we are acting "fallen!" If you read Romans 7 - you do not come away with the thought that Paul just needed to be more positive. He was wrestling with very real sin - and a very real fleshly, sinful nature that could not be defeated except through Jesus Christ. That is why we need desperately to see that we need to be reproved and disciplined by God to become all that God desires for us to be in Christ. Without that reproof and correction, we will not know from what we need to turn. The way of life is through being disciplined by God - and that involves the Lord reproving us for our sin. When we come to His Word - His commandments - He is going to reveal to us how we have sinned against Him. He does not do this because He hates us. Contrary to that thought, He does it because He loves us! He desires for us to share in His holiness (Hebrews 12) - and that means He wants us to share in His life. Wisdom is coming to God's Word in the right way each day. It means that we approach the Lord each day being open to what He wants to teach us. As we do this we also open ourselves to His Spirit to reveal to us that we may have sinned - or we may be lacking godly character - or a good attitude toward an authority. There are any number of ways that God might speak to our hearts and help us to abandon sin - and embrace His holiness. Regardless of what specifics are involved, God desires to bring blessing into our lives through this process. Remember - the reproofs and discipline are the way of life! He is bringing you life when He does these things. Be wise therefore and receive what He is saying each day - whether it is encouragement, exhortation, teaching, or reproof. They are all in his arsenal of blessing to conform you to the image of His Son and change you to be a better vessel for the blessing of not just yourself - but everyone around you.
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The hearing ear and the seeing eye, The LORD has made both of them. Proverbs 20:12
This last day we will spend on this verse has to do not just with the physical creation of our ears and eyes, but rather with some philosophic and religious implications of this fact. What should we learn from the fact that God has made our ears and eyes? Psalm 94:9 will help us here with these things. Psalm 94 is written to help us see that God is Who He is - GOD! Psalm 94 is a psalm about God's judgment that is coming upon a disobedient people. It is about people who ignore God's warnings about pride and rebellion. As these people do their wicked acts, they do so with the attitude that "The Lord coes not see, nor does the God of Jacob pay heed." Their attitude is that God doesn't have the ability to see their actions and their deeds. The answer that God gives them is given in verse 8-10 which read as follows, "Pay heed, you senseless among the people; And when will you understand, stupid ones? He who planted the ear, does He not hear? He who formed the eye, does He not see? He who chastens the nations, will He not rebuke, Even He who teaches man knowledge?" God's philosophical question to these people is this. The God Who made us in His image - and who made us with ears that hear and eyes that see - do you not think that He can hear and see? To think that this is not the case is really stupid and senseless. God hears and sees. But what is terrifying is to grasp that as an infinite being God's hearing and sight are not limited to time and space like our own. He hears and sees ALL THINGS! There is nothing that is beyond His perview - and as such - all will give an account to Him. Verse 10 tells us that the God who chastens nations - will he not also chasten the individual? This says something to us that we absolutely need to hear. God is God - He made the hearing ear and the seeing eye. Since we are made in His image - that means that He too can both hear and see. That is why a simple assertion in Proverbs chapter 20 should make us step back and consider such a thing. It should also help us to embrace wisdom. Wisdom is living in such a way that we realize that we are walking in God's sight - walking before Him. What He says we should heed - what He commands we should do - and what we think we can hide - we should wake up and know that even our most hidden actions, thoughts, and words are as clear as day in His sight. Knowing this helps a wise man to live "pleasing" in His sight. Rejecting it is the ultimate insult to God. We equate to Him and blindness and deafness that dishonors Him greatly. But the fact is that men and women who do not acknowledge His omniscience are the ones blind and deaf. I was due to offer peace offerings; Today I have paid my vows. Therefore I have come out to meet you, To seek your presence earnestly, and I have found you. Proverbs 7:14-15
We are continuing in this verse with the entiement and thinking of the harlot, the adulteress, as she seeks to lure a young man into her trap of sexual immorality. This verse is fascinating because it reveals that the adulteress has a religious side to her as well. Her comment to her prey is truly interesting because it speaks of someone who has gone and done their religious duty. Let's take a look at it today and seek to gain wisdom and reject stupidity as a result. Her statement is that her peace offerings are with her. The idea here is not that she has yet to offer them, but rather that her spiritual condition is one who is at peace with God - someone who has already offered this sacrifice to the Lord - and who, as a result, has some kind of stored up religious earnings. She thinks that she has religious credit on deposit - and therefore she can withdraw it in her current actions. This is the mindset of penance rather than repentance. Penance assumes that we can pay for our sins with some kind of religious ritual - and too often is seen as a payment up to date - with the result being that we can sin some more later. Repentance is a change of mind granted by God - with the result that by grace alone our sin is forgiven. Along with repentance is both restortation and regeneration so that we are truly changed. The one who has engaged in repentance IS changed by God - whereas the one doing penance is engaged in a works mentality where they have earned something from God. The adulteress here is stating that she is paid up - and has somehow earned the right to now engage in further sin. Having done her religious work - her religious duty - she is now free to live as she pleases. This is the danger of works-minded religion - it deceives the one practicing it into thinking that after they have sinned, they can just work some more - work a little harder - and all will be well. There is no transformation involved - just another IOU paid in full to God as they continue in their self-made menagerie of religous ritual. Today she has paid her vows . . . what vows? Evidently there is a supposed promise of reformation - but there is no action toward it coming any time soon. The next verse is so telling because in it she says, "Therefore I have come out to meet you, to seek your presence earnestly." Her comment is that having done her religious duty, having made worthless and empty vows, now she is free to engage in her sexual escapades. Her religion is merely a facade to further deceive whatever willing dupe is in her sites. She's ready to roll - now that she has played her religious game for the week - or the day - or however she works to maintain the illusion of being right with God. What a convenient religion this is. The danger here is that we will be drawn into an illicit relationship thinking that we are having adultery with a good person - a religious person. The reality is that we are walking over the pit that has been covered with leaves by the one hunting us. If we buy the lie and step over the hole, we will quickly find that what we've actually stepped upon is a trap. The lie was there to lure us into a false sense of safety. The reality is that we are now caught - and in grave danger. Just one last parting comment though - because this particular practice is even among those of us who are evangelicals. We need to be extremely careful that we are engaging in repentance before God and not just a protestant form of penance. When we come to confess our sins - we don't need to stop there. Too many (myself included unfortunately) just confess their sins - but do not go into the second part of 1 John 1:9. We are all about confessing a sin that makes us feel bad, feel guilty, feel caught - but are we truly interested in God's change in our hearts? The second half of that verse says that we also ask to be "cleansed from all unrighteousness." Here is the forgotten part. We need God to not only forgive - but cleanse us of the mindset and choices that led to that sin in the first place. We need to say to God, "Get rid of every 'unright' behavior, choice, thought, reasoning, and activity." There is where we can camp out for a while and have the Lord do a thorough heart searching in us. There is where we can be protected from the very sin these two verses reveal to us. We can move from penance to repentance - and in so doing - from merely salving our conscience for a few moments to true change. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction. Proverbs 1:7
How can someone start on the road to becoming wise? If we asked that question of 100 people, we might get some similarity in their answers, but if we did not know this verse at the beginning of Proverbs, we probably would not choose fearing God as one of those answers. The beginning of knowledge is the fear of the Lord. We will not gain any kind of true knowledge of ultimate reality until we do. There are a great number of truly smart men (in earthly terms) and yet many of them reject God - at least they reject the God of the Bible. Smart they may be - but when it comes to eternal matters - they are dumb as stumps. Their great learning in human endeavors has made them arrogant and unwilling to bend their knee before the One True God. The man who thinks he knows something - most likely does not yet know as he should. Human learning manifests itself in pride. Paul told us under the inspiriation of the Holy Spirit, "Knowledge puffs up . . . " That is something that is dangerous in the most deadly way. When we think we truly know something - we don't yet know anything. For all their supposed knowledge, these scholars are facing a horrific future. They will continue in this age as sage, wise men - only to learn that it is the fool who says there is no God. They will be praised as men of great insight - only to find that all their genius has done nothing to save them from the wrath of God. Never have they trembled before the majesty and glory of God. Never have they seen the universe rightly - as His creation and as a testiment to His vastness and infinite nature. Never have they considered that if we are moral beings, we must have been created by a moral Being - before Whom we will have to stand and to Whom we will have to give an account. The fear of God is the beginning of knowledge becuase as creator, all things have their origin in Him. Without a healthy respect and fear of God, we will ultimately give ourselves over to our own foolish pride - and lift ourselves to an unhealthy level in our own thinking. That can end only in disaster at the throne of God's judgment. God is in heaven, we are on earth - therefore we should tremble in His presence. To fear God means that we recognize Him as supreme and absolute. If God is a mere concept - a thought - He is nothing more than a mere jump between synapses in our brain. But if He is real - then He is the most powerful, most wise, glorious being that ever has and ever will be. His power and glory are unexplainable - for they are incomprehensible. As such, we tremble before Him for He is ultimately in power and will remain so for all eternity. Until we know and grasp this - we are mere brutish fools walking upon the earth. Part of our problem with this word knowledge is that we've divorced it from the biblical context. We have come to view knowledge as the mere storing of facts as man sees them. This is not what God refers to when he says that the fear of Jehovah is the beginning of knowledge. The word used here is "daath" and it means not just a storing of facts, but an ability to know to where we can practice discernment, insight, and an experiential knowledge and experience of something - or in this case, Someone. Just knowing a bunch of facts and being able to manipulate them on earth so that it impresses other humans - is something akin to being able to juggle a set of balls well. Nice trick - but what exactly is it worth in the end? The knowledge we speak of in Proverbs 1 is that of knowing God - and being able to see things like He does so that we have a discernment that will aid us for eternity. That only comes when we see God accurately - and then in the light of His glory - see the world accurately for the first time in our lives. Until that moment arrives in a man's heart - he is and will always be a fool. We are told on the back-end of this proverb that fools despise wisdom and instruction. Here is the value of knowledge - it makes us wiser and teachable. The fool who rejects God despises His wisdom. Since God is all-knowing and all-encompassing, He is the ultimate source of knowledge. If one wants to get it right - go to Him. If one is unwilling to go to Him (as the wicked admit they are) that one is actually despising wisdom and instruction. He only wants to exalt his own thinking and the activity of his own mind. Since He is utterly limited compared to an infinite God - well - he is stupid. He hates seeing the full picture in favor of his utterly parochial view. He despises discerning the best since the only thing he considers best is his own view. He is unwilling to be instructed by the One will absolute knowledge - thus he rejects the greatest Teacher anyone can imagine. In every way - his lack of respect, honor, and fear toward God is evidenced by his unwillingness to sit at God's feet and learn from Him. So how do we grow in knowledge and wisdom? It is by first acknowledging that God is ultimate in knowledge, in wisdom, in everything! Then it is by humbling ourselves and learning to tremble in the presence of the One Who is Lord and God. Then and only then can our minds and hearts be opened to receive the wisdom, the instruction, and the knowledge of God. He who turns away his ear from listening to the law, Even his prayer is an abomination. Proverbs 28:9
So, how does God view the prayers of those of us who are actively disobeying His Word? That is what we learn today in the proverb of the day. This is going to be a proverb that confronts those who think God hears their prayers - when they are actively disboeying a command of the Word of God. It is also going to be a time when we realize that God sees issues of obedience to His Word in stark black and white - not in a plethora of grey. When we disobey the Word - we are in effect turning our ears away from listening to it. Here in Christian America, we think that having heard the word with the ear alone is akin to having obeyed it. The most rebellious places in America are not the bars or the strip joints. The most rebellious places in America are the parking lots of her churches. This is where far too many saints of God go after hearing the truth preached by their pastors - and justify letting it go into one ear and out the other. They hear the Word - but it never penetrates their hearts. Some will even justify their present disobedience - while praising what was said by the preacher. Thus the American practice of thinking we've obeyed, when we have only heard something - is continued weekly. When we do not obey - we are turning our ear from listening to the truth. The term here for turn away means that we go away from the Word - we desert it - we quit the Word, meaning that we hear, but do not DO it. We turn aside from it and do not allow it to do a work in our hearts. When we do not obey the Word - God considers our prayers and abomination. Whoa now! Did we read that right! God considers prayers uttered by the disobedient to be an abomination. We thought that word was just reserved for homosexuals - didn't we. But God is holy - not just anti-homosexual. He is pro-holiness all the way. Thus, when we are not pro-holiness (read here pro-obedience, pro-godly, pro-doing what God says when He says it) - we are in effect, anti-God. He is shocked and appalled by our lack of listening and obeying. He is horrified that we would actually turn a deaf ear to what He has said. He considers such things an abomination! There were a group of people that Jesus was hardest upon in the gospel accounts. To the shock of most people, this group was not the classic sinners. He was not hardest on the prostitutes, the tax collectors, the scum of society, or the usually suspects we consider when we wonder who a "hell-fire-and-brimstone" preacher would single out in his preaching. Jesus was hardest on religious hypocrites. He reserved His most scathing comments for those who practiced religion outwardly, but inwardly ignored the Word. By the way - this is where the pray-er, but not obey-er would be put by our Lord. The one who turns his ear from listening to the Law, by not obeying it - IS the hypocrite. And contrary to our popular habit of thinking that the hypocrite is anyone other than us - it IS us. Whenever we engage in pious prayers - without having obeyed the Word that God has spoken to us recently - we are an abomination. Wisdom tells us that we are to hear and heed the Word of God. This will give our prayers wings that will fly them to the very throne of God. May we always watch our hearts to make sure that we are hearing, obeying - then praying. This is the proper order of things. Who can say, "I have cleansed my heart, I am pure from my sin"? Proverbs 20:9
Wisdom manifests itself by realizing that man is sinful. That premise is rejected in most of today's society - especially among the elites who rule over the educational establishment and the world of counseling and psychiatry. The fact that they reject that man is by nature a sinner and is selfish and self-centered - dooms much of their efforts to educate and to help people deal with problems in their lives. Now that is a very bold statement - but also very true. One of the problems with modern Christianity is that we no longer feel the need in our postmodern society to have our worldview based upon the clear teaching of the Scriptures. One of the places that this is seen the clearest is in the area of the sinfulness of man and the ramifications of it in government, in education, in counseling, and in how we deal with people in our world. The proverb here asks the simple question, "Who can say, 'I have cleansed my heart, I am pure from my sin?'" There are several assertions that are made here. First is that of the ability to cleanse ourselves from our sin. "I have cleansed my heart." This is the belief that by our own works we can change our own hearts. Unless we begin with the sinful, selfish natural tendencies of mankind, we will think that by our education and by our laws and codes we can change a man's heart. Such an assertion is the height of foolishness and pride. We cannot cleanse our own hearts from our sinfulness. But an educational system based upon humanistic assertions will think that we can change our hearts by being better educated. But honestly, that only produces smarter sinners. The issues of the human heart will only be solved by the gospel of Jesus Christ whereby a heart can be redeemed and men can be regenerated. The second question is whether a man can say he is pure from his sin. Religions around the globe seek to do this through a myriad of different plans. Some want to try to mortify their own evil desires - while others try to abolish the concept of evil and sin altogether. Purifying ourselves assumes impurity though - and thus religious efforts to do this may involve confession and absolution of some kind. Roman Catholicism tries to answer this question through their system of confession and penance, which involves first admitting your sin to a confessor/priest. After your confession they grant forgiveness. The final step is that the priest commands penance in the form of some kind of repeated religious activity, like saying a religious phrase such as the Hail Mary or Rosary. Some times there is also the request to do a good work of some kind, which with the confession earns forgiveness. In the end, whether it is through this system - or through a Hindu or Islamic system of obtaining forgiveness - it all boils down to a works mentality. We can earn our forgiveness through doing something for God. Biblical Christianity paints a much different picture of the process of forgiveness. The Law was give to restrict sin - but more importantly to show us how impossible it is to obey it - because we are rebellious sinners. The very fact that we cannot be made righteous or pure by the Law - sends us running into the arms of Christ. We learn that it is only through what He did in his death, burial, and resurrection that we can be made pure in God's sight. He paid the price for our sin - and now offers to us His own righteousness - so that we can stand before God. Therefore the answer to these two questions here in Proverbs is given by the gospel. First of all - none of us can say that we have cleansed our own hearts. The only cleansing that will matter is the one given when we receive it by faith. That cleansing comes when we look to Jesus Christ - and admit that only He can purify our hearts and change them to be godly. The second question is answered as well by the gospel. No one can say, "I am pure from my sin," without that purity coming as a gift from God as He makes us righteous with the righteousness and purity of His Son. Wisdom rejects a man-centered, works-centered salvation. Only a fool would think that man can solve his own problems with God - without a direct intervention by God Himself. Any education or counseling or governmental system that is based upon that wrong assertion will fail and be crushed under the weight of man's sinfulness. Without checks and balances designed to expose and correct the selfish and self-centered tendencies of the human heart, sin will run rampant in a society that hides its eyes and pretends that sin does not exist. In such a world sin will be redefined again and again to cover-up the real problem - which is a wicked and sinful heart in men. In answer to the question posed by the writer of Proverbs, "No one can say that he has cleansed his own heart, or say that he is pure from his sin." That only happens by the grace and mercy of God as He works in us by the gospel of Jesus Christ. As Jesus said Himself, "No one comes to the Father, except through Me." The name of the LORD is a strong tower; The righteous runs into it and is safe. Proverbs 18:10
As we walk through this world there are times when we have to wonder about our safety. We are in a wicked and ungodly world - and in it there are those who would do us harm because we represent Jesus Christ. This is true far more in countries where persecution is tolerated and encouraged by the government and by leaders of false religions. Are we safe in the Lord? Solomon knew that indeed the godly man IS safe! He knew it not just because of a theory that he had heard - but because of true stories shared with him by His father, David. David knew personally that the name of Jehovah was a strong tower because he had faced extremely dangerous situations throughout his life. He had turned to the Lord again and again when things became very dangerous for him. He had faced enemies who laid in wait for him outside his home - planning to kill him. He had faced armies whose desire it was to destroy Israel and enslave its people. He faced personal threats from people - as well as threats that arose from spiritual realms. Yet in all this he knew that the name of the Lord is a strong tower - a place of safety into which the righteous can run. God's name represents more than just something we call Him - it represents Who He is. He is Jehovah - the self-existant One who reveals Himself. But that name is attached to other names - ones that offer promises to us. He is Jehovah-Jireh, the One who sees and provides for us. He is Jeohvah-Nissi, the One who is our banner of victory when we face foes. He is Jehovah-Tsidkenu, the One who is our righteousness when our sins would separate us from God. He is Jeohvah-M'kaddesh, the One who will sanctify us and deliver us from our innermost battles with sin. He is Jehovah-Shammah, the One who is present with us - preparing a table for us in the presence of our enemies. He is Jehovah-Rohi, the One who will be our Shepherd and lead us through our lives. He is Jehovah-Rophe, the One who will heal us from all our diseases and bring us out of sickness and pain. He is finally Jehovah-Shalom, the One who will give us peace no matter what is happening in our lives. Truly His names are a strong tower to which we can run and find shelter in whatever situation we face. May we be wise and run to Him with all that we face in life - trusting Him to deliver us from all our fears and all our trials. Through insolence comes nothing but strife, But wisdom is with those who receive counsel. Proverbs 13:10
Today we are going to learn about the danger of the sin of presumption. I know that this one rarely comes across our lives - or at least we rarely talk about it. Can't really remember a time when anyone dealt with this in a teaching or a sermon. But, since that is where we are in Proverbs - let's take a look today. The Bible calls this sin "insolence," and we are warned that nothing comes through it except strife. The word for insolence here is the Hebrew word "zadon" and it means presumptuousness or pride. The idea here is that of a willful decision that has not consulted with God - or doing something without really knowing whether it is the will of God or not. We presume that we can do something or say something and we have no real idea whether the Lord is in it or not. But rather than back up and check - we push ahead. Suddenly the sin of presumption seems much closer to our world and lifestyle than we first thought. This was actually the original sin in the garden. Eve presumed that it would be OK to partake of the fruit - even though it was clearly NOT the will of God for her to do so. When she heard the arguments of the serpent, she presumed that the rules had changed. The sin of presumption comes in so many ways. It comes when we decide that we really don't need to study and read God's Word. Our ignorance of the Bible only radically furthers our presumption. Some mistakenly lump presumption with initiative. But initiative considers what someone wants - or what they need - and rather waiting to be asked to do something - takes the initiative to do what is right. Presumption doesn't know what is right - doesn't ask - and goes ahead with the plan and action without finding out. Through presumption comes nothing but strife. We first have strife with God because ultimately He is the One upon which we are presuming. We just figure that He approves what we want to do - and we do it. Later when we learn that it is sin - we justify ourselves and our actions claiming ignorance. Our most ignoranct moment was going ahead with our plans before we ever knew His will. Presumption draws upon pride for its strength. Pride tells us that we know what is best for ourselves - and we ought to be able to do some things without asking. We "presume" that we are free agents, able to do what we want without consequences. Yet, the consequences come - and come hard in the end. We also wind up with strife among people. Take 5 selfish people and put them in an organization. Each is prideful about their ability to lead - and each thinks their ideas are wonderful! Let them loose without any kind of restraint upon them - especially any when it comes to seeking the face and heart of God. Soon you will have more strife as they push forward with their "ideas" without any thought of their consequence (except the consequence of them being noticed, advanced, honored, etc.). They presume that because they think it is a good idea - it ought to be done - and done now. Oh, the battles, the strife, the infighting, and the grief that the sin of presumption causes. You sometimes watch entire churches set aflame with anger, broken relationships, and pride as they splinter due to the sin of presumption. How do we keep presumption from creeping into our thinking and our lives? The second half of this proverb tells us that the cure for presumption is to receive counsel. But wisdom is with those who receive counsel. First, we receive the counsel of God. The Lord told Joshua at the beginning of his leadership over Israel, "This book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night. So that you may be careful to do all that is in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you shall have good success." There is the key - to know God's Word. We receive counsel when we make sure that what we are doing is in accord with the Word of God. We are wise when we make it a priority to seek His face and know His ways. Then we make certain that what we are doing is what He wants. No presumption - but careful seeking and careful ordering of our lives according to His direction for us. The same is true when we take the time to ask for counsel from others BEFORE we launch out into an endeavor. The Word tells us that in an abundance of counsellors there is victory! How much better we do when we take the time to ask someone - and hone our ideas through the wisdom and eyes of others. We are resuced from our own extremes - and learn to live to serve one another - even in how we push forward with what we are desiring to do. Before we end today's proverb I would like to give one memorable Biblical example. When Joshua led Israel, the people of Gibeon came to him and the leaders of Israel deceptively. They wore worn out clothes and took crumbled provisions to make them think they were from a far country. They were from Canaan - and were not to be a people with whom Israel entered into any covenant. But Joshua and the leaders believed their eyes - and presumptuously decided to enter into a covenant with the Gibeonites. The Scriptures tell us that, "they did not seek the counsel of God." The end was a horrible decision - one that would cost them dearly. It happened all because they presumed to know what to do - and decided that they did not need to ask God about it. Oh the grief that would be spared if we would seek to destroy this sin of presuming upon God. The strife that would be avoided if we would only make it a lifelong practice to turn to Him and ask Him what should be done. Make it a point today to turn to the Lord - make it a point to turn to Him in every situation to ask His heart and His will. Learn from Joshua - that we need to meditate day and night upon the Word of God - so that we will do the will of God and prosper. That is how we can begin to see this little known - but often practiced sin removed from our lives. How blessed is the man who finds wisdom And the man who gains understanding. Proverbs 3:13
Happy is the man who finds the wisdom of God. That is what our proverb says today. But the happiness spoken of here is no mere good mood - it is a happiness rooted in spiritual things - in knowing God Himself. The word "blessed" here is the Hebrew word "eser" and it means to be in a state of bliss. This word is almost exclusively used in a poetic context and is usually used in an exclamation. "Oh the blessedness!" would be the normal expression using this word. This word is used several times to speak of the joy and blessedness - indeed the bliss enjoyed by someone who has a relationship with God. Here though, the word is referring to one who finds the wisdom of God. Even more so, the blessing refers to one who not only gathers wisdom from God - but who can use it to discern. He gains understanding from God's wisdom entering his life. When we find wisdom, we learn to turn from the worldly ways of this present life and seek out God's answers for things. We come to see life from the perspective of God. What God thinks and what God wants becomes paramount in our lives. Oh, what a blessing comes when we finally turn from our own selfish thinking and learn to look at things His way. We turn from the insanity of a self-driven life to a life guided and led by a loving God who knows what is best in every situation. When we gain understanding we are even more blessed. This is the ability to discern - to distinguish between things that differ. We can know the difference between our will and God's will. We know what is right and what is wrong. We can discern between two or three different options which one is God's will. In a world where we have to make hundereds of decisions each day - that is a wonderful gift. If you have found wisdom - and are gaining understanding - don't take it for granted. It is a rare thing for a man to have wisdom come into his life. It is an act of God's grace and mercy. For this you should fall to your knees and thank God for such a fantastic gift! For wisdom will enter your heart And knowledge will be pleasant to your soul; Proverbs 2:10
God wants us to have a "heart" religion - and not just one that affects our heads on certain days. Here we have Solomon speaking to us about having wisdom enter our hearts and knowledge becoming pleasant to our mind, will, and emotions. This is the kind of work that the Lord wants to do in us. Let's take a closer look at what it means to have this happen - and the reason it is not such an easy task. First of all - as with all things in a Biblical worldview, sin has made things diffiicult because it has ruined us. We learn from the prophets that we currently have a heart of stone. One of the promises of the new covenant is that God will remove from us this heart of stone and give us a heart of flesh. The sign of this is that God will have written His commandments on our hearts - and we will want to obey Him. Part of this process also comes when we seek the Lord and desire to know Him and the wisdom that comes from having His Word before our eyes. In Proverbs 2 we see the pursuit of God's Word - and the passion that Solomon had for it. This is a work of grace because we read in 1 Peter 1 that we are to long for the Word like a newborn babe longs for its mother's milk. When that work of grace happens - the Word of God will dwell within us richly - and in time - it will enter our hearts. This work of God's grace will encsure that wisdom too will enter our hearts. To have wisdom from the Word in our hearts is vital. Jesus said that it is out of the abundance of what is in the heart that the mouth speaks. That is why it is so important to have wisdom enter our hearts. The heart is also the wellspring of our being. Whatever reigns in our hearts will reign in our lives. That is why we don't just want a small helping of the Word of God - but we want it to dwell richly within us. We want an abundance of the Word in us - and we want it to powerfully speak to us as we seek the Lord and desire to hear from Him through His Word. The second precious work we read of here is having knowledge from God become pleasant to our soul. The word here for knowing is the Hebrew word "daath" and it means a knowing by experience, encounter, and relationship. This is not just having a mental knowing in our heads - it is truly knowing God in an intimate relationship with Him. We have encountered God Himself - we've experienced Him - and as a result of our former and continued encounters with Him - we know wisdom. What is even more precious to me about this verse is that we learn that this intimate knowing of God Himself will become pleasant to our souls. The word used here is "naem" and it means something sweet, beautiful, pleasing, comfortable, and delightful. Remember that when we read of a work in our souls - we are talking about a work in our mind, will, and emotions. When wisdom enters our hearts - knowing God will be pleasant to our minds. Before this work of grace we were opposed to God - and the thought of someone having ultimate authority in our lives yielded rebellion and resentment. Our minds were disturbed by the thought of someone who knows our every thought and deed. It was anything but comforting to know that we would stand in the judgment and give an account for every word, thought, motive, and deed. Our response to such things was anything but pleasant. When wisdom enters our hearts - knowing God will be pleasant to our will. Here is an interesting study in the Scriptures. Before a work of God's grace happens in our hearts, obedience to God is anything but pleasant and delightful to us. We are born rebels and our status as such is confirmed again and again by our response to God's Law. God's Law reveals to us that we are sinners - that we do not find submission to God pleasant. We rebel against it and do not do the things that His Word says to do. If any one passage of Scripture bears this out it is Romans chapter 7. There Paul reminds us that the things we want to do, we don't do - but the very prohibitions of the Law are what we choose to do. Paul's cry at the end of that chapter is that he is a wretched man who desperately needs deliverance from sin. But when God does that work through Jesus Christ our Lord, we find that a transformation has taken place - and that transformation continues as we walk with God, indeed finding an intimate walk with God pleasant to our will. When wisdom enters our hearts - knowing God will be pleasant to our emotions. Our emotions can be a source of amazing blessing as well as a source of untold problems. Some wind up with their emotions far more in control of their lives than they are in control of their emotions. We find ourselves on an emotional high during which we would do anything for the Lord. But then we find ourselves in the same week with an emotional state, that if we let it control us, will render us almost incapable of doing anything. Here is where wisdom is so important to our souls. When that work of God's grace begins to change us, we learn to tell our emotions that they will not control us. We enjoy our emotions, but learn not to have them dominate our moods - and our attitude. That is reserved for God's Word which consistently directs us as the Holy Spirit uses our mind to understand it - our will to choose it - and His power to carry it out. When that work of God's grace happens, we find knowing God in our emotions a delightful thing. Before you think that emotions are a bad thing - I want to remind you that David spoke of how his emotions were moved by God Himself - and how he knew the heights of joy as well as the depths of despair - all as he knew the living God in relationship to Him. Walking with God is more than just knowing a bunch of principles and ideas. That kind of thing smells of religion. God wants a vital relationship with us. It takes the entrance of wisdom into our hearts for us to move into that precious relationship. As we seek the Lord, may He give us grace to know such a marvelous intimacy with Him. |
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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