 Proverbs 3:21-26 My son, let them not vanish from your sight; Keep sound wisdom and discretion, So they will be life to your soul And adornment to your neck. Then you will walk in your way securely And your foot will not stumble. When you lie down, you will not be afraid; When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. Do not be afraid of sudden fear Nor of the onslaught of the wicked when it comes; For the LORD will be your confidence And will keep your foot from being caught.
If you have ever lost a night's sleep due to fear or worry, you know what a blessing it is to have a sense of security and peace as you go to bed. That is what God promises to those who base their lives upon His wisdom and Word. Since so many have trouble sleeping, let’s take a closer look at what God says will bring us a sleep that is sweet. To get the full story on God’s secure, sweet sleep you need to go back as far as verse 21. The first thing we learn is that we need to keep sound wisdom and discretion with us. Solomon uses the picture of wearing such things like a necklace around your neck. What are these things? Sound wisdom is a word that means to have wisdom that is applied to your life. This applied, sound, wisdom brings a continuing success in walking in God’s ways. Added to this is discretion, which means to have a purpose or plan that guides you in all that you do. It refers to having a worldview or a plan for life that is based on the wisdom of God’s Word. How do you get such things – this sound wisdom and life plan or purpose? You get them by being often in God’s Word – reading and learning from God to see things the way that He sees them. Thus the Word of God and the wisdom of God become not just a quick answer to a question. You get the answer then move on to life on your own. No, this sound wisdom is a lifestyle of following after God and His Word. The result of this is blessings on the inside, thus the comment on our soul receiving life. When we hold fast to God’s wisdom there is a life given to our soul. Our mind, will, and emotions are helped by God’s wisdom. Our mind is instructed, our will commanded, and our emotions are quieted by God’s wisdom. These are all things that would help contribute to sweet sleep. There are also outward blessings. The concept of the neck is interesting. When someone is “stiff-necked” the Bible is referring to him or her being disobedient and rebellious. When others are honored – they are said to receive a necklace around their neck. This was a symbol either of victory or of authority. There are also promises of walking in our lives safely and not stumbling as we walk. Having such promises again help to encourage a sense of security and safety with God guiding our lives. The next verse is our focus verse – promising sleep that is sweet. This happens to us because we are no longer “afraid.” This is an interesting word (pahad) and it means to be in dread or a bad sense of awe of something or someone. Deuteronomy 28:66 uses this word in the following context. “So your life shall hang in doubt before you; and you will be in dread night and day, and shall have no assurance of your life. "In the morning you shall say, 'Would that it were evening!' And at evening you shall say, 'Would that it were morning!' because of the dread of your heart which you dread, and for the sight of your eyes which you will see.” Deuteronomy 28:66-67 This “dread” is because you have “no assurance of your life.” This speaks of someone who thinks that blind fate is responsible for whatever happens next. Someone sees the difficulties and disasters of this present world and as a result have no confidence – so much so that they dread when morning comes, wishing instead that it were evening – or wishing is was morning when it is evening. For the person who doesn’t understand God’s omniscience (knowing all things) and omnipotence (power over all things) and loving providence – life is terrifying. And that dread and terror makes it difficult for them to sleep at night. Isaiah 33 also speaks of this kind of fear and dread. “You who are far away, hear what I have done; And you who are near, acknowledge My might." Sinners in Zion are terrified; Trembling has seized the godless. "Who among us can live with the consuming fire? Who among us can live with continual burning?" He who walks righteously and speaks with sincerity, He who rejects unjust gain And shakes his hands so that they hold no bribe; He who stops his ears from hearing about bloodshed And shuts his eyes from looking upon evil; He will dwell on the heights, His refuge will be the impregnable rock; His bread will be given him, His water will be sure.” Isaiah 33:13-16 God speaks to Isaiah about sinners who are terrified about being confronted by God. They will not submit to Him – and as a result they eventually see that they shall stand before Him and give an account of their lives. This makes them tremble – because they have not chosen righteousness. Yet God’s word to the righteous is that they will dwell on the heights – with God as refuge – and with Him as an impregnable rock for their protection. Peace with God is something that people mock, and yet it should never be underrated. Knowing peace with God gives one a peace that according to the New Testament “surpasses understanding.” What gives us sweet sleep in life? God has revealed that it is not a pill or some secret meditation or calming that is self-taught and self-empowered. Instead it is the wisdom of God infusing the soul. It is God’s Word in meditation and contemplation, giving us God’s perspective as well as keeping us in His way. There is no source that can rival a peace one has from Him. It is a peace that cannot be taken away by earthly powers. It is the kind of peace that allows us to sleep sweetly in the arms of His love because we know He watches over us. We sleep sweetly because we know that even death itself cannot separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus. Such confidence breeds contentment. Such contentment breeds peace. Such peace results in sweet sleep.
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When you lie down, you will not be afraid; When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. Proverbs 3:24
If you have ever lost a night's sleep due to fear or worry, you know what a blessing it is to have a sense of security and peace as you go to bed. That is what God promises to those who base their lives upon His wisdom. So today as we look at our proverb of the day, we will look at how wisdom grants us that peace and ability to lie down and have a great night's sleep. The first thing we see here is that there is a promise given to us that we will not be afraid as we lie down at night. Why would we fear though? How does God's Word and Wisdom keep us from having fear in our hearts? According to first John 4:18 fear has to do with punishment. The one who lives according to God's wisdom does not have to fear punishment becasue he knows that God's grace has removed it from us. This as true in the Old Testament in the sacrificial system, and in the New through the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God slain for the sins of the world. Therefore we know that the worst case scenario has been solved by the work of Jesus Christ. There are other ways in which we know God's wisdom will watch over us. Much of the wisdom that we read of in the book of Proverbs deals with making wise decisions and staying away from things that are harmful to us. We are warned again and again in Proverbs that certain choices and certain paths will not be blessed. They may look good at first - and even bring pleasure initially, but in the end they are very harmful and dangerous. That is why when we give ourselves to walking in the wisdom of God that we will be able to lie down and not be afraid. We will be able to lie down and have sleep that is sweet. Basing our lives upon the Word of God - especially taking the advice and counsel of the proverbs that God has given to us truly will yield a peaceful life filled with His blessing. I'll close today's post with a quote from the book of James, "Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace." (James 3:13-18) There it is for us in full view. When we live our lives by the wisdom that God gives to us - we will live a life that will be filled with the "peaceable" fruit that such wisdom brings to our lives. Then you will walk in your way securely And your foot will not stumble.
Proverbs 3:23 In today's world people crave security. They have security cameras, security systems that monitor doors and windows, and some even have security guards to keep them safe. The problem with all this is eventually you are going to have to leave your home or workplace - where you will have to walk around and experience a lifestyle outside of the secure parameters that you try to set up for yourself. One thing that the person who understands the fall of mankind from a Scriptural perspective is that one of the most dangerous people in our lives is . . . wait for it . . . ourselves! How can we hire a security detail to guard us against our own sinful tendencies? What will guard us from ourselves - as well as provide protection from other outside threats is wisdom. This verse points all the way back to verse 21 and ultimately back to verse 13. Both these verses tell us that we need to keep wisdom foremost in our thinking as well as in our vision. When we set our sights on wisdom, desiring to have not just wisdom, but understanding and discretion in where we go, what we do, and what we say - we will learn that we are placing ourselves in the best security net possible. Wisdom will help us to "walk in our way securely." Walk is the Hebrew word "halak" and it refers metaphorically to the pathways and behavior of one's life. When we choose pathways and behavior that manifests God's wisdom - we are choosing a very secure lifestyle and pathway. The security spoken of here (the Hebrew word is "betah") means a calm assurance. It speaks of an assurance and safety that comes from knowing that you have God's protection. It speaks of having a security in God that keeps us from being too self-assured that we become careless. We are told that when we walk this way in God's wisdom that our foot will not stumble. We stumble because we do not see something in our path that might cause us to trip and fall. Scripture calls these things stumbling blocks - as well as the sin that might trip us up in life. When we walk according to God's Word in both theology as well as practical insight and wisdom - these trip cords and stumbling blocks are illumined to us so that we avoid them and do not find ourselves tripped up by them. Want security in your life - a security that goes far beyond the physical security this world can offer? (and biblically I even wonder about that) This security only comes from knowing and following God's Word with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. It comes as you fill your mind with His Word - and learn to discern and discriminate between the things in the world that will bring either blessing or problems. That, my dear saints of God, is security. All other promises will ring hollow and empty. "But he who listens to me shall live securely And will be at ease from the dread of evil." Proverbs 1:33
Although the past eleven verses have been ones that have had a message of warning and correction, the last verse in this admonition gives us an encouraging lift. That is the blessing of listening to God's warnings. They may be tough, but in the end He also offers us a positive look at what it means if we live a life that obeys and honors Him. That is what we will examine today as we look at the last verse of Proverbs chapter one. We immediately see the transition that is made here. But . . . is such a wonderful word when seen in transitions where God has been trying to make a point. Foolishness has been shown for how unwise and destructive that it truly is throughout these verses. But now God is going to turn things around with one verse. There is proise of punishment and consequence for those who reject God's wisdom and Word - but for those who will listen - there is blessing. The word used here to call us to listen is a wonderful word. It is the Hebrew word "shama" and it means not just to listen with ones ears - it means to have what we listen to affect us so that we obey and regard what it is that God has said to us. Two famous biblical passages use this word. The first is in Deuteronomy 6:4 where God introduces the Shema. "Hear O, Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!" After this God calls Israel to love Him with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength. This passage became so famous among Israel that the word listen was codified - and the basic confession of Israel was named, the Shema. It is a reminder for all time for her people to place love for God above all other things in life! The second place where this word is used in a famous way is in Isaiah 1:2, "Listen O heaven, and hear O earth; for the LORD speaks, Sons I have reared and brought up, but they have revolted against Me." This is a passage where Isreal has rejected God - and God calls all of creation to listen to the warning that is offered - a warning that calls men to never abandon and turn away from the Lord. In both of these passages "shema" is used to call us not just to listen to anything - but to listen to something and Someone of absolute importance. We are called to listen to God - and here, of course, we are called to listen to His wisdom. The ones who listen in this way are ones who will "live securely." This phrase meant that a person could live with a calm assurance that God would protect and keep them. Wisdom has a way of setting our hearts at ease, knowing that God's wisdom will always yield what is best for us. The promise is also given that we will be "at ease from the dread of evil." This ease again describes for us a state of security, peace, and rest. It speaks oddly enough for this state to overcome someone even at the moment of death. It is a peace that cannot be disturbed because it is given by God Himself. The Lord gives warnings - and they can involve somewhat extensive cautions against wisdom and against walking in rebellion to His Word and ways. But know that such warnings are given to us because of God's great love and mercy toward us. Yet in the midst of such warnings - and in the midst of what some might call, "negative messages" we can know that God's desire is for us to walk in His ways and thus to experience all His blessings. To act like sin does not exist if we do not name it is the height of foolishness. The wise man knows that such warnings are welcome to us for they remind us that we must cling to and love the LORD our God with all that we have and all that we are. Such warnings are blessings in disguise for they keep us from walking in foolish and unprofitable ways. Embrace the negative messages that warn of our propensity to walk in the flesh and in our own strength. When we keep such wisdom close to our hearts, we will find that these messages are close friends with God's favor - and those are friends that are worth keeping indeed! A rich man's wealth is his strong city, And like a high wall in his own imagination. Proverbs 18:11
There is something about wealth and riches that make men think that they are insulated from things normal men have to endure. They often use their money to avoid the troubles of the average man. Some pay bribes to officials so that they and their family do not have to be arrested or pay for tickets that have been given to them. But this is only deception. God will bring down the high wall and the fortress in which they put their trust. There was such a man in the New Testament. In Luke chapter 12 we read about a rich man whose land was very productive. When a bumper crop came in, he wondered to himself what he should do with it. His decision was one that consisted of trusting in riches for his future. He decided to tear down his existing barns and build bigger ones to store all his food for himself. He truly saw his wealth as a strong city and a high wall behind which he could be safe. His imagination told him that when he gathered up all his wealth he would be protected and kept from the normal problems and indignities men usually faced. It was a nice illusion while it lasted. Problem was for him that it only lasted less than one hour. God came to this safe and secure rich man and demanded of his his soul that very hour. God came to him and revealed to him the foolishness of his choices. He might have imagined that his money was his real future - but he forgot the one enemy money cannot buy off in the end. Death was coming to him - his soul was required of him - and there was absolutely nothing that his accumulated wealth could do for him in that moment. He did not choose to be "rich toward God," and in the end it cost him everything. Safety in wealth is just a bad illusion. The only safe place is in the center of God's will. We may think that our savings will protect us - but the only secure place to store up treasure is in heaven where moth and rust do not corrupt and thieves cannot break in and steal. You may think that your riches provide safety for you - but that is only your foolish imagination. It is only the lie of the devil and the siren song of the world that would lure you in to destroy you on the rocks of death and the grave. The only safe place is under the blood of Jesus. The only true wealth is the wealth that is stored up through our good works done in the name of Jesus Christ for the glory of God. All other wealth and safety are the epitome of illusory lies. They will disappear before your eyes at death just as the promising mirage of an oasis disappears before the dreaming eyes of the man who is dying of thirst in the desert. He who walks in integrity walks securely, But he who perverts his ways will be found out. Proverbs 10:9
Those who walk in integrity in their ways do not have to look over their sholders as they live their lives. That is becasue a walk of integrity doesn't have anything to hide. That is the lesson that we can learn from today's proverb. The one who walks in integrity is very secure. The word integrity means to walk in a completeness. It has the idea of a clear conscience - or doing what you do with no hidden motives. Abimelech stated that it was with a clear conscience that he took Sarah as a wife. The problem in that relationship arose because of Abraham's lie that she was his sister. Abraham would have argued that this was a half truth - but since it landed his wife in a foreign king's harem - it was nothing more than a cowardly lie. But Abimelech was an honest man in this situation - and God warned him so he would not sin. That is the protection offered to us by walking in integrity. It guards us and protects us from willful rebellion against God. We are told that integrity is not only a way to walk secure - but the psalmist says in Psalm 25:21 that it is a way to be protected as well. Truth is always an ally to whoever walks in it. That is the peace that integrity provides. The man who walks in perversity has no such promise. This man perverts his ways. Note the emphasis here on personal responsibility. He perverts his own ways - it is due to his own choice to do so. There is no way to blame everyone else for his own choices to pervert his ways. The word pervert means to twist or to make uneven. It refers to a moral and ethical choice to pervert and twist what is right - and once again what is right is what is laid out in Scripture. The sentence for such actions is that they will not remain secret. He will be found out. We can try to hide our sin - but the problem with this is that we will be found out in the end. For many they are found out before they die - which honestly is the more merciful choice. That is because when this is the case the man has a chance to repent and turn from his sin - finding mercy and forgiveness in Jesus Christ. Some use a passage like this to make it seem that God wants to humiliate them. The fact is that God knows our sin the moment we commit it - and honestly - even before with his knowledge of all things past, present, and future. But God would prefer that we be found out by the convicting work of His Holy Spirit. When we respond to that conviction, we can come to Him and find grace and forgiveness. We choose to reveal our sin ourselves. It is only the man who consistently tries to hide his sin that faces being found out in the more embarassing ways. The Psalmist tells us that the man who hides his transgressions will not prosper - but the one who confesses and forsakes them will receive compassion. So, if you read this proverb and were convicted - but the devil and your own flesh is seeking to convince you to continue to hide your sin - don't! Turn to the Lord and confess and forsake it! That is the wise thing to do. Expose it yourself to the Lord - and if it is a persistant, besetting sin, turn to a brother or sister who can help hold you accountable as you deal with it over time. You don't have to face complete humiliation before men. Admit your sins to the Lord - and follow James' advice to confess your sins to one another and pray for each other so that you may be healed! That is the way to turn from walking in perversity to a life of integrity once again. Every word of God is tested; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him. 6 Do not add to His words Or He will reprove you, and you will be proved a liar. Proverbs 30:5-6
It should not suprise us that in the midst of the wisdom of the ages we find a statement as to the trustworthiness of the Word of God. That is wisdom indeed - that we can trust God's Word because it is tested. We learn that it is a shield for those who need refuge. It is a word we are not to add to or subtract from. And it is a Word that God will protect to the point of proving that all who add to it are liars. A TESTED Word - The first thing we are told is that every Word of God is tested. There is an interesting start. Every means the whole of something - all of it. Each and every word that makes up God's revelation of Himself is tested. Those who mock the thought that we can trust every word in God's word need to realize that such a statement is not just made by theologians - but by God's Word itself. The idea of these words being tested refers to the smeltin process of silver or gold. The smelting is done by exposing these metals to heat - intense heat - and those bringing out all the impurities in them. What is left over is pure gold or silver. God's Word has been thoroughly tested and purified so that what we have is reliable - it is the smelted pure gold - and we can trust its purity. A SHIELD - This word serves as a shield to those who take refuge in God. Here we see that God's Word is equated with God Himself. Of course this should not shock us because what a person says ought to be true of the person. What a good reminder though that God is good for every word He speaks. A wise man would note this and look to God's Word for the ultimate promises in his or her life. ADDING TO GOD'S WORD - Don't add to God's Word is the warning given here. Yet there are myriad people and groups who have tried. Before turning the cults, first we need to see that individually we can add to God's Word. If we do not know it well, we can take our own personal desires and impose them upon the Lord. We can also go for years thinking that God has said something - and only be mistaken because of personal ignorance of the Word. Regardless of the reason - any personal addition to God's Word is strictly forbidden. There are also groups who add to God's Word. The Mormons have done so by adding the Book of Mormon to it. The Jehovah's Witness group has mistranslated it, and in so doing have built an entire doctrine around denying the deity of Jesus Christ. Numerous other groups have proven foolish doing these same things only to be proven false when we examine the truth. The destruction that faces those who do such things and who adhere to such things is beyond our comprehension, for many will only become aware of their error in the judgment. PROVEN A LIAR - Those who decide to add to God's Word will have the unfortunate position of being proven liars. God promises personally to reprove those who do this. The Word used here for reprove has a legal sense to it - that the person will find a case against them - one with a judgment as well. There is also a sense in which this is a personal reproof - a rebuke. The judgment that will be rendered to those who add to God's Word is that of being a liar - a proven liar. We consider such words strong indeed. Yet God does not take lightly to those who would add to His Word their own thoughts and ideas. It is important to have somethign upon which to found our lives. There needs to be some kind of bedrock document - some truth upon which our lives can be built. The philosophies of our day disdain such truth - or at least disdain that there is a universal truth upon which all men can base their lives. Instead they hold to an individual truth which all men can hold simultaneously in their hearts - even if their truths radically contradict one another. Yet, in spite of all the volumes written and all the speeches given - their truths still stand as the lies of rebellious men who think they know better than God. God's truth has stood throughout time as THE TRUTH. It has stood, will stand, and will be the very basis upon which the ultimate judgment shall be rendered. When looked at in that light we can see the wisdom in holding fast to God's words as they have been given to us. To do otherwise would simply to be to add our name to the list of liars who will be proven wrong throughout history and who, if not in the immediate - in the ultimate - will be shown to be those who misrepresent the truth. |
 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. 
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