Warning Against Rejecting Wisdom
Proverbs 1:20-33
These verses provide facts pertaining to wisdom. And you will note that in them, wisdom is personified. “Wisdom calls aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the public squares;” Some have tried to read into this that “wisdom” is a reference to Christ. But probably not. In the first place it is set in the feminine - “she raises her voice”.
This is not a reference to Christ although I can understand why people would think that. Instead it is just a literary device to add understanding and to hold the attention of the listener.
Now the first thing we are told in verses :20-21 is that wisdom is available. And we are told of places where wisdom could be heard by large numbers of people as they went about their business. “Wisdom calls aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the public squares; at the head of the noisy streets she cries out, in the gateways of the city she makes her speech:”
Now what does that mean? Well it means that wisdom is available in everyday experiences. And that’s what we have said. Wisdom can be learned in life, both by making right choices and by making mistakes. And the point is that there’s no excuse for not learning wisdom. And that principle is even more true today than ever.
Beside life experience, today we have incredible opportunities to learn wisdom and we ought to take advantage of them. We have the Bible available in all sizes and colors, with and without helps. Most homes have several Bibles on the shelves. Yet how many evangelical Christians have ever read the Bible through even once? Very few.
And not only do we have Bibles but we have wisdom being taught by capable teachers in books and on the radio and television and the Internet. Yet very few who name the name of Christ take advantage of the wisdom that is available.
The second truth that Solomon shares with us here in verse :22 is that Wisdom can be rejected. “How long will you simple ones love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge?”
There are three kinds of people listed here who reject wisdom.
1. The “simple”. The inexperienced but teachable. Now the simple don’t always reject wisdom. Remember this is a person who is open to being influenced. Unfortunately he is sometimes influenced by the wrong things or the wrong people.
Sometimes a simple person learns wisdom and can become a wise person. But he can also go the other way and sometimes does and when he does he becomes a fool. See a simple person never remains simple. He/She either becomes a fool, or a wise person.
2. The “Scoffer.” This is a person who is skeptical, who is given to mockery, who is contemptible. I was this guy before I was saved. I was not a nice person. I ridiculed the things of God and yet I didn’t know a thing about it. I was ignorant and arrogant and then God changed me.
I want you to see that God can also change this person. There are people that we encounter sometimes that WE just think there is no hope for. That person could never be saved, there’s no point in witnessing to them. They’ll just reject it. They’ll ridicule it and me…. But folks listen to me - God can change any heart.
3. The “fool” pretty much always rejects wisdom because he thinks he knows it all. His greatest need is to see that he has a need. (Of course like the scoffer, there are a few exceptions.)
In verse :23 we see God’s loving reproof for the rejection of wisdom. “If you had responded to my rebuke, I would have poured out my heart to you and made my thoughts known to you.”
Notice the first phrase. The King James is probably better here. “Turn you at my reproof.” Wisdom calls for a “turning”. That is repentance. The Hebrew word here means literally a change of mind. To accept wisdom rather than reject it. And for those who do abandon foolishness and embrace wisdom, Solomon promises His blessing.
Reprimand and criticism is hard to take and few respond to it correctly. It damages our ego, and injures our pride, and yet accepting it and changing in response to it is necessary to a successful and victorious life and God’s blessings accompany a right response. Sometimes we have to be broken in order to have bad habits and attitudes replaced with good ones.
Verses :24-25 give us reasons why people reject wisdom. (KJV)“Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:”
A. Simple Refusal. 24a “Because I called and you refused”. This indicates a rejection of authority. There are some people, (including some who profess Christ), who just don’t like to be told what to do. And so they have a problem with any authority. That is a terrible characteristic for a Christian because we are taught in scripture to obey authority on numerous levels. That’s a topic for another time but it is an altogether wrong reason to refuse wisdom.
B. Insensitivity 24b “I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded.” This has reference to a person who is lacking in awareness or alertness. In Heb. 5:11 we find the Greek equivalent. “We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn.” The King James says, “dull of hearing”. They are “thick skulled”. It’s just hard to get things through to person because they lack understanding. They are slow.
C. Indifference 25a “But ye have set at nought all my counsel”- “you ignored all my advice.” The NASB says, “you neglected all my counsel.” This is a person who is apathetic. A man asked his friend, “Did you know that two of the church’s biggest problems is ignorance and apathy?” To which his friend replied, “I don’t know and I don’t care.” That’s this guy.
To “neglect” means to consider unimportant. Here’s a guy who says, “I’m not hurting anybody with the way I live, (Which is usually not true.), so what difference does it make. He just doesn’t see the importance of wisdom. It has no value to him and so he rejects it.
D. Defensive 25b “and would not accept my rebuke.” This is the individual who keeps reminding himself that the other person is wrong and should change, not him. He’s always on the defensive.
I know some people like that. They just cannot admit their fault so they always defend themselves and blame someone else. This kind of person is really good at projecting blame. Actually this is a major characteristic of alcoholics and addicts. They are always the victim and someone else is at fault for all their problems. They won’t take responsibility for their actions and the project their guilt onto other people.
Much of the rest of this section deals with the serious consequences of rejecting wisdom. It has come to the place where those who have rejected wisdom for so long, that God has actually taken the offer off the table. There is a limit to God’s patience. It is self imposed but yet it is there. Gen. 6:3 “My Spirit shall not always strive with man.”
Notice :26-28 We see here God’s response. “I in turn will laugh at your disaster; I will mock when calamity overtakes you- when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind, when distress and trouble overwhelm you. "Then they will call to me but I will not answer; they will look for me but will not find me.”
The King James uses the word “fear” “I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you.”
The ESV uses an even stronger word “I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when terror strikes you, when terror strikes you like a storm and your calamity comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you. ”
This person lives in fear. Did you ever meet anyone who lived in fear? It’s very sad. They are always afraid of something. Germs, global warming, war, terrorism, insects… They live in a constant state of fear.
But more than that, when difficulties come, when disaster strikes which it inevitably does in all of our lives, they find themselves not able to handle it. They don’t know what to do and so they panic. Why? What is wisdom? The ability to use knowledge to solve life situations. (Which they have rejected.)
Ok, look at verses :29-32 “Since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the LORD, since they would not accept my advice and spurned my rebuke, they will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes. For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them;”
Notice the phrase, “the fruit of their ways” Last week in verses :17-18 we talked about criminals who get caught in their own trap. Here we see that fools who reject wisdom will reap what they sow. They will reap the natural results of their actions. Gal. 6:7 says, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”
This is similar to what Paul says in Romans 1. Three times in that chapter the Bible says that “God gave them over”, indicating that God because people reject the Word and Wisdom of God, sometimes God just lifts his hand of restraint and allows them to be overtaken by their sin. In other words, there sin becomes its own punishment. No longer are they able to control it. Instead it controls them. That is exactly what alcoholism and many addictions are. Homosexuality is as well. As a matter of fact that’s one of the things Paul is dealing with there in Romans 1. Alcoholism is not a disease, it is “the fruit of their ways.” Homosexuality is not a genetic predisposition. People are not born homosexuals. It is a choice, it is sin, and it is the natural fruit of a perverted lifestyle.
You reap what you sow. If you sow violence you’ll reap violence. Remember we’re talking about choosing companions and we saw last week or the week before Solomon’s warning to his son about avoiding violent companions. Why?
We saw first of all it is because you become the people with whom you associate. And here Solomon goes to the next step and says that those who choose a lifestyle of violence are very often destroyed by that very thing. How often do we turn on the television, or pick up the newspaper, and see the fruit of the wayward who have spurned wisdom and pursued their own schemes to their own destruction? This is a universal principle and one that we need to teach to our children and our youth and our families…
Finally in verse :33 Solomon offers the alternative to the rejection of wisdom and those consequences. “But whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm.” Rather than violence, Godly Wisdom brings peace.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Proverbs Study
The Foundations of Wisdom - Continued
(You can scroll down and read previous week's entries.)
1:15-16 “my son, do not go along with them, do not set foot on their paths; for their feet rush into sin, they are swift to shed blood.” The (KJV ) says, “My son, walk not thou in the way with them” “Walk not!”
Very simple advice that Solomon gives his Son. “Don’t associate with them.” Now why? Well Solomon will give an answer to that in the following verses but I want you show you something first. Solomon didn’t learn all of his wisdom from experience.
In this context, Solomon is not only the example of the wise man, but also of a simple man who did exactly what he encouraging his son to do. That is learning from his father. I want to show you something that Solomon learned from his Dad. Turn with me to Psalm one.
“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.”
Psalm 1:1 “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.” I read this verse from the King James Version because I memorized it years ago and I just like the way it reads. The (NIV) reads, “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.”
David, Solomon’s father wrote Psalm one. And just like Solomon in Proverbs, David begins the book of Psalms with instructions for avoiding the wrong kind of friends and in verse one he explains why. You will notice in that verse there are three points of posture. “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.”
And these three points of posture represent a progression. First he is walking, then he is standing, and finally he is setting. Now what’s the point? Well this represents the sequence of events in the life of a person who chooses bad companions. First he just walks occasionally with the wrong crowd. He’s just curious and sees no harm in accompanying them once in a while – just to see what they do and how they live. He remains loyal to his other friends, but begins to explore this new way of life.
But one time leads to another and another and another, and after a while, “occasionally” turns into “repeatedly”. And he finds himself no longer just walking in their presence once in a while. Now, he is standing with them continually. He has begun to adopt their ways. He still maintains some separation, but has begun to look upon them as more than just acquaintances. They are becoming friends, associates. His loyalties begin to shift. They are becoming his peer group.
Finally, after a time, he without even realizing it, takes the final step. He has begun to go where they go and do what they do, and think what they think. He has broken his relationship with his former friends, and perhaps his family. No longer is he an outsider looking in. Now he sets in their seat. He – has become one of them. David taught his son Solomon. Don’t associate with evil companions. Why? Because if you do, you will become what they are.
Now go back to Proverbs one and lets look at what Solomon adds to this. Why does he tell his son to “walk not” in the presence of bad companions? Notice what he says in
:17-19 “How useless to spread a net in full view of all the birds! These men lie in wait for their own blood; they waylay only themselves! Such is the end of all who go after ill-gotten gain; it takes away the lives of those who get it.”
Solomon explains that most of the time, the real victim of these criminal acts are the criminals themselves. He likens them to a man who sets a net to catch game birds, but becomes so anxious and so greedy that he rushes back and becomes entangled in his own trap.
There is an unwritten law that criminal behavior is self-defeating. Actually it is written. Jesus said, “They that live by the sword shall perish by the sword.” And even though this piece of wisdom is known full well, criminals persist in their destructive behavior.
Don’t you get amazed sometimes at the shear stupidity of brilliant criminals? It reminds me of a segment that Jay Leno does on the Tonight Show, called “What did you think was going to happen”, in which he shows a clip of some person doing some stupid thing that always results in calamity. And he concludes it by saying, “What did you think was going to happen?”
In that same vein I was thinking the other day about people like this Bernie Madoff the stockbroker and investment adviser who swindled family, friends, and clients out of 65 BILLION Dollars. And I thought that same thing.
How did he think he was going to get away with this? He had to know that eventually he was going to get caught. But kept on doing it. And now he’ll spend the rest of his life in prison. In the end, he’ll learn the hard way, the principle that Solomon is trying to teach his son. That crime doesn’t pay. Only the king wants his son and us to learn it by instruction and not experience.
Now I want you to notice one last thing. Solomon’s father also taught him this principle. Go back and look again at Psalm one. In verses 2 and 3, David expounds the blessings of the man who does not partner with evil companions, but instead loves and obeys the Word of God. But in verses 4-6 he tells of the end that will come to those who are “ungodly.”
“The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.”
(You can scroll down and read previous week's entries.)
1:15-16 “my son, do not go along with them, do not set foot on their paths; for their feet rush into sin, they are swift to shed blood.” The (KJV ) says, “My son, walk not thou in the way with them” “Walk not!”
Very simple advice that Solomon gives his Son. “Don’t associate with them.” Now why? Well Solomon will give an answer to that in the following verses but I want you show you something first. Solomon didn’t learn all of his wisdom from experience.
In this context, Solomon is not only the example of the wise man, but also of a simple man who did exactly what he encouraging his son to do. That is learning from his father. I want to show you something that Solomon learned from his Dad. Turn with me to Psalm one.
“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.”
Psalm 1:1 “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.” I read this verse from the King James Version because I memorized it years ago and I just like the way it reads. The (NIV) reads, “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.”
David, Solomon’s father wrote Psalm one. And just like Solomon in Proverbs, David begins the book of Psalms with instructions for avoiding the wrong kind of friends and in verse one he explains why. You will notice in that verse there are three points of posture. “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.”
And these three points of posture represent a progression. First he is walking, then he is standing, and finally he is setting. Now what’s the point? Well this represents the sequence of events in the life of a person who chooses bad companions. First he just walks occasionally with the wrong crowd. He’s just curious and sees no harm in accompanying them once in a while – just to see what they do and how they live. He remains loyal to his other friends, but begins to explore this new way of life.
But one time leads to another and another and another, and after a while, “occasionally” turns into “repeatedly”. And he finds himself no longer just walking in their presence once in a while. Now, he is standing with them continually. He has begun to adopt their ways. He still maintains some separation, but has begun to look upon them as more than just acquaintances. They are becoming friends, associates. His loyalties begin to shift. They are becoming his peer group.
Finally, after a time, he without even realizing it, takes the final step. He has begun to go where they go and do what they do, and think what they think. He has broken his relationship with his former friends, and perhaps his family. No longer is he an outsider looking in. Now he sets in their seat. He – has become one of them. David taught his son Solomon. Don’t associate with evil companions. Why? Because if you do, you will become what they are.
Now go back to Proverbs one and lets look at what Solomon adds to this. Why does he tell his son to “walk not” in the presence of bad companions? Notice what he says in
:17-19 “How useless to spread a net in full view of all the birds! These men lie in wait for their own blood; they waylay only themselves! Such is the end of all who go after ill-gotten gain; it takes away the lives of those who get it.”
Solomon explains that most of the time, the real victim of these criminal acts are the criminals themselves. He likens them to a man who sets a net to catch game birds, but becomes so anxious and so greedy that he rushes back and becomes entangled in his own trap.
There is an unwritten law that criminal behavior is self-defeating. Actually it is written. Jesus said, “They that live by the sword shall perish by the sword.” And even though this piece of wisdom is known full well, criminals persist in their destructive behavior.
Don’t you get amazed sometimes at the shear stupidity of brilliant criminals? It reminds me of a segment that Jay Leno does on the Tonight Show, called “What did you think was going to happen”, in which he shows a clip of some person doing some stupid thing that always results in calamity. And he concludes it by saying, “What did you think was going to happen?”
In that same vein I was thinking the other day about people like this Bernie Madoff the stockbroker and investment adviser who swindled family, friends, and clients out of 65 BILLION Dollars. And I thought that same thing.
How did he think he was going to get away with this? He had to know that eventually he was going to get caught. But kept on doing it. And now he’ll spend the rest of his life in prison. In the end, he’ll learn the hard way, the principle that Solomon is trying to teach his son. That crime doesn’t pay. Only the king wants his son and us to learn it by instruction and not experience.
Now I want you to notice one last thing. Solomon’s father also taught him this principle. Go back and look again at Psalm one. In verses 2 and 3, David expounds the blessings of the man who does not partner with evil companions, but instead loves and obeys the Word of God. But in verses 4-6 he tells of the end that will come to those who are “ungodly.”
“The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.”
Monday, August 30, 2010
The Foundations of Wisdom
Chapter 1:1-7 is the introduction to the book of Proverbs. The first major section of Proverbs covers the next nine chapters. Proverbs 1:8 – 9:18 is one long teaching proverb. After chapter nine the remainder of the book comes to us as short, to the point, sayings that are full of wisdom and instruction.
This long section is divided into shorter segments that comprise various practicalities of wisdom. The first of these subsections is Proverbs 1:8-19 and it deals with wisdom in choosing companions/ friends. (This is not dealing with choosing a mate. That will come later.)
The Bible has a lot to say about the kind of people with whom we choose to affiliate and Proverbs makes it a priority of the highest degree. Why is that? Well II Cor. 15:33 says, “Do not be misled: "Bad company corrupts good character.” Few people have more influence in our lives than our peers. So the friends we choose may contribute greatly to the kind of life we live.
Proverbs 1:8 “Listen, my son, to your father's instruction and do not forsake your mother's teaching.” First of all notice that this is not just information that Solomon is throwing out there to whoever will listen. It is very important to the King that this instruction be accurate because this is Solomon speaking to his son.
Notice the authoritative nature of the verse. Solomon speaks in imperatives. “Listen, my son…” “do not forsake…” Solomon intends to influence his son. So we need to take note as well. We MUST make it a priority to influence our children.
Also notice the inclusion of both parents. Both are responsible for providing instruction, not just one or the other. Parents are responsible for learning wisdom themselves and then for passing it on to their children. Parents, we are wise when we seize teaching moments and make the application of biblical truth or even life experience into the lives of our children.
Some of the highlights of my life are when my children acknowledge contributions that we have made to their spiritual lives and growth and wisdom. When I hear them say, something like, “I’m so glad I was raised in a home where my mom and dad taught us God’s Word…”
I echo the words of the apostle John who said in III John :4 “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” It’s the number one goal that we’ve spent the last 30 years of our lives trying to achieve.
The primary place for children to be educated in the Word is the home, and the first – best teachers are the parents. Often parents blame the church if their children are not following the Lord. And a good children’s ministry and youth ministry can add a lot to the spiritual development of a child or youth but it is not first the responsibility of the church to make godly children and youth. It is the foremost responsibility of parents to rear their children in the Lord and to instruct them in the Word.
1:9 “They will be a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck.” Remember that the fool despises instruction, but we are reminded here that these instructions are not a burden but a blessing.
They are not a weight around your neck to force you into submission; instead they are like beautiful jewelry that make you a more attractive person. (These days I think they call it “bling”.)
Solomon uses a comparison here and says, like “bling” will make you beautiful or “eye catching”, which is the real motivation, this teaching will enhance your character and make you a more likeable person. Who wouldn’t like that? Who doesn’t want that?
Millions of dollars have been made on self help books that help people “Win friends and influence people”. They are supposed to help you improve your self-esteem and to become more popular. Proverbs will do exactly that by teaching you wisdom.
Ok, now Solomon offers a contrast. Remember these verses provide instructions about choosing your friends, and particularly the kinds of people to avoid.
1:10 “My son, if sinners entice you, do not give in to them.”
“if sinners entice you” is a vivid way of describing how innocent people fall into bad company. “entice” means to temp.
Now there is an important distinction here that I want you to be aware of. Solomon says, “Son, you’re going to be tempted”, then notice what he says is to be our response. “do not give in to them.” You have a choice.
Did you ever hear someone say something like, “I was tempted so
since I had already sinned, I just went ahead and did it?” Listen to me! That’s wrong theology. There is a difference between temptation and sin. It’s not sin to be tempted. Jesus was tempted but he didn’t sin.
People don’t fall into sin or fall in with the wrong crowd because they are tempted. They fall in because they yield to temptation. And here’s the lesson that we need to learn. The devil may tempt us but we don’t have to yield to the temptation. We have a choice and we can choose not to fall.
Verses :11-12 describe the crimes of these “sinners” who “entice”.
“If they say, "Come along with us; let's lie in wait for someone's blood, let's waylay some harmless soul; let's swallow them alive, like the grave, and whole, like those who go down to the pit;”
Notice the low regard for human life and property. Isn’t it amazing how current and relevant the Bible is? This could have been written in the morning paper. It was written 3000 years ago in Israel, but it sounds like modern America – or any other place and time in the history of the world, because sin always manifests itself in the same way. Satan always uses the same methods. And we can see that in the following verses.
In verses :13-14 we see the bait. What did the devil use to temp people in 1000 BC? The same things he uses today. “we will get all sorts of valuable things and fill our houses with plunder; throw in your lot with us, and we will share a common purse”.
It’s also amazing to me that some people what to say that the Bible is unsophisticated and out of date. Not so. If the sin is still the same then the solutions are still the same. So what were the temptations used to allure people into sinful associations three thousand years ago?
Look at the text.
:13 - Money, prosperity, easy wealth.
:14 - “throw in your lot with us” – What is that? Peer pressure. “we will share a common purse” – a communal social structure. (That’s just another name for a gang.)
Sound familiar. Evidently not much has changed in 3000 years. So if the temptation and the sin is the same, then the solutions and the council that Solomon gave to his son then, should be the same for us today also.
Chapter 1:1-7 is the introduction to the book of Proverbs. The first major section of Proverbs covers the next nine chapters. Proverbs 1:8 – 9:18 is one long teaching proverb. After chapter nine the remainder of the book comes to us as short, to the point, sayings that are full of wisdom and instruction.
This long section is divided into shorter segments that comprise various practicalities of wisdom. The first of these subsections is Proverbs 1:8-19 and it deals with wisdom in choosing companions/ friends. (This is not dealing with choosing a mate. That will come later.)
The Bible has a lot to say about the kind of people with whom we choose to affiliate and Proverbs makes it a priority of the highest degree. Why is that? Well II Cor. 15:33 says, “Do not be misled: "Bad company corrupts good character.” Few people have more influence in our lives than our peers. So the friends we choose may contribute greatly to the kind of life we live.
Proverbs 1:8 “Listen, my son, to your father's instruction and do not forsake your mother's teaching.” First of all notice that this is not just information that Solomon is throwing out there to whoever will listen. It is very important to the King that this instruction be accurate because this is Solomon speaking to his son.
Notice the authoritative nature of the verse. Solomon speaks in imperatives. “Listen, my son…” “do not forsake…” Solomon intends to influence his son. So we need to take note as well. We MUST make it a priority to influence our children.
Also notice the inclusion of both parents. Both are responsible for providing instruction, not just one or the other. Parents are responsible for learning wisdom themselves and then for passing it on to their children. Parents, we are wise when we seize teaching moments and make the application of biblical truth or even life experience into the lives of our children.
Some of the highlights of my life are when my children acknowledge contributions that we have made to their spiritual lives and growth and wisdom. When I hear them say, something like, “I’m so glad I was raised in a home where my mom and dad taught us God’s Word…”
I echo the words of the apostle John who said in III John :4 “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” It’s the number one goal that we’ve spent the last 30 years of our lives trying to achieve.
The primary place for children to be educated in the Word is the home, and the first – best teachers are the parents. Often parents blame the church if their children are not following the Lord. And a good children’s ministry and youth ministry can add a lot to the spiritual development of a child or youth but it is not first the responsibility of the church to make godly children and youth. It is the foremost responsibility of parents to rear their children in the Lord and to instruct them in the Word.
1:9 “They will be a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck.” Remember that the fool despises instruction, but we are reminded here that these instructions are not a burden but a blessing.
They are not a weight around your neck to force you into submission; instead they are like beautiful jewelry that make you a more attractive person. (These days I think they call it “bling”.)
Solomon uses a comparison here and says, like “bling” will make you beautiful or “eye catching”, which is the real motivation, this teaching will enhance your character and make you a more likeable person. Who wouldn’t like that? Who doesn’t want that?
Millions of dollars have been made on self help books that help people “Win friends and influence people”. They are supposed to help you improve your self-esteem and to become more popular. Proverbs will do exactly that by teaching you wisdom.
Ok, now Solomon offers a contrast. Remember these verses provide instructions about choosing your friends, and particularly the kinds of people to avoid.
1:10 “My son, if sinners entice you, do not give in to them.”
“if sinners entice you” is a vivid way of describing how innocent people fall into bad company. “entice” means to temp.
Now there is an important distinction here that I want you to be aware of. Solomon says, “Son, you’re going to be tempted”, then notice what he says is to be our response. “do not give in to them.” You have a choice.
Did you ever hear someone say something like, “I was tempted so
since I had already sinned, I just went ahead and did it?” Listen to me! That’s wrong theology. There is a difference between temptation and sin. It’s not sin to be tempted. Jesus was tempted but he didn’t sin.
People don’t fall into sin or fall in with the wrong crowd because they are tempted. They fall in because they yield to temptation. And here’s the lesson that we need to learn. The devil may tempt us but we don’t have to yield to the temptation. We have a choice and we can choose not to fall.
Verses :11-12 describe the crimes of these “sinners” who “entice”.
“If they say, "Come along with us; let's lie in wait for someone's blood, let's waylay some harmless soul; let's swallow them alive, like the grave, and whole, like those who go down to the pit;”
Notice the low regard for human life and property. Isn’t it amazing how current and relevant the Bible is? This could have been written in the morning paper. It was written 3000 years ago in Israel, but it sounds like modern America – or any other place and time in the history of the world, because sin always manifests itself in the same way. Satan always uses the same methods. And we can see that in the following verses.
In verses :13-14 we see the bait. What did the devil use to temp people in 1000 BC? The same things he uses today. “we will get all sorts of valuable things and fill our houses with plunder; throw in your lot with us, and we will share a common purse”.
It’s also amazing to me that some people what to say that the Bible is unsophisticated and out of date. Not so. If the sin is still the same then the solutions are still the same. So what were the temptations used to allure people into sinful associations three thousand years ago?
Look at the text.
:13 - Money, prosperity, easy wealth.
:14 - “throw in your lot with us” – What is that? Peer pressure. “we will share a common purse” – a communal social structure. (That’s just another name for a gang.)
Sound familiar. Evidently not much has changed in 3000 years. So if the temptation and the sin is the same, then the solutions and the council that Solomon gave to his son then, should be the same for us today also.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Proverbs 1:7 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.” Verse seven is somewhat of an independent verse and serves as the motto of the entire book of Proverbs. That is that “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge”.
The word fear is sometimes used to mean simply “reverence and awe”. And that can be right. For the Christian there is a certain familiarity with God that comes via the fact that we are born into God’s family. We are the children of God and the Bible tells us that we can address Him with the intimate title “Abba Father”, meaning “Daddy”.
And yet as I have mentioned before, we must never allow intimacy become irreverence. The old saying, “Familiarity breads contempt” is fitting here. It is possible for Christians to become so comfortable with our relationship to God that we become disrespectful. I have had on occasion to remind Christians, that it is probably not appropriate to use God as a character in a joke.
And that’s not to say that God is some kind of cosmic killjoy. You don’t have to read very far in the Bible to see that God has a sense of humor. God created humor. He gave us a sense of humor. And the Bible even tells us that God expresses that humor. Psalm 2:4 says, “He who sits in the heavens laughs”.
So it’s possible that because of that knowledge, it might be possible for believers to forget that God is indeed to be feared in the genuine sense of the word. And the word translated “fear” in this verse carries that meaning. To be afraid. Matt. 10:28 “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”
That’s not as some might think, a reference to the devil, but to God. Satan doesn’t have that authority, as scripture tells us in Rev. 20:1 that God will one day cast the devil himself into the lake of fire.
II Cor. 5:11 speaks of the “terror of the Lord” and it uses the Greek word “phobos” which is where we get our English word, “phobia”.
The verse which precedes this one, (verse 10), speaks of the Judgment seat of Christ, which is the judgment before which believers will stand to give account of the lives we have lived as Christians.
That’s right. It’s not only unbelievers who will face judgment for their sins. But we will stand in judgment for our salvation. It’s not a judgment to determine whether or not we will go to heaven. That’s already determined.
If you are born again, you’re going to heaven, but the question is, will you be embarrassed before the Lord by how you lived as a Christian? Now that adds a whole new dimension to the phrase “the fear of the Lord” doesn’t it?
You see, there are some Christians who are going to be embarrassed at the coming of Christ. Because they have not lived their Christian lives in wisdom. So the "fear of the Lord" is strong motivation for us to obey the Lord and to serve him with a pure heart.
OK we could go on about this phrase but we need to move on.
“Beginning” This is the starting point. It’s the same word as used in Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth”. This is the Genesis of knowledge. The point from which true knowledge is created. Now here’s the point, the principle. No one can understand truth unless they fear God. (We saw that last week.)
Verse seven also introduces a contrast that is seen throughout the book. Not only are we encouraged – challenged to attain wisdom through the fear of God, but we are confronted with the sad reality that many will reject wisdom. The verse concludes with these words, “but fools despise wisdom and discipline”. Unfortunately as we seek God and His wisdom we will always be surrounded by those who are going the opposite direction.
Of course part of our responsibility is to turn some of them around. Some of them are going the wrong way because they are fools who will immediately reject any attempt to instruct them. But some are going the wrong way because they are simple and just need to be taught wisdom. Of course they are all going the wrong way because of sin and so the place to start is by sharing the gospel.
You see, you don’t scold a blind man for walking the wrong way. Instead you show him the way, or restore his sight and then he can see the right way. The Bible says “The (g)od of this age has blinded the minds of those who believe not.” Unbelievers don’t see the truth because they are spiritually blind. So we must pray that God will give them spiritual vision. Then we can instruct them in wisdom.
However as we mentioned some people have self imposed blindness. The fool has better things to do than listen to wisdom and instruction.
The word fear is sometimes used to mean simply “reverence and awe”. And that can be right. For the Christian there is a certain familiarity with God that comes via the fact that we are born into God’s family. We are the children of God and the Bible tells us that we can address Him with the intimate title “Abba Father”, meaning “Daddy”.
And yet as I have mentioned before, we must never allow intimacy become irreverence. The old saying, “Familiarity breads contempt” is fitting here. It is possible for Christians to become so comfortable with our relationship to God that we become disrespectful. I have had on occasion to remind Christians, that it is probably not appropriate to use God as a character in a joke.
And that’s not to say that God is some kind of cosmic killjoy. You don’t have to read very far in the Bible to see that God has a sense of humor. God created humor. He gave us a sense of humor. And the Bible even tells us that God expresses that humor. Psalm 2:4 says, “He who sits in the heavens laughs”.
So it’s possible that because of that knowledge, it might be possible for believers to forget that God is indeed to be feared in the genuine sense of the word. And the word translated “fear” in this verse carries that meaning. To be afraid. Matt. 10:28 “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”
That’s not as some might think, a reference to the devil, but to God. Satan doesn’t have that authority, as scripture tells us in Rev. 20:1 that God will one day cast the devil himself into the lake of fire.
II Cor. 5:11 speaks of the “terror of the Lord” and it uses the Greek word “phobos” which is where we get our English word, “phobia”.
The verse which precedes this one, (verse 10), speaks of the Judgment seat of Christ, which is the judgment before which believers will stand to give account of the lives we have lived as Christians.
That’s right. It’s not only unbelievers who will face judgment for their sins. But we will stand in judgment for our salvation. It’s not a judgment to determine whether or not we will go to heaven. That’s already determined.
If you are born again, you’re going to heaven, but the question is, will you be embarrassed before the Lord by how you lived as a Christian? Now that adds a whole new dimension to the phrase “the fear of the Lord” doesn’t it?
You see, there are some Christians who are going to be embarrassed at the coming of Christ. Because they have not lived their Christian lives in wisdom. So the "fear of the Lord" is strong motivation for us to obey the Lord and to serve him with a pure heart.
OK we could go on about this phrase but we need to move on.
“Beginning” This is the starting point. It’s the same word as used in Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth”. This is the Genesis of knowledge. The point from which true knowledge is created. Now here’s the point, the principle. No one can understand truth unless they fear God. (We saw that last week.)
Verse seven also introduces a contrast that is seen throughout the book. Not only are we encouraged – challenged to attain wisdom through the fear of God, but we are confronted with the sad reality that many will reject wisdom. The verse concludes with these words, “but fools despise wisdom and discipline”. Unfortunately as we seek God and His wisdom we will always be surrounded by those who are going the opposite direction.
Of course part of our responsibility is to turn some of them around. Some of them are going the wrong way because they are fools who will immediately reject any attempt to instruct them. But some are going the wrong way because they are simple and just need to be taught wisdom. Of course they are all going the wrong way because of sin and so the place to start is by sharing the gospel.
You see, you don’t scold a blind man for walking the wrong way. Instead you show him the way, or restore his sight and then he can see the right way. The Bible says “The (g)od of this age has blinded the minds of those who believe not.” Unbelievers don’t see the truth because they are spiritually blind. So we must pray that God will give them spiritual vision. Then we can instruct them in wisdom.
However as we mentioned some people have self imposed blindness. The fool has better things to do than listen to wisdom and instruction.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Proverbs Study
1:5 “let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance--” Verse five is very important, first because it helps us avoid a potential error. In verse four we saw that the book of Proverbs helps the “simple”, (the inexperienced yet teachable) person gain “incisiveness, knowledge, and discretion”. But that’s not the only person who can benefit from the study of Proverbs.
Verse five, tells us that Proverbs can also benefit he “wise”. That is one who has already attained knowledge and a measure of wisdom. Notice it says they will “listen and add to their learning”. Again Proverbs is for everybody. Never get to the place where you think you’ve arrived – where you think that you have all the answers – if you do remember, that doesn’t make you “wise”, it makes you a “fool”.
I’ve met pastors like that. I have had people in churches I’ve pastured like that. I have had several who believed it – only a couple who has actually said it. I had one woman that told me, “There’s nothing you can teach me”. Well then I guess there’s nothing that God can teach her either, because what I teach I teach from God’s Word. We can all learn from God’s Word no matter how old, or mature, or wise we are. And that’s what we’re talking about here.
The word “learning” used here refers to knowledge that has been handed down and probably means this book of wisdom. In other words, Solomon says, “You who are wise, add the teachings of this book to the experience that you already have and you will be wiser still.
Now the second part of this verse says, “and let the discerning get guidance”. Instead of “discerning” the KJV says, “understanding” and is similar to the “understanding” found in verse 2. There you remember it spoke of the ability to make right choices, to read between the lines, and specifically to discern God’s will or God’s plan.
Back in verse two we didn’t spend a lot of time dealing with “understanding” because it was placed along another similar word, and was used primarily for emphasis. But here it stands alone so I want to take some time and deal with a little more.
“Understanding” means generally, to be intelligent, and yet in the biblical context, it is not intelligence as the world sees it.
What does the scripture say about understanding?
Well first, only a believer can possess genuine understanding of life and the world because of the illuminating power of the Holy Spirit.
Daniel 12:10 “Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand.”
The natural man does not possess “understanding”. It can’t be learned by unbelievers because of its spiritual nature. A text that we have looked at many times before about this very thing is I Cor. 2:14. “The man without the Spirit, (KJV “the natural man”), does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.”
This is the reason why an unbeliever can’t understand the Bible. To him its foolishness and it would seem equally foolish to an unsaved man that the world situation... is part of a divine plan.
So if “understanding” is not secular knowledge and is acquired through worldly instruction where does it come from? Job 32:8 “But it is the spirit in a man, the breath of the Almighty, that gives him understanding”
Since God is the author of the plan, He is also the author of understanding. What better instructor for a new invention than the engineer who invented it? Luke 24:45 “Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.”
Ok if God possess understanding, how do I get it? In Daniel 9, Daniel who along with the rest of the nation of Judah, wanted to know if there would be an end to their captivity. But how could he know the will of God, the mind of God, the plan of God in the matter?
Daniel 9:2“in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the LORD given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years.”
Now notice what Daniel read. Jeremiah 25:11 “This whole country will become a desolate wasteland, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years.” Daniel understood from scripture that their captivity would last for 70 years.
Here’s the point. “Understanding” comes from the scripture. My pastor used to say, “Put a child of God in a dungeon with a Bible and a candle and he’ll know more about what’s going on in the world than a lost man who reads the news paper every day.”
Psalm 119:104 “I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path.” What was it we said “understanding” is? The ability to make right choices, to avoid wrong life decisions… Where did the psalmist say he learned to do that? “from your precepts” that is, from the Bible, the Word of God.
Now what are some other reasons for seeking to gain understanding? How else can it help me? Look at Proverbs 14:29 “A patient man has great understanding, but a quick-tempered man displays folly.”
The book of James, which as been called the Proverbs of the New Testament says, “My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.” James 1:19-20.
One of the characteristics of God is that He is “slow to anger”. That phrase is used of God nine times in scripture. James tells us that it is a character, which we as believers are to emulate. And Proverbs tells us that understanding helps us avoid being quick tempered. Now we’ll talk more about that when we get to chapter 14.
But not only does understanding help us be patient and slow to anger – look at Proverbs 16:22. (KJV) “Understanding is a wellspring of life unto him that hath it: but the instruction of fools is folly.”
Do you want to have joy and fulfillment in your life? Then gain understanding.
Now why is that true? Because a Christian with “understanding” sees the world from a different perspective. I remember when I was lost, before I became a Christian. I used to be frustrated with so many unanswered questions. (It’s the proverbial [pardon the pun] question – “What is the meaning of life”?) The world wants to know, but they are looking in all the wrong places and even when we try to tell most of them they reject it.
But I know the answer. Now I see the world from a different perspective. Now I “understand”:
Where I came from, where I’m going and why I’m here.
Where the evil in the world came from.
Why there’s no peace in the Middle East.
Why the earth has so much beauty when all the other planets are barren.
Why men and women don’t have peace.
And I could go on but you get the point, I hope and besides, we’re going to see this again in the next verse.
Proverbs 1:6 closes this section on the purpose for the book of Proverbs with a summary of what we’ve learned. There’s a wide range of popular translations of this verse so let me give you three of them.
(NIV) “for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise.”
(KJV) “To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.”
(NASB) “To understand a proverb and a figure, The words of the wise and their riddles.”
Again, Solomon, inspired by the Holy Spirit believed that the student of his writing would developed the ability to see life from a different point of view. (Really an eternal perspective.) That he/she would be able to grasp its significance. That they/we would have the ability to understand life’s enigmas – riddles - difficult problems and issues. All of those things we’ve already identified. This practical, everyday issues of life.
Now – That doesn’t mean God is going to speak to you audibly and tell you how much to put in the Annie Armstrong offering. But God’s word teaches us principles of stewardship that help us figure that out.
Or how much time to spend with our kids or grand kids, or for what offense we should spank them (And it does teach us to spank them.) and for what we should put them in time out. But it teaches us principles of family responsibility and child discipline.
Or where I should go and apply for a job today, or how many hours a day I should work, or how I should address my employer/employees, but it does teach us a work ethic and responsibility to work and it teaches us principles of employee/employer relationships.
Here’s a principle that I want you to remember. But don’t worry, because you’ll here it again because it is very important to understanding how to study and interpret scripture and how to apply it to our lives. The Bible is not a book of minute rules and regulations. The Bible is a book of Principles. That’s important.
First because rules and regulations are bound by time and culture and circumstances. If the Bible said for instance, “It’s God’s will for you to vote”. The people in the first century would not understand that because there was no such thing as a democracy in which the people had a voice. Now I believe for us in this place and at this time, it is God’s will for us to vote. How do I know that? Because of the principles of God’s Word that teach us how we are to relate to our government. Jesus said, “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s and unto God the things that are God’s” The Vote is something that belongs to “Caesar”, which is a reference to civil government.
Romans 13:1 “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.”
I Pet. 2:13 “Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, 14or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.”
Another reason it’s important to understand that the Bible is not just a book of minute rules and laws, but of principles is because you can always find a loophole in a law. That’s why there are lawyers.
If the Bible said, “You must fast 3 days a week”. Some people would fast during the day and eat at night. See what I’m saying. There are no loopholes in principles. It’s the difference between what we call the letter of the law and the spirit of the law. And we’ll talk more about that another time.
But the Bible is a book of eternal principles upon which we are to build our lives, and Solomon tells that if we read God’s Word, and learn these principles, we will be able to find the answers to the enigmas of life.
Verse five, tells us that Proverbs can also benefit he “wise”. That is one who has already attained knowledge and a measure of wisdom. Notice it says they will “listen and add to their learning”. Again Proverbs is for everybody. Never get to the place where you think you’ve arrived – where you think that you have all the answers – if you do remember, that doesn’t make you “wise”, it makes you a “fool”.
I’ve met pastors like that. I have had people in churches I’ve pastured like that. I have had several who believed it – only a couple who has actually said it. I had one woman that told me, “There’s nothing you can teach me”. Well then I guess there’s nothing that God can teach her either, because what I teach I teach from God’s Word. We can all learn from God’s Word no matter how old, or mature, or wise we are. And that’s what we’re talking about here.
The word “learning” used here refers to knowledge that has been handed down and probably means this book of wisdom. In other words, Solomon says, “You who are wise, add the teachings of this book to the experience that you already have and you will be wiser still.
Now the second part of this verse says, “and let the discerning get guidance”. Instead of “discerning” the KJV says, “understanding” and is similar to the “understanding” found in verse 2. There you remember it spoke of the ability to make right choices, to read between the lines, and specifically to discern God’s will or God’s plan.
Back in verse two we didn’t spend a lot of time dealing with “understanding” because it was placed along another similar word, and was used primarily for emphasis. But here it stands alone so I want to take some time and deal with a little more.
“Understanding” means generally, to be intelligent, and yet in the biblical context, it is not intelligence as the world sees it.
What does the scripture say about understanding?
Well first, only a believer can possess genuine understanding of life and the world because of the illuminating power of the Holy Spirit.
Daniel 12:10 “Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand.”
The natural man does not possess “understanding”. It can’t be learned by unbelievers because of its spiritual nature. A text that we have looked at many times before about this very thing is I Cor. 2:14. “The man without the Spirit, (KJV “the natural man”), does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.”
This is the reason why an unbeliever can’t understand the Bible. To him its foolishness and it would seem equally foolish to an unsaved man that the world situation... is part of a divine plan.
So if “understanding” is not secular knowledge and is acquired through worldly instruction where does it come from? Job 32:8 “But it is the spirit in a man, the breath of the Almighty, that gives him understanding”
Since God is the author of the plan, He is also the author of understanding. What better instructor for a new invention than the engineer who invented it? Luke 24:45 “Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.”
Ok if God possess understanding, how do I get it? In Daniel 9, Daniel who along with the rest of the nation of Judah, wanted to know if there would be an end to their captivity. But how could he know the will of God, the mind of God, the plan of God in the matter?
Daniel 9:2“in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the LORD given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years.”
Now notice what Daniel read. Jeremiah 25:11 “This whole country will become a desolate wasteland, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years.” Daniel understood from scripture that their captivity would last for 70 years.
Here’s the point. “Understanding” comes from the scripture. My pastor used to say, “Put a child of God in a dungeon with a Bible and a candle and he’ll know more about what’s going on in the world than a lost man who reads the news paper every day.”
Psalm 119:104 “I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path.” What was it we said “understanding” is? The ability to make right choices, to avoid wrong life decisions… Where did the psalmist say he learned to do that? “from your precepts” that is, from the Bible, the Word of God.
Now what are some other reasons for seeking to gain understanding? How else can it help me? Look at Proverbs 14:29 “A patient man has great understanding, but a quick-tempered man displays folly.”
The book of James, which as been called the Proverbs of the New Testament says, “My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.” James 1:19-20.
One of the characteristics of God is that He is “slow to anger”. That phrase is used of God nine times in scripture. James tells us that it is a character, which we as believers are to emulate. And Proverbs tells us that understanding helps us avoid being quick tempered. Now we’ll talk more about that when we get to chapter 14.
But not only does understanding help us be patient and slow to anger – look at Proverbs 16:22. (KJV) “Understanding is a wellspring of life unto him that hath it: but the instruction of fools is folly.”
Do you want to have joy and fulfillment in your life? Then gain understanding.
Now why is that true? Because a Christian with “understanding” sees the world from a different perspective. I remember when I was lost, before I became a Christian. I used to be frustrated with so many unanswered questions. (It’s the proverbial [pardon the pun] question – “What is the meaning of life”?) The world wants to know, but they are looking in all the wrong places and even when we try to tell most of them they reject it.
But I know the answer. Now I see the world from a different perspective. Now I “understand”:
Where I came from, where I’m going and why I’m here.
Where the evil in the world came from.
Why there’s no peace in the Middle East.
Why the earth has so much beauty when all the other planets are barren.
Why men and women don’t have peace.
And I could go on but you get the point, I hope and besides, we’re going to see this again in the next verse.
Proverbs 1:6 closes this section on the purpose for the book of Proverbs with a summary of what we’ve learned. There’s a wide range of popular translations of this verse so let me give you three of them.
(NIV) “for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise.”
(KJV) “To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.”
(NASB) “To understand a proverb and a figure, The words of the wise and their riddles.”
Again, Solomon, inspired by the Holy Spirit believed that the student of his writing would developed the ability to see life from a different point of view. (Really an eternal perspective.) That he/she would be able to grasp its significance. That they/we would have the ability to understand life’s enigmas – riddles - difficult problems and issues. All of those things we’ve already identified. This practical, everyday issues of life.
Now – That doesn’t mean God is going to speak to you audibly and tell you how much to put in the Annie Armstrong offering. But God’s word teaches us principles of stewardship that help us figure that out.
Or how much time to spend with our kids or grand kids, or for what offense we should spank them (And it does teach us to spank them.) and for what we should put them in time out. But it teaches us principles of family responsibility and child discipline.
Or where I should go and apply for a job today, or how many hours a day I should work, or how I should address my employer/employees, but it does teach us a work ethic and responsibility to work and it teaches us principles of employee/employer relationships.
Here’s a principle that I want you to remember. But don’t worry, because you’ll here it again because it is very important to understanding how to study and interpret scripture and how to apply it to our lives. The Bible is not a book of minute rules and regulations. The Bible is a book of Principles. That’s important.
First because rules and regulations are bound by time and culture and circumstances. If the Bible said for instance, “It’s God’s will for you to vote”. The people in the first century would not understand that because there was no such thing as a democracy in which the people had a voice. Now I believe for us in this place and at this time, it is God’s will for us to vote. How do I know that? Because of the principles of God’s Word that teach us how we are to relate to our government. Jesus said, “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s and unto God the things that are God’s” The Vote is something that belongs to “Caesar”, which is a reference to civil government.
Romans 13:1 “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.”
I Pet. 2:13 “Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, 14or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.”
Another reason it’s important to understand that the Bible is not just a book of minute rules and laws, but of principles is because you can always find a loophole in a law. That’s why there are lawyers.
If the Bible said, “You must fast 3 days a week”. Some people would fast during the day and eat at night. See what I’m saying. There are no loopholes in principles. It’s the difference between what we call the letter of the law and the spirit of the law. And we’ll talk more about that another time.
But the Bible is a book of eternal principles upon which we are to build our lives, and Solomon tells that if we read God’s Word, and learn these principles, we will be able to find the answers to the enigmas of life.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Proverbs Study
The next purposes of the book of Proverbs we find in verse :4 “for giving prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young”
Now the first one listed here is “for giving prudence to the simple” The King James says “subtlety to the simple,” but “prudence” is better and is reflected in most newer translations.
There is an interesting contrast here. In verse :3 we saw the “wisdom” there means decisiveness. This word refers to “incisiveness”. That’s from the word “incision” which means to make a cut, and that is appropriate because this is a person we might refer to as being “sharp”.
You see someone who encounters an emergency situation for instance and they know exactly what to do, and you say, “That guy is sharp”. That’s what we see here, except with a slightly different twist. It is used of being prudent toward evil.
In scripture we are told different ways to handle sin and temptation depending on the situation. In Matt. 4 we are taught to confront it with scripture. In James 4:7 we are told to resist it. In I Tim. 6:11 we are told to flee from it. Here is a man who knows how to handle evil. These proverbs “will help us avoid crafty and devious people”.
Now we are told that this is to be given to the “simple”. This is an important person in Proverbs. Or rather it’s important for you to understand who this is talking about. It comes from the word “pethi” which means, “open minded”. Now we’ve all heard people talk about how we need to be open minded. And that’s true. But you have to be careful because it’s possible to be so open minded that your brains fall out. That’s the picture here.
The NASB translates this word “naïve”. Now let me show you an important difference between two people who may at first look alike. This “simple” man/woman is a person who is inexperienced, yet teachable. Now there is another kind of person that we will meet in this Proverbs who is inexperienced but who is not teachable. This kind of person is called a “fool”. 1:7 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”
The person we meet here in verse :4 is inexperienced and unlearned, but he/she is open to being influenced. The problem is that they are open to being influenced by both good and evil.
Now this is the reason why it is important to disciple new believers, to teach them the truth. Someone has said, “Not to teach good is to expose those who are inexperienced to the world of evil.” And that’s true – evil, bad theology, moral corruption… When a person gets saved, the devil loses a soul, but he will do everything he can to draw them away from truth and into error. But through instruction, the “inexperienced” can become the “incisive”.
The next phrase we see in verse :4 and the next purpose of the book, is to give “knowledge and discretion to the young”.
Now “knowledge” we’ve seen. It refers to accumulated facts, which are important, but knowledge alone, knowledge with nothing to balance it is dangerous. I Cor. 8:1 tells us that unbalanced knowledge causes arrogance. And it does. You know that. You’ve seen it.
Now there’s nothing wrong with being intelligent. There’s nothing wrong with being educated. I tell young people all the time, “You should get all the education you can”. But knowledge alone is not enough and if that’s all you have, you will end up being a fool, because you think you know it all and will become unteachable.
So knowledge must be balanced, but by what? :4 “discretion”.
Ok what is “discretion”? “Discretion” is “good judgment”, “discernment”, “the power of discrimination” – That is the ability to recognize the difference between right and wrong, good and bad. But as a Christian it goes to an even finer distinction than that. – Sometimes as Christians, the choices we make are not between good and evil, it’s between good and best. Should I do this good thing, or would it be better to do that good thing.
So “discretion” is the ability to chart your own course by making careful distinctions. Actually the word used here is a naval term that means to know where the shoals or shallow places lie and plotting a course to avoid them.
This is where we too often make a mistake and I’m glad God placed this here in the introduction to the book, because we need to know this up front. Yes the book of Proverbs teaches us Wisdom and other principles that enable us to solve life’s problems and to correct mistakes. BUT if we didn’t make the mistakes in the first place we wouldn’t have to solve them – right?
You see too often we spend all our time trying to solve problems instead of avoiding them. I have people come to my office and call me all the time to talk to me about how to solve their problems. But very seldom do I have people come and talk to me about how they can avoid the problems in the first place. And even when I teach it, as you can see by looking around, not many come to learn it.
Where are the shallow places in my marriage, and my lifestyle? Where are the pitfalls in my parenting…? Where are the rocks in my relationships…?
And not only identifying where those shoals are but how do I sail between them? How do I avoid problems with my money, with my marriage, with my children…?
Many start but few finish, because a lot of Christians, especially young Christians end up getting stuck on a spiritual gravel bar or run into some submerged snag and get pulled under and never get out.
Solomon says we can steer clear of those obstacles, and it is the purpose of the book of Proverbs to teach us how.
Now the first one listed here is “for giving prudence to the simple” The King James says “subtlety to the simple,” but “prudence” is better and is reflected in most newer translations.
There is an interesting contrast here. In verse :3 we saw the “wisdom” there means decisiveness. This word refers to “incisiveness”. That’s from the word “incision” which means to make a cut, and that is appropriate because this is a person we might refer to as being “sharp”.
You see someone who encounters an emergency situation for instance and they know exactly what to do, and you say, “That guy is sharp”. That’s what we see here, except with a slightly different twist. It is used of being prudent toward evil.
In scripture we are told different ways to handle sin and temptation depending on the situation. In Matt. 4 we are taught to confront it with scripture. In James 4:7 we are told to resist it. In I Tim. 6:11 we are told to flee from it. Here is a man who knows how to handle evil. These proverbs “will help us avoid crafty and devious people”.
Now we are told that this is to be given to the “simple”. This is an important person in Proverbs. Or rather it’s important for you to understand who this is talking about. It comes from the word “pethi” which means, “open minded”. Now we’ve all heard people talk about how we need to be open minded. And that’s true. But you have to be careful because it’s possible to be so open minded that your brains fall out. That’s the picture here.
The NASB translates this word “naïve”. Now let me show you an important difference between two people who may at first look alike. This “simple” man/woman is a person who is inexperienced, yet teachable. Now there is another kind of person that we will meet in this Proverbs who is inexperienced but who is not teachable. This kind of person is called a “fool”. 1:7 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”
The person we meet here in verse :4 is inexperienced and unlearned, but he/she is open to being influenced. The problem is that they are open to being influenced by both good and evil.
Now this is the reason why it is important to disciple new believers, to teach them the truth. Someone has said, “Not to teach good is to expose those who are inexperienced to the world of evil.” And that’s true – evil, bad theology, moral corruption… When a person gets saved, the devil loses a soul, but he will do everything he can to draw them away from truth and into error. But through instruction, the “inexperienced” can become the “incisive”.
The next phrase we see in verse :4 and the next purpose of the book, is to give “knowledge and discretion to the young”.
Now “knowledge” we’ve seen. It refers to accumulated facts, which are important, but knowledge alone, knowledge with nothing to balance it is dangerous. I Cor. 8:1 tells us that unbalanced knowledge causes arrogance. And it does. You know that. You’ve seen it.
Now there’s nothing wrong with being intelligent. There’s nothing wrong with being educated. I tell young people all the time, “You should get all the education you can”. But knowledge alone is not enough and if that’s all you have, you will end up being a fool, because you think you know it all and will become unteachable.
So knowledge must be balanced, but by what? :4 “discretion”.
Ok what is “discretion”? “Discretion” is “good judgment”, “discernment”, “the power of discrimination” – That is the ability to recognize the difference between right and wrong, good and bad. But as a Christian it goes to an even finer distinction than that. – Sometimes as Christians, the choices we make are not between good and evil, it’s between good and best. Should I do this good thing, or would it be better to do that good thing.
So “discretion” is the ability to chart your own course by making careful distinctions. Actually the word used here is a naval term that means to know where the shoals or shallow places lie and plotting a course to avoid them.
This is where we too often make a mistake and I’m glad God placed this here in the introduction to the book, because we need to know this up front. Yes the book of Proverbs teaches us Wisdom and other principles that enable us to solve life’s problems and to correct mistakes. BUT if we didn’t make the mistakes in the first place we wouldn’t have to solve them – right?
You see too often we spend all our time trying to solve problems instead of avoiding them. I have people come to my office and call me all the time to talk to me about how to solve their problems. But very seldom do I have people come and talk to me about how they can avoid the problems in the first place. And even when I teach it, as you can see by looking around, not many come to learn it.
Where are the shallow places in my marriage, and my lifestyle? Where are the pitfalls in my parenting…? Where are the rocks in my relationships…?
And not only identifying where those shoals are but how do I sail between them? How do I avoid problems with my money, with my marriage, with my children…?
Many start but few finish, because a lot of Christians, especially young Christians end up getting stuck on a spiritual gravel bar or run into some submerged snag and get pulled under and never get out.
Solomon says we can steer clear of those obstacles, and it is the purpose of the book of Proverbs to teach us how.
Friday, July 2, 2010
Proverbs Study
Proverbs 1:3 gives us the next components in the purpose of Proverbs.
The NIV says, “for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair;”
The King James probably provides the better translation in this instance. “To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity;”
Now first notice it says, “to receive”. That’s important. Because, (I’ve alluded to this, but I haven’t actually stated it.), No one has wisdom by nature. We’ve already seen that it comes either by experience - (Someone has said, if we ignore the past we condemn ourselves to repeat its mistakes.)
Or we get it through the study of scripture, and especially the book of Proverbs. Either way, it is something we receive as a gift, but it’s not something we’re born with.
Ok what is it we receive? "Instruction”. Now that’s the same word we saw in verse :2 – but instruction in what? Notice four things.
1. “Wisdom” Now this is slightly different from the wisdom in verse :2 (chokma) (which is the ability to use knowledge to solve life problems). This is (saw-kal') which might be better translated, “Wise dealing”. This is active wisdom. See you can have wisdom but not use it. This word implies action. It’s wisdom put into practice. It’s like common sense in decision-making. Maybe the best word to describe this attribute would be “decisiveness”. Here’s person who doesn’t second guess his decisions. That’s what this is. Proverbs teach us to be decisive.
2. “justice” Better “righteousness”. Now remember that there are two kinds of righteousness. We’ve discussed this before. There is positional righteousness that we receive by faith in Christ. It is when He takes our sin and gives us his position of righteousness with God. The second kind of righteousness is personal righteousness, or righteous acts. That’s what is being described here.
This is personal conduct that conforms to a relationship. Here the relationship is to the covenant law of God. So this righteousness refers to active obedience to the law. (Of course this was written during the Old Testament period when the only written part of the Bible they had was the law.) So for us this word would mean, active obedience to the Word of God – the Bible.
Notice it is “active” obedience. Not just knowledge of the Word. Not just an understanding of it. Romans 2:13 says, “For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous.”
Its God’s will for us to know the Word of God, but we must also act upon that knowledge.
3. “judgment” Now like “rightousness” is a better translation of the last word than“justice”, here, “justice” is probably a better translation than “judgement”.
“Righteousness” has to do with our relationship to God. “Justice” has to do with our relationship to man. And this word has to do not only with our conduct in obedience to God, but our conduct with respect to others. Our moral behavior. This is, “How to maintain an upright posture in a fallen world”. (I don’t remember who said that. – I wish I had.)
There is much in Proverbs about guarding our morality. And it centers on the existence of absolutes. There is such a thing as good and evil right and wrong. It is based on a divinely established moral order.
4. “equity” “Equity” means “straight, level or even”. This is a word that still even in modern English carries a similar meaning, even though it has shifted somewhat even in the last few decades. Let me give you and illustration. If someone is a criminal, one colloquialism we use of such a person is a “crook” or we say they are “crooked”.
30 years ago if a person didn’t drink or use drugs he was said to be “straight”. That’s changed in our contemporary culture. Today if a person is a heterosexual, he is said to be “straight”. All together, that’s the meaning here. Conduct that is straight forward.
Now let me make one final observation about this verse. All of these elements in the purpose of Proverbs exist as a part of a lifestyle, and not just independent actions. What I mean is that these qualities are to become so much a part of our character, that they don’t require contemplation. They are to become “second nature” to us so that we use them almost unconsciously.
When I was in the Navy I had a friend who was from the Philippines. He had learned Karate as a child and had practiced it all his life. So his reflexes were so highly tuned that it was almost impossible to catch him off guard and strike him. Any punch or kick toward him (even if he was not expecting it) was immediately blocked – defended, and an appropriate offensive response set in motion.
That’s the picture here spiritually. The purpose of Proverbs is to teach us and train us and tune us spiritually so that instantly, instinctively we will react and respond Biblically to whatever life throws at us.
The NIV says, “for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair;”
The King James probably provides the better translation in this instance. “To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity;”
Now first notice it says, “to receive”. That’s important. Because, (I’ve alluded to this, but I haven’t actually stated it.), No one has wisdom by nature. We’ve already seen that it comes either by experience - (Someone has said, if we ignore the past we condemn ourselves to repeat its mistakes.)
Or we get it through the study of scripture, and especially the book of Proverbs. Either way, it is something we receive as a gift, but it’s not something we’re born with.
Ok what is it we receive? "Instruction”. Now that’s the same word we saw in verse :2 – but instruction in what? Notice four things.
1. “Wisdom” Now this is slightly different from the wisdom in verse :2 (chokma) (which is the ability to use knowledge to solve life problems). This is (saw-kal') which might be better translated, “Wise dealing”. This is active wisdom. See you can have wisdom but not use it. This word implies action. It’s wisdom put into practice. It’s like common sense in decision-making. Maybe the best word to describe this attribute would be “decisiveness”. Here’s person who doesn’t second guess his decisions. That’s what this is. Proverbs teach us to be decisive.
2. “justice” Better “righteousness”. Now remember that there are two kinds of righteousness. We’ve discussed this before. There is positional righteousness that we receive by faith in Christ. It is when He takes our sin and gives us his position of righteousness with God. The second kind of righteousness is personal righteousness, or righteous acts. That’s what is being described here.
This is personal conduct that conforms to a relationship. Here the relationship is to the covenant law of God. So this righteousness refers to active obedience to the law. (Of course this was written during the Old Testament period when the only written part of the Bible they had was the law.) So for us this word would mean, active obedience to the Word of God – the Bible.
Notice it is “active” obedience. Not just knowledge of the Word. Not just an understanding of it. Romans 2:13 says, “For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous.”
Its God’s will for us to know the Word of God, but we must also act upon that knowledge.
3. “judgment” Now like “rightousness” is a better translation of the last word than“justice”, here, “justice” is probably a better translation than “judgement”.
“Righteousness” has to do with our relationship to God. “Justice” has to do with our relationship to man. And this word has to do not only with our conduct in obedience to God, but our conduct with respect to others. Our moral behavior. This is, “How to maintain an upright posture in a fallen world”. (I don’t remember who said that. – I wish I had.)
There is much in Proverbs about guarding our morality. And it centers on the existence of absolutes. There is such a thing as good and evil right and wrong. It is based on a divinely established moral order.
4. “equity” “Equity” means “straight, level or even”. This is a word that still even in modern English carries a similar meaning, even though it has shifted somewhat even in the last few decades. Let me give you and illustration. If someone is a criminal, one colloquialism we use of such a person is a “crook” or we say they are “crooked”.
30 years ago if a person didn’t drink or use drugs he was said to be “straight”. That’s changed in our contemporary culture. Today if a person is a heterosexual, he is said to be “straight”. All together, that’s the meaning here. Conduct that is straight forward.
Now let me make one final observation about this verse. All of these elements in the purpose of Proverbs exist as a part of a lifestyle, and not just independent actions. What I mean is that these qualities are to become so much a part of our character, that they don’t require contemplation. They are to become “second nature” to us so that we use them almost unconsciously.
When I was in the Navy I had a friend who was from the Philippines. He had learned Karate as a child and had practiced it all his life. So his reflexes were so highly tuned that it was almost impossible to catch him off guard and strike him. Any punch or kick toward him (even if he was not expecting it) was immediately blocked – defended, and an appropriate offensive response set in motion.
That’s the picture here spiritually. The purpose of Proverbs is to teach us and train us and tune us spiritually so that instantly, instinctively we will react and respond Biblically to whatever life throws at us.
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