Proverbs 3:13-18...
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13 "Happy is a man who finds wisdom and who acquires understanding, 14 "for she is more profitable than silver, and her revenue is better than gold. 15 "She is more precious than jewels; nothing you desire can equal her. 16 "Long life is in her right hand; in her left, riches and honor. 17 "Her ways are pleasant, and all her paths, peaceful. 18 "She is a tree of life to those who embrace her, and those who hold on to her are happy.” ()
Here we find the glowing picture of happiness.
Here in we find out why wisdom matters and what wisdom actually creates.
Here’s the main theme of this passage.
Who’s happy (NKJV, CSB) (or “blessed”, ESV, NIV, or NASB)?
It’s those who find wisdom and those who acquire understanding and those who hold on to her (v13 & 18).
Solomon has already exhorted us to earnestly seek after wisdom (2:1-5 read it).
And here in chapter 3 we have this great incentive. Happiness!
13 "Happy is a man who finds wisdom and who acquires understanding,” ()
Happiness, as defined by scripture is different than the happiness as defined by the world.
This blessedness describes a state of being that derives from walking rightly with God and having His seal of approval upon you.
No great distinction should be made here between ‘wisdom’ & ‘understanding’.
The words mean skill, experience, or shrewdness.
To ‘find’ these jewels is a prized experience.
It is God’s gracious creation and is thus inherent in the created order.
God alone knows where wisdom dwells and where it originates (, );
no other living being possesses this knowledge about wisdom (see ).
44 "“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure, buried in a field, that a man found and reburied. Then in his joy he goes and sells everything he has and buys that field.” ()
Baker, W., & Carpenter, E. E. (2003). The complete word study dictionary: Old Testament (p. 337). Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers.
44 "“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure, buried in a field, that a man found and reburied. Then in his joy he goes and sells everything he has and buys that field.” ()
Kitchen, J. A. (2006). Proverbs: A Mentor Commentary (p. 82). Fearn, Ross-shire, Great Britain: Mentor.
To find such insight is precious indeed.
45 "“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls. 46 "When he found one priceless pearl, he went and sold everything he had and bought it.” ()
Those two parables are very similar, but they illustrate the immense value of the Kingdom, the joy it gives to those who (by God’s grace alone) find it!
Their is a willingness to forsake all things to gain it.
Jesus’ parables display the heretofore hidden kingdom of heaven (v. 35), but its worth remains hidden from most people.
Those who discover its priceless value, however, like a man who finds treasure in a field or the trader in pearls, gladly sacrifice anything and everything to obtain it ().
Remember what Paul said?
8 "More than that, I also consider everything to be a loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because of him I have suffered the loss of all things and consider them as dung, so that I may gain Christ” ()
Sproul, R. C. (Ed.). (2015). The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition) (p. 1696). Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust.
Paul found this happiness.
14 "for she is more profitable than silver, and her revenue is better than gold.” ()
Here the benefits of wisdom are counted up.
Wisdom is counted up as being worth much more than silver or gold.
Do you want to know in Scripture what else has a value that exceeds silver and gold? God Word!!
72 "Instruction from your lips is better for me than thousands of gold and silver pieces.” () 127 "Since I love your commands more than gold, even the purest gold,” ()
10 "[Your instructions] are more desirable than gold— than an abundance of pure gold; and sweeter than honey dripping from a honeycomb.” ()
God’s Word is of more value than all the silver and gold.
“In the beginning was the WORD”. A person who exchanges the worlds gems in place of God’s gems forfeits it all!!!
17 "Instruct those who are rich in the present age not to be arrogant or to set their hope on the uncertainty of wealth, but on God, who richly provides us with all things to enjoy.” ()
The pursuit of riches opens up a person’s life to a world of evil influences!!
6 "But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 "For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out. 8 "If we have food and clothing, we will be content with these. 9 "But those who want to be rich fall into temptation, a trap, and many foolish and harmful desires, which plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and by craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” ()
The gaining of this worlds riches will prove as dung and dross on the day of judgement.
15 "She is more precious than jewels; nothing you desire can equal her.” ()
The “jewels” spoken of here were like a red coral of some kind () and were regarded as extremely valuable in the ancient world.
But “MORE” desirous than the finest gem is the wisdom of God.
( ; ; cf 31:10).
Then the second line of v15 presses the point home and makes this very personal!
15 "She is more precious than jewels; nothing you desire can equal her.” ()
But here, the uniqueness of wisdom’s worth sets her apart as unique among all others.
25 "Who do I have in heaven but you? And I desire nothing on earth but you.” ()
4 "Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires.” ()
5 "He satisfies you with good things...” ()
16 "Long life is in her right hand; in her left, riches and honor.” ()
The mention of the right and left hand together signifies wisdom’s generosity and readiness to give.
Nothing held in wisdom’s embrace is withheld from the one who will seek her.
What’s in her right hand? Long life.
And in her left she holds forth the lesser, but still valuable, gifts of physical resources (8:18-21).
The one who embraces wisdom will live long, have
plenty to sustain himself throughout his many years, and
will be respected and praised by those in his network of relationships.
That these rewards are grace gifts and not guarantees in this world should be obvious.
The wicked often prosper and live long lives (, ; ), but theirs is illegitimate pleasure and there is no peace with it.
"The Lord’s blessing enriches, and he adds no painful effort to it.” ()
Likewise, the righteous often die young, poor and in obscurity (),
yet they die well and the riches of eternity await them.
"The wicked one is thrown down by his own sin, but the righteous one has a refuge in his death.” ()
17 "Her ways are pleasant, and all her paths, peaceful.” ()
Here wisdom’s virtues continue to be praised. These “ways” and “paths” describe the substance and direction of a person’s life as they make their way through this world.
12 "It will rescue you from the way of evil— from anyone who says perverse things, 13 "from those who abandon the right paths to walk in ways of darkness,” ()
The design of the evil man is to depart from the light and walk in the darkness! They want to throw off the restraints of wisdom.
Look at the “path” that is left behind: “right paths”. That is, the path of the upright!
Which is contrasted here to “walk in the ways of darkness”
provides us the perfect commentary on the ways of darkness.
19 "This is the judgment: The light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil. 20 "For everyone who does evil hates the light and avoids it, so that his deeds may not be exposed. 21 "But anyone who lives by the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be shown to be accomplished by God.”” ()
Jesus gives the reason for the world’s rejection of Him:
He is the light who exposes whether a person is righteous or not, and the world,
loving wickedness,
and the world, loving wickedness,
not only hates this exposure, but also hates the One who is light itself.
15 "whose paths are crooked, and whose ways are devious.” ()
Moving from “ways” (2:13) to “paths” (2:15). These are words that point to the course of one’s life determined by one’s choices.
And the evil man has “crooked” paths.
The picture is of that which has been twisted and distorted from its original design.
Kitchen, J. A. (2006). Proverbs: A Mentor Commentary (p. 65). Fearn, Ross-shire, Great Britain: Mentor.
The evil way may have a vestige of morality remaining, but it has been deformed.
These ways are “devious”. Which means to go the wrong way (; ; ).
Such a person has taken the wrong path by trusting their own underhanded ways
Kitchen, J. A. (2006). Proverbs: A Mentor Commentary (p. 66). Fearn, Ross-, Great Britain: Mentor.
rather than obedience to the word of God ().
Those ways and paths are contrasted with Wisdom’s paths and ways in chapter 3.
17 "Her ways are pleasant, and all her paths, peaceful.” ()
They describe the direction and substance of one’s life as he makes his way through this world.
Walking in the ways of wisdom is ‘pleasant.’
Kitchen, J. A. (2006). Proverbs: A Mentor Commentary (p. 84). Fearn, Ross-shire, Great Britain: Mentor.
Ways which are ‘pleasant’ are those upon which one finds what is inline with the new
inner and outer man, and which it does good to enjoy.
Look at her paths in v17. They are “peace”.
To tread the “paths” of wisdom is in itself peace. This is “shalom”.
This peace is more than the absence of turmoil, but includes the
broader condition of entire well-being, health, and being satisfied or fulfilled with one’s lot.
We know w/out a doubt that God’s ways may not be easy.
Kitchen, J. A. (2006). Proverbs: A Mentor Commentary (p. 84). Fearn, Ross-shire, Great Britain: Mentor.
They don’t follow the path of least resistance but they are the paths of life.
11 "You reveal the path of life to me; in your presence is abundant joy; at your right hand are eternal pleasures.” ()
This is the only happiness worth seeking! It’s God’s happiness! Which is a bit of a paradox.
So Christ lays down His verdict and makes the discipline of self-denial and the cross,
just terrible death blows to flesh and blood, but these are in the indispensable requisite to being His disciples.
But the paradox is, as it may appear, to be in deep gloom of self-denial and cross bearing,
that in that place is the sunshine of glory because Christ is there, in the realm of denying self and picking up the cross!!!
Scripture says that before Christ we were God’s enemy ()
which makes us our own worst enemy and so makes us unable to have never been happy!
18 "She is a tree of life to those who embrace her, and those who hold on to her are happy.” ()
‘Tree of life’ refers to wisdom personified as the source of life itself.
Kitchen, J. A. (2006). Proverbs: A Mentor Commentary (p. 85). Fearn, Ross-shire, Great Britain: Mentor.
The image of the tree of life began in Eden as the pages of Scripture opened (),
and it continues through its pages until the closing picture of the new heavens and the new earth (; , ).
In addition, the image of the tree of life is not infrequent in Proverbs (; ; ).
The tree symbolizes the long and fruitful life already spoken of in verse 16.
This reward does not come automatically, however. The tree of life is stationary.
We must go to it. Wisdom may call to us (to employ a prior metaphor, cf. ),
yet she does not force her understanding upon anyone.
Kitchen, J. A. (2006). Proverbs: A Mentor Commentary (p. 85). Fearn, Ross-shire, Great Britain: Mentor.
We must ‘embrace (take hold of) her’ and ‘hold her fast.’
Entering into the joys of wisdom’s blessedness requires our diligent pursuit and a firm grip upon her precepts.
These two images of “embracing” and “holding on” to wisdom are expressions describing the determined obedience of
the wise man or woman in the face of the ongoing enticements of foolishness and sin.
Kitchen, J. A. (2006). Proverbs: A Mentor Commentary (p. 85). Fearn, Ross-shire, Great Britain: Mentor.
We must be vigilant in our application of God’s wisdom!