Wisdom's Call, Wisdom's expectation
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Wisdom’s Voice
Wisdom’s Voice
God because of His mercy continues to cry out, to call out to sinners because of His long-suffering (2Pt3:9). She cries out in the streets, in the squares and at the gates (Pro1:20-21). She cries out to the Naive, simple, scoffer and the fool (Pro1:22).
9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
All should come to repentance, isn’t that what we want too? So are we willing to use wisdom’s voice to cry out in the places too?
20 Wisdom calls aloud outside; She raises her voice in the open squares. 21 She cries out in the chief concourses, At the openings of the gates in the city She speaks her words:
To the people she cries out to.
22 “How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? For scorners delight in their scorning, And fools hate knowledge.
She cries out in the places to the people and with a message.
She cries out with voice of instruction (Pro1:8-10, 15-19)
She cries with voice of warning against temptation (Pro1:11-14)
She cries with the voice of salvation (Pro1:20-33)
In our passage tonight wisdom returns to the loud crowded places and cries out again for everyone to hear. This time you will see the scorners missing. They had refused to listen before, they had hardened hearts (Heb4:7-8) We need to be careful so we do not refuse Wisdom (He who speaks) (Heb12:25)
7 He again fixes a certain day, “Today,” saying through David after so long a time just as has been said before, “Today if you hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts.” 8 For if Joshua had given them rest, He would not have spoken of another day after that.
25 See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if those did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape who turn away from Him who warns from heaven.
Wisdom’s call is:
Wisdom’s call is:
Wisdom’s call is to attention, to listen, then to apply; This passage works hand in hand with Proverbs chapter 1. Wisdom cares, wisdom shouts and will not be silenced. She is not going to let the righteous to be drowned in the sea of wickedness.
Wickedness in form of greed (Pro1:10-19)
Wickedness in form liars (Pro2:12-15)
Wickedness in form of smooth talking temptation (Pro2:16-19)
Wickedness in form of perverted righteousness (Pro4:14-17)
Wickedness that wants to bring division, discord (Pro6:12-15)
So, now let’s look at the passage, then will break it down.
1 Does not wisdom call, And understanding lift up her voice? 2 On top of the heights beside the way, Where the paths meet, she takes her stand;
3 Beside the gates, at the opening to the city, At the entrance of the doors, she cries out: 4 “To you, O men, I call, And my voice is to the sons of men.
5 “O naive ones, understand prudence; And, O fools, understand wisdom. 6 “Listen, for I will speak noble things; And the opening of my lips will reveal right things.
7 “For my mouth will utter truth; And wickedness is an abomination to my lips. 8 “All the utterances of my mouth are in righteousness; There is nothing crooked or perverted in them.
9 “They are all straightforward to him who understands, And right to those who find knowledge.
So what did you see, what did you notice, what sticks out to you?
Wisdom’s call is with certainty (Pro8:1)
Wisdom offers a rhetorical question here, how can the answer be anything but yes! As mentioned before wisdom cares and will not be silent.
Wisdom’s call is public (Pro8:2-3)
From the hilltop, the road-crossing, the city gates and at the door openings, she does not hide her words. Nor should be, we need to speak up and speak out. Using Wisdom’s voice (God’s Word)
Wisdom’s call is personal (Pro8:4-5)
To men of all kinds, those who have responded, to those who are naive, simple, to the fools, so they will come to understand.
It does not matter where you are or where you have been wisdom cries out, calls out
We all have the ability to be the fool, or to act foolish, we need God’s wisdom that calls out, cries out for knowledge, understanding and application.
Wisdom wants us to know the right thing (prudence) and to understand (have common sense) and how to apply it.
Wisdom’s call is reliable (Pro8:6-9)
In the midst of a crooked and perverse generation (Php2:15) where there are many unreliable voices giving opinions and advise (Pro2:12; Pro6:12-15) Wisdom is reliable
Wisdom gives reliable advise (it is excellent; v.6) it speaks the right things (v.6) and speaks truth (V.7) and righteousness (v.8) and finally is plain (v.9) so it is straightforward, on target.
Wisdom’s call is purposeful (Pro8:9; Php4:8-9)
Understanding and knowledge with application
In New Testament, Paul offers some purposeful, applicable wisdom too.
8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. 9 The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
This now brings us to the message of wisdom that comes with expectation of application.
Wisdom’s call with call for response
Wisdom’s call with call for response
Wisdom calls with a call for a decision (response).Calls telling us we can trust wisdom’s words (Pro8:6-9). Calls telling us we can receive true wealth (Pro8:10-21) and that you can see My works (Pro8:22-31). Then the application, it calls for a response, a decision (Pro8:32-36).
You can trust My words (Pro8:6-9; Ps119:128; Ps19:9; 1Cor2:12-16; Mt13:14-15)
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They contain excellent words
They contain right words
Wisdom’s words can be trusted and judgments are true and righteoues
They are simple, so don’t reject them, don’t be spiritually blind or deaf
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6 Listen, for I will speak of excellent things, And from the opening of my lips will come right things; 7 For my mouth will speak truth; Wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
8 All the words of my mouth are with righteousness; Nothing crooked or perverse is in them. 9 They are all plain to him who understands, And right to those who find knowledge.
Wisdom’s words are excellent (v.6) - in other versions it says noble, worthy, princely. - figuring that the words are God’s word they sure are noble!
Wisdom’s words contain the “right things.” - interesting fact, the word right here in the English comes from Latin word “rectus” which means straight. Wisdom’s words are straight, they are direct, they are true (v.7) and they are righteous (v.8)
Anything that the Lord says, wisdom says, since all wisdom comes from above and comes from the Lord is right and can be trusted
128 Therefore all Your precepts concerning all things I consider to be right; I hate every false way.
and that the judgments of the Lord are true
9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether.
God is not the God of confusion, His words are plainly spoken; plainly to be understood and applied, so we do need to be sure not to reject them
12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, 13 which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.
14 But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. 15 But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one.
16 For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he will instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ.
You know, be spiritual blind and deaf
14 “In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says, ‘You will keep on hearing, but will not understand; You will keep on seeing, but will not perceive; 15 For the heart of this people has become dull, With their ears they scarcely hear, And they have closed their eyes, Otherwise they would see with their eyes, Hear with their ears, And understand with their heart and return, And I would heal them.’
You can receive true wealth (Pro8:10-21; Pro2:4; Pro3:13-15; 1COr3:12; Mt6:33; Mt19:23-26)
10 “Take my instruction and not silver, And knowledge rather than choicest gold. 11 “For wisdom is better than jewels; And all desirable things cannot compare with her.
12 “I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, And I find knowledge and discretion. 13 “The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverted mouth, I hate.
14 “Counsel is mine and sound wisdom; I am understanding, power is mine. 15 “By me kings reign, And rulers decree justice.
16 “By me princes rule, and nobles, All who judge rightly. 17 “I love those who love me; And those who diligently seek me will find me.
18 “Riches and honor are with me, Enduring wealth and righteousness. 19 “My fruit is better than gold, even pure gold, And my yield better than choicest silver.
20 “I walk in the way of righteousness, In the midst of the paths of justice, 21 To endow those who love me with wealth, That I may fill their treasuries.
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Enrichment not riches, they have eternal value
Seek enrichment, kingdom of God vs. gold, silver and precious stones
Those who have wisdom can have eternal life and be saved
So receive true riches, instruction, truth, daily wisdom
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Enrichment not riches, riches may come and go but the enrichment from the Lord has eternal value. Wisdom does not promise to put money in your bank account.
May we seek enrichment through wisdom’s call that is better than gold, silver and precious stones (vv.18-19) and to that
4 If you seek her as silver And search for her as for hidden treasures;
For wisdom is no longer a hidden treasure but is revealed through God’s Word we just need to seek it!
Israel thought that material possessions equated to God’s approval and God’s blessings and poverty and trouble were evidence you were outside of God’s favor. You can see that today in the prosperity gospel, which is not the gospel, the prosperity theology which is not in line with God’s Word. Jesus addressed this issue about the difficulty of a rich man entering the kingdom (Mt19:23-26).
Wisdom offers better gifts, eternal gifts that will not perish. Gifts like prudence, knowledge and discretion (v.12). Add to that ear of the Lord, counsel of the Lord (vv.13-14)
“A life that’s enriched by God may be poor in the world’s goods, but it is rich in the things that matter most.”
Nothing wrong with enjoying the things that money can guy, that God has given you the resources to obtain, but it is the that money cannot buy that really matter.
“What wisdom has to offer can’t be purchased anywhere, no matter how rich you are.” W. Wiersbe
So, application, how do we receive these true riches, eternal riches that are eternal?
By hearing the Word of God (Pro8:7; Rom10:17)
For there we receive instruction (Pro8:10)
We learn love, truth and wisdom (Pro8:17, Pro8:21)
So seek and receive instruction daily (Pro7:17)
By meditating on God’s Word
By praying
and by worshipping
Wisdom calls and says you can see My works (Pro8:22-31; Jn1:1-4, 14)
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See God’s works in the Word that was in the beginning and became flesh
In creation we can see the power and the splendor or God
And in the new creation the old is gone and the new has come in God’s splendor and for God’s glory.
His works are often displayed through your works that were created to be done before the foundation of the world.
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In looking at the passage it is not directly regarding Christ Jesus but I think you can see the creative of CHrist Jesus since He himself was not created.
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God.
3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.
14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.
In creation, in what “we” created, the Father, the Son the Spirit we see the splendor all around us, we see evidence of God’s creation and wisdom.
Wisdom that brought forth the Word that pierced hearts to go from the old creation (sinful man) to new man
17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.
Created with a purpose
10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
When we belong to Jesus Christ, when we are in Him and He is in us we then walk in a manner pleasing and walk in the wisdom that called, and wisdom that has expectation for application.
Wisdom does call for application, that starts with a decision
Wisdom calls so that you must make a decision (Pro8:32-36; Rev20:11-15)
32 “Now therefore, O sons, listen to me, For blessed are they who keep my ways. 33 “Heed instruction and be wise, And do not neglect it.
34 “Blessed is the man who listens to me, Watching daily at my gates, Waiting at my doorposts. 35 “For he who finds me finds life And obtains favor from the Lord.
36 “But he who sins against me injures himself; All those who hate me love death.”
How people respond, answer to wisdom’s call is life or death (vv.35-36)
Neutrality is not an option (v.36)
When we have God’s truth, God’s wisdom we are called to respond, to make a decision. It is a matter of life and death, eternal life or eternal death separated from God.
Wisdom calls for a sincere life changing, destination changing decision.
(insert encouragement slide here)
(invitation ) wisdom calls for trust (faith); repentance (change of direction) obedience (baptism) and then walking in new life. For the not deciding that is eternal death.
11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds.
13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.
15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
But to the one who hear wisdom and respond to wisdom’s call they are set free and there is no condemnation (Rom8:1)
(insert encouragement slide 2); finish encouragement (exit slide)