The Beginning of Knowledge
Becoming Wise • Sermon • Submitted
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Introduction
Throughout our lives, there will be many decisions we must make, as our day to day life unfolds. Questions like, “Which job should I take?” Or, “Who should I marry?” Or, “When should I retire?” Or, “Should we buy this house?” These are obviously important questions.
And of course, for believers, there is one question that is the foundation for all of these other questions.... “What is God’s will for my life?”
Sometimes, the answer to that question is clearly spelled out for us in Scripture. For example:
3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality;
Paul tells the Thessalonians that God’s will for them, is sanctification.
But what about when it’s not so clear? What about when we’re wanting to know which direction God would be pleased with, when it comes to our careers or relationships? Or what about when it comes down to ethical choices on the job, or political positions we should stand with in relation to justice and equality?
How do we consistently make right choices? How do we consistently live a life that is characterized by a sufficient knowledge of the facts and our surroundings, as well as possessing great skill in applying that knowledge to our life?
That is where we are desperately dependent upon God, to grant to us wisdom.
We are not taught from Scripture, the idea seemingly espoused by many today, that the will of God is some secret knowledge, always just beyond our reach. As many have said, “Finding God’s will is not a cosmic easter egg hunt, or a game of hot and cold.”
Nor is wondering about the will of God, something that should cause us to second guess every decision we make, leading us to a life of unceasing frustration and inner turmoil.
Living a life that is godly, disciplined, and charts the right path forward…is lived by skillfully applying the accumulation of biblical knowledge within us.
And that is one major purpose of the book of Proverbs. It operates on the premise that God is, as the hymn states, Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise. And we, as his creatures who have fallen into sin, are not wise.
God is God. He possesses all knowledge, and He possesses all the skill necessary to apply that knowledge perfectly to fulfill His purposes.
We possess very limited knowledge. Limited knowledge, that is often shrouded and obscured by sin and the darkness of this world, in our fallen state…and we do not naturally possess the skill necessary to properly apply even the limited knowledge we do have to our lives, in a way that fulfills God’s purposes and brings Him glory.
So, we turn to God…by turning to His Word. And we open a book like the book of Proverbs. A book that is full of, well...proverbs, which are short, pithy statements, full of wisdom and truth.
For our congregation, we plan to spend 5 weeks, looking at the book of Proverbs…taking 3 weeks or so to cover the first chapter, and 2 weeks to look at 2 other chapters.
This morning, we will look at (page ). Turn there with me please, if you haven’t already.
And what we’ll see in these verses, is the introduction to this book, giving to us the purpose of the book. And then these verses call upon its readers to live wisely, fear God, and seek wisdom.
So a condense version of our takeaway from these verses would be: To live wisely, we must be wise.
1 The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:
2 To know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight,
3 to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity;
4 to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth—
5 Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance,
6 to understand a proverb and a saying, the words of the wise and their riddles.
7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.
To live wisely, we must become wise.
The Book of Proverbs helps us with this. It is filled with wise sayings, that are not meant to be shrouded in mystery that we need a codebook to crack…but meant instead to add skill to the people of God to live wise lives. These introductory verses set the stage for this.
1 The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:
We see in verse 1, that these are the proverbs of Solomon. Meaning the whole of the book was his…or compiled by him…or this first section, from chapters 1-9, are his wise sayings…and the others given credit later, are found after his.
We see in verse 1, that these are the proverbs of Solomon.
This means the whole of the book was his…or compiled by him…or this first section, from chapters 1-9, are his wise sayings…and the others given credit later, are found after his.
Solomon is clearly identified as the prominent figure in the OT
He was the King of Israel…He was David’s son. Solomon is known for his wealth, the Temple he constructed, he is known for the great success brought to the people of Israel under his leadership…but humanly speaking, this is all due to his wisdom.
God had gifted him, upon his request, with a wisdom to make decisions and lead the people of God.
And here we have a collection of his wise sayings, that will add skill to the people of God during any time, to live wise lives.
After the superscription in verse 1, you have the purpose for the book in verses 2-6, followed by the starting point for knowledge given to us in verse 7.
And as we approach this text this morning, I want us to ask and answer 3 questions of this text…with the hopes that we will be convinced: To live wisely, we must be wise.
Not only convinced of the obvious truth of that statement....but convinced that God grants to us the path forward in becoming wise.
The first question is this...
1. What is Wisdom?
1. What is Wisdom?
This seems like the obvious place to start
Because if we’re talking about living wisely, and if we’re talking about acquiring wisdom, then we must know what it is we’re talking about. What it is, we’re seeking to gain.
Notice, verse 2....
2 To know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight,
Solomon’s purpose for compiling this work, is “to know wisdom...”
Well…what is wisdom?
So, if we’re talking about living wisely, and if we’re talking about acquiring wisdom, then we must know what it is we’re talking about. What it is, we’re seeking to gain.
I think a good pocket size definition for wisdom could be, “Wisdom is, the skill required to accurately apply, biblical knowledge.”
So…you can have knowledge, without having wisdom....you cannot have wisdom, without having knowledge.
I think a good pocket size definition for wisdom could be, “The skill to accurately apply, sound knowledge.”
Think of it this way:
When a person is looking for a construction project to be done around their home, whether its a large job of big construction, or a small job, or its dealing primarily with finish work, they are looking for a person that “knows their stuff.”
They want to hire someone with the knowledge of the material, knowledge of how one is supposed to do it, and the skill to apply that knowledge properly, so that the person is successful with the project.
This is the same idea that comes to mind, when we deal with the concept of “wisdom.” We are talking about a person skilled, in a particular area....here, it is the area of living a right, moral life.
To further clarify this...
When the Hebrew word that is used here, is used elsewhere in Scripture…it refers to those whom God has gifted with great levels skill, in particular areas of expertise
When the Hebrew word that is used here, is used elsewhere in Scripture…it refers to those whom God has gifted with great levels of skill, in particular areas of expertise
1 “Bezalel and Oholiab and every craftsman in whom the Lord has put skill and intelligence to know how to do any work in the construction of the sanctuary shall work in accordance with all that the Lord has commanded.”
3 You shall speak to all the skillful, whom I have filled with a spirit of skill, that they make Aaron’s garments to consecrate him for my priesthood.
Certain individuals were selected for the work in the temple, in making Aaron’s clothing, and in other fields…because they had particular expertise and skill to be applied in those fields.
In the area of moral living, of right living, those who are wise…have a skill, an expertise, to be applied for right living.
And the Proverbs were written, according to Solomon, in order “TO KNOW” that wisdom…
Wisdom…and…instruction (or discipline)
Instruction (or discipline)
And understanding words of insight
Because this skill of practically applying biblical knowledge to our lives, will be a lie that is marked by discipline
2 To know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight,
These thoughts are expanded further as Solomon continues to give the purpose for the book in verses 3
3 to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity;
Here, Solomon is giving his reasons for compiling this work. And out of the gate, the reason is, “to know wisdom.”
3 to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity;
4 to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth—
5 Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance,
Receive: take; grasp; seize or accept
Instruction: same as verse 2
In wise dealing: to have success; in other words, in these areas he mentions....righteousness (the right thing); justice (the right judgement); and equity (fairness and integrity)…these proverbs are given so that one can receive the instruction necessary to live successfully in them.
In 3 areas: righteousness (the right thing); Justice (the right judgment); Equity (fair; integrity)
To have “wise dealings,” in these areas.
So…the proverbs of Solomon are compiled, so that people know this skill and this discipline of living successfully in the areas of righteousness, justice, and equity.
“ A disciplined (cf. v. 2) and prudent (cf. v. 4) life is one with high moral standards, a life in which one does what is right … just, and fair (cf. 2:9). An immoral or unjust person can hardly be called wise in God’s sight!” ~Bible Knowledge Commentary
A disciplined (cf. v. 2) and prudent (cf. v. 4) life is one with high moral standards, a life in which one does what is right … just, and fair (cf. 2:9). An immoral or unjust person can hardly be called wise in God’s sight!
That is the goal of the proverbs. Not simply growing in knowledge. Not somehow growing in practical guidelines for life without knowledge. But growing in wisdom.
Sid S. Buzzell, “Proverbs,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 907.
Wisdom is: “Wisdom is, the skill required to accurately apply, biblical knowledge.”
Apply:
And this is what you and I need today, because we do not possess it naturally. Naturally, we are born into spiritual blindness and ignorance.
Our ignorance stems from our sinfulness that we have inherited in our sin nature that came through the Fall. Which is why we are in desperate need, not of a turning of a new leaf…but of a radical transformation.
A transformation that begins with regeneration and conversion…and continues on throughout the entirety of our Christian life, as we grow in sanctification.
When thinking on these lines, it is clear why the concept of wisdom is linked to the God’s revealed truth in Scripture…and how that is linked to our ongoing sanctification, and the day by day renewing of our minds…from fleshly and corrupt…to Godly and pure.
17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.
2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
The reality is brother and sister, our fleshly fallen nature still caters to the original lie of Satan that we can become gods, to determine what is good and evil on our own. And then we have the nerve, to call this wisdom.
But this is the wisdom of this world, and it is opposed to the wisdom of God.
We heard that read to us from earlier.
James talks about it in .
We are inclined towards a wisdom of this world. We are inclined to have our lives governed by a skill to practically apply the knowledge of this world’s system, so that we live for this world’s goals.
And what we need instead....is wisdom from God. True wisdom....wisdom that is: the skill required to accurately apply biblical knowledge to our lives.
So…we’ve considered what wisdom is....second question...
2. Who Needs wisdom?
2. Who Needs wisdom?
This seems like an easy answer…and it is…we all do.
But that’s not often how we live.
This seems like an easy answer…and it is…we all do.
Some live as if a certain age guarantees you have wisdom, therefore you don’t need any. Sometimes, youth fills you with ideas, that you think is wisdom, and it takes at least a decade to determine that it was far from wise.
So proverbs begins by giving us some categories of those who need wisdom. There are at least 2 listed.
But that’s not often how we live.
The Naive and/or the young is category one
4 to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth—
Some live as if a certain age guarantees you have wisdom, therefore you don’t need any. Sometimes, youth fills you with ideas, that you consider wisdom, and it takes at least a decade to determine that it was far from wise.
Prudence: cleverness; cunning (another way to describe this wisdom we’ve been considering). Or a further clarification of what wisdom is.
Simple: someone who is young…particularly someone who is naive
So proverbs begins by giving us some categories of those who need wisdom. There are at least 2 listed.
The Bible Knowledge Commentary is helpful here:
“ The simple (peṯî, 1:4) refers to a person who is naive and untaught. He is not an imbecile, one who cannot comprehend, or a fool who despises wisdom. Instead, he is one whose exposure to life and wisdom has been limited. Because of inexperience he is gullible and easily influenced.” ~BKC
And “the young” is connected to this…for those who are of a young age, need knowledge and discretion (prudence)
So, these gullible, easily influenced, young and impressional individuals…need the skill required to accuratley apply biblical knowledge, so that their lives are guided by Godly principles. So that they can, as said, “…discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
The Naive and the young
Some may then say, “Well, once they acquire wisdom for living, they’re all set.” But they would be ignoring Solomon’s second category.
4 to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth—
The wise
The wise, need wisdom....even after they’ve acquired wisdom.
5 Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance,
6 to understand a proverb and a saying, the words of the wise and their riddles.
Prudence: cleverness; cunning (another way to describe this wisdom we’ve been considering)
This is a call for the wise to DO something...
The purpose is listed in verse 6, as being able to understand these short pithy statements of wisdom (or a proverb)…to understand a saying…to understand the words of the wise and their riddles (or their dark sayings).
What do they need to do, to be able to do this? What is a wise person called to do in order to be able to do what verse 6 says?
Simple: someone who is young…particularly someone who is naive
Verse 5, they are told:
Let the wise, HEAR
The Bible Knowledge Commentary is helpful here:
They need to listen. (two ears, one mouth)
And increase in LEARNING
The pursuit of wisdom is not the pursuit of seeking to arrive so that you can retire from pursuing wisdom....no the wise are called upon to HEAR and INCREASE IN LEARNING.
“ The simple (peṯî, 1:4) refers to a person who is naive and untaught. He is not an imbecile, one who cannot comprehend, or a fool who despises wisdom. Instead, he is one whose exposure to life and wisdom has been limited. Because of inexperience he is gullible and easily influenced.” ~BKC
YOU NEVER…KNOW ENOUGH. YOU’RE ALWAYS, NEEDING TO LEARN MORE.
The second half of verse 5 reads: “and the one who understands obtain guidance”
And “the young” is connected to this…for those who are of a young age, need knowledge and discretion (prudence)
Those who understand, they obtain (buy, acquire)..guidance (direction; steering; deliberation; counsel).
The simple (peṯî, 1:4) refers to a person who is naive and untaught. He is not an imbecile, one who cannot comprehend, or a fool who despises wisdom. Instead, he is one whose exposure to life and wisdom has been limited. Because of inexperience he is gullible and easily influenced.
So, these gullible, easily influenced, young and impressional individuals…need the skill to practically apply sound knowledge, so that their lives are guided by Godly principles.
Some may then say, “Well, once they acquire wisdom for living, they’re all set.” But Solomon lists a second category.
The wise
The wise, need wisdom.
5 Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance,
6 to understand a proverb and a saying, the words of the wise and their riddles.
So the purpose is listed in verse 6, as being able to understand these short pithy statements of wisdom (or a proverb)…to understand a saying…to understand the words of the wise and their riddles (or their dark sayings).
What do they need to do, to be able to do this?
Verse 5, they are told:
Let the wise, HEAR
They need to listen
And increase in LEARNING
“says Charles Bridges, ‘a truly wise man is one, not who has attained, but who knows that he has not attained and is pressing on to perfection.’ Matthew Henry comments: ‘This book not only makes the foolish wise but the wise better.’” ~Eric Lane
says Charles Bridges, ‘a truly wise man is one, not who has attained, but who knows that he has not attained and is pressing on to perfection.’ Matthew Henry comments: ‘This book not only makes the foolish wise but the wise better.’
The second half of verse 5 reads: “and the one who understands obtain guidance”
I like the KJV rendering of this verse, that the NASB carries as well. It’s the idea of seeking godly counsel.
Those who understand, they obtain (buy, acquire)..guidance (direction; steering; deliberation; counsel).
“says Charles Bridges, ‘a truly wise man is one, not who has attained, but who knows that he has not attained and is pressing on to perfection.’ Matthew Henry comments: ‘This book not only makes the foolish wise but the wise better.’” ~Eric Lane
“says Charles Bridges, ‘a truly wise man is one, not who has attained, but who knows that he has not attained and is pressing on to perfection.’ Matthew Henry comments: ‘This book not only makes the foolish wise but the wise better.’” ~Eric Lane
11 About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.
12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food,
Apply
The fact is, a truth you and I must be convinced of, is that we ALWAYS need wisdom.
The seasoned Christian, needs to increase in learning, and seek godly counsel.
The young and naive, needs to develop prudence, discernment, and grow in knowledge.
That’s true for the seasoned in age, and seasoned in spiritual maturity.
That’s true for the young in age, and the young in spiritual maturity.
The fact is, we ALL need to acquire more knowledge, and we ALL need to acquire more skill to apply that knowledge to our lives.
And as is true in all other areas of our Christian walk, it is true also of this area....we have the tendency of growing complacent instead.
We compare ourselves to others, and determine we’re more mature than them…therefore we must be alright.
The young
But complacency in the pursuit of wisdom, it will stunt your spiritual growth (won’t be walking in those things that are “good and acceptable”)
hinder your sanctification (walking contrary to the ways of God)
and ultimately dim the light of God’s glory that should be on display to others in your life (Matthew 5:16).
That’s true of you individually; its true of you as a church member; and it’s true of us corporately.
Think about it:
The young person that doesn’t feel the need to acquire wisdom, will live an unwise life. Giving into the schemes and traps of Satan and his/her own sinful flesh.
The naive church member that is lethargic in their acquisition of wisdom, will not be nearly as concerned with other’s lethargy as well. So when they see their fellow professing Christians at work, or on social media, living contrary to the manner God’s Word commands....they feel no need to challenge it, because they are complacent in their own pursuit, why help others with their pursuit?
The complacent church simply compares itself to another and says, “Well, we’re wiser than they are....so at least we have that.”
But the facts are, that the Bible testifies, that the young and the old…the simple and the wise…they ALL need to acquire more wisdom.
There should be something stirring within us, that is crying out, with a thirst for knowledge of God and His ways. GIVE IN to that thirst!
We live in a world in which parents want their children skilled in the arts, skilled in sports, skilled in almost every field imaginable....except for deep, biblical, historical, and practical theology.
Remember Stephen in the NT? The bible described him this way:
10 But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking.
7 And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.
May God the Holy Spirit so stir us with a realization of our need for wisdom from God, that we cry out, “Oh God, grant me wisdom as you granted our brother Stephen.”
TO LIVE WISELY, WE MUST BECOME WISE.
TO LIVE A LIFE OF WISDOM, WE MUST ACQUIRE WISDOM
What is wisdom? The skill required to accurately apply biblical knowledge.
Who needs wisdom? Everyone from the old to the young, the simple and the wise.
Finally....
3. How do we acquire wisdom?
3. How do we acquire wisdom?
We acquire wisdom, from God.
Proverbs gives us the perfect, in fact the only, starting point
7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.
In this verse, we seem to be transitioning from the introduction, to the proverbs themselves.
And Solomon said, the starting point for knowledge....is fearing God.
This truth is repeated in other portions of Scripture.....
One, near the end of this first section of Proverbs
10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.
Also, in the Psalms:
10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!
The fear of the Lord, is the proper recognition and acknowledgement of who He is.
It means to reverence Him; to tremble before Him; to recognize Him as THE God.
5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”
17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last,
Seeing our Lord, for WHO He truly is, reveals to us WHO we truly are…and this is the starting point for growing in knowledge, for growing in wisdom.
This is the reason those who are truly wise, don’t become complacent with their level of wisdom…because they recognize GOD is TRULY wise, and they are not in comparison.
That God’s ways are higher than our own. His thoughts are not our thoughts.
The pursuit of wisdom begins with an acknowledgement of God....it is motivated onward by an acknowledgement of God....it is always found within God.
Which then leads to 2 practical ways we acquire wisdom:
Pray (recognition of WHO God is, leads us to pray to Him as the God who hears and answers prayers)
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.
That is precisely the way in which Solomon received such skill in discerning proper courses of action....He asked God to give him the wisdom to guide God’s people.
And so should we. Our desire to live a life of applying biblical knowledge in a right way, should lead us to cry out to God for that skill, that ability.
2. Hear God’s Word
We are told to pray for wisdom, but we aren’t to simply wait for it to float down from the heavens. We aren’t gnostics. We don’t believe in a second tier, a next level Christian whereby you have to go and have an experience with God to receive this secret knowledge, that only those with this experience have.
God has given us His Word, and from it we gain the knowledge and the skill to make godly choices.
I remind you of ( and ) that I read earlier....it is the WORD that sanctifies us, and renews our minds.
So then, we give ourselves to the leadership of God…by giving ourselves to the leadership of His Word:
Read it
Meditate on it
Hear it preached
Receive counsel from others who are wise because of it
These are the ways in which GOD has instructed us to acquire wisdom....and those who start from the point of “fearing the Lord,” understand the WHY and the HOW of acquiring knowledge.
But notice the contrast in this verse:
7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Here, fools are not just people who are ignorant of truth. They are people who are ignorant, because of their obstinance. They’re stubbornly ignorant.
“Fools.—The word designates properly the hardened, the stupid,—those fools who know nothing of God (), and therefore refuse and contemptuously repel His salutary discipline (comp. above, note to ver. 2).” ~Peter Lange
Fools.—The word designates properly the hardened, the stupid,—those fools who know nothing of God (), and therefore refuse and contemptuously repel His salutary discipline (comp. above, note to ver. 2).
These individuals, Solomon says, “Despise” (meaning: hold in contempt; belittle or ridicule) wisdom and instruction.
So, get the contrast. There are those who “fear God,” those who revere Him and acknowledge Him for who He truly is.....and there are those fools, who despise wisdom and instruction.
The opposite of fearing God....is despising wisdom and instruction.
We said last week as we looked at the psalms, “to know God, is to praise God.” It could also be said, in light of this text, “To know God, is to desire to know Him more. To desire to know how to live in His ways, to desire to have the skill to successfully apply His truth to my life.”
Those that don’t know Him, despise the skill of rightly applying biblical truth to their life.
Apply
The resistance you and I have to receiving godly counsel, to regularly sit under the right preaching of God’s Word, to receiving instruction, to growing in wisdom and knowledge…whether we blame it on our laziness, or our pride, or we’re consistently convinced we’re right and everyone else is wrong, or whatever; it is not a sign of our wisdom, but our innate rebellious foolishness.
But see how patient God is. He was under no obligation to offer such wisdom
He has certainly been under no obligation, to continue to offer it after we’ve squandered our opportunities to acquire it or rejected His wisdom outright.
Yet here His Word comes once more, calling you to seek Him for wisdom, from the source of wisdom Himself.
God…is all-wise.
God has displayed His wisdom time and again.
The Scriptures themselves, display the wisdom of God.
If any are fans of the Marvel movies, you know how well they do at tying all the story lines together. How what happened in a movie several years ago, doesn’t normally contradict what happens in a movie now.
Yet, even with their large salaries and skill in the field of cinematography, their are holes to be found.
But this book…compiled over centuries with dozens of authors who could not collaborate....has zero plot holes.
In fact, it tells one story consistently throughout its pages…never with an error or a contradiction.
God’s skill....is unmatched.
And God has displayed His wisdom clearly, in the actual unfolding of the history recorded in Scripture. For God has planned, and is accomplishing, the salvation of a group of His created beings who fell into sin and rebellion against Him.
A salvation that we first begin to see in a nation God created out of thin air, the Israelites. And then in the NT, was expanded to include the Gentiles also.
So that when the church comes together in the NT, unified in Jesus the Christ, all of which is foretold and promised in the OT, Paul said the church itself displays to the watching world, and the heavenly beings…the manifold wisdom of God.
10 so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.
It’s no wonder, that he concluded the section in this way:
33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
Those within Christ’s church…are those who fear the Lord. And those who are in the church, are putting God’s infinite wisdom on display to the universe.
And it would be wrong…if I bypass this moment, without an appeal to those who are not truly in Christ’s church.
The choice is before you: you can despise His wisdom, despise His ways, by rejecting the offer of salvation extended to you in Christ Jesus (Like those mentioned in the Scripture reading earlier)....or you can drop the tough guy/gal act, turn from your sins, and trust that Jesus lived perfectly in your place, died in your place, and rose from the dead.
Jesus embodied the entirely of the wisdom contained in Proverbs…and He lived out the wisdom of God by becoming the sacrifice for His people. Receive God’s wisdom and not the world’s by trusting your eternity to Jesus…now!
Any questions you may have on it…we’d love to help you walk through them.
And for those already in the church, go hard after wisdom…seek God for wisdom…Hear His Word to grow in wisdom. And then simply trust His Word.
Trust…that you truly are growing in your skillfulness to rightly apply the knowledge of God’s Word.
Live with that trust while making daily decisions on your job, in your career, in your relationships, in what church you join, in how to evangelize, in how to make disciples, etc.
There’s no need, for the wise person…who is growing in wisdom, to constantly live in fear as if they’re somehow “missing” God’s will. Go....grow…trust…make decisions....and lean on God.
Conclusion
Wisdom is the skill required to accurately apply biblical knowledge to our lives
We all need it
We acquire it from God by His prescribed means.
This is the path of the wise....go down that path, and not the path of the fool.
I pray as we spend just a few weeks in this book, God will ignite a desire within all of our hearts to seek Him for the wisdom that comes from Him....true wisdom…that will bring glory to His name, as we live in conformity to His Word.