"When Ignorance is Wisdom"
Wisdom Series • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 16 viewsDivine Mystery - what as an attribute one called the incomprehensibleness of God is expanded on.
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
“The Reverse Cam”
“The Reverse Cam”
Another baseball season now behind us with snow already on the ground, the jumbo-tron at 5/3 Ballpark goes dark. On hold are the roving cameras, the inning break entertainment including their famous kiss-cam. The camera techs scan unsuspecting couples that handpicked appear onscreen for the all expected kiss.
A kiss is traditionally rewarded by applause, clapping, cheers and whistles, whereas a refusal to kiss is booed. It is intended as a light-hearted diversion to the main event during a timeout, television timeout, or similar downtime.
But not to be outdone — the National Basketball League now has their Reverse Cam. The braver of you can head to YouTube later today and see it. In actuality it is a reverse eating camera. Featured on Today - as fans dive into their stadium foods, unbeknownst to them the camera films them — then reverses the action, airing the footage on the giant screen so no detail goes unappreciated.
Desiring to acquire heavenly wisdom for both fear of the Lord and love of neighbor, we need to do a reverse cam on this series to prevent a dangerous false impression.
Overcoming False Impressions?
Overcoming False Impressions?
backing up - 8 weeks — all the way to and-the original invite to dine with wisdom...
Overcoming False Impressions?
Overcoming False Impressions?
from ’s commisioning to God’s Rescue Team
-wisdom’s aid as we are commisioned to God’s Rescue Team - for the love of neighbor we’ll be used by God in preventing physical and spiritual death of our neighbor.
-rejecting Lady Folly’s trap, we accepted the gracious invite of Lady Wisdom and her benefits.
- noting the God-complex sin in all of us -we learned our hearts are empty containers ready for the filling.
-Than to accept Lady Wisdom’s invite while avoiding the death trap of Lady Folly
- noting the God-complex sin in all of us -we learned our hearts are empty containers ready for the filling.
-We choose one or the other because the week previous we learned our hearts are empty containers for wisdom
backing up all the way to -the original invite to dine with wisdom...
- understanding discretion is needed between two opposing wisdoms - the wisdom from heaven found in Christ vs the wisdom from the devil
-the original invite to dine with wisdom with reasons - chief among them The Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
The Reverse Cam at this point is necessarily proactive to prevent a false impression from setting in.
But why the Reverse Cam? It’s necessary because of the false impression we might otherwise be left with.
That false impression is this — If I just master all these proverbs… If I just imitate Christ who is wisdom, life will be great again. Plus a bonus — compared to those fools who deny heavenly wisdom, I’m a looking pretty good in God’s eyes.
Granted, it’s true we are better off pursuing heavenly wisdom. But we need to keep our motives and the end picture in mind. After all, we are still imperfect sinful humans. Not even Solomon - the wisest of all —was always wise - he too chose foolish paths sometimes. With every Proverb framed around the fear of the Lord, only Jesus Christ followed through with perfect timing and execution. We don’t pursue heavenly wisdom for sake of self or pride or even standing with God. Placed intentionally at the end of Proverbs, Agur’s sayings humbles us back into reality.
Read Proverbs 30:1-6
The Oracle of Agur ()
The Oracle of Agur ()
Read Verse 1
Who is Agur? (v.1)
Who is Agur? (v.1)
“The sayings of Agur son of Jakeh - an oracle- This man declared to Ithiel, to Ithiel and to Ucal.”
Who is Agur? The truth is we don’t know. He’s the son of Jakeh - but that doesn’t help us. We haven’t a clue who Jakeh is. We don’t know when he was alive or his connection to Solomon. Putting on our detective hats - these are not Jewish names. Agur who writes and King Lemuel who writes are not Israelites. Just as the Bible reveals God’s plan to save others beyond Israel - God didn’t limit heavenly wisdom to Israelites.
If our reading holds true in verse 1 - Agur is some kind of wisdom tutor Ithiel and Ucal - again two others who remain a mystery.
Unique to only this verse in Scripture is a second acceptable interpretation: Consider the English Standard Version — It begins nearly the same… verse 1 - “The words of Agur son of Jakeh. The oracle. But then it reads as a lament — I am weary O God (from my pursuit)-I am weary and worn out! — Placed here at the end of Proverbs if this version holds true - Agur is a pursuer of wisdom worn out by his quest.
Unique to the names Ucal and Ithiel — are the consonants. The original Hebrew has no vowel markers. The consonants remain the same. It would be like our words for dog or dig without the o or the i. Insert vowels between the consonants -you get ITHIEL and UCAL as students. Insert a different set of vowels and they become verbs. That’s why your Bible at home might read different. Thankfully that letter boggle is unique to this verse - but far more important is what Agur says.
In terms of his wisdom, how does he rate himself? (v. 2-3)
In terms of his wisdom, how does he rate himself? (v. 2-3)
Compared to a jumbo sized ego from pursuing wisdom, Agur’s take is the opposite -
Read )
Read )
Compared to the jumbo sized egos and puffed up pride that puts him a tier above everyone else, his response is the opposite -
Regardless of being a mentor or life-long pursuer of wisdom, he is humble. In all humility, he recognizes the more he comes to know, the less he really knows. The journey to acquire wisdom never ends. It’s sort of like the Holy Spirit’s lifelong process of sanctification as The Spirit shapes us to be more and more like Christ. When it comes to wisdom, Agur knows he’s barely stepped beyond the starting line. “I have not learned wisdom - wisdom in the full. Nor do I know all there is to know about God.”
Agur thinking lines right up with the Apostle Paul. In Paul is reflecting on how God operates when it comes to His precious gift of salvation. Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! (followed by a series of questions to further that awe behind the mystery of God’s operations - “How unsearchable his judgments and his paths beyond tracing out! Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor? Who has ever given to God that God should repay him?” Paul uses these questions to further our awe of the mystery of God. Agur uses this same technique in verse 4 with five quick fire questions.
Agur’s Dare
Agur’s Dare
Read (v. 4)
Read
Read
Read
The end result - Whether a mentor or a pursuer of wisdom, Agur is humbled. Agur knows he can never know it all. He knows that no man could ever do these things. Agur knows that only God does or can do all these things. Any Old Testament Israelite would recognize this and fill in the blanks.
Read
Whether a mentor or exhausted from pursuing wisdom, Agur is humbled. No man could do any of these things. Ultimately he knows only God can. An Israelite familiar with the OT could fill in the blanks.
Who has gone up to heaven and come down? Our God and Father who created the Garden and walked in the cool of it.
Who has gathered up the wind and the waters? Our God who split the waters of the Red Sea and the Jordan so Israel could cross on dry ground.
Who has established all the ends of the earth? God our marvelous creator.
What is his name? Not one single name can contain him - YAHWEH, Jehovah, God, or any of his attributes. Yet reading this in our day - we know an answer to the question they did not. The name of God’s Son - Jesus Christ.
This is where progressive revelation of the Bible kicks in. We first try to interpret the passage in its own context - and then with further awe seek how it might to Christ.
Who has gone up to heaven and come down? Jesus Christ - without any beginning but born human - who ascended and will return.
Who has gathered up the wind and the waters? Jesus Christ who stopping the storm left the disciples asking - who is this that even the wind and the waves obey him!
Who has established all the ends of the earth? Jesus Christ - the WORD who was present at creation and existed an eternity before.
No matter our age or level of heavenly wisdom, God’s Spirit humbles us with this text - just like Agur. When it comes to heavenly wisdom - there is always more we don’t know than what we do.
When it comes to God - his abilities and wisdom and how he operates - there is always more we don’t know than what we do. This mystery keeps Agur humble just as it does us. Will the pursuit of wisdom help us grow in the fear of God and love for neighbor? Yes - but there is still mystery. There is such beauty in the divine mystery of God and his operation. There are times we need to stop, take a deep breath and remind ourselves — God IS God! We are human.
In our present day world and country with growing divides… God still operaties in true wisdom. Even when we despair due to troubles or trials in our life… God is still operating in true wisdom and perfect providence. The national and world struggles that would stump even Solomon - Impeachment, health care, immigration, racism, justice, the environment, and our concerns not just for ourselves but for future generations who follow - God operates in true wisdom. The mystery behind it all serves to humble us. It humbles Agur.
We are human and He is the Lord Our God. We can’t put a number - a percentage on how much we know about God or how much still remains hidden from us. The same goes for heavenly wisdom. Suffice it to say, we have some knowledge, only because God reveals it to us.
To a limited degree, God or the existence of God is revealed in creation-the marvelous ways God organized the world. Creation’s majesty is cited by Agur in his questions. Verse 5 though marks a turning point to his distress — The Word of God.
We are human and He is the Lord Our God. We can’t put a number - a percentage on how much we know about God or how much remains hidden. Suffice it to say, we have some knowledge, but only in part as God has revealed himself. To comprehend the whole of him is impossible. But what we do know in our day and what Agur reflected on in his day — that despite all the mystery, despite all the wisdom still to be acquired. There is the Word of God.
Whether long time Christian or new to the faith - When we do the reverse cam and back up to the starting point where it all began — this is where we begin - Verse 5
That’s why Agur knows from the bottom of his heart with confidence and hope — not in himself but in God: When we do the reverse cam and back up to the starting point where it all began — this is where we start:
Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his words or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar.
Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his words or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar.
In our pursuit of wisdom and our desire to know how God operates, there is still mystery. Scripture reveals a lot to us but God doesn’t exhaustively reveal everything about himself. And joining Agur and admitting our ignorance is the wisest choice.
To add to God’s Word and make up answers to satisfy those hungry for answers… or even to answer the critics of Christianity is foolishness. God’s Word is flawless, but the moment we step outside special revelation, there is a catastrophic collapse into foolishness. We’ve all seen it on the news after 911 or the 80’s AIDS Crisis - The tv pastors who in all confidence thought they could define God’s plan. But we need look in the mirror. Sometimes do it too - wrongly assuming that good times in one’s life means God’s love and tough times or illnesses reveal God’s anger. Instead we need to rest on the Spirit’s gift of faith to trust God’s mysterious ways and stay within Scripture. To turn self appointed prophet - and add to his words is a very dangerous thing. To endure these present times, admitting our ignorance and becoming more comfortable with the mystery of God’s operation is the wisest choice. We do that most often when we pray. Read on and you will find that Agur prays too.
Like Agur - this mystery of God’s operations and our inability to grasp all wisdom keeps us humble. In the Bible - the revelation of God from Genesis to Revelation is never exhaustive but at least it is partial. Restoring the awe we have for God, the Bible reveals just a small part of who God is and how he operates. What he does reveal from creation to Jesus Christ and our salvation and the plans for his return gives us more than enough reason to glorify him.
Like Agur, it’s not just okay to admit we don’t have all the answers -it’s essential that we do rather than try to fill in the blanks. Becoming more comfortable with the mystery of God - not only will God’s Spirit restore a magnificent awe — Demonstrating that awe and the resulting joy of our salvation, the Gospel message might be a whole lot more appealing.
In atheism - those who deny any knowability at all in the existence of God - they point to science but they cannot fathom faith, hope, or love. They can’t fathom how heavenly wisdom paints a picture of God’s presence. They point to the common stories of creation, the fall, and the flood in other faiths and religions - they take it as proof that God’s Word is false - rather than hearing in these other cultures a pervading echo of the Bible’s truths.
This mystery too keeps us humble - from the start the revelation of God is never exhaustive but partial. But it’s more than enough reason to worship him. It’s more than enough reason to seek after him and his heavenly wisdom. Like Agur it’s not just okay to admit we don’t have all the answers -it’s absolutely essential that we do sometimes. As part of God’s Rescue Squad the Gospel message might be a whole lot more appealing to agnostics and atheists if they heard that from us too.
Though we don’t know who he is - that’s the beauty of Agur’s introduction — the beauty of the divine mystery much of which will remain a mystery until Christ’s return. Until then, God sees to it that faith takes hold, trust deepens so that we do not need to despair. The end result being as Agur recognizes -
Ignorance is wisdom too.