What's Up with Wisdom?
Notes
Transcript
Over the course of the summer, we’ve been able to read a few psalms together and a few proverbs. It’s been a blessed time for me; I always learn a lot and then have to try to distill what I’ve learned into a 30-minute sermon. I enjoy the process of study and preparation that leads to preaching, and I am thankful for your eagerness to hear from God’s Word.
The best people to preach a sermon to are those who are anxious to hear from God’s Word. That’s you all; that’s the impression I get each Sunday.
Our time in Proverbs this summer has taught us much about wisdom. In a word, if someone asked you what the book of Proverbs was trying to teach, you could say “wisdom” and you’d be right.
Wisdom has many benefits and features, this is true and this we’ll see here in Proverbs.
We’re going to finish Proverbs 3 this morning, a few verses at a time. I hope you have your Bible in hand this morning so you can follow along. Let’s read vv. 13-18 and see what it has to tell us about Wisdom.
13 Blessed are those who find wisdom,
those who gain understanding,
14 for she is more profitable than silver
and yields better returns than gold.
15 She is more precious than rubies;
nothing you desire can compare with her.
16 Long life is in her right hand;
in her left hand are riches and honor.
17 Her ways are pleasant ways,
and all her paths are peace.
18 She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her;
those who hold her fast will be blessed.
Wisdom’s Blessing (3:13-18)
Wisdom’s Blessing (3:13-18)
If you take a pen/pencil and jot down or highlight all the blessings and benefits of wisdom listed here in these verses, you’d have quite the list.
Wisdom is gain and profit, two words that set up the comparison between wisdom and every valuable gem and precious metal.
Wisdom is more precious. It’s incomparable.
Wisdom is accompanied by long life, riches, and honor.
Wisdom brings peaceful paths and pleasant ways.
Wisdom is a tree of life.
Verse 13 and Verse 18 both use the word “blessed” in conjunction with wisdom. That word forms an inclusio, bookends on Solomon’s argument here.
Wisdom is blessing. Blessed are you if you find wisdom. These verses are a poem, a hymn about the supreme value of wisdom.
The benefits of wisdom are given here to motivate us toward wisdom at any cost. The blessing of wisdom is better than anything you can imagine. Solomon takes the best, most beautiful, most valuable things he can come up with—silver, gold, rubies—and uses them to talk about wisdom.
Wisdom, he says, is better than all those. So much better, it’s not even close.
Wisdom gives physical, spiritual, and relational blessings. Wisdom cannot be valued by marketplace prices. Riches, you see, won’t ultimately make you happy, but Solomon says wisdom will.
Wisdom will. How? Why? Well, namely, because Wisdom is a person with whom you can have a relationship; His name, friends, is Jesus.
Get Jesus at any cost because nothing you could ever desire compares with Him.
I didn’t think about it coming from Proverbs, but there’s a familiar song from the early 80s that expresses this truth:
“Lord, you are
More precious than silver.
Lord, you are
More costly than gold.
Lord, you are
More beautiful than diamonds,
And nothing I desire
Compares with you.”
Jesus is worth selling everything you have, giving up everything you are, just to get Him.
What is supremely valuable to you? Think about what you think about. “For me to be happy, of course I need Jesus, but I also need _________________. I need Jesus AND _____________________.
What is it you have to have in addition to Jesus?
“I need Jesus plus that promotion. I need Jesus and a house in the right neighborhood. I need Jesus plus financial security. I need Jesus plus all the parts of the American Dream. I need Jesus and a real-life Hallmark love story. I need Jesus and another Chief’s Super Bowl win. I need Jesus and _____________________.”
Whatever you put in that blank is what you treasure most. Whatever you put in that blank is given equal status as Jesus, or at the very least pointing out some deficiency in Jesus (in your estimation).
If you think the stuff of this life will bring happiness, you’re wrong. Solomon, through the Holy Spirit, wants us to see how incredibly ridiculous that thought is.
Wisdom from God, Solomon says, brings with it long life (v. 16). Wisdom is a tree of life (v. 18).
The “tree of life” is only mentioned in Genesis and Revelation, and here in Proverbs.
Eating from this tree will give you immortality. We know from the NT that Jesus is Wisdom and Jesus is life. The entire poem to Wisdom here in Proverbs 3 is calling us back to Eden—paradise.
Happy/blessed is the “man” who finds wisdom. The word here for “man” is “adam.”
What Solomon is getting at is this: what was lost in Eden by human sin and what separated mankind from the LORD is now available again through Wisdom.
In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve reached for knowledge part from God and His Word. Adam and Eve wanted to decide for themselves right and wrong. As a result, they inherited death.
If we, however, will humble ourselves and cling to Jesus, we will receive what was lost in Eden. Wisdom (Jesus) is the tree of life. Jesus is peace. Jesus is more valuable than anything else. Knowing Jesus is the blessed life.
19 By wisdom the Lord laid the earth’s foundations,
by understanding he set the heavens in place;
20 by his knowledge the watery depths were divided,
and the clouds let drop the dew.
Wisdom’s Résumé (3:19-20)
Wisdom’s Résumé (3:19-20)
The LORD created the whole world with wisdom. If Wisdom was looking for a job, this would be on Wisdom’s C.V./résumé, no doubt; it’s impressive.
These two verses—19 and 20—are stunning. If you stop and read them and reflect on them, this should lead you to delight in the LORD and worship Him.
The LORD did this. In His Wisdom, the earth’s foundations were formed, the heavens were put just where He wanted them, the waters divided, the clouds doing their thing.
The LORD created the whole of the cosmos by means of wisdom. In Colossians, it says this:
15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
There is a wise order to the world. God’s wisdom created a well-ordered world for Him. God’s wisdom can surely create a well-ordered world in our lives. If we follow Wisdom/Jesus, things will work as they are supposed to.
There is a wise order to the world. The world works in a certain way. You can know the order and live by it if you possess wisdom. In a fallen world, broken by sin, this order generally works now. It will ALWAYS work out later.
When you have wisdom from God, you will realize the right way to live. Living according to God’s order is a must. When you try to live against the grain, contra the order God has made, that’s when things go badly.
The world, and everything in it, was designed to work a certain way. There are labels that say “use as directed.” There are warnings plastered all over.
If you go against that wisdom, things will be, at best, interesting. At worst, catastrophic. Accidentally leave your fork on your plate when you stick it in the microwave and see what happens.
When we were kids, we were all swimming at a friend’s house and our friend Kendra, who was 7-8 at the time, ran inside and rubbed what she thought was sunscreen all over arms, face, legs, stomach. Well, it wasn’t sunscreen. It was a big bottle of Nair and she used most of it.
God made the world by wisdom. And in His wisdom, the world operates best when it is operating accordingly.
If you live against the grain of how thinks work and how wisdom as ordered the world, it will likely go badly for you.
God created the world through wisdom, through Jesus.
John 1 echoes Genesis 1 and the creation account:
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
The author of Hebrews says something similar:
1 In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe.
Wisdom/Jesus has the most impressive résumé. The order of the world was the Triune God’s wise creation; it’s personal. The One who created the world upholds the world.
21 My son, do not let wisdom and understanding out of your sight,
preserve sound judgment and discretion;
22 they will be life for you,
an ornament to grace your neck.
23 Then you will go on your way in safety,
and your foot will not stumble.
24 When you lie down, you will not be afraid;
when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.
25 Have no fear of sudden disaster
or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked,
26 for the Lord will be at your side
and will keep your foot from being snared.
Wisdom’s Security (3:21-26)
Wisdom’s Security (3:21-26)
Solomon is begging his son to hold onto wisdom and understanding. Don’t let [them] out of your sight!
Why? Because (v. 22) they will be LIFE for [him].
This is true for Solomon’s son, and it’s true for us. Keep the wisdom of this book via a faithful walk with Jesus and it will keep you secure from the ruin of the wicked.
Wisdom will keep you safe from sudden trouble. Notice the “then” in verse 23. If you don’t let wisdom out of your sight, it will be life for you, and THEN:
You will go on your way in safety
Your foot will not stumble
You will not be afraid
Your sleep will be sweet
You will have no fear of sudden disaster or the ruin of the wicked.
That all sounds pretty good to me. Sign me up. Safety, security, no fear.
Wisdom offers security because wisdom is the LORD’s and the one who has wisdom has the LORD.
You can’t have wisdom apart from Him, so by virtue of having wisdom, you have the LORD. Jesus IS wisdom. And with Him, there is nothing to fear, no danger.
For the LORD will be at your side.
This is one of my favorite themes in the Bible; the presence of the LORD. The with-God life. The LORD will be at your side. Another way to put it: God will be right there with you; He’ll keep you safe and sound (The Message).
Most other translations read this way:
26 For the Lord will be your confidence
And will keep your foot from being caught.
The security of wisdom is found in the LORD, who is with His people. Always. Keeping His own “safe and secure from all alarms.” As we sometimes sing: “For my Savior loves me so, He will hold me fast.”
To have wisdom is to have the LORD. And to have the LORD is to be kept by Him.
Nothing, nothing can snatch you out of His hand (John 10:28-29).
Nothing, nothing, nothing can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our LORD (Romans 8:35, 38—39).
Wisdom = Security.
27 Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,
when it is in your power to act.
28 Do not say to your neighbor,
“Come back tomorrow and I’ll give it to you”—
when you already have it with you.
29 Do not plot harm against your neighbor,
who lives trustfully near you.
30 Do not accuse anyone for no reason—
when they have done you no harm.
31 Do not envy the violent
or choose any of their ways.
32 For the Lord detests the perverse
but takes the upright into his confidence.
33 The Lord’s curse is on the house of the wicked,
but he blesses the home of the righteous.
34 He mocks proud mockers
but shows favor to the humble and oppressed.
35 The wise inherit honor,
but fools get only shame.
Wisdom's Relational Component (3:27-35)
Wisdom's Relational Component (3:27-35)
Here at the end of Proverbs 3, we see the horizontal and vertical relational dynamic and the practical implications of wisdom.
It’s a very practical start: “Do not…do not…do not…do not…do not…”
It’s nice to have instruction like this; we just have to listen to it.
Sometimes we need to be told explicitly what to do and what not to do.
When I was 14, I had my farm permit and worked for a farmer. Dennis would tell me cryptic things like “Go to the Quonset hut and bring back the 1025,” or “Head down to the back 160 and tell me how it looks.”
I was a city kid. I had no idea what he was talking about. I’m still not sure I do. He finally learned to tell me what to do and/or not do like Solomon does: very specifically.
This is very practical stuff about how we are to relate to our neighbor.
This is Leviticus 19:18 stuff.
18 “ ‘Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.
Leviticus 19:18 is what Jesus quotes in Matthew 22:
37 Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
The wisdom God gives us here has an enormous impact on our relationships—on the horizontal relationship with our neighbors.
When the Bible speaks about “neighbors” it’s not just speaking about the people who live close to us. It’s not that we just have to love Sandy and get to treat the rest of you like dirt, no.
When Jesus speaks about neighbor, He meant everyone you come into contact with, even the people you might despise.
Jesus told the parable of the Good Samaritan to a man He knew hated all people from Samaria and, in so doing, showed him the Samaritan was his neighbor.
If your vertical relationship with the LORD is right, your other relationships will be right in the course of everyday life.
If you’re a lousy neighbor, if you don’t love your neighbor (whoever your neighbor might be), you may not be in right relationship with the LORD.
If you love God, you will love your neighbor (Samaritan, Texan, Boston Red Sox fan, Democrat, Republican, that person, and that other person. Oh, and her, too).
Wisdom teaches us what to do and what not to do in our relationships with one another.
The segue from the horizontal to the vertical is found in verses 31-32, where we read the last “do not”—do not envy the violent…leading to what the LORD thinks about those people.
In verses 32-35, there’s a contrast in each verse: the perverse vs. the upright; the house of the wicked vs. the home of the righteous; the proud vs. the humble and oppressed; the wise vs. the fool.
The LORD looks upon the perverse, and the wicked, and the proud, and the fool with judgment and opposition. They will not succeed forever.
What’s more, if you belong by faith to Jesus, then God is for you. Even if you don’t prosper right now, you will later.
Wisdom has its rewards. If you believe that Jesus can make good on these rewards, wisdom will lead you to walk in his ways.
Others go against God’s wise created order, and their relationships with others and with God go sideways.
What’s clear to me as I read Proverbs is my need for wisdom. I desperately need wisdom; I need Jesus, the Wisdom of God, who offers to us His perfect wisdom.
I need wisdom. That is, I need Jesus. He is more precious than silver, more costly than gold, more precious than jewels.
Wisdom is a person—Jesus Christ. We are to seek Him—He is the pearl of great price—we are to seek Him above all else, and all manner of things will be provided for us.
If we set our supreme desire on stuff, even good things, it will prove disappointing; it may even wreck our lives.
But when we set our supreme desire on Jesus (Wisdom Himself), we are able to enjoy every good gift and give the praise to the One who deserves it.
Can you say that you’d rather have Jesus than silver or gold? That you’d rather be His than have riches untold? That you’d rather have Jesus than houses or lands? That you’d rather be led by His nail-pierced hand?
Proverbs is begging us realize how desperately we need Wisdom, how critically we need Jesus.
I hope you can say and mean:
“I’d rather have Jesus than anything
this world affords today.”