Sermon Tone Analysis
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ME: Crutches/Cane/Walking stick
Anyone here ever had to use crutches?
What about a cane?
Or perhaps on a long hike you used a walking stick along your trip.
I have been on crutches on two different occasions in my life.
The first time I was in 9th grade,
I broke my foot playing kickball in gym class at the start of the day.
I walked around on it for the entire day wondering why my foot hurt so bad.
The second time happened when Stephanie and I were living in North Carolina.
I was playing basketball with a group of students from the seminary,
I landed on someone else’s foot and my ankle hit the ground before my foot did.
It ended up being a high ankle sprain,
That surprisingly hurt far worse than the broken foot.
So, I have some experience leaning on crutches.
And anyone else who has used crutches, canes, or walking sticks know the experience of leaning on these things.
Even with really good padding,
Leaning on crutches can be very uncomfortable.
Now, who would be willing to lean on a broken crutch?
Or a splintered cane?
Not only would this be painful,
But it would be ineffective.
Well our passage this morning asks a similar question.
We are back in Proverbs this morning,
Looking at vs. 1-10 of ch. 3 to see some Promising Words.
The capstone of our passage is vs. 5-6,
A famous passage you may be familiar with.
This passage is a conditional promise,
The significance of this conditional promise
Is reflected in our outline.
First we will introduce these words that are from
Our Heavenly Father (vs.
1-4)
A Three-Part Command (vs.
5-6a)
The Conditional Promise (vs.
6b-10)
Let your heart keep Proverbs 3:5-6.
Chapter 3 of Proverbs is in the thick of the poetic instruction that makes up the first 9 chapters.
Chapter 2 emphasized moral stability which grows with wisdom,
This chapter is a promise of prosperity.
This prosperity is the fruit of godliness
The meat of our passage this morning comes in vs. 5-6,
Where we will dedicate most of our attention to this morning.
Vs. 5-6 communicate the expectation of childlike trust,
But it is rooted in the sound teaching introduced in the first four verses.
WE: Our Heavenly Father (vs.
1-4)
Teaching that comes for Our Heavenly Father.
Proverbs 3:1–4 (ESV)
My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments, for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you.
Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart.
So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man.
Solomon opens this chapter with an address to his son.
We could picture Solomon’s father, David,
Sitting Solomon down when he was young and giving him this advice.
We could also picture Solomon sitting down his own son,
Perhaps Rehoboam,
And teaching him this wisdom.
If we look at this only on a human level,
We could picture any parent sitting down any child and sharing this counsel with them.
But this is Holy Spirit inspired Scripture,
Therefore, when we hear the words, “my son,”
It is best we take this as our Heavenly Father speaking to us as His sons and daughters.
This relationship is so much deeper than any human relationship,
It is a covenantal relationship involving commitments to one another.
The commands in these opening verses are our part of the commitment.
Our obligations to the Father.
So, our Heavenly Father begins with the command not to forget his teaching.
He wants us to focus on and comprehend his teaching.
The Hebrew word for teaching in vs. 1 is the word torah.
This is referring to Jewish instruction,
Similar to the precepts of the Law of Moses,
But in this case speaking specifically about wisdom or direction.
In the second part of vs. 1,
He refers to his commandments.
Commandments would clearly bring to mind the law,
The ten commandments, for example.
This is an example of parallelism in Hebrew poetry.
The second part of this verse is both reinforcing the first part,
And expanding upon it.
There is a strong connection between the law and wisdom.
Wisdom, in essence, is obeying the law in day to day life.
But this law must be internalized in order for us to obey them.
And inward transformation where the law is written on our heart.
That is what we are being told is our commitment to God in this opening verse,
Memorize God’s Word and to put it into practice.
It is presented in a passive way, to let your heart keep his commandments.
The expected outcome, we see in vs. 2, is a long and full life.
Not necessarily in this world,
But in an eternal sense.
This is the motivation for us to hold up our commitments to God.
A long and full life implies health,
Freedom from threat or need,
Being content and prosperous.
This is the blessing of God.
This is peace being added to you.
The Hebrew word here may be a familiar one, shalom.
Shalom communicates well-being and harmony,
Specifically harmony in relationships.
It speaks of wholeness and health.
Generally, we expect to see the blessings of God primarily in this present life.
This becomes detrimental because,
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