Proverbs 2

Premise:

Introduction of the Text:

Good morning Connection Church. I am so glad that you have come out to worship God with us. It is a beautiful thing to worship God on the Lord’s Day! And this morning we are celebrating our King, on His day, in a new location that He opened up for us!

This morning our text is that of Proverbs chapter two. Would you stand with me for the reading of God’s Word.

Reading of the Text:

Proverbs 2.

My son, if you will receive my words

And treasure my commandments within you,

2 To make your ear pay attention to wisdom,

Incline your heart to discernment;

3 For if you call out for understanding,

Give your voice for discernment;

4 If you seek her as silver

And search for her as for hidden treasures;

5 Then you will understand the fear of Yahweh

And find the knowledge of God.

6 For Yahweh gives wisdom;

From His mouth come knowledge and discernment.

7 He stores up sound wisdom for the upright,

A shield to those who walk in integrity,

8 To guard the paths of justice,

And He keeps the way of His holy ones.

9 Then you will understand righteousness and justice

And equity—every good track.

10 For wisdom will enter your heart

And knowledge will be pleasant to your soul;

11 Discretion will keep you,

Discernment will guard you,

12 To deliver you from the way of evil,

From the man who speaks perverse things;

13 From those who forsake the paths of uprightness

To walk in the ways of darkness;

14 Who are glad to do evil

And they rejoice in the perversity of evil;

15 Whose paths are crooked,

And who are devious in their tracks;

16 To deliver you from the strange woman,

From the foreign woman who flatters with her words;

17 Who forsakes the close companion of her youth

And forgets the covenant of her God;

18 For her house sinks down to death

And her tracks descend to the dead;

19 All who go to her will not return,

And they will not reach the paths of life.

20 So that you will walk in the way of good men

And keep to the paths of the righteous.

21 For the upright will dwell in the land

And the blameless will remain in it;

22 But the wicked will be cut off from the land

And the treacherous will be torn away from it.

Behold, the Word of God. Let’s Pray.

Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, we come to you and ask that you would give us wisdom. Help us to be a wise people. Help us not to abandon the call of wisdom, but to seek her as fine jewels and treasure. Give us Your wisdom. Set us apart from this foolish day and age. May we, your church, truly seek after you and gain wisdom. Keep us from the path of the wicked, but teach us to walk in the ways of the righteous. We ask that you would do these things, through your Son, our Lord, Jesus. Amen.

Opening: the Importance of Wisdom.

I have been wanting to cover a Proverb once a quarter, but we fell behind when we dove into our study of the epistle of Ephesians. So we will cover Proverbs 2 this week and Proverbs 3 next week.

But one question is why are we studying the book of Proverbs? It certainly is a book that is not often preached on or even studied in our day and age. This is a sad fact. One of the greatest pieces of advice I ever received was from an old camp counselor. He told me to treat the book of Proverbs as a devotional. There are 31 chapters. And this makes it perfect for reading every month. His advice was to read Proverbs through every month, one proverb a day. And I did this numerous times. It blessed my life more than I can ever express.

But the neglect of the book of Proverbs has had some glaringly obvious negative affects. The book of Proverbs was written by King Solomon under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to teach us wisdom. Specifically, it is written as a father’s instruction to a son. It ought to be a book everyone studies in their education because it teaches wisdom. Proverbs is not a book of facts but a book of common life wisdom.

We all know that we live in an age where we have limitless access to “facts,” if they can be called that. We all have three inch rectangles in our pockets that have access to the world wide web. In this access, we can google any fact we want. If I were to ask what the average height of a palm tree is, we could have an answer in under twenty seconds.

No, our problem is not information. We are overloaded with information. What we lack is wisdom. We, as a culture are fools. Proverbs 1 speaks of Wisdom as a woman calling out in a marketplace. We have heard the call, and en mass we have laughed at her call and told her to get lost. We, as a culture, think we are above wisdom. But the Church ought not be this way. In the Church, we have access to the Sacred Scriptures, the very Word of God. Within this, we have access to a veritable textbook of sacred wisdom. We should use it. We have no excuse to lack wisdom in the church. This is why I want to study this book. We need wisdom, not just information. And God is gracious and will teach us wisdom through His Word.

This is the beauty of the Proverbs. They are wisdom from heaven in earthy language. Jared Longshore says this about Proverbs. “The book of Proverbs contains deep wisdom. But it does not provide that great wisdom with pomp and circumstance. Rather it provides that wisdom like meat and potatoes, like a sergeant to a soldier in training, like a father to a son. Proverbs provides wisdom like an afternoon at the shooting range, tightening your skills, round after round.” Or as the ever pithy and succinct Doug Wilson says, “You wouldn’t be surprised to find advice on rotating your tires and changing your oil in the book of proverbs.”

This book is exactly what we need in our day and age. It is a gold dipped farm tool. It is incredibly valuable, and equally useful. Let’s make use of this wondrous gift God has given us in this book.

Transition:

So let’s dive into this text and grow in wisdom. The reformation Study Bible breaks this passage down into two movements. Verses 1-11 are the development of wisdom. Verses 12-22 are the Deliverance of Wisdom. So let’s look at that first chunk, verses 1-11, the development of wisdom.

V. 1-11, The Development of Wisdom.

First things first, what does that mean, “the development of wisdom?” Well, this section of verses is dealing with how wisdom is developed. Where does wisdom come from? How do we gain wisdom? Solomon starts this conversation by giving two examples of if/then statements.

2 Examples of IF/Then.

Explanation: If we do/want _____, then _____ happens.

If/then statements are statements saying “if this, then that.” “If this, then that.” For example, If I crash my car into a police car, then I am probably in trouble. Solomon here is using if/then statements to make his point. Specifically he is saying, If we do/want ____, then _____ happens. So let’s look at the first one.

In short, Solomon is saying, If you would receive these words, then pay attention to wisdom.

If you would receive these words, Then pay attention to wisdom:

Verses 1-2:

My son, if you will receive my words

And treasure my commandments within you,

2 To make your ear pay attention to wisdom,

Incline your heart to discernment;

Explanation:

As a father, teaching his son wisdom, Solomon is saying, “son, if you want to hear what I’m saying, you have to pay attention to wisdom and discernment.” And this intro’s to us two important words. This passage repeats and uses several very important words. Two of which are wisdom and discernment. If you want to learn anything from these words, you must prick up your ears when wisdom is speaking. You want to treasure the commands of God? Then turn your heart to discernment.

Wisdom is really best defined by knowledge applied in the most apropriate way. It is knowledge with boots on. You may know the answer to a question, but wisdom actually puts tread on it. It teaches you how to live. It takes vain knowledge and actually puts it to work.

Discernment is one of the most important things a person can have. To discern means to divide. It means to divide between right and wrong, good and evil, beneficial and harmful.

But we see here that these things do not come from no-where. They are not things that are merely natural giftings. While, yes, some people may naturally gifted in wisdom and discernment, it is not an inherent thing. Wisdom is not equal among people. Some people have it and some do not. Some people have discernment and some do not. And this is not by chance. As the next if/then statement tells us.

Transition:

Solomon next says that if you diligently seek wisdom, then you will find God.

If you diligently seek Wisdom, Then you will find God.

Verses 3-5:

3 For if you call out for understanding,

Give your voice for discernment;

4 If you seek her as silver

And search for her as for hidden treasures;

5 Then you will understand the fear of Yahweh

And find the knowledge of God.

Explanation:

In the first Proverb, Solomon says this in verses 20-21, “Wisdom shouts in the street, She gives forth her voice in the square; 21 At the head of the noisy streets she calls out; At the entrance of the gates in the city she utters her sayings:” Solomon pictures Wisdom as a woman who is calling out to us. Here the picture is flipped. Here, wisdom is a woman worth calling out to and diligently seeking.

Any husband ought to know that a good wife is worth searching for. Wisdom is a woman worth being sought out. And this should paint pictures in our minds of true romance. Not the dime store fake romance the hallmark channel pedals, but real and true romance. Wisdom is a woman to be sought. She is to be pursued. She is to be called out for. We are to seek for her as for silver, search for her as for hidden treasures. Think of Indiana Jones or something of the like. Wisdom is to be sought out like a hidden treasure of infinite value.

We should instantly think of the words of Jesus in Matthew 13:44-46, “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. 45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls,46 and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.” This is also how we are to see wisdom.

We are to diligently seek out wisdom. And if we do, then we will understand the fear of the LORD and will find the knowledge of God. This is an amazing promise!

Transition:

But how does this connect? How is it that seeking wisdom will lead us to knowing and fearing God? Solomon tells us in verse 6.

This is Because God Gives Wisdom.

Verse 6:

6 For Yahweh gives wisdom;

From His mouth come knowledge and discernment.

Explanation:

Have you ever wondered where wisdom comes from? You can be trained in knowledge. You can go to school and receive a doctorate in a subject. You can be incredibly knowledgeable and yet still have the wisdom of a doorpost. Why is it that knowledge and wisdom are so similar but yet often times unrelated. Anyone of us could likely think of many farmers and plowmen who struggle to read anything intellectually challenging, but who are wise beyond words. They seem to have their finger on the pulse of exactly how the world works. They wouldn’t be the people you would seek out to write a commentary on a doctoral dissertation, but they would be the person you would instantly want to talk to if your life was crumbling and falling apart. Why is this? Why is it that education and wisdom are so interestingly unrelated? Many have wondered where wisdom comes from. Even Job pondered this and wondered it.

Job 28:12, 20 “But where can wisdom be found?

And where is the place of understanding?

20, Where then does wisdom come from?

And where is the place of understanding?

This is because God gives wisdom. Wisdom comes from above. God is the one who gives wisdom. And this is the consistent evidence from Scripture. Wisdom is not inherent. It must be sought out, and when you seek wisdom, you will find it only in one place, God. Does this mean that the lost are all fools? In a sense, yes. Scripture is clear that “the fool says in his heart there is no God.” Psalm 14:1. But this does not mean that the lost are all unwise idiots. There is a wisdom that is given to all men. But the fact is, this wisdom is not from themselves. Even in the most ardent atheist who screams obscenities at God, any wisdom (limited as it must be) that they poses is a gift from the God they hate. Wisdom is always from God.

Transition:

But there is a real sense in which God gives a special wisdom to His people. Verses 7-8 speak of this.

God gives wisdom to the upright and protects His saints.

Verses 7-8:

7 He stores up sound wisdom for the upright,

A shield to those who walk in integrity,

8 To guard the paths of justice,

And He keeps the way of His holy ones.

Explanation:

God is the ultimate source of all wisdom in all people everywhere. But He stores up sound wisdom for the upright or the righteous. And this stored up wisdom is a shield for them. This sounds familiar to the armor of God. This wisdom is a shield, it is a guard to the paths of justice. That is interesting. This wisdom that is only given to the saints is the guard for the path of justice. So how can there be justice unless we use the wisdom God has stored up for His saints? Christians must be involved in declaring what is just and unjust. Finally, this wisdom keeps the way of the Saints, or the holy ones.

Transition:

So God gives wisdom to the upright and protects the saints. This is Solomon giving another type of if/then statement. He made two of them regarding us. If we do ____, then ____ happens. But here, he is speaking of God’s action.

God’s Action/Then.

Argumentation: A play on the If/then. God does _____, then we receive _____.

You see, God gives wisdom, then we receive that wisdom as a shield, a guard over justice, and a keeper on our way. This is the great truth of the gospel, while yes, we must participate in our sanctification, God is the one who gives it all.

In salvation, God does all the work. We are utterly incapable of doing anything to save ourselves. We are dead. God brings us to life. But after we are brought to life, it is slightly different. Ultimately we are still bound to His will, but now we are walking hand in hand with Him, and He is teaching us to live. He brought us to life, and now He is teaching us to live. This Proverb is a mirror of this. God gives us wisdom, and we receive these wonderful gifts. But they are not dead gifts, just like faith, for “faith without works is dead.” (James 2:26) They are gifts to be worked out. Matthew Henry says it well of this idea, “Work out your salvation, for God works in you.”

Transition:

So as we continue on, remember, that wisdom is the gift of God. But it is an active gift. We are to seek it, and grow in it. We are not to sit back and just expect to be wise because we are saved. Wisdom is a woman to be cultivated and loved. So, God gives wisdom, and from this we receive, the understanding of righteousness, justice, and equity.

The Understanding of Righteousness, Justice, and Equity.

Verses 9-11:

9 Then you will understand righteousness and justice

And equity—every good track.

10 For wisdom will enter your heart

And knowledge will be pleasant to your soul;

11 Discretion will keep you,

Discernment will guard you,

Explanation:

This is a big deal. Our culture has made so much of two of these three words. Our culture doesn’t really like the idea of righteousness, as it is. They prefer a twisted and wicked form of orthodoxy. However, you almost cannot read or listen to anything without hearing about social justice, and equity. But they are so seldom defined. Justice is simply a word to be thrown on any action to make it seem right. “I’m just seeking justice.” Okay, but what is justice? Equity seems to have come to mean that everyone inherently deserves an equal outcome. Nothing could be further from the biblical word for equity. So, let’s look at these three words. And unlike our woke culture, I will actually give a definition for each.

Righteousness:

Righteousness here means right living. It is the state of being in the right. Or as Jared Longshore says in his recent commentary, “Righteousness concerns what is fitting in our relationship with God.” So to be clear, righteousness means being right with God. This is only found in God given wisdom.

Justice:

Justice here is the doing of what is just in the divine eyes of God. It is just action according to God’s definition of Justice. Or quoting again, “Justice involves bringing about what is right to our fellow man.” - Jared Longshore.

So to be clear, justice means bringing about what is right to our fellow man according to what God says is just. This is only found and realized in God given wisdom.

Equity:

Equity means to be straight or smooth. It deals with the idea of uprightness in interaction and even-handedness. Or to quote one last time, “Equity involves having a straightforward, honorable demeanor.” -Jared Longshore.

So, to be clear, equity means means being upright in our interactions in an honorable way. This can only be achieved through God given wisdom.

Summary:

To summarize this in simple, proverbial terms:

Righteousness is being right with God, justice is obeying God’s law, and equity is not being a snake in your dealings. And these things only come from God given wisdom. We can only know these things through the teaching of God.

We Can Only Know These Things Through the Teaching of God.

These things are not natural to the human race. Humanity is not naturally aimed at righteousness, justice, or equity. You can only be righteous in Christ. Justice only comes from Christ, as Isaiah 42:1 says, “Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen one in whom My soul is well‑pleased. I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations.” Equity only comes in Christ.

Argumentation: Beware of anyone who claims to be enforcing any form of righteousness, justice, or equity outside of God’s Complete Word.

And this is why I am very skeptical of anyone in the world claiming to even know these things, let alone enforce them. When the powers that be claim to be enforcing justice, but they are very clear they hate God and His Word, I am filled with no small amount of skepticism. You cannot know true justice outside of Christ.

When the civil government starts enacting policies that are to enforce “equity” I question and ask, “who taught you what equity is?” It can only ever come from Christ and His Word. Make no mistake, a culture that hates God and refuses to bow the knee to Christ as King will claim righteousness, justice, and equity, but will give wickedness, injustice, and treachery in their place. You cannot have these gifts outside of Christ. It is not possible. Beware of anyone who claims to be enforcing any form of righteousness, justice, or equity outside of God’s complete Word.

Transition:

Solomon closes this section of the proverb saying, “10 For wisdom will enter your heart And knowledge will be pleasant to your soul; 11 Discretion will keep you, Discernment will guard you.” And this is the perfect transition into the second section. Discernment and wisdom will guard you. Verses 12-22 detail the deliverance of Wisdom.

V. 12-22, The Deliverance of Wisdom.

We saw in verses 1-11 that we were to develop wisdom. We should seek it, we should see it comes from God, and we should learn from it, but we should also let it guard and deliver us. What does it deliver us from? First, wisdom will deliver you from the path of evil men.

Wisdom will deliver you from The Path of Evil Men.

Verses 12-15:

12 To deliver you from the way of evil,

From the man who speaks perverse things;

13 From those who forsake the paths of uprightness

To walk in the ways of darkness;

14 Who are glad to do evil

And they rejoice in the perversity of evil;

15 Whose paths are crooked,

And who are devious in their tracks;

Explanation:

Wisdom is a wise and wonderful wisdom. If she is yours, she will keep you from evil men. This is a beautiful truth. Those who are wise will be delivered from the way of evil. This is a beautiful promise. Notice that it is almost a given. The wise are not striving to be delivered from evil. In fact, the action is in the passive sense. They are delivered. Wisdom is doing the delivering. This is so wonderful. To possess wisdom is to be delivered from the ways of evil. So by default, those who are in the path of evil lack wisdom.

But Solomon describes these evil men.

Evil men:

Solomon goes into what is known as a vice list. He lists the things the wicked are or do. So what is it that the wise are delivered from? Evil men, yes, but what does this mean? He describes. Evil men speak perverse things.

Speak perverse things.

It is amazing how much of Scripture and commands in Scripture deal with words. Speaking is incredibly important to God. And the evil speak perverse things. This is similar to the unwholesome and filthy talk listed in Ephesians. This is filthy and wretched talk. This is filthy and crude joking. This is vile slander. This is not mean words. It is not language that we deem in our propriety to be rude. Jesus, Paul, and all the prophets used extremely harsh language. But they did so with a righteous purpose. They used sarcasm and harsh words like a scalpel. It was edifying and right. Just because someone says something you don’t like or offends you does not mean that they are evil and speaking perverse things. What Solomon is speaking of is sexually explicit talk. Those who speak in such a way are evil men. Wisdom will not let you walk in their way.

Forsake the path of uprightness and Walk in darkness.

Evil men forsake the path of uprightness and walk in darkness. They skulk around in the dark for their deeds are evil. They abandon righteous actions and seek out evil to do. This is not all drug deals and picking up prostitutes. Think of anything that is concealed. Scripture uses the picture of light and dark as general rules of thumb. This is good and right, if it must be done in the dark, it is likely evil. If it can be done in broad daylight, it is likely righteous. There are obvious exceptions. In a wicked culture under judgement, they do evil in the daylight. But in general, deeds we must conceal in darkness are deeds we ought not do. Wisdom will not let you walk in this way.

Are glad to do evil.

The evil are glad to do evil. Here we see the exception to the rule listed above. The evil do the deeds that ought to be left in the dark and abandoned all together. But instead, they are glad to do them. The evil are not reluctant to sin. They enjoy it and are happy about it. Many people think this is not the case. We have a tendency to view sinners as reluctantly sinning. They long for righteousness but are drug kicking and screaming into sin. But this is not the truth. The lost do not desire to do what is good. They are glad to do evil. Just go read Romans 1-3. This will paint you a really good picture. They evil are glad to do evil. Wisdom will not let you walk in this way.

Rejoice in the perversity of evil.

But the evil are not just glad to do evil, they rejoice in the perversity of evil. Few statements can sum up our current culture here in the west like this. They rejoice in how perverse their acts are. They are not shamed by their evil as they ought to be, but they actually rejoice at how twisted, and disordered their desires and actions are. This is the way of the evil. And wisdom will not allow you to walk in their way.

walk in crooked, devious paths.

Finally, Solomon says the wicked walk in crooked and devious paths. Their lives are disordered and they take after their father the devil. They are prowlers and devious. They seek out new and more demented forms of evil. This is the path of the wicked. Wisdom will deliver you from this path.

Transition:

And praise God! If you ever wanted a good reason to desire and cultivate wisdom, this is it. Do you want to be delivered from the insanity that is our current culture? Seek wisdom that comes from God! It will deliver you and it will protect you. It will deliver you from evil men. But not just evil men. It will also deliver you from adulterous women.

Wisdom will deliver you from Adulterous Women.

Verses 16-19:

16 To deliver you from the strange woman,

From the foreign woman who flatters with her words;

17 Who forsakes the close companion of her youth

And forgets the covenant of her God;

18 For her house sinks down to death

And her tracks descend to the dead;

19 All who go to her will not return,

And they will not reach the paths of life.

Foreign/Forbidden Women:

Explanation:

Right away, we are met with the question, what on earth is Solomon talking about when he says “strange” and “foreign” women? Is there a pandemic of really odd ladies from other countries out there that we need protection from? Not that I’m aware of, although there may be some, who knows. Solomon is using the word foreign to speak of women who are foreign to your household. Solomon is speaking clearly to his Jewish son and warning him of loose married women who will try to bait him into committing adultery.

There will be women who use seductive language to try to bait you into committing adultery. And clearly this does not just apply to loose women, but there are men out there who will try to bait you wives into committing adultery. However, Solomon is addressing how wisdom will protect men from loose women. And this is what he means when he says foreign women. It literally means forbidden women. But wisdom will deliver you from them.

The Forbidden Women:

So what do these evil forbidden women do?

Forsakes her husband.

The forbidden women forsake the companion of their youth. This literally means their husbands. This is proof that Solomon is speaking of would be adulterous women. They abandon their husbands. Their duty ought to be to their husband but they are rejecting this. But wisdom will protect you and deliver you from them.

Forgets her covenant with God.

These women also forget their covenant with God. And this is the truth. Adultery is not just a failing of marriage vows to the husband. The marriage vows are to one another before God. When you violate your marriage covenant you are breaking covenant with God. So in this sense, these forbidden women Solomon is warning against have forgotten their covenant with God. Wisdom will not let you walk in the path of covenant breakers.

Sinks her house down to death.

These women sink their houses down to death. The breaking of covenant in this manner is not a personal sin, but a sin upon the whole house. The household itself will crumble into death. It will descend to death. But worse yet...

Paves a road to hell.

These women pave a road to hell. This is a hard warning. Women who seek to seduce you into adultery are road workers paving the road to hell. This is a true and hard statement. As evil men lead you to death, adulterous women are paving a road to ultimate death. But wisdom will not let you walk on this road. But they do not just pave the road.

Takes all who go with her to damnation.

Solomon closes this vice list by saying that all who go with her go to damnation. The path to adultery is not just a path to adultery. The seduction of these women do not lead to the bedroom, their seduction leads to damnation and destruction. But there is a protection from this. Wisdom will deliver you from this road to hell. Wisdom will deliver you from adulterous women and all that comes with that. This is why we must seek wisdom and beg God for wisdom. Wisdom will be our shield.

Transition:

Wisdom will not just deliver us from evil, but wisdom will deliver you to walk with good men after righteousness.

Wisdom will Deliver you to Walk With Good Men After Righteousness.

Verse 20:

20 So that you will walk in the way of good men

And keep to the paths of the righteous.

This is a beautiful promise. Wisdom will keep us from evil men and evil women. But wisdom will bring us into the path of good men. I love that phrase. One of my favorite things is when I have someone like James White, or Voddie Baucham, or Doug Wilson, or the like on the TV or radio and Caspian is listening with me. I always say the same thing. I say, “Buddy, this is a good man. We listen to good men.” It is a wonderful thing to be taught to listen to and walk with good men. It is a wonderful thing to be taught to keep the path of the righteous.

And this is why we should seek wisdom from God. We ought to learn from this passage and this book. Wisdom will teach us to avoid evil and walk with good men.

Transition:

And now Solomon offers a closing promise.

A Closing Promise.

Verses 21-22.

21 For the upright will dwell in the land

And the blameless will remain in it;

22 But the wicked will be cut off from the land

And the treacherous will be torn away from it.

This is a beautiful promise. Wisdom will deliver us from the ways of the wicked to the ways of the righteous. And the fruit of this deliverance is that we will remain in the land. God blesses lands where the men are righteous. But God curses the land where the men are evil. This is a consistent truth in Scripture. In the Old Testament, when the children of Israel are brought into the promise land, the current occupants are driven out. But there is an interesting passage in Genesis 15 where God is speaking to Abraham about the promise land and how Israel would be enslaved in Egypt and then return in the fourth generation. Listen to this. “14 But I will also judge the nation to whom they are enslaved, and afterward they will come out with many possessions.15 As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you will be buried at a good old age.16 Then in the fourth generation they will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet complete.”

And then listen to this passage in Leviticus 18. God has given a list of commands and now hear this. “But as for you, you shall keep My statutes and My judgments and shall not do any of these abominations, neither the native nor the sojourner who sojourns among you 27 (for the men of the land who have been before you have done all these abominations, and the land has become defiled);28 so that the land will not vomit you out, should you defile it, as it has vomited out the nation which has been before you.” And this is because as Proverbs 14:34 says, “34 Righteousness exalts a nation, But sin is a disgrace to any people.”

Where the people are foolish and wicked, the land itself rejects them. But where the people are wise and righteous, the land embraces and welcomes those people. Do we want our land to prosper? Do we want our nation to thrive? We must become a God fearing and wise people. Wisdom from God is the only hope for this. .

Application:

And this is the promise, wisdom is from God, and wisdom is a guard. This is why it is to be sought like a precious treasure it is. And this is the application of this. Very practical. Seek after wisdom like the precious treasure it is.

Seek After Wisdom Like the Precious Treasure it is.

Value wisdom. Study the wisdom God has given us in His Word. It is a gold mine filled with rich veins of gold. One cannot go into the mine of proverbs without striking gold. Imagine if there was a cave in your back yard that you could go into with a pickax and strike gold every single swing. Only a great fool would ignore that mine! That is what we have in front of us in the book of Proverbs. The wisdom literature in the Bible is a gold mine where every strike reveals diamond encrusted treasures. Spend time there and swing for the wealth of wisdom.

Ask God for Wisdom, for it Comes From Him.

But do not go there alone. Pray and ask God for wisdom. James 1:5 is a beautiful promise. “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” This is the truth. If you ask God for wisdom, and go into that mine and work, you will be wise.

Let Wisdom Protect you from Wicked Men and Women.

Then put wisdom to work. Let wisdom protect you from wicked men and women. Wisdom will go to work. It will not be stagnate. It will deliver you and guard you from the path of evil men and women. As you mine the treasure of wisdom, you will begin to hear alarm bells ringing in your head. You will begin to hear the voice of wisdom telling you not to be around certain people. This is the call of wisdom. Heed that call. Listen to the voice of that wonderful woman.

Let Wisdom Teach you the Righteous Path.

And as you hear that sweet voice tell you what not to do, you will also hear her council on what to do. Let wisdom teach you the righteous path. Let the wisdom from God teach you how to live a righteous life.

However, likely some of you are discouraged. You may be thinking you have already lived a foolish life. There is hope. Do not be downtrodden. We all have made many mistakes in this life. But wisdom can still teach you. Jared Longshore says this, “So the sobering caution is this: breaking down is quicker than building. Sin breaks down fast, quick, and in a hurry. If sin has taken a sledgehammer to your hard work, don’t despair. God can restore what has been lost.”

The greatest lesson of failure is to get back up and get to work. If you have walked in the path of the fool, confess it to God, repent, get up, and get back to it. Wisdom takes time to cultivate, but it is a tree worth planting. An example Paul Washer uses often cuts to the heart of this. When is the best time to plant an apple tree? Twenty-Five years ago. When is the second best time to plant an apple tree? Right now. Just because we all have played the fool in the past is no reason we cannot turn to wisdom now.

Transition:

Finally, let us pray God gives us wisdom and protects our land.

Let Wisdom Protect Our Land.

Wisdom is a blessing on a land, while fools are a curse. So let us pray and ask God to give the spirit of wisdom to the people. For all wisdom comes from God. This is why we must pray and ask God to work in our land. Wisdom begins in the fear of the Lord. We must pray that the people of our land turn back to the fear of the Lord and that God will give them wisdom. For this is the only hope for our land. So let us preach the truth, and pray to the one who changes hearts. Let’s pray.

Closing Prayer:

Closing Doxology:

Closing Benediction:

Proverbs 14:34, “34 Righteousness exalts a nation, But sin is a disgrace to any people.”