Diligently seek Wisdom

A refresher

We can look back and see the purpose of wisdom (Pro1:1-6)

Then the theme of Wisdom (Pro1:7)

Pro1:7 “7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

The value (1:8-9)

The danger of who we hang out with (1:10-19)

The importance of listening (1:20-33)

Listen for it while it is still available

All that brought us just through chapter one, last week we started in chapter two.

The qualities of seeking, diligently seeking wisdom (2:1-4)

By explanation

By experience

Now today we get to the benefits of diligently seeking wisdom.

Q: What does the word diligently mean?

(adverb): in a way that shows care and conscientiousness in one's work or duties.

Q: So, why do you think we should diligently seek wisdom?

Let’s look, but it is a long section so I will break it down with a few verses each time.

Pro2:5-8 “5 Then you will discern the fear of the Lord And discover the knowledge of God. 6 For the Lord gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding. 7 He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk in integrity, 8 Guarding the paths of justice, And He preserves the way of His godly ones.”

Q- Anything stick out to you in this section?

Q - Do you think there are any words that maybe we should define?

Well in this section lets look at:

Knowledge of God and His protection

Q - How do you think God protects you?

Well first you need to

Understand the fear of the Lord (1:7) and you will be able to find knowledge and wisdom of God and in God.

Pro2:5 “5 Then you will discern the fear of the Lord And discover the knowledge of God.”

That knowledge of God is a great storehouse, a filling of wisdom and understanding to those who believe. Those who are upright

Pro2:5-7 “5 Then you will discern the fear of the Lord And discover the knowledge of God. 6 For the Lord gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding. 7 He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk in integrity,”

You will have God’s providential protection guiding your life.

He is a shield to the upright, those who walk in integrity (2:7)

He guards the paths of justice (2:8)

Pro2:8 “8 Guarding the paths of justice, And He preserves the way of His godly ones.”

He preserves the way of the godly, of the saints. May you consider

Ps121:5-8 “5 The Lord is your keeper; The Lord is your shade on your right hand. 6 The sun will not smite you by day, Nor the moon by night. 7 The Lord will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul. 8 The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in From this time forth and forever.”

Let that sink in a minute: What a blessing it is to go through life with the assurance that God is not against you but God is on your side. God is not mad at you, God is in love with you!

Next, we have moral discernment for living as one who seeks and knows wisdom

Pro2:9-11 “9 Then you will discern righteousness and justice And equity and every good course. 10 For wisdom will enter your heart And knowledge will be pleasant to your soul; 11 Discretion will guard you, Understanding will watch over you,”

You will have understanding, some say great understanding of righteousness and justice (v.9)

Of equity (fairness) and every good path (v.9); also may you consider

Ps143:8-10 “8 Let me hear Your lovingkindness in the morning; For I trust in You; Teach me the way in which I should walk; For to You I lift up my soul. 9 Deliver me, O Lord, from my enemies; I take refuge in You. 10 Teach me to do Your will, For You are my God; Let Your good Spirit lead me on level ground.”

You will have great discretion

Once you have wisdom in your heart and knowledge is more than just head knowledge and it is pleasant to you (2:10)

They will preserve you and keep you.

Pro2:11 “11 Discretion will guard you, Understanding will watch over you,”

We all know what a garbage disposal is, right? But what if instead of doing away with something, it is adding to? To have the knowledge and wisdom of God that gives us providential protection, understanding, and discretion for leading and protecting our lives?

Next comes the deliverance from evil men

Pro2:12-14 “12 To deliver you from the way of evil, From the man who speaks perverse things; 13 From those who leave the paths of uprightness To walk in the ways of darkness; 14 Who delight in doing evil And rejoice in the perversity of evil;”

Pro2:15 “15 Whose paths are crooked, And who are devious in their ways;”

Evil men who speak perverse things (2:12)

Who leave the paths of righteousness to walk in the darkness (2:13) - also consider

2Pt2:20-22 “20 For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. 21 For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment handed on to them. 22 It has happened to them according to the true proverb, “A dog returns to its own vomit,” and, “A sow, after washing, returns to wallowing in the mire.””

Men who rejoice in doing evil, who delight in the perversity of the wicked (2:14)

Q what does perversity mean?

(N) a deliberate desire to behave in an unreasonable or unacceptable way; contrariness; the quality of being contrary to accepted standards or practice.

Men whose ways are crooked and devious in their ways, paths (2:15)

Wisdom can deliver us from evil men and their evil ways. But wisdom must be received and applied. Wisdom that is at your disposal.

Next there is the immoral woman. Through application of knowledge to wisdom a benefit of diligently seeking, searching for wisdom is:

Deliverance from immoral women.

Pro2:16-19 “16 To deliver you from the strange woman, From the adulteress who flatters with her words; 17 That leaves the companion of her youth And forgets the covenant of her God; 18 For her house sinks down to death And her tracks lead to the dead; 19 None who go to her return again, Nor do they reach the paths of life.”

For she is a flatterer with her words (2:16)

Q: What is a flatterer?

She forsakes her own husband of her youth and breaks covenant, forgets her covenant with God (2:17)

Q: what is a simple explanation of a covenant?

Her ways lead to death, to a place of no return (2:18-19) you can read more on this in Pro9:13-18, we will get there eventually.

wisdom and deliver us from immoral women and their destructive, death leading ways. Now, be honest this can be men too, can’t it. Solomon uses wisdom described as a woman, so we should not be surprised that if there is a good woman, there is a bad, evil, woman too (spiritually speaking).

Can we agree that wisdom that we diligently seek is well worth it? Let me review one more time.

Are the benefits worth the necessary effort? For we will

Know and enjoy God’s providential care

Obtain discernment for making the right moral choices

Be delivered from evil, or the shenanigans of evil men.

Be delivered, protected from the seductions of immoral women

And finally, able to walk in goodness and righteousness, living lives that are blessed by God, an example for others as well as a blessing to others.

So, what effort is necessary?

incline you ear to hear the word of God

Apply your heart to understanding; so meditate on God’s word

Cry out, ask for, pray for godly wisdom, but, be sure you ask by faith. Oh, and, cry out for understanding

Know the value of wisdom, its worth, it is more than seeking silver or gold or other hidden treasures.

Wisdom is for practical living, it is for daily living. So, seek it daily.

Col2:2-3 “2 that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

So, be sure to seek wisdom diligently, persistently. It will take effort but the rewards will be well worth it.

(Prayer)