Proverbs: The Wisdom of God in Christ (Pt. 2/4)

Introduction

Open you Bibles to Proverbs 8, Proverbs chapter 8.

We are going to start by reading the hold chapter and then we jump into verse 12-21.

Proverbs 8:1–36 ESV

1 Does not wisdom call? Does not understanding raise her voice? 2 On the heights beside the way, at the crossroads she takes her stand; 3 beside the gates in front of the town, at the entrance of the portals she cries aloud: 4 “To you, O men, I call, and my cry is to the children of man. 5 O simple ones, learn prudence; O fools, learn sense. 6 Hear, for I will speak noble things, and from my lips will come what is right, 7 for my mouth will utter truth; wickedness is an abomination to my lips. 8 All the words of my mouth are righteous; there is nothing twisted or crooked in them. 9 They are all straight to him who understands, and right to those who find knowledge. 10 Take my instruction instead of silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold, 11 for wisdom is better than jewels, and all that you may desire cannot compare with her. 12 “I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, and I find knowledge and discretion. 13 The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate. 14 I have counsel and sound wisdom; I have insight; I have strength. 15 By me kings reign, and rulers decree what is just; 16 by me princes rule, and nobles, all who govern justly. 17 I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me. 18 Riches and honor are with me, enduring wealth and righteousness. 19 My fruit is better than gold, even fine gold, and my yield than choice silver. 20 I walk in the way of righteousness, in the paths of justice, 21 granting an inheritance to those who love me, and filling their treasuries. 22 “The Lord possessed me at the beginning of his work, the first of his acts of old. 23 Ages ago I was set up, at the first, before the beginning of the earth. 24 When there were no depths I was brought forth, when there were no springs abounding with water. 25 Before the mountains had been shaped, before the hills, I was brought forth, 26 before he had made the earth with its fields, or the first of the dust of the world. 27 When he established the heavens, I was there; when he drew a circle on the face of the deep, 28 when he made firm the skies above, when he established the fountains of the deep, 29 when he assigned to the sea its limit, so that the waters might not transgress his command, when he marked out the foundations of the earth, 30 then I was beside him, like a master workman, and I was daily his delight, rejoicing before him always, 31 rejoicing in his inhabited world and delighting in the children of man. 32 “And now, O sons, listen to me: blessed are those who keep my ways. 33 Hear instruction and be wise, and do not neglect it. 34 Blessed is the one who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors. 35 For whoever finds me finds life and obtains favor from the Lord, 36 but he who fails to find me injures himself; all who hate me love death.”

May God Bless the Reading of His Holy and Infallible Word

Let’s Pray

Transition

Verse 12-13 have echos of Pilgrims Progress. I called this point in the sermon. Wisdom and her handmaidens. Lets read version 12-13.

Body

Wisdom and Her Handmaidens

Proverbs 8:12–13 ESV

12 “I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, and I find knowledge and discretion. 13 The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.

Wisdom is never alone

Just one drop, taste, glace comes with all other graces.

This goes back to God’s attributes we talked about last week. God is his attributes so that were we find one, we find them all, they are distinguished but never evaporated.

The graces “prudence, knowledge, and discretion” are listed here.

John Bunyan does a masterful job of capturing the essence of a Christians relationship between Christian the handmaidens of wisdom.

I want to read alittle section here.

“Well, I will call out one of the virgins of this place, who will, if she likes your talk, bring you in to the rest of the family, according to the rules of the house. So Watchful the Porter rang a bell, at the sound of which came out of the door of the house a grave and beautiful damsel, named Discretion, and asked why she was called.The Porter answered, This man is on a journey from the city of Destruction to Mount Zion; but being weary and benighted, he asked me if he might lodge here to-night: so I told him I would call for thee, who, after discourse had with him, mayest do as seemeth thee good, even according to the law of the house. Then she asked him whence he was, and whither he was going; and he told her. She asked him also how he got into the way; and he told her. Then she asked him what he had seen and met with in the way, and he told her. And at last she asked his name. So he said, It is Christian; and I have so much the more a desire to lodge here to-night, because, by what I perceive, this place was built by the Lord of the hill for the relief and security of pilgrims. So she smiled, but the water stood in her eyes; and after a little pause she said, I will call forth two or three more of the family. So she ran to the door, and called out Prudence, Piety, and Charity, who, after a little more discourse with him, had him into the family; and many of them meeting him at the threshold of the house, said, Come in, thou blessed of the Lord; this house was built by the Lord of the hill on purpose to entertain such pilgrims in. Then he bowed his head, and followed them into the house.

...

“Now he bethought himself of setting forward, and they were willing he should. But first, said they, let us go again into the armory. So they did; and when he came there, they harnessed him from head to foot with what was of proof, lest perhaps he should meet with assaults in the way. He being therefore thus accoutred, walked out with his friends to the gate; and there he asked the Porter if he saw any pilgrim pass by. [1]

What does it look like? verse 13

Hatred of Evil

Shunning Pride and arrogance

Control of what comes out of the mouth.

Isa 6:5b, I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips

If wisdom hates perverted speech what chance do we have of finder her favor

The answer is none.

We must be imputed the favor of God through Christ.

Unless we are imputed favor the wisdom of God ceases to be the gentle feminine voice calling to give help to those that seeks it and becomes the delay of the inescapable lion dealing out the wrath of God with its horsemen death and hell following close behind.

Transition

But thanks be to God brothers that we have been imputed favor in Christ, so in-spit of our weakness the wisdom of God does call genitally to us, and she with her handmaidens will equip us the like christian in the story with the full armor of God so we can and we will stand in the evil day. Moreover we know that all things good come from this wisdom of God. Verse 14-17

“good gift and every perfect gift is from above” (Jas 1:17. ESV)

Proverbs 8:14–17 ESV

14 I have counsel and sound wisdom; I have insight; I have strength. 15 By me kings reign, and rulers decree what is just; 16 by me princes rule, and nobles, all who govern justly. 17 I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me.

James writes in, “17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. 18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.” (Jas 1:17–18, ESV)

Does a ruler, governor, senior, president do good? Bring justice? Promote the flourishing.

This is a gift from above

Does a ruler do evil?

This is the wisdom of God as the avenger.

This what God’s wisdom will do if this nation will not repent of uncounted millions murdered.

Or the perversion of justice in every court in the land.

If there is no repentance.

Indeed death if coming for the wicked and hell is riding with him.

But the righteous, those imputes righteousness because there is none righteous of those own accord saved the one true king.

But the righteous even as death and hell come for the wicked are to seek God’s wisdom.

The more evil the day the more we must heed this call.

See verse 17.

those who love me and seek me.

Its not enough to have a good feeling about God’s wisdom, we are to seek it.

It is found in his word,

James said in verse 18 “Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth.”

The wisdom of God is found in the word of God and it is sufficient to prepare us to stand in this evil day.

But only those that love and seek will find it.

You must love God and you must seek God in his word.

Not in nature, those there is something to know fo him there.

Not in philosophy, there are application of philosophy which is subordinate to the word, the dearly departed RC was a great example of that, but this not not where we seek wisdom.

I want to address something here.

Jesus is the word of truth

Stop calling the Bible the word of God, Jesus is.

The Bible is the only place to get to know the word of God.

You all have been around me long enough that I think you all already know that.

But its important because this is a battle being waged right now.

The way to The Word is through The word only.

Transition

There is no part of this text that does not point us back to Christ, but these next few verses are a wonderful picture of Him. Verse 18-22

The Treasure of Heaven

Proverbs 8:18–21 ESV

18 Riches and honor are with me, enduring wealth and righteousness. 19 My fruit is better than gold, even fine gold, and my yield than choice silver. 20 I walk in the way of righteousness, in the paths of justice, 21 granting an inheritance to those who love me, and filling their treasuries.

What did Jesus say, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.” (Mt 6:19–20, ESV)

What is more precious then Christ

What inheritance compares to Christ?

Those that seek Christ, walk in “way of righteousness, in the paths of justice.”

If you don’t hate the evils in our society

Abortion

Drag queen abuse of children

Parents and doctors injecting children with hormones to prevent their God given development.

The insane are running the show.

Conclusion

Do you seek, wisdom, you will find it in the word, of God that points to thee word of God.

This is what the Apostle Paul means when he said, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Ro 12:2, ESV)

Such a wonderful mediation calls us to end with Doxology.

Doxology

Romans 16:25–27 ESV

25 Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages 26 but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith— 27 to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.

References

[1] John Bunyan, The Pilgrim’s Progress: From This World to That Which Is to Come (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1995). (Stage 3)

Bibliography

Bunyan, John. The Pilgrim’s Progress: From This World to That Which Is to Come. Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1995.