VOICE ID
PROVERBS: WISDOM THAT WORKS • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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VOICE ID
Pr 1:8-9:18 prepares the reader for the actual proverbs that begin in Pr 10:1ff.
VOICE ID
Chapters 1–9 of Proverbs burn with urgency and we feel it in today’s passage. It speaks to us when we slip into the complacency that says, “Sure, I wouldn’t mind my life getting a little better.”
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The Bible is saying, “That attitude will destroy you. Now is the time for you to turn a corner!” The famous lyric by Isaac Watts awakens us again to Christ: “Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all.”
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Today’s text records three voices that the person reading Proverbs needs to identify.
THE VOICE OF INSTRUCTION
Hear, my son, your father’s instruction, and forsake not your mother’s teaching,
for they are a graceful garland for your head and pendants for your neck.
My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent.
my son, do not walk in the way with them; hold back your foot from their paths,
for their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed blood.
For in vain is a net spread in the sight of any bird,
but these men lie in wait for their own blood; they set an ambush for their own lives.
Such are the ways of everyone who is greedy for unjust gain; it takes away the life of its possessors.
This is the voice of a godly father, urging his son to listen to Wisdom and obey what he hears.
THE VOICE OF INSTRUCTION
Note that both the father and the mother have been involved in teaching the boy, and they both warn him not to abandon what he’s been told.
THE VOICE OF INSTRUCTION
These parents have obeyed the instructions of Moses
And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.
You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.
You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.
You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
These parents have obeyed the instructions of Moses....
What will their children do with all this teaching?
The parents’ desire is that the children obey what they have learned, so that God’s truth will become a lovely ornament to beautify their lives, like a crown on a king or a necklace on a queen.
not pilfering, but showing all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior.
Paul told Christian servants to ......which simply means to make the Bible beautiful to others by living a godly life.
Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear—
Peter exhorted Christian wives to win their lost husbands by focusing on the imperishable beauty of Christian character
but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.
rather than the artificial beauty of man-made glamour. In Proverbs 1:15–19, the father tells his son how to avoid yielding to temptation. First, he says,
CHECK YOUR PATH AND PEOPLE
This sounds very much like
Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?
What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever?
What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you,
and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.”
If you’re walking with the wrong crowd, you’ll end up doing the wrong things. Second,
DON’T TRIFLE WITH TEMPTATIONS TRAP
For in vain is a net spread in the sight of any bird,
Birds don’t take bait when they can plainly see the trap, and people ought to be smarter than birds.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
HARMING OTHERS ONLY HARMS YOU.
but these men lie in wait for their own blood; they set an ambush for their own lives.
Such are the ways of everyone who is greedy for unjust gain; it takes away the life of its possessors.
You’re free to take what you want from life, but eventually you’ll have to pay for it, and the price you pay is higher than the value you gain.
You end up sacrificing the permanent for the immediate, and that’s a bad investment. Sin is Self Destructive
THE VOICE OF TEMPTATION
If they say, “Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood; let us ambush the innocent without reason;
like Sheol let us swallow them alive, and whole, like those who go down to the pit;
we shall find all precious goods, we shall fill our houses with plunder;
throw in your lot among us; we will all have one purse”—
Anybody who makes it easy for us to disobey God certainly isn’t a friend. The offer they made sounded exciting, but it only led to disaster.
THE VOICE OF TEMPTATION
How tragic that a group of people would actually find enjoyment in doing evil, and how foolish of them to think their prize would satisfy their desires.
THE VOICE OF TEMPTATION
They rejected the eternal treasures of wisdom for the cheap trinkets of this world, and they lost their souls in the bargain.
All extremes, except extreme devotion to the Enemy, are to be encouraged.
THE VOICE OF SALVATION
Wisdom cries aloud in the street, in the markets she raises her voice;
at the head of the noisy streets she cries out; at the entrance of the city gates she speaks:
“How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge?
If you turn at my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make my words known to you.
Because I have called and you refused to listen, have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded,
because you have ignored all my counsel and would have none of my reproof,
I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when terror strikes you,
when terror strikes you like a storm and your calamity comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you.
Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently but will not find me.
Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord,
would have none of my counsel and despised all my reproof,
therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way, and have their fill of their own devices.
For the simple are killed by their turning away, and the complacency of fools destroys them;
but whoever listens to me will dwell secure and will be at ease, without dread of disaster.”
How does Wisdom speak?
In a loud ringing voice that everybody can hear! Through both creation and conscience.
For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.
The church’s task is to proclaim the Gospel message so everybody can hear, believe, and be saved. Like Wisdom, we must herald the Word in an uncompromising way.
Where does Wisdom speak?
In the crowded streets and public places where busy people gather to take care of the business of life.
Where does Wisdom speak?
The message of God’s truth is made for the marketplace, not the ivory tower; we must share it “at the head of the noisy streets” (Prov. 1:21, NIV).
Where does Wisdom speak?
Wisdom even went to the city gate where the leaders were transacting official business. No matter where people are, they need to hear Wisdom’s call.
To whom does Wisdom speak?
To three classes of sinners: the simple ones, the scorners (scoffers, mockers, NIV), and the fools (v. 22).
The simple are naive people who believe anything but examine nothing.
They’re gullible and easily led astray.
Scorners think they know everything and laugh at the things that are really important.
While the simple one has a blank look on his face, the scorner wears a sneer.
Fools are people who are ignorant of truth because they’re dull and stubborn.
Their problem isn’t a low IQ or poor education; their problem is a lack of spiritual desire to seek and find God’s wisdom.
Fools enjoy their foolishness but don’t know how foolish they are!
The outlook of fools is purely materialistic and humanistic. They hate knowledge and have no interest in things eternal.
What does wisdom say to them?
First, she brings an indictment against them (1:22) and asks how long they plan to remain in their dangerous spiritual condition.
Wisdom has spoken to them time and time again, but they have refused to listen, and this will make their judgment even more severe.
Then Wisdom issues an invitation that they turn from their evil ways and receive her gifts (v. 23).
This is a call to repentance and faith. She promises to change their hearts and teach them the wisdom of God from the Word of God.
Then Wisdom issues an invitation that they turn from their evil ways and receive her gifts (v. 23).
The Lord is saying, “Sometimes I’ll disagree with you, I’ll correct you, I’ll rebuke you. I don’t work with perfect people. I work with responsive people. Here is the response I’m looking for: turn.”
Then Wisdom issues an invitation that they turn from their evil ways and receive her gifts (v. 23).
That word “turn” is the most important word in the Bible for repentance. It is not a sentimental word. It is a decisive word.
Then Wisdom issues an invitation that they turn from their evil ways and receive her gifts (v. 23).
If we decide to turn away from our present selves, both our failures and our attainments, and turn toward Jesus and say to him, “I want you to renew me.
Then Wisdom issues an invitation that they turn from their evil ways and receive her gifts (v. 23).
I am open to you challenging anything in my life. I’m not protecting anything from you. I want to become wise, like you”—if we will turn decisively to him with that openness, what does he promise to do for us?
How do the simple, the scorners, and the fools respond to Wisdom?
They refuse to obey her voice; they won’t take hold of her outstretched hand; they laugh at her warnings; and they mock her words.
How do the simple, the scorners, and the fools respond to Wisdom?
Note the word “also” in verse 26. Because they laughed at Wisdom, one day Wisdom will also laugh at them. Because they mocked her, she will mock them.
How do the simple, the scorners, and the fools respond to Wisdom?
God’s laughter here is not giggly. He does not laugh at the pain of fools, but he does rejoice at the defeat of evil. So do we:
When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices, and when the wicked perish there are shouts of gladness.
Not only that, but God also laughs in amazement at the foolishness of fools. It’s like, “I’m offering you everything you desire in your deepest heart, and you go on marginalizing me? You must be joking.”
Anything is better than that rebuke from God!
That is why it’s a mercy when we suffer. Suffering is how our hearts finally crack open to God. It’s when we finally stop laughing at him
Wisdom sees a storm of judgment coming that will bring distress and anguish to all who reject God’s invitation.
“Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near;
When that judgment arrives, sinners will call upon the Lord but it will be too late.
therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way, and have their fill of their own devices.
Sinners will reap what they have sown.
For the simple are killed by their turning away, and the complacency of fools destroys them;
They turned away their ears from hearing the truth and were complacently comfortable with believing lies.
but whoever listens to me will dwell secure and will be at ease, without dread of disaster.”
Unbelievers have an unalterable sentence - wisdom provides unalterable security and peace.
Right now is your moment to turn to God and say, “I am not laughing at you. I am listening to you, whatever you have to say to me.”
I am not laughing at you. I am listening to you, whatever you have to say to me.
If you are in earnest with God, he will make every promise true for you. But if you turn away, the Bible says a storm is coming:
when terror strikes you like a storm and your calamity comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you.
Jesus warned of a storm coming. He told us that everyone who hears him and obeys him will be like a wise man who builds his house on a rock.
THE STORM
When the storm comes, it doesn’t matter, because the rock of grace will hold. But everyone who does not listen will be like a foolish man who builds his life on sand—the sand of
THE STORM
“Don’t rush me,” “I’m not that bad,” “I’m too busy right now,” “Maybe later”—the constantly shifting sand of Self. And when the storm comes, that house falls, and catastrophic is its fall.
Do you know the perfect storm?
Not when you fail, but when you succeed and you finally get your perfect life, with you at the center. It’s the poison of your kingdom coming and your will being done. Cynthia Heimel wrote:
I pity [celebrities]. No, I do. The minute a person becomes a celebrity is the same minute he/she becomes a monster. Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis and Barbra Streisand were once perfectly pleasant human beings with whom you might lunch on a slow Tuesday afternoon. But now they have become supreme beings, and their wrath is awful. It’s not what they had in mind.…
The night each of them became famous they wanted to shriek with relief. Finally! Now they were adored! Invincible! Magic! The morning after the night each of them became famous, they wanted to take an overdose of barbiturates.
All their fantasies had been realized, yet the reality was still the same. If they were miserable before, they were twice as miserable now, because that giant thing they were striving for, that fame thing that was going to make everything okay, that was going to make their lives bearable, that was going to provide them with personal fulfillment and (ha ha) happiness, had happened. And nothing changed. They were still them. The disillusionment turned them howling and insufferable.
The storm of your life might be when you get what you want, or it might be when your dream dies.
Either way, God does not hit you over the head with a hammer. He doesn’t have to. The sorrow comes from within your own choices:
therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way, and have their fill of their own devices.
God uses no trickery. Hardness of heart inherits itself, and Hell cannot be more inescapable and just than that. C. S. Lewis wrote,
There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, ‘Thy will be done,’ and those to whom God says, “Thy will be done.’
You cannot sin and not suffer from it.
It just can’t be done. One of the things I like best about being a Christian is the way that I suffer when I sin—it is the chastisement which guarantees me that I am one of God’s people.
You cannot sin and not suffer from it.
I like it. It feels good. It feels like correction. It feels as if I am being straightened out.… When I was only half-believing God, he actually did come into me and make me miserable every time I sinned. That is how I learned that he really is believable.… It corrects me and puts me on the right path.
There is the purifying fire.
Is it so bad? It is the love of God getting real with us. Let’s receive it.