Trust in the Lord to Secure Your Path

Introduction:

               You might ask yourself why God troubled himself to include the wisdom books in the Old Testament. It is because every single human being is born with an inaccurate understanding of wisdom. We are under the influence of the father of lies, the devil, the god of this world. In the words of God given through the Apostle Paul to the Corinthian church in 2 Corinthians 4:4, “…the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”

               The world thinks it has wisdom, but when the precious Holy Spirit opens our minds to the ways of God, we are blessed to see the foolishness of worldly wisdom. Again, as Paul wrote to the Corinthian church, “For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe” (I Cor 1:19–21).

               I trust that you will follow along carefully today as we look at how the Scriptures exhort us to trust in the Lord to secure our path with a threefold exhortation describing what our attitude should be toward the wisdom of God.

I. An Exhortation to Focus on His Wisdom (Prv 3:21–26)

Explanation: Focus is highlighted positively and negatively in our passage: do not let them depart is the negative phrase and keep is the positive. To keep contains the idea of keeping watch over, protecting, and complying with.

Quotation: Deuteronomy 32:10 illustrates this: “He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; he led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye.”

Quotation: The same word for keep is used again in Psalm 119:2: “Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart.”

Quotation: As Hubbard and Ogilvie put it, “The mutual relationship of learner to wisdom pivots on the word “keep” (or “guard,” v. 21): in Proverbs 2:8, 11 wisdom guards those who seek it; in Proverbs 3:21, those who seek it guard it. A mutual protection society are wisdom and its followers.”

A. Wisdom gives life to your soul (Prv 3:22)

Explanation: I trust that one of the foundational truths the Sage has been emphasizing so far in Proverbs has begun to sink into your mind: to find God is to find wisdom, for God is the source of wisdom. This is why wisdom is often personified as God here in Proverbs. Now, the Sage does this again. We know that God is the giver and sustainer of human life (Gen 2:7). So, when the Scripture says that guarding wisdom will be life to your soul, we can only come once again to the conclusion that a relationship with God is a relationship with wisdom!

Quotation: Let us think back to the foundational verse of the message of Proverbs, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Prv 1:7).

Illustration: 2 Timothy 4:16–18 records for us a time when Paul was in prison and in desperate need of wisdom for his defense. Notice how Scripture says that he received wisdom: “At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge. Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”

Argumentation: How does wisdom give life to your soul? It provides the only true life that there is, eternal life. Notice what Paul says to the Corinthian church in 2 Corinthians 5:8: “We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.”

B. Wisdom provides adornment for your neck (Prv 3:22)

Explanation: “Neck” here is a poetic use that stands for the entire outward appearance. Knowing God in an intimate way provides a fountain, that is, an ever-bubbling spring or source of grace. That not only provides inward benefits like “life,” but it provides outward benefits for you as you now become a conduit of God’s grace to those around you. Others see this as an adornment of beauty, as though you wore a breathtaking chain of gold or precious jewels around your neck.

Quotation: It is interesting that this same Hebrew word is used in Genesis 6:8, “But Noah found grace [favor] in the eyes of the Lord.”

C. Wisdom provides surefootedness to navigate this world’s treacherous path (Prv 3:23)

Explanation: The word translated stumble here is a frequent word used in the Old Testament to refer to God judging sin or defeating his enemies. Exodus 8:2 says, “And if thou refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all thy borders with frogs.” Again the word is used to warn the Israelites in Leviticus 26:17: “And I will set my face against you, and ye shall be slain before your enemies: they that hate you shall reign over you; and ye shall flee when none pursueth you.”

Illustration: In a very poetic way, the author is drawing us a word picture of sin and its necessary consequences. This world is likened to a rugged mountain path. Those who keep sound wisdom and discretion are given the skill and balance of mountain goats to navigate the path. Consequently, they avoid stumbling and falling. Those who prefer their own supposed wisdom over God’s wisdom will inevitably stumble and fall like a clumsy or drunken person.

D. Wisdom overcomes the anxiety which could hamper your sleep (Prv 3:24)

Explanation: Once again this verse provides a clear correlation of walking with God and walking in wisdom. Consider a close counterpart to this wording recorded for us in Psalm 4:8.

Quotation: “I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety” (Ps 4:8).

Application: The Lord says so many times in Scripture, “fear not.” Our God and his wisdom are an unfailing source of comfort. Consider God’s word through the Apostle Paul.

Quotation: “For, when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; without were fightings, within were fears. Nevertheless God, that comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of Titus; And not by his coming only, but by the consolation wherewith he was comforted in you, when he told us your earnest desire, your mourning, your fervent mind toward me; so that I rejoiced the more” (2 Cor 7:5–7)

E. Wisdom protects you from the just rewards of the wicked (Prv 3:25–26)

Explanation: Notice how our author draws a stark, deliberate contrast here between the wicked fool and the righteous wise man. To the fool, God says earlier in Proverbs 1:26–27, “I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you.” To the wise, God declares in our text (v 25), “Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh.”

Quotation: As Peter Steveson notes in his commentary on Proverbs, “Yahweh Himself is responsible for the security of the youth. This promise lets us make a direct connection between Yahweh and wisdom. To walk in wisdom is to walk in the ways of Yahweh, and to walk in the ways of Yahweh is to walk in wisdom, v. 26.”

II. An Exhortation to Practice His Wisdom (Prv 3:27–30)

A. Practice wisdom toward needy neighbors (Prv 3:27–28)

Explanation: In Proverbs 3, the father has already communicated to the son about wisdom involving how we use our material possessions (Prv 3:9–10). Now, he builds on that with a specific example of how the Lord expects us to apply that wisdom. Proverbs 3:27a can be translated literally from the Hebrew as, “Do not withhold good from its owners.”

Application: In a culture ruled by wisdom, the most common sight would be people helping people. God doesn’t expect the impossible here. He does not command us to give what he has not provided to us. On the other hand, he does expect us to be willing to use what he has provided us for the good of those around us.

Quotation: Ray Ortlund comments so beautifully here, “If you have good you can do for somebody, then legally you own it, but morally they own it. The state has no right to force you to be generous. And no one can walk into your house and start helping themselves to your things and say, “The Bible says I own it.” What the Bible says to them is, “You shall not steal” (Exodus 20:15). But what the Bible says to you is, “You shall not withhold.” We sin against each other not only by the bad things we do but also by the beautiful things we withhold. Withheld love is a life-depleting sin. It is a sin to tell ourselves, “I’m not doing anybody any harm.” The question is, what good are you withholding? Jesus withheld no good thing from you. Okay, now we know how to build a culture of life, by his power. A culture of life is where people love each other openly and eagerly with the love of Jesus. All around us are opportunities to breathe life into more people. We cannot do everything. But we can do something, for his sake. If we have the ability, they have the ownership. And we owe it today, not tomorrow.”

Application: Don’t fool yourself by postponing meeting the need as in verse 28, “Go, and come again, and tomorrow I will give” when the ability to meet the need is right there by you. If you do that, you are selfishly hoping in your heart that they won’t ask you again, and you will be able to keep it for yourself. Think of God’s overwhelming generosity to you. The Psalmist put it this way in the 84 division of the book of the Psalms and verse 11: “For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.” God met your deepest need with the sacrifice of his Son. Will you begrudge him the request to meet the need of your neighbor with some bread or other kindness? Jesus said, “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets” (Mt 7:12). John wrote, “But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth” (1 Jn 3:17–18).

B. Practice wisdom toward self-sufficient neighbors (Prv 3:29)

Explanation: In a culture ruled by wisdom, people protect one another versus devising harm to each other. It has been said that “trust is the glue that holds community together.” What is the theme of this chapter? To TRUST in the Lord! As we trust in him, he asks us to be trustworthy to them. They may not be needy, knocking at our door and asking to borrow a loaf of bread. They may be very wealthy, but they have every right to expect us to not be devising how to steal from them or taking a bribe from a thief to grant him access so that he can steal from them. Untrustworthiness like this destroys community. It destroys relationships. And worst of all, it does not reflect the character of God.

C. Practice wisdom toward innocent people (Prv 3:30)

Explanation: In this verse, the father commands his son to avoid being an instigator in quarreling or lawsuits against those who have done no harm. This is the practice of wisdom.

Quotation: I can’t say it any better than Hubbard and Ogilvie who write concerning this verse, “Quarreling (“do not strive”) can be as upsetting as plotting harm (v. 30). Groundless (“without cause”) arguments and petty disputes are the height of selfishness. They spring from lack of generosity. The picky, petulant person knows no compromise and refuses to grant the neighbor the benefit of the doubt. Every misgiving or misunderstanding becomes a reason for criticism or conflict. Part of neighborliness is the willingness to be wrong and the ability to bite one’s tongue when we think we are right. Few issues in life are worth breaking relationships to prove our correctness.”

III. An Exhortation to Value His Wisdom (Prv 3:31–35)

Explanation: There is a natural philosophy within man’s sinful human nature that has been expressed in English with the trite, but common, saying, “nice guys finish last.” Proverbs 3:31 warns us against gullibly accepting such home spun philosophy, and then spends the next four verses explaining why it is false.

Quotation: As Daniel Treier puts it, “Genuine wisdom does not lie in isolated calculation of self-interest. Rather, such wisdom essentially equals love of God and, accordingly, of neighbor.”

A. Because you see the results of a wicked life (Prv 3:32–35)

1. Yahweh abhors the devious (Prv 3:32)

2. Yahweh judges the wicked (Prv 3:33)

3. Yahweh scorns the scornful (Prv 3:34)

4. Yahweh dishonors the foolish (Prv 3:35)

Explanation: A wicked life is a life which seeks the benefit of self to the detriment of others. This clearly is contrary to the character of our Lord, whose law clearly states in Leviticus 19:18, “Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the Lord.” Therefore, we know that when those who oppress others become those who are held up as examples for society to emulate, our society has run off the rails of wisdom that lead to peace and success and has committed itself to the path of foolishness that leads only to conflict, destruction, and ultimately, eternal death.

Application: We live in such a society today. My question to you is, have you allowed yourself to be swept up in the current attitude of society where the mind of Christ, which puts others first, has been rejected as foolishness? I implore you to return to following the command of the Apostle Paul in Philippians 2:3–4: “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.” This is the attitude modeled for us by our Lord and Savior.

B. Because you see the results of a just life (Prv 3:32–35)

1. Yahweh fellowships with the upright (Prv 3:32)

2. Yahweh blesses the just (Prv 3:33)

3. Yahweh bestows grace on the lowly (Prv 3:34)

4. Yahweh honors the wise (Prv 3:35)

Quotation: In his commentary, Proverbs––Wisdom that Works, Ray Ortlund sums this passage up this way: “The way things are now, violent people succeed, and we are tempted to envy them. It starts early, with the bully on the playground who is also in the popular crowd. People fear and envy the violent. So the violent run the world. Remember the scene in The Godfather Part 2 when young Vito Corleone is driving down the street in New York and the cheap hood Don Fanucci jumps into his car, gestures around, and snarls, “This is my neighborhood”? That is where the violence comes from: “This is my neighborhood, this is my office, this is my church, this is my world—not yours.” God says in verse 32, “That’s an abomination.” In other words, it turns God’s stomach. But God loves to defend those whom no one else defends. He is involved in this world. He is not standing aloof. He is no bystander or spectator. Whatever abuse you suffer, no one can take this from you: “The upright are in his confidence” (v. 32). Being close to Christ is better than being on top of the world. He has all authority in Heaven and on earth. If they drive you out, the Lord will take you in. “Toward the scorners he is scornful, but to the humble he gives favor” (v. 34). He is wise enough to know how to subvert subversive people and also build you up. Humble yourself and trust him with all your heart.

The Septuagint translates verse 34 in a way you might be familiar with: “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (quoted in James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5). We can and will do that, depending on how we understand verse 35, the final verse in the passage: “The wise will inherit honor, but fools get disgrace.” Your everything depends on how you read that verse. Who are “the wise”? Who are the “fools”? Who really are the winners and losers in this world? Whose stock is rising, whose stock is falling? How you answer that question reveals everything about you, because how you answer that question reveals how you see the cross of Jesus. From one point of view, the cross is for losers and failures and weaklings and outsiders. From the opposite point of view, the cross represents everything to be trusted, admired, embraced.

What about you? How do you feel about that man hanging on the cross, that man betrayed, excluded, humiliated by this brilliant world? How you feel about that crucified man reveals who you are at your deepest core, whether wise or foolish, because in fact his stock is rising now and forever in resurrection power. Here is the future: the wise in Christ will inherit the honor of Christ.”

Conclusion:

               You have before yourself a clear choice from our Scripture passage today: follow worldly wisdom, assume you can and must defend yourself in this world, and use whatever means necessary (even manipulation and abuse) to get what you feel you want or need; or, follow God’s wisdom, reflect his character through kindness to others, even to the point of sacrificing things for yourself to achieve their good, and trusting the Lord to work things all out in the end.

               Let me reiterate that choice in the words of Jonathan Akin: “Finally, Solomon exhorts his son not to envy the violent person who seems to prosper because of his schemes. There are times when it looks like following Wisdom—following Jesus—doesn’t work like we think it should, and following the ways of evil can lead to short-term success. I mentored a guy several years back who was distraught when he came to meet me for breakfast. I asked him what was wrong, and he told me that a guy he worked with came into work cursing because he had accidentally gotten his girlfriend pregnant. This crushed my friend because he and his wife had begged God for a baby and it wasn’t happening for them, but this guy was sinning and got a baby that he didn’t want! There are times in this fallen world when it may look like the path of sin is the path to getting what we want. Solomon acknowledges that some people do use their power to manipulate and abuse others to get what they want, and they get it. You might be tempted to jealousy and to adopting their ways when you see their success. Solomon pleads with his son not to envy these people because in the end the tables will turn. In the end, they lose.”

               The prophet Daniel reminds us to take the long view and not to assume that the totality of the argument exists in what can be seen in this world. Daniel reminds us of what awaits for both the worldly wise and the truly wise. “And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever” (Dan 12:2–3).

               My friend, let not God’s wisdom and discretion depart from your eyes. Guard them diligently so that they can be grace to your neck and life to your very soul.