Look for Wisdom as for Silver

In the last 2 verses of Prov. 2, the teacher presents 2 options to his students: 2 paths, 2 outcomes.

The upright will live in the land,

and the blameless will remain in it;

but the wicked will be cut off from the land,

and the unfaithful will be torn from it. Proverbs 2:21–22 (NIV)

It’s a basic proverb. It highlights the different outcome in the life of the upright person compared to the wicked person.

What happens to the upright or blameless person?

Live/remain in land.

What about the wicked or unfaithful person?

Be cut off/torn from the land.

This is what King Solomon and his counsellors were teaching the young men of Israel. The best lessons of the wise made it into the textbook for generations of leaders in Israel to study.

Proverbs is different than most other books in the Bible. It’s Wisdom literature, like Ecclesiastes. It’s not a narrative nor a gospel, describing events. It’s not a letter. It’s not a song like all the Psalms. Proverbs is a collection of wise sayings for God’s people to ponder and learn from. It takes some serious thinking to understand and appreciate wisdom literature.

We turned to Proverbs b/c many people are changing gears this week. From the summer routine to a schedule with more thinking, studying, and being around new people in the school season. With a new school year, perhaps a new teacher and new classmates, there are choices to be made. Will you make changes from last year?

You choose who you spend time with and how deeply to invest in your studies. These aren’t just choices we make at school. At any age you can choose who to spend time with, what books you read, or what you watch on YouTube. We often make resolutions at New Years, but September is also a good time to consider your options. When I started high school, I was the only one from gr. 8 to go to HDCH. I took the opportunity to make a new start . . .

We started by looking at the last 2 verses of Prov. 2. Perhaps some background helps us understand the choices.

An upright or blameless person will live in The Land.

This refers to the Land promised to their ancestors: Abraham & Sarah, Isaac & Rebekah, to Israel and his children. When the Israelites were rescued from slavery in Egypt, God led them through the wilderness to the Land flowing w/ milk and honey where they could live and raise families.

In the heart of the Land is the temple – God’s earthly dwelling that Solomon built in Jerusalem! Being upright and blameless was a condition of living close to God b/c he is righteous and majestic and altogether holy.

A wicked or unfaithful person is torn from the Promised Land. They lose their inheritance. They’re evicted from the land near God’s dwelling place.

The teacher isn’t saying anything new. You’ll find similar instructions when God gives the law at Mt Sinai. God gives the warning in vivid language:

Keep all my decrees and laws and follow them, so that the land where I am bringing you to live may not vomit you out. Leviticus 20:22 (NIV)

Perhaps you know the history of God’s people in the OT. After King Solomon’s reign the northern 10 tribes rebelled against Solomon’s son. After a few generations, they were so unfaithful to God that the Lord allowed the Assyrians to conquer their land and march them off to exile in Nineveh.

It took longer in the southern Kingdom, but several generations later, they too were so unfaithful to God that the Lord allowed the Babylonians to conquer their land and march them into exile in Babylon for 70 years. The land vomited them out b/c they failed to follow God’s instructions for holy living.

Maybe the author of Proverbs didn’t fully appreciate the weight of what he was teaching, but these are not empty threats. God is serious about the consequences of our choices.

Upright – stay in the land; stay close to God.

Wicked – be cut off from God’s presence and the land.

It's true for the Israelites in the OT. It remains true in every generation. We don’t live in the Promised Land and the temple in Jerusalem was destroyed ~2000 yrs ago. But the Bible reveals that disobedient, wicked behaviour cuts us off from God. Sin, shame, and guilt make it difficult to enjoy being close to God in prayer and devotions. Persisting in rebellion against God results in an eternity far from God, namely death and hell.

Here's the trouble: I have discovered that I can’t live as obediently or as uprightly as God expects. Even my best efforts fall short of God’s call to love him as #1 and love my neighbour as myself. On my own, I’m headed down the wrong path.

Here’s the good news though: God came into his own creation as a human, named Jesus. Jesus was obedient to all God’s commands. Jesus searched for wisdom and discernment. It’s like Prov. 2:9 was written to describe Jesus. “If” statements:

My son, if you accept my words

and store up my commands within you,

turning your ear to wisdom

and applying your heart to understanding—

indeed, if you call out for insight

and cry aloud for understanding,

and if you look for it as for silver

and search for it as for hidden treasure . . .

Then you will understand what is right and just

and fair—every good path. Proverbs 2:1–7, 9 (NIV)

That’s exactly what Jesus was known for. His followers, Mt, Mk, LK, and Jn, describe Jesus as a teacher who taught with authority. Luke tells us about Jesus as a precocious preteen.

At 12, his parents didn’t worry too much about him as they headed home from Jerusalem. He’s nearly an adult! But Jesus stayed behind. Where did they find him after 3 days of searching? Jesus was searching for wisdom, discernment and understanding God’s instructions.

After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. Luke 2:46–47 (NIV)

Jesus continued to follow the good path. He was “right and just and fair” in everything he did.

He was obedient to his Heavenly Father too, showing his father’s love for the world. Jesus allowed himself to be arrested, beaten, and hung on a cross. He offered himself as a scapegoat, to rescue you from punishment for your rebellious behaviour. When Jesus was crucified, your guilt and shame was lifted off of you and put on Jesus.

And in Jesus’ amazing grace and love for you, his obedience, his upright behaviour is attributed to you and to all who put their faith in Jesus. His resurrection from the grave is your guarantee that you are raised to life with Jesus – an eternity in the presence of God!

Jesus’ ascension into the throne room of heaven guarantees that people like you and me are welcome in the presence of God to bask in all his goodness, majesty and holiness for all eternity!

Jesus invites you to put your trust in him: accept his words, store up his commands, to do what he says is good and loving. Jesus invites you to trust him for guidance by his Word and Spirit so that w/ his help, you too “will understand what is right and just and fair—every good path.”

And now w/ God’s help, we’re ready to take a look at our choices. God doesn’t leave us alone to navigate life w/o help. The promise is right here in Prov 2:6-8

For the Lord gives wisdom;

from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

He holds success in store for the upright,

he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,

for he guards the course of the just

and protects the way of his faithful ones. Proverbs 2:6–8 (NIV)

In Proverbs, wisdom is not just a matter of being smart and knowing lots of facts. Wisdom isn’t just about learning skills and techniques. Wisdom is about your character.

Who are you?

How do you behave when no one but God is watching?

As we head into a new season and get into the busier fall schedule, take some time to consider your choices.

As a follower of Jesus’, are you on the right path, the ways of the righteous who will live eternally with God in the Promised Land?