The Stakes of Keeping Wisdom and Discretion

Text—these are the very words of God

Proverbs 3:21–35 ESV

My son, do not lose sight of these— keep sound wisdom and discretion, and they will be life for your soul and adornment for your neck. Then you will walk on your way securely, and your foot will not stumble. If you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. Do not be afraid of sudden terror or of the ruin of the wicked, when it comes, for the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught. Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it. Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come again, tomorrow I will give it”—when you have it with you. Do not plan evil against your neighbor, who dwells trustingly beside you. Do not contend with a man for no reason, when he has done you no harm. Do not envy a man of violence and do not choose any of his ways, for the devious person is an abomination to the Lord, but the upright are in his confidence. The Lord’s curse is on the house of the wicked, but he blesses the dwelling of the righteous. Toward the scorners he is scornful, but to the humble he gives favor. The wise will inherit honor, but fools get disgrace.

Introduction

What is at stake?

A few years ago I was coaching my son in Upward Basketball.

He had not scored many points in the first two games.

In game 3, his Papaw showed up flashing dollars bills for every shot made.

Everett turned into a mixture of 1997 Scottie Pippen and 2017 Steph Curry.

Why did this happen?

Because the stakes changed.

When he understood what was at stake, his focus and his devotion changed.

Sometimes that is what we need to wake up to the moment at hand.

We need to understand the stakes.

Context

Solomon wants his son to understand the stakes in Proverbs 3:21-35

This is the fifth fatherly talk/“heart to heart” between King Solomon and his son

There are ten in the first nine chapters of Proverbs

Big Idea for Solomon’s Son and All of Us

You should keep sound wisdom and discretion because the stakes are high.

Outline

As we walk through the passage we will see what those stakes are in our three teaching points:

1. You should keep sound wisdom and discretion because life and security are at stake (v. 22-24).

2. You should keep sound wisdom and discretion because a life of integrity is at stake (v. 25-32).

3. You should keep sound wisdom and discretion because divine blessing is at stake (v. 33-35).

Keeping Sound Wisdom and Discretion (v. 21)

Before we get to what is at stake, we have to see the command that is the anchor for the entire “heart to heart”

Multiple commands in the passage

Most of them are in v. 25-32

Verse 21 is the preeminent command in this passage

Everything else, including the commands in v. 25-32 are showing us what is at stake when it comes to obeying this anchor command

The boy is not to take his eyes off sound wisdom and discretion.

He is to KEEP them.

Sound wisdom means three things to us at once at NT believers:

Immediate Context: Sound wisdom is what Solomon has been giving his son in Proverbs

Larger Context: Sound wisdom are all of the wise words of God

Deuteronomy 4:6 ESV

Keep them and do them, for that will be your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’

New Covenant Context: Jesus Christ is our Wisdom

1 Corinthians 1:30 ESV

And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption,

Discretion is very closely related to discernment

This is the ability to utilize the principles of wisdom in your life

Discretion is the skill of plotting and planning your life according to wisdom

In short, the boy is to not lose sight of wisdom and its ways—he is to keep them.

Not Losing Sight of These Illustration

Some of my favorite childhood memories are going to RFK Stadium to watch the Skins play with my dad.

We had our favorites: Darrell Green, Charles Mann, Art Monk, Ernest Byner.

Dad would bring binoculars so we could keep our eyes on our favorites the whole game.

This is how we should be with God’s wisdom.

Keep your eyes on the wisdom of the Proverbs

Keep your eyes on the wisdom of the Word

Keep your eyes on Christ Your Wisdom

You can get as literal as you want with this!

Open your Bible and put your eyes on wisdom as often as you can!

Keeping Sound Wisdom and Discretion Illustration

To keep is to preserve.

Gary Brady says we should imagine someone taking fruit and boiling it with sugar and then bottling the jam tightly so it can be enjoyed for the long haul.

We should study to understand the principles and ways of wisdom

We should store them up in our hearts so they prove good to our souls for the long haul

Questions for Consideration

Where are your eyes this morning?

Have they been on God’s Word?

Are you keeping sight of wisdom?

If they have not been on God’s Word, where have your eyes been?

What have you been looking at?

What is in your heart this morning?

What have you been boiling down and storing up for enjoyment?

What occupies your heart?

What do you think about and desire the most?

Is God’s wisdom?

His Word?

His Son?

If you have lost track of wisdom, the rest of this passage gives you reason to track it down again.

If you are keeping wisdom and discretion, the rest of this passage gives you reason to press on and press in.

1. You should keep sound wisdom and discretion because life and security are at stake.

Life (v. 22)

We start with v. 22 where we see promises regarding life.

We don’t want to over-spiritualize everything in Proverbs

There are real physical blessings that are promised at times

But clearly we are talking about the spiritual here—life for your soul

God’s wise words bring life to the soul

Psalm 119:25 ESV

My soul clings to the dust; give me life according to your word!

Scripture teaches us that the Spirit regenerates the soul

Titus 3:5—He saved us...by the washing of regeneration and the renewal of the Spirit

John 3:5—Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom

But while the Spirit is the cause, the Word is the instrument the Spirit uses

Romans 10:17—Faith comes through hearing and hearing through Word of Christ

Inward life is what is being talked about here

We know when inward life has come to the soul because

You also see how wisdom is “adornment for the neck”

When God’s Spirit uses God’s Wise Word to bring life to the sinner, it beautifies their soul

What was dead is not alive

What was ashes is now beauty

This is the total overhaul that God’s Sound Wisdom brings—from dead and depraved to alive and beautiful!

Security (v. 23-24)

Everyone is obsessed with security these days.

Ring Cameras on everything

Protocols and safety measures

Protective Software on the computer

What about security for our souls?

Keeping track of wisdom will provide it

Verse 23

A life with your eyes off of wisdom is a slippery life

It will be prone to all sorts of veering and stumbling off of God’s path

A life with your eyes on wisdom is secure

Psalm 37:23 ESV

The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way;

When the eyes of the soul are locked on Christ, our Wisdom, and on His wise Word, the soul will enjoy safety and stability

A life that ignores God’s wisdom is reckless and is constantly scrambling from one crisis to the next

A life ordered by God’s wisdom will experience:

The practical peace that comes with a life not entangled with evil

The spiritual peace of a clean conscience that is right with God

Verse 24

If verse 23 is about how we live each waking moment, verse 24 is about how we sleep.

The one who rejects God wisdom may struggle to sleep at night because of:

Addiction to evil things

Proverbs 4:16 speaks about how people addicted to evil things will struggle to sleep until they’ve satisfied their desires

Nightmares and terrors from a plagued conscience

Physical consequences from sinful actions

Sound wisdom leads you to understand who watches over you, therefore you sleep

Psalm 127:2 ESV

It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.

Sound wisdom leads to a clean conscience, therefore you sleep

Those saved by Christ, our Wisdom, have had their consciences sprinkled with His blood (Hebrews 9:14)

This sort of security is the product of a life keeping track of wisdom

Peter in Acts 12

Herod had arrested Peter, intending to execute him after Passover.

The Church prayed for him.

On the night Herod was going to prep Peter for execution, an angel of the Lord came to rescue Peter.

Peter is so secure in God that the angel finds him sawing them off between two prisoners!

Acts 12:7 ESV

And behold, an angel of the Lord stood next to him, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his hands.

The angel had to give him a nudge!

To sleep that deeply on the eve on your execution, you must have your eyes firmly fixed on wisdom and discretion!

Closing Up Teaching Point #1

John 10:10 ESV

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

This is the sort of life at stake when it comes to keeping sound wisdom and discretion

Spiritual life in the heart—>Produced by the Wise Word—>As an instrument of the life-giving Spirit

Spiritual security in the soul that allows you to close your eyes and rest no matter the circumstances

Life and safety is what any good father seeks to guarantee for their child

Our Father has guaranteed it for His children by sending His own Son—the wise Word made flesh

Fix your eyes on Him and your wisdom

Abundant life and the peace of security are at stake!

2. You should keep sound wisdom and discretion because a life of integrity is at stake (v. 25-32).

From verse 25-32, we have six commands.

All of them have to do with the way we deal with our neighbors around us

This shows us that wisdom is not just facts in the head, but action for your hands and feet

Those who are truly wise will show it in how they live in this world

Command #1: Do not fear God’s judgments (v. 25-26)

One of the themes of the wisdom Scriptures in the Bible is that those who prosper from evil now will ultimately be judged

Some of those judgments may occur in this life

Judgment will certainly come after death (Hebrews 9:27)

Verse 25

In the days of the Flood, Noah had no reason to fear the rain because he was in the ark

In this age of the Church, we have no reason to fear God’s judgments on humanity because we are in Christ

Compare the difference in how unbelievers and believers respond to the return of Christ in the NT

Revelation 1:7 ESV

Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.

The world WAILS b/c JUDGMENT has come

2 Thessalonians 1:10 ESV

when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed.

The church will not WAIL, but MARVEL because they know they are safe.

Verse 26

The Church will not MARVEL because they have confidence in themselves, but in the Lord.

Their foot will not be caught in the rocks of judgment because they are in the hands of Wisdom.

Their eyes are firmly on Christ—the Wisdom of God.

John 6:40 ESV

For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

This is where true integrity begins—having confidence in the Lord God to save and deliver.

Command #2: Do not withhold good (v. 27)

Verse 27

If you have the power to do good, then do it.

Parable of the Good Samaritan teaches us this principle

A man is beaten, robbed, and left for dead on the road to Jericho

A priest and a Levite (both seen as holy man in that society) see him and pass by on the other side without helping.

A Samaritan (a despised outsider) stops, tends to the man's wounds, puts him on his own donkey, takes him to an inn, and pays for his care out of his own pocket.

Luke 10:36–37 ESV

Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”

In doing this, Jesus widens the scope of neighborly love to anyone in need

Therefore we cannot withhold good from anyone if we are truly to be counted merciful

This is a high ethic of love, but those who walk in integrity seek to live by it with God’s help.

Command #3: Do not delay good (v. 28)

Verse 28

Don’t be selfish and say “Come back later” if you have what they need now

The purpose of the delay tactic is, “If I act like I can’t get it right now, maybe they’ll get it from someone else, but since I didn’t say NO, I still get to look like a good neighbor.”

The desire is to appear as a good neighbor without actually being one

Hypocrisy in the heart!

God’s Wisdom teaches us to see delayed good as injustice

Where this form of injustice has taken root, there is a lack of love.

1 John 3:17 ESV

But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?

True integrity truly loves.

It does not seek to merely appear to be a good neighbor.

It seeks to actually be a good neighbor.

Command #4: Do not plan evil against your neighbor (v. 29)

Verse 29

Verses 27-28 are about doing good—Verse 29 is about not doing evil

Don’t plot against your neighbor

You may think that you would never do this because:

You think this would be something like stealing your neighbor’s leaf blower

We need to understand that this would also be something like:

Passive aggressively blowing leaves back into your neighbors yard with your own leaf blower

We should ONLY seek to do good to our neighbors and never be a source of harm to them

If we do plot harm against the neighbor who trusts us, we are two-faced.

We show them a face that seems honest

Behind their back we have a face that grins at the idea of their demise

Those who have integrity live with one face.

Command #5: Do not contend with a man for no reason (v. 30)

Verse 30

Don’t have needless contention with people who have done nothing wrong to you

That seems pretty simple

And yet there are people contending with each other over meaningless stuff all the time

Stop and really consider the things that you tend to contend with people over:

Is it worth it?

Is it wise?

An eagerness to contend exposes a need for gentleness and patience

It exposes a need to be more Christlike

Remember how much patience Christ our Wisdom has shown you:

1 Timothy 1:16 ESV

But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.

We are sinners like Paul

Part of the reason God saved us is to display His patience

If someone like me could be saved, God must be really patient.

Why then be quarrelsome with others?

This is where keeping your eyes on discretion is SO important:

Those with their eyes on discretion know how to pick and choose their battles

If you have ever sat in a meeting with a person filled with integrity, you’ve seen someone do this in live time.

They discern what is worthy of contention.

Command #6: Do not envy the violent liar (v. 31-32)

Verse 31

Don’t envy the violent

Don’t choose their ways...

...because the inheritance of their ways is JUDGMENT–regardless of what they have this life

Scene in the 1989 BATMAN movie

Batman uses this cool rope that shoots from his belt to make a quick getaway

The Joker says, “Where does he get all those wonderful toys?”

We should not be this way with the violent

“Envy” = Zeal for your neighbor’s property —>Very similar to covetousness

Envy and covetousness are spiritual diseases that act like comorbidities in the soul, feeding off each other

Evil twins that travel together

Verse 32

Bad News

The devious (who is also violent) is an abomination before God

The violent liar is abhorrent to God and without repentance will be judged–so don’t envy the position

Asaph spends the first half of Psalm 73 battling a temptation to envy the wicked

Then he worships God and remembers that He is a Judge

Psalm 73:18 ESV

Truly you set them in slippery places; you make them fall to ruin.

Proverbs 6 describes a liar as one of the 7 things God hates:

Proverbs 6:19 ESV

a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.

Might make you uncomfortable to read because you imagine God hating sin and not sinners

God hates the sinner and not just the sin because you cannot separate the two from one another

The sinner does the sin

Good News

But the Good News of the Gospel is: the hatred God has for our sin was poured out in the form of His wrath on Christ

Every sinner has the opportunity to move from wrath to love

But the unrepentant remains a child of wrath

CONTRAST that with The upright!

The repentant and believing are in God’s confidence

They have been brought in on the secret things of God

Enabled by the Spirit to understand spiritual things from His Word like:

Creation, Fall of Man, Salvation, Eternity

Election, Regeneration, Justification, Sanctification, Glorification

To have His Spirit dwelling in us producing love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control

Those who truly walk in integrity have been changed from the inside out by Good News.

The Wisdom of the Word has transformed them

They live in God’s counsel

THAT is the life you should want.

Don’t envy violent liars!

Closing Up Teaching Point #2

Have you ever been around a truly great man?

As a pastor of this church, I get to be around great men.

Serve their local church

Served their nation

Use their retirement to do disaster relief work

To keep this building held together

As a pastor, I often get to spent time with great men.

Who have started churches

Who have started mission organizations

Who lead statewide conventions

I had the pleasure of being raised by a great man.

Broke a cycle of poverty for his kids

Worked his hands to the bone

Led people around him to Jesus

The common denominator with all of them is that they live their lives with integrity.

They are who they say they are.

They really live their faith.

And they all have their eyes on sound wisdom and discretion.

If you have been around someone like that, check their eyes.

Look where they look.

A life of integrity will begin to show itself before too long

So fix your eyes on sound wisdom and discretion—a life of integrity is at stake!

3. You should keep sound wisdom and discretion because divine blessing is at stake (v. 33-35).

In these verses, the devious liar is called “wicked” (33), “mocker” (34) and “fool” (35).

Three more words to describe someone who shows no fear of God, rejects wisdom and lives for themselves

This is opposed to the “righteous” (33), “Humble” (34) and “wise” (35).

Three words to describe someone who fears God, keeps sound wisdom and discretion and is selfless toward God and others

Principle of Reciprocity is in play in each of these verses.

Principle of Reciprocity: God is giving to people what they gave to Him and others

Those who are wicked, mocking and foolish will be dealt as wicked, mocking, fools.

Those who are righteous, humble and wise are dealt with as righteous, humble and wise

Shows us there are real consequences with God on what we profess and what we practice

Those who experience divine blessing are those who have not lost track of sound wisdom and destruction

Verse 33: Wicked/Righteous

The devious liar wickedly plundered others so now God curses all the devious liar has

That which is marked by God’s curse will only terminate in wrath

It only ends in punishment unless there is repentance

The righteous man experiences the opposite

Sustenance

Security

God’s blessing

As NT believers, it is good for us to remember that there is only one way for someone to be made righteous

Can’t do it on their own

They must trust in Christ’s perfect life laid down for them as an atoning sacrifice

2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

God’s blessing comes to the house of those who have faith

When the text says dwelling it encompasses the whole home of the righteous

God’s blessing is on their whole lives

Verse 34: Scorners/Humble

Repeated in the NT–1 Peter 5:5 follows the pattern of this Proverb

1 Peter 5:5 ESV

Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

James 4:6 uses the same language as Peter as he alludes to Proverbs 3:34

OT AND NT—Biblical principle–-God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble

Those raise themselves up against God will be humbled because God will meet their mockery with mockery

Those who are bowed low are met with grace

God’s grace is like water–it flows to the lowest point

Example in Parable of Pharisee and Tax Collector (Luke 18:9-14)

Two men go to the temple to pray

One is a Pharisee

One is a tax collector

Luke 18:11–14 ESV

The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Who has favor with God?

The man who bent lower.

The man who admitted his sin.

The man who humbled himself before the Lord.

Verse 35: Wise/Fools

To understand v. 35 we must remember what Proverbs has taught us from the start:

The wise fear God

Fools hate wisdom and instruction

The devious liars are the second group

They despise wisdom...

...They get disgrace

They get shame because they chose to live shamefully

The wise inherit honor–

There is a permanent share in the reward blessing brings

The nations are the inheritance of the Son

Psalm 2:7–8 ESV

I will tell of the decree: The Lord said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession.

Quoted 2x in the NT to let us know it is about Jesus

THAT inheritance of nations is shared with those who have faith in the Son

For those with faith in THE Son are dealt with AS sons

Galatians 4:7 ESV

So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.

Two Ways of Living With Two Results

v. 33-35 present two ways of living with two different results

Tactic used OFTEN in Proverbs

How we live has real consequences now and forever

Blessing, favor, honor now and forever

Cursed, scorned and disgraced now and forever

Once you are eternally cursed, scorned and disgraced by God, it is too late

That is damnation

The stakes could not be higher.

There are two ways to live—the choice we make will echo forever in eternity.

Humble yourself before the Lord

Turn from sin and believe while there is still time

Conclusion

Are your eyes fixed on wisdom and discretion this morning?

Are you looking upon the Bible as the Word of Life?

Are you gazing upon the Christ our Wisdom, lifted up for the healing of the world?

If you have drifted into complacency or rebellion, maybe you have forgotten the stakes?

Life and security for your soul

A life of integrity

A life marked by God’s blessings

It is time to wake up to the reality of the situation at hand.

Knowing the stakes, our focus and devotion should change

Look to God’s Wisdom

Eliminate the distractions

Remove the hurdles

Follow harder after God’s Wisdom

Jewish rabbis used to say, “Be covered in my dust,” to their disciples

Follow so close to me you get dirty from the dust I kicked up

Be covered in the dust of Christ our Wisdom

He will lead you into life, security, integrity and blessings forevermore