Growing in Wisdom Part 2

Proverbs 2:9–11 ESV

9 Then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity, every good path; 10 for wisdom will come into your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul; 11 discretion will watch over you, understanding will guard you,

We have been spending a few weeks in the book of Proverbs. And what the wise Hebrew sages teach us is “How to live well in the world.” We began the mini-series looking at select Proverbs that dealt with our words and the power that each of us contain in the way we use our words.

Last week, we began walking through one of the ten father-son talks. In that conversation the father (King Solomon) is pressing his son to put the obtaining of Divine wisdom high on the value chart. Your attitude must be one of intentionality and desperation. You must go hard after Divine wisdom. And when you are pursuing God’s wisdom, he says:

Proverbs 2:7–8 ESV

7 he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity, 8 guarding the paths of justice and watching over the way of his saints.

Proverbs 2:5 ESV

5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.

Prov 2:7

This is the very Jewish dynamic duo that is presented in the OT, it is the combination of awe and intimacy. As a reward for pursuing Divine wisdom, you will develop a healthy fear, an awe-inspiring reverence for YHWH and because you’re seeking and searching he says, you will find the knowledge of God.

In other words, when you’re pursuing Divine wisdom, you will discover intimacy with God, a deep and abiding relationship with the LORD of all and the fruit of that deep abiding relationship with YHWH is that you will gain wisdom and the cycle literally continues to repeat itself. And the longer you are seeking and searching the deeper your relationship becomes with God and the more of His wisdom you possess.

Proverbs 2:6–8 ESV

6 For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; 7 he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity, 8 guarding the paths of justice and watching over the way of his saints.

Wisdom (then) is the Divine resource we all desperately need in order to live well in this broken world.

What we’re going to see this morning (as we continue to walk through this father-son talk), are the other benefits to the intentional and desperate pursuit of Divine wisdom. The first is found in verse 5 (awe and intimacy with God) and the second begins in verse 9

Proverbs 2:9–11 ESV

9 Then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity, every good path; 10 for wisdom will come into your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul; 11 discretion will watch over you, understanding will guard you,

Prov 2:9-

This is quite the find. You will understand righteousness and justice and equity, every good path… In other words he’s using good moral sensitivity (a strong conscience) as a motive for seeking and searching for Divine wisdom. These three terms are relational terms. This is the second time King Solomon uses them as an ethical trio...

Two phrases stick out to me, wisdom coming into your heart and knowledge being pleasant to the soul

Two phrases stick out to me, wisdom coming into your heart and knowledge being pleasant to the soulThis intentional and desperate pursuit will not just shock us in the intellect although it willThis intentional and desperate pursuit will touch us in the heart and reorder our loveDavid experienced this, see if you can catch the irony

This intentional and desperate pursuit will not just shock us in the intellect although it will

This intentional and desperate pursuit will touch us in the heart and reorder our love

David experienced this, see if you can catch the irony

Psalm 119:97–104 ESV97 Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day. 98 Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies, for it is ever with me. 99 I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation. 100 I understand more than the aged, for I keep your precepts. 101 I hold back my feet from every evil way, in order to keep your word. 102 I do not turn aside from your rules, for you have taught me. 103 How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! 104 Through your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way.

ESV97 Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day. 98 Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies, for it is ever with me. 99 I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation. 100 I understand more than the aged, for I keep your precepts. 101 I hold back my feet from every evil way, in order to keep your word. 102 I do not turn aside from your rules, for you have taught me. 103 How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! 104 Through your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way.

Hyperlinks back to

Do you see the irony? And the similarity?The irony is that God’s law is often looked at like a grueling set of restrictionsDavid delights in them, meditates upon them, they’re sweeter than honey to himHow? In David’s pursuit of the LORD, he found that he was transformed from the inside outIs it possible for a knowledgable person to be a caring and compassionate person?Knowledge puffs upThe difference is Divine wisdomThere are two primary life threatening temptations that are waiting for everyone - the way of men of perverted speech and the forbidden woman

Righteousness - conforming or adhering to the expectations of a relationship

Proverbs 2:12–15 ESV12 delivering you from the way of evil, from men of perverted speech, 13 who forsake the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness, 14 who rejoice in doing evil and delight in the perverseness of evil, 15 men whose paths are crooked, and who are devious in their ways.

ESV12 delivering you from the way of evil, from men of perverted speech, 13 who forsake the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness, 14 who rejoice in doing evil and delight in the perverseness of evil, 15 men whose paths are crooked, and who are devious in their ways.

Between the variety of relationships in life

Between a husband and a wife

Between parents and children

Between covenant partners in a faith community (church)

Between employer and employee

Between members of a society (laws)

Proverbs 29:2 ESV

2 When the righteous increase, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, the people groan.

Prov

A marriage, a church, a society where the people who can be trusted increase, there is rejoicing. We know deep inside that righteousness is a part of what it means to be made in the Image of God.

Justice - “Divinely righteous action, whether taken by humanity or God, that promotes equality among humanity.” Lexham Bible Dictionary

Proverbs 17:23 ESV

The wicked accepts a bribe in secret to pervert the ways of justice.

Use your imagination - a judge is paid off to tip the scales so the guilty is seen as innocent and the innocent is charged unjustly

In equity is using a privilege to benefit one person over another; Jesus called out the Pharisees for this behavior in Matthew 23

Isaiah 1:17 ESV

learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause.

Justice isn’t just something that we are just to be aware of and even hope for, it’s something to seek for the benefit of others

Equity - that which is smooth and straight.

It’s only used twice in the Proverbs and we’ve just read both of them

It’s used throughout the OT in the context of the way YHWH as King rules over the nations

Psalm 67:4 ESV

Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth. Selah

Inequity is using a privilege to benefit one person over another; Jesus called out the Pharisees for this behavior in

So in addition to awe and intimacy with God himself, this trio of righteousness, justice, and equity are given to those who pursuit after Divine Wisdom. And you might even be wondering, why do I need to be able to discern and understand these?

Church you’ve all figured out by now, that living in the world is hard; living well in the world, is a daily challenge. We must have God’s wisdom! Politics, child-rearing, business ventures, friendships they all are so difficult to discern. We can’t punt the ball husbands and wives, moms and dads, church members, Sacramento...

I hope that we will cry out for wisdom before we just look for the (R) next to a politicians name this election

So how does this happen? From a functional perspective, you are humbling yourself, having an open ear and heart to God’s Word, you then experience awe and intimacy with God (gratitude)...

Proverbs 2:10 ESV

for wisdom will come into your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul;

And as you take the time to consider right paths and right choices, you choose righteousness, justice, and equity in your relationships. Wisdom is in your heart, knowledge is pleasant to your soul. You come to the place where, like the Psalmist, you come to the Scriptures and instead of it being a mere ritual or even a drudgery, you say:

Psalm 119:97–104 ESV

Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day. Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies, for it is ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the aged, for I keep your precepts. I hold back my feet from every evil way, in order to keep your word. I do not turn aside from your rules, for you have taught me. How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Through your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way.

Ps 119:

This father-son talk has a path. Dad prepared this talk to go somewhere. He has two specific types of people that he knows if his son has wisdom, he will be able to withstand when the temptation to walk the easy, yet dark path show up. Who are these people and how will wisdom protect us from these types of people?

Proverbs 2:11 ESV

discretion will watch over you, understanding will guard you,

Proverbs 2:11–15 ESV

discretion will watch over you, understanding will guard you, delivering you from the way of evil, from men of perverted speech, who forsake the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness, who rejoice in doing evil and delight in the perverseness of evil, men whose paths are crooked, and who are devious in their ways.

Prov 2:11

These are categories that we are to be on the lookout forPerverted speech is not limited to “profanity” or “dirty jokes”They forsake the paths of uprightness, walk in darkness, rejoice in doing evil, etc...The goal of the tempter is not hidden, the men of perverted speech openly use their words to convince you to believe that the way of darkness/doing evil is not all that badThis “Inner Ring” makes you feel like you’re in controlYou deserve thisYou gotta do what is best for youThis is the party scene where peer pressure to do wrong is high, people are shouting your nameBeing intentional and desperate for God’s wisdom will make our antennas go up and discern what is true and pureDivine wisdom will also protect you from another temptation, dad warns against the forbidden woman

“Perverted speech” is not limited to “profanity” or “dirty jokes”

Perverted speech is not limited to “profanity” or “dirty jokes”

The category of the wicked man is a person who is not outside of the covenant community. He’s not talking about not hanging out with the Babylonians. This person has forsaken the paths of uprightness in order to walk in the ways of darkness. The wicked man is the person or people who have made a deliberate choice to flip YHWH’s clear ways of righteousness, justice, and equity upside down.

The difficulty here is that their speech is crooked, meaning that it has the initial appearance of straightness, but when the advice or speech is given is actually a perversion of what is good.

This is why we must be good stewards of God’s word and interpreting it using sound methods of interpretation.

Listen carefully to politicians, preachers, and author is there a consistency with God’s nature in their words?

This “Inner Ring” makes you feel like you’re in control

You deserve this

You gotta do what is best for you

This is the party scene where peer pressure to do wrong is high, people are shouting your name

Being intentional and desperate for God’s wisdom will make our antennas go up and discern what is true and pure

Divine wisdom will also protect you from another temptation, dad warns against the forbidden woman

Proverbs 2:16–19 ESV

So you will be delivered from the forbidden woman, from the adulteress with her smooth words, who forsakes the companion of her youth and forgets the covenant of her God; for her house sinks down to death, and her paths to the departed; none who go to her come back, nor do they regain the paths of life.

King Solomon portrays these two temptations using poetic imageryThe first warning is against those who use speech that appears to be straight, but after further review it is crookedThis second warning is against the allure of the smooth words to do what is evilThis is the close friend who effortlessly guides you to the same destructive decision that the men of perverse speech guide youBut this person makes it all seem innocent and they’re not going to plainly tell you to cheat, steal, or lie, but the innuendos and suggestive words are very clear

King Solomon portrays these two temptations using poetic imagery

The first warning is against those who use speech that appears to be straight, but after further review it is crooked

This second warning is against the allure of the smooth words to do what is evil

This is the close friend who effortlessly guides you to the same destructive decision that the men of perverse speech guide you

But this person makes it all seem innocent and they’re not going to plainly tell you to cheat, steal, or lie, but the innuendos and suggestive words are very clear

Cheating on taxes in order to get a bigger return to take a family vacation

They know how to use body language to appear genuine and honestHow do you think politicians are convinced to change their vote at the last minute?Why do certain companies commit to partnering with a unsuspecting companiesThe forbidden woman has sold her soul to the devil, forsaken her husband, her covenant with God and is going to spend her life convincing others to do the sameThe wise father is going to close by encouraging his son with good news. For a little while it can feel like obtaining wisdom is only for avoiding sin, but it’s much more than that...

They know how to use body language to appear genuine and honest

How do you think politicians are convinced to change their vote at the last minute?Why do certain companies commit to partnering with a unsuspecting companies

The forbidden woman has sold her soul to the devil, forsaken her husband, her covenant with God and is going to spend her life convincing others to do the same

The wise father is going to close by encouraging his son with good news. For a little while it can feel like obtaining wisdom is only for avoiding sin, but it’s much more than that...

Proverbs 2:20–22 ESV20 So you will walk in the way of the good and keep to the paths of the righteous. 21 For the upright will inhabit the land, and those with integrity will remain in it, 22 but the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the treacherous will be rooted out of it.

ESV20 So you will walk in the way of the good and keep to the paths of the righteous. 21 For the upright will inhabit the land, and those with integrity will remain in it, 22 but the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the treacherous will be rooted out of it.

Proverbs 2:20–22 ESV

So you will walk in the way of the good and keep to the paths of the righteous. For the upright will inhabit the land, and those with integrity will remain in it, but the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the treacherous will be rooted out of it.

When wisdom has come into our hearts because of an intentional and desperate seeking of God’s Divine Wisdom, we’re rescued from evil, but we will also come find goodness and beautyThe goodness of relationshipsIt’s difficult to find friendships that are meaningful and where you’re not being usedPrioritize your pursuit of God’s wisdom and you’ll find that there are a handful of others who are also pursuing God’s wisdom and those relationships can be very meaningfulThe goodness of abiding in ChristThe land was more than just a plot of dirt, it was a promise that God would dwell with his people and they would dwell with their GodIt was pointing the people of God back to the Garden of EdenIt’s not different for usEven in the midst of an ugly world, we find hope in the truth that

When wisdom has come into our hearts because of an intentional and desperate seeking of God’s Divine Wisdom, we’re rescued from evil, but we will also come find goodness and beauty

The goodness of relationships

It’s difficult to find friendships that are meaningful and where you’re not being used

Prioritize your pursuit of God’s wisdom and you’ll find that there are a handful of others who are also pursuing God’s wisdom and those relationships can be very meaningful

The goodness of abiding in Christ

The land was more than just a plot of dirt, it was a promise that God would dwell with his people and they would dwell with their GodIt was pointing the people of God back to the Garden of Eden

It’s not different for us

Even in the midst of an ugly world, we find hope in the truth that

John 15:7 ESV7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

ESV7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

John 15:7 ESV

If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

Now that is a promise to chew onWhat is it that you will ask the all-sufficient Savior for?Will you call out for insight?Will you raise your voice for understanding?He is ready and willing to receive our cries and give to us Divine Wisdom

Now that is a promise to chew onWhat is it that you will ask the all-sufficient Savior for?

Will you call out for insight?

Will you raise your voice for understanding?

He is ready and willing to receive our cries and give to us Divine Wisdom

Growing in Wisdom Part 2

Review:

Introduction:

Men of Perverted Speech

The Wicked Man

The Forbidden Woman

The Forbidden Woman