Sunday Service 2-24-19 - Prov 3:1-8 Let Not Steadfast Love and Faithfulness Forsake Us

Proverbs 3 & 4 [Trust in the Lord with All Your Heart] [3:1] My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments, [2] for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you. [3] Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. [4] So you will find favor and good success[f1] in the sight of God and man. V1: Command. Not just don’t forget/lose it, but rather keep it, preserve it, watch over it, observe it. V2: Reward. Length of days = quantity. Years of life = quality (add years to your life and life to your years). Peace = shalom = satisfaction, completeness, finished, salvation. V3: Command: God’s covenant characteristics. (Ex 34:6 The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness) Is this saying not to let these things forsake you, ie to not let God forsake you? Or is it saying for you not to forsake these things, ie not to forsake God? It seems to be the former… Interesting wording/word play. So, don’t let God forsake you because you can’t manufacture these things. These things manufacture you. Bind God around your neck, write his character on the tablet of my heart. This is as regards God and man and is inseparable. GOSPEL 1.0: He didn’t forsake us – he came to us, he bound us to his neck and wrote us on his hands/heart. GOSPEL 2.0: He gave us a new heart and wrote his law on it, he became for us wisdom from God, he makes it possible for us to be wise directly as a gift from God (Jer 31/33?). He also tears down the wall of hostility among us, among those who come to Christ, and gives us a ministry of reconciliation to the world, so that we can then truly embody his character and love of God and man from the heart, always carrying Him with us by the our name – Christian. V4: Reward: This carries with it a reciprocal reward. GOSPEL 1-2: Jesus exemplified this: Luke 2:52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man. By His Spirit within us, by His resurrection power we are also raised from sin, from cursed relationships, from alienation from God and from one another – we are now able to know and to experience and to give and live in true love of God and fellow man. The Gospel frees us from obsession with self-gratification and self-idolatry to exalt others above ourselves, to obey the word of the NT in actually considering others as more important than ourselves. The benefits from this are great – not only in the favor we gain in God’s sight and man’s sight, but as the next few verses explain, in becoming whole in our own character and in our soul. Spurgeon: God would have his people wise. There is no credit in being a fool, even if you have the grace of God in your heart. To me it seems a duty to make as much of myself as I can, since I am a servant of the Lord: I do not want everybody to think that all my Lord's children are short of wit. [5] Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. [6] In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. [7] Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil. [8] It will be healing to your flesh[f2] and refreshment[f3] to your bones. [9] Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; [10] then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine. [11] My son, do not despise the LORD's discipline or be weary of his reproof, [12] for the LORD reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights. How do we not let love and faithfulness forsake us? (Remember theme of Proverbs) V5: Command: YHWH’s name 5 times in 5-12. Actively, consciously trusting him with our entire being. Actively, consciously not relying on our own faculties – intellect, judgment, strength, skill, etc. “I am not wise enough, smart enough, strong enough, skilled enough to succeed.” I will trust God and His word over my own inclinations, my own natural tendencies and desires, my own judgements, my own strength and ability to do good is subservient to His plans (contra Jacob/Laban/Rachel). V9: chance to talk practically about money. V10: straight forward promise of wealth and prosperity. V11: in contrast to verse 10, 2 great tests – abundance and difficulty V12: all whom the LORD loves are disciplined. [Blessed Is the One Who Finds Wisdom] [13] Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding, [14] for the gain from her is better than gain from silver and her profit better than gold. [15] She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her. [16] Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. [17] Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. [18] She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her; those who hold her fast are called blessed. V13: “adam” used twice (rare and surprising) could call Eden to mind (also wisdom is “tree of life” in V18). He chased it himself, he didn’t trust God, but leaned on his own understanding. Did not “know/acknowledge” God in this act, and thus his path was not straight, but was instead made crooked (bent – who can straighten it?). V14-18: what must this wisdom be to be spoken of so? She sounds like God, like heaven, like IT, as if there is nothing else. Not only her gain and profit, but simply her, in and of herself (V15) apart from her benefits. She is her own benefit. To possess wisdom is of itself its own reward. To be wise is better than all the benefits that flow from it – your character, your being, your essence, your soul is of more significance than all that the universe has for you – and, not to mention, all that the universe has for you will only come to you by wisdom as well, by your becoming wise. The Gospel party, the wisdom party, the holiness party! Gospel 1.0 and 2.0, crucifixion and resurrection! How this has happened in my life. What is my experience/testimony with this word? [19] The LORD by wisdom founded the earth; by understanding he established the heavens; [20] by his knowledge the deeps broke open, and the clouds drop down the dew. [21] My son, do not lose sight of these— keep sound wisdom and discretion, [22] and they will be life for your soul and adornment for your neck. [23] Then you will walk on your way securely, and your foot will not stumble. [24] If you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. [25] Do not be afraid of sudden terror or of the ruin[f4] of the wicked, when it comes, [26] for the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught. [27] Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,[f5] when it is in your power to do it. [28] Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come again, tomorrow I will give it”—when you have it with you. [29] Do not plan evil against your neighbor, who dwells trustingly beside you. [30] Do not contend with a man for no reason, when he has done you no harm. [31] Do not envy a man of violence and do not choose any of his ways, [32] for the devious person is an abomination to the LORD, but the upright are in his confidence. [33] The LORD's curse is on the house of the wicked, but he blesses the dwelling of the righteous. [34] Toward the scorners he is scornful, but to the humble he gives favor.[f6] [35] The wise will inherit honor, but fools get[f7] disgrace. [A Father's Wise Instruction] [4:1] Hear, O sons, a father's instruction, and be attentive, that you may gain[f8] insight, [2] for I give you good precepts; do not forsake my teaching. [3] When I was a son with my father, tender, the only one in the sight of my mother, [4] he taught me and said to me, “Let your heart hold fast my words; keep my commandments, and live. [5] Get wisdom; get insight; do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth. [6] Do not forsake her, and she will keep you; love her, and she will guard you. [7] The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight. [8] Prize her highly, and she will exalt you; she will honor you if you embrace her. [9] She will place on your head a graceful garland; she will bestow on you a beautiful crown.” [10] Hear, my son, and accept my words, that the years of your life may be many. [11] I have taught you the way of wisdom; I have led you in the paths of uprightness. [12] When you walk, your step will not be hampered, and if you run, you will not stumble. [13] Keep hold of instruction; do not let go; guard her, for she is your life. [14] Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of the evil. [15] Avoid it; do not go on it; turn away from it and pass on. [16] For they cannot sleep unless they have done wrong; they are robbed of sleep unless they have made someone stumble. [17] For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence. [18] But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day. [19] The way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know over what they stumble. [20] My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. [21] Let them not escape from your sight; keep them within your heart. [22] For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their[f9] flesh. [23] Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. [24] Put away from you crooked speech, and put devious talk far from you. [25] Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you. [26] Ponder[f10] the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure. [27] Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil. [Footnotes] ======================================================= [1] 3:4 Or repute [2] 3:8 Hebrew navel [3] 3:8 Or medicine [4] 3:25 Hebrew storm [5] 3:27 Hebrew Do not withhold good from its owners [6] 3:34 Or grace [7] 3:35 The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain [8] 4:1 Hebrew know [9] 4:22 Hebrew his [10] 4:26 Or Make level