Sermon Tone Analysis

Last week we began our pursuit of wisdom in the book of Proverbs, and we saw from the start of this book just how God truly does want us to be wise!

He doesn’t leave us to our own devices, He offers us this skill for living!

But it all begins in fearing Him, in humbling ourselves and acknowledging that He is the Lord!

We know that Solomon is the author of this first section of the book, and in v.8 we see this lovely picture that we’ll see a number of times and is common in wisdom literature of that day, of a Father instructing his son.

Encouraging him to listen to his advice and the advice of his mother!

That’s the picture that we want to have in our minds throughout this book, it’s not just a collection of wise sayings, but the counsel of a loving father to his son!

The counsel of a loving God to His chosen people!

This morning we’re jumping over to v.20, and here the wisdom that is offered is personified.

It takes the form of a woman, Lady wisdom.

And as she calls, the stakes couldn’t be hear!

Life and death are on the line!

There are some voices in life we can safely choose to ignore, like the person in the shopping center trying to sell us the Sky TV package, or the person on the phone that apparently knows you’ve been in a car crash (that you didn’t even know about), and wants to get you compensation, or the person in school who always seems to have some negative comment about you!

There are other voices though that to ignore could be costly, like the advise from a doctor concerning your health, like the instruction of a manager in work, or teacher in class.

But there are other voices that to ignore is a matter of life and death!

If you don’t listen, you don’t live!!

And that’s what we see in our passage this morning!

So let’s read it together, and allow the imagery to grab us, picture it in your mind and heart v.20-33...

Wisdom’s Passion (v.20-21)

We see in these first 2 verses just how passionate lady wisdom is to reach her audience!

This is not a picture of indifference, it’s not some apathetic, half-hearted effort to make her case!

Wisdom cries aloud, raises her voice, cries out!

She is earnest to get the attention of those around her!

Have you ever felt so passionate about something, that you’ve thrown off all restraint and cried out in earnest!

I’ve mentioned before about the time I lost Anna at Lady Dixon Park, and I ran about that place crying out at the top of my voice, ‘ANNA, ANNA!!’ I didn’t care that there were loads of people there!

It was more important that if Anna could hear me she heard me!

I didn’t even consider what others thought of me!

Do you remember Jesus in …There are some things so important restraint is thrown out!

Look also at where lady wisdom is making her passionate appeal.

in the street, in the markets, at the head of the noisy streets, at the entrance of the city gates.

She is crying out right where the rubber hits the road!

She’s fighting to be heard where the people are and in the daily hustle and bustle of life!

The market place was the place of commerce and trade in ancient Israel, it was hub of activity, the place everyone had to go to buy the essentials for life!

The city gates where the place the elders would sit and hear the cases and make their judgments.

Wisdom is not hiding away in a little bubble, She’s right at the heart of day to day life in every area!

She’s fighting to be heard right where life is unfolding!

There are 2 things that I think we need to see from this...

God offers us wisdom, He seeks to grab our attention, right in the midst of our busyness and noise!

He wants to speak to us, not just during our quiet times, not just in a church service when we sit quietly.

He is there, offering us wisdom in the office when the deadlines approach, in the home when we’ve dinner to make, washing to do, kids to care for, in school when we’ve exams coming up and home-works to do, in the car when we’re cut off by that driver and we’re late for an appointment!

God is not absent in those moments, He’s not silent!

He fights for our attention in the madness of life!

Listen for Him!

I think the main way the people of Israel would have understood this, and the main way we can practice it is through meditation on Scripture…This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it.

For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

Just as wisdom passionately cries out, and goes to where the people are, shouldn’t we do the seem as we offer a lost world the One in whom all wisdom is found!

Not waiting for people to come to us, but going to them, and earnestly offering them life!

Joining the local football team, the local book club, the local gym, the local slimming world, not mainly for those things, but rather because that’s where the people are, and they need the gospel!!

Notice Wisdom’s passion.

Wisdom’s Promise (v.22-23)

It seems that lady wisdom here has been calling for some time!

She’s been standing in the streets passionately crying out but those who pass by love their ignorance!

The simple love being simple, the scoffer delights in their scoffing!

And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil...

But look what is promised if we will hear, if we will listen…v.23...

If those listening will turn, if they will repent!

There’s still a chance, there’s still opportunity for the simple to make a wise choice!

If they’ll turn from the road their walking, and go in the direction of wisdom, more will be given to them!

And we see the reality of that in life don’t we? Bad choices tend to lead to bad choices!

Sin always seeks to lead us into further sin!

It’s like a vicious circle that is hard to break from!

Whereas good choices lead us in paths of righteousness!

As we choose wisdom, wisdom makes itself known to us.

There’s a beautiful picture of this in , But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day.

Wisdom is not a one time decision, it’s something that the more we embrace, the more it becomes part of us!

The more we listen and submit to God’s Word, the more that Word actually begins to transform us!

It doesn’t just answer our questions, it shapes how we even ask the question in the first place!

I don’t know if there are many spider-man fans here, but if there are, you’ll be familiar with one of his enemies Venom.

There’s this black substance that once someone embraces it, it begins to alter who they are.

It doesn’t just enable them to do certain amazing things, it actually starts to change the very things they want to do!

God has promised, if we’ll listen, if we’ll turn at His words of Wisdom, then will continue to grow in it, to know more of it in our lives!

And isn’t that the picture of the Christian life!

When we first hear the gospel, when we first repent, turn from living as though we are god, and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord of all, then it’s not just a one time act!

Rather God’s Spirit comes and dwells in us, He begins not just to enable us to live a life pleasing to Him, He actually changes our hearts so we want to live that life, we desire to please Him, the more we submit, the more we want to submit!

It’s called sanctification!

And the work continues until we get to glory!

Wisdom’s Promise

Wisdom’s Punishment (v.24-32)

The wisdom that is offered is not an open ended deal.

As this father instructs his son, he wants him to see there is only so long that it’s voice will be heard, only so long that it’s hand will be stretched out for grasping!

And if the offer is ignored, the outcome is disaster!

That’s the picture we see here with lady wisdom, these simple ones that she has been crying out to have continued in their hard hardheartedness, they’ve continued to cover their ears,

Just like you’d see a child when they don’t want to listen to the instruction of their parent!

And look at Wisdom’s response…v.26-27...

As one writer says, this isn’t a laugh expressing heartlessness, but rather a laugh as you consider the absurdity of choosing folly.

Imagine it…someone sits on death row, guilty of countless crimes, and throughout their sentence leading up to that day, there is an offer on the table, turn to me and your guilt will be removed, your punishment taken, you will be freed, you’ll be given life, peace, joy, fullness.

And the person turns their head in defiance!

It gets to the point where when the distress comes, wisdom’s response is mockery!

You fool, you deserve what you now face!

The storm clouds are gathering, the tornado is about to hit, there’s no avoiding it, there’s no place to hide!

And when it does, they’re on their own!

Even though they’ll then want wisdom, it’s too late!

Lady wisdom has long since left, they had their chance, they heard the persistent cries, but they did not choose the fear of the Lord.

They believed the Lord to be irrelevant, His Words to be unimportant!

Like we heard last week, these people missed the starting point of it all, they failed to recognise who it was speaking, and thought their own way was more trustworthy!

So they’re left on that way, v.31-32...

The words of Paul in come to mind....

For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever!

Amen...