Wise Man's Ignorance
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
[Illus] My friend Casey and I were registering for classes in college when I noticed that he was looking at me like he was going to kill me. Then I noticed that he was looking at everyone like that. Soon, however, his faced changed to a more pleasant expression. We registered for the classes and then later I asked him what he was so mad about. To my surprise, he said he wasn’t mad but confused. He didn’t understand where he was supposed to go register for the classes he wanted but once he understood where he was supposed to go and what he was supposed to do, he was fine. He wasn’t confused anymore. He understood, and once he did his face went from a stern look of confusion to beaming with understanding.
Solomon tells us in that God’s wisdom can take us from confusion to understanding, from stern to beaming, if we are patient to wait on God’s wisdom.
However, God has not revealed all of His wisdom to us, so there will still be things that confuse us; things in which we will still have to trust that the Lord is all-wise even though we are not.
Major Ideas
Major Ideas
The Benefit of Wisdom (vv. 1-5).
The Benefit of Wisdom (vv. 1-5).
Wisdom is a survival tool. Solomon knows that it is good for someone in the king’s court to obey the king’s command (v. 2). It will do a righteous person no physical good to make stand for what’s right when the king has decided to do wrong (or evil) for the king is the king and he does whatever he pleases (v. 3). His word is supreme. It is law. And who can say to him as a mother to her children, “What are you doing?” (v. 4). Only a very brave and very wise person could speak to the king in such a way. Although whoever keeps the king’s command will not be the target of the king’s evil, wisdom will reveal the right stand to take and the right way to make it (v. 5).
This past Sunday morning we reading in where the pagan Aramean, Naaman, was healed of his leprosy by the man of God, the prophet Elisha. After Naaman was healed he told Elisha that he would “no longer offer burnt offering nor (would) he sacrifice to other gods, but (only) to the Lord,” (). He then asks Elisha this question in , “…when my master (the King of Aram) goes in the house of Rimmon (a false god) to worship there, and he leans on my hand and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, when I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, (will) the Lord pardon your servant in this matter?”
In the next verse, Elisha says, “Go in peace,” which seems to mean, “Yes, God will pardon you as you bow down to Rimmon as a part of your work with the King of Aram.”
We can debate whether Elisha was right to tell Naaman to, “Go in peace,” but the point I want to make is that Naaman immediately saw that there would likely come a time when he had to choose between serving the king and doing what was right before God. The question Naaman was concerned with was, “When does faithfulness to the king become unfaithfulness to God?”
The answer was not so clear to Naaman, and it was not so clear to Solomon here in .
Q: Have you ever faced a situation in which you didn’t know what the wise thing was? How do you move forward in a situation like that?
[App] These kinds of situations don’t always involve a king who may do us harm if we say the wrong thing or speak up against something that he thinks is a good idea. For us, these situations more commonly involve a loved one who has chosen a rebellious path in life and we are wondering when’s the right time to say something. We are also wondering what the right thing to say is and what our tone should be.
The answers to these questions are not always clear. If we choose the wrong time, the wrong message, or the wrong tone, our lost loved one may decide to have nothing else to do with us. But we are not left without hope, as says, “the wise heart will know the proper time and the just way.”
We gain wisdom for these uncertain moments through mediation on God’s Word, through prayer, and through the wisdom of godly counselors. Once we have pursued wisdom in these ways, we trust God to show us the right time, the right message, and the right words. And we want to be sure that we wait on the Lord instead of rushing to say something before the time is right.
[App] Proverbs tells us that a wise answer at the right time is a joyous good, but a rash or foolish answer is a path to destruction.
Proverbs tells us that a wise answer at the right time is a joyous good, but a rash or foolish answer is a path to destruction.
The wisdom of the prudent is to discern his way, but the folly of fools is deceiving.
To make an apt answer is a joy to a man, and a word in season, how good it is!
Jesus told us in ...
“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles. When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
Matthew 10:16
There are two things we should especially notice: (1) In v. 16 we are called to operate with wisdom in this dangerous world, and (2) in vv. 19-20 we are told to not worry about what we’ll say if the danger comes close—God the Holy Spirit will be speaking through us.
Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him in his words. And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone’s opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances. Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” When they heard it, they marveled. And they left him and went away.
[Illus] Jesus was also the Master of knowing when to avoid a conflict and when it was time to make a stand.
The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him. Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the sea, and a great crowd followed, from Galilee and Judea
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When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.
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[App] Jesus tells us that we will have to use godly wisdom to know when it’s time to keep quiet or when it’s time to speak up as we live in this dangerous world.
“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.
;
We can use wisdom to survive in this world, but we cannot use wisdom to solve this world.
The Limitations of Wisdom (vv. 5-9)
The Limitations of Wisdom (vv. 5-9)
[Exp] The wise hear will know the proper time and the just way to make a stand for what’s right, but not knowing that time and way is a troubling or miserable experience. (vv. 5-6). Added to that anxiety is the added worry of not knowing what will happen after we’ve made our stand. In Solomon’s words, “…who can tell (us) how it will be?” (v. 7). Perhaps the king will kill the one who stands against his evil plan. If so, the one taking the stand is not assured that he will be saved. He surely cannot save himself. No man can keep his spirit from departing his body. No man has power over the day of his death (v. 8a). Even so, we cannot avoid the battle even if in God’s will we are called to die at the hands of the wicked (v. 8b).
Q: Can you think of biblical examples of people taking a stand against evil and being saved from death? Can you think of biblical examples of people taking a stand against evil and being killed as a result?
[App] We might think of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego who were saved from a blazing furnace. We might think of Daniel who was saved from the den of lions. We might think of Esther who was saved from the sword as King Ahasuerus extended his scepter toward her permitting her to come into his presence unannounced.
But we should also think of Stephen in who was stoned to death for preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Sometimes taking a stand for what’s right means paying with our lives.
Even so, this is the battle that we are in and we cannot run from it. Nor should we. Jesus has given us encouragement in the face of possible death. Back in he says to us...
Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
Matthew 10:21-
And then he says in ...
And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.
We may not always know the right time, the right message, or the right tone, but when the Spirit demands we make our stand, God will give us the strength to endure the consequences. And He has promised that even if we die, we will live in eternity with Him.
The Insights of Wisdom (vv. 10-15)
The Insights of Wisdom (vv. 10-15)
[Exp] In a wicked king’s court, wicked men will do wickedly and be praised for it. In death, they will be treated as honorable even if they’ve committed acts of evil in the temple itself—i.e., the holy place. This praise is, however, empty. It is vanity (v. 10).
How did wickedness become so commonplace and even celebrated? Verse 11 tells us, “Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil.” Delayed obedience is disobedience, and delayed punishment is an encouragement to wickedness. However, even is a man commits a hundred acts of wickedness and gets away with it, it will be better (or well) for those who fear God (v. 12). But it will not be well for the wicked, and the wicked man hasn’t gotten away with anything (not even for the shadow of a moment) because he does not fear God (v. 13).
[Exp] Solomon mentions another vanity in v. 14—the vanity of the righteous being treated like the wicked and the wicked being treated as the righteous should be treated. In a sin-cursed world, the wicked are praised and the righteous are punished. This is another emptiness, another vanity.
Q: How do we see the wicked praised and the righteous punished in our world today?
[Illus] I recently read a story about a man who was preaching on the street in a public area of London, I believe. He is a brother in Christ. He was preaching the good news of God’s grace in Jesus Christ. He was acting righteously. And he was also arrested and taken to jail.
Thankfully, he was later released, the police department paid out a bit of money for the wrongful arrest. But even so its an example of the righteous being treated like the wicked. It is the wicked who should be arrested and sentenced, not those who believe, live, or preach the Gospel.
[App] But Solomon’s counsel is not to get worked up about unjust treatment. There is a time and a way to stand up for those mistreated, but most of the time it is best to just “eat and drink and be joyful, for this will go with (us) in (our) toil through the days of (our lives) that God has given (us) under the sun,” (v. 15).
We should pray for the persecuted and speak up on their behalf as God gives us opportunity, but until Jesus returns there will always be persecution.
Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
Matthew 10:21
How do we endure to the end? We keep praying and thinking on God’s Word, trusting God’s timing and God’s wisdom, and “whether we eat or drink, or whatever (we) do, (we) do all to the glory of God,” ().
There will be days on which we have to take our stand and God’s wisdom will lead us on those days, but eating and drinking and being joyful we can do everyday as we wait, as we endure.
Conclusion
Conclusion
The Conclusion of Wisdom (vv. 16-17).
The Conclusion of Wisdom (vv. 16-17).
[Exp] In the end, wise as he was, Solomon couldn’t figure out how to make sense of injustice in the world. Wicked kings force their wickedness on others. Those who stand against such wickedness may pay with their lives. The wicked are praised while the righteous are punished. How does any of this makes sense? How can any of it be solved?
Here Solomon admits to his limited vision. Three times in these two verses he says, “man cannot find out,” “he will not find it out,” “he cannot find it out.” This is meant to contrast with v. 1, which asks, “Who is like the wise? And who knows the interpretation of a thing?” The assumed answer is, “No one is like the wise who know the interpretation of a thing,” but not even the wise know what God’s knows.
Only God knows how every wicked king’s command, every uncertain outcome, every injustice committed against the righteous works together for the good of those that love God and fear Him alone. Fortunately, God has walked among us in the flesh, and He has told us much more fully how, in the end, it will be much better for the righteous.
Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.
The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind. When it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into containers but threw away the bad. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
When Christ returns this upside down world will be made right side up. The wicked will be punished and those made righteous by the blood of Christ will be rewarded. Until then we trust God and trust His wisdom to lead us.
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[Illus] Jesus was the Master at giving a wise answer in tense situations.
Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him in his words. And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone’s opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances. Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” When they heard it, they marveled. And they left him and went away.
Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him in his words. And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone’s opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances. Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” When they heard it, they marveled. And they left him and went away.
[Illus] Jesus was also the Master of knowing when to avoid a conflict and when it was time to make a stand.
[Illus] Jesus was also the Master of knowing when to avoid a conflict and when it was time to make a stand.
The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him. Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the sea, and a great crowd followed, from Galilee and Judea
The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him. Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the sea, and a great crowd followed, from Galilee and Judea
When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.
When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.
[App] Jesus tells us that we will have to use godly wisdom to know when it’s time to keep quiet or when it’s time to speak up as we live in this dangerous world.
[App] Jesus tells us that we will have to use godly wisdom to know when it’s time to keep quiet or when it’s time to speak up as we live in this dangerous world.
“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.
“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.
We can use wisdom to survive in this world, but we cannot use wisdom to solve this world.
We can use wisdom to survive in this world, but we cannot use wisdom to solve this world.