Wisdom Series X

“Living a Lifestyle Based on Godly Wisdom”

Godly wisdom will often require you to do something or handle a situation in a way, that others may say…this doesn’t make since?

Isaac - Sowing his seed in a famine (no one else seemed to be doing that)

Joseph - Governing a nation and the business affairs of the whole region without an MBA, without the aid of family members to mentor him in business. HE didn’t have an uncle who let him work at wall street…He didn’t have an aunt who set him up with a internship in her fortune 500 company ..... He spent a lot of time in incarcerated....He was a slave

What was the thing that stood out for you when we looked at how he handled a famine …a crisis…when folk were losing their property (land), their cattle, and their money?

What do you think, would have happened if he took some of the suggestions that people offered ?

If he gave them corn, they would have eaten it and Died!…Eaten it and Died.

Here’s what most people will do?

1 Kings 17:2–7 AV

2 And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, 3 Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. 4 And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there. 5 So he went and did according unto the word of the LORD: for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. 6 And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook. 7 And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.

He is has now dried up....What is he going to do?...

1 Kings 17:8–12 AV

8 And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, 9 Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee. 10 So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink. 11 And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand. 12 And she said, As the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.

1 Kings 17:13–16 AV

13 And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son. 14 For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth. 15 And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days. 16 And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Elijah.

Man’s wisdom says “ Fool, don’t give you last to a stranger....what are you going to have left if you give your last?”

Without: You’ll look at a bleak situation and make plans to die!!!

With Wisdom: You can look a dead situation in the Eye…and regardless of what this looks like…God has a future for me

Proverbs 4:5–6 AV

5 Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth. 6 Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee.

What a Difference Godly Wisdom makes

Our Plans Vs. Joseph Plans

Creates a culture where people walk around with the idea that someone owes them something

Always looking for the hand out

It teaches people to be selfish…and not generous

Have you ever stop to think of what happens to a person, that you just give things to…over and ever again…what happens when you run out...

Now they get upset

They harm you

They might steal from you..you see that someone else it..and you want it so bad that you steal

They might damage your property

There are no opportunities for me

You Can Not Choose to Follow the Crowd and Be a Godly Leader at the same.

Wisdom is one the the unique qualities that are present in those who lead for God.

Some of else couldn’t be effective leaders because its hard for us to not follow the crowd.

Acts 6:1–3 AV

1 And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration. 2 Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables. 3 Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.

Deuteronomy 34:9 AV

9 And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom; for Moses had laid his hands upon him: and the children of Israel hearkened unto him, and did as the LORD commanded Moses.

Case Study For David and Nabal

1 Samuel 25:2–3 AV

2 And there was a man in Maon, whose possessions were in Carmel; and the man was very great, and he had three thousand sheep, and a thousand goats: and he was shearing his sheep in Carmel. 3 Now the name of the man was Nabal; and the name of his wife Abigail: and she was a woman of good understanding, and of a beautiful countenance: but the man was churlish and evil in his doings; and he was of the house of Caleb.

Man:

Wealthy

3000 Sheep

1000 Goats

Churlish and Evil

Mean, Stubborn, harsh, cruel, difficult, dishonest

Married

Woman:

“Good Understanding”: Rational thinker, prudent, and wise

Beautiful

Why did she marry a man like this?

1 Samuel 25:4–9 AV

4 And David heard in the wilderness that Nabal did shear his sheep. 5 And David sent out ten young men, and David said unto the young men, Get you up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and greet him in my name: 6 And thus shall ye say to him that liveth in prosperity, Peace be both to thee, and peace be to thine house, and peace be unto all that thou hast. 7 And now I have heard that thou hast shearers: now thy shepherds which were with us, we hurt them not, neither was there ought missing unto them, all the while they were in Carmel. 8 Ask thy young men, and they will shew thee. Wherefore let the young men find favour in thine eyes: for we come in a good day: give, I pray thee, whatsoever cometh to thine hand unto thy servants, and to thy son David. 9 And when David’s young men came, they spake to Nabal according to all those words in the name of David, and ceased.

David’s men greeted Nabal

Peace be unto you, house, all that you have

David knows that he is wealthy so what does he do?

What did David do in Vs 8

He came as a ‘Son’

Does he sound like the Egyptians last week who knew that Joseph was in a good place to bless them Vs 15 of Chap 47..Gen

1 Samuel 25:10–11 AV

10 And Nabal answered David’s servants, and said, Who is David? and who is the son of Jesse? there be many servants now a days that break away every man from his master. 11 Shall I then take my bread, and my water, and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers, and give it unto men, whom I know not whence they be?

Notice how he replied “7” personal pronouns

David gets upset…and now wants to Kill Nabal…and every male that was connected to him!!!!! 400 of his 600 men

1 Samuel 25:14–17 AV

14 But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal’s wife, saying, Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to salute our master; and he railed on them. 15 But the men were very good unto us, and we were not hurt, neither missed we any thing, as long as we were conversant with them, when we were in the fields: 16 They were a wall unto us both by night and day, all the while we were with them keeping the sheep. 17 Now therefore know and consider what thou wilt do; for evil is determined against our master, and against all his household: for he is such a son of Belial, that a man cannot speak to him.

Where did Nabal descend from?

Belial: Means worthless one..in the old testament…but in the new testament …Jesus equated Belial with the Satan

Caleb: Caleb..that means dog…A dog that is mean and won’t let you bother with him

Judah: To revere in worship..with the hands..to give praise and thanksgiving

1 Samuel 25:18–20 AV

18 Then Abigail made haste, and took two hundred loaves, and two bottles of wine, and five sheep ready dressed, and five measures of parched corn, and an hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and laid them on asses. 19 And she said unto her servants, Go on before me; behold, I come after you. But she told not her husband Nabal. 20 And it was so, as she rode on the ass, that she came down by the covert of the hill, and, behold, David and his men came down against her; and she met them.

1 Samuel 25:23–29 AV

23 And when Abigail saw David, she hasted, and lighted off the ass, and fell before David on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, 24 And fell at his feet, and said, Upon me, my lord, upon me let this iniquity be: and let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak in thine audience, and hear the words of thine handmaid. 25 Let not my lord, I pray thee, regard this man of Belial, even Nabal: for as his name is, so is he; Nabal is his name, and folly is with him: but I thine handmaid saw not the young men of my lord, whom thou didst send. 26 Now therefore, my lord, as the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, seeing the LORD hath withholden thee from coming to shed blood, and from avenging thyself with thine own hand, now let thine enemies, and they that seek evil to my lord, be as Nabal. 27 And now this blessing which thine handmaid hath brought unto my lord, let it even be given unto the young men that follow my lord. 28 I pray thee, forgive the trespass of thine handmaid: for the LORD will certainly make my lord a sure house; because my lord fighteth the battles of the LORD, and evil hath not been found in thee all thy days. 29 Yet a man is risen to pursue thee, and to seek thy soul: but the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with the LORD thy God; and the souls of thine enemies, them shall he sling out, as out of the middle of a sling.

Vs 26 “The Lord Restrained You”…Held You Back

She Took the blame for her husband

She asked for forgiveness

If you kill this man and all his men…you’ll have innocent blood on your hands”

(God USED THE WISDOM of Abigail) She Reminded David…God has a future for you

HAS this ever Happened to You?

Sometimes when you don’t give God space to rule....he’ll over-rule

Isaiah 46:9–11 AV

9 Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, 10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: 11 Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.

DAVID PRAISES GOD

1 Samuel 25:32–33 AV

32 And David said to Abigail, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, which sent thee this day to meet me: 33 And blessed be thy advice, and blessed be thou, which hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood, and from avenging myself with mine own hand.

Nabal…Had a stroke and after 10 days …He died!!!

He DIed like he Lived....FOOLISH

DAVID KNEW a GOOD THING WHEN HE SAW IT...

THe UNSEEN FACTOR IS GOD’s FAVOR UPON THOSE WHO ARE GIVERS

God has a Law of Gaining by Giving

Proverbs 11:24–26 AV

24 There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty. 25 The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself. 26 He that withholdeth corn, the people shall curse him: but blessing shall be upon the head of him that selleth it.

Somehow the generous..will increase and the stingy one who hoards…will eventually became impoverished

Jim Elliot

“He is no Fool, who gives what he can not keep..to gain what he can not lose”

“What you spend…you lose

What you keep…gets passed on to others..

What you give away…for the sake of Christ…will last forever” Raymond McHenry