Proverbs: The Wisdom of Christ

The Heart of the Matter: Fear the Lord We started our Proverbs study last August. Today we are wrapping it up. I trust and have prayed that the Lord would use this in our lives. And based on conversations with some of you, I believe he has. Before I read our concluding verses, I want to reminder you of how Proverbs defines wisdom. Do you remember? Biblical wisdom is (1) seeking to know God and his Word, (2) humbly reflecting God’s goodness and righteousness in everyday life, and (3) striving to discern what is true and right and good, and what is not. So, 3 things – knowledge, righteousness, and discernment. Not any knowledge, but the knowledge of God and his Word. Not righteousness as we define it, but righteousness as God has revealed. And not a general discernment, but discerning what is true, right, and good on the path of life. That is wisdom – that is what God revealed to us through Solomon in the very first chapter. And that is what we’ve seen all throughout the book. Knowledge, righteousness, and discernment from God contrasted with the selfish foolishness and wickedness of the world. One path leads to life and peace and the other path to death and condemnation. Today, we are going to end where we began. We are going to end with the very first step on the path of wisdom. And that first step is to fear of the Lord. We’ve come across that phrase many times. To be exact, a dozen times so far – so it’s not new. And today, we’ll conclude with a few more references. So, if you would take your proverbs insert out one last time. On the inside, you’ll note the two groupings of verses. The first is about the heart and the second is about fearing the Lord. Reading of selected verse---------------------------Knowing Your Heart and Knowing Him Who Knows Your Heart14:10 The heart knows its own bitterness, and no stranger shares its joy.14:13 Even in laughter the heart may ache, and the end of joy may be grief.15:11 Sheol and Abaddon lie open before the LORD;     how much more the hearts of the children of man!15:13 A glad heart makes a cheerful face,     but by sorrow of heart the spirit is crushed.15:15 All the days of the afflicted are evil,     but the cheerful of heart has a continual feast.15:30 The light of the eyes rejoices the heart,     and good news refreshes the bones.17:3 The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold,     and the LORD tests hearts.17:22 A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.19:3 When a man's folly brings his way to ruin,     his heart rages against the LORD.20:5 The purpose in a man's heart is like deep water,     but a man of understanding will draw it out.20:9 Who can say, “I have made my heart pure; I am clean from my sin”?21:2 Every way of a man is right in his own eyes,     but the LORD weighs the heart.27:19 As in water face reflects face, so the heart of man reflects the man.The Blessings of Fearing the Lord with Your Heart, the Curses of Rejecting Him14:2 Whoever walks in uprightness fears the LORD,     but he who is devious in his ways despises him.14:26 In the fear of the LORD one has strong confidence,     and his children will have a refuge.15:16 Better is a little with the fear of the LORD     than great treasure and trouble with it.15:33 The fear of the LORD is instruction in wisdom,     and humility comes before honor.16:6 By steadfast love and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for,     and by the fear of the LORD one turns away from evil.16:20 Whoever gives thought to the word will discover good,     and blessed is he who trusts in the LORD.27:21 The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold,    and a man is tested by his praise.28:14 Blessed is the one who fears the LORD always,     but whoever hardens his heart will fall into calamity.29:25 The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is safe.--------------------------- Prayer A couple times in our series, we’ve considered the mighty lion Aslan. He’s the Christ figure in CS. Lewis’s Narnia series. And if you remember from an earlier sermon, he’s described by the Beavers as “not safe…. but good.” Well, in Lewis’ book, The Silver Chair, he writes about a young girl named Jill who had been transported to Aslan’s Country. Jill soon found herself lost in the woods. She’s been separated from her friend Eustice. And Jill was extremely thirsty. She was lost and afraid and desperately needed to drink. As she wandered, Jill came across a bubbling stream of fresh water. But as she approached it, standing in her way was a great lion, and she froze ---------------------- “Are you not thirsty?" said the Lion. "I am dying of thirst," said Jill. "Then drink," said the Lion. "May I — could I — would you mind going away while I do?" said Jill. The Lion answered this only by a look and a very low growl. And as Jill gazed at its motionless bulk, she realized that she might as well have asked the whole mountain to move aside for her convenience. The delicious rippling noise of the stream was driving her nearly frantic. "Will you promise not to — do anything to me, if I do come?" said Jill. "I make no promise," said the Lion. Jill was so thirsty now that, without noticing it, she had come a step nearer. "Do you eat girls?" she said. "I have swallowed up girls and boys, women and men, kings and emperors, cities and realms," said the Lion. It didn't say this as if it were boasting, nor as if it were sorry, nor as if it were angry. It just said it. "I daren't come and drink," said Jill. "Then you will die of thirst," said the Lion. "Oh dear!" said Jill, coming another step nearer. "I suppose I must go and look for another stream then." "There is no other stream," said the Lion. It never occurred to Jill to disbelieve the Lion – no one who had seen his stern face could do that – and her mind suddenly made itself up. It was the worst thing she had ever had to do, but she went forward to the stream, knelt down, and began scooping up water in her hand. It was the coldest, most refreshing water she had ever tasted. You didn’t need to drink much of it, for it quenched your thirst at once. --------------------------- Jill had stood there trembling… she recognized Aslan’s strength and that her life was in his hands. And then, she submitted to him. In the novel, that was the defining moment for Jill in her journey. And it illustrates fearing the Lord. You see, fear of the Lord is absolutely where every journey of wisdom needs to begin. And the beautiful thing is that as you grow in your recognition of and trust in the Lord, your godly fear of him will also grow. It will more and more become the source of hope and trust and peace that you can draw upon in all of life. We’ve come across that phrase “fear of the Lord” many times in the book of Proverbs. One commentator said it’s like the vein of gold that runs throughout the book. It’s used 19 times throughout Proverbs. We find the phrase in chapter 1 verse 7… and it’s in the second to last verse of the whole book. 1. Fearing the Lord Now, you may be thinking, can you explain more what it means to fear the Lord? Am I supposed to be scared of God? I want to begin by defining fear of the Lord more thoroughy. We’ve considered fearing the Lord in a general sense throughout our Proverbs study. We’ve talked about it as the reverent awe and worship of God. Do you remember that? It’s a good starting definition. But now that we’ve made it through Proverbs, we’re able to go much deeper. We’ve already seen several things about fearing the Lord. Let me remind you of them. ·      In chapter 1, verse 7 and chapter 9 verse 10, fearing the Lord is the beginning of knowledge and wisdom, the beginning of knowing the Holy One – God himself. As you know, that’s been our theme for our Proverbs study – the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. ·      Similarly, in chapter 2, we learned that when you fear the Lord, you will find the knowledge of God. That’s why fearing the Lord is so pivotal in your life. ·      In chapter 8, a reverent fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. In other words, fearing the Lord is hating what the Lord hates. ·      In chapters 10 and 14, fearing the Lord is a fountain of life for you beyond the snares of death. That is one of the many results of fearing the Lord. ·      And similarly, in chapters 19 and 22, we learned that the fear of the Lord is life! When we fear the Lord, we have life in him. Some of those themes are found in our verses today. Look at the bottom left of your insert. 14:2 - Someone who “walks in uprightness fears the Lord.” That’s what it looks like to fear the Lord – it’s walking in God’s righteousness. And the next verse listed,14:26 - when you fear the Lord, you will have “strong confidence.” In other words, you’ll have assurance in him. And one more: 15:33 on the right. Fear of the Lord “is instruction in wisdom, and humility comes before honor.” Similar to other verses, the source to wisdom is fearing the Lord, which necessarily requires humility. Remember that call to humility from chapter 30 – the wisdom of Agur. Let me say it this way – No one verse in Proverbs gives us a full definition of fearing the Lord. Rather, what Proverbs has done over these 31 chapters, is give us different camera angles of fearing the Lord. It’s revealed various layers like the source of fearing the Lord, the blessings that come from fearing the Lord, and how fearing the Lord recognizes the transcendence of God’s very nature. In fact, that is where fearing the Lord begins. You need to see the glory and might and majesty of God. That is why the word “fear” is used. We think of that word and terror comes to mind. But when it comes to fearing the Lord, it’s having a humble understanding of the one true God of the heavens and earth who is unsurpassed in his transcendence. Remember our thematic study on the omniscience, the omnipresence, and the omnipotence of God. How he is all-knowing and present every where and all powerful. Your life and my life are dependent fully on him. He has the power to move mountains and destroy empires. Nothing is hidden from his sight, and nothing is out of his control in the vast universe that he has created. As Jill gazed on Aslan – she saw for the first time, the majesty of the great lion. And she knew that he had the power to give her life or else, she would die. And what did she do? She trusted him That is the next step. After recognizing the grandeur of God, fearing the Lord necessarily requires trusting in him and worshiping him. That’s where humility comes into play. To see God in all his wonder and power, our response needs to be one of humble worship… bowing down to the one in whom we have our life and being, bowing down to the one who can give you life… and bowing down because you know he will judge your foolishness and wickedness and you will die if you do not fear him. And there are amazing blessings when you do. I’ve already highlighted some of them. In fact, that word bless is found a couple of times in these verses. Look on the right. Proverbs 16:20 – the second line. “blessed is he who trusts in the Lord.” And just 2 verses below that, 28:14 – “blessed is the one who fears the Lord.” What are those blessings? Well, so many! Besides life, which we already considered, we have peace which comes from fearing the Lord. We’re given wisdom in this life when we fear the Lord. Think back to our definition of wisdom. When we fear the Lord, we’re given knowledge of God and his way. When we fear the Lord, he enables us to pursue his righteousness. And that leads to all the blessings and joy of living out his commands. And we are given discernment as we navigate the complexities of the world – life’s joys and sorrows. Do you see how Proverbs has not just called us to fear the Lord but has revealed what it means to fear him, how to fear him, and the blessings of fearing the Lord. Some of you will be familiar with Sinclair Ferguson. He’s a Scottish pastor and scholar. Listen to this summary definition of fearing the Lord. He says that it’s the “indefinable mixture of reverence, fear, pleasure, joy, and awe which fills our hearts when we realize who God is and what he has done for us.” If I could mimic his Scottish accent, I would. That definition pretty much captures it. Again, Ferguson says it’s “That indefinable mixture of reverence, fear, pleasure, joy, and awe which fills our hearts when we realize who God is and what he has done for us.” That’s a good transition to where we’re heading next. The phrase, “which fills our hearts” and the phrase “what he has done for us.” So, let’s move on from what fearing the Lord means to now, where that fear needs to live. Hearts that Fear the Lord Our reverent fear of the Lord needs to be the center of our hearts. If you look at the first set of verses, you’ll see that word “heart” several times. I want to remind you that the Hebrew use of that word heart is much more expansive than our use of it today. Pretty much today we equate the word heart with our feelings. But the use back then encompassed the very center of what one cherishes and believes. To be sure, we do have feelings that come from the core of what we hold to be right. But we can also have feelings which contradict our beliefs. What I am saying is that the word heart, as used here, goes much deeper. It is the core of your inner life. It’s what you love most, which motivates and directs you. Proverbs 14:13 is a good example of that. It’s on the left. “Even in laughter the heart may ache, and the end of joy may be grief.” There may be moments when on the outside your are joyful or you laugh – but deep down your heart may ache or grieve. Do you see how the word heart goes deeper? Other words here confirm this. Bitterness is one of them. Bitterness is like cancer of your soul. It can consume you and cause self-pity that rots your heart. If you know someone driven by bitterness, you’ll know what I mean. Another one is “a crushed spirit.” A heart so sad with either grief or sorrow that you despair of life. Friends, this is why the fear of the Lord needs to be at the center of your heart! Because it will help turn your crushed spirit and bitterness to deep joy and peace. I’m not saying that someone with a godly fear of the Lord will never struggle with bitterness or discouragement. No. But over time as that fear of the Lord matures and sinks deep into your heart, the Lord will give you (more and more!) a deep joy. Listen to some of the phrases in these verses – 15:13 - “a glad heart,” 15:15 “a cheerful heart,” 17:22 “a joyful heart.” That comes when your heart fears the Lord. To put this all together – fearing the Lord is to fear him from the deepest part of your soul – the very center of your being – who you are and what you cherish the most – fearing the living Lord of heaven and earth, who made you, and who calls you to fear him with your heart. And when you fear him, he will be at work turning your bitterness into peace, your sorrow into joy – it will be refreshing to your bones as it says. Fearing the Lord is to believe in Christ Ok, there’s one more thing here. And this is the key to it all. Fearing the Lord requires believing by faith in Christ. As Ferguson put it, realizing not just who God is but as he says, “what he has done for us” Look at Proverbs 16:6. It’s there on the right “By steadfast love and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the LORD one turns away from evil.” To atone for something is to make amends after a wrongdoing. Atonement requires a suitable compensation or action to make things right or to restore a relationship. That is atonement. Think back on all the descriptions of foolishness and wickedness in Proverbs. It’s been a lot! All of it is rebellion against God and his Word and righteousness. The only way that our iniquity against God can be atoned for is by God himself making things right. And that atonement has been accomplished through Jesus Christ, alone. He gave his life as an atonement for our sin, so that we may have new life. That is the “steadfast love and faithfulness” of 16:6. And he gives us a new heart so that we may fear him. Have you ever thought about that? Because of God’s steadfast love in atoning for our foolish and wicked ways and because he has giving us a new heart, we can now fear the Lord with reverent awe in our hearts.  If the promised Christ had not come, our fear would only be terror. If we knew the utter holiness and power and justice of God but knew not the Gospel, our fear would be dread. But in fact, Christ has come, and through him we can rightly fear the Lord in reverent awe for who he is, and what he has done. As we read earlier from 1 Corinthians 1, that is why “we preach Christ crucified.” Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God... Who, as it says, “became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption.” Fearing the Lord is believing in Christ. One of the most popular books every written, besides the Bible, is John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s progress. It was published in 1678. And it remained the second most popular book in the world behind the Bible for 300 years – until about 50 years ago. And it’s a novel or really an allegory about the journey of faith. The main character is a man named Christian. And he is on the path to the celestial city. And on his journey, he comes across temptations and trials like… meeting Mr. Worldly Wiseman or getting stuck in the Slough of Despond. Really, Christian comes across a lot of the foolishness and temptations we’ve read in Proverbs. One of his friends is Hopeful. And at one point they both meet Ignorance. Well, ignorance has no ears to hear about faith in Christ alone. And Christian and Hopeful notice that many in the world are just like Ignorance. Here’s some of their conversation, which, by the way, I’ve revised into modern English. Christian said this to Hopeful: “[they] do not understand that their feelings of guilt and shame and fear are for their good. They instead desperately seek to suppress them and to stubbornly continue to deceive themselves by following their own desires.” Hopeful replied. “I do believe, as you say, that fear is for their good, and will put them on the right path at their beginning of their journey.” “Without a doubt,” Christian responded, “for as the Word of God rightly says, ‘The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.’” “How would you describe that right fear?” Hopeful asked. “True or righteous fear,” Christian said, “can be known by three things: 1. First, its origin, which begins with a conviction of sin that reveals a need for salvation. 2. Second, righteous fear drives the soul to hold fast to Christ for salvation. 3. And third, [a right fear of the Lord] instills and maintains a deep reverence for God, His Word, and His ways, keeping the soul sensitive to him, and fearful of straying from or dishonoring God, or forgetting the peace he gives, or ignoring the conviction of the Spirit, or allowing the enemy to speak his lies.”  “Well said,” hopeful agreed, “You have spoken the truth.” As we close out this series, there’s one thing that I hope you will remember from our Proverbs study. And that is this: Christ is the key to all of it. You cannot read Proverbs without seeing your need for salvation in him. You cannot understand the fear of the Lord without trusting in Christ and believing by faith in his Gospel. And you cannot pursue the path of wisdom and righteousness without Jesus going before you in his perfect wisdom and righteousness. King Solomon and his sons looked to the Holy One, the Messiah, who would come to fulfill all of this. We look to him who has come. Conclusion In closing, there’s one more thing in these verses. The Lord knows you. He knows your heart. Proverbs 15:11 “Sheol and Abaddon lie open before the LORD (by the way, that’s talking about the grave and hell); how much more the hearts of the children of man!” There’s nothing hidden from his sight. He knows your thoughts and your motivations. He knows everything about you. Proverbs 17:3 “The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and the LORD tests hearts.” And similarly, just a few verses later, “the LORD weighs the heart.” He knows whether your heart fears him. And he desires you to know and fear him. If you do not know and fear the Lord through Christ, it’s time. In the words of Aslan, “There is no other stream.” May we all fear the Lord… because, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Amen.

14:10 The heart knows its own bitterness, and no stranger shares its joy.14:13 Even in laughter the heart may ache, and the end of joy may be grief.15:11 Sheol and Abaddon lie open before the LORD; how much more the hearts of the children of man!15:13 A glad heart makes a cheerful face, but by sorrow of heart the spirit is crushed.15:15 All the days of the afflicted are evil, but the cheerful of heart has a continual feast.15:30 The light of the eyes rejoices the heart, and good news refreshes[ab] the bones.17:3 The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and the LORD tests hearts.17:22 A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.19:3 When a man's folly brings his way to ruin, his heart rages against the LORD.20:5 The purpose in a man's heart is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out.20:9 Who can say, “I have made my heart pure; I am clean from my sin”?21:2 Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the heart.27:19 As in water face reflects face, so the heart of man reflects the man.14:2 Whoever walks in uprightness fears the LORD, but he who is devious in his ways despises him.14:26 In the fear of the LORD one has strong confidence, and his children will have a refuge.15:16 Better is a little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and trouble with it.15:33 The fear of the LORD is instruction in wisdom, and humility comes before honor.16:6 By steadfast love and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the LORD one turns away from evil.16:20 Whoever gives thought to the word[ad] will discover good, and blessed is he who trusts in the LORD.27:21 The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and a man is tested by his praise.28:14 Blessed is the one who fears the LORD[h] always, but whoever hardens his heart will fall into calamity.29:25 The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is safe.

14:30 A tranquil[w] heart gives life to the flesh, but envy[x] makes the bones rot.15:27 Whoever is greedy for unjust gain troubles his own household, but he who hates bribes will live.27:4 Wrath is cruel, anger is overwhelming, but who can stand before jealousy?27:20 Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied, and never satisfied are the eyes of man.28:16 A ruler who lacks understanding is a cruel oppressor, but he who hates unjust gain will prolong his days.28:22 A stingy man[j] hastens after wealth and does not know that poverty will come upon him.12:12 Whoever is wicked covets the spoil of evildoers, but the root of the righteous bears fruit.23:17-18 Let not your heart envy sinners, but continue in the fear of the LORD all the day. Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off.24:1-2 Be not envious of evil men, nor desire to be with them, for their hearts devise violence, and their lips talk of trouble.24:19-20 Fret not yourself because of evildoers, and be not envious of the wicked, for the evil man has no future; the lamp of the wicked will be put out.28:25 A greedy man stirs up strife, but the one who trusts in the LORD will be enriched.

The Proverbs 1-31 Woman Our sermon text this morning comes mainly from Proverbs 31. Verses 1-3 and 10-31. You can find that on page 654 in the pew Bible. There are also 3 other verses from earlier in Proverbs. Those are printed on the first page of the hymn insert. We’ll begin with those and then I’ll read from chapter 31. By the way, Proverbs 31 is the last chapter of Proverbs. But we have 2 more thematic sermons, so we will conclude our series in two weeks… on June 23. Before I read, let me note that in Proverbs 31, we’re told that these are the words of King Lemuel. They are an oracle taught to him by his mother. Similar to Agur from last week, we don’t know anything about King Lemuel other than his name, nonetheless, this is God’s very Word. Reading of Proverbs 12:4, 18:22, 19:14, 31:1-3, 10-31. It was the middle of the night in the spring of 1523 in northern Germany. 9 nuns lay awake. You see, they were waiting to escape the convent. And then it happened. A horse drawn carriage pulled up to the main gate and was let in. The driver was there, allegedly, to pick up empty fish barrels, from the prior day’s Easter celebration. But he had more important cargo to take away. He cracked his horse whip. That was the signal. The nuns tiptoed quietly from their beds into the hallway, then through the shadows of the night, hid themselves in the cart, some even allegedly hiding in empty barrels. The nuns gave the all clear signal and were soon free at last. It was a bumpy ride, but they made it to their destination. Wittenburg, Germany and the home of Martin Luther. You see, Luther had helped orchestrate the convent escape. And within a matter of weeks, Luther had these young former nuns matched with young men in the town. But there was a problem. One stubborn nun, named Katherine Von Bora, would have none of it. No, she would not be set up with the guy that Luther picked. She had other plans. And she made those plans known. It was Luther himself, she wanted. Well, they were soon married. Former nun, former monk, and quite the couple. Luther would write, “God gave me Katy, I would not trade her for Venice and all the kingdoms of France … I love her so dearly.” His nick names for her included “my rib” of course, referring to Eve being created from the rib of Adam. He also called her “doctor” because she cared for him. And also “queen of the pig farm” because she owned and managed a nearby pig farm. Katy loved the Lord. She managed the house and finances. She brewed beer for Luther and his many guests. She would rise at 4am and work until 9pm overseeing all matters of the household. Luther called Katy, “the morning star of Wittenberg.” They were very affectionate with one another. She honored and loved him, and he honored and loved her. Katy embodied the Proverbs 31 description. Now, if you are a woman and you and are feeling like “I’ll never be a Katy Luther.” Well, I do want take that heavy burden off of you. Because, while the Proverbs 31 woman is indeed a model, there’s so much more here. My goal is that all of us would see her heart and purpose…  and all of us, would pursue her ways from a similar heart and purpose.To get there, we’ll consider three things. ·      First, the important question – to whom does this chapter apply? ·      Second, we’ll consider the qualities of this virtuous wife. ·      And third, we’ll conclude with Christ and the church. That’s the relationship to which this ultimately points. #1 To whom does this apply? And again, if you are feeling overly burdened by these verses, I want to try and both relieve that burden but also inspire you. First, notice in verse 10 that the section begins with the question, “an excellent wife, who can find?” It’s a recognition up front that the woman described is a rare jewel. It is not saying that if you don’t measure up, then you’re failing. Rather, it’s a picture of a beautiful, Godly woman. One that you can, yes, seek to emulate – but not in your own strength. No - the most important description is in verse 30. “a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.” Everything else comes out of her reverent fear and worship of the Lord God. Her heart, which loves and honors God, is what motivates and enables her in her wisdom and work. So, instead of feeling the moralistic weight of this unattainable standard, recognize that this can never be achieved in your own strength. No, rather, it is the Godly fear of the Lord that enables this. And another thing, the woman described has many resources to help her - servants, family finances, other things that enable her to produce clothing and plant vineyards. Also, her husband is an elder of the land. He’s esteemed and wise. What I am saying is that her situation is likely very different from your situation. Furthermore, not every woman is called to be married, nor is every man. The apostle Paul was single and encouraged those who are single. But even if you are not married, you still have a household to manage and steward – and therefore, these pursuits in the Lord are for you as well. So that is one thing. But also, this chapter is not just written to women. In fact, it is actually written to young men. For the younger guys here, I want you to see this. Remember, this is an oracle which King Lemuel received from his mother. Why would his mother pass along this word to Lemuel? Well, because she knows the heart of young men. Ok, there are many of you young men here. Teenage boys and twenty-something single guys. Look with me at verses 2 and 3. “What are you doing, my son? What are you doing, son of my womb? What are you doing, son of my vows? Do not give your strength to women, your ways to those who destroy kings.” In other words, do not be seduced by charm and external beauty and therefore blind to true matters of beauty. That’s exactly what verse 30 says. “Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain” It’s talking about external beauty. Instead, what is the most important quality in a wife? A reverent fear of the Lord – that’s what it says. Young men, are you hearing this? Do not let your feelings deceive you. By the way, young women, this is for you, too. Charm and seductive dress and looks will attract the wrong guy. He will not be an elder in the land. To be sure, I am not saying that attraction is not important. But it is secondary to a heart that loves the Lord and pursues him. SO, young men and women, ingrain this in your hearts and minds now, before you “fall in love.” Ok, there’s one more category of people to whom this chapter is written. And that is, all of us… men, women, and children. I will argue, later, that this chapter is a picture of the relationship that we, as God’s people, have with Christ. The Scriptures are full of the language of God’s people being betrothed to God. In the New Testament, Christ is the bridegroom and the church is the bride. But even in the Old Testament, as we read earlier, God’s people are described as the unfaithful wife, whom the Lord loves and forgives and redeems. What I am saying is that even though the description is of a virtuous wife, this is also a description of us, God’s people. We are to honor the Lord in our calling as the bride of Christ. So, in other words, do not tune this chapter out if you are young or old, or married or single – this is for all of us. We’ll come back to that. #2 The Virtuous Wife But before we do, let’s consider this beautiful description The woman described here is often referred to as The Proverbs 31 Woman - for good reason, of course. But I want to tweak that. Really, the description here is a bride who embodies all of Proverbs. So, I think it is better to call her the Proverbs 1-31 woman. Think back over these last 9 months. We have seen a contrast, over and over, between the way of wisdom and righteousness versus the way of foolishness and wickedness. And the virtuous wife described here fulfills the categories of wisdom and righteousness. Almost every single positive category in Proverbs is modelled by this women. Let me list them: ·      She is trustworthy – verse 11, her husband trusts in her. She has a heart of integrity and honesty. She is praised at the gates, verse 31. ·      Her words are kind, and she teaches kindness (verse 26) because her words bring life and not death – remember those Proverbs verses? She speaks what is true and builds up. Verse 12 – she does not harm her husband. Meaning, she does not speak ill of him behind his back. ·      She is also generous to the poor - verse 20. She manages the finances and resources of the family with wisdom. She’s a good steward of all that is entrusted to her. ·      Let me pause here and remind you again. This is for all of us. In other words, don’t tune out. ·      Discipline and diligence describe her. Verse 17 – she dresses herself with strength. Similarly verse 25, strength and dignity are her clothing. And wow is she disciplined, rising early. Taking care of many things. ·      Related to that, she is industrious. That is exemplified, really, all through these verses. Verse 27 – she does not eat the bread of idleness. ·      She’s the opposite of self-centeredness and pridefulness – She cares for her household, providing clothing and food. They need not fear cold or hunger. ·      And last, wisdom and knowledge describe her! That is explicit right there in verse 26. She’s been given discernment. She considers a field and buys it, verse 16. And verse 18, she perceives the value of her merchandise. That’s quite the list. And of course, as I already mentioned, underlying all of this is her fear of the Lord. Actually, the fear of the Lord is going to be our concluding sermon in two weeks. It is the theme that has come up over and over and over. It is seeing and knowing the eternal God of the universe – whose judgement is just and whose ways are pure. Underlying this entire description is her reverent worship of the one true God. She considers his nature and truth and righteousness above all others. What an amazing picture of the Proverbs applied to life. A picture for us to see and seek and emulate, especially in marriage. In fact, this chapter is meant to be a model. Verses 10-31 are in the form of an acrostic. That means that every verse begins with a different letter of the Hebrew alphabet, in order. Verse 10 starts with Aleph which is the first letter of the alphabet. And verse 31 starts with the last letter in the Hebrew alphabet, Tav. 22 verses and 22 letters. It shows us that this description is a pattern. It’s not just one example of how wisdom can be applied. No, it is the ideal model for marriage. It models of what God has ordained for marriage on earth. Eve was created in the garden as a “help-meet” for Adam, as the Hebrew words puts it. Together they complement one another as they seek to fulfill what God has called them to do. That call in Genesis 1:29 is for them to be fruitful and multiple and fill the earth and subdue the earth and have dominion over the earth. Sometimes we call that the cultural mandate. It is for all of us, but part of it is for married couples, who work together but with different roles. Back in Proverbs 31, notice verse 11 - the husband’s trust in his wife yields him “gain,” it says. Her work is his gain. That indicates the responsibility given to the husband. But what’s very clear is how the wife oversees matters of the household. That word “household” is used several times here. She works to care for those whom the Lord has entrusted to her care – including caring for her husband. It is a very full and rich description of that responsibility worked out. In other words, this chapter beautifully displays the sphere to which Eve is called. Now, some in the church (a minority) believe that submission means the husband makes all the decisions and the wife should never work outside the home. That is not how Proverbs 31 describes her responsibilities. No, she clearly is making decisions and is applying the wisdom that God has given her in matters within her domain. ·      She considers the value of a field and buys it and oversees it. ·      She works both in the home and outside the home. She provides for her household… but also verses 18 and 24 – she makes garments and sashes and sells them in the market. Here is what I am saying: Proverbs 31 a beautiful model of what God has ordered for marriage. Husbands and wives are equal in dignity and status before God. They are both created in his image. But each is given roles and responsibility that support and work together to accomplish God’s mandate… the mandate to fill and subdue the earth. And again, we are talking about the domain of the home and marriage. Let me put it this way: Proverbs 31 helps us not to fall off the rails on one side or another. It helps a husband see his role not as authoritarian or dictatorial. Rather it demonstrates entrusting his household to his wife’s care, enabling her to fulfill that responsibility with dignity and wisdom. It also reveals that there are unique areas of responsibilities to which a husband and wife are each called. Now, obviously this is a much larger conversation. There are several New Testament verses that further clarify and direct us. I would be glad to talk more. #3 Christ and the church But moving on, I mentioned that this chapter applies to all of us. What I mean is that the model of the excellent wife is a model we are all called to emulate. The reason I can say that is because this chapter also typifies the relationship of Christ to the church. We, the church, are his bride, called to fulfill all these things. And let me work this out by showing you another structural element. Besides an acrostic, verses 10-31 are in the form of a chiasm. We occasional come across this. As a reminder, a chiasm is a form of parallel which we find both in Hebrew and Greek. The parallel ideas work from the outside into the center. Here, we see both themes and words that draw us to the center of this text. To begin, both verses 10 and 29 use the word excellent to describe the wife. That’s the outer parallel. In 11 and 28 - moving one verse in on both sides - Her husband trusts her and praises her. That’s the second level. If you go in one more level – she provides for her household. That is in verses 12-15 and also down in verse 27. Do you see how it’s working it’s way in from both sides? Wisdom is next, and then strength and dignity after that. Let’s move closer to the middle. Look down at verses 22 and 24. In 22, she makes bed coverings, and in verse 24, she makes linen garments. See that parallel? And at the very center is verse 23. By the way, the center reveals the main emphasis in this kind of parallel. Verse 23 is the center. Let me read it. “Her husband is known in the gates when he sits among the elders of the land.” You see, the respect and honor that her husband receives comes, in part, through his wife. Her virtue in overseeing his household makes him known and brings him greater honor. Her faithfulness increases his influence in the community. His wisdom is lifted up as she acts in wisdom and righteousness. Beloved, this is the relationship that we, the church, have with Christ. As we oversee the household of faith with diligence and integrity and care of one another and generosity to the poor and in wisdom and righteousness. When we do all those things, Jesus is exalted. He is made known and honored at the gates of the city. The world will see him more clearly, when we, his bride, are faithful to the call that he has given us… that is, when we seek to live and acts in all the ways that Proverbs has taught us. We are the Proverbs 1-31 woman - the bride of Christ. Our strength comes from him. We’re honored because of his honor. And just like the Proverbs 31 husband, Christ, as our redeemer, enables and empowers us to live out that calling to which he has called us. Do you see the parallels? Christ is the husband, here, the bridegroom. He has redeemed and forgiven and restored us from our unfaithfulness to be his faithful bride. … more on that when we get to the Lord’s Supper. And to be sure, that does not take away how this applies to husbands and wives. No, these words are for marriages here and now… but the heart of these verses is the union between Christ and his church. Let me try summarize it this way: When Proverbs 31 is lived out in the relationship between a husband and a wife then (1) the husband is honored and his wisdom known, (2) the wife is built up and praised by him for her faithfulness and work, and (3) their household receives the rich blessing of their marriage. And similarly, when Proverbs 31 is lived out in the relationship between Christ and the church then (1) Christ is honored and his wisdom known, (2) the church is built up and praised by him for her faithfulness and work, and (3) the household of faith receives the rich blessing of the marriage between Christ and the church. Proverbs 31 is a beautiful testimony for marriages but especially our spiritual marriage with the Lord. Conclusion Going back to the Luthers - Even considering their failures and sins, and let me say, there were many, Martin and Katy’s marriage modeled a Proverbs 31 marriage. Her care over his household was a tremendously rich blessing to thousands of people. Luther was known among the elders of the land, due in no small part to her wisdom, diligence, hospitality, and labors. Some have said that their marriage transformed the institution of marriage. I think its better to say, their marriage restored the institution of marriage to the model found in the Word. Briefly, in closing, I had always wondered why these verses closed out the book of Proverbs. But now, I think I know why. These verses are for all of us and they direct us to Christ. They bring together all the wisdom of Proverbs. May we emulate this wife, through our reverent fear of the Lord, because we are the bride of Christ.

Proverbs 31:10–31The Woman Who Fears the LORD [10] An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. [11] The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. [12] She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life. [13] She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands. [14] She is like the ships of the merchant; she brings her food from afar. [15] She rises while it is yet night and provides food for her household and portions for her maidens. [16] She considers a field and buys it; with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard. [17] She dresses herself with strength and makes her arms strong. [18] She perceives that her merchandise is profitable. Her lamp does not go out at night. [19] She puts her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle. [20] She opens her hand to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy. [21] She is not afraid of snow for her household, for all her household are clothed in scarlet. [22] She makes bed coverings for herself; her clothing is fine linen and purple. [23] Her husband is known in the gates when he sits among the elders of the land. [24] She makes linen garments and sells them; she delivers sashes to the merchant. [25] Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come. [26] She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. [27] She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. [28] Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: [29] “Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.” [30] Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. [31] Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates. (ESV)

We are winding down our Proverbs study. Today, we do not have a Proverbs insert. That is because we are covering all of chapter 30. Next week, we’ll be in the last half of chapter 31, and we’ll have a couple of concluding sermons. The author of chapter 30 identifies himself as Agur. We don’t know who he is, but he is a man of great wisdom. He tells us these words are an oracle – they are the wisdom of God for us. You can find Proverbs 30 on page 653 in the pew Bible. As you are listening, you will hear a lot of numbers. Over and over he says there are three thing… no there’s four. It’s a way to emphasize a point by escalating the number. But also, a big theme in these verses is humility. Be listening to how these words call us to humility in different ways. -Reading of Proverbs 30 and prayer A few years ago we were on a family trip and came across a hall of mirrors. I don’t know if you’ve been in one, but you walk through different rooms and passageways, and there are mirrors all over the place. Mirrors that are angled... and mirrors that reflect off of other mirrors. At times, you don’t know if the other person you are seeing is reality or a reflection in the mirror. At other times, you are not sure where to go, or you bump into the mirrors. And then there’s the room with the funny warped mirrors. When you look in the mirror, sometimes your body is really big and your head is really small, or your head is big and the rest of you is small. Or your legs are super short and the rest of you looks like a giraffe. It's kind of fun, but it’s also very disorienting. After a while, your brain is not sure what to make of it all. There’s the reality and then there’s the distortion of reality. We all live in the same world. But each person has a particular view of the world. What I mean is that we each have understandings of why things happen; what governs order; what should happen; where meaning and life come from, and what is right and wrong. Some people can tell you what they think in each of those areas, but for others it’s just an underlying assumption they are not even aware of. The problem happens when someone’s view of meaning or life or morality doesn’t line up with what is real and true. It’s like living in a hall or mirrors. That person’s world is distorted and inconsistent and they can’t find a way out. It can be very disconcerting or depressing. You can lose your way. What Proverbs 30 does is it gives us wisdom to see the real world clearly. In essence, it takes the roof off of the hall of mirrors so that (1) we can see ourselves and God clearly, (2) so we can see how the world can be distorted, and (3) so we can actually see the amazing world that God has made. And Agur tells us, in order to see and understand anything, we need humility. So, three things there. Three things that orient us to see clearly. Actually, there are four things! Did you see what I was doing there. There are three things, no there are four! Three things that give us wisdom. Let me give them to you and then we’ll work through them. ·      First, verses 1-9: Humbly know God’s divine order ·      Second, verses 10-23: Humbly submit to God’s moral order ·      And, third, verses 24-31: Humbly observe God’s creation order 1. Humbly know God’s divine order That is where we are headed. Let me ask…  What is the first thing we need in order to understand God, ourselves, and the world? We need to humbly know God’s divine order. Again, that is point number 1. Notice how Agur opens, “I am too stupid… I have not understanding….” That word “stupid” means ignorant or senseless. Now, to our modern ears, that may sound a little disingenuous or even contradictory. “I do not know anything, but let me tell you about wisdom.” That’s how it may come across, but actually there is a profound truth here. What Agur is saying is that in and of himself, he cannot know or have wisdom. Look at verses 2 and 3. Notice the personal pronoun, “I” over and over. “I have not the understanding” “I have not learned wisdom” “nor have I aknowledge of the Holy One.” Agur is saying that knowledge does not and cannot be derived from within ourselves. To know requires, at the very start, a humble acknowledgement that we are not the source of knowledge. Man is not the measure of all things. Instead, Agur redirects our attention away from ourselves and toward God. Look at what he says next in verse 4… After stating his lack of knowledge and wisdom, look where he turns: “Who has ascended to heaven and come down? Who has gathered the wind in his fists? Who has wrapped up the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name…?” Isn’t that like the book of Job? “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?” In order to understand anything, you first have to know and understand God and who you are in comparison to him. This is part of what it means to fear the Lord. We’ll be coming back to that again in a couple of weeks. The more you know God and his creation, the more you realize how much you do not know. And the more you realize how much you do not know, it’s then that you will know more of God and his creation. The bottom line is that humility is required to know anything. And when you see God for who he is and you see yourself and his world for what it is, then through that humble perspective of divine order, you will be given the eyes of wisdom. Some of you will know of John Calvin, the 16th century French reformer. As some have said, if Martin Luther was the heart of the Protestant Reformation, John Calvin was the head. The depth of his understanding of God and the Scriptures was and is unparalleled. And Calvin’s seminal work was his Institutes – the Institutes of the Christian Religion. Two very thick volumes – 1200 pages total. In fact, Calvin refined it over his entire life. Let me read to you the very first words of Calvin’s Institutes. Book 1, chapter 1, paragraph 1 – this is what Calvin writes: “Our wisdom, in so far as it ought to be deemed true and solid Wisdom, consists almost entirely of two parts: the knowledge of God and of ourselves.” And he goes on 1 sentence later, “…no man can survey himself without first turning his thoughts towards the God in whom he lives and moves.” And Calvin goes on to talk about the humility required to know God, which includes knowing the “miserable ruin,” as he puts it, into which Adam plunged the world. John Calvin is saying what Proverbs 30 is saying. Any and all knowledge must begin with a humble recognition of who we are as creatures… and who God is, as the one who created all things. Even though Calvin did not quote Proverbs 30, he begins his entire treatise with the very same point. That is what the first 4 verses are saying. It is a profound truth that we have to recognize in order to correctly understand anything. And then for the next 5 verses, Agur explains and demonstrates the implications of that truth. Verses 5 and 6 – God is true. His Word, therefore, proves true, as it says. We dare not add to his words, it says. There’s both a promise and a warning. The promise is that “he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.” But if you add to his words, he will rebuke you. It’s a scary thing to be in the hands of God. And underlying all of it… is humility. We humbly see ourselves as weak and finite. We humbly see God as infinite. And we therefore need to humbly recognize his Word and his way. And in verses 7-9, Agur shows us how to do that! We humbly come to him in prayer. Verses 7-9 is a prayer. Actually, this whole first section is a prayer. Did you notice that? Agur addresses God in verse 1. He takes an interlude in the middle to talk about God and his word. And then in verse 7, he comes back to his prayer. He’s demonstrating how to submit ourselves to God. And actually, it is very similar to the Lord’s prayer. In the Lord’s prayer, we pray, “forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors”  Agur prays, “Remove far from me falsehood and lying.” In the Lord’s prayer, “Give us this day, our daily bread.”  And here, “feed me with the food that is needful for me.” Do you see the parallels? In the Lord’s prayer, “Lead me not into temptation.” Agur similarly prays, “give me neither poverty nor riches… lest I deny you… or lest I be poor and steal” You see, prayer is a humble recognition of our dependance on God and our need to submit to him. It’s a beautiful way for Agur to not just communicate the transcendence of God compared to the weakness of of man, but how we humbly surrender to him To summarize point number 1: the very first step to understand the world clearly, is to humbly recognize our vastly limited knowledge compared to God’s eternal wisdom, and to therefore humbly submit to him and his word. All knowledge and understanding begins there. Humbly know God’s divine order 2. Humbly submit to God’s moral order. And next. What is the second thing we need in order to see clearly? We need to humbly submit to God’s moral order. There’s a big change starting in verse 10. Agur began with himself. He began by looking in and looking up. And you can see that in all the first-person self-references as well as all the references to God. But when we get to verse 10, he looks out. He observes the world. In verses 10-23, Agur observes those who reject point number 1. They don’t see the transcendent God nor who we are in him. Because of that, they are the opposite of humble. That’s most clearly seen in verses 12 and 13. “There are those who are clean in their own eyes but are not washed of their filth. There are those—how lofty are their eyes, how high their eyelids lift!” They see themselves as the measure of all things. They see their own way as the right way. Instead of the humble disposition that Agur demonstrated in the opening verses, turning to God and his word, they see themselves as pure and right in their own eyes. And wow, it is quite the contrast. Some have teeth like swords, meaning their words. Others hate and devour the poor. There are those who slander and others curse their mothers and fathers. He describes some as leeches - self-absorbed and never satisfied. When someone denies God and his word, they will turn his moral order into disorder. When you begin with an exalted view of yourself, not recognizing God and his ways, look at the result. You will deny God and his standard. The truth is, we do not want to believe there’s a moral standard because we do not want to be accountable to it or accountable to God who defines the standard. Part of the message here is that you can try to deny the moral order all you want, but in the end it is undeniable. And if you don’t see that in verses 10-17, Agur makes it clear in verses 18-23. Look down at verse 20. It says, “This is the way of an adulteress: she eats and wipes her mouth and says, ‘I have done no wrong.’” You see, she’s denying that her way goes against God’s way of what is right and wrong. Her way is contrasted with the way that God made the world. In the previous two verses, Agur highlights the way of the eagle and serpent and ship. And he includes the way of a man with a virgin. That is referring to a newlywed couple in the marriage bed. You see, God made all of creation with order. We’ll see that more in the next point. And part of that creation order is his moral order. When the adulteress breaks that order, she’s distorting what God has established as good and right and true. It’s a grave thing to go against God and his standard. That’s the graphic warning in 17 – the eye that mocks and scorns will be plucked out by the ravens… and eaten by the vultures You see, God has revealed a moral order in his book of creation. Even if you do not believe God’s written word, Agur testifies that God’s standard of right and wrong is undeniable. Ok, to summarize so far. First, to have true wisdom, you need to begin by acknowledging God in all his glory as the eternal creator and your humble estate as a finite and limited creature. That is God’s divine order. And second, you need to acknowledge that the categories of right and wrong are built into the very fabric of our being. That standard is revealed through both God’s written word as well as in creation itself. That is God’s moral order. Without these understandings, you will be lost in a hall of mirrors, not knowing what is real nor what is right and wrong nor where to turn… But when you humbly recognize these things, God will give you eyes to see clearly. 3. Humbly observe God’s creation order That brings us to number 3, which is related. What is the third thing we need to see clearly? We need to humbly observe God’s creation order – the fulness of it. This is also looking out. God’s eternal wisdom is displayed in his creation all around us. By the way, did anyone stay up and see the Northern lights a couple weeks ago? I missed them but I’ve seen them in the past. It’s amazing how God has formed and fashioned the universe to display his glory. Now, in verses 24-31, Agur is not talking about inanimate objects like stars and electrons that light up the sky and other displays of beauty that we see all around. Rather, he is highlighting the wisdom of God found in the smallest and largest creatures. The industrious wisdom of the ant. The instincts of the rock badger hiding in the cliffs. The formations of locust swarms. Lizards found in the palaces of kings. The mighty lion, the strutting rooster and the he-goat, all given rule over their dominions. We could add to that. Schools of fish, all turning at the same time. Isn’t that amazing. Humming birds, whose wings flit up to 80 times a second, whose hearts beat up to 10 times a second… and who travel 1-2000 miles during migration. Or consider the 400,000 pound blue whales – the biggest creatures on earth. Their songs can be heard by other whales 1,000 miles away. Yet some believe there is no God. Instead, they believe that all of reality came about through an evolutionary process. The wisdom that we observe in life is not fashioned and formed by a God of infinite wisdom, they say,  but rather, through chance and evolution. And back to point number 2, they say that the morality we observe is not morality at all but merely behavior traits learned through the same evolutionary process. That thinking is an example of what this entire chapter is addressing. It’s the height of pride and arrogance. It assumes an exhaustive understanding the universe that goes back in time. In other words, to reject God as he has revealed in his creation order is to put oneself in the place of God. It is the epitome of arrogance. No, God alone has an exhaustive understanding of all things because he is the creator of all things. The order and wisdom of creation all around us testifies to the inexhaustible wisdom and glory of God. That brings us back to the very beginning of the chapter. Any and all knowledge has to begin with a humble recognition of God and who we are in relationship to him. If we don’t see that divine order, we will not recognize his moral order, nor will we see clearly his amazing creation order. Let me put it this way - in order to see things clearly, you need to see God clearly, see yourself clearly, see his way clearly, and see his creation clearly. Anything else is merely a hall of mirrors - distorting divinity, morality, and reality. In fact chapter 30 comes to a close where it began, humility. Verse 32. “If you have been foolish, exalting yourself, or if you have been devising evil, put your hand on your mouth.” In other words, if your whole life you have followed this foolish self-exalting thinking or evil living, then speak no more. Submit yourself, like Agur, to the one in whom all wisdom and authority and all things find their meaning. Conclusion So, three things! Yet even four! Actually, there is a fourth. Maybe I should call this one “Salvation Order?” Divine order, moral order, creation order, and salvation order. Speaking of 4. Let’s go back up to verse 4. Agur asks the question, “who has ascended to heaven and come back down?” When he asks that, he is saying that the only one who can have knowledge is one who has ascended to heaven and has seen the glory and work of God – and has come back down to reveal it. Jesus himself quotes that very phrase in John chapter 3. Jesus was speaking to Nicodemus about knowledge. About knowledge of the things of earth and the things of heaven. And Jesus said, “no one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the son of Man.” Jesus was confirming to Nicodemus that he is the one with the full knowledge of God. By the way, that title Son of Man is a reference to his divinity. Jesus’ knowledge comes from his divine nature as God’s Son. That is why the apostle Paul can say in Colossians 2 that in Christ are “hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” So in Proverbs 30, when Agur asks, “what is his name, and what is his sons name?” He is speaking about the eternal Father and the eternal son of God, who would descend from heaven and whose knowledge and wisdom is ours through him. In fact, John Calvin, in his Institutes quotes this very verse. Proverbs 30:4. He uses it as one of many verses which speak to the eternal nature of God the Son, before he was incarnate, before he descended to earth and became man. That nature caried over into the person of Jesus – truly God. As Calvin put it in reference to Proverbs 30. “He who was afterwards visibly manifested was the invisible Son of God.” Our humility and knowledge comes through him, comes through the son, who descended from heaven, who humbled himself that we may humble ourselves. And in that humility, we can know God, his divine order, his moral order, his creation order, and his salvation order. Ultimate humility is submitting your life to him, and when you do, all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge will be yours. In closing, I think I could probably take another 15 minutes and show all the other ways that Christ fulfills this chapter. I won’t do that, instead, let me just highlight them: ·      Christ is the Holy One of verse 3 whose holiness reveals what is true and right and good. ·      He also fulfills verse 5. He is the word of God and  a shield to those who take refuge in him ·      In verse 12, we can say we are clean, because we have been washed of our filth through his blood ·      And Christ is the agent of creation’s order, through whom God fashioned and formed his amazing world.May we humble ourselves before him, so that we may see ourselves, God, his ways, and his world clearly.

30:1 The words of Agur son of Jakeh. The oracle.[o] The man declares, I am weary, O God; I am weary, O God, and worn out.[p]30:2 Surely I am too stupid to be a man. I have not the understanding of a man.30:3 I have not learned wisdom, nor have I knowledge of the Holy One.30:4 Who has ascended to heaven and come down? Who has gathered the wind in his fists? Who has wrapped up the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son's name? Surely you know!30:5 Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.30:6 Do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar.30:7 Two things I ask of you; deny them not to me before I die:30:8 Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me,30:9 lest I be full and deny you and say, “Who is the LORD?” or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God.30:10 Do not slander a servant to his master, lest he curse you, and you be held guilty.30:11 There are those[q] who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers.30:12 There are those who are clean in their own eyes but are not washed of their filth.30:13 There are those—how lofty are their eyes, how high their eyelids lift!30:14 There are those whose teeth are swords, whose fangs are knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, the needy from among mankind.30:15 The leech has two daughters: Give and Give.[r] Three things are never satisfied; four never say, “Enough”:30:16 Sheol, the barren womb, the land never satisfied with water, and the fire that never says, “Enough.”30:17 The eye that mocks a father and scorns to obey a mother will be picked out by the ravens of the valley and eaten by the vultures.30:18 Three things are too wonderful for me; four I do not understand:30:19 the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a serpent on a rock, the way of a ship on the high seas, and the way of a man with a virgin.30:20 This is the way of an adulteress: she eats and wipes her mouth and says, “I have done no wrong.”30:21 Under three things the earth trembles; under four it cannot bear up:30:22 a slave when he becomes king, and a fool when he is filled with food;30:23 an unloved woman when she gets a husband, and a maidservant when she displaces her mistress.30:24 Four things on earth are small, but they are exceedingly wise:30:25 the ants are a people not strong, yet they provide their food in the summer;30:26 the rock badgers are a people not mighty, yet they make their homes in the cliffs;30:27 the locusts have no king, yet all of them march in rank;30:28 the lizard you can take in your hands, yet it is in kings' palaces.30:29 Three things are stately in their tread; four are stately in their stride:30:30 the lion, which is mightiest among beasts and does not turn back before any;30:31 the strutting rooster,[s] the he-goat, and a king whose army is with him.[t]30:32 If you have been foolish, exalting yourself, or if you have been devising evil, put your hand on your mouth.30:33 For pressing milk produces curds, pressing the nose produces blood, and pressing anger produces strife.

Thank you to Tim Townsend for preaching last week… a very clear and convicting exposition on finances and wealth in Proverbs – and very much centered on Christ. Please take out the Proverbs insert. Our Proverbs theme today is more broadly related to wisdom. So far, we’ve covered the various contrasts between wisdom and foolishness and between righteousness and wickedness. But there’s a theme that transcends it all. This theme has been scattered throughout the Proverbs…. and it directs our attention to the source of all wisdom – God himself. It answers the questions: Who is the God of wisdom? And how should we submit to him? Let’s now come to God’s Word.---------------------------------------------------------------God's Sovereignty Over All ThingsProverbs 10:22 The blessing of the LORD makes rich,    and he adds no sorrow with it.15:3 The eyes of the LORD are in every place,    keeping watch on the evil and the good.16:33 The lot is cast into the lap,    but its every decision is from the LORD.18:10 The name of the LORD is a strong tower;    the righteous man runs into it and is safe.20:12 The hearing ear and the seeing eye,    the LORD has made them both.20:27-28 The spirit of man is the lamp of the LORD,      searching all his innermost parts.   Steadfast love and faithfulness preserve the king,      and by steadfast love his throne is upheld.21:1 The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD;    he turns it wherever he will.21:30 No wisdom, no understanding,    no counsel can avail against the LORD.22:2 The rich and the poor meet together;    the LORD is the Maker of them all.22:12 The eyes of the LORD keep watch over knowledge,    but he overthrows the words of the traitor.29:26 Many seek the face of a ruler,    but it is from the LORD that a man gets justice. Submitting Our Plans to God's WillProverbs 16:1-3    1 The plans of the heart belong to man,        but the answer of the tongue is from the LORD.   2 All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes,        but the LORD weighs the spirit.   3 Commit your work to the LORD,        and your plans will be established.16:9 The heart of man plans his way,    but the LORD establishes his steps.19:21 Many are the plans in the mind of a man,    but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand.20:18 Plans are established by counsel;    by wise guidance wage war.20:24 A man's steps are from the LORD;    how then can man understand his way?21:5 The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance,    but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty.21:31 The horse is made ready for the day of battle,    but the victory belongs to the LORD.--------------------------------------------------------------- It was not safe to be a Protestant Reformer, to say the least. Many were martyred for their belief in God’s Word and for calling out abuses in the church. One of the Scottish Reformers, George Wishart, even had a bodyguard. This man would stand behind Wishart wielding a rather large two-handed sword. You see, these were men who preached about God’s Sovereignty according to the Scriptures, while at the same time taking practical steps to defend themselves. However, having a bodyguard was not enough to save Wishart. He was arrested in 1546. In fact, Wishart did not allow his bodyguard to come with him to his trial. He said, “one is sufficient for one sacrifice.” Wishart knew what was coming. He was tried, convicted, and executed – had his bodyguard joined him, they both would likely have been martyred. Well, after Wishart’s death, this young man, this bodyguard, himself took up the mantle of preaching God’s Word… standing firm on God’s truth and the Gospel. And like the other reformers, he found himself in great peril. ·       At one point he was captured by the French navy and forced to row in the galley of their ship while in chains. He endured that for 19 months… and almost died, but God preserved him. That did not deter this former bodyguard. ·       When he was released, he resumed preaching and teaching God’s Word and survived multiple attempts on his life. ·       At one point he fled to England, where he would end up preaching to and serving under king Edward VI. ·       But when bloody Mary became Queen in 1553, he fled again, this time to Geneva – where he studied under John Calvin. Finally, he was able to return to Scotland in 1559 for good. God protected this man and used him to lead the Scottish reformation. He was none other than John Knox - former bodyguard, former slave. And by the mid-1560s, Scotland had gone through a profound transformation. Much of the country submitted itself to the principals found in God’s Word and not unbiblical human traditions of the church. In many ways, we are here today… 450 years later… because of how God used Knox. As a Presbyterian church, we trace part of our heritage back to Scotland. They believed, back then, that all aspects of life and all aspects of the church should be submitted to God’s Word. And we believe that today. I bring this history up for several reasons. 1. First, it demonstrates God’s sovereignty. Some, like Knox, God preserved to be a lasting voice. Others, like Wishart, would die for their beliefs and either the church would scatter and the Gospel would spread or God would embolden his church through their martyrdom to stand for his truth and grace. 2. Second, they faithfully taught about God as sovereign who will accomplish his plan. They whole heartedly believed the Bible teaches God’s providence over all things. So, they were examples of God’s sovereignty. They taught about God’s sovereignty. 3. And third, even though they believed in God’s sovereignty, it did not deter them from making plans and seeking to be faithful - at times fleeing from danger; at times facing danger and death. They submitted their plans to God’s purposes and will. In short, this is what these verses teach us. God is sovereign in a whole bunch of different ways – which we’ll see. And we are responsible to submit to his sovereignty while we pursue life and godliness. Let’s first look at the Proverbs on the left side. They answer the question, how is God sovereign? And then, second, we’ll look at the Proverbs on the right, which answer the question, how should that affect us in our day-to-day lives? 1. God’s Sovereignty Over All Things I think this goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyway. How you view God greatly affects how you live life. ·       If you have a big view of God as he has revealed himself, you will understand that he knows all and oversees all and he is to be rightly feared. Feared in a Proverbs sort of way – reverent honor and awe in all of life. ·       On the other hand, if your view of God is small, meaning he is unable to accomplish what he wishes, then you will live life as if God is inconsequential to what you think and do. There’s a big difference. And do you see how this is related to wisdom? Having God’s wisdom includes knowing the God of wisdom. When you know how vast God is in his wisdom and power, you will desire to act according to his wisdom. So, who is this God of wisdom? Here’s the summary and then we’ll look to some of these specific Proverbs: God is all powerful, all knowing, and present everywhere at all times. God is the creator. He rules over all things and is the judge of all things. Let me say that again if you are taking notes. God is all powerful, all knowing, and present everywhere at all times. He is the creator. He rules over all things and is the judge of all things. All-powerful, all-knowing, all-present, creator, ruler, and judge of all. For the children here, I want to give you some big words to learn. God is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. Those are from the latin. Omni means “all.” God is omnipotent which means he’s all powerful. He’s omniscient meaning all-knowing, and omni-present meaning present everywhere. Let’s consider some of these. First, God is omnipotent, all-powerful and related to that, he’s the ruler over all things. Look at Proverbs 21:1 “The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; he turns it wherever he will.” There is no king on earth, or president of any nation, whom the Lord cannot use to accomplish his purposes. And similarly, the very next proverb. 21:30. “No wisdom [meaning no earthly wisdom], no understanding, no counsel can avail against the LORD.” Nothing can thwart his plan or purposes! In his nature as omnipotent, God actively rules over all! Everything is within his domain of control. And remember, Solomon is the King, the greatest king on earth at the time. He recognizes the Lord’s sovereignty. And Solomon wants his sons, who are in his royal lineage, to know the expanse of God’s power. He is all-powerful and ruler over all. Second, God is all-knowing, omniscient and related, he’s the judge of all things. He knows everything. He knows the good and bad, the righteous and wicked, the wise and the foolish. And in that knowledge, he will judge all things.  Proverbs 22:12 “The eyes of the LORD keep watch over knowledge, but he overthrows the words of the traitor.” Or, as it says in the next Proverb, “it is from the Lord that man gets justice.” Perfect justice and judgment come from the one who knows all and who is the just judge. A few weeks ago we talked about God’s perfect justice. Think about a courtroom trial - you a judge and a jury. The lawyers call witnesses to the stand… the whole purpose of a trial is to uncover the truth of what happened so that justice can be achieved. Well, God knows all and sees all. That is why he can judge justly. His knowledge is perfect and it’s comprehensive and his judgment is utterly just. And God’s knowledge and judgement are not just outward things. No, God knows our thoughts. He judges the heart of man – Look at Proverbs 20:27 “The spirit of man is the lamp of the LORD, searching all his innermost parts.” As we responsively read earlier from Psalm 139 – he knows your thoughts and even before you speak a word, he knows that word. Isn’t that both amazing and frightening to think about. Nothing is hidden from his sight, he is a just judge of everything. So, (1) all-powerful ruler over all; (2) all knowing judge of all; And next, he is present everywhere - omnipresent. Proverbs 15:3 – “The eyes of the LORD are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good.” The universe is vast beyond what we can even consider, but God is even greater. He is present everywhere. He doesn’t just know all, he sees all. And one of the reasons is because he is the creator God. Proverbs 20:12 “The hearing ear and the seeing eye, the LORD has made them both.” He’s made the rich and the poor as 22:2 says. He’s the creator God. Let’s go back to John Knox. When Knox returned to Scotland in 1559, one of the very first things he did was to help write a confession of faith. It was very important to them to articulate and summarize what the Bible taught. That’s because the Roman Catholic church had strayed in so many ways, from the Scriptures. So Knox and a few others published the Scottish Confession in 1560. Article 1, the very first article, is about God. Let me read parts of it. “We confess and acknowledge one only God…. Who is eternal, infinite, immeasurable, incomprehensible, omnipotent, invisible… By whom we confess and believe all things in heaven and earth, visible and invisible, to have been created, to be retained in their being, and to be ruled and guided by His inscrutable providence, to such end, as His eternal wisdom, goodness, and justice has appointed them, to the manifestation of His own glory.” A beautiful summary of God’s sovereignty. And even though it summarizes God’s nature from the whole of Scripture, it certainly captures what Proverbs teaches. God is ultimately sovereign in his power and knowledge and presence, as creator and ruler and judge of all things. 2. God’s Sovereignty Over All Things And that brings us to the second question, the second main point. How should God’s sovereignty affect us in our day-to-day living? Given that God is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent, and creator, ruler, and judge, does that mean we live life with a fatalistic or deterministic mindset? In other words, do we do whatever we want because whatever we do, God knows and it is part of his will? Or, do we just not do anything because God is in control. The answer is neither. God’s sovereignty does not remove our responsibility. God has created us in his image and he’s given us the ability to make choices in life. He desires us to pursue him and honor him. Isn’t that what the book of Proverbs is about? Looking to God and his wisdom, seeking to know what is good and right and true, and avoiding foolishness. It’s been about pursuing righteousness and shunning wickedness. In short, Proverbs as whole answers the question! We are called to know God and to trust him and to pursue what he’s laid out for us in his Word. And what is very clear in these second set of verses on the right is that we should plan and make choices and pursue things in life. But in all of it, we are to submit to the Lord and his sovereignty and his wisdom. In any and all of our decisions and plans, God still oversees and fulfills his purposes. God’s sovereignty should not inhibit you from planning and living. The question is, how do you to do it? I want to give you three principals that I think best summarize the answer from these Proverbs. Principal #1 – In your plans, know that the Lord will accomplish his purposes. That is, in essence what the first set of verses on the left is about. God is sovereign and we need to believe it. Look at the ver last Proverbs on the right. 21:31 “The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the LORD.” We make our plans, but we give glory to him. He is the one who brings about all things. We look to him and see him in all of his sovereign power and wisdom and understanding. 16:3 is another one. “Commit your work to the LORD, and your plans will be established.” We are to look to the Lord in any and all plans and decisions we make. We’re to trust in him to accomplish his purposes. In everything we do, we’re to commit it to the Lord. Principal #2 – In your plans, pursue God’s wisdom and righteousness. This goes back to something we’ve seen over and over in Proverbs. Wisdom and righteousness are not something defined within us. No, God defines wisdom and righteousness because he is the God of all wisdom and righteousness. In everything we plan and do, we need to submit to God’s wisdom. Proverbs 16:2 “All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the spirit.” God knows our thoughts and motivations. We need to be asking, is what I am planning and doing honoring to him? Is it pure in God’s eyes? Think back on all the Proverbs themes we’ve considered, and that can be a framework for decision making. Are you pursuing discipline and integrity in your plans? Are you honoring your parents and seeking true justice? Are you seeking wise counsel? That’s another Proverb here. 20:18 “Plans are established by counsel; by wise guidance wage war.” Seek counsel from Godly advisors who know the Scriptures and have lived life reflecting God and his Word. One of my favorite books is Kevin DeYong’s book, Just Do Something. It’s about making decisions. Whom should I marry? Where should I live? What job should I pursue? It’s a great book. Throughout the book, DeYoung’s point is that the number one thing is to pursue God and his righteousness. He writes this: “[God] calls us to run hard after Him, His commands, and His glory. The decision to be in God's will is not the choice between Memphis or Fargo or engineering or art; it's the daily decision we face to seek God's kingdom or ours, submit to His lordship or not, live according to His rules or our own.” In summary, DeYoung’s point is that we need to look first to God and the wisdom of his Word. Beyond that, God gives us freedom to make choices, and, as he puts it, just do something. He’s not saying that every decision will be easy, rather he’s encouraging us to pursue God and righteousness in him and wise counsellors… and then to thoughtfully make decisions rather than be idle or overthink them. Ok, principal number #3 – In your plans, be open to the Lord redirecting you. Proverbs 16:9, “The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps.” We plan and live, but we should do so in prayer, understanding that the Lord is the one who directs our steps. If the Lord closes a door, we need to recognize that he is redirecting us to another door. That can be hard, but it’s also freeing to realize that when the Lord closes a door, he is leading you. Later next month will be our 4th anniversary as a church. About a third of you were part of our launch team. And if you were, you will remember that we planned to launch on April 5th 2020. Well, 2-3 weeks before our launch, as you know, COVID shut down the world. We all had to learn that the Lord establishes our steps. We learned (I learned) that we need to plan with an open hand, and let the Lord redirect us. “The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps.” And he did in many ways – beyond what we could think of or imagine. So, again, ·       #1 In your plans, know that the Lord will accomplish his purposes. Look to him. ·       #2 In your plans, pursue God’s wisdom and righteousness. Look to his Word. ·       #3 In your plans, be open to the Lord redirecting you, according to his perfect will. God is all-powerful, all-knowing, present everywhere, the creator, ruler and judge of all thing. As you plan and live life, look to him and his Word, but do so trusting in his Providence. Conclusion Let me point out one more thing. Look back down at the two columns of verses and just scan them. There’s a word that sticks out. Notice the word LORD is all-caps in every use. Do you see that? 18 times! We’ve come across this before. That is God’s covenant name. Yahweh – the great “I am”. The description of God’s sovereignty and the call to submit to him is not about some uber powerful deity detached from personality and detached from a relationship with us. No, he is the covenant keeping Lord. In all of his vast power and knowledge, he desires that we know him and he desires to guide us in our plans, according to his way. That is really important to realize. Again, 18 uses of the word LORD here, but that’s 18 out of 88 uses in the book of Proverbs. All of the guidance and warnings in Proverbs come from the covenant Lord and point to his covenant promises. Solomon’s readers (his sons and the people of Israel) would have intimate knowledge of God’s Covenant promises – His covenant with Noah, and Abraham and Moses, and Solomon’s father, King David. So, as they were reading the name, “Lord” – the name Yahweh, over and over, they would understand that these Proverbs fit within the broader promises of God in the redemption of his people. To say it in another way related to these verses… any and all of our plans fit within the grander purposes of God in redemption. God in his sovereignty revealed his plan of redemption through the covenant with his people. The Lord has been working all things together for his purposes… to fulfill and bring to completion that plan of redemption. This is the big narrative that God has been orchestrating, every detail, since before creation. Now, Solomon and really all of God’s people before Christ, did not know how God would fulfill his promises, but they knew he would. They knew his covenant promises. And they knew that through that redemption, they could know God and submit their plans and lives to him. For us, we know how God fulfilled his covenant promises – God has fulfilled them in Christ Jesus, and he will bring his plan to full completion when Jesus returns. To say it in another way: all things have been, are, and will work together for God’s purposes in redemption. And the very center of that plan is the death and resurrection of Jesus. The apostle Peter, in his first sermon after Jesus’ resurrection, testified to God’s sovereignty in it. Listen to what he said (this is in Acts chapter 2): “this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God [God is sovereign], you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men [man is responsible]. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.” God orchestrated it all. He sovereignly ordained that Jesus would die, how he would die (through the hands of lawless men), and through his all powerful nature, he raised him from the grave. And it all occurred for his glory and as Romans says, for the “good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” That in his death, we may be reconciled to him, and in his resurrection, we may have hope of life forever. Very briefly in closing… God is sovereign. He is the sovereign covenant keeping Lord, who sovereignly fulfilled his perfect plan through Christ. And when we… when you and I know this Lord, then we are his redeemed. In that redemption, may we submit all our plans to him… looking to him, pursuing his wisdom in our life, and trusting in his providence. Amen.

(A) God's Sovereignty Over All Things10:22 The blessing of the LORD makes rich, and he adds no sorrow with it.15:3 The eyes of the LORD are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good.16:33 The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD.18:10 The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe.20:12 The hearing ear and the seeing eye, the LORD has made them both.20:27 The spirit of man is the lamp of the LORD, searching all his innermost parts.20:28 Steadfast love and faithfulness preserve the king, and by steadfast love his throne is upheld.21:1 The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; he turns it wherever he will.21:30 No wisdom, no understanding, no counsel can avail against the LORD.22:2 The rich and the poor meet together; the LORD is the Maker of them all.22:12 The eyes of the LORD keep watch over knowledge, but he overthrows the words of the traitor.29:26 Many seek the face of a ruler, but it is from the LORD that a man gets justice. (B) Submitting Our Plans to God's Sovereignty16:1 The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the LORD.16:2 All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the spirit.16:3 Commit your work to the LORD, and your plans will be established.16:9 The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps.19:21 Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand.20:18 Plans are established by counsel; by wise guidance wage war.20:24 A man's steps are from the LORD; how then can man understand his way?21:5 The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty.21:31 The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the LORD.

(A) Security for a neighbor:6:1-5 My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor, have given your pledge for a stranger, if you are snared in the words of your mouth, caught in the words of your mouth, then do this, my son, and save yourself, for you have come into the hand of your neighbor: go, hasten, and plead urgently with your neighbor. Give your eyes no sleep and your eyelids no slumber; save yourself like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the hand of the fowler.11:15 Whoever puts up security for a stranger will surely suffer harm, but he who hates striking hands in pledge is secure.17:18 One who lacks sense gives a pledge and puts up security in the presence of his neighbor.20:16 Take a man's garment when he has put up security for a stranger, and hold it in pledge when he puts up security for foreigners.22:7 The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender. 22:26 Be not one of those who give pledges, who put up security for debts.22:27 If you have nothing with which to pay, why should your bed be taken from under you?27:13 Take a man's garment when he has put up security for a stranger, and hold it in pledge when he puts up security for an adulteress.(B) Generosity:11:24 One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want.11:26 The people curse him who holds back grain, but a blessing is on the head of him who sells it.14:21 Whoever despises his neighbor is a sinner, but blessed is he who is generous to the poor.14:31 Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker, but he who is generous to the needy honors him. 17:5 Whoever mocks the poor insults his Maker; he who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished. 19:17 Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will repay him for his deed.21:13 Whoever closes his ear to the cry of the poor will himself call out and not be answered.22:9 Whoever has a bountiful eye will be blessed, for he shares his bread with the poor.22:22 Do not rob the poor, because he is poor, or crush the afflicted at the gate, 28:27 Whoever gives to the poor will not want, but he who hides his eyes will get many a curse.(C) Wealth and Poverty 10:4 A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich. 10:15 A rich man's wealth is his strong city; the poverty of the poor is their ruin.11:4 Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death. 11:28 Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like a green leaf.13:8 The ransom of a man's life is his wealth, but a poor man hears no threat.13:11 Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it.14:20 The poor is disliked even by his neighbor, but the rich has many friends. 18:11 A rich man's wealth is his strong city, and like a high wall in his imagination.19:22 What is desired in a man is steadfast love, and a poor man is better than a liar. 20:21 An inheritance gained hastily in the beginning will not be blessed in the end.21:17 Whoever loves pleasure will be a poor man; he who loves wine and oil will not be rich. 22:1 A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold. 23:4 Do not toil to acquire wealth; be discerning enough to desist.28:6 Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity than a rich man who is crooked in his ways. 28:8 Whoever multiplies his wealth by interest and profit gathers it for him who is generous to the poor.28:19 Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits will have plenty of poverty. 28:20 A faithful man will abound with blessings, but whoever hastens to be rich will not go unpunished.30:8 Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, 30:9 lest I be full and deny you and say, “Who is the Lord?” or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God. 31:9 Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy. 

Before we begin, I wanted to answer a question. Some of you have asked whether these Proverbs sermons are topical or expository. That’s an excellent question. Typically, a topical sermon uses different passages in the Bible to focus on a particular topic – thus the name. Expository sermons involve preaching through a book of the Bible. The goal is to understand both what the original human author intended and what the Holy Spirit intended as far as how the book fits within the Bible and redemption in Christ. After that, the text can be faithfully applied to us. When we went through the first 9 chapters of Proverbs, we definitely considered them in a traditional expository way – verse by verse. Starting in chapter 10, we’ve been looking at the themes contained in the rest of the book. I would say, even though we’ve been dealing with topics, our sermons have still been expository. Let me give you four reasons. 1.) We have been staying within the book of Proverbs… and focusing on what King Solomon wrote and compiled for his sons and the people of Israel. 2.) By working through different themes in this second half, we’ve been able to dig deep into the message of the book. Topical sermons often impose meaning into the text, but we’ve been seeking to draw meaning from the text. 3.) Related to that, by the end of our study, we will have read every single verse in the book of Proverbs. That has led to a very thorough understanding of Proverbs, why Solomon wrote it, and how we should understand it today. 4.) And last, we’ve spent a lot of time considering how each passage and theme fits within God’s work of redemption including how they’re fulfilled in Christ. To be sure, the thematic approach in the last half has been a little unconventional, but I think overall faithful to our expository study. I hope that is helpful Ok, let’s now consider our verses today. Please take out the Proverbs insert. Our theme is strife and anger and quarreling versus peace and love. Reading of selected proverbs:=========================================Strife: Stirring up or putting outProverbs 10:12 Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses.13:10 By insolence comes nothing but strife,     but with those who take advice is wisdom.15:1 A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.15:18 A hot-tempered man stirs up strife,     but he who is slow to anger quiets contention.17:14 The beginning of strife is like letting out water,     so quit before the quarrel breaks out.17:19 Whoever loves transgression loves strife;     he who makes his door high seeks destruction.18:6 A fool's lips walk into a fight, and his mouth invites a beating.18:18 The lot puts an end to quarrels     and decides between powerful contenders.21:14 A gift in secret averts anger, and a concealed bribe, strong wrath.Proverbs 25:21-23     21 If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat,               and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink,     22 for you will heap burning coals on his head,               and the LORD will reward you.     23 The north wind brings forth rain,               and a backbiting tongue, angry looks.26:20 For lack of wood the fire goes out,     and where there is no whisperer, quarreling ceases.26:21 As charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire,     so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife.29:22 A man of wrath stirs up strife,     and one given to anger causes much transgression. Anger: Slow to or quick to14:17 A man of quick temper acts foolishly, and a man of evil devices is hated.14:29 Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding,     but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly.16:32 Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty,     and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.19:11 Good sense makes one slow to anger,     and it is his glory to overlook an offense.22:24-25 Make no friendship with a man given to anger,     nor go with a wrathful man,     lest you learn his ways and entangle yourself in a snare.Quarrelling: Living with or driving out16:7 When a man's ways please the LORD,     he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.17:1 Better is a dry morsel with quiet than a house full of feasting with strife.18:19 A brother offended is more unyielding than a strong city,     and quarreling is like the bars of a castle.19:13 A foolish son is ruin to his father,     and a wife's quarreling is a continual dripping of rain.20:3 It is an honor for a man to keep aloof from strife,     but every fool will be quarreling.21:9 It is better to live in a corner of the housetop     than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife.21:19 It is better to live in a desert land     than with a quarrelsome and fretful woman.22:10 Drive out a scoffer, and strife will go out,     and quarreling and abuse will cease.25:24 It is better to live in a corner of the housetop     than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife.26:17 Whoever meddles in a quarrel not his own     is like one who takes a passing dog by the ears.27:15-16 A continual dripping on a rainy day     and a quarrelsome wife are alike;     to restrain her is to restrain the wind or to grasp oil in one's right hand.========================================= Prayer October 8, 1871. It was a particularly devastating day in American history. Two massive fires killed thousands of people and destroyed lands and buildings and homes. You may be familiar with the first fire, the Great Chicago Fire. It was started in a barn allegedly by a group of men who where gambling and knocked over a lantern. The fire quickly got out of control. The dry conditions spread the fire and the winds blew toward the heart of Chicago. There was no stopping the blaze. In the end, it destroyed over 17,000 buildings and 300 people died. Far worse, however, was a second fire that started that same day - October 8, 1871. This one was a forest fire that started in Peshtigo, Wisconsin. Railroad workers had started a brush fire to clear land. But given the dry conditions and wind, it turned into an inferno. The fire burned 1.2 million acres and over 1200 people died. It is still the deadliest fire in US history. Every year, fires destroy lives and livelihoods. The larger a fire, the more difficult it is to contain. In fact, the resources required increase exponentially. In certain conditions, temperatures can reach up to 2000 degrees Fahrenheit in an out-of-control fire. That’s only 1/5 the temperature on the sun’s surface. But if a fire is contained early, the resources needed to stop it are greatly reduced. Isn’t that what happens between people? A little tiff turns into a spat which leads to a dispute and then to a fight. The fire of conflict escalates and escalates, until there’s seemingly no turning back. It becomes all-consuming. Anger and hate may then turn violent. Multiple people and groups may be pulled into the fight, and it can all lead to a devastating forest fire of strife and anger. But if the conflict can be put out early, then peace will win often the day. Solomon recognizes the propensity of the human heart to fight. He knows that every single person and every single community by nature is prone to anger and hate, which can lead to bitter disputes that destroy relationships and people. Look down at Proverbs 26:21. It’s on the left hand side. “As charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife.” Anger is stirred up by a quarrelsome man, which is like kindling to the fire of strife. Sadly, Solomon experienced some of this. We read earlier how later in his life, several adversaries opposed him. That was a result of Solomon’s own sin. And that conflict continued and escalated even after Solomon’s death. It led to the divided kingdom. Every people and every generation has or will experiences this. It’s part of our fallen human condition. Ok, as we look at these proverbs, there are three general categories. Those align with the three groupings of proverbs - strife, anger, and quarreling. And within each, there’s a contrast between escalation and de-escalation. In other words, how our words and actions can either make things worse – escalate. Or how our words and actions can calm things down – deescalate. Before we consider how we make things worse or calm things down, let me define the three terms that Proverbs uses. Let’s begin with anger because that’s often where conflict arises. Anger is when you have deep feelings of displeasure. You know that, already, but there’s a funny thing in the Hebrew – the word for anger is the same word for nose. You know, your nose. We think of anger more associated with our ears. My ears are red. I’m angry. Well, the Israelites associated anger with their noses. When your nose was red, you were angry - like a bull in a bull fight. Its nose is steaming because it’s angry. In the Hebrew, if someone has a long nose, they do not get angry easily. The phrase “slow to anger” literally translated means long nose. Do you have a short nose or a long nose? The bottom line is that anger is a strong emotion against something. And that leads to strife and quarreling. Those two words are used interchangeably. In fact, there are four different underlying words in the Hebrew. The basic meaning is contention or hostility – and its often verbal contention meaning debating and arguing forcefully. It’s when voices are raised with intense disagreement. In Genesis 13, an argument arose between Abraham and Lot’s herdsmen. They were quarreling, it says, because they were trying to share the same land for their livestock, but they couldn’t get along. Tensions were high. Typically, when one of the underlying words is used as a noun, it is translated strife. When used as an adjective to describe someone, it is translated quarrelsome. Someone is quarrelsome if they are prone to cause strife. And typically, if the underlying word is used as a participle, it is translated quarreling. Let’s go back now to the main two questions which proverbs asks: Are you stirring up strife because you are angry or you are quarrelsome? Or are you seeking peace and calming the flames of strife? Are you trying to put the fire out? 1. Stirring up strife The first question – are you stirring the pot of strife? There are a lot of patterns and repeated phrases in these proverbs. Rather than give you specific verses, I’ll just highlight the repeated phrases. Now, as you hear these, your temptation may  be to think about other people. “Oh, I know someone who has a backbiting tongue.” Instead, try to think about your own heart and words and actions. As I mentioned, one of the obvious things that stirs up strife is anger. You know, someone with a “hot temper” or “quick tempter” or “hasty temper.” Those phrases are all used here. Another phrase is someone “given to anger.” Sometimes we describe this kind of person as having a short fuse. Like a firecracker when you light the fuse, and it explodes really fast. If you have a short tempter, like that, I suspect you often find yourself in conflict. That’s one way strife is stirred up. A second way that strife is stirred up is through our careless and insensitive words. There are a few different phrases that capture this. For example, “A fools lips walk into a fight” and “a harsh word stirs up anger.” A “scoffer” is another word used that falls in this category. A scoffer is someone who mocks or makes fun of someone of something. A scoffer will obviously stir up strife. Another word is someone who’s  quarrelsome. That’s someone who likes to pick a fight – they may have a backbiting tongue, to use another phrase here… or they are disagreeable or they have to make a negative comment about everything. It's like a “continual dripping on a rainy day.” By the way, I should comment on the Proverbs about avoiding a quarrelsome wife. Amy said to me, “you know it’s Mother’s Day on Sunday.” I was like, “oops.” Hopefully I am not stirring up strife. On a serious note, remember, Solomon is writing to his sons – young sons. He wants them to be careful about who they will marry. As beautiful as a woman may be on the outside, if she is quarrelsome, it is better to live on “the corner of a housetop” than with her. Solomon is not targeting women. If he were writing to his daughters, he would have said something similar focused on husbands. Proverbs 17:1 summarizes it well. “Better is a dry morsel with quiet than a house full of feasting with strife.” In other words, it’s better to be poor with little food and have peace in your home, than be a Kardashian! – just saying. So, number 1, a hot temper and anger stirs up strife. And number 2, being careless and insensitive and quarrelsome also stirs up strife. Kids, have you ever seen the Pixar movie, Inside Out? It’s about a girl named Riley who moved across the country with her family. And that’s a hard thing. Some of you have moved to a new city. Riley has so many emotions that she was dealing with like sadness and fear and anger. The interesting thing about the movie is we are taken into the headquarters of Riley’s mind. Each emotion is a character in the movie. Joy and Sadness are trying to guide her, but then they both get swept away and lost in another part of Riley’s mind. And guess who is left in her mind’s headquarters? Anger and Disgust and Fear. And that is a bad combination! Anger’s is, of course, red. And quite often he blows his top. Literally out of the top of his head comes this stream of anger like a steam engine. Disgust is outspoken and negative. She is opinionated and dramatic and she rolls her eyes a lot in disgust. Everything is unacceptable. Those emotions, Anger and Disgust, are like the first two descriptions here in Proverbs… And they are not helping Riley. They both stir up conflict. The question is, are Joy and Sadness lost forever? I won’t spoil it. You’ll have to watch the movie. It’s a helpful movie, actually, because one of the things we need to learn is how to identify and control our emotions. Stay tuned for more on that. Ok, there’s a final category here that stirs up strife - hatred and wrath. Yes, those are related to anger, but you can be angry without hating or being wrathful. This category is about intentional evil and wickedness. The phrases captured here are “evil devices” and “a man of wrath” and someone who “loves transgression.” Intentional evil and vitriol and sin will obviously stir up strife. In summary, are your words and actions causing and escalating strife? …because you are hot-tempered? Or because you are careless and quarrelsome? Or worse, because you are hateful and vengeful? None of it conforms to the pattern of peace that we are called to pursue. 2. Seeking peace by avoiding And that brings us to the other side. How are we to put out the fire of strife? How do we calm a hot situation down before it explodes into an uncontrollable fire? Here’s how you do it: when someone’s anger is rising and things start to get out of control, here’s what you say. You should say, “you just need to calm down.” It works every time, doesn’t it? It is especially effective if you raise your voice and squint your eyes and point your finger. No, of course that doesn't work. Rather, “a soft answer turns away wrath.” That’s the most well-known Proverb here. 15:1. Our words are not neutral. You can say things that hurt and make someone angry, or you can say things that sooth and calm. One way hinders and another helps. Even if you have to convey difficult things, you can do it with care and sensitivity. Instead of saying “you just need to calm down.” How about “I’m sorry for making things difficult, can we talk through this” or “is there something I can do to help.” or “can we come back in a few minutes and work through this.” Every situation is different. It takes wisdom and advice, as Proverbs 13:10 explains. The main way that these Proverbs exhort us to calm strife is through love and longsuffering. “Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses.” That’s the first Proverb in the list. We’re to “overlook an offense” as another Proverb says. Another well-known Proverbs is chapter 25 verses 21-22. It’s there on the left. “If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink, for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the LORD will reward you.” That is not saying that you should try to “kill him with kindness” so to speak… so that you can get back at him. No, this is actually to demonstrate love and not hate. That phrase “to heap burning coals” is an idiom which likely means that your enemy becomes repentant. His conscience has softened. Your words and actions have brought peace. One phrase that is used several times here is “slow to anger.” Again, having a long nose. That means when you are provoked, to not provoke back. Instead of a short fuse, a long fuse. It means to love even when it is difficult. And it means overlooking offenses. Look at 16:32 “Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.”   “He who rules his spirit.” Or he who controls his emotions. Instead of blowing your top like the anger character in Inside-Out, having a “cool head” as we sometimes say. There’s a classic book by Ken Sande titled Peacemaker. It’s great and I would recommend it. In it, he outlines the Biblical case for being a peacemaker and what that looks like. He gives three helpful categories: Peace makers, peace breakers and peace fakers. ·      A peacemaker is someone seeking peace with others through the ways that Proverbs describe as well as other ways. Or you are helping to mediate peace. In other words, you are helping to bring peace in other situations. Proverbs 18:18 captures that. It says, “The lot puts an end to quarrels and decides between powerful contenders.” A lot was a Hebrew way to make a decision. “Casting lots” is like drawing straws today. Both parties agree to abide by where the lot fell. Being a peacemaker may mean you are helping to bring two or more people together and pave a path of peace for them. So, being a peacemaker applies to either your relationships or helping others in theirs. ·      On the contrary, a peace breaker is someone whose words and actions escalate or stir up conflict like the various ways we talked about earlier. ·      The third category is being a peace faker. Meaning you are pretending to be at peace but you are still holding anger on the inside which may erupt. Or you are putting up walls and just ignoring the conflict. Proverbs 17:19 describes that – the second half. “He who makes his door high seeks destruction.” In other words, you are blocking a path to peace. You are turning your back on someone and stonewalling them. It’s not peace but rather a silent kind of strife. This is all difficult, isn’t it? Some of you know the pain of conflict all too well. And theory is much easier than practice. It’s easy to talk about being peaceful but in the moment, it is difficult. When you are personally attacked or when your feelings of anger well up within you, it’s hard to even think straight. So, the question becomes… how do you break through your own sin to be a peacemaker? How do you break through your anger and quarrelsome nature and hate to instead be soft with your words and slow to anger? Well, you do that by looking to the one who is slow to anger. The phrase “slow to anger” used in these Proverbs is directed at us. We’re to have a long nose - to be slow to anger. But every other instance in the Old Testament, the phrase “slow to anger” is ascribed to the Lord. Nine other times. And the phrase that is used in almost all of them is this… the Lord our God is “gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.” That’s a description of an ultimate peace maker. God himself said that to Moses when he gave Moses the 10 commandments. It is what Moses spoke to the people in the wilderness as he called them to repent. Repent because the Lord your God is “gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.” Ezra includes that very phrase in his prayer as recorded in Nehemiah when the people repented. The prophet Joel called on the people to repent and gave them the same reason…  the Lord your God is “gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.” And Jonah prayed this in his prayer… it’s why he didn’t want to go to Ninevah… he didn’t like them and didn’t want them to repent… but he knew, as he prayed that the Lord God was “gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.” Our ability to be slow to anger comes through the one who is slow to anger. God in his holy anger against sin is fully justified to punish you for your strife and anger and quarreling. But he is also a God who is “gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love…” When you come to him seeking his forgiveness. And in his mercy and steadfast love, God will satisfy the unquenchable fire of his anger against you. He’ll do that through the cross of Christ. Jesus is the only one who can extinguish the unquenchable anger of God against your sin. And when you come to him by faith, tht peace will be yours… In Ephesians 2, the apostle Paul said that Christ has brought us peace… he’s made us both one by breaking down the dividing wall of hostility… reconciling us to God through the cross, thereby killing the hostility, he says. That is the foundation of peace that we have with each other. When you know Christ, each day you are being conformed more and more to his image. That means you can grow in the fruit of his spirit – peace and patience and goodness and kindness and gentleness and self-control. You can be a peacemaker because he is your peacemaker. ·      Because God is slow to anger, you can be slow to anger. ·      Instead of quarreling, you can reconcile with others because he’s reconciled you to him. ·      And in him you can give a soft answer and even love your enemies, because you were once his enemy, and he loved you. The path to peace is the path of Christ. May we each have a long nose. May we be slow to anger and loving… because our God is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love.

10:12 Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses.13:10 By insolence comes nothing but strife, but with those who take advice is wisdom.15:1 A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.15:18 A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger quiets contention.17:14 The beginning of strife is like letting out water, so quit before the quarrel breaks out.17:19 Whoever loves transgression loves strife; he who makes his door high seeks destruction.18:6 A fool's lips walk into a fight, and his mouth invites a beating.18:18 The lot puts an end to quarrels and decides between powerful contenders.21:14 A gift in secret averts anger, and a concealed bribe, strong wrath.25:21-22 If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink, for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the LORD will reward you.25:23 The north wind brings forth rain, and a backbiting tongue, angry looks.26:20 For lack of wood the fire goes out, and where there is no whisperer, quarreling ceases.26:21 As charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife.29:22 A man of wrath stirs up strife, and one given to anger causes much transgression.14:17 A man of quick temper acts foolishly, and a man of evil devices is hated.14:29 Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly.16:32 Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.19:11 Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense.22:24-25 Make no friendship with a man given to anger, nor go with a wrathful man, lest you learn his ways and entangle yourself in a snare.16:7 When a man's ways please the LORD, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.17:1 Better is a dry morsel with quiet than a house full of feasting with strife.18:19 A brother offended is more unyielding than a strong city, and quarreling is like the bars of a castle.19:13 A foolish son is ruin to his father, and a wife's quarreling is a continual dripping of rain.20:3 It is an honor for a man to keep aloof from strife, but every fool will be quarreling.21:9 It is better to live in a corner of the housetop than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife.21:19 It is better to live in a desert land than with a quarrelsome and fretful woman.22:10 Drive out a scoffer, and strife will go out, and quarreling and abuse will cease.25:24 It is better to live in a corner of the housetop than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife.26:17 Whoever meddles in a quarrel not his own is like one who takes a passing dog by the ears.27:15 A continual dripping on a rainy day and a quarrelsome wife are alike;27:16 to restrain her is to restrain the wind or to grasp oil in one's right hand.

This morning, we’ll be considering the Proverbs theme of justice and injustice. Please take out your Proverbs insert. By the way, I think we’ll be wrapping up Proverbs by the end of June. We have a few themes left and a couple of concluding chapters. Our verses today are organized into three groupings. Determining Justice, Defending Justice, and Denying Justice. In other words, what is justice and injustice? And how do we uphold justice and avoid injustice? Reading of selected Proverbs==================================Determining Justice11:1 A false balance is an abomination to the LORD, but a just weight is his delight.16:8 Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues with injustice.16:11 A just balance and scales are the LORD's; all the weights in the bag are his work.17:23 The wicked accepts a bribe in secret to pervert the ways of justice.18:17 The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him.20:10 Unequal weights and unequal measures are both alike an abomination to the LORD.20:14 “Bad, bad,” says the buyer, but when he goes away, then he boasts.20:23 Unequal weights are an abomination to the LORD, and false scales are not good.21:15 When justice is done, it is a joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers.22:8 Whoever sows injustice will reap calamity, and the rod of his fury will fail.24:12 If you say, “Behold, we did not know this,” does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it, and will he not repay man according to his work?24:23 These also are sayings of the wise. Partiality in judging is not good.28:5 Evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the LORD understand it completely.28:21 To show partiality is not good, but for a piece of bread a man will do wrong.Defending Justice16:10 An oracle is on the lips of a king; his mouth does not sin in judgment.16:12 It is an abomination to kings to do evil, for the throne is established by righteousness.16:14 A king's wrath is a messenger of death, and a wise man will appease it.16:15 In the light of a king's face there is life, and his favor is like the clouds that bring the spring rain.20:8 A king who sits on the throne of judgment winnows all evil with his eyes.20:26 A wise king winnows the wicked and drives the wheel over them.24:10 If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small.24:11 Rescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter.25:1 These also are proverbs of Solomon which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied.25:2 It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out.25:3 As the heavens for height, and the earth for depth, so the heart of kings is unsearchable.25:4 Take away the dross from the silver, and the smith has material for a vessel;25:5 take away the wicked from the presence of the king, and his throne will be established in righteousness.28:2 When a land transgresses, it has many rulers, but with a man of understanding and knowledge, its stability will long continue.29:4 By justice a king builds up the land, but he who exacts gifts tears it down.29:12 If a ruler listens to falsehood, all his officials will be wicked.Denying Justice13:23 The fallow ground of the poor would yield much food, but it is swept away through injustice.14:31 Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker, but he who is generous to the needy honors him.18:5 It is not good to be partial to the wicked or to deprive the righteous of justice.22:16 Whoever oppresses the poor to increase his own wealth, or gives to the rich, will only come to poverty.22:22 Do not rob the poor, because he is poor, or crush the afflicted at the gate,22:23 for the LORD will plead their cause and rob of life those who rob them.22:28 Do not move the ancient landmark that your fathers have set.23:10 Do not move an ancient landmark or enter the fields of the fatherless,23:11 for their Redeemer is strong; he will plead their cause against you.28:3 A poor man who oppresses the poor is a beating rain that leaves no food.28:15 Like a roaring lion or a charging bear is a wicked ruler over a poor people.29:13 The poor man and the oppressor meet together; the LORD gives light to the eyes of both.29:14 If a king faithfully judges the poor, his throne will be established forever.31:8 Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute.31:9 Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.============================================== King Solomon was known for his wisdom. We’ve read that. We’ve talked about that. We’ve considered how the Queen of Sheba travelled to Jerusalem to experience his wisdom and how amazed she was. But there’s one historical account of Solomon that we have yet to consider. And it’s in fact the most well-known display of Solomon’s wisdom. A few times throughout this sermon series, I considered including it, but it just didn’t seem to be the right time.  But today is the day. Part of Solomon’s rule as King was to adjudicate matters that escalated up to him. And it so happened that a very complicated case came before Solomon. It was a sad one. Two mothers had each recently given birth. Both of them lived in the same communal home. One night, one of these mothers inadvertently rolled over in her sleep on to her child. Tragically, he died. And then this mother, in the middle of the night, switched her dead baby for the living child while the other mother was asleep. The next morning, the mother of the living child awoke to nurse him, but the baby laying next to her was dead. However, she quickly noticed that it was not her child, and realized what had happened. And so, this case comes before king Solomon. And each woman rejects the narrative of the other. “The dead child is yours and mine is the living.” “No he is not, yours is the dead one and mine the living one.” How does a king navigate such a case? He did not know these women. He did not know their hearts. He did not know which child was which. And so, as these women stood before him, Solomon beckoned one of his servants to bring him his sword. And then he declared in front of all that the living child was to be cut in two and half given to the one mother and half given to the other. I know I probably don’t need to say this, but for the younger children here, I want to be sure you understand. Solomon never intended to cut the child in two. No, rather, he knew that by the very idea of killing the living child, the true mother would make herself known. And sure enough, the woman whose child had died agreed to Solomon’s gruesome plan, but the true mother pleaded that the child be given to the other woman so that he may live. Solomon then commanded that the child be given to his real mother – the mother who pleaded for his life. There are several aspects of wisdom displayed in this testimony. For one, Solomon had amazing discernment. He knew the human heart and human condition. And as the judge in this case, he desired justice to be done. He understood that the good and right solution was to restore the child to his true mother. It was his responsibility as king to do that. And God had given him wisdom to determine and the authority to enact that righteous justice. I bring that up because it illustrates not only justice and injustice, but also how those in power should be upholding justice. Those are two major themes found in these verses. In other words, the “what?” and the “how?” Determining Justice For obvious reasons, it’s important to begin with the “what?” question. What is justice and injustice? Out of that will flow the “how?” How can we be just. Ok, there are a couple of things here that really capture the heart of justice. The first is honesty in your dealings. By the way, I’m using the word “dealings” very intentionally here. Your “dealings” are a kind of interaction with people or organizations. Dealings involve some sort of exchange that happens. That exchange could be a business transaction like buying or selling something or it could be a decision that affects someone. If you are a student, your dealings would involve taking exams and submitting papers. If you are a judge, your dealing would involve decisions that affect defendants and plaintiffs. Their dealings would be their honesty or dishonesty as they present their case. I’m using the word dealings because it broadly captures the scope of where justice or injustice is applied. We’re called to be honest in any and all of our dealings – whatever they are. And the image here is the accuracy of your scale. A scale weighs things. Look at Proverbs 20:10 “Unequal weights and unequal measures are both alike an abomination to the LORD.” That is one of four Proverbs that use a scale to illustrate justice and injustice. If you go to buy peppers from the grocery store, and the scale has been rigged so that it measures more than the true weight, the store is being dishonest and unjust! You are paying more than you should. As it says here, it is an abomination to the Lord! Whatever it is, whether distorting the numbers on your taxes, cheating on a test, scamming someone, or accepting a bribe for a decision (a bribe, by the way, is also called out in these verses)… or some other kind of fraud and stealing… it’s all dishonest gain that perverts justice. Proverbs 16:18 summarizes it well, “Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues with injustice.” You know there’s a problem in your culture when it has like a gazillion expressions for this. “Cooking the books;” “Pulling the wool over someone eyes” or “Pulling a fast one;” “Taking someone for a ride” or how about these business practices: “bait and switch” or “smoke and mirrors.” They all point to different avenues of dishonesty. And the Lord hates them all. They do not reflect his goodness and truth and righteousness. God calls us to honesty in our dealings. So, that is one aspect, honesty. Another aspect of justice is impartiality. The opposite, which is partiality, is condemned here. Partiality is when you show unfair bias for someone or against someone in your dealings. There’s an important phrase there in Proverbs 24:23 – “Partiality in judging is not good.” It is talking about being prejudice when you have the responsibility to decide on matters. That prejudice could be, for example, racial or it could be socio-economic in some way. If your dealings display prejudice, you are showing partiality. Earlier in the service we read from the book of James, chapter 2. And he gave us a helpful example. If a man with fine clothing comes in to your assembly… how would you treat him? Specifically, how would you treat him compared to if a poor man came in to your assembly? That word assembly, which James uses, is the word synagogue in the Greek. It could be referencing an assembly of any kind (a gathering). It would certainly apply to THIS – what we are doing now. We’ve assembled for worship. So, if a clearly well-to-do man joins our worship and also a poor, perhaps homeless man, joins us for worship… and we tell the homeless guy to sit in the back corner away from everyone. But we tell the man with social status to sit in the front row as an honored guest. That would be prejudice. We would be committing the sin of partiality. We’re to be impartial, welcoming and respecting them both, in the Lord. Justice involves those two things: (1) honesty and (2) impartiality. Based on these two aspects, let me define justice: Justice is treating everyone with the same standard of respect and honesty in your dealings, based on God’s standard of truth and righteousness. (repeat). You ask, but how does God define truth and righteousness? Well, that has essentially been our study of Proverbs. In essence, when we apply everything we’ve learned about what is good and wise and true and righteous to our dealings, then we are being just. Conversely, if we are acting foolishly or deceitfully or wickedly in our dealings, then we are being unjust. Here’s the definition one more time: Justice is treating everyone with the same standard of respect and honesty in your dealings, based on God’s standard of truth and righteousness. Before we move on, let me make two observations about this which are counter cultural. 1. First, justice is objectively external. God determines what is just and unjust based on his righteousness. Take a look at Proverbs 16:11. It says, “a just balance and scales are the Lord’s…” It’s confirming that justice is based on God’s standard of right and wrong. In other words, we do not define justice, God defines justice. And that is very different than how our culture sees justice. Today, justice is often seen as either subjective or based on a different standard of right and wrong. 2. Second, justice is based on our actions (or inactions). That is very clear in these verses. You and I act or deal justly or unjustly. That can apply to individuals or organizations or businesses or government agencies. God is pleased when we are honest and unbiased in our dealings based on his standard. In other words, we are considered to be just or unjust based on the pattern of our just or unjust actions. Now, that may sound obvious to you, but culturally today, being just or unjust is often not based on how you act. Rather being just or unjust is ascribed to a person or group based on their class or beliefs or race. And that is not a Biblical view of justice. As you know, more could be said. Hopefully, this first grouping of Proverbs helps you to see God’s standard of justice, which ultimately comes from his nature as perfectly just. Defending and Denying Justice Moving on, we’re going to take these next two groupings of Proverbs together: defending and denying justice. You can see those in the insert. These groupings are, in essence, applying justice and injustice to those who have responsibilities over other people in some way. Most of us here, in our lifetime, will have responsibilities over other people. Like maybe as a teacher, or a parent, or a manager, or a business owner. Or maybe you are or will lead a project or a team. Or maybe you will have some civil role in a government entity. Those are just examples. There are plenty of other ways to have responsibilities over someone else or over a group of people. If and when that happens, God calls you to pursue justice and to reject injustice. I’m meaning, of course, how we just defined them – honest and impartial dealings according to God’s standard. And here’s the thing, having control or responsibility over someone else comes with all kinds of temptations. Temptations to abuse or oppress or to use your authority for selfish gain – either for yourself or for others you know. And the more responsibility or control you have, the greater the temptation. Lord Acton, the 19th century English historian, put it this way: “Power corrupts but absolute power corrupts absolutely.” You may have heard that quote before. Acton was observing kings and queens and the pattern of presidents and dictators throughout history. The more power you have, the more you are tempted to corrupt and abuse that power. Related to that, there are two main exhortations in these Proverbs. 1. The first is to defend justice in your domain of responsibility. If you have authority in any way, you are to defend justice. Let’s look at some of these Proverbs in this middle grouping. And let me say, the main application is for kings. None of us are obviously kings or queens, nonetheless, we do have our own little kingdoms, so these principals apply. ·       Proverbs 16:12 “It is an abomination to kings to do evil, for the throne is established by righteousness.” Every single authority on earth has been established by God. Those in authority are therefore to reflect God and his righteousness and not pursue evil. ·       In fact, evil and wickedness are not to be tolerated in your kingdom. Look at Proverbs 20:26 “A wise king winnows the wicked and drives the wheel over them.” A couple of the other proverbs essentially say the same thing. To be a just ruler, you need to not only deal in just ways but you are also to seek and end to injustice. You’re to establish a kingdom that is just and righteous in God’s eyes… no matter how big or small your kingdom is. Let’s go back to Solomon. Solomon could have taken a bribe from the mother of the dead child. He could have displayed partiality in some way, or he could have had the living child literally killed so that neither mother would have a child. But none of those solutions would have been just in God’s eyes. Instead, with the responsibilities he had as king and judge, Solomon sought true justice. Now, sadly, later in his reign, Solomon began to abuse his God-given role by oppressing the people. 2. And that brings us to the second exhortation here – we’re to deny injustice. Someone in authority is not to use that authority for injustice. He or she is not to abuse those under his or her authority. That abuse of power is worked out in two ways here. First, straight up injustice. Proverbs 22:8 captures that: “Whoever sows injustice will reap calamity, and the rod of his fury will fail.” Last week marked the 50th anniversary of when the Watergate transcripts were released. That scandal ended the presidency of Richard Nixon. Watergate was an attempt by Nixon to get an upper hand in his re-election campaign. To do that, Nixon ordered a break in to the opposing party national committee office. Four men were caught stealing documents and wire-tapping phones at the Watergate hotel. That led to an elaborate cover up by the Nixon administration. As some of you know, Nixon’s main legal counsel was a man named Chuck Colson. Colson was called the hatchet man because of his bullying tactics. He and others destroyed evidence. They used their power to control agencies. They paid hush money to the guys who broke into Watergate so they would not talk. They tried to discredit and defame the whistleblowers – Colson was directly involved in that one. But in the end, as Proverbs puts it, they reaped calamity. Nixon was impeached and would resign before being convicted by the Senate. Nixon has been the only President in history to do that. And hatchet man Chuck Coleson was convicted for… obstructing justice. Their words and actions perverted justice. It’s a classic example of injustice. Injustice which Proverbs decries. The second kind of abuse is more destructive: oppression. Oppression is taking advantage of those under your authority. The Biblical use of the word oppression is about mistreating someone unjustly and causing them to suffer in a tangible way – that could be economic or that could be taking something from them. It could also be spiritual or physical oppression. Proverbs 22:16 is a good example: “Whoever oppresses the poor to increase his own wealth, or gives to the rich, will only come to poverty.” For someone in power, that may include enacting laws or rules that deprive those under his or her authority. It may be abuse of some kind. It may be forcing someone or a group to unjust labor. Or it may be taking something valuable from them.   Those two proverbs about ancient landmarks… they are about taking land away from a community or family. It’s a kind of oppression. And to be sure, oppression is not always inflicted by the rich and powerful. Look at 28:3, “A poor man who oppresses the poor is a beating rain that leaves no food.” God hates it all – He hates any kind of injustice and he especially hates oppression. I should note that oppression is a type of injustice – oppression is described by specific as acts of oppression. You are an oppressor if you inflict oppression on a person or people. Again, that is different than how some in our culture define oppression. Here the summary so far: #1 God is a God of justice. Justice is applying his standard of honesty and respect to all people in all our dealings. It’s God’s goodness and righteousness and truth worked out in the day-to-day exchanges we have with other people and organizations. #2 God calls those who have responsibility over other people to fulfill their responsibility with justice. Especially for those in authority, God demands that they exercise that authority by overcoming wickedness and never through oppression. Let’s pray. No! just kidding. We can’t be done because we have yet to consider God’s justice fulfilled in Christ! The problem is that God’s infinite justice demands our perfect justice. However, we are unable to fulfill that justice in ourselves. And that’s where the problem lies. A just king will defeat all injustice in his kingdom. And that would include us - you and me. These Proverbs condemn us because they reveal our injustice and what a just king will do. If you would take out your bulletin and look back at our assurance of pardon. It’s from Romans chapter 3. Let me read a portion of it in the middle there. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and are justified by his grace as a gift through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” And it goes on to say that through the sacrifice of Christ on the cross, God accomplished that justification for us. In other words, Jesus took on the full justice of God in our place. And by faith in him, we are made just. That verse right at the end of our assurance of pardon beautifully summarizes it. Romans 3:26. It says that through his righteousness God is both just and the justifier of those who have faith in Christ – just and the justifier. He is both perfectly just in his justice and he is the justifier meaning he justifies us so that we become just in his sight through faith. That, beloved in Christ, is the perfect fulfillment of justice. Jesus is the just king who has justified us so that we may pursue his justice in our lives. As some of you know, in the middle of the Watergate scandal, Chuck Colson came to know and believe in the justification of Christ. And it transformed him. He wrote about his conversion in his autobiography. As things began to unravel because of the scandal, he was lovingly confronted by a dear friend about his pride and his guilt. And he began to realize that he had, at all costs, put the interests of the Nixon administration above true justice. When Colson was charged with obstructing justice, he did something unthinkable. He pleaded guilty. He went against the counsel of his lawyers who believed he could win if he fought the charges. But he knew in his heart that the charges were true. He gave up any future career aspirations and sought instead to allow true justice to be done. That’s what God does in us, through Christ, when we submit ourselves to him and receive his forgiveness. We’re not only justified, but we’re given the desire and ability to pursue justice in this world, through faith in him. May God give each of us a heart to know and pursue true justice – a justice not according to the world but according to his truth and his righteousness, which he fulfilled in Christ. Amen?

Determining Justice11:1 A false balance is an abomination to the LORD, but a just weight is his delight.16:8 Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues with injustice.16:11 A just balance and scales are the LORD's; all the weights in the bag are his work.17:23 The wicked accepts a bribe in secret to pervert the ways of justice.18:17 The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him.20:10 Unequal weights and unequal measures are both alike an abomination to the LORD.20:14 “Bad, bad,” says the buyer, but when he goes away, then he boasts.20:23 Unequal weights are an abomination to the LORD, and false scales are not good.21:15 When justice is done, it is a joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers.22:8 Whoever sows injustice will reap calamity, and the rod of his fury will fail.24:12 If you say, “Behold, we did not know this,” does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it, and will he not repay man according to his work?24:23 These also are sayings of the wise. Partiality in judging is not good.28:5 Evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the LORD understand it completely.28:21 To show partiality is not good, but for a piece of bread a man will do wrong. Defending Justice16:10 An oracle is on the lips of a king; his mouth does not sin in judgment.16:12 It is an abomination to kings to do evil, for the throne is established by righteousness.16:14 A king's wrath is a messenger of death, and a wise man will appease it.16:15 In the light of a king's face there is life, and his favor is like the clouds that bring the spring rain.20:8 A king who sits on the throne of judgment winnows all evil with his eyes.20:26 A wise king winnows the wicked and drives the wheel over them.24:10 If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small.24:11 Rescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter.25:1 These also are proverbs of Solomon which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied.25:2 It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out.25:3 As the heavens for height, and the earth for depth, so the heart of kings is unsearchable.25:4 Take away the dross from the silver, and the smith has material for a vessel;25:5 take away the wicked from the presence of the king, and his throne will be established in righteousness.28:2 When a land transgresses, it has many rulers, but with a man of understanding and knowledge, its stability will long continue.29:4 By justice a king builds up the land, but he who exacts gifts tears it down.29:12 If a ruler listens to falsehood, all his officials will be wicked. Denying Justice13:23 The fallow ground of the poor would yield much food, but it is swept away through injustice.14:31 Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker, but he who is generous to the needy honors him.18:5 It is not good to be partial to the wicked or to deprive the righteous of justice.22:16 Whoever oppresses the poor to increase his own wealth, or gives to the rich, will only come to poverty.22:22 Do not rob the poor, because he is poor, or crush the afflicted at the gate,22:23 for the LORD will plead their cause and rob of life those who rob them.22:28 Do not move the ancient landmark that your fathers have set.23:10 Do not move an ancient landmark or enter the fields of the fatherless,23:11 for their Redeemer is strong; he will plead their cause against you.28:3 A poor man who oppresses the poor is a beating rain that leaves no food.28:15 Like a roaring lion or a charging bear is a wicked ruler over a poor people.29:13 The poor man and the oppressor meet together; the LORD gives light to the eyes of both.29:14 If a king faithfully judges the poor, his throne will be established forever.31:8 Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute.31:9 Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.

Please take out the Proverbs insert in your bulletin. You can see on the front page that we are in the last third of our study. I did want to note two things. 1. First, we skipped over the one titled Financial Wisdom, Giving, and Wealth. A couple of you have asked about that. Tim Townsend will be preaching on that one later next month and it has just been a matter of timing. Stay tuned. 2. Second, our theme today is on words. There are a many many proverbs that relate to our words. We’ve already covered some of them like honesty and deceit. Several of the other themes include proverbs about our words as they relate to the specific theme. The proverbs today are more foundational to our speech. Open up the insert and look at Proverbs 18:21. It’s there on the right-hand side. It begins, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” That pretty much captures our focus this morning. Let’s now consider these specific Proverbs. Reading of selected proverbs:---------------------------------------------------10:11 The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.10:19 When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent.10:20 The tongue of the righteous is choice silver; the heart of the wicked is of little worth.10:31 The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but the perverse tongue will be cut off.10:32 The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable, but the mouth of the wicked, what is perverse.11:9 With his mouth the godless man would destroy his neighbor, but by knowledge the righteous are delivered.12:18 There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.12:25 Anxiety in a man's heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.13:2 From the fruit of his mouth a man eats what is good, but the desire of the treacherous is for violence.13:3 Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life; he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.15:4 A gentle[z] tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.15:23 To make an apt answer is a joy to a man, and a word in season, how good it is!16:13 Righteous lips are the delight of a king, and he loves him who speaks what is right.16:21 The wise of heart is called discerning, and sweetness of speech increases persuasiveness.16:23 The heart of the wise makes his speech judicious and adds persuasiveness to his lips.16:24 Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.17:27 Whoever restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding.18:4 The words of a man's mouth are deep waters; the fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook.18:8 The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels; they go down into the inner parts of the body.18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.20:19 Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets; therefore do not associate with a simple babbler.[i]21:23 Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble.25:11 A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.26:2 Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying, a curse that is causeless does not alight.--------------------------------------------- Prayer Last summer, while visiting Washington DC, we stopped by the National Archives. There we saw the Declaration of Independence, the US Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. They are all housed in a huge rotunda. The original documents are displayed in special cases around the room. And it’s very dimly lit to preserve the fading script… but even that adds to the gravity of the revered texts. They indeed are national treasures. But besides that, do you know what they are? Words. Mere words. Yet, these words created a nation. It’s tempting to think that the most powerful tools on the plant are weapons of war, but that is not true. No, the most powerful tools on the planet are words. ·      Throughout history, words have started revolutions and reformations. ·      Words have declared freedom. ·      Besides creating nations, words define laws. Words can have legal and binding power. ·      Through words, husbands and wives make wedding vows. ·      Words give shape to cultures and people. ·      Words persuade and galvanize people together. Think of famous speeches in history… Winston Churchill’s World War 2 speech, Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I have a dream" speech. Maybe you remember Ronald Regan saying “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall” ·      It is through words that we learn history and through words that we explain life and being. ·      Words, in fact, differentiate humanity from the rest of God’s creation. ·      Truth is conveyed through words and words express meaning and love. But words can also be the tools of destruction. ·      Words incite violence and through words of insults and slurs people are belittled and marginalized. ·      Words of dishonesty betray and words of hate kill. ·      By words of decree and calls to action… genocides have been started. The Huguenots, Jews in Europe, the Tutsis in Rwanda, the Uyghurs in China, and many others all throughout the world… even today. ·      We use words to break contracts and nullify vows. Words. Words of life and words of death. And Proverbs calls us to bring life through our words. You know, these last few sermons on wickedness and righteousness have been a little harder to apply. Maybe you’ve sensed that. Wickedness is such a strong word, and being wicked is not something that generally characterizes Christians, although there are exceptions. We’ve been saved out of our wickedness and into righteousness. So that last few sermons have been more worldview orienting.   But today is quite different. Let me ask you a question. Do you remember things said to you that have caused you deep pain? I bet that every single one of us would say “yes.” And I think every single one of us can remember words that have encouraged and brought life. But not only that, most of us here can think of times when we’ve hurt others through our words, and maybe times we’ve blessed others. You and I cannot escape our own words and how they affect the lives of others. What I’m saying is that there’s so much here to apply. So, let’s get into it. We’ll work through three questions this morning. 1. Are your words thoughtful or thoughtless? 2. Are your words wise or wicked? 3. Are your words helpful or harmful? 1. Are your words thoughtful or thoughtless? So first… thoughtful or thoughtless. I think probably the most well-known proverb in the whole list is 10:19 “When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent.” Now, some of you are extroverts and enjoy being with and talking to others. Others of you are introverts but you may still process things externally. Each of us has a propensity to talk in different situations. This Proverb is not saying that if you have many words that you therefore are sinning. One of Amy’s extended family members enjoys talking. He’s also very funny. He said to me once, “you know, you’re hearing what I’m thinking at the same time that I’m hearing it for the first time.” We got a laugh at that one. Actually, he is a loving pastor and very kind and thoughtful. So, it’s not necessarily the amount of words we speak which gives rise to transgression. However, the more you talk, the more likely you will sin. The more you talk, the higher the possibility that your words will at times be thoughtless.   The warning is not to babble. That’s one of the words in these verses. It’s going on and on about things without a purpose. It’s saying everything that comes to your mind. It’s thoughtless and careless words, which may flippantly dismiss something or someone. Or you may betray confidence by being loose with your words. Those ideas are both conveyed here. Have you heard the phrase before, “Loose lips sink ships.” That phrase comes from a WW2 slogan. It was a reminder to military people to be cautious and guarded about telling others what they know. Even if the slightest word got out about military plans, the results could be tragic. We’re called here to be thoughtful and careful about our words. Here are some of the phrases: ·      “whoever restrains his lips is prudent…” ·      “Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life” ·      “Whoever restrains his words has knowledge” ·      “Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble.” Being careful means asking yourself these questions: Are my words necessary? Am I adding value to the situation I’m in? When I am speaking, am I being fully honest about everything I am saying? Will my words diffuse and help a situation, or will they throw gas on the fire? Here’s a hard one to ask yourself: When I am talking about something, am I talking as if I know more than I really know? In other words, am I being honest about the extent of my knowledge? There are so many ways in which we just haphazardly talk and talk and talk without caution and thoughtfulness about what we are saying and how we are saying it. But when you are thoughtful… do you know what will happen? When your words are careful, knowing the situation in which you are speaking, knowing what you are speaking about, and being sensitive to those with whom you are speaking, then your words will be gold and silver. Look at Proverbs 25:11 “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.” Honestly, this has been an area for me where I’ve come a long way, but I have a long way to go. You can ask my sisters about my thoughtless words when we were all young, and I’m sure they would agree (maybe too much). And beyond them, I’ve felt convicted over the years about being insensitive or at times too direct about what I think. To be sure, I think being clear and straightforward is often helpful, but it can be done in a loving manner. I’ve had to learn the hard way at times. When I get frustrated at something, I still find myself reverting back to those thoughtless tendencies. These Proverbs today have been a good reminder to me about being mindful of my words. Ok, that’s the first category. Being thoughtful and careful with our words compared with being thoughtless and careless with them.   2. Are your words wise or worthless? This next category takes us deeper into the content of our words. Are your words wise or wicked? Honestly, this is where all of our Proverbs study comes to bear. What do you say to someone who is searching or looking for guidance? Or maybe they are not asking, but a situation has arisen, and you feel the responsibility to speak into their life. In other words, you are called to speak wisdom. Let me put it this way. We’re called to speak in wisdom …with wisdom…. what we say and how we say it. Several phrases here capture that. ·      Proverbs 10:32 for example. “The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable.” Speaking in wisdom is discerning how to say something knowing what is appropriate in the situation. ·      Proverbs 16:21 is another one that captures this: “The wise of heart is called discerning, and sweetness of speech increases persuasiveness.” ·      Or I think my favorite… 18:4 “The words of a man's mouth are deep waters; the fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook.” Wise words bring peace and unity and give guidance. There are a few others that are similar. What is the opposite? The opposite is wicked or foolish or worthless. Actually, the word captured here is “perverse.” It’s used three times as the contrast to being wise and gentle. 15:4 is an example “A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.” The Hebrew meaning of perverse is to confuse or warp what is true or good. You are perverting wisdom into worthless wickedness. Alright, I want to take you back in time… to about the year 480 BC. At that time, Persia was in control of the lands of Judah and Israel. Some of the Babylonian exiles had returned to Jerusalem and surrounding regions, however, most of God’s people were still scattered throughout the whole region. And at that time, the king of Persia, Xerxes, appointed a new queen – Esther was her name. She was young and beautiful and wise. And she was Jewish. But the king did not know of her heritage nor much about her people. But the king’s second in command, Haman, knew about the Jews. In fact, Haman hated the Jews. And so, he schemed and crafted a plot to have the Jewish people annihilated. He went to the king and to use the words of Proverbs, he perverted the truth. He described the Jewish people as unlawful and dishonoring to the king and his kingdom. And with his words, Haman riled up King Xerxes in order to have them destroyed. The king gave Haman his signet ring with full authority to do whatever he wished. And so, Haman issued a decree, in the kings name, that on a certain day, all Jews were to be killed – including the young and old, women and children. It’s hard to even imagine the grief that Queen Esther felt over this decree… nor the risk to her own life. But the Lord gave her wisdom. With a profound sensitivity, she went to the king. She didn’t blurt out her outrage at Haman nor demand that the decree be rescinded. No, she recognized Xerxes earthly power with a thoughtful appeal. If it pleased him, she asked, would he give her an opportunity to present a request. Her words were gracious and thoughtful. The timing of her words were wise. Have you ever thought about that? Being wise with your words is more than what you say, and how you say it, it’s also when you say it. And so, Esther prepared a banquet to honor the king and to present her request. The time had come, the banquet started. Haman was there with the king. And here’s what she said… by the way, quoting directly from the book of Esther, chapter 7.  “If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it please the king, let my life be granted me for my wish, and my people for my request. For we have been sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be killed, and to be annihilated. If we had been sold merely as slaves, men and women, I would have been silent, for our affliction is not to be compared with the loss to the king.” Words of wisdom, spoken with wisdom, at a time of wisdom. The king was grieved and angry and responded, “Who is he, and where is he, who has dared to do this?” And Esther identified the very man in the kings presence… the evil Haman. Well, it didn’t take long for the king put a quick end to Haman’s life… and he issued a new decree that would save the lives of  God’s people. Words of wisdom by Esther contrasted with words of wickedness by Haman. His words ultimately brough his own destruction. Proverbs 10:31 “The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but the perverse tongue will be cut off.” Let me say, even if you are unsure at times what to say, will you seek out wisdom? And in wisdom, will you speak what is right and true versus what is perverse? 3. Are your words helpful or harmful? So. Are your words thoughtful or thoughtless. That was number 1. Are they wise or wicked. Number 2. And now Number 3: Are your words helpful or harmful? By the way, all of these questions relate, of course. This one is about whether you are ministering to others through your words. Are you seeking to be a blessing? Or, are your words hurtful? Proverbs 12:18 captures this one. “There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” Our words can hurt. You know that expression, “sticks and stones may break my bones… but words will never hurt me.” We all know, it’s not true. Words can be very painful. And we are naturally good, in our sinfulness, at dishing it out. Kids… Many of you have brothers or sisters. If not, you have classmates. Isn’t it really easy to be ugly with your words? It’s really easy to say something mean, intentionally mean. Boys and girls, you both do it. And it escalates, doesn’t it?… Your brother or classmate says to you “you are funny looking”… and then you say back, “well, you are dumb.” And it goes back and forth, getting worse and worse. And deep down it hurts, doesn’t it? And none of it is honoring to God. What should you do instead? We’re to lift one another up with words of encouragement. Instead of tearing down, we’re to build each other up with words of love… We should especially encourage one another in difficult times. Every single one of us in life goes through times of discouragement or disappointment or some kind of relational pain. We grieve. We’re anxious. We weep and lament. We doubt and fear and despair. This is the human condition in the world in which we live. And in those moments of life, there is nothing more powerful than a word that lifts us up. A word that ministers to our souls. Oh, how good and pleasant it is. Over and over in these Proverbs, we’re told of the deep blessing of words that minister to our souls. ·      The very first Proverbs in our list tells us that our words should be… “a fountain of life.” ·      Here’s another one… “Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.” ·      Proverbs 12:25 “Anxiety in a man's heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.” These are the kind of words that we need in those moments. But let me also say, we should not only be receivers of these words of healing, but we should be givers of words that bring life. And the most important word that you can give in those times, and really any time, is the word of life. The deepest encouragement that you can give is to minster the Gospel of grace. Your words can give the hope of Jesus in times of despair. In times of uncertainty, you can minister the certainty of Christ. When someone is burdened by their sin in whatever ways, you can speak about the love of God and the forgiveness and honor that he gives by faith. Yes, all those things I mentioned up font demonstrate the power of words. The creation of nations – the binding power of vows – the persuasion of peoples for a cause. But there’s something even more powerful that words convey - they convey the Gospel. ·      God uses our words and his Word, the Scriptures, to proclaim the name of Jesus – the one name under heaven whereby we must be saved. ·      God uses words to convey his truth and life. ·      Through words, God reveals himself. I am not saying that God only uses words to reveal himself. No, he also uses his creation all around us that testify to himself and truth, but words are the primary way through which we can know him and the hope and grace that he offers through Christ. Jesus said it this way… “man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” God’s word gives and sustains life. In fact, God’s word creates all things. That is how central God’s word is. In Genesis chapter 1, God spoke and creation came into being. Over and over, “God said.” “God said let there be light” and there was. “God said let the earth sprout vegetation” … and it did. “God said, let the waters swarm with living creatures” and “let the earth bring forth living creatures…” and it was so. And he said, “let us make man in our image.” And he did. And that word, God’s Word, who spoke all things into existence, is Christ. God the Son is the Word of God. Through him, God created all things and reveals all things. And as we read earlier in the service, “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” We can know God’s Word because we can know Jesus Christ. He has revealed himself to us so that we may reveal him to others. Coleman made a keen observation in our Proverbs podcast this week. It is the Holy Spirit through which God’s Word is communicated. The Holy Spirit carried along the authors of the Scriptures to give us God’s Word. He is the comforter who works through the Word to minister God’s grace in us. He is called the Spirit of wisdom and truth because he gives us the wisdom of Christ. And if I could add to that, he works through us, so that our words can convey the wisdom and comfort of Christ. Here’s the summary: Proverbs is teaching us to be the conduit of God’s Word. We are channels through the Holy Spirit, to minister God’s Word. I’m including all the positive things that these proverbs speak of. Thoughtful and careful words that align with the principles of God’s Word. Wise words that convey the truth and righteousness found in God’s Words. And words that minister and heal as we speak of God’s love and grace in Christ Jesus, who is the Word of God. Let me leave you with this: Proverbs 18:21 “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.” And the question is, will you eat the fruit of God’s Word and will it transform your words?  

10:11 The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.10:19 When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent.10:20 The tongue of the righteous is choice silver; the heart of the wicked is of little worth.10:31 The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but the perverse tongue will be cut off.10:32 The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable, but the mouth of the wicked, what is perverse.11:9 With his mouth the godless man would destroy his neighbor, but by knowledge the righteous are delivered.12:18 There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.12:25 Anxiety in a man's heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.13:2 From the fruit of his mouth a man eats what is good, but the desire of the treacherous is for violence.13:3 Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life; he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.15:4 A gentle[z] tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.15:23 To make an apt answer is a joy to a man, and a word in season, how good it is!16:13 Righteous lips are the delight of a king, and he loves him who speaks what is right.16:21 The wise of heart is called discerning, and sweetness of speech increases persuasiveness.16:23 The heart of the wise makes his speech judicious and adds persuasiveness to his lips.16:24 Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.17:27 Whoever restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding.18:4 The words of a man's mouth are deep waters; the fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook.18:8 The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels; they go down into the inner parts of the body.18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.20:19 Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets; therefore do not associate with a simple babbler.[i]21:23 Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble.25:11 A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.26:2 Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying, a curse that is causeless does not alight.

We’re resuming our Proverbs study this morning. This is our 26th sermon in the book of Proverbs. We’ve learned a lot of things about wisdom and foolishness and righteousness and wickedness. Before we begin, I wanted to take a few minutes and summarize our Proverbs series to date. It will be helpful for our study today. 1.   First, while Proverbs does give us day to day wisdom for life’s decisions, it goes way beyond that. Proverbs teaches us how to understand life and death and good and evil and the world and God. In fact, the foundation to making day to day life decisions is understanding God, his world, and his word. Let me put it this way: Proverbs reveals a worldview for living. 2.   Second, we learned that wisdom is a lifetime pursuit. It is a path. The path of wisdom calls us to pursue God’s wisdom and his righteousness. And when we do, we will grow in discernment of what is good and right and true. 3.   Third, Proverbs reveals that there is not just one path. There are two divergent paths of life. The first path, as I mentioned, is the path of wisdom and righteousness. The second path is the path of foolishness and wickedness. Our thematic sermons starting in chapter 10 have been expanding our understanding of each path. Remember, foolishness and wickedness relate, but they are different. Foolishness is actively or passively ignoring God’s commands and his law. Wickedness and evil are hostile to them and often to the detriment of others. So, two paths. And we are called to walk the path of wisdom and righteousness. 4.   Fourth, and this is very important. The path of wisdom begins with fearing the Lord. That is where Proverbs began – fear the Lord. And we’ve seen that phrase over and over. In fact, listen for it in our verses today. Fearing the Lord means recognizing who he is as the sovereign, holy, and just God; it means trusting in him, honoring him, and reverently worshiping him. And we fear the Lord through faith in Christ. The promises of God which are fulfilled in Christ are all throughout the Proverbs. We’ve seen that in each chapter and each theme. He is wisdom personified. Jesus models perfect righteousness. He leads us down the path of righteousness. Jesus is the one who at the end of our life on earth, will preserve us for eternity… as Proverbs promises. The fear of the Lord, which comes through Christ, is the first step on the path of wisdom. But it’s the first of many steps on the path. 5.   Fifth, and last - you can fear the Lord, yet stumble down the path of wisdom. You can get stuck in a rut; you can be on the path of wisdom but do foolish things. And that will lead to struggles and difficulty in life. In other words, believing in Christ does not mean you coast to the end. No, God calls us in Proverbs to continue pursuing what is good and true and right. Remember, Solomon is writing primarily to his sons. Besides teaching them about God and wisdom generally, Solomon want’s his sons to prosper in the wisdom and righteousness of God. He wants them to make wise decisions in life, and Solomon warns them about foolish and wicked decisions. Let me recap: (1) Proverbs gives us God’s worldview for living. (2) It teaches us that that the path of wisdom is a lifetime pursuit. (3) we’ve learned about the divergent path of foolishness and wickedness. (4) We’re given the starting place, which is to fear the Lord, and (5) We’re exhorted to persevere on the path of wisdom and righteousness and warned about the consequences of not following it. That last point, #5, is where our verses today fit within Proverbs as a whole - warnings about wickedness and exhortations about righteousness. I know that was a very long preamble, but I wanted to make sure that we understand these verses in the context of Proverbs. Please take out the Proverbs insert in your bulletin and turn to the inside. As I read, listen for those encouragements about pursuing righteousness and those warnings about wickedness. Stand Reading of selected Proverbs---------------------------------------------------------------11:27 Whoever diligently seeks good seeks favor, but evil comes to him who searches for it.15:9 The way of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, but he loves him who pursues righteousness.17:15 He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous are both alike an abomination to the LORD.17:26 To impose a fine on a righteous man is not good, nor to strike the noble for their uprightness.19:19 A man of great wrath will pay the penalty, for if you deliver him, you will only have to do it again.24:1 Be not envious of evil men, nor desire to be with them,24:2 for their hearts devise violence, and their lips talk of trouble.24:15 Lie not in wait as a wicked man against the dwelling of the righteous; do no violence to his home;24:16 for the righteous falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in times of calamity.24:17 Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles,24:18 lest the LORD see it and be displeased, and turn away his anger from him.24:19 Fret not yourself because of evildoers, and be not envious of the wicked,24:20 for the evil man has no future; the lamp of the wicked will be put out.24:21 My son, fear the LORD and the king, and do not join with those who do otherwise,24:22 for disaster will arise suddenly from them, and who knows the ruin that will come from them both?24:24 Whoever says to the wicked, “You are in the right,” will be cursed by peoples, abhorred by nations,24:25 but those who rebuke the wicked will have delight, and a good blessing will come upon them.24:26 Whoever gives an honest answer kisses the lips.25:19 Trusting in a treacherous man in time of trouble is like a bad tooth or a foot that slips.28:4 Those who forsake the law praise the wicked, but those who keep the law strive against them.28:9 If one turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination.29:27 An unjust man is an abomination to the righteous, but one whose way is straight is an abomination to the wicked.--------------------------------------------------------------- Prayer We are a people easily influenced. Speaking of being influenced, did you know, in the United States, Instagram has about 177,000 social media influencers. These are people with over 10,000 followers on Instagram. And let me give you an example - Dwayne Johnson – you may know him as “The Rock” has 398 Million followers. Because of that, when a company wants The Rock to market their product, they will pay him $1.5M per post because of his influence. I know some of you are worried about my growing influence on Instagram. Well, I just checked my number of followers, I am up to 204 followers. Maybe you can help me catch up. We are a people easily influenced, easily persuaded… and people are paid to influence us. A recent study of peer pressure in teenagers showed that 61% of teenagers would break a rule if their friends were already breaking the rule. And 55% of those kids continued to break the same rule even when their friends were not around. The study also captured the peer influence on beliefs – it showed that 94% of kids are influenced by their peers in what they believe… to some extent. I’m bringing this up because one of the things we learn from these verses is to be on guard against the persuasions and temptations of wickedness. Instead, we are called to be influenced by righteousness. We’re to actively pursue righteousness and avoid wickedness and the wicked in his ways. Alright, take a look at the insert again. I want you to see a pattern here. There are many direct commands throughout. And most of them are formed in the negative. For example, look down at chapter 24 verse 1. “Be not envious.” A couple verses later, 24:15: “lie not in wait” and later in that same verse, “do no violence.” There are a total of 9 negative commands in these verses. Even more, there are also similar negative proverbs just not in an imperative form. And every single one of both types are about how we should relate to wickedness. Some of them are warnings and others direct us how not to react to wickedness. So, let’s look at these verses in two main categories: 1. Be wary of wickedness 2. Be resolute in righteousness And, by the way, each of those categories has four commands. 1. Be wary of wickedness So again, first, Be wary of wickedness. The four command here warn us not to be drawn into wickedness. And let me say, these warnings very much relate to our last sermon on wickedness and righteousness. Remember, it’s ultimately a heart matter. A heart of wickedness gives way to wickedness. A heart of righteousness gives way to righteousness. The warnings in these verses take us back to the heart. We need to guard our heart in Christ and not be drawn into wickedness. The first warning is about envy. We’re not to envy wickedness. That’s what chapter 24:1-2 says: “Be not envious of evil men, nor desire to be with them, for their hearts devise violence, and their lips talk of trouble.” A few verses later there’s a similar command. To envy is to want something or be to jealous of something. To envy the wicked is to have a heart desire to either want what the wicked has or to be jealous of his associations. I’ll illustrate these in a minute – I want to start by explaining them. So first, envy. And next, envy leads to some sort of rationalization. The word “justification” is used in 17:15 “He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous are both alike an abomination to the LORD.” Justification in this sense is saying or believing that what the wicked are doing is somehow right. A few verses later, it says, “Whoever says to the wicked, ‘You are in the right,’ will be cursed by peoples…” It’s the same idea. The temptation is to believe that what the wicked are saying or doing is right. Now, we’ve talked a lot in our Proverbs study about the dividing line between wisdom and foolishness and between righteousness and wickedness. And what is that dividing line? It is God’s Word – his commands and law. God determines the divinding line. Look at chapter 28 verse 4. It captures that line. 28:4 “Those who forsake the law praise the wicked, but those who keep the law strive against them.” What it is saying is that to justify or agree with the wicked is to actually forsake God’s law. So, do not envy the wicked; do not justify or praise their wickedness; and then, next, do not seek out wickedness. That seeking is captured right there in 11:27. “Whoever diligently seeks good seeks favor, but evil comes to him who searches for it.” Do you know what happens when you search for evil and wickedness? You will find it! There’s no lack of evil to be found when you search for it. That path obviously leads, next, to participating in wickedness. Joining in wicked ways. 24:15 “Lie not in wait as a wicked man against the dwelling of the righteous; do no violence to his home;” That envy and rationalization and seeking out wickedness turns to an active involvement in wickedness. Here’s the scary part here. It’s often a subtle drift away from righteousness and toward wickedness. We are incrementally influenced by wickedness until we join in wicked ways. I studied German in college for a year. My professor was from Germany and he was born right when Hitler was ascending to power. This professor had such a gentle and Christ-like spirit about him. And that is because as a young child, he experienced the devastation of war with evil all around him… but God’s mercy through it. He wrote a book about his family’s experience. In it, he highlighted his mother’s faithfulness to disciple her children to stand against the evils of the Nazi regime. They were trapped like many others… in a world of evil. He wrote this about his mother’s struggle: “What could a parent do to instill in one's children values of decency, respect, faithfulness, and diligence when all around the only thing that seemed to guarantee success was the rejection of such qualities?” They sought to be faithful to the righteousness they were called to in Christ… and faithful to minister the hope of the Gospel in the darkness around them. But their beliefs were in direct opposition to the Third Reich. My professor’s older brothers were forced to participate in the Hitler Youth. They had to mentally and spiritually fight against the brainwashing of the Nazis. By God’s grace, the boys held firm to their beliefs in Christ. At one point, one of them fled his Hitler Youth post and almost escaped out of Germany, but he was detained. He was maybe 13 years old. Because of his age, his life was spared. The oldest brother was drafted at age 17 into the German military. Even there, he sought to be faithful to Christ and forthright about his Christian beliefs. At one point, his commanding officer found out… and this young man was cursed at in front of the entire company. The commander yelled at him that it was a great crime to be a Christian because Jesus had also been a Jew. Again, by God’s grace, this brother survived the war, despite being later captured by Russia and imprisoned for 5 years. I want you to imagine the pressures to either give in to the wickedness… or the temptation to envy or desire the power of the wicked. Let me ask the teenage boys here… imagine being 12-years-old in the Hitler Youth. You are told that your race and nation were superior to all others… and that you would participate in conquering the world. Would you find yourself tempted to believe the lie and then actively join in the evil machine? Or for any of us, if you lived there in that time… and you saw the power and the privilege afforded to those aligned with the Nazis, would you go down the path of these warnings? First, envying them, then rationalize their evil, then searching it out, then participating. Did you know, many churches in Germany either supported the Nazi regime or turned a blind eye to the atrocities? Directly or indirectly, they were saying of evil, “you are in the right.” Now, it’s one thing, of course, to look back 85 years at another generation in a country across the ocean, but what about wickedness and evil that exist today? What things today are we turning a blind eye to or supporting directly or indirectly? Over the last three sermons, we’ve considered several examples of evil – human trafficking, tragic shootings, our culture of death and the life of the unborn. But is there another evil that has drawn you in? For example, has your sin drawn you into porn? No, you are not the one driving that evil industry, but besides the sin of lust and heart adultery, your sin is feeding the industry… just like those in Nazi Germany supporting the regime. Now, we’re going to get to the righteousness that we can pursue in Christ, but I wanted to press the question of our sin and wickedness. Alright, those are the four warnings. Be wary of wickedness. 2. Be resolute in righteousness That brings us to a second set of commands. Again, I’m naming them - Be resolute in righteousness. The question is, when faced with wickedness, how should we respond? Instead of being influenced and drawn toward the wicked and wickedness… how can we respond in righteousness? And, as I mentioned, there are four admonitions here: First, do not worry about wickedness. 24:19 says “Fret not yourself because of evildoers.” The word “fret” is stronger than the word “worry.” To fret over wickedness is to have an internal turmoil because of it. I think this is perhaps the hardest command in all these verses today - especially when you are the target of evil. Or do you look around and see all the injustice and prosperity of the wicked, and you worry? But God says, do not fret. The wicked will come to their ultimate destruction. That’s the second part of the Proverb in verse 20 – “The lamp of the wicked will be put out.” On the day of judgment, they will stand before judgment seat of the Lord and be judged, but the righteous in Christ will be vindicated. Again, this is a hard one. And, I have to say, I struggle with this. I have to remember that God will have victory in the end. His righteousness will prevail… despite evil at times seeming to overcome righteousness. In the book I mentioned by my professor, I was struck by how often their family prayed…. by how they sought to trust in the Lord. As bombs were falling all around them, as they were helping their injured and grieving neighbors, as the evil of their own countrymen seemed to be prevailing, they prayed for protection and help, but they did so trusting the Lord’s will. Do not worry about evil. And second, do not trust the wicked. That one is right there in chapter 25:19 – “Trusting in a treacherous man in time of trouble is like a bad tooth or a foot that slips.” But it is so tempting, isn’t it? You are down and out. Maybe you are overcome by your situation. And someone comes along says, “hey, I can help you out but I need you to do something for me.” But it turns out his offer is merely to use you for his evil schemes. Trust not in the wicked. Ok, third, do not rejoice when the wicked fail. This is another difficult one! Look at 24:17 “Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles…”  I mean, who does not want to celebrate when your enemy falls? But we are not to rejoice. It is a humble reminder of two things. Number 1 – it is only by the grace of God in Christ that you are counted among the righteous and can, in him, pursue righteousness. And number 2, it’s a reminder that the wicked need the Lord. Instead of rejoicing, we should pray that he would redeem them. So, worry not. Trust not. Rejoice not when the wicked stumble. And last, rebuke wickedness. Honestly, all four of these responses to evil are all difficult. Beloved in Christ, we are called to call out wickedness. Proverbs 24:25. “those who rebuke the wicked will have delight, and a good blessing will come upon them.” We are afraid to stand up for goodness and righteousness. We will be called names and perhaps persecuted. Think of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. He was a pastor in Germany during World War 2. He was part of the confessing church which did not support Hitler. He was in a position where he could speak out against the atrocities, and he did. He was jailed multiple times for his stance. In a tangential way, he also participated in a plot against Hitler. In the end Bonhoeffer was executed for that. Now, I am not saying that on social media, you should call out every evil thing you see and hear. No, we should be thoughtful, sensitive, and clear. At times, it may require a bold witness like Bonhoeffer. But at times, like my professor’s family, it may require an under the radar testimony to neighbors and family who are tempted by wickedness around them. In all of this, the call is to be resolute in righteousness. May we heed both the warnings not to get pulled into evil, but also the call to stand firm in the righteousness to which we are called. Conclusion On Thursday evening, we had our Smoke Rise home group gathering. We were looking at these verses and someone made a very helpful observation. I want to share it with you in conclusion. Chapter 24 verse 21 unlocks all these verses. Take a look at it. 24:21. It says, “My son, fear the LORD and the king, and do not join with those who do otherwise…” It is the fear of the Lord, which I mentioned in the introduction, which enables us in each of these commands. It is the reverent trust in God through Christ, by which we can be wary of wickedness… and heed the warnings and be resolute in righteousness. Here’s what I mean: Instead of envying or justifying wickedness, we fear the Lord… we desire him and what he determines is right. Instead of searching for evil and getting pulled into evil ways, we fear the Lord… seeking him and his ways. And similarly, it is through that fear of the Lord, knowing his judgment and his love for us in Christ, that we can be resolute in righteousness. Instead of trusting in the wicked, we trust in the Lord. That trust is really at the center of what it means to fear the Lord. Furthermore, when we fear the Lord, we can set aside our worry and not fret about wickedness. He has and will overcome all evil. Yes, the cross of Christ atoned for the sin of those who fear the Lord, but through the cross and in the resurrection, Jesus also triumphed over evil. In the end, when he returns, all wickedness will be defeated. That is a great comfort. And last and related… in that same confidence, we can rebuke wickedness. We can stand firm against wickedness because it is God’s standard and not ours. We can declare that in Christ, God has revealed righteousness and the path of righteousness and he has overcome wickedness. So, may we fear the Lord, and in that holy fear, may he lead us in the paths of righteousness for his name sake. Amen?    

11:27 Whoever diligently seeks good seeks favor, but evil comes to him who searches for it.15:9 The way of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, but he loves him who pursues righteousness.17:15 He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous are both alike an abomination to the LORD.17:26 To impose a fine on a righteous man is not good, nor to strike the noble for their uprightness.19:19 A man of great wrath will pay the penalty, for if you deliver him, you will only have to do it again.24:1-2 Be not envious of evil men, nor desire to be with them, for their hearts devise violence, and their lips talk of trouble.24:15-16 Lie not in wait as a wicked man against the dwelling of the righteous; do no violence to his home; for the righteous falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in times of calamity.24:17-18 Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles, lest the LORD see it and be displeased, and turn away his anger from him.24:19-20 Fret not yourself because of evildoers, and be not envious of the wicked, for the evil man has no future; the lamp of the wicked will be put out.24:21-22 My son, fear the LORD and the king, and do not join with those who do otherwise, for disaster will arise suddenly from them, and who knows the ruin that will come from them both?24:24-25 Whoever says to the wicked, “You are in the right,” will be cursed by peoples, abhorred by nations, but those who rebuke the wicked will have delight, and a good blessing will come upon them.24:26 Whoever gives an honest answer kisses the lips.25:19 Trusting in a treacherous man in time of trouble is like a bad tooth or a foot that slips.28:4 Those who forsake the law praise the wicked, but those who keep the law strive against them.28:9 If one turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination.29:27 An unjust man is an abomination to the righteous, but one whose way is straight is an abomination to the wicked.

(1) The heart of evil and righteousness11:20 Those of crooked heart are an abomination to the LORD, but those of blameless ways are his delight.12:26 One who is righteous is a guide to his neighbor, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.13:5 The righteous hates falsehood, but the wicked brings shame and disgrace.12:3 No one is established by wickedness, but the root of the righteous will never be moved.21:10 The soul of the wicked desires evil; his neighbor finds no mercy in his eyes.24:8 Whoever plans to do evil will be called a schemer.29:7 A righteous man knows the rights of the poor; a wicked man does not understand such knowledge.29:10 Bloodthirsty men hate one who is blameless and seek the life of the upright.29:24 The partner of a thief hates his own life; he hears the curse, but discloses nothing.(2) The way of evil and righteousness10:6 Blessings are on the head of the righteous, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.11:5 The righteousness of the blameless keeps his way straight, but the wicked falls by his own wickedness.11:13 Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets, but he who is trustworthy in spirit keeps a thing covered.12:6 The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood, but the mouth of the upright delivers them.12:10 Whoever is righteous has regard for the life of his beast, but the mercy of the wicked is cruel.14:9 Fools mock at the guilt offering, but the upright enjoy acceptance.15:8 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, but the prayer of the upright is acceptable to him.15:26 The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the LORD, but gracious words are pure.15:28 The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things.17:4 An evildoer listens to wicked lips, and a liar gives ear to a mischievous tongue.17:11 An evil man seeks only rebellion, and a cruel messenger will be sent against him.21:3 To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.21:27 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination; how much more when he brings it with evil intent.21:29 A wicked man puts on a bold face, but the upright gives thought to his ways.22:5 Thorns and snares are in the way of the crooked; whoever guards his soul will keep far from them.28:1 The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion.(3) The (temporal) result (impact?) of evil and righteousness10:3 The LORD does not let the righteous go hungry, but he thwarts the craving of the wicked.11:10 When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices, and when the wicked perish there are shouts of gladness.11:11 By the blessing of the upright a city is exalted, but by the mouth of the wicked it is overthrown.11:17 A man who is kind benefits himself, but a cruel man hurts himself.11:30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and whoever captures souls is wise.11:31 If the righteous is repaid on earth, how much more the wicked and the sinner!12:13 An evil man is ensnared by the transgression of his lips, but the righteous escapes from trouble.12:21 No ill befalls the righteous, but the wicked are filled with trouble.13:17 A wicked messenger falls into trouble, but a faithful envoy brings healing.13:25 The righteous has enough to satisfy his appetite, but the belly of the wicked suffers want.14:19 The evil bow down before the good, the wicked at the gates of the righteous.14:34 Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.15:6 In the house of the righteous there is much treasure, but trouble befalls the income of the wicked.16:31 Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained in a righteous life.17:13 If anyone returns evil for good, evil will not depart from his house.18:3 When wickedness comes, contempt comes also, and with dishonor comes disgrace.25:26 Like a muddied spring or a polluted fountain is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked.28:10 Whoever misleads the upright into an evil way will fall into his own pit, but the blameless will have a goodly inheritance.28:12 When the righteous triumph, there is great glory, but when the wicked rise, people hide themselves.28:17 If one is burdened with the blood of another, he will be a fugitive until death; let no one help him.28:28 When the wicked rise, people hide themselves, but when they perish, the righteous increase.29:2 When the righteous increase, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, the people groan.29:6 An evil man is ensnared in his transgression, but a righteous man sings and rejoices.29:16 When the wicked increase, transgression increases, but the righteous will look upon their downfall.

Thank you to our instrumentalists and choir. Especially Oscar and David.For the last few months, we’ve been studying the book of Proverbs. It’s one of the wisdom books in the Bible and it is full of wisdom for life. I think that’s a good summary of Proverbs – wisdom for life.Some of you are joining us for the first time this morning, and so let me give a quick synopsis. Last fall, we considered the opening 9 chapters of Proverbs. Those contain 12 foundational lessons about wisdom. Those lessons answered the questions, What is wisdom? Why do we need wisdom? And Where do we find wisdom? We were also warned about folly and evil.When we got to chapter 10, instead of taking the proverbs in order, we began considering the themes found in chapters 10-31. If you’ll take out the Proverbs insert in your bulletin, you’ll see those themes listed and the number of verses in each.We’ve completed the ones with the check boxes. As you can see, we are about half-way through. Proverbs includes two major thematic contrasts. The first is wisdom versus foolishness. And the second is righteousness versus wickedness. We’ve made it through most of the categories related to wisdom and foolishness and today we are beginning the second major contrast.Let me note that the differences between foolishness and wickedness are not always a hard line. However, there are a few important differences I want to highlight. • The two Hebrew words for folly indicate either an active or passive disregard for truth and morality. A fool, as Proverbs describes, is someone who doesn’t care about living with integrity or pursuing what is good and right and true according to God. The actions or inaction of a fool do affect others but more as a consequence of their foolishness.• Wickedness, on the other hand, is hostile. The underlying Hebrew word for wickedness includes violence and evil perpetrated against someone. A wicked person as Proverbs describes is someone guilty of intentional injustice according to God’s standard.Hopefully that helps as we now consider the contrast of wickedness and righteousness.By the way, there are an overwhelming number of verses about righteousness and wickedness. Because of that we’ll consider them in 3 sermons.Now, you may be thinking – an Easter Sermon about righteousness and wickedness? It’s true! As I’m reading the verses, I want you to be thinking about the resurrection and I think you’ll see how they relate.That’s a long preamble but hopefully it orients you to these verses and theme.If you’ll open up your Proverbs insert, let’s now consider God’s Word.StandReading od Selected Proverbs----------------------------------------------------(1) The heart of evil and righteousness11:20 Those of crooked heart are an abomination to the LORD, but those of blameless ways are his delight.12:26 One who is righteous is a guide to his neighbor, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.13:5 The righteous hates falsehood, but the wicked brings shame and disgrace.12:3 No one is established by wickedness, but the root of the righteous will never be moved.21:10 The soul of the wicked desires evil; his neighbor finds no mercy in his eyes.24:8 Whoever plans to do evil will be called a schemer.29:7 A righteous man knows the rights of the poor; a wicked man does not understand such knowledge.29:10 Bloodthirsty men hate one who is blameless and seek the life of the upright.29:24 The partner of a thief hates his own life; he hears the curse, but discloses nothing.(2) The way of evil and righteousness10:6 Blessings are on the head of the righteous, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.11:5 The righteousness of the blameless keeps his way straight, but the wicked falls by his own wickedness.11:13 Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets, but he who is trustworthy in spirit keeps a thing covered.12:6 The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood, but the mouth of the upright delivers them.12:10 Whoever is righteous has regard for the life of his beast, but the mercy of the wicked is cruel.14:9 Fools mock at the guilt offering, but the upright enjoy acceptance.15:8 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, but the prayer of the upright is acceptable to him.15:26 The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the LORD, but gracious words are pure.15:28 The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things.17:4 An evildoer listens to wicked lips, and a liar gives ear to a mischievous tongue.17:11 An evil man seeks only rebellion, and a cruel messenger will be sent against him.21:3 To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.21:27 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination; how much more when he brings it with evil intent.21:29 A wicked man puts on a bold face, but the upright gives thought to his ways.22:5 Thorns and snares are in the way of the crooked; whoever guards his soul will keep far from them.28:1 The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion.(3) The (temporal) result (impact?) of evil and righteousness10:3 The LORD does not let the righteous go hungry, but he thwarts the craving of the wicked.11:10 When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices, and when the wicked perish there are shouts of gladness.11:11 By the blessing of the upright a city is exalted, but by the mouth of the wicked it is overthrown.11:17 A man who is kind benefits himself, but a cruel man hurts himself.11:30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and whoever captures souls is wise.11:31 If the righteous is repaid on earth, how much more the wicked and the sinner!12:13 An evil man is ensnared by the transgression of his lips, but the righteous escapes from trouble.12:21 No ill befalls the righteous, but the wicked are filled with trouble.13:17 A wicked messenger falls into trouble, but a faithful envoy brings healing.13:25 The righteous has enough to satisfy his appetite, but the belly of the wicked suffers want.14:19 The evil bow down before the good, the wicked at the gates of the righteous.14:34 Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.15:6 In the house of the righteous there is much treasure, but trouble befalls the income of the wicked.16:31 Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained in a righteous life.17:13 If anyone returns evil for good, evil will not depart from his house.18:3 When wickedness comes, contempt comes also, and with dishonor comes disgrace.25:26 Like a muddied spring or a polluted fountain is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked.28:10 Whoever misleads the upright into an evil way will fall into his own pit, but the blameless will have a goodly inheritance.28:12 When the righteous triumph, there is great glory, but when the wicked rise, people hide themselves.28:17 If one is burdened with the blood of another, he will be a fugitive until death; let no one help him.28:28 When the wicked rise, people hide themselves, but when they perish, the righteous increase.29:2 When the righteous increase, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, the people groan.29:6 An evil man is ensnared in his transgression, but a righteous man sings and rejoices.29:16 When the wicked increase, transgression increases, but the righteous will look upon their downfall.----------------------------------------------------One of the things we’ve seen in Proverbs is how it deals with the breadth of the human condition. The joys and the sorrows – the height of virtue and wisdom and the depth of depravity and folly. We’ve seen that over and over.Blaise Pascal, the famous 17th century mathematician and philosopher wrote about this contrast. He said of mankind’s condition that we represent “the glory and the garbage of the universe.” “Man’s greatness and wretchedness,” he wrote, “are so evident that the true religion must necessarily teach us that there is in man some great principle of greatness and some great principle of wretchedness!”Those are true words, which Proverbs affirms over and over. Wisdom and foolishness, righteousness and wickedness, integrity and deceit, justice and injustice… and the list goes on.It is a fool’s errand to argue that evil and good are only concepts made up in people’s minds. Some may say that evil and good don’t really exist, but I bet if you pressed them with specific examples, they would reluctantly agree.Let me give you an example.Earlier this month I was at a breakfast event here in Tucker. It was about human trafficking. The event was attended by several police officers, civil servants including city and county officials, as well as a few pastors. We heard first from a ministry called Street Grace that works with law enforcement seeking to end the exploitation of children. We also heard examples of victims rescued from trafficking. And then we heard from the main speaker - a man named Victor Marx. When he was a boy, Victor had been physically abused by his five different stepfathers – once almost to the point of death. It was traumatic and led him to want to help others. Today, he works with militaries all over the world to save children from slavery. In fact, his wife is also trained and they work together. They’ve been to Gaza twice since October 7 to rescue children enslaved by Hamas. He and his wife are battling against evil. They are battling against evil people who kidnap children to use them for their own and other’s perverted desires. I’m trying to be careful with my description, but I think you know what I mean by trafficking. It is outright wickedness. And what a contrast between that evil and the righteous pursuits of Victor, his wife, and those with whom they work. They are putting their own lives at risk to rescue the victims of this horrible industry. And when asked why he does it, Victor speaks about his faith in Christ and how he wants to rescue these children the way he had hoped to be rescued himself as a child. What a testimony of a life dedicated to righteousness and seeking to put an end to wickedness.And that is one thing that we cannot escape in these verses. The reality of wickedness and the reality of righteousness. 29 times the word righteous or righteousness or upright is used. 31 times the word wicked or wickedness or evil is used. And this is only a portion of the Proverbs that speak to these realities. By the way, the reality of righteousness and wickedness is found throughout Scripture, including Jesus own teaching. Jesus called his own generation an evil and adulterous generation. What I’m saying is that wickedness and righteousness are not ideas that we come up with individually or even as a community. No, there are standards of right and wrong defined by God and given to us.Now, you may have a lot of questions as to where the line is between righteousness and wickedness. Those are good questions. I would submit that Proverbs gives us that line. • Similar to our study of wisdom and foolishness, we began with the broad categories and then drilled into the details week by week. • Well, over the next 3-4 months, we’ll be working through the details of wickedness and righteousness. Proverbs gives us a clear line. I guess what I am saying is “stay tuned.”But there’s a reason we’re starting with these verses. Unless we have the end in mind, we will not grasp the importance of these verses for our lives.What is that end? Well, it’s life and deliverance for the righteous… death and destruction for the wicked.I know that Proverbs is often thought of as a book of maxims by which we should live. Does it include principles to live by? Yes. Does it give us guidance in decisions and help us navigate life? Yes. But Proverb is way more than that. Proverbs is about God and his law and his promises. Remember, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. A big part of Proverbs warns us of the eternal consequences of folly. And it, instead, directs us to the path of wisdom which leads to life. You see, the path of life and deliverance versus the path of death and destruction is not new. Proverbs has presented two paths over and over. And that’s what these verses expand on - where the path of righteousness and the path of wickedness lead.So, let’s spend just a couple of minutes on where each path leads. And then we’ll come back and consider the critical question. Who is righteous and who is wicked?First, where does the path of the wicked lead? There are so many words and phrases here that describe the end of the wicked. Let me highlight just a few.:• What the wicked dreads will come upon him (10:24)• An evil person will not go unpunished (11:21)• The lamp of the wicked will be put out (13:9)• Here’s another one, the house of the wicked will be destroyed (14:11)• The wicked is overthrown through his evildoing (14:32)• Proverbs 21:7 says, “The violence of the wicked will sweep them away, because they refuse to do what is just.” • The LORD is far from the wicked (15:29). Again, that’s only a few of them. Other verses speak of the wrath and ruin that will come upon them.One thing that is apparent all throughout these verses is that the wicked will endure condemnation and ruin by the Lord himself. There is an active judgment on the wicked by God. In fear and dread, they will endure his wrath because of their wickedness.That’s the where the path of wickedness leads.Let’s now turn to the result of righteousness. And it’s similar in intensity. There are so many words and phrases that capture amazing promises for the righteous. Let me highlight a few.Consider these:• The wages of the righteous leads to life (10:7)• The righteous is established forever (10:25)• 10:30 The righteous will never be removed• The righteous is delivered from trouble (11:8)• the house of the righteous will stand (12:7) – that’s a contrast to the one I read about the house of the wicked being destroyed.Again, those are just a few of the descriptions. There are others like being rewarded with good and not visited by harm, and how the good will meet steadfast love and faithfulness.Life and joy and blessing and refuge... these are the rewards of being righteous. Who would not want these blessings and future promises?The contrast is so stark. The wicked will be defeated. Their judgment will be thorough and complete. And the righteous will inherit life forever.Did you notice, there is no third path. Every one of us is either considered righteous or considered wicked. Let me point something out in these verses. About 80% of the descriptions are nouns - “The righteous” and “the wicked.” Proverbs describes righteousness and wickedness as a state of being… We are either righteous or we are wicked.It’s easy to look outside of ourselves and say, “oh, you see that human trafficker. He is wicked or she is wicked.” But what happens if you look at your own heart? Would you consider yourself righteous? Do you think of yourself as a good person deserving of these promises?In the Bible, do you recall which group of people considered themselves righteous? It was the Pharisees. Yet they are the ones who Jesus condemned for their self-righteousness. When speaking about the evil and adulterous generation, Jesus was talking about them. They thought they were righteous, but in reality, they were counted among the wicked. I was thinking about King Solomon. Solomon was the one who authored and compiled the Proverbs. Who would he regard as righteous and wicked? Did he consider his father, King David, as righteous? David was an adulterer and murderer. Are these verses then condemning David? Is Solomon condemning himself, with his own violation of God’s law in the worship of false God’s and his many wives? Is Proverbs condemning us because of our own foolishness and wickedness? The answer to all those questions is “yes.”Solomon also wrote the book of Ecclesiastes. It’s another book of Wisdom. In chapter 7 of Ecclesiastes, Solomon writes, “there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.” Not one. In the book of Romans, that verses is alluded to by the apostle Paul. “None is righteous… no one understands, no one seeks God… no one does good, not even one.”Do you see what I am saying? We have a big problem. Every single one of us should be counted among the wicked. The destruction and condemnation of the wicked, which Proverbs describes here, is destruction and condemnation of our wickedness.There’s a gap we cannot cross. We, in and of ourselves, are not righteous. And we cannot become righteous, in and of ourselves. That does not mean that the promise in these verses are not true. Righteousness does save. That is true! But it cannot be our righteousness. No, we need a righteousness that comes from outside of ourselves. Look down at Proverbs 21 verse 12. “The Righteous One observes the house of the wicked; he throws the wicked down to ruin.” Proverbs describes one who is righteous and who in his righteousness is the ultimate judge of wickedness.And you probably noticed that it’s capital “R” righteous and capital “O” one. In the Hebrew, there are no capital letters, but the translators clearly ascribe this reference to Christ. First, because he is the only perfectly Righteous One. All the descriptions of righteousness in proverbs describe him. But second, Jesus Christ is also described over and over in the Scriptures as the judge. He will come to judge the living and the dead.The righteousness that we should be seeking is not a righteousness in ourselves. No, in order to be “righteous” …to be part of the group here called “the righteous” we need a righteousness outside of ourselves. And that righteousness comes from the Righteous One.We need to be delivered from our wickedness and made righteousness.Did you notice the deliverance theme in a few of these verses? Twice we read that “righteousness delivers from death.”. We’re also told that “the righteous is delivered from trouble” (11:8) …and you are promised that if you “wait for the LORD… he will deliver you” (20:22).A couple of us have been reading The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe to one of the 5th grade classes here. It’s one of CS Lewis’s classic novels about the land of Narnia. There’s a point in the book, when Edmund betrays his brother and sisters. He in a sense sells them out to the White Witch. Little did he know but his betrayal required death at the stone table. He was to be killed. As the witch put it, “his life is forfeit to me. His blood is my property.”Edmund needed to be delivered from the consequences of his betrayal. He was a traitor and the law of the land called for his blood. And so Aslan, the lion (who is the Christ figure) offers his life to save Edmund’s. Aslan delivers Edmund from his status as a traitor. To use the words of the proverbs, his status among the wicked. To do that, Aslan he had to be delivered over to the witch to die in Edmund’s place.You see, that language of deliverance goes two ways. In order for us to be delivered from our wickedness and made righteousness, Jesus, the Righteous One, had to be delivered over to evil and take on the consequences of our wickedness. That is the language used in the New Testament. Jesus was delivered into the hands of sinful, evil, and lawless men to be killed. That exchange needed to happen for deliverance to be accomplished.Back to Aslan. The witch and her evil creatures shaved Aslan’s great mane. They muzzled him and dragged him to the stone table… and tied him to it. The White witch then whet her knife and killed the great lion. Aslan was dead but Edmund delivered – no longer a traitor.These particular Proverbs speak about deliverance from the consequences of being wicked. To use some of the words here - deliverance from the dread of destruction, from violence and evildoing, and from the punishment and wrath of the Lord.But that is only half of the promise. It’s one thing to be delivered from the condemnation. But the promise here also includes receiving the eternal blessings of the righteous. I’ve already highlighted a few verses about these eternal promises - how the righteous will be established forever, and how the righteous will never be removed. But look at Proverbs 14:32. It says, “The wicked is overthrown through his evildoing, but the righteous finds refuge in his death.” Proverbs promises life beyond death for the righteous.But how is that accomplished?Right before Aslan’s death, the witch leaned over and whispered to him “you fool, did you think that by all this you would save the human traitor? Now I will kill you instead of him as our pact was and so the deep magic will be satisfied. But when you are dead, who will prevent me from killing him as well?” And when the witch finished him off, they immediately set off to attack Edmund and his siblings.You see, it’s a great thing to be delivered from our wickedness through the Righteous One, Christ… and to be righteous in him. But in order to receive the promises of life… in order to find refuge in death… in order to be established forever, as the Proverbs put it, Jesus needed not only to be delivered over to receive the consequences of our wicked ways, but he needed to defeat wickedness and death itself.And he did that through the resurrection. He overcame death and overcame wickedness to give you the full promises being righteous in him. Deliverance and life.To use the language of Narnia, there was a deeper magic from before the dawn of time. That if a innocent victim was killed in the place of a traitor, the stone table would crack and death itself would work backwards. Aslan would come back to life and would soon defeat the witch forever.Let me tie this all together. Proverbs is wisdom for life - life now and life forever. There is not a single Proverb that describes an end for the righteous when his or her days on earth are done. Not a single one. Do you find that amazing as I do? The Righteous will be established forever and find refuge in death. But there is only one path to be counted among the righteous and have the promises of life forever. And that path is through Jesus. He was delivered over to the wicked to deliver us from our wickedness to make us righteous. He endured all the consequences described here in Proverbs. But that was not the end. He is risen. Death and dread have been defeated. Through the resurrection, Jesus paved the way of life for the righteous. And that path – the path of the righteous is offered to you. But it is not a path that you can earn. It is only a path you can receive from the Righteous One. To use some of the words here, he calls you to fear him. That means to recognize your wickedness, to see him as the Righteous One, and to revere and trust him as the one who can make you righteous. And when you fear him in this way… his righteousness will be yours and you will find refuge in death.

10:2 Treasures gained by wickedness do not profit, but righteousness delivers from death.10:7 The memory of the righteous is a blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot.10:16 The wage of the righteous leads to life, the gain of the wicked to sin.10:24 What the wicked dreads will come upon him, but the desire of the righteous will be granted.10:25 When the tempest passes, the wicked is no more, but the righteous is established forever.10:27 The fear of the LORD prolongs life, but the years of the wicked will be short.10:28 The hope of the righteous brings joy, but the expectation of the wicked will perish.10:29 The way of the LORD is a stronghold to the blameless, but destruction to evildoers.10:30 The righteous will never be removed, but the wicked will not dwell in the land.11:4 Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.11:6 The righteousness of the upright delivers them, but the treacherous are taken captive by their lust.11:7 When the wicked dies, his hope will perish, and the expectation of wealth perishes too.11:8 The righteous is delivered from trouble, and the wicked walks into it instead.11:19 Whoever is steadfast in righteousness will live, but he who pursues evil will die.11:21 Be assured, an evil person will not go unpunished, but the offspring of the righteous will be delivered.11:18 The wicked earns deceptive wages, but one who sows righteousness gets a sure reward.11:23 The desire of the righteous ends only in good, the expectation of the wicked in wrath.12:2 A good man obtains favor from the LORD, but a man of evil devices he condemns.12:7 The wicked are overthrown and are no more, but the house of the righteous will stand.12:28 In the path of righteousness is life, and in its pathway there is no death.13:6 Righteousness guards him whose way is blameless, but sin overthrows the wicked.13:9 The light of the righteous rejoices, but the lamp of the wicked will be put out.13:21 Disaster pursues sinners, but the righteous are rewarded with good.14:11 The house of the wicked will be destroyed, but the tent of the upright will flourish.14:22 Do they not go astray who devise evil? Those who devise good meet steadfast love and faithfulness.14:27 The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death.14:32 The wicked is overthrown through his evildoing, but the righteous finds refuge in his death.15:29 The LORD is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous.16:4 The LORD has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble.16:27 A worthless man plots evil, and his speech is like a scorching fire.17:5 Whoever mocks the poor insults his Maker; he who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished.19:16 Whoever keeps the commandment keeps his life; he who despises his ways will die.19:23 The fear of the LORD leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied; he will not be visited by harm.20:22 Do not say, “I will repay evil”; wait for the LORD, and he will deliver you.21:7 The violence of the wicked will sweep them away, because they refuse to do what is just.21:12 The Righteous One observes the house of the wicked; he throws the wicked down to ruin.21:18 The wicked is a ransom for the righteous, and the traitor for the upright.21:21 Whoever pursues righteousness and kindness will find life, righteousness, and honor.

Humiliation of the Proud and Exaltation of the Humble15:25 The LORD tears down the house of the proud but maintains the widow's boundaries.*16:5 Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the LORD; be assured, he will not go unpunished.11:2 When pride [presumption?] comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom.*16:18 Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.18:12 Before destruction a man's heart is haughty, but humility comes before honor.21:24 “Scoffer” is the name of the arrogant, haughty man who acts with arrogant pride.*22:4 The reward for humility and fear of the LORD is riches and honor and life.28:11 A rich man is wise in his own eyes, but a poor man who has understanding will find him out.*29:23 One's pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor.Pride and Humility: Trusting self over God Thinking/Knowledge *12:15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.14:6 A scoffer seeks wisdom in vain, but knowledge is easy for a man of understanding.*21:11 When a scoffer is punished, the simple becomes wise; when a wise man is instructed, he gains knowledge.26:12 Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him. Wealth/Status/Importance/Abilities/Plans12:9 Better to be lowly and have a servant than to play the great man and lack bread.*16:19 It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor than to divide the spoil with the proud.*25:6-7 Do not put yourself forward in the king's presence or stand in the place of the great, for it is better to be told, “Come up here,” than to be put lower in the presence of a noble.25:27 It is not good to eat much honey, nor is it glorious to seek one's own glory.*27:1 Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.*27:2 Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips.

Parenting and Honoring Parents If you would please take out the insert with the Proverbs verses. On the inside, you’ll see that our Proverbs reading this morning begins a few verses from Proverbs chapter 23. Verses 13-16. If you would like to read those in the pew Bible, You can find that on page 646. Our theme is parenting and parents. Let me say, these verses are not just for parents with younger children. No, actually, these verses have applicability to all of us. They speak to children, of course, but also to adults of all ages, whether your parents are still alive or have passed from this world. Let’s now consider God’s Word. Again, starting with Proverbs 23:13-16 Stand Reading of selected proverbs-----------------------------------------------------Proverbs 23:13-16     13 Do not withhold discipline from a child;                if you strike him with a rod, he will not die.     14 If you strike him with the rod,                you will save his soul from Sheol.     15 My son, if your heart is wise, my heart too will be glad.     16 My inmost being will exult when your lips speak what is right. The Joys and Sorrows of Parenting10:1 The proverbs of Solomon. A wise son makes a glad father,     but a foolish son is a sorrow to his mother.15:20 A wise son makes a glad father, but a foolish man despises his mother.17:25 A foolish son is a grief to his father and bitterness to her who bore him.23:24 The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice;     he who fathers a wise son will be glad in him.23:25 Let your father and mother be glad; let her who bore you rejoice.27:11 Be wise, my son, and make my heart glad,     that I may answer him who reproaches me.29:3 He who loves wisdom makes his father glad,     but a companion of prostitutes squanders his wealth. Honoring and Obeying Your Parents17:6 Grandchildren are the crown of the aged,     and the glory of children is their fathers.19:26 He who does violence to his father and chases away his mother     is a son who brings shame and reproach.20:20 If one curses his father or his mother,     his lamp will be put out in utter darkness.23:22 Listen to your father who gave you life,     and do not despise your mother when she is old.27:8 Like a bird that strays from its nest is a man who strays from his home.28:24 Whoever robs his father or his mother and says,     “That is no transgression,”     is a companion to a man who destroys.Guiding and Disciplining Your Children19:18 Discipline your son, for there is hope;     do not set your heart on putting him to death.22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go;     even when he is old he will not depart from it.22:15 Folly is bound up in the heart of a child,     but the rod of discipline drives it far from him.29:15 The rod and reproof give wisdom,     but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother.29:17 Discipline your son, and he will give you rest;     he will give delight to your heart.----------------------------------------------------- Pray Every year, about 3-4,000 books about parenting or parents are published. That’s hard for me to wrap my mind around. To keep up, you would need to read 10 of those books every day. Some of them, of course, become irrelevant pretty quickly because their cultural focus is so narrow. Many are not worth the paper on which they are written. But some parenting books stand the test of time. And I would say, there’s one parenting book that is head and shoulders above the others. I strongly recommend that every single child read this book. Every single parent needs to read this book. If you’re not married or don’t have kids, reading this book will help you support others in the church. If you are a young or middle-age adult with parents, you need to read it. In short, everyone needs to read this book about parents and parenting. I’m speaking, of course, about the book of Proverbs. Do you realize, the entire background of Proverbs is about parenting. I know we just read 20 or so verses that focus on tangible areas of parenting and parents. But the premise of the whole book is a father writing to his sons. Do you remember that from the first 9 chapters? Over and over, Solomon was speaking to his sons. Like Proverbs chapter 1 verse 8, “Hear, my son, your father's instruction, and forsake not your mother's teaching.” In fact, 19 times in the first 9 chapters, Solomon is directing his wisdom to his son or sons. Sometimes it’s singular, son, and sometimes plural, sons. And the first nine chapters that we considered last fall gave us the foundations to wisdom. They answered the questions: What is wisdom? Why do we need wisdom? How do we obtain wisdom? Where is true wisdom found? Who is wisdom? Where should we not go to gain wisdom? It included warnings about evil and foolishness. Part of Solomon’s warning was about sexual temptations that his sons and all of us need to hear. Twelve foundational lessons in the first nine chapters written from a parent to his children. But when we get to chapter 10, the structure of the book changes. Instead of focused lessons, we’re given multiple themes in each chapter. One commentator suggested that the first 9 chapters are from a father to his grade school and teenage kids. King Solomon was giving them the foundations to wisdom. But then chapters 10-31 are for his adult children. I think that’s a reasonable suggestion. First, look at Proverbs 10:1. It’s on the left under the section titled “The Joys and Sorrows of Parenting.” This is the very first verse after the opening wisdom lessons. That’s why 10:1 begins with the title, “The proverbs of Solomon,” and then it says, “A wise son makes a glad father, but a foolish son is a sorrow to his mother.” The very first thing that Solomon conveys in this entire second half is about a son living in wisdom. He wants his sons, perhaps adults now, to live a life of wisdom which would be pleasing to him and to their mother. Some of the Proverbs in chapters 10-31 contain themes more applicable to adults. Like, in today’s focus, disciplining children. Or other themes like just leadership and being a good steward of your money. So, in other words, it’s written to children of all ages – which includes you and me. I’m pointing this out for a reason. We need to understand the bigger picture of wisdom and foolishness in order to understand how it applies to parents and children. For example, when Proverbs 22:6 says “Train up a child in the way he should go…”  We first need to know what way he should go be going. That “way” is referring to the way of God’s Word as Proverbs instructs. Parents need to know this way in order to fulfill that Proverb. That’s why the whole book is the best parenting book around. With that in mind, let’s tackle these verses. We’ll actually start with that last category, Guiding and Disciplining Children. It’s the most focused as far as who it applies to, so I thought we would start there and then get broader. 1. Guiding and Discipline Children So, disciplining children. That word, discipline, is used four times in these verses. Like the very first verse listed, Proverbs 23:13. “Do not withhold discipline from a child…” The word discipline in the Hebrew means to be corrected or admonished through some sort of punishment. Our New Testament reading earlier today spoke about this kind of discipline. That was from Hebrews 12… discipline from both our earthly fathers as well as our heavenly Father. Our earthly fathers “disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but [God] disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” You see, the goal of discipline, is to train the person in righteousness and warn them about the severity of their words or actions. Disciplining a child is guiding them through the means of a tangible consequence. Children go through different stages as they mature, and discipline helps them to know in concrete ways what is not honoring to God and others. In other words, discipline is directing a child away from folly and evil and toward wisdom and righteousness. In order to convey that message, children need concrete and tangible consequences when they disobey. The reason for discipline goes back to what we’ve seen over and over in Proverbs. Foolishness and wickedness lead to sad consequences and death. Discipline is necessary to redirect a child to the road of life. That idea is captured right there in the very first verses we read from chapter 23. “Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you strike him with a rod, he will not die. If you strike him with the rod, you will save his soul from Sheol.” Sheol is the grave. On the top right is a similar one. Proverbs 19:18 “Discipline your son, for there is hope; do not set your heart on putting him to death.” It’s the inverse… If you do not discipline your child, then it’s like you want him to be put to death. Let me make a brief side note here. I’ve said it before but want to remind you. Proverbs are not formulas. 22:6 is an example of that. “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” That Proverb is giving us the general pattern of what leads to life and godliness. It does not remove the responsibility to pray for your child, nor the sinful heart of your child, which may still be led astray. We’ll come back to the sorrows of parenting in a few minutes. Parents, the call is to discipline your children, because you love them. And that may include corporal punishment (I’m talking about spanking). Four times in these verses, parents are exhorted to use the “rod” for discipline. It’s the same word for a shepherd’s staff. A shepherd’s staff has a hook on one end to grab hold of a sheep and redirect it. But it was also used to strike the sheep as a punishment. The rod is a corrective and protective instrument. Now, some have suggested that the word “rod” is metaphorical… they would say, instead of physical punishment, it’s referring to the responsibility of discipline in a general way, no matter the form. I would agree that the word “rod” is not always used in a literal way. For example, In Isaiah 10, God says that Assyria is the “rod of my anger.” So yes, sometimes it’s metaphorical, but even in that example, the punishment is still physical. Let me say a few things to be clear because I know this is a sensitive topic. ·       Corporal punishment is encouraged in Scripture. But I’m distinguishing Biblical corporal punishment from abuse, which is always wrong. ·       When used, though, it needs to be measured and careful. It should be done out of a heart of love and never in a moment of anger. Dads, that’s a hard one at times. ·       Corporal punishment is best for younger children because of its tangible effect. ·       Also, it should be used as a punishment for disobeying and not to force a child to do something. However, if in your conscience, you are unsure about corporal punishment (you may have some legitimate reasons), then whatever alternate discipline you choose should correspond to the severity of the offense. Discipline needs to make the point clear. Whatever discipline you choose, always explain why your child is being disciplined – to the extent that you are able to communicate depending on their age and situation. Let me add one more thing. Shaming your child in front of others is wrong. What I mean is either verbally putting them down for what they did in front of others, or making them do embarrassing things in front of others as a punishment. To be sure, that’s different than telling them to go ask forgiveness from someone they sinned against. They may feel embarrassed but it’s still the right thing to do. Lots more can be said, of course, but I’ll end it there for now. The bottom line is this: discipline is necessary, and it is a sign of love. 2. Honoring and Obeying your Parents OK, let’s move to the middle category. #2 Honoring and obeying your parents. As I mentioned earlier this is not just for young children and teenagers, rather, this is also for adults. But first, I would like to speak to the school aged children here. Kids, God has given you parents, and he has called you to obey them. And this is really important for your life. Earlier in the service we read the fifth commandment about honoring your parents. It’s one of ten summary statements of God’s law and it is directed to you. That’s how important obeying is. Let me give you another example where God calls you to obey your parent. There’s a book in the Bible called 2 Timothy. The apostle Paul, guided by God, wrote this book to Timothy, a young pastor, whom Paul was discipling. And in chapter 3, he talks about godlessness. Godlessness includes the things people say and do, which demonstrates that their heart is turned away from God. And he lists all of these evil and foolish things. I want you to listen to this list. He writes: “understand this, that in the last days [he’s talking about now] there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power.” Did you hear that? In the middle of that list of grievous sins, he includes, “disobedient to their parents.” God considers obedience so very important. Now, to be sure, God forgives, and he helps. The book of Proverbs, likewise, emphasizes how important it is to obey your parents. For example, Proverbs 20:20 says “If one curses his father or his mother, his lamp will be put out in utter darkness.” That image is a grave warning about not honoring your parents. For the younger children here… at your age, it’s sometimes difficult to understand why you should obey. Sometimes you want to do something and your parents say “no” OR you don’t want to do something and your parents require it. And it’s hard to understand. But, let me say, your parents more often than not, know what’s best for you. Onetime, I didn’t like all the things my parents told me not to do. So, I decided to run away. I was young, by the way. I packed a small bag with clothes and I told them, “I’m running away!” And my parents said, “ok, well, umm… the door is always open if you want to come home.” So, I left and went around to the side of the house. I think I lasted like 30 minutes and then came back. They knew what would happen. Proverbs 27:8 says, “Like a bird that strays from its nest is a man who strays from his home.” Now, that has applicability to both children and adults. To be sure, it’s not talking about physically leaving, rather, one who leaves behind a faithful commitment to the Lord and his Word. That’s a good transition because all of us here are called to honor our parents. And that can be difficult at times. For the adults here, I want you to think about your relationship with your parents… or parent if you grew up in a single parent home. Maybe you live close by and see them often. Or maybe you occasionally visit them. Or maybe you are caring for them in some way. Maybe one or both of your parents have passed away. Whatever your situation, how would you describe your relationship? Loving and caring? Did something happen that broke that loving bond? Is it strained because of other factors, like health or divorce? If you had a father growing up, did he work so hard to provide for the family that you felt he wasn’t there for you when you needed him? Many, many things affect our relationships with our parents. We sinned against them. They sinned against us. But that doesn’t change the responsibility you have to honor your father and mother… again, whether they are still alive or have passed from this life. It may mean forgiving them for something that happened or a pattern of sin. If your parents are older, honoring them may mean caring for them or helping them in different ways. You may need to honor their choices, even if those choices may not be what you prefer or think is best. Look at Proverb 23:22 “Listen to your father who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old.” That applies no matter your age or theirs. To be sure, I am not diminishing the challenges or relational strain, whether current or past. Each situation requires prayer and help. Nonetheless, we are each called to honor those whom the Lord ordained to be our parents. 3. Joys and Sorrows of Parenting That brings us to the last category, which is the first there on your list. the Joys and Sorrows of Parenting. Parenting is full of joys and sorrows… times of rejoicing and times of worry and sadness and fervent prayer. These verses capture that reality: “A wise son makes a father glad” – multiple verses say that in different ways. Or take chapter 23 verses 24 and 25 “The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice; he who fathers a wise son will be glad in him. Let your father and mother be glad; let her who bore you rejoice.” It is the great joy of parents to have a child or grandchild faithfully walking in the wisdom of God. And it is a deep sorrow to have a son or daughter walking down the path of folly. The second half of 10:1 speaks of that sorrow, “…a foolish son is sorrow to his mother.” 17:25 is similar, “A foolish son is a grief to his father and bitterness to her who bore him.” Some of you here carry the weight of a son or daughter who has wandered from the way. It’s a heavy burden and often seems hopeless. And you pray that the Lord would turn your son’s or daughter’s hearts back to him. Recently, I was listening to a podcast where the hosts were interviewing a guy name Christopher Yuan. He wrote a book a few years ago titled “Out of a Far Country.” In it, he describes his conversion to Christ. You see, Christopher had gone down the path of drugs, drug dealing, and homosexuality. He lived a life of partying and promiscuity. His mother, Angela, became greatly distraught because of her son’s choices. At one point her despair brought her to the place of contemplating suicide. It was in that moment that she came to believe in and know Jesus (that’s a story of it’s own). Through her new faith in Christ, she found solace and hope. And she began praying. While Christopher was partying and dealing drugs, his mother prayed. She committed every Monday to pray and fast for her son. And she enlisted dozens of friends. At one point, she fasted 39 days for him. Well, for Christopher, things came crashing down. He was arrested and sentenced to 6-years in prison for drugs. All of his so-called friends deserted him. He hit rock bottom. And so he reached out to his mom, whom he had not spoken to in a long while. She shared her faith in Christ and that she had been praying for him for years. That had a profound impact on him. On his third day in prison, he pickup up a book from the trash pile. It was a New Testament, so he took it and read it. Then he read it again and again. And the Lord opened Christopher’s ears to hear. And the Lord transformed his life… The Lord answered his mom’s faithful prayers. After his imprisonment, Christopher dedicated his life to ministry, he eventually received a doctorate in ministry. He now teaches at Moody Bible and also runs a ministry reaching the LGBTQ community with the Gospel. And his mom continues to be his prayer warrior. Through the joys and sorrows of parenting, there is hope. Conclusion That hope comes through the one we call our Heavenly Father and through his Son, the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ. Their relationship perfectly models the relationship between a Father and a son. And every single aspect of their relationship ministers to every single aspect of our relationship with our parents… and if you are a parent, with your children. Consider three things related to our three points: ·       First, we deserved the fullness of the rod of the Father’s discipline. Yet, that rod of discipline fell on Christ for us. The judgment we deserved for our disobedience, Jesus endured for us. So, children, when you receive discipline from your parents, it is only a shadow of the discipline that you truly deserve. Parents, when you discipline your children, you are demonstrating to them the consequences of sin. That discipline reveals to your children the justice of God and it ultimately points to their need for Christ. That is why discipline is so important for children. ·       Second, Jesus perfectly honored and obeyed his Father. He submitted himself to his Father’s will. And the results of Jesus’ obedience are amazing – his exaltation and glory and our salvation. When we honor our earthly mother or father, even considering their failures, it testifies to the perfect obedience of Christ… and it testifies to how, in him, we can honor and obey our parents, no matter our age. ·       And last, sorrows and trials exist in every single relationship in this world. That is the result of sin. But there is a particular heartache when it is between a parent and child or child and parent. If you know and believe in Christ, you not only have a Savior who took on the discipline you deserved, but in him, you have a Heavenly Father who loves you. He loves you despite your sin. It’s the true love of a Father. And through his love, you can love your parents… and you can love your children despite their sin and wayward lives. You can pray for them trusting in your heavenly Father. And you can rest in his comfort and love through his son. So, for the parents of young children, here, when you discipline your children, may it point to the one who endured the disciple you deserve. And for the children here, all of us. May we honor our mother and father, not because they deserve it in and of themselves, but because we’re called to and we have a heavenly Father who loves us.

The Joys and Sorrows of Parenting10:1 The proverbs of Solomon. A wise son makes a glad father, but a foolish son is a sorrow to his mother.15:20 A wise son makes a glad father, but a foolish man despises his mother.17:25 A foolish son is a grief to his father and bitterness to her who bore him.23:15 My son, if your heart is wise, my heart too will be glad.23:16 My inmost being[u] will exult when your lips speak what is right.23:24 The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice; he who fathers a wise son will be glad in him.27:11 Be wise, my son, and make my heart glad, that I may answer him who reproaches me.29:3 He who loves wisdom makes his father glad, but a companion of prostitutes squanders his wealth.Honoring and Obeying Your Parents19:26 He who does violence to his father and chases away his mother is a son who brings shame and reproach.20:20 If one curses his father or his mother, his lamp will be put out in utter darkness.23:22 Listen to your father who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old.23:25 Let your father and mother be glad; let her who bore you rejoice.28:24 Whoever robs his father or his mother and says, “That is no transgression,” is a companion to a man who destroys.17:6 Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of children is their fathers.27:8 Like a bird that strays from its nest is a man who strays from his home.Guiding and Disciplining Your Children19:18 Discipline your son, for there is hope; do not set your heart on putting him to death.22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.22:15 Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline drives it far from him.23:13 Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you strike him with a rod, he will not die.23:14 If you strike him with the rod, you will save his soul from Sheol.29:15 The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother.29:17 Discipline your son, and he will give you rest; he will give delight to your heart.

Faithful Friendships, Fake Friendships Several of you have expressed appreciation for our Proverbs series. Thank you. Before we started working through the themes, I was worried they would feel repetitive or moralistic. But I’ve found it refreshing, convicting, and redemptive. It sounds like many of you have as well. Our verses this morning deal with a thing that is near and dear to each of us - friendship. Faithful friendship that builds up and loves and cares versus shallow friendship that is selfish and fleeting and convenient. Please take out your Proverbs insert. On the inside you’ll see those two categories. (1) On the left-hand side, The Foundation to Faithful Friendship, and (2) and on the right, The Folly of Fake Friendship. Stand as we read God’s holy Word. Reading of selected proverbs------------------------------------------------------------The Foundation to Faithful FriendshipProverbs 11:25 Whoever brings blessing will be enriched,     and one who waters will himself be watered.17:9 Whoever covers an offense seeks love,     but he who repeats a matter separates close friends.17:17 A friend loves at all times,     and a brother is born for adversity.18:24 A man of many companions may come to ruin,     but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.20:6 Many a man proclaims his own steadfast love,     but a faithful man who can find?22:11 He who loves purity of heart,     and whose speech is gracious,     will have the king as his friend.27:5-6     Better is open rebuke than hidden love.     Faithful are the wounds of a friend;          profuse are the kisses of an enemy.27:9 Oil and perfume make the heart glad,     and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel.27:10 Do not forsake your friend and your father's friend,          and do not go to your brother's house in the day of your calamity.     Better is a neighbor who is near than a brother who is far away.27:17 Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.The Folly of Fake FriendshipProverbs 14:20 The poor is disliked even by his neighbor,     but the rich has many friends.15:17 Better is a dinner of herbs where love is     than a fattened ox and hatred with it.19:4,6-7     Wealth brings many new friends,          but a poor man is deserted by his friend.     Many seek the favor of a generous man,          and everyone is a friend to a man who gives gifts.     All a poor man's brothers hate him;          how much more do his friends go far from him!          He pursues them with words, but does not have them.------------------------------------------------------------ You may not have heard this, but there is a new epidemic sweeping the nation. Last October, the surgeon general released a report about its devastating effects. But it’s not an epidemic spread by germs. It’s not an epidemic that requires masks. We don’t have to wipe down door handles and counters. This epidemic is not helped at all by any kind of social distancing. No, in fact, quite the opposite. But this epidemic sadly increases your risk of diseases. The report states that if you are touched by this epidemic, your disease and heart condition risks increase by 29% and 32% respectively. This epidemic has affected 61% of adults. But it has especially targeted younger people. In the last two decades, this epidemic has increased 70% in teenagers and young adults ages 15-24. It’s been devastating in so many ways. What is this epidemic? Let me read you the title of the surgeon general’s report: Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation. The trend of more and more loneliness began way before the COVID pandemic but was heightened by it. Think about this: We live in a world where we have more interaction with other people through social media, yet we are more and more lonely. We live in a world where we have hundreds of so-called “friends,” online, yet we feel isolated. And I think you know some of the tragic results of loneliness. In speaking with several of you, I know that some of you are lonely - lonely to different degrees and for different reasons. And we go through phases of loneliness in our lifetime. I remember driving into the Atlanta area for the first time back in the mid-90s. I had taken a job here. But I didn’t know a single soul. Those first few months were very lonely. But by God’s grace, through the church, I began to develop some fast friends. Many with whom I am still friends today. Proverbs speaks to our hearts about friendship. It not only tells us the importance of friendship, but it directs us to what faithful friendship looks like. And it also warns us about superficial friends. My hope this morning is that each of us would see, in a deeper way, the importance of friendship… and how to be a faithful friend to one another. With that in mind, let’s first consider the foundation to faithful friendship and then second, the folly of fake friendship. After that, we’ll talk about where to begin. The Foundation to Faithful Friendship As I was contemplating these verses, three categories stood out to me that summarize a faithful friend. A faithful friend (1) provides steadfast support through the joys and trials of life, (2) imparts God’s wisdom in love, and (3) nurtures mutual brotherhood. (2x) Some of these verses fit nicely into one of these categories, but a couple of them speak to more than one category. (1) steadfast support Let’s begin with the steadfast support one. I am including the phrase “through the joys and trials of life” because think of the different kinds of experiences in life. Joys include celebrations and success and other kinds of milestones, and trials include different kinds of suffering and sadness and difficult change.   And a true friend is one who is there. It’s someone who is present and who endures with you through thick and thin. I think the Proverb that most embodies this characteristic is 17:17. “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” If you are going through one of life’s valleys– no matter what it is whether grief or doubt or persecution of some kind, a true friend will be there for you. He or she will encourage you if needed, or be present with you if needed, or care for and provide. That friend will know you and how to care for your soul. And if you are both going through that adversity together, you can support one another through that time. Proverbs 18:24 also captures this in a different way: “A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” A companion, by the way, is someone with whom you share something in common or you occasionally spend time together. In other words, a casual friend. If you only have people in your life who are companions, then when adversity comes, you may not have someone there for you. “…but a friend,” it says, “sticks closer than a brother.” Someone you are knit close to will be there for you. A couple of these other verses similarly emphasize this kind of steadfastness, like the one that says, “do not forsake your friend or your father’s friend…” And this kind of steadfast support needs to be demonstrated. What I mean is, it’s one thing to say you are faithful, but it’s another thing to confirm it with your actions. That’s what Proverbs 20:6 says. “Many a man proclaims his own steadfast love, but a faithful man who can find?” So, that’s the first category – steadfast faithfulness. (2) imparts God’s wisdom in love The second characteristic in these verses is how a friend imparts God’s wisdom in love. This is about loving your friends by giving counsel - not the world’s counsel, but wisdom from the Word. That may be listening to and praying with your friend through a big decision in life. It may be giving godly advice. For example, look at Proverbs 27:9 “Oil and perfume make the heart glad, and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel.” A dear friend helps to apply God’s word in various situations in life. Sometimes that means gently exhorting them when you see a disconnect between their actions and faith in Christ. Take, for example, Proverbs 27:5-6 – It says there in the middle – “Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy.” A friend speaks the truth in love. Let me add, a friend supports you but does not enable you. And let me give you an example. Let’s say you are married. Maybe you are. And you are going through a rough patch. And you go to your friend and say, “I’m really hurt. My husband (or my wife) said this difficult thing to me.” Whatever it is… If your friend says back to you “I can’t believe he (or she) said that. You have a right to be angry. That’s the worst thing I’ve heard in a while. I hope that you dished it back at him.” Well, that is not being a good friend. A faithful friend will instead say something like “I’m so sorry. That sounds very difficult. Can I pray with you and encourage you?” And then later have a deeper conversation about what transpired. And if there were hurtful things said on both sides, encouraging your friend to seek forgiveness from her spouse. That’s a pretty different kind of response, isn’t it? I heard someone say the other day “there is no such thing as ‘I love you but’.” Meaning, if you love someone you will always affirm them. That’s not what the Scriptures teach. No, quite the contrary. Displaying love to a friend is speaking the wisdom and truth of God to them. The book of James ends with this word: “My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death...” Now, that’s the extreme case. Often times, we just need a gentle correction. Or a reminder of God’s Word in matters of doctrine or practice. So, first, a faithful friend is there for you in the joys and sorrows of life.  Second, a faithful friend speaks God’s wisdom to you, in love. (3) nurtures mutual brotherhood. And third, a faithful friend nurtures mutual brotherhood - brotherhood in the sense it’s used in Scripture meaning brotherly love. Phileo. It’s mutual. To use another word, it’s reciprocal. It’s giving and receiving. Good friends support one another. Not in a selfish way, but in an edifying way. It’s really difficult to be in a friendship that’s always one-sided, meaning one friend is always the one who gives in the ways we already talked about. To be sure, there will be times when one friend needs to pour her life into her friend. That’s part of what it means to be an enduring friend. But healthy friendships are mutual. Look at the very first Proverbs listed. 11:25 “Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.” There’s that mutual relationship. Here’s another one: Proverbs 27:17 “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.” I think that Proverb is in every single men’s ministry book I’ve ever read. The reason is, it captures both the second point of speaking wisdom to a brother as well as this point, reciprocating brotherly love by sharpening one another. It’s a great one because faithful friends nurture and challenge one another. So steadfast faithfulness, speaking the truth in love, and mutual brotherhood. The greatest example in the Bible of these principles lived out is the friendship between King David and Jonathan. Jonathan was King Saul’s son. We read about their friendship earlier from 1 Samuel 18 and 19. These two men, David and Jonathan, loved each other with that phileo - brotherly love. They forged a two-way covenant friendship. They fought alongside one another in battle. Jonathan defended David from King Saul’s jealousy. And after Jonathan died in battle, David not only wept bitterly, but later in honor of Jonathan, David cared for Jonathan’s son Mephibosheth. Mephibosheth essentially became part of David’s family. And think about this, King Solomon, David’s son, would have heard about his father’s friendship with Jonathan. Solomon never met Jonathan. Jonathan died before Solomon was born. But Solomon would have known Mephibosheth. Solomon would have read the prophet Samuel’s account of David and Jonathan’s friendship - the very words we read earlier. And I think it’s safe to assume that King David would have spoken about Jonathan and so would, of course, Mephibosheth. So, as Solomon was composing and compiling these Proverbs on friendship, one of the examples of a faithful friendship was his father’s friendship with Jonathan. It's a beautiful picture of faithful friendship. And I get angry when I hear people say that David and Jonathan’s friendship included intimacy in inappropriate ways. The Scriptures in no way paints that picture. These were brothers, knit together with that phileo love and trust to defend and support one another. For the guys here… deep friendships with other men is critical for each one of us. If you are married, yes, your wife should be your closest friend in many ways. But you need other guys like this to sharpen you - to be there for you and to both challenge and encourage you. Ok, let me say one more thing about friendship and love. As you know, one of the most common passages used in weddings is 1 Corinthians 13 – the love chapter. I think I’ve preached 3-4 wedding homilies on it. But you know what, that chapter is not about marriage. No, the book of 1 Corinthians is written to draw the Christians in Corinth back to unity with and love for one another. Certainly 1 Corinthians 13 applies to marriage, but it’s primarily about brotherly love. Hear these familiar words… “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” The similarities are striking between Proverbs description of faithful friends and 1 Corinthians 13. That’s because it’s the love between friends. It was the love that David and Jonathan had for one another. And it’s the love we each need in faithful friendship. The Folly of Fake Friendship That brings us now to the opposite of genuine deep friendship and that is fake friendship. You can see those verses on the right, The Folly of Fake Friendship. These verses capture the general folly of false friends... false friends are convenient friends. They are only a friend to you because they can get something from you or vice versa. Or false friends are superficial because their friendship with you is not based on trust and love but is just a means-to-an-end. The main example here is how someone with wealth has many friends and someone in poverty has few. You see that in Proverbs 19:4 and 6. It says, “Wealth brings many new friends, but a poor man is deserted by his friend. Many seek the favor of a generous man, and everyone is a friend to a man who gives gifts.” The point is that the friends of the wealthy are often not genuine. Their interests are more “what can you give me” rather than genuine reasons of mutual brotherhood. I’ve always found Proverbs 15:17 humorous. “Better is a dinner of herbs where love is than a fattened ox and hatred with it.” Amy has tried to get me to eat more herbs – like, you know, basil and cilantro…. something about nutrients and anti-oxidants. But, of course, I’d rather have fattened ox. Actually, I think the point is more about poverty and wealth. A dinner of inexpensive herbs with faithful friends is so much better than dining on the choicest of foods with fake friends. And maybe it’s not money, but maybe instead it’s the other person’s popularity. Or their lifestyle that you like participating in… or because it will advance your career or your status in the community. Or because they are an expert at something, and you are intrigued by that. Or because they can become a client of yours. This reminded me of a painful story in college. I had a friend, a good friend, who signed up for Amway. And, of course, he wanted to tell me about the products he was selling. I listened, but in the end, I politely declined. My reason was that I didn’t want our friendship to be complicated by multi-level marketing or salesy type things. But he kept pushing and he wouldn’t take “no” for an answer. That eventually drove us apart and we haven’t talked since. When I think about what happened, it’s always grieved my heart. Think about it this way: shallow convenient friendships don’t have the foundation of faithful friendships. ·       Instead of standing by you through trials, a superficial friend is going to flee. ·       Instead of speaking the truth in love, a superficial friend is going to lie or tell you what you want to hear. ·       And especially this last one… instead of reciprocation, a superficial friendship is one sided. It’s a “what have you done for me lately” friendship. And that is sad. Finding Faithful Friends But it doesn’t have to be that way. The question is, how do you be a faithful friend? And the answer is, you look to the one who is the most faithful friend. You begin with and look to Jesus. He’s truly the one who has fulfilled these proverbs. Like back to 20:6 He promises steadfast love and he has faithfully fulfilled that steadfast love. Jesus modelled and fulfilled that kind of friendship with his disciples… especially his inner circle – Peter, James, and John. They served alongside of Jesus. He poured out his wisdom to them. He was there to lift them up when they lacked of faith. He called them out when they misunderstood, and he loved them. He washed their feet. And think about this. All of Jesus disciples left him when he was arrested. Peter was even there in the courtyard that night where they had taken Jesus. And yet, instead of standing by Jesus, Peter denied him three times. Yet, Jesus remained faithful to him and all of his disciples. Despite their unfaithfulness, Jesus faithfully endured the cross. Through his faithfulness, he redeemed their unfaithfulness. And after Jesus resurrection and ascension, an amazing thing happened. Peter, James, and John became the epitome of faithful friends to Jesus. They risked their lives to defend Christ and proclaim his truth. They would ultimately die for him, that his name may be exalted. Jesus faithfulness to them, gave them courage and hope to be faithful to him to the end. This is the friend that we have in Jesus. And to be sure, we do not need to set aside our reverent awe for Jesus. He is not our “pal,” so to speak. No, he’s the kind of faithful friend described here… and he is our Savior and our Lord. We can come to him in prayer. We can bare our hearts to him knowing that he bore the cross for us and he hears us. He is the most faithful friend for each of us. And it is out of that friendship with Christ that we can seek and be faithful friends with one another. I’m not saying we can’t have faithful friends who don’t yet know the Lord, but I am saying that our closest friends will share that friendship in Jesus. Why is that? ·       Well, because  #1 it is through the faithful ministry of Christ that we can love and support one another through all of life. ·       And #2 because Jesus turned our hearts and minds to him, we can speak his wisdom into each other’s hearts and minds. To say it in another way, our friendship with Christ enables our friendships with one another. With that in mind, let me close with two practical encouragements for each of us. ·       First, loneliness is real here among our church family. We are brothers and sisters in Christ. And so, as we look out for the needs of one another, one of our deepest needs is faithful friends. That means, if you see a brother or sister in Christ here who seems disconnected, let’s work together as a church family to foster friendships… that we may be a family known for our love and care and support of one another. And if you feel lonely, please share that with one of our ministry team leads or elders or with me so that we can be the body of Christ together. ·       Second, every single human being has been created in God’s image. That means we were all created for relationships. As we think about our own need for friendships, we should also consider the need that our neighbors have for friendships. In the surgeon general’s report on loneliness, it included not only an analysis of loneliness and isolation, but it also included practical guidance - advice to different kinds of organizations including churches. And yes, a lot of that guidance was fostering friendships within the community. But the report also challenged organizations to foster friendship in the broader communities around them. And I think that’s a good word. One suggestion was to “lead by example” to quote the report. When the world sees a church community loving one another as faithful friends…. it testifies to the ministry of God in Christ in us. Another thing we can do is continue to be a welcoming community. That includes here on Sundays as well as the ministries in which we’re each involved in the community. Witnessing to Christ often comes through relationships with those whom God has brought into our lives. So, may we each grow in our faithful friendship with one another. And in that endeavor, may we look to the one who is our faithful friend – Jesus our Lord. And may we testify to the world around us of the faithfulness of God in Christ as we build relationships in his name.

The foundation of true friends11:25 Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.17:9 Whoever covers an offense seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates close friends.17:17 A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.18:24 A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.20:6 Many a man proclaims his own steadfast love, but a faithful man who can find?22:11 He who loves purity of heart, and whose speech is gracious, will have the king as his friend.27:5 Better is open rebuke than hidden love. 27:6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy.27:9 Oil and perfume make the heart glad, and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel.27:10 Do not forsake your friend and your father's friend, and do not go to your brother's house in the day of your calamity. Better is a neighbor who is near than a brother who is far away.27:17 Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.The folly of superficial friends14:20 The poor is disliked even by his neighbor, but the rich has many friends.15:17 Better is a dinner of herbs where love is than a fattened ox and hatred with it.19:4 Wealth brings many new friends, but a poor man is deserted by his friend.19:6 Many seek the favor of a generous man, and everyone is a friend to a man who gives gifts.19:7 All a poor man's brothers hate him; how much more do his friends go far from him! He pursues them with words, but does not have them.

Gluttony, Drunkenness, and the Grace of God This morning our Proverbs topic is gluttony and drunkenness. Neither are a primary emphases in Proverbs, but there are several verses that speak to the issues. While gluttony and drunkenness are related, they are also different. Gluttony is essentially indulgence in matters of food, but it does not lead to a mental impairment, so in that sense it is different than drunkenness, which does. Also, I want to expand the topic beyond alcohol to include substance abuse. If we compare ancient Israel at the time of Proverbs with today, there’s a big difference in the quantity and availability of drugs. Opium was certainly available 3000 years ago, but today, as you know, there are many many more drugs on the streets. So, I think it’s important to apply these verses to include substance abuse and drug addictions. One thing we will not consider this morning is pornography addiction. Although there are some similarities, if you were here in the fall, we spent time working through lust and pornography, as we worked through chapters 5 to 7. If you missed those, I really encourage you to go back and listen to them. Please take out and open your Proverbs bulletin insert. Reading------------------------------------Gluttony and DrunkennessProverbs 20:1 Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler,      and whoever is led astray by it is not wise.23:20-21 Be not among drunkards or among gluttonous eaters of meat,    for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty,      and slumber will clothe them with rags.23:29-35     29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaining?             Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes?    30 Those who tarry long over wine; those who go to try mixed wine.    31 Do not look at wine when it is red,               when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly.    32 In the end it bites like a serpent and stings like an adder.    33     Your eyes will see strange things,               and your heart utter perverse things.    34 You will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea,               like one who lies on the top of a mast.    35 “They struck me,” you will say,                “but I was not hurt; they beat me, but I did not feel it.               When shall I awake? I must have another drink.”25:16 If you have found honey, eat only enough for you, lest you have your fill of it and vomit it.28:7 The one who keeps the law is a son with understanding, but a companion of gluttons shames his father.31:4-7     4 It is not for kings, O Lemuel,              it is not for kings to drink wine,              or for rulers to take strong drink,    5 lest they drink and forget what has been decreed              and pervert the rights of all the afflicted.    6 Give strong drink to the one who is perishing,              and wine to those in bitter distress;    7 let them drink and forget their poverty          and remember their misery no more. ----------------------------------------- Prayer These are sensitive topics. The reason I titled my sermon “Gluttony, Drunkenness, and the Grace of God” is because we need the grace of God in these struggles. To be sure, we need God’s grace in all of life, but I think with matters of addiction it is especially important to begin there given the shame that often comes with them… and how often recovery is a journey. If you are a believer in Christ, let me remind you that you are his, forever. Just like in Jesus’ parable of the prodigal son, God the Father has given you his robe which indicates his blessing and honor. He has given you his signet ring indicating you are his son or daughter and will share in his inheritance. God has forgiven you and will forgive you in Christ. And he will never leave you or forsake you. And if the things that we are working through today are your struggles, know that God has given you the church to come alongside and help. As we go through this, we are going to work out what that grace looks like in more detail, but I wanted remind you up front because God’s grace is at the heart of recovery from our sin and struggles. The other thing I want to say up front is that you are not alone. It’s easy to come to church and look around and think that everyone else has it all together. The truth is: none of us has it all together. On our podcast this week, Amy quoted a friend of hers. This friend said, “we often compare our insides to everyone else’s outsides.” That is to say, we each know our own internal heart struggles and sin, but we don’t often know what other people’s are. It’s easy to presume because we often just see the outsides of others. So, if you struggle with drinking or substance abuse or a kind of addiction, you are not alone here. We’ll talk later about how we can support one another. Others of you may think that you are immune to such things. If you think that, I want to caution you that it’s something to which each and every one of us is susceptible. It may be triggered by a painful event, or it may be triggered by something out of the blue. Let me give you an example. Several years ago, I was at six-flags with my family. They used to have an old rickety roller coaster. At least, I think it’s gone now. But anyway, we rode it one time and at the end of the ride, it came to a screeching halt. It felt like it went from 60 to 0 in 1 second. And I remember getting off the ride and my neck was a little sore. Well, two days later, I could hardly move my head. And then I started feeling pain radiating down my left arm all the way to my finger. It was very painful for months. Because of the pain, the doctor prescribed me Percocet. I didn’t think anything of it. I just knew that it provided a lot of relief. Well, over the 4-5 weeks that I was taking it, my desire for the drug became unrelated to the pain I was experiencing. I began taking them even when I wasn’t in pain. It was a scary moment for me when I realized what was happening. I got rid of the remaining pills and am thankful that a cortisone shot eventually relieved the pain. Many things cause drinking and drug abuse and let me add, gluttony. I do want to talk through those root causes in a few minutes. But before we do, let’s spend some time in these Proverbs. We generally learn two things from the Proverbs. First, the problem and second the impact. Let’s first look at Proverbs 23 verse 31. It’s in that middle section of verses on the left. 23:31 says, “Do not look at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly.” It’s speaking of a desire to drink. The wine is desirable to your eyes. You’ve become captivated by looking at it… not because it looks pretty, but because of its effect. And as it says, “it goes down smoothly.” In other words, you have to have it. And you have to have more of it. Now, there’s nothing in Scripture that forbids drinking alcohol. You’ve probably heard different things like “Jesus first miracle was turning water into wine.” Or you’ve heard, “the feasts in the Old Testament included drinking wine, like the Passover meal. And likewise, the Lord’s supper was celebrated with wine.”  Wine was a part of life. But these verses are referring to something different. They’re referring to when your alcohol consumption brings you to the point of drunkenness. Look now at verse 33. “Your eyes will see strange things, and your heart utter perverse things.” Your drinking has brought you to the place where you are mentally and physically impaired. Verse 34 continues the problem. It describes being in the middle of the sea on the mast of a boat. You can’t think straight because it feels like your body is swaying. Notice that twice it says you lie down. In other words, you can’t even walk. Those verses continue on and end on an ominous note. You say, “I must have another drink.” You’re addicted. Can you see why I’m including substance abuse this morning? It does similar things as being drunk in how it affects your mental faculties. Here’s the problem: Wisdom goes out the door. Drunkenness and getting high on whatever… strips away your ability to think and speak and act with wisdom. I’m speaking about the wisdom that God has given you. Instead, it turns you into a fool. Note the very first verse listed there. Proverbs 20:1 “Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise.” It steals God’s wisdom in you and replaces it with foolishness. You will do and say things that are that are not honoring to God or others. For example, if you travel for work… and at night you go to the bar with your work friends, and you have one or two or three too many. Well, you will say and do things unbecoming of your calling in Christ. If you then get in a car and drive, your utter foolishness may destroy your life and others made in God’s image. In a few minutes, we’ll be digging deep into the grace of God in Christ in different ways. But let me say, God’s grace does not minimize the seriousness and foolishness of these sin struggles. Rather, by his grace, he forgives and helps us overcome them. I hope that difference makes sense. Hold on for a few more minutes until we get there. Before that, let’s go back to the Proverbs. Let me highlight a couple of other consequences. First, Proverbs 31:4-5. It says there in the second line, “it is not for kings to drink wine, or for rulers to take strong drink, lest they drink and forget what has been decreed and pervert the rights of all the afflicted.” The consequences of drunkenness or addictions affect those for whom you are responsible. For a king, it’s those in his dominion. For a parent, it’s those in your family. Like Proverbs 31 here, the collateral damage of your addiction may be heavy. But also, part of the impact is financial. Look back up at Proverbs 23 verses 20-21. In the middle there, it says, “the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty.” This is another example of wisdom going out the door. Addictions lead to a squandering of resources, which leads to self-inflicted poverty… and if you are married, poverty for you and your family. Gluttony is included here because, as you know, good food is expensive! Over-indulging day after day will also lead down the same path. By the way, when I read verse 25:16 about honey, it reminded me of a funny story. Our family was sitting around the kitchen table a long time ago. The kids were young, and they were talking about honey and butter… and one of them said. “when I get older, I am going to make a note to myself, ‘eat butter and drink honey’.” Well, we all have ambitions in life. I guess some are about food. On a serious note, let me take a brief interlude to talk about gluttony. At the heart of the Hebrew word for glutton is excess. It means excessive feasting and/or partying. Drinking may be part of that or may not. It’s eating or partying often, for the pleasure of it. It’s turning something good into something you live for. Gluttony can become an addiction and at times just as debilitating as other addictions. Two weeks ago, I quoted CS Lewis’s book Screwtape Letters about being slothful. I’m going to quote it again because he has a whole chapter on gluttony. It’s quite convicting. Screwtape, a senior demon in the devil’s army, writes this about how to tempt men. He says, “males are best turned into gluttons with the help of their vanity. They… think themselves very knowing about food, …[like] having found the only restaurant in town where steaks are really ‘properly’ cooked. What begins as vanity can then be gradually turned into habit. But, however you approach it, the [best] thing is to bring him into the state in which the denial of any one indulgence-it matters not which, champagne or tea… or cigarettes ‘puts him out,’” In modern terms, if he can’t have his favorite BBQ or craft beer, he feels robbed. Screwtape continues that at that moment… “his chastity, justice, and obedience are all at your mercy. Mere excess in food is much less valuable than delicacy.” Maybe we should call that “sophisticated gluttony.” It’s often our kind of gluttony. And what it does is it steals your heart away from God… and away from true pleasures which are found in him. At this point, let’s now come back and let’s talk through some of the root causes of these struggles and God’s grace. For us in this room, I don’t think that partying is what leads us down these paths. Although maybe for some. Rather, I think our struggle with alcohol and addiction including gluttony is most often caused by deeper struggles and heartaches, like depression or anxiety or grief. The reason we’re tempted to turn to these things is because they numb the pain and heartache temporarily. They become an escape mechanism where we self-medicate to try and survive the sorrow that we carry. Instead of turning to Jesus, we turn to alcohol or drugs. That may be recreational drugs or abuse of prescription drugs. Before exploring those root causes, I do feel a need to comment on Proverbs 31:6 It says, “Give strong drink to the one who is perishing, and wine to those in bitter distress;” Yes, it sanctions the use of alcohol to sooth physical and emotional pain, but only for extreme cases - someone dying and someone in “bitter” distress. But note also that it’s monitored. Someone is giving the drink in a medicative sort of way. That verse is not saying that alcohol is the solution. When we self-medicate with alcohol and drugs, we are looking to those things as solutions, and we are not seeking to resolve the source of our anxiety or depression. In fact, when these things become an addiction, it often only exacerbates the heartache and pain we experience. It adds to our woe, our sorrow, our strife, and our complaining. Those are the exact words that Proverbs 23:29 uses to describe someone addicted to wine. ·      You may be here today struggling with an addiction. Maybe this is your first or second time here and the Lord brought you here for a reason. What I want you to know today is that God offers his grace and help. ·      Now, you may not struggle with alcohol or drugs (or excessive eating), but maybe today you are weighed down because of some traumatic event or pain in your life. What I want you to know today is that God offers his grace and help. Same grace, same help. ·      For many of you, perhaps at this moment in your life, you neither struggle with these addictions nor are you currently burdened with sorrow. What I want you to hold onto today is that God offers his grace and help when those times come. In other words, God offers his grace to help free us from addictions and on the long journey to recovery. And he offers his grace and help to keep us from alcohol and substance abuse. God’s grace ministers in different ways depending on the burdens you bear. I have a dear friend who has been involved in Celebrate Recovery. It’s a Christ-centered ministry for any kind of addiction. He shared with me about a friend he met at CR as it’s sometimes known. His friend had been trapped by both alcoholism and a drug addiction. By God’s grace this man has been on an amazing journey of healing. One of the things that they do at CR is drill deep into the causes so that they can apply the Gospel to the specific underlying struggles. They recognize that addiction is almost always a “fruit issue” and not a “root issue.” Fruit issues are more easily addressed once the root issues have been brought into the light… so that the Gospel of Grace may bring healing. When this man started pealing back the layers which caused his addictions, he first realized a deep self-hatred. He had been getting high and drunk to escape from himself. As he went deeper to the source of that self-hatred, he realized that his anger was also directed at his mother. You see, she had mistreated him when he was young. He found out that his mom’s anger at him was because she had a miscarriage before this man was born. His mom had lost a baby girl and she had hoped that he would be a girl. Because of her own pain from the miscarriage and anger at him, she emotionally abandoned him. In this man’s life, four things were instrumental in his recovery. ·      First, forgiving his mother for her anger toward and abandonment of him. His ability to forgive her came through the grace of God in Christ who had forgiven him. ·      Number 2 - knowing that even though his mom abandoned him, God will never abandon him. In Christ, God has secured his salvation for eternity. Even with setbacks, he knows he is secure in Christ forever… and he can persevere on the path of sanctification in him. ·      Third, he knows that he is loved by God because he has been redeemed by Christ. His self-hatred has been replaced by the love of God in Christ for him. ·      And fourth, a grace-oriented community of Christian brothers came alongside of him in his recovery journey. On that last point about the church, I want to add something. My friend told me about his own journey. He said that if it hadn’t been for a family member and his pastor intervening, he would have died. But God used his family and his church family to minister God’s grace to him. For both of these men, their journey to recovery has come through God’s love and grace in Christ. The journey is often hard and rocky, but the transforming work of the Gospel brings healing and hope. Let me touch upon a couple of other causes of addictions and how God’s grace intervenes. ·      Feelings of insecurity or inadequacy. We all want to be able to fit in and have friends. We sometimes think we need to act in a certain way to be accepted. We may be afraid of how we’ll be treated, or we may have fears because of past relationships. Those struggles can turn someone to alcohol to either change the way he or she acts or as a coping mechanism. The truth is, if you are believer in Christ, your identity is in him. And that is a blessed reality now. You are secure in him, and you can hold on to him through all your feelings of inadequacy and failure. And those feelings can be transformed to surety and confidence in Christ. ·      Another common root cause is anxiety. Pressures at work, or in your family, or conflict with others or a move or a health condition… or a combination of those can stir up deep levels of anxiety in your heart. The problem is, when you self-medicate with alcohol or drugs, those initial feelings of relief are often followed by more intense anxiety. In fact, anxiety can accelerate an addiction because the lows get lower and you have to drink more and longer to sustain those fleeting feelings of false peace. Friends, true peace and stability and freedom from worry comes through a growing foundation of knowing the promises of God and his Gospel. ·      And the last one I want to mention: depression. Depression is a difficult one because there are so many factors that lead to depression. It may be hereditary. It may be because of grief or one of the other factors I already mentioned. It may be loneliness or caused by a difficult life situation. It may be seasonal or postpartum. Similar to anxiety, drinking or drug abuse may give you relief from the sadness, but it is only a fleeting relief. It’s a false relief. True joy and hope is found in Christ. To be sure, there are some helpful treatments available for depression. But the path to recovery needs to begin with God and the amazing hope that we have in Christ. As Psalm 18 says, “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.” In closing, I know that often times addictions are stigmatized in the church. And I know that often times we feel shame for our current and past struggles in this area. But I also know that we have a Savior who knows our weakness. He is a friend and redeemer of sinners. Every single one of us needs him. We need the hope and joy and forgiveness that God the Father offers us in his Son through the grace and reconciliation of the cross. If one of these things is your struggle, please reach out to me or one of our elders. We will not be surprised nor make you feel ashamed, but we will come alongside you… both to pray for you and to help you on the journey to be restored and healed. Pray

Proverbs 20:1 Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler,      and whoever is led astray by it is not wise.23:20-21 Be not among drunkards or among gluttonous eaters of meat,    for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty,      and slumber will clothe them with rags.23:29-35 29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaining?         Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes?30 Those who tarry long over wine; those who go to try mixed wine.31 Do not look at wine when it is red,           when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly.32 In the end it bites like a serpent and stings like an adder.33     Your eyes will see strange things,           and your heart utter perverse things.34 You will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea,           like one who lies on the top of a mast.35 “They struck me,” you will say,           “but I was not hurt; they beat me, but I did not feel it.           When shall I awake? I must have another drink.”25:16 If you have found honey, eat only enough for you, lest you have your fill of it and vomit it.28:7 The one who keeps the law is a son with understanding, but a companion of gluttons shames his father.31:4-7 4 It is not for kings, O Lemuel,          it is not for kings to drink wine,          or for rulers to take strong drink,5 lest they drink and forget what has been decreed          and pervert the rights of all the afflicted.6 Give strong drink to the one who is perishing,          and wine to those in bitter distress;7 let them drink and forget their poverty          and remember their misery no more.

Discernment, Discretion, and Answering the Fool Our proverb’s focus this morning is on discernment, discretion, and whether to answer a fool in his folly. Originally, I was planning on preaching these in two sermons, “Discernment and Discretion” and Answering a fool. But I realized that the verses about answering a fool in his folly are really about discernment. So, I thought we’s take them together. If you’ll take out you proverbs insert, we’re starting with a few verses from chapter 23. If you’d like to read them directly, you can find those verses on page 646 in the provided Bibles. We’ll start with those verses from chapter 23 and then read the read the rest of the selected verses on the insert. Reading of Selected Proverbs.---------------------------------Proverbs 23:1-3; 6-91 When you sit down to eat with a ruler,         observe carefully what is before you,2 and put a knife to your throat         if you are given to appetite.3 Do not desire his delicacies,         for they are deceptive food. 6 Do not eat the bread of a man who is stingy;         do not desire his delicacies,7 for he is like one who is inwardly calculating.         “Eat and drink!” he says to you,         but his heart is not with you.8  You will vomit up the morsels that you have eaten,         and waste your pleasant words.9  Do not speak in the hearing of a fool,         for he will despise the good sense of your words.Pursue Discretion and Discernment11:22 Like a gold ring in a pig's snout     is a beautiful woman without discretion.18:13 If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame.25:7b-107b What your eyes have seen           do not hastily bring into court, 8  for what will you do in the end,           when your neighbor puts you to shame?9  Argue your case with your neighbor himself,         and do not reveal another's secret,10 lest he who hears you bring shame upon you,         and your ill repute have no end.25:15 With patience a ruler may be persuaded,     and a soft tongue will break a bone.25:17 Let your foot be seldom in your neighbor's house,     lest he have his fill of you and hate you. 25:20 Whoever sings songs to a heavy heart     is like one who takes off a garment on a cold day,     and like vinegar on soda.27:14 Whoever blesses his neighbor with a loud voice,     rising early in the morning, will be counted as cursing.Answering a Fool and His Folly13:20 Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise,     but the companion of fools will suffer harm.14:7 Leave the presence of a fool,     for there you do not meet words of knowledge.17:12 Let a man meet a she-bear robbed of her cubs     rather than a fool in his folly.26:1 Like snow in summer or rain in harvest, so honor is not fitting for a fool.26:4-64 Answer not a fool according to his folly,        lest you be like him yourself. 5 Answer a fool according to his folly,        lest he be wise in his own eyes. 6 Whoever sends a message by the hand of a fool        cuts off his own feet and drinks violence.26:8 Like one who binds the stone in the sling     is one who gives honor to a fool.26:10 Like an archer who wounds everyone     is one who hires a passing fool or drunkard.29:9 If a wise man has an argument with a fool,     the fool only rages and laughs, and there is no quiet.--------------------------------- Prayer Last year, a guy named Young Baek was crowned king of coffee tasters. It’s a thing. The formal job title is coffee cupper. It’s the person who tests the quality of coffee batches on behalf of producers or buyers. Their taste buds are highly refined. Mr. Baek is constantly practicing and honing his skill. He studies beans from all over the world and soils and altitudes. He intimately knows the different roasting methods. And when he’s tasting, he can identify impurities in the beans or issues in the roasting or finishing. Basically, being an expert coffee cupper requires three things: ·       First, it requires knowledge about all things coffee and beans. ·       Second, it requires understanding the problems that may arise when the beans are processed. ·       Those first two things are the easy part. The third thing is applying that knowledge and understanding practically when you taste the coffee. In other words, having coffee discernment. And those three things are very similar to wisdom. Wisdom, as Proverbs has taught us, requires: ·       First, knowledge. Knowing God, his Word and his world ·       Second, having wisdom requires an understanding of what is good and right and true compared to what is not. ·       And third, wisdom requires discernment. Discernment is basically applying that knowledge and God’s standard of right and wrong in life situations. That definition of wisdom is how King Solomon began Proverbs back in chapter 1. And he’s been, or I should say, God has been working that out that definition in different ways throughout the book. What I’m saying is that discernment, Biblical discernment, is part of the equation of having wisdom. You can’t have wisdom without discernment. Our goal today, therefore, is to answer two questions: what is discernment? And how do we learn discernment so that we may mature in wisdom? In other words, how do we become a coffee cupper in life? I want you to look on the front page of the proverbs insert. You’ll see that Proverbs give us two main contrasts. Those are in the bold. We’ve been talking recently about wisdom contrasted with foolishness. In a couple of months, we’ll be getting into the second main contrast. Righteousness and wickedness. Notice also that several of the sub-categories in Proverbs are also contrasts. Like last week, sloth versus industry. Or two weeks ago deceit versus honesty. A little further down the list you’ll see others like pride versus humility, anger and hate versus peace and love. Just and unjust leadership. You see, one of the things that God is teaching us in proverbs is discernment. Not just knowing what wisdom and foolishness and righteousness and wickedness are… but being able to differentiate between all of the categories listed here and apply that understanding in life - in your life, in the situations that you find yourself in, and the people that God has brought into your life. Discernment Ok, let’s now look at some of these verses. Let’s start with those opening verses in Proverbs 23. It’s a helpful illustration of discernment. You are sitting down to eat with a king. He’s invited you. And there’s an amazing spread of delicacies from all over the world. His goal, however, may be to distract you or to bribe you or for you to become indebted to him. It’s deception as verse 3 puts it – deceptive food. And notice what verse 2 says – “put a knife to your throat if you are given to appetite.” In other words, your appetite could be your undoing in that situation. You will fall prey to the king. What it’s saying is you will need self-control in those situations. What is discernment in that scenario? Well, it’s knowing the human condition. It’s seeing beyond what is in front of you. It’s understanding both the heart of the king and your own heart. And it’s responding by not falling into his trap. You see that? And verses 6-8 are similar. But instead of a ruler, you are being offered food from a man who is stingy. He may say, “eat and drink” but he will hate you if you actually eat and drink. So, having discernment is the ability to navigate the complexities of a situation. It’s being able to apply your knowledge of God, his Word, and his world to a situation. First and foremost, discernment is understanding. Look at Proverbs 18:13. It’s on the left side of the page. “If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame.” Our tendency is to react immediately or overreact in a situation… or presume something and respond out of that presumption. But first, we need to listen in order to understand. Perhaps ask questions, or if that is not appropriate, observe what’s going on. Evaluate the situation through the lens of what we have been learning in Proverbs. Then, ask yourself, how should I respond? Should I even respond at all? So discernment is, in a sense, decision making. It begins with evaluating and understanding a situation and then it moves into responding. It’s knowing what is appropriate and not appropriate. Follow me? Now, we will talk about how to gain discernment and therefore grow in wisdom. Hang on for a few minutes. We’ll get there. But before we get there, let’s consider two practical areas of discernment from these verses. First discretion and second interacting with a fool. Discretion That word discretion is used there in Proverbs 11:22. That may be the most well-known Proverb in this group. “Like a gold ring in a pig's snout is a beautiful woman without discretion.” Discretion is having good judgment to act appropriately and thoughtfully. In that verse, if a woman with external beauty flaunts her beauty, or has no moral sensibilities nor propriety, or perhaps she is rude and unruly, then she is, in fact, not beautiful. Ether her indiscretion overshadows her external beauty, or her indiscretion takes away her beauty. She’s either the gold ring in a pig’s snout… or she’s the pig with a gold ring.  Either way, it is to her shame. Ok, part of having discretion is being sensitive to situations. Let’s say that your neighbor is going through a tough time. And you want to help her with yard work. So, you get up at 7am on Saturday, you get your leaf blower out, and you start blowing her leaves. Well, Proverbs 27:14 addresses that: “Whoever blesses his neighbor with a [leaf blower], rising early in the morning, will be counted as cursing.” I think we can relate to that one. That’s poor judgment. And there are a couple of other examples of this… like not rushing to court to expose your neighbor. That one is about being discrete, and first going to your neighbor. I like how Coleman described it earlier this week. He said it’s like having good emotional intelligence. That applies to discernment in general, but I think it especially applies to having discretion. It’s being able to understand the emotional dynamics going on, including your own… and responding appropriately. Proverbs 25:20 captures that. “Whoever sings songs to a heavy heart is like one who takes off a garment on a cold day…” It goes back to navigating what is appropriate and inappropriate and responding in measure. So, to summarize, having discretion is acting with thoughtful judgment. It’s being careful and sensitive. You can think about it this way, discretion is essentially applying your discernment in situations with others. Answering a Fool Ok, so that is discernment and discretion – understanding and acting. Which brings us now to a very focused application of that. Interacting with fools. Now, before we go there, I think it would be helpful for me to summarize Proverbs teaching on the fool. We considered a few weeks ago the contrast between the wise and the fool. How the fool pursues folly and the wise pursues wisdom. As a reminder… ·       A fool is someone who ignores or rejects seeking knowledge, understanding, and guidance. That’s either actively or passively. ·       A fool also disregards moral truth and he opposes God’s wisdom. ·       In addition, Proverbs describes a fool as being very much wrapped up in himself, and his thoughts. He is right in his own eyes, and he acts out of his selfish disregard for others and he acts out of his rejection of truth and goodness. ·       A fool flaunts his folly. Remember that Proverb. And we’ve seen a couple of examples of foolishness so far. Last week was about the sluggard. And the week before about how a fool lacks integrity and is instead deceitful. So, with that in mind, how should you relate to a fool? How should you respond to a fool in his folly? Of course, this takes us to Proverbs 26 verses 4-5. You see them on the right side of the sheet. Verse 4 – “Answer not a fool…” and verse 5 “Answer a fool…” So, which is it? Now, some have critiqued Proverbs because of this seeming contradiction. But the thing is, those verses are intentionally together. The reason is, it takes discernment to know if, how, and when to answer a fool. Let me give you an example of how not to answer a fool. And I want to do that with a modern-day parable. Some of you have heard of Juha, especially down in front here. Juha is a middle eastern man living somewhere in the Arabian Peninsula. Well, one day Juha was in the market. And he ran into a guy who loved to argue. It didn’t matter what, he just liked to disagree. And this guy said to Juha. “Did you know, the sky is green and the grass is blue?” Juha couldn’t pass up the opportunity to respond. “The sky is not green and the grass is not blue. You are out of your mind. The sky is blue and the grass is green.” “No it’s not, the guy answered. Well, Juha and this guy went at it for a long time. They caused so much disturbance in the marketplace that the police showed up and arrested both of them. They were soon brought before the judge. Juha knew that he would finally be vindicated. The judge, of course, would agree that the sky was blue and the grass green… and besides that, the judge was his friend. And so, the judge listened to both sides of the story. And then he pronounced his judgment. He ordered Juha to spend a week in jail. Well, as you can imagine, Juha was shocked and confused. He waited until the courtroom emptied, then asked the Judge: “Judge, you know the sky is blue and the grass is green. How could you rule against me and send me to jail for a week?” The Judge replied, “You’re not going to jail because of the color of the sky or the grass! No, you are going to jail for disturbing the peace by arguing with a fool in the market and then wasting my time by bringing the stupid argument into my courtroom!” Juha learned his lesson the hard way. You see, answering a fool by stooping down to the level of his foolishness is not how to answer a fool.  Look at verse 26:4 again. “Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him yourself.” You see how that directs us not to enter into a fool’s folly? Now, verse 4 could either mean, don’t answer him at all, or it could mean, don’t answer him using his foolish ways. I think either interpretation is fine. If you look at the very last Proverb listed, 29:9 it’s similar. “If a wise man has an argument with a fool, the fool only rages and laughs, and there is no quiet.” Juha would have been served well to know that one. So, if you choose to answer a fool, how should you do it? Verse 26:5 gives us some clarity: “Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes.” What it means is to answer by revealing the folly of his ways. The purpose would be for him to see his foolish ways, or to at least know that what he thinks… is regarded as folly. In a conversation, that would mean changing the direction of the conversation. It would be showing him (in some way) why his thinking or his actions are self-contradictory or selfish or unwise in whatever way… Just know that depending on the situation, that may only stir up more folly. If so, then maybe you should not respond. So, in the end, how do you know if, when, and how to answer a fool? Well, it takes wisdom and discernment. And so, we’ve come full circle. Learning Discernment Which brings us back to the question of “how?” How do we grow in discernment so that we may mature in wisdom? Again, we’re talking about Biblical discernment. Now, there is discernment in a general sense of the word that is something available to all people, Christians and non-Christians. It’s someone with a keen sense to understand situations and people. And that’s good. But the discernment that Proverbs speaks of goes much further. It’s a discernment based on the wisdom and knowledge of God. It is a discernment that understands God’s commands and the righteousness to which he calls us. And so the obvious prerequisites to having discernment are having the first two components of wisdom. First, knowledge… knowledge of God, his word and world. And second, an understanding of righteousness. Let’s take those one at a time. ·       First, the knowledge part. It’s knowing what God has revealed. Or to put it another way, it’s having a worldview based on what God has revealed. Revealed in his Word and revealed in the creation around us. You have to have those. First, you have to be in God’s word to know God’s word. There’s no substitute for that. And, second, you have to be a student of God’s creation – his general revelation. To be sure, we are limited in our knowledge. So, I’m talking about having a general understanding of how the world works, how people are, and how people and systems interrelate. And that includes a general understanding of history. In order to pursue discernment, you have to be growing and learning in those things. ·       Second, the morality part. It’s not just knowing God’s law. You have to know it, of course, but you have to believe and apply God’s commands in your life. I know I probably sound like a broken record sometimes, but I’m trying to ingrain this in your head: God’s wisdom necessarily requires pursuing righteousness. You can’t read Proverbs without seeing that over and over. And we’ve talked over and over about how that righteousness comes by and through Christ. We’ll come back to him in a minute.  So those are the two pre-requisites to Biblical discernment – growing in knowledge and righteousness. And it’s from that platform that you then will be able to learn and grow in discernment. Discernment is being able to see how the different aspects of that knowledge and that righteousness interrelate in different circumstances. Hebrews 5 speaks to this. It says, “for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child.” It’s talking about not maturing in knowledge and righteousness.  “But,” it says, “solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.” It takes practice, like a coffee cupper. It takes learning from your mistakes and thoughtfully analyzing situations. It takes being with people in the marketplace. It takes serving and working and reading. It takes being around people with wisdom – that’s right there in Proverbs 13:20. “whoever walks with the wise becomes wise…” And, of course, it involves prayer. Pray that God would give you wisdom and discernment in situations. In the book of James, God tells us to pray for wisdom, and he promises to give it to you graciously. Ask for the Holy Spirit to guide you as you navigate life. Ok, here’s where I want to draw us back again to Christ and the Gospel. Because, in order to receive and grow in Biblical discernment, knowing Jesus and his Gospel of grace are the foundation. Let me give you three reasons why. ·       Number 1: Jesus is the perfect model of discernment. Even though we don’t have Jesus’ omniscience – how he intimately knew the hearts with whom he interacted, yet his interactions are still examples of discernment and discretion. All throughout his ministry, he was able to get to the core of the matter. He was able to call out the deceitful and reveal the folly of the fools with whom he interacted. There were times, on the way to the cross, that in discretion, he did not speak. There were times when he did. We could spend all afternoon considering each situation and how his great discernment was on display. The point is that in him we can grow in discernment as he leads us in discernment. ·       Second: Discernment of situations outside of you first requires discernment inside. God has to first awaken your heart so that you may see your sin… as Proverbs puts it, your foolish and evil ways. That’s where discernment begins, seeing your need for him and the grace and forgiveness that God offers in Christ. Part of that internal discernment is knowing that when you are his you are a redeemed sinner. You are redeemed by faith. You are secure in that. But in this life, you will still struggle with sin. Discernment is knowing your own sin struggles as you seek to be discerning. ·       And related to that, number 3 is the Gospel. As the apostle Paul put it, the Gospel is “the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.” The Gospel includes that Jesus has redeemed you from your sin, but it’s also how God redeemed you. He accomplished your salvation through the most amazing display of wisdom and discernment - the cross. God, in all of his vast wisdom… in his perfect and eternal justice and love, and in his infinite power, discerned a way for his greater glory and our good. At the very center of his eternal wisdom and discernment is the cross. It’s where God’s infinite, eternal, and unchangeable justice and love intersect. It’s where Jesus, the eternal son of God, in his perfect righteousness took on the eternal consequences of our sin… as only he could as truly God and man. Is that not the most amazing wisdom and discernment? It is the lynchpin of all things - the center of history. What I’m saying is that in order to begin down the path of Biblical discernment, you need to know this Gospel. To know not just what God has done, but to believe it yourself, and to see Jesus for who he is, Lord and Savior. This truth is what unlocks the door to your journey of wisdom and discernment. So… may we each understand the importance of having discernment and discretion in our lives. May we each navigate, with the help of God’s Spirit, different situations and relationships through that Biblical discernment. And may we each mature in our discernment, through the grace of God in Christ through what he has done. Amen.

Proverbs 23:1-3, 6-91 When you sit down to eat with a ruler,          observe carefully what is before you,2 and put a knife to your throat          if you are given to appetite.3 Do not desire his delicacies,          for they are deceptive food. 6 Do not eat the bread of a man who is stingy;          do not desire his delicacies,7 for he is like one who is inwardly calculating.          “Eat and drink!” he says to you,          but his heart is not with you.8  You will vomit up the morsels that you have eaten,          and waste your pleasant words.9  Do not speak in the hearing of a fool,          for he will despise the good sense of your words.Pursue Discretion and Discernment*11:22 Like a gold ring in a pig's snout      is a beautiful woman without discretion.18:13 If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame.Proverbs 25:7b-10What your eyes have seen      do not hastily bring into court, for what will you do in the end,      when your neighbor puts you to shame?Argue your case with your neighbor himself,      and do not reveal another's secret,lest he who hears you bring shame upon you,      and your ill repute have no end.25:15 With patience a ruler may be persuaded,      and a soft tongue will break a bone.25:17 Let your foot be seldom in your neighbor's house,      lest he have his fill of you and hate you.25:20 Whoever sings songs to a heavy heart      is like one who takes off a garment on a cold day,      and like vinegar on soda.27:14 Whoever blesses his neighbor with a loud voice,      rising early in the morning, will be counted as cursing.Answering (or not Answering) the Fool with His Folly13:20 Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise,      but the companion of fools will suffer harm.14:7 Leave the presence of a fool,      for there you do not meet words of knowledge.17:12 Let a man meet a she-bear robbed of her cubs      rather than a fool in his folly.26:1 Like snow in summer or rain in harvest, so honor is not fitting for a fool.Proverbs 26:4-64 Answer not a fool according to his folly,         lest you be like him yourself.5 Answer a fool according to his folly,         lest he be wise in his own eyes.6 Whoever sends a message by the hand of a fool         cuts off his own feet and drinks violence.26:8 Like one who binds the stone in the sling      is one who gives honor to a fool.26:10 Like an archer who wounds everyone      is one who hires a passing fool or drunkard.29:9 If a wise man has an argument with a fool,      the fool only rages and laughs, and there is no quiet.

The Ant and the Slug Thank you to Coleman for his sermon last week on integrity and slander, and flattery, among other things. I listened to it a few days ago. Very well done! And I’m not trying to flatter him. Well, as we’ve gone through the book of Proverbs, one of the amazing things is how timeless the proverbs are. I think you would agree. This book was written almost 3000 years ago… But no matter whether you lived back then or you live today, the human condition is the same. It’s just manifested in different ways. This morning we’re considering the theme of sloth or idleness compared to diligence. In fact, it’s one of the more prominent themes in Proverbs. Clearly in King Solomon’s day, it was a significant issue. And I think that it’s also one of our struggles today. Please take out your Proverbs reading insert. You’ll see that we are starting with a few verses from chapter 6 this morning. The first half of chapter 6 was the only portion of Solomon’s opening lessons that we saved for later. So we’re coming back to part of it now and in a few weeks, we’ll consider the rest of it. If you would like to read those first verses from you Bible, please turn to Proverbs 6. Please stand for the reading of God’s Word. Reading of Proverbs 6:6-11 and selected proverbs------------------------------------------Proverbs 6:6-11 Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise.Without having any chief, officer, or ruler,    she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest.How long will you lie there, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep?A little sleep, a little slumber, a  little folding of the hands to rest,    and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man. 10:4-5 A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich. He who gathers in summer is a prudent son,     but he who sleeps in harvest is a son who brings shame.10:26 Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes,     so is the sluggard to those who send him.12:11 Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread,     but he who follows worthless pursuits lacks sense.12:24 The hand of the diligent will rule,     while the slothful will be put to forced labor.12:27 Whoever is slothful will not roast his game,     but the diligent man will get precious wealth.13:4 The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing,     while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied.13:12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick,     but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.14:23 In all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to poverty.15:19 The way of a sluggard is like a hedge of thorns,     but the path of the upright is a level highway.16:26 A worker's appetite works for him; his mouth urges him on.18:9 Whoever is slack in his work is a brother to him who destroys.19:15 Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep, and an idle person will suffer hunger.19:24 The sluggard buries his hand in the dish     and will not even bring it back to his mouth.20:4 The sluggard does not plow in the autumn;     he will seek at harvest and have nothing.20:13 Love not sleep, lest you come to poverty;     open your eyes, and you will have plenty of bread.21:17 Whoever loves pleasure will be a poor man;     he who loves wine and oil will not be rich.21:25-26 The desire of the sluggard kills him, for his hands refuse to labor. All day long he craves and craves,     but the righteous gives and does not hold back.22:13 The sluggard says, “There is a lion outside! I shall be killed in the streets!”22:29 Do you see a man skillful in his work?     He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men.24:27 Prepare your work outside;     get everything ready for yourself in the field, and after that build your house.24:30-34 I passed by the field of a sluggard,     by the vineyard of a man lacking sense,     and behold, it was all overgrown with thorns;     the ground was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down. Then I saw and considered it; I looked and received instruction.     A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest,     and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man.25:13 Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest     is a faithful messenger to those who send him;     he refreshes the soul of his masters.26:13-16 The sluggard says, “There is a lion in the road!     There is a lion in the streets!” As a door turns on its hinges, so does a sluggard on his bed. The sluggard buries his hand in the dish;     it wears him out to bring it back to his mouth. The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who can answer sensibly.27:18 Whoever tends a fig tree will eat its fruit,     and he who guards his master will be honored.28:19-20 Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread,     but he who follows worthless pursuits will have plenty of poverty. A faithful man will abound with blessings,     but whoever hastens to be rich will not go unpunished.------------------------------------------ Prayer A few years ago, ESPN hosted a contest which they called the “Ultimate Couch Potato.” The goal was to see who could last the longest in a recliner watching ESPN. The rules allowed only one stretch per hour. You were not allowed to sleep… and you could only take a bathroom break once every 8 hours. Oh, and they provided all the food and soft drinks you wanted. The winner went 72 hours. Can you believe that? The guy received a new TV, a new recliner, and the coveted Ultimate Couch Potato trophy. By the way, it was the third year in a row this guy won. I suspect that’s why they discontinued the contest. Our culture glorifies and enables laziness. Here are some statistics. Americans spend, on average, 3 hours and 9 minutes a day streaming video content. On average, we spend 4 hours and 25 minutes on our phones every day. And weekly, we average 8-12 hours playing video games. To quote the title of Neil Postman’s prophetic book, we are Amusing Ourselves to Death. He wrote that in 1985. Imagine what he would say today. And social media and games are only one of the paths today to an idle and slothful lifestyle. As we read, Proverbs speaks to this. It warns against this. The problem is, such a life does not reflect the goodness of God’s creation in you, nor does it reflect God’s call for your life. Let me say that again, a slothful lifestyle does not reflect the goodness of God’s creation in you, nor does it reflect God’s call for you life. That’s basically the summary for today. Let me tell you how we’re going to work that out. 1. First, we’ll analyze Proverb’s account of the slothful and the diligent. What it says 2. Next, we’ll look at the consequences. What it warns. 3. Third, it’s very important to consider the cause. And let me say, there are some difficult things in life that can contribute to idleness. 4. And fourth, last, we’ll talk through the cure. So, the account, the consequences, the cause, and the cure. That’s where we’re headed. 1. The account: The Sloth and the Diligent Number 1. How do these verses account for the slothful and the diligent? The first thing is that there’s word here used over and over. It’s the word “sluggard.” It’s used 14 times here. Now, in English, the word “sluggard” is a derivative of the word “slug.” Slug, meaning, of course those slimy little creatures that move so slowly. In the Hebrew language, the word for sluggard and slug are totally different words, but the idea is similar. The Hebrew meaning of sluggard is someone who is slow to take action - someone habitually lazy with no discipline or initiative in his life. That’s very similar to the second word used here. The word slothful… used 3 times. It’s someone who constantly refuses work. He is the opposite of diligent. And we see these definitions worked out all through these verses. ·      First, a sluggard loves to sleep! As a door turns on it’s hinge, so a sluggard on his bed. Or as we read a couple of times, “a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest” He even sleeps during the harvest, it says. By the way, we all need sleep… but this is different. The sluggard wins the couch potato award. ·      Second, the one who is slothful is mere talk. That’s how Proverbs 14:23 describes him. “Mere talk tends only to poverty.” He’ll say something like, “Oh, I’ll get to that tomorrow.” But tomorrow never comes. He talks a big talk, but never follows through. ·      Next, he also makes excuses. Like in 26:13 – This is a funny one… “There’s a lion in the road!” In other words, “I can’t go out there to work.” There are murder hornets out there! Or, the dog ate my homework. If you lived in our house, that could actually happen. ·      And a fourth description are his worthless pursuits. That phrase is there in Proverb 28:19. “…he who follows worthless pursuits will have plenty of poverty.” That’s pretty descriptive of us today. We get sucked into the vortex of social media. Name your favorite – Tick Tok, X, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube. We get pulled into the articles, pictures, videos, and reading the comments. Then all of a sudden, hours have passed! Has that happened to you? It’s happened to me. ·      There are some other descriptions in here as well. For example, work is drudgery to the slothful. Also he ignores the severity of his situation. So, he loves his lazy-boy recliner or his bed, always procrastinates, talks a big talk, pursues the unimportant, and cares not about working or his situation. Now, no one here that fits that full description. But I think we can each identify slothful areas or lazy tendencies, perhaps even significant ones, in our lives. The contrast here is with the diligent. That word means someone who is industrious in his work and focused. It’s not just that he is diligent to do something, he is also thoughtful and intentional in his tasks. Look at Proverbs 27:24, you’ll see that sense of priorities. “Prepare your work outside; get everything ready for yourself in the field, and after that build your house.” The diligent understand when it’s time to plant seed and when it’s time to harvest. It’s in between those times, that’s when he will build or maintain his house. And, of course, the illustration is the ant. Now, at the time in Israel, one of the more common types of ants was the harvester ant. It was known to store kernels of grain during the harvest, which would last them the whole year. At other times of the year, these ants would expand their nest and care for the young. So likely, Solomon had these in mind. It’s a picture of diligence and preparedness in the tasks at hand. You see, the diligent don’t need a task master to keep them going, rather they understand and can accomplish their responsibilities. Kids, if your mom or dad are always reminding you, every day, to do your school work, then likely you are acting more like a slug than an ant. It’s time to become like an ant. 2. The Consequences Ok, point #2. The consequences. All throughout these verses, we’re given consequences. Let me say, these are generalities, not formulas. When the Proverbs speak about immediate consequences, it’s not giving us a formula. We can’t say, if you are diligent, the result will always be blessing and security. No, those Proverbs are rules of thumb. Look at Proverbs 10:4. “A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich.” Is it the case that a sluggard will always find himself in self-inflicted poverty? No? Is it the case that the diligent will always have financial security? No. External circumstances can change the outcome. But the principal is generally true. It’s important to understand that. For the sluggard, in many many cases, his carelessness and laziness will lead to poverty. Some of the language used here is “suffer hunger” or “have nothing” or he’ll “be put into forced labor.” Or he’ll have “plenty of poverty.” On the other hand, the diligent will in many many cases “reap a harvest” or “will have plenty of bread” or “will abound in blessing.” That’s the language here. You can see the contrast – poverty versus plenty. Let me highlight another consequence. Being around a sluggard is no fun. Especially if you are responsible for him or her. This last week, Amy, Caleb, and I were in the kitchen, and Caleb said, “Mom, do you remember when you made us take a mouthful of vinegar and then you read us that Proverb?” Amy and I both laughed because little did Caleb know at the time, but that Proverb is on the list for today. Look down at Proverbs 10:26. “Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so is the sluggard to those who send him.” This was several years ago. The kids were all having one of those days. They weren’t listening. They were not following through on chores or assignments. They didn’t want to do anything. Parents, you know what I’m talking about. So Amy brought them out on our deck. She gave them each a little cup of vinegar, and made them swish it around in their mouths … and then she read Proverbs 10:26. Her point was this: That bitter and sour taste in your mouth is what it’s like to those around you when you disobey and are lazy. Now, to be sure, Amy didn’t make them swallow the vinegar, so please don’t call family services. By the way, some of the other consequences listed here are similar. A sluggard brings shame and the diligent brings honor. To summarize: the consequence for the slothful include self-inflicted poverty, difficulty working with him, and often shame to his family. And for the diligent? Stability, security, leadership even, and honor. #3 The causes At this point, let’s transition to the causes and the cure. We’re going to focus on idleness and sloth. Now, is it possible that our diligence can become a problem? Yes! Absolutely. Work can become an idol. What I’m saying is that you should not use these verses to justify working 60, 70, or 80 hours a week at the expense of your family. Nor should you use these verses to turn work into your identity. Those are problems, for sure… but what these verses focus on is laziness. Also, I also want to acknowledge that there are difficult things in life which can lead to struggles with motivation. Grief is one of them. When you lose a family member or dear friend, some days it’s hard to even get up out of bed. Depression is similar. Depression can be caused by many things. And I want to say, in those two situations, it’s important to get help – that may be Godly counselling or other kinds of help. If that’s your struggle, please reach out for help and guidance. I also want to say that idleness is different than rest. We all need rest. God has given us the pattern and focus of our rest. That’s a topic for another day. What many of these verses speak to is the sin of laziness. It’s being a dead weight on your family or friends or at work. It’s when you are not contributing with your God given skills and gifts to labor. Let me add, this is not just about a career. Rather, we all have lowercase “c” callings. That may be a paid job. It may be caring for someone or a family. It may be serving the needs in the church or community. For example, children, at this point in your life, your responsibility is to be diligent in your schoolwork. On the other hand, if you are one of our older members and struggling with heath issues, your calling may be prayer. Whatever it is, we’re to pursue it with diligence. But the problem is that sin has affected everything. That includes affecting our motivations and our work. And this goes way back to Genesis 3. Part of God’s curse on all creation is that the ground will produce “thorns and thistles.” And as it also says, “by the sweat of your face you shall eat bread.” Because of that, we often don’t want to work. We don’t want to deal with the struggles of whatever calling we have. And those thorns and thistles can come in many forms. And so, we cave in. We don’t want to put in the effort. We distract ourselves and we make all kinds of excuses. But at the heart of it all, the heart of our laziness in whatever area of our life… is our sin. We don’t want to recognize that part of God’s call for us is to work. Again, work in a broad sense of our daily callings. You see, we were created to work. Every one of us. We read that earlier in the service from Genesis 1 and 2. Part of God creating man in his image, is the inherent responsibility to labor in this world… which is patterned after God and his work in creating all things. In other words, work is not a result of the fall. No, the toil of work is the result. And in our selfishness and pride, we would rather distract ourselves with mind numbing activities or a lazy lifestyle, than follow through on the gift of God in our callings. To summarize, what are the primary causes of our sloth? Sin in the world and the sin in our hearts. Let me add one more cause. And I’d like to use CS Lewis for this one. Some of you have read his book Screwtape Letters. It’s a fiction and it’s really unique. It’s a series of letters written by Screwtape, who is a senior demon in the devil’s army. Screwtape, the demon, is writing to his demon apprentice, Wormwood. Screwtape’s goal is to get Wormwood to effectively distract his human patient from God and instead direct him to sin. His tactics are many including exploiting personal weaknesses, stirring up anger and strife, undermining prayer and the church, promoting despair and apathy, and elevating the patient’s pride. Let me read what Screwtape writes in letter 12: “My dear Wormwood… You no longer need a good book, which he really likes, to keep him from his prayers or his work or his sleep; a column of advertisements in yesterday's paper will do. [or should I add, “a little screen time”]  You can make him waste his time… [by doing] nothing at all for long periods… you can keep him up late at night… staring at a dead fire…. Nothing is very strong -  strong enough to steal away a man's best years not in sweet sins but in a dreary flickering of the mind over it knows not what and knows not why in the gratification of curiosity so feeble the man is only half aware of them… You will say that these are very small sins… [but] it does not matter how small the sins are provided that their cumulative effect is to edge the man away from the Light and out into the Nothing.” He wrote that 85 years ago. You see, the devil has many lies and tactics and one of them is complacency or sloth. He wants to exploit your sin and the fallen world around you…  He wants you to retreat into the world of idle nothingness and away from God. #4 The Cure So, where does that lead us? Well, it leads us to the cure. This is point number 4. The good news is that God is at work. He’s at work redeeming. And one of the things that he’s redeeming… is he’s redeeming our labors. We don’t often think about redemption being applied to our daily callings. Do we? Rather, when we think about redemption, we think about how Christ has redeemed us from the eternal consequences of our sin. Or we think about how we are reconciled to God through Jesus’ atoning sacrifice. Or we think about how the resurrection gives us hope for eternity. Or we consider the grace that God gives us through Christ in forgiving us for the sins that we actively commit. Those are all amazing things. But we should also consider that God’s redemption applies to our passive sins like sloth… and we should consider how God is redeeming our labors. Whatever you’re called to do in this life. Many of you know I spent almost 20 years in a different career. I experienced the highs and lows of any job – difficult situations, demanding responsibilities. At times, I struggled with motivation. But at other time, I experienced joy in my work. And I will say, these last 10 years as a pastor, there have been highs and lows. Times of discouragement and times sensing the joy and passion of this calling. I’m thankful to God that most often it’s been the later. Let me share four things I’ve learned over the years: ·      First, when we intentionally seek to honor God in our work, God often gives us a desire to work and a satisfaction in our work. That’s the first one. By the way, I’ll restate them at the end. ·      Second, when we recognize that part of what it means to be created in God’s image is being created to work… when we recognize that, God often gives us purpose and meaning in our work. ·      Third, when we recognize that God’s work of redemption includes our work, we are able with his help to endure the thorns and thistles. ·      And fourth, when we realize that God’s grace in Christ through the cross includes forgiving us for our sloth, then we can be renewed to diligence… as we pursue our daily callings. Let me says those again. (1) Pursuing God’s glory in what we do, often gives us desire and satisfaction in our callings (2) Remembering that we are created in God’s image gives us purpose in our callings (3) God is redeeming our work which helps us persevere through trials in our callings and (4) God’s grace covers all our sin, including our idleness. When we come to him with it, he will help renew our hearts in our callings. As we come to a close, let’s consider one more thing - work in this life compared to eternity. You see, in this life, each one of us struggles or will struggle in our daily callings. That may include a struggle of apathy. You may have days or weeks or months where you are fighting to regain motivation and fighting against idleness. But beloved, if you are in Christ, there will be a day when work will no longer be a chore. A day when you will be in the presence of your Savior with all the saints. A day when you will enter his rest. His eternal rest. But it won’t be a rest without work. No, it will be an eternal rest from the thorns and thistles… an eternal rest from any and all temptations to sin. Yes, we will be worshiping forever, but we’ll also be working in some way. But our labors and service will be fully redeemed, with no toil or struggle. Whatever it is like, at every moment it will be fully satisfying to us and fully glorifying to God. May God give us an eternal motivation and perspective, as we labor in this life. My we forsake our sloth and idleness and instead hear the call to diligence – not for our glory, but for God. Amen? 

6:6 Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise.6:7 Without having any chief, officer, or ruler,6:8 she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest.6:9 How long will you lie there, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep?6:10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest,6:11 and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man.10:4 A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich.10:5 He who gathers in summer is a prudent son, but he who sleeps in harvest is a son who brings shame.10:26 Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so is the sluggard to those who send him.12:11 Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits lacks sense.12:24 The hand of the diligent will rule, while the slothful will be put to forced labor.12:27 Whoever is slothful will not roast his game, but the diligent man will get precious wealth.[h]13:4 The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied.13:12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.14:23 In all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to poverty.15:19 The way of a sluggard is like a hedge of thorns, but the path of the upright is a level highway.16:26 A worker's appetite works for him; his mouth urges him on.18:9 Whoever is slack in his work is a brother to him who destroys.19:15 Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep, and an idle person will suffer hunger.19:24 The sluggard buries his hand in the dish and will not even bring it back to his mouth.20:4 The sluggard does not plow in the autumn; he will seek at harvest and have nothing.20:13 Love not sleep, lest you come to poverty; open your eyes, and you will have plenty of bread.21:17 Whoever loves pleasure will be a poor man; he who loves wine and oil will not be rich.21:25 The desire of the sluggard kills him, for his hands refuse to labor.21:26 All day long he craves and craves, but the righteous gives and does not hold back.22:13 The sluggard says, “There is a lion outside! I shall be killed in the streets!”22:29 Do you see a man skillful in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men.24:27 Prepare your work outside; get everything ready for yourself in the field, and after that build your house.24:30 I passed by the field of a sluggard, by the vineyard of a man lacking sense,24:31 and behold, it was all overgrown with thorns; the ground was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down.24:32 Then I saw and considered it; I looked and received instruction.24:33 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest,24:34 and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man.25:13 Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest is a faithful messenger to those who send him; he refreshes the soul of his masters.26:13 The sluggard says, “There is a lion in the road! There is a lion in the streets!”26:14 As a door turns on its hinges, so does a sluggard on his bed.26:15 The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; it wears him out to bring it back to his mouth.26:16 The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who can answer sensibly.27:18 Whoever tends a fig tree will eat its fruit, and he who guards his master will be honored.28:19 Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits will have plenty of poverty.28:20 A faithful man will abound with blessings, but whoever hastens to be rich will not go unpunished.

Integrity10:9 Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out. 11:3 The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them.12:22 Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, but those who act faithfully are his delight.16:17 The highway of the upright turns aside from evil; whoever guards his way preserves his life.17:20 A man of crooked heart does not discover good, and one with a dishonest tongue falls into calamity.19:1 Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity than one who is crooked in speech and is a fool.20:11 Even a child makes himself known by his acts, by whether his conduct is pure and upright. 22:1 A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold.28:6 Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity than a rich man who is crooked in his ways.28:18 Whoever walks in integrity will be delivered, but he who is crooked in his ways will suddenly fall.Lies Destroy: Slander, Gossip, Flattery, Dishonest Gain, Scheming, Bad Advice10:10 Whoever winks the eye causes trouble, and a babbling fool will come to ruin.10:18 The one who conceals hatred has lying lips, and whoever utters slander is a fool.12:17 Whoever speaks the truth gives honest evidence, but a false witness utters deceit.14:5 A faithful witness does not lie, but a false witness breathes out lies.16:28 A dishonest man spreads strife, and a whisperer separates close friends.16:29 A man of violence entices his neighbor and leads him in a way that is not good.16:30 Whoever winks his eyes plans dishonest things; he who purses his lips brings evil to pass.19:5 A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who breathes out lies will not escape.19:9 A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who breathes out lies will perish.20:17 Bread gained by deceit is sweet to a man, but afterward his mouth will be full of gravel.20:25 It is a snare to say rashly, “It is holy,” and to reflect only after making vows.21:6 The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a fleeting vapor and a snare of death.24:28-29 Be not a witness against your neighbor without cause, and do not deceive with your lips. Do not say, “I will do to him as he has done to me; I will pay the man back for what he has done.”25:14 Like clouds and wind without rain is a man who boasts of a gift he does not give.25:18 A man who bears false witness against his neighbor is like a war club, or a sword, or a sharp arrow.26:18-19 Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death is the man who deceives his neighbor and says, “I am only joking!”26:22 The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels; they go down into the inner parts of the body.26:23 Like the glaze covering an earthen vessel are fervent lips with an evil heart. 26:24-26 Whoever hates disguises himself with his lips and harbors deceit in his heart; when he speaks graciously, believe him not, for there are seven abominations in his heart; though his hatred be covered with deception, his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.26:27 Whoever digs a pit will fall into it, and a stone will come back on him who starts it rolling.26:28 A lying tongue hates its victims, and a flattering mouth works ruin.29:5 A man who flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his feet.The Power of Truth12:5 The thoughts of the righteous are just; the counsels of the wicked are deceitful.12:19 Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue is but for a moment.14:25 A truthful witness saves lives, but one who breathes out lies is deceitful.12:20 Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil, but those who plan peace have joy.20:7 The righteous who walks in his integrity— blessed are his children after him!21:28 A false witness will perish, but the word of a man who hears will endure.28:13 Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.28:23 Whoever rebukes a man will afterward find more favor than he who flatters with his tongue.

Introduction We’re continuing our Proverbs thematic study this morning. And let me say, we’ve been in unchartered territory. I’ve actually never heard anyone preach through the second half of Proverbs, so this has been a new experience. I’ve learned a couple of things: ·      First, reading 40-50 Proverbs takes more time than I realized. My sermons have been a few minutes longer than usual, so I’ going to try and adjust. We’ll still read all the verses, but I’ll slightly shorten my content. ·      Second, I’ve learned that it’s virtually impossible to reference every verse in my sermon. Last week, I was blitzing through too many verses too quickly. So, what I plan to do instead is point to representative verses that really encapsulate the emphasis. And, I’ll also summarize themes and words without always pointing to specific verses. ·      To be sure, I still want to anchor my sermon to the text so, I’ll still reference specific verses, but just fewer of them. Well, that brings us to our focus this morning - the results of wisdom and foolishness. Last week, we considered the nature of wisdom and foolishness. The wise pursues wisdom. The fool pursues folly. And remember, our words and actions reveal whether we have a heart of wisdom or whether we need a heart of wisdom. That wisdom is ultimately found in Christ. The good news is that there is not a single one of us, nor anyone in the world, who cannot be redirected to the wisdom of God in Christ. So, that was last week. This morning is more about the effects and consequences of the one who is wise and the one who is a fool. If you’ll take your Proverbs bulletin insert… On the inside, you’ll see two groupings of verses. The first is titled near-term effects of wisdom and foolishness. In other words, what wisdom and foolishness cause. I’ll say, those verses do include some action verbs, like a fool “troubles” his household or “belittles” his neighbor. Those words imply an effect, so I’ve included them. The second grouping contains more longer-term results. Many of those are eternal in nature. In other words, where does each path lead? There’s a little overlap from last week as well. The first 3 verses are from Proverbs 13:13-15. If you would like to read those out of your Bibles, please turn there. You can find them on page ???. Stand Reading of selected proverbs:-----------------------------------Proverbs 13:13-15 13. Whoever despises the word brings destruction on himself,    but he who reveres the commandment will be rewarded.14. The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life,    that one may turn away from the snares of death.15. Good sense wins favor, but the way of the treacherous is their ruin.A. The near-term effects of wisdom and folly 11:12 Whoever belittles his neighbor lacks sense,    but a man of understanding remains silent.11:29 Whoever troubles his own household will inherit the wind,    and the fool will be servant to the wise of heart.12:8 A man is commended according to his good sense,    but one of twisted mind is despised.12:16 The vexation of a fool is known at once,    but the prudent ignores an insult.17:21 He who sires a fool gets himself sorrow,    and the father of a fool has no joy.21:22 A wise man scales the city of the mighty    and brings down the stronghold in which they trust.24:9 The devising of folly is sin, and the scoffer is an abomination to mankind.27:3 A stone is heavy, and sand is weighty,    but a fool's provocation is heavier than both.29:8 Scoffers set a city aflame, but the wise turn away wrath.B. The long-term results of wisdom and folly10:8 The wise of heart will receive commandments,    but a babbling fool will come to ruin.10:21 The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for lack of sense.14:3 By the mouth of a fool comes a rod for his back,    but the lips of the wise will preserve them.14:12 There is a way that seems right to a man,    but its end is the way to death.14:18 The simple inherit folly, but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.14:35 A servant who deals wisely has the king's favor,    but his wrath falls on one who acts shamefully.15:24 The path of life leads upward for the prudent,    that he may turn away from Sheol beneath.16:25 There is a way that seems right to a man,    but its end is the way to death.17:2 A servant who deals wisely will rule over a son who acts shamefully    and will share the inheritance as one of the brothers.19:29 Condemnation is ready for scoffers, and beating for the backs of fools.21:16 One who wanders from the way of good sense     will rest in the assembly of the dead.22:3 The prudent sees danger and hides himself,     but the simple go on and suffer for it.24:13-14 My son, eat honey, for it is good,     and the drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste.Know that wisdom is such to your soul;    if you find it, there will be a future, and your hope will not be cut off.26:3 A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey,     and a rod for the back of fools.27:22 Crush a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with crushed grain,     yet his folly will not depart from him.28:26 Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool,    but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered.---------------------------------------- Prayer About 10 years ago, we visited the Grand Canyon. It was the first time that I had ever been there. If you’ve ever seen it, you’ll know that it is really grand. Our kids were a lot younger then, so we only hiked down a little way into the canyon. And of course, we were holding their hands really tight. Because you quickly realize that the Grand Canyon is a dangerous place. There are cliffs everywhere without railings. It’s also very hot and dry with hardly any water except the river below. In fact, in the visitor center we found a book titled “Death in the Grand Canyon.” It’s really sad. On average, a dozen people die every year due to various causes. People have died trying to take selfies as close as they can to a ledge, and then slipping. Some have died when they pretended to fall but in doing that, they actually did fall. Others have ignored warning signs and wandered off the path only to get lost and die of heat exhaustion or of cold at night. Some have tried to jump across to rock outcroppings but didn’t make it. And every year, a couple of people die attempting to hike the 26 miles from one rim to the other and back again in a single day. That happened twice this last fall. They were ill-prepared physically and mentally and did not plan well. You could categorize many of those tragedies as foolishness. And I’m sure we could spend all day coming up with similar examples. As we read, and as we each intuitively know, actions have consequences… and words have consequences. The folly of our foolish ways leads to tragedy - that may include near term damage and drama. Sometime it includes immediate tragic results like these examples, and certainly living a foolish life will lead to long term consequences… as Proverbs puts it, to ruin. On the one hand, these verses are a warning to us. If you act this way, if your words are flagrant and foolish, this is what will happen. But, on the other hand, these verses also give us hope. They give us a picture of wisdom’s results – both the near-term benefits but also the ultimate deliverance that wisdom will bring. So, again, on the one hand, the warnings about foolishness, and on the other hand, the hope of wisdom. Here’s where I do want to draw your attention to a couple of verses. Either in your Bibles or in the insert, look at Proverbs 13:13-15. These are the first three verses in the list. Really, they are a good summary of today’s focus. Verse 13, “Whoever despises the word brings destruction on himself, but he who reveres the commandment will be rewarded.” “Whoever despises the word…” The Hebrew for the word “word” literally means, “that which has been stated.” What Solomon is saying is that if the Proverbs which he has written are rejected, the result will be self-destruction. That’s an important point to note. The one who rejects the Proverbs will bring destruction upon himself. His words and actions will cause his own demise. And remember, Solomon is being guided by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit here. His words in Proverbs are God’s words. The second half of verse 13 alludes to that. Again, it says, “but he who reveres the commandment will be rewarded.” That word for “commandment” is equated with the word “word” and it’s a reference to God’s commandments. So, the determining factor of whether you will receive self-imposed destruction or whether you will receive a reward is… whether you obey the commandments of the Lord. Now, to be sure, this is not saying that obedience is the way to salvation. No, remember, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Reverent trust in the Lord is the starting point. The New Testament calls that faith. Our obedience rather testifies to our faith. To be sure, Proverbs is a rubber-meets-the-road book. We’ve talked about this. There are tangible consequences in this life to both wisdom and folly. I don’t want to skip over those and jump right to the eternal matters. So, we’ll consider both the near-term and the eternal consequences. In fact, verse 14 is the verse about eternal matters. It says, “The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death.” It’s saying, wisdom and foolishness are ultimately matters of life and death. We’re going to come back to those eternal matters. And next, notice verse 15. It’s about near-term matters. “Good sense wins favor, but the way of the treacherous is their ruin.” When we act and speak with “good sense” (meaning all the things we talked about last week - humility, sensitivity, carefulness, prudence, and thoughtfulness) when our lives reflect those things, there are near-term blessings that we will reap. But the opposite is true for the fool: “the way  of the treacherous,” as verse 15 says, “is their ruin.” There’s that self-induced trouble, again. So, near term and long term. Near Term Effects We’ll first consider the near-term effect and then we’ll move to the long-term ones. Do you remember Mr. T? He’s still out around! His life motto is, “I pity the fool.” That was originally a line in Rocky III. After that, he adopted it personal;y and would use it in both acting as well as in real life. Although, for Mr. T, the line was always blurred between his characters and his persona. But what does he mean when he says, “I pity the fool.” Well, as you would suspect, he’s been asked several times about that. And Mr. T’s is pretty clear about it. He feels sorry for the fool, he says. He has both sympathy for a foolish person as well as a desire to see him change. The reason is that a fool has to deal with the consequences of his foolishness. As Mr. T puts is, “something bad is going to happen to him. So, I pity the fool.” By the way, he’s a professed Christian and he even connects that phrase to the Scriptures warning to the fool. And these verses here have much to say about the effect of a fool. A big one is relational. To use some of the words in grouping A, a fool is “despised” and an “abomination” to society. He causes, as one of these verses says, “vexation.” A fool is a trouble-maker. He brings “trouble” on himself as well as others. Another word used here is “provocation.” His words and actions provoke trouble. I think the verse that best captures the near-term effects of folly and wisdom is 29:8. It’s the last verse there in grouping A. It says, “Scoffers set a city aflame, but the wise turn away wrath.” In his folly, a fool stirs up and escalates controversy and anger. He fans the flame. You could compare a fool to a tornado. He or she leaves a path of destruction - relational and other. But on the flip side of that, “the wise turn away wrath.” They put out the flame. Instead of fanning the flame, they help to extinguish it. One of the other verses says that “the prudent ignores an insult.” That’s hard to do! Instead of going into attack mode, the wise respond by absorbing the insult and thereby defusing a situation. You know, we’ve been having problems with one of these cafeteria refrigerators. It’s very noisy. To try and minimize the noise, we put up a couple of sound blankets over the top, and they really help. You can still hear the compressor, but the noise is greatly reduced. Someone wise is like a sound blanket. He or she dampens the folly of a fool or acts as a peacemaker instead of a peace breaker. By the way, there’s plenty of ventilation on the other side of the wall. We don’t want to foolishly burn the building down. Now, to be sure, there are more positive effects to wisdom than just peacemaking. Proverbs 21:22 captures that. “A wise man scales the city of the mighty and brings down the stronghold in which they trust.” There’s safety in wisdom. There’s power in wisdom – power in the good sense of the word. A power that protects and enacts justice. And there’s security in wisdom, compared to the fool. I think Jesus’ parable of the wise man and the fool captures the near-term consequences well. We read it earlier. The wise man built his house on the rock. The foolish man built his house on the sand. Some of you know the parable and are probably singing the song in your head! What happened? The rain fell, the floods came, the wind blew – and the house built by the wise man stood firm. But the house built by the foolish man was destroyed. Now, that implies both near term and long term consequences. Jesus makes clear that the rock is his Word. He said, “everyone who hears these words and does them, will be like the wise man who built his house upon the rock.” That’s quite relevant. It takes us back up to the first verse we looked at…  Proverbs 13:13… where we look for wisdom? We look to the Word. Long Term Results Ok, so there are real and tangible near-term consequences to wisdom and foolishness. But, we’re also told of long-term including eternal consequences. So, let’s go there now. The long-term results of wisdom and foolishness. The language is very ominous for the fool. Let me highlight some of the phrases in the second grouping. ·      “The babbling fool will come to ruin.” ·      And “fools die for lack of sense.” That certainly captures some of the deaths in the Grand Canyon. ·      Here’s another result “the simple will inherit folly” ·      There are a few others that speak to the long-term consequences. They include words such as “wrath” and “condemnation.” Really, the heart of the issue is near-sighted, self-absorbed sin. It’s near-sighted because a fool is not considering the longer-term consequences of his actions. He’s more interested in the instant gratification or the thrill of what he’s doing or taking the path of least resistance. And the results are tragic. But besides being near-sighted, a fool is also self-absorbed. It’s all about him and his ways. He rejects God’s word as the standard of guidance. He doesn’t care about the impact of his words and actions on others. And in the end, following his own path will leads to death and condemnation. Do look down at Proverbs 28:26. It’s the very last one in the list. It says, “Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered.” That verse encapsulates the world in which we live. Doesn’t it? If you were to summarize our culture in one word, it would be the word “self.” “Be true to yourself.” “you do you.” We’ve all heard the phrases. It’s the self-absorbed notion that the standard of right and wrong centers on “you,” not God, not his Word. There’s no universal standard of right and wrong to a fool. Rather, his heart desire is what matters most. That’s what the world says. You determine your way. It’s the Disney and Sesame Street message today. But that belief is described here as foolish. Again from 28:26, “Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool.” And the warning is that it will lead to tragic results. That self-absorbed sentiment and results are captured in two of these Proverbs. They’re in fact, identical. 14:12 and 16:25. They both say, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” When we define our own wisdom… when we chose our own way, not the way of God in his word, the path will lead to death. So then, where can the path to life be found? Well, I think you know the answer, it is found through pursuing the wisdom of God. The language used is a stark contrast to the end of folly. Here are some of the things these verses say. The wise will be “delivered.” It also says, “The path of life leads upward.” It promises, “There will be a future, and your hope will not be cut off.” Those are encouraging words because they promise life and hope. Someone with the wisdom of God has an eternal perspective. He or she sees the enticements of the world as fleeting pleasures. They may feel good, but their path leads to the grave. There’s a well-known quote by Jim Elliot about this. Jim was one of 5 missionaries killed while trying to reach a remote tribe in South America. He wrote this in his Journal. “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” To put that in terms of our Proverbs study, “he is no fool, who rejects the folly of the world and it’s path, and instead embraces the wisdom of the word and it’s eternal life.” He gives up the temporal  to gain the eternal. May God give us eyes to see not just the way of the fool and the wise, but also where each path leads. Let me briefly summarize. ·      In the near term, foolishness breeds strife. It sets a city aflame and leaves a wake of pain and destruction. In the long term, a fool’s self-absorbed and near-sighted life rejects God and his word… it will ultimately lead to death and condemnation. ·      On the other hand, the wise are peacemakers. Their prudence yields near term security and stability. And through an eternal perspective founded on the wisdom of God, their hope for eternal life is secure. The near-term effect and long-term results of wisdom and folly. Gospel Connection and Conclusion But there are two important questions remaining. ·      First, How do I receive this eternal wisdom? ·      And then second, how does God actually give us his wisdom? I ask those questions because if we critically look at our lives, each one of us is a fool. What I mean is that each one of us follows our own way and acts out and says foolish things. And the tension in these verses is the question, does that mean I am a fool? Will I reap the consequences of my foolishness –condemnation? Well, there are answers to those two questions. ·      First is that the wisdom of God can be received. And it starts by trusting, not in our own mind (again, as 28:26 puts it), but rather trusting in God. That means (1) recognizing your foolishness, (2) recognizing how it ultimately is a rejection of God and his word, and then (3) turning to him. That means acknowledging your self-absorbed and near-sighted folly that only leads to death. And it means trusting God by faith to renew your heart and mind, and give you his wisdom. ·      But the answer to the second question is just as important. How does God give us his wisdom? The answer is that we receive it from the one who is wisdom – that is, Jesus. Last week we briefly considered how Jesus is the model and fulfillment of wisdom. But we need to take it a step further. When we come to God by faith, we come believing in Christ. When you do, he takes your foolishness and he gives you his wisdom. He takes the consequences of your foolishness and you receive the results of his wisdom. Do you get that? That is the purpose of the cross and resurrection. In Jesus death, he bore your foolish sin and rejection and he took on the consequences of it… to use the words here from Proverbs… wrath, condemnation, and death. Jesus absorbed the Father’s wrath and condemnation and he overcame death. The grave could not hold him. You see, in the resurrection we are given life in him. Both life now, which includes having the wisdom of God. And it includes the eternal fountain of life, everlasting. the results of Jesus wisdom are ours. It does not mean that in this life, you will never act in foolish ways. No, but you have the wisdom of God in Christ. You are given his Word and Spirit, and you can pursue the wisdom of God, because you are on the path of wisdom. Let me conclude with the words of Proverbs 24:14 “Know that wisdom is such to your soul; if you find it, there will be a future, and your hope will not be cut off.” May we believe by faith in this wisdom, the wisdom of God in Christ, and know of life eternal in him.

13:13 Whoever despises the word[m] brings destruction on himself, but he who reveres the commandment[n] will be rewarded.13:14 The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death.13:15 Good sense wins favor, but the way of the treacherous is their ruin.11:12 Whoever belittles his neighbor lacks sense, but a man of understanding remains silent.11:29 Whoever troubles his own household will inherit the wind, and the fool will be servant to the wise of heart.12:8 A man is commended according to his good sense, but one of twisted mind is despised.12:16 The vexation of a fool is known at once, but the prudent ignores an insult.21:22 A wise man scales the city of the mighty and brings down the stronghold in which they trust.24:9 The devising of folly is sin, and the scoffer is an abomination to mankind.27:3 A stone is heavy, and sand is weighty, but a fool's provocation is heavier than both.29:8 Scoffers set a city aflame, but the wise turn away wrath. 10:8 The wise of heart will receive commandments, but a babbling fool will come to ruin.10:21 The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for lack of sense.14:3 By the mouth of a fool comes a rod for his back,[r] but the lips of the wise will preserve them.14:12 There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.14:18 The simple inherit folly, but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.14:35 A servant who deals wisely has the king's favor, but his wrath falls on one who acts shamefully.15:24 The path of life leads upward for the prudent, that he may turn away from Sheol beneath.16:25 There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.[ae]17:2 A servant who deals wisely will rule over a son who acts shamefully and will share the inheritance as one of the brothers.17:21 He who sires a fool gets himself sorrow, and the father of a fool has no joy.19:29 Condemnation is ready for scoffers, and beating for the backs of fools.21:16 One who wanders from the way of good sense will rest in the assembly of the dead.22:3 The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it.24:13 My son, eat honey, for it is good, and the drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste.24:14 Know that wisdom is such to your soul; if you find it, there will be a future, and your hope will not be cut off.26:3 A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the back of fools.27:22 Crush a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with crushed grain, yet his folly will not depart from him.28:26 Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered.

Wisdom vs. Foolishness Part 1: The folly of the fool; The wisdom of the wise Introduction This is the second sermon in our Proverbs thematic study. Last week, we talked through our need for rebuke and discipline and godly counsellors in our lives. Those are important first steps as we move into these themes that deal with our words and actions. If you’ll take out the Proverbs insert in your bulletin. On the front page, note our next theme focuses on wisdom and foolishness. We’ll be covering this theme in three sermons. The first, today, is on the nature of wisdom and foolishness. What is wisdom like? What is foolishness like? We’ll also consider their worth? Then, next week, we’ll shift to consider the consequences of wisdom and folly. What are their near-term effects and long-term results? Part 3 will be later in February or early March. Go ahead and turn to the inside of the insert, you’ll see the Proverbs for today. There are two sub-categories. A - The nature of wisdom and folly and B - The worth of wisdom and folly to the wise and the fool. Stand--------------------------------Proverbs 24:3-7By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established;by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches.A wise man is full of strength, and a man of knowledge enhances his might,for by wise guidance you can wage your war,and in abundance of counselors there is victory.Wisdom is too high for a fool; in the gate he does not open his mouth.A. The nature of wisdom and folly10:13-14 On the lips of him who has understanding, wisdom is found,but a rod is for the back of him who lacks sense.The wise lay up knowledge, but the mouth of a fool brings ruin near.12:23 A prudent man conceals knowledge,but the heart of fools proclaims folly.13:16 Every prudent man acts with knowledge, but a fool flaunts his folly.14:1 The wisest of women builds her house,but folly with her own hands tears it down.14:8 The wisdom of the prudent is to discern his way,but the folly of fools is deceiving.14:15-16 The simple believes everything,but the prudent gives thought to his steps.One who is wise is cautious and turns away from evil,but a fool is reckless and careless.14:33 Wisdom rests in the heart of a man of understanding,but it makes itself known even in the midst of fools.15:2 The tongue of the wise commends knowledge,but the mouths of fools pour out folly.15:7 The lips of the wise spread knowledge;not so the hearts of fools.15:14 The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge,but the mouths of fools feed on folly.17:7 Fine speech is not becoming to a fool; still less is false speech to a prince.17:24 The discerning sets his face toward wisdom,but the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth.17:28 Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise;when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.19:2 Desire without knowledge is not good,and whoever makes haste with his feet misses his way.18:2 A fool takes no pleasure in understanding,but only in expressing his opinion.18:7 A fool's mouth is his ruin, and his lips are a snare to his soul.18:15 An intelligent heart acquires knowledge,and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.27:12 The prudent sees danger and hides himself,but the simple go on and suffer for it.29:11 A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back.29:20 Do you see a man who is hasty in his words?There is more hope for a fool than for him.B. The worth of wisdom and folly to the wise and the fool10:23 Doing wrong is like a joke to a fool,but wisdom is pleasure to a man of understanding.12:14 From the fruit of his mouth a man is satisfied with good,and the work of a man's hand comes back to him.13:19 A desire fulfilled is sweet to the soul,but to turn away from evil is an abomination to fools.14:24 The crown of the wise is their wealth, but the folly of fools brings folly.15:21 Folly is a joy to him who lacks sense,but a man of understanding walks straight ahead.16:16 How much better to get wisdom than gold!To get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.16:22 Good sense is a fountain of life to him who has it,but the instruction of fools is folly.17:16 Why should a fool have money in his hand to buy wisdomwhen he has no sense?19:8 Whoever gets sense loves his own soul;he who keeps understanding will discover good.20:15 There is gold and abundance of costly stones,but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.21:20 Precious treasure and oil are in a wise man's dwelling,but a foolish man devours it.26:7 Like a lame man's legs, which hang useless,is a proverb in the mouth of fools.26:9 Like a thorn that goes up into the hand of a drunkardis a proverb in the mouth of fools.26:11 Like a dog that returns to his vomit is a fool who repeats his folly.--------------------------------- Prayer. In the late 15th century, author Sebastian Brant wrote a book which he titled Ship of Fools. Maybe you’ve heard that phrase before. In his book, Brant critiques many of the follies of his time. His metaphor throughout the book is a ship filled with all sorts of foolish characters. The book has 112 chapters. And each chapter focuses on a different character, giving a satirical vignette of their foolish behavior or vice or disregard for reality…. Such as: flattery, greed, laziness, lust, lack of charity, neglect for one’s own affairs, foolish talk, disrespect for tradition and history. And the list goes on. Does that list sound familiar? Well, Brant’s book became wildly popular, especially because of his use of satire. It was translated into multiple languages and inspired other writings and art. For example, a well-known painting by Hieronymus Bosch comes from Brant’s book. The painting, also titled “Ship of Fools” depicts a boat floating on the sea. And in it, 10 people are engrossed in all kinds of folly, oblivious to their surrounding. Next to the boat, 2 people swim carelessly. It’s a ship without a captain, without a rudder, floating aimlessly toward an uncertain end. All of it really captures the essence of folly. In many ways, it captures how the book of Proverbs portrays the fool. By the way, I want to acknowledge that this is not the first time we’ve come across wisdom and foolishness in Proverbs. Remember chapter 7? …the foolish man seduced by the adulteress. He was ignorant of her twisted speech and her deceptive ways. It was a trap and he fell prey to a tragic end. And remember wisdom? Several chapters gave us a clear definition of wisdom including its value. Do you remember how chapter 1 described wisdom? Biblical wisdom has three parts: knowledge, righteousness, and discernment. (1) knowledge of God, his Word, and world; (2)righteousness that reflect God’s goodness and his Word in your life and (3) discernment in understand and applying what is true and right and good.. We covered that definition multiple times in the fall. Hopefully that is a good reminder. Foolishness is like the mirror opposite of wisdom. If you’re old enough, you’ll remember that cameras used to use film. Light helped to capture the image to the film, but what’s interesting about the film is that it captures the opposite. Dark colors were captured as light colors…. dark reds were light blues. Basically, it captured the inverse. That’s why they were sometimes called negatives. Well, folly is the negative of wisdom. Instead of seeking truth and knowledge from God and seeking to apply that knowledge in righteousness and understanding, folly is the opposite. It is ignoring or rejecting knowledge and understanding and goodness. In the original Hebrew text, there are two words in Proverbs which are translated “fool.” They’re also the root for the words foolish and folly. The more common word for fool means someone with not just a lack of understanding but a rebellion against understanding. One commentator described it to be someone who has an active disregard for moral truth. It’s someone who defiantly opposes wisdom and instead doubles down on his folly. This word for fool is used about 80% of the time in Proverbs. The second less common word for fool indicates someone more passive in his foolishness. It’s not a lack of ability to understand, rather it’s a lack of desire to understand. This kind of fool stubbornly rejects the need for wisdom because he doesn’t care. So, foolishness can be active and passive. That brings us to the two questions to which these verses speak. #1 – What is the nature of wisdom and foolishness? Again, what does foolishness and wisdom each look like? #2 – What is the worth of wisdom and folly to the wise and fool? Those two questions line up with the two groupings of verses in the reading. But really, instead of the word “foolishness,” we should talk about the fool. There are 26 occurrences of the word “fool” in these 41 verses. That’s a lot! You see, the contrast here is between the “fool” and the “wise.” It’s saying you are either in one category or another. You are either a fool or you are wise. These verses don’t present a middle ground. I think that’s hard for us to hear. Because if we reflect on our own lives, we’ll recognize that we each have a measure of foolishness in us. Don’t we? I’ve been thinking about this, and I want to propose an analogy. Did you know, the City of Tucker is on the Eastern Continental divide? What that means is that when it rains in Tucker, some of the water flows into the Gulf of Mexico, and some of the water flows into the Atlantic Ocean. The line runs somewhere near Main Street. I’ve heard that sometimes the firetrucks will come out and turn on their hoses and spray them on one side of the eastern continental divide line… and then they will spray them on the other side. Interesting fact, isn’t it? Well, each of us is like a drop of water in Tucker. We’re heading in one direction or another… not to the Gulf or to the Atlantic, but we’re either travelling down the path of wisdom or the path of folly. And Proverbs names the person travelling down the path of wisdom as a wise man or wise women (verse 14:1) and it names someone heading down the other path as a fool. I hope that helps orient you toward the language here. In fact, what we learn from the first set of verses here is that a fool pursues folly and someone wise pursues wisdom. You see, the nature of a fool is self-perpetuating and the nature of the wise is self-perpetuating. The Folly of Foolishness Let’s start with the fool. And actually, that self-perpetuating description is all throughout these verses. Let’s look at some of them. ·      Provrbs 12:23 in group A. “A prudent man conceals knowledge, but the heart of fools proclaims folly.” ·      The next verse there is similar… 13:16. “Every prudent man acts with knowledge, but a fool flaunts his folly.” ·      Or on the right side of the list in section B. look at 14:24. “The crown of the wise is their wealth, but the folly of fools brings folly.” There are a few others verses that also show this. Foolishness breeds more foolishness. A raindrop falling on the Gulf side of the divide in Tucker is probably going to make its way into Peachtree Creek, which is then going to flow into the Chattahoochee River. It’s going to get bigger and bigger until it then flows out into the Gulf. Foolishness snowballs. That’s the nature of a fool. And these verses get very specific in how that happens. Let me give you three things described here. ·      First, a fool rejects or ignores the pursuit of knowledge and understanding. I already briefly mentioned that, but look at Proverbs 15:14 – “The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge, but the mouths of fools feed on folly.” He rejects wisdom and instead seeks folly. ·      Second, a fool flaunts the fact that he rejects wisdom. He proclaims folly (12:23). He pours out folly (15:2). And there are a couple of other similar ones. Basically, a fools words spew forth whatever comes to mind - hurtful or vulgar or thoughtless words. Look at the beginning of 18:7 “A fool’s mouth is his ruin.” And 29:11 “A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back.” By the way, I know I’m listing these verses pretty quickly. All of my notes are published on our website and in our app if you’d like to go back. Also! One of the future themes is on words. Stay tuned for that. ·      Ok, first, a rejection of wisdom. Second, a flaunting of foolishness. And now third, “a fool is reckless and careless.” Those are the exact words right there in Proverbs 14:15-16. He is irresponsible in his words and actions. Proverbs gives us an example of that. Look on the top right to 27:12. “The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it.” A fool is irresponsible and reckless. Ok! How about a real word example of such a fool? I’m going to give you one. Last November, Sam Bankman-Fried, or SBF as he’s known, was convicted of the biggest financial fraud in history. He’s 31 years old. He stole billions from his crypto customers and was convicted of fraud, embezzlement, and criminal conspiracy. He’s facing a 110-year prison sentence not to mention how his actions brought financial ruin to many of his customers. But also, let me read to you what he said just a couple of years ago. He said, “I would never read a book. I don’t want to say no book is ever worth reading, but I actually do believe something pretty close to that. ... If you wrote a book, you [messed] up…” only he didn’t use the word “messed.” (1) He rejected the pursuit of knowledge and understanding. (2) He flaunted that rejection with thoughtless and crass words. And (3) he displayed utter reckless and careless actions. And all of that didn’t start a couple of years ago. No, SBF has been on the continental divide of foolishness his whole life. Now, before we switch wisdom, let’s consider the second question applied to foolishness. What is the worth of wisdom and folly to the fool? The answer is this: a fool sees folly as worthwhile, and he sees wisdom as worthless. Let’s look at some of the Proverbs on the right side of the page under grouping B. ·      Proverbs 10:23 – “Doing wrong is like a joke to a fool.” This means either he laughs at his folly, or he pursues folly as if it is a funny joke. ·      Similarly, 15:21 “Folly is a joy to him who lacks sense.” A fool revels in his folly. He enjoys his careless and thoughtless words and actions. ·      And, as you would suspect, he also de-values wisdom. The last four Proverbs in the list speak to that. He “devours” the precious value of wisdom (that’s 21:20). Wisdom is “useless” to him (26:7). And Proverbs 26:9 “Like a thorn that goes up into the hand of a drunkard is a proverb in the mouth of fools.” Wisdom, to him, is an irritating thorn. It only stirs his heart to more foolishness. Let me summarize where we are. The nature of foolishness is a downward spiral of thoughtless and reckless words and actions. A fool is like a drop of water on one side of the continental divide that grows into a mighty river of a careless and self-centered existence. A fool rejects the pursuit of God and all knowledge and understanding that is found in him. True wisdom is worthless to the fool. Now, we started with the fool because I didn’t want us to end there! The Wisdom of the Wise So, let’s switch to wisdom. The good news is that these verses also present the nature of wisdom. They direct us to the worthy pursuit of knowledge and discernment that is founded on the one who is wisdom. Now, we already reviewed the definition of wisdom – knowledge, righteousness, and discernment. What these verses do, is give us a picture of how that Godly wisdom is lived out. It’s similar, of course, to how it painted a picture of the fool. Ok, here’s the nature of wisdom: A wise person displays careful and thoughtful words and actions. His (or her) words reveal knowledge and demonstrate a discernment of what is good and true and right. His actions demonstrate a faithful pursuit of wisdom lived out in righteousness. Let’s start with the words, and then move to the actions. Again, his words demonstrate knowledge and discernment. Several Proverbs speak about this. ·      Look at Proverbs 15:2 - “The tongue of the wise commends knowledge.” The wise direct people to knowledge. ·      15:7 is very similar. “The lips of the wise spread knowledge” ·      But also, the wise are cautious in their words. They are not prideful in the knowledge and understanding that the Lord has given them. In other words, they don’t blurt out everything they know. Rather, they cautiously and humbly dispense the wisdom of God. Look at 12:23 – “A prudent man conceals knowledge.” That word “prudent” is used a few times here. It means discerning and sensible. Let me translate this into modern language. A wise man does not go around “mansplaining” what he knows to everyone. Yes, that word is in the dictionary. In other words, he’s discerning about when and how to share his knowledge and understanding. Ok, second… actions. A wise man or woman lives out that knowledge and discernment. ·      14:1 “The wisest of women builds her house, but folly with her own hands tears it down.” A wise woman is intentional and diligent and careful. ·      Look again at Proverbs 14 verses 15-16. “The simple believes everything, but the prudent gives thought to his steps. One who is wise is cautious and turns away from evil.” In summary, wisdom is lived out in a life faithful to the knowledge and righteousness of God. Wisdom is displayed in words and actions. Let me add one more thing about the nature of wisdom. It’s like a rain drop on the other side of the continental divide. Wisdom grows in wisdom. Wisdom pursues wisdom. Let me give you some rapid fire verses: ·      10:14 – “the wise lay up knowledge” ·      15:14 – he “seeks knowledge” ·      17:24 – “the discerning sets his face toward wisdom” ·      And 18:15 – “an intelligent heart acquires knowledge…” and it continues, “the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.” Think of someone in your life, present or past, who displays a maturity in wisdom. That person is likely stable, and thoughtful and intentional and caring… He studies God’s Word. She enjoy reading thoughtful and faithful books. In a discerning manner he applies God’s Word and his wisdom in situations. Her life displays a godliness, and she has a purpose in life that is centered on the Lord and his glory, not hers. When confronted with folly or evil, he speaks truth and respond carefully but firmly. A few people come to mind who demonstrate several of those traits. And there’s one thing that they all share. They point to the one who is wisdom. They point to Christ. You see, if you are on the path of wisdom, one of the first things to know is that your wisdom journey will not end in this life. You will never become the perfect example of wisdom. And actually, to think that is foolish. But there is one who has. This week, I was re-reading each of these verses on wisdom and thinking about how Jesus fulfilled them. It’s quite an encouraging exercise! We have a Lord who in every way demonstrated in his words and action and heart the fulness of wisdom.·        As a child, Jesus grew in wisdom and stature. ·        His words displayed an understanding of all things·        In any conversation and interaction, he could penetrate to the heart of the matter with remarkable discernment.·        He spread his knowledge and commended his wisdom to his disciples and the crowds and really, the world.·        When confronted by foolishness, he dispelled arguments. He left his adversaries speechless.·        The wisdom of his parables revealed an eternal perspective and justice that defied the way of the world.·        His life testified to the wisdom of God’s Word as he perfectly fulfilled the law·        He faithfully and sensitively ministered to any and all who came to him in need·        He set his mind and heart on his purpose – not deterred by Satan nor the powers of this world, nor the detractors of the faith.·        He faithfully endured the cross set before him. The cross, which was foolish to the world, yet through it, God fulfilled his infinite wisdom.·        In all of it, as it says in 1 Corinthians 1, Christ Jesus became to us wisdom from God, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. He is wisdom. And for us, he is the beginning of wisdom. He is the continental divide, the line which determines if you are on the side of the fool or on the side of the wise. He is the one who can move you to the other side of the divide… the only one who can redirect you to the path of true wisdom. And when you have his wisdom, you have the most worthy knowledge and understanding. That’s where I want to bring this to a close – the worthiness of the wisdom of Christ. Look again at the verses in section B.·        Proverbs 10:23, the second line. “Wisdom is pleasure to a man of understanding.” The wisdom of Christ is a joy to his heart.·        It “satisfies him with good” (12:14); it is “sweet to the soul” (13:19)·        His wisdom is better than gold and silver (16:16)·        It is a “fountain of life to him who has it” (16:22) and “a precious jewel” (20:15) ·        And finally, as Proverbs 21:20 says, “Precious treasure and oil are in a wise man’s dwelling.” To have the wisdom of Christ is to have precious treasure and oil that overflows in your life to others. The wisdom that Jesus models and that he gives us is a wisdom that cannot be bought. It can only be received by faith. And when you receive it, it’s joy and blessing will radiate from a new heart – a heart of wisdom – the heart of Christ. Are you on the ship of fools? Are you on the wrong side of the continental divide of foolishness and wisdom? If so, the wisdom of Jesus is for you… and it’s a wisdom that he offers to you. So, may we each embrace the wisdom of Proverbs – a wisdom that pursues the knowledge of God and the righteousness of Christ. And may we set aside our foolish ways and our foolish words that we may be wise in him… Amen.

10:13 On the lips of him who has understanding, wisdom is found, but a rod is for the back of him who lacks sense.10:14 The wise lay up knowledge, but the mouth of a fool brings ruin near.*12:23 A prudent man conceals knowledge, but the heart of fools proclaims folly.13:16 Every prudent man acts with knowledge, but a fool flaunts his folly.14:1 The wisest of women builds her house, but folly with her own hands tears it down.*14:8 The wisdom of the prudent is to discern his way, but the folly of fools is deceiving.*14:15 The simple believes everything, but the prudent gives thought to his steps.*14:16 One who is wise is cautious and turns away from evil, but a fool is reckless and careless.14:33 Wisdom rests in the heart of a man of understanding, but it makes itself known even in the midst of fools.*15:2 The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour out folly.15:7 The lips of the wise spread knowledge; not so the hearts of fools.15:14 The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge, but the mouths of fools feed on folly.17:7 Fine speech is not becoming to a fool; still less is false speech to a prince.17:24 The discerning sets his face toward wisdom, but the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth.17:28 Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.19:2 Desire without knowledge is not good, and whoever makes haste with his feet misses his way.*18:2 A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion.18:7 A fool's mouth is his ruin, and his lips are a snare to his soul.18:15 An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.27:12 The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it.29:11 A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back.29:20 Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him.*10:23 Doing wrong is like a joke to a fool, but wisdom is pleasure to a man of understanding.12:14 From the fruit of his mouth a man is satisfied with good, and the work of a man's hand comes back to him.*13:19 A desire fulfilled is sweet to the soul, but to turn away from evil is an abomination to fools.14:24 The crown of the wise is their wealth, but the folly of fools brings folly.15:21 Folly is a joy to him who lacks sense, but a man of understanding walks straight ahead.*16:16 How much better to get wisdom than gold! To get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.*16:22 Good sense is a fountain of life to him who has it, but the instruction of fools is folly.17:16 Why should a fool have money in his hand to buy wisdom when he has no sense?19:8 Whoever gets sense loves his own soul; he who keeps understanding will discover good.20:15 There is gold and abundance of costly stones, but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.21:20 Precious treasure and oil are in a wise man's dwelling, but a foolish man devours it.26:7 Like a lame man's legs, which hang useless, is a proverb in the mouth of fools.26:9 Like a thorn that goes up into the hand of a drunkard is a proverb in the mouth of fools.*26:11 Like a dog that returns to his vomit is a fool who repeats his folly.

Discipline, Rebuke, and Godly Counsellors Thank you… and thank you to David Fraser for bringing God’s Word last week. Always a blessing. You’ll see there is a second insert in the bulletin beside the hymn sheet. On the front is a chart of the themes in Proverbs that we’ll be covering this winter and spring. Last fall, we worked through Solomon’s 12 wisdom lessons to his son, which are found in chapters 1-9. But in Proverbs, once you get to chapter 10, there’s a change from focused lessons, to wisdom nuggets. And so rather than work through chapters 10-31 sequentially, we’ll be working through different wisdom categories. Besides the themes listed on the first page, you can also see the number of verses in each theme. Let me note that most of the verses in Proverbs 10-31 are organized in poetic couplets. They start with a statement and then are followed by either a contrast, or a comparison, or an affirmation. For example here’s one for today: “Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed.” You can hear the two sides of the couplet. That brings us to our focus today. We’ll be considering the theme of rebuke, discipline, and counsellors. In a few minutes I’ll explain why we’re beginning there. If you would turn to the inside of the insert. You’ll note the initial 5 verses are from Proverbs 22. If you want to read those from your Bibles, you can do that. In the pew Bible, you’ll find them on page 645. For the rest, I’ll be reading from the insert. As we come to God’s Word, know that this is the inspired and authoritative word of the Living God. Please stand as we give reverence.Proverbs 22:17-21Incline your ear, and hear the words of the wise,  and apply your heart to my knowledge,for it will be pleasant if you keep them within you,  if all of them are ready on your lips.That your trust may be in the LORD,  I have made them known to you today, even to you.Have I not written for you thirty sayings of counsel and knowledge,  to make you know what is right and true,  that you may give a true answer to those who sent you? 10:17 Whoever heeds instruction is on the path to life,  but he who rejects reproof leads others astray.11:14 Where there is no guidance, a people falls,  but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.12:1 Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,  but he who hates reproof is stupid.13:1 A wise son hears his father's instruction,  but a scoffer does not listen to rebuke.13:18 Poverty and disgrace come to him who ignores instruction,  but whoever heeds reproof is honored.13:24 Whoever spares the rod hates his son,  but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.15:5 A fool despises his father's instruction,  but whoever heeds reproof is prudent.15:10 There is severe discipline for him who forsakes the way;  whoever hates reproof will die.15:12 A scoffer does not like to be reproved;  he will not go to the wise.15:22 Without counsel plans fail,  but with many advisers they succeed.15:31 The ear that listens to life-giving reproof  will dwell among the wise.15:32 Whoever ignores instruction despises himself,  but he who listens to reproof gains intelligence.17:10 A rebuke goes deeper into a man of understanding  than a hundred blows into a fool.18:1 Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire;  he breaks out against all sound judgment.19:20 Listen to advice and accept instruction,  that you may gain wisdom in the future.19:25 Strike a scoffer, and the simple will learn prudence;  reprove a man of understanding, and he will gain knowledge.19:27 Cease to hear instruction, my son,  and you will stray from the words of knowledge.20:30 Blows that wound cleanse away evil;  strokes make clean the innermost parts.23:12 Apply your heart to instruction   and your ear to words of knowledge.23:19 Hear, my son, and be wise,  and direct your heart in the way.23:23 Buy truth, and do not sell it;  buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding.25:12 Like a gold ring or an ornament of gold  is a wise reprover to a listening ear.25:28 A man without self-control  is like a city broken into and left without walls.27:5 Better is open rebuke than hidden love.27:9 Oil and perfume make the heart glad,  and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel.27:23-24 Know well the condition of your flocks,  and give attention to your herds,  for riches do not last forever; and does a crown endure to all generations?29:1 He who is often reproved, yet stiffens his neck,  will suddenly be broken beyond healing.29:18-19 Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint,  but blessed is he who keeps the law.By mere words a servant is not disciplined,  for though he understands, he will not respond.29:21 Whoever pampers his servant from childhood will  in the end find him his heir.Prayer Several years ago, I was at a co-worker’s home for a company event. And I remember at one point he asked his 8-year-old daughter to help with something. And she responded, “You’re not the boss of me!” My jaw dropped. But my co-worker, without missing a beat, said to his daughter, “Oh yes, I am.” And he took her aside and lovingly rebuked her, explaining his responsibility over her and her responsibility to him. That was the first time I had heard that phrase. I thought, where did that come from? Was it a refrain in a hit song? Or some movie line? But after some research, I found that it’s a phrase that’s been around for decades. And then I realized, that independent-minded, self-autonomous idea has been around since the garden… since the moment that man rejected the authority of God. In fact, it’s in every single one of us. It’s intrinsic to our fallen nature. We don’t want others to tell us what to do. We don’t want to be told we’re wrong. Or that we’re hypocritical or selfish or prideful. Instead, when we’re told one of those things, our natural reaction is to be defensive or dismissive or to lash out at the one who said it. “You’re not the boss of me!” It’s in my heart. As much as I want to believe I can receive rebuke, I can tell you my knee-jerk reaction is often denial or dismissal. So, why begin here? Why begin this section of Proverbs with these verses on rebuke and discipline? Well, turn back to the front of the Proverbs insert. This book will be getting into your business. To be sure, every text of Scripture deals with us in some way. Our beliefs, our faith, our sin … but you can’t read Proverbs without being confronted with the state of your heart, with the inconsistency of your life, with your words, and your actions, and your relationships. And the question is, will you receive this word? When we get to the verses on integrity (you see that in the list), will you examine yourself? When we get to the verses on honoring your parents, will you resent it? What about anger and justice and greed? Will you dismiss these words? What about sloth? Will you justify the hours you spend watching and talking about SEC or ACC football or playing video games or watching the Hallmark channel? I see some of you getting a little nervous. Now, to be sure, the opening 9 chapters did speak to our hearts and words and actions. Some of them were very pointed, but these chapters cover a much broader application. You see what I’m saying? Being willing to apply each of these themes to your life begins with being willing to listen, and being willing to be rebuked by God’s Word. Committing yourself to godly change. In other words, studying these Proverbs needs to begin with a heart receptive to reproof. Really, it begins with having the heart of Christ. We’ll be coming back to that, of course. So, we’re beginning here because we need to begin here. We need to allow other people to speak God’s Word deep into our lives. We need to humbly desire that. And when we do, God will be more glorified in our lives. We will be conformed more and more to the image of Christ. And we will be able to walk alongside one another on the rocky path of life. Before we continue, I want to revisit King Solomon and his son. We talked plenty about Solomon last fall. God spoke through him to give us this wisdom. And at the time, three thousand years ago, Solomon was renowned. He was known all throughout the world for the wisdom God had given to him. But do you remember this… Sadly, he turned away from the one true God and began worshiping foreign Gods. In other words, he did not keep the wisdom that God had given him. And also sadly, it was similar for Solomon’s son, Rehoboam. The first 9 chapters of Proverbs were written explicitly to him. Solomon penned these words for Rehoboam, his first-born son, heir to the throne. But Rehoboam witnessed his father’s decline. As we read earlier in the service in 1 Kings 11 and 12, Rehoboam witnessed the increased burden that his father inflicted on the people. And after Solomon passed away, Rehoboam had a choice to make. Would he listen? Would he listen to the wisdom of God through what his father had written? Would he listen to the counsel of the older men who said to him, “serve the people and speak good words to them.” No, he wouldn’t. We know the path that Rehoboam took. He essentially said, “you’re not the boss of me.” He rejected God’s wisdom. He increased the burden on the people, and it led to tragic results - the splitting of the kingdom. Besides the impact on his own life and reign, it also led to 350 years of struggle in Judah until Babylon overthrew the nation. Much of it can be traced back to Rehoboam’s decision not to listen to wisdom. Now, you may remember, we came across the idea listening to wisdom all throughout the opening chapters. But I want to point out something out. The emphasis in these verses today is more than just listening to wisdom that you may stay on the path of wisdom. No, it’s also heeding wisdom to bring you back to the path. Let me note a few words that are repeated over and over, and then I’ll define them. ·      First look at verse 13:1. You’ll see the words “instruction” and “rebuke.” “A wise son hears his father's instruction, but a scoffer does not listen to rebuke.” That word instruction is used 9 times in these verses. The word “rebuke” is used 3 times. ·      Next the words “reproof” and “discipline.”  Look down at verse 15:10. “There is severe discipline for him who forsakes the way; whoever hates reproof will die.” The word “reproof” or “reprove” is used 11 times in these verses, and the word “discipline” is found 4 times. Here’s the continuum. ·      Instruction is conveying God’s truth and righteousness. Remember, wisdom has a moral component to it. We see that all throughout the Proverbs. That’s instruction. ·      Next rebuke. The Hebrew word for rebuke means a verbal correction. It’s telling someone that what they believe or what they are saying or doing does not conform to God’s law or his Word. Rebuke does not have an associated punishment with it other than the weight of the verbal correction. ·      But the words discipline and reproof do. In fact, they are very similar in the Hebrew. Reproof is instruction or rebuke plus some kind of just penalty or direction. In English, we think of rebuke as more pointed than reproof. But in the Hebrew, reproof is more intense and includes consequences. ·      And last, the word discipline is similar. Discipline is a path of correction. It may include making amends for something or it may include a punishment for something said or done. ·      So, instruction, rebuke, reproof, and discipline. All of it is to help the one receiving the correction. The point is to bring one back to what God has ordained as good, right, and true. In other words, rebuke and discipline are intended to restore and not push away. Hopefully that clarifies the words here. With that said, let me give you 3 principles from these verses. By the way, they all start with the word love. 1. Love instruction, rebuke, and discipline. 2. Love and listen to godly counsel And the last one… 3. Love others by rebuking and disciplining them Now, we are not going to end there. After considering these three principles, we’ll consider some underlying assumptions which lead us to the Gospel. But let’s spend the next few minutes on these principles. 1. Love instruction, rebuke, and discipline Again, number 1: Love instruction, rebuke, and discipline. Our heart disposition should be to desire these things. And we are called to not just receive or tolerate correction and reproof, but to seek them out. And I know, that is really difficult. I remember one of the times that I had asked Amy out on a date. She initially said yes, but later, she called me back and said no. I hung up the phone and in frustration, I kicked over one of my roommates dining room chairs. And he looked at me and he said “you have any anger problem.” That was rebuke. How do you think I took that? Let me highlight some of the verses here: ·      Look at 12:1 – “Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid.” Isn’t there something raw about the Proverbs. ·      Consider 17:10 – “A rebuke goes deeper into a man of understanding than a hundred blows into a fool.” If you have the wisdom of God in Christ, you will not only want to receive rebuke, but you will desire a heart change when you receive it. A fool, on the other hand, dismisses rebuke. ·      There are of course, several other verses here which are similar. Amy shared on our podcast a story about one of her College professors. He was talking about this very thing. And he said, when people come to him with feedback or a rebuke, here’s what he says to them: “Thank you so much. But let me tell you, you don’t know the half of it!” Instead of being defensive, he acknowledged that he did need correction – even beyond what the person was addressing. May we all have that mindset. Now, before we move on to the second principle, let me note a couple of negative examples: ·      Look at 15:12 “A scoffer does not like to be reproved; he will not go to the wise.” We’ve come across that word before. A scoffer is someone who mocks truth and righteousness. ·      And then one last example from 29:1 “He who is often reproved, yet stiffens his neck, will suddenly be broken beyond healing.” Here’s what we do. We deny the loving correction from our parents or our spouse or friend or from another brother or sister in Christ, and instead, we set our mind against them. We reject their loving reproof and become angry. That’s what it means to stiffen your neck. And that breaks relationships. It causes disunity and turns something that should have been good for us into something that breaks us. But beloved, this is not God will for you. No. Rather (and here’s the principal again) we’re called to love instruction, rebuke, and discipline. As hard as it is to do that, we’re to have an open heart, listening to what God is speaking to us, through others. 2. Love and listen to godly counsel Principle number 2. Love and listen to godly counsel. Each of us has been or will be faced with important decisions in life. Should I marry this person? Should I move to this place? Should I take this job or go to this school? How do you decide? Well, part of your decision should be to seek advice from godly counsellors. ·      Look back down at chapter 15. This time verse 22. “Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed.” That’s a well-known Proverb. ·      Jump down to 18:1 “Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment.” If you isolate yourself, you will miss out on the godly wisdom of others. Others can help you see things you wouldn’t have considered or thought. ·      And one more: 27:9 “Oil and perfume make the heart glad, and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel.” A true friend give you loving and wise counsel. Ok for the kids. The older you get, the more decisions you will have to make in life. And what’s so important is that you seek out godly advice… from your parents or perhaps others in the church who can direct you to God’s Word in those decision. And part of it is listening to and evaluating that advice. I want you to remember that as you get older. Again, the principle: Love and listen to godly counsel. 3. Love others by rebuking and disciplining them That brings us to the last principal… number 3. Love others by rebuking and disciplining them. Honestly, I think this may be the hardest one for us. Some of us are people-pleasers. The Bible calls this the fear of man. Because of that, we tend to shy away from being honest with our family and friends. We worry about pointing out things in their lives that are contrary to God’s Word. But others of us may be too comfortable with expressing criticism and rebuke. These verses direct us that love requires reproving and disciplining others, but from a position of humility. Think about this: If the call here is to receive rebuke, it means that we should also lovingly give rebuke. Again, lovingly. Let me highlight a couple of verses. ·      First, 19:25 “Strike a scoffer, and the simple will learn prudence; reprove a man of understanding, and he will gain knowledge.” That verse gives us the full scope from a scoffer to a man of understanding. In other words, we all need to rebuke and be rebuked. ·      Or consider 20:30 “Blows that wound cleanse away evil; strokes make clean the innermost parts.” That is, blows from a friend. Now, I’m not saying we should go around pointing fingers. “Do you know what your problem is? Well, I do” I am also not saying that children should discipline their parents. There’s more to be said of course, about discipline and the structure of the family and church. But what I am saying is that we should have the mindset of being a community committed to one another. And part of loving one another is being willing to speak truth and righteousness to one another lovingly. Several years ago, I observed a friend of mine in the church struggling with a prideful attitude in a particular area of his life. So, I went to him, and I asked if we could get together for coffee for the purpose of sharing some feedback. He was willing to receive it. And so, we sat down. I said, “you know, I want to share this because I would want you to do the same for me.” Then, I explained what I thought the Scriptures taught in that area. I read them and then I gave him some examples that I observed in his life. Now, he didn’t agree with everything. And that’s ok. But there were things that I think were helpful for him to hear. I’m not the Holy Spirit, but I did feel my responsibility was to communicate those things. And we still occasionally talk or see each other. What I’m saying is that rebuking doesn’t have to be painful – especially when we lovingly give it, and we lovingly receive it. Ok, let me make one last comment on this principle. The most famous Proverb in this whole batch is 13:24 “Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.” Parents, part of training your child up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord is discipline. Now, we can have a healthy conversation about how to discipline – there are different ways, but discipline is necessary. Every single one of us was born selfish. Parents know this. And disciplining children begins early. When your child talks back, or lashes out at a sibling, or is defiant in some ways, then that child needs to be disciplined. That could be a punishment, or it could be directing a child to practice righteousness or make something right. One time when I was in grade school, my parents made me write an apology letter for something I did… and I had to go over to the person’s house, give it to them, and ask for forgiveness. I was mortified, but you better believe it made an impression. And children, because your parents have a responsibility to discipline you, you likewise have a responsibility to receive that discipline. That’s difficult, isn’t it. Your parents probably tell you this, but it’s true “I’m disciplining you because I love you.”  They are training you in righteousness. The more you respond to God’s discipline now, the greater blessing that will result later in life. I know that’s easy to say, but hard to do. Conclusion Ok, to recap: 1. Love instruction, rebuke, and discipline 2. Love and listen to godly counsel and 3. Love others by rebuking and disciplining them. Now, we cannot conclude here. Hopefully it’s been ingrained in you from last fall that Proverbs is not a book of morality. Yes, it directs us to live a life honoring to God and receiving the blessing of living out his law. It certainly points us to that. But Proverbs fits in the broader narrative of Scripture by revealing faith. The beginning of chapter 3 was so clear that this book fits into the covenant framework of God promises fulfilled in Christ. And remember, where does wisdom begin? The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom – fear is the reverent faith that comes with knowing God in Christ. We’ve seen over and over how these chapters are fulfilled in Christ. He’s the greater Solmon. He’s the creator of all things, chapter 8. He's the faithful husband despite his wayward wife, the church, chapters 5, 6, and 7. So let me conclude by telling you how these verses fit into the narrative of the redemption found in Christ alone. ·      First, these verses presuppose sin. We can’t read them without a recognition of our fallen nature. We need reproof. We need discipline because our hearts have gone astray, and we need to be called back. ·      Second, these verse point to a standard that is outside of us. God has established righteousness and truth. It’s who he is. And the contrast to that is foolishness and wickedness. In other words, to be called to give and receive rebuke presupposes a standard upon which that rebuke is based. We can’t read any of the Proverbs without this recognition. ·      Number 3, rebuke, reproof, and discipline are part of the call to repentance. Part of faith in God, is repenting of our wayward beliefs and life… and turning to the one true God who receives us. And remember, God receives us not because of our righteousness, but because of Christ’s righteousness. ·      And that brings us to a final consideration. The call to respond to these verses is not so that God may save us. No. Instead, we respond by faith for what God has done for us in Christ. In other words, we can respond because of what Christ has done on the cross. By his grace and through his Spirit, we can receive rebuke. In closing, we still have a long way to go through Proverbs. But let’s be reminded that it’s not in our strength that we seek to be rebuked or disciplined but rather it’s through the Holy Spirit in us. He enables us to pursue God, His Word, and receive correction. As we read from Hebrews 12 earlier, God disciplines his children. As painful as it may be at times, it testifies to God’s work through Christ in you and me. May we receive God’s love and discipline through others from his word out of hearts desiring to conform to Christ. Amen

10:17 Whoever heeds instruction is on the path to life, but he who rejects reproof leads others astray.11:14 Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.12:1 Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid.13:1 A wise son hears his father's instruction, but a scoffer does not listen to rebuke.13:18 Poverty and disgrace come to him who ignores instruction, but whoever heeds reproof is honored.13:24 Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.15:5 A fool despises his father's instruction, but whoever heeds reproof is prudent.15:10 There is severe discipline for him who forsakes the way; whoever hates reproof will die.15:12 A scoffer does not like to be reproved; he will not go to the wise.15:22 Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed.15:31 The ear that listens to life-giving reproof will dwell among the wise.15:32 Whoever ignores instruction despises himself, but he who listens to reproof gains intelligence.17:10 A rebuke goes deeper into a man of understanding than a hundred blows into a fool.18:1 Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment.19:20 Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future.19:25 Strike a scoffer, and the simple will learn prudence; reprove a man of understanding, and he will gain knowledge.19:27 Cease to hear instruction, my son, and you will stray from the words of knowledge.20:30 Blows that wound cleanse away evil; strokes make clean the innermost parts.22:17 Incline your ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply your heart to my knowledge,22:18 for it will be pleasant if you keep them within you, if all of them are ready on your lips.22:19 That your trust may be in the LORD, I have made them known to you today, even to you.22:20 Have I not written for you thirty sayings of counsel and knowledge,22:21 to make you know what is right and true, that you may give a true answer to those who sent you?23:12 Apply your heart to instruction and your ear to words of knowledge.23:19 Hear, my son, and be wise, and direct your heart in the way.23:23 Buy truth, and do not sell it; buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding.25:12 Like a gold ring or an ornament of gold is a wise reprover to a listening ear.25:28 A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.27:5 Better is open rebuke than hidden love.27:9 Oil and perfume make the heart glad, and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel.27:23 Know well the condition of your flocks, and give attention to your herds,27:24 for riches do not last forever; and does a crown endure to all generations?29:1 He who is often reproved, yet stiffens his neck, will suddenly be broken beyond healing.29:18 Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint, but blessed is he who keeps the law.29:19 By mere words a servant is not disciplined, for though he understands, he will not respond.29:21 Whoever pampers his servant from childhood will in the end find him his heir.

Proverbs 9 Two Invitations, One Choice We’ll be considering Proverbs chapter 9 this morning. You can find that on page 632 in the provided Bibles. This is Solomon’s final introductory lesson on wisdom. Over these 9 chapters, Solomon has presented 12 lectures on wisdom. He’s answered the questions… What is wisdom? Where do we find wisdom? How do we pursue wisdom? These lessons have also given us contrasts and warnings, which make really clear what wisdom is and what wisdom is not. This final lesson, Chapter 9, is the culmination of the opening chapters. And what it does is bring us to a decision point. It presents a stark contrast between two choices: the invitation of wisdom versus the invitation of Folly. Let’s now come to God’s word. Reading of Proverbs 9. Prayer. We make lots of choices each day. Someone estimated that the average person will make about 775,000 decisions in his or her lifetime. About 27 per day. That’s just a number because in one sense, we make hundreds of decisions each day. But if we think about judgements that affect what we do and where we go, then perhaps that is a good estimate. Do I snooze my alarm or get up? Do I have eggs or cereal for breakfast. Do I contact this person? …or apply for this job? …or make this trip across the country? All kinds of decisions. Some are morally neutral. Other decisions have a clear moral component to them. Someone could argue that the book of Proverbs as a whole gives us practical wisdom for day-to-day decisions. There’s some validity to that on a certain level. However, in these opening chapters, we’ve seen something greater. God’s wisdom is a way of life. Wisdom’s foundation is God’s covenant promises which are fulfilled in Christ. Having wisdom IS having knowledge and discernment, BUT it begins with the knowledge of God and discernment of his revealed will. It begins with trusting God and his wisdom. So yes, having the wisdom of God will work itself out in day-to-day decisions, but you have to begin by trusting the Lord and his wisdom. And that’s where Proverbs 9 comes into play. We’re presented here with two invitations. Two calls that have gone forth. Two choices. On one side, wisdom is calling you dine with her… and on the other side, folly is calling you to dine with her. In other words, this chapter is not about the day-to-day decisions in life. No, rather, this chapter is about the big decision in life above all the others. Will you accept the invitation from wisdom and feast on all that she and her servants have prepared? Or will you take the offer of Folly and dine with the dead? As we read, the two calls, the call of wisdom and the call of Folly… they begin the chapter and end the chapter. And in between, Solomon gives an interlude. In it he describes the kind of person who follows Wisdom and the kind of person who follows Folly, and then he exhorts his son where his journey should begin. We’ll begin by comparing the two invitations and then consider Solmon’s analysis. And wouldn’t you agree, the powerful thing about this chapter is the comparison and contrast between these two invitations – especially verses 4 and 16. Look at verse 4 “’Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!’ To him who lacks sense she says…” and then Wisdom continues with her invitation. Now, jump down to 16. “’Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!’ To him who lacks sense she says…” and then Folly continues with her invitation. Identical. In a way, it’s shocking or at least worrisome. It’s not by accident that Folly’s invitation sounds similar to Wisdom’s. Folly wants to deceive us. She is preying upon our ignorance and our sin. That word “simple” in both calls means naïve. It’s someone easily deceived or someone who lacks wisdom. Wisdom wants the simple to leave their naïve ways and learn wisdom. But Folly, on the other hand, just wants to take advantage of the simple. The natural question is this: If the call of Wisdom is so similar to the call of Folly, how will we know the difference?“ Well, when we start to peel back the layers here, we actually find several differences – fundamental differences. And in the end, eternal differences. So, let’s consider them. First, the differences in their houses - Notice in verse 1: Wisdom has built her house. And it’s quite the estate! She has hewn from the rock, seven pillars. Regular homes did not have pillars. No, those were reserved for important and distinguished buildings in a kingdom. This house that Wisdom has built is grand and it’s for all who accept her invitation. And that is a contrast with Folly’s house. Look down at the end of 18. “Her guests are in the depths of Sheol.” Sheol, by the way, is the word for the grave – or more specifically, the depths of the underworld. What a contrast! An impressive mansion verses a crypt for the dead. And next, look up in verse 14. Folly is sitting. She’s not moving. She is not working. She’s not doing anything for you. But Wisdom, on the other hand, is hard t work. She’s industrious. Notice up in the first three verses: She’s built her house. She’s hewn her pillars. She’s slaughtered her beasts… mixed her wine… set her table… sent out her young women to spread the word. Do you see all the labor that Wisdom has put in? Not just preparing the feast, but everything else as well for this elaborate banquet. What a contrast between wisdom and her servants as they labor, and on the other hand, Folly’s inaction. I think the biggest contrast is the meal itself. Notice, Folly didn’t even make her meal. Verse 17, “stolen water is sweet.” I mean, how pathetic is that? Yes, water was harder to come by back then, but it’s still just water. Folly also offers “bread eaten in secret.” Why is it eaten in secret? Because it was also stolen. Think about this: Folly’s meal is bread and water. What kind of banquet is that? But it’s the stolen and secret part that makes it enticing. When I was in 8th grade, maybe 9th, I had a really bad case of teenage boy syndrome. Some of you teachers or parents know what I’m talking about. You see, my family lived close to a golf course. And a couple times, my friends and I would go to the golf course at dusk. We would sneak out onto the driving range when no one was around. And we would steal the driving range balls. Is that not the dumbest thing you’ve heard? I mean, these golf balls were in terrible shape. But what do you do with gold balls, anyway? I look back and I’m mortified by it and convicted about it. But I had zero sense of conviction at the time. I’ve often wondered what was going through my mind. But after reading these verses, I think I know what it was. It was the “stolen” and “secret” thing of verse 17. It was the exhilaration of doing something I wasn’t supposed to do. Folly is inviting you to a pitiful meal, one that she didn’t even make, and she’s trying to entice you to eat it simply because it is not yours to eat. “Stolen water is sweet” but its sweetness quickly turns to bitter poison. On the other hand, Wisdom’s meal is not stolen. Notice the language back up in verse 1-3, it is her house, her pillars, she’s slaughtered her beasts, mixed her wine, it’s her table. The spread is amazing, and it is Wisdom’s to give. She says in verse 5, “come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine that I have mixed.” Now, that language should sound familiar to you with New Testament eyes. In a few minutes, we’ll come back to what this feast alludes to.   But before we get there, there’s one final contrast between these banquets. One banquet leads to life and the other “so-called” banquet leads to death. Jump down to verse 18, again. Right after Folly entices him with stolen water, she says there, “But he [that is, the one who lacks sense and follows her] …he does not know that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.” The guests sitting at Folly’s table are dead. They are acting alive but they are the living dead. I was thinking of the Haunted Mansion at Disney World. I’m sure several of you have been there and seen that. One of the first things you see is a grand hall. And as you are being transported along the balcony you see a banquet table below with a birthday celebration… but as you move along, the guests vanish and they then reappear as skeletons and other ghastly creatures circling the room. And then a zombie like organist hammers the keys and the pipe organ music fills the air. A banquet of the dead. Now kids, it’s all holograms and hidden mirrors. It’s all pretend. But Proverbs 9 is not pretend. The sad thing in our culture is that we minimize death and hell. We trivialize it. We make fun of it or we entertain ourselves with it. I’m not saying “we” as in those of us here, but we’re certainly influenced by the world around us. Death in this life is real. We know that. And it’s painful. Hell is real. Jesus vividly spoke of hell as a place of eternal fire… and weeping and gnashing of teeth. To be sure, Sheol is a different concept in the Hebrew, but they’re related. Sheol, if you will, is on the path to hell. I want you to consider something. These words in verse 18 are the very last words of Solomon’s wisdom lessons. He wants to leave his son with this grave warning. Literally grave. But the contrast to death is found up in verse 6. “life.” “Leave your simple ways,” says Wisdom, “and live… live and walk in the way of insight.” Wisdom versus Folly… life versus death. Quite the contrasts here. Let me summarize them: ·      A mansion prepared for you versus a grave. ·      A banquet fit for a king versus stolen water and bread. ·      Wisdom and her attendants calling out truth inviting you to come to what is good, versus Folly calling out with lies and deceit. ·      A banquet of the living versus the dead… one leading to life, the other to death and hell. On the outside, the call may sound the same, but the invitations are vastly different. That brings us to the middle section here, verses 7-12. Sandwiched between these two calls is Solomon’s instruction. And what it does for us… is brings into focus one of the main messages of Proverbs 1-9. Will you listen to Wisdom? I searched through the first 9 chapters and 25 times Solomon exhorts us to listen to wisdom. He uses different words and phrases like “hear” or “listen” or “incline your ear,” or “be attentive,” or “do not lose sight” 25 times. Verses 7-8 tell us about the one who doesn’t listen. That person is a scoffer. That’s  someone who not only doesn’t listen but who mocks and ridicules… someone who is obstinate in all that. We learn that if you try to correct or reprove a scoffer, he will not only reject your correction, but he’ll hate you for it. And the opposite is true for those with wisdom and righteousness. The second half of verse 8 and 9. If you reprove or teach or instruct the wise, he will love you, he will grow in his wisdom and increase in learning. Do you see how these central verses tie the chapter together? Wisdom is calling. Folly is calling. Who will you listen to? Will you be a scoffer and reject the call of wisdom to your peril? …or will you receive the invitation of wisdom to a banquet of life. That encapsulates verse 12. “If you are wise, you are wise to yourself.” That expression means if you are wise, you will receive the great blessing of wisdom. On the other hand, if you scoff, you alone with bear it. Will you listen and receive the instruction and increase in wisdom… or will you reject it? Are you wise unto life (verse 11)? …or are you a scoffer unto your peril? In the middle of this chapter are verses 10 and 11. Let me say, these two verses don’t just happen to be in the middle of the chapter. No, they are there for a reason. This whole chapter is in a Hebrew form of parallelism called a chiasm. We’ve come across it before. The chapter forms an X. What that means is parallel ideas work their way from the outside in, working their way to the center of the X which gives us the focus of the text. So, in chapter 9, here… ·      it begins with the house of wisdom (verse 1) and ends with the house of the dead, Sheol (verse 18) ·      Next, Wisdom has prepared her meal of wine and the choicest of meat, verse 2… and down in verse 17, Folly’s meal - stolen water and bread. ·      As we move in one layer - the call of wisdom, verses 3-5, and the call of Folly verse 14-16. ·      Another layer in, verse 6, Wisdom calls to walk in insight, contrasted with Folly’s seduction, verse 13. She doesn’t have insight. Literally, it says, she “knows nothing.” ·      Next, verses 7 through 9 parallel verse 12. The contrast of the wise and the scoffer and the end result of the wise and scoffer. And at the heart of the chapter - the center of the X is verses 10 and 11. Let me say, it’s not only the focal point of this chapter, but it’s the key to the book of Proverbs. Here it is: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight. For by me your days will be multiplied, and years will be added to your life.” “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” It’s right behind me here on our banner. As a reminder, we fear the Lord when we trust by faith in the all-powerful God who knows all and sees all. We fear him by reverently honoring him with humility and by exalting him with all the glory due his name. We do not fear man, no instead, we fear the God of the universe. And we do not fear him by cowering in terror. Rather, we have a godly fear of the one who made us and redeems us… This is not a general call to believe in some god out there, lowercase “g”. No, we’re to fear the LORD, all caps, the covenant Lord, Yahweh, by faith in him. And the end of verse 10 tells us exactly where to center our faith. It says by knowing the “Holy One.” Remember, Proverbs is in the Old Testament. Jesus had not yet come… but he was promised. The “Holy One” is a reference to the promised Messiah. And for us, he has come. What this is saying is that we’re to center our faith on Jesus, who is our Insight, as verse 10 says. He is wisdom. And look at what verse 11 says, “for by me your days will be multiplied.” Think about this. Verse 11 is not part of the two personification sections in this chapter, Wisdom and Folly. So, this “me” here is not referring to lady wisdom or Folly. This is the Holy One speaking. Christ it the one calling us to fear him and to know him. What God, through Solomon, is saying in verses 10 and 11, is that the decision of chapter 9 keys on fearing and knowing Jesus. Faith. And when you do, as verse 11 puts it, “your days will be multiplied, and years added to your life.” It’s not speaking of a longer life here – but rather life beyond the grave. And that brings us full circle back to Wisdom’s feast. Solomon’s sons and the people of Israel would have had several spiritual meals in mind as they read these words. They would have been reminded of the Passover meal, which included bread and wine and the sacrificial lamb. The provision of manna in the wilderness and other ceremonial feasts would have come to mind. Each meal testifying in different ways to the life and provision and communion that they had from God and with God…. Saving them from slavery in Egypt… preserving their lives in the wilderness… celebrating with God the provision of his first fruits. In other words, for them, Solomon’s audience, Widom’s banquet revealed the great feast that the coming Messiah would bring. And for us, it’s the same! Widom’s banquet reveals the great feast that the coming messiah will bring. But you say, “wait a second! The messiah has already come!  Jesus walked the earth, he was the sacrificial lamb for the sins of the people. We feed on him by faith.” Well, that’s all true, but Wisdom’s banquet in verses 1 - 6 also points to a future banquet when the Messiah returns. It’s anticipating what Scripture calls the marriage supper of the lamb. We read the description earlier in Revelation 19. It’s the eternal feast that God is preparing for his people in eternity. And at that great banquet we will celebrate Christ, we will feast with him as the host. It’s called the marriage supper because it is the consummation of the marriage between God’s people, the church, who is the bride and God the Son, Jesus, in all of his glory as the risen Savior and Lamb. He is the bridegroom. It will be an eternal celebration like none other. I would point you to two things that clue us in to this future heavenly banquet. Number 1 -  Wisdom’s house is being built with seven pillars. The number seven is important here. Seven represents fulness and completeness in the Bible. In other words, this house foreshadows the heavenly home for God’s people - full and complete for eternity. Jesus said, “In my Father's house are many rooms.” And then he said, “I go to prepare a place for you, And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you myself, that where I am you may be also.” God’s eternal house in heaven for us. Number 2 -  Wisdom has sent out her young women to call forth and invite. This is a picture of the Great Commission. God calls his people to be his ambassadors of the good news. We are the mouthpiece of God. We’re called to invite any and everyone to Wisdom’s banquet – to eternal life in Christ. You see, Proverbs 9 is a beautiful picture of the future marriage supper of the Lamb… it will not be a meal of stolen bread and water, rather it will be an exquisite meal bought by the blood of the Lamb as we feed on him for eternity. In conclusion… Proverbs 9 calls us to hear and respond to the call of God’s wisdom. That involves fearing the Lord in reverent worship of his name… it involves knowing the Holy One, Jesus, by faith… and it involves rejecting Folly’s seduction, turning your life away from her foolish ways and your scoffing, and instead to the one who will give you life. And when you do, there will be a feast for you unlike any you can ever image. An eternal banquet hosted by the eternal king, the one and only Savior – Jesus Christ the Lord. I invite you to receive Wisdom’s invitation. To come to Christ, the Lamb of God. And have the eternal blessing of joy in the presence of the one true God…. Feasting with the living and reigning Lord, forever. Will you believe?  

Proverbs 9The Way of Wisdom [1] Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn her seven pillars. [2] She has slaughtered her beasts; she has mixed her wine; she has also set her table. [3] She has sent out her young women to call from the highest places in the town, [4] “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!” To him who lacks sense she says, [5] “Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed. [6] Leave your simple ways, and live, and walk in the way of insight.” [7] Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse, and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury. [8] Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you; reprove a wise man, and he will love you. [9] Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning. [10] The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight. [11] For by me your days will be multiplied, and years will be added to your life. [12] If you are wise, you are wise for yourself; if you scoff, you alone will bear it. The Way of Folly [13] The woman Folly is loud; she is seductive and knows nothing. [14] She sits at the door of her house; she takes a seat on the highest places of the town, [15] calling to those who pass by, who are going straight on their way, [16] “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!” And to him who lacks sense she says, [17] “Stolen water is sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.” [18] But he does not know that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of Sheol. (ESV)

Proverbs 8 - The Eternal Wisdom of God in ChristOur sermon text this morning is Proverbs 8. You can find that on page 631.There’s really so much here in this chapter… including some profound philosophical themes on the existence of God. How God in all of his wisdom speaks to humanity in different ways. For the kids here, there may be times when you find this particular sermon a little deep. I want to ask that you try to stay with me, today. But I would also be glad to meet separately to help explain more. Proverbs 8 so rich and invaluable.As I read, listen for the ways in which God’s wisdom reveals God himself.Reading of Proverbs 8Prayer“I would believe in God, if he would just show himself to me.”Maybe you’ve heard that before or thought that or even think that now.It’s a common response to the question of God’s existence. Over the centuries, many have expressed that sentiment. One person said, “If God actually existed, and if he made himself unmistakably plain, I would have to believe that he exists.” The argument is that because God appears silent, he therefore doesn’t exist.I don’t want to minimize that thought. We each have family or friends who perhaps think that or may say something similar. Or maybe you are here, today, and that thought has crossed your mind.Well, my goal today is to make the case from Proverbs 8 that God does speak – that he has revealed and is revealing himself. What I’d like you to see today is an overabundance of God’s revelation to us. God testifies to his existence and his nature all around us and within us. And at the very center of that revelation is Christ.My hope is that by the end of this sermon that either (1) your confidence in the revelation of God will be enriched or (2) that if you came here today wondering whether God even exists, that you will leave with a profound sense of his presence and that all things exist because of and for Christ.I believe that is the purpose of the chapter.Look at the two questions in verse 1. “Does not wisdom call? Does not understanding raise her voice?” That’s how the chapter begins, and all through it, God’s wisdom speaks. And as you heard, the wisdom of God is personified. She’s speaking. This is not the first time that Solomon has used this poetic device to reveal God’s wisdom. There is a little bit of that back in chapter 1. Wisdom is a feminine noun in the Hebrew – so she is lady wisdom. King Solomon wants his sons to hear her and embrace her.And look at verses 2-4. What is she doing?She is calling out. She is raising her voice. On the heights, she stands. At the crossroads and at the city gates, she cries aloud. In other words, she’s everywhere, raising her voice for all to hear. And what is her message? That God is truth and he is just… and he is the creator of all things. And right there with him at every point is his wisdom.I would say, chapter 8 here, is like the pinnacle of God’s revelation of wisdom so far, perhaps even the climax of wisdom in the Scriptures.It’s magnificent. These verses take us to the very edge of time and space. It’s like God opens the gates of heaven and reveals not just his wisdom, but himself. He’s there for you to hear and see and to take hold of and to believe.So let’s now get into this chapter. By the way, there’s an outline in the hymn sheet insert.Four points and you can see the subpoints in the insert. These brief summaries are what God reveals in Proverbs 8 and our response.1. He’s revealed his all-encompassing truth in Christ to embrace – the first 11 verses2. The perfect justice of God in Christ (on which) to rest assured – verses 12 to 213. The eternal wisdom of God in Christ to behold – that’s verses 22 to 314. And, the last 5 verses, the abundant grace of God in Christ to believeI won’t repeat those since you have them in front of you.1. The all-encompassing truth of God in Christ to embrace (8:1-11)The first 11 verses are the call. We’ve already seen how she’s calling. She’s standing, it says, “on the heights” for everyone to hear. I want you to notice something all through these verses. Wisdom’s call is not just for God’s people.No, rather the call is for everyone.·      We see that first in verse 4. “To you, O men, I call, and my cry is to the children of man.” It’s to everyone - the whole world. That same phrase, “children of man” is also found down in verse 31.·      Similarly, in the middle of the chapter, verses 14-17, wisdom is speaking to kings and rulers – all kings and rulers. It says in 17, “all who govern justly.”·      And let me add one more thing. All the calls to seek wisdom or to love wisdom or to listen to wisdom are for anyone. For example, verse 35 – “whoever finds me finds life.” Whoever does. The call of wisdom is for me. It’s for you. It’s for your neighbor, your friend. It’s for all who are near and far off. She’s calling for you.And what is wisdom’s call? That’s the focus of verses 5-11. If you just scan the verses, you will see that language of truth and knowledge and understanding. And there’s a contrast between truth, which is not twisted or crooked (as it says), but straight, and wickedness, which goes against truth by deception and lies.There are a couple of things apparent in Wisdom’s call.·      First, truth is objective. What I mean is that truth is out there to be known and understood. She’s saying truth is not something relative or subjective. Wisdom says in verse 7, “my mouth will utter truth.” ·      That’s one thing. And second there’s a premise in her call: truth and knowledge can be found. We can seek it. We can obtain it. We can desire truth and wisdom. It’s precious like jewels, verse 11. Truth can be sought after.Now, those things may sound basic to you, but they are profound. Truth is there to know and find and embrace. I’m using the word “embrace” in the title of point 1 because the three commands here are Learn, hear, and take. You see, it’s more than just knowing, it’s embracing this truth.Let me add one thing that perhaps you weren’t thinking about – the mere presence of truth itself testifies to God himself. In other words, the mere presence of objective knowledge that can be obtained points to the existence of one who establishes truth and is wisdom.One of the greatest Christian philosophers of the 20th century was Francis Schaeffer. I’ve mentioned him before. He and his wife started L’Abri in Switzerland. That was a community seeking the truth and wisdom of God.One of Schaeffer’s books is titled “He Is There and He Is Not Silent.” It’s a great book. If you are the philosophical type, he goes in to the metaphysical, the epistemological, and the existential reasons for God. That would be being, knowledge, and experience. Basically, he lays out the case for God and the Christian worldview from multiple angles.Schaeffer writes this about truth: “The beginning for modern and postmodern people [basically all of us] is the existence of God and the existence of truth… There is nothing more practical nor more basic than the conviction that there is truth that can be known. Without this conviction life becomes more and more intolerable, and more and more filled with alienation, the more consistently we live with the loss of truth.”Schaeffer is echoing the words of Proverbs 8. There is truth and that truth can be known.I think one of the compelling aspects of this chapter is the fact that God’s truth and his wisdom are personal and knowable.But you ask, ok, but how can we in our finitude, relate to and know the truth of God? That’s an important question.We read from the Gospel of John chapter 1 earlier. It’s the most beautiful expression in all of Scripture of the wisdom and truth of God entering into his creation. “In the beginning was the Word and the word was with God, and the Word was God.”The Greek word for “word” is “logos.” Maybe you’ve heard that before. But it’s important to know that it’s not a disconnected impersonal logos as the Greek philosophers would have understood it. No, rather it’s logos, wisdom, that is personal and knowable. Truth is knowable to us because the logos of God became flesh. That’s later in John chapter 1. In other words, the truth of God can be known because God has revealed himself by entering in to his creation.What I’m saying is that these first 11 verses of Proverbs 8 are fulfilled in Christ. As the apostle Paul put it in his first letter to the Corinthian church, “he,” that is Christ, “became to us wisdom from God.” Because of that we can know the truth and wisdom of God.Let me summarize point 1 this way: the truth and wisdom of God can be known because the truth and wisdom of God has been made known.The all-encompassing truth of God in Christ to embrace.2. The perfect justice of God in Christ (on which) to rest assuredAnd now, second: The perfect justice of God in Christ (on which) we can rest assured.This is the second part of Wisdom’s call, verses 12 to 21. You’ll notice that there’s a change in focus. Lady wisdom opened with an appeal to listen to truth. She now turns to declare her character. - wisdom’s character – God’s character.These verses very much relate to the moral nature of wisdom. I’m using the word justice in point 2 because you’ll see the word just or justice in verses 15, 16, and 20.Righteous is another word here in verses 18 and 20. And it’s contrasted with “evil” verse 13. So, God and his wisdom are just and righteous.Now, if you get anything out of our study of Proverbs, I hope this one thing sticks with you. True wisdom is lived out in God’s standard of what is good and right. We’ve seen that over and over. God’s wisdom has a moral standard to it – his standard.Sometimes people say, “you know, it’s fine if you want to live by some moral standard, but don’t impose your standard on me. I want to live the way I want to live.”But these verses, 12-21, give a different message. They are saying that God’s standard of righteousness and justice is for all. It’s saying that his standard applies to all mankind, all kings, all rulers (verses 15 and 16).Not only is truth objective, but there’s also an objective moral standard which defines good and evil. I’ve used the word objective a few times so far… what I’m saying is that both truth and goodness are outside of us. There is a standard which transcends individuals. The definitions of good and evil are not something we each come up with, but are for us to seek and discover.One argument for an external, absolute moral standard is actually the sense everyone of us has within us of right and wrong. To be sure, we disagree over what fits in each category but it is very hard to deny the innate human sense that moral categories exist. Even those who say that what is good and what is bad are subjective still draw the line somewhere.Where does that come from? I ask because if we existed by chance, then we would not have an internal sense of right and wrong in us. We would just be products of random events only able to react to stimulus. But we do. We each have a moral sense deep down in the fabric of our very being. That sense of right and wrong testifies to a God who establishes what is right and wrong.I like how Psalm 19 puts it, “The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes;”The external law of God is revealed in the hearts of his creatures. There’s a testimony within each of us that testifies and affirms the testimony of God outside of us.And ultimately, the testimony of God’s law, his standard, is found in Christ. You see, the perfect standard of what is good and true and right is found in the one who became for us the righteousness of God.Earlier I quoted from 1 Corinthians chapter 1 “Jesus became to us wisdom from God” but I didn’t finish the sentence. Here it is: “you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption.” The wisdom of God is righteousness and sanctification and redemption.Here’s what God’s wisdom is declaring: God is just and righteous. He calls us to justice and righteousness. And his perfect justice and righteousness are found in Jesus, who revealed and fulfilled his justice and righteousness. A justice and righteousness that we can have in him.This section ends with a reminder that the justice of God is not only good, but it’s precious. In other words, God is not imposing his justice and righteousness as something oppressive. No, they are a rich blessing and benefit. God’s wisdom compares their fruit to precious metals, saying it’s even better than gold and silver, verse 19. It’s an “inheritance,” verse 21 to those who love wisdom. An inheritance upon which we can rest assured.The perfect justice of God in Christ (on which) we can rest assured3. The eternal wisdom of God in Christ to behold (8:22-31)Number 3. The eternal wisdom of God in Christ to behold.I don’t know about you, but I’ve always been enamored by the beauty and wonder of the universe.One particular memory comes to mind. I was in northern Wisconsin one summer as a high schooler. And that summer, the northern lights were on full display. It was like these white and green horses galloping across the sky. Wave after wave. I remember being so overcome by and in awe of God’s grandeur and wonder.I often go back in my mind to things I’ve seen and experienced… beautiful sunsets over the ocean, grand show capped mountains, the milky way on a dark night, canyons and fjords, lush valleys, pale blue glacial lakes, stunning waterfalls.My heart is always stirred by the beauty and glory of it all, a glory that reflects the glory of God. “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.” That’s back in Psalm 19.Yes, God reveals himself in his word. Yes, he speaks to us in the Scriptures of his character and nature and of salvation and grace.But even if a person denies the Bible, there is still the entire universe which testifies to the vastness of God’s being. It testifies to his wisdom in crafting the seas and the skies and the stars. Galaxy after galaxy all the way down to the intricate interworking of cells and atoms.What verses 22-31 do is herald the wisdom of God in all of his majesty as he fashioned and formed the universe.Before any of it was made, his wisdom was there. As it says, before the beginning of the earth (verse 23) wisdom was there. Before the depths were formed and the springs gushed forth, his wisdom was there. Before the mountains and fields sprung up, God’s wisdom was there.When God established the heavens (verse 27) wisdom was there. When he firmed up the skies and established the fountains of the deep, wisdom was there. Every step of the way, his wisdom guided as the master workman (verse 30)And what is God’s wisdom, here, in creation? It is the wisdom of God in Christ. When we think of the Son of God – of Christ, we often only consider his incarnation – when he became man. But the Scriptures speak of his pre-incarnate role in creating all things – as God’s agent in speaking forth the creation all around us.The author of Hebrews speaks of this. He writes of the Son of God, “through whom,” it says, God “created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.” So, when we are beholding the glory and wonder of God in the universe around us, we are beholding the glory and wonder of God in Christ.Colossians 1 puts it this way, “For by him [that is, Christ] all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”And let me add, that includes not just the heavens and earth out there. But it includes the wisdom of God in creating us. This section on wisdom’s call concludes in verse 31. God is “rejoicing in his inhabited world” and “delighting in the children of man.”We hold a special place in God’s creation. As the Scriptures say, we’re each created in his image. What that means is each of us testifies to God’s workmanship and wisdom – the wisdom of creation that is the wisdom of Christ.Do you hear it? The wisdom of God is calling out for all of us to hear…·      wisdom that reveals truth which can be known in Christ.·      wisdom in the righteousness and justice of God, which is fulfilled in Christ.·      and wisdom in the creation of all things. All things which testify to God’s glory and all things which God created through Christ.4. The abundant grace of God in Christ to believe (8:32-36)And that bring us to the last point, the abundant grace of God in Christ to believe.There’s an important question to ask? If God has revealed himself in these ways, if his wisdom has been calling out all over, then why are so many deaf to his voice or blind to his wisdom? Why do many claim that he has not made himself known?Blaise Pascal, the 17th century mathematician and philosopher answered that question well. Pascal wrote, “[God] has willed to make himself quite recognizable… willing to appear openly to those who seek Him with all their heart, and to be hidden from those who flee from Him with all their heart. He so regulates the knowledge of Himself that He has given signs of Himself, visible to those who seek Him, and not to those who seek Him not. There is enough light for those who only desire to see, and enough obscurity for those who [desire not].” Pascal is saying, there’s no lack of God’s testimony all around us. God reveals his truth, and he shows forth the wonder of his creation, and he testifies to his nature within us. Rather, what is lacking is listening to God, and seeking out his wisdom.Scattered all throughout this chapter is the call to hear, to take, to love, and to seek God and his wisdom. Verse 17, for example, wisdom says, “I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me.”You see, it’s not a matter of whether God is speaking or whether his wisdom is calling. No, the matter is whether we are listening and seeking God and his wisdom.These last few verses drive that point home. Wisdom calls out in verse 32, “listen to me.” And again, verse 34, “blessed is the one who listens to me.” That means listening to the testimony of God all around you… listening to the testimony of his truth, his justice and righteousness, his creation, and listening to the testimony of God in his Word.So I ask, are you listening? Are you seeking the wisdom of God in Christ? He is there, and he is not silent. And when you seek him, you will find him. And a curious thing will happen. You will find that he was the one seeking you.Chapter 8 closes with a great promise in verse 35, “for whoever finds me, finds life.” I think that verse could end right there, but no, it gets better. “for whoever finds me, finds life AND obtains favor from the Lord.”When you seek God in Christ, he will not only give you his wisdom, but he will give you life and favor. The Hebrew word for favor is God’s acceptance or pleasure. His grace, if you will. And that favor is only found in Christ. He is the one who brings you to God. To God and his wisdom. Brings you from death, verse 36, to new life in him.In closing, it is this favor… God’s favor in Christ which reveals all of Proverbs 8.·      It awakens your hearts to embrace his truth – the truth of Christ.·      With God’s favor, you can rest and trust in his justice and righteousness – the justice and righteousness of Christ.·      You can behold him in all of his creation – the creation which he fashioned through Christ.·      And it is his favor which blesses you abundantly with life, when you believe in himMay we all hear the call of wisdom in Christ.

Proverbs 8The Blessings of Wisdom [1] Does not wisdom call? Does not understanding raise her voice? [2] On the heights beside the way, at the crossroads she takes her stand; [3] beside the gates in front of the town, at the entrance of the portals she cries aloud: [4] “To you, O men, I call, and my cry is to the children of man. [5] O simple ones, learn prudence; O fools, learn sense. [6] Hear, for I will speak noble things, and from my lips will come what is right, [7] for my mouth will utter truth; wickedness is an abomination to my lips. [8] All the words of my mouth are righteous; there is nothing twisted or crooked in them. [9] They are all straight to him who understands, and right to those who find knowledge. [10] Take my instruction instead of silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold, [11] for wisdom is better than jewels, and all that you may desire cannot compare with her. [12] “I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, and I find knowledge and discretion. [13] The fear of the LORD is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate. [14] I have counsel and sound wisdom; I have insight; I have strength. [15] By me kings reign, and rulers decree what is just; [16] by me princes rule, and nobles, all who govern justly. [17] I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me. [18] Riches and honor are with me, enduring wealth and righteousness. [19] My fruit is better than gold, even fine gold, and my yield than choice silver. [20] I walk in the way of righteousness, in the paths of justice, [21] granting an inheritance to those who love me, and filling their treasuries. [22] “The LORD possessed me at the beginning of his work, the first of his acts of old. [23] Ages ago I was set up, at the first, before the beginning of the earth. [24] When there were no depths I was brought forth, when there were no springs abounding with water. [25] Before the mountains had been shaped, before the hills, I was brought forth, [26] before he had made the earth with its fields, or the first of the dust of the world. [27] When he established the heavens, I was there; when he drew a circle on the face of the deep, [28] when he made firm the skies above, when he established the fountains of the deep, [29] when he assigned to the sea its limit, so that the waters might not transgress his command, when he marked out the foundations of the earth, [30] then I was beside him, like a master workman, and I was daily his delight, rejoicing before him always, [31] rejoicing in his inhabited world and delighting in the children of man. [32] “And now, O sons, listen to me: blessed are those who keep my ways. [33] Hear instruction and be wise, and do not neglect it. [34] Blessed is the one who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors. [35] For whoever finds me finds life and obtains favor from the LORD, [36] but he who fails to find me injures himself; all who hate me love death.” (ESV)

Proverbs 7 Beware Seduction's Scheme and Snare Our sermon text is Proverbs 7. You can find that on page 630 in the pew Bible under the chair in front of you. We are down to our last three wisdom lessons. Next week, we’ll cover chapter 8. The week after, we’ll consider chapter 9, which is Solomon’s last opening lesson on wisdom. The timing’s worked out pretty well because after chapter 9, we’ll take a break for Advent. Then in the new year, we’ll begin a thematic study of Proverbs. There are about 25 themes that we’ll be working through. If you look at the bulletin, you’ll see that this morning, we’re covering all of chapter 7 plus 4 additional verses from chapter 22 and 23. We’ve printed them on the back of the hymn sheet. So, let’s now come to God’s Word. Stand Proverbs 7; 22:14; 23:26-28 Prayer A friend of mine was visiting church last Sunday. After the service, he shared an amusing story about Proverbs. This was a years ago. His church was reading through Proverbs chapter by chapter. One chapter every day. Sort of like we did a few months ago. Well, when they got to chapter 7, his daughter went upstairs to do her reading. By the way, she was about 10 years old at the time. Pretty soon after, she came running down the stairs and declared “not another day of adultery!” And then she added, “I just don’t struggle with adultery.” Maybe you’re ready to move on, too. When I was thinking about preaching through Proverbs, in the back of my mind, I was worried the most about these three chapters (5, 6, and 7). Part of my fear was the sensitivity of the topic. ·       For one, as you know, there’s a growing divide between the Biblical ethic and our society’s beliefs. And it’s not just an intellectual discussion, but it deals with the most intimate aspects of who we are. ·       The other concern I’ve had is knowing some of your painful history and your current and past struggles. I’m sure there’s much more than I’m aware. In fact, before we get into chapter 7, I want to clarify something I said last week and ask for your forgiveness. One of the emphases of chapter 6 is our lustful desires. We worked through that including the pervasiveness and sinfulness of pornography. In my last point on how we fight these struggles, I spent most of our time emphasizing the heart side of our lust but I was dismissive of some practical help. Specifically, I downplayed accountability and putting up fences to guard our actions. I want to correct that and say that those can be very helpful, especially with porn addictions. Having someone to walk alongside you…  or using technology tools that block access to sites are often effective in moments of temptation. In fact, today, we’re going to see how Solomon warns his son to guard his actions. What I should have said is that while our heart issues should be our main emphasis, we should also bring to bear other resources and one another in the church to help. An example may help. I know a few counsellors who help with sexual addictions. One of them had himself struggled with pornography in the past. He shared with me that he reads through the New Testament three times every year. He says that constantly filling his mind with God’s Word, has been transformative on his desires. By doing that he says it reminds him over and over of (1) God’s love and forgiveness in Christ, (2) the work of the Holy Spirit in him, and (3) God’s call to obedience and purity. When you talk with him, his words are so saturated with Scripture. But to be sure, his full-time job is helping men through these kinds of addictions. A large part of his counselling has a Gospel heart emphasis – he believes that’s the primary need, but he also organizes accountability and recovery groups, and he helps men with other strategies and tools to help break the cycle. What I was trying to say is that fences and accountability are not the answer in and of themselves. They can be tremendously beneficial as we walk with one another through these struggles. I hope that’s a helpful clarification. And as I mentioned, it’s not unrelated to chapter 7. A big part of Solomon’s desire in this chapter is to warn his son about the trap of sexual sin. That includes being on guard against temptations and even staying away from temptations. Really, In both chapters, 6 and 7, Solomon’s desire is to protect his son. We saw that last week, and we see that again here in chapter 7. In verse 5, he writes that his desire is “to keep you from the forbidden woman, from the adulteress with her smooth words.” In chapter 6, Solomon emphasized his son’s heart and the consequences if he were to go down the path of adultery. Here in chapter 7, Solomon turns his attention to the other side - the strategy of the adulteress. He doesn’t want his son to be naive about sexual temptation. No, rather, he wants to prepare him. As I was reading verse 6, I was picturing in my mind King David’s palace. Remember, King David built the royal palace; his son, King Solomon built the temple. So, Solomon was living in the royal residence as he described looking out his window. To give you a little sense of this, the palace was set on a hill in what was known as the City of David. It overlooked much of the region. From Solomon’s vantage point he could see the temple mount on the north. Perhaps at the time he wrote this, the temple was being built. He could see the Kidron valley on the east with various home lining either side up of the valley up to the Mount of Olives. On the west, he would see more buildings and homes as the landscape slowly rose to the base of mount Zion. On the south, more homes near a spring fed pool. He could see it all and he could observe the comings and goings of those in his kingdom. And he says to his son, I see through the lattice of my window “a young man lacking sense.” He goes where he should not go. He believes what he should not believe, and in the end, he is trapped by that which should not ensnare him. Do you see Solmon’s strategy here? He’s giving his son a play-by-play analysis of their enemy. “Son, here are her tactics. Here’s what she will say and do, and there’s where she will lead you.” It’s sort of like a coach showing film of the opposing team. He wants to prepare his team for the big game… so the coach walk them through play-by-play footage. He’ll show them their offensive strategy. He’ll rewind the play, analyze it from different angles. Do you see that offensive formation? 50% of the time their fullback runs left up the middle. Or do you see when the quarterback rolls right with his lead rusher running to the flats? Watch for the short pass. Defensive backs, don’t be caught off guard by fake handoffs like this. Solomon is saying, see that young man on the film? Watch the play-by-play of how he falls into her trap. Don’t make the same mistakes as he does. From verses 8 to 20, I count six temptations. Six. And so, let’s look at them one-by-one and analyze how they can be avoided. Temptation 1 The first temptation – verses 8-9. Solomon is saying, notice how this all begins. Let me read it. He’s “passing along the street near her corner, taking the road to her house in the twilight, in the evening, at the time of night and darkness.” You see, he begins by putting himself in compromising situations. He’s tempting himself. He goes near her home at night. By the way, did you notice how this whole chapter has lots of references to locations and times? It’s a warning. You should ask yourself two questions: (1) Where am I? and (2) what time is it? In other words, are you putting yourself in tempting situations and at times when you’re susceptible to acting upon your lust? Not always, but often we’re most susceptible at night. Plus, there’s a metaphorical use of night in Scripture to represent darkness, secrecy, and the vulnerability of sin. And the thing is, in this young man’s heart, he’s already committed adultery with her. He didn’t just randomly show up on her street at night. This is why I think chapter 6 is before chapter 7. If you are putting yourself in tempting situations, then you have to recognize that your lustful heart is already leading you down the path. Part of your response is to do those things we talked about earlier and last week. Reminding yourself of the Gospel of Christ. Replacing those heart desires with a desire for God and His word. Shoreing up your faith. And looking to God and all his glory. On a more practical level, we should be surrounding ourselves with brothers and sisters in Christ. Seeking help from the community. And spending more time in prayer and in the Word. Those are all things that will help you avoid temptations and remain faithful to the call. Temptation 2 Ok, Solomon moves on to the next action in the film. And let me say, temptations two through six focus on the enemy’s strategy. But be reminded, one of the enemies is your sin, my sin. We are fighting against tempters out there as well as temptations in here. This next one is verses 10-12. Let me call this seductive enticement. It’s the attempt to lure you by appealing to your lust. Solomon is saying, “son, do you see what she’s doing? She’s dressing and acting in ways that are enticing to your sinful desires. She’s dressed like a “prostitute,” “wiley of heart,” She’s loud and she’s aggressive in all of this. And notice in verses 11 and 12, she’s everywhere. She’s flaunting herself in order to prey upon you. We live in a highly sexualized culture. It’s everywhere and it’s in your face. Everyday shows, film, fashion, social media. Add to that, the porn industry is aggressive. And it’s especially targeting young men - click this, watch that. Our response should be to see this temptation for what it is. It’s a perversion of truth and of true beauty. You see, God created the universe with amazing wonder and splendor. Part of the amazement of God’s creation is the beauty of sexuality. As we’ve talked about before, it’s a gift of God but one reserved for husband and wife in an intimate setting. But this beautiful gift has been perverted. Our culture desecrates it today by commodifying it and objectifying it. It’s seen as a pleasure to be enjoyed at anytime with anyone. Solomon is warning his son: Do not be caught up in the seductive enticement of sexual immorality. It’s full of promises that may sound good and may appeal to your desires, but which pervert the beauty and goodness of God. Be aware. Temptation 3 Next: Temptation 3. The false claim of piety – of appearing religious. Verses 13 and 14 say, “with bold face she says to him, ‘I had to offer sacrifices, and today I have paid my vows.’” Solomon is pointing out that she’ll even use religious language to appear spiritual. She’ll try to alleviate any concerns you have about the morality of your intimacy. Or convince you that she’s added enough to the “good” side of the scale to offset the bad Some have suggested that this is Canaanite language of temple prostitution. That’s possible. But I think whether it is or not, what she’s essentially saying is that according to her religion, she’s blameless and free to live out her sexuality. Isn’t that the argument of the world today? Morality is flipped around. Holding exclusively to the Biblical patterns of marriage (which we talked about in chapter 5) is claimed to be oppressive. On the other hand, the cultural norm of sexual autonomy is claimed to be liberating. Right is wrong and wrong is right. But something we’ve seen over and over in Proverbs is that true wisdom comes from God. True wisdom is not a wisdom we come up with in our hearts and minds, but one that is lived out in righteousness according to God’s commands. True religion, therefore, is one that conforms to God and his holiness. One thing that we’ve been considering all along is how the wisdom of this book, Proverbs, is fulfilled in Christ. We see that here. The adulteress says, “I had to offer sacrifices.” True religion says that none of our sacrifices make us righteous or holy. No, rather it’s the sacrifice of Christ for us that makes us righteous – not our righteousness but his. The adulteress says, “today, I have paid my vows.” But there’s only one vow that makes one righteous in the kingdom of God: that is the vow of faith in Christ. And the result of our faith in Christ’s sacrifice is a life devoted to pleasing and honoring God. We seek to do that in our thoughts, our words, and deeds, which, of course, includes our sexuality. Let me summarize temptation 3 this way: We’re tempted to conform our religion to our sexual desires, but true religion seeks to conform our sexual desires to God’s pattern of sexuality. Temptation 4 This next one, number 4, hits very close to home in our culture. It’s the appeal to “you.” The appeal to your desires and your pride and your vanity. She says in verse 15, “so now I have come out to meet you, to seek you eagerly, and I have found you.” Solomon says to his son, “do you hear how she’s enticing him? She’s going right to the heart of his sin.” His selfishness – His self-idolatry. One of the lies of sexual temptation is that you will be satisfied. You deserve the forbidden pleasure of the adulteress or whatever sexual desires. But that is the heart of lust. I covet. I want. I have to have it. Me, me, me. I’ve mentioned this phrase before - philosophers call it “expressive individualism.” It’s our culture’s obsession with self-expression and fulfillment. In the area of sexuality, our culture places a huge emphasis on individual autonomy and individual identity and the pursuit of our desires, whatever those desires may be. But beloved in Christ, your identity is in him. You are a new creation in him. You are a child of the king. Who you are is  who God made you to be and your redemption in Christ. You are beautiful and beloved. And that understanding gives us a deep humility and deep gratitude for God’s grace in Christ. The tempter wants you to exalt yourself and make you think that you are what it’s all about – especially in the area of sexuality. But faith in Christ turns that upside down. It’s not about you. It’s about God and it’s about us together in him. Temptation 5 Temptation 5. This one is the lie that lust equals love. In this next play-by-play analysis, Solomon points out… “Do you see how she’s appealing directly to his heart adultery?” She says, ‘Come let’s have our fill of love ‘til morning,’ verse 18. On my bed are expensive Egyptian linens and perfumes… including cinnamon! Actually, I’m not sure I get the cinnamon thing. I like cinnamon in my hot chocolate or cinnamon sugar on my toast ... not sure about it as a fragrance! But apparently it was an exotic imported spice at the time. Solomon was saying to his son, she will promise you love and intimacy, she will promise you everything but it is all empty and fleeting. There’s no commitment or promise. In fact, all that’s there is broken promises and commitments. In verse 19, we find out she’s actually married. So you see, it’s lies and false promises and broken commitments. None of it, my son, is true love. True love denies oneself. It is patient and kind and committed. True love finds fulfillment in a faithful marriage covenant. It overlooks wrongs. It is not resentful. It rejoices in truth. Everything about her words strikes at the heart of true love. We confuse true love for fleeting passions that have no lasting commitment. It’s coveting and lust outside of the bounds of what is good and right in the eyes of God. Temptation 6 And that brings us to the last temptation. #6. The temptation to deny the consequences. Verses 19 and 20. “For my husband is not at home; he’s gone on a long journey; he took a bag of money with him; at full moon he will come home.” In other words, you have nothing to worry about. No one will know. I promise to keep this a secret. This is just between you and me. Or in the case of pornography, it’s just me and the screen. It doesn’t hurt anyone, therefore, why not? But this final lie rejects our faith in Christ in a couple of ways. For one, we believe in a God who knows and sees all! Nothing is hidden from his sight, including all our sin – our thoughts, words, and deeds. It’s believing a lie to think that no one knows or will know. God knows. Second, it’s a sin against Christ, to whom we are united. If you are a believer in Christ, you have been grafted into him through the Holy Spirit. When you sin in the body, you are sinning against Christ. We read from 1 Corinthians 6 earlier in the service. The apostle Paul’s language is pretty pointed. He writes, “Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never!” He’s saying, all sin is sin against Christ, but especially sexual immorality. Why? Because we are joined to Christ. As he puts it, our bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit. Let us glorify God in our bodies. There are no secret sins nor sins without consequence. No, God knows and sees all. Closing Well, the game film has revealed a blowout game so far. And as the fourth quarter winds down, Solomon shows his son one last thing - The end of the game. And it’s tragic. Every step of the way, the naive young man fell for the trap. She led him like the pied piper to his demise. As Solomon put it, like an ox to the slaughter. Or a stag in a trap. Or a bird in a snare. All of it, unsuspecting… and as he put it, “he does not know that it will cost him his life.” It’s a grave warning. Maybe in the back of your mind, you are asking, “why has Solomon, why has God through Solomon, spent so much time on adultery and sexual sin?” A few years ago, I heard a pastor describe multiple conversations with young adults who had grown up in the church but who had walked away from their faith. Here’s the question he would ask them: “who are you sleeping with?” In every case it wasn’t an intellectual disagreement, it was the path they wanted to go down – this path. You see, Solomon knows the temptations his sons will face. He knows the heart of man and he knows that of all the paths that lead away from the wisdom of God, it is this path, the path of sexual sins, which most often leads people away from truth and life. That’s why he concludes, “Let not your heart turn aside to her ways…” Why? He concludes, “Her house is the way to Sheol (the grave), going down to the chamber of death.” It is the path that leads to death. Well, as we wrap up these personal and sensitive matters, I don’t want to leave you with such a downer. Instead, let me leave you with some encouraging reminders from these three chapters. ·       First, there’s a better way. The pattern of marriage that God has established from creation is beautiful and it is one of commitment. It’s even the pattern that reflects the relationship that God has with his people, the church. ·       Second, the forgiveness and love of God in Christ is for any and all sin. That, of course, includes this personal area in life. Speaking of “going down to the chamber of death” Jesus is the one who has taken that path for you. Our God redeems and restores when we come to him by faith. ·       Third, he gives us new hearts. In him and through his Spirit, we can fill our hearts and minds with the Gospel instead of our lustful desires. As we consider God in all his glory and grace, he’s at work sanctifying us… as we look to him. ·       And last, we have one another to help us through our struggles and temptations. Together, we can build each other up, remind one another of these truths, and walk side by side on our journey of faith. May God call to mind all these things as we walk the path of wisdom in our sexuality. Amen. Prayer

Proverbs 7Warning Against the Adulteress [1] My son, keep my words and treasure up my commandments with you; [2] keep my commandments and live; keep my teaching as the apple of your eye; [3] bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart. [4] Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” and call insight your intimate friend, [5] to keep you from the forbidden woman, from the adulteress with her smooth words. [6] For at the window of my house I have looked out through my lattice, [7] and I have seen among the simple, I have perceived among the youths, a young man lacking sense, [8] passing along the street near her corner, taking the road to her house [9] in the twilight, in the evening, at the time of night and darkness. [10] And behold, the woman meets him, dressed as a prostitute, wily of heart. [11] She is loud and wayward; her feet do not stay at home; [12] now in the street, now in the market, and at every corner she lies in wait. [13] She seizes him and kisses him, and with bold face she says to him, [14] “I had to offer sacrifices, and today I have paid my vows; [15] so now I have come out to meet you, to seek you eagerly, and I have found you. [16] I have spread my couch with coverings, colored linens from Egyptian linen; [17] I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. [18] Come, let us take our fill of love till morning; let us delight ourselves with love. [19] For my husband is not at home; he has gone on a long journey; [20] he took a bag of money with him; at full moon he will come home.” [21] With much seductive speech she persuades him; with her smooth talk she compels him. [22] All at once he follows her, as an ox goes to the slaughter, or as a stag is caught fast [23] till an arrow pierces its liver; as a bird rushes into a snare; he does not know that it will cost him his life. [24] And now, O sons, listen to me, and be attentive to the words of my mouth. [25] Let not your heart turn aside to her ways; do not stray into her paths, [26] for many a victim has she laid low, and all her slain are a mighty throng. [27] Her house is the way to Sheol, going down to the chambers of death. (ESV)

Our sermon text this morning is Proverbs 6:20-35. That is found on page 630 in the provided Bibles. Solomon is returning to the sensitive but important topic of adultery. This is his second lesson on the issue. In Chapter 5, he introduced it by making the case for faithfulness in marriage, faithfulness in the pattern of marriage that God designed. When we were in chapter 5, one important thing we discussed is the forgiveness that we have in Christ. Believers in Jesus are forgiven of all our sin. And that includes our sexual sin. In him, we have redemption, and in him we are being restored and renewed. Keep that in mind as we continue to navigate God’s Word in these matters. As we now come to these verses in chapter 6, Solomon shifts his focus to two things. 1.) Where adultery begins, and 2) the cost of adultery. So, as I read, listen for the cause and the consequences of infidelity. Let’s now come to God’s Word. Stand Reading of Proverbs 6:20-35 Prayer In the early 20th century One of the great British journalists was Malcolm Muggeridge. He served in World War 1, graduated from Cambridge, lived in India for a period of time, and edited several periodicals in England. For most of his life, Muggeridge was agnostic to God. That means he didn’t care about or consider God; but then later in life, Muggeridge converted to Christianity. In his diary and letters, he often reflected back on the things that eventually led him to Christ. One of those was his struggle with lust. In a letter to his father, Muggeridge recounted one suchincident in India when he was younger. At the time, Muggeridge had fantasized about infidelity… the allure of adultery. As Proverbs chapter 9 puts it, how “stolen water is sweet.” Muggeridge had never acted on his impulse, though. That is until one morning while swimming in a local River in India. Across the river he saw the silhouette of a woman bathing. It’s then that his heart stared racing with what he called “wild unreasonableness which is called passion.” This was his moment, he thought. And so, he began to swim towards her. Not only did he struggle against the water but also the current of his own conscience. Yet he continued. When he reached the other shore, he emerged from the river and came to a shocking reality. The woman was a leper. Her nose had rotted off. Her body was covered in sores all over and the tips of her fingers were gone. His first reaction was to think, “what a wretched woman this is.” But he soon realized, it wasn’t the woman who was wretched, no, instead, it was his own wretched heart. As Muggeridge recounted that event, he wrote “If only I could paint, I'd make a wonderful picture of a passionate boy running after that and call it: 'The lusts of the flesh.'" Well, that story captures the warning of Proverbs 6:20-35. Yes, a big portion of these verses focus on the consequences of actual adultery, but here Solomon identifies where it all begins… it all begins with the lust in our hearts. This morning, we’re going to approach these verses a little differently. Usually, as you know, we work logically through the verses section by section. Occasionally, we’ve looked at themes we find throughout. But this morning, we’re going to start in the middle, work our way to the end, and then circle back to the beginning. So, I’m saving verses 20-24 to the end. The reason is, these opening verses help us as we each confront our sinful desires. So, I thought it would be good to actually end with the beginning. Three points this morning. 1. The Cause of Sexual Immorality – That is verse 25. 2. The Cost of Sexual Immorality – Verse 26 to the end of the chapter 3. The Cure to Sexual Immorality – Back up to verses 20-24. Cure may not be the best word. But it helps my alliteration. The cause of, the cost of, and the cure to sexual immorality. 1. The Cause of Sexual Immorality So number 1 - the cause. Jump down to verse 25. This verse captures Solomon’s message to his son. After he had just told him to love God’s commands, he warns him about the forbidden woman, and then he says this: “Do not desire her beauty in your heart, and do not let her capture you with her eyelashes.” He’s speaking about that internal lust of the heart. Sometimes we call that heart adultery. Jesus refers to this in his Sermon on the Mount. If someone looks at a woman with lustful thoughts (or for that matter, looks at a man with lustful thoughts), he or she is breaking the seventh commandment – committing adultery in his or her heart. And verse 25 is very interesting. It’s not what we would expect. Because if you look at the rest of the chapter, Solomon is identifying the consequence of breaking verse 25’s command… but those consequences are connected to physical adultery, not heart adultery. In other words, what we expect verse 25 to say is: “Do not commit adultery with her.” But Solomon didn’t say that. Instead, he goes back to the beginning. He goes back to where adultery starts. And he basically says, do not lust in your heart for her. His premise is that our desires, our unholy desires lead down the path to adultery. Solomon wants his sons to recognize where adultery begins. Unless they recognize its source, and deal with their desires, he’s saying, they will fall prey to adultery and its tragic consequences. Really, all sin begins in the heart, but it’s especially true for adultery. Let me expand that to include all sexual sin - what I mean is any sexual activity outside of God’s ordained pattern of marriage between one man and one woman. We talked about that pattern in chapter 5. All sexual sin begins with lustful desires in our heart. It doesn’t start the moment that it’s acted upon. Verse 25 alludes to an external attraction. For boys and men that’s where it often begins – not always but often. Solomon knows this. His father, King David, experienced that desire and then acted upon it. For girls and women often it’s an emotional connection – not always but often. Whatever it is, someone is attractive to you in some way. The problem comes in when that other person is married or you are married and the other person is not your spouse. Perhaps you justify your thoughts. You think, my spouse is not satisfying my physical or emotional needs. Or I know she is married but there’s something about her I desire. Whatever it is, whether you are single or married, you begin to have lustful thoughts in your heart. In your mind, you violate God’s commandment against adultery. And let me add another category to which I believe verse 25 speaks. This category doesn’t just include unholy and sinful desires, but also in a way acting upon them. I’m referring to pornography. Maybe your sinful desires led you down that path or maybe you were exposed to it which led to unholy desires. But what porn does is pervert what God created as good within a Biblical marriage, and instead it corrupts that design to suit our own lustful passions. Not only that, but it objectifies someone else made in God’s image for your own pleasure. The difficult truth today is the pervasiveness of porn. A recent study revealed that 64% of Christian men and 15% of Christian women say they watch porn at least once a month. Let me ask this. What would the statistic be if the question focused on adulterous thoughts about someone else in the last month? Would it be 90% of Christian men and 60% percent of Christian women? Perhaps higher. What verse 25 is saying is that our desires, when they are outside of God’s pattern, are unholy and sinful. Now, to be sure, I’m not saying that the temptation itself is sin. No, being tempted is not sin. Rather it’s when we act on the temptation in our mind, when it becomes sin. Verse 25 is using the word “desire” to mean coveting or lusting after something forbidden. This is very contrary to our culture’s message today. Some have called the moment of history that we are in “the sexual revolution.” One of the tenants of this revolution is that our desires in this area are not sinful, but rather they define who we each are. We are not “binary” as the revolution says. Some of you will know what that means. In response, there’s a critical element of the Christian worldview that we need to understand. It’s that when sin entered the world, everything was affected. The universe experienced corruption. Life itself experienced corruption. Our bodies deteriorate. Disease entered the world. And our hearts and minds were corrupted by sin. That includes our desires, which have also been corrupted. What I’m saying is that having a desire does not legitimate that desire as good or ok. To be sure, not every desire is sinful, but desires that are contrary to God’s creation pattern or desires that are idolatrous or adulterous, like verse 25, go against what is holy and right and good. I want to be sensitive not to dismiss the reality of those desires or the difficulty of the struggle. As some of you know, it’s complicated and painful. But let me encourage you - the Christian message is one of redemption and restoration. Each of us has different struggles in our lives – maybe it’s this, maybe it’s something else. But one thing that the Christian can hold on to is that God is at work in us, in this life. Over time through prayer and the community of faith and the Word, God through his Spirit helps. He’s conforming us more each day to the image of Christ. That sanctifying work in us includes our sexual desires and lust. And we can hold onto the hope of eternity when we will be fully restored one day, body and mind. I know I’ve said a lot and, of course, more could be said. So far, we’ve been dwelling on verse 25. But let’s continue now on to the cost. 2. The Cost of Sexual Immorality This is point number 2. The Cost of Sexual Immorality. Verses 26 through 35 focus in on the cost. Really, as I mentioned, these verse are referring to the consequences of full-blown adultery. It’s where our unrighteous sexual desire lead. One of the things we do in this area of sin is we minimize the cost. We only think in the moment and we don’t think about the consequences of our actions. Solomon captures that in some of these verses. For example, in verse 26, he compares the cost of prostitution – only a loaf of bread - to the cost of adultery – your precious life. In other words, adultery may not cost you a penny of your money, but it will cost you your life. Let me comment on two brief things here. ·      First, Solomon is not condoning prostitution. In fact, in the next chapter, the adulteress acts like a prostitute. And prostitution is condemned in several places in Scripture. ·      Second, these verses are not identifying women as the problem. Ive mentioned that before, but wanted to reaffirm it. No, Solomon is writing to his son, so he emphasizes the adulteress. Add to that, the focus in on his son’s heart and his actions, not the forbidden woman. What he is saying is that the cost is extremely high. The two questions in verses 27 and 28 correlate sexual immorality with fire – you will get burned. In verse 29, Solomon gets really explicit – He says, “no one who commits adultery will go unpunished.” And then in verse 30, he contrasts adultery with stealing. He reveals that the consequences of adultery are far worse. It’s like this: suppose someone in your community steals food to satisfy his hunger. As wrong as that is, after he is caught, he can be restored. He can pay seven times of what he stole… and if he does, the community will be whole again with him. But not so with adultery. No. Verse 33 – his “his wounds and dishonor and his disgrace will not be wiped away,” it says. Adultery fractures communities and families. There’s a lasting and painful mark all around. It includes the anguish of deep betrayal and shame. If children are involved, the impact on them often lasts their lifetime. As a reminder, Solomon is not saying that God and others can’t forgive. No, as we considered in chapter 5, his father, King David was forgiven. Rather Solomon is speaking about the tragedy and consequences on a family and the community. Some of you are painfully aware of the cost. Perhaps because of your own infidelity, or a spouse or a parent or child or in-law. You know the heartache. Perhaps you know the comfort of Christ in that situation or forgiveness or restoration in him. At times there’s tremendous restoration in a marriage or in a community. But often times adultery leaves a trail of hurt and sadness and grief. And note how Solomon ends. The last two verses. He warns his sons about revenge. You see, the sin of adultery often results in wrath from the husband of the adulteress or the wife of the adulterer. Nothing you can do or give him, Solomon warns, will satisfy his anger. The costs is high - destruction, pain, shame, disgrace, and revenge. And remember, he’s speaking about the costs sexual immorality that has been acted upon. But what the warning about the cost does is raise the stakes of our sinful desires. The lust of our hearts if unchecked will lead down the path to damage and destruction. My opening illustration about Malcolm Muggeridge is in some way, very personal. In the mid-1990s, I moved to Atlanta to work for Ravi Zacharias ministries. I worked there for a few years until 1999. During my time there, I heard Ravi use that illustration a few times to highlight our sinful hearts, or as he put it, our lecherous hearts. Sadly, many of you know his story. Ravi passed away from cancer in 2020. Shortly after, he was accused of sexual impropriety and abuse. I say accused because he’s not alive to defend himself and some of the facts are disputed. Nonetheless, enough is known and it’s a painful illustration of how lustful desires lead down the path to immortality. His sin broke relationships in his family… it destroyed a ministry… and it undermined the faith of so many who considered Ravi a spiritual father here on earth. Brothers and sisters, the cost of sexual immorality is severe, and it all begins in the heart. 3. The Cure to Sexual Immorality The cause, the cost, and now, point number 3 – The Cure to Sexual Immorality. When I say “cure” I’m referring to how we overcome our internal sinful desires. Or how we protect ourselves. Solomon writes this because he wants to protect his son. Back up in verse 24, he uses the word “preserve.” He wants to preserve his son from falling prey to sexual temptation. Of course, the question we ask is “how?” Well, before we get to God’s answer in these verses, let me first tell you how not to protect yourself. The answer is not to put up fences and create rules to follow and get accountability partners. I can see some of you squirming in your chairs right now. “but but but wait, I find those helpful.” Well, maybe I overstated that. But I did not say those things were unhelpful. I’ve heard good things about the app Covenant Eyes, and certainly having someone who is asking you hard questions will be helpful. But remember, your desires, your lust begins in your heart. Any of those external strategies are not going to help unless you begin by addressing your heart. Your unholy desires spring up from a heart that is sinful. What I’m saying is that whatever heart adultery that is in your mind is not going to be resolved by just putting up fences and creating rules. That’s why Solomon begins with the heart. Look at what he says to his son in verse 21: Bind the commandments “on your heart always,” he says. You see, he’s not saying obey the commandments because these are God’s commandments. Yes, we should seek obey God’s commandments because they are God’s commandments. But ultimately, they are not going to change your heart. No, you need to start with a heart that love’s God and his commandments. Do you see the difference? We start from the inside out. This is not a new aspect of our Proverbs study. Almost every chapter has included loving God’s commandments from our heart. We love God’s commandments because we love God and he loves us. If God and his commandments are just external, then our hearts will wander to all kinds of lusts and desires. On the outside, perhaps we appear righteous and holy, but on the inside, our hearts are wildly adulterous. But when we have God and his commandments in our hearts, look at how Solmon describes the effect. Verse 22 – “When you walk, they will lead you; when you lie down, they will watch over you; and when you awake, they will talk with you.” I love it, even when you sleep, your heart and mind will be  filled with God and his commandments. And in verse 23, after describing the commandments as a “lamp” and “light,” it says, “the reproofs of discipline are the way of life.” Way of life. A life dedicated to God and his wisdom. So, how do you fight the battle of the lusts of your flesh? You do it by loving God and making his way the way of your life. I’ve had Ephesians 6 on my mind all week - the section we read earlier in the service. How do you fight the battle of sexual desires and stand firm? You put on the whole armor of God. ·      You put on the breastplate of righteousness. Not your righteousness but the righteousness of Christ in you – the fulness of his purity. ·      You wear the belt of truth and the sword of the Spirit which is God’s Word. That means through the Holy Spirit you trust the truth of God which he has revealed in his Word. Truth about the world, about creation, about what is good and right… truth about sin and the effects of sin. ·      And Ephesians 6 continues, you wear the shoes of the Gospel, the shield of faith and the helmet of salvation. You constantly remind yourself of what Christ has done for you in his Gospel. Salvation in him - the grace that you have which you receive by faith. That you are forgiven and cleansed of all our sin, which includes your lust and your sexual sins. It's a beautiful place to begin because it’s a beautiful thing! What I’m saying is that to fight the battle against your sinful lust, you need to replace your unholy heart desires with holy desires. And there’s nothing greater than to look to God and to look to what he has done for you in Christ. When you embrace his Gospel, and rejoice in the Cross, and glory in his resurrection and all the redemption and hope that you have in him, he will fill you with a passion to reflect his righteousness and seek his commands. Instead of your heart being filled with lustful thoughts, more and more it will be filled with glorious thoughts – thoughts about the Gospel and God’s grace and forgiveness in your life. Will you be cured from any and all lustful thoughts in this life? No, but through the Spirit, you will be enabled more and more to put to death those desires, to listen to his conviction… and when temptation comes, to turn away from it and back to the Gospel of grace. In closing, there will come a day when those in Christ will be cured from all impure thoughts, all sinful desires, and the consequences of our sin. And it’s a day we can long for and anticipate with joy. And in the battle of the flesh, today, we can fight with the full armor of God, knowing the cause of sexual immorality, it’s cost, and the ultimate cure. May the Lord help us each day in this battle.