Proverbs 1 -- The beginning of Wisdom

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1 The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel: 2 for gaining wisdom and instruction; for understanding words of insight; 3 for receiving instruction in prudent behavior, doing what is right and just and fair; 4 for giving prudence to those who are simple, knowledge and discretion to the young— 5 let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance— 6 for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise. 7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. There is a great misconception about what “wisdom” is. For example, some will think that a guy like Bernie Madoff who was head of Nasdaq and ran a billion dollar fund and was “highly successful” had wisdom. That is a mistake, looking at “success” and equating it to wisdom is foolish. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. When Bernie Madoff appears before the judgement seat of Christ how will his “success” look then? When it turns out the work of his hands was built upon a foundation of lies and deceit, what then? It would have been much better for him if he had been a struggling employee his whole life scraping to get by. The foundation, the rock we stand on, the first step in any plan of “wisdom” is a fear of the Lord. How will this play out when I stand before the Lord? Second, notice how Solomon combines this first concept with the contrasting concept of “fools despise wisdom and instruction”. Throughout your life you will hear plans and schemes from people, and often you are unsure. So ask them, “how will this look when we stand before the judgement seat of Christ?” If they are fools they will despise that question and they will despise you for asking. That is all you need to know to realize they are fools you want nothing to do with them or their plans. On the other hand suppose you knew Orville and Wilbur Wright, two bicycle repair men and their plans to build an airplane. Maybe others are mocking them saying they have guys who have Phd’s in engineering and large government grants working on this, who are you? Others would mock and say “if God meant man to fly He would have given us wings”. But first question, how will it look at the judgement seat of Christ if these guys work on a plan to build an airplane? I don’t see how that could be a problem, and who knows, if they are successful God may commend them. Second question, OK, what is your strategy for designing an airplane? They tell you they are studying birds and are going to imitate their aerodynamic shape. OK, Bible says to be imitators of God, that sounds good to me. Next question, why is everyone else unsuccessful, what is it that you are doing differently? Everyone else is focused on increasing power so the plane flies, we see the main issue as developing the ability to steer the plane and maneuver it during takeoff, landing and flight. OK, makes sense, how are you going to test this? We found that Kitty Hawk has the strongest winds, we’ll do research and development on that beach. This appears prudent, well thought out, with a plan that is not contrary to God. According to the Bible it only takes a little faith to move mountains. So wisdom would not have a problem with supporting these two. Besides, trusting in Phd’s and money is no different from trusting in idols and man. To fear God means to respect the power of faith.

 

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8 Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching. 9 They are a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck.

The Bible is a garland of grace for your head and a chain to adorn your neck. The wisdom is there and the faith to do great works is there as well. James said if any of you lack wisdom ask of God who gives liberally and upbraideth not. God is not going to upbraid the Wright brothers for being audacious. Pray for wisdom and He will give it to you liberally just as He did to them. In Colossians Paul said that “all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Him”. Jesus Christ is the incarnated word. All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in that word.

10 My son, if sinful men entice you, do not give in to them. 11 If they say, “Come along with us; let’s lie in wait for innocent blood, let’s ambush some harmless soul; 12 let’s swallow them alive, like the grave, and whole, like those who go down to the pit; 13 we will get all sorts of valuable things and fill our houses with plunder; 14 cast lots with us; we will all share the loot”— 15 my son, do not go along with them, do not set foot on their paths; 16 for their feet rush into evil, they are swift to shed blood.

Here is the next lesson. You don’t need to grow up with Ted Bundy to know psychopaths and sociopaths. No doubt during your lifetime you will bump into and meet quite a few. They may not be serial killers, but the principle is the same. They lie in wait for an innocent blood, they ambush some harmless soul. They have a reptilian brain like a snake. They have no hesitation about doing evil. They have no qualms about stealing or even killing. Think of them as serpents in human clothing. You will know them because they “entice you”. You think they are your friend, but in reality they are using you. Don’t give in, let your no be no.

17 How useless to spread a net where every bird can see it! 18 These men lie in wait for their own blood; they ambush only themselves! 19 Such are the paths of all who go after ill-gotten gain; it takes away the life of those who get it.

Look at Bernie Madoff, look at Ted Bundy. In their day these were two of the most successful psychopaths there was. Yet their schemes and crimes took away their own blood. At the judgement seat of Christ they will be ambushed. Yes they both got “caught” before that, but that doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things. If we live for eternity 30 years, 80 years, it is trivial compared to eternity. To God a thousand years is as a day, based on that 50 years is as an hour. At best these crooks operate for an hour before they are ambushed.

20 Out in the open wisdom calls aloud, she raises her voice in the public square; 21 on top of the wall she cries out, at the city gate she makes her speech: 22 “How long will you who are simple love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge? 23 Repent at my rebuke! Then I will pour out my thoughts to you, I will make known to you my teachings.

That is the difference between wisdom and foolishness. The fools whisper in secret, come up with their “secret” plans and schemes. They creep around in the shadows. Wisdom is out there in the sunlight, in the broad daylight, crying out. Nothing is in secret, you get to live your life in the light. Also, “repent at my rebuke!” Consider 9/11, this was a rebuke of God. He took away our hedge of protection. Why? Because we removed God from the US. The proper response is to repent at His rebuke. Isaiah 9:8 The Lord has sent a message against Jacob; it will fall on Israel. 9 All the people will know it— Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria—who say with pride and arrogance of heart, 10 “The bricks have fallen down, but we will rebuild with dressed stone; the fig trees have been felled, but we will replace them with cedars.” We saw this with 9/11. That attack was a message sent to the US. Your hedge of protection has been breached, enemies are now within the country. The whole world saw this. But, what was their response? Instead of repentance it was defiance. The governor of NY said “Today we take twenty tons of Adirondack granite, the bedrock of our state, and place it as the foundation, the bedrock of a new symbol of American strength and confidence.”1 He also said “Today, we the heirs of that revolutionary spirit of defiance, lay this cornerstone...”2 There was no repentance, only pride and arrogance of the heart. They proclaimed that the bricks have fallen down but they would rebuild with quarried stones.

24 But since you refuse to listen when I call

1 Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, “1,776-Foot Freedom Tower will be World’s Tallest Building, Reclaim New York’s Skyline”.
2 “Remarks: Governor George E. Pataki, Laying of the Cornerstone for Freedom Tower, July 4, 2004,”http://www.renewnyc.com/content/speeches/Gov_speech_Freedom_Tower.pdf (accessed June 21, 2011) and no one pays attention when I stretch out my hand,

25 since you disregard all my advice and do not accept my rebuke, 26 I in turn will laugh when disaster strikes you; I will mock when calamity overtakes you— 27 when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind, when distress and trouble overwhelm you.

2020, numerous news accounts were describing this year as “apocalyptic” and “the end of the world” until it became so old they started calling it “the year like no other”.

28 “Then they will call to me but I will not answer; they will look for me but will not find me, 29 since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the Lord. 30 Since they would not accept my advice and spurned my rebuke, 31 they will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes. 32 For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them; 33 but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm.”

First, fear the Lord. Whatever you do or have done, how will that look when you appear before the Judgement seat of Christ? Second, repent at His rebuke. Listen and obey to what He says.