In the book of Proverbs there is a constant contrast being made between heavenly wisdom and earthly wisdom.
(James 3: 13- 18)
And we as Christians need to seek this heavenly wisdom.
This wisdom will be our safe-guard in live. Safe-guards are important in every area of life. We understand that we need it in traffic, we understand that we need it for our bodies, we understand we need it in our jobs, so we need it all the more in our spiritual lives. We all do want to lead lives that are free of true heart-ache and pain. God can give this. It is that simple.
Now, we do not need to mix this up with the fact that we all suffer. Suffering is universal.
The Bible helps us to understand that the rain falls on the just and the unjust. The Bible tells us that Christians suffer.
(Matt. 5: 45; Rom. 8: 22- 23)
But in this suffering we have a God and Father of all comfort (2 Cor. 1) and who is constant and true.
He wants to shower our lives with these things that are good. (Deut. 28; Matt. 6: 25- 34)
So He offers us heavenly wisdom, heavenly knowledge and heavenly understanding.
When we give ourselves over to that wisdom, beautiful things are bound to happen.
In this chapter other words are being used in connection to this heavenly wisdom. Words like knowledge and understanding.
Understanding: H8394 tâbûn
from H995; intelligence; by implication an argument; by extension caprice: - discretion, reason, skilfulness, understanding, wisdom.
Knowledge H998 bîynâh
From H995; understanding: - knowledge, meaning, X perfectly, understanding, wisdom.
The book of Proverbs has a lot to say about our wisdom, our knowledge and our understanding. These principles have to do with our mind. They have to do with our thinking.
Rom 1:28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
Here we find a verse in which God shows how people who do not want to retain God in their knowledge, He will give them over to a reprobate mind. And a reprobate mind is filled with eartly wisdom and that wisdom leads to disaster and death.
We are in a fight. We are in a continual fight. Our minds are in a fight. That is why we need to pull down all things that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. When folks become Christians the earthly wisdom needs to go out to make room for the heavenly wisdom.
2 Co 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
And so, Christians have been given treasures from God. Treasures to fill their mind with. Treasures that will keep us safe. As much as we have rules in traffic, so that everybody will arrive home safely, we need these rules in our spiritual lives so that we will arrive home safely.
In Christ we have everything that can stand against earthy wisdom and we are to bring all our thoughts into captivity of Christ.
We are to “hide” this heavenly wisdom in our hearts. We are to search for it. This hiding is further explained that we are to seek for her as for silver and search for it as a hidden treasure.
David wrote:
Psa 119:99 I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation.
Wow, this is a wonderful thought. Gods testimonies are better then all the teachers that David had. The testimonies of the Lord are a true treasure for the heart.
What about our Bibles, they should be open on our diningroom-table, it should be open as we are eating, in all the rooms of our houses should be an open Bible, but most off all we have to make room in our hearts for the Bible. The word of our Lord and Father.
God gives us a constant picture of seeking Him with all that we are.
Jesus spoke the words in Matt. 22: 37, that we are to love the Lord with all our hearts, souls and minds. What is left out here? So we ask.
In the gospels Jesus spoke that we are to seek the kingdom like finding a treasure.
That is what our lives should be.
Mat 13:44 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.
We are to seek His kingdom. But before we seek the kingdom we are to seek the king.
When we do not know the king, we will not seek the kingdom!!!!
We should know the king, if we know Him then we will understand that He is the source off all that is good. When we know this, we have the reason and the key to seek Him with all that we are. We need to know Him!!!!
So, we are to seek Him. Jesus said in Matt. 6: 33
Mat 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
We read that God has stored up for those that seek. These things are given freely by Him and through Him.
God is the source off all that is good.
Throughout the scriptures we always see the connection between these two.
Being a child of God and then a seeker of heavenly wisdom is the connection to what God will provide.
If we seek Him He will fill us with heavenly wisdom, heavenly understanding and heavenly knowledge. And these will serve as our protection in life.
See, when we are careful in traffic, when we observe the rules it will bring us home safely.
So it is in our lives with God, when we use the good rules it will be our safe-guard.
However, we all need to learn this. We have learned to deal with matters in an earthly way, as Christians we need to start dealing with life in heavenly wisdom.
Our Father is a Father who wants to supply us and supply us with abundance. First off all in the spiritual realm but also in the physical realm. See also verse 20- 22.
He surrounds His children as He has surrounded Jerusalem.The text shows that those who will seek after these things, to them God will be a shield, He will guard there paths and he will preserve their ways. So, God is not only the giver of blessings when we seek Him but He also makes Himself our shelter.
He surrounds His children as He has surrounded Jerusalem.
Psa 125:2 As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the LORD is round about his people from henceforth even for ever.
The Lord will surround His people, He will protect them.
As we seek Him in all that we do, as we are walking in the light (1 John 1: 6- 10)
So God will continue to protect them that are His. Nobody can separate us from His power and love. We just need to search out this heavenly wisdom. Wisdom that will protect us.
This heavenly wisdom will deliver us from 1) the way of evil, 2) from the person who speaks perverse things, 3) from the one who leaves the paths of uprightness and 3) from the immoral woman.
The text is giving us four areas in which we will be delivered.
Being delivered means that we will not get in contact with these principles, we won't get affected by it. It means that we will be able to recognize those things for what they truly are and we will stay away from them.
When we are walking the heavenly road it will automatically keep us from the earthly road.
That is simple and yet hard. Simple in the sense that is the way things work, hard because it has to do with temptation and temptation remains a pull for all of us.
Walking the heavenly road will deliver us from the person who speaks perverse (earthly) things.
We are also delivered from them that are a part of the faith and leave it.
So, we are delivered not only from the influences of outsiders but also from insiders.
As we walk the Christian way we are confronted by outsiders and insiders.
God will deliver us from both.
Listen to the words of Paul!!! He talked about outsiders and insiders.
Act 20:29 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
Act 20:30 Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.
So God promises us deliverance from all areas and all places. From wrong outsiders and wrong insiders.
Since this writing was to the son of the preacher he has things to say about the immoral woman and how Gods wisdom is a safe-guard against her.
This immoral woman is called a seductress woman who flatters with her words.
Temptation is always offered in the best possible way, so there is seduction and flattering. However, the child of God recognizes these things for their true worth and he understands that these things are only a way to bring sin and death in the life of a child of God.
See, wrong always appears right. Let us never forget thatHeavenly wisdom will lead us to truly understanding and to be able to make a difference between right and wrong, even though it can appear good.
See, wrong always appears right. Let us never forget that.
If wrong appears wrong it would not be tempting, however wrong always appears right.
She is further described as someone who:
The woman who does this is someone that is acting foolishly and she is decribed as someone who forgets.
Covenants that are made are important. When we do not hold to our promises we become a liar. And God hates lying. (Prov. 6: 16, 17)
Lying is an abomination to the Lord. And the woman who does this is a liar to her companion of her youth and also towards God.
It further illustrates how important marriage is to God. Marriage is Gods institution and it is not to be frifled with. God instituted marriage in the garden when he said: “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh”.
God wants a man and woman in marriage to cleave and to be one flesh.
No other flesh should ever become a part of this unity. That is Gods design.
The ways of this woman lead to death.
When a woman has become a seductress and flattering and we follow it, it will lead to death and nothing else but death. How many man could testify to this!!! It works addictively.
Heavenly wisdom can be a safe-guard against it. How important this becomes!!!
What does this mean? God gives His children spiritual and physical blessings.
One of these physical blessings is that we will dwell in the land. How do we know this?
Exo 20:12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
God gave the law unto the Israelites and God promised them a long life in the land which God gave them. God promised them the good of the land and a long life.
If we move on to the book of Psalms we find the same promise being made.
In this Psalm we also see the connection being made between a long life and inheriting the land. We find it in the words of Jesus, in the beatitudes.
Then we find it in the book of Ephesians.
Eph 6:1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.
Eph 6:2 Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;)
Eph 6:3 That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.
And then we find it in the letter of Peter.
1Pe 3:10 For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:
So we find that doing the will of the Lord is giving us a long life and good days.
In closing we see in this chapter the importance of heavenly wisdom. And how we all need it.
It serves us in so many ways and it makes our lives a blessing to ourselves and to others.
It will glorify our Lord and with that we should be concerned.
He is holy, let us be holy.
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