Wisdom Prizes Wisdom, Always, Pr 4.5-7, 26-27

“Wisdom Prizes Wisdom, Always”

Proverbs 4:5-7, 26-27

Thinking about recent stories:

How do you constructively correct a child when nothing seems to work and you’re at the end of your rope?

How do you work through a marriage conflict when both sides feel so angry and deeply wronged?

What do you do when you feel stressed, overwhelmed, judged, disheartened, angered? How do you handle your emotions? How do you counsel yourself?

In so many ways, life is filled with questions that require not just knowledge (even Biblical knowledge) but wisdom.

Last week we started a series on Wisdom in Proverbs and said that we don’t just want a collection of wise sayings. We want to gain the worldview/mindset of Proverbs. Wisdom is a theological worldview: our view of GodàHeartàBehavior.

I. Wisdom is to value wisdom

Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding,
for the gain from her is better than gain from silver and her profit better than gold. (3:13-14)

Get wisdom; get insight; do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth.
Do not forsake her, and she will keep you; love her, and she will guard you.
The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight. (4:5-7)

Take my instruction instead of silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold,
for wisdom is better than jewels, and all that you may desire cannot compare with her. (8:10-11)

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. (1:7)

Wisdom values wisdom. Wisdom is precious, profitable, a blessing, more precious than silver or gold or jewels. A wise person seeks her, desires her, loves her. Fools do not value wisdom.

Proverbs teaches discernment and desire. Here she is teaching desire, to desire wisdom.

What do we value, what does our society value? It chooses fame, fortune, pleasure, not wisdom.

From a book/website explaining Americans culture/values to people from other countries,

The Ten Commandments of American Culture

1. You can't argue with success. (Be a success.)

Success is probably the highest value in American life. Winning.

2. Live and let live. (Be tolerant.)

Americans love freedom and privacy. In a way that means we love to be left alone. We don't want anyone interfering in our affairs, giving us advice, or trying to run our lives.

3. Time flies when you're having fun. (Have lots of fun.)

Entertainment saturated. Shopping, learning to read should be fun.

4. Shop till you drop.

Shopping as recreation, sport, skill. “We are perhaps the ultimate consumer society.”

5. Just do it.

People of action, on the go, don’t like to wait, don’t like getting permission or informing others—just do it.

6. You are only young once. (Do whatever you can while you have the chance.)

Ties with freedom, fun, initiative and time. Enjoy life to the full, taking advantage of opportunities.

7. Enough is enough. (Stand up for your rights.)

Human/individual rights and dignity are basic. We don’t want people to interfere (2), so we’ll push back.

8. Rules are made to be broken. (Think for yourself.)

Rules are someone else’s idea of how we should do things, may not always be appropriate for our situation now. So think for yourself.

9. Time is money. (Don't waste time.)

Very time and money conscience. Wasting time is as bad as wasting money, so we’re always overscheduled and in a hurry.

10. God helps those who help themselves. (Work hard.)

For most Americans, God is less a concern than success, money and time. Hard-work is the key to success.

Do you think this is a fair description? It would be interesting to hear what other nationalities think of Americans. How much is it true of you?

What’s missing? We do not value wisdom. It is not sought or valued the way we seek or value success or independence or fun or materialism. We have movies on courage, romance, individuality, but wisdom? No. Consider Tiger Woods: so talented, so rich and famous, so accomplished, and so foolish. Yet he is our celebrity. Our culture admires, is attracted to, even envious of people like Tiger Woods.

A quick little game: I’m going to list some qualities and take note of the first person that enters your mind: rich, intelligent, attractive, accomplished . . . wise.

My guess is we struggle to come up with a face for wise (me too). It’s not something we celebrate, look for. Can you think of any celebrity who is a celebrity because of his/her wisdom (Dr. Phil)? We probably don’t even think in those terms: this person or act was wise/foolish. Proverbs urges us to seek and value wisdom, and our society (we) rarely even use the term/category.

1. Desire wisdom, in contrast to our society.

The first step is to recognize how much we do not value wisdom, to see that this instruction is for us. This is not “Yeah, yeah, I know that.” Proverbs is trying to create a desire for wisdom, a desire that we lack.

Hopefully we’ll all be a little more motivated, genuinely interested to read and study Proverbs, that together we seek wisdom.

Just this week, I found myself feeling very much at a loss. I don’t know what to do or how to handle certain situations; I didn’t know how to handle myself. I lack wisdom (lots of other things too).

Does this tell us anything about wisdom? In a sense, this can seem rather circular: wisdom is to seek wisdom. Isn’t this like defining a word with the word itself?

But I think this instruction has deeper insight. Wisdom involves recognition of our own ignorance and foolishness. Wisdom is having the humility to know that we don’t know.

2. Wisdom recognizes our own ignorance and foolishness.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. (3:5)

Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. (3:7)

The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice. (12:15)

Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him. (26:12)

Wisdom has a teachable spirit, seeks to learn more, listens to advice. Wisdom seeks wisdom. Foolish is the one who think he knows it all. Foolish is the one who despises wisdom. We know of people who think they’re always right. They don’t question themselves, assume other’s don’t know or understand.

One of those Commandments of American Culture was “rules are made to be broken: think for yourself.” Our society says, “Don’t listen to others, do what you think is best.” Trust yourself. Proverbs says do not lean on your own understand; our society says, No, you should lean on your own understanding; don’t listen to anyone else.

We said last week that the way our society says the world works and the way Proverbs says the world works are not the same. We want to discern how the wisdom of our culture and the wisdom of Proverbs differs, are even contradictory.

3. Gospel Reminder: A weak and humble posture

The Gospel says we are more sinful than we realize. As we grow in the Gospel, we see more and more of our sin. As we discussed in March, in the Gospel, we see our weakness, shortcomings, failures. We come empty and bankrupt, like a child or beggar.

The Gospel and wisdom have the same humble posture: knowing we need help. We are not self-sufficient, we don’t have the wisdom or the power or the righteousness to save ourselves. We lack. There is no boast. We know we need wisdom, we know we need help.

Wisdom points us to the Gospel. The Gospel produces a wise posture. They work together.

Let me put this together with last week. We said the Gospel and wisdom share the perspective that what matters is what God does, not what we do. God is the Lebron James on the court. What matters is not what the busy-beaver does but what God does. This is God’s house, it’s not our house. Wisdom has a God-centered worldview.

We put these together. Gospel wisdom says God is big and we are small.

II. Wisdom chooses wisdom, repeatedly down a path

Proverbs teaches us to value wisdom, to choose wisdom. The picture is that we have this choice repeatedly. [2 paths picture] We are constantly at a crossroad with a choice to choose between wisdom and folly.

[wisdom delivers] you from the way of evil, from men of perverted speech,
who forsake the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness, (2:12-13)

So you will walk in the way of the good and keep to the paths of the righteous. (2:20)

My son, do not lose sight of these—keep sound wisdom and discretion,
Then you will walk on your way securely, and your foot will not stumble. (3:21, 23)

I walk in the way of righteousness, in the paths of justice (8:20)

I have taught you the way of wisdom; I have led you in the paths of uprightness.
When you walk, your step will not be hampered, and if you run, you will not stumble.
Keep hold of instruction; do not let go; guard her, for she is your life. (4:11-13)

1. Frame the issue.

We have a choice between two paths. We don’t have to just listen to our temptations and go with our impulses.

There are two paths. The worldview, perspective of Proverbs is to see that there is a path of wisdom/righteousness and a path of foolishness/wickedness.

I was reading and meditating on Proverbs and had a lustful temptation, and it was really helpful. (There are so much that speaks against sexual temptation, a sermon in itself). I don’t have to follow all my impulses. I have a choice. Which path do I want to choose? There is a righteous and wise path, and there is a sinful and foolish path.

Proverbs isn’t just telling us there are these two paths, it is trying to teach us to see our lives that way. It is trying to shape our worldview, how we see a situation.

There is also a call to stay on that path. We choose wisdom and we keep choosing wisdom. There is a call to keep hold, not let go.

Hear, my son, your father's instruction, and forsake not your mother's teaching (1:8)

for I give you good precepts; do not forsake my teaching. (4:2)

And now, O sons, listen to me, and do not depart from the words of my mouth. (5:7)

Hear instruction and be wise, and do not neglect it. (8:33)

My son, keep your father's commandment, and forsake not your mother's teaching.

Bind them on your heart always; tie them around your neck.

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.

For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life (6:20-23)

My son, keep my words and treasure up my commandments with you;
keep my commandments and live; keep my teaching as the apple of your eye;
bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart. (7:1-3)

And now, O sons, listen to me, and be attentive to the words of my mouth.
Let not your heart turn aside to her ways; do not stray into her paths (7:24-25)

2. Choose repeatedly.

We don’t just choose wisdom once. Hold onto wisdom, embrace, remember, don’t forget. A call to vigilance, ongoing seeking and holding tight.

The assumption seems to be there are constant temptations toward foolishness and wickedness.

In particular, these last two passages (6:20-23, 7:24-25) are in the context of adultery and sexual temptation. You can see the picture: we have to hold on, not forget, because there are constant temptations from the inside and outside. If we’re not vigilant, the current of the world and our sin nature will pull us into temptation and danger. So hold on, remember, embrace, don’t forget.

We’ll talk about it more later, but Proverbs sees wickedness in the world and in ourselves. There is a sober acknowledgement of sin and temptation (again, a Gospel reminder) and respect for its power. It’s not to be taken lightly.

3. See the trajectory

This path metaphor is to help us see the consequences of our choices. Our little decisions are not just little things. Those “little things” takes us down a path.

Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure.

Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil. (4:26-27)

[adulteress] does not ponder the path of life; her ways wander, and she does not know it. (5:6)

What small choice might you repeatedly make that will make a long term impact, good/bad.

Proverbs points out that these paths lead to destruction/pain or peace/blessings.

Here is some practical wisdom: take a long-term perspective. We want to gain a wisdom worldview. See that each decision do not stand by itself. It takes us down a path.

Choosing to hide/deceive, is not just one little white lie, it’s a step down a path. Choosing to insist on your own way, isn’t just about that one issue, it’s a step down a path. Choosing to indulge your lust, isn’t just a momentary pleasure, it’s a step down a path.

Choosing to not gossip, not retaliate, choosing be generous or to listen, choosing to call upon the Lord, these each are a step down a path.

Each decision is a step in a direction. “Ponder the path.” What direction are you headed?

Some of us have gone down the road long enough to see. Do you recognize the path you’re on?

Let me make it more proactive.

What decision made today, if repeated, will take us to a better place tomorrow?

What decision made today, if repeatedly, will take us to a worse place tomorrow?

If you choose TV/web surfing night after night, where will that take you in 10 years?

If you choose a little white lie, a little secret sin, year after year, where will that take you?

If you read for 15 minutes a day, you could finish 20 (average sized) books a year

If you memorized 2 verses a day, you could memorize the NT in about 10 years.

I heard a couple say they’ve committed to praying together each night. Nothing dramatic, but that simple practiced, repeated year after year, is headed down a good path.

Make choices with a trajectory view.

Communion

Wisdom values wisdom because wisdom we see our own ignorance and foolishness and sin.

The Gospel and wisdom have the same humble posture: knowing we need help. We are not self-sufficient, we don’t have the wisdom or the power or the righteousness to save ourselves. We lack. There is no boast. We become more and more aware of the power and danger of our sin.

We come humbly, leaning not on ourselves. We come empty and bankrupt, knowing the Creator of the world, the Sovereign King of the cosmos, desires to give us not just wisdom, but forgiveness, love, acceptance and an eternal home in glory. He invites us with love, kindness, forgiveness. Come and receive.

May we come daily, choose this path/trajectory, humbly seeking His mercy and finding open arms.