Proverbs: Jesus Is Our Wisdom
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Proverbs: Jesus is our Wisdom
Proverbs 9:10
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
Intro:
Today, we are going to talk about wisdom, biblical wisdom, more specifically. As we all understand, we live in the age of information. There has never been a time wherein knowledge could travel so fast, and so much data could be processed by the smallest of devices. If we have a question, we don’t need to go to a sage or even go to a library. We could just press and scroll a supercomputer all in the palm of our hands. Or, we could just ask our AI assistants like Siri or Alexa for answers. We live in an age where we can talk to a person halfway around the world witch just a few button presses.. There are so many advancements in information and technology that it can be jarring how humanity has improved.
Now having said that, one might ask, “how could a book from a couple of millenniums ago give me wisdom for 2021?” Some people might accuse the Holy Scriptures as outdated, antiquated, and obsolete. Some might think we have no use of the Bible for today’s living. But you see, even with all of humanity’s advancements, there are still so many profound questions humans still have no answer for. One pertinent question we all ask is, “how do we live a good life?” You see, that’s the question the book of Proverbs, and the other Wisdom books are trying to answer. As we go through this message, I pray that we will continue to seek godly wisdom and live by it, especially in our times today.
Background:
Different authors wrote the book of Proverbs. However, the majority of it was written by King Solomon. In the ancient world, King Solomon was considered the wisest man there was. He wrote and contributed to 4 books of the Bible, two of the Psalms, most Proverbs, and all of Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon.
The book of Proverbs was written very similar to other ancient texts that also talked about wisdom in its poetic style and the short general lines the writers use. The Egyptian wisdom book, Amenemope, had so many similarities with the book of Proverbs. One prominent difference scholars found out was that ancient books of wisdom were taught basically by kings and royals to the younger princes and other kingdom officials of their times. However, biblical wisdom was to be passed in the homes. Parents were tasked to give wisdom to their children. That’s why in many instances in these wisdom books, we have a father or mother instructing their son. I think this concept gives us a timeless principle. Parents cannot leave the responsibility of teaching wisdom to their kids from secular institutions or even the church. Children learn wisdom ultimately from home.
Regarding the structure of this book, we need to realize that Proverbs is not just about the short nuggets of sayings; we typically think of what a proverb is. Although those short sayings are here, there’s so much more in this book. Chapters 1-9 give us the foundation of wisdom. And the rest of this book (chapters 10-31) is the outpouring of wisdom. They’re the general insights and sayings coming from the writer.
The last thing to note about Proverbs is that it gives a sweeping and general outlook on life. In a way, when you read the verses here, it seems pretty simplistic and formulaic. It’s like if you do A, then B will happen. This book gives us what happens ideally in life if we follow and obey God’s will. However, we understand we don’t live in an ideal world. That’s why books like Ecclesiastes and Job exist in the Scriptures. They give a fuller picture of wisdom even when the “ideal” does not happen. Before we start if you haven’t given the time to read a book of the Bible because you think it’s too daunting. I’d encourage you to read Proverbs. It has 31 chapters, so you can read a chapter a day. It’s a fantastic read, and it gives such practical truths on how we can gain wisdom and not fall into folly.
So what can we learn from the book of Proverbs?
1. The Source of Wisdom
Proverbs 1:7, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”
To understand the book of Proverbs, I think we have to go back and study the meaning of wisdom. What is wisdom? Some say it’s knowledge applied. Or it’s simply acting upon what you know. However, I think wisdom goes further. For me, wisdom is the ability to navigate life skillfully. It’s the ability to discern and pursue the right choices for every situation. We live in a world with so many choices vying for our attention and dedication. Who do we marry? What career should we pursue? Who should be our friends? How should we react to conflict? How should we raise children? And so many more. These are some questions that a wise person would navigate and discern God’s will through these choices. This is why the book of Proverbs has a lot of instructions regarding the practical and real-life implications of our choices. If you read this book, you’ll see guidance regarding marriage, friendships, authority, conflict, justice, family, money, poverty, and so many others. This book is not just trying to help you make wise choices. It’s more concerned with helping you be a wise person making the right choices.
So how do we get wisdom? I think we can have some principles through the wisest man of the OT, Solomon. In Solomon’s early days as the king of Israel, the Lord asked him what he would desire, and it would be granted. Solomon prayed for wisdom. Solomon’s prayer showed much humility and confidence in his relationship with God to ask for such a thing. As king, Solomon wanted to do the right thing under Yahweh. 2 Chronicles 1:10 Give me wisdom and knowledge that I may lead this people, for who is able to govern this great people of yours?”
The Lord answered Solomon’s prayer and gave him divine wisdom. He became the wisest man throughout the land. As a king, the united kingdom of Israel experienced its most glorious days. There was peace under Solomon throughout the land. He was able to build the most magnificent temple for the Lord. He wrote countless books about different subjects. Solomon also built great and grand gardens and infrastructures that displayed Israel’s prosperity. Even the nations all around Israel were clamoring for Solomon. All because his reputation as a wise king spread throughout the known world. 1 Kings 4:29; 34 29God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore. 34From all nations people came to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, sent by all the kings of the world, who had heard of his wisdom.
So what does this mean for us today? We see here that wise can excel in many ways that even people will be intrigued and in awe of their wisdom. Whether it’s in the area of relationships, career, culture, and the arts; wisdom can be there to help us succeed. But how do we get wisdom? What is its source? Solomon writes “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” What does that phrase mean? The fear of the Lord is not about being terrified or scared of God or his punishments if we do wrong. Fearing the Lord means to revere and be in awe of Him, for you know who He is, and you know who you are to Him. It is about having the correct view of God in our lives while acting upon the proper response. It is to humble ourselves and submit His will. J.I. Packer says,
“Not until we have become humble and teachable, standing in awe of God's holiness and sovereignty. acknowledging our own littleness, distrusting our own thoughts, and willing to have our minds turned upside down, can divine wisdom become ours.”
Do we want to be wise? Fear the Lord. Step in and realize who God truly is and who you are in Him. Once we have the proper perspective of who God is and our relationship with Him, then we can be wise and live well in this world. However, if we are smug and say we don’t need God, we fit into the description of fools in Proverbs because we despise God’s wisdom and instructions. Sadly, this was what Solomon experienced at the end of his life. He lost his step and became foolish as he took the Lord out of the picture in his life. Do we do the same? Do we still have the fear of the Lord? Do we still realize His place in our lives and our place under Him? But you see, as great as Solomon exemplified wisdom, there is still a greater Solomon who will demonstrate what true wisdom is.
2. The Personification of Wisdom
Proverbs 8:34-36 34 Blessed is the one who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors. 35For 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.”
Being in the information age, we also find ourselves in the social media age. Social media has brought us many great things. It has connected people in ways we may not have had before. However, we also need to realize that with this type of communication, a trend rose. Many highly complicated ideas, opinions, and issues are compressed to either 150 characters, a story post, or a 10-minute video and shared with countless people worldwide. People have settled on sound bites instead of digging deep and researching and studying a particular concept. We have been conditioned only to consume “fast-food” or “microwavable” information instead of pursuing, working, and striving for something more profound and richer, which is wisdom.
Although Proverbs gives us short and quick general truths about the world, Solomon writes that these quick nuggets of wisdom do not come from nowhere. He paints a picture of wisdom coming from a woman calling people to listen and heed her guidance. If we read Proverbs 8, Solomon employs a literary technique called personification. He gave us the image of lady wisdom crying out, reasoning, and arguing why her words are so much better than anything else we might pursue in this world (vv. 1-3).
In verses 4-11, lady wisdom promises that goodness comes to those who pursue wisdom. She gives the truth and righteousness. In wisdom, there is no corruption or crookedness. Lady wisdom said that she could not be compared to any treasures, gold, or jewels. She is so much better. In verses 12-21, we see that in wisdom, there is morality. In a way, wisdom leads to godliness. Lady wisdom dwells with self-control and in hating evil and despising pride, arrogance, and perverted speech. With her, there is success. It is not just about material prosperity, but it’s so much more. Those who find lady wisdom will walk in truth, righteousness, and justice and find real treasures.
Now in verses 22-31 is where it takes a turn. Solomon writes wisdom as someone whom God was with when He created all of existence. Proverbs 8:27-31 27When he established the heavens, I was there; when he drew a circle on the face of the deep, 28when he made firm the skies above, when he established the fountains of the deep, 29when 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, 30then 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.
What do we see here? For Solomon, there is something divine about wisdom. God Himself possessed wisdom during the God’s creation of the whole world. All the complexity we see from God’s created order was made in His perfect wisdom. It’s this wisdom that science is just continuing to observe, discover, and describe. From the magnificence of the cosmos, to the intricacies of a single atom, all were made through God’s divine wisdom.
In the last part of this chapter we see the promise of life when we find wisdom, but death when we don’t. Proverbs 8:35-36 says, For whoever finds me finds life and obtains favor from the Lord, but he who fails to find me injures himself; all who hate me love death. So what does this have to do with us today?
Solomon wanted his audience to understand the awesomeness of wisdom. And so this is what we need to realize today. There are so many things in our world that lead us to think that is more important in our lives. However, Solomon says that wisdom is incomparable. When we heed the wisdom that comes from the Lord, it changes everything. Wisdom brings to us the good life that the Lord promises. This divine wisdom is available for us today. So, are we seeking God’s wisdom today? Are we praying for wisdom today? Are we listening to lady wisdom’s cry? Or are we instead listening to other things calling out to us? Now we have to understand this wisdom is not just personified in the writings of Solomon. Lady wisdom ultimately points to Someone greater.
3. The Call of Wisdom
Proverbs 9:5-6; 16-18
5“Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed. 6Leave your simple ways, and live, and walk in the way of insight.”
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.
In chapter 9, Solomon gives a picture of two women inviting people for a feast they prepared. These women are Wisdom and Folly. They both call upon those who are simple to dine and have a dinner with them. If you read the whole chapter, these two ladies are pretty similar. However, their main difference is their invitation and the meals they offer.. For lady Wisdom, she called for her guests, slaughtered a beast, baked the bread, and mixed the wine. She, herself, worked for the meal and is inviting for a different kind of life. To leave simpleness and live, and walk in the way of insight. Her meal represents what wisdom gives. It gives life, nutrition, and joy to the soul. She does not force, but she calls and invites those to come and taste her feast. This is wisdom. Ultimately, when we get wisdom, we live a good life.
Lady Folly, on the other hand, stands on the door of her house, seducing people to turn from their way and come to her home instead. Her meal is stolen sweet water and bread eaten in secret. There’s nothing stated that she worked hard for this meal. Instead, it seems like the meal was prepared in mischievous ways. Her meal represents the temptation for instant gratification and pleasure gained from immorality. Our culture is filled with lady folly’s seduction. Whether it’s gaining riches from exploitation, pleasure from sexual immorality, neglect of family in the name of success, apathy to the vulnerable just for comfort, or arrogance and pride that leads to downfall. Lady folly’s meal is like chocolate covered poison. It’s sweet at first but the end can kill you.
To understand this passage, we need to understand the significance of a shared meal in ancient times. It was not just a means to hang out or to get to know one another. It was something more. A prepared meal means you have a deep connection and relationship with the person you’ve prepared your meal for. It means you accept and approve of this person. It’s an invitation for a deeper relationship with this person. To illustrate this, let me tell you about a meal I had. As you all know, I am now engaged to my fiancée, Jenny. But when we were just dating, there was one thing I was so nervous about. It was her parents. I did not know if they'd like me or would approve of me dating their daughter. And then, one fateful night of December 24th, 2019, I got invited by her parents for a Christmas Eve meal. Jenny’s mom prepared Korean food and her family served me that night. The meal was so delicious, and it was just a fantastic night with them. At that time, I felt approved by her family and thought they were delighted with my relationship with their daughter. I was accepted because of my relationship with Jenny.
In a way, this is the invitation these two ladies are calling us. To whom would we dine in? Would we eat with lady Wisdom, who offers life and joy to the soul? Or would we eat with lady Folly who offers instant gratification and pleasure but at the end will be pain and suffering. What will you let guide your life? Will it be the wisdom that God offers? Then dine with Him and grow in Him. In this meal, we will continue to know God as he completely knows us. Or will we let the folly of this world dictate our lives?
And now you might ask where is Jesus in the whole message? You see, Jesus is our Wisdom. He is ultimately the source and the personification of wisdom. He is the one that calls us to dine with Him, for He approves and delights in us and wants to guide us intimately. Jesus is the greater Solomon who had greater wisdom. In Matthew 12:42, it says, “The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here. In Jesus, we truly see what it means to fear the Lord, for He shows us what it means to have a relationship with God Himself.
Jesus is the embodiment of divine wisdom which through Him, the world was created and through His works perfectly demonstrated the wisdom of God. 1 Corinthians 1:30, “And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption.” And lastly, lady Wisdom points to Jesus who also longs to dine with us. Why? Because He delights in us and approves of us. He wants to have this intimate relationship with us and to guide us in this life until He brings us home. Revelation 3:20 states, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.”
You see, Jesus is our wisdom. Now let’s live this life in great faith and expectation, knowing Jesus Himself is with us and is for us. Let’s invite others to this banquet we have with Jesus so they, too, can experience this great relationship with Him. According to His will, let’s continue to navigate this life as we stay close to Jesus, our Wisdom.
-Rev. Jerusalem Ona