By Wisdom a House is Built
Proverbs 24:1-6 (ESV):
1 Be not envious of evil men, nor desire to be with them,
2for their hearts devise violence, and their lips talk of trouble.
3By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established;
4by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches. 5A wise man is full of strength, and a man of knowledge enhances his might, 6for by wise guidance you can wage your war, and in abundance of counselors there is vic tory.
In June 2018, when my son James and his family were still living in Houston, Texas, my entire family decided to spend our summer vacation there. One of the highlights of that vacation was driv ing to Waco, Texas, to see firsthand the businesses that this Christian couple, Chip and Joanna Gaines, built during the height of their show’s popularity, “The Fixer Upper” on HGTV. I’m not sure if you are familiar with them, but they became household names through their show because they were able to transform dilapidated houses into beautiful homes. Each episode is a journey of dis covery, creativity, and hard work, but what stands out the most is their ability to see potential where others see problems.
As they walk through a rundown property, Chip often sees the bones of a great home, while Joanna envisions the beauty that can emerge from the chaos. Together, they remind us that with vision, effort, and great faith, we can turn something broken into something beautiful. In many ways, this mirrors our homes and our relationship with God. Just like those houses, we all have are as that need fixing—places where we feel broken, lost, or in need of restoration. If we are honest, I’m sure we can also easily categorize our homes as a “Fixer Upper.” And if this is true, I trust that the last thing we want to do is resign and abandon our homes, thinking it’s hopeless and that we cannot do anything about them. I pray that we are willing to entrust our homes to God, who is our ultimate Fixer Upper, sees our potential, and desires to transform us into something extraordinary.
This morning, as we continue our family series on the Book of Proverbs, I want us to reflect on Proverbs 24:1-6 and discover how God can transform our “fixer upper” homes into masterpieces. As we all know, a critical aspect of any home renovation is the quality of materials we choose. Are we going to settle for cheap, second-rate materials, or will we insist on using the best ones? If you listen to God for guidance in the Book of Proverbs, the most important material we must include is wis dom. The key verse in our text is verse 3, which says, “By wisdom a house is built, and by under-
standing it is established." Clearly, if we desire to build a safe and secure home, we must choose wisdom as its foundation. Of course, the right follow-up question is: how can wisdom establish our homes? King Solomon expands this discussion by showing us the four elements of what wisdom can bring into our homes.
I WISDOM RESOLVES HEROES (vs. 1-2)
As we begin our text, we find these words in verses 1-2, “Be not envious of evil men, nor de sire to be with them, for their hearts devise violence, and their lips talk of trouble.” This truth of warning God’s people about envying evil men or sinners is a repeated topic in the Book of Proverbs.
Proverbs 3:31 (ESV):
31 Do not envy a man of violence, and do not choose any of his ways,
Proverbs 23:17 (ESV):
17 Let not your heart envy sinners, but continue in the fear of the Lord all the day. Proverbs 24:19 (ESV):
19 Fret not yourself because of evildoers, and be not envious of the wicked,
Why is there an emphasis on this theme? It is safe to say that it is quite common for God’s people to observe the lives of the pagans around them and elevate them as their heroes. Usually, they become their heroes for the following reasons:
A. Pleasures – They can indulge in all sorts of sinful pleasures without restrictions. Many Christians feel that because of all their restrictions, they are not able to enjoy life.
B. Popularity – They gained so much attention and attract many to themselves with their successful ventures, even if they have employed evil schemes to gain them.
C. Prosperity – They have accumulated so much wealth because they have taken advantage of oth er people.
However, if we scrutinize their lives closely, they do not deserve to be considered our heroes. King Solomon clearly discusses their corruption, as they frequently devise schemes or speak about the destruction of others.
It is true that many times they are popular and prosperous, but all of this can be fleeting and very temporary. Listen to the words of King David in Psalm 37:1-5, as he addresses this issue and offers us a better alternative.
Psalm 37:1-5 (ESV):
1 Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers!
2For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb.
3 Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. 4Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. 5Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.
Begin with verses 1-2, where David addresses the issue of envying evildoers. Verse 2 clearly highlights the critical perspective. Yes, all of this is short-lived. However, verses 3-5 present an alter native. We need to draw closer to the Lord by continually trusting, delighting, and committing all our ways to Him, as He can be our source of sufficiency and true satisfaction in our lives.
II WISDOM REAPES A HARVEST (vs. 3-4)
After King Solomon established that we should build our homes with the wisdom of God, verse 4 states, “by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches.” Here, he speaks about the wealth and treasures that wisdom can bring into our lives.
To identify the specific fruits we can enjoy from pursuing wisdom, we need to refer to the passage provided by James in the New Testament:
James 3:13, 17-18 (ESV):
13 Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom.
17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.
18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
As a Bible interpreter, I don’t want to second-guess the “riches” that wisdom can bring into our homes. Instead, it’s better to interpret Scriptures with Scriptures. Thus, I believe James offers us insights into the kinds of riches we can experience by practicing the wisdom of God in our homes. If you notice in verse 13, James asks who among the believers has wisdom. He then provides the man ifestations of a believer who is wise. Notice that the main emphasis is not on material riches or treasures. Rather, these are attitudes directly related to righteous living—being meek, peaceable, gentle, merciful, impartial, and sincere. Think about it: wouldn’t it be great if every member of our household began to manifest these characteristics?
Having said this, I trust that we will begin to understand what we as parents should prioritize for our children's learning. You see, wisdom might not be directly related to math, science, or other school subjects that can shape our children's future careers, but it can help them build productive relationships both inside and outside our homes. If we only focus on career-building, they may excel academically but struggle with their interpersonal relationships. Yes, they may be very capable, but
they could also become prideful and arrogant. The truth is that our main goal as parents is not only to help them make a living but, more importantly, to live peacefully with those around them.
This is the blessing of making sure our children know Jesus Christ as their
Savior. Why? It is because building them to be good person is not only our sole re sponsibility. God through the Holy Spirit partners with us in this parenting endeavor. If we draw them closer to God, God can instill in their lives the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Galatians 5:22-23 talks about this fruti:
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
Again, these characteristics can be the direct fruits of the wisdom that can enter our homes. Who wouldn't want to see their children exhibiting these traits in their lives? Scolding and disci pline are not enough to instill them into our children’s lives; we will need God to do His work in their hearts!
III WISDOM REVEALS HUMILITY (vs. 5-6)
Upon reading the last two verses of our main text, we find these words: “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.”
When you examine these two verses, they appear to be contradictory. Why? Verse 5 speaks of wisdom granting us the strength to overcome the challenges and various enemies in life. Howev er, in verse 6, we find Solomon stating that we need wise guidance and an abundance of counselors to fight our battles in life.
The question is: Is seeking counsel or wise guidance a sign of weakness? Of course not! What King Solomon helps us understand is that in life, no one is completely self-reliant. We must be hum ble enough to seek out great counselors to overcome some of the battles we face. In another place in Proverbs, Proverbs 11:14, we read these words: “Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.” This verse emphasizes a similar point as our main text; the only difference is that instead of victory, the word used is safety. Well, if you’re facing an enemy who wants to destroy you, victory and safety can mean the same thing because true safety can only be achieved when we completely overcome our enemies.
So, how do you feel about going to a counselor? Are you comfortable seeking counsel from other people? Someone has said, “The best way to deal with any problem is to talk it over with three people you can trust absolutely – God, yourself, and a friend.”
I don’t necessarily agree with this cliché. The fact is that not all friends can offer wise coun sel. The emphasis in this proverb is on seeking guidance from wise counselors. However, I believe
seeking counsel from God is a great idea. The problem, though, is how do you ask God for counsel? I believe the key is being familiar with the godly truth and princi ples found in the Bible. Listen to 1 Corinthians 10:11 (ESV):
11Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.
The apostle Paul was reminding the Corinthian believers that all the stories of people in the Old Testament were written to serve as our examples in life. So, the fact is that God is continually guiding and helping us learn how we can effectively tackle the challenges of life by learning from the events and personalities of the Bible.
Then, God also gave us the Holy Spirit who can actively witness to our spirits about God’s di rection in our lives. Listen to Matthew 10:19-20 (ESV):
19 When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour.
20 For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
These were specific words intended to embolden the disciples being sent into their commu nities to preach about the coming Kingdom. They were encouraged not to fear their opposition be cause God can provide them with the necessary wisdom to overcome their challenges. Jesus even added these very encouraging truths about the ministry of the Holy Spirit to us in John 14:26 (ESV):
26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.
As believers, we should be grateful because God has given us an ongoing counselor who can teach us all things and remind us of everything we have learned about Him. If we are not experienc ing the fulness of the Holy Spirit’s guidance, it is not because God has failed us, but because we are failing Him. D.L. Moody has appropriately said:
“If we are full of pride and conceit and ambition and self-seeking and pleasure and the world, there is no room for the Spirit of God, and I believe many a man is praying to God to fill him when he is full already with something else.”
Again, until we have emptied ourselves of the world and of ourselves, we will not enjoy the active work of our inward counselor, the Holy Spirit. Let’s continually pray that we don’t miss His active work in our lives as we continue to build our homes.
To close this sermon today, I want to read these words in Proverbs 4:7 (NIV): 7The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.
Becoming wise men and women of God will cost us dearly. However, this
should not deter us from pursuing it, especially if it can enrich the lives of the peo ple we love so much. May we be willing to pay the price of building wisdom in our homes!
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