“The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel: To know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight, to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity; to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth—Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance, to understand a proverb and a saying, the words of the wise and their riddles. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Prov. 1:1-7
Many have said that in times of peace and ease, as in the days of Solomon’s rule in Israel, that God’s people should use that time to learn, understand, reflect and grow in the LORD so that when the trouble comes we are ready and able to meet the struggle fully equipped. But our habit is somewhat backwards…as soon as we get into some type of trouble or we see trouble coming…that is when we begin to cram. This approach doesn’t work every well. And if we suppose that we are well prepared now then why are we so surprised…so troubled…so overwhelmed by difficulty and struggle when it comes?
These first 7 verses set the stage for all of Solomon’s proverbs. The words of this list are important for us to understand. Solomon under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit says that the proverbs are given so that we will “know wisdom” and “instruction”. “Wisdom” in the Hebrew simply means taking knowledge (given in God’s Word)and putting it to the most effective use that brings God glory and encourages, enhances and empowers God’s people. “Instruction” is an interesting word in Hebrew…in fact there are a few words that can be translated “instruction”. Here it means discipline because we are not born wise. Wisdom is taught through the Lord’s instruction in His Word and we are trained/disciplined by and in it to use it effectively.
Next he says “…to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity…” The word “to receive” carries within it the meaning of humility on the part of the receiver knowing that we do not have what we need and the fact that we need to submit to the One with the instruction and the answers which ultimately leads to wisdom, righteousness, justice and equity for all. Just a word on equity since it gets thrown around a lot today… in wise dealing, in righteousness, in justice and in equity…are synonymous terms all based in God’s standard. In other words, no matter what the culture around us says there can be no equity…just like there can be no justice without God’s standard being upheld. The 4 words define one another and they are dependent upon one another.
Then he says that these Proverbs are given by God through Solomon, “…to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and instruction to the youth.” Like the word “to receive” this simple word translated “to give” requires humility on the part of the one receiving the gift understanding that we haven’t earned it…we don’t deserve to receive it…and we are not entitled to it. What is given is a gift. “Prudence”…a word we don’t use any longer speaks of practical wisdom. It involves careful decision making based on God’s Word and a discerning heart, leaning on the Spirit, leading to righteous actions that glorify God. These decision are made by thoughtfully assessing situations, considering potential outcomes and aligning our actions with God’s revealed will.
Oh, in case, you think that somehow growing in the wisdom of the Lord is a one and done…like getting a diploma in wisdom and then moving on to the next thing, he says, “Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance, to understand a proverb and a saying, the words of the wise and their riddles.” Not only are we not done learning how to be wise and learning how to use God’s wisdom effectively but we must seek out others who are wise in the Lord (it is NOT about waiting for them to come to us) to help us grow and become wiser for the battle rages even if we are in a lull where we are. We need one another to grow as God describes. We need one another to keep growing and to fight alongside of us…this reveals that we understand what God is saying here. What we say and do reveals our on-going growth in wisdom which also reveals our fear of the LORD.
“The fear of the LORD” is based in knowing God’s love for us is steadfast and eternal us…but also being just enough uncomfortable in His presence to be humble before Him….hence seeking with all your power to do as He commands… for seeking all of the above and then doing as He commands reveals our love for Him…our fear of Him.
So as you begin your week…consider these things and how prepared you are and turn to God’s Word, God’s Spirit and to other brothers and sisters and seek help so that you can grow and be as effective as God desires us to be as His ambassadors.
God Bless y’all.
In His Grip,
Pastor Mike
