The Blessing of Finding Wisdom

The Blessing of Finding Wisdom
Proverbs 3:13-26
Aug 31-Sept 1, 2024

     The book of Proverbs is famous as a storehouse of wisdom. It was primarily written by Solomon, who reigned as king of Israel after David. Solomon collected wise sayings as a great treasure. And while he wrote many of the Proverbs, he did not write all of them. There are other writers of proverbs as well. These were all assembled into a book, probably during the time of Hezekiah’s revival, later in the history of Israel.

     The book of Proverbs is treasured by many who want more wisdom. If we were to do a show of hands of how many want wisdom, even great wisdom, almost all hands would be raised. Many people read a chapter of the Proverbs every day, corresponding to its chapter. They repeat this every month as part of their daily devotions. Why? To get more wisdom.

     This is a book that must be interpreted correctly, however. This book contains many proverbs, but not every verse in this book is a proverb. There are many declarations of God contained in this book also and it’s critical that we understand the difference between a proverb and a declaration of God.

     Let’s begin by understanding what a proverb is and what a proverb is not. A proverb is a wise saying, usually given as a short instruction for an effective life. A proverb is not a spiritual promise, or prophecy, or a commandment of law. In other words, proverbs are principles for life, not commandments.

     We could use modern examples to illustrate. Here is a modern proverb; many hands make light work. That’s a wise saying and is generally true but must be applied correctly. Many hands do not always make light work. If you’re knitting a sweater, many hands will make a mess out of the thing.

     An apple a day keeps the doctor away is a wise saying. It means, of course, that if you eat well, like fresh fruits and vegetables, you will be healthier and likely not need a doctor. However, it’s not a promise. A person can eat an apple a day for years and still need a doctor. It’s a proverb, a wise saying.

     Perhaps the most famous example from this book is Proverbs 22:6, “Raise up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” It’s a proverb, a wise saying, not a guarantee. It means that if you raise up a child in the discipline and instruction of the Lord, he will be much more likely to walk the path of the Lord throughout his life. It’s not a guarantee. There have been many who were raised by godly parents in a godly home under godly discipline and instruction, and yet went wayward after they left home.

     That being said, while this book contains wise sayings, or proverbs, there are many declarations of God contained in this book that are absolutely true. You can build your life on them. They’re not proverbs, they’re declarations of absolute truth.

     1:8, “Hear your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching and they will be a graceful wreath to your head.” That’s not just generally true, it’s always true. It’s not a proverb, it’s a declaration of God.

     1:10, 15-16, 18, “My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent… Do not walk in the way with them… Their feet run to evil… And they are ambushing their own lives.” That’s not just sometimes true, that’s always true. It’s not a proverb, it’s a declaration of God.

     1:22-23, “Fools hate knowledge. But if you turn to my reproof, I will pour out my spirit upon you; and I will make my words known to you.” That’s not a proverb, that’s a declaration you can build your life on.

     2:6-8, “The Lord gives wisdom; and from His mouth come knowledge and understanding… He is a shield to those who walk in integrity, and He preserves the way of his godly ones.” These are not just wise sayings; these are declarations of God.

     The first verses of chapter 1 give the purpose and aim for which Solomon wrote his proverbs… to give prudence to the naïve, to give knowledge and discretion to the youth, so that a wise man will increase in learning, that a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel, that all readers would be able to understand a proverb and a figure, and to understand the words of the wise and their riddles.

     To understand a figure means to understand an enigma, a deep problem. This is certainly one reason people seek wisdom, to be able to understand an enigma, a deep problem that confounds them. You need deep wisdom when you’re facing a great difficulty.

     2:6, “The Lord gives wisdom; and from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.”

I. The Beginning of Wisdom: Revere the Lord

• The foundation of the entire book of Proverbs is found in chapter 1:7, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.” Later, he says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; the fear the Lord the fountain of life; and in Isaiah, the fear of the Lord is His treasure.
• The word ‘fear’ in Hebrew means to revere and honor God, to stand in awe of who He is; this is the foundation and beginning of wisdom.
• This speaks of a relationship where God delights your soul, and His glory and presence abide beautifully in your soul. This is the foundation.
• This kind of wisdom is far more than just memorizing wise sayings. When the soul delights in God, it also delights in His wisdom. Those who abide in the wisdom of God honor and revere Him.

A. Let wisdom be the beginning and the end

• Shortly after Solomon was anointed king of Israel, God appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Ask what you wish me to give you.” Solomon did not ask for a long life, nor for great riches, nor for the life of his enemies. Above all else, he wanted wisdom to be able to judge the people of Israel, to discern between good and evil.
• God was pleased that Solomon asked for wisdom and discernment to be able to judge the people of Israel. He said, “I have done according to your words, I have given you a wise and discerning heart… And I have also given you what you have not asked, both riches and honor so that there will not be any among the kings like you all your days…”
• God then appeared to Solomon a second time and said, “If you will walk in My ways and keep My words, I will establish the throne of your kingdom over Israel forever… But if you or your sons turn away from following Me, I will cut off Israel from the land and this house will become a heap of ruins.”
• Solomon asked for wisdom; it was the right thing to seek.
• But he did not finish well. He did not follow his own advice and counsel; he did not follow after godly wisdom and the results were tragic.
• The tragic results are reflected in another of the books Solomon wrote, Ecclesiastes. Here was a man who had everything and yet had nothing. A man who had everything, yet cried out against the vanity and emptiness of his life because he did not abide in the wisdom God gave him.
• And that is the greatest truth of all; don’t lose your way; the one who hears the words of Christ and acts on them is the one who is truly wise — Because Jesus is the wisdom of God.

Colossians 2:2-3, Attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

• When you draw near to Jesus, you will have the wisdom of God and the heart of God as well.

B. Seek the wisdom that comes from God

• There is what could be called the wisdom of the world and there is a vast difference between the so-called wisdom of the world and the wisdom that comes from God.

1 Corinthians 3:19, For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God.

Proverbs 2:6-10, For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth comes knowledge and understanding. He is a shield to those who walk in integrity. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.

• At one point, Solomon formed a marriage alliance with Pharaoh and took Pharaoh’s daughter to become his wife.
• This was politically savvy. This was commonly done by kings of nations in that day. It was considered wise and prudent. Solomon made an alliance of peace with Egypt by marrying the Pharaoh’s daughter.
• It may have been politically savvy, but it was spiritually disastrous. By the way, David needed no such alliances. David didn’t care about political expediency, he relied on the help of God.

2 Corinthians 6:14, Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?

1 Kings 11:1-2, King Solomon loved many foreign women along with the daughter of Pharaoh: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women, from the nations concerning which the Lord had said to the sons of Israel, “You shall not associate with them, nor shall they associate with you, for they will surely turn your heart away after their gods.” Solomon held fast to these in love.

• God had warned in His word that this would not end well.
• This is one of the great insights of wisdom; that it predicts the outcome. God warned Israel not to form alliances with worldly nations because of the outcome it would produce. Godly wisdom predicts the outcome… “They will surely turn your heart away after their gods.”

II. Seek the Reward of Wisdom

• Verse 3:13 – “How blessed is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gains understanding.”
• The man who finds wisdom is blessed and will be blessed because of the reward of wisdom.
• The one who is wise in his own eyes and rejects the wisdom of God will find the opposite is true; that that which comes back to him is most unpleasant.

Proverbs 14:12, There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.

Proverbs 1:29-31, Because they despised knowledge, and did not choose to fear the Lord, because they would not accept my counsel and spurned all my reproof, they shall eat of the fruit of their own way.

• The question then is this; what do you seek? Desire the reward of wisdom.

A. The profit of wisdom is better than silver

• Verse 14-15 — “Its profit is better than the profit of silver, and its gain is better than fine gold. She is more precious than jewels; and nothing you desire compares with her.”
• What is the value of wisdom? Those who are wise know that the value of wisdom is greater than material wealth.

Proverbs 16:16, How much better it is to get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding is to be chosen above silver.

Illus – Imagine a man who had an abundance of both wealthy and wisdom. He has an abundance of both. You then ask him to choose; if he must give up one or the other, which would be choose, his wealth or his wisdom. I can absolutely assure you – without a doubt in my heart – that any man who is wise will answer; “You may take my wealth, but I must have my wisdom.”

Job 28:13-18, “Man does not know the value of wisdom… Pure gold cannot be given in exchange for it, nor can silver be weighed as its price… The acquisition of wisdom is far above that of pearls.”

• The profit, the gain, the reward of wisdom is both present and future.
• It is of great gain in the present because it changes who you are. Right now. It transforms your soul into that which is beautiful.

Luke 6:45, “The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for the mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.

• The life is lived and the mouth speaks from that which fills the heart. When you treasure God’s word, when you store up God’s word it becomes the treasure from which life is lived and from which the mouth speaks. That which comes out from within you is that which you treasure in your heart.
• Verse 17-18 – The ways of wisdom are pleasant, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, and happy are all who hold her fast.
• The gain and reward of wisdom is also in the future. It is the reward of those who treasure wisdom today. It will come back to you.

Galatians 6:8-9, The one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.

B. The Lord will be your confidence

• Verses 23-26 – Then you will walk in your way securely, and your foot will not stumble. When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. Do not be afraid of sudden fear, nor of the onslaught of the wicked when it comes; for the Lord will be your confidence, and he will keep your foot from being caught.
• This, Solomon would have learned from his father, David who understood the confidence that comes from faith; believing that God will meet you in your insufficiency. That God will be with you through every difficulty.
• But there is also a confidence that comes from godly wisdom. I emphasize the godly part.
• Those who are godly are not wise in their own eyes, they do not lean on their own understanding. Their confidence is in God and the wisdom which God writes upon their heart.

Proverbs 3:3-6, Write them on the tablet of your heart and you will find favor and good repute in the sight of God and man. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.