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Proverbs 22-24

Build Your House by Wisdom

  • Rich Jones
  • Weekend Messages
  • November 24, 2024
In the verses we are going to study today, the theme is that by wisdom, a house is built. Spiritual understanding is the foundation on which the house can be built. The house in these Proverbs is a metaphor for your life.
 
I love the metaphor of building a house. I love building things. I love putting on my toolbelt and working with the wood; measuring, cutting, setting the walls, adding the doors and windows, and seeing it all come together to make a warm, comfortable place in which to dwell.
  • Sermon Notes
  • Scripture

Build Your House by Wisdom
Proverbs 22-24
November 23-24, 2024

     We are in the section of the Proverbs where wisdom is given as individual pieces of treasure; one treasure of wisdom after the other. But one treasure of wisdom in one verse may not necessarily be connected to a treasure of wisdom in the next verse.
 
     But there are great themes that are woven through the fabric of the tapestry of the Proverbs. One of those themes is the value of wisdom itself. It takes a certain degree of wisdom to understand the value of wisdom. That’s why this theme is so important.
 
     It’s one of the main reasons this book was written, to instill in you and me the great value that comes to your life because you have obtained wisdom.
 
Proverbs 3:13-15, How blessed is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gains understanding. Its profit is better than the profit of silver, and its gain is better than fine gold. Wisdom is more precious than jewels; and nothing you desire compares with her. Long life is in her right hand, and in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are pleasant ways… And happy are all who hold her fast.
 
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.”
 
     In the verses we are going to study today, the theme is that by wisdom, a house is built. Spiritual understanding is the foundation on which the house can be built. The house in these Proverbs is a metaphor for your life.
 
     I love the metaphor of building a house. I love building things. I love putting on my toolbelt and working with the wood; measuring, cutting, setting the walls, adding the doors and windows, and seeing it all come together to make a warm, comfortable place in which to dwell.
 
     There are great treasures of wisdom contained in these Proverbs for how to build your life like a man building a house. By wisdom a house is built, by understanding it is established; and by knowledge the rooms are filled with precious and pleasant things.
 
     We are going to look at several chapters of the Proverbs, but instead of reading every verse like we would do at our Wednesday verse by verse study, we will take hold of the themes that are woven into these chapters. The main theme comes from Proverbs 24:3-10.
 
I.     Build a Beautiful Dwelling Place
 
  • The house he describes that is built upon wisdom is a beautiful house where the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant spiritual riches. He is describing the beautiful work of God on the soul, transformed by His glory.
 
  • The house is meant to be a beautiful dwelling place. When you think of all the troubles, distresses and conflicts that are in the world — when you come home, you want to come to a beautiful dwelling place. A place of rest, of refreshing, of peace and renewing.
 
  • God is very interested in how you build your house; how you build your spiritual house; that it would be a beautiful, dwelling place.
 
  • And that it would be a beautiful dwelling place for God Himself to dwell.
Revelation 3:20 Jesus said to the church in Laodicea, “I stand at the door and knock and if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him and him with Me.”

  • God instructed Moses to build a house, a tabernacle. In that house, God would dwell amongst His people. He gave detailed instructions for how the house would be built.
 
  • He didn’t want Moses to just throw some wood together for a frame and then throw an old tarp over it. No, he wanted the finest craftsmanship made from the finest materials.
 
Exodus 31:2-5, “See, I have chosen Bezalel of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills – to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze; to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of crafts.”
 
A. Build a foundation on the Rock
 
  • Verse 3 – By wisdom a house is built and by understanding it is established. It means to make firm, to be settled, to be established on a solid foundation…
 
  • It means that the house is well built. It is strong and resilient and able to withstand the storms and troubles of life. It does not fall because it is well built, and built on the Rock, a strong foundation.
 
Luke 6:47-49, “Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and acts on them, I will show you whom he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when a flood occurred, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who has heard and has not acted accordingly, he is like a man who built a house on the sand without any foundation; and the torrent burst against it and immediately it collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great.”
 
  • …wisdom says, build your house on this Rock…that it will not fall. I mentioned last week that one terrible decision can destroy what takes years to build… but God intends that the house would be well built: built by wisdom and established by understanding, so that it will not fall, that you would be strong spiritually!!
  • Verse 5 — a wise man is strong, and a man of knowledge increases power.
Proverbs 8:14, “Counsel is mine and sound wisdom; I am understanding; power is mine.”

  • Sin will reduce you to a loaf of bread, but wisdom will strengthen the soul within you so that spiritual power arises. Power comes from God’s wisdom from God’s heart.
 
B. Fill the house with pleasant spiritual riches
 
  • Verse 3-4 – By wisdom a house is built, by understanding it is established; and by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches. And by that he means spiritual riches.
 
  • Notice that this is something that is built. You lay a foundation and build wisdom upon it, brick by brick, stone by stone. A house is not built in a day, nor is a spiritual house built in a moment.
 
  • Redeemed sinners come with baggage.  It takes time to build victorious wisdom and the transformation of the soul. It is a journey to build that which is beautiful in the soul. 
 
  • The journey can be difficult; there is a refining process, the refining fire…
 
Proverbs 17:3, The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, but the Lord tests hearts.
 
Proverbs 25:4, Take away the dross from the silver, and there comes out a vessel for the smith.
 
  • God is refining the soul in the fire of life’s troubles and difficulties, and it can be a most unpleasant process. But the result is the joy that comes from the maturity of wisdom and the stature of honor of which wisdom rewards.
 
Illus – One of the challenges of parenting is that children are not born with the ability to listen obediently to their parents. Every child is born in the nature and condition of man and the process of learning to listen to their parents can be a difficult and frustrating process for both children and parents. Every summer I used to teach a class on parenting, and I compared ‘learning to listen’ to learning math. Listening is like calculus for the soul, I say in the class. It can be a painful thing to learn.

  • If you want to set your child up for a successful life and successful spiritual life, train them up to understand the wisdom of listening to God…
Proverbs 22:6, Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

  • God wants to build something that will withstand the test of time and be strengthened by the testing of the heart.
 
II.     Wisdom Builds for the Future
 
  • Proverbs 23:17-19 – Do not let your heart envy sinners but live in the revering of the Lord always. Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off. Listen, my son, and be wise, and direct your heart in the way.
 
  • Wisdom can predict the outcome. Do not let your heart envy sinners because it will not end well for them.
 
Psalm 73:1-3, 16-17, Surely God is good Israel, to those who are pure in heart! But as for me, my feet came close to stumbling; my steps had almost slipped. For I was envious of the arrogant, as I saw the prosperity of the wicked… When I pondered to understand this, it was troublesome in my site, until I came into the sanctuary of God; then I perceived their end.
 
Psalm 73:25-26, Whom have I in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on this earth. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
 
  • He was troubled of heart until he came into the sanctuary, until he worshiped with the saints, until he dwelt in the glory of God.
 
  • The light of the glory of God changed his view, his perspective. He could see much farther than he could see before. His circumstances didn’t change, but he changed. His eyes could see in the light of God’s glory.
 
  • Proverbs 24:13-14, My son, eat honey, for it is good, yes, the honey from the comb is sweet to your taste; know that wisdom is thus for your soul; if you find it, then there will be a future, and your hope will not be cut off.
 
Jeremiah 29:11, “I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord, “plans for welfare and not for calamity, to give you a future in the hope.”
 
A. Therefore, direct your heart in the way

  • Verse 23:18-19 – Surely there will be a future…Listen, my son, and be wise, and direct your heart in the way.
 
  • Direct your heart – there is something of the flesh that is drawn to the way of sinners. Be wise – it will not end well for sinners; direct your heart in the way of the Lord and there will be a future and a hope.
 
  • Direct your heart…because…
 
  • Verse 23:7 – As a man thinketh in his heart, so he is.
 
Romans 12:2, Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

  • The word for transformed in the Greek is the English word, “metamorphosis.” It means to be changed from the inside.
  • How do you renew your mind? By abiding in God’s Word and letting God’s Word abide in you.
John 8:31-32, Then Jesus said, “If you abide in My word, you are truly My disciples. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

  • As a man thinketh in his heart, so he is. This is the key. Your mind must be transformed by the revival of passion. Delight in the Almighty and the passion of revival will renew the thoughts of your heart – that is where you will have a future and a hope.
 
  • In the New Testament, Peter reveals this same truth — God doesn’t just instruct the mind, He transform the soul. How? By our partaking of His divine nature.
 
2 Peter 1:3-9, His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness… He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.
 
B. Walk in your integrity

  • It means that revival of the soul will affect the way you live. It is a theme of the Proverbs that God desires that you and I walk in our integrity.
  • Verse 10-12 — If you falter in the day of distress, your strength is limited. Rescue those who are being taken away to death, hold back those who are staggering toward slaughter. If you say, “See, we did not notice,” does He not consider it who weighs the hearts? Does He not know it who keeps your soul? Will He not render to man according to his work?
  • In other words, stand for truth and help those who are weak because you walk in the integrity of your soul. The strong must help the weak.
Proverbs 11:3, The integrity of the upright will guide them.

  • Proverbs 24:28-29 — Do not be a witness against your neighbor without cause, and do not deceive with your lips. Do not say, “Thus I shall do to him as he has done to me; I will render to the man according to his work.”
  • This is walking in the integrity of your faith.
Matthew 5:43-45, “You have heard it said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven…” 

Exodus 23:4-5, If you meet your enemy’s ox or his donkey wandering away, you shall surely return it to him. If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying helpless under its load, you shall refrain from leaving it to him, you shall surely release it with him.

Romans 12:17-18, Never pay back evil for evil to anyone… If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.

  • There is great strength of faith and confidence of faith when you walk in your integrity, knowing that it is the way of greatest blessing.

Proverbs 22-24    NASB 

22 1good name is to be more desired than great wealth,
Favor is better than silver and gold.
The rich and the poor have a common bond,
The Lord is the maker of them all.
The prudent sees the evil and hides himself,
But the naive go on, and are punished for it.
The reward of humility and the fear of the Lord
Are riches, honor and life.
Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse;
He who guards himself will be far from them.
Train up a child in the way he should go,
Even when he is old he will not depart from it.
The rich rules over the poor,
And the borrower becomes the lender’s slave.
He who sows iniquity will reap vanity,
And the rod of his fury will perish.
He who is generous will be blessed,
For he gives some of his food to the poor.
10 Drive out the scoffer, and contention will go out,
Even strife and dishonor will cease.
11 He who loves purity of heart
And whose speech is gracious, the king is his friend.
12 The eyes of the Lord preserve knowledge,
But He overthrows the words of the treacherous man.
13 The sluggard says, “There is a lion outside;
I will be killed in the streets!”
14 The mouth of an adulteress is a deep pit;
He who is cursed of the Lord will fall into it.
15 Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child;
The rod of discipline will remove it far from him.
16 He who oppresses the poor to make more for himself
Or who gives to the rich, will only come to poverty.

17 Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise,
And apply your mind to my knowledge;
18 For it will be pleasant if you keep them within you,
That they may be ready on your lips.
19 So that your trust may be in the Lord,
I have taught you today, even you.
20 Have I not written to you excellent things
Of counsels and knowledge,
21 To make you know the certainty of the words of truth
That you may correctly answer him who sent you?

22 Do not rob the poor because he is poor,
Or crush the afflicted at the gate;
23 For the Lord will plead their case
And take the life of those who rob them.

24 Do not associate with a man given to anger;
Or go with a hot-tempered man,
25 Or you will learn his ways
And find a snare for yourself.

26 Do not be among those who give pledges,
Among those who become guarantors for debts.
27 If you have nothing with which to pay,
Why should he take your bed from under you?

28 Do not move the ancient boundary
Which your fathers have set.

29 Do you see a man skilled in his work?
He will stand before kings;
He will not stand before obscure men.

 

23 1When you sit down to dine with a ruler,
Consider carefully what is before you,
And put a knife to your throat
If you are a man of great appetite.
Do not desire his delicacies,
For it is deceptive food.

Do not weary yourself to gain wealth,
Cease from your consideration of it.
5 When you set your eyes on it, it is gone.
For wealth certainly makes itself wings
Like an eagle that flies toward the heavens.

Do not eat the bread of a selfish man,
Or desire his delicacies;
For as he thinks within himself, so he is.
He says to you, “Eat and drink!”
But his heart is not with you.
You will vomit up the morsel you have eaten,
And waste your compliments.

Do not speak in the hearing of a fool,
For he will despise the wisdom of your words.

10 Do not move the ancient boundary
Or go into the fields of the fatherless,
11 For their Redeemer is strong;
He will plead their case against you.
12 Apply your heart to discipline
And your ears to words of knowledge.

13 Do not hold back discipline from the child,
Although you strike him with the rod, he will not die.
14 You shall strike him with the rod
And rescue his soul from Sheol.

15 My son, if your heart is wise,
My own heart also will be glad;
16 And my inmost being will rejoice
When your lips speak what is right.

17 Do not let your heart envy sinners,
But live in the fear of the Lord always.
18 Surely there is a future,
And your hope will not be cut off.
19 Listen, my son, and be wise,
And direct your heart in the way.
20 Do not be with heavy drinkers of wine,
Or with gluttonous eaters of meat;
21 For the heavy drinker and the glutton will come to poverty,
And drowsiness will clothe one with rags.

22 Listen to your father who begot you,
And do not despise your mother when she is old.
23 Buy truth, and do not sell it,
Get wisdom and instruction and understanding.

24 The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice,
And he who sires a wise son will be glad in him.
25 Let your father and your mother be glad,
And let her rejoice who gave birth to you.

26 Give me your heart, my son,
And let your eyes delight in my ways.
27 For a harlot is a deep pit
And an adulterous woman is a narrow well.
28 Surely she lurks as a robber,
And increases the faithless among men.

29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow?
Who has contentions? Who has complaining?
Who has wounds without cause?
Who has redness of eyes?
30 Those who linger long over wine,
Those who go to taste mixed wine.
31 Do not look on the wine when it is red,
When it sparkles in the cup,
When it goes down smoothly;
32 At the last it bites like a serpent
And stings like a viper.
33 Your eyes will see strange things
And your mind will utter perverse things.
34 And you will be like one who lies down in the middle of the sea,
Or like one who lies down on the top of a mast.
35 “They struck me, but I did not become ill;
They beat me, but I did not know it.
When shall I awake?
I will seek another drink.”

 

24 1Do not be envious of evil men,
Nor desire to be with them;
For their minds devise violence,
And their lips talk of trouble.

By wisdom a house is built,
And by understanding it is established;
And by knowledge the rooms are filled
With all precious and pleasant riches.

A wise man is strong,
And a man of knowledge increases power.
For by wise guidance you will wage war,
And in abundance of counselors there is victory.

Wisdom is too exalted for a fool,
He does not open his mouth in the gate.

One who plans to do evil,
Men will call a schemer.
The devising of folly is sin,
And the scoffer is an abomination to men.

10 If you are slack in the day of distress,
Your strength is limited.

11 Deliver those who are being taken away to death,
And those who are staggering to slaughter, Oh hold them back.
12 If you say, “See, we did not know this,”
Does He not consider it who weighs the hearts?
And does He not know it who keeps your soul?
And will He not render to man according to his work?

13 My son, eat honey, for it is good,
Yes, the honey from the comb is sweet to your taste;
14 Know that wisdom is thus for your soul;
If you find it, then there will be a future,
And your hope will not be cut off.

15 Do not lie in wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous;
Do not destroy his resting place;
16 For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again,
But the wicked stumble in time of calamity.

17 Do not rejoice when your enemy falls,
And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles;
18 Or the Lord will see it and be displeased,
And turn His anger away from him.

19 Do not fret because of evildoers
Or be envious of the wicked;
20 For there will be no future for the evil man;
The lamp of the wicked will be put out.

21 My son, fear the Lord and the king;
Do not associate with those who are given to change,
22 For their calamity will rise suddenly,
And who knows the ruin that comes from both of them?

23 These also are sayings of the wise.
To show partiality in judgment is not good.
24 He who says to the wicked, “You are righteous,”
Peoples will curse him, nations will abhor him;
25 But to those who rebuke the wicked will be delight,
And a good blessing will come upon them.
26 He kisses the lips
Who gives a right answer.

27 Prepare your work outside
And make it ready for yourself in the field;
Afterwards, then, build your house.

28 Do not be a witness against your neighbor without cause,
And do not deceive with your lips.
29 Do not say, “Thus I shall do to him as he has done to me;
I will render to the man according to his work.”

30 I passed by the field of the sluggard
And by the vineyard of the man lacking sense,
31 And behold, it was completely overgrown with thistles;
Its surface was covered with nettles,
And its stone wall was broken down.
32 When I saw, I reflected upon it;
I looked, and received instruction.
33 “A little sleep, a little slumber,
A little folding of the hands to rest,”
34 Then your poverty will come as a robber
And your want like an armed man.

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