The scripture reading this morning is from Proverbs 1-1-7 and Colossians 2-2-3. This can be found on page 4 of your bulletin. Please stand for the reading of God's Word. Proverbs 1-1-7, 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 obtained guidance, to understand the proverb and the saying the words of the wise and their riddles. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, fools despise wisdom and instruction. Colossians 2-2-3. That their hearts may be encouraged, be knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. The Word of the Lord, praise be to God. Please be seated. Well, this is a preacher's delight because I can see the whites of your eyes on the back row. I can read your name tag and I can tell whether you're going to sleep or pray. So isn't this great? As Bhutal mentioned earlier, we were in crowds and places like this when we started, so it's almost like feeling that wonderful feeling all again. But it is a delight to be here and to have you all here today. How many of you are facing at this time in your life something that has an uncertain outcome? I don't need your hands, that's okay. It would create a wave in here because of that. You know, when you face uncertainty or confusion, what do you do? And you can't decide where you're going to go to school next or you're waiting on an acceptance and it hasn't come or the one you wanted didn't come or you're hoping for a job change and that opportunity just hasn't come along. Or you find yourself facing a disease or a sickness that you're not really sure how the outcome of it is going to turn out. Or even possibly some of your children are going off to school now and you now find yourself in a new relationship with your spouse that was not maybe as strong as you thought it was before. And there's an uncertainty there and something that you face. Possibly you've decided to retire but you're not really sure how that's going to work out. That brings us continual uncertainties. Sometimes we are ready for them but most of the time we feel quite uneasy about those uncertainties. What do you do when you face uncertainty? You look for wisdom, you look for a wise person. I think about a salesman who was traveling and he had to get out into the country to find this little bitty town but a store there that he was hoping to get an order from. As he came, was getting back he got hopelessly lost and he ended up on some back roads and he was late to another meeting. He needed to get to downtown and he couldn't find his way out. He just kept seeing me to go in circles and finally he said, I've got to look for somebody who knows. Sure enough he looked across the way and here was an old farmer leading some of his milk cows into the barn. So he drove around, pulled up in front of the barn and hurriedly ran into the barn and looked all over. He couldn't seem to find him. All right. He says, is anybody here? And he heard, yep. And he said, I need some directions. I need to know how to get back to the highway. The fellow was sitting down, milking a cow. And never stopped, looked up and he said, well, he said, if you go back up to the road, take it all right, you'll go down about a mile, you'll come to a fork and take a left. And after that fork, you'll find another road that tees and you'll need to take a right and that'll take you right to the highway. He said, all right, let me see if I got that trying to figure it out stuff. All right. I think I've got it. He said, by the way, he said, sir, could you tell me what time it is, my watch isn't working. He said, the old farmer stopped milking for a moment and he kind of leaned over and he grabbed that milk sack and he just lifted it slightly and he got real close and he lifted it. He said, it's 3.45. He said, how do you know? He said, I can just tell and he reached down there again, lifted up to say, it's 3.45. He said, that's amazing. He said, how do you do that? He said, well, come over here, sit down on the bench, sit on the bench. He said, now, reach under here and grab that milk sack, now raise it up just a little bit. You see that clock on the wall over there? Because you have to know who to ask, all right. You have to know who to ask to go to for some wisdom. In the first paragraph of the first chapter of Proverbs, Solomon is painting for us a picture of wisdom and he uses a rainbow of color, so to speak, of words to help us grasp its meaning like all great concepts, truths, words, it's hard to put one thought to them and Solomon is trying to help us grasp the fact that Proverbs is a wisdom as much like a diamond that has sides to it that when you look at it and turn it you see different facets of the wisdom. He gives five colors of wisdom here, they're found in verses 2 through 5, the words are used over and over and over throughout the entire book of Proverbs and any one of those words can be used to represent the whole of wisdom as well as its own individual facet. Let me give you these five colorful words in the Hebrew language and then we'll begin to pull them apart a little bit. They are Musar, binah, maskeel, or ma and lahah, all right, now I'll come back to those. Impsis is not necessarily remembering the Hebrew word but as realizing there is a facet to this whole idea of wisdom. Follow with me then in the scriptures beginning in verse 2 and we'll point these words out to them, you can underline them here in your bulletin. The first in verse 2 to know wisdom and instruction, that is the word Musar, to understand words of insight, that is the word binah, to receive instruction in wise dealing and that is the word Muskeel, M-A-S-K-I-L, which is the most common word used in the book of Hebrew, of Proverbs. And then come to the next sentence, verse 4, to give prudence, that is the word or ma, prudence, to the simple knowledge, discretion of youth, and then let the wise here and increase in learning, that is the word Lakha, L-E-Q-U-A-H, Lakha. Now let's take a look at each of these briefly and then we'll close on how they are obtained. To know wisdom and instruction, the best way to understand this is that a person who is well instructed is a person who has some self control of their knowledge, they have some governing understanding, some discipline about the knowledge. It is an idea that it takes time for something to develop. Yesterday I performed a wedding in Chattanooga, the son of one of my best friends from Chattanooga. And as I spent some time at a distance with this couple and then tried to spend a little bit of time with them yesterday, I couldn't help but thinking of the exciting and yet very difficult road that lies ahead of them. They need instruction, they need moussa, they need some discipline in the way they go about governing their marriage. Now when I first became engaged and I thought about the uncertainties of marriage, I sought out the wisest person that I knew and I asked for advice. And this person gave me something that was very simple and yet very profound. I had no idea how large the meaning was at the time. But he said to me this, he said, Pete, if you want to have a strong marriage, there's just one thing you need to remember and that is it's going to take a lot of very hard work. Now I thought well sure I'm willing to do you know whatever needs to do but I had no idea what that meant and I had to learn that a wise person becomes disciplined, a well-instructed person and what need to happen in making a marriage work. And Harriet and I worked hard at developing our communication, the depth of communication and that wasn't easy. I had no idea that a woman thought differently than a man and much less what it meant. We wrestled with learning how to pray together and how we prayed even differently. We took walks and we memorized scripture together and would talk about it. We learned to fight and to disagree without harming one another. That took a little bit of time as well. We did make a commitment that the idea of divorce would never be considered. Murder was an option but that we made a commitment, you know, it was going to be all or nothing. We needed instruction, we needed work and hard work, it didn't come easy and I'm glad that Harriet's not here if you'd be amen. The second word for wisdom is to understand insight and this is the idea of choosing properly, having a right criteria for distinguishing between good and evil and even better distinguishing between that which is good and that which is best. For most of us we have many, many choices and they're not bad choices but the problem is what is truly the best choice. See this is what Solomon prayed for as a young man but forgot when he was an old man. This is what Eve did not seek when she was tempted, she did not discern, she did not seek wisdom to know the best choice between good and evil. When I was a little boy, about five years old my mother tried to teach me how to pray. She said I was a particularly difficult student, I had six other brothers and sisters and she worked at it, she said I wasn't doing too well at it but one hot Sunday or summer afternoon I told her that I wanted to get an ice cream cone, there was a store about two blocks away, a little bit of a store in our neighborhood and I wanted to go and she said well we can't go now. She said I have some things I've got to do but I'll take you up there later. Well I was too impatient and not very wise but I thought I was wise in my own eyes because I went back and I saw a quarter on my dad's dresser and I thought hmm she's busy so I grabbed that quarter and I walked out the back door and went up those two blocks and I bought my first ice cream cone all by myself, five years old, started back down the street and I met my mother halfway up the street. By the look in her eyes I knew that I had no wisdom. She took me back to the bathroom, she believed in the biblical term of laying on her hands and boy could she lay them on, I'll tell you. And she was going to give me a spanking of my life and I looked up at her and I said mother let's pray. Well she got to laughing and could not hit me. The problem is it only lasted once, I could only do it one time. I learned the choice between good and evil right there at that particular point. This is the insight that we need. Third color of wisdom is to receive instruction in wise dealings, to receive instructions in wise dealings. This refers to the use of good sense, applied insight, a spiritual street smart so to speak. The skill of living well, as I mentioned this word my skill is the word that is used most often in the book of Proverbs. As one person put it, young men know the rules, wise men know the exceptions. When do you really make an exception? Not that you should always be thinking about an exception but when do you do that? When do you apply the law and when do you apply grace to it because both are needed? I think rather humorously a former great baseball player, actually earlier than my days but he made this comment and I remember writing a dad's name was Paul Warner, retired at the very peak of his baseball career and many people commented on the fact that he was able to do so. He never showed any loss of anything and they said how did you know when to retire? He said well he said you know when you get a little older he said you don't hit the ball as hard and he said so what happens is is the infill backs up a little bit because they know they have you're not running as fast and they know they have a little more time to throw you out and he said at the same time because you're not hitting it as far he said the out build moves in a little bit because they know that you're not going to go over their head. He said when those guys can shake hands you know it's time to quit. Now wisdom is in the sense of the skill of living it is knowing when and how to put things together. The fourth color of wisdom is to give prudence to the simple prudence to the simple prudence is the ability to formulate a plan to set a course of action. In other words how do I take what I know of the scriptures and use it at work? How do I know to take what I have learned of the scriptures and use it at my school with my classmates? How do you apply this if you're dating to a girlfriend or to a boyfriend? What is the scripture saying about that relationship? How do I take the Word of God and put it to use in sharing my faith? Have I formulated a plan by which I can be more effective at sharing my faith? One of the reasons that I really love the program in our church called evangelism explosion because in evangelism explosion what is taught is understanding very clearly how the gospel must be unfolded for a person and how you can naturally overcome the resistance that's within all of us to the gospel because of our sinfulness and how to move seamlessly through that with another person and then how to practice it, how to do it over, how to watch someone else do it, how to be able to answer some basic questions because they're really only about four questions that everybody asks and then to pull that back to the gospel. You see wisdom is formulating a plan. How are you going to move through this uncertainty that you face right now? What is the step of wisdom that needs to be taken next? This is the word here or ma that you use for that type of wisdom. Now that is giving prudence then excuse me that is the idea of wise dealings and prudence rather. In actively pursuing your purpose and life are the desire that you want to do what is right in this circumstance you must set forth that plan. How are you going to study the scripture? Are you really getting the most out of the one year Bible? How do you watch for what is being said and what is being repeated to grasp how the spirit is revealing his truth to you? That's wisdom. The fifth and final color is to increase in learning and this is the idea of getting a grasp on the truth of life and how we are what we are exposed to in an everyday life that we would look at what God is doing to increase our wisdom about life. The book of Proverbs unfolds two ways in which that wisdom is gained. First, by examining your experience and looking at what God is saying to me as you are walking daily in his truth what is God actually doing in my life right now? As I step back and examine the things that are happening to me what is God saying to me how is he wanting me to view my life and how can I learn from that? I was trying to memorize a verse of scripture which related to this. It was James chapter 1 verse 5 which says if any man lacks wisdom let him ask unto God who grants freely and without holding back only let him ask and faith and it will be given to him and as I was memorizing that and trying to meditate on that and think through that I was it was part of some other verses I was memorizing I went to a conference and at that conference I met a young man who was in a wheelchair and he had cerebral palsy but he had a bright countenance about him he he was joined in as best he could singing and listening and all of the meetings that went on but one afternoon after a particular meeting he was coming out of the auditorium and I saw him there and his face was very downcast and he said Pete he said could I talk with you for a minute and I said well sure Mike I'll be glad to chat with you so we kind of wheeled off to the side and I said what's going on you look kind of sad and he began to tear up and he said he said why why did God make me this way and my heart sank to the ground but I thought I'm I've got my arms and my legs how do I answer what how do I know what it's like to live my life in a wheelchair and it was at the spirit nudged me at that moment and said you remember that verse you're memorizing and I thought wow if a man ever lacked wisdom I really lack wisdom and you know how you can have a conversation with someone to be praying at the same time and I'm saying Lord you got to help me here I don't I need to know what to say and so I just begin to speak to him I started referring to a few thoughts that came from the scriptures and and and was just trying to tell him what was frankly to me seemed like a very easy answer but in a moment I could tell his countenance begin to change and it was as if something was clicking and coming through and in a few moments that smile begin to come back to his face and he said he said thank you oh that helps me so much you know it got to the point where I couldn't wait to hear what I was going to say next the the wisdom of God was beginning to come through not so much in what I said but because I had called on the God of wisdom who gives wisdom and it changed this young man's outlook online you see that is the idea of this word of increasing in learning realizing that wisdom is far greater than just something I learned from a book but there is a source of it all it's part of the second way in which wisdom is learned and that is by seeking counsel and in the book of Proverbs there are two types of counselors first there is the counselor who is an expert in what you are seeking to know so if you're seeking to know wow should I go to this school or that school and you go up and you talk to people you find out people who've been to that school and you you talk with them and you find out about it or you're thinking of investing in something and you go to a person who knows some information about that field and you ask them about it because they are an expert in that field that's the kind of wisdom you need for that decision you see practical wisdom but then there's also the second kind of counselor this mentioned and that is the counselor the counselor who knows you who might say yes that is a great school and yes it has a lot that offers about your about your field of interest but you know what it isn't the right school for you because there are other things that occur at that school that wouldn't be healthy for you this is a school over here these the schools have the same thing they have a much better situation for what you are looking for the conditions are better because I know you and you see we must have both of those kinds of counsel we not only need to do our due diligence so to speak and get all the information we need but then wisdom comes in and says is this best for me is this right for me is this the time in which this should be done or should I wait this is when you understand as the scripture moves you further along and in Proverbs 3 verse 5 which all of you probably have memorized and that is trust in the Lord and lean not on your own understanding you see that's what makes the difference in a person who just has knowledge versus a person who has wisdom there is a great difference and so grasping that wisdom and pulling that through this is why Paul says be careful how you walk not as unwise men and women but as wise making the most of your time because the days are evil Ephesians 5 Solomon ends this opening explanation of wisdom by adding the most critical element and it's an element that cannot be ignored and the scripture actually shows us that it cannot be ignored because you see here's this wisdom and knowledge always go together you cannot have wisdom without knowledge but you can have knowledge without wisdom you can go to school go to seminary learn all the Bible learn all the Hebrew learn all the things you want to do and have great knowledge and have a heart of stone it's what the Pharisees had they knew the Bible when the Magi came when Christ was born all they had was one verse they came saying there is a star and there is one who is to be born who is a king and we came to find him the scribes immediately knew where to look they had the knowledge they said ah in the prophet Micah it is said oh Bethlehem of Africa you know the star will rise a king will come whose days are of old they knew the scripture and the Magi went off to worship Christ and the scribes would not even bother to get on a donkey and ride 25 minutes down the Bethlehem because you see they had more than knowledge they had wisdom they believed that a great king was there and they went to see the great king that is the difference in knowledge and wisdom Solomon ends as I said with this statement the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge fools despise wisdom and instruction
mark on your page there Proverbs chapter 9 verse 10 because in Proverbs 9 verse 10 Solomon exchanges the words and says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of the fear of the Lord is wisdom he changes he interplays wisdom and knowledge fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and the knowledge of the most high god and these words knowledge and wisdom are always together wisdom has a beginning point and it is the fear of the Lord that word beginning is the word that literally means the first run on a ladder in other words you cannot go up until you step on that run you cannot truly have wisdom until you have the fear of the Lord recently talking with Sinclair Ferguson and talking about this word and he was saying that this word as he had studied it did not mean the fear of being afraid of punishment but it meant instead the fear of losing love from someone that you love he said it was the fear of losing the smile of God because you love him it's that kind of fear the one that you love the most that you don't want to displease that's the fear that is holy and awesome the fear of God it is the beginning and only fools despise that pathway that entrance because it's the fool who says in his heart there is no God but notice it says this as we read in our New Testament passage you see wisdom is one of the attributes of God and its fullest expression is seen in his son Jesus Christ and so the passage reread says this in him Christ are hidden all of the treasures of wisdom it is Christ who models a self-governed life he was never in a hurry but he was always right where he was supposed to be he was never anxious about what he didn't have because he knew his father would provide him he had an in bread wisdom a governing wisdom to his life it is Christ who gives discernment it is he who confounded them when they would ask him questions to trap him and he would simply point them to the grace and goodness of God and they would walk away amazed at his wisdom it is Christ who enables us to live skillfully because he has the resources to enable us to do so it is Christ who enables us to order our lives so that we can walk in the light as he is in the light and have fellowship with him and it is Christ who enables us to learn from life it is why he doesn't always answer our prayers immediately because he really wants to know are we truly praying I oftentimes pray a miss as the scripture says because I don't pray a right meaning I pray for what I think God should do and God doesn't answer and I pray again and I say Lord doesn't it seem right that this should happen and he doesn't answer and I say Lord I mean obviously you would want this to happen and this person's life or in my own life and he doesn't answer and no finally I say Lord how is it that you want me to pray and he says pray that your heart will be changed oh Lord change me don't change my circumstance change me and you know what so often then he changes my circumstances he is the treasury of wisdom and we draw on his wisdom by the power of the spirit when life brings us uncertainty learn to draw from Christ's wisdom you see he dwells in your heart and he is the treasury of wisdom it's not that I learned to be a street smart Christian that's not what Solomon is saying because he personifies wisdom later in chapter 8 makes it a person because it's speaking as if it was God and we know that Christ himself was is the wisdom of God but lean on him and draw from his resource as I called on God Lord how do I answer this young man's question I have no idea how to answer his question and the resource of wisdom was there therefore he gets all the glory it's not because I'm a wise person so remember this his cross made it possible his word makes it attainable and his love makes it trustable that is the wisdom of Christ the wisdom you need is made possible because of his cross it is made attainable because he is the word and the word becomes alive with him and it is trustable because of his law are you uncertain turn to the wisdom of Christ let's pray Father thank you that you have magnified your word and your truth and it has been done in the Lord Jesus himself and he has come to dwell in us that we might know you as he knows you that we might be one with you as he is one with you and we might actually be able to draw upon the flow of wisdom itself from heaven because it resides in the one who has chosen to reside in us and how we praise your name that whatever we face whatever decision needs to be made the answer is the person of Christ because in him lies all of the treasures of wisdom and his name we pray amen