Proverbs 2:1-9, The Fount of Wisdom – The Substance (continued)
January 18, Proverbs 2:1-9
1 Cor. 1:30, 2:9; Titus 2:11-15 “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, the things God hath prepared for them that love him.”
The Fount of Wisdom – The Substance (continued)
- The Goal keeps expanding. “There is no end of commendation of the ways of wisdom” (Lawson). Those who find God’s Wisdom, are led in paths of judgment and holiness, and have promise to safely walk along every path that is good. We must:
a. Reaffirm God as our Shelter. Verse 8 complements verse 7. God is still the Subject and extends the theme of His safekeeping. Two familiar words appear here usually rendered judgment and saints. They are often misunderstood today. i. Judgment means to vindicate what is right and true, not merely to censure what is false and wrong. The root means to judge uprightly, and gives this word a majestic scope (not disposing in 16:33 is Jehovah’s judgment). ii. Saints, the Hasidim, (Hebrew) are the godly, those devoted to God’s service. They are motivated by love for God and His commandments. They look for the old paths and walk in them. These are the paths of Jehovah’s judgment and are the safest because God guards them. The saints are His inheritance and He is their Shelter, their Keeper. In Christian terms, we take saints, hagioi, to mean covenant keepers, those set apart for God. They are not yet perfect, but, like their OT counterpart, they have entered in at the Strait Gate, and are walking the Narrow Way, trusting Him who said, He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life (Jn. 8:12). The saints are to be living and eternal temples of the Holy Ghost, and as such, they have the blessed assurance of the Almighty sheltering power of God (2 Cor. 12:7-9).
b. Rejoice in God as our Perfector. The fear and knowledge of God is not only the beginning but also the perfection of Wisdom (v.9). This verse, like v.5, opens with Then, signifying more results to follow. It is really the completion of what was begun in v.1 – My son, if thou will receive my words… Then! Note the repetition of key words like justice, equity (righteous, v.7). Behaviour is indicated by the words walk, course, way, path. These good men and women are called the righteous. They walk uprightly, but how can that be said of sinners? To understand and experience this uprightness or this righteousness, we must, like the Apostle, turn from self-righteousness (my filthy rags) to Christ’s righteousness, imputed by faith to the believer (Phil. 3:8-14). Yet, how many of us are careless with this Wisdom as our “rule of life.” Is this not why we are so often at a loss as to what to do? It is surely for this reason God commanded Joshua (and us) that the way of prosperity and success was to be found by complete reliance on the book of God’s law (Josh. 1:8). Are you, dear saint of God, at a loss today? Then, like David, pray as he prayed, Show me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day (Ps. 25:4-5).
Thought: “The wisdom that saves the soul, sanctifies the heart and life” (Bridges).
Prayer: Lord, that I might ever obey Thy Voice saying: This is my way; walk in it.