This is one of the most important
instances of understanding what Proverbs can do in changing our life. Not only changing our present life but also
changing the way we see our future. It
should be the desire of every Christian to have a heart condition that seeks
after God. Understanding Proverbs is the
way to that heart condition, it may not be something many of us have heard or
been taught. Understanding the specifics
of what things should be in our mind is one of the benefits of becoming wise
and developing the proper Fear of the Lord.
1 My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my
commandments with thee;
I wanted to make sure that I personally
understood what was being said here.
First, God is speaking to His Children as he starts this verse with, “My
son.” Next, it is as though the
receiving of His Word is optional by the statement, “if thou wilt
receive.” There seems to be a clear
choice in the matter of receiving this portion of His Grace. I am not sure I actually
understood it that way. I think
for the most part I have always been taught that the Holy Spirit would guide
me. I certainly don’t want to place
limitation on the Holy Spirit here but it would seem that God
is placing a certain responsibility upon us to go beyond the lazy-boy recliner
for this component of our existence. The
word “receive” in the original is full of action: to take, get, fetch,
lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch,
take away. Then I would derive there is
some serious responsibility here upon us to capture His Words or we may surmise
an existence likened to the fool.
While we purpose in our hearts many
times to do well, we know we disappoint, yet, we should never turn our back on
reconciling to begin anew. One would not
be as apt to reconcile if there were nothing to initiate that action within
us. This is why
it is so important to have these Words in us or hidden as it described by His
prompting: “…hide my commandments with thee.” If you knew no color but white or black, then
a color different to that would cause you to contemplate how it is strange
compared to what you know.
Unfortunately, our minds and lives are not so simple and thusly we are
to have within us the ability to discern where the kaleidoscope of colors
fit. If you and I are void of His Word,
then at best we would be subject to grope through our lives until the discovery
of what He instructed from the beginning.
Doing that would constantly riddle us with the depression of having
mostly failed. His purpose is that we
seek and seize His Word and hide it in us.
Make it ready to come to action.
2 So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply
thine heart to understanding;
This verse is a continuation of the
previous and builds on the fact that we should incline our ear or again, take action in finding Wisdom. We need to clearly understand that having the
Holy Spirit is not the completion of what God has for us as Christians. He wants us to be complete and being complete
is not being without Wisdom. The paradox
of this is however one that would perplex the most scholarly of our world in
that having Wisdom would do two major things; first, it would draw us closer to
Him, it would afford us the insight as to how little we know and drag us from
the pits of pithy human thinking to His supernatural mindset. Secondly, we would become inexplicably savvy,
as our lives would depict those actions, which make no sense at all to the
world and in the end provide us with all that is truly meaningful.
Inclining your ear is not that difficult actually.
Most of the time I find myself reclining my ear and inclining my
tongue. This is specifically talking
about shifting to the mode we use when someone across the room is saying
something to us, we tilt our heads and focus on the best position to hear what
they are saying. Some of us are hard of
hearing but in fact that may be a symptom of being hard
headed.
There is a peace that comes with
Wisdom. Knowing the reason for doing
that which is right and just and equitable brings the sweetness of honey to the
soul and a comfort to our mind. By
applying our heart to understanding means we have in our heart the purpose of
following or vowing to always rely on His Wisdom. Let me see if I can make some sense of this
from the standpoint for which we all have felt at one time or another. Something happens and we are not prepared
completely. There is shock and then
turmoil in us if the event has the potential of changing our lives. We begin to counter with thoughts of “what we
are going to do in order to rectify the situation.” If we cannot easily do this, stress begins to
build. (As a side note, stress is a
simple warning signal to us which God has carefully placed in us to make sure
we know there is a problem. That is
right, it actually is a good thing. God put it there. He made us that way. We need it to survive. It brings keenness to us if used properly so
we would seek His Wisdom. How do you
spell relief? W-I-S-D-O-M.) When we have
Wisdom, there is a soothing comfort in knowing the principles of God are in
place and all we need to do is reach down inside us to glean what it is we need
to do. We have everything we need
whenever we face a problem. 1
Corinthians 10:13 “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common
to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that
ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye
may be able to bear it.”
3 Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy
voice for understanding;
Have you cried out lately? This verse is simply reinforcing the
importance and depth of how we should pursue Wisdom. The word, criest, has the idea of accosting a
person. This would be like a totally
consuming condition for which there is nothing else of higher importance. Keep in mind as well here, God is trying to
make sure we know we need to ask Him for this in a sincere and serious
way. This is not the simple shallow
request, “Oh Lord, give me Wisdom.” This
is saying you are in fear due to your lack of understanding and realizing your
futileness, for you are about to perish.
See, the more Wisdom you have, the more you know you cannot do
without. Understand too, that Wisdom is
a process of growing and nurturing of ones heart and
mind so that while one or two pieces of Wisdom will require more. God is a jealous god but then where is your
commitment to Him? Can you commit to Him
that you are willing to allow His ways to become your own?
Let me paint you a picture. One day a few years ago, I purposed that
going to work was more important than my own safety and the regard of my
responsibility as a provider to my family.
The day was one that had been deemed by the authorities as a snow
emergency where the entire county in which I lived had been shut down. However, being an awesome driver, I knew I
could make it to work because I reasoned that there would not be many on the
roads. I worried more about those other
idiots than myself, I would be in complete control. And besides, there was only about three miles
to the next county, which had not issued a snow emergency. Well off I went. Slow, cautious, smart,
calculating, keen, savvy and above all full of myself. Well at the county line I saw a snow plow plowing the road I was about to cross. The problem was the operator of the truck was
not expecting anyone with a brain to be out driving and pulled into the state
highway without concern and the blade of the plow whisk away the right hand side of my car.
While spinning toward the inevitable my cry was not for Wisdom but
instead it was quite profane for which I repented later. Looking back now, had I used Wisdom, I could
have had a far less stressful day and spent it next to a nice fire reading or
playing with my children.
4 If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her
as for hid treasures;
If you read the introduction you will
remember that I mentioned a pen and a lexicon for looking up words? Seeking Wisdom is a chore and searching for
Her is work. It will become easier and
more rewarding as you learn. I would say
there are certainly treasures in pursuing Wisdom and there will always be a
peace as you fulfill your purpose in becoming more wise. Look at this verse; Ecclesiastes 2:21 "For
there is a man whose labour is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity; yet
to a man that hath not laboured therein shall he leave it for his portion. This
also is vanity and a great evil."
5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.
Ok ladies and gentlemen, this is
it. This is how you would understand the
fear of the LORD. If you are like me,
there has always been this mystique surrounding that statement. We have all heard. “The fear of the Lord is
the beginning of Wisdom.” What is the
fear of the Lord? The statement in this
verse says it as clear as it is going to be said. By the simple statement, “THEN” and only then
will you understand. However
there is much, much more to this verse.
Not only do you understand the fear of the Lord, you also will find the
knowledge of God. Holy cow! I thought that was only for the saints to
have and they only had part of it.
Imagine having access to the knowledge of God. Please don’t call me a heretic, go back and
read the verse and the promise contained there.
It is clearly stated that we will understand The Fear of The Lord, AND find the knowledge of God. I suppose then it would be necessary to come
to grips with the word “Then” which implies there is something before this
verse that must happen in order for us to receive the
promise of this verse. You are right but
don’t be skeptical until you see the list:
if thou wilt receive my words
(vs. 2:1)
hide my commandments
with thee (vs. 2:1)
incline thine ear
unto wisdom (vs. 2:2)
apply thine heart
to understanding (vs. 2:2)
criest after knowledge (vs.
2:3)
liftest up thy voice
for understanding (vs. 2:3)
seekest her
as silver (vs. 2:4)
searchest for her
as for hid treasures (vs. 2:4)
Receive, hide, incline, apply, criest,
liftest, seekest and searchest. Ever
been overwhelmed by the request of setting goals? Here is an awesome list. Look for a minute at each one of these:
“receive my words” – in order to do this I will have to read His Word.
Purpose to read each day and a good
place to start is to read Proverbs as I mentioned in the beginning. Use the date of the month and read that
proverb. Like today is the second and I
am reading and studying chapter 2 as I write this.
“hide my commandments” – in order to do
this we are going to have to memorize as hide means to
have them in us already. Here is a good
plan for memorization, find someone that will hold you accountable first. Commit to having one of the items in the list
below ready by a certain date. Meet on
that date and recite the chapter word perfect.
The challenge is steep but once you reach the summit of one you will
become an expert climber upon the most treacherous mountains known to man.
Here is the verse list:
1)
Romans chapter six.
2)
Romans chapter eight verses 1 – 15
3)
Psalms chapter fifty-one
4)
1 John chapter one
5)
Psalms chapter thirty-four
6)
First Corinthians chapter thirteen
7)
Psalms chapter one
8)
Proverbs chapter three verses 1 – 12
9)
Proverbs chapter three verses 13 – 24
10)
Proverbs chapter three verses 25 – 35
11)
Romans chapter twelve
12)
Matthew chapter five verses 1 – 16
13)
Psalms chapter one hundred twelve
14)
Philippians chapter four verses 1 – 19
15)
John chapter fifteen
16)
James chapter one
17)
Psalms chapter nineteen
18) Psalms
chapter one hundred one
incline thine ear
This means to listen and fasten your
attention on what Wisdom says. This kind
of listening leads to the next goal, which is to apply, but first you have to hear with no mistakes. Be attentive and heed what you learn. This will also require a lot of
self-examination. Put off the things
Wisdom teaches you to put off and put on those things Wisdom teaches you to put
on.
apply thine heart
We have to
purpose to do what we learn otherwise what we learn is nothing but head
knowledge and that tends to puff us up and make us self-righteous. The application of what we are taught is part
of the blessing of Wisdom. Once basic
truths are understood and put into action other truths fit neatly into our new
character.
criest after knowledge
As I stated earlier in verse three, the
word criest in the Hebrew actually means to accost or
apprehend a person. In this case it
means to seek to capture by virtue of being consumed with an infectious desire
for Wisdom.
liftest up thy voice
for understanding
Simply put, this is praying for
understanding. Praying in such a way as
not to be found in vein repetitions but specific circumstances and
situations. There is nothing wrong with
begging for understanding.
seekest her
as silver
When you take on any of the attributes
of Wisdom you may begin right then and there to expect to see her bounty. Look for them because God promises us they are there and in this verse we are given permission
to seek them. The bounty only comes
however, when we find them and you and I will never
find them unless we seek them.
searchest for her
as for hid treasures
Sometimes the really
good treasures come through rough terrain but when they are found, the
satisfaction is even more fulfilling due to the adventure.
THEN and only THEN!
6 For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh
knowledge and understanding.
God created Wisdom as He is the creator
of all that is. Make no mistake about
it. This is not talking about the wisdom
of mankind. That wisdom is distorted
with beneficiaries other than God. God
knows Wisdom will glorify Him. We will
receive benefits of course but not the Glory.
This verse is telling us that Wisdom is a gift and I believe it is a
part of our Salvation. Did you ever
receive a present that required batteries?
I believe Wisdom is sort of like the power plant to our Salvation.
The phrase, “out of his mouth” is the
person possessing Wisdom and that which comes from his mouth is knowledge and
understanding. The word “mouth”
literally translated is mouth of man.
That means if we possess Wisdom then out of our mouth comes knowledge
and understanding.
7 He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a
buckler to them that walk uprightly.
A buckler is one that keeps something
safe by shielding or defending it. This
verse is saying if we are seeking and pursuing Wisdom then the LORD Himself
will defend us. But looking closer He
shields us, which means most of the junk that gets thrown at us will be
shielded and we wont even see it. Here is
another important aspect of what this verse is teaching us; the phrase “layeth
up” used here means He hides in us sound Wisdom as if it were a treasure. As we have learned, Wisdom is a treasure and
needs protection; the LORD is our Armed Forces.
8 He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the
way of his saints.
When we take on the pursuit of Wisdom
our paths become less treacherous. There
are fewer judgments because our ways become more like His ways.
9 Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and
judgment, and equity; yea, every good path.
Here is another one of those “Then”
words. In this case verses 6 – 8 contain
the insights we need to understand. Go
back and read them.
Understanding righteousness is
huge. It is certainly bigger than
us. Consider for a moment this word
“righteousness” it has in it a multitude of meanings. For instance, knowing what is right, knowing
the law and being able to understand what is right for yourself.
Understanding Judgment would be the
opposite of us crying to the ceiling with your hand clinched in a fist of rage
saying, “why is this happening to me?”
Understanding Equity is simply
understanding right things and either doing them or saying them. Pr 23:16 “Yea,
my reins shall rejoice, when thy lips speak right things.” Right Things is translated from the same
Hebrew word.
10 When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge
is pleasant unto thy soul;
This verse says when, not if. It goes on to describe attributes of Wisdom
when She is present in our heart. Look
closely here because this is talking about mature Wisdom. As we mature in having Wisdom, one of the
benefits is that knowledge is pleasant to our
soul. While our soul is filled with the
Holy Spirit at Salvation, Wisdom ignites righteousness from within us and we
are motivated to be like Christ. When
our character is driven from within by Wisdom, the Holy Spirit and having His
commandments hidden in us, then we are supernaturally equipped and thoroughly
furnished as described in 2Tim 3:16-17.
11 Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall
keep thee:
Ok here we go, this is the first of the
qualities we possess when Wisdom is mature.
“Discretion” is the ability to carry out a purpose in a righteous
manner. That is why it “preserves thee.”
“Understanding” is knowledge, insight
or reasoning which makes sense that it will “keep thee.” One of the most attractive personifications
of a Godly life is the ability to understand.
You cannot minister to the torments of another mans soul until you
understand all that is going on inside them.
Sometimes we ourselves have to have suffered a
similar situation in order to minister.
12 To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from
the man that speaketh froward things; 13 Who leave the paths of
uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness; 14 Who rejoice to do evil,
and delight in the frowardness of the wicked; 15 Whose ways are crooked,
and they froward in their paths:
It might make better sense if you read
this section as a list. Remember this is
a quality which we have “When Wisdom entereth into thine heart…”
To deliver
thee from the following
(1)
the way of the evil man
(2)
from the man that speaketh froward
things
(3)
who leave the paths of uprightness
(4)
walk in the ways of darkness
(5)
who rejoice to do evil
(6)
who delight in the frowardness of the wicked
(7)
whose ways are crooked
(8)
they froward in their paths
The word “froward” is used several
times in this list. It means perverse or
perverted. Webster defines perverse in
the following manner: 1 a : turned away from what is right or good : CORRUPT b
: IMPROPER, INCORRECT c : contrary to the evidence or the direction of the
judge on a point of law <perverse verdict> 2 a : obstinate in opposing
what is right, reasonable, or accepted : WRONGHEADED b : arising from or
indicative of stubbornness or obstinacy 3 : marked by peevishness or petulance
: CRANKY synonym see CONTRARY
16 To deliver thee from the strange woman, even from
the stranger which flattereth with her words; 17 Which forsaketh the guide
of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God. 18 For her house
inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead. 19 None that go unto
her return again, neither take they hold of the paths
of life.
Here is another “deliver thee from” list:
(1)
the strange woman
(2)
the stranger which flattereth with her
words
(3)
which forsaketh the guide of her youth
(4)
forgetteth the covenant of her God
(5)
her house inclineth unto death
(6)
her paths unto the dead
(7)
none that go unto her return again
(8)
neither take they hold of the paths of
life
This is a pretty serious list in that
the result is death. The word “strange”
is used in the sense of a prostitute.
The word “stranger” is used in the sense of someone you do not
know. That word “flattereth” is
interesting in that it is translated as smooth, slippery or deceitful and it is
also translated to divide or apportion.
This would give the sense the one doing the flattering as one who is
divided or not whole. In verse 17, the
“guide of her youth” would mean the instructions of her parents. She is separated from “covenant of her God”
because this prostitute has forsaken her parents and their instructions
so she has no family foundation. Her
soul has no core because she has forgotten or rather chosen not to abide by the
laws of God. She is bitterly alone which
explains the condition of her house. The
word “inclineth” simply means to sink down or be bowed down in the sense of
honoring her perverted purpose. Her
house would be full of that which is forbidden.
Finally, she caters to them that are on the path of death and helps them
fulfill their death. The path or
entrenchment implies there is little hope of getting out of this deep rut. I heard a preacher one time define a rut as a
coffin with the ends kicked out. This is
very true in what we are being warned about here.
20 That thou mayest walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous.
The reason for Wisdom is that we may
walk with good men (and women) and keep the paths of righteousness. Since one of the attributes of one having
Wisdom is discernment, this discernment will help us to know and identify good
men from evil. As we were instructed in
verses 12 – 15 avoiding them that are evil means we will find ourselves with
them that are good, doing good and welcoming them that convert.
The word “paths” is not the same word
used in verse 18, this use is more in the sense of a road or way of life. When righteousness is a way of life and the
vigor of our intentions is based on principles our confidence is in the LORD.
21 For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the
perfect shall remain in it.
The “upright” are them considered as
ones which are straight, level, right, pleasing, correct, straightforward,
just, upright, fitting, proper, uprightness, righteous, upright. That is quite a list
but it is what it means. It occurs to me
that the only time it is tough to be an upright person is when I find myself
with them that are not going to like it.
Granted, we cannot always be with upright people because now and then we
are going to be around those that are not, however if we are consistent
they are going to know what to expect from us.
Don’t let that word “perfect” scare
you! Here is the meaning; complete,
whole, entire, sound, healthful, complete, entire (of time), wholesome,
unimpaired, innocent, having integrity.
These are things we can purpose to attain in our lives with the help of
Wisdom. No one is perfect and we may
have failures, however knowing when the failure comes and knowing how to get up
and dust ourselves off to get back on the path or dwell in the land should
bring great hope to our souls. Be sure
that it is not God’s desire that we be limited in such a way either in our
physical or spiritual sense to one failure.
Adam was responsible for that and Christ settled that at the Cross.
22 But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and
the transgressors shall be rooted out of it.
If you were wondering what will happen
to them that are wicked and them that are transgressors, they will be cut off
and rooted out. Wisdom uses the analogy
of the weed here. When we find a weed in
the garden many times we cut it off and heave the
remnants into a pile of trash. The next
step is to get out the shovel and get the roots. Now if you are like me, you shake the roots
to get the soil out and if the roots are big and the dirt is hard, I beat the
living daylights out of it with the shovel.
Many of us have been hit squarely in the forehead with a shovel; Wisdom
helps us identify who is holding the shovel.
The wicked thrust their fist in the air and shake it at God, where those
of us with Wisdom bow, fall to our knees and seek forgiveness.