YouTube video sermon

Proverbs 8:1-36

Let me invite you to take your copy of God’s Word and turn with me to Proverbs 8.  As always, I want to encourage you to bring your Bibles with you (if possible).  I was reading an article this week on the spiritual discipline of Bible reading, and the author included this quote, “If you don’t need your Bible at church, then the Bible says you don’t need that church.” 

 

Now, don’t overthink that too much.  Yes, you can certainly come to MHCC without your Bible.  Nobody is going to ask you to leave if you don’t bring your Bible.  And, to be fair, the Bible doesn’t actually say that – at least not explicitly.  However; the clear teaching of the Bible is that IT is the inspired and inerrant Word of God, and we should be giving our ear to His Word.  If MHCC isn’t reading, preaching and teaching from the Bible, and you aren’t being encouraged and even challenged to go back to the pages of Scripture, then perhaps you should consider attending a different church (amen?).  So, I hope you’ll bring your Bibles each week; because that’s where we look for our direction, and that’s what I use in my preaching.

 

Now, before I read Proverbs 8 (and I’m going to read the entire chapter), I want to take just a moment and remind us of a few academic points.  First, remember that Proverbs is considered wisdom literature.  In other words, you don’t read it (or listen to it) like you do the gospel accounts of Jesus’ life, or the narratives we find in Genesis.  Also, it’s not a prophetic book like Jeremiah or Isaiah or Ezekiel.  It’s not apocalyptic literature like Daniel or Revelation.  So just remember, what you’re about to hear isn’t like those other kinds of writings and you might need to use a different set of ears when listening.

 

Second, although it’s wisdom literature and most of the Book of Proverbs is set out in pithy sayings and maxims, what you’re going to hear and see today is most likely a poetic way of sharing that wisdom.  Proverbs 8 – like Proverbs 31, which contains the virtuous woman verses that we’re all familiar with around Mother’s Day – almost stands on its own.  This chapter and Proverbs 31 read very differently than the rest of the Book.  So not only is Proverbs different from most of the rest of the Bible, but Proverbs 8 is different from almost every other chapter in the Book.

 

Finally, let’s talk about gender.  And I’m specifically talking about gender as it relates to language.  Proverbs 8 is not about biological gender, although the wisdom gained from the Book of Proverbs should help inform a Christian position on biological gender.

 

(And just to be clear – regardless of what our society says – the Bible says there are two and only two biological sexes, male and female, and they’re determined at conception.)

 

But that’s a sermon for another day.  Many of you remember studying other languages.  Maybe some of you can actually speak other languages (French, Italian, Spanish, etc.).  You might recall that in some of those other languages there were grammatical genders.  Meaning, that words were partly defined by their gender.

 

For example, Parker is taking Spanish this semester.  The Spanish word for “guitar” is la guitarra, and it’s feminine.  The Spanish word for “car” is el coche, and it’s masculine.  Besides our English pronouns (he/she/him/her, etc.), most of the words in our language don’t operate like this.  The reason this is important to know (before I read the text) is because the Hebrew word for “wisdom” is chokmoth, and it’s grammatically feminine.  So, in Hebrew, it would have been natural to speak of “wisdom” in female terms, and that’s exactly what you’re going to see and hear.

 

If you were in the Navy or you know a car fanatic (like myself), then you’ve probably heard them referring to boats and ships and cars as if they were girls.  “Isn’t she a beauty?  Look at her lines.  She cuts through the waves with such grace.”  That’s what Solomon is doing in chapter 8 with wisdom.

 

So, with those gentle academic reminders out of the way, follow along with me as I read Proverbs 8:1-36.

 

¹ Does not wisdom call?

Does not understanding raise her voice?

² On the heights beside the way,

at the crossroads she takes her stand;

³ beside the gates in front of the town,

at the entrance of the portals she cries aloud:

⁴ “To you, O men, I call,

 and my cry is to the children of man.

⁵ O simple ones, learn prudence;

O fools, learn sense.

⁶ Hear, for I will speak noble things,

and from my lips will come what is right,

⁷ for my mouth will utter truth;

wickedness is an abomination to my lips.

⁸ All the words of my mouth are righteous;

there is nothing twisted or crooked in them.

⁹ They are all straight to him who understands,

and right to those who find knowledge.

¹⁰ Take my instruction instead of silver,

 and knowledge rather than choice gold,

¹¹ for wisdom is better than jewels,

and all that you may desire cannot compare with her.

 

¹² “I, wisdom, dwell with prudence,

and I find knowledge and discretion.

¹³ The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil.

Pride and arrogance and the way of evil

and perverted speech I hate.

¹⁴ I have counsel and sound wisdom;

 I have insight; I have strength.

¹⁵ By me kings reign,

and rulers decree what is just;

¹⁶ by me princes’ rule,

and nobles, all who govern justly.

¹⁷ I love those who love me,

and those who seek me diligently find me.

¹⁸ Riches and honor are with me,

enduring wealth and righteousness.

¹⁹ My fruit is better than gold, even fine gold,

and my yield than choice silver.

²⁰ I walk in the way of righteousness,

in the paths of justice,

²¹ granting an inheritance to those who love me,

and filling their treasuries.

 

²² “The Lord possessed me at the beginning of His work,

the first of His acts of old.

²³ Ages ago I was set up,

at the first, before the beginning of the earth.

²⁴ When there were no depths I was brought forth,

when there were no springs abounding with water.

²⁵ Before the mountains had been shaped,

before the hills, I was brought forth,

²⁶ before He had made the earth with its fields,

or the first of the dust of the world.

²⁷ When He established the heavens, I was there;

when He drew a circle on the face of the deep,

²⁸ when He made firm the skies above,

when He established the fountains of the deep,

²⁹ when He assigned to the sea its limit,

so that the waters might not transgress His command,

when He marked out the foundations of the earth,

³⁰ then I was beside Him, like a master workman,

and I was daily His delight,

rejoicing before Him always,

³¹ rejoicing in His inhabited world

and delighting in the children of man.

 

³² “And now, O sons, listen to me:

blessed are those who keep my ways.

³³ Hear instruction and be wise,

and do not neglect it.

³⁴ Blessed is the one who listens to me,

watching daily at my gates,

waiting beside my doors.

³⁵ For whoever finds me finds life

and obtains favor from the Lord,

³⁶ but he who fails to find me injures himself;

all who hate me love death.”

 

Wisdom and Creation

 

I want to start in the heart of this chapter with verses 22-31.  I want to do that for a few reasons.  First, this is the climax of the poem.  Second, in order for us to consider what “wisdom” has to say to us, we need know her credentials.  Third, I want to clarify the imagery that we’re introduced to in this section.

 

There’s no denying that as you heard me read this section, and even now, for those of you that are looking at it, your mind was taken back to Genesis 1.  Wisdom was with God before the world began.  In fact, wisdom was something that God used when He created time and space and the world and humans.  Again, remember that this is poetic expression and it shouldn’t be taken literally.  However, notice that wisdom is described in verses 30-31 as “delighting” and “rejoicing” in the presence of God.  The image we get is a playful and peaceful satisfaction – a perfect relationship – between wisdom and God.

 

Now the temptation is going to be for us to run to an interpretation and application of this section as a picture of the pre-incarnate Christ.  In fact, that’s exactly what Arias did in the 4^th century when he (and others) argued against the deity of Jesus.  But I want to caution against that, and here’s why.  There’s language in these verses that speak about wisdom’s being “brought forth” or “created.”  And we know that Jesus, as the second person of the Trinity, has always eternally existed with the Holy Spirit in the Godhead.

 

The apostle Paul, in Colossians 2:3, presents Jesus as God’s wisdom and he teaches that Jesus participated with the Father in creation (Colossians 1:15-17; John 1:3; Revelation 3:14), so we shouldn’t be surprised that these verses point us in that direction.  But they aren’t specifically describing Jesus.

 

Why does all of this matter.  What’s the point?  Well, as we’ve been looking at Proverbs and trying to gain more wisdom and apply it in our day-to-day living there’s a principle, here, that we need to appreciate.  If God used wisdom in the act of creation, then surely, we need His wisdom for the problems we face.  And since God’s wisdom has been around since creation, I believe we ought to give a little more consideration to her, and to the pages of Scripture where she’s found.

 

Wisdom and Righteousness

 

Next, I want us to consider verses 12-21.  It’s a natural continuation of the blessings of wisdom.  When you have wisdom, you get so many more things added on.  It’s like Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 6.  You remember.  He’s encouraging us not to be anxious about what we should eat or drink or wear, and He uses the birds and the flowers as His illustration.  And then He says this, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).  The things that will be added are the food and clothes and drink and everyday stuff that we concern ourselves with.

 

That’s exactly what Solomon is saying here.  Notice who dwells with wisdom and who comes along with her: prudence, knowledge, and discretion (vs. 12), counsel, sound wisdom, insight, and strength (vs. 14).  And if that wasn’t enough, riches and honor, enduring wealth and righteousness tag along in verse 18.  If you’re counting, that’s eleven (11) virtues that you obtain when you gain wisdom.

 

Now, part of our society’s problem is that we want the riches and the wealth and the clothes and food and the material trappings of the “here and now,” of this present existence, but we don’t want to pursue God’s kingdom and His righteousness.  A few weeks ago, we learned about lists in the Bible?  One of the things we learned is that lists often have a progression.  Well, if you consider verse 12 to be the beginning of the list, then wisdom is at the top and riches, honor and wealth are at the bottom.  Rather than start with that which is the most important, we start by pursuing those on the bottom in the hopes that they’ll give us wisdom.

 

In reality, the only inheritance that will last forever is that which is obtained by pursuing God’s wisdom.  Most people talk about and desire to go to heaven when they die, but they aren’t interested in pursuing the One that is assured of getting them there.  Verses 35-36 remind us, “For whoever finds me finds life and obtains favor from the Lord, but he who fails to find me injures himself; all who hate me love death.”  Divine wisdom is not mere words spoken by great teachers; rather, God’s wisdom is a Person.  And it’s a right relationship with this Person that secures our entry to heaven.

 

Wisdom and Today

 

Like you, as I read the Bible each day I’m asking the Lord to show me what’s right and true and even real.  That’s one of the reasons I’ve taken us to the Book of Proverbs – to help us recalibrate our truth meter, to be reminded of the realities of life.  In the opening verses of chapter 8 wisdom calls out to anyone that will listen.  She’s easily accessible.  She’s on the heights calling out (vs. 2).  She’s at the crossroads (vs. 2).  She’s beside the gates in front of town and at the entrance (vs. 3).  As the chapter concludes, we’re told (vs. 34), “Blessed is the one who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors.”  The point is clear.  Wisdom isn’t limited to religious matters.  It will touch every aspect of our lives, individually and corporately.  And the question we should be asking ourselves is: have we accepted wisdom’s invitation?

 

As we close, I want to offer four tips for discerning truth in these days that we’re living in.

 

First, trust the people you know to be reliable; pastors, friends, and family, over anonymous online conspiracy theorists hiding behind screens.  One of the disadvantages of the internet is that it often pulls us everywhere but where we are.  It gives us the illusion that we’re experts in things we can’t sufficiently grasp.  Given the choice between listening to the opinion of a local homeless advocate in Landrum or Greenville or some opinionated Twitterer who lives thousands of miles away and has never worked with the homeless, let’s go with the former.  At a time when we can be in the business of every place and every problem, however far removed or complicated they may be, local is good wisdom.

 

Second, as a general rule, trust the older over the newer and the slower over the faster.  For some of you that’s not a big tip, that’s just reality (older and slower).  I was reading an article this week by a guy named Chris Martin titled How Veracity Suffers in the Age of Virality.  He was talking about how so many people today are fixated on something going “viral.”  Just so you aren’t confused – he wasn’t talking about COVID-19.  When something goes “viral” on the internet it takes on a life of its own and grows exponentially more than it otherwise would under normal circumstances.  And one of the comments he made was this, “When it comes to what generates maximum attention and engagement, truth and reality usually take a back seat to the sensational and entertaining.  Truth and reality are often pretty boring, and boring never goes viral.”

 

The test of time is a rigorous test.  It allows reporting to be verified, facts to be checked, sources to be investigated, reasoning and tone to be considered.  Given the choice between a “hot, new take” on a complicated subject and a decades-old book, article, or documentary that’s still cited and celebrated, go with the latter.  Think about it like this; a med student’s health advice will naturally carry less weight than a doctor who’s been practicing for 30 years.  An engaged couple’s marital advice should be taken with bigger grains of salt than a couple that’s been faithfully married for 40 years.

 

Third, trust a group of counselors over following your own heart.  Our digital age tends to isolate us from community.  Proverbs 3:5 says, “Lean not on your own understanding,” but contemporary Western culture says the opposite: “Look within yourself for truth.”  Yet, this bypasses one of the greatest gifts for our wisdom: community.  This is one of the reasons why church occupies such an important place in the life of a believer.  We desperately need the plurality of perspectives and accountability of community to help us through the chaos.  This is not to say communities never make mistakes; it’s just that, as a general rule, truth is easier found together than alone.

 

Last, value holistic wisdom over pure head knowledge.  We know this to be true.  I’m not sharing anything that you don’t already know.  Wisdom isn’t just a matter of having the most data.  Humans are not brains on sticks.  It’s possible a farmer who never finished high school, yet whose hands are in the dirt daily and who works at the mercy of the weather, could have more wisdom than the “expert” with two doctorates.  That’s not to say education is unimportant; it’s just that wisdom is not merely a matter of gaining knowledge.

 

When we’re evaluating who to listen to, then, we should ask: are they wise?  Or are they brilliant but lacking in virtue?  It’s possible a New Testament scholar who wrote several books on the Sermon on the Mount doesn’t live a life resembling it.  A source’s trustworthiness depends in part on factual rigor and avoidance of technical error, yes, but also on demonstrable wisdom across all areas of life.  On any given complex topic, if I have the choice between listening to the wise, faithful, humble Christian in my life or the smart but cocky nominal Christian whose life bears little fruit of the Spirit, I’ll always go with the former.

 

If we’re going to have any hope of finding truth in these days of confusion and fog…  If we hope to recover trust in one another and the institutions that make up our lives, then it must come from God.  If God is wisdom incarnate, then our presence with Him in relationship is the most vital ingredient for our wisdom.  We must orient our whole lives (mind, body, soul) around God, not only knowing about Him but enjoying being with Him, and praying to Him as we seek to discern truth in an increasingly foggy world.