More Word to the World

Proverbs 3:21 My son, let not them depart from thine eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion:

Proverbs 4:21 Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart.

Wisdom is the predominant topic in the Book of Proverbs and we have seen it repeated and emphasized in many ways. In our current anatomy study we have seen that we are to use our mouth to speak wisdom and our ears to listen to it. Today’s verse tells us that we are to seek wisdom even with our eyes. There are many things we can consume with our eyes but among our top choices should be wisdom. So how can we consume wisdom with our eyes? How can we apply, “Let them [words of wisdom] not depart from thine eyes?” The easiest way is to become a regular consumer of wisdom by being a Bible reader. You can access a Bible from many sources. One easy source that my wife and I use daily is the You Version Bible app on our phones (https://www.bible.com/). They offer many reading plans. The one we use is taking us through the Bible in a year by reading approximately fifteen minutes per day. Reading with your spouse and/or children will improve those relationships. Reading alone will improve your relationship with God. Whether reading it alone or with someone else, the Bible is a great resource for keeping wisdom before our eyes and putting it into our hearts. And the best way to keep it there is to keep going back repeatedly. Make it a daily habit.

Prov 5:7 Hear me now therefore, O ye children, and depart not from the words of my mouth.

Prov 5:7 Now listen to me, sons, and never forget what I am saying. TEV

Yesterday we saw the need to “keep” or guard, the words of wisdom because they are intended to lead to action. The context of today’s verse is a son who is facing a lustful temptation (a subject we will cover in great detail later) and his father warns him not to depart from words of wisdom during the conflict. That is the point at which he will need them the most. When the themes of yesterday’s and today’s verses are combined, we get the picture that words of wisdom are packed with great power; not just theoretical power but practical power that can actually lead you through and out of a conflict with victory and clean hands. Listen to wisdom, keep these words and do not stray from these words. When we guard a thing, we know where it is at all times and we know how useful it is. When we guard wisdom, we are keeping close to us an order for action that will serve us well and will deliver us from the conflict if we do not depart from those words. Pick up words of wisdom and use them when in the middle of the conflict. Otherwise, volatile emotions will be ignited during a moment of flaring passion which will lead to regrettable consequences.

Prov 8:32 Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye children: for blessed are they that keep my ways.

Prov 8:32 “Now then, my sons, listen to me;
blessed are those who keep my ways. NIV

In our topic on what we should listen to, we have discussed the importance of tuning our ears to (1) the instructions of our parents, (2) correct thinking, (3) wisdom and (4) knowledge. Today’s verse goes a little further. By now you know who is talking in chapter 8—wisdom. Wisdom says it is not only important to listen to wisdom, but a blessing comes to those who “keep” wisdom’s words. The Hebrew word, shamar, that is translated as keep in this verse, has the meaning of guarding, protecting, or preserving a thing of value. Let us use a military analogy to draw a picture. The General as a top-secret order he must get to one of his colonels. While the Colonel is busy engaging an enemy, the General passes the sealed order to the guard on duty at the headquarters with instructions to personally hand-deliver it to the Colonel upon his return. How shall the guard treat that message? Will he set it aside so he can get back to his game of Angry Birds Star Wars? No, he will learn what an angry bird his Colonel can be. Will he put the order with the Colonel’s stack of junk mail? No. The General ordered him to “keep my ways.” In other words, after listening to wisdom, we are to regard and guard those words in our hearts with great care because wisdom is more than words—it is an order to action. Listen to wisdom and follow through with the action that wisdom calls for. You will blessed if you do.

Prov 8:34 Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.

Prov 8:34 Joyful are those who listen to me,
watching for me daily at my gates,
waiting for me outside my home! NLT

What shall I listen to? We have seen the importance of giving heed to the wise counsel of our father/parent. Remember that the subject of chapter 8 is wisdom. In the scene described in today’s verse there is a man who acts like a celebrity stalker, only he is a stalker of Wisdom. The man shows up every day at Wisdom’s gate longing to get an earful. This man is even so bold as to go beyond the gates and wait for Wisdom right at the doors of his home. Do you think that the man may have had other things to do? He is showing up EVERY day at Wisdom’s door. But rather than being annoyed by this man’s presuming pursuit, Wisdom calls the man blessed. That is how ambitious our pursuit to listen to wisdom should be. Yes, you are probably a busy person with plenty of other priorities, but still—make your pursuit of listening to wisdom a daily event that you anticipate. Perhaps early in the morning, during a lunch break, or in the evening—whenever is best for you—make time to listen to wisdom’s daily message.

Prov 2:2 So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding;

Prov 2:2 Tune your ears to wisdom,
and concentrate on understanding. NLT

We are considering Human Anatomy in the Book of Proverbs and have just completed our study of the mouth—a source of distribution that outputs that which is in our heart. Next we move to the ears, a source of input that contributes to what is in our heart. We should note that when Solomon mentions the ear in Proverbs, he is not referring solely to the pinna, that odd-shaped flap of cartilage and soft tissue that protrudes from two sides of your head. In a larger sense, the ear refers to all the sources of input into the voices in your mind. What you listen to on the radio, TV, internet, in class, at work, or on the street, all become a voice in your mind. Even as you read these words to yourself on your computer or phone, “reading to yourself” is your own inner head voice speaking to you. What we listen to has a strong influence on what we think, which influences how we feel, which often determines what we do. It is therefore extremely important that we be careful about what we listen to. Of course Proverbs gives us some insight at what kind of things to which we should be attentive. It is no surprise that early in the book we are told to “tune in” to wisdom. This is what Proverb-a-day readers have chosen to do. You connected to a source of wisdom—the Book of Proverbs, and listen to it. Find sources of wisdom and listen to them.

Proverbs 8:15-16
15 By me kings reign, and princes decree justice.
16 By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth.

Prov 8:15-16 By me kings reign
and rulers make laws that are just;
16 by me princes govern,
and all nobles who rule on earth. NIV

We will take a short break from our current topic and consider the significance of this day. For our Proverb-a-day subscribers in the United States, today is Election Day. Pray for our voters to seek the mind of God in their voting decisions. The results from this day will make some people ecstatic and others disappointed because voting is a win-lose situation. However, we must continue to pray for our leaders after election because our “princes” can become real winners (and the nation as well) if they lean on godly wisdom for their decision-making. The subject of today’s proverb is wisdom. When princes govern by godly wisdom, they obtain the favor of the Lord (8:35). That is something our nation is in great need of. Wisdom is not a political position but a pursuit of the principles that were engrafted into this world and its people by the Creator. Fighting against wisdom is contrary to our good but pursuing wisdom is how “princes decree justice.”

Prov 15:33 The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility.

Prov 15:33 Reverence for the Lord is an education in itself. You must be humble before you can ever receive honors. TEV

We conclude today with the topic, “what wisdom does.” Today’s verse will help us transition to the next topic in our study of Proverbs—humility. This verse is called a completive couplet—in other words the thought presented in the first half is completed by the second thought. The first idea presented in the verse is closely linked to the second. Solomon often used the couplet style in his writing. By fearing God I learn wisdom and that wisdom produces humility which bestows honor. We could represent the ides of this verse like plotting a linear graph of events that follow one another. That graph looks like this: Fear of God ->gain wisdom ->gain humility ->gain honor. We see that fearing God leads to honor but the two connecting points in the middle are the emphasis today. As I grow in wisdom, I develop humility as well. How so? If I possess wisdom it is because I have learned a lot of good ideas from a lot of places. I might be proud of my collection but it is the collection that is great and not me. The value is in things I have gathered and stored and not me.  It is the nature of wisdom to help us recognize where true value is and is not.

Prov 15:21 Folly is joy to him that is destitute of wisdom: but a man of understanding walketh uprightly.

Prov 15:21 Folly is pleasure to him who is without heart and sense, but a man of understanding walks uprightly [making straight his course].  [Eph 5:15.] AMP

What does wisdom do? Let us go back to the idea presented in Proverbs 9:1 where wisdom builds an extravagant palace of seven pillars in our heart. We saw that Wisdom furnishes it with such things as a library of wise actions to do and wise words to say that we can draw on at will. Another furnishing provided by Wisdom is a “folly filter.” A folly filter is like a lens that we can place over our view that gives a perspective not seen by some people. In fact with the folly filter on, it filters out some of the blinding light that is emitted by the temptations that come before us and we are able to see folly for what it truly is—deceptive and destructive. However, the one who lacks wisdom also lacks this filter. When some foolishness comes before him, he sees that folly as a joy or pleasure and he pursues it. The man of understanding sees through it and walks right past it. But do not feel sorry for the upright fellow. He is also having fun on his path. However, he does not have the headache, guilt and remorse that follows the fool’s fun.

Prov 15:7 The lips of the wise disperse knowledge: but the heart of the foolish doeth not so.

Prov 15:7 The lips of the wise disperse knowledge [sifting it as chaff from the grain]; not so the minds and hearts of the self-confident and foolish. AMP

Not long ago we reviewed Proverbs 10:13 where we spoke on the topic of how wisdom on the inside will lead to wisdom on the lips. The more wisdom we internalize through reading, prayer, and experience, the more we will speak of it. The Hebrew word, “zarah,” is translated here as “disperse” and is a word associated with farming. That meaning is captured in the Amplified version and refers to either the activity of scattering seed or winnowing to separate waste products from the grain. The wise person is a good farmer who discretely selects his words, choosing good words or choosing silence, and then dispenses that knowledge in places where it has the potential to be fruitful. Do not expect that of the fool though. You never know what will come from his lips as he tends to say whatever will gain him an advantage or perhaps whatever he feels.

Prov 14:8 The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way: but the folly of fools is deceit.

Prov 14:8 The prudent understand where they are going,
but fools deceive themselves. NET

What does wisdom do? If you have wisdom it helps you to understand your way. The word prudent refers to someone who is far-sighted, practical, sensible, and careful. That is the perspective that wisdom opens to you. Can you say, “I understand my way”? Well even if there are times that you do not understand why you must take the specific route you are on, you can understand that the way you are headed is correct. That speaks of the long-term goal that the prudent have in sight that sets their direction. Keep doing the wise things all along the way. Even if things do not make sense today, the way becomes clear after a while. To change course and pursue folly even for a short time yields deceitful results. Stay the wise and prudent course. Even if you do not understand today’s plan, the way is certain.