Proverbs Pt. 14 The Benefits from Sound Wisdom.

The smoke from wildfires on the west coast of America have been carried by strong winds aloft all the way to the east coast. We have a very sunny day in Ohio but the smoke makes the normal bright blue skies look like a foggy, gray color and the brightness of the sun is dimmed. We are thankful that the Lord allowed us to live where we do and are praying for all the people impacted by the fires. 

The benefit of keeping sound wisdom.

Proverbs 3:21,22  My son, let not them depart from thine eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion: 22) So shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace to thy neck. 

Solomon used a tender plea of "My son" as a demonstration of parental love and concern so his offspring was able to fully grasp the importance of what the King shared. He wanted his son to carefully watch over sound wisdom like a parent watches over their children to protect them from danger. The king's son must learn to treasure sound wisdom that is based upon knowing God and His Word. He must seek a decided emphasis to guard sound wisdom and allow it to direct his path.

A promise is attached to those who keep sound wisdom and discretion. These include longevity and a better quality of life that the world cannot give. It is the only way to live that results in better interpersonal relationships, better morality, better judgment with regard to family and career choices and a better relationship with God.

Keeping sound wisdom means God will direct our paths.

Proverbs 3:23  Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble. 

Life direction is another promise associated with keeping sound wisdom. This text reconnects to Proverbs 3:6 and making a choice to acknowledge God in all our ways because He will direct our paths. Sound wisdom leads to a life that avoids sin and its terrible consequences. Sound wisdom allows us to discern between that which honors God and that which is sinful so we can make right choices for His glory.

Keeping sound wisdom means enjoying a better quality of life.

Proverbs 3:24-26  When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet. 25) Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh. 26) For the LORD shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken. 

Keeping sound wisdom and discretion brings a genuine peace of mind from God. Those who pursue this will enjoy refreshing sleep because their minds will be occupied with God and their conscience will be clear toward Him. Sudden fear like a panic attack, will not come to those who follow the good path God has marked out for us to walk on. Our confidence and outlook on life will be rooted in Jehovah. He will watch over the sheep of His pasture.  

Do good to your neighbor.

Proverbs 3:27-28  Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it. 28) Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again, and to morrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee. 

King Solomon proceeded to give his son some practical examples of living out this profound truth. His first example is a neighbor who lives nearby. The general principle is that we should not withhold good to others if we have the ability to meet their request. In this case, the neighbor came at an inconvenient hour asking for some item that he needed. Solomon told his son that in such a circumstance not to send his neighbor away empty handed. 

Proverbs 3:29  Devise not evil against thy neighbour, seeing he dwelleth securely by thee. 

Another illustration is making sure that you look out for your neighbor because he lives next to you. Never plot anything against a neighbor and watch over them for good, not evil.

Do not quarrel without a righteous reason.

Proverbs 3:30  Strive not with a man without cause, if he have done thee no harm. 

Solomon encouraged his son to refrain from getting into a heated argument with any man if that person has not done anything harmful to you. The idea of "without a cause" means that there may be times when there is a cause to confront someone. Perhaps a person stole something from you or damaged your property. Perhaps someone used vile language around your family. In certain situations it may become necessary to confront someone for wrongdoing when it directly impacts you or your family.  The Bible contains many examples of this and often things can be worked out between you and the offending person (See Genesis 21:22-34 & Matthew 18:15-20 for examples). 

Matthew 5:22  But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

Our Lord Jesus Christ taught the same truth when he preached the sermon on the mount. Any person who becomes angry for no reason, is in danger of divine judgment.

Do not envy those who walk in darkness. 

Proverbs 3:31  Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways.

We learned that the way of a transgressor is a hard path to walk on. It leads to a life of hardship and troubles because of sin. Therefore, Solomon urged his son not to ever envy the oppressor and to totally avoid their evil ways. Don't envy them because they seem to get away with sin. Pity them because they will spend eternity in hell and the life they live will be a hard one.

Proverbs 3:32-36  For the froward is abomination to the LORD: but his secret is with the righteous. 33) The curse of the LORD is in the house of the wicked: but he blesseth the habitation of the just. 34) Surely he scorneth the scorners: but he giveth grace unto the lowly. 35) The wise shall inherit glory: but shame shall be the promotion of fools.

The verses above are filled with contrasts of how the Lord will judge the wicked and how He will treat the believing (righteous). We this graphically if we put all the phrases of the wicked together and all the statements  concerning the righteous together.

The fate of the wicked.

• The froward is an abomination to the LORD.

• The curse of the LORD is in the house of the wicked

• Surely He scorneth the scorners.

• Shame shall be the promotion of fools.

The froward person is one who is obstinate and rebellious. This person is disgusting because they are defiled by sin and polluted by wickedness. The curse of the LORD refers to the certain doom of unrepentant sinners. They will die in their sins and they will be judged and sent to hell for eternity. The LORD has scorn for all  arrogant boasters who mock the righteous people of God and speak derisively of Him. Fools seek to get ahead by whatever means that they can but they will end up in disgrace and dishonor. 

The Reward of the Believer.

• His secret is with the righteous.

• He blesseth the habitation of the just.

• He giveth grace to the lowly.

• The wise will inherit glory.

The secret refers to the better way of life by choosing the wisdom of God. It refers to the blessing of avoiding sin and pursuing holiness. The just man is one who is right with God through faith and obedience. His dwelling place will be blessed and happy. The believer is a recipient of God's grace and they will inherit glory by spending eternity with God through faith in Jesus Christ.

Thoughts to Ponder...

There are substantial benefits for those who keep sound wisdom by living according to God's guidance in Proverbs. Chief among these is the great blessing of God directing our paths because we will not lean on our own understanding. If we lean upon the Lord and seek wisdom from Him it will be healthy for our soul.

Another benefit, by God's power and wisdom is to live a better life when we  are compared to the froward man. The way of transgressors is hard but a believer in Christ can enjoy a beautiful life that prepares us for eternity with our God.

There are many practical application of this truth for us to consider. Do we seek to do good to our neighbors? Do we avoid having an argumentative spirit? Do we pity the wicked because their life is hard and their judgment is certain? 

The wicked are detestable in the sight of God. His curse is upon their homes. He will laugh them to scorn and they will inherit shame and reproach. Yet they are to be pitied because they live in darkness. Are we praying for the lost souls of those around us? Are we willing to share the gospel with unbelievers?

The believer in Jesus Christ can enjoy a much better life on earth as God prepares us for spending eternity with Him. It is a life filled with joy, blessing and hope no matter our external circumstances. 

Christian's see the grace of God at work in their lives, bringing them to salvation and granting a new beginning in life through Christ. The born again believer will inherit glory because absent from the body through death means we are in the Lord's presence ( 2 Corinthians 5:1-10). 

I pray that God will open our hearts to His truth and that we will earnestly seek that wisdom from above instead of the world's wisdom (James 3:13-18). May the Lord cause His glory to shine brightly in our hearts as we respond to His word. 

Bob