The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel: To know wisdom and instruction, To perceive the words of understanding, To receive the instruction of wisdom, Justice, judgment, and equity; To give prudence to the simple, To the young man knowledge and discretion— A wise man will hear and increase learning, And a man of understanding will attain wise counsel, To understand a proverb and an enigma, The words of the wise and their riddles. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction. My son, hear the instruction of your father, And do not forsake the law of your mother; For they will be a graceful ornament on your head, And chains about your neck. (Proverbs 1:1-9)
We've been studying the gospel of Christ Jesus, and we reached the point in our last study where From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?” But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (John 6:66-68; see THE GOSPEL: Flesh & Blood, Really) A multitude of people had been following Jesus and witnessing, along with benefitting from His miracles. But they had also heard His teaching, all of them hearing the same thing. Yet, some chose to believe and follow Him, and a greater number went back and walked with Him no more. Why is this? The Apostle Paul explains it very clearly: For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. (II Timothy 4:3-4)
Peter said to Jesus, "You have the words of eternal life." These are the wisest words any of us who hears the Word of God can utter. People get so caught up in this life that they often times don't think about or even realize that there is life after this life, eternal life. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. Unbelievers fear the Lord; their fear of God is the fear of the judgment of God and eternal death, which is eternal separation from God. Of course, they'll never admit that, but in their choosing not to believe the Word of God, or even in God, they are saying they don't want to think about the life after this life; as a matter of fact, they'll just say there isn't anything after this, that this is all there is. Thinking that way helps them live with themselves and the choices they make; but ...the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest [made known] in them, for God has shown it to them..., so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools,... (Romans 1:18-22)
But for those of us who are believers, we've chosen the path that leads to true wisdom. The believer's fear of the Lord is reverence of God. (read ...have the fear of God) Reverence means to have a feeling of profound awe and respect and often love. We don't compare ourselves to others, but we compare ourselves to Christ Jesus, and we realize, just as John the Baptist said, “There comes One ... who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose." (Mark 1:7; Matthew 3:11; Luke 3:16) Many others who believed on Christ Jesus said similar things, just like the Canaan woman, a Greek of Syro-Phoenician, whom we will study when we resume THE GOSPEL (Matthew 15:21-28; Mark 7:24-30). This knowledge and acknowledgement of our true condition leads us, who are believers, to be so thankful to God, For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. God chose him as your ransom long before the world began,... (I Peter 1:18-20 NLT) For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. (II Corinthians 5:21 NLT) For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:7-8)
We all have only two choices: 1. believe in God and the Word of God, Christ Jesus, the words of eternal life, which is wisdom; or 2. choose not to believe in God and the Word of God. This is what Wisdom says regarding the latter choice: Wisdom shouts in the streets. She cries out in the public square. She calls to the crowds along the main street, to those gathered in front of the city gate: “How long, you simpletons, will you insist on being simpleminded? How long will you mockers relish your mocking? How long will you fools hate knowledge? Come and listen to my counsel. I’ll share my heart with you and make you wise. “I called you so often, but you wouldn’t come. I reached out to you, but you paid no attention. You ignored my advice and rejected the correction I offered. So I will laugh when you are in trouble! I will mock you when disaster overtakes you— when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when disaster engulfs you like a cyclone, and anguish and distress overwhelm you. “When they cry for help, I will not answer. Though they anxiously search for me, they will not find me. For they hated knowledge and chose not to fear the Lord. They rejected my advice and paid no attention when I corrected them. Therefore, they must eat the bitter fruit of living their own way, choking on their own schemes. For simpletons turn away from me—to death. Fools are destroyed by their own complacency. But all who listen to me will live in peace, untroubled by fear of harm.” (Proverbs 1:20-33 NLT)
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