Let Us Pursue Wisdom

 

 

 

 

[Proverbs 2:1-9]

 

 

Our choices clearly have consequences. If we choose to obey God's word, the result will be blessings for us; but if we choose to disobey God's word, the result will be curses. If you and I choose not to fear God, the consequences will be threefold: (1) disaster that comes like a storm (Prov. 1:27), (2) God's rejection (v. 28), and (3) being abandoned by God (v. 31). However, if we choose to fear God, the result is clearly stated in Proverbs 1:33: “But whoever listens to me will dwell safely, and will be secure, without fear of evil.” If we choose to fear God, we will live in safety and peace, free from the fear of disaster. We must choose to fear God. We must choose God's wisdom. When we do, we will be able to turn away from evil and live wisely, righteously, justly, and honestly (v. 3). Therefore, we will be able to enjoy safety and peace. However, it seems that far too often we choose folly instead. As a result, we clearly see the truth of Psalm 107:17: "Fools, because of their transgression and iniquities, are afflicted." Many times we experience the affliction that comes as the result of choosing folly. I wonder if, by choosing folly over wisdom, the church is not experiencing pain and suffering. What should we do as a church? We must cast aside folly and choose wisdom. We must seek God's wisdom.

Today, from Proverbs 2:1-9, under the title "Let Us Pursue Wisdom," we will pose two questions and seek answers from the text: (1) Why should we pursue wisdom? (2) How should we pursue wisdom?

Why should we pursue wisdom?

In short, we pursue wisdom to know and understand. More specifically, we can summarize three reasons why we should pursue wisdom:

First, we should pursue wisdom to know God. In other words, we seek wisdom to discover (and understand) knowledge of God.

Look at the second half of Proverbs 2:5: "...and discover the knowledge of God." As we learned in Proverbs 1:7, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. Therefore, those who fear God love knowledge and hate foolishness. But those who do not rejoice in fearing God love foolishness and hate knowledge (1:22). What kind of knowledge do those who do not fear God hate? It is the knowledge of God. That is, those who do not rejoice in fearing God hate the knowledge that leads to knowing God. However, you and I must love the knowledge of God. The reason we pursue God's wisdom is to know Him better. I am reminded of the confession of the Apostle Paul in Philippians 3:7-9: "But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith." Would you and I be satisfied with only the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, even if it means losing everything else? We must seek God's wisdom to understand and know the truth that knowing our Lord Jesus Christ is the highest treasure.

“You will understand every good way.” Satan prevents us from delighting in the fear of God (1:29) and instead makes us love foolishness (v. 22), which eventually causes us to walk in the ways of the wicked (v. 15). As a result, we quickly turn away from the word of God (Ex. 32:8), rush to evil, and quickly commit sin (Prov. 1:16). This is the life of the foolish and the foolish. We should not live like this. Rather, as we pursue God’s wisdom, we should realize the fear of God and turn away from the ways of the wicked and walk in the ways of the righteous, the paths of justice, fairness, and uprightness. We should understand every good way with God’s wisdom and walk in those paths. How should we pursue wisdom? Today’s text teaches us three ways to seek wisdom: First, we must seek wisdom from God. Look at today’s text, Proverbs 2:3: “Cry out for knowledge; lift up your voice for understanding.” In order for us to obtain the wisdom of God, we must first pray to God. In order to do so, we must thoroughly realize how much wisdom we lack. In other words, as we live our lives of faith, we must realize more and more deeply how foolish we are. Then, we will pray more earnestly to God for wisdom. This is what King Solomon is advising me and you in today’s text, Proverbs 2:3. It says to “call out” and “cry out” to God for wisdom. This shows the passionate plea of a believer who desperately needs to know God’s truth and apply it in his life (MacArthur). We must offer such passionate and earnest prayers to God. And when we ask God for wisdom, we must ask in faith. Look at the first half of James 1:5-6: “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting…” The Bible tells us to “ask God for wisdom in faith” if we “lack wisdom.” When you and I earnestly seek the heavenly wisdom that we desperately need, God will give us wisdom just as He gave it to King Solomon. Pastor Charles Bridges said this: “Worldly wisdom can be obtained through scholarship. However, heavenly wisdom is obtained through prayer. Scholarship can produce Bible scholars, but prayer produces spiritual Christians” (Park Yun-seon). That’s right. Heavenly wisdom can be obtained through prayer. When we ask God for wisdom in faith, we must obtain heavenly wisdom and apply the truth of God’s word to all areas of our lives, thereby becoming spiritual Christians who fear God.
 

Second, the reason why we must seek wisdom is to understand the fear of God.

Look at the first half of Proverbs 2:5: "Then you will understand the fear of the Lord..." (Thus you will discern the fear of the Lord). Without the knowledge of Jesus Christ, we cannot fear God. In other words, it is only when we learn and understand the attitude, will, feelings, actions, and purposes of Jesus Christ that we can discern the fear of God. By doing so, we can depart from sin. Look at Proverbs 3:7: "Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil." Those who consider themselves wise do not fear God. Therefore, they do not depart from evil and sin against God by disobeying His word. However, by seeking God’s wisdom, we must understand the fear of God and depart from evil. Job is a person who feared God and turned away from evil (Job 1:1). Like Job, we must fear God and depart from evil, and no matter the adversities or suffering we face, we must not sin with our lips against God.

Finally, third, the reason why we must seek wisdom is to understand all good paths.

Look at Proverbs 2:9: "Then you will understand righteousness and justice, equity, and every good path." Satan prevents us from enjoying the fear of God (1:29) and makes us love foolishness (22), leading us to walk in the ways of the wicked (15). As a result, we quickly turn away from God’s word (Exodus 32:8) and hasten toward evil, committing sin quickly (Proverbs 1:16). This is surely the life of the foolish and ignorant. We must not live this way. Rather, in seeking God’s wisdom, we must understand the fear of God and depart from the wicked paths, walking in the path of righteousness, justice, equity, and honesty. We must understand all the good paths through God’s wisdom and walk in them.

How should we seek wisdom? Today’s passage teaches us three ways to ask for wisdom:

First, we must ask God for wisdom.

Look at Proverbs 2:3: "Yes, if you cry out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding." In order to obtain God's wisdom, we must first pray to Him. For this, we must thoroughly realize how much we lack wisdom. In other words, as we grow in our faith, we must increasingly realize how foolish we are. By doing so, we will earnestly seek God’s wisdom. This is exactly the exhortation that King Solomon gives us in Proverbs 2:3, urging us to "cry out" and "lift up our voice" for wisdom. This shows the passionate plea of a believer who earnestly desires to know God's truth and apply it to life (MacArthur). We must offer such fervent and heartfelt prayers to God.

And when we ask God for wisdom, we must ask with faith. Look at James 1:5-6: "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting..." The Bible tells us to ask God for wisdom in faith if we lack it. When we earnestly feel the need for heavenly wisdom and ask with faith, God will give us wisdom, just as He gave wisdom to King Solomon. Pastor Charles Bridges once said: "The wisdom of this world can be obtained through learning. However, heavenly wisdom is obtained through prayer. Learning can make a scholar of the Bible, but prayer makes a spiritual Christian" (Park Yoon-Seon). This is true. Heavenly wisdom is obtained through prayer. By earnestly seeking wisdom from God with faith, we will receive heavenly wisdom, which will allow us to apply the truth of God's word in every area of our lives and be shaped into spiritual Christians who fear God.

Second, in order to pursue wisdom, we must seek God's wisdom.

Look at Proverbs 2:4: "If you seek it as silver and search for it as hidden treasures..." I remember a deacon once saying, "Just like a miner searches for gold, we must read the Bible." What do you think about that? Sometimes, I recall hearing news on TV or the internet about miners being trapped deep inside a coal mine. One dramatic news story I remember is from last year in Chile, when miners were trapped and then rescued from a mine. The image of that rescue still vividly remains in my mind. It makes you reflect on the huge risks miners take in their work. If I were to summarize, I think these miners risk their lives to do their jobs. Why do you think they work so hard, even risking their lives? Isn't it because there is something of value that makes it worth the risk?

I believe the era we live in is one of "confusion of values." Satan is making us confused about what is valuable and what is not. He promises us the false illusion of happiness, encouraging us to forsake eternal things and focus on temporary, worldly things. When I think of Satan’s work, I am reminded of the Israelites in the book of Exodus. They were saved from Egypt through God’s great power and boldly advanced through the wilderness, but when they saw the army of Pharaoh chasing them, they became greatly afraid. They even complained to Moses, saying it would have been better to stay as slaves in Egypt than to die in the wilderness. I think about how they considered slavery, which is the bondage of sin, as preferable to eternal life. When I meditate on this, I wonder: How could slavery to sin be better than eternal life? In my opinion, even if they were to die in the wilderness, it would still be better to be saved, living in freedom from sin and enjoying eternal life, than to return to Egypt and live as slaves. So why did the Israelites desire to return to Egypt instead of pressing on toward the promised land? The answer is confusion of values. They didn’t understand what was truly precious. But Moses had the right perspective, a value system that could only come through faith.

Look at Hebrews 11:24-26: "By faith, Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward." With this perspective of faith, we must seek God’s wisdom. In other words, we must recognize the priceless value of God’s wisdom and seek it "as silver" (Proverbs 2:4). King Solomon teaches us that when we seek God’s wisdom, we must value it as we would treasure a hidden gem (Park Yun-seon). Just as people do not hesitate to make many sacrifices to obtain precious treasures (Job 28:1-11), we too should not hesitate to make sacrifices in our pursuit of God’s wisdom (Park Yun-seon).

Finally, in order to pursue wisdom, we must open our hearts and listen attentively to God’s word, keeping the words we hear in our hearts.

Look at today's passage, Proverbs 2:1: "My son, if you receive my words and treasure my commandments within you..."

When we value God's wisdom and seek it with sacrifice, we must open our hearts wide and listen attentively to God's Word. We need to hear God's wisdom and instructions. And we must obey the words we hear. By doing so, we can treasure God's Word in our hearts.

Look at Proverbs 7:1: "My son, keep my words, and treasure my commands within you."

The best way to keep God's Word in our hearts is by making it our own. And the way to make God's Word our own is by keeping it.

Look at Psalm 119:56: "This has become mine, that I observe Your precepts."

We must keep God's Word and put it into practice, storing it deeply in our hearts. By doing so, we will gain the wisdom that God gives, to make the most of our time in this evil age, understand the will of the Lord, and live according to His purpose (Ephesians 5:17).

I would like to conclude with a reflection on the Word. In this evil and dark age, our church must be wise. Therefore, we must make the most of our time, understand what the Lord's will is, and become a church that obeys that will. For this, we need God's wisdom. When we have wisdom, we can know God and fear Him. And when we understand all the good paths, we can walk in them.

Therefore, we must earnestly seek God's wisdom by faith. We must search for wisdom with a thirsty heart. We must open our hearts and listen to God's Word, keeping what we hear in our hearts. As a result, may God give us wisdom, so that we may understand His will and live wisely according to it. I pray that all of us will live according to the Lord's will with the wisdom He gives.