"The One Who Desires Wisdom"

[Proverbs 29:1-5]

Personally, I have the ability to ask God for things. This ability refers to the power of His Word and the power of love. However, as I continued meditating on the books of wisdom in the Bible, I began to long for another kind of power—the power of wisdom. The reason I began to ask for the power of wisdom is because, as I meditated on these books, my own foolishness and ignorance became more apparent, and I could not help but ask God for wisdom. In particular, one of the reasons I desire the power of wisdom is to hate evil. In other words, one of the reasons I ask for the power of wisdom is so that I may hate the evil that God hates and love the good that God loves even more.

In the first half of Proverbs 29:3, the Bible says, "The one who loves wisdom makes his father glad" [(Modern Bible) "The one who loves wisdom makes his father happy"]. Based on this verse, under the title "The One Who Desires Wisdom," I want to meditate on three things or people that those who long for wisdom seek, and the lessons we can learn from this.

First, the one who desires wisdom prefers correction over flattery.

Let's look at Proverbs 29:1 and 5: "He who is often rebuked and hardens his neck will suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy... Flattering your neighbor is like spreading a net for his feet" [(Modern Bible) "He who is often rebuked but remains stubborn will suffer sudden ruin, and there will be no escape... He who flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his own feet"].

Do you prefer to hear a rebuke or a flattery? If you knew that someone who flatters you only does so to deceive you and get what they want, would you still want to hear those flattering words? Or, even though hearing a rebuke might make you feel uncomfortable at first, if you knew that the person was correcting you out of love and to build you up, would you listen more attentively to their correction?

We have already meditated on Proverbs 28:23, which says, "Whoever rebukes a man will afterward find more favor than he who flatters with the tongue" (verse 23). This verse encourages us to be the ones who rebuke, to point out the wrongs of others. Why? Because the one who rebukes will later receive more love. However, our natural instinct is to desire more love right now, and we often think the best way to receive love is not by correcting others but by flattering them, or by trying to win their favor. In the fifth verse of today's passage (Proverbs 29:5), the Bible says, "Flattering your neighbor is like spreading a net for his feet" [(Modern Bible) "He who flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his feet"]. Here, the term "flattery" refers to saying smooth things to your neighbor, words that please the sinful nature of the other person (Park Yun-sun). A good example of this is the 400 false prophets who flattered the evil king Ahab in 1 Kings 22. At that time, King Ahab of Israel wanted to go with King Jehoshaphat of Judah to fight against the Arameans at Ramoth Gilead (verse 4). Jehoshaphat asked Ahab to inquire about what God's will was before going (verse 5). So, Ahab gathered about 400 prophets and asked them, "Should I go to war at Ramoth Gilead, or should I refrain?" (verse 6). The prophets flattered him, saying, "Go up, for the Lord will deliver the city into the king's hand" (verse 6). Another example is the false prophets during the time of the prophet Jeremiah, who spoke comforting but false prophecies to the people of Israel. They lied, saying, "Peace, peace," even though there was no peace (Jeremiah 6:14, 8:11). How could there be peace when the Israelites were living in sin and had not repented? These false prophets' flattering words were lies that pleased the people's sinful nature.

Why did these false prophets flatter Ahab or the people of Israel? Why did they speak smooth and pleasant words? Because both Ahab and the Israelites were in sin, and the flattering words of these false prophets aligned with their sinful desires and selfish interests.

Thus, Proverbs 29:5 says that flattering others is like spreading a net for their feet. What does this mean? Why does a hunter spread a net? To catch the animal they are hunting, right? The phrase "flattering your neighbor is like spreading a net for his feet" means that although at first, flattering might seem harmless, in the end, the person will get caught in their own trap. In short, flattery leads to ruin (26:28). Jeremiah 9:8 (Modern Bible) says: "Their tongue is like a deadly arrow; it speaks deceitfully. With their mouth they speak peaceably to their neighbor, but in their hearts they set traps for him." The tongue of the flatterer is like a deadly arrow. The flatterer always speaks lies with their mouth. They speak kindly to their neighbor, but in their hearts, they are setting a trap for them. Flatterers speak with a divided heart (Psalm 12:2).

Therefore, we should be cautious of those who flatter us. A wise person is wary of flatterers. Of course, we should first avoid flattering words ourselves, as the apostle Paul did (1 Thessalonians 2:5). Especially, we should never flatter for our own benefit (Jude 1:16). The flatterers we need to be cautious of deceive the hearts of the innocent with their flattering words (Romans 16:18). They never speak the truth and will cleverly mix truth with lies in order to lead us astray, causing us to sin in pride. Therefore, we must reject flattery and instead listen quickly to the rebukes of those who love us (Proverbs 28:23). The one who desires wisdom prefers correction over flattery.

However, the problem is, as the Bible verse from Proverbs 29:1 that we read today says, that we often continue to stiffen our necks even when we are reproved. The term “stiff-necked person” here refers to someone who is extremely stubborn. Such a person has an unteachable spirit, someone who is difficult to instruct and does not listen (MacArthur). When you think of a person who is extremely stubborn and stiff-necked, who comes to mind in the Bible? For me, it’s Pharaoh, the king of Egypt from the Book of Exodus. Pharaoh remained obstinate until God sent ten plagues. Despite the warnings from Moses and Aaron, Pharaoh kept hardening his heart and did not let the Israelites go. Only after the tenth plague did he finally yield and sent the Israelites out of Egypt. But I also think of another stubborn figure in the Bible—Jonah the prophet. God relented from bringing disaster upon Nineveh after the people repented (Jonah 3:10). However, Jonah was very displeased and angry (4:1). He was so upset that he wished to die (3). The reason for Jonah’s anger was that, even though God had relented, Jonah was still insistent on his own plan, which was that Nineveh would be destroyed in forty days (3:4). Jonah went out of the city, sat on the east side, built a shelter for himself, and waited to see what would happen to the city (4:5). What did he expect to happen? He was hoping for the destruction of Nineveh (3:4).

We need to be very cautious about hardening our hearts. To prevent this, we must diligently cultivate our hearts, like plowing fallow ground, so that our hearts remain soft. We need to let God’s word, like fire or a hammer, soften and break our hearts. We must allow the sword of the Holy Spirit, God’s word, to pierce and soften our hearts. Only then can we humbly listen to the words of those who rebuke us in love. This is the attitude of one who longs for wisdom. In particular, we must humbly listen when the Lord rebukes us for our sins (Psalm 39:11). We must accept with humility when the Lord exposes our sins before our eyes and rebukes us (Psalm 50:21). I pray that all of us can recognize, confess, and repent of our sins through the blood of Jesus’ cross.

Secondly, those who desire wisdom long for justice rather than bribes.

Recently, I met with a junior from college, and while we were eating, he lamented, saying, “It seems like these days, if you have money and power, you can get away with anything.” I don’t think my junior is the only one feeling this way. Many people, when they look at the world, think that if they have money and power, they can live according to their own desires and for their own benefit. And they believe that with money and power, they can commit wrongdoings and escape punishment. How could they get away with it? One way might be through bribes. For example, if a judge is supposed to make fair rulings but shows favoritism, what kind of judgment do you think they would pass (Proverbs 28:21)? They certainly won’t deliver a just decision. But why does this happen in our legal system today? The reason is bribes.

There are more people in this world than we might think who believe that “money can solve everything.” They believe that “money is power,” so they don’t hesitate to offer bribes to achieve their selfish goals and ambitions. One example of this is found in the Book of Ezra. When the Israelites returned to Judah after their exile in Babylon and sought to rebuild the temple, their enemies in Judah and Benjamin heard of their efforts (Ezra 4:1). These enemies came to Zerubbabel and the other Jewish leaders, suggesting they help build the temple, but Zerubbabel, Joshua, and the other leaders refused, saying, “We alone will build for the God of Israel” (Ezra 4:3). From then on, the people who lived in the land began to oppose and hinder the construction of the temple (Ezra 4:4). One of the methods they used to obstruct the work was through bribery (Ezra 4:5). The enemies of Judah gave bribes to the officials from the time of the Babylonian king Cyrus up to the reign of King Darius to stop the temple’s construction (Ezra 4:5). A similar example can be found in Nehemiah 6, where Tobiah and Sanballat bribed Shemaiah to give false prophecies to Nehemiah (Nehemiah 6:12). The false prophecy was, “They will come to kill you, so we must hide in the temple and shut the doors to protect you” (Nehemiah 6:10). When Nehemiah heard this, he responded, “Should a man like me flee? I will not go” (Nehemiah 6:11). Nehemiah realized that Shemaiah had not received a message from God but had been bribed by Tobiah and Sanballat to give him false prophecy (Nehemiah 6:12). Why did Tobiah and Sanballat bribe Shemaiah to deliver a false prophecy? The Bible says in Nehemiah 6:13 that it was to intimidate Nehemiah and make him sin so that they could bring reproach upon him.

Now, let’s look at Proverbs 29:2 and 4: “When the righteous increase, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, the people groan... A king who judges with fairness makes the land secure, but one who demands bribes destroys it” (Proverbs 29:2, 4). If political leaders force people to give bribes, what will happen to the country? If leaders, especially the president, force people to bribe them, what will happen to that nation? The Bible says that “a ruler who forces people to give bribes will bring ruin to the nation” (Proverbs 29:4). Indeed, as Proverbs 29:2 mentions, there are many nations where wicked rulers demand bribes and cause people to groan. What do you think happens when a corrupt president accepts bribes from the wealthy and oppresses the poor citizens? Proverbs 29:2 and 4: “When the wicked rule, the people groan... A king who demands bribes destroys the land” (Proverbs 29:2, 4). On the other hand, as Proverbs 29:2 and 4 state, “When the righteous increase, the people rejoice... The king who rules with justice makes the land secure.” I am learning from these verses that someone who longs for wisdom, and who pleases God the Father, will not seek bribes but will seek justice.

I believe that these two types of leaders have always existed. Of course, our desire is that the leaders of the country where we live are not evil people who force us to give bribes or engage in corruption, but rather righteous individuals who strengthen the nation through justice. However, when we often see news about the leaders of our country, the politicians, accepting bribes, standing in court, and being sentenced to punishment, we cannot shake off the thought that money can so easily seduce people's hearts and lead them to commit sin. Look at what Proverbs 17:8 says in the Modern Bible: "Some people think of a bribe as magic, believing that with it, they can do anything" [(Common translation) "A bribe is like a magic wand; there is nothing it cannot accomplish"]. It seems that there are people in this world who view a bribe as a magic wand. There are people who believe that anything can be done with a bribe. These people dislike performing justice (21:7). But we must long for and love justice. Instead, we must hate bribery. We should reject the false, empty belief that with a bribe, anything is possible, and we must neither give nor accept bribes. The society in which we live today is a society where justice is not being carried out, much like the society that the prophet Habakkuk lived in. Look at what Habakkuk 1:4 says in the Bible: "Therefore the law is paralyzed and justice never prevails. The wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted" [(Modern Bible) "Therefore, the law is ignored, and justice is not carried out. The wicked surround the righteous, and injustice prevails"]. The prophet Habakkuk is complaining to God, asking why the righteous God does not punish the wicked. His complaint is that the law has become weakened and justice is not being executed. Because the law is ignored and paralyzed, justice is not being realized. The reason is that the wicked have surrounded the righteous, causing justice to be perverted. There were so many wicked people that they surrounded the righteous, and that is why injustice prevailed. But the truly serious issue is that even within the church, justice and equity are not being practiced. Let me share briefly something I wrote last December:

"When justice and equity are not practiced within the church, righteous souls will be deeply wounded in their hearts, and their hearts will be torn and suffer pain. At that time, the Lord, the righteous judge and the head of the church, will rebuke the church, warn it, and discipline it with love. Before receiving that discipline, we must accept the Lord’s rebuke and warning seriously with a heart that fears God."

We must take this issue seriously and practice justice and equity before receiving the Lord’s discipline. The reason is that our God is a God who practices love, justice, and righteousness on this earth (Jeremiah 9:24).

When we pray for our country’s leaders, let us pray that they will become leaders who practice justice and righteousness, just as God would. When our leaders practice justice and righteousness, our nation will be strengthened (Proverbs 29:4). When this happens, our citizens will rejoice (verse 2). Even if more wicked people surround the righteous, causing justice to be perverted and the nation to fall into injustice, let us continue to cry out to God like the prophet Habakkuk. When we do so, God will answer our prayers and say, "The righteous shall live by his faith" (Habakkuk 2:4). Let us not forget that the God who answers our prayers desires that we live by faith in Him. Even though this society may ignore the law and justice may not be carried out at all, we must live with the faith in a God who practices justice and righteousness, and by living that way, we can please God. I hope that both you and I become those who please God in this way (21:3).

Lastly, thirdly, those who long for wisdom desire God the Father more than the harlot.

The #MeToo movement continues to be a significant force in the United States. The “MeToo movement” is one where people who have been sexually assaulted break their silence and reveal their experiences by saying "Me too." On December 6th, 2017, Time magazine, a leading American weekly, named “Silence Breakers” as its Person of the Year. These were the women—both famous and unknown—who participated in the movement and exposed the sexual misconduct of powerful individuals by saying, "I, too, was victimized." When naming them, Time explained that they referred to those from the first accuser of Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein, to the many others—especially women—who used #MeToo to share their personal stories of victimization.

In October of the previous year, The New York Times reported on the "Weinstein scandal," revealing that Hollywood film producer Harvey Weinstein had sexually harassed dozens of women. Following this, numerous celebrities like Angelina Jolie, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Lady Gaga came forward with their own stories, which led to Weinstein's expulsion from his own film company. Actress Alyssa Milano initiated the #MeToo campaign on social media after the scandal broke, encouraging other women to share their experiences of sexual violence. This campaign sparked a nationwide wave of accusations, resulting in millions of sexual assault stories being exposed across various sectors, including politics, business, labor, and the media.

Why have there been so many millions of sexual assault cases? Why do we continue to see such cases, and why do they seem to persist now and in the future? What are the causes?

(1) I believe the cause is the “lust of the eyes” (1 John 2:16).
Satan stimulates our eyes to lead us into sexual sin. He provokes our desires, making us covet other women beyond what we should. If we succumb to Satan's temptation, we begin to look at women who are not our wives. However, no matter how many women we look at, our eyes are never satisfied. Ecclesiastes 1:8 says, “All things are wearisome, more than one can say. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.” This lust for visual stimulation never satisfies us, so we keep looking at and desiring other women.

(2) I believe the cause is “the lust of the flesh” (1 John 2:16).
Satan stimulates our fleshly desires to lead us into sexual sin. He causes us to covet women who are not our wives, and he makes us dissatisfied with the love of our wives, making us crave other women (Proverbs 5:19). As a result, Satan leads us to commit acts of sexual assault, harassment, and even rape. The root cause of our infidelity is greed. Greed is never satisfied (Isaiah 56:11). Therefore, greed makes us unsatisfied with our wives and leads us to covet our neighbors’ wives (Exodus 20:17). The desires of the flesh in this world ultimately lead to sexual sin through impurity, lewdness, lust, and evil desires (Colossians 3:5).

(3) I believe the cause is “foolishness” or "ignorance."
A good example of this is found in Proverbs 7, where a foolish person is enticed by the words of a seductive woman (verse 5). How did Satan tempt this foolish person? I have thought of three ways:

(a) Satan entices the foolish person to go near the corner of the seductive woman's street.
In Proverbs 7:8, it says, “Passing along the street near her corner, taking the road to her house.” When the foolish person passed by the corner of the seductive woman’s street (v. 8), he should have avoided it and turned back (4:15). However, the foolish boy did not leave the path but instead walked closer to the direction of her house. It was at nightfall, in the twilight, when the foolish boy walked into the darkness toward her house (7:9). He didn't want anyone to see him. In other words, he secretly went to her house in the deep of night to hide his actions (Park Yun-seon).

(b) The seductive woman comes out to greet the foolish man with hidden motives.
In Proverbs 7:10, it says, “And behold, the woman meets him, dressed as a prostitute, wily of heart.” The foolish man, having succumbed to Satan’s temptation, came closer to the corner of her street at night (v. 9) and walked toward her house (v. 8). The woman, dressed provocatively like a prostitute, greeted him (v. 10). The reason why she is called a "wily woman" is that she has hidden motives. In other words, the seductive woman conceals her true intentions while greeting the foolish man. The literal meaning of "wily" in the original Hebrew refers to “hidden” (MacArthur). What were her hidden motives? Proverbs 23:27-28 explains: “For a prostitute is a deep pit; an adulterous woman is a narrow well. She lies in wait like a robber and increases the traitors among mankind.” The hidden intent of the woman dressed like a prostitute is to set a “trap” and make the man unfaithful to his marriage (faithless). In other words, her true intention is to lead married men to break the vows they made during their wedding (Park Yun-seon).

(c) The seductive woman uses flattering speech to lure the foolish man.
In Proverbs 7:21, it says, “With much seductive speech she persuades him; with her smooth talk she compels him.” How does the seductive woman tempt and corrupt the foolish man?
(i) She entices him with her appearance.
Proverbs 7:10 says, “Then behold, a woman meets him, dressed as a prostitute, wily of heart.” The phrase “dressed like a prostitute” means that she was dressed provocatively. Prostitutes dress in a way that exposes themselves to sexually excite men’s visual and fleshly desires. This can be highly enticing for foolish men.

(ii) She entices him through touch.
Proverbs 7:13 says, “She seizes him and kisses him…” Imagine this: A woman, dressed provocatively, rushes at the foolish man, wraps her arms around him, and kisses him. By this point, the foolish man would already have been visually excited from seeing her provocative outfit. If she then holds him and kisses him, his sexual impulse would be ignited. This woman uses physical touch to tempt him, and his youthful vigor would be easily provoked.

(iii) She entices him with her words.
The woman uses “persuasive words” and “smooth talk” (Proverbs 7:21) to lure the foolish man. Men, perhaps more than women, can be susceptible to visual, tactile, and auditory temptations. A man can be easily led into temptation not only by what he sees and touches but also by what he hears. The seductive woman’s words can be just as powerful in influencing his behavior.

Look at today's passage, Proverbs 29:3: "The one who loves wisdom makes his father glad, but the one who associates with prostitutes wastes his wealth" [(Modern Korean Bible) "The person who loves wisdom makes his father happy, but the one who associates with prostitutes wastes his wealth"]. Today's Bible says that those who associate with prostitutes lose their wealth. In other words, those who associate with prostitutes will waste their wealth. And if that wealth belongs to the father, what would happen if a foolish son wasted his father's wealth by associating with a prostitute? The father's heart would certainly not be happy. This reminds me of the parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15. The younger son asked his father for his share of the inheritance, went to a distant country, and lived a wasteful life, wasting all the wealth he had received from his father (Luke 15:13). Eventually, the prodigal son used up all his possessions, and a great famine struck that country, causing him to fall into poverty (verse 14). He was about to starve to death (verse 17, Modern Korean Bible). If his father had known about this, how would he have felt? Therefore, the Bible advises us not to associate with prostitutes (Proverbs 29:3). We should not desire prostitutes. Instead, the Bible encourages us to desire wisdom (verse 3). Already in the passage today, in Proverbs 29:1-5, we considered two things about those who desire wisdom. That is, we learned that those who desire wisdom prefer rebuke over flattery (verses 1 and 5) and justice over bribes (verses 2 and 4). Such people who desire wisdom make their father glad (verse 3, Modern Korean Bible). In Proverbs 27:11, which we already meditated on, the Bible says, "My son, be wise and make my heart glad..." (Modern Korean Bible). This verse shows us that when we become wise, we can make our Heavenly Father happy. Why does the one who desires wisdom make the father happy? I have thought of three reasons: (1) First, a wise child fears God and hates evil (Proverbs 8:13), which pleases God the Father. (2) Also, the one who desires wisdom obeys the word of God (Proverbs 3:1, 3), which pleases God the Father. (3) The child who desires wisdom experiences God's love through His discipline (Proverbs 3:11-12), which pleases God the Father.

In conclusion, let us meditate on God's word. May we all be those who desire wisdom and make our Heavenly Father glad. Those who desire wisdom prefer rebuke over flattery and justice over bribes. Those who desire wisdom desire God the Father more than anything, and by doing so, they make God the Father happy.