Let’s seek wisdom.
[Proverbs 2:1-9]
There are certainly consequences to our choice. If we choose to obey God's word, the result is a blessing for us. But if we choose to disobey God's word, it is a curse for us. If we don’t choose the fear of God, the consequences are threefold: (1) Calamity and disaster will overtake us (Prov. 1:27), (2) God will disregard us (v. 28), and (3) We will eat of the fruit of our own way (v. 31). But if we choose the fear of God, the result is that Proverbs 1:33 says: “But he who listens to me shall live securely And will be at ease from the dread of evil.” If we choose the fear of God, we can live securely and be at ease and live in peace. We must choose the fear of God. We must choose God's wisdom. Then we can walk away from evil and act wisely, righteously, justly and fairly (v. 3). Therefore, we can enjoy safety and peace. But for some reason, it seems that we are choosing foolishness too many times. As a result, the words of Psalms 107:17 are clearly revealed to us: “Fools, because of their rebellious way, And because of their iniquities, were afflicted.” Because we choose foolishness, we are often faced with hardships as a result of t our wrong choice. It seems that the church is suffering because of choosing foolishness rather than choosing wisdom. What should the church do? We, the church, must abandon foolishness and choose wisdom. We must seek God's wisdom.
Focusing on Proverbs 2:1-9, under the heading “Let's seek wisdom,” we will ask two questions and look for answers: (1) Why should we seek wisdom? And (2) How should we seek wisdom?
Why should we seek wisdom? The reason is, in a word, to know and realize. To be more specific, there are three reasons why we should seek wisdom.
First, the reason we must seek wisdom is to know God that is to discover the knowledge of God.
Look at Proverbs 2:5b – “And discover the knowledge of God.” As we have already learned in Proverbs 1:7, the fear of God is the foundation of knowledge. Therefore, those who fear God love knowledge and hate foolishness. But those who don’t choose the fear of God love their simple ways and hate knowledge (1:22). What knowledge is hated by those who don’t choose the fear of God? It is the knowledge of God. That is, those who don’t choose the fear of God hate the knowledge of God. But we must love the knowledge of God. The reason we seek God's wisdom is to get to know God. I remember the apostle Paul's confession in Philippians 3:7-9: “But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith.” Even if we lose everything, will we be satisfied with the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus our Lord? We must seek the wisdom of God in order to know and realize the truth that the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus our Lord.
Second, the reason we must seek wisdom is to discern the fear of the Lord.
Look at Proverbs 2:5a – “Thus you will discern the fear of the Lord.” We cannot fear God without the knowledge of Jesus Christ. In other words, only when we learn and get to know the attitude of Jesus Christ, His will and feelings, conduct and purpose, etc. can we discern the fear of the Lord. Then we can turn away from sin. Look at Proverbs 3:7 – “Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and turn away from evil.” Those who are wise in their own eyes never fear God. That is why they commit a sin of disobeying the His word without turning away from evil. However, as we seek God's wisdom, we must realize the fear of the Lord and turn away from evil. It was Job who feared God and turned away from evil (Job 1:1). Like Job, we should fear God and turn away from evil. But no matter what adversity and suffering, we must not sin against God with our lips.
Third and last, the reason we must seek wisdom is to discern equity and every good course.
Look at Proverbs 2:9 – “Then you will discern righteousness and justice And equity and every good course.” Satan makes us not to choose the fear of the Lord (1:29) and rather makes us to choose the simple ways (v. 22), and eventually leads us to walk the path of the wicked (v. 15). As a result, we quickly turn aside from the word of God (Exod. 32:8) and run to evil and commit sins quickly (Prov. 1:16). This is the life of fools and the simple ones. We must not live like them. Rather, in seeing God's wisdom and realizing to fear God, we must turn away from the path of the wicked and walk the path of the righteous, the path of justice, fairness, and equity. We must discern equity and every good course with the wisdom of God and walk that course.
How should we seek wisdom? Proverbs 2:1-9 teaches us how to seek wisdom in three ways:
First, we must cry out for God’s wisdom.
Look at Proverbs 2:3 – “For if you cry for discernment, Lift your voice for understanding.” In order for us to gain God's wisdom, we must first pray to God. In order to do that, we must thoroughly realize how much wisdom we lack in ourselves. In other words, we must realize more and more deeply how foolish we are while living in faith. Then we will be more and more earnestly seeking wisdom from God. This is what King Solomon exhorts us in Proverbs 2:3. It is telling us to cry for wisdom and lift our voice for it. This shows the passionate pleading of a believer who desperately needs to know the truth of God and apply it in his life (MacArthur). We must offer these passionate and earnest prayers to God. And when we ask God for wisdom, we must ask in faith. Look at James 1:5-6a – “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting ….” The Bible tells us that if we lack wisdom we must pray to God for wisdom in faith. As we seek heavenly wisdom that we desperately need in faith, God will give us wisdom just as He gave it to King Solomon. A pastor named Charles Bridges said: ‘The wisdom of this world can be obtained by learning. However, heavenly wisdom is obtained by prayer. Academics can make a biblical scholar, but prayer makes a spiritual Christian’ (Park). I agree. Heavenly wisdom can be obtained through prayer. As we ask God for wisdom in faith, we must obtain heavenly wisdom and apply the word of God's truth to all areas of our lives and be raised up as spiritual Christians who fear God.
Second, we must seek God’s wisdom.
Look at Proverbs 2:4 – “If you seek her as silver And search for her as for hidden treasures.” I remember a long time ago when a deacon said, 'We should read the Bible like a miner digging gold.' What do you think? Sometimes I remember hearing the news that the miners were trapped in a deep coal mine through TV or Internet news. In particular, the last news I saw is the dramatic scene in Chile last year when miners were rescued from being locked up in a coal mine. It's the news that just indirectly makes me to think about how much risk the miners work with. When I think of the miners, I think if I sum it up in a word, they risk their lives and work. So why do you think they risk their lives and work so hard? Don’t you think they work so hard to work because it's worth something to risk their lives? I think that this era we live in is an era of confusion about values. Now Satan is making us confuse what is valuable and what isn’t. Satan is now promising us a sweet vision of false happiness, making us to forsake the eternal and value for the momentary and worldly things and pursue them. When I think of Satan's work, I think of the Israelites in the book of Exodus. When the Israelites, who had been saved from Egypt by the wonderful power of God's salvation, and marched boldly in the wilderness, saw Pharaoh king of Egypt and his army who followed them, they were terrified and changed their minds and grumbled ‘It is better to be slaves in Egypt than to die here in the wilderness’. As I meditated on this story, I wondered how the slavery of sin can be better than everlasting life. I think it is better to be saved in the wilderness, even if the flesh dies, and to enjoy eternal life and freedom from sin, than to return to Egypt and live as a slave. I don't understand why the Israelites wanted to go back to Egypt. What is the problem? I think the problem is because of the confusion of value. I think the Israelites didn't know what was so valuable. But Moses had the right value. It was a value that he could have only by faith. Look at Hebrews 11:24-26: “By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward.” With this value of faith, we must seek the wisdom of God. In other words, we must know how precious God’s wisdom is, and find it as if we are seeking silver (Prov. 2:4). Now King Solomon is saying that in seeking the wisdom of God, we must value it like those who seek the treasure (Park). Just as people are willing to sacrifice when they seek precious treasure until they obtain it (Job 28:1-11), we must be willing to sacrifices when we seek God's wisdom (Park).
Third and last, we must open our hearts and listen to God's word, receive it and treasure it within us.
Look at Proverbs 2:1 – “My son, if you will receive my words And treasure my commandments within you.” As we treasure God’s wisdom and are willing to sacrifice anything to seek it, we must open our hearts and listen to God's word. We must hear His word of wisdom and instruction. And we must obey the word that we have heard. Then we can keep the word of God in our hearts. Look at Proverbs 7:1 – “My son, keep my words And treasure my commandments within you.” The best way to keep God's word in our hearts is to make it our own. And the way to make His word our own is to keep it. Look at Psalms 119:56 – “This has become mine, That I observe Your precepts.” We must keep God's word in our hearts by obeying it. Then we can gain the wisdom that God gives us and redeem (save) our time in these evil days and understand what the Lord’s will is and live according to His will (Eph. 5:15-17).
In this wicked and dark age, we, the church, must be wise. Therefore, we must redeem the time in these evil days and understand what the will of the Lord is. And we must obey His will. The church be obedient to the Head of the church, our Lord. In order to do that, we need God's wisdom. When we are wise, we can know God and fear Him. And we can discern righteousness, justice, equity and every good course and can walk that good course. Therefore, we must make every effort in faith to seek the wisdom of God. We must seek His wisdom as the deer pants for streams of water (Ps. 42:1). We must open our hearts and listen to His word and keep it in our hearts. As a result, I hope and pray that God will give us wisdom so that we can discern the will of the Lord and live wisely according His will.