Wisdom is supreme.
[Proverbs 4:1-9]
What do you think of the saying, ‘You must do your best but not try to be the best’? This is the word from Pastor Kyungwon Kim, the author of ‘9 Principles Pastors Must Know’. Of course, the context of this statement is to prevent a pastor like me to be burnout by trying to be the best instead of trying to do best. As much as that, we, the pastors, should be wary of is the supreme consciousness (Kim). I personally think that this makes sense. It is precious to do our best for the glory of God in our work. But if the supreme consciousness of being the best is latent is us, in the end I think it will lead us to not only pursue perfectionism, but also risk falling into pride for our own glory. In other words, I think we should do our best to pursue the best that God tells us rather than to pursue the best we think of. What is that? In Proverbs 4:7, the Bible says that it is “wisdom”. Look at Proverbs 4:7 – “Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.” What does it mean? It means ‘wisdom is the best’. Today, I would like to humbly receive God’s grace while meditating on the supreme wisdom in God’s eyes under the heading “Wisdom is supreme” based on Proverbs 4:1-9.
First of all, what I want to think about is what we must do in order to obtain the supreme wisdom.
In Proverbs 4:7, King Solomon says that we must get wisdom though it costs all we have. That’s how much wisdom is worth it to us. Then what must we do to obtain the wisdom that is worth putting on all possessions? We must listen to Heavenly Father’s instruction. Look at Proverbs 4:1 – “Listen, my sons, to a father's instruction; pay attention and gain understanding.” The reason why we must listen to Heavenly Father’s instruction in order to gain the supreme wisdom is because Heavenly Father gives us sound teaching (v. 2). Our Heavenly Father’s instruction is good. The reason is because our Heavenly Father is good. Therefore, the lesson (law) that the good God teaches us is bound to be good. Therefore, we must receive the good teachings of our Heavenly Father and not abandon it (v. 2). In order to do that, we must hold fast God’s good teaching in our hearts (v. 4). And we must not forget the good word of God (v. 5) and keep it (v. 4).
As I meditated on today's text, I discovered an interesting thing. Look at verse 3: “When I was a boy in my father's house, still tender, and an only child of my mother.” Now King Solomon is telling his sons sound teaching, saying that he is the “only child” of his parents, David and Bathsheba (vv. 1-2). Perhaps this King Solomon's lesson was written when he was an only son to his parents. The reason I think this way is because the sons of David and Bathsheba were not only Solomon, but three more sons (1 Chron. 3:5) (Walvoord). As I meditate on this word, it is interesting and precious that the wise King David, who feared God taught his son Solomon, and his son Solomon, who became king later taught his sons sound teachings. How precious is it for my father to preach the good word of God to me and I to my children? Unfortunately, as we already know, even though “David had done what was right in the eyes of the LORD and had not failed to keep any of the LORD's commands all the days of his life--except in the case of Uriah the Hittite” (1 Kgs. 15:5), his son King Solomon’s heart wasn’t fully devoted to the Lord as the heart of his father David because his Gentile wives turned his heart after other gods when he grew old (11:4). In other words, even though King Solomon told his sons to listen to the father’s instruction (Prov. 4:1), to lay hold of his words (v. 4) and don’t forget them or swerve from them (v. 5), he himself didn’t live as he taught his sons, and sinned against God by worshiping idols when he was old. In a word, King Solomon’s heart wasn’t fully devoted to the Lord his God (1 Kgs. 11:4). What about King Rehoboam, Solomon's son, who succeeded Solomon as king? He must have received good instruction from his father, Solomon. But Rehoboham became proud and abandoned the law of the Lord because his position as king established and he had become strong (2 Chron. 12:1). Therefore, all the Israelites imitated Rehoboam (v. 1) and sinned against God with him (v. 2). How sad is this? The faith of David, his grandfather, should have continued to be passed on to his son Solomon and his grandson Rehoboam. But even King Solomon, who said to listen to the father's instruction left the instruction of his father King David and committed the great sin of idolatry against God, and his son, Rehoboam, also abandoned the law of God. How sad is this?
We must not forsake our Heavenly Father's law and sin against Him. We must keep our Heavenly Father's sound teaching as we put it in our mind and don’t forget it. Then we can taste God's goodness (Ps. 34:8). In other words, when we keep the sound teaching of our fleshly grandfathers and/or fathers who fear God, we will taste the goodness of God, who works together for good (Rom. 8:28). In order to do that, we must believe in our good God. The reason is because without faith we cannot obey God's sound teaching (Prov. 4:2). And if we don’t obey, we cannot taste God's goodness. Therefore, since we trust in our good God, we must hope only in Him and obey His good commandments with faith (Ps. 34:8). Then, we will be able to experience God and goodness of God, who causes all things to work together for our good (Rom. 8:28).
The second and the last thing that I want to think about is what blessings God gives us when we gain the supreme wisdom in God's eyes.
King Solomon tells us three things:
(1) When we gain the supreme wisdom, we will be protected.
Look at Proverbs 4:6 – “Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you.” Looking at Proverbs 2:7-8, which we have already meditated on, the Bible tells us that when we walk the path of just by walking blamelessly (v. 7) with wisdom we receive from God (v. 6), God will protect us. In a word, the Bible says that wisdom protects us (2:11). In addition, in Proverbs 3:23, the Bible says that when we preserve sound judgement and discernment (v. 21), God makes our way safe and our feet will not stumble (v. 23). In this way, wisdom protects and keeps us. Do you believe these words of the Bible? There is one thing in my mind that I feel more and more convinced when I ask this question to myself. It’s dangerous without wisdom. In other words, when I become foolish because I don’t believe and obey the sound teachings of Heavenly Father, my faith and heart are exposed to Satan's attack and are in danger. And what's even more dangerous is that I am not only foolish but consider my actions to be right (12:15), but also enjoy doing foolish things over and over again (15:14; 26:11). Without this wisdom from God, we are truly in danger. I remember the words of Ecclesiastes 7:12 – “For wisdom is protection just as money is protection, But the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the lives of its possessors.” The Bible says that wisdom preserves our lives. So what should we do? Shouldn't we try to get this supreme wisdom to our best?
(2) The supreme wisdom will exalt and honors us when we embrace and esteem the supreme wisdom.
Look at Proverbs 4:8 – “Esteem her, and she will exalt you; embrace her, and she will honor you.” Wisdom will exalt us when we esteem it. But if we esteem our own stupidity, that stupidity will lower or humble us. I'm having serious concern these days. And I am nervous and a little heavy because of that concern. And that serious concern is “the pastor’s deterioration.” I am afraid that without knowing myself, I will be perverted, and in my pride, I will cover the glory of God and commit a sin against Him. As I meditated on Proverbs 4:8, I thought that I was in danger of falling into the pride of self-exaltation rather than exalting God's wisdom and exalting myself rather than God. And in the midst of such pride, I thought that trying to exalt myself in front of God and people was only exalting my own stupidity. The result is that God has no choice but to humble me. Therefore, in today's text, I would like to obey King Solomon's words to exalt and embrace the wisdom that is supreme in God's sight. Rather than esteeming and honoring myself, I pray that God will exalt me and honor me.
We must obtain the supreme wisdom in God's sight. In order to do that, we must humble ourselves and obey God's sound teaching with our hearts that fear God. Just as Jesus obeyed Heavenly Father's will until death on the cross, we must obey the will of the Lord until death. Then God will exalt us, just as God exalted Jesus to the highest level and gave us a name that is outstanding above all names (Phil. 2:9).
(3) The supreme wisdom will beautify us when we embrace it.
Look at Proverbs 4:9 – “She will place on your head a garland of grace; She will present you with a crown of beauty.” Here King Solomon personified wisdom as a woman. It is said that when we embrace the wisdom that is like woman, it will make us beautiful. Look at Ezekiel 16:14 – “Then your fame went forth among the nations on account of your beauty, for it was perfect because of My splendor which I bestowed on you," declares the Lord GOD.” In the end, when we gain the supreme wisdom in God's sight, God will present us with the crown of beauty so that our reputation spreads among unbelievers. What a precious blessing this is?
We must do our best to gain the supreme wisdom in God's sight. In order to gain this wisdom worth as much as we all have, we must listen to our Heavenly Father's sound teaching and put it in our hearts and keep it. Then that wisdom will protect us and not only exalts us up, but also will give us the glorious crown of beauty. May this blessing be for all of us.