Pursuing Wisdom
Mental health professionals tell us that stress is a very real thing. And when we’re experiencing a lot of stress, it affects us not only emotionally, but also physically, and even spiritually. And here’s the interesting thing: stress doesn’t only come from the bad things in life—like car accidents and cancer. Stress happens any time there’s a lot of change.
So, here we are, about to enter the summer of 2020, and I’ve been trying to listen to my own heart, and I’ve been listening to a lot of other people, and you know what I’ve realized? Stress levels are high. Have you noticed that? Because so many things are changing. And again, it’s not that all the change is bad; there’s just so much of it. And so much uncertainty. So as I talk to people, I’m hearing words like “exhausted”… “anxious”… “emotionally drained”… “overwhelmed.” The stress is real.
So in honor of all the stressed-out people among us, we are beginning our summer series today, from the book of Proverbs. I honestly believe this is exactly what we need. I mean, we planned this months ago, but Gods’ timing is perfect.
So I’ve been reading the book of Proverbs a lot recently, to prepare for this series. And I noticed something that I’ve never noticed before. Four different times throughout the book, wisdom is described as “the fountain of life.” I really like that. The fountain of life. To anyone who’s dry and exhausted and burned out, God says, “Come and drink from the fountain of life.” So that’s what we’re going to be doing this summer.
Now: we all know what proverbs are, right? I mean, even outside of the Bible. Proverbs are memorable little sayings that tell us something helpful about life. And in the English language, we have hundreds of proverbs. In fact, let me just give you a little test. I’ll start the proverb; you finish it.
A picture is worth a thousand…
Beggars can’t be…
Don’t count your chickens before they…
Don’t put all your eggs in one…
Don’t throw out the baby with the…
How’d you do? You probably got them all correct, right? And I could have kept going. We have so many little proverbs in our culture, and most of them contain some truth; most of them are helpful little reminders about how life works. We all know what proverbs are.
So…as we open the biblical book of Proverbs (capital “P”), you might be thinking, “Okay—here’s another collection of helpful sayings. Useful tips about life.” If that’s what you are thinking, you are seriously underestimating the power and the depth of this book. Here’s what I mean:
The book of Proverbs is a part of the Hebrew Scriptures called the “wisdom literature.” It was compiled between 2 and 3,000 years ago, and it is theologically rich, psychologically insightful, and truly timeless. But the thing that really sets it apart from other proverbial sayings is that these proverbs were inspired by the Holy Spirit. And therefore, there’s something alive and fresh about them. Proverbs 18:4 says this:
The words of the mouth are deep waters, but the fountain of wisdom is a rushing stream.
Do you see the contrast there? The words of the mouth—the smart things that people say—are like deep waters—like a deep pond. Some people are really educated, and they say some smart stuff. But the “fountain of wisdom”—so now it’s talking about the God-inspired wisdom of the book of Proverbs—is a rushing stream. What’s the difference between a pond and rushing stream? In a pond, the water just sits there. But in a rushing stream, the water is always new; always fresh; always alive. You don’t move through it; it moves through you. So this summer, as we dive into the Proverbs, this is not just a random collection of helpful sayings. We’re about to wade into a rushing stream. We’re about to drink from the fountain of life. And I’m praying that the Spirit of God will take the Word of God and wash it over our souls, and refresh us. I have a feeling some of you need this as much as I do.
So…let’s read today’s passage: Proverbs 1, verses 1 through 7. Hear the Word of the Lord…
1 The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:
2 for gaining wisdom and instruction; for understanding words of insight; 3 for receiving instruction in prudent behavior, doing what is right and just and fair; 4 for giving prudence to those who are simple, knowledge and discretion to the young— 5 let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance— 6 for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise.
7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. This is the Word of God.
As we begin our series today, I want to talk about four things. Four things about wisdom: Where it Starts, Who it’s For, What it Gives Us, and How to Get It. Okay? Four things about wisdom: where it starts, who it’s for, what it gives us, and how to get it.
So, first: Where it Starts. This is one of those passages where the most important thing is at the end. So I’m going to start there and work backwards. Verse 7 says The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. That’s the beginning. That’s step one.
When I wake up in the morning, you know what the first thing I do is? I reach over on my night table, and I fumble around, and I find my glasses, and I put them on. Then I get out of bed. So for me, that’s the beginning—that’s the first step—in seeing the world clearly. And Proverbs says the first step in seeing life and seeing the world wisely is “the fear of the Lord.” And here’s the perspective that gives you: when you fear the Lord, God gets bigger, and everything else gets smaller. God gets bigger, and everything else gets smaller. Let’s take those one at a time.
First, God gets bigger. A.W. Tozer said this: “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” Wow. What comes into your mind when you think about God? Is he kind of a benevolent, kind spirit in the sky? Is he an energy that we can tap into? Is he a helpful assistant that we can call on when we need help? It’s so easy—especially in our culture—to develop a very tame, very domesticated view of God. And when you read Scripture, it gives you a very different
pair of glasses. Where you view God with awe and reverence and wonder and respect. So God becomes the most present, the most overwhelming, and the most influential reality in your life.
Years ago, when I was starting out in ministry, there was a man in the church who was caught cheating on his wife. And his family was so heartbroken, and I remember going with an older pastor to talk with this guy. And I said to him, “Will you repent of this so you can hopefully save your marriage and your family?” And he said, “I don’t think I’m ready to do that.” And we said, “What about your relationship with God? What would God want?” And he said, “Well, I just hope God forgives me.” I still remember how crushing that night was for us, and especially for his wife. So as I was driving home with that older pastor, I asked him, “Why do you think he’s unwilling to turn from the affair?” And I’ll never forget his response. He said, “Because he’s lost the fear of God.” And he was exactly right. He no longer had a reverence for God that was driving his decisions. So he did whatever he wanted, and it caused so much destruction.
Let me give you a positive example. In Exodus chapter one, the people of Israel were living in Egypt as slaves. And the Pharaoh of Egypt made a law that when a Hebrew boy was born, the Egyptian midwives, who were assisting in the deliveries, needed to put them to death. That was the law of the land. But it says those Egyptian midwives refused to follow Pharaoh’s command…why? Didn’t they fear him? Didn’t they fear breaking the law? Of course! But it says they feared God more. So their fear of the Lord was the strongest driver their behavior.
Guys, this is where wisdom starts. A reverent, awe-filled, behavior-influencing view of God. Everything else in Proverbs is built on that foundation. So with these glasses—with this perspective—God gets bigger.
But then also, everything else gets smaller. Look at Proverbs 29:25…
Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe.
When we don’t fear God, the most common alternative is that we start to fear…what? Other people. The Bible calls it “the fear of man.” Maybe you’re thinking, “I’m not afraid of other people.” But don’t let yourself off so easily. Fearing people means that their approval, and their opinion of you, drives your decisions. You’re about to post something on social media, and you think, “Lots of people will like this.” And then when lots of people like it, and make encouraging comments, you think, “Yes! I am a good person!” On the other hand, when people disagree or disapprove of what you’ve posted, it really bothers you. Have you ever noticed you can get 10 compliments and 1 criticism, but the thing you lie in bed thinking about at night is…what? The criticism. The opinions of people can dictate our lives. That’s why it says “Fear of man will prove to be a snare.” Some of you are caught in that snare right now.
But here’s the thing: the way to overcome that is not to think less of people; it’s to think more of God. Because the more your mind and your affections are centered on God, the less you will be controlled by other people.
When Teddy Roosevelt was president, and he entertained important guests at the White House, at the end of the day he would sometimes take them out on the back lawn. And he would have them stand there and look up into the night sky. And of course, they didn’t have all the city lights back then, so you could really see the stars. So they would just stand there and soak in the vastness of God’s creation. And after a while, Roosevelt would say, “Gentlemen, I believe we are all small enough now. Let’s go to bed.”
That’s where wisdom starts. It’s like putting on new glasses so you can finally see clearly. God gets bigger; everything else gets right-sized.
Point number two: Who it’s For. What kind of people is this offer being extended to? Look at verse 4:
for giving prudence to those who are simple, knowledge and discretion to the young…
So the first kind of person the Proverbs are for is “the simple.” The Hebrew word for “simple” means naïve, or gullible. Easily deceived. This is like the guy who watches the infomercial about the “Tummy Cruncher” that you can do for just five minutes a day, and you’ll have six-pack abs in three weeks. And he buys it! For $29.95, plus shipping & handling. And then he’s surprised when it doesn’t work. This is the person who believes every email that gets forwarded to him, and falls for the most ridiculous conspiracy theories. So if that’s you, Proverbs says there’s hope for you. God wants to make you less gullible, and more wise. See, you don’t have to be highly educated to have wisdom. Some of the wisest people I know don’t have much formal education. Knowledge means you know lots of facts, but wisdom means you look at God rightly and you see the world clearly, so you can navigate life well. So there’s hope for the simple.
Then he talks about another kind of person—verse 5:
let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance—
So even people who are already wise shouldn’t be content with the wisdom they have. Have you ever met a very wise, experienced person, who thinks think they know it all? So they’ve stopped listening; they’ve stopped being attentive to what God is up to in their life. You know what happens when we stop listening and learning? We become like that stagnant pond, instead of that rushing stream that’s always fresh and new. Some of you, honestly, are pretty wise people. And this is an invitation for you to not be complacent; to not think you’ve arrived; to stretch for what God has for you next.
So the wisdom of Proverbs is for the simple; it’s for the wise. And there’s actually one other kind of person that’s mentioned. In verse 7, it says …fools despise wisdom and instruction. So the third kind of person is a fool. Sometimes this person is called a “mocker.” Look at Proverbs 9, verse 8:
Do not rebuke mockers or they will hate you; rebuke the wise and they will love you.
This is the kind of person who, if someone tries to challenge them or correct them, they get angry and offended. It says if you rebuke a mocker, they will hate you. Because their ego is so fragile, that they view any criticism as a personal attack. So they attack you back, or they may retreat into silent, passive aggression. But they hate you for correcting them. This is the kind of person who’s most resistant to the wisdom of Proverbs. But there’s still hope for fools. God doesn’t give up on anybody.
So…who is the book of Proverbs for? The simple, the wise, and even the fool. And honestly, all of us probably have some combination of all three of those in us.
Point number 3: What it Gives Us. What exactly will change in our lives if we gain the kind of wisdom that Proverbs is talking about? Well, let me put it in two categories.
First, Intellectual. Look at verse 2:
for gaining wisdom and instruction; for understanding words of insight…
If you have a fear of God that rules all your other fears, and if you are receptive to what the Holy Spirit is speaking to you through the book of Proverbs, you will begin to think better. You’ll be able to look at difficult situations, and instead of just following the crowd, or always following your political party, you’ll have insight.
Can I give you a very current example? And I’m going to get some pushback on this—any time I speak into to what’s happening in our world, somebody gets mad at me. But that’s okay. What’s happening in our world is very complex, but there are two things I believe we need to do. First, I believe we need some reforms in our police system. I have a huge respect for police officers, and we would be in big trouble without them, but I think we need some changes. Now: that’s normally more of a Democrat thing to say. But I don’t say it because I’m a Democrat (because I’m not). I say it because of God’s Word. And we’re going to see this in Proverbs—it talks a lot about treating people with justice and compassion, especially those that don’t have as much of a voice in society. So the wisdom of Proverbs helps to guide my thinking about that issue.
Secondly: as we think through how to make this a more just society, I don’t believe the way to elevate people is to hand them money. Now, that’s usually more of a Republican thing to say. But I don’t say it because I’m a Republican (because I’m not). I say it because of God’s Word. And we’re going to see this in Proverbs—it talks a lot about the dignity of work, and the value of diligence, for all humans. We were made to work and contribute to society. So rather than making people more dependent on government, I believe we need to respect people enough to open up opportunities for training and education, to invest in people and mentor people, like our friends at New City Kids in Paterson do so well, and to get a little uncomfortable by intentionally invit people who are different from us to work alongside of us.
Now, you may disagree with some of what I just said. And I realize I’ve oversimplified some complex issues. But here’s the point: as a Christian, if you fit too cozily into either political party, there’s something wrong. God wants us to be people whose grid for thinking through issues is not our politics; he wants our grid to be the fear of God and the wisdom of God. Amen?
So Proverbs helps us to be wise and discerning people in how we think about the issues of life. It gives us a healthy fear of God and a deeper understanding of human nature and human interactions. It just makes us think better. So it’s intellectual.
But also, it’s Practical. Verse 3 says…
for receiving instruction in prudent behavior, doing what is right and just and fair
So real wisdom is about behavior. It’s about doing. There’s a cancer treatment center near my house, and when I drive by I often see staff from the center standing on the road, smoking. So these are people who work in the same place where they give chemo and radiation to people with lung cancer. And on their lunch break they go smoke. And I shouldn’t pick on them, because we all have areas of our life like that, right? We know something is true or good, but we don’t align our actual lives with that truth.
So here’s the invitation of Proverbs: develop this fear of God, and be receptive to the rushing stream of God’s wisdom, and you will not only know what to do more often; you’ll actually do it. There will be a growing alignment between what you know and how you live. So the kind of wisdom Proverbs offers is not just a way of thinking; it’s a way of life.
AND, as you develop that wisdom, here’s the exciting thing: you will become a source of wisdom for other people! I am so thankful that I have a few people in my life: older, wiser followers of Christ. And when I’m feeling confused or overwhelmed by something, or when I have a big decision to make—one of those fork-in-the-road moments, I reach out to one of those people. And they usually don’t tell me what to do, but they help me think through the situation clearly. Man, that is like gold. I heard one older man say this: “I think of myself as a ‘window washer’ for other people. When they get stuck in their own thoughts, and they can’t see beyond their current circumstances, I help to wash their windows so they can see more clearly.” What a great gift to be able to offer people. “Let me wash your windows for you.” So as we go through Proverbs this summer, don’t just think about what it can do for you; get excited about how you can be a blessing to others by offering them wisdom.
Okay—last point: How to Get It. If the book of Proverbs were just a collection of helpful hints about life, then the answer to this last point would be obvious. Just read the Proverbs and do them. Right? It’s not rocket science. Follow the instructions! But it’s not that simple. There’s a spiritual element to this. In Romans chapter seven, Paul says, “I know the right thing to do, but I find myself unable to do it.” See, we have this natural pull in us—the Bible calls it the “sinful nature.” And it pulls us toward selfishness and greed and anger and stubbornness—the exact opposite of what the Proverbs teach. So Proverbs is telling us one thing; we’ve got this force in us pulling us the opposite way.
So what’s the solution? Well, we’ve been focused in on the book of Proverbs. But now we need to zoom out. We need to widen the lens and look at the New Testament. And the New Testament doesn’t contradict the Old Testament; it fulfills it. It completes it. It fills in the missing pieces. So look with me at what the New Testament says about wisdom: 1 Corinthians 1, starting in verse 20:
20 Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. 22 Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
See, the deepest wisdom of God—the missing piece in all this—is Christ. Because on the cross, he paid for our sin and he connected us with the power of God. To the world—to the logical mind—that doesn’t make much sense. How could a man dying on a cross affect people’s lives 2,000 years later? It sounds like foolishness. But it’s the key to this whole thing. Because here’s what happens. When we believe in Christ—when we accept what he’s done for us on the cross—we still have those selfish, stubborn tendencies. The sin nature doesn’t go away! But now we have something else in us. Something stronger. We now have the power of God available to us.
Here's what I’m saying: the only way to truly become wise—to live out the Proverbs—is through the power of Christ. So this summer, let’s lean into him. Like Jesus said in John 15, let’s abide in him or remain in him, so his powerful life will flow through us. We only become truly wise through the power of Christ in us.
This summer we’re going to be reading proverbs about controlling anger, and some of you struggle so much with your temper, and you’re going to think “I can’t do that.” Through Christ, you can.
We’re going to be reading proverbs about controlling lust and using our sexuality in powerfully healthy ways. And some of you have struggled so much with lust and porn, you’re going to think, “I can’t do that.” Through Christ you can.
We’re going to be reading Proverbs about using your words to speak blessing and life into other people. Some of you have been so careless with your words, and you’ve caused so much damage to people, and you’re going to think, “I can’t do that.” Through Christ you can.
Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. And when we look at the way he lived, we see the wisdom of Proverbs lived out perfectly.
So…over these next couple of months as we walk through Proverbs, let’s lean into Jesus, let’s learn to fear God more than we fear people, and let’s drink deeply from the fountain of life. I am really looking forward to it.
