Putting the I into WISDOM
The Christians who have most influenced me for good have had a fully functional familiarity with the book of Proverbs. They were (and are) able to take their considerable knowledge and apply it to their lives, providing both godly examples and godly advice. Join with me as each one of us endeavors to put the I into WISDOM. Let us seek to exemplify God’s wisdom in our daily lives. (I will be using this opening paragraph for each of the brief messages in this series. The following material will change daily.)
Proverbs 1:26-33 is a sobering passage that warns of the consequences of ignoring God’s wisdom. We should be grateful that God cares so much for us that He provides such forthright forewarning. Verse 26 tells us that these consequences will come when they are unanticipated, when they are least expected. This “calamity” will cause “fear” (panic or sudden terror) when it overtakes (“cometh”) those who will not listen to God. Isaiah 2:19 speaks of the results of man’s pride and idolatry: “And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of His majesty, when He ariseth to shake terribly the earth.” Revelation 6:15-17 is the New Testament equivalent: “And when the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; and said to the mountains and rocks, ‘Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the LORD: for the great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?’” The core sin of pride must bring such judgment, for if we will not have God, we must experience what existence without Him is like. Some might be troubled that wisdom personified, reflecting the character of God, “will laugh” and “mock.” We need to understand that this response is not malicious; rather, it is the laughter of absurdity, of the inanity of mankind being unprepared when it has been so clearly warned. The series of parables delivered by Jesus in Matthew 24:40-25:30 makes the same point: a gracious God has pointedly prepared us for this “calamity.” It simply makes no sense to spurn Him. If we do, the fault is ours. As Proverbs 29:1 says, “He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.” Lord, soften our necks!