Proverbs 8 – Know Wisdom Receive Life 认识智慧得生命
Friday, 10th March 2023
Rev Daniel Xi An Poon
King Hezekiah was searching for the wisdom of Solomon, because of the Glory of God revealed through the life of Solomon, especially how he built the Temple of God. So why can Solomon build the Temple of God? Solomon did not have the best upbringing, his father sinned by committing adultery with his mother, and his siblings were fighting each other. Yet Solomon was able to bring the Glory of God to his nation during his reign. Today we also need the wisdom God has given to Solomon, to see how we can receive life even in this dark time.
Section One V1-21
V1 ‘Does not wisdom cry out, and understanding lift up her voice?’ Wisdom is calling us, no matter where we are, we need the wisdom from God. We cannot hide from God, and God wants to talk to us, to guide our way, and to shine our path ahead. But people chose not to listen, and to walk their own ways.
V5 ‘O you simple ones, understand prudence, and you fools, be of an understanding heart.’ Wisdom is being spoken to all the people, to the simple ones, who don’t have the Word of God in their lives, who are empty inside, and urging them to open up their hearts and souls so they can receive. Wisdom is also being spoken to the fools, those who hear but do not act, those who understand but do not take it seriously.
V6-7 ‘Listen, for I will speak of excellent things, and from the opening of my lips will come right things; for my mouth will speak truth; wickedness is an abomination to my lips.’ As Christians, we tend to walk in the grey area, we know the teaching of God, we know the way we should go, but we don’t fully commit to this path. We still have the mindset of the world, and we do not connect wisdom with our lives.
V10-11 ‘Receive my instruction, and not silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold; for wisdom is better than rubies, and all the things one may desire cannot be compared with her.’ We want to seek ways to win the world, so we have a comfortable lifestyle according to the world. We want to enjoy life, but we don’t see that the true joy can only come from God. In order to receive life, we must receive the teaching of wisdom, which is better than rubies and all things that we desire in this world. Wisdom lasts eternity, and it grants us eternal life, everything else cannot satisfy us like wisdom does.
V13 ‘The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverse mouth I hate.’ God wants us to humble ourselves, to follow Him wholeheartedly. Because the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, only but honouring God, we can have wisdom, which tells us the way we should go. Wisdom is not far away from us, it’s around us, and when we humble ourselves, lay down ourselves, let go of the things we hold onto in our hands, then we can receive wisdom. Everything we want and everything we need is in wisdom, where are we seeking? Are we still seeking the things of this world?
V19-21 ‘My fruit is better than gold, yes, than fine gold, and my revenue than choice silver. I traverse the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of justice, that I may cause those who love me to inherit wealth, that I may fill their treasuries.’ We spend all our time, trying to receive the world, but how we come to this world, how we will leave this world. Only when we are willing to humble ourselves, to deny ourselves, to have a relationship with wisdom, then our lives can be different, our eternity can be abundant.
Section Two V22-31 Wisdom is Prepared for Us
V22 ‘The Lord possessed me at the beginning of His way, before His works of old.’ Wisdom was there at the very beginning and will be there in the very end. Wisdom was prepared for people, we must believe that seek wisdom then we can be benefit. Wisdom is not for us to have a hard time or give us troubles, but it is for us.
Section Three V32-36 Wisdom Blesses Us
V32 ‘Now therefore, listen to me, my children, for blessed are those who keep my ways.’ King Hezekiah found what he was looking for, wisdom from God, teaching from God, that last eternity. We thought we need to work hard to be blessed, to fight and to hide our treasures, but here it says that when we listen, we will be blessed. When we receive teaching, when we walk in the way of wisdom, then we will be blessed. When we don’t listen, the people teaching us will not be harm, but only ourselves.
We are not being controlled or prosecuted under the teaching of the church, but we are being blessed. So often we thought the teaching is to restrict us and to limit us, but we must see that only by wisdom, we can receive the eternal blessings.