Thursday, 30th September 2021
Rev Daniel Xi An Poon
Section One V1-6 To Receive
V1 “Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn out her seven pillars.” Wisdom is about building up with a foundation, not by imagination. A house with pillars means there is also a roof, which covers and protects the people inside the house. V2 “She has slaughtered her meat, she has mixed her wine, she has also furnished her table.” Having a feast in the house represents celebration, peace, abundance, and unity. When a house is built up, the wisdom is not only inside the house, but also able to be with those invited. V4 “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!” The simple people are those, who don’t have their own opinions, are easily lied to, and have no boundary to differentiate right from wrong.
Wisdom builds a house to invite those, who are simple, to help them to choose wisdom, to have a connection with wisdom, and to turn away from the world. This is the mission of us, who are being called, to invite the simple to come and to choose wisdom. By choosing wisdom, we must let go of the attitude of being simple and lacking understanding. Stop focus on what we don’t have and what we lack and start walk in the way of light and understanding.
Entering the house of wisdom, represents entering God’s presence and the destined path God has laid out for us. The house is us, are we willing to be covered and protected? Are we willing to invite others to come and receive the same protection? Do we go and help the simple and those, who lack understanding? Do not look down on them, who are unable differentiate between right and wrong, because we were once like that! Now we receive God’s wisdom, we must also lead others to come and join us.
Section Two V7-12 To Choose
When we walk in the path of being called, we must choose wisdom. V7 “He who corrects a scoffer gets shame for himself, and he who rebukes a wicked man only harms himself.” When we face people, who look down on the wisdom of God and the Gospel, here tells us not to argue with them. God has His way of doing things, when people try to debate with us about the truth in the Bible, we don’t have to argue with them, but we should learn to let go.
V8 “Do not correct a scoffer, lest he hate you; rebuke a wise man, and he will love you.” Furthermore, for a scoffer, who rejects the Gospel, we must let go and let God. Do not think we can persuade people with our own strength, do not try to be God, instead let God’s wisdom do the work. When we let go and let God, we will also not fall into the temptation of the world, because at the end, we should lead people to God, not to ourselves. We are not trying to be God, but be the people, who prepare the way of the Lord’s coming.
On the other hand, when we face the wise man, who are willing to accept teaching and to receive rebuke, we should then speak the truth with them in love. So that they can also walk in the path of being called. V9-10 “Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a just man, and he will increase in learning. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” When the people are willing to listen, then we should teach with the wisdom of God, let them experience God, receive God’s Word, and respond to God’s calling.
V11-12 “For by me your days will be multiplied, and years of life will be added to you. If you are wise, you are wise for yourself, and if you scoff, you will bear it alone.” God has already told us the blessings and promises for us, but it’s our choice to be wise or foolish. When we choose wisdom, He will let our days be multiplied and our life be lengthened; whereas when we choose foolishness, we will have to bear the consequences alone.
Section Three V13-18 To Be Mindful
V13 “A foolish woman is clamorous; she is simple and knows nothing.” A foolish woman has a lot of opinions, she likes to nag, to talk loudly, and to show her anger. She likes to do what she wants to do and does not stay under the fragrance of the Tree of Life. A foolish woman seeks those, who don’t walk in the Way of God but their own ways; she also seeks those, who cannot differentiate from right to wrong and lead them astray. V17 “Stolen water is sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.” This is a contrast from teaching and disciplining; when we choose our own way and dislike teaching, then we will easily fall into temptation, our conscious will be twisted, and we can no longer tell what is right and what is wrong.
V18 “But he does not know that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of hell.” When we don’t walk in the path being called by God, then we will easily walk the path of the world, which leads to death and hell. Be mindful of the path we walk on, be humble and obedient, choose the Tree of Life, and don’t fall into the trap of the foolish. God has called us to the path of wisdom, let us choose to walk on it all our life!
Worship: 住在你裡面 Dwell in You https://youtu.be/F6LFd0l9ADQ
2021年9月30日 星期四
潘锡安牧师
一、要得着 v.1-6
V1-4 智慧所建造的房子不是凭空想象，而是有根有基的(V1)。一个房子若没有“柱子”，就没有屋顶的遮盖。“七”在圣经里代表完全。在造房子之前，先造好七根柱子，造好后房子可以使我们可以进去遮风避雨，并且在里面有筵席（V2）。筵席对以色列人来讲代表欢庆、合一、平安、丰盛。当房子盖好之后，它的功能就是去邀请那些“愚蒙人”和“无知的人”（V4）。从世界的角度来看，这些愚蒙和无知的人对我们没有价值，但从圣经的角度看，他们单纯天真，没有世界眼中的聪明。愚蒙人并不笨，而是为人没有什么准绳、没有辨别的能力，容易随波逐流。无知的人在分辨能力上是缺乏、贫穷的，很容易被人影响。智慧建立了房子之后就是要得着这些人，使他们跟智慧有关系。那些愚蒙和无知的人若不到智慧那里，他们就会到世界上。我们蒙召的人就是帮助他们能有智慧的遮盖，不让这些人披露在外。
V5 吃饼喝酒 – 就是要人留下来，彼此有关系。
V6 愚蒙人知道自己不懂，就要放下自己的不懂，放下自己贫穷的心态，如此才能“存活”。他们要舍弃那些整天觉得自己不行的自怜自哀的心态，因为这些思想对他们无益，唯有放下才能“走光明的道”- 原文是通达的路，就是神给我们的有智慧、理解的路。人要进入有智慧的房子，我们蒙召的人要做的就是建造“房子”- 这房子就是我们自己。我们是否愿意让自己成为遮盖？当人与我们建立关系的时候，生命才能影响生命。我们要帮助那些愚蒙人和无知的人 – 我们曾经也是如此，没有分辨能力，跟随世界的潮流，但当神使我们得到新生命的时候，我们就要回来得着那些人。
二、要选择 v.7-12
V7 蒙召的人不要去跟人辩论，徒增麻烦。“亵慢人”在这里指的是那些看不起福音的人。我们蒙召的人不要尝试去“指斥”、导正他们，因为这样“必受辱骂”。神会兴起一些有特别恩赐的人能在真理上跟不信的人辩论，但对于我们，则不需要去跟人辩论。当人在嘲笑我们的信仰时，我们不用去教导、改正那些人。我们的福音不是廉价的，那些抵挡我们的人其实不是抵挡我们，而是抵挡我们的神。人的尽头就是神的开始，神会亲自管教那些“恶人”。我们若擅自责备、改正那些恶人，与他们有关系，我们自己反而“被玷污”。我们要让他们自己看见神。
V8 “智慧人”是喜爱被管教、被导正的人。“责备”原文的意思是指责、完全的改正。我们要选择智慧人去责备，当人愿意被责备的时候，说明他们敬畏耶和华、能够成为我们的门徒。我们不要害怕去责备这些有智慧的人，因为他们在被管教的时候还会去爱那些管教他们的人。
V9 我们要有分辨的能力。面对一些没有智慧的人，我们蒙召的人不要尝试用自己的方式去改变他们 – 不要让自己成为别人的神，而要放手让神在他们身上动工。
V10 一个人可以笨，可以什么都不懂，但人要敬畏耶和华。如果人连神都咒骂，我们靠自己是没有能力去救的。人若愿意去认识那创造穹苍的“至圣者”就是有聪明。
V11 “日子必增多”- 敬畏神的人在世上的日子是可以长久的。
V12 你若敬畏神，这是对你自己有益处。“亵慢”就是不承认、不相信神，不认真对待神，态度戏谑，若人是这样，就必独自担当恶果。
我们蒙召的人要得着那些愚蒙、无知的人，也要懂得分辨亵慢人和智慧人，选择帮助那些有智慧的人；不需要尝试去训练、改正那些亵慢人，为他们祷告就好了，不用给自己不必要的压力。
三、要小心 v.13-18
V13-14“愚昧的妇人”是愚蠢的人，与箴言31章“才德的妇人”是完全相反的。我们不要做愚昧的人，也要小心他们。他们整天喧闹、咆哮、呐呐自语（爱念别人）。他们“坐在城中高处的座位上”，以为自己懂很多，批评论断别人，但这都是愚昧的，因为他们没有在生命树的气息下。
V15 此节与第6节相呼应。愚昧的妇人专门找那些不走神的道路的人 – 他们走自己的路，不走明白真理的路。
V16 愚昧的妇人也会去找那些愚蒙人和无知的人。
V17-18 罪恶活在黑暗里是好的。当我们选择走自己的路时，我们就容易陷入试探，走进死亡、地狱，因为我们被自己的情欲蒙蔽。愚昧的人会用这些“偷来的水”、“暗吃的饼”来引诱我们、满足我们情欲，让我们觉得这些刺激的事情是好的。所以我们这些蒙召的人要小心他们，不要跟从他们，而要选择走神给我们的通达的道路。
*追求和回应：
我们来到神的审判台前，相信圣灵就在这里，他对我们说我们都各行其道。求圣灵光照我们，让我们在神面前认罪，求圣灵帮助我们看到我们里面有什么私欲拦阻我们走那光明的路。
主你看中的是那愿意回转的心，是忧伤痛悔的灵，孩子们愿意来到你的面前承认自己的软弱诡诈，求你的灵来，完全拿走我们生命中的私欲、我们自己的路，让我们单单走在你通达的道路上。
主我们感谢你，我们宣告我们要走在这条光明的道路，单单选择你给我们智慧的道路，我们有从你而来有遮盖的房子。我们也要邀请更多的人来到我们这有智慧的房子！求你的智慧进入我们当中，让我们能说出智慧的话语，谢谢主让我们走在蒙召的道路！