WEBVTT 00:00:07.453 --> 00:00:08.234 Good evening, family. 00:00:08.234 --> 00:00:24.835 It's always a challenge and an honor to stand here and to open the word of God with all of you. 00:00:24.835 --> 00:00:29.358 To stand here and to open the word of God with all of you. 00:00:29.358 --> 00:00:35.280 And Proverbs. 00:00:35.280 --> 00:00:39.991 I did not even realize that I volunteered for this until four weeks ago and Micah reminded me that, oh yeah, it is Proverbs, july 28th. 00:00:39.991 --> 00:00:58.652 Well, that's been my life for the past 10 years or so where my calendar has not been kept and I'm forgetting more things than I can remember. 00:00:58.652 --> 00:01:04.263 So that is the season of life that we are in, then again. 00:01:04.263 --> 00:01:14.888 So for four weeks of time, I spoke to Pastor Doug about Proverbs and he has given me some pointers, and that's wonderful, and it's such a wonderful book. 00:01:14.888 --> 00:01:18.307 And let's go to the Lord in prayer. 00:01:18.307 --> 00:01:29.469 Heavenly Father, we bow before you this evening, father, as we seek to understand your wisdom from the book of Proverbs. 00:01:29.469 --> 00:01:39.647 Father, we pray that you would, your Holy Spirit, would, shed light on this wonderful, wonderful portion of the scripture and enlighten our hearts. 00:01:39.647 --> 00:01:50.804 Father, for your glory, and Father, we pray that everything that is said tonight, father, will serve to honor you and Father, use it for your glory. 00:01:50.804 --> 00:01:51.965 We pray in Jesus' name. 00:01:55.468 --> 00:02:03.495 Last night I went to get my haircut barber shop next to our house. 00:02:03.495 --> 00:02:58.764 This barber is an Indian man and I was talking to him about his you know whereabouts and where he was born, and he asked me about you know my whereabouts and where I was born and this man and he after he's, you know saying everything, and he said this you know, for the past 30 years or so, I have made choices that were unwise, and he was lamenting about his life and he was lamenting about how his life turned out and he you know, he was lamenting about how his work did not produce success and he has been working all this while without finding much success at all. 00:02:58.764 --> 00:03:07.876 And and he was, and there was a despair in his voice. 00:03:07.876 --> 00:03:20.389 And after that we continued the conversation and he asked me you know, he sees me walking around the neighborhood with my ear headphones on and he asked me what are you listening to? 00:03:20.389 --> 00:03:27.939 So I said I listen to some songs and I listen to the Bible to. 00:03:27.939 --> 00:03:29.343 So I said I listened to some songs and I listened to the Bible. 00:03:29.343 --> 00:03:34.901 And his face lit up and he started saying I have listened to everything, all the religious books, and I have listened to Hinduism. 00:03:34.901 --> 00:03:38.026 I have listened to this and Bhagwan Rajneesh. 00:03:38.026 --> 00:03:42.100 He brought up and he said I want to listen to the Bible. 00:03:42.100 --> 00:03:45.447 Would you send me? 00:03:45.447 --> 00:03:49.754 Is there an audio Bible, audio version of a Hindi Bible? 00:03:49.754 --> 00:03:53.030 I said, yes, there is an audio version of Hindi Bible. 00:03:53.030 --> 00:03:56.689 He requested he begged that I send it to him. 00:03:56.689 --> 00:04:09.979 He has listened to everything and that is one thing that he has not listened to listen to. 00:04:10.001 --> 00:04:39.634 So I was thinking you know how this conversation, how it went from his disappointment in his life and how he did not make wise choices, to you know him asking about the book of books, and it was, yeah, we were, I was pleased and we were praying for him last night and I would urge all of you to remember him in your prayers as he listens to, as this brother listens to, the scripture. 00:04:39.634 --> 00:05:03.487 So if we look at the wisdom literature, you know Pastor Doug preached from a book of Job and you have the Ecclesiastes and the Song of Songs and Psalms we heard of Brother Parker preached from last week, and in Ecclesiastes is the same lament that we see again. 00:05:03.487 --> 00:05:09.802 What I heard from this person yesterday, it is all vanity. 00:05:09.802 --> 00:05:17.682 And the book of Ecclesiastes I don't know if I don't think we covered that right, it's not yet been preached on. 00:05:17.682 --> 00:05:31.903 Okay, and in the book of Ecclesiastes, the author, he's lamenting about how things were supposed to be and how God designed us to be and how things turned out. 00:05:31.903 --> 00:05:41.745 And in that he starts saying you know, the men come and men go, the earth stands forever and man was supposed to be an eternal being forever. 00:05:41.745 --> 00:05:44.329 And man was supposed to be an eternal being. 00:05:44.329 --> 00:05:57.089 Unfortunately, touched by this curse, man became a temporal being and the stage that he was supposed to be on it continues on and on and on. 00:05:57.089 --> 00:05:57.812 And he was lamenting about that. 00:05:57.812 --> 00:05:58.415 And you know most of the. 00:05:58.415 --> 00:06:08.831 If we consider all of our lives and if we look at the totality of our lives and our existence here, and the thing is we, you know, at some point we will lament about. 00:06:08.831 --> 00:06:17.750 You know so many things Just like that person was lamenting about. 00:06:17.750 --> 00:06:23.148 And here in Proverbs, see, the thing is goal of wisdom, literature. 00:06:23.148 --> 00:06:27.235 Is God intended for humanity to prosper? 00:06:27.235 --> 00:06:35.632 And this, especially in Proverbs, it is what we see. 00:06:35.713 --> 00:06:49.622 Here is the word proverb typically refers to a short, clever saying that offers wisdom in some way, saying that offers wisdom in some way. 00:06:49.622 --> 00:06:53.411 While this book contains hundreds of proverbs, most of them are found in the center of this book, and there are. 00:06:53.411 --> 00:07:16.088 You know, if we consider the structure of this book, from chapters one through nine, there are about 10 speeches about wisdom, 10 speeches about wisdom, and you have the Proverbs 30 and 31, and in 30 we hear from Agur and his wisdom and in 31 we hear from King Lemuel. 00:07:16.088 --> 00:07:24.995 And if you ask most people to define wisdom, particularly in reference to knowledge, they will say that knowledge, this wisdom, had to do with knowing. 00:07:24.995 --> 00:07:26.009 Knowledge is particularly in reference to knowledge. 00:07:26.009 --> 00:07:36.793 They will say that knowledge this, you know, the wisdom had to do with knowing a lot of knowledge is knowing a lot of facts, and the wisdom involves the ability to use that knowledge in useful ways. 00:07:36.793 --> 00:07:46.610 So, according to dictionarycom, the definition of this word is you know. 00:07:46.610 --> 00:07:50.456 The wisdom is the applied knowledge. 00:07:56.341 --> 00:08:05.314 When Bible speaks about wisdom, it means far more than what we usually understand wisdom to be. 00:08:05.314 --> 00:08:33.791 And in the 21st century BC, the people, when they understood wisdom, they understood it like this it is almost a universal search to learn, by observation of the world and human experience, how the creator designed the creation to function and then ordering one's behavior in accordance with that plan to achieve life as it is intended. 00:08:33.791 --> 00:08:37.024 I think they have it. 00:08:37.024 --> 00:08:43.719 They have a much deeper understanding of wisdom than we do Right Than we do Right. 00:08:43.719 --> 00:08:50.552 And Solomon Wrote the book of Proverbs and most of it anyway. 00:08:52.759 --> 00:08:58.351 When we go to 1st Kings, third chapter, we see the story of Solomon Having a dream. 00:08:58.351 --> 00:09:07.028 Solomon becomes the king and he has a dream and in that the Lord asks him to make what he wants. 00:09:07.028 --> 00:09:09.660 And he asked for wisdom. 00:09:09.660 --> 00:09:13.690 And the Lord granted him wisdom and everything else. 00:09:13.690 --> 00:09:29.171 And he wakes up from that dream and he says if you walk in my ways and keep my statutes and commands, just as your father David did, I will give you a long life along with all these things. 00:09:29.171 --> 00:09:38.052 And in 1 Kings 4, 29 to 33, he says Now God gave Solomon wisdom and very great discernment and breadth of mind. 00:09:38.052 --> 00:09:49.964 Like the sand that is on the seashore, solomon's wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the sons of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt, for he is wiser than all men. 00:09:49.964 --> 00:09:59.302 And he says he also spoke 3,000 proverbs and his songs were 1,005. 00:09:59.302 --> 00:10:01.725 And he spoke of trees. 00:10:01.725 --> 00:10:06.975 He spoke of cedar, that is in Lebanon, even to the hyssop that grows on the wall. 00:10:06.975 --> 00:10:11.551 He spoke also of animals and birds and creeping things and fish. 00:10:11.551 --> 00:10:22.783 He was the first botanist and biologist, it looks like, and he collected. 00:10:22.783 --> 00:10:30.370 Not only he wrote his own proverbs, but he collected a lot of other proverbs as well. 00:10:31.960 --> 00:10:36.932 Solomon's writings became the source of Israel's wisdom literature. 00:10:36.932 --> 00:10:42.150 The Hebrew word chokmah means more than knowledge. 00:10:42.150 --> 00:10:48.509 It says it is applied knowledge and this can be applied to all created order. 00:10:48.509 --> 00:10:57.980 These are the principles and the order God built into the universe With all the wisdom and experience. 00:10:57.980 --> 00:11:00.609 Solomon penned these proverbs. 00:11:00.609 --> 00:11:05.552 This talks about the way generally things work in the universe. 00:11:05.552 --> 00:11:21.030 After observing so many things, after living for such a long time, this is how the universe is, and let's read Proverbs 1 through 7. 00:11:22.822 --> 00:11:41.489 The Proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel, for learning, wisdom and discipline, for understanding insightful sayings, for receiving prudent instruction in righteousness, justice and integrity, for teaching shrewdness to the inexperienced, knowledge and discretion to the young man. 00:11:41.489 --> 00:11:54.969 Let a wise person listen and increase learning and let a discerning person obtain guidance For understanding a proverb or a parable, the words of the wise and their riddles. 00:11:54.969 --> 00:12:02.828 And the seventh verse the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. 00:12:02.828 --> 00:12:06.368 Fools despise wisdom and discipline. 00:12:06.368 --> 00:12:09.268 This is the seventh verse. 00:12:09.268 --> 00:12:15.893 We see this theme is repeated again in Proverbs, chapter 9. 00:12:15.893 --> 00:12:27.433 The main section of this book is chapters 1 through 9. 00:12:28.923 --> 00:12:31.971 As I said, there are 10 speeches from father to son. 00:12:31.971 --> 00:12:37.471 The father tells the son that he should listen to wisdom and cultivate fear of the Lord. 00:12:37.471 --> 00:12:43.299 Talks about a life of virtue, integrity, generosity. 00:12:43.299 --> 00:12:48.592 All of these will lead to success and peace. 00:12:48.592 --> 00:12:55.893 Father wants the son about folly and evil, about short-sighted, selfish decisions and pride. 00:12:55.893 --> 00:12:59.850 All of this will lead to ruin and shame. 00:12:59.850 --> 00:13:23.447 And you have the Solomonic proverbs in chapter 10, for the first verse, through chapter 22, 16, you have proverbs by solomon and after again 25, 1 through 29, 7, you have solomon's proverbs and the remaining are 22, 17 through 24, 34. 00:13:23.447 --> 00:13:26.634 These are the proverbs by other wise men. 00:13:26.634 --> 00:13:33.051 And chapter 30, as I said, these are the sayings of Agur. 00:13:33.051 --> 00:13:39.269 Then in chapter 31, we have sayings of King Lemuel this we all know. 00:13:40.520 --> 00:13:48.966 To describe a virtuous woman, proverbs 31 is always quoted, and in chapter 31. 00:13:48.966 --> 00:13:50.625 Verses 10 through 31. 00:13:50.625 --> 00:13:52.210 That is how many? 00:13:52.210 --> 00:13:55.846 22 verses Describing a virtuous woman. 00:13:55.846 --> 00:13:59.346 And here this is an acrostic. 00:13:59.346 --> 00:14:01.086 What is an acrostic? 00:14:01.086 --> 00:14:11.552 Every verse begins with Different Hebrew letter, from Aleph to the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet. 00:14:11.552 --> 00:14:16.631 So it says about the wisdom of this virtuous woman. 00:14:16.631 --> 00:14:30.307 When somebody, a Hebrew poet, writes this as an acrostic, that means as we have exhausted the alphabet, so have we exhausted the subject. 00:14:30.307 --> 00:14:49.744 And again in Proverbs 9, 10, it says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding wisdom and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. 00:14:49.764 --> 00:14:54.259 In other non-wisdom literature of the Bible there are this is, that is, about 61 other books. 00:14:54.259 --> 00:15:02.326 God always gives his revelation to a person who writes it down in the Bible, who can then say with authority does say the Lord. 00:15:02.326 --> 00:15:14.110 This is how all the prophets and Matthew, mark and John and Paul and Peter and everybody who wrote that's how they did it. 00:15:14.110 --> 00:15:17.250 In wisdom literature it works a little differently. 00:15:17.250 --> 00:15:32.836 The general revelation of God's wisdom that is woven into his creation and the universe and the observed patterns by wise men are recorded in the wisdom literature as proverbs. 00:15:32.836 --> 00:15:36.105 For instance, proverbs 10.1,. 00:15:36.405 --> 00:15:38.631 A wise child brings joy to his parents. 00:15:38.631 --> 00:15:45.269 This is not necessarily always true. 00:15:45.269 --> 00:15:50.044 It is almost. 00:15:50.044 --> 00:15:54.113 Usually it is true, but not necessarily always true. 00:15:54.113 --> 00:16:07.052 As an example, a child who was born in Garden City, new York, miraculously is found by God and you know who I am talking about. 00:16:07.052 --> 00:16:16.572 And when he tells his parents Dad, I want to invest my life on a mission field, turning lost people to Christ. 00:16:16.572 --> 00:16:26.839 Obviously, their parents have so many ambitions towards their son. 00:16:26.839 --> 00:16:36.817 That proclamation by Kevin Cooney did not bring joy to his parents. 00:16:36.817 --> 00:16:58.344 But wisdom, literature, by definition, describes the way world generally runs, and sometimes these exceptions do happen. 00:17:06.664 --> 00:17:11.152 If we try to understand this book logically, one could conclude erroneously that one's highest goal should be pursue what is virtuous and avoid what is vile, and thereby achieve success. 00:17:11.152 --> 00:17:20.109 If the success is the goal of this pursuit, then that pursuit will come short of what is intended. 00:17:20.109 --> 00:17:27.961 There are many books written about this precise thing from the principles that are outlined in Proverbs. 00:17:27.961 --> 00:17:33.175 Apply these principles from Proverbs and achieve success in life. 00:17:33.175 --> 00:17:45.901 If we get only that from this book, it would be a shame, because that only leads one in the pursuit of moralism. 00:17:45.901 --> 00:17:54.477 If we want to understand this book, we must understand chapter 1, verse 7. 00:17:54.845 --> 00:17:58.154 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. 00:17:58.154 --> 00:18:02.454 Fools despise wisdom and instruction. 00:18:02.454 --> 00:18:12.730 The term here, the phrase here, is the fear of the Lord, and we use this right. 00:18:12.730 --> 00:18:15.374 We talk about being a God-fearing person. 00:18:15.374 --> 00:18:26.336 See, the thing is in every culture in humanity this thing, about this definition of this God-fearing person, especially coming from a Hindu culture. 00:18:26.336 --> 00:18:30.551 Okay, and this is very highly regarded. 00:18:30.551 --> 00:18:40.898 You know God-fearing, the fear of God, and you know for a Hindu, you know to be good is to take care of others and to be, you know not to. 00:18:40.898 --> 00:18:45.428 I mean all these virtuous things that are described in Proverbs. 00:18:45.428 --> 00:18:54.933 I think a God-fearing person in a Hindu culture will always try to do, try to follow that. 00:18:54.933 --> 00:19:18.249 And the thing is, unfortunately, for the most part, when people use this phrase of being a God-fearing person, all they mean is to be a moral person. 00:19:18.269 --> 00:19:40.503 There are many God-fearing, moral people whose goal it is to live a good and a moral life and not harm anyone and to give to the poor, and in almost all the world religions it is a virtue to do all these things and in some religions it is a requirement also. 00:19:40.503 --> 00:19:46.000 Well, this is not what the book of Proverbs is referring to when it says it is the fear of the Lord. 00:19:46.000 --> 00:20:05.067 It is not referring to someone who does not know God, to someone who does not have A saving, covenantal relationship With God, and it is not referring to Someone who lives their life Outside God and yet acknowledges and recognizes. 00:20:05.067 --> 00:20:13.026 The thing is, you know if some people don't we see that, see this on television always and you know when they. 00:20:13.026 --> 00:20:15.234 When we talk about God, yeah, we have. 00:20:15.998 --> 00:20:25.173 Everybody agrees that there is this power out there and who is controlling or who they revere or who they you know they think is running the universe. 00:20:25.173 --> 00:20:39.239 But that understanding lacks a relationship with God. 00:20:39.239 --> 00:20:48.576 And the thing is, if you lack relationship with a God, how do you fear such a? 00:20:48.576 --> 00:20:50.440 What does this even mean? 00:20:50.440 --> 00:20:51.260 The fear of God? 00:20:51.260 --> 00:21:10.557 Many God-fearing, moral people whose goal it is to live a virtuous life and to earn favor with God. 00:21:10.557 --> 00:21:26.674 And if we read Proverbs just like that, as a set of moral principles, a set of rules, we will always come short of the intended purpose of this book. 00:21:26.674 --> 00:21:36.213 So, god fearing person, this is not what the book of Proverbs mean. 00:21:36.645 --> 00:21:42.712 When we read this, we come to understand that this fear of the Lord is this reverence of God. 00:21:42.712 --> 00:21:50.388 Reverence for God is actually the evidence of a covenant relationship with him. 00:21:50.388 --> 00:21:59.608 We understand who God is and we fear and revere God and serve God because we know who God is. 00:21:59.608 --> 00:22:18.141 It is not an outward acknowledgement that God perhaps exists out there somewhere, but what he says is the fear, the intimate knowledge, the reverence that is coming from the intimate knowledge of God. 00:22:18.141 --> 00:22:30.823 That is the beginning of knowledge, beginning of knowledge. 00:22:31.688 --> 00:22:50.252 So, as I said in Proverbs, book of Proverbs covers everything from economics, from romance, from relationships, from the society, how kings ought to behave, how the society is supposed to be, everything it covers the whole gamut. 00:22:50.252 --> 00:23:16.021 And when we look at economics, you know, when there is so much that we have heard of so many companies which have gone belly up because of the misbehavior of its leadership. 00:23:16.021 --> 00:23:33.013 Yes, the thing is definitely the work produces prosperity and, as according to book of Proverbs and God intended for the humanity to flourish. 00:23:33.013 --> 00:23:39.632 But if you take shortcuts and there is ruin, and that is what we see. 00:23:39.632 --> 00:23:42.784 There are examples of that in our society. 00:23:42.784 --> 00:24:08.538 We see that in so many examples here in our society and also here we see, as we continue from verse 8 and forward Listen, my son, to your father's instruction and don't reject your mother's teaching, and for there will be garland of favor on your head and pendants around your neck. 00:24:08.880 --> 00:24:25.919 My son, when, if sinners entice you, don't be persuaded if they say come with us, let us set an ambush and kill someone, let us attack some innocent person just for fun, let us swallow them alive likeol, while like those who go down to the pit. 00:24:25.919 --> 00:24:35.836 What he is referring to here is a heart of folly. 00:24:35.836 --> 00:24:41.375 This is not how friends entice friends. 00:24:41.375 --> 00:24:43.853 This is a hyperbole. 00:24:43.853 --> 00:24:44.829 This is not. 00:24:44.829 --> 00:24:45.977 This is a hyperbully, this is poetry. 00:24:45.998 --> 00:25:06.134 And in this he says when the problem is, you know, when you see, you know from the beginning when we are, when the universe is touched by this curse, from the beginning everybody is trying to, everybody is trying to enslave somebody else. 00:25:06.134 --> 00:25:14.417 And that is what we see here in every society in the world. 00:25:14.417 --> 00:25:18.531 And here it says avoid the path of the violent. 00:25:18.531 --> 00:25:25.612 And yes, there are certain truths, universal truths, that happen and there are some exceptions. 00:25:25.612 --> 00:25:31.816 But here the instruction to the sun it talks about avoid some things like plague. 00:25:31.816 --> 00:25:38.856 And here it is cautioning against this heart. 00:25:38.856 --> 00:25:52.317 Don't even go, don't even entertain the thought of setting foot into such paths, because their feet run toward evil and they hurry towards to shed blood. 00:25:52.317 --> 00:25:59.558 It is useless to spread a net where a bird can see it, but they set an ambush to kill themselves. 00:25:59.558 --> 00:26:04.973 This is how thing is. 00:26:05.134 --> 00:26:07.891 Suddenly he is talking about hunting for birds. 00:26:07.891 --> 00:26:10.285 It is not hunting for birds. 00:26:10.285 --> 00:26:17.352 What it says is when the bird is seeing, if you set out a net and bird will escape. 00:26:17.352 --> 00:26:19.512 But here these people. 00:26:19.512 --> 00:26:32.038 If the heart is overcome with wickedness and foolishness, they set a trap and a snare for themselves and they fall in it and they are killed. 00:26:32.038 --> 00:26:41.597 Such are the paths of all who make profit dishonestly. 00:26:41.597 --> 00:26:44.488 It takes the lives of those who receive it. 00:26:51.153 --> 00:26:55.818 And we just go back to the theme verse. 00:26:55.818 --> 00:27:09.798 The fear of the knowledge is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding, knowing God and through that knowledge, having an awe of his person and his glory, his character. 00:27:09.798 --> 00:27:10.820 That is what is the fear of the Lord. 00:27:10.820 --> 00:27:18.459 And the book of Proverbs is referring to the books written on this subject do not emphasize this part and that success can. 00:27:18.459 --> 00:27:23.251 And they say that success can be achieved without the fear of the Lord. 00:27:24.733 --> 00:27:35.757 And in his book, michael Horton, christless Christianity, he talks about Donald Gray Barnhouse. 00:27:35.757 --> 00:28:04.679 When he preached a weekly sermon which was broadcast on CBS radio, barnhouse speculated that if Satan took over Philadelphia, he was speculating what happens if Satan takes over a city. 00:28:04.679 --> 00:28:25.761 Satan takes over a city and he says he speculated that all the bars in Philadelphia would be closed, pornography will be banished and pristine streets would be filled with tidy pedestrians who smiled at each other. 00:28:25.761 --> 00:28:37.833 There would be no swearing, children would say yes, sir, no ma'am, and the churches would be full every Sunday where Christ is never preached. 00:28:37.833 --> 00:28:45.951 Did you get that? 00:28:45.951 --> 00:29:05.318 The thing is, when we look at proverbs like a list of things to do, as a list of laws that we need to follow, that leads to legalism. 00:29:05.318 --> 00:29:18.671 And if we look at these as moral principles, and that leads us to moralism, both of which, in both of which, there is no gospel. 00:29:18.671 --> 00:29:51.125 So that's what Pastor Barnhouse, who was the pastor of 10th Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia and this is the perfect city Any one of us would be longing to live in, but where Christ is never preached Is it possible to achieve success without the fear of the Lord and without the knowledge of the Holy One? 00:29:51.125 --> 00:29:52.429 Yes, more than likely. 00:29:52.429 --> 00:30:05.939 If all these principles are followed, the success can be achieved, but with that success, we will be living in the city that DJ Bond has described. 00:30:10.366 --> 00:30:21.176 When we look at the book of Proverbs, it has two main stories. 00:30:21.176 --> 00:30:44.673 One is the story of two sons, one wise and one foolish, and over and over again we hear about these two sons, the wise one and the foolish one, and it is also a story of two women, lady Wisdom and Lady Folly. 00:30:44.673 --> 00:30:53.200 Wisdom is personified as a woman and Folly is personified as Folly. 00:30:53.200 --> 00:30:59.305 And the Lady Folly is a harlot. 00:30:59.305 --> 00:31:03.135 These are the literary tools used in this book. 00:31:03.135 --> 00:31:11.836 And here is the lady wisdom crying in the streets. 00:31:11.836 --> 00:31:17.096 And in Proverbs 3, 18, it says, those who embrace wisdom embrace life. 00:31:17.096 --> 00:31:22.028 Moreover, the horrible truth about the lady folly is she is murderous. 00:31:22.028 --> 00:31:27.893 The lady folly is she is murderous. 00:31:27.893 --> 00:31:30.018 And chapter 9, verse 13. 00:31:31.424 --> 00:31:32.246 Folly is a rowdy woman. 00:31:32.246 --> 00:31:34.628 She is gullible and knows nothing. 00:31:34.628 --> 00:31:48.348 She sits by the doorway of her house on the seat at the highest point of the city, calling those who pass by, who go straight ahead on their paths. 00:31:48.348 --> 00:31:50.134 Whoever is inexperienced, enter here. 00:31:50.134 --> 00:32:05.257 To the one who lacks sense, she says stolen water is sweet, the bread eaten secretly is tasty, but he does not know that the departed spirits are there and her guests are in the depths of Sheol. 00:32:05.257 --> 00:32:10.653 She invites people for a dinner and they never come out. 00:32:15.246 --> 00:32:26.894 So this is not a story, not just a story about successful, achieving success in business or anything else. 00:32:26.894 --> 00:32:35.069 This is not the story of successful businessmen, this is a story of. 00:32:35.069 --> 00:32:37.576 This is a matter of life and death. 00:32:37.576 --> 00:32:44.317 This is a matter of knowing God or not knowing God. 00:32:44.317 --> 00:32:48.549 This is a matter of knowing God or not knowing God. 00:32:48.549 --> 00:32:52.238 This is a matter of being right with God versus being an enemy of God. 00:32:52.238 --> 00:32:59.277 This is the matter of being saved or being lost. 00:33:05.365 --> 00:33:08.911 So how do we study the book of Proverbs in this light? 00:33:08.911 --> 00:33:40.636 You know there are so many, yes, there are so many Proverbs that are so wonderful and universal truths, like in Proverbs 25, 6, in Proverbs 28. 00:33:40.636 --> 00:33:45.026 It talks about a destitute leader. 00:33:45.026 --> 00:33:51.847 Destitute leader who oppresses the poor Is like driving rain Driving rain that leaves no food. 00:33:51.847 --> 00:34:01.549 The one who reject the law Praise the wicked, but those who keep the law pit themselves against them. 00:34:01.549 --> 00:34:07.027 So there are in the first nine chapters. 00:34:07.027 --> 00:34:21.695 There is this there's ten speeches about wisdom and from father to son, and there are some loosely said proverbs from chapter 10 through chapter 29. 00:34:21.695 --> 00:34:29.193 But these proverbs must be understood in the context of the first nine chapters. 00:34:29.193 --> 00:34:36.943 See, the thing is, you know wherever in the Bible when we talk about you know, do not take words out of it. 00:34:36.943 --> 00:34:40.652 You know out of context and talk from it. 00:34:40.652 --> 00:34:48.342 But here, here in the Proverbs, there is a temptation from you know, from you know from chapters 10 through 29. 00:34:48.342 --> 00:35:07.525 You know, these are wonderful, wonderful Proverbs, but these Proverbs must be understood from the vantage point of the first nine chapters, and the key verse in those chapters, key verses in those chapters, is the fear of the Lord Is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One Is understanding. 00:35:07.525 --> 00:35:26.251 And also so how to study Proverbs. 00:35:26.311 --> 00:35:32.487 I'd like to, before concluding, I'd like to give you a few points here. 00:35:32.487 --> 00:35:37.889 The first point is this is not a list of do's and don'ts. 00:35:37.889 --> 00:35:48.713 And if it is a list of do's and don'ts, and if it is a list of do's and don'ts and then it becomes, if we look at these as laws, as I told you before, that leads to legalism. 00:35:48.713 --> 00:35:55.487 And second, these are not moral principles to be followed to earn God's favor. 00:35:55.487 --> 00:35:58.492 That leads to moralism. 00:36:05.239 --> 00:36:10.079 All these proverbs must lead us to the realization that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. 00:36:10.079 --> 00:36:20.288 See, you know, if I just told you this is the story of two sons, one is wise and one is foolish. 00:36:20.288 --> 00:36:34.523 And it is not like, by instruction, by instructing, in these proverbs, and you know, expecting our, our sons are even us, to become wise is that is not the, that is not the goal of this, this book and the. 00:36:34.523 --> 00:36:42.373 And what we need to understand is this is the fourth point Christ is the wise son of the Proverbs. 00:36:42.373 --> 00:36:53.179 In Colossians 2, 1 and 3 we see, for I want you to know how greatly I am struggling with you for those in love this year and for all who have not seen me in person. 00:36:53.179 --> 00:37:05.394 I want their hearts to be encouraged and joined together in love so that they may have all the riches of complete understanding and have the knowledge of God's mystery, christ. 00:37:05.394 --> 00:37:11.192 In him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 00:37:11.192 --> 00:37:18.471 All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Christ. 00:37:18.471 --> 00:37:24.722 So the recognition that Christ is the wise son of the Proverbs, you know, we don't. 00:37:24.722 --> 00:37:31.735 By following these Proverbs we do not become, you know, the wise son of the Proverbs. 00:37:31.735 --> 00:38:13.034 But as God is forming this wise son of the Proverbs that is Christ in us and as he is bringing us into the conformity, into his image, that is how our life must be transformed and that is how that is a daily pursuit and that is how we must instruct our children and must instruct ourselves from the book of Proverbs and five pursuit of riches and success without the knowledge of God will lead to pride and does not address the heart of folly. 00:38:16.141 --> 00:38:23.791 Proverbs 3, the Lord's curse is on the household of the wicked, but he blesses the home of the righteous. 00:38:23.791 --> 00:38:26.079 He mocks those who mock but gives grace to the humble. 00:38:26.079 --> 00:38:28.909 And in James he picks it up in two places. 00:38:28.909 --> 00:38:33.539 Again, god raises the proud and gives grace to the humble. 00:38:33.539 --> 00:38:51.369 And if this Pursuit of moralism and pursuit of legalism will lead us to for us to be, you know, to play one-upmanship with our neighbors or with ourselves or with somebody else, and which leads to pride. 00:38:51.369 --> 00:38:57.427 And here it says God resists the proud and he gives grace to the humble. 00:38:57.427 --> 00:39:00.278 And Proverbs 16, 18, it says pride comes before destruction, the proud and he gives grace to the humble. 00:39:00.278 --> 00:39:05.981 And Proverbs 16, 18, it says pride comes before destruction and an arrogant spirit before a fall. 00:39:05.981 --> 00:39:26.128 And here Christ's wisdom is described like this in 1 Corinthians 1, verses 26 onwards Brothers and sisters, consider your calling. 00:39:26.500 --> 00:39:32.307 Not many were wise from a human perspective, not many powerful, not many of noble birth. 00:39:32.307 --> 00:39:41.239 Instead, god has chosen what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen what is weak in the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen what is weak in the world to shame the strong. 00:39:41.239 --> 00:39:54.688 God has chosen what is insignificant and despised in the world, what is viewed as nothing to bring to nothing, what is viewed as something so that no one may boast in his presence. 00:39:54.688 --> 00:40:05.710 It is from him that you are, in Christ Jesus, who became wisdom from God for us, our righteousness, sanctification and redemption. 00:40:05.710 --> 00:40:21.188 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and this wisdom is personified and it is in Christ Jesus and Christ for us. 00:40:21.188 --> 00:40:27.315 He became the wisdom of God and he became our redemption and our righteousness and sanctification. 00:40:27.315 --> 00:40:39.753 And this is the message that we need to get from the book of Proverbs, because the book of Proverbs, the wise son of Proverbs, is Christ Jesus himself. 00:40:44.240 --> 00:40:48.110 Ultimately, the gospel implication of Proverbs is that Christ is our only hope. 00:40:51.481 --> 00:40:59.572 Here in Proverbs 28, it says the one who conceals his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them will find mercy. 00:40:59.572 --> 00:41:01.846 And where do we find mercy? 00:41:01.846 --> 00:41:06.070 We find mercy at the foot of the cross. 00:41:06.070 --> 00:41:13.811 We find mercy In the wise son of the Proverbs who is Jesus Christ. 00:41:13.811 --> 00:41:28.219 And we find mercy In the redeeming work Of Christ Jesus on the cross. 00:41:28.219 --> 00:41:46.867 And if we can be wise if we can be wise with our pursuits and Christ has died in vain and if we think by following these principles we will become closer to God. 00:41:46.867 --> 00:41:50.009 That is the folly that we must avoid. 00:41:50.009 --> 00:41:53.692 Yes, this is, I think. 00:41:53.692 --> 00:42:14.583 Once we know, once we understand it is the wise son of the book of Proverbs is the Christ Jesus himself, then our reading of my perspective and I think my way of reading Proverbs has changed completely. 00:42:14.583 --> 00:42:30.777 And may God bless each one of us with divine knowledge and wisdom from above and may form this Christ in us, the wise son of the Proverbs in us, in an increasing measure, on a daily basis. 00:42:30.777 --> 00:42:36.871 Thank you,