The Reward of Godly Wisdom
(Proverbs 3:1-12)
1. My son do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments;
2. For length of days and years of life, and peace they will add to you.
3. Do not let kindness and truth leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.
4. So you will find favor and good repute in the sight of God and man.
5. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean to your own understanding.
6. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
7. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and turn away from evil.
8. It will be healing to your body, and refreshment to your bones.
9. Honor the Lord from your wealth, and from the first of all your produce
10. So your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.
11. My son do not reject the discipline of the Lord, or loathe His reproof,
12. For whom the Lord loves He reproves, even as a father the son in whom he delights.
INTRODUCTION
Many people today question the merits of living a godly life, of submitting to the Word of God and the principles it contains. They question if it merits the sacrifice and self-denial that godly living would require of them. To be totally honest we would have to concede that one couldn’t live godly, cannot live the Christian life as described in the bible without sacrifice, self-denial and discipline of life.
Does it truly merit the effort required? It is a legitimate question to ask. In fact Jesus even encourages those who inquire and consider becoming one of His followers to first "count the cost." Luke 14:28
When one considers the cost he does much more than look at his expenditures. He must way the value of the benefit received against his costs. If the value received is greater than the expenditure it is considered to be a good investment.
I believe that an honest individual after considering the benefits received and the costs involved that s/he will conclude it to be a worthy investment, one that pays great dividends both on the short term and in the longer term of things.
A LIST OF SOME BENEFITS AS FOUND IN PROV. 3:1-35
Length of days, long life and peace - vs. 2
Favor and a good reputation with both God and man - vs. 4
Divine guidance in every area of life - vs. 6
Health and healing for your physical body - vs. 8
Abundant financial & material provision - vs. 10
Gain wisdom & understanding - vs. 13
Vitality in your soul - vs. 22
Security and assurance in every area of life - vs. 23
Protection and deliverance by divine providence - vs. 24
Your home will have the blessing of God - vs. 33
Receive the abundant grace of God - vs. 34
Inherit honor and glory - vs. 35
Today we will only focus on only the first three in this list
II. Benefit # 1 - Length of days, long life, and peace (vs. 1 - 2)
The Benefits Are Conditional
„h they do not come automatically just because "I believe"
„h they are received as I accept and commit to the responsibilities that God requires of the believer
„h to live godly is to live according to His Word
"My son, do not forget my teaching, but let our heart keep my commandments;"
„« I must be aquainted intimately with the Word
1. This implies Study (teaching/learning)
2. This implies Review (forget not)
3. This implies that I appropriate the Word (my teaching, my commandment)
„Y As a believer this should not be a burden or some loathsome chore
„Y Ps. 1:2 "His delight is in the Law of the Lord"
„Y It is not sufficient that I listen to someone else’s study on Sunday morning (though helpful)
„Y I must, study, review and appropriate the Word myself
„« It is not just a matter of the head, but of the heart
"¡Klet your heart keep my commandments"
1. What you commit to in the heart becomes your conviction
2. It must be more than a creed, more than a theology, more than a bible teaching
3. You must be convicted in heart, that it is the Word of God, the very foundation of your being, the bread of your soul
4. If you are convicted in heart¡K. You will keep it! Guard it! Defend it! Proclaim it! And Live it!
5. "Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee"
6. What you commit to heart is not soon forgotten
„h Quote an old nursery rhyme or chorus
„« In review then the cost is that I must:
„h Study the Word
„h Review the Word
„h Appropriate the Word
„h Commit to the Word in my Heart
What Are The Benefits This Provides?
"2. For length of days and years of life, and peace they will add to you."
„« Length of Days
1. It will extend your life
A. When you are young that may not seem so important but as you grow older and have children and grandchildren it becomes more important and valuable to you
i. A longer life means more time,
ii. More time with those you love
iii. More time to accomplish the Will of God
iv. More time to invest in the Kingdom of God
v. More time to invest yourself in others
B. But it isn’t just a longer life (lengthening of days)
i. For some that would be more of a punishment than a blessing, more pain, more sorrow, more grief
ii. No God promises something more, he promises¡K.
„« They Will Be Years Of Life
A. A Life Filled With:
i. Years of blessing and fruitfulness
ii. Years of seeing the Goodness of God
iii. Years of enjoying the "Abundant Life" as Christ declared
iv. God isn’t condemning you to a life sentence, but is promising you a life that is truly free and filled with joy
v. As if that was not enough He adds to it, almost as a bonus¡K.
„« Peace
A. Peace With God
„h Knowing you are in the center of His divine will and plan for your life
„h That you are walking in obedience to his will
B. Peace With Men
„h Knowing you have committed to what God desires, that you live at peace with all men
„h That you seek their interest ahead of your own
„h You always seek their best
C. Peace With In
„h Knowing you are being and doing what you were created for
There are many today that would gladly give up their fortunes to experience peace within themselves.
Q. Does it merit the effort? Is the benefit worth the investment required? I think so!
What do you think?
II. Benefit & Responsibility #2 (vs. 3 - 4)
The Responsibility
vs. 3 Do not let kindness and truth leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.
„« Exhorted to demonstrate kindness (another trans. - mercy)
1. In all our interactions with our fellow man, no matter how defective they may be in practicing of these virtues towards us
A. It is ease to be kind to those who act kindly towards us
B. But if some acts unkindly towards us
„h If someone maligns us
„h If the offend or hurt us
„h Our Carnal nature desires vengeance
„± We want to "even the score"
„± We want to "settle the accounts"
„± We want to make sure "they get what’s coming"
„± We want to make sure "they don’t get away with it"
2. That is why God tells us to "Bind them around your neck"
A. Like the harness or yoke used on the horse or ox
„h We must be led and guided by them
„h They must rein and control our lives
B. We bind them
„h So that they are not easily loosened or lost
„h So that we do not run freely unrestrained according to the natural man
„h But that we might be controlled by the Spirit and by the principles of God’s Word
3. We are to Write them on the tablet of your hearts
A. An obvious parallel to the writing of the 10 commandments
„h By the finger of God upon the tablets of stone
„h So now we must write them upon the tablets of our hearts
B. We must establish these principles of always living and acting in truth and kindness as the foundational truths and principles of our lives
C. They are to be issues of the heart not just the head
D. They must become our deepest convictions
What Benefit Does God Now Offer To Those Who Heed
vs.4 "So you will find favor and good repute in the sight of God and man."
„« A Proper Order Is Established By The Writer
1. Favor with God is to be sought in preference to the favor of men
„h There are some who would seek the favor of men without any thought of the favor of God
„h But here the scripture proper exhorts us to seek first the favor of God
2. One of the two greatest of the commandments are fulfilled in keeping the principle of vs.3
„h By always acting in kindness and truth toward thy fellow man
„h "Love thy neighbor as thyself"
3. You will receive the Favor of God
„h It means God will take delight over you
„h It means you will bring Joy to the heart of God
„h It means that because you have moved in obedience to His divine will, you are now in the place/position where God can pour out his abundant blessing on your life
„h Following God’s Word will always bring about the Blessing of God upon your life
„h God longs to fill the lives of His people with abundant blessings but too often we are not in the position to receive them, for we have failed to implement the principles of His Word in our lives
4. Following Gods way - His will, will always produce good results for:
You will find favor and good repute in the sight of God and man."
A. We will be seen and acknowledged as one who always upholds the truth
„h As a person who deals equitably
„h As one who is just
B. By moving in kindness/mercy
„h You are always looking beyond the faults of others
„h You are looking at their true value
„h You will see and treat them as individuals created in the image of God
„h And People respond to that kind of treatment
„h It’s not mere apple polishing, backslapping, political maneuvering
„h It is genuinely treating people with love and respect as God intended
C. A Wise Man once said - "When you are about to begin to argue with your wife¡Kand you know you are right, ask yourself this question; do you want to be right or happy?"
D. Someone else has said, "You can win all your arguments but you won’t win many friends."
E. And an even greater counselor (the word of God) said, "A good name is more desired than great riches, favor is better than silver and gold." Prov. 22:1
I guess one perspective that might help us to see it’s value is at the end of life, after having lived your life; "Which would you rather have surrounding you as you lie in your bed awaiting the last call, your Gold, or your God and your friends?"
Q. Does it merit the effort? Does it pay to serve God? Is godly wisdom really worth the investment? I think so! What do you think?
III. Benefit & Responsibility #3 (vs. 5 - 6)
(How to receive the blessing of divine guidance)
5. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean to your own understanding.
6. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
The Responsibility
„« Now God would Ask Us To Trust Him With Every Area Of Our Life
1. It is not a question of whether we use reason, but rather what are it’s limits
„h Shall we accept only that which we can understand and explain, and refuse all that does not line up with our ability to reason?
„h Have you ever thought you were right only to later find out you had been wrong? (Could I have an amen from all the husbands this morning) (now perhaps from the wives too)
2. God is simply and plainly saying to us
„h To place our trust and confidence in his ability as God to be able to reason and perceive much better than you or I.
„h That His knowledge on the issue is superior to ours
„h That His wisdom is much higher than the wisdom of Man, and when human reason fails to grasp or comprehend the Divine wisdom and reasoning, then we would be committed in our heart to follow His
3. I can not tell you how many times personally, and by the testimony of others it has been discovered that when in situations where human reasoning said one thing, and the Word of God said another, and they chose to trust God and follow His way, the situation was resolved. And it was only after they trusted God and obeyed His Word that the lights came on and they could now understand it!
4. God requires that we would be a people of Faith.
„h But not Blind Faith
„h Rather it is a faith that is founded upon the eternal truth and principles of God’s holy Word
„h And that we don’t just trust Him when our reasoning or level of experience concurs, but rather we are committed to God and His Word with all our Hearts
„h That in every area of life we would practice living by His Word
What Benefit Does God Now Offer To Those Who Heed
"He will make your paths straight." or direct your paths (KJV)
„« Divine Direction
1. God is saying, we do not have to wander through life aimless and hopelessly, without direction or heading. Without a sense of knowing where we are going
2. God is saying, if I trust Him with every area of my life He will direct it.
„h So my life will have direction
„h It will have purpose
3. I will experience the divine hand of God leading me in places I have never traveled before
„h As Abraham was lead by God
„h As Isaac and Jacob
„h Like Peter, John and Paul
4. I can experience the leading, guiding of the hand of the all seeing God in my life
„h Leading around pitfalls
„h Guiding past the areas of danger
„h Directing me to the areas of green pasture and quiet waters (Ps. 23)
„h And should I stray and fall into a pit or a trap of my own reasoning, if I will turn and trust in Him, He will lead me back to the straight way
5. To experience the life that has direction, purpose and meaning, by the leading of the divine hand of God.
6. God simply asks that I/You trust him and not our/your own limited wisdom and understanding
„h To commit your heart to follow HIM (It always an issue of the heart not the head)
Does it pay to follow God? Does it pay to trust HIM? I think so! What Do You Think?
CONCLUSION
Now you could do the same as we have done today, with the remaining rewards of godly wisdom found in this chapter.
„h Health
„h Healing
„h Financial & Material provision
„h Wisdom & Understanding
„h Vitality of Spirit
„h Security
„h Assurance
„h Protection
„h Deliverance
„h Etc.
But I believe as you do, you will concluded as I have that it is Worth the Effort, the Investment to follow God and His Word.
While God’s word would give us ample reason to see that serving God and obeying the principles of His word would be of great value and blessing, allow me to add this one thought from the Apostle Paul to the Corinthians - 1Cor. 15:19
"If we have hope in Christ in this life only,
We are of all men most miserable."
While following the principles and teachings of the bible will bring great added value to the life of anyone who follows it, the benefits gained while being great according to the standards of this world are small in comparison to the blessings gained through trusting and believing in Jesus Christ.
John in His Gospel tells us that "God so loved the World that he gave His only begotten son that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life."
By trusting in Jesus Christ we receive the forgiveness of sins (past - present- future), the gift of eternal life (which starts now), and the hope of the resurrection.
And all he requires is that we would believe in our heart, and confess Him with our mouths as the Lord Jesus Christ.
Does it pay to TRUST GOD? Is the benefit worth the investment?
„h To give him our sins, our sorrows, our grief
„h To give him our confusion, our misgivings
„h To turn the control of our life over to His divine Will and Wisdom
And in return receive eternal life, Hope, and a life filled with the blessing of GOD?
I think it does!
What Do You Think?
