To Learn Instruction
Proverbs 1:5 “A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding will attain unto wise counsels:”
Proverbs is a book where a father tells his son the best way to live…..get wisdom from God: live in reverence to the Lord.
Proverbs 4:11-12 “I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths.
When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.”
Wisdom is that light from God that brings “fear” or reverence for the Lord to us.
For He is over all….
in knowledge (there is nothing that takes the Lord by surprise…for He sees the end from the beginning)…
in might (He is Almighty)….
In Purpose (for His purpose is from everlasting to everlasting….for us and everyone and everything)
God’s wisdom gives us His sight in the things we need….opening up for us the way to go, and encouraging us in His strength.
Proverbs 9:10 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the Holy is understanding.”
And so in Proverbs, we are encouraged to seek this wisdom from God for our lives.
To live our lives in the knowledge of Who He is….and that He will enable us by His wisdom….teaching us, not just how to live…..but to live the best life we can!
Proverbs 24:30-31 “I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding;
And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down.”
A passerby noticed a field, and then a vineyard….both had good soil, and could have gotten a harvest.
But the lazy man who owned them…did not use the advantages that he had.
He did not care for the plants…instead there was thorns (a picture of corruption and the curse Hebrews 6:7-8).
The owner didn’t even keep the wall which surrounded them in repair….so even the wild animals would be kept out.
(In scripture, our souls are compared to a field (Luke 8), and a vineyard (John 15) that we are to keep,….and bring forth fruit, for the Lord.)
Proverbs 24:32-34 “Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction.
Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:
So shall thy poverty come as one that traveleth; and thy want as an armed man.”
Notice the passerby did not accuse the owner, but rather saw these as a lesson for himself.
If we are “lazy”, because we want to pamper the flesh: “a little sleep”, “a little slumber”, “a little folding of the hands”……all of these are….”a little”.
“A little”….the flesh says—a “little” sin, a “little” putting off till tomorrow what should be done today, a “little” ignoring the Holy Spirit to pray…..
All are “a little” but it results in poverty of spirit….a numbing of our hearts which can turn to hardness.
And it leads to dissatisfaction……
We think that to give in “a little” to ourselves, will give us satisfaction…..a little rest, a little anger, a little hurt,……but it is the opposite….it leads to uneasiness, in our Christian life.
That is not satisfaction, and contentment……which the Lord has for us.
1 Timothy 6:6 “But godliness with contentment is great gain.”
But the lesson did not end there: Our souls, as these fields and vineyards, can be improved……by diligence:
The thorns and nettles can be taken away and burned.
The wall….repaired….to keep out anything which destroys the fruit meant for the Lord.
2 Peter 1:5-8 “And besides this giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue, knowledge;
And to knowledge, temperance;
And to temperance, patience;
And to patience, godliness;
And to godliness, brotherly kindness;
And to brotherly kindness, charity (love).
For if these things be in you and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Faith is given to us by God at new birth. To this, we add “virtue”, which is the “force” or power of the Holy Spirit within, by diligently yielding to Him.
If we are diligent in faith, the Holy Spirit empowers us for the rest……like the harvest of a field or vineyard.
James 1:5 “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not (does not correct); and it shall be given him.”
The Lord will not correct you for not knowing….for He wants you to ask.
He gives willingly, and largely….will we ask for His wisdom?
Preaching, Teaching, and Notes 