Welcome to day seven. This is Lesson Seven in we're going to discuss, in contrast the woman foolishness and wisdom. So if you look with me at Proverbs chapters 1-8, we will start out by just looking at the feminine gender that's applied to both of these constructs. Both of them have are called she. But it's the difference in motivation and in the end result that really makes it important for us to take a closer look. So start in Proverbs 1:7, we see the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. but fools despise wisdom, and instruction. In 1:20, we see that wisdom is crying without, she's uttering her voice in the streets. She's crying in the chief places of the concourse and the openings to the gates in the city. She's entering her words, she says, how long you simple ones, we love simplicity, how long scorners will you delight in your scorning and fools hate knowledge, turn at my reproof, and I will pour my spirit out under you, I'll make my words known to you. She promises that if we receive her words, and hide her commands within us, and if we incline our ear to her and apply our heart to understanding, and if we cry after knowledge, and lift up our voice for understanding and seek her, as we seek silver, and search for her as if it's hidden treasures, then we'll understand the fear of the Lord and we'll find the knowledge of God. Now, she has a reason for this. She's worried about as she says, The turning away of the simple slays them in the prosperity of fools, destroys them. But if we harken to her will dwell in safety and be quiet from fear of evil. Because the Lord is the one who gives wisdom, out of his mouth comes knowledge and understanding. He lays up sound wisdom for the righteous, and as a buckler to them that walk uprightly. So she is giving him all the glory. And she's telling us that it's so important to listen to Him. If we keep the passive judgment in pursuit, He preserves the way of the saints, then we'll understand righteousness, judgment and equity, every single good path. When wisdom enters our heart, and knowledge is pleasant to our soul, then discretion can preserve us and understanding us and deliver us from the Way of the evil man, the man that speaks froword are evil things, perverse things, the one foolishness however, she is considered a strange woman. She's a flatter, who forsakes the guides of her youth and forgets all about the covenants of God. In fact, Scripture says the dead are her guests. In verse 2:17, her paths lead to death, and no one returns to the paths of life that follows her. Her words are smoother than oil. She's really manipulative, and in the end, they are bitter, they're lies, and so they end in bitterness. Her steps take hold of hell. Her ways are movable and unpredictable. She steals honor and creates chaos and pain. She's a harlot. She's unfaithful, deceptive, loud, stubborn. She never stays at home and she lies in wait. She is insensitive, impotent a liar. And she uses other she's narcissistic. She's a murderer who clamors she sits outside the door of her house in the high places the city and calls to the passers by. She calls the simple who have no understanding to take things that are not hers to give. And then she encourages secrecy. Does this remind you of anything. Wisdom, on the other hand, cries out at the crossroads in the entryways. She says, understand hear, be an understanding heart. She speaks excellent things, truth and righteousness. She speaks plainly, and she speaks right. Deception. perverseness and wickedness is an abomination to wisdom, and nothing that we can want compares to her. She actually lives or dwells with prudence. She reveals knowledge and things that we can't know. She has counsel and sound wisdom, understanding and strength by her kings reign, princes administer justice. She loves those that love her and all who seek her early finds her she has riches that last and honor is actually hers to share. She leads in the right and the just paths and causes those who love her to inherit real treasure, not deceptive. Jehovah possessed her (brought her forth) before the earth was ever created. He viewed lights in her, and she rejoices before Him in His creation. And in us, wisdom's appeal to us. She says, Hearken to me, O ye children, because Blessed are those who keep my ways they're blessed, hear instruction and be wise and don't refuse it. Blessed will be the man that hears me, watches daily at my gates waits at the posts of my doors, because whosoever finds me finds life and obtains favor of Lord. But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul, all they that hate me love death. Early in my Christian walk, I remember reading the one foolishness as loud and undisciplined. And it pierced me to my very soul, because I thought it was fun to be the life of the party, and, you know, to be running here, and there was kind of a thing of my youth. But the scripture says that the word of God pierces the sinner, even soul and spirit. And James says, if any of you lack wisdom, you know, ask. And so I did. I asked God, I was disciplined in academics and business. But that's because that's where I got my sense of self worth. I was completely undisciplined in keeping house and taking care of myself. And the Lord showed me that if you're disciplined, it would be in all your aspects of life. And so I began the conquest, the quest to live a disciplined life, and i'm still striving for this. It isn't easy, because I didn't learn it as a child. And so for me, it isn't a natural part of my nature in life, but God is disciplined, and I want to be transformed into His likeness. What in these verses about wisdom and foolishness speak to you? Is there anything pricked your heart, Jesus points out that he wants our well being. So everything that he does is for our good. And when he gives us this guide to wisdom, and when he allows us to hear her calling to us, and when he shows us the distinction between wisdom and foolishness, it's so that we can have a good life and that we can live with Him forever. When you ask Him for wisdom in the areas where you lack it today, are there any remnants of foolishness that you want to leave behind? My prayer for you is the same as it is for me that as we ask God for wisdom, we can believe that he will give it to us, and that we can leave behind the things that are going to hurt us or get us off track or keep us from being able to receive all the blessings that He has for us. may God richly bless you today. And I'll see you tomorrow. Bye. 



Last modified: Tuesday, November 14, 2023, 11:02 AM