Wisdom Leads To Confession

Wisdom Leads To Confession Of Sin

Proverbs 28-31


Confession means to acknowledge our faults, or our guiltiness, or our failures.

The Catholic Church teaches that Christ Jesus forgives sins through the priests at confession.

This is taken from John 20:23

Joh 20:23  Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.

The truth is, the power to forgive sins cannot be given by Jesus Christ to any of His ministers!

Only God can forgive sins!

God forgives out of "Grace"!

Col 2:13  And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
Col 2:14  Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

Our sins were nailed to the cross that Jesus Christ bore for each of us!

Eph 1:7  In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
Eph 1:8  Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;
Eph 1:9  Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:

This forgiveness forever solves the problem of sin in our lives, all sins past, all sins present, and all future sin.

We must remember Jesus Christ died for the sin of unbelief!

It is unbelief that leads to all other sins!

Our salvation is secure BUT, we will need a daily cleansing to maintain fellowship with God.

1Jn 1:8  If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
1Jn 1:9  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1Jn 1:10  If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

This is the truth of the Scriptures and our own wisdom begins with a reverent fear of the Lord!

It is the fear of the Lord that will lead to the confession of our sins!

*****Pro 28:4  They that forsake the law praise the wicked: but such as keep the law contend with them.

What is the theme of our world today?

The wicked who forsake the Word of God then exalt the wicked and their evil deeds!

The righteous who keep the Word of God and are considered the enemy!

Those who forsake the Word of God will insist on leaders who are like-minded so they can build their carnal society!

They are greedy and self-serving and insists on their evil agenda!

This is the America of today!

When ungodly leaders and ungodly citizens prevail, any nation will decline and will also suffer the reproach of the world and the condemnation of God!

This is the America of today!

Pro 14:34  Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.

It may be already to late to save America but we must not sit idly by while this wickedness dominates our society!

The Bible says to "contend" with those that reject the Word of God!

To "contend" is to defend and preserve!

Jud 1:3  Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you "that ye should earnestly contend for the faith" which was once delivered unto the saints.

We are to remain settled on the truth of the Scriptures, the facts of the Word of God!

We are to stand up!

We are to speak out!

What is the truth of the Scriptures?

*****Pro 28:5  Evil men understand not judgment: but they that seek the LORD understand all things.

If we remember the words of Jesus on the cross we can understand this verse.

Luk 23:34  Then said Jesus, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do". And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.

Jesus Christ was always thinking of others!

Those that reject the Word of God cannot be expected to make righteous judgments nor can they administer sound justice!

This is also a fact in America where as more and more of these people are appointed to seats of judgment in our justice system.

They are void of the knowledge and the wisdom that is needed and ignorant of the truth!

Understanding can come but from one place and that is knowing the truth of God!

Pro 9:10  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

Without searching for the Lord, He will never be found, yet He is always near!

It is only those who are filled with the Holy Spirit of God who can have the understanding of true justice!

*****Pro 28:9  He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.

The truth is, the wicked are not so much those that are ignorant of God's law as it is those that turn their ear away and ignore God's law!

It is all those who are ignorant of God's law that we are to witness too and not so much those that hear the Word of God and reject it!

This is why Jesus taught in parables!

To be able to go before God in prayer is an awesome privilege.

We may never have an audience with the President or even with a Governor but we can have an audience with our God at any moment in time!

God is a Father with a desire to do good and a distinct love for mankind and has great delight in hearing from His children.

Luk 11:13  If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

When we reject the Word of God, we forfeit the privilege to enter into the presence of God!

God despises the prayers of those who despise the Word of God!

Joh 9:31  Now we know "that God heareth not sinners": but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.

It is wisdom that leads to confession and it is confession that leads to answered prayers!

*****Pro 28:11  The rich man is wise in his own conceit; but the poor that hath understanding searcheth him out.

If we open our eyes to this world we will see that for the most part, the wicked are arrogant and they consider themselves to be wise.

They simply reject anything that goes against their perceived thoughts.

It is easy to see through their deceit when compared to the Word of God!

It is far better to be poor and have integrity than to be rich and have no integrity!

Most of the rich see themselves as being superior to others and they use their wealth as a sign they are simply smarter than the average person.

They deceive themselves into thinking that those who are beneath them are blind to their schemes.

The truth is money simply cannot buy character!

Money simply cannot buy true wisdom!

Their lack of wisdom can be easily seen in their selfish, permissive, and worldly lifestyle!

It is only those who know the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior, who can have a clear understanding of life and our world!

It takes a close personal relationship with the Lord to overcome the deceptions of this world!

Pro 26:12  Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool than of him.

*****Pro 28:12  When righteous men do rejoice, there is great glory: but when the wicked rise, a man is hidden.

What's the truth of our world?

When the wicked rule a nation it is divided and most all people will flee from oppression!

When the righteous rise to power more people will rejoice and most problems are solved.

But remember God says there will always be those who are poor in this world until He returns!

When our government is run by someone that fears the Lord, God's people will celebrate openly and publicly!

When the wicked rule, God's people are forced to hide because they know that oppression is coming.

This is the dread of America!

This is the truth of ISIS!

This is the truth of almost every nation other than Israel!

An unrighteous leader causes grief to all those who reject their agenda!

Pro 14:34  Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.

Pro 11:10  When it goeth well with the righteous, the city rejoiceth: and when the wicked perish, there is shouting.

The Bible is very clear, it is the love of money that is the root of most all the evil in our world!

*****Pro 28:13  He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.

The Bible is also very clear when it says that sin cannot be hidden!

Num 32:23  But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: "and be sure your sin will find you out".

When we are to arrogant to see our own sin and repent of it, we can be sure that our sin will be made known to those that it affects.

We should also remember that those that reject the Lord are already condemned to a sinner's Hell!

If we spend our lives refusing to acknowledge our sin and confess it to God, we can never prosper spiritually!

We can have no fellowship with the Lord.

We will forfeit God's benefits.

Our prayer life will be powerless.

We will stunt our spiritual growth.

Our service to the Lord will be fruitless.

Joy will be far from us!

We will never succeed and prosper in this life we now have.

We must deal with our sin first by confessing it to the Lord!

Confession is recognizing sin as sin, and admitting it to God!

Most people think it ends there, but to be truthful our confession must be accompanied with "repentance"!

Repentance is much more than saying "I'm Sorry", repentance is an action word that means "I'm Going To Travel The Path Of Righteousness"!

Genuine repentance is a complete change of heart and of mind that results in a change of conduct!

1Jn 1:8  If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
1Jn 1:9  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1Jn 1:10  If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

When we confess our sin then we are in agreement with God that sin can only be atoned by the blood of Jesus Christ!

After confession, must come action on our part before we will ever see the mercy of God!

*****Pro 28:18  Whoso walketh uprightly shall be saved: but he that is perverse in his ways shall fall at once.

What is the truth of the Bible?

Those that walk according to the Word of God "shall be saved"!

The upright are safe and secure while those who reject the Word of God "will fall"!

The upright are all those who are washed in the blood of Jesus, innocent and blameless.

Perverse, means to be turned aside, distorted, stubborn and contrary.

He sways right and wrong and also pretends to be pursuing one path while he is really taking another.

These are the traits of the Anti-Christ and they both will fall!

Once he falls he will never rise again!

*****Pro 29:1  He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.

The truth is that our character is in full display by the way we treat others!

Jesus taught that loving others is equal to loving God:

Mat 22:37  Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
Mat 22:38  This is the first and great commandment.
Mat 22:39  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Mat 22:40  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

The Apostle Paul taught that loving your neighbor is the fulfillment of all God's commandments:

Gal 5:14  For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

The line that separates the upright from the foolish is by the way they treat others!

All those who stubbornly persists in sin will be suddenly destroyed.

God makes this very plain!

Without remedy means that it will be done and there is nothing that can be done about it!

1) There are those who refuse to hear what the Lord has to say and avoid any sort of relationship with Him.

These will be destroyed without remedy!

We can be sure that they have been approached by God.

Rom 2:14  For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:
Rom 2:15  Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)
Rom 2:16  In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.

At death they will be instantly banished to eternal destruction:

Luk 16:22  And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;
Luk 16:23  And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

2) Then there are those who have a relationship with God but have returned to their sinful ways.

They may suffer a premature death because of unrepented sin!

God does not ignore the sins of His children!

God will not allow us to willfully continue in sin!

We may eventually cross a line where God's patience has ended.

We will not lose our salvation but we will lose any reward we could have gotten!

This is an act of judgment but it is also an act of love.

By releasing us from our corrupt flesh, God releases us from our temptation to sin, ruining our testimony, and we will no longer cause harm to the "Body of Christ"!

1Co 5:5  To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

And again.

1Co 11:30  For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.
1Co 11:31  For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
1Co 11:32  But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.

These things cannot be denied!

God will not allow His children to continue in unconfessed sin!

3) God may also destroy nations where sin has been allowed to run rampant!

Israel is a prime example but there are many nations that do not exist today in any form!

2Ch 36:16  But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till there was no remedy.

There are many reasons God sends His missionaries to foreign lands and sometimes God wants that nation to repent.

*****Pro 29:12  If a ruler hearken to lies, all his servants are wicked.

There are many things that are going on in our nation that most all of us do not understand.

It is a fact that our leaders need to be able to discern between truthful and untruthful information!

It seems our leaders today yield to lobbyist who do not have the good of the people in mind.

The truth is that it is mercy and truth that makes a true leader!

Pro 20:28  Mercy and truth preserve the king: and his throne is upholden by mercy.

Those that are in a position of responsibility must remember to verify all information in order to know what's for the good of the people they represent!

As far as the people, we must take strong action against all those who are not honest in their duties to serve the people.

We are finding this more difficult to do because it seems our government is becoming more and more corrupt!

This has taken place because the public has been lenient in insisting on the truth!

Pro 25:5  Take away the wicked from before the king, and his throne shall be established in righteousness.

Pro 16:12  It is an abomination to kings to commit wickedness: for the throne is established by righteousness.

What is the truth? It is those who are right with God who will prevail!

*****Pro 29:16  When the wicked are multiplied, transgression increaseth: but the righteous shall see their fall.

It is a fact that immorality will cause the spread of sin.

In a world where Satan reigns, sin will continue to run rampant because that is Satan's goal.

This the nation and the world we live in today!

Psa 37:35  I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree.
Psa 37:36  Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not: yea, I sought him, but he could not be found.

The truth is that we who know the Lord should never despair because a God who cannot break a promise, promises a future day when all His enemies will be destroyed.

Psa 37:34  Wait on the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.

When the Lord returns, He will reign in righteousness!

Knowing all these things should make us confess our own sin and repent.

*****Pro 29:23  A man's pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit.

Pride says we are superior to others because human logic reasons the way to success is through self-elevation.

This is a false conclusion!

The truth is that pride will only result in dishonor and humiliation!

The Bible teaches us that those who are arrogant will certainly be humbled through a painful process.

Pro 16:18  Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.
Pro 16:19  Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.

We can boldly go before the throne of God but we better be humble when we get there!

Our pride will get in the way when we think we are in need of a Savior!

Our pride will get in the way when we think we must remain at the mercy of God!

The truth is that God will exalt us throughout eternity if we will humbly bow before Him in this life!

Jas 4:10  Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

Here again, our example is the Lord Jesus Christ, who was meek and lowly in heart but most people today regard Him as the greatest man that has ever lived even if they do not recognize Him as God, which He is!

Mat 11:29  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
Mat 11:30  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

You cannot be Christian if you cannot learn from the Savior!

We are all certainly unworthy of God's Grace and God's "Grace" is shown to us all by the Lord Jesus Christ!

Humility is not weakness, humility is strength under complete control!

We must exchange our yoke for His yoke.

We must exchange our burdens for His burdens.

We must exchange our pride for His teaching.

If we are struggling in our faith, then we must "learn of Jesus".

Heb 12:3  For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
Heb 12:4  Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.

If we are struggling in our walk according to the Scriptures, then we must "learn of Jesus".

Rom 15:3  For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me.
Rom 15:4  For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.

If we are tempted to quit on God, then we must "learn of Jesus".

Joh 18:11  Then said Jesus unto Peter, Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?

As believers we are to walk humbly upon this earth just as our Savior did!

And we are never to partner with evil!

*****Pro 29:24  Whoso is partner with a thief hateth his own soul: he heareth cursing, and bewrayeth it not.

A thief makes it his business to cheat, defraud, and steal the property of others.

If you become a partner to a thief, you come under double judgement.

1) You will be guilty of his crime!

2) You will be guilty of withholding information about his crime!

That's what sin does, sin multiplies. One sin  will always lead to another sin!

Psa 50:18  When thou sawest a thief, then thou consentedst with him, and hast been partaker with adulterers.
Psa 50:19  Thou givest thy mouth to evil, and thy tongue frameth deceit.

When we  try to use that excuse, "I did not want to get involved", we are already guilty in the eyes of God!

We have shown no real concern for our own soul and if we cannot care for our own soul how can we care for the souls of others.

God says it like this:

Pro 8:36  But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death.

The Lord our God put it this way:

Mat 16:26  For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

When we hear the cursing of those who have been harmed and who are the victim and we do not report what we know, how can we plead "not guilty"!

God never changes so He warns us again and again:

1Ti 5:22  Lay hands suddenly on no man, "neither be partaker of other men's sins": keep thyself pure.

If we are wise we will have an unwavering faith in the Lord and His Word!

*****Pro 29:25  The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe.

When our fears turn us away from serving the Lord then our fears will actually be greater!

We are to obey human authority in order for there to be a civil society.

If we have trusted in the Lord then we will live righteously and living righteously is doing things the right way!

We also will not be afraid of what people will do to us when we take our stand on the Word of God!

The truth is that many who say they trust in the Lord are compelled to lie, or to compromise to avoid any unpleasant repercussions.

Remember even Peter denied Christ Jesus because he was afraid of what those people would do to him and when he realized what he had done he got alone and wept bitterly.

We must remember God takes responsibility for His Words!

And it will always be impossible to live for Christ and avoid persecution!

Someplace everyday some of those that love the Lord are slain just because they trust Him for their salvation.

If we truly love the Lord then we will not have a fear of what man can do to us.

God said to take a stand and stand firm:

Eph 6:13  Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

When we are threatened we simply need to call on the Lord and place it in His hands.

We are in God's hands and it is He that is in control of our lives!

We must remember, we have already been judged and justified by the Lord, we do not need the favor of any ruler of this earth or any other person!

*****Pro 29:26  Many seek the ruler's favour; but every man's judgment cometh from the LORD.

When we trust in the Lord we must not fret when justice is not served in human courts.

We know that the Lord is the ultimate and final Judge and no sin will go unpunished.

It is not in our hands to seek revenge!

The day is coming when the Lord will correct all the wrong that has been done in this world!

It is a fact that human government cannot bring a perfect justice.

There are those that seek a rulers favor but the truth is, what God has appointed for  them will surely come to them!

Pro 19:6  Many will intreat the favour of the prince: and every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts.

Those that pay for a favorable judgement here on earth are not rich enough to sway the judgment of God!

The truth is an unjust man is an abomination to the Lord!

*****Pro 29:27  An unjust man is an abomination to the just: and he that is upright in the way is abomination to the wicked.

The title of our lesson is that "wisdom leads to the confession of sin".

No one can be justified until they can make a confession!

When we walk in God's righteousness we will refuse to compromise with the things of this world!

We will then be despised by those who reject the Word of God!

When we take our stand for the Lord we will see opposition.

In many cases it will be bitter with much anger!

Fearing the Lord, gives us the conviction to do right and leave the results with Him!

Questions?

Let's Pray!

Godly Wisdom Directs Our Path

Wisdom Directs Our Path Through Life

Proverbs 3; 4


To direct is to point out a course of proceeding.

What is life?

Most people will say life is not being dead but that is only partially true.

The truth is that there is no real life without Jesus Christ!

Joh 11:25  Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
Joh 11:26  And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

True life then is a life that has no end!

Only those that know how to obtain true life will ever know real life!

Joh 14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Joh 14:7  If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

True life then comes only by Jesus Christ!

While we walk in this life on this earth then we will need some direction.

That direction comes from the same place that real life comes from, the "Wisdom of God".

*****Pro 3:1  My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments:
Pro 3:2  For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.

What is the most important thing for us to do in this life we now have?

Ecc 12:13  Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

God designed a purpose into each of us, our life has purpose!

So many today commit suicide because they feel they no longer have a purpose to live.

If they knew the Lord Jesus Christ, they would know just how wrong they are but even the saints of God are vulnerable to these thoughts.

God is the architect of life and God designs each of us to answer a specific purpose!

God had some end in view in making this cosmos where all life abides and in making each of us what we are!

The first thing we must all do when the Holy Ghost calls, is to get into the right relationship with God!

There is no one, God will not attempt to call before their physical death!

It is then that we must take the opportunity to learn the doctrine of God to a point where we can also teach others!

The heart is not only the seat of life in each human being but also the seat of affections, emotions, and passions but the heart is also the seat of our understanding!

In order to worship the Lord, we must cause our heart and our understanding to be in harmony with the Word of God!

We can immediately see the benefits of understanding the Word of God.

1) The length of days, not our existence but the time and purpose of our life.

2) A life of peace rather than commotion and turmoil.

3) A long life, the years we can serve the Lord that will extend into eternity.

*****Pro 3:3  Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:
Pro 3:4  So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.

As the Word of God is filled with mercy and truth, then we are to exercise mercy and truth in every part of our relationships with all those that cross our paths.

And again since our heart is the seat of our understanding, we are required to write God's law of kindness onto the tables of our heart.

God is well pleased with these things because these are the traits of Christ Jesus and we are to walk in His ways!

There is no other way to find favor in the eyes of God and others like us, will also notice these things!

Favor is like a friendly disposition!

Pro 18:24  A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

Understanding simply means grasping a hold onto the truth!

Rom 14:16  Let not then your good be evil spoken of:
Rom 14:17  For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
Rom 14:18  For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men.

*****Pro 3:5  Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
Pro 3:6  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
Pro 3:7  Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.
Pro 3:8  It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.

To trust in the Lord is to depend on Him!

The Old Testament uses "trust" as the New Testament uses "faith"!

This dependence on the Lord must be actual and factual, being persuaded that God is the only, all-sufficient object of our confidence and His faithfulness to do what He promises!

We must not make our own understanding a dart into our hearts!

The promise of God's divine guidance in our life choices is conditioned on that complete trust in God's "wisdom" as revealed to us all in His Word!

But we must also acknowledge Him before all men telling them of this trust we have!

God will direct us by the Holy Ghost who will never lead us astray!

God will bind Himself to us by His own covenant which He will never break when we honor His Words!

The truth is, as unforgiven sinners we simply have no means of choosing the right path for our life!

To repent is a complete change in direction and a complete change of mind, when we are wise in our own eyes then we are headed in the wrong direction.

The spirit of self-dependence is the opposite of "the fear of the Lord" and can only lead to evil!

When we were all babes within the womb of our mothers, the umbilical cord was the center of our strength.

In life, when we have that reverent fear of the Lord, He has become our umbilical and the center of our strength.

The marrow is the nourisher and the strengthener of our bones and it is said to moisten the bones making them less brittle.

Psa 63:5  My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips:

Again God is promising physical well-being to all those that follow the Word of God, which will bring us all eternal spiritual health!

We must know that a broken spirit will dry up our bones!

Pro 17:22  A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.

And then God will meet all our needs.

*****Pro 3:9  Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:
Pro 3:10  So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.

Our substance is the things that God has provided for us to live and since God provided it, then it all really belongs to God!

To tithe is to give back a tenth of what God has provided for our own living!

To tithe is a sign of faith that God will continue to provide our every need!

Heb 11:4  By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.

By "Faith" Abel offered the firstfruits of his flock.

Jacob also realized that all of our substance is provided by the Lord and set the standard for the tithe.

Gen 28:22  And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God's house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.

Our earthly substance is necessary for us to live but we are called to make no use of that substance till we have set apart  of our substance for the service of God!

We are to honor the Lord by our "Faith" in everything we do and in everything that God provides!

The Lord expects and He certainly deserves the best and the first that we have, not the leftovers.

The tithe should not only include our substance but also our time, and our talent, and any other thing that God has given to us!

You can only give an offering after you have already given your tithe!

How does God reward the cheerful and faithful tither?

No one can out give God!

Very few people understand, that it is by giving back to God that will bring an increase in our own substance!

The barns of that day were storehouses for grain and God says those that had "faith" that He would provide for those that gave of their firstfruits those barns would be filled with plenty.

Plenty always means more than enough!

New wine from the wine press is fresh grape juice, still non-fermented.

God will never go against His Word and God said, to not even look upon fermented wine!

Pro 23:29  Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?
Pro 23:30  They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.
Pro 23:31  Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright.
Pro 23:32  At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.
Pro 23:33  Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things.
Pro 23:34  Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast.
Pro 23:35  They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again

*****Pro 3:11  My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction:
Pro 3:12  For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.

Though most people see chastening as punishment, to the child of God it is for instruction!

God's chastening is always for the purpose instruction even if it is painful at times!

God's chastening should never be ignored nor should it be resented.

Remember God only chastens those He loves!

And God chastens only as a loving Father!

God has already condemned those who reject Him as their Father to an eternal life of torment!

Those that are chastened should then be happy they are no longer condemned!

Rom 5:1  Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
Rom 5:2  By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

*****Pro 3:13  Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.
Pro 3:14  For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.
Pro 3:15  She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her.
Pro 3:16  Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour.
Pro 3:17  Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.
Pro 3:18  She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her.

The truth is that all the treasures of wisdom are hidden in Christ Jesus!

That being true, then the greatness of wisdom appears in those gifts of the Lord beginning with His "Grace"!

We already know that wisdom brings with it a long and happy life.

The advantages of wisdom is that we will miss out on much of the chastening of the Lord.

The advantages of wisdom is that we will certainly miss out on the wrath of God!

The glories of Heaven are much more valuable than silver and gold.

The wisdom of God is much more precious than rubies.

There is nothing on this earth that can compare to the wisdom that comes only by the Lord Jesus Christ who is the author of true life!

Rev 2:7  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

Wisdom is knowing our Creator!

Col 1:16  For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
Col 1:17  And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

*****Pro 3:19  The LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens.
Pro 3:20  By his knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew.

Since Christ Jesus was the one by whom God founded this earth it should be clear that in this Book of Proverbs "Wisdom" is actually the person of Christ!

Joh 1:3  All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
Joh 1:4  In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

That word "depths" is the same word as "deep" in the Book of Genesis.

Following "Creation" the next great physical event in the history of this world was the great worldwide flood in the day of Noah.

This is the time when all the fountains of the great deep were broken up!

Gen 7:11  In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.
Gen 7:12  And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights.

These are things that are facts and therefore require our understanding!

*****Pro 3:21  My son, let not them depart from thine eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion:
Pro 3:22  So shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace to thy neck.
Pro 3:23  Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble.

The title of our lesson is that "Wisdom Directs Our Path Through Life" and this is the theme of the Book of Proverbs.

Since the wisdom of the Lord is so powerful, then this wisdom should be retained and guarded and never allowed to depart from our view!

Since the wisdom of the Lord designed and created our world, surely by knowing that wisdom, we can use it to live in His created world!

Since the wisdom of the Lord is life, and the way of life, then He is also our spiritual life and our eternal life of the soul of all those that look upon Him in "Faith"!

Joh 12:48  He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.
Joh 12:49  For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.
Joh 12:50  And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.

When we look away from Christ we look away from true "wisdom"!

Since the soul and the neck stand for the complete man in our sin nature and our eternal soul, eternal life is given to the soul rather than to sin!

When the soul is saved then there will be less sin, and this will be noticeable to those that cross our path thus an ornament of "Grace" about our neck!

Only then can we walk safely not veering to the right or to the left, but avoiding the pitfalls that could cause us to stumble in our walk of "Grace"!

Then comes peace.

*****Pro 3:24  When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.
Pro 3:25  Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh.
Pro 3:26  For the LORD shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.

When our walk with the Lord is right, then we can rest in the safety of the His presence!

Confidence is a trusting reliance in the truth of God, an assurance of the mind in the facts of Christ Jesus!

The peace that the wisdom of God gives is surely pass all understanding!

Php 4:7  And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Jesus said this is the peace that I will give to each of you.

Joh 14:27  Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

We should remember that shortly after Jesus said these words He was beaten, bruised, and crucified for our sins, because He had no sin of His own.

Because He is the all knowing God, He knew all these things were about to happen but the Lord Jesus was at peace with Himself for what He was about to do!

Jesus tells all His disciples that this is the peace that I leave with you.

No matter what we are about to go through or what we are already going through, we can have the peace of the Lord Jesus Christ!

When we lie down in order to take sleep and have committed ourselves into the hands of the Lord we do not have to be afraid of anything.

The worst thing that can happen, our death, is the best thing that could happen as we will wake up in Heaven, our sleep will be sweet!

Psa 4:8  I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.

When we are safe in the arms of Wisdom, we are under the watchful eyes of our Creator!

We have no reason to fear what this world can do to us!

Luk 12:4  And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.
Luk 12:5  But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.

As we sit here today, there is a group called ISIS by most of us, who actually fit this verse as the wicked who bring desolation to many people of this earth.

We do not have to be afraid of terrorist when it comes to our shores, for the Lord shall be our confidence!

That confidence is that nothing can happen to us unless the Lord allows it and if the Lord allows it, we will be made better because of it!

Rom 8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Satan has many snares:

2Ti 2:26  And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.

But the Lord will not allow our foot to step in any of them!

We can no longer be captured at the will of Satan when we possess the "wisdom" of God!

And we can be of a help to others!

*****Pro 3:28  Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again, and to morrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee.
Pro 3:29  Devise not evil against thy neighbour, seeing he dwelleth securely by thee.
Pro 3:30  Strive not with a man without cause, if he have done thee no harm.
Pro 3:31  Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways.
Pro 3:32  For the froward is abomination to the LORD: but his secret is with the righteous.
Pro 3:33  The curse of the LORD is in the house of the wicked: but he blesseth the habitation of the just.

The wisdom of God will teach us the royal commandments of King Jesus to love God with all our heart and to love our neighbors as ourselves.

If we owe our neighbor a debt then pay it, if we have it.

If they are poor and in need, help them if we are able.

We honestly never know what the next day will bring!

Every child of God should devise ways to show the goodness of God and certainly not evil things!

If we have been the Christian we have said we are, then our neighbor will have no need to suspect us of evil, and that we will help them rather that cause any harm to them!

We should never be envious of anyone but especially someone who is an oppressor to others.

An oppressor is a man of mischief and we must avoid them and their ways!

Those that are froward are perverse and obey only their own laws and so are an abomination to the Lord!

It is only those that walk the right path of "wisdom" that know the secrets of the Lord!

The truth is that the curse of the Lord has been removed from every believer but we are all still exposed to the curse on this world!

The truth is, that the curse of the Lord is a real thing and will be fulfilled by the power of God!

On the house of the wicked lies the curse of God.

On the house of those justified lies the blessings of God.

These are both facts!

*****Pro 3:34  Surely he scorneth the scorners: but he giveth grace unto the lowly.
Pro 3:35  The wise shall inherit glory: but shame shall be the promotion of fools.

A scorner is someone who scoffs at Christianity!

They hate the Word of God!

They mock sin as non-existent and claim their will be no judgment for sin.

They claim there is no Heaven nor a place called Hell!

God will be a scorner to those who are scorners to the Church!

Psa 2:4  He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.
Psa 2:5  Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.

Those that have the "wisdom" of God shall inherit glory!

Psa 73:24  Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.

On one side of the Christian is salvation and justification, on the other side is the hope of glory yet to come!

Shame is the painful sensation excited by the consciousness of guilt!

Those that reject the Lord will one day feel their own guilt knowing that Christ Jesus had paid their sin debt and they refused to accept that fact!

What does the Lord do? He begs us all to hear what He says!

*****Pro 4:1  Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.
Pro 4:2  For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law.

Godly parents are a true blessing to any family.

God our Father in Heaven clearly wants us to understand that He will never give us bad instructions!

Since we are the children of God once we believe, then we need receive those instructions and act on them!

We can just imagine, that it was in this manner that the Lord Jesus trained His disciples.

It is the "Gospel" that is called the "good doctrine"!

1Ti 4:6  If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.

The "Doctrine" of the Lord Jesus Christ is the God-given "wisdom" that we need and that this world needs!

We know not to forsake the law, but this is the law of Mount Calvary and not the law of Mount Sinai, we are not to forsake the royal law of King Jesus!

*****Pro 4:3  For I was my father's son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother.
Pro 4:4  He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live.

We know that Solomon's father was King David, and David's father was Jesse.

We also know that the Father of Jesus was God the Holy Spirit the only begotten Son of God!

We also know that Jesus was also 100% human and truly beloved in the sight of his mother Mary.

Luk 2:19  But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

Our Savior came to this earth to be obedient to His Father in Heaven.

Joh 12:48  He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.
Joh 12:49  For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.
Joh 12:50  And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.

It is because Jesus was obedient to His Father that we can be saved!

Heb 5:9  And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;

Obedience will bring perfection to all those who trust in the Lord!

Obedience begins with "wisdom" and "wisdom" begins with the fear of the Lord!

*****Pro 4:5  Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.
Pro 4:6  Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee.
Pro 4:7  Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

The reverent fear of the Lord is something that we must possess and not willing to give up!

We must have moral wisdom which is lacking in society today.

We must have political wisdom of our civil government.

Much more important than either of these, we must have the wisdom that comes by Jesus Christ and the knowledge of Him!

Understanding these things is to take a firm hold on the real state of the truth of God!

Understanding is the only means we can obtain our knowledge of the Lord and the hope of His calling!

Eph 1:17  That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
Eph 1:18  The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

How do we forsake true wisdom?

One way we forsake true wisdom is in our lack of gathering to worship the Lord!

Heb 10:25  Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

Psa 89:7  God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him.

Another way is when we forsake the Word of God!

Psa 89:30  If his children forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments;

After all "wisdom" is the principle thing.

The word "principle" means "the source", "the beginning", and that beginning is the "fear of the Lord"!

The power to use knowledge must come from something outside the knowledge itself!

It is only the wisdom that comes from Heaven that can allow us to use our knowledge in this life.

Jas 3:17  But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

*****Pro 4:8  Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her.
Pro 4:9  She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.
Pro 4:10  Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many.

True godly wisdom will allow us to choose what is best for us and will also cause us to select the best possible means of obtaining those things!

Many men exalt worldly wisdom as a means to improve the condition of humanity but these things begin outside.

God always begins inside with the heart!

Christianity is not just following the commandments of God, Christianity is a life here on earth and knowing the truth of eternal life!

Christianity is knowing the peace of God and showing that peace of God in the way we live!

It is the wisdom of God that brings honor to the Christian!

The wisdom of God will bring with it the honors of Heaven.

2Ti 4:8  Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

It is a fact that a sinful life can impair the health and shorten the days of all those that follow in it!

1Jn 2:16  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

It is also a fact that the wisdom of God promotes a healthy life!

It is the Word of God that teaches us in the ways of God's wisdom.

*****Pro 4:11  I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths.
Pro 4:12  When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
Pro 4:13  Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.
Pro 4:14  Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.
Pro 4:15  Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.

The object of every parent is to have their children fixed and established on the right path of life.

This is instilled in us because this is the way God works!

The difference being the ways of the world will not build a godly character, only the wisdom of God can do this thing!

The godly parent will lead by example.

The godly parent will lead by prayer.

The godly parent will keep their children under the influence of a godly church!

As we know, a path represents our walk in this life. We go through this life one step at a time, this is how we learn to walk.

The path of wisdom is the walk of Christ Jesus.

Col 2:6  As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:

Once we are on that path before we take the next step we need to confer with God to know that next step.

Running in most cases is escaping from danger! God says:

Joh 10:5  And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.

When God provides the way to escape, He certainly will not place a stumble stone in that path!

"Faith" means we have taken hold of God's instructions and are relying on them to keep us safe until the Lord returns!

The truest of all wisdom is the revelation of God in the person of Jesus Christ and then the saving truths which God has set before us in His Word! Amen!

This is the wisdom of life!

This is the wisdom to avoid the path of the wicked!

This is the wisdom to avoid the ways of evil men!

To avoid means "pass not by it", "turn from it", and "pass away from it"!

This does not mean we are to be separatist, we are to avoid the ways of those that walk the way that this world walks.

Psa 1:1  Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
Psa 1:2  But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

Some of the reasons we are to avoid the ways of the lost are these.

*****Pro 4:16  For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.
Pro 4:17  For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.
Pro 4:18  But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.
Pro 4:19  The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.

Those that God calls wicked, do not sin because of weakness, their sin arises from premeditation and a great desire to do evil!

The truth is, that when evil men have made a plan and put it into action, they will not sleep until they have accomplished what they set out to do.

This is the truth also of the terrorist!

As Christians eat the bread of life, the Word of God, provided by the Lord, wicked men eat the things they have obtained them selves, they make their own law.

As Christians are washed in the blood Jesus who took all our violence at the cross, wicked men drink of the wine of those that are innocent as they take their lives from them.

The light that shines on the path of those justified is the light of Jesus Christ!

2Co 4:6  For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

That light shines through the Word of God!

2Pe 1:19  We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
2Pe 1:20  Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.

This is the only light that will lead us to the land of the "perfect day" where there is no more night!

Rev 22:5  And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.

It is the way of the wicked that leads to darkness and there will be no darkness in Heaven!

It is foolish to reject the Word of God. To stumble in the darkness will always lead to death!

*****Pro 4:20  My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.
Pro 4:21  Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart.
Pro 4:22  For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.
Pro 4:23  Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
Pro 4:24  Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.
Pro 4:25  Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.
Pro 4:26  Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.
Pro 4:27  Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.

We must attend to the Word of God which means to have it in our presence!

We must keep the Word of God constantly in view.

We must cherish the Word of God.

It is the Word of God where we learn of the way of life!

It is the Word of God where we learn how to extend our days.

In Scripture, the heart is not only the physical organ of our circulatory system but it is also the seat of our emotions and our intellect.

The health of our heart and our circulatory system are essential to our earthly life and a heart that is right with God is essential to our Christian life!

Perverse lips is deceitful speech, which twists and distorts the truth of God!

We must fix our eyes on the truth of righteousness and not deflect to the left or to the right!

We must remove every obstacle that may impede our Christian walk!

To ponder is to consider and compare the right from the wrong and choose right!

If our gaze is not to deflect to the left nor to the right, then our hands and our feet will not turn to the left or to the right and if we depart from evil the Lord will make our paths straight!

Questions?

Let's Pray!

Wisdom And Salvation

Wisdom Leads Us To Salvation

Proverbs 1; 2


What is a proverb?

According to the Webster dictionary a proverb is a short sentence expressing a well known truth that has been gained by experience or by observation!

The Book of Proverbs is a collection of established truths on a wide range of subjects and should be used to aid us in practical living.

The Book of Proverbs lets us know that God expects us to use common sense and practical measures in our decisions.

When "truth" is used in our decision making then we will most often choose the right path!

The Book of Proverbs was written or at least gathered by Solomon, the son of King David and it is said that Solomon wrote some 3000 proverbs and those that are contained in this book may be a selection of those he wrote.

These proverbs can be used to apply the truth of God to our daily walk with the Lord!

In fact the Book of Proverbs is a book that needs to be taught to the younger generation as soon as they can understand the need for wisdom!

What is wisdom?

Wisdom is the right use of knowledge!

Some wisdom is gained by experience which sometimes may be harsh but wisdom that is gained by instruction can save us from a lot of those harsh moments in our life!

The greatest wisdom we can have is the knowledge of the truth of God!

Jas 3:17  But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

Knowledge is a clear and certain perception of the truth!

We can have no knowledge of things that do not exist!

We can have knowledge in the things of God because God has a perfect knowledge of all His works.

Ignorance is the curse of God!

1Pe 2:15  For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:

*****Pro 1:1  The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel;
Pro 1:2  To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding;
Pro 1:3  To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity;
Pro 1:4  To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.
Pro 1:5  A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:
Pro 1:6  To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.
Pro 1:7  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

The object of the Book of Proverbs is "to know"!

"To know" is to have a clear understanding of the truth!

The fear of the Lord is the foundation, without which all other knowledge is vain!

Those that reject the Word of God are so far from attaining true wisdom that they despise it and all the means of getting it!

The fear that is spoken of here is not the fear of punishment or of hell that every non-believer must realize but in this verse the fear of the Lord is that fear of a son or a daughter in relation to their parents!

This fear is the duty of a child toward his parents!

We are to understand the knowledge of God as a Father to His children!

We are to be confident in the truths of God, and the "Gospel" of the Lord Jesus Christ, with a humble, reverential affection for Him!

Without this we can never worship Him as we should!

Joh 4:23  But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
Joh 4:24  God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

*****Pro 1:8  My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:
Pro 1:9  For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.

When we have parents that are following the Word of God then that child should at least hear the instructions from that parent!

Notice the phrase "my son".

This phrase emphasizes the importance of heeding to the Word of God!

The Word of God should be our teacher all the days of our lives.

This one phrase points us to the fact that we are to be "Born Again" into "newness of life" and become a child of God and listen to His instructions!

What is the truth of the Scriptures?

Wise children will handle constructive criticism in the right way!

Pro 15:5  A fool despiseth his father's instruction: but he that regardeth reproof is prudent.

To "hear" means to pay attention to what is said.

Moral qualities are the true adornments of a human being!

When that child loves, obeys, and respects godly parents it will show in the way they live their own lives!

Godliness is profitable unto all things!

*****Pro 1:10  My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.
Pro 1:11  If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause:
Pro 1:12  Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit:
Pro 1:13  We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil:
Pro 1:14  Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse:

Peer pressure is the downfall of many of our youth in our own generation!

In this verse, sinners are all those that do not obey the Word of God and do not know the Lord Jesus Christ.

The truth is when we begin a sinful life it is hard to stop!

When we begin a sinful life we will find that it can be dangerous not only to ourselves but also to those we are close to.

When we begin a sinful life we will find it to be disgraceful to our parents and to our family!

The two places we fail the most to do are these:

1) We need to get rid of the sins we have committed.

2) We need to try to keep from sinning any more!

This world will entice us to do otherwise.

What is the greatest danger of Satan?

He does not threaten or argue, he simply entices with flattery, tells you how wonderful things could be if you just forsake the Word of God!

Dan 11:21  And in his estate shall stand up a vile person, to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries. 

Satan's tactics have never changed because they have continued to work for 6000 years!

Satan's servants will lie in ambush waiting until you are vulnerable to Satan's traps.

Satan has been hidden behind the scenes not yet willing to present himself because he knows that he would be rejected until God allows him his time.

Isa 14:15  Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.
Isa 14:16  They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms;
Isa 14:17  That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners?

Satan does not release those he has imprisoned easily!

It is Satan's goal to cause the death of every human being before they have the chance to repent and be reconciled to God!

He wants to swallow them up while they are alive!

He wants to take all he can directly into the burning fires of hell as quickly as he can!

Num 16:32  And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods.
Num 16:33  They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation.

Satan entices with short cuts to wealth!

There have been very few that actually profit from crime.

There is nothing on this earth that can compare to the things of Heaven!

Luk 12:15  And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

What do we actually find to be the truth of our world?

1Ti 6:10  For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

It's not the money or riches themselves that are so wrong, it is all the evils that are done to possess earth's riches which in the end are meaningless!

Notice this thing that is first required.

The lies of communism and also socialism is that for equal hazards there will be equal hopes big lies to mankind!

Gain and pleasure are two of the great charms that have seduced all mankind and make all those that succumb, captives taken at the will of Satan!

2Ti 2:26  And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.

If we avoid all these things while we are young, we will not have to suffer so much when we are old!

*****Pro 1:15  My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path:
Pro 1:16  For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.

We must not walk in the ways of the world!

Whenever sin takes hold of any person it will soon become the master of that person!

Sin cannot exist without seeking to dominate and there is never one who is lost who will not try to make another like himself!

Satan is devious and he will not tempt you with the truth and the results of sin, but he will set before you some real or some imaginary pleasure which you can only obtain by a commission of that sin!

There is always a cost for going against the Word of God!

There is always a cost to assert your liberty to do as you please!

We must force ourselves to make the right decisions!

Those that reject the Word of God have an eagerness to commit crime against God and they most always will attack the innocent who have no means to protect themselves.

We would have to be blind to not see this truth in our world today!

*****Pro 1:17  Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird.
Pro 1:18  And they lay wait for their own blood; they lurk privily for their own lives.
Pro 1:19  So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; which taketh away the life of the owners thereof.

Surely a bird with such keen eyes to see with can see the net spread for their capture, yet they still fly into that net and are trapped!

It is the same with sin!

God has clearly said that the "wages of sin are death".

So it is for that bird!

Pro 7:23  Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life.

So it is for the sinner.

As they lay in wait for the innocent it is their own lives they are loosing!

As they lurk in private for the innocent it is their own lives that they have placed in jeopardy!

A sinner cannot see the traps they laid for themselves so we need to avoid associating with them!

*****Pro 1:20  Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets:
Pro 1:21  She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying,
Pro 1:22  How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?
Pro 1:23  Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.

If we can see wisdom as a person then that person would be Christ Jesus!

Joh 1:1  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Joh 1:2  The same was in the beginning with God.
Joh 1:3  All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
Joh 1:4  In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

If that person be Jesus Christ then it is now the Church that should be crying out with the Word of God!

We should witness in the streets.

We should witness in places where people gather.

We should witness at the entrances and the passage ways.

We should witness in the cities.

And what should be our message?

How long will you people be so easily seduced by workers of Satan?

How long will you that mock the Word of God be fooled by the lies of Satan?

How long will you all be so foolish to ignore and to reject the truth of the Scriptures?

To turn is to repent!

To repent is not only to feel sorrow and regret but more important, to turn away from sin and turn toward God with a complete change of mind!

It is God Himself who will pour out His Spirit unto all those that repent!

So "WISDOM" then is God Himself who will make known His Words unto us all!

Joe 2:28  And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:
Joe 2:29  And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.

Those days are the "Church Age" in which now we live until the return of Jesus Christ!

Joh 6:63  It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

What is the truth of most of this world?

God has called and most have refused!

God has warned of the coming judgment, but most just reject the Word of God!

*****Pro 1:24  Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;
Pro 1:25  But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:
Pro 1:26  I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;
Pro 1:27  When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you.
Pro 1:28  Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:
Pro 1:29  For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD:
Pro 1:30  They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof.
Pro 1:31  Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.

Those that reject the truth of God will bring upon themselves the wrath of God!

Rom 2:5  But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;
Rom 2:6  Who will render to every man according to his deeds:

God says "as you mocked and laughed at the Word of God then on Judgment Day, I will mock and laugh at your eternal situation you have placed yourself in"!

Be not a fool all your life because it is a fact every knee will bow to the Lord Jesus one day!

Psa 37:12  The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth.
Psa 37:13  The Lord shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming.

What is the truth of Divine Judgment?

Calamity, terror, destruction, distress, and anguish!

What is derision?

The act of laughing in contempt!

Desolation is a place of waste, ravage, ruin, gloominess, sadness, and destitution!

These things of desolation will come as a violent wind moving in a circle.

The vicious cycle of eternal life of the burning lake of fire, will be a thing of misery and doom!

Why would anyone seek to go there?

Those that hate the knowledge of God and did not choose to fear the Lord, which by the way is the beginning of becoming wise, will certainly find themselves in a Devil's Hell!

God's rejection of sinners is carefully detailed in these verses.

Wisdom will one day turn a deaf ear to those who wait to late to call on the Lord!

What is the truth of God?

Gen 6:3  And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh:

To follow the Lord is to come when He calls!

God gives us a choice!

Choice means we have the option of choosing the way of God or the ways of this world we cannot choose both!

There are only two type of people in this world!

Those that love the Lord and those that do not!

Those that hate the knowledge of the Lord Jesus have not chosen the wisdom of the fear of the Lord!

God's method of punishment is to let us punish ourselves!

When we will not accept the guidance of the Holy Spirit then God will grant our wishes and desires to show how foolish and miserable they are!

It is a fact that we are our own worst enemy!

The promises of God are conditional!

God has given every human being the dignity of freedom which involves the possibility that we may be disobedient to God's Word.

Most everyone that looks back on their lives can trace most of their errors to making bad choices!

This should tell us all that we have a great need of a Savior and that Savior is the Lord Jesus Christ!

*****Pro 1:32  For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.
Pro 1:33  But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.

The salvation of Christ Jesus is a simple thing.

2Co 11:3  But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

It is the turning away of such a simple salvation that will slay all those that reject Him!

There is only one way to get to Heaven!

Joh 14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

In other words not my own but the Bible says, all wicked and vicious persons are fools.

When God gives us what we all desire, eternal life with Him, they perish even when it is so close to them.

Jesus Christ paid the sin debt of every human being but this must be accepted or He died in vain for your own sins!

There is no wealth of this world that is worth eternal damnation!

The secrets of life has been the quest of mankind throughout history, yet God has written down and given it to us in the perfect love letter from above and it is still rejected by most of this world!

The fear of evil used to be a constant in the life of men but it is now just accepted!

Now the world is beginning to see the fear of terror and we are told we must just accept that also!

It is terror that grows out of the acceptance of sin!

What does God teach the Christian?

Rom 8:37  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
Rom 8:38  For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
Rom 8:39  Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Those that hearken to the Word of God can still dwell in safety anywhere in this world!

Mat 10:28  And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

So therefore, those that understand the fear of the Lord can truly find knowledge!

*****Pro 2:5  Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.
Pro 2:6  For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.
Pro 2:7  He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly

The phrase "the fear of the Lord" occurs 14 times in the Book of Proverbs.

This fear implies reverence, such as a good son would feel for his godly father.

A reverent fear of God is truly the first step to true wisdom!

Here wisdom is described as a virtuous woman.

The truth is that a God-fearing man is a wise man but without a reverent fear of God it is impossible that to call any man wise no matter their intelligence level!

Wisdom is something that we must work for in this world but God freely gives the wisdom we need if we ask Him with a pure heart!

Heavenly wisdom is a great prize!

Heavenly wisdom goes far beyond our own thoughts!

Heavenly wisdom is far different from what the world calls wisdom!

Worldly wisdom may direct us in some things in this life but Heavenly wisdom direct us toward things which concern things of the life that is to come of those who have that "fear of the Lord"!

God and God alone is the author of true wisdom!

Those that are righteous are those that "walk upright".

Goodness in all moral humans, is a walk that progresses as we grow in the knowledge and understanding of the Lord!

Those that are reconciled to God are His saints and set apart for His use!

As those that belong to the Lord are to be bright and shining lights in this world, the Lord is then the "Father of Lights".

The wisdom of God will light up our pathway in this world!

*****Pro 2:8  He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints.
Pro 2:9  Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path.

God is the protector of His saints!

It is God who keeps the path of all those He has justified!

It is God who preserves the way of His saints!

Psa 66:9  Which holdeth our soul in life, and suffereth not our feet to be moved.

When we understand that once we are reconciled to God, we are under His divine protection, "THEN" we can understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity, and every good path!

And wisdom will enter into our soul!

*****Pro 2:10  When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul;
Pro 2:11  Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee:
Pro 2:12  To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things;

Once we are wise enough to know we have a new owner then that wisdom will not only come into our soul but it will rest there forever!

Discretion means we will able to judge things correctly and properly with the right amount of caution.

We will know how to conduct ourselves in this world!

Understanding then is the faculty of the human mind that separates truth from fiction!

Eph 1:17  That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
Eph 1:18  The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

What is the truth of evil men?

Their character.

Their speech is corrupt!

Their habit is corrupt!

Their heart is corrupt!

Their influence is corrupt!

The truth is everything dies under the influence of wickedness!

Rom 6:23  For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

They refuse to walk the path of righteousness!

*****Pro 2:13  Who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness;
Pro 2:14  Who rejoice to do evil, and delight in the frowardness of the wicked;
Pro 2:15  Whose ways are crooked, and they froward in their paths:

The way of evil is following in the ways of Satan!

Joh 8:43  Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.
Joh 8:44  Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

The path of darkness is the path of ignorance and error and the roadway to evil deeds!

To walk in the ways of darkness is to insist on a course of wilful ignorance and deliberately reject the light of true knowledge!

Those who are wicked not only rejoice to do evil themselves but they rejoice when they hear of evil done by others.

This is the world we live in today!

This is the arm of terrorism today!

They are just as crooked as their ways!

They are just as perverse in their thoughts!

They will always turn toward evil whether to the left or to the right!

Then there is the temptation that is most used against the righteous, the alluring female.

*****Pro 2:16  To deliver thee from the strange woman, even from the stranger which flattereth with her words;
Pro 2:17  Which forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God.
Pro 2:18  For her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead.
Pro 2:19  None that go unto her return again, neither take they hold of the paths of life.

The true wisdom of God will deliver His saints even from the strange woman!

The strange woman is the harlot and adulteress.

If we remember Balaam, God would not allow him to curse Israel but Balaam did offer King Balac a suggestion on how to cause Israel to sin.

It was women.

If we remember Job who was righteous in the eyes of God, even Job knew about strange women and had his own remedy!

Job 31:1  I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?

Job said to himself that he simply would not look upon a woman to lust after her.

Mat 5:28  But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

A wise man once wrote "Gaze not on beauty too much lest it blast thee; nor to long, lest it blind thee; nor too near lest it burn thee. If thou like it, it deceives thee; if thou love it, it disturbs thee; if thou hunt it, it destroys thee. It is a wise mans bonfire, and a fools furnace".

That "stranger" would be foreign women with other gods and other moral standards than those who were just the "strange woman".

This also represents spiritual adultery, with God's people not only consorting with strange women but also worshipping strange gods.

All those that forget the covenant that was made with the Lord when they prayed the sinners prayer!

We must be more like Job and less like the world.

The greatest danger of each and every human, is not the evils of this world and it certainly is not climate change, it is forsaking and forgetting God!

To the Christian ignoring and forsaking the "wisdom" of God is our greatest danger!

Today in the church, we loose our youth to the world at that age when the world entices them to forget the covenant they made with God!

All those that make their home with the wisdom of this world and reject the wisdom of God, incline to death rather than life.

Pro 7:27  Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.

All those that follow the path of the wisdom of this world and reject the wisdom of God, walk on the pathway of the dead!

Pro 21:16  The man that wandereth out of the way of understanding shall remain in the congregation of the dead.

The truth is, only God can resurrect the dead!

Those that choose the path of death, the wisdom of the strange woman or the stranger, almost never recover form their fall.

The sin of spiritual adultery is extremely hard to overcome!

Eph 5:5  For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
Eph 5:6  Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.

What is the path of life?

*****Pro 2:20  That thou mayest walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous.
Pro 2:21  For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it.
Pro 2:22  But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it.

The truth is that mankind cannot walk in good ways unless they leave the bad ones.

Good and evil are contrary to one another, one will keep out the other!

It is not enough to just avoid evil, we must also do good!

To Israel the promise to dwell in the promised land was their reward for obedience.

To the Church the promise to dwell in Heaven is the reward for obedience!

To remain means to eternally dwell in peace and harmony with the Lord!

Contrary to the teaching of liberal theology, the wicked shall be cut off!

The farmer knows that if he just cuts down a tree it will send forth new sprouts so to eliminate that problem that tree must be rooted out!

So does God deal with wicked men!

Wicked men are restless in evil because they remain in that body of sin.

This world provides an abundance of opportunities because it is led by Satan.

God will leave them on their own to run to death because He gives us all a choice.

Wicked men are never weary of their sin because they have rejected the wisdom of God!

To be wise in the ways of this world is to be a fool!

Questions?

Let's Pray!

Solomon God's Man Of Wisdom

Solomon God's Man Of Wisdom

1 Kings 3:4-15, 28; 4:29-34


Bible history tells us that Solomon was the third King of Israel and his father was David the second king.

Solomon was born of Bathsheba after David and Bathsheba became husband and wife.

David had many wives and therefore he had many sons and daughters but this was never God's design.

God said a marriage was to be between one man and one woman to avoid sin!

1Co 7:2 Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.

Solomon was probably still a teenager when he was given the throne of Israel by his father David!

1Ki 1:17 And she said unto him, My lord, thou swarest by the LORD thy God unto thine handmaid, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne.

Solomon reigned for 40 years but the first half of his reign was much brighter than the last half because Solomon was led into idolatry by his many non-believing wives.

During the time of King Saul and King David, Israel had fought many wars but for the first time under King Solomon, Israel knew peace.

It was Solomon who built the first and the most beautiful Temple in Jerusalem!

Solomon not only had great influence over Israel but Solomon had great influence over the entire world in his day.

It was the kingdom of Solomon that set the pattern that many kings throughout the world would follow for many centuries to come, after him.

Solomon was a great king and Israel had many kings but it is the throne of David that has been remembered above all other kings, throughout all these years!

And as we continue our studies in the Bible we must remember that we are to always be working on our walk with God on this Earth and part of that learning is using the Old Testament as our guideline and as an example of how God dealt with sin.

So let's begin:

*****1Ki 3:4 And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there; for that was the great high place: a thousand burnt offerings did Solomon offer upon that altar.

Gibeon was a city sitting on a hill located about 8 miles from Jerusalem.

When Joshua had taken Canaan Land as directed by the Lord, the Tabernacle had been set up in Shiloh. The Tabernacle remained in Shiloh all the period of the Judges until the Ark fell into the hands of the Philistine and Shiloh was destroyed but we can see that God had even allowed that to happen for certain reasons.

Jer 7:12 But go ye now unto my place which was in Shiloh, where I set my name at the first, and see what I did to it "for the wickedness of my people Israel".

We should also realize though Shiloh was the oldest place of worship for Israel, but God's favor is not tied down to any certain location for worship.

The Tabernacle had been relocated to Gibeon but the recovered Ark was still located in Jerusalem in a Tabernacle that David had built for it until the Temple was to be built.

2Sa 6:17 And they brought in the ark of the LORD, and set it in his place, in the midst of the tabernacle that David had pitched for it: and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.

Notice also that it is this Tabernacle of David that is in prophecy and not the Tabernacle of Moses.

Amo 9:11 In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old:

We can see that King David, Solomon's father, made his offerings to the Lord in this place.

But God had said that it would be at the Tabernacle of the Congregation, where He would meet with the children of Israel.

Exo 29:42 This shall be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD: where I will meet you, to speak there unto thee.
Exo 29:43 And there I will meet with the children of Israel, and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by my glory.

The Tabernacle of the Congregation was located at Gibeon, the same place where God made the Sun and the Moon to stand still for a whole day.

Jos 10:12 Then spake Joshua to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon.
Jos 10:13 And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day.
Jos 10:14 And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the LORD hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the LORD fought for Israel.

BUT, Gibeon was also the great high place of worship for the Canaanite nations!

God had commanded all the "High Places" of the Canaanites to be destroyed or He would destroy them.

Lev 26:30 And I will destroy your high places, and cut down your images, and cast your carcases upon the carcases of your idols, and my soul shall abhor you.

It seems since Gibeon was the highest of all the high places and this is where the Tabernacle of Moses was now located and also the place of the original "Brazen Altar".

We can be sure God was not pleased with this thing!

God is very pleased when we worship Him but He will never be pleased if go into a Mosque or any other place set aside for false gods and then worship Him in that same place where worship to some false god also takes place.

That would be like saying Jehovah was just a god among many other gods which is not true!

There are no gods other than Jehovah!

We see that Solomon went to this place because the Tabernacle of the congregation had been set there.

2Ch 1:3 So Solomon, and all the congregation with him, went to the high place that was at Gibeon; for there was the tabernacle of the congregation of God, which Moses the servant of the LORD had made in the wilderness.
2Ch 1:4 But the ark of God had David brought up from Kirjathjearim to the place which David had prepared for it: for he had pitched a tent for it at Jerusalem.
2Ch 1:5 Moreover the brasen altar, that Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, had made, he put before the tabernacle of the LORD: and Solomon and the congregation sought unto it.

It was on this altar that Solomon did offer 1000 burnt offerings because it was important for the nation of Israel to see that the new king worshiped the Lord just as his father had.

It was also at this place where Solomon met with all the government, all the military, and all the people of Israel.

2Ch 1:2 Then Solomon spake unto all Israel, to the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and to the judges, and to every governor in all Israel, the chief of the fathers.
2Ch 1:3 So Solomon, and all the congregation with him, went to the high place that was at Gibeon; for there was the tabernacle of the congregation of God, which Moses the servant of the LORD had made in the wilderness.

SO, It was this place in Gibeon where Solomon gave his inauguration speech and God decided to also make Himself known to Solomon to show His approval but also to test Solomon.

Remember we will never have a testimony until we have been tested by God Himself!

*****1Ki 3:5 In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.

God came to Solomon in a dream and this is not so unusual and in fact may increase as we approach the last days.

Act 2:17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:

Solomon had the opportunity to ask anything that he desired of God at this time in his early life!

This was a special time for Solomon but remember God is no respecter of persons and God still offers this same request to every believer!

Joh 16:23 And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.
Joh 16:24 Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.

To be quiet honest our response should be similar to that of Solomon.

Nothing is as important as the wisdom of God!

*****1Ki 3:6 And Solomon said, Thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.
1Ki 3:7 And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in.
1Ki 3:8 And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude.
1Ki 3:9 Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?

It is always in our best interest to choose God's given wisdom!

Pro 4:7 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

If we begin with the Word of God, then we will prosper in this life.

Now does not mean carnal riches but to prosper in spiritual things will bring eternal riches and also joy in this life!

Notice that Solomon viewed his succession to the throne of Israel as a fulfillment of God's promises to his father David.

God always keeps His promises!

Unlike teenagers of today, Solomon admitted that he was not qualified to be king!

In fact most people today will qualify them on selves in most every situation!

Remember Solomon was royalty and had attended the best schools and had even been schooled by Nathan.

Nathan was a true prophet of God to Israel and to King David.

2Ch 9:29 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, first and last, are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat?

2Sa 12:24 And David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in unto her, and lay with her: and she bare a son, and he called his name Solomon: and the LORD loved him.
2Sa 12:25 And he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet; and he called his name Jedidiah, because of the LORD.

As Gamaliel was to the Apostle Paul, so was Nathan to Solomon all the days of his youth.

Solomon realized that he was nothing without God!

Solomon humbled himself before God and was not lifted up with pride in his royalty at least in his early days.

The boundaries of Israel at this time approached the fulfillment of Scripture and Israel was the greatest of nations at the time of Solomon.

Deu 11:23 Then will the LORD drive out all these nations from before you, and ye shall possess greater nations and mightier than yourselves.
Deu 11:24 Every place whereon the soles of your feet shall tread shall be yours: from the wilderness and Lebanon, from the river, the river Euphrates, even unto the uttermost sea shall your coast be.

King David had left his son a mighty nation but also a rich nation.

So, Solomon's prayer was brief and to the point.

When we come before God we need to be brief and to the point in our request as God has already promised to meet our needs!

Solomon knew that compared to his nation, he was but a very small person!

Wouldn't it be nice if our own government felt this way today instead of exalting itself above the people?

What else was important in this prayer of Solomon? Solomon had faith that God would provide the wisdom needed to lead Israel into the future.

This is the prayer that every national leader should pray but it takes "Faith"!

Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

What is the proof of this?

*****1Ki 3:10 And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.

What pleases God the most in our prayers?

When we pray seeking the will of God for our lives and the wisdom and the understanding to be a part of God's will and not just pray for carnal things to consume on ourselves.

Pro 15:8 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD: but the prayer of the upright is his delight.

This is the prayer that pleases God!

So how did God respond?

*****1Ki 3:11 And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment;
1Ki 3:12 Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.

What is wisdom?

First and foremost real wisdom begins with a reverent fear of God!

Pro 9:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

What is the truth that guides our world?

Pro 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: "but fools despise wisdom and instruction".

The world is led by foolish men who have rejected the wisdom of God!

1) Many believe that wisdom is simply the art of how to succeed in this life.

It does not take long growing up in our world to see that there is an order of worldliness in our world and if you cannot be a part of it then you will be just pushed aside and walked over.

This is even more prevalent today as immorality is pushed onto people who know the truth of immorality!

Most people believe that success and happiness can only come by finding a place to fit into this evil world.

This is the world of Satan!

This is the world that Satan used to tempt to the Lord.

Mat 4:8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
Mat 4:9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
Mat 4:10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

BUT, What does God say?

Pro 24:21 My son, fear thou the LORD and the king: and meddle not with them that are given to change:
Pro 24:22 For their calamity shall rise suddenly; and who knoweth the ruin of them both?

2) There are also many who seek wisdom by a philosophical study of the essence of life.

Philosophy is the love of wisdom but today this usually only means searching for a reason things are the way they are.

Things are the way they are because of the influence of Satan!

Philosophy should be based on facts and truth but today a few ignorant men have changed philosophy into a search to explain things without acknowledging the truth of God!

For instance evolution is not based on facts.

Climate change has been happening for 6000 years with very little influence from man.

SO, Philosophy has become a false religion of the mind!

God says this:

1Co 3:18 Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.

We see that both of these groups are only fools who reject the truth of God!

3) The true essence of wisdom then can only be spiritual!

Life is more than just living by man-made rules!

Life is more than being rewarded for some action you may have or may not have completed.

BUT, Wisdom has it's foundation in only one place!

Pro 2:6 For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.
Pro 2:7 He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly.
Pro 2:8 He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints.

True wisdom involves observation!

True wisdom involves instruction!

BUT, True wisdom begins with "Faith" in our Lord and our Savior!

Job 28:28 And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.

God granted Solomon his request and the Word of God says that Solomon was given a wise and understanding heart that He has not given to any human since that time.

These things of wisdom are only useful, if we are going to be around for awhile so God also said these things:

*****1Ki 3:14 And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days.
1Ki 3:15 And Solomon awoke; and, behold, it was a dream. And he came to Jerusalem, and stood before the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and offered up burnt offerings, and offered peace offerings, and made a feast to all his servants.

People are always seeking ways to live a long and happy life and there is truly only one way to do this!

If we walk the Christian walk with the Lord Jesus Christ, God will lengthen our days!

Solomon would go on to attain great riches but David his father had already made Solomon a very rich man.

Solomon would go on to increase the size of his army and their military equipment but David his father had made Israel a safe place to live.

Solomon's future days depended on his own walk with the Lord just as are the days of each of us!

When Solomon awoke from his dream he was already wiser and he realized to honor God, he needed to get as close to God as possible and he went to the Tabernacle of David where the Ark of the Covenant was housed and not some high place where anyone could go seeking there own god.

Solomon realized it was more important to present his offerings at the place where the Temple would soon be built.

Jerusalem is certainly the place that God has chosen for the nation of Israel just as the New Jerusalem is the place God has chosen for the Body of Christ!

Mat 23:37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!

Rev 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
Rev 21:2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

SO, the wisdom of Solomon began to be seen by his people, Israel.

*****1Ki 3:28 And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged; and they feared the king: for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to do judgment.

What are the facts?

Every nation will follow and will submit to leaders who are guided by the wisdom of God!

Why?

The wisdom of God can be made clear by chosen men if they are in agreement with the written Word of God!

Today we have the complete Word of God so we do not need any special revelation from God, or some dream, to know what God desires from each of us. God has written it all down for us!

AND, the wisdom of God is only a great benefit if we put it into action in our own lives!

Applying wisdom to our life demonstrates our understanding of the Word of God!

In the life of Solomon we can see proof that God does exactly what He says He will do.

What had God promised King David?

1Ch 22:9 Behold, a son shall be born to thee, who shall be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies round about: for his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quietness unto Israel in his days.
1Ch 22:10 He shall build an house for my name; and he shall be my son, and I will be his father; and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel for ever.

So, Solomon became the wisest of all men.

*****1Ki 4:29 And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore.

We see that the wisdom of Solomon came from Elohim, our Creator.

God's power is His ability to accomplish His purpose for every individual that is born into this earth!

God does not allow anything we humans do to interfere with His will for all creation!

God can do and will do what is needed to be done in any and in every circumstance!

Mat 19:25 When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved?
Mat 19:26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; "but with God all things are possible".

There is absolutely nothing that God cannot do!

There is only One other mentioned in the Bible who was wiser than Solomon and it was the Lord Jesus Christ.

Mat 12:42 The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, "a greater than Solomon is here".

Because it is only the Lord Jesus who has the entire wisdom of God!

Php 2:6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

God not only gave Solomon high powers of the mind but he also gave Solomon a great capacity to receive knowledge as well as communicate that knowledge to others.

We may not ever have the wisdom of Solomon while we are on this earth but God will still freely share His wisdom with us if we just ask.

Jas 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. Jas 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

God will always give us the wisdom we need for the work He has given us to do!

And one day when we finally get back home God will share with us all His wisdom!

1Co 2:16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

BUT, Even this wisdom is useless unless we use it to be in God's will.

The "heart" as used in this verse refers to the intellect of Solomon.

Not only was the wisdom of Solomon vast in in quantity but also in quality!

We may see a pile of sand as just particles until we see that we do not have a number to give the quantity of sand even in one desert or on one beach. We can look into just a handful of that same sand and see that no two grains of sand are exactly alike, in size, in shape, or in color and our minds just cannot see how this could be true but Solomon could give an answer to all these things.

There was no doubt that the wisdom of Solomon exceeded that of any other human being!

*****1Ki 4:30 And Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt.

Wisdom alone can make a man foolish but God had given Solomon the wisdom of how to apply knowledge.

Solomon knew how to do things!

The children of the east are always described as being wise and full of wisdom but they did not know how to get things done and in most cases chose war as an act to convey their own wisdom.

We can see that this still holds true today for the nations that are east of Israel.

The wisdom of Egypt was in arts and sciences and they were renown for this wisdom which was one of the reasons that they despised the Greeks in the time of Alexander who boasted of their own wisdom but the wisdom to apply the arts and sciences to all the things of this world was known only by Solomon.

The Bible says that Moses possessed the wisdom of Egypt which aided him in moving the children of Israel to the Promised Land of Canaan.

Act 7:22 And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds.

The wisdom of Solomon much exceeded the wisdom of Moses because Solomon knew why things work as they do.

Israel is still a world leader in many of these things of applying wisdom to knowledge and much of the world still hates them even for these things!

The Bible says that Solomon was wiser than all men!

*****1Ki 4:31 For he was wiser than all men; than Ethan the Graphite, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol: and his fame was in all nations round about.

Ethan was wise enough to have written written one the Psalms that are preserved throughout eternity.

Psa 89:1 Maschil of Ethan the Graphite. I will sing of the mercies of the LORD for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.

Heman was also wise enough to have his Holy Ghost inspired words preserved throughout eternity but the wisdom of Solomon was far superior to that of Heman.

Psa 88:1 A Song or Psalm for the sons of Korah, to the chief Musician upon Mahalath Leannoth, Maschil of Heman the Graphite. O LORD God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee:

The sons of Mahol, Chalcol and Darda were also renown in Israel for their wisdom but their own wisdom was far surpassed by that of Solomon.

We see that Solomon was given a great opportunity to spread the Word of God because he certainly knew the truth of God but Solomon!

Solomon had the God given ability to even discern the signs of the times and this power to interpret extended to natural things as well as spiritual things.

Solomon became a great philosopher the proof is in the Book of Ecclesiastes.

Solomon became wise in his teachings, the Book of Proverbs is that proof.

Solomon became a great songwriter, the Songs of Solomon is proof of that.

And much of what Solomon said went unrecorded.

*****1Ki 4:32 And he spake three thousand proverbs: and his songs were a thousand and five.
1Ki 4:33 And he spake of trees, from the cedar tree that is in Lebanon even unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall: he spake also of beasts, and of fowl, and of creeping things, and of fishes.

God teaches us, in these things of Solomon, that common sense is a good thing.

Discretion is also a good thing along with getting a good education in all the things of God and His creation.

Intelligence also should be a trait of the Christian, so the world can see that we are not just a bunch of robots who blindly follow the Word of God.

There is a great difference in blindly following the Word of God and understanding the "Truth" of God!

God wants us to understand the full realm of His creation, so we do not fall into the traps of evolution and the traps of false science.

1Ti 6:20 O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called:
1Ti 6:21 Which some professing have erred concerning the faith. Grace be with thee. Amen

We can see today that even our own president says that Christians are all a bunch of Neanderthal because we do not accept what false science insist on, though the world has never been able to prove God to be wrong!

Solomon's wisdom included being able to explain God's creation in words that all others sought to hear!

*****1Ki 4:34 And there came of all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, which had heard of his wisdom.

Today there is no one place where a person can go to get answers, beyond the Word of God.

Knowledge is so vast that no one person can comprehend it all!

In fact this is a sign of the last days.

Dan 12:4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.

In fact the universities of America and much of the world have stopped teaching instructions for life and are now teaching philosophy to the point where our young people are not able cope with the world that is being left behind by this generation that is falling away from God! This is to our shame!

Ecc 8:16 When I applied mine heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done upon the earth: (for also there is that neither day nor night seeth sleep with his eyes:)
Ecc 8:17 Then I beheld all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun: because though a man labour to seek it out, yet he shall not find it; yea further; though a wise man think to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it.

True wisdom begins with God!

In Solomon's day, the entire world came to Solomon for the answers to questions that they did not understand because Solomon's wisdom was a gift from God!

Solomon was the richest man to have ever lived by our own standards but Solomon was not the wisest man to have ever lived because that was Jesus and Jesus said this:

Mar 8:36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
Mar 8:37 Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
Mar 8:38 Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.

By the end of Solomon's life, he came to know the clear truth.

Spiritual matters and not physical matters are the most important things in this life!

Ecc 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
Ecc 12:14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

As grand as was the life and the wisdom of Solomon was, it has all passed away!

It is still what comes after this life that has the greatest importance!

Luk 12:27 Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
Luk 12:28 If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?
Luk 12:29 And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.
Luk 12:30 For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.
Luk 12:31 But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Questions?

Let's Pray!