God's Use Of Means Series

Unlike many chapters of the Proverbs, chapter 2 is a complete unity. It

is a chain of reasoning that follows a consistent pattern from start to finish.

We have considered the foundation and several of the stories built on it,

and now we have arrived at the top where we see the practical goal and

reason for all that has gone before. In verse 9 Solomon said that by

fulfilling the conditions of a diligent search for God's wisdom his son

would come to a point of righteousness, justice, equity and every good

path. He says that if you fulfill the conditions then wisdom will come into

your heart. This is why you will know what is right, just and good. You

will not need a set of rules to go by, for it will be a part of your very being.

It will be imbedded in your heart.

The Old Testament saint could gain the same inner insurance and

leading of God as those in the New Testament. The only difference being

that God used different means. The New Testament saint is guided by the

Holy Spirit, but the Old Testament saint is guided by wisdom. This means

that one of the basic differences between the Old Testament and New

Testament is that the New Testament is far more personal in the

relationship of God and man. God still uses the means here to guide, but

we refer to the person of the Holy Spirit as the one making the means

effective. The Old Testament said had a great salvation, and a wonderful

relationship to God. Not only is the heart filled with wisdom here, but the

soul is filled with joy in knowledge. Knowledge will be pleasant to the

mature and godly man. It is no accident that Jews have produced so many

mighty men of the mind. They have high educational standards. Unfortunately,

not all Christians are aware of this great heritage from

the Old Testament, and many have assumed that love of knowledge is some

sort of worldliness. In reality, the greatest method of overcoming

worldliness is to make knowledge pleasant to your soul. When you once

discover the fun and thrill there is in knowing the truth, you will lament

every hour you wasted in the silly pleasures of the world. Next to the lost

the ignorant are most to be pitied. What loss can be so sad as to lose one's

love of learning? Any believer who does not desire to grow in wisdom and

knowledge is in real need of revival. To have a mind that does not hunger

and thirst for knowledge is to break the greatest of all commandments.

Jesus said in Matt. 22:37, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy

heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and

great commandment." All believers differ in capacity, but God demands

the full capacity of your mind in His service. It is seldom thought of as a

sin to be anti-intellectual, but the Bible certainly implies that it is.

Every believer is to be a philosopher, which is a love of wisdom, and

no field of learning is so vast and exciting as that of biblical wisdom. For 3

months after I committed my life to Christ I got on my knees by my bed

and asked God for knowledge, wisdom and understanding. I felt God

wanted me in the ministry, but I was such a poor student, and so slipshod

at study that I doubted if I could make it. College always scared me, and I

never even considered it until I sense the call to the ministry. I needed

some proof that God could use me, and so every night I prayed with a

sense of desperation. There has never been a prayer in my life so clearly

answered as that, and it left me with no doubt as to my call. Knowledge

became so pleasant to my soul that I went from a C and D student to

straight A's, and it wasn't even work, it was fun. God forbid that we get

the idea, however, that this is only for those going into the ministry. Every

layman has the same obligation to love God with all his mind. Certainly it

is the goal of every believer to come to the point where knowledge is

pleasant to the soul.

In verse 11 Solomon goes on to indicate other blessings, which will

result from diligent search for God's wisdom. Discretion will protect you.

Discretion is the power of free choice, and the power to discern and decide

what is proper. The discrete person always acts in good manners. This

was so important to the oriental people who make so much of manners, but