ENCOURAGING WORKS Of GODLY WISDOM—Proverbs 3:13-26
Attention/Need:
Today is the 10th anniversary of the Attack on America 9/11/2001.
A series of four coordinated suicide attacks against civilian & federal govt. targets. 19 terrorists from the islamic militant group al-Qaeda are known to have been involved.
They hijacked 4 jets—2 of which they flew into New York’s Twin Towers....A third plane was flown into Arlington, VA’s Pentagon....A 4th was intentionally aimed at the Washington D.C.‘s White House? but was thwarted when passengers fought back causing it to crash into a field killing all aboard.
There were 2977 innocent victims of the unprovoked attacks:
246 on the 4 planes.
2606 in the Twin Towers.
At least 200 of these fell or jumped to their deaths.
125 at the Pentagon. 55 of these were military personnel.
The Holy Spirit thru Solomon, encouraged His people in the midst of disconcerting/perplexing/confusing/emotional/bewildering/disturbing/frightening circumstances.
God encourages His people in the midst of frightening/bewildering/disturbing circumstances.
How does God encourage His people in the midst of frightening/bewildering circumstances?
4 encouraging works of godly wisdom in frightening circumstances.
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“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,
And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”—Proverbs 9:10
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1— An encouraging work of godly wisdom is....
HAPPINESS(:13-18)
Explanation: (:13-18)
:13—“Happy is the man who finds wisdom, And the man who gains understanding;”
We can find blessing. How can one find true “happiness.”
Happiness/Blessing is found in 1) “Wisdom”. Wisdom is the right use of knowledge— God-honoring, Moral(godly), human dignifying, etc.
Happiness/Blessing is found in 2)“Understanding”. Understanding elucidates & qualifies “wisdom” as possession of God-honoring use of knowledge.
To “Find” & “Gain”—Requires active heartfelt search with the real thrust toward personal possession of wisdom & understanding.
Individuals can have this source of happiness/blessing.
“Happy/Blessed”—rva eh’-sher—1) Happiness, blessedness—1a) Often used as interjection;1b) Blessed are. Strong—Happiness; only in masculine plural construction as interjection, ‘How happy!’
“Man”—Mda aw-dawm’—Strong—Ruddy i.e. A human being (an individual or the species, mankind, etc.).
“Finds”—aum maw-tsaw’—V.—1) To find, attain to. Strong—a primitive root; properly, To come forth to, i.e. Appear or exist; transitively, To attain, i.e. Find or acquire; figuratively, To occur, meet or be present.
“Wisdom”(See :19)—hmkx khok-maw’—N. f.—1) Wisdom—1a) Skill (in war),1b) Wisdom (in administration), 1c) Shrewdness, wisdom, 1d) Wisdom, prudence (in religious affairs), 1e) Wisdom (ethical & religious). Strong—Wisdom (in a good sense).
“Gains”—qwp puwq—1) To bring out, furnish, promote, go out, issue. Strong—a primitive root [identical with 06328 through the idea of dropping out; compare 05312]; To issue, i.e. Furnish; causatively, To secure; figuratively, To succeed. Used 7X.
:14—“For her proceeds are better than the profits of silver, And her gain than fine gold.”
Who would not consider the acquisition of “silver” & “gold” to be worthwhile? They are acquired for the eventual benefit of the possessor.
“Wisdom” provides a “better” profit for the one who possesses it.
Wisdom’s “profit” is far greater than what is possibly had thru financial means. The assets of a superb stock portfolio is ruled miniscule by one’s portfolio built upon godly wisdom.
“Proceeds/Merchandise/Profit”2X—rxo sakh’-ar—1) Traffic, gain, profit, gain from merchandise. Strong—Profit (from trade). JFB—Acquisition by trading. Used 4X.
From—rxo saw-khar’; to travel round (specifically as a peddler); intensively, to palpitate.
“Better”—bwj towb—1) Adj.— Good, pleasant, agreeable; 2)N. m.— a good thing, benefit, welfare; 3)N.f.— Welfare, benefit, good things. Strong—Good (as an adjective) in the widest sense; used likewise as a noun, both in the masculine & the feminine, the singular & the plural (Good, a good or good thing, A good man or woman; The good, goods or good things, good men or women), also as an adverb (Well).
“Gain”—hawbt teb-oo-aw’—1) Produce, product, revenue. Strong—Income, i.e. Produce (literally or figuratively).
“Fine gold”—Uwrx khaw-roots’—1) Adj.— Sharp-pointed, sharp, diligent; 2)N. m.— Strict decision, decision; 3) Trench, moat, ditch; 4) Gold (poetical).
:15—“She is more precious than rubies, And all the things you may desire cannot compare with her.”
Godly wisdom is also a “precious” commodity. She/It is worthy of guarding/protecting. It has great value reaching beyond that of precious jewels.
Nothing we desire or can have is comparable with being able to possess godly “wisdom” & “understanding”.
“Precious”—rqy yaw-kawr’—1) Valuable, prized, weighty, precious, rare, splendid—1a) Precious—1a1) Costly, 1a2) Precious, highly valued, 1a3) Precious stones or jewels, 1b) Rare, 1c) Glorious, splendid, 1d) Weighty, influential. Strong—Valuable (obj. or subj.).
“Rubies/Jewels”—Nynp paw-neen’—1) A precious stone—1a) Perhaps corals, rubies, jewels. Strong—Probably a pearl (as round).
“Desire”—Upx khay’-fets—1) Delight, pleasure. Strong—Pleasure; hence (abstractly) Desire; concretely, A valuable thing; hence (by extension) A matter (as something in mind).
“Compare”—hwv shaw-vaw’—1) To agree with, be or become like, level, resemble. Strong—a primitive root; properly, To level, i.e. Equalize; figuratively, To resemble; by implication, To adjust (i.e. counterbalance, be suitable, compose, place, yield, etc.).
:16—“Length of days is in her right hand, In her left hand riches & honor.”
Wisdom grants foremost to its possessor “long life”.
Wisdom also grants both riches & honor to its possessor.
This is to say that without wisdom life can be lived. However the quality of that life becomes wanting at best. The person who approaches life in wisdom’s absence suffers as a result of their own negligence.
Length of days” is held in the right hand as this is one of the tangible strengths of wisdom. Long life means God’s wisdom will be applied more broadly. The true ‘fountain of youth,’ as it were, then is in God’s wisdom.
Some move thru life emotionally, momentarily...giving no thought to how their actions effect their tomorrow. Long life is not in their future. “Riches & honor” are the other consequences of length of days when godly wisdom is employed.
“Length(of days)/Long life”—Kra o’rek’—1) Length—1a) Physical length, 1b) Of time; 2) Forbearance, self-restraint (of patience).
“Riches”—rve o’-sher—1)Wealth, riches.
“Honor”—dwbk kaw-bowd’—1) Glory, honor, glorious, abundance—1a) Abundance, riches, 1b) Honor, splendor, glory, 1c) Honor, dignity, 1d) Honor, reputation, 1e) Honor, reverence, glory, 1f) Glory Strong—properly, Weight, but only figuratively in a good sense, Splendor or copiousness.
:17—“Her ways are ways of pleasantness, And all her paths are peace.”
The “ways” of godly wisdom embody a lifestyle of “pleasantness.”
Wisdom has many paths which lead from it, all of which are peace.
“Ways”2X(See :23)—Krd deh’-rek—1) Way, road, distance, journey, manner. Strong—A road (as trodden); figuratively, A course of life or mode of action, often adverb.
“Pleasantness/Pleasant”—Men no’-am—N. m.—1) Kindness, pleasantness, delightfulness, beauty, favor. Strong—Agreeableness, i.e. Delight, suitableness, splendor or grace. Used 7X.
“All”—lk kol—1) All, the whole. Strong—properly, The whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense).
“Paths”—hbytn neth-ee-baw’ —1) Trodden with the feet, path, pathway; 2) Path, pathway, traveller. Strong—from an unused root meaning to tramp; A (beaten) track.
“Peace”—Mwlv shalowm’ —1) Completeness, soundness, welfare, peace. Strong—Safe, i.e. (figuratively) Well, happy, friendly; also (abstractly) Welfare, i.e. Health, prosperity, peace.
:18—“She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, And happy are all who retain her.”
Wisdom is a “tree of life” to all those who take hold of it/her. This suggests “the tree of life” which is in the garden of Eden mentioned in Gen. 2:9 & 3:22.
Gen. 2:9; 3:22—“And out of the ground the LORD God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight & good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, & the tree of the knowledge of good & evil. Then the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good & evil. And now, lest he put out his hand & take also of the tree of life, & eat, & live forever”--”
Rev. 22:1-2—“And he[angels] showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God & of the Lamb. In the middle of its street, & on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.” [continual]
This tree is responsible for providing continual healing of the nations living & represented in the new Jerusalem on the new earth.
Those who hold fast to wisdom are “happy”. Thus if anyone does not hold fast to wisdom, he/she will be un-happy.
“Life”(See :22)—yx khah’-ee—Adj.—1) Living, alive; —N. m.—2) Relatives; 3) Life (abstract emphatic); —N. f.—4) Living thing, animal; 5) Community. Strong—Alive; hence, Raw (flesh); Fresh (plant, water, year), Strong; also (as noun, especially in the feminine singular & masculine plural) Life (or living thing), whether literally or figuratively.
Take hold of”—qzx khaw-zak’—1) To strengthen, prevail, harden, be strong, become strong, be courageous, be firm, grow firm, be resolute, be sore. Strong—a primitive root; To fasten upon; hence, To seize, be strong (figuratively, Courageous, causatively Strengthen, cure, help, repair, fortify), obstinate; to bind, restrain, conquer.
“Happy/Blessed”—rva aw-shar’—1) To go straight, walk, go on, advance, make progress. Strong—a primitive root; To be straight (used in the widest sense, especially To be level, right, happy); figuratively, To go forward, be honest, proper.
“Retain/Hold fast/Embrace”—Kmt taw-mak’—1) To grasp, hold, support, attain, lay hold of, hold fast. Strong—a primitive root; To sustain; by implication, To obtain, keep fast; figuratively, To help, follow close.
Argumentation:
1Pet. 4:12-14—“Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory & of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified.”
Mat. 13:44—““Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found & hid; & for joy over it he goes & sells all that he has & buys that field.”
Gal. 5:22-23—“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.”
1Jn. 1:1-4—“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, & our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life-- the life was manifested, & we have seen, & bear witness, & declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father & was manifested to us-- that which we have seen & heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; & truly our fellowship is with the Father & with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.”
Col. 2:1-3—“For I want you to know what a great conflict I have for you & those in Laodicea, & for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, & attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father & of Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom & knowledge.”
3Jn. :4—“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.”
If we walk in God’s truth then we are likewise walking in His wisdom.
Illustration:
Hurricane Irene swept thru eastern US/Widespread flooding/MIllions of people without electricity & potable water/Estimated $7 billion of damage & 45+ deaths/Can they be happiness?/Yes—Internally in Christ & thru the help of secular & Christian response teams/HAPPINESS
Application:
?Godly wisdom brought you HAPPINESS ?
?You have Encouragement thru God’s Wisdom?
2— An encouraging work of godly wisdom is....
Defense of CREATION(:19-20)
Explanation: (:19-20)
:19—“The LORD by wisdom founded the earth; By understanding He established the heavens;”
YaHWeH is the originator of “the earth“ by means of His perfect “wisdom.”
YaHWeH likewise “established” the heavens. He “established” the heavens by His perfect “understanding.”
“Wisdom”(See :13)—hmkx khok-maw’—1) Wisdom—1a) Skill (in war),1b) Wisdom (in administration), 1c) Shrewdness, wisdom, 1d) Wisdom, prudence (in religious affairs), 1e) Wisdom (ethical & religious). Strong—Wisdom (in a good sense).
“Founded”—doy yaw-sad’—1) To found, fix, establish, lay foundation. Strong—a primitive root; To set (literally or figuratively); intensively, To found; reflexively, To sit down together, i.e. Settle, consult.
“Understanding”—hnwbt teb-oo-naw’—1) Understanding, intelligence. Strong—Intelligence; by implication, An argument; by extension, Caprice.
“Established”—Nwk kuwn—1) To be firm, be stable, be established. Strong—a primitive root; properly, To be erect (i.e. Stand perpendicular); hence (causatively) To set up, in a great variety of applications, whether literal (Establish, fix, prepare, apply), or figurative (Appoint, render sure, proper or prosperous).
“Heavens”—Mymv shaw-mah’-yim—1) Heaven, heavens, sky. Strong—from an unused root meaning to be lofty; The sky (as aloft; the dual perhaps alluding to the visible arch in which the clouds move, as well as to the higher ether where the celestial bodies revolve).
:20—“By His knowledge the depths were broken up, And clouds drop down the dew.”
By God’s knowledge “the depths” were “broken up.”
It was due to the perfect & proper use of “knowledge”, i.e. “wisdom,” which God alone possessed that “the depths” were broken up.
By God’s knowledge the skies now drip with “dew.”
**God controls the flood as well as the sustenance. He does this by His perfect omniscience(“knowledge”).
*God created this world in perfect wisdom.
Mankind has been made as Free moral agents by God’s wisdom.
*Freedom >>Choice>>Abuse of the freedom>>Defense of freedom by adherents
“Depths/Deeps”—Mwht teh-howm’—1) Deep, depths, deep places, abyss, the deep, sea. Strong—An abyss (as a surging mass of water), especially The deep (the main sea or the subterranean water-supply).
“Broken up/Divided”—eqb baw-kah’—1) To split, cleave, break open, divide, break through, rip up, break up, tear. Strong—To cleave; generally, to rend, break, rip or open.
“Clouds/Skies”—qxv shakh’-ak—1) Dust, cloud. Strong—A powder (as beaten small): by analogy, A thin vapor; by extension, The firmament.
“Drop down/Let drop”—Per raw-af’—1) To trickle, drip.
“Dew”—lj tal—1)Dew, night mist. Strong—Dew (as covering vegetation).
Argumentation:
Deut. 32:35-39—“Vengeance is Mine, & recompense; Their foot shall slip in due time; For the day of their calamity is at hand, And the things to come hasten upon them.’ “For the LORD will judge His people And have compassion on His servants, When He sees that their power is gone, And there is no one remaining, bond or free. He will say: ‘Where are their gods, The rock in which they sought refuge? Who ate the fat of their sacrifices, And drank the wine of their drink offering? Let them rise & help you, And be your refuge. ‘Now see that I, even I, am He, And there is no God besides Me; I kill & I make alive; I wound & I heal; Nor is there any who can deliver from My hand.”
1Sa 2:6-8 ““The LORD kills & makes alive; He brings down to the grave & brings up. The LORD makes poor & makes rich; He brings low & lifts up. He raises the poor from the dust And lifts the beggar from the ash heap, To set them among princes And make them inherit the throne of glory. For the pillars of the earth are the LORD’S, And He has set the world upon them.”
Job 5:6-18—“For affliction does not come from the dust, Nor does trouble spring from the ground; Yet man is born to trouble, As the sparks fly upward. But as for me, I would seek God, And to God I would commit my cause-- Who does great things, & unsearchable, Marvelous things without number. He gives rain on the earth, And sends waters on the fields. He sets on high those who are lowly, And those who mourn are lifted to safety. He frustrates the devices of the crafty, So that their hands cannot carry out their plans. He catches the wise in their own craftiness, And the counsel of the cunning comes quickly upon them. They meet with darkness in the daytime, And grope at noontime as in the night. But He saves the needy from the sword, From the mouth of the mighty, And from their hand. So the poor have hope, And injustice shuts her mouth. “Behold, happy is the man whom God corrects; Therefore do not despise the chastening of the Almighty. For He bruises, but He binds up; He wounds, but His hands make whole.”
Lam. 2:13-14—“How shall I console you? To what shall I liken you, O daughter of Jerusalem? What shall I compare with you, that I may comfort you, O virgin daughter of Zion? For your ruin is spread wide as the sea; Who can heal you? Your prophets have seen for you False & deceptive visions; They have not uncovered your iniquity, To bring back your captives, But have envisioned for you false prophecies & delusions.”
Rom. 8:18-22—“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans & labors with birth pangs together until now. Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.”
Illustration:
U.S. Constitution/Founding Fathers saw fit to approach their world accepting & working from God’s reality/Unashamed to found the nation upon the realities of man’s condition in sin & thereby his need for a govt. based on Christian principle/Defense of CREATION
Application:
?Godly wisdom brought you to a Defense of CREATION?
?You have Encouragement thru God’s Wisdom?
3— An encouraging work of godly wisdom is....
LIFE(:21-22)
Explanation: (:21-22)
:21—“My son, let them not depart from your eyes-- Keep sound wisdom & discretion;”
We are exhorted to “keep” “wisdom & discretion.” These two things are never to leave us. It can thus be argued that we can allow their departure by the will. We are called upon to “keep” them both.
The listener is to let neither godly wisdom nor godly understanding depart their watchful sight. We are to keep such wisdom in view at all times.
“Depart”—zwl looz—V.—1) To depart, turn aside. Strong—a primitive root; To turn aside, i.e. (literally) To depart, (figuratively) Be perverse Used 6X.
“Keep”—run—Watch/Guard/Preserve
“Sound Wisdom”—hyvt too-shee-yaw’—1) Wisdom, sound knowledge, success, sound or efficient wisdom, abiding success. Strong—from an unused root probably meaning to substantiate; Support or (by implication) Ability, i.e. (direct) Help, (in purpose) An undertaking, (intellectual) Understanding.
“Discretion”—hmzm mez-im-maw’—) Purpose, discretion, device, plot. Strong—A plan, usually evil (machination), sometimes good (sagacity).
:22—“So they will be life to your soul And grace to your neck.”
If wisdom & understanding are retained then they will be life to the soul.
If wisdom & understanding are retained then they will also be an “adornment” to the bearer’s neck.
Godly Wisdom & Understanding add an obvious special grace to our lives.
“Life”(See :18)—yx khah’-ee—Adj.—1) Living, alive; —N. m.—2) Relatives; 3) Life (abstract emphatic); —N. f.—4) Living thing, animal; 5) Community. Strong—Alive; hence, Raw (flesh); Fresh (plant, water, year), Strong; also (as noun, especially in the feminine singular & masculine plural) Life (or living thing), whether literally or figuratively.
“Soul”—vpn neh’-fesh—1) Soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion. Strong—properly, A breathing creature, i.e. Animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental).
“Grace/Adornment”—Nx khane—1) Favor, grace, charm. Strong—Graciousness, i.e. subjective (Kindness, favor) or objective (Beauty).
“Neck”—twrgrg gar-gher-owth’—1) Neck (always fig.).
Argumentation:
Prov. 4:20-27—“My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart; For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh. Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life. Put away from you a deceitful mouth, And put perverse lips far from you. Let your eyes look straight ahead, And your eyelids look right before you. Ponder the path of your feet, And let all your ways be established. Do not turn to the right or the left; Remove your foot from evil.”
Prov. 8:35-36—“For whoever finds me[wisdom] finds life, And obtains favor from the LORD; But he who sins against me wrongs his own soul; All those who hate me love death.””
Eph. 4:1-3—“I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness & gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
Eph 5:15-17—“See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”
Joh 10:10—““The thief does not come except to steal, & to kill, & to destroy. I have come that they may have life, & that they may have it more abundantly.”
Col 1:9 -14—“For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, & to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom & spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work & increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience & longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness & conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.”
Gal. 5:16—“I say then: Walk in the Spirit, & you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.”
Eph. 5:1-10—“Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us & given Himself for us, an offering & a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. But fornication & all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ & God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, & truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.”
Illustration:
My life before Christ was hopeless/No provision for the future other than temporal things/I got the girl, the job the apartment, the house, the car, the children... that would make me ‘happy!’/But that LIFE was Lived outside of godly recognition & godly Wisdom/LIFE Lived
Application:
?Godly wisdom brought LIFE to your very soul?
?You have Encouragement thru God’s Wisdom?
4— An encouraging work of godly wisdom is....
CONFIDENCE(:23-26)
Explanation: (:23-26)
:23—“Then you will walk safely in your way, And your foot will not stumble.”
When godly wisdom & understanding are kept, we will then walk in our way in security & we will not “stumble”. There will be nothing to ‘trip us up’ if godly wisdom & understanding are part of our nature.
“Walk”—Kly yaw-lak’—1) To go, walk, come. Strong—To walk (literally or figuratively); causatively, To carry (in various senses).
“Safely/Securely”—xjb beh’takh—N. m.—1) Security, safety; —Adv.—2)Securely. Strong—properly, A place of refuge; abstract, Safety, both the fact (security) & the feeling (trust); often (adverb with or without preposition) Safely.
“Way”(See :17)—Krd deh’-rek—1) Way, road, distance, journey, manner. Strong—A road (as trodden); figuratively, A course of life or mode of action, often adverb.
“Stumble”—Pgn naw-gaf’—1) To strike, smite—1c) (Hithpael) To stumble. Strong—a primitive root; To push, gore, defeat, stub (the toe), inflict (a disease).
:24—“When you lie down, you will not be afraid; Yes, you will lie down & your sleep will be sweet.”
When wisdom & understanding are kept we will not lose sleep in fear. The sleep of a man/woman of wisdom & understanding is “sweet” or pleasant. This is true regardless of time or circumstances because it is qualified by “when” & “will not” of God’s determination.
Possessing God’s wisdom in any given situation removes fear.
“Lie down”—bkv shaw-kab’—Strong—To lie down (for rest, sexual connection, decease or any other purpose).
“Afraid”—dxp paw-kkad’—V.—1) To fear, tremble, revere, dread, be in awe or dread. Strong—a primitive root; To be startled (by a sudden alarm); hence, To fear in general.
“Sleep”—hnv shay-naw’—N. f.—1) Sleep.
“Sweet”—bre aw-reb’—1) (Qal) To be pleasant, be sweet, be pleasing. Strong—a primitive root [identical with bre(aw-rab’) through the idea of close association]; To be agreeable.
:25—“Do not be afraid of sudden terror, Nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes;”
The possession of God’s wisdom & understanding affords us peace in the face of “sudden terror.”
We are promised that sudden terror will come upon the child of God. It is not a matter of if, but when.
“Sudden terror” for the child of God comes in the form of an onslaught levied by those who are “wicked.”
Notice that this does NOT say “if” trouble comes, but “when” trouble comes.” The wicked, even for God’s people, will bring trouble to the believer but others.
“...though judgments lay waste generally, at least promiscuously, yet God knows who are his & how to separate between the precious & the vile.”—Matthew Henry
Ps. 46:2-3—“Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though its waters roar & be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah”
Ps. 91:14-16—““Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. He shall call upon Me, & I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him & honor him. With long life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation.””
Prov. 1:22-29—““How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? For scorners delight in their scorning, And fools hate knowledge. Turn at my rebuke; Surely I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you. Because I have called & you refused, I have stretched out my hand & no one regarded, Because you disdained all my counsel, And would have none of my rebuke, I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your terror comes, When your terror comes like a storm, And your destruction comes like a whirlwind, When distress & anguish come upon you. “Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me. Because they hated knowledge And did not choose the fear of the LORD,”
“Afraid”—ary yaw-ray’—1) To fear, revere, be afraid; 2) (TWOT) to shoot, pour. Strong—a primitive root; To fear; morally, To revere;causative, To frighten.
“Sudden”—Matp pith’om—Adv.—1) Suddenly, surprisingly. Substantive—2)Suddenness. Strong—Instantly.
From—etp peh’-thah—from an unused root meaning to open (the eyes); a wink, i.e. moment [compare 06597] (used only [with or without preposition] adverbially, quickly or unexpectedly).
“Terror/Fear/Disaster”—dxp pakh’-ad—N. m.—1) Terror, dread. Strong—A (sudden) alarm (properly, The object feared, by implication, The feeling)
“Trouble/Desolation/Onslaught”—hav sho-aw’—N. m.—1) Ravage; —N. f.—2) Devastation, ruin, waste—2a) Devastation, ruin, 2b) Ruin, waste (of land). Strong—from an unused root meaning to rush over; A tempest; by implication, Devastation.
“Wicked”—evr raw-shaw’—1) Wicked, criminal. Strong—Morally wrong; concretely, An (actively) bad person.
“Comes”—awb bow’—1) To go in, enter, come, go, come in. Strong—a primitive root; To go or come (in a wide variety of applications).
:26—“For the LORD will be your confidence, And will keep your foot from being caught.”
However, these unexpected frightening circumstances afford the child of wisdom/understanding a sense of peace in understanding that God is in control.
Wisdom/understanding bring one to place our confidence in YHWH.
He is the One who will keep us from being captured by the wicked. This “confidence” comes regardless of physical capture for though we may be caught, we know that God still loves us but willfully refuses to externally direct the lives of others. They must be changed from the heart personally & individually.
“LORD”—hwhy yeh-ho-vaw’— =“the existing One.” Strong—(the) Self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God:-- Jehovah, the Lord.
From—hyh haw-yaw—1) to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
“Confidence”—lok keh’-sel—N. m.—1) Loins, flank; 2) Stupidity, folly; 3) Confidence, hope. Strong—properly, Fatness, i.e. by implication (literally) The loin (as the seat of the leaf fat) or (generally) The viscera; also (figuratively) Silliness or (in a good sense) Trust. Used 13X.
From—lok kaw-sal’—properly, To be fat, i.e. (figuratively) silly.
“Keep”—rmv shaw-mar’—V.—1) To keep, guard, observe, give heed. Strong—properly, To hedge about (as with thorns), i.e. Guard; generally, To protect, attend to, etc.
“Caught”—dkl leh’ked—N. m.—1) A taking, capture. Strong—Something to capture with, i.e. A noose. Used 1X.
From—dkl law-kad’—V.—Strong—a primitive root; to catch (in a net, trap or pit); generally, to capture or occupy; also to choose (by lot); figuratively, to cohere.
Argumentation:
1Jn. 4:17-19—“Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us.”
Job 4:6—[Eliphaz the Temanite]“Is not your reverence your confidence? And the integrity of your ways your hope?”
Ps. 118:8-9—“It is better to trust in the LORD Than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the LORD Than to put confidence in princes.”
Php. 3:3—“For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, & have no confidence in the flesh,”
Heb. 3:14—“For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end,”
Heb. 11:1—“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
1Jn. 2:28—“And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence & not be ashamed before Him at His coming.”
Mk. 8:38—““For whoever is ashamed of Me & My words in this adulterous & sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.””
Illustration:
Do you keep a gun under your pillow, by your bed, near you?/Why does it make you Confident—its power!/How about your power to control it?/CONFIDENCE
Do you live every day in fear of the terrorist’s next move/Does worry characterize your days?/Where is your CONFIDENCE? In man...self... or God?
Application:
?Godly wisdom brought you CONFIDENCE?
?You have Encouragement thru God’s Wisdom?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
9/11/2001 Terrorist Attack
Action:
An encouraging work of godly wisdom is....
1. HAPPINESS(:13-18)
2. Defense of CREATION(:19-20)
3. LIFE lived(:21-22)
4. CONFIDENCE(:23-26)
Presented 09/11/2011am to:
Needmore Baptist Church
1620 Mt. Vernon Rd.
Woodleaf, NC 27054
