Sleep ,Sleep Peaceful Sleep
Prov. 3:1 -35
A fairy tale often ends with the statement that they lived happily ever after. Proverbs chapter 3 on the other hand, start with happiness and a long life. " My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments; for length of days and years of life and abundant welfare will they give you." Pro. 3:1 . Proverbs makes a great effort to bring home the idea that there is a "right way" to live, and a wrong one. Every effort must be made to find the right way. Nothing must stop you from doing that. And everything possible must be done to avoid the wrong way.
In light of the challenges and temptations that come about our way, the decisions we make are determined by our values and principles. All situations do not always have a clear right and wrong answer. Making the right decision in these situations means that we need to depend on our strong value system to make these decisions.
Such a strong principle-based value system grows from our relationship with God. and this brings about the fear of God
Wisdom then is the capacity to see things from God's perspective and respond according to scriptural principles.
Proverbs 3 emphasises Solomon’s concern that his son live a life of trusting the Lord. Coupled with this is his desire that his son be trustworthy—both to man and God. The person who lives a life trusting the Lord will find much treasure in God’s accompanying promises. Proverbs 3:1–12 focuses our attention on love to God which is expressed in keeping his commands (verse 3), trusting his leading (verses 5-8), honouring him with gratitude for all of our possessions (verses 9-10), and accepting his correction
( verses11-12).
The main theme is that of trust. Trust in the Lord, because, after all, He is trustworthy. The father knew that God is trustworthy and wanted to pass this on to his son. That is good parenting. Good parenting focuses on the child’s faith in God. This, of course, is essential for the salvation of their soul, but it is also essential for the child to become godly. And “godliness with contentment is great gain” (1 Timothy 6:6). This, in many ways, submerses the first section of Proverbs 3.
In these verses, Solomon exhorts his son to trust God and provides incentives to do so. These verses contain several promises (treasures) that attend trust in the Lord.
We will study these verses under two major headings:
(1) The Command to Trust (vv. 1–4); and
(2) The Consequences of Trust (vv. 5–12).
First, in vv. 1–4, we must consider the command to trust:
The exhortation in Proverbs 3:1–4 is straightforward: The son must not forget the commandments of God that the father has taught him. “My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments” (v. 1).
If the son will not forget God’s commands, a glorious promise can be his: “for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you” (v. 2). As in Deuteronomy 6, the trusting and trustworthy son will be blessed with fullness of life (cf. 1 Timothy 4:8).
Solomon continues: “Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart” (v. 3). In Deuteronomy 6:5–9, Moses exhorted fathers to teach their children well by teaching them the word of God. As head of the family the father was to bind the word to the home. Here, the faithful father exhorts his son to bind the qualities of “steadfast love” (mercy) and “faithfulness” (trustworthiness) to his “neck” and to his “heart.” Love and faithfulness … these are two of God’s most glorious perfections, at the very heart of his covenant with Israel.
The father exhorts his son to remember these truths about God, yet the emphasis seems to be more on the son exercising these qualities. In other words, the father exhorts, “Like Father, like son.” “Your heavenly Father is faithful and trustworthy; you are to be as well.”
Another promise is given in v. 4: “So you will find favour and good success in the sight of God and man.” Integrity is the fruit of one who obeys God. Though the godly person will have plenty of enemies, the godly will respect him. "Good Success" or Prosperity( as some will interpret this word) is not about attaining wealth or living a life of luxury, but about thriving as the person God created you to be. Sure, True prosperity is about living a life fully engaged with the principles laid out in the Bible. Most importantly, this individual will live under the blessing of God (see Psalm 15).
But this verse also informs us that, by being faithful to the covenant of God He will be favourable to us (see Luke 2:52). Paul made the claim that God put him into the ministry because He counted him faithful (1 Timothy 1:12). That verse has different interpretations, but at the least we can say that God found Paul to be a man who was trustworthy with God’s gospel and therefore he was entrusted with it. Is this not precisely what the requirements in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 teach us?
To have the approval of God—the applause of heaven—is what separates those who are blessed from those who do not have the blessings of God.
Earning trust is a hugely important quest in life. But this arises from a character that is shaped by God. Trust and obey the Lord and watch your testimony improve.
In vv. 5–12, the concept of trust in the Lord remains the dominant theme. But this trust is exercised and revealed in various settings and contexts of life. Let’s explore these.
First, God can be trusted in trials: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths” (vv. 5–6).
We learn here, first, that our trust must be entire—“with all your heart.” No double-mindedness is permitted. How do we do this?
Well, it means that we do not lean on our own understanding. In other words, though Proverbs encourages understanding, this understanding must be shaped by God’s Word. Worldly understanding is excluded.
Second, we see that our trust must be exclusive: “in all your ways acknowledge him.” Literally, Solomon is saying, “In all your ways, know God and let God guide you .” This is how we learn to trust God.
In our various trials—in whatever ways we are tried—we must pursue the knowledge of God. It is not important that we don’t know the future, only that we know He knows; It is not important that we don’t understand what happens to us, only that we know He does; It is not important that we can’t control events, only that we know He does and we trust Him and submit to Him.
If our trust is entire and exclusive, there is a wonderful promise: “he will make straight your paths.” The idea of a straight path indicates the promise of guidance, of entrance onto the narrow road that leads to life, and of God’s leading all the way to heaven. Yet certainly included in this promise is that, on our earthly life , the Lord will graciously shine his face on us and keep us from stumbling. He will not let us down. He will lead us to where we need to be.
.A second major area in which we must trust God is in our temptations: “Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones” (vv. 7–8).
These verses speak to the temptations we face as we embark on a life of trusting the Lord. As we walk through this world, we face various temptations that seek to get us off the path, to cause “evil.” But if we choose rather to trust the Lord and His word, we will not succumb. Three trusting responses are required.
First, we must trust humbly: “Be not wise in your own eyes.” We must be dependent on God’s “eyes,” not our own.
Second, we must trust reverently: “Fear the LORD.” We must develop a proper view of God and respond accordingly.
Third, we must trust resistantly: “Turn away from evil.” We must take personal responsibility to avoid evil. Do something!. Remember Joseph ran away from Potiphar's wife - Gen. 39:7-15.
As we trust humbly, reverently and resistantly, we are again given a wonderful promise: “It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones” (v. 8). “Flesh” is, literally, a reference to the umbilical cord. It speaks of that which nourishes life.
“Refreshment” could be translated “moisture.” The idea is of bones that are healthy and that have not dried up. The promise, therefore, is that of a life that is healthy. To the degree that we trust, and therefore obey God, we will enjoy a healthy life. The more we avoid sin, the healthier a lifestyle we will enjoy (cf. Psalm 32, 38, 51).
A third major area of trust is seen in vv. 9–10: “Honour the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.”
This proverb speaks of your material goods.
This is a remarkable verse. The previous passage spoke rather in general: acknowledge the Lord in all your ways, and that does involve many things. Indeed, many things happen in our lives; we travel along many different roads - but He will make our paths straight. The details are not given; Proverbs gives a general indication: all your paths.
The Lord knows us through and through. He knows much better than we do that you learn to know people when you ask them for their money. Your money is a touchstone to find out whether you, indeed, do acknowledge the Lord in all your ways. Money management does not stand on its own; it betrays a particular attitude to life. It shows often so clearly our loyalty and faithfulness, or our faithlessness and lack of trust. The manner in which we deal with our money so readily shows whether we want to serve the Lord only with our mouth, but also with our substance.
In this way, the place of this proverb within this Bible book clearly shows its urgency and revealing character.
God asks that we honour Him, that we give Him His due. . Here is not spoken of gifts given reluctantly. The Lord does not come to take things from us – the whole earth is His, all things are His legal possessions! Giving is always giving back. And we do not do that as a financial transaction. First we give of the first fruits. He who gave us His first-born Son, asks from us our first fruits. That has been the theme of Moses’ teachings when he instructed the Israelites to give the Lord with joy and thankfulness the first fruits of the land and the tithe.
The Hebrew word for honour means making heavy, acknowledging someone’s importance. To show our awe of the Lord, of His awesome greatness and power, we bring Him our gifts for His service.
Only the best will be good enough
These verses address an area with which most of us perhaps struggle the most when it comes to trusting God: the area of our personal financial stewardship.
Notice that this is not merely talking about our “tithe.” He says that we are to honour him with our wealth. Those who trust God understand that God made us stewards of His blessings. Are we being trustworthy with what he has entrusted to us?
Once again, a promise involves this manifestation of trust: “then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.” The agrarian culture sets the backdrop for this blessings from God upon those who trust him enough to be trustworthy with what is His. The picture is of abundance.
We must acknowledge that any and all wealth that we have is from God, and everything that we have is a provision from Him. He gives us strength to work, the ability to learn, and the energy to earn money. He owns even the cattle on a thousand hills because He has made it all (Psalm 50:10). All that we have is ultimately His, and we must always be ready, willing, and cheerful to do what God asks us to do with the resources, time, and energy He gives us. He will honor us for our faithfulness, maybe not with more prosperity on earth as some would promise but certainly with eternal rewards. And very often the blessings are not only financial blessings, it is with good health, peace in our home long life etc.
God’s covenant with Israel also involved the people faithfully giving to the work of the priesthood and then expecting God to bless the nation in return with much prosperity (Deuteronomy 11:26-31). God wanted to see if the people would trust Him enough to obey Him and then praise Him for His provision. As time went on, the people started holding back their first and best from God, and they were carried off into captivity (Malachi 1, 2:1-9). They forgot that God owns all and deserves to be honored and obeyed, trusted and acknowledged (Proverbs 3:5-6). In trying to get more for themselves, they actually missed out on the blessings of God which were far greater, better, and longer-lasting.
This is no prosperity gospel, but neither is it merely something to be spiritualised away. God promises to meet the needs of those who trust him to seek Him and His kingdom first. Jesus made this quite plain:
"And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you."
Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. (Luke 12:29–34)
A fourth, and final, area of trust is displayed in vv. 11–12: “My son, do not despise the LORD’s discipline or be weary of his reproof, for the LORD reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights.”
The Christian life is one of growing trust in the Lord. And this requires correction . It requires discipline. It requires training. To become a Christian is to become a child of God, and that means to come under His discipline
This is what we find in these final verses of this section. We are told that the person who trusts God will sometimes experience pain from God.
“Discipline” speaks of instruction through chastening. When we fail to trust God, there will be consequences—often painful consequences. But not all discipline is necessarily because of our sin. It is, as with Job, to mature us so that we honour God always. While verses 9–10 tell us how to honour God during prosperity, verses 11–12 train us to honour God in the midst of correction from God.
How should we respond to “discipline”?
First, don’t underreact: “Do not despise the Lord’s discipline.” Do not treat it lightly; do not treat it as insignificant for God is lovingly at work in your life. Learn from it!
Second, don’t overreact: “not be weary of his reproof.” Don’t let it bring you down. Don’t be crushed by it. Rather, thank God for it and learn to trust him more. God would not rub so hard, were it not to clean out the dirty spots in his people. In other words, God has a holy, helpful and happy purpose in such painful training.
A promise again attends this manifestation of trust. The promise here is implied, and like so much of the Old Testament, it awaits fuller revelation in the New Testament. Hebrews 12:11 says, “Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” Notice the promise: “the peaceable fruit of righteousness.” The fruit of the painful process is growth in godliness. This results from growth in trust in God. The training has built our trust! And in the light of this passage, this means more of God’s blessed treasures!
The Lord Jesus Christ is the ultimate example of this. Hebrews 5:8 reveals that he “learned obedience by the things that he suffered.” This is both amazing and unfathomable. But thank God that he endured the difficulties faithfully trusting God. For this reason, we have a Saviour. And because we have a Saviour, we have someone that we can trust completely. He is the same Lord that this father exhorted his son to trust. We can trust him because he is trustworthy.
Proverbs 3:13-26 can be broken down into three sections.
First, in verses 13-18 we read about the value of wisdom for all people.
Secondly, in verses 19-20 we read about the value of wisdom to God as Creator.
Last of all, we see in verses 21-26 the value of wisdom for the son.
Let's take a look at our first section and seek to learn about the value of wisdom for you and me.
We read here in verse 13 the very first 'beatitude' of Proverbs 'Beatitude' is kind of a strange word to those of us who don't use words like that today, but even though we may not be familiar with the word 'beatitude' we may be familiar with "The Beatitudes" which are found in Matthew 5. The word, 'beatitude' comes from the Latin word for ' blessed.' Blessed are those who pursue God, who desire to walk in His ways, and seek fellowship with Him above all else. In Psalms 1 we read another beatitude.
1 Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. (Psalm 1:1-2 NIV)
In Matthew 5 and Psalm 1 we can learn that blessings come to those who seek to walk with God. We see the same idea shared with us in Proverbs 3 where we are told that we will be blessed if we 'find wisdom' and 'gain understanding.' Once again we see that this is an active pursuit and not a passive activity. You and I will never gain understanding by simply hoping that we will learn of God's ways. We will never stumble upon God's wisdom if we are living aimlessly. We must passionately pursue God to know God and gain understanding about what is truly important in life.
We are told in verses 14-15 about wisdom' s great worth and value.
" for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold. She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her." (Proverbs 3:14-15 NIV)
In these verses we see that those who give their lives in the pursuit of wisdom, the pursuit of God, will gain a great advantage , far greater rewards than anything this world has to offer. Godly wisdom is more valuable than silver, it yields a better return than gold, and it is more precious than the finest rubies.
The Apostle Paul wrote,
If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless. But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ? the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. (Philippians 3:4-9 NIV)
For the Apostle Paul there was nothing that could compare with the opportunity he had been given to know Jesus as Lord of his life. Knowing Jesus didn't make Paul's life any easier, but it sure made it more full. Knowing Jesus didn't bring worldly wealth or great fame, but it did bring him a richness that the world knows nothing about and it put his name in the Lamb's book of life.
You see my friend the reason Paul says that everything he had ever obtained or accomplished was rubbish compared to knowing Jesus and the reason the writer of Proverbs says that wisdom brings greater returns than silver, gold, or precious rubies is because wealth, titles, accomplishments, and prestige do not make a life. You can make a great living and never experience real life. You can have enough money to buy a palatial house, but money can't make a home. Fame can open doors for you to gain access into the presence of powerful people, but fame will never gain you entrance into Heaven . Money can buy you stocks and securities, but it will never get you eternal security. Proverbs and Paul knew this, but do we?
In verses 16-18 we read,
16 Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. 17 Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace. 18 She is a tree of life to those who embrace her; those who lay hold of her will be blessed. (Proverbs 3:16-18 NIV)
We must remember that Proverbs is not a formula for getting things from God. We need to avoid the mindset that "If you do what is prescribed then you will get health, wealth, and a long life." Long life, riches and honor, pleasant ways, and paths of peace are in God's hands and we must trust Him for the path He leads us in life.
There is something here in this section of Scripture that I want you to notice. Take a look with me at verse 18. We read, 'She is a tree of life to those who embrace her; those who lay hold of her will be blessed.' What I want us to notice is the 'tree of life.'
In Genesis 2 we read about the creation. God makes a garden, the garden of Eden, and He places the man He had created in the garden
"Now the LORD God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. And the LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil." (Genesis 2:8-9 NIV)
It was a lush garden. Everything that Adam and Eve could have ever needed was provided for them there in the garden. There were only two trees in the garden of Eden that are identified for us: (1) the tree of life and (2) the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Adam and Eve had access to the tree of life, but they are told to stay away from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. So what did they do? They ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil of course. As a result they were banished from the garden as we read in Genesis 3:21-24.
From the time of the Fall and their banishment from the garden until today sin has enslaved humanity. Sin keeps us from God, from the tree of life. Sin blinds us from the blessing that is available to those who surrender their lives to living as God desires for us. What is interesting is that in the last book of the Bible we find the gateway to the tree of life opened once again. Take a look at Revelation 22
1Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 3No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. 4They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever. (Revelation 22:1-5 NIV)
Isn't that beautiful! I can't wait for the day when those who belong to Him will be in heaven and those who belong to the Lord will walk about in the light of His presence with no distractions and no temptations. That day will come, but there is good news for you and me today. In Proverbs 3:18 we are told that we can lay hold of the tree of life by embracing wisdom, by living according to God's wisdom right now. Who would refuse to lay hold of such a wonderful promise! Who would want to miss out on the wonderful, abundant life that God's desires for us to experience even in this life!
In verses 19-20 we read about the value of wisdom to God as the Creator.
By wisdom the LORD laid the earth's foundations, by understanding he set the heavens in place; by his knowledge the deeps were divided, and the clouds let drop the dew. (Proverbs 3:19-20 NIV)
There is incredible design and order in the Universe. God used wisdom to lay the earth's foundation and to set the heavens in place. 'Earth and the heavens' are a Hebrew way of saying that everything in the Universe has been put into its proper place by God. By God's infinite knowledge he divided the deeps and designed the clouds to drop down sustenance for all living things.
Last of all we see the value of wisdom specifically for the son. These benefits that we read about in verses 13-26 have application for your life and my life as well as the life of the son.
21 My son, preserve sound judgment and discernment, do not let them out of your sight; 22 they will be life for you, an ornament to grace your neck. 23 Then you will go on your way in safety, and your foot will not stumble; 24 when you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. 25 Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked, 26 for the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being snared. (Proverbs 3:21-26 NIV)
The Solomon tell his son that wisdom will bring sound judgment, discernment, a sense of peace, sound sleep, and an absence of fear concerning those things that worry the wicked. These wonderful blessings are not brought about because the son is smart or has a whole army of bodyguards, but because the Lord is his confidence and keeper. The lesson for you and me is that the Lord is our life. As long as we walk in Him, abide in Him, rely upon Him, and pursue Him above all else then we will experience the peace and security that only He can provide.
In Proverbs 3:21-22 we hear Solomon tell his son that he needs to stay focused on using sound judgment and discernment because they will be 'life' for him.
What is 'life' ?Is it lots of money, fast cars, and beautiful women or men if you are a woman? Is it to have people know your name? What is life really? Life, real life that God intends for you and me, is found and experienced only as we walk with God in intimate fellowship. In Deuteronomy 30 Moses spoke to the people of his day and said,
"See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. For I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.
But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.
This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. (Deuteronomy 30:15-20 NIV)
These are not idle words, they are your life. The life that you have been searching for, praying for, and hoping would come one day has come. Life, abundant life, fullness of life can only be experienced in intimate fellowship with the Father. He has given His Son so that you and I might come to Him and experience the depths and heights of what He has in store for us. Will you walk the path God had set for you? I will promise you that absolutely nothing compares to the riches that you will come to know as you walk with Him.
In Proverbs 3:28-35, we see the marriage of worship and ethics. How we treat others is a prime indicator of how we view God and of who/what we truly worship. 1 John 4:20 says,
“If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ but hates his brothers, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.”
This proverb calls us to love our neighbor. We are to help our needy neighbor, protect our innocent neighbor, and avoid our violent neighbor. In a culture of life where wisdom is valued people will help each other as much as possible. We will protect and trust our neighbors. Trust is the glue that holds relationships and communities together. When trust is broken it can take a long time to rebuild the trust that was lost.
Lastly, wise people steer clear of trouble makers and violent people. It can often seem like violent or evil people are getting ahead in the world which can tempt us to follow their behavior. The psalmists often cried out about this apparent success.
Wisdom fosters an abiding trust in the Lord that emboldens us to love others.
Wisdom fosters a proper humility as we know and fear the Lord in all His holiness and understand our own limitations and tendency to self-trust and self-reliance.
If we have wisdom, Solomon says, we will be secure. We will be able to go through life and even go to bed at night knowing that we are secure. When tragedies come and other people panic, we won't need to be afraid.
How can he promise so much? It seems impossible. But verses 25- 26 tells us: it's because when we have wisdom, the LORD will be at our side. No matter what happens, we will have God's presence or protection.
So wisdom is valuable, but not just intrinsically. It's also valuable for our lives. Like the necklace that's priceless, it's not just the beauty or value of the necklace that's significant. It's how that value can change our lives.
