Proverbs | Knowable Word

The Blessings of Finding Wisdom

April 1, 2013 By Peter Krol

Last week, we saw that those who find wisdom receive blessings. This week we’ll unpack what exactly those blessings are.

“Treasure Chest” by Tom Garnett (2012), shared under a Creative Commons Attribution License

Long life is in her right hand;
In her left hand are riches and honor.
Her ways are ways of pleasantness,
And all her paths are peace (Prov 3:16-17, ESV).

Look at what awaits you if you find wisdom:

Long life (Prov 3:16). We saw previously that Solomon understands “long life” to go beyond the grave. You may or may not make it to age 100, but the life mentioned here is something far more significant. It is a “tree of life” (Prov 3:18). God took the tree of life from Adam and Eve when they sinned (Gen 3:22-24), but Jesus promised to give it back to everyone who endures in faith to the end: “To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God” (Rev 2:7). Finding wisdom is part of this restoration process.
Riches (Prov 3:16). Wisdom does not promise you more money; Solomon just said he’s offering something better than money (Prov 3:14-15)! The Lord offers a treasure that, unlike money, delivers from death: “Treasures gained by wickedness do not profit, but righteousness delivers from death” (Prov 10:2). Wisdom’s wealth is God’s righteousness, now available through Jesus. It provides acceptance and rescue. (See Rom 3:21-26.)
Honor (Prov 3:16). It might not mean that everyone likes you. But there is a general trust and influence that results when you are gracious and humble, fearing the Lord: “The reward for humility and fear of the Lord is riches and honor and life” (Prov 22:4). Insightful people will see the outcome of your wise life and call you blessed (Prov 3:18). In Little Women, dying Beth finds a note written by her sister Jo enumerating her virtues and bestowing such honor as Solomon pledges. Her response? “Have I been all that to you, Jo? … Then I don’t feel as if I’d wasted my life. I’m not so good as you make me, but I have tried to do right.”
Pleasantness (Prov 3:17). When you seek wisdom, you may still suffer, but ultimately your way to God will become straight: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart…and he will make straight your paths” (Prov 3:5-6). In other words, God’s will for you will become crystal clear: “For this is the will of God: your sanctification” (1 Thess 4:3). You will seek him and love him more every day. His commandments will seem more pleasant and less burdensome as you grow closer to him.
Peace (Prov 3:17). Our war with God has come to an end: “Since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom 5:1). We can now be agents of reconciliation for others as well: “In Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself…and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation” (2 Cor 5:18-19). This peace will spill into every other relationship, wreaking havoc on disorder and waging war against conflict.

Why do we settle for less?

Finding Wisdom is Better than Anything

March 25, 2013 By Peter Krol

We think we’re blessed when life goes well for us. But Proverbs says we’re blessed if we find wisdom.

Blessed is the one who finds wisdom,
And the one who gets understanding,
For the gain from her is better than gain from silver
And her profit better than gold.
She is more precious than jewels,
And nothing you desire can compare with her.
Long life is in her right hand;
In her left hand are riches and honor.
Her ways are ways of pleasantness,
And all her paths are peace.
She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her;
Those who hold her fast are called blessed (Prov 3:13-18, ESV).

Thia section begins and ends with the word “blessed.” Notice the many blessings that come when one “finds wisdom” and “gets understanding” (Prov 3:13).

“Treasure Chest” by Tom Garnett (2012), shared under a Creative Commons Attribution License

Prov 3:14-15 says that wisdom’s blessings are “better.” We’re often drawn to things like silver, gold, and jewels to give us value and satisfaction, but Solomon promises that what we gain from wisdom is better than whatever we might gain from such treasures. “But we don’t care about money,” we might say. “There are far more important things in life. Love, family, reputation, productivity, influence, world peace, pets, and chocolate all come to mind.” Solomon brushes every one aside with a sweeping, “And nothing you desire can compare with her” (Prov 1:15).

Consider the implications of this verse. Finding wisdom is a greater blessing than having sex, even if you waited until marriage. Wisdom is more satisfying than Thanksgiving dinner. Wisdom will make you happier than conceiving a child will. If your goal is to graduate, get a job, find a soul mate, help the needy, gain a hearing, start a business, write a book, join a band, fit in, get your kids through college, protect your kids from losing their faith in college, master theology, find a good church, go fishing, win the election, pay the bills, grow your church, buy a house, retire comfortably, live close to your grandchildren, leave a legacy, or be left alone, then your goal is too small. It won’t satisfy you. All of these things are good, but none of them can compare to wisdom.

We think we’re experts in satisfaction, but we’re like adolescents absorbed in hand-held video games at the beach: captivated in our own world while missing out on all the real fun.

Wisdom in Satisfaction

March 18, 2013 By Peter Krol

Over the last few weeks, we considered how wisdom speaks to our disappointment; now we’ll see that wisdom speaks to our satisfaction as well. The choices we make toward wisdom or folly can have a significant impact on the quality of our lives.

I know an aged couple who live an enviable retirement. They use their freedom to serve others more than themselves. The husband, a former pastor, provides free or cheap preaching to small churches that lack a full-time minister. The wife grows her own garden, cooks her own meals, and drives her own car. Although in their 80s, they frequent the local gym for aerobic exercise. They snack on oranges every evening, are living off their own savings, and get to see their grandchildren regularly.

Another elderly couple in my acquaintance unfortunately does not experience such delightful blessings. Their bodies have deteriorated from years of gluttony and various addictions. They have few friends because their conversation generally drifts into some sort of gossip or complaining. Their money has long since run out, and their children tire under the burden of both caring for them and negotiating matters with their creditors. I love these folks dearly, but I’m saddened by their situation.

I’m not arguing that it’s easy to make good choices, nor that the good life always results when wise people make righteous choices. My aim is simply to show that we don’t have to look very hard to uncover evidence of the fact that deeds have consequences. The chief consequence of wisdom is satisfaction: not in ourselves, but in the Lord Jesus. Satisfaction comes from having our desires met or exceeded, which can happen only through Jesus, who is our “wisdom from God” (1 Cor 1:30).

In this section of Proverbs, Solomon explains that there is tremendous satisfaction for those who find (Prov 3:13-18) and keep (Prov 3:21-26) wisdom. The reason is simple: God designed it this way so we’d be satisfied in him (Prov 3:19-20). As Augustine so keenly observed, “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you” (Confessions, I.1.).

Disappointment Draws Us Near

March 11, 2013 By Peter Krol

For several years, a woman in our church has had a form of cancer, which requires her to periodically drive two hours to a major medical center and have her entire bloodstream filtered through a big machine. It’s both painful and exhausting, but she never complains about it. She speaks instead of the opportunities she had to share the Gospel with her nurses. She rejects depression and embraces God’s mastery of her life, and she becomes both refreshed and refreshing to be around.

“It’s Mr. Chemo” by IndyDina (2007), shared under a Creative Commons Attribution license

Lately, her doctors have tried chemotherapy. The last time she did it, she had a life-threatening allergic reaction, which required immediate aborting of the treatment. The next day her mother had a heart attack. The day after that, she was in a car accident. The following Sunday in church (yeah, she still came to church), she praised God for sparing her from the normal side effects of chemo – since it hadn’t worked – so she could care for her ailing parents better.

Ask this woman if she’s disappointed with how life is shaking out for her, and she’ll weep. You’ll probably weep, too. She shows how the disappointment never goes away until Jesus comes back.

But at the same time, she reflects the wisdom of Christ. She refuses to feel sorry for herself. Her disappointment drives her closer to God, through the grace of Jesus. I’m a wuss compared to her, but God loves me and won’t let me stay there. What about you?

Our study of Proverbs 3:1-12 has shown us how disappointment works, and how the wise will refashion it for God’s glory. Are you willing to view your disappointment as God’s intentional love?

Disappointment and Finances

March 4, 2013 By Peter Krol

“Money” by Dustin Moore (2007), shared under a Creative Commons Attribution license

Many teachers speak lies about God when they say he always promises material well-being to his children. Others over-react by claiming we can’t really trust God’s promises of material prosperity (as though they are not promises but mere probabilities). Both views contain a kernel of truth, and both views represent a mis-characterization of God’s promises. Gods promises are true, yet he promises so much more than more stuff.

Again, my comments will follow the pattern described here.

Honor 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 (Prov 3:9-10, ESV).

Command: Be generous with your stuff.

Consequence: You’ll have plenty of stuff to be generous with.

Our meager expectation: People who give money away (to help the poor or to support Christian ministries) deserve to receive stuff back from God.

God’s unbelievable reward: overflowing contentment. Those who honor God with their wealth always have more to share. Be careful here: God does not promise to multiply your possessions or increase your bank account balance. The next section will make clear that wisdom’s riches are not the same thing as getting more money (Prov 3:13-18). God’s promise here has more to do with contentment than with fortune (Prov 16:8). For the wise, who honor the Lord, whatever they have will be enough (Prov 30:7-9).

Echoes: To give a picture of this financial contentment, God often lavishes his people with plenty of wealth (Gen 13:2, Ex 12:35-36). But one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions. If you expect God to reward your faithfulness (especially your generosity) with financial stability or excess, you will be disappointed.

Essence: Jesus’ most precious possession was his people (Heb 12:2), so he gave up everything else to win them (2 Cor 8:9, Phil 2:5-11). Those who set their hope on worldly riches find only uncertainty and disappointment. But those who set their hope on God find they already have everything they need, and plenty to share as well (1 Tim 6:17-19, Phil 4:10-20). Beloved children of God see themselves as rich, no matter what their account statements say. When God promises full barns and bursting vats, he doesn’t encourage love for riches, but love for Christ who is our bread and wine (Matt 26:26-29), our very life (Col 3:4).

How might Jesus’ poverty help you refashion your disappointment when you don’t have as much money as you’d like?

Why Book Overviews Matter

May 31, 2012 By Peter Krol

When we began the process of adopting our twin sons, the U.S. State Department required numerous criminal background checks. First, the Pennsylvania State Police cleared us of any misdemeanors or felonies. Second, the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare cleared us of any history of child abuse. Third, the FBI cleared us of any federal offenses. In addition, despite our spotless history in the United States, the Ugandan magistrate also required a background check from Interpol. Once again, our records were so clean you could have disinfected a toilet with them.

Why did they require such thorough investigation into our history? I imagine it was because we were pursuing a lofty objective with weighty consequences. How could they not examine every corner of our lives to make sure these precious boys would have a good home with us?

When we study a book of the Bible like Proverbs, we must likewise investigate its background. Therefore, over a few posts we’ll examine four topics that are foundational for understanding this book: the genre, the author, the audience, and the author’s intentions for his audience.

Stay tuned!

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