Posted on 01/02/2022 10:40:36 PM PST by Pilgrim's Progress
“My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments” (Proverbs 3:1).
One thing we notice about the Book of Proverbs is its repetition. That is the way we teach people. People are taught by association, repetition, and experience. It is said that experience is the best teacher, but to keep repeating something teaches thoroughly and quickly. The more you repeat something the quicker it sinks in. The more a child hears a truth, the quicker it becomes a part of them. The Book of Proverbs is a Book of instruction, and it says many of the same things over and over again.
Wisdom is the theme of chapter 3, “Happy is the man that findeth wisdom” (vs. 13), “for the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold” (vs. 14), “she is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her” (vs. 15). That’s quite a verse there, when you think of all the things you could want. “Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace” (vs. 16-17).
James tells us that there are two kinds of wisdom: earthly wisdom and godly wisdom. “Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom” (James 3:13 KJV).
If a man has the right kind of wisdom, he’ll have the right kind of works. Earlier, James said that if we have the right kind of faith, we’ll have the right kind of works. People say they are educated, well, let’s see it. What people do speaks louder than what they say. Show us out of your good works, you good conversation, your meekness of wisdom. James then says, “But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not [that’s not the right kind of wisdom, it’s amazing what folks glory in], and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual [connected with the flesh, carnal], devilish [satanic wisdom, filled with pride]. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work” (James 3:14-16 KJV).
You can’t rest in that kind of situation. “There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked” (Isaiah 57:21). Where worldly wisdom and satanic wisdom is involved, there is no peace—only contention, only strife, there’s always hatred, there’s always variance. The treaty of Versailles, which ended World War I was not planted from God’s wisdom, but man’s, and it set up Germany for World War II and twenty million more people died.
On the other hand . . .
“But the wisdom that is from above is first pure [right, clean, holy, undefiled, righteous], then peaceable [the reason nations will never know peace is because their wisdom is worldly and sensual, partial and one-sided], gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace” (James 3:14-18 KJV).
The most important thing is wisdom that gives you purity and righteousness, and then you’ll have peace in your own heart. You’ll have peace in your family, there will be peace in your church, there will be peace in your town, there will be peace in your country. There will be no peace in their world until there is righteousness. There can’t be. It doesn’t matter how many treaties are signed—they won’t last.
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