Posted on 01/31/2022 10:15:02 PM PST by Pilgrim's Progress
“The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel; To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding; To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity; To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion” (Proverbs 1:1-4).
It is strange how some people get saved and then a year later they think they are a Bible scholar. I tell you what, there is a whole of Bible you and I don’t know. I mean, you can get down to a little word like “of” and you can get into trouble, if you haven’t got the subject right, or the object right.
Notice to “to know wisdom and instruction” (vs. 2). You know, a lot of people do not know what “instruction” is, and they don’t want to have any part of it. In other words, you just need to SHUT UP! and listen. Amen? Now, people don’t like that, but that’s what we need. People just running off at the mouth all the time . . . “Well, I think, I think, I know, I’ve been there . . .” Oh, just shut up! Shut up and listen.
Not only does he say to “know understanding” but to “perceive the words of understanding,” but to “receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity” to “give subtilty to the simple.”
Now, let’s look at some of these words down through here.
“To receive instruction” in verse 3 is to receive what wisdom teaches. That is, to sit down and listen to what wisdom has to say. It means that we are to realize that we are not the wisest person that ever lived. Learn from somebody that prayed, and asked God, to make him wise. The Lord appeared unto Solomon in a dream and said, “Ask what I shall give thee.”
Solomon told God, “Thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my father great mercy.” He sure did! He should have killed David after his sin with Bathsheba. He continued, “he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart.” People say, “Yea, well David sinned.” Yes, he sinned, but he got right with God. This is “uprightness of heart,” Nobody is not going to sin. “uprightness of heart” isn’t living sinless, “uprightness of heart” is when you sin, and God convicts you of it—you repent of it and you try to quit doing it.
Solomon continues, “thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day, And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child.” Look at that humility!
It started out like that, but unfortunately it doesn’t always end up like that. Saul started out—he had a pretty good estimation of himself. He knew he wasn’t anybody special, unfortunately, before it was over with, he thought he was really somebody, and he went down the tube.
“And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in. And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude. Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?” (1 Kings 3:7-9 KJV)
“discern . . .” Tell right from wrong, see what’s up or down, know from left to right, good and bad.
“And the speech pleased the Lord.”
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Bump.
By reading even the proverb’s I see how far I have to go and see the blinding ignorance the world constantly tries to implant as NORMAL. Glory to God and thank you Pilgrims progress for posting Gods word.
Thanks for your faithfulness in providing insight into the book of Proverbs.
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