WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:00.180 Good morning. 00:00:03.780 --> 00:00:06.960 Would you turn with me to the Old Testament book of Proverbs this morning? 00:00:10.460 --> 00:00:13.019 That's page 527 in the Pew Bible. 00:00:17.420 --> 00:00:19.500 We're starting a new sermon series this morning. 00:00:19.900 --> 00:00:26.359 If you're new to Trinity, our typical practice is to pick a book of the Bible or a section 00:00:26.359 --> 00:00:31.300 of the book of the Bible and to just teach straight through it. 00:00:32.920 --> 00:00:38.439 And we do that because rather than hearing what I have to say or what Pastor Matt or what 00:00:38.439 --> 00:00:43.200 Pastor Greg has to say, we want to hear what God is saying to us in Scripture. 00:00:43.539 --> 00:00:49.060 And we think the best way to do that is to attend closely to the Bible and try to discern 00:00:49.060 --> 00:00:51.879 and apply to our lives what we find God saying there. 00:00:52.739 --> 00:00:56.079 So we just finished up a big section of Luke's gospel. 00:00:56.079 --> 00:00:57.239 This winter and spring. 00:00:57.739 --> 00:01:03.119 And now we're going to begin this new season of the year by going through this Old Testament 00:01:03.119 --> 00:01:04.099 book of Proverbs. 00:01:06.159 --> 00:01:10.319 If you look in the pew card, in the blue sermon card in the pew, you'll see that we'll be spending 00:01:10.319 --> 00:01:12.680 the rest of the spring and the summer here together. 00:01:14.379 --> 00:01:17.060 Now, if you're there, if you're there in the book of Proverbs, let me just give you some 00:01:17.060 --> 00:01:20.039 orienting remarks to this book before we dive in. 00:01:20.459 --> 00:01:22.620 Let me give you a quick sense of how this book is put together. 00:01:22.620 --> 00:01:26.200 If you look at chapters one through nine, you can just kind of page through there quickly. 00:01:26.579 --> 00:01:27.660 Look at chapters one through nine. 00:01:27.760 --> 00:01:34.400 You'll see that those chapters are a sequence of speeches that kind of encourage us and motivate 00:01:34.400 --> 00:01:37.760 us to get wisdom and to grow in it. 00:01:38.180 --> 00:01:40.340 They're sort of stoking our desire for wisdom. 00:01:40.500 --> 00:01:46.380 And then if you look at chapter 10, the beginning of chapter 10 and following, there sort of the 00:01:46.380 --> 00:01:47.900 Proverbs proper begin. 00:01:47.900 --> 00:01:53.640 There we have the Proverbs themselves, which are these kind of short, salty little sayings 00:01:53.640 --> 00:01:59.920 that unpack what wisdom, a life of wisdom looks like in the contours of our everyday life. 00:01:59.980 --> 00:02:04.960 And it deals with everything from your work to your relationships, to your emotional life, 00:02:05.060 --> 00:02:07.180 to how you use your words, the whole gamut. 00:02:08.560 --> 00:02:12.520 And in all, if you turn the whole way to the end, you see that the book has 31 chapters. 00:02:12.520 --> 00:02:19.100 And historically, many godly men and women have made it a practice to read and meditate 00:02:19.100 --> 00:02:23.960 on one chapter a day of the book of Proverbs, working their way through the entire book 00:02:23.960 --> 00:02:24.900 every month. 00:02:26.240 --> 00:02:33.300 I think it was Billy Graham who said once that he read five psalms a day to learn how to relate 00:02:33.300 --> 00:02:34.100 rightly to God. 00:02:34.520 --> 00:02:39.460 And he read one chapter of Proverbs a day to learn how to relate rightly to people. 00:02:39.460 --> 00:02:43.180 Not bad advice from a godly saint. 00:02:43.900 --> 00:02:47.280 So if you're looking for a way to inject some new life into your personal Bible reading and 00:02:47.280 --> 00:02:49.659 prayer this spring and summer, maybe you can do just that. 00:02:49.740 --> 00:02:51.700 You can take up one chapter of Proverbs a day. 00:02:51.780 --> 00:02:52.540 And hey, here's the great thing. 00:02:52.600 --> 00:02:56.400 Even if you miss a day, just look at your watch, see what day it is, and just jump right 00:02:56.400 --> 00:02:56.640 in. 00:02:56.980 --> 00:02:57.760 Just pick right up. 00:02:58.780 --> 00:03:02.500 So that's a little bit of orientation to this book of Proverbs. 00:03:03.640 --> 00:03:07.819 But as we launch into the series, we're going to start with just the first seven verses 00:03:07.819 --> 00:03:08.840 of chapter one. 00:03:09.359 --> 00:03:14.359 And what we're going to try to do this morning is get an orientation to the theme of the whole 00:03:14.359 --> 00:03:15.139 book. 00:03:15.259 --> 00:03:18.959 As we come into this new book, how do we try to grasp the whole? 00:03:19.060 --> 00:03:22.039 So let's read these first seven verses and we'll try to do just that. 00:03:23.959 --> 00:03:27.819 The Proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel. 00:03:27.819 --> 00:03:57.799 Let's pray together. 00:03:57.819 --> 00:04:06.719 Father, indeed, what an amazing mystery it is that your grace has come to us. 00:04:09.019 --> 00:04:15.659 Lord, we stand this morning before you in your presence and we've come now to your word. 00:04:17.259 --> 00:04:22.000 Lord, and we pray that your spirit would be at work to open our hearts and our minds and 00:04:22.000 --> 00:04:28.180 our ears so that we might hear what you are saying to us and in hearing, Father, that we 00:04:28.180 --> 00:04:31.279 would grow in wisdom and grow in grace. 00:04:32.500 --> 00:04:34.420 Father, we ask that you would do this for Christ's sake. 00:04:35.360 --> 00:04:35.680 Amen. 00:04:35.680 --> 00:04:35.759 Amen. 00:04:38.259 --> 00:04:43.600 So we find that these first seven verses tell us the purpose, the big purpose of the book 00:04:43.600 --> 00:04:44.079 of Proverbs. 00:04:44.280 --> 00:04:46.480 Why is this book in the Bible? 00:04:46.579 --> 00:04:47.680 And it's right there in verse two. 00:04:47.759 --> 00:04:48.660 Look at the beginning of verse two. 00:04:49.100 --> 00:04:50.939 To know wisdom. 00:04:52.199 --> 00:04:59.060 The whole point of this book is to instruct and instill and to get us to know, to internalize, 00:04:59.060 --> 00:05:04.100 to grasp deep down this thing that it calls wisdom. 00:05:05.459 --> 00:05:10.060 So with our time together this morning, I want to just try to deal with three things 00:05:10.060 --> 00:05:11.600 looking at these first seven verses. 00:05:12.220 --> 00:05:13.800 First, what is wisdom? 00:05:14.439 --> 00:05:16.180 Second, how do we get it? 00:05:16.319 --> 00:05:17.340 Or why do we need it? 00:05:17.459 --> 00:05:18.819 And then third, how do we get it? 00:05:19.060 --> 00:05:19.620 What is it? 00:05:19.860 --> 00:05:21.199 Why do we actually need that? 00:05:21.300 --> 00:05:22.340 And how do we get it? 00:05:23.199 --> 00:05:25.659 So first, what is wisdom? 00:05:25.779 --> 00:05:27.139 What is this book talking about? 00:05:27.239 --> 00:05:28.119 Well, it's clear, isn't it? 00:05:28.119 --> 00:05:32.199 From these opening verses of the book that the wisdom that we're talking about here is 00:05:32.199 --> 00:05:34.899 more than just head knowledge, right? 00:05:35.379 --> 00:05:39.019 It's more than just an acquaintance with facts about something. 00:05:39.699 --> 00:05:45.719 Look at all the different words that are used in these verses to unpack what wisdom is. 00:05:46.319 --> 00:05:51.039 Imagine a sort of beam of light shining into a prism and then streaming out in the full 00:05:51.039 --> 00:05:52.059 range of colors. 00:05:52.060 --> 00:05:53.139 Wisdom is a bit like that. 00:05:53.199 --> 00:05:57.339 It's one thing, but within it, you can see a full, whole spectrum. 00:05:57.600 --> 00:05:59.000 It's multifaceted. 00:05:59.139 --> 00:06:00.680 It's a multidimensional whole. 00:06:01.519 --> 00:06:01.920 Look there. 00:06:02.000 --> 00:06:09.879 We hear in these verses of instruction and insight, seeing things clearly, insightfully. 00:06:10.560 --> 00:06:17.540 We hear of wise dealing, righteousness, justice, equity, living rightly in the world. 00:06:17.540 --> 00:06:21.100 We hear of prudence and knowledge and discretion. 00:06:23.160 --> 00:06:25.879 And then we hear of learning and guidance. 00:06:27.480 --> 00:06:29.879 So wisdom is way more than just head knowledge. 00:06:29.980 --> 00:06:30.580 That much is clear. 00:06:30.680 --> 00:06:32.080 But if it's not that, then what is it? 00:06:32.079 --> 00:06:39.939 Well, the Hebrew word that we translate as wisdom here is the Hebrew word chokmah. 00:06:39.939 --> 00:06:43.160 And this is where things kind of get cool. 00:06:44.160 --> 00:06:49.399 If you look at the rest of the Bible, you start to see this word in very interesting places. 00:06:50.600 --> 00:07:03.439 In Exodus 35, wisdom is what artists have who skillfully design the beautiful tapestries and engravings and clothing for the tabernacle, the place where God was meant to be worshipped. 00:07:03.439 --> 00:07:14.600 In Psalm 107, wisdom is what sailors have who can skillfully navigate the winds and the seas and drive their ship rightly to get to their destination. 00:07:14.980 --> 00:07:21.000 In Jeremiah 10, wisdom is what goldsmiths have who skillfully show expertise in their craft. 00:07:22.240 --> 00:07:23.620 So what is wisdom then? 00:07:23.620 --> 00:07:38.480 In Proverbs, wisdom is the skill, the expertise of living life well, of understanding how life really works and knowing how to achieve beautiful results. 00:07:39.720 --> 00:07:41.740 It's the skill of godly living. 00:07:41.740 --> 00:07:54.199 Imagine a master of a particular craft, say woodworking, and see her there at work in her studio before this raw piece of wood. 00:07:54.620 --> 00:08:03.500 And she cuts and she planes and she sands and she carves and slowly as she goes to work on this piece of wood, something beautiful emerges. 00:08:04.879 --> 00:08:09.579 And as a master of her craft, as a master of woodworking, she has a deep understanding of lots of things, right? 00:08:09.579 --> 00:08:16.719 She has a deep understanding of her materials, how the grain of the wood works, how different woods have different color and density and pliability. 00:08:16.859 --> 00:08:18.219 And she knows her tools well, right? 00:08:18.500 --> 00:08:22.779 She knows how each saw and each file and each plane is suited for each particular task. 00:08:23.620 --> 00:08:27.019 And she has a vision, too, for what she can create. 00:08:27.979 --> 00:08:34.860 Whether it be a chair with perfect lines and the perfect angle for your back, unlike our pews that you're sitting in right now. 00:08:34.860 --> 00:08:41.820 Or maybe a picture frame with an ornate design, something beautiful. 00:08:43.519 --> 00:08:52.300 And what the book of Proverbs is telling us is that we can develop this sort of wisdom, this sort of hokmah, this sort of skill, 00:08:52.580 --> 00:09:00.240 not just in a particular area of a particular craft, but actually in the living of a whole human life. 00:09:00.240 --> 00:09:09.940 The way a craftsman produces his work, the way a musician plays her instrument, the way an athlete executes their sport. 00:09:10.340 --> 00:09:17.700 Proverbs is saying that life itself is something we can live in such a way that we bring forth something beautiful like that. 00:09:19.200 --> 00:09:22.659 And wisdom is the skill of doing just that. 00:09:22.659 --> 00:09:27.600 Speaking of wisdom, Proverbs 4.9, a little later in these early speeches says, 00:09:28.019 --> 00:09:31.319 She will place on your head a graceful garland. 00:09:31.699 --> 00:09:34.120 She will bestow on you a beautiful crown. 00:09:34.120 --> 00:09:38.179 And over and over again, we see that same theme in Proverbs, 00:09:38.299 --> 00:09:46.779 that wisdom is the path of beauty and life, of a life well-lived, of a life that flourishes as God intended it to. 00:09:49.339 --> 00:09:50.279 So what is wisdom? 00:09:50.279 --> 00:09:55.059 Wisdom is the skill of living life well as it was fully intended to be lived. 00:09:55.120 --> 00:09:58.740 It's a fully lived human life. 00:10:02.120 --> 00:10:05.159 And if that's what it is, maybe it's already becoming clear why we need it. 00:10:05.600 --> 00:10:06.939 Why do we need wisdom? 00:10:09.179 --> 00:10:16.179 Well, I don't know about you, but there are many days when I'm pretty sure that I'm not doing a great job living life well. 00:10:16.179 --> 00:10:20.959 I think many days my life doesn't look like a thing of beauty or a work of art. 00:10:21.059 --> 00:10:24.859 It looks a little more like a two-year-old with a permanent marker, right? 00:10:26.059 --> 00:10:27.199 It can be quite a mess. 00:10:29.879 --> 00:10:33.239 And the reality is, friends, that none of us is naturally wise, are we? 00:10:34.359 --> 00:10:38.219 None of us is naturally wise in this rich, biblical sense. 00:10:38.220 --> 00:10:39.540 Look at verse 4. 00:10:39.680 --> 00:10:44.899 There we're told of a certain group of people called the simple or the young, the youth. 00:10:45.879 --> 00:10:50.220 And this is Proverbs' way of describing a person who is undeveloped, unformed, immature, 00:10:50.680 --> 00:10:55.340 who's not prudent or shrewd, who's without knowledge, without discretion at this point. 00:10:56.000 --> 00:10:58.580 And all of us are there at some point, right? 00:10:58.580 --> 00:11:06.040 And the book of Proverbs seems particularly aimed at instructing young people, those who are coming of age, 00:11:06.840 --> 00:11:12.379 those who need to learn the skill of living well in God's world amidst all the competing concerns 00:11:12.379 --> 00:11:16.940 and all the sound bites and all the different ways that are being held up for us to live. 00:11:19.020 --> 00:11:21.660 Because the reality is, friends, we aren't neutral, actually. 00:11:23.240 --> 00:11:25.520 We won't just sort of stay in one place. 00:11:26.259 --> 00:11:27.500 And here's what I mean by that. 00:11:27.500 --> 00:11:30.980 Notice the two other sorts of people mentioned in these opening verses. 00:11:31.159 --> 00:11:34.299 In verse 5, we see the wise, right? 00:11:34.460 --> 00:11:38.600 And then in the second half of verse 7, we see the foolish, the fools. 00:11:40.019 --> 00:11:45.279 And all of us are either on our way to becoming one or the other. 00:11:46.519 --> 00:11:51.440 We will either internalize wisdom and become wise or we will despise wisdom and become fools. 00:11:52.120 --> 00:11:53.360 There's no middle ground. 00:11:53.360 --> 00:11:59.360 And the book of Proverbs will contrast these two ways, these two paths, the way of the wise and the way of the fool, 00:11:59.560 --> 00:12:01.800 over and over and over again. 00:12:02.259 --> 00:12:05.879 You see, we all need wisdom because all of us are in a process of becoming. 00:12:07.740 --> 00:12:09.360 And none of us is naturally wise. 00:12:09.960 --> 00:12:11.779 Left to ourselves, we actually become fools. 00:12:11.779 --> 00:12:16.319 But notice, it's not just the simple. 00:12:16.480 --> 00:12:17.839 It's not just the youth who need wisdom. 00:12:17.939 --> 00:12:18.860 Look at verse 5 again. 00:12:19.679 --> 00:12:20.779 Let the wise do what? 00:12:21.299 --> 00:12:23.779 Let the wise hear and increase in learning. 00:12:24.939 --> 00:12:27.639 Even the wise, it seems, need wisdom. 00:12:27.639 --> 00:12:32.279 So this book isn't just a big club to hit adolescents over the head with. 00:12:32.379 --> 00:12:32.600 No. 00:12:34.439 --> 00:12:36.080 This book is for the wise, too. 00:12:37.740 --> 00:12:41.299 Because becoming wise, you see, is a lifelong journey. 00:12:42.080 --> 00:12:43.539 It's a lifelong pursuit. 00:12:43.679 --> 00:12:48.759 In fact, Proverbs has some of its harshest words. 00:12:48.759 --> 00:12:53.439 For those who've stopped thinking they need to grow in wisdom. 00:12:54.019 --> 00:12:56.759 The moment you think you need, you no longer need to learn. 00:12:56.980 --> 00:13:00.759 The moment you close your ears to correction and stop being humble. 00:13:01.620 --> 00:13:03.399 The moment you think you've arrived. 00:13:04.860 --> 00:13:07.840 Proverbs says that's the moment when you've become the biggest fool of all. 00:13:10.620 --> 00:13:12.899 So we need wisdom because none of us is naturally wise. 00:13:12.939 --> 00:13:14.879 And we need wisdom because none of us has arrived. 00:13:14.980 --> 00:13:16.000 It's a lifelong pursuit. 00:13:16.000 --> 00:13:17.720 But now look at verse 3. 00:13:18.759 --> 00:13:23.439 There we're told about righteousness and justice and equity. 00:13:24.519 --> 00:13:27.679 Biblical wisdom, it seems, has a profoundly moral shape. 00:13:28.659 --> 00:13:33.740 That is, to live wisely is to live in line with God's justice in the world. 00:13:35.220 --> 00:13:36.559 And what is biblical justice? 00:13:38.039 --> 00:13:39.279 Well, there's a lot we could say there. 00:13:39.360 --> 00:13:40.299 We won't get into all of it. 00:13:40.360 --> 00:13:46.539 But at a very basic level, biblical justice is that which serves and heals our fractured communities. 00:13:48.759 --> 00:13:50.659 It's a writing of what's gone wrong. 00:13:52.960 --> 00:13:54.200 So why do we need wisdom? 00:13:55.779 --> 00:13:58.679 Not just because we ourselves are so often simple and foolish. 00:13:58.679 --> 00:14:00.580 Not just because we're often our own worst enemies. 00:14:00.580 --> 00:14:06.920 But also because the communities that we live in need to see God's healing justice at work. 00:14:08.000 --> 00:14:10.879 The world needs people who are wise. 00:14:11.220 --> 00:14:14.020 Who will live lives of righteousness, justice, and equity. 00:14:14.460 --> 00:14:15.780 For the sake of our neighbors. 00:14:15.920 --> 00:14:17.040 For the sake of our world. 00:14:17.300 --> 00:14:18.100 We need wisdom. 00:14:18.220 --> 00:14:20.520 We need to become a wise people. 00:14:20.519 --> 00:14:24.860 It's part of our servant calling into the world. 00:14:27.579 --> 00:14:29.279 After all, none of us lives in a vacuum, do we? 00:14:29.919 --> 00:14:31.079 None of us is an island. 00:14:31.840 --> 00:14:37.199 The decisions that we make, the lives that we lead, profoundly affect those around us. 00:14:38.399 --> 00:14:41.519 C.S. Lewis once described our lives, living our lives like a fleet of ships. 00:14:41.899 --> 00:14:46.019 And he said, you know, if your ship is running well, it will sail well with the other ships around you. 00:14:46.019 --> 00:14:53.000 But then he said, but you know, if your ship is constantly malfunctioning, you're probably going to just end up crashing into all the ships around you and making a mess. 00:14:54.659 --> 00:14:57.579 And his point was, it matters how you live your life. 00:14:57.600 --> 00:15:01.600 Not just for your own good and flourishing, but for the good of those around you. 00:15:04.559 --> 00:15:10.879 We need wisdom because that's what will allow us to actually be agents of healing and restoration in our communities and in our relationships. 00:15:10.879 --> 00:15:16.939 Rather than constantly crashing into everyone else and just contributing further to the brokenness in the world. 00:15:21.399 --> 00:15:23.700 So friends, I wonder, are you starting to see your need for wisdom? 00:15:25.179 --> 00:15:30.039 Wisdom in the workplace where things are tricky, hard, got to navigate a lot of tricky waters. 00:15:31.860 --> 00:15:33.559 Wisdom in your friendships and relationships. 00:15:33.919 --> 00:15:38.000 Wisdom as a parent, as a spouse, as a student. 00:15:38.000 --> 00:15:39.000 Wisdom in your life. 00:15:39.000 --> 00:15:40.000 Wisdom in your life. 00:15:40.000 --> 00:15:41.500 Do you see how much you need wisdom? 00:15:44.860 --> 00:15:46.720 But you know, there's one more reason why we need wisdom. 00:15:48.120 --> 00:15:50.139 And this one is a bit more broader in scope. 00:15:52.299 --> 00:15:56.960 Verse 1 says that these are the Proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel. 00:15:59.240 --> 00:16:06.100 Now, most of the book of Proverbs is written in the literary mode of a father speaking to his son. 00:16:06.100 --> 00:16:10.460 And this father we see here in verse 1 is the king. 00:16:11.659 --> 00:16:15.580 So he's presumably speaking to his son who will one day reign. 00:16:17.899 --> 00:16:19.159 Now, what does that have to do with us? 00:16:19.519 --> 00:16:22.000 I'm presuming that no one in here is the heir apparent to a throne. 00:16:26.000 --> 00:16:29.379 Well, in the sweep of the biblical story, friends, it has everything to do with us. 00:16:29.379 --> 00:16:33.080 Go back to Genesis chapter 1. 00:16:34.340 --> 00:16:37.840 There God creates male and female in his image, all of us. 00:16:38.379 --> 00:16:41.779 And he gives them a task to be his image bearers. 00:16:42.620 --> 00:16:46.820 That is to exercise a good rule over creation. 00:16:47.220 --> 00:16:50.279 To cultivate it and bring forth its beauty and praises. 00:16:50.620 --> 00:16:53.299 And to offer those beauty and praises back to God's glory. 00:16:53.299 --> 00:16:58.599 So, friends, humanity in creation, all of us were made to reign. 00:16:59.479 --> 00:17:01.679 To be shapers and creators of culture. 00:17:04.319 --> 00:17:05.399 But something happened. 00:17:06.819 --> 00:17:10.700 Adam and Eve, our first parents, instead of reigning under God's good wisdom, 00:17:11.099 --> 00:17:14.059 chose to be wise in their own eyes and rejected God's rule. 00:17:14.119 --> 00:17:16.740 And as a result, sin entered the world and we became fools. 00:17:18.440 --> 00:17:21.799 Subject to sin and stupidity and death. 00:17:21.799 --> 00:17:27.019 But here's where the Bible gets really interesting. 00:17:28.180 --> 00:17:32.299 God actually doesn't give up on his purpose or his plan for humanity. 00:17:33.579 --> 00:17:36.940 How would God restore his image bearers, his regions of creation, 00:17:37.039 --> 00:17:40.700 so that his purposes to magnify his beauty in all creation would come to completion? 00:17:40.819 --> 00:17:41.559 How would he do that? 00:17:41.839 --> 00:17:45.799 How would he make us his sons and daughters again and fit us to reign? 00:17:48.619 --> 00:17:50.119 How would he make us children of the king? 00:17:51.799 --> 00:17:55.399 Well, that story actually begins with the calling of Abraham. 00:17:57.579 --> 00:18:00.899 After the folly and foolishness of the Tower of Babel, 00:18:01.980 --> 00:18:03.460 God calls Abraham and says, 00:18:03.779 --> 00:18:05.299 Through you I'll bless the world. 00:18:05.819 --> 00:18:08.919 And God creates out of Abraham's family a nation, the nation of Israel. 00:18:08.980 --> 00:18:12.339 And Israel is meant to be a recapturing of the vision for humanity, 00:18:12.460 --> 00:18:14.000 a people living in relationship with God, 00:18:14.359 --> 00:18:17.059 exercising his wisdom in the world, a light to all people. 00:18:17.059 --> 00:18:22.960 But as much as Old Testament Israel gives us a glimpse of God's renewed humanity, 00:18:24.019 --> 00:18:28.220 they also show us the deep problem that we all need to be saved from. 00:18:29.980 --> 00:18:32.139 Because just like all of us, Israel falls short. 00:18:33.079 --> 00:18:35.779 And even Israel's kings fall short of their calling. 00:18:35.779 --> 00:18:42.720 Even Solomon himself, the fountainhead of Israel's wisdom tradition. 00:18:44.359 --> 00:18:45.500 Do you remember the story of Solomon? 00:18:47.379 --> 00:18:49.500 As a young man, he comes to the throne, 00:18:50.059 --> 00:18:51.579 and God says to him, 00:18:51.660 --> 00:18:55.500 Solomon, ask me for anything, and I'll give it to you. 00:18:55.500 --> 00:19:00.779 And instead of wealth, or fame, or power, 00:19:00.900 --> 00:19:02.180 what does Solomon ask for? 00:19:03.380 --> 00:19:04.519 He asks for wisdom. 00:19:05.960 --> 00:19:08.859 How can I govern and lead a people so great as this God? 00:19:08.940 --> 00:19:09.539 I need wisdom. 00:19:11.599 --> 00:19:12.799 And God gives it to him. 00:19:14.299 --> 00:19:16.519 And because Solomon asked for wisdom, 00:19:16.759 --> 00:19:17.759 and not any of those other things, 00:19:17.880 --> 00:19:20.099 God gives him everything else besides that he didn't ask for. 00:19:20.160 --> 00:19:21.519 Wealth, and fame, and power. 00:19:22.420 --> 00:19:24.240 Solomon becomes the wisest man of his day, 00:19:24.240 --> 00:19:26.579 and the kingdom of Israel enters a golden age. 00:19:29.440 --> 00:19:30.759 But even Solomon, 00:19:31.160 --> 00:19:34.200 the wisest man in his day, 00:19:36.059 --> 00:19:39.059 even Solomon ended his life in the depths of folly. 00:19:40.079 --> 00:19:40.759 Didn't he? 00:19:42.579 --> 00:19:45.559 He takes scores of wives and concubines. 00:19:45.720 --> 00:19:48.700 He allows idolatry to creep into his house, 00:19:48.960 --> 00:19:49.740 and his court, 00:19:50.140 --> 00:19:50.960 and his nation. 00:19:51.799 --> 00:19:53.579 He leaves his kingdom to a son 00:19:53.579 --> 00:19:54.740 who is so foolish 00:19:54.740 --> 00:19:56.539 that the kingdom is torn into 00:19:56.539 --> 00:19:59.139 practically as soon as his son begins to reign. 00:20:01.899 --> 00:20:02.259 And friends, 00:20:02.319 --> 00:20:04.879 if Solomon was the wisest man in his day, 00:20:05.199 --> 00:20:06.759 and yet prone to so much folly, 00:20:06.919 --> 00:20:08.339 what hope is there for us? 00:20:08.339 --> 00:20:14.220 But here's the good news. 00:20:16.699 --> 00:20:17.539 In time, 00:20:18.179 --> 00:20:20.539 one greater than Solomon would come. 00:20:22.599 --> 00:20:26.259 A king whose life was marked by wisdom in every way, 00:20:27.359 --> 00:20:30.699 who displayed the image of God perfectly 00:20:30.699 --> 00:20:32.399 in every interaction, 00:20:32.679 --> 00:20:33.539 in every word, 00:20:33.740 --> 00:20:34.699 in every deed. 00:20:34.700 --> 00:20:37.720 When Jesus comes, 00:20:38.559 --> 00:20:41.160 there we see the true king, 00:20:41.660 --> 00:20:42.880 and the true Israel, 00:20:43.319 --> 00:20:44.700 and the true humanity, 00:20:45.319 --> 00:20:48.500 living in full grasp of wisdom. 00:20:48.500 --> 00:20:52.420 I had coffee with a friend earlier this week, 00:20:52.440 --> 00:20:55.240 and we were just sort of ruminating on Jesus in the Gospels, 00:20:55.779 --> 00:20:59.339 and how he always seems to answer people so rightly. 00:21:00.460 --> 00:21:01.599 When they need a rebuke, 00:21:01.640 --> 00:21:02.480 he gives a rebuke. 00:21:02.819 --> 00:21:03.900 When they need a question, 00:21:03.980 --> 00:21:04.859 he asks a question. 00:21:05.240 --> 00:21:07.440 When they need a gentle word, 00:21:07.519 --> 00:21:08.539 it's a gentle word. 00:21:10.059 --> 00:21:11.019 Everything done 00:21:11.019 --> 00:21:12.680 with such perfect, 00:21:13.240 --> 00:21:14.519 utter wisdom. 00:21:14.519 --> 00:21:19.960 And all of his followers, 00:21:20.660 --> 00:21:23.079 who knew him closely and well, 00:21:23.660 --> 00:21:26.420 would all just give constant affirmation to the same thing. 00:21:27.579 --> 00:21:28.599 The Apostle Paul will write, 00:21:28.680 --> 00:21:29.900 as we read earlier in the service, 00:21:30.039 --> 00:21:34.319 Christ is the one in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 00:21:36.099 --> 00:21:37.420 Wisdom and knowledge. 00:21:38.500 --> 00:21:40.200 Those are familiar words now, aren't they, 00:21:40.240 --> 00:21:41.180 from the book of Proverbs. 00:21:41.779 --> 00:21:43.079 This is what Proverbs is all about. 00:21:43.220 --> 00:21:44.160 Wisdom and knowledge. 00:21:44.160 --> 00:21:46.279 And what we see in light of the New Testament is that 00:21:46.279 --> 00:21:47.980 they're ultimately his. 00:21:48.700 --> 00:21:50.259 They're ultimately in Christ. 00:21:54.660 --> 00:21:55.600 But you see, friends, 00:21:55.700 --> 00:21:56.600 Christ has come, 00:21:57.420 --> 00:21:58.860 not just for himself, 00:21:59.779 --> 00:22:00.759 but for us. 00:22:02.100 --> 00:22:03.380 To make us his own. 00:22:05.540 --> 00:22:07.660 When we're united to him by faith, 00:22:08.040 --> 00:22:09.100 our sins are forgiven, 00:22:10.240 --> 00:22:11.519 and we become what? 00:22:12.840 --> 00:22:13.920 Children of God. 00:22:14.160 --> 00:22:17.259 And in Romans 8, 00:22:17.300 --> 00:22:18.220 Paul will put it this way, 00:22:18.700 --> 00:22:19.380 and if children, 00:22:20.300 --> 00:22:21.140 then heirs. 00:22:22.440 --> 00:22:23.380 Heirs of God 00:22:23.380 --> 00:22:25.620 and fellow heirs of Christ. 00:22:27.540 --> 00:22:27.900 Heirs. 00:22:29.779 --> 00:22:30.220 Future 00:22:30.220 --> 00:22:31.560 royal 00:22:31.560 --> 00:22:32.740 reign. 00:22:32.740 --> 00:22:33.740 God's God. 00:22:33.740 --> 00:22:38.640 We need to see that Jesus has come to rescue us from our sin and folly, 00:22:38.740 --> 00:22:40.759 to make us God's children again by grace, 00:22:40.759 --> 00:22:43.940 so that through the ongoing exercise of his spirit in us, 00:22:44.180 --> 00:22:48.500 you and I might live into that original calling that God gave us 00:22:48.500 --> 00:22:51.240 to be his wise image bearers in creation again. 00:22:51.240 --> 00:22:52.819 Why do we need wisdom? 00:22:53.299 --> 00:22:53.980 Because, friends, 00:22:54.019 --> 00:22:55.059 if you are in Christ, 00:22:55.180 --> 00:22:56.559 you are a child of the king. 00:22:56.880 --> 00:22:59.200 You're sons and daughters of the living God. 00:23:00.160 --> 00:23:03.579 And you and I are meant to display God's wisdom in the world. 00:23:04.339 --> 00:23:07.120 To live life now in every way, 00:23:07.339 --> 00:23:08.339 whether it's in our family, 00:23:08.400 --> 00:23:09.000 or in our work, 00:23:09.019 --> 00:23:09.720 or with our friendships, 00:23:09.859 --> 00:23:11.019 or with our words, 00:23:11.079 --> 00:23:11.740 or our wealth, 00:23:11.759 --> 00:23:12.420 or whatever, 00:23:12.420 --> 00:23:13.560 in such a way 00:23:13.560 --> 00:23:15.360 that it will be a sign 00:23:15.360 --> 00:23:17.860 of God's good reign 00:23:17.860 --> 00:23:18.920 and his coming reign 00:23:18.920 --> 00:23:19.960 of peace and justice. 00:23:21.500 --> 00:23:21.740 So, you see, 00:23:21.800 --> 00:23:23.420 wisdom isn't just about being successful 00:23:23.420 --> 00:23:24.259 or happy 00:23:24.259 --> 00:23:26.000 or hitting the mark 00:23:26.000 --> 00:23:26.580 or whatever. 00:23:28.620 --> 00:23:31.340 Wisdom is about living into our identity, 00:23:31.500 --> 00:23:32.460 our status, 00:23:32.820 --> 00:23:35.259 as God's rescued image bearers, 00:23:35.680 --> 00:23:37.019 redeemed by the blood of Christ, 00:23:37.779 --> 00:23:39.880 saved to reign with him one day. 00:23:42.420 --> 00:23:43.160 So, friends, 00:23:43.200 --> 00:23:44.539 when you take up the book of Proverbs 00:23:44.539 --> 00:23:45.140 and read it, 00:23:45.680 --> 00:23:47.980 and you hear a father speaking to his son, 00:23:49.539 --> 00:23:51.259 regardless of who you are, 00:23:51.340 --> 00:23:54.200 male, female, rich, poor, 00:23:55.920 --> 00:23:56.860 speaking to you, 00:23:58.400 --> 00:24:00.140 you're the one who's been destined 00:24:00.140 --> 00:24:02.980 and chosen and redeemed to reign. 00:24:03.880 --> 00:24:05.400 And you need this wisdom 00:24:05.400 --> 00:24:07.360 so you can do it well. 00:24:11.360 --> 00:24:12.320 So, how do we get it? 00:24:13.420 --> 00:24:14.360 Where do we get this wisdom 00:24:14.360 --> 00:24:14.920 that we need? 00:24:15.580 --> 00:24:16.279 This wisdom 00:24:16.279 --> 00:24:17.940 that we need to live as people, 00:24:18.740 --> 00:24:19.500 the people that Christ 00:24:19.500 --> 00:24:20.420 has rescued us to be? 00:24:21.860 --> 00:24:22.220 Well, 00:24:22.519 --> 00:24:23.880 look at verse 7. 00:24:25.480 --> 00:24:26.660 The fear of the Lord 00:24:26.660 --> 00:24:28.100 is the beginning 00:24:28.100 --> 00:24:29.400 of knowledge. 00:24:30.860 --> 00:24:31.860 We'll see the same thing 00:24:31.860 --> 00:24:32.440 at the end 00:24:32.440 --> 00:24:33.440 of this opening section 00:24:33.440 --> 00:24:34.060 of Proverbs 00:24:34.060 --> 00:24:35.060 in chapters 1 through 9. 00:24:35.120 --> 00:24:36.560 In chapter 9, verse 10, 00:24:36.779 --> 00:24:37.920 it ends with the same note, 00:24:38.000 --> 00:24:38.380 practically. 00:24:38.519 --> 00:24:39.519 The fear of the Lord 00:24:39.519 --> 00:24:41.100 is the beginning of wisdom. 00:24:41.099 --> 00:24:44.959 Now, what does the Bible mean 00:24:44.959 --> 00:24:46.639 by the fear of the Lord? 00:24:48.379 --> 00:24:49.199 Well, fear here 00:24:49.199 --> 00:24:50.099 doesn't necessarily mean 00:24:50.099 --> 00:24:51.799 terror or fright. 00:24:53.559 --> 00:24:54.740 Rather, fear of the Lord 00:24:54.740 --> 00:24:55.379 is awe 00:24:55.379 --> 00:24:57.319 and reverence. 00:24:58.679 --> 00:24:59.419 It's realizing 00:24:59.419 --> 00:25:00.500 deep in your bones 00:25:00.500 --> 00:25:01.039 that God 00:25:01.039 --> 00:25:03.419 is the center of existence 00:25:03.419 --> 00:25:05.299 and that He is 00:25:05.299 --> 00:25:06.039 our complete, 00:25:06.859 --> 00:25:07.419 He is worthy 00:25:07.420 --> 00:25:08.300 of our complete 00:25:08.300 --> 00:25:09.600 and utter worship. 00:25:12.000 --> 00:25:13.039 It's hard to capture 00:25:13.039 --> 00:25:13.980 this fear of the Lord 00:25:13.980 --> 00:25:14.960 in words, 00:25:15.019 --> 00:25:15.380 isn't it? 00:25:17.360 --> 00:25:18.680 I imagine it's a bit like 00:25:18.680 --> 00:25:19.360 what people feel 00:25:19.360 --> 00:25:19.940 when they stand 00:25:19.940 --> 00:25:20.279 on the edge 00:25:20.279 --> 00:25:21.060 of the Grand Canyon. 00:25:21.920 --> 00:25:22.300 I've never been 00:25:22.300 --> 00:25:22.900 to the Grand Canyon. 00:25:23.420 --> 00:25:24.340 Maybe some of you have. 00:25:26.340 --> 00:25:27.140 But I imagine 00:25:27.140 --> 00:25:27.980 that to behold 00:25:27.980 --> 00:25:29.100 something so great 00:25:29.100 --> 00:25:30.600 and so massive 00:25:30.600 --> 00:25:32.320 and so breathtaking 00:25:32.319 --> 00:25:35.659 and so intractably real 00:25:35.659 --> 00:25:37.119 right before you, 00:25:38.179 --> 00:25:39.559 I imagine that 00:25:39.559 --> 00:25:40.319 to stand there 00:25:40.319 --> 00:25:41.119 on that edge 00:25:41.119 --> 00:25:41.960 and to see that 00:25:41.960 --> 00:25:43.379 giant thing 00:25:43.379 --> 00:25:44.059 yawning 00:25:44.059 --> 00:25:45.379 before you, 00:25:46.179 --> 00:25:49.819 that it's so massive 00:25:49.819 --> 00:25:50.539 and so breathtaking 00:25:50.539 --> 00:25:51.359 that for a moment 00:25:51.359 --> 00:25:52.500 you just stop thinking 00:25:52.500 --> 00:25:53.259 about yourself. 00:25:53.259 --> 00:25:56.579 and that for a moment 00:25:56.579 --> 00:25:58.859 you have a right sense 00:25:58.859 --> 00:26:00.559 of your smallness 00:26:00.559 --> 00:26:01.200 in the world 00:26:01.200 --> 00:26:02.579 before the face 00:26:02.579 --> 00:26:03.819 of something so powerful 00:26:03.819 --> 00:26:04.839 and so great. 00:26:07.680 --> 00:26:08.359 Do you see how 00:26:08.359 --> 00:26:08.779 that's a different 00:26:08.779 --> 00:26:09.480 kind of fear 00:26:09.480 --> 00:26:11.599 than being merely afraid? 00:26:15.319 --> 00:26:16.319 There's an old passage 00:26:16.319 --> 00:26:17.279 in The Wind and the Willows 00:26:17.279 --> 00:26:19.119 where rat and mole 00:26:19.119 --> 00:26:19.960 go looking 00:26:19.960 --> 00:26:21.220 for the baby otter 00:26:21.220 --> 00:26:22.720 and they stumble 00:26:22.720 --> 00:26:23.360 into the presence 00:26:23.360 --> 00:26:23.860 of God. 00:26:25.700 --> 00:26:26.579 And that passage 00:26:26.579 --> 00:26:27.460 goes like this. 00:26:29.120 --> 00:26:30.100 Suddenly the mole 00:26:30.100 --> 00:26:31.240 felt a great awe 00:26:31.240 --> 00:26:32.600 fall upon him. 00:26:33.539 --> 00:26:33.900 An awe 00:26:33.900 --> 00:26:34.960 that turned 00:26:34.960 --> 00:26:35.480 his muscles 00:26:35.480 --> 00:26:36.140 to water 00:26:36.140 --> 00:26:37.420 bowed his head 00:26:37.420 --> 00:26:38.799 and rooted his feet 00:26:38.799 --> 00:26:39.440 to the ground. 00:26:40.660 --> 00:26:41.700 It was no panic 00:26:41.700 --> 00:26:42.640 terror indeed. 00:26:43.019 --> 00:26:43.960 He felt wonderfully 00:26:43.960 --> 00:26:44.660 at peace 00:26:44.660 --> 00:26:45.420 and happy. 00:26:46.960 --> 00:26:47.460 Rat! 00:26:47.740 --> 00:26:48.600 He found breath 00:26:48.600 --> 00:26:49.400 to whisper 00:26:49.400 --> 00:26:50.319 shaking. 00:26:50.319 --> 00:26:51.480 Are you afraid? 00:26:53.179 --> 00:26:53.700 Afraid, 00:26:53.919 --> 00:26:54.579 murmured the rat, 00:26:54.980 --> 00:26:55.960 his eyes shining 00:26:55.960 --> 00:26:57.519 with unutterable love. 00:26:57.599 --> 00:26:58.359 Afraid of him? 00:26:58.939 --> 00:27:00.000 Oh, never, never. 00:27:00.119 --> 00:27:00.460 And yet, 00:27:00.619 --> 00:27:01.119 and yet, 00:27:01.220 --> 00:27:01.679 oh mole, 00:27:02.179 --> 00:27:03.779 I am afraid. 00:27:05.480 --> 00:27:06.720 Then the two animals 00:27:06.720 --> 00:27:08.139 crouching to the earth 00:27:08.139 --> 00:27:09.460 bowed their heads 00:27:09.460 --> 00:27:10.859 and did worship. 00:27:13.099 --> 00:27:14.099 Are you afraid? 00:27:14.539 --> 00:27:14.939 No. 00:27:15.619 --> 00:27:16.299 But yes, 00:27:16.740 --> 00:27:18.099 all at the same time. 00:27:18.099 --> 00:27:20.119 you see, 00:27:20.179 --> 00:27:20.299 friends, 00:27:20.359 --> 00:27:21.139 the fear of the Lord 00:27:21.139 --> 00:27:23.000 is reverence 00:27:23.000 --> 00:27:24.319 shot through 00:27:24.319 --> 00:27:24.959 with love. 00:27:25.579 --> 00:27:26.659 And it's love 00:27:26.659 --> 00:27:27.599 shot through 00:27:27.599 --> 00:27:28.379 with reverence. 00:27:29.439 --> 00:27:30.339 And that is 00:27:30.339 --> 00:27:30.719 the beginning 00:27:30.719 --> 00:27:31.219 of wisdom. 00:27:33.079 --> 00:27:34.099 To have God 00:27:34.099 --> 00:27:34.759 rightly 00:27:34.759 --> 00:27:35.359 at the center 00:27:35.359 --> 00:27:36.119 of our lives 00:27:36.119 --> 00:27:36.959 in awe 00:27:36.959 --> 00:27:38.259 and in love. 00:27:38.740 --> 00:27:39.619 Because after all, 00:27:39.679 --> 00:27:40.339 if God 00:27:40.339 --> 00:27:41.480 is God, 00:27:41.480 --> 00:27:44.200 then surely 00:27:44.200 --> 00:27:44.980 it is the height 00:27:44.980 --> 00:27:45.940 of foolishness 00:27:45.940 --> 00:27:47.140 to live 00:27:47.140 --> 00:27:48.200 with anything else 00:27:48.200 --> 00:27:49.220 as the driving center 00:27:49.220 --> 00:27:49.860 of our lives, 00:27:49.900 --> 00:27:50.319 is it not? 00:27:51.700 --> 00:27:52.599 If God is 00:27:52.599 --> 00:27:53.220 our creator 00:27:53.220 --> 00:27:53.980 and our redeemer, 00:27:54.539 --> 00:27:55.400 if God is not just 00:27:55.400 --> 00:27:56.279 the ground 00:27:56.279 --> 00:27:56.920 of our being, 00:27:57.000 --> 00:27:58.279 but the deep ocean 00:27:58.279 --> 00:27:59.380 of our bliss, 00:27:59.440 --> 00:27:59.900 if God 00:27:59.900 --> 00:28:00.720 is not just 00:28:00.720 --> 00:28:01.940 our rightful judge, 00:28:01.960 --> 00:28:03.220 but our only hope, 00:28:05.480 --> 00:28:05.720 friends, 00:28:05.759 --> 00:28:06.900 if God is God, 00:28:06.980 --> 00:28:07.799 then wisdom, 00:28:08.160 --> 00:28:09.180 living with skill 00:28:09.180 --> 00:28:10.200 in God's world 00:28:10.200 --> 00:28:11.220 has to begin 00:28:11.220 --> 00:28:12.180 with right 00:28:12.180 --> 00:28:13.920 life-centering 00:28:13.920 --> 00:28:14.840 awe 00:28:14.840 --> 00:28:15.799 of Him. 00:28:18.060 --> 00:28:18.880 Because otherwise, 00:28:19.080 --> 00:28:19.580 something else 00:28:19.580 --> 00:28:20.460 will get into the center 00:28:20.460 --> 00:28:23.039 and it will just 00:28:23.039 --> 00:28:24.740 throw things apart. 00:28:28.600 --> 00:28:29.480 And this fear 00:28:29.480 --> 00:28:29.880 of the Lord, 00:28:29.980 --> 00:28:30.279 we're told, 00:28:30.360 --> 00:28:30.860 is the beginning 00:28:30.860 --> 00:28:31.420 of wisdom. 00:28:32.860 --> 00:28:33.700 And beginning, 00:28:33.860 --> 00:28:34.080 I think, 00:28:34.120 --> 00:28:34.820 in two senses. 00:28:36.000 --> 00:28:36.920 It's the beginning 00:28:36.920 --> 00:28:38.200 because it's the first step. 00:28:39.180 --> 00:28:41.180 Proverbs is saying here 00:28:41.180 --> 00:28:41.900 that without the fear 00:28:41.900 --> 00:28:42.360 of the Lord, 00:28:42.460 --> 00:28:43.180 you'll never know 00:28:43.180 --> 00:28:43.700 real wisdom. 00:28:44.100 --> 00:28:45.759 You've got to begin here. 00:28:45.860 --> 00:28:46.820 You can try all sorts 00:28:46.820 --> 00:28:47.960 of tips and tricks 00:28:47.960 --> 00:28:49.400 and self-help techniques 00:28:49.400 --> 00:28:50.480 and they will help you 00:28:50.480 --> 00:28:51.360 accomplish some things, 00:28:51.460 --> 00:28:52.519 but you won't be wise. 00:28:56.060 --> 00:28:57.060 But the fear of the Lord 00:28:57.060 --> 00:28:57.500 is the beginning 00:28:57.500 --> 00:28:57.920 of wisdom, 00:28:58.100 --> 00:28:59.340 not just as the first step, 00:28:59.660 --> 00:29:00.740 but as the foundation 00:29:00.740 --> 00:29:01.519 of all else. 00:29:02.980 --> 00:29:03.880 It's the beginning 00:29:03.880 --> 00:29:04.480 in the sense 00:29:04.480 --> 00:29:05.120 of the principle 00:29:05.120 --> 00:29:06.060 that feeds it all. 00:29:06.460 --> 00:29:07.700 You never leave it behind. 00:29:07.700 --> 00:29:10.180 It's like food coloring 00:29:10.180 --> 00:29:11.039 in the cake mix 00:29:11.039 --> 00:29:11.819 that just colors 00:29:11.819 --> 00:29:12.440 and spreads 00:29:12.440 --> 00:29:13.100 and moves 00:29:13.100 --> 00:29:14.019 and changes 00:29:14.019 --> 00:29:14.720 the whole thing. 00:29:17.600 --> 00:29:18.779 The fear of the Lord 00:29:18.779 --> 00:29:19.680 is like the alphabet 00:29:19.680 --> 00:29:20.840 to the poet 00:29:20.840 --> 00:29:22.660 or the musical scales 00:29:22.660 --> 00:29:23.920 to the virtuoso violin. 00:29:24.500 --> 00:29:26.080 It's like numerals 00:29:26.080 --> 00:29:27.160 to the genius mathematician. 00:29:27.400 --> 00:29:27.860 It's there 00:29:27.860 --> 00:29:28.840 in everything. 00:29:29.039 --> 00:29:30.240 You never leave it behind. 00:29:30.799 --> 00:29:31.620 It's the foundation 00:29:31.620 --> 00:29:33.080 on which everything rests. 00:29:35.700 --> 00:29:36.660 The fear of the Lord 00:29:36.660 --> 00:29:37.580 is the beginning of wisdom. 00:29:37.720 --> 00:29:38.600 That's what we need. 00:29:39.240 --> 00:29:40.500 That's how we grow in wisdom. 00:29:41.900 --> 00:29:42.660 That's how we begin 00:29:42.660 --> 00:29:43.420 to be wise. 00:29:46.740 --> 00:29:47.640 So how do we get it? 00:29:48.860 --> 00:29:49.660 How do we get the fear 00:29:49.660 --> 00:29:50.080 of the Lord? 00:29:51.580 --> 00:29:52.560 If that is the beginning 00:29:52.560 --> 00:29:53.080 of wisdom, 00:29:53.080 --> 00:29:54.420 if we're lost without it, 00:29:54.440 --> 00:29:55.220 if we can't even take 00:29:55.220 --> 00:29:55.960 our first step, 00:29:56.019 --> 00:29:57.200 if the fear of the Lord 00:29:57.200 --> 00:29:57.920 is the first step 00:29:57.920 --> 00:29:58.420 and the foundation 00:29:58.420 --> 00:29:58.940 of all else, 00:29:58.980 --> 00:29:59.519 how in the world 00:29:59.519 --> 00:30:00.080 do we get the fear 00:30:00.080 --> 00:30:00.540 of the Lord? 00:30:01.320 --> 00:30:02.340 How on the one hand 00:30:02.340 --> 00:30:03.120 do we see God 00:30:03.120 --> 00:30:04.080 in all of his glory 00:30:04.080 --> 00:30:04.720 and majesty, 00:30:04.720 --> 00:30:05.660 and on the other hand, 00:30:05.700 --> 00:30:06.500 how do we get out 00:30:06.500 --> 00:30:07.200 of ourselves? 00:30:08.000 --> 00:30:09.259 How do we shed our pride 00:30:09.259 --> 00:30:10.319 and our self-centeredness 00:30:10.319 --> 00:30:11.299 that makes us such fools? 00:30:12.660 --> 00:30:13.980 How do we experience God 00:30:13.980 --> 00:30:15.140 in all his godness 00:30:15.140 --> 00:30:17.180 with all the humility 00:30:17.180 --> 00:30:17.920 and awe 00:30:17.920 --> 00:30:18.779 and love 00:30:18.779 --> 00:30:19.860 that he deserves? 00:30:24.059 --> 00:30:24.680 Here's how. 00:30:28.019 --> 00:30:29.140 You see that the one 00:30:29.140 --> 00:30:30.100 in whom were hidden 00:30:30.100 --> 00:30:31.079 all the treasures 00:30:31.079 --> 00:30:32.299 of wisdom and knowledge, 00:30:32.299 --> 00:30:34.039 the very incarnate wisdom 00:30:34.039 --> 00:30:34.700 himself, 00:30:36.460 --> 00:30:37.399 went to the cross 00:30:37.399 --> 00:30:37.879 for you. 00:30:41.639 --> 00:30:42.460 If you want to grow 00:30:42.460 --> 00:30:43.279 in the fear of the Lord, 00:30:43.359 --> 00:30:44.240 you look at the cross 00:30:44.240 --> 00:30:46.839 and there you see 00:30:46.839 --> 00:30:48.200 the one greater than Solomon, 00:30:48.299 --> 00:30:49.039 the wisest man 00:30:49.039 --> 00:30:49.779 who ever lived, 00:30:50.379 --> 00:30:51.220 dying in the place 00:30:51.220 --> 00:30:52.579 of fools like you and me 00:30:52.579 --> 00:30:55.200 because he loves us. 00:30:57.940 --> 00:30:58.879 You see there 00:30:58.879 --> 00:30:59.879 the real cost 00:30:59.879 --> 00:31:00.879 of our foolishness, 00:31:00.960 --> 00:31:01.440 don't you? 00:31:02.299 --> 00:31:03.359 That our pride 00:31:03.359 --> 00:31:03.879 and sin, 00:31:03.980 --> 00:31:04.720 that our rejection 00:31:04.720 --> 00:31:05.899 of God deserve death 00:31:05.899 --> 00:31:06.519 and there you see 00:31:06.519 --> 00:31:07.319 God judging sin 00:31:07.319 --> 00:31:08.279 because he's just. 00:31:10.460 --> 00:31:11.519 But there you also 00:31:11.519 --> 00:31:12.440 see the real depth 00:31:12.440 --> 00:31:13.779 of God's love for us. 00:31:15.099 --> 00:31:15.919 That though you 00:31:15.919 --> 00:31:16.839 despised him, 00:31:16.980 --> 00:31:17.680 Christ did not 00:31:17.680 --> 00:31:18.480 despise you. 00:31:19.000 --> 00:31:19.579 And that though 00:31:19.579 --> 00:31:20.700 you thought yourself 00:31:20.700 --> 00:31:21.399 above him, 00:31:21.720 --> 00:31:22.599 he humbled himself 00:31:22.599 --> 00:31:23.180 for you. 00:31:25.000 --> 00:31:25.759 How do you get 00:31:25.759 --> 00:31:27.319 the fear of the Lord, 00:31:27.480 --> 00:31:29.019 awe and love 00:31:29.019 --> 00:31:30.059 for this one 00:31:30.059 --> 00:31:30.779 true living God? 00:31:30.779 --> 00:31:31.619 How do you begin 00:31:31.619 --> 00:31:32.740 down the path 00:31:32.740 --> 00:31:33.420 of wisdom? 00:31:33.500 --> 00:31:34.119 You look away 00:31:34.119 --> 00:31:34.899 from yourself 00:31:34.899 --> 00:31:36.859 and ultimately 00:31:36.859 --> 00:31:37.660 you look at Christ 00:31:37.660 --> 00:31:38.240 crucified 00:31:38.240 --> 00:31:40.200 and you fix 00:31:40.200 --> 00:31:41.139 your gaze there 00:31:41.139 --> 00:31:42.579 until love 00:31:42.579 --> 00:31:43.619 and awe 00:31:43.619 --> 00:31:44.740 and humility 00:31:44.740 --> 00:31:46.579 begin to grow. 00:31:50.180 --> 00:31:51.339 And then you've 00:31:51.339 --> 00:31:52.200 taken the first steps 00:31:52.200 --> 00:31:52.660 of wisdom 00:31:52.660 --> 00:31:54.879 and then the foundation 00:31:54.879 --> 00:31:55.579 will be laid 00:31:55.579 --> 00:31:56.919 and you will 00:31:56.919 --> 00:31:57.839 fear him rightly 00:31:57.839 --> 00:31:59.299 and you will 00:31:59.299 --> 00:32:00.039 grow wise. 00:32:03.679 --> 00:32:04.220 After all, 00:32:04.240 --> 00:32:04.599 the whole book 00:32:04.599 --> 00:32:05.119 of Proverbs 00:32:05.119 --> 00:32:05.679 is about him, 00:32:05.740 --> 00:32:05.939 really, 00:32:06.099 --> 00:32:06.480 isn't it? 00:32:07.319 --> 00:32:08.379 If Jesus is the one 00:32:08.379 --> 00:32:09.119 in whom all 00:32:09.119 --> 00:32:10.599 treasures of wisdom 00:32:10.599 --> 00:32:11.079 and knowledge 00:32:11.079 --> 00:32:11.559 are hidden. 00:32:14.519 --> 00:32:15.059 In fact, 00:32:15.099 --> 00:32:15.659 this whole book 00:32:15.659 --> 00:32:16.139 is ultimately 00:32:16.139 --> 00:32:16.839 not just the words 00:32:16.839 --> 00:32:17.399 of Solomon 00:32:17.399 --> 00:32:18.299 from long ago, 00:32:18.299 --> 00:32:21.279 but it's the words 00:32:21.279 --> 00:32:21.859 of the risen 00:32:21.859 --> 00:32:22.599 living Christ 00:32:22.599 --> 00:32:23.259 speaking to us 00:32:23.259 --> 00:32:23.859 today. 00:32:25.259 --> 00:32:26.180 It's the words 00:32:26.180 --> 00:32:26.980 of the living 00:32:26.980 --> 00:32:27.980 Jesus speaking 00:32:27.980 --> 00:32:28.579 to us, 00:32:29.220 --> 00:32:30.099 counseling us, 00:32:30.539 --> 00:32:31.299 teaching us, 00:32:31.779 --> 00:32:32.700 helping us, 00:32:34.599 --> 00:32:35.539 correcting us, 00:32:36.299 --> 00:32:37.279 encouraging us, 00:32:37.500 --> 00:32:38.639 instructing us 00:32:38.640 --> 00:32:40.900 so that we might 00:32:40.900 --> 00:32:41.540 become, 00:32:41.900 --> 00:32:42.620 through his spirit 00:32:42.620 --> 00:32:43.700 and by his grace, 00:32:44.200 --> 00:32:45.420 those wise image 00:32:45.420 --> 00:32:45.980 bearers 00:32:45.980 --> 00:32:47.720 that he died 00:32:47.720 --> 00:32:48.440 to make us. 00:32:50.840 --> 00:32:51.540 This is why 00:32:51.540 --> 00:32:52.060 we're studying 00:32:52.060 --> 00:32:52.759 Proverbs, 00:32:52.900 --> 00:32:53.160 friends. 00:32:56.080 --> 00:32:56.860 And ultimately, 00:32:57.000 --> 00:32:57.360 Christ 00:32:57.360 --> 00:32:58.900 is wisdom 00:32:58.900 --> 00:32:59.580 and that's who 00:32:59.580 --> 00:33:00.180 we're going to see 00:33:00.180 --> 00:33:00.860 in this book 00:33:00.860 --> 00:33:02.400 and he's the one 00:33:02.400 --> 00:33:02.880 we need 00:33:02.880 --> 00:33:04.600 and as we behold 00:33:04.600 --> 00:33:05.060 him, 00:33:05.240 --> 00:33:06.580 ultimately on the cross, 00:33:07.700 --> 00:33:08.620 he'll make us wise. 00:33:08.640 --> 00:33:10.780 let's pray. 00:33:16.880 --> 00:33:17.460 Lord Jesus, 00:33:17.540 --> 00:33:18.020 we confess 00:33:18.020 --> 00:33:18.560 that we are 00:33:18.560 --> 00:33:20.000 often so foolish, 00:33:21.120 --> 00:33:22.540 Lord, 00:33:22.580 --> 00:33:23.300 not just in the things 00:33:23.300 --> 00:33:23.800 that we say 00:33:23.800 --> 00:33:24.180 or the things 00:33:24.180 --> 00:33:24.720 that we do 00:33:24.720 --> 00:33:25.180 and not just 00:33:25.180 --> 00:33:25.680 the decisions 00:33:25.680 --> 00:33:26.340 we make, 00:33:26.840 --> 00:33:26.920 Lord, 00:33:26.960 --> 00:33:28.060 not just in the laziness 00:33:28.060 --> 00:33:30.060 that we sloth into, 00:33:31.400 --> 00:33:31.780 but Jesus, 00:33:31.920 --> 00:33:32.660 we are so foolish 00:33:32.660 --> 00:33:33.600 to put other things 00:33:33.600 --> 00:33:34.080 in the center 00:33:34.080 --> 00:33:34.700 of our lives 00:33:34.700 --> 00:33:35.300 other than you. 00:33:36.780 --> 00:33:37.680 We're so foolish 00:33:37.680 --> 00:33:38.340 to think much 00:33:38.339 --> 00:33:38.899 of ourselves 00:33:38.899 --> 00:33:39.319 and to think 00:33:39.319 --> 00:33:39.980 little of you. 00:33:41.279 --> 00:33:41.639 So, 00:33:41.740 --> 00:33:41.839 Lord, 00:33:41.899 --> 00:33:42.399 we pray 00:33:42.399 --> 00:33:43.939 that as we come 00:33:43.939 --> 00:33:44.799 to the table now, 00:33:45.939 --> 00:33:46.459 you would, 00:33:46.759 --> 00:33:47.359 by your spirit, 00:33:47.579 --> 00:33:48.559 re-center 00:33:48.559 --> 00:33:49.379 our hearts 00:33:49.379 --> 00:33:51.099 on you, 00:33:52.039 --> 00:33:52.559 on what you've 00:33:52.559 --> 00:33:53.179 done for us 00:33:53.179 --> 00:33:54.099 and help us, 00:33:54.399 --> 00:33:54.720 Lord Jesus, 00:33:54.819 --> 00:33:55.879 to grow as a church, 00:33:55.959 --> 00:33:56.500 as people 00:33:56.500 --> 00:33:58.439 in the real 00:33:58.439 --> 00:33:59.299 and right fear 00:33:59.299 --> 00:33:59.819 of the Lord 00:33:59.819 --> 00:34:01.220 so that we might 00:34:01.220 --> 00:34:02.019 become wise 00:34:02.019 --> 00:34:03.399 and so that we 00:34:03.399 --> 00:34:04.279 might glorify you. 00:34:05.399 --> 00:34:05.919 We pray this 00:34:05.919 --> 00:34:06.359 in your name, 00:34:06.419 --> 00:34:06.639 Jesus. 00:34:06.899 --> 00:34:07.099 Amen. 00:34:07.099 --> 00:34:09.119 Let's pray. 00:34:09.119 --> 00:34:09.839 Please be Т, 00:34:10.019 --> 00:34:10.339 bey to the Holy 00:34:10.339 --> 00:34:10.519 ini, 00:34:11.039 --> 00:34:11.539 give us amaçongle, 00:34:11.539 --> 00:34:12.559 see you, 00:34:12.559 --> 00:34:14.539 Lord, 00:34:14.539 --> 00:34:14.679 amen. 00:34:14.679 --> 00:34:15.199 Let's pray. 00:34:15.199 --> 00:34:15.380 Amen. 00:34:16.059 --> 00:34:16.599 Let's pray. 00:34:16.679 --> 00:34:16.920 Let's pray. 00:34:16.920 --> 00:34:17.039 Let's pray. 00:34:17.039 --> 00:34:17.360 Let's pray. 00:34:17.460 --> 00:34:17.980 Let's pray. 00:34:17.980 --> 00:34:18.679 Let's pray. 00:34:18.679 --> 00:34:19.199 Amen. 00:34:19.199 --> 00:34:19.500 Let's pray. 00:34:19.500 --> 00:34:19.559 So, 00:34:19.559 --> 00:34:19.960 let's pray.