Proverbs: The Fall(Part 2)

Proverbs is small bundle packed full with treasures of wisdom and power.  When I began to study this great book, I realized that not only is Proverbs a great book of practical guidelines for life, but it gives us such a great picture of who God really is. 

He is the creator and sustainer of life. Proverbs 3:19-20 says, By wisdom the Lord laid the earth’s foundations, by understanding he set the heavens in place; by his knowledge the watery depths were divided, and the clouds let drop the dew.  According to Proverbs 11:21 that says, Be sure of this: The wicked will not go unpunished, but those who are righteous will go free; God is a righteous judge.  The Word of God is perfect, and God is our great defender.  Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.  Proverbs 30:5  We learn of many of His great attributes such as grace, justice, mercy, patience, and His desire to give to those He calls His own.

We know that, The fear (awe, reverence, worship) of the Lord, is the beginning of wisdom. (Proverbs 9:10)  I love how the Amplified Bible translates this verse.  The reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord is the beginning (the chief and choice part) of Wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight and understanding

As we read and see the nature and character of God displayed through Proverbs, we can not help but stand more in awe of our Lord.  Our worship can not help but increase, causing our wisdom to increase as well!  Hallelujah!

Here is a list of the themes displayed throughout Proverbs.

-Love your spouse
-Instruct your children in the right way
-Avoid evil company
-Guard your mouth
-Work is good....Don't be lazy!
-Help the Needy
-Contentment
-Guard your heart against pride

Yesterday, we read 1 Kings 3 & 4, but if you have read on you know that Solomon eventually turns to the things that he gives warning about in his writings.  This gives us reason to pause and consider what this might look like in our own lives.  What do we stand against and how might the enemy use that against us?  2 Corinthians 11:3 says,  But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.  If the wisest man can be led astray from the ways of His God that he loved and worshipped, we better learn from this!
 
1 Kings 11 says that Solomon loved many foreign women.  He had 700 wives, princesses, and 300 concubines.  Verse 3 of that same chapter says that Solomon's wives led him astray.  Through these women, pagan influence was brought back into Israel.  As a result of worshipping false gods, Solomon's wisdom waned.  Here is the rest of the story from 1 Kings 11.

 The Lord became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice. ¹⁰ Although he had forbidden Solomon to follow other gods, Solomon did not keep the Lord’s command. ¹¹ So the Lord said to Solomon, “Since this is your attitude and you have not kept my covenant and my decrees, which I commanded you, I will most certainly tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your subordinates. ¹² Nevertheless, for the sake of David your father, I will not do it during your lifetime. I will tear it out of the hand of your son. ¹³ Yet I will not tear the whole kingdom from him, but will give him one tribe for the sake of David my servant and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen.” 

Now look back at the list of themes throughout Proverbs.  Solomon was led astray and did the same things he warned against.  Solomon represents everyone of us.  When we lose our reverence and fear of the Lord and wander from God's instruction, we will worship the things of the world.  That which we fear is what we will worship.  What a great picture that we all DESPERATELY need a Savior! 

Even through this passage, we see that Our kind, compassionate, and merciful God gave grace to Solomon in his failures.  While Solomon saw the nature of God through His act of mercy, he only anticipated redemption through the fulfillment of the coming Messiah.  But we, as Believers, under the new covenant, can encounter redemption through Jesus today.  Doesn't that make you want to shout!!!    

I told you the other day that my prayer is that we will see Jesus through our study.  Because we are blood-bought and redeemed by His blood, everything in our lives should point to Jesus.  Old testament and new testament alike were written for the purpose of revealing God's redemptive plan through Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection.   

1 John 3:2 says that when we see Him, we'll be like Him.  Let's make this our prayer!  Please join me Monday!  We are going to look through the Word and see how New Testament believers have great wisdom through Jesus.  Because He lives in us, we are able to be in right standing with the Father.  We learned yesterday that wisdom is the fruit of a right relationship with God! 

4 sleeps until our study begins!