Proverbs Ch3v13-35 - The Blessed Life

So Proverbs 3, verse 13 onwards.

Proverbs 3:13

Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding.

For she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold.

She is more precious than rubies.

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 pleasant ways and all her paths are peace.

She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her.

Those who hold her fast will be blessed.

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.

My son, do not let wisdom and understanding out of your sight.

Preserve sound judgment and discretion.

They will be life for you, an ornament to grace your neck.

Then you will go on your way in safety and your foot will not stumble.

When you lie down, you will not be afraid.

When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.

Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked.

For the Lord will be at your side and will keep your foot from being snared.

Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due when it is in your power to act.

Do not say to your neighbor, come back tomorrow and I'll give it to you, when you already have it with you.

Do not plot harm against your neighbor who lives trustfully near you.

Do not accuse anyone for no reason when they have done you no harm.

Do not envy the violent or choose any of their ways.

For the Lord detests the perverse but takes the upright into his confidence.

The Lord's curse is on the house of the wicked, but he blesses the home of the righteous.

He mocks proud mockers, but shows favor to the humble and oppressed.

The wise inherit honor, but fools get only shame.

Thank you so much, Mary.

And good morning, everybody.

So I think it's fair to say we all want the blessed life, right?

In the Bible, blessed describes a person who is living life optimally as God intended, regardless of their circumstance.

I'll say that again.

Blessed describes a person who is living life optimally as God intended, regardless of circumstance.

But I think it's fair to say also, we all have a different idea of what it actually looks like to be blessed.

Is the blessed life the married life?

Finding love with the man or woman of your dreams?

Having companionship on life's journey?

Or is the blessed life the successful life?

Having a fulfilling career and a comfortable salary?

Giving you the house of your dreams?

Is the blessed life the family life?

With cute little mini people who look just like you, wreaking havoc around your house?

Little people to invest your life in?

Is the blessed life the healthy life?

To be free from pain?

Able to enjoy your retirement well into old age?

To travel, see the world?

Or what comes to your mind?

Whenever you imagine the blessed life?

Now if you're young here today, you've still got your whole life ahead of you.

You've got that picture in your mind of what the blessed life looks like.

And in this speech, King Solomon, the author, he speaks as a father to his son about where he can find that blessed life.

And to the son's surprise, it's not found in romance or money or the dream house or traveling the world.

It comes from a place that your social media feed will never point you to.

Look in verse 13.

Blessed are those who find wisdom.

The blessed life is the life of wisdom.

If you get wisdom, you get the optimal life according to God.

In fact, wisdom promises us a more blessed life than we could ever even dream up.

Have a look at verse 14.

For she, wisdom, is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold.

Imagine for a second if you made a smart investment on some Google shares back in the 90s, right?

And you sold them for a thousand times what you paid for them.

That's nothing close to what wisdom will repay you.

Look at verse 15.

She is more precious than rubies.

Nothing you desire can compare with her.

Nothing.

Not the guy or girl of your dreams.

Not the house by the sea or the big money job.

Nothing you desire can compare with getting wisdom.

That's the case that the father makes to his son with his whole life out ahead of him.

But it doesn't make any sense to him.

Nor to us, does it?

Because when we look around or take a scroll through the old social media,

who's running after wisdom as the blessed life?

No one.

Why wisdom?

Well, that's what the father is going to do in this speech.

He's going to make the case as to why wisdom, getting wisdom, is the blessed life.

Now, before we start, for those of you who aren't young in this room,

anyone who's over the age of...

Let me see.

What age is my wife again?

Plus one onto that.

No, I'm kidding.

I'm not going to put a number on that.

I'll offend way too many people all at once.

But, yeah, that's a very subjective word, isn't it?

Young.

But anyone who considers themselves not young anymore,

you might be thinking to yourself,

why am I going to listen to this text?

Because it's directed to a young person.

Well, I think you should listen, and this is why.

You're probably at a stage in life where you went after the blessed life,

but now you realize that those things you went after didn't give it to you.

So for anyone who is weary of that endless search for blessing,

hear God's word to you today.

The search is over.

It's wisdom.

It's never too late to know the blessed life that God created you to live.

So will you pray with me now

that we would all take hold of that wisdom that God's offering to us?

Let's pray.

Father, we have run after many good things as ultimate things,

which have left us empty in the end

and not giving us the blessing that we sought for.

So as we read your word now,

open our eyes to see the blessed life that you made us to live

and help us to take hold of it.

Amen.

Okay.

So King Solomon is now going to make his case to his son.

And here's the first reason he gives

for why the blessed life is the life of wisdom.

Number one, get wisdom,

and it will be for you a tree of life with eternal yields.

Look at verse 16.

Long life is in wisdom's right hand.

In her left hand are riches and honor.

Her ways are pleasant ways,

and all her paths are peace.

How do we make it that?

Okay.

Now, if we apply the skill for living that Proverbs offers us,

the chances are that we will live a longer life

and have more money in the bank account, okay?

Because you're more likely to stay out of trouble

and to make better choices in general, okay?

That's what happens when you live according to God's rules.

But while this proverb is true,

it's not the whole truth of Scripture, is it?

It must be balanced with verses like verse 34,

where we find that wise people, in God's eyes,

are oppressed and are living in very humble circumstances.

So for those people, in verse 34,

God chose not to give them wealth,

even though he considers them to be wise.

So the health and wealth that wisdom promises

must ultimately be in a different sense,

and that becomes clear in verse 18.

Read with me.

She, wisdom, is a tree of life

to those who take hold of her.

Those who hold her fast will be blessed.

What an image here.

A tree of life.

Do you remember?

The tree of life was there back in the Garden of Eden.

It symbolized overflowing life that never ends.

Adam and Eve could eat of that fruit in the Garden

until they sinned, right?

And God barred the way to the tree of life.

Their physical bodies would die.

But we see this tree again in Revelation,

right at the end of the Bible,

in the new heavens and earth to come.

Listen to this.

Revelation 22, verse 2 says this.

Revelation 22:2

On each side of the river

stood the tree of life,

bearing 12 crops of fruit,

yielding its fruit every month.

This tree of life never runs out of fruit.

What is its fruit?

Eternal life in God's perfect presence,

the new heavens and earth.

All our needs satisfied forever.

We will never want again.

That's the permanent health and prosperity

that wisdom promises us,

surpassing any temporary health or wealth

here on earth.

So do you want the blessed life?

Get wisdom.

And then you will have the blessed life.

Live out that life of wisdom.

And the tree of eternal life is yours.

But the father continues to boast of wisdom to his son.

Next he says,

Get wisdom,

and it will create order

in the disorder around you.

Have a look at verse 19.

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.

That is how valuable wisdom is.

Can you see there?

God created the world by wisdom.

Think of how he did it.

Genesis 1-2.

Now the earth was formless and empty.

Darkness was over the surface of the deep.

Out of that chaos and disorder,

what did God do?

He created this exquisitely ordered universe

by his wisdom.

Just imagine

how that same wisdom

will create order

out of the disorder in our situations

if we were to apply it.

Take just for an example,

a toxic school or work environment.

Where gossip is rampant.

Okay?

Imagine that.

Now if you apply

God's wisdom

about pure speech

to that situation,

if you start speaking truth and love,

if you start building others up

with your words

and not speaking behind anyone's back,

that wisdom in speech

begins to create order

in the disorder.

The culture begins to change.

Wisdom will create order

in every area of your life

if you would just apply it.

That sounds to me

like the blessed life.

Get wisdom

and you get the blessed life.

And here's the father's

third pitch

to his son.

Here's the third reason

why he should take hold of it.

Get wisdom

and it will protect you

from all danger

and fear.

Even removing it from you.

Listen to his appeal

in verse 23 actually.

He says,

if you hold on to wisdom,

verse 23,

then you will go

on your way in safety

and your foot will not stumble.

When you lie down,

you will not be afraid.

When you lie down,

your sleep will be sweet.

Now that sounds like

the blessed life, right?

Imagine

laying down at night

without a single fear

or care

in the world.

How could wisdom

promise us that?

Well, it's true, right?

If you live

a life

according to the wisdom

of Proverbs,

you're much more likely

to stay out of trouble.

Okay?

You're more likely

to be safe

from harm.

But

we live in a disordered world

which doesn't function

the way God made it to.

Sometimes

people who act wisely

get hurt.

So we must balance

this truth

with other truth

in scripture

like Proverbs

Proverbs 24:16

24 verse 16

which says this,

though the righteous

fall

seven times,

they rise again.

So

clearly

wisdom does not

promise freedom

from danger

and fear

in this life.

Rather,

God must be promising

a far superior

type

of protection

to us here.

And that is

eternal

safety

with him.

Have a look at

verse 25

in your passage.

He says,

have no fear

of sudden disaster

or of the ruin

that overtakes

the wicked

for the Lord

will be

at your side

and will keep

your foot

from being

snared.

You see,

this eternal

safety

is grounded

in God

being at

your side

protecting you

forever.

You know,

some people

think,

if I have

financial security,

if I've got

a good alarm

system on my

house and if

I've got

big gates

up in my

driveway,

that's

proper protection.

How about

living

forever

with God

physically

by your side

in the new

heavens

and earth

where evil

cannot enter?

That is the

blessed life.

Get wisdom

and you

get the

blessed life.

Live out

the life

of wisdom

and all

these blessings

are yours.

But there

is one

more

blessing

of wisdom.

Get wisdom,

the Father

says,

and it

will make

you

righteous

and

blameless

before God.

How is

that true?

Well,

in verse

27

to 31,

we get

this list

of commands

from the

Father

to the

Son

of how

wisdom

is going

to work

itself out

practically

in

community.

It's like

the Father

says,

this is the

way of

wisdom,

so walk

in it.

Do not

go the

way of

the wicked.

Why?

Verse 32,

he says

why.

For the

Lord detests

the perverse,

but he takes

the upright,

or blameless,

into his

confidence.

33,

the Lord's

curse

is on

the house

of the

wicked,

but he

blesses

the home

of the

righteous.

Here's the

massive

implication

of that.

God

will accept

you

as

righteous,

as

blameless,

if you

truly get

wisdom.

If you

live out

that life

of wisdom,

God will

see you

as being

right with

him,

blameless

of fault,

the maker

of the

universe

will take

you

into his

confidence,

blessing

you with

his closest

presence.

Talk about

the blessed

life.

Think about

that.

And yet

we wonder

how can

we get

this blessed

life that

Solomon promises.

The blessed

life,

as he

said,

is only

for those

who get

wisdom,

who live

it out

fully.

And that's

my big

problem,

and yours

also.

Because even

when we try

to get

wisdom and

apply what

we learn

in God's

word,

we all

still fail

so often.

We are

still quick

to anger.

We still

speak of

others behind

their backs.

We still

take shortcuts

at work.

We still

get pulled

into lust

and sexual

sin.

We speak

and act

foolishly.

We are

not wise

in and of

ourselves.

So how can

we be

blameless or

righteous before

God?

How can we

inherit that

tree of life?

How can we

experience

order in the

disorder of

our lives?

How can we

know protection

from danger

and fear?

It seems we

qualify for

none of

these blessings

as people

who fail

to live

wisely.

But that's

where Jesus

comes in.

Because a

thousand years

after Proverbs

was written,

Jesus,

the Son

of God,

became a

man and

lived as

one of us.

And he

said of

himself,

just listen

to these

words of

Jesus.

He says,

one greater

than Solomon

is here.

Where Solomon

failed,

just like we

have,

to live a

wise life,

Jesus walked

the way of

wisdom perfectly.

He personified

wisdom.

If you want to

know what

wisdom looks

like,

just look at

Jesus.

Paul says,

in Christ,

not Solomon,

are hidden

all the

treasures of

wisdom and

knowledge.

And yet,

Jesus,

who is

perfect

wisdom,

was treated

like a

wicked

fool.

Like the

wicked fools

we've all

shown ourselves

to be.

All of our

perversity and

foolishness was

nailed to

his cross.

And he

suffered the

full force

of God's

just wrath

against it.

The people

who walked

by,

what did

they do?

They scoffed

at him.

Satan laughed,

scorned him

as an

abject fool.

What happened

three days

later?

He walks

out of that

grave,

victorious

over sin

and death.

He proved

himself the

wise one

once and

for all.

he made

that sacrifice

for sin.

He flung

wide

heaven's

doors so

that all

who receive

him could

be forgiven

of their

sin and

folly.

They could

be clothed

in his

righteousness,

receiving

everything that

he deserved.

Paul says

again,

he says,

it is because

of God

that you

are in

Christ

Jesus,

who has

become for

us wisdom

from God.

That is

our

righteousness,

holiness,

and redemption.

Paul says,

if you receive

Jesus,

he becomes

your wisdom.

You see,

getting wisdom

is not only

just a skill

for living life

well.

It is that,

absolutely.

And we should

apply it.

Getting wisdom

is ultimately

receiving

Christ,

our wisdom,

and everything

he is for

us.

That is why

getting wisdom

is the

blessed

life.

That is

how

wisdom

is truly

a tree

of life

to those

who take

hold of

her.

All

who receive

Christ,

their wisdom,

will inherit

the eternal

life that

he deserved.

we will

eat the

fruit of

the tree

of life

and be

satisfied

forever

with

everything

he is

for us.

Finding

Christ,

our wisdom,

is the

blessed

life beyond

our wildest

dreams.

And this

is also

how wisdom

will ultimately

create order

out of all

the disorder

in this

world.

Because

all of those

who receive

Christ,

their wisdom,

are welcomed

into his

new kingdom

where he

will make

all things

new again.

No more

sadness,

suffering,

or disorder.

Only joy,

peace,

and love

will dwell

in that

new creation.

And it's

all yours

in Christ.

Finding

Jesus

is the

blessed

life

better than

anything

we could

imagine.

But not

only that,

that's how

getting wisdom

will ultimately

protect you

forever.

Because if

you're in

Christ,

God the

Father

has adopted

you as

his child,

and you

will live

in the

shelter of

his presence

forever.

All dangers

and fear

will be

removed.

As death

is destroyed,

finding Jesus

is the

blessed life

that we've

always longed

for.

And lastly,

this is also

how getting

wisdom makes

you righteous

and blameless

before God.

Because if

you receive

Christ,

you are

clothed

in his

righteousness.

When God

the Father

looks at

you,

you are

legally

declared

right

before him

because

of Jesus.

You're

welcomed

into his

closest presence

right now

in a

spiritual

sense

and in

the age

to come

in a

physical

sense.

We will

spend

eternity

with

God

our

King.

Let me

ask you

again,

do you

have

the

blessed

life?

You know,

the people

around you,

they may

not think

so.

The world

outside of

Christ judges

your blessedness

by the car

that's sitting

on your

front drive.

the world

judges

your

blessedness

by the

number of

kids you

have,

or the

people who

love you,

or your

title and

work,

or your

giftings,

or by what

your body

looks like.

This world

thinks that

temporary

wealth

and fleeting

health are

the blessed

life,

but they

don't get

it.

They

don't see

the true

reality,

of what

is really

going on

in this

world.

They

don't see

the

unspeakably

blessed

life,

which

belongs

to

everyone

who

receives

Christ

their

wisdom.

We

don't

have

the

categories

to

understand

how

blessed

we

are

right

now,

because

of all

that we

have

in

Christ,

and

because

of

all

that's

to

come.

But

we're

dead

wrong

if we

think

our

blessedness

is based

on the

things we

do or

don't

have in

this

short

earthly

life.

Would

you please

turn with

thee to

Luke

Luke 6 · chapter mention

chapter

6.

Luke is

in the

New Testament

and the

Gospels.

Luke

Luke 6 · chapter mention

chapter 6

and verse

20.

It's

page

1034

if you're

in the

Red

Church

Bible.

In this

sermon

on the

plain,

Jesus

illuminates

this

blessed

life

that's

only found

in him.

The life

that this

world

doesn't

get,

doesn't

see.

He

shows it

to us.

we're

going to

read from

Luke

Luke 6:20

chapter 6

verse 20.

Looking at

his disciples,

that is,

those who

had received

Christ as

their Lord

and wisdom,

Jesus said

to them,

Blessed

are you

who are

poor.

What?

How could

you be

blessed

if you

are poor?

Jesus

says,

for

yours

is the

kingdom

of God.

You

are an

heir of

all of

heaven.

Talk

about riches

beyond your

wildest

dreams.

You

may be

poor

now

for a

short

time,

but you

are rich

because of

your coming

inheritance

in Christ.

Verse 21,

blessed

are you

who

hunger

now.

Why?

How could

that be a

blessing?

For you

will be

satisfied.

Blessed

are you

who weep

now.

Weeping?

How could

that make

you blessed?

For you

will

laugh.

A time

is coming

when tears

will be no

more.

That means

that as

your tears

flow now,

you are

blessed

because they

will be

replaced with

laughter.

We don't

know when

that will

happen,

whether this

life ultimately

in the new

heavens and

earth,

but that

time is

coming.

Jesus

says you're

blessed.

Verse 22,

blessed are

you when

people hate

you,

when they

exclude you

and insult

you and

reject your

name as

evil because

of the

Son of

Man.

Has that

happened to

you?

Have you

been excluded

for no

good reason?

Have you

been treated

unfairly,

insulted,

or even

rejected because

you decided

to honor

Jesus and

live a life

of integrity

in your

workplace or

in your

family?

What Jesus

says to

you,

verse 23,

rejoice in

that day

and leap

for joy.

How can

we do

that?

Because

grace is

your reward

in heaven.

Jesus

says we

have no

idea the

reward that

awaits us

in heaven.

He is going

to compensate

us a

thousandfold

for any

hurt or

harm we

have

experienced

in this

life for

his

sake.

Jesus

says you

are blessed

right now

in your

poverty,

in your

illness,

your grief,

your pain,

your suffering,

if you belong

to him because

Jesus is making

all things new

and he's

promised it

all to

you.

See how in

that text he

keeps pointing

us forward to

the future,

crying out,

believe me.

You have

the blessed

life if you

have me.

Even if it

doesn't look

like it right

now, if you

could only

see what I

can see,

you'd know

that what is

coming is

better than

you could ever

imagine.

You have the

blessed life

even now

because of

what you

have in me.

So rejoice.

As we

finish, I've

just got two

questions.

Number one,

is Christ

your wisdom

today?

The last

verse in our

passage says

that the

wise inherit

honor, but

fools get

only shame.

There's no

middle ground

here.

It's black

or white.

It's wise

or fool.

It's either

you've received

Christ as your

wisdom or

you're lost.

You're

condemned in

your folly

and sin.

How could

you reject

his invitation?

Repent of

your sin and

trust him as

your Lord and

Savior.

Run to

Christ today.

Take hold

of him and

don't reject

him.

Second

question.

If you do

know Christ

as your

wisdom today,

where are

you looking

to for

blessing?

Are you

getting fixated

on the

temporary

things of

this world?

Are those

blessings

bogging you

down,

tripping you

up?

Are you

either

obsessed

with

getting

them or

miserable

and bitter

because you

don't?

We need

to say

sorry to

God for

that.

Because

that's

incredibly

short-sighted.

We need

to turn

to Jesus

again.

And when

we fix

our eyes

upon him

again,

the things

of this

world are

going to

grow strangely

dim in

the light

of his

glory and

grace.

The

blessed

life

is the

life in

Christ,

our

wisdom.

Let's

pray.

Let's

take

take

him.

take

him.

take

him.

Let's

take

him.

Let's

we've heard the call to pursue wisdom ultimately in Christ

and I'm going to leave a moment for us all

to respond to him

in the quietness of our own hearts

O Lord Jesus

we thank you for dying on the cross

for all our foolishness

so that we could know you

as our eternal wisdom

and enjoy the blessed life

that you made us to live with you forever

Amen

We're going to sing a song now

just to finish

This is a song that helps us to fix our eyes

on all that Christ is for us

I especially love this part of the song

And mine are keys to Zion City

where beside the King I walk

for there my heart has found its treasure

Christ is mine forevermore

And says this

Come rejoice now, O my soul

That's what Jesus calls us to do, right?

For his love is my reward

Fear is gone and hope is sure

Christ is mine forevermore

Christ is mine forevermore

Amen

Amen

Amen

Amen