After such a heavy message in the
previous posting, we will now turn our focus to a more encouraging section of verses.
Proverbs 2:1–8 “My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my
commandments with thee; So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply
thine heart to understanding; Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest
up thy voice for understanding; If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest
for her as for hid treasures; Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD,
and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth
cometh knowledge and understanding. He layeth up sound wisdom for the
righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly. He keepeth the paths of
judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints.”
These are the words of a wise father
to his son—a father who at this stage in his life recognizes God as the
ultimate authority and is trying to live to honor Him. Only a father in right relationship with the
Lord would be able to share such spiritual insight and instruction to his
child. Implied is that the father’s
words of instruction and commandments fall in line with God’s words of
instruction and commandments. Oh that
this described the majority of fathers in our country and in the world!
Point is made that it takes desire,
time and energy to gain knowledge, wisdom and understanding. It has already been established in the first
chapter that the fear of the Lord is the point from which one’s search must
start. Your success is directly related
to the intensity of your desire. You
must be willing to invest at least the amount of time and energy you are
willing to exert to gain worldly riches and treasures. Solomon is sharing the truth as taught him by
his father David.
1 Chronicles 28:9 “And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of
thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the
LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the
thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him,
he will cast thee off for ever.”
Knowing that such investment of time
and energy will be focused on the study of God’s word, the father can
confidently declare that it will result in understanding what it means to fear
God and learn about Him. When we study
God’s word with a desire to learn, He is always ready to help us through the
ministry of His Spirit.
Proverbs 1:23 “…I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make
known my words unto you.”
Psalms 34:15 “The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his
ears are open unto their cry.”
The last two verses in this section are
an echo of this promise. The wording
paints a picture to me of God having a vast storehouse of wisdom ready to gift
the righteous, those who are trying to live their lives in obedience to Him.
I read verse 8 as an Old Testament
statement of the precious promise of Romans 8:28: “And we
know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who
are the called according to his purpose.”
Though it may seem like its harder and harder to obtain justice or
righteous judgment in this world, God is reminding us that He is still on the
throne. He will protect the lives of
those who trust in Him. Every danger we
face in this world is a consequence of man’s choice to rebel against God and
the curse that fell upon creation as a result of that rebellion. Though God may allow us to suffer in this
lifetime as part of God’s plan to bring about greater good, the life of
the true believer, the child of God, is preserved for eternity; and he/she is destined
to enjoy eternal blessings that will prove to far exceed the temporary
sufferings of this lifetime.
Romans 8:18 “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time
are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”
Isaiah 64:4 “For since the beginning of the world men have not
heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee,
what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.”
1 Corinthians 2:9 “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor
ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God
hath prepared for them that love him.”
I am reminded of the words of the
chorus of an old gospel song, “It will be worth it all when we see Jesus. Life’s trials will seem so small when we see
Christ. One look on His dear face all
sorrows will erase. So bravely run the
race till we see Christ.”
(to be continued…)
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