Transcript: Verse by Verse Study – Proverbs Chapter 8:17 to Chapter 10:12 – Zac Poonen

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I walk in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of justice, to endow those who love me with wealth, that I may fill their treasuries.”

Now, all these are various ways in which the Holy Spirit is trying to emphasize to young people particularly the tremendous necessity and importance of seeking for wisdom.

Wisdom Existed Before Creation

Then he goes on to say in verses 22 to 29 that God’s wisdom was there even before creation. “The Lord possessed me at the beginning of His way, before His works of old. From everlasting, I was established.” In other words, and you’ll see the point of it as he goes on, that long before there was anything of this universe or any material things created, wisdom was there. God had wisdom before material things.

The Lord possessed me, he says, at the beginning of His way. Of course, we know that wisdom is manifested to us in Jesus Christ. We read in 1 Corinthians 1:30, “Jesus Christ has been made the wisdom of God to us.”

“From everlasting, I was established, from the beginning, from the earliest times of the earth,” that is, from all eternity. “When there were no depths, I was brought forth. When there were no springs abounding with water, there was no water on the earth. Before the mountains were settled, before the hills, I was brought forth. While He had not yet made the earth and the fields, nor the first dust of the world, when He established the heavens, I was already there.”

When He inscribed a circle—this is one of the verses in the Old Testament—which tells us that the earth was not flat, but spherical. Amazing that man discovered it only 400 years ago, but it’s there 3,000 years ago in Solomon’s time.

“When He inscribed a circle or a sphere on the face of the deep, when He made firm the skies above, when the springs of the deep became fixed, when He set for the sea its boundary,” that is, the sand on the beaches of the earth became the boundary for the seas so that the sea would not cross it, so that the water should not transgress His command. His command was, “Thus far shalt thou come and not further.”

And you find throughout the centuries the tides rise and they stop at a particular level, so that the earth is not overflowed with the sea. “When He marked out the foundations of the earth, then I was beside Him as a master workman, and I was daily God’s delight.” God’s delight was in wisdom, rejoicing before Him.

Wisdom Is Superior to Material Things

Now, the point of all this is, in one sentence, that God possessed wisdom, that wisdom existed before all material things. Therefore, one who seeks for material things more than for wisdom is foolish. He is stupid. One who values material things more than wisdom is really foolish because wisdom existed long before these material things, and it is through wisdom that these material things were created.

The first dust of the world, it says in verse 26, whether it is the ordinary dust of the roads or the gold dust that you find in gold mines or silver dust or any other type of dust, wisdom existed before that. God valued wisdom more than all these material things He created, and therefore, if you are wise, you won’t be like all the foolish idiots in the world, running after money, running after material things, and thinking that if we have more material things, we’re going to be happy.

Jesus said that in Luke 12:15. Jesus Christ, who is the wisdom of God, speaks to us and says, “Do not think that a man’s life is going to be happy when he has many material things.” It’s not true. It’s through wisdom that happiness and joy come. That’s the point of all this.

And then, at that time, wisdom was there before God, and this is why our eyes need to be open to see this, that wisdom is above and superior to and more important and prior to all things of this earth. And that’s why all the riches and the honor of the earth are nothing compared to having God’s wisdom in our life.

God’s Delight in Humanity

Now, he goes on in verse 31 to say he rejoiced in the world, His earth, in that which was created, but His delight finally was in the sons of men. That is, when God made all this earth, there was a rejoicing in that, but wisdom finally was delighted and thrilled only when Adam and Eve were created.

Why? Because wisdom could not communicate itself to the planets or to the sun or to the stars or to the mountains or to the trees or to the lions or to the elephants or to the horses. And though wisdom was happy to see all this, yet to none of these could wisdom communicate herself.

Finally, when God made someone in His own image, Adam and Eve, then wisdom really was thrilled and excited that at last there was someone created by God to whom wisdom could communicate herself. And there we see the sorrow that God has when man, whom He has created to acquire this wisdom, is so foolish to be occupied with all these created things and worships the created things more than the Creator.

That’s the grief in God’s heart; the stupidity of man is seen there. His delight was in the sons of men. We know in Ephesians 3:10, there’s a wonderful verse which says that God teaches His wisdom even to the angels through the church. It’s an amazing verse that even the angels have to learn God’s wisdom through the church.

The Path to Happiness Through Wisdom

We’ll come to how that happens in a moment. Verse 32: “Therefore, now here is the point of it all. Therefore, O sons, listen to me, for blessed,” or we can say happy, “the word blessed in the Word of God always means happy. If you really want happiness, those who keep my ways.”

Wisdom has certain laws, and if you follow those laws, you will really be happy. “Heed instruction and be wise and do not neglect it. Happy is the man who listens to me, who listens carefully to what I have to say.”

Watching Daily for Wisdom

“Watching,” and here is a very important word, “watching daily.” Daily. Why does it say daily? Because I cannot get all of God’s wisdom in one lump sum, as a whole. I can’t acquire it. I can acquire it only daily. Jesus said in Matthew 6:34, “Sufficient unto one day is what? The evil that there is in one day.”

And every day I’m going to encounter a certain quota of evil from people, from my circumstances, from the devil, from the lusts in my flesh. There’s a certain quota that’s going to come to me every day. And if I want to acquire wisdom, I have to take up the cross every day.

“Let him deny himself and take up his cross daily,” so that that evil, instead of corrupting me and polluting me, like it does the rest of humanity, I convert that daily quota of evil into wisdom. It’s an amazing thing.

Converting Evil Into Wisdom

Do you know that diamonds are made from charcoal, from the same substance as charcoal? Exactly the same. It’s just carbon. It’s just that it’s been put under pressure under the earth for many centuries. And the same thing which you get as charcoal becomes a diamond. It’s the same thing.

The question of converting that evil, that black ugly thing, being converted into something so precious and valuable. And there is a parable there of how this daily quota of evil can be converted into God’s wisdom and glory if I take up the cross daily.

So, happy is the man who listens and watches daily at my gates because I can’t give it all to you in all of a lump sum. That’s why the Word of God says in Ephesians 5, you see the connection there, Ephesians 5, it speaks about wisdom there.

Ephesians 5:15-16: “Therefore, be careful how you walk, not as foolish men.” Now you remember Proverbs. Proverbs speaks about foolish men. “But as wise people, making the most of your time, because every single day is evil.”

Making the Most of Each Day

That’s what it says here. Every single day is evil, therefore make full use of this quota that comes to you each day. Don’t miss one day’s quota of the opportunity you have to die. If you miss it, you miss something of the glory. That’s it.

Take the quota that comes your way. God has determined it. He didn’t determine it all of a sudden. Don’t think that the quota of evil that hit you today, it may have been a surprise to you, but it wasn’t a surprise to God. What came to you and me on the 12th of July 1985, God knew before we were born.

That’s the quota appointed for us so that we can acquire wisdom. Very few who understand how to get it because they don’t understand the way of the cross. But happy is the man who listens to me, who is watching daily at my gates, waiting at my doorpost, just like a peon sitting outside the door of the managing director, waiting to hear.

Like that, to wait for wisdom each day. That should be our attitude right through the day. “Lord, give me wisdom today.” That’s all. I don’t ask that You will relieve me from suffering. I don’t ask that You’ll give me an easy way through life. But, “Lord, give me wisdom. Help me to fulfill the purpose which You have planned for me this day.”

The Blessing of Finding Wisdom

“But, and he who finds me,” verse 35, says, “he who finds wisdom finds life and obtains blessing,” or the favor from the Lord. How do you know whether God has blessed you? Only one mark, according to verse 35, that you have acquired God’s wisdom.

Not that you got a promotion. Not that you got a better job. Not that you got anything of this earth, which is listed in verses 22 to 29, which is created after wisdom. No. But that you got wisdom and you have obtained favor from the Lord.

It’s the only mark that you’ve acquired God’s patience and His purity and His peaceableness and His willingness to yield and all the things which are listed as the qualities of wisdom. But it says here in verse 36, the margin, “He who misses me injures himself.”

The Cost of Missing Wisdom

That means if you go through life and miss this, whatever else we may have got, we may have got Bible knowledge, we have really wasted our life. We got a big job, we were respectable members of some assembly, but we missed the main thing of life if we missed partaking of God’s wisdom in our earthly course.

Think of each day. It comes to us each day. If I missed one day’s portion which God has appointed me to acquire wisdom, I’ve lost it for eternity. I can never get it again. The wisdom that God wanted me to partake of yesterday, I cannot get again. It’s finished.

That God had appointed that I must get so much wisdom in this day. And if I haven’t got it, I missed it. I missed it for all eternity. I can get today’s, I can get tomorrow’s, but I can’t get yesterday’s. That’s finished. God Himself can’t give it back to me.

So, that’s why it says we have to make the most of the time because every day is evil. Let me learn to convert it to wisdom. And all those who hate me, that means those who don’t care for me, those who are occupied with other things, actually love spiritual death, even though they don’t realize it.

Starting Young in the Pursuit of Wisdom

So, we see as we look through the book of Proverbs that wisdom is the most important thing. And if only young people would start seeking it when they are 10 or 12 years old, they wouldn’t do a lot of the stupid things that young people do when they are 20 or 25.

Why do young people do stupid things when they are 20 years old? That’s because they never sought earnestly for wisdom when they were 12 or 13. They are occupied with so many other things. It takes time. Seek it when we are young.

Think of people who do foolish things when they are 40. You are there. We can see all those who don’t care for me love death. They are ruining themselves. They are injuring themselves. It’s like committing suicide.

Wisdom Builds Her House

Then he goes on in chapter 9, verse 1, to say, “Wisdom has built her house.” That is the church. There’s only one house that wisdom is building. It’s not a physical building. It is the church of the Living God, which is the Bride of Christ. Wisdom has built it, not Bible knowledge.

# Wisdom’s House Built on Seven Pillars

Wisdom has built the house. And the house is built on, verse 1 says, seven pillars support this building, the church. Seven pillars. And those seven pillars are listed for us in James chapter 3. In James chapter 3, it’s good to look at it, those seven pillars of wisdom on which the church is built.

James 3:17: “Wisdom has built her house and built it on seven, supported by seven pillars.” And here are the seven pillars. The Holy Spirit has listed them for us in the New Testament.

Number one, purity. The church, the true church, the body of Christ, which is going to be the Bride of Christ, is built, number one, on purity. If there’s no purity, that’s not the church. We can apply the same thing to a home. Wisdom has built her house.

Take your home, my home. The home must be built with wisdom. Number one, purity. Second pillar, peaceableness. That means a nature that is trying as far as possible. Why do I say as far as possible? Because the Word of God says in Romans 12, “As far as it lies in you, live peaceably with all men.”

As far as possible, there must be a desire for peace in our heart. A longing for it as much as it lies within us. That’s the second pillar of wisdom. And you can’t have a church if you don’t gather together people who have a desire to be at peace.

In other words, not the quarrelsome type. Third, gentle. And we’ve thought about that much. There’s no gentleness that dwells in our flesh. We are basically harsh and rude and unkind. But we have to take up the cross, sit outside wisdom’s door and say, “Oh God, teach me this. Help me to hear.”

And to hear like the peon outside the director’s office. Gentleness. And to hear that voice. Gentleness here. That’s the third pillar. You have to gather together a bunch of people who are fighting to become gentle in their life, fighting with their own flesh.

The Pillars of Wisdom Versus the Pillars of Babylon

Fourth, willing to yield. All these things are quite the opposite of the world. In the world, people have got impurity. That’s the pillar on which the house of folly is built, Babylon. And instead of peaceableness, they are quarrelsome. That’s the second pillar of Babylon.

The third pillar of Babylon, we can say, is harshness and rudeness. And the fourth pillar of Babylon, we can say, is unwillingness to yield on any point. But the fourth pillar of wisdom is willingness to yield, it says in the margin. Reasonableness.

Instead of being stubborn like a mule, say, “Okay, have it your way.” Yield. That’s how the church is built. We had to gather together people who learn how to yield. Fifth, full of mercy. And not just theoretical mercy, it says, “and good fruits.”

That means a willingness to forgive, forgive, and forgive, and forgive, and forgive. Full of mercy, it says. It doesn’t say full of in relation to all the other things, but when it comes to mercy, it’s specifically mentioned of this pillar that this has got to be full of mercy.

There can’t be just 90%. It has to be full because a tremendous need for mercy with one another to build the church. Wisdom is full of mercy. And full of mercy is good fruits. That is a kindness towards those who are evil towards us and forgiving those who have harmed us.

Immediately, totally, completely a fullness. It’s not that we forgive somebody and then the level of mercy drops. No, no, no. Even after we have forgiven, it must still be full because it’s always overflowing. God anoints our head with oil and our cup keeps on overflowing.

He is so merciful to us. And so we keep on being merciful. Full of mercy and it’s good fruits. Sixth, unwavering. Not shaking, steady, steadfast, uncompromising, straight. The devil can’t get you to bend on some small point here, some little advantage there, some little advantage here.

You cannot be bent. Straight, unwavering. God has shown you something and you stand for it. You’re full of mercy. That’s right. But you don’t compromise. Straight. That’s the pillar of wisdom. Unwavering.

And finally, the seventh pillar, without hypocrisy. Without hypocrisy. It’s also translated as without partiality in one of the translations. The first part, unwavering, which is also one aspect of being unwavering.

That is, you don’t lean towards somebody because he’s your special friend and move away from someone else because you don’t like him too much. You can’t build a church with such type of people. No partiality. Without wavering means no partiality. All are just the same.

And then the last one, the last pillar, without hypocrisy. That means true. What you are, you may not be perfect, but you’re not pretending to be something which you are not. You’re striving for something, and you’re sincerely striving for it. Not just pretending to strive for it.

And so here are the seven pillars of wisdom. We could spend a long time on those seven pillars, but we can meditate on those ourselves. But let’s never forget that every true church and every home that’s godly can only be built on these seven pillars.

You have to concentrate on these seven and see how much of these seven we have in our church, and that’s the mark of a true church. That it’s built on these seven pillars.

Wisdom’s Invitation to the Simple

Right? We can turn back to Proverbs chapter 9. “She has prepared her food.” There is food in the church, prepared by wisdom. It is the food of wisdom, not just Bible knowledge. “She has mixed her wine. She has set her table. All things are ready. Come and eat.”

“She has sent out her maidens.” Wisdom has got her servants, who call from the tops of the height of the city. Everywhere they are calling out, “Whoever is simple,” somebody who is willing to acknowledge that he doesn’t have wisdom. “Let him turn in here.”

Isn’t it wonderful that the invitation, you need only one qualification to be invited? What is that qualification? Acknowledge that you’re a foolish person. And that’s why so many people can’t come in, you see, because it’s quite humbling to acknowledge, “I don’t have wisdom.”

But the invitation is only, the name on the invitation card is only for such people. “Whoever is simple, let him come. Whoever lacks wisdom, come.” Jesus didn’t come to call the righteous; He came to call sinners.

And wisdom hasn’t come to call all those who think they are very wise and clever, but He’s come to call the babes. That’s why these things are hidden from the clever and the intelligent because they don’t feel their need. But those who are like babes, they don’t know anything. They are invited.

And to him who lacks understanding, do you lack understanding, brother, sister? Your name is on the invitation card. You’re welcome to come. She says, “Come, eat of my food and drink of the wine which I have mixed.”

Come and eat. And we know that bread and wine speak of what we partake in the Lord’s table, and it speaks of the cross. The bread and wine, that is what wisdom has at her table. And she says, “Come, let’s partake of this bread and wine. Let’s partake in a fellowship of the cross.”

That is the food that is served in the church. That is the rich food, the word of the cross that is proclaimed in the true Jerusalem. “Forsake your folly.” You may be stupid, you may be foolish, but come in with a willingness to give up all that folly.

What is folly? All the opposite of those seven things that we saw in James 3:17. If you want to know what folly is, it’s the opposite. Go through James 3:17 and write down all the opposites. That’s folly. Forsake it and live and proceed in the way of understanding. That is God’s will.

Proceed in the way of understanding. We see here in verse 6. Further, verses 7 to 9: “Don’t give your pearls to swine.” That’s basically what it says in these verses. “He who corrects a scoffer gets dishonor for himself.”

The Importance of Receiving Correction

There are people who are not interested in wisdom. They are scoffers; they despise all these things. “He who reproves a wicked man gets insults for himself.” Jesus said, “Don’t cast your pearls before swine. Don’t give that which is holy to the dogs.”

And while wisdom is speaking the message of the cross and pointing out the seven pillars on which the house is built, there are those who are not interested in this message. There are those who scoff and say, “Yeah, yeah, these are not the main things.”

And so there are people who despise it. And it says here, “Don’t offer it to such people.” And we learn something here further in verses 7 to 9 about correction. Correction is one of the purposes with which God’s word has been given.

We read that in 2 Timothy 3, the last verse. “All scripture has been given in spite by God and is profitable for correction, for instruction in righteousness, for correction.” And we know that that also comes very often in the book of Proverbs as a very important way by which wisdom is communicated to us through correction.

But not all can be corrected. And here is the reason why many people never acquire wisdom. Because when they are corrected, they get offended. Most believers, when you correct them, they get offended.

You flatter them and say they are wonderful, spiritual, wholehearted brothers and sisters. They’re all puffed up, and they’re very friendly with you. You go and tell them that there’s something wrong there in what you’re doing and point out specifically, and they get offended.

They get hurt. They are cold towards you, and they are disturbed about it. They lose their sleep. They are not bothered about the thing that needs to be corrected in their life. They are disturbed that somebody has pointed them out as carnal.

Such people can live year after year after year and never become wise. And I would say that’s one of the main reasons why many believers never become wise, because they get offended when they are corrected. That’s the reason.

Many young people, if only they would humble themselves, they’d have become wise long ago, but they are offended. They only hang around those who flatter them and praise them. And even though they may sit in so-called New Testament churches, they’ve got the spirit of Babylon in them.

Because they’re only interested in flattery, not correction. If I’m interested in flattery and not in correction, I can sit in the most spiritual assembly in the whole world and be a Babylonian through and through. Because I’m only interested in people who come and praise me and say I’m a wonderful brother.

I’m not interested in correction. It says here, “He who corrects a scoffer gets dishonor from himself.” It’s a waste of time correcting a person who doesn’t want wisdom. “And he who reproves a wicked man gets insults for himself.”

The Mark of a Wise Person

“Do not reprove a scoffer lest he hate you. Reprove a wise man.” Here’s the mark of a wise man. “Correct him. Rebuke him. And he will love you.” There, every one of us can sit down and ask ourselves whether we are wise or not.

Brother, sister, here is some homework. Think of somebody who has corrected you. Maybe a father, maybe a mother, maybe a husband, maybe an elder brother, maybe somebody. Think of someone who has corrected you. Do you really love him with all of your heart? Then you are wise.

Are you offended? A little cold and distant? All wise people love correction. That’s how they became wise. And that’s the main reason why many people do not become wise. That’s the main reason why it’s so difficult for young people to get out of their folly.

They don’t love correction almost. Beware of the brothers and sisters who just say nice things to you. Beware of it. They are not going to help you to be wise. Never says that wisdom flatters anyone. You’ll never see that anywhere in the book of Proverbs or the whole scripture.

The Word of God is not given for flattery; it’s given for correction. Verse 9: “Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser.” Why does a wise man love correction? Because he wants to be still wiser.

He knows that he hasn’t attained to the wisdom of God yet, and so he wants to be still wiser. So he receives correction and reproof. “Teach a righteous man,” a righteous man who’s already so righteous, and you give him an exhortation like, “Flee from the love of money, brother.”

He doesn’t get offended that you think he loves money. He takes it. “Brother, flee from youthful lusts,” like Paul wrote to Timothy. Timothy didn’t get offended. “Does Paul think I’m running after youthful lusts?” No, he takes it. “Thank you, brother, for that exhortation. That’s good for me. I need it.”

And he becomes still more free from youthful lusts and from the love of money. “Teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.” So we can see from all these things that the poor in spirit alone can become wise.

The poor in spirit are those who are willing to be corrected, who see their need of more likeness to Jesus, more of God’s purity and peaceableness and goodness in their life. And we can say here that this is the test of whether we are growing in wisdom or not.

One of the tests, anyway. That’s a love for those who correct us. We are open, more open to rebuke and correction. We long for it. We want it. And if we are not wanting it, then we can say we are sort of static. We’re not really growing in wisdom at all.

But the more wise we are, the more we long for correction and for more wisdom. And so we see here that our attitude to correction is not only a test of our wisdom; it’s a test of our humility, that humility which receives the grace of God.

So those verses, verses 7 to 9, we can say are in brackets where wisdom has gone out, her maidens are proclaiming something. We read in verse 3 and proclaiming, saying, “Whoever is simple, come here, come and eat of the message of the cross that I’ve prepared for you.”

The Value of Correction and Wisdom

But there’s a warning there. Don’t go to those who despise it. People who don’t want it, who are not interested, say, “This is all bondage.” Okay, leave them alone. Go to those who are interested in correction and then tell them.

What are we to tell them? We can say this is the central verse of the book of Proverbs, verse 10: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”

What is the beginning of wisdom? The fear of the Lord. A sensitivity to sin, a hatred of sin, a hating of evil. The fear of the Lord is the beginning, the ABC of wisdom. And the knowledge of the Holy One, to know God in His nature, to know more and more of what God’s nature, for example, God is full of mercy, to know Him like that personally and to experience it, to know that God is love, that He’s never evil towards anyone, He’s good, always good, He’s kind to unthankful people, to know God more and more, that is understanding.

That is the central verse. And we can say all of wisdom is summed up here, to fear the Lord and to know Him more and more and more.

Making Life Profitable Through Wisdom

Verse 11: “I want to read this verse in the Living Bible.” It says, “I, wisdom, will make the hours of your day more profitable and the years of your life more fruitful.”

That means no day in your life will be wasted, no year of your life will be wasted, if you make wisdom your main aim in life day by day by day by day. The hours of your day will become profitable, won’t be wasted, the years of your life will be fruitful, if you make wisdom the main pursuit of your life.

Further, verse 12: Wisdom is saying, “Do you know why I’m exhorting you to be wise? It’s not that I get anything out of it; it’s for your own good that I say.” Just like a loving father will tell his children, “Listen, I’m telling you this for your own good. It’s not because I want something out of it; for your own good I’m telling you this.”

And that’s what wisdom says in verse 12: “If you’re wise, that’s for yourself. Who’s going to get the benefit out of that? Not me, you. And if you scoff and you remain foolish, who’s going to suffer? I’m not going to suffer; you’ll suffer.”

So he says, “Be sensible. Wisdom is for your own good.” Amazing. Right through these nine chapters, wisdom is trying to emphasize to us the tremendous importance, the Holy Spirit is trying to emphasize to us the tremendous importance of having wisdom in our life.

The Woman of Folly and the Harlot Church

The woman of folly is boisterous. That is, we can say the picture of the harlot church, verses 13 to 18. It’s also a picture of the foolish woman, but also a picture of the opposite of wisdom, which is the entire Babylonian system.

And it says here, “The woman of folly is boisterous.” Noisiness, making a lot of noise, is the mark of a foolish woman. We can say that even in the sense of a woman herself, leave alone the harlot church, that in a house where a woman makes a lot of noise, we can say that woman’s a foolish woman.

She’s not going to build a godly house. Impossible. She doesn’t have the number one qualification. She’s just noisy, makes too much noise. She doesn’t know how to have a gentle and a quiet spirit. Where in the world can she build her house as a godly home?

One of the first things she needs to know is to turn down her volume knob in her mouth so that the voice level comes down a bit. That’s one of the first things in wisdom. Think if all of you sisters begin to do that, that your speech is a little softer and a little more gentle.

You don’t end up in the category of this woman who’s boisterous and noisy. A lot of women are like that. She is simple and she knows nothing. She just knows how to blow her top and make a lot of noise, but she really knows nothing.

And here is a picture of this entire harlot system. She sits at the doorway of her house. This is a picture of what comes out in Revelation. We can say that Proverbs 9 is a picture of Jerusalem and Babylon, two churches pictured here in Proverbs.

She sits at the doorway of her house on the seat, we can say on a throne. She has set a throne for herself, for high thoughts about herself, by the high places of the city, calling all those who pass by, who are making their path straight, simple people who are walking on the straight way.

Stolen Water and Borrowed Messages

Do you know what she says? She says exactly the same thing that wisdom says in verse 4. Same words. In verse 4, wisdom says, “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here.” To him who lacks understanding, the same thing. “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here.”

And to him who lacks understanding, she says, the words are so similar. She takes the same Bible and uses the same words, but it’s another spirit. And those who are seeking wisdom can sit in a Babylonian system and say, “I don’t seem to get much wisdom here.”

It’s the same Bible, the same words, but I don’t get the revelation of the Holy Spirit here. No. Why? Because it is stolen water. That means it’s borrowed messages. They read hidden treasures and preach the messages. They don’t get any direct revelation from God.

It’s stolen from somewhere else. It’s cooked up, borrowed from a lot of books and magazines. And there’s a verse in Jeremiah about this. It’s a very interesting verse. Jeremiah chapter 23.

We’re all familiar with that verse in Jeremiah which says, “My word is like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces, that shatters the rock.” And do you know what the next verse is? It’s very important to know what’s the next verse after that.

Jeremiah 23:29 says, “God’s word is like a fire that burns, like a rock that shatters, like a hammer that shatters the rock.” In the next verses, the Lord says, “I am against those preachers who steal my messages from other preachers.”

Do you know that? God says, “I’m against all those preachers who borrow their messages from some other preachers.” Then that’s not my word. Then no rock’s going to be shattered and nothing is going to burn.

And that’s most of Christendom is like that today. All borrowed messages, stolen water and stolen bread, and it’s all being eaten there. That’s Babylon. We have to emphasize the revelation of the Holy Spirit, and we must be true men and women of God who get the revelation of the Holy Spirit on God’s word.

And where there is no revelation, the people perish. This is all deception.

True Wisdom Prepares Its Own Food

In contrast to all this, you see wisdom. It says in wisdom, verse 2, wisdom has got revelation. She has prepared her own food.

She hasn’t gone and borrowed it from somebody else and stolen it from somewhere else, some other book or magazine. She’s prepared her food. She has mixed her own wine. She’s got on her knees and sought for revelation, and the Holy Spirit’s given it.

That’s wisdom. That’s how Jerusalem is built. But all this borrowed messages and getting up to preach something and reading from somewhere else and preaching it out, that’s all for honor seeking. That’s all for seeking honor.

To show other people, “Look what I have got.” And you didn’t get it. You stole it from somewhere. But you wouldn’t tell them that because you want the honor. Beware of that. That’s Babylon. That spirit must never be found in the church.

We don’t have any stolen water here. We prepare our own food. God gives it to us through His word. Bread that God gives out in the open. Nothing secret. You know it says, “Your bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”

Paul speaks about that in 2 Corinthians 2 where he says, “We have given up all those hidden things of dishonesty.” 2 Corinthians 2:17. “We speak from sincerity.” Chapter 4, verse 2. 2 Corinthians 4:2. “We have renounced the hidden things, and we walk in the light.”

Very important that there is nothing secretive about anything in our ministry. That we have to deceive something or cheat someone. It’s all straightforward and open.

The Way to Hell

Okay. Proverbs 9, the last verse, it says, “This is the way to hell.” You remember previously we saw a verse like this. What is the way to hell? A flattering woman. Here again. The way to hell is by being incorporated into the Babylonian system.

Be a part of the Babylonian system, and it will finally lead you to hell sure as anything because it’s not genuine. It’s not true. It’s not following God’s word in total obedience.

Now, these 9 chapters are like an introduction to the whole book of Proverbs. We can say that the whole book of Proverbs is like a big building. And this chapter 9 is just like the first 9 chapters is just like the porch where we are just sort of getting ready to get into the house and get into the house and examine all the rooms.

But this is we’ve just sort of got into the porch now. Now in chapter 10, verse 1 onwards, we begin to enter the house itself and explore the various rooms of wisdom. The first 9 chapters are just trying to emphasize to us the tremendous importance of wisdom.

Entering the House of Wisdom

Then he says in chapter 10, verse 1, “The Proverbs of Solomon.” Think how much time he has taken all these chapters just to show us the importance of acquiring it. He doesn’t want to start off with chapter 10, verse 1 in the first chapter.

He could have started this right in the first chapter. Say, “All right, here are the Proverbs.” No, but that would be casting pearls before swine. That would be giving that which is holy to the dogs. No, he wants to first of all find out, “Are you really interested? Are you really interested in becoming wise?”

Well then, I’ll teach you something. And only those who really are eagerly seeking, he says, “Now I’ll tell you some things, and take it seriously.” And now comes a whole lot of Proverbs right down till the end of the book.

And the Proverbs of Solomon go on up to chapter 29; chapters 30 and 31 are written by some others. And if we take these words seriously, it can change our church life, our home life, our personal life.

A Wise Son Makes a Father Glad

It says here, number one, in chapter 10, we can say the whole chapter is basically dealing with the marks of the righteous and the wicked. It’s a contrast between the righteous and the wicked. And it says here, first of all, “A wise son makes a father glad, but a foolish son is a grief to his mother.”

And Solomon is speaking to those who will take the position of sons, submission to him, says the only way you can make me happy is not by earning money, not by getting a big job, but if you are wise.

And any parent should be happy in their children. Should be happy in their children only if their children have become wise. We have a whole lot of stupid parents all over the world who are happy that children have got big jobs, got married to somebody nice, they got a big house, this, that and the other.

They haven’t read Proverbs 8, which says wisdom was created before all this house and gold and silver and everything else. A real parent will be happy when his children are acquiring divine wisdom, beginning with obedience to daddy and mummy at home.

It’s the first thing. If that’s not there, it’s no use. Whatever marks they get in the school, come first in the class or got this, that and the other, very good in athletics, all useless. If they don’t know the number one thing of wisdom that children need to know, that is to obey daddy and mummy at home, everything is useless.

Let’s remember that and let no father or mother be proud of children who are doing well out in the world, who don’t have the first mark of wisdom in their life. They don’t know how to obey their parents. And children remember that all your accomplishments in school are useless if you don’t know how to obey your daddy and mummy at home.

It’s absolutely worthless. A wise son makes the father glad. A foolish son is a grief to his mother. We have to rejoice only when our children have that wisdom. I never find a joy in anything else.

Righteousness and Money

Then he speaks in verses two and three about money. See, money is a very important thing. The Proverbs has got a lot to speak about money and the use of money. And he says, “Ill-gotten gain does not profit.”

That means that which I don’t get righteously can never bring any happiness in my life. Maybe I’ve cheated someone and got little money there or cheated the government of some taxes and got little extra money. And I’ve done something wrong there and got little money.

It’ll never bring any benefit in my life. Impossible. Let’s remember that. But righteousness delivers from death. Sure. Righteousness, money acquired righteously, even if it’s a little. There, God Himself will take care of me.

He goes on to say in the next verse to say, “The Lord will not allow the righteous to hunger.” David says in Psalm 37:25, “I’ve been young, now I’m an old man. But till today, in all these years, I’ve never seen a righteous man begging for bread. I’ve never seen his children begging for bread.”

No. The Lord will not allow the righteous man to hunger. He’ll take care of it. If he seeks the kingdom of God first and His righteousness, all the other earthly things needed for him will be added to him.

“But He will thrust aside the craving of the wicked.” God will allow that craving, the lust the wicked man has for more and more and more and more and more. God will allow that to ruin his life finally. That’s the contrast here in the area of money.

Money and Hard Work

Like the rich man who said, “I will build bigger barns.” And finally, God said, “You fool, I’m going to take away your soul. What’s the use of all that?”

And then the next thing he speaks about in verses four and five is hard work. He speaks about money, and then he speaks about hard work. One of the first things God told Adam in the Garden of Eden after he had sinned was, “By the sweat of your brow, you will earn your bread.” That means by hard work.

Hard work is something God has appointed for us. “Poor is he who works with a negligent hand, but the hand of the diligent makes rich.”

Have you noticed in the Gospels that Jesus, whenever He went to call an apostle, of all the recorded cases of Jesus calling apostles, have you noticed that in every case that’s recorded in the Gospels, they were working somewhere when He called them?

He never called some fellow who was just relaxing at home. He never called unemployed graduates sitting at home waiting for something. You never find such a thing in the Gospels. Those are all in the Bible schools today.

But Jesus never found such people to be His apostles. Not even one. Where were Peter and Andrew? They were Christians. Why didn’t He wait till the evening when they would come home? Then you wouldn’t know whether he was just an unemployed graduate sitting at home or whether he was a working man.

That’s why Jesus called them at the place of work so that it’ll be recorded in the Gospels that they were working people. They were hardworking people. And James and John at the place of work. What about Matthew? One would think at least You’d wait for Matthew to finish counting his money and then Jesus would call him.

No. Right in the middle of his work to show that Jesus is only going to call those who are diligent and faithful in their secular occupations. That’s written for our instruction, and he who has ears to hear must hear.

That’s why I say we are 100% against this wretched Babylonian system that calls a whole lot of people who just finished high school and PUC failed and all that to go and serve the Lord. That’s a lot of garbage.

You never find that anywhere from Genesis to Revelation except perhaps in the false prophets. Nowhere else. No. “He who works with a negligent hand is poor.” God doesn’t call such people. God never calls those who are lazy.

Paul’s Example of Diligence

It says in 2 Thessalonians 3, 2 Thessalonians chapter 3, verse 7, Paul says, “You yourselves know how you ought to follow our example because we did not act in an undisciplined manner among you nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it but with labor and hardship we work night and day so that we might not be a burden to any of you.”

Hard work is the way people become rich out in the business world and spiritually too by diligence. “He who gathers in summer is a son who acts wisely, and he who sleeps in harvest is a son who acts shamefully.”

Now is the time of summer and the harvest when we are to gather. The time will come when we cannot gather anymore. Now is the time to gather glory so that when the opportunity to gather the harvest is over, then we have acquired something during our earthly life.

So make the full use of the opportunity. Be diligent day by day by day. Be diligent to acquire what God wants you to acquire in your daily life.

The Mouth of the Wicked

Verse 6: “Blessings are on the head of the righteous, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.”

That means one mark of a wicked man is that vicious words, hurting words, evil words come out of his lips. Do you ever speak words that are meant to hurt somebody? Maybe to hurt your husband or to hurt your wife or to hurt a brother or to hurt a sister or hurt someone.

According to this verse, you’re a wicked person. You can call yourself a new and living way believer or whatever you like. The word of God says you’re a wicked person because it’s vicious words that come out of your words that are meant to hurt, designed to hurt.

Not the accidental slip of the tongue where in a moment of pressure we suddenly said something. No. Words calculated; you thought if I put it like this, it’ll really hurt that person, and I’m going to say it like that. You’re a wicked person.

Call yourself a believer or spiritual or new and living or whatever you like, but the word of God says you’re a wicked person. If you are like that, calculating words to hurt people, the mark of a wicked person.

There are lots of so-called believers whose actual name for them is wicked brothers and sisters. Wicked. Wicked. Their mouth conceals this violence. It sounds so nice, but there’s a violence concealed in it to hurt.

The Memory of the Righteous

Verse 7: “The memory of the righteous is blessed, but the name of the wicked will rot.”

That teaches us that even after a righteous person is dead and gone, like Abel, though he’s dead, yet he speaks. That we are to live such a righteous life that the memory of our life after we are dead and gone should bless others or we have lived in a particular town, and when we have left that town and gone, people think of us and they think of us as those who’ve been a blessing there.

Brother, sister, be one like that. That is our calling. The name of the wicked will just stick.

Willing to Receive Commands

Then verse 8: “Another mark of a wise person is that he’s willing to receive commands,” or put it in other words, like another translation has it, “willing to submit to authority.”

To give commands, all the foolish people are ready, but the wise of heart are willing to receive commands, beginning with when they are children. The father gives a command; they are willing to receive it. They are wise children.

And as we grow up, God gives us authority in different situations, and if we are wise, where? It says wise in the heart. The emphasis in Proverbs is always on the heart. If you are wise in our heart, we’ll be willing to submit to authority or, as another translation puts it, willing to receive correction.

Correction from someone in authority. That’s the mark that comes again and again as a mark of those who are wise. Yes, they are willing to accept correction and submit to authority, but a babbling fool, that is one who just keeps on talking, talking, talking, talking, talking, talking, as if he knows such a lot.

The people who just don’t know how to close the tap, and once their mouth is open, they keep on talking, talking, talking, talking. They’ll just be cast out.

Walking in Integrity

Then verse 9: “He who walks in integrity walks securely, but he who perverts his way will be found out.”

In the Living Bible, it says, “A good man has got a firm footing, but a crook, he will slip and fall.” If we are sincere, let’s say the man of integrity is the man who is sincere. He may have many mistakes in him, but to the best of his knowledge, he is seeking to walk in the light.

He is sincere. He’s got a firm footing even though there are so many mistakes in his life. He’s got a firm footing at every point. He walks in integrity. He walks securely, but he who perverts his way will be found out.

The word of God says, “Be sure your sin will find you out.” And a man who’s a crook, a man who’s trying to deceive, who’s trying to come into the congregation of the saints with some other motives, he may sit there for some time, but one day he will be exposed.

The man of integrity has got a firm footing.

Deception and Speech

Verse 10: It speaks again about this man who’s got deception, the man who winks with his eye. That means the man who’s got something deceptive about him. It’s not straightforward.

It’s not straightforward. There’s something wrong; you know when you’ve got some deception in your mind sometimes you know that you can’t look people straight in the face. There’s something you’re trying to hide there.

He causes trouble, but a babbling fool, one who keeps on talking, he’s worse than even that. He will be thrown down completely.

Then we go on to verse 11, which speaks about speech. We’ve considered money, we’ve considered hard work, we’ve considered deception and integrity, submission to authority and receiving correction. Here’s another area where the righteous and the wicked can be discerned.

There’s speech, and a lot mentioned about speech in the rest of this chapter. “The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.”

This is what we considered earlier, this vicious language. But the mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life. That means what comes out like in a fountain is words that are kind, words that are good, words that bless, words that speak good about others and not evil.

It’s a fountain of life. That’s the mark of a righteous man. By his mouth, you can know him. By the fruit of his mouth, you can know whether he’s righteous or wicked. Just listen to a person talk when he’s off guard, and you know exactly what type of person that person is.

Love Covers All Transgressions

And it speaks here about hatred stirring up strife, verse 12, but love covers all transgressions. We’ll close with that verse. It’s a verse we’ve considered much. It’s quoted in 1 Peter 4:8.

“Love covers a multitude of sins.” Long before Peter said it, Solomon said it. And one translation has it like this, that love draws a veil over all sins, puts a sheet across all sins.

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