Wisdom’s Rebuke

Today's Reading is from Genesis 13:5-15:21; Matthew 5:27-48; 6:1-10 and Proverbs 1:29-33

I was really taken with our passage in Proverbs today, but to place this in it's proper context I want to look at verses 20-33 - the topic heading here is 'Wisdom's Rebuke.'

Out in the open wisdom calls aloud, she raises her voice in the public square; on top of the wall she cries out, at the city gate she makes her speech: “How long will you who are simple love your simple ways?  How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge?  Repent at my rebuke!  Then I will pour out my thoughts to you, I will make known to you my teachings.  But since you refuse to listen when I call and no one pays attention when I stretch out my hand, since you disregard all my advice and do not accept my rebuke, I in turn will laugh when disaster strikes you; I will mock when calamity overtakes you— when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind, when distress and trouble overwhelm you.  “Then they will call to me but I will not answer; they will look for me but will not find me, since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the LORD.  Since they would not accept my advice and spurned my rebuke,  they will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.  For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them; but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm.”

Wisdom is speaking here; the Bible calls Wisdom by female adjectives [she, her]; but true wisdom comes from God.  So I feel that God is using this decsription of as Wisdom for Himself, God is giving this rebuke to those who are simple and foolish.  Todya's passage actually starts in the middle of a thought, a conclusion God has made about the simple and foolish ones He is addressing here.  This conclusion starts in verse 28 and I have underlined it above. 

God has call the foolish to repentance in order for Him to indwell them with His Holy Spirit and fill them with true wisdom; but they have refused and ignored His pleas.  He has waited long for them to trun around and make Him their choice; so when they finally do call on Him for wisdom, He denies their pleas.  Their cries at this point are from relief from the consequences of their follies, NOT repentence.  Without repentence [a true change of heart], God can't dwell within us and fill us with His wisdom and peace.

But He is ever waiting for the lost, simple and foolish to Look to Him, have a heart change, turn from their ways and seek His face.  Then will He hear from heaven, dry their eyes, bind their wounds and heal their hearts and bring Salvation to their lives.  Once repentence takes place and Salvation has taken root, healing can begin and our hearts and lives can hold the wisdom God waits patiently to impart to each of us.

James 1:5-8 says; If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.  But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.  That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.  Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

My footnotes say 'The Hebrew word rendered simple in Proverbs denotes a person who is gullible, without moral direction and inclined to evil.'  Likwise 'the Hebrew words rendered fool in Proverbs, and often elsewhere in the Old Testament, denote a person who is morally deficient.'  So I feel that these are both persons in an unsaved state.  One who has not chosen Salvation, doesn't know that he needs the wisdom God desires to give him.  Once drawn by the Holy Spirt, we can now see our need and request it, as is stated in James. 

If you need to find Salvation in Jesus, please comment and I will introduce you. 

If you know Jesus anad walk in His ways, but need more wisdom; ask in faith believing, and Our Heavenly Father will give you this gift you request.  Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.  James 1:17


Until next time!