❖ Video
❖ Audio (Message)
Are you hearing the call of wisdom?
(Proverbs 8:1-11)
Andy Nagahara
1 Does not wisdom call out? Does not understanding raise her voice?
2 On the heights along the way, where the paths meet, she takes her stand;
3 beside the gates leading into the city, at the entrances, she cries aloud:
4 “To you, O men, I call out; I raise my voice to all mankind.
5 You who are simple, gain prudence; you who are foolish, gain understanding.
6 Listen, for I have worthy things to say; I open my lips to speak what is right.
7 My mouth speaks what is true, for my lips detest wickedness.
8 All the words of my mouth are just; none of them is crooked or perverse.
9 To the discerning all of them are right; they are faultless to those who have knowledge.
10 Choose my instruction instead of silver, knowledge rather than choice gold,
11 for wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her.
1. The call of wisdom still echoes today
Last time, I mentioned that society has always been filled with tempting voices that lead young people down the path of destruction. Today’s text tells us that in that same space we can also hear the “voice of wisdom” that points us to the path to happiness, opposite to the voice of temptation.
Can we hear it in this world right now? The information society has been advancing at an accelerating pace since the latter half of the 20th century. In particular, in this century, when everyone is constantly connected to the Internet, the amount of information that individuals can access has become enormous.
The information contains baseless conspiracies and malicious lies. Many people believe lies to be truth because of artfully manipulated photos and videos. And many people approach information with the attitude of accepting only information that sounds good to them and ignoring anything that doesn’t, rather than considering whether the information is reliable or not. As a result, such trends divide society and create a situation where the weak and small suffer.
The Apostle Paul knew that such a time would come in the Christian church. In 2 Timothy, chapter 4, it is written:
For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.
I believe the time that Paul warned about has now come. This is because there are many Christians who go against God’s will, go along with the trends of the world, and do not care about the suffering of the weak and the little ones.
Even in this social climate, can people really hear the call for “wisdom” on the street corners? I think we can hear it. Even in the most dire of times, I believe there is hope. Because you exist in this society. God’s wisdom is conveyed to people through the existence of you who believe in Jesus and follow him, that is, through the existence of the church.
Paul’s warning is placed between his exhortations in verses 2 and 5.
Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage–with great patience and careful instruction.
But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.
Please do not think that because this is a letter to Timothy, a young church leader, it does not concern you, as you are not a leader of the church. I believe these words are directed to anyone who wants to follow Jesus.
As I have said many times, those who believe in Jesus and follow him become pastors and churches wherever they are. Jesus will reveal himself to those around you through you. He loves people through you. People will know Jesus through you. And listening to and obeying Jesus is listening to the “wisdom of God.”
I would like to talk about why wisdom leads to Jesus.
2. Jesus is the “Wisdom of God”
From verse 2 onwards, today’s text is described as the personified “Wisdom” speaking herself. No, in fact, “wisdom” speaks to us. Perhaps, it would be better not to use the term “personified”.
The Gospel of Luke records these words of Jesus:
Because of this, God in his wisdom said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and others they will persecute.’
However, the Gospel of Matthew records this episode as follows:
Therefore I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town. “I am sending out prophets and apostles, and some of them will be killed and some will be persecuted.”
This is not a quote, but Jesus’ own words.
Even in the early church’s understanding, the “wisdom of God” was none other than Jesus. The apostle Paul wrote:
Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
Jesus is the manifestation of God’s wisdom, just as He revealed Himself as God’s power and God’s love. Therefore, following Jesus in life means listening to and walking in accordance with the “wisdom of God” spoken of in Proverbs.
3. Jesus is the “Wisdom of God”
In common usage, wisdom refers to the intellectual property that allows us to act appropriately in various aspects of life. However, in the biblical sense, as we have read so far, it is a message from God. God speaks to our hearts from time to time throughout our journey, but what is most important is the core of those words. Let’s read verses 6-8 again.
1
The Word of Wisdom calls us to uphold “righteousness,” to hate injustice, and to live in accordance with its words. These words tell us that “righteousness” is the foundation of God’s wisdom.
Opponents argue that they are right. However, God’s view is that “there is no one righteous,” as Paul states in his letter to the Romans. So we turn to Jesus for justice. In other words, it means using the Bible’s passages as a guide to think about what Jesus would think and what he would do.
To do this, we worship, pray, read the Bible, and talk with others to understand Jesus’ thoughts. When you live each day according to Jesus’ will, those who come into contact with you will be hearing God’s wisdom and messages from Jesus.
4. Wealth above all wealth
The words and writings of various wise people enrich our lives. But the words of Jesus, which we receive and live by, are in a class of their own. Let’s read verse 9 and following again.
9 To the discerning all of them are right; they are faultless to those who have knowledge.
10 Choose my instruction instead of silver, knowledge rather than choice gold,
11 for wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her
Are you underestimating the value of the blessings that God has given you? Although none of us are wealthy or powerful, please be aware that you have obtained wealth that surpasses them. Jesus’ call, expressed through you, will bring justice to this world and open up a better future.
(Prayer) God, thank you for speaking to our hearts.
In this age where the voices of temptation are so numerous and loud that they drown out your voice, please help us to listen to our hearts, discern your call, and walk in obedience.
Please help us to address the challenges we face in a way that aligns with your will.
We pray in the name of Jesus Christ.
Summary
Even in a world filled with the clamor of tempting voices, the voice of God’s wisdom reaches people through the church as Jesus’ words. That is why the church exists in this world. The church is a gathering of people who believe in Jesus and follow him. Yet, the church itself must also walk while listening to Jesus’ voice; otherwise it will stray from the path and fail to fulfill its role.
The blessing of listening to the voice of Jesus and walking in obedience to it will enrich our lives more than any earthly wealth.
For Discussion
1. What is God’s wisdom?
2. How can we walk the right path?