SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 12/31/2012
10:43 AM
My Worship Time Focus: Wisdom’s
Call to Salvation PT-2
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Pr. 1:11-14 & 20-33
Message of the
verses: I want to try and finish
this first main section from the outline in Dr. Wiersbe’s commentary on
Proverbs. We looked at the first of
three sub-points in yesterday’s SD and will now begin to look at the second
sub-point.
The voice of
Temptation (Pr. 1:11-14): “11 If they say, "Come with us, Let us lie
in wait for blood, Let us ambush the innocent without cause; 12 Let us swallow them alive like Sheol, Even
whole, as those who go down to the pit; 13
We will find all kinds of precious wealth, We will fill our houses with
spoil; 14 Throw in your lot with us, We
shall all have one purse.” (NASB) “11 They may say, “Come and join us. Let’s hide and kill someone! Just for fun, let’s ambush the innocent! 12 Let’s swallow them alive, like the
grave; let’s swallow them whole, like
those who go down to the pit of death. 13
Think of the great things we’ll get!
We’ll fill our houses with all the stuff we take. 14 Come, throw in your lot with us; we’ll all share the loot.” (NLT)
We have in this section a father talking to his son about
what he should avoid. We see in this
section the voice of temptation trying to tempt those who will listen to it. We can read something similar in the third
chapter of Genesis when Satan is tempting Eve with the lie that he keeps on
spreading for if it worked then it will still work now. He tried it on our Lord, but failed as we can
see in the fourth chapter Mark.
If anybody tries to tempt us with things like are seen in
this section of Scripture then believe me they are not a friend, but an
enemy. People who want to get rich fast
in this kind of way are trading material wealth for an eternity in hell if they
keep on doing things like are described here.
There have been people who have been saved from this type of lifestyle,
for the grace of God is greater than all sin.
The voice of
Salvation (vv. 20-33): 20 ¶ Wisdom shouts in the street, She lifts her voice in the square;
21 At the head of the noisy streets she
cries out; At the entrance of the gates in the city she utters her sayings:
22 "How long, O naive ones, will
you love being simple-minded? And scoffers delight themselves in scoffing And
fools hate knowledge? 23 "Turn to
my reproof, Behold, I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words
known to you. 24 "Because I called and you refused, I stretched out my
hand and no one paid attention; 25 And
you neglected all my counsel And did not want my reproof; 26 I will also laugh at your calamity; I will
mock when your dread comes, 27 When your
dread comes like a storm And your calamity comes like a whirlwind, When
distress and anguish come upon you. 28
"Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; They will seek
me diligently but they will not find me, 29
Because they hated
knowledge And did not choose the fear of the LORD. 30 "They would not accept my counsel, They
spurned all my reproof. 31 "So they
shall eat of the fruit of their own way And be satiated with their own devices.
32 "For the waywardness of the
naive will kill them, And the complacency of fools will destroy them. 33 "But he who listens to me shall live securely And will be
at ease from the dread of evil."
This section of Proverbs speaks of wisdom calling sinners
to repentance, it is the gospel being spoken to three different types of people
and it seems that not many will respond but we know that there will be some
that will respond.
How does wisdom speak?
Verse twenty says in a loud voice, “Wisdom is crying out in the street; her voice is loud in the
open places.” (BBE) Wisdom does this so
that all can hear her, (Remember that the word “wisdom” is in the feminine
voice). Wisdom speaks through the
creation that God created “The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And
their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. 2 Day to day pours forth speech, And night to
night reveals knowledge. 3 There is no
speech, nor are there words; Their voice is not heard. 4 Their line has gone out through all the
earth, And their utterances to the end of the world. In them He has placed a
tent for the sun, 5 Which is as a bridegroom
coming out of his chamber; It rejoices as a strong man to run his course.
6 Its rising is from one end of the
heavens, And its circuit to the other end of them; And there is nothing hidden
from its heat.” (Psalm 19:1-6) Wisdom
speaks as conscience, “14 For when
Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these,
not having the Law, are a law to themselves, 15
in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness
and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, 16 on the day when, according to my gospel, God
will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus.” (Romans 2:14-16)
Dr. Wiersbe writes “To whom does Wisdom speak? To three classes of sinners: the simple ones, the scorners (scoffers,
mockers, NIV), and the fools (v.22). The
simple are naïve people who believe
anything (24:15) but examine nothing.
They’re gullible and easily led astray.
Scorners think they know
everything (21:24) and laugh at the things that are really important. While the simple one has a blak look on his
face, the scorner wears a sneer. Fools are people who are ignorant of
truth because they’re dull and stubborn.
Their problem isn’t a low IQ or poor education; their problem is a lack
of spiritual desire to seek and find God’s wisdom. Fools enjoy their foolishness but don’t know
how foolish they are! The outlook of
fools is purely materialistic and humanistic.
They hate knowledge and have no interest in things eternal.”
Here is the endnote quotation on the word “fool” as
written by Dr. Wiersbe: “In Proverbs,
three Hebrew words are translated ‘fool’: kesyl,
the dull, stupid fool; ewiyl, the
corrupt fool who is morally perverted; nabal,
the stubborn brutish fool whose ind is made up and won’t be convinced. For a vivid example of this third variety of
fool, see 1Samuel 25.” In 1Samuel 25 we
see the story of a man named Nabal (fool), a story worth reading. In the story this man has a very wise wife
named Abigail who is one of my favorite women in all the Bible.
We can’t leave this section without finding out what
wisdom has to say to these three classes of sinners. Verse 22 we find that wisdom brings an indictment
against them. “How long” is the question that wisdom asks them will they remain
the way that they are. Verse 23 “About
face! I can revise your life. Look, I’m ready to pour out my spirit on you; I’m
ready to tell you all I know.” (Message) We see an invitation in this verse. They are being called to repent and be
saved. Wisdom will change the hearts of
these people, the three classes of sinners if they will but allow her to do
so. We have to ask how they respond to
wisdom, and the answer is that they refuse to obey her voice. In verse 26 we see the word “also,” “I will
also laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your dread comes.” We see here that because these three types of
sinners laughed at wisdom’s calls one day wisdom will also laugh at them. Dr. Wiersbe writes “Wisdom see a storm of
judgment coming that will bring distress and anguish to all who reject God’s
invitation. In contrast to the judgment
promised to unbelievers, wisdom promises security and peace to those who will
listen to her and believe.” “"But
he who listens to me shall live securely And will be at ease from the dread of
evil." (Proverbs 1:33)
Spiritual meaning
for my life today: It soon will be
thirty-nine years ago that wisdom called me and I am thankful that the call was
one that I could not have refused. The
call came on the 26th of January in 1974, and believe me I did not
see the call coming to me, but when it did I gladly accepted that call.
There may be someone reading this who is being given the
call from wisdom to accept the Lord Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Accept that call for the Scriptures says, “Ro
10:13 for ‘WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME
OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.’”
My Steps of Faith for Today: “1Pe 3:15
but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a
defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in
you, yet with gentleness and reverence.”
Memory verses for the
week: Psalm 121:1-3
1 I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; from where
will my help come? 2 My help comes from
the Lord, who made heaven and earth. 3
He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber.
12/31/2012 11:57 AM
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