Purpose of the Book

The point: Do not handle the Scriptures like a talisman or lucky charm, but approach it like any other book, with certain peculiar attitudes like prayer for the Holy Spirit's help and reverence.

Martin uses the metaphor of the mind as a sieve rather than a container to explain why truth needs 'burrs' (like proverbs) to stick, emphasizing the power of proverbs to attach to the mind.

for grace to keep your mind from being defiled, and probably if you pray you won't end up reading it in the book. The first place. But when you come to the Word of God, there needs to be the help of the Holy Spirit, therefore we pray. When we come to the Word of God, we come with reverence because God is speaking. But though there are these elements peculiar to our reading of the Scriptures because they are the Word of God, there are certain other elements that are common no matter what we read, and we must bring those to the Scriptures as well. And so we spent some time last week considering,...

1:26 - 2:32 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The first general purpose is to fill the mind with right principles, defining 'wisdom' as judging rightly and 'instruction' as knowledge impacting conduct. 'Discern' means to…

The biblical account of Solomon discerning the true mother by proposing to cut a baby in half is used as a classic example of wisdom: the power of judging rightly and following the soundest course of action.

But if there is a difference of meaning, I believe it would be in the following areas. We're going to spend just a moment or two seeking to define these terms. Wisdom, in the sense that it's used in the book of Proverbs, is the power of judging rightly and following the soundest course of action. You remember the first test of Solomon's wisdom was that situation recorded in 1 Kings chapter 3, where these two harlots came before King Solomon?

9:49 - 10:20 Read in full sermon

Driving home: the mind is the place where the battle of heaven and hell occurs in the life of every believer and, we might say, in the life of every unbeliever.

Instruction is described as knowledge that 'slaps your hand when you reach out for a forbidden object,' illustrating how it impinges upon life and conduct.

It's knowledge that begins to slap your hand when you reach out for a forbidden object. It's knowledge that begins to say, hey, what are you doing?

11:33 - 11:42 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin then addresses the specific classes of people. First, the 'simple' are defined as babes in spiritual and practical matters, gullible and easily preyed upon. Proverbs aims…

A story of a naive man from a trusting rural background moving to the cutthroat business environment of New York illustrates the 'simple' person who is gullible and easily preyed upon, like the Samaritan in the parable.

Here's the fellow reared in the deep rural area of our country, maybe the deep south of the Midwest, reared in an area where there's still an awful lot of common grace, where a man's word is as good as his life, people don't sign contracts, they just agree to something, shake hands, and you can count on it. And so this fellow's been reared in that kind of a situation, where everybody trusts everybody, everybody knows one another, everybody has confidence in one another, your word is as good as your name, and that poor chap comes right into New York, see, I don't need to tell you anything more,...

27:35 - 28:50 Read in full sermon

Driving home: one of the marks of spiritual pride is a false assessment of our own need.

Jesus' words are used to define prudence as the ability to act wisely, being shrewd yet innocent, in practical matters.

To use the words of Jesus, prudence is being wise as a serpent while still being harmless as a dove. Now, the purpose of the book of Proverbs is to take the simple, that gullible, that incautious, that person of weak capacities and to furnish him with this great capacity to be prudent. Now, how is this accomplished? Look at Psalm 116 and verse 6.

31:12 - 31:47 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Next, the 'young man' is characterized by enthusiasm and drive but also impetuosity and gullibility, making him vulnerable to city life's temptations. Proverbs aims to give him…

The young man is likened to an untamed horse, full of strength and energy but prone to self-inflicted scars and harming others, illustrating the impetuosity and inexperience of youth.

What are his peculiar liabilities? Well, he's the person usually marked by his enthusiasm, his zeal and his drive, and often crippled by hurtful impetuosity and crippling gullibility. I think of the young man like the untamed horse, all full of strength and energy, but all he does is go around putting scars on himself and anybody that gets near him. Have you ever seen one of those untamed horses?

35:13 - 35:40 Read in full sermon

The point: If a young person has half an ounce of spiritual sense, he'll say, 'Oh God, teach me those things through those who've proven your wisdom in the crucible of experience.'

Martin shares his personal experience as a young convert, making himself a 'pest' to older, godly men to gain knowledge and discretion, illustrating the humility and teachableness he advocates for youth.

One of the things that God was pleased to do for me shortly after I was converted as a senior in high school was to give me enough sense to know that if someone had walked with God through the years and had opened his mind to the Scriptures day by day, month after month, and had known what it was to put the promises of God to the test and prove them, that I ought to get around such people. And I made an absolute pest of myself whenever I found anybody with white hairs or no hairs who had been walking with God for years, I made an absolute pest of myself. I just latched onto him like a leech. I...

43:02 - 44:26 Read in full sermon

Driving home: one of the most beautiful spiritual characteristics in a truly spiritual wise person is the childlike attitude of the teachable.

Martin recounts an encounter with Professor John Murray, a renowned theologian, who, despite his stature, expressed profound humility and gratitude for learning from Martin, a much younger minister. This illustrates the childlike teachableness of a truly wise man.

I've been privileged to meet some of the men who, in our own generation, are called and considered, rightly so, spiritual giants amongst men. But the thing that's impressed me without exception, now I shouldn't say without exception, almost without exception, I can think of one or two exceptions, but by and large, generally speaking, there is this tremendous childlike spirit of teachableness. Let me give you the classic example, one that I shall never forget until I die, and I'll probably remember it in heaven too. Some years ago, three, four now, three years ago, I was privileged to share in ...

51:56 - 53:18 Read in full sermon