Call of Wisdom

Driving home: The key to all the wisdom and knowledge is the fear of the Lord, the proper regard of the tutor, the son as his pupil, or more likely, the earthly father instructing his earthly fleshly son.

The father's instruction is likened to a chaplet of grace and chains of nobility, illustrating the beauty and honor found in heeding parental counsel.

And in that sense, this section of the Proverbs is particularly suited for the young. Here is a father instructing his son. The first thing he does in that instruction is to remind him of his obligation to heed the instruction of his father, for therein is to be found true beauty, the chaplet of grace about his head, true nobility, chains about his neck. And having established the necessity of heeding that instruction, his first counsel is counsel given in these general terms, My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.

1:34 - 2:17 Read in full sermon

Driving home: The key to all the wisdom and knowledge is the fear of the Lord, the proper regard of the tutor, the son as his pupil, or more likely, the earthly father instructing his earthly fleshly son.

A father's inability to always surround his son with external restraints is used to explain why he must warn his son against evil influences, as he won't always be present.

It's a warning against the terrible influence of evil companions. The father knows that he will not have his son with him forever. And there is coming a time when he can no longer surround him with those external restraints. It is promised that the sheep shall do nothing but the cities shall destroy them.

2:17 - 2:39 Read in full sermon

Driving home: I believe with all my heart that words, words spoken from this pulpit, are thundering in the consciences of some of you. Wisdom is uttering her voice.

The idea that men would pay any fee to escape a nagging conscience illustrates the pervasive and inescapable nature of Wisdom's voice through conscience.

as the one from whom all of their gifts flow, and therefore the one to whom they owe allegiance and obedience, that message is not secret, it does not come in some secluded cloister, it is an open message, in the street, in the broad places, in the chief place, in the entrance of the city, at the city gate. And not only do we see this with creation, but if we've rightly interpreted this, think of this with relationship to conscience. Where can men go to escape conscience? If there were some place in the universe tonight where men would be able to escape conscience, where men could escape consc...

18:14 - 18:57 Read in full sermon

Driving home: I believe with all my heart that words, words spoken from this pulpit, are thundering in the consciences of some of you. Wisdom is uttering her voice.

Conscience is described as the 'one worm in the gourd of their sinful pleasure,' highlighting how it spoils the enjoyment of sin.

For the one worm in the gourd of their sinful pleasure is the presence of a nagging conscience.

18:58 - 19:05 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Wisdom is the ideal preacher. Wisdom speaks openly. Ah, but wisdom speaks earnestly.

Martin shares his observation that some preachers are more concerned with getting facts off their chest than getting truth into hearts, contrasting this with Wisdom's earnestness.

But, wisdom is concerned to get her message into hearts. And, there's all the difference in the world. And, I'm tempted here to take off in an exhortation about preaching. And, I'm going to submit to the temptation.

22:30 - 22:45 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Wisdom is the ideal preacher. Wisdom speaks openly. Ah, but wisdom speaks earnestly.

Jesus standing and crying out, 'If any man thirst, let him come unto Me and drink,' illustrates the earnestness of Wisdom's call.

And all you need do is look at the life of our Lord Jesus Christ. We need our Lord Jesus to see this, for God is revealed in Christ. And what do we see in our Lord Jesus? That great day of the feast, Jesus stood and He cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto Me and drink.

24:24 - 24:47 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: This section details how Wisdom conveys her message: openly in public places, earnestly with intense longing for a hearing, and honestly and clearly, articulating promises and…

Jesus weeping over Jerusalem and saying, 'Oh, Jerusalem! Jerusalem! How oft would I have gathered you!', demonstrates His intense longing and earnestness.

There was earnestness. He came over the brow of a city upon which He had to pronounce judgment and said, Oh, Jerusalem. Jerusalem! How oft would I have gathered you!

24:48 - 25:01 Read in full sermon

Driving home: If you fit the category of the simple one, there are no simple ones in hell. Hell is God's classroom to those who would not learn on earth that the wages of sin is death.

Hell is presented as God's classroom for the simple, where they will finally learn the reality that sin brings destruction, having refused to learn it on earth.

And so wisdom entreats. How long, ye simple, will you love simplicity? Will you love simplicity until hell becomes your classroom to teach you reality?

35:23 - 35:37 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The first part of Wisdom's message is an earnest entreaty, posed as a question, to three classes of people: the simple who love their vulnerability to evil, the scoffers who…

Just as hell strips a man of his simplicity, it also strips him of his mockery, emphasizing that no scoffers mock the realities of sin and grace once they are in hell.

Now what does the preacher say to them? He says, oh, you scoffers, how long will you delight yourself in scoffing? Will you go on delighting yourself in your scoffing until judgment turns you into a silent monument of the folly of unbelief and sin? No scoffers are found in hell who mock the realities of sin and grace.

38:49 - 39:19 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The first part of Wisdom's message is an earnest entreaty, posed as a question, to three classes of people: the simple who love their vulnerability to evil, the scoffers who…

A doctor earnestly offering a remedy to a community indifferent to health rules illustrates God's persistent entreaty to humanity, even when His remedy is refused.

Why should He continue to entreat us? I know no answer, but that He is rich in mercy, long-suffering, patient over His erring, and rebellious creation. Here's the picture of a doctor who comes into a community. Perhaps there's widespread ignorance, widespread indifference to health rules and principles of physical health and well-being.

44:13 - 44:42 Read in full sermon

Driving home: one of the most gracious words in all of the Bible is God's command, to repent.

A command to a man about to board a bombed plane to 'turn from your plans' is used to illustrate that God's command to repent is gracious because it calls us away from destruction.

So it's a gracious command. He's calling me to turn not from something that is my good. If you come to a man who's worked all his life to save a few thousand dollars to take a trip to Europe, and see some of the rest of the world, and Justice is about to board the plane, you say to him, give me your money. Turn from your plans.

47:50 - 48:12 Read in full sermon