Warning of Wisdom

In this part of the sermon: Martin introduces the sermon by contrasting the initial warning against evil companions in Proverbs 1:10-19 with the voice of wisdom in Proverbs 1:20-23, which was the subject of…

An illustration of an enticement to evil, specifically thievery and murder driven by covetousness, to flesh out the general warning against evil companions.

Following some fundamental matters of introduction, such as the identification of the author, the purpose of the book of Proverbs, the main theme of that book, the first subject really dealt with in any degree of thoroughness in the first chapter of Proverbs is this warning of a father to his son regarding the terrible influence of evil companions. Verse 10, My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not. And then he fleshes out that general warning in a specific illustration of an enticement to evil

0:02 - 0:45 Read in full sermon

Driving home: God has spoken through creation upon which is stamped that constant reminder, showing forth His everlasting power and His divinity and the obligation of the creature to the Creator, stamped upon conscience no matter how …

An analogy of a distraught mother pleading for help for her child, using her outstretched hands as an eloquent cry, to illustrate wisdom's earnest plea for acceptance.

It's the picture that we have in Isaiah 65, 2 where Jehovah says, all the day long have I stretched out my hands to a gainsaying and to a disobedient people. It's the picture of a person who, in the earnestness of their desire to receive a given request, finds the very hands coming into employment and the very hands taking on an eloquent cry of pleading. All of us have seen that. Whether it's been the distraught mother pleading for help for a child in some dire situation and we saw upon the lines of that woman's face the eagerness, the earnestness, and we could read it

14:26 - 15:10 Read in full sermon

The point: Recognize that the reasons for wisdom's frightening prophecy are relevant to you today if you have treated wisdom's entreaties with indifference, rejected divine counsel, or refused true religion.

Analogies of watching 'Tora Tora' or reading about an extinct volcano, where one views past tragedies with no fear of repetition, to highlight the tragic contemporary relevance of wisdom's warnings.

And so the threefold reason for the solemn prophecy is indifference to divine entreaty, rejection of divine counsel and reproof, refusal of true religion. And up to this point you'll notice that I've studiously avoided any application. And would to God that we could study this passage as mere speculation is to be a spectators of a tragic occurrence in the past, but which has not been and can never be repeated. Such as we might go and see the movie Tora Tora and view the occurrence of that tragedy of Pearl Harbor,

19:15 - 19:58 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not be more loving than God, or you are worshipping an idol of your own construction.

An example of how talking about death brings sudden silence to unconverted people's conversations, illustrating their dread of the inevitable day of judgment.

The young man having cleverly plotted his lie to his parents, having cleverly plotted his trickery at school and his cheating, the person in the place of his business, the husband, the wife guilty of infidelity, whatever the sin be, in that moment when there is the smiting of conscience, it's as though God is giving an earnest of that day when all secrets shall be made bare and laid open, when everything that is covered shall be uncovered and nothing that is hid shall be hid any longer. And men fear that day. That's why they don't want to talk about death. They don't want to talk about death.

28:14 - 28:49 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not be more loving than God, or you are worshipping an idol of your own construction.

Examples of women working out wrinkles, plastic surgery, and men overcompensating for balding, to illustrate humanity's universal dread of death and the day of judgment.

It's the thing they fear. Look at the woman working out her wrinkles which remind her that her day is coming. Look at the more wealthy of her kind going to the plastic surgeon to have the wrinkles taken out. Look at the man trying to overcompensate for his balding head and his sagging tummy by other signs of, deceptive signs of apparent youthfulness.

29:09 - 29:38 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The third substance is a threat of personal destruction (verses 31-32), where men will 'eat of the fruit of their own way' and be 'filled with their own devices.' Martin explains…

An analogy of Israel being gorged with flesh until it came out their nostrils, to illustrate how sinners will be 'filled' and 'stuffed' with their own devices until they loathe them.

He'll let men experience what it is to eat the full fruitage of the way in which they've walked. And then he says be filled. And that word filled means stuffed, gorged with their own devices. Remember it's said of Israel when she kept complaining for flesh, God says alright I'll give you flesh, I'll give you flesh till it comes out your nostrils.

45:01 - 45:27 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The third substance is a threat of personal destruction (verses 31-32), where men will 'eat of the fruit of their own way' and be 'filled with their own devices.' Martin explains…

An analogy of wishing to silence the nagging voice of conscience, even giving one's last dime or right arm, to illustrate the sinner's desire to enjoy sin without its bitter aftertaste or external reproof.

And then they loathed it. That's the picture here. The sinner says look God leave me alone. Oh how some of you wish you could reach into that place if it were physically located where conscience operates and you'd give your last dime to somehow have that thing taken out of your mind or spirit wherever it would be.

45:27 - 45:49 Read in full sermon