Yesterday I shared my anger, frustration with the effort we as a Church are making in getting people into the Word for themselves. I mentioned that I read something that morning that emphasized the need for each believer to be in the Word, Proverbs 1:20 – 33.
The picture is that of wisdom in the street shouting at the people. Now I do not know where else to get wisdom other than the Word. Look at verse 23, that looks a lot like John 14:26, does it not? We are exhorted to turn to wisdom’s reproof, which is one of the functions of the Word of God as described by Paul in 2 Timothy 3:14 – 17.
So wisdom is there for the taking. It is in the Word of God. Proverbs is part of that Word. Yet as in Jeremiah the people turned their back on the Word and went with their own desires and dreams. Verses 29 and 30, Solomon repeats the calling out of their hatred of knowledge and describes them as spurning reproof.
The result. They get their way. They are satisfied with what they can obtain. That is not a good thing. Tacitly the message is that there is so much more. When we turn our back on the Word, we are left with what we can do on our own. Rather than tapping into the riches of our Lord and His kingdom we become enthralled with the paltry riches of what C. S. Lewis calls this world, the shadowlands.
We need to focus on attaining wisdom. We need to do what Proverbs 2:4 – 5 describes. We need to do what Christ exhorts, abide in His Word. Further we need to equip all who will listen to do the same.
The picture is that of wisdom in the street shouting at the people. Now I do not know where else to get wisdom other than the Word. Look at verse 23, that looks a lot like John 14:26, does it not? We are exhorted to turn to wisdom’s reproof, which is one of the functions of the Word of God as described by Paul in 2 Timothy 3:14 – 17.
So wisdom is there for the taking. It is in the Word of God. Proverbs is part of that Word. Yet as in Jeremiah the people turned their back on the Word and went with their own desires and dreams. Verses 29 and 30, Solomon repeats the calling out of their hatred of knowledge and describes them as spurning reproof.
The result. They get their way. They are satisfied with what they can obtain. That is not a good thing. Tacitly the message is that there is so much more. When we turn our back on the Word, we are left with what we can do on our own. Rather than tapping into the riches of our Lord and His kingdom we become enthralled with the paltry riches of what C. S. Lewis calls this world, the shadowlands.
We need to focus on attaining wisdom. We need to do what Proverbs 2:4 – 5 describes. We need to do what Christ exhorts, abide in His Word. Further we need to equip all who will listen to do the same.
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