The Call of Wisdom

I. Packer:
God’s wisdom is not, and never was pledged to keep a fallen world happy, or to make ungodliness comfortable. Not even to Christians has He promised a trouble-free life; rather the reverse. He has other ends in view for life in this world than simply to make it easy for everyone. The Lord is the Giver, the Creator, and Judge of Wisdom.

Proverbs 16:4

The LORD has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble.

Proverbs 21:2

Every person’s way is right in his own eyes, but the Lord examines the hearts.

Proverbs 3:3-6

3 Do not let kindness and truth leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. 4 So you will find favor and a good reputation in the sight of God and man. 5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.

1. The Voice of Instruction… 1:8-10
2. The Voice of Temptation…1:11-14
3. The Voice of Salvation…1:20-33

Proverbs 1:8-9

8 Hear, my son, your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching; 9 Indeed, they are a graceful wreath to your head and ornaments about your neck.

Proverbs 1: 10-14
The Voice of Temptation
10 My son, if sinners entice thee, do not consent 11 If they say, “Come with us, let’s lie in wait for blood, let’s ambush the innocent without cause; 12 let’s swallow them alive like Sheol, even whole, like those who go down to the pit; 13 we will find all kinds of precious wealth, we will fill our houses with plunder; 14 throw in your lot with us; we will all have one money bag,”

Proverbs 1:18

But they lie in wait for their own blood; they ambush their own lives…

Proverbs 1:20-33

The Voice of Salvation…

Proverbs 1:20-21

20 Wisdom shouts in the street, she raises her voice in the public square; 21 at the head of the noisy streets she cries out; at the entrance of the gates in the city she declares her sayings:

Romans 1:20

20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, being understood by what has been made, so that they are without excuse.

Proverbs 1:22

How long, O naive ones, will you love being simple-minded? And scoffers delight themselves in scoffing and fools hate knowledge?

Tremper Longman
“The problem with these three groups of people is that they relish their present state of ignorance. They not only tolerate it, but they embrace it wholeheartedly as communicated by the verbs “love” and “delight themselves”.

Proverbs 1:23

23.Turn to my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you.

Proverbs 1: 29-33
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 ahe who listens to me shall live securely and will be at ease from the dread of evil.”

Westminster Catechism
“Repentance unto life is a saving grace, whereby a sinner, out of a true sense of their sin, and apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ, does with grief and hatred of their sin, turn from it unto God, with full purpose of, and endeavor after, new obedience.”

Calamity: an event causing great and often sudden damage or distress; a disaster

“They shall live securely And they will be at ease from the dread of evil.”

Decisions —-Drive—Direction
Direction—Determines—-Destination
Destination—Demands—Diligence