He
layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous (Prov 2:7)
The Benefits Of Possessing Wisdom – Grace To
Faithfully Serve: Prov 2:20-22
20) That thou mayest walk in the way of good [men], and keep the paths of the
righteous.
21) For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the
perfect shall remain in it.
22) But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth,
and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it.
INTRODUCTION:
As we close this chapter of
Solomon’s teaching (vs 20-22), he gets to the “bottom line” of all he has said
so far. Wisdom enables us to come to
Christ for salvation and then to serve our Lord faithfully while gaining eternity
with Him. These are the ultimate and
undeniable blessings that God’s wisdom brings to all who possess it….
EXPOSITION:
20) That thou mayest walk in the way of good [men], and keep the paths of the righteous.
The
blessings of wisdom include:
1. Our lifestyle will follow that of upright, helpful
men. (Salvation and faithful service to the Lord.)
2. Our motive will be to protect the way of
truth. (Spreading the gospel and promoting holy lifestyles.)
The
blessings of wisdom affect our life of service on earth.
“Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but
that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath
not seen God.” (3 John 1:11)
21) For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall
remain in it.
3. The upright (those who keep God’s laws) will
be the exclusive inhabitants of the New Earth
4. The perfect (those who are forgiven and justified)
will dwell there eternally.
The
blessings of wisdom will affect our eternal existance.
“That ye be not slothful, but followers of
them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” (Hebrews 6:12)
22) But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the
transgressors shall be rooted out of it.
In
comparison, those who have rejected wisdom:
1. The wicked (unlawful, ungodly) will be
separated from the New Earth.
2. The transgressors (deceitful, veiled) will be
taken forcibly from God’s presence in eternity.
The
rejection of wisdom holds eternal consequences as well.
“Mark the perfect [man], and behold the
upright: for the end of [that] man [is] peace. But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked
shall be cut off.” (Psalms 37:37-38)
SUMMARY:
May
we always keep our mind on the goal for which we are living…. to glorify God in
our lives, sharing Him with others through our lifestyle, words, and our
actions. The apprehension and
application of wisdom is a key factor to the successful completion of our goal.
As
we look back at the entire chapter we can see that Solomon has, once again, made
a very strong case for the need to obtain the wisdom of Almighty God…
1.
The Need To Properly Value the Wisdom Of God (1-4)
2. The Result of Wisdom In Our Life: The Blessings Of God (5-9)
3. The Result of Wisdom In Our Life: Safety From Worldy Influences: (10-19)
A.
The Influence Of Wickedness (10-15)
B.
The Influence Of Temptations (16-19)
4. The Result of Wisdom In Our Life: Successful
Service For Christ (20-22)
Without
Godly wisdom our service to the Lord suffers, we are left open to the many
sinful influences of the world as we attempt to serve Him of our own human
wisdom.
By
God’s grace, let us all study these proverbs diligently, giving them the value
that they deserve.
May the
Lord bless us as we receive this sound wisdom and then “Think On These Things”.
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