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\u201dThe Folly of Rejecting Wisdom\u201d
(Proverbs1:
20-33)
Introduction: Thus far in the book of Proverbs we have seen that God has
given us this book in order to understand how we are to live in His covenant
community.I t is a book of instruction and discipline which is directed
both to young and old alike.I tis a book which applies God\u2019s Ten

Commandments to all areas of life in a very practical way. We have also seen where all God-glorifying knowledgeis to begin, the starting point apart from which everything we do and know will only end in destruction, namely, the fear of God. The fear of the Lordis a necessary element to

your Christian experience. For if you do not fear Him, you will certainly
turn a deaf ear to His commands. This week, Solomon gives to us a very
sober warning against ever turning away from the knowledge and wisdom of

God. Those of you who have read the bookPilgrim\u2019s Progress know that the

bookis full of vivid imagery and analogy. Bunyon has a very precious way of bringing to life the very evils we fight against and the virtues that we seek to inculcate in our lives in characters that you can easily relate to.

But Bunyon was not the first to use such imagery.I tis laced throughout the Bible. Our Lord often usedi t in His parables. And we find a large amount ofi t in the poetical and proverbial portions of Scripture as well. In our passage this morning, Solomon uses such imagery by picturing the wisdom that he seeks to teach us as a woman. This womanis very precious indeed. She is a woman to be embraced. She is a woman to be sought after at all costs. Later in the book he will introduce us to another woman who

is to be avoided like the plague: the woman with a black heart who will

seek to lead you into an early grave. Her paths lead to Sheol. Falling into her snareis like falling into a bottomless pit from which you will never escape. But nots o with lady wisdom. All her paths lead to life; riches and honor are in her house, \u201dAND HAPPY AREALL WHO HOLD HER FAST\u201d

(Prov.
3:
1 8 ).
God\u2019s courts,is calling to you to listen to her. And her messageis simply
this,
This morning,I want you to see that this woman, this heavenly lady of
Embrace wisdom with all your hearta n d learn her ways, for if you do
FirstI want you to see that she is calling for you to listen;
not, she will not deliver youin the day of your calamity.
secondly, there is dangerin refusing to listen to her voice;a n d
thirdly, there is blessing promised to you if you will heedit.
I.First, Recognize that God\u2019s Wisdom Is Calling to Each of You Here This
Morning
( w .20-23).
A.
It Is from Within the Church that Her Voice Is Hearda n d from There
Is Extends Outside the Church
( w .
20-21).
1.You must never forget that the Bible is the possession of the
covenant community of God.I t was not given to the world at
1
arge.
a. In Romans, after Paul had shown that both Jewsa n d Gentiles
were all under sin, he raised the question, \u201dTHEN WHAT
ADVANTAGE HAS THE JEW? OR WHAT IS THE BENEFIT OF
CIRCUMCISION? GREATI N EVERY RESPECT. FIRST OF ALL, THAT
THEY WERE ENTRUSTED WITH THE ORACLES OF GOD\u201d
(3:1-2).
2
b.
Ther e v e l a t i o n of God\u2019sn a t u r e and ofH i s will was entrusted
tot h echurch.
I t wasa prized possession, fort h e
knowledge of God\u2019ss a l v a t i o ni s beyondv a l u e .
c.
The samei st r u e oft h e New Testamentchurcha s well.
Toi t
is entrustedt h e Word of God.
Paul wrotet o Timothy, \u201dIAM
WRITING THESE THINGS TO YOU, HOPING TO COME TO YOU BEFORE
LONG; BUT IN CASE IAM DELAYED, I WRITES O THAT YOU MAY KNOW
HOW ONE OUGHT TO CONDUCT HIMSELF IN THE HOUSEHOLD OF GOD,
SUPPORT OF THE TRUTH\u201d
( 1
Tim.3 : 14- 15).
d.
Unbelievers may possess copies oft h eS c r i p t u r e s .
Buti ti s
the peculiart r e a s u r e and rightful possession of thechurch,
whichshei st o proclaimi nt h i s world.
WHICHISTHECHURCHO FT H EL IV ING
G O D ,
THEP I L L A R
A N D
2.
Thev o i c e of wisdom,t h e n ,i s heardi nt h echurcht h r o u g h t h e
Scriptures, and wherevert h echurch will proclaimt h a t message.
a.
b.
C .
d.
B.
AndHer
i n
Israel,t h eo n l y placei t was heard wasi nt h e household
of God,t h en a t i o n of Israel.
Onlyt h o s e who camet h e r e
couldh e a r of God\u2019s wisdom.
Outsidet h e r e waso n l yt h e
light ofn a t u r e , within,i nt h e i rc o n s c i e n c e , and without,
int h ec r e a t i o n ,t ob e a rw i t n e s s t o them of God.
But nowt h a tt h e Lordh a sg i v e nt h e Word ofH i s commandt o
H i schurcht o ,\u201dGO
.
.
.
AND MAKE DISCIPLES OF ALL THE
NATIONS\u201d ( M a t t .
2 8 :1 9 ),
thechurchi st ot a k et h i s Word of
wisdomt oa l l outside ofi t sc o n f i n e s .
This messagei s first declaredi nt h e word ofH i s
revelation;i ti ss e c o n d l yt a u g h tt ot h ep e o p l e o f God;a n d
theni ti st obet a k e no u t s i d e t ot h o s ei nd a r k n e s s i no r d e r
thatt h e ym i g h th e a r a n dbe s a v e d .
Ands o lady wisdomi sc a l l i n g primarily withint h echurch,
butherv o i c ei sa l s oh e a r dt h r o u g ht h echurcht o t h o s e
outside.
MessageI s Very Clear:
\u201dTurnt oMy Reproof, and IW i l l
Teach You Knowledge\u201d
( w .
22- 23).
1.
Herm e s s a g ei sn o t f o rt h o s e o fy o u w h oa r e w e l l ,but f o rt h o s e o f
youw h oa r es i c k .
Tot h o s e Pharisees whot h o u g h t themselvest obe
righteousi nt h e m s e l v e s , J e s u s s a i d , \u201d I T I S NOT THOSE WHOARE WELL
WHO NEED A PHYSICIAN, BUT THOSE WHOARES I C K .
I HAVE NOT COME TO
CALL THE RIGHTEOUS BUT SINNERS TO REPENTANCE\u201d ( L u k e
5 :3 1 -3 2 ).
2.
Herm e s s a g e ,t h e n ,i s f o rt h o s e o fy o u w h oa r es i c k ,t ot h o s e o f
you who falli n t ot h e following groups of individuals who forone
reasono ra n o t h e r find something distastefula b o u t God\u2019s wisdom.
a.
Toy o u whoa r et h en a i v eo r simpleones,shes a y s , \u201dHOW
LONG,OSIMPLE ONES, WILL YOU LOVE SIMPLICITY?\u201d
( i )
Therea r et h o s e whoa r e simple fromb i r t h .
notg i v et ot h e mt h e e q u i p m e n t t ou n d e r s t a n dmuch o f
God\u2019st r u t h .Thisi sn o t primarily addressedt o them.
( i i )
Butt h e r ea r ea l s ot h o s e whoa r en a i v e ,e i t h e rbecause
theyt h i n ki ti savirtuet obes o ,orbecause they
despiset h e knowledge of Godi nt h e i rh e a r t s .
ignorant.
T h e yt a k et h e p a s s a g e , \u201dKNOWLEDGE MAKES
ARROGANT, BUT LOVE EDIFIES\u201d
( 1
Cor.
8 :1 ),
tom e a nt h a t
weo u g h tn o tt o read and studyt h e Word of God,
forgettingt h a tt h ec o n t e x ti so n l ys p e a k i n ga b o u t t h e
The Lord did
(iii)
As we said before, somet h i n ki ti s godlyt obe
3

kind of knowledge used to destroy weaker brethren, and forgetting that the Lord exhorts His people to growin knowledge. Peter wrote, \u201dBUT GROWIN THE GRACE AND

KNOWLEDGE OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST\u201d
( 2
Peter
3:18).
Allof us fall into this category to one degree
oranother.
buta much greater majority outside, who are still

darkenedin their hearts, who will not come that they may learn,but who hate and seek to drive out of their minds the wisdom of God. Her message is directed to them.

( i v )
But there are yet many more, some within the church,
b. But there are also those who scoff at God\u2019s wisdom. To you,
she says, \u201dHow long,O scoffers, will you delight yourself
in scoffing?\u201d
( i )

The scoffer makes fun of the word. He delights to try and disproveit.And he even takes pleasurein doing exactly whati ttells him that God hates.

( i i )

Yes,i t is possible for the regenerate to scoff to some degree at God\u2019s Word. Because we still have indwelling sin, we sometimes think ourselves wiser than God. We scoff at His Word and we do our own will.

of God, understanding thati t is His will, but refusing
to doit,is yet deadin his sins.
Wisdom\u2019s message is also directed to them.
( i i i )
But one who continually ridicules and rejects the Word
(iv)
c. But there is a third category, that of the foolish.And to
you she says, \u201dHow long,O fools, will you hate knowledge?\u201d

The fool is the one who lacks sound judgment. But even knowing where the truth of God is to be found, he still refuses to seek afterit.He hates knowledge.

Unbelievers are fools. Knowing that God exists, they
will not acknowledge Himor seek Him. \u201dTHEY SAY TO
COD,
\u2019DEPART FROM US! WE DO NOT EVEN DESIRE THE
KNOWLEDGE OF THY WAYS\u201d (Job21: 14).
They do not even care that they are lostand on their
way to everlasting perdition. Bridges writes, \u201dIf they
hate the knowledge of their lost condition, they
exclude all that follows uponit, to make them \u2019wise
unto salvation.
\u2019
Of other knowledge they have often
too much: mischievous, as keeping out better things;
giving theman evil eye, filling the soul with
darkness; making them \u2019hate the light,so that they
will not come to the light, lest their deeds should be
reproved.\u201d( J o h n ,i i i .1 9 ,20.)
(9 ).

And yes,it is even possible for one of God\u2019s children to play the fool for a timea n d reject God\u2019s will. But not f ull y,nor final

1
y.
Wisdom also lifts her voice to the foolish.
2. If you arein one of these categories this morning, Her message
to you is, \u201dTURN TO MY REPROOF, BEHOLD,I WILL POUR OUT MY
SPIRIT ON YOU;I WILLM A K EMY WORDS KNOWN TO YOU.\u201d
a. She is saying, \u201dGive heed to my admonitions against your
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