Revering the Word
Proverbs 9 Do you have one foot in Sheol or in Paradise?
Good morning everyone this morning. We are in Proverbs chapter 9. Took me a bit of research to make sure that I provided good instruction this morning at the beginning of this proverb there is an introduction into a house built by wisdom and it appears a lot like some of the Proverbs that refer to a woman trying to You know entice a man to Take part with her which does come up quite a bit in the book of Proverbs and that we need to have wisdom to not go with that woman and to stay away from her and Isn't it interesting that in the beginning of this proverb? We see a beautiful house built by wisdom and you know in some ways the seductive one can do things to attract someone to that revelry and yet wisdom also is Got such a beautiful It's attractive too. It's beautiful. It's something that God wants us to see all the the good in it and in this way That's how Proverbs 9 begins Wisdom has built her house She has hewn out her seven pillars and sometimes wisdom of God is referred to in the in the feminine Using the feminine pronouns She has perplexed her food. She has mixed her wine. That's kind of what really threw me off this morning But you know in the Bible drunkenness is a sin but partaking of wine without drunkenness is not but That's kind of what threw me. But anyways, she also has set her table She has sent out her maidens. She calls from the tops of the heights of the city Whoever is naive let him turn in here to him who lacks Understanding she says come eat my food and drink of the wine I have mixed and then it says forsake your folly and live And proceed in turn in the way of understanding and we definitely need to do that We need to forsake living in worldliness forsake folly and proceed in the way of understanding He who corrects a scoffer gets dishonor for himself He who reproves a wicked man Gets insults for himself Do not reprove a scoffer or he will hate you Reprooves reprove a wise man and he will love you give instruction to a wise man and he will be wiser still Teach a righteous man and he will increase his learning isn't that interesting? You know if if you if we were to try to give instruction to someone who wants to scoff God's wisdom or to scoff God's word they will likely just insult you back and It's saying that there really isn't there's not much use in reproving or correcting a scoffer They'll usually just you know say some kind of insult to you But you know what if you come to someone who's wise and perhaps even in their wisdom they might be in an air in a certain area or You know just could use a word of wisdom in a certain area word of correction at times even a wise man can can maybe be going down a wrong path and if they're wise they actually will listen and they Will learn from it and they will get all the better and when a righteous man You know he'll when you teach a righteous man, he'll he'll investigate it further and will increase his learning and so that says something to those that we Minister to in this world, but it also I think teaches us something that you know are we wise are we willing to take correction to Learn and grow and take take correction as a means of getting wiser I think one of the problems with it is is obviously the one giving advice whether they're right or wrong They think they're right right so so someone may think they're giving You wisdom Because they think they they know something and then if you aren't receiving what they are saying because they think they're right Of course, then they could say oh, well you're being a fool. You're not willing to take instruction. Well It's because you don't agree with the advice. So, you know, there's a little bit of a challenge in that you can't always take advice because You can you can hear what it says, but then you have to evaluate what other's true or not So not all advice is going to be right and goods But when someone does give us right and good vice me We have the wisdom to discern that it is good and right and then maybe we learn from it even if it is a correction for us I love what it says in verse 10 and those who listen along will will know That it says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding and man Hallelujah, I'll tell you what there's nothing better than Loving God loving his word Coming to know him Studying him studying what he has to say learning gaining wisdom from from God It is it's the beginning of wisdom to have the fear of the Lord If you don't have that and you don't believe the books right well, then you're making up your own truth But if you fear God and you honor his word now, you know where to go to find out what's right and wrong what's good and right what's holy and true and what is not and Knowledge of the Holy One knowledge of our Lord Jesus and of his word is understanding hallelujah For by me your days will be multiplied in the years of your life will be added to you and I think that's gonna be true most the time now You know just interesting as I read that there was a pastor youth pastor and At times other forms of pastor, maybe even a head pastor at one time a lead pastor And he was a really good dude And he just passed away. I don't know exactly of what I think he was younger than I and I presume some type of heart attack or something, but he just passed away yesterday It's pretty sad really neat man of God and You know these statements and Proverbs are going to be true Most of the time you know I mean it is good and right to be a believer in Jesus and follow his word and I believe that By following God your life is gonna have greater blessing and your days will be multiplied and years will be added to your life however That's not gonna be true in every instance and Proverbs are not Guarantees from God. That's not how they're written. They're wise sayings and they prove to be true But doesn't mean that it's gonna be true for every individual every time If you're a wise you are wise for yourself And if you scoff you bear it alone. It's an interesting statement that could use some further evaluation If you're a wise you are wise for yourself and if you scoff you alone will bear it That is interesting. You're gonna you're gonna bear the consequences of your scoffing and and if you're wise There's gonna be a blessing for you and others, but there's gonna be a blessing for you and being wise The woman of folly is boisterous and you know we see this Woman get brought up in the book of Proverbs as I was referring to at the beginning Which why I was a little bit confused at the onset of this proverb, but the woman of folly is bought boisterous She I she is naive and knows nothing She sits at the doorway of her house on a seat by the high places of the city Calling to those who pass by who are making their paths straight Whoever is naive let him turn in here and to him who lacks understanding. She says Stolen water is sweet and bread eaten in secret is pleasant But he who does not know that the dead are there that her guests are in the depths of she all isn't that something? rather than being wise This person is following the ways of this world and is involved in sexual Promiscuity and doing things in secret and has been enticed to live a life that is not living for the glory of God and what the proverb is saying is the person who's living that way does not know that basically they're dead and Their guests are in the depths of she'll listen to that. You know you can be alive, but be dead That's man. That is a tragic thing, too Do you know that you're not really truly alive as far as living for the kingdom until you've been born again? So you believe in Jesus and the Holy Spirit is in you and now you have a new reason for living and you you look at people from a Different perspective and what really matters is that people believe in Jesus and are part of his family and our promised eternal life And as a result of that they can live their life here for an eternal purpose and for the Lord And before that you're really dead. You're dead to living for the things of God You're you're living you're alive. You're in life But you're not even aware and you can't live for the kingdom of God yet because you're not a part of it You can't see its objective and live for its objectives. So you're alive, but you're dead and there's a lot of dead people Their their beds are already in the depths of she'll if they don't wake up and receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior Become born again and begin living for him. They're already on their way to the penalty of hell They're on their way to not receiving heaven, but that that's not even listen That's the sad part then right? I mean, it's obviously very sad for someone to not receive the free gift of eternal life And be promised the heavenly places and ages to come. That's that's tragic But what's tragic now is to be living and alive and breathing in this world living on this planet But actually be doing nothing for the kingdom of God and not really even being aware of it Or at least awakened into living for a God centered purpose and it says though you've got one foot in the grave You're our one foot and she'll you're already you're already dead because you're not alive in Jesus Christ So, you know, there's two ways of being alive, you know alive now in Christ But then we'll be living with the Lord forever even one our times done on here We'll put this tent away one day and we'll be with the the Lord in heaven But why not live for him while you're here? Why not why not you know get your foot out of the bed of shi'ol and put one foot up already in heaven We're already seated in the heavenly places You know what if we would just see ourselves we we've already got that promise instead of having one foot in shi'ol We've got one foot in paradise But we still got one foot on earth living for the king of kings and the Lord of lords until that day We get both feet up in paradise hallelujah Man that wisdom wisdom is knowing Jesus Christ fear in his name living for him hallelujah that there is wisdom Let's get that wisdom hallelujah. God bless you all