Proverbs 2:1-9, The Fount of Wisdom – The Substance!

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January 17, Proverbs 2:1-9

Col. 2:3; 1 Pet. 1:5, 2 Pet. 1:4 “Come Thou fount of every blessing; tune my heart to sing Thy praise.”

The Fount of Wisdom – The Substance!

In 2:5-9, the word then indicates results, fruits, the substance. The finding is worth the search. Understanding is wisdom come to fruition. It is also the basis of the fear of the Lord (2:5). If God is my wisdom I shall not err. Consider now:

  1. The Goal of Wisdom: is to know the true God (Jn. 17:3) and fear Him (v.5). It’s possible to have knowledge without wisdom, but it’s not possible to have wisdom without knowledge. Here is a threefold way by which you and I may know God better. We must:

a. Respect God as our Instructor: God is also the Master Teacher. For the Lord giveth wisdom; knowledge and understanding (v.6). Human terms are used to reveal God to us. God communicates from His mouth to our ears through His Word. In Christ, God assumed flesh, and said I am the Truth. People were astonished at His doctrine, teaching and authority (Lk. 4:22). Yet, when He seasoned them with salt, their mood changed, as they tried to cast Him out of their city (Lk. 4:23-30). Will you also cast Him away? Still He calls us to learn of Him (Mt. 11:29), for in Him are hid all the treasures of wisdom.

b. Receive God as our Saviour: He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous (v.7a). The word sound wisdom is interesting but rare. It’s primary idea is soundness or firmness, leading to health and salvation. Paul may have this in mind when he spoke of sound doctrine (1 Tim. 1:10). The context requires the sense of security, and transfers the idea to wisdom as the means to that security. Here the Greek OT has soteria, salvation, and it is the Scriptures that make us wise unto salvation (2 Tim. 3:15). To those who are called, Christ is – the wisdom of God. Here is sound wisdom for the righteous. This saving Wisdom is revealed through our Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 1:18,24).

c. Rely on God as our Protector: He is a buckler to them that walk uprightly (v.7b). This is the picture of God’s keeping power as seen in the Scriptures (Gen 15:1; Ps. 33:20). When we walk in obedience to God’s truth, we will know daily protection. The path of the believer is fraught with dangers, and beset with temptations. Foes lurk on every hand. We live in a perilous, polluted world, where the forces of destruction are constantly at work. We need a defense, and that God promises for His saints (Ps. 84:11, 89:18)! The word buckler is a shield. It is not merely that God holds the buckler, or has the buckler, but that He himself is the buckler. Rely on that shield. The enemy must strike through Him to get to you. Kept by the power of God. Hallelujah! We can rely on that, can we not?

Thought: “He walks uprightly who lives with the fear of God as his principle, the Word of God as his rule, and the Glory of God as his end” (Wardlaw).

Prayer: Lord, teach me the folly of trusting any wisdom but thine.