Proverbs 2:10-22, Wisdom is Stronger than Evil – Part I

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January 21, Proverbs 2:10-22

1 John 1:1-10; 3:18-24 Greater is He is that is in you than he that is in the world.

Wisdom is Stronger than Evil – Part I

Ignorance is not bliss, nor is it folly to be wise! These two things, wickedness and wisdom, are at work everywhere, especially in the souls of men. Yet, like fire and water, the Word of God (Wisdom) and the way of evil (wickedness) cannot co-exist in the same place and the same time. We have seen the dark side, but praise God there is a bright side too. Note this carefully, “We may understand by Wisdom either Salvation or the Saviour” (Arnot). (We will consider the feminine aspect of Wisdom when we come to Chapter 8.)

  1. God’s Wisdom should Dominate our heart. Verse 10 opens with a temporal clause, “When…” This Wisdom must not only fill our heads but also our hearts. Wisdom will preserve us from evil only when it has entire possession of our hearts. Within the heart it is both a shield against and a cure for evil. None must underestimate the power of evil; the Bible certainly never does! Sin will choke the Word or the Word will choke the sin (Matt. 13:21-23). D.L. Moody wrote on the flyleaf of his Bible, “Thank God, His Wisdom, His Salvation, is greater than all our, my, your, sin (1 Jn. 4:4). Wisdom without us is of no practical value. It may just as well not exist at all. It must get within us to become Wisdom to us. It must rule from the throne of our heart, altering us from within (4:23). Put Christ for Wisdom, and the same holds true. Evil and Christ cannot co-exist. Christ must be received (Jn. 1:12). He must “enter and possess the heart.” Paul sums it up, But of him [God’s choice] are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom (1 Cor. 1:30).
  2. God’s Wisdom should Delight our heart. Ignorance is not bliss, but true knowledge is! Wisdom is not only a protecting shield, it also yields the greatest delight (v.10). It comes in as something pleasant to the soul, from God’s mouth to our ear, then into our heart, resulting in true wisdom. We might well expect such a result, but this second aspect is a surprise to many. Yet, real knowledge is pleasant, and we should submit to its dictates with delight. The joy of the Lord is your strength (Neh. 8:10). The Catechism says we are “to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” To glorify Him, yes; to fear Him, yes; to serve Him; yes; but can we enjoy Him – forever? YES! It means serving a Christ whose service is perfect liberty (Rom. 8:21; Phm. 16). It is a source of grace to our hearts and produces the greatest joy (1 Pt. 1:8). “It is only when the redemption of Christ begins to be felt sweeter than the pleasures of sin that the soul is allured, yields, and follows on to know the Lord” (Arnot). It is the God of hope that fills you with all joy and peace in believing (Rom. 15:13). This is the joy that transcends all pleasures, including the pleasures of sin, which only last for a season (Heb. 11:25). Truly, the one whose delight is in the law of the Lord will be safeguarded from walking in the council of the ungodly. (Ps. 1:1-2). “Delight thyself in the Lord, that the Lord may delight in thee.”

Thought: “No man is conquered until his heart is conquered” (George Barlow).

Prayer: Lord, “take my heart and make it thine.”