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SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
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For
Sunday June 21, 2020
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RECEIVING WISDOM’S GIFTS
(Wisdom calls for us to hear)
(Proverbs 8)
People who say they seek
GOD the Creator, and FATHER of our LORD and SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST, but will not
receive HIS available wisdom, are prone to walk with “a spiritual limp”. In Proverb
7 Solomon wrote symbolically about “the call of the adulteress”, or, immoral
woman’s call to the men of the city, and how it would be “very unwise” for man
to accept her invitation. There Solomon was using symbolism to show how, without
wisdom and discernment, a man (GOD’s appointed leader) can slide into all kinds
of immorality and cause the destruction of a society by neglecting, ceding, and
even abusing his leadership role.
It was Peter C. Craige who wrote: “When
people cease to care, then religion, morality, social customs and values, all
cease to function as mortar, that holds together a society, and maintains
ancient faith”. Here in Proverbs chapter 8, Solomon’s female personification of
wisdom is depicted as the “virtuous woman” and is a sharp contrast to the “adulterous
woman” that is depicted in chapter 7.
In chapter 7 “the adulterous woman” goes
out into the streets to seduce the young man and divest him of his moral
compass. Here in chapter 8, however, “wisdom”, “the virtuous woman”, is seen in
the same streets offering herself up to all who will willingly receive her
life-giving wisdom. We see displayed here in this chapter, the sterling
characteristics that are found or contained only in wisdom.
In verses 6-8 Solomon tells us that the
virtuous woman, wisdom, speaks that which is right and true, and hates
wickedness and deception. Those who love wisdom cannot exist with a wicked, “lying
and deceitful spirit”. Secondly, in verse 12, the king tells us that “wisdom is
always associated with prudence, knowledge, and discretion”. Wisdom provides a
person with “good judgment”, and good judgment leads one to discover the
treasures of knowledge and discernment.
In verse 13 we see that “wisdom hates pride
and arrogance”. Pride and arrogance are nourished through our pursuit for “respect”
in the world. Instead of desiring to “love” and “loving one another”, we spend
most of our time trying to garner respect the way Lucifer did, while he was in
Heaven. In fact, the more respect he garnered, the more he desired to be in the
position of FATHER GOD. His desire and pursuit of respect grew into his now
eternal desire to be “worshiped”.
That is why Solomon says in Proverbs 28:21a
that; “To have respect of persons is not good”. Even GOD “is not a respecter of
persons”. Actually, only HE can receive respect, and only HE can give it. As GOD’s
greatest creation we are to “worship only GOD”, “love people”, and “use things”,
and we must never get that order “twisted”. Only GODly wisdom can protect us from
the evil mindset of “pursuing respect”, instead of “giving love”. It is
literally impossible to “pursue respect” (which is an act of selfishness) and “give
love” (an act of unselfishness) at the same time.
Wisdom always walks in the path of
righteousness and justice, and the book of Proverbs also offers up the benefits
of wisdom in all of its chapters. Throughout these wisdom writings of Solomon
we learn how wisdom protects us (Proverbs 2:11-12), how it prolongs life and
brings prosperity (Proverbs 3:1-2), and how, along with riches and honor, it
brings us peace (Proverbs 3:16-18). Wisdom allows us to have a good night’s sleep,
because it leaves us without fears, and even when we do stumble, we do not fall
(Proverb 3:24).
GOD says that wisdom is primary and
fundamental, and that it is the foundation upon which, all life is built. That is
why both Paul (Colossians 1:15-17, and John (Revelations 3:14) allude to some
of the statements being made by Solomon here in this book of Proverbs to
describe what they, and many other Believers and scholars feel is JESIUS’ spiritual
presence at the very beginning of Creation.
When we read Proverbs 7, 8, and 9 together,
we see a choice being offered to us from the Almighty GOD of Creation HIMSELF.
HE is inviting us to make wise choices in the life that HE has given us. HE sends
out an invitation of wisdom to each and every one of us, and it has always been
available to all who seek it. Specifically, the call of wisdom here in this
chapter seems to be directed at those who tend to be simple and foolish, because
they are the ones who are most in need of wisdom’s services.
Both, “the adulteress”, and, “lady wisdom”,
is available for the choosing. However, the results of getting to know them are
“polar opposites”. One, the adulteress, leads to an eternally painful death,
or, “burning in Hell”, while the other, wisdom, will lead, not only to a long
and prosperous life here on earth, but also ultimately, to an eternal life in
Heaven, with the ONLY WISE GOD, and our SAVIOR, through JESUS CHRIST.
A
Sunday school lesson by,
Larry
D. Alexander
LARRY D. ALEXANDER- Official Website
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