Tuesday, October 24, 2017, 1:13 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “Have Thine Own Way, Lord.” Speak, Lord,
your words to my heart. I read Proverbs
9 (Quoting select vv. ESV).
Wisdom Calls
(vv. 1-6)
Wisdom has built her house;
she has hewn
her seven pillars.
She has slaughtered her beasts; she has mixed her
wine;
she has also
set her table.
She has sent out her young women to call
from the
highest places in the town,
“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”
To him who
lacks sense she says,
“Come, eat of my bread
and drink of
the wine I have mixed.
Leave your simple ways, and live,
and walk in
the way of insight.”
Who are the simple? They are those
receptive to the teaching of wisdom or of folly; lacking in wisdom, in
understanding, or in good sense; and/or the unwise, the inexperienced, the naïve
and/or the weak, etc. They are those who are vulnerable to be persuaded one way
or another, who don’t already have their beliefs all ironed out and are not
wise in the ways of this world. They are the ones more likely to respond to the
truth with child-like faith, totally transparent with regard to their spiritual
condition, and willing to be completely abandoned (yielded, surrendered) to
Christ and to his cross.
This is a call to those
willing to listen to hear what wisdom has to say, but not the wisdom of this
world, but the wisdom of God and of His Word. This is reminiscent of Isaiah 55 where
the call is to listen to God, and to eat (partake of) what is good, righteous
and holy. Yet, it is also a call to forsake wicked ways and unrighteous
thoughts and to turn (or return) to the Lord, that he might have compassion on
them and pardon their sins. They are to leave their simple (naïve or foolish)
ways, and live and walk in the way of spiritual insight, which is found in God’s
Word, the Bible (Gen. to Rev.).
The bread and the wine, as
well, are reminiscent of Christ Jesus, who is the bread of life, the living
Word. The bread is symbolic of his body, given up for us on a cross so that we
could be set free from slavery to sin and live new lives in Christ to his
righteousness. The wine is a symbol of his blood which was shed for us on that
cross for the remission of sins, to free us from both the punishment of and
bondage (addiction) to sin. We are to eat (partake) of this bread and drink of
this cup, which means to be crucified with Christ in death to sin, and to be
resurrected with him to newness of life, created to be like God in true
righteousness and holiness (Rom. 6:1-23; Eph. 4:17-24).
The Beginning
(v. 10)
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
and the
knowledge of the Holy One is insight.
So, if we are willing and
receptive to hear what wisdom has to say, and to heed what we hear, where do we
begin? We begin with the fear of the Lord. Now, this is not fear in the sense
of being afraid of God, but it is fear in the sense of respecting, revering,
honoring, listening to and obeying him.
Too many people, even many
Christians (or professing Christians) don’t listen to and don’t heed the wisdom
of God, because truly they don’t revere Him, because many are not being taught
to honor him. Instead, they are being taught that God’s grace to us provides us
merely with an escape from the punishment of sin and the promise of heaven when
we die, but that nothing is required on our part other than some non-descript
faith, which does not die with Christ to sin, and thus is not resurrected with
him to newness of life.
And, so we have many, many
people who are convinced they are saved and going to heaven when they die, but
that they can continue living in sin, because no repentance or obedience or submission
to Christ is required. This teaching makes a mockery of what Jesus did in
becoming sin for us on that cross in order to put our sin to death so that we
would no longer walk in sin, but so we would now walk according to the Spirit.
And, it is also a slap in the face to God the Father, who gave his Son up for
us, to set us free.
So, if we truly want wisdom,
and true freedom in Christ, then we need to know who God is, that he is Father,
Son and Holy Spirit, that he is love and grace, yes, but that he is also
justice and righteousness. Because of that, his goal in saving us is that we
might die with him to sin and live with him to righteousness.
Folly (vv.
13-18)
The woman Folly is loud;
she is
seductive and knows nothing.
She sits at the door of her house;
she takes a
seat on the highest places of the town,
calling to those who pass by,
who are
going straight on their way,
“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”
And to him
who lacks sense she says,
“Stolen water is sweet,
and bread
eaten in secret is pleasant.”
But he does not know that the dead are there,
that her
guests are in the depths of Sheol.
Wisdom, nonetheless, is not
the only voice calling out. Folly is also calling out to anyone who will listen
and who will heed her voice. Folly is both deceptive and seductive, as it lures
its listeners into believing that they can live sinful lifestyles and still go
to heaven when they die. This teaching comes from the very pit of hell, and
Satan is its author.
For, the Word of God (wisdom)
teaches us that if we want to come after Christ, that we must deny self, take
up our cross daily (die daily to sin and self) and follow (obey) him. It says
that if we hold on to our old lives of living for sin and self that we will
lose our lives for eternity, but if we lose our lives (die to sin and self), we
will have eternal life with God (Lu. 9:23-25; cf. Rom. 8:1-17).
Folly says that we can
believe in Jesus, be forgiven of our sins, have the hope of eternal life with
God, but that we can still live and walk in sin. And, many are buying into this
lie, because it sounds good to their itching ears. They are convinced that God’s
grace covers it all, and that their salvation is secure forever, even though
they willfully and continuously choose the way of sin over the way of
righteousness. Yet, the Bible teaches the opposite. It teaches that if we walk
in the ways of our sinful flesh, that we will die in our sins, we won’t have
the hope of eternal life with God, and that heaven is not our eternal destiny,
but hell is. So, we need to take this seriously!
Have Thine Own Way, Lord
Adelaide A. Pollard / George C.
Stebbins
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine
own way!
Thou art the potter, I am the clay.
Mold me and make me after Thy will,
While I am waiting, yielded and still.
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine
own way!
Search me and try me, Master, today!
Whiter than snow, Lord, wash me just
now,
As in Thy presence humbly I bow.
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine
own way!
Wounded and weary, help me I pray!
Power, all power, surely is Thine!
Touch me and heal me, Savior divine!
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine
own way!
Hold o'er my being absolute sway.
Fill with Thy Spirit till all shall see
Christ only, always, living in me!
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