Proverbs 2.1-4
“My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures … ”
This is the “if” statement of Proverbs chapter 2. It sets the stage for the rest of the chapter. The condition that must be met in order to enjoy the blessings of wisdom is that you must seek wisdom as you would seek treasure. You must recognize the immeasurable value of wisdom. You must seek it relentlessly, with all your heart. Ask for it. Cry out for it. Search for it. If you want true wisdom, you can’t dabble. It is not a casual, occasional pursuit.
The rest of the chapter describes the blessings you receive if you pursue wisdom with this kind of diligence.
Proverbs 2.5-8
“Then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity, guarding the paths of justice and watching over the way of his saints.”
The relentless pursuit of wisdom will bring you face-to-face with the Creator. Wisdom doesn’t come from somewhere, it comes from Someone. Seek the Lord and you will see his greatness and holiness. You will see the truth he has spoken in scripture. You will begin to understand his purposes and plans, and you will learn the principles he has given for how people ought to live and work in the world he created. Most importantly, the Lord will teach you how to apply wisdom to the situations and people in your life.
We are told that it is through wisdom that the Lord gives us protection: He is our “shield,” and he “guards our path” and “watches over us.” Note that we receive the Lord’s protection if we “walk in integrity” and we stay faithful to “the way.” If you deviate from the way, then you are no longer under God’s shield. You are no longer under his protection.
Is this not common sense? Even the secular world speaks of “at risk” behavior. To reject God’s standards is to remove yourself from his protection and put yourself at risk.
Proverbs 2.9-12
“Then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity, every good path; for wisdom will come into your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul; discretion will watch over you, understanding will guard you, delivering you from the way of evil, from men of perverted speech.”
Wisdom gives us understanding of righteousness, justice, and equity. This triad of virtues is a repeat from chapter 1, which is an indication that they are of great importance. The point is that these attributes are given by God and acquired through the disciplined process of learning.
These three virtues are essential for a successful and effective life because they keep you “on every good path.” What a great picture! You can live your life on-path, or you can live your life off-path. The Lord’s wisdom gives you the discernment to recognize deceitful people who want to take you off-path, and it gives you the discipline to stay on-path.
Proverbs 2.16-19
“So you will be delivered from the forbidden woman, from the adulteress with her smooth words, who forsakes the companion of her youth and forgets the covenant of her God; for her house sinks down to death, and her paths to the departed; none who go to her come back, nor do they regain the paths of life.”
The “men of perverted speech” in verse 12 and the “forbidden woman” in the passage above are the deceitful people and distorted messages that seek to pull the son off-path. Keep in mind that their messages are attractive lies. They are appealing and seductive. Again, the wise response is discernment and discipline.
Proverbs 2.20-22
“So you will walk in the way of the good and keep to the paths of the righteous. For the upright will inhabit the land, and those with integrity will remain in it, but the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the treacherous will be rooted out of it.”
“Inhabiting the land” is a metaphor for citizenship in the kingdom of God. That is the great blessing for a right response to the wisdom of God. The great curse is being excluded from the kingdom.
Much to think about in Proverbs chapter 2!
