As the Curtain Rises - Selected Proverbs

Consider the fact that if you want to have wisdom, you need to start with humility, wisdom only comes to those who admit they needed the first staff in the treasure wisdom is admitting you have a need. I do not know how to live insightfully. I do not know how to walk wisely. I cannot serve at this station in my life, unless you give me wisdom. Remember, it's not for the curious wisdom is for the steering don't need all the kind of wisdom the world offers they need wisdom from God when surrounded by uncertainty. Wisdom is like an anchor that holds us steady and secure to me.

One of the highest compliments someone could give is to say that my thought or idea is wise. We all want to make wise decisions today were starting a two week series on wisdom from the book of Proverbs, but to get started were going to go to second Samuel and look at the author of Proverbs, King Solomon and Stevens going to introduce you to him next you, but the idea of hidden treasure is intriguing and it has intrigued millions of people. In fact the world over. I found treasure hunters who informed entire subcultures with group trips and websites and clues regarding famous sites were buried treasure has yet to be discovered somewhere according on many stories up on outlandish overhanging the city of Flagstaff Arizona is a very dilute of treasure still waiting to be discovered. Evidently in 1881 what amounts to about $1 million in today's economy was stolen when a stagecoach was traveling west to California before this mailbag could been stowed on this coach and get her point back when I reached Flagstaff. It was immediately surrounded by five mass bandits who stop the coats and country-western kind of movie style. You know they had everybody get out gunpoint and they took those four bags loaded them up on courses and galloped away. It wasn't long before posse was formed in these men were tracked down the log cabin of the cabin was surrounded and blazing gunfight and said all of the outlaws were killed and deputies went inside the log cabin and to their amazement did not find the bags evidently been buried in route. So the entire area was searched the government the United States even got involved sending troops they dog everywhere without discovering anything and finally gave up. Search but not the property of the manual on the cabin would spend the rest of his life.

30 years digging around trying to find balloons and he never did. Imagine living so close to treasure something else to imagine Robert Jeffress acids in his little book on some of the Proverbs that sort of intrigued me and so I met my little story. Imagine you've purchased up an old fixer-upper in the downtown Raleigh and one Saturday morning cleaning out the attic and you're off in the attic. You discover an old sheet of paper, yellowed and brittle with age. You carefully take it down and you open it you catch say the words that say buried treasure. You'd rush downstairs to the kitchen counter to put the pieces of this note together to get your magnifying glass and read the note says for some time now. My grandchildren have given me the impression that they want their inheritance and not me. Furthermore, I have come to the conclusion that my vast wealth would only deepen their greed for things and ultimately ruin their lives.

Therefore I have decided to bury my wealth for the future owner of this humble home you will find a little more than $1 million in cash savings bonds and gold coins buried in a small safe in the backyard.

Locate the exact middle point of the back property line walked three paces for the house and you will find very 3 feet down the safe. I hope you enjoy your inheritance, your spirit would you do after reading that note. Play a game of Monopoly with your kids, your neighbor and say I have no time for this kind of stuff you go after that whatever you find you can have no you rise for your property map gravitate measure and race for the backyard.

You never know, you just might discover hidden treasure. Truth is, ladies and gentlemen is useful as $1 million would be to ask nothing will change our lives more in fact determine life for us in finding hidden treasure offered to us from God himself. In our gracious father has left us a note fact he's left us a collection of clues signposts and guidelines along the way to lead us to those occasions in life where we we discover and we can possess and we can apply the hidden treasure of wisdom.

Solomon told us you must search for wisdom as for hidden treasure. He writes further how blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding for he understands that her profit is better than the profit of silver in her gain better than gold. She is more precious than jewels. And nothing you desire compares with her what real treasure day for wisdom, ransacked the map of Scripture to find where it is pallet acts what it looks like how it's demonstrated how to have it in your own life is one thing to live rich. Nothing wrong with that. Another thing to live right. One thing to make great investments. It's another thing to have great insight.

This is the difference between as you know someone who knows how to make a living and someone who knows how to make life what works live in.

The difference is this thing called wisdom. Now, throughout the book of Proverbs, Solomon invites us all effectively to become treasure hunters seekers of wisdom, but you need to know upfront the hidden treasure.

Wisdom is not the curious for the series. Welliver said it this way straw floats on the surface of the water, but the one who searches for pearls must dive below. The first thing we have to understand is the narrator's life is been one session quickly here. In fact, what we need to do is travel back in time to Solomon's life at that moment when he uttered his first crime go back to the delivery room to take your Bibles and turn to the book of second Samuel second Samuel is returning. It occurred to me that from the very moment of Solomon's birth. He was surrounded by drama royal intrigue in the 24 months before his birth. David King has admitted to adultery and murder of the young widow he had married to cover up the fact that the baby she was carrying wasn't her husband's child is David seeing to it that Uriah husband was killed in battle. He remember the prophet Nathan eventually expose the king and his new bride as evil conspirators who had Terrible sequence.

The baby would be born in he would die. This covenant would be a sign of God's immediate judgment on David and Bathsheba of the good news is David confessed his sin to God effects on chapter 51 is his agonizing and authentic confession and repentance before God's wonderful chapter. We have every reason to believe Bathsheba repented as well. Fact instead of their marital relationship fracturing because of guilt they stay together.

In fact, she conceived again. Bathsheba bore the air to the throne of David, let's pick up the drum and chapter 12 second Samuel chapter 12 verse 24, and David comforted his wife, Bathsheba went into her leg with her and she gave birth to a son, and he named him so Solomon actually has several names, they will appear. Some of them in the book of Proverbs, this one here delivered to him by David the wonderful name it's a derivative of shalom means peace. David's life was anything but peaceful and he is trusting God, shalom Solomon, the one of peaceful experience peace and kingdom along with the text tells us that the Lord actually gave Solomon name. The last part of verse 24 now the Lord loved him and sent word through Nathan the prophet, and he named him Jedediah for the Lord's sake, Jedediah Sibley means love the Bible. Many believe that this wise prophet who appears here will become the tutor Solomon and leave him in understanding the words of God.

There's a name that appears Proverbs is the name Lenny well the famous Proverbs chapter 31 begins with the words. This is what King Lenny Wells mother taught him wonderful text. Lenny will simply means unto God, I would agree with the Old Testament scholars believe that Lemuel was simply a name of dedication used by Solomon's own mother name. She referred to with him even into his older years. It was indeed a testimony that Bathsheba had dedicated Solomon one of the ancient wisdom seekers to God she didn't want Solomon to forget it. She had indeed repented and she was following after God wonderful implicit complement.

The Solomon gave not only to his father David to his mother, Bathsheba parents for the past there was a principal in this for us it would be these God's grace can be found at work in the present in spite of your past.

Another godly parenting can still take place in homes that have an ungodly past, Solomon would learn early on as God prepared him to be a wisdom seeker under this treasure that the living God of David and Bathsheba forgives sin and gives new opportunities to follow after him.

It was that spirit, Solomon picked up the heart of Solomon's just about ready for the hunt spirit is ready for this quest for hidden treasure. One of the most fascinating reports of this encounter now between God and the newly crowned King Solomon is recorded second Chronicles chapter 1 and look at verse six, Solomon went up there before the Lord to the bronze altar, which was at the tent of meeting Mrs. and Gideon. This is his first official act. This is a great celebration. He offers this a thousand burnt offerings in that night God appeared to Solomon and said to him, ask what I shall give you just stop Make-A-Wish Solomon name it, it's, it's yours. What would you like to have imagined, is as likely as refining a note in my attic in the safe in the backyard. I know what it happened to Solomon. This was no pipe dream. This was real, Make-A-Wish Solomon and I will grant it for you if you're like me you be tempted to do what we did where to get to play that game, you gotta wish what you wish for the always sandwich for three wishes and then you'd respond with okay I'll give you three wishes. But the first to what don't don't count so you make one good wish actually in this text there is any indication that Solomon is totally only has one just Solomon what you want. Ask what I shall give you any response in verse eight, Solomon said to God, you have dealt with my father David with great lovingkindness and have made me king in his place. Don't miss this. Solomon doesn't wish for anything at first that he responds in three ways. The first thing he does is give thanks for what he already has. If we were in Solomon's place.

I think if I were here. I would've rushed into my first wish which would have revealed discontent with don't get past this initial response Solomon what you wish for. And Solomon says I just want to thank you for making my father to the first words out of his mouth indicate content, Lord, I just want to thank you for what I already have member reading the story of Helen American oil company began work in another country. People who work for this company were relatively poor. They didn't really know it until one day one of the workers happen to see a Sears mail order catalog in the company break room and thumbed through it. Then he asked to be taken home. It wasn't long before all of the employees have their own catalogs and every family was eventually in debt and frustrated with their wages received from this company. They were better off when they did not know how much they did not have right one author said it this way. Contentment is realizing that you are better off the way you are right now we need something more, something new, something different, something better with your Solomon on the other hand, because of his wisdom was what he said. He said two things I ask of you, Lord. This is in Proverbs 32 things give me neither poverty nor riches but feed me the food that is my portion, you can render it give me just enough for the day. Otherwise I might have too much and say the Lord not true. What is amazing to me. Solomon would say that after having been born with a silver spoon in his mouth.

He developed balance and patience and significantly.

Develop grant he would have an incredible kingdom, and you might expect him even a second Chronicles opens to be spoiled and ungrateful and want only more no not only the Solomon first in his response. Give thanks for what he has. The second thing I want you to notice that he gives credit to God for who he is, but further in verse nine now, Lord God promised to my father David is fulfilled for you have made me king, gratitude and humility are in the treasure chest where wisdom is kept in fact you can you can know that you found wisdom.

If you have with it a sense of gratitude and humility. First, Solomon gives thanks for what he has. Second, he gives credit to God for who he is now. Third, Solomon asks God for what he needs. Verse 10. Give me now wisdom and knowledge that I may go out and come in before this people for who can rule this great people of yours.

The word translated their graves could be rendered heavy. In other words Lord there is any way I can bear the burden of this kingdom these people. I cannot carry the load of responsibility. That is, with the crown I need divine assistance.

Wisdom only comes to those who admit they needed in the first step in the treasure hunt for wisdom is admitting that you have a need. If anyone recognizes that they lack wisdom, they can ask of God, for it and he will deliver it to them and he will not rebuke them for asking for wisdom over and over and over again. James 15. Lord I do not know how to live insightfully. I do not know how to walk wisely. I cannot serve at this station in my life, unless you give me wisdom. Remember, it's not for the curious wisdom is for the serious encounter between Solomon.

Our Lord is most instructive. In fact, the parallel account first Kings three.

They add to nuance. This is were Solomon asked God for an understanding heart, which had an interesting thought to his one wish literally means a hearing heart what he means an understanding heart means you have a heart that he went to our hearts here at ask you this one. What are they listening for what is our hearts to hear the book of Proverbs pictures wisdom calling out to those who walk by and most are uninterested and they will combine. They they really didn't hear Solomon said to the Lord all Lord give the proper antenna to my heart to hear from you. You got to change the dial because I'm not picking up wisdom like I need to pick it up and got granted his wish pastor Ed Young wrote in his commentary covering much of Solomon's life affect the entitled his book. Been there, done that. Now what.

In it he told the story of phone two men walking together down a crowded sidewalk in Manhattan one afternoon one of the men was a Native American Indian and the other man was born and bred New Yorker. The noise was incredible.

Cars, buses, horns, sirens, people talking loudly as they moved all down the street together. Suddenly the Indians said to his friends. I hear cricket do you hear the New Yorker was rather incredulous. He said no way you cannot hear possibly hear a cricket in Manhattan in rush-hour nonserious and proven. He walked a few paces stop reached down and picked up a cricket cracked sidewalk showed it to his friend in the world did you hear that your friend asked Luisi that is when I lived outdoors most of my life. I can hear cricket over other noises because my ears are just trained to hear those sounds but is really not that amazing or unusual. Watch this.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out 1/4 and he flipped it up in the air and let it hit the sidewalk.

As soon as it hit the cycle stuff the traders are ears are trained to hear certain sounds and ignore others. Will Solomon is basically saying I wish trained my heart to hear the faintest whisper of wisdom to well I want to hunt for hidden treasure that makes a man or woman true Ridge.

The curtain is about to rise on one of the most remarkable kings of the Old Testament young man who would rightly earn the nickname the wisest man who ever lived. Solomon will collect the 3000 Proverbs we don't have anywhere near old in the right about 5000 songs and we don't have most of those preserved. When he eventually abandons his search for wisdom in the Proverbs he collected. He will be at his worst. While he is collecting hunting for them and searching for them. He will be at his best. Let me emphasize at the outset of our search through Proverbs.

These two principles number one. Wisdom is not for those who want it is for those who can't live without.

I think most would say they want wisdom, but do they really want badly enough that they can live without it. Simply put, wisdom requires that you begin the hunt of maybe maybe during the study will do with a mentor of mine told me when I was in college he pointed out that there are 31 chapters in the book and just read a chapter a day. You can read through the book most months I took his advice, begin the hunt with all diligence, not because you want it but because you recognized by the spirit of God. You don't want to live without it and so it's as if you are raising on the back door of the tape measure in your hand, and the plat of your of your land and you're gonna find the safe. I must have wisdom. Wisdom secondly is not for those who are just willing to hear about. But for those who are willing to practice the writer of Hebrews that this of the Christians that they might means of practice have learned to discern the good wisdom discern between good and evil.

They learn to discern by means of of practice isn't enough to hear as we learn things in this book we will be required to put them into practice, or we will never learn true in the Bible, the opposite of ignorance is not knowledge is disobedience was late one evening in the entire royal household was asleep. Deep inside Buckingham palace.

The year was 1837, Great Britain's Lord Chamberlain, which was an officer was considered a senior official of the royal household made his way to the bedroom of of an 18-year-old girl named Victoria Walker up told her that her uncle just died and she would now be the queen of England. He then opened the Bible he was carrying and he read the passage to her that we just looked at and second Chronicles chapter 1, and she sat quietly while he read of Solomon's coronation in his wish was the greatest thing anyone could ever wish for. She was quiet. He finished reading it and he said to herself tutorial you will soon be clean and she said those famous words now if I am to be queen.

I shall be good so surprise that this longest reigning monarch of this empire had its greatest days. Under this queen's throne would be governed by the Scriptures herself a committed believer to Christ committed to spreading the gospel of Christ, she selected the words would be over mausoleum declare I shall rise with Christ and the resurrection. Israel ladies and gentlemen would see its finest days for it had a king made a wish to begin a quest for hidden treasure that quest for the hidden treasure of wisdom is going to be our quest for the next two weeks. When you desire wisdom and you're willing to pursue it and practice it you'll discover wisdom for life.

Solomon wrote this for if you cry for discernment lift your voice for understanding, if you seek her as silver, and search for her as hidden treasures.

Then you will discern the fear of the Lord and discover the knowledge of God. Solomon invites us to join him in this quest that will guide how we live. We need that now more than ever, don't we. You're listening to wisdom for the heart with Stephen Devi and today's lesson is called as the curtain rises its part one of a 10 part series on the topic of wisdom. I want to encourage you to let your family and friends know about this series and encourage them to tune in each day. If you ever miss a broadcast you can come back later and listen on our website which is wisdom online.org while you're at the website. Be sure and look around at the books Bible study guides and other materials to help you personally or to help you lead others were able to produce these programs and develop our resources because of the faithful support we receive from our listeners.

The easiest way for you to support the ministry of wisdom for the heart is to set up a recurring monthly gift on our website or in our app we be grateful and you'd be part of what God's doing to spread the wisdom of his word around the world. Just before we close out for today I want to encourage you to call and request a copy of our new magazine heart-to-heart Collison, 86 648 Bible for information and join us tomorrow for more wisdom for the heart