Simon O’Grady – Unlocking the Proverbs – Class 1 – Keys to the Book of Proverbs

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Good morning, brothers and
sisters, and welcome to our

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first study in this fantastic
subject of looking at unlocking

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the book of Proverbs.
And the purpose we have this

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week, God willing, is to unlock
this book, to know why it’s here

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in the Scripture, understand
what it’s about, and to unlock

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some of its deep practical
wisdom that we can take away

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into our lives and embark on the
path to becoming what the

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Scripture calls the wise.
So today in our first session,

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we’re going to look at a set of
keys.

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They are thematic keys that are
going to help us set the scene

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today, and are going to help us
build on it as we unlock the

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secrets of this book.
And here they are.

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These are the four keys that
we’re going to look at this

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morning.
The first key to the book of the

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Proverbs is having the right
spirit or approach or attitude,

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and we’re going to have a look
at that and answer the question,

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what is the right approach and
spirit?

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Our second key this morning is
going to be looking at the

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biblical foundation of the book,
because the book doesn’t just

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come from nowhere.
It taps into pre-existing

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biblical foundations, and it
connects itself into future

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themes, into the New Testament,
and into Jesus Christ.

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So we need to understand the
context and foundation

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biblically of this book.
So we’re building on a solid

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foundation.
Our third key is to understand

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the purpose statement.
Now, very usefully, in the first

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eight verses of chapter one,
there is a purpose statement,

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and it explains to us what the
book’s about, and it tells us

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what will happen and what’s in
it for us if we engage with the

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book.
And finally, our fourth key is

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we’re going to look at four key
words.

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They are active verbs.
They are foundational or root

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verbs, and they found four key
themes running through the book

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of Proverbs, and they will help
us connect it all together so

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that what might appear at first
to be disconnected and

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unstructured is beautifully
connected together.

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So that’s our task in this
session to look at these four

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keys.
The right spirit approach, the

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biblical foundation, the purpose
statement, and four key words or

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ideas.
Now, one of the things we want

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to do as we go through these
sessions is we want to do our

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studies, God willing, and
approach it like a personal

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Bible study.
So we’re going to be following a

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Bible study approach.
We’re going to begin each

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session as imagining we don’t
know anything about the subject,

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and we’ll begin a discovery
process that builds our level of

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understanding.
But we want to go beyond that to

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the practical application,
biblical wisdom, so we’re doers

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of the word as well as hearers.
Now, one of the first steps to

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the Bible study is to become
familiar with the scriptural

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text.
So let’s begin this morning with

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a very quick review of the
structure and content of the

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book of Proverbs.
We’re going to do a short page

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turn.
And here it is.

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Now look at chapter 1 and verse
1.

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Chapter 1 begins a section that
goes to the end of chapter 9,

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and it’s headed up in verse 1 of
the Proverbs of Solomon.

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And in chapters 1 to 9, we find
these chapters liberally

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sprinkled with the phrase, my
son, with various appeals and

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requests from a father and a
mother to their child, from

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wisdom to listen and to hearken.
It repeatedly puts forward and

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advances the virtues and the
benefits of knowledge,

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understanding of wisdom.
We most particularly come across

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large tracts of texts that talk
about two women, a woman wisdom

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and a strange woman, and they
cry out to various different

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audiences.
They have various

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characteristics, interactions,
and they are set out as

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fundamentally antagonistic.
They don’t like each other.

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And that’s in chapters 1 to 9.
Let’s turn over to chapter 10,

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verse 1, our second section of
the structure of the book.

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It’s headed up again, the
Proverbs of Solomon.

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But this is the second section
which we typically think of when

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we come to Proverbs, where it’s
headed up the Proverbs of

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Solomon.
But it’s full of these little

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couplets, these dynamic, pithy
little paired statements or

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parallelisms.
And they give this deep,

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insightful wisdom captured in
these little statements and

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little pearls and gems, seeds of
truth, framed in terms of a fool

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versus a wise, a good versus the
evil, the wicked versus the

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righteous.
And it’s typically about

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contrasts.
See in verse 1 of chapter 10,

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the Proverbs of Solomon, wise
son makes a glad father, but a

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foolish son in the heaviness of
his mother.

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Verse 2, treasures of wickedness
profit nothing, but

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righteousness delivers from
death.

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Yahweh will not suffer the soul
of the righteous to famish, but

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he casts away the substance of
the wicked.

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And so there’s these couplets,
these comparisons, typically

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with the term but as a contrast.
Come to chapter 22, verse 17,

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which is the next section, to
chapter 24, verse 34, which is

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headed up the words of the wise.
And so there’s a collation of

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different texts as the words of
the wise.

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Chapter 22, verse 17, bow down
thy ear and hear the words of

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the wise and apply thine heart
to my knowledge.

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And then in chapter 22, verse 17
to 24, verse 34, we have all of

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these little statements.
There’s little couplets again in

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a series of Proverbs.
And they’ve all been written by

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a group called the wise.
You can see in verse 22 of

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chapter 22, rob not the poor
because he is poor, neither

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oppress the afflicted in the
gate, for Yahweh will replead

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their cause and spoil the soul
of those that spoiled him.

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Or verse 24, make no friendship
with an angry man and with a

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furious man thou shalt not go,
lest thou learn his ways and get

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a snare to thy soul.
Or verse 26, be not as one of

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them who strike hands or of them
who are shorties for debts.

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If thou hast nothing to pay, why
should he take away thy bed from

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under thee?
Or finally, verse 28, remove not

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the ancient landmark which thy
fathers have set.

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And so there are these little
statements of wisdom from the

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words of the wise.
Then back to chapter 25, just

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flick over to chapter 25, verse
1, the beginning of another

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section, again headed up the
Proverbs of Solomon, but this

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time they are copied out, which
the men of Hezekiah, king of

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Judah, copied out.
So they’re collated by

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Hezekiah’s men.
In chapter 25 to 29, we’re back

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to the Proverbs of Solomon, but
they’re a little bit different

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this time.
The subject matter, the tone

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changes a little bit.
There’s a bit more structure, a

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bit more flow to the section of
the book, but all deep insight

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for wisdom.
And then there are three

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addendums.
Chapter 30, you just come over

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to chapter 30, verse 1, headed
up the words of Ogur, son of

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Yoker, the prophecy the man
spake to Ithiel, even the Ithiel

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and Uchel.
And so there’s a chapter

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addendum from the words of Ogur,
son of Yoker.

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And then chapter 1, verse 31, 31
verses 1 to 9, the words of King

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Lemuel, the prophecy his mother
taught him, where he is taught

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to avoid alcohol and strong
drink because it will pervert

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judgment.
And finally, the well-known and

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well-loved, chapter 31, verse 10
to 31, the virtuous woman.

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Who can find a virtuous woman?
Her price is far above ruby.

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So that’s the book in its
structures and its parts.

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But what’s it all about?
What’s the purpose of it in

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scripture?
What does it mean for us today?

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Well, today we begin our journey
to unlock this book, God

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willing, and we have these four
keys.

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So here’s the first key, the
right spirit and attitude.

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And we briefly touched on this
in our introductory session.

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We saw that the approach should
be as if we are the Son, Jesus

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Christ, listening to the words
of the Father himself.

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They are personal words of God
the Father to the Son, Jesus

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Christ.
And we ask the question, how

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would Christ have understood
these words from the Father?

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Chapter 1, verse 8, my son, hear
the instruction of thy Father.

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Chapter 1, verse 10, my son, if
sinners entice thee, consent

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thou not.
Chapter 1, verse 15, my son,

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walk not in the way with them.
Chapter 2, verse 1, my son, if

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you will receive my words. 3,
verse 1, my son, forget not my

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law.
Chapter 3, verse 11, my son,

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despise not the chastening of
the Lord.

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And so on, right way through the
book.

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So that’s our first key.
The book is, in the first

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instance, the personal words of
Father, God the Father, to the

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Son, Jesus Christ.
So it’s a special book.

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How would a 12-year-old Jesus,
who had told his parents, I must

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be about my father’s business,
how would he read these words?

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How would he understand that
direct appeal of my son?

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So we see the point.
This book is a standout book.

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We get to listen to the
instruction of God the Father to

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the Son, Jesus Christ, in its
first instance.

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It’s a very powerful key, and it
will help us unlock the book.

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But there’s a lot more to this
idea.

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Come with me to Hebrews chapter
12, verse 5, which quotes the

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book of Proverbs in the context
of a father and a son, but it

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gives us two deep insights into
the book of Proverbs and what it

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is about.
Hebrews chapter 12, verses 5 to

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6.
So in Hebrews chapter 12, verse

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5, it says, And you have
forgotten the exhortation, which

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speaks as unto children, my son.
And he quotes now Proverbs 3,

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verse 11 to 12.
Despise not thou the chastening

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of the Lord, nor faint when thou
art rebuked of him.

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For whom the Lord loves, he
chasteneth, and scourgeth every

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son whom he receives.
If ye endure chastening, God

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dealeth with you as with sons.
For what son is he whom the

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father chastens not?
So there’s a direct quote here

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from Proverbs 3, verse 11 to 12,
which reads, My son despise not

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the chastening of Yahweh,
neither be weary of his

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correction.
For whom Yahweh loves, he

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correcteth, even as a father the
son in whom he delights.

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So we must read this book as if
we are the son of God, Jesus

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Christ, and in him the children
of God.

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And the book of Hebrews gives us
the direction, the

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authorization, the mandate, to
read them in a broader sense.

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Did you see that?
They’re the words of our

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heavenly father to the children.
So wherever it says, my son,

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says Hebrew, and appeal from God
to the Christ, it includes us as

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God’s children in the one son,
male and female.

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But there’s another vital point
hidden in this word in Hebrews

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quotation.
Did you see the repetition of

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the idea of chastening or
correction?

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Let’s just reread it, but this
time looking for that repetition

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of idea.
Verse 5 of Hebrews 12, you’ve

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forgotten the exhortation which
speaks to you as unto children.

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My son despised not the
chastening of the Lord or faint

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when you are rebuked of him.
For whom the Lord loves, he

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chasteneth, and he scourgeth
every son whom he receives.

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If you endure chastening, God
deals with you as with sons.

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For what son is he whom the
father chastens not?

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And so we find that not only is
the right spirit and approach to

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this book to read them as if the
words of the father to the son

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and by extension to us as the
children, but there’s something

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about this book that is about
the correctional, chastening

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process of the father to the
children.

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Because he chastens and corrects
every son who he receives.

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So the book’s going to be about
that correcting, that chastening

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of our heavenly father.
And so the right spirit and

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approach to this book is one
that says, I accept.

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I welcome the chastening and
correction of my heavenly father

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as I engage with this book.
So for us, the Proverbs unlocks

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when we come to it with that
spirit and attitude.

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We’re prepared to be corrected.
We’re prepared to be chastened.

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We’re prepared to be shown that
we’re making mistakes so we can

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00:12:53,272 –> 00:12:56,768
make changes, so that we can
improve, so we can be

214
00:12:56,768 –> 00:12:58,340
instructed, so that we can
learn.

215
00:12:58,980 –> 00:13:02,780
And it means we come to this
book with humility.

216
00:13:02,780 –> 00:13:06,987
I want to learn.
And you know, the fundamental

217
00:13:06,987 –> 00:13:11,080
quality of a good listener is
that they hear and they listen

218
00:13:11,080 –> 00:13:13,800
and they want to learn and be
corrected.

219
00:13:14,040 –> 00:13:17,120
So that’s the insight that
Hebrews chapter 12 gives us

220
00:13:17,120 –> 00:13:20,100
about the book of Proverbs.
And guess what?

221
00:13:20,940 –> 00:13:24,680
When we come to the book of
Proverbs, one of its key themes

222
00:13:24,680 –> 00:13:29,180
is chastening and correction.
And the term that Hebrews 12

223
00:13:29,180 –> 00:13:32,930
refers to as chastening when it
quotes Proverbs 3 is the Hebrew

224
00:13:32,930 –> 00:13:37,160
word Mosawa.
It’s the Strongs, 3, 2, 5, 6,

225
00:13:37,380 –> 00:13:42,132
and its derivative, H4148, and
it occurs 35 times in the book

226
00:13:42,132 –> 00:13:46,240
of Proverbs.
It’s translated in our King

227
00:13:46,240 –> 00:13:49,160
James as chastening or
instruction.

228
00:13:50,040 –> 00:13:53,620
There’s a related and similar
term, the Hebrew Tokicha.

229
00:13:53,900 –> 00:13:58,907
It’s 3198 in the Strongs and its
derivative is 8433, and it’s

230
00:13:58,907 –> 00:14:03,080
translated correction, reproof,
another 26 times.

231
00:14:03,680 –> 00:14:06,200
Now I’m going to read for you
just a selection, just a handful

232
00:14:06,200 –> 00:14:10,930
of these 60 odd occurrences.
In each of these, it’s the

233
00:14:10,930 –> 00:14:14,930
Hebrew term Mosor that Hebrew 12
refers to and translates as

234
00:14:14,930 –> 00:14:18,280
chastening.
But as I do, just listen to see

235
00:14:18,280 –> 00:14:20,000
if you get the gist of the
concept.

236
00:14:20,160 –> 00:14:23,794
These are all from Proverbs.
Proverbs 3, verse 11, My son

237
00:14:23,794 –> 00:14:28,900
despised not the chastening of
Yahweh, neither be weary of his

238
00:14:28,900 –> 00:14:32,200
correction.
Proverbs 4, verse 1, Hear ye

239
00:14:32,200 –> 00:14:37,314
children the instruction of a
father and attend to no

240
00:14:37,314 –> 00:14:40,900
understanding.
Chapter 4, verse 13, Take hold

241
00:14:40,900 –> 00:14:44,700
fast of instruction.
Let her not go.

242
00:14:44,820 –> 00:14:49,440
Keep her, for she is thy life.
In Proverbs 29, verse 17,

243
00:14:50,000 –> 00:14:53,600
Correct thy son and he shall
give thee rest, yea, he shall

244
00:14:53,600 –> 00:14:58,060
have delight in thy soul.
So you see the idea, the father

245
00:14:58,060 –> 00:15:02,384
corrects, chastens, and his
children hear it, take fast hold

246
00:15:02,384 –> 00:15:04,460
of it because they know it’s
their life.

247
00:15:05,240 –> 00:15:06,440
I’m going to give you two more
passages.

248
00:15:06,980 –> 00:15:12,310
This time, both the words Mosor,
chastening and correction, and

249
00:15:12,310 –> 00:15:14,880
Tekitia, reproof and correction,
are put together.

250
00:15:15,380 –> 00:15:19,500
Proverbs 6, 23, The commandment
is a lamp and the law is light

251
00:15:19,500 –> 00:15:24,820
and reproofs of instruction are
the way of life.

252
00:15:25,420 –> 00:15:30,207
Proverbs 10, verse 17, He is in
the way of life who keeps

253
00:15:30,207 –> 00:15:34,760
instruction, but he that refuses
reproof erreth.

254
00:15:34,920 –> 00:15:37,980
And finally, we’re going to flip
it because this passage turns it

255
00:15:37,980 –> 00:15:41,015
upside down and tells us what
will happen if we ignore the

256
00:15:41,015 –> 00:15:45,060
reproof and correction.
Proverbs 15, 10, Correction is

257
00:15:45,060 –> 00:15:48,840
grievous to him that forsakes
the way and he that hateth

258
00:15:48,840 –> 00:15:52,816
reproof shall die.
Well, that’s just a selection of

259
00:15:52,816 –> 00:15:56,385
the 60 odd times in this book.
So it’s clear, isn’t it, that

260
00:15:56,385 –> 00:16:01,680
it’s a book about correction.
It’s a book about the father’s

261
00:16:01,680 –> 00:16:06,834
chastening, says Hebrews 12, of
every child and son that God

262
00:16:06,834 –> 00:16:09,444
receives.
That’s what the book’s about and

263
00:16:09,444 –> 00:16:12,860
that’s the right spirit and
approach to it.

264
00:16:13,500 –> 00:16:17,900
It’s the father to the son and
to his children, to you and me,

265
00:16:18,280 –> 00:16:23,674
as a chastening and correction.
In it, he will show us the right

266
00:16:23,674 –> 00:16:28,920
way so we can walk in them.
He will show us the wrong way so

267
00:16:28,920 –> 00:16:32,960
we don’t and he’ll correct us
when we need to be.

268
00:16:34,300 –> 00:16:37,160
All right, now that we’ve locked
on to the theme in the book of

269
00:16:37,160 –> 00:16:41,060
Proverbs of the father and the
son, where have you heard that

270
00:16:41,060 –> 00:16:43,820
before?
The father and the son.

271
00:16:45,920 –> 00:16:48,464
Where might be a passage where
it talks about the father and

272
00:16:48,464 –> 00:16:51,260
the son that’s really important
to the book of Proverbs?

273
00:16:52,540 –> 00:16:56,940
Well, here’s a hint.
I will be his father and he

274
00:16:56,940 –> 00:17:00,795
shall be my son.
So come over to 2 Samuel 7 and

275
00:17:00,795 –> 00:17:03,000
we’ll find out the book’s
founded in the Davidic covenant.

276
00:17:03,720 –> 00:17:06,240
The book of Proverbs is anchored
there in its foundation.

277
00:17:06,800 –> 00:17:11,060
I will be his father and he
shall be my son. 2 Samuel 7

278
00:17:11,060 –> 00:17:17,012
verses 12 to 14.
David is told in verse 12, When

279
00:17:17,012 –> 00:17:19,880
thy days be fulfilled and thou
shalt sleep with thy fathers, I

280
00:17:19,880 –> 00:17:23,050
will set up thy seed after thee,
which shall proceed out of thy

281
00:17:23,050 –> 00:17:26,660
bowels and I will establish his
kingdom and he shall build a

282
00:17:26,660 –> 00:17:29,504
house for my name and I will
establish the throne of his

283
00:17:29,504 –> 00:17:33,770
kingdom forever and I will be,
just note that’s Hayah, it’s the

284
00:17:33,770 –> 00:17:36,920
root verb of the Yahweh name.
I am his father and he shall be,

285
00:17:37,040 –> 00:17:39,220
there it is again, the root verb
of the Yahweh name.

286
00:17:39,800 –> 00:17:43,996
My son, if he commit iniquity, I
will chasten him with the rod of

287
00:17:43,996 –> 00:17:46,700
men and with the stripes of the
children of men.

288
00:17:46,740 –> 00:17:48,020
And just note a couple of
things.

289
00:17:48,080 –> 00:17:50,520
There’s no conditional if in the
Hebrew text.

290
00:17:51,120 –> 00:17:54,955
Literally, the term iniquity
means in being bound down, I

291
00:17:54,955 –> 00:17:57,800
will chasten him.
And also, it’s in a present

292
00:17:57,800 –> 00:18:02,560
continuous sense.
I am his father, he is my son.

293
00:18:02,560 –> 00:18:06,187
And that’s consistent with its
application in paralog text in

294
00:18:06,187 –> 00:18:09,060
Isaiah 53.
So it’s a book about

295
00:18:09,060 –> 00:18:10,960
relationships, the book of
Proverbs.

296
00:18:13,080 –> 00:18:19,280
I will be his father, he will be
my son, and I will chasten him,

297
00:18:19,340 –> 00:18:20,980
is the Davidic covenant
statement.

298
00:18:20,980 –> 00:18:26,140
So the book’s going to have
something to do with chastening.

299
00:18:27,260 –> 00:18:30,800
It’s going to correct and
reproof and chasten and instruct

300
00:18:30,800 –> 00:18:33,235
us.
It’s going to tell us where

301
00:18:33,235 –> 00:18:36,480
we’re going right and we’re
going wrong so that we can

302
00:18:36,480 –> 00:18:40,300
change and become the sons of
the father, his children.

303
00:18:41,160 –> 00:18:43,880
And think, brothers and sisters,
about the process of correcting

304
00:18:43,880 –> 00:18:47,160
and chastening as it’s not that
much fun.

305
00:18:48,220 –> 00:18:51,745
Hebrews 12 verse 11 says, No
chastening for the present seems

306
00:18:51,745 –> 00:18:56,134
to be joyous, but grievous.
Nevertheless, afterward it

307
00:18:56,134 –> 00:18:59,452
yields the peaceable fruit of
righteousness to them who are

308
00:18:59,452 –> 00:19:02,040
exercised thereby, by the
father’s correction.

309
00:19:02,200 –> 00:19:04,540
So we’re going to be challenged
this week by this book.

310
00:19:05,400 –> 00:19:07,860
We’re going to feel
uncomfortable at times.

311
00:19:08,360 –> 00:19:12,650
But in the end, it should yield
the peaceable fruits of

312
00:19:12,650 –> 00:19:16,940
righteousness in our lives.
Our behaviors get corrected.

313
00:19:17,540 –> 00:19:20,340
We are changed.
There will be more of the good,

314
00:19:20,960 –> 00:19:26,180
less of the bad, more of the
wisdom, less of the foolishness.

315
00:19:27,380 –> 00:19:31,720
And so when we study this book
together, this is the spirit and

316
00:19:31,720 –> 00:19:34,400
attitude and approach that we
need to bring.

317
00:19:35,200 –> 00:19:40,172
For in 2 Timothy 3 verse 16 it
says, All scripture is given by

318
00:19:40,172 –> 00:19:45,060
the breathing of God and is
profitable for doctrine, for

319
00:19:45,060 –> 00:19:50,080
reproof, for correction and for
instruction in the things that

320
00:19:50,080 –> 00:19:53,130
are right, righteousness.
So it’s a great privilege, isn’t

321
00:19:53,130 –> 00:19:57,020
it, that we’re going to get to
listen to these words of the

322
00:19:57,020 –> 00:19:59,200
father, to the son, and to us as
children.

323
00:19:59,740 –> 00:20:04,848
How many hours did Christ pour
over this book and figure it all

324
00:20:04,848 –> 00:20:08,587
out to understand the
instruction of the father as

325
00:20:08,587 –> 00:20:13,100
he’s told over and over again in
the pages, my son, my son.

326
00:20:13,460 –> 00:20:17,607
How would Christ understand this
book is the question that we’ll

327
00:20:17,607 –> 00:20:19,360
constantly ask ourselves this
week.

328
00:20:20,160 –> 00:20:21,320
All right, well that’s our first
key.

329
00:20:23,220 –> 00:20:27,900
Our second key is this.
The entire book is founded in an

330
00:20:27,900 –> 00:20:32,760
event that occurs in 1 Kings 3
verses 9 to 12.

331
00:20:32,860 –> 00:20:35,780
So come with me to 1 Kings 3
verses 9 to 12.

332
00:20:36,020 –> 00:20:38,520
We’ll see the foundation of this
book.

333
00:20:39,560 –> 00:20:43,968
This is where Solomon is king
and in a dream he is told by

334
00:20:43,968 –> 00:20:47,880
God, ask what I shall give thee.
And it’s a Sunday school story,

335
00:20:47,920 –> 00:20:50,214
isn’t it, that we all know that
Solomon could have asked for

336
00:20:50,214 –> 00:20:52,380
anything but he didn’t.
He asked for wisdom.

337
00:20:53,020 –> 00:20:57,650
But what he said exactly is
important because it’s the

338
00:20:57,650 –> 00:21:00,060
foundation to the book of
Proverbs and it gives us our

339
00:21:00,060 –> 00:21:03,160
second key.
So 1 Kings 3 verses 9 to 12.

340
00:21:06,120 –> 00:21:11,424
Now as we read this, these are
Solomon’s words and look for the

341
00:21:11,424 –> 00:21:14,000
reason he gives for asking
wisdom.

342
00:21:14,360 –> 00:21:19,580
Look for why he wanted wisdom
and what sort of wisdom was he

343
00:21:19,580 –> 00:21:20,400
after.
What?

344
00:21:20,520 –> 00:21:21,980
Exactly.
Verse 8.

345
00:21:22,440 –> 00:21:25,315
Thy servant is in the midst of
thy people which thou hast

346
00:21:25,315 –> 00:21:28,270
chosen, a great people that
cannot be numbered nor counted

347
00:21:28,270 –> 00:21:32,007
for multitude.
Give therefore thy servant an

348
00:21:32,007 –> 00:21:37,440
understanding heart to judge thy
people that I may discern

349
00:21:37,440 –> 00:21:43,560
between good and bad for who is
able to judge this so great a

350
00:21:43,560 –> 00:21:46,260
people.
So why did he ask for wisdom?

351
00:21:46,640 –> 00:21:51,880
What was it for?
To discern between good and bad,

352
00:21:52,000 –> 00:21:55,892
the Hebrew term normally
translated evil, to know good

353
00:21:55,892 –> 00:21:59,940
and evil.
So he could judge his people.

354
00:21:59,940 –> 00:22:02,640
And verse 11, God says to him,
because thou hast asked this

355
00:22:02,640 –> 00:22:06,185
thing and has not asked for
thyself long life or riches for

356
00:22:06,185 –> 00:22:09,787
thyself or asked the life of
thine enemies and has asked for

357
00:22:09,787 –> 00:22:13,994
thyself understanding to discern
judgment, behold, I’ve done

358
00:22:13,994 –> 00:22:18,227
according to thy words.
I’ve given them a wise and an

359
00:22:18,227 –> 00:22:22,620
understanding heart in the
context to discern between good

360
00:22:22,620 –> 00:22:28,320
and bad and make a judgment
between the two for your people.

361
00:22:28,320 –> 00:22:35,720
So that’s the foundation of the
source of the wisdom of the book

362
00:22:35,720 –> 00:22:39,900
of Proverbs.
That’s its reason for the book.

363
00:22:40,540 –> 00:22:45,170
It’s the book of the wisdom that
God gave to Solomon to answer

364
00:22:45,170 –> 00:22:48,960
this request.
To discern, it’s the Hebrew term

365
00:22:48,960 –> 00:22:53,040
bened, typically translated to
understand what will become a

366
00:22:53,040 –> 00:22:54,540
key term in the book of
Proverbs.

367
00:22:54,880 –> 00:22:59,980
To understand between good to
Hebrew and Ra, evil.

368
00:23:01,080 –> 00:23:05,448
Wisdom and understanding to
discern between good and evil so

369
00:23:05,448 –> 00:23:10,527
that I can bring true justice to
my people was the request that’s

370
00:23:10,527 –> 00:23:12,720
now reflected in the wisdom of
this book.

371
00:23:12,800 –> 00:23:15,020
So that’s our second key to
unlock this book.

372
00:23:15,360 –> 00:23:18,952
It’s not a book about the
generalised idea of wisdom and

373
00:23:18,952 –> 00:23:22,460
all that we can possibly have
wisdom and understanding in.

374
00:23:23,240 –> 00:23:27,260
It’s about wisdom, knowledge,
and understanding in something

375
00:23:27,260 –> 00:23:31,050
quite specific.
The ability to discern between

376
00:23:31,050 –> 00:23:36,660
good and evil, what we might
call morality, right and wrong

377
00:23:36,660 –> 00:23:42,040
in our thoughts, in our
behaviours, in our interactive

378
00:23:42,040 –> 00:23:44,860
relationships.
And everything about this book

379
00:23:44,860 –> 00:23:49,030
now is given to the Son, the
Lord Jesus Christ, and us, the

380
00:23:49,030 –> 00:23:51,780
children, so we can have
knowledge, understanding,

381
00:23:52,000 –> 00:23:55,847
wisdom, in the discernment
between good and evil in our

382
00:23:55,847 –> 00:23:59,280
lives, in our thoughts, our
actions, and our interactions.

383
00:23:59,760 –> 00:24:04,190
So that’s the purpose of the
wisdom that Solomon was given by

384
00:24:04,190 –> 00:24:08,794
God.
So he could establish in the

385
00:24:08,794 –> 00:24:13,574
kingdom a principle of truth and
right at the heart of his

386
00:24:13,574 –> 00:24:18,694
kingdom and for his people.
You know, every nation that has

387
00:24:18,694 –> 00:24:23,367
ever tasted success or
prosperity in a human sense has

388
00:24:23,367 –> 00:24:28,340
a robust system of justice built
around a discernment of right

389
00:24:28,340 –> 00:24:32,360
and wrong.
They have a legal and a justice

390
00:24:32,360 –> 00:24:37,900
and a police system to enforce
the concept of truth and right

391
00:24:37,900 –> 00:24:41,540
in the interactions of its
people at its heart.

392
00:24:42,040 –> 00:24:45,300
Now we know, of course, that
it’s a miserable mimic of the

393
00:24:45,300 –> 00:24:49,060
righteousness of God but
nevertheless every society knows

394
00:24:49,060 –> 00:24:53,120
it must have an answer to the
question of a discernment

395
00:24:53,120 –> 00:24:56,320
between good and evil and
justice.

396
00:24:57,260 –> 00:25:00,920
And that, in a nutshell, is the
purpose of the book of Proverbs.

397
00:25:01,400 –> 00:25:06,440
So that’s our second key.
To discern between good and

398
00:25:06,440 –> 00:25:08,320
evil.
And guess what?

399
00:25:09,800 –> 00:25:16,480
In the book of Proverbs the word
tobe, good and evil ra is found

400
00:25:16,480 –> 00:25:20,940
throughout the book.
The word good tobe 65 times.

401
00:25:21,080 –> 00:25:24,220
Other words and synonyms for
good 79 times.

402
00:25:24,340 –> 00:25:27,380
The word ra for evil or bad 68
times.

403
00:25:27,460 –> 00:25:31,710
Its derivative ra sure 78 times.
It’s all over the book of

404
00:25:31,710 –> 00:25:35,300
Proverbs.
But there’s more to this theme.

405
00:25:36,700 –> 00:25:41,520
Because this book and its quest
for a knowledge of good and evil

406
00:25:41,520 –> 00:25:46,840
is a continuation of an age-old
theme from the very beginning

407
00:25:46,840 –> 00:25:52,240
where there was a tree of the
knowledge of good and evil tobe

408
00:25:52,240 –> 00:25:56,320
and ra.
A tree desired to make one wise.

409
00:25:57,380 –> 00:26:02,400
To be like the Elohim, to know
good and evil. evil.

410
00:26:03,260 –> 00:26:06,470
And it was a key factor brothers
and sisters in the beginning in

411
00:26:06,470 –> 00:26:12,310
the first sin that led to shame
and fear and nakedness and

412
00:26:12,310 –> 00:26:16,530
expulsion from the garden and a
curse and the way of the tree of

413
00:26:16,530 –> 00:26:20,360
life being inaccessible and
guarded by a flaming sword and

414
00:26:20,360 –> 00:26:25,380
cherubim.
The desire for this was the

415
00:26:25,380 –> 00:26:27,400
introduction of evil into the
world.

416
00:26:28,540 –> 00:26:31,540
And this book brothers and
sisters is from the father where

417
00:26:31,540 –> 00:26:35,360
he will instruct his son the
promised seed of the woman in

418
00:26:35,360 –> 00:26:41,290
the subject of that knowledge of
good and evil so that his

419
00:26:41,290 –> 00:26:46,000
children might discern between
the two and choose the good not

420
00:26:46,000 –> 00:26:50,460
the evil and walk on a path of
good that in the end will lead

421
00:26:50,460 –> 00:26:52,900
them to the way of the tree of
life.

422
00:26:53,040 –> 00:26:56,900
Proverbs 3.18 She, wisdom, is a
tree of life to those who take

423
00:26:56,900 –> 00:26:59,480
hold of her.
Happy are those who retain her.

424
00:26:59,820 –> 00:27:04,220
So that’s our second key.
Foundation of the book is in

425
00:27:04,220 –> 00:27:07,700
this request to discern between
good and evil.

426
00:27:07,700 –> 00:27:10,280
And it runs right through the
book, tying it all together.

427
00:27:11,220 –> 00:27:14,040
Here the son learns from the
father the skill to discern

428
00:27:14,040 –> 00:27:17,300
between good and evil, says
Isaiah 7.15.

429
00:27:17,660 –> 00:27:21,840
Butter and honey, symbols of the
word of God in the context of

430
00:27:21,840 –> 00:27:24,414
the promised land.
Butter and honey shall he eat

431
00:27:24,414 –> 00:27:29,400
that he may know, have the
knowledge to refuse the evil and

432
00:27:29,400 –> 00:27:33,800
choose the good.
On this basis, the Lord Jesus

433
00:27:33,800 –> 00:27:38,094
Christ becomes our righteous
judge. 1 John chapter 1 verse 9,

434
00:27:38,094 –> 00:27:45,467
if we confess our sins, he is
faithful just to forgive us our

435
00:27:45,467 –> 00:27:51,194
sins and cleanse us from all
unrighteousness. the So that’s

436
00:27:51,194 –> 00:27:53,480
our second key.
Here’s our third key.

437
00:27:55,340 –> 00:27:57,680
The book of Proverbs has a
purpose statement.

438
00:27:58,860 –> 00:28:02,100
First eight verses and it’s
really, really helpful to

439
00:28:02,100 –> 00:28:03,840
understand what the book’s
about.

440
00:28:03,980 –> 00:28:06,680
So come with me to chapter 1
verses 1 to 8 and we’ll spend

441
00:28:06,680 –> 00:28:10,160
some time looking at this
purpose statement in the book of

442
00:28:10,160 –> 00:28:14,347
Proverbs right at the start.
Now Bible study process, we need

443
00:28:14,347 –> 00:28:16,360
to become familiar with the
text.

444
00:28:16,580 –> 00:28:19,380
We don’t add to it, we don’t
take away because adding

445
00:28:19,380 –> 00:28:22,560
something to what we’ve heard or
leaving something out that we

446
00:28:22,560 –> 00:28:25,780
have is bad listening.
So every word is important.

447
00:28:25,920 –> 00:28:30,100
So let’s read it together now as
we do, see if you can find five

448
00:28:30,100 –> 00:28:33,720
key purpose statements in verses
2 to 7.

449
00:28:35,220 –> 00:28:38,820
Put it on the screen for those
who want to read it there.

450
00:28:38,980 –> 00:28:40,760
So I’ll give you a moment just
to read through there.

451
00:28:41,640 –> 00:28:45,634
See if you can find five purpose
statements in verses 2 to 7 of

452
00:28:45,634 –> 00:28:58,040
chapter 1 of Proverbs.
Here’s a hint though, we’ll

453
00:28:58,040 –> 00:29:05,050
start with two.
Alright, did you see the five

454
00:29:05,050 –> 00:29:08,640
purpose statements based on five
active doing verbs?

455
00:29:09,100 –> 00:29:10,920
I’ll put it here on the slide so
you can see it.

456
00:29:11,680 –> 00:29:15,300
Verse 2, to know wisdom and
instruction.

457
00:29:15,880 –> 00:29:20,220
Our second one, to perceive the
words of understanding.

458
00:29:20,340 –> 00:29:23,160
So this book is supposed to give
us these things.

459
00:29:23,720 –> 00:29:27,620
As we read that, did you see
this tumble of similar terms

460
00:29:27,620 –> 00:29:30,920
being used?
What idea is evoked in your mind

461
00:29:30,920 –> 00:29:34,520
when you hear these words?
Knowing, perceiving,

462
00:29:35,340 –> 00:29:41,580
instruction, knowledge, wisdom,
understanding, counsel,

463
00:29:42,380 –> 00:29:46,400
learning, interpretation.
What sense do you get from those

464
00:29:46,400 –> 00:29:47,840
words?
Maybe that we’re going to learn

465
00:29:47,840 –> 00:29:50,540
something in this book that we
didn’t know before.

466
00:29:51,660 –> 00:29:56,040
Maybe that there’s a transition
in this book from a state of

467
00:29:56,040 –> 00:30:03,940
having no understanding to where
we do understand. we can see in

468
00:30:03,940 –> 00:30:07,400
this purpose statement that we
will get this from this book if

469
00:30:07,400 –> 00:30:10,580
we engage in the instruction of
the father to the son.

470
00:30:10,660 –> 00:30:13,620
Is that worth having?
Sure is.

471
00:30:14,880 –> 00:30:17,580
Then we have in verse 3 our
third purpose statement.

472
00:30:17,720 –> 00:30:20,860
We see an echo of the request
give me wisdom to discern

473
00:30:20,860 –> 00:30:22,860
between good and evil that I
might judge.

474
00:30:22,920 –> 00:30:27,340
These are all judgment terms to
receive the instruction of

475
00:30:27,340 –> 00:30:32,400
wisdom, justice, judgment,
inequity, evenness.

476
00:30:32,800 –> 00:30:34,780
Our fourth purpose statement is
in verse 4.

477
00:30:34,880 –> 00:30:36,720
This one’s interesting.
There’s someone called the

478
00:30:36,720 –> 00:30:40,450
simple, the young man who’s
going to get subtlety and

479
00:30:40,450 –> 00:30:43,160
knowledge and discretion which
means a plan.

480
00:30:44,120 –> 00:30:48,120
I wonder if it could be for us.
Our fifth is in verse 6 which is

481
00:30:48,120 –> 00:30:50,035
also interesting.
In this book we’re going to get

482
00:30:50,035 –> 00:30:53,120
to understand something that’s
obscure, something that’s

483
00:30:53,120 –> 00:30:55,100
hidden, something that needs an
interpretation.

484
00:30:55,660 –> 00:30:56,800
We’re going to understand a
proverb.

485
00:30:56,880 –> 00:30:58,940
What’s a proverb?
We’re going to know how to

486
00:30:58,940 –> 00:31:01,700
interpret them.
We’re going to see the words of

487
00:31:01,700 –> 00:31:05,360
wise people that said things in
riddles and dark sayings.

488
00:31:06,500 –> 00:31:08,820
Now can you see how packed this
text is?

489
00:31:09,120 –> 00:31:12,300
How awe-inspiring it is that the
creator, the father, packs so

490
00:31:12,300 –> 00:31:16,040
much information to such a tight
little DNA package here at the

491
00:31:16,040 –> 00:31:20,780
beginning of Proverbs.
But if that wasn’t complex

492
00:31:20,780 –> 00:31:24,860
enough to condense five complex
purpose statements and we will

493
00:31:24,860 –> 00:31:28,680
see that each of them is complex
into just a handful of purposes.

494
00:31:28,680 –> 00:31:31,600
Do you know the whole purpose
statement is framed as a chiasm?

495
00:31:35,320 –> 00:31:37,840
Right there at the heart of it
is the statement.

496
00:31:37,840 –> 00:31:41,980
A man of understanding shall
attain wise counsels to

497
00:31:41,980 –> 00:31:47,140
understand a proverb and the
interpretation of purpose of the

498
00:31:47,140 –> 00:31:53,040
book.
So that’s our third key this

499
00:31:53,040 –> 00:31:54,860
morning.
The book has a purpose.

500
00:31:55,980 –> 00:31:59,500
It’s to transfer wisdom and
instruction from the father to

501
00:31:59,500 –> 00:32:02,840
the son.
So we should be expecting to

502
00:32:02,840 –> 00:32:07,290
engage with this book as one
that will transition us from a

503
00:32:07,290 –> 00:32:11,360
position of not knowing or
understanding to understanding

504
00:32:11,360 –> 00:32:15,980
and knowing.
We will increase in learning and

505
00:32:15,980 –> 00:32:21,400
attain to a wise counsel as we
come to understand a proverb and

506
00:32:21,400 –> 00:32:25,240
its interpretation will get
something called subtlety that

507
00:32:25,240 –> 00:32:28,920
stops us being simple.
We’re going to get knowledge and

508
00:32:28,920 –> 00:32:30,836
discretion.
And we’re going to see the rest

509
00:32:30,836 –> 00:32:33,720
of the books going to keep
reaching back into these purpose

510
00:32:33,720 –> 00:32:36,915
statements frequently.
And that’s going to be our third

511
00:32:36,915 –> 00:32:39,790
key.
All right, well, here’s our

512
00:32:39,790 –> 00:32:44,010
fourth key.
Did you notice that we read

513
00:32:44,010 –> 00:32:46,847
through that purpose statement?
There were another four key

514
00:32:46,847 –> 00:32:50,040
terms repeated over and over
again.

515
00:32:51,920 –> 00:32:57,470
Other terms, knowledge,
understanding, wisdom, and

516
00:32:57,470 –> 00:32:58,960
instruction.
Now, I’ve highlighted them here

517
00:32:58,960 –> 00:33:00,860
very colourfully for you on the
screen.

518
00:33:01,720 –> 00:33:05,164
So you can see that these are
repetitions and it really pops

519
00:33:05,164 –> 00:33:06,800
out, doesn’t it, when we colour
them in.

520
00:33:07,300 –> 00:33:09,280
You know, it’s a really good
idea to go through the book of

521
00:33:09,280 –> 00:33:12,080
Proverbs and take these four
terms plus a handful of others

522
00:33:12,080 –> 00:33:13,867
and colour them in.
You’ll just see them repeating

523
00:33:13,867 –> 00:33:17,960
over and over again.
Knowledge, understanding,

524
00:33:18,420 –> 00:33:20,990
wisdom, and the term we’ve
already looked at, instruction,

525
00:33:20,990 –> 00:33:23,740
that Hebrews translates as
chastening.

526
00:33:24,280 –> 00:33:29,760
Now, these four words are base
root Hebrew verbs.

527
00:33:29,940 –> 00:33:32,100
That is, they are doing or
action words.

528
00:33:33,140 –> 00:33:38,220
And each of them is a base from
which other terms are derived.

529
00:33:39,000 –> 00:33:44,360
So we have the term yoda.
It’s a root verb.

530
00:33:44,980 –> 00:33:48,400
It means to know.
But there’s a derivative, the

531
00:33:48,400 –> 00:33:52,310
subject of knowing itself,
knowledge, and another, to be

532
00:33:52,310 –> 00:33:56,015
knowledgeable.
And those words occur 75 times

533
00:33:56,015 –> 00:34:00,400
in the book of Proverbs.
We have the root verb bene, to

534
00:34:00,400 –> 00:34:04,900
understand.
Bene, understanding, and to ben,

535
00:34:05,020 –> 00:34:08,540
the one who understands, 67
times in the book.

536
00:34:09,139 –> 00:34:14,060
We have the root verb, shakam,
to be wise, shakma, wisdom

537
00:34:14,060 –> 00:34:18,340
itself, and shakam in its
feminine form, shakmath, the

538
00:34:18,340 –> 00:34:21,620
wise, 98 times in the book of
Proverbs.

539
00:34:22,139 –> 00:34:25,679
And finally, the root verb,
yasra, to chasten, instruct, or

540
00:34:25,679 –> 00:34:29,360
masur, correction, rebuke,
chastening, 35 times.

541
00:34:29,800 –> 00:34:31,760
Well, actually, it’s over 60
when you put both of them

542
00:34:31,760 –> 00:34:35,340
together.
So these four key words are used

543
00:34:35,340 –> 00:34:38,639
throughout the book of Proverbs,
to almost an extreme level,

544
00:34:39,000 –> 00:34:41,860
because they are its thematic
keys.

545
00:34:42,340 –> 00:34:44,880
We’ve already seen the idea of
chastening, instruction,

546
00:34:45,040 –> 00:34:47,690
correction, as a key concept,
haven’t we, throughout the book,

547
00:34:47,690 –> 00:34:51,414
because that’s what the father
does with the son to every child

548
00:34:51,414 –> 00:34:55,340
that he loves.
But we also have these three

549
00:34:55,340 –> 00:35:00,880
other key terms or words or
ideas, knowledge, understanding,

550
00:35:00,880 –> 00:35:04,760
and wisdom.
And the purpose statement is

551
00:35:04,760 –> 00:35:09,400
founded in these terms that are
then used throughout the book of

552
00:35:09,400 –> 00:35:11,520
Proverbs.
So we need to become familiar

553
00:35:11,520 –> 00:35:14,820
with these three terms, and we
understand why it is that these

554
00:35:14,820 –> 00:35:18,775
terms are used, why they’re in
the purpose statement, what they

555
00:35:18,775 –> 00:35:21,840
mean if we are to engage and
unlock this book.

556
00:35:25,900 –> 00:35:29,600
So let’s explore these three
terms just for a moment now.

557
00:35:30,280 –> 00:35:32,540
Knowledge, understanding,
wisdom.

558
00:35:32,640 –> 00:35:36,034
We’ve looked at instructional
correction already to see why

559
00:35:36,034 –> 00:35:39,400
that’s so important.
Now the first thing we discover

560
00:35:39,400 –> 00:35:43,600
when we look up in our
concordance is we find that

561
00:35:43,600 –> 00:35:46,330
these words knowledge,
understanding, wisdom are a key

562
00:35:46,330 –> 00:35:48,100
biblical trio.
They go together.

563
00:35:48,740 –> 00:35:53,100
Now come with me to Exodus 31
verses 1 to 3 where we have the

564
00:35:53,100 –> 00:35:56,000
instructions for the creation of
the tabernacle and the dwelling

565
00:35:56,000 –> 00:35:59,360
of God in the wilderness and lo
and behold it’s built.

566
00:35:59,720 –> 00:36:02,580
With knowledge, understanding
and wisdom.

567
00:36:02,700 –> 00:36:06,300
Our three key terms.
Exodus chapter 31 verses 1 to 3.

568
00:36:09,240 –> 00:36:12,147
Yahweh spoke to Moses saying,
See, I’ve called by name

569
00:36:12,147 –> 00:36:14,760
Bezalel, son of Uriah, son of
Hurah, the tribe of Judah.

570
00:36:14,900 –> 00:36:18,234
And listen to this, I’ve filled,
so the source of this is God

571
00:36:18,234 –> 00:36:22,474
himself, always the source of it
is from God, with the spirit of

572
00:36:22,474 –> 00:36:28,774
God, in wisdom, in
understanding, in knowledge, and

573
00:36:28,774 –> 00:36:32,860
in all manner of workmanship.
So these three terms go

574
00:36:32,860 –> 00:36:35,860
together.
They describe the spirit of God

575
00:36:35,860 –> 00:36:40,320
in all the manner of workmanship
and creation of the tabernacle

576
00:36:40,320 –> 00:36:44,280
of God’s dwelling.
And of course we understand the

577
00:36:44,280 –> 00:36:48,407
spiritual import of this, that
Bezalel represents the Lord

578
00:36:48,407 –> 00:36:51,500
Jesus Christ.
The tabernacle represents the

579
00:36:51,500 –> 00:36:54,660
dwelling of God and people, both
individual and collective.

580
00:36:55,160 –> 00:36:58,470
And the spirit of God that
inspires all manner of work in

581
00:36:58,470 –> 00:37:02,940
that is called knowledge,
understanding, and wisdom, who

582
00:37:02,940 –> 00:37:05,940
sources God himself.
Now here’s another one.

583
00:37:06,000 –> 00:37:08,600
Come to Daniel chapter 1, verses
17 to 20.

584
00:37:09,080 –> 00:37:14,800
We find the same three terms are
used to describe the wisdom of

585
00:37:14,800 –> 00:37:18,320
Daniel and his three friends.
Daniel chapter 1, verse 17.

586
00:37:19,380 –> 00:37:24,890
As for these four children, God
gave them, always from God,

587
00:37:24,890 –> 00:37:30,080
knowledge, skill in all
learning, and wisdom, and Daniel

588
00:37:30,080 –> 00:37:33,367
had understanding.
There’s our three terms in all

589
00:37:33,367 –> 00:37:37,627
visions and dreams.
And after examination in verse

590
00:37:37,627 –> 00:37:40,560
20, in all the matters of wisdom
and understanding the king

591
00:37:40,560 –> 00:37:44,354
inquired of them, he found them
ten times better than all the

592
00:37:44,354 –> 00:37:46,660
magicians and astrologers that
were in all his realm.

593
00:37:46,920 –> 00:37:50,147
So it’s a transcending
knowledge, understanding, and

594
00:37:50,147 –> 00:37:53,975
wisdom from God that’s ten times
better, utterly better than all

595
00:37:53,975 –> 00:37:59,820
that were in all his realm.
So did Jesus Christ the Son, as

596
00:37:59,820 –> 00:38:04,100
he read these words, think it
was going to be important?

597
00:38:04,320 –> 00:38:09,967
You see, the point the Father is
saying to us, if you engage with

598
00:38:09,967 –> 00:38:14,770
this book, it will record for
you the essence of the Spirit of

599
00:38:14,770 –> 00:38:19,380
God in his knowledge,
understanding, and wisdom that

600
00:38:19,380 –> 00:38:23,110
inspired Daniel and his three
friends, that was the founding

601
00:38:23,110 –> 00:38:27,620
and creative force in the
dwelling place of God, that was

602
00:38:27,620 –> 00:38:30,100
there at the beginning we’re
going to see, and was the

603
00:38:30,100 –> 00:38:31,960
foundation of creation itself,
life.

604
00:38:32,460 –> 00:38:37,220
And it all revolves around these
three key root verbs, knowing,

605
00:38:37,560 –> 00:38:40,720
understanding, wisdom, and their
derivatives that drive the

606
00:38:40,720 –> 00:38:44,640
spirit of the book. knowledge.
But why these three terms?

607
00:38:45,300 –> 00:38:49,560
And what do they mean?
So I’m going to go through two

608
00:38:49,560 –> 00:38:53,400
slides now, which is my best
attempt to capture the essence

609
00:38:53,400 –> 00:38:56,200
of the difference in the
interaction of knowledge,

610
00:38:56,900 –> 00:39:00,474
understanding, and wisdom.
And if anyone can improve on

611
00:39:00,474 –> 00:39:03,340
these, please come and give me
some advice.

612
00:39:04,240 –> 00:39:09,840
Here they are. knowledge can be
viewed as information.

613
00:39:11,360 –> 00:39:15,495
Understanding is the meaning in
that information, and the wisdom

614
00:39:15,495 –> 00:39:18,740
is the application of it
practically in something in

615
00:39:18,740 –> 00:39:22,340
life.
Knowledge can be equated to

616
00:39:22,340 –> 00:39:25,120
facts, or principles, or
exhortation.

617
00:39:26,780 –> 00:39:31,280
Now I remember my Sunday school
teacher, Uncle Dave Bailey,

618
00:39:31,780 –> 00:39:34,880
using these three terms to say,
these are the heart of good

619
00:39:34,880 –> 00:39:38,340
Bible study, facts, then to
principles, and exhortation.

620
00:39:38,400 –> 00:39:40,020
But of course it’s the same
process, isn’t it?

621
00:39:40,080 –> 00:39:44,800
Knowledge, understanding, the
application of it, and wisdom.

622
00:39:45,640 –> 00:39:49,300
We can view knowledge,
understanding, wisdom, generally

623
00:39:49,300 –> 00:39:53,345
as a student in the position of
taking knowledge in, a teacher

624
00:39:53,345 –> 00:39:56,420
who comprehends and understands
and pass that, but a

625
00:39:56,420 –> 00:39:59,545
practitioner is one who takes
that understanding, wisdom, and

626
00:39:59,545 –> 00:40:02,160
puts it into life.
You know, we can see it in the

627
00:40:02,160 –> 00:40:05,247
parable of the sower, where that
sea which falls on good ground

628
00:40:05,247 –> 00:40:10,654
are those who hear the word of
God, understand it, and bring

629
00:40:10,654 –> 00:40:13,940
forth fruit.
They are doers and hearers.

630
00:40:14,420 –> 00:40:16,720
Now there’s a few things really
to note with that.

631
00:40:17,140 –> 00:40:20,460
You’ll see that all wisdom
includes understanding knowledge

632
00:40:20,460 –> 00:40:22,520
within it.
You can’t have it without

633
00:40:22,520 –> 00:40:25,720
understanding a knowledge.
All understanding includes

634
00:40:25,720 –> 00:40:28,314
knowledge within it, but you can
understand but not have wisdom,

635
00:40:28,314 –> 00:40:31,340
not apply it.
So we need all through, and it’s

636
00:40:31,340 –> 00:40:34,000
describing a process of
instruction.

637
00:40:34,340 –> 00:40:37,460
The process of instruction that
the father takes his children

638
00:40:37,460 –> 00:40:40,932
through in the scriptures is
going to be laid out for us here

639
00:40:40,932 –> 00:40:47,314
in the book of Proverbs.
Here’s some practical examples

640
00:40:47,314 –> 00:40:51,160
of the relationship of
knowledge, understanding, and

641
00:40:51,160 –> 00:40:55,200
wisdom to each other.
Knowledge is if it is cold and

642
00:40:55,200 –> 00:40:58,200
where I should wear a coat.
I know that.

643
00:40:59,620 –> 00:41:03,274
Understanding is because if I
wear a coat, it will keep me dry

644
00:41:03,274 –> 00:41:06,420
and warm.
And wisdom is it’s cold and wet.

645
00:41:07,120 –> 00:41:10,360
So I’m wearing a coat.
What if I knew that and I

646
00:41:10,360 –> 00:41:12,400
understood that and it was cold
and wet and I didn’t wear a

647
00:41:12,400 –> 00:41:13,780
coat?
What would the Bible call me?

648
00:41:15,240 –> 00:41:17,980
Foolish.
So there’s an example of how

649
00:41:17,980 –> 00:41:22,440
knowledge, understanding, and
wisdom apply and go together.

650
00:41:22,760 –> 00:41:25,000
There’s another example.
Algebra.

651
00:41:25,000 –> 00:41:31,572
I know the rules of algebra.
I won’t ask for a show of hands,

652
00:41:31,572 –> 00:41:35,276
but how many can think back to
algebra those fun days at school

653
00:41:35,276 –> 00:41:38,692
and we had the set of rules we
had to apply and had no idea why

654
00:41:38,692 –> 00:41:41,940
we were doing it and it was so
exciting that sometimes we got

655
00:41:41,940 –> 00:41:45,880
the right answer.
We had no idea, but at some

656
00:41:45,880 –> 00:41:48,600
point we understood, oh, that’s
why you do it.

657
00:41:50,180 –> 00:41:53,344
And wisdom would be the
application of that so that we

658
00:41:53,344 –> 00:41:57,160
could work out what time we
needed to leave home in order to

659
00:41:57,160 –> 00:42:00,020
get Bible school on time.
I’ll give you a little example

660
00:42:00,020 –> 00:42:08,590
of that.
So this is our formula, our

661
00:42:08,590 –> 00:42:11,460
algebra that we needed.
All right?

662
00:42:11,840 –> 00:42:16,510
So start time when we leave
home, plus the distance we

663
00:42:16,510 –> 00:42:20,960
travel over at speed in
kilometres, plus TS1, that’s

664
00:42:20,960 –> 00:42:26,640
toilet stop one, plus JDTS2,
that’s we’ve just had a toilet

665
00:42:26,640 –> 00:42:28,680
stop ten minutes ago, why didn’t
you go then?

666
00:42:28,780 –> 00:42:32,540
God, I didn’t need to.
Plus EMT3, which is emergency

667
00:42:32,540 –> 00:42:40,525
toilet stop, plus B1, that’s
bath one, so I’m not feeling

668
00:42:40,525 –> 00:42:42,400
well, just got over the hundred
lees.

669
00:42:42,400 –> 00:42:47,450
And all the cows come round to
the paddock to see what’s going

670
00:42:47,450 –> 00:42:50,780
on.
Then there’s B2, that’s bath

671
00:42:50,780 –> 00:42:55,460
two, I’m still not feeling well.
And there’s NB, which is not

672
00:42:55,460 –> 00:42:58,620
bath, that’s I don’t feel well,
but I can’t because there’s

673
00:42:58,620 –> 00:43:01,720
nothing left.
But then there’s lunchtime.

674
00:43:02,740 –> 00:43:05,640
Then there’s CS1, this might or
might not apply to it, it does

675
00:43:05,640 –> 00:43:09,000
die, and it’s sort of CS1 as a,
oh, there’s a craft shop.

676
00:43:10,120 –> 00:43:12,880
Oh, there’s another craft shop.
Right?

677
00:43:14,020 –> 00:43:16,220
And that equals arrival time.
Right?

678
00:43:16,600 –> 00:43:20,394
So this is the, this is the
knowledge and the understanding

679
00:43:20,394 –> 00:43:25,270
of algebra that we need to apply
practically to revive at the

680
00:43:25,270 –> 00:43:30,220
Bible school on time.
Now, what I want you all to do

681
00:43:30,220 –> 00:43:34,320
is solve this equation for the
time you need to leave home.

682
00:43:35,780 –> 00:43:39,615
Now, I can already see a vague
look of panic on about 75% of

683
00:43:39,615 –> 00:43:42,220
the brain and sisters of
people’s faces here.

684
00:43:42,400 –> 00:43:45,892
And you’re being taken back to a
dark time in life when you were

685
00:43:45,892 –> 00:43:49,940
15 and you sat down, you turned
over the exam and it was algebra

686
00:43:49,940 –> 00:43:54,307
and we had to solve the problem.
And we went, we know there’s a

687
00:43:54,307 –> 00:43:58,220
trans, something like
transgression or transport or

688
00:43:58,220 –> 00:44:01,920
transcendental or transpose or
something we have to do to this

689
00:44:01,920 –> 00:44:03,800
thing to work it out.
Right?

690
00:44:05,000 –> 00:44:07,400
But you know, I can already see
around the hall, there’s some

691
00:44:07,400 –> 00:44:08,800
who don’t know what we’re
talking about.

692
00:44:10,500 –> 00:44:13,200
So, brother Ben Brinkhoff, I can
see.

693
00:44:14,560 –> 00:44:19,207
There’s brother Paul Teal,
brother TJ, he’s a teacher,

694
00:44:19,207 –> 00:44:21,207
right?
And all teachers love algebra

695
00:44:21,207 –> 00:44:23,700
and they’re actually feeling
pretty excited at the moment.

696
00:44:23,820 –> 00:44:26,340
In fact, maybe a bit emotional,
but math.

697
00:44:27,780 –> 00:44:30,344
You know, there’s a few
engineering students sort of

698
00:44:30,344 –> 00:44:31,720
nerding out a little bit here as
well.

699
00:44:31,720 –> 00:44:34,780
They’ve already put, oh I can
see something here.

700
00:44:36,220 –> 00:44:38,752
They’ve already put some
differential equations out there

701
00:44:38,752 –> 00:44:41,547
and rates of acceleration,
deceleration to make it a lot

702
00:44:41,547 –> 00:44:47,014
more complex.
But the point is, that’s the

703
00:44:47,014 –> 00:44:51,540
application of something that
you know, you understand why it

704
00:44:51,540 –> 00:44:54,240
works and you put it into
practice in life.

705
00:44:54,460 –> 00:44:57,920
Knowledge, understanding,
wisdom, it’s the process of all

706
00:44:57,920 –> 00:45:00,480
education and instruction of the
father.

707
00:45:01,720 –> 00:45:08,060
So we have knowledge, we have
understanding, we have wisdom.

708
00:45:08,920 –> 00:45:13,460
And like with all those brethren
who love maths, they’re never

709
00:45:13,460 –> 00:45:19,150
late, always on time.
So let’s put all of this into

710
00:45:19,150 –> 00:45:23,910
the book’s context.
We know how to discern between

711
00:45:23,910 –> 00:45:26,260
moral good and evil, this book
says.

712
00:45:26,760 –> 00:45:28,700
We will come to know that
discernment.

713
00:45:29,380 –> 00:45:32,708
We’ll come to understand the
difference between good and evil

714
00:45:32,708 –> 00:45:37,024
and their consequences.
We will come to learn how to

715
00:45:37,024 –> 00:45:40,760
choose and apply in practical
wisdom the principles of good

716
00:45:40,760 –> 00:45:43,980
and reject the evil to become
the wise.

717
00:45:44,600 –> 00:45:46,988
And at the end of it, the book
of Proverbs says, and you’ll see

718
00:45:46,988 –> 00:45:50,514
this theme all over it, at the
end of the path is the tree of

719
00:45:50,514 –> 00:45:54,147
life.
So it’s a process, the process

720
00:45:54,147 –> 00:45:56,800
of knowledge, understanding and
wisdom.

721
00:45:56,800 –> 00:46:05,684
All right, well, if that’s the
process the book of Proverbs is

722
00:46:05,684 –> 00:46:08,520
going to give us, where do we
start?

723
00:46:11,820 –> 00:46:13,340
Well, you’ve got to start here,
don’t you?

724
00:46:15,100 –> 00:46:19,914
At the beginning of knowledge.
And the beginning of knowledge

725
00:46:19,914 –> 00:46:23,034
is what?
Well, it’s the fear of Yahweh,

726
00:46:23,034 –> 00:46:26,040
isn’t it?
And this becomes a key theme.

727
00:46:26,700 –> 00:46:28,640
And it’s right back in our
purpose statement.

728
00:46:28,760 –> 00:46:31,860
Come back to chapter 1, verse 7,
you’ll see just tucked into the

729
00:46:31,860 –> 00:46:35,052
end of the purpose statement is
this little statement about the

730
00:46:35,052 –> 00:46:38,660
fear of Yahweh is the beginning
of knowledge. knowledge.

731
00:46:39,140 –> 00:46:42,100
But fools despise wisdom in
instruction.

732
00:46:42,240 –> 00:46:45,620
It’s a term Hebrew rashith.
It means the first, either in

733
00:46:45,620 –> 00:46:50,020
order, as in Genesis 1, verse 1,
in the beginning, or in

734
00:46:50,020 –> 00:46:53,120
importance, as in principle, and
both are appropriate.

735
00:46:53,860 –> 00:46:57,147
It’s used in Proverbs 8, verse
22, that Yahweh possessed wisdom

736
00:46:57,147 –> 00:47:01,400
in the beginning of his way,
before his works of old.

737
00:47:01,860 –> 00:47:03,500
So that’s where it’s all going
to start for us.

738
00:47:04,060 –> 00:47:07,360
Excuse me.
It’s where it all starts.

739
00:47:07,980 –> 00:47:11,900
The fear of Yahweh is the
beginning of knowledge of good

740
00:47:11,900 –> 00:47:14,800
and evil.
And in the beginning, the first

741
00:47:14,800 –> 00:47:18,480
transgression that unleashed the
knowledge of evil into the

742
00:47:18,480 –> 00:47:23,217
world, the very first lie, was
that there was no consequence

743
00:47:23,217 –> 00:47:27,480
for sin.
Thou shalt not surely die.

744
00:47:28,260 –> 00:47:32,340
There was no fear of the justice
or judgment of Yahweh.

745
00:47:32,340 –> 00:47:39,227
And so fear of Yahweh is the
beginning of the knowledge of

746
00:47:39,227 –> 00:47:43,340
good and evil.
And the fear of Yahweh is

747
00:47:43,340 –> 00:47:45,360
another powerful thing through
the book.

748
00:47:45,440 –> 00:47:47,500
It’s dropped in at the end of
the purpose statement.

749
00:47:47,760 –> 00:47:50,220
It’s regularly referred to
throughout the book.

750
00:47:50,500 –> 00:47:53,940
But what does it mean?
How is the fear of Yahweh the

751
00:47:53,940 –> 00:47:56,020
beginning of knowledge?
Fear of what?

752
00:47:56,020 –> 00:48:01,814
Well, it’s a fear of the
judgment of God as the

753
00:48:01,814 –> 00:48:06,483
consequences on moral evil.
The fear of Yahweh is in the

754
00:48:06,483 –> 00:48:10,040
context of judgment on evil and
the evil way.

755
00:48:11,360 –> 00:48:15,072
The fear of Yahweh is a
recognition of what evil is and

756
00:48:15,072 –> 00:48:17,820
a fear of its consequential
judgments.

757
00:48:17,820 –> 00:48:23,217
And that’s the beginning of
knowledge that leads us to

758
00:48:23,217 –> 00:48:26,486
wisdom.
At the end, says John, perfect

759
00:48:26,486 –> 00:48:31,190
love will cast out that fear and
we can have boldness in the day

760
00:48:31,190 –> 00:48:33,160
of judgment.
Now, I’ve got a few passages

761
00:48:33,160 –> 00:48:35,143
here.
I’m just going to read through

762
00:48:35,143 –> 00:48:37,649
these quickly.
But as I do, just see how in

763
00:48:37,649 –> 00:48:40,880
each case the fear of Yahweh is
associated with the idea of

764
00:48:40,880 –> 00:48:45,868
judgmental consequence on evil
or wickedness. also associated

765
00:48:45,868 –> 00:48:50,854
with a motivation to choose good
and not evil because of the

766
00:48:50,854 –> 00:48:53,060
outcome.
Job 28, verse 28.

767
00:48:53,640 –> 00:48:57,280
Unto man, he said, behold, the
fear of Yahweh, that is wisdom.

768
00:48:57,540 –> 00:49:00,800
And to depart from evil is the
understanding.

769
00:49:02,140 –> 00:49:05,260
Psalm 19, verse 9.
The fear of Yahweh is clean and

770
00:49:05,260 –> 00:49:08,614
enduring forever.
The judgments and the

771
00:49:08,614 –> 00:49:11,340
parallelism of Yahweh are true
and righteous together.

772
00:49:11,340 –> 00:49:16,041
The fear of Yahweh, the
judgments of Yahweh, is clean

773
00:49:16,041 –> 00:49:19,500
and enduring forever, are true
and righteous altogether.

774
00:49:20,260 –> 00:49:23,955
Proverbs 8, verse 13.
The fear of Yahweh is to hate

775
00:49:23,955 –> 00:49:27,228
evil, pride, arrogancy, the evil
way in the froward mouth do I

776
00:49:27,228 –> 00:49:30,100
hate.
Proverbs 16, verse 6.

777
00:49:30,420 –> 00:49:33,580
By mercy and truth, iniquity is
purged.

778
00:49:33,680 –> 00:49:36,220
By the fear of Yahweh, men
depart from evil.

779
00:49:37,180 –> 00:49:40,846
Finally, Proverbs 23, verse 17.
Let not thine heart envy

780
00:49:40,846 –> 00:49:44,360
sinners, but be in the fear of
Yahweh all the day long.

781
00:49:44,840 –> 00:49:48,014
Fear of what?
Fear of the consequential

782
00:49:48,014 –> 00:49:50,860
justice and judgment of God.
I’m going to put two more quotes

783
00:49:50,860 –> 00:49:54,300
up here on screen for you.
See the same point being made.

784
00:49:54,380 –> 00:49:58,100
Revelation 15, verse 3 to 14.
Where we get to sing the song of

785
00:49:58,100 –> 00:50:00,878
Moses and of the Lamb and say,
great and marvelous are thy

786
00:50:00,878 –> 00:50:04,800
works, Lord God almighty, just
and true are thy ways, thy King

787
00:50:04,800 –> 00:50:07,769
of saints.
See the principle of justice and

788
00:50:07,769 –> 00:50:10,883
truth.
Who shall not fear thee, O Lord,

789
00:50:10,883 –> 00:50:14,603
and glorify thy name?
For thou only art holy, for all

790
00:50:14,603 –> 00:50:17,764
nations shall come and worship
before thee, for thy judgments

791
00:50:17,764 –> 00:50:21,427
are made manifest.
Finally, Ecclesiastes 12, verse

792
00:50:21,427 –> 00:50:23,520
13 to 14.
Same point.

793
00:50:24,380 –> 00:50:26,820
Let us hear the conclusion of
the whole matter.

794
00:50:27,380 –> 00:50:31,763
Fear God, keep his commandments.
It’s the whole of man, for God

795
00:50:31,763 –> 00:50:35,480
shall bring every work into
judgment, every secret thing,

796
00:50:35,480 –> 00:50:39,080
whether it be tob, good, or ra,
evil.

797
00:50:39,800 –> 00:50:42,912
So that’s the fear of Yahweh.
That’s the beginning of

798
00:50:42,912 –> 00:50:45,560
knowledge.
When we first realize that there

799
00:50:45,560 –> 00:50:50,361
is moral right and wrong, there
is good and evil, and that God

800
00:50:50,361 –> 00:50:54,480
does and he will bring into
judgment whether good or evil.

801
00:50:54,680 –> 00:50:57,860
And what he says is true and
it’s not a lie.

802
00:50:57,860 –> 00:51:01,060
And that’s the beginning of the
process.

803
00:51:02,080 –> 00:51:07,690
Without it, we can’t even start.
So the book of Proverbs now is

804
00:51:07,690 –> 00:51:12,900
going to present to us the great
contrast between good and evil.

805
00:51:13,800 –> 00:51:18,037
Between the wise and the fool.
Between the righteous and the

806
00:51:18,037 –> 00:51:22,680
wicked.
Between the woman wisdom and the

807
00:51:22,680 –> 00:51:25,720
strange woman.
And running right throughout the

808
00:51:25,720 –> 00:51:29,687
book over and over again is
going to be the point that God

809
00:51:29,687 –> 00:51:32,140
will bring every work into
judgment.

810
00:51:32,980 –> 00:51:36,620
Every secret thing, whether it’s
good or evil.

811
00:51:37,420 –> 00:51:39,800
There will be life.
There will be eternity.

812
00:51:40,220 –> 00:51:42,680
There will be prosperity.
There will be reward.

813
00:51:42,980 –> 00:51:46,160
There will be salvation for
those who are tob, good.

814
00:51:46,900 –> 00:51:49,220
But there will be death.
There will be destruction.

815
00:51:49,760 –> 00:51:52,440
There will be nothing for the
wicked, for the evil way.

816
00:51:52,440 –> 00:51:57,961
And at the very start, at the
beginning of knowledge, is the

817
00:51:57,961 –> 00:52:03,690
comprehension of that truth.
So how did the Son, the Lord

818
00:52:03,690 –> 00:52:06,020
Jesus Christ, understand this
book?

819
00:52:07,620 –> 00:52:10,836
Well, in this book, the Father
directly talks to his Son and to

820
00:52:10,836 –> 00:52:14,050
his children.
Despise not the chastening, the

821
00:52:14,050 –> 00:52:17,606
correction of the Lord.
In this book, he gives us the

822
00:52:17,606 –> 00:52:21,114
knowledge and understanding and
wisdom of good and evil so that

823
00:52:21,114 –> 00:52:25,110
we might love the good, hate the
evil, choose the good and depart

824
00:52:25,110 –> 00:52:28,364
from the evil.
The themes of discernment

825
00:52:28,364 –> 00:52:30,580
between God and evil will run
right through the book.

826
00:52:30,820 –> 00:52:32,956
The theme of chastening and
correction will run right

827
00:52:32,956 –> 00:52:35,168
through the book.
The process of knowing,

828
00:52:35,168 –> 00:52:38,060
understanding, wisdom,
comprehending it and taking

829
00:52:38,060 –> 00:52:40,700
actions will run right through
the book.

830
00:52:41,060 –> 00:52:44,140
That’s how the Son understood
the book of Proverbs.

831
00:52:44,140 –> 00:52:48,080
Because it’s the Spirit of the
Father to the Son.

832
00:52:49,760 –> 00:52:52,838
It’s an answer to what
ultimately turned out to be a

833
00:52:52,838 –> 00:52:56,980
request of the Son.
Give me knowledge, understanding

834
00:52:56,980 –> 00:53:01,952
and wisdom so I may discern
between good and evil in my

835
00:53:01,952 –> 00:53:06,460
thoughts, in my speech, in my
actions, in my interactions with

836
00:53:06,460 –> 00:53:10,280
those around me so I might live
truth, justice, equity and

837
00:53:10,280 –> 00:53:16,074
righteousness for my people.
You know, I often try and find a

838
00:53:16,074 –> 00:53:19,186
beautiful summary quote that
pulls all the ideas together in

839
00:53:19,186 –> 00:53:23,440
a talk or a session.
I found one.

840
00:53:23,680 –> 00:53:25,738
You want to hear it?
Come with me to Isaiah chapter

841
00:53:25,738 –> 00:53:28,680
11 verse 1 to 4.
Beautiful passage.

842
00:53:29,220 –> 00:53:32,160
Brings all these things together
now and centers on the purpose

843
00:53:32,160 –> 00:53:34,360
of the Son, the Lord Jesus
Christ.

844
00:53:34,360 –> 00:53:43,300
Amen.
Isaiah 11 verse 1 to 4.

845
00:53:43,440 –> 00:53:44,760
Prophecy.
Messianic prophecy.

846
00:53:44,940 –> 00:53:48,280
There shall come forth a rod out
of the stem of Jesse and a

847
00:53:48,280 –> 00:53:50,720
branch out of his roots.
It’s Davidic covenant founded.

848
00:53:51,600 –> 00:53:53,580
The Spirit of Yahweh shall rest
upon him.

849
00:53:53,600 –> 00:53:57,240
The Spirit of eye, wisdom and
understanding.

850
00:53:57,660 –> 00:54:01,896
The Spirit of counsel and might.
The Spirit of knowledge and the

851
00:54:01,896 –> 00:54:05,698
fear of Yahweh.
And it will make him of quick

852
00:54:05,698 –> 00:54:07,160
understanding in the fear of
Yahweh.

853
00:54:07,160 –> 00:54:11,715
He shall not judge after the
sight of his eyes or reprove

854
00:54:11,715 –> 00:54:15,910
after the hearing of his ears.
But with righteousness he will

855
00:54:15,910 –> 00:54:19,295
judge the poor and reprove with
equity for the meek of the

856
00:54:19,295 –> 00:54:20,830
earth.
And he will smite the earth with

857
00:54:20,830 –> 00:54:23,060
the rod of his mouth.
And with the breath of his lips

858
00:54:23,060 –> 00:54:27,720
he will slay the wicked.
And righteousness will be the

859
00:54:27,720 –> 00:54:30,720
girdle of his lines.
And faithfulness and Oman de

860
00:54:30,720 –> 00:54:35,160
River of divine truth will be
the girdle of his reins.

861
00:54:35,160 –> 00:54:37,900
So that’s the essence of the
book of Proverbs.

862
00:54:38,820 –> 00:54:42,900
Now we have a set of keys.
We know what the right spirit

863
00:54:42,900 –> 00:54:46,700
and approach to the book is.
It’s the father to the son, his

864
00:54:46,700 –> 00:54:50,140
chastening and his correction.
And we say, I’m willing.

865
00:54:50,660 –> 00:54:54,300
I want to be corrected.
Correct me father.

866
00:54:56,320 –> 00:54:59,310
Our second key is that the
biblical foundation is that it

867
00:54:59,310 –> 00:55:03,188
is all based on a knowledge,
understanding, wisdom to discern

868
00:55:03,188 –> 00:55:07,558
between good and evil so we can
choose the good and not the

869
00:55:07,558 –> 00:55:10,510
evil.
We can see its purpose laid out

870
00:55:10,510 –> 00:55:13,644
for us in five key statements in
a beautiful chiasm at the

871
00:55:13,644 –> 00:55:16,840
beginning of the book.
We can see it’s a book of

872
00:55:16,840 –> 00:55:19,040
process, the book of all
instruction and learning,

873
00:55:19,380 –> 00:55:23,460
knowledge to understanding to
its application and wisdom in

874
00:55:23,460 –> 00:55:27,248
process. process.
We can see that at the

875
00:55:27,248 –> 00:55:32,140
beginning, a fear of Yahweh is
the beginning of knowledge.

876
00:55:33,140 –> 00:55:37,735
So in conclusion, I can see all
perk up because that’s the

877
00:55:37,735 –> 00:55:39,570
signal.
I’ve only got a couple of

878
00:55:39,570 –> 00:55:42,080
minutes left so I get attention
for two more minutes.

879
00:55:42,080 –> 00:55:47,360
In conclusion, this is what
happens now with this book.

880
00:55:47,520 –> 00:55:50,686
It’s wonderful.
So on the screen here, this is

881
00:55:50,686 –> 00:55:52,984
our purpose statement.
You see all the beautiful

882
00:55:52,984 –> 00:55:55,754
highlighted colors there of
knowledge, understanding, wisdom

883
00:55:55,754 –> 00:55:59,614
and instruction.
And after dealing with the evil

884
00:55:59,614 –> 00:56:03,214
ways of the wicked and a cry of
woman wisdom, in chapter two it

885
00:56:03,214 –> 00:56:04,760
comes back and it expands it
all.

886
00:56:04,820 –> 00:56:08,460
And this is chapter two.
Come with me to chapter two of

887
00:56:08,460 –> 00:56:09,756
Proverbs.
It’s probably better if we read

888
00:56:09,756 –> 00:56:13,800
it there directly, but see the
words knowledge, wisdom,

889
00:56:14,140 –> 00:56:16,574
understanding, knowledge,
wisdom, understanding,

890
00:56:16,574 –> 00:56:18,996
knowledge, wisdom,
understanding, as it keeps

891
00:56:18,996 –> 00:56:22,240
getting expanded in chapter two
of the book of Proverbs.

892
00:56:25,840 –> 00:56:30,004
Now we’re going to read this as
if we are the son listening to

893
00:56:30,004 –> 00:56:34,266
the words of the father with all
the knowledge and understanding

894
00:56:34,266 –> 00:56:38,045
that we’ve gained this morning
about the principles of this

895
00:56:38,045 –> 00:56:40,734
book.
And we’re also going to do so

896
00:56:40,734 –> 00:56:43,880
seeing that it’s structured
around three progressive terms.

897
00:56:44,060 –> 00:56:46,080
So chapter two is built and you
should color these in.

898
00:56:46,420 –> 00:56:50,812
The words if, then, to.
If you do these things, then

899
00:56:50,812 –> 00:56:55,180
this will be what you get so
that you can do something with

900
00:56:55,180 –> 00:56:58,320
it.
It goes through if, then and do.

901
00:56:58,320 –> 00:57:06,540
So here’s the spirit of the son.
Verse one, chapter two.

902
00:57:07,240 –> 00:57:11,860
If thou shalt receive my words
and hide my commandments with

903
00:57:11,860 –> 00:57:14,756
thee, so that you incline your
hair to wisdom and apply your

904
00:57:14,756 –> 00:57:17,620
heart to understanding.
If you cry after knowledge and

905
00:57:17,620 –> 00:57:20,360
lift up your voice for
understanding, if you seek her

906
00:57:20,360 –> 00:57:24,945
as sewer and search for her
treasures, then, verse five, you

907
00:57:24,945 –> 00:57:30,676
will understand the fear of
Yahweh and find the knowledge of

908
00:57:30,676 –> 00:57:35,428
good and evil of God.
For Yahweh gives that wisdom out

909
00:57:35,428 –> 00:57:38,640
of his mouth comes
understanding, knowledge and

910
00:57:38,640 –> 00:57:41,830
understanding.
He layeth up sound wisdom for

911
00:57:41,830 –> 00:57:45,025
the righteous.
He’s a buckler to those who walk

912
00:57:45,025 –> 00:57:47,300
uprightly.
He keeps the paths of judgment.

913
00:57:47,300 –> 00:57:49,800
He preserves the way of the
saints.

914
00:57:50,840 –> 00:57:55,212
Then, verse nine, thou shalt
understand righteousness,

915
00:57:55,212 –> 00:58:01,300
judgment, equity, yea, every
good moral choice and path.

916
00:58:01,900 –> 00:58:05,578
And when his wisdom enters into
your heart and knowledge, it

917
00:58:05,578 –> 00:58:09,511
will be pleasant to your soul
and discretion shall preserve

918
00:58:09,511 –> 00:58:15,762
thee and understanding will keep
thee so that, to, verse 12, you

919
00:58:15,762 –> 00:58:20,260
will be delivered from the way
of the evil man, from the man

920
00:58:20,260 –> 00:58:22,774
who speaks froward things, who
leaves the paths of uprightness

921
00:58:22,774 –> 00:58:26,645
to walk in the ways of darkness,
who rejoices to do evil and

922
00:58:26,645 –> 00:58:28,946
delights in the frowardness of
the wicked and whose ways are

923
00:58:28,946 –> 00:58:30,640
crooked and they are froward in
their paths.

924
00:58:30,880 –> 00:58:34,248
You’ll be delivered from that,
verse 16, and it will deliver

925
00:58:34,248 –> 00:58:37,514
you from the strange woman, from
the stranger who flatters with

926
00:58:37,514 –> 00:58:40,125
her words, who forsakes the
guide of her youth, who forgets

927
00:58:40,125 –> 00:58:42,824
the covenant of her God, her
house inclines to death, her

928
00:58:42,824 –> 00:58:45,600
paths to the dead, none who go
to her return again.

929
00:58:45,600 –> 00:58:49,400
Do not take hold of those, they
do not take hold of the paths of

930
00:58:49,400 –> 00:58:53,762
life, that thou mayest walk in
the way of the good and keep the

931
00:58:53,762 –> 00:58:56,872
paths of righteousness.
For the upright shall dwell in

932
00:58:56,872 –> 00:59:00,014
the land and the perfect shall
remain in it, but the wicked,

933
00:59:00,014 –> 00:59:03,530
they will be cut off from the
earth and the transgressed shall

934
00:59:03,530 –> 00:59:07,026
be rooted out of it.
And so there it is, brothers and

935
00:59:07,026 –> 00:59:12,037
sisters, the purpose of the book
laid out in chapter 2, if, then,

936
00:59:12,037 –> 00:59:15,180
to deliver thee from these two
arch nemeses.

937
00:59:15,180 –> 00:59:18,836
In the process of knowledge,
understanding wisdom, we will be

938
00:59:18,836 –> 00:59:23,854
given a practical wisdom to deal
with these two enemies in our

939
00:59:23,854 –> 00:59:28,269
life, the two great biblical
archetypes, individually,

940
00:59:28,269 –> 00:59:31,680
collectively, and in systems of
sin.

941
00:59:31,680 –> 00:59:36,388
Where the apostasy of the first
and second century of the truth,

942
00:59:36,388 –> 00:59:39,562
the mystery of iniquity that
already worked, will be painted

943
00:59:39,562 –> 00:59:42,680
entirely in terms of a man of
sin and a harlot woman.

944
00:59:42,680 –> 00:59:47,420
And the purpose of the book of
Proverbs will be deliverance

945
00:59:47,420 –> 00:59:51,843
from these two so that we can
walk in the ways of

946
00:59:51,843 –> 00:59:55,035
righteousness.
Because when we come to

947
00:59:55,035 –> 00:59:57,540
understand, brothers and
sisters, we will come to love

948
00:59:57,540 –> 01:00:03,130
good, hate evil.
We’ll cry after the knowledge

949
01:00:03,130 –> 01:00:06,780
and lift up our voice for
understanding and we’ll search

950
01:00:06,780 –> 01:00:10,940
out wisdom as head treasure and
as silver to know both good and

951
01:00:10,940 –> 01:00:14,440
evil so that we might choose the
good and despise and eschew the

952
01:00:14,440 –> 01:00:19,740
evil.
This truly is in conclusion.

953
01:00:21,260 –> 01:00:27,112
Proverbs 3, verse 13 to 18.
Happy is the man that finds

954
01:00:27,112 –> 01:00:29,700
wisdom and those who get
understanding.

955
01:00:30,540 –> 01:00:32,912
For the merchandise of it is
better, the merchandise of

956
01:00:32,912 –> 01:00:35,480
silver and the gain thereof than
gold, fine gold.

957
01:00:36,180 –> 01:00:40,530
She, wisdom, the knowledge of
good and evil, is more precious

958
01:00:40,530 –> 01:00:42,676
than rubies.
And all the things thou canst

959
01:00:42,676 –> 01:00:44,480
desire are not to be compared to
her.

960
01:00:44,940 –> 01:00:46,940
Length of days is in her right
hand.

961
01:00:47,500 –> 01:00:48,940
And her left hand riches in
honour.

962
01:00:49,820 –> 01:00:51,680
And her ways are ways of
pleasantness.

963
01:00:51,740 –> 01:00:56,052
And all her paths are peace.
And in the end she’s a tree of

964
01:00:56,052 –> 01:00:57,740
life to those who lay hold upon
her.

965
01:00:58,760 –> 01:01:00,760
And happy is everyone that
retaineth her.