After considering the value of wisdom, the rewards of wisdom, and the deliverance from evil that wisdom provides, we will next consider the perils of wickedness to further reinforce what we have already learned: embracing and following the wisdom that comes from above is for our good.
The perils of wickedness can be divided into three categories: hardship in life, lack of hope for the future, and the inevitability of judgment.
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Islam is sometimes referred to as the “religion of peace,” even though violent attacks are regularly carried out by Muslims in the name of Islam. The reality is that the history of Islam is a history of violence in order to advance the religion. What we see happening across the globe in our generation is nothing new. A century ago in his book Plain Sermons, Daniel Sommer contrasted the religion of Christ and the religion of Mohammed (Mohamet). Even then, the violence inherent in Islam was evident.
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When Satan came before the Lord, God praised Job for his righteousness: “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil” (Job 1:8). Satan, however, protested. In his mind, he believed that God was unfairly protecting Job from temptation: “Does Job fear God for nothing? Have You not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side?” (Job 1:10). This “hedge” of divine blessing made Job less susceptible to temptation.
Of course, when God granted permission for this “hedge” to be removed, Job remained faithful (Job 1:22; 2:10). But the fact that Job had to work harder to resist the temptation to forsake God cannot be denied. Temptation was more severe when the “hedge” protecting Job was taken away.
As we make application to our lives, we should understand that we can have certain hedges to help protect us from sin. God has promised a way of escape so that every temptation can be defeated (1 Corinthians 10:13). The more hedges we have in place, the better we will be able to overcome temptation.
The only infallible safeguard against temptation is the word of God. The wise man wrote, “Every word of God is tested; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him” (Proverbs 30:5). However, there are other hedges that we can put in place to help guard against temptation. We will consider a few of these in this article. We should understand that none of these safeguards are infallible, but they can greatly help if we use them properly.
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We have already considered passages discussing the appeal of wisdom, calling us to gain the instruction and insight necessary to acquire wisdom. But why should we answer this call? There are many invitations that may be offered that are disregarded by those who are invited. Why should we listen to the appeal of wisdom? It is because of the great value of wisdom, the rewards that come from following wisdom, and the perils that we face when we reject wisdom.
All of these are pointed out to us in the book of Proverbs. When God offers His wisdom which was with Him from the beginning (8:22), He does not expect us to accept it without explaining why we should accept it. So let us consider the reasons why we should appreciate wisdom so we will heed the appeal of wisdom.
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After considering the appeal of wisdom – both from a father and from wisdom itself – it is important to consider whether or not this same wisdom is good for us today. The wisdom we are considering in the book of Proverbs is not worldly wisdom but wisdom that comes from above. As Solomon explains in the following passage, godly wisdom will never become obsolete or irrelevant. For this reason, wisdom also appeals to us.
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Louie Giglio, pastor of the Passion City Church in Atlanta, was invited to deliver the benediction during the President’s inauguration. He has since withdrawn from participating in the event after some “gay-rights” advocates protested. The following quote was included in the article linked above. It is from a sermon of Giglio’s from the 1990’s and was the cause of the opposition against his participation in the inauguration.
“If you look at the counsel of the word of God, Old Testament, New Testament, you come quickly to the conclusion that homosexuality is not an alternative lifestyle… homosexuality is not just a sexual preference, homosexuality is not gay, but homosexuality is sin. It is sin in the eyes of God, and it is sin according to the word of God. You come to only one conclusion: homosexuality is less than God’s best for his creation.”
I know nothing about anything else Giglio teaches or has taught, but his remarks above about homosexuality being a sin are exactly correct. In every dispensation, homosexuality has been an abomination in the eyes of God. The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were utterly destroyed for this sin (Genesis 19:4-13; Jude 7). The Law of Moses clearly condemned the practice: “You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination” (Leviticus 18:22; cf. 20:13). Even in the New Testament, homosexuality is said to be “unnatural,” “indecent,” and “contrary to sound teaching” (Romans 1:26-27; 1 Timothy 1:10). Paul told the brethren in Corinth that the sin of homosexuality, if not repented of and abandoned, would prevent one from inheriting the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9).
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The invitation to take hold of the wisdom that comes from above is universal. It is expressed in two ways in the book of Proverbs. First, we read of a father inviting his son to take heed to his words: “My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings” (4:20). Second, we read of wisdom personified extending the invitation for all to come, learn, and become wise: “Does not wisdom call, and understanding lift up her voice? […] ‘To you, O men, I call, and my voice is to the sons of men. O naive ones, understand prudence; and, O fools, understand wisdom. Listen, for I will speak noble things…” (8:1, 4-6).
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What does “propitiation” mean? How is “justification” connected to salvation? What does “sanctification” look like in our day-to-day lives? The Bible uses some powerful words to describe God’s plan to save mankind. However, these words are not always easy to understand, especially when they are not part of our everyday vocabulary. This book explores key Bible terms that unlock the message of the gospel.
Big Words in the Bible examines five important words – Propitiation, Reconciliation, Sanctification, Justification, and Resurrection – using plain language to see how the Scriptures describe these concepts and how the apostle Paul employs them in his letter to the Romans. This book also contains an appendix with eleven additional articles to explore these topics further.
Whether you are new to the Bible and want to grow in your understanding or want a simple way to explain these core gospel doctrines to others, this book will be helpful. With a focus on the Scriptures, Big Words in the Bible helps break down these fundamental topics to shed light on the life-changing message of the gospel and the salvation found in it.
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