REFORMED
CHURCH BELLVILLE: SUNDAY 30 JANUARY 2005: MORNING SERVICE
Sing
before service: Hymn 1-1:3(24)
Let us commence this meeting with God by declaring openly to one
another and to God:
Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth. Beloved
grace and peace be to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus
Christ, through the mighty working of god the Holy Spirit. Amen
Psalm of praise: 84: 1+2
Confession of faith: Apostolic Creed
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son, our Lord who was conceived
by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius
Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried. He descended into Hell, the
third day He rose again from the dead, He ascended into heaven and sits
at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, from there He shall come
to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, a holy catholic* Church, the communion of
saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the
life everlasting.
Amen
Law
Hymn: 9-1:11(26)
Prayer
Psalm: 51:3
Scripture: Proverbs 1
Text: Proverbs 1:7
"The
fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise
wisdom and discipline."
Wisdom and discipline go together. Everybody learns by being
disciplined when he does wrong. It is the same with God's wisdom.
- A wise person is one who can be disciplined and learn from it.
- A foolish person is one who is disciplined because of his
foolishness
but who despises the discipline and learns nothing from it.
Our text is the heart of the entire Book of Proverbs. In everything
Solomon writes he tells us that we can learn the wisdom of the Lord. In
essence it is the same as that of which we read in the New Testament in
1 Timothy 4:7+8:
"Have
nothing to do with godless myths and old wives'
tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of
some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for
both the present life and the life to come."
Wisdom is to train yourself in godliness for it is that wisdom that
makes you know that there lies a rich future beyond this life and that
you must now already prepare for it.
- Wisdom is more than just knowledge.
- Wisdom is to listen to the Lord's admonishment.
- Wisdom is to give God a life of gratitude for the immeasurable
grace He
bestows on us by forgiving us our sins.
In verses 1 and 2 Solomon tells us the reason why he writes these
proverbs:
- He wants to teach us wisdom and discipline by these proverbs.
- So that we may be able to understand words of wisdom when we hear
them.
- It is the Lord's intention that all who read these proverbs shall
acquire this knowledge and insight.
The word "knowledge" means here
more than just to know.
- It means the understanding of God's wisdom.
- It means the knowledge of something and to be unshakeably certain
in
your mind about that matter.
In 1 Kings 7:14 we read of Huram who was skilled and experienced in all
kinds of bronzework, that is a man who had knowledge and ability to do
the right thing. What we may infer from these passages is that
knowledge is a gift from God.
- He gives us the wisdom to live and work skillfully.
- And also the wisdom to live with a firm and knowledgeable faith.
The wisdom that the Lord teaches us here is wisdom that should show
practically in our daily life.
·
It is a wisdom in which we know that it is our purpose in life to
glorify God. Accordingly this wisdom makes us do everything in our life
in such a manner that we achieve that purpose in our life.
- Wisdom is a part of the image of God that we as His children have
in us.
- Therefore we must test ourselves. Is my wisdom the wisdom of God?
Or is
my wisdom different from that of God?
- That will determine whether my wisdom is true wisdom or whether I
am a
fool who has become entangled in his own foolishness.
The Lord lets us know that life is a great art.
- An art to learn and to understand, to distinguish the things that
truly
matter.
- That is why the Lord also speaks of discipline. Punishment. Who
would
have thought that it is important to know discipline? What is
discipline? When does the Lord discipline and why?
The first point of importance to know is that the Lord always couples
discipline with love.
·
The Lord only disciplines those whom He loves so that they may learn
from their mistakes and repent.
·
Those whom God does not love He destroys. There is a vast difference
between discipline and destruction.
The word "discipline" can have
two meanings:
- It can mean to inflict punishment
or to correct someone.
- In the Bible "discipline" is only used when God expects someone
to
respond to his correction.
- It concerns someone who is able to exercise self-control with
respect
to the sins he committed and about which he is being corrected by the
Lord's discipline.
Verse 3 again refers to discipline – "for acquiring a
disciplined and prudent life" – we learn from the first
proverb that God disciplines only those whom He loves so that they may
learn from it the true wisdom of the Lord.
Verse 3 continues to tell us that this leads to doing what is right and
just and fair.
- This reminds us of Jesus' summary of the Ten Commandments: "Love the
Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all
your mind" – and the second is like it: "Love your neighbour
as yourself". (Matthew 23:37-39)
- What else is this than to have the righteousness and justness of
God
and to practise it in your relationship with God and your neighbour?
We understand this justness when God disciplines.
- We know what God's punishment is about and we know what is right
and
what is wrong to God.
- Accordingly we acquire wisdom. God's justness vests itself in us
and we
now show it in our lifestyle.
It is an extraordinary person who can live without giving offence and
not sacrifice any of his principles. Who only applies the justness and
righteousness God to his life and faith. Whose life and faith form a
unit as it should be.
Verse 4 continues – "for giving
prudence to the simple,
knowledge and discretion to the young."
A youth lacks experience – we did too when we were young.
- A youth refuses to be corrected because his lack of experience
causes
him to think that he knows it all.
- The Lord tells us here that these proverbs were written for them
also
so that they may acquire knowledge and discretion.
Let us see who the simple people are of which this verse speaks:
- They are not stupid people. They too have wisdom.
- The Bible refers to people who are easily deceived.
- People who will follow anyone.
- A naïve person without discretion.
- Someone who is unable to distinguish between right and wrong
– everything told to him in a convincing fashion he takes to
be true because he lacks the ability to test it.
Such people God teaches prudence. God gives them the wisdom to know
what is right and what is wrong.
In this verse God puts the simple person and the youthful person
together. Not to insult them but to express his concern for them.
- He is worried about these of His children and He takes the
trouble to
teach them prudence, knowledge and discretion.
- The Lord Himself sees to it that they are armed against the bad
influences they may meet.
- The wise people too must listen to God, as verse 5 tells us.
- Clever people often think that they have enough knowledge and
need no
advice. God tells us here that listening to Him will add to our
learning and be to our advantage.
As from verse 1 to verse 6 the Lord tells us that there are two paths.
- The road to perdition where we do not have enough wisdom.
- The road onto which we are misled.
- The road where we are punished when we are at fault but where we
refuse
to listen.
- The other road is the road of wisdom, where we continuously
subject
ourselves to the Lord and do not reject His discipline –
verse 7.
"The
fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise
wisdom and discipline."
Do we listen when God speaks to us? Do we fear the Lord? Fear means to
revere, to have the greatest respect. So, do we have reverence for the
Lord?
- Reverence is the start of true wisdom, because your reverence for
God
will determine whether you truly desire to be with Him in heaven
hereafter.
- Nobody wants to be in Hell, for we do not revere Satan. But do we
revere God?
A fool, so the Bible tells us, is someone who despises God.
- It is someone who is disciplined by God because he does wrong but
the
fool does not learn from it. He despises the punishment brought on him
by God.
- Such people say that they did not deserve to be punished because
they
refuse to examine their hearts.
- They are always right. The fault lies elsewhere, with God or
other
people.
- They lack the principle of fear and reverence for the Lord and
with it
they miss out on heaven.
The whole book of Proverbs points to Jesus. In Him the wisdom of God
was revealed to us.
- He came to die for us, because God in His wisdom knew through our
own
strength we would not be able to reach heaven because we are sinful.
- But in Him God revealed to us that we must revere God.
- When Jesus was in Gadara a man possessed of the devil shouted to
Jesus
that his name was Legion – that is ten thousand devils.
- Eventually this legion of devils prayed Christ for mercy and for
permission to move into the swine.
- If ten thousand devils fear, how much more should you and I not
fear.
That is the beginning of wisdom.
Jesus tells us that He will make us rise from death – some to
life eternal and others to the eternal death. Is this not enough reason
for fear and reverence?
- That is exactly what is written in Proverbs – "The fear of
the Lord is the beginning of knowledge".
- The second part of our text also points to Jesus Christ because
in Him
God also reveals the dark road. Don't we conclude our confession with
the words: He shall come to judge the living and the dead?
Jesus judges everyone who hears His Word but who refuses to believe!
The Holy Spirit dwells in us. For the same two reasons:
- To teach us the wisdom of God.
- And to guide us to self-examination in our sins when God
disciplines us.
This all so that we may repent and live to the greater glory of God.
The
fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge but fools despise
wisdom and discipline.
Amen
Closing prayer
Closing Psalm: 73:7, 9 + 10
The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord lift His countenance on you and give you peace.
Amen
Dr MJ du Plessis
Reformed Church Bellville
30 January 2005
Scripture NIV