Ancient Wisdom for Today

King David’s son, Solomon, succeeded his father as ruler of Israel and Judea, (around 950 BC). (1)  My mother told me about his wisdom when I was a young boy.  She was fond of the Biblical account of how, when he could have asked God for anything, he asked for the wisdom to rule justly.  She loved the explanation of how he demonstrated God’s gift of wisdom when he determined who the real mother of a baby was by finding out which of the two women who claimed the baby really loved the child. (1Kings 3)

Solomon was the primary human author of the book of Proverbs.  He also wrote Ecclesiastes and the Song of Solomon.  Chapters 1-9 of Proverbs are written like a legacy of wisdom that a father is passing down to his son.  Since all scripture is inspired by the Holy Spirit, today we can understand it in terms of God speaking to us.

In these troubled times, we can take what follows as instruction from God about why things aren’t working out so well, and how, with God’s help, we can fix them.  Please hear what God is saying to us, and take it to heart:

How long will you who are simple love your simple ways?

How long will mockers delight in mockery

and fools hate knowledge?

Repent at my rebuke!

Then I will pour out my thoughts to you,

I will make known to you my teachings.

But since you refuse to listen when I call

and no one pays attention when I stretch out my hand,

since you disregard all my advice

and do not accept my rebuke,

I in turn will laugh when disaster strikes you;

I will mock when calamity overtakes you—

when calamity overtakes you like a storm,

when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind,

when distress and trouble overwhelm you.

“Then they will call to me, but I will not answer;

they will look for me but will not find me,

since they hated knowledge

and did not choose to fear the Lord.

Since they would not accept my advice

and spurned my rebuke,

they will eat the fruit of their ways

and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.

For the waywardness of the simple will kill them,

and the complacency of fools will destroy them;

but whoever listens to me will live in safety

and be at ease, without fear of harm.” (emphasis added)

(Proverbs 1:22-33 NIV) (2)

God is patient, loving, and kind.  He has withheld punishment for our self-indulgence and willful sins.  At present, He simply is allowing us to reap the evil that we sow; to experience the natural and logical consequences of the way we are living.  For the sake of those who belong to Him, He has arranged for believers to escape His coming wrath.  (Revelation 3:10)  When we who believe are taken up to be with Jesus in the air, the time of judgement will come to those who are left behind.  Please believe in Jesus.  Ask Him to live in you, and give control of your life to Him, today.  

(1) Michael Rydelnik and Michael Vanlaningham, General Editors. The Moody Bible Commentary.  Moody Bible Institute of Chicago. 2014. (p. 883)

(2)  https://biblehub.com/niv/proverbs/1.htm