ResponsiveReiding

“Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn her seven pillars. She has slaughtered her beasts; she has mixed her wine; she has also set her table. She has sent out her young women to call from the highest places in the town, “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!” To him who lacks sense she says, “Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed. Leave your simple ways, and live, and walk in the way of insight.”” (Proverbs 9:1-6, ESV)

5. Pillar #6 – PROVOCATION. Proof, Preparation, Provision, Propriety & Proclamation. Now, PROVOCATION. Wisdom never proclaims truth while leaving those it calls to with the impression that whether they believe or not, respond or not, is a matter that is indifferent. It does matter! The Gospel is a matter of life and death – eternal life and eternal death. Christian ministry does not offer an alternative, it spells out the reality. “Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you:” Paul writes to Titus (Titus 2:15, ESV) No one should ever hear the Gospel from our lips and leave thinking our attitude is one of “its no skin off of my nose.” Jesus was hardly dispassionate when He wept over Jerusalem. Wisdom provokes people to think about spiritual and eternal realities. It won’t let them rest where they are. Look at the call to repentance in the last verse: “leave your simple ways, and live!” “Cast away from you all the transgressions that you have committed, and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why will you die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord God; so turn, and live.”” (Ezekiel 18:31-32, ESV) “Say to them, As I live, declares the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?” (Ezekiel 33:11, ESV) Those are provocative words. Wisdom, wisely provokes the souls of people to action.

“For lack of wood the fire goes out, and where there is no whisperer, quarreling ceases.” (Proverbs 26:20, ESV)

What fuels your problem? Cut off its supply, and it will die out.

The main concept here is the rejection of gossip. Gossipers encourage and further quarrels and divisions between people. We are not to gossip ourselves, nor to listen to gossip from others – imagining “we can handle it.” Gossip is poison. Not a single soul in the history of mankind has ever been helped, encouraged or edified and made more like Christ either by gossiping themselves, or listening to it from others. Period. Warren Wiersbe wrote: “An anonymous wit has defined gossip as news you have to hurry and tell somebody else before you find out it isn’t true! “I would rather play with forked lightning, or take in my hands living wires with their fiery current,” said A.B. Simpson, founder of the Christian and Missionary Alliance, “than speak a reckless word against any servant of Christ, or idly repeat the slanderous darts which thousands of Christians are hurling on others, to the hurt of their own souls and bodies.” (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996, c1992). Be determined. On cover: An Old Testament study–Nehemiah. (Ne 6:5). Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books.)

The secondary consideration is broader – it is true regarding any problem, or sin, if we cut off what supplies it, it dies out. This is especially true when seeking to deal with sexual lust for instance. Just getting “one more look”, or seeing the other person just “one more time” only throws gasoline on the fire. The fire never burns lower after added fuel. The lust burns hotter.

In a third application – whose whispers do you entertain in your quarrels with others? When we consult others too much in our disputes, their input often only exacerbates the circumstance. Often in marital disputes a husband and wife come to a place where they might be willing to let matters rest, but one or the other gets others involved who then bring up points we didn’t think of. But do we really need them? We aren’t trying to win a war – amassing our troops – but trying to resolve conflict between two parties. Does our opponent need to carry on a battle with two or three or four hearts and minds at once, each with their own limited and biased viewpoints? When two are left to sort out their issues between themselves, the likelihood of arriving at some sort of peace is greatly enhanced when both keep the other’s confidences, and speak only from their own hearts and minds – unfueled by others.

” Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn her seven pillars. She has slaughtered her beasts; she has mixed her wine; she has also set her table. She has sent out her young women to call from the highest places in the town, “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!” To him who lacks sense she says, “Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed. Leave your simple ways, and live, and walk in the way of insight.”” (Proverbs 9:1-6, ESV)

5. Pillar #5 – PROCLAMATION. So far we’ve seen four of Wisdom’s pillars, or mainstays if you will. Proof, Preparation, Provision & Propriety. “Wisdom is justified” or “vindicated” (KJV) “by all her children.” She proves to be wise by what she produces. Wisdom Prepares for her work, Provides what is necessary to accomplish it and fits it with Propriety to do what it is supposed to do. And as we see here, Wisdom is not silent. It announces what its intentions are. Only a fool would prepare a banquet, and then expect the guests to just stumble in. But isn’t that what passes for evangelism sometimes? Isn’t that what happens when the Church just expects people to walk in off the street – just panting to be saved? After all, God is sovereign right? Right. And our sovereign God plans and uses means. So ought we. Should we be surprised that the World knows so little of that the Gospel really is, when we’ve failed to be good proclaimers of it? Oh that we might saturate our society with the message of the atoning, substitutionary death of Jesus Christ at Calvary for human sin. To let the World know that God calls them all to the privilege and duty of believing and being saved. As His Ambassadors – we must make His message of forgiveness and reconciliation known, on what terms it can be had, and what the alternative is if it is ignored. Wisdom is engaged in PROCLAIMING its message. Making it known, urgent, clear and impossible to ignore.

Proverbs 9:1–6 (ESV) Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn her seven pillars. She has slaughtered her beasts; she has mixed her wine; she has also set her table. She has sent out her young women to call from the highest places in the town, “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!” To him who lacks sense she says, “Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed. Leave your simple ways, and live, and walk in the way of insight.”

4. Pillar #4 – PROPRIETY. Wisdom considers what is appropriate. It takes into account who, what, how, when, where & why. The figure given to us here is that wisdom has “mixed her wine.” Mixing wine refers to two practices. Sometimes, wine was mixed with water to dilute possible intoxicating properties – and thus prevent drunkenness, and other times it was mixed with spices and other compounds which increased its potency – quite altering it. The second kind of mixing made it stronger but more savory. While we minister the very same Word of God to all, we sometimes have to “mix” the wine given the audience, the need and the state of the individuals. Martin Lloyd-Jones for instance completely refused to discuss topics like election with unbelievers. It didn’t belong to them yet. They needed the Gospel first. Babies don’t eat meat yet. Conversely, those long in the faith need to take in the stronger things and deal with them like adults. They take up complex and stronger doctrines like election and predestination etc., and they know not to get drunk on them. They recognize their potency and use them appropriately. Wisdom isn’t monolithic. It assesses, and adjusts accordingly. We give all the very same substance of God’s Word. But we also prepare it according to their capacities and stations. “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.” (Hebrews 5:12-14, ESV)

Mark 9:49–50 (ESV) For everyone will be salted with fire. 50 Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”

Everyone WILL be purified. Either we will enter into the work of mortifying the deeds of the flesh here and now, or God will do such work in Hell.

In this regard it must be remembered, those who judge themselves now – will not suffer God’s judgment then. (see: 1 Corinthians 11:31)

And the purifying fires of Hell – whatever that purification looks like – will not result in salvation. Sin may be done away with – but unless guilt is removed in justification one remains forever guilty and forever subject to the just punishment for the unforgiven sin of this life.

Proverbs 9:1–6 (ESV) Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn her seven pillars. She has slaughtered her beasts; she has mixed her wine; she has also set her table. She has sent out her young women to call from the highest places in the town, “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!” To him who lacks sense she says, “Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed. Leave your simple ways, and live, and walk in the way of insight.”

3. Pillar #3 – PROVISION. Part of Wisdom’s preparation, is found in adequate PROVISION. Here, the phrase “she has slaughtered her beasts” most likely refers to killing animals to be eaten at a banquet. We must have something substantive to give them, and we must have an adequate supply of what they need. One does not plan a banquet, and invite guests, without considering if they can feed the guests. More, one takes the time to kill and cook what is to be eaten before folks arrive. So it is in ministering God’s Word – either in gathered preaching and teaching, or even just sharing one on one. We cannot serve anyone anything that has not been properly made ready – and is fit both for consumption and nutrition. Have we made sure we have something consumable for those we invite? And have we provided for their appetites? We cannot just throw hunks of Bible at them. It needs to be dressed, cut, boiled down, cooked and made ready. And it has to be what their souls need – God’s Bread of Life – and not platitudes, Christian catch phrases, and trendy material. Is it meat? Will it truly sustain their souls? Have we taken the time to break it down and prepare it adequately? Wisdom studies to do these things – and doesn’t rely on just “winging it”. If we have not fed our own souls on it – it will not be fit for others either.

Proverbs 9:1–6 (ESV) Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn her seven pillars. She has slaughtered her beasts; she has mixed her wine; she has also set her table. She has sent out her young women to call from the highest places in the town, “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!” To him who lacks sense she says, “Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed. Leave your simple ways, and live, and walk in the way of insight.”

2. Pillar #2 – PREPARATION. Wisdom does the hard work of preparing for what is ahead, it does not go about its tasks willy-nilly. Notice that its pillars are “hewn”. Some vainly imagine that spiritual progress in the soul, or ministry to others, is the domain of some mystical “zap” by the Holy Spirit. In this view, it almost becomes un-spiritual to study hard, to practice the craft of communicating the Gospel or even God’s Word. Wisdom knows that even giftedness is only half of the equation at the very best. Talent is no replacement for, or enemy of, preparedness. Even the most gifted athletes and musicians practice. Soldiers go to boot camp before they ever enter the battlefield. And Christians learn the holy skills of battling with indwelling sin, studying God’s Word, praying, taking our own thought lives captive to Christ, meditating on “whatsoever things are pure” etc., serving one another and communicating the eternal truths that impact the souls of people. No one accidentally stumbles into Heaven – they plan to go there, and take the only route which will get them there – following Jesus Christ. And beloved, the road is not an easy one. Prepare.

Proverbs 9:1–6 (ESV) Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn her seven pillars. She has slaughtered her beasts; she has mixed her wine; she has also set her table. She has sent out her young women to call from the highest places in the town, “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!” To him who lacks sense she says, “Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed. Leave your simple ways, and live, and walk in the way of insight.”

Wisdom does not make blind leaps – it prepares. The Teacher reminds us Wisdom prepares fully – perfectly – hence the allusion to 7 pillars. It is a picture of completion. And this is central to the Church’s mission in the world, as well as in our individual lives. I propose we might discern the following 7 pillars.

1. Pillar #1 – PROOF. Wisdom proves itself by experience. No one takes investment advice from a 3 year old, nor anyone else whose never made an investment (or a successful investment) in their lives. Most advice on child rearing from those who’ve never raised a child is severely lacking. And what we have to offer to the world must be something we have tested, tried and lived ourselves – not platitudes. Have WE been born again? Are WE trusting Christ alone for our salvation? Are WE challenging sin in our own lives and growing in the likeness of Christ? We ought never to try to share with others above our own years and experience. Yes, we can point them to the Word where it speaks beyond ourselves, but we must do so with an attitude that makes the Word the authority, and not us. This is often the error of young preachers – telling those with gray heads and healed scars how they ought to live – when we’ve not lived or suffered ourselves. Live in faith yourself before exhorting others to do so. Humble yourself beneath the hand of God prior to pressing another to deal with their pride. Trust God in a really dark place before chiding one who is trembling in theirs. Wisdom has built her house before she invites anyone over to it. No, it doesn’t have to be finished – but the foundation needs to be laid.

Proverbs 8:6-9 (ESV) 6 Hear, for I will speak noble things, and from my lips will come what is right, 7 for my mouth will utter truth; wickedness is an abomination to my lips. 8 All the words of my mouth are righteous; there is nothing twisted or crooked in them. 9 They are all straight to him who understands, and right to those who find knowledge.

Wisdom NEVER takes the path of sin. Any advice, any counsel which tries to make a case for why it is OK, or even the “best” course in THIS particular circumstance to take the sinful option – is a lie. It is unwise. It is ungodly. How our own hearts at times will reason within us as to why (though I would not ordinarily do so) – given a particular set of circumstances – act, think or feel in ways contrary to God’s Word. The underlying presupposition is that somehow – at certain times – righteousness is not the best choice. We think in terms of stories or movies where at last, the victim, robbed of justice, takes justice into their own hands. We cheer inwardly as they break the law in order to bring about true justice. But this is an illusion. While it may make a kind of sense in the fallen economy of this world – it never makes sense in God’s economy. And Christians are to live above this world’s way of thinking. Even if on the surface, we seem to lose now. By faith we see and understand (reigning-in our own hearts) that God will bring all things to a just end. Like our Savior, when reviled, we do not revile in return; when we suffer, we do not threaten, but continue entrusting ourselves to Him who judges justly. 1 Peter 2:23.