Proverbs 3:19 The LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens.
20 By his knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew.
21 My son, let not them depart from thine eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion:
22 So shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace to thy neck.
23 Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble.
24 When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.
God has been promoting His Wisdom in the book of Proverbs. Here He points out that the creation of the earth was evidence of His wisdom. Generally, when a person is designing something new, he has to modify things before they work properly. However, God created the earth and did not need to modify anything He had made. He did not even put His hands on anything until He created man. He spoke everything else into place. When He created man, He took from the dust that He had already created and formed the man and then breathed into man the breath of life. He did not need to adjust any of that dust.
After the fall, things began to fall apart. That was not due to a failure on God’s part. It was God’s judgment upon His creation due to the disobedience of Adam.
God revealed His understanding/intelligence in establishing the heavens. We noted yesterday that it is important for man to get understanding. God owns understanding. It is part of Who He is.
In verse 20, if we keep the immediate context in mind, it would be referring to God’s dividing of the dry land from the waters. In Genesis 1:2 we read that the waters covered everything. God spoke and separated the waters from the dry land. He created a place for the waters to go and remain. The flood changed the topography of the earth. However, God still made a place for the water and a place for the dry land. The waters have boundaries. This year we have seen more flooding in parts of Canada and elsewhere. However, the waters still cannot overtake all the land.
God designed the clouds so that they can hold moisture and they can also release moisture. They can release it in a soft, gentle rain or a dew as we see often in the morning. He can also send a heavy, hard rain. His knowledge governs this all. Rather than trying to submit to an imaginary “mother nature” why not believe in the amazing true LORD.
In verse 21 we see that this wisdom and understanding and knowledge should not depart from the eyes of the son. It is worth keeping sound wisdom and discretion. You cannot make wise decisions apart from God. We see that in our governments. We see that in many decisions being made at every level.
In verse 22 we are reminded that God’s gifts listed above will be life unto the soul of the son that heeds God’s wise counsel. They will be grace to his neck. Again we are reminded that men do not need necklaces. That is an effeminate thing. Men need God’s grace. We need God’s grace first of all for salvation, and then we need God’s grace to help in time of need. When a man draws from God’s wisdom, it will make him stand out in a good way. David was different than most of the army that king Saul had. David conducted himself wisely and the result was that he could take down Goliath. He could go against the Philistines and defeat them. He did not need a chain around his neck. He needed God’s wisdom and grace.
In verse 23 we see that safety comes from trusting in the Lord and drawing on His wisdom. We can make wise choices and we do not need to redo them when we trust in God’s wisdom. We can make wise decisions.
In verse 24 we see that the wise son will be able to rest well at night. He does not need to fear enemies. God guides the wise son and the enemies of God understand they cannot outmaneuver him because he is trusting in God. That was the case in David’s life. Before he died, Israel was at peace. They had no threat against them. Things changed during Solomon’s reign. The difference was in whom they trusted.
We know that Jesus Christ could rest in a ship that was being flooded by the waves of the sea. Nothing bothered Him. The disciples woke Him up and He was not frazzled by the storm. He rebuked the waves and the winds. The disciples were amazed at His power. Yes, Jesus is God. However, we know Peter was fast asleep in prison as he awaited death. The angel of the Lord needed to take him by the hand and lead him out of prison. It was not until he was safely out of that place that he woke up and realized what had happened.
The blessing of the Lord is something that is not sneezed at by the one who trusts in the Lord. The world cannot understand it and they try to manufacture what only God can give. They will never succeed. Occasionally one of them will be broken and trust in the Lord. That person will be amazed at what they have missed for so long. They had tried so hard to accomplish things that can only be done in the Lord. Be sure you are building your life on the wisdom of God.
Pastor Bartel