Proverbs 1:5 A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:
6 To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.
7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
We talked about what verse 5 is saying yesterday. God tells us that we can know who the wise person is. The wise person listens. He does not just hear sounds. He pays attention to what he is hearing.
Our colleges and universities are full of people who hear things that corrupt them even further than they already are. Those people have no anchor. They have no foundation, and because many of them have been groomed in a public school system that is designed to erase any thought of God, they are quite willing to accept the lies of the professors. They already accepted the lies of the teachers earlier in their lives. They did not receive any protection from their parents, and they were left to absorb lies. It is a shame that has led to the dire situation our country is in.
A wise man will hear, and will increase learning. We need to take these words in the context of what has come before. God is not endorsing the “learning” that is taking place in our educational system. That is learning, but it is learning designed to corrupt. It does not impart wisdom. It does not impart knowledge. It does not teach discretion. When a young man is told he might be a woman and he should explore that option, that is not good learning. That is corruption. When a young woman is told she might be a man and she should secretly see a doctor who could help her transition to a different state, that is not teaching that is helpful. That is wickedness that encourages destruction.
The second part of verse 5 helps us to see this. A man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels. The key there is “wise” counsels. Notice that it says he “shall” attain unto wise counsel. The sad reality is that our secular system is designed to keep the Truth away from people.
The Holy Spirit is still working to convince the lost of the need to be saved. However, the god of this world has blinded the minds of them that believe not lest the glorious light of the gospel should shine in unto them.
There are thousands of parents and grandparents as well as teachers who will shudder in terror as they stand before the Lord Jesus Christ one day and see Him expose their wickedness. This is a wickedness they could know now, but they have chosen to shut down their conscience. Just because a person tries to shut down their conscience does not mean they will not be held accountable.
In verse 6 we see that when we listen to wise counsel, we can understand a proverb, and the interpretation. A “proverb” is like a parable. Jesus often spoke in parables. The religious elite of His time did not understand the parables because they had closed their hearts to the Truth. The disciples did not always understand them either. Because the disciples wanted to learn, Jesus would take the time to teach them the meaning of the parable. They chose to be wise men, except for Judas.
The wise person will be able to understand the words of the wise, and their dark sayings. Jesus was and is the wisest Person to ever live. After Acts 2, the apostles had a much greater understanding of what Jesus taught. They received the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and He gives understanding to those who know the Lord. Others will scratch their heads and will walk away from the truth because they do not like what they hear.
Dark sayings are not bad sayings. They are deep sayings. They are what Peter was directed to write about in II Peter 3. They are sayings that require a heart that has been redeemed and that is humble and willing to believe the truth, rather than trying to twist things and make them say something other than the truth.
Verse 7 reminds us of a Biblical fact that is often repeated. The fear of the LORD is not a crippling fear. The fear of man brings a snare. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge. The fear of the Lord is to reverence Him. It is to give Him the respect that is due His Name.
The reason so few people can think clearly is because few people know the fear of the LORD. Someone who knows the fear of the LORD would never remain in a New Evangelical church. They might have been there, but because they have the fear of the LORD in their heart, He will show them they do not belong there and they will leave and go to a true local church. True saints cannot stomach the lies of the deceivers.
You cannot begin to understand true knowledge until you submit to the authority of the true God. The new birth is essential to receiving knowledge. Nicodemus had many questions as Jesus was teaching him in John 3. He could not grasp the truth at that time because he lacked the fear of the LORD. At some point he did submit to God and was saved. We are not told when that happened.
Saul who later became Paul grew up as a fool. He chose to accept the lies of the Pharisees. He had authority from the chief priests to shut down those who believed in “this way”, later called Christians. He chose to reject the truth and he chose to be indoctrinated in lies. However, God was not going to allow him to continue to persecute the saints. He stopped him and Saul wisely submitted to God’s work in his heart. He was saved and he became a true servant of the Lord. He was a blessing to many after that.
Fools despise wisdom and instruction. Sad to say, there are those who have attended our church and walked away from it. They cannot refute what was said from Scripture. They just did not like it and they left. They wanted a soothsayer, rather than someone who would teach the truth. God defines them, not I.
Today is the Lord’s Day. It is another opportunity to attend a true church where the truth is clearly taught. You may have been a fool in the past, but you do not need to remain there. You can repent and be saved and begin to be blessed as a wise person. What will your choice be?
Pastor Bartel