Proverbs 8:1-11

Get that blessing of having the magical drink of coffee. Here you go, Albo. It's coffee. It's not coffee, it's tea. All right, here you go, Dan. Or no, that one's Bobo's, Dan. Thank you for being nice and sharing with one another, though. Okay, well, good morning. Welcome to Coffee and Devotions. It's so good to have you with us today. Oops, spilt a little bit.
This is where every day we get together, we get into God's Word. We grow in our love for the Lord together. And this year, 2021, we'll make it through all of the wisdom literature. We're at Proverbs chapter 8 today. Why don't we go ahead and have some coffee. We'll pray and we'll get into God's word.
All right, let's pray. Father, we thank you so much for this day and we thank you for your word. Lord, we pray that as we read your word, you would teach us, that you would care for us. We pray that we would heed your voice, listen to your words in Jesus' name. Amen. Alright. Hey, do you guys know why I have you on Coffee and Devotions?
Do you think the Bible... You drank all of it already? Do you think the Bible is only for adults? Do you think that there are some hard parts in the Bible? But do you think that you can understand the Bible? That's right. That's right. It's not just for adults. It's for everyone. Okay, well the problem is wisdom, all of God's Word, it's easy to know it here. It's hard to have it here and to live it, isn't it? That's what we need to be reminded about. Okay, here we go. How about we just each read a few verses, okay? So I'll tell you what verses you'll read.
Does not wisdom cry out and understanding lift up her voice? She takes her stand on the top of a high hill beside the way where the paths meet. She cries out by the gates at the entry of the city, at the entrance of the doors." And this is what she says, okay?
Nathan, you want to read verses four through seven? To you, O men, I call, and voices to the sons of God. Men, O you simple ones, understand prudence, and you fools be of an understanding heart. Listen, for I will speak excellently things. And from the Did you forget your glasses? Yeah. And from the... Opening of my lips will come light things. For my mouth will speak truth with kindness and abomination to my lips. Okay, Deborah, you want to read 9 through 11? 9 through... All the words. 9 through 11. Sorry, 8 through 11.
All the words of my mouth are righteousness. Nothing crooked or perverse is in them. They are all plain to him who understands, and right to those who find knowledge. Receive my instruction, not silver knowledge, rather than choose gold. For wisdom is better than rubies, and all things one may desire cannot be compared with her.
All right, so this is the personification or anthropomorphizing of wisdom. What in the world do you think those two big words mean? It's making wisdom sound like she's a lady, right? So, in Hebrew, it's Chokmah. In Greek, it's Sophia. It's a wisdom, right? So, wisdom stands up. She stands up on a high hill.
She goes to the city gates and she cries out. Just for a few people to hear or for everyone to hear? Everyone. Everyone to hear. And does she speak wicked things? No. What does she speak? Wise things. Wise things? Truthful things? The fullness of wisdom is found in the gospel. You're right. Wickedness is an abomination of my lips. All my words are with righteousness. Nothing crooked or perverse is in them. They are all plain to him who understands, and right to those who find knowledge.
And then what does verse 10 and 11 teach us? Receive what? Look at verse 10. What does verse 10 teach us? Receive... My instruction. And not what? And not silver. Whoa! You should want the instruction of God rather than silver? Yes. Well, don't you need to make a living? But, hmm, okay, that must just be a one-off thing. What about the second part of verse 10? Knowledge rather than the choice of gold. Knowledge rather than choice gold. Hmm. What's better than gold? God's Word. God's Word, right? That's what Psalm 19 says, right? That's right, God's Word is better than gold.
So like I put up here, for wisdom is better than rubies, and all the things one may desire cannot be compared with her. And I put up here, but what is wisdom? What's the beginning of wisdom? What's the beginning of wisdom? The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord. The fear of the Lord, right? So where's the first place we should go to find wisdom?
God. That's right. Go to God. Go to His Word. So we go to God, we go to His word, and all the things one may desire cannot be compared with her. Right? Though it cost you everything you have, go. Get wisdom. Find understanding. So do you think that means that we should just get like any type of education? No, that's right. That's right.
Did you know you can read all sorts of books that actually make you less wise? You can read books that just turn your mind to mush rather than build you up in holiness. You know you can get all sorts of degrees that are pretty worthless because they teach things that are different than the fear of the Lord. Did you know that?
Yeah. So what do you guys think is the best verse to summarize this? What would you underline in the Bible here? What do you guys think? Nathan, what do you think? What would you underline? Six. You liked verse six, listen for I speak of excellent things, and from the opening of my lips will come right things. That's a good one. What about you, Debra? I like it kind of just like ties it all together. Oh, okay. What about you, Debra?
10 and 11. You liked the 10 and 11 about wisdom being better than instruction and gold and better than rubies? I like that too. I think, what would you underline in your Bible? What would you say is the best verse to summarize this? Okay, so let's ask C. Colling. How do you think this should play out in your life?
Listen to wisdom. Listen to wisdom? What does that look like in your life today? How can you listen to wisdom today? Listen to your daddy? Okay. What about when your daddy says something not according to God's word? Who do you listen to? That's right. You listen to the Lord Jesus.
So what about with your schoolwork today? Well, you should go seek out wisdom, right? Do we do schoolwork with you so you have wisdom? Yeah, I put wisdom is knowing the right thing to do and actually doing it. Wisdom, that's my definition for you guys. Wisdom is knowing the right thing to do and doing it, or knowing the right thing to believe and believing it.
Well, let's go ahead and pray today. Father, we thank you so much that you have called us to wisdom. Lord, we pray that we would hear, we would believe, and we would do. Lord, we pray that you would build us up in our faith. Let us rely on Jesus Christ. Father, I pray that you might teach us the wisdom of the gospel and that you would give us your spirit that we might walk in the truth. In Jesus' name, amen. Well, may the Lord bless you today. May you search out wisdom. May God's word be more valuable to you than the finest of gold. And we'll see you guys tomorrow. You want to say bye? Bye. See you tomorrow.