Proverbs 8:32-36

Well, good morning, good morning. Welcome to Coffee and Devotions. This is where every day we get together, we get into God's Word, and we grow in our love for the Lord together. So good to have you this morning. We're at Proverbs chapter 8, verses 32 through 36, finishing up Proverbs 8. Why don't we go ahead and have some coffee, we'll pray, and we'll get into God's Word. Gotta open that up first. Let's pray.
Father, I thank you so much for this day. Lord, we pray that as we read your word, that you would bless us. Father, we pray that we would fix our eyes on Jesus, and that your spirit would teach us. In Jesus' name, amen. Here we go, Proverbs chapter 8, the last couple verses, beginning at verse 32.
Now therefore, listen to me, my children, for blessed are those who keep my ways. hear instruction, and be wise, and do not disdain it. Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, watching at the posts of my doors. For whoever finds me finds life and obtains favor from the Lord. But he who sins against me wrongs his own soul, All those who hate me love death."
Well, we need to ask ourselves, A, what is this about? B, what's the best verse to summarize this in? C, what are we called to do in response to this? So, A, what is this about? Remember, this is wisdom, Lady Wisdom being portrayed here as the woman at the city gates and the streets crying out for everyone to hear. And here she gives us some instruction.
And it's interesting, sorry, it's interesting the parallels here between this and the Shema. The Shema is that verse in Deuteronomy. Here, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, with all your strength. You may say, well, how in the world does that go with this?
Well, after that is the Vahavta, where it goes on about how we should talk about God's law with our children when we rise up and when we walk along the way. And we should write them upon the doorposts of our house and upon the gates, right? And so here, wisdom is as blessed as the man who listens to me watching daily at my gates, watching at the posts of my doors. Wisdom is this royal figure who gives out her word. And where do we find wisdom? Where do we find wisdom? Where do we find life? We find it in God's word. We go to God, and we love him, and we love his word, and we fear him, we reverence him, we love him, and from that we gain wisdom.
And so here it even says, right, listen to me, my children, for blessed are those who keep my ways. Hear instruction and be wise. Do not disdain it. Hear this wisdom and do it. Hero Israel, the Lord your God, the Lord is one. And then he gives his law. God gives his word to instruct. Sometimes we think about God's law, and we think about, oh no, but for the Christian, we hold to three uses of the law. Maybe this might be something new for you. There are three uses for God's law. The one is it convicts us of sin. It shows us how unrighteous we are. Secondly, it restrains us from our sin. It tells us here and no further. You shouldn't murder people, and so it restrains us. You shouldn't steal from people, so it restrains us. But thirdly, it's used by the Spirit to conform us more to the image of Christ.
The moral law is the law that most displays God's character. The first four laws, the first tablet of the law, shows us how we are to love God. That's being wise, loving God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. And this last six commandments, that second tablet of the law, teaches us how we are to love our neighbors. And as we love our neighbors, we fulfill the law of Christ. And so when we listen to wisdom, we hear God's word and we desire him. And again, this isn't legalism. This is saying, I'm convicted of these sins. I don't love God with all my heart, mind, soul, and strength. I fail in my heart to keep the 10 commandments. So I must run to Christ. And that's a beautiful thing here.
How was God's wisdom displayed? in Jesus Christ fulfilling the law. That Jesus Christ heard these words. Jesus Christ read these words from the scroll and displayed the wisdom of God. Indeed, he is the wisdom of God. He is the one who did all things right. What would you underline in your Bible as the best verse to summarize this? I think in mine, I would probably underline 32, and maybe also 35. What would you underline in your Bible?
Lastly, calling.
What are we called to do in response to this? Follow Christ. Listen to wisdom. Go to the Lord. Humble yourself. For the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord. Go to Him. Be humble, set at his feet, hear his words, and pray that by his Spirit you might do them. And when you fail, and you will, know that you are not justified by your works, but that Jesus Christ himself Jesus Christ himself, the wisdom of God, kept the law perfect for you.
Let's pray. Father, we thank you so much. We pray that you would make us wise. Lord, we pray. We pray that we would hear your word and that we would actually do it. Lord, we pray that we would not be so afraid of legalism that we would become antinomians, people who are against your law. Lord, we pray that we would uphold the law.
Father, we pray. that we might not walk in the road that leads to death and destruction, but that we would follow you in the path that leads to light. You are the resurrection and the life. You are the way. Father, we pray that you would teach us to walk in your path. In Jesus' name, amen. Well, may you walk in wisdom today. May your heart rejoice in Jesus Christ that he has walked perfectly. And I'll see you tomorrow, bye.