Our text for this evening's sermon is taken from Proverbs chapter 3. Proverbs chapter 3. While considering and praying about the many challenges we face as believers in what seems to be an increasingly evil age, I find myself praying for more wisdom and therefore came to study some more of that book of wisdom, book of Proverbs. This evening, we'll look at Proverbs 3. We'll read verses 1 through 18. They'll focus on verses 13 through 18. Before we read, let us pray together. Our Father in heaven, indeed, we are faced with many difficulties in this life. That is nothing new. But for us in this generation, it is a task we must carry. Nevertheless, we are called to be your people, holding forth the truths of Christ to this generation. And therefore we face the challenges she presents. We need your Father to know you more clearly. We need to grow in understanding. And in these ways, dear Lord, we need to grow in wisdom and all of the fruits and benefits that she offers for us in Christ. Dear Lord, towards this end, would you bless your word? Would you bless our hearing it, the preaching of it, that we would digest it and bring it to the various responsibilities you've given to us in the week ahead? In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Proverbs 3, verse 1. My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commandments in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you prosperity. But love and faithfulness never leave you. Bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes. Fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones. Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops. Then your barns will be filled to overflowing and your vats will brim over with new wine. My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline and do not resent his rebuke because the Lord disciplines those he loves as a father, the son he delights in. Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold. She is more precious than rubies. Nothing, nothing you desire can compare with her. Long life is in her right hand, in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are pleasant ways and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who embrace her, those who lay hold of her. will be blessed. May the Lord bless the reading of His Word. Our passage this evening shows to us the surprising value of wisdom, the pleasures of life when lived in the fear of God. Verse 13 says that the one who has wisdom has something greater than silver, greater than gold, greater than jewels, even greater than anything we can desire. That's rather profound. To help get our arms around what this wisdom is, one teacher, Trimper Longman, gives a rather simple, helpful, summary definition by saying that wisdom is the skill of living well. The skill of living well. And there was a time when this wisdom was highly valued. But it would seem that another teacher is correct when he observes that our world is bombarded by inane cliches, trivial catchwords, and godless soundbites. And as a result, the expression of true wisdom is in short supply. But there was a time when wisdom was highly valued. We might think back to the founders of the United States. There have been books written on the wisdom of the second president and co-author of the Constitution, John Adams. And in biblical times, the examples abound, just a few of them. We could think about Daniel, where in chapter 2 of the book of Daniel, And in chapter 5, we are told of Daniel's remarkable wisdom and how his wisdom made him one of the most valuable assets in the whole country and even the whole known world, all because of his wisdom. And you remember King Solomon. King Solomon had everything, didn't he? What did he have that man might have wanted and not enjoyed? Yet Solomon's greatest fame during his day was his wisdom. Even the great queen of Egypt came to marvel, not first and foremost over the wealth and prosperity of his kingdom, but first and foremost she came all the way from Egypt to marvel at Solomon's wisdom. So great was it valued. And of course, there is the one greater than Solomon, our Lord Jesus Christ. Of all the things that could have been said about Jesus while he was growing, Luke tells us and emphasizes that Jesus grew in wisdom, growing in stature with God and men. In fact, we read that those who heard him, once he grew and picked up his teaching ministry, those who heard him would exclaim, where did this man get such wisdom? Jesus was known for his wisdom. And where did he get such wisdom, they asked? Where, might we ask, can we find such a tremendous value? Proverbs tells us in chapter 2, verse 6, that the Lord gives wisdom. From his mouth come knowledge and understanding. Wisdom comes from God. Maybe this is the reason why wisdom is no longer embraced with the same affection that it once was. If we are to follow the encouragement of our text, that is to find wisdom, verse 13, then we must seek God. We must know and grow in the truths of His Word and understand how to apply it. Both the law and the gospel, bringing it to the things of life. That, that is wisdom. The skill of bringing both the gospel of God and the law of God to the various things and the various challenges, the various callings of life, And there is great value to all who find it. Our text, first of all this evening, tells about that value in terms that we might describe as natural terms. First of all, look at how our text compares wisdom with things that are commonly valued by all people. It compares wisdom to silver, gold, pleasure, health, prosperity. And this approach is quite common in Proverbs. This approach, using a metaphor to illustrate the knowledge of God or wisdom by comparing and contrasting it with common things or common experiences that all of us would be able to relate to and understand. For example, in chapter 3, verse 11, we have what may be a familiar verse to you, My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline or be wary of his reproof, for the Lord reproves him whom he loves as a father of the son in whom he delights. The point is that our relationship with God, though always good, is at times painful. Proverbs illustrates this point for us by comparing the loving discipline of God for His children with the loving discipline of parents and their children. You see, it takes the truths of special revelation. It takes the truths that we can only know if God tells us It takes those truths and it illustrates them by the things of general revelation and common experience. That's the way Proverbs draws us into its world. It's the way Proverbs tries to pull us out of the sleepy, passive way we're tempted to go through life and engage with the greater pleasures God has for us. that's what our text does the writer of Proverbs in chapters 3 verses 13 and following is highlighting for us the remarkable quality of wisdom by comparing it to some of the most valuable things in the world notice that it says in verse 13 that wisdom rather 14, wisdom is better than the gain from silver and her profit better than gold. It goes on to say that she is better and more valuable than jewels, even better, greater than anything we might desire. You see how it is wooing us and drawing us in to think about what is this wisdom. It's greater than wealth, greater than health, Greater than happiness, the wisdom of God. At first read, however, we might conclude that the value of wisdom can be measured in these natural turns. We might miss what the text is trying to tell us. We might take a quick read of it and conclude that those who have wisdom will have wealth, health, and happiness. That those who have wisdom will be the most happy and the most wealthy and healthy people in the world. But that is not what our text wants us to understand. That is not, these natural things are not to be identified as the great value of wisdom. Consider Solomon again. Remember that Solomon had all of these things. As far as we can tell, Solomon was a healthy guy. He was certainly a wealthy guy. And we can reasonably conclude that he would have been a happy guy. But he didn't have wisdom. He knew that even with all that God had given to him, he was still lacking what was necessary to bring it all together into a fruitful, faithful life. That's what we find in 1 Kings chapter 3. In 1 Kings chapter 3, we have the Lord come to Solomon and he says, Ask and I shall give it to you. Now that's not a bad deal. Solomon's got it. And notice how he responds in verse 7. O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David, although I am just a little child. I do not know how to go out or to come in, and your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, too many to be numbered or counted. Give your servant, therefore, an understanding mind. Give your servant discernment. Isn't that remarkable? Here is a man who, from a human perspective, has everything we might desire. He had the wealth, health, and happiness that so many people live for, And yet, he wanted more. He wanted more because as an heir of the covenant, Solomon knew there was more to life. He had the promises of God. He had the law of God. And what he lacked was the wisdom to bring them together, applying them to the various issues of life. Solomon knew that there was more to life than what he had. And he knew that without wisdom, he would waste what God had given. This is very important for us to understand. For the church of today, even more than the church of old, have been given a great treasure. Like Solomon and the people of Israel then, we have the law of God. And yet even more, more than the promises of Abraham, we have been given the good news of Jesus Christ. We have the gospel. And so all the more we have this need to bring both the law and the gospel of God together to the various things of life. We need that skill to bring fruitfulness to the various blessings God has given. Our text this evening is all but pleading with us to pursue that wisdom. By wooing us and calling us to consider this thing that is greater than wealth, greater than health, greater than happiness, we are drawn into the question, what will we be satisfied with as the people of God today? Will we be satisfied with the natural benefits of life rather than pursue the greater value of wisdom? Will we too, along with so many others, conclude that the wise life is a wealthy, healthy, happy life and rest with that? Or will we pursue the greater value held forth to us in wisdom? More than the natural value that we might see at first read of our text, there is a greater spiritual value to wisdom. Don't you wonder what that is? What can be greater than anything we might desire? What is it in this text that God wants us to anticipate? Where does he want us to fix our affections? What does he want us to pursue when we are drawn by Proverbs to find wisdom? Do you see it there? While the text tells us that wisdom is greater than this and greater than that and more than anything we might desire, it tells us in verse 18 that she is a tree of life. To all those who lay hold of her or embrace her, those who hold her fast, are called blessed. Verse 18 tells us that that which is greater than all else is this tree of life. And so in pursuing wisdom, we are pursuing, we might say, that utopian life that Adam and Eve had lost in the Garden of Eden where all of the great blessing and value and joy God held out for His people was signified by the tree of life. In our text, we are called to pursue that wealth, that health, that eternal happiness of sinless fellowship with the living God. By the wisdom of Solomon, the Old Testament people had a taste of that tree. By the wisdom of Jesus Christ, we today have a taste of that tree. In fact, by the virtue of Christ's life, death, and resurrection, we possess that tree. never to be lost by all those who believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ. The eternal state of blessing signified by the tree of life has been secured for us by Jesus Christ and given to us through faith. But we still have had only a taste. We still are just beginning to understand the fullness of what Christ is for us as the giver of life and the abundance of heaven. Proverbs 3 comes to us this evening and says there is more for us. There is more for us who have been given all of these treasures of God through the truths of His Word, His law, and His Gospel. There is more that we can have and enjoy if we will not be satisfied for less. Brothers and sisters in Christ, like Solomon before us, we have, we have the Word of God. What we need, no, it would be better to say, what we should want is wisdom. The skill of bringing the word of God, the skill and ability of bringing the law and the gospel of God Almighty to bear upon the various things of life, empowered by the gospel and directed by his law, living in the fullness of our capacity as his people in this present evil age. Proverbs 3 is saying that we should not be satisfied to merely possess these things. We must not be satisfied to merely confess these things, but that we should exist to enjoy them more. You know, look at the language of our text. It is holding out for us something that is yet to be enjoyed, something that is yet to be had, something that is yet to be drawn from the tremendous victory of Christ and regaining the garden for us. The language of verse 18, embrace, embrace her. Cling to wisdom. Words that are intimate and personable. Talking of pleasure that is yet to be ours in Christ. Friends, we live in a world where wisdom is indeed where it is in short supply. Ephesians 5 verse 15 speaks to this. Throughout all the ages, the people of God have been faced with the challenge of investing and growing and capitalizing on what God has given them. Throughout all the ages, the church has been tempted to be satisfied for far less than what God intends for her. So Paul says in Ephesians 5, verse 15, Look carefully, then, how you walk. Not as unwise, but as wise. Making the best use of the time because the days are evil. Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. Understand what the will of the Lord is. There are so many influences around us today, aren't there? Drawing us away from the paths of wisdom and the tree of life. Books, movies, magazines, even our co-workers or neighbors, maybe our spouse. You know, those things aren't necessarily to be avoided any more than Daniel would have avoided the various things of his day. Evidently, Daniel had become a master of the fallen, corrupt Babylonian people and their ways, such that he stood among them as an admirable leader and a most capable servant to the king. Proverbs isn't calling us to avoid the various things of this world, but it's calling us to make the most of the time that God has called us to in this world, watching how we walk, understanding the will of the Lord. We close this evening by just asking the question, how can we know the will of the Lord and walk as those who are wise? If we gave lists after each sermon and for us to follow, we'd have about 104 lists at the end of the year, and that'd be worse than email, a lot of lists. But as we deal with this practical book of Proverbs, it's rather appropriate for us to at least identify a couple of things to help us capitalize on the blessings of wisdom. How can we know the will of the Lord? One, of course, is to not forsake the assembly of the saints where the means of grace are offered to us. This is where the power of the gospel comes in its most objective and Lord-willing subjective ways for us as his people. When the gospel of Christ and the law of God are brought to us and applied to our lives. Second, can't we also find ways to digest the Word of God in our personal lives? We sang from Psalm 1, that was on purpose. Finding ways to delight ourselves in the Word of God. Reading it, reflecting upon it, memorizing words or phrases or verses, so that the Word of God becomes more and more who we are and forms more and more the way we think about life and our calling as Christians. If we delight ourselves in the law of the Lord, that is, if we find joy in engaging with what He has written, it will form our understanding of life and the various things we do. And third, if we can find friends to talk about the Word of God with, to reflect together upon the things that we're reading and thinking and praying about, won't that, too, help us grow in the skill of bringing the gospel of Christ and the law of God to bear upon the various things of life? And third or fourth, I was inspired by reading the biography of John Adams. There have been godly men and women before us who have labored to develop the skill of living life well. We can read about how God has blessed them and find ourselves inspired to maybe take up the cause of Christ with them. There are many things, but these are good. These are worth us to reflect upon because if we do not take diligence to pursue and find wisdom, friends, the history of Christ's church testifies that we will lose. That we will lose out on the tremendous pleasure that is offered to us in our text. No, we can't lose this salvation secured for us by Christ. But in losing that fight, we bring disgrace to the grace of God and the bride of Christ. So it's held out for us. Blessed is the one who finds wisdom. who clings to the tree of life. Amen. Our Father in heaven, we thank you so much that your call upon our lives is a call to enjoy or to have a greater joy in all that you have already provided for us in Christ. Sometimes it seems if you called us to climb a great mountain and endure tremendous sufferings along the way. We would be more inclined to pursue such a great task. Why is it, dear Lord, that we have such a joyful duty to glorify you and enjoy you forever? Why is it that we neglect it? Oh, that you would have mercy upon us and be gracious to us that you would indeed shine your face upon us that we would have all that we need to be guarded from these evil days that surround us and empowered to be your people, your children, faithful, empowered by the gospel, living according to your law. For the glory of your name and the good of us, your people, we pray these things in Jesus' name. Amen.