Proverbs 2: The Pursuit of Godly Wisdom
My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee;
So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding;
Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;
If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures;
Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.
For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.
He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly.
He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints.
Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path.
When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul;
Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee:
To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things;
Who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness;
Who rejoice to do evil, and delight in the frowardness of the wicked;
Whose ways are crooked, and they froward in their paths:
To deliver thee from the strange woman, even from the stranger which flattereth with her words;
Which forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God.
For her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead.
None that go unto her return again, neither take they hold of the paths of life.
That thou mayest walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous.
For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it.
But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it.
Proverbs 2 focuses on the profound connection between virtuous living and discernment. It presents virtuous living as moral living, emphasizing that as we strive for a moral life, our ability to discern right from wrong deepens. This discernment extends beyond simple ethical choices, enabling us to navigate complex situations with seemingly valid options and to identify the best course of action, even when faced with undesirable choices. This chapter is a call to actively seek wisdom as a treasure, promising protection and guidance to those who diligently pursue it.
The Value of Diligent Pursuit (Proverbs 2:1-5)
Godly wisdom isn't passively received; it demands active and diligent pursuit. Proverbs 2:4 likens this pursuit to a miner digging for silver and hidden treasure. This analogy underscores the effort and dedication required to unearth wisdom from God's Word. Wisdom's inherent value necessitates this effort. Just as people readily invest time and energy into seeking gold, knowing the rich reward it offers, we should approach the pursuit of wisdom with the same fervor. When we diligently dig into God's word, we will discover the knowledge of God (Proverbs 2:5).
Wisdom, Courage, and God's Protection (Proverbs 2:6-8)
The Lord is the ultimate source of wisdom (Proverbs 2:6). It is not attainable elsewhere. God desires to see our seriousness about Him. While many prioritize physical fitness or entertainment, spending time in God's Word often gets neglected. But for those who live with integrity, He is a shield, guarding and protecting the way of His faithful followers (Proverbs 2:7-8).
Justice, Discernment, and Deliverance from Evil (Proverbs 2:9-15)
How eager are we to have wisdom enter our minds and knowledge delight our hearts (Proverbs 2:10)? How desperate are we to have discretion and understanding guard us and rescue us from the way of evil (Proverbs 2:11-12)? How desperate are we to be protected from those who enjoy doing evil, whose paths are crooked, whose house sinks down to death (Proverbs 2:14-18)? Discretion and understanding serve as guardians, rescuing us from the path of evil.
Integrity and the Path of Righteousness (Proverbs 2:16-22)
Smart hikers know to stick to the trail. God has prepared a spiritual path from which we shouldn’t deviate. We must keep to the paths of the righteous (Proverbs 2:20) because the upright will inhabit the land while the wicked will be cut off from it and ripped out of it (Proverbs 2:21-22). Those who reject God’s wisdom in order to pursue wickedness and foolishness may seem to flourish for a while, but eventually they’ll be pulled up like weeds. God only feeds hungry people. If you are not spiritually hungry, ask God to give you a new spiritual appetite (see Psalms 42:1; Matthew 5:6).
Living a Life of Virtue: A Holistic Approach
The pursuit of wisdom, as outlined in Proverbs 2, encourages a balanced and virtuous life. This echoes the sentiments found throughout Scripture, such as God's call to His people to "be holy, for I am holy" (Leviticus 11:44). Adding virtue to our faith is meant to bring our faith to that point of moderation. This is the place where we are completely secure in Christ but not reckless. This place, the median of confidence and caution, is the kind of faith Solomon is trying to teach us in Proverbs chapter 2. It is a place where we live out a holy life for the Lord, not a life of excess and sinful liberty, but not a life marked by legalism. Our lives are meant to be marked by a true faith based relationship with God. This holy lifestyle leads us to be discerning followers of the Lord, not mindless robots nor hypocritical sinners. A people marked by steady faith in God are those who "do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil" (1 Thessalonians 5:19–22).
My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee;
So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding;
Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;
If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures;
Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.
For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.
He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly.
He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints.
Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path.
When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul;
Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee:
To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things;
Who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness;
Who rejoice to do evil, and delight in the frowardness of the wicked;
Whose ways are crooked, and they froward in their paths:
To deliver thee from the strange woman, even from the stranger which flattereth with her words;
Which forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God.
For her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead.
None that go unto her return again, neither take they hold of the paths of life.
That thou mayest walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous.
For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it.
But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it.
Proverbs 2 focuses on the profound connection between virtuous living and discernment. It presents virtuous living as moral living, emphasizing that as we strive for a moral life, our ability to discern right from wrong deepens. This discernment extends beyond simple ethical choices, enabling us to navigate complex situations with seemingly valid options and to identify the best course of action, even when faced with undesirable choices. This chapter is a call to actively seek wisdom as a treasure, promising protection and guidance to those who diligently pursue it.
The Value of Diligent Pursuit (Proverbs 2:1-5)
Godly wisdom isn't passively received; it demands active and diligent pursuit. Proverbs 2:4 likens this pursuit to a miner digging for silver and hidden treasure. This analogy underscores the effort and dedication required to unearth wisdom from God's Word. Wisdom's inherent value necessitates this effort. Just as people readily invest time and energy into seeking gold, knowing the rich reward it offers, we should approach the pursuit of wisdom with the same fervor. When we diligently dig into God's word, we will discover the knowledge of God (Proverbs 2:5).
Wisdom, Courage, and God's Protection (Proverbs 2:6-8)
The Lord is the ultimate source of wisdom (Proverbs 2:6). It is not attainable elsewhere. God desires to see our seriousness about Him. While many prioritize physical fitness or entertainment, spending time in God's Word often gets neglected. But for those who live with integrity, He is a shield, guarding and protecting the way of His faithful followers (Proverbs 2:7-8).
Justice, Discernment, and Deliverance from Evil (Proverbs 2:9-15)
How eager are we to have wisdom enter our minds and knowledge delight our hearts (Proverbs 2:10)? How desperate are we to have discretion and understanding guard us and rescue us from the way of evil (Proverbs 2:11-12)? How desperate are we to be protected from those who enjoy doing evil, whose paths are crooked, whose house sinks down to death (Proverbs 2:14-18)? Discretion and understanding serve as guardians, rescuing us from the path of evil.
Integrity and the Path of Righteousness (Proverbs 2:16-22)
Smart hikers know to stick to the trail. God has prepared a spiritual path from which we shouldn’t deviate. We must keep to the paths of the righteous (Proverbs 2:20) because the upright will inhabit the land while the wicked will be cut off from it and ripped out of it (Proverbs 2:21-22). Those who reject God’s wisdom in order to pursue wickedness and foolishness may seem to flourish for a while, but eventually they’ll be pulled up like weeds. God only feeds hungry people. If you are not spiritually hungry, ask God to give you a new spiritual appetite (see Psalms 42:1; Matthew 5:6).
Living a Life of Virtue: A Holistic Approach
The pursuit of wisdom, as outlined in Proverbs 2, encourages a balanced and virtuous life. This echoes the sentiments found throughout Scripture, such as God's call to His people to "be holy, for I am holy" (Leviticus 11:44). Adding virtue to our faith is meant to bring our faith to that point of moderation. This is the place where we are completely secure in Christ but not reckless. This place, the median of confidence and caution, is the kind of faith Solomon is trying to teach us in Proverbs chapter 2. It is a place where we live out a holy life for the Lord, not a life of excess and sinful liberty, but not a life marked by legalism. Our lives are meant to be marked by a true faith based relationship with God. This holy lifestyle leads us to be discerning followers of the Lord, not mindless robots nor hypocritical sinners. A people marked by steady faith in God are those who "do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil" (1 Thessalonians 5:19–22).