9. Proverbs 1:1-6 The Personality Of Wisdom or how wise hearted are we? 

The Aim v.2-4

 To Acknowledge v.2        To know wisdom and instruction;

To Apply                               to perceive the words of understanding 

To Accept v.3                      To receive the instruction of wisdom

The word to receive means to take, grasp and accept.  This acceptance is to lay hold of and seize from another by embracing what is being given to us.  When Noah was in the Ark he reached out and “took hold of” the dove, to bring it back into the ark Gen. 8:9^.

The ESV renders this phrase:

To receive instruction in wise dealing,

The NIV

For receiving instruction in prudent behavior,

The term wisdom in Proverbs 1:3 is a different Hebrew word from the word wisdom in Proverbs 1:2.

The suggestion in defining wisdom in vs.3 is the overtone of “to bereave,” or “to miscarry.”  This term bears the idea of learning through the disappointing experiences of others, or absorbing heart lessons from our own mishaps and misfortunes.

Wisdom in vs. 2 is the biblical science of comprehending God’s design, by applying non-negotiable scriptural principles to determine the best decision, the appropriate methods, and the ultimate solution.

God’s wisdom, which is the wisdom from above is all contained in His Word.  God isn’t silent or shy in explanation.  In fact He’s been publishing and disseminating His Word into more media opportunities in the present then in the entire history of time.

God is speaking loud and clear with precise, vociferous volume.

Are we accommodating, adapting, cooperating and receiving His wisdom?  That’s where this second shade of meaning comes to us from verse 3.  To accept the specific tones of wisdom and be receptive.

To be receptive advances the flavor of being amenable, accessible and approachable. When Jesus told the parable of the four soils He was uncovering the fact that not all who hear about Christ receive Him.

The parable statistics are only 25% of those who hear a presentation of who Jesus is, what He has achieved, and the relationship He offers to us; only 1 out of 4, actually open their heart up to Christ as their Savior and Lord.

Jesus says the heart is like dirt, in which the seed of the wisdom of truth is attempting to penetrate and take root in. Matt. 13:1-9

Our heart has an attitude, a tendency, which we could call a propensity, a leaning, or our prevailing predisposition and inclination.

This heart of ours is covered in a surface texture of one of four dirt qualities.  We have one of four hearts.  Our heart material is either a stepped on, a stony, a squeezed or a sincere heart.

The Stepped on Soil (heart) 

This is ground that is pathway soil that has been trampled on and packed down.  Many feet, or many years of rejecting truth makes for a hard path.  Stuff doesn’t grow in a road that is well traveled by paraphernalia.  Romans 1, describes this as natural bent toward suppressing the truth.  The seed of the truth of Jesus just bounces off as real wisdom is quashed and refused by rejection.  Opposition determines this brand of heart.

When the heart is worn from the trampling of the popular schemes and predetermined arguments of doubt, prejudice toward God, bias toward those who have faith in Jesus and prejudged bigotry to God’s Word; the seed sits on the surface of the heart and gets snatched by birds.

The stepped on heart says no to Jesus but the next three hearts say yes to Jesus, but only one is a real heart yes.

The Stony Soil (heart)

This is ground that is a thin layer over rocks.  This is a shallow heart.  It’s creepy that the stony soil acts like it is receiving Jesus.  But this heart is superficial, no deep root into the heart.  The heart postures, pretends and positions as if they are Christ’s follower, but there is no root and no fruit.  No real proof of change, no evidence really of Jesus.  Just all words and Pollyanna pretension, and then the scorching tests of the sun and the seed with all the external tentacles wilt to nothing.

The Squeezed Soil (heart)

This is ground that is choked with weeds.  This is another phony sham reception, but the noxious weeds clog and block reality. The thorns of worry, the clogging uneasiness about money, and the possession of things smother out the artificial profession.  There is a claim of being an accepter of Jesus, but deception squeezes the heart with surface interests, and external duality, and a divisive dichotomy stifles the realty of any real relationship with Jesus.

The Sincere Soil (heart)

This is ground that is receptive and lets the truth take deep root.  The indication that there is a real relationship with Jesus is there is the fruit of Christ in the life.

This sincere soil is a procuring, prepared, perceptive and productive heart.

A Procuring Heart     He that received seed

A Prepared Heart       into the good ground

A Perceptive Heart    is he that hears the word & understands it

A Productive Heart   which also bears fruit, and brings forth, some an

                                           hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty 

The evidence that we have been with Jesus is seed takes root and flourishes in fruit.  There is connection to the vine and the vinedresser prunes and purifies to bring prosperity.

Receiving Jesus is the beginning of wisdom.  Receiving His voice, through a growing relationship in His Word is our walk in the wealth of all that wisdom has to offer.  Receiving the solutions of God through all the dark moments of life’s multicolored curricula is the softening of a sincere heart of accepting the instruction of wisdom.

Only God through this mysterious overtone of wisdom that is “to bereave,” or “to miscarry.”  Only the Lord can turn our sickness, pain, poverty, unemployment, failed relationships, shame, guilt and heartache into wisdom.  Only Jesus can bring blessing and power out of the sour betrayals of our yesterdays.

It’s by receiving the instruction of wisdom that we allow Jesus to be our Lord.  When we submit to Jesus as our Lord, we are saying every sovereign action He has injured our life through in the past, present and future is for our good and His glory.  This is the wisdom of all things working together for good.