The Rewards of Wisdom
Proverbs 3; I die daily devotional.
21 My son, let them not vanish from your sight; Keep sound wisdom and discretion, 22 So they will be life to your soul And adornment to your neck. 23 Then you will walk in your way securely And your foot will not stumble.
The foot of Christ did not stumble on His way to be crucified. Jesus did not forget the teaching of His Father nor let His heart forfeit the commandments of God. Mat 27:22-23 “Pilate *said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all *said, “Crucify Him!” But he said, “Why, what evil has He done?” Yet they kept shouting all the more, saying, “Crucify Him!”
God took on our flesh through His only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus kept the commandments perfectly, there was no sin in Him, and so you might think that the proverb is contradictory—after all—Jesus died. So what happened? Why didn’t this man known as Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah, the Son of the living God, have life rather than the cross of death by keeping the commandments? Lets find out from the testimony according to John chapter 3 in your bibles!
16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him. 18 The one who believes in Him is not judged; the one who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the Light; for their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light, so that his deeds will not be exposed. 21 But the one who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds will be revealed as having been performed in God.”
If our Lord and Savior by God our Father through Jesus, did not carry His adornment to the cross so that we might believe and have eternal life, we would all be judged condemned to an eternal death through sin of the first man Adam without an opportunity to change by the grace of God. Or if you’re an unbeliever reading this, you might think that science has proven powerfully meaningful by the reality of a believer—such as myself—to have finally accepted the reality of a “good story” told as mythology. But this is not mythology; the truth of the gospel is good news! And so what happened to Jesus? How is it that we have eternal life through Jesus if we die? The gospel testifies the fulfillment of prophecy in Jesus:
Matthew 16:21 From that time Jesus began to point out to His disciples that it was necessary for Him to go to Jerusalem and to suffer many things from the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and to be killed, and to be raised up on the third day. And yet Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to You!” But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s purposes, but men’s.” Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me. “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. “For what good will it do a person if he gains the whole world, but forfeits his soul? Or what will a person give in exchange for his soul? “For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and WILL THEN REPAY EVERY PERSON ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS. “Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.”
The Word of God is eternal, and the only way the eternal Word of the old covenant could be fulfilled was through the blood of redemption, meaning the innocent body and blood of the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ. So when His body was pierced to the cross and His blood shed upon the world—we were saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. The wrath of God in His justice poured out upon His only Son our punishment for that sin of which separates us from our Holy God and Father—with Jesus now at the right hand of God to reconcile us to Himself by His Word. Jesus is the new covenant mediated through belief as we abide by faith in His resurrection from the dead that sanctifies—in us—the power of the Holy Spirit of God.
John 20:21 So Jesus said to them again, “Peace be to you; just as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” 22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them and *said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained.”
We have the forgiveness of sins if we remain faithful to an obedience of faith in the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirt as believers in the name of Jesus Christ. If we continue in our sin after believing, then we don’t know God nor have life by faith, but a fearful expectation of judgement that condemns unbelief. 2 Thess 1:6 For after all it is only right for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, 7 and to give relief to you who are afflicted, along with us, when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels 8 in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God, and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 These people will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, 10 when He comes to be glorified among His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed—because our testimony to you was believed. If we sin after believing, we trample underfoot the Son of God and insult the Spirit of grace. Heb 10:26 For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a terrifying expectation of judgment and THE FURY OF A FIRE WHICH WILL CONSUME THE ADVERSARIES. 28 Anyone who has ignored the Law of Moses is put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 How much more severe punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know Him who said, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY.” And again, “THE LORD WILL JUDGE HIS PEOPLE.” 31 It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
RESOURCE
Proverbs 3 (NASB)—blueletterbible.org
1 My son, do not forget my teaching, But let your heart keep my commandments; 2 For length of days and years of life And peace they will add to you. 3 Do not let kindness and truth leave you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart. 4 So you will find favor and good repute In the sight of God and man. 5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and turn away from evil. 8 It will be healing to your body And refreshment to your bones. 9 Honor the LORD from your wealth And from the first of all your produce; 10 So your barns will be filled with plenty And your vats will overflow with new wine. 11 My son, do not reject the discipline of the LORD Or loathe His reproof, 12 For whom the LORD loves He reproves, Even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights. 13 How blessed is the man who finds wisdom And the man who gains understanding. 14 For her profit is better than the profit of silver And her gain better than fine gold. 15 She is more precious than jewels; And nothing you desire compares with her. 16 Long life is in her right hand; In her left hand are riches and honor. 17 Her ways are pleasant ways And all her paths are peace. 18 She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, And happy are all who hold her fast. 19 The LORD by wisdom founded the earth, By understanding He established the heavens. 20 By His knowledge the deeps were broken up And the skies drip with dew. 21 My son, let them not vanish from your sight; Keep sound wisdom and discretion, 22 So they will be life to your soul And adornment to your neck. 23 Then you will walk in your way securely And your foot will not stumble. 24 When you lie down, you will not be afraid; When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. 25 Do not be afraid of sudden fear Nor of the onslaught of the wicked when it comes; 26 For the LORD will be your confidence And will keep your foot from being caught. 27 Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, When it is in your power to do it. 28 Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come back, And tomorrow I will give it, ”When you have it with you. 29 Do not devise harm against your neighbor, While he lives securely beside you. 30 Do not contend with a man without cause, If he has done you no harm. 31 Do not envy a man of violence And do not choose any of his ways. 32 For the devious are an abomination to the LORD; But He is intimate with the upright. 33 The curse of the LORD is on the house of the wicked, But He blesses the dwelling of the righteous. 34 Though He scoffs at the scoffers, Yet He gives grace to the afflicted. 35 The wise will inherit honor, But fools display dishonor.
COMMENTARY
Chapter 3
Matthew Henry (P3-V22) Commentary
II. The argument to enforce this exhortation is taken from the unspeakable advantage which wisdom, thus kept, will be of to us.
- 1. In respect of strength and satisfaction: “It will be life to thy soul (v. 22); it will quicken thee to thy duty when thou beginnest to be slothful and remiss; it will revive thee under thy troubles when thou beginnest to droop and despond. It will be thy spiritual life, an earnest of life eternal.’ Life to the soul is life indeed.
- 2. In respect of honour and reputation: It shall be grace to thy neck, as a chain of gold, or a jewel. Grace to thy jaws (so the word is), grateful to thy taste and relish (so some); it shall infuse grace into all thou sayest (so others), shall furnish thee with acceptable words, which shall gain thee credit.
- 3. In respect of safety and security. This he insists upon in four verses, the scope of which is to show that the effect of righteousness (which is the same with wisdom here) is quietness and assurance for ever, Isa. 32:17. Good people are taken under God’s special protection, and therein they may have an entire satisfaction. They are safe and may be easy,
"NOT WITH INK" 