Proverbs 8:12-21 says...

Today's verses are Proverbs 8:12-21, which read,

v.12-14 - "I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, and I find knowledge and discretion.  The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way, and the perverted mouth, I hate.  Counsel is mine and sound wisdom; I am understanding, power is mine."

Solomon gives wisdom a personal pronoun.  It is as if wisdom is talking to us.  Maybe the idea is to equate wisdom with God just as we do when we say "God is love."  The definition of love is set by who God is and everything about Him and therefore lets look at wisdom in that same light.  Wisdom doesn't just come from God but is God.  Or maybe Solomon is taking upon the wisdom of God in his position and making it the definition of who he is.  

God is prudent.  God acts with purpose and direction.  He has a position about evil, pride, arrogance, the evil way, and the perverted mouth.  He hates them.  He is going to have an action against those actions.  If I fear the Lord, if I respect who He is and be in awe of Him, then I am also going to hate what He hates and follow His path of good, humility, submission, the holy way, and a wholesome mouth.  This is how Solomon will rule because he is following after the wisdom of God.

When we define God we include that He is counsel, sound wisdom, and understanding and those three bring us to see His power.  We listen and obey His counsel of sound wisdom and understanding to see the power of His words.  Why would we disregard such a resource that is offered to us?  Solomon is in a position where God's wisdom is crucial to apply.

v.15, 16 - "By me kings reign, and rulers decree justice, by me princes rule, and nobles, all who judge rightly."

Solomon is the administer of justice but what type of justice?  Solomon is the appointer of positions but how will he pick them?  The kings, rulers, princes, nobles and all the rest in position by Solomon will be people who judge rightly.  Solomon is following after the wisdom of God and therefore putting in place those who do the same.  There is to be a "holiness" in what he is responsible for.  

v.17 - "I love those who love me; and those who diligently seek me will find me."

Those who love wisdom will feel the love that wisdom gives because it is listened to and applied.  Those who seek wisdom will find it because wisdom is not hidden but wanting to be found and put into practice.  Solomon is equating his life so much with God here that if those who love and seek him diligently do so they will not go away empty-handed.  Those seeking and desiring administration of God's wisdom will find it in Solomon's actions and will benefit.  Remember it is not because of Solomon personally but because he is fearing the Lord and following after Him.

v.18-21 - "Riches and honor are with me, enduring wealth and righteousness.  My fruit is better than gold, even pure gold, and my yield better than choicest silver.  I walk in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of justice, to endow those who love me with wealth, that I may fill their treasuries."

We know that Solomon was very wealthy.  He was also very influential to the whole world.  He had riches and honor.  He endured wealth and righteousness.  He was put in these positions by God for a time.  One side of the equation trumped the other.  The honor and righteousness were more valuable that the riches and wealth.  

The following of God's wisdom, walking in the way of righteousness, brought fruit and yield that was more valuable to him than the purest gold and the choicest silver.  He made a connection that his wealth bestowed upon him by God was to honor God by how he walked and where he walked.  The walk of righteousness affects others who seek godly counsel and they will be filled with its treasures.  

We probably don't put ourselves in the position of Solomon with his wealth and influence but what we have received is from the Lord and it can be maximized by us walking in righteousness after the wisdom and knowledge of God.  We fear the Lord.  We have a respect and awe of Him and what He says.  Our lives reflect that in our words and actions and it has an impact on others.  They benefit from our obedience.  We may not be Solomon but we have all been given a measure of responsibility by God and the question is are we tending to that responsibility with a wisdom that is beyond our own?  Does God's wisdom in your life become so personal to you that you connect it to your family responsibilities and relationships, your marriage, your job, your school, your hobbies, your worship, your priorities, your thoughts, and your everyday actions?  Let's pray.

"Lord, we gather this morning to bow our knees again to the One who knew us before anyone else did.  You are the One who provides all and continues to give.  May we seek You out today and benefit from walking in Your righteousness.  May we love what You love and hate what You hate and live our lives in light of that love and not in practices of what You hate.  May our riches and honor, given by You, be used to its fullest potential because we are walking in Your footsteps.  Amen."

Pastor Adam