This is part twelve in my 31-day study through the book of Proverbs. The purpose of this study is to learn what God has to say in this book about wisdom and discernment. Yesterday I learned that God is the source of wisdom and justice and in order to please Him I need to exhibit those traits. I also learned that acquiring wisdom should not lead to arrogance but to humility. Finally, I have to take responsibility for my own sin. Even if I pursue a life of wisdom I need to expect God's rebuke and correction for those times I do choose foolishness.

"Whoever loves instruction loves knowledge, But he who hates correction is stupid."

This repeats what I have learned in previous days. Part of searching for and acquiring wisdom is acknowledging that wickedness continues to exist in my life. If I truly wish to grow in wisdom I need to be open to rebuke and correction from my peers and from God. I need to discipline myself to avoid sin and sinful situations. A foolish man, however, shows his folly in despising correction, thinking he has no need of it.

"An excellent wife is the crown of her husband, But she who causes shame is like rottenness in his bones."

What a great example of the imagery used in Proverbs! An excellent wife, one who exhibits the qualities and traits of wisdom, is a crown to her husband. People see the husband and admire him for having such a wonderful wife. Of course the same is true of a woman with an excellent husband. But a wife who is foolish and seeks not to exhibit the qualities of a wise person is like a disease. Where an excellent wife makes her husband look handsome and powerful, a shameful wife makes him look weak and diseased. Rather than bringing admiration, a foolish wife brings shame to her husband.

"A righteous man regards the life of his animal, But the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel."

Many mothers have told their daughters that they can learn about a man by the way he treats his animals. Most probably did not know there is a Biblical basis to that wisdom! God takes into account the way we treat animals for it shows that we regard with respect what God has created. A righteous man treats his animals well which shows that he has a tender heart, but a wicked man is unable to show mercy and tenderness. Even when he tries he fails, for he cannot deny or overcome the wickedness that is in his heart.

"The wicked is ensnared by the transgression of his lips, But the righteous will come through trouble. A man will be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth, And the recompense of a man’s hands will be rendered to him."

I have not yet reached the halfway mark in Proverbs, yet I can already see the value the author places on wise speech. He has already taught that what comes from the lips is an indication of what is in the heart. He continues the theme by showing that wicked men, those who do not guard their speech, bring themselves into trouble. The righteous man, on the other hand, avoids trouble. If trouble does come his way, he is able to get through it by choosing his words carefully.

The wise man that guards his lips will be rewarded for this choice. Being wise with words will create long, deep and lasting relationships with other people. It will avoid breaking down relationships. The reward for consistently guarding one's tongue is just as important and tangible as the rewards for a life of consistent labor.

"Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, But those who deal truthfully are His delight."Yesterday I saw that justice and wisdom come from God and, as their ultimate source, He is pleased when I choose to exhibit those qualities. In this verse I see that truth also finds its source in God. Because of that, those who lie are an abomination to Him while He delights in those who seek to tell the truth. My day-to-day activities will glorify God if I exhibit godly character while doing them.

"The righteous should choose his friends carefully, For the way of the wicked leads them astray."

Every parent knows that the friends your children choose will shape their character. Every parent wants their children to have friends that exhibit good qualities in their character, knowing that their children will learn from their friends. The same is true, though, of adults. Because character continues to develop throughout life, even the friends I have as an adult will influence me. If friends who love folly will lead eventually me astray, I know that I need to be careful to choose friends who love truth. I need to find friends who will help me attain godly character; friends who are also searching for the way of wisdom.

The objective for this study is to learn godly wisdom and discernment. Based on the twelfth chapter of Proverbs, here is what I have learned:

• I need to not just tolerate but love correction for through it I will increase in wisdom. Similarly, I need to be willing to reprove people I know who are seeking wisdom if I see sin in their lives.
• I show my character in the way I treat what God has created, even the animals.
• I need to guard my lips against idle and destructive speech. The reward for living a life based on this principle will be every bit as significant as the reward for laboring diligently.
• I need to choose friends carefully, seeking out people who display godly character, knowing that I will be influenced by those I spend time with.

In the wake of The Passion of the Christ I have seen several discussions about why Pilate showed surprise that Jesus died so quickly. These discussions are based on the gospel of Mark where we read:

Now when evening had come, because it was the Preparation Day, that is, the day before the Sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent council member, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, coming and taking courage, went in to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Pilate marveled that He was already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him if He had been dead for some time. So when he found out from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph. (Mark 15:42-45)

To understand Pilate's surprise it is important to know that crucifixion was a method of execution designed to prolong suffering. Entirely different from the methods of execution practiced in most parts of the world today which are designed to be quick and painless, crucifixion prolonged the pain and the suffering as long as possible. It was not unusual for people to hang for two or even three days before they died. Indeed the thieves who hung on either side of him had to have their death hastened by the breaking of their legs in order to die before the start of the Sabbath. Jesus, though, spent only a few hours on the cross before He died.

Pilate, then, was surprised when after only a short time, Joseph of Arimathea came to him to request Jesus' body. Pilate was sufficiently surprised that he summoned the centurion who had presided over the crucifixion to hear first-hand that Jesus was, indeed, dead. It was only then that he agreed to give the body to Joseph for burial.

So why, then, did Jesus die so quickly?

I believe there are two keys to understanding this. The first is found initially in Matthew and repeated in John. The gospels of Mark and Luke say that after crying out His final words, Jesus breathed His last. Matthew, though, says "And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit." John says Jesus "gave up His spirit." The significance of this wording is that it shows that Jesus was in control of the timing of His death. He did not die because His body could take no more punishment or because of blood loss. He died because He decided it was time to die.

The second key is found in the gospel of John. John 10:17-18 reads "Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.” Ultimately nobody took Jesus' life from Him. He freely gave it up in order to save those whom He loved. When His work on the cross was complete he, as God, as the one in control, allowed His spirit to leave His body. His work was complete and there was no reason for the physical suffering to continue. So the very moment He had completed the purpose for which He came - His work of atonement on our behalf - He yielded up His spirit.

Though Jesus' suffering may have lasted for less time than that of the men hanging on either side of Him and far less than many who were crucified before and after Him, it was not the duration of His suffering that achieved our salvation but rather the intensity of His suffering. During the time He was on the cross Jesus perfectly satisfied God's demand for justice for our sin. The suffering He endured was far beyond human comprehension. At any time He could have caused it to end, but He waited until "it [was] finished" and until He had accomplished the work He had covenanted with His Father to perform on our behalf. Through it all, though, He retained control.

Jesus did not lose His life; He gave it.

This is part eleven in my 31-day study through the book of Proverbs. The purpose of the study is to learn wisdom and discernment from this portion of God's Word. Yesterday I learned that wisdom is often best expressed in silence, for the more I speak the more likely I am to sin. My lips will express what is in my heart, so I need to fill my heart with purity so my lips have no choice but to express good things. If they express sinful things I have to examine myself and see where I have let sin pollute my heart. I also learned the value of being a faithful and diligent worker.

Chapter eleven of Proverbs continues the theme of contrasting the righteous and the wicked. Though not every proverb uses these words, most of them adhere to this theme.

"Dishonest scales are an abomination to the LORD, But a just weight is His delight." (verse 1)

God is the source of all that is good, just and wise. Because he perfectly embodies all of these traits, it stands to reason that he would find delight when we seek to honor him through attempting to follow his goodness, justice and wisdom. Conversely we would expect Him to hate anything that contradicts these traits.

"When pride comes, then comes shame; But with the humble is wisdom." (verse 2)

It seems ironic, but one of the fruits of wisdom is the realization of our own foolishness. As we come to learn more about ourselves through the pursuit of godly wisdom, we will understand more fully how far short we fall of God's perfect standards. We will realize that wisdom is a gift of God and not something that is inherent within us. Our reaction, then, should not be pride but humility before God and before men.

"The integrity of the upright will guide them, But the perversity of the unfaithful will destroy them. Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, But righteousness delivers from death. The righteousness of the blameless will direct his way aright, But the wicked will fall by his own wickedness. The righteousness of the upright will deliver them, But the unfaithful will be caught by their lust."

Verses 3 through 6 all contrast the fruit of a life of righteousness and a life of wickedness. The righteous, those who are upright before God, will allow ethics and morality to guide them throughout their lives. The unfaithful, though, allow their crookedness and perversity to guide them away from God, down the path that leads to destruction. In the final judgment before God, riches will have no value for only righteousness before God will be able to save anyone from eternal destruction. This righteousness will guide the wise man throughout his life, but the wicked, having no guide, will fall by their own wickedness. Their hatred of wisdom and their love of folly will bring them to destruction.

"A talebearer reveals secrets, But he who is of a faithful spirit conceals a matter." (verse 13)Anyone who is part of a church knows what gossip can do within the body of Christ. Gossip can, and so often does, tear churches apart, polarizing groups within the body and causing untold dissension. Every person has the responsibility to think about what they are going to say and to ensure they do not spread gossip. As we learned yesterday, sometimes the best expression of wisdom is to say nothing.

"As a ring of gold in a swine’s snout, So is a lovely woman who lacks discretion." (verse 22)

I simply could not ignore this proverb, for it is such a wonderful metaphor. The illustration of a ring of gold through the snout of an animal regarded as unclean by the author is the perfect illustration for a person who lacks discretion. In this case Solomon speaks of a woman who is beautiful to behold, yet her lack of discretion is vile. The contrast between the beauty of the gold and his disgust with pigs shows just how vile we should find someone who willfully lacks discretion.

"He who earnestly seeks good finds favor, But trouble will come to him who seeks evil. (verse 27)

Throughout this book we have seen wisdom personified as a woman, crying out for us to heed her call. We have also seen folly competing with her for our attention and affection. This verse shows that the choice to seek and find wisdom is my choice. I need to make the conscious decision to pursue wisdom. The only alternative to seeking wisdom is to seek evil. Either way, I will find whatever it is I choose to pursue.

"If the righteous will be recompensed on the earth, How much more the ungodly and the sinner." (verse 31)

The chapter closes with a warning. The righteous are not immune to judgment and may receive discipline for their wrong-doings in this life. There are always consequences to sin, even when one is pursuing wisdom. So if even the righteous and those who walk in the way of wisdom are punished for the sins they commit, how much more will the ungodly and those who seek out wickedness receive judgment in this life. The point is clear: every person has to accept the responsibility for his or her folly. The pursuit of wisdom does not leave anyone immune to judgment.

Conclusions

The objective for this study is to learn godly wisdom and discernment. Based on the eleventh chapter of Proverbs, here is what I have learned:

• God, the source of wisdom and justice, delights when I exhibit those traits.
• Wisdom should not cause arrogance. The more I learn godly wisdom, the more I need to realize my own shortcomings which should serve to make me humble.
• Even if I pursue wisdom I cannot expect to remain immune from God's discipline and judgment. I have to accept responsibility for my sin and its consequences.

Every believer carries a measure of the guilt for Jesus' death. If it were not for our willful disobedience to God's perfect Law, we would have no need of a Savior. We acknowledge in song that it was our hands that drove the spikes into His' and sometimes speak about driving the nails into Jesus' hands every time we sin. We speak figuratively, of course, knowing that although we were not present at the time of His death, we bear the guilt of providing the need for His death.

In the Bible we are given a brief glimpse of a man who was present while Jesus was nailed to the tree. This man was a Roman centurion, a commander over 100 soldiers of the Roman army. We know little about the man except that he was probably a hardened solider and commanded a detachment of what were most likely Syrian-born soldiers. He had, in all likelihood, presided over the crucifixion of hundreds or even thousands of men and must have become hardened to the agony these men endured.

It is likely that this man was present from the time Jesus was brought before Pilate right until the Lord's body was lowered from the cross and given to Joseph of Arimathea. He may even have been present with the detachment of soldiers that aided in Jesus' arrest the night before His crucifixion. This man would have accompanied Jesus from the time the Jewish leaders brought him to the Praetorium. He would have ordered his men to beat Him, caring little for who He was, knowing Him only to be another in a long line of people he was commanded to execute. He would have been nearby when his men dressed Jesus in a robe, pressed a crown of thorns onto His head and walked Him to Golgotha. He would have given the order to proceed with the crucifixion.

The centurion is mentioned in three of the four gospel accounts. He is mentioned not for his cruelty, ruthlessness or ability as a soldier. He is mentioned for something far more important, for a marvelous transformation that occurred immediately after the death of one of his prisoners.

Having seen so many crucifixions, the centurion knew what to expect from prisoners. Most people who were sentenced to be crucified were criminals, brigands, thieves and murderers. He had heard countless men scream in agony while being whipped and plead for their lives before Pilate. From their crosses he had heard them shout curses to men below and blasphemies to God above. The behavior of the thieves on either side of Jesus was all too common, as they mocked and ridiculed Jesus as he hung between them.

Perhaps it was during this time that the centurion began to notice that there was something different about Jesus. Where most men cursed and swore, Jesus, as His hands were nailed to the wood, cried out for God to forgive those who were causing His suffering. Or maybe He noticed the tender mercy in Jesus' voice when He spoke to the penitent thief beside Him, promising that the same day he would be with Jesus in paradise. Perhaps he was amazed that during such suffering Jesus could look down at His mother and ensure that her future was secure by telling John to take care of her. Certainly three three hours of darkness that accompanied Jesus' suffering would have marked this as an execution unlike any other.

We can only guess when the centurion began to realize that perhaps, just perhaps, Jesus was exactly who He claimed to be. What we do know is exactly when He knew with full certainty.

Just before He died, Jesus cried out "It is finished." Immediately after that He said "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." At that very moment Jesus died. At that same moment a violent earthquake shook the land with such ferocity that rocks were split. Matthew tells us "when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying, “Truly this was the Son of God!” Luke expands on this saying "when the centurion saw what had happened, he glorified God, saying, “Certainly this was a righteous Man!”

And just like that, the man who presided over Jesus' execution, the man who ordered the nails to be driven into His hands and feet, became the first person to become a believer after Jesus' death.

What an awesome, exciting testament this is to God's divine grace! God was willing and eager to save one of those primarily responsible for the murder of His Son. A man who watched Jesus be scourged, who watched his soldiers mock and abuse Him and who probably enjoyed every minute of it, suddenly cries out in terror, realizing that He has killed an innocent man. His cry of terror is also an expression of faith as he confesses his new-found knowledge that Jesus was the Son of God.

I am certain that this story served as a great encouragement to many people in the early church. Though many of them carried the guilt for having killed the Lord, the realization that God could save even those who held the nails, would have proven that He is a God of love and forgiveness. It would have reassured them that, like this centurion, they could gain God's favor through Jesus' sacrifice.

This centurion's miraculous conversion continues to serve as an encouragement today. Just as we share the centurion's guilt for driving the nails into Jesus, so we can share the victory He won that day. As with this soldier who lived and died almost 2000 years ago, we need only have faith to believe that "truly this was the Son of God" and we, too, can be forgiven for the part we played in this terrible, unjust execution.

This is part ten in my 31-day study through the book of Proverbs. The purpose of the study is to learn wisdom and discernment from this portion of God's Word. Yesterday I learned that wisdom and folly both call for my attention and in so-doing they often use similar methods to try to gain my attention. I also learned that a wise man will appreciate being rebuked but a foolish man will hate anyone who attempts to correct his foolishness. As someone seeking wisdom I am to remain open to correction and reproof, knowing that it may help me grow in wisdom and root-out the sin in my life.

Chapters 10 through 22 of Proverbs contain mostly single-sentence proverbs and form almost half of the book. There are occasionally longer constructs, but generally verses are not interconnected. They may build on a common theme, but this appears to be an aid to memorization more than the exposition of a theme. The bulk of the proverbs in this chapter, and those that follow, contrast two ideas using the conjunction "but." The usual contrasts are righteousness and wickedness or wisdom and folly. Because each chapter contains many proverbs, often 25 or 30 of them, I will not be writing about each and every one. I will focus, rather, on only a few. I will look for recurring themes and for proverbs that really "jump out" at me.

The tenth chapter is prefaced by the words "The proverbs of Solomon." Though we know Solomon wrote thousands of proverbs during his lifetime, there is no reason to demand that he actually wrote all of these. He undoubtedly wrote many, but it is probable that he also compiled the proverbs he heard from other people.

"A wise son makes a glad father, But a foolish son is the grief of his mother." (verse 1)

This seems like the perfect place for Solomon to begin. The first nine chapters of the book have been replete with calls for a son to heed the teachings of his father, so as he begins this section it stands to reason that he would again call for his son to listen. Every child wants to please his parents and Solomon appeals to this desire. A son who heeds wisdom will make his parents proud, but a son who rejects wisdom will bring them grief. I have seen this so often in life, where a child who turns from the way of wisdom ends up bringing so much grief to his parents. The very first parents, Adam and Eve, experienced this as they undoubtedly had their hearts broken by Cain's choice to disregard wisdom and turn his back on God's ways. As human history has continued, untold millions of parents have experienced similar sadness at the choices of their children.

I think also of one of the most poignant of Jesus' parables which concerns the Prodigal Son. I believe that parable has long been assigned the wrong name as the hero of the story is not the son, but the father. It is the father who suffered most as he watched his son forsake wisdom, choosing instead the way of untold wickedness.

"He who has a slack hand becomes poor, But the hand of the diligent makes rich. He who gathers in summer is a wise son; He who sleeps in harvest is a son who causes shame." (verses 5 & 6)

One of my favorite aspects of Proverbs is the imagery the author uses. Verse five presents the image of the slack, lazy hands of the foolish and contrasts it with the strong, active hands of the wise. Where laziness leads to poverty, diligence and industry leads to wealth. The next verse has the same theme; a man who works hard and gathers the crops when they are ready for harvest is wise, but he who is lazy and sleeps through the harvest brings shame to his family.

Proverbs contains the ongoing theme of material blessing. Though poverty itself is not seen as shameful, poverty due to ongoing laziness is disgraceful. Generally we can expect that those who work hard, laboring diligently, will be blessed materially while the lazy will not.

"In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, But he who restrains his lips is wise. The tongue of the righteous is choice silver; The heart of the wicked is worth little. The lips of the righteous feed many, But fools die for lack of wisdom." (verses 19-21)

These three verses speak of the common theme of guarding the tongue. As one who enjoys talking and comes from a long, proud lineage of "motor-mouths" I have seen ample examples of the fact that "in the multitude of words sin is not lacking." I think of times I have said something I should not have said. I begin trying to dig my way out of the hole I have dug, but with every word I bury myself deeper and deeper. I am sure every person does this at least a few times in his lifetime. If only we would bring to mind these words: "he who restrains his lips is wise." Perhaps the best example of this wisdom is Jesus, who "as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth." Jesus was questioned by the Sanhedrin, Pilate and Herod, yet spoke barely a word. He knew they were looking to incriminate Him, so He refrained from opening his mouth and giving them even more ammunition to use against Him.

Discretion is the ability to make good decisions about when and how to speak wisdom. Wisdom is not just about knowing what to say, for in this verse we see it is also about what not to say. Sometimes the greatest display of wisdom and discretion is to say nothing at all.

Verse 20 continues this theme. We see a contrast between the tongue of the righteous, which is beautiful and valuable, and the heart of the wicked which is ugly and worthless. The tongue and the heart are connected, for what is in the heart manifests itself in what comes from the mouth. In the twenty-first verse we see that lips that speak wisdom have value to other people, for they "feed many." Lips that speak nothing but foolishness are unable even to sustain their owner.

" As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, So is the lazy man to those who send him." (verse 26)

Solomon had a sense of humor. I'm sure he laughed at this proverb when he wrote or discovered it some 2600 years ago just as I did when I read it this morning. I shudder at the thought of putting vinegar in my mouth for I know it would irritate my teeth and my mouth to no end. Similarly, getting smoke in my eyes is a distinctly unpleasant experience. Solomon uses these metaphors to illustrate the distaste an employer has towards a lazy employee for he is constantly irritating towards his boss. Having spent years of my life in a corporate environment I can attest that employees who are lazy demand much more attention from management than those who work diligently. This proverb is as true today as it was nearly 3000 years ago.

Conclusions

The objective for this study is to learn godly wisdom and discernment. Based on the tenth chapter of Proverbs, here is what I have learned:

• If I work diligently I can expect to be materially rewarded. If I am lazy I can expect to experience poverty and will have no one to blame but myself.
• Sometimes wisdom can best express itself in silence.
• My lips will express what is in my heart. This implicitly demands that I keep my heart pure!
• A man who works hard is a blessing to his employer while a lazy man is a constant irritant.

This is part nine in my 31-day study through the book of Proverbs. The purpose of this study is to learn what God has to say in this book about wisdom and discernment. Yesterday I learned that wisdom and foolishness are wholly incompatible, as wisdom is unable to express any form of foolishness or perversity. I also learned that earthly rulers are to use wisdom to form the basis of their decisions and judgments and that wisdom existed with God in its perfect form before the world was made and it served as the basis for Creation.

The ninth chapter of Proverbs contains two sections that contrast the invitation of wisdom with the invitation of foolishness. Using similar language and imagery it shows the rewards of wisdom and the destruction of folly.

Verses 1 through 12 again personify wisdom as a woman, this time as one laying out a great banquet. She has prepared a feast and has sent out her servants to call people in to enjoy it. They cry out "Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!" and "Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed. Leave your simple ways, and live, and walk in the way of insight." As with the previous chapters, the way of wisdom is show to be one and the same with the way of life. To forsake foolishness and pursue wisdom is to live a life of value, approved by God.

In the midst of wisdom's invitation there are three verses that contrast the way the wise and the foolish react to rebuke. "Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse, and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury. Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you; reprove a wise man, and he will love you." The foolish, arrogant in their supposed knowledge, hate to be corrected. The wise, willing and eager to gain wisdom, are eager for necessary rebuke and will be thankful to learn of any foolishness that still dwells within them. "Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser." Though a man may be wise, he will never be perfectly wise. Therefore, as one seeking wisdom, I am to strive for wisdom throughout my whole life, never believing that I have reached perfection.

Verse ten repeats what we learned in the first verse - "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom." Only through knowledge of God can a man become wise. It is necessary to discover the Source of wisdom in order to become wise. When I know the Source I can experience wisdom's blessings.

The final six verses are the call of folly. Where wisdom was industrious and made a wonderful meal, folly can offer only stolen food. Where wisdom goes out and seeks people, folly is lazy, sitting at the door of her house and calling to those who pass by. Her call is the same, saying "Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!" But all she has to offer is foolishness, trying to make people believe that "Stolen water is sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant." A man who lacks understanding and follows the way of folly will soon come to realize that her way leads to hell, for he has turned his back on wisdom, and thus on God Himself.

Conclusions

The objective for this study is to learn godly wisdom and discernment. Based on the ninth chapter of Proverbs, here is what I have learned:

• Wisdom and folly both compete for my attention, even calling in the same manner.
• To rebuke someone who is not intent on wisdom is a waste of time and will only harm me.
• To rebuke someone who is intent on wisdom will lead to blessing. As one seeking, wisdom I am to be open to reproof and correction from both God and men.
• Folly offers only lies. Her way leads to separation from God.

This is part eight in my 31-day study through the book of Proverbs. The purpose of this study is to learn what God has to say in this book about wisdom and discernment. Yesterday I learned that wisdom is to complement, not contradict, God's laws to form a pure, godly life. I am to guard my heart against sin, realizing that once my heart has turned, my mind and body will follow.

Proverbs 8 is an incredible poem that personifies wisdom as a teacher. Where in previous chapters the teacher has usually been a father instructing his children, we now see wisdom as the supreme teacher.

In the first eleven verses wisdom cries out at the top of the hills, the crossroads and the gates of the city, crying for simple people to learn prudence and fools to learn sense. She will share what is noble and right and true. She has no choice but to speak truth for foolishness is incompatible with wisdom and would be an abomination to her lips. She tells me to seek her more than gold and more than jewels, for nothing I can obtain in this world can compare to her value.

In verses 12 to 21 wisdom shows her effects on the world. She speaks of the fear of the Lord. "The fear of the LORD is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate." The hatred of evil is the love of wisdom. If I search to find a truth that is based on experience I will be led astray by my own pride and arrogance. To know the fear of the Lord I need to first know wisdom.

Human rulers are to use wisdom to carry out the offices they have been appointed by God, for by wisdom "rulers decree what is just; … princes rule, and nobles, all who govern justly." Justice proceeds naturally from wisdom. Just as a life of godliness is premised on wisdom, so properly carrying out an office depends on understanding wisdom.

Again we see that it is my responsibility to seek out wisdom and if I do so she will by no means turn me away for she loves those who love her. And as we saw in earlier chapters, the normal reward for a life of wisdom is material blessings. Solomon, as author of this passage and one of the richest men in all of human history, could understand this well and could ascribe his wealth to his wisdom.

Verses 22 to 31 show that wisdom existed before the creation of the world and formed the basis for Creation. "The LORD possessed me at the beginning of his work, the first of his acts of old. Ages ago I was set up, at the first, before the beginning of the earth." God is the source of wisdom and necessarily possesses perfect wisdom for it issues forth from Him. Before he began His act of creation he perfectly planned it. This passage forms such an awesome testament to the wisdom of the Creator:

The LORD possessed me at the beginning of his work,
the first of his acts of old.
Ages ago I was set up,
at the first, before the beginning of the earth.
When there were no depths I was brought forth,
when there were no springs abounding with water.
Before the mountains had been shaped,
before the hills, I was brought forth,
before he had made the earth with its fields,
or the first of the dust of the world.
When he established the heavens, I was there;
when he drew a circle on the face of the deep,
when he made firm the skies above,
when he established the fountains of the deep,
when he assigned to the sea its limit,
so that the waters might not transgress his command,
When he marked out the foundations of the earth,
then I was beside him, like a master workman,
and I was daily his delight,
rejoicing before him always,
rejoicing in his inhabited world
and delighting in the children of man.

The final five verses form a final exhortation for me to heed wisdom's call. Wisdom goes so far as to equate herself with life, saying "whoever finds me finds life." A life lived to the full will be a life lived with wisdom. I cannot be truly alive without being engaged in the continual search for wisdom. This search will allow me to obtain favor from the Lord. Conversely, if I continue to sin and reject wisdom, I turn my back on God, hating wisdom and showing my love for the foolishness that leads to death.

My prayer is that my life would be a continual search for and growth in wisdom; that I would "listens to [wisdom], watching daily at [her] gates, waiting beside [her] doors."

The objective for this study is to learn godly wisdom and discernment. Based on the eighth chapter of Proverbs, here is what I have learned:

• Wisdom and foolishness are incompatible. Wisdom is unable to express perversity or foolishness.
• Earthly rulers are to use wisdom to form the basis of their judgments as it forms the basis for justice.
• Wisdom existed in its perfect form with God before the earth was formed and was present in the planning and creative process of Creation.
• To truly live requires the search for wisdom, for it allows me to obtain God's favor. To reject wisdom is to lead myself on the path to death.

The Passion of the Christ took in over $50 million this weekend to move past the $200 million mark in just 12 days. What was once thought to be a $30 million risk has turned into a bona fide blockbuster. But the box office is not the only place where money is rolling in.

The State features an article about Passion-related merchandising. Bob Siemon Designs, which created the nail pendant and Passion crucifix, has employees working extra shifts to try to keep up with demand. The Passion companion book with a foreward by Gibson is selling well. Anne Catherine Emmerich’s book The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ has also been selling well, rising to number 68 on Amazon’s best-sellers list on the day the movie opened.

There is no word on whether Bible sales have also risen accordingly.

The article mentions that John Piper’s book The Passion of Jesus Christ: Fifty Reasons Why He Came to Die has sold out the entire first run of 175,000 copies. I quite like Piper and am glad to hear the book is selling well. However, what the article does not mention is the book was being sold for $1 per copy through Piper’s ministry, so I am sure many of the copies have been sold at that price rather than at the $7.99 recommended price.

This is part seven in my 31-day study through the book of Proverbs. The purpose of the study is to learn wisdom and discernment from God through this book. Yesterday I learned that I am never to give up control of my life by assuming the financial security of a friend and saw how God can teach me through anything in His creation, even the tiniest of creatures. I also learned that God hates discord and malice and will not tolerate those who seek to stir up dissension.

Chapter seven is divided into three sections. The first and last of them are instructions to avoid adultery while the middle section is a narrative used to illustrate this teaching.

The first five verses have a familiar ring.

My son, keep my words
and treasure up my commandments with you;
keep my commandments and live;
keep my teaching as the apple of your eye;
bind them on your fingers;
write them on the tablet of your heart.
Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”
and call insight your intimate friend,
to keep you from the forbidden woman,
from the adulteress with her smooth words

These verses sound like several others that have appeared earlier in Proverbs. I am to heed the wise teachings of my father and trust them to guide my path. Just as with the Lord's commandments I am to "bind them on [my] fingers; write them on the tablet of [my] heart." The wisdom of my parents is to complement the commandments of God to form the foundation for a life of walking with God.

The second section paints a picture of a young man being led astray by the lure of adultery. A foolish young man devoid of understanding is met by a woman who is intent on leading him astray. She flatters him and lures him to her bed. She lures him with the false promise of love ("Come, let us take our fill of love till morning; let us delight ourselves with love") knowing all the while that illicit, adulteress sex can never fulfill the longings for true love. She deliberately confuses lust with love and deceives both the young man and her husband.

The foolish man eventually heeds her words and is seduced. He follows her into her house "as an ox goes to the slaughter, or as a stag is caught fast." As cattle is unknowingly led to the slaughter, so does this foolish young man allow himself to be led to his own destruction. He does not know that an arrow has fatally pierced him and that his sin will cost him his life.

The passage closes with a father's concern for his children to heed his wisdom. He says that I am not to be led astray by adultery. My heart is to remain fixed on the path to upright, honorable living, rather than to focus on and dream about sin. If my heart is led astray, my mind and body will soon follow into the way of sin which is a path leading to eternal punishment.

The objective for this study is to learn godly wisdom and discernment. Based on the seventh chapter of Proverbs, here is what I have learned:

• Wisdom is to complement God's commandments and help form a pure, godly life.
• Lust and love are easily confused. I am never to be seduced by thinking that lust can take the place of loving relationship.
• I am to guard my heart against sin, for once my heart has turned away my mind and body will follow.

This is part six in my 31-day study through the book of Proverbs. The purpose of the study is to learn what God would teach me through this book about wisdom and discernment. Yesterday's topic was the perils of adultery and the wisdom of living a sexually pure life. I learned that everyone faces the lure of sexual temptation, both the wise and foolish. I learned that I am to fight this temptation by making my wife my delight and rejoicing forever in her love. I am to look only to her for fulfillment. If I do sin it is due to my lack of wisdom and I have no one to blame for my sin but myself.

The sixth chapter of Proverbs provides wisdom on several different topics. It opens with an exhortation to avoid assuming financial security for a friend. If I do that I have laid down a snare for myself and will soon find myself caught in it, for I have given control of my life to another person. I should do all I can to remove myself from the situation by humbling myself before my friend and asking him to release me from my pledge. I need to do this with a sense of urgency, dedicating myself to it until I am free.

The author turns to a lesson about laziness based on one of the most humble of all creatures - the ant.

Go to the ant, O sluggard;
consider her ways, and be wise.
Without having any chief,
officer, or ruler,
she prepares her bread in summer
and gathers her food in harvest.
How long will you lie there, O sluggard?
When will you arise from your sleep?
A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest,
and poverty will come upon you like a robber,
and want like an armed man.

I remember reading these words for the first time in fifth grade when I was assigned a project on the ant. My parents showed me what the Bible had to say about the ant and I formed my project around God's wisdom. The Bible tells the sluggard, the man whose foolishness expresses itself in laziness, to look to the ant for wisdom. What a wonderful thought, that God's crowning creation, humans, can learn from one of the tiniest and most humble. We can see God's wisdom even in a creature as tiny and seemingly insignificant as the ant. The ant has no captain, no ruler, yet works hard every day. She spends her life providing for herself. The sluggard, on the other hand, is lazy and spends his life sleeping. The natural consequence of his laziness is that poverty will come upon him and overtake him like an armed robber who breaks in at night.

The author begins a portrayal of a worthless, foolish person. He is not a person that speaks openly and honestly, but rather "winks with his eyes, signals with his feet, points with his finger." He makes veiled suggestions without actually holding a position. He continually devises evil in his heart and tries to stir up dissension. His reward will come suddenly and harshly.

Verses 16 to 19 show seven things that God hates in human relationships. They begin with a common construct in Hebrew poetry. "There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are an abomination to him." The successive numbers are often used to add emphasis to a passage. We then see seven things that God hates:

haughty eyes, a lying tongue,
and hands that shed innocent blood,
a heart that devises wicked plans,
feet that make haste to run to evil,
a false witness who breathes out lies,
and one who sows discord among brothers.

God hates malice and discord. He despises a heart that is filled with hate and seeks to stir up dissension.

The final section in this chapter provides another warning against adultery. I am again warned to heed my parent's advice, for this wisdom will lead and guide me through life. Verse 23 looks back at Psalm 119. It reads "For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life." Wisdom supplements the law and the Scriptures to provide instruction on how to live. Wisdom is not synonymous with these, but complements them.

I am again shown the consequences of adultery. "Can a man carry fire next to his chest and his clothes not be burned? Or can one walk on hot coals and his feet not be scorched? So is he who goes in to his neighbor’s wife; none who touches her will go unpunished." The inevitable result of committing adultery is punishment. Just as one cannot walk on hot coals and not sear his feet, so I cannot have a sinful relationship and escape the consequences.

People do not despise a man for stealing food when he is starving. He must still suffer the consequences for his theft but people can understand the need. Adultery is different, though, because there is never a need for it like there is a need for sustenance. He will suffer public reproach for his actions. He will even become a target of revenge for the offended husband. There are always consequences for remaining foolish rather than learning wisdom.

Conclusions

The objective for this study is to learn godly wisdom and discernment. Based on the sixth chapter of Proverbs, here is what I have learned:

• Never give up control over my life by assuming financial security for a friend.
• I can learn wisdom from God through anything he has created, even the most humble of creatures.
• God hates malice and discord and those who seek to stir them up will suffer His reproof.
• Wisdom supplements but does not replace a knowledge of God's law.
• There is never an excuse for committing adultery and there will always be consequences for forsaking wisdom in this area.