Series in Proverbs - Come Out of the Shadows!

        

Come Out of the Shadows!

Proverbs 10:6-12

Again the comparison and contrast between righteousness and folly, are taken to another level, godliness and wickedness. Solomon’s examples of the disparity and incongruencies in the lives of people shows the distinct differences between light and darkness, and choosing godly wisdom or folly’s wisdom. In 1st John 1:6-7, God gives us an order to walk in the light as He is the Light. It is this injunction that Solomon as well admonishes his children and his readers and listeners. “If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.”

Solomon’s standing as the judge and arbiter between the Israelites and the peoples living within his jurisdiction, it would have given him fodder for these proverbs and godly wisdom. Solomon understood from the law that blessings were pronounced by God on those who chose Godly wisdom, obedience, and the light or the curses for those who chose darkness, folly, and the failed wisdom of the world.

So let’s read the entirety of the text. “The godly are showered with blessings; the words of the wicked conceal violent intentions. We have happy memories of the godly, but the name of a wicked person rots away. The wise are glad to be instructed, but babbling fools fall flat on their faces. People with integrity walk safely, but those who follow crooked paths will be exposed. People who wink at wrong cause trouble, but a bold reproof promotes peace.The words of the godly are a life-giving fountain; the words of the wicked conceal violent intentions. Hatred stirs up quarrels, but love makes up for all offenses.”

The first grouping is signified by goodness and evil, for in God’s economy there is no place for evil, wickedness, or any other form of deviance. The first group distinguishes the blessings from God, his giftings and heavenly treasures to all those who walk in the way of God. “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.” “The Lord will open to you His good treasure, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand…” (Ps. 1:1-2, Deut 32:12 NKJV) The wicked are enamored and captured with vengeance, rights, and the perverting of justice by violence, whether in thought or action, planned intent or spontaneous acts of brutality. They give no thought to the wisdom of God or to His laws and its curses. Their words are the evidence. But those whose godly walk makes it the greatest part of their life, they chose godly wisdom and her counsel for it provides and leads them in every facet to a godly life. 

Second, the legacy left behind reflects the wisdom lived by. The Godly person leaves happy memories and an inheritance of words and a life filled with choice wisdom. But the wicked leave nothing but pain and dishonor, the memory of them is soon forgotten and rots away, for their reputation is connected to the curses of God. 

Third the wise joyfully receive godly instruction and receive it as choice morsels from the wisdom of God. But the folly of the wicked trips them up and their stumbling causes them to fall and lose face in the eyes of those around them and they hate to be instructed.

Fourth, the godly walk in integrity, their lives are a visible example of God’s wisdom and grace, and the safety and security that comes from following in the ways of God. But those who chose to follow the crook and depraved paths in life expose themselves and their folly, and their necks ache from and are still sore from stretching out to see if they were seen signalling their companions with the wink of the eye or the turning of the foot or arm to join them in their folly and trouble.

Last is the words and voice of the wise that leads in life-giving reproofs that lead to peace. They are like a fountain of life, living waters that refreshes and restores, its source is unlimited because of its godly origin of love, light, and justice. Whereas evil and wickedness try to conceal their folly with violent intentions and hatred, animosity and rejection. They hide in the shadows of hatred and quarrels, seeking the opportunity to pursue folly and her ways.

Application - Paul addressed the Ephesians with God's abundant treasures from Heaven. The riches of a life that the world cannot give. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.” (Eph. 1:3 ESV) 

In almost 3000 years since the time of Solomon, the ageless  and eternal truth of God’s word still rings vibrantly and resounds into today’s world. Folly is still clamoring and enticing the simple, naive and corrupt into her lair, but Lady Wisdom is also shouting and compelling the wise, inquisitive, and the teachable to come and partake of the blessings of God, eternal blessing of truth, love, peace, and the treasures of wisdom, guidance and integrity that can only come from God. 

As in Solomon’s times, the world today is filled with those who chose folly or God’s wisdom. The wicked still tries to conceal themself in the shadows of governments, wayward institutions, and congregational groups of the discontent, violent, and angry whose paths are twisted and cause their constituents, advocates and proponents of hatred to stumble onto the darkened path of evil. 

We don’t have to follow the shadowy path of folly, nor join in the wickedness of the evil one. God promises us the same treasures of heaven that Solomon wrote about, and the Apostle Paul proclaimed. We don’t have to conceal our acts and thoughts, but live in integrity, lucidity, and transparency before God and everyone. No more concealing and striving for the opportunities of the shadows that lead to death. Violence and hatred will be left behind and Love and Peace fill in the void that is needed in our lives and hearts, these treasures only God can give.

There is hope, blessed hope, for those who will retreat from the darkened path of Folly’s house and on to the lighted path to Lady Wisdom. For the personification of wisdom into two different women isn’t the point of the proverb, but of the choices in our lives. Today, as Solomon said, “The words of the godly are a life-giving fountain…” Jesus spoke these similar words twice in His days upon this earth. Once to a wayward woman who had been trapped in the shadows of shame and deceit, and Jesus came to set her free, and not only her but all who heard her testimony of the freedom given by the Messiah she had met at the well, and He offered her living water, the water that never runs out and she would never again thirst after the folly of this world and its shame. The second was on a feast day in Jerusalem, the feast of booths, Sukkot today. Jesus stood at the pool of Shalom, the fountain water of peace.  “On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” (John 7:37-38 NKJV) And He was proclaiming the prophecy of Isaiah, “Therefore with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.” (Isa. 12:3 NKJV)

Jesus’ words are still true today, for the fountain of life, the living water is the Holy Spirit promised to all who come and believe in Christ, confess their sins and confess with their hearts that he is God’s Son, born of a virgin, died on the cross as the sacrifice for our sins, and he was raised on the third day and 40 days later ascended into heaven to sit on His rightful throne as the right hand of the Father. As the apostle John wrote, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 Jn. 1:8-9 NIV) So let us come out of the Shadows into the light.

As always, I want to conclude by presenting the gospel in the form of the basic principles of salvation for all those who have not yet received Jesus Christ. For Jesus, God the Son, came into this world to save all who believe and trust in him. He desires to reveal himself to you; he is the light that overcomes the darkness of this lawless world. He hears your prayers, and has given him all authority in heaven and on earth. He will answer you if you truly believe. If you haven't yet asked him to be your Lord and Savior, today could be that day.

First, A: Admit that you are a sinner. This is where that godly sorrow leads to genuine repentance for sinning against a just God, and a change of heart takes place: we change our minds, and God changes our hearts and regenerates us inside and out. Romans 3:10: As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one." Romans 3:23: For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (We are all born sinners, so we must be born spiritually to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.) Romans 6:23: For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. The bad news is that the wages of sin is death; in other words, our sin means we have been sentenced to death; we have the death penalty hanging over our heads; that's the bad news. But here's the good news: The good news is that the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Ephesians 2:8-9 - For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, lest anyone should boast. Secondly,

B - Believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and that God raised him from the dead. This is trusting with all your heart that Jesus Christ is who he said he was. Romans 10:9-10 - That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is righteous, and with the mouth confession is made and is saved. Third,

C - Call upon the name of the Lord. Every person who sees lThose who have lived since Adam will kneel andthey confessed with hismouth that Jesus Christ is Lord, Lord of lords, and King of kings. Romans 14:11 - For it is written: “As I live,” says the Lord, “every knee will bow to me, and every tongue will confess to God.” Don’t wait, do it now. Romans 10:13 - For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” “O God, I am a sinner. I repent of my sin. I want to turn away from it. I believe that Jesus Christ is your Son; I believe that he died on the cross for my sins, that he was buried, and that you raised him from the dead. I have decided to put my faith in Jesus Christ as my Savior, trusting in his shed blood alone as sufficient to save my soul and take me to heaven. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for saving me. Amen.”

Please share this with someone this week, the Lord knows we and they need it.

If you would like other lessons, please visithttp://pmdinhisservice.blogspot.com 

Until next week, In Your Service Mike Davis

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