Proverbs 14
Verse 1. Wisdom builds; folly plucks down. We are living in an age of folly masquerading as wisdom, an unconscious return of the modern world to the state portrayed in Romans 1:28-3228And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; 29Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, 30Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: 32Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. (Romans 1:28‑32).
True of our own day is verse 2: “He that walketh in his uprightness feareth the Lord, but he that is perverted in his ways despiseth Him.”
Verse 6. Scorners are on every hand, seeking wisdom but not finding it. They are not unlike the five foolish virgins of Matthew 25, who went away to buy, but never got what they needed, and are of the same class as the mockers of 2 Peter 3, who, walking according to their own lusts are saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? for all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.”
Verse 12. There is still, in 1932, a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof, God solemnly warns, is the ways of death. Such leave God out of their thoughts, reject the Bible which shows their folly, and continue on the broad road which leads to destruction.
The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to turn away from the snares of death (verse 27). The Christian is safe, saved, happy; as the hymn says,
“Death and judgment are behind him;
Grace and glory are before.”
The righteous trusteth, even in his death (verse 32); his confidence is in God, and he can now say, since Christ has died and is raised again and at the right hand of God,
“I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:3838For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, (Romans 8:38). What heights and depths of grace!
Wisdom rests in the heart of the intelligent (verse 33); the believer (for the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom) has the true knowledge of God, the assurance of salvation, is at rest about his soul’s eternal destiny. The foolish, on the other hand, have no depth; their trust is in themselves like a ship fast drifting on the rocks with its anchor on board. The fault with those who know Christ as their own Saviour and own Him as their Lord, is that they do not apply themselves to learning and practicing what will please Him. The Bible tells us what is pleasing to Him. Shall we not seek out this true wisdom for ourselves?
Messages of God’s Love 6/26/1932