One has often said that faith and salvation go together, that obedience and happiness go together, and that happiness is a state of soul—not a question of circumstances. We hope to bring Christ before you this afternoon as the Wisdom of God for the believer's pathway. I trust that will be our subject.
Oh, how delightful it is to see our brethren happy in Christ! God delights to see His people happy, and He has made every provision in the Word for the happiness of those whom He has redeemed at such tremendous cost. When you have learned that the path of obedience and loyalty to Christ is the only path of blessing and made up your mind to walk in that path, you have started on the road that will lead to the fullest blessing from the hand of God. So we will notice in 2 Cor. 11:2,3:
"For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ."
What does "the simplicity that is in Christ" mean? "Your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ?" Ah, brethren, that means to obey without reasoning. The Apostle refers here way back to the Garden of Eden, when Eve was tempted. The serpent got Eve to reasoning instead of obeying. She looked at that tree and it looked pleasant to the eye; that was perfectly true. It was good for food; and that was perfectly true. It was a tree to be desired to make one wise; that had its truth in it, too. But what did the serpent hide from Eve? That the act of taking the fruit would be disobedience, and the fruit would be death. In other words, Eve began reasoning instead of obeying.
Always remember, beloved Christian, that the Word of God is given to us for the obedience of faith. That is said twice in the Epistle to the Romans; in the first chapter and in the last chapter. It is given to us for the obedience of faith.
Let us turn to various Scriptures along the line of our subject. The first one is in Deut. 4:4-8:
"But ye that did cleave unto the LORD your God are alive every one of you this day. Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the LORD my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it. Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people. For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the LORD our God is in all things that we call upon Him for? And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?"
Here we have Israel redeemed out of the land of Egypt. They have been brought through the wilderness, they are about to be planted in the land of Canaan, and their blessing from the hand of the Lord was to be on the ground of their obedience. There is a moral principle there, brethren. We know perfectly well that our salvation is not the result of anything whatsoever that we have done. Salvation is the fruit of the finished work of Christ on the cross, and everyone who has trusted in the Lord Jesus as Savior will be found up there in glory. It will not be through your faithfulness or mine, but through the faithfulness of that Good Shepherd. But our happiness in our wilderness life does depend upon our obedience.
The sorrow that Christians bring into their lives fills me with sadness as I go about. No wonder the Apostle Paul said of his ministry, that night and day he pleaded with the saints in his day that they might walk in the good of the truth that the Spirit of God committed unto him, and how he warned them with tears. The blessed Apostle labored thus, and one cannot but desire with earnestness of soul the blessing of the beloved flock of God.
Well, you see here in Deut. 4:6: "Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding." Wisdom is putting the light and truth of God, wherein you have been taught of God, into actual practice in connection with the every day circumstances of life. That is the Wisdom of God.
Let me be a little bit practical. We have sometimes said, "Every king on a throne, every ruler of a province, every magistrate, every father and every person will have to give an account some day for how he exercised his place of authority that God has given to him." Are you head of a house? If you are going to have the blessing of God in that home of yours, you must recognize your responsibility before God in connection with that house.
I remember how many times my beloved father said to us children, "By the grace of God I shall not be Eli, but I seek by the grace of God to be Abraham." Eli reproved his sons but restrained them not, but the Lord said of Abraham, "I know him that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord." The blessing of the Lord is the result of hearkening to the wisdom of the voice of God. Remember that while David was a good king he was a poor father. He was a wonderful king, and God blessed him, but he was a poor father; and so it is, you may have the knowledge of the Word of God superior to any one in the meeting where you are, but that does not alter the fact that responsibility is connected with every position that God in His wisdom and mercy and goodness has placed you in. If you are going to have the blessing of God, you must walk in the right ways of the Lord.
Let us travel on in considering Wisdom.
Every time you say, "I think" on every moral and spiritual subject, you think wrong except your thoughts are formed by the Word of God, and we ought to read the Word of God until our thoughts are formed by it. In connection with this remark turn to Psa. 1
"Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly."
Do not walk in the counsel of the ungodly, young man. Let none of us walk in their counsel. That counsel is to pile up riches down here. God saved you, what for? Eternal glory. Did He leave you here to make money and see how much you could gain, or did He leave you here in order for you to have what the world calls a good time? He left you here as a witness for Christ, to be a testimony to Him.
You remember the verse we had in the reading meeting yesterday: "As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you." Brethren, that does not only refer to those we speak of as out in the Lord's work: that refers to every child of God in the family. Notice Psa. 1
"Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners." (Keep out of that kind of company.) "Nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in His law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper."
If you want prosperity according to the mind of God, here is where you will get it. Prosperity that is according to the mind of God is prosperity that will fill your soul with worship and praise. Brethren, it will! For happiness is a state of soul -not a question of circumstances.
I was sitting by a lady in the train who professed to be a Christian. I had spoken to her about her soul. She was reading a magazine. I looked at the magazine and said, "You know, Lady, every magazine you read will put the world into your heart, and the horizon of all your effort will be this life down here. The only Book in the world that will teach you to lay up treasure in heaven is the Word of God." Brethren, I desire for you as I do for myself an abundant entrance into the everlasting kingdom of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. "Lay up for yourselves treasure in heaven." What is lacking in the Church today is devotedness to Christ. I can tell you of many places where there is an open door for the Gospel——-but how little there is of that devotedness to Christ.
You know the flesh loves an easy path as well as an evil path. But let me tell you, the path of devotedness to Christ is filled with joy and blessing. Ah, there is no blessing like the blessing of the Lord. It is a happy path. You never met a Christian that was sorry that he had accepted Christ as his Savior. You never met a saint of God who devoted his life to Christ and at the end of his life said, "I am sorry that I did it." Do you think you will ever meet a saint of God who says, "I am sorry I did not devote my life to making money?" You never did and never will meet one like that.
Let us look at Job 28:7,8: "There is a path which no fowl knoweth, and which the vulture's eye hath not seen: The lion's whelps have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion passed by it." No human discernment can discover it. The great men of our colleges will never give it to you, however keen their minds; however keen their discernment in natural things, they never can discover the path of true happiness and blessing and wisdom. It cannot be found by the discernment of the keenest intellect that man may have, and that is what is meant where it says, "No fowl knoweth, and which the vulture's eye hath not seen."
"The lion's whelps have not trodden it." What does that mean? That means that you cannot walk in it in human strength. I would not be here addressing you this afternoon if I did not have to get down on my knees many times and cry to God for the needed grace and strength to go on. I would not be here, but for that. "The lion's whelps have not trodden it." No human strength can serve the Lord. No human strength will do it, but thank God, you and I can go on in the strength of the Lord if we turn to Him. "Nor the fierce lion passed by it." There is no power over a man who is walking in that path.
Brethren, if you have the confidence that God is with you, you will find strength for your path even if your brethren misunderstand you. I never forgot a remark made by dear brother C. years ago. Walking along B. street in 0. he said, "Brother, you will always find that if you walk with God, the brethren will change their minds about you." Yes, they may falsely accuse you sometimes; they may misunderstand you sometimes, but if you have the confidence that God is with you and go on in that path, the fierce lion cannot overcome you. God will preserve you in that path if you look to Him—if you go on with Him.
"He putteth forth his hand upon the rock; he overturneth the mountains by the roots. He cutteth out rivers among the rocks; and his eye seeth every precious thing." (verses 9, 10.)
I am not going into the detail of it, but there is wisdom in that energy of faith that seeks earnestly the precious things of God. You know, every one of us gets as much of Christ as we want, and our lives have shown how much we want. Where there is the energy of faith, if you value the thing, you will go after it. What about you young folks; may I make a little practical suggestion? Instead of spending your money foolishly, as the world does, how about spending it to buy that kind of literature that would feed your soul with Christ? Do you know why many of the books cannot be published today? Because there is not enough demand for them, that is why. There is plenty of money for other things, but not for that. Let us go on.
You can go over the United States to the colleges and professors of colleges, but the wisdom we are talking about here is not found in man's way of living, it is found in the Word of God. It is found in this precious Book; that is where it is found.
"The depth saith, It is not in me." (verse 14.)
By excavation they discover something about creation, but is the fruit of their labor wisdom? No. They spend all their lives digging and trying to discover, but if you want the wisdom of God, let us do a little "digging" in the Bible—the Word of God.
"The sea saith, It is not with me. It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof. It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx or the sapphire. The gold and the crystal cannot equal it: and the exchange of it shall not be for jewels of fine gold. No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls: for the price of wisdom is above rubies. The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold. Whence then cometh wisdom? And where is the place of understanding? Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of the air. Destruction and death say, We have heard the fame thereof with our ears." (verses 15-22.)
What does that mean? He has ranged through all that man accounts precious—all that he thinks of as permanent—and says that it cannot be found there. Even if you possess jewels, you have not got the true riches. They are not possessed in that way. No acquiring of that kind will buy the true riches. "Destruction and death say, We have heard the fame thereof with our ears." Destruction and death tell you the folly of laying up down here. Oh, how foolish it is to lay up down here and not have the true riches!
I am thinking of a dear Christian whom I knew personally and he died. His wife also died and left their boy about $70,000, and in a few years the whole $70,000 was gone. As far as I know today, the boy is on the way to hell unsaved—the whole $70,000 gone. You know the 49th Psalm says, "Men will praise thee, when thou doest well to thyself." And then it goes on to say, "This their way is their folly: yet their posterity approve their sayings. Selah." "Destruction and death say, We have heard the fame thereof with our ears."
Now notice the last verse of the chapter: Job 28:2828And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding. (Job 28:28)—"And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding."
"The fear of the Lord" means more than simply being a Christian. Brethren you remember it says in Proverbs, "Happy is the man that feareth always." Another verse is, "Be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long." So it says here, "Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding." That is to be afraid to take a step without light from God. I think you know that perhaps the most important steps that are taken in life are taken when you are young. It is in youth that the important decisions are made, and oh, how important it is that the parents and the children have the wisdom of God.
I am going to call your attention to that verse in 2 Cor. 12 That says the parents ought to lay up for the children and not the children for the parents. That does not mean to lay up money, but' sound wisdom. Are you a father? Have you laid up sound wisdom for your children? Have you passed it on to them in the fear of the Lord? I plead with you to do so. Here is Eunice in the Epistle to Timothy—the mother of Timothy—and the apostle was able to say (2 Tim. 3:15,16,1715And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. (2 Timothy 3:15‑17)), "From a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus." But it does not stop there. It says, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works."
Are you a mother or a father? Are you repeating the Scriptures to your children diligently, "when thou sittest down, and when thou risest up, and when thou walkest by the way?" Do you talk to your children about the only way of salvation, and also about the Wisdom of God as found in the Word? And do you seek to direct their footsteps into the path where God in grace can bless them and warm their hearts with the love of Christ that their lives might be devoted to Him and His glory? How necessary it is! The parents ought to lay up for the children—not money, brethren. Ah, no. Lay up sound words, sound wisdom, repeat it to them and plead with them and pray for them, and entreat them in all fatherly and motherly affection that they may grow up in the things of God.
Shall we turn over to some examples? Look back at 2 Chron. 24:11Joash was seven years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Zibiah of Beer-sheba. (2 Chronicles 24:1) "Joash was seven years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem...And Joash did that which was right in the sight of the LORD all the days of Jehoiada the priest."
Now notice verses 15-23:
"But Jehoiada waxed old, and was full of days when he died; a hundred and thirty years old was he when he died." (That is the oldest man in the Bible after the years were cut down to 70.) "And they buried him in the city of David among the kings, because he had done good in Israel, both toward God, and toward his house. Now after the death of Jehoiada came the princes of Judah, and made obeisance to the king. Then the king hearkened unto them. And they left the house of the LORD God of their fathers and served groves and idols: and wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this their trespass. Yet he sent prophets to them, to bring them again unto the LORD; and they testified against them: but they would not give ear. And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, which stood above the people, and said unto them, Thus saith God, Why transgress ye the commandments of the LORD, that ye cannot prosper? because ye have forsaken the LORD, he hath also forsaken you. And they conspired against him, and stoned him with stones at the commandment of the king in the court of the house of the LORD. Thus Joash the king remembered not the kindness which Jehoiada his father had done to him, but slew his son. And when he died, he said, the LORD look upon it, and require it. And it came to pass at the end of the year, that the host of Syria came up against him: and they came to Judah and Jerusalem, and destroyed" (now I want you to notice) "all the princes of the people from among the people, and sent the spoil of them unto the king of Damascus."
Who was it that came to the king and told him to depart from Jehovah and then led them into idolatry? It was the princes of the people. Did God take knowledge of it? Yes, He did, and what happened?
"At the end of the year, the host of Syria came up against him: and they came to Judah and Jerusalem, and destroyed all the princes of the people from among the people." (verse 23.)
That was the government of God. Now notice what I am about to say because it is important. In the Old Testament you get the government of God. You will find that given to you in Heb. 2:2: "Every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward." This is the day of His grace, but do not forget that the Judgment Seat of Christ in a coming day will reveal the perfection of God's government. There is a government of God now, but it is not openly manifested. In the Old Testament it was more openly manifested, and it was written for our instruction to teach, to warn us, for the moral ways of God do not change with dispensations. The moral ways seen in the Old Testament are instructive and for our learning.
Now Joash walked well as long as Jehoiada the priest was alive. Ah, brethren, I will make another remark. I want you to notice it too. The circumstances that occur in your life do not produce your state of soul; they manifest it. In a company like this, for instance, you can all sing the same hymns and break bread together, as many of you did this morning; but if you are not going on with God, some circumstance will happen in your life, and the circumstance will not produce the state of soul; it will manifest it. I plead with you with all my heart and soul, do not go on another day with an accusing conscience. If there is anything on your conscience that is contrary to the Word of God judge it and have it done with. If you do not, being out of communion through a bad conscience, then when some circumstance arises that is adverse, you will not be able to meet the attack of the enemy in the strength of God.
I trust you get hold of what I am trying to say, I feel it myself. How necessary it is that every one of us, dear brethren, walk in the spirit of dependence, crying to God to keep us, for we have no strength against the enemy; but thank God, no fierce lion can attack the man of God if he walks with God in the path of obedience and communion. How blessed it is to walk in that path!
Well here Jehoiada died. I have seen dear boys and girls who were at the Lord's table, and mother and father died, and they drifted off into the world. Ah, how much sorrow they had to reap—how much sorrow! Ah, yes, I have been at the bedside of a saint of God who even doubted his salvation, as one dear sister said to me, "My husband can't sleep and for three months he has been saying, I am lost; I am lost; I am lost!" Thank God, he got peace just before he died, but what an end! I do not want that kind of an end, do you? Let us walk with God.
Let us look at the next chapter, "Amaziah was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem. And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, but not with a perfect heart." (2 Chron. 25:1,21Amaziah was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem. 2And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, but not with a perfect heart. (2 Chronicles 25:1‑2).)
God knows the state of my heart. You broke bread this morning. You sang the hymns, perhaps, this morning; did you do it with a perfect heart? Was your heart loyal to Christ?
What happens? We cannot read it all.
"Moreover Amaziah gathered Judah together, and made them captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds -He hired also a hundred thousand mighty men of valor out of Israel for a hundred talents of silver. But there came a man of God to him, saying, O king, let not the army of Israel go with thee; for the LORD is not with Israel, to wit, with all the children of Ephraim. But if thou wilt go, do it, be strong for the battle: God shall make thee fall before the enemy: for God bath power to help, and to cast down.
And Amaziah said to the man of God, But what shall we do for the hundred talents which I have given to the army of Israel? And the man of God answered, the LORD is able to give thee much more than this."
(2 Chron. 25:5-95Moreover Amaziah gathered Judah together, and made them captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, according to the houses of their fathers, throughout all Judah and Benjamin: and he numbered them from twenty years old and above, and found them three hundred thousand choice men, able to go forth to war, that could handle spear and shield. 6He hired also an hundred thousand mighty men of valor out of Israel for an hundred talents of silver. 7But there came a man of God to him, saying, O king, let not the army of Israel go with thee; for the Lord is not with Israel, to wit, with all the children of Ephraim. 8But if thou wilt go, do it, be strong for the battle: God shall make thee fall before the enemy: for God hath power to help, and to cast down. 9And Amaziah said to the man of God, But what shall we do for the hundred talents which I have given to the army of Israel? And the man of God answered, The Lord is able to give thee much more than this. (2 Chronicles 25:5‑9).)
Isn't that lovely? "Oh," he says, "What will I do? I have given one hundred talents of silver; I am going to lose it." If you are in any connection right now that your conscience tells you is wrong, notice this. "Oh" you say, "but you do not know what I will lose." Do not figure what you will lose. Think of what you will gain. "The Lord is able to give thee much more than this."
Brethren, I have never trusted the Lord in my life but what He has so abundantly blessed me I have been ashamed to take the largeness of the blessing. He will never be your debtor—never will. You cannot do anything to please the Lord and be sorry that you did it. He is too rich to be your debtor. Oh, trust Him, brethren, trust Him! Not only trust Him for your salvation, you get that in the Gospel, but oh, do trust Him with the circumstances of your life. Trust Him! He will never fail you—never has and never will. Blessed be His Holy Name! "The Lord is able to give thee much more." Is that not lovely language? Not only give thee, but give thee much more than this. Much more! How full is the blessing of the Lord!
I have sometimes said, "He has not promised us worldly prosperity." No, He has not, but He has promised us blessing from His hand. I am going to make a remark here that is along a practical line. For instance I have always said that it is never right for a Christian to speculate. The Book of Proverbs says, "Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished (13:11): but he that gathereth by labor shall increase" (or "in the labor of the hands there is increase.") God's purpose and wisdom for man is that he earn his living by working and not by his wits, and the blessing of the Lord is never connected with the Christian's speculating. "Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished, but in the labor of the hands there is increase." Ah, the wisdom of God—the wisdom of God! Do you think you can ever follow that wisdom and be unrewarded by the God that says, He is able to give you much more than this?
Let us go over to Prov. 8
"Doth not wisdom cry? and understanding put forth her voice? She standeth in the top of high places, by the way in the places of the paths. She crieth at the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in at the doors." (verses 1-3.)
Now, if you have read the book of Proverbs carefully, you have noticed in the first seven chapters over and over again it says, "My son, my son, my son," because the ordinary channel of wisdom for the family is the parent, but when you come to the 8th chapter, "my son" is left out. Why? It is as if God said, "If your parents do not give you wisdom, here it is." Some Christians have unsaved parents, and perhaps your unsaved parents would like you to be a president of a bank or mayor of a city. Well, you ought to honor your father and mother, and you ought to walk in obedience, but when it comes to the voice of wisdom, you hearken to the voice of God. Open your ear to what wisdom has to say—so it says here: "She standeth in the top of high places, by the way in the places of the paths." (verse 2.)
That simply is that you come to a point in your life when decisions have to be made, and where will you look for counsel? The Word of God will give you counsel. You remember the Lord says in Luke 11: "When thine eye is single, the whole body also is full of light." Is that not a simple principle? It is a blessed one. Do you know what that means, the single eye? That means if I came to Los Angeles right now with any other object in my mind than the glory of Christ and the blessing of the people of God, I did not have the single eye. The single eye is that our life is to be governed by that which is for the glory of God, and for the blessing of His people, for He loves His people.
"She crieth at the gates" (that is the entry of life), "at the entry of the city" (that is man's organized system of things.) (verse 3)
In other words, do not take a step without the light and wisdom of the Word. Begin your life that way. "At the coming in at the doors." I think that would refer to domestic life, brethren, all in connection with domestic life. It is the wisdom of God that is to govern, and you will find the wisdom of God for your path.
I said to a dear young man who recently got married. "Well, you know no two people in the world think exactly alike, but never let anything that occurs in your married life ever lessen your love for your wife. Love her through everything." That is counsel for you; that is the wisdom of God. "Husbands love your wives even as Christ loved the Church." Does He not love the Church through every circumstance and through every failure? Does He not go on with that Church, and is He not going to present it to Himself a glorious Church without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing? That is the wisdom of God, and if you practice that, you will have a happy home.
The Bible was not given to you just to tell you how to get your soul saved and get to heaven when you die, but to give you a happy pilgrim journey home, the wisdom of God in your pathway.
"Unto you, 0 men, I call; and my voice is to the sons of man. 0 ye simple" ("simple" means uninstructed and that is what we all are naturally. I have no wisdom of my own—no, but thank God, I know where to turn for wisdom. It is to the Word of God.) "Understand wisdom: and, ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart. Hear; for I will speak of excellent things; and the opening of my lips shall be right things. For my mouth shall speak truth; and wickedness is an abomination to my lips." (Chapter 8:4-7.)
Go down to the 32nd verse: "Now therefore hearken unto me, 0 ye children: for blessed are they that keep my ways."
Stop and think! You know the habit of meditation is disappearing. This is an age of hustle and bustle and rush, and one thing after another crowding into our lives. I have sometimes said and submit it to your judgment, it would be better if you read a little less in the morning and "chewed the cud" a little more. Instead of reading a whole chapter, read about two or three verses and "chew the cud"—meditate over it, and you will find the Word of God is full of blessedness. How full it is! Why, even one verse meditated upon can hold meat and drink and strength for a whole day.
"Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye children: for blessed" (what does "blessed" mean? It means happy—blessed of the Lord) "are they that keep my ways. Hear instruction, and refuse it not." (verses 32, 33.)
I think of that verse in the 110th Psalm: "The people shall be willing in the day of thy power." Would it not be nice if we were all willing in the day of His rejection? Would it not be lovely if every one of us would say, "Speak Lord, for Thy servant heareth?" So he says" Hear instruction and be wise, and refuse it not. Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors." (verses 33, 34.)
Notice that we are waiting. God may test your faith, but He will never disappoint your faith. "Waiting at the posts of my doors." That is, God may give us the answer at once. He may keep you waiting—He may test your faith. All His ways are in perfect wisdom, and be assured of it, if He keeps you waiting, it is wisdom on His part that does so. He wants you to learn that spirit that would be submissive to His mind and not take a step without light from Himself. "Waiting at the posts of my doors."
"For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favor of the LORD." (verse 35.)
Is it not lovely to have obtained favor of the Lord? There is no favor like it. If you can put your head on your pillow at the end of the day with the conscious sense that the Lord has led you in the path during the day, you have a sweet pillow to lie on. "Whoso findeth me findeth life and shall obtain favor of the LORD."
"But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul." (Verse 36.)
Do not forget that every act in the Christian's life has its present and eternal consequences. We get away with nothing, not one of us. We must reap what we sow. "He that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul." I used to tell the children, "Children, when you hit your brother, whose soul do you wrong?" They would say, "My own soul, father." That is right. "He that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul," and every act in your life that is disobedient to the Word of God is wronging your own soul. He loves to bless you.
Now we turn to another portion in connection with wisdom.
I am going to stop there and go on to the 6th verse of the 2nd chapter: "Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to naught: But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory." (1 Cor. 2:6,76Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: 7But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: (1 Corinthians 2:6‑7).)
Before I speak on, I am going to make another remark that I believe is helpful. I remember both my mother and father heard Mr. J. N. Darby preach. I will never forget what my mother said, "The first time I was going to hear Mr. Darby preach, I thought, 'Oh, I am going to hear something wonderful,' and I went all keyed up and prepared for a wonderful address by Mr. Darby, whose knowledge of the Word was beyond most of his brethren. And she said, "I was disappointed—not in what he said, but the way he said it. He made no attempt at eloquence." The temptation is to try to be eloquent on the platform. I hope by the grace of God He will keep us from it—anything that attracts you brethren to self will do you harm, and if you are a sister and have a fine voice, anything that attracts to you will do you harm. We ought to attract to Christ. That is the wisdom of God. That is the first part of the 2nd chapter: "And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God." (1 Cor. 2:11And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. (1 Corinthians 2:1).)
Paul was a learned man, brought up at the feet of Gamaliel, but when he came to Corinth, a city in Greece, with all its philosophers, he did not come in excellency of speech. Paul's intention was not to attract those educated philosophers of Greece to himself, but to attract them to Christ. You and I would say, naturally, "If you have eloquence, use it," as a brother in C. told me years ago. "When I got saved I asked God for excellency of speech that I could move hundreds and thousands when I preached the gospel." God is jealous of His glory, and there is only One who is worthy of glory, brethren, and that is the precious, blessed Savior, who died on the cross. He is the only One worthy of glory, and I hope every one of us will learn to give Him the glory -to exalt Him.
I want to tell you a little story that illustrates the thought that is before me. Someone was giving a dear Christian the Wisdom of God, for in chapters 12, 13, 14 of this epistle you get a picture of the early apostolic assembly; you get there the Wisdom of God in connection with edification and worship in the assembly. This man, who was a Christian said, "But that kind of thing, if attempted, would produce confusion." That was his wisdom, for after reading those chapters he said, "That cannot be carried out." But, brethren, that is simply exalting man's wisdom and setting aside the Wisdom of God.
Now the point in 1 Corinthians is that you get the Spirit of God in the assembly of God and the Wisdom of God in connection with the conduct of the meetings. They are to be for edification. They are to be characterized by worship, but there is to be the liberty of the Spirit of God. Man would say, "That cannot be carried out practically." But, oh, thank God it can, as some of us have found. I remember a remark of my dear father. He said, "I would rather have that which displays our weakness in worship, than the finest service organized and planned by man with the Spirit of God set aside as present in the assembly." Ah, how many of us have enjoyed the liberty of the Spirit that would lead one to give out a hymn of praise, another to get up and worship, another to read a Scripture?
Do I expect perfection in the assembly of God? No, brethren, I do not. The flesh is still there and I never expect to see an assembly of God perfect as it comes together for worship and edification. I do not expect to see it perfect because the flesh is there; but God has given in His Word the divine order, and a thousand times has my soul been refreshed, edified, and blessed by the ministry of my brethren by that liberty of the Spirit that led my thoughts to Christ even though perhaps there was not perfection in the order in which it took place. God's order is always the way of wisdom.
And so he says here in the 6th verse: "We speak wisdom among them that are perfect:" ("perfect" there means "full grown") "yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to naught." Ah, their wisdom comes to naught. There is nothing abiding in its character. "But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery" (read that "secret"—and the reason that it is spoken of as a secret is because the wisdom of God is known only to those who belong to the family of God) "even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory; which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him. But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God." (1 Cor. 2:6-106Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: 7But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: 8Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 10But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. (1 Corinthians 2:6‑10).)
We find, then that it is by the Spirit of God that these hidden glories are brought to light. Perhaps the remark was made in the meeting yesterday, that the more brilliant a man's mind is, the more sure he is to go wrong, if he trusts it; and brethren, never try to pigeon-hole the truth too tightly. Do not try to analyze it. Ask yourself the question, "Is this that I am seeking after for the glory of Christ and the edification of the saints?" If it is not, drop it. Leave it alone. 2 Peter 1 Says, "According as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness," as if God said, "I have given you everything you need to know to have life and to walk in godliness." Often that will stop an argument among brethren. Suppose the answer were given, would it produce more godliness in your life? If it would not, why not drop it? Would it exalt the Lord Jesus? You say "No;" well then, drop it. Whatever is for the glory of Christ and the edification of the saints we need to value; hold it fast; never give it up; but that which would only breed questions and differences let us drop.
I remember a remark by dear old J.N.D.: "Brethren should have much largeness in interpretation of the Scriptures as long as the foundations are well maintained." As long as the foundations are well maintained—that was a good remark. How necessary, too! So we find here the Wisdom of God.
You find the Wisdom of God so precious at Galatia. What is the key to the Epistle to the Galatians? Gal. 2:20: "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me." That is the key to the Wisdom of God. Here is the point, brethren, the Galatians were not keeping the law to get saved, but were making the law the rule of life after they were saved, and Gal. 2:2020I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20) was the Wisdom of God to correct it. "The life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God." Do you know what that means? It means that the Son of God, when He was down here, lived to glorify God the Father and was walking in the path of obedience to His Father's will. Paul says, I am walking in the same path; and instead of having the law before his soul, he had Christ before his soul, and so Gal. 2:2020I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20) is the Wisdom of God at Galatia; it was Christ instead of the law.
You will find it in Ephesians, too; what is the Wisdom of God there? The Wisdom of God there is that we are already seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. That is our place, and we are to walk worthy of the calling wherewith we are called. The Wisdom of God is just that.
Take Colossians. The Colossians were giving up holding the Head, and the result was they were introducing philosophy as part of that which would develop man. The whole point in Colossians is, "Christ is all and in all." That is, all for life and all as an Object. In other words, brethren, Christ is the Wisdom of God, and if we are going to avoid the snare of the Galatians, the snare of the Ephesians, and the snare of the Colossians (or the snare of introducing man's ways into the assembly of God), let us hearken to the voice of Wisdom found in the Word, as that Word would say, "Hear ye me." It is the voice of the precious Savior in the Word. How blessed it is, brethren! To have the precious Word of God to give us the voice of wisdom as to our pathway down here!
In concluding our talk this afternoon, what pressed on my heart when I got up to speak, and still continues to press on my heart, brethren, is that we may learn in our lives to take our circumstances from His hand. God is the God of circumstances. He is making all things work together for good to them that love God. Let us keep close to the Lord and never take a step without the light and wisdom of the Word of God to guide us.
In an audience like this, I am sure there are those who are right at the cross-ways where decisions have to be made. A dear man recently said, "I moved away from such and such a place where I was working, attracted by higher wages, and am sorry to tell you brother, I made a mistake. I see it now. I have made a mistake." Ah, is that not too bad? We feel sorry. I love that dear brother. I love him. He is in difficulty now. He said, "I made a mistake, and it was the big wages that did it, it was not Christ." He knows that.
Now, beloved brethren, may God in His grace open our ears to hear the voice of the Man in the glory that died for us. Think how much He loves you. Think how much! I have sometimes said to the children, "Children, I have tried to give you good advice. I have made mistakes at times, and did not give it to you, but oh, children, there is a Father in the glory that will never give you unwise counsel—never will. He loves you too much."
May I conclude by saying, You have trusted Him for your salvation, will you not trust Him for your path? May God give you and give me the grace to do so, for His Name's sake.
H.E.H., January, 1950
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