Instruction in Righteousness (Proverbs #6)

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Jesus Christ is the shepherding father in Proverbs. He directs by His words and so Jesus Christ is the Word in the old Testament. In the New Testament He is the Word made flesh. He is the embodiment of wisdom and righteousness. Psalm 23:3, Proverbs 2:20, and 2 Timothy 3:16 all describe instruction in righteousness which is wisdom, which is what this chapter is about.

Put a value on wisdom

if thou wilt receive my words
Sometimes we fail to make the right decisions because when someone was speaking we weren’t listening.
People come for counsel and the preacher ends up repeating what was said on Sunday. If you’d have been there to receive the words, we wouldn’t have to take this time to redo this. The trouble is they aren’t willing to receive the words at mealtime. It’s like the kid who doesn’t show up for dinner, then wanders in later complaining he’s hungry and there is nothing to eat.
hide my commandments with thee
Meditate on her.
When no one is watching you need to take counsel from wisdom. Don’t forsake wisdom in the dark. We are willing to hide other things, but not wisdom.
Remember them, take them with you.
incline thine ear
Listen for wisdom. Turn your ear toward her.
apply thine heart
Put principle into practice.
crieth after knowledge
You need to ask.
seekest her as silver searchest for her as for hid treasures
Value wisdom like treasure.
You need to come to the point in your life where you’ll dig for wisdom like you will an extra income.

Treasures waiting for the righteous

the Lord giveth wisdom
- God’s the only one that’s got it to give.
- Consider the source. God can’t be fooled. You can’t hide sin then beg Him for wisdom when the sin catches up with you in order to outsmart the consequences.
- It goes back to the first thing we said about sometimes we make bad decisions because when wisdom was speaking we weren’t listening.
out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding
- So all wisdom and knowledge will be in line with this book.
- People say, I had this vision or I got a word of knowledge. Well, that’s great, let’s get what the scriptures have to say about the subject now.
layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous
- God sets aside wisdom for those who please Him.
he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly
- assurance to those who apply what they’ve been given
he keepeth the paths of judgment
he preserveth the way of his saints

Righteousness equips you for deliverance

then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord… find the knowledge of God – find out what God thinks about what’s happening.
understand righteousness, judgment and equity and every good path
Discretion and understanding will deliver you
From the evil man (vss 12-15)
- Speaketh froward things – Froward: Perverse, that is, turning from, with aversion or reluctance; not willing to yield or comply with what is required; unyielding; ungovernable; refractory; disobedient; peevish; as a froward child.
  - Conversation is the dirty jokes, the lewdness, the cursing.
  - In education it shows up as the man that eloquently justifies sin.
- Leave the paths of uprightness – so he was on the path before.
  - Forsakes morals, restraints, self control, self denial
  - He’s led away of his lust and you follow him because you have no wisdom.
- walk in the ways of darkness
  - Prefers to stay out of the light. Men loved darkness because their deeds were evil
  - The thing he doesn’t want is exposure.
  - Consequently he doesn’t know where he’s going.
  - Know not at what they stumble
- Rejoice to do evil
  - calls evil good, results in self justification
  - Delights in those who do the same – Romans 1:32
From the strange woman (vss 16-19)
- Her approach is different. But without discretion you don’t know her approach or the approach of the evil man for that matter.
- flattereth with her words –
- Forsakes and forgets the Father’s care for her. She seeks it out somewhere else.
- Inclineth to death – that’s where her house is facing.
- None that go return – loss of innocence
- Neither take hold on the paths of life… leave the paths of righteousness.

Reason all of this is important is found in verses 21-22.