Proverbs, Wisdom inbuilt into Creation
(Devotion by Graeme Harrison)
PRAYER: The Way, the Truth, and the Life
Lord Jesus Christ,
you have said that you are the Way,
the Truth and the Life:
do not let us at any time stray from you,
for you are our Way;
or ever distrust your promises,
for you are our Truth;
or ever rest in anything other than you,
for you are our Life.
Lord Jesus,
you have taught us
what to believe,
what to do,
what to hope for,
and in whom to take our rest. Amen.
Erasmus, 1466-1536
Read:
Proverbs 8:22-36. Our passage continues the speech of Wisdom idealise as a woman. Read this 3 times, each time asking God’s help and thinking about those words or phrases that leap out at you.
22“The Lord brought me forth as the first of his works,
before his deeds of old;
23I was formed long ages ago,
at the very beginning when the world came to be.
24When there were no watery depths, I was given birth,
when there were no springs overflowing with water;
25before the mountains were settled in place,
before the hills, I was given birth,
26before he made the world or its fields
or any of the dust of the earth.
27I was there when he set the heavens in place,
when he marked out the horizon on the face of the deep,
28when he established the clouds above
and fixed securely the fountains of the deep,
29when he gave the sea its boundary
so the waters would not overstep his command,
and when he marked out the foundations of the earth.
30Then I was constantly at his side.
I was filled with delight day after day,
rejoicing always in his presence,
31rejoicing in his whole world
and delighting in mankind.
32“Now then, my children, listen to me;
blessed are those who keep my ways.
33Listen to my instruction and be wise;
do not disregard it.
34Blessed are those who listen to me,
watching daily at my doors,
waiting at my doorway.
35For those who find me find life
.
36But those who fail to find me harm themselves;
all who hate me love death.”
(Proverbs 8:22-36 NIV)
Thought for the Day:
Wisdom is not seen as a human construct or a culturally specific thing. Instead, it is located in the way God created this world. Because the world operates according to certain rules that God laid out in the beginning certain contemporary behaviours and attitudes will match that pattern and some will contradict. In other words, wisdom is not random.
For instance, honesty and love bring well-being to human society while deception and selfishness do not because that is how God made us to be.
Yet wisdom can only be seen embodied in a local culture (v.34). What love looks like in Egyptian culture will have an Egyptian take, and what it looks like in Samoa will have a Samoan take, and so on …
In John’s Gospel, he uses the Greek word “logos” or in English “Word” to describe this same Wisdom through which God made all things. Wisdom is God. Paul, also, sees Jesus as God’s wisdom incarnate 1 Corinthians 1:22-25. The connection between the creation and Christ’s call to follow him and his wisdom is now clearer. This wisdom is True to nature, so to speak.
“Blessed are those who listen to me.”
Proverbs. Wisdom, She Calls
(Devotion by Graeme Harrison)
PRAYER: For enlightenment of the mind
Enlighten us, O good Jesus,
with the brightness of internal light,
and cast out all darkness
from the dwelling of our hearts.
Grant us, O Lord,
to know that which is worth knowing,
to love what is worth loving,
to praise that which can bear with praise,
to hate what in your sight is unworthy,
to prize what to you is precious,
and above all,
to search out and do your holy will. Amen.
Thomas à Kempis,1380-1471
Read:
Proverbs 8:1-11. Read this 3 times, each time asking God’s help and thinking about those words or phrases that leap out at you.
1Does not wisdom call out?
Does not understanding raise her voice?
2At the highest point along the way,
where the paths meet, she takes her stand;
3beside the gate leading into the city,
at the entrance, she cries aloud:
4“To you, O people, I call out;
I raise my voice to all mankind.
5You who are simple, gain prudence;
you who are foolish, set your hearts on it.
6Listen, for I have trustworthy things to say;
I open my lips to speak what is right.
7My mouth speaks what is true,
for my lips detest wickedness.
8All the words of my mouth are just;
none of them is crooked or perverse.
9To the discerning all of them are right;
they are upright to those who have found knowledge.
10Choose my instruction instead of silver,
knowledge rather than choice gold,
11for wisdom is more precious than rubies,
and nothing you desire can compare with her.”
(Proverbs 8:1-11 NIV)
Thought for the Day:
It is striking that in a patriarchal age, wisdom is epitomised by a woman. Our previous seven chapters depicted a father counselling his son and was focussed on the male’s role in ancient Israelite society.
What is clear from our passage is that the author found it perfectly natural to think a woman could represent everything wise, insightful and good about God. Part of the wisdom to come from this passage is that insight. How does society depict men and women? What roles are we typically assigned that we just don’t like? God is a redeemer and is perfectly able to redeem our self-image as a woman or a man from the stereotypes the world conforms us to. Proverbs sees these ways of thinking in competition with each other and continually challenges the reader to choose.
The key is found in God’s wisdom replacing society’s role models and conventions. Are you ready to be wise?
Proverbs, Wisdom and Scheming
(Devotion by Graeme Harrison)
PRAYER: For forgiveness and strength
Almighty and merciful God,
the fountain of all goodness,
you know the thoughts of our hearts:
we confess that we have sinned against you
and done what is evil in your sight.
Wash us from the stains of our past sins,
and give us grace and power to put away all hurtful things,
so that being delivered from the bondage of sin,
we may bring forth fruits worthy of repentance.
O eternal Light, shine into our hearts;
eternal Goodness, deliver us from evil;
O eternal Power, give us your strength;
eternal Wisdom, scatter the darkness of our ignorance;
O eternal Pity, have mercy on us.
Grant that with all our hearts, and minds, and strength
we may always seek your face;
and finally, in your infinite mercy,
bring us to your holy presence.
So strengthen our weakness
that, following in the footsteps of your blessed Son,
we may obtain your mercy,
and enter into your promised joy. Amen.
Alcuin, 735-804
Read:
Proverbs 6:16-19. Read this 3 times, each time asking God’s help and thinking about those words or phrases that leap out at you.
16 There are six things the Lord hates,
seven that are detestable to him:
17 haughty eyes,
a lying tongue,
hands that shed innocent blood,
18 a heart that devises wicked schemes,
feet that are quick to rush into evil,
19 a false witness who pours out lies
and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.
(Proverbs 6:16-19 NIV)
Thought for the Day:
One wonders whether a person who would do these things would be reading the Bible to begin with. Yet the Old Testament writers saw themselves sharing the wisdom of God in order to guide a whole nation not just the spiritually inclined.
In this instance, it refers to a person who has influence. Even today a person may profess themselves to be a Christian and lead the largest secular Christian nation in the world and still do these sorts of things.
A person may achieve this massive contradiction in their lives by segmenting parts of life from other parts. One church goer openly confessed to legal but unethical business practices by saying that different morals apply to business and private life. This was a dramatic example, but I have found that most of us live double lives and behave differently (not necessarily badly) in each depending on the setting we are in; work, social club, home, talking politics, family, church, etc.
This passage may have something to say to us in some part of our lives that we have not allowed God to influence. Do not be too quick to dismiss this Proverb. Sit with it and see if God has something to say about one or more areas of your life.
Photo by Joel Muniz on Unsplash
Proverbs, Wisdom and Adultery
(Devotion by Graeme Harrison)
PRAYER: A prayer for mercy
Look upon me in compassion, O God,
with your merciful eyes
and accept my fervent confession.
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.
Instead of freedom from possessions, O Saviour,
I have pursued a life in love with material things;
and now I bear a heavy burden.
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.
Lord, you love humankind and desire that all should be saved.
In your goodness call me back and accept me in repentance.
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me. Amen.
Excerpt from the Second Canticle,
the Great Canon by St Andrew
Read:
Proverbs 5:1-11, 21-22. Read this 3 times, each time asking God’s help and thinking about those words or phrases that leap out at you.
My son, pay attention to my wisdom,
turn your ear to my words of insight,
2that you may maintain discretion
and your lips may preserve knowledge.
3For the lips of the adulterous woman drip honey,
and her speech is smoother than oil;
4but in the end she is bitter as gall,
sharp as a double-edged sword.
5Her feet go down to death;
her steps lead straight to the grave.
6She gives no thought to the way of life;
her paths wander aimlessly, but she does not know it.
7Now then, my sons, listen to me;
do not turn aside from what I say.
8Keep to a path far from her,
do not go near the door of her house,
9lest you lose your honour to others
and your dignity to one who is cruel,
10lest strangers feast on your wealth
and your toil enrich the house of another.
11At the end of your life you will groan,
when your flesh and body are spent. …
21For your ways are in full view of the Lord,
and he examines all your paths.
22The evil deeds of the wicked ensnare them;
the cords of their sins hold them fast.
(Proverbs 5:1-11, 21-22 NIV)
Thought for the Day:
A series on Proverbs would not be complete without pausing to reflect on sexual sin. Again, it is plainly gendered as befits the culture of its time. Again, it is the woman’s role to be the temptress for the poor struggling male. If it were not for the fact that writer of this part of Proverbs casts God’s wisdom as a woman in chapter 4:6-9, 3:13-21 we would have wondered whether he had a positive view of women.
Nevertheless, sexual sin as lack of self-discipline appears a number of times in Proverbs and in our world today. What may we learn here as men and women whose problems are not identical to those times but do have some overlap points?
Plainly there is wisdom in being aware that short term gain with long term pain is not a good idea.
Verse 6 shows us that sometimes we are ignorant of our own aimless wandering in life which can lead us to dangerous places. Sexual sin is often not sought out but just stumbled upon. Later on, Proverbs will remind us of the need to surround ourselves with wise friends who can give us good insights about our thinking and choices.
Verse 8 gives us the insight that it is easier to resist temptation if you take early steps to keep away from it. If you are inappropriately attracted to someone, it would be wise to choose never to be alone with them.
Verses 9-11 point out that negative consequences follow a bad choice like winter follows autumn. In Christ, we will be forgiven when we repent but that does not prevent other appalling losses of respect, broken relationships, and trust. To obey God in the first place is the best option and certainly the one advocated by Proverbs.
If you are in the middle of temptation right now there is wisdom here for you. Take it to heart as you turn back toward the God who loves you.
Proverbs, Wisdom and Body
(Devotion by Graeme Harrison)
PRAYER: Here I am, Lord
Here I am, Lord –
body, heart, and soul.
Grant that with your love,
I may be big enough
to reach the world,
and small enough
to be at one with you. Amen.
Mother Teresa of Calcutta, 1910-1997
Read:
Proverbs 4:20-27. Read this 3 times, each time asking God’s help and thinking about those words or phrases that leap out at you.
20 My son, pay attention to what I say;
turn your ear to my words.
21 Do not let them out of your sight,
keep them within your heart;
22 for they are life to those who find them
and health to one’s whole body.
23 Above all else, guard your heart,
for everything you do flows from it.
24 Keep your mouth free of perversity;
keep corrupt talk far from your lips.
25 Let your eyes look straight ahead;
fix your gaze directly before you.
26 Give careful thought to the paths for your feet
and be steadfast in all your ways.
27 Do not turn to the right or the left;
keep your foot from evil.
(Proverbs 4:20-27 NIV)
Thought for the Day:
Our lives really are built around our bodies for good or ill. Where did your eyes linger in this passage? With what body part was it associated? For me I am very aware of “guard your heart” because we live in a society that is very passionate about our right to watch/read/listen to anything we choose but almost wholly ignorant of the impact of such things on our hearts and relationships. “Everything you do flows from it(the heart)”.
All of us take some steps to protect ourselves. There is often a line that we will not cross. But have you taken some time to wonder whether that line is set in the best place? How would you make that decision? Proverbs suggests that such decisions can be based on wisdom rather than anxiety or fear. With what wisdom do you “guard your heart”?
Proverbs , Wisdom and Wealth
(Devotion edited by Graeme Harrison)
PRAYER: A prayer of Commitment
Teach us, good Lord,
to serve you as you deserve:
to give, and not to count the cost;
to fight, and not to heed the wounds;
to toil, and not to seek for rest;
to labour, and not to ask for any reward,
except that of knowing that we do your holy will;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Ignatius Loyola, 1491-1556
Read:
Proverbs 3:9-10, 27-28. Read this 3 times, each time asking God’s help and thinking about those words or phrases that leap out at you.
9Honor the Lord with your wealth,
with the first fruits of all your crops;
10then your barns will be filled to overflowing,
and your vats will brim over with new wine.
27Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,
when it is in your power to act.
28Do not say to your neighbour,
“Come back tomorrow and I’ll give it to you”—
when you already have it with you.
(Proverbs 3:9-10, 27-28 NIV)
Thought for the Day:
Ancient Israel was gradually being taught the ways of God. Such ways often contradicted conventional social wisdom (see v.27. I know some businesses today whose policy is to never pay an invoice on time even though they do have the money) But God’s lessons on topics developed over a thousand years often growing sharper and more intense until culminating in Christ’s teachings. Our passage is from seven hundred or so years before Jesus.
How does it agree with Jesus’ teaching about wealth? And it what ways does Jesus add a whole new understanding of wealth and its impact on us for good or ill?
Examine your current use of wealth. Does it look more like Proverbs (which is good)? Or does it look more like Jesus (which is better)?
Proverbs , Wisdom and God
(Devotion edited by Graeme Harrison)
PRAYER: The Shield of God
May the strength of God pilot us.
May the power of God preserve us.
May the wisdom of God instruct us.
May the hand of God protect us.
May the way of God direct us.
May the shield of God defend us.
May the host of God
guard us against the snares of evil
and the temptations of the world.
May Christ be with us,
Christ before us,
Christ in us,
Christ over us.
May your salvation, O Lord, be always ours,
this day and for evermore. Amen.
Part of the ‘Breastplate’ of St Patrick, 389-461
Please remember in your prayers today all those from Living Faith Church who are starting the Safe Water September challenge. A fundraiser to provide sustainable safe drinking water in Vanuatu and Zimbabwe. https://www.safewaterseptember.org.au/About
Read:
Proverbs 3:1-7. Read this 3 times, each time asking God’s help and thinking about those words or phrases that leap out at you.
My son, do not forget my teaching,
but keep my commands in your heart,
2for they will prolong your life many years
and bring you peace and prosperity.
3Let love and faithfulness never leave you;
bind them around your neck,
write them on the tablet of your heart.
4Then you will win favour and a good name
in the sight of God and man.
5Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
6in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.
7Do not be wise in your own eyes;
fear the Lord and shun evil.
(Proverbs 3:1-7 NIV)
Thought for the Day:
The first 7 chapters of Proverbs reads as a father passing down his wisdom to his son. This reads as a very gendered monologue set in the culture of its time but that does not mean it is devoid of value for us. ‘Leaning on your own’ understanding can refer to every society’s view that it is smarter, wiser, and more civilised than all who came before whether the generation including one’s parents or as long ago as bronze age Israelites. A self-satisfied arrogance prevents a person (or community) from recognising hard won insights and wisdom, or the possibility that God visited them with a gift that is also meant for us.
What wisdom did you find today? How will you integrate it into your life?
God of hope
(Devotion edited by Ros McDonald)
Image: Bibbulmun Track, WA, Wayne McDonald
Prayer:
Life-giving God,
you long for us to be agents of hope, sowing seeds of hope.
Yet at times in the midst of uncertainty
we lose sight of who and what we are called to be and do.
Life-giving God,
give us open hearts, minds and lives.
Breathe new life into us so we may arise anew.
May we stretch our wings and soar on the winds of the Spirit,
carried by your grace and liberating hope.
(Sourced from Abundant Grace Liberating Hope, 2018)
Read:
Jeremiah 32: selected verses
Read this 3 times, each time asking God’s help and thinking about those words or phrases that leap out at you.
This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord in the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar. The army of the king of Babylon was then besieging Jerusalem, and Jeremiah the prophet was confined in the courtyard of the guard in the royal palace of Judah.
Jeremiah said, “The word of the Lord came to me: ‘Your cousin is going to come to you and say, ‘Buy my field at Anathoth, because as nearest relative it is your right and duty to buy it.’”
I knew that this was the word of the Lord; so I bought the field at Anathoth from my cousin Hanamel and weighed out for him seventeen shekels of silver.
This is what the Lord says: You are saying about this city, ‘By the sword, famine and plague it will be given into the hands of the king of Babylon’; but this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I will surely gather them from all the lands where I banish them in my furious anger and great wrath; I will bring them back to this place and let them live in safety. They will be my people, and I will be their God.
Thought for the day:
Our passage today is set around 590BCE during a time of war, famine and plague. Whilst Jerusalem is being besieged by Babylon, Jeremiah has been placed in lockdown because he was predicting defeat. Even so, in a lull in the fighting, God told Jeremiah to buy a field outside the city walls, in land held by the enemy, promising that one day God’s people would be able to live on the land and farm it. Jeremiah purchased the land because God’s promise gave him hope that a better future would come to pass. His action helped the future to become a reality.
I like Jeremiah. He gives me courage to do something that looks silly. In the middle of stage 4 lockdown, I am training for a hike. Every day for my permitted one hour of exercise I put on my pack and boots, grab my poles, and walk around the local streets. I live in hope that there will come a time when we can travel more than 5km from our homes.
What hope-filled steps are you taking to be ready for the future God has in store?
Finish by rereading the prayer.
Proverbs , Wisdom and Choice
(Devotion edited by Graeme Harrison)
PRAYER:
God who is with us
at our beginning and our ending,
be with us now.
Help us to find you
in the chaos of our lives.
Let your light shine in our darkness
so that we may be guided
to walk in your ways all the days of our life.
(Prayer by Ulla Monberg, in The Book of a Thousand Prayers, compiled by Angela Ashwin, Zondervan 2002)
Read:
Proverbs 2:1-12. Read this 3 times, each time asking God’s help and thinking about those words or phrases that leap out at you.
My son, if you accept my words
and store up my commands within you,
2turning your ear to wisdom
and applying your heart to understanding—
3indeed, if you call out for insight
and cry aloud for understanding,
4and if you look for it as for silver
and search for it as for hidden treasure,
5then you will understand the fear of the Lord
and find the knowledge of God.
6For the Lord gives wisdom;
from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
7He holds success in store for the upright,
he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,
8for he guards the course of the just
and protects the way of his faithful ones.
9Then you will understand what is right and just
and fair—every good path.
10For wisdom will enter your heart,
and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.
11Discretion will protect you,
and understanding will guard you.
12Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men …
(Proverbs 2:1-12 NIV)
Thought for the Day:
In verses 7-8 you might wonder how God protects, shields and guards us? How does God give us success? Is the writer suggesting that if you follow the ways of wisdom that God will pull some strings behind the scenes as a reward? That would seem out of kilter with the whole flow of these proverbial sayings. They seem to be indicating that the whole purpose of wisdom is to give you the tools to make good choices that will naturally lead to a safer and richer life. God’s involvement here in Proverbs is the source of all wisdom. God as wisdom incarnate is depicted symbolically as a confident woman in Proverbs 8.
A better safer richer life is not the result of God fixing things but as a result of listening to God in the first place and making good choices. Bearing in mind that Christ always enables us to rise up again after making pour choices, a better way is to avoid the ‘fall’ in the first place. Wisdom offers us this possibility.
Do you see gathering this sort of wisdom as practical and life enhancing?