Prayer

Almighty God, my loving Heavenly Father, thank you for a new day of life. I praise and worship you, thank you for the privilege of this life. As I start out on this new day that you have given me, whatever this day may bring, O Lord, thou art God. You alone decree and determine all things, only help me I pray to be faithful with whatever is allotted to me. O Lord, meet me, I pray, in the midst of my great weakness. I am not sufficient unto the doing of this day. Unless you preserve me, I can do nothing. Again I cry out for wisdom, my wisdom is profoundly lacking. Please cause me to abound in wisdom, that I may know and discern how I must live to please and serve you. So may it be in the lives of all the saints, in Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Reading

Proverbs 1:2-5.

“To know wisdom and instruction,to understand words of insight,

to receive instruction in wise dealing,in righteousness, justice, and equity;

to give prudence to the simple,knowledge and discretion to the youth—

Let the wise hear and increase in learning,and the one who understands obtain guidance.”

Meditation

Why did Solomon write the book of proverbs? In Proverbs 1:2-5 Solomon lays out four major reasons as to why he wrote this book. We’re going to look at these four reasons in this meditation.

The first of these reasons is simply: to make us wise. In verse two we read: “To know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight”. What Solomon is talking about here is far deeper than just intellectual knowledge. This is not just about learning information to pass some test. No, Solomon writes that we may “know wisdom and instruction”. That word “know” has a connotation of intimacy about it. Solomon wants wisdom to become a part of who we are. He wants to write wisdom into your spiritual DNA. He wants it to have a profound effect on the way you view the world, and thus to start to change the way you live in the world. This is what it means to become wise, it means that the way we are and the way we live truly starts to change. Wisdom actually impacts your life. In an earlier meditation we talked about “living an exceptional life”. Wisdom is the essential working ingredient in every exceptional life. So that’s the first reason Solomon wrote this book: to make us wise. For that reason, this devotional series of books that I’m writing, as an exposition of the Book of Proverbs, has the same aim: to make us wise.

Here is the second reason that Solomon wrote the Book of Proverbs: to instruct us in how to obey God’s law. Verse three says that Solomon writes that we may “receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity.” There is a close relationship between wisdom and the righteous law of God. Perhaps I can put it this way: the law teaches us what God’s righteousness and justice looks like on a human level, wisdom teaches us how, and is the innate capacity, to skillfully apply and live out God’s law. Wisdom is the ability to rightly apply and live out God’s revealed will. In the course of these studies, we should expect so see numerous parallels with scripture more broadly as Solomon gives practical expositions of God’s righteous law. And remember: the law of God is a revelation of his righteous character as it would look in the life of his creatures. Wisdom is thus the forming of God’s righteousness in our lives – it is a restoration of the image of God within us! Ultimately, it is the formation of Christ’s character within us.

The third reason Solomon wrote the book of Proverbs was to give maturity to the young. In verse four we read that Solomon’s writings are intended to “give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth”. This is also very obvious as we consider the nature of the dialogue in chapters one through nine of the book as a whole – it’s a dialogue of a father speaking to his son. Young people are not naturally wise. We’re not born with wisdom coursing through our veins. On the contrary, as Proverbs 22:15 says “Folly is bound up in the heart of a child.” The book of Proverbs thus has a very special role to play in instructing children and young people. Parents ought to use it in discipling their children, young people ought to pay careful attention to it (give this book to a young person!). If we do not receive wisdom, then in our old age we will still be naive simpletons, unable to exercise discernment. Living foolishly. For those of us who are physically older, but still spiritually immature, the lesson also applies here, for the Book of Proverbs will be a welcome tonic for our spiritual growth.

Prudence speaks to teaching us the best and most effective way of living out and accomplishing righteousness. It suggests that the prudent will be “cunning” unto the accomplishment of that which is good. Similarly, as Paul Washer has pointed out, discretion connotes the capacity to make the right choice in a given situation. This is discernment. In other words, as wisdom is formed in us through our prayerful studies through the Book of Proverbs, part of what this means is that we will become skillful in doing good. That sounds appealing to me! This is moral excellence outworked in our lives.

The fourth and final reason Solomon gives for writing the Book of Proverbs is to give increased wisdom to the mature. In verse five we read: “Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance”. There is always more space to grow in wisdom, one never “arrives”. So, yes, the Book of Proverbs especially targets young people in order to give them wisdom, but it is also a constant source of further growth for those who are more mature in the faith. Proverbs is a book to be taken in steady doses for a lifetime of learning and spiritual growth. SDG.

Be ye doers of the word…

As Paul Washer reflects in his meditations on Proverbs, we live in a perilous world. Without wisdom, the world will eat us alive. There will be snares placed before us, temptations, and without wisdom we will walk heedlessly on in to those snares. I’ve sought to impress the importance of being diligent in this study of Proverbs. You don’t have to read these books, but you do have to make a serious investment into the Book of Proverbs, and the Word of God. My hope is that these articles/podcasts, as the series unfolds, will be a serious help to make that investment. Don’t read a few articles and then give up (unless you have a committed alternate and better plan for making this investment!).

Prayer of Confession & Consecration

Dear Lord God, our Heavenly Father, we praise you the God of wisdom. Your understanding knows no limits, and your insight is boundless. Lord, we are small and foolish by nature, and stand in great need of your wisdom. Through these studies in Proverbs, please impart to us your wisdom – that we may know instruction, and understand words of insight. Without your power at work within us, we can do nothing. For the sake of Christ who loved us, please reform us anew into your image, that we may have wisdom. Please Lord, spare us from laziness in these studies, and make us increasingly to walk in the ways of wisdom. All praise, glory, and thanks be to you who gives wisdom freely to all who ask. We thank you Lord! In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Prayer

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory, forever and ever, amen. I pray, O Lord, that you feed my soul as I read your word now. Please purify and sanctify my heart, unite my heart that I may fear your name. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Reading

Genesis 2:4.

“These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens.”

Meditation

As we continue on in our study of Genesis 2, we quickly find that something significant changes from chapter one. In chapter one we see the almighty Creator making the world. The Hebrew uses the term “Eloheem”. In chapter two this changes, and the Hebrew begins to use the name: “Yahweh Eloheem” of God. In the common English translations it is often rendered: “LORD God”, just as we find it in verse four. To the ancient Hebrew reader, this difference would have actually conveyed something very significant. LORD God was the familiar, covenant name by which Israel knew their God. Chapters one and two taken together, therefore, would have made one thing abundantly clear to Israel. It would have shown them very clearly that their God, Yahweh Eloheem, was in fact the Creator of the universe.

Chapter two of Genesis shows us as the people of God that our God is, in fact, the supreme Maker of heaven and earth. We need to realise this too. From a New Covenant perspective, we can say more as we actually realise that Christ, our Lord, is the Creator of the world. Colossians 1:16 shows this explicitly: “by him (Christ) all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.” Christ is the Creator of the world. God is the Author of your life, and God has revealed himself through Christ. It is not Allah who made the worlds. We do not originate from a pantheistic nirvana. It was Christ, the Son of God, who formed the rolling spheres above us.

Be ye doers of the word…

Do you ever feel like the ground has fallen out from under you? Like you’re tumbling? Like something has happened that was never supposed to happen? We all know bad things happen, but somehow when things are going well we kind of think they won’t happen to us. But then they do, and you find yourself sitting in a hole so dark that you never thought there could be a darkness like this. The truth of the matter is that things did go wrong. Paradise was lost, and the world in which we now live has much darkness. There are many trials, tribulations, dangers, toils, and snares. But one thing hasn’t changed, he’s got the whole world in his hands. Christ is still the author. The application is very clear then, and it is simple: cling desperately to Christ. We’re not here to write our own script, he writes the script, and we must seek to cling to and rely upon him who is our hope, our rock, our strength, and our salvation.

The one who stood over Adam and breathed breath into his nostrils still stands over you today. Do you understand that? As Adam opened his eyes for the first time, and God was there above him, in all splendour and beauty, there Adam found himself in God’s image. The Lord was there on your first day too. He knit you together in your mother’s womb (Ps 139), he saw to it that you would arrive safely. He is with you even now as you read. The world has fallen, it’s true, but the Author is here, and he remains the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Here, then, is the truth of the matter: he is your hope and your life, not just for the future but for today. Right now. We must learn to totally depend upon and cling desperately to Christ. You will not make it if you do not cling to him. If you do not seek him continually, and cry out desperately, you’re done for. In Proverbs 2:3 we read: “if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.” Call out everyday for Christ, for insight into his word, and then take up his word and seek for understanding like silver. Dig in to the word of Christ and search for wisdom like you’re searching for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the LORD, and you will find the knowledge of God.

What is it that you are clinging to in your life right now? What is it that’s giving you purpose and direction? What amusements have gripped your heart? What is that is giving you satisfaction? If it’s not Christ, it’s not life. Life’s to short not to be 100% dedicated to Christ. You don’t need to write the script for your own life, and one of the things we need to learn is to stop trying to do that. Stop trying to get things done in your own strength. We must learn to constantly, continually, and sweetly wait on Christ. You will find that as you do that, abiding in his word, he will write the most wonderful story in your life. There will be a cross, it’s true, you will be granted the privilege of sharing in his suffering, but there will be a garden as well – in the fullness of time. All the brokenness will be mended, all the darkness will be driven out, and every tear will be wiped away.

Don’t look for paradise in the things of this world. You won’t find it in money, possessions, amusements, or pleasures. The true beauty of paradise is the presence of God himself. Cling desperately to Christ. Devote yourself to knowing and loving Christ. As we do that, we will find that – even in this life – we begin to receive a foretaste of paradise restored as it will be in the life to come, where we will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. SDG.

Prayer of Confession & Consecration

We thank you for your word.

We thank you for the hope that we have in Christ.

We thank you that you made all things through your son, the Lord Jesus.

And we thank you that our lives are in your hands.

Help us always to trust in you and always and fully to seek our satisfaction and joy in you alone.

And may the pleasures and good gifts that you give us in this life serve as

signposts to turn us back again to you in our life.

And we pray in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Prayer

O Lord, my soul clings to the dust, revive me according to your word. You have shown us that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from your mouth, O God. In this vale of death, I feel death’s cold touch constantly seeking to make inroads into me – body and soul. And I have not the power to resist or undo it’s power. My hope is in you alone. Forgive me, O Lord, for my many sins. My sins have overtaken me, I cannot see. They are more than the hairs of my head, my heart fails within me. Be pleased O Lord to save me, O Lord come quickly to help me, give me life according to your word. Give us this day our daily bread. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Reading

Genesis 2:4-7.

“These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens.

When no bush of the field was yet in the land and no small plant of the field had yet sprung up—for the Lord God had not caused it to rain on the land, and there was no man to work the ground, and a mist was going up from the land and was watering the whole face of the ground— then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.”

Meditation

When you read Genesis 2:5-7, what do you notice? Go ahead and read it again if you like. I’ll tell you what Moses wanted us to notice when he wrote. He wanted us to notice that in this big story that we call history, it’s God who writes it. Notice that it is God who sets the scene, it is God who takes the initiative. God is the hero of the story. He is the hero of every story! Verse 5 points out that no bushes or small plants had yet grown. Why is that? It is because God had not yet provided rain, and he had not yet made man. As we live our lives in this story, in God’s world, there is something of fundamental importance that we must understand: everything depends on God.

Verses 5 and 6 give us a picture of undeveloped potential, and it is only as God moves that that potential begins to unfold. Verse 5 points out that God had not yet sent rain, verse 6 tells us that water was rising up from the ground. In other words: life was coming. Plants, as everyone knows, need water to grow and live. Water is a picture of life. Keep that in mind, it’s important. So God begins watering the ground in verse 6, he provides water, but the ground also needed a man to work it according to our text, and so what does God do in verse 7? He provides a man. The central truth remains very clear in all of this is, again, that God is the author.

Be ye doers of the word…

How ought we to benefit from what we have learned here? Firstly, consider this: youu are not the originator of your life. You are not in control of your environment. You are living in God’s world, you are breathing his air, you have been granted residence in his body. Psalm 24:1 tells us that the earth is the Lord’s and everything in it. Now consider this a little further: if God gave you your life, just as he gave Adam life on day six, at what point do you get to take charge and do things your way? As we’re going to see in chapter three, that’s exactly where the problems began, Adam and eve did things their way. But our lives are not designed for us to do things our way, they’re designed for us to learn, enjoy, and grow in God’s ways. God alone gives us purpose and direction.

The point of application here is simple enough: live life God’s way. Is that how we strive, in dependence on God’s grace, to live our lives? In total dependence on the God who made us and all the world around us? Being totally submissive to the Father’s will? That’s how Christ lived. That’s how he taught us to pray: “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” We need to get serious about the way that we’re conducting ourselves in the few short years that we have to live here. We need to be living out our time out in the fear of God. So consider the question again: Where are you looking in life for your purpose? What is it that’s setting your direction? God is the designer of your life, he alone gives you purpose. To step outside of that design is to invite death (we will get to that lesson in more detail when we arrive at the tree of the knowledge of good and evil). Seek to live your life, in all things, by God’s revealed purposes and design. SDG.

Prayer

Almighty God, may Christ’s reign extend over all the earth. May your kingdom come, may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. May the hearts of your people, and especially of my brothers and sisters in my local church, be greatly submitted to the subduing influence of the Holy Spirit today. I pray again, O Lord, I cry out – please give unto me wisdom! Please cause me to excel in understanding and insight. Feed me upon your word this day, I pray, and lead me in the way everlasting. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Reading

Proverbs 1:1

“The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel.”

Meditation

The first verse of this book reveals the author to us: Solomon, son of David, king of Israel. We have the accounts of Solomon in the books of the books of Kings and Chronicles for background. When it comes to his authorship of the Book of Proverbs, as well as that of Ecclesiastes, we find a special and lasting record of the supernatural gift of wisdom that God gave to King Solomon, who asked for wisdom from God and received a measure of it unlike any other. He is the pre-eminent author of wisdom literature in the Bible.

Even with these things in mind, however, there is actually something far more important we need to consider when it comes to Solomon’s identity. Verse one notes that he is the “Son of David”, and that title comes with far more weight than the mere fact that King David was his immediate father. To see the significance of this, we need to consider the promise that God made to David in 2 Samuel 7, in which he essentially wedded together the lineage of David with the greater promise of blessing to the all the nations given to Abraham at the beginnings of the nation of Israel (Gen 12:1-3). In that promise, God said to David:

“‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over my people Israel. And I have been with you wherever you went and have cut off all your enemies from before you. And I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth... (v11) Moreover, the LORD declares to you that the LORD will make you a house. When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom... And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.’”

In this promise, God said that he would establish an everlasting kingdom through the “Son of David”. Certainly God blessed Solomon greatly, but it must be said that Solomon’s failure as a king was also dramatic, and even resulted in a fracturing and diminishing of the kingdom. He, it become apparent, was not the one who would fulfill this promise. Furthermore, the prophets continued to prophesy of one who would come, the promised “Son of David”. Down through the years, David’s line endured, but the long-expected son did not appear. However, when the Lord Jesus was born, of the line of David, one of his titles was “Son of David” (Mt 1:1; 21:15). It was he who would be the promised Messiah (Messiah simply meaning: “Anointed King”).

Bringing this back to the Book of Proverbs, this all has great significance, for what it shows us is that, as we read this book, we are not just listening to Solomon. In fact, Solomon is very much the secondary figure here. God himself is the true and ultimate author of this book (2 Tim 3:16-17), and he has revealed himself through Christ, of whom all scripture speaks (Luke 24:27). All Scripture points to Christ, and when it comes to the Book of Proverbs what this means is that Solomon is the prophetic voice of Christ’s wisdom. This book reveals the wisdom of the Son of David, which is another way of saying that when we read Proverbs, it’s Christ – Son of God – who is speaking to us.

Considering this from another angle, in 1 Corinthians 1:24, the Apostle Paul calls Christ “the wisdom of God”. What this means is that as Proverbs takes up wisdom as it’s chief subject, it is thus an exposition of Christ’s character and likeness, prophetically declared from the mouth of Christ through Solomon. Colossians 2:3 likewise says that in Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and thus, in writing Proverbs, Solomon was a prophetic mouth-piece for God. The Book of Proverbs is mentoring, guidance, and direction from Christ, the man above all men, for us to become men like him! SDG.

Be ye doers of the word…

The basic lesson for us to learn here is simply this: listen to Jesus’ voice in the book of proverbs. As we open up and study this book, this is not worldly wisdom. It is not just a series of tips for living the good life. In studying this book, we come to this book to sit at the feet of Christ, to listen as he speaks wisdom to us and reveals his mind to us that we may become like him. In the New Covenant we see that Christ is the heart and substance of our relationship with God, and thus with clarity we can say that Jesus Christ, the Son of David, speaks to us through this book of proverbs. Could there be any greater reason to attract our attention? Here we have the chance to sit at the feet of Christ and learn from him! Listen to Jesus’ voice in the book of proverbs. This we will seek to do as we continue on through these studies. Take up and read!

Prayer of Confession & Consecration

Lord God, please forgive me for approaching the Book of Proverbs as a mere self-help book, or as a quest for self-improvement. I pray that as I study this book, seeking to grow in wisdom, that I might come with the expectation that I am coming to meet with Christ each day. I pray that I may come seeking to know more of your heart revealed through him. I pray that these may be sweet times of fellowship, delight, instruction, and correction with you. And so may you draw all the people of God into such joy and fellowship. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Prayer

Almighty God your word gives life and brings light and life to all mankind. We pray that as we read your word now, please speak to us by your Holy Spirit. Please renew our minds. Conform us to your desires in our life. Lord, help us. Show us our sins. Strengthen us and be merciful to us. We ask for your blessing and help now as we open your word in Jesus' name. Amen.

Reading

Genesis 2:4.

“These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens.”

Meditation

As we begin our meditation today, let me give you a little lesson in Hebrew! There’s an important Hebrew word that you need to understand to make sense of the Book of Genesis, and that word is: “Toledot”. It’s right there in verse four: “These are the generations of…”. That phrase translates this word “Toledot”. There are ten toledots in the book of Genesis, ten narratives, if you like. We’re accustomed to thinking of Genesis as being made up of fifty chapters, but those chapter divisions weren’t inserted until 12th century. No, think of Genesis as ten toledots, and the first of those toledots starts right here in 2:4 with the Edenic Narrative (the next one starts in chapter five).

Now these toledots are designed to do something, to trace the story of different people across the Book of Genesis. Chapter five gives us the Toledot of Adam, chapter 6:9 gives us the Toledot of Noah, chapter ten gives us the Toledot of the sons of Noah, and so on. If you can understand this, you are beginning to think a little bit more like a Hebrew! Basically what a Toledot does is it tells us what became of something. What become of Adam, what became of Noah. But here in 2:4, our Toledot, it’s a little different. We don’t learn about what became of anyone in particular here, which is what the other Toledots do. This first Toledot gives us the story of what became of the heavens and the earth: “These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens.”

As Moses penned these words, and the people of Israel, who were about to enter the promised land, read and heard them, they would understand where they came from. They would understand what the world was, what humanity was, who God was, and what God was doing in the world – why he made the world.

Be ye doers of the word…

Now let me pause here for a moment, and let’s ask ourselves a question: Why in the world do we need to know about Toledots? Well, let me tell you why, it’s because Toledots direct us to Christ. Why do we need the Book of Genesis? What difference does it make to our lives? In the first place, it makes sense of our lives. If your memory was completely wiped right now, you would have no direction in life. You would have no idea about what to do. You couldn’t find your way home, you wouldn’t know what a home is, you would be sitting in a room full of strangers, and you would be utterly confused and probably scared. Tou wouldn’t know what to do because there would be no reference point in your understanding.

The stories of our lives, as we recall that story, gives us reference points to direct us how to live. It’s an essential part of our view of the world – or worldview. Now that’s true on an individual level, without your personal memory you would be in all sorts of trouble. But it’s also true on a cosmic level. The difference in lifestyle between an atheist and a Christian is significant, and those differences are fundamentally formed by the basic worldview that each person has. An atheist has a completely different conception of the world and history than what we do as Christians, and that conception significantly changes the kinds of decisions they make and the way that they live. The same could be said of adherents to other religions. So we need Genesis to give us this cosmic perspective on history, to show us how the worlds were formed, why the world exists – Genesis makes sense of history.

But there’s an even more significant reason why we need the book of Genesis, and that reason is to point us to Christ. In our reading from Luke 24, we find a very important insight about how the Old Testament works. One of the big issues in the modern church is that we tend to avoid the Old Testament, and I think one of the reasons for that is because we don’t understand how it works. Verse 27 in Luke 24 particularly gives us the very first lesson we need to know when it comes to a foundational knowledge of the Old Testament scriptures: “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.”

The lesson of this verse is that the Old Testament is actually all about Jesus. Notice that phrase there in verse 27: “beginning with Moses…” Now what does that mean? Which books did Moses write? You know the answer! Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy – the Pentateuch. In other words, according to Christ himself, Genesis is all about Christ.

Now just pause for a moment and ask yourself: have I ever considered how Genesis points to Christ? Well, have you? If the answer is “no”, then the application today is to begin learning how to do that, because I’m going to tell you how it points to Christ. I’ve already said it earlier, the toledots point to Christ. Now let me show you how this works. As you work your way through the ten toledots of Genesis, what you notice is that there’s a kind of zooming in. The first toledot – here in 2:4 – starts with the big big picture: “These are the generations of the heavens and the earth”. This is the widescreen tv. The second toledot narrows down to Adam, the third to Noah, the fourth to Noah’s sons. Later on it gets even more focused when we get to the toledot of Abraham, then the toledot of Isaac, then Jacob. In other words, Genesis traces the family tree, or generations, of Israel. But it’s all pointing to him, it’s all speaking about Christ – the true Israel. And that is the most relevant thing possible! Because Christ is the way, the truth and the life, and there is no life without him.

We talked earlier about the big picture of history, and how it started in Eden, and that God’s intention is to bring us back to Eden. Well, there’s only one way back to Eden, and that is by believing in Jesus Christ the Son of God. All of scripture points to him, and all of scripture is a revelation of him. And so I ask you this: Do you know him? Have you believed? Have you come to drink of the water of life? In John 4 as Jesus spoke to the samaritan woman by the well, he said: “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” As we continue on in these studies, this will not be some arcane lesson in ancient things. This will be a constant lesson in how to seek Christ in the Edenic narratives, how to listen for his voice in these scriptures, and in all to be conformed to his will and image in so doing. SDG!

Prayer of Confession & Consecration

Dear Lord, I pray that as I read and study the Book of Genesis, that you would speak to me as you spoke to the disciples on the road to Emmaus all those years ago. Please unfold to me from Moses and the prophets all things concerning yourself. Please renew my vision of the world in which I live, and of the life that you have given me. Please give me a powerful new sense of my identity in you. Please teach me to read the scriptures of the Old Testament, and to hear your voice and to see you through its pages. Lord, let this not be or become something academic, but please walk with me. And please, in all these studies, conform me to your good and perfect image, after the likeness of the Father. Heavenly Father, graciously hear my prayer, and so work by your Spirit’s power that I may live a life ever more glorifying to you. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Prayer

Lord God, thank you for your word, which gives life to us. We pray that you may mercifully meet with us now and speak to us and help us as we open your word together, begin this new series of studies in the narrative of Eden in the book of Genesis. We ask for your help, for your gracious mercies, and we pray in Jesus' name, Amen.

Reading

Genesis 2:4-17.

Meditation

If you got to write the script for your life, what would your idea of the perfect life be? Just let you imagination run wild for a second. Would you give yourself an IQ of 200? Maybe make yourself into a Hollywood Movie star? Perhaps you just want to tweak a few things, maybe make yourself ten centimetres taller, and ten kilograms lighter. Perhaps you’d give yourself the body of a body builder, and maybe you’d do a bit of editing too – perhaps you could do without one or two of the trials you’ve had in your life. Perhaps you’d like a change of degree or career. It would be good if cancer was out of the picture, and we could do with those anxiety problems. The chronic headaches and long term illnesses can go. It would be great to give our long lost loved ones a few more years of life. Actually, why not write death out of the script altogether since we’re writing the story!

Life as we now know it is far from the ideal that we desire, and yet the question is there: What actually is the ideal? What does that actually mean? What would that actually look like? In this series of studies, which pick up at the very beginning of the story of the human race, provide insight into this question. Truth be told, if we could write our own script, there’s every chance we would mess it up. If you don’t believe me, go and read Ecclesiastes 2. King Solomon did write his own script, he gave himself every pleasure under the sun, and what was his conclusion? In the end, he found that his heart was not satisfied, and that everything he had quickly disappeared anyway.

Solomon made another interesting observation along these lines as well, in Ecclesiastes 3:11 “He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.” There is actually a way that things were meant to be. There is an “ideal life” dancing around the edges of our imagination. As we study life in the garden of Eden, we’re going to also see that this is real. It was real in the beginning, and it shall be real again at the end. In our studies of the Edenic Narrative, we will see this very clearly. But we must begin in the beginning.

Genesis is a historical narrative. That is the first thing we must keep in mind, and in every narrative, you’ve got a few key ingredients. You’ve got the set-up, there are the main characters. There is a relative balance, perhaps a peace, at the beginning, and then something in the narrative goes drastically wrong. The idyllic life in the story is threatened, and then a hero emerges to save everyone from danger and restore peace again. So it is in every good fairy tale. But one of the things that we need to realise is that all the stories we tell, they are all shadows – in one way or another – of the biggest story of all. It’s the story that we ourselves are living in. The true story of history, the story that God is telling and has been telling since the dawn of time.

Be ye doers of the word…

As we look at life in the garden throughout the course of these studies, we’re going to see that idyllic start of the story – so to speak. Life as it was supposed to be. Life as God originally designed it. And – in the bigger picture – what we need to realise is that, even though paradise has been lost to us, there is still a bigger plan and a bigger purpose unfolding. Ultimately, God’s intention is to restore what was lost, to bring us back in to the idyllic garden where he dwells. If you read the last chapters of Revelation, you’ll notice numerous parallels with the edenic narrative early in Genesis. In Genesis, in the garden, the trees the river, the gold – it’s all there at the end as well in Revelation. The beauty of the beginning thus anticipates the fullness of the ending. We will see this again and again during the course of the Edenic Narrative. For now, what can we take away from this? Think about your idea of the perfect life right now. What are you seeking to improve in your life? Consider if these goals line up with God’s idea of the perfect life. And here at the start of this series, commit yourself to following through these studies to better align your view with God’s. May he lead us into the perfect life, through our Lord Jesus Christ! SDG.

Prayer of Confession & Consecration

We pray, Lord, that you would please align our desires and goals for our own idea of the ideal life. And you would reform and remake us, Lord, that we might share your view and vision for what the ideal life is. Please deliver us from our sins and from the evil one, we pray. And may you bless us in the reading and studying of your word today and in days to come. And these things we pray in Jesus' name. Amen.

Prayer

Almighty God, there is much to do in life, and I am vastly unequipped to do it. I do not have the wisdom I need, and I have demonstrated that countless times every day. In the midst of the turmoils of this life, I pray that you would meet with me and give me the wisdom that I need. Please Lord, my need is great. Please keep me from the evils that will assail me, lead me not into temptation, but deliver me from the evil one. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Reading

Proverbs 1:6

“...to understand a proverb and a saying, the words of the wise and their riddles”

Meditation

We’ve seen that proverbs are short memorable sayings, and that they are also righteous and true sayings, but now we add another observation: proverbs are mysterious sayings. In the first place, Solomon himself highlights this in his introduction: “to understand a proverb and a saying, the words of the wise and their riddles” (1:6). Perhaps you’ve experienced this for yourself, you’ve read a proverb and been puzzled as to what you ought to make of it and how to benefit from it. The reason for this is because, by nature, proverbs are mysterious. They often do not yield immediate and easy understanding. Put differently, they are designed to get you thinking. Every proverb is an invitation to prayerfully (2:3) ponder and reflect, and in so doing we will gain more and more application and meaning from them, and our hearts will increasingly be shaped by wisdom.

The natural application of this mysterious nature of the proverbs is that we must set ourselves to think and think again on them – many times over. Only in doing this will they yield deeper and deeper layers of wisdom to us. We’ve already talked about the importance of memorising the proverbs, from there – with the proverbs hidden in our hearts – what is then needed is the mindfulness and awareness to recall them at various points during our day. As we go for our morning walk we might focus our attention on the proverb of the day, consider new and fresh ways in which it’s directives might apply to us. Of course – we must pray and ask the Holy Spirit to give us such insight! As you wash in the shower, drive in the car – recall the proverbs. Speak them out loud, engage in a conversation with your heart (out loud where possible) as to what they might mean and how they might shape our lives in fresh ways.

In summary, we now have all the basic elements of what a proverb is before us: they are short, memorable, righteous, true, and mysterious. Let us try, then, for a definition: proverbs are mysterious wisdom sayings designed to impart wisdom to the hearer through meditation and memorisation. And so as we ponder and memorise the proverbs, we see that this is a means that God uses to truly change us – to make us wise as his Spirit works within us. And what is wisdom? Wisdom is the real-life ability to apply God’s law. It’s the ability or skill of living well by living in accordance with God’s design. It is to live life in the fear of God. SDG.

Be ye doers of the word…

In light of what we’ve learned, the question is laid before us again: Do you want to be wise? Do you want to be a mature man of God? God’s appointed pathway to wisdom and maturity is clear: he would have us give ourselves to the prayerful memorisation of and meditation upon this book of proverbs especially. My hope and prayer is that this set of volumes provides a help to you in doing that. You may also like to take up other readings and sermon series on the Book of Proverbs. Matthew Henry’s commentary will be helpful, as will that of Charles Bridges. Paul Washer has provided numerous meditations available on sermon audio on the first four chapters (at time of writing). All of these will be a good help for pursuing our goal.

Prayer of Confession & Consecration

O Lord I pray, as I commit myself to the consistent memorisation and meditation upon the Book of Proverbs, may you work through my poor, impoverished efforts and give to me a measure of the gift of wisdom that you gave to Solomon so long ago. May it be an immense measure, and such as would glorify your name. I pray for the members and children of our church, that you would increase among us a hunger for wisdom, and also the fruit of growing wisdom. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Prayer

O my Lord, how desperately I need you. My soul is a desert, and you alone the fount and spring of water. Thorns and thistles I have gotten for myself, a ruin and a desolation. O Lord, pour out your Spirit and fill my barren soul with life. Meet me in the wilderness at the hill of calvary. Make me to live again, Lord. I am weary and sick with sin, wash me anew again, forgive me Lord. Restore me, Lord. Kiss me with the kisses of your mouth. All my hope is in you. I have no other place to go, no other hope. Please forgive me for whoring myself after earthly joys and delights. Please wash me and make me clean, renew a steadfast spirit within me. Save me Lord, I am yours. In Jesus’ precious name I pray, Amen.

Reading

Psalm 92.

“It is good to give thanks to the Lord,to sing praises to your name, O Most High;2 to declare your steadfast love in the morning,and your faithfulness by night,3 to the music of the lute and the harp,to the melody of the lyre.4 For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work;at the works of your hands I sing for joy.

5 How great are your works, O Lord!Your thoughts are very deep!6 The stupid man cannot know;the fool cannot understand this:7 that though the wicked sprout like grassand all evildoers flourish,they are doomed to destruction forever;8 but you, O Lord, are on high forever.9 For behold, your enemies, O Lord,for behold, your enemies shall perish;all evildoers shall be scattered.

10 But you have exalted my horn like that of the wild ox;you have poured over me[a] fresh oil.11 My eyes have seen the downfall of my enemies;my ears have heard the doom of my evil assailants.

12 The righteous flourish like the palm treeand grow like a cedar in Lebanon.13 They are planted in the house of the Lord;they flourish in the courts of our God.14 They still bear fruit in old age;they are ever full of sap and green,15 to declare that the Lord is upright;he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.”

Meditation

Continued…

Eighth – the Lord’s Day re-orients us. Since sin came into the world, human existence has been innately topsy-turvy. Even as believers, we can easily be effected by this. The world is constantly sending us messages, seeking to draw our affections to idols. But part of the Lord’s Day blessing is that it re-orients us and reminds us of reality. In troubled times, it is a reminder of who is in charge. “The stupid man cannot know; the fool cannot understand this: that though the wicked sprout like grass and all evildoers flourish, they are doomed to destruction forever; but you, O LORD, are on high forever.” As we learned in a previous meditation, part of God’s resting on the seventh day was that he is reigning and we see that reflected here in the Sabbath Psalm.

Ninth – the Lord’s Day is a gospel witness. The Lord’s Day is first a day of communion between God and his people, but it also comes as a gospel call to unbelievers. The warning is there in verses 6-9: “The stupid man cannot know; the fool cannot understand this: that though the wicked sprout like grass and all evildoers flourish, they are doomed to destruction forever; but you, O LORD, are on high forever. For behold, your enemies, O LORD, for behold, your enemies shall perish; all evildoers shall be scattered.” To those who reject Christ, this warning is real. God’s enemies will perish, and there is only one way of escape: come to Christ, seek forgiveness, and become a child and friend of God. The Bible says we were all enemies of God, but that Christ died for us while we were still enemies, so that we might come to him and be reconciled. That offer is open to everyone – including you if you have not already availed yourself of it. If that is you, then don’t let this day finish without coming to Christ.

Tenth – the Lord’s Day is victorious. In verses ten and eleven we read: “10 But you have exalted my horn like that of the wild ox; you have poured over me fresh oil. My eyes have seen the downfall of my enemies; my ears have heard the doom of my evil assailants.” The imagery in these verses is the imagery of victory. As the gospel shape of Lord’s Day worship comes out in the psalm, we see that it is not only to be a day of confession and repentance, but a day of celebration. It is a celebration in the victory that Christ has won on the cross for us, which is why the sabbath changed from the seventh day to the first day – it’s the Resurrection day. It’s the day when we rejoice in the victory that has already been accomplished for us. God has exalted us! Our eyes have seen the downfall of our enemies, the serpent’s head has been crushed. Sometimes we come to the Lord’s Day burdened and weighed down by sin, but the Lord calls us – Sunday by Sunday – to remember that our sin has been dealt with. The victory has been won! Every Sunday is a celebration of Christ’s victory.

Eleventh – the Lord’s Day refreshes and sustains us. In verses twelve and thirteen we read: “12 The righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.13 They are planted in the house of the Lord; they flourish in the courts of our God.” Without Christ, our souls quickly become parched, but as we come – Lord’s Day by Lord’s Day – to worship, to come under the preaching of God’s Word, the Lord refreshes us. Notice the difference between the wicked and the righteous in Christ. The wicked are like grass that quickly withers (v8), but the righteous in Christ are like palm trees that flourish even when all else is dry. The righteous are planted in the courts of God – that’s a reference to the Temple. The Temple is the body of Christ, and we are the body of Christ. So then, as we gather to worship, we are refreshed, as palm trees planted in the courts of our God we flourish. This is why it is no small thing to neglect public worship, because we need it – it is a means of grace.

Finally, the Lord’s Day matures us, as we see in verses twelve through fourteen: “12 The righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. 13 They are planted in the house of the Lord; they flourish in the courts of our God. 14 They still bear fruit in old age; they are ever full of sap and green”. Consistent worship, partaking in the Lord’s means of grace Sunday by Sunday, these blessings are essential for growing in Christian maturity. Any Christian who neglects gathering for worship will be a Christian doomed to spiritual immaturity. That’s the negative side – but consider the positive side. The Sabbath has been given as a blessing to help you to grow in grace.

Be ye doers of the word…

Are you putting the Lord’s Day to good use? The sabbath was made for man. for our benefit. Each Sunday we have an opportunity to set aside our normal work and focus on God. If the church was full of believers who set themselves to do that, then the church will be filled with saints who bear fruit in old age, who are ever full of sap and green.

Is Sunday your favourite day of the week? Sabbatarian or not, it ought to be! What privileges it affords us to worship the Lord in the gathered presence of his saints. If the Lord’s Day is not your chief delight on this earth, then you have missed it’s significance. Do you come to worship with thankful hearts? The answer to that question reveals much about the state of our souls. Where is your heart on Sunday morning? Where is your heart as God’s praises are sung? Is it warm and glowing with affection for Christ? Or is it cold and senseless?

In more practical terms, one of the reasons we fail to delight in the Lord’s Day is because we do not take the time to properly prepare ourselves. As the psalmist sings this song for the sabbath, it is evident that his heard is already full. As he comes to worship on the Lord’s Day, his heart is fit to burst with thanksgiving – and the psalm itself is the fruit of that preparation. Please listen carefully now: that doesn’t happen by accident. A psalm of praise such as this does not arise from hours spent binging on Netflix all week. He is thankful because he has been in the prayerful practice of seeing God’s goodness during his week. Do you see that? He sings God’s praises because he has been meditating on God’s excellencies: “to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night”.

What is it that is filling your hearts and minds during the week? That’s a question for each of us to earnestly consider. Proper use of the Lord’s Day is supposed to be the fulfillment of a proper use of the week. And what is a proper use of the week? It is chiefly to be found in meditating on God’s word day and night (Ps 1). As our hearts are filled with noble themes, and we set ourselves to think on that which is good, beautiful, and true, our hearts will be full to overflowing, ready to worship on the Lord’s Day. True, heartfelt worship doesn’t come from smoke machines, performances, and a rock band. It comes from a heart that is enraptured with God. Let your heart be enraptured with God during the week, and you will indeed scale lofty heights of delight in God on the Lord’s Day. We would do well during our week to meditate much on the person, attributes and works of God. Such meditation will fit us for worship and bring us into the experience of the blessing of the Lord’s Day.

What about the day itself? As we saw in our meditation (v2), the Lord calls us to give the day as a whole to him. To many Christians fall into the trap of asking what it is that we can and can’t do on the Lord’s Day. It’s the entirely wrong approach. Instead ask yourself: Does this thing help me fulfill the purpose of the Lord’s Day? The purpose of the Lord’s Day is to worship and enjoy God, and so anything that helps us do that is fitting for the Lord’s Day. Maybe you need a sleep on Sunday afternoon to be fresh for evening worship. Maybe your kids need to burn some energy outside. Let each one stand in good conscience before God on such questions.

And as you come to worship, remember this and recall it to mind: no matter what is happening in your life, be you sick, happy, sad, anxious, fearful, worried, struggling, or defeated – whatever is going on, when we come to worship God he says: be still, and know that I am God. Know that the Lord God Almighty, the Omnipotent One, reigns. As you move forward trusting in Jesus, everything is going to be ok. What’s troubling you today? Fear not, trust in the Lord with all your heart.

Let me finish with a quote from Isaiah 58:13. “If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on my holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight and the holy day of the LORD honorable; if you honor it, not going your own ways, or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly; then you shall take delight in the LORD, and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.””

Prayer of Confession & Consecration

Great God in heaven, thank you for saving us, forgiving our sins, and setting the great hope of Christ’s return before us. Please help us, Sunday by Sunday, as we look forward the coming day, to lift our eyes toward heaven, and fill us with the joy of your salvation. We pray that the aroma of heaven would be a sweet scent permeating the gathered assemblies of your people around the world. Come quickly Lord, and we give all praise and thanks to you, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Prayer

O my Lord, how desperately I need you. My soul is a desert, and you alone the fount and spring of water. Thorns and thistles I have gotten for myself, a ruin and a desolation. O Lord, pour out your Spirit and fill my barren soul with life. Meet me in the wilderness at the hill of calvary. Make me to live again, Lord. I am weary and sick with sin, wash me anew again, forgive me Lord. Restore me, Lord. Kiss me with the kisses of your mouth. All my hope is in you. I have no other place to go, no other hope. Please forgive me for whoring myself after earthly joys and delights. Please wash me and make me clean, renew a steadfast spirit within me. Save me Lord, I am yours. In Jesus’ precious name I pray, Amen.

Reading

Psalm 92.

“Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. 2. And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. 3. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.”

Meditation

I wonder if you are feeling weary? I wonder if there are trials in your life? I wonder if your soul is dry, and your feet are sore and dusty from your wilderness wonderings? It is time to rest. It is time to worship. In Luke 4:8 Jesus said: ““It is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.’”” As we’ve considered the seventh day, this is very much in keeping with the theme of worship. I wonder if your Lord’s Day worship is full of delight in the Lord? Delight in God is very much at the heart of the Lord’s Day. In this final of meditations, we will extend ourselves to dwell on this final theme. In foreshadow of our final sabbath rest, this meditation will too shall extend. Take it as an opportunity for a prolonged, prayerful, seeking of the Lord, particularly through the worship he has given us on his hold day.

We have learned in these meditations that the Lord has set apart one day in seven to be his day, that’s what it means in Gen 2:1-3 when God made the day holy. If something is holy, that means it is set apart to God, which is why Scripture calls this day “the Lord’s Day.” This is why, in Isaiah 58:13, God calls the sabbath “my holy day.” Even under the Old Covenant, the Sabbath was called “the Lord’s Day”, they are one and the same thing! So this day of worship is to be dedicated to God in a special way as a day where we cease from our the work of dominion, and rest in God and worship him. The Old Covenant anticipated Christ by worshipping on the seventh day, we now follow the apostolic example and worship on the first day of the week which looks back to what Christ has done and anticipates the resurrection which is yet to come. In this meditation, we revel and delight in the beauty of the Lord’s Day.

We’ve seen in Genesis 2 that the Lord “blessed” the seventh day. The day of worship was therefore created to be just that: a blessing! We will open up that blessing in Psalm 92, a “Song for the Sabbath.” Now perhaps you remain unconvinced, and you’re not a “Sabbatarian”, so to speak. Very well, I do not judge you for that (Col 2:16). However, even if this is the case, I trust that your heart will be allured by the beauty of worship presented in this psalm, and that it will enrich your joy in the Lord at times of gathered worship with the saints. Sabbatarian or not, every Christian should be able to agree that there’s nothing better than worshipping God, and however you view your Sundays – the idea of having a day set aside to worship him and open up his word should still be a chief delight to your soul.

To those who believe in the Christian Sabbath, there is an important message as well. Sadly I think, for many, the Lord’s Day has become a day of drudgery rather than the day of blessing that it was made to be. I sometimes hear elderly folk in reformed circles talking about what Sunday used to be like when they were kids, and a common impression that I get in those conversations is that Sundays were defined by what you couldn’t do. But when the Lord’s day becomes defined by a list of what you can’t do, then the heart and purpose of the day has already been lost. And yet even today those kinds of questions still get talked about among reformed people: Can you watch tv on the Lord’s Day or can’t you? Can you play sports or can’t you? When our thoughts and conversation about the sabbath have degraded to that level of question, it’s an indication that something is drastically wrong. If we are truly experiencing the blessing of the Lord’s Day, then watching some football game will not occur to us as a competitor for our interest and affection, because it can’t compare with the blessing of communion with God.

But what is this delight we’re speaking about? As we close out these meditations on the Genesis prologue, I put twelve final thoughts before you from Psalm 92. These insights, I trust, will lay out before us the blessing of the day of worship.

First – the Lord’s Day is good. In this “Song for the Sabbath”, the psalm writer begins: “It is good to give thanks to the LORD.” It is good! We see in this language an echo of the goodness of the creation days. And so the Sabbath Day too is good as the fullness and completion of the days of creation. Jesus told us that the Sabbath was made for man, and God made only good things for man! The Lord’s Day is good.

Second – the Lord’s Day is for thanksgiving. “It is good to give thanks to the LORD.” I wonder if anyone has ever given you a significant gift? Or if, perhaps, you’ve been blessed in some profound way? Maybe someone gave you a car. Maybe they stuck with you when you were in a dark place. Maybe they did something kind for you when you were struggling. In our lives, it is the LORD above all who has blessed us. Not only did he make this beautiful world, and we enjoy the good things of this world day by day (fresh air, good health a lot of the time, other people, good food, family, etc), but beyond this he has been so very good to our souls. He has been patient when we sin, he has been merciful when we deserved judgment, he sent the Lord Christ to take our place in hell and to give us life again. In Psalm 34 the psalmist cries out: “This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them. Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!” As a day dedicated to God the Sabbath Day is, in a special way, a day for public thanksgiving.

Third – the Lord’s Day is for worship. “It is good to give thanks to the LORD, to sing praises to your name, O Most High.” Thanksgiving and praise come hand in hand, they are like twin sisters, and this is why we sing on the Lord’s Day. As you read verses one to four of this psalm, you will notice the emphasis is on singing. When we sing in corporate worship, it ought to be a singing from the heart. It ought to be a singing for joy that is welling up in our souls, a song of thanksgiving.

Fourth – the Lord’s Day is God-focused. “It is good to give thanks to the LORD, to sing praises to your name, O Most High; to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night.” There is a focus in these verses on the name of God. The song is occupied with his name, attributes, and works. God’s names reveal his glory and are a mighty fuel for our worship. He is Jehovah Jireh, our provider, he is Eloheem – the Almighty Creator. The psalmist also exalts in God’s attributes: his steadfast love (v2) is a love that melts the heart of undeserving sinners such as we. But also he is faithful – the trustworthiness of our God is unfailing! Beyond this, there is an infinite expanse of glory in his being, wisdom, and works: “How great are your works, O LORD! Your thoughts are very deep.”

Fifth – the Lord’s Day is gospel-focused. Notice that the psalmist highlights God’s steadfast love and faithfulness: “to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night.” Our worship and liturgy ought to have a gospel shape. In the reformed tradition, this is why we traditionally have the greeting following our call to worship “Grace, mercy, and peace to you, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.” This is why we have the corporate confession of our sins, that we might taste his steadfast love and mercy. This is why as we preach the word itself, that we might hear the good news of Jesus Christ. This is why we celebrate the Lord’s Supper. For Israel, the Sabbath was a reminder of the Exodus – their redemption. The exodus was a type of the great and true exodus from sin that Christ won for us on the cross. The Lord’s Day is gospel-focused. If you ever find yourself in a worship service that is not saturated with the gospel, something has gone terribly wrong.

Sixth – the Lord’s Day is personal. We come and ought to come to worship, out of a personal dealing between us and God. “For you, O LORD, have made me glad your work; at the work of your hands I sing for joy.” Worship is communal, but it ought also to arise from a deep sense and individual experience of the Lord’s mercies and work in each of our lives. Has that been your experience? Have you had a personal dealing with the Almighty? Or is Sunday worship to you a matter of keeping up appearance? Do you sing for joy at what Christ has done for you?

Seventh – the Lord’s Day is a day of worship. Sunday worship is not the sum-total of one or two hours spent at church on a Sunday morning, it is to be a whole day dedicated to rejoicing in God! “...to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night”. The psalmist mentions day and night here to emphasise that the whole day is to be sanctified to the worship and seeking of God. Many churches in our land used to have a Sabbath service morning and evening. Evening services are hard to find these days, but if they are not positively commanded, certainly this passage suggests that the Lord’s Day ought to be bracketed by the worship of God. Even if you don’t take it as a moral principle, what better thing could there be to do on a Sunday evening? It is good to declare his faithfulness by night on the Lord’s Day! To those who delight in worshiping morning and evening on the Sabbath Day, it cannot be denied – it is a true blessing indeed!

We don’t really have an application in this post, as it’s a “Part 1.” But here is at least one application: be sure to tune in for the next article!! Don’t neglect it, you won’t want to miss it.

Prayer of Confession & Consecration

Our Lord and our God, we thank you for the day of worship that you have made for us. We thank you that it is a blessed day. You've made the Sabbath for man and it's a blessing to us. Lord, we pray that you'll please forgive us for all the many times that we have come before you in worship with your saints and we have not rejoiced in you. We have let our minds wander to other things and our hearts have been hard and unmoved. Lord, please forgive us in this. We are very weak. Lord, we pray, please fill our hearts with love for Jesus the Nazarene. Lord, that we may come and sing praises to you. And Lord, help us to use this day for the glory of your name and for the spiritual good of our hearts and souls and those of your people and our families. Lord, we pray that you would please revive in your church a deeper and more joyful experience of worshipping you together on the Lord's Day. And in Jesus' name we pray, Amen.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, I thank you for your tender and kind mercies today, for the strengthening reminders of your help and grace. Lord, thank you that you have not abandoned my soul to Sheol. Lord, you have instructed us to let our requests be made known to you, and as Solomon prayed so long ago – I find myself lacking in the wisdom needed to fulfill my duties and calling. Lord, meet me in my weakness I pray, hear my prayer. Lord, give me wisdom – for the sake of the glory of your name. Please give me wisdom, that I may live wisely in righteousness and in accordance with justice in my home, my vocation, and in society. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Reading

Proverbs 1:3

“To receive instruction in... righteousness.”

Meditation

We’ve seen that a proverb is a short saying, but secondly, a proverb is also a true and righteous saying. As a general observation, I believe that some Christians have embraced a false understanding of what wisdom actually is. Let me explain. Consider the Ten Commandments, “Thou shalt not kill”, for instance. Many Christians would acknowledge that this commandment is an imperative – that the command has a binding moral force. We can not and must not kill another person. Wisdom, on the other hand, tends to be viewed as a kind of good but optional course of action. Let’s call this the take-it-or-leave-it approach to wisdom. As though we can all acknowledge that wisdom is the better path, from the take-it-or-leave-it perspective, but it’s not the end of the world if you don’t follow the path of wisdom. Anyway, wisdom only really applies when you’re trying to make a choice between a good option and a better option, right? As we will repeatedly see in our studies of proverbs, this kind of thinking is both erroneous and deadly.

Perhaps I can put it this way: the law reveals moral principles of righteousness, wisdom is the ability to apply those principles in real life situations. Wisdom and righteousness are two sides of the same coin. Righteousness is the standard, as it reflects God’s good and perfect character, and wisdom is the capacity to skillfully live out that standard in your daily life. As you read the book of Proverbs, it’s very obvious – wisdom is not some optional extra for the Christian life. Wisdom is a tree of life (Prov 3:18), and this is contrasted with foolishness, which stems from one very basic root: “the fool says in his heart: there is no God” (Prov 14:1).

The fundamental definition of foolishness, which stands as wisdom’s opposite, is to be at enmity with God. Conversely, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. The wise person is one who fears God and cares about what he thinks. Biblically speaking, therefore, we may say with conviction that wisdom and foolishness fundamentally align with righteousness and wickedness. Being foolish is not just some casual “stuff up” that you can just get over and move on with. Foolishness is the pathway of death. Pursuing and living in wisdom is an imperative, not some optional ideal. For this reason, we must set ourselves now at the start of our studies in wisdom to take wisdom seriously, to read carefully what we are learning, and to get wisdom. We must not treat it as optional. As you continue on in your studies of Proverbs, treat this as though it were life and death, because that’s exactly what it is. This is the road to Godly maturity, and there are no shortcuts.

Be ye doers of the word…

What have your thoughts toward wisdom been up until this point? Perhaps you have not even read the Book of Proverbs before, and your thoughts have been few and with little real consideration. Perhaps you have thought of wisdom in terms of something that is an “ideal”, but only a few super-spiritual people reach it in their later years. For the rest of us, wisdom is not a particularly important subject. Perhaps something else comes to mind. In this book, however, Solomon makes it perfectly clear: all of us are called to get wisdom, and it is of utmost importance that we do so. Wisdom is not optional. If your view was changed to reflect this reality, what might change in your life today? Certainly, diligent prayerful attention to this book must be a starting point. This is a lesson we will find repeated on many different occasions, but take this as a refresher: do not let the pursuit of wisdom be a passing fad in your life. Let it be a diligent and persisting pursuit. Let it be a matter of ongoing prayer. SDG.

Prayer of Confession & Consecration

O Lord, I pray that you would work into my heart the sustained desire to pursue wisdom. Please give me a sense of spiritual hunger and urgency about the getting of wisdom, too many years of my life have been wasted without it. O Lord, please hear this prayer, please give me wisdom, please give me a profound and abiding hunger for wisdom. And Lord, in this desire and it’s outworking, please lead me to Christ and into conformity to his good and perfect character. I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.