Bill Johnson - Listen to the Voice of Wisdom
There’s always something to learn if you’ll stop; be inquisitive like a child and learn. That really is the beauty of wisdom: all of us can learn something from just the normal, everyday parts of life. Hey there, welcome back; glad you could join us! We’re on this quest for wisdom. Wisdom, as the scripture says, is the principal thing. It’s not peripheral; it’s not some side issue. It’s not something that you choose to attach to your car like an additional element; it’s the essence of life itself. Wisdom enables and equips us to reign in life. God is looking for people who will reign like Jesus reigned. He reigned in life, demonstrating the goodness and love of God. That’s our privilege.
So today, we’re going to look at chapter 6. Unfortunately, time doesn’t permit us to go verse by verse, and I’m not sure that would help us anyway, but we will take portions of chapter 6 and see what we can learn from them. So let’s go ahead and get started. I want you to take a look at an unusual verse to me. In chapter 6, verse 6 says, «Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider her ways and be wise. Having no captain, overseer, or ruler, she provides supplies in the summer and gathers her food in the harvest.» This is a really corrective word for those who are lazy.
The thing that really strikes me about this story, first of all, is that we find in chapter 8 that the worlds were made out of wisdom. God actually designed everything through the lens of wisdom, which means every part of God’s creation, functioning as He designed it, carries a message of wisdom. Here he says, «Listen, if you find yourself lazy, slothful, and not diligent in your activities, priorities, or purpose, go to the ant.» I mean, how many of us have actually gone to the ant and sat in our backyards and just watched them? This is the invitation of Solomon, a man of wisdom. He says that if you’ll just pay attention to the world you’re in, if you’ll just slow down and consider all that God has made and how it functions with divine purpose and significant intention, it will illustrate the nature of wisdom.
That’s fascinating to me. For example, consider life here on planet Earth. Take the whole idea of sowing and reaping; go to corn and see how corn grows. Here’s the deal: if you take a kernel of corn, you would never plant that kernel of corn if all you would do is harvest one kernel. That would be a ridiculous exchange. Instead, you plant a kernel of corn to harvest an ear of corn that has sometimes between 600 and 800 kernels. The point is, there’s wisdom talking to us day by day. We go through experiences in life, and God is constantly speaking to us, teaching us what His world looks like and the nature of wisdom. Wisdom plants with the intention of increase. No farmer in his right mind would pray for a crop to grow that he didn’t plant. There’s the prayer effort and the supernatural influence on natural activity. I believe the Lord has a real heart for us to discover the beauty of the natural world, married to the power and wonder of the unlimited nature of the spiritual world.
By combining those two, we really find out why we’re on planet Earth. He says, «Go to the ant,» which means we can take time to walk. I like to do this on my own; we have a little piece of property here. I like to walk around and just look at the animals. My wife has several beehives, and just to watch how they function, there’s always something to learn if you’ll stop and be inquisitive like a child as well. That really is the beauty of wisdom; all of us can learn something from just the normal, everyday parts of life.
Let me make one more comment, then I’ll need to move on. Sometimes we want the Lord to speak to us in such loud or profound ways that it startles us. I’m going to admit those are wonderful times when the Lord is that clear, but that’s not necessarily a sign of our maturity. If He has to shout, when He has to make something that obvious, it isn’t necessarily a sign of maturity. The Lord loves to hide truth in the simple parts of life, in the everyday part of life. If we’re listening and paying attention to how things work, the Lord will always have something to say. I want to encourage you, as a child being inquisitive, to ask questions, ask Him questions, and observe the world around you and how things function.
He goes on throughout this chapter, and the next two chapters are very sobering for me. He ends this one with an absolute crazy warning about immorality and adultery. Before we get to that, he warns us about what a worthless person looks like. We’re not going to study this verse by verse, but in verse 12 he says, «A worthless person, a wicked man, walks with a perverse mouth; winks with his eyes,» which means he’s deceptive in his gaze. He shuffles his feet and points his fingers. The pointing of the finger is accusation; when it talks about lifting holy hands before the Lord, it’s hands that don’t accuse. He points to this perversity in his heart, devises evil continually.
Here’s the part that really stood out to me, and I have it underlined in my Bible: «He sows discord.» Elsewhere in Scripture, it says if you silence the whisperer, a fire will die out, and it’s talking about the fire of controversy, hatred, resentment, and all that junk. It’s a flame that is fanned through the voice of a whisperer. Here we have an individual that the Bible calls a wicked man who sows discord. As you move down, it says six things the Lord hates, and the last one mentioned is that he sows discord among brethren.
I want to end with this thought. I didn’t get as far as I was hoping to in today’s session, but here’s what I want to address: The Apostle Paul, I believe it was Paul who addressed this, and he says, «Mark that person.» Here is wisdom for you and me: Do not spend time with people that cause discord, those who are dividers, who have to be right all the time. I will be with them to serve them; I will not be with them to be influenced by them. I want to encourage you to draw a line in your relationships because they will always drag you down to their level of conflict. We cannot live with that kind of mess going on in our hearts and minds, where we’re constantly accusing or suspicious of other people. So I bless you with that. I pray for tremendous wisdom as God helps us learn how to avoid discord and to be people who speak healing, peace, and the grace of God.
Next week, we’ll look at the scary warning about immorality, so make sure you join us for that. It applies to all of our lives in everyday life. He never warns us because He’s trying to restrict us from pleasure or life; it’s the opposite. He warns us because these things that we could easily fall into are the very things that rob us of why we’re alive, for the very purpose of pleasure, delight, and design that God has for us.
Well, hey there; welcome back! I’m glad you could join us. Chapter 7 of Proverbs is what we’re looking at today. It’s interesting; I did a kind of radio show here maybe three months ago, and the chapter I was supposed to talk on in that assignment was Proverbs Chapter 7. The Lord speaks clearly in warnings about adultery, immorality, and even those who have kept their hearts clean. You’ve kept your life clean, but the warning is still good.
I tell our folks in our school of ministry during the week when we talk about sexual issues, «Listen, I’ve never fallen off a cliff.» The reason why is I don’t go close to the edge. I don’t play with that issue. When we talk about immoral things, you don’t want to come close; you don’t want to toy with it as though it’s something you can master. The scripture actually says to flee youthful lust. These principles apply whether you’re married or single, 80 years old or eight years old. So let’s start with chapter 6:32, which starts the conversation: «He who commits adultery destroys his own soul.»
Think about that for a minute. What is the soul? It’s the place of emotions, intellect, will—our internal world. Those who have a heart bent toward illicit relationships actually do damage to their own internal world. They begin to die and become fractured and messed up, and the Lord is giving us the kind warning of a Father. This speaks about the adulterous woman, but it applies to women too; be careful of the guys that are like this as well.
We move on throughout this chapter. The first five verses discuss embracing the commandments of the Lord. I love this verse. «My son, keep my words; treasure my commands within you; keep them and live.» Sometimes the safety that we dwell in, that peace we live in, is directly related to how we value God’s commandments. His commandments are not punishment; they are not restrictive. The command of the Lord is actually the empowerment to live rightly.
As we go on through this chapter, we see that this particular Harlot was dressed in a way that reflected her character. In verse 11, it states that she was loud and rebellious. It also says her feet would not stay at home. What does that mean? It means her walk in life was not focused on developing a legacy. Just think about that—developing home life. It was about her own career, her own personal experience, her own independent lifestyle. It had nothing to do with the longevity of affecting multiple generations.
When you consider that your life matters—number one, we are living for eternity; and number two, we are living to create a legacy—creating a momentum where multiple generations live under the favor and blessing of God because of how we chose to live means everything. Here’s the warning: this one has no value for home. They are loud, rebellious, and their ways are easy to recognize.
In verse 14, she says, «I have my peace offerings with me today; I’ve paid my vows.» She’s trying to draw this man into an illicit relationship, and she lets him know she’s ready to offer peace offerings after they sin. You can’t sin expecting that you just wipe your mouth and walk away, confess it, and nothing happens. When we join ourselves incorrectly to other people, deep repentance has to happen for there to be true healing. This whole chapter just shouts warnings.
In verse 24, it says, «Now therefore listen to me, my children; pay attention to the words of my mouth. Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways.» Think about that. This seems to be a primary warning. If you remember chapter 4, verse 23, I gave you one of my life verses: «Watch over your heart with all diligence because from it flow the issues of life.» He says if you’re watching over your heart, you won’t allow it to value what she values. Sometimes compromise happens internally first, where we start valuing things that are wrong, like rebellion or being vulgar.
When we start valuing wrong things, we begin valuing things like, «Oh, she’s so independent,» when what it is is she has no value for legacy. When we watch over our hearts, the things that are wrong—the values that God does not celebrate—start becoming appealing. When that happens, we’ve got to put on the brakes, remain accountable, and recognize what’s going on here. He says, «Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways. Don’t let her way of life be what you value. Don’t let that attract you.»
Don’t let it first in values, then in thought, and finally, in action. Verse 27 ends with a scary verse: «Her house is the way to hell.» So you wonder where the gate of hell is? It’s at her house. When the Lord gives us warnings like this, He never warns us because He’s trying to restrict us from pleasure or life; it’s the opposite. He warns us because these things that we could easily fall into are the very things that rob us of why we’re alive—the very purpose of pleasure, delight, and design that God has for us.
We can embrace the commands of the Lord with pleasure because we know everything He commands us to do and everything he commands us not to do is for our safety, pleasure, and long life—with multiple generations enjoying the favor of God being the promise of the Lord for you and me. Next week, we’ll look at chapter 8. Chapter 8 is going to be hard to cover in one session; it’s actually one of my favorite chapters in the Bible. We’ll look at it and the reasons why. I bless you with that sense of longevity; I bless you with that privilege and responsibility to know we live to affect multiple generations.
I want to invite you into this lifestyle of wisdom because you will create; you will think of different ways. It doesn’t matter if you’re a lawyer, accountant, or a stay-at-home mom or dad. It doesn’t matter what it is; you will have new ways of approaching life simply because of the gift of wisdom functioning. You’ll learn how to tap into realms of excellence while maintaining a heart of real integrity so that what we do is rock solid.
Well, hello there! Welcome back. I’m so glad you have joined us. We get to spend this time together in the Book of Proverbs, really in the quest for wisdom, with the assignment of God to reign in life. It’s one of my favorite chapters, Chapter 8. We decided to make this one a little longer. The temptation was to divide it into two, but we’ll just make this a little bit longer.
There are a couple of major subjects—fact, there are three major subjects for me in this chapter. I want to start with verse one. If you’ll take a look at it, it says, «Does not wisdom cry out and understanding lift up her voice? She takes her stand on the top of the high hill beside the way where the paths meet. She cries out by the gates at the entry of the city, at the entrance of the doors.» It goes on with a great appeal for you to come and learn from her; learn the way of wisdom.
Here’s the first thing that delights my heart. Part of the reason is, so much of my life is involved with the idea of seeing transformation in cities and nations. Wisdom is at the gates—the gates are the places of authority. In Scripture, the gates are places of authority. Wisdom stands at this place of authority in the city and begins to decree, «This is what I believe it means.» I believe the Lord has made sure that every city has wisdom available in those places of authority to anyone who will ask for it.
The Bible goes on to teach that there is a woman of folly who also stands there and makes her appeal. Here’s the deal: you and I can make decisions; as citizens in a community, we can live lifestyles, make decrees, and serve in ways that reinforce an appetite for an entire city to live with wisdom. Why is that appealing to me? Because cities are God’s idea. He didn’t make us to live five miles apart with no connection; He actually made us able to connect with others even if you live on a ranch somewhere. There is always a community close by where you meet with friends, go to restaurants, and buy gasoline.
God designed cities to be shaped by wisdom. My cry for my own city is that wisdom would shape us. We’re seeing improvements. Over the last 20 years, we’ve seen some great things take place here, but I want to encourage you: live with the realization that wisdom is crying out at the places of authority in your city. Pray for those in authority that they will truly yield to that Spirit of wisdom and receive the direction the Lord wants to give them.
Wisdom is very practical. When wisdom is in place in a city, everybody wins. It’s not just a competition where this business wins and that one loses; this family’s healthy and this one’s filled with disease. It’s the opposite: in wisdom, in a community, everybody profits; everybody wins.
The next subject is something that is very special for me. I get somewhat concerned by teachings of Jesus about resources that don’t hold up in the rest of Scripture. It’s not the teachings of Jesus that are the problem, it’s the way we repeat them. We take one verse or one illustration and remove it from the whole picture. For me, Proverbs helps to bring clarity that is really critical. If you would look at verse 10 with me, it says, «Receive my instruction, and not silver.» He’s making a very distinct choice here, and knowledge rather than choice gold. For wisdom is better than rubies, and all the things one may desire cannot be compared to her.
Here’s this clarification: you’ve got wealth, you’ve got natural riches, and you’ve got wisdom. Wisdom is there saying, «Don’t be foolish; choose wisdom. Choose knowledge; choose understanding.» Choose this lifestyle of understanding and wisdom and knowledge as the priority of your life.
But just a few verses later, down in verse 17, he says, «I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently will find me. Riches and honor are with me, enduring wealth and righteousness.» My goodness, this is interesting. The Lord says, «Choose wisdom, not money; choose wisdom, not wealth, not material gain.» Then wisdom comes along and says, «By the way, look what I brought with me! I brought the things that you chose to not make a priority in your life.» What happened to Solomon? Solomon chose wisdom, and the Lord spoke to him and said, «Because you didn’t choose fame, you didn’t choose wealth, you didn’t choose longevity, I’m going to give you all these other things.»
You know what? I believe this is the Old Testament equivalent of Matthew 6:33: «Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.» Idolatry happens when we take something that God values in our life and elevate it to a higher place of value than He does.
In this case, we are called to seek first the kingdom. What is that? The dominion of God over every part of my life says to make that your top priority, and then these other things will be added to your life. I’ll take care of this stuff; you make sure that you focus on the right stuff. What happens is we start to taste of the favor of God; we start tasting of the blessing, the resource of heaven.
The focus begins to shift, where it feels so good—the gratification, the resource, the blessing—and the shift takes place, where we stop making wisdom or, in this case, the kingdom of God the priority. When we start making these other things the priority, we’ve just elevated the blessing of the Lord into the focus, and it becomes an idol.
I feel like the Lord wants to bring clarity because I know prosperity is twisted and perverted, and I get that. But I feel like the Lord is going to give us a chance to redefine what real prosperity looks like, because real prosperity has purpose; it has eternal impact. The Lord invites us into a relationship with Him where we discover firsthand what it’s like to tap into unlimited resources for His purposes on Earth. That’s the privilege we have as believers.
If we’re afraid of «all these things will be added unto you,» then we won’t be able to manage what He releases into our life well. So that’s a huge concern.
It’s all the time we have for that one right now, so let me move on quickly. The last part of this chapter is exciting to me because it describes creation. Wisdom was a principal element in creation. Now, I want to remind you in I believe it’s 1 Corinthians chapter 1; it’s either first or second, but 1 Corinthians chapter 1, I think it’s verse 30 or 31, where Jesus is identified as the person of wisdom.
When it says here in verse 30, «I was beside Him as a master craftsman,» who’s talking here? Wisdom is talking. Wisdom was involved from verse 22 all the way to 31 with the creation of the world. Everything was shaped by wisdom, everything ran through the filter of divine wisdom. Why is this important? Because wisdom creates.
For me, wisdom is identified in three principal ways throughout Scripture: number one, creativity; number two, excellence; and number three, integrity. You can probably find a dozen other expressions, but those three stand out to me. Those three are the three principal ways that the wisdom of God is paralleled with our lives. Number one, as believers, we should be the most creative people on the planet. Not the only creative people, but we should lead the way in music, art, architecture, and financial arrangements—all the stuff that pertains to life—by tapping into that creative nature of the heart of our Father and representing Him well.
Here we see that Jesus, the person of wisdom, was beside the Father as a master craftsman. Now, in Exodus 31 and Exodus 35, both have this phrase about Bezalel being a man filled with the Spirit. Bezalel is the first person in the Bible mentioned filled with the Spirit for the purpose of wisdom, and the wisdom was used to create. He had understanding in working with metal, wood, fabrics, and stone. It was this creative artistic expression that came through this man because the Holy Spirit came upon him in the form of wisdom.
I want to invite you into this lifestyle of wisdom because you will create; you will think of different ways. It doesn’t matter to me if you’re a lawyer, accountant, or stay-at-home mom or dad—it doesn’t matter what it is. You will have new ways of approaching life simply because of the gift of wisdom functioning, and you’ll learn how to tap into realms of excellence while maintaining a heart of integrity so that what we do is rock solid and continuously testifies of the kindness and goodness of the Lord.
I bless you with that. I pray that you have an ever-increasing appetite for wisdom to be seen and demonstrated in your life in the same way. Next week will be interesting in chapter 9 because we’ll find that wisdom builds. Amen.
I bless you. You know, some people say you can’t have an intimate relationship with God and fear Him at the same time. Whoever made that up obviously isn’t married. I have an intimate relationship with my wife, but I do respect her tremendously. I fear her, if you will. The Bible talks about the fear of the Lord in this sense; there are two kinds of fear, and the one we need to stay away from is the fear that drives people away.