Two simple letters spell the little word if. But that word makes a world of difference. Examples? If I would have taken that pitch, I would have walked instead of striking out. If I had stopped when I thought about it for gas, I wouldn’t have run out of gas. I heard some funny sayings about if in years gone by. “If if’s and but’s were candy and nuts we’d all have a Merry Christmas.” “If your Aunt Minnie had a mustache, she’d be your Uncle Fred.” Yesterday was the 2nd of the month and I was sitting in a vacation house in Florida reading Proverbs 2. I try to read the proverb that matches the day of the month. The first nine verses of chapter 2 are the ones that I focused on mostly. The passage begins with Solomon writing to his son. He begins “My son…” The words that follow in verses 1, 3, 4 contain the same little phrase “if thou.”
The first and second verses are a simple statement with several different phrases, but the statement presents the son with a choice. “Receive the words and hide the commandments” are the best path. “Incline your ear unto wisdom and apply your heart to understanding.” It all comes down to a choice. You can seek wisdom or you can be foolish with life’s decisions. If you decide to be foolish hard times are ahead. When my children were small, I would often tell them “The way of the transgressor is hard.” That statement is found in Proverbs 13:15. It was true when man sinned, it was true when Solomon wrote in the Proverbs, it was true in my children’s lives and it is still true today in our lives. That law has never been revoked.
If we make the right choice, the benefits come rolling in. Verse 3 and following tell us of the blessings that come our way if wisdom is sought. We truly desire wisdom, I mean we go after it hard. We ask wise people for advice, we ransack the word of God and we ask the Lord for wisdom as James 1:5 tells us. We do that as a way of life not a one-off type thing. Patience in our learning. We make it our purpose for our lives and our desire is to learn making us people of integrity. Verse 4 makes the connection by giving us a picture all of us can identify with. The way men chase silver (wealth) and look for buried treasure is the way we are to desire and chase hard after wisdom. If we make our decision and begin living our days out chasing the dream of wisdom from God then BAM, verse five kicks in. “Then thou shalt understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.” One of the very first benefits is we learn to fear the Lord. That is what truly begins our desired journey. Proverbs 1:7 tells us this is the beginning of knowledge. To know God, learn from God is the first step in truthful knowledge and understanding (v.6).
Do you prepare for a “rainy day?” That’s an old saying meaning we prepare for what is coming. Canning for the winter months isn’t done in the winter; it is done in the summer and fall. If you have a house payment coming at the first of the month, you don’t spend that money on frivolous things, leaving not enough to pay the priority. Verse 7 says the Lord lays “up sound wisdom for the righteous.” Perhaps a way to look at this is God has a pantry full of wisdom ready to give it to those that have made the choice to go after it. His pantry never runs low on supplies. The latter part of verse 7 speaks of God being our “buckler” if we walk uprightly. God is our protector when we seek to do right. Verse 8 continues the theme of God’s protection. Close your eyes for a moment and relive the story of David, the greatest king in Israel’s history. God saved him from the bear and lion. God saved him from the giant Goliath. God saved him in every battle he fought. God saved him from a multitude of attempts on his life by Saul. David had many flaws, but one thing he desired was God in his life. He is called a man after God’s own heart. The last verse for today is verse 9. It also begins with the word “then.” Everything is contingent on the choice we make in seeking wisdom. If we do seek it with a continual desire, then understanding comes our way concerning righteousness (right way to live), judgment (being able to discern things) and equity (dealing fairly with others). Every fork in the road can be navigated with the wisdom of God.
Let me share with you a story from John Phillips Commentary on Proverbs. It is the story of an atheist and a believer. “T. H. Huxley—scientist, agnostic, and friend of Darwin—based his life on human opinions. For a while he lived in a small country town in England. One Sunday morning he said to a friend, “I suppose you are going to church.” The man affirmed that he was. “Suppose you stay home with me instead,” said Huxley, “and talk to me about your religion.”
“No thanks,” the friend replied. “You’re too clever for me, Huxley. I couldn’t hope to refute your arguments.” Huxley looked at him and said, “Suppose you simply told me what your religion has done for you.” The other man agreed to stay home on those terms. Throughout the morning, he shared his faith in the risen Christ with the famous champion of unbelief.
With the suspicion of a tear in his eye, Huxley finally said, “I would give my right hand if I could believe that.”
Huxley went through life encased in the armor of his own worldly cleverness. The celebrated and famous agnostic built his house on the sand. His Christian friend, on the other hand, was protected by wisdom from on high. Although not nearly so clever as the skeptical Huxley, the unknown humble believer was ten thousand times wiser. He built on the Rock.”
Seek wisdom. When God asked Solomon what he wished the Lord would do for him, he simply said, “I need wisdom, I need discernment”. The story is found in I Kings 3. Solomon didn’t always listen to his own advice, but the wisdom God gave him added everything else life offers to him.