Wisdom's Cry

Q: What does the Bible say about wisdom?

The Bible says that true wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord and is revealed through Christ. According to Proverbs 1:20-33, wisdom is not just about making good decisions; it is fundamentally a gospel call that recognizes our need for Christ. The fear of the Lord is where wisdom begins, meaning a reverent acknowledgment of who God is and who we are in relation to Him. True wisdom is exemplified in the person of Jesus Christ, who is described as the wisdom of God in 1 Corinthians 1:24. Wisdom calls out to sinners, urging them to turn away from their folly and recognize their need for salvation through Christ.

Q: How do we know that God's call is irresistible?

God's call is irresistible for those who He has chosen to save, as His grace is sovereign and effectual. The concept of God's irresistible call is rooted in sovereign grace theology, which states that when God intends to save someone, He effectively draws them to Himself. This is seen in the sermon where it is emphasized that if God had not called us, we would never come to Him. When God extends His grace, it is not a mere offer but a compelling work of His Spirit that irresistibly draws the chosen sinner to repentance and faith in Christ. This aligns with biblical passages that describe God's divine election and calling, underscoring that His Spirit shall not always strive with man.

Q: Why is the rejection of wisdom serious?

Rejecting wisdom leads to spiritual desolation and the consequences of one's own choices. Rejecting wisdom is serious because it symbolizes a refusal to heed God's divine call and guidance. The sermon highlights that humanity's natural inclination is to disregard God's counsel, and Proverbs 1 describes those who refuse wisdom as engaging in a dangerous path. When God calls and individuals refuse His counsel, they harden their hearts against His truths and ultimately face the consequences of their rebellion. As stated in Proverbs 1:24-31, rejection of wisdom leads to calamity and divine judgment, illustrating that turning away from wisdom is turning away from life itself. Therefore, such rejection not only impacts the individual but also seals their fate in eternal separation from God.

Q: Why is it important for Christians to understand divine judgment?

Understanding divine judgment is crucial as it highlights the severity of sin and the need for salvation in Christ. Divine judgment is an essential theme in Scripture that underscores the seriousness of sin and the reality of hell. For Christians, grasping the concept of judgment is vital for several reasons. First, it encourages a deeper appreciation for God's holiness and justice, making the grace offered in Christ all the more significant. The sermon explains that divine judgment is not arbitrary; it is a necessary response to human rebellion against God. Secondly, understanding judgment impacts how believers share the gospel, recognizing the urgency of calling others to repentance before it is too late. Additionally, it reassures believers of their security in Christ, knowing that they are protected from divine wrath because of His sacrificial work. Thus, a robust understanding of divine judgment shapes a Christian's faith and their witness to the world.

Good morning, everyone. Turn with me to Proverbs 1. We'll begin in verse 20 and finish the chapter the Lord will in today. Proverbs 1. Titled this, Wisdom's Cry. Got a very sobering lesson from God through the wise man Solomon this morning. From our very first study in the book of Proverbs, we found that true wisdom, the wisdom of God, is in the fear of the Lord. And we know that that word fear there means reverence. The beginning of wisdom is respect toward God, knowing who God is, knowing who and what we are, and bowing to Him as our Lord.

Wisdom in our text today is illustrated as a woman standing in the streets in the busiest places of life, crying out to sinners. And our text is not merely about making good decisions. That's what most people think wisdom is. Knowledge is gathering information. Wisdom is learning how to use that information. That is true, but it's much more than just making good decisions.

It's a gospel call. It's recognizing your need of Christ. That's the epitome of wisdom, realizing your need of a Savior. and wisdom is revealed only in Christ. He's the wisdom of God, Paul said in 1 Corinthians 1.24. He's made unto us what? Wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption. Christ does all those things to us. All the things that we need, Christ has made unto us. And that's why a believer stands before God perfect and reconciled to Him. His wisdom cries in the streets of Proverbs. Christ calling chosen sinners to Himself is pictured. And if He had not called us, we would have never come. I think about that often. If God had not called me, I would have never come. Our text this morning has four divisions.

I'll give them to you and then we'll look at them. the rejection of wisdom, the judgment of wisdom, and then the security of those who receive wisdom. First we see the call of wisdom, verse 20. Wisdom crieth without, she uttereth her voice in the streets, and she crieth in the chief place of concourse, In the openings of the gates, in the city she uttereth her word, saying, How long, ye simple ones, will you love simplicity? And the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge. turn you at my reproof. Behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, and I'll make known my words unto you." Now, did you notice the graciousness of that call? God is so gracious and long-suffering with us.

Wisdom doesn't whisper, she cries. She lifts up her voice here in a public place. She speaks where folks gather, where folks work, where folks travel and live. You know, the Lord is not hiding from sinners. The invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood that the things that were made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse. What does that mean? Look outside. Look at the things that God has made. If that all happened by a big boom, my question is, who lit that fuse?

God made these things by His power. He spoke the world into existence. He created man out of the dust of ground. He breathed into man the breath of life, and he became a living soul. God did all these things. He's the author and the finisher of all these things. Throughout Scripture, He sends forth His Word. He sent forth prophets. He sent forth apostles. And then above all, He sent His Son. And He's still sending out His preachers. We don't preach a secret message.

I remember one time a man had been drinking, had heard of Brother Mahan, and somebody was in town and ran into this man at the grocery or somewhere, and he was pretty well on his way to being lit, as we said. And he said, what are you doing in town? The man did. And he said, oh, I'm in town to hear a preacher, Henry Mahan. He said, oh, I know Brother Mahan.

He said, he preaches to those selected ones. Well, He meant elected ones, but selected works, doesn't it? Selected by God. This isn't no hidden message. It's not a secret message. Christ said, Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I'll give you rest. Matthew 11, 28. And did you notice here who wisdom addresses itself to? Three categories describe all of us by nature.

The simple. They're easily led astray. The scorners, they mock the truth. The fools, they hate knowledge. Three groups. Fallen humanity may differ in education. They may differ in wealth. They may differ even in morality, even though all are sinners. Did you notice the command there in verse 23?

He said, Turn you in My reproof Behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you. I'll make known my words unto you. That's the only hope any of us have. We're not going to figure this out on our own. We're not going to just have a light bulb moment one day and say, oh, I've got it now. That's not the way it works.

God's got to reveal it. That's what we need to be praying. Lord, reveal your word to me. Reveal your your word to my family, my children, my parents, whatever or whoever the case may be. And with this command, God promises divine revelation, he says he'll make his words known to you. That's all the way we'll know. He promises blessing. He said, I'll pour out my Spirit on you. If God don't, we'll never see it. We'll never receive it. And this is not a command to improve our life. You know, I grow so tired of hearing men preach that kind of work.

This is a command to turn from self. Did you know that we're our own worst enemy? I remember when I first came here, forget who it was, maybe Brother Brown, maybe Brother Bruce Kavanaugh, said, Lord, deliver me from myself. And I thought to myself, what do you mean by that? Now I know what he meant. Deliver me from myself. Don't let me have my way, Lord. Don't let me have my way.

This is a command to look unto Christ. In Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. And then secondly, we see the rejection of wisdom. Verse 24, because I have called and you refused. I've stretched out My hand and no man regarded. Boy, doesn't that picture you and I before the Lord did something for us? Before He gave us life? He called, we refused. He stretched out His hand and we disregarded it. God said, I called and you refused.

Wisdom wasn't silent. The tragedy is that sinners won't listen. And when they do, they say, yeah, I hear what you're saying, but I'm not going to have that man to rule over me. I'm going to do things my way. Five expressions here and three verses reveal human resistance. God said, you refused. No man regarded. You sought not my counsel. You would have none of my reproof. And they hated knowledge." Oh, well. Let me turn the volume down on that.

This is an accurate picture of the natural heart. Men love their sin. Men trust their own wisdom. Men imagine that they can improve apart from grace. Our problem is not, I repeat, not a lack of information. It's a rejection of God's truth. The Pharisees heard the Lord preach. The crowds saw the Lord's miracles. Yet many still refused Him, and it's the rejection of wisdom. He came unto His own, and His own received Him not. And the same rejection continues today. And you can dress it up in self-righteousness. You can dress it up in religious garb like the Pharisees did. You can stuff your sleeves full of prayers and everybody goes, there's a holy man. But unless you bow to Christ, it's all to no avail.

Folks hear that the righteousness they need is something they can produce, but it's only found in Christ alone. They reject the Christ who has perfect righteousness and who's the wisdom of God. And they cling to their own works, and they cling to their own religion, and they cling to their own righteousness. And that's refusing the wisdom of God.

How is it that God-haters have such a low opinion of God? Have you ever thought about that? I hear men who claim to be preachers, deacons, you know, people high up in religion, and they talk about God with such a low opinion. How can one think that God is so needy that He'll gladly accept them any time that they're ready?

God said Himself, My Spirit shall not always strive with man. That's a sobering declaration. There comes a time when God's patience with rebellious sinners reaches its appointed limit. In Genesis 6, verse 5, God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and God said, I am sorry that I ever created man. He said, Every thought and imagination of man's heart is only evil continually. And God said, I'm going to wipe this world out.

That word strive. He said, I'm tired of striving. It carries the idea of contending and warning. Before the flood, mankind had become so thoroughly corrupt, though God had warned them and given them ample time, space to repent, they just continued on in their wickedness. Continued on, continued on. And finally, God came to an end of His striving. God has the right to do that as God. God's not obligated to just give you forever and ever and ever. If you're in Christ, that's another thing, but not the rebellious sinner. Look at verse 25.

But you have said it not all my counsel and none of my reproof. I'll also laugh at your calamity. I'll mock you when your fear cometh. When your fear cometh as desolation and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind, then distress and anguish cometh upon you, then shall you call upon me, but I will not answer. They shall seek me early, but they shall not find me. Oh, they don't sound like the God that many today preach. You know, he's a little man upstairs, standing on the portals of heaven, wringing his hands. Won't somebody believe me? Won't somebody come to? Won't somebody let me save him? Woe is me.

That's not the God of the Bible. That's not the God with whom we have to do. Verse 29, for they that hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord, they wouldn't have none of my counsel. They despised all my reproof. Not only did they reject God, they hated the fact that He corrected them.

Listen, I was corrected a lot as a youth. Just to be honest with you, I don't ever remember a time that I was happy about it. I can't ever remember a time my mama or my dad spanked me and I thanked them. And then thirdly, we see the judgment of wisdom. God's going to laugh at their calamity. God's going to mock when their fear comes. And that's not a laughter of cruelty. That's that's not God sitting back and going, Chuckling, going, I told you, you know, like we do. This is the language of divine justice. This is God saying, see, I told you, I told you. The very warning that men and women reject actually becomes a witness against them. The very truths that men and women ignore are the very things that rise up in judgment to condemn them.

There comes a day when earthly wisdom fails. Money can't save, religion can't save, good intentions can't save. When judgment arrives, only Christ can save. And for many, it would be too late. How sad is verse 28? Then they shall call on Me, but I will not answer. There comes a point when the opportunity to repent is gone. It's appointed unto men once to die, and after this, a judgment. That's certain. No repentance after death. The rich man of Luke 16, he desired relief, but the door of mercy had already been closed.

This makes the gospel call so urgent. We're not just playing games here. We're not just playing church. And I honestly do wish we could shake people. I wish there was some kind of a hinge on somebody's head where we could just open up the top of their head and stuff this stuff in there, but we can't.

It doesn't work that way. Scripture repeatedly says today, today, today, if you will hear His voice, harden not your heart. God's got to replace a hardened heart. It can't just be softened. You ladies, when you do laundry, and men too for that matter, uses fabric softener to soften the clothes. That don't work on hearts. That heart's got to be removed. A new heart's got to be given and only God can give it.

And then verse 31 shows us the result of man's continued rebellion. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way and be filled with their own devices. Wisdom is cried out. Wisdom has warned and reproved. Wisdom has commanded sinners to listen, but they refused.

Therefore, God gives them over to the results of their own chosen way. Well, I've heard you say, preacher, that God's call is irresistible. Well, it is. It is to those that He's determined to save. But like we also have already said, His Spirit shall not always strive with man. And sometimes God says that's it. See, the truth of the matter is that men and women by nature, they love sin, they crave independence from God, and they desire confidence in themselves. And apart from God's grace, they eventually reap what they sow.

Just like in Romans 1, It repeatedly says, God gave them up. Those are some of the most terrifying words in all the Scripture. God gave them up. Lord, don't give me up. He gave them up to their own lusts and desires. That's seen over and over again in God's Word. It's a serious thing to reject the wisdom of God. Because it's God's.

To reject Christ is to remain under sin. It's to remain under sin's consequences. What's that? Wages of sin is death. And that's not talking about physical death. We're all going to die physically. Unless the Lord returns before we do. That's talking about spiritual death. That's talking about eternal death. That's talking about forever being in a place where the worm dieth not and the fire never ceases. And sinners don't perish because God's unwilling to save. They perish because they love darkness rather than light, and they will not come to Christ.

And that's why sovereign grace is necessary. It's the only kind of grace there is. But we have to qualify it because of what grace is preached to be today. Grace, you can take it or leave it. Not God's grace. Sovereign grace. Take it and live and refuse it and die. He that hath the Son hath life. He that hath not the Son hath not life. Salvation comes because God mercifully intervenes. God opens blind eyes. Lame sinners to Christ gives them the ability to walk, the ability to live. Christ is the only refuge that there is from ourselves. God's got to deliver us from ourselves. Why? Because we deserve the fruit of our own way. That's why you won't find a believer saying, I want what I deserve. We don't, do we? We want what we don't deserve. That's mercy and grace.

We deserve divine judgment and condemnation, yet Christ bore the judgment that His people deserve, and on the cross, He drank the cup of wrath. And the child of God receives mercy instead of divine justice. And verse 32 tells us what destroys sinners. For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them. Wickedness shows itself in many ways. It shows itself in self-confidence. Lord, I'm going to do it my way. Wrong. It shows itself in indifference. It shows itself in contentment without Christ. God's patience is not endless.

The door of the ark eventually closed, didn't it? One day that rain started falling. Never had been rain before from the way I understand Scripture. And rain came from heaven and water came from the ground. And those eight souls got in that ark, and the door was closed. For 120 years while Noah was building that ark, the door was open. And then, boom, it was closed. Christ is the ark. The door's not always open. He's the door that leads to life, but it won't always be open. The flood of God's wrath eventually came.

That rich man in Luke 16, he eventually died. He fared presumptuously every day. Lazarus sat out at his gate and got the crumbs from the man's table. But one day, Lazarus is in the bosom of Abraham, and the rich man is in hell. And there's a great gulf that's spanned between the two.

There's a day when mercy gives way to judgment. There's such a thing as being given over. Death ends God's striving with rebellious sinners. And after death, there's no opportunity for repentance, faith, or any seeking mercy. The day of grace belongs in this life. That's why it says today is the day of salvation. No second chances. Listen, no purgatory. There's no baptism for the dead like the Mormons believe. The Mormons believe that a living person can be baptized by proxy after they're deceased. In fact, they really do.

I had a business associate one time that told me just that. You know, I said, oh, I had a friend pass away and he didn't know Christ. I didn't know he was a Mormon. I didn't even know he was religious. And he said, oh, there's a way he can still be saved. I said, no, he's dead. And he said, no, that there still could be acceptance by God for a lost soul after they were dead. I said, how?

He said it's called proxy baptism for the dead. I can remember thinking, now I've heard it all. A living person, they say, can be baptized in a Mormon temple as a representative for a deceased individual. In other words, you know somebody's dead, this person, if he's a Mormon, and can get in the Mormon temple, can go in and be baptized, And then wherever this person is, purgatory or somewhere, he can then accept or reject the baptism.

That's the most foolish thing I ever heard of. He's free to accept it. Where do folks get this stuff? Men come up with anything and everything to keep from trusting in Christ and Him alone. Catholic Church believes in purgatory. I've heard it all my life.

Purgatory is, I don't know, I guess some place between heaven and hell. I don't know. They believe that after death, some people go to a place called purgatory where they can still purify themselves, clean themselves up before entering into heaven or just saying, no, I'm going to go to hell. Well, who's going to choose hell in purgatory? Ain't nobody going to go to hell that's in purgatory.

Where is that in the Word of God? That's why the gospel is so urgent. It's so urgent. Seek the Lord while He may be found. Call upon the Lord while He's near. Behold, now is the accepted time. Behold, now is the day of salvation. Salvation is not by proxy. No one can believe for you, especially after you're dead. Salvation is by grace. There's no holding place after death to get yourself ready for heaven. It's appointed unto man once to die.

After that, what? The judgment. Are we going to shuffle you in this little room over here and give you a few millenniums to think about it? Oh, my. And these are bright, intelligent, smart people that believe this joke. God's got to reveal it to them. God's got to reveal it to them. Then we have the fourth consideration of wisdom, the security of those who receive wisdom. The passage closes here with a precious promise.

Look at it. Verse. Thirty three, but who so whosoever hearkeneth unto me, As long as their breath, the door is not closed. Whosoever hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely and shall be quiet from fear of evil. This is the blessing of every believer. The believer is still going to face trials. A believer still lives in a fallen world. Yet they'll dwell safely because they're the true believer. The believer will dwell safely because they're in Christ. Their sins are forgiven. Their righteousness is secure. Their salvation rests not upon their performance. Oh, I'm happy about that. But upon Christ's finished work. The world seeks safety and wealth and health and politics and personal achievement. Those that stood before the Lord on the day of judgment said, Lord, haven't we done many wonderful works in your name?

And the Lord said, depart from me, ye that work iniquity. All your works was just iniquity. It was just wickedness. I never knew you. The only way you and I can be saved is that Christ knows us and reveals himself to us. A child of God finds safety in Christ alone.

The one who cried out to sinners in wisdom is the very same one who went to Calvary and put away their death. The one who calls is the one who saves. And the one who saves is the one who keeps. I think about that often. The very God that saved us is the very God that keeps us. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are where? You know it in Christ Jesus. Wisdom stands in the street crying out to sinners. That voice still sounds through the preaching of the gospel. Some hear, some refuse. Some hear, some mock. Some hear, others turn away. What about you?

Wisdom's Cry

What does the Bible say about wisdom?

How do we know that God's call is irresistible?

Why is the rejection of wisdom serious?

Why is it important for Christians to understand divine judgment?

Sermon Transcript

About David Eddmenson

Comments

Articles

Featured Authors

Podcast

Sermons

Featured Preachers

Books

Browse by Format

Music

Recent Comments

About

Legal

Subscribe

Account

Articles

Featured Authors

Podcast

Recent Comments

Sermons

Featured Preachers

Books

Browse by Format

Collections

Music

About

Legal

Subscribe

Wisdom's Cry

What does the Bible say about wisdom?

How do we know that God's call is irresistible?

Why is the rejection of wisdom serious?

Why is it important for Christians to understand divine judgment?

Sermon Transcript

About David Eddmenson

Comments

More from David Eddmenson

Related Sermons

Same Scripture

Articles by David Eddmenson

Where this book stands in the tradition

Plato

Augustine

The Western Christian Tradition

This Book