SCRIP-BITS

Proverbs 4:7.    Wisdom is the principal thing: therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.
 
Oh Friends, it’s Friday, and I know we’re all eager to see the end of it, so that we can relax and enjoy the weekend. But please, let’s be patient and careful in our enthusiasm, for much can happen betwixt the start and end of the day. Let’s not be hasty and rush into anything as we declare ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ And to help us curb that enthusiasm, let’s chant our Friday Chant. In full voice now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’ And in that chant Friends, we adhere to the sagacity (smile) of our Bit. ‘Wisdom is the principal thing: therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.’ That’s undeniable truth my people! And we should all know by now that WISDOM and understanding come from God. But it’s only when we seek them of Him with a sincere and right heart, that He will grant them to us. And no doubt some of you are unhappy that we’re talking about wisdom for yet another day, but the truth of the matter is if we had been suitably and sufficiently imbued with wisdom and understanding, we would not have made many of the mistakes we’ve made in our lives. And furthermore, if the wisest man ever, Cousin Sol, didn’t believe that wisdom was such an important aspect of our lives, he wouldn’t have spent so much time in Proverbs talking about it, even to purposely declaring in our Bit that it was the principal thing for us to acquire on this earthly journey. And for us to be able to achieve that goal, there must be directives and instructions for us to follow, as well as the consequences of not following them. Thus from the opening of Proverbs, Cousin Sol declares his purpose in penning them; ‘To know wisdom and instruction: to perceive (understand or discern) the words of understanding; To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgement, and equity; To give subtilty (prudence) to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.’ (Prov.1:2:4) And here are some explanations from the scholars: ‘Wisdom is the key word of the book and basically means “skill in living;” the skill to live life successfully. Instruction refers to moral discipline of one’s life, not to classroom instruction. Understanding means the capability to distinguish between true and false, good and bad, what matters most and what does not matter at all. Wisdom, a different Hebrew word from that used in verse 2, means, “wise behaviour, wise dealing, good sense.” Justice is the same word as righteousness and refers to conformity to God’s law. Judgement is a legal term used of a judge’s verdict and refers to right behaviour. Equity is fairness in one’s dealing with others.’ Now that puts us all on the same page as to the meaning of the words. And having defined his purpose, Cousin Sol goes on to relate how it will affect us. ‘A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain (inquire) unto wise counsels:’ (Prov.1:5) That means, anyone, educated or not, with a desire to learn, can be wisely instructed by obeying the instructions of the book. And in every chapter he declares some aspect of WISDOM, some of which we’ll look at, as time and space dictate. In Chapter 2, Cousin Sol deals with the reward of heeding wisdom: ‘When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul; Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee: To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things (perversity).’ (Prov.2:10-12) And in Chapter 3, we saw yesterday that wisdom and understanding made man happy and gave him all sorts of good things in this earthly life. (Prov.3:12-18) We also saw that the Lord used wisdom to create the universe. (Prov.3:18-20) Then in Chapter 4, Cousin Sol talks about a ‘father’s wisdom,’ that gives wise advice to children. ‘Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline (turn away) from the words of my mouth. Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: LOVE her, and she shall keep thee.’ (Prov.4:5-6) Then he goes into our Bit and tells about some more good stuff that comes from wisdom, that we heard yesterday. (Prov.4:7-9) After that, he acknowledges that there are two paths to follow: ‘Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many. I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths. When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straightened (hindered); and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble. Take fast (firm) hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.’ (Prov.4:11-13) And on the second path he advises thus: ‘Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by it (do not travel on it), turn from it and pass away. For they sleep not, except (unless) they have done mischief (evil); and their sleep is taken away (robbed), unless they cause some to fall. For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence…The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.’ (Prov.4:14-17,19) And since time and space are against us, we’ll end here with a significant verse that Cousin Sol saw fit to include in the spiel about the wicked, but which I left out. Listen closely now. ‘But the path of the just is as the shining (bright) light, that shineth more and more (ever brighter) unto the perfect day.’ (Prov.4:19) And that my Friends is the gospel truth! So please let’s grasp it and hold on to it very firmly, that we might come to know true WISDOM, and get true understanding. Much LOVE!…keep thy heart (mind) with all diligence…for out of it…are (flow) the values of (abundant) life…  (Prov.4:23)