Tag: wisdom
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Fear [1-minute read]
7The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge;fools despise wisdom and instruction.–Proverbs 1 This word for ‘fear’ occurs 18 times in the Old Testament and each time fear is treated as a category. It is either present or it is not. Some people push back here and say that this verse makes it sound like…
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Daily Living
32“And now, O sons, listen to me:blessed are those who keep my ways.33Hear instruction and be wise,and do not neglect it.34Blessed is the one who listens to me,watching daily at my gates,waiting beside my doors.–Proverbs 8 The wisdom of God is personified in this chapter as a lady. Remember, the book of Proverbs is poetry…
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Fear, Belief, & Salvation
30Thus the LORD saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. 31Israel saw the great power that the LORD used against the Egyptians, so the people feared the LORD, and they believed in the LORD and in his servant Moses.–Exodus 14 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom…
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Leave the Simple Ways
6Leave your simple ways, and live,and walk in the way of insight.”–Proverbs 9 In the book of Proverbs, you are heeding the call of one of two ‘women’–Lady Wisdom or Madam Folly. Let’s unpack this verse with three statements. Those of us who follow Jesus already understand these. But, frankly, every person is a disciple…
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What Do You Pack?
20My son, keep your father’s commandment, and forsake not your mother’s teaching. 21Bind them on your heart always; tie them around your neck. 22When you walk, they will lead you; when you lie down, they will watch over you; and when you awake, they will talk with you.—Proverbs 6 I just came back from traveling…
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The Comfort of Simplicity
20Wisdom cries aloud in the street, in the markets she raises her voice; 21at the head of the noisy streets she cries out; at the entrance of the city gates she speaks: 22“How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge? 23If…
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Which Son Are You?
3He who loves wisdom makes his father glad, but a companion of prostitutes squanders his wealth.–Proverbs 29 This proverb links with a parable of Jesus. So let your mind travel to Jesus telling the parable of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15. His crowd WAS WITH this proverb. The older son in the parable was…
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Are You Teachable?
13Better was a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king who no longer knew how to take advice.–Ecclesiastes 4 The biblical Solomon started off as a young man asking for wisdom and ended up with this description… King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women besides Pharaoh’s daughter—Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites.…
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Under the Sun
12I the Preacher have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven. It is an unhappy business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. 14I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and…
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Becoming Wise and Discerning
37This proposal pleased Pharaoh and all his servants. 38And Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find a man like this, in whom is the Spirit of God?” 39Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has shown you all this, there is none so discerning and wise as you are.–Genesis 41, part 2 Joseph is a special…
Joel M Bradshaw 