In Proverbs 3:1-6, Solomon begins and ends with a promise, and in between gives us two specific guidelines that are key to these promises, and are ALWAYS the wisest response regardless the circumstances.
The first promise is: My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments, for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you. Prov. 3:1,2
The promise is quantity and quality of life! Quantity is avoiding foolish choices that cut our lives short. True quality is defined by peace – shalom: wellbeing or soundness of heart, mind, body and soul. We have all experienced that sense of shalom when we handled a challenging encounter or situation wisely. Proverbs 15:23 says “A man has joy in an apt answer, and how delightful is a timely word!” In 2 Corinthians 1:12, which we mentioned in the last lesson, Paul referred to it as “proud confidence.” For our proud confidence is this, the testimony of our conscience: that in holiness and godly sincerity, not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God, we have conducted ourselves in the world, especially toward you.
Kauchesis: the act of elevating, translated “proud confidence” in this verse, isn’t always about being prideful, boasting or bragging, but can simply be feeling really good, lifted up, encouraged, about how we acted or responded. It is the wise response “toward you,” our horizontal response, that Solomon addresses first as he guides us in how to always respond wisely.
Proverbs 3:3 Do not let kindness or truth leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.
When something is wrapped around your neck, it is obvious to everyone. Written on our heart is more than remembering something, but having it incorporated into our character and our thinking process. In other words, kindness and truth are to be defining inside and out.
Kindness – chesed– is one of the most significant words in the Old Testament, and possibly the entire Bible. It means kindness motivated by love. In the New American Standard Bible it is often translated “lovingkindness.” It refers to both mercy and grace. These are two sides of the same coin: mercy is not responding how deserved; grace is responding how not deserved.
Truth – ‘emet– isn’t about what you know or telling them what they need to know. ‘Emet refers to what is. It is not going to be one thing one day and something else under different circumstances. As my Dad loves to say, “It is what it is.” Truth! Certainty! It is about what is consistently righteous and trustworthy – aligned with the unwaveringness of who God is.
In Exodus 34:6, God clearly states, “Then the Lord passed by in front of him (Moses) and proclaimed, ‘The Lord, the Lord God, is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger [long or slow-breathing], and abounding in lovingkindness and truth.’”
Abounding in chesed and ‘emet – lovingkindness (mercy and grace) and unwavering, unchanging, consistency are primary attributes of our Heavenly Father. These same characteristics of grace and truth describe Jesus – who He is and how He always responds.
John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:17 For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.
The Law tells us what to do and not to do. Jesus shows us what to be like and how to respond. When Peter tells us to “grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” 2 Pet, 3:18, he is instructing us to become more and more like Jesus both in our character and responses of grace/lovingkindness and truth. Our attitude, actions, words, mannerism and countenance need to be full of grace and the continuity of truth. When we are full of grace and truth, Jesus is seen and glorified!
We will always respond wisely IF we respond like Jesus with grace/lovingkindness and truth! When we do, Proverbs 3:4 says, “So you will find favor and good repute in the sight of God and man.” That in itself should be a great motivation.
The second guideline regarding how to always respond wisely is about our vertical response – towards God.
Proverbs 3:5,6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your path straight.
In this very familiar verse, we are told our wisest response is to trust God. The Hebrew word, batach, literally means “to throw oneself down upon.” It is referring to an abandonment of self, a complete dependence, full submission and wholly surrendered – being all in!
We are told to “trust in the Lord with all our heart.” Look up “with” in the dictionary, and you will find 10 different meanings. One of them is “indicating the instrument used to perform an action.” For example: She cut the bread with a knife. We need to be trusting God with all our heart, as well as with all our mind and soul. Our feelings, our thoughts, our beliefs, all engaged in intentionally and intently trusting God. That goes with the “all in” aspect of batach. It is a bold abandonment into God’s trustworthiness.
Another definition of “with” indicates something specific. For example, the cup is filled with water. We need to trust the Lord with all our heart = entrust our feelings and emotions to Him; those driving desires to react emotionally (especially fear, anger, arrogance, bitterness, self-pity, frustration, etc.). Emotions, passions, and desires make us who we are. Trust Him with all of that.
Trusting and entrusting go hand in hand. Jeremiah 17:7 says, “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose trust is the Lord.” “Trust in the Lord” is batach Yahweh: to confide in, set one’s hopes upon, have confidence in. It releases, let’s go, entrusts. “Trust is the Lord” is mivtach Yahweh: makes God our refuge and safe place, where we find security and assurance. It trusts completely. We are blessed when we trust the Lord! The word “blessed” is barakh = blessed with blessings.
A different word is used for “blessed” in Psalm 84:12 “O LORD of hosts, how blessed is the man who trusts in You!” and Proverbs 16:20 “He who gives attention to the Word will find good, and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord.” This word is esher, which means to have great joy. With either of these blessed words, barakh or esher, we are the beneficiary of trusting Him.
We are also told, “do not lean on your own understanding.” To lean (sha’an) means to rest our full weight against something. If it cannot bear the weight, it is not trustworthy. We are not to lean on our own understanding (binah - discernment) - what we have deemed to be the appropriate response, the logical thing to do. Key word here is “own.” Our “own” understanding isn’t all that trustworthy, especially if it isn’t shored up with Christlikeness.
Proverbs 3:7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and turn away from evil.
Proverbs 4:5 tells us “Acquire wisdom! Acquire understanding!” Proverbs 9:10 tells us how. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” Reverence for God is the beginning of what makes us wise because it recognizes our so-called wisdom is unreliable, and the true wisdom that we need comes from Him. Understanding doesn’t come from justifying what we deem as logical, but comes from knowing Jesus: who He is, what He says and how He responds, and align accordingly. He needs to be our plumb line.
Instead of trusting our emotions and logic, Proverbs 3:6 says, “In all your ways acknowledge Him.” The word translated “ways” is derek: the direction headed and the steps taken to get there. The word translated “acknowledge” is yada: to know that you know. “In all your ways acknowledge Him” means as we are going through each day, each situation, etc., we need to determine what we know that we know about God and apply it.
As we choose to respond to something or someone – anything or anyone, we are weighing our options. The side that carries the most weight in that moment decides our response. On one side of the scale we place our heart (emotions) and our understanding (logic). On the other side goes what we know and believe about the Lord.
“Lean on your own understanding” means we give more weight to emotions and logic than they truly deserve. That response has a good chance of being unreliable and foolish. “Trust in the Lord” and “in all your ways acknowledge Him” is throwing our full weight on God. 1 Peter 5:7NIV tells us to “Cast all your cares upon Him, because He cares for you!”
Responding is always a process. How much time, effort and consciousness goes into the process plays a huge role in whether there is even the slight chance of our response being wise. 2 Corinthians 10:5 refers to “taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.” What it is referring to is thinking about what we are thinking about. It is asking: "What am I leaning on as I choose to respond?"
The wisest response is ALWAYS:
(1) Choosing to follow the example of Jesus and manifest grace/lovingkindness and truth.
(2) Choosing to trust God and put our full weight on what we know that we know about Him.
It is as clear-cut as always responding with glory and grace!
What began with a promise is concluded with one as well. “He will make your paths straight.” Prov. 3:6 “Straight” is the Hebrew word yashar: to make or be straight or even; make right or smooth; to be made level or laid out smoothly.
This was David’s prayer in Psalm 5:8, “O LORD, lead me in Your righteousness because of my foes; make Your way straight before me.” This is also Isaiah’s prayer in Isaiah 26:7. O Upright One, make the path of the righteous level. Palas: to roll flat; weigh out and add what is needed, to bring into balance. Both of these men knew that in this world where everything is unpredictable, filled with obstacles one minute and pits the next, includes aspects that are hard and rough, and others that are like traveling through quicksand, we need: (1) a different way to navigate this world - we need “Your way;” and (2) we need to walk it hand-in-hand with Him on that right path.
Jesus stated in Matthew 7:13,14 - “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” In Jeremiah 6:16, He tells us: Thus says the LORD, “Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; and you will find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’ It is a choice. The wise choice is to walk His way His way with Him.
This ancient path is not one of ancient tradition, of how things use to be done or ought to be done, but the hard, often steep path of faith and obedience. It winds through Scripture and is desperately needed in our lives. The only way to navigate this winding path is in partnership with Jesus. We all know from experience that this narrow gate (trailhead) is hard to find and the narrow way and ancient path is challenging to navigate. It is easy to feel like we are hiking it all alone. But that only happens if: (1) we are trying to navigate it on our own; (2) we got ahead of Him or (3) we dawdling far behind.
The promise of this ancient path/narrow way is that it leads to “Rest for your souls” - a place of trust! Jesus repeats this promise in Matthew 11:29 - “Take My yoke upon you [partner with Me], and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in spirit, and you will find rest for your soul.”
What is always the wisest response – the wisest choice? I have a one-word answer: Jesus! Walk with Him, talk with Him, watch what He is doing and do that, pay attention where He is going and follow, listen to what He says and respond that way.
Jesus said in John 5:19 NIV - “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by Himself; He can do only what He sees His Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.” If that applies to Jesus, that definitely applies to us. By myself I can do nothing! v 30 NIV Knowing THAT and responding accordingly IS always the wisest response.
