Lord, thank you for another day. We ask that your wisdom be poured out into us through the Holy Spirit as we draw closer to you. Please lift up the hearts of those that do not know you, and thank you for honoring the prayers of your children throughout the world. We ask all this in Jesus’ name. Amen

Book of Proverbs, Chapter 9

Pro 9:1 Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn her seven pillars.
Pro 9:2 She has slaughtered her beasts; she has mixed her wine; she has also set her table.
Pro 9:3 She has sent out her young women to call from the highest places in the town,
Pro 9:4 “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!” To him who lacks sense she says,
Pro 9:5 “Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed.
Pro 9:6 Leave your simple ways, and live, and walk in the way of insight.”
Pro 9:7 Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse, and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury.
Pro 9:8 Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you; reprove a wise man, and he will love you.
Pro 9:9 Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.
Pro 9:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.
Pro 9:11 For by me your days will be multiplied, and years will be added to your life.
Pro 9:12 If you are wise, you are wise for yourself; if you scoff, you alone will bear it.
Pro 9:13 The woman Folly is loud; she is seductive and knows nothing.
Pro 9:14 She sits at the door of her house; she takes a seat on the highest places of the town,
Pro 9:15 calling to those who pass by, who are going straight on their way,
Pro 9:16 “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!” And to him who lacks sense she says,
Pro 9:17 “Stolen water is sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”
Pro 9:18 But he does not know that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.

Notes on Wisdom from Proverbs, Chapter 9

1) The seven pillars either refer to the size of the house or to the seven characteristics of wisdom - Not that it is central to understanding the text, but any ideas? Any Hebraic scholars in the house? I saw some visitors from Israel stopped by from the log files…

3) The Lord is preparing a feast for us if we come to accept his wisdom. I am sure that this applies in both for spiritual blessings as well as physical.

4) The intelligence we are born with matters little. I have known many people who could not do a lick of calculus, but were extremely wise. On the other hand, I was always considered very intelligent, but a fool (hopefully that has changed some!). God is willing to enlighten us if we will only come to dine with him.

We always refer to time spent with God as studying. That is indeed what we do, but how wonderful does that sound to an adult (or young adult) who never did well in school? Getting to know God can happen in many different ways - prayer, experiencing his creations in nature, and music. The latter is one of my favorites. I wake up pretty early, and on the weekends I’ll play guitar and “see what happens”. The result is usually a pretty enlightening experience. Moral of the story? Don’t limit yourself to just poring over the Bible for hours - mix it up and become a well-rounded Christian and “friend of God”

6) This implies action on our part - we are ultimately responsible. The more we lean on God, the more he can carry us. If we are just beyond his reach (I mean this figuratively, we can’t escape God), he will let us do what we wish. This is always to our detriment.

This was a powerful lesson for myself. I was cursed with a thirst for arguing. The house I grew up in was continuously filled with strife and you had a choice to lay back and “take it”, or fight back. Neither is a good choice, especially for little kids. I never grew up past there, and always felt the need to be “right” in every situation. You can only imagine the pain that this thinking brings.

God pointed this verse out to me. I never really thought about it like that. I thought that when we have a truth from God that we need to share it with people. I had just recommitted my life to God and spent several months listening to sermons pretty much all day at work. I had God’s word busting out of me at the seams and I came across some athiest internet forums. I was going to share the word.

Now, I’m not sure that no good came of it, but it sure didn’t seem like it. All I incurred was the wrath of unbelievers. Even though I was nice in my approach, it was foolish on my part. I liken it to a drowning dog. You come out to save the dog from drowning, but it bites you anyway because it is scared.

9) Teach a wise man and he will be wiser still. I spoke a few posts ago about a bad remark I made around an unbelieving (or wayward) colleague. I totally lost my witness and looked like a real jerk. I’m not sure, but I think God used him to correct me when he said, “I love to see your spiteful, bitter side come out” - Ouch!

In the past I would have been pretty angry and would have lit out on him. This time though, I let it go. I was actually happy that it happened because it got me thinking more about the dangers of letting my mouth go unfettered. Guess what the topic of conversation was at my next meeting of Cleansing Streams? That’s right, “Speaking Words of Life!”

10) Repeats the theme of this study - an awe-filled respect of the Lord and his Holiness is a great first step to wisdom. Knowledge of him also provides wisdom. If you do not have that feeling of awe about God yet, do not worry. Just keep praying, reading his word, and meeting with other believers. If we stay committed to God, he ALWAYS shows up in our lives. It’s much bigger than we ever expected, too.

12) Mockers will suffer alone - I guess that takes care of a concern of mine. Some kids have really lousy parents and this seems to drag on into their lives. I take this verse to mean that God gives everyone an opportunity to escape the “family curse” and to receive life from God.

13-18) The “woman folly” mimicks wisdom. Satan uses the “acceptable substitute” to distract many believers. We do not have the patience and humbleness to see God moving in the earth. We are looking for things in the physical world - the “greatest show on earth”. Well, Satan will provide that for us. The only problem is that it is a trap - all the guests are dead, and in “the depths of the grave”

Gospel of John, Chapter 9

Joh 9:1 As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth.
Joh 9:2 And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
Joh 9:3 Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.
Joh 9:4 We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work.
Joh 9:5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
Joh 9:6 Having said these things, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man’s eyes with the mud
Joh 9:7 and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing.
Joh 9:8 The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar were saying, “Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?”
Joh 9:9 Some said, “It is he.” Others said, “No, but he is like him.” He kept saying, “I am the man.”
Joh 9:10 So they said to him, “Then how were your eyes opened?”
Joh 9:11 He answered, “The man called Jesus made mud and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed and received my sight.”
Joh 9:12 They said to him, “Where is he?” He said, “I do not know.”
Joh 9:13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind.
Joh 9:14 Now it was a Sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes.
Joh 9:15 So the Pharisees again asked him how he had received his sight. And he said to them, “He put mud on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.”
Joh 9:16 Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.” But others said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” And there was a division among them.
Joh 9:17 So they said again to the blind man, “What do you say about him, since he has opened your eyes?” He said, “He is a prophet.”
Joh 9:18 The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight, until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight
Joh 9:19 and asked them, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?”
Joh 9:20 His parents answered, “We know that this is our son and that he was born blind.
Joh 9:21 But how he now sees we do not know, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself.”
Joh 9:22 (His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone should confess Jesus to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue.)
Joh 9:23 Therefore his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”
Joh 9:24 So for the second time they called the man who had been blind and said to him, “Give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner.”
Joh 9:25 He answered, “Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.”
Joh 9:26 They said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?”
Joh 9:27 He answered them, “I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?”
Joh 9:28 And they reviled him, saying, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses.
Joh 9:29 We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.”
Joh 9:30 The man answered, “Why, this is an amazing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes.
Joh 9:31 We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him.
Joh 9:32 Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind.
Joh 9:33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”
Joh 9:34 They answered him, “You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?” And they cast him out.
Joh 9:35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”
Joh 9:36 He answered, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?”
Joh 9:37 Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you.”
Joh 9:38 He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.
Joh 9:39 Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.”
Joh 9:40 Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things, and said to him, “Are we also blind?”
Joh 9:41 Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.

No notes on John for now - I just want everyone to soak in God’s word.

Thanks for joining us. Post any questions or comments below. I wouldn’t mind seeing a good ol’ fashioned theological row (because I wouldn’t have anything to do but sit and watch).

See you again tomorrow - have a blessed day!

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