TO APT? OR NOT TO APT? THAT IS THE QUESTION!

October 23, 2017

TO APT? OR NOT TO APT? THAT IS THE QUESTION!

Proverbs 15:23–33

Hugh Stephenson

Central Truth

We all want to be smart and have wisdom. We want the ability to give an apt reply. What we may not realize is that the world’s version of these attributes is very different from how God made them. God requires respect and reverence. And rightly so.

The fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom,
and humility comes before honor.
(Proverbs 15:33)

23 To make an apt answer is a joy to a man,
    and a word in season, how good it is!
24 The path of life leads upward for the prudent,
    that he may turn away from Sheol beneath.
25 The LORD tears down the house of the proud
    but maintains the widow's boundaries.
26 The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the LORD,
    but gracious words are pure.
27 Whoever is greedy for unjust gain troubles his own household,
    but he who hates bribes will live.
28 The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer,
    but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things.
29 The LORD is far from the wicked,
    but he hears the prayer of the righteous.
30 The light of the eyes rejoices the heart,
    and good news refreshes^{1

15:30
Hebrew makes fat} the bones.
31 The ear that listens to life-giving reproof
    will dwell among the wise.
32 Whoever ignores instruction despises himself,
    but he who listens to reproof gains intelligence.
33 The fear of the LORD is instruction in wisdom,
    and humility comes before honor.

Footnotes

[1] 15:30 Hebrew makes fat

It's all about wisdom. My question is, “What does wisdom do for me?” The worldly answer is that it makes me able to function, make a living, and understand the world.

This is the kind of wisdom I sought from my youth until age 55. In many ways, I gained worldly wisdom. I even had all the external toys and joys this life could offer. My accomplishments gave me pride. Yet, as our key verse notes, humility comes before honor. I had very little humility, and my respect and reverence for God were nominal at best.

This pride led to my destruction. Jesus tells us in Matthew 7:13, “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.” My downward spiral to destruction began in December 2010. By the fall of 2012, all of my key relationships were in tatters, and my family was in a severe crisis. I'd been addicted to alcohol and pornography since I was a teenager, but now they seemed to own me more and more each day.

The end came Saturday night, December 1, 2012.

I was on a hunting trip with friends and got so drunk I could hardly stand. The destruction of self-will and worldly wisdom came to completion. For the first time I realized the depth of my sin and my total helplessness to control it. I looked in the mirror and told God that I was done. I prayed and begged Him to heal me. Instantly, I got a very strange sensation and went numb. When the sensation passed, I knew right away that I was healed, and my compulsion for alcohol and porn was gone forever.

This was the pivot point in my life. For the first time I fully understood that my life’s path was to be completely redirected. In the terms of today’s passage, I saw how far my worldly wisdom was from God’s wisdom and how far my pride was from true humility.

1. Choose one of the four types of verses Solomon used in this passage and make a statement about yourself. Extra credit for using all four. My bio has some examples.

2. Please share one truth of the world that you later realized was really a lie.

3. Please share one truth of God that you now understand but that you used not to understand.

4. Please share one way God has redeemed a former lie in your life and turned it into glory for Him.