All right, we're going to open our Bibles again to Proverbs, where we left off in our previous study, Proverbs on the Lady Wisdom. We covered an introduction through Proverbs chapter 3, and it's my intention to just do the highlights of Proverbs 4 through 9 today. Proverbs 10 is actually where the particular Proverbs start. From 1 through 9, just as a way of reviewing an overview of the book, Proverbs 1 through 9 is basically an introduction by a father to his son. He's saying, hear my words, hear my instruction, let me tell you the right way to go. And he gives him a choice. We define proverbs as the Hebrew word meaning a rule or a riddle. And it has the idea of a skill for living. And that skill is a skill to make a choice. That's the idea of wisdom, of a proverb. So a proverb is a statement of wisdom that gives a skill for living. And we said that the layout, the way that Solomon has written this, is he wrote it in what we called, and it's there on your worksheet, an antithetical parallelism. In other words, you have two, a verse, a proverb is a two verse set. The first one is joined to the second one by the conjunction but. And it's a choice. here's this but here's this and so you have this idea for instance Proverbs 10.1 a wise son maketh a glad father but then you have the antithetical antithetical showing of it that a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother and then we said that The way of wisdom is contrasted with the way of folly. That's the main topic there. The way of wisdom is contrasted with the way of folly. That he personifies the way of wisdom as a feminine noun. And the way of folly is presented as a harlot. We also said there that the claim of the book, Proverbs 1.7 is kind of the claim of the entire book, that the fear of the Lord, Solomon said to his son, is the beginning of knowledge. But fools despise wisdom and instruction. And even that, we see that parallelism there, that antithetical parallelism. You follow the Lord, that's the beginning of knowledge. If you don't, then you're a fool. That's basically what he's saying. And then we saw there in just, again still in just recapping here, we saw that wisdom was in conjunction, we named the four virtues, in conjunction with prudence. That prudence is called spiritual understanding and that wisdom then comes alongside of it. That wisdom is the apprehension or the understanding of how to apply what you've learned. And then we talked about the fact that pride, and I'm just going right down in order, that pride is opposed to the hearing of the word. and the word is the fountain or the source of wisdom that pride is the opposite of wisdom and then we also talked about the fact that this is we're not necessarily talking about wisdom of ourselves or in ourselves our own wit our own w-i-t our own wit our own we pride ourselves in the fact that we're wise meaning that we are able to ascertain things or expound things that's not what we're talking about And then we talked about meditation, I think I might have highlighted it, that to meditate on the Word of God, to think about it, to ruminate on it as we say, is the way that we come to that understanding of the knowledge of the Word. In other words, Proverbs has that trilogy, get knowledge with knowledge, get understanding with understanding, get wisdom. We can have knowledge of facts, we can have a head knowledge, we can know things, but we must understand it and in understanding we must then follow on to gain wisdom and that comes by through meditation. Thomas Watson said, study is the work of the brain, meditation of the heart. Study sets the invention on work, but meditation sets the affection of work. It was funny, I had a girl in the jail today and she was She was keeping up with me. She was quoting back scriptures. She clearly had been in her Bible. And I just told her, I was just thrilled. I was delighted. And I just wanted her to keep on studying. And she said, oh, but study is work. Well, you found that out. It is work. But it is the work that leads us to wisdom. Watson went on to say that the meditation of God's wisdom would sweetly calm our hearts. When we see things go cross in the public, the wise God holds the reins of government in his hand and let who will rule. God overrules. He knows how to turn all to good. His work will be beautiful in its season. When things go ill with us, in particular, the meditation of God's wisdom would rock our hearts quiet. The wise God has set me in this condition, and whether health or sickness, wisdom will order it for the best. God will make a treacle, that's like a syrup of poison, and all things shall be physical and medicinal to me. Either the Lord will expel some sin, or he'll exercise some grace. And the meditation of this will silence murmuring. And so meditate upon the Word of God. When you read it, and I said to you, there's nothing, there's no book as wonderful as the Puritans are, as much as we love them, there's no book that can take the place of this Word. And you must love it. David said he loved it more than gold. Yea, than much fine gold. And it's sweeter than honey. And you must know this Bible front to back. Put it in your heart that you might not sin against Him. Learn it. There's no substitute for knowing this Bible. But then after you know it, meditate upon it that God might make it to your soul wisdom. And then, I just wanted to pick back up there and just bring in a few reminders. And then we'll go to chapter 4. We defined wisdom. Wisdom reveals our hearts. And wisdom tests our hearts. You remember in the book of Kings when Solomon was crowned king and he was a young man. Not only was he young, he wasn't supposed to have been the king had the eldest son been crowned as would have been normal. But Solomon realized this, the situation of his youth, the situation of the magnitude of the kingdom, the following after such a man as David, and he prayed to God and asked Him for wisdom. Wisdom reveals what's in your heart, and it tests your heart. And Solomon asked God for an understanding heart. Now, in that text of Scripture in Kings, and we won't go there today, but I encourage you to read it, that idea of understanding, he asked God to give him an understanding heart, it means, it's the idea of between. It's like you have two opposing opinions, And it's the discernment of right and wrong and good and evil by cutting through those two opinions. It's as if you have something and you slice between it. And it's interesting because the very thing that the Lord used to show to the people this wisdom of God that Solomon had was those two harlots who came to him. Solomon had wanted a heart to judge the people. He wanted a heart to please the Lord. And here was his reason, that I might judge your people, he said. Here's what I want it for. I want to judge in justice. And so here come the two harlots. And you remember the story? They had one child that lived between the two of them and they both claimed the child. And Solomon said, bring me a sword. There's that idea of that betweenness of wisdom. He said, cut the child in half. You see that coming between there. Cut that child in half. Give half to her and half to her. And what did the real mother do? No, no, no. It revealed her heart, didn't it? Here's what's in her heart. No. Let it live. And the other woman revealed her heart. No. If I can't have it, she can't have it. So, as all the people were in awe to see this biblical wisdom, it discovers the secrets of a heart in such a way that everyone witnessing it can see it. Do you remember when Joseph's brothers came? I was listening to a lecture on this. Joseph's brothers came and it was an example. I had not given it a lot of thought, but he kept testing them by questioning. Do you remember? It was this idea of wisdom. He was cutting between what they were and what they are now. So biblical wisdom then uncovers the secrets of your heart. You may profess. I may profess something. But there'll come a test in which our hearts will be revealed by what we choose. And that's what Solomon was doing for his son. Here's Lady Wisdom. Here is the harlot. The woman of folly. What are you going to choose? That will reveal your heart. Wisdom then is that idea of coming between. And we see this then in Solomon. But we also see it in Abraham and Paul refers to it. Abraham had to choose between Hagar and Sarah, the law and grace. We see it in Jacob. Jacob had to choose between Leah and Rachel. We see it in Joseph himself when he had to choose to go away from Potiphar's wife and then he was given the wife rightly. we see it when Paul talks about the law and faith in Romans and Galatians and then we see it even in Revelation in the harlot of Babylon and the bride of Christ and so as we think about wisdom as we begin to move through until we come to the actual naming of the proverbs. Just keep it in the forefront of your mind. The idea of wisdom is a revealing of your own soul. What do you choose when you are put to that test? There's always two choices. Law and grace. Good and evil. Wisdom and folly. Light and darkness. The broad way. The narrow way. What do we choose? We know that Christ is wisdom. We see that in Proverbs, back in Proverbs 1.20. Wisdom crieth out. And that's Christ. It discerns the intentions of the heart. Hebrews 4.12. The word is Christ. And Christ's wisdom, and what does Hebrews 4.12 say? He's quick and powerful, and he's sharper than a two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and a discerner of the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And we were talking again in the jail this morning. What comes out of our mouths is what is in our hearts. Dr. Gill said, the person instructing throughout this whole book is our Lord Jesus Christ, who may be called wisdoms in the plural because of the consummate and perfect wisdom that is in Him. And we said the last time that Stephen Charnock called wisdom the title of Christ. When we start in the book of Proverbs in chapter four, we hear Solomon again saying, hear, hear the instruction of a father. Why? Because he said, I'm giving you good doctrine. And then he begins to relate to his son a story. He said, I was my father's son. I was tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother. Now Solomon claims to be the only beloved son of his mother, but we find in First Chronicles 3.5 that Bathsheba had four sons listed. But what we're talking about here is that special teaching of the father to the son. And each son in a family is going to have that relationship as he's being taught by his parents. It also reaffirms in 1st Kings 1.13 that promise that David gave to this son that he would reign after him. And Solomon says, then get wisdom in verse 5, get understanding, forget it not. In verse 6, forsake her not and she shall preserve thee, love her and she shall keep thee. We see this love as a yearning and a longing. It was used in Esther. Love her. It's not enough to do good, Matthew Poole says. A good which may proceed from worldly or sinful motives, but we must have a sincere and fervent love to it. And then Solomon says wisdom is the principal thing. The salvation and sanctification of one's soul, that's principle. The means of this, the means of getting this wisdom prescribed in scriptures, what is it? Flee to Christ. Flee to Christ. We must know Him. Simeon says it's a turning of the hearts of the disobedient to the wisdom of the just. And we see that in Luke 1 17. And then Simeon went on to say, we attain this not by the mere exertion of our own power, but by the teaching of God's spirit. Wisdom then is the beginning. It's the beginning of everything. Salvation for us is our beginning. It's a new life. Colossians 1, 17 to 18, and he is before all things and by him all things consist and he is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he might have preeminence. So wisdom begins in Christ as the new creation. And then Solomon said that thy steps be not straightened. What does he mean by that in verse 11 of chapter 4? That thy steps be not straightened. I've taught thee in the way of wisdom that your steps, that the way, sorry verse 12, that thy steps be not straightened and when thou runnest thou shalt not stumble. It means that you can manage your affairs with safety and success. It's a metaphor. It's talking about walking on a path. If you're walking down a path and it has humps in it or rocks at different heights, you're likely to stumble, particularly when the light is dim. So you want a straight and even path. And that's what he said. If you attend to the word of God, to wisdom, then you'll have that level path. And then he says in verse 13, to take hold of instruction. She is thy life. Matthew Henry calls wisdom the conductor, the preserver and the comfort of life. Now, we're going to skip chapter five, because you remember the last time I told you that two, five and seven. particularly dealing with the harlot's house so he gives us he's instructing his son in the way of wisdom And then he'll go over in the next chapter and warn about the way of the harlot's house. How do you recognize her? What does she do? And then he even talks about the silly boy, the son who turned in to her. She looked out the lattice and he turned in to her. And remember we said the last time that wisdom, it wasn't her beauty, it was her words. You remember? She stood there, she said, Oh, come in to me, turn in to me. I've perfumed my bed. I've got everything fixed. And oh, my husband's gone. And he won't be back for a long time. So come in, she says, we can, we have the whole night together. And then he says, but her bed is the way of death. Her house is the way of death. It goes down to Sheol. And we talked about the fact that it wasn't her beauty that enticed him. It was her words. But Christ is the opposite. He is the antithetical parallelism to this, but wisdom. And what is, who is wisdom? The Word of God. Christ is the Word incarnate. So chapters 2, 5 and 7 deal with the harlot's house. So let's skip to 6 today. In 6, We have, he has some more admonition here, but if you skip down to 20. My son, keep thy father's commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother. Bind them continually upon thy heart, and tie them about thy neck. When thou goest, it shall lead thee. When thou sleepest, it shall keep thee. And when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee. For the commandment is a lamp. And the law is light, and reproofs of instruction are the way of life, to keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman. Do you hear his father here? He said he was that special beloved son of his father. Do you hear David coming out here? What did David say? Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. What did Solomon say? The commandment is a lamp. And the law is like. So you see Solomon heard his father's instruction. Listen, he says to Rehoboam, listen to my instruction. You're going to sit on the throne. I was instructed by my father. And he said this about wisdom. And now I'm saying it to you. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way by taking heed thereto unto the word of God. And then, of course, we see in 7 again the woman of harlotry. But go to chapter 8, please. We start out there with 8, verse 1. Does not wisdom cry? And understanding put forth her voice. What's the harlot been doing? She's been calling out, hasn't she? Come, come to me. Come to my bed. But here's wisdom. Is she not crying out? She standeth in the top of high places by the way in the places of the path. She cries out at the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in at the doors. Now, the harlot didn't do that. She looked out the lattice. She was in the shadows. She stood on the corner. But wisdom is in the high places. She's in the gates where the important people are. She's at the crossroads of public roads. She's not lurking. Doesn't Christ cry out in the public places? Look at his ministry. We've been studying through the book of John. And you'll find when he goes to trial, when he was arrested in the garden, what did he say? I wasn't hiding. I wasn't in the darkness. I did what I did in public. He preached on the top of a mountain. In Matthew 5 through 7, he gave the Sermon on the Mount from the top of the mountain. He didn't hide. He preached in the synagogues. He preached in crowds of people. He preached in the open. And here wisdom is crying out in these high places, in the open, in the public. She's crying out to obstinate sinners, to foolish people, to simple people who lack knowledge and understanding. And what's her message? Come unto me. All ye that labour, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. It's the gospel message. And then we see in 12 there, in the same chapter, I wisdom, now she's talking. She's going to speak for herself. I, wisdom, dwell with prudence. And we talked about that in our last class. And find out knowledge of witty inventions. The fear of the Lord is to hate evil. Pride and arrogancy and the evil way and the froward mouth do I hate. Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom I am understanding. I have strength. By me kings reign, and princes decree justice. By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth. I love them that love me, and those that seek me early shall find me. Riches and honor are with me, yea, durable riches. and righteousness. And what does Christ give us? Righteousness. In whom, Colossians says, are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. What did he say? Love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, thy soul and thy might. That's the first and greatest commandment. What did he say? You love me because I first loved you. Love me, Wisdom said. Love me. I love them that love me. Wisdom is the Son of God. If we look at Luke 11, 49, Therefore also said the Wisdom of God. We see Wisdom speaking in Luke then. Here's what, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute. Not everybody listens. She cried out from the high places, but not everybody listened. And they did not hear the Son of God in Luke. Christ spoke again, Peter said, Christ spoke through the prophets in Peter, 1 Peter 1, 11 and then 3, 18 through 20. And he spoke through the prophets and he came himself. And they would not hear him. We see Christ, we see wisdom in eternity past. But we preach, Paul said in 1 Corinthians 11, 21-25, we preach Christ crucified unto the Jews assembling block, unto the Greeks foolishness, but to them that are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ, the power of God and the wisdom of God. Wisdom was then, ever with God, an essential perfection of his nature, Simeon said, it was attended upon him on all occasions as a counselor, without whose advice not anything was ever transacted from all eternity. Wisdom has presided over all his counsel, speaking of the Godhead, nor has anything ever been carried into effect without having previously received her sanction. Is that not a pattern for us? We see wisdom in creation. Look at Proverbs 8, 22. The Lord possessed me in the beginning of His way before His works of old. I was set up from everlasting from the beginning, or ever the earth was. When there were no depths, I was brought forth. When there were no fountains abounding with water, before the mountains were settled, before the hills was brought forth, Was I brought forth? While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world, when he prepared the heavens, I was there. When he set a compass upon the face of the earth, when he established the clouds above, when he strengthened the fountains of the deep, when he gave to the sea his decree that the waters should not pass his commandment. Have you ever stood at the beach and wondered why the water didn't come up past where it's supposed to? Here's your answer. He gave a decree. It wouldn't go further than he commanded. When he appointed the foundations of the earth, then I was by him. There's Christ. As one brought up with him, and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him. So we see him in creation. We know he's the creator of all things and that he was not himself created because John 1 tells us who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature, for by him were all things created that are in heaven and that are in the earth, visible and invisible, Paul said in Colossians. And John 1, of course, said in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. Jesus Christ was not a good man who became the Son of God. He did not live such an exemplary life that he became divine. Before the foundation of the world, he was and is and evermore God. So we see then wisdom in the redemption. Hallelujah. We see him in eternity past. We see him in creation. We see him in redemption. Holiness required that hatred of sin should be fully known. Now this is going to put you, this is going to really listen, listen to this. This is going to really sober you. Justice required satisfaction for the violations of God's law. Truth also desired that its honor should not be compromised. In other words, justice could not be compromised because truth would not allow it. The sacred word of God might be kept inviolate. God said in Eden, here is what my law requires. If you break it, here's the penalty. It can't be undone. That's justice. In this difficulty, all looked to wisdom. To know whether she could devise any way whereby the exercise of mercy might consist with the rights of all the other attributes of the deity. and wisdom had a plan the commentator said wisdom had a plan whereby mercy might have free scope for exercise what a great great unfathomable wealth this is on our behalf that when justice said This is the consequence. And truth said, Amen. Wisdom stepped forth and said, this is the plan that mercy might work. That mercy might have her way. This is the plan. Stephen Charnock said, the wisdom of God does wonderfully appear in redemption. Match the mind to greater astonishment. Now, listen to this. The works of creation are the footsteps of his wisdom. But the work of redemption is the face of his wisdom. And a man is better known by the features of his face than by the prints of his feet. We with open faith, or revealed faith, beholding the glory of the Lord, Paul said in 2 Corinthians 3.18, the faith there refers to God. not to us. The glory of God's wisdom, Mr. Charnock said, is now open and no longer covered and veiled by the shadows of the law. So we see then the face of God in the wisdom of redemption. The wisdom, Mr. Charnock went on to say, of God and redemption is visible in manifesting two contrary affections at the same time and in one act. The greatest hatred of sin and the greatest love to the sinner. In this way he punishes the sin without ruining the sinner. And he repairs the ruins of the sinner without indulging the sin. Here is eternal love and eternal hatred of condemning of sin to what it merited and in advancing the sinner to what he could not expect. We must seek wisdom. We must flee to Christ. That's our redemption. The folly of neglecting wisdom is found in our sin because there is an irreconcilable enmity between sin and holiness. Sin is hostility against the purity of wisdom. And as we said, wisdom dwells with prudence. We read that in verse 12 of this chapter. She dwells with prudence. And we defined prudence as all the force of reason used to find out what is right and to apply the means of reason rightly. In scriptures prudence is called spiritual understanding and wisdom, understanding here appears to describe a general apprehension of good and evil and wisdom, as we said before, applies to individual things considered in the circumstances by which they are surrounded. Wisdom then is application. How do I know what to do? How do I know which way to go? Simeon said there is no true wisdom but practical. The very end of knowledge is practice. We must bring our views, our desires, our motives into the strictness scrutiny. We must beg of God to give us the spirit of wisdom and understanding. Without this we shall continually err. and inevitably fall. Men will judge of religion, not what the Bible says of it, but what they see and those who profess it. And one instance of folly in the Lord's people will do more to prejudice them against religion than a thousand good actions to recommend it. Real piety consists not in talkativeness or eccentricities of any kind, but in a devout regard to God's honor and authority, a wise Now as we come to the close of this study, and I'm rushing a little bit here to finish in time, but I encourage you to go back and read these on your own and meditate on them as we were admonished to do by the commentator. Wisdom is also the skill to bear affliction. James 1.5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not, and it shall be given to him. Our sister Heather helped us last time with this. But Thomas Manson takes the position that this verse is particularly given to people who are facing affliction. He said that if you lack it, if you lack wisdom in this time of affliction, that God will not restrain himself. He will give it to you. He intends us to have it, to have that skill, that ability to bear affliction. Wisdom, he said, must be sought of God. Men have the faculty, but God gives the light. Wisdom is to be sought of God to bear afflictions, he says. It is spiritual idolatry to lean to our own understanding. He goes on to say that men of understanding have the greatest command of their affections. Our hastiness of spirit comes from folly. For where there's no wisdom, there's nothing to counterbalance affection. And then he says, with respect to the context, meaning this particular verse, there is need of great wisdom for the right managing of afflictions. And we talked earlier, there's not a one of us who are not walking in some type of particular personal affliction. And those of us who Who come out know that we'll be going back in. Those of us who are in it now know that it will end. Only for another to take its place. Cheerful patience then, he says, is a holy art and skill which a man learneth of God. Paul said, I've learned to abound and to be a base in Philippians 4.10. Such a hard lesson, he says, Mr. Matten says, needeth much learning. There is need of wisdom in several aspects in affliction. To discern of God's end in it. What's his purpose? To know the nature of the affliction. Whether it be to fan our love or to destroy our sin. That's what he's meaning there. What is he doing? To find out our own duty and to moderate the violences of our own passions. So let us ask of God. as we are admonished to do, because this will not come to us but by prayer. And then we see in Proverbs 9, Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath keyed out her seven pillars, she hath killed her beast, she hath mingled her wine, She's also furnished her table. She's sent forth her maidens. She crieth unto the highest places of the city. Whoso is simple, let him turn and hither. As for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him, Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled. Forsake the foolish and live, and go in the way of understanding. Christ has builted the house. This is not the harlot's house. This is the church of Christ. The seven pillars show that stability of the church, the prophets, the apostles, the ministers that God has given to the church, that divine perfection. She slain her beast. Hallelujah. We don't continue to give, as Hebrews says, we don't need the sacrifices. Christ has been the sacrifice. His own death was typified by those slaying of beasts. Come, she says, eat my bread and drink my wine. Do you remember what Folly said in Proverbs? Well, in Proverbs 9, 13 to 15, we won't read it all for sake of time, but she says, stolen waters taste sweet and the bread of secrecy is pleasant. But wisdom cries out loud in the hearing of all, come and eat my bread. Folly, listen to this. Folly offers, in verse 17, in verse 5, wisdom offers bread and wine. But if you go back and read those chapters on folly, she offers water and bread. And hers is the bread of affliction. And you learn that. Her house goes down to death. Colin DeLeach described it that those who go into her house only have the appearance of living, but not so with wisdom. Christ takes his lawful bride into the banqueting house and she testifies herself in the Song of Solomon 2.4, his banner over me is love. So we can sing with the Shulamite woman. The Shunammite woman there, let's go back to the Shunammite woman in 2 Kings 4.30 when she said in her desperation, you remember when we studied the Shunammite woman and she went to Elisha when her son was dead and the Lord had hidden from Elisha what was happening. He didn't understand. He didn't realize the boy had died and he sent his servant, you remember, ahead of him and she got down and grabbed a hold of his feet. And she said, as the Lord liveth and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So we must flee to Christ in that same way and not let him go. With all of our getting, we must get wisdom. We must love him and cling to him. And as David said, he must be sweeter than honey and more precious than fine gold. We referred to it earlier. Jesus said to Simon Peter in John 21 15. And the Greek there is interesting. He's using the word agape, agapeo. And Peter answers him with phileo. But Jesus is saying to him, Simon, son of Jonas, do you love me more than these? This is wisdom. He's asking Peter, look at your heart, Peter. Think about what Peter had just done. Peter was the impetuous one upon the Mount of Transfiguration. Let's kill the tabernacle. He's the one that said, I don't care what happens to you, I'll never forsake you. And he's the one that cursed and said, I don't know who that man is. And Jesus comes to him. when Peter had gone fishing. What did he say? This was the Messiah, but he didn't fulfill what I thought he should, so I'm going back fishing. And he goes, he gets his fishing boat, and as Mr. Gormley so aptly reminded us today, Peter didn't go fishing by himself, did he? And they came back to the shore after that long night of fishing with no fish. And there was the Lord with the meal prepared. And he said to Peter in front of these others, Do you love me more than these? And the commentators are not in agreement with what the Lord was saying there. Some say he meant, Do you love me more than these, your friends? These are your friends. This is your brother. Do you love me more than these? Some are saying that he pointed to Peter's boat. Do you love me more than your occupation? Do you love me more than your fishing nets? Do you love me more than the confidence that you have a job when you don't understand what I'm doing? Some of the commentators said, do you love me more than the delights and the profits of this world? More than the occupations? More than any? of these things. Do you love me? It was Peter that had boasted, but now Christ is saying, do you love me more than these? And then Matthew, Matthew Henry says, we should study to excel in our love to Christ. The key to this book is this. The heart of the one who makes the judgment is being revealed. What is your decision? That's showing your heart. If we would treasure what's sweeter than honey and more precious than gold, we can only do that by spending our days with Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Stephen Charnock, to remind us all, the faculty of understanding is from God by nature, but a heavenly light to direct the understanding is from God by grace. There is a spirit in man, but the inspiration of the Almighty gives him understanding, Job said. We must beg of God wisdom. So as we close this study, I leave you with those words of Stephen Charnop. May our prayer be to beg of God wisdom. And I want to give you one verse as you pray. And just a brief bit of testimony. I remember as a new Christian, The first time I heard this verse, and I heard someone teach on it, I wanted it. It was one of those prayers that I wanted. I prayed in my heart, but all the while praying it, I knew, but I didn't know what I was asking. That I may know Him, Paul said in Philippians 3.10, that I may know Him. that I may know Him. And the power of His resurrection, that's salvation. And the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death. How will we live with Christ? by dying with Him. How will we suffer with Him by bearing that cross? How will we know Him in the fellowship of those sufferings? That I may know Him. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God that upright affirmance. As you travel this way of sanctification, you will have affliction. That I may know him. That's why you have them. That you may have the fellowship of his sufferings, that you may know him by being made conformable unto his death. What was so special? Because he learned obedience by the things that he suffered. Did he not? Did the Bible not say that? And that He was obedient to His Father even unto death. The death of the cross. And what did Paul say? That we would present ourselves living sacrifices. Why? That we may know Him. That I may know Him. And the power of His resurrection. And the fellowship of His sufferings. Why? Because we're being made conformed. conformable to his death. We walk this way that we might live with him. And so we pray with Stephen Charnock, we must beg of God, wisdom. Christ. He is all in all. He is everything. He is supreme. He is the riches of all. He is the resurrection. He is life eternal. He is the wisdom of God.