This morning we're continuing our just recently started sermon series in the Old Testament book of Proverbs. So today we're looking at Proverbs chapter 1 reading verses 8 through 19. And together let us give attention to God's holy word. Hear my son your father's instruction. and forsake not your mother's teaching, for they are a graceful garland for your head and pendants for your neck. My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent. If they say, come with us, let us lie in wait for blood. Let us ambush the innocent without reason. Like Sheol, let us swallow them alive and whole, like those who go down to the pit. We shall find all precious goods. We shall fill our houses with plunder. Throw on your lot among us. We will all have one purse. My son, do not walk in the way with them. Hold back your foot from their paths. For their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed blood. For in vain is a net spread in the sight of any bird. But these men lie in wait for their own blood. They set an ambush for their own lives. Such are the ways of everyone who is greedy for unjust gain. It takes away the life of its possessors. May God give us grace today to hear and understand and to follow His word. Amen. Last week we had one of the more, maybe most, unusual weather events for this area. A large hail storm hit a great part of the region with strong winds. Depending on where you live, you may or may not have gotten a full dose of that hail. I overheard someone yesterday at the Rotary blood screening say it was literally the worst, and they weren't a young person, the worst weather they had ever encountered. Well, at the same time the hail was coming down, I experienced something I had never been through before in my life. Of course, that's adding up a few years. It was not hail. But at the same time that the hail was coming down, I was driving on the four lane heading west toward Buckhannon and there was a torrential downpour. It was one of those rains that's just about strong enough, and I normally don't do this, but even I was thinking that maybe I should just pull over. So I mean, it was the rain was coming down like that. And yet, and yet, in the midst of the downpour, I was driving west and to the west where the weather was coming from, the sun. was starting to come through. And then as the rain continued to come down, the sun got brighter and brighter until finally I could not see, not because of the rain, but because of the sun. At that point, I decided I needed to get my sunglasses. And as I was reaching for them, I thought, well, this is just crazy. It's pouring rain, and I'm getting my sunglasses out. Has anyone ever had to wear sunglasses in a downpour of rain before? I was the first. You think of the forces of nature, hail and rain, but of course even more maybe worrisome, hurricanes and tornadoes, floods and fires, a storm at sea. We realize the power of nature and the challenges of trying to understand and navigate nature. As we read the book of Proverbs, we see there is another force of nature, really just as powerful, just as mysterious. It's not the force of nature at large, but the force of human nature. And human nature is a power, because our human nature leads to all kinds of things. And as the book of Proverbs unfolds wisdom and points us in the path of wisdom, we have to also navigate what and how our human nature comes into play. The context of much of the book of Proverbs is a boy moving into adulthood. And there are two paths before this young man that will determine the kind of life he will have. One path is the path of wisdom, and the path of wisdom leads to life and the blessing of life, not only for the person, but for those around the person. And yet there's another path, not the path of wisdom, but the path of folly. And the path of folly is a path that leads to struggles and even death. Now the path of folly, because of our human nature, seems to be really desirable, right? The path of folly is a great temptation, and not only does it seem tempting, but then there is, as we see in our passage, this crowd. Sometimes it's referred to as the gang, right? And what's the gang going to do to human nature and in light of human nature? The gang, as we see, is going to do this word entice. Think about that. So the gang is trying to entice the boy in their direction. Against that pressure from the crowd is the voice of wisdom. You would make two paths out of two voices even, the voice of the crowd. leading to folly, but then there's this other voice, the voice of wisdom. Now throughout Proverbs as a whole, we're gonna see many times, the voice of wisdom comes through nature, right? Look at the ant, look at the sky, look at this or that. So wisdom comes through nature, but also many times, and especially in our passage today, the voice of wisdom comes through humans, and especially parents and children. authority figures. I didn't want to tell the kids this is what we're talking about today because I'm sure they probably wouldn't have wanted to stay. But that's what the passage before us is, right? In fact, it's summed up in verse 15. My son, do not walk in the way with them. That is the path of folly. Hold back your foot from their path. So yeah, the primary context of Proverbs is wisdom coming through nature, but wisdom also coming through parents, teachers. And so it speaks to parents, right? And it speaks to children. But really what we want to see is it speaks to everyone. It speaks to you, no matter who you are, where you are in your life circumstance. But to understand the message, we still have to get the sense of the story. We have to hear what's being said through the characters of the story, especially an adolescent boy. Now that may seem strange, right? But it shouldn't. It shouldn't be that unusual. And it's really not all that complicated. Let me give you an example. If I were to read or watch a movie about Helen Keller struggling to overcome her disabilities as a young girl, what I say This story, the Helen Keller story, especially her younger years, this story has absolutely nothing to do with me and nothing to say to me. Because I'm not young, I'm not a female, and I don't have her disabilities. And it's true. I'm not young, I'm not female, I don't have her disabilities. But what a great deal I still can learn from her story, right? Her courage. Her perseverance, the hope, the joy through her and those who helped her. And this is what you need to understand. I would learn the most not by ignoring her circumstances and the context, but by hearing her story through her. And that's the same with Proverbs, isn't it? The same is true for Proverbs. It speaks to all of us. But it speaks the clearest and it speaks the strongest when we keep the facts of who is being addressed. in the story, in the passage. You with me? Not that complicated, right? You are mastering already Bible interpretation. And it's just basic common sense. It's how you read every book. It's how you perceive every story that you've ever heard. So we're gonna hear this story. We're gonna enter this passage through the young boy. And verse eight says this, hear my son, your father's instruction and forsake not Your mother's teaching. Here, in the Hebrew language, is the word Shema. This is the opening of the prayer, Devout Jews Pray Daily. It's recorded in Deuteronomy chapter 6, starting in verse 4. Here, Shema, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. So here, shema means to listen with attention, to follow. So the young person, our friend, maybe we should come up with a name. We'll just call him our friend, this young boy. Our friend is to listen with attention to the instruction and teaching of his parents, both his mother and his father. Now that's truly striking. We mentioned last week that Proverbs were a form of communication that's very common, especially in the ancient world. All kinds of cultures and nations around Israel used Proverbs. But the Proverbs of the Bible are particular, even though they're following the same kind of model and format. And what is unique here is that Solomon and other Bible writers are going to include the family setting. They're going to include male and female. Most of the other cultures, when they use Proverbs, it was for the royal court. It was the king. Now Solomon was a king. But I'm not sure any other king would have said, you know, listen to your mother just as you're listening to your father. And the Proverbs in this family home setting are helping us see that these are for everyone and this is for all of life. So it's not just exclusive for the elite, for a male-dominated culture, wisdom is God's truth, we actually said this last week, it's God's truth applied to all of life for building up all people by God's grace and for His glory. We're reminded of the New Testament passage. Paul speaks to Timothy and reminds him the solid foundation he has in his faith. 2 Timothy 1 verse 5, I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, And now I am sure dwells in you as well." Well, God's wisdom applied is a powerful influence. In verse 9, the passage continues, speaking of listening to this wisdom from mothers and fathers, and we could include other authorities and elders. For they are a graceful garland for your head and pendants for your neck. Let's picture that garlands and pendants. These are signs of beauty. Living according to God's truth, his wisdom as it comes to us through respected persons. And as we live that, it becomes literally a thing of beauty. It's a treasure. Not only is it a sign of beauty, it's a sign of honor and of authority even. Speaking of wisdom, Proverbs 4 verse 8 and 9 says this, prize her highly, that is wisdom. She will exalt you, she will honor you if you embrace her. She will place on your head a graceful garland, gonna hear these same words, she will bestow on you a beautiful crown. The wreath goes to the victor, to the one being installed into the office, a royal office even, there is crown. And there's jewelry. So these are precious treasures in the wisdom of God, right? Now we're hearing this story through the young person, but dear friend, this is for you. This is for you. There is beauty, there is treasure as we follow the path of wisdom that God gives. But now we have the warning. There is a pull in a different direction. Verse 10, my son, if sinners entice you, do not consent. Entice can be to deceive or to overpower. Jeremiah the prophet complained that God had deceived him. He said, oh Lord, you have deceived me and I was deceived. You are stronger than I. You have prevailed. I've become a laughing stock all the day. Everyone mocks me. With these sinners, they represent a gang of peers, and they're trying to lead our young friend in the wrong direction, a direction away from the path he had received from his home. And again, what we see, the major themes of Proverbs, there are two paths, and life is a choice of which path to follow. The father is going to speak in the voice of the gang. He's going to play out the scenario before it actually happens. Now, this is remarkable, and again, this is part of the beauty of Proverbs. You know, if you read the law, which is good, God's commandment says, don't do this, right? Or do this, and this will happen, and that's the law, and that's true, and that's right. Proverbs has the same authority, but listen how it's communicated. This is not just willpower. Do this because what? I said so, right? And sometimes we do say that as adults, and sometimes that's very appropriate. Do this because I said so. But get this. This is the beauty of proverbs. The father is going to communicate, even though he never loses his authority, he's going to communicate trying to win the heart and the mind of the child. He's not imposing his will. He's really seeking to create a different response of the heart. So this is, he's gonna say, this is what you need to watch out for. This is what you're going to hear. It hasn't happened yet, but it's coming. So what gift can the gang offer our young and impressionable friend? As you read the passage, as I continue, there's strength. No one can stop them. They have the power to take, they have the power to kill. There's material gain, and that material gain can come without much effort. It's easy money. It's there for the taking. This is gonna be tempting. The human nature is going to wanna latch onto these things. Verse 13 says, we shall find all precious goods. We shall fill our houses with plunder. And then there is the sense of belonging to a group. The enticement of the sinners spelled out in these verses, it's always, this section, it's always in the plural, right? Let us rob, let us attack, all plural. And then in verse 14, it says, throw in your lot among us, we will have one purse. How tempting that sense of belonging is for all people. But again, we're hearing this story through the ears and with the eyes of this adolescent who hungers even more for identity and acceptance. Hear these words, throw in your lot with us. We get you. We want you. You can be one of us. To counter this pressure, the father is not only letting it play out in advance, he's going to clarify really just how evil this path is. This gang is brutal. They're brutal. They swallow people alive. This gang is deceptive. They lie in wait. They are unjust. They attack the innocent. These are all the things that are described in those verses. This is not the path that leads to life. This is evil. And then the father spells out the folly of this path. It's not only evil, it's foolish, right? Now, you've got to picture this. All the things the gang has been pursuing will be their very undoing. They will not only not get those things they're trying to get, but those things they're trying to get are gonna get them. This is a beautiful wisdom of Proverbs, a way to communicate it, right? They're gonna set a trap and the trap's gonna get them. They're gonna maybe throw people in the pit and the pit's gonna swallow them. Verses 17 and 18. For in vain is a net spread in the sight of any bird, but these men lie in wait for their own blood. They set an ambush for their own lives. Father's basically calling the gang bird brains, right? A bird knows better and will know better to see if a net's being set right in front of its eyes. It's not gonna fall for it. But these people are foolish because they're gonna fall into their own trap. The blood they seek to spill is their own. Friend, this is the consequence of sin. And here's the lesson of wisdom. Understand the path you are on and where it is taking you. That's what a wise person understands. The question is not simply, and we could really maybe miss this here, the question is not simply am I doing those things that are associated with the gang and the foolish things they do, but the real question is am I on the path that leads to those things. Am I like this young person who is being enticed? The point is wisdom is not just how you live. Wisdom is the path you are on. It'd be very tempting to hear this passage and say, you know what? I'm not seeking to steal from someone's house like these people are, but don't miss it. You can take advantage of another person, of a transaction, any kind of sale. You can take credit for something you did not do, whether it's in school or on the job or in the neighborhood. Right? I did that. You didn't do that. You can steal time from your boss. You can take obligations owed to the government. So you're not, picture it, you're not down there like the gang, but here you are, you're on the path. And where is the path going? The wise person watches what, not just where am I, but what path am I taking? You may not be lying in wait to attack someone, like we heard, the gang in Proverbs, but you can be lying around when someone else is attacked. You can be indifferent to the needs of others. You can look down on others because they are not in your path or they are not as far along on that path, right? Beware of the path you are on. Wisdom is not just what you do, but where are you going? What path are you following? You may not be part of a gang or an unruly crowd, but you also might not be part of a healthy community that's building you up the way you need. Maybe you're letting unhealthy voices fill your mind. Remember, wisdom, again, is not just how you live, but what path you are on, what direction are you heading. And that's often determined by who you are listening to. Are you with me? The path, the process, you're being shaped. And let me ask, who are you listening to? That's not hypothetical. Where do you get your news? What podcasts are you listening to? Whose opinion do you really trust? Where do you turn when you're in need? That is what will be shaping your values and then your choices and where you are going in life. Again, that is for the young. Don't miss it, young people. but it is not just for the young. We see in that ripe, formative moment of a young person's life that choices made are going to have long-term consequences, and we understand the same thing here for us. Your identity today is being shaped. Life-altering consequences are before you today. Whether you have many, many, many years, or maybe not so many, many years, the principle is the same. And the good news is there is hope. Solomon, we got to remember the context again. Parents to children, but step back even further. Solomon, who wrote this chapter on listening to the instructions of one's mother and father, had a father who killed his mother's first husband. Right? You know that story? David and Bathsheba? Solomon wasn't the first child, offspring of that inappropriate union, but he was an offspring. When Solomon talks about, listen to your father, he's talking about a man who killed his mother's first husband. And how about his mother? She had an affair with the person that would become his father. Now Solomon certainly wouldn't regard that as wisdom. That would be folly. That would be following an evil fallen path. That would be living out everything that would be wrong in human nature. But what we need to see is David and Bathsheba did find the path of wisdom. They sought to walk in it. They sought to teach their children it. How do we know that? Because we know David wrote this as part of it in the Psalms. Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers, but his delight is in the law of the Lord. And on his law, he meditates day and night. So there is hope. There's hope for us. After his father, King David, died, there is a scene where Solomon's mother, Bathsheba, enters the royal court of her son, who is now king. The first thing King Solomon does when Bathsheba enters his court is to stand to greet her. And then he actually bows down before her. And he sets a throne beside his own throne for her. I know they didn't have Mother's Day back then, but man, he would have knocked it out of the park, wouldn't he? To honor his mother in that kind of way. She was not the same woman. And Solomon actually didn't always follow her counsel, but he does show us that there was change in her life. And he responded accordingly. And the message for you is it's never too late to walk in the right path. It's never too late to seek to be an example for others. Wisdom, as you hear it in the scriptures, even maybe in common sense, because that's what the Bible tells us. God is speaking to us through the wisdom of the world and the nature around us. Wisdom can point out and reveal the path we are on. And wisdom can point out and show there is a better way. But dear friends, it is only grace that can truly change us. It is only grace that can give us the power to walk in the right path, that wisdom reveals the patterns and the extent of our human fallenness that's too strong. You can't shift direction. So stop trying. But praise God, you can be born again. and dead bones can be raised to life. Let wisdom point the way, but let God's grace and God's spirit lead and empower you on the way. And that's only true because there was once a son who followed perfectly his father's teaching. There was once a son who sought to please his father in all things. He did not go along with the crowd. He did not give in to the voice of the leader of the gang who tempted him with wealth and power and recognition above all others. And although he deserved no punishment because he broke no command, he was willing to suffer in the place of a wayward people. those who did fall into temptation, those who did listen to the wrong voices, those who did follow the wrong teachers, those who became even slaves to evil masters and forces. And when those souls cried out to him, he listened and he took their burden on himself, even as he wrapped them in their new identity. and gave them a new family to call their own. Of course, that is the story of the eternal Son of God, Jesus, right? Didn't he do all that? He didn't go along with the crowd when he was tempted by the leader of the gang, Satan, to have power and money and influence. The Lord resisted. And though He was perfect, He died in your place. He took your sin upon Himself as He died on the cross to forgive completely and wash entirely every sin that you have committed and ever will commit. And he is the one who calls you as his own, who gives you a place in his family, the family of God and identity that is true. And now a voice to hear, right? A voice to hear, a gospel to behold, that in hearing his voice, his declaration about who you are, that you belong to him, that no other voice needs to take you in a different direction. No other power needs to lead you apart from him. You are his. And so this is our story and this can be our story. Forgiveness from sin. And why don't I just pray this? I wrote it. Let's just make it a prayer. It's our prayer to the Lord. Lord, we want this to be our story. And maybe if someone is here now, this will be the first time they claim this as their story. In Christ, that we have forgiveness of sin. That in Jesus, there is a rebirth in grace. That in Jesus, there is now light for our path. To know where to go, not only through reason and nature, but through our Lord's presence. In Jesus, there is comfort for our sorrows. There is strength for our journey. And there is home. There is home, an eternal, beautiful, never-ending home. Thank you, dear Lord, precious Savior. May this be true for us. May this be our story by your grace, we ask in Jesus' name. Amen.