August 25, 2017
Pr 2:1-2 My son, if you will receive my sayings, And treasure my commandments within you, 2 Make your ear attentive to wisdom, Incline your heart to understanding; Pr 2:3 For if you cry for discernment, Lift your voice for understanding;
Onward to Proverbs 2:3! But first a quick review of verses 1 and 2.
The conditions:
Accepting God’s words
Guarding and keeping His words
The result:
Leads to heeding God’s wisdom and
The skill of understanding how to apply God’s wisdom with all your heart, mind and soul
Now, in Proverbs 2:3 we find the reiteration, marking the importance, of seeking wisdom. The effort that is a part of seeking wisdom is imparted to us through vivid word pictures. This prepares us for the promise that follows in verse five.
Pr 2:3 For if you cry for discernment, Lift your voice for understanding;
‘For’ means because or since. You could say, ‘Yes, if you do this…’ or ‘truly, if you do this…’ These words naturally set the reader up to expect a result.
Think about what it means to cry for discernment. To cry comes from the Hebrew <qara’> meaning to call out, to cry. This is no silent request! When you really, really want something what happens to your voice? Doesn’t it get more intense, perhaps louder? Picture a young child who wants something in the most extreme way – you can almost hear it, can’t you?! How important is it to you to know God? Important enough to shout it for all to hear? Important enough to plead for understanding of His truths?
Something that comes to mind as I’m studying this is the fact that we cannot understand God’s mind. Remember how God questions Job! So how does the idea of crying for understanding mesh with the fact of not being able to fully understand God? This question makes my brain hurt… Let’s go to the Word.
Ro 11:33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!
Ps 139:6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is too high, I cannot attain to it.
God chooses to bless His children with the understanding they need in order to live a life pleasing to Him. But this wisdom is not complete; we cannot know the hearts of men as God does, we cannot know the needs of those around us unless they give us information. The Bible says God knows what we need even before we ask (Mt 6:8). God will give us the understanding we need to accomplish the works He sets before us.
God appointed Solomon king. Solomon knew he needed help to walk down the path God placed before him.
2Ch 1:10-12 “Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people; for who can rule this great people of Thine?” And God said to Solomon, “Because you had this in mind, and did not ask for riches, wealth, or honor, or the life of those who hate you, nor have you even asked for long life, but you have asked for yourself wisdom and knowledge, that you may rule My people, over whom I have made you king, wisdom and knowledge have been granted to you. And I will give you riches and wealth and honor, such as none of the kings who were before you has possessed, nor those who will come after you.”
When we look at Proverbs 2:5 later in this series of study, we will see that our understanding is based more on knowing Who God is which produces an understanding of our dependence on His work in our lives. Wisdom is fearing and knowing God, not acting as He would for this is impossible for an imperfect human.
Pr 9:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
Let’s get back to where we were in Proverbs 2:3!
Discernment can be used interchangeably with knowledge, understanding and wisdom. An easy picture of someone without discernment are those who speak without thinking. Have you said something or acted upon something without having full appreciation for the details involved? I’ve been guilty of this at times and when you step back and realize your error it is truly humiliating and embarrassing. I am happy to cry for discernment, I need it and others will be blessed if I practice it!
We have the picture of crying for discernment followed by ‘lifting your voice for understanding’.
Again, we see the desire to understand God followed up by great effort. This phrase seems to carry the same meaning as crying for discernment but with even stronger force. In the definition of voice <qowl>, I read the word ‘bleating’! Of course, the first thing I picture is a sheep :). Sheep are timid, defenseless, readily preyed upon animals. They are typically not described as smart or intelligent! The imaginative picture of bleating is accurate considering we are referred to as God’s sheep in His word. John 10:27 “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” Doesn’t this idea reaffirm the need we have for knowing God?! We are truly lost without Him and that truth should cause us to cry out for Him. The second definition of bleating in WordWeb is to cry plaintively. Perk up your ears – this is a sorrowful howling sound of need and desperation.
How would you sum up the actions in Proverbs 2:3? Think about it. All the action we experienced is exhausting isn’t it! Are you spent for God? How strong is your quest to know God? Are you desperate for Him as a bleating sheep?
