Wisdom is the Foundation for Deliverance

Proverbs 24:1-12

1 Do not be envious of evil men,
Nor desire to be with them;
2 For their heart devises violence,
And their lips talk of troublemaking.

3 Through wisdom a house is built,
And by understanding it is established;
4 By knowledge the rooms are filled
With all precious and pleasant riches.

5 A wise man is strong,
Yes, a man of knowledge increases strength;
6 For by wise counsel you will wage your own war,
And in a multitude of counselors there is safety.
7 Wisdom is too lofty for a fool;
He does not open his mouth in the gate.

8 He who plots to do evil
Will be called a schemer.
9 The devising of foolishness is sin,
And the scoffer is an abomination to men.

10 If you faint in the day of adversity,
Your strength is small.
11 Deliver those who are drawn toward death,
And hold back those stumbling to the slaughter.
12 If you say, "Surely we did not know this,"
Does not He who weighs the hearts consider it?
He who keeps your soul, does He not know it?
And will He not render to each man according to his deeds?

We should not be wise if we envy others who have things we want, but lack what we really desire.  They pursue evil against God’s word and design and do not have what the wise aspire to.  They only seek out trouble and violence, sometimes even disguising the rhetoric as a righteous cause when their actions and words are neither wise nor honoring to God.  Instead we look to the scriptures to build a sound and immovable foundation for our life’s house to dwell in.  We fill the rooms, not with material wealth and perishable objects, but with what accompanies righteousness as true precious and pleasant riches that endure the rest of time into eternity.  If we are wise then we exercise ourselves to godliness (1 Timothy 4:7-8) for spiritual strength and seek wise scriptural counsel to fight the good fight of faith.  This means that we do not risk listening to only a single counselor for wise guidance and understanding, but a multitude to see God’s leading and the truth He shows to His people who are the assembly of the righteous (Hebrews 12:23), the universal church of regenerated believers.  May we not be foolish and consider gaining knowledge and understanding to be unnecessary or even too lofty to attain, as if it was bad to know sound doctrine and good to live by feelings alone.  Beware that bad counsel!  The schemes of the devil are known to us (2 Corinthians 2:11, Ephesians 4:14) and we avoid those who stir up hate and sin with evil intent disguised as righteousness, but to God is abominable and foolish.  We must not faint in this fight to be valiant for the truth.  Why then do we seek knowledge, understanding, and wisdom?  Is it not ultimately so that we can have a sound house from which to deliver others from the foolishness of sin and death?  This is especially apparent now that the gospel which was hidden from the beginning has been revealed to us (1 Peter 1:10-11, 12).  The wisdom personified is the Messiah as the revealed Word made flesh who speaks life to us even now.  He delivers the foolish and sinner from stumbling in darkness towards an eternal death of suffering as dumb cattle to be slaughtered.  He calls us who have this foundation to account as well that we may consider these heading headlong into dest that they may hear and find the same deliverance we have been given.  God knows we know, and holds us accountable to tell others (Psalm 126:5-6, Romans 1:16).  May wisdom and understanding lead us into the fields to harvest God’s work to set men free.  Wisdom is the foundation for deliverance.