Heeding Wisdom’s Call

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  Societal Discipline

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  Proverbs 9 continue in a series on discipline, which is always our favorite subject to talk about. Not a popular word, but a welcomed reality for any devoted disciple of Jesus Christ, because it's built into the idea of discipleship, of following someone else, of learning from them and being considered their student is some form of discipline. Because there's instruction, there's listening, there's learning, there's being corrected, and then there's following a pattern. And all of that can fight against our individualistic urges. You know, we just kind of want to be captain of our own ship. And so we just thought starting this new year off, spending a few weeks talking about the disciplines of a God centered life would be good for us. Last week we looked at self-discipline. We just drew a circle right around our own lives and talked about ten habits of a self-disciplined person that were very practical in nature, which is good. It's not like we want to create this idea in our Christian lives, that being uber practical from the Proverbs is in some way less spiritual than back in December, when we were studying the eternality of Jesus Christ in John chapter 1. And that, you know, there's, um, unequal proportion of the value of those they're all given for our good, all given for our instruction. All Scripture is God breathed. And even when we spend a few weeks now being very practical, we'll just call it down to earth shoe leather faith in the Proverbs there's much we learn about our heart by way of these verses. And so this morning we're going to look at the idea of societal discipline, generic term, just talking about no longer self-discipline, something I am enforcing on myself so that I can glorify God with my life and have experienced all the good he would have for me. Um, but this week we're talking about societal discipline. Let's move that concentric circle a little bit and say, how do I receive instruction from people around me? And that could be a preacher with a sermon. That could be a small group leader, that can be an accountability partner, that can be a spouse, that can be a parent, a child, any relationship we have in which somebody wants to offer us, not necessarily a piece of their mind, but a piece of God's mind. We want to qualify this. This is in the realm of God's heavenly wisdom coming down, not just a generic form of earthly wisdom, James 3 talks about...natural that anybody could come by. And not to say we shouldn't listen to our butcher when he recommends one cut of meat instead of the other, or our mechanic when he says, you know you need this thing as well as that thing. Earthly wisdom...natural...we're not really talking about that, though. We could say if our instinct is to just not listen to anybody and insist upon our own way, even to the mechanic, as if we know more about our car than he does. You know, you can sail down that path all you want, see how far you get. What we're talking about here today in Proverbs 9 is wisdom from above. It's that which has, if I may put it this way, eternal ramifications. Though we're going to see today earthly implications, as in yes, if you heed wisdom's call from those around you there will be earthly implications to that. Your life will take on two different forms. Oh, you know, if you're able to receive instruction in correction, in discipline, things will change down here. But ultimately we'll see the shape of this text goes towards eternal ramifications. Your destiny is bound up in your attitude towards discipline by way of God using other people in your life. And so we will see that in Proverbs 9. So just follow along with me as I read this chapter. It sits towards the end of the opening section of Proverbs. I know sometimes our impression of Proverbs might be that it's disconnected. Proverb a day keeps whatever away, and we read a chapter of Proverbs a day a month...because 31 days, 31 chapters. There is a form to Proverbs, as in these first nine chapters are what is called the prologue. Solomon is giving a series of lectures to his son in the widest realm of how the world works, set up between wisdom and folly. And sometimes he uses personification. Because if you think about Solomon, he's a king, and he's going to have a prince who's going to take over for him one day. He's a dad with a son. That's why I see my son so often in the first nine chapters. And there's a series of ten lectures that he's, in some ways, preparing his son to be king. But not just that, preparing his son to just live a wise life blessed by God. When you heed God's wisdom and you live skillfully under the sun. And that's where this is the end of that. Because when you get to Proverbs 10, you might even see in the subscript the Proverbs of Solomon. And that's where they do start to kind of be like, um, you know, a vending machine of axioms, you know, put your quarter in, get out this thing to chew on for a while. That's Proverbs ten and onward. Proverbs 1 to 9 sets the scene for that, as in everything he's going to teach from Proverbs 10 through the end, the rest of it single verses at a time, find their slot underneath these two big categories of the path that Lady Wisdom calls you to take, and the path that Dame Folly wants to woo you into. And really, that's the picture that is given in this final lecture in Proverbs 9, really an epilogue to the opening of this book. So follow with me. Proverbs 9:1.
  "Wisdom has built her house. She has hewn out her seven pillars. She has prepared her food. She has mixed her wine. She has also set her table. She has sent out her maidens. She calls from the tops of the height of the city. Whoever is naive, let him turn in here. To him who lacks understanding, she says, come, eat of my food and drink of the wine I have mixed. Forsake your folly, and live and proceed in the way of understanding. He who corrects a scoffer gets dishonor for himself. And he who reproves a wicked man gets insults for himself. Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you. Reprove a wise man, and he will love you. Give instruction to a wise man, and he will still be wiser. Teach a righteous man, and he will increase his learning. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. For by me your days will be multiplied. And years of life will be added to you. If you are wise, you are wise for yourself. And if you scoff, you alone will bear it. The woman of folly is boisterous. She is naive and knows nothing. She sits at the doorway of her house on a seat by the high places of the city, calling to those who pass by, who are making their paths straight. Whoever is naive, let him turn in here. And to him who lacks understanding, she says, stolen water is sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant. But he does not know that the dead are there, and her guests are in the depths of Sheol." The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the wisdom of the Word of God lasts forever.  
  Kurtis prayed earlier for our political leaders. President Trump being installed tomorrow for the second time. And, that got me thinking this week, knowing he was going to pray for that and reading what I'm reading that if I'm today, you or I go home, phone rings...unknown caller. Normally we are not going to answer it, but for whatever reason, um, we just say, yeah, I should try this one. This is Adam. This is the planner of the inauguration, so and so. Okay. We have a private jet waiting. Hickory regional airport, we've heard of you. Um, would you please come up and attend the inauguration? You get five minutes with the president before he goes out. He wants your advice. Would you take it? And if you would, what would you say? The president wanted your advice for the next four years. You're the last person he's going to listen to before he goes up and takes the oath. I thought about that this week and I said, lo and behold, I'd take him to the Book of Proverbs. I'd try to entice him at the beginning in Proverbs 1 by saying, you know, President Trump, Solomon, the son of David, King of Israel, was the wisest and wealthiest man that's ever lived. I would imagine that he would be interested in at least one of those...hopefully both. And I would say, you know, you may think that this might be below you to learn these things, but Proverbs was written not just for the common person, but for kings. Proverbs 8 says, counsel is mine and sound wisdom. I am understanding, power is mine, wisdom is speaking. And then listen to this, Proverbs 8:15. By me kings reign, and rulers decree justice. By me princes rule and nobles and all who judge rightly. President Trump, do you do you want to judge rightly? Do you want to decree justice? Then here's what you need to do. 8:17, wisdom says, I love those who love me, and those who diligently seek me will find me. So I'd say there it is. You wake up every day and you read a proverb. If you don't understand it, pray for wisdom. If you really don't understand it, you can call me anytime. Your people have my number, apparently. And then I would go out and I would. I would pray for him. Probably the exact thing Solomon prayed for that God would give him wisdom. It's too much for him, he said, to rule these people. Would you give me wisdom? See, that's the payoff of the proverbs. That there is a way to live in this world that will bless you, and it'll build up those people around you that matter most to you. And there's a foolish way to live in this world that will curse you. And it'll bring down those people that are around you. That's the path of wisdom and the path of folly. And what we see in 9, and what you just heard is not just a path. It's a scene that shifts from being on a path to two homes on each side of the path. And the hostess of one has built this house, and the hostess of the other has built her house. And when they call out to you, they both make it sound attractive. And you're the simple, you're the naive who stands in between the unlearned. The one that the Proverbs speaks of, the naive, the one who has an open mind and says, you know, they look the same and they sound the same. But what's the difference? When I can't see how the outcome is going to be, how can I discern it? That's this final lesson Solomon has to his son here for us today. And it's responding to Wisdom's call that doesn't just reveal our hearts in the way we respond to it, but it actually reveals your destiny, as in your destination, where you will end up. God promises you is in direct correspondence to your willingness to heed wisdom's call. That's what's at stake. So how does this chapter break out? If we're going to get what we need to get out of it.  
  First we're going to look at the call of the two hosts or hostesses, I should say. And, they're divided out 1 to 6, you might have noticed is Lady Wisdom and 13 to 18 is Dame Folly. And then in the middle is this lesson. And so for us to walk through it isn't going to necessarily just be we start from beginning to end. I actually want to open up chapter 9, kind of one of those children's books, the pop-up books. I mean, that's really the picture he gives here. He bookends this chapter at the end of this opening prologue. Nine chapters of lessons for his son to learn this last chapter. It's like that pop-up book and imagine it's a scene in a story, and there's a road down the middle and you're on it. And on each side of the page are these two beautiful homes with beautiful women sitting outside. Pretend you're the prince and you're having to make your decision of which princess to choose. Maybe, uh, Little Mermaid, like, you know, Ariel. And then Ursula, who transforms herself into a beautiful young woman, and this Prince Eric has to decide and by appearances alone, what's he going to do? By appearances alone, by the call alone of these two women bookending this chapter, how can you know the difference? And you're standing in the middle. And Solomon has said, let me paint you the picture of the scene of these two homes you're going to live in that you're going to be a patron of. You're going to be tempted to go to one or the other throughout your life, son. And I want you to know what's really inside those houses. And then I'll give you down the spine of this pop-up book. I'll give you the lesson in the middle. So let's start with the two homes, the two hostesses, the two calls. First Lady wisdom has built her house. And notice the industry of this woman. It's pointing forward to Proverbs 31. A real woman that we know well in this book that is industrious, that does all of this work. You get it in short form here in picture form. Listen to the industry. She's built her house. She's hewn out her seven pillars, which is representative of completion. Perfection. This is no small little shanty. This is a house that would catch your eye. Seven pillars. A number of completion. Like the seven days of God's creation. And throughout the Old Testament when seven is used, there is an idea of totality to it. She has spared no detail in this home. She has worked hard to build it. She has laid the foundation and hewn out the seven pillars. But she doesn't stop there. It's not just a home that's going to provide you stability and strength. It's inviting. Look at the detail and intentionality in verse 2. She has prepared her food. She has mixed her wine. She has set her table. Every last detail of this wonderful banquet she invites you to, to take a seat at has been thought through and worked hard at beforehand. That's who Lady Wisdom is, and that's what wisdom is in the world. Nobody stumbles into wisdom. It is in Proverbs chapter 8, personified as someone who has been around since the beginning. Wisdom isn't a Johnny come lately who's just making it up as it goes along. Proverbs 8:22, the Lord possessed me wisdom at the beginning of his way, before his works of old, from everlasting I was established from the beginning, from the earliest times on earth. And now Solomon says, and that's what Lady Wisdom has built a beautiful house that took a lot of work. And now this wonderful meal she has prepared her food. That is a weak translation. It is...she has slaughtered her cattle in the Hebrew. Meaning, she had to go out and poke him. That's going to be a good one. Let's make some filets out of it. And she hacks the thing and drains it out and makes you this lavish meal. That's how much work it took. This wasn't a quick call to Bojangles on the fly. Though most of us would be like, what's wrong with Bojangles? I mean, it's a good meal. She's mixed her wine. Again, this isn't the last minute. I'm going to just run down to the ABC. No, she made it personally herself. Every last component of the wine. Mixed by her. Then she sets her table. It's a beautiful picture. There's organization to the last detail. But she doesn't just leave it at that. Makes this. Builds this home. Totality. Completion. Stability. Security. Invitation in comfort. Enjoyment. She sends out her maidens. She calls from the tops of the heights of the city. To be one who calls from the tops of the heights of a city. In this time is prestige. You've earned your right to be there. That's where the nobles are. It takes some work to get there. And she has achieved it. That's the house that wisdom builds. There is a cost to it. Remember this book. They look symmetrical, don't they?...these homes. Well, let's flip over to 13 and 14 and see how Dame Folly has built her home. Well, Dame Folly's invitation is, um, not so illustrious, is it? There's no indication of industry organization intentionality. The only thing Dame Folly is skilled at because the word wisdom in the book of Proverbs is a word for skill. The only thing she's skilled at is deception. Make it look and sound like the real thing. Highest form of flattery is what? Imitation. And this is all she has to offer. She's boisterous. Which has been the way that Solomon has warned his son from Proverbs 1 through 7 about the adulterous woman. She's boisterous. She's loud. She calls out to you. Sounds inviting, seems nice. Lures you in. And so this woman appears again. She's boisterous. She's naive. So she's the naive calling to the naive. She hasn't learned anything. She doesn't know what life is really about. But you know what? At first glance, looks pretty good. Seems pretty nice. What's the difference? She knows nothing. She is completely ignorant when it comes to the things that matter. No indication there's any effort to prepare her home. Great effort to organize an invite. What does she do to get people to come in? Sits at the doorway of her house. When nobody comes then she finds a seat by the high places of the city. What's that about? Well, like I said, to earn your spot in the high places of the city to call out is this form of nobility to be in the chair of that would be to be considered the voice of wisdom in the town. And she is so good at her deception, somehow she weasels her way into this seat in the highest place of the city. No wonder these naive simpletons are going to be suckers. She looks like the real thing. So we see the difference already between the two homes by the person on the inside, and how hard it is to build a house of wisdom. The effort it takes and how cheap of an imitation the other one could be. But notice the similarity. Verse 4 and verse 16...word for word. Whoever is naive, let him turn in here to him who lacks understanding. They both call out. What Solomon showing there? He's showing that though there is a great difference between these two hostesses and their homes, to the naive simpleton passing by, even in verse 15, one who's trying to make his path straight. You know, this is evocative of this young, naive man who he's actually trying to get somewhere. But he doesn't know what he needs to know yet to decide between which voice should I listen to? Because they're saying the same exact thing. They're both telling me I should come in and dine with them. Whoever's naive wisdom calls out, turn in here. Why? Because wisdom wants to bless you, wants to protect you, and wants to do good to you. But folly says whoever is naive turn in here and it wants to curse you, and it wants to ruin you, but it's going to deceive you. Young person, naive, simple...those aren't insults in the Bible, by the way. The naive in Proverbs is a figure of speech for a field with no fences...open boundaries...open minds. So what is extolled in our culture today? Be open minded, you know. Let your kids decide. Don't influence them, right? I mean, isn't that the cardinal virtue today?...open mindedness. Whereas in the book of Proverbs, closed mindedness is the virtue. But you can't do it for yourself. You need someone's help from the outside. You need someone to tell you, listen, you need to put up some fences there. Because beyond that pathway is danger. And you don't know it, but it's there. Just like when you have kids and you say, honey, great new house, first thing we need to do is what? Put up a fence in the yard. Why? Because our kid will run into the street, or our dog will run away. In the house. let's put up a gate so the kid doesn't fall down the stairs. Let's put those things in all the plugs so they don't zap themselves. You know, we're so eager and adamant to protect our kids physical well-being, but do we have that same approach, parents, to say it's not going to be a virtue for my kid to be open minded, I need to close it down with the truth of the Word of God so that they are protected from lies and can identify what the truth is. And long after they're with me, they'll be able to discern. And when you pass the buck on that, you have failed your child at the most foundational level. If you've bought the lie that it's your job to keep them open minded, let them explore. Let them experiment. Doesn't mean you become a hover parent helicopter. They can't go anywhere. Do anything. I'm tracking them 24 over seven. It's saying the thing that you are foundationally to do, mom and dad, raise your kid in the fear and instruction of the Lord. Period. You fail there, you fail. You may not be good at a lot of other things. You may not raise an MLB first round pick, a Nobel Prize winner, whatever. But you can raise a kid in the fear of the Lord. You can admonish them and instruct them and correct them so that they will be prepared for this moment that Solomon is making this very clear picture of the moment of both of these things are sounding the same seeming attractive. Which should I listen to? Well, you got to know what the invitation is about. Let's look at the differences. Lady wisdom, verse 5 says, come eat of my food and drink of the wine I have mixed. Forsake your folly and live and proceed in the way of understanding. Ah, so wisdom is going to call out and say, come, I have prepared all this for you. Come and eat of my food and drink of the wine I have mixed. This is a banquet, a feast of glory. But it's going to cost you. Right there in verse 6, it's going to cost you your own self-assuredness that you can figure out life on your own. You're going to ignore the description of every kid that comes into this world, no matter from what family, what background, you know, you flip that toy over, you buy for your kid made in China. You flip over the baby that God has blessed you with, made in folly, conceived in sin, sinner by nature, every single one of them. And the only way to get out of that is verse 6 to the naive. You need to forsake your folly. What does forsake mean? Completely abandon ship. Turn the other way. Go the other way. It's repentance. I don't know everything there is already out there and I need to turn. But look what the benefit is. You sell out, go all in, come into this home, you'll live and you'll proceed in the way of understanding. There is an eternal destiny that changes and there is an earthly prosperity. Sounds pretty good. Son, will you take it? Let me show you the alternative. Dame Folly says. Here's her allurement. Remember, she's only skilled at one thing...seduction, deception. The imitation of the real thing. Stolen water,  sweet. How do you steal water? Why would he pick that picture? Well, I think what he's trying to drive home is. Look, you know, what Folly, all it really offers you is just the enticement of doing something illicit. Right? You may not even love the sin it's calling you out to do. It's just the fact that you want to do the sin. Have you ever heard of Augustine, one of the early church fathers? In his confessions he talks about he was young and would steal pears from a neighbor's orchard, and he looks back and reflects on it after he's come to Christ and says, you know, I didn't even like the pear. I just wanted to steal something for the sake of stealing. That's the folly that's bound up in the heart of a child from the get. I mean, beyond just them saying, oh, I wondered, why did you do that? Sometimes they say, because so-and-so did this and that. Sometimes they say, you know, the parents. Why did you do that? I don't know, sometimes they just sin for the sake of sinning. And that's the allurement Dame Folly tries to come on just sin for the sake of sinning. There's going to be no consequence. Bread eaten in secret is pleasant. You won't get caught. Look at verse 18. But the naive does not know that the dead are there, and her guests are in the depths of Sheol. There's no cost to come in to Dame Folly’s house, but there's certainly one on the back end. She will charge you nothing to enter her house because it cost her nothing. But she will take your life. And there's nobody in the depths of Sheol to warn you of it, because they don't come back out. That's the end. That's the end game. That's where this all leads. The enticement of both...one leads to eternal life and earthly prosperity. One leads to eternal destruction and making a ruin of your life now. Lady Wisdom will require everything of you upfront, but cost you nothing in the end, Dame Folly will require of you nothing now, and take everything from you at the end. And that's why the simple fall for it. The path of what?...least resistance, most enticement, instant gratification. Everything the world wants to give you. That's why James 4 could say, friendship with the world is enmity towards God. You want what the world offers. You want the quick fix. You want the cheap out. You want the temporary passing pleasure of sin. You'll get it. But like a spider that catches you in its web, the moment you get in, it comes out and pulls you in and you're done. And Solomon paints this picture of these two homes and hostesses, and a place that will either be a banquet to God's glory and your good, or a banquet in the grave, and he wants you to sit there shocked. He wants you to see it in clear terms, HD. And he wants you to say right now, how can I avoid ending up in the one? And how could I find my way? Cut through all the misinformation and the lies and in the long game end up in the House of wisdom, because it's never just a one-time thing. The life of folly and the life of wisdom is not just, okay, I've reached my destination.  I'm there.  I'll never be. No life is the path in Proverbs. But there's places to stop along the way. Voices calling out turn in here, turn in here! And so Solomon wants his son to be sitting here. Say, dad, now explain to me the moral of the story. How do I ensure I pick the right house? You've told me the invitations. You've told me the destinations. Give me the wisdom I need to know to divide it out. Well, that's why he puts 7 to 12 in the middle. You've seen the picture. Now let's get to the point.  
  Point number two. Today we've heard the two calls. Now the two responses. And this is what has to do with societal discipline. The response of these two hearts has everything to do with how we respond to correction in our life. And now he's going to give you the naive or the simple, revealing their heart by the way they respond to correction, to instruction and to discipline. So he first lays out the picture of a new person, the scoffer. This is what the naive has turned into when he turns into the House of folly. This is why he ended up there. This is what his heart was like, and he describes it in a cascade of stupidity. Verse 7, he who corrects a scoffer this is how this person responds. This is what tells on them. He who corrects a scoffer gets dishonor for himself. The first thing this ignorant, naive person does that lands him in Dame Folly's house to destruction is when you try to correct them, they ignore you, Verse 7a. And then he goes on to say, if that weren't bad enough, he who reproves a wicked man gets insults for himself or even the ESV. Your translation, I think, says might incur injury. So it moves from...they'll just flat out ignore your advice to they may insult you or even injure you in return. I mean, you ever get popped in the nose for giving somebody advice or rebuking them? Thankfully I haven't. But this is what's in the heart of the scoffer. And then it tells you why. Why are they so averse to this? Because of their heart. If you reprove a scoffer, he will hate you. And there it is. The descending order from I'm going to ignore you to I'll insult you in return to I hate you for trying to tell me how to live my life. And just like he did with the story of these two homes, then he, in a sense, takes this scoffer and turns him inside out and says, on the other hand, let me tell you about the opposite person that's going to end up in the House of wisdom. And let me show you how they respond to instruction. Second part of verse 8. If you reprove or rebuke a wise man, he will love you. Do you see the direct opposite to the beginning of verse 8? The one hates you, the other loves you. Why? The one's a scoffer. The one's wise. And then verse 9. Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser. Wisdom and being wise is a word for skillful living. Skillful living...I'm going to receive instruction, not try to punch you in the face for giving it to me, which is the opposite of the second thing the scoffer does. And then lastly, verse 9, teach a righteous man and he will increase his learning. What would be the opposite of a righteous man who wants to increase in learning? The beginning of verse 7. When you try to correct a scoffer, they ignore you, they dishonor you. You see how he just matches these things up? Solomon just wants to show you the great divide. At the very heart of a wise person you're loved, appreciated, valued, esteemed, adored. And then he contrasts that. And then with the Scoffer you're hated, you're despised. You want to live wise or you want to go around fighting everyone? That's the contrast. You want to grow in knowledge? Or do you want to harden in your own self perceived wisdom, which is another word for your ignorance? Which one do you want to be? Because they're right there next to each other to see. And it all hinges on are you teachable or unteachable? So Solomon has us sitting on the road with him. Which house are you going to end up in? Pivots on what you do with what I'm teaching you right now. Where are you in the story? That's where we start with the plank in our own eye before we look for the splinter in someone else's today. There's more that Proverbs says about the scoffer. And so at this point, I just was studying this week and thought maybe what would help is if we unpacked the scoffer a little bit more. One to say, create in me a clean heart, Oh, God. If there's any way I don't want to end up like the scoffer, do you? Trapped in a house that goes to Sheol. Because I didn't take the warning signs along the way. SoI did a little study of the scoffer this week and came up...since I know you love lists. Everybody told me last week. man, those ten marks. Adam, can you give us more lists. So I came up with six marks of a scoffer. So when you read about this person, you can be warned of those tendencies in your own heart and also to help you minister to people around you. So here's six marks of a scoffer to watch out for in myself or in others, but always in that order, right? Deal with my own heart, first, take the plank of my own eye so that I can help to take the splinter out of somebody else's.
  So, mark, number one of a scoffer in the book of Proverbs, outside of this morality play in chapter nine is this. First mark of a scoffer. It's probably the easiest one to recognize, both in ourselves and other people is scoffers are opposed to seek wise counsel. Proverbs 15:12 A scoffer does not love one who reproves him. He will not go to the wise. That's entry level scoffing. Scoffers are opposed to seek on their own wise counsel. They will not go to the wise. A scoffer is known by his reputation to know everything already. So they don't need to go to anyone else to ask advice. Because they, What? They know everything. So if you're wondering if you or someone else is a scoffer, maybe just start scoffing 101. When's the last time I took the initiative to seek someone else's counsel for things of eternal matters?...My soul. The path I'm on. Not to say you shouldn't get advice, kids. You know, asking mom and dad. You know, what classes should I sign up for next semester?  Like we talked about last week, what are some good schedules habits, routines? Like I'm not dismissing that stuff. And you know that's a good just to say this. It's a good indicator of teachability. If young person or older person, you are inclined to just want to ask people like, hey, can you help me out, figure my car, my house, this thing's broken. I can't get it to start. Rather than like, I can just always do this on my own. So number one, scoffers are opposed to seek out wise counsel.
  Number two, scoffers don't listen when wise counsel is given. Proverbs 13:1, a wise son accepts his father's discipline, but a scoffer does not listen to rebuke. Scoffers don't listen when wise counsel is given. A scoffer does not listen to rebuke. They resist reform. They reject advice. Back to Proverbs 12:1 last week. If you hate reproof, you are a beast. A brute is what Solomon said, because there's just no long game in mind. It's just instant gratification. And if you give me counsel, that stops me on the path to get the thing I want right now, right here, I respond like an animal would if it did the trick you told it was going to do, and then you say, no, I'm going to give you it tomorrow and they bite you...probably not. But notice the contrast in Proverbs 13:1, A wise son accepts his father's discipline. There's not just an acceptance of the discipline and instruction. There's an underlying respect for the authority. Whereas a fool, a scoffer has no respect for authority. I mean, parents, that's why you're called to discipline your kids from an early age. You're teaching them authority. You're teaching them authority from a very young age by the rod of discipline that comes from you, the person that they can see as an authority, because eventually you're trying to work yourself out of that job. You're actually every time you're disciplining them with the rod, telling them, listen, I want to teach you that sin has a consequence and it's painful. And I'm teaching you as an earthly authority. But God is your heavenly authority, and his discipline far exceeds mine, both in its loving intent and perfect administration, but also the permanence of it if you don't learn to correct your ways. And you need to correct your ways by the grace of mercy of God in Jesus Christ, and there you're at the gospel with this young person you're disciplining...your child. Parents sometimes ask, how do I present the gospel to my kid? I've never once sat with my child and presented the gospel through the Roman road. Hey four year old in whatever or you ever sin, you ever lie. Give him the ten commandments. I can't count how many times with five kids under the age of 12, I've had a chance to give them the gospel through discipline. Because that's the only way out for them. They have to come to the point they see the wickedness in their heart, and the only thing that can change it is not their dad and a rod. It's a Father in heaven who sent his Son, and how beautiful it is to present the gospel there. It will work. It will getin there. They'll see it. They'll see this guy's a temporary person in my life, but God is forever. And my heavenly Father, I need to listen to him. And that's why you do it. But scoffers don't listen when wise counsel is given. And that starts from the earliest age. What can it lead to?

  Third mark of a scoffer...scoffers actually enjoy mocking wise counsel. Back to Proverbs 1. When Lady Wisdom first calls out in the streets and she says. Proverbs 1:22 how long, O naive, will you love being simple minded and scoffers delight themselves in scoffing. Scoffers are known to make a mockery of counsel they receive. It's out of ignorance they mock because God's wisdom is foreign to their free thinking, their open mind. So they mock it. But they're mocking what they are what?...ignorant of. They don't understand it. I mean, how many times have you been frustrated with the person who says, you know the Bible? And immediately when you hear that tone, you're like, oh, jeez, you know, Jesus was really about. And you're like, you don't understand the Bible or Jesus. And so they go on to scoff at some truth you're trying to invest in their life because they think they know better than you, and ultimately they think they know more than God. So a scoffer will mock wise counsel. So these first three are pretty, I think, easy to see.
  Number four, scoffers will only seek wisdom to appear as if wise. This one you got to put a little thought into. Maybe take a little longer on this one. Scoffers will only seek wisdom to appear as if they're wise. Proverbs 14:6, a scoffer seeks wisdom in vain. But knowledge is easy for a man of understanding. Sothis is a pretty plain verse. That's what Proverbs tend to be. They're plain, but they make you stop and think for a little bit. And this one made me think the most this week because I read this and I go, well, a scoffer seeks wisdom in vain over here. And then how the proverbs work...there's always an antithesis. So if the scoffer seeks wisdom in vain, the wise man of understanding knowledge actually comes easy. So is it saying that this scoffer actually is sincere in seeking wisdom, but because they've just made such a life of rejecting it, closing their heart and ears towards it, even when they appear to want it, it's going to elude them. Could it be that? It could be, but it's such a plain verse, or it could just be that they will appear to want wisdom, but it's a it's a superficial thing. It's like in 2 Corinthians 7 when a person has worldly sorrow, not godly sorrow for their sin, they're just mad they got caught. And so they're willing to kind of. Oh, right. Tell me what I need to know and know and maybe even put on a show of repentance. But they don't really want to change. They're just kind of grinning and bearing it. I don't know. I wouldn't place all my money on either side of this. Is this scoffer seeking wisdom in vain because they've shut themselves off to it so much that even when they want to seek it, they can't find it. Or is it just all a facade? They just want to appear as if they're wise. I mean, we can admit both happen, right? You do know the person that sometimes just pretends because they got caught and they're temporarily sad? Um, but here's that first one I mentioned. The person that maybe they've for so long, mocked at wisdom and scoffed at it, then when the time finally comes that they're in a hard place, a really hard place, when they call out for it, they can't find it. Like Jesus said about the Pharisees, You know they have ears, but they can't hear. And they have eyes, but they can't see. And I say this because Proverbs 1, we were there already, right after Lady Wisdom says, how long will you delight in being simple and scoffers delight in scoffing, and fools hate knowledge. And here's the timer. The timer starts. You have an opportunity. You have a window. Turn to my reproof now. I will pour out my spirit on you. I'll make my words known to you. So the clock is ticking for the scoffer. And this Scoffer thinks they have. You know everything's good, right? I'm with my friends. We're going to ambush somebody. We're going to gain by violence. Like everything that Proverbs one already warned about. We're going to have our fill of fun. And she says, I called to you and you refused. I stretched out my hand, and none of you scoffers paid attention. You neglected all my counsel. You did not want my reproof. So time is up. I will laugh at your calamity. I will mock when your dread comes and your dread will come like a storm. Your calamity will come like a whirlwind. Meaning once it's there, it's too late. When distress and anguish come upon you then they will call on me, the scoffers. But I will not answer. They'll remain in an echo chamber of their own ignorance, because that's the path they've always picked. They call out and there's no response. They can't hear. Why? Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord. I would hate for that to be anybody in here. But you might be. There is the scoffer that seeks wisdom in vain. I don't know the motivation of a lot of you that come, especially if I've never met you. But here you are. And, um, this text was for you today. The clock is still ticking. And if something in your heart is telling you, that's me. I have mocked and scoffed and rejected and at times behind that person's back that tried to counsel me, laughed at them and slandered them. But here God is today, revealing your heart to you, and he's giving you a way out. Forsake your folly and live and proceed in the way of understanding. The way out is Christ. The way out is realizing wisdom has so far eluded you. And yet you sit here thinking you've had it all the time, and now the blinders are coming off and you're going look at the mess I've made. Look at the path I've been on. But look at the grace of God that his mercy hasn't run out as long as there's still time. Time might still be your friend rather than your enemy here. There's a parable in Matthew 25 of ten virgins who are like in Proverbs 9 servants, maidens, and five of them were prepared and five weren't. And when the master comes back, the ones that weren't prepared, they get locked out and it's too late. But it's not too late for you today because you're here and you're hearing the Word of God, and it's reading your life right in front of you just by revealing teachability something that seems so simple, so mundane, right? Because simple people the call is to just don't turn into folly, but turn to wisdom. Jesus is the wisdom of God. So whatever you think you've been chasing and trying to figure out on your own, you found it in Christ today. But will you heed his call to forsake your folly and turn to him and live? I pray you would.
  Number 5 on the Scoffer list is at heart, they're the most arrogant people that exist. Not my words. Proverbs 21:24 describes the scoffer, not just describes...defines them. It's the only definition we get. Scoffers at heart are the most arrogant people that exist. Proverbs 21:24, Scoffer is the name of the arrogant, a haughty man who acts with arrogant pride. I mean, just that phrase alone is like a triple decker, right? The Scoffer is a haughty man who acts with arrogant pride. That's why I say it's not. I'm not embellishing to say scoffers at heart are the most arrogant people that exist, because Solomon has stacked up his words here. Haughty man who acts. It's not just on the inside, it's on the outside. And when it's on the outside, they're doubling down. It's not just they're prideful. They're arrogantly prideful. Does anybody want to be that person? No. But this is the scoffer. Egotistical, conceited, haughty, big headed, overconfident, narcissistic, you name it, he is it. He won't seek wisdom. He can't take wisdom. He can't find wisdom because in his own eyes. And here is the heart of his problem. He is wisdom. He is wisdom. That's why the Proverbs can say there's more hope for a fool than a man who is wise in his own eyes. Because if you think you're the source and fount of wisdom, and it's just all in you, you know, higher creation, you are reasonable and maybe you're more lost than a fool, Proverbs would say. You're the fool that's kind of tripping himself up along the path...the naive. You may have a really high IQ and a prestigious job, and you've worked it up. But if you're wise in your own eyes, you're worse off than the fool.
  Number 6, last one. How to know a Scoffer when you see one. Scoffers will eventually find themselves rejected by those around them. Proverbs 24:9, scoffers will eventually find themselves rejected by those around them. The devising of folly is sin, and the scoffer is an abomination to men. It basically just says, look, this person's going to eventually look around themself in life one day and be in a lot of isolation, because the way that they act, the ignorance they act in, the scoffing towards rebuke, the rejection of any council. Eventually, even the people that love you the most will...you become an abomination as in what they stand for, you know, you're not just argumentative towards them. You insult them. You injure them. Eventually you will be by yourself. That's one of the built in consequences that we're going to see in verse 12. If you scoff, you alone will bear it. Eventually you will isolate yourself because the people around you will have enough. So that's the six marks of a scoffer that the Proverbs gives you.
  The last thing I want to answer is how can I deal with them? How to deal with the scoffer. Came up with an acronym called C.A.L.L. on Proverbs.
  C stands for Create Appropriate boundaries with scoffers. Proverbs 22:10 says, drive out the Scoffer and contention will go out. Even strife and dishonor will cease. So God gives a way out. If you recognize now we're moving from planks out of my own eye. Hopefully after those last six...splinter, I see someone else correctly. Walk like a duck. Talk like a duck. Must be a duck. So the first thing the proverb says is drive out the scoffer and the contention will go out. If you keep letting a scoffer who is a scoffer habitually characterized by this run and ruin your life, but you've never tried applying Proverbs 22:10. It's on you, not their sin, their sins on them, but you allowing that person to just wreak havoc in your life and you think you're going to turn them around. As the phrase, you know, when someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time. I didn't know where that came from, so I googled it this week and lo and behold, it's Oprah Winfrey hanging out with Maya Angelou in their jammies, talking about their problems in life. It was awesome, actually, because my Angelou just turns and goes Oprah, when someone shows you who they are, believe them. And Oprah is like. Ahhh, you know, so take that one for what it's worth. But it made me think about this. If somebody shows youthey're a Scoffer believe them. But the action you would take is create some appropriate boundaries. I had somebody come up in between services and say, I just experienced that over Christmas. And it was sad. A lovely family prodigal comes home at the holidays and just wreaked havoc, and they actually had to ask him to leave because there was so much contention, strife and dishonor and it pained them. And it's been weeks of crying because it hurts to do that when you love the person. But the contention is not going to go out. And if you're dealing with a scoffer, that's the advice here.
  Avoid any prolonged company with the scoffer as far as it depends on you. Psalm 1:1, how blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, stand in the path of sinners, sit in the seat of scoffers. You know, sometimes you have to be in the company of a scoffer, a classmate, a coworker, a teammate. But as the saying goes, you know, you lay down with dogs, you wake up with fleas. If you're kind of just willing to linger around a scoffer more than you need to. Psalm 1 would say, don't do that. Don't sit in the seat with them. It's going to rub off on you. Avoid prolonged company with them. Parents, teach your kids to identify the scoffer at a young age in school, on a team. That young scoffer will eventually be more influential than you if you're not careful. Because it'll be enticing to your young person in your home. They'll think that kid's cool for getting in trouble in class. You've been a kid. You remember it. You know, the troublemaker. He kind of. There was something that you're like, as long as he's not making trouble for me, but other people, I'm kind of enticed by him. And you're called to actually when you're hearing your kid allude to how this kid behaves, but they're kind of strangely attracted. You got to shut that down. That's your job. They may not like it, but it's your job. Because what you teach them to do about making friends at a very young age will carry over until the most important friend they make, who they want to marry. And then suddenly you're going to flip on the switch and say, you know, you should be really, where were you the last ten years? Not teaching them how to make friends and what type of friends to avoid. It's built in. It's your job.
  Let the scoffer know God will not be mocked. C.A.L.L., number three. Let the Scoffer know God will not be mocked, but he can save them. Proverbs 3:34. Though God scoffs at the scoffers, yet he gives grace to the afflicted. There's the hope of the gospel for the scoffer in your life. God will scoff at the scoffers. He won't be mocked. Galatians says, right? God will not be mocked. We will reap what we sow. But right there in that same verse, Proverbs 3:34 says, yet he gives grace to the afflicted. Yet to the humble he shows favor. So you can give the scoffer in your life the gospel. You can, because there's a chance. Time's not up.
  Love them by praying for them to repent and fear God. The fourth or the fourth letter of call. Love them by praying for them to repent and fear God. And this takes us to 10 to 12. It's right there. How do you love them by praying for them? You pray this for them that they would know the fear of the Lord, the beginning of wisdom. After you've told them that they can be saved. Love them by praying for them to repent, to know the fear of the Lord and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. Jesus was identified in the Gospels as who?...the Holy One of God right there in Proverbs, and there's an eternal destiny that's shaped by this, but there's also earthly benefit. Look at 11 and 12. For by me, if you gain wisdom, if you live in the house of wisdom, your days will be multiplied, years of life be added to you. You can tell a person without trying to feel like you're some prosperity preacher. Listen, your life's in a ditch. You've been making the bad choices that are just sending you down to, you know, problem after problem. It's not just your eternal destiny changes when you give your life to Christ, when you trust in him, when you forsake your folly to live. I don't know how many days are going to be multiplied or years God's going to add to add to your life. But I promise you this. It's in the Bible, and there'll be more than if you don't, right? I mean, if you if you know a scoffer who's making bad decisions, jeopardizing their own health and well-being, there's a good chance that might come back around on them and end their life. We don't say that with any a note of gloating or anything. We're just saying that's the fact of life. And the proverb is saying, listen, it's not just eternal destiny, it's earthly prosperity. Last one, verse 12. And if you're wise, you're wise for yourself. It comes down to you. This isn't a decision someone else can make for you. If you're wise, you're wise for yourself. You'll get those blessings and benefits. But if you scoff, you alone will bear it. Your destiny is determined by what you do with the Holy One of God, and the quantity and quality of your life is determined by choices of wisdom that follow.
  Let's pray. Father, we thank you for your word this morning. Thank you for its clarity and power. Thank you that it just paints the paths in life very clearly, which we need, because we can easily think there's a lot of gray and fog. And Lord, you just clarify it so well for us. Two houses, two hostesses, two paths, two destinies. One choice. Forsake your folly and live. Lord, I just pray for the person in here that realizes they're the fool. They're the scoffer. But yet sees that there's mercy in you right now. And that they would come to you. And I pray for the rest of us who know you, Christ, as our Lord and Savior, the Holy One of God. But they're still folly bound up in us somewhere, some resistance to being teachable, to seeking counsel that we just repent of and give that to you so that we can live a life pleasing to you for your glory we pray. Amen.