The Wise Are Powerful

 

 

 

 

[Proverbs 24:1–9]

 

 

Friends, you’ve likely heard of the Talmud, the guiding code of Jewish life. After the Old Testament was written, the Talmud was compiled—incorporating Jewish law, traditional customs, celebrations, oral transmissions, and commentary. It became the second spiritual foundation for the Jewish people after the Bible. It includes not only religious life, but also legal statutes and case law. It is a valuable resource for understanding ancient Jewish culture and its relationship with Christianity. (Source: online references)

I discovered two interesting things about the Talmud. First, the Jews often liken it to a great sea—vast, containing everything, yet impossible to fully know. Second, the first and last pages of the Talmud are left blank. One pastor who studied it explained this is because the Talmud is meant to be read and re-read day and night throughout one’s life—it has no definitive beginning or end—and because anyone can study it and add their own annotations. (Source: online references)

According to the Talmud, there are four aspects of wisdom:

  1. Wisdom is God Himself.

  2. The foundation of wisdom is knowing God.

  3. Wisdom is the most important means of entering into fellowship with God.

  4. Through wisdom, we can become more like the Lord. (Source: online references)

In today’s key verse, Proverbs 24:5, Scripture says:

“A wise man is strong, and a man of knowledge increases power.”
(The Contemporary Language version renders it: “A wise person is stronger than a mighty warrior; a person with insight is more powerful than someone who uses force.”)

Today, under the theme “The Wise Are Strong,” let us meditate on three lessons drawn from this passage.

First, the wise do not envy the prosperity of the wicked

Proverbs 24:1 says:

“Do not envy the wicked, and do not desire to be with them.”

Already in Proverbs 23:17, we learned that a child who truly pleases the Heavenly Father does not envy the success of sinners, because they understand that sinners have no future or lasting hope (v.18). On the contrary, those who delight the Father fear the Lord (v.17)—and that reverent fear marks the wise children of God.

God’s wise children know how to view the prosperity of the wicked. They recognize—as Psalm 92:7 says—that even if the wicked flourish, like grass that grows quickly, eventually they will be destroyed forever:

  1. The wicked may prosper swiftly, just as we see in real life—they flourish without visible effort, succeeding through cunning.

  2. Their prosperity is like lush grass, but bears no fruit—to God, their success is hollow.

  3. Their rapid prosperity leads to eternal destruction—like well-fed animals raised for slaughter, so the wicked prosper toward ruin. As D.L. Moody put it:

    “The wicked grow up like grass, only to be used as fuel.”

Psalm 73:17–20 confirms: the end of those who prosper wickedly is ruin, devastation, and contempt.

Proverbs 24:1 does not only command us not to envy the wicked’s prosperity, but even advises us not to desire association with them. Why?

Proverbs 24:2 explains:

“Their hearts are filled with wicked schemes, and their lips speak evil plans.”

The Hebrew phrase suggests that their hearts “study destruction.” In verse 8, Scripture calls them “schemers” who always plan evil. Verse 9 labels them as fools (folly) and mockers (arrogant), whose thoughts are sinful and who are despised by others.

Because their lips speak ruin, we must neither envy their success nor choose to associate with them. Proverbs 21:7 teaches that violence destroys the wicked—because they hate justice (see also Isaiah 29:20). Proverbs 13:21 says “disaster pursues the sinner.” Proverbs 22:8 adds: “He who sows evil reaps misfortune.”

Therefore, as today’s Scripture instructs, we must not envy the prosperity of the wicked—and must avoid them altogether. May God grant both you and me wisdom to resist envy for the success of the unrighteous.

Secondly, a wise person builds their house firmly.

Look at today’s main passage, Proverbs 24:3:
“By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established.”

In May 2008, during Family Month, while meditating on God’s Word based on 1 Chronicles 17:16–27 under the title “Lord, Establish Our Family!”, I received three prayer topics:

  1. “Lord, may my family be governed by Your grace!” (v.16)

  2. “Lord, may Your Word have authority in my home!” (v.23)

  3. “Lord, may my family experience Your presence through prayer!” (v.25)

As we reflect on these prayer points again today, let us consider whether our families are truly governed by God's grace, whether God's Word holds authority in our homes, and whether we experience God's presence through prayer.

As we have already meditated on in Proverbs 14:1, Scripture tells us:
“The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.”

This verse shows that the foolish woman, who despises God, acts only according to her own desires [“He whose ways are perverse” (v.2)], is proud (v.3), arrogant (v.6), and refuses to listen to God's Word, therefore lacks knowledge (v.7).
As a result, the foolish woman deceives herself (v.8) and treats sin lightly (v.9).
Because she believes there is no God, she does not listen to God’s Word, and since she does not listen, she does not know the truth.
Not knowing the truth, she commits evil. Yet she does not recognize her wrongdoing as sin.
She has lost the ability to discern sin.

Indeed, the foolish woman, having lost the ability to recognize truth and call sin what it is, “takes delight in doing wrong” (10:23).
Therefore, her heart becomes hardened by sin, and she no longer fears offending God.
While God takes sin seriously, the foolish woman treats it lightly.
Such a foolish woman ultimately destroys her own house with her own hands (14:1).

But the wise woman builds her house (v.1).
How does she build her house?
Because she fears the Lord, the wise woman walks uprightly (v.2).
Her lips speak knowledge (v.7), and she is diligent (v.4).
She knows the path she should take (v.8).

She understands God's will for her and lives according to that will.
In other words, the wise woman knows what she is called to do in alignment with God’s will and carries it out (cf. 1 Corinthians 7:17).
One of God's wills is to build her own household and also the church, which is God's house.

Knowing this will of the Lord, the wise woman faithfully and diligently works to fulfill it, living humbly in reverence of God.
Through such a wise woman, the Lord builds His house.

In today's main passage, Proverbs 24:3, the Bible says:
“By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established.”
What does this mean?
It means that a house is firmly built when one fears the Lord, avoids evil, and obeys God's Word.

Jesus said in Matthew 7:24:
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.”
A wise builder lays the foundation of his house on a rock (v.25).
When we hear the word “rock,” don’t we think of something solid and firm?
Indeed, the figurative meaning of “rock” that Jesus refers to is firmness or stability.

So in Matthew 16:18, Jesus says to the apostle Peter:
“You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.”

This means that the church belongs to Jesus, and its spiritual foundation is Jesus Himself, the Rock.
Dear friends, the wise build the foundation of their homes on Jesus, the Rock.

What is the result?
Look at Proverbs 24:4:
“Through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures.”

What does this mean?
Does it imply that when we wisely build our homes on Jesus the Rock, we will be materially wealthy?

Dr. Yoonsun Park comments:

“The idea that ‘rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures through knowledge’ does not mean material abundance. The writer of Proverbs does not think the blessings gained through wisdom (the fear of God) lie in material wealth. … This is a metaphor, indicating that sincere believers will be richly blessed with heavenly treasures.” (Internet)

Would a wise person store up treasures on earth or in heaven?
Of course, in heaven.
It is the foolish who store up wealth on earth.
The wise, however, store up treasures in heaven.

Thus, the wise who build their homes firmly upon Jesus, the Rock, not only have treasures in heaven, but also enjoy happiness here on earth by building a beautiful home that lives in obedience to the Lord’s Word.

Ultimately, whether it is each of our homes or the house of God—the church—when built upon the wisdom God gives, they are firmly established and filled with precious and beautiful treasures.
As a result, they become beautiful homes and churches that enjoy the happiness given by God.

May you and I become people who, by the wisdom of God, firmly build our homes and churches, and who enjoy the precious and beautiful blessings that God gives.

Third, a wise person fights with strategy and wins.

Let’s look at today’s passage, Proverbs 24:6:
“For by wise guidance you can wage your war, and in abundance of counselors there is victory.”
As we’ve been meditating on Proverbs, we’ve already learned that the author repeatedly teaches that the secret to victory lies in fighting with strategy (wise planning). Let’s review:

Proverbs 20:18 says:
“Plans are established by counsel; by wise guidance wage war.”
And Proverbs 11:14 says:
“Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.”

To summarize these verses: the key to victory in battle is having many wise strategies.
While we may think that victory in war comes from having many weapons, the writer of Proverbs says that having many wise plans is more important.
Why is that? I found the answer in Ecclesiastes 9:18a:
“Wisdom is better than weapons of war.”
Therefore, a wise person fights with strategy and wins.

One thing we must not forget is that Satan also wages spiritual war with strategy.
Pastor John MacArthur once said:

“Satan’s primary strategy is to spread lies as much as possible to deny, corrupt, and confuse the truth.”
Today, many Christians’ thinking is polluted with lies that are unbiblical and contrary to the truth. Under the trend of “mutual respect,” we fail to distinguish between truth and falsehood.
Many Christians today are confused and living a syncretistic faith.
We’ve already reflected on Satan’s strategies in the Bible. Let me share just two:

  1. Satan’s strategy in Exodus 14:3:
    His strategy is to make us wander without purpose and to corner us.

  2. Satan’s strategy in Acts 21:27–36:

    • (a) The first strategy is “stirring up” or incitement (v.27).
      This is when people act on speculation rather than truth, inciting others against someone they dislike. Even within churches, people stir up others to form factions.

    • (b) The next strategy is “disturbance” (v.30).
      Satan stirs people up and causes disturbances even in the church.

    • (c) Another strategy is “rumors” (v.31).
      Satan spreads malicious rumors in churches.

    • (d) Finally, Satan uses “violence” (v.35).

We must be aware of these strategies because recognizing the enemy’s tactics helps us form our own strategies and win the spiritual battle.

Even as we set up strategies, the important thing is to know and believe, as Proverbs 21:31 says,
“Victory belongs to the Lord.”
We must form strategies with full assurance of victory from God, and we must pray to Him.

How should we pray? Like David did.
When David was fleeing from Absalom, and someone told him that Ahithophel—one of David’s counselors—had joined the conspiracy with Absalom, David prayed:
“O Lord, please turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.” (2 Samuel 15:31)

Ahithophel was once a counselor to King David, but when David’s son Absalom rebelled, Ahithophel betrayed David and sided with Absalom.
His strategies were said to be “as if one inquired of the word of God” (2 Samuel 16:23).
When Absalom asked Ahithophel, “What should we do?” (v.20), Ahithophel gave him two pieces of advice:

  1. The first plan: sleep with your father’s concubines (v.21).
    This would show all Israel that Absalom had made himself an enemy of his father, David, and his supporters would be strengthened.

  2. The second plan: give Ahithophel 12,000 men, and he would pursue David that very night. When David was weary and discouraged, Ahithophel would strike him alone, kill him, and bring all the people back to Absalom (17:1–3).

This was a very good strategy.
Absalom and all the elders of Israel agreed that Ahithophel’s plan was good (v.4).
Yet Absalom still wanted to hear from another wise man, Hushai the Archite, who was actually David’s friend (1 Chronicles 27:33).
At David’s request, Hushai stayed behind in Jerusalem rather than fleeing with David (2 Samuel 15:33–34) to counteract Ahithophel’s advice.

Hushai’s strategy was different:
Instead of sending 12,000 men that night, he proposed gathering all Israel from Dan to Beersheba, forming a massive army, and Absalom himself should lead them into battle (17:11).
Rather than killing David alone, Hushai’s plan was to wipe out David and his entire army (v.12). And if David fled into a city, they would destroy the city too (v.13).

All Israel and Absalom thought Hushai’s plan was better (v.14).
But was it really better? I don’t think so.
Ahithophel’s counsel, described as “like one who inquires of God”, was superior.
If Absalom had followed Ahithophel’s plan and sent 12,000 men that night, David would likely have been killed, and Absalom would not have died.
The Israelites who followed David would have returned to Absalom, as Ahithophel predicted.

So why did Absalom choose the inferior strategy from Hushai?
Because God answered David’s prayer (2 Samuel 15:31). God had determined to frustrate Ahithophel’s good counsel and bring disaster upon Absalom (17:14).

Therefore, like David, we too must pray in our spiritual battles, asking God to defeat Satan’s strategies while we fight with many wise strategies.

To conclude this message:
Friends, wise people are strong. Wise people have true strength.
I pray that God will give us all wisdom and raise us as strong soldiers of the cross of Jesus.

May we not envy the prosperity of the wicked, but instead build up both our homes and the house of God—the Church—securely.
And may we all become wise people who fight spiritual battles with strategy and prevail.
Victory.