"THE PATHS OF LIFE"
“THE PATHS OF LIFE”
I trust it may be helpful to us all, and especially to the young believers present, to look at the divine principles which are set forth in these chapters. I need hardly say that we do not get the light of Christianity in the book of Proverbs; but we get principles and encouragements and warnings which can be viewed now in the light of Christianity, and which are full of instruction. We see in principle the characteristics of those who take hold of “the path of life”, and how they are delivered from “the ways of darkness”.
In the first place, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” (1: 7). The natural man cannot know the things of God, because he lacks that which is “the beginning of knowledge” — there is no fear of God before his eyes (Romans 3: 11, 18). This being the case, it is evident that there must be a work of God in man to prepare him for the reception of divine knowledge. The new birth is an absolute necessity. A man who is “born anew” has the fear of God before his eyes, and he begins to look at things from an entirely new standpoint. The natural man judges of things without any reference to the will of God; he does what he likes — so far as he has opportunity — and is a god to himself, He may be moral or religious, if that be the bent of his mind; but he does not really fear God, and therefore has neither a just sense of what sin is, nor a true appreciation of grace.
The one “born of water and of the Spirit” hates evil (see Proverbs 8: 13), though he may have to say, “What I hate, that do I” (Romans 7: 15), and he hates it because it is displeasing to God. “By the fear of the Lord men depart from evil” (Proverbs 18: 6). It is this holy fear that causes those born anew to cease practising evil and to separate themselves from the company and ways of the ungodly, thus bringing forth “fruits meet for repentance”. It also causes them to abhor themselves because they discover that sin dwells in them, and that in them — that is, in their flesh — dwells no good thing (Romans 7: 18).
But, on the other hand, “In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge. The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death” (Proverbs 14: 26, 27). Those who fear God are always marked by confidence in Him, of which prayer is the expression. That it can be said, “Behold he prayeth”, is one of the first and surest signs that a divine work has begun in a soul. It is man — the needy and guilty sinner — turning to God for relief and refuge and salvation. The fear of God never leads a man to despair, but to “strong confidence” in God, so that however vile and guilty he may have been, he has an instinctive sense that he may look to God with confidence for pardon and salvation from the power of evil. The fear of the Lord thus becomes “a fountain of life”, for it not only causes a man to hate evil and to depart from the snares of death, but it turns him to God as the Source of life and every blessing.
Then, “His children shall have a place of refuge” is very full of meaning if we connect with it (as we surely [p. 7] may) the thought of all that is provided for man by the grace of God through our Lord Jesus Christ. He has made atonement by the sacrifice of Himself, and God has raised Him from the dead; and now the forgiveness of sins is preached in His Name, and by Him all who believe are justified from all things. Such was the gospel preached by Paul at Antioch to those who feared God (Acts 13). Judaism stood condemned by its rejection of Christ, and the heathen world was fully ripe for the judgment of God. But there was then, and there is now, “a place of refuge” for those who fear God. CHRIST is made known, in the day of His rejection by Israel, as the Saviour of the world. It is not a Christ accepted and honoured here — a Christ after the flesh — whom we have to do with. It is a Christ rejected and crucified here, but who has at the moment of His entire rejection by man accomplished redemption, and who is now raised again and set at God’s right hand. He has been in the place of evil, as made sin for us, so that everything contrary to God might come under judgment. Evil has neither been ignored nor compromised in any way. It has been fully dealt with according to divine holiness in the death of Christ, so that grace might reign through righteousness. And Christ risen is the glorious Witness that redemption is accomplished, that sin is judged, that sins are purged, that God is glorified, that grace is triumphant, and, in short, that God as a Saviour God has removed every barrier that stood in the way of man’s blessing.
All this is now proclaimed in the gospel, and “made known to all nations for the obedience of faith”. Those who believe find “a place of refuge” in God Himself — revealed in grace as a Saviour God. The gospel [p. 8] tolerates no mixture of self-righteousness or self-confidence in any form; God alone is the confidence and boast of His children. And as He alone is the Refuge of His saints, so His thoughts and His love are the only measure of their blessing. It is of the greatest importance that we should be simple in our sense of GRACE, and that we should not allow the enemy to divert us from it. To turn back to the consideration of ourselves — our feelings, works, attainments, etc. — or to suppose that religious observances, sacraments, and law-keeping are necessary or advantageous in addition to Christ and the Grace of God received by faith, is really to leave the ground of Christian blessing and to become fallen from grace (see the Epistle to the Galatians). The gospel by which we were begotten to the knowledge of God was a gospel of absolute grace, and it brought to our hearts the joy of blessings conferred by pure grace. It was no question of what we were, or of what we could do, but of what GOD was, and what GOD would do for the gratification of His own heart.
In connection with this we may apply the principle of the words, “My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother: for they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck” (Proverbs 1: 8, 9). We have been begotten by the testimony of grace. Whatever servant or instrument God might be pleased to use, it was the testimony of His grace by which we were begotten, according to 1 Peter 1: 23 - 25, “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower [p. 9] of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away, but the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you”. In this sense the testimony of Grace is our father, while “Jerusalem which is above” — the whole blessed system of heavenly grace which is established and set forth in Christ in glory — “is the mother of us all” (Galatians 4: 26). The Galatians were slipping quite away from the gospel by which they had been begotten, and had “fallen from grace”. They had, for the time, become deaf to the instruction of their father, and had forsaken the law of their mother, and the result was that they had lost their ornaments of grace. They must have quite lost the sense of sonship, and lacked the “fruit of the Spirit”. If we depart from Grace we depart altogether from God, and from everything which can maintain freshness, power, and spiritual joy in our souls. In short, we lose our divine ornaments, and drop down to the level of religious flesh.
It is as being “under grace” that we can walk in liberty and joy in the fear of the Lord. The fear of the Lord is the practical recognition in the soul that we are now to be here for God’s will and not our own. Just as self-will is characteristic of the flesh, the fear of the Lord is characteristic of those born of God. It is really the spirit of obedience and subjection to God. It has been said that “obedience is the only exercise, save praise, of life to God”. As we walk in the fear of the Lord, under His eye and in subjection to His will, we get practical deliverance from mere human expediency and from the motives and principles of action which control men in the world.
[p. 10] I put it to every one here, Do you know the grace and love of God, so that you can trust Him with your happiness? You have trusted Him for the eternal blessing of your soul, but can you trust Him with your happiness day by day? A desire may arise in your mind for something that you would not like to pray for. Now you may be quite sure that anything you cannot pray for, and that you cannot receive from God in grace and love, will not minister in the smallest degree to your true happiness. God would have our confidence in Him to be so strong that we should be afraid to touch anything that we could not take as directly from Him. It was so with our blessed Lord. The devil said, “If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread”. Was not bread a good thing for a hungry man? Had He not power to do what was suggested? Yes, indeed, but He would not depart from subjection to God. He would not make a loaf for Himself without a word from God. He set Jehovah always before Him.
While walking in the fear of the Lord, and with godly exercise, it is deeply important that we should keep very simple in the sense of grace. We fail in many things, and then the enemy seeks to take away the sense of grace, so that distance may come in between us and God, But
GRACE IS SUPREME,
and as we know this we are encouraged to go straight to God even when we have failed. He is “the God of all grace”. We have to “judge ourselves”, but we do so in the presence of infinite grace. The lowest point in the universe is death, and we see grace there, for Jesus “by the grace of God tasted death”. The highest point is the throne of God, and grace is seen in glory there, for Jesus is there. So Christ fills all things in the moral universe, and we cannot look at any point between the dust of death and the throne of God’s glory without seeing there the blessed Witness of Grace. How this encourages confidence in God as “the God of all grace”!
There is an important word here which I commend to every young believer. “My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not” (Proverbs 1: 10). The secret of many an unhappy and unfruitful life can be found in the inability to say “No”. If you want an accomplishment that will be of practical service to you as a Christian, cultivate the power to say “No”. There are many sinners around, and there is also a sinner within, ready at all times to entice you from “the paths of life”. They only consult to cast you down from your excellency, and to move you away from your true happiness. You must not parley with them; you must not compromise; you must say “No”. When a neighbour, or acquaintance, or fellow-worker in the shop or the office asks you to go here and there for worldly pleasure, or offers to lend you a worldly book, that is the time to say “No”. It does no good to get out of such things by making excuses. If you make excuses they will keep on at you, but if you quietly and graciously tell them you cannot do as they desire, and why, it is very probable that they will not trouble you again.
Then, as I have said, there is a sinner within. The desires and tastes of the flesh may often appeal for gratification. The flesh in us is as fond of the things [p. 12] of the world as ever. The first qualification of a disciple of Christ is the ability to say “No” to himself. “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me” (Matthew 16: 24).
Then we get the voice of Wisdom addressing itself to men (Proverbs 1: 20 - 33). Every divine testimony is the voice of Wisdom, and if men be willing to hear that voice, and to turn from their sin and folly, the Spirit of Wisdom is poured out unto them, and Wisdom’s words are made known to them. The voice of Wisdom today is the gospel of God concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, and those who hear it receive the Holy Ghost. It is when we have heard Wisdom’s voice, and received Wisdom’s Spirit, that we are free in conscience and heart to make wisdom, understanding and knowledge the great object of our pursuit and search. “My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee, so that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; if thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God” (Proverbs 2: 1 - 5).
I greatly desire that all our hearts may be attracted by the blessedness of this. The world’s philosophers profess to be searching for wisdom, but with them it is a mere abstraction — certain conceptions of their own minds in which they can take pleasure. For those born of God wisdom is set forth in the Person of Christ, the Son of God, and God would have us to enrich our souls by searching out the priceless treasures that are enfolded in Him. He is “unto the Jews a stumbling-block,
[p. 13] and unto the Greeks foolishness; but unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God” (1 Corinthians 1: 23,24).
We read that wisdom was with God “from the beginning, or ever the earth was .... Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him; rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and my delights were with the sons of men” (Proverbs 8:23; Proverbs 8:30,31). Would you not like to know more of the Person in whom God’s wisdom is now presented to men? More of the Blessed One whose heart was so set upon you that He would go to the cross to die for you, that He might have you for and with Himself for ever?
Christ is the Wisdom of God in view of all the questions which sin had raised, and which appeared to make the blessing of man and the accomplishment of the purposes of divine love impossible. How perfectly has God solved every problem and removed every difficulty, taking away in holy judgment by the death of Christ the man in whom sin had fully displayed itself, so that Christ in resurrection might be the Head and Centre of a new world for God’s pleasure and glory! Christ is the Wisdom of God for all this; and not only do we see in Him a Resource which was more than equal to every difficulty that stood in the way of love’s eternal purpose, but we also find in Him the perfect and blessed Revelation of God. “No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him” (John 1: 18). To “find the knowledge of God” is the great prize set before us, to be sought as silver and searched for as for hid treasure (Proverbs 2: 4, 5). And where can [p. 14] this be found, save in the beloved Son who “declared him” here, and in whose face as the risen and glorified One all God’s glory shines?
Now I should like you to note three things which characterize the one whose heart is set upon the acquisition of “wisdom”. First, he has Wisdom’s Spirit. Of this we have a distinct intimation in Proverbs 1: 23. I do not think anyone goes after Christ with much spring and energy of soul, or becomes very deeply affected by a desire to have “the knowledge of God”, until be has received the Spirit. To believe the gospel and to receive the Spirit by the hearing of faith is the beginning of our Christian history; but it is only the beginning. We have to come under divine teaching, and to feed upon proper spiritual food, in order to grow and be formed in divine capacity to understand divine things. And this is subsequent to the reception of the Spirit. Nothing can be more injurious to souls than the supposition that they have reached full Christian stature because they have the Spirit. I admit that every one who has the Spirit is complete, just as a new-born babe is complete. But the babe must feed and grow in order to come to full stature, and so must the saint.
True growth is by the knowledge of God revealed in His beloved Son. It is of Him that the Holy Ghost ever delights to speak. “He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you” (John 14: 26); “He shall testify of me” (John 15: 26); “He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall show it unto you” (John 16: 14, 15). We have received Wisdom’s Spirit that we may be interested in these blessed things, and capable of apprehending them. “The anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him” (1 John 2: 27).
The Father has been perfectly revealed in the Son, and now the Holy Ghost abides in us as a divine anointing, to teach us to find the fulness of grace and truth in Him. Everything that constitutes “wisdom” is to be found in Christ. People sometimes talk about “development” in Christianity, but everything that goes beyond, or is added to Christ is really apostasy; it is simply departure from the truth and is of the father of lies. The effect of having Wisdom’s Spirit is that we find all truth — everything that constitutes “wisdom” — set forth in Christ the Son of God.
But, having such an unction to teach us, how is it that we have not gained more of the knowledge of Christ? We know much of other things, but oh! how little do we really know of Christ! How is this? I think we may find the answer by looking at the second characteristic of those who are set upon getting “wisdom”.
“My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; so that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding” (Proverbs 2: 1, 2). It is necessary that we should have the inclined ear and the applied heart. The ministry of Christ is maintained here in the power of the [p. 16] Spirit, but often we fail to get the good of it because we lack interest in it.
Did you ever go to see a believer when your heart was full of something you had got from the Lord, the joy of which you were longing to share with some fellow-saint, only to find that his mind was preoccupied with other things, so that there was no response to what you were saying — no real interest in the matter? Did you not feel hindered and grieved, and did you not come away with a heavy heart? Methinks that is how the Holy Ghost feels oftentimes with us. He looks for us to have the inclined ear and the applied heart. We may be sure that Rebekah was as anxious to hear about Isaac as Eliezer was to tell her about him. Oh! that it might be so with us!
We need not suppose that Wisdom’s voice is silent today. In wonderful grace God has maintained and revived the ministry of Christ amongst His saints. To this end gifts have been given — “some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4: 11, 12). It is wonderful how the Lord has maintained in ministry amongst His saints that which is really the voice of Wisdom, especially when we consider how numerous and powerful are the influences which tend to silence that voice. None of us here can say that God has failed to bring before us in ministry that which is of Himself — the ministry of Christ. The question is, Have we had the inclined ear and the applied heart? If believers — young or old — do not get enlarged in the knowledge of Christ, it is not because help and ministry are lacking, but [p. 17] because they have not the inclined ear and the applied heart. Some would like to be helped without the trouble of paying any attention to divine things. From sheer spiritual idleness or indifference they starve in the midst of plenty.
No one set upon the acquisition of “wisdom” would fail to “give attendance to reading”. “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works” (1 Timothy 4: 13; 2 Timothy 3: 16, 17). We may be sure that a man who neglects Scripture has neither the inclined ear nor the applied heart. But let us make sure that meditation and prayer and holy exercise go along with our “reading”. “Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all” (1 Timothy 4: 15). Do not read too much, or you will find that it becomes a mere mental exercise. I came across an old farmer one day in trouble about a cow which he said was “off her cud”, in consequence of having eaten too much the day before. If you read beyond your power to meditate it will do you no good. It is better to get a little that we can meditate upon than a great deal merely in the way of information.
The third characteristic of those who are set to get “wisdom” is prayer. “If thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; if thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding” (verses 3 - 6). God does not give us [p. 18] what we do not want, but He fills the hungry with good things, and satisfies the longing soul. If we seek spiritual blessing from God, we shall surely get it. Ministry is not of very much value to those who are not seeking and searching for God’s “hid treasures”, though, of course, God may use ministry to awaken exercise and desire. Do we pray in secret for more knowledge of Christ? We may read the Word and pray for comfort in our circumstances of sorrow or difficulty; we may read and pray in connection with our service; but, beloved brethren, how much do we in secret long after the deepened knowledge of God?
The great gain of having wisdom is set forth in verse 5, “Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God”. “The fear of the Lord” practically excludes the world, and the flesh with its lusts. It shuts out all that is of ourselves according to the flesh. Then “the knowledge of God” brings in everything that is excellent and blessed for the endless satisfaction of our hearts. This, in a word, is “wisdom”. We recognize that all that is of ourselves is evil, and we “judge ourselves”, but while doing so we find infinite blessedness in the knowledge of God revealed in His beloved Son. We “rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh”.
Then, as to the path down here, it is a comfort to know that the Lord “preserveth the way of his saints” (verse 8). We shall meet with hindrances, difficulties, and obstacles. Satan will do his best to stop us — to tell us that there is a lion in the way — but the way of God’s saints will be kept open by divine power to the end. The path may become narrower as Christendom drifts into open apostasy, but it will be wide enough for the [p. 19] faithful one to have the Lord at his right hand all the way through, so that he shall not be moved. To the faithful ones in Philadelphia He reveals Himself as having the key of David to open and shut, and He says, “I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it” (Revelation 3: 8). He will to the end preserve “the way of his saints”.
The effect of having “wisdom” is that we “understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path” (verse 9). It is by “the knowledge of God” that we understand “every good path”, for as we become more acquainted with Him we learn what is suited to Him. It is not that we have a code of rules to regulate our conduct, but we grow by the knowledge of God in the understanding of what is pleasing to Him, and thus we are preserved from all that is evil here, and we take hold of “the paths of life”.
The two great forms of evil are represented by “the evil man” and “the strange woman” (Proverbs 2: 12,16). “The evil man” represents the active energy of evil, or positive self-will; “the strange woman” sets forth the seductive power of evil. As we get “wisdom” we become really afraid of our own will. It is a terrible thing when self-will works in a believer, because it puts him in conflict with God, and must result in soul-misery and the loss of all joy. Well might the Psalmist pray, “Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me” (Psalm 19: 13). Self-will is like a demon which, when it is allowed to have dominion, carries a man on in utter disregard of the will and pleasure of God.
Then “the strange woman” is more the seductive power of evil. It is the secret, subtle, and often unsuspected [p. 20] influence by which souls are turned away from the Guide of their youth and from the covenant of their God. The world often attires itself in a religious garb in order to beguile saints, and many fall into the snare. Little things, and seemingly innocent things, come in one by one. There is no sudden breakdown to alarm the conscience. The course does not seem to be much changed, but gradually and surely the believer is altogether diverted from “the paths of life”.
But by having wisdom we get deliverance both from “the evil man” and “the strange woman”. God is before us — well known in all-blessing grace and love — and as Grace reigns in our hearts the power of self-will is broken.
“The Father’s love with joy we own,
Revealed in Christ the Son”. (178:7)