Grace Fellowship    2/17/08    Safety in the Way - Proverbs 3

Once upon a time, there were people who rode bicycles without safety helmets.  I know that may be hard for our kids to believe.  There was even a time when school buses didn’t have those long arms that stick out in front of the bus whenever the driver turns on the Stop sign.  There was a time when cars didn’t have air bags.  In fact, there was a time when they didn’t even have seat belts!  Not so long ago there was no such thing as a car seat for children.

Safety is one of the biggest selling points in automobiles today.  It hasn’t always been that way.  Style and comfort were the main focus in years gone by.  But now we buy cars based upon government crash test ratings.  Manufacturers today are constantly trying to make safer vehicles with specially engineered “crush zones” to prevent the engine from coming into the passenger compartment (that’s the place where you sit!) in a front end collision, and with side curtain air bags to protect us from side impacts.  

Billions and billions of dollars have been spent researching, developing, and producing cars that will protect us in the event of an accident so we can travel over our highways faster and more safely than ever.  Safety is big business, whether we’re talking about cars or bicycles or the workplace or the job site.  The motto of the American people is no longer “In God We Trust.”  It’s “Safety First!”  People want to be safe.

How do we get to Heaven safely?  It seems that people who are extremely safety-conscious should be asking that question.  Just how dangerous is this life if we have no safe way to get to Heaven?  Jesus was speaking about this to His disciples when He said, “I go to prepare a place for you.  And where I go, you know, and the way you know.”  Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?"  Jesus said to him, "I am the way . . . .” (John 14)  Jesus Christ is the means of safe passage to eternity, both during our journey through this earthly life, and in death.  

There are several verses found in Proverbs 3 which speak of how we safely traverse this life.  I want to point those out to you, but first let’s read the entire text of Proverbs 3.

1 My son, do not forget my law, But let your heart keep my commands; 2 For length of days and long life And peace they will add to you. 3 Let not mercy and truth forsake you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart, 4 And so find favor and high esteem In the sight of God and man. 5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil. 8 It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones. 9 Honor the LORD with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase; 10 So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine. 11 My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, Nor detest His correction; 12 For whom the LORD loves He corrects, Just as a father the son in whom he delights. 13 Happy is the man who finds wisdom, And the man who gains understanding; 14 For her proceeds are better than the profits of silver, And her gain than fine gold. 15 She is more precious than rubies, And all the things you may desire cannot compare with her. 16 Length of days is in her right hand, In her left hand riches and honor. 17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness, And all her paths are peace. 18 She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, And happy are all who retain her. 19 The LORD by wisdom founded the earth; By understanding He established the heavens; 20 By His knowledge the depths were broken up, And clouds drop down the dew. 21 My son, let them not depart from your eyes--Keep sound wisdom and discretion; 22 So they will be life to your soul And grace to your neck. 23 Then you will walk safely in your way, And your foot will not stumble. 24 When you lie down, you will not be afraid; Yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet. 25 Do not be afraid of sudden terror, Nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes; 26 For the LORD will be your confidence, And will keep your foot from being caught. 27 Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, When it is in the power of your hand to do so. 28 Do not say to your neighbor, "Go, and come back, And tomorrow I will give it," When you have it with you. 29 Do not devise evil against your neighbor, For he dwells by you for safety's sake. 30 Do not strive with a man without cause, If he has done you no harm. 31 Do not envy the oppressor, And choose none of his ways; 32 For the perverse person is an abomination to the LORD, But His secret counsel is with the upright. 33 The curse of the LORD is on the house of the wicked, But He blesses the home of the just. 34 Surely He scorns the scornful, But gives grace to the humble. 35 The wise shall inherit glory, But shame shall be the legacy of fools. (Proverbs 3:1-35, NKJV).

Verses 1-2
Once again, Solomon encourages his son to remember his instruction, his law, and his commands.  What reason does Solomon give for why his son should pay attention to him?  If he listens and obeys his father, he will enjoy “length of days and long life and peace.”  What’s the difference between “length of days” and “long life”?  Both of those phrases seem to be general references to periods of time.  They might be better translated “long days and years of life.”  Wisdom gives a person a long life.  Foolishness cuts it short.  Job said, “Wisdom is with aged men, And with length of days, understanding.” (Job 12:12, NKJV).  How do boys become men, and men become old men?  Through being wise.  There is safety, and therefore longevity in wisdom.

Verses 5-6
These two verses are well known among Christians.  There is great comfort in these words of Solomon because they speak of safety.  One of the questions Christians ask most often is, “What is God’s will for my life?  How do I know what God wants me to do with my life?”  If you pay attention to these two verses, those worries will disappear.

The person who trusts in God rather than in his own wisdom and understanding, will be led by God through this life.  That is a promise from God.  I don’t know what effect God’s promises have upon you,  but how secure is a promise from God?  This is the deal: Trusting God rather than self results in Him being your Shepherd through this life safely.  He will direct your paths, or more literally, He will make your paths smooth and straight.  

Behind the church here is a small mountain.  There are many ways to get to the other side of it.  You can walk up a practically infinite number of paths of your own choosing which would take you over lots of logs and boulders and rocks.  LOTS of rocks.  You could take a direct route which would be the shortest way to get to the other side, but it is also the steepest.  You could zig-zag back and forth up the mountain at an angle, which would be much less steep, but it would make your trip much longer.  Another way would be to walk down here to the corner at the gas station, turn right, and walk fairly comfortably up the highway all the way to the top.  It’s not the most direct route, but there aren’t any rocks to climb over and no tree roots to make you stumble.  For the most part, walking up Route 26 is pretty smooth and straight and best.

God promises to get us to our final destination if we just trust Him.  I believe these verses teach us that we can depend upon God to lead us even when we’re not exactly sure where we’re going or how we’re going to get there.  That was Thomas’ question: “Lord, we don’t know where you’re going.  So how are we going to get there?”  Jesus answer was, “Thomas, you know Me!  I AM the way!  You can’t miss it!”

Our confidence is in God to lead us through this life in the direction we need to go in order to get to glory.  Your safe arrival in Heaven is not dependent upon you, but upon the God in whom you trust.  We are the sheep, He is the Shepherd.  Just trust Him.  This is the same message we hear all throughout the Bible.  Believe God.  Take Him at His word.  Do not fear, do not doubt, do not worry, do not question what He has clearly said He would do.  We are called to be His followers, not His trailblazers.  As the song I heard many years ago says, “The Lord knows the way through the wilderness.  All I have to do is follow.”  Don’t lean on self.  Trust in Him.

Verses 7-8
When we ask for wisdom from God, it is because we do not trust ourselves, we are not wise in our own eyes.  To be wise in your own eyes is to do what verse 5 commands us not to do: “Lean (or trust, or depend) on our own understanding.”  Rather, we are to be wise by fearing the Lord.  As we have already seen, that is where wisdom begins.  The fear of God is where wisdom is given birth.  How do we really know if we fear God?  As this verse implies, fear of God results in departure from evil.  True fear produces true repentance.  There is no such thing as fearing God and entertaining evil simultaneously.  That is why it is inconsistent to speak of a murderer as a Christian, or of a thief as a Christian.  There is no such thing as a Christian liar.  Fear of God produces holiness of life, a departure from evil.

Fear produces holiness.  Holiness, according to verse 8, produces health and strength.  Does God want us to be healthy?  Yes.  Does sin produce sickness?  Sometimes.  Not trusting in God, but preferring instead to lean upon one’s own understanding, often causes us to worry about everything.  There is no peace in being self-sufficient and independent of God in the spiritual realm.  First, it is evil not to believe God.  Wisdom leads us to trust Him who is trustworthy and to question our own level of wisdom in anything.

So we trust the Lord (v.5) and He directs our paths.  We fear the Lord (v.7) and it will be health and strength to us instead of worry.  Then in verse 9, Solomon commands his son to honor the Lord.

Verses 9 and 10
When we honor God by acknowledging that everything we have is from Him, and that everything we have actually belongs to Him, and we return to Him the firstfruits of our labors instead of the leftovers, then God will bless us in return.

The more we read here, the more this sounds like the “health and wealth” message we so often hear on TV.  That is exactly what this passage is talking about.  Generally speaking, God will bless us in this life when we trust Him with all our heart, when we fear Him and depart from evil, and when we honor Him by returning to Him a portion of the blessings He has granted to us first instead of eventually, or never.  I believe that may be why Paul instructed the Corinthians in such precise terms in regard to giving to meet the needs of other believers:

On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come. (1 Corinthians 16:2, NKJV).

If you seek her as silver, And search for her as for hidden treasures; 5 Then you will understand the fear of the LORD, And find the knowledge of God. (Proverbs 2:4-5, NKJV).

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6, NKJV).