Sunday, August 24, 2025 AM

Let's go to the Lord together in prayer. Lord, we thank you for these promises that we have sung today about your faithfulness, your grace, your mercy, your plans, your splendor. You have made us for yourself, and I pray that we would rejoice in this today, that we would give you honor and glory, that we would ascribe to you worth and power, that the worship that is done here would be pleasing to your ears, pleasing to your eyes.

And so we ask that all will be done in the name of Jesus Christ. For his sake, we make every appeal by his blood, by his accomplished work, and ask that you would enliven us by your word today, that as you breathe your breath into us, as you enliven us by your Holy Spirit, that you would transform us into your glory, conforming us to the image of your Son, Jesus Christ.

And we ask for these many mercies in his name. Amen. I invite you to open your Bibles and turn with me to Proverbs chapter 1, reading verses 20 through 33. The time for wisdom is now. This is the assertion that Solomon makes to his son.

We are working our way through Proverbs 1, dealing with several themes, several topics that are of an introductory nature to the book and basic to the idea of godly wisdom, biblical wisdom. And, of course, we remember in 1 Corinthians 1 how the wisdom of the world and the wisdom of God are at odds.

They are in contrast. So we need to be clear about what biblical wisdom is, and Proverbs helps us greatly there. And we've seen that all of us need wisdom, even if we are not a young man listening to a father.

All of us are in the situation of looking to our heavenly Father and confessing our need. Hey, I need wisdom. I'm in need of wisdom. I need to grow in wisdom for the simple fact that I was made in the image of God to rejoice in God and live for Him.

I need wisdom for that basic fact along with everything that flows from that. Wisdom is the skillful mastery of life unto righteousness. Wisdom is the skillful mastery of life unto righteousness. We are to master the gift for the glory of the Master.

Wisdom is the image of God in proper motion, the kinesthetics of godliness. Now, last week, we introduced Solomon's literary character of Lady Wisdom, and, of course, she plays a very important role in the first nine chapters of the book, and we meet her again in another way in the last chapter.

But we are to think about Lady Wisdom and know what she's all about and to listen carefully to what she has to say. She's still going to be talking here in the verses we're going to focus on. We are to meditate on her meaning, and in so doing, we access this fundamental claim of the book of Proverbs, wisdom is available.

Wisdom is available. Wisdom is not in short supply. Wisdom is not absent. Wisdom is not remote. Wisdom is not silent. Wisdom is available. All things are made by God's wisdom, and wisdom may be found in all that God has made.

Wisdom is meant for those who are made in His image. We are God's special creatures living in His creation, and so we are the images of God. We are the image of God living among all the traces of God, and so we look around, and here's wisdom, and we need wisdom.

The time for wisdom is now. The best time to glorify God and enjoy Him forever is now. I invite you to stand with me if you are able. We're going to read God's holy word, Proverbs 1, verses 20 through 33.

This is the word of the Lord. Wisdom calls aloud outside. She raises her voice in the open squares. She cries out in the chief concourses. At the openings of the gates in the city, she speaks her words.

How long, you simple ones? Will you love simplicity? For scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge. Turn at my rebuke. Surely, I will pour out My Spirit on you. I will make My words known to you, because I have called and you refused.

I have stretched out My hand, and no one regarded, because you disdained all My counsel and would have none of My rebuke. I also will laugh at your calamity. I will mock when your terror comes, when your terror comes like a storm, and your destruction comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you.

Then they will call on Me, but I will not answer. They will seek Me diligently, but they will not find Me, because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord. They would have none of My counsel and despised My every rebuke.

Therefore, they shall eat the fruit of their own way and be filled with the full of their own fancies. For the turning away of the simple will slay them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them.

But whoever listens to Me will dwell safely, and will be secure without fear of evil.". This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. You may be seated. When I was a younger man, I attended church here in the city, going to college, and there was a young lady that caught my eye.

And so, of course, I would hang around and make sure I parked my car near her car so we could talk and have all natural reasons to hang out and get to know one another. And this was going great, except for the fact that I never really did much more than that.

And there was a man who was on staff. He was there at the church, one of the pastors there, and he took me out to lunch one day. He said, what are your intentions concerning Becca Begary? Well, I'm trying to get to know her.

I'm trying to exercise wisdom. You know, I don't want to move too fast. You say, oh, yeah, that's all good. But, you know, she might not be as patient as you are. That was news to me. I had no idea. He said, you know, she's kind of got a plan to move away and go, you know, get a degree, become a teacher, and anyway, you better do something about this.

And I needed that. I had no idea. I was simpleton. I didn't understand the contours of this relationship that had been going on. And so, this man took me aside. He helped me. He was a blessing to me and to us.

And so, there was one evening when we were doing our normal, hey, we just happened to park next to each other, so let's talk moment. And I noticed some spotlights in the sky, and she said, oh, yeah, it's the arts festival.

I haven't gone this year yet. And since my ears had been opened and my eyes had been opened, I finally understood what was going on. And I said, well, I'll take you. And the Lord blessed that, and it was providential.

But what would have happened if I did not listen to the rebuke of my elder who said, boy, you better get busy. Stop wasting time. What if I had not listened well to the council, and what if I had seen this as an opportunity to say, no, that's interesting.

Well, and what if I would have said to her, well, you ought to go. You should have some fun. If I continue to pass up all those opportunities, I think things would not have ended well, probably would have offended her in the process.

Now, when it comes to wisdom, the time to pick up on what wisdom is saying is now, the time to accept what she's saying and to embrace what she has to share is now. Wisdom makes herself known. She's not being quiet.

She makes herself available. She's not hiding away. It's only, as we find out in Proverbs, it's only the fool that continually puts her off and gains her contempt. Solomon is in the process of introducing his son to Lady Wisdom, and there are two aspects in these verses.

First, wisdom's favor when she is sought. Secondly, wisdom's fury when she is scorned. But before we move to that second larger portion, we still have some other key figures in Proverbs to meet. We've met Lady Wisdom, but there are three other characters that we need to meet here in these early Proverbs.

These folks are the simpleton, the scorner, and the fool. We're going to hear a lot about these three people throughout the book of Proverbs, and here they are introduced to us, and it's a fine opportunity to get to know them.

Now, wisdom is no recluse. Now, we talked about this last time. She is not silent, and she is not secret. We see it in verses 20 and 21. She's got something to say, and she says it all over the place.

Notice also, in addition to her not being a recluse, she is not reluctant. She is not reluctant in making these connections. Look at verses 22 and 23. The question she asks in verse 22, "'How long, you simple ones?

Will you love simplicity? For scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge. Turn at my rebuke. Surely I will pour out My Spirit on you. I will make My words known to you.'". You can hear she's not reluctant.

She wants these simple ones to hear what she has to say. She makes these promises. I will pour out My Spirit on you. I will make My words known to you. It's a wonderful truth to know that wisdom is no recluse.

Her voice may be heard all around, but is she only a sidewalk prophet of doom? Is it that her voice is everywhere, but it's only condemnation, only despair? No, of course not. Now, she's full of promise.

Notice that she is full of promise in her pejoratives. Simpleton, scoffer, fool. Full of promise, though, listen. Listen, I will pour out My Spirit on you. Listen, I will reveal My words to you. So, she goads, but she does so for good.

She is first gaining attention, verses 20 and 21, and then she gives attention, verses 22 and 23. She is hostile to the fool. We see that well enough in verse 22. But she is hospitable to the fool, to the simple.

Now, wisdom is calling aloud. She's raising her voice. She cries out. She speaks her words. She does so outside in the open squares, in the chief concourses, at the openings of the gates of the city. And she asks this provocative question, how long?

You see it in the text, verse 22, how long? That's her question. The question may sound exasperated. The question may sound rhetorical, but it is a question that is targeted to a particular group of people.

She's asking the simple ones this question. She's not talking to the scoffers, notice. She's not talking to the fools. She's talking to the simple ones, the simpletons. And she brings up the scorners.

She talks about the fools as a warning to the simple ones. That they better start listening to what she has to say. They better pay attention. How long are you going to continue with this? She wants to know.

There's a progression you see in these pejoratives. Scorners are worse off than simpletons. And fools, they're the worst of all. So, simpletons, scorners, fools. Simpletons revel in their safe space of irresponsibility.

Scorners eagerly develop their culture of contempt. Fools out and out loathe moral and religious certainty. The reason Lady Wisdom cries out this question, how long, is due to the danger of this progression simpletons will not long remain in their safe space.

They think they can. They are, after all, simpletons. They think things like that. But their future, their future, should they continue to love their simplicity, will be one of becoming first scorners who delight in their scorning and then at last fools who hate knowledge.

That's why the time for wisdom is now. That is why the time for wisdom is now. Later may be too late. And so, Wisdom cries out, and everywhere she looks for simple ones. She looks for them all over the society, and she calls out to them wherever they may be, and she has a question for them, how long?

Now, let's think about these pejoratives. She uses them for good purpose. Just who are these basket of undesirables? The question is, can any of these figs be salvaged? Look at first the simple ones. What's wrong with them?

What's wrong with them? Why don't you just leave them alone? They love their simplicity. They're living their best life now. Just leave them alone. They're happy. Why bother a simpleton who loves their simplicity?

Why disturb them? Why rock the boat? What's wrong with them? They love simplicity. That's what's wrong. The simple are the open-minded, easily persuaded, the gullible. That's what the word means. They believe the first story that they are told, and they are, the simple ones, are the especially target audience of both Lady Wisdom and Miss Folly.

Why do Lady Wisdom and Miss Folly make a special effort to target simple ones? Proverbs 7, verse 7 says, the father says, I saw among the simple I perceived among the youths, a young man devoid of understanding, and he goes straight for Miss Folly.

Proverbs 9, 4, Lady Wisdom calls out, whoever is simple, let him turn in here. As for him who lacks understanding, she talks to him. You see, Miss Folly, Lady Wisdom, they're both targeting the same audience, the simple ones.

Why? Because simpletons are moldable clay. Simpletons are moldable clay. This is their promise as well as their peril. Where will they go? Often associated with youth, simple ones are those who lack prudence and are contrasted with those who are prudent.

Proverbs talks about simple ones as those who lack prudence, and they are contrasted with those who have prudence. Now, at the very beginning of this book, verse 4, as Solomon is describing the purpose of giving these proverbs, one reason in verse 4 is this, to give prudence to the simple.

The simple ones need these proverbs because they need prudence to give to the young man knowledge and discretion. Now, let's think about the contrast. The best way to understand a simpleton might be by way of contrast.

Let's contrast a simple one and a prudent man. Proverbs does this for us in terms of their perception, their planning, and their promise. Proverbs 14, 15 says,. The simple believes every word, but the prudent considers well his steps.

So, if somebody is pushing a whole bunch of stuff at you really fast, and you say, I'm not so sure, and they get angry with you, it's like, are you wanting me to be a simpleton? I'd much rather be prudent.

I'm not going to believe everything that is just spewed out at me. This contrasts between their planning. Proverbs 22, verse 3 says,. A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself, but the simple pass on and are punished.

The contrast as well in terms of promise. Proverbs 14, 18,. The simple inherit folly. They inherit folly, but the prudent are crowned with knowledge. So, who is a simpleton? Look at a prudent man, and the simpleton is the opposite of a prudent man.

The prudent man has ceased being simple, and the simple need to become prudent. Now, given the fact that the simple are liable to the seductions of misfolly, and they are very likely to take more than one to the chin on the road of life, why would the simple thus love simplicity?

Why would they love the thing that keeps them in such danger and gives them so many problems? But this is akin to asking, why would youth love childhood? The simpleton and the youth are very often connected.

Why would youth love childhood? For the same reason why the simple would love simplicity. There is a clear notion here that those who were simple because they were young hold on to their simplicity and reject their education of prudence.

They commit themselves to childishness as a way of life. They have so treasured the insulations of childhood that they now have all of that tattooed on their face. They intend forever to belong to this tribe.

They love being gullible. Why? Because they are not responsible for discernment, and they are not responsible for the hard work of discovery. If you believe the first story told you, it's usually the one that you like.

And the first story is what? Something like this. The script isn't very ingenious. The first story told them is this. Life isn't supposed to be hard. The first story told is, you've been betrayed. It's not your fault.

The first story is, there's no point in trying. That's the first story told. So they name immaturity as their spirit animal. They wear excuses like armor. They wear bitterness like a crown. They love simplicity because it insulates them from responsibility.

It provides them reasons, but not reason. I have reasons why I'm the way I am, but you have no reason. They have feelings about a risky future, but they will not risk feelings for a future. Ignorance is their nobility.

Handicaps are their honor. Despair will be their dynasty. When the simple ones pledge their truth to simplicity, they will soon find her a bitter woman. She changes upon closer acquaintance. Soon, the simplicity that once gave them a warm, safe place to hide becomes a gripe session, a fireside chat of bitter recrimination.

Those who love simplicity will soon delight in scorning. Why? The simple are in progress. The simple are always in progress, either moving towards wisdom or moving towards folly. And the path of the simple unto folly goes through scorning.

It goes through scoffing. The arrogant, deconstructive blaming of all structures and strictures which would threaten that very first story believed, the story that they love so dearly, it's not my fault, I've been betrayed, it's not worth it.

And thus, Proverbs 19 .25 says this, strike a scoffer, a scorner, same word, strike a scoffer, and the simple will become wary. Why? Ask the direction the simple are going, and then when they see the scoffer struck, they say, no, thank you, and they go the other way.

Rebuke one who has understanding, and he will discern knowledge. Proverbs 21 .11, when the scoffer is punished, the simple is made wise. Notice the scoffer isn't made wise at all, but you strike the scoffer so that the simple looking on, they are made wise.

When the wise is instructed, he receives knowledge. See that? So Lady Wisdom, she raises her voice so that all the simple ones will hear this poignant question, how long? Why does she say it like that?

Because the simpletons think they have all the time in the world to love their simplicity, but Lady Wisdom knows better. She knows where such an infantile relationship leads. She has seen many simpletons turn into scorners, and there's no future for a scorner made in the image of God, for they set themselves against their maker, the author of all those structures and strictures that make them accountable.

Proverbs 3 .34 says, surely he scorns the scornful, but gives grace to the humble, gives grace to the humble. So, enough of the simpletons. What about the scorners? What's wrong with them? Well, it says there in the text, they delight in their scorning.

That's what's wrong with them. Simpletons love simplicity. What's wrong with the scorners? They delight in their scorning. Scorners are those who have become so inflated with the self, and what else is to be expected of simpletons who love their simplicity?

They have become so inflated with the self that they preside in dismissive mockery over all matters. They are the most proud of all men and the worst for all mankind. Proverbs 21 .24 says, a proud and haughty man, scoffer is his name.

He acts with arrogant pride. Proverbs 24 .9 says, the devising of foolishness is sin, and the scoffer is an abomination to men. Scoffers boast of themselves. They are the ambassadors of cynics united.

They interpret all authority claims, all moral absolutes, and all general observations with skeptical derision. Now, that approach to life is, well, it's a copium of great potency. It's very intoxicating.

It's interesting that Proverbs 20 .1 says that wine is a mocker, but, of course, all these problems can be flipped. Mockery is a wine. Oh, and how intoxicating it is. How intoxicating mockery may be. The scoffer delights in their scorning.

It gives them power, notice, to refuse undesired accountability. Why do the simple love simplicity? It's not my fault. I am insulated in my safe space of excuses. It is not my fault. I'm not accountable.

Nobody can point the finger at me. I love my simplicity. But when it is threatened, the longer it goes, the more scorning comes around, because scorning gives the scoffer the power to refuse undesired accountability.

Proverbs 13 .1 says, a wise son heeds his father's instruction. And, again, that term has the idea of the father saying, here's where you're wrong, and here's where you got to go to do it right. That's the idea of the instruction.

A wise son heeds that, but a scoffer does not listen to rebuke. See that? The scoffer does not listen to rebuke. Don't correct me. I don't accept your authority. Proverbs 15 .12, a scoffer does not love one who corrects him, nor will he go to the wise.

That's the whole point of the scoffer. He delights in the scoffing because he does not want to be rebuked. He does not want to be held accountable. But this scorning is not without consequence. As long as the scorner continues to love his scorning, declaiming all sources of truth, he rapidly cuts himself off from all wisdom.

Proverbs 14 .6 says, a scoffer seeks wisdom and does not find it, but knowledge is easy to him who understands. Now, there is something worse than a scorner. Now, scorners are pretty bad, but there's something worse than a scorner.

The end of a scorner is a fool, and it makes a whole lot of sense that a scorner ends up as a fool. Fools, what's wrong with a fool? It says so in the text that they hate knowledge. That's what's wrong with a fool is that they hate knowledge.

The fool knows better and does worse. The fool is a stupid man, arrogant in all his dulledry. The fool reads from a script that he wrote, and he knows it's bad writing, and his best acting is done in his demands that everyone believe what he wrote.

We need to take the fool seriously. We need to feel the weight of the warning. Enthroned in the heart of every rebel there reigns a lie. Fools adopt that lie as their personal motto. They pledge allegiance to figments of their own imagination.

Fools are only silly in the most dangerous horror film meaning. Their impiety is a religious defilement of God's image. They are convictional in their corruption. Unless their personhood is somehow profane, they do not feel free.

They do not feel genuine. Proverbs 10 verse 23, to do evil is like sport to a fool, but a man of understanding has wisdom. Proverbs 13 verse 19, a desire accomplished is sweet to the soul, but it is an abomination to fools to depart from evil.

Do you hear that? How much worse off is the fool than the scorner? The maintenance cost for the fool's sinking ship is quite high in order to proceed in their folly. Fools must declare war on knowledge.

They must suppress the truth in ungodliness. Paul tells us in Romans chapter 1 verses 20 through 22 that they are without excuse. Because although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

Professing to be wise, they became fools. So, fools know. It's not that fools are ignorant. No, no, no. The simpletons are largely ignorant, but they love simplicity. They don't want to become educated.

The fools know. They just hate knowing. Fools know. They hate knowing, so they deny knowledge. They deny knowing, just like atheists. Atheists know God. They hate God, and so they deny God. It's the same situation.

It is only the fool who says in his heart, there is no God. But this is the heart lie they make their headline. What are the results? The results are there in Romans 1 verse 32, the conclusion of the chapter, knowing the righteous judgment of God that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same, but also approve of those who practice them.

See, moral and doctrinal truths are detestable to the fool, but the fool still has a morality to mandate. He still has doctrines to declare. But these are simply the developed and refined meditations of the self-absorbed simpleton who felt a scoffing everyone until he felt there was only one expert left in any given room, himself.

So you see the progression. Wisdom says, how long, simpletons? Are you going to love simplicity? Don't you realize what's at stake? Don't you realize what road you're on? Proverbs 18 .2 says, a fool has no delight in understanding but in expressing his own heart.

Proverbs 28 verse 26, he who trusts in his own heart is a fool. Sorry, Disney. Every princess is a great fool. He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, but whoever walks wisely will be delivered. Now, the fool is not known by his repentance but his recalcitrance.

And how to approach a fool, how to try to reach out and grab a fool and change the trajectory of a fool is a great enigma in Proverbs. I mean, what in all of God's wide world of wisdom is there to be done to recover a fool?

Proverbs 14 .7 says, go from the presence of a foolish man. When you do not perceive in him the lips of knowledge, the wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way, but the folly of fools is deceit.

They love their lies, don't they? Proverbs 23 verse 9, do not speak in the hearing of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of your words. Jesus said, don't cast your pearls before swine. The fool wants no recovery.

The fool wants no wisdom. His car is in the ditch and on fire, and he likes it that way. Don't try to help him. He'll sue you. Proverbs 17 .16, why is there in the hand of a fool the purchase price of wisdom, since he has no heart for it?

Well, that is his condemnation, isn't it? If the fool will not purchase life when the price is in his own hand, perhaps his bettors can beat some sense into him. Maybe that'll work. Proverbs 17 .10 says, rebuke is more effective for a wise man than a hundred blows on a fool.

So it does not seem savingly effective to beat fools, but it is socially essential. It is socially essential. Proverbs 19 .29 says, judgments are prepared for scoffers and beatings for the backs of fools.

The day, and I mean the very day, as society stops beating their fools, they start enshrining them in halls of honor. And that is disastrous. Proverbs 26 .1 says, as snow and summer and rain and harvest, so honor is not fitting for a fool.

You know what should bother a society far more than climate change, when the weather starts going wrong? What's more problematic than famine, disease, and poverty? Honoring fools. Honoring fools. That's far, far worse.

Proverbs 26 .8 says, like one who binds a stone in the sling is he who gives honor to a fool. If you don't get that now, it'll come back and hit you. Now, what is Lady Wisdom up to? She's arranging her pejoratives to effectively warn her primary audience that the simple, the moldable clay, they still need to shape up.

But if they remain infatuated with their simplicity, their unfinished disfigured form will at last be fired in the kiln of self-centeredness and glazed in the sheen of pride, a scorner and a fool, a ghastly visage.

So, the time for wisdom is now. Those who have ears to hear, let them hear. Wisdom makes promises. Verse 23, turn at my rebuke. Surely I will pour out my spirit on you. I will make my words known to you.

This is a great promise. Turn, repent, change. There are some good promises for taking this other route. Solomon is reaching for his son here in chapter 1. He's compelling even as he constrains. He targets the affections and actions, the beliefs and the behavior, the words and the ways.

And he's depicting a kind of future for his son that is filled with blessings and life and victory and his honor. If only his son will listen to him. Will his son listen to Lady Wisdom who calls out to the young man in the days of his simplicity?

How long? You know, Paul said in 1 Corinthians 13, 11, when I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child, that when I became a man, I put away childish things. And there's no real mystery here.

Wisdom makes a boy into a man. That's what it says. Wisdom makes a boy into a man. Created in the image of God, by wisdom we grow into the fullness of Christ, who is the image of the invisible God. Wisdom is the skillful mastery of all life unto righteousness, and mastering that gift to the glory of the Master is what we're all about.

Wisdom is the image of God in proper motion, the motion of godliness. So, how long? Now. Now is the time. Now is the time to repent from our love of simplicity. It's time to mute the scorn, time to put that fool on the cross, reckon him dead, and reckon ourselves alive unto God in Christ.

Repentance is in season, always now, out of fashion later. Repentance is what is called for. Turn at my rebuke, is what Lady Wisdom says. Turn at my simplicity, to love that insulation, that echo chamber, the soft soothing sounds, the young man who has loved simplicity, to turn towards a chiding impeachment, to embrace a punishing reproof.

But, of course, it's exactly what needs to happen to move forward. This is what the simpleton is called to do. Proverbs 12 .1 says, whoever loves instruction, loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid.

Proverbs 13 .18 says, poverty and shame will come to him who disdains correction, but he who regards a rebuke will be honored. Proverbs 15 .5 says, a fool despises his father's instruction, but he who receives correction is prudent.

So, Lady Wisdom is not merely raising her voice to bring woe, but she is genuinely warning, complete with a way of escape. She's saying, turn. Turn from simplicity to wisdom. And by that, the young man finds renewal and revelation.

There's renewal. She says, surely I will pour out my spirit on you. So, Lady Wisdom promises to blow forth her wind upon the simple one. She will anoint him with her life, fill him with her breath. And inner renewal is the only kind of coherent, change-fitting, and external redirection.

Jesus said, wisdom is vindicated by all her children. There's a genuine change. She says, I will make my words known to you. So, notice, in direct parallel to the pouring out of the spirit of wisdom is the making known of wisdom's words.

So, how is wisdom to be infused into the young man? The moldable clay of the simpleton is meant to be fired at some point, to be made useful in the kiln of wisdom, but with what? With words of wisdom, the words that begin with the fear of God and address the image of God to the glory of God, which is why Psalm 19 .7 says, the law of God is perfect, converting the soul.

The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. How do the simple become wise except by the Word of God who made us in His image? The centrality of wisdom to the covenant that God made with Israel may be considered akin to the centrality of God's Word to all who are made in His image.

The question is, will God's children love simplicity or will they embrace His Word? Those are the options. His wisdom will mature us in godliness. His wisdom will fashion us into an honorable image to His fame.

And that is the backdrop of Proverbs 1 and Psalm 1. What is Psalm 1 about? The wise man, how blessed is a man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of the scornful.

Why? His delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither, and whatever he does shall prosper.

The ungodly, meaning the unwise, meaning those who don't live in accordance to the image of God, the ungodly are not so, but they are like the chaff which the wind drives away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish. Do you hear it? Blessing and cursing, life and death are set before the covenant members in Psalm 1, Proverbs 1. Will you embrace wisdom?

Will you embrace God's Word? Those made in God's image were made for God's words. The covenant is pointing to something deeper, greater, older. Will they breathe the breath of life as Adam once did when creation was fresh and new and unsullied, or will they, like Adam, abandon God's Word for autonomy?

Will they leave wisdom behind to embrace folly? What about us? Are we in denial of our need for wisdom? Wisdom is saying, how long? How long are you going to continue this way? The only response we can give is no longer.

No longer, that's the right response. The reign of Christ advances where repentance dawns. Maybe you're here this morning and you're hearing this phrase, now is the time for wisdom, and you're thinking, well, I'm doing just fine.

Ask anyone. I mean, I'm well ahead of the curve. But Jesus would have you stop being simple-minded. Here's the wisdom. Luke 16, 15 says,. Luke 16, 15 says,. Don't look to men to see if you're doing all right.