The Upright and Sound Wisdom
The last time we looked at the verse in Proverbs 2, we discovered that there was a part about the upright. The passage is:
Proverbs 2:6-7 (NASB)
[6] For the LORD gives wisdom;
From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.
[7] He stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
He is a shield to those who walk in integrity,
"He stores up sound wisdom for the upright." First of all what is sound wisdom? The hebrew word here is tusiyyah which means 'wisdom or ability that brings continuing advancement.' It describes the wisdom of the Lord that keeps a person on the right path (Pr 3:21; Is 28:29); the wisdom that recognizes the things of God (Mic 6:9); and the success that comes from heeding wise council (Job 5:2; 6:13). [from Complete Word Study Old Testament] Ok, now we are getting somewhere. All of this happens to come along with being upright. I have a desire to keep on the right path because I want to know more about the Lord and his way. I have already discovered that much of that depends on my relationship to Him and how well I maintain a close grasp of the Word of God. I do want to be able to recognize the things of God because then I know that I am on the right track, keeping my path pure and being able to know His will at any given moment. I also want to be able to recognize wise council and to be successful in whatever I wish to do. Most of all I want to do what the Lord wills in my life. I know that the Lord has good things in store for me, He has already proven that. What I do want to do is maintain that walk that is pleasing to Him. How do I do this? By being upright - which brings us back to Holiness. I need to focus on doing those things that get the bad out of my life. I need to abandon those "hidden sins" that so easily beset me. I want and need to grow closer to Him through my actions, not just in the head knowledge that I get by listening to preachers or teachers. This can only come through a change from the inside out. I think that I am now focused on the changes that must occur. I think that my mind is now undergoing the renewing that I wanted when I started this set of studies. The word for upright we saw last time meant, "upright, right, righteous, just." Again, the idea is to be right in the eyes of God. That is where my next focus will be. How do I become upright?
Proverbs 2:6-7 (NASB)
[6] For the LORD gives wisdom;
From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.
[7] He stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
He is a shield to those who walk in integrity,
"He stores up sound wisdom for the upright." First of all what is sound wisdom? The hebrew word here is tusiyyah which means 'wisdom or ability that brings continuing advancement.' It describes the wisdom of the Lord that keeps a person on the right path (Pr 3:21; Is 28:29); the wisdom that recognizes the things of God (Mic 6:9); and the success that comes from heeding wise council (Job 5:2; 6:13). [from Complete Word Study Old Testament] Ok, now we are getting somewhere. All of this happens to come along with being upright. I have a desire to keep on the right path because I want to know more about the Lord and his way. I have already discovered that much of that depends on my relationship to Him and how well I maintain a close grasp of the Word of God. I do want to be able to recognize the things of God because then I know that I am on the right track, keeping my path pure and being able to know His will at any given moment. I also want to be able to recognize wise council and to be successful in whatever I wish to do. Most of all I want to do what the Lord wills in my life. I know that the Lord has good things in store for me, He has already proven that. What I do want to do is maintain that walk that is pleasing to Him. How do I do this? By being upright - which brings us back to Holiness. I need to focus on doing those things that get the bad out of my life. I need to abandon those "hidden sins" that so easily beset me. I want and need to grow closer to Him through my actions, not just in the head knowledge that I get by listening to preachers or teachers. This can only come through a change from the inside out. I think that I am now focused on the changes that must occur. I think that my mind is now undergoing the renewing that I wanted when I started this set of studies. The word for upright we saw last time meant, "upright, right, righteous, just." Again, the idea is to be right in the eyes of God. That is where my next focus will be. How do I become upright?