You’ve Got a Problem with Jesus

Wisdom begins with a personal relationship with Jesus Christ because wisdom is not principles to learn. Wisdom is a person to know and follow—infinitely superior to Dear Abby tips. Jesus is the pearl of great price. He’s the one worth forsaking all else to get. David says to prize Wisdom highly, and she will exalt you, just like the Lord in due time exalts the humble (v. 8). David uses the metaphor of the crown (v. 9) to say that she will honor you (cf. Rev 4:4). She will give you a good public reputation. Wisdom is Jesus Christ, and you have to relate to him above all else! Prize him and he will honor you.

Proverbs 4:10-19

In verses 10-19 Solomon again exhorts his son to listen to his wise teaching in order to prolong his life (v. 10). We have seen this throughout Proverbs. Solomon says, “I am teaching you the way of wisdom; I am guiding you on straight paths” (v. 11). This refers to the wise course of life. It’s the ethical course to take because it is the “straight” path. Wisdom is a person to know and a path to walk. Solomon says that since his son has embraced Wisdom, now he must stay on the path of wisdom, that is, the path of morality and the safest course (v. 12). Keep hold of Wisdom, and she will be your life (v. 13). Do not walk on the wicked path (v. 14). Again, wisdom is not intelligence, and foolishness is not morally neutral. The idiot friend on every sitcom is not the biblical picture of folly. Solomon lays out the “doctrine of two paths” (Fox, Proverbs 1–9, 128–31). There are two roads or ways: (1) the wise, righteous path that leads to life and (2) the foolish, wicked path that leads to death.

Wisdom is a path or course of life. Wisdom is a progressive thing; it is not something you arrive at. This is very similar to the New Testament idea of sanctification, where we “walk” in the Spirit (Gal 5:16,25). You are being conformed into the image of Christ, and this will take your whole life. You start down the path through Jesus; after all, he is “the way” ( John 14:6). You must know the person of Wisdom to walk in the way of wisdom (Prov 4:13-14).

However, the path that you progressively walk reveals whom you are embracing. Your daily life decisions reveal whether you are following Jesus or walking away from him. The fact that you cannot control your temper with your children, constantly want to argue with your coworkers, go in and out of dumb dating relationships, spout off at your parents, or cannot follow through on school work has everything to do with Jesus. It reveals that you’ve gotten off the path of wisdom and are walking down the foolish path (vv. 11-14). It reveals that you aren’t holding onto Wisdom—Jesus (v. 13).

Walking the path of wisdom is a lifestyle that avoids the things that lead to an early death. We see this repeatedly. Solomon says when you walk this path you will not stumble (v. 12). There is safety and security on this smooth path. You avoid the obstacles of foolishness. Fools don’t see the connection between their foolishness and the consequences. They do not see that their laziness has led to them not having a job. They think their employer mistreated them. The fool does not see the connection between his porn problem and the train wreck of his marriage. He thinks his wife wasn’t as responsive as she should have been. The fool doesn’t see how his actions led him to stumble.

Solomon warns his son not to enter the path of the wicked. He says to avoid it. Do not go on it. Turn away from it (v. 15).^[9]When you come to a road that seems right but that will take you off the path that God has revealed, then move on and do not take it. Solomon is setting his son up here in the introduction (Prov 1–9) for the sentence sayings that will come later (Prov 10–31). These sayings will contrast the way of wicked foolishness with the way of righteous wisdom. He says there will be things that seem like the right course in life but they are not. It will seem like withholding discipline from your child is loving, but it isn’t. It will seem like hoarding your possessions will give you financial security, but it won’t. It will seem like holding your tongue instead of rebuking a friend who is going down the wrong path is the easier and better thing to do at the time—after all, we aren’t supposed to judge—but that isn’t wise or loving.

Don’t follow the wicked way that seems right at the time because those on the way of evil eat, drink, and sleep foolishness and ­wickedness—and they want others to join them (vv. 16-17). They will tempt you to follow them into laziness, gossip, quick-temperedness, and other degeneracy. In contrast, the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day (v. 18). The righteous way is a path of progressing in holiness until the last day. Just like the sun is seen at dawn and then gets brighter and brighter until it reaches its zenith, so those who walk on the path of wisdom will see more and more of the path and walk in greater and greater wisdom until the day they are made truly wise in the presence of Jesus. The way of the wicked is a path of deep darkness where they do not know what they stumble over.

I ( Jon) often get dressed in the dark so as not to wake my sleeping family. It is quite possible for me to leave the house with the wrong socks or some other wardrobe mishap. Solomon says wisdom is the remedy for that. Foolishness is trying to live your life in the darkness. You can’t see the way things really are, so you keep ruining your life and falling into misery. But wisdom is like the light of the sun that shows you how things really are, so that you can follow progressively the right course in life. The wise path is lit so you can see where you are walking, and the foolish path is dark so you stumble. Wisdom is a lamp—Jesus is the light of the world ( John 8:12)—so you can see the right path to take. But if you do not have the light, you cannot see where to walk. You stumble. Eventually, you fall.

Foolishness keeps you from seeing rightly. You may think you are taking the right step. It may seem right to you, but you do not see that you will stumble. Wisdom is progressive like the soft light of dawn growing into full midday brightness. One day we will see completely clearly (resurrection day; see Dan 12). We get a taste of that now through wisdom. We will get the fullness later.

Jesus is wisdom, righteousness, and sanctification for us (1 Cor 1:30). He is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). Wisdom is found in Jesus and in walking with him. If part of your life is moving into foolishness, that’s not just dangerous because of the temporal consequences that you may face. That’s dangerous because it reveals you are moving away from Jesus. You can have an amazing quiet time; but if you can’t control your tongue, you’ve got a problem with Jesus. You can raise your hands high during praise songs; but if you can’t clean your room when your mom tells you to, you’ve got a problem with Jesus. You can be in three different Bible studies throughout the week; but if you nag your husband constantly, you’ve got a problem with Jesus. You can teach a Bible study class every week; but if you can’t take the trash out for your wife, it reveals that you’ve got a problem with Jesus. Jesus is concerned with every area of your life. If you have areas of foolishness in your life, you are walking away from Jesus.