7 Pillars of Wisdom Proverbs 9:1-12
1 Wisdom has built her house, She has hewn out her seven pillars;
2 She has slaughtered her meat, She has mixed her wine, She has also furnished her table.
Wisdom, has given us seven pillars in which to build on our foundation. What is your foundation?
For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 3:11 NKJV) That is my foundation Jesus our Saviour!
She, Wisdom has furnished her table. What table are you eating from? 1 Corinthians 10:21 says, “You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord’s table and of the table of demons.” Don’t you know whom you serve will become your master, and if you are eating at the enemies table you are accepting what he is feeding you. You are partaking with him and eventually you will serve him.
So then wisdom cries out for you in verse 4 “She has sent out her maidens, She cries out from the highest places of the city, “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!” Turn, turn from the desires of the world. Turn from the lusts of the eyes, turn from the lusts of the flesh and the pride of life. Turn from self-centeredness and come to Jesus our Saviour. To turn is an act of repentance. It is a stance you take, when you become aware of the truth. It is a stance you take, when you become mindful and realize the things of this world have deceived you and lead you down the wrong paths in this life. O listen to wisdom’s cry and “turn in here!”
Jesus said, “I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish”. (Luke 13:3 NKJV)
• Our first pillar of wisdom is repentance; it is a repented stance. Take the stance of repentance.
Verse 5 As for him who lacks understanding, she says to him, “Come, eat of my bread And drink of the wine I have mixed.
After you repent you must accept the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus said in John 6 “I am the bread of life. “Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. “This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. “I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.” “Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. “For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. “As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me.” (John 6:48-51,53-57 NKJV) We must accept that Jesus is the bread of life. He later said in John 6 verse 63, “The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63 NKJV).
Jesus is saying that spiritual life needs spiritual bread we need to turn and accept His eternal sacrifice for our sins lest we perish. There is food that leads to death and food that leads to life at whose table are you eating from? Whose food are you accepting?
• The second pillar is Acceptance. We need to have a stance for what we accept into our lives, our minds, our soul and our spirit. Take a stance and accept Jesus Christ our Saviour and God’s word as your food for eternal life!
Verse 6 Forsake foolishness and live, And go in the way of understanding.
• The third Pillar is Stance. We have to take a Stance.
A stance, we have to take a stance for the way we live. We need to grab a hold of Biblical principles. Get Biblical instructions, and knowledge so we can have Biblical understanding. “Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding” (Proverbs 4:7 NKJV).
Walk in the paths of Righteousness, the way of understanding. Take a stance and go in the way of Biblical understanding.
When we apply God’s instructions, knowledge, and understanding we can discern matters and make a godly decision. When we make a godly decision we will at least appear to be wise. Someone might even say that was a wise decision. Wisdom is the principle thing; therefore get wisdom.
Verses 7 & 8 say, “He who corrects a scoffer gets shame for himself, And he who rebukes a wicked man only harms himself. Do not correct a scoffer, lest he hate you; Rebuke a wise man, and he will love you.
• Verbal Stance is the forth Pillar
The proverb says, “He who passes by and meddles in a quarrel not his own Is like one who takes a dog by the ears” (Proverbs 26:17 NKJV). When you grab a dog by the ears you know that dog is going to take a bite out of you. The scoffer, the one who treats others with contempt, who disagrees with you, and bullies you, will be like a dog that has been taken by both ears. He will take a bite out of you and mock you. He will twist the truth to save face and throw mud in your face. He is a blame shifter and you will walk away bitten and hated.
On the other hand, when we rebuke or warn a brother in Christ, who is wise, he will love you. He will love you because he wants to be will pleasing to God. “Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted” (Galatians 6:1 NKJV). We are told to restore our brethren that are in any trespass. When we do this we save a soul from sin and consequences. So we need to take a Verbal Stance. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you spiritual discernment and to help others follow Jesus.
Verse 9 Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; Teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.
• Disciple Stance is the fifth Pillar
We are to obey Jesus, He said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, “teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen (Matthew 28:18-20 NKJV). Jesus said we need to make disciples. We need to take a disciple stance. We need to make disciples of all nations, we need to teach them to observe all things that Jesus commanded us. In doing so we are not only being obedient but we are preparing the way for His glorious appearing. Matthew 24:14 says,
“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14 NKJV).
We can help usher in the Great God and Saviour Jesus Christ our Coming King when we take a disciple stance. When we proclaim the Gospel and it is witnessed to all nations, then the end will come. Then Jesus our coming King will appear. Take a disciple stance.
• The sixth and seventh Pillars are a Godly and Holy Stance
Verse 10 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
These pillars need to be the pillars to your entrance way. Without a Holy fear or reverence of God you will yield to the devil and his deceitful ways. We need to guard our minds and hearts so that we can stand against the wiles, cunning, and crafty ways of the devil.
For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, (Titus 2:11 – 12 NKJV)
Jesus Christ our Saviour has appeared and we are to take the stance of repentance and acceptance. Then we are to take a stance and deny ungodliness and walk in the ways of righteousness.
The fear or reverence of the Lord is the righteous wholesome dread of displeasing God. Simply put, it is the desire to please God in everything. When we take a godly stance we are saying we want to be more like Christ. Be holy for I am Holy. Be pure as He is pure, Jesus said, “And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth. (John 17:19 NKJV). If Jesus sanctified Himself when He was here on earth, we must have to do the same. We need to stand on the word of God. Take a godly stance; and take a holy stance.
The results are seen in verse 11. “For by me your days will be multiplied, And years of life will be added to you. If you are wise, you are wise for yourself, And if you scoff, you will bear it alone.” The results are twofold. When we walk with wisdom and these seven pillars we will have days multiplied and years added to our lives. That is a promise. But if you scoff or mock someone, you will bear it alone. And need to go back to the first pillar and repent.
Wisdom has hewn her seven pillars they are a:
Repent stance
Accept stance
Stance in your walk
Verbal stance
Disciple stance
Godly Stance
Holy Stance
Take a stance. A repent stance, accept stance, a right stance in your walk with God, a verbal stance to help your brethren, a disciple stance to help others grow more like Christ, and now take a stance to walk godly and holy for we are to be Holy as He is Holy; Go and teach others to do the same. Take a stance for God and His word. Take a stance and become wise with the seven pillars hewn by wisdom for you. Take a stance.
Set them on your firm foundation. The only foundation, Who is Jesus Christ and you will add years to your lives. Jesus Christ our Saviour, Sanctifier, Healer and coming King is omnisapient that is He is all wise. Listen to Him and take a stance for Him. He is counting on you. Take a stance today and get wisdom it is the principle thing. Take a stance today and go and tell others.
A foolish woman is clamorous; She is simple, and knows nothing. For she sits at the door of her house, On a seat by the highest places of the city, To call to those who pass by, Who go straight on their way: “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here”; And as for him who lacks understanding, she says to him, “Stolen water is sweet, And bread eaten in secret is pleasant.” But he does not know that the dead are there, That her guests are in the depths of hell. (Proverbs 9:1-18 NKJV)
In Christ,
Greg