Proverbs 7:4-5

⁴ Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” and to insight, “You are my relative.” ⁵ They will keep you from the adulterous woman, from the wayward woman with her seductive words.

Intro

How do you simplify and explain wisdom and insight to a child? There are many aspects of life where wisdom is applicable. When facing challenges, wisdom is skill to victory. If it pertains to obligation, wisdom cleverly administers it. When ministry is performed, wisdom chooses ethical activities and spiritually beneficial. In short, wisdom is the key to excel in situations or circumstances of life.

How about insight? How should we explain insight to an ordinary person? Insight is also translated as understanding. Someone compared understanding or insight to camera lens. With understanding, an object is brought into focus and decides the best. Understand with the mind; wisdom performs by the heart.

Most often, we hear preacher ask, “Do you understand?” It doesn’t require verbal answers. It’s a challenge to come up with a decision and practically apply what is heard. The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of wisdom gives insight to internalize what is heard; he inspires focus on the benefit so that we obey what we heard.

How do you internalize what our Lord Jesus declared in Luke 11:28? ²⁸Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.

When we hear the Lord clearly, he inspires and empowers us to obey him diligently. Normally, we sense resistance or objection against him, why? Our sinful nature tries to control us somehow. We should seek the help of Holy Spirit to produce joyful peace in us so that we obey him despite the resistance we sense.

Actual obedience to Christ shows wisdom; what could you say about that?

1. Say

⁴ Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” and to insight, “You are my relative.”

To say wisdom as sister and to consider insight as relative, it encourages to value wisdom and regards insight just as we value our sisters and regard relatives. Why does the Scripture compare wisdom and insight to our sister and relatives? How do Israelites respect their sister? How do they regard their relatives?

Among the Israelites, the dignity of their sister is equated to the dignity of the entire family. When Jacob returned to Canaan, his daughter Dinah was defiled by a Canaanite named Shechem. The sons of Jacob required Shechem and all the men in his city to be circumcised. Shechem agreed to prove his love for Dinah.

But it was a scheme planned by Jacob’s sons. Three days later, Simeon and Levi, annihilated Shechem and the men of his city while they were still in pain.

Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi in Genesis 34:30-31, ³⁰“You have brought trouble on me by making me obnoxious to the Canaanites and Perizzites, the people living in this land. We are few in number, and if they join forces against me and attack me, I and my household will be destroyed.” ³¹ But they replied, “Should he have treated our sister like a prostitute?”

Simeon and Levi cannot accept that their sister will be married to Shechem, a Canaanite. They did what they think as best compensation for dignity of their sister Dinah. If it is appropriate, “Blood is thicker than water,” so they say.

Similarly, wisdom and insight should be regarded and protected no matter what the pay could be. Sadly, someone published on social media how siblings or relatives are valued. Siblings may argue, relatives may quarrel. But, when outside force threatens their safety, they protect each other; they shield themselves.

2. Shield

⁵They will keep you from the adulterous woman, from the wayward woman with her seductive words.

The one who highly values wisdom and insight is shielded from immorality.

Wisdom decides on righteousness and avoids seductive words. Insight keeps us focus on what could be beneficial for everyone. God gives wisdom to anyone who trusts in him. God blesses believers with godly wisdom at his perfect time.

Joseph

Truly, life is difficult. We can find inspiration from the story of Joseph. His life as teenager was very dramatic. He was sold as slave. Slavery could be worse than our situation, but Joseph trusted God even more. Then God move the heart of his master Potiphar, and he promoted Joseph. But temptation was not absent.

It narrated in Genesis 39:6-12: ⁶Potiphar left everything he had in Joseph’s care; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate. Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, ⁷and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, “Come to bed with me!”

⁸But he refused. “With me in charge,” he told her, “my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. ⁹ No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” ¹⁰ And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her.

¹¹One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants was inside. ¹²She caught him by his cloak and said, “Come to bed with me!” But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house.

Pretty face is asset that can attract undesirable circumstances. So, if you are pretty, pray for stronger faith in God. Someone read through Genesis at least 20x, and her faith in God grows strong. Most likely, she is inspired by the life of Joseph and trusted God despite the difficult struggles and temptations in life.

As we grow in our faith in God, he helps us grow in wisdom. Wisdom is given to believers in Christ. Christ is the wisdom of God. 1 Corinthians 1:30 says,

³⁰It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.

Someone said, “Jesus is the answer!” It was asked, “If Jesus is the answer, what is the question?” Such innocent question has exposed lack of wisdom.

As we grow strong in our faith in Christ, we also grow in understanding and wisdom. Then, we realistically grasp and comprehend that Jesus is the answer; not just one question but all questions regarding godly and righteous life.

Godly wisdom behaves in righteous lifestyle of holiness and avoids anything that may cause unfaithful. Sadly, many Christians are not serious in their practice of faith in Christ, why? We are still attracted by worldly lifestyle; enticed to taste what others have experienced somehow. We still indulge the sinful flesh. Why?

The Lord Jesus warned in Luke 17:26-30,  ²⁶Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. ²⁷People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all. ²⁸It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. ²⁹But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. ³⁰It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed.

The return of Christ is imminent; he may return sooner than we expect. It is advisable to seek the Lord’s help for us to grow stronger in your faith in him and to grow in wisdom and insight so that we should behave in godly righteousness.

By the grace of God, let us keep storing up treasures in heaven. Amen!