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This is the third and final lesson of our study of King Solomon's thirty most important principles from the book of Proverbs. We have ten more principles to learn before we can say that we have the ability to be truly wise! In this lesson, we'll forego any introduction and jump right into these last, powerful principles.

Solomon wanted his son to understand an important principle of warfare, Israeli style. They were "God's people" and so they fought differently and with a different mindset than other earthly kings. The focus was not on strength but on Godly wisdom. Solomon's father, King David, wrote this:

David understood that most important when going into battle was to have the wisdom and blessing of God, and if you had that, it did not matter what the odds were that you were up against. The history of Israel is brimming with wars that God's people fought and won against what would seem to be insurmountable odds to the natural mind. Let me just remind you of a few:

Abraham versus the kings of the plains -- Abraham and a few servants went after an army that had taken Lot's family captive and spoiled them through surprise attack, bringing back everybody safely and enough increase that he paid tithes on it!

Moses versus the Pharaoh's army -- The Egyptian army was one of the most feared forces of that time and Moses and the men of Israel were in a dead-end street without so much as a sword, but God allowed the Red Sea to collapse on the enemy army so thoroughly annihilating them that it was hundreds of years before Egypt was a feared force in the world again.

Joshua versus Jericho -- To the normal way of thinking, there was no shot at all for the Israelites to take this city. It's wall was so wide and strong that they ran chariot races around the top. But a group of people with obedience in their walk and a shout of praise toppled the walls!

Deborah versus the Canaanites -- She was a woman without battle experience leading a bunch of shepherds against an army that iron chariots and swords, but when she went to battle, God sent a storm that pummeled the enemy with hail and bogged down their chariots and then used another little lady to kill the leader of the opposition.

In the kingdom of God, doing things His way will always beat natural strength. Need I remind you of:

Gideon versus the Midianites -- He and three hundred men defeated an army of thousands armed only with a trumpet, a pitcher, a torch, and God!

There are many others: David versus Goliath. Jonathon and his armor bearer against the entire Philistine army. Elijah versus Jezebel's prophets. King Hezekiah versus the Babylonian army. God has always specialized in cases where it was obvious that only His intervention saved His people, therefore He got all of the glory.

The point is this: in the kingdom of God, it doesn't matter what it looks like you are up against. The odds don't even matter no matter how many of them there are versus how few of you. If you have God on your side and are doing things according to the Word of God, then you can't help but win. Because in the "rock, paper, scissors" of spiritual warfare, Godly wisdom always beats force. Let every devil in hell come against you, but if you are submitted to God, then all you have to do is to resist the devil and he will have to flee from you!

Too many Christians get way to worried because of what situations look like! God has not changed and so He still allows seemingly insurmountable odds to assail you but He's setting you up to find out how great He is. If you will stay faithful to Him, then you will gain a great victory and He will get ALL the glory! If you've got God on your side and are obeying His Word with all your might, then it doesn't matter the force against you, you will win!

And let me say this. God honors this principle even when the points are reversed. Remember the case of Samson who lost out on the will of God because of his repeated willful sin. You can be the strongest person on the earth and yet if you do not live according to Godly wisdom, then you will fall because wisdom always beats strength!

The gate of a city was where Israel held court in those days. The point of this proverb is this: a fool has a lot to say about many things but not about the most important! Some people fulfill this biblical definition of a fool. They can expound on many meaningless and pointless aspects of life. They know every character and episode of their favorite television show, or every habit of their favorite celebrity. Or they know every fishing lure that works north of the Rio Grande and can expound at length on how to use them in every way and circumstance, or they can name the top hundred scorers of the NBA and the last forty champions of the NFL and yet they can't even teach someone a Bible Study on how to be saved! They can't show you who Jesus Christ is scripturally. They can't speak of living right and holy and what is sin and what things God likes according to the Word of God! They can talk, but they don't talk about the important things!

And the reason that this is so is that they do not really grasp what is truly important in life. Riches, fame, and success is not the important things of life, but rather or not we please God and have a relationship with Him! Living for God and performing His will in our life is truly the most important thing -- but you'd never know it to hear some people talk, because they talk of everything else in life but what it truly important!

Don't just take it from me, but take it from someone who had everything that life has to offer: money, fame, friends, relationships, success, and power. And King Solomon wrote at the end of his life:

He learned that everything else doesn't bring happiness or lasting pleasure and is all passing vanity, but in the end the duty of man is to "fear God and keep His commandments!" If you want to be wise, then learn now what it took the wise man his entire life to learn: the things of God are the most important things of life!

And the Word of God is important whether or not you see the importance at the moment or not. How many times have I seen people in church who didn't think that the sermon applied to their life at that moment and so didn't really "tune in" and receive it as they should have, only to find out that a week later they need it!? The Word of God is important whether you can see right now how important it is or not!

There are three categories here: what you actively plan to do, what you think of continually, and what you say about others. These three things determine what others think of you and how they esteem you. Solomon said that the person that "deviset to do evil" shall be called a "mischievous person." Today's English Version puts it like this:

Solomon goes on to say that people who think of foolish things will result in becoming sinners. The word "foolishness" is used in the context of being a biblical fool and does not refer to horseplay but not receiving the instruction of the Word of God. Furthermore, Solomon says, people who are "scorners" will be hated by others. What this is saying is that usually your reputation is a direct result of how you act, what you think, and what you say about others. Every once in a while, I will have someone come to me complaining about what "everybody thinks of them." 99,999 times out of 100,000 how people are treating them is in exact response to how they have acted, thought, and spoken about others. Remember that your character is changed and shaped and formed by what you do, think, and say.

The reference to "scorner" here bears a little closer scrutiny, because -- like "fool" -- it is another word that Solomon uses often in his writings. According to Proverbs 1:22, a "scorner" is someone who delights in belittling God and who scoffs at the teachings of the Bible, those who practice them, and God's warning against sin. Throughout the book of Proverbs, Solomon gives ten descriptions of what will come to a scorner:

1. Scorners will receive the same treatment from God that they give Him (Proverbs 3:34).

2. It is useless to correct a scorner (Proverbs 9:7).

3. Scorners hate all forms of correction and right teaching by authority (Proverbs 9:8).

4. A scorner will not listen to his father's instructions (Proverbs 13:1).

5. A scorner will never be wise (Proverbs 14:6).

6. A scorner will never ask counsel of them that are wise (Proverbs 15:12).

7. Scorners deserve all the punishment and judgment that they receive (Proverbs 19:29).

8. Scorner's pride always provokes them to anger (Proverbs 21:24).

9. A scorner is a source of contention and always created confusion (Proverbs 22:10).

10. Scorners will be hated by most men (Proverbs 24:9).

Guard your character from becoming as a scorner!

The spiritual strength of a person is only found out when adversity comes. It's easy to appear strong when things are going well, but if a person crumbles in times of duress, they were really very weak. Job was only truly faithful after he had every opportunity to not be! Furthermore, you have really only been obedient if you have had the opportunity to rebel and have not done so. Remember that everything is a test, and if we are truly strong spiritually, then we will not crumble and give up easily, but will continue to stand no matter what comes our way.

And let me also say this: it's one thing to feel and appear strong after a Sunday full of services, but you are only as strong and as faithful to God as you are during the week! It's one thing to appear strong after a Spirit-filled service and a mighty move of God and it's another to remain strong when all of hell comes after you that week! Truly strong spiritual people don't run from trouble and don't let crisis cause them to quit living for God. In Acts 14:22, we find that one of the things that the Apostle Paul preached when he was establishing new churches and new believers was:

Those people whom we call "heroes of faith" all suffered hardships and yet stayed true to God and His plan! If you want to be "strong in the Lord" then remember that how you act in the worst possible circumstances is the true measure of your strength!

Let's read this one in the Today's English Version:

We live in a world that is too concerned with their own safety and position to intervene on the behalf of others. We should not be "busybodies" and such, but if we are the witness that could clear someone's name and they are about to be wrongly judged, and we don't come out and tell the truth and stand for what is right, God will judge us! That is true in the business world. In the long run, it is better to tell the truth and deal with the consequences and fall out than lie to cover for someone.

This applies in our everyday relationships with family and church and friends, also. Remember this: silence is consent. If someone is saying something that is untrue about someone, and you know the truth and you do not stand up and speak out for them, then God will judge you! If you know to do something is wrong and you just go along with it and don't participate but don't say anything either, then God will judge you! Silence is consent, and we must speak up for what is right, even if it means persecution at the moment. All of you teenagers in junior high and high school need to remember that silence is consent to God when it comes to a group's actions!

I like honey, I can eat it straight by just taking a "honey bear" and squeezing it into my mouth. Solomon said that Godly wisdom has the same affect on your spiritual man as honey does on the body. Off the top of my head and from the mouth of my grandfather -- who was a beekeeper by trade -- here is some of the many benefits of honey:

1. Honey is sweet to the taste and pleasant but too much of it churns the insides (Proverbs 25:16).

2. Honey is only beneficial when it is eaten.

3. Honey provides quick energy more efficiently and is a better alternative to the "quick fix" white sugar.

4. Honey provides a healing affect by building up your body's response to irritants.

5. Honey soothes the vocal chords and makes your throat perform better.

6. Honey is a product of diligent work throughout the year.

7 Honey is a product from taking a "little bit" from many different sources.

8. To gather honey is a hard job undertaken, but the benefits of it are well worth the effort.

All of these could be said about Godly wisdom:

1. Wisdom is sweet to the first taste, but as John found out bitter to the stomach because it causes you to have to change (Revelation 10:9-10).

2. Godly wisdom is only beneficial when it is taken within us and learned.

3. Godly wisdom is a better alternative to the normal wisdom of this world.

4. Wisdom brings a healing affect by teaching us how to respond to the "irritants" of life.

5. Wisdom causes people's mouths to function more Godly!

6. Wisdom must be sought after and worked for continually in order to get it.

7. Wisdom is a result from the influence of many Godly sources: the Word of God, the examples of men and women, spiritual books and reading, and the ministry that God has placed in your life.

8. To gather the wisdom and harvest it is much work but the end result will be worth whatever effort and "stings" that you had to endure to get it!

I've preached from this scripture many times because it is very important to grasp! The difference between the righteous -- those that will be right with God -- and those who are wicked is NOT in the mistakes that they make, because both the righteous AND the wicked will both fall. But the difference between the righteous and the wicked is their response to their fall. Those who are wicked fall once and just stay down, but the just man, the righteous man, "falleth seven times and riseth up again!" The trick to living for God successfully is not to walk perfectly and not fall, but rather to get back up one more time than the number of times that you fell. We should not continue in willful sin, but we must also realize that we are not perfect, but are human beings and so we should learn to get back up when we do mess up or make a mistake. To err is human, but to get back up is righteous! Those who will be saved will not be those who did not mess up, but rather those who did not allow the mistakes to keep them from faithfully serving and walking with the Lord!

In our other text, the prophet Micah had the right perspective:

If you will wait on the Lord, and take the lumps that come from disobeying Him and still trust Him and -- most importantly -- "arise" after your fall, then God will show up and shine His light into your life and help you! But that promise is only for those who "arise" after they've fallen. The most important attitude to get in living for God is the one expressed here by the prophet Micah: "when I fall, I shall arise."

At the same time, do not rejoice when your enemy or someone that you are not too fond of, falls or makes a mistake. And the reason is that Solomon says that if you get happy and rejoice, it's possible that the Lord will see it and not allow the judgment that the person deserved to come upon them because God will think your judgment is enough.

There is an important principle in scripture that some Christians never seem to learn, but if you learn it, it will help you and will cause your enemies to have more hardships! The principle is to do good and act kindly to your enemies and to those who despitefully use you. Paul wrote:

When you are nice to your enemies and do good things towards them, you "heap coals of fire on his head." Remember that forgiveness does not excuse the other person but rather frees you. By the same token, unforgiveness does not affect the other person but rather binds you up. You are the only one who is truly hurt by not forgiving. And when we get all upset and try to gloat and take our own revenge, then very often God allows that to be all the judgment that our enemies get. But when you are kind to them and loving and respond with goodness for evil, then God will bring His full wrath and judgment upon them for what they have done. And God does a much better job of vengeance than you and I will ever do. So if you want your enemies to really pay, then don't rejoice in their downfalls or kick them when they are down, but pray for them and love them and God will be the one to toast them!

Remember the story of the woman caught in the act of adultery? Do you know why Jesus didn't condemn her? Because the men who dragged her to the temple already had. Because they had responded with spite, Jesus would not take Godly vengeance on the sin of adultery. But what would have happened if the men would not have tried to make a public example by glorifying her sin? God would have poured out His full wrath upon her sin and we would have never known about it. Do not get revengeful but the let the Lord fight your battles, because He does a much, much better job!

"Fret not" means "stop worrying about it!" There are some people who worry themselves silly when they see an evil man blessed or what to them appears the success of the ungodly. Solomon said "don't let the present circumstances fool you, but give it time, those who choose to live ungodly don't have a future work speaking of and their choice of lifestyle will always come around to bite them."

Give it time. That's good advice. Paul put it like this:

People will eventually reap the fruit of what they have sown. And it rains on the just and the unjust. Don't let the "sunny day" of the wicked fool you and don't let a "rainy day" of the righteous fool you either. Eventually everyone will have gotten what they deserve in life and will have reaped the harvest of their sowing! Just give it time.

When God's word begins to operate through a man's ministry or authority to point out areas of people's lives that need to change, there is always a spirit of rebellion that tries to rise up in a few that says "we need to change the authority, rather than us change." When such a person speaks up and tries raise up a movement of rebellion, don't go along with it. If you do, you will find that "their calamity shall rise suddenly" and they will quickly be destroyed.

Remember this: if the man of God or the authority over you needs correcting, then God will do it and it's never your place to take God's place. And furthermore, if you will let God do it, He will do a much better job of it than you would have! But if you rise up against God's anointed -- even if he's wrong -- God will punish your rebellion AND punish the man of God. Your rebellion just gets you in line with the judgment of God also.

Remember the story of David and Saul. Long after Saul was a God-reject and David had been anointed by Samuel to be king, yet David would not kill Saul even though he had opportunity after opportunity to do so, because he said "I will not touch God's anointed." David respected the office of the man, even when he didn't respect the man who filled that office. That's an important lesson to learn! If you try to punish a man who is in a God-given position, then God will punish you for not respecting the office even if the human being deserves punishment. If that is so, then it is God's place -- who first called the man to the office -- to take the man out of office and/or correct him!

When there arises a group of people that are joined together by a common thread of being mad at the man of God in your life, or for that matter the boss at work, the teacher at school, or any other authority, then don't align yourself with them, even if they are right. To do so is to take the place of God and to bring the wrath of God upon yourself. If you do go along with them, you will find yourself quickly in "hot water" with the Almighty!

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This concludes our mini-series! Here is the entire list of Solomon's thirty ways to being wise: