When you build a pyramid, you must lay the wide base on the ground and work your way up to a point. Just like when you build a house, you don’t start with building the roof; you start by laying a foundation. When you start by putting the important pieces in their correct place, everything else falls in line. If you start building at the wrong point, everything else gets messed up as well.
The same can said when you are building your life. You constantly face this longing to improve life and make it more pleasant. You encounter questions like: How can I be a better parent? … grandparent? How can I be a happier individual? How can I be more forgiving? How can I be a better steward of my wealth? In reality, you are searching for wisdom. You are searching for guidance so that you can avoid unpleasant pitfalls and frustrations, failure and disappointment. The problem is, so many times we start by looking for wisdom in the wrong place, and when we start at the wrong place, we end up with an answer that falls apart. So, God brings you (and me) to the very heart and foundation of true wisdom. He urges you: Humbly Recognize Life’s Truest Treasure, by starting at the Source of wisdom and by discerning true joy in God’s blessings. And what better place to start than by looking at the life of the wisest man the world has ever known? Our reading tells us (1) how Solomon receives his incredible wisdom and (2) how that wisdom is displayed. Now (just for a little bit of background), Solomon is the third king ancient Israel ever had. Israel’s first king is King Saul and when he dies, his family tree leaves the throne. A new dynasty rises, and its king is King David (an ancestor to Jesus). Eventually David dies and his son Solomon ascends the throne. So at the time of our reading, Solomon’s just a few years into his reign. You read that the Lord appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream. Stop and think about that for a moment. How do you picture young Solomon? Can you imagine what his palace looks like? …how his subjects treat him … what advice his advisers give? Do you envision Solomon as stressed out? …nervous? …a little timid? Solomon was probably in a good position to start ruling right where his father left off. The royal treasury holds over a centuries’ worth of tax revenue. His father was king, and if people respected David, then they would already respect him. His army marches at his order to any place, any time, for any cause. Solomon would seem to have everything necessary for a successful reign. Money, authority, military. So, it may sound out of place for God to say: “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.” What could Solomon ask for? “God, I’m king. So, my word stands. I have money; I can buy my way out of problems. I have respect, so people will listen to me. No thanks. I’ve got my kingdom under control.” That’s what you might expect to hear, but he doesn’t say that, does he? Instead he answers: [G]ive your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. Hundreds of thousands of men, women, and children want him to lead the nation. An economy needs his assistance for trade and income. Military must know whether to attack or defend. Solomon recognizes that he will need guidance, but he cannot rely on his own personal decision-making. He humbly admits this. He Humbly Recognizes Life’s Truest Treasure by starting at the Source of wisdom. He turns to God and following his Word. That humility is not natural. That is not something we are born with. The Bible says our sinful nature is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so (Romans 8:7). The sinful nature inside of us treasures our word more than God’s Word. It means, you will be constantly tempted to follow the guidance of whatever your heart feels is good and right. When God says: “Set aside in your heart an offering to give me,” (1 Corinthians 16:2; 2 Corinthians 9:7), the heart shouts: “No! That’s mine! I don’t want to give you anything! You’re not worth my money!” When Jesus says, “Forgive, each other as I have forgiven you” (Matthew 18:21-35; Ephesians 4:32) our heart screeches: “No! She hurt me! I’m not going to forgive until she hurts more than me!” When God says: “Trust me. Even as the world’s morality rapidly decays, I am with you always” (John 16:33), our heart cries: “No! I don’t believe that! There are more people who do not believe what I believe. Life’s not pleasant! I need to take over, God!” That sinful heart arrogantly claims your word is more valuable than God’s Word. That your thoughts are more important than the thoughts of God. The way you act must line up with how you feel, instead of what God calls “right.” Simply put, that sinful heart wants to rely on your decisions and to your decisions alone. And if God will not lead you to what you heart demands, then your heart will look for joy outside of God. If you look for lasting happiness anywhere else, you will only find eternal misery. Humbly Recognize Life’s Truest Treasure. It does take humility. It takes humility to put someone else’s word ahead of your own word. It takes humility to follow someone else’s guidance even when it means you are not in control. It takes humility to find priceless value in the wisdom God gives you. Solomon could not help but approach God in humility. After God asks Solomon to request anything, Solomon replies: “[God], you have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright in heart… you kept your promise and [gave] him a son to sit on his throne.” Solomon does not brag about how his military cleverness won the throne. He does not thump his chest, boasting how his intelligence will govern the nation. It’s quite the opposite. Solomon humbly admits: The only reason he reigns is because God put him on the throne. The only reason you can stand before God today is because he gave you the most priceless treasure of all: his Son. For thirty-three years, the devil tries to persuade Jesus in finding value in the treasures of the world. He begs Jesus to challenge God’s promises. “Hey Jesus, look, you’re hungry. You’re a smart guy. You’re pretty powerful. Why don’t you make bread since it doesn’t look like your Father’s going to feed you today?” (Matthew 4:1-3) He pleads with Jesus to place his desires ahead of God’s wants. “Jesus. Hop off of the temple. Just do it. You know the Bible—and in the Bible your Father promises to protect you. You’re wise enough to know that” (Matthew 4:5-6). He even urges Jesus to find real joy in what the world offers. “Hey, Jesus. Look at all these kingdoms and their thrones and their banks filled with gold and their armies and their people—and see? See, look, they can all be yours. Just worship me and then you’ll be rich” (Matthew 4:8-9). Jesus is tempted just like you are—to follow your decisions and find real happiness in this fading world. And Jesus— he finds true wisdom in knowing the kingdom of heaven is his real home—and not just his home, but a home created just for you. He Recognizes Life’s Truest Treasure by starting at the Source of wisdom: The Word of God. Every time the devil tempts him, Jesus points back to the Word and says: “This brings real life” (Matthew 4:10). As he starts walking up Mount Calvary, he prays: “God, if it is your will, spare this pain, but let it be your will” (Matthew 26:36-46). God’s Word proves to be packed with wisdom as Jesus follows it to death for you. He sheds his innocent blood to unlock the gates of heaven. He hands over his life so that you can wear his perfection. He enters heaven in your sight so that you can know for sure: heaven holds your real inheritance! This truth does not come naturally. You must learn it. You must hear it. So, Jesus gives you his Word, the Bible. My friends, Humbly Recognize Life’s Truest Treasure, by starting at the Source of wisdom and then, you will discern true joy in God’s blessings. That’s what Solomon finds. He starts at the foundation of all the decisions that needed to be made in life. He did not construct an upside-down-pyramid. He did not start building a house roof-first. He asks God for the wisdom to start with the Word of God first, and then make a decision. God gave him a wise and discerning heart. “To discern” means to “pay attention to” or “listen with interest.” Solomon understood his real joy would not be found in money because you can never have enough money and because money always leaves you. He knows real joy is not found in long life because life ends and then you meet your Maker. He knows real joy is not found in the death of his enemies because that does not prevent danger forever. True joy is found in a life lived with God. When God is at the head of your heart, everything else falls into line. Do you wish to be a more trusting person? Where do you look to start the change? Well, do you notice where many look for comfort? Politicians. The media. The military. Group A protests that Group B lay aside their strongly-held-belief and embrace Group A’s strongly-held-belief. Yes, politicians and military are beneficial and necessary, but they are not the source of your joy. Neither will they fill your heart with gladness. They will fail you and let you down because they are sinners like you and me— imperfect and frustrating. True joy comes from knowing that whatever the future holds, God holds you tight forever. You may worry how long you will wait for a new Pastor (or if you receive a new Pastor). I cannot peer into the future and bring back an answer. I will tell you this: God has put his Word in your life. Your former Pastor did not retire and take all whispers of the Word with him. God has not closed down your building so that you can no longer hear the Word interpreted correctly and Jesus proclaimed clearly. You still have these things! Even if your surroundings change, you still possess the peace which comes from having eternal life. How do you become a better parent and grandparent? Not by looking at outward things to change about yourself. Like trying to become more patient or more caring or more flexible. Start at the Source. See how God has been a perfect Father to you. See his unconditional love poured out in your life and imitate it! When you Humbly Recognize Life’s Truest Treasure as the Word of God, you will discern true joy in God’s blessings. Solomon didn’t have all the answers as king—but he knew where to turn. The Word of God gave him guidance and wisdom for much of his life. You may search for guidance so that you can avoid unpleasant pitfalls and frustrations, failure and disappointment. Problems come when we start looking for wisdom in the wrong place. So, God starts you at the Source of wisdom: The Word of God. As you grow in the Word, you begin discerning true joy in God’s blessings. Then you Humbly Recognize Life’s Truest Treasure.
hammer your fingers? Probably not. You recognized how you placed your thumb in danger and so you took the necessary steps to avoid repeating your painful experience. You learned from history.
Or, look at your kids. If your [grand]son successfully grabbed a bee (and got stung), he probably runs away from bees now. If your [grand]daughter slammed her fingers in the car door, she probably watches her fingers a little more closely. Kids avoid future danger by learning from past experiences. So, what happens if you do not learn from history? …if you do not change your hammer-swinging-habits? … if your [grand]son grabs another bee? …if your [grand]daughter holds the car-doorframe while slamming the door shut? Well, life will be less than pleasant. Life will hurt. Life will be painful because those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. That is why God makes sure you get to hear these very words. He echoes Israel’s history so that you may avoid stumbling into their same suffering. Practice Real Wisdom as you Remember the past so that you can Watch the present and Teach the future. Moses cannot stress that point enough. He stands before two million Israelites who are on the brink of change. They will enter a new land with a lush, fertile landscape, a new government with a new economy, a new way of life with entirely new opportunities for their children. And Moses… well, Moses will not live to join them. In his final address to the nation, he Remembers the past. He points back to Mount Sinai (or as you heard it called in verse 10, Mount Horeb). There, God gave Israel Ten Commandments— ten perfect demands to guide their life. He also gives a ceremonial law, instructing them how to worship, when to worship, what offerings to bring, and who will lead worship. He even hands down a civil law, teaching people how to live with each other, how to pay back debts, how to obtain justice, and treat personal property with respect. Moses commands— not suggests, not gives an opinion, but commands: “Follow them.” From this point forward the nation must live life within the boundaries of God’s commands. If they remembered the past, then they would remember why. You saw with your own eyes what the Lord did at Baal Peor. Now, Baal is the name of a pagan god. Nations believed Baal could send rain and sun to make crops grow, and could multiply the size of their herds. The way to activate Baal (or have him work) is to have sex. So, decades earlier at a place called “Peor,” godless women seduced 24,000 Israelites to worship Baal (Numbers 25:1-9). Even though God first commanded: You shall have no other gods (Exodus 20:3), 24,000 Israelites handed their bodies over to this cow-god in broad daylight. And God witnessed this! He did not ignore their godlessness. The Lord [their] God destroyed […] everyone who followed the Baal of Peor. How does a nation which has God speak to them, lead them, and live with them fall into such deep unbelief? Well, is it really much of a wonder? Twenty-four thousand added a new command: You can have a new god! Twenty-four thousand stripped away an old command: You shall have only one God. Twenty-four thousand listened the devilish whisper: “Did God really say?” and they believed the lie. My friends, that devilish hiss still echoes today. Yes, Moabite women will probably not seduce you to worship Baal. You live in a world that preaches: “Do what makes you feel good!” Love others only when they love you!” Yes, you probably will not worship a cow. Yet, your world challenges: “This is your parent’s church! You surely do not believe everything they believe! You are stronger, wiser, smarter! Believe your own thing!” Yes, you will probably will never erase God’s Word from your mind. Yet, your heart will beat: “You don’t need to listen to him! You don’t need to be in worship as often as possible. You don’t need to let his Word guide your choices. You can live life on your own!” The heart within our very own chest beats, throbs, and pounds for you to stand on top of the Bible, slam down a throne, and render judgments like a judge. God commands: Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the Lord. Yet, you will be tempted to believe every excuse, lie, and reason to change it. So, here’s the real question: if you add and subtract from God’s commands, then whose word are you really listening to? does not say it, then who is? If God commands love and obedience you ignore it, then who are you following? You are listening to the rules of a faulty human heart that has absolutely no power to make life better. Failing to remember the past can throw you into the same eternal pain as those 24,000. So, remember the past. Remember a God who guarantees he is near you. Remember a God who wraps himself in the flesh of an infant. Remember a God who grows up in his very own commands. Remember a God who delights in listening to every Word— even when those Words lead to death on the cross. There, your God, your Jesus remembers you. He remembers to remove every time you stood defiant in the face of God and declared your independence from him. He remembers that his life will cover you so that your sins will be remembered no more. This is who you are now: God’s child. He has called you to be different. To be different means that you no longer live according to the ways the world considers wise. Instead, you Practice Real Wisdom. Remember the past so that you can Watch the present. What do you see? Do you feel a heart which pounds for the voice of Jesus to lead you through every decision, question, and challenge? It can be struggle to do so, right? That is why Moses reminds you: See, I have taught you decrees and laws as the Lord my God commanded me… Observe them carefully. This is where our English language loses a little of the Hebrew flavor. To “observe” means you pay close attention to something like when you drive through a dangerous city, but still pay close attention to your surroundings and safety. You protect your life as you avoid danger. Observe, that is, pay close attention to the Word of your God. You know the commandments; you learned them in catechism class (or if you no longer remember, you can read through them in Exodus 20:1-17). Watch how you use the Word in your everyday life. When you have financial or health or schooling decisions to make, ask: “What advice does Scripture give me?” When you wrestle with temptation, run to the Bible because it is your weapon to end attack (Ephesians 6:10-16). When you feel empty and seek guidance for the future, rely and remember God’s promise that he is always with you (Matthew 28:20). These commands are to be a part of life because this is your understanding and wisdom. Humanity might be wise in its governing and its decisions. While many benefit from this wisdom, it will never translate into eternal joys. Only God’s Word brings true wisdom. Only God’s teaching gives the clear, definitive answer as to how (1) you stand right with God, (2) how you enter eternal life, and (3) how you live confident of entering eternal life. A heart placed on any other wisdom will never, ever grant such security. Watch what your heart loves, believes, and trusts. Watch your actions and behaviors. Watch your present spiritual life and safeguard your faith so that will never forsake your eternal treasure. This is how you Practice Real Wisdom. Yet, wisdom does not stop with the here and now. You are truly wise as you Teach the future. This is how: Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely. Now, Moses is not talking about looking in a mirror and checking over your appearance. Instead, he wants you to watch what enters you spiritually. Why? Because you can forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart. Do you remember everything you ate for supper on Friday? Do you remember everything you learned in gradeschool? (... half of everything?... a quarter?) Do you feel confident enough to step back into your first job and be just as effective and knowledgeable as you were then? We forget things over time. That includes what you learned in Sunday School and Bible Class and Catechism class and even in sermons or personal Bible readings. You can forget how long it took Noah to build the ark, or how many commandments God gave (and what they are), what makes King David an important Bible figure, or what makes an apostle different from a disciple. Forgetting can leave gaps in knowledge, meaning: (1) you don’t have an answer—or worse yet, (2) you make one up. Like why we celebrate the Lord’s Supper so often. How God answers prayer. What is the only way people enter heaven. Because we forget things we must continue relearning and refreshing our knowledge. If you feel you don’t know where to start, then start with your catechism. It teaches you the Bible’s teachings. It is laid out in little sections where you can study a few pages each day. You can even quiz yourself by reading the question and then studying the answer. Relearn what you believe and why you do. Reconsider your time and effort that you may attend Bible study. Ask me if there is something you would like to study on a certain day. Even as we pause some of our education classes and entering the summer, remain in worship. This is possibly the longest amount of time you spend each week in the Word of God. And it’s not just a habit or ritual; God speaks to you so that you may trust him more. As you rely on his promises more, your fears will decrease. Teach [these commands] to your children and to their children after them. Do you notice that God gives you a responsibility? This is not an option. Once again, this is a command, an expectation of you. If you have children, God expects you, the parent, to share him with them. How else are they going to learn about a Savior who will bring them to heaven? If you have friends or family who have wandered into unbelief, you can teach them about the Savior. How else will young adults, retirees, the elderly avoid eternal danger unless someone approaches them? Teaching means revealing something unknown. Not everyone knows what will happen on the other side of the grave. Not everyone knows the only way to stand right with God. Not everyone knows what God expects of life here on earth. Therefore they must be taught. What joy and what a privilege you hold that God should use you to share a message that will bring eternal life! Out of everything you will ever do in life, out of all the things you will learn in life, only one knowledge will give you eternal life. That, my friends, is a Savior who lived and died for you. This is true wisdom. Practice This Wisdom as you Teach the future. Not just the future you— how you will implement this study, but also to the literal future of your family. God has seen fit to preserve these very words for you. He echoes Israel’s history so that you may avoid stumbling into their same suffering. Practice Real Wisdom as you Remember the past so that you can Watch the present and Teach the future. |
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