Proverbs (Part 100) - Pro 8:31-33

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31. Pro 8:31 - "Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and my delights were with the sons of men." A. Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; i. Wisdom is speaking (Pro 8:1, 12). ii. Wisdom rejoiced in the habitable part of the earth which God used her to aid Him in creating (Pro 3:19). a. Rejoice v. - 1. trans. To enjoy by possessing; to have full possession and use of (a thing). Obs. 2. To gladden, make joyful, exhilarate (a person, his spirits, etc.). b. Habitable adj. - 1. Suitable for habitation or as a human abode; fit to live in, inhabitable; also absol. the habitable globe iii. God made the earth for men to inhabit it (Isa 45:18; Psa 115:16) and to have dominion over it (Gen 1:28). a. The part of the earth that wisdom most rejoiced in was the part of it that was suitable for men to live in. b. She apparently was not nearly as interested in the depths of the oceans, the dry desserts, the swampy wetlands, and the frigid arctic as she was in the more temperate and amenable parts of the earth which were conducive to human flourishing. c. The reason for this is given in the rest of the verse. B. and my delights were with the sons of men. i. Wisdom rejoiced in the habitable part of God's earth because her delights were in mankind. a. Delight n. - 1. a. The fact or condition of being delighted; pleasure, joy, or gratification felt in a high degree. b. The sons of men bring wisdom a high degree of pleasure, joy, and gratification. ii. Of all creation, mankind brings wisdom the most delight. a. The sons of men is synonymous with people in general (Psa 33:13-14). b. Wisdom cries out to the sons of man because she delights in them (Pro 8:4). c. Wisdom's delight is in men, not in angels, animals, or inanimate objects. d. Man was made in the image of God (Gen 1:26-27; Gen 9:6; Jam 3:9), and therefore wisdom takes particular interest in him. iii. While men in general are the focus of God's creation, of all mankind, the children of God and of wisdom (Mat 11:19) are her delight above all others (Pro 8:17; Pro 8:32-36). 32. Pro 8:32 - "Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye children: for blessed are they that keep my ways." A. Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye children: i. Wisdom is speaking (Pro 8:1, 12). ii. Wisdom is speaking to her children (Mat 11:19). iii. Her delights are with the sons of men (Pro 8:31), and therefore she exhorts them to hearken unto her. a. Therefore adv. - II. (Now always spelt therefore, and stressed) 2. In consequence of that; that being so; as a result or inference from what has been stated; consequently. b. Hearken v. - 1. intr. To apply the ears to hear; to listen, give ear. 3. intr. To apply the mind to what is said; to attend, have regard; to listen with sympathy or docility. 4. trans. To hear with attention, give ear to (a thing); to listen to; to have regard to, heed; to understand, learn by hearing; to hear, perceive by the ear. c. Because she takes great pleasure in her children, she wants them to listen with attention to what she is about to tell them and apply their minds to it. iv. Her message is urgent which is why she tells them to listen up now. a. Now adv. - 1. a. At the present time or moment. b. Under the present circumstances; in view of these facts. b. The time to hearken to wisdom is now; now is the accepted time; today is the day of salvation (Heb 3:13-15; Heb 4:7; 2Co 6:1-2). B. for blessed are they that keep my ways. i. Wisdom gives the reason to hearken unto her now. ii. For conj. - B. conj. 1. Introducing the cause of a fact, the statement of which precedes or follows: Because. 2. a. Introducing the ground or reason for something previously said: Seeing that, since. iii. The reason is that those who keep her ways are blessed. a. Keep v. - I. 1. To seize, lay hold of; to snatch, take. Obs. 2. To try to catch or get; to seek after. Obs. 3. To take in, receive, contain, hold. Obs. 4. To take in with the eyes, ears, or mind; to take note of, mark, behold, observe. Obs. II. Transitive uses (in early use also intr.). * To have regard, pay attention to, observe. 9. To have regard, to care, to reck 11. trans. To pay attention or regard to; to observe, stand to, or dutifully abide by (an ordinance, law, custom, practice, covenant, promise, faith, a thing prescribed or fixed, as a treaty, truce, peace, a set time or day; see further under the ns.). ** To guard (from external violence or injury), to preserve, maintain. 14. To guard, defend, protect, preserve, save. b. Those who keep wisdom's ways in every sense including holding on to them, taking note of them in the mind, regarding and observing them, and guarding, defending, and preserving them are blessed. (i) Blessed adj. - 3. a. Enjoying supreme felicity; happy, fortunate. 4. a. Bringing, or accompanied by, blessing or happiness; pleasurable, joyful, blissful. (ii) Those who keep wisdom's ways are fortunate for being able to do so and will experience happiness and joy as a result (Pro 3:13). c. Wisdom's ways are ways of pleasantness and peace (Pro 3:17). 33. Pro 8:33 - "Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not." A. Hear instruction, i. Wisdom commands us to hear instruction. a. Hear v. - 1. a. intr. To perceive, or have the sensation of, sound; to possess or exercise the faculty of audition, of which the specific organ is the ear. 4. To exercise the auditory function intentionally; to give ear, hearken, listen. b. trans. To listen to (a person or thing) with more or less attention or understanding; to give ear to, hearken to; to give audience to. b. Instruction n. - 1. The action of instructing or teaching; the imparting of knowledge or skill; education; information. ii. Wisdom is telling us to listen to teaching to get an education. a. This applies to children in school. b. This also applies to adults who have finished their formal education. c. It has been wisely said that once your schooling is complete your education can begin. d. Wisdom's exhortation especially applies to Christians in church who should hear the teaching of the word of God and be thereby educated in the doctrine of God. iii. The book of Proverbs exhorts us repeatedly to hear instruction (Pro 1:8; Pro 4:1). iv. We must hear in order to receive instruction (Jer 32:33). v. We also must apply our ears and hearts to hearing instruction if we expect to understand and remember it (Pro 23:12). vi. The instruction which should be listened to is wise instruction from the word of God (2Ti 3:16). vii. We should not listen to instruction which leads us into error (Pro 19:27; Pro 14:7; 2Jo 1:10). B. and be wise, i. Wise adj. - 1. a. Having or exercising sound judgement or discernment; capable of judging truly concerning what is right or fitting, and disposed to act accordingly; having the ability to perceive and adopt the best means for accomplishing an end; characterized by good sense and prudence. Opp. to foolish. ii. It is a mark of wisdom to hear and receive instruction (Pro 13:1). iii. It is a mark of foolishness to refuse to hear and receive instruction (Pro 1:7; Pro 15:5; Jer 17:23). iv. It is necessary to hear instruction in order to be wise and increase in wisdom (Pro 19:20; Pro 9:9). C. and refuse it not. i. Refuse v. - 1. a. To disclaim, disown, decline to countenance (an act). b. To avoid, keep clear of or free from (sin, vice, etc.). Obs. 2. To decline to take or accept (something offered or presented); to reject the offer of (a thing). 3. To decline to accept or submit to (a command, rule, instruction, etc.) or to undergo (pain or penalty). ii. We must not only hear instruction, but do it (Jam 1:22). iii. He who reuses instruction errs (Pro 10:17). iv. He who refuses instruction hates himself (Pro 15:32). v. Such a man has poverty awaiting him (Pro 13:18).