Steve Zeisler, of Peninsula Bible Church, in a sermon, “The Heart of Wisdom”
Proverbs 3:5 is a memory verse for many of us. Perhaps you grew up in a Sunday School class or some other place where you were urged to memorize Proverbs 3:5: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” This is the great reminder: Trust in the Lord with all your heart. And make not only the positive but the negative choice, and refuse to lean on your own understanding. Do both at the same time: Trust in the Lord with all your heart and deliberately refuse to trust yourself. The word “all” is prominent in Proverbs 3:5. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, in all your ways acknowledge him. Don’t allow areas of your life where God has no access. You need to give him all your heart, all your ways. This decision to place God first and not lose sight of the giver of gifts is very important.
We read the story of Joseph (Genesis 39) this morning. He’s an example of the wisdom of Proverbs in many ways. He was raised by a good father, but at an early age underwent a series of tragedies. At the hands of his brothers, as you know, he was sold into slavery in Egypt, in Potiphar’s house. And yet everywhere he went things came up roses for him. He was a brilliant young man, capable, handsome, a “golden boy.” His activities brought riches to his master, so Potiphar kept giving him more responsibility, and everything that Joseph touched turned to gold. He was succeeding, gaining power and authority, doing well in his field of endeavor. It’s exactly at that point that an offer was made, not only to have the riches of Potiphar’s house, but to have the wife of Potiphar. He was being given the opportunity to supplant his master.
Those are the dangers that come along with success, always at an oblique angle, something unsuspected, if we’re not well defended against them. But Joseph was very clear-headed, wasn’t he? “How could I sin against God?” His master didn’t deserve to have him treat him this way, but the heart of his statement to Potiphar’s wife was that he couldn’t sin against God. He lived his life in the presence of a God whom he respected utterly. Because of that he would not give in to her, to the point of running out of the house and leaving his cloak behind.
Honor God First
He had so deeply chiseled into his own heart the wisdom of the Lord that he didn’t forget it in the midst of great success. The practical exhortation of Prov. 3:9-10 make the point in just one area of life. It’s very pointed: “Honor the Lord from your wealth, and from the first of all your produce; so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.” If you wouldn’t have your financial success overtake you, seduce you, and keep your heart from the Lord, then give from the very first of your produce. As the first choice in what you do with material blessings, give to God’s work and honor his name, as a way of reminding yourself of the lesson that the grandfather now speaks to his son.
Humble Obedience
Finally, remember the words of Jesus to the Pharisees. He said, “You pay tithe of mint and rue [the smallest seed in the garden] and every kind of garden herb….” (Luke 11:42.) The Pharisees would count out 10 cabbages, 10 carrots, 10 sunflower seeds, 10 of everything. And very meticulously, they’d take one of each batch of 10 and set it aside for the Lord’s work. He also said the Pharisees broadened their phylacteries (Matthew 23:5). The phylacteries were devices used to bind the word of God to your bodyyour wrist or forehead or some other place. They’d take little portions of the word of God, put it in a pouch, and literally fix it to their head or arm with leather straps. But the Pharisees weren’t just concerned with getting the thing attached; they did it with broad phylacteries so that everyone could see. This business of putting God first was all done for show. It was done mechanically, it was done with pride, and Jesus said it would send them to hell.
The last word I would offer us in considering Proverbs 2 and 3 is that even hearing “trust in the Lord with all your heart” and determining to do it is not enough. Even in that we can become Pharisaical if we do not proceed with humility and recognize our own capacity for failure, self-love, and sin. We must depend on Jesus and only on him for everything. This business of living life in the streets, learning the wisdom of God, has to everlastingly be attended by enough humility that we never assume that we can live it out in our own strength.
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