3/1/2019

1

REV SAMUEL GOH

Be wise and otherwise

Limits and Growth

I. Introduction

�Quite time one morning…

“Answer not a fool according to his folly,

lest you be like him yourself”

(Prov 26:4 NIV)

“Answer a fool according to his folly,

lest he be wise in his own eyes”

(Prov 26:5 NIV)

�Another morning…

Question: What’s wrong?Question: What’s wrong?Question: What’s wrong?Question: What’s wrong?Answer: limitsAnswer: limitsAnswer: limitsAnswer: limits

II. Expect the Expected in Context

A. Wisdom is Contextual

1. Wisdom is given through experience

“At the window of my house I looked

out … I saw among the simple, I noticed

among the young men, a youth who

lacked judgment…” (Prov 7:6-7 )

2. It is true only in the specific contexts

� Maxims arise from specific contexts

� They are true in specific contexts

� E.g.#1

“Absence makes the heart grow fonder”

“Out of sight out of mind”

� E.g. #2

“It’s never too old to learn”

“You cannot teach an old dog new tricks”

“Answer not a fool according to his folly,

lest you be like him yourself”

(Prov 26:4 NIV)

� E.g. #3

“Answer a fool according to his folly,

lest he be wise in his own eyes”

(Prov 26:5 NIV)

3/1/2019

2

B. Revealed Wisdom is no Promise

� Without the specific context, maxims

don’t work

1. Wisdom is context-dependent

2. We don’t always know the context

� Proverbs in the book of Proverbs have

been recorded without their original

contexts

� E.g.

“Train up a child in the way he should

go; even when he is old he will not

depart from it” (Prov 22:6 ESV)

BUT….

• Samuel’s sons:

“Behold, you are old, and your sons do

not walk in your ways” (1 Sam 8:5 ESV)

• Many devout parents’ disillusions…

https://www.focusonthefamily.com/family-q-and-a/parenting/parent-disillusioned-by-train-up-a-child-in-the-way-he-should-go

“Some parents, however, have sought to

follow this directive but without this result.

Their children have strayed from the godly

training the parents gave them. This

illustrates the nature of a "proverb." A

proverb is a literary device whereby a

general truth is brought to bear on a specific

situation. Many of the proverbs are not

absolute guarantees, for they express truths

that are necessarily conditioned by

prevailing circumstances”

Faith lesson

Expect the expected, but within specific

contexts

3/1/2019

3

Satan: “If you are the Son of God, throw

yourself down, for it is written, ‘He will

command his angels concerning you,’ and

‘On their hands they will bear you up,

lest you strike your foot against a stone’”

(Matt 4:6 ESV)

Jesus: “You shall not put the Lord your

God to the test” (Matt 4:7 ESV)

� Example of Jesus’ wisdom: III. Expect the Unexpected

A. Observable Order of Things

1. Natural Cause-Effect

“For lack of wood the fire goes out,

and where there is no whisperer,

quarreling” ceases (26:20 ESV)

“A slack hand causes poverty,

but the hand of the diligent makes rich”

(10:4 ESV)

2. Spiritual Cause-Effect

“The fear of the LORD prolongs life,

but the years of the wicked will be short”

(10:27 ESV)

“In the fear of the Lord one has strong

confidence, and his children will have a

refuge” (14:26 ESV)

B. Unfathomable X-Factor

1. X-Factor in human planning

“The horse is made ready for the day of

battle, but the victory belongs to the

Lord” (21:31 ESV)

“The plans of the heart belong to man,

but the answer of the tongue is from the

Lord” (16:1 ESV)

“The heart of man plans his way,

but the Lord establishes his steps”

(16:9 ESV)

“Again I saw that under the sun the race

is not to the swift, nor the battle to the

strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches

to the intelligent, nor favor to those with

knowledge, but time and chance happen

to them all” (Eccl 9:11 ESV)

“He has made everything beautiful in its

time. Also, he has put eternity into man's

heart, yet so that he cannot find out what

God has done from the beginning to the

end” (Eccl 3:11 ESV)

3/1/2019

4

What to do?What to do?What to do?What to do?Faith lesson

Commit all plans to God and accept his

will

2. X-Factor of human suffering

“The fear of the LORD prolongs life,

but the years of the wicked will be short”

(10:27 ESV)

“In my vain life I have seen everything.

There is a righteous man who perishes in

his righteousness, and there is a wicked

man who prolongs his life in his

evildoing” (Eccl 7:15 ESV)

“In the fear of the Lord one has strong

confidence, and his children will have a

refuge” (Prov 14:26 ESV)

“Your sons and daughters were eating

and drinking wine in their oldest

brother's house… a great wind came

across the wilderness and struck the four

corners of the house, and it fell upon the

young people, and they are dead …” (Job

1:18-19 ESV)

What to do?What to do?What to do?What to do?

3/1/2019

5

C. Wisdom Upgradable

1. God’s answer to Job

2. True character of wisdom: growth

� Wisdom = able…

• Able to face emerging issues

• Able to be updated

• Able to be re-shaped and renewed

3/1/2019

6

What the fool look like?

Fossils from the past:Faith lesson

Expect wisdom upgrade from God

V. Conclusion

A. Expect the Expected

�Biblical proverbs work within as long as in

their contexts

�We can live and plan accordingly

B.Expect the Unexpected

�All plans are subject to God’s X-factor

�We should commit all plans to God

C. Expect wisdom upgrade

� True wise = being able to be reshaped,

renewed, upgraded

�Expect to review our wisdom