In the second part of his series on the book of Proverbs, Yoofi Clarke encourages us to have an eagerness to listen to the Word of God.
By Yoofi Clarke
Chapter 2 - HEAR WISDOM
To paraphrase verse 2, wisdom comes by hearing which in this context refers to listening as opposed to mere hearing which is just a form of sensory input. Listening is paying attention to a message in order to hear it properly, understand it, and respond to it. What do we need to listen to or incline our ear to so we can become wise? The answer is the Word of God. We need to have an eagerness to listen to the Word of God.
The process of walking in wisdom starts with listening to the Word of God. Once we ‘hear’ the Word, the Holy Spirit grants us the listening ear and the understanding which must be established in the heart (vs 2); this understanding leads us to the fear of the Lord; the fear of the Lord leads us to the knowledge of God; the of knowledge of God then results in wisdom. For it is the Lord who gives wisdom and understanding (vs 5-6).
As I alluded to in my previous article on chapter 1, the fear of the Lord is not the fear of a tyrant but rather the awe, respect and reverence that we need to have for Father God, knowing that He has our best interest at heart, and this enables us to develop an obedient heart and which, in turn, makes us wise.
God does not only speak to us through his written word but sometimes through his word spoken directly to us in prayer or through others. When we seek or receive advice from others, we need discernment to know if it is God speaking to us through them. Knowledge of God will help us know if it is the Lord speaking or just the person's opinion. Without knowing who God is, how can we hear his voice? 1 Jn 4:1-6, the beloved apostle asks us to test the spirits i.e. to discern each voice that we hear to know whether it is the Lord. Let us pray for wisdom to help us discern right from wrong in all relationships be it with friends (vs 12-15) or with the opposite sex (vs 16-19).
The Old revealed in the New
Proverbs 2: 4- 6 encourages us to seek for wisdom as silver and search for her as a hidden treasure for if we do so we will find the knowledge of God. Similarly, in Matt. 7:7, Jesus asks us to keep asking, keep seeking and keep knocking for if we do so we will receive, we will find, and the door will be opened for us. And what should we be asking, seeking and knocking for? The desire to ‘hear’ God's word, understanding of the word, knowledge of God through the word and obedience to the Word which leads to Jesus Christ, our eternal hope.
 Yoofi Clarke is the CDSC coordinator for the Northampton Diocese
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