August 10, 2008
Wisdom Pillars
The Seven Essentials of the Home
Proverbs 9:1 - “Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn out and set up her seven (perfect number) of pillars.”
Seven is the number of perfection.
The very first verse of scripture, “In the beginning God created heaven and the earth,” contains 30 different combinations of the numeral seven.
The numeric value of the three nouns, “God, heaven, and earth” totals 777.
A number in triplicate expresses completeness, ultimate, and total meaning.
Principle: God created everything by wisdom. If He practiced wisdom in building heaven and earth, we certainly need wisdom to establish our homes. Proverbs 8:22
Practice: There are Seven Essentials that every home must have. Proverbs 14:1 - “The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.”
Proverbs 9:2 - Develop an appetite for wisdom.
Wisdom is gained two ways - either by mentorship or by pain.
Genesis 3:6 - “When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it.”
Eve was deceived by her appetite and by her eyes. She reasoned rather than obeyed.
Adam was not deceived. Adam willingly sinned against God’s Word.
Proverbs 9:6 - Do not live in mediocrity. Change your thinking. The prudent man roasts his game! Wise people do things differently than common people. Excellence reproduces itself. Excellence enables you to focus. Excellence testifies that you value life. It’s a grateful spirit.
Proverbs 9:9 - Be a life-long learner. Solomon was a learner. He spoke three thousand proverbs, wrote over a thousand songs. He studied plant life. He understood animals, birds, reptiles and fish. If you want to grow, you must read! The average millionaire reads one non-fiction book a month.
Proverbs 9:10 - Live with reverential honor toward God. Do not disrespect God. Do not misuse His Name. Do not speak inappropriately about His Word. If you do not know His Word, do not attempt to speak for Him. God sets Himself against those who “wag their own tongue.”
Proverbs 9:11 - Think long-term. Moses rejected the “pleasures of sin for a short time.” Wisdom prolongs life. Wisdom makes your life better while you are living it.
Proverbs 10:1 - Have a home of celebration. Training up a child with wisdom will bring you joy. Job makes 100 sacrifices a year on behalf of his children. If you do not raise your children with wisdom, you will constantly have to bail them out of trouble.
Proverbs 10:13 - Wisdom is found on the lips. Wisdom is a result of the words that you listen to. Wisdom considers their words before they speak. Be cautious with your words. Strife is a result of murmuring words. Words builds or destroys confidence! Words are the building blocks of ALL LIFE. (John 1:3)