Cork Free Presbyterian Church, 10 Briarscourt
(Annex) Shanakiel, Cork, Ireland
Pastor: Colin Maxwell. Email: colin.maxwell@fpcmission.org
PROVERBS 8:12-36 TEXT: v17 THOSE THAT SEEK ME EARLY ETC.,
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I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.
There can be little dispute that the One called Wisdom in this chapter is none other than our Lord Jesus Christ
[i] In 1 Corinthians 1:24 Christ is distinctly called "the Wisdom/God"
So called: because in Him is hid all the treasures of wisdom/knowledge
He possesses perfect knowledge and perfect understanding as to how apply that same wisdom
[ii] Internal evidence/Proverbs 8 itself, where we see:
The power/Christ in Providence: v15-16 cp Matthew 28:19-20
The dignity/Christ: v18-19 cp. John 7:37-38
The Eternity/Christ and His creative power: v22-30
What an insight we have into the eternity past when God/ Father held
sweet/unbroken communion with God/Son, before any creature/made
Some quibble with the idea of the Eternal Christ on the basis of v24
where it is said that He was brought forth, or it has also been
translated: Begotten or borne (Geneva/Bishops Bibles)
However, this should be understood as an eternal generation and not something that is confined to be within time
Our finite understanding often induces God to use word pictures that
should be understood in light/other scriptures teaching Christ's Deity
As we will see: This verse is also a clear reference to Christ
There is certainly no part of the verse to which any one can point and
claim that it does not fit with the way Christ is revealed to us
Although written hundreds/years BC, yet these are words that could
quite easily have been uttered in Galilee, or Jerusalem etc., by the
Son of God Himself (4 main thoughts)
1) THE LORD JESUS IS TO BE EARNESTLY SOUGHT:
A/ The phrase "seek me early" is but one word in the original language
Carries the thought of earnestness/diligence
B/ In keeping with many other verses/Proverbs where various verbs are
used to reveal that effort is required on our part to secure wisdom
(When we say "effort on our part" we are not suggesting salvation by
human effort or human contribution - but it is not automatic either)
Consider verses like these in Proverbs 2:2-5
So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart
to understanding; Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up
thy voice for understanding; If thou seekest her as silver,
and searchest for her as for hid treasures; Then shalt thou understand
the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.
Summarised fittingly in the words of 4:7 Wisdom is the principal thing;
therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.
Whatever else you can manage to get…do not lose out on this one!
C/ The Lord Jesus, although not far from any one of us, and who is
willing to save sinners, and has no pleasure in the death/wicked, and
who has proved His desire to save sinners by undertaking to suffer the
agonies of the Cross/Calvary on their behalf, yet:
[i] He is not an unwanted guest in any heart
[ii] He is not an automatic guest in any one's heart
Consider His great laments at His treatment when he first came:
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that
killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how
often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen
gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! (Matthew
13:37)
There is no imposing of Himself upon any one
He stands outside the door of the heart and it is they who open the
door (employ the language/Revelation 3:20) enjoy His presence
But to keep the heart's door closed is to exclude Him and reject Him
Another complaint: "Ye will not come to me that ye might have life" (John 5:40)
D/ It might be asked, then, How earnest is earnest? How can we know whether it is earnest enough? Who can set the height/bar?
Wrong question: Issue is not how earnest, but simply that it is earnest
Danger is that the things/God are almost a kind/hobby to some people
A passing interest… weekend entertainment with a weeknight thrown in
But this view denigrates the God/Bible and the worth/human soul along
with the glories/holiness, the awfulness/sin and the sufferings/Christ
E/ The Rich Young Ruler appeared to be earnest enough, but it became evident that He did not want Christ to be His God
(Rather, he wanted his large bank balance to occupy that spot)
and therefore He was not being earnest when He sought Christ and
consequently was lost)
2) THE LORD JESUS IS TO BE EARLY SOUGHT:
This is how the Hebrew word is translated in our AV - similar thought
If something is earnestly desired, then it will be sought early
God's earnestness/saving sinners: "Rising early" (Jeremiah 25:4)
The earnestness of the women/tomb of Jesus: Before dawn (early)
But there is much more than earnestness in thought of rising up early:
A/ He is to be sought early, because He might be missed otherwise
Not that someone might get Him before you and He is gone
He is big enough for all who come to Him: All Sufficient Christ
His invitation to Jerusalem (quoted above) shows this to be true
A whole city…indeed a whole nation and a whole world may find all their spiritual needs in Him:
The fullness of the Godhead dwells in Him
But this: His offer is not eternal
Think of this: My Spirit shall not always strive with man (Genesis 6:3)
Mean? As the gospel is preached, there is a striving/Holy Spirit upon
the souls/ those who hear it - an enlightening/creating of concern
etc.,
This does not continue for ever - it is not automatic
If the sinner resists this striving, then it can be (ult. will be) withdrawn
The sinner then is marked out for destruction by his own choice
But if there is an early seeking/Lord…then this will not happen
The striving/Spirit of God will have led to regeneration and indwelling
B/ He must be sought early because other things may step in and prevent you coming to Christ:
Most blatant/obvious: Death itself (Hebrews 9:27)
Death has many ways of coming - not all with advance warning
You may take on some commitments which do not allow you to have faith/Christ and the cost/severing of them may be high
Advice: Whatever the human cost…do not let it keep you from Christ
A good text: Matthew 10:28/Proverbs 29:25
But you can see the great benefits of an early seeking when many of
these commitments have not yet been forged or can be easier broken
C/ An early seeking/Christ means a longer enjoyment of Him
Repentant Thief may have got (more or less) instant glory, but he missed out in the joy of serving Christ on this earth
Missed out in the blessing revealed in Matthew 5:11
Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall
say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
Missed out in seeing God answer prayer and meet his earthly needs
But not so, the one who seeks God early
No wonder the Lord Jesus said:
Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. (Luke 18:14)
D/ It is never too early to come to Christ
He is to be sought while He is to be found and called upon while He is
near (Isaiah 55:6) Today is considered to be the day of salvation
Nothing is guaranteed for tomorrow - We should seek Him early
3) THOSE THAT SO SEEK THE LORD JESUS FIND HIM:
Thus far we have emphasising the duty of doing, and the danger of
either delaying or denying the Lord altogether and being lost forever
Here is the benefit of so seeking the Lord - You will find him
A/ Find Him in the sense that He will be there in Person to meet you
Paul said that his ministry among the Thessalonians that it was not in
vain i.e. they had sought the Lord and they had found Him
There are no mishaps in this matter if you are earnestly seeking Him
But (as emphasised earlier) do let that seeking be for salvation
He wants your heart (Proverbs 23:26) and if you're not for giving it to Him, then you are not going to find Him
The Rich Young Ruler would not give Him his heart: Went away sorrowful
He did not find Him in the sense expressed in this text
B/ Find Him in the sense that they partake of His salvation
This is why He came into the world: Save sinners
It is this context that he is inviting us to seek Him
If we do not seek Him as Saviour, we must later meet Him as Judge
The sin issue cannot be ignored or airbrushed out of the equation
Salvation is much more than merely escaping the wrath/God
It involves that too, but first/foremost: Escaping the power/sin that leads there in the first place
And only Jesus Christ can smash the power/sin in our lives
Human programmes may be able to help us overcome certain habits
I do not therefore tend to criticise programmes like the AA etc.,
But I do say this: They cannot give the guilty sinner peace with God
They cannot deal with the guilt issue or the matter of pardon for sin
Only Jesus Christ can - the One who died upon the Cross
He alone has the right to speak on this matter and He says: "Seek me"
Read the gospels: How often did He say: "Come unto me"? (same thing)
C/ Seek Him and find Him tonight
He never turned away that sought Him on His terms
No one in the day/grace ever hammered His door in vain
His death is sufficient for all, but only efficient to those who seek Him
4) THOSE THAT SO SEEK THE LORD JESUS LOVE HIM AND ARE LOVED BY HIM:
I love them that love me
A/ Our loving Him is actually in response to His loving us: 1 John 4:19
God has loved His people with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3) i.e.
it is (like Himself: Psalm 90:2) from everlasting to everlasting
He doesn't say/text: "I will love them…" but "I love them [already]"
Here is evidence that there is a deeper love shown towards His people
We know that God loves all men (Psalm 145:9/John 3:16) even those who
will never love Him and die as reprobates - but here: deeper love/elect
But what an encouragement for men to seek and love Him as Christians
B/ But it is so worded here to provoke our love for Him
Every last soul should be saying: "Here is a love that I want to share"
You can share it today because God is Love and it is in His nature to seek your love and to love you with that everlasting love
C/ A profession of love for Christ will be evidenced by a forsaking of the sins of this world and an embracing Him as Saviour:
If ye love me, keep my commandments. (John 14:15)
If ye keep my commandments, ye shall
abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and
abide in his love. (John 15:10)
Then will you be a candidate for that love which He has for His own in
this world, which is unto the end (John 13:1) Again, Jesus said:
If a man love me, he will keep my
words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make
our abode with him. (John 14:23)
That's what it means to be saved: Reconciled with God etc.,
Appeal
THE END