That surely is a clear example of an unanswerable question: my life is the hands of God and He alone knows my days. And it is here that we clearly see the distinction that we have already made between a proverb and a promise.
Proverbs 3:16-18 reads:
Pro 3:16 Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor.
Pro 3:17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.
Pro 3:18 She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her; those who hold her fast are called blessed.
The “her” in these verses is “wisdom”. Many of these proverbs have to do with wisdom – not suprisingly given that Solomon was famous for the wisdom God gave to him, and often wisdom is personified in this book as it is here. And here Solomon gives examples of the advantages to a person who has wisdom and who exercises wisdom.
We can easily see the truth of these words in the general sense when we look at the behaviour of many over the last few weeks. Wisdom would dictate that you take reasonable precautions when going out after lockdown. Wisdom would argue not to spend the day sitting on the beach in close proximity with a multitude of unknown people! But so often the wise thing to do simply doesn’t sound as pleasant and enjoyable as the rash thing. But those who show wisdom in such things are certainly likely to live longer!
But in this book wisdom is something far greater. In v19 we are told that it was by wisdom that God founded the earth, and in later chapters wisdom is spoken of as having been aquired by God before He started His creation and it takes on a creative role alongside, but under, God. This wisdom is something altogether bigger and better than what the world speaks of as wisdom – this wisdom comes from God, speaks of God, and points to God, and hence becomes the path to life, peace, joy and salvation.
Friend, this wisdom is found in the Bible alone. It is the wisdom of the inspired Word of God, penned under inspiration of Holy Spirit. It is the wisdom that sets for Jesus Christ is the Saviour of the world, the only One who can save. By it millions have been saved, in rejecting it millions have perished.
What will you do with such wisdom?