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Proverbs 24 Commentary
by Brad Boyles
The empty U-Haul is parked out front. Your belongings are packed away in boxes. The move has begun.
“By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; 4 by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches.”
Proverbs 24:3-4 ESV
A deep study into this passage shows us that God is the true architect of our lives. The word ‘built’ is the same word used to describe the altars that were constructed to worship God. Interestingly, it’s also the same word used to describe the creation of Eve, when God fashioned her after taking a rib from Adam. In all of these scenarios, wisdom is the foundation and God is the master builder.
The word ‘understanding’ is the same word used to describe the Spirit of God. It speaks to counsel and discernment. How is the foundation constructed? With wisdom and understanding found only through the Spirit of God. When we build our lives with God’s wisdom as the foundation, the Spirit will begin to establish our vision with His understanding. This means we read the Bible and not only believe what it says, but we actually commit to living it.
In other words, when we encounter Jesus, we won’t see things the same way anymore. What we understand will come from God’s Spirit and what we build will bring glory to God. Thus, an old cycle is broken and a new cycle begins. We no longer keep our home furnished with selfish ambition, pride, and worldly passion. We are grafted into a completely new ‘building’ which God has prepared for us. But that journey will never happen unless we pack up and move.
The empty U-Haul is parked out front. Your belongings are packed away in boxes. The move has begun.
Wisdom and understanding are like a fire spreading through this new house God has established. They fill the rooms with knowledge and overflow into every aspect of our lives.
But let’s think practically. There are areas (rooms) of our old life that need renovation. There are some boxes that should not come with us to our new residence. There are some rooms we want to board up and never set foot in again. By wisdom and understanding, God’s Spirit leads us back to those rooms for renovation, devastation, and revisitation. His Spirit gives us the insight to heal, grow, and thrive. He shows us what we will take and what we will leave.
It is true that when we allow the Spirit to search our rooms, He will open doors we wanted to keep shut. But he will also create new rooms we never imagined could exist. However, when His knowledge fills the space, “all precious and pleasant riches” can and will be found there.
The empty U-Haul is waiting.