Last week, you got the meat of the story of Understanding/Jesus in Proverbs, so this week might seem a little scattered and light, but it brings out details about Him and His relationship in the Godhead we might otherwise miss.
I think first in understanding this is the term "Godhead". This has always seemed very simple to me, despite the many fools out there who say, "Do you worship one God, or three?" Step one, God is God. He made the world's most efficient motor in the tail of a microbe, and He made blast furnaces called stars thousands of times bigger than our planet. Whatever we understand, it is small compared to the totality of Him. Step two, we were made "in our image, after our likeness" (Gen. 1:26). Step three, WE have a mind that guides and commands, a body that does, a soul that inspires- just so, God is Father In Command, Son who does, Spirit that inspires. The mechanics of that in ourselves is largely a mystery, do you think we can dial God all the way in? Whether there is a Father/Son relationship as WE know them, or it's a fleshly term used so that we might have a tiny grasp on things, God knows, but it is enough.
Next, I noticed something in the word translated in KJV as Understanding. When used in the idea of Jesus-as-understanding, it is this:
בּינה bı̂ynâh (bee-naw')
From H995; understanding: - knowledge, meaning, X perfectly, understanding, wisdom.
Which is what I spent time on last week. However, understanding as grasping a concept uses that other word mentioned:
בּין bı̂yn (bene)
A primitive root; to separate mentally (or distinguish), that is, (generally) understand: - attend, consider, be cunning, diligently, direct, discern, eloquent, feel, inform, instruct, have intelligence, know, look well to, mark, perceive, be prudent, regard, (can) skill (-ful), teach, think, (cause, make to, get, give, have) understand (-ing), view, (deal) wise (-ly, man).
So there is your difference between Jesus-as-understanding and me understanding something- Jesus IS understanding, while the other is man's attempt to comprehend.
Third, I want to bring up the ramifications of THIS verse...
Pro 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
That is not the version that indicates, "don't make up your own meaning", it is the one that indicates, "Do not make up your own JESUS". Sadly, the world is full of made up Jesuses. The Jehovah's witnesses has one who died on a pole, and apparently has been living hidden living in Brooklyn for some time (I am told). The Mormons have one who was a created being, a brother to Satan. The Catholics have one whose sacrifice didn't quite get all your sin taken care of, so book a trip to Limbo. The Muslims have one who got pulled off the Cross at the last second and replaced with Barabbas. LGBTQ have one, I saw in Twitter the other day, that never said anything about homosexuality being sinful- never mind that He said, "not one jot or tittle of the Law will pass away" (Matt. 5:18), and the Law says such sins are an abomination (Lev. 18).
Then, don't wait for Jesus to come to you. This was something I had to face myself the other day. I've mentioned before about using our company's 6 S's as a prayer to start the day, but I had been praying it like, "Lord, sort me out, Lord, set me in order", etc, when I noticed that these were a list of DOs for me. I wasn't supposed to sit back and let Jesus do the work. Hence Proverbs 4:5 and following....
Pro 4:5 Get wisdom, get understanding; forget not; nor turn away from the words of my mouth.
Pro 4:6 Do not forsake her, and she shall preserve you; love her, and she shall keep you.
Pro 4:7 Wisdom is the main thing; get wisdom; and with all your getting get understanding.
There is something to be said about the fact that only the Spirit can lead you to faith in Jesus. It's more than just the connection of the Godhead as discussed earlier. Remember how initially the Apostles received the Holy Spirit from Jesus?
Joh 20:21 Then Jesus said to them again, Peace to you. As My Father has sent Me, even so I send you.
Joh 20:22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, Receive the Holy Spirit.
THAT is an intimate connection! Read here...
Pro 8:12 I, wisdom, dwell with sense, and find out knowledge of discretions.
Pro 8:13 The fear of Jehovah is to hate evil; I hate pride, and arrogance, and the evil way, and the wicked mouth.
Pro 8:14 Counsel and sound wisdom are mine; I am understanding; I have strength.
Let us wrap this week up with once more, the clear choice: Fools saying there is no Christ, and Wise who follow Christ to their reward...
Pro 9:6 Forsake the foolish and live; and go in the way of understanding.
Again, that is "998" Understanding... Go in the way of Jesus and live.
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