Camp Conscience
The cry goes out to all people, but specifically even to those
who are naive and foolish, who aren't inclined to listen. Everyone
should pay attention to this call. She's in the streets as we've
noted more than once in the past, not confined in some cloistered
environment, but out where real life is lived. She's inviting
young people to camp. Maybe she has shorts and running shoes on,
a whistle around her neck, a clipboard, and forms for the parents
to fill out. She's saying, "Come join me! Take this opportunity
to learn these things, because the advantages are tremendous,
and the skills to be gained are worth having."
Our attention is focused first on the skills to be gained at Camp
Conscience: how to have your conscience informed so that the messages
you get from your heart, instead of accusing you or misleading
you in arrogance, can be a source of blessing. How can your conscience
become your ally? How can your insides be cleansed so that there
is nobility, beauty, and hope when you look in and consider yourself?
That's a skill that she's going to make available to those who
will listen. In Prov.8:6-13 we find the invitation to Camp Conscience:
It's a glorious thing to see God at work inside, to see renewal
and change, to see beauty where once there was no beauty.
The speech of the woman is emphasized: "My lips will speak
noble, truthful, righteous, worthy things. These are what will
proceed from my mouth." If we want to think biblically with
wider range, we need to add the New Testament perspective as well,
Jesus' words: "You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil,
speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills
the heart. The good man out of his good treasure brings forth
what is good; and the evil man out of his evil treasure brings
forth what is evil." (Matthew 12:34.) So if the mouth can
speak noble things, it's because there's nobility of heart. If
the mouth can say truthful things and rejoice in righteous things,
the clear implication is that something on the inside has been
made well. Our counselor or camp director is inviting us to become
skilled as she is skilled so that what we are able to say to others
is increasingly right and worthy.
Righteous Within
Now, there is a requirement that we value and long for what is
righteous. She says that it is more valuable than silver or gold.
We need to hunger and thirst for righteousness. Correspondingly,
we are required to hate what is evil. Prov.8:7 says, "Wickedness
is an abomination to my lips." And Prov.8:13: "The fear
of the Lord is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil
way, and the perverted mouth, I hate." We have to learn to
stop winking at and enjoying what is unrighteous, to stop having
pockets of wickedness that we are at home with. We learn to hate
what is wrong and to love what is truthful and right, to hunger
and thirst for it. We let God make the changes that only he can
make from the inside, and increasingly we become the sort of person
who finds his heart cleansed so we are not filled with either
self-accusation or secret sin.
It's interesting to note in Prov.8:13 that the evil way and the
perverted mouth are most clearly associated with arrogance. It
is pride and self-love primarily that incline us toward wickedness.
If we do not fear the Lord, bow our knee before him, and admit
our poverty and our need, if we are god in our own lives, worshiping
our own capabilities, then we will never hunger and thirst for
righteousness, nor will we hate what's wrong. It is pride that
is at the heart of wickedness, and the counselor is teaching us
to reject that so we can become people who have been cleansed
within.
It's a glorious thing to see God at work inside, to see renewal
and change, to see beauty where once there was no beauty. It's
a glorious thing to go to Camp Conscience and to be able to see
yourself as a new creature; a skill that is clearly worth learning.
Royalty Ranch
Now, there's another skill, another condition that our counselor
or our camp director wants to pass on to us. We might leave Camp
Conscience, get on the bus again, and move on to a second destination,
Royalty Ranch. Prov.8:14-21 suggest some further help that we
can receive:
Wisdom, again describing life from her perspective, speaks
about those who rule in this life, who are noble. If you reign
in life, you are in a position of being un-threatened by the world
you live in. You have power over your environment. You tell people
what to do rather than being threatened by them. You're protected
by armies. You're the owner of treasuries. You have everything
that you need to protect yourself in life. Nothing external to
you is going to attack you, overpower you, push you where you
don't want to go, or force you into some activity that you know
is wrong for you. That's what it means to be a king, to reign
in life.
Whereas the first place we went on our journey, Camp Conscience,
had to do with the work of God to meet our needs within, the suggestion
here is that we need to be able to make our way in an external
environment, to deal with pressures, problems, and threats from
without. What wisdom is saying is that power, riches, acceptance,
and authority are hers, everything you need in life to succeed
in living as the child of the King. That's the lesson that can
be learned at Royalty Ranch, as we'll see.
Consider some of the issues that she raises. In Prov.8:14, she
says, "Counsel is mine and sound wisdom." You are vulnerable,
aren't you, in a setting where you feel you have no expertise,
where you don't know what you're doing. Have you ever been in
a situation where somebody has advanced degrees, expresses themselves
powerfully, talks loudly and insistently, and claims to know what
they're doing, when you don't? You sort of feel swept away by
what's going on around you, by their proclamation of expertise.
But the promise of wisdom here is that in the essential things
of life you never need to feel foolish, because if you learn these
lessons you have centered on that which is really worth knowing.
No matter how loud or impressive the other pronouncements, we
have found true knowledge, genuine wisdom. We have centered ourselves
on that which is worthwhile, and we can stand up to such proclamations,
however they come to us.
I was sitting with a group of pastors at a pastors' conference
Friday and Saturday. The man giving the lecture was learned and
impressive; he's written a number of books. And yet he made a
comment as he discussed the parable of the Good Samaritan that
surprised me. There was a seminary professor present who has recently
written a definitive commentary on Luke. The lecturer said, "I'm
somewhat hesitant to do this because I realize that we have a
greater expert among us". But I've felt that way many times
myself.
From a distance Jim Freeman of our body looks a lot like Chuck
Swindoll to me. I remember once preaching here, and Jim Freeman
was sitting at the back of the church. For a moment I had a sinking
feeling as I thought, "Oh, Lord, if that's Chuck Swindoll
sitting back there, what in the world am I doing up here?"
Of course it was only Jim Freeman, so it wasn't a big deal! But
that sense of being vulnerable if somebody of superior expertise
is present is removed if wisdom is our accomplice, if wisdom has
informed us. We've been told what's worth knowing, and it doesn't
really matter how we sound or whether we have the credentials
that others have.
Power and Riches
The second thing that's in focus here at the end of Prov.8:14
is the phrase, "Power is mine." The power of the resurrection
of Jesus Christ lives within us if we are informed by wisdom,
if we have captured her insight into life. Instead of feeling
overwhelmed by events, we can draw on power that is beyond anything
in this world for protection, health, security, and balance.
In Prov.8:17, she says, "I love those who love me; and those
who diligently seek me will find me." If you're loved truly
without reservation, just for who you are, even though your shortcomings
are acknowledged, then you gain security. To know that you're
cared about and that that will not be taken from you is a great
source of protection. It makes your life a royal one.
Lastly she speaks of riches. Now, the promise of riches may occasionally
result in actual material riches for those who follow wisdom,
but that is not the main point she's making. In Prov.8:19 she
says, "My fruit is better than gold, even pure gold."
In verse 10 we saw the same point made. Better than any material
thing is the richness promised here. Remember the words of Paul
in Romans 11:33: "Oh, the depth of the riches both of the
wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments
and unfathomable His ways!" We are extraordinarily rich people
if we are the friends of God. If we are in a living relationship
with the God who cares for us, who has poured out his life for
us, who will never leave nor forsake us, then we have riches beyond
anything we can ever measure. Now, if these things are true, then
we are in a position to live a life of stability. We can avoid
threat, we can make our way in life without always having to be
frightened and insecure. That's the life of a king or queen, a
royal life.
So we've been to Camp Conscience and Royalty Ranch, and we're
learning the skills of being people who can stand on their own
feet, approve of themselves within, and be protected from without.
Life becomes increasingly delightful to live; it's an adventure.
We don't know where it's going to go, or what will happen next,
but we're looking forward to finding out. Now we might do well
to start examining more closely who this woman is, this camp director
who has been so helpful. And if we'd ask, she'd tell us. Prov.8:22-31:
The Companion of God and Man
Who is this woman? She's in the streets of the city, standing
with those who will listen. Her voice is calling out and talking
about real life and ordinary things. She is a companion for people
like us, concerned about the lives we live and the hearts beating
within us that sometimes accuse and mislead us. She's concerned
to help us deal with our vulnerabilities to lovelessness, powerlessness,
and lack of expertise. She wants to strengthen us in those things.
She's nearby and yetextraordinary truth!she was there before the
foundations of the world. She was there at the creative beginning
with the Lord God himself, setting all the boundaries for the
sea and the hills, the individual pieces of dust on the earth,
the fields that would be cultivated. She was present at the establishing
the heavens themselves.
Who is this person? How can someone of that breadth and immensity,
of that glory and workmanship, be our companion, our counselor
at camp? Those who read this in Old Testament times must have
wondered about what was being described here. How can a characteristic
like wisdom, which is impersonal really, a condition and not a
person, be met as such a woman, as if she could be known or spoken
to? Who is this companion of God in creation? But eventually we
find that the answers come to us at Bethlehem, don't they?
If the mouth can say truthful things and rejoice in righteous
things, the clear implication is that something on the inside
has been made well.
Who is the companion of God who is also the intimate of people
like us? Who is the guide for life, who understands real life
on the streets, having been here, and yet was present at the creation
and established everything that is? The answer is the incarnation
of God, Jesus Christ. The New Testament is very clear. He is the
wisdom of God, we are told in 1 Corinthians 1:30. Colossians 1:16-17
says, "For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens
and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions
or rulers or authoritiesall things have been created by Him and
for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold
together." The writer of Hebrews reminds us, "In the
past God spoke to our fathers through the prophets in many times
and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us
in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, and through
whom He made the universe." God the Son chose humility, humanity,
and ultimately sacrifice for us. It is a magnificent truth. The
one who is directing us in how to live life is really our Lord
Jesus Christ. The one who is trying to help us with our insides
and help us find our way through the real world, the one who wants
us to be whole people, is the one who was there at the beginning.
Look at the closing comments in Proverbs 30:22-31. They are filled
with rejoicing, aren't they? There is delight as God created the
worldit was beautiful, good, holy, exciting, and wonderful to
behold. And there is particular joy in humanity, delight in the
sons of men. That's what the companionship of Christ is going
to lead us to: a life that is joyful. He takes joy in us; he approves
of us. Then as we go out into a world that is not easy, not what
it once was nor what it ought to be, by his companionship, and
as we learn the skills he's teaching us, we will find that life
is a joy to experience.
As I was considering the incarnation, I had a friend tell me about
being in the Price Club in Redwood City. He was walking down the
aisles and glanced across to the center section. There was a tall
blond couple walking over there, pushing their cart. He didn't
pay them any more attention until people around him were whispering,
pointing, and calling attention to the couple. He listened to
what they were saying and heard the whisperers say, "That's
Joe and Jennifer Montana!" Sure enough, it turned out to
be Joe and Jennifer Montana pushing their cart around the Price
Club just like human beings. Now, you expect to see celebrities
on televisionthrowing touchdown passes or selling some product.
They ride around in limousines; they descend from Olympian heights.
They seem to live in some other universe. They don't go shopping
with people like us at the Price Club, pushing their own cart
around. But sure enough, they were, wearing ordinary clothes in
a place where ordinary people went. This most remarkable message
of the Bible is the intimacy of God with people like us, joining
us on the streets, teaching us about life where we live it.
You may have been interested in the conjunction of planets that's
taken place in the last couple of weeks. I remember taking my
kids out at one point and pointing out that we probably won't
see for a hundred years againJupiter and Mars and Venus in a close
triangle as we've seen them lately. That's fascinating for all
kinds of people. An astrologer from Palo Alto noted, "Venus
is the planet that rules love, affection and pleasure. Mars rules
aggression, passion, and sexual energy. And Jupiter rules optimism,
buoyancy and opportunity. You put these three together in the
sign of Leo, and you get a combination that makes people want
to put a lot of energy into relationships, particularly romantic
relationships." I remember back to the musical of the '70s,
Hair, and the song about the dawning of the age of Aquarius: "When
the moon is in the seventh house and Jupiter aligns with Mars,
then peace will rule the planets and love will steer the stars."
It's easy to be flippant about astrology. But there is something
marvelous, in contrast, about the announcement of wisdom, as we
come to see the person of Christ, who established the heavens,
who built the earth, who gave the sea its boundaries. The creation
is filled with the wise counsel of God. Creation is inherently
moral. It has meaning. Your Lord who cares deeply for you is the
one who made these things. He is the one to whom we can go for
help and strength, direction, and understanding. He is the one
who established the world that we see.
Our Response
Proverbs 8 comes to a conclusion that calls for response. Verses
32-36:
This chapter began with wisdom's wearing a whistle around her
neck, holding her clipboard, and urging any who would join her
in the gaining of skills to learn lessons that are valuable and
worth learning, to go to the camp that would enhance their lives.
But having these things made known to us, the point we must come
to is one where we are the seeker; we respond from the heart,
we wait anxiously for word of her, and we have become her intimate
and follower. Instead of her calling on the street corners in
hopes that we might occasionally attend, we are there anxiously
waiting. "Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching
daily at my gates, waiting at my doorposts." Daily is an
important modifier here. It is a relationship that is important
all the time, and our prayers become, "Lord, guide me, lead
me, help me. Lord, speak." We come to love the word of God.
We love the people of God. We seek him and care for him. Our response
is to receive the invitation and to act on it, to care about it.
The succinct final summation of these things is in Prov.8:35:
"For he who finds me finds life, and obtains favor from the
LORD." How can there be a better offer than that? It echoes
Jesus' words in John 10:10: "I came that they might have
life, and might have it abundantly." Life itselfvitality,
joy, adventure, wonder, learning, experiencing this world as a
place you want to be because it is filled with the glory of God
and the opportunity of God. The dangers are real, but the Savior
is magnificent: Life is worth living. We are protected on the
inside, protected on the outside, rejoicing at the created world,
doing the bidding of God, finding life.
And, as if that weren't enough, we have favor with God. Everywhere
we go we live with his approval, his companionship, his commendation,
"Well done, good and faithful servant." The invitation
has been extended. How will we respond? Will we learn the lessons
and be changed? Will the skills become ours?
Think through the invitation to have Christ be the one who can
make your life everything you long for it to be. He desires to
do that, whether you're a Christian now and need to be grown up
in your faith, or you're not even a Christian yet. You can begin
the process of having life and favor with God. You must decide
how you will respond to the truth that's before us in Proverbs.
Copyright © 1991 Discovery Publishing, a ministry of Peninsula Bible Church. This data file is the sole property of Discovery Publishing, a ministry of Peninsula Bible Church. It may be copied only in its entirety for circulation freely without charge. All copies of this data file must contain the above copyright notice. This data file may not be copied in part, edited, revised, copied for resale or incorporated in any commercial publications, recordings, broadcasts, performances, displays or other products offered for sale, without the written permission of Discovery Publishing. Requests for permission should be made in writing and addressed to Discovery Publishing, 3505 Middlefield Rd. Palo Alto, CA. 94306-3695.