The Wisdom of Knowing Christ

Dearly beloved congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ, often in Hebrew prose structure conveys meaning. That is certainly the case in our text this morning. If you'll glance at the outline with me, you'll see that the center of our text describes wisdom's beginnings, and that that center element is sandwiched between two sections that describe the outcomes of wisdom and folly. What I hope to show you is that wisdom and folly alike are not merely isolated choices. They are full-blown lifestyles, and the longer you persist in them, the more they will mark your character. What I hope to show you this morning is that wisdom begins with fearing God and continues by listening, while folly begets — indeed, is — an inability to listen and results in punishment. The message, then, is this: Fear God and listen to Him, for if you don't, you will suffer the fate of the fool.