Turn with me in your scriptures to the book of Proverbs. We are in chapter 17 in a larger survey of folly. We have before us a section in that survey, verses 10, I'm sorry, verses 16 through 20. If you are able, I invite you to stand in honor of God's word, and I'll read this portion in your hearing. Proverbs 17 at verse 16. Why is there in the hand of a fool the purchase price of wisdom, since he has no heart for it? A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. A man devoid of understanding shakes hands in a pledge and becomes surety for his friend. He who loves transgression loves strife, and he who exalts his gate seeks destruction. He who has a deceitful heart finds no good, and he who has a perverse tongue falls into evil. Thus ends the reading of God's word. Let us ask his blessing on the preaching of it. Let's pray. Most Holy Father, break to us the bread of life. May we feed upon it for the strengthening of our souls. Make us wise in the one who has all wisdom, even in our Savior. We ask this for his glory. Amen. You may be seated. As mentioned, we are in that larger survey of folly through verse 28 of this chapter. Previously, in verses 10 through 15, we considered folly's means and ends. And there's a pattern here in the smaller sections of this survey. We saw it there in verses 10 through 15, that it starts with an introductory proverb, an educational proverb reminding us of chapters one through nine and the things taught there. And then parallel themes are worked through alternating verses. We saw that in the verses that followed, verse 10, verses 11 through 15. We have something similar in the verses before us this afternoon. Here, the themes are friendship versus folly. Friendship versus folly here in verses 16 through 20. We'll find an introductory educational proverb reminding us of the themes from chapters one through nine of the introduction. And then followed by a poetic consideration of the themes unpacked. Looking at the structure, as mentioned, we see in verse 16 that introduction and it connects back to The introduction we had in verse 10 reminds us of some things there we'll unpack as we move forward. And again, as the Holy Spirit, the divine poet, wove together alternating verses to unpack the themes in the sacred poetry before he does that again here. So you can note the structure, the even verses 16, 18, and 20 describe heart problems. And verses 17 and 19, the odd verses here before us, contrast wholesome and treacherous loves. First the wholesome and selfless love of a friend in verse 17, and then the treacherous and destructive love of a fool in verse 19. So heart problems in the even verses and contrasting love. in the odd verses. And finally there's one more layer of poetry pattern that the divine poet put together in the brilliance of Solomon in pairs of verses unpacking these themes. In verses 17 and 18, the first two verses after that introduction, there's a focus on friendship, that main theme we were talking about, which is contrasted in verses 19 and 20, the last pair, by implication unfolding the fool as the opposite of the friend, pursuing selfish destruction. So ornate poetry crafted diligently by the spirit, the divine poet, the source of this, through the excellent wisdom of Solomon. Let's look at the content that the spirit has filled in here first, the introductory proverb, verse 16. Why is there in the hand of a fool the purchase price of wisdom, since he has no heart for it? Again, as mentioned, there's a reminder of the lack in the fool of what's needed for wisdom that we saw in verse 10. There's a tying together of that introductory Psalm, I'm sorry, proverb, verse 10, and here verse 16. Here, particularly an examination of the fool that displays the absurdity that's there apparent in him. In the fool's situation, the question is one of exasperation. How in the world, in other words, why in the world does the fool seem to have a capacity for something that there's no place for him to acquire? The fool is exasperating to his would-be instructor. He has ears to hear in one sense, but not in another. He seems to have the equipment to be a student, but no heart for it. This gets amplified as Solomon ties it together, even In the next introductory proverb next week, we'll see it unpacked even further. But here, particularly, there are two absurdities on display in this exasperation expressed in the opening proverb. First, the potential of the fool to get wisdom is wasted. It's not because he lacks the opportunity. Why does he have the opportunity? As it were, it's right there in his hand. But nothing will come of it. It's because he lacks the heart needed for the thing that's right there at his disposal. And yet, it's wasted on him. How absurd. Every provision is there, and he makes nothing of it. He has no heart for it, we're told. There's a second absurdity. That heart disorder in the fool is on display in that the fool is described in a particular way here. He has, as it were, the price in his hand. He seems to think that wisdom is something to be bought materially, when, as we've seen already, wisdom is given freely. that by God to those who seek it from him. It's freely given. It can't be bought. But the fool is described in a particular way to highlight the absurdity. He comes with a price in hand. He's completely disoriented. He has no heart for receiving wisdom and treats wisdom as though it is a material thing. It's all about what I get by the price. Again, he has no heart for the thing he needs desperately. He needs wisdom. He seems to be in a position to receive it, and yet he has no heart for it. He's completely disordered. The poetry here reveals his materialistic lack of spiritual priorities. This is precisely why he can't obtain wisdom. His sinfully corrupted heart He has no heart for it. Let us be warned against chasing as most valuable what ultimately has no value. What is the price in our hand? Are we like the fool? I'll get the things that matter most with a material pursuit, and so I'll be very wise. No. If that's our pursuit, we're fools, exasperating like this. Now rather, let us be those who've been well taught. The price in our hand is not money. We're seeking wisdom from the one who freely gives it, James 1, 5. We seek it from our God, and he freely gives it. Other things of material concern have their place, but they are not of the cheapest value. Wisdom is. Are we like the fool? in this exasperating description? Or have we learned to seek what is of most value, where it may be found freely from the God who gives wisdom without reproving in that quest, strengthened, as it were, by the gospel to pursue it? So the introduction, looking then at the first pair of verses dealing with friendship. Verse 17, genuine friendship. A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. We see here the selfless nature of true friendship. Its love binds together through thick and thin. Of course, it is a special expression of a wider duty, Certainly we have a duty to love neighbor, but the scriptures reveal that that general duty that is provided by gospel grace can have an intense expression in something deep, devoted, committed, called friendship. the general grace adorned with deep affection and commitment and devotion. The bond of friendship is here set alongside that close bond that we find in family, in kinship, in a brother. Indeed, the bond of family forms, as this couplet describes, God's well-ordered Divinely designed first safety net. A brother is born for adversity. There's a true principle set out there. Kinfolk are the first thing God designed to help in trouble. It's supposed to be that way. There's a tightness there of duty that informs filial love, right? but it's set up alongside the expression of friendship to flesh it out, to show the intimacy of friendship. By implication, first we should seek, then, as this couplet is set before us, to deepen and sweeten the natural ties of family, so that it's not just merely duty. Yeah, yeah, you gotta take care of family. Here, as it's put together, we should try to cultivate those duties with the sweetness of developing friendship. Should not our brethren in the flesh, the closest to us also be close by way of friendship. Here we're certainly given a hint that that's an admirable desire for us, an admirable design by God, that that first safety net, that kinship bond, which is natural, here we have the opportunity to deepen it. We should pursue those natural links so that they deepen. They're not just informed with duty. But if with gospel grace, may we not also sweeten them with friendship, genuine deepening friendship. And indeed, there's a second thing highlighted by the joining of these two together. Solomon is highlighting the way that a genuine friendship can be so strong that it's even stronger than the bonds of kinship. Certainly, we should want to see that in the spiritual family, as love is cultivated there, deepening the bond beyond that of even natural family. but we're reminded again of the beauties of what God built into friendships. Think about the beautiful scripture example. As David describes his relationship with Jonathan, the son of an enemy, not his natural kin, but he says, my bond and friendship with him, it's stronger than anything else God's made in relationships. How can that be? Solomon writes about it. In the pursuit of the course of wisdom and the path of piety, we're given gospel graces that can do this kind of work of love. In the broad field of our obedience in love, it is right and proper when God provides opportunity to deepen that love in the nurture of friendships Yes, with kinfolk, but that can go even deeper than that. Layers of beauty here set in the words of this part of the poetry. Wisdom here sets out the cultivation of friendship as a genuine virtue to be pursued. We're not given some elaborate recipe for doing so, but we are given the foundation and direction of that pursuit of friendship in the way of wisdom. It requires of us a well-ordered heart that is capable of selfless commitment. That's what's implied here. That friend who loves at all times, and by implication, even when those times get rough, he doesn't let go, in a way even deeper than kinfolk. That's the implication. It requires a heart that is capable of persevering in such selfless commitments. Certainly we who are gospel believers see this in the glorious light of the gracious friendship of our Lord. Hear this unpacked by Jesus in John chapter 15, verses 12 and following. This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends. You are my friends. If you do whatever I command you, no longer Do I call you servants? For a servant does not know what his master is doing, but I have called you friends. For all things that I heard from my father, I have made known to you. John 15, 12 through 15. We who have received this love are spiritually furnished with its every fruit. First, the fruit of deep commitment of brotherly love towards one another. Do we treat one another in this way? But also when blessed by God's provisions, we may see this even in the cultivation of those unique friendships that go even deeper. That's by God's design. What a blessing. Do we pursue it? Verse 18, from well-ordered friendship to friendship gone wrong, from wholesome friendship to disordered friendship. Verse 18, a man devoid of understanding shakes hands in a pledge and becomes surety for his friend. Here we have what happens when friendship is not cultivated in wisdom, not well-ordered according to God's design, A man devoid of understanding, we're told. That language is particularly, remember we mentioned heart in 16, 18, and 20. That word, understanding, is heart. It's a man with no soul, with no heart, literally. Again, that's a way that Solomon has described the fool before. He has no heart for it, as we heard in the introductory proverb. Here, he has no heart for the thing that he's pursuing in friendship, and it is deeply disordered. He's like the fool in the introduction. A surety. You may not be familiar with what it's talking about here, striking, shaking hands in a pledge to become surety. It's one who signs on to someone else's material debt obligation. And it is universally condemned in the Proverbs. Why is that? Well, think about it. It is ungodly and irresponsible. There's no room for it. It's completely empty-headed, lacking heart. There's no wisdom in it. It's utter folly. Why? Well, the one who pledges to be surety for another's debt is signing on to what is outside of the realm of his responsibility. He has absolutely no capacities in God's design for the thing he's promising to. That's an unlawful oath. We are to swear only to that which we have an expectation, how? By God's design, that is proper for us to pursue. His debts are not in my, Purview. I have absolutely no control. So it's an ungodly pursuit on my part to say, why, sure, I will sign off on his debt. Make me responsible. It also gives him the temptation of a blank check. It invites irresponsibility on the part of the other. Everything about it is wholly disordered, irresponsible, and foolish. And one who would use as a pry bar Friendship to move his so-called friend into such a pledge is indeed no friend. That's disordered friendship. It is not, speaking here of a charitable rescue, that's certainly within the scope of love. If I may rescue one in desperate need and do so charitably, by all means, we exhibit great grace in doing so. That's not what's being described here. We find what is not a valid expression of friendship and love, but an empty-headed expression of folly. Why, sure, he's my best friend. He wants me to sign off on his debt. Why, sure, I'll do that. I mean, after all, he's my best friend. Solomon says, that's not what friendship does. Friendship cannot be an excuse for folly. That's an important point being made here. There are limits required by wisdom. Friendship, depth of love, can't be used as an excuse to do what is utterly, irresponsibly foolish. Genuine love, even in the devoted commitment of friendship and family, cannot be the grounds for foolish demands or actions. It's deeply disordered. That is not, in fact, loving and true friendship. Christian love, and even the deepest commitment of Christian friendship, mustn't be the pry bar for demanding ungodliness. You can know right away, that's deeply disordered. That is not love. That is not friendship. If the demand comes in those terms, it's a lie. We're being warned. We're being informed. We're being strengthened. to know what true love and friendship is and what its bogus artificial substitute is. The fool who demands such things in the name of love and friendship is no better than the fool who falls into the pit he's inviting you to engage. Why would anyone do that? Well, that moves us from friendship, disordered, to the fuel of that disorder. Verse 19, as we get into the fool's passion for transgression. Verse 19, he who loves transgression loves strife, and he who exalts his gate seeks destruction. Here we see what's going on. The one who would ply the language of love and friendship unto ungodliness does not have a well-ordered and genuine love. He's manifesting a disordered love of transgression. He loves sin. And he's moved to create conflict by that love of sin. He's manifesting his heart. He does not know true love. His love is set upon wickedness. And so we see the progression in the poetry from the love of true friendship to the foolish demands, pretending to be friendship, now to that which actually animates that foolish heart. It's a love of sin. That's what the fool actually loves. As he had no capacity for true wisdom, he has no capacity for true love. The fool's love is set upon sin and wickedness. Here we see his sinful heart unpacked. It is as dark and opposite as possible to the heart fueled by the love of Christ. The fool's love of sin results in his passionate pursuit of strife, conflict, contention. That's the opposite. of the love that unfolds into the pursuit of friendship and selfless commitment to others, true love fueled by the Holy Spirit seeks what? Peace and pursues it. Psalm 34 verse 14 says that, it's repeated by Peter reminding us in 1 Peter 3 verse 11, seek peace and pursue it. That's gospel love cultivating the heart to actions that display true love. And speaking of the source here, the source of his passionate pursuit of the love of sin leading to contention, the root of it is given to us right here in the second part of the verse. It's pride. Exalting the gate, as we have it in our translation, It's boastfully and pridefully putting oneself above others to gloat over them. It's what the idiom, that manner of speaking from the original, means. Literally, it's to make one's doorway high. It means a showy display intended to exalt oneself in boasting over others. Pride is seen as the root sin that leads to what? To destruction. Pride cultivates the love of sin. Pride drives on in sin to cause strife. Pride destroys others and finally even itself. We have a beautiful example of that. Do you remember Haman in the book of Esther? He is the perfect picture of exactly this. Heart full of pride. And expressed in the love of sin and the pursuit of contention, he was out to destroy the Jews. And perfectly displayed here is the outcome of the heart in the grip of wicked pride. Who did he destroy? Himself and his family. The Spirit wants us to be warned about this in our own lives. We need to take pride seriously. We need to put it to death. And we can measure that by the opposites of these things. Do we hate sin? Or do we find some inkling of a love for it? We know that root. Apply to Christ. Rather, we should love the Lord's peace. and pursue it. And then verse 20, the fool's destruction in deception and perversion are described here. He who has a deceitful heart finds no good, and he who has a perverse tongue falls into evil. The path to destruction that was spoken of is rooted in pride, as the previous verse showed us. That love of sin is here then dissected for us. Its subtleties are exposed. This one pursues what he thinks is a good, but that he cannot have. His own wealth, his own prosperity, his own peace, He can't have it because his heart is full of, the word here is crookedness, perversity. It's translated for us helpfully here as deceitful, he's full of lies. Not the purity of truth, not the straightness of truth. Corruption, perversity, that forms his heart. And that will thus form his actions. The thing he's aiming for he cannot achieve. he will find no good. He pursues that good that he can't receive because of his crookedness. Jeremiah 17, nine. The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. That's our natural condition. The verse ends with, who can know it? The Lord answers in the next verse in Jeremiah 17, He knows it. The Lord sees it. It can't be hid from him. He's its only rescue. He searches the heart. He knows its wickedness and deception. He is its only solution. This heart, twisted, corrupted, deceitful as expressed in the tongue, The end of the verse. The mouth being, as we've learned, the unique exhibit of the heart. Proverbs breathes with that, and James gave expression to that. We learned that in James 3. The heart is revealed by the tongue. The perverse tongue is literally here corrupt. It's overflowing with destruction. The language of falling into evil is the metaphor of falling into a pit. The evil of the heart comes out in the life, creating the pit into which it falls, a pit of evilness, of wickedness, of destruction. Self-will, even in its fullest indulgence, says Charles Bridges, Instead of bringing the desired good, always ends in disappointment. And when the perverse tongue breaks out in frightful mischief, we find the best of us are too often governed by this waywardness. Even when we seek to walk with God, how does the froward heart struggle to seek to walk? according to the spirit, to restrain us from the guidance of our corrupt fancies. Many an erratic course in the church we trace to some unhappy bias, not disciplined by the divine spirit, not molded to reverential faith. Most graciously, therefore, does our God assert his own right to supremacy, not prides and self-promotion. The Lord promising us not freedom from restraint, but a yoke, a binding law, a strict obligation, and above all, the heart to love and obey. Remember, he, the Lord, is the solution to that heart. Here is now self-control, stability, not impulse and feeling, but fixed and steady principle. Shall not we then cry with filial simplicity, not my will, O Lord, let me have anything but my own way. Lead me not to my perverse heart. In proportion, as the froward heart is thus subdued, the perverse tongue is bridled, and we have the perfect man in Christian consistency, humility, and love. That's what we would want. And that's what this set of Proverbs leads us to pursue with grave warnings. So may we find the solution to that heart expressed with that tongue, casting ourselves entirely by the one who will by his yoke restrain the heart and the tongue by grace. Let's pray. Holy Father, we want this. Let us have your will, not our own. Let us have your good, not self-will. Oh, Father, how poisonous our pride, how it leads us to dig a pit that destroys us and others. And so we beg of you not our will, but yours. And so free us. to see your work of grace in us that we may know true love, cultivating its beauties for the glory of Christ, who has called us friends. We ask these things for his glory and for his honor. Amen. People of God, let us stand together and receive our Lord's good word in sending us forth to grow in His grace by what He has done in us. Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and forever. Amen.