Proverbs 4 is where I was reading. The whole chapter deals with Wisdom from God's Word. When I came to verse 9, a phrase jumped off the page at me.....ORNAMENT OF GRACE! With it being Christmas, the word "ornament" is what first got my attention. I thought "Well, we put ornaments on a tree and garland, what ornament, or decoration is the Lord talking about here?" The last part of the verse tells what "ornament" it is_ a CROWN of glory! I read on,and the following verses were shown to me like I have never read them before! If the Lord did not write all of the following verses SPECIFICALLY referring to the Wise men,or Kings as traditions calls them, they DEFINITELY can apply to them.
These Wise men EXHUMED the true Wisdom that can ONLY come from the Lord.The definition of "Knowledge" is knowing information, but WISDOM is knowledge of what is TRUE AND RIGHT, coupled with just judgment as to action, sagacity, discernment, and insight.(ref.dictionary.com). That second word "sagacity" refers to "sages" or WISE MEN! What made these men wise was that they KNEW the Word of the Lord! We may wonder how in the world these men, from Persia & Arabia, knew about the prophesy of the Messiah and all of the details. I always have. After reading this in Proverbs and praying, a few days later, I was awake from 3am in the morning on, unable to sleep. After laying there and praying for about 2 hours, I turned on the TV and a Christmas special/documentary on the Wise Men was on!!! The preacher narrating the show asked the same question as to where the wise men got their information. The answer is is Daniel 9. The same angel, Gabriel, that the Lord sent to announce Christ's birth to Mary, appeared to Daniel. In verses 25 &26, the angel gives Daniel details concerning the Messiah. Was not Daniel a WISE MAN in the court of three different rulers of the Medes and Persians?????? He also had the knowledge from God's Word spoken by Balaam, in Numbers 24:15-25, that gave the prophecy of "a STAR out of Jacob, and a SCEPTRE (King) shall rise out of Israel." These Wise men EXHUMED the truths of God's Word that Daniel put in place in the palace, from 500 yrs before, and applied them to the wondrous sign of the Star, HIS STAR as they called it, and believed the Word of the Lord!!! Proverbs 4:7 says, "WISDOM is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all of they getting get understanding."
Next, the Wise men EXALTED God's Word as it says in Proverbs 4:8, "EXALT her (wisdom)and she shall PROMOTE thee: she shall bring thee to honour,.". The Wise men did so. They exalted God's Word as TRUTH, and it PROMOTED THEM.They BELIEVED God's prophecy above all other knowledge they had from all around the world. They believed the sign of the Star in the heavens and BY FAITH knew the significance of it. It didn't promote them just as Wise men in the King's court, that would have given them the means to make this trip in search of the newborn King. It PROMOTED, or caused them to go forward physically, in search of the Messiah also! Did not the Lord bring them to honor, as the verse says, in recording their actions of obedience and faith in His Word forever?????
Lastly, the last half of Proverbs 4:8 says "...when thou doest EMBRACE her (wisdom.)" These men not only EXHUMED and EXALTED God's Wisdom, but they EMBRACED it as well!!!! They believed and clung to His Promise. Even if they didn't know exactly where the King of the Jews would be located, they knew He would show them the way they should go in order to find Him! Further down in the chapter of Provers 4:11&12 it says, " I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths. When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble." Then verse 18 reads, "But the path of the just is as THE SHINING LIGHT, THAT SHINETH MORE AND MORE UNTO THE PERFECT DAY." Was it not THE STAR that shone the way for the Wise men (Matthew 2:2, 9&10)????? Brethren, I don't believe these verses are there by chance!!!!! These men trusted & EMBRACED, BY FAITH, in the Lord Himself for guidance that since He had made known the birth of His Only Begotten Son to them, He would also GUIDE them to Him!!! Prov.4:19 also says "The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble." Does it not say in Matthew 2: 3-7 that Herod and all of Jerusalem was troubled at what the Wise men said and obviously didn't know His Word concerning the Star,and where Messiah would be born?? Had they EMBRACED the Word of the Lord that the nation of Israel were blessed with, they would have known, just as the Wise Men did. Proverbs 4 also says in verse 24-27 "Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee. Let thine eyes look right on, and let thing eyelids look straight before thee. Ponder the path of thy feet,and let all they ways be established. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left;remove thy foot from evil." Did not the Lord send the Wise men, still directing their path, away from Herod when he lied, as the verse says, another way to their country? They obeyed the Word from the Lord, and didn't turn back or think another thing about what Herod had commanded them! They definitely "removed their feet from evil" in doing so!!!
The Wise men EXHUMED, EXALTED, AND EMBRACED God's WISDOM! In doing so, it was an ORNAMENT OF GRACE to them! Whether or not they were Kings as tradition calls them, they were in the King's palace and the wise men of that day did wear literal crowns. But,those didn't matter. The Lord was more concerned with their spiritual "crowns of glory"vs 9! This Christmas as we see the Ornaments in our homes, may we think about the Ornaments of Grace, and the Crowns of Glory we can have for our Lord, just as those Wise Men did over 2, 000 years ago!!!
Proverbs 4:20-23
"My son, attend to my words;incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes;keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh. Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life."
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