Proverbs 13:14 ESV
The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death.
[https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=proverbs+13%3A14&version=ESV]
Dramatic Bible verses are hardly uncommon, but this one should grab our attention: what are these ‘snares of death’? They could be literal, theological, eternal, or any other of a litany of adjectives, but we really want to know because, well, nothing that’s called a ‘snare of death’ is good news, particularly if you’re the person being snared. Furthermore, what is the ‘teaching of the wise’? How does it prevent us from walking into these snares of death, change our courses so thoroughly it can justly be called a ‘fountain of life’?
The teaching of the wise is, as the phrase suggests, what the wise teach. If you observe that the new definition doesn’t really help much, you’d be right; what’s important here is that we find the source of these teachings, so that we might listen to them. In other words, we need to find wisdom.
Wisdom is not an easy quality to be sure of. In the end, nobody is completely wise; everybody has some foolishness in them. Nevertheless, a standard exists by which the wisdom of both people and their teachings can be measured: the holy Word of God. The Bible is, after all, the written form of all the wisdom God deems it truly essential for His people to know, being sufficient for every good work (and, because all works are good or bad, this includes all the works we ought to desire) (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Furthermore, through it God instructs us to use it to judge teachings, to judge the world, and to discern good from evil, as did the Bereans (Acts 17:11). That which is consonant to the Word of God displays wisdom; that which is dissonant, foolishness. All within this world contains both wisdom and foolishness- for none is good but God-, but through this simple test, the parts which are wise and the parts which are foolish can by God’s grace be distinguished, understood, and treated according to their nature (Mark 10:18).
What is the danger that this Biblical wisdom will preserve us from (Psalm 119:1)? The first danger is the physical, the worldly danger. The Bible contains much wisdom useful for daily life- Ecclesiastes, Proverbs (you can say this one twice if you want), James, and more. The man who orders his daily life, with his family, in society, in business, in government, this man will be blessed. God blesses those who apply His law to their lives; therefore, they avoid much danger (Psalm 119:1).
The more important danger, though, is the danger of eternal damnation. To suffer eternally under the just and righteous wrath of God out of one’s own depraved will is a danger never to be disregarded (Matt. 18:8). Here, though, the teaching of the wise, the Bible, truly becomes a fountain of life. As Psalm 36:9 says, “In Your light do we see life.” Through the Bible God gives man the good news, the Gospel; in the words of Peter, “You have been born again… through the living and abiding word of God…. And this word is the good news that was preached to you” (1 Peter 1:23,25).
The Bible is a fountain of life to those who believe (and a condemnation to those who do not (Romans 6:4). By the blood of Jesus Christ, He saves us; through His Word, that salvation is made known to us; through His grace, that salvation is applied to us. Should we not rejoice? Should we not rejoice that the greatest terror man could face, eternal and unending death, has been conquered by the Lord of lords, that on our behalf the Son of God died, and those who with Him die may with Him rise, their sins laid upon Him, His righteousness upon them? Aspire, therefore, to love Him entirely, with heart, mind, soul, and strength, to love neighbor as self in tribute to Him and His love. This is the council of the Word of God, the teaching of Wisdom (Proverbs 8). By this council the snare of death may be evaded; by this council, the fountain of eternal life may be reached (Revelation 22:1).
Let us pray that God has mercy that we might love Him as we ought (and not as we will).
God bless.
Sanctuary Functional Medicine, under the direction of Dr Eric Potter, IFMCP MD, provides functional medicine services to Nashville, Middle Tennessee and beyond. We frequently treat patients from Kentucky, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Ohio, Indiana, and more... offering the hope of healthier more abundant lives to those with chronic illness.
