Proverbs 24 … Consider Him, Our Master Builder

Originally posted: 1/17/2021

By wisdom a house is built,
And by understanding it is established;
⁴ And by knowledge the rooms are filled
With all precious and pleasant riches, (24:3-4).

Wisdom is definitely needed for architectural plans and implementation. But is this verse really about an edifice, a physical structure? Not likely; the book of Proverbs is a poetic genre of writing and often utilizes symbolism. This verse could be alluding to the environment that wisdom provides in the home; a home filled with the precious and pleasant riches of wisdom and understanding.

But very likely, this verse alludes to our lives, to the house that our spirit dwells in.

The “house” is figurative of the whole life, the “chambers” of all regions, inward and outward, of it, Barnes’ Notes on the Bible.

That “house,” the inward and outward regions of our whole lives, can never be built in and of ourselves.

For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens, (2 Corinthians 5:1).

What God does in the life of a believer, is beyond anyone’s ability to do. He alone creates us as His eternal new creation in the wisdom and righteousness of Christ.

But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, (1 Corinthians 1:30).

He alone can fill our spirits with the precious and pleasant riches of wisdom and understanding.

For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, (Colossians 1:9).

He alone is Our Master Builder, creating us as His masterpiece in Christ, that we would walk in the plans He has prepared.

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them, (Ephesians 2:8).

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago, (Ephesians 2:8 NLT).

Consider Him, Our Master Builder

From today’s reading we can glean at least twelve ways the Lord works to Masterfully Build us as His masterpiece.

• He Builds us by His Wisdom and Understanding.
  • By wisdom a house is built,
    And by understanding it is established; (24:3).

• He Builds us by His Knowledge and Riches.
  • And by knowledge the rooms are filled
    With all precious and pleasant riches, (24:4).

• He Builds us by the Power of His Truth.
  • A wise man is strong,
    And a man of knowledge increases power, (24:5).

• He Builds us by His Guidance and Counsel.
  • For by wise guidance you will wage war,
    And in abundance of counselors there is victory, (24:6).

• He Builds us by His Sure Future and Hope.
  • My son, eat honey, for it is good,
    Yes, the honey from the comb is sweet to your taste;
    ¹⁴ Know that wisdom is thus for your soul;
    If you find it, then there will be a future,
    And your hope will not be cut off, (24:13-14).

• He Builds us by His Endurance and Perseverance.
  • For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again,
    But the wicked stumble in time of calamity, (24:16).

• He Builds us by His Compassion.
  • Do not rejoice when your enemy falls,
    And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles; (24:17).

• He Builds us by His Assurance.
  • Do not fret because of evildoers
    Or be envious of the wicked;
    ²⁰ For there will be no future for the evil man;
    The lamp of the wicked will be put out, (24:19-20).

• He Builds us by His Righteous Justice.
  • These also are sayings of the wise.
    To show partiality in judgment is not good, (24:23).

• He Builds us by His Diligent Preparation.
  • Prepare your work outside
    And make it ready for yourself in the field;
    Afterwards, then, build your house, (24:27).

• He Builds us by His Forgiveness.
  •  Do not say, “Thus I shall do to him as he has done to me;
    I will render to the man according to his work,” (24:29).

• He Builds us by His Forethought and Prudence.
  • I passed by the field of the sluggard
    And by the vineyard of the man lacking sense,
    ³¹ And behold, it was completely overgrown with thistles;
    Its surface was covered with nettles,
    And its stone wall was broken down.
    ³² When I saw, I reflected upon it;
    I looked, and received instruction. (24:30-32).

How do we respond to Him, Our Master Builder?

Proverbs 24 begins with a word of caution: do not envy or desire those who are not walking with God but are walking after their own evil desires.

Do not be envious of evil men,
Nor desire to be with them, (24:1).

Oh, that our desire would be to quickly turn away from the enticements of anything that does not honor and glorify God, that we would daily walk in Christ with overflowing faith and gratitude as we trust Him, Our Master Builder.

Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, ⁷ having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude, (Colossians 2:6-7).

He is Our Master Builder, and He is faithful; let us live in confident faith as we trust Him to perfectly complete His work in us.

For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus, (Philippians 1:6).

Let us remember that the day is coming when we will see Jesus just as He is. And when we do, we will be like Him and His work will be complete. Let us choose to walk in hope and purity as we look forward to that day when we will see Him, Our Master Builder, just as He is!

Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. ³ And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure, (1 John 3:2-3).

Let’s Grow Together!