We continue to examine the purposes that Solomon expects his proverbs to fulfill.

He has told us in verse two that he is providing proverbs to know wisdom.

Of course the ultimate knowledge of wisdom is to know Jesus Christ who is wisdom in person form.

He has told us in verse two that he is providing proverbs to know instruction, that is to know chastisement, reproof, or correction as a friend, as a helper.

Now this is an unusual attitude and will not be realized in a young child.

But this is the standard for the Christian and its realization ought to be sought by every parent in the life of their children.

And verse two continues with the purpose of the proverbs:

to give the young man the ability to distinguish, to discriminate, and to know what words contribute to understanding

or what words take away from understanding.

Continuing in verse three Solomon gives us proverbs which will provide the young man the ability to receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, judgment and equity.

The word 'receive' in this verse indicates an active participation in a process.

It is not like simply receiving a gift, for many gifts simply gather dust.

Many gifts, although received, are not appreciated and are not used.

But the word 'receive' describes the act of getting a gift and fully making use of that gift.

It is like getting a tie that becomes your favorite tie and because of much use it is worn out quickly.

The Hebrew word translated 'receive' in this verse is translated "take in" in many other verses of the Bible.

Solomon purposes his proverbs such that the instruction that the young man receives "takes" in the young man.

It is to be a sticking instruction.

It is to be instruction that makes a difference in the young man's life.

It is what the Christian teacher hopes for in the life of his or her student.

Did Santa Rosa Christian School "take", in the graduate's life?

Did what he learned at our school make a difference in his life?

Am I making a difference in the lives of my students?

In other words is my instruction 'taking' in their lives?

Is it sticking; is it being received?

Now four things that Solomon purposes to cause sticking or taking in the young man are Wisdom, justice, judgment, and equity!.

Solomon knows that the young man is out of kilter.

The young man comes into this world out of order. The young man is not right.

He needs correction, he needs reproof, he need chastisement.

And Wisdom, justice, judgment, and equity are to be his instructors!

Wisdom, justice, judgment, and equity are to be his correctors; they are to put him in order.

The word wisdom in this third verse is not from the same Hebrew word as the word wisdom in the second verse.

It is a word more clearly defined by our word circumspect.

Circum means circular. Spect is the same spect that is used in specticals.

So spect means to look. Therefore circumspect means to look around.

Circumspect literally means to look at all sides.

It means to be cautious, prudent; watchful on all sides.

It means to examine carefully all the circumstances that may affect a determination, or a measure to be adopted or a decision to be made.

It means to know in the mind before the mouth is engaged.

So Solomon's proverbs are purposed to put into the young man a correction from looking at things from a narrow self centered direction to looking at all sides of the issue.

Look around young man and examine all things that should affect your decision making and your speech.

This instruction of wisdom is to 'take' or 'stick' to the young man and to be a part of his nature.

He is admonished to receive the instruction of wisdom and then he is also told to receive the instruction of justice.

What does justice have to teach? What is the instruction of justice?

The instruction of justice is to DO RIGHT BY ALL MEN!

People of the world like to quote their Intelligence Quotient, their IQ.

But God looks at your JQ, your Justice Quotient.

Here is a test of your justice quotient?

Maybe we are not as just as we think!

Jesus Christ said in Matthew 5:44,45, .... Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

But what do we do? We love those that love us.

We bless them that bless us. We do good only to them that don't hate us.

We pray only for them who treat us well.

We are respecter of persons. We are not 'just' persons if we do such things.

God does not withhold the sun or the rain from those who are unjust and only shower his benefits upon those who are just.

God is no respecter of persons: He shares his benefits with all.

They are there for the taking.

God is just and he expects those who call him Father to be just also that you may truly be the children of your Father which is in heaven.

Justice demands that if you love them which love you you are also to love them that don't love you.

That is justice, that is fairness. We are not to even be a respecter of persons with our love.

Matthew 5:46,  For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?

Who do you greet each morning? Who do you show kindness to each day?

Matthew 5:47, .. if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?

Are you kind to your own?

Do you greet those who are in a position to affect your life or be profitable to you and ignore those of lesser standing who make no contribution to your welfare?

This is justice that hits close to home. This is Biblical justice.

So young man, young woman, receive the instruction of justice Solomon admonishes.

Justice instructs you to:

Love your enemies because you love your friends,

Justice instructs you to: bless them that curse you, because you bless them that are kind to you,

Justice instructs you to: do good to them that hate you because you do good to them that love you,

Justice instructs you to: pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you because you pray for them who don't use you and who treat you kindly.

Why? Because you are made in the image of your Father and he expects his children to project that image in their walk.

Matthew 5:48,  Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

2 Corinthians 9:8,  And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:

Justice is grace received and grace shared.

Proverbs 1:3,  To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity;

We continue in verse 3 with Solomon's purpose for the proverbs to receive the instruction of judgment:

Judgment is a result of wisdom applied.

A judgment in a court of law is not rendered until the evidence has been presented.

Prejudice on the other hand is judgment formed without examination of the facts or arguments necessary to a just and impartial decision.

Prejudice is pre judging. Prejudice is judging before the time for judgment.

Prejudice rejects wisdom. Prejudice desires to bypass wisdom.

Prejudice rushes to judgment when judgment calls for slow measured progress toward a conclusion, toward a determination.

Prejudice is lazy because it wants to arrive at a conclusion without effort or thought.

Prejudice caters to the flesh because prejudice reinforces the ideas of the flesh.

Prejudice is the mark of a loser and not a winner!

Prejudice played a part in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

If the Jews had been interested in truth they would have been interested in Jesus Christ.

He was judged guilty without due examination of the facts.

He was rushed to judgment!

The flesh wars against the spirit without proper foundation because the flesh is prejudiced against anything that crucifies the flesh.

The flesh is not interested in truth and therefore loves prejudice.

But the child of God ought not to engage in prejudiced thinking or prejudiced acts because God his Father never judges without knowing every fact of every issue.

He is not impulsive in his judgments.

So Solomon purposes for the young man to receive the instruction of judgment thereby not receiving the instruction of prejudice.

James agrees when in James 1:19 he instructs every man to be swift to hear but slow to speak.

Judgment requires the wisdom of circumspection, judgment requires justice.

Judgment instructs that the young man look around and examine all sides of the issue.

Judgment instructs him not to respect men and lean his decision toward the man who will profit him most.

Men are not to be his standard by which judgments are made.

His judgments are not to be made considering who they will please or not please.

Judgment instructs him to compare ideas, facts and arguments to determine a just and impartial decision.

Judgment instructs the young man to reject lazy thought processes of the mind.

Processes that arrive at conclusions without giving fair hearing to sufficient evidence to make a wise and informed determination.

Judgment instructs that a just man will give a fair hearing of the facts of all sides of an issue before concluding the matter.

The man who will not do that is not a just man.

God is just and he expects those who call him Father to be just also that you may truly be the children of your Father which is in heaven.

So Solomon purposes that the young man receive the instruction of judgment and also the instruction of equity.

All men have the right to claim equity in the administration of justice.

Justice is to be blind because when the eye enters into the process the possibility of corruption of justice takes place.

Equity is a level playing field for all the players.

Each player is to have an equal opportunity for justice.

The instruction of equity to the young man is to be impartial in the distribution of justice.

Equity instructs that all must be treated justly.

All must be treated fairly and evenly.

Equity instructs that justice is not reserved for one individual or one group to the exclusion of another individual or another group.

Justice is not to be exclusive but to be inclusive and available to all.

There is never a reason or a time where one can be unjust.

Justice is to be dispensed with equity, with an evenness, with a fairness, conforming with established rules as applied to all.

Fairness implies eliminating one's own feelings, prejudices and desires.

Fairness is achieving a proper balance of conflicting interests.

The phrase "All men are created equal" comes into play when one thinks of equity.

All men are not created equal in the physical sense or in the matter of talents and abilities.

That is obvious.

But as far as the dispensation of justice all men are to have equal opportunity for justice regardless of their physical attributes or their worldly connections or lack of worldly connections.

This is the instruction of equity.

In summary Solomon intends for the young man to look all around him, be circumspect, take advantage of all the facts and knowledge at his disposal.

Apply that knowledge with justice, not being a respecter of men in his application of that knowledge

He is to "DO RIGHT BY ALL MEN!"

He is not to be a respecter of persons with his love.

He are not to be a respecter of persons with his kindness.

He are not to be a respecter of persons with his justice.

He is to love his enemies if he loves his friends,

He is to bless them that curse him if he blesses them that are kind to him,

He is to do good to them that hate him if he does good to them that love him,

He is to pray for them which despitefully use him, and persecute him if he prays for them who don't use him and who treat him kindly.

He is to prepare himself to be just in his judgments by knowing the facts, and giving fair hearing to sufficient evidence to make a wise and informed determination.

And he is to use those facts with good judgment and apply that justice evenly and consistently to all men at all times.

Quite a purpose of God's word isn't it?