Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.
Wisdom cries openly in public gathering places — in the streets, in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates and in the city — to the simple who love simplicity, the scorners who delight in scorning, and the fools who hate knowledge, calling them to turn at reproof with promise to pour out the Spirit and make known God's words. That same public calling shows Christ's teaching was not confined to synagogues but was given wherever people gathered.
The call is directed to those persisting in ungodliness to turn when reproved and corrected by God. Turning means yielding to God's call, regarding His outstretched hand, and receiving His counsel and reproof. It means repenting and turning from sin.
To those who respond, God promises to pour out His Spirit and to make His words known to them. Those who turn when corrected by wisdom will receive God's Spirit and have His words made known to them, and heeding this instruction leads to safety and freedom from fear of evil. What God pours out from the opened windows of heaven is not gold and silver showered down to pay for gospel work, but something of infinitely greater value, His own Holy Spirit.
This promise of the Spirit blesses those who are faithful in duty as stewards by bringing all tithes and offerings into the storehouse to supply means to send preachers to destitute fields so the lost can hear and be saved, and the Holy Spirit blesses their faithfulness. Turning also brings the promise of pardon to the repentant sinner who confesses sin. Forgiveness comes through Christ's sacrifice, which meets the law's demands without setting aside God's justice.
Refusing the call and setting counsel at naught brings a sure result, illustrated by Pharaoh, who yielded under the plagues and then disregarded the evidence when they were removed. Rejection of light and evidence brings moral darkness, a shadow and darkness made more dark because of the light sent, not confirmed by God but drawn by the man himself withdrawing from light and yielding to seducing arts. The person draws a curtain of unbelief so light cannot be distinguished from darkness, so that more light and evidence will then only be misunderstood and greater evidence brings greater indifference. The deceived soul calls darkness light and truth error, hates knowledge, does not choose the fear of the Lord, despises reproof, and eats the fruit of his own way and is filled with his own devices.
The surrounding context warns that refusal and rejection of correction leads to calamity. Fear will come as desolation and destruction as a whirlwind with distress and anguish, Wisdom will laugh at calamity and mock, and those who call will not be answered and will seek early but not find. Whoever hearkens and heeds instruction will dwell safely and be quiet from fear of evil.
Wisdom cries openly in public gathering places — in the streets, in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates and in the city — to the simple who love simplicity, the scorners who delight in scorning, and the fools who hate knowledge, calling them to turn at reproof with promise to pour out the Spirit and make known God's words. That same public calling shows Christ's teaching was not confined to synagogues but was given wherever people gathered.
The call is directed to those persisting in ungodliness to turn when reproved and corrected by God. Turning means yielding to God's call, regarding His outstretched hand, and receiving His counsel and reproof. It means repenting and turning from sin.
To those who respond, God promises to pour out His Spirit and to make His words known to them. Those who turn when corrected by wisdom will receive God's Spirit and have His words made known to them, and heeding this instruction leads to safety and freedom from fear of evil. What God pours out from the opened windows of heaven is not gold and silver showered down to pay for gospel work, but something of infinitely greater value, His own Holy Spirit.
This promise of the Spirit blesses those who are faithful in duty as stewards by bringing all tithes and offerings into the storehouse to supply means to send preachers to destitute fields so the lost can hear and be saved, and the Holy Spirit blesses their faithfulness. Turning also brings the promise of pardon to the repentant sinner who confesses sin. Forgiveness comes through Christ's sacrifice, which meets the law's demands without setting aside God's justice.
Refusing the call and setting counsel at naught brings a sure result, illustrated by Pharaoh, who yielded under the plagues and then disregarded the evidence when they were removed. Rejection of light and evidence brings moral darkness, a shadow and darkness made more dark because of the light sent, not confirmed by God but drawn by the man himself withdrawing from light and yielding to seducing arts. The person draws a curtain of unbelief so light cannot be distinguished from darkness, so that more light and evidence will then only be misunderstood and greater evidence brings greater indifference. The deceived soul calls darkness light and truth error, hates knowledge, does not choose the fear of the Lord, despises reproof, and eats the fruit of his own way and is filled with his own devices.
The surrounding context warns that refusal and rejection of correction leads to calamity. Fear will come as desolation and destruction as a whirlwind with distress and anguish, Wisdom will laugh at calamity and mock, and those who call will not be answered and will seek early but not find. Whoever hearkens and heeds instruction will dwell safely and be quiet from fear of evil.