James 3:1-12 |Proverbs13:2| Proverbs 18: 20 | Proverbs 8| Jeremiah 10:23
If we are going into the realm of council, it means a type of wisdom was consulted initially. The product of council is direction and the product of wisdom is to give an accurate direction with our calling in God, our purpose in God, and the will of God in our life.
Jeremiah 10:23 - I know, O Lord, that the way of man is not in himself, that it is not in man who walks to direct his steps
There is nothing we can do by ourselves that is able to inform or bring to light our way. (inform - Illuminate, Imbue). Even though we are full of intelligence, there's a function we cannot generate by human wisdom, and that function is the ability to direct our steps. That means for direction to come to us, we will have to obtain it from another source, because God did not include in our members to be able to direct ourselves. We will need to subscribe to one of two wisdom to fill that function in our life, the wisdom from above or the wisdom from below as stated in James 3:13-18. We need to be careful we do not sell the wisdom of man in place of the council of God. If we can not give insight to our own way by our own spirit, then we should be careful not to give way that the learned wisdom of man, is not confused with the Wisdom of God. (His thought are not our thoughts, and His ways are not our ways.)
Isaiah 55:8-9 : For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD
James 3:1-8 Speaks about the course of a life, and what guides that life, with the last few verses showing that the Source or origin cannot produce an outcome contrary to its self. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water. It should not be our wisdom or knowledge, but the wisdom of God that directs and changes to correct a life because of love. It is not His will that we perish in foolishness, but live in Him.
Jesus said this in Matthew 15:18 : "But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person." This was given in the OT:
Proverbs 13:2 - From the fruit of his mouth a man eats what is good, but the desire of the treacherous is for violence
This shows that when we speak, our words reflect the wisdom of God, the vain wisdom of man or the crooked wisdom of Satan and demons. For whatever council we have submitted ourselves to, we will follow that path to the destination that has already been set. For example, If a man purposes in his heart to commit adultery he will listen to that council, and a way will be formed out of the wisdom needed to achieve that end. His thoughts, words and actions will line up with that course, that track of life. If a man or woman is full of bitterness or anger, and comes into agreement (council) with it. He or she will speak and act in a manner that will lead to the expression of the heart's agreement with that council, with the end result being to harm another. In the New Testament, we see that God moved in power against the wisdom of Satan to set a standard and an example. For the first example, it was not sinners or the ungodly, but believers that Satan had turned to follow his wisdom to fulfill the desires of greed in Acts 5.
Acts 5 : 1. But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, 2. and with his wife's knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles' feet. 3. But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? 4. While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God.”
Notice here that they agree between themselves and in their hearts ( council has been set ) by the Knowledge of the wife and Satan filled them with wisdom to use that knowledge TO lie with profit being more money. An agreement was formed, a was path made to get to the destination, they started to talk and act in a manner that followed their hearts council ( walk that path) and they reached the end point ( more money). However, God gives the answers to a man life and path, in this case the answer to their sin, acceptance of Satan's wisdom and their own folly was death. Proverbs 16:9 - Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand. The second example, we can find in Acts 13.
Acts 13 : 6. When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they came upon a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus. 7. He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence, who summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. 8. But Elymas the magician (for that is the meaning of his name) opposed them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. 9. But Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him 10. and said, “You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord? 11. And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and unable to see the sun for a time.” Immediately mist and darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking people to lead him by the hand. 12. Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had occurred, for he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord.
Here we see a man caught in the middle of two councils, 2 wisdom's and two end points. Paul, and Barnabas was first lead here by the Holy the Spirit and not of their own with the Spirits intent that this man, proconsul, Sergius Paulus be turned to the council and wisdom of God. However, there present with him was a person filled with deception to turn the path of this man's life to a destructive end. As the Holy Spirits gives us understanding, we can see that the destiny of this man was defined by the spirit realm, not the physical. If Paul had not come and heeded the Holy Spirit's instruction. This man would have more than likely been seduced by Satan's messenger into a path of destruction orchestrated by the wisdom of Satan to destroy him. Yet, God in His mercy sent Paul and Barnabas, and this man inclined to God's way by the demonstration of His power.
Psalm 119:36 - Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain! incline - 3. lean or turn away from a given plane or direction, especially the vertical or horizontal. Testimonies: a formal written or spoken statement and an evidence or proof provided by the existence or appearance of something.
I pray, that we all humble ourselves to the council of God, and the riches of His mercy, found in Jesus Christ. That we may live, walk and reach the destiny in Christ Jesus He as set for each of us without accepting, mixing in or erring away. That we know it is in Him and Him alone we have our being, and forsake the taunts of demons to give way to sin, to deny our own human wisdom and understand that in God there is a better and higher way. As the apostle wrote, it is not I who lives, but Christ in me. So we should be walking in a manner that reflects that wisdom without compromise because than it is not Him who guides us but another.
Proverbs 18: 20 - From the fruit of a man’s mouth his stomach is satisfied; he is satisfied by the yield of his lips.