September 7 (Proverbs 3–4; Psalm 64; John 4)

Summary

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Through the ESV Bible in a Year with Jackie Hill Perry

Episode Date: September 7, 2025
Readings: Proverbs 3–4; Psalm 64; John 4
Host: Crossway

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Episode Overview

This episode of Through the ESV Bible in a Year presents a rich tapestry of wisdom literature, heartfelt pleas for protection, and transformative encounters with Jesus, as read from Proverbs 3–4, Psalm 64, and John 4. The overarching theme centers around the pursuit of wisdom, God’s active involvement in the twists and turns of human life, and the radical inclusivity and spiritual renewal brought by Jesus. These passages, selected for daily reflection, invite listeners to deeper trust, insight, and worship "in spirit and truth".

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Proverbs 3–4: The Way of Wisdom and Trust (00:04–04:32)

• Exhortation to Obedience and Remembrance
  The reading opens with a fatherly admonition to "not forget my teaching" (00:04) and to let the heart "keep my commandments" because they bring "length of days and years of life and peace" (00:08).
• The Call to Trust God Fully
  Central are the famous verses urging complete reliance on God:

  "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." (00:16–00:24)

• The Blessing and Value of Wisdom
  Wisdom is personified as surpassing the worth of "silver," "gold," and "jewels" (00:39), and is described as "a tree of life to those who lay hold of her" (00:50).

  "The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight." (03:22)

• Practical Guidance for Righteous Living
  The text warns against envying the wicked or planning evil against neighbors (02:09–02:22), instead advocating humility and the giving of good.

  "Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you. Bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart." (00:12)

• Steadfastness in Instruction
  The recurring refrain to "keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life" (04:14) anchors the section in personal responsibility and inner devotion.

2. Psalm 64: Lament and Assurance against the Wicked (04:32–05:31)

• Plea for Protection from Enemies
  The psalmist cries out for preservation "from the dread of the enemy" and vivid imagery is used to describe the enemy’s schemes:

  "They whet their tongues like swords, who aim bitter words like arrows." (04:47)

• Confidence in God’s Justice
  Even as the wicked "search out injustice," God "shoots his arrow at them"—a reversal of their plots (05:08).
• Communal Impact
  It concludes with the righteous rejoicing and "telling what God has brought about" (05:22), emphasizing not only individual but collective trust and celebration in God’s deliverance.

3. John 4: The Woman at the Well and the Expanding Horizon of Salvation (05:31–End)

• A Boundary-Crossing Conversation
  Jesus initiates dialogue with a Samaritan woman, defying social and religious boundaries (06:04).

  "How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?" (06:16)

• The Promise of Living Water
  Jesus offers the woman "living water," a metaphor for the eternal satisfaction and new life he provides (06:23–06:56).

  "The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." (06:58)

• Revelation of Jesus’ True Identity
  Jesus reveals knowledge of the woman’s life and her longing for the Messiah:

  "I who speak to you am he." (07:26–07:41)

• True Worship Redefined
  A pivotal teaching on worship emerges:

  "But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth." (07:23)

• Witness and Belief in Samaria
  The woman's testimony leads many to believe:

  "Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?" (08:36)
  The people respond after meeting Jesus:
  "It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world." (09:41–09:47)

• A Miracle of Healing
  Jesus heals an official’s dying son from afar, underscoring faith in his word over signs alone (09:53–End).

  "Go; your son will live." (09:54)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Proverbs

• On Trusting God Completely

  "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding." (00:16)

• On the Priority of Wisdom

  "She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her." (00:44)

• On Vigilance

  "Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life." (04:14)

Psalm 64

• On the Power of Words

  "Who whet their tongues like swords, who aim bitter words like arrows." (04:47)

• On God’s Justice

  "But God shoots his arrow at them. They are wounded suddenly; they are brought to ruin." (05:08–05:12)

• On Joyful Trust

  "Let the righteous one rejoice in the Lord and take refuge in him; let all the upright in heart exult." (05:24–05:27)

John 4

• On Living Water

  "The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." (06:58)

• On the Nature of True Worship

  "True worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him." (07:23)

• On the Growth of Faith

  "Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?" (08:36) "We know that this is indeed the Savior of the world." (09:47)

• On Faith and Miracles

  "Go; your son will live. The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way." (09:54)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Proverbs 3–4 Reading — 00:04–04:32
• Psalm 64 Reading — 04:32–05:31
• John 4 (Woman at the Well and Miracles) — 05:31–End (~10:30)

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Tone & Style

The readings maintain a reverent, instructive tone throughout, blending fatherly advice from Proverbs, urgent petition in Psalms, and the direct yet gracious voice of Jesus in John. The language is poetic, memorable, and filled with reassurance and challenge.

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Summary Takeaways

This episode traces the centrality of wisdom and trust in God (Proverbs), perseverance amid threats (Psalms), and the breaking of boundaries and offering of living water and true worship (John). At its heart, the selections remind listeners to seek wisdom, to take refuge in God, and to embrace the hope and transformation offered by Christ’s presence and word—an invitation extended, as shown in John 4, to all people.

Transcript

[Narrator/Reader]

A reading from the Book of Proverbs.

[Reader/Reciter]

My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments. For length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you. Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you. Bind them around your neck. Write them on the tablet of your heart so you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes. Fear the Lord and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones. Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the first fruits of all your produce. Then your barns will be filled with plenty and your vats will be bursting with wine. My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline or be weary of his reproof. For the Lord reproves him whom he loves as a father, the Son in whom he delights. Blessed is the one who finds wisdom and the one who gets understanding. For the gain from her is better than gain from silver and her profit better than gold. She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her. Long life is in her right hand. In her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her. Those who hold her fast are called blessed. The Lord by wisdom founded the earth. By understanding he established the heavens. By his knowledge the deeps broke open and the clouds dropped down the dew. My son, do not lose sight of these. Keep sound wisdom and discretion and they will be life for your soul and adornment for your neck. Then you will walk on your way securely and your foot will not stumble.

[Narrator/Reader]

If you lie down, you will not be afraid.

[Reader/Reciter]

When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. Do not be afraid of sudden terror or of the ruin of the wicked when it comes. For the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught. Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due. When it is in your power to do it. Do not say to your neighbor, go, and come again tomorrow. I will give it. When you have it with you. Do not plan evil against your neighbor who dwells trustingly beside you. Do not contend with a man for no reason when he has done you no harm. Do not envy a man of violence and do not choose any of his ways. For the devious person is an abomination to the Lord but the upright are in his confidence. The Lord's curse is on the house of the wicked but he blesses the dwelling of the righteous. Toward the scorners he is scornful, but to the humble he gives favor. The wise will inherit honor, but fools get disgrace. Hear, O sons, a father's instruction and be attentive that you may gain insight. For I give you good precepts. Do not forsake my teaching. When I was a son, with my father tender, the only one in the sight of my mother, he taught me and said to me, Let your heart hold fast my words, keep my commandments and live. Get wisdom, get insight, do not forget and do not turn away from the words of my mouth. Do not forsake her and she will keep you. Love her and she will guard you. The beginning of wisdom is get wisdom and whatever you get, get insight. Prize her highly and she will exalt you, she will honor you. If you embrace her, she will place on your head a graceful garland. She will bestow on you a beautiful crown. Hear, my son, and accept my words that the years of your life may be many. I have taught you the way of wisdom. I have led you in the path of uprightness. When you walk, your step will not be hampered and if you run, you will not stumble. Keep hold of instruction, do not let go. Guard her, for she is your life. Do not enter the path of the wicked and do not walk in the way of the evil. Avoid it, do not go on it. Turn away from it and pass on. For they cannot sleep unless they have done wrong. They are robbed of sleep unless they have made someone stumble. For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence. But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn which shines brighter and brighter until full day. The way of the wicked is like deep darkness. They do not know over what they stumble. My son, be attentive to my words, incline your ear to my sayings. Let them not escape from your sight. Keep them within your heart, for they are life to those who find them and healing to all their flesh. Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flows the springs of life. Put away from you crooked speech and put devious talk far from you. Let your eyes look directly forward and your gaze be straight before you. Ponder the path of your feet. Then all your ways will be sure. Do not swerve to the right or to the left. Turn your foot away from evil A.

[Narrator/Reader]

Reading from the Book of Psalms to the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

[Reader/Reciter]

Hear my voice, O God, and my complaint preserve my life from dread of the enemy Hide me from the secret.

[Narrator/Reader]

Plots of the wicked, from the throng.

[Reader/Reciter]

Of evildoers who whet their tongues like swords, who aim bitter words like arrows.

[Narrator/Reader]

Shooting from ambush at the blameless, shooting at him. Suddenly and without fear they hold fast to their evil purpose.

[Reader/Reciter]

They talk of laying snares, secretly thinking.

[Narrator/Reader]

Who can see them. They search out injustice, saying, we have accomplished a diligent search for the inward.

[Reader/Reciter]

Mind and heart of a man are deep. But God shoots his arrow at them. They are wounded.

[Narrator/Reader]

Suddenly they are brought to ruin with their own tongues turned against them.

[Reader/Reciter]

All who see them will wag their heads. Then all mankind fears. They tell what God has brought about.

[Narrator/Reader]

And ponder what he has done.

[Reader/Reciter]

Let the righteous one rejoice in the.

[Narrator/Reader]

Lord and take refuge in him.

[Reader/Reciter]

Let all the upright in heart exalt.

[Narrator/Reader]

A reading from the Gospel according to John. Now when Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John, although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples. He left Judea and departed again for Galilee. And he had to pass through Samaria. So he came to a town of Samaria called Sakar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob's well was there. So Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well.

[Reader/Reciter]

It was about the sixth hour.

[Narrator/Reader]

A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, give me a drink. For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. The Samaritan woman said to him, how is it that you, a Jew, asked for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria, for Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. Jesus answered her, if you knew the gift of God and who it is that is saying to you, give me a drink, you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water. The woman said to him, sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep.

[Reader/Reciter]

Where do you get that living water?

[Narrator/Reader]

Are you greater than our Father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock. Jesus said to her, everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again. But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again.

[Reader/Reciter]

The water that I will give him.

[Narrator/Reader]

Will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life. The woman said to him, sir, give Me this water so that I will not be thirsty. Or have to come here to draw water. Jesus said to her, go, call your husband and come here. The woman answered him, I have no husband. Jesus said to her, you are right in saying I have no husband. For you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband.

[Reader/Reciter]

What you have said is true.

[Narrator/Reader]

The woman said to him, sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain. But you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship. Jesus said to her, woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know. We worship what we know. For salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming and is now here when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth. For the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth. The woman said to him, I know that Messiah is coming, he who was called Christ. When he comes, he will tell us all things. Jesus said to her, I who speak to you am he. Just then his disciples came back. They marveled that he was talking with a woman. But no one said, what do you seek? Or why are you talking with her? So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, come see a man who told me all that I ever did.

[Reader/Reciter]

Can this be the Christ?

[Narrator/Reader]

They went out of the town and were coming to him. Meanwhile, the disciples were urging him, saying, rabbi, eat. But he said to them, I have food to eat that you do not know about. So the disciples said to one another, has anyone brought him something to eat? Jesus said to them, my food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. Do you not say there are yet four months? Then comes the harvest.

[Reader/Reciter]

Look, I tell you.

[Narrator/Reader]

Lift up your eyes and see that the fields are white for harvest.

[Reader/Reciter]

Already the one who reaps is receiving.

[Narrator/Reader]

Wages and gathering fruit for eternal life. So that sower and reaper may rejoice together. For here the saying holds true. One sows and another reaps.

[Reader/Reciter]

I sent you to reap that for.

[Narrator/Reader]

Which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor. Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony. He told me all that I ever did. So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them. And he stayed there two days and many more believed because of his word. They said to the woman, it is.

[Reader/Reciter]

No longer because of what you said that we believe.

[Narrator/Reader]

For we have heard for ourselves. And we know that this is indeed.

[Reader/Reciter]

The Savior of the world.

[Narrator/Reader]

After the two days, he departed for Galilee. For Jesus himself had testified that a prophet has no honor in his own hometown. So when he came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him. Having seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the feast. For they too, had gone to the feast. So he came again to Cana in Galilee. Where he had made the water, wine and. And at Capernaum there was an official whose son was ill. When this man heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee. He went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son. For he was at the point of death. So Jesus said to him, unless you see signs and wonders, you will not believe. The official said to him, sir, come down before my child dies. Jesus said to him, go. Your son will live. The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him. And went on his way. As he was going down, his servants met him and told him that his son was recovering. So he asked them the hour when he began to get better. And they said to him, yesterday, at the seventh hour, the fever left him. The Father knew that was the hour when Jesus had said to him. Your son will live. And he himself believed in all his household. This was now the second sign that Jesus did. When he had come from Judea to Galilee.