Proverbs 1a (new) Why is my life so hard (S1)

Proverbs (S2)

King Solomon was the richest man in the world because he was the most wise. Princes, kings, and advisors from all over the world would come seeking his counsel - offering gifts. This path to wisdom is what has been recorded in the book of Proverbs.

Imagine: This is the most secure and prosperous Israel has ever been and Solomon is essentially telling them how to not screw it up.

A sermon to myself 10 years ago

I used to think my life was so hard (S3) We got evicted from our first apartment. Our first car got repossessed. We never had enough money to pay the bills. I was always exhausted. My sleep was terrible. It was a struggle to pretend to be happy. I would ask myself this question, why is my life so hard?

We’ve all heard the question: If you could go back ten years and tell yourself something what would it be? This sermon is that. (S4) This is to me ten years ago.

Why is life so hard? (S?)

There are a few different reasons we see in scripture that life might be hard.

(S5) You might be suffering for the sake of righteousness. Jesus suffered for doing Good and sometimes God allows us to join in His suffering. Maybe your life is hard because God is giving you the honor of joining Christ in this kind of suffering.

(S6) You might be suffering under the oppression of demonic forces. We know that our battle is not against flesh and blood. You may be doing something that’s getting some attention in the spiritual side of things and your spiritual enemies are trying to slow you down. We see that with the disciples in the new testament, prophets in the old.

(S7) Maybe God is doing something more important in your life than making you comfortable. Maybe he’s using your “hard life” to grow you, proclaim the gospel, help others, make you dependent on Him, giving you a testimony.

(S8) Maybe your life isn’t hard and you’re just ungrateful. What if your life is awesome and no matter what God gave you you’d call it a “hard life” because you aren’t thankful for the hot water on demand, the toilet, refrigerator, and freedom that most of humanity throughout time couldn’t even dream of.

OR MAYBE - and this is where we are today - Norman from 10 years ago your life is hard because… you’re an idiot. (S9)

Maybe your life is hard because you make it hard. This is the point of Proverbs. Israel is living in the promise of God. He’s willing to give them everything they need to be in relationship with Him. If they walk in wisdom, if they aren’t idiots they’ll stay that way. However, if they/we/you choose foolishness our life’s will be much more difficult than they need to be.

Proverbs 1:1–7 (NIV)

1 The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:

(S10) 2 for gaining wisdom and instruction; for understanding words of insight; 3 for receiving instruction in prudent behavior, doing what is right and just and fair;

4 for giving prudence to those who are simple, knowledge and discretion to the young— 5 let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance— 6 for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise. 7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Proverbs was written so that the children of Israel would be wise, but to what end?

Proverbs 2 (NIV)

1 My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, 2 turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding— 3 indeed, if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, 4 and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, 5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. 6 For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

7 He holds success in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, 8 for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones. 9 Then you will understand what is right and just and fair—every good path. 10 For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. 11 Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you. 12 Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men, from men whose words are perverse, 13 who have left the straight paths to walk in dark ways, 14 who delight in doing wrong and rejoice in the perverseness of evil, 15 whose paths are crooked and who are devious in their ways. 16 Wisdom will save you also from the adulterous woman, from the wayward woman with her seductive words, 17 who has left the partner of her youth and ignored the covenant she made before God. 18 Surely her house leads down to death and her paths to the spirits of the dead. 19 None who go to her return or attain the paths of life. 20 Thus you will walk in the ways of the good and keep to the paths of the righteous.

(S11) 21 For the upright will live in the land, and the blameless will remain in it;

22 but the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the unfaithful will be torn from it.

(S12) The end of wisdom is to live well in right relationship with God.

Notice it isn’t to earn the land. The religious thought as much in Jesus’ time.

Ok, so for sake of argument let’s say I’m an idiot

How does Proverbs help?

1st it’s important to understand proverbs is not a Law it’s a Map (S13) What’s the difference?

A law is a list of do’s and don’ts. Pay your taxes: don’t kill an innocent person.

A map is not like that. It’s not always correct to turn to the right or to the left. You shouldn’t always travel north. It depends on where you’re at.

Proverbs is a map that you can use to travel to wisdom.

So which way you should go depends on where you are and where you’ve been.

Example:

(S14) I shouldn’t worry about money because God keeps the just from great calamity and I might end up storing up wealth just to die a day later. Then my wealth would be given to those who didn’t work for it.

I should worry about money. Look at the ant. It goes out in the summer and collects food because it knows winter is around the corner. Because the ant is diligent it doesn’t starve when there is no harvest. You need to work when it’s available and save for winter.

So should I worry about saving for the future or not? Well it depends on where you are.

Proverbs 30:8-10 “8 Keep falsehood and lies far from me;

(S15) give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread.

9 Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God. 10 “Do not slander a servant to their master, or they will curse you, and you will pay for it.”

So then what do I do?

If proverbs is a map and gives us multiple answers to the choices of life how do we navigate it?

This is the most important thing about wisdom. (S16) It’s not inside you.

Proverbs 4:1–19 (NIV)

1 Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction; pay attention and gain understanding. 2 I give you sound learning, so do not forsake my teaching. 3 For I too was a son to my father, still tender, and cherished by my mother. 4 Then he taught me, and he said to me, “Take hold of my words with all your heart; keep my commands, and you will live. 5 Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or turn away from them. 6 Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you.

(S17) 7 The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom.

Though it cost all you have, get understanding.

(If it cost you all you have, you must not have it. It doesn’t say cultivate your wisdom.)

8 Cherish her, and she will exalt you; embrace her, and she will honor you. 9 She will give you a garland to grace your head and present you with a glorious crown.” 10 Listen, my son, accept what I say, and the years of your life will be many. 11 I instruct you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths. 12 When you walk, your steps will not be hampered; when you run, you will not stumble. 13 Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life. 14 Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evildoers. 15 Avoid it, do not travel on it; turn from it and go on your way. 16 For they cannot rest until they do evil; they are robbed of sleep till they make someone stumble. 17 They eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence. 18 The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day. 19 But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble.

(S18) Wisdom is not about having, it’s about seeking

Wisdom is in God, in scripture, wisdom is in others, wisdom is out there - not in here

So, Norman from 10 years ago, to answer your question. Your life is hard because you make it hard.

You’re an idiot. The fact you think you aren’t proves you are. (Proverbs 12:15) Your life is hard because you don’t listen.

(S19) So if your life is hard consider for a moment. What if you are also foolish? What if wise choices along the way would have totally changed where you are today?

The good news is I know where you can find a map to the house of wisdom. And it’s not a treasure map for some hidden treasure. Wisdom wants to be known and God wants to give it to you, but be warned.

Proverbs 26:6-12 “ 6 Sending a message by the hands of a fool is like cutting off one’s feet or drinking poison. 7 Like the useless legs of one who is lame is a proverb in the mouth of a fool. 8 Like tying a stone in a sling is the giving of honor to a fool.

(S20) 9 Like a thornbush in a drunkard’s hand is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.

10 Like an archer who wounds at random is one who hires a fool or any passer-by. 11 As a dog returns to its vomit, so fools repeat their folly. 12 Do you see a person wise in their own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for them.”

If you don’t understand that you are not wise and that wisdom exists outside of yourself - next week when we look at the 30 wise sayings they are not going to help. In fact they might hinder.

(S21) 8 am breakfast next week and 30 wise sayings