Proverbs 3 Verses 9-10 Surrender Your Treasure August 4, 2024

Proverbs 3 Verses 9-10 Surrender Your Treasure August 4, 2024 The Search for Wisdom Series Lesson 5 Class Presentation Notes AAAAA

Background Scriptures:

· Malachi 3:8-10 (NKJV) 8 "Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, 'In what way have we robbed You?' In tithes and offerings. 9 You are cursed with a curse, For you have robbed Me, Even this whole nation. 10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this," Says the LORD of hosts, "If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it.

· Philippians 4:12-13 (NKJV) 12 I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

· Luke 6:38 (NKJV) 38 Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you."

· 2 Corinthians 9:7 (NKJV) 7 So let each one giveas he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.

Main Idea:

· Faithful and generous giving will be a natural result of your surrender.

Study Aim:

· To understand that tithing is not about money; it is about trust.

Create Interest:

· Adults know one thing for sure about money—they can’t live without it. Many consider getting more money as their primary objective in life. Thus, they spend their lives trying to get rich. Some become so obsessed with money-making that they neglect their family and risk their own lives in this quest.

· They may be tempted to achieve their goal by using unethical or illegal means. Other adults are concerned about how to manage and use money more wisely. Some adults spend their paycheck on weekend pleasures or on impulse buying. Many adults amass far more debt than they can handle.

· They have trouble developing and sticking to a financial plan.

o Because money is so crucial in adult life, their use or misuse of money reveals much about their attitudes toward life and faith. God wants His people to honor Him in how they think about, make, and use money.[1]

Lesson in Historical Context:

· Proverbs can’t find enough spectacular ways to exalt Yahweh’s wisdom in the eyes of its audience. Wisdom is a tree of life, it says. The phrase recurs in other Middle Eastern works. In an Old Testament context, it’s a striking promise. You know how Adam and Eve could have gained eternal life if they had not eaten the tree of life. Paying attention to wisdom can give you a really fulfilled and fulfilling life.

· Proverbs goes further. You know God created the world? How do you think he did so? He used his wisdom. Just look at the world and how amazing it is. It’s the kind of thing you can achieve if you pay attention to wisdom.[2]

· Vs. 3:9–10. In Israel, honoring the Lord with … the first fruits of all one’s crops was a way of expressing gratitude to Him for His provisions (Deut. 26:1–3, 9–11). It was a way of acknowledging God and His help (Prov. 3:6). In return, God then (cf. v. 4) promised to fill the barns (with grain) and the vats … with new wine (tîrôš, “freshly squeezed grape juice”). In general it is true that godliness results in gain, that piety brings prosperity (cf. v. 2; Deut. 28:1–14; Matt. 6:33). But this kind of generalization, common in Proverbs, does not disallow God from making exceptions. Otherwise, God is invested in, rather than honored. Proverbs 3:10 is well balanced by verses 11–12, as Derek Kidner appropriately observes (The Proverbs: An Introduction and Commentary, p. 64).[3]

o Proverbs 3:11-12 (NKJV) 11 My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, Nor detest His correction; 12 For whom the LORD loves He corrects, Just as a father the son in whom he delights.

Bible Study:

Proverbs 3:9-10 (NKJV) 9 Honor the LORD with your possessions, And with the first fruits of all your increase; 10 So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine.

· As we have studied God in previous lessons, God keeps His promises when we obey His precepts, because our obedience prepares us to receive and enjoy what He has planned for us. Let’s do a little review before moving on😊.

· The first condition for receiving God’s guidance is that we learn God’s truth (vv. 1–4).

o The will of God is revealed in the Word of God (Col. 1:9–10),

o The only way to know His will is to study His Word and obey it.

o By receiving the Word within our hearts, we experience growth in godly character so that mercy and truth (“love and faithfulness,” NIV) become beautiful ornaments in our lives (Prov. 3:3; 1:9).

o It isn’t enough for believers to carry the Bible in their hands; they must let the Holy Spirit write it on their hearts (3:3; 7:3; 2 Cor. 3:1–3).

§ Obedience to the Word can add years to your life and life to your years.

· Second, we must obey God’s will (vv. 5–8).“He shall direct your paths” (v. 6, NKJV) is the promise, but the fulfillment of that promise is predicated on our obedience to the Lord.

o We must trust Him with all our heart and obey Him in all our ways. That means total commitment to Him.

§ Romans 12:1-2 (NKJV) 1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

o The word translated “trust” in verse 5 means “to lie helpless, facedown.” It pictures a servant waiting for the master’s command in readiness to obey, or a defeated soldier yielding himself to the conquering general.

o The danger, of course, is that we lean on our own understanding and thereby miss God’s will.

§ This warning doesn’t suggest that God’s children turn off their brains and ignore their intelligence and common sense.

§ It simply cautions us not to depend on our own wisdom and experience or the wisdom and experience of others.

· Abraham did this when he went to Egypt (Gen. 12:10–20)

· Joshua when he attacked the little town of Ai (Josh. 7).

o When we become “wise in [our] own eyes” (Prov. 3:7), then we’re heading for trouble.

· Third we must Share God’s blessings(vv. 9–10) is the condition we must meet if we want God to direct our paths.

o There’s no such thing as “spiritual” and “material” in the Christian life, for everything comes from God and belongs to God.

o The Old Testament Jews brought the Lord the firstlings of their flocks (Ex. 13:1–2) and the first fruits of their fields (Lev. 23:9–14), and in this way acknowledged His goodness and sovereignty. The New Testament parallel is seen in Matthew 6:33.

o If we don’t faithfully give to the Lord, we don’t really trust the Lord. Of course, our tithes and offerings aren’t “payment” for His blessings; rather, they’re evidence of our faith and obedience. Discuss.

o Christian industrialist R.G. LeTourneau used to say, “If you give because it pays, it won’t pay.” Giving is heart preparation for what God wants to say to us and do for us. “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matt. 6:21, NKJV).

Note to our class. SLBC’s focus is not on verses 11-12 but I am taking writer’s license and including those verses as their charge is important to our lives

· Our fourth responsibility is to submit to God’s chastening (Prov. 3:11–12). Chastening is a part of God’s plan to help His sons and daughters mature in godly character (Heb. 12:1–11).

o God chastens us, not as a judge punishes a criminal, but as a parent disciplines a child. (Prov. 13:24)

o He acts in love and His purpose is that we might become “partakers of His holiness” (Heb. 12:10).

o Sometimes He chastens because we have rebelled and need to repent.

o At other times He chastens to keep us from sinning and to prepare us for His special blessing.

§ No matter how much the experience hurts us, it will never harm us, because God always chastens in love (Deut. 8:2–5).[4]

Honor God from Your Wealth

· For many of us there is no greater test of our love for and faith in God than how we spend our money. We give to the Lord’s work, not because he needs our help, but to honor and worship him. The word translated ‘honor’ (v. 9) literally means ‘heavy’.

o Giving shows how highly you value God or how weighty you consider him to be.

o Giving is also an act of gratitude towards God who has given us all things (Deut. 8:18).

o Giving is an act of faith. When you give generously, you are expressing confidence that God will meet your needs and that you won’t regret your charity.

· You are to give the Lord‘the first of all your produce’ (also translated ‘first fruits’). When the harvest arrived, the farmer was to give God the first and the best (Exod. 23:19). In modern terms, it means to pay God as soon as you receive your pay packet rather than waiting to see what is left over. You should give in proportion to how God has prospered you (1 Cor. 16:2).

· The result of your generosity will be greater blessing(v. 10). Fools think that giving to the Lord’s work will make them poor. But God honors those who honor him (1 Sam. 2:30). This does not necessarily mean that the godly will always abound in material riches, but we can be sure that he will meet our needs (Matt. 6:33) and that we are storing up treasure in heaven (Matt. 6:20).

· It is also important to give wisely. Many religious organizations clamor for our money. Some make spectacular (and false) promises of worldly prosperity and health for their donors. Some who seek our charity are poor because of their laziness and should not be helped (10:4a; 2 Thes. 3:10).

o When you give foolishly, you are not giving to God.[5]

Let’s dig a little deeper into what we just learned

· Vs. 9: It has long been said that worship involves three books: God’s book (the Bible), the hymn book, and the pocketbook.

o Trusting the Lord with all your heart includes trusting Him with your substance or wealth—your possessions.

o Fearing the Lord—submissively obeying Him—extends to His commands about finances and material things.

· God is honored when people give Him their first and their best, what the Bible calls the firstfruits. To give Him what is left over and less than the best does not glorify Him and is not worthy of His great name.

o The principle of the firstfruits is one of God’s greatest laws. Early in Israel’s history, God commanded them to bring Him the first of all their crops and their livestock and all else with which He had blessed them.

o They were instructed to dedicate their firstborn children to the Lord as well (Ex. 13:11–16; 22:29–30; 23:19; Le. 23:9–11; Nu. 18:12–13; De. 26:1–10).

o Notice carefully the significance of the firstfruits:

§ It was a token of their gratitude to the Lordfor His blessings.

§ It proclaimed their acknowledgement of God as the source of all good things.

§ It represented the rest of the harvest, the fact that all belonged to God. He was the owner of it all.

§ It acknowledged one of the greatest spiritual truths of all: that God had redeemed them from Egypt.

📷 All that they had was because of His gracious deliverance from the bondage of Egypt.

📷 Even in the New Testament, Paul reminded the church that this is the ultimate reason for giving to God today. We give to Him because He gave His Son for us. We give our best because He gave His best. He has redeemed and delivered us from the bondage of sin.

o 2 Corinthians 8:9 (NKJV) 9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.

o 2 Corinthians 9:15 (NKJV) 15 Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!

· Vs. 10: Also note the promise for obeying this principle: when we give God our first and our best, He gives more to us….but not necessarily money.

· Please note this is not a prosperity theology premise or support. We could write volumes on what this can mean in our lives other than money, but we can support the thought that the peace that passes all understanding is our reward for faithfulness to our love for God.

o Philippians 4:6-9 (NKJV) 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things arejust, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things. 9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.

· If God will make your harvest more than your barns can hold, so be it.

o But if you are obedientand this is not what happens, the harvest in the peace of your lives and the fact that God will always be with you through the good and the bad times is the “heaven on earth” you will experience until you join Him after your last breath.

o The order of this process is clear in this passage and throughout Scripture: give to God first, and He will give back to you. Give the first fruits to God, not what is left after all the bills are paid. “Such giving is the supreme act of faith.” So many, many believers fail to honor God in this way—and thereby miss His abundant blessings

§ 2 Corinthians 9:8 (NKJV) 8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.[6]

· Again, this is covenant language. Deuteronomy 7:12–15 says that covenant faithfulness will lead to God blessing the fruit of the ground and taking away disease.

o If Israel obeys God, things will go well. The rain will fall, and the crops will grow (Deut 11:14; 28:8; Mal 3:10).

o When Israel disobeys, the reverse will happen (Deut 28:51). So, it seems clear that obedience will lead to God giving us more. This shouldn’t surprise us. Good stewards can be trusted with more.[7]

So how do we wrap up our thoughts on these two verses?

· To offer the first fruits to God was and is a way of celebrating God’s deliverance and God’s provision—and a means by which each person could appreciate that he or she was part of that story.

o So here in Proverbs, the honoring of God with our wealth is not a shady piece of manipulation to ensure that God makes you richer still.

· It is first of all a response to God’s generosity—the land and all its wealth belongs to God, and I am called to be his steward—and a statement of gratitude that I am included in God’s gracious deliverance and provision.

· The sense is that captured in King David’s prayer at a different time and in a different place:

Praise be to you, O Lord,

God of our father Israel,

from everlasting to everlasting.

Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power

and the glory and the majesty and the splendor,

for everything in heaven and earth is yours …

Wealth and honor come from you …

· Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.[8]

Blessings to all who read this.

📷

[9]

[1]Robert J. Dean, Bible Studies for Life, Summer 2008, Herschel Hobbs Commentary (LifeWay Christian Resources, n.d.), 43. [2]John Goldingay, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs for Everyone, Old Testament for Everyone (Louisville, KY; London: Westminster John Knox Press; Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 2014), 19. [3]Sid S. Buzzell, “Proverbs,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 912. [4]Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Skillful, “Be” Commentary Series (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 39. [5]Jim Newheiser, Opening up Proverbs, Opening Up Commentary (Leominster: Day One Publications, 2008), 62–63. [6]Leadership Ministries Worldwide, Proverbs, The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible (Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide, 2012), 71–72. [7]Jonathan Akin, Exalting Jesus in Proverbs, ed. David Platt, Daniel L. Akin, and Tony Merida, Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2017), 44. [8]David Atkinson, The Message of Proverbs: Wisdom for Life, ed. J. A. Motyer, John Stott, and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), 64–65. [9]Adrian Rogers, “Financial Freedom,” in Adrian Rogers Sermon Archive (Signal Hill, CA: Rogers Family Trust, 2017), Pr 3:7–10.