Prologue to Proverbs

Introduction:

There is a great need for wisdom in our society today...

Lack of wisdom is destroying the lives of many young people, and making fools out of some who are older

Marriages are destroyed, friendships lost, souls doomed for lack of wisdom

The walk of the Christian is to be with wisdom as we go through life...  

Ephesians 5:15–17 “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”

Because time is fleeting, and the days are evil, we must make the best use of our time

Too many today are wasting both their time and their lives by failing to exercise wisdom in their daily lives

The Word of God equips man unto every good work... - 

2 Timothy 3:16–17 “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

It is only natural to assume that it provides us with sound advice concerning daily living

Indeed it does, especially in  The Book of Proverbs found in the Old Testament

The book begins by identifying Solomon, son of David, king of Israel, as the author...

Who was granted wisdom by God - 

2 Chronicles 1:7–12 “On that night God appeared to Solomon, and said to him, “Ask! What shall I give you?” And Solomon said to God: “You have shown great mercy to David my father, and have made me king in his place. Now, O Lord God, let Your promise to David my father be established, for You have made me king over a people like the dust of the earth in multitude. Now give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people; for who can judge this great people of Yours?” Then God said to Solomon: “Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked riches or wealth or honor or the life of your enemies, nor have you asked long life—but have asked wisdom and knowledge for yourself, that you may judge My people over whom I have made you king— wisdom and knowledge are granted to you; and I will give you riches and wealth and honor, such as none of the kings have had who were before you, nor shall any after you have the like.””

Who became famous for his wisdom, and wrote over 3000 proverbs - 

1 Kings 4:29–34 “And God gave Solomon wisdom and exceedingly great understanding, and largeness of heart like the sand on the seashore. Thus Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the men of the East and all the wisdom of Egypt. For he was wiser than all men—than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol; and his fame was in all the surrounding nations. He spoke three thousand proverbs, and his songs were one thousand and five. Also he spoke of trees, from the cedar tree of Lebanon even to the hyssop that springs out of the wall; he spoke also of animals, of birds, of creeping things, and of fish. And men of all nations, from all the kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom, came to hear the wisdom of Solomon.”

The book also contains proverbs and wisdom from other sources...

The words of Agur the son of Jakeh to Ithiel and Ucal -   Pr 30:1-33

The words of King Lemuel , taught him by his mother - Pr 31:1-31

[In this lesson, let's introduce ourselves to the book by first considering the prologue, in which we find...]

I. The Purpose of the Book of Proverbs

A. Stated in the 1st six verses…

“To know wisdom and instruction, to perceive the words of understanding”

“To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, judgment and equity”

To give to the…

Simple — “prudence”

Young man — “knowledge and discretion.

Man of understanding — “wise counsel”

B. The Book is Designed…

To make a person wise!

To learn how to:

Act wisely and righteously

Treat others with fairness

To give…

The ignorant, common sense

The young, sound advice

The wise, even more wisdom

II. The Definition and Value of Wisdom

A. Defining Wisdom…

"Wisdom...may be defined as a realistic approach to the problems of life..." - 20th Century Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge

Homer Hailey offered this definition of wisdom: "Wisdom is insight into the underlying causes and significance or consequence of things, which insight enables one to apply to the best end the knowledge which he has." Homer Hailey 

To illustrate:

You are yelled at by your boss, wife, or brother in Christ...

You could react in different ways

Strike back physically, or verbally

Do nothing

React with a soft, kind reply - cf. 

Proverbs 15:1 “A soft answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger.”

Wisdom is that insight which helps you to decide what is the best thing to do

Someone makes sexual advances towards you...

Again, you could react in several different ways

But wisdom will enable you to react in the proper way

B. VALUATING WISDOM...

The first nine chapters of Proverbs are discourses extolling the value of wisdom

The virtue of wisdom is seen in the prosperous life it can produce - 

Proverbs 3:13–18 “Happy is the man who finds wisdom, And the man who gains understanding; For her proceeds are better than the profits of silver, And her gain than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies, And all the things you may desire cannot compare with her. Length of days is in her right hand, In her left hand riches and honor. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, And all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, And happy are all who retain her.”

Its value is also found in guarding us against many pitfalls - 

Proverbs 3:21–26 “My son, let them not depart from your eyes— Keep sound wisdom and discretion; So they will be life to your soul And grace to your neck. Then you will walk safely in your way, And your foot will not stumble. When you lie down, you will not be afraid; Yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet. Do not be afraid of sudden terror, Nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes; For the Lord will be your confidence, And will keep your foot from being caught.”

Some "pitfalls" frequently warned against in The Book Of Proverbs:

Evil companionship - Pr 1:10-19

The immoral woman - Pr 5:1-14

Laziness - Pr 6:6-11

[Certainly we should be able to see that wisdom is of great value. But let's go one step further and notice in particular the value of the book of Proverbs in regards to having wisdom...]

III. THE VALUE OF THE BOOK

A. WISDOM COMES FROM TWO SOURCES...

Trial and Error (personal experience)

One's own experiences can certainly be a source of wisdom

But there are disadvantages to gaining wisdom this way:

Much of one's lifetime can be wasted learning through trial and error

One must live with the consequences of their errors

Sadly, this is the only way some gain wisdom, and that only if they survive their errors!

Counsel from others (proven experience)

This is possible if one is willing to heed the advice of others

There are clear advantages to gaining wisdom this way:

You avoid wasting years through trial and error, thus living life to its fullest measure!

You experience life unburdened with the consequences of earlier mistakes

Certainly this method of gaining wisdom is far superior!

B. THIS MAKES THE BOOK OF PROVERBS VALUABLE...

Instead of wasting our short time here on earth trying to discover wisdom through the process of trial and error, we can go straight to The Book Of Proverbs

There we can find wisdom that is:

Divinely inspired by God!

Proven true by generations of righteous people who lived out their lives by it

Expressed concisely in ways easy to remember (Proverb: "a short sentence based on long experience" - Cervantes in Don Quixote)

Yes, the value of The Book Of Proverbs is that it provides the wisdom of God Himself!

This is not to say that it takes little effort to glean from this wisdom - cf. Pr 2:1-6

But for those who will look to God through His Word and prayer, the promise of God is that wisdom will be granted them - cf. 

James 1:5–8 “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”

And this is a far better way to find wisdom than the way most people do it!

CONCLUSION

I hope this introductory lesson has made you want to study The Book Of Proverbs in order to glean its treasury of wisdom

In succeeding lessons, we will examine The Book Of Proverbs more closely by...

Making our way through the discourses on wisdom in the first nine chapters

Considering the wisdom it offers pertaining to various themes (family, work, God, etc.)

Our next study will focus on the theme of the book of Proverbs...

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction." - Pr 1:7

Of course, no discussion concerning wisdom can be complete without mentioning Jesus Christ...

"in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." - Col 2:3

Without Jesus Christ in our lives, there is no way to be truly wise. Have you come to Christ through obedience to His gospel...?