Wisdom Walking, Introduction

Proverbs 1:1–7 ESV

The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel: To know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight, to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity; to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth— Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance, to understand a proverb and a saying, the words of the wise and their riddles. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.

What does it say?

This passage is the key to unlocking the gate to the wisdom of Proverbs.

Big Idea: Be Wise, and learn the code to the unlock the gate to wisdom; only a fool will ignore it.

What is the subject of these verses? What is the topic or theme that is being described? proverbs

Big Idea: Be Wise, and learn the code to the unlock the gate to wisdom; only a fool will ignore it.

What is the Combination Code to unlock Proverbs?

First Code Number: Understand the genre (the type of literature) (v. 1)

Wisdom literature in Scripture is distinct from other secular wisdom literature because it is inspired.

The Creator must reveal true wisdom.

This book is filled with “proverbs”.

Definition of a proverb: a brief saying that has currency among those who fear “I Am”. It won’t be popular “among the masses”.

Description of a proverb: “A comparison or analogy [constructed] for the purpose of conveying a model, [example], or paradigm.”

Demand of a proverb: they inherently demand application from the specific situation to other situations.

Second Code Number: Know the Human Author(s) (v. 1, various)

Understand the purpose of the book

Fundamentals for Preaching the Book of Proverbs Budding Officials

The named authors in Proverbs are King Solomon, King Hezekiah’s men, King Lemuel, and the court official Agur.

They were spiritually sensitive.

Fundamentals for Preaching the Book of Proverbs Number Two: Knowing the Human Author

First, they were spiritually sensitive. They viewed their audience as the covenant people of God, and also their wisdom enabled them to see beyond what they saw with their eyes and heard

BSac 165:658 (April-June 2008) p. 144

with their ears. Their spiritual sensitivity enabled them to see and hear the human heart. Second, they spoke as kings by divine right, that is, they spoke their words as oracles from God with the authority of prophets. Their officials spoke similarly. Third, they were brilliant. These protoscientists probed into astronomy, gemology, psychology, and so forth; they retained knowledge, had a creative imagination, and expressed themselves with wit and a love to play with words.

They spoke as kings by divine right.

They were brilliant.

These protoscientists probed into astronomy, gemology, psychology, and so forth; they retained knowledge, had a creative imagination, and expressed themselves with wit and a love to play with words.

Third Code Number: Understand the purpose of the book (v. 2)

These protoscientists probed into astronomy, gemology, psychology, and so forth; they retained knowledge, had a creative imagination, and expressed themselves with wit and a love to play with words.

“to know wisdom” - means to internalize wisdom, not just intellectually grasp concepts; knowledge applied

“In the Book of Proverbs the uses of the [word for wisdom] suggest the more specific sense of “social skill” or “masterful understanding of proper social relationships.” Skillful relationships involve the skill of relating to God and to all kinds of people in order to enjoy an abundant life and to avoid death. The wise have the social skill to deal successfully with rich and poor, wise and fools, young and old, parent and child, and others.

“the wise ” and “the righteous” always refer to the same individual, from a different angle. Ill: Referring to your mom as a “mom” and as a “wife” — refers to the same person but from a different perspective or angle.

Dig Deeper: Coreferential Terms — “Coreferential terms belong to different semantic domains but speak of the same referent. For example a person may be referred to as the vice president of the United States by his relationship to the president or as chair of the senate of the United States by his relationship to the senate. Though these are different concepts, he cannot be one without being the other. “Vice president” and “chair of the senate” designate different notions, but they refer to the same person. The same is true of the terms “the righteous” and “the wise.” They pertain to the different semantic fields of ethics and intelligence, but they refer to the same person. The wise are righteous and the righteous are wise; they go together like a horse and a carriage. The preamble binds together the coreferential sapiential and ethical terms in verse 3: “for receiving instruction in prudent behavior, doing what is right and just and fair.”

Moreover, throughout the book “wise” and “righteous” versus “fool” and “wickedness” are used interchangeably. “Righteousness” is a social term signifying that people do right by each other as defined by God’s covenants with Israel. In a nutshell “righteousness” means “to disadvantage oneself as necessary in order to advantage others,” and “wickedness” means “to disadvantage others in order to advantage oneself.”

Coreferential terms belong to different semantic domains but speak of the same referent. For example a person may be referred to as the vice president of the United States by his relationship to the president or as chair of the senate of the United States by his relationship to the senate. Though these are different concepts, he cannot be one without being the other. “Vice president” and “chair of the senate” designate different notions, but they refer to the same person. The same is true of the terms “the righteous” and “the wise.” They pertain to the different semantic fields of ethics and intelligence, but they refer to the same person. The wise are righteous and the righteous are wise; they go together like a horse and a carriage. The preamble binds together the coreferential sapiential and ethical terms in verse 3: “for receiving instruction in prudent behavior, doing what is right and just and fair.”

Who is the supreme example of the disadvantaging of oneself in order to advantage others? Jesus

Moreover, throughout the book “wise” and “righteous” versus “fool” and “wickedness” are used interchangeably. “Righteousness” is a social term signifying that people do right by each other as defined by God’s covenants with Israel. In a nutshell “righteousness” means “to disadvantage oneself as necessary in order to advantage others,” and “wickedness” means “to disadvantage others in order to advantage oneself.”

The purpose of the book of proverbs is for your, the reader, to joyfully internalize and apply truths that affect your behavior and demonstrate skillfulness in relating to God and others, as you disadvantage yourself in order to advantage others, bringing about an abundant life.

Fourth Code Number: Understand the intended recipients (v. 4-5).

Budding court officials (see section on authors, and , )

Wise young people (1:8, 10:1, 3:1, 3:3, 3:13, 18, 21): “The son is assumed to be accepting the parent’s lectures to be wise. If so, he is wise.”

Complacent youth: the simpleton. The word means “to be open”. He has reached puberty, but moved into society without deciding to own the faith of his parents. Both Woman Wisdom and Woman Folly appeal to the simpleton, the complacent teen (1:22-26, 9:1-6).

Fundamentals for Preaching the Book of Proverbs All Israel’s Youth, Both Wise And Simpletons

He has heard Israel’s worldview and life view of reality in its covenants and proverbs, but he refuses to commit himself to Israel’s covenants and its inherited wisdom based on those covenants. The sage lumps the uncommitted, gullible simpletons, who are open to both wisdom and folly, together with condemned fools and mockers.

Can young ladies benefit from Proverbs, although it is addressed to sons? Yes.

Although בֵּן can mean “child,” the obvious male orientation of the book shows that the son, not the daughter, is in view. Nevertheless Proverbs indicates that daughters were not excluded from being educated in its catechism of aphorisms and that the book has women as well as men in its audience.

“Although בֵּן can mean “child,” the obvious male orientation of the book shows that the son, not the daughter, is in view. Nevertheless Proverbs indicates that daughters were not excluded from being educated in its catechism of aphorisms and that the book has women as well as men in its audience… Instead of mentioning his daughter, the father singled out the son because the male offspring was expected to assume leadership in defining the family’s identity and values.”

Instead of mentioning his daughter, the father singled out the son because the male offspring was expected to assume leadership in defining the family’s identity and values.

Bruce Waltke, Fundamentals for Preaching the Book of Proverbs, n.d.

Bruce Waltke, Fundamentals for Preaching the Book of Proverbs, n.d.

Fifth Code Number: Understand the book’s words (v. 6)

They are called “parables” and “riddles” because they demand the mental activity to relate the proverb to one’s own situation (compare 30:1-2, with 30:24-28 and 30:32-33).

Sixth Code Number: Understand “the fear of ‘I AM’”

This requires mental activity: being taught and memorizing the revelation of God ().

This requires emotional response: fearing, loving, trusting, delighting in God.

Compare with with ; cf. , ; .

The emotional response finds its expression in humility, a brokenness that obeys the Lord (, ); “The wages for humility—the fear of the Lord sort—are riches, honor, and life.”

Digging Deeper: One understands “the fear of ‘I Am’ ” and knows God not merely by reading and/or hearing the [truth about God] but by accepting it, that is, by entrusting one’s life and behavior to it. This commitment is counterintuitive because it calls on the [individual] to serve others, not self, with the faith that God rewards that lifestyle. In fact that commitment may involve taking up a cross, or even accepting death, to serve God and others...

In the Old Testament God encountered His people in the catechism of these seven collections [i.e. the book of Proverbs], their memorizing it with religious affection, their “deselfing” themselves in their paying attention to it, and their passionate yearning and willingness to make sacrifices to realize its truth.

In the New Testament, however, God encounters His people in His own person, in His Son. “The fear of ‘I Am’ ” for the Church now involves their engaging these spiritual and psychological processes with reference to Jesus Christ and His teachings. His teachings extend those of the catechism to their fullest range. In Christ’s resurrection the abundant life promised in Proverbs reaches its full conceptual range. Jesus Christ brought the full light of the day

In the New Testament, however, God encounters His people in His own person, in His Son. “The fear of ‘I Am’ ” for the Church now involves their engaging these spiritual and psychological processes with reference to Jesus Christ and His teachings. His teachings extend those of the catechism to their fullest range. In Christ’s resurrection the abundant life promised in Proverbs reaches its full conceptual range. Jesus Christ brought the full light of the day

These 6 points of understanding make up the six-number combination code for knowing and loving the book of Proverbs. Be wise and learn the code to the unlock the gate to wisdom; only a fool will ignore it.

Let’s make this personal.

Describe how God’s grace is all over Proverbs 1:1-7.

Would you describe yourself as wise in the Proverb-ial sense—you are actively accepting and living out the biblical truth you are receiving? Or are you complacent—passively receiving without living it out?

How would you describe our youth group as a whole? Are we a group of wise teens, actively accepting and living out the biblical truth you are hearing on a regular basis? Or complacent—passively receiving it without intentionally living it out?

Consider your response to this statement: The Creator is the dispenser of wisdom; no wisdom can be understood unless he reveals it. Do you joyfully submit to this reality? In other words, do you agree with the statement, and does your heart delight in and worship God for the statement? Or does this statement frustrate you, annoy you? Or are you skeptical that this statement is even true?

Use the following questions to evaluate if you understand the “fear of ‘I Am’”:

How intentional are you in applying your God-given intellect to know God, his ways, his attributes, his gifts, his Son, through:

Praying that you would understand God’s Word?

Reading God’s Word?

Meditating on God’s Word?

Applying God’s Word?

Memorizing God’s Word?

Reading books on Scriptural truth or that apply Scripture to everyday life?

Listening attentively whenever and wherever God’s Word is carefully taught?

The fear of the Lord requires emotional responses, those of fearing God, loving God, trusting in God, delighting in God. Of these options, which do you most closely identify with? Which do you least identify with? Spend some time in prayer together that God would allow you to experience each facet of this emotional response to the truth of God in your every-day life.

The fear of the Lord finds it’s expression in humility, a brokenness before the Lord that results in immediate obedience to the Word. Look up . Does verse 2 describe you? Why or why not?

Write down 3 concrete (not abstract) steps you need take to apply this introductory message from Proverbs to your life.