Proverbs Introduction
Proverbs • Sermon • Submitted
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Why study the book of Proverbs?
There are the obvious answers
Because it’s in the Bible
Because of 2 Timothy 3:16
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
But Solomon gives us a reason right away in the first chapter
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge:
But fools despise wisdom and instruction.
This is the driving theme of Proverbs, we see the fear of the Lord 18x in the book of Proverbs (1:7, 29; 2:5; 3:7; 8:13; 9:10; 10:27; 14:2, 26-27; 15:16; 16:6; 19:23; 22:4; 23:17; 24:21; 31:30)
The previous six verses explain why Solomon wrote the book and why we should study it.
I want to start our study by looking at five key words that pertain to wisdom and the fear of the Lord that are found in these first seven verses.
Wisdom
To know wisdom
The skillful use of knowledge in the service of God
Wisdom begins when we have a right relationship with the Lord
The wise person therefore not only believes that there is a God but that He is in control and following Him leads to a “successful” life
One interesting aspect of wisdom is that it is not some theoretical concept that is merely understood or discussed.
The OT word translated wisdom is also used for people who skillfully work with their hands.
The workers on the Tabernacle and the Temple are two examples
This teaches us that wisdom is putting knowledge into practice
It is like the piano student knowing which keys represent which notes but it is wisdom that knows not only how to play them correctly but how to arrange them as well.
The second word that comes up is instruction
There is a lot of overlap in these words but each brings about a different nuance
The word instruction carries with it the idea of discipline…like a parent child relationship
It has the sense of learning the boundaries…what is acceptable and what is not.
Another sense of the word is discipleship…which is a huge part of parenting
In parenting you are teaching, warning, and admonishing
Disciplined training 2 Timothy 3:16
The third word to look at is understanding
This word means to have the ability to take hold of the truth
This is what Paul prays for in Ephesians 1:18
The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
This is what I am in prayer for each Sunday...
Understanding requires three aspects
You need the information and that is something that is external
You need the capacity and that is something biological…your brain
But it also requires that your heart be in the right condition
That our hearts and minds be open to the information presented in a fashion that we take hold of the truths we are presented.
The next word on our list is subtilty
Verse 4
Another word for this could be prudence
The root of the word is “thinness”
So what is being communicated, in my opinion, is the ability to not say everything that comes into our minds
The ability to have ineligible discussions verses living life in a thoughtless manner
That means knowing when to not say what shouldn’t be said…in the sense of having tact, being sensitive to what you are saying
It also includes not giving information that isn’t a part of the discussion
This word is used of those who use deceit…hence the “thinness” and only giving certain information
But it can be used in a positive sense…I work hard to use prudence each sermon…there is so much information and so many truths I could give but I need to use subtilty to understand what pertains to the sermon or Bible study.
The last word for tonight is discretion
A definition of this would be “the ability to devise wise plans after understanding a matter”
This word as well can be used positively or negatively
Negatively would be devising a plot
Positively would be something like planning for retirement
When you put these all together you get the purpose of Proverbs