Introduction to Proverbs
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September 5, 2021
September 5, 2021
Proverbs 1:1-7
How many of you have ever wanted to live happier, healthier, and wealthier lives? How many of us want to live lives that are rich with meaning and purpose? I’m pretty sure that’s each and every one of us.
Proverbs is a book about teaching us to live a truly successful and meaningful life.
Proverbs is one of three wisdom literature books in the Bible. The other two are Job and Ecclesiastes. Proverbs shows us how to live a life of wisdom.
Now wisdom, we know is different than intelligence. Some of the smartest men and women in the world have lived lives wrecked by relationship loss, financial troubles, and other life struggles.
OK we're gonna start going through this book of proverbs. And in doing this we're going to understand what it means to live a truly successful life in every area of life. Now the biblical proverbs are grounded not just in what works but in a covenantal special relationship with God. In fact the proverbs show that just observing the world is not enough. You need gods revelation to understand the world well.
The book of proverbs isn't just observations about the world it is the very word of God. And in such or rather as such it is divinely inspired unable to encourage edify us.
16 Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.
Now even after we point out that the proverbs are the very word of God. We need to remember that proverbs are proverbs. That means they're not promises or prophecies.
6 Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.
4 A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich.
2 for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you.
The reality is that sometimes you will raise your children as well as you can and they will reject God. Some people will work hard for a lifetime and never be rich and others will live quite wisely and yet die young.
You might say the book of proverbs describes how God generally rules the world. How he runs things. And if you and I want to know how to live well in God's world then we should take these to heart.
1 The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:
This book was written largely by Solomon but not entirely. He was known in his time as the wisest man in the world. The wisest person. :)
yet the sad irony of solomon's life is that in his later years he experienced the loss and devastation that came from living in sin.
Biblical scholar Bruce Waltke remarked “Let it be noted that he constructed his own gibbet on which he Impaled himself.”
In short Solomon stopped listening to his own instruction.
Let it be a lesson to each of us that success later on in life is not guaranteed by faithfulness today. In other words just because you and I are faithful to God today it does not guarantee we will be faithful in the future.
The purpose of Proverbs
The purpose of Proverbs
Prov 1:2-6
2 To know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight,
3 to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity;
4 to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth—
5 Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance,
6 to understand a proverb and a saying, the words of the wise and their riddles.
This verse starts off with a fairly simple declaration of the whole purpose of the book. 2 help someone to know wisdom and to understand insights.
So what is wisdom?
So what is wisdom?
In short, wisdom is knowledge in action.
As a young man you might sit there with all sorts of theories and ideas about how to ask a girl out on a date. But that isn't wisdom that's just speculative knowledge. It's only when you actually put it into practice that it becomes wisdom.
this word wisdom is also used to describe workers who participated in the construction of the temple. And the Tabernacle.
3 You shall speak to all the skillful, whom I have filled with a spirit of skill, that they make Aaron’s garments to consecrate him for my priesthood.
14 He was the son of a widow of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in bronze. And he was full of wisdom, understanding, and skill for making any work in bronze. He came to King Solomon and did all his work.
29 Do you see a man skillful in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men.
Ex 28:3
1 Kings 7:14
Prov 22:29
Each of these men demonstrated extraordinary skill gained through hard work. Interestingly wisdom isn't simply knowledge and academics. Wisdom is actually emotionally a matter of how you interact with others in the world around you. You might say wisdom is moral.
Wisdom is gained through disciplined work.
Wisdom is gained through disciplined work.
The truth we see throughout the scripture is that wisdom doesn't just occur. Occurs through instruction. We give wisdom to our children through discipline and rebuke.
Prov 13:24
24 Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.
God trained the Israelites through discipline.
God trained the Israelites through discipline.
2 And consider today (since I am not speaking to your children who have not known or seen it), consider the discipline of the Lord your God, his greatness, his mighty hand and his outstretched arm,
Deut 11:2
It's also true that none of us are born with this wisdom and you don't automatically get wisdom as you get older. You have to pursue it.
And if we pursue wisdom we can find this success that wisdom holds out.
Wisdom also shines a light into a get rich quick world. It shines a light that tells us that hard work and discipline pays off. And it reminds us that great skill doesn't necessarily guarantee great success.
The benefits of instruction in wisdom
The benefits of instruction in wisdom
3 to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity;
Prov 1:3
The same word for why is dealing in this passage is actually used to describe the behavior of Abigail who saved at least temporarily the life of her husband.
1 Samuel 25:3
3 Now the name of the man was Nabal, and the name of his wife Abigail. The woman was discerning and beautiful, but the man was harsh and badly behaved; he was a Calebite.
Remember her in her story she heard about the foolish words her husband said an act quickly to save the life of her husband. She demonstrated wisdom. The student of wisdom will also grow in righteousness justice and equity. Perhaps by some of the conversations and sermons we've had over the last month you've wanted to grow in your capacity to pursue righteousness for others or justice rather. Studying the proverbs will equip you and I to grow in righteousness justice and equity.
Wisdom helps the young and simple.
Wisdom helps the young and simple.
Prov 1:3
3 to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity;
Perhaps one of the biggest values in our culture as the capacity to be open minded. The ability to understand the perspective of others and love them regardless. Now being open minded can be very good in many situations. But it is not good to be open minded when it comes to sin; evil.
Proverbs personifies wisdom and folly as two ladies. each of these are calling out to the young and the simple to respond to their call. Lady wisdom will bestow life and health and wealth. Lady folly will destroy.
Wisdom helps young men and women choose lady wisdom.
Wisdom helps young men and women choose lady wisdom.
Prov 1:4
4 to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth—
Wisdom also helps young men and women or old men and women gain prudence and knowledge. Wisdom to navigate the paths of life and not just wander aimlessly.
Proverbs increases wisdom of the wise
Proverbs increases wisdom of the wise
5 Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance,
Prov 1:5
You know one other things that I love about proverbs is that they continue to give you wisdom. I've been regularly reading proverbs for over 25 years and I still constantly find myself inspired by the wisdom therein.
We live life's full of choices. It's sometimes very stressful to determine what the right thing to do in life is. People today turned to all sorts of online gurus and even mystical divination. But the godly man and woman gains wisdom for living through a study of God's word. You can build a pattern of wise choices.
Proverbs will increase your mental discernment
Proverbs will increase your mental discernment
6 to understand a proverb and a saying, the words of the wise and their riddles.
Prov 1:6
Studying the book of proverbs will challenge us and help us to grow and how we think in a variety of ways. First of all proverbs is in this capably placed in the context of God's word. Therefore we have to understand the world in the light of atoms fall. We have to understand that the sin that is in the world affects everything in the world. It affects how we understand live.
In order to get understanding from the proverbs we need insight into God's word. We need to understand that proverbs comment a lot of different figures of speech and ways of communicating and we will get into that as we study. We also need to understand that if we take the time to study proverbs our minds will be sharper we will learn how to think and to live well.
The theme of Proverbs
The theme of Proverbs
7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Proverbs 1:7
Proverbs isn't just a book of tips and tricks on how to live life. Proverbs shows us at the beginning too knowing anything about living in this life is to start with fearing God. God is the source of all wisdom and knowledge. God's wisdom has displayed in his world and his works.
Job 12:13
13 “With God are wisdom and might; he has counsel and understanding.
12 It is he who made the earth by his power, who established the world by his wisdom, and by his understanding stretched out the heavens.
Jer 10:12
In truth God gives wisdom to those who seek him. And there is a sense that only the godly man and woman I can be wise. You working a humble job and living a godly wife maybe wiser then a professor at Harvard.
The fear of God.
The fear of God.
3 And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!”
Isa 6:3
23 The fear of the Lord leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied; he will not be visited by harm.
Pr 19:23
25 The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.
Pr 29:25
The fear of the Lord is not a beginning like the first stage of a rocket which is cast aside after it has served its purpose. Rather, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom in the same way in which a foundation is the beginning of a house: everything that comes after the foundation is built upon it.[1]
Don’t be a fool
Don’t be a fool
Prov 1:7
7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.
A fool wastes His or her life.
Conclusion
Conclusion
So what will you pursue today? We live in a world full of fools succeeding in playing their games. Men and women living in sin and rejecting the fear of God. What will you do and what will you pursue. What will you value?
God offers wisdom to all who seek it. And you know how we said that proverbs are not promises? Proverbs are maxims. They're not true in every situation. But you know what is true? God offers to give wisdom to all who seek him. If you want to learn the skill of living well in this world, seek Him.
Pursue wisdom.
[1] Jim Newheiser, Opening up Proverbs, Opening Up Commentary (Leominster: Day One Publications, 2008), 28.