The Essence of Wisdom - Proverbs 1:1-7

Introduction

Descartes, who many believe to be the father of modern thought, famously wrote in 1637, “I think, therefore, I am.” By saying that he was “thinking”, he was in the context saying that he was “doubting.” In fact, the real quote is: “I doubt, therefore I think; I think, therefore I am.” Descartes started by asking what was real, and how can one know that it is real. He doubted and questioned everything for the purpose of seeing what was left — what was truly real. And, Descartes had deconstructed every supposed reality so that he was ultimately left with nothing that he was certain was real and true — until he realized that he himself was real. His doubts proved it. “I think (doubt), there I am (must be).” His doubting was real, and his doubting could only be real if he himself was real.

So, Descartes began reconstructing reality outward from himself. Thus, began the revolution that truth begins with self-discovery and self-understanding. Thus, began the revolution that would lead to the post-modern concept of “my truth.” It’s based upon a framework of belief that doubts everything except what is felt within the individual. Absolute truth doesn’t come from One above me or beyond me; absolute truth begins with me — because I am all that I can be certain of. And, of course, when you have billions of self-governing, autonomous people operating on billions of different concepts of truth and reality, it leads to moral chaos. It leads to the kind of chaos in which you doubt your gender or the morality of monogamy. It leads to the redefinition of marriage and the reinvention of spirituality and religion. Why? Because “I’m” the starting point, I’m the beginning of all reality, and it’s my freedom to construct it as I see fit.

God’s Word

The book of Proverbs presents a view that is polar opposite. In fact, the book of Proverbs is given with the intent of bringing greater mastery and order to the ways of life. It’s meant to lessen the chaos that comes so naturally to mankind born in the likeness of Adam. That is, Proverbs offers to us a different starting place for reality than the philosophers of the world. And, it invites us to ask: How is the world’s way of thinking working out for everyone? Do you feel more at peace or less? Do you feel less confused or more? Does it feel like your life is coming more under control or ever more spiraling out of control?

What Proverbs offers to us is real wisdom for real living in the real world. It offers us an alternative to the chaos that’s around us. The prologue that we’ve read this morning shares with us the Essence of Wisdom (headline):

Wisdom is a “pursuit.”

The first thing I want you to contemplate is who the book of Proverbs is addressed to. By considering who the book is aimed for, we can begin to hone in on how we might attain the wisdom that’s found within. There are two primary audiences in the author’s mind.

The Naive and Gullible

Proverbs 1:4 “to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth—”

The first audience is who is the primary audience of the Proverbs — it’s “the simple” which he restates as being synonymous with “the youth.” When Proverbs speaks of someone who is “simple”, it’s not necessarily a negative assessment of their character. It’s not saying that they’re dull or unable to learn. Rather, “simple” is how all of us start out. That’s why it’s synonomous with “youth” here. It’s not an indictment on your character to be “simple”; it’s an indictment if you stay “simple.” To be “simple” is to be naive or gullible. It’s to be clueless as to how life happens in the real world so that you are in a position in which you’re easily taken advantage of or confused into believing a lie. In fact, to be “simple” is to be “open-minded”, which is a fair translation, in the worst possible sense. Our culture upholds open-mindedness as a virtue, after all, our starting place is to doubt what is presented to us as true. But, what our culture upholds as a virtue, Proverbs presents as a vice. Of course, there’s an open-mindedness that is good — the type that expands our appreciation for the complexity and mystery of God as we encounter new cultures and new methods for accomplishing the tasks of life. But, there is another type of open-mindedness that is lethal; it’s the type of open-mindedness that is easily deceived into believing a lie. It’s the type of open-mindedness that is won over to the advice of a fellow tenth grader in spite of the sound counsel that was given by a parent or pastor. It’s the type of open-mindedness that can be convinced that today’s cultural values of family and sexuality are as legitimate, if not more so, than what God has long said. “The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it.” (Prov 27:12)

Proverbs 1:3 “to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity;”

So, there is a responsibility that is incumbent upon the simple if they want to avoid the suffering that comes with being gullible and naive in this world. They must “receive” the instruction. That is, their gullibility isn’t their fault, but pursuing wisdom is their responsibility. They must decide to soften their hearts and concentrate their minds to receive instruction. They must be humble, realizing that they don’t know what they need to know. They must be teachable, ready to heed the counsel given to them by those who are wiser and more experienced. Wisdom is available to you this morning, but it’s not automatic. No one drifts into wisdom. It must be pursued, sought, thirsted for. You must seek it and receive it. That’s why most of the people that you know, Jesus saying in Matthew 7, are headed for destruction. They’re just drifting with an open-mind, allowing every wind of the age to carry them away. But, the wise recognize that the path to life is narrow and difficult, and must be pursued. Only a few find it. What path are you on? How do you respond to your parents or your grandparents? How do you listen to sermons? How do you approach Bible reading and good books? Are you pursuing wisdom?

The Wise and Experienced

Proverbs 1:5 “Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance,”

The more surprising audience shows up in verse 5 when he says that “the wise” must hear, and “the one who understands” must obtain guidance. That is, Proverbs is not just meant to enlighten the naive; it’s meant to strengthen the strong. One of the truest markers of a wise person is that they are never wise enough. They recognize the need to continue to “increase” in their wisdom. Wisdom begets wisdom in that way. The wiser you are the wiser you desire to be. Why? Because the wiser you become the more humbled you are. The more humbled you are the more teachable you become. The wisest people I know are able to glean help from the weakest sermon. Whereas it’s the simple and foolish who can only submit to teaching that they find most enjoyable and satisfying. It’s a declaration of immaturity and arrogance to be the type of person who critiques and criticizes a teacher by comparing them with someone else they prefer. Proverbs 26:12 “Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.” The wise ask instead, “How can I see God here? How does this person’s thinking help my own. The pursuit of wisdom never ends; in fact, it picks up steam.

Prov 1:4 “to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth—”

And, verse four juxtaposes with verse three the addressee. Verse three gives a responsibility to the youth to “receive” instruction, and verse four gives a responsibility to the wise and experienced to “give” it. It is not wise for a person who has learned and experienced so much to have the type of faux humility that says, “I can’t teach anyone. I have nothing to offer.” You have a responsibility! Of course, you haven’t arrived. Of course, you’re still pursuing wisdom, but you’re inviting others to join you in the pursuit as one who has a more clearly charted path. You’re trailblazers for the path of wisdom so that those who come after you — your children, the young couples in our church, the man at work whose been confused by the world, has a starting place. They must be humble enough to receive it, but you must be wise enough to give it. Will you teach? Will you help others avoid destroying their lives?

Wisdom is a “skill.”

Proverbs 1:2 “To know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight”

Wisdom is most literally understood as a skill. The Hebrew understanding of wisdom meant that someone could be “wise” in one area of their lives, while being foolish in another. They could have wisdom in carpentry, but be foolish in blacksmithing. So, verse two clarifies for us the types of skills that Proverbs aims to give, the type of wisdom it offers, namely, skillful living (2a) and skillful thinking (2b). That brings us back to the definition of wisdom we discussed last week: wisdom is the ability (or skill) to obey and honor God in real life.

Skillful Living

Proverbs 1:3-4 “to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity; to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth—”

The author expands upon what he means by knowing “wisdom and instruction” in verses 3-4. Skillful living requires a disciplined character. “Instruction” carries with it the concept of chastening, disciplining. The attaining of wisdom is not about a moment of enlightenment, but a life of disciplined, gradual pursuit. And, that’s why it’s so rare. We are naturally undisciplined. We want a moment of discovery, not a life of pursuit. But, the goal is not just understand what it being taught intellectually; it’s to have instruction permeate through your whole character. Wisdom is not just intellectual; it’s moral. And, to shape someone’s character so that it affects their morality takes time.

Skillful living requires a shrewd competence. “Prudence” in verse 4 is a type of righteous shrewdness. It’s not being naive of the dangers and workings of this world. It isn’t wisdom to live so as to be taken advantage of by this age of evil. Shrewdness is the development of skills and tactics so that life doesn’t destroy you, so you are able to provide for your family. It’s not a virtue to be gullible or ignorant; it’s unwise and imprudent. Rather, skillful living is a discerning comprehension of what’s true. That’s the second part of verse 4. It’s “knowledge”, but it’s not just “knowledge”. It’s “knowledge” that leads to “discretion” and discernment. It’s the knowledge that this is God’s world and God’s design, and by understanding how God intends this world to function, we’re able to discern between something that looks good and enticing versus something that is actually good and upbuilding.

In Proverbs 5:3-4 the father warns his son: “For the lips of a forbidden woman drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil, but in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword.” But, this is a grander picture of life. You are most likely to be destroyed by something that is attractive. Skillful living is the ability to see the bitterness from the beginning. It’s the discipline forge the type of character that wants what is best, not what is easiest. It’s the type of shrewdness that knows how to deal with temptations so that they cannot win. It’s discern to what is actually true in spite of what looks good. Will you discipline yourself for wisdom? Will you develop the skill of living well, even if you’re the only one?

Skillful Thinking

Proverbs 1:6 “to understand a proverb and a saying, the words of the wise and their riddles.”

But, it’s not just skillful living that Proverbs has in view; it’s also skillful thinking. Verse 6 elaborates on what’s in mind in the second part of verse two, which is skillful thinking. He talks about “words of insight” in verse 2, and then very words that he uses in verse 6 are meant to explain how that insight is gained. A “proverb” or a “saying” is not meant to be something that is quickly received and moved on from. They’re meant to be like cud to a cow, chewed on and chewed on so that every last nutrient is gleaned. Does it surprise you that it uses the word “riddle?” Why would the wise speak in “riddles” — which might be an allegory, a parable, or a metaphor? Because wisdom is not just knowing what to think; wisdom is knowing how to think. The journey to “insight” is as important as the “insight” itself because it teaches you how to find more in the future. So, the ancients would speak this way so that you would mull it over and over, meditating on day and night (Psalm 1).

We want a microwavable faith. We want somebody to come and tell us all the we need to know so that we can carry on with our lives. We want cheap wisdom. We want drive-thru insights. We want Tweets, not riddles and parables. But, the word of God isn’t to be consumed like a TV dinner or a drive-thru cheeseburger that you scarf down on the way to work. It’s meant to be an intrusion into your life. It’s meant to be something that is in the back of your mind all day long. It’s more like the type of meal that you work hours and hours to prepare. The steak is just right and the potatoes are perfect and the green beans are as good as they are pretty. The German chocolate cake was put together just so. And, you don’t scarf it; you savor it. In fact, the labor leads to greater enjoyment and appreciation of the meal. The work enhances the savoring. That’s the journey to insight, to skillful thinking. It’s a slow, tedious process that leads to savory, memorable insight. Have you allowed the Bible to intrude upon your life? Have you let it not just tell you what to think but how to think?

Wisdom is a “Person”.

Proverbs 1:7 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

God is Knowable and Must be Known

Verse 7 gives us the key that unlocks all truth. By saying that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge”, the author is making two bold proclamations. First of all, God himself can be known. That is, the one who designed this world to function as it does and who designed us to function as we do can actually be known so that we can have real insight into this life that we’re living. Secondly, by using the covenant name ‘LORD’, he’s saying that Israel really does KNOW this God. He’s their covenant God. He’s the one that stands behind all that is being written here. He is knowable, we know him, and this is what we’ve learned.

The Fear of the Lord

That’s the significance of “the fear of the LORD”. If God can be known, and He can, and if God has revealed himself to us, and He has, then all knowledge must begin with the true knowledge of God. That is, we must resist the modern impulse to either dismiss God like the fool of Psalm 14 who says, “There is no God,” or to redefine him so that He is more palatable to our modern sensibilities. If we’re to know anything, we must know the true, unmodernized, undomesticated God. We must know him as the God of gods and the one before whom the nations will bow. He has made it all, owns it all, designed it all, and will hold it all accountable to his ways. That is, we are to understand that Descartes got it exactly wrong. Reality doesn’t start with me and work it’s way outward. Reality starts with God, and nothing can be rightly understood apart from him.

(Draw a line first to show we typically think and then a triangle to illustrate how wisdom actually builds). We’re tempted to think of “the fear of God” as the first thing that we must know so that we might move on to learn the rest of life. But, that’s not what’s meant by “beginning”. Rather, “the fear of God” is the most fundamental thing apart from whom you can have no real knowledge. It’s like 2 + 2 as the building block of calculous or the learning the ABC’s before you read Charles Dickens. Without this knowledge, nothing else will work or make sense.

Personification

So, it’s no wonder that wisdom is personified throughout the book. It’s always meant to remind us that wisdom isn’t an abstract principle primarily; wisdom is a Person. (add a cross to the top of the triangle upon explanation of wisdom leading to a Person) In fact, what we learn in the New Covenant is that wisdom is built upon a Person (“the LORD”), and wisdom leads us to a Person (the Son). The Son was quite literally wisdom personified — wisdom when attained leads you away from destruction and death to life and blessing.