The Bible Series Proverbs
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A scientist was using the inductive method to observe the characteristics of a flea. Plucking a leg off the flea, he ordered, “Jump!”
The flea promptly jumped.
Taking another leg off, the scientist again commanded, “Jump!”
The flea jumped again.
The scientist continued this process until he came to the sixth and final leg. By now the flea was having a little more difficulty jumping, but it was still trying.
The scientist pulled the final leg off and again ordered the flea to jump. But the flea didn’t respond.
The scientist raised his voice and demanded, “Jump!” Again the flea failed to respond.
For a third time the scientist shouted at the top of his lungs, “Jump!” But the hapless flea lay motionless.
The scientist then made the following observation in his notebook: “When you remove the legs from a flea, it loses its sense of hearing.”
—Howard G. Hendricks, Living by the Book
As we engage with and ponder the book of Proverbs, I want us to NOT just take in today as information… but apply what we learn in a correct manner to gain wisdom and accurate discovery of our Great God! For it is possible to have information and knowledge and still handle it poorly or incorrectly…
The author of a great deal of we will look at is King Solomon…
Solomon’s Made A Choice...
Solomon’s Made A Choice...
King Solomon follows his father David as the next king of Israel… God offers Solomon anything he wishes as he begins this new phase… 1 Kings 3:5-14 along with 1 Kings 4:29-34 give us insight into how God used Solomon to bring us a glimpse of the Wisdom Of God!
In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream at night; and God said, “Ask what you wish me to give you.” Then Solomon said, “You have shown great lovingkindness to Your servant David my father, according as he walked before You in truth and righteousness and uprightness of heart toward You; and You have reserved for him this great lovingkindness, that You have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. “Now, O Lord my God, You have made Your servant king in place of my father David, yet I am but a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. “Your servant is in the midst of Your people which You have chosen, a great people who are too many to be numbered or counted. “So give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?” It was pleasing in the sight of the Lord that Solomon had asked this thing. God said to him, “Because you have asked this thing and have not asked for yourself long life, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have you asked for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself discernment to understand justice, behold, I have done according to your words. Behold, I have given you a wise and discerning heart, so that there has been no one like you before you, nor shall one like you arise after you. “I have also given you what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that there will not be any among the kings like you all your days. “If you walk in My ways, keeping My statutes and commandments, as your father David walked, then I will prolong your days.”
Now God gave Solomon wisdom and very great discernment and breadth of mind, like the sand that is on the seashore. Solomon’s wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the sons of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt. For he was wiser than all men, than Ethan the Ezrahite, Heman, Calcol and Darda, the sons of Mahol; and his fame was known in all the surrounding nations. He also spoke 3,000 proverbs, and his songs were 1,005. He spoke of trees, from the cedar that is in Lebanon even to the hyssop that grows on the wall; he spoke also of animals and birds and creeping things and fish. Men came from all peoples to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all the kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom.
It is this man along with others God will use to pass on the wisdom of our God and give us Proverbs…
Wisdom or Proverb Defined
Wisdom or Proverb Defined
PROVERB: a brief popular epigram or maxim… many words into a few!
short statements giving a life applicable point
They are short clever sayings that offer us wisdom to implement into our lives
Wise sayings captured in short sequence, stories, and poems
The book of Proverbs contains approximately 900 of these
Wisdom & Knowledge: The ability to live life Skillfully … it pertains to the mental ability that is then put into Action
This is APPLIED KNOWLEDGE… Wisdom!
Practical living out the knowledge and wisdom with skill in our lives while keeping God Central
God is the source of wisdom and therefore the One who directs us how to engage in this life with skill
Illustrate APPLIED KNOWLEDGE: It has been correctly stated that knowledge is the ability to know that a tomato is a fruit, yet wisdom lets you know that you do not put it in a fruit salad!!!
As we look at the PROVERBS today… you will find some are brief while others take on poetry from or stories... while yet some take on the form of oracles or teachings.
The Overview & Structure
The Overview & Structure
The THEME of this book is clearly WISDOM!!
It begins with a very clear and defined purpose! LIKE NO OTHER BOOK
In Chapters 1-9 we see TEN SPEECHES & FOUR POEMS
Proverbs 1:8-9 illustrates the manner in which these come across…
Hear, my son, your father’s instruction And do not forsake your mother’s teaching; Indeed, they are a graceful wreath to your head And ornaments about your neck.
These direct their attention to the youth ( a father to his son)
There is a clear message of striving to live life as one who honors God
These are NOT LAWS… but rather divine wise ways to live before God
Cautions, instructions, PRACTICAL!!!
The poems look to “Lady Wisdom” as one who should be sought with all one has!
In Chapters 10-29 we read the clever short sayings of wisdom from Solomon
These are MORE THAN just good advice… they are God’s wisdom for man to live by
These draw the reader to consider the MORAL MINDSET as one goes through life living in this world reflecting God Himself
In Chapter 30 we are introduced to Agur… He is as a humble man Proverbs 30:2-6
Surely I am more stupid than any man, And I do not have the understanding of a man. Neither have I learned wisdom, Nor do I have the knowledge of the Holy One. Who has ascended into heaven and descended? Who has gathered the wind in His fists? Who has wrapped the waters in His garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name or His son’s name? Surely you know! Every word of God is tested; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him. Do not add to His words Or He will reprove you, and you will be proved a liar.
We see his humility and his reverent approach to God
He states man can know God but only because God has made Himself known!!!
In the verses that follow we see him make an observations about God’s creation and life in a list of SIX Numerical Sayings
AGUR ILLUSTRATES FOR US WELL HOW ONE SHOULD READ PROVERBS WITH A HEART TO KNOW AND UNDERSTAND GOD BETTER!!!
In Chapter 31 we see two women esteemed and looked at...
We see the mother of King Lemuel (a gentile king)
Wonderful wisdom is given to him from his mother on how a leader should behave and lead with a care for the poor and struggling souls
In the closing verses we look at a noble and wise woman…
This is a Hebrew acrostic poem...
This woman is a beautiful example of APPLIED KNOWLEDGE lived out in life
The book begins by looking at “Lady Wisdom” and concludes with this example of wisdom lived out… The purpose of this book directs us to how we ought to focus as we study this book desiring to KNOW & UNDERSTAND our Great God better…
Purpose Of The Book
Purpose Of The Book
Proverbs is the only book that clearly at the onset of the book offers the purpose of the book… Proverbs 1:1-7
The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel: To know wisdom and instruction, To discern the sayings of understanding, To receive instruction in wise behavior, Righteousness, justice and equity; To give prudence to the naive, To the youth knowledge and discretion, A wise man will hear and increase in learning, And a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel, To understand a proverb and a figure, The words of the wise and their riddles. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction.
The purpose is twofold:
(1) To impart moral discernment and discretion
(2) to develop mental clarity and perception
Wilkinson does a good job expressing this: The words “wisdom and instruction” (1:2a) complement each other because wisdom (hokhmah) means “skill,” and instruction (musar) means “discipline.” No skill is perfected without discipline, and when a person has skill he has freedom to create something beautiful. Proverbs deals with the most fundamental skill of all: practical righteousness before God in every area of life. This requires knowledge, experience, and a willingness to put God first (3:5–7).
We see the theme of Proverbs stated here : “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge” (Proverbs 1:7a).
To fear God is to stand in awe of His righteousness, majesty, and power and to trust Him by humbly depending upon Him.
There is a reciprocal relationship here, because
“the fear of the LORD is the beginning [foundation] of wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10),
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
but also we see that wisdom leads to the knowledge and fear of God (Proverbs 2:1–5).
My son, if you will receive my words And treasure my commandments within you, Make your ear attentive to wisdom, Incline your heart to understanding; For if you cry for discernment, Lift your voice for understanding; If you seek her as silver And search for her as for hidden treasures; Then you will discern the fear of the Lord And discover the knowledge of God.
There is one other thing to remember as we study this fascinating collection of writings…
Practical vs Promise
Practical vs Promise
Proverbs does not offer guarantees… it does however offer principles of life to live by!
Probabilities and usually the outcome… it is a norm but but guaranteed Proverbs 10:27 and Proverbs 22:6
The fear of the Lord prolongs life, But the years of the wicked will be shortened.
Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it.
Proverbs is giving us GENERAL RULES of life and does not deal with the exceptions
Comparison With Job & Ecclesiastes will deal with the exceptions in greater detail
The exceptions deal with the fact that life is too complex to have a simple formula for all of life’s situations
God in a beautiful and fascinating way gives us all we need of His Wisdom for the life we live
All three wisdom books gathered together with the Psalms express God’s heart of wisdom for man
When we take these as a whole we see a clearer, fuller picture, and better understanding of how to apply the knowledge and wisdom to our lives
I find it fascinating that God gave Solomon all this wisdom… and yet in his life we see him so foolishly walk away from the Lord and make foolish decisions… NOW IT IS YOUR CHOICE…
Your Choice…
Your Choice…
Don’t read and study this book just to attain knowledge… applied wrong in our life may make it so we find ourselves eating tomatoes in a fruit salad so to speak…
I would encourage you to implement the wisdom God has given us in His Word into your daily applied living
What an amazing thing if God’s people would live skillfully in this life for His Glory
(monthly Reading Challenge)
These Proverbs on take Seconds to read… but they also take Lifetime to master!