Sermon Tone Analysis

Good morning!

If you have your bibles let me invite you to open with me to the book of Proverbs chapter 1.

I am very excited to begin this new teaching series with you all this morning.

The first word of verse 1 tells us what kind of book this is.

It is a book of “proverbs”

A proverb is a short, pithy, saying designed to make a point about the way life works.

Or in other words, its a poetic saying that reveals some aspect of how to walk wisely in God’s world.

In the proverbs, the poet will state big truths in as few words as possible .

The poet will use repetition, imagery, figures of speech, and parallelism in the structure of his sentences to make his point.

The proverbs are meant to be meditated on and internalized so the reader knows how to walk wisely in the given situation.

I have only ever taken somewhat short and shallow passes through the book of Proverbs.

I have never personally heard a sermon series that tried to expositionally work through the proverbs.

I assume its because of the difficulty of the structure.

Especially in the middle of the book, there is little structure.

Only individual mostly unconnected sayings of wisdom one right after another.

That makes it difficult to really sermonize this book into a some kind of logical flow.

The book often feels like real life… messy, and the wisdom you might find in one chapter may reflect the messy variety of situations you need wisdom for every day.

The Proverbs, therefore, have been considered by many to be not too dissimilar to short fortune cookie slogans for wise living that are occasionally useful…,

BUT God inspired this book and he placed this book in the Bible for a reason.

In fact, I think he did it as a divine blessing.... a gift given to his people for their good.

Over the last few weeks and months I have found depths and heights within the fabric of this book that have challenged me, convicted me, motivated me, and excited me for what God might do in our church family through this study.

We need what Proverbs offers us.

There is a theology that holds the proverbs together.

A theology of wisdom.

A theology of a big sovereign creator God over all the world who cannot be cornered into a once a week religious box.

In the proverbs we find a God who is very much real and active in your friendships, your family dynamics, your every day conversations, your work ethic, and your romantic relationships.

He is God over all of life, not just some of it.

His sovereign rule touches every corner of the globe and of the individual person.

Proverbs is a book about living life God’s way in God’s world.

It is my hope that through this study we as members of St Rose Community Church might become a congregation characterized by our godly wisdom in all the spheres of influence we find ourselves.

It is my hope that through this study we subject areas of our lives under God’s leadership and guidance, where previously we had ignored him or pushed him out.

Its my hope that the nations might marvel at God’s wisdom poured into us and out from us.

May he do it.

We will begin our time this morning by reading verses 1-7, though we will primarily spend our time getting acquainted with the author mentioned in verse 1.

verses 1-7 include what is considered the preamble of the book of proverbs.

A preamble is a preliminary or preparatory statement.

Its an introduction and its designed to help us understand what follows.

In the case of this preamble We are given a lot of information to sort through.

In these seven verses we are given:

the author of the book

the author’s significance to the biblical story

the purpose of the book

the intended audiences of the book

and finally the interpretive key to the book in verse 7…

In my estimation, it will take us about three weeks to sort through the information that the preamble provides, but it will be important time spent.

We will ease into the book of Proverbs trying to grasp important concepts and definitions that will serve us well as we continue our study.

So without further delay, lets read the preamble and lets spend some time in prayer for this morning’s sermon and for our new journey through the book of Proverbs.

Lets Pray

Lord we need your wisdom.

We need your understanding.

Please give us what we lack.

Help us to understand your word, help us to believe your word, help us to apply your word in the thousands of different scenarios we will face in the year 2023.

We pray this by your grace and for your glory in Jesus name amen.

Every individual book of the Bible finds itself placed in the context of a bigger story.

…A story that begins with God’s creation of all things in Genesis

and one that ends with God’s renewal of all things in Revelation.

Verse 1 gives us the primary author of Proverbs - Solomon, son of David, King of Israel…

He is a part of that story…, and this book is a part of that story.

But how?

How does the man who wrote proverbs fit into the bigger story?

How does the book of proverbs fit into that story?

Well lets begin with a speed round brief biblical story recap.

in the beginning God made a world that was good.

The people he created, made a decision that was bad.

When Adam and Eve sinned against God in Genesis 3… and the whole world fell into spiraling corruption… God began to make promises.

To Eve, God promised that an offspring would one day crush the evil serpent’s head.

To Abraham, God promised that his offspring would become a great nation, and that through his offspring the nations of the world would be blessed rather than cursed.

To King David over Israel, God promised that through his offspring, God would establish a kingdom on Earth of which there would be no end.

Man’s kingdom had proved very much corrupt.

Man’s kingdom was feeble and easily shaken by opposition, sickness, famine, and sin.

But… God would one day establish his people in his kingdom under a righteous and good king In a good and peaceful land.

Turn with me to that moment where God promises this to King David in 2 Samuel 7:10-16…

David’s family line Would carry on the promise made to Eve,

the promise made to Abraham,

and now the promise made to David.

David was going to have a Son who would build the temple in the midst of the people and whom God would walk closely with.

But even more than that… the kingdom to come was going to be an eternal one.

There was a glorious future where a Son of David would forever and always sit on the throne of The kingdom of God.

Notice how the Kingdom God promised is described with language that points you back to the garden of Eden.

Israel will be planted in a place where they can truly rest

and will no longer be threatened by any enemy.

God will be with them and the King will sit on an everlasting throne.

These are the kind of expectations and hopes Solomon was born into.

Could David’s son, Solomon, be the one?

Could he fulfil all of God’s promises,

crush the serpents head,

brings blessing to all the nations,

and establish God’s kingdom on earth forever and ever?

Could it be Solomon?

Turn now with me to 1 Kings.

In chapter 2 of 1 Kings.., we see David’s final words of wisdom to his son and a reiteration of the promise.

And so the reign of Solomon began.

He understood the assignment.

Obey the law of God,

pay careful attention to his way,

walk in faithfulness to God with all his heart and soul.

But the task of leading a nation for a young man was overwhelming.

He had to fill the shoes of his father… King David

He was called to unite the nation of Israel around his rule and lead one of the most insane building projects in the history of the world.

Think about the pressure that he must have been under. . .