Sermon Tone Analysis

“Teaching My Children Wisdom”

 

A wise son makes a glad father, but a foolish son

/is/ the grief of his mother.

—Proverbs 10:1

 

I.

The Father’s Role

 

/And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart.

"You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.

(Deuteronomy 6:6-7 NKJV)/

 

A.

Bound up in the principle of Deut.6:6-7.

1.

Is Teaching My Children Wisdom

 

The fear of the LORD /is/ the beginning of wisdom  (Psalms 111:10)

 

a)         No one is truly wise who rejects or disregards the gospel message.

b)        Beyond the basic truths of the gospel are also many vital biblical lessons about character, integrity, justice, prudence, discernment, and all the practical issues of life.

c)         I am charged with the Duty of carefully training Ronnie & Brittany with godly wisdom in all such matters.

Proverbs is an Inspired Summary of such practical wisdom.

1.

The best wisdom of several ancient sages is thus compiles in Solomon’s Book of Proverbs with the seal of divine inspiration guaranteeing that these sayings are:

 

…“Profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16 NKJV)

 

 

Solomon includes an admonition to his own Son in the opening vv.

My son, hear the instruction of your father, And do not forsake the law of your mother; For they /will be/ a graceful ornament on your head, And chains about your neck.

(Proverbs 1:8-9 NKJV)

My son, if you receive my words, And treasure my commands within you, (Proverbs 2:1 NKJV)

My son, do not forget my law, But let your heart keep my commands; (Proverbs 3:1 NKJV)

Hear, /my/ children, the instruction of a father, And give attention to know understanding; (Proverbs 4:1 NKJV)

Hear, my son, and receive my sayings, And the years of your life will be many.

(Proverbs 4:10 NKJV)

My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings.

(Proverbs 4:20 NKJV)

My son, pay attention to my wisdom; Lend your ear to my understanding, (Proverbs 5:1 NKJV)

My son, keep your father's command, And do not forsake the law of your mother.

(Proverbs 6:20 NKJV)         

My son, keep my words, And treasure my commands within you.

(Proverbs 7:1 NKJV)

 

/Such admonitions also apply to Ronnie & Brittany, /

/And if I hope to teach well,/

/I must master the wisdom of Scripture in my life & live consistently /

/So that these principles of wisdom are reflected in my own character./

2.

The Dangers of an Inconsistent Life.

Solomon Himself is an object lesson about the danger of inconsistency

1.      Solomon was, in intellectual terms, the wisest man who lived.

And God gave Solomon wisdom and exceedingly great understanding, and largeness of heart like the sand on the seashore.

(1 Kings 4:29 NKJV)

/God Himself told Solomon/, “I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you.

(1 Kings 3:12 NKJV)

 

His instructions were wise, but he failed miserably by way of example.

1.      Solomon included several warnings about the dangers of being seduced by the wrong kind of women (Prov.2:16-19,

5:3-13, 20; 6:23-29, 7:5-27; 22:14; 31:30).

2.

But Scripture says this about Solomon:

 

But King Solomon loved many foreign women, as well as the daughter of Pharaoh: women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, /and/ Hittites-- from the nations of whom the LORD had said to the children of Israel, "You shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you.

Surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods."

Solomon clung to these in love.

(1 Kings 11:1-2 NKJV)

 

/It does no good to teach Ronnie & Brittany sound wisdom & then live a life that contradicts what I am teaching!

/

/In fact there may be no surer way to provoke my children to despise and discard the wisdom of the Lord./

3.

This not only caused his son to fail (1 Kings 12:6-11), but it also tore apart the entire Israelite nation and led to an apostasy from which Israel never did recover

 

So the LORD became angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned from the LORD God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice, and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods; but he did not keep what the LORD had commanded.

Therefore the LORD said to Solomon, "Because you have done this, and have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant.

"Nevertheless I will not do it in your days, for the sake of your father David; I will tear it out of the hand of your son.

"However I will not tear away the whole kingdom; I will give one tribe to your son for the sake of my servant David, and for the sake of Jerusalem which I have chosen."

Now the LORD raised up an adversary against Solomon, Hadad the Edomite; he /was/ a descendant of the king in Edom.

(1 Kings 11:9-14 )

 

 

Solomon’s /instructions/ to his son were sound.

But the /example/ he set nullified his wise counsel.

His life was inconsistent with his teaching!

/There is not greater mistake /

/I could make as a parent to my children./

/ /

 

4.

Wisdom encompasses not only what we /know// /but also what we /do/ and sometimes what we /don’t do./

A wise /man/ fears and departs from evil  (Proverbs 14:16)

…He who restrains his lips /is/ wise.

(Proverbs 10:19)   

He who wins souls /is/ wise.

(Proverbs 11:30)

…He who heeds counsel /is/ wise.

(Proverbs 12:15)

 

5.

When all is said and done, what is /done/ is as vital to true wisdom as what is /said./

/As a parent it is my duty from God not only to teach my Ronnie & Brittany the concept of wise living, but also to model wisdom for them, so that they understand that this wisdom is the noblest and purest of all./

3.

The Personification of Wisdom

 

In Proverbs 1:20-21 wisdom is personified:

Wisdom calls aloud outside; She raises her voice in the open squares.

She cries out in the chief concourses, At the openings of the gates in the city She speaks her words: (Proverbs 1:20-21 NKJV)

 

a)         What is she crying about?

1.

She is calling simple-minded people to turn away from being naïve.

2.

She is crying out for scoffers and fools to turn to wisdom (v.22)

The whole book of Proverbs echo’s that call to wisdom.

a)         In 2:1-6, the voice of the father encourages his son to seek wisdom:

My son, if you receive my words, And treasure my commands within you, So that you incline your ear to wisdom, /And/ apply your heart to understanding; Yes, if you cry out for discernment, /And/ lift up your voice for understanding, If you seek her as silver, And search for her as /for/ hidden treasures; Then you will understand the fear of the LORD, And find the knowledge of God.

For the LORD gives wisdom; From His mouth /come/ knowledge and understanding; (Proverbs 2:1-6 NKJV)

 

b)        The fathers primary appeal to his son is this: “Pursue Wisdom”

 

For wisdom /is/ better than rubies, And all the things one may desire cannot be compared with her.   "I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, And find out knowledge /and/ discretion.

The fear of the LORD /is/ to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverse mouth I hate.

Counsel /is/ mine, and sound wisdom; I /am/ understanding, I have strength.

By me kings reign, And rulers decree justice.

By me princes rule, and nobles, All the judges of the earth.

I love those who love me, And those who seek me diligently will find me.

Riches and honor /are/ with me, Enduring riches and righteousness.

My fruit /is/ better than gold, yes, than fine gold, And my revenue than choice silver.

I traverse the way of righteousness, In the midst of the paths of justice, That I may cause those who love me to inherit wealth, That I may fill their treasuries.

(Proverbs 8:11-21 NKJV)

 

c)         The verses that follow have clear overtones that identify /Christ/ as the true personification of all wisdom:

 

"The LORD possessed me at the beginning of His way, Before His works of old.