Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

We as a nation have set this day aside to honor our fathers.

Dads are very important and they have a great deal of wisdom to teach to their children.

The wisest dad on the planet was King Solomon and the book of Proverbs is a collection of his wisdom that he wanted to pass on to his son who would rule after him.

This morning we want to look at proverbs 2 verses 1-15 to see three aspects of a father’s wisdom that each of us should learn and that all you dads who are here this morning have been given the responsibility to teach to your children.

I. (1-5) The Desire for Wisdom

A. You must listen to it.

(1)

Notice the “if” here.

There are three of them in these verses and they are very important.

Because wisdom isn’t automatically downloaded to you the moment you reach a certain age.

It is a matter of choice.

You have to want it.

You have to value it so much that you treasure it inside you.

Verse 2 continues in this vein but adds the thought of listening.

It has the idea of causing you ears to hear in an intense way.

Not in one ear and out the other.

To incline means to stretch out or extend your heart to understanding.

Young people this is how you need to respond to your dads.

You need to extend your hearts to what they say to you, because they are trying to teach you wisdom.

Listen to them intensely and treasure what they say inside you.

Notice the “if” here.

There are three of them in these verses and they are very important.

Because wisdom isn’t automatically downloaded to you the moment you reach a certain age.

It is a matter of choice.

You have to want it.

You have to value it so much that you treasure it inside you.

Verse 2 continues in this vein but adds the thought of listening.

It has the idea of causing you ears to hear in an intense way.

Not in one ear and out the other.

To incline means to stretch out or extend your heart to understanding.

Young people this is how you need to respond to your dads.

You need to extend your hearts to what they say to you, because they are trying to teach you wisdom.

Listen to them intensely and treasure what they say inside you.

B. You must Ask for it.

(3)

Proverbs 2:3Verse 3 has another “if.”

That means it depends on you.

And what are you supposed to do?

You are supposed to speak up!

If you don’t ask any questions how are you supposed to learn?

You have to cry out for discernment.

One thing dads can’t do is read minds.

They cannot know what you are thinking and what you are struggling with, you have to tell them what is going on and ask them what to do.

I know that my dad really treasures times when I come to him to ask him for advise, isn’t that true dads?

But you won’t learn if you don’t ask.

Now there is one Father who can read your mind, our heavenly Father, but I have found that even though He can read my mind, it is still good to ask Him things.

I have found myself doing that more and more lately when I pray.

I just say things like, “Lord what do you think about this?” or “What should I do now?” and inevitably He will answer in one way or another.

Verse 3 has another “if.”

That means it depends on you.

And what are you supposed to do?

You are supposed to speak up!

If you don’t ask any questions how are you supposed to learn?

You have to cry out for discernment.

One thing dads can’t do is read minds.

They cannot know what you are thinking and what you are struggling with, you have to tell them what is going on and ask them what to do.

I know that my dad really treasures times when I come to him to ask him for advise, isn’t that true dads?

But you won’t learn if you don’t ask.

Now there is one Father who can read your mind, our heavenly Father, but I have found that even though He can read my mind, it is still good to ask Him things.

I have found myself doing that more and more lately when I pray.

I just say things like, “Lord what do you think about this?” or “What should I do now?” and inevitably He will answer in one way or another.

C.

You must Look for it (4)

Asking isn’t enough though.

The third “if” is searching for wisdom.

Even when I’ve asked the Lord for an answer, He wants me to search for it.

That means studying His Word.

If you wanted to find a buried treasure it wouldn’t be enough just to ask somebody where it is, you would have to walk through the jungle, find the spot, get out your shovel and dig for it!

All of these “ifs” are a matter of how bad you want it.

So how bad do you want it?

Will you listen for it, ask for it, and look for it?

It depends on you.

Wisdom is free but it isn’t cheap.

Asking isn’t enough though.

The third “if” is searching for wisdom.

Even when I’ve asked the Lord for an answer, He wants me to search for it.

That means studying His Word.

If you wanted to find a buried treasure it wouldn’t be enough just to ask somebody where it is, you would have to walk through the jungle, find the spot, get out your shovel and dig for it!

All of these “ifs” are a matter of how bad you want it.

So how bad do you want it?

Will you listen for it, ask for it, and look for it?

It depends on you.

Wisdom is free but it isn’t cheap.

II.

(6-8) The Source of Wisdom

What do you find when you desire wisdom?

You find God!

Notice too that wisdom is bound up in the fear of the Lord.

This is something that Solomon makes clear later in the book when he says in 9:10, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”

This fear I s like a fear of a hot stove.

If it is not approached in the correct manner it will hurt you.

Therefore it demands your respect and awe.

If you are to know wisdom then you must approach the source in the correct manner or He will harm you for your own good.

God is the source of wisdom and so when you search for wisdom you find Him.

And this is Yahweh, the “I am,” the “self existent One,” who gives this wisdom.

That only makes sense, right?

The one who can exist apart from anything else and who made everything is only One who can give wisdom.

This is important for you dads.

You can teach your kids the wisdom that you posses in and of yourself and if they receive it, they will be at best as wise as you, but the truly wise dad will recognize that true wisdom comes from God and he will humbly point his children to the source of all wisdom.

It is like making copies.

You start with an original and you make a copy from it.