Opening Up Proverbs (Session 2)
Proverbs Equipping Class - Opening Up Proverbs • Sermon • Submitted
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· 21 viewsSession 2 - Dealing with Chapter 1 "Wisdom and the Fear of the Lord"
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Wisdom and the Fear of the Lord
Wisdom and the Fear of the Lord
1 The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:
2 To know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight,
3 to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity;
4 to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth—
5 Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance,
6 to understand a proverb and a saying, the words of the wise and their riddles.
7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.
“The first seven verses serve as an introduction to the entire book of Proverbs. Verse 1 is the title; verses 2–6 express the twofold purpose of the book of Proverbs in one extended sentence; and verse 7 gives the motto of the book.”
Jim Newheiser, Opening up Proverbs, Opening Up Commentary (Leominster: Day One Publications, 2008), 19.
Jim Newheiser, Opening up Proverbs, Opening Up Commentary (Leominster: Day One Publications, 2008), 19.
1 The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:
2 To know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight,
3 to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity;
4 to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth—
5 Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance,
6 to understand a proverb and a saying, the words of the wise and their riddles.
7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.
“Verse 2 summarizes the twofold purpose of Proverbs, which is further explained in verses 3–6: Proverbs equips the reader with moral skill for holy living, and Proverbs imparts mental discernment.”
The purpose of the book of Proverbs (vs. 2-6)
The purpose of the book of Proverbs (vs. 2-6)
Jim Newheiser, Opening up Proverbs, Opening Up Commentary (Leominster: Day One Publications, 2008), 19.The purpose of the book of Proverbs (vs. 2-6)
Proverbs will train God’s people to live wisely (skillfully) (vs. 2a, 3-5)
Proverbs will train God’s people to live wisely (skillfully) (vs. 2a, 3-5)
What is wisdom?
What is wisdom?
“The essence of wisdom is skill, the ability to do a job.”
Jim Newheiser, Opening up Proverbs, Opening Up Commentary (Leominster: Day One Publications, 2008), 19.
“The same Hebrew word is used of the skilful workers who prepared Aaron’s garments and of those who built the tabernacle and the temple (; ; ). Their exceptional ability to work with fabric and bronze was necessary and admirable (). Such skills were only obtained through hard work.”
Wisdom is gained through disciplined instruction
Jim Newheiser, Opening up Proverbs, Opening Up Commentary (Leominster: Day One Publications, 2008), 19–20.
3 You shall speak to all the skillful, whom I have filled with a spirit of skill, that they make Aaron’s garments to consecrate him for my priesthood.
14 He was the son of a widow of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in bronze. And he was full of wisdom, understanding, and skill for making any work in bronze. He came to King Solomon and did all his work.
29 Do you see a man skillful in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men.
“The wisdom offered by the book of Proverbs is skill for living. Wisdom is not merely intellectual or academic; it is primarily moral...The book of Proverbs teaches you how to live skilfully in every area of your life including family, finances, friendships, speech, and work. The goal of wisdom is that you might achieve a life of beauty and significance so that at the end of your days you will have accomplished something worthwhile and lasting. Jesus is the one who exemplifies wisdom, as he lived on earth with perfect skill. It is through Christ that we are made wise and gain the ability to live wisely.”
The book of Proverbs teaches you how to live skilfully in every area of your life including family, finances, friendships, speech, and work. The goal of wisdom is that you might achieve a life of beauty and significance so that at the end of your days you will have accomplished something worthwhile and lasting. Jesus is the one who exemplifies wisdom, as he lived on earth with perfect skill. It is through Christ that we are made wise and gain the ability to live wisely.
Jim Newheiser, Opening up Proverbs, Opening Up Commentary (Leominster: Day One Publications, 2008), 20.
Jim Newheiser, Opening up Proverbs, Opening Up Commentary (Leominster: Day One Publications, 2008), 20.
Jim Newheiser, Opening up Proverbs, Opening Up Commentary (Leominster: Day One Publications, 2008), 20.
Wisdom is gained through disciplined instruction
Wisdom is gained through disciplined instruction
Instruction in verse 2a is learning through discipline
God trains His covenant people through discipline!
You did not come out of your mother’s womb wise! And wisdom didn’t just happen to you as you grew older. God is the source of wisdom.
The student benefits from instruction (vs. 3)
The student benefits from instruction (vs. 3)
“Because we are by nature foolish and lazy, we reject the hardship of learning by discipline (1:7b). We are wayward children who need to be brought under the rule of our heavenly Father (even if it is painful) for our own good. We need to learn to restrain our natural desires and to perform our duty. Those who are trained by discipline are successful.”
Jim Newheiser, Opening up Proverbs, Opening Up Commentary (Leominster: Day One Publications, 2008), 21.
Angie playing the piano…Wisdom does not come naturally, it requires hard work to acquire!
Wisdom benefits the young and the simple (vs. 4)
Wisdom benefits the young and the simple (vs. 4)
“We apply the wisdom of Proverbs in the laboratory of life.”
Jim Newheiser, Opening up Proverbs, Opening Up Commentary (Leominster: Day One Publications, 2008), 21.
The student benefits from instruction (vs. 3)
The student benefits from instruction (vs. 3)
As you determine to be wise and apply yourself to the pursuit of wisdom, you will grow. This is an act of humility. Part of being wise is realizing you do not know everything...
Wisdom benefits the young and the simple (vs. 4)
Wisdom benefits the young and the simple (vs. 4)
Wisdom produces a better life...
3 Now the name of the man was Nabal, and the name of his wife Abigail. The woman was discerning and beautiful, but the man was harsh and badly behaved; he was a Calebite.
Jesus was prophesied to be the epitome of wisdom...
13 Behold, my servant shall act wisely; he shall be high and lifted up, and shall be exalted.
The other benefits of wisdom are learning (according to verse 3b, “Righteousness, justice and equity”
“Righteousness” = conformity to God’s standard
“Justice” = the act of sitting as a judge, hearing a case, and rendering a proper verdict. is one such occurrence: (Vines)
the act of sitting as a judge, hearing a case, and rendering a proper verdict. is one such occurrence:
“Equity” =
“Equity” = evenness, uprightness, fairness
These characteristics would be necessary for any future ruler of Israel.
Wisdom benefits the young and the simple (vs. 4)
Wisdom benefits the young and the simple (vs. 4)
The naive believes anything...
15 The simple believes everything, but the prudent gives thought to his steps.
In chapters 1 though 9 there are two voices calling out. One is the voice of lady wisdom the other is Madame folly...
Wisdom gives discernment. Who are good people to hang around with or not? What decision should I make? etc.
“The wise young person will have ‘discretion’—the ability to form plans so that important goals can be achieved.”
Jim Newheiser, Opening up Proverbs, Opening Up Commentary (Leominster: Day One Publications, 2008), 23.
Those who are already wise will grow in wisdom (vs. 5)
Those who are already wise will grow in wisdom (vs. 5)
Be teachable
Increase in learning
Acquire wise counsel - “ropes that guide a ship”
9 “When you come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominable practices of those nations.
10 There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer
11 or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead,
12 for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord. And because of these abominations the Lord your God is driving them out before you.
13 You shall be blameless before the Lord your God,
14 for these nations, which you are about to dispossess, listen to fortune-tellers and to diviners. But as for you, the Lord your God has not allowed you to do this.
Deut 18:
Be careful of the counsel of fools.
Be careful of the counsel of your feelings.
12 There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.
Proverbs will impart mental discernment (vs. 2b, 6)
Proverbs will impart mental discernment (vs. 2b, 6)
“The guidance offered by Proverbs is not mystical but rather moral, firmly grounded in truth and righteousness. One does not gain wisdom merely by being ‘zapped’ from above; rather, the godly person acquires wisdom for living through the disciplined study of God’s Word, thereby establishing a pattern of wise choices in life.”
Jim Newheiser, Opening up Proverbs, Opening Up Commentary (Leominster: Day One Publications, 2008), 24.
Proverbs will impart mental discernment (vs. 2b, 6)
Proverbs will impart mental discernment (vs. 2b, 6)
You need insight into reality
“Because of Adam’s fall, our minds are corrupted by sin. Our confusion is compounded because we live in a postmodern world that denies the existence of absolute truth and encourages each person to construct his or her own reality.”
Jim Newheiser, Opening up Proverbs, Opening Up Commentary (Leominster: Day One Publications, 2008), 24.
9 Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?”
9
14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.
You can know the truth if you spend time in the truth.
You need insight into God’s Word
You need insight into God’s Word
14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.
You need to understand the figures of speech on Proverbs
You need to understand the figures of speech on Proverbs
“The book of Proverbs contains a variety of literary devices (‘a proverb and a figure, the words of the wise and their riddles’, v. 6). There are parables, aphorisms, and sayings. Some of the proverbs use humour: ‘The sluggard buries his hand in the dish, but will not even bring it back to his mouth’ (19:25). Many of the Proverbs employ parallelism, sometimes synonymous (restating the same point) and at other times antithetical (making a contrast). You must read carefully or you will make errors in interpretation.”
Jim Newheiser, Opening up Proverbs, Opening Up Commentary (Leominster: Day One Publications, 2008), 26.
Studying the book of Proverbs will sharpen your mind
Studying the book of Proverbs will sharpen your mind
The truth will set you free. If you spend time soaking your mind in this unique book, you with have greater understanding than the smartest in the unbelieving world.
The credo for the book of Proverbs (vs. 7)
The credo for the book of Proverbs (vs. 7)
7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.
12 It is he who made the earth by his power, who established the world by his wisdom, and by his understanding stretched out the heavens.
What does it mean to fear the LORD?
What does it mean to fear the LORD?
“To fear God is to regard God with reverent awe.”
3 And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!”
“The fear of God leads to wise and pure living.”
6 By steadfast love and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the Lord one turns away from evil.
7 Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.
“To fear God is to know God. To know God is to have life.”
23 The fear of the Lord leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied; he will not be visited by harm.
Fearing God is not simply the first stage in our relationship with Him, but is a continued attitude throughout our relationship with Him.
Fearing God is like a foundation of a house. Everything else stands upon it!
Don’t be a fool! Fools despise wisdom and instruction (vs. 7b)
Don’t be a fool! Fools despise wisdom and instruction (vs. 7b)
7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.
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Fools will not be taught. They are proud! A fool wastes the life they have been given!
30 would have none of my counsel and despised all my reproof,
31 therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way, and have their fill of their own devices.
32 For the simple are killed by their turning away, and the complacency of fools destroys them;
Conclusion
Conclusion
Learning facts does not make one wise.
For Further Study
For Further Study
Spurgeon writes, ‘To know is not to be wise. Many men know a great deal and are the greater fools for it. There is no fool as great as a knowing fool.’
For Further Study
For Further Study
1. Other than Solomon, what biblical examples of wise men and women can you think of? (See, for example, .)
2. Name some biblical examples of fools. (See )
Opening Up Proverbs For Further Study
2. Name some biblical examples of fools. (See 1 Sam. 25.)
Opening Up Proverbs For Further Study
2. Name some biblical examples of fools. (See 1 Sam. 25.)
Opening Up Proverbs For Further Study
2. Name some biblical examples of fools. (See 1 Sam. 25.)
Opening Up Proverbs For Further Study
3. Can you think of people who have been characterized by wisdom and foolishness at different times? (See 1 Kings 11.)
3. Can you think of people who have been characterized by wisdom and foolishness at different times? (See .)
To Think About and Discuss
What is a proverb?
What is the twofold goal of Proverbs (see 1:2)?
What is wisdom? How can we impart wisdom to others?
What is the relationship between wisdom and discipline (see 1:3)? What kind of hard work is required to gain wisdom?
What does it mean to fear God (see 1:7)? How can we demonstrate the fear of God at work and in our homes? How is it evident that our culture has lost the fear of God? How can we teach our children to fear God?
Why would the attaining of worldly wisdom, apart from the fear of the LORD, leave you a fool?