March 2nd

PROVERBS 1

 

This Book is so called, because it consists of wise and weighty sentences: regulating the morals of men: and directing them to wisdom and virtue. And these sentences are also called PARABLES, because great truths are often couched in them under certain figures and similitudes. (one closely resembling another). 

The book of Proverbs is a collection of moral and religious maxims containing instruction concerning right living.  Also there are brief discourses on wisdom, justice, temperance, industry, purity, etc.  In these pithy sayings a sharp contrast is drawn between Wisdom and Folly, Righteousness and Sin. 

Authors:  Solomon is generally credited with the authorship of a large portion of the Proverbs.  It is quite probably that all were not original with him.  25:1…men of Hezekiah were a group of scholars in King Hezekiah’s day who copied the material recorded in Ch. 25-29.  In chapters 30 and 31 are found the words of Agur and Lemuel. 

Solomon began his reign as a man of wisdom but ended his life practicing the greatest folly.  In order to achieve his political goals and keep the kingdom in peace, Solomon allied himself to other nations by marrying hundreds of women and these heathen princesses gradually turned his heart away from loyalty to the Lord.  How very sad that Solomon did not even obey the precepts he wrote in his own nbook!

 

CHIEF PURPOSE:  To give moral instruction, much directed to young people.  WISDOM / wise are used at least 125 times because the aim of the book is to help us acquire and apply God’s wisdom to the decisions and activities of daily life.  Some scholars call Proverbs, Job and Ecclesiastes the “wisdom literature” of the Old Testament.  These writers wrestled with some of the most difficult questions of life as they sought to understand life’s problems from God’s point of view.  Just because you are a believer and you walk by faith, it doesn’t mean you put your mind on a shelf and stop thinking.  The Lord wants us to apply ourselves intellectually and do some serious thinking as we study His Word.  We should love the Lord with our MINDS as well as with our hearts and souls.  Matt. 22:37.

It is good to be educated and have knowledge, but we also need wisdom, which is the ability to use knowledge.  Grasp the meaning of a situation and understand what to do and how to do it in the right way at the right time takes wisdom.  Wisdom is not something theoretical…it is something very practical that affects every area of life.  It gives order and purpose to life; it gives discernment in making decisions and it provides a sense of fulfillment in life to the glory of God.  Wisdom enables us to deal with the adversities successfully so that we grow spiritually and the Lord is glorified. 

We can learn from Proverbs the divine principles that can make us skillful, not in making a living, but in making a life. 

II Timothy 3:16-17 states that “All Scripture is profitable in four ways: DOCTRINE (that is what is right!), REPROOF (that is what is not right and stuff will happen to alert us), CORRECTION (how to get it right), INSTRUCTION in righteousness (that is how to stay right.  In Proverbs you will find all four of these fulfilled.  The Proverbs are consistent with one another.  Furthermore, we have the Holy Spirit to guide us into all truth as we seek God’s wisdom in God’s Word.  A lecture we may soon forget but a pithy saying that is concise can stay with us a lifetime.  Because proverbs are brief and pictorial, they are easy to memorize, recall and share. 

Key Thought:  “The fear of the LORD” which occurs fourteen times.  OR it might be for you a different thought.  We usually remember particular books of the Bible by what the Holy Spirit speaks to us as we study. 

Verses 2 – 6 state the purposes of the book!

What can we do to gain the most out of this book?  The expression ‘my son’ suggests that it contains truths that loving Godly parents would pass along to their children.  As His children, we need His loving counsel and He gives it to us here.  The first essential is faith in Jesus Christ so that you can honestly call God your Father.  You can’t make a life until you first have LIFE and this LIFE comes through faith in Jesus.  A willingness to obey is essential…the Holy Spirit teaches the serious, not the curious. 

The book of Proverbs has little to say about the life to come.  It focuses on this present life and gives guidelines for making wise decisions that help to produce a satisfying life.  God calls us to receive His wisdom and be skillful, so that we can make a life that will glorify Him,  The important thing isn’t how long we live but how we live, not the length but the depth of life.  Fools wade in the shallows, but wise people launch out into the deep and let God give them His very best. 

SPIRITUAL Lesson:  Solomon was a guide-post, rather than an example.  He pointed the way to Wisdom, but in the latter part of his life he did not walk in it; hence his son, Rehoboam, followed his example rather than his counsels and became a foolish and evil ruler.

The Greek philosopher Zeno made a statement that your parents perhaps quoted to you:  “The reason why we have two ears and only one mouth is that we may listen the more and talk the less.”  Today we are surrounded with NOISE, NOISE! And the greatest tragedy is that there is so much noise that people can’t hear the things they really need to hear.  The LORD is giving the voice of wisdom, but all most hear are the confused communications clutter, foolish voices that lead them farther away from the truth. 

The first nine chapters of Proverbs present two women – Wisdom and Folly personified – as they seek to win the attention and obedience of people everywhere. 

v. 8 – 33 There are three voices we should identify:

The voice of instruction 8 – 10, 15-19 the voice of a Godly father urging his son to listen to Wisdom and obey what he hears.  Make the Word beautiful to others by living a Godly life.  In 15-19, the father tells his son how to avoid yielding to temptation.  … Check carefully the path you are on and don’t walk with the wrong crowd.  Walking with the wrong crowd leads to doing the wrong things.  2^nd, don’t play with temptation, because temptation always leads to a trap.  3^rd v. 18-19 when you disobey God by harming others, you only harm yourself.  Don’t sacrifice the permanent for the immediate…that is a bad investment. 

The voice of temptation v. 11-14  How foolish to refuse the Wisdom of the LORD and listen to the pull (peer pressure) of the crowd. 

The voice of salvation v.26 -33 How does Wisdom speak?  In a loud ringing voice that everybody can hear.  Our task is to proclaim the Gospel message so everybody can hear, believe, and be saved.  Where does Wisdom speak?  In the crowded streets and public places where busy people gather to take care of the business of life.  “at the head of the busy streets!”  In the city gate…where the leaders were transacting official business.  No matter where people are, they need to hear Wisdom’s call.  To Whom does Wisdom speak? V.22 to 3 classes of sinners…the simple, the scorners and the fools.  The simple – naïve people who believe anything, but examine nothing….gullible and easily led astray, blank look on face.  Scorners think they know everything and laugh at the things that are really important, sneer on their face.  Fools are people who are ignorant of truth because they are dull and stubborn.  Not low IQ or poor education, their problem is a lack of spiritual desire to seek and find God’s wisdom.  Enjoy  their foolishness, but don’t know how foolish they are!  Purely materialistic and humanistic…hate knowledge and have no interest in things eternal. 

v. 22 Wisdom brings an INDICTMENT against them and asks how long they plan to remain in their dangerous spiritual condition.  Wisdom has spoken to them time and time again, but they have refused to listen and this will make their judgment even more severe.  Wisdom issues an INVITATION that they turn from their evil ways and receive her gifts…V. 23  Call to repentance and faith.  She promises to change their hearts and teach them the wisdom fo God from the Word. 

They refuse to respond to Wisdom.  They laugh at her warnings, and they mock her words.  One day Wisdom will laugh at their calamity v. 26.  It will be too late to call upon the name of the Lord.  Isa. 55:6.  V. 31 – 32 II Tim 4:4.  In contrast to the judgment promised to unbelievers, wisdom promises security and peace to those who will listen to her and believe. V. 33.