Our Sunday School class, Women of Praise, we have started studying the book of Proverbs. I have typed up the lesson to share with all of you that are interested, but especially for the ladies that have had to miss. Reading a lesson on a blog page you do miss alot. But the Holy Spirit is still able to move. We serve one BIG GOD! Proverbs has been an eye opener for me. And to see the Holy Spirit working is humbling, to say the least.
Proverbs
Overview of where Proverbs came from:
King Soloman was the wisest man who ever lived. HE asked God for a discerning heart, and the ability to distinguish between right and wrong and Gd granted his request. (1 Kings 3:9,12) Not only that but the Lord was so pleaszed with Solomans request that he also gave him riches and honor. So much that during his lifetime he had no equal.
One would think that the king who had everything, all the riches and fame one could possibly imagine would be on top of the world, all of the time. Yet, it is told in Ecclesiastes 2:11 that he was actually in much despair. King Solomans annual income was equivalent to $328 million in our day. And in addition to all of the he had the respect and admiration of the entire world. So how would he fall into an oppitamy of despair? The answer probably, he didn’t obey the Lord and he knew Gods word, but didn’t apply it.’’
Formula to wisdom:wisdom=knowledge + obiediance
Knowledge is knowing the right thing to do
Wisdom is actually doing it.
True wisdom is equal amounts of knowledge and obiediance.
Wisdom and Knowledge:
-we live in an information age, many people are wizards at computers first of all computers store data and obey signals.
They cannot give us the ability to use the knowledge in them wisely. Today we need wisdom. Proverbs is about godly wisdom, how to get it and how to use it. Its priorities and principles, not get rich quick schemes and success formulas.
Throughout the book of Proverbs, we will see the idea that not just obtaining more knowledge but CHOOSING to apply that knowledge in way to honor and please the Lord. True wisdom is seen through an obiedient life.
Soloman knew what he needed to to to polease the Lord because God have given him a wise and discerning heart. (1 Kings 3:12)
But he chose not to obey. That’s the difference between a follish person and a wise person. Fools blow off what they know they should do but a wise person turns knowledge into action.
Solomans sins:
He didn’t trust in the protection of the Lord
God forbide the kings of Isreal from accumulating horses and chariots because those could lead a king away from trusting solely in the Lord as his protector. (told in Deut 17:16) / Soloman hadx 4000 stalls for chariot horses + 12000 horses (1 Kings 4:26)
So instead of Soloman trusting in the Lord to protect him and his kingdom, he put his trust in himself and his army
He didn’t trust the promise of the Lord
-Soloman fortified a number of important cities he was building up a defensive perimeter around his kingdom to protect Jerusalem and all of his stuff. Soloman didn’t have any enemies, because God made a promise to his father David that during the reign of his son there would be peace (1 Chron 22:9)
* Solomon didn’t trust the promise of the Lord
3)He didn’t trust the provision of the Lord
-The Lord forbide the kings of Isreal to marry foreign women and amassing a large amount of wealth (deut 17:17), but Soloman over looked those as well he had 700 royal wives and 300 concubines (1 Kings 11:3) he was very wealthy (ecclesiastes 2:8)
* again soloman did opposite of what the Lord instructed him to do
Solomon didn’t ‘practice what he preached’ these were not actions of a wise man applying his knowledge to a life of obiedence he foolishly trusted in himself. He suffered the consequences. We can learn from Solomon’s example and practice what he preached in the proverb and learn from his mistakes.
As born again believers we can be wise if we choose to obey The Word of God instead of ignoring it like King Soloman.
1.What is the major theme of Proverbs? WISDOM
*the words wise and wisdom are used at least 125 times in the book
*the book is to help us aquire and apply Gods wisdom to the decisions and activities of each day of our lives
*the Lord expects us to apply ourselves intellectually and do some serious thinking as we study His word. Matthew 22:37 “we should love the Lord with our minds as well as with our hearts and souls”
*God wants His children today to “walk carefully not as fools but as wise” Ephesians 5:15
*we need wisdom which is the ability to use knowledge. We have the competence to grasp the meaning of a situation and understand what to do and how to do it in the right way and time
*to the ancient jew, wisdom was much more than good advice or successful planning. Oncbibe it was put as ‘wisdom means being skillful and successful in ones relationship and responsibilities..observing and following the creators principles of order in the moral universe”
*biblical wisdom begins with a right relationship with the Lord and understanding that He has put within His creation divine order that if obeyed leads to success
*biblical wisdom has nothing to do with IQ or education – it has to do with character and values – looking at the world through the grid of Gods truth
*wisdom is isn’t something theoretical its practical and affects every area of life. It gives order and purpose to life, a discernment in decision making, and provides a sense of fulfillment in life to the glory of God.
*people with wisdom have the skill to face life honestly and courageously and to manage it successfully so that Gods purposes can be fulfilled in our lives
2.Who wrote this book?
In 1:1;10:1:25:1 we are told that King Soloman is the author of these proverbs, God had given him great wisdom and people came from the ends of the earth to listen to him. In his time he spoke 3000 proverbs, most of which are not included in this book. The holy spirit selected the proverbs that Gods people should learn and obey.
Other servants guided by Gods spirit were involved in the production of this book. 25:1 the men of Hezekiah, Agur the son of Jakeh, and King Lameul
3.What is the key verse that helps us unlock the message of the book? PROVERBS 1:7
“the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; but fools despise wisdom and instruction’
(what does it mean to fear the lord? We acknowledge in our hearts that He is our creator, we are the creatures, he is the Father, we are His children, He is the master – we are the servants, it means respect God for who HE is listen carefully to what he says, and obey his word, know that our disobiediance is displeaszing to him, just like the respectful fear of a child before the parent.”
4.What does the book say about Jesus?
In Jesus Christ, ‘ are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge’ Colossians 2:3.
And ‘HE is our wisdom’ 1 corinthians 1:24,30
Solomon was the wisest ruler who ever lived, yet Jesus Christ is greater than Soloman in both His wisdom and His wealth (Matt 12:42)
All of the qualities of wisdom described in Proverbs are seen in Jesus Christ, and His earthly walk is a pattern for Gods people to follow”(1 John 2:6)
5.What is the reason we have the book of Proverbs?
The divine reason for Proverbs is found in the last 7 verses of Ecclesiastes
-God will save all who take heed to what is recorded
There are 2 ways we can learn the emptiness of the world and the true character of sin
1st which is the most common way bny treading the thorny path each by out ownself
2nd the right way learn it all in His prescense accept His word and regard it {{regard means feeling of respect and affection}}
The Hebrew word for Proverb is mashal, which means a comparison.
We have to recognize that there are different literary forms of Proverbs
Cautionary advice or warning then its often followed by a motivational cause
Conveys consequences of action
Other times it may seem like a question with an answer response.
Either way it is meant to stimulate response and obedience.
When mentioning the study of proverbs I have heard it said that Proverbs is a manual for parents to teach their children.- yes this is correct, but let me ask you what is our relationship to our Heavenly Father? We are His children right? So that tells me that this is a manual for our actions. Proverbs tells us how to be wise, how not to be a fool, how to handle our money, raise our family, pretty much the handbook for life. I have often called it a parenting manual, it even tells how to pick your friends
Lets look on at Proverbs beginning Proverbs 1:1-4 ((( read)))))
There are 10 words repeated through scripture that we see in the KJV of this they all should be weighed heavily and looked at with precision.
Wisdom – mentioned in vs 2 is (ability to use knowledge) or exhibiting gods character in affairs of our lives
Instruction – in the same verse as well as in vs 3 ‘to teach by discipline’
Intelligence in vs 2 – ‘rendered understanding or discernment”
Understanding in vs 3d is conveys the the ability to grasp the truth
Righteousness in vs 3 refers to conduct or ‘right behavior’
Justice- ‘decisions or ability to try things that differ’
Equity refers to priciples rather than conduct ‘uprightness or moral integrity
Prudence – the kind of intelligence that sees the reason behind things
Knowledge is information of sound character
Discretion is thoughtfulness or the ability to devise wise plans after understanding a matter
In these 10 words we have the description of a well rounded character. The study and practice of Gods truth alone can produce it.
Lets look at vs 5-6
Readiness to learn is a characteristic of the truly wise
Vs 7
This is the key verse in proverbs it tells why its written to give us knowledge wisdom instruction understanding discretion learning ans counsel
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