Proverbs 1:1-6 “A Rightly Steered Life”

The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel: to know wisdom and instruction, to perceive the words of understanding, to receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, judgment, and equity; to give prudence to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.

 A wise man will hear and increase learning, and a man of understanding will attain wise counsel, to understand a proverb and an enigma, the words of the wise and their riddles.

Most of the book of Proverbs was written by Solomon to pass wisdom on to his sons. Solomon begins by giving his sons the purpose and objectives of his writing:

1. To know wisdom and instruction.
2. To perceive the words of understanding.
3. To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, judgment, and equity.
4. To give prudence to the simple.
5. To give knowledge and discretion to young men.

Solomon doesn’t want his son to simply hear what he is about to say. He wants his son to meditate on these Proverbs so as not to forget them. The young man who pays attention and internalizes these truths will be greatly blessed. (Proverbs 8:32-34; Psalm 1:1-4; 119:1-2)

However, these Proverbs are not only for young men. Solomon points out that all wise men and men of understanding can benefit by attaining wise counsel. We often think we know more than we do. Gaining wisdom requires enough humility to realize that you need to ask questions.

Albert Barnes notes that the phrase “will attain wise counsels,” means literally, the power to “steer” his course rightly on the dangerous seas of life. Certainly Solomon, as all parents, want there children to be able to steer their lives with wisdom throughout their lives. “Steering your life rightly” is the goal of Proverbs. If you pay attention, you will learn to steer the greatest ship of all: the ship of your life.

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Related Scriptures: Proverbs 1:7;10:1; Psalm 1:1-4

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 “To admit ignorance is to exhibit wisdom.” – Ashley Montagu

Proverbs 8:32-35 “The Blessings of Wisdom”

“Now therefore, listen to me, my children, for blessed are those who keep my ways. Hear instruction and be wise, and do not disdain it. Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. For whoever finds me finds life, and obtains favor from the LORD; but he who sins against me wrongs his own soul; all those who hate me love death.”

The blessings of wisdom come naturally. As you seek wisdom and learn to be wise, wisdom will guide you in right decisions which will lead to blessing. Blessings are a by-product of wise living.

There are constant opportunities to learn to be wise. Instruction can come from the Bible (especially the Bible), parents, your pastor, etc. When you hear instruction you have two paths: be wise or disdain it.

The first path is the one where you listen to it and learn from it. You are choosing to be wise. You are the blessed man who listens, watches, and waits for wisdom. You are anxious to fill your life with wisdom. You have a love for wisdom. You will find life and obtain favor from the Lord.

The second path you can take when you hear instruction is to disdain it. If you choose to disdain instruction, you will be the man at the end of the passage who sins against wisdom. You wrong your own soul. You will not find blessings because you hated wisdom, which is the same as loving death.

It is hard to understand why someone would choose the second path, but it happens with most people. Pride may cause someone not to listen to instruction. This person may think they know it all & therefore refuse to listen. This is frequently seen in rebellious teenagers who arrogantly refuse to listen to their parents. But it is also seen in Christians, who refuse to listen to God. They hate hearing the Bible taught and instead want someone to ‘tickle their ears’ with feel good messages. These Christians will never become wise.

Another reason some people choose the second path and disdain wisdom is because they are lazy. The attitude here is that they want wisdom now. But wisdom comes over time. You must seek wisdom diligently and patiently. You must “listen, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.” It takes work of the long haul. Few Christians are willing to spend lots of time in the Word of God studying to show themselves approved. But the effort required pales in comparison to the riches you will gain for doing so.

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Related Scriptures: Psalm 27:4; Proverbs 3:13-18; Acts 17:11; Romans 10:16-17

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But goodness alone is never enough. A hard cold wisdom is required, too, for goodness to accomplish good. Goodness without wisdom invariably accomplishes evil. – Robert Heinlein

Proverbs 8:22-31 “The Eternality of Wisdom”

“The LORD possessed me at the beginning of His way, before His works of old. I have been established from everlasting, from the beginning, before there was ever an earth. When there were no depths I was brought forth, when there were no fountains abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled, before the hills, I was brought forth; while as yet He had not made the earth or the fields, or the primal dust of the world. When He prepared the heavens, I was there, when He drew a circle on the face of the deep, when He established the clouds above, when He strengthened the fountains of the deep, when He assigned to the sea its limit, so that the waters would not transgress His command, when He marked out the foundations of the earth, then I was beside Him as a master craftsman; and I was daily  His delight, rejoicing always before Him, rejoicing in His inhabited world, and my delight was with the sons of men.”

Does Wisdom in the passage refer to Jesus Christ? Many believe it does and it was generally believed in the early Church that Christ was the incarnation of Wisdom. Here are a few parallels:

1.       This passage shows Wisdom was always with God. This compares favorably with John 1:1-3 & 14, where Jesus is called the Eternal Word that always existed with God. There are many descriptions of Wisdom always existing with God in this passage:

a.      “The Lord possessed wisdom at the beginning of His way.” Wisdom has therefore always existed because God is eternal.

b.      Wisdom was established from everlasting, from the beginning, before the earth.

c.       Wisdom was brought forth before the depths, fountains, mountains, hills, earth, fields, even before the first dust of the world.

2.      Wisdom was present when God prepared the Heavens. When God prepared the heavens, there was nothing in existence except God. Wisdom could refer to God’s character of wisdom, or it could be a reference to the preincarnate Christ.

3.      Wisdom was beside God as a Master Craftsman. This does not seem to fit as a reference to a character trait. Colossians 1:16-17 clearly states that Jesus was the Creator. (See also Hebrews 1:3, 9-10)

4.      Wisdom was God’s daily delight. The Father delights in His Son.

5.      Wisdom rejoiced always before God. The Son delights in the Father.

6.      Wisdom rejoiced in God’s inhabited world. God said over and over during creation that His work of creation was good. (Genesis 1)

7.      Wisdom was delighted with the sons of men. (Genesis 1:26-27) God created man in His own image. God’s delight with man is seen in His second great work, that of Redemption.

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Related Scriptures: Romans 11:33; 1 Corinthians 2:16

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“That wisdom is more than the personification of an attribute of God, or of the will of God as best for man, but is a distinct adumbration of Christ, is sure to the devout mind. (Proverbs 8:22-36); (John 1:1-3); (Colossians 1:17) can refer to nothing less than the Eternal Son of God.” – C.I. Scofield

Proverbs 8:17-21 “The Love & Value of Wisdom”

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.

Who does wisdom love? Those that love her. Who finds wisdom? Those who seek her diligently. Loving wisdom goes hand in hand with seeking wisdom. A young man in love with a young lady will seek to be around her and to know everything about her. He rearranges his schedule to spend as much time as possible with her because he loves her. That is how we should love wisdom. We study wisdom (the Word of God) diligently. We schedule times to be alone with the Word of God so we can study and know all we can about it. The more you grow to love wisdom, the less of a chore and more of a pleasure this will be. A young lover would never say it is a chore to be around the one he delights in, and neither will you when you learn to delight in wisdom.

The rewards of wisdom are immense: riches – enduring riches, honor, and righteousness. The fruit of wisdom is better than the finest gold and the choicest silver! Wow! How can that be? The riches of wisdom are not earthly, or material, wealth. It is spiritual treasure and heavenly riches. “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.” (Matthew 6:19-20)

This spiritual wealth can be passed onto offspring through a godly heritage. This is the greatest treasure that can be passed on to children & seeing their children walking with the Lord is the greatest joy a parent can receive. (3 John 1:4) Both of these beat gold and silver hands down!

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Related Scriptures: Proverbs 3:16; 4:7-9; Matthew 6:33; Philippians 3:8-9

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Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something. – Plato 

Proverbs 8:12-16 “The Companions & Enemies of Wisdom”

“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.”

Wisdom has three companions: prudence, knowledge, and discretion. As you increase in wisdom, you will also gain more of wisdom’s friends. What is the difference in these? Here are some functional definitions to help you see the relationship between these words.

Wisdom – Biblical wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord. As a Christian learns more of God’s ways from His Word, the godlier his actions will be. Wisdom is therefore seeing and responding to life’s situations from God’s perspective.

Prudence is wisdom applied in practice. Prudence combines caution and foresight to avoid evil. Prudence is careful application of wisdom to future actions.

Knowledge is a clear and certain perception of that which exists – of truth and fact.  True knowledge cannot be learned apart from the Word of God as the Bible reveals the Creator of all things to man.

Discretion is discernment united with caution, enabling a person to accurately determine what is correct and proper, primarily in regard to one’s own conduct.

The fear of the Lord, which is the beginning of wisdom, has enemies. These are five enemies that will prevent you from gaining wisdom. They are evil, pride, arrogance, the evil way, the perverse mouth. All of these must be avoided if you desire to have wisdom. If you allow evil or dabble in the evil way you will not become wise, you will be a fool. Pride and arrogance will also make you a fool. A person who cannot control what they say, the perverse mouth, is a sure sign of a fool

Wisdom now describes four possessions she has. If you possess wisdom, you will possess these: counsel, sound wisdom (wisdom of the Lord that will keep you on the right path), understanding (knowledge of God – Proverbs 9:10), and strength.

Finally, wisdom describes her effect on rulers: they govern wisely by means of wisdom provided by God. What wisdom offers to the simple is the same wisdom that kings, rulers, princes, nobles, and judges use to govern properly.

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Related Scriptures: Proverbs 9:10; Psalm 104:24; Romans 11:33-34; 1 Corinthians 1:22-24

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“To understand reality is not the same as to know about outward events. It is to perceive the essential nature of things. The best-informed man is not necessarily the wisest. Indeed there is a danger that precisely in the multiplicity of his knowledge he will lose sight of what is essential. But on the other hand, knowledge of an apparently trivial detail quite often makes it possible to see into the depth of things. And so the wise man will seek to acquire the best possible knowledge about events, but always without becoming dependent upon this knowledge. To recognize the significant in the factual is wisdom.” – Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Proverbs 8:1-11 “The Call of Wisdom”

Does not wisdom cry out, and understanding lift up her voice? She takes her stand on the top of the high hill, beside the way, where the paths meet. She cries out by the gates, at the entry of the city, at the entrance of the doors: “To you, O men, I call, and my voice is to the sons of men. O you simple ones, understand prudence, and you fools, be of an understanding heart. Listen, for I will speak of excellent things, and from the opening of my lips will come right things; for my mouth will speak truth; wickedness is an abomination to my lips. All the words of my mouth are with righteousness; nothing crooked or perverse is in them. They are all plain to him who understands, and right to those who find knowledge. Receive my instruction, and not silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold; for wisdom is better than rubies, and all the things one may desire cannot be compared with her.”

Wisdom stands where everyone passes by and can find her: the top of the high hill, on the paths, where the paths meet, at the entry gates and doors of the city. She calls to everyone, yet it seems there are very few wise people around. Why? One key is given in this passage: “Listen”. Wisdom is not gained because wisdom is not listened to. There are a multitude of reasons for this, but they all come down to the same basic reason: desire. A person does not listen to wisdom because he does not desire wisdom.

Make no mistake, if wisdom wanted, she can be had. Verse 17 clearly states that those who seek wisdom diligently will find her. Ultimately, the desire for other things results in time spent on those things. This is foolish because wisdom is more valuable that silver, gold, and rubies. In fact, wisdom is more valuable than everything you can possibly desire. Yet, many Christian remain fools because their eyes lust after the things of this world.

Wisdom describes her speech as excellent, right, not wicked, righteous, and truthful. She then states that her words are plain to him who understands, i.e. wisdom is plain to those whose hearts have embraced her. Wisdom is available to the simple and to fools, if only they will seek her and embrace her.

The question then comes to you. Are you wise? If not, remember that only you are preventing yourself from becoming wise.

Here are 10 steps for seeking wisdom:

1. Fear the Lord, for that is the beginning of wisdom. (Proverbs 9:10; 15:33)
2. Ask God for wisdom with the belief that He will give it. (Psalm 90:12; James 1:5-7)
3. Seek wisdom relentlessly. Make it the priority of your life. (Proverbs 2:1-9; 18:15; 19:20)
4. Learn and obey God’s commands and the commands of Christ. (Deuteronomy 4:1-6; Proverbs 10:8; 28:7; Matt. 6:33)
5. Have an attitude of humility (Proverbs 3:7; 11:2; 15:33; 22:17; Romans 12:16; Luke 14:8-11)
6. Accept discipline and correction (Proverbs 9:8; 12:15; 15:31; 17:10)
7. Walk with the wise (Proverbs 13:20; 22:17; 27:17)
8. Fear and depart from evil (Proverbs 3:7; 14:16)
9. Abstain from alcohol (Proverbs 20:1; 23:29-35; 31:4; Isaiah 28:7; Hosea 4:11)
10. Control your tongue (Proverbs 10:19; 17:27; 29:11; James 1:19; 3:2)

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Related Scriptures: Proverbs 1:20-33; 2:1-22; 6:1-19; 9:1-18

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“A prudent question is one half of wisdom.” – Francis Bacon

Proverbs 7:1-5 “How Apples, Fingers, and Hearts Keep You Safe”

“My son, keep my words, and treasure my commands within you.  Keep my commands and live, and my law as the apple of your eye. Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart. Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” and call understanding your nearest kin, that they may keep you from the immoral woman, from the seductress who flatters with her words.”

This is the last of the 10 paternal appeals in Proverbs. Solomon exhorts his son to keep & treasure what is about to be said. These commands are so important that by keeping them, you will live. The law should be treasured as the apple of your eye.

What does the phrase “apple of your eye” mean? It is used four times in Scripture:

1. In this verse, the father is asking his son to keep “my law as the apple of your heart.”
2. In Psalm 17:8, David prays that God would keep him as the apple of His eye.
3. In Zechariah 2:8, God calls those who are faithful to Him the “apple of My eye.”
4. Finally, in Deuteronomy 32:10, God calls Israel the “apple of His eye.”

Clearly, this refers to that which is precious. The apple may very well refer to the pupil of the eye. The pupil very precious and must always be protected so as not to lose your sight. Certainly, Solomon wants his son to treasure these commands within by writing them on the tablet of his heart where they are permanent, secure, and internalized so that they will guide the son, saving him from suffering at the hands of an immoral woman, who seduces with such flattery that many fall into her trap.

Note all the descriptions on how we are to keep and value these words and commands:

1.   Bind them on your fingers

2.   Write them on the tablet of your heart.

3.   Say to wisdom, “You are my sister”

4.   Call understanding your nearest kin.

Solomon used these many descriptions to stress the importance of these words. He considered these words of great importance because of the danger he was trying to protect his son from. The danger is the immoral woman who flatters you in your youth when you are unaware of the danger and when your sexual desires are strongest. Solomon clearly spells out the imminent danger of this seductress in the last verse: “Her house is the way to hell, descending to the chambers of death.”