BIBLE EXPLORATION

The Prologue To Proverbs (1:1-6)   

1. There is a great need for wisdom in our society today...    a. Lack of wisdom is destroying the lives of many young       people, and making fools out of some who are older   

 b. Marriages are destroyed, friendships lost,       souls doomed for lack of wisdom.   

2. The walk of the Christian is to be with wisdom as we go     through life... - Ephesians 5:15-17 

a. Because time is fleeting, and the days are evil,  we must make the best use of our time. 

b. Too many today are wasting both their time and their lives by failing to exercise wisdom in their daily lives 

3. The Word of God equips man unto every good work... –     2 Timothy 3:16-17 

a. Naturally we expect the Word of God provides us with sound advice concerning daily living.    

b. Indeed it does, especially in The Book of Proverbs.  

 4. The book begins by identifying Solomon, son of David,     king of Israel as the author... 

a. He was granted wisdom by God - 2 Chronicles 1:7-12 

b. He became famous for his wisdom, and he wrote over 3000 proverbs - 1 Kings 4:29-34   

5. The book also contains proverbs and wisdom from other sources...    

a. The words of Agur the son of Jakeh to Ithiel and Ucal –       Proverbs 30:1-33 

b. The words of King Lemuel, taught to him by his mother –  Proverbs 31:1-31   [IN THIS LESSON, LET'S INTRODUCE OURSELVES TO THE BOOK BY FIRST CONSIDERING THE PROLOGUE, IN WHICH WE FIND...]  

 I. THE PURPOSE OF THE BOOK      

A. STATED IN THE FIRST SIX VERSES... 

1. "To know wisdom and instruction, to perceive the words of understanding" 

2. "To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, judgment, and equity"       

3. To give to the...         

 a. Simple (naive) - "prudence"          

b. Young man - "knowledge and discretion"         

 c. Wise man - "increased learning"          

d. Man of understanding - "wise counsel"      

B. THE BOOK IS DESIGNED...       

1. To make a person wise!       

2. To help us learn how to:          

a. Act wisely and righteously         

b. Treat others with fairness       

3. To give...          

a. The ignorant, common sense          

b. The young, sound advice          

c. The wise, even more wisdom   [At this point, it might be appropriate to ask:  "What exactly is wisdom, and why is it so valuable...?"]  

 II. THE DEFINITION AND VALUE OF WISDOM     

 A. DEFINING WISDOM...       

1. "Wisdom...may be defined as a realistic approach to the          problems of life..." - 20th Century Encyclopedia of           Religious Knowledge. 

2. A practical Biblical definition of wisdom involves the understanding and proper application of the principles of God’s word in managing our daily lives.       

3. To illustrate:          

a. You are yelled at by your boss, wife, or brother in             Christ...             

1) You could react in different ways               

 a) Strike back physically, or verbally               

 b) Do nothing               

 c) React with a soft, kind reply - see    Proverbs 15:1  

 2) Wisdom is that insight which helps you to decide                 what is the best thing to do based on God’s Word.         

 b. Someone makes sexual advances towards you...             1) Again, you could react in several different ways            

2) But wisdom will enable you to react in the proper                   Way consistent with God’s Word.      

B. VALUATING WISDOM... 

1. The first nine chapters of Proverbs are discourses   promoting the value of wisdom 

2. The virtue of wisdom is seen in the prosperous life it   can produce - Proverbs 3:13-18 

3. Its value is also found in guarding us against many  pitfalls- Proverbs 3:21-26 4. Some "pitfalls" that are frequently warned against in  The Book Of Proverbs are:          a. Evil companionship - Proverbs 1:10-19         

b. The immoral woman - Proverbs 5:1-14          

c. Laziness - Proverbs 6:6-11   [Certainly, we should be able to see that wisdom is of great value.  But let's go one step further and notice the value of the book of Proverbs regarding having wisdom...]       

 III. THE VALUE OF THE BOOK   WISDOM COMES FROM TWO SOURCES...       

1. TRIAL AND ERROR (personal experience) 

a. One's own experiences can certainly be a source of   Human Wisdom. 

b. But there are disadvantages to gaining wisdom this  way:

           1) Much of one's lifetime can be wasted learning through trial and error 

          2) One must live with the consequences of their errors 

c. Sadly, this is the only way some people gain wisdom, and that is only if they survive their errors!       

2. COUNSEL FROM OTHERS (proven experience) 

a. This is possible if one is willing to heed the advice of others 

b. There are clear advantages to gaining wisdom this  way: 

          1) You avoid wasting years through trial and error, thereby living life to its fullest measure! 

          2) You experience life not burdened with the consequences of earlier mistakes 

c. Certainly, this method of gaining wisdom is far Superior when the counsel is from Godly sources.!     

 B. THIS MAKES THE BOOK OF PROVERBS EXTREMELY VALUABLE... 

1. Instead of wasting our short time here on earth trying to discover wisdom through the process of trial and error, we can go straight to The Book Of Proverbs 

2. There we can find wisdom that is: 

a. Divinely inspired by God! 

b. Proven true by generations of righteous people who        have lived their lives according to the     principles taught in the Proverbs 

c. Expressed concisely in ways easy to remember  

d. (Proverb: "a short sentence based on long experience" - Cervantes in Don Quixote) 

3. Yes, the value of The Book Of Proverbs is that it   provides the wisdom of God Himself! 

a. One must make the effort to glean this wisdom - see Proverbs 2:1-6

 b. But for those who will look to God through His Word  and prayer, the promise of God is that wisdom will be granted to them - James 1:5-8 

c. And this is a far better way to find wisdom than  the way most people do it!   

CONCLUSION Next we will focus on the theme of the book of Proverbs...      "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, But fools    despise wisdom and instruction." - Proverbs 1:7   Of course, no discussion concerning wisdom can be complete without mentioning Jesus Christ...     "in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." Colossians 2:3   Without Jesus Christ in our lives, there is no way to be truly wise.