Indeed, it is useless to spread the baited net In the sight of any bird; But they lie in wait for their own blood; They ambush their own lives. So are the ways of everyone who gains by violence; It takes away the life of its possessors. Proverbs 1:17-19
Why is it unwise to use violence to get what you want in life? It is because although you may gain in the short term, you will lose bit time in the end. Too many people live for the short term good - even if it results in harm over time. This is why the godly father takes time to warn his son against using violence to get what he wants in life. This dad uses a great picture to explain to his son why violence is not a good alternative to get ahead in life. He speaks of how it is useless to set a net with bait right in front of the bird that you are wanting to catch. The bird sees not just the bait, but more importantly the net. As a result he will have nothing to do with the set up because he knows it is a trap. This is a lesson from hunting 101 - and one that even those who know nothing about hunting can understand. But then the father uses this very simple illustration to prove a very important point to his boys. When someone uses violence to get what he wants, he is not lying in wait for the other person as much as he is lying in wait for his own life. Sure in the short term he may attack a few people, spill some blood getting what he wants, and get a little gain. But in the long term he is only setting a trap for himself. Worse that this he is setting his own trap right in front of his own face - and not realizing it. He is setting a trap for his own demise and destruction. It sounds pretty silly that someone can set a trap for themselves and ambush their own lives - but that is exactly what this young man is doing. The father then ties this lesson up for his son by telling him that this is what is happening when someone wants to gain by violence. It may get him something immediately, but it will take away his life when it is all over. This father is teaching his son something that is absolutely essential to living a life of wisdom. It is the lesson that the quick way to something is most often the unwise way to it. This is especially true when this quick way causes us to disregard Scripture - and walk in a way that is contrary to godliness.
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My son, do not walk in the way with them. Keep your feet from their path, For their feet run to evil And they hasten to shed blood. Proverbs 1:15-16
This is the advice given to the son who is being enticed to do evil by others. It is the same advice given in 1 Corinthians 15 where we read that bad company corrupts good morals. The godly father wants to warn his son that he should not be naive about the condition of the human heart. Young men need to know that they cannot trust everyone. They will meet people they should not follow or emulate. If they do, they will ultimately be led astray from God's ways. Here the father says to the son that he should not walk in the way with these people who are pursuing evil. I want you to notice the exact words the father uses in counselling his son. He says, "Do not WALK in the way with them." The word "way" here is the Hebrew word "derek" that we run into so much in Proverbs. It means a way, a manner of living - and should be understood as walking as a lifestyle. The father warns the son that to walk in the lifestyle that these young men walk in is very dangerous. He goes further to say, "Keep your feet from their path." Again a warning is issued that the "way" in which these people walk is not one that we should follow. Too often we make decisions on who our friends are on the whim of our feelings when we are around them. But wisdom tells us to look at where are friends are GOING. Where is their lifestyle going to lead them? That is the important question we should ask. Let me take a moment, though, and say what the father did NOT say. He did not say to shun them and never speak to them. Too often this is how we instruct our children - and in so doing make them almost fear being around people who are lost. We should stress to our children that they are not to have their best friends among those who are ungodly - but they should befriend them for the purpose of ministry to them. If they do not, how will they hear the gospel? The wisest thing for a father to do is to have his family come alongside him and befriend other families. This way the entire family can reach out to another family and seek to share the gospel with them - father with the father, mother with the mother - and the children with the children. The father does go on to say in verse 16 - that the reason his son should not walk in their ways or paths is that their feet run to evil and the hasten to shed blood. These folks seem to be in a hurry to do what is wrong. The father says they "run" to evil. There are no road blocks in their conscience - neither does it seem to be hindering them from going toward the wrong. God's Law is meant to be a hinderance from going the wrong direction. It is a goad and a road block to tell us that their is a bad situation - a sin that is to be avoided. But these people are oblivious to this - and run to do evil. The shedding of blood is also meant to be a very bad sign. I think there is a natural aversion that God has given us to blood. When we see it - we think that something bad has happened and that we need to not do that again. But these people have what I would call blood-lust. They like it when they see blood and are not averse to shedding it if it will get them what they want. Such people should be avoided at all costs - because they are seriously bad news. Once again we see that a wise man is one that teaches his children about such things. He takes the time to explain to his children that the kind of people they are befriending (not for ministry - but for their closest friendships) will ultimately direct them in a way - a lifestyle will result. What I find sad so often as a pastor is the number of times I know that someone is being charged with being an "accessory" to a crime. This means that they did not commit the crime itself - they were just the friend who was with the fool who did. They didn't say anything to stop them, and now they are being prosecuted for their stupidity for having a friend who did. That is what the wise father is trying to teach his more gullible son. We would be wise if we taught our children the same things - and helped them avoid the kind of friendships that would lead them in a lifestyle that pursues evil. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction. Proverbs 1:7
How can someone start on the road to becoming wise? If we asked that question of 100 people, we might get some similarity in their answers, but if we did not know this verse at the beginning of Proverbs, we probably would not choose fearing God as one of those answers. The beginning of knowledge is the fear of the Lord. We will not gain any kind of true knowledge of ultimate reality until we do. There are a great number of truly smart men (in earthly terms) and yet many of them reject God - at least they reject the God of the Bible. Smart they may be - but when it comes to eternal matters - they are dumb as stumps. Their great learning in human endeavors has made them arrogant and unwilling to bend their knee before the One True God. The man who thinks he knows something - most likely does not yet know as he should. Human learning manifests itself in pride. Paul told us under the inspiriation of the Holy Spirit, "Knowledge puffs up . . . " That is something that is dangerous in the most deadly way. When we think we truly know something - we don't yet know anything. For all their supposed knowledge, these scholars are facing a horrific future. They will continue in this age as sage, wise men - only to learn that it is the fool who says there is no God. They will be praised as men of great insight - only to find that all their genius has done nothing to save them from the wrath of God. Never have they trembled before the majesty and glory of God. Never have they seen the universe rightly - as His creation and as a testiment to His vastness and infinite nature. Never have they considered that if we are moral beings, we must have been created by a moral Being - before Whom we will have to stand and to Whom we will have to give an account. The fear of God is the beginning of knowledge becuase as creator, all things have their origin in Him. Without a healthy respect and fear of God, we will ultimately give ourselves over to our own foolish pride - and lift ourselves to an unhealthy level in our own thinking. That can end only in disaster at the throne of God's judgment. God is in heaven, we are on earth - therefore we should tremble in His presence. To fear God means that we recognize Him as supreme and absolute. If God is a mere concept - a thought - He is nothing more than a mere jump between synapses in our brain. But if He is real - then He is the most powerful, most wise, glorious being that ever has and ever will be. His power and glory are unexplainable - for they are incomprehensible. As such, we tremble before Him for He is ultimately in power and will remain so for all eternity. Until we know and grasp this - we are mere brutish fools walking upon the earth. Part of our problem with this word knowledge is that we've divorced it from the biblical context. We have come to view knowledge as the mere storing of facts as man sees them. This is not what God refers to when he says that the fear of Jehovah is the beginning of knowledge. The word used here is "daath" and it means not just a storing of facts, but an ability to know to where we can practice discernment, insight, and an experiential knowledge and experience of something - or in this case, Someone. Just knowing a bunch of facts and being able to manipulate them on earth so that it impresses other humans - is something akin to being able to juggle a set of balls well. Nice trick - but what exactly is it worth in the end? The knowledge we speak of in Proverbs 1 is that of knowing God - and being able to see things like He does so that we have a discernment that will aid us for eternity. That only comes when we see God accurately - and then in the light of His glory - see the world accurately for the first time in our lives. Until that moment arrives in a man's heart - he is and will always be a fool. We are told on the back-end of this proverb that fools despise wisdom and instruction. Here is the value of knowledge - it makes us wiser and teachable. The fool who rejects God despises His wisdom. Since God is all-knowing and all-encompassing, He is the ultimate source of knowledge. If one wants to get it right - go to Him. If one is unwilling to go to Him (as the wicked admit they are) that one is actually despising wisdom and instruction. He only wants to exalt his own thinking and the activity of his own mind. Since He is utterly limited compared to an infinite God - well - he is stupid. He hates seeing the full picture in favor of his utterly parochial view. He despises discerning the best since the only thing he considers best is his own view. He is unwilling to be instructed by the One will absolute knowledge - thus he rejects the greatest Teacher anyone can imagine. In every way - his lack of respect, honor, and fear toward God is evidenced by his unwillingness to sit at God's feet and learn from Him. So how do we grow in knowledge and wisdom? It is by first acknowledging that God is ultimate in knowledge, in wisdom, in everything! Then it is by humbling ourselves and learning to tremble in the presence of the One Who is Lord and God. Then and only then can our minds and hearts be opened to receive the wisdom, the instruction, and the knowledge of God. If they say, "Come with us, Let us lie in wait for blood, Let us ambush the innocent without cause; Let us swallow them alive like Sheol, Even whole, as those who go down to the pit; We will find all kinds of precious wealth, We will fill our houses with spoil; Throw in your lot with us, We shall all have one purse," Proverbs 1:11-14
Here is the call of the sinners who want to entice the godly son to come with them. Solomon has told his son do not consent to go with these young men. Let's take a closer look at their enticements today and hopefully learn wisdom from seeing why doing what they say is not wise. First we see that they want to lay in wait for some pour soul from whom they want to take their life and possessions. They evidently have marked someone and have plans to rob them and either kill them or harm them pretty significantly. A couple of things we should note from this. First of all that these people are not the kind of crowd you want to frequent if you are seeking to set your ways rightly in God's sight. There are some folks who spend a good portion of their lives looking for trouble. Here they want to ambush some poor schlub who has no idea what is about to happen to him. Second, they want to attack the "innocent." This is never a good idea if we read what God thinks about harming innocent people. These evil men want to swallow people up - like death itself. This is not too difficult to see since these people seem to be motivated by death and hell itself. This reveals a condition in their hearts that is truly evil. It is as if they embrace death itself. This speaks to much of our entertainment industry today. There is a whole genre of films today that glory in violence and destruction. It really should not shock us that the same kind of violence also is permeating our society as well. For years I've believed that the company we keep in the movie industry also has a great deal of influence in our thinking. Will we rise up and kill someone because we watched a movie - probably not. But the problem becomes that we are more and more desensitized to violence and evil behavior. Either way, it is not wise to keep the company of the wicked - or the films that they make. Just as a principle for future use - Jesus is preoccupied with life. If someone is preoccupied with death, destruction, the place of the dead, and the pit - probably not someone you need to hang out with in life. Here we see the true reason for their violence - greed. They covet what their victims have - and desire to use it to make themselves wealthy. Their worldly-mindedness shows itself in their desire to have money, to have wealth, to have houses filled with the spoil they gained from the destruction of anyone who had what they wanted. Their greedy appetite will be their eventual undoing. God's Word makes it clear that you shall not steal - and those who choose to do so - will not prosper but will eventually face the jugment of God against their actions. The enticement for the unwise young man is that they will all have one lot - and when the plunder is theirs - one purse. They are putting themselves together for a common cause as well as a common financial stake in all that they were going to do. What is NOT being said here is that they will also wind up sharing a common end. Since they have embraced violence and death - destruction and the pit - it is only fitting that they will also embrace those things as their common end as well. This is not an exciting lifesyle (although it may seem that way here on this earth). It is a destructive one that will end in the destruction of the one who is walking in it. Here we have seen the way of sinners. We have seen the way of those who live for their wealth and schemes to take from others so that they can be rich. We have seen those preoccupied with death and destruction. And hopefully - as we continue in another day to see what Solomon has to say about how unwise it is to live this way - we will see how as they open their heart to pour out death and wickedness, they will find that wickedness is poured to overflowing into their hearts as well. Here is the height of foolishness - may God give us grace that we will not fall into the company or the ways of such fools. May instead He give us a heart of wisdom. To understand a proverb and a figure, The words of the wise and their riddles. Proverbs 1:6
Here we have another of the purposes for the book of Proverbs. Solomon tells us that part of the reason for this book is to help us with understanding four ways that wisdom will be communicated to us throughout this book. First we see it is to understand "a proverb." The word for proverb here is "masal." It means a short, pithy saying, a prophetic utterance usually in the form of comparisons. If we are going to learn wisdom from this book, we will need to approach it as a collection of sayings that will be comparisons of things. This can be positive comparisons and negative ones. But to understand the wisdom God wants us to grasp - we are going to need to be able to compare things and learn from them. Often we will find a comparison in nature - that has a saying of how that aspect of nature shows a spiritual comparison to a wise man or a fool. Second we see that we will have "figures" put before us. Meliysah is the Hebrew word used here and it refers to a mocking or taunting expression. God's Word is going to use satire to describe some things to us. We will find that the proud and arrogant, the unteachable, the ones who reject reproof and rebuke are going to be mocked and and subject to satire. We should learn from these satires - but be sure to see them for what they are - satire and not a statement of absolute fact. Third we will run into the words of the wise. These is just simply things that wise people say to us. We will have godly advice handed to us in very plain language. There is no mystery to what is being said. It is as plain as the nose on our faces - and is to be taken in the plainest sense. Finally, there are the riddles of the wise. Hiydah, the Hebrew word here means an enigma. These were riddles - and were used at times by the wise men of the day to make their students think about what they were saying - to search it out so as to understand the wisdom that the wise man was seeking to impart. Of the four types of statements used in Proverbs, these will probably be the most difficult to understand. What we have in Proverbs is a very creative book that will seek to teach us God's wisdom. We are forewarned though that at times these sayings will need to be understood in the literary form in which they are written. We cannot take everything in Proverbs at a face value - and come away with the wisdom God desires to give us. There will be times when we will have to work a little (honestly sometimes we will have to work a lot) - to get the meaning of what is being said - and the wisdom it seeks to impart. What I will say is that even when it takes time - you will be blessed by the wisdom offered in this book. It is well worth the time and effort needed to dig out all that God has for us. So, let's make a commitment here and now to search this book and learn to mine all the treasures that are within it. The outcome will be precious gems of wisdom that will bless us, not just for a day, but for a lifetime. My son, if sinners entice you, Do not consent. Proverbs 1:10
Here we are given an inside seat to a spectacle that takes place every day. This event is when a fool or group of fools approach a person to entice him to join with them in their ungodly schemes. This is something we need to see because as Solomon tells us in Ecclesiastes, there really is nothing new under the son. Men have tried to get others to join with their gang to do mischief for numerous generations. The lies are pretty much unchanged - and yet they are good to know ahead of time so that we are not taken in by the offers of fools whose only true promise is to get us into serious trouble before everything is over. How young people need to read these words and profit from rejecting them ahead of time. Here a father speaks to his son to warn him against such foolish company - and against their foolish offers to "cut him in on the action." His first instructive comment is to refer to those who do such things as "sinners." What is instructive about this word is the comment made by Zhodiates that this word is used, "to describe those who, by their actions, are under the wrath and judgment of God and face ultimate destruction." In Psalm 104:35 we are told that these folks will be consumed from the earth - and in Isaiah 1:28 that they will be crushed and will come to their end by the hand of God. The father warns that these people will come to "entice" them. They will come with words to try to allure, persuade, and deceive. They want to convince this young man to join with them as they plan to do their evil deeds. This may sound all melodramatic to some who read this - but that is only because the world has done a good job of mocking this kind of talk. They do so by overdramatizing the father or the spiritual guide - making him sound stupid when he warns of such things. Their effectiveness has only dulled the minds of our children to those who truly will come to them with such wicked counsel. In the end they only make it easier for the criminal and harder for the parent or mentor. This father is doing a good thing in warning his son about this kind of interview. His advice to his son is not to consent. In the end the boy is going to have to make a decision on his own. Eventually every child will leave the home and will face temptation to do evil. If we do not instruct them - they will face this without godly counsel on their side. This father does an admirable job of letting his son hear the enticing words ahead of time. But the father does so with additional commentary explaining to his son just where such counsel will lead. Hey dad, let me ask you a question. Are you preparing your son to face these things? Are you taking the time to let him hear the kind of things he is going to be told - and then put them into the context of where they will take him? There is a kind of Christian parenting that is going on today that does not think kids should be exposed to anything that is remotely wrong. I agree with this when it comes to exposing them to such things and encouraging them to do them. But what this godly father is doing is exposing his son to the reality of what wicked men will say to him one day. He is letting his son know the arguments - the offers - the lies that will be told to him. Then he is taking those statements and dismantling them before his son. He does so by showing his son where such lies will lead him. The warning his boy receives is a wise one - and one that we would do well to teach to our own children as well. When we think that placing them into a world without any form of tempation of proposed evil will protect them - we may be deceiving ourselves. One day they won't be with us - and an evil man will approach with his slick lies. What will they do then? Will they know how to stand and resist the lies? Maybe . . . maybe not. The only way we can prepare them for such a day is to teach them by exposing them to what will be said - as well as the sure judgment and destruction that comes with the lifestyle that will result. A wise man will hear and increase in learning, And a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel, Proverbs 1:5
When does a person stop learning in life? According to Proverbs, only an unwise man stops learning. A truly wise man will hear things throughout his entire life and will continue learning from what he hears. Here in verse 5 of chapter 1 of Proverbs we see that in the opening statement of Proverbs a lifetime of learning is what the wise man embraces. The fool is the one who thinks he knows everything. He walks about in life thinking he has learned all he needs to learn. But it is a fact of life that we will never learn a billionth of all there is for us to know. Were we to spend a thousand lifetimes doing nothing but learning - we would only scratch the surface of all that there is to know in the universe - let alone know all there is to know about God. Therefore we should always be listening, studying, and opening our minds to learn as much as we can. Only this way can we ever hope to have a heart of wisdom. When the wise man hears the words of Solomon - and more importantly the Word of God - he hears. Note it does not say that he listens - for many listen but don't actually hear what is being said. The wise man hears what is said and allows it to sink deep within his heart. When he does so he increases in learning. The word for learning here is very interesting. It is "leqah" and it means learning or insight. The idea behind this word is not just gathering a group of facts. It refers to when a person has insight due to the facts that they know. Spiritual education requires that we know the facts - but it goes far beyond that. Spiritual education leads someone to be able to have insight - to be astute to what God is doing and saying. It means we are able to discern between good and evil - between knowing God and not knowing Him. When we increase in learning we are not just increasing in the amount of knowledge we have. We are increasing in our ability to walk with God and discern all things from His standpoint. The second half of the Proverb points this out to us. It tells us that a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel. When we hear and learn - we will also gain understanding and wisdom. We hear and are able to distinguish the difference between things - between choices - between outcomes. We understand the truth - and can apply the truth to every situation of our lives. In doing this we acquire the counsel of wisdom from God. The Lord makes Himself known to us - and knowing Him makes all the difference in the world. We see things differently - and definitely make different choices. A good question to ask ourselves is whether we are just gathering information - or we are gaining a greater insight and ability to make godly choices in life. If we constantly hear what God is saying to us in His Word, in the circumstances of our lives, and through the godly counsel of others, we will increase in our ability to discern and see things as God sees them. "THAT" will do wonderful things in helping us make good choices all day long - and over the course of our lives. To give prudence to the naive, To the youth knowledge and discretion, Proverbs 1:4
Why should we read and study the Proverbs? Here we receive additional reasons why knowing and studying this material is so important to us. We begin with the biblical fact that we are fallen due to sin. This is so important for us to understand, because it reminds us that we are so prone to being deceived and led astray. Far too many people do not begin with the sinfulness of the human heart as a starting place for learning and wisdom. We tend to deceive ourselves in thinking that we cannot be deceived. Thus we tend to be naive and don't question ourselves in our decisions and in our natural way of thinking. Here is where the wisdom of God is our greatest friend. Solomon writes that the proverbs are written to give prudence to the naive and discretion to the youth. Let's take a look at both o these things as we consider a little bit of wisdom today. The naive are the ones who are simpleminded and foolish. The Hebrew word here refers to the person who is naive and too simpleminded when considering the complexities and challenges of life itself. They do not have suficient understanding or perception to properly grasp how to make decisions in life. The naive are very broadminded - but not in a good way. What they need is skillfulness in discerning things. They need an ability to detect subtleties in life. The word for prudence actually means a craftiness which we usually consider a bad thing. But for the one who is wise it is the ability to see through things - and to detect trickery and the kind of thinking that sets traps. In Joshua 9 when the Gibeonites deceived Israel with their appearance - Joshua was deceived because he did not use the proper prudence to detect the craftiness of these wicked men. Because Joshua simple trusted his eyes and the supposed honesty of the Gibeonites motives and words - he was deceived and led astray. Unfortunately we live in a fallen world where appearances do not always relfect the truth of a situation. This is why we need God's perspective and counsel in all matters. Yes, it would be wonderful if all men and women were perfectly honest - but they are not. There are amazing subtlties in life that can only be properly understood by knowing God and going to Him for wisdom and understanding. The second half of today's proverb says to us that the youth needs knowledge and discretion. All of us have been and have known youths who know everything. They have no need for anyone to share additional knowledge - nor do they need to know the ways of mankind - because they know everything. This is definitely a product of of sin entering our world. We desperately need for the youths in our lives to hear and increase in knowledge. It is only by adding knowledge and a better skill in distinguishing things that have subtle differences that they will grow in wisdom. Without such a growth in wisdom, they will find themselves in serious trouble - and as we learn often in Scripture - deceived and led astray from God's ways. Therefore we need to keep our minds and our hearts open to God's Word and the teaching of His Spirit concerning wisdom. God wants us to have a greater ability to detect and discern His ways and paths. If we keep our hearts wide open to Him - we will know that wisdom and will be kept from many problems that might otherwise trip us up in life. To receive instruction in wise behavior, Righteousness, justice and equity; Proverbs 1:3
What is wise behavior? The word used here in Proverbs chapter 1 is actually the Hebrew word "sakal" which means prudence. It has the idea of acting with insight. This is an interesting word because it goes beyond even these definitions. The word means to think, ponder, and understand things so that one lives to act with devotion to God and His ways - and thus will be prudent as to evil - and eventually to prosper in God's ways. That is quite a definition, but it does speak to us loudly that to be wise in our behavior is to have a devotion to the Lrod at the very center of our thinking. Want a good life - and one that prospers in all the right ways? Then live a life where you seriously consider what God says in all areas of life. Three things are used by Solomon to teach us what wise behavior looks like. First it is righteousness. The word here is "sedeq" and it means to live with an ethical and legal standard. This standard is the Word of God and its commandments and decrees. Oh, how wise it is to live with God setting your ethics and standards. When we walk in this way - we will walk wisely - and our behavior will reveal it. The second word used here is justice. It is the Hebrew word "mishpat" and it means proper judgment. This word refers to a legal decision given by God - which God expects us, as His people, to follow. It means a legal case - and we could see it as practical application of God's Word in individual cases. What is wise behavior? It is not just living by God's standards and ethics, but it is also learning how to take His laws and apply them in individual situations all throughout life. It is practially applying those laws as we face moral and ethical dilemmas throughout our day. Third, we see that wise behavior is acting with equity. Equity is the Hebrew word "meysar" and it means rightness, equity, and smoothness. It is what is correct and fair - but has an aspect of evenness and smoothness to it. Here is a great balance to the ideas of righteousness and justice. It is the idea of smoothness in doing what is right and correct. Too often we embrace righteousness and justice without the corresponding smoothness of equity. We love what is right - but to often do it so roughly that people reject God's wisdom. They reject it not because they see it as unwise - but they react to our rough, unkind ways in communicating and living it out. The truly wise man whose behavior honors God greatly is the one who can speak the truth in love. He is the one who can offer correction and rebuke so that his soft words can break a bone. He has learned that wise behavior does what is right - but does it with as much gentleness and kindness as possible. Thus we see wise behavior laid out for us. It involves a love of the truth and a love for what is right and godly. Yet it does so as inoffensively as possible. There is great respect and honor for the commandments of God - but a gentle, loving application of them so that truth is not lost in the rough way it is communicated. Oh, to have such wise behavior as our standard way of living, communicating, and walking out God's ways. There was an example of these three things balanced out perfectly - it was the example of God's own Son, Jesus Christ. He showed us the perfect blend of passion and zeal - kindness and grace - truth and wisdom. May we ever desire to be like Him! To know wisdom and instruction, To discern the sayings of understanding, Proverbs 1:2
Why should we study the book of Proverbs? What is there that we can learn from this book and these pithy little comments made by Solomon - many of which he learned at the feet of David while just a boy? That is what these first 6 verses in Proverbs one are going to tell us. There are very few books in the Bible that actually tell you why you should study and read them. Proverbs does this - telling you exactly what you will get if you read the pages that follow. 1) To Know Wisdom - Here is the first benefit of reading Proverbs. We will know wisdom. To know here means to learn and perceive - to discern and to be skillful. What a loaded word this is. There are two things happening here. The first is an acquiring of skill and general knowledge. This is done by reading, studying, and simply learning what Proverbs says. But there is a more sublte learning taking place as well. This is where we are discerning and perceiving things. To perceive and discern something requires the power of discrimination. We need to be able to tell the difference between things that differ. We are to know wisdom. What is meant by wisdom? The word, as used in the Scriptures, means the ability to use knowledge rightly. It means using the knowledge God gives properly. Thus many biblical scholars refer to wisdom and seeing things from God's perspective. Some of this will require just learning what God says - and learning how God responds to things. But more of it will require taking what God says and applying it to our culture and every day lives. We then distinguish between what is in accordance with God's Word - and what is not. In the end, we learn wisdom! We know how to walk in this world in a way that pleases and honors God. 2) To Know Instruction - The second word used is instruction. This word means discipline. It refers in some places to the discpline given by a father to a son or daughter. This instruction may come as instruction alone - but some times it comes via the rod/correction. This kind of instruction brings life, wisdom, and the favor of God (see Proverbs 4:13; 8:33) The book of Proverbs will help us see things like God sees them (wisdom), but they will also correct and rebuke us. This is hard sometimes, but remember that this is done as a loving father would rebuke and correct. Thus, God's corrections are so we can receive life and wisdom - as well as to know the favor of God on our lives and the things we do. 3) To Discern the Sayings of Understanding - It is one thing to hear something - it is quite another to discern what is being said. Here is one of the wonderful benefits of studying the Proverbs of God. They give us "sayings of understanding." We love these sayings - and they are quoted a lot. But it is not enough to just be able to quote them - we need to grasp what they are saying to us - what they mean. We might hear the quaint old phrase, "A penny saved is a penny earned," but outside of thinking it is neat - we might not have a clue what this saying it teaching us. Even worse, we may have no idea how to apply it so that we become someone who knows the value of saving money. The reason to study Proverbs is so that they will not just sound spiritual - but that they will move us to spiritual action and lifestyles. According to one commentator, sayings of understanding are basically says calling us to righteous action. They encourage us to turn away from evil and embrace God's ways. We do this at first with simple obedience - but over time we discern more than just a call to do something. Proverbs answers the oft asked question of the two year old - WHY? At times God will tell us to obey - and what we need to do is obey immediately, but as we grow in wisdom, discipline, and discernment - we will find that we are getting the "why" of God's commandments more and more. At this point we are grasping the value of "discerning the sayings of understanding." We will be greatly blessed as we embrace obedience with a new depth of discernment and understanding. We will grasp the character of God behind the wisdom and instruction. We will become a proponent of obedience to God, not just from surrender and submission, but also from a sense of awe as we consider His infinite wisdom. Study Proverbs - read about it and spend time learning and discerning as a result. You will find at first the blessing of God's ways and paths, but soon you will also marvel at the infinite wisdom and understanding behind each and every one of them. |
Proverb a DayEach day, we'll take a look at a verse from the chapter of Proverbs for the day. Our hope is to gain wisdom each day - and from that wisdom - to have understanding to make godly decisions in the throes of everyday life. Thank you for visiting our website! Everything on this site is offered for free. If, however, you would like to make a donation to help pay for its continued presence on the internet, you can do that by clicking here. The only thing we ask is that you give first to the local church you attend. Thank you!
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