How To Be A Wise Guy Series

I’ve never preached a series of messages on Proverbs before, and my guess is that you haven’t heard many sermons from this part of the Bible. Part of that may be because the book is difficult to outline and at first glance doesn’t have much order to it. However, it may help to picture Proverbs as an instruction manual that covers all of life. The beginning chapters present a series of lessons that a father is teaching his son and the latter chapters emphasize how God’s wisdom applies to his changing life situations as he matures. As we listen in during the next month, we can become skillful at:

Watching Our Words (next week)

Finding Wisdom for the Family

Becoming a True Friend

Making Wise Decisions

Purpose of Proverbs

The purpose of the Book of Proverbs is found in 1:2-6: “For attaining wisdom and discipline; for understanding words of insight; for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair; for giving prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young-- let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance--for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise.” Proverbs was written so that you and I can become wise people, so that we will be more disciplined, and able to do what is right. In other words, the aim of the book is to help us acquire and apply God’s wisdom to the decisions and activities of daily life.

It’s not enough simply to be educated and have knowledge, as important as education is. We also need wisdom, which is the ability to use the knowledge that we have. In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word for “wise” is used to describe people who are adept at working with their hands. Those who have wisdom have the ability to face life honestly and to live it so that God’s purposes are fulfilled in their lives. Wisdom is not theoretical but practical. A wise person does not just say wise words, he or she is skillful at living life to its fullest.

We’ll focus this morning on five pathways to wisdom. We’ll spend most of our time on the first one because of its importance.

1 ­ Develop the Fear of the Lord

Proverbs 1:7 is both the theme of the book and the key that unlocks the way to wisdom: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.” The main emphasis of the entire Bible is the fear of the Lord. In this verse we see that there are two classes of people: those who fear the Lord, and the fools who do not. The beginning of knowledge refers to its origin or principal part. The first lesson we must learn in the school of wisdom is to develop a proper view of God.

A fool is not just someone who is a couple bricks short of a load, or one whose elevator does not go to the top floor. A fool is not somebody who is a few fries short of a Happy Meal or a little light in his loafers. He’s not even the guy who has two signs on both ears saying, “Space for Rent.”

In Proverbs, the fool is the one who doesn’t follow God’s ways. He’s the one who knows the right thing to do but instead does the opposite, or simply does nothing. 1:32 says that the “complacency of fools will destroy them.” In the New Testament, the contrast is between the believer and the unbeliever, the saved and the lost, those in the light and those who walk in darkness.