Embracing Wisdom
Proverbs
Rev. Brian Bill
1/27/08
www.pontiacbible.org
Pastor Scott Hoezee points out that 3,000 years ago in Ancient Near Eastern schools of wisdom, teachers would give final exams by stating the first half of a proverb and the students were required to complete the wise saying. There are also a lot of popular proverbs in our culture today. Let’s see how well you know them. I’ll say the first part and you shout out how they end.
A dog is a man’s…best friend.
Don’t cry over…spilled milk.
Don’t judge a book…by its cover.
Sticks and stones may break my bones…but words will never hurt me.
Don’t count your chickens…before they hatch.
Many hands…make light work. (We’re sure finding that out during the flood cleanup)
People in glass houses…shouldn’t throw stones.
The early bird…catches the worm.
The early bird may catch the worm, but the second mouse…gets the cheese.
Talk does not…cook rice. (On the sign at the high school this week)
Have you ever noticed that many Country and Western songs are proverb-like in their brevity and brilliance? Here are a few fun titles – I’m not making these up.
“How Can I Miss You If You Won’t Go Away?”
“I Would Have Wrote You a Letter, But I Couldn’t Spell…Yuck!”
“I Bought the Shoes That Just Walked Out on Me.”
“I Liked You Better Before I Knew You So Well.”
“I’ve Got Tears in My Ears from Lying on My Back While I Cry Over You.”
Some of the Proverbs found in the Bible paint quite a picture as well. Here’s one from Proverbs 11:22: “Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout is a beautiful woman who shows no discretion.” One of my favorites is Proverbs 26:14: “Like a door that turns on its hinges, so a sluggard turns on his bed.”
As we journey through the middle books of the Old Testament we’ve completed Psalms and today and next Sunday we’ll be in Proverbs. We’ll then move to Song of Songs, Ecclesiastes, Job and Lamentations. Someone told me last week that she finds great comfort in the Psalms but finds the Proverbs too convicting.
The Proverbs are highly compressed, carefully chosen words of wisdom that have been skillfully crafted to stick in our minds so that our behavior changes. A proverb has been called a “short sentence founded upon long experience.” That’s probably what was behind this one: “Like one who seizes a dog by the ears is a passer-by who meddles in a quarrel not his own” (26:17). That’s wisdom from experience! Proverbs are easy to say and hard to forget.
Before we go much further, it’s crucial that we understand the kind of teaching Proverbs provides. Many people end up in a bad spot simply because they forget that there’s a difference between Proverbs and other books of the Bible. John Ortberg does a good job explaining that there are three specific types of literature in the Old Testament.
* Laws. A law is a command that we must always obey: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” (Deuteronomy 6:5).
* Promises. A promise is a guarantee that is always true: “How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with you.” (Psalm 139:17-18)
* Proverbs. A proverb is a catchy observation about the way things generally are but it is not a precept or a promise. In other words, they are descriptive, not prescriptive. These guidelines for living are generalizations about the way things generally turn out. Check out Proverbs 15:1: “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” The works most of the time, but not in every single situation.
Proverbs are designed to be read slowly and thought about throughout the day. We shouldn’t race through them or handle them carelessly. Proverbs 26:9 says, “Like a thornbush in a drunkard’s hand is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.” Just think about what happens when an inebriated individual grabs a bunch of thorns – he or she will get hurt. Likewise, we must avoid just grabbing a proverb that we like without using care and discernment, throwing it around like a magic potion. They’re designed to be studied, memorized, meditated upon, and practiced.
Let’s look together at the very first verse of Proverbs: “The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel.” We know from 1 Kings 4:32 that Solomon wrote over 3,000 proverbs which don’t all appear here. He wrote the vast majority of the ones in the Book of Proverbs, with the exception of a couple final chapters written by Agur and Lemuel.
Purpose of Proverbs
The purpose of the Book of Proverbs is found in 1:2-6. This is the longest title of any Old Testament book: “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 who 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; and in the process, our character will change.
Proverbs is a concentrated graduate course in the art of living. 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.
Here are some of the life skills presented in Proverbs: Training for parents, purity principles, money management, relationship building, the power of words, the honor of humility, the dangers of strong drink, decision-making, the importance of hard work, peace-making principles and how to care for the poor. We all need help in these areas, don’t we?
John Ortberg says that there’s a simple reason that God put Proverbs in the Bible – it’s because we’re stupid! Let’s face it; we all do dumb stuff, don’t we? This book can help us become wiser in many ways.
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. Pastor Dick will be preaching next week on the ways we can avoid folly. 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. If you and I want wisdom, we must first learn how to worship. Song writer Michael Card says, “The way of wisdom starts out with a step of holy fear.”
It’s good for us to be reminded that everything’s about God, not about us. Martin Luther’s great cry was to “let God be God.” A.W. Tozer said that to know God is to fear Him and to be “stunned” by the splendor of His presence. God is not there just to meet our needs. We are here to bow before His supremacy in an attitude of holy fear so that we will worship Him in our ways and with our words. We hear the longing of God in Deuteronomy 5:29: “Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me and keep all my commands always, so that it might go well with them and their children forever!”
The “fear of the Lord” can involve two things. One is that God might hurt us. The other is the fear that we might hurt Him by our behavior. The word “fear” can refer to reverence or respect, but I wonder if this goes far enough. Philippians 2:12 challenges us to “work out our salvation with fear and trembling.” Most of us could stand to tremble more in the presence of God. He’s not just the “big guy” in the sky, or the “main man” upstairs. He’s the Lord of Hosts, the Most High God, the King of Kings, Lord of Lords, and the Almighty who is holy, holy, holy. In that sense the word “awesome” should be reserved only for Him.
The concept of fearing God in order to acquire and apply wisdom may seem confusing because we tend to think of fear as something to be avoided. But fearing God can purge every lesser phobia that paralyzes us. I love the perspective of Oswald Chambers: “The remarkable thing about fearing God is that, when you fear God, you fear nothing else; whereas, if you do not fear God, you fear everything else.”
When we truly fear the Lord, we will recognize that He is the Creator and we are the created. He is the Master and we are His servants. He is the Father and we are His children. The phrase “fear of the Lord” literally means to, “live before the face of God.” It’s the idea of being so in awe of God that I long to obey Him; it’s really a synonym for worship. It involves a consciousness of being in the presence of the Almighty, a thrilling sense of privilege, which results in an overflow of respect and admiration. You can tell that you fear God when His opinion about your life matters more than anything else.
Instead of fearing others, or wanting what they have, we’re to follow the admonition of Proverbs 23:17: “Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always be zealous for the fear of the Lord.” The Book of Proverbs lists some practical benefits that come our way as we determine to be zealous for the fear of God:
* We’ll become wise. 9:10: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom...”
* We might live longer. 10:27: “The fear of the Lord adds length to life…”
* We’ll become content. 15:16: “Better a little with the fear of the Lord than great wealth with turmoil.”
* We’ll experience victory over sin. 16:6: “Through the fear of the Lord a man avoids evil.”
* We’ll live life to its fullest. 19:23: “The fear of the Lord leads to life...”
* We’ll experience great blessings. 22:4: “Humility and the fear of the Lord bring wealth and honor and life.”
We won’t develop a fear of the Lord without some work on our part. We can’t just wait and see what happens. We don’t just stumble into a deeper walk with Him. In fact, as we’ve said before, our natural inclination is to head south spiritually. Here are two ways to cultivate the fear of the Lord.
* Choose to fear the Lord. We must engage our wills and decide to treat God like He deserves to be treated. Proverbs 1:28-29: “Then they will call to me but I will not answer; they will look for me but will not find me. Since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the LORD.” This is an individual decision. No one can do it for you. Have you ever decided to order your life around a reverential awe for the Almighty?
* Focus your mind on fearing God. A.W. Tozer has said: “What you think about God is the most important thing about you.” There is a direct correlation between our view of God and how we behave. When we fear God we will live holy lives. Proverbs 14:2: “He whose walk is upright fears the LORD, but he whose ways are devious despises him.” A life lived in the fear of the Lord will tell on you. It’s easy to spot those who worship God just by watching how they live. By the same token, a life lived outside the reverence of the Lord is easy to pick out as well. Genuine awe of the Lord always leads to obedience. Proverbs 8:13: “To fear the LORD is to hate evil…”
2 – Determine to Get Wisdom
After developing the fear of the Lord, the next step is to determine to get wisdom. In order to get it, we must desire it with all our might. Listen to the action verbs in Proverbs 2:1-5: “My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.”
Three times Solomon writes: “if you” in order to show that if we want it, we must be determined to go and get it. Wisdom doesn’t come just as part of getting older. As the saying goes, “We can only be young once, but we can be immature indefinitely.” Proverbs 4:7: “Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.” What price are you willing to pay to get wisdom? What sacrifices are you willing to make? Proverbs 8:11: “For wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her.”
3 – Decide to Ask For It
Once we’re determined to want wisdom more than anything else, we must decide to ask God for it. Proverbs 2:6 says, “For the LORD gives wisdom and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.” Solomon became the quintessential wise guy simply because he asked for wisdom. I love God’s answer to his request in 1 Kings 3:11-12: “Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself…I will give you a wise and discerning heart.” Daniel admitted that he did not have any wisdom in himself but gave credit to God in Daniel 2:23 as he prayed: “I thank and praise you, O God of my fathers: You have given me wisdom and power.”
You can become wise by following the admonition of James 1:5: “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” If you want ’08 to be great, if you want your life to change in ways that you never thought possible, then ask God for wisdom.
Andy Stanley has written an extremely helpful book called, “The Best Question Ever.” He doesn’t even get to what the question is until chapter four but then he lays it out concisely and persuasively. The best question ever is what is the wise thing to do? He then fleshes it out with three follow-up questions:
* In light of my past experience, what is the wise thing to do?
* In light of my current circumstances, what is the wise thing to do?
* In light of my future hopes and dreams, what is the wise thing to do?
I was really challenged by this statement: “Your greatest regret could have been avoided had you asked the best question ever and then acted on your conclusion.” Let’s get personal and practical right now so that this sermon moves from our minds to our wills.
Personalizing the Proverbs
In order to make the Book of Proverbs a priority, I have two action steps that will help us personalize this great book.
* Read one chapter from Proverbs every day. Since there are 31 chapters, you could simply read the chapter that corresponds with the day of the month. For instance, since today is the 27th, you would read Proverbs 27. For many years Billy Graham has read a chapter from Proverbs and five Psalms every day. You might want to try the same thing because in one month you will have read through both Psalms and Proverbs. When you read, discipline yourself to write down one verse from the chapter and meditate on it throughout the day. Some time ago after forcing myself out of bed I wrote down Proverbs 6:9: “How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep?”
* Adopt a personal proverb. These wise words to live by are for the everyday world, not just for Sundays. Listen to Proverbs 1:20: “Wisdom calls aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the public squares; at the head of the noisy streets she cries out, in the gateways of the city she makes her speech.” Wisdom is meant to be practical. A wise person has the ability to discern and decide the God-honoring course of action in real-life situations.
I’ve put five different proverbs on these poster boards so that each of us can adopt a proverb for this week. I think this will help us begin to experience some life-transformation. You may want to write it down so you can commit it to memory and then I want you to tell someone else and ask them to pray for you as you personalize the proverb to your own life situation but first I need five volunteers to come up here and hold them up.
1. Watching our Words – Proverbs 10:19
“When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise.”
This is pretty straightforward. The more we speak, the more we sin. So if we want to cut down on our sinning, we should cut down on our talking. It was Abraham Lincoln who said that it’s better to be quiet and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt! I can already see some husbands writing this one down so they can tell their wives that the Bible says they don’t have to open up and share their feelings. Be careful guys because your wife may be ready with Proverbs 25:11: “A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.” John Ortberg points out that this means if husbands don’t talk then wives can go out and buy silver and gold jewelry!
2. Eliminating Laziness – Proverbs 19:24
“The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; he will not even bring it back to his mouth!”
This guy is so lazy that he can’t even bring the nacho to his mouth after dipping it in cheese. The point is that no one ever benefits by being lazy. Lack of action always leads to loss. God wants us to do everything we do for His glory and that means living with some passion and purpose. If you struggle with procrastination, inertia or apathy you may want to adopt this proverb.
3. Standing Strong – Proverbs 10:25
“When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm forever.”
Storms do come, don’t they? Many of you can give personal testimony of that after the flood waters destroyed your home. Friend, even in the toughest of times, God will help you to stand as you lean on Him. Some of you are going through other kinds of storms right now. You’re feeling overwhelmed, stressed and even frightened and you wonder if you can pull out of it. Allow this proverb to give you hope as you hold on to God, no matter how bad the storm gets.
4. Cultivating Contentment – Proverbs 30:8
“…Give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread.”
Do you struggle with contentment? Do you find yourself always wanting more, thinking that if you just had a certain possession then you’d be happy? Contentment is not having everything you want but wanting everything you already have. Memorize this proverb if you struggle with materialism.
5. Growing in Giving – Proverbs 19:17
“He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord,
and He will reward him for what he’s done.”
When you and I give to someone who has less than we do, it’s like lending to the Lord. Have you gone south with your giving? Have you turned a deaf ear to the down and out? This proverb can help you develop a generous spirit.
Have you identified a passage you want to personalize? Here’s what I’d like you do now.
1. First, hold up your right hand and indicate with your fingers which number you want to work on.
2. Now, I’d like you to simply raise your hand to indicate which one you have chosen as our volunteers lift up their proverb posters.
3. Next, I’d like you to turn to the person next to you and tell him or her which one you’ve chosen and why you chose that one. Ask for prayer as you strive to put this proverb into practice.
4. Repeat this proverb several times a day until you have it memorized. Then meditate upon it all week long and see what God does.
The Way Who is Wisdom
I want to give you a caution in closing. If you don’t know Jesus as your personal Savior and if you’re not living under His loving leadership, you’re going to have a hard time practicing the proverbs. Jesus made a remarkable statement about himself in Matthew 12:42: “Now one greater than Solomon is here.” This was a bold statement to those who heard these words in person because in their minds Solomon was one of the greatest who ever lived. He was known for having wisdom.
Jesus is greater than Solomon because He is wisdom.HeH Colossians 2:3: “…That they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” If you don’t yet know Christ, then you need to come to Him in faith. If you are already a believer, then rededicate yourself to Jesus and tell others about Him. To know and love and follow Jesus is to own the treasure of ultimate and eternal happiness. The command, “Get wisdom” ultimately means, “Come to Jesus.”
If you truly want a Happy New Year, then make it a Holy New Year and request the wisdom of God. Proverbs 3:13 says, “Happy is the man who finds wisdom and the man who gets understanding.” While many resolutions become dissolutions, researchers have discovered that most people will keep the promise they put at the top of their list. Have you put wisdom at the top of your list? If you want to become a wise guy or a wise gal, then develop the fear of the Lord, determine to get wisdom, decide to ask for it, and then dedicate yourself to Jesus.
Proverbs teaches that there are only two paths you can take – wisdom or folly. There’s no middle ground. Jesus declared that He Himself is the “way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through Him” in John 14:6. He also tells us that the way is narrow in Matthew 7:13-14: “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”
Once you put your faith in Jesus, you will find life and then you’ll be on the path of wisdom. You no longer have to be afraid of the Almighty because Jesus has taken what we deserve. Embrace Him now. When you do you’ll then have the power of the Holy Spirit to help you live out the principles of the Proverbs so that these ancient words will find traction in your life.
Closing Song: Ancient Words
