Benefits of Wisdom
Text: Proverbs 3:1-32
Intro: Apostle Paul asked in 1 Corinthians 1:20 (KJV),
"Where is the wise?
Where is the scribe?
Where is the disputer of this world?
Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?"
Being wise in God’s ways, wisdom comes and makes available
a correct application of truth which will honor the Lord and bring
about untold blessings.
"Whether we are wise or foolish matters, not
only for this life, but also for the hereafter."
__Dr. Daniel L. Black
Theme: Saints must live to please God,
maintain personal integrity, and
build wholesome relationships.
I. The Sanctuary of the Soul (Prov. 3:5,6)
Trust in the LORD with all thine heart;
and lean not unto thine own understanding.
In all thy ways acknowledge him,
and he shall direct thy paths.
A. Guidance of Biblical wisdom necessary for living
completely in the will of God
1. Acknowledge Him
2. Have a knowledge of Him
B. God then will begin to straighten out our paths.
1. remove obstacles
2. enable one to walk properly in the pathway of life
3. When you have nothing left but God, then you become aware that God is enough.
_______ Maude Royden
4. Can a better sanctuary ever be found?
II. Exercising a Vital Faith (Prov. 3:1-4, 7,8)
My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments:
For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.
Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck;
write them upon the table of thine heart:
So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.
Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.
It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.
A. For faith to be valid it must be applied to the whole round of life.
1. Consider the main things that lead to life’s best.
2. "My son" tells us who this message is to.
a. not to the world in general
b. to the followers of God
3. God reminds us
a. to not forget His teachings--hide them away in the heart
b. to walk in His ways
4. Obedience brings peace.
a. obedience better than sacrifice ( 1 Sam. 15:22 )
b something refreshing about knowing the
right things have been done
III. Material and Spiritual Blessings (Prov. 3:9,10)
Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:
So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine
A. O. T. Israelites came under the Mosaic Covenant.
1. Ex. 19:4-6
2. If the nation obeyed then spiritual and physical blessings ensued.
B. No Mosaic Covenant today
1. Wise Christian can expect spiritual blessings
a. as he seeks them
b. Eph. 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly
places in Christ:
2. Material needs will be met.
a. Philippians 4:19, But my God shall supply all your need according
to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
b. James 4:2-3 (KJV), Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have,
and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have
not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not,
because ye ask amiss, [#2560-improperly, wrongly]
that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
c. Mk 11:24, Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire,
when ye pray, believe [#4100-have confidence] that ye receive them,
and ye shall have them.
IV. The Discipline of God (3:11,12)
My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction:
For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.
A. Immediately the question, "Why?" comes to mind.
1. Why does a loving God seemingly step back and
let negative things into our lives?
2. Job pondered it in the depths of his illness.
3. Jeremiah uttered it in his despondency.
4. Jesus cried out on the cross, "Why..."
B. Heb. 12:6 (The MSG), "It’s the child he loves that he disciplines;
the child he embraces, he also corrects."
1. God’s discipline can help develop our full potential.
2. Illu: The job of a football coach is to make men do what they don’t
want to do, in order to achieve what they’ve always wanted to be.
_________Tom Landry.
3. Ps. 119:71, It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.
( Still discussing The Wise Disciple & The Benefits of Wisdom )
V. Wisdom is More Precious than Jewels (Prov. 3:13-18)
13 Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.
14 For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver,
and the gain thereof than fine gold.
15 She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou
canst desire are not to be compared unto her.
16 Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour.
17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.
18 She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her:
and happy is every one that retaineth her.
A. One of the most wonderful gifts that God can give to
man is wisdom and understanding.
1. Solomon was no fool when he asked God for wisdom.
2. Wisdom will bring prosperity of body, soul, and spirit.
3. A wise man chooses God’s ways and therefore cannot fail.
B. illu: An angel appears at a faculty meeting and tells the dean
that in return for his unselfish and exemplary behavior,
the Lord will reward him with his choice of infinite wealth,
wisdom or beauty. Without hesitating, the dean selects infinite
wisdom.
"Done!" says the angel, and disappears in a cloud of smoke and
a bolt of lightning. Now, all heads turn toward the dean, who sits
surrounded by a faint halo of light. At length, one of his colleagues
whispers, "Say something." The dean looks at them and says,
"I should have taken the money."
______Betsy Devine and Joel E. Cohen,
Absolute Zero Gravity, Simon & Schuster.
VI. Confident Living (Prov. 3:21-26)
21 My son, let not them depart from thine eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion:
(life for man’s inner being, i.e., wisdom, understanding, divine care)
22 So shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace to thy neck
(honor and respect).
23 Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble.
(free from anxiety--protected by angels-Ps. 91:11-12)
24 When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down,
and thy sleep shall be sweet.
(Sleep will be refreshing and without trouble.)
25 Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh.
(no need to fear the unexpected, even in dire circumstances)
26 For the LORD shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.
(The Lord is in the habit of being by our sides.)
VII. Practicing Some Distinctive Negatives (Prov. 3:27-31)
27 Withhold not good from them to whom it is due,
when it is in the power of thine hand to do it.
A. This is stated by the New Testament also,
"To him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, it is sin" (James 4:17).
1.You have the capacity to do good and you fail to do it,
that’s just as much a sin as some overt act of sin.
2. There are sins of failing to do the right thing,
just as there are sins of doing the wrong thing.
B. There are sins of omission, omitting to do that which is right or good.
28 Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again,
and to morrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee.
29 Devise not evil against thy neighbour,
seeing he dwelleth securely by thee.
30 Strive not with a man without cause,
if he have done thee no harm.
31 Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways.
VIII. God’s Secret (Prov. 3:32)
For the froward [#3868, perverse] is abomination to the LORD:
but his secret is with the righteous.
A. The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him (Ps. 25:14).
1. secret = #5475,counsel
2. "1) council, counsel, assembly
a) council (of familiar conversation)
1) divan [council chamber], circle (of familiar friends)
2) assembly, company
b) counsel
1) counsel (itself)
2) secret counsel
3) familiar converse, intimacy (with God)"
__________Cite This Page: Blue Letter Bible. "Dictionary and
Word Search for cowd (Strong’s 5475)". Blue Letter Bible.
1996-2008. 22 Oct 2008. < http:// www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?
Strongs=H5475&t=KJV >
B. The wise children of God have tremendous distinctives.
1. They have the ear of God at any time.
2. God can whisper the directions of life to them.
Conclusion: Experience should make us wiser, but some refuse to
learn anything from their experiences. They keep doing
the same wrong things over and over wondering why
they do not fare better.
The most wisdom is gained from submission to God and
obedience to His Word.
James 1:5 (KJV) "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask
of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and
upbraideth not; and it shall be given him."
Benefits of Wisdom
______Adapted from -Pathway Press, New Life Sunday School Curriculum,
Fall 2008, pp. 36-38
The Wise Disciple
__ -Writings of Louis Goldberg, Th.D.
