Life Simplified
Proverbs: Handbook for a Life Simplified
September 25, 2011
INTRODUCTION
* A chain is only as strong as its weakest link
* However long the night, the dawn will break. African
* An ant on the move does more than a dozing ox. Mexican
* Age and time do not wait for people. Chinese
Some are culture specific
* Without rice, even the cleverest housewife cannot cook. Chinese
* If you live in the river you should make friends with the crocodile. Indian
Some are more modern
* If you look like your passport picture, you probably need the trip.
* The trouble with bucket seats is that not everybody has the same size bucket.
Some trace their origin back to Divine Wisdom.
* A leopard cannot change its spots
Jeremiah 13:23
Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its spots?
Neither can you do good who are accustomed to doing evil.
Scripture is filled with proverbs. And one book bears the title, the name, Proverbs.
This fall we'll engage an active study of the book for proverbs looking at the wisdom within its 31 chapters for guidelines, truths, that help each of take a simplified look at the life, God life, we are called to.
Turn with me to Proverbs.
Understanding the Genre -- Wisdom Literature.
Defining Wisdom -- Experientially tested knowledge
Information is about facts, and knowledge is about fitting related facts together. But wisdom is about using knowledge well.
What are proverbs? -- expressions of human wisdom intended as reminders of great truths.
What is the Book of Proverbs? -- perfect expressions of divine wisdom in written form.
Why Study Proverbs
Never before in human history has there been so much knowledge so widely spread among the population. We take great pride in our accumulated knowledge, and our hard drives are packed with data.
But in some of the most important areas of life, such as raising children, maintaining healthy relationships, and handling finances responsibly, a great many of us just don't know what to do.
By this wisdom, we can learn how to live in light of what is really true about ourselves, one another, and this wonderful yet deeply flawed world.
Ultimately, therefore, this is a book about life lived for God in the light of divine truth. It's about life as God intends for us to live it.
Selvaggio, Anthony (2011-01-01). A Proverbs Driven Life (Kindle Locations 51-53). Shepherd Press. Kindle Edition.
Presuppositions about Studying Proverbs
That Jesus is the embodiment of all wisdom. 1 Cor 1:30, Col 2:3
That any study of Proverbs, written expressions of divine truth, should also open the door, pave the way, into a deeper relationship with Jesus.
That God longs to open the store holds of wisdom in our lives if we will simple seek it. James 1:5
Purpose of Proverbs:
Teach Wisdom, Discipline, Understanding
The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel: for attaining wisdom. Proverbs 1:1
How do you read and study the Proverbs.
Use Basic Logic
-- all the proverbs are valuable, they do not all have equal value or significance.
Prov 3:5-6
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.
NIV
Prov 27:7
7 He who is full loathes honey, but to the hungry even what is bitter tastes sweet.
NIV
Don't read them in isolation
Prov 27:13
13 Take the garment of one who puts up security for a stranger;
hold it in pledge if he does it for a wayward woman.
NIV
Don't put God on a timetable
Prov 22:6
6 Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.
NIV
* Not promises for a quick fix
Make your Goal obedience
Prov 2:1-5
2 My son, if you accept my words
and store up my commands within you,
2 turning your ear to wisdom
and applying your heart to understanding,
3 and if you call out for insight
and cry aloud for understanding,
4 and if you look for it as for silver
and search for it as for hidden treasure,
5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord
and find the knowledge of God.
NIV
Ways to enhance the impact of the study.
Read.
Reread.
Make notations.
Notebook study
Memorize.
GTG
