Proverbs 1:1-7[1]
As preached at Rolling Hills Church on Sunday, December 19th, 2010
We are going through the first chapter of the Wisdom Literature – the books of Job, Psalms, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes. Today we're in Proverbs 1:1-7. Let's read this text now, found on page 527 in the blue Bibles found in the chairs.
1 The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:
2 To know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight,
3 to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity;
4 to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth--
5 Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance,
6 to understand a proverb and a saying, the words of the wise and their riddles.
7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Let's pray this morning, shall we? I've asked Bryan Paulsen to offer a prayer for us.
This being the books of wisdom, then a key term in Proverbs is of course "wisdom." The word (Hb. khokmah) can have the nuance of "skill" (as it does in Ex. 28:3), particularly the skill of choosing the right course of action for the desired result. You may have heard it said that to keep doing the same thing and expecting a different result is foolish; that's a well worn statement, but it's true. In the covenantal framework of Proverbs, wisdom denotes "skill in the art of godly living."[2] Let's keep that in our minds, and toss this notion that wisdom is some super-intellect, or that wisdom is some Confucius-type of man-on-the-mountain who knows more than us normal people. This book is written to and for normal people living normal lives – godly lives; skill in the art of godly living. Wisdom has to do with becoming skillful in honoring our parents and raising our children, handling our money and conducting our sexual lives, going to work and exercising leadership, using words well and treating folks kindly, eating and drinking healthily, cultivating emotions within ourselves and attitudes toward others that make for peace. Threaded through all these items is the insistence that the way we think of and respond to God is the most practical thing we do. In matters of everyday practicality nothing, absolutely nothing, takes precedence over God.[3]
This text is the introduction to Proverbs. Here we find the purpose for writing, the audience engaged, and the motto for Proverbs, for all of the wisdom literature.
1:1-6 The purpose for writing: to learn, and to teach wisdom. This is an active search and an active class. Listen to the verbs used here: to know, understand, receive, and give. This isn't a casual class that was required and dutifully done; this was a fully engaged learning process. Note also the subjects of these verbs: wisdom, instruction, and words of insight, instruction in wise dealing, righteousness, justice, and equity. Also included are prudence, knowledge, discretion, and guidance. This author is Solomon, and though he wasn't the only writer of the Proverbs, he was the main author, and is known as the wisest man to ever live. 1 Kings 4: 29 And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding beyond measure, and breadth of mind like the sand on the seashore,
30 so that Solomon's wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the people of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt.
31 For he was wiser than all other men, wiser than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol, and his fame was in all the surrounding nations.
32 He also spoke 3,000 proverbs, and his songs were 1,005.
33 He spoke of trees, from the cedar that is in Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of the wall. He spoke also of beasts, and of birds, and of reptiles, and of fish.
34 And people of all nations came to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and from all the kings of the earth, who had heard of his wisdom.
Solomon is writing to increase this knowledge, and to give this knowledge as well. Now we also see in this introduction…
1:1-6 The audience engaged: all who are teachable. This is food for the hungry, water for the thirsty; it isn't of any value for the person who deems themselves full. It's a broad audience, one that includes the young, the simple (naïve), and the wise person. He even includes himself here; did you catch that? He is writing to know and to receive as well as to give wisdom. 24 times in the book the phrase 'my son' is used, so obviously it includes his own children. When you read these verses you'll find that his father (David) taught him, and he is teaching his sons. Should not the fathers teach the sons? Yes, we should give our sons skills in godly living. The attitude of the young, the naïve, and the wise should be the same – I need to learn more. I need to learn how to live what I know more skillfully. Have you ever seen a know-it-all? Let me pull your minds back in time a decade and a half to Tim the Tool Man and Al his trusty assistant. Who knew more? Al! Who thought and acted like he knew more? Tim! Who often burned down or blew up the set on the show? TIM. Who did he not listen to? Al. It was funny, but there is a seed of truth in any effective humor. You've met this lady or this man who knows it all and doesn't need your insight. You've most likely BEEN this person at one time (teen years) or another; people had good wisdom to give us but we disdained it, and paid a price for it. I think a good summary word would be teachability. That is the great virtue that this book seeks to instill; it is the willingness to grow in wisdom no matter how far along a person already is.
Wise people grow in knowledge because they are wise. The young and the naïve grow in knowledge, wisdom, prudence, etc., because they RECOGNIZE THEIR NEED. Here is a good foundation for being teachable…
The foundation for learning: fear of the LORD. Here is where the rubber hits the road concerning teachability. The book begins (1:7) and ends (31:30, the excellent wife) with this mindset, this emotion, this belief that is foundational to learning to live godly. God requires a reverence, a respect for Himself from His creatures. God is the Creator; God judges all sin and God judges rightly. If we have any sin in our lives, there is a reason to be concerned here. God is all-powerful, and we are weak. God is eternal, we are here a short time, and we have a beginning. The reason that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of both knowledge and wisdom is that the moral life begins with reverence and humility before the Maker and Redeemer.[4] This is taken in the context that God is the Covenant-making and Covenant-keeping God of Israel, before Whom Solomon serves as king.
So you have the purpose for writing this book the audience he wrote to, and the foundation for learning, the motto of Proverbs, the fear of the LORD. Church, what wisdom does the fear of the LORD lead us to? I believe it leads us to see ourselves in light of His holiness, and to seek some mercy, some grace, some forgiveness for our sinfulness before this God. Here we will, if we seek it, find the highest wisdom of God. Let me allow Paul to teach us about this wisdom of God; turn with me to 1 Cor 1:21-25.
21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.
22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom,
23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles,
24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
Church, Christ is the wisdom of God. Paul talks wisdom here with a tongue-in-cheek way of speaking; wisdom doesn't sound important. But hear him say that Christ is the wisdom that IS important for life. Proverbs tells us to live wisely, in a godly, holy manner. Don't think that we're saved by being good and living right; we are too sinful for that! We must be saved by repentance from sin and faith in Jesus Christ. And yet, don't think that God saves us and doesn't care if we live right – by no means! He requires holiness from His church! He saves us to obey Him; and brothers and sisters, those who do not like the obligation to obey Him have no part in the forgiving grace from Him.
You and I need to grow in obedience to God; we need to grow, as those who believe, in skill in the art of godly living.
How can we grow if we don't know?
How can we know if we don't learn?
How can we learn if we aren't teachable?
There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death (14:12).
Humble people, teachable people – be they wise, young, or naïve – choose to learn wisdom. By God's mercy He has provided good, every-day, real-life wisdom for us. Let's choose to pursue it, to learn it, to become more skilled in the art of godly living.
Let us seek to be teachable.
[1] All Scripture, unless otherwise noted, are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, (via E-Sword Software) © 2001 Crossway Publishing. All Rights Reserved
[2] From the Introduction to Proverbs in the ESV Study Bible, © 2001-2010 Crossway Publishing. All Rights Reserved
[3] From the Introduction to Proverbs in "The Message"
[4] From the study notes in the ESV Study Bible, © 2001-2010 Crossway Publishing. All Rights Reserved
No comments:
Post a Comment