NEW SERIES: Ancient Wisdom in a Modern World: Proverbs
TEXT: Proverbs 1:1-9; 32-33
MESSAGE: “Our Need for Wisdom”
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“We are drowning in information, while starving for wisdom.” — E.O. Wilson
“The internet overflows with wit, never-ending stream of clever, attention grabbing morsels of amusement and (mis)information. Its public expression always appears sudden and spontaneous, even if it was crafted laboriously over time. This is wit’s nature…It makes logical sense, then, that online spaces are dominated by wit…what we crave are the jarringly abrupt morsels. But while wit rules the day in the digital age, Christian faith points us to a distinctly different virtue: wisdom…Wisdom is difficult to find. There are no shortcuts, no abbreviated versions.” — Jay Kim
“He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord.” — Proverbs 18:22
Q: How does the Bible help us to live well in this world?
TEXT: Proverbs 1:1-9; 32-33
“The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel…” — Proverbs 1:1
• King Solomon was one of the wisest people to ever live. (How? 2 Chronicles 1/1 Kings 3 — Solomon asked God for wisdom)
“God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore. 30 Solomon’s wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the people of the East, and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt.” — 1 Kings 4:29-30 (NIV)
“Because of sin, there are barriers between us and God, between us and others, and between us and the world around us. We no longer rightly perceive the way the world works — we no longer recognize the order —so we can’t navigate through daily life. God created the world with an order to work in a certain way, and we must live according to that to be truly wise; but in our brokenness we don’t see it. Proverbs is all about restoring that harmony through Jesus Christ. Proverbs is all about becoming wise in everyday life through a relationship with Jesus — through the gospel. It’s about the life of the kingdom that God always meant for humankind to live.” — Daniel & Jonathan Akin
And so, from today’s text, what can we learn about our need for wisdom?
We learn…(1. What wisdom is 2. Where to begin 3. Why we need it)
1. What wisdom is (v. 2-4)
“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…”
Working Definition: “It is making the right choice even when there are no clear moral laws telling you explicitly what to do. Some decisions require only knowledge and some only compliance with rules. But no Bible verse will tell you exactly whom to marry, which job to take, whether to move or stay put. Yet a wrong decision can be disastrous. And there are no explicit moral laws against character flaws such as abrasiveness, impulsiveness, emotional fragility, and disorganization, yet they can also damage the course of your life.” – Timothy Keller
2. Where to begin (v. 7)
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.”
“For ‘the fear of the LORD’ — is not a mere beginners step in wisdom, to be left behind, but the prerequisite of every right attitude. Only so will the world be seen the right way up, and life begin to reveal its intended pattern.” — Derek Kidner
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” — James 1:5 (ESV)
“A simple person is too concerned about what other people think, whereas the fool is a person who’s not concerned enough. They’re both (fool & the simple) out of touch with reality…Simpletons aren’t in touch with reality; they’re in touch with their friends. Fools are not in touch with reality; they’re in touch with their own pride, their own dignity.” — Timothy Keller
3. Why we need it (v. 32-33)
“For the simple are killed by their turning away, and the complacency of fools destroys them; 33 but whoever listens to me will dwell secure and will be at ease, without dread of disaster.”
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” — John 10:27
TAKEAWAYS: How can we apply this?
* Seeking wisdom is a continual journey
* Wisdom is not inherent, it’s invested (v. 8-9)
“Foolishness is bound into the heart of a child…” — Proverbs 22:15
“…every section of the book it is assumed that truth is to be learnt first at home, instilled there with firmness and affection as lessons for the mind and training for the character.” — Derek Kidner
* Ultimately God’s Wisdom is a relationship, not tips for life
“Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.” — John 13:16
“…when we read Proverbs…It’s a book that shows us what Wisdom looks like and asks us to follow her voice (Proverbs 8). Because Jesus is Wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:24), then, it’s a book that asks us to see Jesus and follow Jesus. To follow Jesus is to fear the LORD, which is the beginning and end of wisdom.” — Matt Emerson
“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” — 1 Corinthians 1:18