Solomon's Instruction in Wisdom

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A.    The Five Books of Wisdom: written to help man live a better, wiser life; to guide him in the various associations that make up much of life. 

1.   Job – man with his troubles

2.   Psalms – man with God

3.   Proverbs – man with other men

4.   Ecclesiastes – man with his dreams and ambitions

5.   Song of Solomon – man with his wife 

           B.        Statistics 

1.   20^th book of the Bible; middle book of the Old Testament

2.   31 chapters

3.   915 verses 

           C.       Authors

1.   Solomon wrote chapters 1-29

a.         He wrote 3,000 proverbs (1Kings 4:32), at least four times the number found in scripture

b.        He set in order many proverbs (Ecclesiastes 12:9)

2.   Agur wrote chapter 30

3.   Lemuel wrote chapter 31 

           D.       Divisions 

1.   Chapters 1-9 present themes of wisdom

2.   Chapters 10-31 give individual proverbs 

           E.        Proverbs 

1.   Word history

a.         pro = moving ahead of

b.        verb = word

c.         that is, having meaning that goes ahead of the written word; going beyond the surface or being more than meets the eye (Proverbs 1:6)

2.   Characteristics of biblical proverbs

a.         A proverb is usually short (see Proverbs 10)

b.        A proverb has hidden meaning (John 16:25, 29)

c.         A proverb needs to be interpreted (Proverbs 1:6)

d.        A proverb is meant to be memorized and repeated (Ezekiel 12:22)

e.         The proverbs of men may be true or false (2Peter 2:22)

f.          Proverbs may be used to taunt or condemn (Isaiah 14:4; Habakkuk 2:6)

g.         Proverbs may be used to teach wisdom (Proverbs 1:1-4)

3.   Structure of biblical proverbs

a.         They start with a short but strong statement

b.        They are connected to a parallel statement or statements

(1)      Some restate the previous statement

(2)      Some contrast the previous statement

(3)      Some build on the previous statement

c.         They are designed to have levels of truth that go beyond the obvious

d.        They are to be prayerfully considered and studied

       I.                    THE PROVISION FOR WISDOM (1:1-6) 

       A.     The Author of Proverbs (1:1) 

       B.     The Benefits of Proverbs (1:2-6) 

       1.      To know wisdom and instruction (v.2)

       2.      To perceive the words of understanding (v.2)

       3.      To receive the instruction (v.3)

       a.      Of wisdom

       b.      Of justice

       c.      Of judgment

       d.      Of discretion

       4.      To give subtlety to the simple (v.4)

       5.      To give knowledge and discretion to the young man (v.4)

       6.      To increase the learning of the wise (v.5)

       7.      To attain unto wise counsels (v.5)

       8.      To understand a proverb and its interpretation (v.6)

       9.      To understand the words of the wise and their dark sayings (v.6) 

       II.                 THE PRESENTATION OF WISDOM (1:7-9) 

       A.     The Fear of the Lord (1:7) 

       1.      The beginning of knowledge (Job 28:28; Psalm 111:10; 112:1; Proverbs 9:10)

       2.      Rejected by fools  

       B.     The Instruction of a Son (1:8-9) 

       1.      Proverbs is written as the instruction of a father to his son. Solomon is trying to instill the wisdom in his son that he will need to be a king. The phrase “my son” is found 23 times in the book of Proverbs (see 1:8, 10, 15; 2:1; 3:1, 11, 21).

       2.      From the parents (v.8)

       a.      The instruction of thy father

       b.      The law of thy mother

       3.      As an ornament of grace (Proverbs 3:22; 4:9; see 1Peter 3:3-4) 

       III.               THE PITFALL OF THE WICKED (1:10-19) 

       A.     The Enticement of Sinners (1:10-14) 

       1.      The enticement of companionship (v.10)

       2.      The enticement of power (v.11-12)

       3.      The enticement of prosperity (v.13)

       4.      The enticement of security (v.14)

       a.      One lot

       b.      One purse 

       B.     The Path to Destruction (1:15-19) 

       1.      The path of sin (v.15)

       a.      A path with companions

       b.      A path to avoid

       2.      The consequences of sin (v.16)

       a.      To evil

       b.      To the shedding of blood

       3.      The trap of sin (v.17-18)

       a.      A hidden trap (v.17); like a net spread for a bird, it is hidden and not placed in the open

       b.      A deadly trap (v.18); it captures those who set it

       4.      The cause of sin (v.19); caused by greed for gain (1Timothy 6:5, 10) 

       IV.              THE PLEADING OF WISDOM (1:20-23) 

       A.     The Voice of Wisdom (1:20-21) 

       1.      Without (v.20)

       2.      In the streets (v.20)

       3.      In the chief place of concourse (v.21)

       4.      In the openings of the gates (v.21)

       5.      In the city (v.22)

       6.      NOTE: Wisdom is not lacking because it is unavailable. It is lacking because it is ignored by those who hear it. 

       B.     The Message of Wisdom (1:22-23) 

       1.      Turn from your ways (v.22)

       a.      Your simplicity

       b.      Your scornfulness

       c.      Your foolishness

       2.      Turn at wisdom’s reproof (v.23)

       a.      I will pour out my spirit unto you

       b.      I will make my words known to you

       c.      NOTE: You can see why wisdom is identified with Jesus Christ in the book of Proverbs 

       V.                 THE PUNISHMENT OF THE WICKED (1:24-33) 

       A.     The Rejection of God’s Wisdom (1:24-25) 

       1.      They refused the call of wisdom (v.24)

       2.      They ignored the hand of wisdom (v.24)

       3.      They discounted the counsel of wisdom (v.25)

       4.      They rejected the reproof of wisdom (v.25) 

       B.     The Response of God’s Wisdom (1:26-28) 

       1.      He will laugh at their calamity (v.26)

       2.      He will mock their fear (v.26-27)

       3.      He will ignore their calls for help (v.28)

       4.      He will hide Himself from their searching (v.28) 

       C.     The Reasons of God’s Wisdom (1:29-33) 

       1.      They rejected the way offered to them (v.29-30)

       a.      The knowledge of God (v.29)

       b.      The fear of the Lord (v.29)

       c.      The counsel of the Lord (v.30)

       d.      The reproof of the Lord (v.30)

       2.      They received the fruit of their works (v.31-33)

       a.      They will be filled with their own devices (v.31)

       b.      They will be destroyed by their own prosperity (v.32)

       c.      They ignored the example of the godly (v.33)

       (1)   Who hearken unto the Lord