THE BOOK OF PROVERBS FOR THE BELIEVER

 

Over the course of many weeks, we will be taking

sometime in the Book of Proverbs.

 

Why? Proverbs is a teaching manual; it might be called “Truth for youth” since it speaks as if a father is addressing his son. This indicates the closeness of the relationship between a teacher and his pupil. Proverbs are pieces of wisdom and it instructs truth for life; you could say, “it’s a training manual.” The word “proverb” typically refers to a short, clever saying that offers wisdom in some way. For example, “The only way out is through.” It’s about acknowledging that tough times are part of life and that trying to avoid or circumvent them usually only leads to more problems. The book of Proverbs is full of wisdom that is so valuable it exposes and emphasis on folly. It exposes… the ways of folly, the consequences of folly and the way to avoid foolish thinking and behaviours. Proverbs, major theme is the acquiring the ways of wisdom and how to confront the failures of foolishness.

 

This book does that by comparing and contrasting

wisdom versus foolishness.

The book of Proverbs is not merely good advice, though surely you won’t find better anywhere else. Fundamentally, it is a book of revealing morality, it contains godly wisdom for God’s people.

 

Its a book in how we learn from God and

conduct His life before men.

For example:  “Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life; he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.” Prov 13:3. This is a person who keeps his mouth shut, keeps it as with a bridle; keeps it from speaking things of other persons in a destructive way. The opposite is the uncontrolled blabbermouth who constantly speaks out verbal garbage, without thinking about what they are saying or who they are saying it too. This person has no care in who they hurt, they rather continue in their foolish and uncontrolled words. Wisdom depends on trusting God and leads to life, but folly starts with distrusting God and leads to death.

 

Proverbs are wisdom and folly.

 

Proverbs accomplish something no other biblical book does: it simply compiles numerous short instructions for living an effective life on earth. While other books articulate profound theological truths, lengthy narratives of triumph and failure, or prophetic preaching to a disobedient people, Proverbs concerns itself completely with instructing people in the path of wisdom. The book of Proverbs has been intended with a short introduction that starts by linking the book to King Solomon, son of David. (v1) 

Remember the story in 1 Kings 3 in which Solomon asked God for wisdom to lead Israel well? “At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, “Ask what I shall give you.” And Solomon said, “You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant David my father, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you. And you have kept for him this great and steadfast love and have given him a son to sit on his throne this day. And now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in. And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, too many to be numbered or counted for multitude. Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?” It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. And God said to him, “Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, behold, I now do according to your word. Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you.” 1 King 3:3-12

God honored his request, and Solomon became known as the wisest man and teacher in the ancient world. Because we would go on to read, “And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding beyond measure, and breadth of mind like the sand on the seashore, so that Solomon's wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the people of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt. 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. He also spoke 3,000 proverbs, and his songs were 1,005. 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. 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.” 1 Kings 4:29-33

 

Solomon, had a genius and capacity to receive anything; his knowledge was vast and comprehensive; it reached to and included things innumerable, as the sand of the sea. John Gill wrote in his commentary, “For he was wiser than all men,.... Not only that lived in his time, but in ages past since the fall of Adam, and in times to come, especially in natural wisdom and knowledge, in all the branches of it; for though some men excel in some part of knowledge, yet not in all, as Solomon did.” This is why the introduction of Proverbs says that by reading this book, you will gain wisdom. For most of us, this word simply means “knowledge,” but the Hebrew word “chokhmah” (sounded out hokmah) means more than just mental activity. It refers primarily to practical knowledge, and it would be better translated with the words “skill” or “applied knowledge.” This is why artists and craftsmen in Israel were said to have (hokmah) “chokhmah”, that is, skill. “and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, to work in every craft.” Exod. 31:3. The purpose of this book is to help you develop a set of practical skills for living well in God’s good world.

 

Read it! Then live it!

Proverbs contains some of the most applicable

gems of truth in all of the Bible.

Most of the Proverbs are concise statements brimming over with imagery from the real world. This approach allows us to see very clearly how any particular proverb might be applied to any number of everyday situations we encounter. Example: From getting out of bed in the morning, to building a strong foundation in our relationships with others. Proverbs remind us that God concerns Himself not just with the big, disastrous events of life but even those mundane, “invisible” moments in our lives as well. So, its fitting we start at the opening Proverb that displays Solomon’s wisdom to the world, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge.” Prov 1:7

This means spiritual discernment begins by being rooted in Scripture. Discernment comes with ability to separate or distinguish between things that differ. The introduction also links with another foundational idea in this book. “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.” Prov 9:10. The word fear is not about terror; rather, it refers to a sense of reverence and awe before God, which makes clear our small place in the universe. The Hebrew writer pens this fear this way, “Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.” Heb 12:28-29. This puts God at the center of our worship and it through the acceptance we have through Jesus, and the gospel. Understand! Without holding to the Gospel, there is no serving him, there is no worship that is acceptable to Him. It’s a moral mindset that recognizes that we are not God, and don’t get to make up what’s right and wrong for ourselves. The fear of the Lord is a posture of humility before God, embracing his definition of good and evil even when it’s difficult or inconvenient. The opposite of this word “fear” for the unbeliever, is the fear of the judgment of God and eternal death, which is eternal separation from God. Jesus said, “But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!” Luke 12:5

 

“fear of the LORD” is the motivating factor for us/believer, to surrender to the Creator of the Universe. Where the unsaved world, continues to rebel and revel in their sin without borders, or concern for their eternal soul. Isaac Watts was known for writing Christian classics such as “When I Survey The Wondrous Cross” and “Joy To The World” to name a few. But! “How Sweet And Awful Is This Place” expresses to us the holiness of God in the title when using the word “Awful”

 

“How sweet and awful is the place

With Christ within the doors,

While everlasting love displays

The choicest of her stores.”

 

It goes on to say in the next stanza "Why was I made to hear Thy voice,

And enter while there's room,

When thousands make a wretched choice,

And rather starve than come?"

 

The word “awful” is interesting.  Some interpret it to be “awesome” in more modern-day language. I personally, prefer to leave it as its written when Isaac Watts wrote it. Why? The word “awesome” is used so superficially that it can be a substitute for “cool” or “neat”. This song where the word “aweful” is used, it means “full of awe”. What does “aweful” mean? Surely Isaac Watts is not saying it’s awful to be with Christ “within the doors”? This expression helps the listener, to understand GOD more fully, for Who God is.

 

A God who is……. Big, Holy, Righteous, Just, Loving, Perfect, Glorious, and Sovereign over everything. And as we see Him in Truth, we will begin to see ourselves through the same Truth, and come to abhor our own sinfulness. The presence of God brings conviction, because it’s the holiness of God that brings us into His presence, through Christ. For example: Awe-fullness provokes us with healthy holy fear; God’s holiness fills us terror. It’s the same expression the author was trying to convey in the hymn song “Where You There When They Crucified My Lord?”

 

“Were you there when they crucified my Lord

Oh were you there when they crucified my Lord

Ooh sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble, tremble, tremble”

 

A similar example riding a roller coaster. You’re afraid of heights, so you get strapped into this tiny car, go about 40mph, climbing 100 plus feet and get dropped down a very steep incline to the next tall, steep incline and continue to do this for about 45 seconds which seems like an eternity.

 

You are excited with adrenaline, but in the same breath you fear for your life. Our attitude towards the holy is close to our attitude towards riding a roller coaster. We tend to get mixed feelings about the holiness of God. It tends to leave us uncomfortable and it should. R C Sproul said this “There is a sense in which we are at the same time attracted to it, and repulsed by it. Something draws us towards it, while at the same time we want to run away from it. We can’t seem to decide which way we want it. Part of us yearns for holy, while part of us despises it. We can’t live with it, and we can’t live without it.”

 

That is comforting and rather unpleasant,

all in the same breath or sentence.

Isaiah penned these words of discomfort when he got a glimpse of Heaven. “…..And one called to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!" And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. And I said: "Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!" Isaiah 6:1-5 

Isaiah knew he was in the presence of holiness and he also knew himself that he was not holy at all. “….And I said: "Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!" Isaiah 6:5

A fear and awe came over him as he describes for us his experience of standing in the throne room of the holy and transcendent God. Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord God Almighty, the whole earth is full of his glory!" Isaiah was in the presence of holiness; and with one breath he treasured this moment, and with another he feared for his life in this moment. Solomon is conveying the same truth here with the opening or introduction to the book of wisdom as we live in this broken world system under His grace. We are to be in “fear of Him” we are to be “In awe of Him”, this means a daily reminder to how we are to live before a holy God who saved us from our rebellion and shame. Until we understand who God is and develop a reverential fear of Him, we cannot have true wisdom. True wisdom comes only from understanding who God is and that He is holy, just, and righteous. Wisdom is more than attaining of knowledge; it carries the idea of skillful use of knowledge in the service of God. 

The wise man is one who competently lives for Him. 

This wisdom, however, does not come easily; it is attained only by disciplined training in righteousness.

 

True wisdom is only fostered through a clearer, and greater understanding of who God is, and who I am before Him.

 

A biblical fear of God, for the believer, includes understanding how much God hates sin and fearing His judgment on sin, even in the life of a believer. “And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” Heb 12:5-11

 

Fear of God is contrasted with a hard, insensitive heart. “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us.” 1 John 1:4:18-19. God doesn’t want us to cower like slaves in the household, where the children should be enjoying sweet peace in their Father’s care. Nehemiah 1:11 says, “O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight to fear your name.” Solomon wants us to know a pure and healthy awe/fear of God is what produces wisdom to live and breath for Him in this fallen world system. The fear of the Lord is a powerful spiritual principle that will set you free from the opinions and thoughts of others. It will cause you to walk in confidence in your relationship with God, and in your ministry to others. It will access the mind of Christ, causing you to make good decisions, the decisions that are unbiased and not influenced by people with a personal agenda.

 

When you fear something, it is the first thing for which you look. The change is powerful, but often unnoticed, because we don’t see what we don’t see. If you fear snakes and you are walking in the woods, you could almost walk into a tree because you are so snake-vigilant. If you are a young boy who fears the rhyme, “Step on a crack and you’ll break your mama’s back,” then you scan every new room for tiles. A dozen people may be knocked down, but mama’s back is safe.

These fears have a strong tendency

to push us into folly.

The problem is often not that our fears are wrong or misguided, but that we view our fears as more real, powerful, and present…. than our God. It is not that our fears completely lie; they just neglect the most important fact in the universe. Which is “We must allow our fears to point us back to God.” Understand! God is often not nearly so rough on us in our fear as we are on ourselves. The prayer that God gives us to pray is, “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.” Psalm 56:3. Also, while fear does reveal a diminished view of God, God is more concerned with the return of His children than He is offended by their departure found in the prodigal son. Luke 15:11-32

The point is, fear is more than an emotion.

Fear changes how we think and what we see.

 

Fear makes some things super-relevant and because of our limited reasoning capacity, forces other things (we’re never sure what) to relative unimportance. It is with this perspective that we can better understand how “the fear of the Lord is the beginning or wisdom.” Proverbs 1:7. When we fear God, we will look for Him in all situations and consider His will. But one thing we need to understand is this knowledge doesn’t give us insight to God’s plan over all of His creation. Example in resent days! Why did God allow more than 100 people to die in a flood in Texas that took over 20 plus of those deaths were small children ages 8-to 11, who perish at a all-girls Christian Camp. Or closer to home! A terrible and horrible act done to an 8-year-old girl around Quadville, who was brutally and sexually assaulted by a 17-year-old boy. That caused some local authority and Fire Department to have PTSD type issues. The only answer I can rest in is how Jesus responds when tragedy is before Him. “There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And he answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”  Luke 13:1-5. Jesus didn’t say the people who died I those tragedies that they were being punished, He kept quiet about the tragedy, because we don’t know the mind of God.

 

Paul wrote, “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!” Rom 11:33. To truly understand and get through tragedy of life we need to rest in the knowledge that we have of God, as we endure the highs and lows of our own life. It starts with understanding that God is “Yahweh” the covenant making the covenant keeping God. Here are some practical ways we can approach this wisdom from Solomon in relations to being in awe of Him.

 

Be submissive to the instructions of the Lord. Psalm 25:12

Find delight in His Commands. Psalm 112:1

Serve the Lord with reverential joy. Psalm 2:11

Seek an undivided heart. “teach me your ways” Psalm 86:11

Hate evil. “The fear of the LORD is hatred of evil.” Prov 8:13

  

Seek/ search out wisdom from above, for it will edify your soul for the kingdom that is come. “My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity, guarding the paths of justice and watching over the way of his saints. Then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity, every good path; for wisdom will come into your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul;” Prov 2:1-10

 

“How do we grow in the fear of the Lord?” The answer begins with, “We must want to.” Isaiah 11:3 says, “And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. Notice that the fear of the Lord is said to be a delight. Make your relationship real/a delight with the Lord, and seek Him the way you suppose to. With awe and worship.