Message Theme & Verses: Proverbs
Memory Verse: Proverbs 3:13 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.
Proverbs is a collection of wise sayings from several authors including King Solomon. 1 Kings 5:32 tells us that this wise king spoke 3,000 proverbs and 1,005 songs. These sayings were most likely collected completely by the time of Ezra.
There are two major themes in Proverbs.
Wisdom is the first theme and is living the covenant life in the way God intended in the world He has created and ordered.
The Fear of the Lord is the second theme and means that we recognize God is almighty and commands our birth, lives, and deaths. Because God is also good and faithful, we trust and respect God and we follow His Word to live the good life.
We can call Proverbs a textbook to gain skill in the art of godly living. A proverb typically displays its truth by making a comparison and allowing the reader to work out how it applies to life situations.
The purpose of the poetic Proverbs is to instruct us in Wisdom and how to live. There are two paths laid before the reader, the way of the righteous and the way of the wicked. In the Proverbs, these are shown as people named Wisdom and Folly the Fool. Will you choose to follow the path of Wisdom or Folly? One leads to life and one leads to destruction.
While God’s Law gives specific commands for living and the temple and sacrificial systems that prefigure the work of Jesus Christ allow as holy God to dwell with a sinful people, the Proverbs focus on the behavior and personal character of God’s redeemed people living in a restored creation. They show us the ideal.
We can learn many things from the Proverbs such as; how to speak well to others and not offend, how to conduct ourselves in business, how to not be lazy, how to be good parents, how to be a good and obedient child, how to remain sexually pure, and how to relate well to both God and neighbor.
Sometimes the Proverbs can appear contradictory. For instance, Proverbs 26 says to not answer the fool and then to answer the fool. However, we must remember that these are proverbs and not laws. We are to glean the wisdom and apply the proper proverb to each life situation. It is also wise to remember that Proverbs are not promises, but general truths to guide decisions.
For us today, the Proverbs make use of wise observations about living in God’s world and show God’s grace in restoring all kinds of people in the faithful fulfillment of His covenant promises.
Read Proverbs 3
Jesus in Proverbs
Jesus is the ultimate wise man and the perfect teacher of wisdom. 1 Corinthians 1:24 says that Jesus is “the power of God and the wisdom of God.” Further, Paul says that God chose us and “because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, ‘Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.’” (1:30) In Jesus, says Paul in Colossians 2:3, is “hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” When the Proverbs tell us to follow the path of Wisdom, they are telling us to follow Jesus. The life lived wisely, is the life lived in faith in Jesus. We do not practice wisdom to get close to Christ, we are made wise by uniting with Him in faith, by the grace of God, in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Questions:
What is the wisest saying you have ever heard?
Who taught you how to be wise and make good decisions?
Can you tell us about when you made a bad decision and the consequences?
What does Paul mean when he says that Jesus is the “wisdom of God?” (Paul is telling us that Jesus is the perfect representation of who God is. We can see God by looking at Jesus. Jesus perfectly obeyed, honored, and glorified the Father. Jesus lived the perfect life and always made the wise decision, even if it meant suffering for Him. We can look to Jesus as our example of wisdom. Even better, our faith in Jesus as our Savior grants us new life and a renewed mind. When by grace we are saved, we are indwelled by the Holy Spirit who convicts and guides us, leading us in wisdom.)
Proverbs 3 says that discipline is good and from the Lord, showing His love. How do you feel when you are disciplined?
Do you think wisdom is better than wealth? Why or why not?
How do you think we can best use the Proverbs in teaching ourselves and our children to be wise?
Try to write your own proverb with a partner.
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