Sunday
Morning Bible Study
October
1, 2017
Introduction
Do people see Jesus? Is the gospel
preached? Does it address the person who is: Empty, lonely, guilty, or afraid
to die? Does it speak to the broken
hearted? Does it build up the church? Milk – Meat – Manna Preach for a decision
Is the church loved? Regular: 2900
words Communion: 2500 words Video=75wpm
The book of Proverbs is all about wisdom.
Wisdom is not about knowing facts.
Wisdom is about knowing what to do with what you know.
Wisdom is knowing when to do it.
Wisdom is knowing how to do it.
Solomon has tried to help us understand this concept of wisdom by “giving
it a face” so to speak.
He has described wisdom as if it were a person, a woman.
Wisdom isn’t actually a person, but it is an attribute of God.
The first nine chapters of Proverbs
are small “mini-lectures” that Solomon gives to his son.
Proverbs 8 – Lady Wisdom
:1 Does not wisdom cry out, And understanding lift up her voice?
:1 Does not wisdom cry out
The last chapter was all about the “immoral woman” grabbing the young fool off
the street and leading him astray.
Solomon reminds us that there is another “woman” out there in the streets –
wisdom.
In the last chapter, there was the
“immoral woman”.
The stupid naïve young man was
attracted to her and made sure he went down her street.
She returned the favor by grabbing
the young man and giving him lots of reasons for him to join her in her
immorality.
The immoral woman was not just a
lesson in sexual temptation, it was a lesson in how “folly” or “stupidity”
attracts those who aren’t paying attention to their life.
We’ll see this contrast even
clearer next week (Prov. 9).
While the immoral woman had her
appeal, wisdom also has her appeal.
:2 She takes her stand on the top of the high hill, Beside the way, where
the paths meet.
:2 on the top of the high hill
While the foolishness of immorality
is sneaking around the streets, Lady Wisdom is not hiding, but out where
everyone has a chance to see her.
:2 where the paths meet
Paths meet at the crossroads, the places where you need to make a choice in
life.
Wisdom will be at any crossroads – will you take the wise path or choose
the foolish path?
Lesson
Choices
All throughout your life you will be faced with choices.
Some choices are not that important – like choice you made in what to wear
to church today.
Some choices are a little more important.
The career you will choose.
The person you’re going to marry.
How you will raise your kids.
It’s important to remember that at all these crossroads in life, Wisdom is
there calling out to you to make the wise choice.
Illustration
In the movie Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Indiana and his father are
on the trail for the supposed lost “Holy Grail”, a magical cup that gives
eternal life. At the end of the movie
they meet a 700 year old knight who guards a collection of cups, and only one
of the real grail. The knight warns that
if you drink from the wrong cup you will die, but if you drink from the right
cup you will live. A few weeks ago we
saw the bad guy in the movie drink from the wrong cup and died. Now it’s Indiana’s turn.
Video: Indiana Jones - the Last Crusade – Indiana
Chooses Wisely
The most important choice you will ever make in life is the God you will
serve.
Jesus Himself said,
(John
3:16–18 NKJV) —16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that
whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did
not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world
through Him might be saved. 18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not
believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the
only begotten Son of God.
Eternal life doesn’t come by drinking from some magic cup,
it comes from choosing to believe in Jesus, the Son of God.
Jesus paid for our sins by dying on a cross, and He offers
forgiveness and true eternal life to everyone who will come to Him and put
their trust in Him.
:3 She cries out by the gates, at the entry of the city, At the entrance of
the doors:
:3 by the gates, at the entry of the city
The gates of the city were where the leaders would hang out.
It’s where the courts were held and judgment was handed out.
It’s where important decisions were made, decisions that will hopefully be
made through wisdom.
:4 “To you, O men, I call, And my voice is to the sons of men.
:5 O you simple ones, understand prudence, And you fools, be of an
understanding heart.
:5 O you simple ones, understand prudence
simple – pethiy – naïve,
foolish, a person lacking common sense
Lesson
You can learn
I wonder if sometimes my greatest problem is that I don’t realize how much
common sense I lack.
I know I’ve started a lot of projects around the house only to find that I
don’t know as much as I thought I did.
Illustration
A man decides one day that he is sick and tired of people calling him
stupid, so he decides to show his wife that he is really smart. While his wife
is off at work, he decides that he is going to paint a couple of rooms in the
house. The next day, right after his wife leaves for work, he gets down to the
task at hand. His wife arrives home at 5:30
and smells the distinctive smell of paint. She walks into the living room and
finds her husband lying on the floor in a pool of sweat. She notices that he is
wearing a fur coat and a ski jacket at the same time. She rushes over and says,
“Honey, are you all right?” He slowly nods his head yes. “What are you doing?”
she asks incredulously. “I wanted to prove that I’m not so dumb,” he started,
“and I wanted to do it by painting the house.” “Well why do you have both a ski
jacket and a fur coat on?” she asks dumbfounded. “Well,” he says, “I was
reading the directions on the paint can and it said: For best results, put on
two coats.”
Just because you are a “simple one” doesn’t mean you have to stay a “simple
one”.
You can learn wisdom.
One of the ways we grow in godly wisdom is through your study of God’s
Word.
(Psalm 19:7 NKJV) The law of
the Lord is perfect,
converting the soul; The testimony of the Lord
is sure, making wise the simple
(Psalm 119:130 NKJV) The
entrance of Your words gives light; It gives
understanding to the simple.
God’s Word may not give insight into painting your living
room, but it will help you in the bigger things of life like your career, or
your marriage.
:6 Listen, for I will speak of excellent things, And from the opening of my
lips will come right things;
excellent things – nagiyd
– leader, ruler, captain, prince
right things – meyshar
– evenness, uprightness, straightness, equity
This is wisdom personified speaking.
:7 For my mouth will speak truth; Wickedness is an abomination to my
lips.
truth – ‘emeth
– firmness, faithfulness, truth; sureness, reliability
:8 All the words of my mouth are with righteousness; Nothing crooked
or perverse is in them.
:8 All the words of my mouth are with righteousness
Verses 7 & 8 are saying the
same thing.
Lesson
Wisdom is righteous
Wisdom doesn’t help you make evil choices.
It helps you make choices that are good and wholesome.
(James 3:17 NLT) But the
wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all
times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of
good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere.
If you are asking God for help in a decision and you end up making a choice
that’s “wicked” or “perverse”, you have not been listening to God’s wisdom.
Illustration
I remember years ago that a dear
married male friend was trying to help a young woman in regards to her
marriage. Apparently this woman was
flirting with my friend and expressing that she wanted to be unfaithful to her
husband. My friend said he’d meet her at
a motel. He told me his intention was to
turn the situation around and show her how bad an affair would be. He said he was going to use “Satan’s tactics”
against this woman to show her the truth.
That is not God’s
wisdom.
If you are trying to straighten out your financial problem, the answer is
not going to be in doing something illegal like not paying your taxes.
:9 They are all plain to him who understands, And right to those who
find knowledge.
:9 plain to him who understands
Wise answers are obvious to the
person who is looking for wisdom.
:10 Receive my instruction, and not silver, And knowledge rather than
choice gold;
:11 For wisdom is better than rubies, And all the things one may
desire cannot be compared with her.
:11 wisdom is better than rubies
The original “Let’s Make A Deal” host, Monty Hall, died yesterday at the
age of 96. So, in tribute to Old Monty,
Let’s Make a Deal…
Lesson
Wisdom or Wealth?
There are two choices before you.
Door #1 is marked “Cash”.
Door #2 is marked “Wisdom”.
Just like the gameshow, you don’t know what’s actually behind each door.
Aside from the fact that you’re wearing a weird costume in front of
millions of people, how hard is this decision for you?
You don’t know how much money is behind door #1.
You don’t know what piece of wisdom is behind door #2. And
I won’t promise you it’s “Fiji” (video).
The choices you make in life are a lot bigger than a game show.
The choice you make sets a trajectory in your life.
Is money your trajectory, or God’s wisdom?
And to make things more complicated, in case you want to choose “both”, you
can’t. Jesus said,
(Matthew
6:24 NLT) “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the
other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God
and be enslaved to money.
:12 “I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, And find out knowledge and
discretion.
wisdom – chokmah
– wisdom
prudence – ‘ormah
– shrewdness, craftiness, prudence
It’s the sense of discretion in
practical affairs
knowledge – da’ath
– knowledge
It’s the sense of the result of
perception and learning and reasoning.
discretion – mezimmah
– purpose, discretion, device, plot
It’s the sense of judging wisely
and objectively
:13 The fear of the Lord is
to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverse mouth I
hate.
arrogance – ga’own
– exaltation, majesty, pride
The sense here is of unreasonable
and inordinate self-esteem
perverse – tahpukah
– perversity, perverse thing
The sense here is the
characteristic of deliberately deviating from what is good.
:13 The fear of the Lord is
to hate evil
hate – sane’
– to hate, be hateful
Earlier, Solomon told his son,
(Proverbs 1:7 NKJV)
The
fear of the Lord is the
beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Having a healthy respect for God is the first step in growing in wisdom.
Now Solomon elaborates that having a healthy respect for God will result in
“hating evil”.
Specifically, Solomon is talking about having a hatred for:
The attitudes of pride and arrogance.
The choice of walking an evil path.
Words that are false and misleading.
If you have a healthy respect for God, you won’t do these things.
:13 the perverse mouth I hate
These are things that God hates
too, but don’t forget that it’s “Wisdom” that’s speaking here.
It’s not “wise” to have attitudes
like pride, arrogance, and a perverse mouth.
It’s not just God that you’re
offending, but you’re actually shooting yourself in the foot.
:14 Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom; I am understanding, I
have strength.
Counsel – ‘etsah
– counsel, advice, purpose
The sense here is of something that
provides direction or advice as to a decision or course of action.
sound wisdom – tuwshiyah
– wisdom, sound knowledge, success, sound or efficient wisdom, abiding
success; sound or efficient wisdom
The sense here is of a particular
kind of wisdom that has an emphasis on soundness or efficiency.
strength – gebuwrah
– strength, might; being physically or mentally strong
understanding – biynah
– understanding, discernment; the condition of someone who understands
:15 By me kings reign, And rulers decree justice.
:16 By me princes rule, and nobles, All the judges of the earth.
:15 By me kings reign
I don’t think Solomon means that all rulers have “wisdom”.
I think he means that when they do their job well, they are taking
advantage of this attribute of God, wisdom.
:17 I love those who love me, And those who seek me diligently will find
me.
love – ‘ahab
– to love
:17 I love those who love me
If you make a point of cherishing
this thing called wisdom, you will find that you will do well by it.
:18 Riches and honor are with me, Enduring riches and righteousness.
Riches – ‘osher
– wealth, riches
honor – kabowd
– glory, honor, glorious, abundance; the state of being highly respected or
revered
Enduring – ‘atheq
– handed forward, advanced, enduring; long lasting or unceasing
riches – hown
– wealth, riches, substance
righteousness – tsedaqah
– justice, righteousness
:19 My fruit is better than gold, yes, than fine gold, And my
revenue than choice silver.
revenue – tebuw’ah
– produce, product, revenue
choice – bachar
– to choose, elect, decide for
:20 I traverse the way of righteousness, In the midst of the paths of
justice,
:21 That I may cause those who love me to inherit wealth, That I may fill
their treasuries.
:19 My fruit is better than gold
While it’s a mistake to make it your life’s goal to be wealthy (Prov.
9:11), you will find that if you choose the path of wisdom, you will find your
financial needs met.
Jesus put it another way,
(Matthew 6:33 NKJV) But seek
first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be
added to you.
So, are you interested in riches
and honor? Do I have your attention?
Make godly wisdom your true
priority and God will take care of the rest.
:22 “The Lord possessed me at
the beginning of His way, Before His works of old.
:22 The Lord possessed me
at the beginning of His way
God has always had wisdom.
God did not have to “learn” wisdom like we do.
He has never lacked wisdom.
Everything God does is guided by
this moral law of “wisdom”
:23 I have been established from everlasting, From the beginning, before
there was ever an earth.
:23 before there was ever an
earth
Before God ever set a single aspect
of His creation into motion, He was “wise”.
Everything God has made has been
done with “wisdom”.
:24 When there were no depths I was brought forth, When there
were no fountains abounding with water.
:25 Before the mountains were settled, Before the hills, I was brought
forth;
:25 Before the mountains were settled
settled – taba’
– to sink, settle down, be planted
This is an interesting way to talk about the formation of mountains.
Some think the formation of our modern mountains may have taken place
during the flood of Noah.
In that movie Dr. Del Tackett interviewed multiple PhDs in various fields
to address the possibility that the account of creation and the flood of Noah
were in fact historical events.
He interviewed Steve
Austin PhD, a geologist who has spent the last forty years studying the
geology of the Grand Canyon. Back in the
1980s, Dr. Austin was studying the area in Washington state devastated by the
catastrophic eruption of Mount St. Helens.
He noticed how similar the area looked to the geology of the Grand
Canyon.
In the clip, Dr. Tackett is asking Dr. Austin how the layers at the Grand
Canyon came into being.
The eruption at Mt. St. Helens in 1980 produced a canyon similar to the
Grand Canyon, except on a smaller scale.
It only took a few days to do so.
I know that this simple video clip isn’t going to change the minds of you
more scientifically minded who have grown accustomed to thinking that the Grand
Canyon took millions of years to form – but I hope I make you uncomfortable
enough to consider buying and watching the entire movie several times to examine
how this group of scientists have assembled the actual data.
:26 While as yet He had not made the earth or the fields, Or the primal
dust of the world.
:27 When He prepared the heavens, I was there, When He drew a circle
on the face of the deep,
:27 I was there
This is Solomon’s personified “wisdom” (chockmah)
speaking. She was involved at creation.
Though we might be tempted to say
that this is Jesus speaking, this is not.
Wisdom is not an actual person, but
an attribute of God, and God has always been “wise”, long before He created the
universe.
:27 When He drew a circle on the
face of the deep
(Proverbs 8:27 NLT) I was
there when he established the heavens, when he drew the horizon on the oceans.
:28 When He established the clouds above, When He strengthened the
fountains of the deep,
:29 When He assigned to the sea its limit, So that the waters would not
transgress His command, When He marked out the foundations of the earth,
:30 Then I was beside Him as a master craftsman; And I was daily His
delight, Rejoicing always before Him,
master craftsman – ‘amown
– artificer, architect, master workman, skilled workman
:31 Rejoicing in His inhabited world, And my delight was with the
sons of men.
:28 He established the clouds above
Lesson
Intelligent Design
This entire passage is speaking about how God used wisdom in His creation
of this world.
We call this “Intelligent Design”.
Some scientists are beginning to pay attention to the
complexity of this world around us, and see it as evidence that it is all far too
complex to have happened randomly.
In the bonus material on the “Is
Genesis History” DVD, Dr. Tackett interviews Stuart Burgess, PhD, a
professor of Engineering Design at the University of Bristol (UK).
What’s important to know is that the Creator has not remained in the shadows
for us to guess who He is or what He’s like.
The eternal God has entered into our time/space continuum to reveal Himself
in two ways:
(Hebrews 1:1–2 NLT)
—1 Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors
through the prophets.
God revealed Himself through the prophets, through His
Word.
The Bible is a supernatural book. It has accurately predicted the future
through hundreds of specific prophecies.
2 And now in
these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything
to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he created the universe.
God revealed Himself in the clearest way when the Son of
God took on human flesh and lived on this earth.
:32 “Now therefore, listen to me, my children, For blessed are
those who keep my ways.
:33 Hear instruction and be wise, And do not disdain it.
:34 Blessed is the man who listens to me, Watching daily at my gates,
Waiting at the posts of my doors.
:35 For whoever finds me finds life, And obtains favor from the Lord;
:36 But he who sins against me wrongs his own soul; All those who hate me
love death.”
:35 whoever finds me finds life
This is “Wisdom” speaking.
Lesson
The Smart Choice
The world has worked hard to conceal the evidence that the universe is a
creation of an intelligent Mind.
I grew up as a nerd. In high school,
I was one of those guys who took all the AP classes, including the highest math
and science classes.
I took the classes taught by the smartest atheist teachers Troy High School
had to offer.
I know how intimidating it is to be told that only stupid people believe in
a Creator.
When we reject the notion of a Creator, we lose touch with true wisdom.
(Romans 1:20–22
NLT) —20 For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth
and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible
qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not
knowing God.
If we really want to be honest with ourselves and with the
evidence of Intelligent Design all around us, we’d realize that there is indeed
a God.
21 Yes, they
knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And
they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their
minds became dark and confused.
When man comes up with ways to tell himself that there is
no God, he begins to come up with some pretty foolish alternatives.
22 Claiming to
be wise, they instead became utter fools.
Our passage in Proverbs has been talking about “wisdom” in
Creation. When man rejects the clear
evidence about God, he isn’t “wise”, but a “fool”.
At the beginning of our study we talked about the choices we make and the
importance of making the wise choice.
Will you choose Jesus today?