DAY FORTY-FOUR: 

Godly Wisdom 

Proverbs 1:1-4:27 

We looked at Solomon last week. He was young and inexperienced when his father David died. God came to Solomon in a dream and asked what he wanted. Most of us would ask for lots of money or some such thing. Solomon asked instead for wisdom and understanding, so that he could govern God's people rightly. The Lord answered Solomon's prayer and gave him wisdom, along with incredible wealth. He recorded his proverbs and some proverbs from other wise men in this book for us. Let's look, then, at "The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel."

Solomon lays out five goals for his Book of Proverbs:

• To know wisdom and instruction,
• to understand words of insight,
• to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity;
• to give prudence to the simple,
• knowledge and discretion to the youth

Solomon will give both broad principles and wise advice for specific situations. Today we'll look at these principles, and tomorrow we'll see his practical advice.

The most important principle in the whole book, perhaps in the entire Bible, is verse seven of chapter one: "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction." The word fear brings to mind synonyms like dread, terror and anxiety. But the Hebrew word also carries the sense of reverence and respect. To fear the Lord, then, is to honor and obey God. My favorite line from a movie comes from Rudy, where Father Cavanaugh tells Rudy, "Son, in 35 years of religious study, I have only come up with two hard incontrovertible facts: there is a God, and I'm not Him." This is the beginning of wisdom, to know that there is a God, infinitely greater and wiser than we are, and to know that we are not gods. With this attitude we are ready to learn God's wisdom. Fools, on the other hand, reject wisdom and instruction. They go on their merry way, doing what is right in their own eyes and reaping the consequences.

Solomon begins with a warning against following the way of sinners. Just as the serpent enticed Eve and she in turn enticed Adam, so temptation is around us everywhere. If you run around with those who despise God and have no respect for others you will regret it. "but these men lie in wait for their own blood; they set an ambush for their own lives. Such are the ways of everyone who is greedy for unjust gain; it takes away the life of its possessors." (1-18-19). Solomon also spends a lot of time in the early chapters warning against the trap of adultery. "So you will be delivered from the forbidden woman, from the adulteress with her smooth words, who forsakes the companion of her youth and forgets the covenant of her God; for her house sinks down to death,
and her paths to the departed; none who go to her come back, nor do they regain the paths of life." (2:16-19)

Instead, open your ears and listen! "Wisdom cries aloud in the street, in the markets she raises her voice; at the head of the noisy streets she cries out; at the entrance of the city gates she speaks: 'How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge? If you turn at my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make my words known to you." It's as if wisdom is trying to sell itself to a sales-resistant world. God gives His wisdom freely, but not everyone wants to receive it. Wisdom is well worth our efforts to find it: "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." (2:4-5) If you saw gold bars lying on the sidewalk, wouldn't you pick them up? You'd recognize their great value. God's wisdom, worth far more than gold, is lying out in the open, in the pages of our Bibles, there for the taking!

Another very important principle is found in 3:5-8- "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones." God has told us what is good and right in His Word. The Bible is like the instruments in the cockpit of an airplane. One of the first things pilots learn is to trust the instruments instead of their eyes. Your eyes can deceive you, but the instruments will give you true readings. Believe and apply what God tells you. Don't try to make your way through this world without the Lord's guidance! Remember that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, the start of a life well lived.

Solomon addresses "my son" eleven times in these four chapters. Solomon wrote down these words of wisdom for his own sons, and for their sons. Solomon learned wisdom at his father's knee: "When I was a son with my father, tender, the only one in the sight of my mother, he taught me and said to me, "Let your heart hold fast my words; keep my commandments, and live. Get wisdom; get insight; do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth." (4:3-5) It's so important that we teach our children God's wisdom! God intended from the beginning that our faith be passed on from generation to generation. Deuteronomy 6:4-7 says, "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise."

We have many counselors to whom we resort for advice. We have financial advisors to help us with our investments. We have lawyers to advise and help us with matters of the law. In recent years a new type of counselor, the life coach, offers to help with life itself. God Himself is offering to be our counselor. Should we not turn to Him first and foremost. There is a place for other advisors, but none can do us more good than God. His Word helps us to navigate the rapids in the river of life, and guides us when the river forks off. 

My nominee for the best first paragraph of a novel is from Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way - in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only." I think those words describe our times perfectly. There are a lot of wonderful things around us. At the same time hordes of bad things vie for our attention. We need God's wisdom now as never before!

I'd like to leave you with a long audio link. Listen to as much of it as you are able and wish. The great British actor Malcolm McDowell reads the entire Book of Proverbs. Listening to his oral interpretation has helped me to understand some of the proverbs. And if the patterns on the screen distract you, turn the screen down or open another tab or window.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGYFSr5mDko&list=PLHZp_z2RSv20Vvcwxb3JdetBJB67m29fO