Growing in Wisdom

Introduction

So, first of all, I want to welcome everybody. Thank you for coming. welcome all our visitors, and I want to let you know that you can relax. I’m not going to ask you to stand up or recite anything back to me. there won’t be any cones on the stage or other c other visual aids other than PowerPoint. And if you weren’t here last Sunday night, you have no idea what I’m talking about. but you missed a great sermon. So if you weren’t here, I would recommend you go to our Facebook page or our website and listen to Tony’s sermon last Sunday night. It was excellent. as you all are aware, our daily Bible reading this year is from the book of Proverbs.

And we hope that you’re all keeping up with the reading. if you are, what are you getting out of it? I mean, are you just doing are you just doing the reading in the three or four minutes a day it takes to read it, or are you trying to learn something from it and grow from it? I mean, isn’t that the point of all Bible study? We don’t just read the Bible to read, we read it to grow and apply and change and so to that end I thought it might be helpful to understand more about the book of Proverbs so that for the remainder of the year it’ll be more meaningful and help us all to grow in wisdom, which is one of the things we just sang about.

So as I was putting this together, it kind of morphed into a lesson which included a plan for each of us to grow in wisdom. But once I did that, it started becoming an hour or more sermon, so I didn’t figure that was probably a good idea. So I split it into two parts. on June twenty-third, Tony is gonna be gone the next time, so I’m gonna deliver part two, which is a plan for helping each one of us grow in wisdom on June twenty-third. So I’m kind of following Paul’s outline for some of his epistles where he did the practical part first and then the application part second. So today’s the practical part, then the application part will follow, Lord willing, on June twenty-third.

So there’s there’s two reasons really that we chose the book of Proverbs for the daily Bible reading this year. One is that we wanted a reading that everyone could participate in. You’ve heard that more than once, right? so everyone has ten or fifteen minutes a day to read their Bible, and if you don’t, you need to reprioritize your time. and this doesn’t even take ten or fifteen minutes to read through it, but and then two, if you just read the verses and you’re done with it, and don’t spend at least a few minutes pondering what you’ve read or even rereading it, you won’t get as much out of it as you can. You need to understand what it is you’re reading and what it is it’s trying to teach you, and you can do that better if it’s in smaller chunks, right?

1. Wisdom Literature: Job, Ecclesiastes and Proverbs

So you may be thinking, well, why didn’t we preach this lesson in January when we started the daily Bible reading program? Well, I just thought of it a few weeks ago, and the guy we preached to up here, the guy we pay to preach up here apparently didn’t think of it. I’m joking, Tony, I’m joking. so here it is. You can still get something out of for the rest of the year, right? So Proverbs along with Job and Ecclesiastes is considered wisdom literature. Some people would include Psalms in that, some people would include Isaiah or Song of Solomon, but strictly speaking, it’s Job, Ecclesiastes, and Proverbs.

And so wisdom literature teaches us that man must be concerned with the common everyday relationships between man and God, man and man, and man and his environment.

So let’s just take a brief look at the each of these three books before we dive a little bit into Proverbs. So in the book of Proverbs, we’re given access to a perspective similar to that of a brilliant teacher, offering her insights on a wide range of subjects, from relationships to wealth to spirituality. So Proverbs shows us there is an aspect of God, his wisdom that can guide us through our lives. And Proverbs personifies wisdom as lady wisdom and attempts to show us that anyone can access this wisdom and make an incredible life for themselves out of the gifts that wisdom freely offers as long as we realize the source of that wisdom which is God. In Ecclesiastes, on the other hand, three different relatively disturbing themes are explored.

One is that is the march of time. The idea that time progresses forward and eventually we are all forgotten. Number two, we will all die. Doesn’t matter how moral we are, all human beings are destined to die. And number three, life has a random nature to it. Sometimes bad things happen to good moral people, and sometimes the people that are living life as other than God has portrayed it, evil people are rewarded in this life. So all of these dark themes are really meant to portray a much brighter message, which is be content with the blessings God has given you and put your trust in God. God is the one who has control over death and time and so we need to put our trust in him.

So it’s not meant to make us lose hope, but rather to help us show that if we put our trust in God, that’s where life will be the most meaningful. So, nevertheless, these themes in Ecclesiastes could cause someone to wonder, is God Himself wise and just? And the book of Job answers that question. We see Job and his friends wrestling with this question. Why would a God who is wise and just allow horrible things to happen to an innocent man? It’s a question that God himself answers, though maybe in not the direct way that Job was expecting. Instead, God takes Job on a virtual tour of the universe, showing him, giving him a tiny window in all the complexity of which God is in control of.

And even though Job’s or God’s answer is satisfactory, and even though Job is humbled by it, God still chooses to restore his fortunes to him. So our problems are still important to God. And together, all three of these books show us the meaning of life and what it means to trust God. There’s another way to look at these three books of wisdom literature, another way to differentiate them.

2. Hebrew Poetry and Parallelism

So skeptical would be Job and Ecclesiastes, which deals with the question why are things so bad when I have been so good and have lived according to the proverbs of the righteous men. On the other hand, the book of Proverbs is more practical. Proverbs deals with common sense, the common observations of day-to-day life, how to cope with life, its problems and events. Much of the wisdom literature is written in Hebrew poetry. So it’s important to understand one of the primary characteristics of Hebrew poetry, which is parallelism. Parallelism is defined as two or more lines of Hebrew poetry that are in some way related to one another. So there’s two parts really of parallelism internal and external. internal parallelism has to do with the smallest block of words, usually two lines, whereas external usually deals with four or more lines.

And there are six types of internal parallelism, but we’re just for the sake of time, we’re gonna look at three of them. one of them is synonymous. So synonymous parallelism is defined as two lines which say the same thing but in different words. So here’s one example Psalms 24 and verse 1. The earth is the Lord’s and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein. The earth and the world are synonymous, all its fullness, and those who dwell within are synonymous, referring to the people.

And so another example is from our reading for this coming week. A man has joy in an apt answer, and how delightful is a timely word. So joy and delightful being synonymous, an apt answer and a timely word being synonymous. So they’re teaching, they’re teaching the same thing, just wording it differently. That’s those are examples of synonymous parallelism. On the other hand, antithetic parallelism is defined as the second line teaches the same truth as the first by making a contrast. So we had several of those in our reading for this past week. Proverbs 15, verse 1 a soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. Each line teaches the same thing, which is we need to be careful how we answer when we’re talking with other people.

But it teaches it in opposite, you know, or contrasting methods. Also in verse 5 of Proverbs 15. A fool rejects his father’s wisdom, but he who regards reproof is sensible. Again, teaching the same thing how important it is to listen to our father’s wisdom, but making a contrast between the two. Another example of anathetic parallelism. And then lastly, from Proverbs 15, the way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but he loves one who pursues righteousness. Teaching again the same thing, making a contrast. And then the third one I wanted to show is inverted parallelism, where it normally consists of four lines in an A B A format. So lines one and four are teach the same thing, and lines two and three teach the same thing.

So in this case it’s two lines, but from Isaiah, Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not harass Ephraim. So Ephraim and Judah are inverted in subsequent lines. And then from Proverbs 23, my son, if your heart is wise, my heart will rejoice. Indeed, I myself. Yes, my inmost being will rejoice when your lips speak right things. So lines one and four are teaching the same thing, and lines two and three are also synonymous with each other. Again, just some examples to hopefully, as you’re doing your reading, help you take a little bit of time to look at what it is you’re reading and try to understand what it’s trying to teach you and how it’s trying to teach you. Another type of Hebrew sentence arrangement is the acrostic.

Acrostic is a comparison where succeeding lines start with the next letter in the Hebrew alphabet. So the Hebrew alphabet has 22 consonants, and there are a couple of examples. Proverbs, the 31st chapter, verses 10 through 21. That’s 22 lines. Each line starting with the Hebrew letter Aleph is their letter A. Bet is letter B, is and so each subsequent line has a begins with the next letter in the Hebrew alphabet, the next consonant. And then, as we know, Psalms 119 has 176 verses. So each set of eight verses begins with a succeeding letter in the Hebrew alphabet. 8 times 22 being 176. And so really I know that’s probably maybe a lot to take in as you’re as you’re trying to read, but hopefully you can remember a few of these things, and as you’re reading, doing your daily reading, hopefully it’ll it’ll make some more sense to you and help you understand what it is you’re reading.

3. Metaphorical and Didactical Proverbs

So let’s take a little bit closer look at the book itself. the book of Proverbs takes its name from the opening verse in the book, Proverbs 1, verse 1. The Proverbs of Solomon, son of David, King of Israel. There are actually two other authors, but the majority of it, vast majority, is written by Solomon. many of the early Christians referred to this book as Sophia. So Sophia, you probably didn’t know that you were another name for wisdom. Maybe you did. the title, the word Hebrew Proverbs comes from the Hebrew Mashal, meaning to be like, a comparison, noting things, noting likeness and things unlike. A mashal is the most common type of proverb, being a brief saying of keen discernment, making a point on practical experience.

So again, there’s five types of proverbs. I’m not going to go into each one of these because I don’t want to put you to sleep any more than maybe you already are. but I’m gonna look at metaphorical and didactical because they’re used a lot. So a metaphorical proverb is a figure of speech, or metaphor is a figure of speech in which a name, an action, or a descriptive term, characteristic of one object in nature or life is applied to another object to suggest a likeness between them. Tony’s talked a lot about metaphors. I’m sure we’re most of us are familiar with what metaphors are. I don’t know how much you pay attention to how much, how prevalent they are in the book of Proverbs or not.

But one example, this is not Proverbs, but one example in Hosea, and it will be like people like priests. So I will punish them for their ways. So Hosea is saying that priests and people will stand alike in the judgment of God. Another one comes from Ezekiel. Behold, everyone who quotes Proverbs will quote this proverb concerning you, saying, like mother, like daughter. The Jews had become so much like the Canaanites that Ezekiel was saying that they were going to experience the same. He had adopted they had adopted their ways so much it was like they were their own the daughters and sons of the Canaanites. another example from Proverbs: a foolish son is the ruin of his father, and the contentions of a wife are a continual dripping.

We know how annoying a dripping faucet is. He’s saying that contentions of a wife are similar to that. Proverbs 27, 15, a little different metaphor on a continual dripping, a continual dripping on a very rainy day and a contentious woman are alike. Whoever restrains her restrains the wind and grasps oil with his hand. A metaphor on how difficult it is to restrain or impossible to restrain the wind or grasp onto oil. Similar to how is to deal with a contentious woman. And then some metaphors, metaphorical proverbs from nature. Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any ver any bird from the first chapter in verse 17. So the warning to birds is you know, in spite of the net being clear and visible, they’re still going to fly into it.

The lesson being that you know the great net of God’s judgment is spread out, open to the eyes of all, yet the wicked still rush into it. Other examples from nature in chapter 17, let a man meet a bear robbed of her cubs rather than a fool in his folly. So if you take a few minutes to think about that as you’re reading it, you’ll understand most people understand that if you take the cubs away from a mother bear, you’re in for deep trouble. And but you’re even more in trouble if you listen to a fool and his folly, right? And so and then the other one I wanted to look at was a didactical proverb. So these are proverbs dealing with all phases of human life and behavior as well as man’s relation to God.

The first nine chapters of the book are filled with didactical proverbs. Some examples. Here, my son, your father’s instruction, and do not forsake your mother’s teaching. It’s a common everyday bit of wisdom for us to follow. In verse 3, do not let kindness and truth leave you. Bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Again, talking about a common characteristic that we shall all have of kindness and truth. And then in chapter four, watch over your heart with diligence, for from it flow the springs of life. Again, talking about the importance of watching our hearts. And so again, the first nine chapters are full of this. So a little bit more about the objective of Proverbs. It’s really to cultivate personal morality and practical wisdom, to regulate life and all its conditions in order to achieve the good life.

4. Universalism and the Wise, the Simple and the Foolish

Proverbs is partly moral and partly intellectual. It seeks to instruct the young in the way of wisdom to edify those who have already made progress and to discipline all to receive the highest, assimilate the highest teachings. In other words, Proverbs is concerned with the practical religion necessary to conduct our life. It teaches duty to God, to oneself and to neighbors, as well as domestic duties and civil and political responsibilities. Okay, so some of the characteristics and teachings of Proverbs. Number one is universalism. That’s concerned with man in general. You won’t see the nation of Israel or the word Israel mentioned anywhere in the book of Proverbs. This is written to mankind in general. So the behavior standards that are set forth reflect the laws of God, the laws of our Creator, and are meant to be standards for every culture.

So attentions to matters of everyday life are of little consequence if you do not fear God, as it says in Proverbs 1, verse 7. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. Fools despise wisdom and literature. So Proverbs really talks to three different classes of people the wise, the simple, and the foolish. The wise are individuals whose lifestyles are characterized by high ethical qualities and attitudes of fear or reverence towards God. So this is a Proverbs from the tenth chapter directed to the wise. A wise man makes a father glad, but a foolish son is a grief to his mother. Ill-gotten gains do not profit, but righteousness delivers from death. The Lord will not allow the righteous to hunger, but he will reject the craving of the wicked.

The simple, on the other hand, are individuals who are misled by their simple-minded simple-mindedness or foolishness. So this is a Proverbs to the simple. Whoever is naive, let him turn in here. To him who lacks understanding, she says, and he goes on in subsequent verses to talk about the simple. However, there is hope for the simple. Proverbs teaches that they can be reclaimed through discipline. Just two examples of that. Proverbs 19 strike a scoffer and the naive may become shrewd, but reprove one who has understanding and he will gain knowledge. So the simple can be reclaimed. Proverbs 21, that when the scoffer is punished, the naive become wise, and when the wise is instructed, he receives knowledge. So contrast that with the fool. The fool is the man who, whether from weakness of character or from stubbornness, lacks the perception necessary to guide him in the paths of what righteousness.

5. The Practicality and Strict View of Retribution

He is one who hates knowledge. O law, how long, O naive ones, will you love being simple-minded? And scoffers delight themselves in scoffing, and fools hate knowledge. He’s one who delights not in understanding, but only in revealing his own mind. And he is one who delights in mischief. Doing wickedness is like a sport to a fool, and so is wisdom to a man of understanding. So a fool or wicked person has no desire to do right in the sight of God. He is distinguished from the simple by the fact that he’s self-sufficient in spiritual and intellectual matters. He depends entirely upon himself, has no need for God. And then, secondly, or thirdly, the practicality of Proverbs is not really spiritual centered. Its main concern is how to become wise and not become foolish.

To be wise, you have to develop. So here’s a this is a Proverbs Tony taught on just a few weeks ago. Proverbs 14, verse 4. Where no oxen are the trough is clean, but much increase comes by the strength of an ox. A faithful witness does not lie, but a false witness will utter lies. A scoffer seeks wisdom and does not find it, but knowledge is easy to him who understands. Go from the presence of a foolish man when you do not perceive in him the lips of knowledge. The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way, but the folly of fools is deceit. So to be wise, you have to develop positive attitudes such as patience, generosity, modesty, trustworthiness, benevolence to the poor, and avoid pitfalls such as laziness, drunkenness, and loose women.

Proverbs teaches lessons in applied religion that are taken from the world of human affairs as well as the world of nature. And then the last characteristic of Proverb, I want to point out is the strict view of retribution. The principle that men are rewarded in this life according to their words pervades the entire book of Proverbs. Health, wealth, and honor, and long life are seen as visible evidence of divine approval. Evidence in Proverbs 22. The reward of humility and the fear of the Lord are riches, honor, and life. Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse. He who guards himself will be far from them. The good man receives the rewards of happiness, prosperity, and long life. Here on earth, the wicked man is punished by a premature or violent death.

Conclusion

The wise and the foolish, their different aims and situations in life are contrasted with great frequency throughout the book. Okay, so hopefully that’ll help you understand a little bit. I know that was probably a little bit dry, a little bit academic, but the point again was just really a practical lesson and trying to be a little bit more careful as we read the book, take a little bit more time, try to learn what something from what you’re reading, and not just do the reading to say you’ve done it and be done. So hopefully it’s been helpful in that regard. But let me ask you a question. As we conclude, do you pray for wisdom? We all should. Every one of us should be praying for wisdom.

Why? Well, Proverbs says, wisdom is more precious than rubies. Nothing you desire can compare with her. Why? Proverbs says, don’t turn your back on wisdom, for she will protect you. Love her and she will guard you. Why? Because Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people. When it comes to wisdom, no one arrives. There is always more wisdom, more to learn. We have to remain teachable and open to learn new things, and we will be wise. Jesus was not beyond growing in wisdom. If Jesus grew in wisdom, surely we too should want to. So in part two, we’ll look at a practical plan or put together a plan for how we go about growing in wisdom. So again, hopefully this has been helpful as you continue reading the rest of the year.

If you haven’t started doing the reading yet, you can pick up tomorrow and start reading in Proverbs, the 15th chapter, and go on from there. I’d encourage you to do that. It’s never too late to start. Thank you for your attention. If you are, if you’ve been studying the Bible and you know what it you need to do to be saved, and you just haven’t taken that step yet, we can help you with that this morning. We’ve got the baptismal ready. We’ve got people here willing and excited to help receive you into the arms of Jesus and give your life to him and start serving Jesus, and we can help you with that. All you need to do is come to the front and make that known as we stand and sing.