Scripture:
Proverb 1.1-2.22
Translation: Proverbs 1.1The
proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel.
2For knowing wisdom and discipline/correction,
2For knowing wisdom and discipline/correction,
for understanding the sayings of understanding,
3for getting correction from the wise
teacher of righteousness, justice, and fairness
4for giving foresight to the naive,
knowledge and planning to the young man
5The wise person listens and gets more
wisdom; and the person who understands will buy advice.
6For understanding a proverb and a parable,
the words of wise people and their riddles.
7The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of
knowledge; fools hate wisdom and correction.
8Pay attention, my son, to your father’s
correction. And don’t abandon your mother’s instruction.
9Because they will be a crown of grace on
your head and necklaces for your neck!
10My son, if sinful people pressure you,
don’t go.
11If they say, “Come with us. Let’s wait
in ambush for blood. Let’s just lurk around for an innocent person for no
reason! 12We can swallow them alive like the Grave, and forever and
ever like people who go into the Pit. 13We’ll find all their
expensive stuff and we will fill our houses with loot. 14Your fate
will fall in with us: there will be one bank account for all of us!”
15My son, don’t walk on the road with
them. Don’t take even one step on their path.
16Because their feet rush towards evil,
and they are in a hurry to murder.
17because there’s no reason for the net to
be spread out in the eyes of any bird [lit. master of wings].
18But they are hiding in ambush for their
own blood; they are lurking for their own lives!
19This is what happens to everyone who profits
from violence: the blood money will take the life of its owner.
20Wisdom is shouting in the street, in the
noisy places, she is giving her call.
21At the top of the high places, she is
calling out. In the openings of the gates in the city she is speaking her
message.
22How long will you naive people love naiveté!
And how long will mockers enjoy mocking! And idiots hate knowledge!
23You turn against my rebuke. Look, I am
pouring out my heart to you; I’m telling you my words,
24Because I called out and you ignored me.
I stretched out my hand, but there was no one who paid attention.
25And you abandoned all my advice; and you
didn’t want my rebuke.
26Moreover, I laughed at your trouble! I
made fun when your terror came,
27when your terror came like devastating
storm, and your trouble arrived like a gusting wind, when disaster and stress
came!
28Then you called for me, but I didn’t
answer. You looked hard for me, but you didn’t find me.
29It is because they hated knowledge, and
they didn’t choose the fear of Yahweh!
30They didn’t want my advice; they
rejected my every rebuke!
31And so they will eat from the fruit of
their way, and they will get stuffed full on their own plans!
32because the running away of naive people
will kill them, and relaxed attitude of idiots will destroy them.
33So the person who pays attention to me
will live in safety, and will relax despite the terror of evil.
2.1My son, if you
take my message and treasure my commands for yourself, 2by focusing
your ear on wisdom, if you turn your heart to understanding, 3indeed
if you call out to understanding, if you give your voice for understanding, 4if
you look for it like silver and search for it like hidden treasure,
5Then you will
understand the fear of Yahweh, and you will find knowledge of God. 6You
see, Yahweh gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding. 7And
He stores up success for moral people, He is a Shield for those who walk with
integrity. 8In order protect the paths of justice, and He protects
the way of those faithful to Him.
9Then you will
understand righteousness and justice, and people who act morally, everyone who
does good, 10because wisdom will go into your heart, and knowledge
will be enjoyable for your life. 11Planning will watch over you;
understanding will protect you. 12To rescue you from an evil path,
from a man who speaks despicable things. 13Those abandoning paths of
rightness to walk on paths of darkness. 14Those who enjoy doing evil
will celebrate despicable things of evil, 15whose paths are twisted
and who are warped in their lifestyle. 16To rescue you from the
out-of-bounds woman, from the off-limits woman, who flatters with her speech. 17The
woman who abandons the partner of her youth and destroys the covenant of her
God. 18You see, her house sinks down to death, her lifestyle sinks
down to ghosts. 19All those who goes to her will not make it back,
and they will not reach the paths of life. 20Therefore, you should
walk on the paths of good people, and you should stay on the paths of righteous
people, 21because upright people will live in the land, and people
with integrity will stay in it. 22They will cut evil people off from
the land, and they will tear out faithless people from it.
Interpretation
1.
Structure
a.
Intro: the usefulness of
the book of Proverbs: wisdom (1.1-7)
b.
A father’s warning against
peer-pressure and blood-money (1.8-19)
c.
Wisdom’s bitter indictment
of fools and invitation to the wise (1.20-33)
d.
How and why to get wisdom
(2.1-22)
i.
Seek wisdom (2.1-4)
ii.
Wisdom comes from God
(2.5-8)
iii.
Wisdom protects (2.9-22)
1.
From evil ways and people
(2.9-15)
2.
From adultery and seduction
(2.16-19)
iv.
Stay with the wise and be
blessed or face being cursed (2.20-22)
2.
Themes
a.
The fear of Yahweh
b.
Wisdom
c.
Knowledge
d.
Planning
e.
Understanding
f.
Consequences
g.
Death/destruction
h.
Blessing/life
i.
Morality/goodness/righteousness/justice/fairness
3.
Doctrines
a.
Wisdom comes from Yahweh
b.
Wisdoms begins with fearing
Yahweh
c.
There is judgment for sin
Applications
1.
Outline
a.
Why to Get Wisdom
i.
For protection
1.
From death and destruction
2.
From bad choices
3.
From sin
a.
Murder
b.
Theft
c.
Adultery
4.
From a warped perspective
5.
From the wrath of God
6.
From the wrath of people
ii.
For success
1.
Success in life in general
2.
Success in your
relationship with God
3.
Success in planning
4.
Success in your moral life
5.
Success in marriage
iii.
For a better relationship
with God
1.
Knowing Him better
2.
Understanding His ways
better
3.
Living for Him better
iv.
For blessing from God
b.
Where to Get Wisdom
i.
From God
ii.
From wise people
c.
What is Wisdom
i.
Wisdom starts with the Fear
of Yahweh
1.
Because you need to know
Who you are serving
2.
Because you need to know
who you are
3.
Because you need to know
there will be consequences
4.
Because you need to know
there can be blessings
ii.
Wisdom is knowing the right
thing to do and then doing it at the right time, understanding both why it is
the right thing and when is the right time
1.
Wisdom is often similar to Common
sense
a.
Wisdom involves having
knowledge
b.
Wisdom involves using
knowledge
2.
Wisdom knows and
understands the difference between good and evil
3.
Wisdom sees the impact of
the present on the future
a.
Planning
b.
The consequences of actions
4.
Wisdom is listening to Advice
when you don’t know or understand why something is the right thing to do or why
a certain time is the right time
2.
Discussion Questions
a.
Do you have a funny story
about not using wisdom? What happened?
b.
If you had to explain or
define wisdom for someone how would you do it?
c.
What are some practical
reasons you can think of for getting wisdom?
d.
Where are some good sources
of wisdom? How will you know if it is a good source?
e.
Why do you think real
wisdom starts with the fear of Yahweh?
f.
What are some areas in your
life where you feel like you need more wisdom or advice? Why?
g.
How can you act more wisely
this week? Name one specific thing.
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