The Purpose of Wisdom: Proverbs 1:17

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The Purpose of WisdomProverbs 11-7

• Forest Hills Bible Chapel
• 1 July 2007

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Introduction to Proverbs

• The Book of Proverbs offers practical advice on
  daily living.
• The Book of Proverbs is a collection of (mostly)
  short sayings instructing the reader on how to
  live well.
• Like the Book of Psalms, Proverbs is a
  collection of collections various proverbs
  from different authors instructing one how to
  fear the LORD and shun evil (Prov. 37)

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What is a Proverb?

• a succinct and persuasive saying proven true by
  experience.
• Proverbs are NOT
• Promises. Cf. Proverbs 226 which is not a
  guarantee that children will turn out all
  right. This proverb is a statement of general
  truth NOT a hard-and-fast guarantee. See also
  Proverbs 264-5.

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Proverbs 264-5

• 4 Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or
  you will be like him yourself.
• 5 Answer a fool according to his folly, or he
  will be wise in his own eyes.

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What is a Proverb?

• a succinct and persuasive saying proven true by
  experience.
• Proverbs are NOT
• Promises. Cf. Proverbs 226 which is not a
  guarantee that children will turn out all
  right. This proverb is a statement of general
  truth NOT a hard-and-fast guarantee. See also
  Proverbs 264-5.
• Commands. Cf. Proverbs 2224-25 2427.
• To be taken lightly think deeply into them.
  General observations of how life works.

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Be succinct!

• It is the most prudent course of action not to
  arouse canines engaging in a normal, easily
  reversible, recurrent, and spontaneous state of
  decreased and less-efficient responsiveness to
  external stimulation.
• Rapidity of action or motion will only bring
  about the accumulation of refuse.
• In matters of pulchritude, the only opinion of
  any consequence is the one expressed by the
  individual making ocular observance.

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Types of People in Proverbs

• Fool the person who rejects Gods laws and
  refuses to keep his covenant. Foolishness, of
  folly, is a moral failure, not an intellectual
  one.
• Wise the person who carefully maintains
  his/her relationship with God and follows his
  ways. This persons life is characterized by
  wisdom.
• Simple the person who is not mature enough to
  know the difference.

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• The Great Conundrum of the Wisdom Literature
• God gives his instructions to both the wise and
  the foolish.
• God encourages the fool to be wise.
• By definition, the fool rejects Gods wisdom and
  is driven farther away from God, while the wise
  person accepts Gods instruction and moves closer
  to God.

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Proverbs 11-7

• 1 The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of
  Israel
• 2 for attaining wisdom and discipline
• for understanding words of insight
• 3 for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life,
  doing what is right and just and fair
• 4 for giving prudence to the simple,
• knowledge and discretion to the young -

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Proverbs 11-7

• 5 let the wise listen and add to their learning,
  and let the discerning get guidance
• 6 for understanding proverbs and parables, the
  sayings and riddles of the wise.
• 7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of
  knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and
  discipline.