Welcome to the week one teaching for the Wise Worship study. If you have not yet completed all 5 days of week one’s lesson, please do that before listening to this teaching. If you have already finished the week’s lesson, this teaching will hopefully help answer some of the questions that came up for you as you were reading and studying this week. Any other questions can be discussed during your small group time.

The book of Proverbs is all about wisdom and knowledge. The first verse serves as a sort of title, and gives some background information for the author of the book. You dug deeper into this background on day one, and hopefully you keep that context in mind as we continue to study this book.

The book states its purpose in verse 2 of the first chapter: “to know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight.” To know wisdom is not just head knowledge, but knowledge that seeps into your heart so that it makes a difference in the way you live your life. Instruction carries with it the idea of correction. It may feel hard at times, but it will keep us on the right path.

Verse 3 continues with the purpose of Proverbs: “to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity.” Here we see three attributes of God: righteousness, justice, and equity. Hopefully by now you have learned that God is the source of all wisdom, so it makes sense that Proverbs would teach us about qualities that God possesses.

The beginning of verse 4 gives another attribute of God that we can learn in the Proverbs. Prudence is a form of wisdom that leans more towards discernment. God has ultimate discernment, and He enables us to discern good from wickedness, in all its forms.

While verse one told us the author, verses 4-5 give us the audience for this book: the simple, and the wise. In day one’s lesson you learned what type of people fit into these two categories. The simple obviously need to “increase in learning” (v. 5), but this is applied to the wise as well. Teachability and humility are two keys to Proverbs. You have never learned “enough.” There is always more wisdom to be found, if you are willing to search for it.

Which brings us to the question: Where, or how, do we search for wisdom? Verse 7, the central theme of Proverbs, gives us the answer: “the fear of the Lord.” Job knew this as well, as he said in Job 28:28, “And he said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’” In the lesson you had a short definition of this fear, but let’s go even deeper here. This type of fear carries with it the idea of respect, reverence, awe, and worship. It means you love and trust the LORD so much that you don’t even think of disobeying Him. Think of a little girl who admires her father and doesn’t want to do anything that would hurt him and change their loving relationship. That is a small picture of how we should see the fear of the LORD. You may have noticed that the all-caps name of God is used here. This is representative of God’s covenant name, Yahweh, so there could be no confusion about which “god” the people were to fear.

If “the fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge” (v. 7), then we must not only start with reverence or adoration for God, but we must continue with that attitude if we hope to find wisdom. The right attitude towards God is the fertile soil in which wisdom can grow. Without it, we become like the people in the second part of verse 7: “fools despise wisdom and instruction.” A fool has no respect or reverence for God, and therefore has no wisdom. This contrast, the wise verses the fool, will be seen all over the pages of Proverbs.

Now we read a parent’s instructions to a son. Verses 8-19 can be summed up in one statement: don’t partner with those “greedy for unjust gain” (v. 19). Although addressed to “my son,” these verses can provide wisdom for biological children or spiritual children, both of which are disciples, so that is the term I will use.

When a parent teaches God’s word, they are conduits of God’s wisdom to their disciples. It is for good reason that the Old Testament books of Exodus, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy all contain statements about honoring your parents (see Ex. 20:12, Lev. 19:3, and Deut. 5:16). The parent’s job is to communicate God’s truth, and the disciple’s job is to obey. This is echoed by Paul in the New Testament when he says, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right” in Ephesians 6:1.

In this section of Proverbs, specifically verses 10 and 15, we see the parent warning the disciple of the danger of keeping bad company. These specific “sinners” are enticing his son to “ambush the innocent” so they can have “precious goods” and “houses with plunder” (vs. 10, 11, 13). In the New Testament, Paul warns his disciple and spiritual son Timothy “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs” (1 Tim. 6:10). Material possessions will not bring you true happiness like obedience to wisdom will. Those “greedy for unjust gain” (v. 19) are the fools.

The rest of Proverbs 1 contains the call of wisdom to the simple. In the book of Proverbs, wisdom is personified as a woman. Before we read too much into this and start to lose our humility, let’s look at why. In Hebrew, like in many other foreign languages, nouns are masculine or feminine. The Hebrew word for wisdom is feminine, therefore the “she” pronoun is used in English. Simple enough.

In the beginning of this section, we see wisdom calling out in different places: the street, the markets, and the city gates. The listing of these different places shows that wisdom is useful in every part of life. She is not something you only fall back on in hard times, but should be relied on in your everyday life.

But the simple and the fools don’t want to put in the effort it takes to pursue wisdom. Instead of loving wisdom, they love ignorance, so they reject instruction and correction. The scoffers (v. 22) are fools who don’t have any sort of spiritual desire for God’s wisdom. Wisdom tells them, you do not “turn at my reproof,” “you refused to listen,” “no one has heeded,” “you have ignored all my counsel, and would have none of my reproof” (vs. 23, 24, 25). To seek and find wisdom, you must be willing to change, but the fool is not prepared to do that, and so at some point, wisdom stops reaching out.

Then disaster comes to the fool, and they finally anxiously search for the wisdom to get out of trouble, but it is too late. After failing to seek wisdom, and ultimately rejecting her when times were good, the fool has reached a point of no return. Wisdom describes the fool as someone who “hated knowledge and did not chose the fear of the LORD, would have none of my counsel and despised all my reproof” (vs. 29-30). Their “turning away” (v. 32) shows a lack of faith.

But after all the doom and gloom for the fools in Proverbs 1, wisdom ends with a good note for the wise “but whoever listens to me will dwell secure and will be at ease, without dread of disaster” (v. 33). Listen to wisdom, and you will be just fine.

Proverbs 2 contains a second set of instructions from parent to son. This advice can be summed up in two words: get wisdom. It also speaks a lot about protection through wisdom in this chapter. In day four’s lesson you learned that Proverbs 2 is an acrostic. This poetic device was often used to show completeness, in this case, the completeness of the warning against refusing wisdom and accepting evil.

The parent begins with the idea that wisdom is available to anyone who pursues it, but the verbs in verses 1-4, “receive,” “treasure up,” “call out,” “search for,” etc. make it clear that this is an active seeking. You must work hard and be attentive, for wisdom will not simply fall into your lap. But “IF you call out for insight” and “IF you seek it like silver” (vs. 4, 5), then you can expect two things.

First, in verse 5, “You will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.” As we said in chapter 1 verse 2, this knowledge of God is personal and intimate. 1 Samuel records a story of the LORD calling to Samuel, and Samuel being unable to recognize His voice. In 1 Samuel 3:7 it says, “Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, and the word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him.” We today have unhindered access to the word of God through the Bible, but how much time do we spend reading it? And, even more importantly, how much time do we spend obeying it? When we search for wisdom by reading and obeying His word, we get to know the Lord in a deeper way. Proverbs 2:6 and James 1:5 showed us that wisdom comes from the Lord, there is nothing we can do earn it on our own.

Second, if you search for wisdom, then verse 9 says “you will understand righteousness and justice and equity, every good path.” These are qualities of God that were mentioned in chapter 1 as well. Pursuing wisdom will lead us to understand more of who God is, so we can better follow Him. These are just two of the many benefits that come from the serious search of wisdom.

Proverbs 2:8 and 11 give us another result of our pursuit of wisdom. Both verses use the verbs “guard” and “watch over.” God gives wisdom in order to protect the path of the just, or those who believe in Him. Wisdom is our defense against evil.

Verses 12-16 lay out five of these evils we cannot escape on our own. The proverb tells us that wisdom will rescue us “from men of perverted speech,” those “who forsake the path of uprightness,” those “who rejoice in doing evil,” “men whose paths are crooked,” and “the forbidden woman.” We should take care to test our relationships against the wisdom of this proverb so that we do not fall in with anyone who might fit into one of these categories.

Wisdom will also help us, as women, not become like the forbidden woman from verses 16-19. God’s word takes a firm stance against adultery and coveting another’s spouse (Exodus 20:14, 17; Malachi 2:14), and we should take care to remain faithful to our husbands (for those who are married), or else the proverb warns that we will see destruction, and we will bring others down with us.

Finally, we see the results of following, or not following, wisdom. Again, I want to emphasize that seeking and following wisdom implies obedience. For the “upright” and “those with integrity,” i.e., the wise, the result will be dwelling in safety and enjoying God’s blessing (v. 21). For the “wicked” and “treacherous,” i.e., the fools, the result will be restless wandering. Keeping in mind still that Proverbs offers general principals, the blessings of God for the wise may not always look like we expect them to. We must remember, and I will mention over and over again, that in Proverbs character is largely related to consequence, but these are in no way promises. Still, we should make every effort to “walk in the way of the good and keep to the paths of the righteous” (v. 20).

Proverbs 3 begins with the parent’s third set of instructions in verses 1-12, which can be summed up as “fear the LORD” (v. 7). In verse 1, the instruction is “do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments.” The parent begins with a call to obedience that focuses on the heart. The heart is the essential core of a person. It was believed to be the part of the body that controlled thoughts, words, and actions. So often, the heart is the first to wander, but it is also the first to return. If the disciple internalizes wisdom to their core, the rewards (generally) are “years of life and peace” (v. 2).

The second instruction is in verse 3, “Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart.” In the lesson you read Exodus 34:6 and saw that these are two of the attributes God uses to describe Himself. And if God is wisdom, then steadfast love and faithfulness are characteristics of wisdom as well. Binding them around the neck and writing them on the heart means adopting the qualities of wisdom in a way that produces character, and this will (generally) lead to “favor and good success,” i.e., the grace of God.

The third, and most often quoted, instruction is in verses 5-6: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him.” Fearing the LORD and trusting the Lord are connected. If you fear the Lord, your trust of Him will be your first priority. The phrase “with all your heart” (v. 5) implies a complete reliance that goes deeper than just an intellectual belief. When we “lean on our own understanding,” (v. 5) we try to live independently from God. This is sin. We cannot rely on our own perceptions of what is right. We “acknowledge him” (v. 6) by making Him a part of our everyday lives. When you do this, He will (generally) “make straight your paths” (v. 6).

The fourth instruction is “be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil” (v. 7). This is calling us to humility and a right view of ourselves. And we just saw that fearing the LORD is the natural result of trusting God. When you “turn away from evil” (v. 7), you must turn to something else. Reject what is sinful, and pursue what is righteous. This (generally) brings “healing” and “refreshment” (v. 8).

The fifth instruction is to “honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce” (v. 9). This is one way to practically “check yourself.” Are you trusting the Lord, or your own judgement? How you view and handle your possessions and finances will answer that. “Firstfruits” simply refers to the best. Are you giving to God first, or from what remains leftover? “Then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine” (v. 10). When God says we have “plenty,” we can trust that, even if it doesn’t seem like “plenty” to us. “Wine” was a symbol of abundance and blessing from God, but too many people get into trouble when they take these verses as a formula: “I put in money, You give me back money in abundance.” I keep saying it, but remember these are generalizations, not promises!

I don’t think it’s any accident that the sixth and final instruction of this section, which has to do with discipline, comes right after these verses on money. This time the parent says, “do not despise the LORD’s discipline or be weary of his reproof” (v. 11). God is not in the business of making us rich, He is in the business of making us righteous. The wise can see how this all works together to produce godly character in us. Just as a parent uses discipline as a means of producing obedience, God, as our loving Father, works the same way with us. And so, the wise submit to His loving correction. This is a theme repeated in both the Old and the New Testament. Deuteronomy 8:5 says: “Know then in your heart that, as a man disciplines his son, the LORD your God disciplines you,” and in Revelation 3:19: “Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.”

Verses 13-20 contain a hymn to wisdom. Wisdom, again personified as a woman, is described as a rich blessing even better than material possessions. She is not restrictive and burdensome, but leads us into wholeness and well-being. She is compared to the tree of life, which is first mentioned in the Garden of Eden in Genesis 2:9, and is talked about in Revelation as being in the New Jerusalem. The tree of life provided eternal life to any who ate of it. Again, because God is all wisdom, and the search for wisdom leads us to God, wisdom will also bring us to eternal life. The last 2 verses of the hymn, vs. 19-20, tell how God used wisdom in creating the world. If wisdom was needed to create, we can be sure that wisdom is needed to live successfully in the world.

The fourth set of parental instructions close out this chapter of Proverbs, and can be summarized by the phrase “walk securely in wisdom.”  A wise person will avoid many difficulties that a foolish person will fall into, however we must remember that we live in a fallen world that is wrought with difficulty. Walking in wisdom is not a promise that we will never experience difficulty, for problems arise for many reasons other than personal folly. But generally, we can see how wisdom helps us escape many snares that a fool will get caught in, and as verse 24 says, the wise are able to sleep peacefully because they trust in the Lord for their protection. “For the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught” (v. 26).

Leviticus 19:18 contains the command “you shall love your neighbor as yourself,” and the parent in this proverb shares 5 instructions for living this out practically.  First, in verse 27, “do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it.” For the wise person who fears the Lord, kindness is not an option, but a requirement. In the New Testament Paul echoes this sentiment in Galatians 6:10: “So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.”

Second, in verse 28, “Do not say to your neighbor, ‘Go, and come again, tomorrow I will give it’ – when you have it with you.” Kindness is to be done, but not at our convenience or when we think we can fit it into our schedule. When the need arises, that is the time to meet it. Immediately.

Third, verse 29, “Do not plan evil against your neighbor, who dwells trustingly beside you.” When, inevitably, we are wronged by someone who is our neighbor, we should respond with forgiveness, not vengeance.

Fourth, in verse 30, “Do not contend with a man for no reason, when he has done you no harm.” A wise believer is slow to enter into a fight. As Paul said in Romans 12:18, “If possible, as far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.”

Finally, in verse 31, “Do not envy a man of violence and do not choose any of his ways.” Acting like the foolish people of the world does not honor God. The wise desires to live a set apart life that brings glory to God.

The end of this chapter makes clear what we have seen many times: wisdom and humility go hand in hand. Verse 34 is quoted in the New Testament by both James and Peter in Jms. 4:6 and 1 Pet. 5:5. The fools are met with God’s scorn and opposition, but the humble receive His grace and favor. “The wise inherit honor, but fools get disgrace” (Pr. 3:35).

What have you learned so far about “wise worship?” If wisdom begins with loving and respecting God, how is this changing the way you live? Let what you have learned about God in these first three chapters of Proverbs change you to your core, so that everything that flows out from your heart can be done in worship of God.