Proverbs 1:1-19

I wanted to kick off a series of posts focused on Proverbs, with the hope of covering the entire book with all of you before the year ends. Yes, we will be taking our time to go through it! However, if you are reading this long after the publication date, you might finish it much quicker!

Before we dive in, I want to share what inspired me to start this Proverbs series. I realized that I hadn’t been engaging with the Word as much as I would have liked, and Proverbs is one of those books that truly deserves our attention. Let’s be honest, many of us claim to want more wisdom, but don’t seek it. The time to start seeking knowledge and wisdom from God is always now, so let’s hop in!

The first seven verses tell us about the usefulness of Solomon’s Proverbs and the destructiveness it has on the person who despises wisdom and knowledge. Verse seven really should hit you straight to the heart. Take a moment and just be honest with yourself and your relationship with God… have you been one of those people who despised wisdom and instruction? I was, and I’m sure that I still will be at times. See, if we aren’t honest with ourselves, we will never get to the bottom of any problem. Every problem does have a solution, and in our case, the solution is going to God for wisdom.

What does it mean to fear the Lord? That is such a strange statement, right? Well, it isn’t too weird. When you were growing up as a young kid, you were most likely afraid of your parents. Why? Your parents had authority over you, whether you liked it or not. At one time, you were not able to make your own decisions, and you could not survive on your own; you needed your parents' help. It is a natural reaction to disregard help and try to do it alone. Very few people have learned to accept full help; this is often why the Gospel just seems too radical for people to believe. However, we need help, and we as Christians know that our help comes from the Lord (Psalm 121).

Further, why should we fear the Lord? Verse seven tells us that it is the beginning of knowledge, but how? Isn’t knowledge just something you pick up in school? Well, the knowledge Solomon is talking about is much deeper than school knowledge. He is talking about knowledge of God, which is applied through obedience, reverence, humility, awe, and submission. That probably makes more sense now. Do you see how this relates to how you viewed your parents as a little kid? I think almost every little boy thought their dad was Superman growing up because of how strong he seemed. You feared his strength, but you also loved him and respected him deeply because you knew that his strength was taking care of you.

So God is to be feared not out of a power trip, but so that we can learn how to treat Him with all reverence and obedience. He is not selfish, He doesn’t need us whatsoever, we are the ones that need Him!

Look at verse eight, does it not mention your parents? It surely does! There are several different kinds of wisdom that you can obtain, and for simplicity’s sake, I will narrow it down to three categories. The first is natural wisdom or experienced wisdom. This is the kind of wisdom that you obtain simply by living and figuring out how society works. It can be painful, but it is the bare minimum for living a wise life. The second type of wisdom is inherited wisdom, which is wisdom from the people around you: parents, siblings, friends, teachers, etc. This can also be painful, but it is often very useful. The third type of wisdom is God’s wisdom or Spiritual wisdom, which is by far the most valuable. God moves in ways that people can’t even fathom; understanding Him fully is impossible, but seeking out wisdom from Him is not. However, all three types of wisdom are ultimately a gift from God and should be used accordingly.

Verse ten is a prime example of what the first two types of wisdom cannot fully protect you against—sin. We all fall short of the glory of God and sin (Romans 3:23). So, can sin be stopped entirely? No. It cannot be fully stopped, but it can be very much diminished. Here’s how: fearing the Lord is a good start, but I think it’s even deeper than that. 1 John 5:18—“We know that no one who has been born of God sins; but He who was born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him.” This is easily one of the most overlooked promises in the whole Bible! You guys read that right… Of course, it is not that easy to always remain in God like that, but the only reason we ever fall for a temptation is because we let deception achieve a victory for the devil and not God.

The rest of the passage speaks to the consequences for the person who walks with the unjust sinners.  The whole point of belonging to God is so that you don’t have to belong to the world. We must live here, but we also must be set apart and make an impact in the lives of others. Who wouldn’t want to see one more face in Heaven? I know that I’d like to see many more, after all, we will have all eternity to get to know them!

Today, let’s choose God together while respecting other sources of wisdom.  I encourage you to talk to God and ask Him for wisdom—“But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5).