Powerful Principals from the Proverbs.

Intro:

The two boys and the priest.

Proverbs comes in answer to a prayer (20 Yrs Old).

I kings 3; 3

⁵In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee. ⁶And Solomon said, Thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. ⁷And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in. ⁸And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude. ⁹Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people? ¹⁰And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing. ¹¹And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment; ¹²Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee. ¹³And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days. ¹⁴And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days. ¹⁵And Solomon awoke; and, behold, it was a dream. And he came to Jerusalem, and stood before the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and offered up burnt offerings, and offered peace offerings, and made a feast to all his servants.

God Answered Solomon’s prayer.

I Kings. 4: 29-34

²⁹And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore. ³⁰And Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt. ³¹For he was wiser than all men

The Queen of Sheba testified of his wisdom.

I Kings 10

⁶And she said to the king, It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom. ⁷Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the half was not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard. ⁸Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom.

SOLOMON WROTE

Proverbs

Song Of Solomon.

Ecclesiastes

Psalms 72 & 127.

Also 3000 proverbs and 1005 songs (I kings 4:32).

Promises that precedes the Proverbs

Proverbs

2 10 – 11.

¹⁰When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul; ¹¹Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee: ¹²To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things

3: 13

¹³Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. ¹⁴For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.

3: 15-18

¹⁵She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her. ¹⁶Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour. ¹⁷Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. ¹⁸She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her.

Perversion of the proverbs lead to persecution

1:

²⁶ “So when you are struck

by some terrible disaster,

²⁷ or when trouble and distress

surround you like a whirlwind,

I will laugh and make fun.

²⁸ You will ask for my help,

but I won’t listen;

you will search,

but you won’t find me.

²⁹ No, you would not learn,

and you refused

to respect the Lord.

³⁰ You rejected my advice

and paid no attention

when I warned you.

³¹ “Now you will eat the fruit

of what you have done,

until you are stuffed full

with your own schemes.

³² Sin and self-satisfaction

bring destruction and death

to stupid fools.

³³ But if you listen to me,

you will be safe and secure

without fear of disaster.”

Purpose of having wisdom of proverbs.

1. Ill. By packer about the subway cars. (What wisdom is not).

We are the one driving one of those cars.

2. Job defines wisdom. And its source.

Job 28

²⁰Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding? ²¹Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of the air. ²²Destruction and death say, We have heard the fame thereof with our ears. ²³God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof. ²⁴For he looketh to the ends of the earth, and seeth under the whole heaven; ²⁵To make the weight for the winds; and he weigheth the waters by measure. ²⁶When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder: ²⁷Then did he see it, and declare it; he prepared it, yea, and searched it out. ²⁸And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.

Solomon recognizes this in the very first Chapter.

⁷The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction. ⁸My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother: ⁹For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.

Q. Why are studying the book of proverbs?

A. To get wisdom and understanding.

Q. What is wisdom?

A. Wisdom is to Fear God.

Q. What does it mean to fear God.

A. To Fear God is to live in Christian Victory.

Is to live a life that will please God.

Is to do all the right things.

Conclusion:

The wisdom of Solomon is available to us all.

James 1:

⁵ If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.