Proverbs 1-9 · Title: Proverbs 1-9 Author: Cindy Brown Created Date: 7/18/2016 11:00:57 PM

Proverbs The Way of Wisdom

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© 2016 Cindy Brown. All Rights Reserved. This study was written using the ESV.

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Introduction

One of the most practical books in the Bible, Proverbs instructs us in how to become wise and gives us advice on a wide array of topics. A proverb is a short saying that gives us insight into life and human behavior. An important thing to remember in studying this book, is that these proverbs are not to be held as absolute doctrines or promises. For example, Proverbs tells us that if a man pleases the Lord, even his enemies will be at peace with him. This might generally prove to be true, but not always. Jesus is a notable exception to this proverb.

But before Solomon gets to the proverbs in chapter 10, the first 9 chapters are spent imploring us to listen and heed the advice given. The book of Proverbs is one of the few books of the Bible that speaks directly to young people. In the first 9 chapters, Solomon addresses his sons 16 times and one of the stated reasons for the book, is “to give knowledge and discretion to the youth.” (Proverbs 1:4). In our study, we will clearly see the benefits associated with wisdom and the consequences of a life of sin. So it will be well worth our time to study it and apply what it has to say!

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Day 1: Proverbs 1:1-6: Purpose and Theme

Mark the following words in this section:

know, knowledgewisdom, wiseinstruction, learningunderstand, insightrighteousnesssimple

1 The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:2 To know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight,3 to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity;4 to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth—5 Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance,6 to understand a proverb and a saying, the words of the wise and their riddles.

These verses gives us the theme and the purpose for the book of Proverbs.

In verses 1-6, write down all the reasons Solomon gave for writing this book. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

So let's take a minute and define some of these words, because they are going to be used over and over again in the book of Proverbs.

The word knowledge is to have understanding or information about something. Synonyms include to discern or to recognize.

Why is it so important to have knowledge in any given area of your life? _______________________________________________________________________

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Has not having knowledge about something ever been dangerous or harmful to you? Explain. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Wisdom is “the capacity to understand and so have skill in living, implying adherence to a set standard.”1 So wisdom is knowing how to apply the knowledge you have to situations in life.

What does James 1:22 say about those who don't apply the knowledge that they have? _______________________________________________________________________

In verse 2, Solomon says one of the reasons for writing this book is so that we will know instruction. He is going to give us lots of instructions in this book about how we should live.

But the word for instruction in the Hebrew, actually means discipline. It has two aspects to it. First it has the idea of teaching with a rebuke or a warning. It also can mean “self-control as a feature of a wise person, as a moral quality.” 2

This book is going to warn us about dangerous, sinful situations that we are to avoid. As it does this, it will help us to have self-control and discipline in the choices we make.

Are you willing to receive instruction and discipline from God's Word? _______________________________________________________________________

Next, Proverbs helps us “to understand words of insight.” To understand means torealize or perceive. Insight comes from two Hebrew words meaning “to discern between.” Insight has the idea of using good judgment about situations.

So another purpose of this book is to help us discern between good and evil, and that can only be done as we compare things to God's Word.

1 Swanson, J. (1997). Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains : Hebrew (Old Testament) (electronic ed.). Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc.2 Swanson, J. (1997). Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains : Hebrew (Old Testament) (electronic ed.). Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

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What do you use to discern what is appropriate and right? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Once you move out of the home, you will have to discern what dress is appropriate, if you will go to church or not, what activities you take part in, andwhat movies are appropriate for you to watch. If you will consult the Lord, He will help you to discern what is right and wrong. You will not always be accountable to your parents for the choices that you make, but you will always be accountable to God. What He says is the most important and He will help you discern right from wrong if you consult Him and seek His face.

Next, in verse 3, he says this book will give us instruction in wise dealing. “Wise dealing” is very closely related to the word “understanding” in the Hebrew. Understanding has the idea of “distinguishing between” good and evil, but the phrase “wise dealings” in the Hebrew has the idea of knowing the intelligent reason behind the decisions made. It means to think carefully through a complex situation and as a result know how to act wisely in it.

Sometimes you might hear people say regarding the choices they have made, “I didn't even think about it!” Not thinking carefully can result in some very poor decisions. The purpose of Proverbs is to help us think things through in light of God's Word and then act based upon what He says.

It also will instruct us in righteousness. Righteousness means conforming to God'smoral or ethical standard. It is doing what is right.

This book will also give us instruction about justice. In the Hebrew, this word deals specifically with administering government. Since Solomon was a king and he was writing this to his sons, he assumed one of them would one day be ruling as well, and they would need instruction from God on how to do that.

Finally in verse 3, Solomon says he wrote this to give instruction about equity. It literally means “to go straight or direct in the way.” It has the idea of not deviatingoff onto a crooked path.

Read Proverbs 4:25-27 for an explanation of this.

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What advantage does looking straight ahead have from these verses? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Verse 4 goes on and says another reason for this book is “to give prudence to the simple.” Prudence could be translated skillfully wise. When used in the negative sense, the Hebrew word means crafty or cunning. But in the positive sense, when we are prudent, we know how to navigate skillfully through dangerous or complicated situations.

The simple are those who need prudence. Simple means “pertaining to persons that are easily deceived or persuaded, showing lack of wisdom and understanding, yet having some capacity to change this condition.”3

How easy it is for us to be deceived! But the good news is that there is hope for the simple and we can become wise by listening and obeying God's Word.

Also in verse 4, the book of Proverbs promises “knowledge and discretion.” As we saw earlier, knowledge is to have understanding or information about something. Discretion is the ability to make proper decisions after considering thefacts. The root of the Hebrew means to purpose or to consider.

Who especially needs knowledge and discretion from verse 4? _______________________________________________________________________

It is a normal thing for young people to think that they know it all or that they know best. Proverbs is going to give some instructions that are especially pertinent to young people.

Proverbs is not only written to the simple or to youths. Even those who are wise can benefit from what it has to say.

What two things does verse 5 say Proverbs can do for the wise person? _______________________________________________________________________

3 Swanson, J. (1997). Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains : Hebrew (Old Testament) (electronic ed.). Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

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What do you need to increase your learning about? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What do you need guidance about? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

We all have a choice. We can choose to rebel against the Lord or we can submit and choose to have a teachable spirit. I pray that as you go through this study youwill heed the warnings found in the book of Proverbs and listen to wise instructionand counsel from God's Word. The choice is up to you. What will you chose to do today?

“I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore, choose life, that you and your offspring may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice and holding fast tohim, for he is your life and length of days.” - Deuteronomy 30:19-20a

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Day 2: Proverbs 1:7 - The Fear of the Lord

Yesterday we looked at what the book of Proverbs can do for us and we got a glimpse of why Solomon wrote this book. Today we are going to take a closer look at verse 7 and the fear of the Lord.

What does verse 7 say is the first step in following God? _______________________________________________________________________

What do you think fearing God gives us knowledge about? See Proverbs 2:5 for one answer. _______________________________________________________________________

So fearing God and having a holy respect for Him helps us to get to know him. You don't typically want to get to know people that you don't respect, and it is thesame with us and God.

So what is the fear of the Lord? I have compiled a definition based on several aspects of the Hebrew word for fear and came up with this: The fear of the Lord iswhen our actions and speech show profound reverence, wonder or astonishment for God which results in our continuing worship of Him.

Reflect in your own heart and ask yourself if this is how you view God. Write your response to the Lord below. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

15 times in the book of Proverbs, Solomon uses the phrase “the fear of the Lord.” Let's take some time to look at them and see what we can learn.

First how do we acquire the fear of the Lord? Read Proverbs 2:1-5 and note what it says. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Read Proverbs 15:16 and note the contrast mentioned in this verse. What is the fear of the Lord far superior to? _______________________________________________________________________

What do we learn about fearing the Lord from Proverbs 23:17? _______________________________________________________________________

Based on what you learned in Proverbs 2:1-5, what should we do practically to continue in the fear of the Lord? _______________________________________________________________________

Read Proverbs 15:33. What does this verse say the fear of the Lord is? _______________________________________________________________________

When we fear God, it instructs us how to live wisely. Why do you think this is? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Respect, honor and reverence for the Lord teaches us to be wise. When we come to know God's holy character and fear him, it helps us to make choices that He would approve of and that accurately represent who He is.

What important thing do we learn about fearing the Lord from Proverbs 1:29? _______________________________________________________________________

Will you make the choice to fear the Lord or go your own way?

Read the following verses and note what happens to us when we fear the Lord.Proverbs 3:7 _______________________________________________________________________Proverbs 8:13 _______________________________________________________________________Proverbs 16:6 _______________________________________________________________________

The fact that God repeats this three times shows us how important it is for us to understand this. When we learn and choose to fear the Lord, it makes us hate sin like God hates sin and it helps us to hate and turn away from what is evil. If you

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want to sin less, the first step is to fear the Lord.

The book of Proverbs tells us that there are rewards for us when we fear the Lord. Look up the following verses and note what they are.Proverbs 10:27 _______________________________________________________________________Proverbs 14:26 _______________________________________________________________________Proverbs 14:27 _______________________________________________________________________Proverbs 19:23 _______________________________________________________________________Proverbs 22:4 _______________________________________________________________________

Now remember that these are proverbs and not promises. There are people who fear and obey God and who die at a young age, but there is a general principle, that those who fear the Lord and don't get entangled in the cords of sin, generally live longer because they don't have to deal with the consequences of sin that can sometimes lead to death.

In four of the five verses that you just looked at, life is mentioned as a reward for fearing the Lord.

Do you think that it is only referring to long life? What might it also be referring to? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

How can we know if we are fearing the Lord? Note what Proverbs 14:2 says. _______________________________________________________________________

So we see that fearing the Lord is a choice. We have the choice if we are going toincline our ear to God's Word and if we are going to seek after the knowledge of God. The more we listen to God, the more we learn to hate sin and evil and as we grow in wisdom, we learn to avoid these dangerous roads. As a result, we are rewarded with life – the abundant life for the here and now and eternal life that will continue on forever. Will you make the choice to fear the Lord today?

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Day 3: The fool in Proverbs

Yesterday we looked at the first half of Proverbs 1:7. The second half of that verse addresses one who does not fear the Lord and Scripture calls that person a fool. Let's see what else we can learn about the foolish person from the book of Proverbs.

Read Proverbs 1:7 and note what it says about a fool. _______________________________________________________________________

To despise means to hold as insignificant or unimportant. So a fool thinks it is not important to know how to practically apply knowledge to their life and they scorn or look down on instruction.

A fool in Scripture is defined as “one who is morally deficient. Such a person is lacking in sense and is generally corrupt.”4 The word for fool “primarily refers to aperson of moral perversion or insolence, one who is sinful rather than just having mental stupidity. This kind of a fool despises wisdom and is impatient with discipline. He who does not fear God is a fool and will be unable to grasp wisdom or benefit from godly discipline.”5

How does Proverbs 28:26 define a fool? _______________________________________________________________________

How would trusting in your own mind cause you to become morally corrupt? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What does Romans 12:16 say about this subject? _______________________________________________________________________

The word sight is not in the Greek, but is inserted into the English for clarity.

4 Goldberg, L. (1999). 44 אול. In R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer, Jr. & B. K. Waltke (Eds.), Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer, Jr. & B. K. Waltke, Ed.) (electronic ed.) (19). Chicago: Moody Press.5 Goldberg, L. (1999). 44 אול. In R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer, Jr. & B. K. Waltke (Eds.), Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer, Jr. & B. K. Waltke, Ed.) (electronic ed.) (19). Chicago: Moody Press.

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Literally it reads, “Never be wise in yourself.”

Why is it so dangerous to trust ourselves and think that we know what is best? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Jeremiah 17:9 reminds us that our hearts are deceitful about all things. Sometimeswe can recognize when other people are lying to us, but it is very hard to recognize when our own hearts are deceiving us. For this reason, we desperately need God's Word to help us learn how to “approve of things that are excellent.” (Philippians 1:10). God's Word tells us the truth, but on our own, we are easily deceived.

Now note the contrast of trusting in your own mind from Proverbs 3:5-8. What happens when we trust in the Lord? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

According to the following verses what are some characteristics of a fool?

Proverbs 1:22 _______________________________________________________________________Proverbs 10:23 _______________________________________________________________________Proverbs 12:15 _______________________________________________________________________Proverbs 14:16 _______________________________________________________________________Proverbs 15:5 _______________________________________________________________________Proverbs 18:2 _______________________________________________________________________Proverbs 18:6-7 _______________________________________________________________________Proverbs 26:12 _______________________________________________________________________Proverbs 29:11 _______________________________________________________________________

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Ask God to search and examine your heart as you compare yourself to His Word.

What are some consequences that come to a foolish person?

Proverbs 1:32 _______________________________________________________________________Proverbs 3:35 _______________________________________________________________________Proverbs 10:8 _______________________________________________________________________Proverbs 10:21 _______________________________________________________________________Proverbs 13:20 _______________________________________________________________________

The purpose of the book of Proverbs is to turn us away from our own foolishness and to turn us to the Lord. We have seen how fearing the Lord brings us protection and guards us, while being a fool brings harm, ruin and destruction.

There are rewards for fearing the Lord and there are consequences when we don't. Look up Galatians 6:7-8. Note the two types of seeds sown and the harvests of each. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Consider this quote from Miles Stanford: “God has a natural law in force to the effect that we are conformed to that on which we center our interest and love. If we are attracted to this present evil world, we become increasingly worldly; if we pamper and live for self, we become more and more self-centered; but when we look to Jesus Christ, we become more and more like Him.”

Always remember: Sin offers short-term pleasure and long-term consequences. Obedience sometimes requires short-term hardship but promises long-term rewards.

There are two paths before you now – will you choose to fear the Lord or will yoube a fool?

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After seeing the two paths available to you, write your thoughts to the Lord below about what you have learned so far. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Day 4: Proverbs 1:8-19: Parents vs. Peers


my sonunderline any instructions in greenunderline any consequences in red

8 Hear, my son, your father's instruction,and forsake not your mother's teaching,9 for they are a graceful garland for your headand pendants for your neck.10 My son, if sinners entice you,do not consent.11 If they say, “Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood;let us ambush the innocent without reason;12 like Sheol let us swallow them alive,and whole, like those who go down to the pit;13 we shall find all precious goods,we shall fill our houses with plunder;14 throw in your lot among us;we will all have one purse”—15 my son, do not walk in the way with them;hold back your foot from their paths,16 for their feet run to evil,and they make haste to shed blood.17 For in vain is a net spreadin the sight of any bird,18 but these men lie in wait for their own blood;they set an ambush for their own lives.19 Such are the ways of everyone who is greedy for unjust gain;it takes away the life of its possessors.

After explaining the purpose of the book, Solomon jumps right in and shows us why it is so relevant. He puts forth a real-life scenario his sons might be confronted with and they will have to decide what they are going to do. Are they going to fear the Lord or are they going to be a fool? Are they going to listen to God's Word that their parents have passed on to them, or are they going to listen to their peers? In this section he gives them clear warnings and instructions and explains the consequences they can expect from disobedience.

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In verse 8, what attitude does he implore his sons to have regarding their parents? _______________________________________________________________________

The word hear has the idea of listening coupled with obedience. It is not just taking in the information, but rather listening with understanding that there is validity to the message and as a result obeying what is said.

What rewards are mentioned in verse 9 for listening to parents? _______________________________________________________________________

This is a figurative way of saying that they will be attractive and honored in life. Inthe Bible, a garland was a wreath given to show honor and necklaces were given to recognize those in a high position. Both Joseph (Genesis 41:21) and Daniel (Daniel 5:29) were given pendants around their neck to show that the king had given them authority in his kingdom. Children who humble themselves before their parents and before the Lord will be honored and recognized for their good character. The implied contrast is that the fool who disobeys and rebels will get dishonor.

In verses 8 and 9 we see the rewards associated with listening to godly parents. Inverse 10 and following, Solomon warns his sons about listening to ungodly peers.

What does Solomon say peers might do to us in verse 10? _______________________________________________________________________

To entice has the idea of being persuaded by something because of some promised good.

Solomon warns his sons not to consent. To consent means “be willing, yield, agree to demands, i.e., be voluntarily accepting and consenting to a situation, implying obedience or submission.”6

In any decision we make, we either yield to the Lord or yield to sinners. We must choose whose side we are going to be on because there is no middle ground.


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In verses 11 and 12, what activities are the sinners involved in? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A wise person would be able to see that this is not something good that they should be involved in! The wicked are often described in Scripture as those who lie in wait and attack the innocent without cause (Proverbs 12:6; Jeremiah 5:26).

In verses 13 and 14, what do the sinners promise as a reward for joining with them? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

1 Timothy 6:10 tells us that the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. A greedy person will do whatever is necessary to benefit themselves and will take nothought at what harm they might be doing to others.

What instructions are given in verse 15? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Scripture tells not to keep company with evil people. Think about the phrase “walk in the way with them.” What picture does this give you? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The word walk in the Hebrew has the idea of to journey or to travel with and indicates keeping company with someone for an extended period of time. Certainly we cannot avoid interaction with people who don't follow God, but we can limit how much time we spend with them.

What does 1 Corinthians 15:33 tell us about this? _______________________________________________________________________

We are also told to hold back our feet from the paths of the wicked. This shows us that we are to deliberately choose not to keep company with evil.

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Think about the people that you are friends with. After reading this section, are there any people you need to choose to spend less time with? If so, what specificsteps do you need to make to change this relationship? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

No matter how exciting the plans of the wicked may seem in the beginning, whatdoes Solomon remind his sons about in verse 16? What are they really doing? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The wicked are intent and zealous to do evil. Because of this, what is their fate according to verses 17-19? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Contrast verses 11 and 18. What do the wicked plan and what actually happens to them? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

When we walk in the way of sin, we are only hurting ourselves. Sin promises pleasure and reward, but only delivers death and heartache. When we sin, this verse says it is like setting an ambush for our own lives and lying in wait for our own blood. None of us would do that in real life, but that is what we are doing to ourselves spiritually when we choose the path of sin. It certainly is a graphic picture and should make us want to avoid the company of evil.

What is the heart issue that Solomon identifies in these people in verse 19? _______________________________________________________________________

What can these people expect in the end? _______________________________________________________________________

We looked at 1 Timothy 6:10 earlier, but read it again and note what it says happens to those who love money. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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What does Proverbs 15:27 say about those who are greedy for unjust gain? _______________________________________________________________________

Having gain is not the issue. The issue is when it becomes our first love and whenwe do not work for it on our own. Unjust gain is when we take away from those itrightly belongs to. As a result, those who do this, will have their own lives taken away. I think we can see from this verse, the pursuit of unjust gain and the love ofmoney is certainly not the worth it in the end.

In this section, we have seen that young people have two voices they can choose to listen to. If they obey their parents, they are promised honor and recognition. They will be attractive to others. But the voices of their peers also call loudly to them. The call to join them may sound enticing and exciting and there is always areward that is promised, but Solomon warns his sons that if they go down this path, they can only expect their own death and destruction. Who will you listen to today?

What has the Lord spoken to you about personally in this section? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Day 5: Proverbs 1:20-33 – The Call of Wisdom

Often in Proverbs, wisdom is personified as a woman crying out to be heard. Let'ssee what she has to say.

In this section, mark the following words:every reference to wisdom, including pronounssimple, foolsknowledgefear of the Lord

20 Wisdom cries aloud in the street,in the markets she raises her voice;21 at the head of the noisy streets she cries out;at the entrance of the city gates she speaks:22 “How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple?How long will scoffers delight in their scoffingand fools hate knowledge?23 If you turn at my reproofbehold, I will pour out my spirit to you;I will make my words known to you.24 Because I have called and you refused to listen,have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded,25 because you have ignored all my counseland would have none of my reproof,26 I also will laugh at your calamity;I will mock when terror strikes you,27 when terror strikes you like a stormand your calamity comes like a whirlwind,when distress and anguish come upon you.28 Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer;they will seek me diligently but will not find me.29 Because they hated knowledgeand did not choose the fear of the Lord,30 would have none of my counseland despised all my reproof,31 therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way,and have their fill of their own devices.32 For the simple are killed by their turning away,and the complacency of fools destroys them;33 but whoever listens to me will dwell secureand will be at ease, without dread of disaster.”

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Where is wisdom crying out from in these verses? Note all the places. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

These are all public places and we see how wisdom is making herself available to anyone. It is not just for a select few. Wisdom is crying out to any who will listen.

What question is she asking in verse 22? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Earlier we saw that the definition of the word simple is those who are easily deceived or persuaded. Wisdom asks how long the simple ones will enjoy being deceived. Sometimes the truth makes us uncomfortable and we would rather continue on in our sin, rather than listen to the Lord.

The scorner in verse 22 refers to one who speaks words which “show no respect for the object, and make fun of the object, with a possible focus of speaking in thesituation with confidence and authority.”7

The scorner is certainly one who is wise in his own eyes and has no time for the knowledge that others or God has to share with him.

According to verse 23, what is wisdom encouraging the simple and the fool to do? _______________________________________________________________________

The word turn means to turn around or to turn back, to return. No matter how far away from the Lord we have walked, it only takes one step to turn around.

The reason that we turn around is because we have been reproved or rebuked. A rebuke is hard to hear. It is not pleasant to be told that we have done something wrong or that we are in sin. But the wisdom of God's Word can turn us from the sinful course that we have been following.


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If we do turn around, what will be the result according to verse 23? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The phrase “pour out” comes from a root word referring to “an uncontrollable or uncontrolled gushing forth of water.” 8 God promises to give us an outpouring of His Spirit so that we will have a Spirit-enabled understanding of His words. He will give us His knowledge. Even if we have been foolish and hated knowledge inthe past, the moment we turn back to God, he promises to pour out his knowledgeupon us through His Spirit.

But unfortunately, many will refuse to hear the voice of wisdom. Go back throughthe verses and note people's response in verses 24-30. Circle the words and phrases that show how some people responded incorrectly.

Now go back, and in red, underline all the consequences that will come upon them because of this. Now go back once more, and in blue, underline the rewards coming to those who did listen.

After you are done marking the text, fill in the box below.Response: Consequences: Rewards:

In verses 24-25, we see wisdom pursuing foolish people. She has called and stretched out her hand to them. She has given them counsel and reproof. She hasmade the first move and offered them a better way, but they have stubbornly refused.

8 Coppes, L. J. (1999). 1287 נבע. In R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer, Jr. & B. K. Waltke (Eds.), Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer, Jr. & B. K. Waltke, Ed.) (electronic ed.) (548). Chicago: Moody Press.

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Wisdom is calling to you today, too. What will your response be? If you ignore wisdom, God says you can only look forward to calamity, distress, terror and anguish, and ultimately you will be destroyed in the end.

Write your response to the Lord below. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Day 6: Proverbs 2:1-8 - The Search for Wisdom

Yesterday we looked at the dangers of ignoring wisdom and today we will look at the opposite response – we are to search for it diligently.

Mark the following words in this chapter:

wisdomunderstand/ing, insightknowledgeuprightunderline your responsibilities in the first 4 verses (receive, treasure up, etc).

1 My son, if you receive my wordsand treasure up my commandments with you,2 making your ear attentive to wisdomand inclining your heart to understanding;3 yes, if you call out for insightand raise your voice for understanding,4 if you seek it like silverand search for it as for hidden treasures,5 then you will understand the fear of the Lordand find the knowledge of God.6 For the Lord gives wisdom;from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;7 he stores up sound wisdom for the upright;he is a shield to those who walk in integrity,8 guarding the paths of justiceand watching over the way of his saints.

In the first four verses, let's take a look at what our response to wisdom's call should be.

We are to treasure up God's commands. In the Hebrew it means to conceal or hide something for the purpose of protection.

What will God's commands protect us from? _______________________________________________________________________

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We also are to be attentive to wisdom. This word means to pay close attention to with the implication of obeying. We are to incline our ear to understanding. To incline literally means to extend or stretch out. It gives the mental picture of someone getting their ear as close to something as possible so they can hear clearly. It is an active and intentional word. Next, we are to call out for wisdom. The phrase call out means to cry out with the purpose of eliciting a specific response. When we call out to God for wisdom, we can expect that He will respond and answer our prayer. We are to seek and search after wisdom. Both words have the idea of carrying out a determined search with the expectation that something will be found or discovered.

According to verse 5, what will be the result when we search for wisdom in this way? _______________________________________________________________________

According to verse 6, where is wisdom found? _______________________________________________________________________

Read Colossians 2:1-3. Where is wisdom found according to these verses? _______________________________________________________________________

The key is in getting to know Jesus because all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are found in him. Colossians 2:4 tells us that the reason it is important to have a relationship with Jesus is so that “no one will delude you with plausible arguments.” It is so easy for us to believe things that are plausible – they sound reasonable and we easily justify them – but in doing so we are deluded, deceived. A relationship with Jesus is the answer.

So if we are to search for wisdom and call out for understanding, is this the attitude you have about finding wisdom? Are you desperate to have a relationship with the Lord? Are there any obstacles right now that would prevent you from searching for wisdom like this? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In Proverbs we are to search for wisdom like we would a hidden treasure, and then we see in Colossians that it is in Jesus all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are located. The fact that they are hidden in Christ means that they are

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not hidden from us, but they are hidden for us. They are kept safe and stored up for us, but it is our responsibility to go find the key and open up the treasure chest.

Colossians 2:3 tells us that wisdom is hidden or stored up for us in Jesus. Compare that with Proverbs 2:7. What does this verse tell us about wisdom? _______________________________________________________________________

God has wisdom stored up for us and he is just waiting for us to come to him!

If we want wisdom, what does James 1:5-8 say we should do? _______________________________________________________________________

What will be the result if we ask for wisdom in faith? _______________________________________________________________________

What if we don't ask in faith? _______________________________________________________________________

All we have to do is ask! God is not trying to keep his wisdom away from us, but we do need to take the initiative and seek after it.

What does God promise he will do for those who seek after wisdom like this according to Proverbs 2:7-8? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Did you notice how all these words have to do with protection? God will shield, guard and watch over those who have searched for and found wisdom. Having wisdom protects us from the consequences of foolish choices. Wisdom is our protector and keeps us away from decisions that would harm us.

Write your response to the Lord about what you have learned in this section. Be honest with him about any struggles you have and write any requests you have. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Day 7: Proverbs 2:9-22 – The Value of Wisdom

Mark the following words in this section:Righteousness, uprightnessevil, wickeddeathlifeunderline in blue any rewards mentionedunderline in red any consequences mentioned

9 Then you will understand righteousness and justiceand equity, every good path;10 for wisdom will come into your heart,and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul;11 discretion will watch over you,understanding will guard you,12 delivering you from the way of evil,from men of perverted speech,13 who forsake the paths of uprightnessto walk in the ways of darkness,14 who rejoice in doing eviland delight in the perverseness of evil,15 men whose paths are crooked,and who are devious in their ways.16 So you will be delivered from the forbidden woman,from the adulteress with her smooth words,17 who forsakes the companion of her youthand forgets the covenant of her God;18 for her house sinks down to death,and her paths to the departed;19 none who go to her come back,nor do they regain the paths of life.20 So you will walk in the way of the goodand keep to the paths of the righteous.21 For the upright will inhabit the land,and those with integrity will remain in it,22 but the wicked will be cut off from the land,and the treacherous will be rooted out of it.

These verses continue the thoughts from the beginning of the chapter. Here we learn the rewards of being wise and having the fear of the Lord.

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In verse 9, what is a result of finding wisdom? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

To understand means to realize or to perceive. Wise people can clearly see what is right and wrong and they will know to avoid a crooked path that leads them into sin.

According to verse 10, what will it be like for people who are wise? _______________________________________________________________________

The world would like us to believe the opposite – that it won't be any fun if we walk the straight path. But God's Word tells us it is pleasant. This word can also be translated delightful, sweet or beautiful. Living a life pleasing to the Lord will bring us great delight.

Do you think this means life will always be pleasant for us? What kind of delightmight this be referring to? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In verses 11 and 12, what benefits are given to the wise person who fears the Lord? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The word for discretion comes from a word meaning to consider. When we have wisdom, it will help us to carefully consider situations in front of us and choose the one that is best and in line with God's Word. When we do this, discretion watches over us. The word for watch means to exercise great care in watching over something. You get the picture of a parent closing watching over a toddler when they are near water so they do not get too close to danger. This is what wisdom and discretion will do for us.

Next we see that understanding will guard us. In the Hebrew, it has the idea of discerning between good and evil.

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What are some things we will be guarded from? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Finally we see that we will be delivered from the way of evil. The word for delivermeans to rescue or save. The way of evil will always harm us, but if we have discernment and wisdom, we will be saved from the awful consequences of sin.

In verses 12-15, Solomon gives us a picture of what the way of evil looks like.

Write down everything in these verses that describe the way of evil looks. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The word for perverted in the Hebrew means to turn or to overturn. Their speech has turned away from the truth. This will be evidenced by lying, gossip, complaining, cursing and any other type of evil that comes out of people's mouths. What is in our hearts will always come out of our lips.

As a contrast to the wise man who delights in understanding and discretion, the evil delight in doing what is wrong. They turn away from the straight path, they enjoy sinning under the cover of darkness and they rejoice in doing what is evil. The last descriptor we are given is that evil people are devious. This speaks of those who have turned aside or departed from the way of the Lord. Often deviouspeople are also deceptive. Because they have turned aside from God's path, they often try to hide their sin from others.

So wisdom will guard us from the influence of evil people. According to verse 16, who will wisdom also protect us from? _______________________________________________________________________

Although written specifically to men, I think it is safe to say, that wisdom will protect both men and women from any kind of sexual sin.

What kind of speech does the adulteress have? _______________________________________________________________________

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This word means seductive of flattering. It is enticing. But one who is wise will be able to recognize this and avoid it.

What has the adulteress forgotten? _______________________________________________________________________

She has forgotten the covenant she made with God to be faithful to her husband. First and foremost, sin is always against God.

What consequences await her because of this in verses 18 and 19? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Notice how many references there are to death in these two verses. Sexual sin promises pleasure, but the end is death. For some it is physical death through STDs or AIDS, but for many others the spiritual and emotional aspects of death arejust as devastating.

Verse 19 especially gives us a strong warning. When it says that “none who go to her come back” it could mean physically, but it could also indicate that they don'tcome back the same person they once were and goes on to say that they do not regain the paths of life. This is not to say that those who give in to sexual sin can never repent and be made right with God again. But I think it does warn us of the strong tentacles sexual sin can have over people. Sadly, many get trapped and ensnared and can never get out – especially those who are unbelievers.

Verses 20-21 return again to the rewards that await a wise person. What are they? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Because this is an Old Testament passage, these blessings are directly related to the Law that God gave to Israel. Compare Deuteronomy 28:1-14. What things did God promise those who kept His Word? (You don't have to list everything). _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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What consequences await the wicked? _______________________________________________________________________

Compare Deuteronomy 28:45-52. What did God promise would happen if they were foolish and did not listen and obey? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Today we are not promised physical blessings for our obedience like Israel was, but we have already seen from this chapter the rewards for obedience and the consequences for going our own way. God is not mocked and we will reap what we sow. May these verses encourage us to always listen closely to the Lord. When we do, we will be guarded, protected and delivered from the awful affects of sin.

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Day 8: Proverbs 3:1-8 - More Instructions and Rewards

In this section, mark the following words or phrases:

my sonfear the Lordteaching, commandmentsunderline any instructions in greenunderline any rewards in blue

1 My son, do not forget my teaching,but let your heart keep my commandments,2 for length of days and years of lifeand peace they will add to you.3 Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you;bind them around your neck;write them on the tablet of your heart.4 So you will find favor and good successin the sight of God and man.5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart,and do not lean on your own understanding.6 In all your ways acknowledge him,and he will make straight your paths.7 Be not wise in your own eyes;fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.8 It will be healing to your fleshand refreshment to your bones.

In these first 8 verses, we see a pattern. There are four sets of instructions given, and after each one, we see a reward mentioned. Let's look at them one by one.

What is the first instruction given in verse 1? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

It is easy for us to forget what we have been taught, especially when sin looks so enticing and exciting. Instead of forgetting, we are to keep God's commandments.That word for keep has the idea of guarding. We are to guard and keep God's Word close to us so we don't forget what He has said.

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What is the reward mentioned if we will do this? _______________________________________________________________________

The length of days and long life was a specific promise to the Israelites, but it is a principle for us today. Those who do not live a life of sin often do live longer thanthose who are involved in its harmful and destructive lifestyle.

What kind of peace do you think we will have if we have guarded and kept God'sWord? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In verse 3, what is the second instruction that we are given? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

This could be viewed in two ways. First, it could mean that our love for the Lord should always be steadfast and we should always be faithful to Him. But it could also be understood that we should always remember that God will always show us steadfast love and faithfulness.

Personally, I like the second interpretation because when we remember God's love and faithfulness to us, then we can respond that way back to Him. “We love because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19).

What will our reward be if we have always remembered God's love and faithfulness to us? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The word for favor could also be translated grace and describes “an action from a superior to an inferior who has no real claim for gracious treatment.”9

The phrase good success is actually the same Greek word for understanding. It carries with it the idea that those who have discernment and understanding will

9 Yamauchi, E. (1999). 694 חנן. In R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer, Jr. & B. K. Waltke (Eds.), TheologicalWordbook of the Old Testament (R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer, Jr. & B. K. Waltke, Ed.) (electronic ed.) (302). Chicago: Moody Press.

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succeed and prosper. In 1 Samuel 18:14-15, the same word is used to describe how Saul was jealous and afraid of David. “And David had success in all his undertakings, for the Lord was with him. And when Saul saw that he had great success, he stood in fearful awe of him.”

So the success we have is directly tied to our relationship with God and our fear ofthe Lord.

How would having a close relationship with the Lord bring you good success? Does this mean everything you do will succeed? Explain what you think this is talking about. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The person who has been captured by God's love and loves Him back, will find favor with God and with others. Because His relationship with God is right, he will have a good testimony before people as well.

What is the third instruction we are given in verses 5-6? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

This word for trust means to rely on God and as a result to feel safe and secure. It is putting our complete confidence in Him – we are all in. We are to trust Him with all of our heart. One way I think of this is that in every situation, we can trustGod to take care of our heart. He will not allow us to be needlessly heartbroken or hurt. We can entrust our heart to Him knowing that He has our best in mind and no matter the pain or difficulty we may have to go through, we can trust that God has a plan and only means it for our good.

The opposite of trusting the Lord is leaning on our own understanding. In the Hebrew, to lean is a figurative way of saying to trust. We cannot trust even our own heart or our own understanding because it is so easily deceived. (Jeremiah 17:9).

In whatever we do, we are to acknowledge Him. The closest synonyms are to discern or to recognize, to know. Any decision we make, should spring from our

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relationship with God. Because we know Him, we should be listening carefully toHim so we can discern what He would have us to do.

What is the reward mentioned in verse 6 if we will do this? _______________________________________________________________________

God will always lead us down a straight path. It means “to make (a way) straight, that is, direct and level and free from obstacles.”10

What kind of straight path do you think this refers to? Does it mean it will be free from hardship? What kind of obstacles will never be in our way on the paths that God leads us down? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

God will never lead us into sin or down a road that will be harmful to us. When we trust Him, He always leads us towards obedience and down roads that will bring Him glory. They will not necessarily be roads of ease, but they will always be roads that will be good and straight.

What is the fourth instruction we are given in verse 7? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The phrase 'in your own eyes' speaks of opinion or judgment. This verse warns about making opinions or judgments of what we are doing on our own. It is usingour own ideas and thoughts about what is appropriate or good. It seems “wise” tous, but we may be deceived.

Read Proverbs 12:15. What does this verse say about someone who is wise in hisown eyes. _______________________________________________________________________

What do we learn about the truly wise person from this verse? _______________________________________________________________________

10 Wiseman, D. J. (1999). 930 ישר. In R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer, Jr. & B. K. Waltke (Eds.), Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer, Jr. & B. K. Waltke, Ed.) (electronic ed.) (417). Chicago: Moody Press.

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So someone who is wise in their own eyes sees no need to take advice from others, but they depend on their own ideas to guide them. Solomon warns us about having this kind of attitude and reminds us that it is foolish.

Instead of trying to be wise on our own, what we should do is fear the Lord and turn away from evil.

How would fearing God help you not be wise in your own eyes? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

How would fearing God help you to turn away from evil? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What reward is promised if we do this from verse 8? _______________________________________________________________________

When we seek the Lord's counsel and then obey because we reverently fear him, we will have healing and refreshment. Read the following verses and note what you learn about what kind of effects sin can have on our health and emotions.

Psalm 32:1-4 ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Psalm 38 ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Now read Psalm 51. What things does David ask God to do for him as a result ofhim confessing his sin?

v.8 _______________________________________________________________________

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v.10 _______________________________________________________________________v.12 _______________________________________________________________________

What does he expect the result to be in his life?v.13 _______________________________________________________________________v.14 _______________________________________________________________________v.15 _______________________________________________________________________

Back in Proverbs 3:8, we are told that fearing the Lord and turning away from evil brings refreshment to our bones. That word for refreshment literally speaks of taking a drink and having your thirst quenched.

Read Psalm 63:1. How does the Psalmist feel about God? _______________________________________________________________________

Now read Psalm 107:7-9. What do we learn from these verses? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The world promises that sin will be pleasurable and exciting, and it usually is at the time, but later we feel the horrible affects of not listening to the Lord. But when we fear the Lord, long for him, and seek him to fulfill our needs, He promises to refresh and satisfy us with good things, not harmful things!

Psalm 17:15 “As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake, Ishall be satisfied with your likeness.”

Write your response to the Lord below from what you have learned from this section. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Day 9: Proverbs 3: 11-12: Discipline – the path towards wisdom


my sonunderline any instructions in green

11 My son, do not despise the Lord's disciplineor be weary of his reproof,12 for the Lord reproves him whom he loves,as a father the son in whom he delights.

One of the ways that we gain wisdom is by being disciplined. Because discipline is so unpleasant to us, Solomon warns us about rejecting it and reminds us of the benefits that await us if we are trained by it. We will look at some of those benefits tomorrow. For now, let's see what God wants us to understand about hisdiscipline.

In verse 11, what are two responses we should not have toward the Lord's discipline? _______________________________________________________________________

To despise means to hate or to reject. In the Hebrew, the word for weary has a slightly different meaning than we would think of in English. It means to loathe, and often carries with the it the idea of to fear or dread something.

Why does verse 12 tell us we should not feel this way about the Lord's discipline? _______________________________________________________________________

Because discipline is so painful and unpleasant, Solomon wants us to remember how God feels about us when he disciplines us – he loves us and he delights in us! The word delight means to be pleased with or to act favorably toward in the Hebrew. We may be tempted to believe that God can no longer love us if we have sinned. God hates our sin, but he never stops loving us and the reason he brings consequences and discipline into our lives is because he favors us and He means it only for our good.

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Hebrews 12:5-6 quotes these verses from Proverbs and then goes on to explain it further in verses 7-11.

Hebrews 12:7 tells us “It is for discipline that you have to endure.” The people in Hebrews were enduring persecution and were being mistreated for their faith. This section of Scripture tells us that God meant these trials to discipline them. These people were tempted to go back to the Old Testament sacrificial system, so in order to train and teach them, God had allowed these hardships in their lives. Discipline is always meant to correct us in some way.

Another thing we learn about discipline is that we have to endure it. The word endure in the Greek means “to remain under.” It also means “to continue to bear up despite difficulty and suffering—to endure, to bear up, to demonstrate endurance, to put up with.”11

We can learn several things from this. First, we should endure whatever disciplinethe Lord brings our way and this means that the discipline might last a while. We generally don't have to endure things that are short-lived, but the word endurance shows us that something will continue for some length of time. We can find comfort and reassurance that since God is an all-wise and loving Father, He knows how long we will need to endure the discipline. It will not be too short that we fail to learn from it, but it won't be too long either, where we are crushed beneath it.

While we are bearing up under the Lord's discipline, we are not to loathe or despise it, but are to put ourselves under the hand of God and submit to what He is trying to teach us. As we continue to endure under the discipline, we also are to put ourselves under the Lord's authority over us. With the Lord over us, the discipline will not harm us but only bring us good in the end.

When God disciplines us, what does that show us according to Hebrews 12:7? _______________________________________________________________________

In verse 9, the author reminds us that if it was right for our earthy fathers to discipline us, than how much more for God to do the same if we are His children.

11 Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Vol. 1: Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: Based on semantic domains (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition.) (307). New York: United Bible Societies.

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At the end of verse 9, what does the author say our response should be to discipline and what will be the result if we do this? _______________________________________________________________________

What are we reminded of in verse 10 about how the Lord means to use disciplinein our lives? _______________________________________________________________________

If we submit to the Lord's discipline, we will experience the benefits of life and itwill be for our own good. In verses 10-11, what two benefits of life will we receive? _______________________________________________________________________

How awesome to think that will be allowed to share in the holiness of God! This really underscores how gracious the Lord is to us! If we are being disciplined, it isbecause we have done something wrong or need to be corrected in some way. God means to use discipline in the lives of people who have gone astray to correcttheir course so that in the end they will display his holiness to those around them. The phrase “share in his holiness” means to have your share in, to participate in orto receive. Even those who have messed up and have perhaps not been a good representative of the Lord, will through discipline, have an opportunity to once again share in and portray the holiness of God to those around them!

The second benefit we will receive if we have been trained by the Lord's discipline is the peaceful fruit of righteousness.

This fruit of righteousness is described as being peaceful. In the Greek peaceful means “pertaining to freedom from anxiety and inner turmoil—peaceful, free fromworry.”12 Yesterday, we looked in Psalms at how those who have sinned do not peace.

Why do you think having the fruit of righteousness in our life will bring us less anxiety and freedom from inner turmoil and worry? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


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We are told we will have the fruit of righteousness. Fruit does not appear on a tree as soon as it has been planted – it takes time before a harvest is produced. So while we are undergoing discipline, it may not seem like it is doing us any good, but only hurting us, but we have to trust and submit to God through the process. If we do and we have been trained by God's discipline, God promises there will be a harvest of righteousness in our lives.

Remember Proverbs 3:5? “Trust in the Lord with all your heart...” We need to trust him as he disciplines us that it is the right thing for us even though it isn't any fun at the time.

Righteousness is “the act of doing what God requires, doing what is right.”13

We are disciplined because we did something wrong. So God disciplines us to teach us to obey him and do what is right.

How does knowing that God means to produces righteousness and holiness in your life through discipline help you to accept it as you go through it? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A few verses later in Hebrews, we see a harvest that can be produced in our lives if we choose not to be trained by the Lord's discipline. In Hebrews 12:15, it says, “See to it hat no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled.”

We can choose to submit to the Lord or we can become embittered against Him. This verses warns about this response because will not only be hurting ourselves, but it will defile many.

Write your response to the Lord from what stood out to you in this section. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


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Day 10: Proverbs 3:13-18: The Benefits and Value of Wisdom


wisdom, and all related pronounsunderstandingany references to silver, gold, riches, etc.life

13 Blessed is the one who finds wisdom,and the one who gets understanding,14 for the gain from her is better than gain from silverand her profit better than gold.15 She is more precious than jewels,and nothing you desire can compare with her.16 Long life is in her right hand;in her left hand are riches and honor.17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness,and all her paths are peace.18 She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her;those who hold her fast are called blessed.

In this section, Solomon explains to us why we should desire wisdom. He tells us we will be blessed if we do.

In verses 14-15, what does it say that wisdom is superior to? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

First we are told that the gain or profit we receive from having wisdom is better than what money can buy. What kind of gain do you think a wise person enjoys?______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Solomon repeats this truth three times in the book of Proverbs. Proverbs 8:10-11, 19, and Proverbs 16:16. As people, we are easily enticed by physical things that we can see, and he reminds us several times that it is more important and more beneficial for us to pursue after wisdom instead of wealth.

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Psalm 19:7-11 reinforces this truth by telling us that God's Word is to be more desired than gold. And we can only gain wisdom from the Scriptures.In this section, mark the different phrases used to describe God's Word in yellow (ex: law of the Lord); mark how God's Word is described in green (ex: perfect); in blue mark what God's Word does for us (ex: reviving the soul).

7 The law of the Lord is perfect,reviving the soul;the testimony of the Lord is sure,making wise the simple;8 the precepts of the Lord are right,rejoicing the heart;the commandment of the Lord is pure,enlightening the eyes;9 the fear of the Lord is clean,enduring forever;the rules of the Lord are true,and righteous altogether.10 More to be desired are they than gold,even much fine gold;sweeter also than honeyand drippings of the honeycomb.11 Moreover, by them is your servant warned;in keeping them there is great reward.

Now that you've finished marking the text, write below all the characteristics of God's Word that are listed. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Now write down all the things that God's Word does for us. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

From this section we can see how the wisdom that God's Word offers us is much better than riches or gold. First it revives our soul. The word in the Hebrew means to return. It has the idea of turning back to the Lord and being revived and restored. God's Word can change our mind and turn us back to Him like nothing else can. Next we learn that it can make the simple person wise. Earlier in Proverbs, we saw that the word simple refers to those who are easily deceived.

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God's Word helps us not to be deceived and instead makes us wise. It also rejoices our heart. Riches may delight us for a short time, but its luster will soon fade and no temporary thing can bring us lasting joy like God's Word can. God's Word also enlightens us and gives us understanding. Another thing mentioned about the Word is that it warns us. In the pages of Scripture we are able to see ourselves and it warns about choices we should not make. The last thing it does isreward us. When we obey what God says in His Word, we are rewarded. I think all the things we just mentioned are in and of themselves a wonderful reward! I think we can see how riches can't compare to what wisdom has to offer us!

Since God's Word is perfect, sure, right, pure, clean and true, we know it is trustworthy and worth our time to read and study it. It will never lead us astray, but will only bring us good and lead us into a deeper knowledge of our Savior.

In Proverbs 3:15, Solomon says that nothing you desire can compare with wisdom. What kind of things do you desire? What things are most important to you? Do you need to realign any priorities based on what this verse says? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In verses 16-18, note all the benefits that wisdom has to offer. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Again all these benefits were actual promises to the Jews under the Mosaic law if they kept God's law and obeyed Him. Long life and riches are not guarantees for us today, but we do see the principle in the New Testament that you reap what you sow. The benefits we receive from wisdom are more internal than external and have more to do with our relationship with God than accumulating wealth or having physical blessings.

In verse 17, pleasantness and peace are mentioned as rewards for the wise. Pleasant can also be described as sweet, delightful or beautiful. Again, this does not guarantee a life of ease with no hardships, but because God will never lead us down a wrong path toward sin that leads to death, His way can always be described as pleasant or delightful to us.

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When we live a life of wisdom, we will have peace. We certainly will enjoy a peaceful relationship between us and God. I think this refers more to the internal peace we will enjoy, and often that extends outward to our relationships with others.

Wisdom is described as a tree of life in verse 18. In Genesis, the tree of life was a tree that could give eternal life. Why do you think wisdom is described like this? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In verse 18, what are we to do with wisdom? _______________________________________________________________________

Because wisdom is so valuable, we are to hold fast to it. We are to cling to it as if our life depended on it. What does Proverbs 4:13 say about this? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

How can you practically hold fast to wisdom? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Do you need to make any changes or adjustments in your priorities based on what you have read today? Ask the Lord to examine your heart and write your response to Him below. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Day 11: Proverbs 3:21-26: More Benefits of Wisdom


my sonwisdomlifeunderline any instructions in greenunderline any rewards in blue

21 My son, do not lose sight of these—keep sound wisdom and discretion,22 and they will be life for your souland adornment for your neck.23 Then you will walk on your way securely,and your foot will not stumble.24 If you lie down, you will not be afraid;when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.25 Do not be afraid of sudden terroror of the ruin of the wicked, when it comes,26 for the Lord will be your confidenceand will keep your foot from being caught.

The phrase “do not lose sight” means to not depart or turn away from. Instead we are to keep or to guard wisdom and discretion.

What do you think it would look like practically to guard wisdom and discretion?______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In verse 22, what are the first two benefits of wisdom listed? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

You may have noticed that often in Proverbs, wisdom and life go hand in hand. Notice that it says 'life for you soul', not life for your body. Having wisdom allowsus to experience the abundant life that God intended us to have.

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The word for adornment is interesting in that it is actually the Hebrew word for grace or favor. Just as a necklace is worn for beauty, a wise person will also be attractive since they are blessed with the Lord's favor and grace.

What is the next benefit a wise person will enjoy from verse 23? _______________________________________________________________________

Compare this with Proverbs 10:9. According to this verse, what is one thing thatenables us to walk securely? _______________________________________________________________________

When we walk in integrity and honesty, we have no reason to fear and can walk in confidence before the Lord and other people. Because of this we will not stumble. The Hebrew word stumble means to strike, and gives the idea of striking your foot against a rock so that you fall.

We see this idea of stumbling carried through in the New Testament as well. Read1 Peter 2:4-8. In this passage we see two responses to Jesus. You could say one isa wise response and one is foolish.

What does 1 Peter 2:6 say about those who have believed in Jesus? _______________________________________________________________________

This verse backs up what we saw in Proverbs 10:9. Whoever walks in integrity has no need to feel ashamed because they are trusting in the Lord.

However, what happens to those who do not believe in Christ from 1 Peter 2:8? _______________________________________________________________________

The foolish person who disobeys the Word and does not believe what God says is destined to stumble and fall.

In verse 24, what is another benefit the wise person will enjoy? _______________________________________________________________________

Why do you think a wise person will enjoy rest that is free from fear? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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In verse 25, what is the next benefit? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Now compare this with Jeremiah 17:7-8. What kind of person is mentioned herethat will have no fear when the heat or drought comes? _______________________________________________________________________

Now back in Proverbs 3:26, what does it say about the wise person in the first half of the verse? _______________________________________________________________________

The wise person who trusts in the Lord, has no reason to fear when hard times come because he knows that God will be with him through it all. Notice in Jeremiah 17:8, it says he won't fear when the heat comes. It is a given that there will be difficulties. But despite hardships, the wise person places his confidence and hope in the Lord, not in the circumstances of life.

What does the end of Proverbs 3:26 say the Lord will do for the wise person? _______________________________________________________________________

This seems to refer back to the mention of not stumbling we looked at earlier in verse 23, although this word is a little stronger and has the idea of not being ensnared in a trap. We can be assured that God will never lead us into a trap that will cause us to sin. (James 1:13-16)

Because of his trust in the Lord, we see great protection is given to the wise. This section speaks of walking confidently and securely because there is nothing to hide. They will not fear and will enjoy restful sleep. Even when the hard times come, the wise person doesn't even have to fear terrifying situations because the Lord stands by him.

Are you a person who is characterized more by stumbling or by walking securely? Do you experience fear or confidence? As you study His Word, ask God to make you into a person who is wise because your trust is in the Lord alone.

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Day 12: Proverbs 3:27-35: A Contrast Between the Wise and the Fool


do notevil, wickedwiseupright, righteousfools

27 Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,when it is in your power to do it.28 Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come again,tomorrow I will give it”—when you have it with you.29 Do not plan evil against your neighbor,who dwells trustingly beside you.30 Do not contend with a man for no reason,when he has done you no harm.31 Do not envy a man of violenceand do not choose any of his ways,32 for the devious person is an abomination to the Lord,but the upright are in his confidence.33 The Lord's curse is on the house of the wicked,but he blesses the dwelling of the righteous.34 Toward the scorners he is scornful,but to the humble he gives favor.35 The wise will inherit honor,but fools get disgrace.

Now Solomon takes some time to give us a picture of what wisdom looks like practically in someone's life. James 3:13 tells us that we show others we are wise by what we do. Our actions are the best indicator if we are a possessor of wisdom.

In verse 27, what is the first thing mentioned that we should not do? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What does Galatians 6:10 remind us of? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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A wise person will take every opportunity to do good to others. By contrast, in chapter 1, we saw how the wicked lie in wait and ambush the innocent without reason (1:11). The wise are quick to do good and the wicked are eager to do evil.

Verse 28 seems to address something that was covered in the Mosaic Law. Read Leviticus 19:13 and Deuteronomy 24:14-15 and note what these verses say. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Verses 27 and 28 address the issue of withholding good from someone while verses 29-31 warn us against proactively doing evil.

What are we not to do in verses 29-30? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

How does Proverbs 6:12-14 describe the one who devises evil? _______________________________________________________________________

What does Proverbs 14:22 say about those who devise evil? _______________________________________________________________________

According to Proverbs 6:16-18, how does the Lord feel when people make plans evil? _______________________________________________________________________

It is always wrong to do evil, but even worse when we do it those who have done no wrong. We are warned not to fight against another for no reason. This points back to chapter 1 again when the wicked are portrayed as ambushing the innocent and the unsuspecting “without reason” (Proverbs 1:11).

What are we told not to do in verse 31? _______________________________________________________________________

Why do you think someone might envy a man of violence? Read Jeremiah's complaint in Jeremiah 12:1-2. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Even though it may seem like the wicked prosper in the short term, in Proverbs 3:32-34, Solomon reminds us of how God views the wicked and how he views the wise.

In verses 32-34, note the three things is says about how God views the wicked. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

First they are seen as an abomination to Him. An abomination refers to somethingthat is loathed, detestable or abhorrent. Next, God's curse is on the house of the wicked and he is scornful towards them. The word scornful comes from the same Hebrew word in Proverbs that refers to the scoffer in Proverbs 9:7-8. A scoffer in these verses is seen as one who mocks others and does not listen to their advice. Here God is seen as one who acts scornfully towards the wicked. It means to mock or to show no respect for. Since the wicked are scornful to others, God is scornful towards them.

Now reread verses 32-34 and note God's response to righteous. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

First we see that God shares his counsel with the wise and upright in heart.

What does Psalm 25:14 say about this? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Read John 14:23. What did Jesus say about those who love him? _______________________________________________________________________

Those who are upright in heart enjoy God's presence and his fellowship. He shares his advice with them and like a close friend, they are held in his confidence. In the New Testament, we see that God makes his home and takes upresidence inside those who love and trust Him. This is in and of itself a great blessing! Finally we see that God gives favor or grace to the humble.

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In James 4:6 we read that God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. The word oppose is actually a military term and paints a picture of soldiers lined up, ready to fight the enemy. Because God loves us, he will fight against our prideso that we can be drawn into his confidence and fellowship.

Read Isaiah 57:15. How does God show grace to the humble in this verse? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In verse 35, what are the wise rewarded with? _______________________________________________________________________

James 4:10 reminds us to humble ourselves before the Lord and we will be exalted. As we humble ourselves before the Lord, he lifts us up to where He is! When we draw near to the One who is “high and lifted up” we find that we ourselves are exalted. It is not about getting honor for ourselves, but about being close to the Lord.

According to verse 35, what awaits the fool? _______________________________________________________________________

What else is associated with disgrace according to Proverbs 11:2? _______________________________________________________________________

God's economy does not match the world's, and it is ironic that those who are humble will be lifted up, while those that seek to push their own popularity will inthe end be disgraced.

When we see ourselves in a proper way before a holy God, we will bow in humility before Him. This exalts us and brings us close to the One who dwells “inthe high and holy place.” But those who refuse to submit to the Lord, find that they are being opposed by God himself and in the end, they will face disgrace andshame. What about you? Will you wisely submit to the Lord or be shamefully disgraced? The choice is up to you.

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Day 13: Proverbs 4:1-9: Pursuing Wisdom


instructions, precepts, teaching, etc.wisdom and all pronounsinsightliveunderline any instructions in greenunderline any rewards in blue

1 Hear, O sons, a father's instruction,and be attentive, that you may gain insight,2 for I give you good precepts;do not forsake my teaching.3 When I was a son with my father,tender, the only one in the sight of my mother,4 he taught me and said to me,“Let your heart hold fast my words;keep my commandments, and live.5 Get wisdom; get insight;do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth.6 Do not forsake her, and she will keep you;love her, and she will guard you.7 The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom,and whatever you get, get insight.8 Prize her highly, and she will exalt you;she will honor you if you embrace her.9 She will place on your head a graceful garland;she will bestow on you a beautiful crown.”

What is the instruction in verse 1? _______________________________________________________________________

To be attentive means to pay close attention with the implication of obedience.

According to verse 1, why we should we hear and be attentive? _______________________________________________________________________

Insight is closely related to understanding and means to be able to discern between good and evil. It is using power or judgment and perception to know

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how to interpret the knowledge in front of us, whether it is good or bad.

What is the second reason given in verse 2 that we should pay attention? _______________________________________________________________________

It is obvious that we should not listen to bad advice, but that is what we sometimes do. Whether it is advice we give ourselves or what others tell us. HereSolomon assures us that his advice is good and sound, and it can be trusted.

In verse 4, what reward do we see mentioned again related to keeping God's commands? _______________________________________________________________________

When it says that we will live, there are many aspects to this word. It can mean topreserve life. It also has the idea of to spare or save a life. Obeying God's Word preserves us from the terrible consequences of sin. It also can mean to restore a life or to recover. Obedience to God's Word revives our spirits. Even if we sinnedand have not been listening to God, the moment we turn in repentance, we can be restored and experience God's life once again. Lastly, it can mean to nurture or cause to flourish. When we are attentive to God's Word, it causes us to flourishin our walk with Lord. Whether we have been living in sin or living a life of obedience, when we start to hold fast to God's Word it brings life to us!

What three things are we told not to do in verses 5-6? _______________________________________________________________________

In verse 6, what two rewards are mentioned if we don't turn away from God's commands? _______________________________________________________________________

To keep means to watch or guard carefully. To guard carries with it the idea of protecting. When we listen to God's Word, it acts like a guard for us, protecting us from sin and its consequences.

In verse 8, what two instructions are given? _______________________________________________________________________

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What two rewards are mentioned if we do this? _______________________________________________________________________

What does 1 Samuel 2:30 say about those whom God will honor? _______________________________________________________________________

What does Proverbs 11:2 say is one thing that characterizes a wise person? _______________________________________________________________________

God will lift up the humble person out of the muck and mire of their sin and elevate them so that they can see Him more clearly. The higher we are lifted up, the closer we will be to the Lord! The wise person understands that we are only exalted when we are near to the Lord.

What reward mentioned in verse Proverbs 4:9 will be given to the wise? _______________________________________________________________________

A garland is “a turban, garland, or wreath of some kind as an adornment of honor.”14 Only royalty are given the privilege of wearing the crown. So this reference again shows how the wise will be honored because they have lived an upright life.

In the New Testament, we see that as rewards for believers, God mentions crowns or righteousness, life and glory that will be given to those who have served him and remained faithful. (See 2 Timothy 4:8, James 1:12 and 1 Peter 5:4).

But instead of it being all about us and our glory, in Revelation 4:9-10, we see the twenty-four elders casting their crowns before God's throne. Anytime we receive honor, we should always direct it back to the Lord because it has been His work in our lives so it should always, only, be all about Him!


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Day 14: Proverbs 4:10-19: Two Paths


my sonwords, instruction wisdomuprightness, righteous life wicked(ness), evilunderline any instructions in greenunderline any rewards in blueunderline any consequences in red

10 Hear, my son, and accept my words,that the years of your life may be many.11 I have taught you the way of wisdom;I have led you in the paths of uprightness.12 When you walk, your step will not be hampered,and if you run, you will not stumble.13 Keep hold of instruction; do not let go;guard her, for she is your life.14 Do not enter the path of the wicked,and do not walk in the way of the evil.15 Avoid it; do not go on it;turn away from it and pass on.16 For they cannot sleep unless they have done wrong;they are robbed of sleep unless they have made someone stumble.17 For they eat the bread of wickednessand drink the wine of violence.18 But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn,which shines brighter and brighter until full day.19 The way of the wicked is like deep darkness;they do not know over what they stumble.

What rewards are mentioned in verses 10-12 for those who listen and take advice? We have looked at these rewards in earlier passages, but because they are repeated again, we still want to take note of them. _______________________________________________________________________

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In verse 11, Solomon says that he has taught and led his son about wisdom. We need others to teach and instruct us because we are not wise in and of ourselves. God's Word and other people can help lead us down the right path if we will listen to what they have to say.

In verse 13, why is it so important for us to hold on to instruction and guard it? Again this has been mentioned before but it keeps getting repeated because it is important! _______________________________________________________________________

What are all the instructions given to us in verses 14-15? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In verse 14, the words path and way can refer to a lifestyle or keeping company with. As we have seen so far in Proverbs, the way of the wicked is one of disobedience and death, and the way of the righteous is one of obedience and life.We can all make our own choices, but we cannot chose our consequences. This section will explain what the way of the wicked looks like and why it should be avoided.

Verse 15 really underscores avoiding the path of the wicked and repeats it four times!

The word avoid in the Hebrew actually means to let loose of or to let go. This gives the idea that perhaps Solomon's son has been walking in the way of the wicked and he is told to let go of that kind of lifestyle.

He is also encouraged to turn away from the path of the wicked. There is a bit of a play on words in this verse. Most of the time when this word is used in the Hebrew, it refers to turning away from the truth and wandering down the wrong path. But here the same word is used to tell us to turn away from the wicked path.

Often times people like to see how close they can get to sin without crossing the line. But from this verse, we are not even to go near that way of life. We are to pass by it and keep going, with out eyes straight ahead of us, always looking ahead to the way of righteousness.

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In verse 16, what character trait do we see that describes the wicked? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In Psalm 36:1-4, how is the wicked person described particularly in verse 4? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

We have heard the phrase that “misery loves company.” And this verse tells us that the wicked take delight in seeing others stumble just like they have.

In verse 17, what is it that gives nourishment and food to these kind of people? _______________________________________________________________________

Let's jump down to verse 19. What else do we learn about the wicked from this verse? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

These verses give us the picture of a person who is consumed with evil and can't rest until they have brought others down the same path of destruction that they areon. Wickedness and violence fuels them.

Walking in deep darkness does not sound like a good place to be. Let's see what else the Scriptures tell us about those who walk in darkness. Look up the following verses.

John 3:19 _______________________________________________________________________John 12:35 _______________________________________________________________________1 John 2:9-11 _______________________________________________________________________

Obviously it is a very dangerous thing to walk down a dark path because you can't see the obstacles ahead. And so it is for the wicked. They have been blinded by their sin and don't realize that the end of their road leads to death.

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But let's see the contrast given regarding the righteous person in verse 18. What do we learn about them in this verse? _______________________________________________________________________

An important thing to note about the path of righteousness is that it continues to grow brighter. The longer we walk with the Lord, the darker sin will seem to us and the brighter God's truth will be. We will be able to clearly see the difference between the two ways.

What does Daniel 12:3 say about the wise? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Not only will their path be bright, but they themselves will shine and give light to others. Of course, we don't have any light in and of ourselves, but “God is light and in Him there is no darkness at all.” (1 John 1:5). As He shines His light in ourhearts, we are then able to reflect His light to those around us.

What does 2 Corinthians 4:5-7 say about where our light comes from? What does it do? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

We see the two ways starkly contrasted in these verses: light and righteousness, darkness and wickedness. Two paths are before each one of us and the choice is ours. The way of evil is to be avoided at all costs because it will cost us our life if we go down that road. It is a dark path in which we cannot see the dangers ahead. On the other hand, the way of righteousness and wisdom is one of life andlight. It continues to grow brighter and shines forth in our lives.

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” 15

15 The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. 2001 (Mt 5:16). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

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Day 15: Proverbs 4:20-27: An Admonition to Listen

Mark the following words in this passage:

My sonwords, sayingslifeunderline any instructions in greenunderline any rewards in blue

20 My son, be attentive to my words;incline your ear to my sayings.21 Let them not escape from your sight;keep them within your heart.22 For they are life to those who find them,and healing to all their flesh.23 Keep your heart with all vigilance,for from it flow the springs of life.24 Put away from you crooked speech,and put devious talk far from you.25 Let your eyes look directly forward,and your gaze be straight before you.26 Ponder the path of your feet;then all your ways will be sure.27 Do not swerve to the right or to the left;turn your foot away from evil.

In chapter 4 alone, Solomon implores his son 15 times to listen, be attentive to, to incline his ear, to not forsake, to keep... – you get the picture.

Perhaps its because we all think we know what is best and don't have to listen to our parents or those in authority over us, that these instructions are repeated so many times in this book.

There seems to be a progression in verses 20-21. In verse 20, we are told to always hear God's Word, in verse 21 we are told to to always keep God's Word inour sight (read it) and finally it should penetrate down deep into our heart.

Words like be attentive, incline your ear, and keep are all proactive and show thatwe must make a conscious effort to always avail ourselves to God's Word so that

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it can change our hearts.

How can you be more proactive in your relationship with the Word of God? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What reward is mentioned again? This is the 7th time this reward has been mentioned! _______________________________________________________________________

In verse 23, what important instruction are we given? _______________________________________________________________________

This gives you the mental picture of a security guard who is carefully watching over something important. A good security guard would not sleep on the job or let just anyone in beyond a certain level of clearance. He would be alert and on the look out for robbers and would not allow himself to be easily distracted by a television. To be vigilant is to be always aware of your surroundings and ready to engage any threats. This should be the attitude we have in guarding our hearts.

Why are we to do this? _______________________________________________________________________

When you think of a spring, you think of a water source that just bubbles up to thesurface. Unlike a well, where you have to work to get the water out, a spring just comes up naturally. And that is the picture we see of our heart. Whatever is in our heart is going to just naturally come out!

What does Luke 6:43-45 tell about what comes out of our heart? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

One of my Bible school teachers used to say, “Garbage in, garbage out!” This is why it is so important to guard out hearts. If we fill out heart and mind with evil things, evil is going to come out of us in our words and actions. If we have stored God's Word and His truth up in our heart, then good will spring up.

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In verse 23, he starts with the heart, and in the following verses he mentions the mouth, eyes and feet, because it is through them that our heart will be exposed.

In verse 24, what is the instruction regarding our mouth? _______________________________________________________________________

Crooked speech refers to talk that is twisted and perverted. Devious speech turns aside or departs from the truth. We are to remove or forsake this type of talk. We are to “put it far from us.”

Read Colossians 3:16. What has to be in our heart for good things like wisdom and thankfulness to come out? _______________________________________________________________________

In verse 25, he turns to our eyes. Where are we told to look? _______________________________________________________________________

The idea of someone not looking directly ahead gives us the picture of one who is easily distracted and led away down the wrong path.

Look up these verses and note where we are told to look and focus our attention.

Psalm 119:15 _______________________________________________________________________Psalm 119:30 _______________________________________________________________________Colossians 3:1-2 _______________________________________________________________________Hebrews 12:1-3 _______________________________________________________________________1 Peter 1:13 _______________________________________________________________________

What are the instructions regarding our feet in verses 26-27? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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To ponder actually means to weigh or balance. Based on this definition, what would it look like in a practical way to “ponder the path of your feet”? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

How important it is to think before we act. We could save ourselves a lot of trouble if we would take time to consider the implications of a sinful choice and remind ourselves of what some of the consequences might be. It is important to ask ourselves some questions as we ponder the path before us:

If I go down this road, will I hurt anyone? If I do this, will God's glory be compromised? Would I still do this if my parents or other people knew about it?

Pondering the answers to these questions will help us to see if something is wise or not. To weigh and balance our choices is a characteristic of a wise person. A foolish person runs ahead without considering future implications of their choice.

What will the result be if we ponder the path of our feet? _______________________________________________________________________

Sure means established, certain or right. Our path will not be shaky and we will not be stumbling over sinful choices. Instead we can walk with confidence knowing our choices are right and in line with God's will.

The idea of not turning to the right or to the left is one that is often repeated in the Old Testament and it carries with it the idea of obedience. When God gave Israel the law, they were told not to turn to the right or to the left (Deuteronomy 5:32; 28:14.) Joshua 1:7 says “ Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to doaccording to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn fromit to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go.”16

We are not to turn away from obeying God's Word, but we are to turn away from evil. Since there is no middle ground, we will either be inclining ourselves to evil or inclining ourselves to the truth of God's Word.

16 The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. 2001 (Jos 1:7–8). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

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Is there any evil you need to turn away from right now? How can you be more intentional in turning towards the Lord? Ask God to examine your heart and show you anything you need to change. Write your response to the Lord below. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Day 16: Proverbs 5:1-14; 20-23: Warning Against Sexual Sin


my sonwisdomunderstandingknowledgedeath lifeunderline any instructions in greenunderline any consequences in red

1 My son, be attentive to my wisdom; incline your ear to my understanding,2 that you may keep discretion, and your lips may guard knowledge.3 For the lips of a forbidden woman drip honey,and her speech is smoother than oil,4 but in the end she is bitter as wormwood,sharp as a two-edged sword.5 Her feet go down to death;her steps follow the path to Sheol;6 she does not ponder the path of life;her ways wander, and she does not know it.7 And now, O sons, listen to me,and do not depart from the words of my mouth.8 Keep your way far from her,and do not go near the door of her house,9 lest you give your honor to othersand your years to the merciless,10 lest strangers take their fill of your strength,and your labors go to the house of a foreigner,11 and at the end of your life you groan,when your flesh and body are consumed,12 and you say, “How I hated discipline,and my heart despised reproof!13 I did not listen to the voice of my teachersor incline my ear to my instructors.14 I am at the brink of utter ruinin the assembled congregation.”

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20 Why should you be intoxicated, my son, with a forbidden womanand embrace the bosom of an adulteress?21 For a man's ways are before the eyes of the Lord,and he ponders all his paths.22 The iniquities of the wicked ensnare him,and he is held fast in the cords of his sin.23 He dies for lack of discipline,and because of his great folly he is led astray.

The next several days, we are going to take a look in Proverbs 5-7 at what it says about sexual sin in particular. Sex is a pervasive theme in our culture and there is a strong temptation for young people today to engage in sex before they get married. But Proverbs has some pretty strong warnings for us that we would be wise to pay attention to. Knowing and obeying what God says about this important topic will save us much heartache.

What instruction is given in verse 1 again? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Why are we to do this? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The word discretion comes from a Hebrew word meaning to purpose or consider. When we possess wisdom, it will help us to consider the path before us and carefully choose the right one. Solomon is telling his son, that if he listens carefully to wisdom and understanding, that will ensure that he will always have discretion.

In verse 2, another result of having wisdom is that our “lips may guard knowledge.” It is through the mouth that knowledge is passed from one person to another.

Why do you think a wise person's lips will guard knowledge? What is this talkingabout? What kind of speech will a wise person have? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Read Malachi 2:7. What do we learn from this verse about lips guarding knowledge? Does this give you any more insight into the meaning of this phrase?______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

This phrase “guard knowledge” is only used twice in the Bible - in the two verses we just looked at - and it is interesting that the lips are mentioned in both instances. Have you ever heard someone speak, and as soon as they started talking, you could tell they didn't know what they were talking about? Our words can guard (protect) knowledge or they can show that we have no knowledge at all.

A wise person's lips will guard knowledge, because when they speak, wisdom willbe displayed in their words, or they will know when it is time to be quiet.

In verses 2 and 3, we see a contrast between the lips of a wise person and the lips of a forbidden woman. The forbidden woman is “strange woman” in the Hebrew.It refers to a woman who is out of place and does not belong with the man she is with. Later in the chapter, she is referred to as an adulteress.

In verse 3, how are the lips of the forbidden woman described? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Proverbs 7:14-21 describes her smooth speech. What things does she say to the young man to entice him? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A wise person will be able to discern, that although what she says sounds pleasantand enticing, he should stay away! Proverbs describes the speech of a foreign woman as smooth (2:16, 6:24, 7:5, 7:21) and seductive (7:21).

What is the forbidden woman revealed to be in the end according to verse 4? _______________________________________________________________________

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Compare this verse with Psalm 55:21. This shows us the importance of being discerning of someone's speech. Butter and oil seem smooth and innocent enough, but in the end, the result is war and drawn swords, which speak of death and destruction.

What does Ecclesiastes 7:26 say about this woman? _______________________________________________________________________

What kind of man escapes her according to this verse? _______________________________________________________________________

Philip Yancey once said, “If God does not want something for me, I should not want it either.” No matter how fun and exciting sexual sin might seem in the moment, God is warning us that it will only bring harm and heartache to us in the end.

According to verse 5, where does the path of the forbidden woman end? _______________________________________________________________________

Romans 6:23 reminds us that the wages of sin is death. Anytime we sin, we get paid with death and we feel its effects in our relationships and the consequences we have to endure. Sin deals with us based on the merit system. We get what wedeserve and it is not pleasant or pretty in the end.

In Proverbs 5:9-14, list all the consequences that come to those who engage in sexual sin. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What consequences are mentioned in Proverbs 5:22-23? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Because the consequences are so severe, what does Solomon tell his son in Proverbs 5:8? _______________________________________________________________________

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Because sexual sin is so enticing, we are warned to stay far away from it and to not go anywhere near it. It is never wise to see how close we can get to sin without really “sinning”, but it is especially true in regards to sexual sin. We should run away from it as if our life depended on it – and as we have seen in Proverbs already – our life does depend on it!

Proverbs tells us something about those who engage in sexual sin. What does Proverbs 5:12-13 say about them? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What does Proverbs 6:32 and 7:7 say? _______________________________________________________________________

These verses speak of the person who has been warned about the dangers of engaging in any sexual activity outside the bonds of marriage, but chose to ignore the warning.

Because they did not listen, what does Proverbs 5:14 say about them? _______________________________________________________________________

Based on the context, what has caused their utter ruin? _______________________________________________________________________

Refusing to listen to God and go our own way, will ruin us, but Proverbs points out that we will have utter ruin. The word 'utter' speaks of a completeness or a totality of something. Unrepentant sexual sin will not only affect one area of our lives. It ripples out to destroy marriages, families, and friendships. Finances can be affected if the person goes to great lengths to cover up the affair. Most importantly, it affects our walk with God, and because of that, it will affect every other area of our lives as well.

What truth does Solomon share in Proverbs 5:21 that we should always be mindful of? _______________________________________________________________________

The word ponders could also be translated to weigh or balance. We may be able to hide our sin from other people, but not from God and he will righteously judge

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all our actions. “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the heart.” - Proverbs 21:2

According to Proverbs 5:22, what is it that ensnares and entangles us? _______________________________________________________________________

What does Romans 6:16 remind us of? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What does Proverbs 5:23 say the ultimate price is that he will pay? _______________________________________________________________________

Through our study today, we have clearly seen the devastating consequences of sexual sin and this should deter us from wanting to go down that road. A momentof pleasure is not worth the continuing consequences we will face.

Are there any changes you need to make in the way you think about sex before marriage based on what you learned today? What has stood out to you the most in your study today? Write your thoughts below. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Day 17: Proverbs 6:20-35: More Warnings About Sexual Sin

Mark the following words in this passage:my soncommandment, teachinglifeunderline any instructions in greenunderline any rewards in blueunderline any consequences in red

20 My son, keep your father's commandment,and forsake not your mother's teaching.21 Bind them on your heart always;tie them around your neck.22 When you walk, they will lead you;when you lie down, they will watch over you;and when you awake, they will talk with you.23 For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light,and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life,24 to preserve you from the evil woman,from the smooth tongue of the adulteress.25 Do not desire her beauty in your heart,and do not let her capture you with her eyelashes;26 for the price of a prostitute is only a loaf of bread,but a married woman hunts down a precious life.27 Can a man carry fire next to his chestand his clothes not be burned?28 Or can one walk on hot coalsand his feet not be scorched?29 So is he who goes in to his neighbor's wife;none who touches her will go unpunished.30 People do not despise a thief if he stealsto satisfy his appetite when he is hungry,31 but if he is caught, he will pay sevenfold;he will give all the goods of his house.32 He who commits adultery lacks sense;he who does it destroys himself.33 He will get wounds and dishonor,and his disgrace will not be wiped away.34 For jealousy makes a man furious,and he will not spare when he takes revenge.35 He will accept no compensation;he will refuse though you multiply gifts.

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In verses 20-21, write down what our response should be to God's commands. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Examine your heart and ask yourself if this is the attitude you have towards God's Word. Do you keep God's Word close to you? Do you guard your schedule so you always have time to read it? Do you keep God's commands and obey what He says or is it all just “head knowledge”?

Verse 22 tells us why we should keep God's Word. As we walk through life, what will the Scripture do for us? _______________________________________________________________________

It is never a good feeling to be walking somewhere when you don't know the way.God promises us that His Word will lead us, but in order for it to do that, it has to be in front us of! We have to be reading it and looking in the pages of Scripture. The Bible gives us advice on so many different topics – marriage, sex, finances, our attitude towards the government, raising children, and how we should interactwith others in any given circumstance. If we will only open it up, it will be our guide through life!

What will God's Word do for us when we lie down? _______________________________________________________________________

We see a similar verse in Proverbs 3:24. It says, “If you lie down, you will not be afraid, when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.”

Why do you think that if we have kept God's Word close to us and obeyed it thatthis is a mentioned as a benefit for us? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What do the commands of Scripture do for us while we are awake? _______________________________________________________________________

I love this because it shows how God's Word is alive and personal to us. As we read it, God's Spirit interacts with our spirit and He communicates with us - if we are willing to listen!

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According to verse 23, how are God's commands and his teaching described? _______________________________________________________________________

I grew up as a child in Brazil and lived near the Amazon rain forest. Since we were not near a city, when the sun went down, it got very dark. It normally was not a good idea to be out at night, but a few times we had to walk back home in the dark and you always made sure you had a flashlight! That flashlight did not shine very far ahead of you, but it shed enough light on the path to see the next few steps. That's how God's Word is too. We often can't see what we should do far into the future, but Scripture does give us enough light so we can take another step. God's Word is the light that helps us walk safely in the surrounding darkness.

What does verse 23 say the reproofs of discipline are? _______________________________________________________________________

Reproof refers to rebuke or correction. The light of God's Word also shines into our hearts, often pointing out areas than need to be rebuked or corrected. The reason God does this is to discipline us, or to teach us to follow Him more closely.God says this is the way of life. Correction might be unpleasant and feel like death to us, but God assures us it will bring life!

Compare Proverbs 10:17. What does this verse say about those who listen to instruction? _______________________________________________________________________

Proverbs 14:12 says “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.” God tells us that to be on the path to life, we need to listen to instruction and correction.

What other benefit does God's Word provide in verse 24? _______________________________________________________________________

I find it interesting that sexual sin in particular is singled out. When we listen, guard and obey God's Word, it works to save us from the way of immorality.

From verse 25, we see that sexual sin appeals to our flesh and is attractive to us, but the light of God's Word will help us to see that this lifestyle is very dangerous

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– and it will help us to avoid it.

Translators have differed a little on verse 26, but I think both interpretations are true. The NKJV indicates that a man can be reduced to poverty (a loaf of bread) by spending his money on a prostitute. Other translations say that a harlot can be hired for a loaf of bread. I think both ideas show the harm that prostitution can do. It is a cheap thrill that ruins us in the end.

Verse 26 seems to make a contrast between a harlot who can be hired for very little and a married woman who is an adulteress.

What does the married adulteress do? _______________________________________________________________________

This seems to indicate the married woman who pursues after a man who is not herhusband. A man not on guard can lose his life to an adulteress.

Verses 27 and 28 give us some graphic word pictures of what happens to those who give in to the sexual sin of adultery. What examples are mentioned? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I think of walking on hot coals as being especially painful! You would end up with blisters and not even be able to walk. Solomon is giving us a vivid picture that those who engage in immortality are going to get burnt and they are going to get hurt! Nobody in their right mind who saw hot coals on the ground would walk over them in their bare feet. But that is what people do all the time with sex outside of marriage. Solomon warns us not to go there!

In verses 29-35, Solomon describes how we will get “burnt” and explains the consequences that we will have to live with.

In verse 29, what is the first consequence mentioned? _______________________________________________________________________

He then uses the example of a thief that is caught stealing who will have to pay back seven times for what he has stolen. Sexual sin will cost us dearly. I don't know who said it, but it is true: “Sin will take you farther than you want to go,

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keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you want to pay.”

According to verse 32, the one who commits adultery lacks sense or is unwise. They don't realize all it will cost them.

What other consequence is mentioned in verse 32? _______________________________________________________________________

Self-destruction is one of the saddest and most painful things to watch. I'm sure we have all seen people make choices that we know are going to ruin them, and yet they persist in their destructive choices. Adultery is a sin that will destroy and ruin our lives, leaving a wake of pain and guilt behind.

What consequences are mentioned in verse 33? _______________________________________________________________________

The word for wounds can also be translated plague of disease. It comes from a Hebrew word meaning to touch or strike and is often used in the Old Testament ofGod being the one who is meting out the punishment or disease. Aside from emotional wounds, there is often physical disease that is associated with sexual sinas well.

Dishonor speaks of the lowering of someones's social position and disgrace refers to casting blame or scorn on someone.

Read Romans 1:21. Who is not being honored in this verse? _______________________________________________________________________

Now read Romans 1:24. What is being dishonored in this verse? _______________________________________________________________________

When we fail to honor God, we end up dishonoring ourselves. We all want to be respected and honored, but God's Word tells us that we actually dishonor our own bodies when we give in to sexual sin. When we dishonor ourselves in this way, we will also be dishonored in the eyes of other people. This particular sin has lasting shame and disgrace.

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According to Proverbs 6:34-35, what is another consequence we will have to deal with? _______________________________________________________________________

These verses give us a picture of an angry, jealous spouse who has been cheated on. They will not be able to be appeased and they will take full revenge on the one who has slept with their spouse. It paints a picture of a really ugly situation between people!

Whenever you are tempted to give in to sexual sin, remember this passage and remind yourself that it is not worth it! It leads down the path to death and there will be lasting, painful consequences. Remember, God lets us choose our path, but he doesn't let us choose the consequences!

At the beginning of this passage, we were encouraged to not forsake God's Word because it would preserve us from adultery. It is a mine field out there and temptations abound. How important it is to guard and keep God's Word so that we can avoid this destructive path.

What steps do you need to take right now to assure that you will not be caught in the tangle of sexual sin? Are there any changes you need to make? Is there a bad habit you need to stop doing or some good habit you need to implement? Spend some time with the Lord and ask him to examine your heart.

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Day 18: Proverbs 7:1-5: Our attitude towards wisdom


my sonwords, commandments, teachingwisdominsightliveunderline any instructions in greenunderline any rewards in blue

1 My son, keep my wordsand treasure up my commandments with you;2 keep my commandments and live;keep my teaching as the apple of your eye;3 bind them on your fingers;write them on the tablet of your heart.4 Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”and call insight your intimate friend,5 to keep you from the forbidden woman,from the adulteress with her smooth words.

Three times in the first two verses we are told to keep God's words. It means to observe or give heed to. In other words, we are to obey!

We are to treasure up God's commands. We store or treasure up things that have value in order to keep them safe, but when we treasure up God's Word, it keeps us safe!

The phrase “the apple of your eye” is an idiom for something that is precious or cherished. The ancients thought that the pupil looked like an apple. We guard and protect our eyes because they are very important to us. Is this how you feel about God's Word?

Describe what the teaching of God's Word means to you in your life right now. What is your response and your attitude towards it? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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What are we told to do with the Word in verse 3? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Several times in Scripture we see a similar admonition of keeping God's Word close to us by binding or tying it to us. In Proverbs 3:3, we are told to “bind them around your neck.” The idea of binding the Word to our fingers seems to indicate that Scripture should guide everything we do. Whatever we put our hands to do, God's Word should be directing us.

Is there an endeavor you are involved in, a project you have taken on, or just an everyday duty that you are trying to do without being connected to God's Word? God's Word should be tied to us in whatever we do!

Read 2 Timothy 3:16-17. What important function does the Word do for us according to verse 17? _______________________________________________________________________

We cannot be equipped to serve the Lord if we are not in His Word. Our service flows out from time spent in the Word.

According to Proverbs 7:4, what kind of relationship should we have with wisdom and insight? _______________________________________________________________________

We should treat wisdom and insight the same way we would treat those that we love the most.

A sister knows you very well because you grew up in the same household. An intimate friend is one you have shared personal information with and is someonewho understands you. If your sister or a close friend offered advice to you, what would be your response? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

For young people, the opinion of their friends is very important to them. But instead of running to our friends for advice, first we should turn to the pages of God's Word.

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What protection does God's Word offer us based on verse 5? _______________________________________________________________________

There does seem to be a contrast in relationships between verses 4 and 5. If we have treated wisdom with the respect we would give a sister, it will keep us from inappropriate sexual relationships with other women.

Again the term 'forbidden woman', means strange or not acquainted with, foreign.We should not be intimately acquainted with a woman (or man) that we are not married to. Certainly this refers to the physical aspect, but it also can carry with it an emotional and relational aspect. A wise person guards how much they share with one who is not their spouse.

The point of these first five verses is to remind us that we are to be intimately acquainted with wisdom and insight. We are to treasure and keep God's Word close to us. We are to honor it by obeying it. God's Word should be precious and valuable to us so that we respect and do what it says. In whatever we do, we are to be intimately acquainted with God's Word so that it can act as our guide. In turn, we will be protected specifically from the dangers of sexual sin.

How much time do you spend reading the Word every day? Does your attitude and response to Scripture line up with what you are reading here in Proverbs? Isthe Lord making you aware of any adjustments you need to make? Write your thoughts below. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Tomorrow, we will look at a picture of someone who has not treasured God's Word. Proverbs gives us a “case study” so to speak of what this looks like and where that path will lead.

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Day 19: Proverbs 7:6-27: Warning Against Adultery


simplemark any words that describe the adulteressmark any actions that she doeso sonsunderline any consequences mentioned in redunderline any instructions in green

6 For at the window of my houseI have looked out through my lattice,7 and I have seen among the simple,I have perceived among the youths,a young man lacking sense,8 passing along the street near her corner,taking the road to her house9 in the twilight, in the evening,at the time of night and darkness.10 And behold, the woman meets him,dressed as a prostitute, wily of heart.11 She is loud and wayward;her feet do not stay at home;12 now in the street, now in the market,and at every corner she lies in wait.13 She seizes him and kisses him,and with bold face she says to him,14 “I had to offer sacrifices,and today I have paid my vows;15 so now I have come out to meet you,to seek you eagerly, and I have found you.16 I have spread my couch with coverings,colored linens from Egyptian linen;17 I have perfumed my bed with myrrh,aloes, and cinnamon.18 Come, let us take our fill of love till morning;let us delight ourselves with love.19 For my husband is not at home;he has gone on a long journey;20 he took a bag of money with him;at full moon he will come home.”

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21 With much seductive speech she persuades him;with her smooth talk she compels him.22 All at once he follows her,as an ox goes to the slaughter,or as a stag is caught fast23 till an arrow pierces its liver;as a bird rushes into a snare;he does not know that it will cost him his life.24 And now, O sons, listen to me,and be attentive to the words of my mouth.25 Let not your heart turn aside to her ways;do not stray into her paths,26 for many a victim has she laid low,and all her slain are a mighty throng.27 Her house is the way to Sheol,going down to the chambers of death.

Let's take a look first at the youth described in this passage, as we want to avoid the mistakes that he makes. Notice that twice he is referred to as a youth and a young man so this is especially pertinent to young people.

How is he described in verse 7? _______________________________________________________________________

Again, the word simple means one who is easily deceived. Lacking sense is an interesting phrase. It could literally be translated “lacking heart.” It speaks of “internal corruption, formally, ruin of the heart.” It means to “engage in a behavior which is a moral deviation from what is right.” 17

Because this young man has not had a close relationship with God or His Word, he is easily deceived and his heart has become corrupted. He is unable to see the danger in front of him.

What is the first mistake he makes in verse 8? _______________________________________________________________________

Putting ourselves near a sinful opportunity or situation is very dangerous. We are not strong enough on our own to say 'no.'


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Instead of going near, what should we do? See 2 Timothy 2:22. _______________________________________________________________________

In verse 9, what time of the day does he go out? _______________________________________________________________________

It should be a red flag to us if we wait to engage in any activity until after dark. Read Job 24:13-15. What do we learn here? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

So as we step back and profile this man, we see that he is young, easily deceived and corrupt. He makes himself available to sin by putting himself near it, and he waits until his actions can be hidden under the cover of darkness.

In verse 10, what does the forbidden woman do? _______________________________________________________________________

If we make ourselves available, sin will meet us!

How is the woman described in verse 10? _______________________________________________________________________

This is interesting because it literally means 'guarded in heart'. She is quick and willing to share her body with him, but she is not willing to have a meaningful relationship with him. Her heart is guarded and she will not let him in. It speaks of the shallowness to this type of sexual relationship.

In verses 11 and 12, what do we learn about this woman? What is she like? How does she act? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

She is loud and commands attention. Certainly opportunities for sexual sin are shoved in our face in our culture. We must learn to ignore the loud cry of the adulteress.

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She is wayward. The root in the Hebrew speaks of a stubborn or obstinate attitudethat leads to rebellion.

Where can she be found? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

She is in public places and “at every corner.” This warns us that sexual temptationis always before us and we must be on guard. It is not something that we might beconfronted with only occasionally. The adulteress makes herself readily available and the wise person will not go near her. It says that she 'lies in wait' for unsuspecting men. It literally means to ambush. When we put ourselves in a position to be tempted, it is easy for us to be ambushed and before we know it, wehave given in to the sin.

Not only does the adulteress make herself readily available, she is proactive in herpursuit of men. Verse 13 tells us that she is bold as she grabs him and kisses him.

What does she tell him in verse 14? What do you think she means by this? Why would she tell him this? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

When she refers to her religious activity, perhaps the young man thinks she is okay! We should always be wary of anyone who brags about their religion but whose life does not back up what they claim to believe. Young people, don't just look for someone who says they are Christian, look for a mate who is in love with Jesus and that will be lived out in their lives. This naive young man is easily duped by her “Christian” talk and the noose tightens around him.

In verse 15 what else does she tell him that continues to draw him in? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

We all want to be desired and sought after. How tempting it is when someone expresses interest in us. The adulteress says, “I want you!” Remember, she only isinterested in his body, not his heart or soul. The wise person will recognize this and flee.

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What does she entice him with in verses 16-18? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

How does she reassure him in verses 19-20? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

This is a popular line of the enemy. We convince ourselves that no one will find out. But God knows! Proverbs 5:21 reminds us “For a man's ways are before theeyes of the Lord, and he ponders all his paths.”

What is the youth's response in verses 21-23? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

She persuades and compels him with her smooth speech and he follows her, not realizing he is walking into a trap.

What three examples does Solomon use to show us that this decision will cost him his life? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

These are all pretty graphic pictures of animals who are going to die. The young man too, will experience the effects of death and life as he once knew it will be over. Relationships will be ruined, his walk with God will be affected and he will have to live with difficult consequences he never anticipated.

You can almost hear Solomon pleading with his sons at this point. What instruction does he give in verse 24? _______________________________________________________________________

He begs them to listen and be attentive to what he is telling them. The short night of pleasure will not be worth it in the end! Sexual sin leads to death in a number of different ways.

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What is his advice in verse 25? _______________________________________________________________________

Again the warning is repeated to stay far away. Don't even go near the temptation! Run away as far as you can and don't look back!

In verses 26-27, why are we told to avoid the adulteress at all costs? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

We see the choice to engage in sexual sin results in ruin, destruction and death. Itall sounded good at the outset. The woman seemed spiritual, she was attractive and desirable and promised a good time. He was reassured that there was no wayhe would get caught! But in the end the young man was brought low as he travelled down the road of death. How much heartache could be avoided in our culture, if people would read the warnings given here in chapter 7 of Proverbs!

Go back and read the first five verses in this chapter that we studied yesterday. What is our defense against sexual sin? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Maybe you are reading this and you have not given in to sexual sin. That's wonderful, but don't think that you are above it. Pay attention to the warning! Be aware and run from the temptation! “The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it.” Proverbs 22:3.

But maybe you are reading this and you have already given in to sexual sin. It is not too late and there is hope! The moment we humble ourselves before the Lord, acknowledge our sin, and start listening to the Lord, we have his favor. It is not to say there will not still be consequences for our past choices, but God can still use us for His glory, the moment we turn back to Him.

Proverbs 3:34 says “Toward the scorners He (the Lord) is scornful, but to the humble He gives favor.” James 5:6 reminds us that God gives grace to the humble. Those who have sinned are in need of grace, and God kindly offers us His grace when we come before Him in humility and acknowledge our sin.

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The past cannot be changed, but what attitude should those who have sinned have based on Philippians 3:12-14? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A few verses earlier, Paul had written in detail what he was like before he came toChrist. But now, Paul wants to forget those things that are behind. He does not want to stay in a place of regret that would prevent him from serving the Lord where he is now.

In order for our past not to weigh us down with guilt, we have to remember that God has forgiven us. If the Lord has wiped away our guilt through His blood, it is pointless and counter-productive for us to hold on to it. Instead, we should continue walking ahead always focused on God's high calling on our life and the prize before us.

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Day 20: Proverbs 8:1-11: The Call of Wisdom


wisdom and all related pronounssimple, foolsrighteousknowledgeinstructionunderline how the words of wisdom are described

1 Does not wisdom call?Does not understanding raise her voice?2 On the heights beside the way,at the crossroads she takes her stand;3 beside the gates in front of the town,at the entrance of the portals she cries aloud:4 “To you, O men, I call,and my cry is to the children of man.5 O simple ones, learn prudence;O fools, learn sense.6 Hear, for I will speak noble things,and from my lips will come what is right,7 for my mouth will utter truth;wickedness is an abomination to my lips.8 All the words of my mouth are righteous;there is nothing twisted or crooked in them.9 They are all straight to him who understands,and right to those who find knowledge.10 Take my instruction instead of silver,and knowledge rather than choice gold,11 for wisdom is better than jewels,and all that you may desire cannot compare with her.

Yesterday we looked at the call of the adulteress, today we are going to look at thecall of wisdom.

In verse 1, we learn that wisdom is calling out to us and raising her voice. Just as the adulteress made herself available to the young man, wisdom is calling to us. Which voice will you choose to listen to?

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In verses 2-3, where is wisdom calling? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

These are all public places! Wisdom is not trying to hide herself from us, but is calling to us in the places that we go every day.

Who is wisdom calling to specifically in verses 4-5? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Wisdom is calling to every person, even the foolish and the simple. None are excluded from her invitation.

What does she promise to give in verse 5? _______________________________________________________________________

Prudence means to be skillfully wise. In the negative form of the word, it speaks of someone who is skilled in being crafty or one who has guile. But a prudent person skillfully uses God's Word to help them navigate through life and make good decisions.

Wisdom will help us to learn sense. Again this word for sense is the same word we looked at earlier and is usually translated 'heart'. In this context it has the idea of being responsive. It means to “have a response to God, with a focus on being alive, as a figurative extension of having a heart made of soft-tissue and alive, so it can be flexible, or penetrated.”18

This is something that must be learned. Our heart naturally is inclined to harden when we are not listening to the Lord. As we continue to listen to the wisdom of God's Word, we learn to have a responsive heart to even the difficult things that God might point out to us.

In verses 6-9, list every word mentioned that describes what wisdom is. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


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In verses 7-8, what does it say wisdom is not? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Let's take a look first at the positive aspects of wisdom. In verse 6, the word noble speaks of revealing things that are high or previously unknown to an individual. God's ways are higher than our ways, but through the study of God's Word, we will attain wisdom and things previously unknown to us will become obvious and clear.

Next we learn that wisdom will always tell us what is right and the truth. Wisdom will never lie to us, but will always speak the truth, even when it is hard for us to hear.

The words of wisdom are described as being righteous. It has the idea of conforming to a moral or ethical standard. In the age of relativism, wisdom reminds us that there is a standard that we are to conform to. It is not up to us to decide what is right and wrong. Wisdom tells us how to live.

In verse 9, wisdom is described as being straight as opposed to crooked. The word in the Hebrew is a synonym for righteous and could also be translated as upright. It also has the idea of being honest, truthful and sincere.

Now let's look at what wisdom is not. In verse 7, we learn that wisdom will nevertell us anything that is wicked. It will never lead us down a path that is wrong or sinful.

Lastly, we learn that the words of wisdom are not twisted or crooked. This speaksof being perverse. The world will twist the truth of God's Word as they try to put anegative spin on what God is really saying to us. We can be assured that wisdom is not like that. It will always tell us the truth, never twist it.

As we look back at this list, we see the incredible value of wisdom and uncorrupted wisdom can only be found in God and His Word. Often, we can't trust what people tell us or we may be unclear of a hidden agenda or motive. But wisdom will never lead us astray, will always tell us the painful truth for our good,and it will never lead us down the path towards sin. Solomon is trying to convince us that wisdom is worth pursuing and paying attention to!

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What comparison is made in verses 10-11? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

First we are told to receive (obey) instruction and knowledge. When we do this, itis better than having gold or silver. Normally, when we think of receiving instruction, it's not something that we look at as being particularly enjoyable. We like to be the ones telling others what to do! But when we listen and obey what God tells us from His word, God says it is better than being rich!

What benefits can you think of that we have looked at so far from the book of Proverbs that receiving instruction and knowledge would give us? Cite the references for your points. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

For the second time in the book of Proverbs (also 3:15) we are told that nothing we desire here on earth can compare with wisdom. Actually, It is interesting that it says “all that you may desire” can't compare with wisdom. If you totaled up all your desires and then actually got your “wish list”, it would still be inferior to the benefits that wisdom can offer us.

What things do you desire? Be specific and list them below. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Now look at your list. God is telling you that if you do not receive any of the things on your list, that is okay, as long as you have wisdom! This might be a hardtruth for us to believe. Some things are near and dear to our hearts and it is painful to think that we may never receive them. But we have to believe God's Word. He tells us that the wisdom that is found in Him and His Word, is better than anything else in this world. If God says something is good and important, then we would do well to run hard after it!

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Day 21: Proverbs 8:12-21: Wisdom Personified


wisdom and all related pronounsfear of the Lordevilrighteousnessunderline any rewards that come with wisdom in blue

12 “I, wisdom, dwell with prudence,and I find knowledge and discretion.13 The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil.Pride and arrogance and the way of eviland perverted speech I hate.14 I have counsel and sound wisdom;I have insight; I have strength.15 By me kings reign,and rulers decree what is just;16 by me princes rule,and nobles, all who govern justly.17 I love those who love me,and those who seek me diligently find me.18 Riches and honor are with me,enduring wealth and righteousness.19 My fruit is better than gold, even fine gold,and my yield than choice silver.20 I walk in the way of righteousness,in the paths of justice,21 granting an inheritance to those who love me,and filling their treasuries.

Verses 12-31 are written in the first person from wisdom's perspective. Wisdom is speaking to us directly.

According to verse 12, what three things accompany wisdom? _______________________________________________________________________

A wise person will be skillful in navigating through tricky situations, they will haveknowledge about the subject at hand and they will display discretion. Discretion refers to intent and having a purpose or a plan. In this case, the wise person

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would purpose to listen to the Lord.

Since the fear of the Lord is the beginning of our journey towards wisdom, it is important to know what it looks like. How does verse 13 characterize the fear ofthe Lord? _______________________________________________________________________

How do you think fearing God and hating evil are related? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The more that we fear the Lord, the more we come to hate the things that he hates. From verse 13, what does God hate? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The rest of this section shows us what wisdom looks like practically, meaning that a wise person will display these characteristics in their life. What four things are mentioned in verse 14? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A wise person will be able to offer counsel to others from God's Word. His advicewill be sound and true. A wise person will also have insight and will be able to discern between good and evil.

It is also interesting to note that the wise person is characterized as having strength. Note what Ecclesiastes 7:19 says. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Why do you think a wise person will be strong? Read the following verses for some hints.Proverbs 14:26 _______________________________________________________________________

Proverbs 18:10 _______________________________________________________________________

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Proverbs 24:4-5 _______________________________________________________________________

Ecclesiastes 10:10 _______________________________________________________________________

1 John 2:14. What makes a person strong from this verse? _______________________________________________________________________

What does wisdom do for leaders from verses 15-16? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In verse 17, it says that wisdom loves those that love it and seek after it. Compare verse 17 to John 14:21 to help you understand what this looks like practically. If we love wisdom, what will we do according to the verse in John? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What reassurance are we given if we seek after wisdom diligently? _______________________________________________________________________

What does Hebrews 11:6 say? _______________________________________________________________________

What does Proverbs 13:13 tell us? _______________________________________________________________________

In Proverbs 8:18-22, we are told what some of those rewards are. What rewardsare mentioned in verse 18? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In the Old Testament, the Israelites were promised physical blessings if they followed and obeyed the Lord – that is if they walked in wisdom. You can read Deuteronomy 28:1-14 to see all of God's promises to Israel. Today in the Church age, we are not guaranteed physical riches, but the New Testament tells us we canenjoy the riches of God's grace (Ephesians 1:7), the riches of His mercy (Ephesians

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2:4), the riches of His glory (Ephesians 3:16), and the Holy Spirit has been richly poured out upon us.

In verse 18, the wise will also be rewarded with honor and righteousness. The word honor is also translated glory. The point is not that the wise person will be honored, but that their actions would honor the Lord and bring Him glory. The wise person will also be given righteousness, a right standing before God because they have submitted to Him in humility.

Based on what you have learned about wisdom so far, why do you think verse 19says that having wisdom is better than having gold or silver? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

According to verse 20, on what kind of paths will wisdom lead us? _______________________________________________________________________

Righteousness is conforming to an ethical or moral standard. In short, it is doing what is right. The wise person will walk down the right path, even if he has to walk alone and even if it costs him in the short term, because he knows in the end, he will be rewarded for it.

In verse 21, what is granted to those who love wisdom? _______________________________________________________________________

In Israel, the inheritance they were granted was the Promised Land (Acts 13:19). In the New Testament we are told we can inherit eternal life (Hebrews 1:14).

What do we learn about our inheritance according to 1 Peter 1:3-5? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

From this section we have seen that those who are wise know how to discern between good and evil and they hate things that are evil. The wise will give sound counsel and insight and will know how to govern with justice. In and of ourselves, none of us can do these things. Wisdom is not something that we can muster up, rather it flows out of our relationship with God, the author of all

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wisdom. So when you read through Proverbs and you see the word wisdom, it is really describing someone who is walking in a close relationship with the Lord and listening to Him. Then these character traits will be evident and the person will be recognized as being wise because it is God in them, for in Him “are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3).

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Day 22: Proverbs 8:22-31: Wisdom Personified

In this section, mark every reference to wisdom, including pronouns

22 “The Lord possessed me at the beginning of his work,the first of his acts of old.23 Ages ago I was set up,at the first, before the beginning of the earth.24 When there were no depths I was brought forth,when there were no springs abounding with water.25 Before the mountains had been shaped,before the hills, I was brought forth,26 before he had made the earth with its fields,or the first of the dust of the world.27 When he established the heavens, I was there;when he drew a circle on the face of the deep,28 when he made firm the skies above,when he established[c] the fountains of the deep,29 when he assigned to the sea its limit,so that the waters might not transgress his command,when he marked out the foundations of the earth,30 then I was beside him, like a master workman,and I was daily his delight,rejoicing before him always,31 rejoicing in his inhabited worldand delighting in the children of man.32 “And now, O sons, listen to me:blessed are those who keep my ways.33 Hear instruction and be wise,and do not neglect it.34 Blessed is the one who listens to me,watching daily at my gates,waiting beside my doors.35 For whoever finds me finds lifeand obtains favor from the Lord,36 but he who fails to find me injures himself;all who hate me love death.”

According to verse 22, what is the source of all wisdom? _______________________________________________________________________

So really in the rest of this section, anytime you see a reference to wisdom, you could substitute 'the Lord' in its place. This section describes everything God has

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done in wisdom.

When did wisdom get its start according to verse 23? _______________________________________________________________________

Verses 24-26 just explain verse 23. Note all the things mentioned that wisdom was before. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Verses 27-29 describe everything God did in wisdom. Note them below._____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What does Jeremiah 10:12 tell us? ____________________________________________________________________________

Psalm 104:24 says “O LORD, how manifold are your works! In wisdom have you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.” 19 When one looks at the physical world, it is easy to be astounded at the intricacy of the human eye or the vastness of the stars above. The world was spoken into existence in God's perfect wisdom.

So why does Solomon take the time to remind us that God created everything in wisdom? What is the point for us practically?

Read Psalm 19:1-4. Why is it important that we can look at the created world and marvel? What is creation supposed to point us to? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

According to these verses, the skies and the heavens declare God's glory and show his handiwork. It is on display for the whole universe – people from every tongue and tribe can look up and see that this world must have been created by an all-wise, all-powerful God. Psalms tells us that no one is excluded from seeing

19 The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. 2001 (Ps 104:24). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

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this clear witness from creation.

What does Romans 1:19-20 tell us is the reason God gave us creation to look at? What does it tell us about God? _______________________________________________________________________

God has revealed his character to us in the world he has created. Romans 1:19 tells us that what can be known about God has been plainly revealed to us in creation. We can see his wisdom, faithfulness, power, beauty, and love in the things He has made.

In Proverbs 8:30-31, what was God's attitude as he wisely created the world? _______________________________________________________________________

This verse paints a picture of God smiling in delight as he created each part of the universe. How it must have thrilled him as he created the deep oceans, the high mountains and breathtaking galaxies. He intricately created all the different varieties of flowers and birds. You can almost hear his cries of delight as each aspect of creation was unveiled. But the pinnacle of everything he created was mankind – we were His final masterpiece! Proverbs tell us that God delighted in creating the children of men.

What is God's desire for us according to Jeremiah 9:23-24? _______________________________________________________________________

God wants us to know Him! He is the author of all wisdom and people everywhere can look around and see the wonders of all that He has made. The witness of creation is to draw us to the Lord so that we can know the God of all wisdom.

Based on Solomon's description of the God of wisdom in the previous verses, what instructions are we given in Proverbs 8:32-33? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Again we are told to listen, to hear, to not neglect what we are being told! We aretold to watch daily and to wait. It gives the idea of being attentive and listening with expectation to the words of wisdom.

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What rewards are mentioned in verse 35 for those who are wise? _______________________________________________________________________

Life has been mentioned several times here in Proverbs as a reward. Read John 17:3. How is life described in this verse? _______________________________________________________________________

Read the following verses and note what kind of people find favor from the Lord.

Psalm 5:12 _______________________________________________________________________Psalm 84:11 _______________________________________________________________________Proverbs 3:34 _______________________________________________________________________Proverbs 12:2 _______________________________________________________________________

All of these things describe a wise person. The word favor can also be translated pleasure or delight. The wise person delights the Lord. Oh, how I want to be one that the Lord finds pleasure in! Those who are righteous, walk uprightly, and are humble, are granted the favor of the God of the universe! After reading about the scope of God's creation, how wonderful it is to know that by attaining wisdom, God notices me and looks on me with favor! I can echo David's words in Psalm 8:3-4. “When I look at your heavens, and the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?” And yet he does! Not only does he notice us, but He is pleased when we pursue Him and He grants us His favor!

What does Proverbs 8:36 say about the one who does not find wisdom? _______________________________________________________________________

Those who do not seek after a relationship with God are only hurting themselves! So many get caught up doing their own thing, running their own lives and they have no time for God. Their Bibles sit idly on the shelves, they rarely go to church, and they don't consult the Lord in their decisions. Solomon tells us that this is like shooting ourselves in the foot! It is to our own harm when we don't chase after the Lord and His wisdom.

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Solomon closes by making the shocking statement that those who hate wisdom love death. I'm sure that nobody would come right out and say that they hate wisdom, but it is in our actions that this is really revealed. When we don't listen to God's Word, it is the same as hating what He has to say. And when we don't listen to God, the end result is always some form of death – whether we feel the temporary aspects of the death of a relationship or the eternal effects of being separated from God forever. By not choosing God, we are choosing death.

What has most impacted you from this section of Scripture? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Day 23: Proverbs 9:1-6: The Calls of Wisdom and Folly

In this section, mark the following words:

wisdom and all related pronounsfolly and all related pronounssimplelivedead

1 Wisdom has built her house;she has hewn her seven pillars.2 She has slaughtered her beasts; she has mixed her wine;she has also set her table.3 She has sent out her young women to callfrom the highest places in the town,4 “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”To him who lacks sense she says,5 “Come, eat of my breadand drink of the wine I have mixed.6 Leave your simple ways, and live,and walk in the way of insight.”

13 The woman Folly is loud;she is seductive and knows nothing.14 She sits at the door of her house;she takes a seat on the highest places of the town,15 calling to those who pass by,who are going straight on their way,16 “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”And to him who lacks sense she says,17 “Stolen water is sweet,and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”18 But he does not know that the dead are there,that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.

Chapter 9 can be broken up into three sections. In verses 1-6 we hear the call of wisdom and in verses 13-18 we hear the voice of folly. In the middle of those twosections, in verses 7-12, the wise person and the scoffer are contrasted.

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What has wisdom done according to verses 1-2? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What contrast do you see in how folly is described in verses 13-14? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What preparations has folly made for those she is inviting to her home? _______________________________________________________________________

We see wisdom pictured here as a hostess, preparing a banquet for any who will hear and accept her invitation. She is portrayed as being industrious and active and a wonderful feast awaits those who come to her. On the other hand, folly is pictured sitting down. She is described as loud and knowing nothing. She has notprepared any food, but rather stolen her food to serve to those who come to her house.

There has been much speculation about what the seven pillars are a reference to. Certainly in Scripture, the number seven is portrayed as a number of completion. Perhaps this refers to the fact that the wise will live in a permanent dwelling instead of going down to the grave.

Perhaps it is also a description of what wisdom looks like. Read James 3:17. What seven characteristics of wisdom are mentioned in this verse? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Compare verses 3 and 14. Where do wisdom and folly call from? _______________________________________________________________________

It is interesting to note that the calls from wisdom and folly can be heard in the same place. I think this shows us that in any situation, we have a choice if we are going to respond wisely or foolishly. We must choose which voice we are going to listen to.

Compare verses 4 and 16. Who are wisdom and folly both calling to? _______________________________________________________________________

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They both invite the simple and those who lack sense to come to their house. Remember that the simple refers to those who are easily deceived. Although their calls are identical, what is offered is very different.

What does wisdom offer in verse 5? _______________________________________________________________________

What does folly offer in verse 17? _______________________________________________________________________

How is the food offered in these verses different? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Stolen water could refer to sexual immorality. In Proverbs 5:15, Solomon urges his son to “Drink water from your own cistern, and flowing water from your own well.” The context of the surrounding verses in that passage make it clear that we are not to find our sexual fulfillment with someone other than our spouse. Folly says that this water will be sweet and pleasant, but it is an empty promise, as we will see in the following verse.

What reward does wisdom promise to those who leave their foolish way of livingin verse 6? _______________________________________________________________________

What unexpected thing awaits those who have listened to folly? _______________________________________________________________________

Folly calls and promises sexual pleasure and temporary thrills. But the end of her path leads to death. Wisdom invites all who would come to her to “walk in the way of insight” (v. 6) and find life.

Every day we have a choice about which voice we are going to listen to. Hear thewords that Moses spoke to the Israelites so many years ago. They are still relevant for us today. “I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore, choose life, that you and your offspring may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying His voice, and holding fast to Him, for He is your life and length of days.”- Deuteronomy 30:19-20.

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Day 24: Proverbs 9:7-12 :The Wise and the Scoffer


scoffer, wickedwise, wisdom correct, reproveinstruction, teachfear of the Lord

7 Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse,and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury.8 Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you;reprove a wise man, and he will love you.9 Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser;teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.11 For by me your days will be multiplied,and years will be added to your life.12 If you are wise, you are wise for yourself;if you scoff, you alone will bear it.

In these verses we will look at God's description of a mocker and a wise man. As you read, ask yourself which type of person you resemble the most.

A scoffer refers to someone who mocks others. In the Hebrew, it refers to someone who ridicules “in a sneering and contemptuous way—to ridicule, to sneer at, to show contempt for.”20

Who do you think a scoffer might be mocking? _______________________________________________________________________

Let's look at some other verses in Proverbs and see what else we can learn about a scoffer. Note what the following verses tell you.

Proverbs 13:1 _______________________________________________________________________


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Proverbs 19:29 _______________________________________________________________________Proverbs 21:24 _______________________________________________________________________Proverbs 22:10 _______________________________________________________________________Proverbs 29:8 What does this verse tell us about the destruction a scoffer can do? _______________________________________________________________________

From this definition, we get the picture of someone of who thinks they know it all. In a word, they are prideful. They look down on anyone who tries to give them any kind of instruction and they show contempt for those who would try to correctthem. They are not open to input from others. When someone does try to speak into their life, they mock and ridicule them. This type of person does great harm to themselves and others.

What three things are mentioned in verses 7-8, that happen when a mocker is corrected? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The scoffer is seen here as rejecting correction and he does not want to be reproved. In the Hebrew, correct means to discipline or to chasten through education or instruction. To reprove means to rebuke.

Instead of being thankful for instruction and correction, a scoffer verbally abuses and hurts the one trying to help him. The Bible says he hates those who try to reprove him. This portrays a person who would be very unpleasant to be around!

What is your normal response when you are corrected or rebuked? _______________________________________________________________________

According to verses 8 and 9, what happens when a wise person is given instruction and correction? What is his response and what is the result? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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The fact that a wise person needs to be corrected at times, shows that he is not perfect, but he is open to instruction and teaching from others. This is the type of person who learns from their mistakes and then becomes even wiser than before. A wise person will be thankful that someone has taken the time to care enough to correct them and they will love them for it!

Note what these two verses in Proverbs emphasize about a wise person.

Proverbs 10:8 _______________________________________________________________________Proverbs 12:15 _______________________________________________________________________

In verse 10, what important point does Solomon remind us again about wisdom? _______________________________________________________________________

In order to be a wise person, we have to fear God. You could say it is a prerequisite! At the beginning of this study, we looked at what it means to fear theLord, but let's review it again. The fear of the Lord is when our actions and speech show profound reverence, wonder or astonishment for God which results in our continuing worship of Him.

How would fearing God and having a reverent worship of Him lead you down the road toward wisdom? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What does verse 10 say knowing God will give us? _______________________________________________________________________

Insight is the ability to discern between good and evil. It is interesting that the name chosen for God in this verse highlights His holiness. When we come to know the Holy One, it will affect our actions and give us understanding in choosing between what is right and what is wrong. We will learn to hate sin the way God hates sin and His holiness will be evident in our lives.

Who or what is the “me” referring to in verse 11? _______________________________________________________________________

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When we know the Lord and possess his wisdom, a long life is given as a reward. We should not be short-sighted and think this refers to only our life on this earth. Those who have God's wisdom will live forever!

What truth is shared in verse 12 that applies to both the wise and the scoffer? _______________________________________________________________________

In our study of wisdom through Proverbs, we have seen that wisdom is not only beneficial to ourselves, but it is a blessing to those around us. In Proverbs 10:1, it says that “A wise son makes a glad father, but a foolish son is a sorrow to his mother.” From this verse, we can clearly see that our wise or foolish choices do affect other people.

But I think the point that Solomon is trying to emphasize is that we are are each accountable for our own actions. We will personally enjoy the rewards associatedwith wisdom or bear the consequences of our foolish actions.

We have looked at Galatians 6:7-8 earlier, but it bears repeating. “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Sprit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.”

In these first 9 chapters, we have been invited to listen to the call of two different voices. Folly promises short term pleasures, but pays us heartbreaking consequences in the end. Her road leads to death. Wisdom invites us to listen and pay attention to the Holy One. It will not be an easy road and will sometimesbe lonely, but in the end, we are rewarded with eternal life. Whose call will you listen to? Which voice will you choose to follow today?

Write your response to God below about what you have learned. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Day 25: Conclusion

As we conclude our study on wisdom, we want to take some time and review all that we have learned by looking at the rest of Scripture to see what it says about wisdom. Some of these verses, we have looked at earlier, but they are important.

I hope from our study, you have seen how we are not wise in and of ourselves. We are easily deceived and often don't see situations clearly or from God's perspective. It seems elemental to say that wisdom finds its source in God alone, but how often do we try to figure things out on our own?

Read Colossians 2:3 and note again what this verse says. _______________________________________________________________________

What does Job 12:13 tell us? _______________________________________________________________________

What are you going through right now that you need wisdom, strength and understanding for? The answer is found in getting to know God! God has a treasure chest full of wisdom and knowledge and He is graciously offering it to us. He will not force it on us, but is waiting for us to come and open up the chest. Wisdom is hidden for us in Christ. It is not hidden to keep it away from us, but to keep it safe for us. It is available to anyone who would seek after it and pursue it.

Wisdom is housed in a relationship with God. It is not some intangible entity that we are to grasp at like the wind. The more we know and fear the Lord, the wiser we will be. The pursuit of wisdom cannot be separated from our pursuit of God.

In Proverbs 2:6 we learned that the Lord is the one who gives wisdom. Since it comes from Him, we are told to ask Him for wisdom. James 1:5 promises us that if we ask for wisdom with a believing heart, God will give us His wisdom liberally!

Read Ephesians 1:17. What does Paul pray for in this verse? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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As we have the eyes of our hearts enlightened through knowing God, what does Paul ask God to help us understand in Ephesians 1:18-19? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

How do you think understanding the hope of our inheritance and God's power will help you to walk in wisdom when you encounter a difficult situation? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In Colossians 1:9-14, Paul prays a beautiful prayer and the first thing he prays for is that they would be filled with spiritual wisdom and understanding.

According to Colossians 1:9-10, what 4 things should result if we have spiritual wisdom and understanding? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Proverbs tells us that knowing and fearing the Lord is the first step toward wisdom.Here in Colossians we see that having wisdom will help us increase in our knowledge of God. The more we know the Lord, the wiser we will be, and the wiser we are, the more our knowledge of God will increase. It is like a beautiful circle!

James 3:13 says “Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom.”

So what does wisdom from above look like? Read James 3:13-18. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

We can boast of our wisdom, but what type of actions will show that we are not wise from these verses? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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True wisdom is not lip service but it can be seen in our lives. Like we just saw in Colossians, the wise person will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord and be pleasing to Him; they will be fruitful in every good work. Because wisdom is knowledge put into practice, it has to be lived out and visible. Matthew 11:19 tells us that “Wisdom is justified by her deeds.” People will see that we are wise not by what we say, but by what we do.

But we should not pursue wisdom for our own glory. It has to all be about God and His honor. In the Old Testament, before the Israelites entered the Promised Land, Moses exhorted the people to listen to the Lord and obey his commands.

Read Deuteronomy 4:5-8. Why did God desire for the Israelites to walk in wisdom? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

If Israel wisely listened to the Lord and followed Him, they would be a testimony to all the nations around them. They would stand out and be different and the surrounding peoples would take notice. It would be evident to all that God was near to the nation of Israel. In short, God would be glorified!

As much as we have focused on wisdom in this study, we should never glory in being wise because wisdom comes from God. We have read this verse before, but it sums up so well all that we have covered so far.

Thus says the LORD: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD.” 21

The desire for wisdom should never be about us. In Proverbs, we were told to pursue wisdom like we would search for hidden treasure, but really our pursuit is for the Giver of wisdom himself. Wisdom, might and riches by themselves are notthe end goal. The goal is to enjoy and know the Giver of these things, not only the gifts themselves. We glory and rejoice that we know this good God.

21 The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. 2001 (Je 9:23–24). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

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“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom...If you receive my words and treasure up my commandments within you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.” Proverbs 9:10; 2:1-5

I pray that you make it your lifelong pursuit to know and fear this wonderful God. The more you get to know Him, the wiser you will be.

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Proverbs 1-9 · Title: Proverbs 1-9 Author: Cindy Brown Created Date: 7/18/2016 11:00:57 PM