Study of Proverbs: The Power of Knowledge - Part 8 - Chapters 7, 8
Our Actions, Our Witness, and Our Relationship with God
INTRODUCTION:
1. Our lives and actions socially are just as important as our lives spiritually as it relates to our relationship with God.
2. We should be mindful as men and women, against the attacks and potential attacks to our character can affect our witness to those who need to know who God is and learn to live for God among each other as well.
3. We have the opportunity to be a part of the conversation that Solomon has with his son as his experiences and lessons learned.
a. To the ladies: Though it seems at face value that this is a chauvinistic one-sided, single-gendered, discussion; the truths of the text are applicable to men and women! There are as many contemptuous men as there are women!
THE LESSON
Chapter 7
Verses 1-4
The teaching that is coming are things that one should never forget!
Wisdom a.k.a. “Life lived experiences” should be something that we should value as a trusted family member.
We falter in our lives when we take for granted what experienced people tell us concerning questionable relationships.
Verse 5
We must be mindful of persons whose intent may seem harmless and even satisfying, but has the result of weakening our relationship with God and destroying our relationship with others.
Verses 6-23
The familiar story of: “all that glitters not being gold.” The evil achievements that we have in life may seem as if no one knows but ourselves, but we must be mindful that the ultimate goal is not for one to achieve, but for one to be brought down.
Verses 23-27
Unfortunately, many of us do not believe the potential magnitude or self-destruction of our decisions until after we have done them! We may recover fully before God, but we may never fully recover before our peers. It can damage our ability to help others dear to us to know Jesus!
Chapter 8
Verses 1-4
The admonishments to do "the right thing" are all around us: The Bible, family members, elder church members, people we come into contact with in our communities, schools, and jobs.
Verses 5 - 12
Questions to ask yourselves: Who do you listen to? Who listens to you? We should be quick and often to listen to those who do not necessarily agree with everything that we say, who do not always say what we expect or want to hear. Wisdom can sometimes be disagreeable and/or uncomfortable.
Verses 13-21
Good decisions based on experience which is the result of wisdom, teaches us to respect God, become a better person up close and from afar, become a better leader at every level.
If we desire to become wise it is not difficult, but we must want to. If we want to, we can, because wisdom does not hide from us.
Verses 22-36
Wisdom has been in existence from the foundation of the world, because it comes from the personality of God! Wisdom is not life-less, nor does wisdom have a life of its own, because wisdom comes from the heart of God!
Those who do not desire to become wise desires to fail.