Solomon's Instruction in Wisdom
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Introduction To The Book of Proverbs
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The Five Books of Wisdom: written to help man live a better, wiser life; to guide him in the various associations that make up much of life.
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Job man with his troubles
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Psalms man with God
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Proverbs man with other men
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Ecclesiastes man with his dreams and ambitions
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Song of Solomon man with his wife
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Statistics
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20th book of the Bible; middle book of the Old Testament
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31 chapters
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915 verses
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Authors
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Solomon wrote chapters 1-29
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He wrote 3,000 proverbs (1 Kings 4:32), at least four times the number found in scripture
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He set in order many proverbs (Ecclesiastes 12:9)
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Agur wrote chapter 30
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Lemuel wrote chapter 31
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Divisions
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Chapters 1-9 present themes of wisdom
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Chapters 10-31 give individual proverbs
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Proverbs
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Word history
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pro = moving ahead of
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verb = word
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that is, having meaning that goes ahead of the written word; going beyond the surface or being more than meets the eye (Proverbs 1:6)
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Characteristics of biblical proverbs
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A proverb is usually short (see Proverbs 10)
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A proverb has hidden meaning (John 16:25, 29)
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A proverb needs to be interpreted (Proverbs 1:6)
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A proverb is meant to be memorized and repeated (Ezekiel 12:22)
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The proverbs of men may be true or false (2 Peter 2:22)
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Proverbs may be used to taunt or condemn (Isaiah 14:4; Habakkuk 2:6)
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Proverbs may be used to teach wisdom (Proverbs 1:1-4)
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Structure of biblical proverbs
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They start with a short but strong statement
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They are connected to a parallel statement or statements
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Some restate the previous statement
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Some contrast the previous statement
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Some build on the previous statement
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They are designed to have levels of truth that go beyond the obvious
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They are to be prayerfully considered and studied
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THE PROVISION FOR WISDOM (Proverbs 1:1-6)
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The Author of Proverbs (Proverbs 1:1)
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The Benefits of Proverbs (Proverbs 1:2-6)
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To know wisdom and instruction (Proverbs 1:2)
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To perceive the words of understanding (Proverbs 1:2)
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To receive the instruction (Proverbs 1:3)
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Of wisdom
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Of justice
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Of judgment
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Of discretion
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To give subtlety to the simple (Proverbs 1:4)
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To give knowledge and discretion to the young man (Proverbs 1:4)
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To increase the learning of the wise (Proverbs 1:5)
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To attain unto wise counsels (Proverbs 1:5)
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To understand a proverb and its interpretation (Proverbs 1:6)
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To understand the words of the wise and their dark sayings (Proverbs 1:6)
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THE PRESENTATION OF WISDOM (Proverbs 1:7-9)
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The Fear of the Lord (Proverbs 1:7)
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The beginning of knowledge (Job 28:28; Psalm 111:10; Psalm 112:1; Proverbs 9:10)
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Rejected by fools
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The Instruction of a Son (Proverbs 1:8-9)
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Proverbs is written as the instruction of a father to his son. Solomon is trying to instill the wisdom in his son that he will need to be a king. The phrase my son is found 23 times in the book of Proverbs (see Proverbs 1:8, 10, 15; Proverbs 2:1; Proverbs 3:1, 11, 21).
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From the parents (Proverbs 1:8)
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The instruction of thy father
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The law of thy mother
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As an ornament of grace (Proverbs 3:22; Proverbs 4:9; see 1 Peter 3:3-4)
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THE PITFALL OF THE WICKED (Proverbs 1:10-19)
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The Enticement of Sinners (Proverbs 1:10-14)
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The enticement of companionship (Proverbs 1:10)
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The enticement of power (Proverbs 1:11-12)
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The enticement of prosperity (Proverbs 1:13)
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The enticement of security (Proverbs 1:14)
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One lot
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One purse
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The Path to Destruction (Proverbs 1:15-19)
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The path of sin (Proverbs 1:15)
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A path with companions
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A path to avoid
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The consequences of sin (Proverbs 1:16)
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To evil
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To the shedding of blood
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The trap of sin (Proverbs 1:17-18)
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A hidden trap (Proverbs 1:17); like a net spread for a bird, it is hidden and not placed in the open
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A deadly trap (Proverbs 1:18); it captures those who set it
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The cause of sin (Proverbs 1:19); caused by greed for gain (1 Timothy 6:5, 10)
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THE PLEADING OF WISDOM (Proverbs 1:20-23)
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The Voice of Wisdom (Proverbs 1:20-21)
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Without (Proverbs 1:20)
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In the streets (Proverbs 1:20)
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In the chief place of concourse (Proverbs 1:21)
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In the openings of the gates (Proverbs 1:21)
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In the city (Proverbs 1:22)
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NOTE: Wisdom is not lacking because it is unavailable. It is lacking because it is ignored by those who hear it.
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The Message of Wisdom (Proverbs 1:22-23)
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Turn from your ways (Proverbs 1:22)
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Your simplicity
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Your scornfulness
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Your foolishness
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Turn at wisdoms reproof (Proverbs 1:23)
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I will pour out my spirit unto you
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I will make my words known to you
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NOTE: You can see why wisdom is identified with Jesus Christ in the book of Proverbs
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THE PUNISHMENT OF THE WICKED (Proverbs 1:24-33)
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The Rejection of Gods Wisdom (Proverbs 1:24-25)
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They refused the call of wisdom (Proverbs 1:24)
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They ignored the hand of wisdom (Proverbs 1:24)
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They discounted the counsel of wisdom (Proverbs 1:25)
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They rejected the reproof of wisdom (Proverbs 1:25)
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The Response of Gods Wisdom (Proverbs 1:26-28)
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He will laugh at their calamity (Proverbs 1:26)
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He will mock their fear (Proverbs 1:26-27)
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He will ignore their calls for help (Proverbs 1:28)
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He will hide Himself from their searching (Proverbs 1:28)
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The Reasons of Gods Wisdom (Proverbs 1:29-33)
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They rejected the way offered to them (Proverbs 1:29-30)
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The knowledge of God (Proverbs 1:29)
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The fear of the Lord (Proverbs 1:29)
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The counsel of the Lord (Proverbs 1:30)
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The reproof of the Lord (Proverbs 1:30)
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They received the fruit of their works (Proverbs 1:31-33)
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They will be filled with their own devices (Proverbs 1:31)
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They will be destroyed by their own prosperity (Proverbs 1:32)
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They ignored the example of the godly (Proverbs 1:33)
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Who hearken unto the Lord
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Who shall be quiet from the fear of evil