Proverbs-2&3

Proverbs 2:1–4 (ESV)

2 My son, if you receive my words  and treasure up my commandments with you,    2       making your ear attentive to wisdom  and inclining your heart to understanding;  3       yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding,   4       if you seek it like silver  and search for it as for hidden treasures,

Proverbs 2:1-4 – The Protasis   (i.e., the subordinate section of a sentence)  in three conditional clauses, describes the attitudes the reader ought to bring to the quest for Wisdom.  Earnestly seek wisdom!

1^st – listen attentively to the teacher (God’s Word) – – Be receptive to wisdom….

You must fully exert yourself and dig deeply.  Fill you mind, like a vault, with wisdom.  Question:  Are you a good listener?  Do you come to church tired and have a hard time following the message?  Do you sit there removing your concentration on the message to other things?

2^nd – Yearn for Wisdom  – An analogy:  of the supplicant pleading to God or the king for deliverance from trouble.

Pay and see God’s help as you study the Bible and attend the preaching of the Word. 

3^rd – Seek as on seeks for lost money or hidden treasure ( Luke 15:8-10)

Seek God like we would if we lost a valuable document or any other treasured item(s). 

You never ‘arrive’ when it comes to the practical knowledge of God’s Word. Keep listening, praying, and pursuing. If you aren’t growing in wisdom, it is probably because you have not been seeking and treasuring wisdom as you should. Perhaps you have valued earthly things, which are like fool’s gold, above the lasting treasures of God, which will bring you joy and success forever.  Quote:  Jim Newheiser

Prov. 2:5-11– the Apodosis  –   (The main clause of a conditional sentence.)

1.       Emphasize understanding of God and His ways.

2.       Focuses on proper and careful behavior in life (v. 9-11)

Prov. 2:5-11:  5       then you will understand the fear of the LORD  and 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 justice and watching over the way of his saints.  9       Then you will understand righteousness and justice and 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,

V.5-8 – The fool sees no evidence of this, but the one who is wise understands that God gives success and protection to the pious.  Wisdom of God produces quality of life and security.

V.9-11 –  Wisdom give a strong sense of personal ethics to be followed.  Example: Training of children.

Proverbs 2:12–19 (ESV)
12 delivering you from the way of evil, from men of perverted speech, 13       who forsake the paths of uprightness       to walk in the ways of darkness, 14       who rejoice in doing evil and 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 youth       and 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.

Prov. 2:12-19 – The Two Tempters

Two tempters face the young man as he enters adulthood and must make decisions about the course of life he will follow. The first is the evil man, the criminal, who holds out the promise of easy money (vv. 12–15; cf. 1:10–19), and the second is the evil woman, the prostitute, who holds out the promise of easy sex (vv. 16–19; cf. 5:1–23).

V.12 – He justifies his way of life with a distorted set of values in order to persuade others to join him.

V.16 – The immoral woman speaks words of “seduction” to inflate the ego of her victim and draw him in.

BOTH leads them to destruction if one takes the  bate. 
Quote Jim Newheiser: The evil man draws his followers into moral decay, the corruption of taking pleasure in perverse evils (v. 14). Those who enter the house of the immoral woman, on the other hand, find only the ghosts of those who preceded them and discover too late that there is no exit (vv. 18–19). This is a powerful image accurately and graphically describing the situation of those who have followed the allurement of sexual sin.

V.20-22 – The outcome of a faithful walk.

Proverbs 2:20–22 (ESV)
20       So you will walk in the way of the good  and 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.

Proverbs 3:1-4– the Parental Appeal

Proverbs 3:1–4 (ESV)Trust in the LORD with All Your Heart

3 My son, do not forget my teaching,  but let your heart keep my commandments,  2       for length of days and years of life  and 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 success in the sight of God and man.

V. 1-4 introduces the reader to four commands that state our duty to God. 

1) – Trust in the Lord V.5-6 – 2) Fear the Lord V.7-8,   3) Honor the Lord from your wealth V.9-10  4)  Embrace the Lord’s discipline V.11-12

Proverbs 3:5-6 – Trust in the Lord

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.

5b – By nature we are inclined to foolishly rely upon our own inclinations and desires.  Our decisions need to be based on the principles of the Bible, not by our feelings.  (A young man may think he can marry this girl who does not share his faith and he’ll change her or God must want me to marry her so she will become a Christian.)  YET, we are to remember the counsel of the scripture to ‘marry within the circle of the church’.  Our feelings are unreliable…. Instead, trust God exclusively.

Quote:  NAC

Although this passage certainly condemns any academic arrogance, it does not indulge in anti-intellectualism. The commitment of the heart to God means that all the beliefs and decisions of life are to be submitted to Yahweh. Even very practical decisions are in view here, and not just matters of academic pursuit. But the text is no more opposed to academic research per se than to any normal activity of life. Also, “understanding” implies not just intellectual capacity but one’s own moral standards. One’s private vision of right and wrong must be submitted to God.

Proverbs 3:7-8 – Fear the Lord

7       Be not wise in your own eyes;  fear the LORD, and turn away from evil.  8       It will be healing to your flesh       and refreshment to your bones.

The opposite of fearing the Lord is to ‘be wise in your own eyes’!   
Modern education is failing because it encourages students to be wise in their own eyes. It excludes God, who is the source of all truth, and teaches students to look solely to man for knowledge.

The wise person is always conscious of God and is repulsed by evil, not merely because of a fear of the consequences but also because of a conviction that God’s ways are the ways of greatest blessing. ‘It will be healing to your body and refreshment to your bones’ (v. 8).  Quote:  Jim Newheiser

Proverbs 3:9-10 – Honor the Lord from your wealth

Proverbs 3:9–10 (ESV)
9       Honor (KABED) H3513 the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; 10       then your barns will be filled with plenty,  and your vats will be bursting with wine.

“Honor” literally means “heavy”…

H3513 – Strongs:  kâbêd, kaw-bade´; a prim. root; to be heavy….

The root Used: 4,568 times in 4,266 verses  (In our case it was the 2^nd down (kbd) that was used and means “to weigh heavily upon; to be heavy, dull; to be weighty, be honored” 

Giving is also an act of gratitude towards God who has given us all things (Deut. 8:18). Giving is an act of faith. When you give generously, you are expressing confidence that God will meet your needs and that you won’t regret your charity.

Proverbs 3:11–12 (ESV) 

            11       My son, do not despise the LORD’s discipline or be weary of his reproof,  12       for the LORD reproves him whom he loves,  as a father the son in whom he delights.

We need to train self to honor God in the midst of adversity.  Realize that our suffering is not punitive, but corrective.  Lessons are learned via hardships.  God’s discipline is perfect (Heb. 12:9-10).

Hebrews 12:9–10 (ESV)  9 Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness.

Psalm 119:67 (ESV)     67       Before I was afflicted I went astray,  but now I keep your word.

Proverbs 3:13-18 –  A Hymn  –  a general exhortation to pursue Wisdom. 

Proverbs 3:13–18 (ESV)  Blessed Is the One Who Finds Wisdom13       Blessed is the one who finds wisdom,   and the one who gets understanding,  14       for the gain from her is better than gain from silver and 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.

Starts off with “Blessed” – like the beatitudes of Matthew 5.

V.14-15 – yields better returns than money… and it never fails to pay interest, thus, wisdom surpasses all else.

V.17 & 18 – Wisdom can make life both joyful and wholesome.  Metaphor:  “tree of life” – (Genesis)

Proverbs 3: 19-20 – Wisdom and Creation

Proverbs 3:19–20 (ESV)   19       The LORD by wisdom founded the earth;  by understanding he established the heavens;   20       by his knowledge the deeps broke open,  and the clouds drop down the dew.

God controls the powers of nature and is in God’s hand. 

Proverbs 3:21-26 –  2^nd Parental Appeal: On Personal Security.   Thus, Wisdom will preserve your life.

Proverbs 3:21–26 (ESV)   21       My son, do not lose sight of these— keep sound wisdom and discretion,            22       and they will be life for your soul   and 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 terror  or of the ruin of the wicked, when it comes,             26       for the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught.

Proverbs 3:27–28 – Repay your needs neighbor – don’t cheat your workers or be cruel to them. 

Proverbs 3:27–28 (ESV)    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. 

Quote Jim Newheiser: The principle of timely payment also applies to those to whom we owe debts. ‘The wicked borrows and does not pay back’ (Ps. 37:21a). Evil men put off their creditors, make excuses, and try to avoid their obligations. This applies to financial debts (such as not paying your share of a restaurant tab) or borrowed items (books from your friend’s library, for example). Unnecessary delays and excuses are unacceptable. A wise man is burdened by his debts and relieves himself of his obligations at the first possible opportunity.

Proverbs 3:29-30 – Do not harm your innocent neighbor  – Don’t take advantage of the weak by charging an inflated price or hiding product defects.

Proverbs 3:29–30 (ESV)   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.

Proverbs 3:31-35 – Do not envy your wicket neighbor. 

Proverbs 3:31–35 (ESV)  31       Do not envy a man of violence  and 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.

(It appears, at times, that the evil and violent men get ahead.  Don’t question whether it pays to be good and wise! – Quote Jim Newheiser:  If you act wisely towards God and men, you will enjoy success – these are:

•     You will enjoy a long, healthy and pleasant life (vv. 2, 6, 8, 16a, 17–18). Our author portrays wisdom as the tree of life (v. 18), access to which Adam lost in the Fall but Jesus regained by his completed work (Gen. 2:9; Rev. 22:2).

•     You will enjoy the favor of God and men (vv. 4, 35a).

•     You will enjoy material prosperity (vv. 10, 16b).

•     You will be enriched with spiritual treasures (vv. 14–15).

•     You will partake of the same wisdom by which God created the world (vv. 19–20). Proverbs 8 develops this concept in greater detail.

•     You will be protected from trouble and fear (vv. 22–26). You will sleep soundly because you have no earthly fears (v. 24). God is your security and confidence.

•     You will be privy to the intimate counsels (secrets) of God who ‘is intimate with the upright’ (v. 32b).

•     You will be honored by God (v. 35a).

Some Christians die young through cancer or a car accident. Some believers lose their jobs and endure poverty. As explained earlier, Proverbs contains maxims that describe the way life generally works in God’s world. While those who follow God’s commands generally enjoy long life and prosperity, this is not an absolute promise to every individual, especially in the short term. God in his sovereign wisdom may allow us to suffer for his glory (Rom. 8:28). Waltke says, ‘If God rewarded virtue immediately, the son would confound pleasure with piety, using piety and ethics to satisfy his prurient interests’ rather than living by faith.

Furthermore, the book of Proverbs was written under the Old Covenant, in which physical blessings and curses were directly tied to covenant faithfulness for the nation of Israel (see Lev. 26; Deut. 28). Because we live under the New Covenant, there is no longer a theocratic political kingdom with covenant blessings and curses.

The kingdom blessings and curses in Proverbs do look ahead to the ultimate eschatological (end times) blessingsthat will be enjoyed by the righteous and the curses that will fall upon the wicked in God’s eternal kingdom (v. 33–35; 2:21–22) at Christ’s return (Rev. 22:14). In the end, the meek will inherit the earth and the evildoers will be condemned (Ps. 37:29; Matt. 5:5; Rev. 22:14). One day we will enjoy heavenly treasure and partake of the tree of life (Prov. 3:14–15, 18), but in the meantime, the wise trust God and endure (vv. 5–6).

Conclusion

If you are honest with yourself, you may realize that you have not pursued wisdom as you should. Apart from God’s grace, we would all be excluded from the blessings of wisdom. Jesus has come to give us wisdom and life. He lived a life of perfect wisdom towards both God and men. He endured the curse (v. 33) of the punishment and dishonour we deserved because of our sinful folly. Our chastisement fell upon him (Isa. 53:5; 1 Peter 3:18). Now through him we have been made wise unto salvation. We are partakers of the tree of life (Prov. 3:18). Stop trusting in yourself, and trust him alone.^[1]