Proverbs 1:1-6 The Personality Of Wisdom part 1 vs.1

The Author v.1

  His Proverbs         The proverbs

His Personality    of Solomon,

His Parent             the son of David,

His Position          King of Israel.

The Author v.1

His Proverbs                                  The proverbs

Proverbs is a term, which conveys the thought “to rule”.  Proverbs are words, pithy maxims or statements, principles and laws, which are to rule our life.  These are the time-tested values, and God given ideologies that direct us to be leaders in life.

The word proverb is first mentioned in Genesis 1:18, where the sun, moon, and stars are designated by God “to rule over the day and over the night.” 

The second mention of proverb, which is the Hebrew word  Mashal is in Genesis 3:16 Unto the woman God said, I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; in sorrow you will bring forth children; and your desire will be to your husband, and he shall rule (proverb) over you.

The third mention is in God’s warning to Cain.

Genesis 4:7 If you (Cain) do well, you will be accepted, and if you don’t do well, sin lies at the door. And unto you shall be his (sins) desire, and you are to rule over him (sin).

These are intriguing thoughts.  Are we mastering sin or is sin mastering us?  This is a moment-by-moment challenge.

Solomon wrote Proverbs as the Spirit of God gave him insights on how to master sin.  In Proverbs he exposes the consequences of being mastered by sin.  This is the perennial battle between truth and error, wisdom and foolishness, facts and lies.  Solomon had incredible insight but wavered in his life experience on his sage advice.

If we can apply the Proverbs we can rule sin in our lives, which will put us into a position to rule in life.  Solomon failed in various ways and his son, who reined after Solomon’s passing, lived as a fool.  Solomon as many parents tend to do, told his children to live as I speak not as I do.  Rehoboam followed the negative excesses of his father Solomon and split the kingdom.

His Personality                           of Solomon,

In the historical account of 1 Kings 3 we are given a special glimpse into the passion and personality of Solomon.

The LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give you…

Solomon asked:

Give your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this Your great people?

…And God said unto him…lo, I have given you a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like you not before you, neither after you shall any arise like unto you.

An anonymous thinker wrote these words:

“Tell me your dreams, and I will read the riddle of your life.  Tell me your prayers, and I will write the history of your soul.  Tell me your asking, and I will tell you your getting.  Tell me what you seek, and I will tell you what you are…

I do not wish to know your possessions…only your wants, only what you have not and desire to have; not your attainments, but what you have not yet attained and follow after.

That which comes to you in your victories by day and your dreams by night, the ideal you set before you, the things you approve as excellent, what you seek after and have given your heart too, these are the measure of our existence”.

 His Parent                      the son of David,

David had 8 wives and 20 sons.  It’s interesting that Solomon rose to prominence as a leader over all of David’s many sons.  The answer to Solomon’s celebrity and fame is seen in his writings.

Proverbs 12:24 the hand of the diligent shall bear rule:  But the slothful shall be under tribute. 

His Position                        King of Israel.

1 Kings 4:29–34 And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore.  And Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt. For he was wiser than all men… and his fame was in all nations round about. And he spoke three thousand proverbs: and his songs were a thousand and five…And there came of all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, which had heard of his wisdom. 

Solomon had not only a profound intellect but like his father David he had a deep heart.  He was a great King, and amazing statesman, and educator, as well as an articulate writer.

To only remember Solomon for his flaws would be very unfortunate.  God used his writing skill, masterful insights and depth of heart for the promotion of truth and the glory of Christ.

Proverbs 1 Outline

Proverbs 1:1-6        The Personality Of Wisdom

The Author v.1 

His Proverbs                       The proverbs of Solomon,

  His Parent                           the son of David,

  His Position                        King of Israel.

The Aim v.2-4

  To Acknowledge v.2        To know wisdom and instruction;

    To Apply                       to perceive the words of understanding                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

    To Accept v.3              To receive the instruction of wisdom

      Our Actions                                                                                                             

           The Right Direction           justice 

      Our Attitudes    

           The Right Decisions           judgment

       Our Associations     

          The Right Distinctions      equity       

   To Accommodate v.4                To give

      A Protection

        Craftiness                     Subtlety to the simple

      A Penetration            

        Cunning                to the young man knowledge

     A Plan

        Calculating            and discretion     

The Appreciation v.5

    He’s Attentive          A wise man will hear,

    He    Augments        and will increase learning

    He    Apprehends    and a man of understanding

    He    Attains              Shall attain unto wise counsels

The Accuracy v.6

    He’s Aware             To understand a proverb,

    He’s Astute              and the interpretation;

    He’s Affirmative      the words of the wise

    He’s Analytical         and their dark sayings.

Proverbs 1:7-9    The Phenomenon Of Wisdom

The Awe v.7

   A Reverence           The fear of the LORD

   A Revelation            is the beginning of knowledge

The Abstract

   A Rejection             but fools despise wisdom and instruction

The Attentive v.8   My son, hear the instruction of thy father,

                                    and forsake not the law of thy mother:

The Adornment V.9 For they shall be an ornament of grace  

                                    unto thy head, and chains about thy neck

Proverbs 1:10-19    The Perversion Of Wisdom

The Allurement v.10     My son, if sinners entice thee,

The Allegation               consent thou not.

The Approach v.11       If they say, Come with us,

The Ambition                let us lay wait for blood,

The Ambush                  let us lurk privily for

The Audacity                the innocent without cause:

The Annihilation v.12   Let us swallow them up alive as the  

             grave  and whole, as those that go down into the pit

The Aspiration v.13      We shall find all precious substance,  

                                               we shall fill our houses with spoil:

The Agreement v.14     Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have

                                              one purse

The Avoidance v.15       My son, walk not thou in the way With

                                              them; refrain thy foot from their path:

The Advance v.16          For their feet run to evil,

The Anarchy                  and make haste to shed blood.

The Absurdity v.17         Surely in vain the net is spread

                                                in the sight of any bird.

The Abolition v.18          And they lay wait for their own blood  

                                                they lurk privily for their own lives.

The Assessment v.19     So are the ways of every one that is   

                                              greedy of gain;  which takes away

                                              the life of the owners thereof.

Proverbs 1:20-23 The Powerful Cry Of Wisdom

Wisdom Communicates On Every Level v. 20-21

  The Rural Area                 Wisdom cries without;

  The Road Activity             she utters her voice in the streets:

  The Market Place v.21     She cries in the chief

                                                     place of concourse,

  The Management Place     in the openings of the gates:

  The Metropolitan Place     in the city she utters

                                                         her words, saying,

 Wisdom Cares On Every Level v. 22

   For The Simple                    How long, ye simple ones,

                                                        will ye love simplicity? 

   For The Scornful                  and the scorners delight

                                                        in their scorning,

   For The Stupid                      and fools hate knowledge?

 Wisdom Challenges On Every Level v.23

   For Change                    Turn you at my reproof:

   For Comfort                   behold, I will pour out my spirit  

                                               unto you,

   For Comprehension    I will make known my words unto you.

Proverbs 1:24-32 The Punishment Of Wisdom

 

The Rejection Of Wisdom v.24                     

   It’s Call Refused             Because I have called, and ye refused

   It’s Care Rebuffed          I have stretched out my hand, and no

                                                  man regarded

   It’s Counsel Removed v.25     But ye have set at naught

                                                               all my counsel, 

   It’s Correction Repelled          and would none of my reproof

 

The Ruinous Woe v. 26-28

   Devastation                    I also will laugh at your calamity;

   Dread                                I will mock when your fear comes

   Desolation v. 27            When your fear cometh as desolation

   Destruction                     and your destruction comes as a

                                                 whirlwind

   Distress                             when distress

   Disappointment            and anguish cometh upon you.

   Disillusionment  v. 28   Then shall they call upon me,

                                                    but I will not answer;

   Despair                               they shall seek me early, but they

                                                   shall not find me:

The Reprehensible Waywardness v.29-30

   For Hatred v.29     For that they hated knowledge,

   For Hostility           and did not choose the fear of the LORD

   For Hardness v.30  They would none of my counsel

   For Harassment      they despised all my reproof

The Recompense For Wickedness v.31-32

   Patterns Will Be Punished v.31    Therefore shall they eat of

                                                                       the fruit of their own way,

   Purposes Will Be Penalized           and be filled with their

                                                                       own devices.

   Possibilities Will Be Pulverized v. 32 For the turning away of

                                                                         the simple shall slay them,

   Possibilities Will Perish                    and the prosperity of fools

                                                                        shall destroy them.

The Plea of Wisdom v.33

    Respond Attentively           But whoso hearkens unto me

    Rely Assuredly                      shall dwell safely,

    Rest Agreeably                      and shall be quiet from fear of evil