Click to download –  Proverbs -Lesson 2 – Prov 1. 1-7

PROVERBS – God’s Handbook for His Image Bearers

Lesson 2  •  Proverbs Chapter 1:1-7

Series Review

This is the second lesson in our Proverbs series. In the first, we learned:

• Solomon was the main contributor to the book
• When Solomon became king of Israel, God invited him to ask for anything he wanted, and Solomon asked for wisdom to lead the people.
• God promised to make Solomon wiser than anyone who came before him or who would come behind him.
• BUT, Solomon had to grow in wisdom by applying himself, observing & studying the world around him

We also learned that this book will help us fulfill our purpose to share a relationship with God and image Him in our character.

In this lesson: Solomon explains his purpose for the book. And we are challenged to hear and apply the wisdom God provides in this book.

Solomon’s Purpose Statement

 

Proverbs 1:1–6 (KJV) — The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel; To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding; To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity; To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion. A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels: To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.

 

Solomon’s goal was to equip ordinary people to:

• Gain wisdom
• Learn right from wrong
• Develop wisdom to navigate life

 

Applying the teaching of Proverbs to your life will equip you to:

• Walk with God (sharing a relationship with Him)
• Image God (fulfilling your purpose — Gen 1:26)

 

He wrote it for three groups:

The Simple – Inexperienced people who are easily influenced & are lacking training in wisdom. The Young – People at the beginning of life making decisions that will shape their future but are lacking experience and wisdom. The Wise – Because even a wise person can grow wiser & wisdom teaches us to pursue wisdom.

 

What stands out from this list is that Proverbs is for everyone, at any stage of life. And that pursuing wisdom is a lifelong pursuit rather than a destination.

When we pursue wisdom we become more like God. Proverbs is His tool for shaping us into His image because Wisdom begins with the fear of the LORD.

What Is Wisdom?

The word Solomon uses for wisdom is the Hebrew word chokmah. It does not mean what most people think it means. We tend to think of wisdom as intelligence or book knowledge. That is not what chokmah means.

Chokmah is skill. It is the ability to function successfully in real life. The same word is used in Exodus to describe the craftsmen who built the tabernacle — men who knew their craft so well they could produce something beautiful. Therefore, wisdom is more than knowledge — it is the skill of using knowledge to live according to God’s instructions. Applied to life it means this — wisdom is knowing life offers two paths: (1) the narrow path of righteousness & (2) the broad path of folly. And choosing the right path.

This is why Proverbs is so practical. It covers:

• How we use our words — whether they heal or destroy, build trust or break it
• How we handle money — whether we earn it honestly, spend it wisely, and avoid the traps of greed and debt
• How we manage our emotions — whether we control our anger or let it control us, whether we are ruled by fear, envy, or pride
• How we conduct our relationships — whether we are the kind of friend, spouse, parent, or neighbor that reflects good character
• How we approach our work — whether we are diligent and trustworthy or lazy and unreliable

 

But the reason Proverbs focuses on these areas of life, is to show us how to Image God in our character and conduct. We are called to fill the earth with God’s image.

Don’t confuse knowledge with wisdom Knowledge implies we know the right answers to the questions. Wisdom is making right choices!

 

More Terms

Solomon uses several words in these verses that are worth understanding.

Instruction	Hebrew word: musar — discipline and correction. The kind of learning that comes from being trained, corrected, and shaped over time. A parent correcting a child is musar. A coach pushing a player past their limit is musar. It is wisdom that comes through the process of being formed.
Understanding	Hebrew word: binah — discernment. The ability to look beneath the surface and see what is actually going on. To read a situation, a person, or a decision with clarity.
Discretion	Hebrew word: mezimmah — the ability to plan wisely. To think before you act. To set the right goals and pursue them the right way.
Dark Sayings	The riddles and complexities of life — situations that do not have an obvious answer. Proverbs equips us to work through the maze of hard decisions and unclear circumstances.

 

Taken together, verses 1–6 are saying this — Proverbs will give you: •    The skill to live •    The discipline to grow •    The discernment to see clearly •    The judgment to act rightly •    The understanding to navigate what is complicated

 

So verses 1–6 reveals Solomon’s target audience and his main purpose, and verse 7 tells us where wisdom begins!

The Foundation of Wisdom

Where would you advise a person to start if they wanted to pursue wisdom? Here are the top secular answers:

1. Learn from experience — make mistakes, grow through them, reflect on them
2. Read Aggressively — books, philosophy, great thinkers
3. Find a mentor — learn from someone wiser than you
4. Self-reflection — examine your own behavior and decisions
5. Education — formal learning and critical thinking
6. Observe others — watch how wise people handle situations

What do you notice about this list of advice?

The main point that stands out is this list leaves out God. Although each one has value they are not the proper starting point. Solomon (the wisest person to ever live) says wisdom begins with the fear of the LORD.

 

Proverbs 1:7 (KJV) — The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Solomon tells us both where wisdom starts but also what wisdom must be built upon.

“Beginning of Knowledge”

 

Proverbs 1:7 (KJV) — The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

 

This word makes us think of a starting point, and that is part of the meaning. But the Hebrew word used here is a combination of two words: the first carries the idea of beginning, and the second carries the idea of “the basis or root.”

How does that help us understand this verse? Solomon is teaching that the fear of the LORD is both the starting point of knowledge and the foundation that wisdom is built on.

In other words, there is no wisdom apart from the fear of the LORD. A person can do all of the steps above but still never acquire true wisdom without first having a fear of the LORD.

 

The Fear of the LORD

 

Now that we know the fear of the LORD is the starting point and the foundation, we must properly understand the term “Fear of the LORD.” — How would you explain this term?

The Hebrew word for fear here is yirah. It does not mean terror. There is a different Hebrew word for that. Yirah means awe — a deep reverence and respect that changes how you carry yourself and how you live. It means taking God seriously. Not just believing He exists, but living like He does. Ordering your life around who He is, what He says, and what He values. Consider what this means when we look back at our secular advice about wisdom: Learn from experience; read aggressively, find a mentor, self-reflect, get education, observe life and people – a person can do all of this for a lifetime and still be a fool because they fail to choose the narrow path of righteousness. Or they fail to heed God’s warnings about sin.

 

Solomon has now provided the first and most vital step in wisdom: Fear the LORD.

 

Discussion Questions How would you evaluate yourself in this area?

 

The Two Paths (Options)

 

Proverbs 1:7 (KJV) — The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Now as you consider that verse answer this question:

Discussion Questions What is the difference between the wise man and the fool?

 

Some people answer that the wise man believes in God and the fool does not. But that is not where the Bible draws the line. Neither Solomon nor Jesus made belief in God the deciding factor.

 

The wise man hears God’s instruction and obeys, while the fool despises wisdom and instruction. The word despise means to reject or not follow. It carries the idea of disdain or contempt. But the main idea is the fool rejects the fear of the LORD. Notice the fool is not saying there is no God, rather he is saying no to God.

 

Matthew 7:24-27 (KJV) — Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock… And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand.

 

The difference was obedience and application, not belief in the existence. In fact, Solomon was writing to the nation of Israel who fully believed in God; and Jesus was also addressing the Jews who believed in God. But both issued a warning to their groups of coming up short at the end of life.

 

Discussion Questions Using this criteria, which are you? The wise or the foolish?

 

What we will find is that Solomon keeps this comparison throughout the book. It is the heart of his teaching. We all have two choices to make and they determine our final destination. Every person must make a choice to obey or reject God’s teaching and His warning. There is no middle road where a person believes in God and becomes a child of God, but does not follow God’s path of righteousness.

 

The Two Paths — Where Do They Lead?

Solomon is not writing a self help book. He is not trying to help you become a better version of yourself. He is warning you about eternity.

Every person is on one of two paths. And both paths lead somewhere.

Proverbs 14:12 (KJV) — There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

A path can feel completely right and still lead to destruction. The person walking it is not alarmed. They are not running. They are just living their life — and heading toward death & judgment.

Solomon uses a word throughout Proverbs that we need to understand. The word is Sheol. It means the realm of the dead. Separation from God. Eternal destruction. When Solomon talks about the path of folly leading to death he is not just talking about dying one day. He is talking about where you spend eternity.

 

Proverbs 15:24 (KJV) — The way of life is above to the wise, that he may depart from hell beneath.

Two directions. Two destinations. The wise path leads upward toward life and God. The path of folly leads downward toward hell.

Proverbs 9:18 (KJV) — But he knoweth not that the dead are there; and that her guests are in the depths of hell.

That phrase — he knoweth not — is very alarming! The person headed for destruction does not know it. The path feels normal. It may even feel religious. They may be sitting in church. They may call themselves a Christian. But they are on the wrong path and they do not know it. (They had the wrong idea of salvation.)

Matthew 7:21-23 (KJV) — Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

 

Solomon and Jesus are saying the same thing centuries apart. The path to life is narrow and it requires the fear of the LORD — hearing God and obeying Him. The path to destruction is wide and it is full of people who thought they were fine. The question is not whether you believe in God. The question is which path you are following with your actions.

 

Conclusion

Solomon has laid it out clearly. This book is for everyone — the simple, the young, and the wise. And it begins in one place — the fear of the LORD.

We examined what that means. Not terror. A deep reverence that orders your entire life around who God is, what He says, and what He values. That is the starting point. That is the foundation. Everything else is built on it.

And Solomon made the stakes plain. Two paths. Two destinations. The wise person fears the LORD, hears His instruction, and obeys. The path leads to life. The fool believes in God but despises His instruction. He is not saying there is no God — he is saying no to God. And that path leads to eternal destruction.

Jesus confirmed it. Many will stand before Him one day calling Him Lord — they believed in God, they did works in His name — and He will say I never knew you. The difference was not belief. It was obedience.

That is the warning of Proverbs 1. The fear of the LORD is not just a starting point for becoming wiser. It is the difference between life and death. Between knowing God and hearing Him say depart from me. So the question before you is simple and serious. Which path are you on.

 

Join us for the Next Lesson: Next week we return to Chapter 1. A father warns his son about one of the greatest dangers he will face — the pull of the wrong companions. And Wisdom herself stands in the street and calls out to anyone who will listen. Do not miss it.