Proverbs – Lesson 5 – Proverbs 2.20-22 (May 13, 2026)

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PROVERBS

God’s Handbook for His Image Bearers

Lesson 5  •  Proverbs Chapter 2

Review

 

This is the fifth lesson in our Proverbs series. So far we have learned:

• God created us to be His Image Bearers
• The book of Proverbs is God’s Handbook for His Image Bearers

Who were Solomon’s Parents? King David & Bathsheba

According to the Bible, the fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge.

Proverbs emphasizes two types of people: The Wise & the Fool.

• The Wise are those who hear God’s instruction & obey it.
• The Foolish are those who hear God’s instruction & disobey it.

Proverbs describes two paths, or outcomes:

• The wise receive eternal life
• The foolish receive eternal damnation

Chapter 1 depicts three voices:

• The voice of parents talking to a son
• The voice of sinners enticing the parent’s son
• The voice of wisdom crying out to the parent’s son

In this lesson:

• We study chapter 2
• We learn the benefits of pursuing wisdom
• We learn the requirements of pursuing wisdom

 

It’s Your Move!

 

In Lesson 4, Solomon depicted Wisdom as a woman pursuing you and me. (Proverbs 1:20–33)

• She positioned herself in the street, the chief place (busy place of the city), and near the city gates. — This means she comes to where you are to pursue you.
• She cried out loud — she makes her voice heard over the voice of sinners enticing you to join them in sin.
• She promises protection if you follow her instruction:

 

Proverbs 1:33 (KJV) — But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.

 

• Wisdom also promised to abandon those who reject her. — This means leaving them to their own destruction and not stepping in to help when destruction comes.

 

In chapter 1 — Wisdom was actively pursuing us In chapter 2 — We must choose to pursue Wisdom

 

In this lesson we will look at two main points:

 

1.  The Incentive for Pursuing Wisdom 2.  The Instruction for Pursuing Wisdom

 

The Incentive for Pursuing Wisdom

 

Proverbs 2:20–22 (KJV) — That thou mayest walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous. For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it. But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it.

 

Solomon is the wisest person to ever live, and he knows that none of us will seek God, Jesus, or Wisdom without the proper incentive:

 

No one would do the hard work of pursuing Wisdom unless strongly incentivized! — True or False No one would obey all of God’s law unless strongly incentivized! — True or False

 

Here is what the Bible says about this subject:

 

Romans 3:10–12 (KJV) — As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

 

Those are the words of the Apostle Paul, but he was drawing from the Old Testament.

 

Psalm 14:1–3 (KJV) — The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good. The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

 

Based on these verses, the Bible says we do not seek Him, or seek to obey Him. Therefore God pursued us (just as Wisdom did in chapter 1).

God is not only calling us to turn away from sin and obey His law, He is incentivizing us to do this. And that is what Solomon shows in Proverbs 2.

 

Side Note: Why did this lesson change the subject from “Wisdom” to “God”? Because the New Testament tells us that Jesus has become “Wisdom” for us. The apostle Paul calls Jesus the “Wisdom of God.” — If you replace the reference of “Wisdom” in Proverbs with “Jesus” you will notice they are interchangeable.

 

1 Corinthians 1:24 (KJV) — But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

 

1 Corinthians 1:30 (KJV) — But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.

 

Proverbs 9:10 declares that the fear of the LORD is the beginning of Wisdom.

 

Proverbs 9:10 (KJV) — The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

 

We also know that both Jesus and Wisdom call people to repentance and promise them life, protection, provision, etc.

What is the nickname we attached to the book of Proverbs? God’s Handbook for His Image Bearers.

When we pursue and follow Wisdom, we begin imaging God the way we were designed. And in Romans 8:29 we learn we are being transformed into the image of Jesus.

 

Romans 8:29 (KJV) — For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

 

Now that we know we are to understand Wisdom & Jesus as the same concepts in Proverbs we return to incentives for pursuing Wisdom/Jesus.

 

The Incentive for Pursuing Wisdom

 

We have established that no one would do the hard work of pursuing and obeying Wisdom unless properly incentivized.

Solomon provides the proper incentives. Read the verses again:

 

Proverbs 2:20–22 (KJV) — That thou mayest walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous. For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it. But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it.

 

What does this statement mean to you? What did it mean to an Israelite?

 

Solomon was the King of Israel.

How would an Israelite understand what Solomon meant by “the land”?

In Genesis 12:1 God made a promise to Abraham that his descendants would own and occupy a specific geographical territory — we refer to this place as the Promised Land.

Before they took possession of this land, the descendants of Abraham were living in the land of Egypt where they were slaves. This lasted about 430 years.

God raised up Moses and sent him to Pharaoh to demand that he set God’s people free so they could go take possession of the land He promised Abraham.

After the 10 plagues, Pharaoh set them free and they started their journey to the Promised Land (Canaan).

But they failed to trust God to give them the land, and they disobeyed God.

So God destroyed all the people in that group who were 20 years old and older except for a few who had believed and obeyed God.

 

Notice what Wisdom warned:

 

Proverbs 2:21–22 (KJV) — For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it. But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it.

 

God makes it clear that the Canaanites who lived in the land before them were being kicked out because they did not pursue God in obedience but rejected God.

 

Deuteronomy 9:4–5 (KJV) — Speak not thou in thine heart, after that the LORD thy God hath cast them out from before thee, saying, For my righteousness the LORD hath brought me in to possess this land: but for the wickedness of these nations the LORD doth drive them out from before thee. Not for thy righteousness, or for the uprightness of thine heart, dost thou go to possess their land: but for the wickedness of these nations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee, and that he may perform the word which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

 

Leviticus 18:24–28 (KJV) — Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you: And the land is defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants. Ye shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgments, and shall not commit any of these abominations; neither any of your own nation, nor any stranger that sojourneth among you: (For all these abominations have the men of the land done, which were before you, and the land is defiled;) That the land spue not you out also, when ye defile it, as it spued out the nations that were before you.

 

Notice the warning God gave the Israelites:

• The people of this land were destroyed and exiled because of their sin (rejection of following God’s law).
• If you also fail to obey my law, I will expel you from the land.

 

How Would an Israelite Understand Solomon’s Warning?

 

If they pursued and obeyed Wisdom/God’s Law they would live safely in the land.

That is part of how they understood it. God’s promise for them to dwell in the land was bigger than owning specific real estate.

 

A promise of His presence, protection, and provision:

 

Leviticus 26:1–13 (KJV) — Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the LORD your God. Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the LORD. If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them; Then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. And your threshing shall reach unto the vintage, and the vintage shall reach unto the sowing time: and ye shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely. And I will give peace in the land, and ye shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid: and I will rid evil beasts out of the land, neither shall the sword go through your land. And ye shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword. And five of you shall chase an hundred, and an hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight: and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword. For I will have respect unto you, and make you fruitful, and multiply you, and establish my covenant with you. And ye shall eat old store, and bring forth the old because of the new. And I will set my tabernacle among you: and my soul shall not abhor you. And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people. I am the LORD your God, which brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, that ye should not be their bondmen; and I have broken the bands of your yoke, and made you go upright.

 

These are the positive incentives God gave Israel if they would pursue and obey His law.

Wisdom is echoing the same promise to us. Seek me and obey me and I will provide for you.

 

Negative Incentives:

 

Leviticus 26:14–33 (KJV) — But if ye will not hearken unto me, and will not do all these commandments; And if ye shall despise my statutes, or if your soul abhor my judgments, so that ye will not do all my commandments, but that ye break my covenant: I also will do this unto you; I will even appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning ague, that shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart: and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it. And I will set my face against you, and ye shall be slain before your enemies: they that hate you shall reign over you; and ye shall flee when none pursueth you. And if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins. And I will break the pride of your power; and I will make your heaven as iron, and your earth as brass: And your strength shall be spent in vain: for your land shall not yield her increase, neither shall the trees of the land yield their fruits. And if ye walk contrary unto me, and will not hearken unto me; I will bring seven times more plagues upon you according to your sins. I will also send wild beasts among you, which shall rob you of your children, and destroy your cattle, and make you few in number; and your high ways shall be desolate. And if ye will not be reformed by me by these things, but will walk contrary unto me; Then will I also walk contrary unto you, and will punish you yet seven times for your sins. And I will bring a sword upon you, that shall avenge the quarrel of my covenant: and when ye are gathered together within your cities, I will send the pestilence among you; and ye shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy. And when I have broken the staff of your bread, ten women shall bake your bread in one oven, and they shall deliver you your bread again by weight: and ye shall eat, and not be satisfied. And if ye will not for all this hearken unto me, but walk contrary unto me; Then I will walk contrary unto you also in fury; and I, even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins. And ye shall eat the flesh of your sons, and the flesh of your daughters shall ye eat. And I will destroy your high places, and cut down your images, and cast your carcases upon the carcases of your idols, and my soul shall abhor you. And I will make your cities waste, and bring your sanctuaries unto desolation, and I will not smell the savour of your sweet odours. And I will bring the land into desolation: and your enemies which dwell therein shall be astonished at it. And I will scatter you among the heathen, and will draw out a sword after you: and your land shall be desolate, and your cities waste.

 

God warned them that if they did not pursue Him to obey all His commandments, He would punish them; if they still resisted, He would send their enemies to overtake them and remove them from the Promised Land.

Many of them would die and only a remnant would remain to repent and when they repent (start pursuing God and obeying His commandments) He would restore them to the land, dwell with them, protect them and be their God.

 

Now consider Solomon’s warning again:

 

Proverbs 2:20–22 (KJV) — That thou mayest walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous. For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it. But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it.

 

God’s Pattern Revealed

 

We have learned in our Sunday sermons that God created this planet for us to live in and fill with His image (obey His law and imitate His Holy Character).

In addition, God promised Adam that as long as he pursued God and obeyed His law, Adam could live in the Garden, where God would provide for him, protect him, and dwell with him.

But Adam failed to pursue God’s law and instead listened to the voice of sinners (Satan) and the lie that he could be like God.

When Adam sinned God expelled him from the land he was living in, separated Himself from Adam, and Adam experienced death.

 

This is the same pattern we saw with Israel.

 

Did you know that Israel did fail to pursue God, and they pursued other gods? They repeatedly broke His law, and refused to stop. So God did everything He warned them He would do. Even to the point of sending in the Babylonians to destroy, ravish, and capture them. The Jews were brutally abused and carried out of their land just as God said.

 

So How Does This Help Us Gain Wisdom to Be Image Bearers?

 

God is unfolding a plan to redeem mankind from sin and restore the earth back to its original purpose in Genesis 1. A place where He fills with His image bearers. People who walk in His law, reflect His Holy Character and live in His love, fellowship, protection, and provision.

 

But who will live in that land?

 

• Only those who pursue God’s wisdom to live as His image bearer.
• Only those who obey His commands and reflect Him by loving our enemies and doing good to those who mistreat us.
• Those who do not mistreat or oppress immigrants.
• Keep His holy day.
• Do not lie, steal, or commit adultery or sexual sins.
• Those who honor their parents; do not murder, and love God with all your heart, soul, and mind.

 

What happens to those who fail to follow God in all of these areas?

They will not dwell with God when He returns.

 

Solomon shows us in chapter 1 that Wisdom/Jesus is pursuing us. In chapter 2, He starts to incentivize us to pursue Wisdom/Jesus.

 

Join us for the Next Lesson: We will examine Solomon’s instructions for pursuing Wisdom. What does it look like to actively pursue Wisdom? What does it require from us? And what does Wisdom protect us from along the way?