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PROVERBS AND GODLY WISDOM
Lesson Five
Wisdom’s Protection
Text: Proverbs 2:1-22
The objective of this lesson: To stress the blessings of God’s wisdom.
Chapter 2 may begin with the voice of a wise father calling to his son, or wisdom (pictured as a person) calling to young men who wisdom wishes to make “my son.” Who is calling—the concerned father or wisdom personified—has little if any impact on the message that followed.
The message of the advantages of the wisdom provided by “the fear of the Lord” is not altered by the source of the voice who speaks to “my son.”
The message began with a basic understanding: if a person is blessed by wisdom, he must want to be blessed by wisdom. The wise person will not accidentally be wise. Wisdom’s commandments are treasured. Wisdom is listened to because the person wants an internal understanding. The person wants to distinguish between good and evil. The person is motivated to seek for wisdom as people seek for money (silver) or a hidden treasure.
Stress the blessing of God’s wisdom can only come to those who desire to be wise. The person who has God’s wisdom must pursue and desire that wisdom.
There are five benefits given for seeking wisdom with such passion and determination. (1) Wisdom will teach you “the fear of the Lord” which is the key to discovering knowledge [verse 5]. (2) Wisdom will enable a person to recognize righteousness, justice, equity, and good directions [verse 9]. (3) Wisdom will protect a person from evil’s way [verse 12]. (4) Wisdom will protect a person from the adulteress [verse 16]. (5) Wisdom will enable a person to walk the route of good men [verse 20].
Stress the five ways that God’s wisdom will benefit a person. There are blessings that result in being wise because the person desires the knowledge that comes from “the fear of the Lord.”
People who spent their childhood with parents who championed the values of godliness commonly look at life and the world differently—even if as adults they choose not to be Christians—than people who were not exposed to such values. Often the writer refers to this situation as the “duh factor.” If a person was deliberately dishonest, or deliberately deceitful, or deliberately thoughtless, or deliberately irresponsible, or deliberately selfish, etc. I want to say to that person (but rarely do), “And you expected what to happen?”
The perspective of the person who understands God’s values and the perspective of the person who has not been exposed to God’s values is NOT the same perspective. Thus behaviors will be different because perspectives are different.
Amazingly, when people face the consequences of their decisions and acts, they often do not make the simplest connections between the consequences they face and the decisions they made or their past behavior. It is as though the consequences are some mysterious happening that have no justification for existing. Often such people say, “Why is this happening? How could this happen to me?” Never assume a person understands why “wisdom” is “wise,” not arbitrary.
The huge difference is to be seen and discovered in the person who does not know God’s values and commonly does not see the connection between decisions/behavior and what happens in his/her life experience.
The fear of the Lord and its knowledge acknowledges that God is the source of knowledge of life. An understanding of how to treat people and how to show respect in human relationships has its source in God. A knowledge of God improves human relationships. People who know and understand God (not just a system of religion) know how to act with discretion. Genuine godliness does not produce people who do not know the importance of keeping a confidence, who do not discern the value of being trustworthy. The words of a person who is not trustworthy are like a ricocheting bullet that wounds the innocent.
Stress the fact that knowing God’s values most commonly affects how people treat other people. God’s values in treating others properly affect how people treat each other in marriage, in the parent-child relationships, in families, in jobs, as neighbors, as the “unknown,” etc. One of the basic values in all human-to-human relationships is trustworthiness.
God places special value on those who are persons of integrity. He preserves such people. (It does not say such people never suffer—consider persons like Moses, Samuel, David, and the prophets who were preserved by God, but suffered.)
Make a distinction between being protected by God’s wisdom and physical suffering. Use examples of godly persons in the Old Testament who suffered. For example, consider David and Abigail in 1 Samuel 25:2-35. The protection we seek is from physical suffering. There are other (much needed) ways that godly people need protection.
Wisdom is valuable because it is internal and thus results in the satisfying fulfillment of the person. It uses the discretion and understanding of the person as a protection.
Stress that God’s wisdom involves an internal understanding that affects external behavior.
Among wisdom’s protection is deliverance from perverse people who walk in the ways of evil. These people feel no loyalty to righteousness. They find their joy in doing evil. They follow devious ways and deceitful, hard to follow paths.
A significant protection that God’s wisdom provides is the ability to see and thus avoid the deceitful ways that evil would influence our lives.
Proverbs has a special desire to protect young men from adulteress women. That desire can be seen in statements such as 5:3-6, 20-23; 6:24-35; 7:5-27; or 9:13-18. In this reading the adulteress is a flatterer, a covenant breaker, and death who makes it impossible to recover life. She makes a young man think he is something he is not, and she destroys his future. He will either be enslaved to his foolish behavior, haunted by his dread, or killed by a jealous husband.
Stress the three ways an adulteress could bring harm to the young man—the enslavement, the constant dread, or death at the hands of a jealous husband.
However, wisdom will instruct the person in an enduring righteousness that will allow the person to live continuously as an Israelite in the land God gave them. Because the wicked are ignorant of God’s ways, they are temporary residents, not established citizens.
Stress the ability to endure in the land was a blessing of wisdom. Think of the Israelite continuing in the land of Israel—continuing citizenship in that land depended on godliness, not on a powerful military or excellent alliances.
For Thought and Discussion
1. Chapter 2 may begin how? Regardless of who speaks, the speaker has little impact on what?
It may begin with the voice of a wise father or the voice of wisdom personified. Whoever spoke, the identity of the speaker had little or no impact on the message.
2. The message begins with what basic understanding?
It begins with the understanding that one must want wisdom to have wisdom.
3. What are the five benefits of seeking wisdom with determination?
1) Wisdom will teach you “the fear of the Lord” which is the key to discovering knowledge.
2) Wisdom will enable a person to recognize righteousness, justice, equity, and good directions.
3) Wisdom will protect a person from evil’s ways.
4) Wisdom will protect a person from the adulteress.
5) Wisdom will enable a person to walk the route of good men.
4. Contrast adults who had parents who championed the values of godliness with adults who did not have such parents.
The first will know the values of God, and the other will not.
5. Explain the “duh factor.”
The “duh” factor is the inability to recognize the connection between godless behavior/decisions and the consequences of those behaviors/decisions.
6. What should never be assumed?
We should never assume a person understands why wisdom is wise and not arbitrary.
7. The knowledge that comes from “the fear of the Lord” acknowledges what?
It acknowledges that God is the source of the knowledge concerning life.
8. The words of people who are not trustworthy are like what?
Those words are like a ricocheting bullet that wounds the innocent.
9. Do people of godly integrity suffer? Explain your answer.
They suffer. However, they are protected from other significant dangers.
10. Why is wisdom valuable? What is one of the ways wisdom protects the wise?
Wisdom is valuable because it is internal, resulting in the satisfying fulfillment of the person. It delivers people from walking in the ways of evil.
11. Why is the adulteress such a danger to the young man?
She will addict/enslave him to foolish behavior, or cause him to live a life haunted by dread, or bring him death through the actions of a jealous husband.
12. Wisdom instructed people in what?
It instructed a person in how to endure in the land God gave Old Testament Israel.
Link to Student Guide Lesson 5
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David Chadwell & West-Ark Church of Christ