Link
to David's Home Page
PROVERBS AND GODLY WISDOM
Lesson Nine
The Contrast: Godly Wisdom and Evil
Text: Proverbs 4:10-19
The objective of this lesson: To stress that godly wisdom declares there are reasons for being righteous.
We are familiar with the fact that life might be viewed as a series of choices. Some choices are significant (for example: is this act moral or immoral?), and some choices are insignificant (for example: should I have strawberry or cherry flavoring?) For those who are serious about following God’s ways, one of the significant choices involves choosing righteousness and rejecting evil.
Most everyone is aware that the choices we make have a significant impact on the life we live.
That is not as simple a choice as it would initially appear. (a) It involves the level of one’s commitment to be righteous. (b) It involves defining what is righteous. (c) It involves defining what is evil. (d) It involves continually contrasting righteousness and evil. Though that is not all involved, it quickly becomes obvious that distinguishing righteousness from evil AND committing to righteousness involves a lot of effort!
Stress that determining what is righteous and what is wicked is often difficult. More is involved than choosing what we prefer. This choice involves two considerations. (a) What does God declare to be righteous? (b) Do I have the courage to be righteous?
Why would a person bother to go to all that effort? If the person made all that effort, how would he/she know, “I am correct! I have made and do make the proper choices!”
Our personal motivation is enormously involved in our choices!
The Proverb’s answer is to be seen in the results of righteous choices and the results of wicked choices. The consequences produced by both produce a contrast. The contrast shows the importance of choosing righteousness over wickedness. (You are asked to do a difficult thing: Do not impose a Christian perspective on Proverbs’ answer. Proverbs was written in the period of Israel in the Old Testament. Proverbs’ concern was not focused on the afterlife existence, heaven, hell, and the judgment. It addresses how best to live “now” in this existence.)
The Old Testament does not reflect a defined teaching on the after-death existence, the judgment day, or the destination of souls after the judgment. It is a major challenge for many Christians not to transpose New Testament teachings on Old Testament views/teachings. When Christians make such transpositions they often miss the teaching in the Old Testament scripture.
Godly wisdom provided these benefits:
1. It increases the years of one’s life. (Verse 10)
2. It makes one upright. (Verse 11)
3. It prevents stumbling even if one runs. (Verse 12)
4. It protects life. (Verse 13)
In the Old Testament teaching, righteous living was the way to get the most out of physical existence. Those people were not driven by a “consumer desire,” and they also (as we) lived in a very dangerous world often subjected to the unexpected. The concept: The wicked do not have the advantage over the righteous. Full, meaningful life belongs to those who have the courage to be righteous.
The path (ways, direction) of the wicked curses a person in the following ways:
1. The direction of the wicked threatens life. (Verse 15)
2. The wicked are enslaved to a wicked lifestyle—they cannot even sleep unless they do a wicked act. (Verse 16)
3. The wicked are nourished by wickedness and violence—that is the way they measure usefulness and significance. (Verse 17)
4. The obvious: To the wicked, life is significant ONLY if someone else suffers.
Notice that wickedness curses life in the world, not blesses it.
The contrast:
1. The path of the righteous is like the dawn offering the promise of increasing light.
2. The path of the wicked is like darkness that hides the obstacles that threaten misery and destruction.
Stress that living righteously is compared to the dawn and wickedness is compared to running in the dark.
First, one of the primary examples of the contrast between the godly life and the wicked life is light and darkness. Righteous living is light, and wicked living is darkness. In the worlds of the Old Testament and the world of the New Testament, the light/darkness contrast was an excellent, striking example. The relevance of the example was obvious.
Talk about why light versus darkness is an excellent example for righteous living versus wicked living in a world lacking artificial lighting.
Most of us have lived in a world of light so long that we have forgotten the striking contrast between light and darkness. Most of our nights are bathed in light. One can work at night. A store can stay open all night. Much of our entertainment is at night. We can travel at night. If we seek safety at night, we go to a well-lighted place. Light is such a part of our darkness that a person often has to search for true darkness!
Talk about how artificial lighting affects the world we live in. How much would it affect us if there was no artificial lighting?
In the worlds of the Bible, life commonly stopped with darkness because people could not see in the darkness. Dangers were magnified!
In the worlds of the Bible, the common people usually went to bed shortly after dark and began work shortly after dawn.
Second, in righteousness (as in the dawn) there is hope, whereas in wickedness there is the hopelessness of the increasing inability to see (as in the growing darkness). In righteousness, just as in the dawn, there is the increasing promise of more light which means the improving ability to see (which meant the ability to do more and more without restriction).
Stress that positive things were associated with being able to see and negative with not being able to see. For an example, consider Jacob’s first night with Leah in Genesis 29:16-25. Rarely do we consider the role that lighting contributes to every aspect of our existence.
The contrast between light and darkness made an excellent example for the contrast between righteous living and wicked living. May your life be an excellent example of the benefits and the hope found in righteous living!
We will make the sacrifices to be righteous ONLY when we understand the benefits of being a righteous person.
For Thought and Discussion
1. We are familiar with what fact?
We are familiar with the fact that life can be seen as a series of choices.
2. Give four reasons for this not being a simple choice.
a. It involves the level of one’s commitment to be righteous.
b. It involves defining what is righteous.
c. It involves defining what is wicked.
d. It involves continually contrasting righteousness with evil.
The students may suggest other factors that are involved.
3. What is the “why” question that should be asked?
Why go to all that effort?
4. Proverbs’ answer produces what?
It produces a contrast between righteous living and wicked living.
5. What difficult thing are you asked to do?
You are asked not to impose Christian perspectives on Proverbs’ answer.
6. What benefits does godly wisdom provide?
a) It increases one’s years of physical life.
b) It makes one upright. (Explain the word “upright.”)
c) It prevents stumbling even if one runs.
d) It protects life.
7. How does the path of the wicked curse people?
a) Its direction threatens life.
b) It produces an enslaved lifestyle.
c) It nourishes wickedness and violence.
d) It is significant only if someone else suffers.
8. What is the basic contrast?
The basic contrast is living in light and living in darkness.
9. Discuss the primary example of contrast produced by light and darkness.
The discussion should include functioning in light.
10. Discuss why the dawn was a good symbol of hope.
The discussion should include the fact that righteous existence, as the dawn, increases the ability to see.
Link to Student Guide Lesson 9
Copyright © 2010
David Chadwell & West-Ark Church of Christ