An Introduction to Proverbs

This year in our Sunday School lessons we are going through the books of James and Proverbs to look at the Practical Living from God’s Word.  What is located below are the high level points we discussed this week.  Please use this tool to follow up with your teens and see how they plan to apply this to their life.

 

What are some of the wise sayings that you have learned in your life time?

 

What is the purpose of these sayings?

 

Who usually says these sayings?

 

What is the Purpose of the book of Proverbs?

The first purpose is to help to guide us on our path through life.

“Everyone is on a path. Everyone is going somewhere. When we feel stuck, even when we feel trapped, the truth is, we are still in motion. Life is a journey, and the end of it all is not just a place but also a condition. We are becoming the end of our journey, wise or foolish, and every moment takes us closer there.”[1]

As we go through this book we will constantly see references back to the path of life that we are walking on.  It is fascinating to think about all the different ways that we are guided to choose the right path.

What is the end goal of the path that you are walking on?

The second purpose is to give us practical living wisdom so we can apply the prophecies and theologies of the Bible to our life.

“During the Old Testament era God standardized his speaking to us in three ways. The priests taught his law, the prophets declared his word, and the sages or wise men gave his counsel (Jeremiah 18:18). Both the commands of the Law and the thunderings of the prophets spread out before us the gigantic truths of God, the metanarrative that makes sense of everything. But we need more. We live day by day in a world where “there are details of character small enough to escape the mesh of the law and the broadsides of the prophets, and yet decisive in personal dealings.”  So God gave us more than the Law and the prophets. He also gave us wise counsel.”1

Have you ever wondered what does the whole idea of applying the sovereignty of God to your life looks like?  This book give us that.  For instance.

“Proverbs 27:14 in the NLT says, “A loud and cheerful greeting early in the morning will be taken as a curse!” We don’t find that in the Ten Commandments or in Isaiah or Jeremiah. But a well-intentioned but ill-timed greeting can backfire, and that’s worth knowing! God thinks so. He cares about our understanding of the massive truths of our existence. But he also cares about the nuances that make a difference in our relationships and experiences every day.”1

“We need God’s help moment by moment, down at the level where there are no hard and fast rules to go by. What kind of woman or man should I marry? Which career path should I take? How can I endure this suffering I can’t escape? How should I spend my money? Through the book of Proverbs, God coaches us in the wisdom we need throughout the long and complicated.”1

What are some of the practical instructions that we can find in the book of Proverbs?

The third purpose is help us to become wise people.

One of the key words for the book of Proverbs is wisdom.  Wisdom throughout the Bible means doing things God’s way.  All through this book there is a constant reminder to the immature (my son or daughter) to choose wisdom.

Find a passage in Proverbs that calls to the immature to choose wisdom.

“Let’s not underrate what we have here in the book of Proverbs. Biblical wisdom is more than what we find in a fortune cookie. It is more than an optional add-on for people who want to upgrade their lives from, say, 4 to 7 on a scale of 1 to 10. This wisdom from Christ is a matter of life and death: “The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death” (Proverbs 13:14).”1

“Wisdom is the grace of Christ beautifying our daily lives. Paul said that God has “lavished” his grace upon us “in all wisdom and insight” (Ephesians 1:7, 8). God’s grace is smart grace. The Bible says that in Christ are hidden “all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3). The wise way to live is not always obvious or intuitive or popular. It is hidden. Here’s where it is hidden: “We preach Christ crucified . . . the wisdom of God” (1 Corinthians 1:23, 24).”1

“Wisdom is the gospel of Christ reshaping us for royalty, as God places us on his anvil and we trust him enough to stay there until his work is done.”

Topics we will be covering in this study.

The Fear of the Lord is the Beginning of Knowledge              Proverbs 1:1-7
If Sinners Entice You           Proverbs 1:8-9
“How Long will you Love Being Simple?”     Proverbs 1:20-33
Growing in Wisdom            Proverbs 2:1-22
“Trust in the Lord with All Your Heart”         Proverbs 3:1-8
Wisdom When Life is Good or Bad      Proverbs 3:9-12
What Comes From Wisdom              Proverbs 3:13-35
The Path of Life                    Proverbs 4:1-27
Wisdom About Sexual Behavior                   Proverbs 5:1-23
Some Areas God Wants Us to Work On                Proverbs 6:1-19
Why Our Purity Matters to God                       Proverbs 6:20-7:27
Wisdom is Calling Out to You                     Proverbs 8:1-36
Folly Versus Wisdom       Proverbs 7:1-8:36
Which Will It Be Wisdom or Folly       Proverbs 9:1-18
Hold Your Tongue            Proverbs 18:21
Humility                                Proverbs 22:4
Family                                   Proverbs 22:6
Money                                       Proverbs 10:22
Life and Death                   Proverbs 12:28

 

 


[1] Ortlund Jr., Raymond C.  (2012-03-07). Proverbs: Wisdom that Works (Preaching the Word) (Kindle Locations 188-190). Good News Publishers. Kindle Edition.

 

Johnny Kjaer
Johnny is married to Tori. They have 4 children Leif, Tryggve, Kjirsti and Hroarr. He has been a part of the youth ministry at Faith since his internship began in 2010. He served as the Pastor of Student Ministries from 2013-2023 and now serves as the Pastor of Faith East Community Ministries. Johnny is an ACBC certified counselor. He also serves the church by directing the Lafayette Living Nativity.