Focus Verse: Prov 4:7 Lesson Verse: Isa 55:8,9
A. We are learning about God’s way of thinking
B. Trying to learn how to think, and reason (Isa 1:18) things through
C. If we don’t we end up drinking, smoking, doing canibice, and living a brief, miserable life.
D. Last week we were introduced to something beautiful, stunning, and precious – called Wisdom. It is personified, and shown to be more than just a word, but something alive, and life-changing.
E. If wisdom is allowed to work in our minds and hearts, it will do some incredible work.
F. Everyday, the world, the flesh, and the devil chips away at us. God gave us something more powerful than the world to maintain us, and develop us into what he calls, More than Conquerors!
II.
Lesson - Wisdom’s
Work - Chapter
Nine
A. Wisdom Builds Some Things (9:1)
1. Builds a life, by hand – not automated process like, “just add water, or in 10 easy steps”
2. Builds a House – a Life (as understood by Jesus in matthew 7)
3. We can be certain it is builded upon a Rock – made out of solid rock
4. Uses 7 pillars for support – Solomon could only use two!
5. It’s hard work, and long work, but it is God’s work!
B. Wisdom Provides, Feeds, Supplies Some Things (9:2)
1. Jesus did this for the disciples after they caught that net-full (Jn 21)
2. Doesn’t withhold good from seekers – doesn’t “toy” with us like a cat does, or a taunting brother or sister!
3. Provides the best meat – real steak
4. Provides the best wine (not alcoholic, but mixed) better than alcoholic
5. Full course dinners – no need to go anywhere else – not hungry after
C. Wisdom Calls, Challenges, Attracts Some Things (9:3-6)
1. She uses maidens – beauty attracts
a. God makes things beautiful for HIS glory
b. Don’t let the world defile what is truly beautiful
c. Mockery of all of that is beautiful, and changing it constantly into filth and abuse, and selfish demands is wicked!
2. She goes to the most visible spots of life to get the attention of folks – not ashamed (Rom 1:16)
3. She calls:
a. To the simple, and to the wise
b. To a dinner (Isa 55:1)
1) Like the Gospel (Mt 22:1-3)
2) Like to living water (John 4:14, and 7)
3) Like to Jesus Himself (Mt 11:28,29)
4) And it’s all FREE and produces no heartburn, indigestion, stomach cramps, nausea, or "irregularity."
c. For us to forsake some things
1) Foolish things – things that are meant to disprove God, or downplay the importance of God in our lives
2) Misunderstandings – the Christian must grow above misunderstandings
3) Childish things (1Cor 13:11)
d. The same is true:
1) With marriage
2) With Salvation
3) With the Christian life
D. Wisdom Ignores, Forsakes Some Things (9:7,8)
1. Fools – atheists (Ps 14)
2. Scoffers - mockers
3. Wicked men – vile, wicked people – rebuke, only for the benefit of others (1Tim 5:20)
4. These are the swine of Mt 7:6 that you should not waste time with – they will drain all your energy away trying to convince them, and change them
5. These kind abhor God’s wisdom, and God’s ways, so ignore them
E. Wisdom Targets Some People (9:9)
1. Wise men
2. Just men – saved, forgiven, pardoned
3. It targets them by:
a. Rebuke – that is our call signal
b. Instruction – teaching, line-upon-line!
4. These kind of people just eat up wisdom!
F. Wisdom Focuses On Some Things (9:10)
1. The fear of the Lord
2. An intimate relationship with the Holy one of heaven
a. Not just “my buddy Jesus”
b. But HE who is high and HOLY and pure
3. You get wisdom by the following:
a. By fearing God – usually takes a crisis
b. By accepting His invitation to a free banquet of truth
c. By living right – wanting to live right
d. By being able to receive rebukes
e. By studying and learning about the things of God
f. By winning souls (Pr 11:30)
g. By asking (James 1:5)
4. Modern school systems, churches, and universities aren’t even close to discovering wisdom!
G. Wisdom Results in Some Things (9:11,12)
1. Wisdom increasing - accumulating
2. Understanding being given by God to us
3. Long life
4. You will be reaping what you sowed (Gal 6:9) which will be good for a change!
H. Wisdom Has Some Competition (13-17; 2:16, 5:20, and 7: 10)
1. The foolish woman
a. Clamorous – not glamorous
b. Simple minded herself – uneducated, unthoughtful
c. Calls to anyone who will stop in – attracts like the harlot of 9:17
d. Wants lots of company – birds of a feather
2. The Pleasures of Sin
a. Stealing – taking another man’s wife. Notice the excitement of the risk! Stolen “apples” are sweeter, stolen candy, stolen money
b. Seduction
1) Excitement of doing something in secret, even if it is just eating a piece of bread
2) This woman is offering people “adventure” that is so secret
3) The "forbidden" has always been more attractive than the lawful and legal. Human nature is that way and has been that way ever since Adam and Eve fell. No amount of satisfaction can ever cure the incurable covetousness of the flesh (Ecc 6:7, Pr 27:20). Hence, it is the utmost folly to assume that "sex education," "drink education," and "dope education" will remedy the problem. The reasoning is simply this: "If we remove the bans and taboos off the 'forbidden,' they will no longer be attractive, nor attract, and therefore human nature will level off to sensible living." This would be fine if it were true. However, it is not true. Money grabbers are not satisfied with money, land grabbers are not satisfied with land, flesh addicts are not satisfied with the flesh pots of Egypt, and drunkards are not satisfied with a limit of liquor. The flesh is insatiable (“incurably wicked" is the word), and you can pamper it, prime it, primp it, culture it, cultivate it, crucify it, exercise it, examine it, display it, or develop it, and it is still FLESH (John 3:6)
c. Unreality – just a facade
I. Wisdom has the Last Laugh (9:18)
1. Even though the foolish are offering such wild and fun adventures
a. The END is what counts
b. Ignorance is what fools count on
1) Biblically illiterate population
2) We have our work cut out (Mt 28:19)
2. Wisdom will out-last all the world’s pleasures, and promises
3. Last word on the world’s beauty and attraction is “HELL!”
4. EX: of two boys jumping into muddy river – one impaled on broken tree under the water – didn’t know, nor see what he was getting into!
III.
Application and Study
Questions
A. Get God’s Wisdom
1. By fearing God – usually takes a crisis
2. By accepting His invitation to a free banquet of truth
3. By living right – wanting to live right
4. By being able to receive rebukes
5. By studying and learning about the things of God
6. By winning souls (Pr 11:30)
7. By asking (James 1:5)
B. Let God’s Wisdom have its way as it does its work
1. Building – restoring
2. Providing, Supplying
3. Calling, Directing
4. Ignoring
5. Targeting
6. Focusing
7. Resulting in eternal benefits