DAILY DISCIPLINE #74
By Colleen Donahue
Over the months that we've been studying the life of King Solomon, it's become apparent that he was considered by Israel and all surrounding countries to be the wisest man in the world. As a young man, God had offered Solomon anything that he might want and Solomon asked for wisdom to be able to govern Israel well and to distinguish between right and wrong. This request pleased God so much that He "...gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore." (I Kings 4:29)
With the wisdom that God gave him, Solomon wrote over 3,000 proverbs and songs with one of his favorite topics being "wisdom" itself. Where does wisdom come from and how do we get it? Let's learn from "the master" himself as we examine his proverbs on ............
Proverbs- Part 3- Wisdom 1001
WISDOM
Day 1- Where do wisdom, knowledge, and understanding come from?
Job 28:12,23,28 / Proverbs 1:7 / 2:6-7 / 9:10
Day 2- This fact is backed up and documented by the experience of many. Here are a few instances.
Exodus 31:1-3 / I Kings 3:9,12 / 4:29 / Psalm 119:98-99, 104 / Daniel 1:17 / 2:20-23
Day 3- Centuries later this was confirmed by the apostles and Jesus Himself.
Luke 21:15 / John 6:45/ Ephesians 1:17-18 / James 1:17
Day 4- Probably a majority of people today feel that to get wisdom they need to sign up for college or further education. But where are we told to get wisdom?
James 1:5
Day 5- We must not confuse wisdom with just having knowledge. There are many highly educated people that are fools. Why?
Psalm 14:1 /53:1 / Jeremiah 4:22 / Romans 1:22-25
Day 6- Thus, men and women that don't know and love God (and specifically today His Son Jesus Christ) or those that openly defy God can never be considered people of true wisdom.
Psalm 53:1-3 /Proverbs 14:33/ 30:2-3
Day 7- There is however a "wisdom of this world". Yet what is this in comparison to true wisdom?
I Corinthians 1:25-31
Day 8- What regard does God have for those that only have the wisdom of this world?
I Corinthians 3:18-20
Day 9- What warnings are given to us about just acquiring an education apart from knowing God?
Proverbs 3:7-8/ 26:12 / 28:26 / Isaiah 5:21
Day 10- Therefore the best thing a parent or teacher can have is a relationship themselves with Jesus Christ. Then they can say to sons and daughters.....
Proverbs 4:10-11/ 5:1 / 19:20 / 22:17-18
Day 11- In the book of Proverbs, wisdom is personified as a woman. But in the New Testament era (i.e. since Jesus Christ was born), we learn that Jesus Himself was filled with His Father's wisdom.
Isaiah 11:2 / Matthew 13:54 / Luke 2:40 / Colossians 2:3
Day 12- And more than that, God has made Jesus to be our own wisdom.....
I Corinthians 1:30
Day 13- ......so that we can even have His mind on the things concerning our life.
I Corinthians 2:16
Day 14- So as a parent or teacher knows and abides in Christ, they have available to them God's own wisdom. This wisdom comes through the Bible and via God's revelation to their hearts through His Holy Spirit.
John 15:15 / John 16:13-15
WISDOM #1001 - LESSON 1
Day 15- So where does a parent start in teaching their sons and daughters?
Job 28:28 / Proverbs 1:7A / 9:10
Day 16- What is "the fear of the Lord"?
Proverbs 8:13 / 14:27 / 15:33A / Deuteronomy 10:12 / Isaiah 8:13 / Matthew 10:28 / 1 Peter 1:17
Day 17- How can one understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God?
Proverbs 2:1-5 / Job 28:20, 23-28
Day 18- When we "fear God" we respect Him as the Creator and Lord of the universe as well as the Lord of our own life. This causes us to behave in certain ways.
Proverbs 14:2 /23:17/ 24:21 / Ecclesiastes 12:13
Day 19- What will be some of the results for us if we learn to "fear God" early in life?
Proverbs 10:27 / 14:26-27 / 16:6 / 19:23 /22:4 / 28:14
THE DEPTHS OF WISDOM FOUND IN JESUS CHRIST
In 2 Timothy 3:16, we are told that "All scripture is inspired by God..." And so as we look at further sections of Proverbs we'll see how Solomon in describing wisdom was giving us an inspired, beautiful description of Jesus Christ who was not due on earth for another 750 years!
As I mentioned earlier, Solomon personifies wisdom as a woman, but for us, wisdom is personified in the Lord Jesus Christ. ("He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom..." I Corinthians 1:30)
Therefore the words of Solomon..."Happy is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gets understanding (Proverbs 3:3) has even greater significance for us. For us, it could be said ..." Happy is the man who finds Jesus Christ and the man who gets understanding."
Day 20- What are God's credentials as the source of wisdom?
Proverbs 3:19-20 / 30:4-5
Day 21- Likewise Christ was "in the beginning" with His Father.
Proverbs 8:22-31 / John 10:30 / 17:5,24 / Hebrews 7:3 / Revelation 22:13
THE CALL
Day 22- Just as Solomon personified wisdom calling out, so also Christ calls out to the men and women of this world.
Proverbs 1:20-23/ 8:1-9 /9:1-6/ John 7:37-38 / Revelation 3:20
THE OFFER
Day 23- Christ stands before all men offering many things - including wisdom. But His greatest offer to us is life in Himself.
Proverbs 8:14-21 / John 11:25-26 / I John 5:11-12
THE CHOICE
Day 24- Therefore before each person is the choice to acknowledge Christ as God's Son and our Saviour or reject Him. We have the option to choose true wisdom or reject it.
Proverbs 8:10-11 / Romans 10:9-13
THE URGENCY
Day 25- This issue of gaining wisdom and knowing Christ is so important that the Jewish father expresses great urgency to his son through emphatic commands.
Proverbs 3:1 / 4:1-13,20-21/ 6:20-23 / 7:1-3,24 / 8:10-11 ,33-35 / 23:12, 23
CAN WE RECOGNIZE WISDOM?
Wisdom is not ethereal. It is not knowledge stored in the head but rather always works its way out practically through a life. Later Jesus confirmed this when He said "You will know them by their fruits."
Matthew 7:16,20
Day 26- What characterizes a person of true wisdom? Make a list for yourself.
Proverbs 9:8B-9 / 10:8,14A,23B / 11:2B / 12:23A / 13:1A, 10B, 16A / 14:8A, 15-18, 29
Day 27- What characterizes a person of true wisdom? --Continued
Proverbs 15:5,14A,21B,31/ 16:14/ 17:10 / 18:15 / 19:8,25B /21:11B/ 22:3A/ 24:3, 5-6 / 27:12 / 28:7A / 29:8
Day 28- How does a wise person speak?
Proverbs 14:3B /15:2,7A / 16:21/ 17:27-28 / 18:4 / 24:26/ 29:11
WISDOM'S REWARD
Day 29- What rewards and benefits does God give to the wise and to those who love His Son, Jesus?
Proverbs 3:35/ 14:18,24,35A / 15:24 / 16:22A / 17:2 / 21:20 / 24:13-14
Day 30- What will be a parent's reward for seeing their children onto the path of wisdom?
Proverbs 10:1A / 15:20A / 23:15-16 / 29:3
(Remember that in our Jewish setting the father was the one teaching his sons and thus the verses refer only to the fathers).
Day 31- What is gaining wisdom (or today, knowing Christ) ultimately better than?
Proverbs 3:13-15 / 16:16
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