The Beginning of Wisdom Proverbs 1:1-7 · Join the Journey

You know warning labels are there to remind us of how to use things properly. But some of them are crazy. You would think they would be common sense. But you know they are there because someone didn’t use common sense.

• Not intended for highway use. If you need to haul something on the highway call a friend with a truck.

• Remove child before folding.

• Divers do not carry burritos. I guess those robbers were hungry.

• This label is on rat poison. I guess cancer is ok.

• My nephew asked this last week. No you shouldn’t try to iron your shirt while wearing it.

• Sometimes fixing the printer is so frustrating that the only thing you can do is start eating its parts. Please don’t eat the toner.

• This ones for my fishermen friends. Just remember to hook fish and not humans. Jesus didn’t want us to use hooks when fishing for men.

We laugh at these, but they exist because people ignored common sense. Proverbs reminds us that we do the same with God’s wisdom. What should be obvious—we often ignore. God gives us uncommon sense, not just to know it, but to live it.

Last week, Jordan introduced us to Proverbs and reminded us that godly wisdom is the most valuable and rare thing we could ever have—yet God gives it away for free.

Godly wisdom is not just knowledge—it’s knowledge applied. It’s truth lived out. Proverbs is not just good advice but it’s God’s invitation to learn wisdom from past generations.

Its important to remember that Proverbs is based on probabilities. If you fear the Lord, you are wise and things will likely go well. But if you don’t fear the Lord, you are foolish and your life will likely not go well. That is often true but not always. Proverbs are not promises. There are no guarantees. Life is uncertain. Lots of things can and will happen. Proverbs focuses on the general rule not the exceptions. Which is why it’s important to look at the wisdom Literature as a whole. Ecclesiastes and Job focus on the exceptions. We need them all to get the bigger picture.

Proverbs is for every person in every season of life. It’s a guide for living wisely and well in God’s good world.

So lets start at the beginning of wisdom. Wisdom begins when we humble ourselves before God—acknowledging He is God and we are not.

If you have your bibles turn with me to Proverbs 1. If you don’t have a bible. We have some on the back table. If you are looking for Proverbs in your bible its on the left side in the OT. Comes right after Psalms and right before Ecclesiastes.

As your turning there just a reminder with how Proverbs is laid out.

Chapter 1-9 are a series of letters from a father to his son about Godly wisdom and some pomes from the lady wisdom.

Chapter 10-29 are some saying about how godly wisdom should be lived out in any and every situation.

Chapter 30-31 are from a guy looking for wisdom and finding in God’s word. And the wife of noble character. Really an example of what it looks like to live out godly wisdom.

Proverbs 1:1-6

Proverbs 1:1–6

Solomon was the founder of wisdom tradition for the nation of Israel. Jordan shared with us how Solomon asked for God’s wisdom to lead God’s people. And Proverbs is a sample of the wisdom that Solomon gained. Solomon has shared this so everyone; young, old, simple and wise can gain wisdom. Wisdom is applied knowledge to everyday life. What is right, just and fair.

Wisdom starts with a healthy fear of the Lord.

Proverbs 1:7

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. But fools despise wisdom. The fear of the Lord is not dread but a healthy reverence for God. Being in awe of God. Why does fearing God matter so much? Because ever since the garden, our struggle has been wanting to be God ourselves. “You will be like God.” Isn’t this the mindset of our couture. They want to be the ones who decide what is good or evil. Right or wrong. But isn’t this our problem to? When we sin we are saying I know better then God.

Godly wisdom starts when we say and believe that God is God and we are not. So Godly wisdom is us humbling ourselves and embracing God’s definition of good and evil. If God said it we believe it.

Think about it. In any and every circumstance. Foolishness is to not believe or trust what God has said. Wisdom is trusting God and then acting accordingly because God is God and we are not. This is exactly what God was telling Job.

Job 38:1-4

Job 38:1–4

Then the LORD spoke to Job out of the storm. He said:

2 “Who is this that obscures my plans

with words without knowledge?

3 Brace yourself like a man;

I will question you,

and you shall answer me.

4 “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?

Tell me, if you understand.

God reminds Job in great detail: He is God, and Job is not.

When Moses thought God had sent the wrong guy to lead Israel to freedom. God reminds Moses who He is.

Exodus 3:14

God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’ ”

I Am. God is the one who is. Who always has been and always will be. The 1st and the last. The Alpha and the Omega. The holder of the keys of eternity. The Rock eternal. The mighty one. The creator, sustainer, savior of the universe.

Friends wisdom is humbling ourselves to God the all knowing, all powerful, great one. Rock eternal. It’s recognizing that God is God and you and I are not. Trust Him. Be in Awe of Him. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

Humble yourself to Him. And trust Him for His wisdom. It is valuable and rare. And he gives it away freely.

Humble yourselves and trust God not anything else. At the end of Proverbs we see the words of Agur.

Proverbs 30:12-14

Proverbs 30:12–14

those who are pure in their own eyes

and yet are not cleansed of their filth;

13 those whose eyes are ever so haughty,

whose glances are so disdainful;

14 those whose teeth are swords

and whose jaws are set with knives

to devour the poor from the earth

and the needy from among mankind.

Those who are pure or right in their own eyes. The arrogant. Have not been cleansed from their filth. Humble yourselves and trust God.

What areas in your life are you trusting something or someone other then the creator eternal Rock. The great I AM?

Are you trusting your feeds; news, social more than you are trusting the Lord almighty?

Are you trusting your feelings more than you are trusting the one who created your minds giving you the ability to have those feelings in the first place?

Are you trusting in you on strength or knowledge or ability more than God?

Are you trusting mere humans more than the first and the last, the living one, who died and now lives every more.

Godly wisdom is valuable and rare. And he gives it away freely in His word. Seek wisdom from God and not from the world.

Proverbs 30:5-6

Proverbs 30:5–6

“Every word of God is flawless;

he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.

6 Do not add to his words,

or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar.

God’s word is flawless. Are you daily seeking God’s wisdom from His word. As a church we want to be like the Bereans. We want to be a people that examines God’s word every daily. Because we know that we grow by studying the Bible together, increasing our desire to know the inspired and inerrant Word of God and humbly obeying its truth in everyday life. This growth happens not just because we are gaining more knowledge. But through wisdom. Applied knowledge. We don’t just know it but we obey it. We put it to practice every day in every part of our lives.

Gain Godly wisdom above all else. The fear of the Lord is where it starts. Humble yourselves. God is God you are not. Gain wisdom from his word. Not just knowledge but applies knowledge. Know it. Trust it and obey it!

Through the wisdom of God He sent Jesus to do for us what we could never do for ourselves but what we needed the most. He was crucified, foolishness to the perishing but the power and wisdom of God to those who are being saved. Come today and stop trusting in your own wisdom. Repent of your sins and put your trust in God. Fear Him and submit to Him meeting Jesus in baptism. And start living today accordingly. If you keep living in sin, that’s the definition of folly—doing the same thing and expecting different results. It will lead to ruin not only in this live but in eternity to come. Come today!