Kindle Notes & Highlights
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August 10 - August 24, 2024
to produce the skill of godly living in the reader by wisdom and instruction,
to help that individual develop discernment.
wisdom was not knowledge alone but the skill of living as God int...
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Instruction refers to the discipline of th...
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understanding involves the mental discipline that matures a person for ...
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Justice is the ability to conform to the will and standard of God—a practical righteousness that matches one’s positional righteousness.
Judgment is the application of true righteousness in dealing with others.
Equity is the practice of leading one’s life in a fair...
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The root of simple is a word meaning an open door, which is an apt description of those who do not know what to keep in or out of their minds.
These proverbs seek to sharpen the reader’s mind by schooling in “parabolic speech” and “dark sayings” that need reflection and interpretation.
The process of gaining wisdom requires deliberate effort on our part.
First, the person must be willing to receive or hear instruction from another who is wiser. Second, the person must value wisdom as more precious than treasure. Third, as we will see in this and future studies, the person must act on those wise teachings. It is not enough for a person to merely listen and learn; he or she must also obey if he or she is to become wise.
Wisdom in this sense means “skill” and refers to the quality that enables a person to live life skillfully, avoiding the world’s countless traps and pitfalls.
Understanding refers to one’s mind, specifically the intellectual discipline required to gain wisdom. God calls His people to work toward a deep understanding of His Word and to apply that Word in their lives. These things lead to wisdom.
the least bit of indifference will leave one bereft of the fullness of wisdom. Yet this verse also reminds us that true wisdom comes only from God, and all we need to do is ask Him to give it to us.
we are also to seek or search for it. Part of the seeking step is an act of faith:
The seeking or searching also encompasses obedience, for obtaining wisdom requires us to obey what we understand from God’s Word.
Wisdom and understanding bring benefits to those who possess them.
Those who are redeemed by the blood of Christ are “upright” and continue to walk in obedience to His Word.
The words from God’s mouth are contained in Scripture.
True righteousness can only come through the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Justice is a quality of God’s character, and those who behave justly are acting in a godly manner.
Equity refers to fairness and impartiality—the quality of treating all people on an equal level. This is also a trait of God’s character, who is no respecter of persons
is a practical daily lifestyle—a living out of the principles of God’s Word.
This is the quality of being able to discern what course of action is right and fitting.
Wisdom not only brings benefits to the person who follows her guidance but also protects that person from the evil enticements of the world.
The book of Proverbs refers to this immoral woman repeatedly, but the principles can be applied just as easily to a wayward man, as any form of sexual immorality leads only to destruction.
The Bible forbids any sexual behavior apart from the marriage covenant.
The destructive nature of sexual sin leads a person to walk alongside death.
The irreversible nature of continuing in sexual sin points to its devastating consequences.
those who belong to the Lord will live.
Life is filled with obligations and demands, but Christians must always keep wisdom as their top priority.
Any counsel that goes against God’s Word is not genuine wisdom.
parents should be diligent to train their children in godly wisdom.
It is too easy to forget true wisdom when we allow our lives to become cluttered with the things of this world.
Life is filled with “getting”—getting a paycheck, getting an education, getting groceries, and on and on.
However, it is easy to become obsessed with getting as we accumulate possessions and strive to advance in career or social circles.
The wise man has a deep love for God’s ways, and he takes His Word into the most intimate parts of his life.
The image here suggests that life’s concerns and temptations can also trip us up, but wisdom will help us make safe paths for our feet.
We must not lose sight ofthe fact that the devil and the world system are constantly warring against God’s people.
The book of Proverbs frequently presents the reader with two choices: the way of evil and the way of wisdom.
However, God’s Word teaches there are only two ways to choose from: the wicked ways of the world and the wise ways of God.
(1) avoid the sinful situation, (2) travel as far from it as possible, (3) turn away from the sin, and (4) pass beyond or escape the sin.
The path of the believer is one of increasing light, just as a sunrise begins with the faint glow of dawn and proceeds to the splendor of noonday.
This can be seen in the world around us, as people pursue ungodliness and then are puzzled at the inevitable results.
That is, we must guard our minds, for whatever we take into our minds will influence our speech and behavior. For this reason, it is vital for Christians to steep their minds in Scripture.
He is the source of all true wisdom, and no one can become wise apart from Him.
Yet wisdom and understanding also require diligent effort on our part: the effort of obedience to God’s Word and diligence in studying His Word.
There are the temporary rewards of honor and longevity mentioned in Proverbs, but the real benefit of wisdom is eternal: the more one lives in wisdom, the more he becomes like Christ.
Life presents a choice: wisdom or folly.
