Grace Bible Church Glorifying God by Making Disciples of Jesus Christ

Applying Proverbs to Life Selected Scriptures It is a tragedy that so few heed the call of wisdom, and even more so that some that do will forget her James 1:19-27 - be a doer of the word, and not a forgetful hearer

Solomon the Ignorant Nearly all of the Proverbs are from Solomon, but he was born as ignorant as any man Solomon was a younger son of King David, born in Jerusalem to Bathsheba and had three full brothers Solomon’s wisdom began with the instruction received from his father and mother - Proverbs 4:3-4

Solomon the Ignorant You are responsible to both seek wisdom for yourself and instruct others in what you have learned The quest for wisdom is a lifelong pursuit - Proverbs 9:9

Solomon the Ignorant A person that abandons the quest for wisdom descends into foolishness - Proverbs 18:2; 26:12 Parents must instruct their children – But Christians are to disciple others regardless of family ties

Solomon The Wise 1 Kings 3:3 - Solomon began his reign with a fairly strong godly character 1 Kings 3:6-9 - Solomon requested God give him an understanding heart in order to judge God’s people 1 Kings 3:10-14 - God gave Solomon unparalleled wisdom and also riches and honor

Solomon The Wise Solomon became incredibly wealthy 666 Talents = 44,821 to 86,580 lbs $1.172 to $2.265 billion per year Plus silver, precious stones, spices, garments, animals, lumber, etc. Solomon did not lack any comfort or pleasure - Ecclesiastes 2

Solomon The Wise Solomon’s wisdom was without parallel - 1 Kings 4:29-34 1 Kings 10:24 / Proverbs 2:6-10. God is the source of wisdom Solomon’s wisdom resulted in great blessings for the nation - especially in the building of the Temple

Solomon The Wise You can follow in Solomon’s footsteps by learning from his instruction - Proverbs Wisdom without righteousness will be either ignored or perverted into foolishness

Solomon The Fool Solomon started his reign with incredible wisdom, but as he became foolish as he got older Deuteronomy 17:14-20 - Instructions to Israel’s kings – which Solomon did not obey 1 Kings 11:1-4 - Solomon’s decline

Solomon The Fool Just as Moses had warned, the many wives turned Solomon’s heart away from the Lord The Lord tempered his punishment of Solomon for the sake of David and Jerusalem - 1 Kings 11:13 It is too common for parents to follow Solomon’s example and not heed their own teaching

Solomon The Fool God makes the wisdom of the world foolishness while giving wisdom to those the world thinks fools James 3:13-18 - earthly wisdom and the wisdom from above are contrasted by their fruits You must seek the wisdom from above which is joined with the pursuit of holiness

Warning: False Teachers Be on guard for false teachers that would lead you astray - Mt. 5-7; Acts 20:29; 1 Tim. 4:1; Col 2:16-23 Jesus, Paul, Peter, John and Jude all warn about the deceptions of false teachers Professing believers that remain ignorant of the Bible can be easily deceived.

Warning: False Teachers You must know the truth in order to be wise and identify heresy and false teachers False teachers will be known by their fruit - be skeptical of any teacher that does not walk in holiness Professing believers that do not pursue holiness will be enticed by false teacher who tickle their ears

Warning: False Teachers The naive can be taught, but those that know better but still disobey will descend into foolishness Galatians 6:7 / Proverbs 11:31 - you will reap what you sow whether good or bad You must learn to properly study the Scriptures in context - and be careful of your friends (1 Cor. 15:33)

Solomon The Resigned 1 Kings 11:40-41 is inconclusive about Solomon’s moral state at his death Ecclesiastes reveals the serious reflections of a man that realized the waste of his own foolishness Solomon tried it all, but only then realized the waste of an ungodly life (Ecclesiastes 1 & 2)

Solomon The Resigned Solomon’s conclusion in Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 is true, but it is one of resignation The fear of the Lord is only the beginning of knowledge and wisdom (Proverbs 1:7; 9:10; Eccl. 12:13) By faith the Christian is forgiven and goes on to love the Lord and live joyfully by His commandments

Conclusions What part of Solomon’s life do you want your life to reflect: Wisdom Foolishness Resignation Or do you want something more?

Conclusions You must continue to walk in wisdom to be wise, for if you stop, you will become foolish The joy of knowing you are forgiven and joyously obeying God out of love is much better

Grace Bible Church Glorifying God by Making Disciples of Jesus Christ