1. Grace Bible Church Glorifying God by Making Disciples of Jesus Christ

2. 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: be a doer of the word, and not a forgetful hearer

3. 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

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

5. 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

6. 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: God gave Solomon unparalleled wisdom and also riches and honor

7. 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

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

9. 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

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

11. 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

12. Solomon The Fool
God makes the wisdom of the world foolishness while giving wisdom to those the world thinks fools
James 3: 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

13. 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.

14. 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

15. 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)

16. 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)

17. 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

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

19. 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

20. Grace Bible Church Glorifying God by Making Disciples of Jesus Christ