1. Adult Bible Study Guide Jan Feb Mar 2015 Adult Bible Study Guide Jan Feb Mar 2015 powerpoint presentation designed by claro ruiz vicente http://clarovicente.weebly.com

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3. Jacques B. Doukhan, Principal Contributor

4. Proverbs Our Goal F rom the book of Proverbs we will learn how to be wise, but correctly, in practical ways. Wisdom isn’t necessarily intellectual might. The prerequisite for wisdom is, instead, to be humble, to feel our need and then to seek for wisdom.

5. Proverbs Contents 1 The Call of Wisdom 2 From Ears to Feet 3 A Matter of Life and Death 4 Divine Wisdom 5 The Blessings of the Righteous 6 What You Get Is Not What You See 7 Dealing With Fights 8 Words of Wisdom 9 Words of Truth 10 Behind the Mask 11 Living by Faith 12 The Humility of the Wise 13 Women and Wine

6. Proverbs Lesson 12, March 21 Proverbs Lesson 12, March 21 The Humility of the Wise

7. Key Text Matthew 5:3 NKJV “ B lessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

8. The Humility of the Wise Initial Words I n the Bible humility is considered an important virtue. Every breath, every heartbeat, every gift, every talent comes only from God, in whom “we live, and move, and have our being” (Acts 17:28). And in light of the cross, even all our righteousness is as “filthy rags” (Isa. 64:6); how, then, can we boast?

9. The Humility of the Wise Quick Look 1. Lesson from God (Proverbs 30:3-6) 2. Lesson from the Arrogant (Proverbs 30:7-9) 3. Lesson from Nature (Proverbs 30:24-28)

10. The Humility of the Wise 1. Lesson From God Proverbs 30:3-6 NKJV “ I neither learned wisdom nor have knowledge of the Holy One. Who has ascended into heaven or descended?... Gathered the wind in His fists?... Established all ends of the earth? What is His name,... His son’s name...? Every word of God is pure.... Do not add to His words....”

11. 1. Lesson From God Proverbs 30:2, 3, 32, 33 T HE self-negation seen in these texts is quite a break from the usual self- exaltation of kings in the ancient Near East, who often liked to boast of their wisdom, achievements, and military victories. Such boasting, which implies pride, also carries the potential for humiliation and, anger and strife.

12. 1. Lesson From God A Knowledge of God? Pride arises in those who don’t know the Lord in a personal way. In contrast, the person who lives in communion with God will be humble, for he or she is constantly in touch with the One who is infinitely greater than any of us.

13. 1. Lesson From God A Knowledge of God? “Knowledge of God” is to be understood as meaning “knowledge about God.” Five rhetorical questions are asked, which force us to recognize just how much about God we really don’t understand. Because God is the Creator (the first four questions), He remains far beyond our understanding (the fifth question).

14. 1. Lesson From God A Knowledge of God? The fact that God is the Creator, and that we cannot fully understand Him, gives us a crucial lesson regarding how we should receive His written revelation, which scholars are always questioning. Who are we to challenge the Word of God, even the parts that baffle or disturb us?

15. The Humility of the Wise 2. Lesson From the Arrogant Proverbs 30:7-9 NKJV “ R emove falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches—feed me with the food You prescribed for me; lest I be full and deny You, and say, ‘Who is the Lord?” Or lest, I be poor and steal, and profane the name of my God.”

16. 2. Lesson From the Arrogant Neither Too Much nor Too Little B efore we ask God for anything, it is important to make sure our relationship with Him is solid. If we lie, then we act as if God, who knows all things, doesn’t even exist. This is why the confession of our sin is a prerequisite for forgiveness (1 John 1:9). We cannot cheat God; He sees us exactly as we are.

17. 2. Lesson From the Arrogant Neither Too Much nor Too Little The two requests converge in one goal: the glory of God. If we get too little, we tend to steal and insult God; if we get too much, we do not feel the need for God and may even deny His existence. Only the latter predicament can lead to a disconnect from God; the former will likely keep us in touch with Him.

18. 2. Lesson From the Arrogant Actions of the Arrogant Cursing your parents (11, 17). It represents the most serious act of arrogance, when children despise their source of life. Significantly, honoring and blessing one’s parents is the only commandment associated with the promise of life (Exod. 20:12), while the death penalty is prescribed for its transgression (Exod. 21:15, 17).

19. 2. Lesson From the Arrogant Actions of the Arrogant Self-righteousness (12, 20). The condition of sinners who think of themselves as righteous is bad, because they will stay in their sin, believing that they are pure and don’t need forgiveness. Contempt (13, 14). Arrogance is manifested in the contempt to those who they feel are below them.

20. The Humility of the Wise 3. Lesson From Nature: Prov. 30:24-28 “ F our...are little on the earth, but they are exceedingly wise: the ants are... not strong, yet they prepare their food in the summer; the rock badgers are feeble..., yet they make their homes in the crags; the locust have no king, yet they all advance in ranks; the spider skillfully grasps with its hands, and it is in king palaces.”

21. 3. Lesson From Nature Limits of Human Understanding M ystery in “common” things (vs 19): an eagle silently moving through the sky, a snake silently moving along the earth. A ship on the sea and a man with a woman. Even today so many mysteries remain. How crucial it is that we never lose our appreciation for the depth and majesty of life. That attitude will surely help keep us humble before God.

22. 3. Lesson From Nature Limits of Human Understanding Verses 20–23 deal with human folly, arrogance, and vice. Then shifts to the animal world, pointing to small and humble creatures, even though the same Hebrew word used for “wise” in reference to them is used in reference to humans (3:13) and even God Himself (Job 12:13, Ps. 104:24).

23. 3. Lesson From Nature Limits of Human Understanding Even with all our advances in science, how these creatures do what they do remains beyond our full comprehension. How much more so their actions must have baffled this wise man in his time. And he was indeed wise, because one of the great signs of wisdom is to acknowledge just how little we know, even about the commonest things.

24. The Humility of the Wise Final Words “ T he Lord can do nothing toward the recovery of man until, convinced of his own weakness, and stripped of all self-sufficiency, he yields himself to the control of God. Then he can receive the gift that God is waiting to bestow.... He has unrestricted access to Him in whom all fullness dwells.” —The Desire of Ages 299, 300.