Wisdom
Lesson
1: what is wisdom?
Questions:
What is
wisdom? How is it different from Knowledge? Understanding ? Are these related
in any way?
How does
one get wisdom? Can it be taught and learned?
What
types of wisdom are there?
Is there
such a thing as worldly wisdom? Is it good, or bad, or what?
Where
did Proverbs come from?
why get
wisdom? Does it save? What is it good for?
What is
a proverb?
For the
class- what is wisdom, in our culture? In our church?
(
Various verses on word search ''wisdom" )
Ex
28:3 skill.
(Heb:chakam (wise,skillful)
chokmah=wisdom,skill) Also Ex
31:3-6 Ex 35:25-35 All refer to skill. What is skill and how does it
differ from what we usually mean by wisdom?
Dt
4:1-10 First
occurrance of more modern usage. Relates to knowledge of God's law
Dt
34:9 Joshua full
of wisdom,why ?
i
Kings 2: 5-6 speaKs of Solomon.
Tie-dye
metaphor of language.
1Ki 3
entire tells of
Solomon's request for wisdom in governing which God honors. Split baby
shows understanding of human nature.
I
Kings 4: 29-34:
Solomon 's great wisdom. International fame.
I
Kings 5: 10-12
Sol's diplomacy.
I
kings 10: 1-9, 23,24.
Shebas visit, rest of nations awed.
(Got to
here - lesson #1).
I
Kings11:I-13
Solomon's spiritual foolishness and error. Also: 41.
Ezra
7:25 wisdom in
appointing leaders, ( 1st lesson got to here.)
Review:
·
Discussed
nature of wisdom, wisdom vs. knowledge,
·
Noted
that a single Hebrew word, Kokmaw,is used in O.T. It is used to refer to skill
·
We
noted that skill is given from God.
·
That
it involves creativity.
·
That
Solomon's wisdom was specifically the Kind of wisdom he asked for- that needed
to rule well.
·
Finally,
we noted that wisdom covers all aspects Of heaven and earth. One might have great
wisdom in one area but be weak, even foolish, in another.
·
Lesson 2 More word Search.
Job
28: wisdom not
easily f6und on the earth, contrasted to gold and jewels. Is this a different
Hebrew word? Yes: KoKmaw' means skill, wisdom. In Greek, word is Sophia. Wisdom
is ''fear of the lord". '' Fear" is the Hebrew word Yirah. The
object of this fear is almost always, But not always, God. (see Dt 2:25
where the nations fear Israel, or Is 7:25 where they fear briars and brambles. Ez 30:13 Egypt has no ruler, and has fear)
Discussion
question: Is this
fear of God all or nothing, or can it occur by degrees? If the latter, how do
we increase it? (by meditation upon the awesome characteristics of God. Upon
His otherness. Upon His perfection.)
Job
32: 6-9 Elihu says
wisdom not from age, but from God. Ps 51:6 Supports this.
Ps
105: 21-22 Joseph
teaches PharOah's officials wisdom. Acts 7:22 Moses learns Egypts wisdom.
PS
111:10 Fear of
Lord beginning of...
( got to here for second lesson)
Ecc 1:12-18 Does wisdom bring happiness? Ecc:
2:12-15 A good question: why be wise? See also v 26.
lots of
good verses on wisdom in Ecc.
Is
11:1-2 Christ has
spirit of wisdom.
Is
10:13
"wisdom" of Assyria Is it really wisdom? Can wisdom be misapplied ?
See also Is 47:10 Je 9:23 "do not boast...' Ez 28:3-7,
12-17 "King of Tyre= Satan's wisdom"
(got to
here, lesson 3) Concepts: wisdom is a complex good, having upsides and
downsides. There is no "bad" wisdom: only wisdom used for bad
purposes.
Dan
1:3-4, 20
Qualifications of Daniel. Wisdom not simply religious. Dan 2:30: w not
same as revelation. Dan 9:22 wisdom is incremental.
MK
6:2 Jesus wise.
Lk 2:52
Lk
1:17: wisdom v.
Disobedience. LK 7:35 wisdom vindicated by fruit. Lk 21:14-I5
wisdom to saints. See Acts 6:10 re Stephen.
Acts
6:3 Deacons to be
wise.
Wisdom
and the Gospel: 1 Cor 1:17- 2:10.
Emphasis:
All
wisdon is God's wisdom
Types of
Proverbs.
What is a Proverb?
·
A
saying stating observations from experience so arrestingly that it gains
popularity.
·
Various
forms: sayings (indicative verbs) or admonitions, parallel structure (synonymous, antithetic or synthetic),
juxtapositions, comparisons, and numeriCal (X,X+1) forms.
The
origins of our wisdom books.
·
The
collection of learned sayings into books is ancient, much older than our book
of proverbs. Egyptian texts date from 23oo BC.
·
Usually
take form of father (occ. Mother) to son. Though usually King to prince, were
more widely used by people.
·
The
Egyptians also had tough-minded books about life, its limits and ironies,
similar to Eccles. And Job.
·
Proverbs
is a collection of Collections.
·
Job
is a poem inserted into a well known account of an ancient man's piety.
·
Ecclesiastes
is written by Solomon or in the Solomonic voice.
·
Proverbs:
collection of Collections. Compiled noearlier than Hezekiah's time: see Pr 25:1
·
Q :
Given that wisdom involves more than simply knowing God, what are the potential
sources of wisdom?
·
Concept:
collection of pithy sayings.
·
Pr
22:17- 23:11 resembles closely the Egyption "Instructions of
Amenemope" dating from before 1000 BC. Pr 30 - Agur probably a chieftain
of the Massa tribe of North Arabia, (Ge 25:14 ) an area known for its wisdom.
Pr 31: King Lemuel. Possibly Egyptian.
Themes:
·
nature
of wisdom itself.
·
Origin
of wisdom
·
Benefits
of wisdom.
·
Wisdom
associated with creating Jer 10:12 Jer 5l:15
Questions:
What is
wisdom? How is it different from Knowledge? Understanding ? Are these related
in any way?
How does
one get wisdom? Can it be taught and learned?
What
types of wisdom are there?
Is there
such a thing as worldly wisdom? Is it good, or bad, or what?
Where
did these Proverbs come from?
why get
wisdom? Does it save? What is it good for?
What is
a proverb?
Class
's Questions:
·
Proverbs 1-9
·
Difference
between knowledge and wisdom?
·
If
wisdom can refer to worldly wisdom, and Proverbs is the latter, why does it
state Fear of the lord is the beginning
of wisdom?.
·
What
are the sources of wisdom versus foolishness?
Does folly have a source? One source or many?
·
Why
are the foolish so? What are inducements to foolishness?
·
(10/7
Got through Proverbs 1. Spent a lot of time on wisdom having a time beyond
which consequences are inevitable. )
Class
categories: I
·
Acquiring,
Listening, Discipline, Rewards, Attitude, Sources, warnings, companions. Also:
inevitability of consequences of folly.
Idea:
Calamity, evil, and consequences.
·
Word-search
on Calamity: 75 hits and if any origin of calamity is given, it is nearly
always the Lord.
2Sa
24:16
1Ki
14:10 2Ki 21:12 Job 2:3
Pr
6:12-15 Pr 24:22 Pr 28:14
Isa
45:7r r Je 18:7-8 Je 19:3
Je
25:29 Je 29:11 Je 32:23
Je
36:3 Je 42:17 Je 44:2
Je
46:21 Je 51:64 La 1:21
Eze
14:21-23 Da 9:12-14
Am
3:6 Jon 3:10 Mi 1:12
Mi
2:3 Mi
3:11
·
What
about the aspect of inevitability? Can calamity not be avoided? 2 Sam 12:7-23 .
Ps 51
·
Nu 20:11-12
Moses Dt 32:48
·
Gen 15:16 Iniquity of Amorite
·
Lk
13:4-5
Initial Exhortations: Pr 1- 8
Read
these chapters once over to get a sense of the ''thrust'' of the matter as a
whole. Then go back and make a list of each exhortation.
·
Pr 1:8-9 Listen to instructors.
·
Pr 1:10-19 Avoid wicked associates.
·
Pr
1:20-33 Heed wisdom while you may.
·
Pr 2:
wisdom as an attitude and lifestyle. Contrast to Ch I where these were
exhortations. Now they simply follow the practice of wisdom.
·
List
the elements of the practice of wisdom in Chapter 2.
·
Pr 3
and Pr 4: More exhortations. Make a
list of all the exhortations here, then group them and see which are relatively
stressed.
Attitudes
noted by class:
To
middle of Ch 3: wisdom here is the skill of living.
·
Careful
of associates ##
·
Careful
plan
·
Altitude
of wisdom: listening to legitimate authority.
·
Seeking,
humility, trust of God, diligence, remembering, kindness, love, applying,
generosity and tithe.
Chapter
4:
·
''Understanding'
is a different Hebrew word from "Kockma" sometimes translated as
discernment- seems to apply more to the
mind, less to skill.
·
What
does verse Pr 4:7 mean? This seems trivial, but is it? It is another
''beginning of wisdom " verse.
·
What
additional altitudes are listed or added or emphasized here? (watchfulness)
(focus)
Chapter
5 :
·
Sexual
immorality is literally deadly. We will consider other extended passages on
this subject here.
sexual wisdom
Over 65
verses.
Pr
2:16-19 Pr 5:3-23
Pr
6:23-35 Pr 7:4-27
Pr
9:13-18 Pr 22:14
Pr
23:27-28 Pr 30:20
·
Why
is all this written as if to a male?
·
Is
there any instruction here for girls?
·
Why
so much material on this one issue?
·
Images
of wisdom
Over 60
verses in Proverbs providing images of wisdom.
Pr
3:13-20 as wealth, woman, and tree of life.
Pr
4:5-9 as woman
Pr
7:4 sister and
friend.
Pr
8:1 entire. The
woman Wisdom. Creation.
Pr
9:1-6
Pr
16:16 wisdom as
wealth
Pr
16:22 fountain
oflife
Pr
18:4 fountain
Pr
23:23 as wealts
Pr
24:13-14 as honey.
Ec
2:13 as light
Ec
7:11-12 as wealth
Ec
9:18 weapons of
war.
Ec
10:10 as tool
Questions:
·
Why a
woman? Why feminine? (see notes on gender in the Bible}. This is one of the two
great feminine images in the Bible. (the people of God / Bride of Christ is the
other) Image involves bearing fruit, ordering of life, beauty, creation,
hospitality, feeding,
Lesson
10/28:
·
Recap:
Primary image is that of a woman who builds her own commodious home, then
welcomes all to a great feast, and teaches. Female gender suggests reception of
seekers, protection, nurturance, bringing forth of fruit, the deep pleasures of
hearth and home.
·
Her
deep connection, in Proverbs. With the Creation and things of this world are
shown in the end of Ch .8. She is the plan, the thoughts of God which preceded
the actual act of creation.
·
Wisdom
always portayed as feminine.
·
What
are the implications of -this for our approach to the education of girls?
Contrast to Muslim.
·
If
Wisdom is personified as a woman who teaches, how do we reconcile 1Ti 2:11-12?
Keep in mind the stated audience for this book: the young. Education in the
home lays the foundation. Paul forbids only the secondary teaching of men.
·
Why
as wealth? What is wealth? How is it obtained? What does it confer on its
possessor? How is it useful? How is it dangerous? Can wisdom be dangerous? To
its possessor?
·
What
are the rewards of this wisdom? Is salvation or eternal life one of them? If
not, why not?
·
In Pr
9:13, why is Folly also seen as a woman? Ideas: consider the other great female
images: the Bride of Christ, the harlot Israel, the harlot Babylon.
·
Does
this help us understand anything about the temptations of foolishess? They are
mimics of wisdom, Offering the same types of pleasures and enticements, but
involve the wrong "husband."
·
Why
the distinction between prostitutes and wives of others?
Relationships
Loyalty.
Friends, children, rulers, neighbor scoffers
·
Parents: Pr 4:3-4 Pr 10:1 Pr 15:20 Pr 17:25 Pr
13:24 Pr 19:13 Pr 19:18 Pr
19:26 Pr 20:20 Pr 23:22 Pr
23:24-25 Pr 28:24 Pr
30:17
·
children:
Pr 17:21 Pr
20:11 Pr 22:6 Pr 22:15 Pr 23:13-14 Pr 28:7 Pr 29:17 Pr 31:28
·
which
ofc these are simple observations?
·
What
motivations are given?
·
What
warnings?
·
What
instruction is given?
·
What
use are these proverbs to people with grown children?
·
Wives: Pr 5:16-19 Pr 12:4 Pr 18:22 Pr 19:14 Pr
21:9 Pr 21:19 Pr 25:24 Pr27:15-16 Pr 31:10 and on. Pr 31:11 Pr 31:23 Pr
31:28
·
Husbands
Trivial: (Pr 6:34 Pr 7:19 Pr
12:4 Pr 30:23) Pr 31:11 Pr 31:23 Pr
31:28
·
contention:
Pr 18:19 Pr 22:10 Pr 23:29 Pr
26:20 Pr 26:21 2Sa 22:44 Job
13:6 Ps 18:43 Ps 80:6 1Co
11:2-16
·
we
must be careful
not to be pc and wrongly remove gender here to suit our modern sensibilities.
·
What are the unique sins of men and women?
why so many proverbs about the contentious wife?
·
Neighbors: Pr 3:27-29 Pr 6:1 Pr
6:1-5 Pr 17:18 Pr24:28 Pr
25:8-9 Pr25:17-18 Pr 26:18-19 also speech. Pr 27:10 Pr 27:14 Pr
29:5
·
Friends:
Pr 17:9 Pr
17:17 Pr 18:24 Pr 19:6 Pr
22:11 Pr 27:6 Pr 27:10
·
Scoffers:
·
Money
Tithes
3:9. Charity 3|27
Rich: Pr 3:16r Pr
8:18 Pr 8:21
Pr 10:4 Pr 10:15t Pr
10:22
Pr 11:4 Pr 11:16 Pr
11:24
Pr 11:28 Pr 13:4 Pr 13:7
Pr 14:20 Pr 18:11r Pr 18:23
Pr
21:17r Pr 22:1 Pr 22:2
Pr 22:4r
Pr 22:7 Pr 22:16
Pr
23:4-5 Pr 24:3-5 Pr 27:23-27
Pr 28:6 Pr 28:11 Pr
28:19-22 Pr 13:8 Pr 13:11 Pr 13:22
Pr 19:4 Pr 19:14 Pr
28:8
Ecc5:10-20. Pr 30:7-9
Lk
16:1-13 Jesus Mt 13:22seed I tim 6:6-10 Jas 1:9-11 ja 2:5-7
wealth
is: ,
·
From
the Lord,
·
A
blessing,
·
Neutral,
·
Worthless
in times of wrath,
·
Dangerous.
·
Giving
leads to wealth
·
Like
honors and long life,
·
Trust
in money: prevalent, leads to downfall.
Debt: Pr 17:18 Pr 20:16 Pr 22:7
Borrower.
Pr 22:26 Pr 27:13 Dt 15:6
Dt 28:12 Neh 5:1-5 Rom 13:8 2 cor 6:14
yoked with unbelievers.
EX 35:4-
9, 20-29, EX 36: 4-7
Ezra 2:
68,69
Attitudes:
Disciplines:
Work
Speech:
Two
sides of speech: speaking and listening
General:
Jas
3:3-10. The tongue.
Pr 8:6-9
wisbom speaks
Pr 21:23
importance of wise speech
Pr 10:19
many words dangerous
Pr 17:28
Silence seems wise
Pr 20:15
wise lips like jewels
Pr
23:161... wise lips
Pr 16:13
value of righteous lips
Rebuke: Pr 10:17 receiving rebuke Pr 13:1 receiving
Pr 15:10
receiving Pr 17:10,12 Pr 24:24- 25
Pr 25:12 Pr 27:5-6
Pr 28:23
rebuke beats flattery
Speak.
Pr 23:9
Do not speak to fool
Pr 23:16
rejoicing in good speech
Pr
31:8-9 speak out for weak
Pr 5:3 Adulteress speech
Pr 6:24
smooth tongue of adulteress
Pr 7:21 Seductive
speech
Pr 12:6
words as traps
lies
and truth
Pr 8:13
lord hates:
Lips Pr 16:30 Deceipt
Pr 4:24
shun crooked speech
Pr
6:12-19 Crooked speech
Pr
12:16-23 Truth,
deceit,
Pr 17:4
liars listen to lies
Pr 24:26
honesty
Pr
24:28-29 False witness
Pr
26:18-26 Enemy deceipt
Pr 27:2
Self praise
gossip Pr 11:13 Pr 20:19
Pr
24:1-2 lips of wicked
Pr
18:6-8, 13 foolish talk brings strife
Tongue
Pr 10:20
righteous tongue silver
Pr
10:31-32 right and foolish contrasted
Pr 15:2
wise and foolish
Gentle
speech:
Pr
12:18-19 rash cutting words, wise ones
Pr 15:4 gentle
tongue
Pr 25:15
gentle speech powerful
Pr
16:21,23 Persuasion gentle
Pr 17:4
listening
Pr 17:20
leads to calamity
Pr 21:6
wealth by lying
Pr 25:23
backbiting
Pr 26:28
lying and flattery
Pr
31:26! wise wife's speech
Decisions
:
Ways
of wicked and righteous: