The Benefits of Discovering True Wisdom (Proverbs 1:1-19)

Wisdom isn’t an abstract idea reserved for scholars; it’s a daily practice that shapes how we speak, choose friends, and respond to pressure. We open Proverbs by drawing a bright line between worship that stirs the heart and wisdom that steadies the walk, defining a proverb from its Hebrew root as a rule for life. From there, we map the promise embedded in the opening verses: wisdom that makes good choices possible, instruction that disciplines for growth, discernment that separates right from wrong, prudence that trains critical thinking, and knowledge that keeps us maturing beyond age.

The turning point arrives with a single, clarifying claim: the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. Reverence shifts the center of our decisions from self to God, making space for humility, teachability, and courage. We unpack what Scripture means by calling someone a fool—not uneducated, but unwilling to heed God’s counsel—and why that posture closes the door to growth. Then we get practical: how to answer temptation with both words and steps, saying do not consent and refusing to walk that path. Influence flows through closeness, so we talk about guarding the inner circle, befriending widely yet choosing closest friends who love truth.

We also challenge cultural myths about wisdom, from ancient tales of Athena and her owl to modern clichés that flatter our instincts. True wisdom comes from the only wise God, and He invites us to ask. With James’s promise ringing in our ears, we end with a simple practice: pray for wisdom today and keep praying as you navigate decisions at home, at work, and in community. If this journey into Proverbs helps you think more clearly and live more justly, consider following the show, sharing it with a friend, and leaving a review. Your feedback helps others find the wisdom they’re looking for.

The Christian's Compass is a companion study guide that corresponds to each of these lessons along The Wisdom Journey. Download a copy for free, or cover the cost of printing and shipping and we'll mail you a booklet.

Learn More: https://www.wisdomonline.org/mp/the-christians-compass

Chapters

• 0:00 Psalms Versus Proverbs
• 1:50 What A Proverb Really Is
• 3:10 Benefits Of Studying Proverbs
• 7:01 The Fear Of The Lord
• 8:28 Who The Bible Calls A Fool
• 9:28 Two Responses To Temptation
• 10:37 Choosing Close Friends Wisely
• 12:00 False Sources Of Wisdom

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 1:16

The book of Psalms has told us how to get along with God. Well, now the book of Proverbs tells us how to get along with people. Psalms helped us know how to worship. Proverbs is going to help us know how to walk. Now the Hebrew word translated Proverbs comes from the root word mashal, which means rule. So a proverb is a rule or a principle that helps us to live wisely. Proverbs have a way of saying a lot in a few words, don't they? And they're found, frankly, in every culture around the world. You've probably used many of them yourselves, like better to be on shore wishing you were sailing than sailing wishing you were on shore. Well, the proverb I've often put into practice goes like this your silence can be misinterpreted, but it can never be misquoted. Now, no proverb in the world out there is more important than the collection found here in the inspired word of God, the book of Proverbs. God gives us this book in order to give us wisdom for life. In fact, the first verse here in chapter one tells us that these are the Proverbs of Solomon, son of David, King of Israel. I've often thought how tragic it was that Solomon effectively stopped practicing his own proverbs. Now, these opening verses here give us a number of benefits gained from studying this inspired collection of Proverbs. First, we're told here in verse 2 that these proverbs cause us to know wisdom. What's biblical wisdom? Well, let me sum it up this way. Wisdom is the ability to make the right decision for the right reason at the right time. Now this book is going to help you do that. Secondly, we're told here that proverbs will help us know instruction. The Hebrew word here for instruction, musar, carries the idea of a parent's instruction or discipline. It makes you wise. And let me tell you, when my parents disciplined me, I got a little wiser because of it. This word uh refers to being instructed not only by personal discipline, but also by watching others who make mistakes, and that's true. I remember believing that you could jump off the backside of our garage roof about a ten foot drop to a grassy backyard without getting hurt if you held an open umbrella in your hand. Well, I wasn't totally certain of my hypothesis, so I convinced my eight-year-old brother that it would work, and well he happily went along with it. And as soon as he jumped, that umbrella just swooshed inside out and he hit the ground. Well, I learned something from his experience. Well, there's a third benefit to Solomon's Proverbs, and it's found here in verse two. It will help you understand words of insight. Now this is what we call discernment. Discernment is the ability to distinguish between good and evil, right and wrong. And now Solomon adds a fourth benefit here in verse three. We receive instruction in wise dealing. He says here that wise dealings with others will be marked with righteousness, justice, and equity. Let me give you a fifth benefit. It's here in verse four, to give prudence to the simple. The word for prudence here can be translated shrewdness, and it's in the sense of critical thinking. The simple person or the naive person Proverbs talks about. They're inexperienced, they're they're gullible people. So in other words, Proverbs can take a gullible, naive person and give them the ability to think critically. Now, there's a sixth benefit for all who learn and practice the Proverbs. Verse 4 tells us that they give knowledge and discretion to the youth. Well, maybe you're thinking that's going to rule me out because I'm no longer a youth. Well, this word for youth is used in the Old Testament for an infant back in Exodus chapter 2, Jesus for a 17-year-old in Genesis 37, and it's used for a middle-aged man in Genesis 41. So the word seems to refer to somebody on the threshold of maturing just a little bit more, and that can describe every one of us. You see, we're not just growing old, we should be growing up in the Lord. Now there's one more benefit to the Proverbs given to us here in verse six. They will help us understand the words of the wise and their riddles. Now this refers to understanding the complexities of life, how to work through the maze of riddles and challenges in life. So let me review quickly. Studying this inspired book will give us wisdom, knowledge, discernment, instruction, critical thinking skills, and understanding. So the question is not, you know, why should we take a wisdom uh journey through the book of Proverbs? No, the real question is, how in the world can we afford not to? Well, now with that we arrive at verse 7, and and this is the key to the entire book. Solomon writes, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. Fools despise wisdom and instruction. So knowledge, wisdom, and instruction are synonyms in this book. Now Solomon is saying that the search for wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord, which means reverence for the Lord. Fearing the Lord isn't a fearful thing. In fact, it's a it's a foundation to build your life upon. And let me tell you, the foundation of wisdom is indeed reverence for God, respect for his word. And like many Proverbs, verse 7 kind of sets forth a contrast here. This is between someone who reverences the Lord and someone who rejects the Lord. And I want you to notice that Solomon said here, fools despise wisdom and instruction. Yeah, that's pretty strong language. He calls somebody who rejects God a fool. He doesn't pull any punches here. Now you need to understand that in the Bible, the book of Proverbs, a fool isn't somebody who flunked chemistry or never graduated from kindergarten. No, a fool in the Bible is someone who disbelieves in God, who disregards God's word. In other words, a fool won't follow God's advice. Now, with this wonderful list of benefits, Solomon begins to give some practical instruction for his son. Verse 10. Well, we're all sinners. You need to understand the Hebrew text indicates these people are people who want to sin. They love to sin. They live to sin. So Solomon is giving his son Rehoboam and us, by the way, two ways to respond to the invitation of sinners like those to join along with them. And the first response here is verbal, verse 10. Do not consent. Well that means just say no. The second response is physical, verse 15. Do not walk in the way with them. Hold back your foot from their paths. See, they're only going to ruin their lives. Don't join in that path. Don't join in and ruin your life. Isn't it interesting that at the very outset of his advice, Solomon is telling his son to avoid the wrong people? You know, it's one thing to have friends who are unbelievers and we want to befriend unbelievers. We want to win them to Christ. But it's another thing to make unbelievers your closest friends, because in so doing, uh you're effectively giving them permission to influence your life. And true wisdom carefully chooses close friends. People of the world long for wisdom to make the right decision at the right time for the right reason, but they just go to the wrong source. Let's not follow their example. The Greeks, if you travel back in time, believe that wisdom had its origin with their god Zeus. In fact, they believe Zeus delivered his own daughter, Athena, from some strange opening in his head. And since Athena supposedly originated in the head or the mind of Zeus, she became known as the goddess of wisdom. According to legend, she was represented by a sacred owl. And that, by the way, gave rise to the superstition that continues to this day, that an owl is a wise bird. People still talk today about somebody being wiser than an owl. Well, we know that true wisdom doesn't come from a goddess or a bird, it comes from God. In fact, in the last verse of the New Testament book of Romans, Paul tells us that God is the only wise God. James writes in his letter, if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, and it will be given him. James chapter 1, verse 5. So why don't you ask God for wisdom for today? And let's ask him for wisdom as we begin our journey now through the book of Proverbs. Until next time, beloved, may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.