Class Lesson June 29, 2014

Start by believing. Then go beyond belief.

Can you say that you really know God?

Your life won't change unless you do! 

“Beyond Belief” seeks to help us increase our knowledge of God by studying His character and moral attributes. But we don’t want to just know about God; we want to know Him intimately. We could spend a lifetime studying the character and attributes of God revealed in the Bible and still only begin to scratch the surface of understanding the sovereign God of all creation. Therefore, the lessons in this study will focus on six major attributes of God: His holiness, love, justice, forgiveness, wisdom, and faithfulness. As we begin to understand what God is like and how He works in our lives, we will not only know God more, but we will also learn about ourselves and who we are in Christ.

Our fourth lesson in this series is entitled:

 

Lesson Point

God will give me wisdom when I humbly seek it.

What’s the wisest advice you’ve ever embraced or ignored?

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"Google it."

Want to learn different methods for outdoor grilling? - Google it.

Want to locate a good doctor in your area? - Google it.

Want to know some fun things to do when you visit Topeka? - Google it.

Search engines are great for finding information, but where do you go to find wisdom? Do you Google it? I tried, and now I have access to 143 million websites about wisdom. But I don't want information about wisdom, I want wisdom itself.

It's easy to seek advice from other people. But true wisdom - the insight we need for effective living - only comes from God. He offers the timeless wisdom on which we can build our lives. Paul wrote in Romans 11:33 that God's wisdom is unsearchable, thankfully, He will give it to us if we ask (see James 1:5).

As we will see in this lesson, the Book of Proverbs points us to the beauty of God's wisdom.

Proverbs 2:1-6; 3:5-7

Some Key Words in this Lesson:

• Fear of the Lord (2:5) - Reverential awe of God because of His power and His love for us that compelled Him to provide redemption and escape from His wrath against sin.
• Trust (3:5) - The Hebrew means "to be confident" or "cause to be confident." It refers to depending upon someone for safety and security. It often includes the concept of hope. 

Where do you look for wisdom?

I. GOD IS THE SOURCE OF WISDOM – PROVERBS 2:1-6
 
2 My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, 2 listening closely to wisdom and directing your heart to understanding; 3 furthermore, if you call out to insight and lift your voice to understanding, 4 if you seek it like silver and search for it like hidden treasure, 5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord and discover the knowledge of God. 6 For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.

 

Where in our culture do people look for wisdom?

Knowledge and wisdom are not the same thing. One is information, while the other is the divinely enabled application of truth to our lives (see Col. 1:9-10). Wisdom comes only from God because God alone possesses all truth. He is the ultimate source of wisdom and knowledge (see Col. 2:3).

The truth we discover in Proverbs 2 is that God wants to impart His wisdom to us, which is why verse 4 calls us to seek His wisdom. So, how do we do that?

• Ask the right Person (Prov. 2:6). James said if we ask God for wisdom and believe He will give it, then God will grant us wisdom (see James 1:5).

• Have the right attitude (Prov. 2:2). Catch the emphasis in verse 2: we are to direct our hearts toward wisdom and understanding. God gives wisdom to those whose hearts are right and receptive toward Him. In other words, God expects us to do what He says.

• Use the right tools (Prov. 2:3-4). Get into God's Word. Wisdom must be actively pursued. It requires effort, like the hard labor of extracting silver from rock. God's Spirit will often speak to us through prayer, circumstances, and other people - but the wisdom and direction imparted by the Holy Spirit will always be consistent with Scripture.

God is true to His Word. If we obey His principles for seeking wisdom, He will give it to us abundantly. As God teaches us, we come to realize that: "He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding. He reveals the deep and hidden things" (Dan. 2:21-22).




Final Thoughts:

1. Wisdom is understanding what we know and applying what we know in a way that reflects an awareness and reverence for the Lord as God.

2. To obtain wisdom a person must be attentive, openly desire it, and give one’s self to acquiring it.

3. On the other hand, wisdom is a gift from God, for He is the true source of wisdom.

 

Commentary: Solomon was the author of the vast majority of the Book of Proverbs. He wrote this collection of proverbs during his 40-year reign as king over Israel (970 – 930 B.C.). Scripture is clear that Solomon’s wisdom was given to him by God (1 Kings 4:29). A proverb is a brief and forcefully expressed saying that contains godly insight and advice about life. In the Old Testament, a proverb’s main focus is on the various ways God’s covenant people can best enjoy covenant life with Him.



Proverbs 2:1-6 describes how a person receives wisdom from God. Solomon identified six conditions (signified by the word if) for receiving God’s wisdom that He has provided through Solomon for His people. The first two are: if you accept my words and store up my commands within you. In this verse, words and commands are synonymous and refer to what God has revealed to us through Solomon about how He wants us as His people to live before Him. we must accept the truths of God’s Word and store them in our minds and hearts so that we will not forget them.



Verse 3 contains the third and fourth conditions: if you call out to insight and lift your voice to understanding. The actions in verses 1-2 were internal, activities of the mind and the intellect. Next, Solomon stated that our thinking must turn into actions, at least in a metaphorical sense. This verse also emphasizes the proactive nature of seeking wisdom in our lives. The imagery here is of someone yelling at the top of his voice, beckoning insight and understanding to come to his aid.



The fifth and sixth conditions occur in verse 4: if you seek it like silver and search for it like hidden treasure. In this verse the search for wisdom uses the imagery of a treasure hunter who is persistent and doesn’t give up until he finds the treasure he is seeking. We should value the truths of God’s Word in an even greater way. These six conditions indicate that we must do everything we can to attain the wisdom that only God can provide.

Verse 5 explains what happens when we show diligence in the pursuit of wisdom: then you will understand the fear of the Lord and discover the knowledge of God. Notice that the fear of the Lord and the knowledge of God are synonymous. One of the basic truths about God is that we should fear Him, and it is only when we turn to His Word again and again that we truly understand this and know what we must do to please Him. Verse 6 clearly indicates that such an understanding of God comes only from Him: For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding. The wisdom is God-given. When God gives wisdom to us, we should do everything we can to learn what He has done for us and what He demands of us as His people.

II. TRUST IN THE LORD FOR THE GUIDANCE YOU NEED – PROVERBS 3:5-6
 
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; 6 think about Him in all your ways, and He will guide you on the right paths.

How do we recognize wisdom?

• "But the wisdom that comes from above is first of all pure, then peace loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere." James 3:17 NIV
• THE SOURCE: It is from above, it is from God, and learned in the study of his Word, the Bible, and in the fellowship of prayer and devotion. It is not that the wise believes in God or religion- it is who his faith in God has made him into. It is gained through much time with the Creator.
• PRIMARY: It is first pure, without malice or agendas. It is innocent of wrongdoing, or wrong thinking. It is free from pride, vanity, lust and vainglory. This purity is of the heart and from it grows out all the other traits of wisdom.
• PEACE LOVING: We all want peace, but the wise not only wants peace they love peace. Peace is its passion this makes it patient and gentile not causing strife but being a peacemaker.
• OTHERS: It is other's focused, not about self. It is considerate; it takes the needs, feelings, and concerns of others and elevates those above itself.
• SUBMISSIVE: It is not arrogant, but it is humble. It takes to role of the servant. It is willing to yield its own rights to others. It is not inflexible about opinions or views, but will bow to the righteous standard when a difference of opinion may occur.
• FULL OF MERCY: It is merciful. It leaves justice to the hands of God and practices the character of God that forgives. It has a mercy of actions not just good will.
• GOOD FRUIT: One doesn't need to wait long to see the good fruit. This is the evidence of a life lived wisely.
• IMPARTIAL: There is no favoritism but is same for all who it encounters; each person is treated with grace no matter race, religion, social status or any other consideration.
• SINCERE: The actions that define it are true at all times on all levels and to the core of the being.
• THE COMMON DENOMINATOR: These tests of wisdom are all test of actions and not matters of intellect or learning. These actions all have to do with our treatment of those around us. We must not be content to think wise but to act wise.
• Obedience in attitude and action yields divine wisdom in our lives.
• God is true to His Word.
• If we obey the principles of wisdom seeking, He will give it to us liberally.
• As God teaches us, we come to realize that “He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding. He reveals the deep and hidden things (Dan. 2: 21-22).

Wisdom is the product of a real and intimate relationship with God, which means growing in wisdom is a process. Like any relationship, the more you walk with God and grow in your relationship with Him, the more you will discover His wisdom. So, the promise of God's guidance in verse 6 should not be understood as a passive trust in God; it's the by-product of thinking about Him "in all your ways."

The way to wisdom is in trusting the Lord to give the guidance needed. So, what does "trusting the Lord" look like?

• Wait on God and His perfect timing. Trusting God means walking in step with the Holy Spirit and patiently living on His timetable. God knows everything and is in complete control, so you can surrender the details of every situation to Him.

• Rely on God's wisdom rather than human understanding. Relying on God shouldn't be a passive activity. Take the time to deliberately study and meditate on God's Word in order to gain His perspective on your life.

Trust and obedience to God will result in receiving divine wisdom. The promise that God will direct your paths (v.6) is based on the promise that you trust Him with all your heart (v. 5). Your trust is reflected in your obedience.

"Trust" (verse 5) carries the idea of prostrating yourself. It's an inward motivation to subject yourself to God and be vulnerable before Him. This is pictured in the physical act of not only kneeling in submission, but even lying face down. When you submit yourself to God in that way, you are in a position to fully hear His wisdom and receive His loving guidance.

"Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without criticizing and it will be given to him." - James 1:5

Final Thoughts:

1. Trusting the Lord completely is key to being in right relationship with Him.

2. Depending on our own wisdom and understanding is not a reliable way to live life to its fullest.

3. The Lord can be trusted to direct our lives.


Commentary: Trust in the Lord and statements similar to it occur repeatedly in Scripture. The Hebrew word used here indicates confidence and safety in the object or the one trusted. It also includes hope, a confident expectation about the future. In the case of trusting God, this is not blind faith but trust in One who has infinite power, infinite knowledge, and infinite wisdom, which gives us confidence to rely on Him.

The trust that God expects of us is described positively and negatively: you must trust in Him with all your heart and not rely on your own understanding. Human intellectual prowess is worthless when it comes to grasping spiritual truths. Paul said that believers “do not put confidence in the flesh” (Phil. 3:3), that is, our natural abilities.

This verse does not denounce intellectual pursuits; rather, it challenges us to make sure our intellect is in tune with God’s Word and will. Duane Garret’s comments on verse 5 are especially helpful and applicable.

“The command to trust God ‘with all your heart’ means that the total personality is to be committed to God’s care, although it emphasizes the mind and volition. The prohibitions against depending on one’s own understanding and against intellectual pride (vv. 5b, 7a) implicitly reject a ‘secular’ search for wisdom and look back to the thesis of the book (1:7). Although this passage certainly condemns any academic arrogance, it does not indulge in anti-intellectualism. The commitment of the heart to God means that all the beliefs and decisions of life are to be submitted to Yahweh. Even very practical decisions are in view here, and not just matters of academic pursuit. But the text is no more opposed to academic research per se than to any normal activity of life. Also, ‘understanding’ implies not just intellectual capacity but one’s own moral standards. One’s private vision of right and wrong must be submitted to God.”

Verse 6 includes another command and the result that comes from obedience to God: think about Him in all your ways, and he will guide you on the right paths. One of the challenges God’s people face on a daily basis is to make decisions in light of what God says. We need to filter everything through the teachings of God’s Word, which is the primary focus of this command. When we do this, we can be confident that God’s Word will provide guidance so that we can continue on the right paths. The antithesis of this, of course, is to ignore God’s Word and do whatever we enjoy doing – like the rebellious people in the days of the judges: “everyone did whatever he wanted” (Judg. 21:25).

III. DON’T TRUST YOUR OWN WISDOM – PROVERBS 3:7
 
7 Don’t consider yourself to be wise; fear the Lord and turn away from evil.

How do you navigate the tension between trusting God's wisdom and trusting your own competence?

Many people live with an overly optimistic view of their own wisdom, which is why this verse cautions us to be wary of what we think we know. It's easy to trust our own common sense. We may even believe our motives are implicitly trustworthy and our judgments are free of bias - but we would do well to avoid such naivete. 

Wisdom is not mere common sense. It's not simply being reasonable or rational. It's not intuition, instinct, or sanctified guessing.

Wisdom is a supernatural product of divine discernment given by God through His Spirit. Considering that God Himself is the source, it's wise to trust His wisdom instead of our own.

Trusting in the Lord is not being anti-intellectual. Rational thinking has its place. After all, God created us as rational, reasoning human beings. God can - and does - use our minds. Let's never forget, though, that God's ways are above our ways, and His thoughts are above our thoughts (see Isa. 55:8-9). That's why the wise Christian fears God with holy reverence and trusts His wisdom first.



God knows everything, which is why we need His wisdom.

As we seek the Lord, He is prepared at all times to give us His divine leading when we need it. But the treasure trove of wisdom that comes from Him is only for the humble, not for those who consider themselves wise by theor own standards.

How can a person intentionally cultivate humility?

By disavowing our own wisdom, we resist the temptation to overestimate our insight. Conversely, when we fail to humble ourselves in this way, our sinful humanity quickly exalts itself. This creates a self-sufficiency which can lead us to elevate ourselves and reject God's authority in other areas of our lives. Ultimately, this leads to sin. Humble trust is the posture of the truly wise. Any other posture will keep us from God's wisdom - and God's best.

Class Activity

We've all heard lots of "wisdom sayings" over the years. Think of the main sayings you've encountered and record them under the following categories.

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How do we discern between good and bad advice in today's culture?

 

Final Thoughts:

1. We must look beyond ourselves for a reliable source for living life to its fullest.

2. The Lord is worthy of our reverence and respect.

3. Those who revere the Lord will separate themselves from things that are displeasing to Him.

4. Reverence for the Lord and separation from evil are essential elements for living wisely.


Sometimes we talk about people being “smart” but who appear to have none of what we call “common sense.” Many people have minds filled with knowledge; they know facts and information. However, they lack wisdom, which is the ability to translate the facts and information so they have a practical effect on life. This lesson has reminded us that true wisdom – acting wisely – is not just the result of human knowledge or knowing how to appropriate facts. Our thinking and insights can be flawed; thus, we need a standard that is constant. Such a standard comes out of our relationship with God. While we are to use our minds and exercise the power of decision-making, both are to be guided by and sustained by the Lord and His revealed truth.

If anyone wants wisdom, then seek the Lord, for He is the source of wisdom.


Commentary: Verse 7 is a command that warns against thinking too highly of ourselves, something that seems to be an innate part of the human condition. Don’t consider yourself to be wise. Since true wisdom comes from God, none of us are wise when left to our own abilities. It is helpful to remember that the contrast between the wise and the fool in Scripture has nothing to do with a person’s IQ. In Scripture, the difference between the wise and the fool is that wise people know God and make life decisions based on what He has revealed to them in His Word. The fool, in his arrogance and self-confidence, ignores God even to the point of denying that He exists.

The antithesis of thinking of ourselves as wise is in the rest of the verse: fear the Lord and turn away from evil. Solomon returned once again to the theme of the Book of Proverbs (1:7), commanding his son (and us!) to fear God. It is common among religious people to say they believe in God while at the same time living as if such a belief has no impact on their lives. Sadly, this “practical atheism” occurs among people who consider themselves Christians. When those who profess to be Christ followers spend little or no time in the study of Scripture and serving Him, the fear or reverence of God can hardly be said to be an integral part of their lives.

The connection between wisdom in the Old Testament and in the New Testament is one of perspective. The New Testament is consistent with the Old Testament in saying wisdom comes from God, but the New Testament focuses on Christ and one’s relationship with Him as the essence of wisdom rather than life under the Mosaic covenant. The common denominator is that wisdom is based on what God has revealed about Himself and what He expects of those who are in a relationship with Him.

The definitive passage on this is in Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians: “Where is the philosopher? Where is the scholar? Where is the debater of this age? Hasn’t God made the world’s wisdom foolish? For since, in God’s wisdom, the world did not know God through wisdom, God was pleased to save those who believe through the foolishness of the message preached. For the Jews ask for signs and the Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles. Yet to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is God’s power and God’s wisdom, because God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength. (1:20-25)”



 So, how are you going to live it out this week?


Live it Out

Consider the following responses to God’s promise of wisdom:

• Memorize. Commit James 1:5 to memory as a reminder that God grants us wisdom when we seek Him and ask for it.

• Seek advice. God often speaks to us through the wisdom and counsel of others. Make a connection with someone who can offer prayer and biblical counsel when you need it. 

• Immerse yourself in God’s Word. Seek wisdom by developing a long term strategy for studying the Bible.

Search, and you will find information. “Seek and ask humbly, and you will find wisdom – God’s wisdom. He is prepared at all times to give you what you need.”

Prayer of Commitment

Lord, I desire wisdom and I am striving to live wisely; yet I know that I cannot do it alone. So I cry out to You, pour out this grace on me that I may serve You well. Amen.

This is a great lesson for each of us as we continue in this journey to know and understand the character of God.




Hope to see each of you this Sunday!



In His Love,



David & Susan