How Do we Read Wisdom Literature?

Opening Prayer:

Lord God,
Give us wisdom.

The wisdom to look to Christ, the wisdom to see his actions and listen to his words and to know how to apply them in our lives and in our world.
Transform us so that through us the world can be transformed.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen

Key Scriptures:

Like snow in summer or rain in harvest,
    honor is not fitting for a fool.
2 Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow,
    an undeserved curse does not come to rest.
3 A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey,
    and a rod for the backs of fools!
4 Do not answer a fool according to his folly,
    or you yourself will be just like him.
5 Answer a fool according to his folly,
    or he will be wise in his own eyes.
6 Sending a message by the hands of a fool
    is like cutting off one’s feet or drinking poison.
7 Like the useless legs of one who is lame
    is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.
8 Like tying a stone in a sling
    is the giving of honor to a fool.
9 Like a thornbush in a drunkard’s hand
    is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.
10 Like an archer who wounds at random
    is one who hires a fool or any passer-by.
11 As a dog returns to its vomit,
    so fools repeat their folly.
12 Do you see a person wise in their own eyes?
    There is more hope for a fool than for them.

Proverbs 26:1-12

Sermon Summary:

Significant parts of the Hebrew bible are made up of what is called Wisdom Literature, most particularly the Book of Proverbs. The book was written as wise guidance for living a skillful life, passed down the generations so the young can learn the wisdom of the wise and develop a life lived well and wisely – a life that is the richest, fullest most meaningful way life.

The book of Proverbs was written to be memorized. It paints life as a choice between two voices: the voice of wisdom and the voice of folly. We are encouraged to seek wisdom and to ask God for wisdom, to pursue it, to pursue him, the same way that King Solomon pursued wisdom and asked God to make him wise, so that he could live a life of wisdom that was pleasing to God and that benefitted Israel.

What does Solomon say is the key to wisdom? The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is where understanding comes from. Wisdom itself is not actually the end goal itself in this process. The fear of the Lord, the reverence for God is the end goal that gives birth to wisdom. This fear is not about terror; it is describing a healthy and reverent awe for God and an acceptance of him as Lord alongside an acceptance of our appropriate place in his universe. We are not God. We are not in charge. We do not get to make up our own definitions of good and evil. We are not the be-all and end-all of creation, we are not the masters but the servants – God’s faithful servants who acknowledge him as Lord. We are to acknowledge and follow God’s definitions of good and evil, even when it is inconvenient for us. Even when it’s hard or confusing. It is the correct view of this God-human relationship upon which wisdom is based and that lets wisdom flourish in us, and that leads to life.

Failure to do this is what has led to the mess we see around us today, our refusal to relinquish the reins. The Book of Proverbs is full of the importance of listening to God and seeking to obey him – and alongside this it is also full of the consequences of what failure to do this results in.

Wisdom shapes us and conforms us to be more and more like Jesus, to be more and more capable of living sacrificial lives of loving wisdom. It gives us the skill to manage our relationships with God, with our self, with others, the world, our money, our possessions – everything. We pursue wisdom – that is, we pursue Christ, we imitate him, we observe his life and his words in order to be more like him. We can take hold of the wisdom revealed in him. Let us observe what Jesus does and what he says – when he talks and responds, and when he is silent and says nothing. When he comforts and when he chastises. Navigating our world wisely involves watching the way that Jesus navigated the world and doing likewise. True wisdom is from God and is through God and for God’s glory and his kingdom. That we may know God and love God and participate in his plan for the world.

Questions to Consider:

What is wisdom? What does the bible say wisdom is?
What does our world and society say wisdom is?
Who is considered wise in the world’s eyes? Why?
What areas do you think wisdom is most needed in our world today?
What is the purpose of growing in wisdom? How do we do this?
If Jesus is our model for wisdom - what it is and how to apply it - through what lens are we to view his words and actions? How do we let his wisdom grow in us?

Prayer Prompts:

Pray that we would be wise, that we would seek God and his wisdom, and be transformed by his wisdom.
Continue to pray for this world particularly those at war - pray for the prince of peace to bring piece in our world.