Get Wisdom
Proverbs
It’s Father’s Day, and I’d like to talk about fathers, children, and God’s wisdom – specifically the wisdom of Proverbs.
I wish I would have had more of the wisdom of Proverbs when I was a father of growing kids because I definitely did not have as much as I thought I had. It’s a funny thing about wisdom – when you’re young, you think you have it. When you’re old, you wish you would’ve actually had as much as you thought you had when you were young.
I thank God continually that my kids supernaturally acquired so much of God’s wisdom. And I am grateful for the good Christian school that gave them much of the wisdom of Proverbs. But still, I wish I would’ve been more intentional about immersing them into the Book of Proverbs (and its wisdom).
Because in Proverbs God is giving us every reason in the world to get wisdom – to chase after wisdom – to commit ourselves to acquire God’s wisdom.
And so, on Father’s Day, I want to inspire us all to first – get wisdom (God’s wisdom) – and then I’d like to inspire us to be more intentional about passing on God’s wisdom to our children or to anyone else God gives us the opportunity to share his wisdom with.
Life isn’t easy! From minor annoyances to major disasters, we have got to learn to navigate life.
How do we learn to handle life’s problems?
How do we learn to deal with difficult people and situations?
How do we learn what to say? How to respond? How to react?
God says, “Get wisdom.” Learn from God how to navigate life and its problems.
God knows we need to get wisdom, and so God placed five wisdom books all together in the Old Testament after the historical books and before the Prophets.
Job – Psalms – Proverbs – Ecclesiastes – Song of Solomon
But, of them all, getting wisdom is the focus of the Book of Proverbs.
Let me read the opening verses of Proverbs from the ESV today.
Proverbs 1:1–4 (ESV)
1 The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:
2 To know wisdom and instruction (NLT = discipline), to understand words of insight, (THAT is what we need)
3 to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity (fairness);
4 to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth-
That’s what Proverbs is for. And so, dads, if you want your kids (or anyone else in your life) to get wisdom, then all the wisdom they need is in Proverbs.
So, let’s talk about what wisdom is. Wisdom is an intangible concept, and so, it’s not easily summarized. But first, wisdom is not intelligence. Wisdom is a skill. Wisdom is not a level of intellect. Wisdom is “knowing how to approach a thing.” Wisdom is not “knowing about a thing.” Wisdom is the skill of navigating life well. Wisdom is learning how to act, and how to speak in the situations and circumstances of life. Wisdom enables us to avoid problems when possible and wisdom gives us the skill to handle problems when we can’t avoid them.
And God is imploring us throughout Proverbs to get wisdom.
Proverbs 4:5 (NLT)
5 Get wisdom; develop good judgment . . .
Proverbs 4:7 (NLT)
7 Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do! And whatever else you do, develop good judgment.
Proverbs 16:16 (NLT)
16 How much better to get wisdom than gold, and good judgment than silver!
Proverbs 23:23 (NLT)
23 Get the truth and never sell it; also get wisdom, discipline, and good judgment.
And Proverbs is where we go first and foremost to get wisdom.
Proverbs is addressed to “My Child (or my son).” The speaker is identified as the father, and he is giving advice to his child. Advice about how to live life, avoid pitfalls and achieve true success.
But, of course, Proverbs is not just for fathers and children – we all need to hear God’s wisdom.
And so, throughout Proverbs, Solomon often addresses the young (or immature), and Solomon doesn’t say whether they are currently either wise or foolish. He’s saying they are in the process of making decisions that will determine if they are wise or foolish, and he is trying to help them make those decisions wisely.
And so, most often, Solomon is laying out for those that are young and immature how the wise will live and how the fool will live, in order to help the young and immature choose wisdom over foolishness.
But listen, this is hardcore. Proverbs never tries to teach the fool to be wise because the fool has excluded himself from benefitting from God’s wisdom.
Here’s why.
Psalm 14:1 (ESV)
1 The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” . . .
The fool refuses to acknowledge God’s sovereignty or even God’s existence, and that refusal excludes him from getting God’s wisdom.
Because the single most important “foundational verse” in Proverbs is:
Proverbs 1:7 (NLT)
7 Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
And so, by definition, fools cannot get wisdom because they reject God and despise God’s wisdom. And so, when Proverbs points to the fool, it’s only to make it perfectly clear that we should not be like the fool.
And this key verse Proverbs 1:7, The fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge… is foundational because this “fear of the Lord” is us having reverent awe of who God IS, and us having that humble, reverent awe is the beginning of us getting God’s wisdom.
Guys, our pride and God’s wisdom will always be in direct conflict, and so we look to the one greater than us to give us the wisdom we need to navigate life.
But listen, please – allowing the Book of Proverbs to transform your life takes more than just reading the words on the page. Most of Proverbs is metaphorical.
Definition of a metaphor:
A figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable.
A metaphor is using illustrative language to paint a picture and then you – with the Holy Spirit’s help – apply that illustrative picture to your life.
And so, most Proverbs are not literal and they are not meant to be applied literally. Instead, they are meant to teach us the intangible truths of wisdom. The metaphors of Proverbs are meant to lead us into finding the connection in our life.
And so, mere knowledge of a proverb does not help a person navigate life well.
Proverbs 26:7 (NLT)
7 A proverb in the mouth of a fool is as useless as a paralyzed leg.
Proverbs 26:9 (NLT)
9 A proverb in the mouth of a fool is like a thorny branch brandished by a drunk.
Getting wisdom then is not a matter of simply knowing the Proverbs, and it is especially not literally applying the Proverbs. Getting wisdom is learning how to “rightly apply” the bigger principle in the proverb to our lives.
For instance – (I’m sorry for this difficult example)
I once had someone tell me that his dad (who was insanely religious and a church leader) used to beat him every single day when he got home from school (for one thing or another). And his dad knew well, and I’m sure quoted well, the following verse (from the King James Version).
Proverbs 23:13–14 (KJV)
13 Withhold not correction from the child: For if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die.
14 Thou shalt beat him with the rod, And shalt deliver his soul from hell.
And his dad (who should have been in prison) applied that proverb literally to his son, every day.
That is a sick example of how not to apply the wisdom of Proverbs to your life. This same Proverb – correctly translated – is simply saying that young children need correction. Listen to this same proverb from a paraphrase translation.
Proverbs 23:13–14 (The Message)
13 Don’t be afraid to correct your young ones; a spanking won’t kill them.
14 A good spanking, in fact, might save them from something worse than death.
This proverb is a principle to guide those parenting small children.
If you have told your four-year-old to not run out in the street and he keeps doing it anyway, a spanking might save him from getting hit by a car next time. That is the principle.
Also, most proverbs are “situation sensitive” or “context-sensitive,” meaning we must not apply them mechanically or absolutely. Instead, we must “take them in” and then listen for the Holy Spirit to apply the proverb to our lives.
And then, with some maturity, some learning from our mistakes, and most importantly some revelation from the Holy Spirit, we begin to walk the path toward getting wisdom.
So, how do we begin “walking that path” toward getting wisdom? Well, you certainly can’t just read Proverbs like you read the newspaper, or like you pick up “My Daily Bread” from the magazine stand in the bathroom.
We have to interact with God in the Book of Proverbs. We need the Holy Spirit to speak to us in the Book of Proverbs. Because most of the proverbs are metaphorical, we need the Holy Spirit to point out what area in our lives Proverbs is speaking to. And then, we need to prayerfully and with discipline begin to apply that truth to our lives repeatedly over time until we begin to “get wisdom.”
For instance, say you need to get God’s wisdom on your anger problem. Then, open your Bible, get a highlighter (or pen) out. Then slowly read through the entire Book of Proverbs over a few days, and highlight all the verses that speak about anger or temper. For instance, here are a few.
Proverbs 12:16 (NLT)
16 A fool is quick-tempered, but a wise person stays calm when insulted.
Proverbs 14:17 (NLT)
17 Short-tempered people do foolish things, and schemers are hated.
Proverbs 14:29 (NLT)
29 People with understanding control their anger; a hot temper shows great foolishness.
Proverbs 15:1 (NLT)
1 A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare.
Proverbs 15:18 (NLT)
18 A hot-tempered person starts fights; a cool-tempered person stops them.
Proverbs 16:32 (NLT)
32 Better to be patient than powerful; better to have self-control than to conquer a city.
Proverbs 19:11 (NLT)
11 Sensible people control their temper; they earn respect by overlooking wrongs.
Day – by day – by day – by day until you begin to get God’s wisdom in that area.
And listen, there is not a one-size-fits-all way to allow the wisdom of God to truly transform your life. But, we do know this – if you want to get wisdom it will take time and effort, and actually, it takes a lifetime of effort.
But we do know the process is laid out in Romans 12:1-2.
We are called to offer all that we are, in every area of our life, to God, as a living and holy sacrifice, which is our true and genuine worship of God.
Then, we allow God to transform us into a new person by changing the way we think. So that we can begin to live in God’s good and pleasing and perfect will.
I can’t tell you all that it takes to get God’s wisdom in this short time. But my prayer is that you would be inspired to get wisdom from the Book of Proverbs. And fathers, that you would be inspired to pour God’s wisdom into your children, or grandchildren, or whoever will listen to you.
I wish I would have had more of the wisdom of Proverbs when I was a father of growing kids because I definitely did not have as much as I thought I had. It’s a funny thing about wisdom – when you’re young, you think you have it. When you’re old, you wish you would’ve actually had as much as you thought you had when you were young.
I thank God continually that my kids supernaturally acquired so much of God’s wisdom. And I am grateful for the good Christian school that gave them much of the wisdom of Proverbs. But still, I wish I would’ve been more intentional about immersing them into the Book of Proverbs (and its wisdom).
Because in Proverbs God is giving us every reason in the world to get wisdom – to chase after wisdom – to commit ourselves to acquire God’s wisdom.
And so, on Father’s Day, I want to inspire us all to first – get wisdom (God’s wisdom) – and then I’d like to inspire us to be more intentional about passing on God’s wisdom to our children or to anyone else God gives us the opportunity to share his wisdom with.
Life isn’t easy! From minor annoyances to major disasters, we have got to learn to navigate life.
How do we learn to handle life’s problems?
How do we learn to deal with difficult people and situations?
How do we learn what to say? How to respond? How to react?
God says, “Get wisdom.” Learn from God how to navigate life and its problems.
God knows we need to get wisdom, and so God placed five wisdom books all together in the Old Testament after the historical books and before the Prophets.
Job – Psalms – Proverbs – Ecclesiastes – Song of Solomon
But, of them all, getting wisdom is the focus of the Book of Proverbs.
Let me read the opening verses of Proverbs from the ESV today.
Proverbs 1:1–4 (ESV)
1 The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:
2 To know wisdom and instruction (NLT = discipline), to understand words of insight, (THAT is what we need)
3 to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity (fairness);
4 to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth-
That’s what Proverbs is for. And so, dads, if you want your kids (or anyone else in your life) to get wisdom, then all the wisdom they need is in Proverbs.
So, let’s talk about what wisdom is. Wisdom is an intangible concept, and so, it’s not easily summarized. But first, wisdom is not intelligence. Wisdom is a skill. Wisdom is not a level of intellect. Wisdom is “knowing how to approach a thing.” Wisdom is not “knowing about a thing.” Wisdom is the skill of navigating life well. Wisdom is learning how to act, and how to speak in the situations and circumstances of life. Wisdom enables us to avoid problems when possible and wisdom gives us the skill to handle problems when we can’t avoid them.
And God is imploring us throughout Proverbs to get wisdom.
Proverbs 4:5 (NLT)
5 Get wisdom; develop good judgment . . .
Proverbs 4:7 (NLT)
7 Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do! And whatever else you do, develop good judgment.
Proverbs 16:16 (NLT)
16 How much better to get wisdom than gold, and good judgment than silver!
Proverbs 23:23 (NLT)
23 Get the truth and never sell it; also get wisdom, discipline, and good judgment.
And Proverbs is where we go first and foremost to get wisdom.
Proverbs is addressed to “My Child (or my son).” The speaker is identified as the father, and he is giving advice to his child. Advice about how to live life, avoid pitfalls and achieve true success.
But, of course, Proverbs is not just for fathers and children – we all need to hear God’s wisdom.
And so, throughout Proverbs, Solomon often addresses the young (or immature), and Solomon doesn’t say whether they are currently either wise or foolish. He’s saying they are in the process of making decisions that will determine if they are wise or foolish, and he is trying to help them make those decisions wisely.
And so, most often, Solomon is laying out for those that are young and immature how the wise will live and how the fool will live, in order to help the young and immature choose wisdom over foolishness.
But listen, this is hardcore. Proverbs never tries to teach the fool to be wise because the fool has excluded himself from benefitting from God’s wisdom.
Here’s why.
Psalm 14:1 (ESV)
1 The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” . . .
The fool refuses to acknowledge God’s sovereignty or even God’s existence, and that refusal excludes him from getting God’s wisdom.
Because the single most important “foundational verse” in Proverbs is:
Proverbs 1:7 (NLT)
7 Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
And so, by definition, fools cannot get wisdom because they reject God and despise God’s wisdom. And so, when Proverbs points to the fool, it’s only to make it perfectly clear that we should not be like the fool.
And this key verse Proverbs 1:7, The fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge… is foundational because this “fear of the Lord” is us having reverent awe of who God IS, and us having that humble, reverent awe is the beginning of us getting God’s wisdom.
Guys, our pride and God’s wisdom will always be in direct conflict, and so we look to the one greater than us to give us the wisdom we need to navigate life.
But listen, please – allowing the Book of Proverbs to transform your life takes more than just reading the words on the page. Most of Proverbs is metaphorical.
Definition of a metaphor:
A figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable.
A metaphor is using illustrative language to paint a picture and then you – with the Holy Spirit’s help – apply that illustrative picture to your life.
And so, most Proverbs are not literal and they are not meant to be applied literally. Instead, they are meant to teach us the intangible truths of wisdom. The metaphors of Proverbs are meant to lead us into finding the connection in our life.
And so, mere knowledge of a proverb does not help a person navigate life well.
Proverbs 26:7 (NLT)
7 A proverb in the mouth of a fool is as useless as a paralyzed leg.
Proverbs 26:9 (NLT)
9 A proverb in the mouth of a fool is like a thorny branch brandished by a drunk.
Getting wisdom then is not a matter of simply knowing the Proverbs, and it is especially not literally applying the Proverbs. Getting wisdom is learning how to “rightly apply” the bigger principle in the proverb to our lives.
For instance – (I’m sorry for this difficult example)
I once had someone tell me that his dad (who was insanely religious and a church leader) used to beat him every single day when he got home from school (for one thing or another). And his dad knew well, and I’m sure quoted well, the following verse (from the King James Version).
Proverbs 23:13–14 (KJV)
13 Withhold not correction from the child: For if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die.
14 Thou shalt beat him with the rod, And shalt deliver his soul from hell.
And his dad (who should have been in prison) applied that proverb literally to his son, every day.
That is a sick example of how not to apply the wisdom of Proverbs to your life. This same Proverb – correctly translated – is simply saying that young children need correction. Listen to this same proverb from a paraphrase translation.
Proverbs 23:13–14 (The Message)
13 Don’t be afraid to correct your young ones; a spanking won’t kill them.
14 A good spanking, in fact, might save them from something worse than death.
This proverb is a principle to guide those parenting small children.
If you have told your four-year-old to not run out in the street and he keeps doing it anyway, a spanking might save him from getting hit by a car next time. That is the principle.
Also, most proverbs are “situation sensitive” or “context-sensitive,” meaning we must not apply them mechanically or absolutely. Instead, we must “take them in” and then listen for the Holy Spirit to apply the proverb to our lives.
And then, with some maturity, some learning from our mistakes, and most importantly some revelation from the Holy Spirit, we begin to walk the path toward getting wisdom.
So, how do we begin “walking that path” toward getting wisdom? Well, you certainly can’t just read Proverbs like you read the newspaper, or like you pick up “My Daily Bread” from the magazine stand in the bathroom.
We have to interact with God in the Book of Proverbs. We need the Holy Spirit to speak to us in the Book of Proverbs. Because most of the proverbs are metaphorical, we need the Holy Spirit to point out what area in our lives Proverbs is speaking to. And then, we need to prayerfully and with discipline begin to apply that truth to our lives repeatedly over time until we begin to “get wisdom.”
For instance, say you need to get God’s wisdom on your anger problem. Then, open your Bible, get a highlighter (or pen) out. Then slowly read through the entire Book of Proverbs over a few days, and highlight all the verses that speak about anger or temper. For instance, here are a few.
Proverbs 12:16 (NLT)
16 A fool is quick-tempered, but a wise person stays calm when insulted.
Proverbs 14:17 (NLT)
17 Short-tempered people do foolish things, and schemers are hated.
Proverbs 14:29 (NLT)
29 People with understanding control their anger; a hot temper shows great foolishness.
Proverbs 15:1 (NLT)
1 A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare.
Proverbs 15:18 (NLT)
18 A hot-tempered person starts fights; a cool-tempered person stops them.
Proverbs 16:32 (NLT)
32 Better to be patient than powerful; better to have self-control than to conquer a city.
Proverbs 19:11 (NLT)
11 Sensible people control their temper; they earn respect by overlooking wrongs.
Day – by day – by day – by day until you begin to get God’s wisdom in that area.
And listen, there is not a one-size-fits-all way to allow the wisdom of God to truly transform your life. But, we do know this – if you want to get wisdom it will take time and effort, and actually, it takes a lifetime of effort.
But we do know the process is laid out in Romans 12:1-2.
We are called to offer all that we are, in every area of our life, to God, as a living and holy sacrifice, which is our true and genuine worship of God.
Then, we allow God to transform us into a new person by changing the way we think. So that we can begin to live in God’s good and pleasing and perfect will.
I can’t tell you all that it takes to get God’s wisdom in this short time. But my prayer is that you would be inspired to get wisdom from the Book of Proverbs. And fathers, that you would be inspired to pour God’s wisdom into your children, or grandchildren, or whoever will listen to you.