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As we begin a new year, we’ll be studying the book of Proverbs for the first 31 days of the year. The new year is a great opportunity to invite your friends, families, and Life Groups to read along with you in 2023. If you missed yesterday’s reading or are looking for an overview of the book, click here to catch up!
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Read Proverbs 2
Moral Benefits of Wisdom
My son, if you accept my words
and store up my commands within you,
2 turning your ear to wisdom
and applying your heart to understanding—
3 indeed, if you call out for insight
and cry aloud for understanding,
4 and if you look for it as for silver
and search for it as for hidden treasure,
5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord
and find the knowledge of God.
6 For the Lord gives wisdom;
from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
7 He holds success in store for the upright,
he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,
8 for he guards the course of the just
and protects the way of his faithful ones.
9 Then you will understand what is right and just
and fair—every good path.
10 For wisdom will enter your heart,
and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.
11 Discretion will protect you,
and understanding will guard you.
12 Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men,
from men whose words are perverse,
13 who have left the straight paths
to walk in dark ways,
14 who delight in doing wrong
and rejoice in the perverseness of evil,
15 whose paths are crooked
and who are devious in their ways.
16 Wisdom will save you also from the adulterous woman,
from the wayward woman with her seductive words,
17 who has left the partner of her youth
and ignored the covenant she made before God.
18 Surely her house leads down to death
and her paths to the spirits of the dead.
19 None who go to her return
or attain the paths of life.
20 Thus you will walk in the ways of the good
and keep to the paths of the righteous.
21 For the upright will live in the land,
and the blameless will remain in it;
22 but the wicked will be cut off from the land,
and the unfaithful will be torn from it.
Go Deeper
The NIV translation titles this section of Scripture “Moral Benefits to Wisdom.” In other words, Proverbs 2 is telling us why wisdom really matters. If we know that the book of Proverbs is an entire book on wisdom, then we must understand why seeking wisdom matters to know the value this part of Scripture holds.
Proverbs 2:5 tells us that if we search for wisdom, “… then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.” Why does wisdom matter to us? Because it helps us know God more. Wisdom is when our eyes are opened to who God is and what God sees, changing the way we live our lives.
This chapter also reminds us that wisdom comes from God, and that He freely gives us wisdom when we seek it. He doesn’t withhold wisdom, giving it only to specific people, but wants each of us to know him and trust him. God invites us into Scripture so that we can understand more of His heart toward us, so we can walk with Him, and so we can experience abundant life. Psalm 119:68 says, “You are good and what you do is good; teach me your decrees.” As we walk in knowing God more, our eyes are opened to His goodness on display around us.
Through gaining wisdom, we look different and live differently than the world. We walk in a way that reflects God to the world around us, seeking justice and righteousness. With wisdom, we are able to discern between what is evil and a distorted image of God, and live out God’s best. Wisdom allows us to experience the abundant goodness of God, and it allows others to see God through us. Proverbs 2 tells us that “discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you.” Through wisdom, God invites us into seeing the world the way He sees it. While we do not see and know all that God can see and know, wisdom is a piece of His right perspective that gives us hope and trust as we wait for His complete redemption. This hope guards us as we walk and wait for Christ’s return.
Through the book of Proverbs, may our eyes be opened to know more of who God is and His heart toward us. May we seek Him and gain wisdom to live as salt and light in the dark world around us.
Questions
- What does this passage teach you about God? What does it teach you about humanity?
- While reading through the book of Proverbs, how can you be intentional about seeking wisdom?
- How have you seen the benefit of wisdom in your life or in someone else’s life?
Keep Digging
Check out this article from GotQuestions.org that gives us a deeper dive into the importance of godly wisdom.
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6 thoughts on “Proverbs 2”
True wisdom originates with holy God; it is a gift that he gives to those committed to seeking after it. It requires concentrated effort on our part to discover, as is revealed in the opening verses—we are to listen, treasure, tune our ears, concentrate, cry out, search—our endeavors will be rewarded with true wisdom. God given wisdom guards, holds, shields, protects and saves us from ourselves and the evil paths we are drawn to. With wisdom comes “understanding of what is right, just, and fair, and you will know how to find the right course of action every time”(9). One of the best benefits of wisdom is that it fills us with joy. As we are on the cusp of a new year with many unknowns, what a solace to know that God’s wisdom is available to all who truly seek it.
2 TIm 3:16-17 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. 1. teaching = what’s right, 2. reproof= what’s not right, 3. correction= how to get right, 4. training in righteousness= how to stay right. Proverbs is all these for us to learn how to turn from sin and mend our ways. How to stay on the path of wisdom. Proverbs are short so hopefully will be easy to memorize some and most of us have them already because of our moms. James 1:5 says If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. BUT GOD says in this scripture ASK!!!!! We have to ask and seek it, most of the time it doesnt fall into our laps.
God Thank You for wisdom. Thank You knowing what to say when an opportunity arises in a very particular situation. Thank You for guidance with that person. You, God, know his heart. Thank You for few words that do not fall on deaf ears. Thank You for love words, for peace words, for gentle words in Jesus name amen
WOOHOO!!!!!
The phrase “store up my commands within you” in the opening verse struck me: so often, I search for “just in time” verses in response to immediate questions or crises. This chapter reminds me of the value of daily time in the Word, accompanied by prayer and meditation. The wisdom that God gives his children through our daily encounters with Him is what will allow us to keep to walk in the ways of the good and keep to the paths of the righteous (v. 20).
1. This passage teaches me that God is just, righteous, wise, and compassionate. This passage shows us that wicked seek after evil and sin, but the righteous walk in the will of God and his commandments.
2. I can be intentional about seeking wisdom, but being attentive to God’s voice and commands and by applying it to my life. I can be intentional by asking and letting the Holy Spirit guide me in every decision and situation on where to go.
3. My spirtual eyes have been more open and attentive to the truth, and my discernment has increased, but that is solely because of the Holy Spirit it’s nothing of my own doing. Wisdom has also helped me to resist sin when I have the urge to give into temptation, the Lord helps me to resist the enemy. Hallelujah!
God wants his people to be wise. Two kinds of people portray two contrasting paths of life. The fool is the wicked, stubborn person who hates or ignores God. The wise person seeks to know and love God. When we choose God’s way, he grants us wisdom. His word, the bible, leads us to live rightly, have right relationships and make right decisions. I am eagerly choosing to walk daily in Christ and this bible reading of Proverbs.
The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.
Numbers 6:24 -26
It’s hard for me to read Solomon’s warnings against adulterous women and seductive women when I think about how many wives and concubines he had. He eventually turned from much of the wisdom he learned in God’s Word and allowed pagan influences into his home and kingdom via the wives he foolishly chose.
The following article explains what may have been missing in Solomon’s later years- a love for God’s Word. The best way to fight sexual temptation isn’t JUST to flee. It’s to preemptively immerse yourself in God’s Word until you come to love it and desire to please God.
https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/the-morning-before-a-sexual-fall