Proverbs 1

The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:

 To know wisdom and instruction,

to understand words of insight,

 to receive instruction in wise dealing,

in righteousness, justice, and equity;

• To KNOW wisdom and instruction – this is not just a list of “nice ideas”.  It is God’s wisdom through Solomon.  Knowing this and taking it as valuable instruction to the real life is critical.
• There has to be a single objective set of instruction from a true authoritative source.  It must be this way.  Without that, everyone will choose their own, and then you end up with extremes like Hitler, Stalin, et al.  Extreme examples, but people don’t react to subtle examples.  They say, “Aw, they’re not THAT bad”.  And enough small moves over time and you have big moves away from home base.

 to give prudence to the simple,

• Most people are horribly informed, so “simple” does not necessarily mean “stupid”.  Some are just too busy (or lazy in some cases) to think it through, especially in the fast-paced superficial world we live in today.  So, specific instruction on prudence is needed.

knowledge and discretion to the youth—

• We must be responsible parents and impart this wisdom to them, THEN teach them the love of learning to continue their growth on their own.

 Let the wise hear and increase in learning,

and the one who understands obtain guidance,

 to understand a proverb and a saying,

 the words of the wise and their riddles.

• You’re never “wise enough” - you must continually learn and grow, all the way up to your death bed.  There is too much to know.
• Even if you think you know, obtain guidance from those more knowledgeable

 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;

fools despise wisdom and instruction.

• “Fear” in this verse is about respecting that God knows better.  Period.  That is the beginning of knowledge.
• And we both know many fools whose pride gets in the way of listening to wisdom and advice.  

 Hear, my son, your father's instruction,

and forsake not your mother's teaching,

• They’ve been around longer and have probably been through it.  Listen and head the advice of your parents.

 for they are a graceful garland for your head

and pendants for your neck.

• Parents – and their desire to teach/lead you – are a gift from God.  Never see them as a hassle, but as an advantage.

 My son, if sinners entice you,

do not consent.

• This WILL happen, over and over.  And they’ll do it in a sneaky way.  If you refuse, they will try to make you feel bad about it, foolish.  Don’t consent to their enticements or fall for their peer pressure.

 If they say, “Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood;

 let us ambush the innocent without reason;

 like Sheol let us swallow them alive,

and whole, like those who go down to the pit;

 we shall find all precious goods,

we shall fill our houses with plunder;

 throw in your lot among us;

we will all have one purse”—

 my son, do not walk in the way with them;

 hold back your foot from their paths,

 for their feet run to evil,

and they make haste to shed blood.

• First off, watch out for dudes named Sheol.  Seriously. ;)
• This can mean little white lies as much as murder.  It could mean gossiping mean things about others.  Do not play along.  No good can come from it.  

 For in vain is a net spread

in the sight of any bird,

 but these men lie in wait for their own blood;

they set an ambush for their own lives.

• They may get away with it in their lives, but not in the end.  They will be judged.  Their eternal life is at stake.
• Think of a rope you are holding that goes up into space, travels millions of miles, wraps around the sun (without burning – come on, work with me), then back to you.  On one end of the rope is a strip of red tape around the rope.  The width of that tape is your lifespan here on Earth.  The rest is eternity.  What’s more important?

 Such are the ways of everyone who is greedy for unjust gain;

 it takes away the life of its possessors.

• See above.  Greed is not good (sorry Gordon Gecko).  It blocks out all the good stuff, like love.  

 Wisdom cries aloud in the street,

in the markets she raises her voice;

 at the head of the noisy streets she cries out;

at the entrance of the city gates she speaks:

 “How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple?

How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing

and fools hate knowledge?

• This is the frustration I feel.  Unbelievers today not only reject the truth, they scoff.  Like the punk kid who picks on the smart kid in school, making fun of his good grades.  “What are you wasting your time for?  Idiot.” the bully says.  So ignorant.

 If you turn at my reproof,

behold, I will pour out my spirit to you;

I will make my words known to you.

• It’s never too late to turn it around, though.  Just turn (the church word for this is “repent”) toward wisdom and instruction.  Life WILL be better, more fulfilling.

 Because I have called and you refused to listen,

have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded,

 because you have ignored all my counsel

and would have none of my reproof,

 I also will laugh at your calamity;

I will mock when terror strikes you,

 when terror strikes you like a storm

and your calamity comes like a whirlwind,

when distress and anguish come upon you.

Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer;

they will seek me diligently but will not find me.

 Because they hated knowledge

and did not choose the fear of the Lord,

 would have none of my counsel

and despised all my reproof,

 therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way,

and have their fill of their own devices.

• At one point, there will be no turning back.  Once you are dead, or once Jesus returns, the option is off the table.  
• The laughter and mocking is representative of how it will feel in hell.  The “weeping and gnashing of teeth” mentioned elsewhere in scripture is the regret and mental anguish those who rejected him until the end will feel.

 For the simple are killed by their turning away,

and the complacency of fools destroys them;

• Our bodies – the bodies of believers – will die, of course.  But out eternal life with God started when we accepted his gift.  Not so for the unbeliever.  Their eternal life never begins.  And when their body dies, there is no option.  This is why the urgency to share the news … if an unbeliever dies tomorrow, even though he’s only 32, he loses in the biggest way possible.  He must hear the wisdom and instruction to make the decision, but by putting off the decision, he is risking it all.

 but whoever listens to me will dwell secure

and will be at ease, without dread of disaster

• Always know that following His instruction and heading His wisdom will result in what is best.  Without it, it’s a crap shoot.