Church: Reformed Baptist Church of Franconia | Text: Proverbs 1:1-9 | Date: April 5, 2020 | Speaker: Fred Zaspel

Wisdom and Folly

In front of you again, turn to the book of Proverbs. I’ve mentioned to you before these last few weeks that Proverbs chapter 1, verse 8, and all the way through the end of chapter 9 are a series of lectures or sermons that the wise man is giving his son, teaching him about life and wisdom. These first seven verses are an introduction to the entire book and tell us what the book is about. It sets the stage and primarily it tells us the purpose of the book and why it is written. And that is to give us wisdom for living.

A quick note here on the plan: my plan is to continue with the Proverbs so long as we’re in the webinar setting. But next week, I think we’ll take a break from it and that’s to focus on the resurrection theme for Easter Sunday. Today, Proverbs chapter 1, we’ll look at verses 1 to 7 again. I hope to expound some of the significance of the terminology there. And then verses 8 and 9 as well, where we get just introduced to the first sermon or lecture that the sage gives to his son. And that’s as far as I think we will get today. But today then, wisdom and folly. Wisdom and folly.

Proverbs chapter 1, verses 1 to 9:

The Proverbs of Solomon, the 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 give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth. 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. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. Fools despise wisdom and instruction. Hear, my son, your father’s instruction and forsake not your mother’s teaching, for they are a graceful garland for your head and pendants for your neck.

I’ve often thought that it’s interesting to see the way that God made society function by giving so many different individuals each their respective skills. So to one, he gives the skill of engineering. To another, he gives the skill of music. To another, he gives the skill of woodworking. To another, he gives the skill of farming or food production in some aspect of it. To another, he gives skill in crafts and design. To another, there’s skill in language. To another, he gives skill in a particular trade or skill in science or some technical field. And all of these various skills come together to make society productive for the good of all.

And it’s really a strikingly wonderful gift from God. But there’s one skill that’s basic to all of them. It’s a skill without which all of these other skills just could not come together in such a fruitful way. And that’s just the skill of living. For society to function and for each individual to function in a satisfying way, we have to know how to live, how to relate to others, how to fulfill responsibilities, how to avoid mistakes and decisions that bring us harm, how to live in a way that brings satisfaction and joy to ourselves and to those around us. We don’t talk in these terms often, but that’s just the skill of living.

Some people obviously have that skill. They get along well with others, they’re good at their job, they seem to have it all together. And there are people who don’t seem to have that skill at all. In fact, some people lack that skill so severely that they’re, frankly, they’re a drag on society. They just can’t seem to avoid making a mess of their lives and hurting everyone they touch. They’re not productive to society, they hurt their families, and they really don’t do anyone any good.

Years ago, when my parents were touring England, they visited an old cemetery and saw a rather famous tombstone of someone who was evidently just that kind of a person. The epitaph on the tombstone read, “Here lies a man who did no good and had he lived, he never would. So where he’s gone or how he fares, no one knows and no one cares.” In the terminology of Proverbs, that’s the fool.

Now over against the fool in Proverbs is the wise man. The wise are those who are just skillful in living. Thank you, Jim. Over against the fool in Proverbs, there’s the wise. The wise are those who are skillful in living. They don’t act on thoughtless impulse. They’re able to make mature, informed decisions in life, and they’re able to avoid choices that result in ruin and unhappiness for them and their families. They’re personally content, they enjoy good family relations, and they’re a fruitful part of society. That’s just the skill of living. Wisdom, Proverbs calls it.

Now, the biblical writers connect wisdom or the skill of living to the deepest of considerations that shape life in the most important ways. In Proverbs, wisdom is the skill of living successfully—not just the skill of living, the skill of living successfully—and not just the skill of living successfully, but the skill of living successfully under God. And the thinking goes like this: if God is, if God has created us, if God has built into this world a moral order, if he has revealed that to us, and if he has revealed himself to us, and if we are accountable to him, well then only a fool would attempt to live apart from his instruction. To ignore God’s instruction would be both morally wrong and personally destructive. It would be foolish in every sense of the term. Flip side: to listen to God’s instruction and follow it—that’s wisdom in every sense.

And in fact, there’s a still more sobering consideration that makes wise living very serious business. Not often prominent in Proverbs, but always at least lurking in the background, is the recognition of the afterlife. Proverbs 12:28, for example, tells us that the righteous or the wise enjoy—the word is life. And it’s not just clinical life, but it’s a certain quality of life. And in fact, Proverbs 12:28 tells us it’s a quality of life that’s not interrupted by death. On the other hand, the fool will ruin his life, perhaps bring himself premature death, but then after that, things get worse.

So for example, Proverbs 11, verse 7 warns that there’s no hope for the wicked in death. In chapter 9, the father warns his son against the woman folly. She’s seductive and she’s alluring, but for all of the temporal pleasures the fling may promise, those who follow her just—he tells us—just don’t understand that the dead are there, and in fact that her guests are in the depths of Sheol. Sheol overwhelmingly in the Old Testament is the realm of the wicked dead, so the warning is clear.

So once again, to reject revealed wisdom, the revealed wisdom of God, is to be foolish in every sense of the term. It’s dishonoring to God and it’s self-destructive. Inevitably it brings ruin in this life and then climactically in the next. As one person has put it, “The fool eats on earth what he will digest in hell.” And so we’re back to what I’ve emphasized, I think, in all the previous times together, and that’s the connection between wisdom and righteousness. To be righteous is to be wise, and to be wise is to be righteous. Righteousness is the wise thing to do. It’s in your own best interest.

Now, in the same way, the book of Proverbs connects folly and sin, or folly and wickedness. So to be wicked is foolish, self-destructive. But living rightly under God is in your own best interest for here and for hereafter. And only a fool would reject God’s instruction for living. So isn’t it ironic, by the way, that the world will often mock the righteous, make fun of it? “You follow that old book, and for what?” And even while their own lives are a mess and society is falling apart all around them, they remain cocksure in their confidence. “Fools” is the appropriate term.

Proverbs was written to avoid all of that. Its goal is to impart wisdom for our own good. It’s a kind of user manual for life. And its purpose is to impart wisdom for living successfully under God.

The Vocabulary Of Wisdom In Verses One To Four

So let’s notice again the vocabulary of wisdom in verses 1 to 4. If you have your Bibles, note the synonyms again that we saw last time. Verse 1, we have the title: “The Proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel.” And then the purposes: “To know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight, to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity, to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth.” So we have the language of wisdom, instruction, insight, wise dealings, equity, prudence, knowledge, discretion.

Now notice verse 2. Notice the expression. The purpose of the Proverbs is “to know wisdom.” To know wisdom. That may seem a rather odd expression, “to know wisdom,” but the Old Testament uses this kind of language to describe a given skill. For example, in Genesis chapter 25, we read in the Hebrew that Esau was one who “knew hunting.” He knew hunting. And so most English translations render it something like “he was a skillful hunter.” Isaiah chapter 29, verse 11 refers to people who “know books,” by which he means someone who’s literate, somebody who can read. And that’s the way English translations generally render it.

And we talk this way too in different kinds of settings. We might say, “That guy really knows woodworking.” And when we say that, we mean to say not only that he knows things about wood, but that he’s skillful in working with wood. Or we might say, “That guy really knows auto mechanics,” by which we mean that he’s not just knowledgeable, but also a skilled mechanic. Or the flip side of it: if you’re not convinced that the guy in the dentist’s office really “knows teeth,” you’re not going to let him anywhere near your mouth.

So also here, to know wisdom is to be skillful in living successfully under God. One who knows wisdom is one who recognizes God’s world and how it works. He’s given careful consideration to God’s revealed will. And so he knows how to avoid mistakes and how to avoid self-destruction, and he can live successfully. And here now, the wise father is concerned in love to teach his son wisdom so that he’ll not grow up to become a fool. He wants him to know wisdom.

Verse 2 also says he wants him to know instruction. That term has some connotations in Proverbs that are worth noting also. It’s a word that has a broad range of significance, but very often relating to the entire process of child training. So it takes in, in Proverbs, connotations of teaching, instruction in the formal sense, but it also has connotations in Proverbs of things, concepts like rebuke, reproof, correction, and even it has, in Proverbs, the connotations of discipline—both verbal discipline and physical discipline. All of that is instruction, part of a child’s instruction or child training. Paul picks up this word in Ephesians chapter 6, of course, using the Greek equivalent, where he commands the fathers to bring up their children in the “nurture” or “training” of the Lord. The ESV translates it “the discipline of the Lord.”

So the father here says he’s writing the book so that his son will be well-learned and disciplined. We might even say in our own terminology, so the son will be self-disciplined. One who has imbibed the teaching, he’s thoughtfully reflected on it in relation to his own life. And by it, he’s acquired the skill necessary to live well. He doesn’t act or react rashly or by impulse, but he acts and reacts thoughtfully and in keeping with the principles of living that God has given. He’s self-controlled. He doesn’t fly off the handle. Like Proverbs 29:11 puts it, “A fool gives vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back.”

Dimensions Of Wisdom

All right, with all of that vocabulary in mind, then let’s look at some dimensions of wisdom. There are two primary dimensions of wisdom that he emphasizes here. And they’re really very important to notice. Notice again the synonyms for wisdom in verses 3 to 6. We’ve got wise dealings, prudence, knowledge, discretion, guidance, understanding. This terminology speaks not only of being wise generally—practical know-how—but specifically several of the terms specify the ability to grasp a shrewdness in tactical planning, careful thought, discernment, penetrating thought, a mind that sees ahead and makes well-considered choices.

All that means is that there are both, on the one hand, a moral and behavioral dimension—the moral or behavioral dimension of wisdom—and on the other side, the intellectual dimension of wisdom. Well, we have both in verse 2. Verse 2a highlights the behavioral or moral dimension of wisdom: “to know wisdom and instruction,” to be skillful in living according to God’s direction. And he elaborates on that dimension of wisdom in verse 3. And he uses terms of righteousness and justice and equity. That is behavior in relation to others, behavior in relation to God. In fact, if you have the NIV in front of you, I think its rendering here is very helpful. It says, “for receiving instruction in prudent behavior, doing what is right and just and fair.” So the focus of 2a is obviously on right behavior, doing what is right. He writes the Proverbs so you know how to behave.

Verse 2b, on the other hand, highlights more the intellectual sense. Notice the terminology: “to understand or discern words of insight.” Verses 5 and 6 then pick up on 2b. Verses 5 and 6 pick up on that, which is more of the intellectual side of things: “Let the wise hear and increase in learning and the one who understands obtain guidance to understand a proverb and the saying, the words of the wise and their riddles.”

Now the terminology he uses here echoes both the terminology of verse 2b, but it also echoes the terminology of Solomon’s famous prayer in 1 Kings 3. I’m sure you remember when God offered King Solomon whatever he wanted. You remember how Solomon responded? 1 Kings 3, verse 9: “Give your servant an understanding heart to judge your people, to discern between good and evil.” The idea is that of sharpening the senses, enabling us to understand these wise sayings and discern their significance. That’s the sense of some of the vocabulary in verses 2 to 4. It has to do with the ability to grasp, shrewdness, careful thought, penetrating insight, a mind that sees ahead and is able to make wise choices accordingly.

So all of that reflects a concern for approaching life thoughtfully. Now, of course, the idea here is more than just intellectual. Understanding a proverb entails understanding it in order to apply it to life situations, of course. And so being discerning is not for its own sake, but it’s for making evaluations and choices for life. So there’s the practical overtones. But for all of that, he’s telling us here, thinking is required. And the father here wants to develop in his son the ability to be discerning, to distinguish between right and wrong, to understand what is good, to understand what is better and what is best, to know what wisdom dictates for all of the many different choices of life. He wants them to have the sense, intellectually, to grasp the Proverbs in their full significance.

And we just have to notice here, if we’re going to profit from it, we have to notice that that’s not purely a practical exercise. There’s an intellectual dimension that’s essential to it. We must learn to think, to discipline our minds so that we grasp wisdom’s instruction and become discerning. Now, lest you think, or lest you’re tempted to think that all of that sounds too academic to be useful, I’ll just remind you bluntly that some Christians seem—sorry to say that, but it’s true—some Christians seem too lazy to think. They want to be practical and they never seem willing to think hard. “Just tell me what to do,” as though that’s all that divine revelation had to say.

In fact, I’ve long thought that some parents approach parenting this way. And in fact, honestly, I think it’s better to say they don’t approach parenting at all. They don’t seem to be intentional about anything. They just go along with what happens day to day. And because of a lack of thinking, they make decisions that are not wise. They don’t seem to consider goals—which goals are best, which goals are most valuable for their children, how best to prepare their kids to reach those goals, what direction and example is necessary to help them get to those goals, what habits and routines they need to develop, and so on. And many parents fail, I think, simply because of a lack of thinking. Good people, perhaps, but just not thoughtful in pursuing life. Questions like, “What does wisdom require here at this juncture of living for my children?” It seems never to capture their attention. And the sad thing is it shows up in their kids.

Well, the idea here is that, yes, I want to give you practical moral instruction for living, but I’m not interested just to spoon-feed you only. I want you to learn to think. I want you to learn and understand wisdom so that you learn how yourself to make good choices. I want you to consider what a wise life, what a successful life looks like and how to get there. I want you to understand the Scriptures and how to apply them to given situations so that when you’re out on your own, your mind and your heart are already well-trained and well-tuned to wisdom.

So that’s what he says he wants to give his son through this teaching. Well, that’s the larger goal that he has in mind. And then, as I’ve mentioned, chapter 1, verse 8, through the end of chapter 9, he gives us a series of sermons to pursue that objective. And then in chapter 10, verse 1 begins the specific applications of wisdom and the proverbial sayings.

Hear My Son Your Father’s Instruction

So we begin then in verse 8 with the first sermon or lecture that he gives to his son. I hope next time when we’re back to Proverbs to cover verses 8 through the end of the chapter, verse 33; we’ll start moving a lot faster then. But for today, content ourselves here now with verses 8 and 9.

Notice the emphasis here on the value of wisdom. Each of the lectures, in fact, begins with a call to the son to listen, to pay attention. And we have that here in verse 8: “Hear, my son, your father’s instruction, and forsake not your mother’s teaching.” The thought’s pretty straightforward: pay attention to what I’m telling you. Pay attention to what your mother has taught you. Take this seriously. Don’t miss it. And then regularly through these sermons, we have what we have here in verses 8 and verse 9, and that’s a kind of motivational clause. So verse 8, listen up. Verse 9, I’ll tell you why.

So look at verses 8 and 9 again: “Hear, my son, your father’s instruction and forsake not your mother’s teaching, for they are a graceful garland to your head and pendants for your neck.” The father wants his son to see that the life of wisdom is in his own best interests. And so he says his instruction, if heeded, will be a graceful garland for your head and pendants for your neck. Now the garland for your head refers to the wreath of vindication that was placed on a head as a symbol of victory over enemies. The pendant for your neck—and here it’s a plural, pendants for your neck—is obviously a necklace. It’s a sign of wealth. And both are described as graceful or attractive.

Now, all of that’s metaphorical, of course, but the idea is that imbibing this wisdom will pay off for you. You’ll prosper. You’ll be better off for following this teaching. You’ll distinguish yourself and you’ll be happy for it. Sometimes the writer in Proverbs takes the negative approach. He says, “If you play the fool, you’ll bear the consequences.” But here he takes the positive approach. He wants his son to see that following his teaching is indeed the wise and the rewarding thing to do. Listen to me. Learn to live successfully, and you’ll be glad for it.

Now with all of that, we’ve just barely covered the introductory portion of Proverbs, and we’ve barely started into the first lecture. But we’ve seen several times over that this book offers and holds out for the reader an attractive prospect. That’s what verses 1 to 7 show us. And then the introductory formulas for each of the lectures wants to give us this happy, wonderful prospect of offering life without regret. And in fact, it looks beyond this life to the next life with the same happy prospect. There is every reason to heed this counsel. Learn from God’s precepts for living. Give your mind to applying those precepts discerningly to all of the various aspects of life.

That’s always the prospect that the Bible holds out for us. Its direction for living is both honoring to God and it’s for our own good. The bottom line is that if we are wise, we will give ourselves to hearing and obeying God, learn his word, consider carefully how it applies to real life situations. Don’t be a fool, be wise, come and learn how to live. And if all of that seems too much or too restrictive for you, then recall again our Lord’s great invitation: “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke on you and learn from me. For I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

So here’s the one who not only taught, but lived out wisdom perfectly without any regret. Then of course, he is the one who offered that perfect life in place of sinners like you and me. The one who offered sacrifice to God in our place, so that we may be rescued from our sins, from the consequences of the sin. And so that now being freed from the enslaving grip of sin, we can live unto God in wisdom to his honor and to our own good.

Now, again, I’d like to open it up again for any discussion on this or Proverbs generally, not for open discussion right now, but for anything, any observations on this that you’d like to discuss.