Tag: wisdom

Sin’s Enticement | Proverbs 1:8-19

On By Cole NewtonIn Proverbs: Biblical Wisdom, Study GuidesLeave a comment

SUGGESTED VERSES FOR MEMORIZATION & MEDITATION

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. (Proverbs 1:8-9 ESV)

My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent. (Proverbs 1:10 ESV)

OPENING THOUGHT

Proverbs is the Bible’s handbook of wisdom, which is essentially the skill of navigating through life’s complexities well. The book’s primary author, King Solomon, was one of the wisest men to ever live because he received his wisdom as a direct gift from God. Solomon, therefore, is the ideal candidate to teach us about biblical wisdom.

The first seven verses of Proverbs explicitly tell us the goals and main thesis of the book. The goals include helping us to know wisdom, enabling us to understand words of insight, and learning how to behave wisely. The thesis of the book regards the necessity of fearing the LORD. Verse 7 gave us our first taste of Proverbs’ two paths. One path means walking in the fear of God, and it leads to wisdom and life. The other path rejects the LORD, despising wisdom and instruction. Its end is death and foolishness.

The primary literary device of the first nine chapters of Proverbs is a father giving wise teachings to his son. After reading the purpose and thesis of the book in the first seven verses, we now move into the first fatherly speech. Here the father pleads for his son to refrain from becoming associated with sinners. Sin is the ultimate foolishness because it is rebellion against God, and godly wisdom flees from sin at all costs.

GROUP DISCUSSION

Read chapter 1:8-19 and discuss the following.

  • Which verses stood out most to you as you read Proverbs 1:8-19 this week? Why? What do these verses teach you about who God is?
  • What is the Shema? How do verses 8-9 relate to the Shema? Would you say that the Scriptures saturate every aspect of your life? What are some practical ways to integrate God’s word into your life?
  • What is the ultimate end of sin? Why is sin still so alluring? How can we kill the sin in our lives?

PERSONAL REFLECTION

Because all Scripture profits us through teaching, reproving, correcting, and training us, reflect upon the studied text, and ask yourself the following questions.

  • What has God taught you through this text (about Himself, sin, humanity, etc.)?
  • What sin has God convicted or reproved you of through this text?
  • How has God corrected you (i.e. your theology, thinking, lifestyle, etc.) through this text?
  • Pray through the text, asking God to train you toward righteousness by conforming you to His Word.

The Wisdom & Worship Reading Plan

On By Cole NewtonIn ThoughtsLeave a comment

This Bible reading plan came about because of a few ideas.

First, I wanted to have a daily reading from the Psalms. The past two years I went through two different reading plans: blended and chronological. I enjoyed both of them and certainly recommend them to anyone who might use them to systematically read through the entire Bible. However, I did not like that both plans required a reading of the Psalms that in no way differed from the other books of the Bible. While there is absolutely nothing wrong with doing so, I do not think that the Psalms should be treated that way. Psalms is a collection of God-inspired, Holy Spirit-breathed poems and songs. Many of the Psalms are deeply-emotional prayers to God, either in praise or lament. This prayerful emotionality makes the Psalms completely unlike any other book of the Bible. They are designed specifically for worship, both corporate and personal.

Therefore, I do not want to read the Psalms as I would Genesis or Matthew or Romans; instead, I long to use the Psalms to foster a prayerful intimacy with God. With this in mind, I have established a reading plan that has a daily Psalm reading. Over the course of a year, the Psalms will be read twice with Psalm 119 being read three times. I divided Psalm 119 into multiple readings because it is essentially twenty-two psalms that together form the longest poem in the Bible. Also, because of Psalm 119’s passionate love for the Scriptures of God, I believe that it is the perfect psalm to begin our year of reading God’s Word.

The book of Proverbs follows a similar thought process. Like the Psalms, Proverbs is a collection from throughout the history of Israel. It contains many wise sayings and ponderings upon wisdom from King Solomon and others. If the Psalms are meant to be springboards for prayer and worship, Proverbs give us practical and applicable advice for daily life. Most of the individual proverbs are not exact promises from God, but they are divinely written guides for how to live life. Therefore, I hope that small and daily readings from Proverbs bring about more Godly wisdom in our hearts.

The Old Testament is laid out the traditional order. The average reading length is two chapters, with some days being more or less. Personally, I have a great love for the poetic literature and the prophets, so I have chosen to read through books like Ecclesiastes and Habakkuk more slowly. As this is my first year to use this plan, I will be closely examining the layout to learn if this approach feels natural or not.

As for the New Testament, the plan will take us through its entirety twice. I have decided to organize the books around the four Gospels. Because Luke was a companion of Paul and wrote Acts as well, the book of Acts and the letters of Paul follow Luke’s Gospel. Mark was a disciple of Peter, so Peter’s letters are read after Mark. Jude bears much similarity to 2 Peter, making it included in this grouping. Matthew is the most Jewish of the four gospels, so Hebrews and James are read after it. John’s Gospel is then grouped with his three letters and the book of Revelation (also written by John). I pray that this will be an effective way of organizing and focusing upon each of the four Gospels and how their themes are traced throughout the New Testament.

May this be a year of growth in the wisdom, knowledge, and grace of God through prayer and the Word of God.

Dinah & Shechem | Genesis 34

On By Cole NewtonIn Genesis 25-36: Wrestling with God, Study GuidesLeave a comment

Week 10 | Study Guide & Sermon

SUGGESTED VERSES FOR MEMORIZATION & MEDITATION

Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought trouble on me by making me stink to the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites and the Perizzites. My numbers are few, and if they gather themselves against me and attack me, I shall be destroyed, both I and my household.” But they said, “Should he treat our sister like a prostitute?” (Genesis 34:30-31)

Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:17-21)

OPENING THOUGHT

After a life of wandering and conflict, Jacob has now settled down. Stealing the firstborn blessing and birthright from his brother created quite a tension within Jacob’s family, forcing him to flee for his life from Esau. But Jacob only ran into more conflict by marrying two sisters, blatantly loving one of them more, and having an incredibly selfish father-in-law. After twenty years, Jacob escaped back to his homeland, terrified of reuniting with Esau. But God was with Jacob. Esau’s anger at Jacob was gone, and since peace was made between the two of them, Jacob finally stopped wandering.

But given the events of this chapter, Jacob might have chosen a better town to settle within. While Jacob is camping beside the city of Shechem, his daughter, Dinah, begins to socialize with the women of the city. Soon we are told that Shechem, the prince of the land, rapes her and then goes to her father and brothers for her hand in marriage. Dinah’s brothers in particular are furious, but they agree to allow Shechem to marry Dinah if every man in the city is circumcised. Three days after the men circumcise themselves, Levi and Simeon raid the city, slaughtering all the men and plundering the city.

This chapter ranks with the Flood and Sodom narratives as being one of the most uncomfortable displays of sin within Genesis. There is no innocent party here. Shechem is a rapist. Hamor only wants to make a profit. Jacob refuses to defend his daughter. Dinah placed herself in a foolish situation. And Simeon and Levi go well beyond a justifying retaliation. However, even in the midst of the darkest sins, God is still gracious and in sovereign control.

Read verses 1-7 and discuss the following.

  1. Dinah goes out to see the women of the land of Shechem. This seems to have a negative connotation that her interaction with them was foolish. In what ways do you live foolishly? How are we to live in wisdom?
  2. In these verses, Shechem is guided purely by his own desires. First, he sees Dinah, forcing her to lie with him. Next, he is captivated by, loves, and speaks tenderly to her. What are the dangers of allowing our want of pleasures to guide our lives? What must guide us instead?

Read verses 8-31 and discuss the following. 

  1. The intermarriage agreement between Jacob’s camp and the city of Shechem goes completely against God’s command throughout the Old Testament for Israel to refrain from marrying wives from other tribes and nations. Why did God prohibit Israelites from marrying non-Israelites?
  2. Since they convinced the men of Shechem to circumcise themselves, Simeon and Levi take advantage of their vulnerability by slaughtering all the men of the city, which is far too great of a retaliation against Shechem. Why did God command an eye for an eye in the Old Testament? What is the New Testament thought on vengeance and retaliation?

ACTIONS TO CONSIDER

  • Obey. Learning from Dinah and Shechem, consider areas of your life where you are foolish or are guided by your own pleasures and desires. How does the Bible teach you to live differently?
  • Pray. In their zeal for justice, Simeon and Levi committed a grievous sin themselves by slaughtering all the men in the city of Shechem. Pray then that the Lord would give us a biblical view of evil, justice, and retaliation.

Get Wise

On By Cole NewtonIn You Should Read This BookLeave a comment
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A few months ago, I was praying about what sermon series to preach next, and Proverbs stuck out in my mind. Last year, I preached a quick series from the Psalms called Biblical Worship, so I could something similar with the Proverbs, calling it Biblical Wisdom.

But I as poured over the book, I quickly realized that I could not adequately preach such a series. Proverbs’ wisdom pierced my heart, held it in front of a mirror, and revealed how little I abided by its godly wisdom.

It was difficult to admit, but I did not yet have the necessary wisdom to preach about wisdom.

So I’ve continued to pour over the Proverbs, hopefully storing its treasures in my heart.

And during this quest for wisdom, I stumbled upon Get Wise, an engaging and quick primer on the wisdom of Proverbs.

Summary

Get Wise by Bob Merritt is an entertaining and accessible meditation on the book of Proverbs. Loaded with stories of his own personal wisdom and foolishness, Merritt dives into some of the main themes of Proverbs. He does this by breaking the book into five parts.

Part one discusses the overall topic of wisdom and why wisdom is such a godly distinctive. The focus of part two is upon personal wisdom and how it guides and shapes our character. Part three deals with how we are to wisely interact with those around us. Family wisdom, such as marriage and parenting, is the subject of part four. Finally, part five closes the book with a look at successful wisdom, which includes studying the finances and work ethic of the wise.

Work, parenting, sex, money, and revenge.

Get Wise provides quick lessons on each topic, and more, from the Bible’s book of wisdom.

Notable quotations

Truth and knowledge confront my normal way of behaving; truth and knowledge force me to look at things in a new way and then adjust my behavior. Doing so takes humility and work, two things fools don’t have and don’t want to do. Proverbs 1:7 says, “Fools despise wisdom.” This is why it’s hard to talk to fools—they’re not open to truth or correction. In fact, they often react with anger and violence. (p. 100)

Fearing God means living every day with the awareness that God is in charge and that he’s put us on the planet to live our lives according to his plan and purpose. It means that the smartest thing I can do is look toward heaven every day and say, “God, there is nothing more important in my life than knowing and following you. Lead me, fill me, and show me the way.” Simply put, it’s looking to God every day and inviting him to be at the center of your life… Anyone who does that is a wise person, because they will make decisions based not on popular opinion or talk show advice but on God’s eternal Word. Jesus said, “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matt. 6:33, emphasis added). Put God and his kingdom first in your life, and all the things you stress about—money, work, school, relationships—will eventually fall into place because you’ve learned to do them God’s way, not your way. (p. 142)

Who should read it?

Obviously, because Merritt bases the book upon Proverbs, Christians are its intended audience, yet the practicality makes it a good read for anyone, especially if you are interested at all in exploring the wisdom of living according to the Bible. Also, the simplicity and clarity of Merritt’s writing make the book accessible for any level of reader.

Why should I read it?

Wisdom cries out to anyone who will listen:

For the simple are killed by their turning away, and the complacency of fools destroys them; but whoever listens to me will be at ease, without dread of disaster. (Proverbs 1:33)

Unfortunately, many of us do not head the voice of wisdom. It’s simply not something we consider on a daily basis. But Hosea gives a stern warning of life without God’s wisdom and knowledge:

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me. And since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.

Merritt is correct in identifying biblical wisdom as the understanding that God knows better than we do. Foolishness leads to death because we take matters into our own hands, ignoring God’s Word. In wisdom, we must submit ourselves to God’s law and knowledge because He is infinitely wiser than we are.

Because that thought is the central aim of Get Wise, I highly suggest reading it for a crash course on biblical wisdom.

Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight. (Proverbs 4:7)

A Foolish King | Dec 11

On By Cole NewtonIn Advent, ThoughtsLeave a comment

But he [Rehoboam] abandoned the counsel that the old men gave him and took counsel with the young men who had grown up with him and stood before him. (1 Kings 12:8 ESV)

After Solomon’s death, his son Rehoboam ascended to the throne of Israel.

The new king’s wisdom and leadership are immediately put to the test when the people of Israel come before Rehoboam to make a request. They claimed that Solomon worked with a heavy yoke and asked Rehoboam to be kinder to them.

Rehoboam told the assembly to return in three days, and he would answer them. During that time, Rehoboam sought counsel from Solomon’s advisor (who were old men) and from his friends (who were young like him). The old men told Rehoboam to serve the people now, and they would then serve him for life. The young men told him to exert his dominion by making their work harder.

Foolishly, Rehoboam went with the young men’s counsel.

This event broke Israel in two.

Ten of the twelve tribes rebelled against Rehoboam and made another man, Jeroboam, king over them. Only the tribes of Judah and Benjamin remained with Rehoboam for the sake of God’s love for Rehoboam’s grandfather, David.

Out of foolishness, King Rehoboam severed Israel.

Though David and Solomon both gave hope that they might be the promised offspring of woman, Rehoboam immediately assures us that he is not. He does the very opposite of uniting people under his rule, and for the next several hundred years, his descendants will do no better.

Fortunately, Jesus would come and be a wise and kind king to His people. While Rehoboam made their yoke heavier, Jesus gives to us a yoke that is easy and a burden that is light (Matt. 11:30).

Jesus is a far greater and wiser king than Rehoboam, who urges us to come to Him for rest. In what ways have you found Jesus’ words in Matthew 11:28-30 to be true? How have you found rest in Christ?

 

A Wayward King | Dec 10

On By Cole NewtonIn Advent, ThoughtsLeave a comment

For when Solomon was old his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not wholly true to the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father. (1 Kings 11:4 ESV)

Solomon was the living embodiment of the American dream.

With God-granted wisdom, he was one of the most intelligent men to walk the earth. The sheer enormity of his wealth would even make Bill Gate envious. His reign signified the height of Israel’s power and influence, which gave him vast political and religious authority (picture the President and the Pope rolled into one). With 700 wives and 300 concubines, he had a physical harem that rivals even digital ones today.

Solomon certainly had it all.

Or so it would seem.

In this verse, we read that his large harem proved to be his undoing. Taking many of his wives as political power-plays, they came from all corners of the earth, bringing with them their own gods. Eventually, Solomon turned his heart away from the LORD, betraying the God of his father, David.

For all of the promise and wisdom that Solomon showed, even he could not overcome in himself the curse of sin.

Ecclesiastes is traditionally taught to be the final teachings of Solomon, turning his heart back to the LORD at the end of his life. Though we cannot be certain, Ecclesiastes does seem to fit the bill.

In that book, we have a brief commentary on life under the curse of sin. It’s a brutally honest look at the mess that sin has made of the world, while ultimately coming to the conclusion that God alone is the answer to finding meaning and peace.

Even Solomon with all his wisdom could not withstand triumph over sin by himself, pray then for God’s grace to “deliver us from evil (Matt. 6:13).”

 

A Wise King | Dec 9

On By Cole NewtonIn Advent, ThoughtsLeave a comment

And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding beyond measure, and breadth of mind like the sand on the seashore, so that Solomon’s wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the people of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt. (1 Kings 4:29 ESV)

On his death bed, David bypassed the traditional succession of kings in the ancient world by appointing Solomon instead of his eldest living son, Adonijah.

Born to David by Bathsheba, Solomon was beloved by the LORD from his birth. In fact, God sent Nathan to David upon Solomon’s birth to give him a second name, Jedidiah, which means beloved of the LORD.

So from the beginning of his life, Solomon had favor with God.

In 1 Kings 3, God comes to Solomon in dream, saying that because he loved the LORD like David did, the LORD would give him anything he asked. The new king humbly asks God for wisdom to lead the people of Israel. The LORD loves this answer and declares that because he did not ask for longevity, riches, or safety, God would give those to him anyway.

And God did as He promised.

Solomon became wise without equal, and he became rich. The king was so wealthy that he is still considered one of the richest men to ever live. And the LORD finished by giving Solomon’s reign forty years of peace, which is still unheard of in Israel today!

But though God greatly blessed and used Solomon to build the temple, he was still not the perfect fulfillment of the promise that God made to David. As we will read tomorrow, for all of his wisdom, even Solomon could not overcome the curse of sin.

Like Solomon, James tells us, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” Therefore, make your prayer today for God-granted wisdom.