IN ALL YOUR GETTING, GET AN UNDERSTANDING Proverbs 4:5-13
THE TEXT
Prov 4:5-13
5 Acquire wisdom! Acquire understanding!
Do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth.
6 "Do not forsake her, and she will guard you;
Love her, and she will watch over you.
7 "The beginning of wisdom is: Acquire wisdom;
And with all your acquiring, get understanding.
8 "Prize her, and she will exalt you;
She will honor you if you embrace her.
9 "She will place on your head a garland of grace;
She will present you with a crown of beauty."
10 Hear, my son, and accept my sayings
And the years of your life will be many.
11 I have directed you in the way of wisdom;
I have led you in upright paths.
12 When you walk, your steps will not be impeded;
And if you run, you will not stumble.
13 Take hold of instruction; do not let go.
Guard her, for she is your life. NASU
INTRODUCTION
Life on earth is a puzzle. Your birth is the first piece and your death is the last piece of the puzzle. The events of your life complete the puzzle.
We never really know a person because we don’t have all the pieces. Some pieces are best kept secret and some pieces we don’t care to share.
At some point a man or woman acquires wisdom an ongoing process which changes and redirects life.
Webster defines wisdom as the ability to discern inner qualities and relationships which includes insight, judgement and knowledge.
The problem with Webster’s definition is it leaves out God
The Bible defines wisdom as the Word of God in action. True wisdom comes from the Lord.
WHAT GOD’S SAYS ABOUT WISDOM
Ex 28:3 whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom
Ex 36:2 in whose heart Jehovah had put wisdom
Job 12:13 With (God) is wisdom and might; He hath counsel and understanding.
Job 28:28 Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom
Rom 11:33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God!
1 Cor 3:19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.
You never get too much wisdom. It was an ongoing process
The older you get the more qualified you are to give wisdom.
THE PROBLEM WITH THE WORLD TODAY
What is wrong with the world today is a lack of Godly wisdom. From the leaders down to the basic family unit is a lack of wisdom. It is not passed down or emphasized from generation to generation.
This text emphasizes the importance of passing wisdom from family members. Proverbs 4 was written by King Solomon. The importance of wisdom was passed down to him by King David.
ACQUIRING WISDOM IS UP TO YOU
4:5 Acquire wisdom! Acquire understanding!
Do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth.
The Hebrew word for acquire is qunah which means to buy or purchase.
Wisdom has a cost. It requires active participation. The purchase price is
You obedience, your continued study of the Word
Knowledge is information. True knowledge is the Word of God. Wisdom is
The strength to put the Word in action in your life. Wisdom is living out the Word.
Forget not a voluntary thing of the mind and soul. It is not a physical thing.
It is the action of the one who pursues wisdom. The promise of salvation is keeping memory of what we have received
1 Cor 15:2 by which also ye are saved, if ye hold fast the word which I preached unto you, except ye believed in vain.
WISDOM IS YOUR GUARDIAN
4:6 "Do not forsake her, and she will guard you;
Love her, and she will watch over you.
There are benefits to wisdom;
Never leave wisdom, she will guard you
Develop a love for wisdom , she will watch you
This implies that you live in danger,
You need someone to guard you in dangerous situations
You need someone to have a watchful eye on you
You need someone bigger than all the world together; Jesus
The watch anticipated danger
The guard protects you from danger
RECOGNIZING THAT YOU NEED WISDOM GOD’S GRACE
V:7 "The beginning of wisdom is: Acquire wisdom;
And with all your acquiring, get understanding.
The beginning of Wisdom is the action to obtain wisdom
It is the recognition that wisdom is beneficial
In life we acquire a lot of stuff. I have a house full of stuff.
But it has no way to protect or guard me.
The best thing I can do in life is get an understanding of the Word of God and understand the benefits of wisdom
I need actual real life examples of wisdom in action. These examples were handed down to Solomom from his father David. He was teaching the principles to his children.
Understanding the Word takes active Bible Study and meditation
Understanding wisdom requires living out the Word in obedience.
Make wisdom your business. It is first place and it is everything
Wisdom is the principle thing. Worldly knowledge is of no benefit,
It can only mislead you
Pursue wisdom above all other
What we lose is transitory, what we gain is durable
What we lose is hollow and empty. What we gain is full and substantial
What we lose is vain, what we gain is profitable
What we lose is a matter of danger, what we gain is safety and security
THE PRIZE OF WISDOM
V:8 "Prize her, and she will exalt you;
She will honor you if you embrace her.
The Word of God is Christ. If Christ is lifted up you will be lifted up
Humble yourself before Christ. Claim him as Lord and Savior.
The Lord blesses those who are obedient to His Word
Wisdom is a prize that many fail to realize. It is a prize that gives joy to
Being with God and God guiding them through life's situations
Honor comes to those who wisely follow the Lord guidance
THE BEAUTY OF WISDOM
V:9 "She will place on your head a garland of grace;
She will present you with a crown of beauty."
Wisdom is the principle thing. Everything else is of little value
Wisdom is the favor of God that blesses lives. Status, position,
Power and possession fail at some point and are useless in troubled situations.
Daniel brought captive to Babylon and was chosen to eat from the King’s
Table, that which was sacrificed to idol gods. He refused to eat but chose
Vegetables and water as his diet, After years of training in the kings college was found ten times smarter than the rest who ate from the kings table
Because of his obedience to God’s commands in captivity, he was placed in High position in Babylon. Daniel chose wisdom over substance.
He chose obedience in the face of danger. He chose to trust God, when all the others chose to trust the worldly king.
LISTEN TO THE WISDOM OF YOUR MENTORS
V:10 Hear, my son, and accept my sayings
And the years of your life will be many.
The wisdom of God adds years to your life.
It is the job of the father to give wise advice to the children.
Eph 6:1Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.
2 Honor thy father and mother (which is the first commandment with promise),3 that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.
The addition of years are years of well living, comfortable blessed living
THE WORD OF GOD IS YOUR DIRECTOR
V:11 I have directed you in the way of wisdom;
I have led you in upright paths.
Wisdom is practical understanding of how to live a life of righteousness and moral integrity. The fathers words of wisdom may not be heeded at first, but they take root. As one matures, his words become valuable and sound for
Situations to come.
THE SURE STEPS OF THE WISE
12 When you walk, your steps will not be impeded;
And if you run, you will not stumble.
The wise walk the path of Christ. It is a narrow road that is already straight.
Nothing can correct the steps of Christ.
When we run for Christ the ups and downs of the road are smooth by the confidence we have in Christ leadership
HOLD FAST THE COMMANDS OF GOD
13 Take hold of instruction; do not let go.
Guard her, for she is your life.
The Bible is full of God’s instructions for right living. The job of the believer is to pursue a right understanding for right living. Hold on to God’s commands and let nothing cause you to stray, Wisdom is your life
SUMMARY
You gain wisdom and understanding from Proverbs 4:5-13, consider these key insights:
Seek wisdom diligently and prioritize it above all else.
Embrace understanding as a valuable treasure in your life.
Guard your heart, as it influences your thoughts and actions.
Follow the path of righteousness to avoid pitfalls and dangers.
Listen to the teachings of your parents and mentors for guidance.
Keep your focus on the straight path to ensure a successful journey.
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