King Solomon is given as an example of someone who sought and obtained wisdom from God. The document outlines Solomon's early life and how he was blessed before and after birth, anointed as king, and prayed for wisdom when God appeared to him. It then discusses the book of Proverbs and identifies seven "pillars" or principles of wisdom according to a biblical scholar: development, discipline, discernment, dignity, discretion, depth of understanding, and devotion to God.

2. Proverbs 1&2
Charted Waters
Wisdom
June 7, 2020
First Baptist Church
Jackson, Mississippi 39216
USA

3. What’s the number one thing?
The Glory of God!
1 Corinthians 10:31 NIV
31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it
all for the glory of God.

4. References
•Jeremiah, David, Seeking Wisdom-Finding Gold
(Atlanta, GA, Walk Thru the Bible Ministries,
1994).
•MacArthur, John, The MacArthur Study Bible
(Nashville, Nelson Publishing, 1997). NKJV
•Palmer, Edwin H., The NIV Study Bible (Grand
Rapids, Zondervan, 1985).

5. Focus of the Lesson
•Review the story of Solomon’s early life.
•Study the 7 pillars in the house of wisdom by Dr. David
Jeremiah.
•Look at the Apostle John’s scripture about fear and
love.

6. Introduction to The Book Proverbs
•A collection of 513 of the over 3,000 proverbs
pondered by King Solomon (Reign 971-931 BC).
•Proverb means “to be like.” – A comparison between
the common truths and life’s profound truths.
•Solomon is credited with writing most of Proverbs,
but King Hezekiah (715-686 BC) is credited with
assembly.

7. The Book of Proverbs
•Proverbs 1:1 NIV
1 The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:
•Mashal [mah SHAWL] – An ancient Israelite saying.
•Book of Proverbs – Used as a textbook for Solomon’s
royal academy.

8. King Solomon – The Early Years
1. Blessed before he was born.
2. Blessed upon his birth.
3. Pointed out as Israel’s king.
4. Prayed for God’s blessing.
5. God’s special blessing.
6. Prepared for the challenges.

9. 1. Blessed before he was born – Son of King David
•1 Chronicles 22:9-10 NIV
9 But you will have a son who will be a man of peace
and rest, and I will give him rest from all his enemies
on every side. His name will be Solomon, and I will
grant Israel peace and quiet during his reign. 10 He is
the one who will build a house for my Name. He will
be my son, and I will be his father. And I will establish
the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever.’

10. 2.Blessed upon his birth
•2 Samuel 12:24-25 NIV
24 Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba, and he
went to her and lay with her. She gave birth to a son,
and they named him Solomon. The Lord loved him;
25 and because the Lord loved him, he sent word
through Nathan the prophet to name him Jedidiah.
•Jedidiah means “loved by the Lord” (The blessing
name for Solomon).

11. 3.Pointed out as Israel’s king
•1 Chronicles 28:5-7 NIV
5 Of all my sons—and the Lord has given me many—he
has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the
kingdom of the Lord over Israel. 6 He said to me:
‘Solomon your son is the one who will build my house
and my courts, for I have chosen him to be my son,
and I will be his father. 7 I will establish his kingdom
forever if he is unswerving in carrying out my
commands and laws, as is being done at this time.’

12. 4.Prayed for God’s blessing – David’s prayer
•1 Chronicles 29:19 NIV
19 “And give my son Solomon the wholehearted
devotion to keep your commands, statutes and
decrees and to do everything to build the palatial
structure for which I have provided.”

13. 5.God’s special blessing
•1 Chronicles 29:25 NIV
25 The Lord highly exalted Solomon in the sight of
all Israel and bestowed on him royal splendor such
as no king over Israel ever had before.

14. 6.Prepared for the challenges
•1 Chronicles 28:10-11 NIV
10 “Consider now, for the Lord has chosen you to build
a house as the sanctuary. Be strong and do the work.”
11 Then David gave his son Solomon the plans for the
portico of the temple, its buildings, its storerooms, its
upper parts, its inner rooms and the place of
atonement.

15. 6.Prepared for the challenges
•1 Chronicles 28:12 NIV
12 He gave him the plans of all that the Spirit had put
in his mind for the courts of the temple of the Lord and
all the surrounding rooms, for the treasuries of the
temple of God and for the treasuries for the dedicated
things.

16. King Solomon’s request
• 1 Kings 3:5-6 NIV
5 At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon during the
night in a dream, and God said, “Ask for whatever you
want me to give you.”
6 Solomon answered, “You have shown great kindness to
your servant, my father David, because he was faithful
to you and righteous and upright in heart. You have
continued this great kindness to him and have given him
a son to sit on his throne this very day.

17. King Solomon’s request
•1 Kings 3:7-9 NIV
7 Now, Lord my God, you have made your servant king
in place of my father David. But I am only a little child
and do not know how to carry out my duties. 8 Your
servant is here among the people you have chosen, a
great people, too numerous to count or number. 9 So
give your servant a discerning heart to govern your
people and to distinguish between right and wrong.
For who is able to govern this great people of yours?”

18. King Solomon’s request
•1 Kings 3:10-12 NIV
10 The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for
this. 11 So God said to him, “Since you have asked for
this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor
have asked for the death of your enemies but for
discernment in administering justice, 12 I will do what
you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning
heart, so that there will never have been anyone like
you, nor will there ever be.

19. King Solomon’s request
•1 Kings 3:13-15a NIV
13 Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked
for—both wealth and honor—so that in your lifetime
you will have no equal among kings. 14 And if you walk
in obedience to me and keep my decrees and
commands as David your father did, I will give you a
long life.” 15a Then Solomon awoke—and he realized it
had been a dream.

20. God blesses King Solomon
• 1 Kings 4:29-31 NIV
29 God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a
breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on
the seashore. 30 Solomon’s wisdom was greater than the
wisdom of all the people of the East, and greater than all
the wisdom of Egypt. 31 He was wiser than anyone else,
including Ethan the Ezrahite—wiser than Heman, Kalkol
and Darda, the sons of Mahol. And his fame spread to all
the surrounding nations.

21. God blesses King Solomon
•1 Kings 4:32-34 NIV
32 He spoke three thousand proverbs and his songs
numbered a thousand and five. 33 He spoke about
plant life, from the cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop
that grows out of walls. He also spoke about animals
and birds, reptiles and fish. 34 From all nations people
came to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, sent by all the
kings of the world, who had heard of his wisdom.

22. The Queen of Sheba visits King Solomon
•1 Kings 10:1-2 NKJV
1 Now when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of
Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came
to test him with hard questions. 2 She came to
Jerusalem with a very great retinue, with camels that
bore spices, very much gold, and precious stones; and
when she came to Solomon, she spoke with him about
all that was in her heart.

23. The Queen of Sheba visits Solomon
• 1 Kings 10:3-5 NIV
3 So Solomon answered all her questions; there was nothing
so difficult for the king that he could not explain it to her.
4 And when the queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of
Solomon, the house that he had built, 5 the food on his
table, the seating of his servants, the service of his waiters
and their apparel, his cupbearers, and his entryway by
which he went up to the house of the Lord, there was no
more spirit in her.

24. What is wisdom?
•Charles H. Spurgeon: “The right use of knowledge.”
•Samuel Coleridge: “Wisdom is common sense in an
uncommon degree.”
•Cicero: “Wisdom is the knowledge of things human
and divine of the causes by which those things are
controlled.”
•Mark Twain: “Wisdom is knowledge using its head.”

25. The Behavior of Belief by Spiros Zodiates
•Wisdom is a synonym of the Word, and it refers to
that perfection and eternity which is to be found only
in God the Father, manifested to the world through
His Son, the Lord Jesus, and existing in the world
today only through the Holy Spirit. The wise man is he
who has given himself to Jesus Christ, and who, by the
help of the Holy Spirit, keeps his intellect in
submission to the will of God.

26. Wisdom according to Dr. David Jeremiah
•In Scripture, wisdom always refers to knowledge of
the course of action that will please God and make life
what God wants it to be. When God promises
wisdom, He promises a way of life that is superior to
the way of the world. He guarantees that we will find
“that good and acceptable and perfect will of God”
(Romans 12:2).

27. How does wisdom come to believers?
•1 Corinthians 1:30 NIV
30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who
has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our
righteousness, holiness and redemption.
•Jesus Christ is our wisdom from God.
•He (wisdom) dwells in us through the Holy Spirit.

28. How does the believer obtain wisdom?
•James 1:5-6 NIV
5 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. 6 But when you ask, you must believe
and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a
wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.

29. Seven Pillars in the House of Wisdom
•Proverbs 9:1 NIV
1 Wisdom has built her house;
she has set up its seven pillars.
•Seven pillars indicates wisdom is a “large” house.
•The 7 pillars provide the “framework” or “supporting
principles” for understanding the wisdom of God
that is given to man.
•The number 7 indicates perfection and
completeness.

30. The 7 Pillars of Wisdom in Proverbs 1:1-7
according to Dr. David Jeremiah
1. Wisdom is Development.
2. Wisdom is Discipline.
3. Wisdom is Discernment.
4. Wisdom is Dignity.
5. Wisdom is Discretion.
6. Wisdom is Depth of Understanding.
7. Wisdom is Devotion to God.

31. 1.Wisdom is Development.
•Proverbs 1:1-2a NKJV
1 The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of
Israel:
2a To know wisdom and instruction,
•Wisdom is a developed skill or knowledge learned
over time.
•You are not born with wisdom.
•Other translations: for attaining; for gaining.

32. 1.Wisdom is Development.
•Proverbs 9:9 NKJV
9 Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still
wiser;
Teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.
•Luke 2:52 NKJV
52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in
favor with God and men.

33. 2.Wisdom is Discipline.
•Proverbs 1:1-2a NKJV
1 The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of
Israel:
2a To know wisdom and instruction,
•Other translations of instruction: discipline;
reproof; correction.
•Discipline for true wisdom involves Bible study,
memorizing Scripture and prayer.

34. 2.Wisdom is Discipline – An intentional pursuit.
•Proverbs 2:1-3 NIV
1 My son, if you receive my words,
And treasure my commands within you,
2 So that you incline your ear to wisdom,
And apply your heart to understanding;
3 Yes, if you cry out for discernment,
And lift up your voice for understanding,

35. 2.Wisdom is Discipline – An intentional pursuit.
•Proverbs 2:4-5 NIV
4 If you seek her as silver,
And search for her as for hidden treasures;
5 Then you will understand the fear of the Lord,
And find the knowledge of God.

36. 3.Wisdom is Discernment.
•Proverbs 1:2 NKJV
2 To know wisdom and instruction,
To perceive the words of understanding,
•Other translations: for understanding words of
insight.
•Root word from which we get “to separate.”
•The ability to make wise choices and decisions
and to know the difference between good and
evil.

37. 3.Wisdom is Discernment – Solomon’s Prayer.
•1 Kings 3:9 NKJV
9 “Therefore give to Your servant an understanding
heart to judge Your people, that I may discern
between good and evil. For who is able to judge this
great people of Yours?”
•Wisdom from God is the ability to make proper
choices.

38. Paul’s desire for the Philippians - discernment
•Philippians 1:9-11 NKJV
9 And this I pray, that your love may abound still more
and more in knowledge and all discernment, 10 that
you may approve the things that are excellent, that
you may be sincere and without offense till the day of
Christ, 11 being filled with the fruits of righteousness
which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of
God.

39. 4.Wisdom is Dignity.
• Proverbs 1:3 NKJV
3 To receive the instruction of wisdom,
Justice, judgment, and equity;
• Proverbs 1:3 NIV
3 for receiving instruction in prudent behavior,
doing what is right and just and fair;
• Learning to behave with propriety and tact.
• Wise people reveal their wisdom through their
dignified actions.

40. 4.Wisdom is Dignity.
• Titus 2:2 NIV
2 Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-
controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance.
• Ecclesiastes 3:1 NKJV
1 To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven:
• Romans 12:15 NKJV
15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who
weep.

41. 5.Wisdom is Discretion.
•Proverbs 1:4 NKJV
4 To give prudence to the simple,
To the young man knowledge and discretion—
•The quality of having or showing good
judgment; the quality of being discreet.
•Be careful of what you say and do.
•Think before you speak.

42. Jesus’ instructions to the disciples
• Matthew 10:16 NIV
16 “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves.
Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as
doves.”
• Matthew 10:16 ESV
16 “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of
wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.”
• Genesis 3:1 NKJV
1 Now the serpent was more cunning (crafty) than any
beast of the field which the Lord God had made.

43. Wisdom is knowing the enemy is Satan
•Ephesians 6:10-12 NIV
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty
power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can
take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our
struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the
rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of
this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil
in the heavenly realms.

44. 6.Wisdom is Depth of Understanding.
•Proverbs 1:5-6 NKJV
5 A wise man will hear and increase learning,
And a man of understanding will attain wise
counsel,
6 To understand a proverb and an enigma,
The words of the wise and their riddles.
•Listen to wise counsel of others and learn from
them.
•“Learn the ropes.”

45. 6.Wisdom is Depth of Understanding.
•2 Timothy 2:1-2 NKJV
1 You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is
in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things that you have heard
from me among many witnesses, commit these to
faithful men who will be able to teach others also.

46. 7.Wisdom is Devotion to God.
•Proverbs 1:7 NKJV
7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
But fools despise wisdom and instruction.
•Proverbs 9:10 NKJV
10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
And the knowledge of the Holy One is
understanding.
•“fear of the Lord” – reverential trust.

47. Fear of the Lord = Obedience
•Deuteronomy 6:1-2 NIV
1 These are the commands, decrees and laws the Lord
your God directed me to teach you to observe in the
land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, 2 so
that you, your children and their children after them
may fear the Lord your God as long as you live by
keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you,
and so that you may enjoy long life.

48. Wisdom is Devotion to God
•Paul and David described man’s sinful nature as “no
fear of God.”
•Romans 3:18 NKJV
18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
•Psalm 36:1 NIV
1 I have a message from God in my heart
concerning the sinfulness of the wicked:
There is no fear of God
before their eyes.

49. Fear of the Lord
•Fearing God is the starting point for godliness.
•This fear includes commitment to His revealed will
(God’s written Word).
•Fearing God means that we keep Him and His statutes
as the focus and center of our attention.
•Matthew Henry: “Where no fear of God is, no good is
to be expected.”

50. Why is fear of the Lord the beginning of
knowledge and wisdom?
•It acknowledges that God is the creator and source
of knowledge and wisdom.
•It acknowledges that God is truth.
•If we do not keep the fear of God before our eyes,
we cannot do anything else that is pleasing to Him.

51. Apostle John describes when fear progresses
to love
• 1 John 4:9-12 NIV
9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his
one and only Son into the world that we might live
through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but
that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice
for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also
ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God;
but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is
made complete in us.

52. Apostle John describes when fear progresses
to love
•1 John 4:13-16a NIV
13 This is how we know that we live in him and he in
us: He has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen
and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the
Savior of the world. 15 If anyone acknowledges that
Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in
God. 16 And so we know and rely on the love God has
for us.

53. Apostle John describes when fear progresses
to love
•1 John 4:16b-18 NIV
God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and
God in them. 17 This is how love is made complete
among us so that we will have confidence on the day
of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. 18 There is
no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear,
because fear has to do with punishment. The one who
fears is not made perfect in love.

54. Summary of John’s message on fear and love
•As the believer grows to be like Christ (sanctification),
one understands that Christ has paid the price for
their sins to God.
•There is no fear of God’s judgment because genuine
love confirms salvation.
•The believer lives a life of service because of love for
God instead of fear of punishment.

55. Closing Scriptures
•1 Corinthians 1:30 NIV
30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who
has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our
righteousness, holiness and redemption.
•John 16:33 NIV
33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may
have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But
take heart! I have overcome the world.”

56. The Plan of Hope & Salvation
John 3:16-17 NIV
16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only
Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have
eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to
condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”
John 14:6 NIV
6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me.”

57. The Plan of Hope & Salvation
Romans 3:23 NIV
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Romans 6:23a NIV
23a For the wages of sin is death,
• Death in this life (the first death) is 100%.
• Even Jesus, the only one who doesn’t deserve death, died in this
life to pay the penalty for our sin.
• The death referred to in Romans 6:23a is the “second death”
explained in Revelation 21:8.

58. The Plan of Hope & Salvation
Revelation 21:8 NIV
8 “But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral,
those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—their place will be in the
fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”
• Anyone who’s lifestyle is one or more of the sins listed in Revelation 21:8,
will experience the “second death,” if they do not repent.
• To Repent means to turn around, to go in the opposite direction, to
turn away from sin and believe in Jesus.
Romans 5:8 NIV
8 But God demonstrates His own love for us, in this: While we were still
sinners, Christ died for us.

59. The Plan of Hope & Salvation
Romans 6:23b NIV
23b but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our
Lord.
Revelation 21:7 NIV
7 “He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be
his God and he will be My son.”
• Romans 10:9-10 explain to us how to be overcomers.

60. The Plan of Hope & Salvation
Romans 10:9-10 NIV
9 That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and
believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you
will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and
are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and
are saved.
Romans 10:13 NIV
13 for “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be
saved.”

61. The Plan of Hope & Salvation
Do you have questions?
Would you like to know more?
Please, contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900
or http://firstbaptistjackson.org/contact/