Wisdom cries aloud, warning people not to be foolish. She promises to share her knowledge with those who listen. However, fools refuse wisdom's counsel, instead delighting in evil. Because fools hate knowledge and do not fear God, they will suffer the consequences of their foolish choices and be destroyed. In contrast, those who listen to wisdom will be secure and at peace.

1. Knowledge, Wisdom and Fools - Kay Arthur

2. Wisdom is knowledge rightly applied. Without wisdom, we are all fools – our decisions a foolish, and we live foolishly. Day 1 Proverbs of men The Book of Proverbs Accumulations of human experiences from the world’s perspective on success. God’s wisdom for right living and eternal success.

3. Read the first seven verses of Proverbs 1 Identify the author List his purposes for writing proverbs Examine your heart: Do I want this? If you do, dig in and study Proverbs Mark the key words:

4. 1. The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel: 2. To know wisdom and instruction , to understand words of insight, 3. to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity; 4. to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth— 5. Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance, 6. to understand a proverb and a saying, the words of the wise and their riddles. 7. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge fools despise wisdom and instruction . Proverbs 1:1-7

5. Author: The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel (verse 1) List the purposes for writing proverbs: 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 3 Key words: know understand wisdom instruction

6. What are the relationships among wisdom, fools and the Lord? Wisdom Fools The Lord Know, hear, learn, obtain, understand, receive, fear Despise wisdom and instruction The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. Instruction, prudence, guidance Righteousness, justice, equity

7. The Wise The Fool

8. Read verses 8-19 and underline the phrase my son. How do you think this phrase relates to the author and his purpose for writing?

9. 8 Hear, my son , your father’s instruction, and forsake not your mother’s teaching, 9 for they are a graceful garland for your head and pendants for your neck. 10 My son , if sinners entice you, do not consent. 11 If they say, "Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood; let us ambush the innocent without reason;

10. 12 like Sheol let us swallow them alive, and whole, like those who go down to the pit; 13we shall find all precious goods, we shall fill our houses with plunder; 14throw in your lot among us; we will all have one purse"— 15 my son , do not walk in the way with them; hold back your foot from their paths, the life of its possessors.

11. 16 for their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed blood. 17 For in vain is a net spread in the sight of any bird, 18 but these men lie in wait for their own blood; they set an ambush for their own lives. 19 Such are the ways of everyone who is greedy for unjust gain; it takes away the life of its possessors.

12. This proverb is King Solomon’s warning to his son to avoid being a fool, and exhortation to become wise.

13. 1. Who are the adversaries of “my son”? (sinners, greedy for unjust gains) 2. What is their intent? (“Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood; let us ambush the innocent without reason”) 3. What will be their end?(it takes away the life of its possessors.)

14. Throughout Proverbs, wisdom and fool are personified. Personification is the literary device that treats inanimate objects as persons and gives them a voice. So, pronouns such as me, my, I , and you are references to whatever is personified. With that in mind, read verses 20-33 and mark wisdom and fool s as before, including any pronouns that refer to them. Day 2

15. 20 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: 22 "How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge?

16. 23If you turn at my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make my words known to you. 24 Because I have called and you refused to listen, have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded, 25because you have ignored all my counsel and would have none of my reproof,

17. 26I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when terror strikes you, 27when terror strikes you like a storm and your calamity comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you. 28 Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently but will not find me.

18. 29Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the LORD, 30 would have none of my counsel and despised all my reproof, 31therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way, and have their fill of their own devices.

19. 32For the simple are killed by their turning away, and the complacency of fools destroys them; 33but whoever listens to me will dwell secure and will be at ease, without dread of disaster."

20. Wisdom The Fools Cry out, raises her voice Promise to pour out her spirit to the simple ones Promise to make her words known to the fools Refuse to listen Stretch out her hand Do not heed the warning

21. Wisdom The Fools Will laugh at the fool’s calamity Ignore wisdom’s counsel Will mock when terror strikes the fool Would have none of wisdom’s reproof Terror will strike like a storm Calamities comes like a whirlwind Distress and anguish come upon him

22. Wisdom The Fools Will not answer Will call wisdom Will not be found Will seek wisdom in trouble Hat knowledge Do not choose the fear of the Lord Would have none of wisdom’s counsel Despise Wisdom’s reproof

23. Wisdom The Fools Will not be found Shall eat the fruit of their way Have the fill of their own devices Killed by their turning way Complacent- and be destroyed by it. Whoever listens to me will dwell secure and will be at ease without dread of disaster

24. Verse 7 : The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge Fools despise wisdom and instruction Wise people listen to wisdom and seeks instruction from her Verse 29 Fools hate knowledge and do not choose the fear of the Lord They will gain knowledge Fools will be destroyed Fools listen to the evil ones’ enticement

25. How does the person without wisdom end up? (The fools will eat the fruit of their way, and have their fill of their own devices. V. 31) Why does he suffer this fate?(Because they hate knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord. V. 29) List the characteristics that contribute to this end. – consent to sinners, walk in the way with sinners, greedy for unjust gain, simple, scoffers, delight in scoffing, hate knowledge, scorn at wisdom’s reproof, refuse to listen to wisdom, not fear the Lord, not heed wisdom’s warnings, complacent

26. List the characteristics that contribute to this end. - consent to sinners, walk in the way with sinners, greedy for unjust gain, simple, scoffers, delight in scoffing, hate knowledge, scorn at wisdom’s reproof, refuse to listen to wisdom, not fear the Lord, not heed wisdom’s warnings, complacent

27. Hebrew Words for “The Fool” Kesiyl : the dull, closed, stubborn mind that rejects information from others Nabal : no spiritual perception Eviyl : an arrogant, flippant, mentally dull, coarse and callous person

28. Hebrew Words for “The Simple” Pethiy simple, foolish, open-minded to the point of naïveté