The document discusses how to become wise according to the book of Proverbs. It addresses five questions: 1) How is the wise man characterized (as Godward, seeking knowledge, valuing advice); 2) Who he influences (society, bringing joy to his father); 3) His rewards (inheriting honor, wisdom being its own reward); 4) How he is illustrated (small creatures like ants demonstrate wisdom); 5) How to become wise (start with a wise God relationship, listen to others, desire wisdom above all). The overall message is that true wisdom comes from knowing God and studying His word.

1. The People of Proverbs
Lesson Six – The Wise

2. Overview
By studying the simple, the sluggard, the
fool, and the scoffer we have already
seen certain aspects of the wise man.
He is viewed in contrast to these four
characters. In this study we will look
more directly into his personality by
answering five questions from the
Biblical text.

3. The five questions are:
I. How is the wise man characterized?
II. Who does he influence?
III. What are his rewards?
IV. How is he illustrated?
V. How can I become wise?

4. I. How is he characterized?
A. He is a Godward Man.
Proverbs 3:7 Do not be wise in your own
estimation; fear the Lord and turn away
from evil.
The fool is characterized by earthly,
temporal motivations: money, pleasure,
popularity, power.

5. I. How is he characterized?
B. He seeks knowledge.
Proverbs 18:15 The discerning person
acquires knowledge, and the wise
person seeks knowledge.
Proverbs 10:14 Those who are wise
store up knowledge, but foolish speech
leads to imminent destruction.

6. I. How is he characterized?
C. He values advice and rebuke.
Proverbs 9:8 Do not reprove a mocker
or he will hate you; reprove a wise
person and he will love you.
Proverbs 12:15 The way of a fool is right
in his own opinion, but the one who
listens to advice is wise.

7. I. How is he characterized?
D. He has control of his emotions and
speech.
Proverbs 14:3 In the speech of a fool is
a rod for his back, but the words of the
wise protect them.
Proverbs 16:23 A wise person’s heart
makes his speech wise and it adds
persuasiveness to his words.
Proverbs 29:11 A fool lets fly with all his
temper, but a wise person keeps it back.

8. II. Who does he influence?
A. People in general (society as a whole)
1. He spreads knowledge and life.
Proverbs 15:7 The lips of the wise spread
knowledge, but not so the heart of fools.
Proverbs 13:14 Instruction from the wise is
like a life-giving fountain, to turn a person
from deadly snares.
Protects others from simple and foolish ways.
He leads society away from politically wrong
decisions.

9. II. Who does he influence?
A. People in general (society as a whole)
1. He spreads knowledge and life.
2. His words bring peace and healing.
Proverbs 29:8 Scornful people inflame a city,
but those who are wise turn away wrath.
Proverbs 16:14 A king’s wrath is like a
messenger of death, but a wise person
appeases it.
Proverbs 12:18 Speaking recklessly is like the
thrusts of a sword, but the words of the wise
bring healing.

10. II. Who does he influence?
A. People in general (society as a whole)
B. People in specific
1. He brings joy to his Father
Proverbs 10:1 The Proverbs of
Solomon: A wise child makes a father
rejoice, but a foolish child is a grief to
his mother.

11. II. Who does he influence?
A. People in general (society as a whole)
B. People in specific
1. He brings joy to his Father.
2. He makes the fool his servant.
Proverbs 11:29 The one who troubles
his family will inherit nothing, and the
fool will be a servant to the wise
person.

12. II. Who does he influence?
A. People in general (society as a whole)
B. People in specific
1. He brings joy to his Father.
2. He makes the fool his servant.
3. He gets rid of the wicked.
Proverbs 20:26 A wise king separates
out the wicked; he turns the threshing
wheel over them.

13. II. Who does he influence?
A. People in general (society as a whole)
B. People in specific
1. He brings joy to his Father.
2. He makes the fool his servant.
3. He gets rid of the wicked.
4. He overcomes mighty.
Proverbs 21:22 The wise person can scale
the city of the mighty and bring down the
stronghold in which they trust.

14. III. What are his rewards?
A. He inherits honor.
Proverbs 3:35 The wise inherit honor,
but he holds fools up to public
contempt.

15. III. What are his rewards?
A. He inherits honor.
B. Wisdom is its own reward.
Proverbs 9:12 (NET) If you are wise,
you are wise to your own advantage,
but if you are a mocker, you alone
must bear it.
Proverbs 9:12 (NIV) If you are wise,
your wisdom will reward you; if you are
a mocker, you alone will suffer.”

16. III. What are his rewards?
A. He inherits honor.
B. Wisdom is its own reward.
C. Wealth
Proverbs 14:23-24 In all hard work
there is profit, but merely talking about
it only brings poverty. 24
The crown of
the wise is their riches, but the folly of
fools is folly.

17. IV. How is he illustrated?
Wisdom comes in small packages.
Proverbs 30:24-28 (NET)
24
There are four things on earth that are small,
but they are exceedingly wise: 25
ants are
creatures with little strength, but they prepare
their food in the summer; 26
rock badgers are
creatures with little power, but they make their
homes in the crags; 27
locusts have no king, but
they all go forward by ranks; 28
a lizard you can
catch with the hand, but it gets into the palaces
of the king.

18. IV. How is he illustrated?
Wisdom comes in small packages.
“ants are creatures with little strength, but
they prepare their food in the summer;”
Ants have a since of preparation,
foresight, unity and diligence (Farmer,
Coach, businessman).

19. IV. How is he illustrated?
Wisdom comes in small packages.
“rock badgers are creatures with little
power, but they make their homes in the
crags;”
Vulnerable (dull teeth, poor smelling) but
knows its limitations and where its
protection is.

20. IV. How is he illustrated?
Wisdom comes in small packages.
“locusts have no king, but they all go
forward by ranks;”
Even though they have no leader they
move as one organized unit to a given
purpose.

21. IV. How is he illustrated?
Wisdom comes in small packages.
“a lizard you can catch with the hand, but it
gets into the palaces of the king.”
Small, vulnerable, but has specialized
proficiency.
Proverbs 22:29 (NET)
29
Do you see a person skilled in his
work? He will take his position before
kings; he will not take his position before
obscure people.

22. V. How can I become wise?
A. Start with a wise relationship with God.
1. Recognize personal limitations.
Proverbs 3:5-7 5
Trust in the Lord with
all your heart, and do not rely on your
own understanding. 6
Acknowledge him
in all your ways, and he will make your
paths straight. 7
Do not be wise in your
own estimation; fear the Lord and turn
away from evil.
Romans 12:3
3
For by the grace given to me I
say to every one of you not to
think more highly of yourself than
you ought to think, but to think
with sober discernment, as God
has distributed to each of you a
measure of faith.

23. V. How can I become wise?
A. Start with a wise relationship with God.
1. Recognize personal limitations.
2. Know that wisdom comes from God.
Proverbs 2:6 For the Lord gives
wisdom, and from his mouth comes
knowledge and understanding.

24. V. How can I become wise?
A. Start with a wise relationship with God.
1. Recognize personal limitations.
2. Know that wisdom comes from God.
3. Reverence God.
Proverbs 9:10 The beginning of wisdom is to
fear the Lord, and acknowledging the Holy
One is understanding.
Proverbs 1:7 Fearing the Lord is the
beginning of moral knowledge, but fools
despise wisdom and instruction.

25. V. How can I become wise?
A. Start with a wise relationship with God.
1. Recognize personal limitations.
2. Know that wisdom comes from God.
3. Reverence God.
4. Turn away from evil.
Proverbs 8:13 The fear of the Lord is to hate
evil; I hate arrogant pride and the evil way
and perverse utterances.
Proverbs 9:6 Abandon your foolish ways so
that you may live, and proceed in the way of
understanding.”

26. V. How can I become wise?
A. Start with a wise relationship with God.
B. Consider how you relate to other
people.
1. Listen
Proverbs 15:31-32 (NET)
31
The person who hears the reproof
that leads to life is at home among the
wise. 32
The one who refuses correction
despises himself, but whoever hears
reproof acquires understanding.

27. V. How can I become wise?
A. Start with a wise relationship with God.
B. Consider how you relate to other
people.
1. Listen
2. Observe at a distance the behavior
and consequences of the simple, the
sluggard, the fool and the scoffer.

28. V. How can I become wise?
A. Start with a wise relationship with God.
B. Consider how you relate to other people.
1. Listen
2. Observe at a distance the behavior and
consequences of the simple, the sluggard, the
fool and the scoffer.
3. Walk with the wise.
Proverbs 13:20 The one who associates with
the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools
suffers harm.

29. V. How can I become wise?
A. Start with a wise relationship with God.
B. Consider how you relate to other
people.
C. Desire wisdom above all else.
Proverbs 2:1-5 1
My child, if you
receive my words, and store up
my commands within you, 2
by
making your ear attentive to
wisdom, and by turning your heart
to understanding, 3
indeed, if you
call out for discernment – raise
your voice for understanding – 4
if
you seek it like silver, and search
for it like hidden treasure, 5
then
you will understand how to fear
the Lord, and you will discover
knowledge about God.
Proverbs 8:33-36 (NET)
33
Listen to my (wisdom)
instruction so that you
may be wise, and do not
neglect it. 34
Blessed is
the one who listens to
me, watching at my
doors day by day,
waiting beside my
doorway. 35
For the one
who finds me finds life
and receives favor from
the Lord. 36
But the one
who does not find me
brings harm to himself;
all who hate me love
death.”

30. V. How can I become wise?
A. Start with a wise relationship with God.
B. Consider how you relate to other
people.
C. Desire wisdom above all else.
D. Turn to the source
1. God’s Word
2 Timothy 3:15-17 (NET)
15
and how from infancy you have known the
holy writings, which are able to give you
wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ
Jesus. 16
Every scripture is inspired by God and
useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction,
and for training in righteousness, 17
that the
person dedicated to God may be capable and
equipped for every good work.

31. V. How can I become wise?
A. Start with a wise relationship with God.
B. Consider how you relate to other people.
C. Desire wisdom above all else.
D. Turn to the source
1. God’s Word
2. Study at the feet of Jesus
Matthew 12:42 The queen of the South will
rise up at the judgment with this generation
and condemn it, because she came from the
ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of
Solomon – and now, something greater than
Solomon is here!
Matthew 13:54 Then he
came to his hometown and
began to teach the people in
their synagogue. They were
astonished and said,
“Where did this man get
such wisdom and
miraculous powers?
Mark 6:2 When the
Sabbath came, he began
to teach in the
synagogue. Many who
heard him were
astonished, saying,
“Where did he get these
ideas? And what is this
wisdom that has been
given to him? What are
these miracles that are
done through his hands?
Luke 2:40 And the child
grew and became strong,
filled with wisdom, and the
favor of God was upon him.
1 Corinthians 1:30-31
30
He is the reason you have a
relationship with Christ Jesus,
who became for us wisdom
from God, and righteousness
and sanctification and
redemption, 31
so that, as it is
written, “Let the one who
boasts, boast in the Lord.”

32. No Christ- No wisdom
Know Christ - Know Wisdom
Colossians 2:2-3 (NET)
2
My goal is that their hearts, having
been knit together in love, may be
encouraged, and that they may have all
the riches that assurance brings in their
understanding of the knowledge of the
mystery of God, namely, Christ, 3
in
whom are hidden all the treasures of
wisdom and knowledge.