Proverbs 1 – Knowledge vs. Widsom

My Pastor, Chuck Allen has suggested to start this New Year in the Book of Proverbs. This is a goal we can obtain – read one Proverb a day for 31 days.
You may think why Proverbs? Did you know that Proverbs is one of the most read books in the Bible, and of course one of the most practical?  Proverbs is the greatest how-to book ever written, and those who have the good sense to take its lessons to heart will quickly discover godliness, prosperity, and contentment. Much of the history surrounding the book of Proverbs revolves around Solomon.

The Bible says that Solomon was the wisest man who ever lived, and that he spoke 3000 proverbs (I Kings 4:29-32).  Unfortunately, Solomon’s life is a cautionary tale:  Practice what you preach.  Even though he was the wisest man who ever lived, he died a fool.  He built the most magnificent temples to worship the Lord God Almighty but turned toward idolatry because he married 700 women and had another 300 concubines who turned his heart away from God.

What amazes me about Proverbs- it is right in the middle of the Bible.  Before the book of Proverbs, you it you have the Old Testament where there are many laws and after Proverbs you have prophets sharing gigantic truths about God. So right in the middle of the Bible we have a book on Wisdom. Proverbs is different than other book in the Bible because it focuses on the present life.  Proverbs gives us guidelines and helps us make wise decisions.  That in turn will help us produce a satisfying life.  If we titled the book today it would be called Wisdom For Dummies.

The key verse in the book of Proverbs is 1:7 – “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.  In this age of technology – knowledge is plentiful but wisdom is scarce.  How do you know if you have wisdom? Do you fear the Lord? What I mean by Fear the Lord – do you have respect for the Lord or do you have reverence for the Lord?  Do you live in awe of His power or obey His word? Lastly, do you desire the things that are right in the sight of the Lord?  If you do, you are one who has a fear of the Lord.

Many people are very knowledgeable but do not have wisdom. Knowledge is the accumulation of facts. Wisdom is the application of facts. Knowledge without wisdom is not good.  We learn in proverbs fools despise wisdom, discipline and instruction.  In our culture- we have a lot of fools.  Fools say, “I will do it my way, it is all about me!” In turn, a wise person says, “Lord, how can I serve you today?”