Above All Get Wisdom Day Four Final
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L I F E F A I T H F U S I O N D E VOT I O NA L
Above All, Get Wisdom L IFEF AITHF USION D EVOTIONAL D AY F OUR
SCRIPTURE STUDY Joshua 1:8-9 1 Chronicles 28:9 Psalm 1:1-3 Isaiah 11:2 Isaiah 43:1b Isaiah 54:13 Jeremiah 29:11 Ephesians 1:17-19a ENROLLING IN THE SCHOOL OF WISDOM
SCRIPTURE FOCUS “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning….The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:1-2,14 NIV
Are you ready to enroll in the School of Wisdom? Have you filled out your application, written your registration check and have your transcripts ready? When you enroll in the School of Wisdom you will not be given a list of rules, you will be given a person—the logos—the embodiment of truth in the person of Jesus Christ. “In the beginning was the logos, and the logos was with God, and the logos was God.” John 1:1 (NIV) King Solomon, though he was unaware of Jesus Christ, described wisdom as a person, warning foolish men in Proverbs 1:21-23: “Wisdom calls aloud in the street, she raises her voice...How long will you simple ones love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge? If you had responded to my rebuke, I would have poured out my heart to you and made my thoughts known to you.” (NIV)
PRAYER FOCUS Dear Jesus, “Your words are truth and light to my mind. Help me to seek Your wisdom and to listen for Your voice as I study Your Word. Amen
LEVEL ONE: MOTIVATION In the School of Wisdom, we must consider five principles: motivation, acquisition, application, persistence, and promised blessing. Each of these is important and the order is important. Let’s begin with Solomon’s teaching on motivation. King Solomon uses several verbs to express the intensity of the search by the seeker in Proverbs 2:1-4: accept, apply, call out, cry aloud, look,
search.
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Compare each of these verbs. If you were to accept, apply, call out, cry out, look, and search for wisdom, what would that look like?
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How would you evaluate your hunger for wisdom? Are you passionate about knowing the logos, Jesus Christ? Does the Bible seem like a repository for truth to make you smarter, or to make you sweeter?
LEVEL TWO: ACQUISITION In Deuteronomy 6:5-8, Moses teaches the Israelites to be very intentional about teaching their children the Law. The Hebrew shemah, the embodiment of the whole law in two simple phrases, instructs God’s children that God is One, and He must be loved wholeheartedly: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.” (NIV) Jewish families took these words very seriously. Every young Hebrew boy attended Torah school from age six to twelve, where he studied and memorized the Torah (the first five books of the Bible) and was required to respond to questions by the priests about its contents. The final exam was given on the Temple steps when he reached the age of twelve. We read of Jesus’ experience with the Temple teachers in Luke 2: 41-46. Jesus, at the age of twelve, amazed the teachers with his answers and his questions. Admonition for parents about teaching God’s truth is reflected in Proverbs chapters 1-8. Solomon addresses the reader as “my son,” and then pleads with the listener to take note and learn. His fatherly requests include avoiding evil companions (Prov. 1:8-19); evading loose women, (Prov. 2:16-19); to be faithful and loving, (Prov. 3:3); and to be shrewd and discerning (Prov. 1-35). John the apostle describes a spiritual young man as “...strong, the Word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one.” (1 John 2:14b NIV) •
How intentional are you about learning God’s Word? Do you have a specific, scheduled time to read and study it? Are there barriers that keep you from Bible study? What are they? How can they be overcome?
•
Some of us are auditory learners, some are visual learners, and some are tactile learners. We all have a primary learning style. If you have difficulty simply reading the Bible, you may find great help by praying through Scripture, or journaling. What method will you try this week?
•
Think of a time when God spoke to you through His Word. What did He say to you? LEVEL THREE: APPLICATION
Proverbs chapters ten through twenty-nine describe what the lifestyle of a wise person looks like. King Solomon makes an enigmatic statement in Ecclesiastes 1:18: “... the more knowledge, the more grief.” (NIV) Is the Hebrew monarch contradicting himself? Why would knowledge cause sorrow? Perhaps there are two answers. The first is that the more we know, the more aware we are of our sinful state and our need for Christ. Paul describes this dichotomy in Romans chapter 6. The law was designed to make us self-aware of our need for God. Knowledge can also sadden us when we use our intellectual comprehension of the Word of God to live as legalists. We memorize
3
the rule book, and then delight in judging and condemning ourselves and others for their foibles. Solomon’s application of wisdom in Proverbs is highly specific and practical. What we know about God’s Word transforms our thoughts and attitudes. It enhances every relationship. The application of truth makes us prudent, sensitive, and gracious. If our understanding of God’s Word does not cause us to love God and others more completely, then we have misunderstood its intent. •
Peruse Proverbs 10 and 11. Circle or list the ways our knowledge of God’s truth will shape our character and lifestyle. Which verses encourage and challenge you the most? Write them here.
•
Psychologists tell us we are most judgmental of others in the areas we struggle with the most. Have you ever had a time when you were critical of someone and felt spiritually superior because of your knowledge of God’s Word? Confess the sin of pride to Jesus, and ask God to give you a teachable, humble heart.
•
Find one verse in Proverbs 10 and 11 that you can apply today.
LEVEL FOUR: PERSISTENCE Solomon encourages us to persevere in our search for wisdom. Unlike the ancient Greek philosophers who believed that the quest for wisdom was a lifelong, unattainable search. According to the Hebrew king, wisdom was available to all, even the simple. (Proverbs 1:22) His conditional sentence in Proverbs 2:1-5, “If you...call out...cry aloud...etc.” is followed by assurance-”...then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.” (NIV) Several phrases in the first few chapters of Proverbs exhort the seeker to persist in his pursuit of wisdom and understanding. One exhortation that is repeated consistently by the author is “do not forget” and “do not forsake” wise teaching. (Prov. 3:1; 1:8). God is painfully aware that men are forgetful hearers. In the Old Testament, altars of remembrance were frequently built as concrete reminders of God’s revelations, warnings, and blessings. (Joshua 4:1-3). The Israelites, after forty years of meandering in the desolate wilderness, crossed over the Jordan on dry ground. Immediately God commanded each tribe to build an “altar of remembrance” with twelve stones from the riverbed to remind the Jews of His faithfulness. James, the brother of Jesus, describes the forgetful hearer as one who looks in the mirror, and then leaves and immediately forgets what he looks like. (James 1:23 NIV) Persistence in attaining wisdom means a constant meditation, and concentration on the Word of God. But we do not have the power to understand the wisdom of God alone. The Holy Spirit, the Counselor, was sent to the believer: “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” John 14:26 (NIV) •
What are the most memorable times when God has spoken to your heart? Write them here. (If you have not experienced a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, invite Him to come into your life and to forgive your sin.) Jesus says “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice, and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” Rev. 3:20 (NIV)
•
Think of a time in your life when you were a forgetful hearer. The Hebrews had mezuzahs (items in their home to remember what He had done for them. Can you find a mezuzah to place in your home? Write down a reminder from God’s Word.
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APPLYING THE TRUTH Look up scripture passage and summarize how this verse is applied in your daily life.
Proverbs 22:7 Important to stay wise
Proverb 3:9-10 Important to honor God
Proverb 1:7 Beginning of knowledge
Psalm 51:6 (NIV) Teach me wisdom
John 8:44 Lying by the father of lies
1 John 1:5 God is light
I John 1:7 We must walk in light
Ephesians 4:31 List of negative results if truth is disobeyed
Ephesians 4:32 List of positive results if truth is obeyed
2 Thessalonians 3:3 Protection from the evil one
Ephesians 5:17 Understanding will of God
L I F E F A I T H F U S I O N D E VOT I O NA L
Above All, Get Wisdom L IFEF AITHF USION D EVOTIONAL D AY F OUR
SCRIPTURE STUDY Joshua 1:8-9 1 Chronicles 28:9 Psalm 1:1-3 Isaiah 11:2 Isaiah 43:1b Isaiah 54:13 Jeremiah 29:11 Ephesians 1:17-19a ENROLLING IN THE SCHOOL OF WISDOM
SCRIPTURE FOCUS “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning….The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:1-2,14 NIV
Are you ready to enroll in the School of Wisdom? Have you filled out your application, written your registration check and have your transcripts ready? When you enroll in the School of Wisdom you will not be given a list of rules, you will be given a person—the logos—the embodiment of truth in the person of Jesus Christ. “In the beginning was the logos, and the logos was with God, and the logos was God.” John 1:1 (NIV) King Solomon, though he was unaware of Jesus Christ, described wisdom as a person, warning foolish men in Proverbs 1:21-23: “Wisdom calls aloud in the street, she raises her voice...How long will you simple ones love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge? If you had responded to my rebuke, I would have poured out my heart to you and made my thoughts known to you.” (NIV)
PRAYER FOCUS Dear Jesus, “Your words are truth and light to my mind. Help me to seek Your wisdom and to listen for Your voice as I study Your Word. Amen
LEVEL ONE: MOTIVATION In the School of Wisdom, we must consider five principles: motivation, acquisition, application, persistence, and promised blessing. Each of these is important and the order is important. Let’s begin with Solomon’s teaching on motivation. King Solomon uses several verbs to express the intensity of the search by the seeker in Proverbs 2:1-4: accept, apply, call out, cry aloud, look,
search.
2
•
Compare each of these verbs. If you were to accept, apply, call out, cry out, look, and search for wisdom, what would that look like?
•
How would you evaluate your hunger for wisdom? Are you passionate about knowing the logos, Jesus Christ? Does the Bible seem like a repository for truth to make you smarter, or to make you sweeter?
LEVEL TWO: ACQUISITION In Deuteronomy 6:5-8, Moses teaches the Israelites to be very intentional about teaching their children the Law. The Hebrew shemah, the embodiment of the whole law in two simple phrases, instructs God’s children that God is One, and He must be loved wholeheartedly: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.” (NIV) Jewish families took these words very seriously. Every young Hebrew boy attended Torah school from age six to twelve, where he studied and memorized the Torah (the first five books of the Bible) and was required to respond to questions by the priests about its contents. The final exam was given on the Temple steps when he reached the age of twelve. We read of Jesus’ experience with the Temple teachers in Luke 2: 41-46. Jesus, at the age of twelve, amazed the teachers with his answers and his questions. Admonition for parents about teaching God’s truth is reflected in Proverbs chapters 1-8. Solomon addresses the reader as “my son,” and then pleads with the listener to take note and learn. His fatherly requests include avoiding evil companions (Prov. 1:8-19); evading loose women, (Prov. 2:16-19); to be faithful and loving, (Prov. 3:3); and to be shrewd and discerning (Prov. 1-35). John the apostle describes a spiritual young man as “...strong, the Word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one.” (1 John 2:14b NIV) •
How intentional are you about learning God’s Word? Do you have a specific, scheduled time to read and study it? Are there barriers that keep you from Bible study? What are they? How can they be overcome?
•
Some of us are auditory learners, some are visual learners, and some are tactile learners. We all have a primary learning style. If you have difficulty simply reading the Bible, you may find great help by praying through Scripture, or journaling. What method will you try this week?
•
Think of a time when God spoke to you through His Word. What did He say to you? LEVEL THREE: APPLICATION
Proverbs chapters ten through twenty-nine describe what the lifestyle of a wise person looks like. King Solomon makes an enigmatic statement in Ecclesiastes 1:18: “... the more knowledge, the more grief.” (NIV) Is the Hebrew monarch contradicting himself? Why would knowledge cause sorrow? Perhaps there are two answers. The first is that the more we know, the more aware we are of our sinful state and our need for Christ. Paul describes this dichotomy in Romans chapter 6. The law was designed to make us self-aware of our need for God. Knowledge can also sadden us when we use our intellectual comprehension of the Word of God to live as legalists. We memorize
3
the rule book, and then delight in judging and condemning ourselves and others for their foibles. Solomon’s application of wisdom in Proverbs is highly specific and practical. What we know about God’s Word transforms our thoughts and attitudes. It enhances every relationship. The application of truth makes us prudent, sensitive, and gracious. If our understanding of God’s Word does not cause us to love God and others more completely, then we have misunderstood its intent. •
Peruse Proverbs 10 and 11. Circle or list the ways our knowledge of God’s truth will shape our character and lifestyle. Which verses encourage and challenge you the most? Write them here.
•
Psychologists tell us we are most judgmental of others in the areas we struggle with the most. Have you ever had a time when you were critical of someone and felt spiritually superior because of your knowledge of God’s Word? Confess the sin of pride to Jesus, and ask God to give you a teachable, humble heart.
•
Find one verse in Proverbs 10 and 11 that you can apply today.
LEVEL FOUR: PERSISTENCE Solomon encourages us to persevere in our search for wisdom. Unlike the ancient Greek philosophers who believed that the quest for wisdom was a lifelong, unattainable search. According to the Hebrew king, wisdom was available to all, even the simple. (Proverbs 1:22) His conditional sentence in Proverbs 2:1-5, “If you...call out...cry aloud...etc.” is followed by assurance-”...then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.” (NIV) Several phrases in the first few chapters of Proverbs exhort the seeker to persist in his pursuit of wisdom and understanding. One exhortation that is repeated consistently by the author is “do not forget” and “do not forsake” wise teaching. (Prov. 3:1; 1:8). God is painfully aware that men are forgetful hearers. In the Old Testament, altars of remembrance were frequently built as concrete reminders of God’s revelations, warnings, and blessings. (Joshua 4:1-3). The Israelites, after forty years of meandering in the desolate wilderness, crossed over the Jordan on dry ground. Immediately God commanded each tribe to build an “altar of remembrance” with twelve stones from the riverbed to remind the Jews of His faithfulness. James, the brother of Jesus, describes the forgetful hearer as one who looks in the mirror, and then leaves and immediately forgets what he looks like. (James 1:23 NIV) Persistence in attaining wisdom means a constant meditation, and concentration on the Word of God. But we do not have the power to understand the wisdom of God alone. The Holy Spirit, the Counselor, was sent to the believer: “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” John 14:26 (NIV) •
What are the most memorable times when God has spoken to your heart? Write them here. (If you have not experienced a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, invite Him to come into your life and to forgive your sin.) Jesus says “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice, and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” Rev. 3:20 (NIV)
•
Think of a time in your life when you were a forgetful hearer. The Hebrews had mezuzahs (items in their home to remember what He had done for them. Can you find a mezuzah to place in your home? Write down a reminder from God’s Word.
4
APPLYING THE TRUTH Look up scripture passage and summarize how this verse is applied in your daily life.
Proverbs 22:7 Important to stay wise
Proverb 3:9-10 Important to honor God
Proverb 1:7 Beginning of knowledge
Psalm 51:6 (NIV) Teach me wisdom
John 8:44 Lying by the father of lies
1 John 1:5 God is light
I John 1:7 We must walk in light
Ephesians 4:31 List of negative results if truth is disobeyed
Ephesians 4:32 List of positive results if truth is obeyed
2 Thessalonians 3:3 Protection from the evil one
Ephesians 5:17 Understanding will of God
