1. Proverbs “If you know the Holy One you have understanding” (Proverbs 9:10)

2. “I will give you more wisdom and understanding than anyone has ever had before or will ever have again.’” (1 Kings 3:12)

3. “But if any of you lack wisdom, you should pray to God, who will give it to you; because God gives generously and graciously to all.” (James 1:5)

4. “Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people.” (Luke 2:52 – NLT) Omnipotent? Omniscient? Omnipresent? “Jesus was God’s Son. But by suffering he learned what it means to obey. In that way he was made perfect.” (Hebrews 5:8-9 - NIRV)

5. The wisdom of Solomon Solomon judges 2 women; one child “The people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the grains of sand on the seashore; they ate and drank, and were happy.” (1 Kings 4:20 – GN) King Hiram of Tyre –“Praise the LORD today for giving David such a wise son to succeed him as king of that great nation!” (1 Kings 5:7 – GN)

6. Building and dedication of the temple –“When a foreigner who lives in a distant land hears of your fame and of the great things you have done for your people and comes to worship you and to pray at this Temple, listen to his prayer. In heaven, where you live, hear him and do what he asks you to do, so that all the peoples of the world may know you and obey you, as your people Israel do.”(1 Kings 8:41-43) –“And so all the nations of the world will know that the LORD alone is God---there is no other.” (1 Kings 8:60) –7 years to build the temple (13 years to build his palace)

7. “The queen of Sheba heard of Solomon’s fame, and she traveled to Jerusalem to test him with difficult questions...When she and Solomon met, she asked him all the questions that she could think of. He answered them all; there was nothing too difficult for him to explain. The queen of Sheba heard Solomon’s wisdom and saw the palace he had built. She saw the food that was served at his table, the living quarters for his officials, the organization of his palace staff and the uniforms they wore, the servants who waited on him at feasts, and the sacrifices he offered in the Temple. It left her breathless and amazed.”

8. “She said to King Solomon, ‘What I heard in my own country about you and your wisdom is true! But I couldn’t believe it until I had come and seen it all for myself. But I didn’t hear even half of it; your wisdom and wealth are much greater than what I was told. How fortunate are your wives! And how fortunate your servants, who are always in your presence and are privileged to hear your wise sayings! Praise the LORD your God! He has shown how pleased he is with you by making you king of Israel. Because his love for Israel is eternal, he has made you their king so that you can maintain law and justice.’” (1 Kings 10:1-9)

9. “God gave Solomon unusual wisdom and insight, and knowledge too great to be measured. Solomon was wiser than the wise men of the East or the wise men of Egypt. He was the wisest of all men…and his fame spread throughout all the neighboring countries. He composed three thousand proverbs and more than a thousand songs. He spoke of trees and plants, from the Lebanon cedars to the hyssop that grows on walls; he talked about animals, birds, reptiles, and fish. Kings all over the world heard of his wisdom and sent people to listen to him.” (1 Kings 4:29- 34)

10. The mission “Keep them. Practice them. You’ll become wise and understanding. When people hear and see what’s going on, they’ll say, ‘What a great nation! So wise, so understanding! We’ve never seen anything like it.’ Yes. What other great nation has gods that are intimate with them the way GOD, our God, is with us, always ready to listen to us?” (Deuteronomy 4:6-7 – The Message)

11. God tries to win the world “You are like salt for the whole human race…You are like light for the whole world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one lights a lamp and puts it under a bowl; instead it is put on the lampstand, where it gives light for everyone in the house. In the same way your light must shine before people, so that they will see the good things you do and praise your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:13-16)

12. Proverbs Distilled wisdom Great truths expressed with sharp brevity in such a way as to hold attention Illustrations which expose fundamental realities of life Compressed experience

13. English proverbs “Absence makes the heart grow fonder” “Actions speak louder than words” “Don’t judge a book by its cover” “Necessity is the mother of invention”

14. Hebrew proverbs: two lines (parallelism) A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” (Proverbs 15:1) Synonymous (second line repeats the same thought with different words) –“Pride leads to destruction, and arrogance to downfall.” (Proverbs 16:18) Antithetical (second line contrasts) –“Being cheerful keeps you healthy. It is slow death to be gloomy all the time.” (Prov. 17:22)

15. Synthetic (second line amplifies and expands on the meaning) –“Anyone who hides hatred is a liar. Anyone who spreads gossip is a fool.” (Proverbs 10:18) Comparative (nature or other illustration) –“A warning given by an experienced person to someone willing to listen is more valuable than gold rings or jewelry made of the finest gold.” (Proverbs 25:12)

16. Proverbs in context “It is not for kings…to drink wine, or for rulers to desire strong drink; or else they will drink and forget what has been decreed, and will pervert the rights of all the afflicted. Give strong drink to one who is perishing, and wine to those in bitter distress; let them drink and forget their poverty, and remember their misery no more.” (Proverbs 31:4-7)

17. Proverbs in context “Use wine and beer only as sedatives, to kill the pain and dull the ache of the terminally ill, for whom life is a living death.” (Proverbs 31:6,7)

18. Proverbs in context “A nagging wife is like water going drip- drip-drip.” (Proverbs 19:13) “A nagging wife is like water going drip- drip-drip on a rainy day. How can you keep her quiet? Have you ever tried to stop the wind or ever tried to hold a handful of oil?” (Proverbs 27:15-16)

19. Apocryphal proverbs “The man who lectures to a fool lectures to one who is dozing, and at the conclusion he will say, “What was it?’” (Sirach 22:8 Goodspeed)

20. “The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel: For learning about wisdom and instruction, for understanding words of insight, for gaining instruction in wise dealing, righteousness, justice, and equity; to teach shrewdness to the simple, knowledge and prudence to the young…” (Proverbs 1:1-4)

21. Wisdom “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.” (Proverbs 1:7 – NIV) “To have knowledge, you must first have reverence for the LORD. Stupid people have no respect for wisdom and refuse to learn.” (Proverbs 1:7 – GN) “reverence or terror”

23. “There is no fear in love; perfect love drives out all fear. So then, love has not been made perfect in anyone who is afraid, because fear has to do with punishment.” (1 John 4:18)

24. Wisdom Purpose of having: –“My child, pay attention to what your father and mother tell you. Their teaching will improve your character as a handsome turban or a necklace improves your appearance.” (Proverbs 1:8-9 – GN)

25. Wisdom “My child, learn what I teach you and never forget what I tell you to do. Listen to what is wise and try to understand it. Yes, beg for knowledge; plead for insight. Look for it as hard as you would for silver or some hidden treasure. If you do, you will know what it means to fear the LORD and you will succeed in learning about God. It is the LORD who gives wisdom; from him come knowledge and understanding…If you listen to me, you will know what is right, just, and fair. You will know what you should do. You will become wise, and your knowledge will give you pleasure. (Proverbs 2:1-6)

26. “To be wise you must first have reverence for the LORD. If you know the Holy One, you have understanding.” (Proverbs 9:10) “These are the solemn words of Agur son of Jakeh: ‘God is not with me, God is not with me, and I am helpless. I am more like an animal than a human being; I do not have the sense we humans should have. I have never learned any wisdom, and I know nothing at all about God. (Proverbs 30:1-3 – GN)

27. “The LORD says, ‘The wise should not boast of their wisdom, nor the strong of their strength, nor the rich of their wealth. If any want to boast, they should boast that they know and understand me, because my love is constant, and I do what is just and right. These are the things that please me. I, the LORD, have spoken.’” (Jeremiah 9:23-24)

28. Wisdom comes from an intimate knowledge of God –“This is eternal life, to know God” (John 17:3) To know God in this way is to be changed into his image The Proverbs reveal the words, thoughts and actions of this wisdom (Solomon) Jesus’ life is wisdom personified

29. “The child grew and became strong; he was full of wisdom, and God's blessings were upon him.” (Luke 2:40) [Jesus] taught in the synagogue, and those who heard him were amazed. ‘Where did he get such wisdom?’” (Matthew 13:54)

30. “…they will know God’s secret, which is Christ himself. He is the key that opens all the hidden treasures of God’s wisdom and knowledge.” (Colossians 2:2-3)

31. “But God has brought you into union with Christ Jesus, and God has made Christ to be our wisdom... As the scripture says, ‘Who knows the mind of the Lord? Who is able to give him advice?’ We, however, have the mind of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 1:30; 2:16 – GN)

32. “Are there any of you who are wise and understanding? You are to prove it by your good life, by your good deeds performed with humility and wisdom. But if in your heart you are jealous, bitter, and selfish, don’t sin against the truth by boasting of your wisdom. Such wisdom does not come down from heaven; it belongs to the world, it is unspiritual and demonic. Where there is jealousy and selfishness, there is also disorder and every kind of evil. But the wisdom from above is pure first of all; it is also peaceful, gentle, and friendly; it is full of compassion and produces a harvest of good deeds; it is free from prejudice and hypocrisy. And goodness is the harvest that is produced from the seeds the peacemakers plant in peace.” (James 3:13-18)

33. “People with a hot temper do foolish things; wiser people remain calm.” (Proverbs 14:17) “When a fool is annoyed, he quickly lets it be known. Smart people will ignore an insult.” (Proverbs 12:16) “The Messiah will not come from Galilee! The scripture says that the Messiah will be a descendant of King David and will be born in Bethlehem, the town where David lived.’ So there was a division in the crowd because of Jesus.” (John 7:41-43)

34. “If you want to be happy, be kind to the poor; it is a sin to despise anyone…If you oppress poor people, you insult the God who made them; but kindness shown to the poor is an act of worship.” (Proverbs 14:21,31) “When the Pharisees saw him keeping this kind of company [prostitutes, tax collectors, and fisherman], they had a fit, and lit into Jesus' followers, ‘What kind of example is this from your Teacher, acting cozy with crooks and riff-raff?’” (Matthew 9:11 MSG)

35. “It is better to be patient than powerful. It is better to win control over yourself than over whole cities.” (Proverbs 16:32) “If your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them a drink.” (Proverbs 25:21)

36. “Let other people praise you – even strangers; never do it yourself.” (Proverbs 27:2) “It is dangerous to be concerned with what others think of you, but if you trust the LORD, you are safe.” (Proverbs 29:25) “A fool does not care whether he understands a thing or not; all he wants to do is show how smart he is.” (Proverbs 18:2)

37. “While Jesus was in Jerusalem during the Passover Festival, many believed in him as they saw the miracles he performed. But Jesus did not trust himself to them, because he knew them all. There was no need for anyone to tell him about them, because he himself knew what was in their hearts.” (John 2:23-25)

38. “So when you give something to a needy person, do not make a big show of it, as the hypocrites do in the houses of worship and on the streets. They do it so that people will praise them. I assure you, they have already been paid in full. But when you help a needy person, do it in such a way that even your closest friend will not know about it.” (Matthew 6:2-3)

39. “Later they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus to catch him in his words. They came to him and said, ‘Teacher, we know you are a man of integrity. You aren’t swayed by men, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Should we pay or shouldn’t we?’ But Jesus knew their hypocrisy. ‘Why are you trying to trap me?’ he asked.” (Mark 12:13-15)

40. “Thoughtless words can wound as deeply as any sword, but wisely spoken words can heal.” (Proverbs 12:18)

41. Proverbs: A book about the right way to live, think and act

42. “Many people think that what’s written in the Bible has mostly to do with getting people into heaven—getting right with God, saving their eternal souls. It does have to do with that, of course, but not mostly. It is equally concerned with living on this earth—living well, living in robust sanity. In our Scriptures, heaven is not the primary concern, to which earth is a tagalong afterthought. “On earth as it is in heaven” is Jesus’ prayer. “Wisdom” is the biblical term for this on-earth-as-it-is-in- heaven everyday living.”

43. “Wisdom is the art of living skillfully in whatever actual conditions we find ourselves. It has virtually nothing to do with information as such, with knowledge as such. A college degree is no certification of wisdom—nor is it primarily concerned with keeping us out of moral mud puddles, although it does have a profound moral effect upon us. Wisdom has to do with becoming skillful in honoring our parents and raising our children, handling our money and conducting our sexual lives,”

44. “going to work and exercising leadership, using words well and treating friends kindly, eating and drinking healthily, cultivating emotions within ourselves and attitudes toward others that make for peace. Threaded through all these items is the insistence that the way we think of and respond to God is the most practical thing we do. In matters of everyday practicality, nothing, absolutely nothing, takes precedence over God.”

45. “Proverbs concentrates on these concerns more than any other book in the Bible. Attention to the here and now is everywhere present in the stories and legislation, the prayers and the sermons, that are spread over the thousands of pages of the Bible. Proverbs distills it all into riveting images and aphorisms that keep us connected in holy obedience to the ordinary.” (The Message - Introduction to Proverbs)