Please take your Bibles and turn with me to Proverbs 1, verses 1-7. Proverbs 1, verses 1-7. Hear now the reading of God's holy, inspired, and inerrant word. The Proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel. 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. Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance, to understand a proverb and a saying. The words of the wise and their riddles. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. Fools despise wisdom and instruction." We live in an age of information, at least that's what many people call it. By that, I mean we live in a time when information is rapidly created. And in 2010, there was actually a statistic that was given by Google CEO Eric Schmidt. And I want us just to listen to this statistic here. And keep in mind, too, this is 2010. He says, every two days we create as much information as we did from the dawn of civilization up until 2003. I'll repeat that again for those who sort of missed it. Every two days, we create as much information as we did from the dawn of civilization up until 2003. Now, I mentioned, keep in mind, that's 2010. One can only imagine what it is now in 2025. This is a lot of information being created. But not only is this information being created very rapidly, all of us know that this information is also very easily accessible. Entire bodies of information, literally, are at the tips of our fingers. Encyclopedias, historical documents, databases, scientific research. We could get our news, whether local or global, in an instant. We could find lectures, tutorials, courses, all on YouTube. And if we want a book, which had been hard to find back in the day, we could just order it on Amazon and it would arrive at our doorstep in a day or two days, right, at max. But my point in bringing up this statistic is that there is a knowledge, there's a lot of information, there's a lot of knowledge available to us today. Yet despite this flood of information, this flood of knowledge, I think a lot of us would affirm that there really is a drought of wisdom as well. There's a lot of people who are knowledgeable, but very few are wise. I bring this up because in the Ancient Near East, it was kind of the opposite. People really wanted to learn, they wanted to seek for knowledge, but really, the people in the Ancient Near East put a premium on wisdom. Wisdom was sought like silver, it was stored like gold. Families and nations, they honored it. In fact, they would compile wisdom, write it down, in order to pass it to future generations. And one of these collections of wisdom from the ancient Near East that we have today is found in our Bible, and it is the Book of Proverbs. The Book of Proverbs is God's deposit of wisdom to his people to skillfully navigate this life in which we live, this sinful, fallen, and broken world. We need wisdom. And the Book of Proverbs was a textbook, so to speak, a resource for ancient Israel. And today, it continues to be that resource for us, for the church, for the church universal. Our passage this morning is an introduction to the Book of Proverbs. We're in the Book of Proverbs because we're leaving the Book of Romans this summer. I think Juan Carlos maybe has one or two sermons left, but we're going to put a pause on the Book of Romans and now enter our summer series, which is on the Book of Proverbs. And nowhere else is better than to come to really Proverbs chapter one, this section here, because it really is an introduction to God's university of wisdom. And so we'll be walking through these seven verses this morning under four headings. The teacher's method, the teacher's identity, the teacher's content. We'll be looking at the teacher's first lesson, or I could put it another way, a foundational lesson for the book of Proverbs. So beginning with our first heading, let's look at the teacher's method. Read with me verse 1. It reads, The Proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel. The first thing I want us to look at in verse 1 is really what it's telling us is what the book contains. The Book of Proverbs is very unique. It's different from every other book of the Bible. The Book of Proverbs is not historical narrative, like the Book of Genesis. It's not giving us a history of the origins of humanity, and also the patriarchs of Israel. It's also not polemical. like the Book of Romans, Paul's epistle to the Romans, sort of not argumentative, but rather a very precise articulation of what the gospel is, sort of giving a polemical argument and explanation for what the gospel is. The Book of Proverbs is not like that, and neither is it technically poetry in the sense of like the Psalms. It's not poetry to be sung, or these are not prayers. Rather, the Book of Proverbs, and this is probably just very obvious to many of us, Proverbs are a collection of short, pithy sayings of wisdom, and yes, in English, we call these short, pithy sayings, Proverbs. Proverbs are sayings that contain a few amount of words, but they expound on very fundamental and important realities of life. They are, what you could say is, are short, stubby sentences that are pregnant with truth. One commentator actually said that proverbs are like college in a cup. They're like college in a cup. So they're short for a reason. They're short for memorization. They're pithy for meditation. Proverbs are sort of like a watch that you would put on, something that's not too heavy, not too cumbersome, but you're able to take it, and when you need it, you're able to bring it up on the fly, especially for the instances of wisdom. And we know what some of these proverbs sound like. We have not, we often say not really biblical proverbs, but more contemporary proverbs. And this is what proverbs would sound like. Here are some examples of some contemporary proverbial statements. Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink. Or give a man a fish and you could feed him for a day, teach a man to fish and you could feed him for a lifetime. These are sort of contemporary proverbial statements. We often hear them, why? Because they're short and they're memorable. And they also contain a great amount of wisdom within it. As that one commentator said, it is college in a cup. And so in summary, for this first point, the method whereby God's people come to receive wisdom in this book of Proverbs is through, obviously, proverbial statements. I think many of us know that here in this room. But I do want to make two points of application about Proverbs and how we are to look at this book. And the first thing I want us to notice is that Proverbs are principles, not promises. Proverbs are principles, not promise. And what do I mean by that? Well, we ought not to treat the Proverbs like some sort of vending machine. Proverbs are not fixed laws built in creation with no exceptions at all. Let me give you an example of that. If we look at Proverbs 4, verse 26, this proverb says, ponder the path of your feet, then all your ways will be sure. In other words, what this proverb is exhorting God's people is saying, if we are careful with our steps in this life, in the direction that we are heading to, if we're careful to make our steps down this road, we will have a sense of an assurance about where we are going. It's an essence of what it's saying. However, we also know that there are gonna be times where we do take very careful steps in a direction that we are heading, or a road in life that we are pursuing, and there still might be some sense of anxiousness, some sense of anxiety. But my point in bringing this up is just because there is an exception to the rule doesn't mean that the principle is still true, and we shouldn't live by that principle. Another example of this is it is true that many hands make light work. Sorry, let me rephrase that again. Many hands make light work. However, it's also true that there can be too many cooks in the kitchen. as well. We want to look at the Proverbs as being principles, not promises. We also realize that there are going to be some exceptions. The second thing I want us to notice and note is that Proverbs are medicine, not meals. Medicine, not meals. What I mean by that is that we can't exclusively live on medicine. Spiritual diet that is just exclusively reading the Proverbs would be an unbalanced diet. And in the book of Proverbs, there's really no prophecy. There's no pointing explicitly to the redemptive work of Christ. The word sin appears there, but there's no really explanation of it. And later on in the New Testament, we will come to understand that the wisdom of God is actually fulfilled in Christ himself. But to simply just come to the Proverbs and read them exclusively would be very akin to an unbalanced diet. However, depending upon the person's well-being, whether it's financial, or they need guidance, or they're anxious, a proverb can very much function like an antidote. The proverbs are best taken at the right dose, at the right time, and the right element. It's one of the reasons why pastors have prescribed proverbs. alongside one's regular Bible reading. Since there's typically 31 days in a month, and there's 31 chapters in the book of Proverbs, there's a saying that says, a proverb a day keeps the foolishness away. So this is one way we can look at the book of Proverbs, some applications of the book, or reading Proverbs, and how we are to use them. Proverbs are principles, not promises. The Proverbs are medicine, not meals. This is the content that we find, or rather the method of God teaching us wisdom through this. So we looked at the first heading, now we look at the second heading, which is the teacher's identity. So read with me verse one again. Yes, we're still in verse one. It reads, the Proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel. Now, without getting into a vast explanation as to who is the author of Proverbs, the one thing that I will affirm is that Solomon is attributed to be the primary author, contributor, or editor of the Book of Proverbs. And I say primary because it's very explicit in the Book of Proverbs that there are other Proverbs written by other men, such as the wise men, is what they're called. There's also Agur, and there's also Lemuel, But traditionally, the position has always been that Solomon was the primary collector, the primary editor, the primary author of the Book of Proverbs. He would have affirmed this collection of proverbial statements in this book. Solomonic authorship also makes sense because, as we know, for those who have read the Old Testament, what is Solomon known for? He was known for his wisdom. He was also known for leading ancient Israel into its most powerful, prosperous, and peaceful age as well. Many people long for the day of Solomon. Well, when Solomon becomes king, this is important for us to understand wisdom here, when Solomon becomes king of Israel, when he takes the throne of his father David, the Lord appears to him in a dream and told him, ask what I shall give. In other words, ask whatever you want and I will give it to you. And what was Solomon's response? You can find this in 1 Kings 3, verse 19. Solomon answers, give your servant, therefore, an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this, your great people? And really what Solomon is asking the Lord here is, give me wisdom. And God grants it. And he says, because you have asked this and have not asked for yourself a long life in riches or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, behold, I now do according to your word. Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you, and none like you shall arise after you. So the Lord grants Solomon wisdom. And later in 1 Kings 4, it says that Solomon's wisdom was beyond measure. It describes his wisdom as being like the breath of mine, like the sand of the seashores, and that he was wiser than all men. It also mentions in 1 Kings 4 that he wrote 3,000 proverbs, or spoke 3,000 proverbs, and that all the nations and all the kings would come to Israel to hear the great wisdom of Solomon. This is the author of the book of Proverbs, the primary author that is. This is, so to speak, our teacher. Now, dear saints, I mention this story of Solomon because I want to ask him a very important question. If God appeared to you and asked, what shall I give you, what would your answer be to this generous invitation? Such a generous invitation is what really we hypothetically think of and dream about. sort of this classical, you know, this genie appears and grants you four things or one thing that you could have. It will solve them and actually gets that shot, at least in scripture. It's not a genie, it's the Lord himself, but nevertheless, suffices that the point is made. But I ask this question is because, really, the answer that you would respond in this situation really reveals a lot about you. It reveals what truly sits at the heart, or at the throne of your heart. I think if we're honest, the temptation would be to ask for wealth. It would be to ask for riches. Maybe a better job position. A successful business. Musical or athletic abilities. To be liked, to be appreciated. To be famous, to be powerful. But wisdom? Would we ask for wisdom? Especially in the age of information. Wisdom, like I said at the very beginning, isn't so much of a hot commodity. But dear saints, we need to ask wisdom. We need to ask the Lord for wisdom. Solomon's answer revealed a lot about what he believed about God, what he believed about himself, what he believed about God's people. The first thing is that Solomon didn't see himself as wise or in need of more wisdom. He felt a lack of wisdom. And right before he asked the Lord for wisdom, it's interesting what he tells the Lord. He says, I am a young man and I don't know how to come in or go out. There's a sense of humility with King Solomon. And I think oftentimes we don't ask for wisdom because we already think we're wise. We're wise in our own eyes. Solomon teaches us that the first step to asking wisdom is humility. But also notice something else. I think this is very important, especially for our church plant this morning. Solomon had a love for God's people. In other words, he asked for wisdom not because he wants to use it as a means to excel his career, even though you could use wisdom to do that, but rather if you look at the text closely, is the reason why he asks is because he feels this weight and responsibility and he has a love for God's elect, his great people. And he understands that this is a huge weight This is a big responsibility. This is something not to be taken lightly. And I think for our families, men, within our families, we have God's people. Mothers, we have our children, our church, we have our family, God's elect believers. And it's upon this basis that we should ask for God's wisdom, primarily. Elders and future deacons of this church, Do you want this position simply because as a point of status? Or is it truly because you have been called to love God's people? And if that's the case, we need to ask for wisdom in that. Solomon's a great example that humility and a love for God's people is really somewhat of a prerequisite to asking for wisdom from the Lord. This is our teacher, so to speak, in the book of Proverbs. So we've looked at the teacher's method. We've looked at Proverbs, right? This is the method. We've now come to know the primary author, which is Solomon, and how he obtained wisdom. Now we look at, we move to our third heading, the teacher's content. What is actually found, or what exactly will we learn in the book of Proverbs? Well, now we read, not just one verse, but a couple more verses. So let's look at verses two through six. And it reads, 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. Let the wise hear and increase in learning. And the one who understands, obtain guidance. to understand a proverb and a saying, the words of the wise and their riddles. Now there's a lot to be said about this verse and what's really happening, what's going on here. The one thing I want to do is just point out seven things that we could expect that God will impart to us through a regular reading of the Proverbs, memorizing Proverbs. We're gonna see sort of seven different facets of the same jewel of wisdom. And so the first thing that we see here, this is gonna be in verse two, the first word to appear is wisdom. In Hebrew, this basically means skillful, or having some sort of skill to live. Wisdom is more than brains, wisdom is more than book knowledge, wisdom is more than morals, but it's actually a skillful living within the moral order of God's world. is a skillful living that is in accordance with God's law. This is wisdom. The second word that we see is instruction. This is in verse two. But it's more accurately translated, the more accurate translation is actually discipline. We can expect discipline here. The word carries this idea of correcting a path. And so I think we can expect that the Proverbs will step on our toes. It's going to convict us of sin. was going to expose our foolishness. Proverbs are profitable, but they're also uncomfortable. And dear saints, here's one of the reasons why many are knowledgeable, but few are wise. The road to wisdom requires not only humility, but also sometimes humiliation. It requires us to acknowledge that we are not born wise, but fools. It requires us to submit and actually be corrected. I like what one commentator says, he says, it is hard to admit we are wrong, but we make progress in wisdom to the extent that we are teachable. So do we have a teachable spirit coming to the book of Proverbs? The third thing that we see is the word understanding. It's also in verse two, and by understanding, this is sort of, it means insight. There are some things we may see, there are some things we may hear, but we also don't understand it. The Book of Proverbs promises, or rather, the principles that are in there are going to impart an understanding that allows us to see what is beneath the surface. Understanding helps us not only grasp what just happened, but also why it's happening, also what it means. We definitely need understanding. We need insight in this world. The next thing, a word that we have here in verse three, if you're reading the ESV, it's instruction, but it could also be translated discernment. In other words, to receive discernment in wise dealings, in righteousness, in justice, in equity. And discernment is just simply the ability to look at two things, two or more things, and see really, truly what all of them are. or understand the situation, to see it the way God sees it. It's to sort of dispel the fog in the room and call something for what it is and actually make a verdict. Discernment is the ability to see what is left and right, what is up and down, what is righteous and what is unrighteous, what is just and what is evil. And I would argue, in this age of information, with the flood of everything from fact to fiction, and the amount of information that is being thrown at us, God's people need discernment. We are bombarded with so many competing voices, conflicting claims, partial truths mixed with outright lies, and discernment helps us navigate this chaos, distinguishing what's actually fact and what's fiction, what is actually truth and what is error. The book of Proverbs will impart to us discernment. Fourth, we see prudence. Sort of an archaic word, we don't really use it often today. So really, what is prudence? This is the ability to avoid being misled or taken advantage of. Proverbs will make you less naive, less prone to the fall of the pits of foolishness. Prudence exercises a healthy skepticism. I would say it's sort of like what Ronald Reagan said, which is, trust but verify. It's sort of this idea of being careful. Prudence is necessary for those, if you look at the text, they call simple. This word simple, or the description of the word simple, isn't this lack of intelligence, or it's not describing someone who's dumb. It's rather just describing someone that believes everything that they hear, someone who is easily led astray. The Proverbs will impart to us prudence. And the next two, so for the high schoolers and middle schoolers, this one's for you. Verse 4 says, to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth. The word knowledge simply means it will warn you and tell you about things you have yet to experience in life. It will inform you about things to come. things to be avoided, things that are down the road. The Book of Proverbs is like having an experience guide pointing the dangers out of what lies ahead. That's very much needed, especially for the younger generations. Seventhly, we see here, this last one is discretion. In Hebrew, this word simply conveys the ability to carefully plan things out, but also to execute them accordingly. It's able to plan and scheme something out, and able to see it all the way to its end. Discretion is really the difference between an impulsive action and a thoughtful execution. Book of Proverbs wants to impart to you, especially the youth, discretion. And while these seven abilities work together like instruments, sort of like an orchestra, each contributing to this symphony of wisdom, or what we would call wisdom. Proverbs doesn't just promise or want to impart to us information, but it will transform us. will make us less naive and more wise, less foolish, and impart to us more wisdom. It will give us discernment, become less impulsive as well. But the question is, coming into this in the next couple of weeks, we'll be expounding on many Proverbs. The question for us today is we're looking at this list of seven really descriptions of wisdom, or what the Book of Proverbs will impart to us. The question to ask this morning is, are we willing to be students of God's school of wisdom? Willing to read and memorize these proverbs, being willing to use it as well skillfully, that is the question for us this morning. So we looked at our first three headings and now we're going to move to our final heading, which is the teacher's first lesson, which is foundational. and it's found in verse 7. Read with me. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. Fools despise wisdom and instruction. Proverbs 9, verse 10 also repeats the same sort of statement, it's just rephrased another way. Proverbs 9, verse 10 says, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight. The fear of the Lord is the theme, substance, and motto of the Book of Proverbs. One could say it's the theme and substance of really all the wisdom literature of the Bible. The phrase appears 14 times and wraps itself around the Book of Proverbs. It appears in the first chapter and also in the last chapter. And in the university of wisdom, God's university of wisdom, the fear of the Lord is the foundation of every course. It's what numbers are to mathematics. In order for you to achieve wisdom, one must first fear the Lord. Verse seven is the controlling proverb that controls all the rest of the proverbs afterwards. And dear friends, I want us to notice that this first lesson that we learn, it's teaching us exclusivity. And what do I mean by that? Well, when Solomon says, that to fear the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, I want us to notice the word Lord. When we read the word Lord in all capital letters, we know that it is the personal, covenantal name of God, which is Yahweh. And I mention this because the beginning of wisdom does not start with an abstract idea or vague concept of what God is. It's not a general theism. And it's for sure not polytheism. I mean, look at the text again. Solomon does not say the fear of him is the beginning of wisdom, so as to lead people to think, well, who is he talking about? Who shall I fear? Neither does Solomon say the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom, so as to lead people asking, well, which God is it? Or rather, he's quite clear about whom shall we fear, which is? The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom. And the reason we are to fear Yahweh and why the fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom, dear saints, is because Yahweh is wisdom. Wisdom among men, it's gauged through age and experience. We might gain wisdom through our study of certain topics and subjects. We might be disciplined and learn wisdom, but God does not learn wisdom. He is wisdom. Wisdom of God is a part of his nature. As the sun cannot be without light, so also God cannot be without wisdom. He neither gains it nor he loses it. He is perfectly wise. and is upon this truth and upon this basis is from which all wisdom is derived from. He is the source of it. He is wisdom itself. And one of the ways that we know that God is wise, one is through general revelation, looking out into creation. The Woodlands is a beautiful place. Gorgeous. Well, who made it? When we look at the heavens, when we look at the animals, when we look at the planets, we not only see how powerful our God is, how powerful Yahweh is, but we also see how wise He is in the things that He has made. That's one way we can know that God is wise and why we should fear Him. But the second way that we should know that God is wise is through His Word. One of the ways God's wisdom is manifested and may known was to redeem humanity. There was only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, who the New Testament says is the wisdom of God. And in Christ, in whom all treasures and wisdom and knowledge are found. Redemption is a way that we look at God's wisdom. And dear saints, who took sin, which offended God, and damned men to hell, and made it an occasion to glorify himself and redeem sinners? Who was it that sought to redeem men for their hatred of God by becoming a man? Who was it that showed mercy to rebels while at the same time demonstrating his justice? Or as Thomas Watson said, he's one of my favorite Puritans, theologians, pastors, he says, what wisdom was this, that Christ should be made sin, yet know no sin, that God should condemn sin, yet still save sinners? That is the wisdom of God, and we see it in the gospel displayed perfectly. And the answer, really, for those who have not found it, is the triune God of Scripture, Yahweh, who in the New Testament is revealed as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This is the wisdom of God. It's exclusive. And second, I want us to know that this is a exclusive relationship. In the Chronicles of Narnia, which is an allegory written by C.S. Lewis, there's a moment where two characters by the name of Susie and Lucy are being prepared to meet Aslan the Lion. By the way, Aslan the Lion is a representative of Christ. As they're being prepared by these two animals, which are Mr. and Mrs. Beaver, there's an interesting exchange between them. Susan says, and he says, And Ms. Beaver responds, And make no mistake, if there's anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they're either brave, braver than most, or else just silly. And Lucy chimes in her friend and says, then is he safe? And Mr. Beaver erupts and says, safe? Don't you hear what Ms. Beaver is telling you? Who said anything about safe? Of course he isn't safe. But he is good. He is the king, I tell you. Dear Saints, this is a good sort of story or synopsis about what it really means to fear the Lord, which is to recognize Him ultimately as King. To fear the Lord means to always live in a conscience of His all-pervasive presence. To say, as the psalmist said in Psalm 139, where shall I go from your spirit, or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there. And if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there." In other words, the fear of the Lord is knowing that we cannot outrun or evade God, knowing that all of our comings and goings, knowing that all of our actions are ever before Him. To fear the Lord is to always live conscience of his all-pervasive knowledge. The psalmist also says in Psalm chapter 139, even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it all together. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me. It is high, and I cannot attain it. To fear the Lord is to live in obedience to His revealed will. It's the reason why Samuel says in 1 Samuel, but be sure to fear the Lord and serve Him faithfully with all your heart. Consider what great things He has done for you. You see, saints, fear isn't a motivation for obedience. Rather, obedience is fear to the Lord. You and I may profess and articulate orthodox doctrine, speak well the attributes of God, but the best profession of a claim of fearing the Lord is not in what we say, but it's in what we do. To fear the Lord is also to recognize that we are accountable to Him. It's one of the reasons why Solomon later in life in the book of Ecclesiastes, in chapter 12, he says, To fear the Lord is to understand that All of us will one day return and stand before a holy and righteous God, and it actually meditates and lives life in light of this truth. So he says, to fear the Lord isn't so much to be frightened, but it's to be awestruck about who God is. To fear the Lord, it's not to have a terror of him, but it's to have a reverence of who he is. It's not to be drowned in anxiety, but to respect the one through whom we were formed, who sustains us, and also the one that we will one day return. The fear of the Lord is simply just recognizing who we are before a holy and righteous God. He is king, I tell you. And dear saints, it is upon this basis that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. This is, we ought to remember this, this principle is the beginning of wisdom. Let us pray. Your heavenly Father, we thank you, Lord, for your word. We thank you for your wisdom. Lord, I ask that as we move into the book of Proverbs and begin to look at the various sections and themes that are found therein, Lord, that you would sanctify your people through your truth. Lord, grant us wisdom, give us discernment, give us understanding. Help us to ask for wisdom. The Book of James says that if any of us lacks wisdom, which we all do, Lord, that all we simply have to do is ask it for being Lord. And I pray that that would be our heart and that would be our disposition, Lord, during this summer series. I also pray, Lord, that we would read the Book of Proverbs, Lord. We would apply really just reading one chapter a day of the Proverbs, Lord, for the next month, Lord. Sanctify our people. Help us to have a love for God's people, Lord. Help us ask it with that disposition as well, Lord. And we just ask that you would just continue to sanctify us through your word. We ask all these things in Christ's name. Amen.