A. Proverbs = “pro – words” i.e. UpWords
B. Solomon to his son/teacher to student
C. Proverbs 3 is one of many on wisdom
A. The heart defined
1. Center of almost anything
2. Center of the will, mind,
emotions, your being |
3. Purity in the center of our being is required to
“See God” (Matt. 5:8)
Pro. 23:7 “For as he thinketh in his
heart, so is he”
B. The heart kept commands (1-2)
1. Children only have one command, obey your parents
2.
The idea is learning to discipline the self nature
3. Let your heart keep
my commands
a. implies an act of the will/personal responsibility beyond
circumstantial feelings
b. choose to have a good attitude
C. The heart kept lovingkindness (3-4)
1. “Let not” again the personal responsibility
2. Mercy –KJV; Love-NIV; Kindness-NRSV
a. The first person to call upon God’s mercy was Lot
(Gen. 19:19)
3. “And truth”
a. difficult sometimes because you don’t want to hurt
someone’s feelings
b. NT “speak the truth in love” --
sometimes its hard to know what to do
D. The heart kept trust (5-6)
1. “Trust” lit. “to go for refuge” a
thought through process verse a spur of the moment situation or immediate
convenience: and fig. to be bold, confident, secure, without car, put your
confidence in, make to hope, and trust
2. Fact of security and feeling of
trust
A. Warnings
1. Don’t be wise in your own eyes (7a)
2. Despise not
the chastening of the Lord (11-12)
B. Wisdom
1. Fear the Lord & depart from evil
2. Honor the Lord
- with all your possessions = be a good steward
- with the first fruits of all your increase = tithing
- tithing made the rest of the money usable and holy
- promises blessing of overflow
3. Lean not: literally is don’t support yourself by...
4. Understanding: root is intelligence and by extension means intelligence
5. Ways: Heb. “derek” which means “roads” by extension
means course of life
a. Take it back to the root: roads
b. “don’t go
down that road”
6. Acknowledge: root “to know” i.e. to know God in all
your roads of life
7. Direct: to be made straight or even i.e. to be made
right or direct
A. Happiness
1. the Hebrew for happiness is from their word
“straight” “to be on the level”
2. i.e. happiness is in
straight forward living
B. Length of days
1. harkens back to the first verse about obeying parents...
this is the first commandment with promise
C. Pleasantness and peace
1. from the word “agreeableness” and means grace,
suitable and pleasant
2. peace: shalom
D. Tree of Life
1. fruitful
2. healing (Rev. 22:2)