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Colin Smith: When the book of Proverbs says, "Train up a child in the way he should go, and even when he is old he will not depart from it," that does not mean that good parenting guarantees godly children. It is a proverb, not a promise. It is a proverb, and the proverb describes the normal pattern that prevails in this world. It does not guarantee a particular outcome.

Steve Hiller: Welcome to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith. Today we begin a new series as we take a look at the book of Proverbs. Colin, right out of the gate, it's good to be reminded that as we get into the Proverbs, we need to remember that what we're looking at are principles, not necessarily promises.

Colin Smith: That's right, Steve. It's very practical, too. I was just speaking the other day with a father who was really grieving over his son who had moved far away from the things of God. He said to me, "Pastor, I feel like it's my fault."

I said to him, "Now, you cannot be taking the blame. Here's why. Because if all was well with your son, you wouldn't take the credit. You would say, 'It's God who has done this, and His grace that has given me this marvelous gift.' You wouldn't take the credit if all was well, and now you must not take the blame when things are not as you would wish them to be."

So it's very important that there are general principles that are taught to us in scripture, and they're of huge value because they direct the kind of decisions that we're to make. That's what we're going to look at together in this series. It's a wonderful part of the scripture and immensely helpful. But you're so right, Steve. We're not looking at particular promises in most of this series; we're looking at principles of wisdom that God has given to us to follow.

Steve Hiller: Well, the series that we're looking at is called Wisdom for Life, and we begin today in the book of Proverbs chapter eight. So grab a Bible, join us there as we begin our message called "Fear." Here is Pastor Colin.

Colin Smith: Let's begin with a very simple definition. We're talking about wisdom, and wisdom is very simply the skill that you need to put together a successful life. That's what it is. Another way of saying this would be life skills. Wisdom is different from knowledge in this sense: that it is clearly possible to amass a very great deal of knowledge, to be absolutely brilliant, and yet not to live wisely, not to have the skills to put a successful life together.

And so here in the scriptures, God is speaking to us about the skills that we need for life. The skills, in other words, that we need for building friendships, raising a family, managing money, developing the ability to talk in a way that builds others up rather than pushing them down, and becoming effective in the particular work that God has given to you to do. All of that and much more is included in what the Bible calls wisdom.

Now, the Bible, of course, is full of wisdom. It runs right throughout the scriptures. Our Lord Jesus Christ speaks about a wise and a foolish builder. He speaks on one occasion about a rich man who God said was a fool. But there are five books in the Bible that are regularly described as wisdom books because they deal with these great issues of wisdom. They are Job, Psalms, Proverbs that we're looking at over these weeks, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon. They're referred to as wisdom books because their focus is on what we need in order to put life together.

I know that this part of the Bible may be new or less familiar to some of us at least. And so let me begin to orient us to this new part of the Bible that we're coming to today with three very simple observations.

The first of these, the most obvious, I think, is that proverbs are proverbs. There you are, a very simple statement, but it's actually very, very important. Always remember that the proverbs are proverbs. In other words, they are a collection of wise sayings or proverbs. And what a proverb is, is proverbs describe the normal pattern that prevails in life in this world. Try and settle that phrase in your mind. That's what a proverb is: it describes the pattern that prevails normally in this world.

Now, here's why that's important. Always remember, proverbs are not promises. It's a different category. And if you confuse them, then you'll come into difficulties. For example, when the book of Proverbs says, "Train up a child in the way he should go, and even when he is old he will not depart from it," that does not mean that good parenting guarantees godly children.

It is a proverb, not a promise. It is a proverb, and the proverb describes the normal pattern that prevails in this world. It does not guarantee a particular outcome. And I've had many conversations over the years with folks, particularly on a verse like this. They say, "Now, I've read this verse. We've tried to be a good and a godly parent. I can't make any sense of it." And I say, "Oh, you're taking this to be a promise. You've not understood the difference between a promise and a proverb." It's very, very important.

Let me give you an example just to press home how important it is that we understand that proverbs are describing for us the normal pattern that prevails in this world. Proverbs 11 and verse 16: "A gracious woman gets honor, and violent men get riches." Now, how are you going to understand that one? Clearly, this is not telling us that we should all go out and pursue violence in order to get money. No.

The proverbs are describing a normal pattern that prevails in this world. And the sad reality is that in this fallen world, as all of us know well, large, massive amounts of money are accumulated by men who do violence. Now, of course, the point of the proverb is this: that even in this fallen world, think about this, even in this fallen world, one gracious woman—notice it's singular—a gracious woman, a woman of grace, who clearly cannot hope to match the strength of a whole gang of violent men (plural).

This one gracious woman gets something more valuable than money. She gets honor. So grace, that looks so weak in this world, actually gets more than violence, that looks so strong in this world. That's the point of the proverb, and it's rightly understood when you see that it is describing the normal pattern that prevails in this world. So remember that the proverbs are proverbs. They're not promises; they are descriptions of the normal pattern of life in this world.

Second, always remember as we come to this book that the proverbs assume a relationship. They assume a relationship. That's the significance if you turn back to chapter 2, verse 1, or chapter 3 and verse 1. They both begin in the same way. Chapter 3 and verse 1: "My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments." My son.

Now, the words "my son" occur 23 times. They're strewn all the way through the book of Proverbs. And "my son" indicates that these words are being spoken out of and into a relationship of love. This is a father speaking to his son. And in the first instance, most of these proverbs would have been spoken by Solomon—chapter 1 and verse 1 tells us that they come from him, though there are some proverbs from others later in the book.

They would have been spoken by Solomon, a loving father, to his son, Rehoboam. They come out of and flow into a relationship of love. Now, seeing that, we must remember that the Bible, of course, is more than the wisdom of Solomon, and this book is more than the wisdom of Solomon. The book of Proverbs is in Holy Scripture because it is the word of God.

And God breathed out these proverbs through Solomon in the same way as God breathed out the Psalms through David and breathed out the book of Romans through the apostle Paul. So when we read "my son," we are to understand that behind the loving voice of King Solomon speaking to his son, Prince Rehoboam, there is actually the loving voice of God our Heavenly Father speaking to His own children. A relationship is assumed. This is our God speaking to us, and He's calling us to walk in paths of wisdom.

Steve Hiller: You're listening to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith in a message called "Fear." It's from our series, Wisdom for Life, and we're taking a look at some of the Proverbs and beginning with the great reminder today that proverbs are proverbs, not promises, and they assume a relationship. If you ever miss a program or part of one and you want to go back and listen to it in its entirety, you can do that at our website.

Come to openthebible.org. There you can stream the program or download an MP3 for free. Again, that's at openthebible.org. You can also listen through the Open the Bible app, which you'll find for free at your app store. Or you can order a copy of this entire series on CD. Ask about Wisdom for Life when you call us at 1-877-OPEN-365. That's 1-877-673-6365. Or you'll find ordering information at our website, openthebible.org.

If you happen to join us a little bit late, we're in the book of Proverbs chapter eight as we continue the message. Again, here is Pastor Colin.

Colin Smith: Proverbs are proverbs, and not promises. Proverbs assume a relationship. And here's the third introductory point, just to get ourselves settled in this book: the Proverbs point to Jesus. Look at chapter 8 and verse 1 that was read for us: "Does not wisdom call? Does not understanding raise her voice?" Now, wisdom raises her voice. And so that raises the question: Now, whose voice then are we listening to?

And as many of you know very well, in the New Testament, we are told that Jesus Christ is the wisdom of God. First Corinthians chapter 1 and verse 30: "Christ is made for us wisdom." He's become for us wisdom. Or Colossians chapter 2 and verse 3: "In Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and of knowledge." We preach Christ crucified, and to those who are called, Christ is the power of God, and we know that He is the wisdom of God.

So when we read as Christians back in the book of Proverbs that wisdom calls, and we know that this is the very word of God, we are to understand that the voice of the Eternal Son of God is speaking to us in and through the scripture, in the book of Proverbs, and calling us to follow after Him because He Himself indeed is wisdom.

And I want you to notice chapter 8, verse 2 and 3, where wisdom takes her stand. Where it is that Christ speaks to us. At the crossroads, verse 2. Beside the gate in front of the town, verse 3. Which translated into our day means at the shopping mall and at the workplace. So try and imagine this. You arrive at the shopping mall, wherever the place is that you most like to go.

And as you're parking your car there and you're just about to head into the store where you're going to begin your shopping, there's a voice that calls to you, "Hey, before you go in there, come over here. I've got something that you're going to need when you're shopping." Or imagine you're getting into the train to begin the commute to your work, or you're getting into the car, however you make that journey.

And as you do, there's a voice that calls out to you right there, "Hey, before you go there, before you get into your long list of to-dos today, I've got something for you that you're going to need in your work today." This is where wisdom calls to us. This is where Christ speaks to us in the book of Proverbs.

And wisdom is presented to us as a person who offers something of great value. Notice chapter 8 and verse 10: more precious than silver, of more value than gold. Verse 11: better than jewels. Nothing you desire can compare with her. So as Christians, we understand that God very wonderfully has given us something more than wisdom in a book. He has given us wisdom in the flesh. That's Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh, wisdom made flesh for us.

And to all who are in Christ by faith, He gives us the Holy Spirit, who is the Spirit of wisdom. That's Ephesians chapter 1 and verse 17: "the Spirit of wisdom in order that you may know God better." That's who's given to you. And so putting these things together, we understand that we gain wisdom through the Word—that's why we're looking into the book of Proverbs, that's all about wisdom for life. We gain wisdom through the Word. We do it as we walk with Christ, who is the wisdom of God, in the power of the Spirit, who is the Spirit of wisdom.

In other words, walking the way of wisdom is another way of describing what the New Testament calls discipleship. Because to follow wisdom is to follow Jesus. To listen to wisdom is to listen to Jesus. And to grow in wisdom is to grow in Jesus. And the book of Proverbs describes what this looks like in very practical areas of life.

What does it mean to follow and listen to and grow in Jesus in regards to your friendships, in regards to your family, in regards to your words, your work, and your wealth? Well, the book of Proverbs is here to answer these questions. It lays out the life to which wisdom calls us; it lays out, to put it in other terms, the life of a disciple of Jesus.

Now, that's the journey that lies ahead of us, and I really want that all of us here today will be motivated for this journey. Some of you may be asking, at the beginning of a new series and trying to introduce this, you're trying to figure out now, what's in this for me? And that's always a good question. Why should I be interested in this? Let me try and encourage you by answering that question this way.

The Bible makes it clear that the path of following Jesus is often costly. The path of pursuing wisdom, same thing, is often costly. Jesus tells us that the gate is narrow, that the way is hard, and that only a few people find it. But He then tells us that there is this marvelous incentive that this hard way on which the few find and the gate is narrow, it does lead to life.

Now, the normal way in which I think we understand that is we tend to think that living a godly life in this world is hard, but there is at least this payoff: that there will be a great reward for all of us in heaven. And of course, that is wonderfully true. But when Jesus says that the narrow way leads to life, there's something more in His word than a reference to heaven.

And the book of Proverbs draws out another truth that we also need to grasp, which is that those who walk the path of godly wisdom, those who press hard as disciples after Jesus, will be blessed in this life as well as in the world to come. Do you remember how Jesus spoke about this on one occasion when the disciples were complaining about the fact that they'd given up a lot to follow Jesus?

And Jesus said to them—this is Mark chapter 10—"There's no one who's left fields or family or father or mother for Me who will not receive a hundred times as much in this life, in this life. And on top, in the world to come, everlasting life as well." Now, the "this life" piece is the particular truth that the book of Proverbs emphasizes for us again and again and again: the blessing of following the Lord Jesus Christ in this life.

And I want you to see this. I'm trying to motivate us for the journey. I want us to feel like this is a part of scripture that we must get into as a deeper way. So turn with me for a moment, if you would, back to Proverbs in chapter 3. And remember what we said right at the beginning: we're looking here at proverbs, not promises. But I want you to look at the normal pattern that prevails in this world.

Look at Proverbs 3 and verse 13: "Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding, for the gain from her is better than the gain from silver and her profit is better than gold. She is more precious than jewels—hey, something better than diamonds—and nothing you desire can compare with her." Well, that's quite a statement. So we immediately say, "Hey, why? Okay, where's the value? What then will wisdom bring for us?"

And notice, line on line, that question is answered right here. First, long life. Chapter 3 and verse 16: "Long life is in her right hand." Now, remember, we're talking about a proverb, not a promise. We're talking about the normal pattern that prevails in this world. Think this through with me, please. Everyone understands that eating a proper diet will lead to better health than living on junk food. Can we have agreement on that here? Universal agreement, we all agree. Whatever we actually do, we know that this is true: that if we eat a proper diet, we will be more healthy than if we live on junk food.

Now, by the way, that doesn't mean that if you eat vegetables and tomatoes every day, you will never get cancer. There's no promise like that. We're talking about a general principle that prevails in this world: that if you eat a healthy diet, you will be healthier than if you live on junk food. Everyone knows that, we all agree with it. Now, here's the point. The same principle that applies to your body also applies to your soul.

This is why Peter says in the New Testament, "Whoever would love life—you want to have a good life?—and would see good days—length of days—here's what you should do: Let him keep his tongue from evil, let him turn away from evil and do good, let him seek peace and pursue it." Now, you see, some of us actually can become quite unhealthy because we have allowed patterns of conflict to so characterize our lives that it stunts us, and we would be much more healthy if we could live in peace. And that's precisely what wisdom calls us to: for you to build patterns of life that will be healthy for you, and you will be blessed.

Steve Hiller: You're listening to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith in part of a message called "Fear." We've been taking a look at some observations about the book of Proverbs, and next time we're going to come back and we're going to look at what wisdom brings, so I hope you'll tune in.

By the way, if you ever miss a program, you can always come to our website and you can listen online. Come to openthebible.org. There you can stream the program or download an MP3 for free. Again, that's at openthebible.org. One other way to listen is through the Open the Bible app, which you'll find for free at your app store. It's a great way to listen to Pastor Colin's teaching on the go, whenever it fits your schedule.

Well, we're able to bring you Pastor Colin's teaching because of your financial generosity. We really are a listener-supported ministry. And as you give a gift of any amount this month, we'd love to send you a copy of Pastor Colin's brand new 30-day devotional. It's called Grow in Hope, and Colin, why did you write this book?

Colin Smith: Well, Grow in Hope is the second of three books that we are putting out from Open the Bible this year: Grow in Faith, Grow in Hope, and Grow in Love. And the reason for all three is that as Paul says in 1 Corinthians and chapter 13, everything else will pass away. I mean, that's quite a statement, isn't it? Everything else will pass away, but these things will remain: faith, hope, and love.

So these are things of supreme importance. I'm absolutely persuaded that our greatest need is to have a stronger faith, to have a more certain hope, and to be renewed in a resilient kind of love. You know, if that happens in the lives of Christian believers, some very, very good things will follow.

Steve Hiller: Well, we'd love to send you a copy of this book. Again, it's called Grow in Hope, and it's our thank you for your financial support this month. You can give at our website, openthebible.org, or when you call 1-877-OPEN-365. That's 1-877-673-6365. And again, the website is openthebible.org. For Pastor Colin Smith, I'm Steve Hiller. Thanks for listening, and I hope you'll join us next time. This program is a listener-supported production of Open the Bible.

Colin Smith: This is Pastor Colin, and I want you to know about a resource that will help you in your devotional life. It's called Open the Bible Daily. My colleague, Pastor Tim Augustyn, takes what you hear on Open the Bible and he edits it into daily, bite-sized chunks that you can read in your devotional time in less than three minutes. Every day, you'll find a verse of scripture, a short teaching from God's Word, and an application that you can carry with you through the day. People who use this tell us that they read it every day, and I think that if you try it, you'll love it too. For more information, visit openthebible.org/daily. That's openthebible.org/daily.