During my college days at Calvary Bible College, the music department put on a production of the musical “The Music Man.” I decided to try out for the show, and I managed to land the role of Harold Hill—the Music Man himself. If you’re not familiar with this musical, its set back in the early 1900’s, and Harold Hill is a rather dishonest travelling salesman who travels around small Midwestern towns trying to make a buck. His pitch is to sell the townspeople on the benefits of starting a boys marching band, but his real plan is to collect the money for instruments, uniforms, and instruction books and then keep it all himself and get out of town before anyone can catch him.
One of the most famous songs from that musical is the song “Trouble.” In this song, Harold Hill begins to set the townspeople up for his sales pitch by telling them about all the trouble that they can avoid with their children if they can find a way to keep them busy after school. They can keep their kids from fritterin’ away time at the pool hall or from gambling on horse-track races. They can keep them from dancing to rag-time music and from hiding dirty books in the corn crib. And best of all, they can keep them from using words like “swell” or phrases like “so’s your old man!” And of course, Harold Hill then offers to form a boys’ band as the perfect way of providing all of these benefits.
Now the reason that I mention all of this to you is because this morning I am going to try and sell you on the benefits of wisdom, and the benefits that I am about to describe to you will sound fabulous and so amazing that you may think I’m some kind of con artist. The benefits that we are going to discover will sound too good to be true—and they would be, if they weren’t all listed right here for us to read in the Bible.
This morning we are going to start a study in the book of Proverbs, and we’re going to begin by studying the concept of biblical wisdom. We’re going to answer two questions today: first of all, what is wisdom, and second, what are the benefits of wisdom. Let’s waste no time here in addressing these questions.
I. What is wisdom?
Many different ideas may come to your mind when you hear the word “wisdom.” You may think of a guru sitting on a far-away mountain top, pondering the complexities of life. Or perhaps you think of a college professor sitting an office filled with books. Or maybe you think of one of your parents or a grandparent or some mentor who has shared some valuable life-lessons with you.
Well the book of Proverbs has an awful lot to say about the subject of wisdom, so as we begin this study it will be very helpful for us to define what wisdom is according to the Bible. Now Proverbs doesn’t exactly offer a dictionary definition of wisdom; rather, it tells us the kind of person in whom wisdom is found, and to sum up this description of wisdom we could say this:
Wisdom is found in the person who fears God and thus recognizes and lives by the moral laws that God has established in our world.
Notice a couple of things about this description of wisdom. First, wisdom is not primarily an intellectual trait—it is first and foremost a moral trait. You do not have to be Albert Einstein in order to have wisdom. In fact the mental aspect of wisdom comes into play only after a moral choice has been made to fear God and thus to honor Him with your life. It is only after you have made that choice that you can truly understand the moral laws that God has established in our world.
Second, notice this concept of moral laws. Just as there are physical laws in our world—like the law of gravity—there are also moral laws that God has built into our world. These moral laws tell us what the normal outcome of our choices will be unless some other factor intervenes. In this respect they are exactly like the physical laws of nature. Think for a moment about how these physical laws work. For example, the law of gravity tells us that if we see a large metal object in the sky, it is going to fall to the ground. However, if that large metal object is an airplane, then the laws of aerodynamics intervene so that the airplane does not fall to the ground. This doesn’t mean that the law of gravity is false—it simply means that something else intervened in this particular case.
Now the moral laws that we encounter in Proverbs function exactly the same way, and what this tells us is that we are not to regard the Proverbs as promises, but rather as principles. The Proverbs don’t tell us what will always happen; they tell us what will normally happen unless something else intervenes. Let’s take a very familiar proverb as an example of this so you can see what I’m talking about. Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it.” This Proverb tells us what normally happens when you train and instruct your children—normally that training will stick with them and they will continue to live the way that we have trained them. But we all know that at times other things intervene, like the child’s own will. Sometimes they choose to reject the training that they’ve received. But this doesn’t make the proverb false because it was never intended to be a promise, but a principle.
So that is how these moral laws work, and according to Proverbs the wise person will come to recognize and live by these moral laws because he or she has chosen to fear the Lord. That moral choice to fear the Lord puts us in the proper frame of mind to acquire wisdom and thus to reap the abundant benefits that come from living in a wise manner.
And just what are the benefits of wisdom? Why is wisdom such a desirable thing to possess?
II. What are the benefits of wisdom?
The book of Proverbs was written mostly by King Solomon, and Solomon described the benefits of wisdom in several lengthy passages within the first nine chapters of the book. We’re going to make a quick run through these passages this morning to discover the benefits of wisdom. Let’s start with a look at Proverbs 2:1–22.
Proverbs 2:1–22
[READ 2:1–5]
I. Allows us to discover the knowledge of God—2:5
Here we find the first benefit of wisdom—it allows us to discover the knowledge of God. Not long ago we studied Philippians 3, and in that chapter the apostle Paul goes on and on about the all-surpassing value of knowing Jesus Christ—getting to know His mindset and the way He thinks. Some of the fathers of modern science used to say that they were simply trying to think God’s thoughts after Him, and that’s what wisdom allows us to do in the moral realm. It allows us to understand God’s moral point of view and thus adopt His mindset toward the world.
Let’s continue reading [READ 2:6–8]
II. Gives us protection from injustice and evil—2:6–8, 11–15
Wisdom does this in a variety of ways. In these verses we are told that God Himself provides protection for those who live in a wise manner. We will also see that wisdom helps us avoid getting involved with evil people, and one of the lessons of Proverbs is that evil people often get trapped by their own schemes. So wisdom helps us avoid bringing evil upon ourselves by teaching us how to avoid evil choices.
Continuing on [READ 2:9]
III. Allows us to make decisions that are right and just—2:9
One of the most common questions that Christians wrestle with is “How do I know God’s will?” or “How do I know what choice God wants me to make in this situation?” According to this verse, wisdom helps us answer those questions; it helps us understand which choice to make. It says that wisdom allows us to discern righteousness, which means that we will understand which choices actually line up with God’s standards. It says that wisdom will help us make decisions with justice and equity. This is very important for anyone in a position of leadership. That would include parents, bosses, or administrators of any kind. Wisdom will help you make decisions that are fair.
Let’s keep reading [READ 2:10–19]
IV. Delivers us from sexual sin—2:16–19
In our country today, sexual sins are more acceptable than they have ever been in our nation’s history, and so we find ourselves living in a culture that is highly sexualized. Sexual images and suggestions are almost everywhere around us, and so we encounter almost constant temptation in this area.
But the reality is that sexual sin is no less harmful than it has ever been, so the stakes are very high for us as we battle sexual temptation. According to Proverbs, wisdom will help us avoid sexual sin by helping us cut through the lies that we are told about stepping outside of God’s designated boundaries in this area. Wisdom will help us hold on to the truth so that we are not lead astray by misplaced desires or by the temptations of other people.
Then the final verses of this chapter say [READ 2:20–22]. Now go with me into chapter 3, beginning with v. 13 [READ 3:13–15].
Proverbs 3:13–26
I. Yields a profit for life that is better than silver and gold—3:14–15
I’m sure many people can’t imagine that anything can yield a better profit for life than money can, but wisdom does according to the book of Proverbs. It’s really not hard to see why when we stop and think about it. Money can buy us some nice things in life, but it can’t even begin to meet the spiritual and emotional needs that we have. But wisdom will give us spiritual peace, emotional peace, and even financial peace as well. Money can only touch on one of those areas, whereas wisdom gives us all three. And we all know how quickly money can disappear—just ask anyone who had invested funds with Bernie Madoff! But wisdom will always be with you. Remember—wisdom is based on the moral laws that God has built into our world. They are not subject to the whims of the stock market or anything else.
Let’s keep reading [READ 3:16]
II. Results in long life—3:16
Now it may surprise you that wisdom will help you have a long life, but according to the Bible, its true! It seems that wisdom primarily accomplishes this by helping us avoid foolish choices that may cause us to die prematurely. In Proverbs, it seems that the most likely foolish choice in this area would be the choice to get involved with violent people who scheme and plot to do violence to others. According to Proverbs, these people often end up falling into their own traps. Proverbs also exalts the benefits of diligent labor over laziness, and we all know the harmful effects that laziness can have on our overall health. So wisdom can help us lead a long life.
III. Results in honor—3:16
Also here in this verse we find that wisdom can lead to honor. It also mentions riches here, but we’ll talk more about that in a moment. We all know that no one really respects a foolish person. A fool usually brings nothing but embarrassment upon himself. But according to Proverbs, one of the direct results of wisdom is a life of integrity, and everyone can respect a person who has integrity. A person with integrity finds a good reputation with other people and is thus highly respected and honored. So wisdom will result in honor for us as well.
Let’s keep reading in v. 17 [READ 3:17]
IV. Leads to a pleasant and peaceful life—3:17
This benefit almost sounds good enough on its own! Wisdom helps us avoid bringing unnecessary trouble into our lives. Many of the problems that we face in life are problems of our own making, but wisdom will help us avoid these things so that life can be more pleasant and peaceful.
Then the rest of this passage describes some benefits that we have already seen [READ 3:18–26]. Now finally, let’s go over to chapter 8 and discover a few more of the benefits of wisdom. In the book of Proverbs, Solomon is writing first and foremost to his own sons, and so in several passages he describes wisdom as a desirable woman whom his sons should pursue. And that’s what we find in chapter 8 [READ 8:1–18]
Proverbs 8:1–36
I. Shows us how to live a righteous life—8:18, 20
When we assess our lifestyles, we’re often tempted to measure ourselves against other people, and we can all find someone who seems to be worse than us so we can pat ourselves on the back and say that we’re doing okay. But righteousness is the idea of meeting God’s standards, and wisdom will help us lead a life that does that. Remember, wisdom helps us understand God’s moral point of view, and with that understanding in mind, we can focus on meeting His standards instead of measuring ourselves by different standards.
Let’s continue here [READ 8:19–21]
II. Results in wealth—8:21
We’ve already read several times that wisdom results in riches and wealth. Now this is not a prosperity gospel or anything like that that would teach us that we’re all supposed to be like Bill Gates. These verses just express a very simple principle—if you handle your money in a wise manner, the normal result is that you will hang on to more of it. You won’t be wasting your money by spending it on foolish things and pursuits. You will use it in a wise way that will lead to financial strength and prosperity.
Now remember what we said earlier—proverbs express principles, not promises. This lesson does not mean that every rich person is wise or that every poor person is foolish. Nor do these verses teach that God is promising us a fat bank account. They are simply telling us that the normal result of wise financial management is that you will prosper.
Let’s read the rest of this passage [READ 8:22–36]
III. Leads to blessing from God—8:35
When we live in a wise manner, we will have a lifestyle that God supports rather than one that God opposes, so rather than receiving a lot of discipline from God, we will receive encouragement from Him. Verse 35 says that we will obtain favor from the Lord. He will bless us, and those blessings will probably take the form of the benefits that we’ve just described from wisdom.
These are the benefits that can be yours if you will pursue biblical wisdom in your life. And after hearing all of these different benefits, if you can honestly say that you’re not interested in gaining more wisdom, I don’t know what more it will take to convince you. If you don’t want to play the part of a wise person, Proverbs does offer another role for you to play in life. It is called “the fool.” So as Solomon set before his son a choice between wisdom and foolishness, I set the same choice before you today. And shouldn’t have to tell you—choose wisely!
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