Finding the Proverbs 31 Woman

Introduction

Proverbs has a structure

The Beginning

Chapters 1–9

• What the book is all about
  ”The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge;
  fools despise wisdom and instruction.” [1:7]

The Father’s speeches to his son

(14 parts)

1. 1:8–19 Don’t follow the enticing way of the sinner
    

• The Woman called Wisdom 1:20–33
  She calls everyone to come but the foolish reject her
  “Because they hated knowledge
  and did not choose the fear of the LORD,
  would have none of my counsel,
  and despised all my reproof” [1:29–30]

The Father’s speeches cont’d

2. 2:1–22 Pursue Wisdom
   “For the LORD gives wisdom;
   from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;
   he stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
   he is a shield to those who walk in integrity,” [2:6–7]
   …
   who forsakes the companion of her youth
   and forgets the covenant of her God; [2:17]

Cast of Players

• Father
• Son
• The righteous
• The sinners/simple/scoffers/fools
• The Woman Wisdom
• The Forbidden Woman (later we learn she is called Folly)

The Father’s speeches cont’d

3. 3:1–10 Trust in the Lord
4. 3:11–12 Don’t despise correction

Blessings of Finding Wisdom: 3:13–20

13. Blessed is the one who finds wisdom,
    and the one who gets understanding,
14. for the gain from her is better than gain from silver
    and her profit better than gold.
15. She is more precious than jewels,
    and nothing you desire can compare with her.
16. Long life is in her right hand;
    in her left hand are riches and honor.
17. Her ways are ways of pleasantness,
    and all her paths are peace.
18. She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her;
    those who hold her fast are called blessed.
19. The LORD by wisdom founded the earth;
    by understanding he established the heavens;
20. by his knowledge the deeps broke open,
    and the clouds drop down the dew.

The Father’s speeches cont’d

5. 3:21–35 How sound wisdom plays out in life and brings security
6. 4:1–9 Get Wisdom
7. 4:10–19 Keep hold of Wisdom
8. 4:20–27 Keep your eyes on these things they are life
9. 5:1–6 Avoid the Forbidden Woman, she leads to Death
10. 5:7–23 Don’t even go near the Forbidden Woman, be satisfied with your Wife
11. 6:1–19 Financial advice, saving for the future
12. 6:20–35 these teachings will keep you from the enticements of the evil woman
13. 7:1–23 Make Wisdom your intimate companion, the Forbidden Woman will do all she can to lure you away
14. 7:24–27 Final warning that the Forbidden Woman leads to death

Wisdom reveals herself 8:1 – 9:12

Proverbs 8:

10. Take my instruction instead of silver,
    and knowledge rather than choice gold,
11. for wisdom is better than jewels,
    and all that you may desire cannot compare with her.

Proverbs 9:

10. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,
    and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.

The Forbidden Woman is revealed
9:13–18

She is Folly and she leads to death

Who are Wisdom and Folly?

Proverbs 8:

35. For whoever finds me finds life
    and obtains favor from the LORD,
36. but he who fails to find me injures himself;
    all who hate me love death.”

Proverbs 9:

16. “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”
    And to him who lacks sense she says,
17. “Stolen water is sweet,
    and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”
18. But he does not know that the dead are there,
    that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.

What is this Wisdom we are talking about?

• Hochma— Wisdom, understanding, skill, creativity

Exodus 35:30–36:1

30. Then Moses said to the people of Israel, “See, the LORD has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah;
31. and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, with intelligence, with knowledge, and with all craftsmanship,
32. to devise artistic designs, to work in gold and silver and bronze,
33. in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, for work in every skilled craft.

What is this Wisdom? cont’d

34. And he has inspired him to teach, both him and Oholiab the son of Ahisamach of the tribe of Dan.
35. He has filled them with skill to do every sort of work done by an engraver or by a designer or by an embroiderer in blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, or by a weaver—by any sort of workman or skilled designer.
1. “Bezalel and Oholiab and every craftsman in whom the LORD has put skill and intelligence to know how to do any work in the construction of the sanctuary shall work in accordance with all that the LORD has commanded.”

The Middle

Proverbs 10–30

• Proverbs – useful advice for how to live a life that follows Wisdom and keeps away from Folly
• Not promises
• Not prophecies

The End

Proverbs 31:10–31

• The “Proverbs 31 Woman”!!
• The Grand Conclusion – this is the choice the son should have made—Wisdom

Proverbs 6:6–11

6. Go to the ant, O sluggard;
   consider her ways, and be wise.
7. Without having any chief, officer, or ruler,
8. she prepares her bread in summer
   and gathers her food in harvest.
9. How long will you lie there, O sluggard?
   When will you arise from your sleep?
10. A little sleep, a little slumber,
    a little folding of the hands to rest,
11. and poverty will come upon you like a robber,
    and want like an armed man.

Conclusion

• We should choose Wisdom
• so Proverbs 31:10–31 is for all of us

Proverbs 8:22–31

22. “The LORD possessed me at the beginning of his work,
    the first of his acts of old.
23. Ages ago I was set up, at the first,
    before the beginning of the earth.
24. When there were no depths I was brought forth,
    when there were no springs abounding with water.
25. Before the mountains had been shaped,
    before the hills, I was brought forth,
26. before he had made the earth with its fields,
    or the first of the dust of the world.

Proverbs 8:22–31

27. When he established the heavens, I was there;
    when he drew a circle on the face of the deep,
28. when he made firm the skies above,
    when he established the fountains of the deep,
29. when he assigned to the sea its limit,
    so that the waters might not transgress his command,
    when he marked out the foundations of the earth,
30. then I was beside him, like a master workman,
    and I was daily his delight, rejoicing before him always,
31. rejoicing in his inhabited world
    and delighting in the children of man.

1 Corinthians 1:24,30

24. but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
30. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption,

Colossians 2:2–3

2. that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ,
3. in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

James 1:5

5. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.

Conclusions

• Difference between knowing the wise choice and actually making and acing on that choice
• What does choosing Wisdom look like?
• Following Jesus

Proverbs 2:1–8

1. My child, if you receive my words
   and treasure up my commandments with you,
2. making your ear attentive to wisdom
   and inclining your heart to understanding;
3. yes, if you call out for insight
   and raise your voice for understanding,
4. if you seek it like silver
   and search for it as for hidden treasures,
5. then you will understand the fear of the LORD
   and find the knowledge of God.
6. For the LORD gives wisdom;
   from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;
7. he stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
   he is a shield to those who walk in integrity,
8. guarding the paths of justice
   and watching over the way of his saints.