COLE WOMEN S MINISTRY PROVERBS SPRING 2018 LESSON 15 LESSON 15 Proverbs A Summary Proverbs 2:6 For the LORD gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding. Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction. Proverbs 2:1-9 My son, if you will receive my words And treasure my commandments within you, 2 Make your ear attentive to wisdom, Incline your heart to understanding; 3 For if you cry for discernment, Lift your voice for understanding; 4 If you seek her as silver And search for her as for hidden treasures; 5 Then you will discern the fear of the LORD And discover 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 He preserves the way of His godly ones. 9 Then you will discern righteousness and justice And equity and every good course. Proverbs 8:27-31 27 When He established the heavens, I was there, When He inscribed a circle on the face of the deep, 28 When He made firm the skies above, When the springs of the deep became fixed, 29 When He set for the sea its boundary So that the water would not transgress His command, When He marked out the foundations of the earth; 30 Then I was beside Him, as a master workman; And I was daily His delight, Rejoicing always before Him, 15 1
PROVERBS COLE WOMEN S MINISTRY LESSON 15 SPRING 2018 31 Rejoicing in the world, His earth, And having my delight in the sons of men. Proverbs 7:4 Say to wisdom, You are my sister, And call understanding your intimate friend; Proverbs 5:15-19 15 Drink water from your own cistern And fresh water from your own well. 16 Should your springs be dispersed abroad, Streams of water in the streets? 17 Let them be yours alone And not for strangers with you. 18 Let your fountain be blessed, And rejoice in the wife of your youth. 19 As a loving hind and a graceful doe, Let her breasts satisfy you at all times; Be exhilarated always with her love. Proverbs 11:4 Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, But righteousness delivers from death. Proverbs 17:10 A rebuke goes deeper into one who has understanding Than a hundred blows into a fool. Proverbs 10:4-5 4 Poor is he who works with a negligent hand, But the hand of the diligent makes rich. 5 He who gathers in summer is a son who acts wisely, But he who sleeps in harvest is a son who acts shamefully. Proverbs 4:23 Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life. Proverbs 16:23 The heart of the wise instructs his mouth And adds persuasiveness to his lips. Proverbs 24:3-4 3 By wisdom a house is built, And by understanding it is established; 15 2
COLE WOMEN S MINISTRY PROVERBS SPRING 2018 LESSON 15 4 And by knowledge the rooms are filled With all precious and pleasant riches. Proverbs 31:10 An excellent wife, who can find? For her worth is far above jewels. Proverbs 31:30 Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised. In this wrap-up lesson, we will be using our previous lessons to assist us in consolidating all we ve studies these past several months. To help, subheadings will indicate from which lesson the questions are taken. Lesson 1: Heavenly Wisdom for Earthly Living 1. Review Proverbs 2:6. a. Who is the Giver of wisdom and discernment? b. Before proceeding with this final lesson in our study of Proverbs, pause for a moment. Like King Solomon before you, ask the Giver for the gift of wisdom and understanding (I Kings 3:9, James 1:5-6) Approach Him without doubting, knowing for certain that the Spirit will help you recall the specific truths God want to impress on your mind and heart at this time. Lesson 2: The Fear of the Lord 2. Reminder: For the believer, the fear of the Lord does not involve being afraid of God s judgment of sin (Romans 5:8-11). The unbeliever, on the other hand, has every reason to fear the wrath of Almighty God (Romans 1:18). a. Write out Proverbs 1:7. b. Define the fear of the Lord and comment on why you believe this godly fear is the basis of all knowledge. c. List several practical benefits of fearing the Lord. 15 3
PROVERBS COLE WOMEN S MINISTRY LESSON 15 SPRING 2018 Lesson 3: A Treasure Beyond Description 3. Review Proverbs 2:1-9. a. Complete the following: If we do what three things: Then we will discover what two things: And, if we revere God and know Him intimately, we will enjoy what three blessings: b. Review the word picture you used to describe your search for spiritual treasure. What is the most precious truth you ve uncovered or discovered through your study of Proverbs? Lesson 4: Seeing God in the Proverbs 4. It has been said that the ultimate purpose of Bible Study is to direct us to Christ and His power for living a new life. In what way has your study of Proverbs most impacted your relationship with God? Lesson 5: Meet Lady Wisdom 5. Review your answer to question 17 of Lesson 5. a. Write out Proverbs 7:4 b. In question 17 of Lesson 5, you were asked to outline a plan of action so you could come to know Lady Wisdom more intimately. Briefly describe your plan and evaluate your progress so far (poor, fair, good, great). Lesson 6: A Case for Sexual Purity 6. As we saw in our study, sexual purity is God s will for His people (see Proverbs 5:15-18, I Thessalonians 4:3-5). However, the opportunity to sin may come our way at any time. a. What must we remember when we are tempted? (I Corinthians 6:18) 15 4
COLE WOMEN S MINISTRY PROVERBS SPRING 2018 LESSON 15 b. And what must we remember if we have fallen (or have occasion to minister to others who are struggling in this area)? (See John 8:1-11 and I John 1:9.) Lesson 7: Wealth and Poverty 7. As we ve studied, Solomon, the writer of most of Proverbs, asked God for wisdom and also received tremendous wealth. Many of the proverbs instruct the would-be-wise steward. In this lesson you were asked to select an area of stewardship where you could improve. What area did you select? How are you doing? Lesson 8: Teachable 8. Skim Lesson 8. a. Are you teachable? Why, or why not? b. If someone rebukes you, even if you don t really admire that person, what is the godly response? Why? Lesson 9: Diligence and Procrastination 9. How did our study encourage you to be diligent? Lesson 10: Matters of the Heart 10. Look over your completed Lesson 10. a. Write our Proverbs 4:23. b. Review these past 24 hours and think about your private thoughts and the words you have spoken. In the heart provided, write what your thoughts and words tell you about what s in your heart. 15 5
PROVERBS COLE WOMEN S MINISTRY LESSON 15 SPRING 2018 Lesson 11 and 12: The Tongue 11. List the five tongue problems we studied in Lesson 11. 12. In Lesson 12, we concentrated on the righteous tongue. How have your words encouraged, exhorted or counseled someone this week? Lesson 13: Life in the Home 13. Skim Lesson 13. a. Write out Proverbs 24:3-4. b. What is the rarest and most beautiful treasure in your home? Why? Lesson 14: A Woman Worthy of Praise 14. Refresh your memory of Proverbs 31:10-31. a. What characteristic of the Proverbs 31 woman impresses or touches you most? Why? b. What quality of hers would you most like to possess? Why? 15 6
COLE WOMEN S MINISTRY PROVERBS SPRING 2018 LESSON 15 Digging Deeper 15. We will finish our Proverbs review with a small word study an exciting Bible study exercise anyone can do, any time. If this is new to you, be sure to remember that Jesus Himself said in John 14:26, But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Every believer is more than equipped for personal Bible study! a. Select one word from the topics we ve studied in Word: Proverbs (wealth, heart, wisdom, etc.) b. Using the concordance in the back of your Bible (or Strong s Exhaustive Concordance or an internet resource such as BibleGateway.com), select three verses we haven t studied already that use your chosen word: i. ii. iii. c. Look up each verse and jot down what you observe about your selected word. Be sure to read the surrounding verses (the context), as these are often key to understanding the meaning. Observations (i) Observations (ii) Observations (iii) d. Prayerfully spend some time meditating on these verses and your understanding of them. Write one new [to you] truth that you can apply to your life. Note: You may want to do a further word study (by looking up more verses continuing your chosen word), or select other words or topics as one way to help you maintain the godly practice of regular Bible study even when no formal studies are meeting. Pressing Onward As we have seen throughout our studies, the Book of Proverbs instructions the believer in the most fundamental skill of all: practical righteousness before God in every area of life. Developing and exercising this skill requires knowledge, experience, diligence and a willingness to put God first. What a joy it is to know He s provided the resources we need in His Word and through His Son and Spirit! Remember, reading a proverb takes only a few seconds; applying one can take a lifetime! May God richly bless you as you step out now in faith, applying the wonderful truths He s shown you! Cynthia Schnereger (1997) 15 7
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