Bible Study: Wednesday, March 11, 2026
Series: The Book of Proverbs – Chapter 1
Tonight I’d like to begin a series on the book of Proverbs. Hopefully, we’ll go through every one of these wonderful chapters and verses in the next several weeks.
Let me ask you something. Have you ever made a decision that seemed like a great idea at the time… and later you thought, What was I thinking?
Most of us don’t struggle with intelligence — we struggle with wisdom.
That’s exactly why God gave us the Book of Proverbs.
Proverbs are not absolute promises but general principles for wise living. They describe how life normally works in God’s moral universe.
How do you define wisdom?
Simply put, wisdom is the ability to live life skillfully.
In this context, it means living a godly life in an ungodly world.
Not an easy assignment!
In this wonderful book, we will encounter God’s detailed instructions for His people to deal successfully with the practical affairs of everyday life. We’ll see how we are to:
- Relate to God.
- Relate to parents.
- Relate to children.
- Relate to neighbors.
- Relate to government.
Most of this book was written by King Solomon. He was considered to be the wisest man to ever live:
1 Kings 4:29-30
29 God gave Solomon wisdom, very great insight, and understanding as vast as the sand on the seashore. 30 Solomon’s wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the people of the East, greater than all the wisdom of Egypt.
This book contains only about ¼ of the 3,000 proverbs and 1,005 songs written by Solomon!
I wonder where he found the time considering that he had 700 wives and 300 concubines!
We’ll be breaking chapter 1 into 3 sections. Let’s start with...
Section 1: Verses 1-7 – The Purpose of Wisdom
Proverbs 1:1-7
1 The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:
2 For learning what wisdom and discipline are;
for understanding insightful sayings;
3 for receiving wise instruction
in righteousness, justice, and integrity;
4 for teaching shrewdness to the inexperienced,
knowledge and discretion to a young man—
5 a wise man will listen and increase his learning,
and a discerning man will obtain guidance—
6 for understanding a proverb or a parable,
the words of the wise, and their riddles.
7 The fear of the LORD
is the beginning of knowledge;
fools despise wisdom and discipline.
Let me ask you something honestly.
How many of you have ever ignored good advice… and regretted it later?”
That’s exactly the difference between a wise person and a fool in Proverbs.
The wise listen.
The fool thinks they already know.
Knowing wisdom and discipline is more than just acquiring information: it is a personal, internalization of this wisdom and understanding. In other words, you make it your own. You apply the knowledge and understanding to your own life.
True wisdom produces a change in action, not just an accumulation of knowledge.
This is also important to understand, a wise man never arrives but continually seeks to grow in wisdom.
You never graduate from the school of Proverbs!
Discussion questions:
- What goals does the book have (vv. 2-6)?
- What are the standards of these goals—in other words, according to who or what?
- Who benefits?
- Why is the fear of the LORD the starting point (v. 7)?
What do you consider to be the fear of the Lord?
The fear of the Lord is reverential awe towards Him. It involves taking Him seriously, both fearing His judgement and holding Him in the highest respect and love.
A person can only be truly wise when he acknowledges that wisdom ultimately comes from the Lord Himself. When that person roots their pursuit of wisdom in worship of the Lord.
- What do you consider to be the fear of the Lord?
- How does this “fear” show up in our everyday life?
- How does it contrast with worldly "wisdom"? (For example, worldly wisdom might say “follow your heart” or chase whatever feels good right now, while godly wisdom starts with reverence for God and long-term consequences.)
The last part of verse 7 talks about fools who despise wisdom and discipline/instruction.
By showing contempt for biblical wisdom, the fool is rejecting the Lord Himself. And denying the Lord, the fool is arrogantly denying reality itself!
Verse 7 is the motto for the entire book of Proverbs:
7 The fear of the LORD
is the beginning of knowledge;
fools despise wisdom and discipline.
- Where do you look for wisdom?
Section 2: Verses 8-19 – Warning Against Sinful Influences
Proverbs 1:8-19
8 Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction,
and don’t reject your mother’s teaching,
9 for they will be a garland of favor on your head
and pendants around your neck.
10 My son, if sinners entice you,
don’t be persuaded.
11 If they say—“Come with us!
Let’s set an ambush and kill someone;
let’s attack some innocent person just for fun!
12 Let’s swallow them alive, like Sheol,
whole, like those who go down to the Pit.
13 We’ll find all kinds of valuable property
and fill our houses with plunder.
14 Throw in your lot with us;
we’ll all share the loot”—
15 my son, don’t travel that road with them
or set foot on their path,
16 because their feet run toward evil
and they hurry to shed blood.
17 It is foolish to spread a net
where any bird can see it,
18 but they set an ambush to kill themselves;
they attack their own lives.
19 Such are the paths of all who make profit dishonestly;
it takes the lives of those who receive it.
Do you hear the concern and love this father has for the son he is speaking to?
Notice that he is telling his child to listen to both him and his mother.
I don’t care what society says, children don’t need a village, they need a father and mother, united in love and dedicated to God and raising their children in the fear and admonition of the Lord!
Solomon had many years of experience by the time he wrote these words. I can hear my own mom telling me something very similar when I was a kid. She said, “Show me your friends and I’ll show you your future.”
Great advice from Solomon and from my mom!
Discussion questions:
- How do sinners entice (vv. 10-14)? (Promises of easy gain, fun, belonging, and shared rewards—without mentioning the risks.)
- Modern parallels:
- Peer pressure today often looks like friends daring someone to vape or try alcohol/drugs at a party to “fit in,” or pressuring a teen to post risky content online for likes and approval—leading to anxiety, addiction, or worse.
- Greed schemes are everywhere: Think crypto scams like OneCoin (where billions were promised but vanished, leaving people ruined), pyramid/Multi-Level Marketing setups (pyramid schemes) sold as “easy side hustles,” or viral “get-rich-quick” investment tips on social media that collapse and destroy savings.
- TikTok challenges that go wrong: Dangerous trends like the “Blackout Challenge” (holding breath until passing out) or others encouraging reckless stunts “just for views”—promising fun and fame but ending in injury, legal trouble, or tragedy.
In verse 12, we read as the evil ones say, 12 Let’s swallow them alive, like Sheol, still healthy as they go down to the Pit.
It is ironic that the very thing they want to happen to their victims is actually what will eventually happen to them!
In destroying others, they ultimately destroy themselves!
They entice the innocent to join them (just like a gang)
14 Throw in your lot with us,
and we’ll all share our money” —
What they leave out is that they will not only share in the loot, but they will also share in the guilt and consequences!
- Why avoid their path (vv. 15-19)? Note the self-destructive imagery—they end up ambushing themselves!
- People engaged in these types of behaviors don’t think about all that could happen. They don’t even consider what happens if they get caught. I heard many of these kinds of people in my years with the Dept. of Corrections. Many of them talked about how they were surprised at the consequences of their actions—even the severity of the penalties.
These types of people don’t understand that the trap they set for others actually traps them.
It is true that all who seek profit unjustly at the expense of others find that their unjust gain destroys them.
- Paul makes a similar point: Ephesians 5:11Don’t participate in the fruitless works of darkness, but instead expose them. He takes it even one step further: Not only are you not to hang with them, you are to expose them before something really bad happens!
- How can honoring godly instruction (vv. 8-9) protect us? (It acts like that “garland of favor”—a visible reminder of who we belong to and whose values guide us, helping us say no when the crowd pulls the other way.)
Section 3: Verses 20-33 – Wisdom's Call
Proverbs 1:20-33
20 Wisdom calls out in the street;
she raises her voice in the public squares.
21 She cries out above the commotion;
she speaks at the entrance of the city gates:
22 “How long, foolish ones, will you love ignorance?
How long will you mockers enjoy mocking
and you fools hate knowledge?
23 If you respond to my warning,
then I will pour out my spirit on you
and teach you my words.
24 Since I called out and you refused,
extended my hand and no one paid attention,
25 since you neglected all my counsel
and did not accept my correction,
26 I, in turn, will laugh at your calamity.
I will mock when terror strikes you,
27 when terror strikes you like a storm
and your calamity comes like a whirlwind,
when trouble and stress overcome you.
28 Then they will call me, but I won’t answer;
they will search for me, but won’t find me.
29 Because they hated knowledge,
didn’t choose to fear the LORD,
30 were not interested in my counsel,
and rejected all my correction,
31 they will eat the fruit of their way
and be glutted with their own schemes.
32 For the turning away of the inexperienced will kill them,
and the complacency of fools will destroy them.
33 But whoever listens to me will live securely
and be free from the fear of danger.”
In the ancient world the city gate was the busiest place in town. It’s where leaders met, court cases were heard, and business was done.
So when Proverbs says wisdom is shouting at the city gate, it means wisdom is not hidden — it’s standing right in the middle of everyday life calling out to everyone who will listen.
If wisdom is calling that loudly… why do so many people still ignore her?
In Scripture, wisdom ultimately comes from God and is connected with the work of the Holy Spirit in guiding believers.
When Christians walk by the Spirit, they walk in wisdom’s path.
Discussion questions:
- How is Wisdom portrayed (vv. 20-21)? (Public, urgent, accessible—like a voice shouting in the busiest places, not hidden away.)
- What does she promise, and what if rejected (vv. 22-32)? (Life, teaching, security vs. calamity, ignored calls, and eating the bitter fruit of our choices.)
If we respond to her warnings, there is continued growth.
But, if we reject her, calamity ensues.
In verse 24 we read that her calling is not everlasting. She has a limit.
If we continue to ignore her call, she will leave us to our own path.
Do you see that eventually, wisdom lets you have what you want and quits trying to warn you?
- Do you see the influence of pride in these passages? How so? (Refusing correction, loving ignorance, mocking wisdom—pride keeps us from admitting we need help.)
- “Does not wisdom call out?” Do you hear it inside your head right before you are about to do something you know you shouldn’t do? (That gut feeling saying “Don’t post that,” “Don’t join this scheme,” or “Walk away from this conversation.”) How about when you don’t do something you should do? (Like ignoring a nudge to help someone or speak truth.)
- Modern example: Ignoring that inner voice often leads to deep regret—like someone who keeps scrolling harmful content despite feeling uneasy, or stays in a toxic relationship/friend group because “everyone’s doing it,” only to face emotional or spiritual fallout later.
- Do you see that eventually, wisdom lets you have what you want and quits trying to warn you? God does the same thing: Romans 1:28And because they did not think it worthwhile to acknowledge God, God delivered them over to a worthless mind to do what is morally wrong.
- Remember this saying: There are two kinds of people in the world—one who says to God, “Thy will be done,” and the other to whom God says, “Thy will be done.”
- Where is Wisdom calling you today?
- What risks come from ignoring her?
Proverbs is written almost like a drama. Two women are calling out in the streets.
One is Lady Wisdom, calling us to walk with God.
The other is Folly, promising pleasure and easy gain but leading to destruction.
Every day we decide which voice we’re going to listen to.
How do we seek to do what this Proverb is telling us?
- Seek the fear of the LORD through:
- Obedience.
- Prayer.
- Daily Bible study.
- Service.
- Evaluating what influences us (e.g., who/what we follow online, friendships that pull us toward or away from God).
- Resisting enticement (pause and pray when something feels off).
- Listen to Wisdom daily (e.g., Scripture reading, prayer, and paying attention to that inner prompting from the Holy Spirit).
Closing Prayer Time
Thank God for His wisdom in Proverbs, confess areas where we've ignored His call or chased worldly shortcuts, ask for help to fear Him rightly, resist modern temptations, and live securely in obedience.
Pray for one another’s specific needs
Let me leave you with one question tonight.
Where is wisdom calling to you right now?
Is it a habit God wants you to change?
Or maybe a relationship that is influencing you the wrong way?
Or perhaps even advice you’ve been resisting?
Take a moment quietly and ask God to show you where He’s calling you to walk in wisdom.
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