The Wise Man According to Proverbs
Wisdom is something we should all desire: Proverbs 4:7"The beginning of wisdom is: Acquire wisdom; And with all your acquiring, get understanding.
The Man of Wisdom
1. His character:
A. He is Teachable, not Stubborn
Proverbs 18:15 The mind of the prudent acquires knowledge,
And the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.
The Proverbs admonishes a man in Proverbs 19:20 to Listen to counsel and accept discipline,
That you may be wise the rest of your days.
A wise man grows in Wisdom Proverbs 1:5 A wise man will hear and increase in learning,
And a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel,
B. He is Righteous not wicked
Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
Fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Proverbs 14:16 A wise man is cautious and turns away from evil, But a fool is arrogant and careless.
He hates what is false
13:5 A righteous man hates falsehood, But a wicked man acts disgustingly and shamefully.
He Shuns what is evil
3:7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and turn away from evil.
C. He is Humble not Proud
Proverbs 15:33 The fear of the Lord is the instruction for wisdom, And before honor comes humility.
D. He is Forgiving not Vindictive
Proverbs 19:11 A man’s discretion makes him slow to anger, And it is his glory to overlook a transgression.
Proverbs 10:12 Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all transgressions.
2. His Relationships
A. To the Lord
The Wise man fears the Lord
He Trusts in the Lord
Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.
Verse six shows us how a wise man is ever mindful of the Lord.
The wise man chooses the Lord over all
Proverbs 8:10-11 "Take my instruction and not silver, And knowledge rather than choicest gold.
The wise man accepts when God disciplines Him Proverbs 3:11-12 "For wisdom is better than jewels; And all desirable things cannot compare with her. My son, do not reject the discipline of the Lord Or loathe His reproof, 12 For whom the Lord loves He reproves, Even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights.
3. His Family
To His wife:
APT – Appreciates, Praises, and Trusts
A31:10An excellent wife, who can find?
For her worth is far above jewels.
P31:28Her children rise up and bless her;
Her husband also, and he praises her,
T31:11 The heart of her husband trusts in her,
And he will have no lack of gain.
To His Children
Loves them
Is concerned about them – Disciplines them when he has to
Trains them
22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go,
Even when he is old he will not depart from it.
4. His words
He realizes the Power of words
The power to crush or to heal
15:4 A soothing tongue is a tree of life, But perversion in it crushes the spirit.
Words are no substitute for deeds
14:23In all labor there is profit, But mere talk leads only to poverty.
The wise mans words are few not many
10:19 When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable,
But he who restrains his lips is wise.
The wise mans words are not:
Boastful; argumenitive; contentious; or gossip
They are words which display honesty integrity and the desire for that which is good.