A New Year!
A New Quarter!

Another practical book of the Bible is being studied.
The book of PROVERBS

http://ssnet.org/lessons/15a/less01.html

Proverbs Introduction: Words of the Wise

by: Jacques Doukhan

....Brief, well-balanced, poetic, salty, and often humorous, the proverbs are universal, are easy to memorize, and make their points well, sometimes even more efficiently than do eloquent speeches and rigorous argumentation.....

The book of Proverbs is a witness to the wisdom that had been accumulated over generations. Its human authors are referred to as King Solomon (Prov. 1:1–9:18, Prov. 10:1–22:16, Proverbs 25–29); as nonidentified “wise men” from the ancient Near Eastern world (Prov. 22:17–24:22 and Prov. 24:23–34); and as the non-Israelite Agur (Prov. 30:1-33). The book even acknowledges King Hezekiah’s editorial contributions (Prov. 25:1). In some cases, too, the book reflects ancient Near Eastern texts, especially those from ancient Egypt.

Yet the book of Proverbs is the Word of God, because it was under divine inspiration that the authors pulled their materials together. Although God is rarely explicitly mentioned in the texts, He is always present: wherever we are in the marketplace, or as we speak, eat, drink, work, buy, sell, socialize, and love, the Lord is there. The God of Proverbs is not just the God of a religious person, whether a priest or a worshiper in the pew. Godliness is here put into working clothes.

The book of Proverbs also teaches about what it means to fear God (Prov. 1:7, Prov. 31:30), not just in church but as we go about our daily lives, because the way we live speaks louder than the way we preach, pray, or even sacrifice (Prov. 28:9, Prov. 15:8).

In Proverbs “wisdom” is revealed when you acknowledge the Lord “in all your ways” (Prov. 3:6, NKJV); that is, wisdom is living in faith and in obedience; it’s about what it means to be human before the God of Creation.

From the book of Proverbs we will learn how to be wise, but concretely, in practical ways. The book answers such questions as What and how should I teach my children? How can I be happy and successful? Why do I have money problems? How can I get a promotion in my job? How can I resist sexual temptations? How should I cope with my anger or my tongue?

Finally, wisdom isn’t necessarily intellectual might. On the contrary, the one who is sure of his or her brainpower is in the most danger of playing the fool, because even the smartest person knows so little. One may think of oneself as already wise and therefore as having no need to seek more knowledge. The prerequisite for wisdom is, instead, to be humble, to feel our need and then to ask for wisdom.

Proverbs is deep and rich, and it deals with many topics. Given the limitations of space, we’ve had to pick and choose which material we could cover. We can’t cover it all, but all that we have is, indeed, worthy of our prayerful study.

Lesson One
The Call of Wisdom
http://ssnet.org/lessons/15a/less01.html

Memory Text: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Proverbs 1:7, NKJV).

Read Proverbs chapters 1-3

Questions:

What is wisdom?

What is "the fear of the Lord"?

How do these two concepts relate one to another?

We are told to love God and also to fear Him. How do these two concepts relate to our experience with the Lord?

What is "the fear of the Lord"?

"The fear of the Lord has nothing to do with the superstitious and childish fear of divine punishment. Instead, it should be understood as the acute consciousness of God’s personal presence at all times and everywhere." (Sunday)

From EGW:

"Their (Daniel and his three friends) education was not after that of Sodom and Gomorrah, to the exclusion of all true religion. These youth had been brought up in homes where they were taught to fear the Lord. And this early education was to them the means of their preservation. The lessons learned in their earliest years were the means of their remaining uncorrupted in the courts of Babylon. The truth was truth to them. Its principles were stamped upon their hearts. It was understood by them that "with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." The first and great commandment, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind," was truth to them, and it was obeyed. {RH, January 10, 1899 par. 11}

In this quote the "fear of the Lord" is defined as a true religious experience.
Truth of God is "stamped upon heart and mind".
It includes total obedient love for God with all the heart, mind and soul.

Here is the Inspired quote--

The education that these four youth had received was not after the order of the worldly schools, but according to the design of God. The school in which they had been educated was not after the order of the schools that existed before the flood,—schools in which nature was worshiped above the God of nature, in which infidel sentiments prevailed, and the ideas of God were cloudy and obscure.

Their education was not after that of Sodom and Gomorrah, to the exclusion of all true religion. These youth had been brought up in homes where they were taught to fear the Lord. And this early education was to them the means of their preservation. The lessons learned in their earliest years were the means of their remaining uncorrupted in the courts of Babylon. The truth was truth to them. Its principles were stamped upon their hearts.

It was understood by them that “with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” The first and great commandment, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind,” was truth to them, and it was obeyed. (RH,Jan. 10, 1899)

It may have been a convenient oversight by Dedication but the (quoted part) she added should have been called out as her addition. She presumptuously ignored that important humble declaration.Just saying for the record.

Not sure what GLL is talking about.

This thread is for discussion of the quarterly not simply to reproduce it.
That's why a link is included so anyone can read the full quarterly for themselves, then share ideas on it.

Or is GLL distressed because I didn't quote MORE paragraphs from EGW?
I have no problem if you want to read the paragraph prior to the ones I quoted -- you can read the whole article -- that would probably be a great idea.

Still on Sunday's lesson--

The Beginning of Wisdom

The lesson points out that
"the first lesson of wisdom, then, deals with understanding that God is our Creator, the One who gives us life and breath, and that He is always present — a God of love, and justice, and redemption (John 3:16, Ps. 89:14, Heb. 9:12)." (Sunday)
(for further reading of lesson see http://ssnet.org/lessons/15a/less01.html

How does understanding the reality of the creation story enable us to have "wisdom"?

It has been pointed out in numerous studies that a persons' "worldview"-- that is his concept of reality, why he exists, how things operate, the limits of what is possible and impossible -- is very much affected by whether he believes in a literal Creation or if he believes in evolution.

The doctrine of creation is the starting point of the Bible and of the Christian faith. It is repeated throughout Scripture. All Christian doctrine is ultimately derived from it.

Evolution makes the created his own master and designer of his own destiny, it releases him from any obligation to the Creator, it casts aside any notion that the troubles of this world are caused by sin, and thus negates any need for a Savior. It denies the fall of mankind, and his need for restitution. It denies the presence of absolute standards or righteousness, and reduces morality to "whatever works". It promises human evolution advancing into a super human race.
In a nutshell, it attempts to see the human as "god", following the deceivers lie from Eden -- "you shall be as gods".

Right here we can see that rejecting the foundation building stone of truth that God is our Creator causes a persons whole world view to be changed. By rejecting God as the Creator he robs himself of all true knowledge and wisdom.

Monday's lesson
True Education

Read Proverbs 1:8–19. What two contrasting ways of education are presented in these verses? What’s the basic message here, not just for parents, but for everyone who fears the Lord?
for further reading of lesson see http://ssnet.org/lessons/15a/less01.html


These two verses from the Bible reading have two contrasting words:
"My son, hear the instruction of thy father,"
"My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not"

Parents are to prayerfully, lovingly, consistently instruct their children in a knowledge of God and His righteous ways.

On the other hand sinners entice attempting to beguile the children in joining them in the destructive pleasures and theories of the world.

More than ever before it is difficult for young people to stay on the strait and narrow way. There are so many time consuming distractions it is nearly impossible to hear the "still small voice" pleading "This is the way, walk ye in it." Meditation is so important. Silence is golden.

From Wednesday:

This implies that conversion comes in stages, which I never thought about that way before.