Proverbs #3 – Study Questions
Hold Tight to Wisdom
Proverbs 4:1-27 (CGS#3)
INTRODUCTION: Have you ever set your heart on something? Or maybe you’ve had a heart-to-heart conversation with someone so that you could get to the heart of a matter. Or it might be possible that you had to take heart in a moment when you were about to lose heart over something that happened in a heartbeat. I’m sure by now you can see what I’m getting at and the role the heart plays in our everyday conversations and communication. There are at least twenty phrases that involve the concept of the heart that come to my mind, six of which were used above. How many come to your mind? Is there one that you use frequently or hear often? Why do you think that we lean into the language of the heart so easily and often? Personally, I think it is because of the heart’s role in our own bodies. It is central and critical. Without it, we cannot live. While it is so central, it is also something that functions and works without most of us giving it a second thought. There is something essential, profound, and very normal about the heart. And so we have all sorts of expressions and phrases that utilize it to help us make a point.
We are not alone in this expressive language. The author of Proverbs also speaks of the centrality and importance of the heart. We’ve heard in chapters two and three about the role the heart plays in the retention and application of wisdom. In 4:4, the heart once again comes up, “Let your heart hold fast my words; keep my commandments, and live.” And then in 4:21 & 23, “Let them not escape from your sight;
keep them within your heart. … Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” See, the “heart,” in the perspective of ancient wisdom literature, is not too far off from how we understand it today. In one sense, the heart is the center of a person’s character in the Old Testament. Often, the Hebrew word for “heart,” leb, can be translated as “mind” as well as heart. Lebab is a synonym of leb, both words together occur 850 times in the Old Testament. The Old Testament authors do not focus on the physical heart. Instead, they speak of the spiritual heart—the heart that needs to be renewed and cleansed by God.[1] We’ve said it this way in our Proverbs series, God doesn’t just want our behavior to be modified; he wants to transform and renovate our hearts. Jesus himself said it this way, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water’ ” (John 7:37, 38).
Proverbs continues to remind us that while it is God and God alone who transforms the heart, we must cooperate with him in that transforming work. I.e., It won’t happen accidentally or without purposeful responsiveness. Provers will now introduce a third reality to our transformation, it can be gained and lost. Let me be clear, we are not talking about our salvation. That cannot be lost (1 pet. 1:4). But when it comes to our growth in wisdom, it is entirely possible for us to gain wisdom and then not keep it. We hear the Proverbs telling us to “hold fast,” “keep hold,” “guard it,” “don’t let go,” keep with all vigilance,” and “ponder the path of your feet.” If our hearts are the center of our being, once they have been transformed we should not easily let go of that change. We will be tempted, but we must hold fast to wisdom if we yearn to be faithful people demonstrating what it means to be fully alive in Christ. God loves us, and desires for us to live in the goodness of wisdom, so he provides everything we need. But, he’ll never force us.
GETTING STARTED – As a group, take time to answer this question. What is something that you worked hard for but then, over time, lost because of the effort or strain of keeping it?
IN THE WORD – Let’s dig back into the passage(s). It is important to strengthen our muscles in reading God’s Word. On Sunday, we walked through the passage in the sermon. Hopefully, that helped you to see the landmarks of the passage with fresh eyes. Now, with your group, go back through it and see what God is saying to you specifically.
First, before you read the passage, take a moment to ask God’s Spirit to quiet your mind and heart and to illuminate the text to you. Second, read the passage aloud to the group. Then, follow the simple method below. (O.P.A)
Observe: Make 8-10 observations from the passage. Pay close attention to observe and note repeated words and phrases, names, places, and themes.
Principles: From your list of observations, what patterns or big ideas do you see emerging? Can you distill it down into 2-4 big idea truths?
Apply: Moving from your list of principles, it is time to apply God’s Word. Remember, we believe that God’s Word is living and active and that it can change the way we live Monday- Friday. What is one tangible way to apply a truth from your list above?
Note: Another way to approach your time together is to talk through the following questions.
- What did you hear God’s Spirit say to you through the passage this week? How does it encourage you? How does it sharpen you?
- Is there an image, word, or picture that stands out to you in the passage from this week, and what about it is powerful or helpful?
- What are some of the things that you tend to set your heart on throughout the week? How are those things helping or distracting you from “holding fast” to wisdom?
- “Keep all vigilance” is a strong phrase. What are some markers of a person that embodies this? Don’t just think morally. Consider what practices and rhythms are in place in their life.
- What rhythms and practices do you need to intentionally pursue in order to gain wisdom and to hold fast to it? Consider the practices of Scripture reading and study, prayer, community, and serving. Also, consider what things you might need to abstain from in order to hold fast to wisdom.
[1] Eugene E. Carpenter and Philip W. Comfort, Holman Treasury of Key Bible Words: 200 Greek and 200 Hebrew Words Defined and Explained (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2000), 84.