Lesson 10
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Lesson 10
Our God
(KEY VERSES: PROVERBS 2:6–7; 3:5–6, 19–20; 5:21; 9:10; 14:31; 15:3; 16:4, 9; 19:21; 21:2, 12; 22:2; 24:11–12; 30:3)
Before you begin …
Getting Started
From the Commentary
We study the Word of God so that we might better know the God of the Word. The better acquainted we are with God, the more we become like Him and acquire the skills we need for life and service. “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding” (Prov. 9:10 NKJV). You can make a living without knowing many things, but you can’t make a life without knowing God.
If we read the book of Proverbs, or any book in the Bible, seeking only for doctrinal truth but ignoring God Himself, we’ll miss what the Holy Spirit wants to say to us and do for us. It would be like a child devoting hours to studying the family album but not spending time with his family, getting to know them personally.
—Be Skillful, page 191
1. Respond to this statement: “You can make a living without knowing many things, but you can’t make a life without knowing God.” How does Proverbs 9:10 support this statement? How can people study Proverbs (or any book of the Bible) and still miss out on knowing God? What is the key to finding true understanding in Scripture?
More to Consider: A. W. Tozer wrote, “It is impossible to keep our moral practices sound and our inward attitudes right while our idea of God is erroneous or inadequate.” What is your initial reaction to this statement? What are some of the ways Proverbs adds to our “right understanding” of God?
2. Read this week’s key verses (Prov. 2:6–7; 3:5–6, 19–20; 5:21; 9:10; 14:31; 15:3; 16:4, 9; 19:21; 21:2, 12; 22:2; 24:11–12; 30:3). Which of these verses is most meaningful to you? Explain.
Going Deeper
From the Commentary
According to Proverbs 9:10 and 30:3, God is “the Holy One” (NKJV); the word translated “holy” means “utterly different, wholly other.” God’s very nature is holy: “You shall be holy, for I am holy” (Lev. 11:44–45 NKJV; 19:2; 20:7, 26; 21:8, 15; 22:9, 16, 32; 1 Peter 1:16). “God is light and in him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5).
But we must not think of God’s holiness simply as the absence of defilement, like a sterilized surgical instrument. Nor is God’s holiness an inert, negative attribute. It’s something positive and active, His perfect nature accomplishing His perfect will.
Proverbs 21:12 calls God “the Righteous One” (NIV) or “the righteous God” (NKJV) and states that He judges the wicked for their wickedness. A holy God must be righteous in all His ways and just in all His dealings (24:11–12).
—Be Skillful, pages 192–93
3. In what ways is God’s holiness an active thing? Where do God’s children intersect with His holiness on a regular basis? Why must a holy God be righteous (24:11–12)?
From the Commentary
The fact that God is holy and just assures us that there are righteous principles that govern the universe and His dealings with us. As Dr. A. T. Pierson put it, “History is His story.” “The LORD works out everything for his own ends—even the wicked for a day of disaster” (Prov. 16:4 NIV). “Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails” (19:21 NIV). The Christian believer remembers Colossians 1:16: “All things were created by him [Christ], and for him.” Jesus Christ is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end of all things.
—Be Skillful, page 193
4. Why is it important for us to know that there will be a day of reckoning for the wicked (16:4)? If all things were created by Christ and for Him, what implications does this have for the way we live out our lives in the everyday?
From Today’s World
For many people, the “big bang” theory is an idea worth fighting for. This idea that the universe simply came to exist out of nothing is an important pivot point for supporting the theory of evolution. Science continues to seek answers to the origin of the universe, even as it sets forth the current ideas as factual. Meanwhile, Christians who believe God had something to do with the creation of the universe find themselves at odds with the world’s scientific theories.
5. How does the theory of the “big bang” affect a person’s belief about his or her purpose in life? How does God’s role in creation give each of us meaning and purpose? What are some ways we can see the fingerprints of God in our physical world? Why are so many people unwilling to see God’s role and instead, consider the very act of existence itself to be an accident?
More to Consider: Wiersbe writes, “Divine sovereignty doesn’t destroy human responsibility and turn humans into robots” (p. 194). What is your response to this statement? How can human responsibility and God’s sovereignty both exist at the same time?
From the Commentary
The sovereignty of God is one of the greatest motivations for Christian life and service, because we know that God is on the throne and controls all things. His commandments are His enablements, and “we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Rom. 8:28 NKJV). Instead of being a deterrent to evangelism, an understanding of divine sovereignty is a stimulus to biblical evangelism; for we are sure that God is “taking out” a “people for His name” (Acts 15:14 NKJV; see 18:1–11).
As sovereign Ruler over all things, the Lord sees and knows what’s happening, the thoughts, actions, words, and motives of all people. “For a man’s ways are in full view of the LORD, and he examines all his paths” (Prov. 5:21 NIV). “The eyes of the LORD are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good” (15:3 NIV). “The LORD weighs the hearts” (21:2 NKJV; see 17:3; 24:12). When God judges, He judges justly, whether He’s punishing the wicked or rewarding the righteous.
It’s encouraging to know that “the LORD reigns” (Ps. 93:1 NKJV) and that His righteous purposes will be fulfilled.
—Be Skillful, pages 194–95
6. The concept of God’s sovereignty can be difficult to grasp. To some it might even seem more like the role of 1984’s Big Brother than our loving Father. How do Proverbs 5:21 and 15:3 shed light on God’s sovereignty? What does it mean to Christians that the Lord reigns over all? How does this affect the way we ought to live?
From the Commentary
God’s tender compassion and concern are seen in His care of the poor and needy. Widows and orphans in Israel were especially vulnerable to exploitation and abuse, and God warned His people in His law to beware of mistreating them (Ex. 22:22; Deut. 10:18; 14:29; 26:12; 27:19).
“He who oppresses the poor reproaches his Maker, but he who honors Him has mercy on the needy” (Prov. 14:31 NKJV; see 17:5). “The rich and the poor have this in common, the LORD is the maker of them all” (22:2 NKJV). When the Savior came to earth, He identified with the poor and the outcasts (Luke 4:16–21; 2 Cor. 8:9), and God wants to show His compassion for them through His people. To harm the needy is to give pain to the heart of God.
—Be Skillful, pages 195–96
7. Jesus talks about ministering to the poor throughout the Gospels. Why is it significant that Solomon presents a similar message in Proverbs? What do these messages, taken together, tell us about how we ought to respond to poverty and to those who oppress the poor?
From the Commentary
One of God’s compassionate ministries to us is that of divine guidance. Proverbs 3:5–6 is a promise God’s people have been claiming for centuries, and it has never failed.… God expects us to assess a situation and get all the facts we can, but we must never lean on our own understanding. We must humble ourselves before Him and seek His direction in all things, and we must be sure that our motives are right.
But what if we make a mistake, as we’re all prone to do, and start to move in the wrong direction? “In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps” (16:9 NIV). “Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails” (19:21 NIV; see 16:33). If we sincerely want to know and obey God’s plan, the Lord will direct us and providentially guide our steps in ways that we may not understand.
—Be Skillful, page 197
8. Read Proverbs 3:5–6. Is it easy to trust in the Lord with all your heart? Why or why not? What are the things in the heart that tend to make this difficult? What does it mean that God will make our paths straight? Does this mean we won’t have trials or troubles? Explain.
From the Commentary
God has revealed His wisdom in creation. “By wisdom the LORD laid the earth’s foundations, by understanding he set the heavens in place; by his knowledge the deeps were divided, and the clouds let drop the dew” (Prov. 3:19–20 NIV). The astronomer watching a comet through a telescope and the biologist peering at a cell through a microscope are both discovering God’s wisdom, for scientific study is but the act of thinking God’s thoughts after Him.
—Be Skillful, page 198
9. Take a moment to consider the world around you, particularly nature (3:19–20). What clues do you find in God’s creation that reveal His wisdom? List some examples. In what ways is science “the act of thinking God’s thoughts after Him”?
More to Consider: Read Proverbs 21:30 and Job 12:13. What do these verses tell us about God’s providential ordering of events?
From the Commentary
God wants to share His wisdom with us, which, of course, is the emphasis of the book of Proverbs. “For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding; He stores up sound wisdom for the upright” (Prov. 2:6–7 NKJV). The first step in receiving God’s wisdom is trusting Jesus Christ and becoming a child of God. The world is frantically seeking the wisdom to know what to do and the power to be able to do it, and these are found only in Jesus Christ, “the power of God, and the wisdom of God” (1 Cor. 1:24).
—Be Skillful, pages 199–200
10. In what ways do you see the world searching for wisdom? What sources do they mine to find that wisdom? If the first step to receiving God’s wisdom is trusting Christ, what does that say about the role of the church today? How can your church help to open the minds and hearts of people in your community to the wisdom of God?
Looking Inward
Take a moment to reflect on all that you’ve explored thus far in this study of “Our God.” Review your notes and answers and think about how each of these things matters in your life today.
Tips for Small Groups: To get the most out of this section, form pairs or trios and have group members take turns answering these questions. Be honest and as open as you can in this discussion, but most of all, be encouraging and supportive of others. Be sensitive to those who are going through particularly difficult times and don’t press for people to speak if they’re uncomfortable doing so.
11. Recall a time when you weren’t trusting God. Where did you turn for wisdom to answer difficult questions? How is that different from the way you seek wisdom today? How does your relationship with Christ affect your ability to discover wisdom?
12. What is most difficult for you to understand about God’s sovereignty? If God sees all and knows all, how does that affect the way you choose to live? In what ways is the truth of God’s sovereignty comforting? In what ways might it be unsetthng?
13. How are you living out God’s command to take care of the poor? What are the practical things you’re doing today to reach out to those in need? How is doing this an example of being wise? What are other ways you can take action on the God-written wisdom found in Proverbs and other books of the Bible?
Going Forward
14. Think of one or two things that you have learned that you’d like to work on in the coming week. Remember that this is all about quality, not quantity. It’s better to work on one specific area of life and do it well than to work on many and do poorly (or to be so overwhelmed that you simply don’t try).
Do you need to learn more about God’s sovereignty? Do you need to put your wisdom into action? Be specific. Go back through the key verses in this lesson and put a star next to the phrase or verse that is most encouraging to you. Consider memorizing this verse.
Real-Life Application Ideas: Make a list of some of the most significant things you’ve learned throughout this study of Proverbs. Which of Solomon’s wise sayings have helped you to feel confident in your faith? Which have challenged you? Make a list of these and then spend time with your list and in prayer every day for the coming week. Ask God to continually reveal His wisdom to you through Scripture.
Seeking Help
15. Write a prayer below (or simply pray one in silence), inviting God to work on your mind and heart in those areas you’ve previously noted. Be honest about your desires and fears.
Notes for Small Groups: