• context: prohibition about the way of the wicked in 13-22
• metaphor of physical eating
• beneficial consumption

• medicinal and magnificent (16:24)
• pleasing the palate of the soul

• the connective “so”
• outlook and appetite
• cause and consequences
• internalization and endless delight

• Nourish your soul with the honey of God’s word.
• A honey “salad” from the Psalms: 19:10, 119:41-48, 119: 97-104
• connection to Christ: Hebrews 12:1-3 and John 4:34
• “Sing them over again to me, wonderful words of life. Let me more of their beauty see, wonderful words of life.” (P. Bliss)

• ascription
• escalation

• internal control
• sovereign contingency

• paired with verse 32
• concord over consumption

• wise slave and shameful son
• possession over position
• omnicompetence of the ultimate Tester

• the case of the captured ear
• the liar and the mocker and their destiny
• clinging to truth and compassion

• Take your cues about aging from Scripture.
• Focus on finishing well to the glory of God.
• NT connection: 2 Tim. 4: 6-8 and Heb. 12:1-3

• fear of the LORD
• instruction in wisdom
• coupled with humility

• man proposes and God disposes
• the balanced scales of sovereignty
• the practice of self-suspicion
• embracing a precious promise

• comprehensive sovereignty
• arrogance that abominates
• fear and function

• Remember: what matters is what God thinks…
• The right kind of fear will keep you from the wrong kind of function.
• The first destination on the path of pleasing God is dependence.
• Connection to Christ: manifestation of atoning mercy and faithfulness
• “Worthy of reverence, worthy of fear, worthy of love and devotion; Worthy of bowing and bending of knees, worthy of all this and added to these…” (York)

• connection to 14:1-7 and the “how to” response to walking in wisdom
• distinct literary/poetic device: chiasmus (each of 8 verses paired with another)
• main idea: Because wisdom warns of the deceptive nature of appearances, navigate your course by faith and not by sight.

• discernment of the wise
• deception of the foolish

• the wise: making amends and receiving favor
• the foolish: rejecting restitution and receiving judgment

• the private nature of emotional experience
• the reality of mingled grief and joy

• the flourishing upright and the exterminated wicked
• the disaster of the seemingly right way

• Prize the preciousness of absolute truth.
• Cultivate the discipline of discernment.
• Connection to NT and Christ: 2 Cor. 4:1, 13-18
• “…And Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight…” (Spafford)

• call of wisdom 1-5
• consideration of wisdom’s existence 22-31
• contrast through personification
• God’s wisdom: perfectly factual knowledge + immediate and perfect situational insight + omnipotent resolve in all its forms
• main idea: Knowing that God’s wisdom brings lasting benefits, value it with increasing intensity.

• unmatched virtue
• incomparable value

• hatred of evil
• giving what She possesses

• benefits for those who love Her
• better than gold which stands the fire-test
• edifying and eternal wealth

• Treasure the revelation of God’s wisdom. Psa. 19:10-11
• Avoid obsession with the vanity and vexation of existence without wisdom. 1 Cor. 3:18-22
• Treasure the incarnation of God’s wisdom. 1 Cor. 1:20-25
• “Speak, O Lord, and renew our minds. Help us grasp the heights of Your plans for us. Truths unchanged from the dawn of time that will echo down through eternity…” (Getty)

• pay attention
• the internalization of wisdom

• from lip to lip
• from smooth to bitter
• trajectory of death

• avoid association
• impact: economic, social, physical, spiritual

• exclusive fidelity
• exquisite delight

• the LORD’S awareness
• the fatal consequence

• Make sure you get your wisdom from on high rather than from online.
• Connection to Christ: Eph. 5:22-33

• blessing of wisdom (13-18)
• reminder of the source of wisdom (19-20)
• main idea: Because God’s wisdom is the sole source of security, cling to it with humility.

• first of 7 “Do not” statements: Don’t lose sight…
• command: keep/guard wisdom
• consequence: security in all situations
• the security of sleep (Psa. 121:4)
• principle: those who keep are kept

• like a good neighbor…reliable kindness
• 5 more “Do not” statements
• consequence: blessing or cursing
• cultivation: the promise of grace for the humble (1 Pet. 5:5-11)

• “Sleep is a daily reminder from God that we are not God.” (Piper)
• “The habitual eyeing of the world keeps the feet on a slippery path.” (Lawson)
• connection to Christ: clothing ourselves with the humility of ultimate Wisdom (Phil. 2:5-11)
• “If you but trust in God to guide you and place your confidence in Him, you’ll find Him always there beside you to give you hope and strength within; for those who trust God’s changeless love build on the rock that will not move.” (Neumark)

• remembering and keeping the word of the LORD (1-4)
• humility and reverence before the LORD (7-8)
• main idea: Because your security depends on the LORD, depend on Him comprehensively.

• object: the LORD
• expression: trust
• extent: all your heart

• object: own understanding (Jer. 17:9)
• expression: do not lean
• exposure: insanity

• object: the LORD
• expression: acknowledge Him
• extent: all your ways
• assurance: paths made straight

• “One is foolish to rely on his own thimble of knowledge before its vast ocean or on his own understanding.” (Waltke)
• commentary from Jer. 9:23
• connection to Christ: 2 Cor. 1:20

• authorship
• purpose: instruction and application

• prudence, discretion and guidance

• fear of the LORD
• reverence/awe/obedience

• attention to instruction (8-9)
• acknowledgement of wrong influences (10-17)
• avoidance of self-ambush (18-19)
• despising or delighting?

• Because true knowledge and wisdom flow from the fear of the LORD, make sure it’s the lens through which you view life.
• “Does it exalt the Savior? Does it humble the sinner? Does it promote holiness?” (Simeon)
• connection to Christ: 1 Cor. 1:18-25
• comfort and challenge from Psa. 130:3-4