Solomon’s Proverbs (Solomon): Who should you date? What career should you pursue? Where should you live? When should you have kids? There are so many big decisions in life. How do we make all these decisions in a way that honors God and is good for us, even if we don’t have specific direction from him? Wisdom. We need wisdom. In his lifetime, King Solomon wrote thousands of proverbs to help children (and adults!) grow in wisdom. Recorded on Oct 26, 2025, on Proverbs 3:1-20 by Pastor David Parks.
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This sermon is part of the Solomon: The Legacy of a King series. King Solomon was a complex man whose story started some 3,000 years ago, when David, his father, was the most powerful and successful king of ancient Israel. David’s reign brought peace, prosperity, and plans to build the temple before handing the kingdom to Solomon. How would King Solomon handle living in the shadow of his great father’s legacy? Would he learn to be a wise and godly king? Could he overcome the plotting of his enemies, the dysfunction of his family, and the temptations of virtually unlimited wealth, fame, and women? What would be his legacy? Solomon’s story is a vital part of the history leading up to the ultimate son of David and anointed king, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Sermon Transcript
Starting this fall and into the winter, we’re exploring the life of one of the most important ancient kings of Israel in a sermon series called Solomon: The Legacy of a King. Almost 3,000 years ago, Solomon was chosen by God to succeed his father, David, as the king. And we’ve been asking, “How would King Solomon handle living in the shadow of his great father’s legacy? Would he learn to be a wise and godly king? What would his legacy be?” Well, last week, we saw that when God appeared to the young King Solomon at Gibeon, God invited him to ask for anything he wanted. And Solomon asked for a discerning heart to listen to and obey God’s word, but also to truly listen to the needs of God’s people in order to govern wisely and administer justice. God was so pleased with this that he graciously poured out his wisdom on Solomon, which was one of the most valuable gifts he could’ve received. Why? Because think about it, there are all sorts of big decisions we need to make in life: who should you date; should you get married and if so, to whom; should you go to college and if so, then where; what should you study or what career should you pursue; where should you live, should you buy or rent; how much money should you spend, save, and give away; how many kids should you have and when should you have them; what kind of person should you be, how should you prioritize your time, and on and on. So many big decisions! But you know what? This might come as a shock, but the Bible doesn’t have specific answers for you on any of these big questions. Should I date this guy I met online? You won’t find a yes or no in the Bible; it’s not a magic 8-ball. And while God sometimes gives a clear yes or no in our spirits about certain things, most of the time, he doesn’t. So, as followers of Jesus, what are we supposed to do? How do we make all these big decisions in life in a way that honors God and is good for us, even if we don’t have specific direction from him? Wisdom. You need wisdom. Every day, we all make decisions that would benefit from God’s wisdom. Now, thankfully, God’s word is full of his wisdom, but we don’t become wise automatically or by osmosis. This takes work. We must search out the principles of God’s wisdom in God’s word and then apply them to all the complicated circumstances of life. But if we do this, then even the simplest among us can become wise and receive all the blessings true wisdom can bring. If you have your Bible/app, please open to Proverbs 3:1. If you aren’t sure where Proverbs is, you can always look it up in the table of contents. But the book of Proverbs is part of what’s known as the wisdom literature of the Bible. If you’re looking for wisdom, it’s a great place to start. Let’s jump in with v. 1.
Proverbs 3:1–2 (NIV), “1 My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, 2 for they will prolong your life many years and bring you peace and prosperity.” Let’s pause briefly here. Why is the book of Proverbs in the Bible? Clearly, one purpose of the book was to instruct children. Here and elsewhere, Solomon addresses these proverbs to his son. Now, according to the Bible, both parents are responsible for helping their kids grow up in every way — physically, emotionally, spiritually, morally, academically, and so on. Now, this doesn’t mean that parents are the only ones who teach/help kids mature — grandparents, aunts/uncles, teachers, mentors, pastors, and youth leaders are also very helpful. But it’s the parents’ responsibility to ensure their kids do, in fact, grow up to become productive members of society, to the best of their ability. This is what parenting is. It’s not about what your kids/grandkids do for you; it’s about helping them grow to maturity. Think about everything kids need to learn. Kids need to learn how to eat well, exercise, and be healthy. They need to learn how to learn, to work hard, and to gain knowledge. They need to learn how to handle their emotions and make friends. And they need to learn how to manage their money and be kind and courageous and honest and so many other things. But above all, kids need to learn who God is, what he has done for them in Christ, what it means to be made in his image, and how to walk through life in a way that honors him. Kids need to learn how to love God and love their neighbor as themselves. No one is born knowing all these things. They need to learn! But if they do learn. If they remember the good teaching of their parents and other godly men and women, and they keep the commands of God in their hearts, this wisdom will prolong their lives and bring many years of peace and prosperity. Now, wait a second, you might be thinking. I’ve tried to follow Jesus and be wise in my life, but I’ve had maybe even years of struggle and difficulties. This is an important point: the proverbs of God are not guarantees; they are more like guidelines for how life generally works in God’s world. Generally speaking, if you are wise, your life will go better than if you are foolish, amen? But this is a broken world. Sometimes fools prosper while the wise suffer. But again, generally, wisdom will help everything that you or anyone you love might put their hand to. We all need the book of Proverbs. So let’s get to it! As we continue, Solomon gives us six examples of how to be wise.
Proverbs 3:3-12 (NIV), “3 Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. 4 Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. 5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. 8 This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones. 9 Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; 10 then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine. 11 My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline, and do not resent his rebuke, 12 because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.” Solomon lists six examples here of how to be wise. And what are they again? We have love and faithfulness, then trust, humility, and generosity, and finally, learning to embrace the loving discipline of the Lord. Now, there’s so much we could say about each of these principles, so this will only be scratching the surface of the wisdom we can find in God’s word. But that’s ok! I believe God intended that we return again and again to the well of his wisdom, so that we might be refreshed and strengthened and learn different things in different seasons and situations throughout life. Wisdom isn’t one and done. It must form the foundation of everything we do, but it can also grow over time. So let’s briefly consider each of these six. The first two are love and faithfulness. “Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.” I love this imagery. Wear love and faithfulness like a necklace. Let them be inscribed on your heart like God inscribed the Ten Commandments on the tablets of stone for Israel. Wherever you go and whatever you do, make sure you bring love and faithfulness with you. A mature adult is a loving and faithful person. Do you really love all people? Even people who look/think/act/vote differently than you? Jesus said, “If you love those who love you, what reward will you get?” (Mt 5:46). We’re called to love even our enemies. But are you a faithful person, too? Can people rely on you? Do you follow through on your commitments? Are you trustworthy? If you are, other people will notice. Solomon says if you’re loving and faithful, then “you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.” This reminds me of what Luke wrote about Jesus as he grew up. “And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.” (Lk 2:52). When Jesus was a child, he learned to be loving and faithful — he learned to be wise, and others noticed. The third example of how to be wise is to “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” This is probably one of my favorite verses in the whole Bible. Trust in the Lord. This is about faith. Have faith in the one who created you and sustains you and who saved you through his son, Jesus Christ. Trust in God more than you trust in yourself, and your understanding of how your life should go. Trust in God more than you trust in your understanding of the timing of your life. God has never done anything to break/betray your trust. He loves you and wants you to be part of his family. You can trust him. But also, God is infinitely wise and good, and you are not, so you’d better trust him! “…in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” He won’t lead you astray. Listen to Jesus’ call to “Follow me.” So, to love, faithfulness, and trust, the fourth example of wisdom is humility. “Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil.” To be wise in your own eyes is a mark of pride. You think you’re wise. You trust your understanding of yourself, your life, and the world around you. If that’s the case, why would you need God? If you’re so wise, why would you need God’s word? But pride comes before a fall, which is why the Lord opposes the proud and gives favor to the humble. The Proverbs are clear: the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Now, this doesn’t mean we are supposed to be afraid of God. Through the work of Christ, God is our Father in heaven who loves us dearly. His love casts out unhealthy fear. Instead, the fear of the Lord is a reverent awe of the grandeur who of God is. It’s the feeling you get when you’re standing at the edge of the Grand Canyon or you’re looking up into the night sky and see the billions of galaxies out in space. It’s the feeling you get when you realize how truly small you really are in this universe — a universe that God spoke into existence. But if God made all this, then how great is he? He is limitless in power and glory! There is no one like him! You are finite. You are small. You need to take naps sometimes, and that’s ok. But the moment you come to terms with the fact that God is God and you are not, that humble realization is the beginning of wisdom. “This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.” Do you know how much physical and emotional stress comes when you are wise in your own eyes? So much anxiety, anger, depression, and loneliness come from pride. But a wise person is loving, faithful, trusting of God, and humble. Fifth, “Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.” This is about your priorities, of giving your best to God first, and then learning to live on the rest. How many of us use our wealth and other resources to do what we want to do in life, and then kind of see how much we have left over for God? That’s so messed up! Think about what God was willing to give to us when we needed to be saved? He gave us his one and only Son, Jesus Christ. And Jesus was willing to give his own life for us by dying on the cross for our sins. God gave us his best when we needed him the most. The least we can do is learn to be generous people in return for God’s generosity to us! But also, the way God designed this world is that there is a principle of sowing and reaping. Again, this isn’t a guarantee, but generally speaking, you reap what you sow. If you are stingy or greedy in what you give and invest for God’s kingdom, you will not reap much of a harvest. I love what the Apostle Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 9, about sowing and reaping. If you learn to be generous in this way, Paul says, “You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and…your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.” (2 Co 9:11). Wise people are generous people, toward God and others. Finally, sixth, “My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline, and do not resent his rebuke, 12 because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.” Hebrews chapter 12 expands this proverb in such a helpful way. If you understand that by faith in Jesus Christ, God becomes our Father who loves us as his adopted children, then it helps us face anything in life, even the hard times of life. Because our Father hasn’t lost track of us. He is teaching us. And it’s especially in those hard times, the times of struggle and pain, that we can learn the most. So don’t rush too quickly through times of pain. Stop and ask yourself, is God teaching me anything in this moment/season? Am I learning to be more loving or faithful, more trusting or humble or generous? Probably! That would be the best thing for me. But this is so different than the wisdom of our world. All six of these examples of godly wisdom are foreign to the wisdom of the world. This is just a completely different way to live. However, there is a wonderful blessing for those who trust the Lord enough to become wise.
Proverbs 3:13–20 (NIV), “13 Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding, 14 for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold. 15 She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her. 16 Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. 17 Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace. 18 She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her; those who hold her fast will be blessed. 19 By wisdom the Lord laid the earth’s foundations, by understanding he set the heavens in place; 20 by his knowledge the watery depths were divided, and the clouds let drop the dew.” This is God’s word. In the Proverbs, here and in chapters 8-9, wisdom is personified as a virtuous woman. Wisdom calls. She is a blessing. She offers so many rewards, and all her paths are peace. Our Big idea today is this: After the love of God, nothing in all the world is more helpful for life than the wisdom of God. You need wisdom. There are so many big decisions you need to make in life, decisions for your identity and behavior, at work and home, and everywhere in between. Last week, we asked what would be the most helpful thing for your life to ask from God. The answer is wisdom! Get wisdom! If you need wisdom, God has promised to give it to you; all you have to do is ask. But nowhere is the wisdom of God seen more than in the man, Jesus Christ. In the New Testament, wisdom isn’t just personified; it’s embodied in Christ, who is the very wisdom of God (1Co 1:24). In him all the fullness of God dwells. Jesus is the way and the truth and the life. And all the blessings of God, the blessings of the wise, are found in him. After the love of God, nothing in all the world is more helpful for life than the wisdom of God. Let us pray.
