Sermons on Proverbs
Proverbs 8:22-31
In Proverbs 8:22-31 Solomon continues his description of Wisdom. Here we see Wisdom’s relationship to creation. Amazingly, Wisdom is described as being prior to creation and related to God as one begotten of him. This passage has been extraordinarily important in the history of the church, particularly during the Arian controversy. The passage shows that Wisdom is a person, the Son of God, equal with the Father, existing before creation as the eternal God. This is the one who calls…
Proverbs 8:12-21
When considering a person’s exhortation to follow them, one of the most important considerations is the nature of the person making the call. After describing the call of Wisdom in Proverbs 8:1-11, Solomon now describes who Wisdom is and how she operates in the world. Wisdom is righteous and good, possessing wisdom herself. She is the one by whom kings rule and the one who rewards those who love her with blessings. Such is the glory of the one making…
Proverbs 8:1-11
In Proverbs 8:1-11 Solomon records the call of Wisdom, the eternal Son of God, which is contrasted with the call of the adulteress in the previous chapter. This call has gone out to all the earth in the preaching of the gospel. The words of Christ are pure, true, and righteous, and those who are wise find them to be so. Do not neglect Wisdom’s call.
Proverbs 7:1-27
In Proverbs 7:1-27 Solomon gives his final exhortation against the sin of adultery. Here the emphasis is on an incident he saw where a young man was tempted and fell into sin. Solomon exhorts us to learn from the example of others who have been destroyed by sin. In a world where examples of the destructive nature of sexual sin are abundant, the wise would do well to notice the end of such sins and to avoid them by the…
Proverbs 6:20-35
In Proverbs 6:20-35 Solomon gives another warning against the sin of adultery, even saying that adultery is worse than other forms of sexual sin. Adultery is by its very nature destructive. Flee this sin. Turn to Christ.
Proverbs 6:12-19
In Proverbs 6:12-19 Solomon describes the wicked. Whereas the godly devote every part of themselves to godliness, the wicked devote themselves to ungodliness. As such they are opposed by God since they do the things He hates.
Proverbs 6:6-11
In Proverbs 6:6-11 Solomon speaks about the sin of laziness. Hard work is a virtue that Christians ought to strive for. Solomon explains how nature itself teaches this: the ant works hard to store up food even without anyone telling them they need to.
Proverbs 6:1-5
In Proverbs 6:1-5 Solomon speaks about the danger of putting up security for a stranger. The reason this is dangerous is because people are sinful. Belief in the general goodness of mankind is pervasive, but it is also wrong and leads to foolish decisions.
Proverbs 5:15-20
In Proverbs 5:15-20 Solomon encourages his son to rejoice in the wife of his youth rather than go after an adulteress. Sexual intimacy in marriage is a good thing to pursue and is a check against sexual sins.
Proverbs 5:1-14, 21-23
In Proverbs 5:1-14, 21-23 Solomon warns against the adulteress who tempts young men to sin. Though sexual sins appear tempting, they lead to death. The wise are able to understand this and live in the fear of the Lord.
Proverbs 4:20-27
“Religion is mainly in the affections” (Richard Sibbes). God wants the heart. In Proverbs 4:20-27 Solomon tells his son to keep his heart above all else. Let your heart be reserved for God. You have been betrothed to one bridegroom, O Christian. Let your heart and everything else be devoted to God.
Proverbs 4:10-19
Just as God separated light from darkness on the first day of creation, so too there are two paths: one of light and one of darkness. These two paths lead to different places. The way of light leads to life, the way of darkness leads to death. In Proverbs 4:10-19 Solomon exhorts his son to stay on the path of life.