Welcome to Week One of our Proverbs for Families Bible Study: What Is Wisdom?
Proverbs is a book of wisdom for everyday life. It speaks to making good decisions, working hard, choosing friends, and using our words well. King Solomon wrote most of it to train the next generation to live well in God’s world. Over the next seven weeks, we will lead our kids in building practical skills to live by God’s rules in God’s world.
Our kids face choices every day at school, on teams, at church, and at home. They need wisdom from God’s Word that transforms their minds and actions.
And we need the same thing: a fresh reminder of where wisdom comes from and how to walk in it, both as parents and as a family.
Note for Parents: Read the Bible passage and the devotional thoughts on your own first, and feel free to highlight and make notes as you go. Then gather your family for the questions, activity, and prayer.
Bible Focus
Read Proverbs 1:1-7
Read Bible Passage: Proverbs 1:1-7 “The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel: To know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight, to receive instructions in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity; to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth–Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance, to understand a proverb and a saying, the words of the wise and their riddles. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.”
Devotional Thoughts
Big Idea: Wisdom is knowledge applied to everyday life for the glory of God, and it begins with the fear of the Lord.
Solomon Wrote Proverbs
Verse 1 names King Solomon, and his story comes with a warning. Early in his reign, Solomon asked God for wisdom, and God gave him more than anyone before or after him (1 Kings 3). Later in life, he married hundreds of wives and began worshiping the idols they brought (1 Kings 11). The man who wrote the best words on wisdom stopped living by them.
Knowing the right way to live does not guarantee we will live it. Nobody finishes learning wisdom, and our kids will need it for life, just like we do.
What Wisdom Is
Wisdom is knowledge applied to everyday life for the glory of God. Facts matter, but a child can know the rule about sharing and still grab the toy. Wisdom takes what we know and puts it to work in the moment.
In verses 2 through 6, Solomon lists what Proverbs will teach us. Wise living means making skillful choices in daily life. Righteousness means doing what is right by God’s standard. Justice means treating people fairly. Equity means dealing honestly and evenly with everyone. These touch every part of family life, from how our kids treat their siblings to how they handle a hard day at school.
Wisdom is for everyone. Verse 4 says Proverbs gives prudence to the simple and discretion to the young, because kids have not lived long enough to see how God’s world works. Verse 5 says even the wise keep listening and keep learning. That includes us, parents.
The Fear of the Lord
Verse 7 gives us the starting line: the fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge. Fear here means awe and deep respect for someone strong and good. A child who fears the Lord trusts that God knows how His world works and that His rules protect us and bless us.
The same verse says fools despise wisdom and instruction. Each of us chooses whether to go after the wisdom God offers or ignore it, and that choice comes from the heart. Our natural hearts do not seek God’s wisdom, so we need Him to change them and open our eyes.
Jesus Is Our Wisdom
Solomon fell short, but Jesus did not. Jesus called Himself greater than Solomon (Matthew 12:42), and He lived out every word of Proverbs perfectly. Paul tells us Christ Jesus became wisdom for us from God (1 Corinthians 1:30), and Colossians 2:3 says Jesus holds all the treasures of wisdom.
Jesus already earned God’s love for us, so we pursue wisdom from a place of being loved. As we abide in Him, wisdom grows in our families the way fruit grows on a healthy branch.
Family Questions
These questions are meant to start a real conversation. Feel free to reword them for younger kids or let older ones sit with the harder ones a little longer.
What is wisdom, and how is it different from just knowing facts?
Solomon wrote most of Proverbs, but he did not always follow his own advice. What does that teach us about needing wisdom our whole lives?
Parents, explain that fearing the Lord means awe and trust, not being scared of something frightening. Why can that kind of fear be a good thing?
Why is it good to live by God’s rules in God’s world instead of doing whatever we want?
Family Activity: Wise or Foolish?
Read each scenario below and have your kids call it wise or foolish. After every answer, ask why. Add some scenarios of your own, especially ones from your kids’ daily lives.
- You bring your pet lizard to church in a backpack so he can learn about Jesus.
- You ask your parents before watching a new show because you want to honor their rules.
- You read a Proverb each morning before school to help you make good choices.
- You eat a spoonful of hot sauce to impress your friends.
- You sneak cookies out of the kitchen to “share” with your siblings.
When you finish, read the prayer below together.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you for giving us your wisdom in the Bible. Teach us to fear you and trust that your ways are good. Soften our hearts so we listen when you correct us. Thank you for sending Jesus, who lived with perfect wisdom and gave His life for us. Help us abide in Him and grow in wisdom as a family. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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