Wisdom Is The Principal Thing

Bible Study
Prov. 4:7

Wisdom is the Principal Thing

Prov. 4:7a

The principal thing…

*“principle” & “principal” – how we learned the difference.

Wisdom is the main thing. Homer at Bible Baptist in Florida (He’d sit on the front row… One time during offering… The world didn’t give it to me and it can’t take it away!) In our Bible believing churches, when the preacher is preaching and makes a good point, it’s not unusual for somebody to respond by saying, Amen! Homer would respond similarly to the preaching, but instead of saying, Amen, Homer would say, That’s the main thing! And it never seemed out of line when he said it either. And when I think about how the Bible speaks of wisdom as the principal thing, I think of it like Homer used to say… That’s the main thing! For wisdom is “the main thing”!

Now, of all the books in the world, the Bible is the wisdom book.

And of all the books in the Bible, Proverbs is the wisdom book.

The words wisdom & wise (in its various forms), occur 125 times in the book of Proverbs.
Compare that to the book of Psalms, which is the longest book in your King James Bible, but Psalms has less than 20 occurrences of wisdom along with the various forms of the word wise. Every chapter in the book of Proverbs contains at least one occurrence of one of those words. Wisdom is one of 3 closely related elements in the book of Proverbs.

Those elements are wisdom, knowledge & understanding. (Puzzle…)

Our text says Wisdom is the principal thing…

So you would expect that, since wisdom is the main thing, it would show up in its various aforementioned forms in Proverbs, more than either of the other words and their various forms… and it does. And in researching this fact, I discovered an interesting thing. The word understanding, along with the various forms of the word understand occur 66 times in Proverbs.The word knowledge, along with the various forms of the word know occur 66 times in Proverbs. And while I already told you that wisdom & wise (in its various forms), occur 125 times in the book of Proverbs. The word wise itself, occurs exactly 66 times! Coincidence? Decide for yourself… There are exactly 66 books in the Bible… THE Book that will equip you with the true wisdom, & knowledge, & understanding to get through life, and also prepare you for eternity.
Cf. “shewbread” – Lev. 24:1-6

66 books in the Bible… No Apocrypha!

As I said earlier, of all the books in the world, the Bible is the wisdom Book… And if you are going to get wisdom, you are going to have to get it from the Bible. The Bible is the word of God, and the Bible itself bears witness to the word of God being the wisdom of God. In Luke 11:49, Jesus, speaking about the word of God, instead said the wisdom of God.Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute: Now, further on Proverbs being the main wisdom book of God’s wisdom book, the Bible, let’s look right at the beginning of Proverbs and see the purpose of the book.

Prov. 1:2-3

Prov. 1:4 Note – wisdom, understanding & knowledge v. 2, 4

Note also v. 5-7, 20 – Wisdom & wise showing up 7 times in the first chapter of Proverbs.

Prov. 4:7-8

Since wisdom is the principal thing, the Bible tells us therefore get wisdom…If it’s the main thing, then you’d better make it a priority to get it. How does one get wisdom? Well, it starts with the fear of the Lord. Both Prov. 9:10 & Ps. 111:10 say The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom…People that don’t fear the Lord, don’t get wisdom. Not only is the fear of the Lord the beginning of wisdom, but Prov. 1:7 says The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction. People that don’t fear God, don’t seek to gain any knowledge of God. The fear of the Lord will drive you to the Bible to find out what God requires of you. The fear of the Lord will drive you to do what the Bible tells you to do so you can reap the benefit of being right with God, and avoid the consequences of not being right with God.
Now if you’re going to get the wisdom of God, you are also going to need to get Jesus!

I Cor.1:30 – Jesus is the personification of wisdom.

Rev. 5:1-5 And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.
{2} And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?
{3} And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.
{4} And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.
{5} And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.

The Lord Jesus Christ is the one who will open up the Bible to you so that it makes sense and you can apply it.

My son & father…

Prov. 1:8
Prov. 1:10
Prov. 1:15
Prov. 2:1
Prov. 3:1
Prov. 3:11
Prov. 3:21
Prov. 4:10
Prov. 4:20
Prov. 5:1
Prov. 6:1
Prov. 6:20
Prov. 7:1

John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: I John 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God… Prov. 4:1 Gal. 3:26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. More information on how to obtain wisdom is found in Prov. ch. 2

Prov. 2:1 – If… v. 5-6 – Then…

v. 1a – receive – Acts 17:11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

v. 1b – hide – memorize

v. 2a – incline

v. 2b – apply – Jas. 1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

v. 3 – weeping & fervent prayer, as in “Cry aloud…”

James 1:5-6 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
{6} But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

v. 4 – seekest her as silver –

Lk. 15:8 Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it?

Cf. also – Job 28:1 – silver

Job 28:1 Surely there is a vein for the silver, and a place for gold where they fine it.

I mentioned earlier that there are 125 refs to the words wisdom & wise (in its various forms) in the book of Proverbs. That’s more than all the references to those words in the entire New Testament.

I point this out again here to show you that Proverbs is a vein of silver with nuggets waiting to be mined out of it.

Hid treasures – Study the map, search & dig.

v. 5-6

v. 7 – the righteous – Job 28:28; Ps. 19:9

Job 28:28 And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.

Jas. 3:17a – 1st pure…

NOTE also in James – 2 types of wisdom

Jas. 3:13-17 Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.
{14} But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.
{15} This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
{16} For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.
{17} But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

I Cor. 3:19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.

Prov. 17:16 Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a fool to get wisdom, seeing he hath no heart to it?

I Cor. 1:22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:

So all the college fraternities & sororities use Greek letters to identify themselves Phi Beta Kappa; Delta Tau Sigma; etc.

Most of these folks are “Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” because they don’t believe the Bible.

Prov. 4:9

I Pet. 5:1-4 The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:
{2} Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;
{3} Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.
{4} And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.

Prov. 8:11 For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.

I Sam. 30:24-25 For who will hearken unto you in this matter? but as his part is that goeth down to the battle, so shall his part be that tarrieth by the stuff: they shall part alike.
{25} And it was so from that day forward, that he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel unto this day.

Ps. 68:11-12 The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those that published it.
{12} Kings of armies did flee apace: and she that tarried at home divided the spoil.
Prov. 8:17 I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.

v. 17 – Early in life; early in the day.

Matt. 6:33

Cf. Jesus Mk. 1:35 And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.
v. 36 And Simon and they that were with him followed after him.

Prov. 8:18 Riches and honour are with me; yea, durable riches and righteousness.

– John 6:27 Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life…

Luke 16:11 If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?

Prov. 8:19-21 My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; and my revenue than choice silver.
{20} I lead in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgment:
{21} That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasures.

Col. 3:24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.

Matt. 6:19-20 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
{20} But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:

Eccl. 9:16 …Wisdom is better than strength…Eccl. 9:18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war…

Prov. 21:20 There is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise;

Prov. 3:13-18 Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.
{14} For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.
{15} She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her.
{16} Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour.
{17} Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.
{18} She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her.

You should desire wisdom.

You should seek wisdom.

You should obtain wisdom.

And wisdom is desirable & wisdom is obtainable and it is retainable.

Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom…