King James Bible Study – [And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. – Mark 8:34]
Date: Wednesday, June 3, 2026
Chapters: Proverbs 1-3
Message: Proverbs: Understanding Proverbs
Hello My Friend,
Proverb — A short, memorable sentence often repeated, expressing a well‑known truth or a common fact proven by experience or observation. A concise maxim of wisdom. Maxim — An established principle or guiding statement; a truth generally received and acknowledged as sound. Wisdom — The right and righteous use of knowledge; the ability to apply truth in a way that honors God and leads to right action. Knowledge — A clear and certain perception of what is real, true, and factual.
A proverb is a short and memorable saying, often repeated, that expresses a well‑known truth or a fact proven through experience and observation. Each proverb functions as a maxim, an established and trusted principle that has been received as true across generations. Such maxims rest upon wisdom, which is the right and faithful use of knowledge. And knowledge itself is the clear and certain perception of what is real, true, and grounded in fact. When we enter the book of Proverbs, we step into knowledge that reveals truth, wisdom that applies truth, and maxims that preserve truth, [Proverbs 2:10 When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul;]
The Book of Proverbs, contains thirty-one chapters, all but one book is penned by King Solomon, the timeline is about 990 to 995 BC. The book was first written to the Jews, but these truths are addressed to all believers. The purpose of the book is to teach wisdom, instruction, and correction to all who fear God. What we are to learn from it is that, God teaches us wisdom, instruction, and correction so that we learn to lean on His understanding and not our own, [Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.]
As we begin our reading of Proverbs, the sayings may at first appear to be a collection of scattered thoughts. Yet the more we study them, the more we see how perfectly they fit together, each one placed with purpose and in divine order. We read in I Kings that Solomon spoke three thousand proverbs, many of which are gathered here, and that he composed even more songs than proverbs. His wisdom overflowed into every form of expression God gave him. Solomon, concluded that wisdom comes first comes by fearing God.
[Proverbs 1:1-7 The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel; 2 To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding; 3 To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity; 4 To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion. 5 A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels: 6 To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings. 7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.]
Those whom have an open heart to hear what God has to say will come to understand that the wisest decision they ever made was receive His Son as their Saviour. And you do not have to be a genius to be wise, you just have to be learnable. We get wisdom by understanding the knowledge that we receive from the wise and more often than we realize the unwise. There is no better persuasion to seek God’s will then the fear of what happens when the unwise are not, in particular their sin. Of course, we do not always know what is sinful to God so we are encouraged not to even associate ourselves with sinners.
[Proverbs 1:8-12,15-19 My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother: 9 For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck. 10 My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not. 11 If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause: 12 Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit: 15 My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path: 16 For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood. 17 Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird. 18 And they lay wait for their own blood; they lurk privily for their own lives. 19 So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; which taketh away the life of the owners thereof.]
These are not the everyday sinners that we all are by nature; these are the truly wicked—those whose intent is to draw hearts away from God. Their only agenda is to pull others into the same darkness they have chosen. Their feet run swiftly toward evil, and if we walk beside them, they will carry us right along with them, [II Corinthians 6:14,17-18 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.]
Unbelievers include not only those who openly reject Christ, but also those who follow teachings that claim the name of “Christian” yet lead people into sin. Many read the Bible, but few truly understand it, for understanding comes only through the Spirit of God dwelling within. God will not be mocked, nor does He respond to those who approach Him with skepticism or with no intention of submitting to His Word. As we read through the Proverbs, we must pay close attention to who is truly speaking. These short, powerful sentences may bear Solomon’s name, but their wisdom does not originate with him alone, they are breathed out by God Himself.
[Proverbs 1:20-26 Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets: 21 She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying, 22 How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge? 23 Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you. 24 Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; 25 But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: 26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;]
God, is being sarcastic here, He makes salvation simple, and makes victory over sin and the pursuit of His will clear for anyone who truly desires Him. But if people choose to mock His wisdom, He allows them to fall into the very delusions they preferred over His truth.
[Proverbs 1:27-32 When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. 28 Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me: 29 For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD: 30 They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. 31 Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices. 32 For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.]
Wow! Think about it, God, is the one who simplifies everything, His commands are not grievous, and yet religion complicates it with all these rules and laws that have nothing to do with salvation. Jesus said it this way, [Matthew 5:17,19-20 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.]
Since there is no amount of righteousness that can save a persons soul, our only option is to turn to Jesus. It is usually when people are at their lowest level that they seek God in the first place, but these are what God considers as reprobates, they are beyond the hope of salvation. God, is no respecter of persons, but Hew will only save those who come to Him sincerely, [Romans 2:9-11 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; 10 But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: 11 For there is no respect of persons with God.]
There are two kinds of fear: one of reverence and one of terror. There is the fear that honors God, a deep respect for who He is and a willingness to submit to His authority. Then there is the fear that drives people away from Him, a terror that convinces them that God is only waiting to strike them down. When I was growing up, I lived under that kind of fear. I believed that if I made one mistake, God would strike me down, so I saw no reason to draw near to Him. I had no idea what it truly meant to have God in my life. But thank God for His mercy, He revealed the truth to me. God is merciful, but no one can expect Him to work mightily in their life while clinging to rebellious sin. Yet even in His holiness, His desire is a relationship with us and asks for the same respect we ourselves long for in those we love.
[Proverbs 2:1-9 My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; 2 So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; 3 Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; 4 If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; 5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. 6 For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. 7 He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly. 8 He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints. 9 Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path.]
This is where the Godhead comes into view. First, God gives us every bit of knowledge we possess through His Word. Second, Jesus is the One through whom we must come in order to reach God. And third, once we receive Christ as our Saviour, the Holy Spirit begins to give us wisdom through that knowledge. God’s wisdom far surpasses the wisdom of man, and the sooner we acknowledge that, the more fully and fruitfully we will live in this life. True wisdom understands that salvation is not a license to continue in sin, but a call to live a virtuous life.
[Proverbs 2:11-17,21-22 Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee: 12 To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things; 13 Who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness; 14 Who rejoice to do evil, and delight in the frowardness of the wicked; 15 Whose ways are crooked, and they froward in their paths: 16 To deliver thee from the strange woman, even from the stranger which flattereth with her words; 17 Which forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God. 21 For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it. 22 But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it.]
God, is not merely referring to a man caught in sin with an adulterous woman here. Sin does not require an intimate relationship to entangle us. Any one of us can step directly into the devil’s path if we are not watchful. This can happen through work, religion, social circles, or business dealings, any place where temptation meets a careless heart. And it takes only one transgression for life to turn completely upside down. Yet the beauty of walking with God is that repentance goes a long way. The moment we turn back to Him, He sets our feet again on His path. Our goal in reading God’s Word is not simply to acknowledge His existence; it is to know Him personally, to understand His heart, and to walk in His ways.
[Proverbs 3:1-7 My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: 2 For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee. 3 Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: 4 So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man. 5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. 7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.]
Leaning on our own understanding is what gets us into trouble in the first place. Do you know how often memories from my past come flooding back when I pray? Almost daily. I do not dwell on them, they simply remind me where my own understanding once led me, and what Jesus did to turn my life around. And this is why reading the Bible only once will never be enough. God’s Word must be a constant part of our lives, and it must be applied, not merely acknowledged, [Romans 2:12-13 For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; 13 (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.]
Faithful Christians are not always going to make wise decisions. In fact, there are many times when we get caught up in a moment and make rash choices simply because we did not stop to think or seek God before acting. Yet it is God’s grace and His truth that bring us back on track and restore us to His will. When we look to Him instead of leaning on our own understanding, He directs our path. And when we walk in His wisdom, He steadies our steps so that we do not stumble.
[Proverbs 3:11-17,21-23 My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction: 12 For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth. 13 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. 21 My son, let not them depart from thine eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion: 22 So shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace to thy neck. 23 Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble.]
Just imagine what applying God’s wisdom to every area of our lives will accomplish. It brings long life, true riches, and honor far beyond anything we could ever measure, and I do not mean earthly possessions. Above all, it anchors us in the greatest treasure of all: eternal life for our soul, [Ephesians 3:19-21 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. 20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, 21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.]
Again, the wisest decision we will ever make is receiving Christ as our Saviour. But once we do, and once we approach His Word with a willing heart, something begins to happen. We start to hear what He is saying. We begin to understand His ways. And even His chastening becomes a blessing.
[Proverbs 3:25-27,30-33 Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh. 26 For the LORD shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken. 27 Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it. 30 Strive not with a man without cause, if he have done thee no harm. 31 Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways. 32 For the froward is abomination to the LORD: but his secret is with the righteous. 33 The curse of the LORD is in the house of the wicked: but he blesseth the habitation of the just.]
We need to stop leaning on our own confidence because it will definitely lead us out of God’s will. We need to stop leaning on our own confidence, because it will always lead us out of God’s will. But when we choose to do everything for the glory of God, something beautiful happens, everything else begins to fall into place, [I Corinthians 10:29-31 Conscience, I say, not thine own, but of the other: for why is my liberty judged of another man’s conscience? 30 For if I by grace be a partaker, why am I evil spoken of for that for which I give thanks? 31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.]
Today’s Prayer: God, When our minds are constantly bombarded with all sorts of doubts, guilt, or anger, we can lose sight of the fact that You are in control and know the path that we should take. Thankfully You are full of mercy and grace to help us when we lean on our own understanding, and guide us back to Yours. Thank You, for Your wisdom and showing us how to take the knowledge You gave us and use it for Your glory. We may not always understand it, but when we take the time to study Your Word, receive it, and obey it, then You will give us everything we need and then some. Lord, Lead us and guide us, give us Your mercy, and grace, direct our paths, and show Yourself mighty in our lives for all to see. Keep us mindful to honor our substance and give You glory for everything that we are about to receive. I ask these things in Your name, Jesus, Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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