Proverbs; Song Of Songs - Newhopebc

USING THIS GUIDE TO LEADBEFORE THE GROUP TIME1. Study the core passage.Start preparing early. Read the passage, listing people, places, key words, key phrases,and actions taken. Use the commentary included in the Explore the Bible Leader Guide,the Explore the Bible Adult Commentary, and Biblical Illustrator to discover informationabout the items you listed. Write a summary of the truths you discovered using thestatement printed under the session title of each session as a starting place.2. Create a group time plan.Identify the main idea of the session. Craft a group plan that helps the group discoverand respond to the main idea. Consult the Group Plans in the Explore the Bible LeaderGuide (includes ideas for using the Personal Study Guide). Identify ways to focus thegroup’s attention, explore the text, summarize the lesson, and challenge the group.For additional ideas or questions, consult QuickSource and Explore the BibleExtra (identifies a current event to introduce and conclude the lesson, found atgoExploreTheBible.com/AdultLeaderExtras). Review the Explore the Bible Leader Packitems, determining how to best use them in your group’s setting.3. Gather and review.Use the list in the Gather the Following Items list on the first page of each session asa starting place. Make sure you have additional copies of the Explore the Bible PersonalStudy Guide for anticipated guests.DURING THE GROUP TIME4. Arrive early.Make sure you are the first person to arrive. Pray as you set up the area. Greeteveryone as participants arrive and focus their attention on the Bible study.5. Lead the group in a time of Bible study.Use the plan you created, recording notes along the way to help you remember howthe group responded. Remember, every group experience takes a few unexpectedtwists and turns; be flexible.AFTER THE GROUP TIME6. Evaluate and Record.Review Practice for ideas to encourage the group to put into practice the truthsdiscovered. Record prayer requests and other insights you gained about the group andspecific participants. Use these notes to help you be a better teacher in the future.7.8Start preparing to lead the next group time.E x pl or e t h e B i bl e L e a de r G u i de 2020 Life Way Christian Re so urce s

MEETING THE EXPLORE THE BIBLEFAMILY OF ADULT RESOURCESCORE RESOURCESUse the Daily Discipleship Guide or PersonalStudy Guide & Leader Guide as the core resourcefor your group.Additional Leader HelpsAdult CommentaryProvides additional insight intothe passages studied.Daily Discipleship GuideResource for both the groupmembers and the group leader.An alternative to the PersonalStudy Guide/Leader Guidemodel. Includes key words,commentary and questions forthe group, daily Bible readingsfor personal study after thegroup time, and ideas for smallergroups to discuss the study.Leader helps with targetedteaching plans included in back.Personal Study GuideResource for the group membersto help them prepare for andstudy during the group time.QuickSourceResource for leaders, providingadditional discussion questions,an object lesson, and dig deeperfeature. Also provides a tool foran individual called on to step into lead the group on short notice.Adult Leader PackResource filled with posters,masters for informativehandouts, and access to a digitalleader pack (includes DOC files ofthe Leader Guide commentary,group plans, the pack items inPDF format, and other helps forthe leader).Adult Leader GuideResource for leaders of groupsusing the Personal Study Guide.Includes commentary andteaching plans.Biblical IllustratorResource providing biblicalbackgrounds related to thesession using articles, photos,and illustrations.Find out more or order at goExploreTheBible.comUs i ng T h i s G u i de t o L e a d 2020 Life Way Christian Re so urce s9

INTRODUCTION TO PROVERBS;SONG OF SONGSIn the days of the Old Testament, God’s people listened to Him through three voices: thepriest, the prophet, and the wise. In Jeremiah 18:18, for example, the leaders of Judahmentioned all three of these voices. The priests pointed them to God’s written law, theprophets proclaimed His spoken words, and the sages taught them His faithful wisdom.The voice of the wise sage resonates throughout Proverbs and Song of Songs. Accordingly,these two Bible books fall into the category of Old Testament wisdom literature that alsoincludes Job, Psalms, and Ecclesiastes.Proverbs and Song of Songs offer insights into the way God wants His followers towalk in His wisdom. Being wise in Him involves seeing things His way so we can do thingsHis way. Proverbs gives us God’s wisdom for everyday living. A vast assortment of issueslike living with integrity, avoiding foolish choices, being honest, resisting temptation, andleading well receive serious consideration. Songs of Songs shows God’s people how to putHis wisdom to work in nourishing relationships that will endure. Particular attention isgiven to marriage relationships.BACKGROUNDProverbsSolomon has been credited with providing us with Proverbs because his name appearsin the first verse. The son of King David, he reigned over Israel in 970-931 BC. Duringthat time, he gained a reputation for being wise (1 Kings 4:29-31). His love for wisdomprompted him to collect a vast assortment of proverbs for God’s people (Eccl. 12:9).King Hezekiah reigned over Judah in 716-687 BC. During his reign, he found more ofSolomon’s proverbs and had them added them to the collection (Prov. 25:1). Agur andLemuel also have been credited with providing portions of Proverbs. Agur wrote Proverbs30, and Lemuel contributed Proverbs 31. The first readers of Proverbs may have beenyoung men in the royal court who needed to learn how to rule well when their time came.The larger audience included God’s people who needed to walk in the Lord’s wisdom sothey could serve Him faithfully.Song of SongsSolomon’s name also appears in the first verse of this Bible book. He wrote the love poemabout his romantic relationship with a Shulammite woman, but no one knows withcertainty when he penned it. The evidence in the poem itself suggests that Solomon wroteit as a young king when he married the true love of his life. However, he could havewritten it years later when he came to understand true love between a man and a womanin the light of God’s loyal love for His people. The specific identity of the first hearers ofthe poem cannot be identified with certainty. Generally speaking, Solomon obviouslywrote the poem with the people of Israel in mind.10E x pl or e t h e B i bl e L e a de r G u i de 2020 Life Way Christian Re so urce s

MESSAGE AND STRUCTUREProverbsProverbs provides us with wisdom that comes from God. At the beginning of thisfoundational guide for being wise in Him, we’re led to understand that seeking God’swisdom means nurturing a close relationship with Him. As we grow in our walk withHim, we nourish a healthy respect for Him that emanates from our love for Him. Fromthere, Solomon provides us with an exhaustive assortment of proverbs to address almostevery facet of our everyday lives. As a result, God’s people who seek His wisdom and applyit to their lives will take a path that leads to righteousness and fulfillment. Everyone whoignores or rejects His wisdom places themselves on the path of foolishness that will takethem to misery and destruction.Song of SongsSong of Songs is an extended poem that affirms the value of choosing to live according toGod’s wisdom when it comes to nurturing relationships. Specifically, the poem addressesGod’s way of cultivating true love between a man and a woman. Throughout the poem, theportrayal of the authentic romance between two people in love is painted on the canvas ofGod’s faithful love for His people. The story that’s told in the poem includes scenes from acouple’s courtship, their wedding day, and their life together as husband and wife.THEMESProverbs God’s wisdom comes only through a personal relationship with Him. The temptation to give into foolishness and the need to choose wisdom serves as anongoing concern for God’s people as we live for Him every day. Being wise and overcoming menacing temptations means that we seek the Lord’swisdom and put it to work. Seeking God’s wisdom and applying it in our lives allows us to learn how He wants usto handle the issues that confront us in work, play, money, and relationships. God wants us to enjoy the fulfillment that comes from being wise in Him.Song of Songs God affirms intimacy, but He expects His people to be wise in Him in the expressionof romantic love between a man and a woman. The relationship between a married couple provides the only healthy setting forChristians to express romantic love completely.E x pl or e t h e B i bl e 2020 Life Way Christian Re so urce s11

OUTLINE OF PROVERBSI. Solomon’s Exhortations and Warnings (1:1–9:18)A. Contrast between wisdom and riches (1:1–3:20)B. Praise of wisdom, love, and worthy conduct (3:21–4:27)C. Warnings against lust, idleness, and deceit (5:1–7:27)D. A portrayal of wisdom (8:1–9:18)II. Solomon’s Proverbs (10:1–29:27)A. Collected proverbs (10:1–22:16)B. Thirty sayings of the wise (22:17–24:22)C. More sayings of the wise (24:23-34)D. Hezekiah’s collection (25:1–29:27)III. Other Proverbs (30:1–31:31)A. Words of Agur (30:1-33)B. Words of Lemuel (31:1-9)C. Praise of a capable wife (31:10-31)OUTLINE OF SONG OF SONGSI.Their Story Begins (1:2–2:7)II. Invitation to Enjoy a Spring Day (2:6-17)III. Night of Separation Preceding Wedding (3:1-5)IV. Wedding Day and Night (3:6–5:1)V. Night of separation following wedding night (5:2–7:9)VI. Invitation to Enjoy a Spring Day (7:10–8:4)VII. Their Story Complete (8:3-14)12E x pl or e t h e B i bl e L e a de r G u i de 2020 Life Way Christian Re so urce s

Session1C W God’s Word warns us of the consequences of foolish choices.PROVERBS 1:7-19MEMORY VERSE: PROVERBS 1:7READ Proverbs 1:1-33, First Thoughts (p. 14), and Understand the Context (pp. 14–15). Whilereading, note words and phrases that describe godly counsel and the consequences of following thepath of temptation.STUDY Proverbs 1:7-19, using Explore the Text (pp. 15–19) and examining the following Scriptures:Job 28:28; Psalm 14:1; Proverbs 9:10; John 16:13; 17:17; and 1 Corinthians 1:30. Complete the BibleSkill activity (PSG, p. 13) for a deeper look into the meaning of “the fear of the LORD.”PLAN the group time using ideas under Lead Group Bible Study (pp. 20–21), More Ideas (p. 22),and Weekly Adult Extras under the Leader Extras tab at goExploreTheBible.com/LeaderHelps.Customize a plan to meet the needs of your group.GAIN insights from the weekly podcast on Ministry Grid (MinistryGrid.com/ExploretheBible) oron iTunes .GATHER the following items: Personal Study Guides. Prepare to display the following Pack Items:PACK ITEM 1 (Map: Solomon’s Economic Enterprises); PACK ITEM 2 (Outlines of Proverbsand Song of Songs); and PACK ITEM 6 (Key Verse: Proverbs 1:7a). Make copies for the group of:PACK ITEM 7 (Handout: Solomon Time Line); and PACK ITEM 8 (Handout: Memory VersesBookmark). If using the Bible Skills activity on page 22 during the group session, be prepared toprovide a Bible concordance and a Bible dictionary.Dat e of My B i bl e S t u dy: 2020 Life Way Christian Re so urce s13

FIRST THOUGHTSKEY DOCTRINEManOnly the grace of God can bringpeople into His holy fellowshipand enable them to fulfillthe creative purpose of God(1 Cor. 12:21-31).BIBLE SKILLDig deeper into the meaning of akey word or phrase.Take a closer look at themeaning of “the fear of theLORD” in Proverbs 1:7. Read theverse in different translations.Use a Bible concordance to lookfor other passages in which thephrase is used. Consult a Bibledictionary for more insight.Write in your own words themeaning of the phrase and howit relates to spiritual growth.14The knowledge of God and the knowledge to live wisely are interrelated. Nextto the knowledge of God in salvation, the knowledge to live wisely is the mostimportant kind of knowledge. Godly knowledge is more than information;it is about transformation. You can be factually right but spiritually wrong.Solomon’s argument in the Book of Proverbs is simple: godly wisdom isapplied truth that leads to transformation and wise practical living.(In PSG, p. 10) How would you describe the difference between knowledgeand wisdom? How should information lead to a change in behavior?UNDERSTAND THE CONTEXTPROVERBS 1:1-33After King David died, Solomon, his son, ruled the kingdom of Israel forforty years (1 Kings 11:42). During his reign, he gained a reputation forbeing a wise king who composed 3,000 proverbs (1 Kings 4:32). In theintroductory verses of the Book of Proverbs, Solomon shared the benefitthat comes to those who give serious attention to the proverbs in it (Prov.1:1-7). They would nourish an understanding of God’s wisdom, enablingthem to live with integrity and discretion. Nobody can ever grow past thegodly wisdom in the proverbs. Anyone who studies and meditates on themwill consistently mature in discernment. The path leading to God’s wisdomstarts with a sincere relationship with Him that is marked by healthyrespect. Only foolish people would discard God’s wisdom.Solomon then turned his attention to his son (1:8-19). His son wouldneed to live according to God’s ways. He would need to make up his mindthat he would walk in God’s wisdom. Making that decision would not beeasy since he would encounter evil people who would try to entice him tojoin them. They would try to persuade him that the road they took wouldbe fun. But it would involve violence, murder, and theft. Solomon warnedthat these evil ones would eventually have their lives stolen from them.Solomon went on to portray wisdom as an elegant woman (1:20-33). Shewould invite young people to listen to her, and she would speak to them asan authority figure who deserved their respect. If they listened, they couldhear her calling out to them from above the noise of a foolish world. Shewould ask them to listen to her so they would not take the path of foolishpeople. Such people would regret ignoring the wisdom she would have beenglad to share. They had been given an opportunity to embrace God’s wisdombut didn’t seem to be interested in it. They had their minds only on their ownplans. In due time, trouble would come, but wisdom would not be there toE x pl or e t h e B i bl e L e a de r G u i de 2020 Life Way Christian Re so urce s

help. They would be left to face the consequences of ignoring God’s wisdom.By contrast, anyone who paid attention to godly wisdom would have noreason to fear as they faced their future.EXPLORE THE TEXTSTARTING POINT (PROV. 1:7)VERSE 7This important verse serves as the lens through which Christians lookdeeply into Proverbs. From the vantage point of this verse, the true sourceof knowledge comes into clear view. Another word for knowledge couldbe discernment. In the Old Testament world, knowledge bore a strikingsimilarity to wisdom. Wise believers see things God’s way so they can dothings His way.VERSE 77The fear of the Lordis the beginning ofknowledge; fools despisewisdom and discipline.Wise believers see things God’s way so they can dothings His way.Wisdom has a starting point. It begins with a relationship with theLord. Growing in wisdom by walking with the Lord seems to be contraryto some of the popular notions about how someone becomes wise. Forinstance, some people believe that life experiences cultivate wisdom. Butwithout God’s help, experiences themselves can lead a person to drawconclusions that might not be wise at all. Other people insist that agebrings wisdom. They believe that the longer people live, the wiser theybecome. Granted, wisdom may come with age, but only if the years havebeen spent in a deepening walk with the Lord. Neither life experiencesnor long life guarantee wisdom. Wisdom comes from the Lord who worksin the experiences and through the years to show His people how to seethings His way so we can do things His way.Solomon directed the people of Israel to understand that a productiverelationship with the Lord is characterized by fear. Fearing God didn’t inferHe terrorized them or made them dread the notion of being in His presence.Instead, fearing Him means respecting Him. Furthermore, their respect forthe Lord would emanate from their love for Him. Solomon encouraged themto take their walk with the Lord seriously. A sincere walk with the Lordwould allow their love for Him to be demonstrated in their respect for Him.Later in the Book of Proverbs, Solomon reiterated the importantconnection between fearing the Lord and gaining wisdom (9:10; 15:33).The psalmist, like Solomon, underscored the same connection (Ps. 111:10).Job also pointed to the value of fearing the Lord. He declared that fearingthe Lord was wisdom itself (Job 28:28).By contrast, fools have no use for God. They don’t cherish the wisdomHe can give. In fact, they despise it and even ridicule it. Foolish peoplepass on the possibility of a fulfilling relationship with Him, and theyturn their backs on His discipline. As a result, their foolish choices leaveBIBLICALILLUSTRATORFor additional context, read“Wisdom Literature in theAncient Near East” and“Solomon: His Life and Times”in the Summer 2020 issue ofBiblical Illustrator. Available atLifeWay.com/BiblicalIllustrator.Se s s ion 1 : C ha r te d Wa te r s 2020 Life Way Christian Re so urce s15

them unprepared to face the challenges that come every day as well as theoutcomes that will confront them in eternity.Throughout the Book of Proverbs, the contrast between wisdomand foolishness will come into view quite often. The stark contrast willencourage believers to develop a deepening walk with the Lord and to seekHis wisdom that comes from it. It will also nudge us to pray for people inour circle of relationships who have made the foolish choice to reject Him.When did you begin to realize that God would give you His wisdom?How often has H

5. Proverbs 15:1-11 6. Proverbs 15:12-22 7. Proverbs 15:23-33 8. Proverbs 16:1-9 9. Proverbs 16:10-20 10. Proverbs 16:21-33 11. Proverbs 17:1-14 12. Proverbs 17:15-28 13. Proverbs 18:1-13 14. Proverbs 18:14-24 15. Proverbs 19:1-17 16. Proverbs 19:18-29 17. Proverbs 20:1-