Proverbs 8:12 (Mini Sermon)

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1.      Pro 8:12 – “I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions.”

1. I wisdom dwell with prudence,
   1. Wisdom and prudence are very similar attributes.
      1. Wisdom n. – 1. a. Capacity of judging rightly in matters relating to life and conduct; soundness of judgement in the choice of means and ends; sometimes, less strictly, sound sense, esp. in practical affairs: opp. to folly.
      2. Prudence n. – 1. Ability to discern the most suitable, politic, or profitable course of action, esp. as regards conduct; practical wisdom, discretion.
      3. Wisdom is the capacity to use sound judgment to make good decisions; prudence is the ability to do so in practical situations in life.
   2. Wisdom and prudence are so similar they are roommates.
      1. Dwell v. – 1. trans. To lead into error, mislead, delude; to stun, stupefy. Obs. (last used in 1300) To abide or continue for a time, in a place, state, or condition.  7. To remain (in a house, country, etc.) as in a permanent residence; to have one’s abode; to reside, ‘live’. (Now mostly superseded by live in spoken use; but still common in literature.)
      2. Wisdom and prudence dwell together with the Lord Jesus Christ (Col 2:3 c/w Col 2:9 c/w Eph 1:8).
   3. and find out knowledge of witty inventions.
      1. A wise and prudent man finds out knowledge of witty inventions.
         20. Find v. – 20. find out. To discover by attention, scrutiny, study, etc.; to devise, invent; to unriddle, solve.
         21. This means that a wise man labors to study in order to learn about witty inventions.
         22. Witty adj. – 1. Having wisdom. a. Having (good) intellectual ability; intelligent, clever, ingenious; skilful, expert, capable.  b. In unfavourable sense: Crafty, cunning, wily, artful; skilful in contriving evil; also, foolishly ingenious in devising something to one’s own hurt.
         23. Invention n. – I. The action, faculty, or manner of inventing. The action of coming upon or finding; the action of finding out; discovery (whether accidental, or the result of search and effort). Obs. or arch.  2. The action of devising, contriving, or making up; contrivance, fabrication.  3. The original contrivance or production of a new method or means of doing something, of an art, kind of instrument, etc. previously unknown (see invent v. 3); origination, introduction.  II. The thing invented.  6. Something devised; a method of action, etc. contrived by the mind; a device, contrivance, design, plan, scheme. (Now merged in 8 and 9.)  9. Something devised or produced by original contrivance; a method or means of doing something, an instrument, an art, etc. originated by the ingenuity of some person, and previously unknown; an original contrivance or device.
      2. Wise men don’t necessarily create witty inventions; they rather find out about them.
         1. Worldly men are often wiser in a worldly sense when it comes to business, industry, and inventions (Luk 16:8; Psa 73:12; Gen 4:20-22; Gen 25:27).
         2. Godly wise men will use this world and the witty inventions designed and built by worldly men (1Co 7:31).
         3. Godly men are sometimes inventors themselves such as king Uzziah who had cunning men invent engines to shoot arrows and great stones to protect Jerusalem (2Ch 26:15).

• Wise men also find out knowledge of witty inventions in the bad sense (crafty, cunning, wily inventions).
  1. The Bible condemns “inventors of evil things” (Rom 1:30).
  2. With the exception of Pro 8:12, “inventions” in the Bible are always evil (Psa 99:8; Psa 106:29, 39; Ecc 7:29).
  3. In this case, wise men will pay attention to learn of evil inventions of the wicked (either material or spiritual) so they can avoid them (Eph 5:6-17).