Proverbs 8:5 (Mini Sermon)

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1.      Pro 8:5 – “O ye simple, understand wisdom: and, ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart.”

1. O ye simple, understand wisdom:
   1. The word “O” is here used by God to impress upon us how important it is to understand wisdom.
      1. O (n.) – 1. Standing before a noun in the vocative relation. 2. In other connexions, or without construction, expressing, according to intonation, various emotions, as appeal, entreaty, surprise, pain, lament, etc.
      2. Wisdom is emphatically crying out to the simple with emotion to get their attention.
         • Simple people love simplicity which is why they need to be yelled at to be shaken out of their stupor (Pro 1:22).
         • Simple people often need to have something dramatic happen to them, or to those around them, for them to pay attention and wise up (Pro 19:25; Pro 21:11).
         • “They who won’t listen have to feel.” (Grandpa Wagner)
      3. Wisdom cries to the simple.
         1. Simple – B. absol. or as n. a. As pl. Persons in a humble or ordinary condition of life.  2. a. As pl. Those who are unlearned, ignorant, easily misled, unsuspecting, etc.  b. As sing. An ignorant or foolish person.
         2. Wisdom doesn’t cry to the wise because they already have wisdom.
         3. She rather calls to the unlearned, ignorant, easily misled, and foolish.
            • The simple know nothing (Pro 9:13).
            • They are not discerning and believe everything they hear (Pro 14:15).
            • They learn folly from their stupid parents who were bad examples and didn’t train them well (Pro 14:18).
            • They have no discernment to foresee evil, so they plow forward and suffer for it (Pro 22:3).

• Wisdom enjoins the simple to understand wisdom.
  1. The fact that wisdom calls on the simple to understand wisdom implies that it is possible for them to do so.
     • 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.
     • Understand v. – 1. To comprehend; to apprehend the meaning or import of; to grasp the idea of.
  2. Therefore, it’s possible for an unlearned, ignorant, gullible, foolish person to learn how to make good decisions to maximize his wellbeing, prosperity, influence, and happiness in this life.
     • This can be accomplished if the simple man will read the word of God, listen to it when it is preached, and endeavor to apply it to his life.
     • The word of God will make wise the simple (Psa 19:7; Psa 119:130).
     • The proverbs in particular were written to give subtlety to the simple (Pro 1:4).
  3. and, ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart.
     1. This verse is an example of a Hebrew parallelism wherein a point is restated using slightly different wording to elucidate it.
     2. Fool n. – 1. One deficient in judgement or sense, one who acts or behaves stupidly, a silly person, a simpleton. (In Biblical use applied to vicious or impious persons.)

• For the simple to understand wisdom, they must be of an understanding heart.

1. In other words, they must have a heart which is capable of understanding.
2. God must give an understanding heart if we are to understand wisdom and be wise (1Ki 3:12).
3. But before He does that, we must desire to have one (1Ki 3:9; Jam 1:5).
4. If we lift up our voice for understanding and diligently seek it (Pro 2:3-4), the LORD will give it (Pro 2:5-6).