Lesson 8: Hearing Jesus Talk to Us

Do you ever wonder what it takes to please God? It could not be clearer than in Proverbs. Ask God to give you a willing heart as you prepare to be counseled by Him.

1 The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:
2 To know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight,
3 to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity;
4 to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth—
5 Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance,
6 to understand a proverb and a saying, the words of the wise and their riddles.
7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.
8 Hear, my son, your father’s instruction, and forsake not your mother’s teaching,
9 for they are a graceful garland for your head and pendants for your neck.
10 My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent.
11 If they say, “Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood; let us ambush the innocent without reason;
12 like Sheol let us swallow them alive, and whole, like those who go down to the pit;
13 we shall find all precious goods, we shall fill our houses with plunder;
14 throw in your lot among us; we will all have one purse”—
15 my son, do not walk in the way with them; hold back your foot from their paths,
16 for their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed blood.
17 For in vain is a net spread in the sight of any bird,
18 but these men lie in wait for their own blood; they set an ambush for their own lives.


19 Such are the ways of everyone who is greedy for unjust gain; it takes away the life of its possessors.
Proverbs 1:1-19

There is a well-known saying in Spanish – “Tell me whom you walk with and I will tell you who you are.”
Whom you associate with tells a lot about a person, and in Proverbs, the Lord wastes no time warning against basic mistakes.

It is interesting that the fear of the Lord (vs 1-7) and choosing friends (vs 10-19) are the first two subjects in the book of Proverbs. We should not take this first passage lightly – one of the longest in the whole book. As Solomon, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, lays the foundation on how to live a successful life, he gives us two clear points of emphasis – wisdom through the fear of the Lord and foolishness through poor relationships (v 7).

Take time to check out Psalm 128:1, Psalm 112:1, Proverbs 8:3, Job 1:1, and 2 Corinthians 5:11a. In each passage, the fear of the Lord has a direct connection to walking in His ways, finding delight in His commands, and hating evil. It is a direct rebuke of foolish, undisciplined living.

How are you hearing Jesus talk to you when you read the Bible?
Suggested scriptures to read: John 17
Memorize: John 15:7 – “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you.”