Old Testament Lesson 31: Happy is the Man that Findeth Wisdom

The Book of Proverbs may give the impression that Solomon sat down and wrote a book of his wisdom. More likely is that his wisdom was gathered in snippets and eventually collected together. Proverbs is not even entirely written by Solomon and there are other influences. The book is not considered as revelation from a prophet but is deemed inspired counsel of a wise man under the guidance of the Spirit.
There are many themes found in Proverbs, including our marital relationships, communication with others, avoiding sin, trusting God, finding wisdom, and more. The lesson today will focus on 7 of those themes. However there are many other pearls of wisdom that can be found in Proverbs that may not be covered in these themes (eg. Proverbs 3:27-28; 8:22-31; 17:6; 29:18 and Proverbs 31) Some can even make you smile a little (Proverbs 6:9; 18:9; 21:9; 25:17) Thus while this lesson aims to be informative I hope it serves merely to whet the appetite for a more complete feast of this fascinating book.

1. Wisdom
Proverbs 1:7; 2:1-6; 4:7
Why is wisdom so important? 
How do we gain wisdom? Where did Solomon get his wisdom from?
James 1:5

"Wisdom to govern the house of Israel was given to Solomon, and the Judges of Israel; and if he had always been their king, and they subject to his mandate, and obedient to his laws they would still have been a great and mighty people-the rulers of the universe, and the wonder of the world." (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 251)

2. Trust in The Lord
Proverbs 3:5-6; 16:25
How does the Lord direct our paths?
What experiences have taught you to trust in the Lord?

At the funeral services for the five little angels, I counseled: "There is one phrase which should be erased from your thinking and from the words you speak aloud. It is the phrase, 'If only.' It is counterproductive and is not conducive to the spirit of healing and of peace. Rather, recall the words of Proverbs: 'Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.' "

 

Before the closing of the caskets, I noted that each child held a favorite toy, a soft gift to cuddle. I reflected on the words of the poet Eugene Field:

 

The little toy dog is covered with dust,

But sturdy and staunch he stands;

And the little toy soldier is red with rust,

And his musket moulds in his hands.

Time was when the little toy dog was new,

And the soldier was passing fair,

And that was the time when our Little Boy Blue

Kissed them and put them there.

 

"Now, don't you go till I come," he said,

"And don't you make any noise!"

So toddling off to his trundle-bed

He dreamt of the pretty toys.

And as he was dreaming, an angel song

Awakened our Little Boy Blue,-

Oh, the years are many, the years are long,

But the little toy friends are true!

 

Ay, faithful to Little Boy Blue they stand,

Each in the same old place,

Awaiting the touch of a little hand,

The smile of a little face.

And they wonder, as waiting the long years through,

In the dust of that little chair,

What has become of our Little Boy Blue

Since he kissed them and put them there.

 

The little toy dog and the soldier fair may wonder, but God in His infinite mercy has not left grieving loved ones to wonder. He has provided truth. He will inspire an upward reach, and His outstretched arms will embrace you. Jesus promises to one and all who grieve, "I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you."(Thomas S. Monson "Think to Thank," Ensign, Nov. 1998, 19-20)

 

3.The Words We Speak

Proverbs 15:1-2

 "To men within the sound of my voice, I say, if you are guilty of demeaning behavior toward your wife, if you are prone to dictate and exercise authority over her, if you are selfish and brutal in your actions in the home, then stop it. Repent. Repent now, while you have the opportunity to do so.

 

"To you wives who are constantly complaining and see only the dark side of life, and feel that you are unloved and unwanted, look into your own hearts and minds. If there is something wrong, turn about. Put a smile on your faces." (Gordon B. Hinckley News of the Church 1984)

4. Pride

Proverbs 16:18-19

"Contentions result from the prideful power struggle that comes from pitting ourselves-our possessions or our intellect against others. The proud are easily offended, hold grudges, withhold forgiveness, and will not receive counsel or correction" (CR, April 1989, pp. 85-86)" (Joseph Fielding McConkie and Robert L. Millet, Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, 4 vols. [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1987-1992], 3: 348)

 

I was always taught and I am ever thankful for having learned this teaching. "You are never offend-ED. You CHOOSE to take offence" I have been saved much drama and stress in life with that simple advise. There seem to be people all over society that are easily offended or almost seek to take offence. Life is a lot more peaceful and loving when you choose not to be offended.

 

5. Friendship

Proverbs 17:17

 "Among life's sweetest blessings is fellowship with men and women whose ideals and aspirations are high and noble. Next to a sense of a kinship with God comes the helpfulness, encouragement, and inspiration of friends. Friendship is a sacred possession. . . . One of the principal reasons which the Lord had for establishing His Church is to give all persons high and low, rich and poor, strong and feeble an opportunity to associate with their fellowmen in an atmosphere of uplifting, religious fellowship. This [association] may be found in Priesthood quorums, Auxiliaries, Sacrament meetings. He who neglects these opportunities, who fails to take advantage of them, to that extent starves his own soul." 

"True friends enrich life. If you would have friends, be one." (David O'McKay Living with Enthusiasm [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1996], 49-50)

 

6. Raising Children

Proverbs 22:6

What do you think Lehi or Jacob would say about this and their errant sons? 

How does this scripture give hope to parents and what key element is missing from this equation? 

"There is an old and true proverb which says, "As the twig is bent, so the tree is inclined." May I repeat a story I have told in general conference. Not long after we were married, we built our first home. We had little money, and I did a lot of the work. The landscaping was entirely my responsibility. The first of many trees that I planted was a thornless honey locust, and I envisioned the day when its shade would assist in cooling the house in the summer. I put it in a place at the corner where the wind from the canyon to the east blew the hardest. I dug a hole, put in the bare root, put soil around it, poured on water, and largely forgot it. It was only a wisp of a tree, perhaps three-quarters of an inch in diameter. It was so supple that I could bend it with ease in any direction. I paid little attention to it as the years passed. Then one winter day when the tree was barren of leaves, I chanced to look out the window at it. I noted that it was leaning to the west, misshapen and out of balance. I could scarcely believe it. I went out and braced myself against it as if to push it upright. But the trunk was now nearly a foot in diameter. My strength was as nothing against it. I took from my toolshed a block and tackle, attaching one end to the tree and the other to a well-set post. I pulled the rope. The pulleys moved just a little, and the trunk of the tree trembled slightly. But that was all. It seemed to say to me, "You can't straighten me. It's too late. I've grown this way because of your neglect, and I will not bend."

 

Finally in desperation I took my saw and cut off the great heavy branch on the west side. I stepped back and surveyed what I had done. I had cut off a major part of the tree, leaving a huge scar about eight inches across and only one small branch growing skyward.

 

More than half a century has passed since I planted that tree. My daughter and her family now live there. I recently looked again at the tree. It is large, its shape is better, and it is a great asset to the home. But how serious was the trauma of its youth and how painful the treatment I had used to straighten it. When the tree was first planted, a piece of string would have held it against the forces of the wind. I could have and should have supplied that string with ever so little effort, but I did not. And it bent to the forces that came against it.

 

Children are like trees. When they are young, their lives can be shaped and directed, usually with ever so little effort. Said the writer of Proverbs, "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it" (Prov. 22:6). That training finds its roots in the home." ("Four Simple Things to Help Our Families and Our Nations," Ensign, Sept. 1996, 6-7)

 

Elder Richard G. Scott said: “You must be willing to forgo personal pleasure and self-interest for family-centered activity, and not turn over to church, school, or society the principal role of fostering a child’s well-rounded development. It takes time, great effort, and significant personal sacrifice to ‘train up a child in the way he should go.’ But where can you find greater rewards for a job well done?” (Ensign, May 1993, 34).

7. Happiness and Good Humour

Proverbs 15:13; 17:22

"I dislike very much, and I believe people generally do, to see a person with a woe begone countenance, and to see him mourning as though his circumstances were of the most unpleasant character. There is no pleasure in association with such persons. In the family it is always a good thing for the parent to be cheerful in the presence of his wife and children. And out of that cheerfulness may arise many good gifts. The Lord has not given us the gospel that we may go around mourning all the days of our lives. He has not introduced this religion for this purpose at all. We came into the world for certain purposes, and those purposes are not of a nature that require much mourning or complaint. Where a person is always complaining and feeling to find fault, the Spirit of the Lord is not very abundant in his heart. If a person wants to enjoy the Spirit of the Lord, let him, when something of a very disagreeable nature comes along, think how worse the circumstance might be, or think of something worse that he has experienced in the past. Always cultivate a spirit of gratitude. It is actually the duty of every Latter-day Saint to cultivate a spirit of gratitude.

 

We should enjoy our religion. No religion has in it such prospects as has the religion of the Latter-day Saints. Nothing was ever introduced to man equal to it in its grand and glorious advantages. We ought to enjoy our religion to such an extent as to be happy most all the time." (The Teachings of Lorenzo Snow, edited by Clyde J. Williams [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1984], 62)

 

President Hugh B. Brown said: “I would like to have you smile because after all we must keep a sense of humor whatever comes. I think of all the people in the world we should be the happiest. We have the greatest and most joyous message in the world. I think when we get on the other side; someone will meet us with a smile (unless we go to the wrong place and then someone will grin), so let us be happy. But let our happiness be genuine—let it come from within” (The Abundant Life [1965], 83).

 

Ecclesiastes is written with the world's view in mind. Thus much of the writings are indicating that from the world's view and living as the world does there is not much hope. The main conclusion is short and sweet and as all conclusions should - comes at the end of the book!

 

Ecclesiastes 1:14

          All is vanity and vexation of spirit

Ecclesiastes 12:13

           Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: "Fear God, and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man".

 

 

Old Testament Lesson 26: King Solomon: Man of Wisdom, Man of Foolishness

We are studying Solomon today. Much of the reading is taken from 1 Kings but a comparative reading can also be found in 1 Chronicles 1-9.
 
If you were to be granted one wish. Just one. Anything you want. What would it be?
Now if a 20 year old had just one wish what do you think they would ask for?

This is the situation a young Solomon found himself in after he became King. We don't know his exact age but most scholars believe that he became King somewhere between his early teenage years to early twenties. In 1 Kings 3:5 we are told:

"In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee."

In a small survey a few years ago, over 70% of teenagers when asked what they would want if they had one wish, said they wanted money, wealth or material possessions. What did Solomon ask for?  Read 1 Kings 3:6-9 "An understanding heart."
Somewhat overwhelmed by all the people he was now responsible for, he sought this gift not for adoration or recognition but so that he may discern between good and bad to judge the people righteously. We see this humility time and again from servants of the Lord, this recognition of their own inadequacies and their need to rely on the Lord's gifts.

What do you think put Solomon in a position to have been offered such a wish? Was it because he was a king? Was it because he found a magic lamp with a genie inside? Read 1 Kings 3:3-4
The reason Solomon was granted this great wish was because of three things:
He loved God
He obeyed the laws of the land
He made sacrifice to God in the most high place

Do you think having this wisdom of God would be useful in work, in families and in church? How might we be able to get this gift of wisdom and an understanding heart?

I suspect the Lord is willing to grant us our righteous desires if we similarly live righteously, love God and worthily attend his temple with the sacrifice of a broken heart and contrite spirit. Notice after granting Solomon his righteous desire he also grants Solomon riches and honour and if he remains righteous, long life. (1 Kings 3:12-14)

On a side note you may have noticed the description of Gibeon in those verses and wondered why it claims the title of "the great high place". As we know there was no temple in those days and so altars were built upon the mountains which were considered holy places themselves. David built a tabernacle in Jerusalem to house the Ark of the Covenant but the original Tabernacle of Moses that had been built in wilderness was, in the time of Solomon, set up at Gibeon. This tabernacle was held with great esteem for obvious reasons and thus was considered "the great high place". It was essentially the equivalent of our modern day Salt Lake City Temple. It was not the only "high place" whereby the people of Israel could go and make offerings but it was held in great esteem among all the high places.

The clear example of Solomon's wisdom is now infamous. Two prostitutes claim a single living child is theirs. Solomon carefully watching the body language and reaction of the two prostitutes deduces the true mother. Solomon is rightly considered wise but I wonder if he is remembered as wise for the wrong reasons. Not to suggest solving this very emotional and tough personal drama was easy but I suspect we may miss the point. Solomon's wisdom was not shown through the decision he made but rather through the fact that he even heard the case. Here is Solomon. He is the King. He has just spoken with God. He has just offered sacrifices at the two most holy places in the Kingdom - the tabernacle of Moses at Gibeon and the tabernacle of David in Jerusalem. Why would Solomon then lower himself to discuss a private squabble between two unworthy and unclean prostitutes. Therein lies the true wisdom of Solomon (and of God). True wisdom recognizes that we are all equal in the sight of God. We all are his children. Just because our choices are righteous and other's choices are unrighteous does not mean we treat others differently. Solomon recognized this and in choosing to hear this case of the two prostitutes he sent a clear message to his people that he was concerned for all of his people and that he would be fair in his judgements. Likewise God too loves us all, righteous or unrighteous. Even the lowest of us all will have their chance to plead their case before God. And we can feel sure that we will be judged righteously and fairly.

Solomon decides to build a permanent temple to the Lord. What motivated him to do this? Read 1 Kings 5:3-5
Solomon had heard of the prophecy and decided to fulfill it. Sometimes I wonder if we wait a little too much for prophecy to be fulfilled by God or by others. How might we each be able to fulfill prophecy today?
As you ponder this question within the context of your personal life, patriarchal blessings, your family and the church in general you may wish to read this talk by Elder Pearson of the Pacific Area Presidency from 2013. But one of the things he says is:

"Those willing to exercise faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and to follow His latter-day prophets will not be content to merely watch these things happen. Motivated by our love for the Saviour and all of the Father’s children, each one of us can all help to make things happen."

How many others helped fulfill the prophecy of the temple being built in Jerusalem? 
Read 1 Kings 5:13, 15-16, 18
Clearly many people were needed to build the temple in Jerusalem. Likewise, here today we are all enlisted in this great work. We are all needed to help fulfill the prophecies of the last days.

There are a number of measurements and details found in 1 Kings 6 regarding the temple building. On another day they all have lessons we can learn from them, but the verse that touches me most is verse 7 where we read:

"And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither: so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building."

What does this tell us about how Solomon and the people felt about the temple? Can you imagine the extra sacrifice and effort that took? Some may have considered this an unnecessary inconvenience when the building had not yet been constructed and dedicated. Do we have similar situations today where worldly logic defies spiritual logic? It puts me in mind of the great sacrifice Hannah made. Before Samuel was even born into his mortal temple, he had been dedicated to the Lord. These acts are not within the basic gospel requirements. Such acts stand above the basic requirements and mark out those among us who have the greater faith and desire. They are to be honoured and held up as higher examples for us all to aspire to, like stepping stones of faith in our upward journey to become like Him and as Him.

The temple took 7 years to build. Upon completion of the temple they offered many sacrifices and held a great feast. The dedicatory prayer was offered by Solomon. The passage I would like to focus on is 1 Kings 8:44-53
This is another passage of scripture that I find so very touching and indicative of the Lord's love and mercy for us all. Having completed this great temple and dedicated it, the people of Israel will be able to participate in and do the great work within the temple. This requires taking on covenants that come with blessings and warnings. Solomon curiously yet prophetically indicates that wars lie ahead and maybe even being carried away captive into foreign lands ("for there is no man that sinneth not"). And in so doing calls upon the Lord to forgive those that sin

"...if they bethink themselves...and repent, and make supplication unto thee...And so return unto thee with all of their heart, and with all of their soul, and pray unto thee toward their land and the house which I have built for thy name: Then hear thou their prayer and their supplication and maintain their cause and forgive thy people that have sinned against thee and all their transgressions wherein they have transgressed against thee"

There isn't a soul among us who has not made a wrong turn, a bad decision or a foolish choice. But there is power, healing power to be found within the covenants of the temple when coupled with true repentance.
Solomon's dedicatory prayer also indicates that the temple itself would influence even those who were not of Israel 1 Kings 8:41-43. How might this passage apply to the temples and the Saints and the non members of the Latter Days? It puts me in mind of the words to our primary hymn:

"I love to see the temple. I'm going there someday

To feel the Holy Spirit, To listen and to pray.

For the temple is a house of God, A place of love and beauty." "I Love to See the Temple"

 President Ezra Taft Benson similarly said,

“In the peace of these lovely temples, sometimes we find solutions to the serious problems of life. Under the influence of the Spirit, sometimes pure knowledge flows to us there. Temples are places of personal revelation. When I have been weighed down by a problem or a difficulty, I have gone to the House of the Lord with a prayer in my heart for answers. These answers have come in clear and unmistakable ways” (“What I Hope You Will Teach Your Children about the Temple,” Ensign, Aug. 1985, 8).

I have a personal testimony of the peace that can be found within the temple and of the ability of the Spirit's whisperings within to wash away the woes and worries of the world outside. I invite you all to seek that peace. If you are not a member, go visit the grounds of a temple. Sit and contemplate your life and your purpose and your desires in that setting with sincerity and you will find answers.
To find the nearest temple to you, click on this link: Current LDS Temples in the World

Despite Solomon being granted God's wisdom, choice is still a personal matter and later in his years Solomon made some foolish choices. Firstly he took wives that lead him away from his priorities and beliefs. Then he actively built altars and high places for other gods, notably Ashtoreth, Milcom and Chemosh, the gods of the Zidonians, Ammonites and Moabites. How does someone so wise make such foolish decisions? What can we learn from Solomon's sad example in his later years?
Notice the progression into foolishness from wisdom:

• He is imbued with God's wisdom
• He is praised by all including foreign dignitaries such as the Queen of Sheba
• He is drawn to flattering words and loved many strange women.
• These wives turned away his heart
• They turned away his heart to other gods
• His heart was not perfect
• He did evil in the sight of the Lord.

We will learn in the oncoming weeks that as a result of Solomon's foolishness, the Lord allows the kingdom of Israel to be split into two. The Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah. Within the span of just their first three kings, Israel has learned that not following the wisdom and counsel of the Lord and insisting on kings rather than God to lead them has left them divided and conquerable. That wisdom is only found through righteous choices. Solomon did not become righteous because he was wise. He became wise because he was righteous. Once he gave up righteousness, he lost his wisdom also. Some 300 years later Solomon's temple was destroyed. One family fleeing that oncoming destruction had a son called Jacob who wisely noted, "To be learned is good, if they hearken unto the counsels of God". (2 Nephi 9:29)