Knowable Word

Helping ordinary people learn to study the Bible

Copyright © 2012–2026 DiscipleMakers, except guest articles (copyright author). Used by permission.

You are here: Home / Archives for Sample Bible Studies

Disappointment Draws Us Near

By

For several years, a woman in our church has had a form of cancer, which requires her to periodically drive two hours to a major medical center and have her entire bloodstream filtered through a big machine. It’s both painful and exhausting, but she never complains about it. She speaks instead of the opportunities she had to share the Gospel with her nurses. She rejects depression and embraces God’s mastery of her life, and she becomes both refreshed and refreshing to be around.

"It's Mr. Chemo" by IndyDina (2007), shared under a Creative Commons Attribution license
“It’s Mr. Chemo” by IndyDina (2007), shared under a Creative Commons Attribution license

Lately, her doctors have tried chemotherapy. The last time she did it, she had a life-threatening allergic reaction, which required immediate aborting of the treatment. The next day her mother had a heart attack. The day after that, she was in a car accident. The following Sunday in church (yeah, she still came to church), she praised God for sparing her from the normal side effects of chemo – since it hadn’t worked – so she could care for her ailing parents better.

Ask this woman if she’s disappointed with how life is shaking out for her, and she’ll weep. You’ll probably weep, too. She shows how the disappointment never goes away until Jesus comes back.

But at the same time, she reflects the wisdom of Christ. She refuses to feel sorry for herself. Her disappointment drives her closer to God, through the grace of Jesus. I’m a wuss compared to her, but God loves me and won’t let me stay there. What about you?

Our study of Proverbs 3:1-12 has shown us how disappointment works, and how the wise will refashion it for God’s glory. Are you willing to view your disappointment as God’s intentional love?

This post was first published in 2013 and is part of a series walking through Proverbs 1-9.

Disappointment and Finances

By

"Money" by Dustin Moore (2007), shared under a Creative Commons Attribution license
“Money” by Dustin Moore (2007), shared under a Creative Commons Attribution license

Many teachers speak lies about God when they say he always promises material well-being to his children. Others over-react by claiming we can’t really trust God’s promises of material prosperity (as though they are not promises but mere probabilities). Both views contain a kernel of truth, and both views represent a mis-characterization of God’s promises. God’s promises are true, yet he promises so much more than more stuff.

Again, my comments will follow the pattern described here.

Honor the Lord with your wealth
And with the firstfruits of all your produce;
Then your barns will be filled with plenty,
And your vats will be bursting with wine (Prov 3:9-10).

Command: Be generous with your stuff.

Consequence: You’ll have plenty of stuff to be generous with.

Our meager expectation: People who give money away (to help the poor or to support Christian ministries) deserve to receive stuff back from God.

God’s unbelievable reward: overflowing contentment. Those who honor God with their wealth always have more to share. Be careful here: God does not promise to multiply your possessions or increase your bank account balance. The next section will make clear that wisdom’s riches are not the same thing as getting more money (Prov 3:13-18). God’s promise here has more to do with contentment than with fortune (Prov 16:8). For the wise, who honor the Lord, whatever they have will be enough (Prov 30:7-9).

Echoes: To give a picture of this financial contentment, God often lavishes his people with plenty of wealth (Gen 13:2, Ex 12:35-36). But one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions. If you expect God to reward your faithfulness (especially your generosity) with financial stability or excess, you will be disappointed.

Essence: Jesus’ most precious possession was his people (Heb 12:2), so he gave up everything else to win them (2 Cor 8:9, Phil 2:5-11). Those who set their hope on worldly riches find only uncertainty and disappointment. But those who set their hope on God find they already have everything they need, and plenty to share as well (1 Tim 6:17-19, Phil 4:10-20). Beloved children of God see themselves as rich, no matter what their account statements say. When God promises full barns and bursting vats, he doesn’t encourage love for riches, but love for Christ who is our bread and wine (Matt 26:26-29), our very life (Col 3:4).

How might Jesus’ poverty help you refashion your disappointment when you don’t have as much money as you’d like?

This post was first published in 2013 and is part of a series walking through Proverbs 1-9.

Context Matters: The Ten Commandments

By

ten commandment tablets

Jondolar Schnurr (2015), public domain

You’ve no doubt heard of the Ten Commandments. You may not have them memorized, but even hardened non-Christians can rattle off a few of these commands.

The Ten Commandments have inspired thousands of sermon series, dozens of catechism questions, and even a Hollywood movie. Within the church we parse the Ten Commandments carefully, considering both what they require and what they forbid of us.

Despite their ubiquity, we don’t often consider this question: Are we using the Ten Commandments as we should?

Context matters. If we learn to read the Bible as it is—and not as a collection of independently assembled laws and proverbs—we’ll discover that some of our most familiar passages take on different or deeper meanings than we’ve always assumed.

Exodus 20

The Ten Commandments are first given to the Israelites at Mt. Sinai, after God has brought them out of Egypt, through the Red Sea, and through several post-sea trials. From the top of the mountain God speaks these words to his people.

I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. (Exodus 20:2)

This is a short preface which lands an important punch. In it, God reminds the people that he is YHWH, the special, personal name that he has only revealed to Israel. Further, he is their God. He is linked to the people; he is for them.

God has “brought [them] out of the land of Egypt.” The end of this verse is not just repetition, it is a reminder that God is keeping a long-ago promise to to his people. God had promised land to his people—specific land, in fact, that was not in Egypt—and Jacob and Joseph both knew that because of God’s promises their stay in Egypt would be temporary (Genesis 46:3–4, Genesis 50:24; see also Exodus 6:8).

Finally, God reminds the Israelites that he brought them “out of the house of slavery.” God redeemed them from their terrible state as slaves. He showed compassion and great power in rescuing them.

It is in this context that we read the Ten Commandments. Peter has already written extensively on this passage, and he makes this crucial point: “They do not earn their position as his people by obeying these words [the Ten Commandments]. He gives them these words because they are already his people.”

At Mt. Sinai, the people are not hearing rules from a cold and distant judge. They are hearing laws from a loving, powerful Father.

Deuteronomy 5

The title of the book Deuteronomy means “second law,” and most of the book is a repetition and explanation of the law that God has already given.

As Moses repeats the Ten Commandments, he is looking back on the covenant that God made with his people at Mt. Sinai. He remembers the mountain and the fire and the fear, and he puts the commands into context for the people. He is repeating the law because the Israelites are about to cross the Jordan and settle where foreign gods are worshiped. Their understanding of their God and his law is essential.

In chapters 1–4 of Deuteronomy, Moses recounts much of the history of Israel after Egypt. He tells them that when they obey in their new land, the people will marvel that God is so near to them and that their laws are so righteous (Deut 4:7–8). Moses refers explicitly to the “Ten Commandments” and calls them God’s “covenant” in Deut 4:13. He reminds the people that, though they will disobey, God is merciful. “He will not leave you or destroy you or forget the covenant with your fathers that he swore to them” (Deut 4:31). All of the miracles and mercy of the Exodus happened so that the people would know that the Lord is God and that there is no other beside him (Deut 4:35).

We read this preamble in Deuteronomy 5:

And Moses summoned all Israel and said to them, “Hear, O Israel, the statutes and the rules that I speak in your hearing today, and you shall learn them and be careful to do them. The Lord our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. Not with our fathers did the Lord make this covenant, but with us, who are all of us here alive today. The Lord spoke with you face to face at the mountain, out of the midst of the fire, while I stood between the Lord and you at that time, to declare to you the word of the Lord. For you were afraid because of the fire, and you did not go up into the mountain. (Deuteronomy 5:1–5)

Once again we see that God is described as the great and covenant-making God. Moses reminds the people of the fire on Mt. Sinai that engulfed the mountain. Then, as now, God’s power, presence, and holiness should inspire godly fear and obedience.

Why Do We Have These Commandments?

What is brief in Exodus is expanded in Deuteronomy. The holy, powerful, sovereign, covenant-making God gives these commands to his people out of love. He wants it to go well with them and with their children after them, that their days may be prolonged (Deut 4:40).

Because the Israelites are God’s people, he loves them enough to give them these commands. These laws are not shackles around the feet; these commands are the way to freedom, the best way to live as God’s loving people in the world.

Context matters.

We have collected all of the “Context Matters” posts on this blog on one page—check it out!

This post was originally published in 2018.

Disappointment and Health

By

"Emergency Ambulance" by Lydia (2011), share under a Creative Commons Attribution license
“Emergency Ambulance” by Lydia (2011), share under a Creative Commons Attribution license

Health problems can be tremendously disappointing. My appendicitis hospitalized me for 3 days, and I was desperate to get back home. Once home, I couldn’t do anything for myself for about a week. All this despite asking God many times to heal me! Some people ask for healing but never receive it. What should we make of this situation?

My comments will follow the pattern I explained in a previous post.

Be not wise in your own eyes;
Fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.
It will be healing to your flesh
And refreshment to your bones (Prov 3:7-8).

Command: Fear the Lord; turn from evil.

Consequence: Healing and refreshment.

Our meager expectation: People with strong faith will be healed of any ailment.

God’s unbelievable reward: ultimate welfare and forgiveness of sin. “A right relationship with God leads to a state of complete physical and mental well-being, not simply to the absence of illness and disease.”1 It’s okay if you get sick or injured or exhausted. Even your death is a refuge (Prov 14:32), for it brings you one step closer to the Lord (Prov 15:24). God is at work, preparing you for the day when there will be no mourning, crying, or pain.

Echoes: To give a picture of the health of this right relationship, God often cures sickness (Ps 30:1-12). But the essence of the reward is not about physical health and wellness. If you expect God to heal every sickness, and to do it on your timetable, you will be disappointed.

Essence: Jesus underwent torture and death so we might experience God’s true healing of our sin problem. Jesus performed many healing miracles, but Matthew’s reference to Isaiah 53:4 makes it clear that the physical healings were pictures of a deeper reality: the forgiveness of sin (Matt 8:16-17). Sometimes God heals diseases and preserves lives; other times he doesn’t. But when a sin-sick soul turns from its evil and fears the Lord, God will always forgive, cleanse, and refresh. Our disappointment at sickness and injury should redirect our attention to the God who heals everlastingly.

How might Jesus’ suffering help you refashion your disappointment when an illness doesn’t get better?

This post was first published in 2013 and is part of a series walking through Proverbs 1-9.

1Waltke, Proverbs 1-15, p.247

Disappointment and Guidance

By

Have you been counseled to pray before making a decision? In praying, do you expect God to give you clear direction on what to do? Friends, there’s something good here, but don’t fall into the trap of loving the wrong thing. If you pray about decisions and ask God for wisdom, he’ll give you something you might not have expected.

Again, my comments will follow the pattern I explained in a previous post.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
And he will make straight your paths (Prov 3:5-6).

Command: Trust God, not yourself.

Consequence: Straight paths.

Our meager expectation: Fervent prayers give clear direction from God for any decision.

God’s unbelievable reward: himself. Those who seek God will find him. “Trust in the Lord” and “do not lean on your own understanding” could be summarized as “fear the Lord,” which is the first step on the path of wisdom (Prov 1:7). The path of wisdom leads to God himself (Prov 2:5-8). So when God promises to “make straight your paths,” he offers to remove any obstacles that keep you from him. He’ll make himself available. He’ll loosen your yoke and lighten your burden. He will be your God.

Echoes: To give a picture of this straight path, God spoke to the fathers by the prophets at many times and in many ways (Gen 15:1, 37:5, Ex 3:2, Jdg 20:18, 23, etc.). But the essence of the reward is not about communication from God. If you expect God to speak clearly every time you ask for help, you will be disappointed.

"Anvil and Hammer" by fauxto_digit (2008), shared under a Creative Commons Attribution license

“Anvil and Hammer” by fauxto_digit (2008), shared under a Creative Commons Attribution license

Essence: Jesus cried out to God and was forsaken (Matt 27:46) so we who seek would find him (Matt 7:7-11). Sometimes God doesn’t give what we ask (2 Cor 12:7-8) so we might learn to ask for more of him instead (2 Cor 12:9-10). When we ask God to draw us closer to him, he will never say “No” (Jas 4:8). Raymond Ortlund describes this process: “Wisdom is the gospel of Christ reshaping us for royalty, as God places us on his anvil and we trust him enough to stay there until his work is done.”[1]

How might Jesus’ abandonment help you refashion your disappointment when your future remains unclear or your life goes in an unexpected direction?

This post was first published in 2013 and is part of a series walking through Proverbs 1-9.

[1] Proverbs: Wisdom that Works (Wheaton, Ill: Crossway, 2012), Kindle location 272-73.

Grammar and the Good Samaritan

By

houses

Joshua Hanks (2018), public domain

What shall I do to inherit eternal life?

There’s hardly a more important question. However, as we find this question addressed to Jesus by a lawyer in Luke 10:25, it wasn’t an honest question. It was a test.

After Jesus turned the question around and the lawyer gave the textbook answer, Jesus affirmed the lawyer: “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live” (Luke 10:27–28).

But the lawyer couldn’t stop there. He wanted to justify himself, so he followed up with this: “And who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:29)

The Basics of the Parable

In response, Jesus told the now-famous parable of the Good Samaritan.

You’ve probably heard the basics. A man is robbed, beaten, and left half dead on the side of the road. Both a priest and a Levite, two representatives of the devoted members of the Jewish religion, avoid the man by passing on the opposite side of the road. A Samaritan approaches, has compassion on the man, and cares for him at great cost to himself. Those are the basics.

As students of the Bible, we must read the Scriptures carefully. We observe the text before we move on to interpret and apply it. Given this commitment, we need to consider an important question: Did Jesus answer the man’s question?

Jesus Flips the Question

The lawyer wanted a neighbor list. Who’s in, and who’s out? If Jesus engaged the lawyer on the lawyer’s terms, he might tell a story with several characters, some of whom would qualify as neighbors.

But Jesus turns this question around. His story has a single person in need, one person who needs the neighbor-love God’s law commands.

When we study the Bible, our observations must include the grammar of the passage. We should notice the subjects, verbs, objects, and so on. And in this passage, Jesus is not concerned with the word “neighbor” as a noun, but as a verb.

Okay, I know—the word “neighbor” isn’t a verb. But at the end of the parable, Jesus asks the lawyer, “Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” (Luke 10:36) Instead of telling the lawyer who his neighbors are, Jesus wants the lawyer to understand how to be a neighbor.

Pay Attention to Jesus’s Words

There are important ethnic, religious, and cultural aspects to the Good Samaritan story that are beyond the scope of this post. But we only get to those larger issues through careful observation of the passage.

The lawyer was concerned about himself—his eternal life, his neighbors. But Jesus had much more in mind. The command to love one’s neighbor is not about checking a box to get closer to heaven. We are called to love our neighbors by seeing and meeting their needs. In obedience to our heavenly Father, we can love others because we have known abundant love ourselves.

Jesus often asks and answers questions in surprising ways. If we don’t observe the grammar of the text carefully, we might miss what he’s really up to.

This post was first published in 2018.

Disappointment and Relationships

By

"Close Friends" by makelessnoise (2006), shared under a Creative Commons Attribution license
“Close Friends” by makelessnoise (2006), shared under a Creative Commons Attribution license

Do you ever operate under the expectation that, if you try hard to love and serve people, they will like you in return? God has something better in mind for you!

My comments on this text will follow the pattern I laid out previously.

Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you;
Bind them around your neck;
Write them on the tablet of your heart.
So you will find favor and good success
In the sight of God and man (Prov 3:3-4).

Command: Exude love and faithfulness.

Consequence: Favor with God and men.

Our meager expectation: Nice people will be well liked and respected.

God’s unbelievable reward: influence. Those with godly influence persuade others of God’s love and faithfulness (Prov 16:7, 21). God favors such humble people (Prov 3:34), who serve others more than themselves. Communities benefit from such people (Prov 11:10).

Echoes: To give a picture of this good favor, God often grants public recognition to the faithful (1 Sam 24:17-21). But the essence of the reward is not about recognition. If you expect every loving act to result in broad agreement and wild acclaim, you will be disappointed. For example, David’s acclaim in 1 Sam 24:17-21 took place at a pretty low point in his life.

Essence: Jesus “came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:11-12). Those children will be hated in this world as much as their master Jesus was. But in persuading some to follow Christ, they receive hope, joy, and a glorious crown of boasting when Jesus returns (1 Th 2:19-20). In other words, they may be disappointed when people don’t like them, but God uses the disappointment to teach them whose favor really matters.

How does Jesus’ rejection help you refashion your disappointment in relationships?

This post was first published in 2013 and is part of a series walking through Proverbs 1-9.

Disappointment and Longevity

By

We get disappointed when our expectations are not met. We commonly expect that, if we honor God, we will live long and prosper, but God desires something better for us.

Live Long and Prosper

My comments will follow the pattern I laid out last week.

My son, do not forget my teaching,
But let your heart keep my commandments,
For length of days and years of life
And peace they will add to you (Prov 3:1-2).

Command: Obey God’s commands.

Consequence: Long life and peace.

Our meager expectation: People who serve God won’t die young.

God’s unbelievable reward: an unbreakable relationship with God. In Proverbs, “life” often refers to more than simply having a heartbeat (Prov 3:21-22, 4:13, 8:35, etc.). Waltke comments that the meaning of “life” in Proverbs is “commonly misrepresented and/or misunderstood” as temporal life that ends with clinical death.1 As Kidner states, “In several places it is not too much to say that ‘life’ means fellowship with God.”2

Echoes: To give a picture of his everlasting relationship with us, God often lets the righteous live to a good old age (Gen 25:8) and cuts short the lives of the wicked (Gen 38:7). But the essence of the reward is not about old age. If you expect every servant of God to live to old age, you will be disappointed.

Essence: God sent his Son Jesus to die on a cross so he might give us life. Eternal life means knowing him (John 17:3). When we seek life anywhere else, God graciously steps in and disappoints us. He leads us back to what’s best for us: loving Jesus and keeping his commandments (1 John 3:16, 23-24).

How might Jesus’ untimely death help you refashion your disappointment when someone’s life is cut short?

This post was first published in 2013 and is part of a series walking through Proverbs 1-9.

1 Proverbs 1-15, p. 104.

2 Proverbs, p. 53.

Context Matters: Mary and Martha

By

making bread

Harry Thaker (2018), public domain

Perhaps you’ve heard the account of Mary and Martha. One sister (Mary) sits at Jesus’s feet while the other (Martha) complains about a lack of help in the kitchen.

This story is often cited to reinforce the practice of devotional time, to warn against distractions, and to scold people (especially women) about fussiness regarding hospitality.

But we must answer a crucial question. What is the context of this story? The Bible is not just a collection of sayings and proverbs, ripe for picking and snacking on when we please. As we learn to read the Bible for what it is, we’ll see that some of our most familiar passages take on different and deeper meanings than we’ve assumed.

The Middle of Luke

The middle third of Luke’s Gospel begins in Luke 9:51 when Jesus “set his face to go to Jerusalem.” Instead of itinerant preaching around the Sea of Galilee, Jesus begins to move purposefully toward the city of his ascension (see Luke 9:51).

Much of the beginning of this section concerns discipleship. In Luke 9:51–56, Jesus rebukes James and John for wanting fire from heaven to fall on those Samaritans who didn’t receive Jesus. In Luke 9:57–62 we read of three encounters with hesitant followers, and Jesus presses them on this question: What will be your highest priority—comfort, tradition, family, or me?

Jesus sends out 72 disciples in Luke 10:1–24 to preach (and bring near) the kingdom of God. In this passage, Jesus makes it clear that his followers must rejoice primarily that their names are written in heaven (verse 20). But he also explains how the Son reveals the Father (verse 22) and how those who reject the disciples actually reject the Father (verse 16).

This leads to the conversation with the lawyer (Luke 10:25–28) and the parable of the Good Samaritan.

The Greatest Commandments

This lawyer stood to test Jesus, asking what was necessary for eternal life. When Jesus turned the question around, the lawyer answered correctly.

And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” (Luke 10:27)

Jesus praised the lawyer’s answer, and the lawyer asked a question in an attempt to justify himself. “And who is my neighbor?”

Jesus’s answer to this question is the parable of the Good Samaritan. We won’t take that parable apart in this article, but the ending is instructive.

Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.” (Luke 10:36–37)

While the lawyer was concerned about the word “neighbor” as a noun, Jesus wanted him to understand “neighbor” as a verb. Instead of defining who should receive love as a neighbor, Jesus focused on how to be (or become) a neighbor.

And, for many people, this brings the section to a close, with the story of Mary and Martha included as an awkward footnote.

Mary and Martha

Martha welcomed Jesus into her home and we are immediately introduced to her sister, Mary. The first description of Mary is the classic description of a disciple, sitting at Jesus’s feet and listening to his teaching (Luke 10:39).

Martha was “distracted with much serving,” and complained about her sister to the Lord. Jesus addressed her with affection and compassion.

But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:41–42).

While Luke makes it clear that Jesus had welcomed, traveled with, and been supported by women from early in his ministry (see Luke 8:1–3), we must not overlook the gender dynamics at play here. Jesus commends discipleship for women over distracted, anxious hospitality.

Jesus directs Martha to the “one thing” Mary has chosen. Namely, himself! And on the heels of a conversation with a lawyer, it stands out that the one necessary thing Jesus mentions is not the law. The law is not bad, but now the Keeper and Interpreter of the Law is present, the One whom the prophets and kings longed to see (Luke 10:23–24).

The Greatest Commandment

After the conversation with the lawyer, the parable of the Good Samaritan fleshes out what it means to “love your neighbor as yourself.” But the story of Mary and Martha is also connected to the lawyer’s answer to Jesus.

In a classic chiastic move, Luke has switched the order of explanation. The last story explains the first commandment.

How do we love the Lord with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind? Look at Mary. She has chosen the good portion.

We keep the greatest commandment by being a disciple of Jesus. We listen to his word. In contrast to anxiety and trouble, we look to and follow Jesus, the One who makes the Father known.

Conclusion

The story of Mary and Martha is not primarily about domestic duties. It’s not mainly about “quiet times” or distractions either.

Luke teaches us to love God by loving and following the Son. And we grasp this point when we read the Bible with our eyes open to all that’s happening within its pages.

Context matters.

Check out all of our Context Matters posts here.

This post was first published in 2018.

How to Refashion our Disappointment

By

Last week, we considered how we must see God’s fatherly love when we face disappointment. Now we’re ready to go back and explore the many realms where we so often feel disappointed.

"Cape Disappointment is Disappointing" by iotae (2006), shared under a Creative Commons Attribution License
iotae (2006), shared under a Creative Commons Attribution License

Proverbs 3:1-10 consists of five pairs of verses (each with a command and a consequence) that address five specific areas of life. Each pair contrasts our meager expectations with God’s unbelievable rewards. We may find echoes of these rewards in our day-to-day lives, but if we mistake the echoes for the essence, we’ll miss the point and end up disappointed. The essence is found in God’s rescue mission accomplished through Jesus. And when he rescues us, he also lovingly disciplines us to desire what he desires for us.

Over the next few weeks, we’ll explore our struggles with disappointment about the following life issues:

  1. Longevity
  2. Relationships
  3. Guidance
  4. Health
  5. Finances

I’ll connect Solomon’s sayings to the rest of the Bible and to our lives using the following categories (I’ll link back to here from each of the next few posts to remind you of the details):

  • “Command” observes the command.
  • “Consequence” observes the consequence.
  • “Our meager expectation” states a common misinterpretation of these verses.
  • “God’s unbelievable reward” uses other Proverbs to illuminate what Solomon (and thus God) meant.
  • “Echoes” uses examples from Solomon’s Bible (books or stories that were available to him) to show how God taught and foreshadowed this reward through real-life object lessons. If we confuse these echoes with the essence, we will expect the wrong thing and end up disappointed.
  • “Essence” describes how Jesus was denied the promise so we might be granted it. Then it explains how God trains us to love what he loves.

Stay tuned!

This post was first published in 2013 and is part of a series walking through Proverbs 1-9.