Verses 1-12:

These verses are organized by advice and benefit

• Review the verses and discuss each advice and each benefit. Hint: There are six treasures of guidance and cautions. See if you can find each treasure and match the associating benefit.
• Review each command and how Solomon tells his son to hold onto them – what do you learn from this?
• How can you imagine the obeying God’s laws and Commands lengthening your days
• How can keeping mercy and truth help you find favor in the eyes of God and man?
• How can trusting in the Lord and acknowledging him in all our ways lead to him directing your path? Can you think of practical applications when this happened to you that you would be willing to share?
• Can you share an experience when you didn’t trust in your own wisdom, but followed God’s guidance and fled evil? How can not trusting in your own wisdom be health to you and marrow to your bones? What do you think of when you imagine “marrow to your bones?” or “life to your bones?”
• How does “giving honor to the Lord with your with your wealth” differ from the world\’s advice for your wealth? Try to be specific.
• What is the result of “making your heart heard to the Lord’s teaching?”
• When you were young, did you believe that harsh words or punishment from your parents was a good thing? Have you changed? Do you truely believe the advice from Solomon?

Verses 13-18

The benefits of wisdom:

• Wisdom provides happiness, wealth, value, health, delight, peace.
• What kind of wisdom is Solomon speaking of?
• Again – why do you think he describes wisdom as a “she”?

Verses 19-20

• How has the Lord used wisdom, knowledge, and reason?
• Is there a difference between how he uses wisdom, reason, and knowledge?
• How does this affect your view of intellectual pursuits?

Verse 21-24

• What do you associate with sound wisdom and discretion?
• What depth of comfort do these offer?
• Who offers the protection?

Verses 25-

• Do not’s:
  • Withold good for those who it is due
  • Hold back or delay things that your neighbor needs – “Why?”
  • Do not engage in conflict unnecessarily
  • Don’t follow the ways of the oppressor – how would you characterize those ways?
  • Why shouldn’t you follow the ways of the oppressor?
  • What do you think verse 32 means?