✚ North & Narrow

Session 01 • Proverbs 1

Two Paths & The Listening Gate — Theme 1: Foundation & Voices

Proverbs 1 opens the whole book by naming its purpose, warning about destructive voices, and picturing wisdom herself calling in the streets. Your life will be shaped by who you listen to and which invitations you accept.

Estimated time: 10–20 minutes • Focus: Listening, invitations, and early course corrections

Scripture should always be read first in your own Bible, with prayer and dependence on the Holy Spirit for understanding. North & Narrow’s notes are created with the help of technology and reflect a fallible, interpretive layer. Use this program as a supplemental guide, not a replacement for Scripture itself.

What today is about

Proverbs 1 sets the foundation: wisdom is not a vague idea, but a way of living that begins with the fear of the LORD and shows up in daily choices. The chapter contrasts the appeal of violent, shortcut gain with the honest path, and ends with Wisdom calling out publicly, promising safety to those who heed her.

  • Wisdom’s purpose is to give knowledge, discretion, and instruction for real life.
  • Companions and voices matter: some invitations pull you toward harm and hidden traps.
  • Wisdom calls out before disaster; listening early leads to security and peace.

Section 1 — Why Proverbs Exists (vv.1–7)

Proverbs 1:1–7 (KJV)

Proverbs 1:1–4 The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel;
To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding;
To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity;
To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.

Explanation (vv.1–4): These sayings are given on purpose: to provide wisdom, moral discernment, and practical skill, especially for those who are inexperienced and still being formed.

Proverbs 1:5 A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:

Explanation (v.5): Wisdom is not a one-time download. Even those already wise keep listening, keep learning, and deliberately seek good counsel.

Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Explanation (v.7): Reverent awe before the LORD is the starting point of true knowledge. To reject His wisdom and His correction is to choose the path of the fool.

Section 2 — Enticing Voices & Hidden Nets (vv.8–19)

Proverbs 1:8–10, 15–16, 18–19 (KJV)

Proverbs 1:8–10 My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:
For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.
My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.

Explanation (vv.8–10): A faithful father and mother are pictured as the earliest “gatekeepers” of wisdom. Their teaching is meant to be worn like honour, but other voices will try to pull you away. The first command is simple: when temptation calls, do not agree.

Proverbs 1:15–16 My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path:
For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.

Explanation (vv.15–16): The warning is not only about motives but about where a path leads. Joining certain companions means walking toward harm, even if the invitation sounds exciting at first.

Proverbs 1:18–19 And they lay wait for their own blood; they lurk privily for their own lives.
So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; which taketh away the life of the owners thereof.

Explanation (vv.18–19): Violence and greedy shortcuts are a trap that snaps back on those who set it. The pursuit of unjust gain destroys the very people who chase it.

Section 3 — Wisdom’s Public Call & Safe Dwelling (vv.20–23, 28–33)

Proverbs 1:20–23, 28–33 (KJV)

Proverbs 1:20–21 Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets:
She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying,

Explanation (vv.20–21): Wisdom is not hidden in a corner. She calls openly in public places, including at the “gates” where decisions are made. The issue is not lack of access, but whether we listen.

Proverbs 1:22–23 How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?
Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.

Explanation (vv.22–23): Wisdom exposes the heart: some love staying naive or mocking. But she also gives a promise—if we turn at correction, she will pour out her insight and make her words clear.

Proverbs 1:28–29 Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:
For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD:

Explanation (vv.28–29): There is a sober warning: delayed listening has consequences. When wisdom has been persistently refused, there comes a point where the cost of earlier choices must be borne.

Proverbs 1:33 But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.

Explanation (v.33): Those who heed wisdom’s call are promised a settled safety—a way of living that is not ruled by constant fear of disaster, because the path itself has been wisely chosen.

Recap — Proverbs 1 (Key threads)

  • Proverbs is given to form real-world wisdom, justice, judgment, and equity (vv.1–4).
  • The fear of the LORD is the starting line for knowledge; rejecting His wisdom is choosing folly (v.7).
  • Some voices entice toward harm and greed; their path is a net that closes on those who follow (vv.10–19).
  • Wisdom calls publicly and early; turning at reproof brings insight, while delay has real cost (vv.20–23, 28–29).
  • Listening to wisdom leads to dwelling safely and living less ruled by fear (v.33).

Today’s practice — Guard the listening gate

Aim: Become more deliberate about which voices you let shape you. This session especially supports Relationships • Wood (who you walk with) and Identity • Wood (who you treat as your main teacher).

Quick — Today (5–10 minutes)

  • Write one line: “Today, my main listening gate will be…” (e.g., Scripture before social, one wise voice before a big choice).
  • Identify one enticing but unhelpful voice (feed, show, person, or habit of scrolling) and mute, skip, or step back once today.
  • Pray briefly over Proverbs 1:7 and 1:33, asking God to reset your fear of the LORD and your sense of safety in His wisdom.

Medium — 7 days (“Voices & Paths Audit”)

  • List the top 5 “voices” that shape you most (people, media, channels, environments).
  • For one week, put a small checkmark each day next to the voices that pull you toward wisdom, and a dot next to those that pull you toward distraction or shortcut gain.
  • Choose one “pull-down” voice to limit for the week (time cap, mute, or clear boundary).
  • At week’s end, write 3–5 sentences on how your mood, focus, or temptations shifted.

Deep — 30 days (“Gate Rule”)

  • Craft a simple “Gate Rule” in one or two sentences, such as: “I will let God’s Word and one wise mentor have the first and last word on major decisions.”
  • For 30 days, before any major decision or strong invitation, pause and consult your Gate Rule: Who am I listening to here? Does this match the fear of the LORD?
  • Keep a one-line daily log: “Today’s key invitation was… and I chose to listen to…”
  • After 30 days, summarize where your path feels slightly safer or clearer because of different listening choices.

Comparative lenses — Other wisdom echoes

Aristotle — Character shaped by repeated listening

Aristotle describes virtue as a stable habit formed through repeated choices. Proverbs 1’s focus on hearing, refusing enticement, and walking a different path parallels that picture: who you choose to listen to, over and over, quietly shapes the kind of person you become.

Confucius — Learning under worthy teachers

Confucius emphasizes honoring parents and teachers, and choosing relationships that cultivate ren (humaneness) and yi (rightness). Proverbs 1:8–9 aligns with that: a wise son or daughter treasures instruction from those who truly seek their good, rather than chasing the approval of companions who entice toward harm.

Socrates — Examining the voices you obey

Socrates presses people to examine their assumptions instead of blindly following the crowd. Proverbs 1 asks a similar question in practical form: Which invitations am I accepting, and what kind of life will they create if I keep saying “yes” to them?

Buddha — Craving, shortcuts, and suffering

In Buddhist teaching, craving and unwise attachment lead to suffering. While the worldview differs from Scripture, Proverbs 1’s warning about greedy gain and violent shortcuts carries a similar insight: chasing rapid advantage at the expense of others often leads back to harm for the pursuer.

Closing prayer (optional)

Lord, thank You that You speak and that wisdom still calls today. Teach me to fear You rightly, to recognize enticing voices that pull me toward harm, and to listen early instead of late. Guard my path, guard my ears, and help me choose the invitations that lead to safety and life. In Jesus’ name, amen.