Discussion Questions:

1. In verses 2-4 David charges Solomon to live by courageous obedience. This means doing God’s work in God’s way according to God’s word. Identify some places in your life where God is calling you to show courageous obedience.

2. The wisdom David counsels in verses 5-9 is very familiar: look out for number 1, the best defense is a good offense, etc. Name some places where this kind of wisdom sneaks itself into the Christian life.

3. The move from verses 2-4 to verses 5-9 can be jarring. David is a complex person who can be both a man of God and a man of blood, just as Luther described Christians as “simultaneously righteous and sinful.” Do you see evidence of a divided character in your life? What can you do to overcome it?

4. A careful comparison of verses 12 and 46 shows that things are firmer in God’s hands than in ours (NB: compare in the ESV rather than the NIV). This is why James 3:13 says true wisdom is evidenced by meekness. Reflect on the kind of wisdom Solomon uses in chapter 2 vs. the wisdom that led Jesus to the cross. Where is God calling you to show “the meekness of wisdom” by letting God firmly establish your ways?