PROVERBS WISDOM TO LIVE BY

PROVERBS WISDOM TO LIVE BY

Introduction to the Book of Proverbs
The proverbs: the opening Hebrew noun “misle” gives the book its name in the Hebrew Bible as in ours. The Hebrew term basically means “a comparison.” Prov. 1:6 states that one of the book’s purposes is to give understanding to the “dark sayings.” Another purpose of Proverbs is to introduce the reader to a style of teaching that provokes his thought, getting under his skin by thrusts of wit, paradox, common sense and teasing symbolism, in preference to the preacher’s tactic of frontal assault.

In Proverbs, the words wise and wisdom are used at least 125 times, because the aim of the book is to help us acquire and apply God’s wisdom to the decisions and activities of daily life. The theme of Proverbs can be summed up in the question, “Is this wisdom or folly?”

Proverbs encourages the reader to count the cost or reward of his or her actions

God wants His children today to “walk circumspectly [carefully], not as fools but as wise” (Eph. 5:15, nkjv). Understanding the Book of Proverbs can help us do that. It isn’t enough simply to be educated and have knowledge, as important as education is. We also need wisdom, which is the ability to use knowledge. Wise men and women have the competence to grasp the meaning of a situation and understand what to do and how to do it in the right way at the right time.

In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word for “wise” (hakam) is used to describe people skillful in working with their hands, such as the artisans who helped build the tabernacle (Ex. 28:3; 35:30-36:2) and Solomon’s temple (1 Chron. 22:15). Wisdom isn’t something theoretical, it’s something very practical that affects every area of life. It gives order and purpose to life; it gives discernment in making decisions; and it provides a sense of fulfillment in life to the glory of God.

Authors to the Book of Proverbs

In 1:1, 10:1, and 25:1, we’re told that King Solomon is the author of the proverbs in this book. God gave Solomon great wisdom (1 Kings 3:5-15), so that people came from the ends of the earth to listen to him and returned home amazed (4:29-34; Matt. 12:42). He spoke 3,000 proverbs, most of which are not included in this book. 

 “The men of Hezekiah” (Prov. 25:1) were a group of scholars in King Hezekiah’s day (700 B.C.) who compiled the material recorded in chapters 25-29.  Prov. 25:2 appropriately opens Hezekiah’s collection,

In Proverbs 30 and 31, you meet “Agur the son of Jakeh” and “King Lemuel,” although many scholars think “Lemuel” was another name for Solomon. Lemuel was no king of Israel (unless the name—“belonging to God”—is a nom de plume. The ancient versions give some support to the RSV’s “king of Masa,” an Ishmaelite clan or place-name. The language here shows traces of a foreign or regional dialect.

Most of the material in this book came from King Solomon, so it’s rightly called “the proverbs of Solomon” (1:1). The last section of Proverbs was written by an anonymous author.

Some people think that our English word proverb comes from the Latin proverbium, which means “a set of words put forth,” or, “a saying supporting a point.” Or, it may come from the Latin pro (“instead of,” “on behalf of”) and verba (“words”); that is, a short statement that takes the place of many words. The proverb “Short reckonings make long friendships” comes across with more power than a lecture on forgiving your friends

The Hebrew word mashal is translated “proverb,” “parable,” and even “allegory,” but its basic meaning is “a comparison.” Many of Solomon’s proverbs are comparisons or contrasts (see 11:22; 25:25; 26:6-9), and some of his proverbs present these comparisons by using the word “better” (see 15:16-17; 16:19, 32; 17:1; 19:1).

Analysis

·         The first nine chapters of Proverbs form a unit in which the emphasis is on “wisdom” and “folly,” personified as two women. (The Hebrew word for wisdom is in the feminine gender.) In chapters 1, 8, and 9, Wisdom calls to men and women to follow her and enjoy salvation, wealth, and life.

·         In chapters 5, 6, and 7, Folly calls to the same people and offers them immediate satisfaction, but doesn’t warn them of the tragic consequences of rejecting Wisdom: condemnation, poverty, and death.

·         Chapters 10-15 form the next unit and present a series of contrasts between the life of wisdom and the life of folly.

·         The closing chapters of the book (chaps. 16-31) contain a variety of proverbs that give us counsel about many important areas of life.

Key Verse

1:7 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning [chief part] of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

This statement is amplified in 9:10—“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy [Holy One] is understanding.”

There are at least eighteen references to “the fear of the Lord” in Proverbs (1:7, 29; 2:5; 3:7; 8:13; 9:10; 10:27; 14:2, 26-27; 15:16, 33; 16:6; 19:23; 22:4; 23:17; 24:21; 31:30). If you read all these verses carefully, you’ll get a good idea of what this important biblical phrase means. The expression “the fear of the Lord” should not be limited to a healthy respect for the Almighty but also a holy watchfulness and fear that we might not sin against him.

The six verses that precede this key verse (1:7) explain why the Book of Proverbs was written: to give us wisdom, instruction, understanding, subtlety (prudence), knowledge, discretion, learning, and counsel. Everything depends on wisdom; the other seven words are practically synonymous with it.

·         Instruction carries the idea of discipline, a parent’s correction that results in the building of the child’s character. The word “instruction” or “training” used in Proverbs gives us notice at once that wisdom is a quality of character as much as of mind.

·         Understanding means the ability to grasp a truth with insight and discernment. The background idea for “understanding” derives from the parent verb “to discern.”

·         Prudence (“subtlety”) is the kind of intelligence that sees the reasons behind things. People with prudence can think their way through complex matters and see what lies behind them, and thereby make wise decisions about them.

·         Knowledge - The word translated knowledge comes from a Hebrew root that describes skill in hunting (Gen. 25:27), sailing (2 Chron. 8:18), and playing a musical instrument (1 Sam. 16:16). Knowledge involves the ability to distinguish; the Latin equivalent gives us our English word “science.” The word “knowledge” does not imply so much an informed mind as a knowing of truth and indeed of God Himself.

·         Discretion is the ability to devise wise plans after understanding a matter. The negative meaning is “to devise a plot.”

·         Learning “to lay hold of, to grasp, to acquire or buy.” When we grasp something with the mind, then we have learned it.

·         Counsel is related to the verb “to steer a ship.” Counsel is wise guidance that moves one’s life in the right direction.

I.                    WISDOMS CALL Proverbs 1:8-33

1.      The voice that Instructs.

Prov. 1:8-10

⁸ My son, hear the instruction of your father, And do not forsake the law of your mother; ⁹ For they will be a graceful ornament on your head, And chains about your neck. ¹⁰ My son, if sinners entice you, Do not consent.

Prov. 1:15-19

¹⁵ My son, do not walk in the way with them, Keep your foot from their path; ¹⁶For their feet run to evil, And they make haste to shed blood. ¹⁷Surely, in vain the net is spread In the sight of any bird; ¹⁸ But they lie in wait for their own blood, They lurk secretly for their own lives. ¹⁹ So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain; It takes away the life of its owners.

2.      The voice that tempts

Prov. 1:11-14

¹¹If they say, “Come with us, Let us lie in wait to shed blood; Let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause; ¹² Let us swallow them alive like Sheol, And whole, like those who go down to the Pit; ¹³ We shall find all kinds of precious possessions, We shall fill our houses with spoil; ¹⁴ Cast in your lot among us, Let us all have one purse”

3.      The voice that saves. Proverbs 1:20-33

a.       Where does Wisdom speak? In the crowded streets and public places where busy people gather to take care of the business of life. The message of God’s truth is made for the marketplace, not the ivory tower; we must share it “at the head of the noisy streets” (Prov. 1:21, niv). Wisdom even went to the city gate where the leaders were transacting official business. No matter where people are, they need to hear Wisdom’s call.

b.      To whom does Wisdom speak? To three classes of sinners: the simple ones, the scorners (scoffers, mockers, ), and the fools (v. 22).

i.      The simple are naive people who believe anything (14:15) but examine nothing. They’re gullible and easily led astray.

ii.             Scorners think they know everything (21:24) and laugh at the things that are really important. While the simple one has a blank look on his face, the scorner wears a sneer.

iii.          Fools are people who are ignorant of truth because they’re dull and stubborn. Their problem isn’t a low IQ or poor education; their problem is a lack of spiritual desire to seek and find God’s wisdom. Fools enjoy their foolishness but don’t know how foolish they are! The outlook of fools is purely materialistic and humanistic. They hate knowledge and have no interest in things eternal. According to Prov. 22:15, “foolishness is bound in the heart of a child.”

II.                 WISDOM’S PATH

In the Book of Proverbs, the words “path” and “way” (and their plurals) are found nearly 100 times (kjv). Wisdom is a path to walk, and the emphasis in chapters 2, 3, and 4 is on the blessings God’s people enjoy when they walk on Wisdom’s path. The path of Wisdom leads to life, but the way of Folly leads to death; when you walk on the path of Wisdom, you enjoy three wonderful assurances: Wisdom protects your path (chap. 2), directs your path (chap. 3), and perfects your path (chap. 4).

1.      Walking with God. (v. 1-9)

Prov. 2:1-9

My son, if you receive my words, And treasure my commands within you, ² So that you incline your ear to wisdom, And apply your heart to understanding; ³ Yes, if you cry out for discernment, And lift up your voice for understanding, ⁴ If you seek her as silver, And search for her as for hidden treasures; ⁵Then you will understand the fear of the Lord, And find the knowledge of God. ⁶  For the Lord gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding; ⁷ He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly; ⁸ He guards the paths of justice, And preserves the way of His saints. ⁹ Then you will understand righteousness and justice, Equity and every good path.

Chapters 2-4 all begin with an admonition to listen to God’s words and to take them to heart (3:1-12; 4:1-9), because that’s the only way we can walk with God and live skillfully. Eight imperatives in this paragraph reveal our responsibilities toward God’s truth:

a.       Receive (accept) God’s words 

b.      Hide them (store them up) in our minds and hearts

c.       Incline the ear and apply the heart

d.      Cry after knowledge

e.       Lift up the voice for understanding

f.        Seek for wisdom

g.       Search after it.

2.      Walking with the Wicked. (v.10-19)

Here we meet “the evil man” and “the strange woman,” two people who are dangerous because they want to lead God’s children away from the path of life. The evil man is known for his perverse (“froward,” kjv; crooked) words (see vv. 12, 14; 6:14; 8:13; 10:31-32; and 16:28, 30). He walks on the dark path of disobedience and enjoys doing that which is evil. He belongs to the crowd Solomon warns us about in 1:10-19. The person who walks in the way of wisdom would immediately detect his deceit and avoid him.

The “strange woman” is the loose woman, the adventurer described so vividly in 7:1-27. If the evil man uses perverse words to snare the unwary, the adulteress uses flattering words. Someone has said that flattery isn’t communication, it is manipulation; it’s people telling us things about ourselves that we enjoy hearing and wish were true. The strange woman knows how to use flattery successfully. She has no respect for God, because she breaks His law (Ex. 20:14); she has no respect for her husband because she violates the promises she made to him when she married him. She no longer has a guide or a friend in the Lord or in her husband, because she has taken the path of sin. Anyone who listens to her words and follows her path is heading for the cemetery. Prov. 12:4 gives a description of the virtuous woman, which can be translated as “virtuous,” “strength,” “worth,” or “she has a lot in her.”

Proverbs teaches that adultery is an exchange of true intimacy for its parody, a parting with one’s honor, a parting of one’s liberty, and a throwing away of one’s best years. According to Prov. 5:19, a man’s loyalty to his wife should be expressed as “ravished with her love.” The Heb. word for “ravished” can be translated in other places as “infatuated,” “go astray,” “be lost,” and “be intoxicated.” Prov. 5:9 gives a warning to avoid the strange woman lest you be given over to the “cruel one;” the Heb. implying possibly a blackmailer. In Prov. 6:27-29, the adulterer is embracing fire. According to Prov. 7:24-27, a person should “guard their mind,” “keep away,” “look past the immediate,” and “run,” in order to resist sexual temptation. Prov. 11:6 teaches that the “unfaithful will be caught by their lust.”

3.      Walking with the Righteous. (v. 20-22)

Proverbs 2:20-22

²⁰ So you may walk in the way of goodness, And keep to the paths of righteousness. ²¹ For the upright will dwell in the land, And the blameless will remain in it; ²²But the wicked will be cut off from the earth, And the unfaithful will be uprooted from it.

III.               WISDOM DIRECTS OUR PATH

Proverbs 3:5-7

⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; ⁶In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. ⁷ Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil.