The Book of
Proverbs
Proverbs. This is a book of wisdom. The Hebrew idea behind the word wisdom is
“skill in living.” As a Biblical text the Book of Proverbs is to give us skill
for living life from God's perspective
The Wisdom begins with a fear of the Lord. I believe that the "fear of the
Lord" is analogous to love, in that it reflects such honor and love for Him, that one is fearful of causing His displeasure.
"An apple a day keeps the doctor
away." We know that there is
healthy truth in that. But if we were only
to eat an apple a day we would die. Proverbs
are to be taken in a limited sense. They are general statements of truth, not
universal, absolute promises. They are
never intended to be exact to the precise detail. There is also a need to culturally interpret
Proverbs and apply them to a contemporary scenario.
Proverbs rely heavily on imagery to make an impact. Consider this warning to adultery: “Can a man carry fire next to his chest and his clothes not be
burned?” (Proverbs 6:27, ESV)
Solomon is generally thought to have
authored the entire Book of Proverbs except for three sections: the Sayings of
the Wise in Proverbs 22:17-24:34, Proverbs 30, and Proverbs 31. He may have
collected and compiled the Sayings of the Wise, but it is generally agreed that
he did not write them. We do not know who wrote them.
Thirty Sayings of
the Wise
Introduction
“Incline
your ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply your heart to my knowledge,
for it will be pleasant if you keep them within you, if all of them are ready
on your lips. That your trust may be in the Lord, I have made them known to you
today, even to you. Have I not written for you thirty sayings of counsel and
knowledge, to make you know what is right and true, that you may give a true
answer to those who sent you?” (Proverbs 22:17–21, ESV).
Commentary
Wisdom calls us to a life of learning. The pursuit of knowledge and applied wisdom
is pleasant. but have you ever said to someone, "It's going in one ear and out
the other?" Wisdom helps us here to
hear! When we learn something, be ready
to tell someone right away. This helps
us retain what we know. Meditate on what you learn. Think about it. Be ready to personalize and tell someone
else.
Why do we learn wisdom? “That your trust
may be in the Lord, I have made
them known to you today, even to you.” (Proverbs 22:19, ESV). The author's emphasize is clear: even you –
yes, to you I am speaking. We
internalize and apply wisdom and when we do our faith increases.
An additional purpose of God's truth and
Divine wisdom is summed up by the author this way: "That you 'know what is
right and true, that you may give a true answer to those who sent you?'"[1] The author may have in mind some diplomatic
or ambassadorial service, but what greater service do we have as messengers of
the King of kings? We learn,
internalize, personalize, apply so that our own trust in God is magnified and
our ability to represent Him is enhanced.
Application
"The
general thought of the introductory paragraph is . . . that 'the pupil is to
devote himself to study,
1. A great way to apply this in our lives is to
tell someone – tell them why a lifelong pursuit of God's wisdom is important.
2. We are sent to be envoys of God's
wisdom. When we stop learning and stop
studying we will falter in our mission.
Are you consistently applying yourself to the study of God's
wisdom? If you are “it will be pleasant if you keep them within you, if all of them
are ready on your lips.” (Proverbs 22:18, ESV). If you are not, one would ask the question,
"Do you fear God?"
[1] The
Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2001). (Pr 22:21). Wheaton: Standard
Bible Society.
[2] Expositor's Bible Commentary, The, Pradis
CD-ROM:Proverbs/Exposition of Proverbs/IV. The Sayings of the Wise
(22:17-24:34)/A. Thirty Precepts of the Sages (22:17-24:22), Book Version:
4.0.2
[3] Koptak, P. E. (2003). Proverbs (p. 534). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
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