The “wisdom” of which Proverbs speaks is literally “skill” in living.
What are some proverbs that you’ve personally experienced?
- Write down the advice of him who loves you, though you like it not at present.
- Blessed are the husband and wife
who work out their problems of adjustments
without the interference from relatives. - Be with wise men and become wise. Be with evil men and become evil.
- He who knows, and knows he knows -He is wise – follow him.He who knows, and knows not he knows -He is asleep – wake him.He who knows not, and knows not he knows not -He is a fool – shun him.
He who knows not, and knows he knows not -He is a child – teach him. - A woman deserves no credit for her beauty at sixteen but beauty at sixty is her own soul’s doing.
- I was so bright my mother called my sunny (my father’s humor).
- You may give without loving, but you can’t love without giving.
- The brain is no stronger than its weakest think.
- Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape.
- Keep the blue side up (aviation proverb).
- Haste makes waste.
Proverbs have been helpful throughout history and all around the world:
- The English say about sleep: Six hours sleep for a man, seven for a woman and eight for a fool.
- The Spanish say about contentment: He who is contented is not always rich.
- The French say about greed: The more one has, the more one wants.
- The Scottish say about frugalness:
Laid up will be many,
Who will not save a penny,
Shall never have many.
- The Danish say about children and riches: A rich child often sits in a poor mother’s lap.
- The Indians say about marriage:
Two hours before going to sea,
And three hours before getting married.
- The English say about a virtuous wife: A clever wife makes her husband an apron.
As we read God’s Story, and come to the books of wisdom writings, such as Proverbs, be aware that they were written by a distinctive group of people in Israel's history who grappled with some of the eternal questions of life. Wisdom was not only a type of writing in ancient Israel; it was first and foremost a way of life and of understanding the world.
A proverb is a brief, particular expression of truth. They do not state everything about a truth, but they point toward it. This truth is phrased in a certain way so as to be learned by anyone. Here are some definitions passed down:
- A portable wisdom saying.
- The physical relating to spiritual truth.
- A reflection on the way life tends to work.
- A homespun teaching on an everyday issue.
- A small statement teaching enormous truth.
- An electrifying flash of perception.
- The wit of one and the wisdom of many.
- A flash of light into a dark, unknown place.
Sharing:
Proverbs are:
- Easily memorized statements.
- Often repeated.
- Folk wisdom.
- Pithy teaching.
The proverbs flourished during Solomon’s time. Fit the proverbs into 1 Kings 1-11 and 2 Chronicles 1-9. Solomon was known as the wisest of the wise throughout the ancient world: Thus Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the men of the East and all the wisdom of Egypt
Proverbs opens with: The proverbs of Solomon the son of David. He spoke three thousand proverbs, of which about 800 are included in Proverbs. Other writers are referred to as: The Sayings of the Wise (Heading, 22:17); Agur, an unknown writer, possibly a teacher instructing his pupils Ithiel and Ucal (30:1); The words of King Lemuel, the utterance which his mother taught him (31:1).
1 Kings 4:30 (GNT): Solomon was wiser than the wise men of the East or the wise men of Egypt. The fact that Solomon’s wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the sons of the east and of Egypt, did not prevent him engaging in plural marriage to utter excess – 700 wives and 300 concubines! This led to evil in the eyes of the Lord. What do we make of this?
Solomon was a man of surprising wisdom but also of surpassing folly so far as his private life was concerned. His life is a solemn reminder that wisdom is not equivalent to godliness – the fear of the Lord. And yet without godliness no wise man will use his wisdom to a consistently good purpose, so far as his own life is concerned. There is an evil in the human heart, and it can coexist with a perfect knowledge of God’s truth. How does God relate to this?
1 Kings 11:9 says: the Lord became angry with Solomon, because his heart turned from the Lord God of Israel. God’s anger was doubly justified, for He had spoken to Solomon twice concerning his sins, but he did not keep what the Lord had commanded. Nevertheless, God was merciful to Solomon – He did not divide His kingdom until after his death.
Sharing:
- When we look at the life of Solomon, we realize that:
- Proverbs are easier said than done.
- It is easier to say, ‘Do as I say, not as I do.’
- It is different to say and do than to say. Doing shows belief.
- There is worldly wisdom in proverbs.
- Just because Solomon was wise didn’t mean he made wise choices.
- He may have been thinking that his proverbs were good for someone else.
- It is tragic to see the path Solomon took over his life.
- We are to cry aloud for wisdom – pursue it!
Solomon was without excuse. Moses gave Israel clear instructions regarding future kings of Israel (Deuteronomy 17:14-20):
- Self-control: guarding the tongue prevents trouble (Proverbs 21:23).
- Integrity: a good reputation is better than riches – your name goes on; your wealth stops at death (22:1).
- Counsel: careful plans and good advice are more reliable than personal opinions (15:22).
- A Wife: the choice of a good wife is extremely important to a peaceful life (25:24).
- Gossip: to kill gossip, don’t feed it, just like a fire goes out without wood (26:20).
- Procrastination: there is no tomorrow for sure, so do what you must today (27:1).
- Understanding: leadership positions do not guarantee understanding (28:16).
- Bribes: bribes destroy a nation; justice strengthens it (29:4).
- Security: true security comes through a proper knowledge of God’s Word (30:5).
The only good choices are godly choices. This is why Proverbs opens with: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. This is not distrustful terror of God, but rather the reverent awe and worshipful response of faith to the God who reveals Himself as Creator, Savior and Judge. Knowing God is the very first step in biblical wisdom. To ‘know’ God is to commit ourselves to Him. This introduces us to a life of wisdom. It is not so much that we seek to learn how to be wise, but rather that we seek to get wise.
In Hebrew many of the proverbs have some sort of rhythm or sound repetition that makes them easy to learn.
Proverbs is one of the few biblical books that clearly spell out its purpose: to impart moral discernment and discretion (1:3-5), and to develop mental clarity and perception (1:2, 6). Wisdom is more than shrewdness or intelligence; it relates to practical righteousness and moral intellect. It can be stated simply as practical righteousness before God in every area of life.
Remember these things about Proverbs:
- Proverbs are not guaranteed promises from God, but poetic guidelines for good behavior. The blessings, rewards, and opportunities mentioned are likely to follow if one will choose the wise courses of action outlined in the proverbs. See 22:6.
- Proverbs are often figurative, pointing beyond themselves. Specific language that exaggerates is often used to make a point. See 15:19.
- Proverbs are practical, not theoretical to be used to develop systems of belief. See 31:10.
- Proverbs are worded to be memorable, not technically exact. See 10:12.
- Proverbs strongly reflecting ancient culture may need sensible translation so as not to lose their meaning. See 6:20-22.
- Proverbs rightly used will provide practical advice for daily living. If wrongly used, they can promote a ridiculous, materialistic lifestyle. See 16:3
- Proverbs must be read as a collection. Each proverb must be balanced with others and understood in comparison with the rest of Scripture. The more in isolation one reads a proverb, the less clear its interpretation may be. This leads us to…
Stringing Proverbs together to build on a particular blessing, reward, warning, or opportunity will help interpret individual proverbs so that you have a very useful ‘pearl necklace’ of truth.
In its 31 chapters, Proverbs discusses many practical matters to help us live in harmony with God as well as his fellow man. They include:
- Relating to God, parents, children, neighbors and government.
- Choosing the right kind of friends.
- The perils of adultery.
- The value of hard work.
- Dealing justly with others in business.
- The dangers of strong drink.
- Treating the poor with compassion.
- The values of strong family ties.
- The folly of pride and anger.
- The characteristics of genuine friendship.
Typical of the proverbs in the ancient Near East, many proverbs seem to have arisen in the context of the home. The term son (better translated as child) appears in 44 verses in the book, father in 15 and mother in 11. Husband and wife are admonished to be united joyfully in a clearly monogamous union. Both parents are directed to share in the training of their children and nurturing them in faith. Sins that attack the order of the home are straightforwardly exposed.
Here are some ‘pearl necklaces’ from Proverbs 5 for…
The lips of another man’s wife may be as sweet as honey
and her kisses as smooth as olive oil,
but when it is all over,
she leaves you nothing but bitterness and pain (3-4).
She will take you down to the world of the dead; the road she walks is the road to death (5).
Keep away from such a woman!
Don’t even go near her door!
If you do, others will gain the respect you once had,
and you will die young at the hands of merciless men (8-9).
Yes, strangers will take all your wealth,
and what you have worked for will belong to someone else (10).
You will lie groaning on your deathbed,
your flesh and muscles being eaten away,
and you will say,
“Why would I never learn?
Why would I never let anyone correct me?
I wouldn’t listen to my teachers.
I paid no attention to them.
And suddenly I found myself publicly disgraced” (11-14).
and give your love to her alone (15).
Children that you have by other women
will do you no good.
Your children should grow up to help you,
not strangers (16-17).
So be happy with your wife
and find your joy with the girl you married-
pretty and graceful as a deer.
Let her charms keep you happy;
let her surround you with her love (18-19).
The sins of a wicked man are a trap.
He gets caught in the net of his own sin.
He dies because he has no self-control.
His utter stupidity will send him to his grave (22-23).
Here is a ‘pearl necklace’ from various chapters for …
Beauty in a woman without good judgement
is like a gold ring in a pig’s snout (11:22).
A good wife is her husband’s pride and joy;
but a wife who brings shame on her husband
is like a cancer in his bones (12:4).
Find a wife and you find a good thing;
it shows that the Lord is good to you (18:22).
A nagging wife is like water
going drip-drip-drip (19:13).
A man can inherit a house and money
from his parents,
but only the Lord can give him
a sensible wife (19:14).
Better to live on the roof
than share the house
with a nagging wife (21:9).
Better to live out in the desert
than with a nagging, complaining wife (21:19).
Better to live on the roof
than share the house
with a nagging wife (25:24).
This is how an unfaithful wife acts:
she commits adultery,
takes a bath,
and says,
“But I haven’t done anything wrong!” (30:20).
Sharing:
- Wisdom is personified as a woman, always calling out, with no excuse to seeking wisdom.
- Pearl necklace for marriage:
Proverbs 9:10: start with the study of wisdom.
2:16: Wisdom saves you from adultery.
11:23: Warning about discretion.
19:13: Deal with a nagging wife.
14:7: Wise vs. foolish woman.
18:22: A good wife is favor from the Lord.
5:18: Rejoice in the wife of your youth.
- Proverbs 17:28 and 18:6,7 reminds me of politicians!
- Proverbs are a description of righteousness and of evil.
Come prepared to share from Ecclesiastes in our next session. Look for the meaning of life in its poetry.
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