ProverbsPractical Wisdom for Everyday Life

Introduction

• What do you see in the world today?• Contentiousness• Anger• Greed• Sexual promiscuity• Fraud• Despicable parents• Disrespectful children• Envy• Deceit• …

Introduction• Society has advanced tremendously • The explosion of knowledge is incredible• However, the basic problems have changed very little• Even in our advanced society, we have a bumper crop of

brilliant failures• “We probably do not have more fools than other

nations, but as Jane Adams once said, ‘In America, fools are better organized.’” (Robert Alden)

Knowledge is not enough!• We need wisdom• Proverbs provides a very practical answer to the

problems rampant in the world yesterday and today• It puts godliness into working clothes

Lesson Plan and Book Outline“Proverbs is truly a collection of sayings with no arrangement, outline, order, or progression. When you think about it, however, life is like that. We try to bring order to life, but opportunities, crises, and unexpected intrusions come. Sometimes life is boring while other times its many activities almost overwhelm us. We seek order and coherence, but often are driven to despair because our efforts fail. Perhaps that is why Proverbs comes to us in the form it does.” (Alden)

Lesson Plan and Book Outline• First four lessons cover the first nine chapters of

Proverbs in order• Basically a series of discourses

• The other nine lessons are topically organized• These are the actual proverbs

Lesson Plan and Book Outline

• In praise of wisdom (1:1 – 9:18)• Prologue (1:1-7)• Warning against joining thieves (1:8-19)• The call of wisdom (1:20-33)• The rewards of wisdom (2:1 – 4:27)• Warning against adultery (5:1-23)• Warnings against cosigning, laziness, and deceit (6:1-

19)• Warning against adultery continued (6:20 – 7:27)• In praise of wisdom (8:1-36)• The two choices: wisdom or folly (9:1-18)

Lesson Plan and Book Outline

• The proverbs of Solomon (10:1 – 22:16)• Contrasting proverbs (10:1 – 15:33)• Synonymous proverbs (16:1 – 22:16)

• The sayings of the wise (22:17 – 24:34)• Thirty wise sayings (22:17 – 24:22)• Further sayings of the wise (24:23-34)

• More proverbs of Solomon copied by Hezekiah’s men (25:1 – 29:27)

• The words of Agur (30:1-33)• The words of Lemuel (31:1-9)• The noble woman (31:10-31)

Authorship• Did Solomon write the book of Proverbs?

• A collection of proverbs from different writers over several centuries

• Solomon (Chapters 1 – 9; 10 – 22:16; 25 – 29)• Agur (30:1)• Lemuel (or his mother – 31:1)• The “wise men” (22:17)• About twenty quotations or allusions found in the N.T.

What is a proverb?• “mashal” – a comparison, to be similar to, resemble• Websters: a brief popular epigram or maxim• Oxford: a short, pithy saying in common use• Archer Taylor: a proverb is anonymous, traditional, epigrammatic,

and is characterized by shortness, sense, and salt• Lord John Russel: the wisdom of many and the wit of one• R.B.Y. Scott: a proverb sums up in compact and easily

remembered form an observation or judgment which is widely held to be true

• Robert Harkrider: a proverb always intends to express in a few words what is a well-known truth

“The Book of Proverbs is like medicine. You cannot live on medicine alone, but few of us go through life without some medicine now and then. At least we take a vitamin. Likewise, a spiritual diet of Proverbs alone would be most unbalanced, but how sick a person might be that didn’t occasionally ingest some of these potions and antidotes for the sake of his mental, spiritual, and even financial well-being.”

Style and Structure1. Equivalence or association2. Paradox or contrast3. Similarity, analogy, or type4. Futility or absurdity5. Classification or characterization6. Relative value or degree7. Consequences

• Fourfold structure is common• positive/positive and negative/negative• patterns vary: (+/+, –/–), (–/+, +/–), etc.

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”

Proverbs 9:10

Chapter 1• The fourfold purpose of Solomon’s Proverbs• The mark of a truly wise person• The theme of the Book of Proverbs• The first of the fatherly talks• Introduced to Lady Wisdom

The fourfold purpose of Proverbs (vv. 1-4)1. To know (attain) wisdom and instruction (v. 2)2. To perceive (discern) the words of understanding (v. 2)3. To receive (acquire) the instruction of (v. 3):

• Wisdom – wise behavior• Justice – right conduct• Judgment – ability to make sound decisions• Equity – dealing with others fairly

4. To give to the (v. 4):• Simple – prudence; common sense• Young men – knowledge and discretion; sound advice• Wise men – increased learning; even more wisdom• Men of understanding – wise counsel; guidance

The mark of a truly wise person (vv. 5-6)• One who is always willing to learn

• Have not attained all they need to know• Recognize must never become complacent

• Some proverbs a bit of a riddle• The wise man will seek to know them

• Just as in life, some things will be hard to understand• The wise will find the reality behind the appearances

The theme of the Book of Proverbs (v. 7)• “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge”

• Will see this phrase throughout the book• Book has everyday observations and wisdom for living• But, God is still at the center of it all!

• A reverent submission to the will of God is foundational• The first and controlling principle of wisdom and

knowledge (9:10)• First in priority to everything else

• Of course, fools despise such thinking

The first of the fatherly talks (vv. 8-19)• First nine chapters are in the form of

fatherly talks• Find “my son” 15 times in these

chapters• Picture is one of a father teaching

his son the difference between the way of wisdom and the way of folly

• The instructions seem to be primarily directed toward young adolescents trying to find their way in life

The first of the fatherly talks (vv. 8-19)• V. 8

• Both the father and mother are included here• Son is to heed the advice and instruction of both• Both parents are responsible for teaching and training

their children• Neither wisdom nor spiritual things are the

exclusive responsibility of one parent• Are both of you involved in teaching your children?

• V. 9• If children heed this advice, it will be very rewarding to

them

The first of the fatherly talks (vv. 8-19)• Vv. 10-14

• The advice – do not run with the young men who are up to no good

• Will be very persuasive• Will make an appeal that sounds quite tempting• Doesn’t this sound like the gangs of today?

• Vv. 15-19• The father doesn’t leave it at that• Goes on to describe the consequences of their actions• They end up doing evil, shedding innocent blood, and

basically trap themselves in their own schemes• Their end will not be a pleasant one• Such greed will end up taking away their life

Introduced to Lady Wisdom (vv. 20-33)• Lady Wisdom will reappear a number of times in ch. 1-9• Vv. 20-21

• See her walking through the streets of the city and calling aloud to any who will hear

• Vv. 23-24• Her appeal - calls out to three classes of unbelievers:

• Simple – does not think for himself; naive; inexperienced; ignorant

• Scorners – obstinate and stubborn; openly ridicules the way of wisdom

• Fools – arrogant, troublesome, deceitful, disrespectful, untrustworthy

Introduced to Lady Wisdom (vv. 20-33)

• Vv. 24-31• Continues the picture • Fools reject Lady Wisdom; will have none of her counsel• Wisdom will laugh at them when calamity comes• Not until their destruction comes will they finally call out

to her – but then it will be too late• Will eat the fruit of their own way• Summary – v. 31

• V. 32• There is an alternative• Listen to Wisdom and be safe• Will be secure and have no fear of such consequences

• Lady wisdom calls out• Pay attention• See what she has to say• You’ll find some valuable, practical

wisdom for everyday living