Wisdom from the Book of Proverbs

Wisdom from the Book of Proverbs

 

The book of Proverbs in the Bible was written over a period of 200 years by Solomon and also perhaps Hezekiah and several other prophets from approximately 950 B.C to 750 B.C..  The main theme of Proverbs is this: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”  (Proverbs 9:10) And also that God’s wisdom is the most valuable thing we can strive to obtain.

 

 The book gives many examples to prove these truths: (1) That wisdom is the most valuable of assets.  (2) that wisdom is available to anyone, but the price is high.  (3) That wisdom comes from God, not ourselves, and comes by attention to God’s instruction.  (4) That wisdom and righteousness go together. That wisdom apart from God is impossible. (5) That evil people suffer the consequences of their evil deeds. (6) And that the simple, the fool, the lazy, the ignorant, the immoral, the proud and the sinful are never to be admired.

 

Right away in the first chapter of Proverbs we are told how God will punish violent persons.  Let’s listen: “My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent.  If they say, ‘Come with us.  Let us lie in wait to shed blood: Let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause:……. We shall find all kinds of precious possessions.  We shall fill our houses with spoil:  Cast in your lot among us.  Let us all have one purse.” 1:10,11,13-14)

 

 “ My son do not walk in the way with them.  Keep your foot from their path: for their feet run to evil.  …Surely in vain the net is spread In the sight of any bird:  But they lie in wait for their own blood.  They lurk secretly for their own lives.  So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain: Greed takes away the life of its owners.”  ( (Proverbs 1:15-19)

 

Another proverb turns “Wisdom” into a person – a woman calling out to each person on earth, begging them to take her wisdom.  And promising those who do, protection and preservation. Here is the call to Wisdom:  “Wisdom calls aloud outside.  She raises her voice in the open squares.  She cries out in the chief concourses, At the openings of the gates in the city.  She speaks her words: ‘How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity?  For scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge.  Turn at my rebuke, for surely, I will pour out My Spirit on you.  I will make my Word known to you.” (Proverbs 1: 20-23)

 

Sadly, as “Wisdom” goes about calling out to each one, many do not listen.  She has so much to give to anyone who will receive. She is deeply grieved and describes what will happen to those who refuse God’s knowledge and wisdom: “Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own ways.  And be filled to the full with their own fancies.  For the turning away of the simple will slay them.  And the complacency of fools will destroy them.”  (Proverbs 1:31-32)

 

Wisdom tells the one who want wisdom what it will do for them.  She says that discretion will preserve you.  And understanding will keep you. And deliver you from the ways of evil. And from the person who speaks perverse things.  (Proverbs 2:11-12) God’s wisdom will keep you from walking in the ways of darkness (verse 13b) And this wisdom will also keep you from the sexually immoral person, whose house lead down to death. (verse 16 and 18)      

 

And then this woman named Wisdom also describes the reward that will be given to those who received her Words and treasure God’s commands. “But whoever listens to me “to Wisdom” will dwell safely.  And will be secure, without fear of evil.  They will find the knowledge of God, because the Lord gives wisdom:  From His mouth comes knowledge and understanding.  He stores up sound wisdom for the upright.  God is a shield to those who walk uprightly:  He guards the paths of justice and preserves the way of His saints.”  (Proverbs 1:33,2:6-8)  

 

 There are warnings to the person who is lazy.  The person who hates to work is told to see how hard an ant works to gather food for the winter.  If he or she refuses to work “poverty will come on you like a prowler, and you will be in need.”  (Proverbs 6:11) 

 

And to the wicked person there are more warnings. “The one who walks with a perverse mouth. …   He devises evil continually.  He sows discord.  Therefore, his calamity shall come suddenly:  Suddenly he shall be broken without remedy.”  (Proverbs 6:12b, 14b-15)

 

And wisdom has this to say to the adulterer: “Whoever commits adultery lacks understanding.  He or she who does so destroys their own soul.  Wounds and dishonor, he/she will get and their reproach will not be wiped away. “(Proverbs 6:32-33)

 

Scriptures in Proverbs tell us that evil actions can become addictive. That evil persons are literally addicted to doing their crimes again and again. - Proverbs 4:14 and 16-17.  The thief must steal again and again, and the violent person must continue hurting more and more people. – or the same person over and over again. Very frightening! Let us read: “Do not enter the path of the wicked and do not walk in the way of evil. … For those who enter this path do not sleep unless they have done more evil: and their sleep is taken away from them unless they make someone fall.  For they eat the bread of wickedness.  And they drink the wine of violence.” (Proverbs 4:14, 16 -17)  

 

There are more promises to those who run after wisdom and more warnings for those who run after evil.  “For the upright will dwell in the land.  And the blameless will remain in it.  But the wicked will be cut off from the earth, and the unfaithful will be uprooted from it.”  (Proverbs 2:21-22)

 

“But the path of the just is like the shining sun.  that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day.  But the way of the wicked is like darkness:  They do not know what makes them stumble.”  (Proverbs 4:18-19)  

 

It seems that the book of Proverbs is telling us that we have a choice between good and evil.  There seems to be no middle ground.  Even Jesus said: “He who is not with Me is against Me, and He who does not gather with Me,  scatters” ( Matthew 12:30 and Luke 11:23)  Which will it be?