PROVERBS 1-3

Proverbs 1-3

“If being wise is better, why do I act foolishly at times.”

In introducing Proverbs, I will be giving more of a literary introduction rather than dealing with historical matters (who wrote it, date of composition, etc.). And I will be weaving the material in with the specific subject for today, based mainly on the first three chapters.

The first thing is to look at is the organization of Proverbs, because that should help counter two usual criticisms that are leveled towards this book: it pretty much ignores women, and that it is a completely random collection of sayings.

The Structure of the Book of Proverbs

I. Concerning Wisdom and Wise Men (1:1-7)

          II. Warnings from a Father (1:8-3:36)

                      III. The Two Ways (4:1-7:27)

                                IV. Two Invitations (8:1-9:18)

V. Solomon’s Proverbs: Part I (10:1-22:16)

A. Proverbs of Contrast (ch. 10-15)

B. Proverbs of Comparison (16:1-22:16)

VI. Book of Wisdom: Part I (22:17-24:22)

VI'. Book of Wisdom: Part II (24:23-34)

V'. Solomon’s Proverbs: Part II (25:1-29:27)

B. Proverbs of Comparison (ch. 25-27)

A. Proverbs of Contrast (ch. 28-29)

IV'. Skeptic Answered (30:1-6)

III'. Agur’s Proverbs (30:7-33)

II'. Warnings from a Mother (31:1-9)

I'. Concerning Wisdom and the Wise Woman (31:10-31)

III and III' – the only numerical proverbs in the book are in these two sections.

IV and IV' – correcting a scoffer and correcting a skeptic.

Structure of Section II

A. Those who Entice (1:8-19)

        B. Wisdom Speaks (1:20-33)

        B'. Seek Wisdom (2:1-3:26)

A'. Those who Harm Others (3:27-36)

Look at the question again: “If being wise is better, why do I act foolishly at times.”

Two things are assumed by this question: 1. that we know the definition of wisdom and 2. that wisdom is really better for us than the alternative.

We will deal with the second point later on, but first let's review, what is wisdom? How about at least its beginning? “The fear of the LORD” (1:7) The next logical question to ask is, “What does it mean to fear the LORD? Not abject dread. Better word to use? Respect. Awe. Obedience. Actually, we can get a more complete definition if we consider all 16 references in Proverbs to fearing the LORD and the fear of the Lord using the concept of poetic parallelism. This concept is important to understand because almost 1/3 of the Old Testament is written as poetry. However, it is not based on rhyme or meter like poetry in other cultures, but based on parallelism of thought.

Poetic Parallelism

Because they hated knowledge

and did not choose the fear of the LORD

would have none of my counsel

and despised all my reproof (2:29-30)

This is incomplete parallelism because the subject “they” is left out of several lines. Different types of parallelism include identical, antithetic, introverted, emblematic (a tree with shallow roots withers and those who hate knowledge die), etc. parallelism.

SO WHAT?

The verbs shown above are synonymous and so are the objects of the verbs. One can read proverbs up and down as well as left to right to get extra definitions of what “the fear of the LORD” is.

Fear of the LORD: Definition

knowledge of God (2:5; 9:10)

wisdom and instruction (1:7)

In another lesson we talked about the distinction between knowledge and wisdom. One is that wisdom is the application of knowledge. Is it possible to have wisdom and not be particularly knowledgeable in terms of book learning? My own father was one good example, and I am sure you all have seen others in your life.

How about the reverse of having knowledge and little wisdom? When I was in ROTC at UCLA as an undergraduate, we were at a firing range and the student next to me stood up, climbed up over the sand bags and walked down the range to straighten up his target which had come loose while people were shooting live ammunition just inches away from him on either side. My later experiences at work with chemists and engineers demonstrated that many showed an inordinate lack of common sense. One engineer was approached by a con man on the street who convinced him to withdraw all his savings from the bank and give it to him. The PhD chemists were no better. One went to go outside the lab building and pushed aside a yellow caution tape blocking a door opening. He promptly fell into a hole on the other side and then demanded to ask why no one had bothered to put up a warning sign.

In Hebrew thought, knowledge was a concept that went much further than book knowledge; knowing implies intimacy of a sort.

not being wise in your own eyes (3:7)

humility (15:33; 22:4)

faith and faithfulness (16:6)

not being foolish (1:7)

not being wicked (3:7; 10:27)

not being sinful (23:17)

not being disobedient (24:21)

And now we come to another important point regarding the lack of true wisdom—it is not only foolish, but sinful as well. Maybe this is part of the key to answering the question posed in our lesson today.

Again, “If being wise is better, why do I act foolishly at times.”

We are often impatient, trading short term benefits for long term losses. We want to do things our own way with no one telling us what to do, just as stubborn rebels. Or maybe we just don't think that God's wisdom will have any benefits for us. (We will deal with this in a minute.)

A lot of these same ideas are echoed by Paul in Chapter 1 of Romans.

“They (the wicked) are without excuse; for though they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their own thinking...Claiming to be wise, they became fools; and they exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images...they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator...And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind and to things that should not be done.”

Notice the key words: know, acknowledge, truth, wise, foolish.

We have been assuming up to now that wisdom is better for us than the alternative – foolishness. And the passage in Romans seems to imply it. (God gave them up) Look at the rest of the references in Proverbs to “fear of the LORD” to confirm that point.

Fear of the LORD: Results

a refuge for our children (14:26)

security, lack of harm (19:23)

long life (10:27; 14:27)

riches and honor and life (22:4)

Next, let's look at the specific passages in Proverbs 1-3 that spell out what the results are from acquiring wisdom.

Blessings from Acquiring Wisdom

You will live at ease without dread of disaster (1:33)

It will preserve your way (2:8)

It will watch over you (2:11)

It will save you from evil men (2:12-15)

You will not be cut off from the land (2:21-22)

You will have long years and abundant welfare (3:2)

You will find favor with God and man (3:4) (Does that phrase sound familiar?)

It will be a healing to your flesh and refreshment for your body (3:8)

You can see that these are pretty much the same results mentioned for those who have the fear of the Lord. Also note that these blessings are all within our lifetime or the life of our children; the afterlife is not even taken into account. This seems to fit in with the health and wealth gospel.

Let's go to the basic definition of what a proverb is and isn't.

Definition of a Proverb

A short pithy figure of speech expressing a general truth based on common experience.

Not an all-encompassing command or promise from God.

A proverb is short so that it can be easily memorized. But because it is short, it can't spell out all the situations and implications. Here are examples of how popular proverbs could have been expressed, but weren't. Can you tell me what the proverbial equivalents would be?

Proverbs Test 1

Illegal transgression has no remuneration for its perpetrators.

Crime doesn't pay.

A condition characterized by tardiness is more desirable than one that is systematically marked by eternal absenteeism.

Better late than never.

In the absence of the feline race, certain small rodents will give themselves up to various pleasurable pastimes.

When the cat's away, the mice will play.

Definition of a Proverb

A short pithy figure of speech expressing a general truth based on common experience.

Not an all-encompassing command or promise from God.

Therefore it is not surprising that it is sometimes hard to distinguish proverbs in the Bible from those that come from other sources. Tell me which of these came from the Bible:

Proverb Test

God helps those who help themselves. (Aesop—550 BC)

Like mother, like daughter. (Ezekiel 16:44)

Nobody knows you when you're down and out. (Proverbs 14:20 paraphrased)

“The poor are disliked even by their neighbors, but the rich have many friends.”

Pride goes before a fall. (Proverbs 16:18)

Notice that these aren't especially moral teachings. And the only one that might be considered religious is the first one (which isn't in the Bible).

Definition of a Proverb

A short pithy figure of speech expressing a general truth based on common experience.  Not an all-encompassing command or promise from God.

I knew of a church youth director who wouldn't write a simple letter of recommendation for a college student because he felt that would be the same thing as co-signing a loan, which is forbidden in Proverbs. Also consider Proverbs 17:17. Proverbs contain useful advice but don't supersede Christ's teaching. Sometimes we are called to do what isn't the wisest thing out of love.

They are often self-contradictory if taken as all-encompassing. Discuss Proverbs 26:4-5. Each response is appropriate at one time or another: we must use discernment.“Train up a child in the way he should go and he will not depart from it.” We all know examples where a child has departed from the faith even though he or she was given sound training when younger. As a non-biblical example, consider these two pairs of proverbs: Look before you leap, but he who hesitates is lost. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, but out of sight out of mind.

To illustrate the point about promises, one last “Fear of the LORD” proverb we haven't mentioned yet. “Better is a little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and the trouble that goes with it.” (15:16) This indicates that fear of the LORD may not always result in riches in this life. But it still is preferable to a life without fear of the LORD.

For the fullest expression of the promises and consequences of following God, we need to go to the New Testament.

Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age—houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life.” (Mark 10:29-30)

Note the highlighted phrase, which clearly contradicts the Prosperity Gospel. However, there are blessings in this age How do you explain these? (including our extended Christian family and our many brothers and sisters and homes where we are welcome. I have only one biological sibling but I have many good Christian brothers and sisters in my family.

In the items received, note that “fathers” is missing. Probably because the family being described is our Christian family (literally true) with only one Heavenly Father.

[The reference to fields may have been harkening back to verse 19 where the rich man did not follow Jesus because he had an estate.]

In Mark 10, Peter exaggerates what he has given up so Jesus replies tongue-in-cheek by adding fields, tempering it with persecutions, and then giving a throw-away line of “Oh yes, and eternal life.”

Seven (symbolic of completion) items are being given up. In other words, completely devote yourself to Christ.

This is somewhat similar to the ending of Job, where he got back twice what he had lost.

Addition of fields to list of family members is also similar to the humorous ending of Jonah with its reference to the “many cattle” at Nineveh.

“Train up a child in the way he should go and he will not depart from it.” We all know examples where a child has departed from the faith even though he or she was given sound training when younger. As a non-biblical example, consider these two pairs of proverbs: Look before you leap, but he who hesitates is lost. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, but out of sight out of mind.

There is a similar danger in treating as commands. They are often self-contradictory if taken that way. Discuss Proverbs 26:4-5. Each response is appropriate at one time or another: we must use discernment. Also consider 17:17. Proverbs contain useful advice but don't supersede Christ's teaching. Sometimes we are called to do what isn't the wisest thing out of love.