Proverbs - principles for skilful living

Speaker: Matt Hails

Notes

Proverbs is one of the Old Testament “wisdom writings”. Its wisdom is very practical, concerning godly principles for everyday life: handling money, speech, relationships, work etc. It is also God-centred.

The book is a collection of material - King Solomon being the primary contributor (Prov 1:1; 10:1).

Meet the characters

Proverbs uses various characters to describe actions and attributes:

• wise - has godly wisdom - has godly knowledge and experience and able to apply them to life

• simple - naive, gullible, easily enticed, falls into traps, inexperienced (N.B. does not imply low IQ!)

• fool - stubborn, lacks understanding, filled with pride, morally unskilled, refuses correction, despises wisdom

• wisdom - attribute of wisdom, personified in a woman

• righteous - does what is right, in character and actions

• wicked - hostile to God, brings harm to others, through speech and actions

Note the difference between the “simple” and the “fool”. God does not look down on the “simple” (the inexperienced), but he does want them to grow in wisdom.

Values of Proverbs

Proverbs 1:2 lists an obviously good goal - gaining wisdom and understanding. But 1:3 sounds rather more boring to contemporary culture: displine and prudence! Hollywood and our own culture are more likely to value things like: looking good, being fashionable, being famous, being fun, making a fast buck, being self-sufficient. In contrast, Proverbs considers:

• A modest standard of living obtained through hard work is better than great wealth obtained through dubious means. Prov 13:11; 1:19; 10:2; 15:16; 20:21.

• A clear conscience is better than getting your own way. Prov 16:8; 16:19.

• A good reputation is better than a good time. Prov 10:7.

• A disciplined life is better than a quick fix. Prov 1:3.

• Accepting advice + correction is better than appearing to be right. Prov 13:10; 12:1; 9:8 - 9.

Proverbs takes a long view of life, in contrast to our “instant” culture.

Results of wisdom

Living according the principles that Proverbs promotes give great results:

1. A prosperous, thriving society. Prov 11:10 - 11.

2. Peace with God / clear conscience / freedom from anxiety: Prov 3:24; 28:1.

3. A life that is attractive to others: Prov 1:8 - 9.

4. A sure path through life: Prov 3:5 - 6; 4:18 - 19; 10:9.

5. Ability to see consequences of a particular way of life. Prov 2:9 - 22.

God-centred

Prov 1:7. Godly wisdom is based only on a right relationship with God, a right reverence for God. This is God's wisdom, which is different (and much better) than that of the non-Christian world - 1 Cor 1:22 - 25.

Acquiring wisdom itself leads us back to God - Prov 2:1 - 6.

Application

Read the descriptions under “Meet the characters” above. Out of wise, simple and fool, who do you relate to the most closely, and why? (You may feel you relate to different characters in different areas of your life).

Read Proverbs 1:1 - 7. Consider the goals of the book, as mentioned in v2 - 3. How closely do you think they align with your own goals in life?

Read “Values of Proverbs” above, including references. How closely do you think these align with your own goals in life? Which values do you already hold, and for which do you hold different values?

Read Prov 1:7, Prov 9:10 and James 1:5 - 8. Pray in groups of 3 or 4. Ask God for wisdom. Be specific - ask for God's wisdom in specific areas of your lives.

Posted: 1 Nov 2009