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STT: Proverbs

In the book of Proverbs, we have a collection of wisdom compiled by the man God declared to be the wisest who ever lived. Most of the Proverbs were spoken by Solomon himself, while the rest definitely reflect his influence. The word, proverb, means "to be like" and most of the sayings in the book give us an example to follow or a negative example to avoid. The language is simple and straightforward and relies on imagery, metaphor and simile to make its points.

There are a few difficulties with Proverbs, though. One lies in the fact that there doesn't seem to be a discernable pattern to its arrangement. The common themes pop up in verses spread out through the book. A second issue is that the verses contain general principles and guidelines. We can find exceptions to most of the statements. (Some of Solomon's frustrations with that very fact show up in Ecclesiastes.)

So how should we study Proverbs?

The first nine chapters are the most cohesive and form a body of wisdom from father to son. There are three key ideas introduced in this section:

Fools, scoffers and wise – The wise are the godly, the fools discount everything God says and the scoffers pay God's rules lip service. These three will reappear throughout the Proverbs.
The dangers of sexual sin – Nowhere else in Scripture do we get such a candid discussion of the pitfalls of adultery and the tactics used to draw us away.
Wisdom personified – Although Solomon gives Wisdom a feminine identity, she clearly speaks with God's heart.

In later chapters, watch for the following key words and ideas -

The righteous vs. the wicked - How do each behave and what are the consequences?
Laziness vs. Diligence – How is each distinguished and what comments does Solomon make about their lives?
Path, way, walk - This refers to a general course of life, the key defining mark. What paths are discussed?
Finances – What principles are offered for handling money?
Humility vs. pride – What is the mark of a humble person? A proud person?
Things God hates – What do these reveal about God's character?
The fear of the Lord - How is it defined?

An easy strategy for studying Proverbs is reading a chapter a day on the 31-day months.

What is your favorite Proverb?

Filed Under: Study Tip Tuesday Tagged With: Bible study, God, Proverbs, Solomon, wisdom

Choosing Off

By Paula Leave a Comment

(Every year, the week after the basketball tournament, we have a TV-Free week at our house. These are some thoughts from last year's week.)

We watch out of habit. The TV is always on. We turn the thing on first thing in the morning and it stays on until we turn out the lights. Most evenings, we fall asleep to it, and it turns itself off.

It is pervasive. I am amazed at how many conversations are about what we watch, even if we haven't watched anything in days.

We are careful about what we watch and what we let our children see, but I'm not completely anti-television. However, TV Free Week reminds me how we passively allow it to fill up all the white space in our lives.

So what's the spiritual application? I don't think God wants us to be passive in anything, but I also believe it's our nature. The opposite of being passive is being active or diligent. Proverbs is full of encouragement to be diligent as well as admonitions against laziness. In 2 Peter 3:14, the apostle writes, "Therefore beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless." The "these things" are the coming day of the Lord and meeting Christ face-to-face.

Every television has an off button. There's nothing wrong with choosing to use it.

Could you give up television for a week? What else do people use to fill up their 'white spaces'?

Filed Under: Living Tagged With: 2 Peter, Proverbs, TV Free Week

STT: Ruth

By Paula

The book Ruth is like the Huckleberry Finn of the Bible. Huck can be read and enjoyed by fourth graders, middle schoolers, high schoolers, and college students. But it's also the subject of deep discussions in university halls and by literary critics. Each group of readers gains a deeper appreciation of the book as they mature. They begin to see the deeper themes and symbolism wrapped in a seemingly simple story.

That's the way it is with Ruth.

With just four short chapters, it's easy to give it a cursory read, and come away satisfied by a story of God's provision in hard times. My Sunday school boys appreciated the story of the "hot foreign chick" loyally returning to Bethlehem with her mother-in-law, leaving behind a life of idol worship.

This summer I read, The Gospel of Ruth: Loving God Enough to Break the Rules by Carolyn Custis James, and it gave me a greater appreciation for the depth of the story. (I recommend it.) The greatest challenge readers face when studying the book Ruth is understanding the ancient Near Eastern customs described. However, if history is not your thing, here are a few ideas on how to approach this little book.

Choose an individual – Naomi, Ruth or Boaz – and follow the story from his or her perspective.

Some questions to consider:

How does God care for His people?
How does God make a place for outsiders/ foreigners? For widows? How then should we as believers care for them?
What is redemption and how does Boaz portray Christ's redemption?
What types of love are manifested?
BONUS: How is Ruth a Proverbs 31 wife?

How about you? What have you learned from the book of Ruth?

Filed Under: Book study, Study Tip Tuesday Tagged With: Bible study, Boaz, Naomi, Ruth

Iron-Sharpening Friends

By Paula

As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend. Proverbs 27:17 NLT

I'm days away from finishing a draft of the first book in a new series. After months of work, I admit it's tempting to blast through the scenes just to get them on paper, then soak in the satisfaction of being done. But I have a terrific friend – an iron-sharpening friend – who critiques my stuff almost as soon as I write it, and she simply will not let me write "lazy". Especially this week. It doesn't matter that it's the first draft. It doesn't no one else will see it. It doesn't matter that we'll rewrite it anyway. She pushes me to dig deep and lay down a better first draft. And a better second, third and final draft will follow.

I need that same kind of push – an iron-sharpening friend – in my spiritual life. Now the Holy Spirit is always at work, challenging, encouraging and exhorting me. God's word convicts, enlightens and motivates me. I read deep books. I hear great teaching. But what a blessing it is to have deep, Godly friends…

who are in my corner when I wrestle with taking God at His word,

and walk with me and pray me through the difficult times,

And then, share those times of renewal and rejoicing.

Whether we get in touch by text, IM, email or over a milkshake, I know that my life is fuller, deeper and richer because of my iron-sharpening friends.

Who are your iron-sharpening friends"? Take a moment and let them know.

Filed Under: Living Tagged With: friends, Holy Spirit, Proverbs

STT: 31 Days

By Paula

For today's tip, what do August, October, December, January, March, May and July have in common?

These are great months to read through Proverbs. Thirty-one chapters. Thirty-one days. It's almost like it was planned.

If you've never studied Proverbs, you'll find it tackles a whole range of subjects from finances, laziness, diplomacy and interpersonal relationships. The quips are enlightening, sometimes convicting, and occasionally humorous. It's not just a collection of quaint sayings, though. Proverbs contains some very astute observations about the differences between God-fearing people and those that reject God's counsel.

Spend a little time daily this month in the book of Proverbs, and see what new insights you gain. Granted, if you start today, you'd need to read two chapters to catch up, but I think you can handle that. (Of course, if you're a purist, I suppose you can wait until October.)

Be sure and let me know what catches your eye. Next week, we'll talk about those 30 day months.

Filed Under: Study Tip Tuesday Tagged With: Bible study, Proverbs