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?
Lauren Wiseman says
Some of my favorites include 3, 10, 13, 14: 29, 35, 15, 18. (I just looked for the highlights!) I really like Proverbs; we did a study of it in my class. Took a while, but we had a great time doing it–there’s a lot of good stuff in there. Great post!