Proverbs: An Introduction

Ryan Brooks

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Intro to proverbs

From God's Wisdom for Navigating Life by Tim Keller

Proverbs 1:1 NKJV

The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel:

Luke 2:40 NKJV

And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.

Luke 2:47 NKJV

And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers.

Luke 11:31 NKJV

The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here.

John 1:1–4 NKJV

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.

1 Corinthians 1:24 NKJV

but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

1 Corinthians 1:30 NKJV

But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption—

Colossians 2:3 NKJV

in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

From God's Wisdom for Navigating Life by Tim Keller

Introduction:

The difference between Psalms and Proverbs:

Psalms: "filled with expressions of emotion, of pain, joy, and praise. They show us how to process our experiences before God.

Proverbs: "calls us to study, to think, to learn the practical discipline of centering all out thoughts and actions on God. "you've never really though enough about anything." Proverbs is about how, having trusted God, we should then live that faith out."

Proverbs as Poetry:

A proverb is a poetic art form that instills wisdom in you as you wrestle with it.

Original language: Hebrew

Hebrew poetry:

Parallelism: Two phrases, clauses, or sentences are brought into close connection with each other so that they modify and expand on each other. The second may magnify and extend the thought of the first, or it may instead offer a counterpoint that limits and softens the first idea.

Parallelism:

Two phrases, clauses, or sentences are brought into close connection with each other so that they modify and expand on each other. The second may magnify and extend the thought of the first, or it may instead offer a counterpoint that limits and softens the first idea.

The two thoughts mutually clarify each other, sharpening our understanding.

The same word may have slightly different meanings in different proverbs depending on pairing clauses.

Vivid images:

Images and metaphors are always invitations to think out the many ways that "this is like that." (example: 11:22, 10:26)

Proverbs as Puzzle:

Don't think of proverbs as individual stand-alone promises or commands. They are usually neither. Each is a description of some aspect of how life works.

Proverbs, then, give up their meaning only cumulatively.

"As we will see, there is an order God put into things when he created the world and by which we must abide. But on the other hand this is a fallen world, distorted by sin, and the wise know that the created order does not always work, nor is is always easy to discern."

Proverbs as Pedagogy:

Pedagogy: the method and practice of teaching, especially as an academic subject or theoretical concept.

Proverbs initially seems "male focused."

Yet in , , , and elsewhere it is both father and mother who are instructing their son. The mother has "an authoritative voice along with the father."

The idealized wife of "speaks with wisdom" and "faithful instruction is on her tongue."

Answering questions:

Write the answer to the question in a journal. Then write answers to two additional questions about the day's proverb(s) in your journal, unless your response to the first query has already included them.

1. Where in your life or the life of someone else have you seen this observation illustrated?

2. How can you put this observation into practice--in thought, attitude, word, or deed?

Daily routine:

Read, meditate using the journal questions, and pray.

Proverbs as Part of the Whole Bible:

The story of the bible is...that the human race has marred God's good creation through sin and now needs salvation, and that this salvation has been accomplished and can be found only in Jesus Christ.

Proverbs will give us the fullest and richest meaning only when it is read in the light of the person and work of Jesus.

Jesus amazed His listeners with His wisdom.

(NKJV)

40 And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.

(NKJV)

47 And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers.

He claimed to be the new Solomon with ultimate wisdom.

(NKJV)

31 The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here.

Wisdom is personified in later revealed to be Jesus, the Word of God, with whom God created the world.

(NKJV)

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.

Paul calls Jesus the wisdom of God.

(NKJV)

24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

(NKJV)

30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption—

In Jesus all of God's wisdom is hidden.

(NKJV)

3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Wisdom's prerequisite: A living, vital relationship with God.

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