Those Practical Proverbs: A Pastoral Exposition of the Book of Proverbs Volume 1

By David Balsley

Those Practical Proverbs is a verse-by-verse commentary on the book of Proverbs from a pastor’s perspective. It begins with an exploration of the authorship of Proverbs—most of which was written by King Solomon, with brief sections by Agur, the son of Jakeh, and the words of King Lemuel (from an oracle which his mother taught him). It proceeds to an explanation of the structure of Hebrew poetry, a list of some of the topics addressed in the book, and an outline of the book. The opening chapters of Proverbs (1–9) consist of longer “wisdom poems” on a variety of significant subjects. Most of the chapters of Proverbs consist of single-verse observations concerning many of life’s practical concerns (with occasional multiverse entries). The book concludes with the entries of Agur and King Lemuel and, finally, the classic alphabetic acrostic poem regarding the excellent wife. Because the book focuses largely on the wisdom and understanding, which find their origin in the fear of the Lord, it is among the most life-enriching books ever written. It is extremely important for anyone who longs for practical guidance in the many issues of life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Dec 13, 2018
• ISBN: 9781973645443

David Balsley

David Balsley followed his studies at Biola University and Western Conservative Baptist Seminary with more than forty years of pastoral ministry in Oregon, New Mexico, Arizona and California. He was already fascinated with the writings of Solomon as a college student, and he has spent years sharing his studies of the writings of Solomon in Bible studies and pulpit ministry, as well as the publication of The Puzzled Preacher - A Pastoral Exposition of Ecclesiastes and The Passionate Prince - A Pastoral Exposition of the Song of Solomon. He and his wife, Janice, live in Brea, California. They are active members of Green Hills Baptist Church (The Church at Green Hills) in La Habra, California.

Book preview

THOSE

Practical

PROVERBS

A Pastoral Exposition of the Book of Proverbs Volume 1

DAVID BALSLEY

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Copyright © 2018 David Balsley.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.

WestBow Press

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

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ISBN: 978-1-9736-4545-0 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-4546-7 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-4544-3 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2018913648

WestBow Press rev. date: 04/17/2019

All Scripture quotes taken from the New American Standard Bible (1995) unless otherwise noted.

Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, © Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation Used by permission." www.Lockman.org

Scripture marked (KJV) taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Scripture quotations taken from the New English Bible, copyright © Cambridge University Press and Oxford University Press 1961, 1970. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (TLB) are taken from The Living Bible copyright © 1971. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (RSV) are from Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.Dedicated to

my dear wife,

Janice, and to our

children and their children

who will need the wisdom

found in the book of Proverbs

in order to make the most they

can make of their lives for

both time and eternity!

And to

Sheila Diddams,

who suggested I put

my thoughts regarding

Proverbs in print.

Contents

Preface

Introduction

I. THE INTRODUCTION OF PROVERBS 1:1-7

The Beginning Of Knowledge

Proverbs 1:1-7

II. The Wisdom Songs of Solomon 1:8-9:18

A. A Song of Youthful Obedience 1:8-9

The Rewards of Respect

B. A Song of Youthful Resistance to Evil 1:10-19

Resisting Evil

C. A Song of Wisdom’s Benefits 1:20-33

An Opportunity to Wise Up

D. A Song of Godly Pursuits 2:1-22

A Father’s Godly Goals

Avoiding Evil Influences

E. A Song of Trust in the Lord 3:1-12

Rewards of a Godly Life

And More Rewards of a Godly Life

F. A Song of the Value of Wisdom 3:13-26

Life’s Best

New and Improved

G. A Song on the Avoidance of Evil 3:27-35

Avoiding Evil

H. A Song of Fatherly Advice 4:1-9

Challenging the Child

I. A Song of the Comparison Between Good and Evil 4:10-19

Contrasting Choices

J. A Song of Fatherly Direction 4:20-27

Fatherly Advice

K. A Song Concerning the Strange Woman 5:1-14

Adultery Alert

The Price of Perversion

L. A Song Concerning Faithfulness in Marriage 5:15-23

Marital Satisfaction

M. A Song Concerning Surety 6:1-5

Unnecessary Debt

N. A Song Concerning Slothfulness 6:6-11

A Lesson on Laziness

O. A Song Concerning the Deceitful Man 6:12-15

Trouble Ahead

P. A Song of Seven Abominations 6:16-19

Seven Abominations

Q. A Song of Parental Advice 6:20-35

Parental Guidance

Dangers of Adultery

R. A Song Concerning Wisdom’s Protection 7:1-5

He Uncomplicates Things

S. A Song Concerning the Unfaithful Woman 7:6-27

The Allure of the Adulteress

T. A Song of Personified Wisdom 8:1-36

The Call of Wisdom

The Way of Wisdom

Doing Things Well

Wisdom’s Challenges

U. A Song Concerning Wisdom’s Feast 9:1-6

Feasting with Wisdom

V. A Song Concerning Spiritual Receptivity 9:7-12

Wise Man or Wise Guy?

W. A Song Concerning the Foolish Woman’s

Feast 9:13-19

Folly’s Feast

III. Proverbs of Solomon 10:1-22:16

A. Proverbs 10

B. Proverbs 11

C. Proverbs 12

D. Proverbs 13

E. Proverbs 14

F. Proverbs 15

Endnotes

Bibliography

PREFACE

The Biblical book of Proverbs is the most valuable collection of proverbial wisdom sayings to be found anywhere in the world. Many others have stated wise proverbial sayings - in many times and places and languages - but the proverbs which are found in the Bible are the only proverbs which we can be confident have been inspired by God. And the Bible’s largest collection of proverbial sayings will be found in the book of Proverbs.

The book of Proverbs will begin with an explanation of its importance and value for those who give it the close attention it deserves. This explanation is followed by a series of longer proverbial wisdom songs or poems which develop a theme in some detail. This sets the first nine chapters of the book of Proverbs apart from most of the remainder of the book, where the proverbs are mostly short wisdom sayings - most of which consist of only one verse of only two lines. The final two chapters of Proverbs return to the pattern of the first nine chapters, with longer sections of poetry which pursue a specific theme.

The fact that Solomon indicates in some of the earlier chapters of the book that he was particularly interested in providing wise guidance for his sons makes it evident that Proverbs is a book which contains valuable information for young people. But it soon becomes evident that there is wisdom in the proverbs which is applicable to people of all ages and both genders.

I first became interested in the proverbs when, as a junior high student, I was challenged by a youth leader to get into the habit of reading through the Bible in a year. In those early years I found that there were portions of the Bible which were difficult to understand. I found the writings of the prophets, particularly the minor prophets, particularly challenging. But the book of Proverbs was a book which seemed to have a great deal of understandable and practical revelation for even a junior high student. I was later challenged to read through the book of Proverbs once each month by reading the chapter in Proverbs which corresponded to the day of the month - a reading plan which works well because there is a chapter of the book for each day of a 31-day month.

My interest in the book of Proverbs was advanced still more when a young man began attending the country church I was serving as pastor who was quite skilled as a Bible teacher. He took on the assignment of teaching the Bible study for our mid-week prayer service, choosing the book of Proverbs as his subject. Iconoclast that he was, he started with the last verse of the 29th chapter of Proverbs and taught his way backwards through two or three chapters during the time I was serving that church - making the point, as I understand it, that there is little significance to context from verse to verse in the tenth through twenty-ninth chapters of the book. I found his teaching very interesting and relevant, greatly increasing my interest in the content of the book.

When I was asked to teach a ladies’ Bible study class in the church I served next in a pastoral role, I decided to work my way through the short wisdom sayings of the book of Proverbs - following the normal order of the book, beginning with chapter 10. Because each verse in most of the book is a study in itself, I continued to pursue the study of Proverbs for all of the years of my full-time pastoral ministry without ever completing the study. But, along the way, one of the ladies in the ladies’ Bible study I was teaching in my second pastorate challenged me to commit my thoughts to writing, so I decided to take up her challenge. The book you hold in your hand is the end-result of her challenge - a study which I have found to be very life-enriching for my own benefit.

Because there is never a day when we do not come upon issues which are addressed in one or more of the proverbs or thematic sections, the book of Proverbs is highly relevant to any person who is interested in acquiring the wisdom which is needed to successfully navigate daily living. It is my sincere hope that the exposition to be found in the pages which follow will prove both accurate and insightful to all who explore the book - whether out of interest in a particular verse or topic, or out of the desire to read an exposition of all that the Lord chose to reveal through the human authors who made contributions to the amazing book of Proverbs.

INTRODUCTION

The book of Proverbs is the third book in the collection of Biblical writings which are known (as books are arranged in our English Bible) as wisdom literature. They are books which are written in poetic form in the Hebrew language - a language whose poetry follows different patterns than poetry written in English. The other poetic writings in the Biblical wisdom literature collection include the books of Job, Psalms, Ecclesiastes and the Song of Solomon. There are also numerous poetic passages in books beyond the wisdom literature of the Bible, with poetic statements scattered throughout the books of the Law and the historical books, and extensive poetic passages in many of the prophetic books.

THE AUTHORSHIP OF PROVERBS

The opening verse of the book of Proverbs identifies the content which follows as the proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel. There is no good reason to question the fact that the well-known son of David who followed him on Israel’s throne is the person who is referred to. But that doesn’t necessarily prove that Solomon is the author of all of the proverbs which are contained in the book.

Solomon is identified as the author of the opening portion of the book, which is composed of lengthier proverbial wisdom poems on various topics. He is again introduced in Proverbs 10:1 as the author of the shorter, more typical proverbial sayings which follow. Proverbs 25:1 introduces some additional proverbs written by Solomon which were apparently added to the collection of the book during the days of King Hezekiah. But Proverbs 24:23 is introduced by the statement: These also are sayings of the wise (where the word wise is in the plural form, wise ones) - leading some to question whether the verses which follow in the rest of the 24th chapter were written by Solomon or some other wise person or persons. And chapters 30 and 31 are each introduced by names other than that of Solomon:

Proverbs 30:1 - The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, the oracle . . .

Proverbs 31:1 - The words of King Lemuel, the oracle which his mother taught him.

Neither of these names occur anywhere else in the Scriptures, and the persons who bore the names are otherwise unknown apart from their mention in Proverbs 30 and 31.

It appears that Solomon is the author of most of the proverbs which are found in the book of Proverbs, but there is the likelihood that some shorter parts of the book were written by unknown authors other than Solomon. That Solomon was well qualified to write proverbs and other wisdom literature (e.g. Ecclesiastes and the Song of Solomon) is very evident because of the gift of wisdom he was granted according to the account in I Kings 3. As a young king, Solomon was keenly sensitive to his need for an understanding heart to judge [God’s] people to discern between good and evil (I Kings 3:9). So, because He asked the Lord to give him an understanding heart, and because his request was pleasing to the Lord, his wish was granted. The Lord’s promise to him was I have done according to your words. Behold, I have given you a wise and discerning heart so that there has been no one like you before you, nor shall one arise like you after you (I Kings 3:12).

The fact that we have in our possession only a small portion of the proverbs and other wisdom writings Solomon produced is revealed in I Kings 4:32, where we are told that He spoke 3,000 proverbs, and his songs were 1,005.

THE POETRY OF PROVERBS

Hebrew poetry is not characterized by the use of rhyme and rhythm as English poetry is. It is based on the comparison and contrast of words and thoughts. A typical line of Hebrew poetry will make a statement, followed by a second statement which builds on the first, or contrasts with the first, or illustrates the first in what is known as parallelism. A poetic thought can be expressed in just two lines (as in the case of many of the proverbs beginning with Proverbs 10:2); or additional thoughts can be added with additional lines (as in the case of Proverbs 22:17 through 24:22); and parallelisms of two or three lines or more can be grouped together to form longer poems on a single theme (as in the opening nine chapters of Proverbs) - or an entire book of thoughts (as in the book of Lamentations).

Understanding a proverbial thought can often be enhanced by an appreciation of the various types of parallelism which are being employed.

1. Synonymous Parallelism - the thought of the first line is repeated in the second line.

Do not love sleep, lest you become poor;

Open your eyes, and you will be satisfied with food. (20:13)

2. Antithetical Parallelism - the second line is contrasted with the thought of the first line.

A gentle answer turns away wrath,

But a harsh word stirs up anger. (15:1)

3. Synthetic or Ascending Parallelism - the second line complements or completes the thought of the first line.

It is the blessing of the LORD that makes rich,

And He adds no sorrow to it. (10:22)

4. Parabolic parallelism - the first line gives an illustration and the second line gives an application.

As a ring of gold in a swine’s snout,

So is a beautiful woman who lacks discretion. (11:22)

5. Comparative Parallelism - the second line is compared with the first line.

Better is a dish of vegetables where love is,

Than a fattened ox and hatred with it. (15:17)

The varied structures in the book of Proverbs adds interest to the many topics and the practical wisdom which they contain.

THE SUBJECT OF THE PROVERBS

The book of Proverbs addresses many subjects and many issues which people encounter as they make their way through life. Though some people believe they see themes addressed in Proverbs which can be grouped together to create an outline, I have never found any such attempts very convincing. While consideration of the context of a Biblical text is generally very important to an accurate understanding and interpretation of its meaning, most of the proverbial statements in the book of Proverbs are unrelated to verses which precede and follow. Though there are places where the same theme will be addressed in two or more verses, especially in the wisdom poems of the first nine chapters and the closing two chapters of the book, most of the proverbs are unrelated to the verses which precede and the verses which follow.

There are numerous themes addressed in the book of Proverbs, but most themes will be studied by jumping around in the text from verse to verse where each theme comes up for consideration. The following is a list of some of the themes which come up in Proverbs - along with their locations throughout the book.

Attitudes - 15:13; 15:15; 17:22; 18:14

Business - 11:1; 11:26; 13:23; 14:4; 20:4

Debt - 3:27-28; 11:15; 22:7; 22:26-27

Discipline - 3:11-12; 12:1; 13:24; 19:18; 22:15

Fools - 10:23; 13:19; 14:7; 15:21; 17:12; 19:10; 19:29; 26:4-5; 27:3; 27:22

Gossip - 11:9; 16:28; 17:4; 18:8; 19:5

Humility - 11:2; 12:9; 15:25; 16:18; 22:4

Influence - 4:25-27; 13:20; 22:24-25; 28:10

Justice - 17:15; 18:17; 19:28; 21:15; 28:21; 31:8-9

Laziness - 6:6-11; 15:19; 19:15; 19:24; 21:25-26; 22:13; 24:30-34; 26:14; 26:16

Poverty - 14:31; 18:23; 19:4; 22:2; 22:16; 22:22,23; 28:6; 28:19; 29:7

Reverence for God - 1:7; 8:13; 9:10; 10:27; 14:2; 14:27; 22:4

Riches - 10:15; 11:14; 11:16; 11:28; 13:8; 13:11; 13:22; 14:24; 15:6; 16:16; 18:11; 19:4; 22:1; 23:4-5; 27:23-24

Righteousness - 4:18-19; 10:11; 10:31; 11:8; 11:23; 12:5; 12:10; 12:26; 12:28; 13:5; 13:6; 14:34; 20:7; 21:3; 29:7

Speech - 10:19; 12:18; 13:3; 14:3; 14:23; 15:2; 15:4; 15:28; 16:21; 16:24; 18:4; 18:6; 21:23; 25:11; 25:15; 26:20

Success - 12:1; 15:22; 16:3; 17:2; 17:20; 19:21; 21:5; 22:16; 28:19

Temper - 12:16; 14:17; 14:29; 15:18; 16:32; 19:19; 22:24-25; 29:11; 29:22

Truth - 8:8; 12:6; 12:13; 12:17; 12:19; 12:22; 18:17

Wickedness - 12:12; 14:32; 21:7; 28:1

Women - 11:16; 11:22; 12:4; 18:22; 19:13; 19:14; 21:19; 27:15-16; 31:10-31

As this partial list of only some of the subjects addressed in the book of Proverbs clearly shows, the topics it addresses will be found scattered throughout the collection. The book of Proverbs contains a wealth of information from God’s perspective on these and other significant subjects, so it is well worth the time and effort anyone will invest seeking to mine its treasures.

OUTLINE OF PROVERBS

As we have already observed, the book of Proverbs does not lend itself to a verse-by-verse outline of much of its content, because it is not written (as most books are) with its content on various subjects clustered together. The opening chapters, with their wisdom poems, do contain thoughts which are topically arranged, so they can be successfully outlined (as the commentary to follow will illustrate). But a general outline of the structure of the book might look like this:

I. Introduction 1:1-7

A. The Author of the Proverbs 1:1

B. The Benefits of the Proverbs 1:2-6

C. The Place to Begin in Studying the Proverbs 1:7

II. Wisdom Songs of Solomon 1:8-9:18

A. A Song of Youthful Obedience 1:8-9

B. A Song of Youthful Resistance to Evil 1:10-19

C. A Song of Wisdom’s Benefits 1:20-33

D. A Song of Godly Pursuits 2:1-22

E. A Song of Trust in the Lord 3:1-12

F. A Song on the Value of Wisdom 3:13-26

G. A Song on the Avoidance of Evil 3:27-35

H. A Song of Fatherly Advice 4:1-9

I. A Song of the Comparison Between Good and Evil 4:10-19

J. A Song of Fatherly Direction 4:20-27

K. A Song Concerning the Strange Woman 5:1-14

L. A Song Concerning Faithfulness in Marriage 5:15-23

M. A Song Concerning Surety 6:1-5

N. A Song Concerning Slothfulness 6:6-11

O. A Song Concerning the Deceitful Man 6:12-15

P. A Song of Seven Abominations 6:16-19

Q. A Song of Parental Advice 6:20-35

R. A Song Concerning Wisdom’s Protection 7:1-5

S. A Song Concerning the Unfaithful Woman 7:6-27

T. A Song of Personified Wisdom 8:1-36

U. A Song Concerning Wisdom’s Feast 9:1-6

V. A Song Concerning Spiritual Receptivity 9:7-12

W. A Song Concerning the Foolish Woman’s Feast 9:13-18

III. Proverbs of Solomon 10:1-22:16

IV. Proverbial Sayings of Solomon 22:17-24:22

V. Other Words of the Wise 24:23-34

VI. Proverbs of Solomon Added by the Men of Hezekiah 25:1-29:27

VII. The Words of Agur the Son of Jakeh 30:1-33

VIII. The Words of King Lemuel 31:1-9

IX. Description of an Excellent Wife 31:10-31

There are many portions of the book of Proverbs which can be broken down in greater detail in terms of the outline of their contents than this brief outline indicates. These details will be included in the commentary which follows where they seem helpful in explaining the message of the book.

I

THE INTRODUCTION

OF PROVERBS 1:1-7

THE BEGINNING OF KNOWLEDGE

PROVERBS 1:1-7

The lyrics of the popular musical production, The Sound of Music, offer this sage advice:

Let’s start at the very beginning,

A very good place to start

When you read you begin with A, B, C,

When you sing you begin with do, re, mi

The first three notes just happen to be do, re, mi . . .¹

There are many things in life which don’t make any sense unless you begin at the beginning! For example, our schools systematically offer courses which can only be taken by those who have also taken prerequisite courses, because many areas of learning only make sense after you have the right foundation of information for understanding them. Algebra students don’t normally take Algebra II until they have completed the study of Algebra I, because the introductory course provides the foundational information upon which the second course builds.

The Biblical book of Proverbs offers a course of study which has some prerequisites. The book is one of the books in the Scriptures often referred to as wisdom literature. It is given to us to help us understand how we can best live our lives, and it contains a great wealth of practical information. But there is a prerequisite to be met by anyone who is going to get the full benefit of the knowledge and wisdom contained in Proverbs. A correct understanding of the issues of life begins with the fear of the Lord!

Are you interested in understanding as much as you can about how to live your life well? If you are, the book of Proverbs provides a wealth of practical information on the subject. But it challenges us to begin at the very beginning - by developing a relationship with the Lord which is characterized by deep respect. As we will see, the word (yirah) which Solomon uses (along with other authors of wisdom literature in the books of Job and the Psalms) can properly be translated fear, because of every person’s ultimate accountability to the Lord as the judge (cf. I Peter 1:17).

The introductory verses of the book of Proverbs are given to whet our appetites for the many benefits which can be found by a careful study of the book. But we won’t get past the introduction to the book of Proverbs before we are challenged to begin the pursuit of knowledge and wisdom at the very beginning!

I. THE AUTHOR OF THE PROVERBS 1:1

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

To make his identification perfectly clear the author of Proverbs not only tells us that his name is Solomon, but also that he was (1) a son of David and (2) a king of Israel. Based on this information, there is no room for doubt about who it was that authored at least the bulk of the book of Proverbs, because Solomon is a very familiar person in the pages of the Scriptures.

Whether Solomon is the author of the entire book of Proverbs is a question we can’t answer fully. It may be that the book of Proverbs is an edited collection of the Proverbs of several authors - with Solomon serving as the major contributor. Proverbs 30:1 will introduce the words of Agur the son of Jakeh, and Proverb 31:1 will introduce the words of King Lemuel. There is the remote possibility that these two names are simply alternative names for Solomon, though it seems highly unlikely.

You are probably aware that Solomon was well-qualified to write the book of Proverbs because of the special gift of wisdom the Lord gave to him in response to his request (I Kings 3:5-13). Solomon’s writings reveal the mind of a very wise man - though anyone who has read the full account of his life can’t help wondering why it is that Solomon didn’t himself benefit more from the wisdom in the Proverbs!

A proverb (mashal) is a saying, especially a wisdom saying. In our language a proverb is a short, pointed saying - usually no longer than a sentence. The Hebrew word is also used in this sense - with Proverbs 10:1 as an example:

A wise son makes a father glad,

But a foolish son is a grief to his mother.

But the Hebrew word mashal is also used in a broader sense - so that a wisdom saying may be a sentence or a sermon. Proverbs 1:1-9:18 is made up of wisdom songs or poems rather than mere sayings - poems varying anywhere from a few verses to entire chapters (e.g. chapter 2). Whatever their length, the Proverbs of Solomon were written for some very lofty purposes, as Solomon explains in verses two through seven in the opening chapter of the book.

II. THE PURPOSE OF THE PROVERBS 1:2-3

A. To Know Wisdom and Instruction 1:2a

To know wisdom and instruction

When Solomon writes about knowing something, he is writing about more than mere head-knowledge. As we see in the Old Testament’s use of the word to know with reference to sexual intimacy (as in Genesis 4:1), the Hebrew word to know often speaks of experiential knowledge.

The person who only knows about wisdom and instruction hasn’t come to know it well enough! The book of Proverbs is intended to introduce us to the experience of wisdom and instruction. If its contents aren’t practically applied in our everyday experience, we don’t know wisdom in the sense in which the book of Proverbs is intended to inform us.

The word for wisdom which occurs in this verse (chokmah) speaks basically of skill. It is used to describe technical skill or aptitude in the pages of the Old Testament. In I Kings 7:14, for example, it is used to describe Hiram from the city of Tyre, who helped in the construction of Solomon’s house.

He was a widow’s son from the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in bronze; and he was filled with wisdom and understanding and skill for doing any work in bronze. So he came to King Solomon and performed all his work.

Biblical wisdom in Proverbs refers to the ability to skillfully apply God’s truth to every circumstance of life. So the relevant question at this point is this: How skillful are you and I at taking God’s truth and making it work in every-day situations?

The book of Proverbs is also designed to give us instruction (musar). Solomon’s word often has a stern ring to it when it is translated discipline. The way of wisdom is not without its restraints. The person who is truly wise will either discipline himself or be disciplined by God. For example, Solomon’s father David experienced this truth the hard way in the matter of Bathsheba and Uriah. When David was confronted in his sins by the prophet Nathan, he confessed his sins and sought and found forgiveness for his sins. But he was collecting the wages of sin (Romans 3:23), in terms of family problems, for the rest of his life - just as the Lord predicted would be the case (II Samuel 12:10-12).

The book of Proverbs can help us all in the realm of wisdom and instruction. Are our lives being enriched by the kind of instruction which makes us productive members of the human family and of the family of God? Careful attention to the book of Proverbs is designed to provide this kind of instruction.

B. To Discern Sayings of Understanding 1:2b

To discern the sayings of understanding

The words Solomon used in this phrase are in the same word family. The verb to discern (bin) is the parent of the noun understanding (binah) - so the phrase might well have been translated to discern the sayings of discernment or to understand words of understanding.

Life is full of decisions between alternatives - often alternatives with fine distinctions. The wisdom of Proverbs is intended to enable a person to distinguish between that which is good and that which is evil. I Kings 3:9 records the prayer of Solomon in response to the Lord’s gracious offer to give him what he asked: So give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours? And the book of Proverbs is partial evidence of the Lord’s response to Solomon’s request.

The book of Proverbs can help us develop discernment between good and evil, and it can help us develop discernment to decide between what is good and what is even better.

Cf. Proverbs 3:13-14

How blessed is the man who finds wisdom

And the man who gains understanding.

(14) For her profit is better than the profit of silver

And her gain better than fine gold.

How are we at making distinctions between what is good and evil, and also between what is good and what is better? A study of the Proverbs can help all of us to improve in our ability to make discerning distinctions.

C. To Receive Instruction in Wisdom, Righteousness, Justice and Equity 1:3

"To receive instruction in wise behavior,

Righteousness, justice and equity;"

The book of Proverbs is one of the things the Lord has designed to help us get a grip on godly instruction. And godly instruction is important because it has so many practical uses.

1. Instruction can help develop wise behavior

Here Solomon uses a word for wisdom which speaks less of skill than it does of content (haskel - intelligence, prudence, insight). It speaks of the common sense which enables a person to show insight in the practical matters of life. In Proverbs 19:14, for example, the verb this word comes from is used of the prudent wife - the kind of wife who has the insight to manage her affairs so as to keep the home running on a sound basis.

2. Instruction can help develop righteousness

An easy way to remember the meaning of the word righteousness is to equate it with rightness. Righteousness is conformity to the will of God - that which is right - in thought, word and deed. The word Solomon used is found in Deuteronomy 25:15, where it describes the weights used in a balance scale which weigh just what they are supposed to weigh.

When we need some help in doing things just the way they are supposed to be done, the book of Proverbs was written for our benefit.

3. Instruction can help develop justice.

Justice (mishpat) is the informed decision which is made after careful arbitration. It comes about after an accurate weighing of the facts on all sides of any issue. So, using this Hebrew word, Proverbs 29:4 assures us that The king gives stability to the land by justice, But a man who takes bribes overthrows it. As we all know, it is not an exercise of justice to favor someone who is willing to pay for favored treatment over the one who is in the right but is unwilling or unable to pay for special favors. The right thing to do is make decisions based on their merit!

The book of Proverbs is intended to help anyone who wants help learning to weigh all the evidence when it comes to disputed matters so that they can make decisions which are fair to all involved.

4. Instruction can help develop equity

The word Solomon used for equity (meshir) is a word which speaks of the level way. Among men it refers to uprightness or straightness. The idea of the noun is reflected in our phrases keeping on the level and keeping things straight. Where justice distinguishes between what is right and what is wrong, equity distinguishes between what is fair and what is unfair.

When we could use some help in making decisions which are straight and level we will find the book of Proverbs a helpful tool. It is, after all, inspired by the God who so clearly understands the distinctions between what is right and wrong, and what is fair and unfair, that He could provide salvation for guilty sinners, because Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God (I Peter 3:18).

As we can see, the book of Proverbs is a book intended to help us deal with some of the very practical and important issues of our lives. All who understand it and take it seriously will find their lives immeasurably enriched as a result.

III. THE RESULTS OF THE STUDY OF PROVERBS 1:4-5

A. Prudence for the Naive 1:4a

To give prudence to the naive

We all start out in life in a condition of naivety. It is the natural condition of little children that they are simple, easily deceived - as Solomon’s word (pethi) could also be translated. For example, if you ever believed in Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny or any other fairy tale of the sort, it was because of your natural naivete as a young person.

But somewhere along the line we need to turn from the simplicity of childhood toward the prudence of adulthood. And the book of Proverbs is designed to help us make that transition in a God-honoring way.

B. Knowledge and Discretion for the Young 1:4b

To the youth knowledge and discretion

Young people are known for making decisions which don’t take into account all of the relevant facts - because they haven’t learned that relevant facts are important. As a teen-aged youth, egged on by some of my friends, I once accelerated my father’s 1956 Ford station wagon to 100 miles an hour. Lacking knowledge and discretion, I never stopped to consider the possibility that the car was not mechanically fit to be driven 100 miles per hour (even if it had been the legal thing to do) or that, as my father pointed out when I acknowledged to him what I had done, the tires were far too slick to be trusted at that speed. And then there was the issue of the deer which stepped out of the forest onto the highway just as I was beginning to slow down!

A careful study of the issues raised in the Proverbs will cause a young person to know and weigh some issues he might never have had occasion to think through without the help the Lord wants to give him in His word. The book of Proverbs can be very helpful in keeping young people out of trouble they wouldn’t think to avoid on their own because they simply haven’t been around long enough to have thought through all of the relevant and important issues involved.

C. Increased Learning for the Wise 1:5a

A wise man will hear and increase in learning

No one ever becomes so wise that he doesn’t have room to learn more. One of the marks of a wise man is his openness to listen to the advice of people who know more than he does, and to take what he hears into his own mind - putting it into practice in his own life. Solomon was already showing wisdom before the Lord gave him the added gift of wisdom (I Kings 3:5-13), because he was already alert to the fact that he was too young and inexperienced to guide God’s people without God’s help.

If we are aware of our limitations and open to the information and instruction we can receive from those who are more experienced and better informed than we are, we are demonstrating wisdom. But there is always more to learn, and the book of Proverbs is intended to help with the process.

D. Wise Counsel for the Understanding 1:5b

And a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel

The man of understanding is the man who is perceptive. The Lord has given us the book of Proverbs to expand such a person’s abilities because of the wise counsels (tachbulot) it has to offer. Shrewd guidance is an alternative translation, available to those who are understanding. So, as an example, the man of understanding will find wise counsel in the Proverbs which will direct him away from the dangers of immorality and laziness and folly and other destructive behaviors which would complicate his life.

Are we open to wise counsel because we are a man [or woman] of understanding? Are we able to give wise advice because of the depth of our understanding? A study of the Proverbs will provide help in these important areas of life.

E. The Understanding of Proverbs, Figures, Wise Words and Riddles 1:6

"To understand a proverb and a figure,

The words of the wise and their riddles"

The study of Proverbs will, as you would expect, help a person to understand a proverb. And because proverbs are a unique type of literature, and since proverbs have been used to communicate some very important truths, understanding proverbs is something well worth achieving.

The study of Proverbs will also help a person understand a figure (melitzah - an allusive saying). This word occurs only two times in the Old Testament. The other occurrence (Habakkuk 2:6 - where the New American Standard Bible translates the word as taunting-song), gives an example of an allusive saying:

Woe to him who increases what is not his -

For how long -

And makes himself rich with loans.

The Lord’s message, through the prophet Habakkuk, taunts with woe the person who thinks he has found lasting benefit when he has taken something that doesn’t belong to him, or he has borrowed money he will only have to pay back (with interest). Had he been familiar with the Proverbs he would have known that wealth obtained by fraud dwindles (13:11), and that the borrower becomes the lender’s slave (22:7).

The study of Proverbs will also help a person understand the words of the wise. Because the Proverbs are wisdom literature - literature which deals with the skill required to live our lives in the best way possible - they stretch those who study them to evaluate what wise men have said, and what their wise sayings mean, and how they can make a positive difference in the lives of those who listen and learn from their sayings.

The study of Proverbs will also help a person understand the riddles of wise men (chidah - obscure or puzzling questions; ambiguous sayings) - the kind of riddles of which we find an example from the life of Samson in Judges 14:14:

Out of the eater came something to eat,

And out of the strong came something sweet.

Though the book of Proverbs does not contain riddles, many of the writings in the book raise obscure or puzzling questions and qualify as ambiguous sayings - so the study of Proverbs increases a person’s ability to understandingly interpret such writings.

From a purely academic point of view there are many benefits for those who study the Proverbs. But the Proverbs offer far more than an academic point of view - particularly for those who come to them with the correct spiritual perspective.

IV. THE PLACE TO BEGIN IN THE STUDY OF THE PROVERBS 1:7

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge;

Fools despise wisdom and instruction."

Because all truth is GOD’S truth, it can best be discovered by people who are prepared to acknowledge the place of the Lord in the big picture of their lives. To leave Him out of the picture is to build the structure of knowledge without the proper foundation!

For example, it is one thing to study our universe, and all of its life forms - as if they came into existence on their own; but we can never understand why things exist or when they came into existence or how they came about until we have factored the Lord into the big picture. And no one has really factored the Lord into the big picture until he has acknowledged that he is personally going to answer to the Lord on a coming day of judgment.

The Lord is to be feared because He is going to judge all men (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14; I Peter 1:17). This means that all men are accountable to Him, and that many will be sent away from Him forever because they have failed to give Him the recognition He is due in their lives (Matthew 25:41-46).

These people the Bible calls fools, and Solomon informs us that they despise wisdom and instruction. Because they refuse to fear the Lord, they have no foundation on which to build their knowledge and understanding. So, though they may profess to love wisdom and instruction, the practical reality is that they despise wisdom and instruction; and they certainly have no use for the Proverbs! The wealth of wisdom which is found in the Proverbs belongs to those who fear the Lord.

We will never fully understand the book of Proverbs unless we have come to terms with the importance of the Lord in our lives. And we will never really understand life itself until we have come to terms with the importance of the Lord in our lives. A correct understanding of the issues of life begins with the fear of the Lord. So here is an important question for our consideration as we think about the message of the book of Proverbs: Do we fear the Lord - in the sense that we recognize our ultimate accountability to Him in every thought, word and deed - enabling us to trust Him for salvation, and to understand and apply the wisdom which is contained in the book of Proverbs?

II

THE WISDOM SONGS OF

SOLOMON 1:8-9:18

THE REWARDS OF RESPECT

PROVERBS 1:8-9

The family in which Solomon grew up was a large family with a mixed record as far as godly living goes. As a wealthy king, Solomon’s father David did what many other kings of his day did. He married several wives (at least eight wives and at least ten concubines). So it is hardly surprising that neither his wives nor his children received the attention they should have received from a godly husband and father.

As a result of David’s poor performance as a husband and father, he had some family problems. There are many things we don’t know about David’s family life, but we do know that it was a life of both failures and successes.

Among the failures in David’s family life, the ones we know of include: Amnon - the son who raped his sister, Tamar; Absalom - the son who tried to steal his father’s kingdom; and Adonijah - the son who tried to succeed his father as king in place of Solomon (the son chosen by David - and by God Himself - to be his successor). On the success side of the ledger in David’s family we know best the son who succeeded David as Israel’s king - Solomon, the primary author of the book of Proverbs.

Solomon was a son who obviously respected both his father and his mother. Recorded for us in the pages of the Proverbs are some of the teachings which Solomon received from his parents and sought to pass along to his own children. Included also as a part of the teaching of Proverbs are numerous challenges to show respect for one’s parents (6:20-23; 10:1; 23:22; 23:24-25).

That Solomon did respect his father and mother is seen not only in the things which he said about the subject, but also in the fact that he sought to follow his fathers advice as the young king of Israel, and that he placed a throne for his mother to the right of his own throne - rising to greet her and bowing as a sign of his respect for her (I Kings 2:19). So Solomon appears to have illustrated well the truth which he wrote about in Proverbs 1:8-9 - that the person who respects his father and mother will be well-rewarded.

I. THE CHALLENGE TO OBEY ONE’S FATHER AND MOTHER 1:8

A. The Command Concerning One’s Father 1:8a

Hear, my son, your father’s instruction

The book of Proverbs is full of the instruction which Solomon prepared for one or more of his own sons. It is an excellent book for children - directed specifically to young men (but applicable as well to young women).

From Proverbs 4:3 and following it sounds as if Solomon learned to share with his son by the example of his father.

Cf. Proverbs 4:3-6

When I was a son to my father,

Tender and the only son in the sight of my mother,

(4) Then he taught me and said to me,

"Let your heart hold fast my words;

Keep my commandments and live;

(5) Acquire wisdom! Acquire understanding!

Do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth.

(6) Do not forsake her, and she will guard you;

Love her, and she will watch over you."

It may be that David spent personal time with Solomon which he didn’t spend with his other sons because Solomon was being groomed to follow him on the throne. And, because Solomon was the only son in the sight of [his] mother, he undoubtedly received careful attention from her. So he was favored as a child by a good relationship with both of his parents - an important factor when it comes to healthy development in the life of any child.

To his own son and (as inspired author of Scripture) to every other son - and every other daughter - Solomon’s command is Hear your father’s instruction. It is important to understand that the word hear does not mean only be aware of your father’s voice; it means to be obedient to your father’s will! The Hebrew word (shama) is the operative word in the famous shema statement of Deuteronomy 6:4: "Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one! It has the force of hearing in the sense of heeding"!

The Lord holds children responsible to obey the guidance given by their parents. But He also holds parents responsible for giving that guidance, and for requiring it to be followed. Solomon’s instruction presents a challenge for both children and for their parents.

Solomon’s word for instruction may be verbal instruction - and ideally that is all that should be necessary. But it may include more than just well-spoken words, because the Hebrew word which is used (musar) can also be translated correction or discipline. It’s use, for example, in Proverbs 22:15 clearly involves more than verbal instruction.

Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child;

The rod of discipline will remove it far from him.

Once again, the word musar very clearly refers to more than verbal instruction in Proverbs 23:13-14:

Do not hold back discipline [musar] from the child,

Although you strike him with the rod, he will not die.

(14) You shall strike him with the rod,

And deliver his soul from Sheol.

God has placed fathers in authority over their children with the intention that fathers give their children instruction (and, if necessary, discipline) and that children respond with respectful obedience. It is interesting that Solomon refers to a father’s instruction, because the Lord has designed the male psyche in such a way that men are generally inclined to give orders, while women tend to be more nurturing in their relationship with children.

B. The Command Concerning One’s Mother 1:8b

And do not forsake your mother’s teaching

Though fathers have been placed by the Lord in the role of headship in the home, it is normally the mother who spends the greatest amount of time with the children and who, for this reason and others, has the most influential role in the lives of children. In my own family, for example, my father worked as a bank teller during my early childhood, so he was out of the home Monday through Friday from around 7:00 in the morning until around 6:00 in the evening. For most of my childhood my mother was the homemaker who was almost always available to provide care for her children, so her influence was very significant - as the influence of most mothers is.

During the time she spends with her children a mother does a great amount of teaching. She is the one who is often explaining how things work. She is the one who most often responds to the countless why questions of each of her children. She too is involved in providing the instruction and direction children need to get successfully launched in life.

Because of their love for their children, most mothers try to give the best teaching they can give. And because of their advantages in age and experience over their children, they almost always have a lot of very valuable information to share. A mother’s teaching deserves a child’s attention and respect. And it is Solomon’s divinely inspired instruction to children that they do not forsake [their] mother’s teaching.

Children who do not hear the instruction of their father and who forsake the teaching of their mother generally cause their parents a great amount of grief. And they greatly complicate their own lives by virtue of the problems they encounter and the blessings they fail to experience.

II. THE RESULTS OF OBEYING ONE’S FATHER AND MOTHER 1:9

A. The Graceful Wreath for the Head 1:9a

Indeed, they are a graceful wreath to your head

We don’t make much use of wreaths for the head in our day and our part of the world. But in eastern nations and in ancient times they were used with some frequency. They were made by twisting or weaving together in a circle either some kind of vegetation (like the Laurel wreath given to the winners of athletic contests) or some cloth (to form a turban which was worn as a head-piece). A wreath was at least an attractive head-piece (something to dress up with) or, even better, a symbol of honor (a trophy of sorts). By the fact that Solomon speaks of "a graceful wreath we are to understand that this wreath is the best of its kind - a wreath" which makes its wearer look his very best.

I don’t need to tell you that young people spend a great deal of time and money trying to look their very best by keeping up with the never-ending fads of the fashion designers. But Solomon is writing here of a way in which a young person can look his or her very best without spending a single dime. And this is the kind of fashion which will never wear out or go out of style!

The young person who pays careful attention to his father and mother will be much better off for having done so, and he or she will come away looking good as a result. Respectful obedience to parents will carry over into other important relationships in life (e.g. relationships with school authorities and with civil authorities and with future employers). The child who listens to a father’s instruction and does not forsake a mother’s teaching will be appreciated and rewarded throughout life and will look good as a result.

B. The Ornaments for the Neck 1:9b

And ornaments about your neck

Again, Solomon writes of an item not used much by young men in our day and our part of the world, but neck ornaments were used by young men in Solomon’s setting - and, of course, they have always been used, and still are used, to beautify young women (and older women as well).

The Liberty Bible Commentary² tells us that a young man was especially likely to wear a neck ornament when he was embarking on a new responsibility. So it is Solomon’s point, once again, that just as the young man who wore a wreath on his head was considered an attractive and honored young man, so a young man who wore an ornament about his neck was marked out as a well-dressed and honored young man. The young person (and older person too) who shows the proper respect for his parents will look the best he can look and will be honored in the minds of others for doing it. And people who respect their father and mother will be well-rewarded.

Moses voiced this thought from the Lord, long before Solomon did, in Deuteronomy 5:16 (one of the famous Ten Commandments):

Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, that your days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with you on the land which the LORD your God gives you.

The Apostle Paul repeated the message in Ephesians 6:1-3:

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother (which is the first commandment with a promise), that it may be well with you, and that you may live long on the earth.

The beginning of knowledge, as we have seen (Proverbs 1:7), is the fear of the LORD. For the child who has started down that good path in life, the next step is to hear his father’s instruction and pay attention to his mother’s teaching. And the parent who is wise will do everything possible to see that children get headed in these healthy directions early in life - for the benefit of all concerned, and for the honor of the Lord.

RESISTING EVIL

Proverbs 1:10-19

It is hard to believe what evil things people will allow themselves to do, and even commit themselves to do, with their lives. And it is sad to see the negative influence they can have on other people whom they recruit to join them in their evil deeds.

As an example, consider the harm which was done by Timothy McVeigh and those who worked with him to detonate a truck bomb in front of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995.³ Timothy McVeigh fully intended to cause serious damage to an expensive government building, and he fully intended to cause death and injury to many innocent people. His act of terrorism was the deadliest act of its kind in the United States prior to the infamous 9/11 attack by Islamic terrorists, and it took the lives of 168 people and injured another 600 people who had done no wrong toward McVeigh or his co-conspirators.

Again and again throughout our lives we see evidence that the Prophet Jeremiah was right on target when he wrote (in Jeremiah 17:9):

The heart is more deceitful than all else

And is desperately sick;

Who can understand it?

In a world full of deceitful and desperately sick hearts it is a real challenge for any person to keep from being influenced by the sickness, so the Lord has encouraged His people to stay away from evil and from people who have committed themselves to doing evil. The Lord spoke in this regard through the Apostle Paul, for example, in I Corinthians 15:33: Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company corrupts good morals.’

The Lord wants His people to stay away from the deceptive and self-destructive practices of evil. And Solomon spoke very clearly to the issue in his challenge to his son in the opening chapter of Proverbs (1:10-19).

I. THE WARNING AGAINST EVIL 1:10

"My son, if sinners entice you,

Do not consent."

Because (as Romans 3:23 informs us so clearly) All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, we all are sinners, both by nature and by practice. But when Solomon warns his son in this verse about sinners, he has in mind those who have knowingly and intentionally chosen sinful practices as their own way.

As in the Greek language of the New Testament, the word for sinners in the Hebrew language (chatta) means to miss the mark. The sinners Solomon is writing about in this passage are people who intentionally fail to do what they know they ought to do - and, in this case, seek to get other people to go along with them in their sin.

It is bad enough that there are people who knowingly choose what is wrong over what is right. But Solomon warns his son about people who go beyond wrong choices for themselves to entice others to join them in their sinful practices. The studied evidence suggested, for example, that Timothy McVeigh did not blow up the Oklahoma Federal Building by himself. Federal investigators also convicted Terry Nichols and Michael Fortier as co-conspirators in that deadly plot.

Solomon’s warning to his son, when faced with the invitation to join in doing evil, was Do not consent. It is a sad commentary on the condition of the human heart that the evil things humans do are evil things they choose to do - from among a variety of choices. The time which Timothy McVeigh and his partners in crime spent plotting their crime and carrying it out by actually detonating explosives at the Oklahoma Federal Building is time they could have spent reading some good books or washing some dirty cars or helping some needy neighbors or working at gainful employment or any of a vast number of other, more productive things!

Do we find the invitation to engage in evil activity attractive, or do we have better things to do?

II. THE ENTICEMENT OF EVILDOERS 1:11-14

A. The Prospect of Violence 1:11-12

"If they say, ‘Come with us,

Let us lie in wait for blood,

Let us ambush the innocent without cause;

(12) Let us swallow them alive like Sheol

Even whole as those who go down to the pit’"

The same sinister sickness that causes a person to engage in criminal activity often also causes a person to seek others to join him in criminal activity. Many criminals like to have partners with them in the commission of their crimes. We not only have people in society who have devoted their lives to criminal activity; we also have gangsters who have surrounded themselves with gangs in the commission of their crimes.

As Solomon sadly illustrates, such people have very sorry goals for their gangs.

They say let us lie in wait for blood. Day after day we see, on the streets of our cities, sad evidence of the bloodthirsty appetites of sickened human minds, as people are injured and often killed by those who have committed themselves to drawing human blood.

They say let us ambush the innocent without cause. Criminal minds don’t need any particular reason to vent their wrath on the victims of their crimes. They often choose as the victims of their bloodthirsty deeds people who just happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. So, while we were living in Tucson, Arizona, Dr. Roy Johnson of the music department of the University of Arizona lost his life one evening on the highway between Green Valley and Tucson simply because he happened to be the kind but unsuspecting soul who stopped when he saw someone waving a hand along the highway – assuming that they were

Reviews for Those Practical Proverbs

[Huascar de la Cruz · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Very clear and well explained. Its practical approach is extremely helpful por people today