BY REV. CHRIS SHELTON
Proverbs is a wisdom book, mostly by King Solomon. The theme of the book is imparting wisdom in the life of the believer. The first nine chapters of the book are short essays of instruction, exhortations directed toward the young in particular to listen to fatherly wisdom.
Most of the rest of the book consists of 100's of individual truths on a variety of issues and situations in life. Each proverb is a short moral principle, easily learned and memorized. The book is meant to be practical, and foment a disposition of pursuing the path of wisdom. We need this book to think and act wisely. If you haven't read Proverbs recently, now is the time to take it up again.
The necessity of wisdom (and the foundation of the book) is found in verse 7: "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; fools despise wisdom and instruction." The assumption is that all lack wisdom by nature (due to sin) and only those who acquire a fear of the Lord can obtain wisdom.
The theme of foolishness and folly runs throughout the book. The world is depicted as a home of foolish people. It directs us to recognize and reject folly and see the practical advantage of acquiring wisdom. Much of Proverbs is about reaping and sowing in this life. It is full of general principles that though wise, may not necessarily be certain and absolute with respect to temporal consequences.
For example, the folly of laziness or idleness is one theme. The idle person is warned of impoverishing himself, while the diligent man has a sturdy home. So it is foolish to continue in laziness. However, we know a lazy man may have a benefactor or inheritance; whereas a hardworking man may run into hard providences such as famine or thieves.
Nevertheless, it is wise to be diligent and usually it will benefit you. On the other hand, a hardworking man may impoverish his soul if he is not wise with respect to the Lord. The Lord Jesus told the crowds with respect to his teaching: "One greater than Solomon is here." He didn't mean to disregard the proverbs of Solomon; he meant that all Scripture must be interpreted in light of his coming, and the truth connected to it.
Jesus also depicted the world to be a foolish place, and him only able to impart true light and wisdom to men. We can easily apply this to the theme of foolishness we find in Proverbs. Proverbs 17:16 says, "Why should a fool have money in his hand to buy wisdom, when he has no sense." It doesn't do a fool any good to be at a market that sells wisdom, because though he has money, he has no intention of buying or using wisdom. He will not change his ways.
People have seasons of grace and convictions, exposure to God's word, and many other opportunities and spiritual privileges. Yet it does them no good because they do not put it to use; like the foolish man, with pockets full of money and wisdom for sale, passes by and remains foolish.
Proverbs 27:22 says, "Crush a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with crushed grain; yet his folly will not depart from him." A mortar is a bowl, a pestle a club to pound grain into meal. Here we have a man, who no matter the hardships his folly brings to him, continues on the same path. We have all known people this is plainly and painfully true of, and all done it to some extent.
In this world, all men face hardships, troubles, and death. There is affliction around the next bend in the road. Sometimes we see godly men who have terrible hardships, and foolish men who seem to have little comparatively. Nevertheless, foolish people do not consider the truth of God and the light of Christ, when hardship and death call out to seek wisdom for the soul. And they lose their soul because of it. So the proverb is practical for everyday life, yet points to greater application for the soul.
In Ephesians 5, Paul exhorts Christians to put off foolishness because of the state of the world we live in: "Look carefully how you live; not as unwise, but wise; make the best use of time, because the days are evil."
So then, as you read Proverbs, find help to change bad habits or to resist temptation; but above all, have the intention of finding wisdom for your soul, and seek the Kingdom of God first.
FAQs
Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance, 6 to understand a proverb and a saying, the words of the wise and their riddles. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.
What is the message of Proverbs 1:1:7? ›
Proverbs 1:1–7 outlines the four distinct ''to'' statements, or purpose statements of the book of Proverbs. This section culminates with the identification of the only source of true wisdom, the Lord Himself. The purpose of the book of Proverbs is to recognize wise instruction and apply knowledge wisely.
What is the moral lesson from Proverbs 1? ›
It directs us to recognize and reject folly and see the practical advantage of acquiring wisdom. Much of Proverbs is about reaping and sowing in this life. It is full of general principles that though wise, may not necessarily be certain and absolute with respect to temporal consequences.
What are the discussion questions for Proverbs 1 1 7? ›
Discussion Questions:
- If God offered to give you anything, what would you ask for? ...
- Do you know anyone that is filled with hokmah ? ...
- Do you enjoy texts like the proverbs that invite you into the learning process? ...
- If someone observed your life (your family, finances, speech, etc.), would they say that you feared the Lord?
Proverbs performs all the functions of Scripture mentioned in 2 Timothy 3:16—”It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.” In Proverbs, God teaches us principles that will bring us peace and contentment, chides us for the things we have done in sin, shows us how to correct our way of life, and ...
What is Proverbs 1 telling us? ›
Solomon held himself back from no earthly pleasure, he had everything he could ever desire, and in the end he saw the foolishness of his actions. Chapter 1 is Solomon's reflection on his own life, how he had all the wisdom of God available to him, and yet chose to follow after foolish desires.
What is the fear of the Lord in Proverbs 1:7? ›
21:6–8). Yet the fear of the Lord described in Proverbs 1:7 is the fear of a converted person, a reverent love that understands God's grace toward the sinner who trusts Christ and who wants to do what is pleasing to the Lord. This kind of fear recognizes the Lord's character and His holy love.
What can we learn from Proverbs 1 7? ›
In sum, Proverbs 1:7 seeks to instill in us the indispensable virtues for becoming wise. We must tremble at the Lord's holiness, just as we are drawn to him in love. We must warmly accept instruction. And we must always resist the pride that will take us off our path.
What is the lesson from Proverbs 1 7? ›
Proverbs 1:7 is a pretty simple truth. It's reflected all throughout the book of Proverbs that the beginning of wisdom, the beginning of knowledge is the fear of the Lord. Basically, God-fearing worship leads to God-given wisdom. Think about your life, I think about my life, we all need wisdom.
Who is wisdom in Proverbs 1? ›
Notable in Proverbs and the Wisdom of Solomon (and to a lesser degree in Job and Sirach) is the personification of the concept of wisdom as a woman (here referred to as Woman Wisdom to distinguish the personified figure from the more general use of the term).
But the wisdom of Proverbs comes from “Solomon, son of David, king of Israel.” Right up front, the book tells us it's in the flow of biblical history that leads us to Jesus. Here's the point. The fear of the Lord Jesus Christ is the beginning of this wisdom.
What is the main message of the book of proverb? ›
The major concern of the book is not to teach about God, but rather to teach how one ought to live a responsible and happy life on earth. Though much of the book contains what might be called secular wisdom, that wisdom is always “under God.”
How do you get wisdom from the book of Proverbs? ›
4 Ways to Get Wisdom
- Fear God. Solomon says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (see Proverbs 9:10). ...
- Desire Wisdom. The second step to getting wisdom is to desire it with all our heart. ...
- Pray for Wisdom. ...
- Study God's Word.
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and discipline.” – Proverbs 1:7. The world would tell us to run to so many different places for wisdom. Proverbs over and over again reminds us that wisdom is found in fearing the Lord.
What lesson do we learn from Proverbs 1 7? ›
Proverbs 1:7 is a pretty simple truth. It's reflected all throughout the book of Proverbs that the beginning of wisdom, the beginning of knowledge is the fear of the Lord. Basically, God-fearing worship leads to God-given wisdom. Think about your life, I think about my life, we all need wisdom.
What is Proverbs 1:1-6 about? ›
The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel; To know wisdom and instruction; To perceive the words of understanding; To receive the instruction of wisdom, Justice, and judgment, and equity; To give subtilty to the simple, To the young man knowledge and discretion.
What is Proverbs 1vs1 7? ›
Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance, 6 to understand a proverb and a saying, the words of the wise and their riddles. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.
What is the meaning of the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom? ›
The “fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” relates more to respect and reverence for God than actual fear in its modern definition. Fearing God is knowing God, and this is where true wisdom lies. Proverbs also teaches us that people must submit to God's will. By doing so, we acquire wisdom.
