The Beginning Of Wisdom Series

[Hold up Bible.]

I love this book. You’ve heard me refer to it as “The Owner’s Manual.” It contains stories, history, poetry, adventure, drama. It contains hymns. It contains theology, philosophy, and it contains wisdom. Every book in the Bible is there for a reason. Believe it or not, not all the ancient writing made it into the Bible. The “Infancy Gospel of Thomas,” for example or “The Book of Enoch.” The Catholic church chose to preserve such writing as 1st and 2nd Esdras, Tobit, Ecclesiasticus, 1st and 2nd Maccabees, the Letter of Jeremiah, the Prayer of Manasseh, and the Wisdom of Solomon … which is different from the Book of Proverbs that we will be studying in this series. My point is this: every single book in this Bible was included in the canon for a reason. Great theologians and religious scholars and leaders read, examined, and debated over what to include and what to exclude and this [hold up the Bible] is the result of their ‘wisdom.’

So, let me ask you … when was the last time you read the Book of Proverbs? How many of you have studied its wisdom and tried to absorb its teaching and … here’s the challenge … live by the profound, tried-and-true wisdom that has been preserved and passed down to us in this book? The Book of Proverbs wasn’t included for sentimental reasons. The scholars and theologians included it for a reason and didn’t designate it as an extra-Biblical or deuterocanonical or apocryphal book like they did Tobit or Judith … and hopefully I will be able to convince you to not only read it but to live by the collective and inspired, Godly wisdom contained within its pages.

Today is a bit of an overview of the Book of Proverbs. Over the coming weeks, we’ll look at and listen … and hopefully learn … from it what it has to say about anger, finances, friendship, sharing, addiction, conflict, and family. You see, despite all the technology and gadgets that we have today, the basic issues and challenges of life are the same today as they were when the Book of Proverbs was put together.

Even the title of the book is a proscription for how we are to approach this book. “Proverbs.” Break it down. “Pro” means what? You might think “professional” but “pro” also means “positive” … as in, “I’m pro-Bible study” or “I’m pro-prayer.” “Verb.” What is a “verb”? In grammar it means “action.” Verbs are action words … run, jump, swim. “Pro-verb” means “pro” or “positive” action. This is a collection of sayings to encourage us to take positive actions in our lives that will produce the best results or outcomes … as well as warn us about the kinds of negative actions that can lead to suffering and destruction and ruin if we don’t follow the “proverbs” or “positive actions” that have been tried and tested for generations.

The Hebrew title for the Book of Proverbs comes from a derivation or root word that means “to be like.” Again, the idea is one of taking action, of engaging in a process that will make us more and more into the person that God wants us to become … and to do that, we have to know the teaching and follow the process as it is outlined in the Book of Proverbs.

The title “Proverbs” … whether in Hebrew or in English … comes right out and tells us that there is more to the Book of Proverbs than just pithy sayings and observations to be read and contemplated. They are meant to be read, taken seriously, and acted on.

The first nine books of the Book of Proverbs are written in the form of a father advising his son, giving him advice to help him live wisely in the world. It was used as an instruction manual for parents to help them raise Godly, hopefully righteous children. Chapters 10 through 24 is a collection of wisdom for people of all ages … and chapters 25 through 31 are a collection of wisdom teaching for leaders and future leaders. What the Book of Psalms is to prayer and devotion, the Book of Proverbs is to everyday life. The Book of Proverbs contains deep spiritual insight as well as practical advice for daily life … and the combination of the two … practical advice and spiritual insight … makes Proverbs a book that we should be reading and studying and discussing a whole lot more than we do.

And so, like any book, we should start at the beginning, especially since the beginning of the book sets the stage for what is to follow, amen? The first line of the Book of Proverbs states: “The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel” … which, obviously, establishes the authorship of the book … though other authors, like Agur, the son of Jakeh and King Lemuel … are included. In 1st Kings 4, it says that King Solomon “composed three thousand proverbs … He would speak of trees … he would speak of animals, and birds, and reptiles, and fish. People came from all the nations to hear the wisdom of Solomon; they came from all kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom” (vv. 32-34).