Poetry – Proverbs 1

I hoped you all had a good Spiritual Meeting and am now recharged and ready to restart your engines for God.  As Dn Liew said when he ended the Spiritual Meeting, one constant theme seemed to ring out throughout was this…

My son, give me your heart,
And let your eyes observe my ways.

Proverbs 26:23

Open your hearts to Jesus.  Let Him come in.  Do not delay in opening the door of your heart.

Give your heart to Jesus.

I do feel that this sets up nicely the reading of today’s passage and the rest of the Bible for the rest of the year.

We are starting the Book of Proverbs today and to be very honest, I actually dread this day very much.  Not because I do not like to read Proverbs (I actually love it) but what else could I share about it, after all, this is a book of Wisdom – something which I know I really am lacking in.

Introduction to the Book of Proverbs

I like this explanation of what the book of Proverbs is all about.

The book of Proverbs tells the story.  It is a picture of a young man starting out in life.  And his first lesson is found in Proverbs 1:7 (more of that later).  And as a young man, he has to learn life lessons and 2 schools were bidding for his attention.  Both schools send him their literature, hoping to convince him to attend their school.

One is the school of wisdom, and the other, the school for fools.

Indeed, the book of Proverbs is a collection of biblical nuggest of wisdom, brief sayings based on God’s perspective of life.  You will find that the truth contained in these proverbs is not meant to be exhaustive but it is very very potent.

When you read Proverbs, it is not meant to be a read through.  They are intended to make us stop, think, and hopefully, redirect our lives. It is a textbook for practical living.

The reading of Proverbs is one of my favourite family time (maybe more for us parents than the kids).  It seems that whenever we needed to bring a point across about life, the passage of Proverbs that we are reading provides us with God’s guidance and insight to how and what we ought to do.  It truly is amazing and that is what makes God’s Word so alive in our lives.

Some people compare Proverbs to ‘spiritual vitamins’.  Take some each day (read or memorise some verses each day) and you will find that it can affect how you think and behave in ways that honour God and stregthen your faith in God.  This is the beginning of wisdom!

Each proverb distills life into essential categories of right and wrong, and gives instructions on how to pursue good and avoid evil.  The key word is “wisdom”.  Ultimately, wisdom is found in fearing God and knowing what He wants, and go and do it.

There is a unique style in the writing of proverbs. Most of the proverbs are have a two-line form.

The lines of the couplet could reinforce each other, or provide a contrast, or provide a comparison or provide a complete thought (hope this is not too confusing).  But you will find that this structure actually helps you to remember them and it is also easier to teach.  It is one way of summarizing the wisdom of the ages so that everyone, especially the young, could understand it.

Let’s go to today’s chapter then…

Bible Passage:  Proverbs 1

Just as you would expect from the wisest man in the world – king Solomon – he starts off the whole book of Proverbs by explaining the purpose of Proverbs in Proverbs 1:1-6.

The purpose of Proverbs is straightforward: “to know wisdom” (Prov 1:2).

For a lot of people, when they think of wisdom, they associate it with an advanced form of knowledge or learning, or else a rare sense of deep understanding and insight.

There is almost something mystical about it – as if those who possess it has somehow tapped into profound truths from ages past.

Pretty much like the age old joke of people seeking the wise sage on top of the mountain to find the meaning of life

But the wisdom in the book of Proverbs is not limited to a privilege few.

If we invest the time to read, think and put the words of Proverbs into our lives, we will find that the wisdom dispensed will help us live responsible, productive lives … in the way that God wants us to, and not in the ways of the world.

Four Kinds of Fools

When we read the following 2 verses, you will find that Wisdom makes her appeal to four kind of fools:

Psalm 1:7

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge,
But fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Psalm 1:22

“How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity?
For scorners delight in their scorning,
And fools hate knowledge.”

Can you recognise them?

The Simple – This is a person who cannot tell the difference between truth and falsehood.  And because he lacks direction in life, he is headed for a fall.

The Scorner – This is a person who laughs at wisdom and toys with wickedness.  When you warn him of the consequences of pursuing evil, he laughts at you and say, “It will never happen to me.”

The Arrogant – This is a person who willfully ignores wisdom and lives according to his own rules.  He has no interest in whether the matter is good or bad.  All that matters is himself.

The Rebel – This is a person that actually hates wisdom.  He despises it so much that he totally rejects it.

I just want you to keep in mind these four fools as we go through Proverbs.  And then we think for ourselves whether we are like them – willfully ignoring the call of wisdom and headed down the road of destruction ourselves.

Proverbs Going Forward

I am sure that after reading Proverbs 1 carefully, all of you have some things to share.  Instead of just hearing from me, why not you let everyone know something about your reading.  Don’t feel shy in telling everyone what you have learned.

It could be a verse that left a deep impression on you.  Or a proverb that provided an answer to your present situation.  Or perhaps it was a timely reminder that got you out of trouble.

Just fill in the comment forms below and let us know what you think.

I will share more with you on Proverbs 1 if you all join in as well.

If everyone shares – everyone will edify and encourage each other.