Introduction
The book of Proverbs is filled with short sayings of God’s wisdom. It is a compilation of wise sayings from various sources. It is full of wisdom nuggets. The book is an instruction manual to wisdom. The advice is invaluable. There are life lessons that transcend time. The lessons are delivered as short, straightforward instructions.
The theme of the book of Proverbs is the fear of the LORD being the beginning of knowledge and wisdom. The fear being referred to is a deep reverence for God, not the fear you experience when you see a lion.
WHO WROTE THE BOOK OF PROVERBS AND WHY?
King Solomon wrote most of the book of Proverbs during his reign from 970 to 930 BC. Proverbs 1:1 attributes the proverbs to Solomon, son of king David. He wrote Chapters 1-39. Agur wrote chapter 30, and king Lemuel wrote chapter 31.
Candice Lucey (2020) has written about Solomon’s wisdom and explains that it was too much to have originated from earth. It was from God Himself. 2 Chronicles 1 details how God appears to Solomon and gives him wisdom. Solomon’s wisdom cannot be compared to anyone’s on earth. This powerhouse of wisdom and knowledge is the one who wrote most of the Proverbs, and so many generations have and are still benefiting from his wisdom.
We know very little about Agur, the author of Proverbs 30 the son of Jaker. Agur means gathered. His father’s name, Jaker, means carefully religious. In Biblical times, a man’s name was very important, as it in most cases described his character. It is clear from the two names (the father and son) that this was a very religious family. Agur was probably a God-fearing man.
King Lemuel is the author of the famous Proverbs chapter 31. His name means belonging to God. He writes about the wisdom that his mother taught him. Lemuel is a king, but he is not listed as any of the kings of Israel or Judah. It is assumed that Lemuel could be another name for king Solomon. If that is true, Solomon could have written Proverbs 31 using the advice he got from his mother, Bathsheba. But these are just assumptions. We do not know for sure who king Lemuel is.
The reasons the book of Proverbs was written are clearly stated in the first chapter in verses 2-4.
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.
Teaching wisdom is the context of the book of Proverbs. The book was written to educate and instruct people, especially the young and to teach them skills on how to live a good life. Proverbs was also written to help people distinguish between right and wrong, it is a moral lecture.
WHAT IS WISDOM?
The book of Proverbs is classified under wisdom literature. There are three books in the Bible that are classified as wisdom literature, Proverbs, Job, and Ecclesiastes. These books are a collection of wisdom from generations of godly people, Israeli wisdom.
The wisdom books promote living wisely under God’s guidance. Wisdom literature deals with different everyday issues from a practical point of view. God is portrayed as the fountain of wisdom. He is eternal and all-knowing.
The book of Proverbs deals with solutions to people’s problems. Some proverbs are simple and straightforward. Others need to be correctly interpreted from God’s perspective.
Wisdom is wise thinking. The book of Proverbs is a full injection of wise and insightful thoughts. It awakens growth and understanding in people. It enables one to utilize the knowledge and skills they have to make better decisions. Wisdom is higher enlightenment.
There are three types of wisdom.
- Earthly wisdom
- Intellectual wisdom
- Wisdom from above
Earthly wisdom is your everyday common sense or instinct. This is the knowledge that we take for granted. For example, no one teaches a newborn baby how to suckle milk from the mother. It is an instinct. They are born with this earthly wisdom.
Intellectual wisdom is a step further from earthly wisdom. This is when a person reflects on, ponders on, deeply thinks about or analyses certain teachings that they have received in their life. This is the stage when one evaluates and considers teachings and instructions. The decision of what to value and what to discard is made at this stage.
Wisdom from above is what king Solomon had. He asked for this wisdom from God and received it. His wisdom was unmatched. Great men and women came to hear Solomon’s wisdom during his life. The queen of Sheba was one of those people who visited Solomon to hear his wisdom. She heard about his wisdom and had to see it for herself and she was overwhelmed and admitted that king Solomon had exceeded the report she had heard about him(1 Kings 10).
But his wisdom had conditions, as long as he continued in righteousness before God, he would have wisdom. God does not give wisdom to evil men. This is why the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. The wisdom from above is a reward for the children of God. It is exclusive to the children of God.
THE CHARACTERS IN THE BOOK OF PROVERBS
The wise
The wise are those who fear the Lord. In fact, their wisdom comes from their fear of the Lord. Wisdom also comes from obeying God’s commandments. The wise man can foresee evil and avoid it. He can discern, has insight into different situations, has good sense and can judge between evil and good.
The righteous
The one who is faithful and keeps God’s commandments. The righteous are morally correct and live a life of integrity. They are known for defending the poor and the needy, and God loves those who defend the poor and is fair to everyone regardless of status. Because of their righteousness, God protects them from trouble and listens to their prayers. God blesses the righteous.
The lazy
They are unproductive and do not want to work. They fill their lives with procrastination. A lazy man will never live up to his full potential. Their life is doomed to fail. Most lazy men are poor, and even though they desire riches, they are too lazy to work and improve their circumstances. In his eyes, the lazy one sees himself as a wise person. This is his downfall because his wisdom is false and it keeps him blinded to the reality of his slothfulness.
The wicked
The wicked man is an abomination to the Lord. He lives under God’s curse. The wicked man’s heart is full of evil and he is the embodiment of evil. He spreads his evil, destroying innocent people through his gossip and fabrications about them.
The fool
The course of life he chooses, which leads to failure, identifies a fool. The book of Proverbs portrays the fool as a person who does not believe in God. A fool rejects wisdom and embraces idiocy. The fool’s major problem comes from his heart. The fool says in his heart there is no God. This is an internal rejection of God. He might not show it externally, but a fool rejects God and cannot gain understanding or receive wisdom from God. This is a form of atheism.
The mocker
The mocker hates instruction; he disregards instruction and authority. His judgement is certain. Even if a mocker tries to seek, he will not find it because he does not fear God and does not listen to anyone.
THE IMPORTANCE OF PROVERBS
This is a unique book full of instructions for living a good life on earth. Most books focus on theological truths. However, the book of Proverbs focuses on people’s circumstances and advice on how to avoid those circumstances.
It is the most applicable book in the Bible. The proverbs are truth nuggets about moral discipline that can only come through the word of God.
The meaning of the word proverb in Hebrew is ‘mashal’ which means comparison. Proverbs compare principles and characters, for example, the righteous and the evil. It teaches using contrasts. The book provokes man’s thoughts and leads him on a righteous path.
Conclusion
Wisdom is superior because it originates from God Himself. One can argue that there are many who are wise but do not know God. Those are prudent, they only have earthly knowledge and it can not take them far. Wisdom is the one that made king Solomon richer than any king before and after him. It is the one that made people from different parts of the world come to hear him speak. The wisdom of God is the one that made him a good ruler. Nothing can surpass the wisdom of God.
