Proverbs: Words to Live By: introductory notes

In an effort to simplify life and keep some fresh content on this blog, I'm going to begin posting material from the college class I'm teaching on the book of Proverbs This material was originally written for a teenage audience when I worked as a youth minister, but I'm attempting to revise and update it to make it more applicable to a college crowd. What you will have access to here are the revised lessons. I hope they can be a blessing to you.


Proverbs: Words to Live By


Introduction:
Proverbs is one of the “Wisdom Books” Some scholars feel that Proverbs was originally written as a textbook for young men who were being trained to work in the royal court of Israel. If this view is right (and I tend to believe it is) then these words were originally meant to teach young people how to make their way in the world with the minimum amount of trouble and the maximum amount of blessing

Wisdom Books are a little different from the rest of the Bible. They tend to be very “general.”
Ø Not much about things specific to Jews (e.g., Law, Covenant, etc.)
Ø Mostly about the everyday stuff of life (e.g., money, marriage, raising kids, getting along at your job, etc.)
Ø “Proverbs is a floodlight, not a spotlight.” What does this expression mean? Important to recognize that because it’s “general wisdom” the things Proverbs says are usually—but not always—true. (e.g., 22:6; 26:4-5)

A Note on Biblical “Wisdom”
What does the word “wisdom” mean to you? How do you know if someone is “wise” or not?

What if I had you read a book on mechanical engineering and then handed you a live bomb and said “Okay, this thing is on a five minute countdown. You’ve got all the necessary information…deactivate the bomb before it blows up.” How would you feel…confident or terrified?

This example helps explain what “wisdom” means in the Bible. It’s not the same thing as knowledge, intellect, or “book smarts.” When Proverbs talks about “wisdom,” it’s translating the Hebrew word – hokmah.

Exodus 31:1-6 talks about two men—Oholiab and Bezalel—who are supposed to help make stuff for the tabernacle. Though most English Bibles translate God as saying: “I have given skill to Oholiab to make….” He actually says He has given them hokmah.

This illustrates that when Proverbs speaks of acquiring “wisdom” it is talking about more than just intellectual knowledge. It’s about learning the necessary skills to live life well.

It’s my observation that all skills take time to develop. These are things you have to learn by doing. You can read a book on football fundamentals, but you probably won’t understand how to break down and make a tackle, block, etc. until you get out on the field and start getting knocked around a bit. It’s the same way with developing the skills for life.

Generally-speaking, life skills come with age. That’s why the Wisdom Books (and the Bible-in-general) has so much to say about respecting people who are older than you.

You’ll notice there is a poetic flair to Proverbs. One of the most important is the way it stylizes women. Most people see Proverbs as laying out a theology of the “two ways” (i.e., the way of wisdom and the way of folly) Throughout the book these two ways are represented by women. Wisdom is personified as a woman who will be a faithful spouse and good mother…one who will take care of you and bless your life. Often, scholars refer to this character as “Dame Wisdom.” The other woman of Proverbs is often referred to as “Madame Folly.” The Madame Folly character is usually depicted as an adulteress or a prostitute in Proverbs. Why do you think Proverbs might use women to personify these two ways?