"Introduction to Proverbs - Part 2"

John Hoole December 14, 2003

Today we continue the introduction to one of the most unique Books in the Bible - The Book of Proverbs
WHO IS ITS PRIMARY AUTHOR?
Solomon is the primary writer. Later we will discuss the various other writers. Let's learn what we are told about this man.

WHO OTHER BOOKS DID SOLOMON WRITE?
Song of Solomon and Ecclesiastes

HOW MANY PROVERBS DID SOLOMON WRITE?
3,000 - See 1 Kings 4:32-34

HOW MANY SONGS DID SOLOMON WRITE?
1,005 - See 1 Kings 4:32-34

WHAT WAS SOLOMON MOST NOTED FOR>
His wisdom - See 1 Kings 4:32-34)
HOW DID SOLOMON COME TO BE SO WISE?
His wisdom was given him by God, in answer to Solomon's prayer. (See 1 Kings 3:5-13).

WHEN DID SOLOMON LIVE?
His reign as Israel's king was from 970 B.C. to 930 B.C.

WHO WAS SOLOMON'S MOTHER AND FATHER?
David and Bathsheba.

WHAT DOES THE NAME "SOLOMON" MEAN?
Peace, Quietness.

Unlike his father, David, Solomon's reign as king was very quite. David spend a good portion of his 40-year reign in battles with his neighbors. Solomon's reign was absent of wars and military skirmishes.
THE OLD TESTAMENT IS DIVIDED INTO FOUR GROUPS OF BOOKS. WHAT GROUP IS PROVERBS A PART OF?
Proverbs fits into the section of the Old Testament knows as "Books of Poetry.". This section of the Bible includes: Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon. Another name that is often given to these books is "Wisdom Literature." Solomon wrote three of these five books.
WHAT IS A PROVERB?
A proverb may be generally defined as a terse expression of some generally accepted truth couched in a form that makes it easy to remember. And because they are easy to remember, they become a part of the ordinary conversation of the people. Proverbs condenses many words into a short pithy adage. Most are short catchy statements that grab our attention.
p>For instance, one could say: "In advance of committing yourself to a course of action, consider your circumstances and your options."
But, in proverb form, we might say, "Look before you leap."

Again, we might say "There are certain corrective measures for minor problems that, when taken early on in a course of action, forestall major problems from arising."
Or, in a proverb, "A stitch in times saves nine."

Proverbs don't state everything about a truth, but they summarize the general point of the truth. In short, the Book of Proverbs tells us how to wise up and live.
Proverbs have been used by people of all nations and cultures since the beginning of time. And they are very much evident today.
"To many cooks spoil the broth" is a very familiar proverbs. Many other cultures have proverbs which carry the same thought.
Iranians: "Two midwives will deliver a baby with a crooked head."
Italians: "With so many roosters crowing, the sun never comes up."
Russians: "With seven nurses, the child goes blind."
Japanese: "Too many boatmen run the boat up to the top of the mountain."

All of these proverbs express the same thought, that too much help causes confusion.
In the not-to-distant past, Ben Franklin used proverbs to get his opinions on life in colonial American across to the settlers. The Reader's Digest has some potential proverbs in a section each month, entitled "Quotable Quotes."
But there is a difference between the Book of Proverbs and proverbs contained in other writings. More than observations about life are to be found in the Book of Proverbs. Many verses present straightforward admonitions, hard-hitting commands on how to get the most out of life and how to avoid troublesome consequences.
HOW ARE PROVERBS FOUND IN THE BIBLE DIFFERENT FROM ORDINARY PROVERBS?
• The Book of Proverbs bears no unscientific statement nor inaccurate observation.
Proverbs 4:23 says: "Out of the heart proceed the issues of life." This statement is true both physically and spiritually. It wasn't until 2,700 years after Solomon that scientists discovered that blood circulates and, thereby, giving life to the entire body.

o The Proverbs of the Bible do not contradict each other.
Man's proverbs are often in opposition to each other.
Here are a few examples: Contrast the proverb, "Look before you leap," with "He who hesitates is lost."
Or compare: "A man gets no more than he pays for," with "The best things in life are free."
Contrast: "Leave well enough along," with "Progress never stands still."
The proverbs of man contradict each other. But, the Book of Proverbs is inspired by God.

o The proverbs in the Bible are on a high moral plane.
Another difference may be seen in the fact that man's proverbs do not have the deep spiritual message that the Book of Proverbs has. The pithy statements in the Book of Proverbs find their origin and conclusion in a relationship with God. Apart from God, they lose their value.
The advice given in the book of Proverbs transcends cultures and dispensations. Whether one lives in Old Testament times or New Testament times, the proverbs in the Bible still can be applied to everyday life. Whether one lives in the old Jerusalem or looking forward to the New Jerusalem, the statements in the Book of Proverbs are still true. Proverbs is a Book for everybody.
The appeal of this down-to-earth book stems from its breadth of subject matter. It discusses everything from training a child to ruling a nation - from eating too much to talking too much, - from how to succeed in life to how to live for God.
The Bible has two main themes running through its pages.
1. It shows the way TO God.
2. It shows how to walk WITH God.

The second is spoken of far more often than the first. Writings with show the way to God, covering the doctrine of salvation and restored fellowship, are found to be the prominent portions of some of the Books in the Bible - like Roman and Galatians.
The Bible also has many passages or entire Books written to show the transformed sinner how to please God, now that they have come to God. Proverbs is one of them. It shows us how to walk with God. But in showing us how to walk with God, the Book of Proverbs shows how that walk affects our relationship with each other.
Whereas a document like the 10-commandments puts the vertical dimension first (our relationship to God.) and then addresses the horizontal dimension second (man's relation to others.) the Book of Proverbs capitalizes upon the practical implications of the horizontal perspective.
How does one go from the spiritual high in worship that we feel on Sunday, and carry it over into everyday living on Monday? Or, better yet, what does it take to bring your worship across to become a vital part of your life down where the rubber meets the road?
What we all need, for this to happen, is the wisdom found in the Book of Proverbs. This book addresses down-home issues, where most of us live. Proverbs is a volume loaded with capsules of truth that face life head-on, providing benefits if heeded, or consequences if ignored.
Warren Wiersbe suggests that when you begin to study a new book of the Bible, a person should first answer five questions.
1. Who wrote the book and how is it written?
2. What is the major theme of the book?
3. What is the key verse that helps "unlock" the message of the book?
4. What does this book say about Jesus Christ?
5. What must I do to get the most out of this book?

We have already addressed who wrote the book - Solomon, mostly. As to how it is written, earlier, we mentioned that the Book of Proverbs, along with Job, Psalms, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon are known as poetic books.
WHAT IS THE MAJOR THEME OF THE BOOK OF PROVERBS?
One word: Wisdom. The words "wise" and "wisdom" are used 125 times in the Book of Proverbs. The aim of the book is to help us acquire and apply God's wisdom to everryday situations.

WHAT IS THE KEY VERSE THAT HELPS UNLOCK THE BOOK'S MESSAGE?
Every book in the Bible has a key verse, or maybe several verses that summarize what is found in that book.

For the Book of Revelation, it is Revelation 1:19 NKJV
19 Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this.

The book of Revelation can be divided into the three time slots mentioned here.
Chapter 1 represents what John had seen.
Chapters 2 & 3 speak to the things that are.
Chapters 4 through 22 details the things which will take place after this.

In the Book of Hebrews, it is Hebrews 1:1-2 (NIV)
1 In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways,
2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.

The discourse throughout the book of Hebrews is a series of presentations of contrasts, between the Old and the New. It is a contrast between revelation, as it came through the prophets concerning the Messiah, and Christ Himself, the Messiah.
For the Book of Proverbs, the key verse is Proverbs 1:7. It goes along with the Key Subject - Wisdom.
Proverbs 1:7 (NIV)
7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

I think we can add one more corollary verse that expands the thought of the verse just read.
Proverbs 9:10 (NIV)
10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

WHAT DOES THIS BOOK HAVE TO SAY ABOUT JESUS CHRIST?
Actually, this book has a lot to say about Jesus Christ, and I will say more about that in a later lesson. For now, let me give you a couple of key Scriptures with regard to Jesus.
Colossians 2:3 tells us that in Jesus Christ "are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."
1 Corinthians 1:24, 30 says that "He (Christ) is our wisdom."
Matthew 12:42 (NIV)
42 The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon's wisdom, and now one greater than Solomon is here.
Christ is greater than Solomon, both in wisdom and wealth.

WHAT MUST WE DO TO GET THE MOST OUT OF THIS BOOK?
Again, I will say more about this question as we progress through this Book. But I will pass along a couple of things now that will help .
1. Solomon often uses the phrase, "my son."
This suggests that Proverbs contains truths that loving godly parents would pass long to their children. Take note of these, and have a willingness to obey what they teach.

2. At least a dozen times in Proverbs you find the imperatives "hear" and "hearken."
We need to hear what is said, not just with our ears, but with our heart.

The most commonly employed style of expression in the Proverbs is the "couplet." Let me remind you of the Hebrew word that is translated "proverbs." It is the Hebrew word "MASHAL" and means "To be like" or "to be compared to."
There are three different ways in which these couplets are used in the book of Proverbs.
o Contrastive Couplets
o Comparative Couplets
o Completive Couplets.

These proverbs are usually expressed in two lines, with the second used as a contrast to, or similar to, or complete the thought. Let's look as some examples of each.
The Contrastive Couplet
The key linking term between the two lines of these proverbs is the word BUT. One line is set in contrast to the other line.

Proverbs 13:1
A wise son accepts his father's discipline,
BUT a scoffer does not listen to rebuke.

Proverbs 15:1
A soft answer turneth away wrath,
BUT grievous words stir up anger.

Proverbs 13:24
He who spares his rod hates his son,
BUT he who loves him disciplines him diligently.

Contrasting couplets clarify the significance of key words.
o Wisdom vs. foolishness
o Righteousness vs. wickedness
o Good vs. evil
o Life vs. death
o Prosperity vs. poverty
o Honor vs. dishonor
o Permanence vs. transition
o Truth vs. falsehood
o Work vs. laziness
o Friendship vs. enemies
o Prudence vs. imprudence
o Faithfulness vs. adultery
o Peace vs. violence
o Good will vs. wrath and anger
o God vs. man.

The Comparative Couplet
In the comparative couplet, the one statement serves as a comparison of the other. In such cases, the keys words to look for are:
o "Better…….than"
o "As…….so"
o "Like…….so"

Proverbs 15:16 says,
BETTER is a little with the fear of the Lord,
THAN great treasure and turmoil with it.

Proverbs 11:22
AS a ring of gold in a swine's snout,
SO is a beautiful woman who lacks discretion.

Proverbs 25:25
LIKE cold water to a weary soul,
SO is good news from a distant land.

The Completive Couplet
This kind of couplet finds the second statement completing or complementing the first. The key linking terms in these area the words "AND" or "SO."
Proverbs 1:8
Hear my son, your father's instruction,
AND do not forsake your mother's teaching

Proverbs 14:13
Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise,
AND apply your mind to my knowledge.

Proverbs 16:3
Commit your works to the Lord,
AND your plans will be established.

Let me share a few proverbs which show us the humor of God.
Proverbs 15:17 (LB) (Comparative)
It is better to eat soup with someone you love,
Than steak with someone you hate.

Proverbs 19:13 (LB) (Completive)
A rebellious son is a calamity to his father,
And a nagging wife annoys like constant dripping.

The next one is very similar in its message.
Proverbs 27:15-16 (LB) (Completive)
A constant dripping on a rainy day and a cranky woman are much alike. You can no more stop her complaints than you can stop the wind or hold onto anything with oil slick hands.

Proverbs 10:19 (NAS) (Comparative)
When there are many words, transgressions is unavoidable.
But he who restrains his lips is wise.

The Living Bible puts this verse this way:
Don't talk so much. You keep putting your foot in your mouth.
Be sensible and turn off the flow.

Proverbs 17:27-28 (LB) (Completive)
The man of few words and settled mind is wise; Therefore even a fool is thought to be wise when he is silent. It pays him to keep his mouth shut.

Although I haven't taken the time to prove it, I believe there is a proverb that describes every character in the Bible. Likewise, there is probably a proverb in the Bible book that will fit all your friends and acquaintances.
2 Tim 3:16-17 NKJV
16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

All Scripture is inspired by God. That includes the Book of Proverbs. It is only natural to assume, then, that it provides us with sound advice concerning daily living. And indeed it does.
The purpose of this series on the Book of Proverbs is:
1. To show Proverbs as a source of great wisdom.
2. To encourage each other to utilize this source in our effort to walk wisely.

Questions, comments & suggestions to John Hoole