Welcome to Chapter 1 of the Proverbs reading challenge! I’m thankful for your desire to get to know God better through his Word.
As we enter 2020 and a new decade, what a better way to start this time than with some insight from God’s word?
Proverbs 1 is broken into 3 major parts:
- The purpose of Proverbs
- Warning Against Enticement
- Embrace Wisdom/Warning Against Rejecting Wisdom
Let’s see the reason the book was written. And all the great things we can expect from time we spend in Proverbs.
- The purpose of Proverbs
I see some good things in store for us as we dig in (I am reading from the NIV):
- attaining wisdom (vs. 2)
- attaining discipline (vs.2)
- understanding words of insight (vs. 2)
- acquiring a disciplined life (vs. 3)
- acquiring a sensible life (vs. 3)
- to be able to do what is right (vs. 3)
- to be able to do what is just (vs. 3)
- to be able to do what is fair (vs. 3)
- to be able to give moral instruction to those who lack moral sense (vs. 4)
- to able to give knowledge and insight to the young (vs. 4)
I could benefit from all the above, couldn’t you?
Then comes what every commentator says is the key verse of all of Proverbs 1:7-9
In this age of information, knowledge is plentiful, but wisdom is scarce. Wisdom means far more than simply knowing a lot. It is a basic attitude that affects every aspect of life. The foundation of knowledge is to fear the Lord — to honor and respect God, to live in awe of his power, and to obey his Word. Faith in God should be the controlling principle for your understanding of the world, your attitudes, and your actions. Trust in God — he will make you truly wise.
- Warning Against Enticement
(vv. 7-10, 15-19). This is the voice of a godly father, urging his son to listen to his parents instruction and to beware of those who would entice him to do the wrong things.
There will be people who will entice you to cut corners, to cheat, to be dishonest and immoral. They will convince you that you can have something for nothing.
Vs. 15 – DO NOT GO ALONG WITH THEM. Pretty clear isn’t it? DO NOT SET FOOT ON THEIR PATH. Yes sir!
Sin is enticing because it offers a quick route to prosperity and makes us feel like one of the crowd. But when we go along with others and refuse to listen to the truth, our own appetites become our masters, and we’ll do anything to satisfy them. Sin, even when attractive, is deadly. We must learn to make choices, not on the basis of flashy appeal or short-range pleasure, but in view of the long-range effects. Sometimes this means steering clear of people who want to entice us into activities that we know are wrong. We can’t be friendly with sin and expect our lives to remain unaffected.
Notes for 1:19
Going after “ill-gotten gain” is one of Satan’s surest traps. It begins when he plants the suggestion that we can’t live without some possession or more money. Then that desire fans its own fire until it becomes an all-consuming obsession. Ask God for wisdom to recognize any greedy desire before it destroys you. God will help you overcome it.
- Embrace Wisdom/Warning Against Rejecting Wisdom
(vv. 20-33). How does Wisdom speak? In a loud ringing voice that everybody can hear! Through both creation (Rom. 10:18; Ps. 19:1-4) and conscience (Rom. 2:14-16), “what may be known of God is manifest in them [the lost world], for God has shown it to them” (Rom. 1:19, NKJV). The church’s task is to proclaim the Gospel message so everybody can hear, believe, and be saved. Like Wisdom, we must speak the Word in an uncompromising way.
Where does Wisdom speak? In the crowded streets and public places where busy people gather to take care of the business of life. The message of God’s truth is made for the marketplace, not church buildings alone; we must share it “at the head of the noisy streets” (Prov. 1:21, NIV). Wisdom even went to the city gate where the leaders were transacting official business. No matter where people are, they need to hear Wisdom’s call.
To whom does Wisdom speak? To three classes of people :
(Yesterday I wrote that over a hundred of types of people are mentioned in Proverbs and you may be able to identify someone you know with each type. Here are the first 3)
The simple ones, the scorners (scoffers, mockers, NIV), and the fools – the simple are naive people who believe anything but examine nothing. They’re gullible and easily led astray. Scorners think they know everything and laugh at the things that are really important. While the simple one has a blank look on his face, the scorner wears a sneer. Fools are people who are ignorant of truth because they’re dull and stubborn. Their problem isn’t a low IQ or poor education; their problem is a lack of spiritual desire to seek and find God’s wisdom. Fools enjoy their foolishness but don’t know how foolish they are! The outlook of fools is purely materialistic and humanistic. They hate knowledge and have no interest in things eternal. I’ll have more to say about each of these in a later chapter.
What does wisdom say to them? First, she brings an indictment against them (1:22) and asks how long they plan to remain in their dangerous spiritual condition. Wisdom has spoken to them time and time again, but they have refused to listen, and this will make their judgment even more severe. Then Wisdom issues an invitation that they turn from their evil ways and receive her gifts (v. 23). This is a call to repentance and faith. She promises to change their hearts and teach them the wisdom of God from the Word of God.
How do the simple, the scorners, and the fools respond to Wisdom? They refuse to obey her voice; they won’t take hold of her outstretched hand; they laugh at her warnings; and they mock her words. Because they laughed at Wisdom, one day Wisdom will also laugh at them. Because they mocked her, she will mock them. Wisdom sees a storm of judgment coming that will bring distress and anguish to all who reject God’s invitation.
Until tomorrow, Darrell
Sources:
Bible Exposition Commentary – Old Testament
Vernon McGee’s Thru The Bible
Life Application Bible Notes
Tyndale Concise Bible Commentary
Upwards Church 