Introduction to Proverbs

Chapter 1:1-7

The Proverbs are divinely inspired, they came from God are true and can be of great benefit.

Solomon the son of King David at a young age became the King of Israel, and was the last King of a united Israel.  When God asked Solomon how he desired to rule Israel, he asked for wisdom, and the Lord not only gave him wisdom, but great wealth.  With his great wisdom Solomon should have also asked for discernment, for his fleshly desires created a lust for many things, including foreign women with their false gods.  Yet Solomon was the wisest man born of an earthly father to live on planet earth.

Chapter 1:1-6

The first six verses lay out for us the purpose of Proverbs and yet without applying verse seven, you will not have much success with acquiring wisdom.  With that said, let us look into the first six verses and then verse seven.

“The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel: To know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight, to receive instruction in wise dealing,
in righteousness, justice, and equity; to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth— Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance, to understand a proverb and a saying, the words of the wise and their riddles.”

Even if you are not a follower of Christ, and have never opened a Christian Bible, why would you not want to learn from the Proverbs?  Why would you not want to teach your children these insights?  But if you are not going to be a lover of truth then you will not be willing to do verse seven and will remain a fool.  That is not based on what I stated, for I just quoted what God has stated in His Word.  It is found in Psalm 14:1, “The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”  They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; there is none who does good.”  You will also see it in Psalm 53:1, “The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, doing abominable iniquity; there is none who does good.”

Now I know of none who begin this life of reason with the goal of being a fool, but many attain it.  A fool never searches for truth, but many are seekers of authority, power, knowledge, and wealth.  A fool refuses to acknowledge God’s authority over life on planet earth, and that our days have been numbered correctly.

William Shakespeare had this to say on the subject; “A fool thinks himself to be wise but a wise man knows himself to be a fool.”  I also liked these two quotes and I’m not sure where they came from: “A wise man changes his mind, a fool never will.”  A wise man never knows all, only fools know everything.”

My dad always said the old is forever new, and as I read this quote from a man who lived in the 1600’s I know that to be true.  “Truth is so obscure in these times, and falsehood so established, that, unless we love the truth, we cannot know it.”  (Blaise Pascal)  Jesus said; “I am the truth” 

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice