These opening chapters of Proverbs offer a kind of apologetic; a rationale- why we should all strive for wisdom and continue to learn and increase our understanding.
I’ve probably mentioned before that I work in a library. On more than one occasion I’ve heard a visitor (not one of the regular patrons) say something like, “Wow. I haven’t been in a library in years! I bet I haven’t read a book since high school.”
My silent (and admittedly critical) response is “…and it shows.” 🤨
Most children are curious. They want to know stuff. “Why” is a favorite word of the toddler. Are you still curious? Do you ask “why” or wonder about things? If not, I would encourage you to recover a childlike curiosity. That is the key to unlock knowledge.
There are none so ignorant as those who think they already know.
The opening challenge in Proverbs is that we would constantly be learning and improving our understanding. Gaining wisdom is a life-long pursuit. We best get started.
Here are a few helpful tips for reading this book.
- Personification of Wisdom & Folly
- You’ll see wisdom and foolishness discussed as if they are two women. This is a writing device meant to help us understand two different approaches to life. We aren’t meant to believe that there is some kind of goddess in heaven called Wisdom. I’ve run across that idea before. 🙄
- 3 Types of Poetic Structures – watch for them. The pairings can shed light on ideas.
- Comparative (this thing is like that thing)
- Contrastive (this thing is not like that thing)
- Constructive (here’s this idea, and here’s more to add to it)
- Do’s and Dont’s
- These are meant to teach how a good and wise person lives.
- They aren’t “salvific” (which is a fancy theology term that just means effectual to save). We aren’t saved by works; not even keeping the Proverbs. Now, they can certainly guide one toward righteousness by faith, and the good behaviors promoted in this book would be fitting for the redeemed saint to observe. But they aren’t the plan of redemption.
I believe I’ll keep my posts for this book fairly short. I’ll wrap up with a text that has helped me as I study the whole of scripture.
In speaking of the pursuit of insight and understanding it says,
“If you seek her as silver And search for her as for hidden treasures; Then you will understand the fear of the Lord, And discover the knowledge of God.”
Proverbs 2:4-5 NASB2020
Q: How are you to seek for insight?
A: In the same way one seeks for silver and hidden treasures.
Q: And how does a person find silver or hidden treasure?
A: It involves digging.
Q: And how do you dig?
A: You put a tool into the same spot over and over, removing a little bit of material each time.
Selah.
The treasure isn’t just lying on the surface. We have to dig for it. Digging is not glamorous. It feels suspiciously like hard work. People get weird notions that you go off to a cabin and pray or go into ministry and suddenly you get a “download from heaven” (not a fan of that phrase). The way it really works is that you get out your simple tools – a concordance, Greek & Hebrew dictionaries, a Bible atlas, a pen and paper, and you start digging.
But you won’t find treasure if you dig a bunch of 6-inch holes all over the text. You need to pick a spot and mine it. Deep. Even if you feel like you haven’t found anything, keep digging and examining. And at some point, you’ll strike it rich. The text above said that the result of this treasure hunting is that we would “discover the knowledge of God.” That is worth any amount of time and effort and sacrifice. Oh- cuz yeah. You’ll have to give up other things if you’re gonna have time to mine God’s Word.
I’d like to leave with you a short story about the power of observation. You may know it. It’s called The Student, The Fish, and Agassiz.
To The Reader 