PROVERBS---PRACTICAL PRINCIPLES

INTRODUCTION

1.    “The Book of Psalms is a Book for the worship of the believer. The Book of Proverbs is a guide for the walk of the believer. The Book of Psalms is for the church (Temple), while the Book of Proverbs is for the home and for the shop.” ---Cawood

2.    Proverbs emphasizes the external religious life.

A.   How to practice one’s faith and overcome daily temptations

B.   How to get along with other men.

C.   “For the writers of Proverbs religion means good sense, religion means mastery of affairs, religion means strength and manliness and success, religion means a well-furnished intellect employing the best means to accomplish the highest ends.” ---Davison

3.    Definition of a proverb---a short sentence conveying some moral truth or practical lesson in a concise, pointed form.

4.    Proverbs deals with all kinds of problems and characters. Dr. Scroggie delineates many of them for us in graphic form: there is “the prating fool, winking with the eye; the practical joker, as dangerous as a madman casting firebrands about; the tale-bearer, the man who ‘harps upon a matter’, separating friends; the whisperer whose words are like dainty morsels going down into the innermost parts of the belly; the backbiting tongue, drawing gloomy looks all around as surely as the northwind brings rain; the false boaster, compared to winds and clouds without rain;... the liberal man that scattereth and yet increaseth, while others are withholding only to come to want; the speculator holding back his corn amid the curses of the people; the man of wandering life, like a restless bird; the unsocial man that separateth himself, foregoing wisdom for the sake of his own private desire; the cheerfulness that is a continual feast.”

5.    In Proverbs we find our duty to God, our neighbors, the duty of parents and children, and our obligations as citizens.

6.    The peculiarity of this book is that it is largely given over to contrasts: i.e., almost every verse included in chapters 10-15 is divided by the word “but”.

AUTHORSHIP

1.    Several authors: Solomon, Hezekiah, Agur, King Lemuel

2.    About 500 of Solomon’s 3,000 proverbs (I Kings 4:32) are recorded.

3.    Solomon “set in order” the collection of Proverbs. (Eccles. 12:9)

KEY VERSE 9:10

TEACHING OF THE BOOK

1.    Morality is identical with faith in God.

2.    The view of God in Proverbs:

A.   The name of Jehovah is constantly mentioned.

B.   He is acknowledged as the one Supreme Being.

C.   God’s curse is the most terrible of all penalties.

D.   God’s blessing is the highest of all rewards.

3.    Basic Principles:

A.   Righteousness and wisdom are identical; wickedness of any sort is folly.

B.   The foundation of wise living is the fear of the Lord.

C.   Teachableness characterizes those who fear the Lord; self-will marks those who do not fear the Lord.

D.   It is the mark of wisdom or righteousness to be fearless and above board; of folly or wickedness, to be crooked and deceptive.

E.   Eternal as well as temporal rewards await those who follow the path of righteousness.

SUBJECTS DEALT WITH:

 1.    Comparisons between the righteous and the wicked (10:2,5,7)

 2.    Comparisons between the righteous and the wicked in relation to their neighbors (11:1, 26)

 3.    Teaching on social and domestic life (12:4, 10)

 4.    The difference between the godly and the wicked is seen in the use they respectively make of temporal goods. (13:7, 11)

 5.    The relations between the rich and the poor (14:9, 21)

 6.    The state of the heart is that to which God looks. (15:29)

 7.    Trust in God is the only security in life. (16:3, 20)

 8.    Gentleness and long-suffering are recommended. (15:1; 17:14)

 9.    Humility should characterize the believer. (16:18)

10.  Laziness is to be avoided. (19:15; 20:13)

11.  Pleasures and intemperance are warned against. (21:17; 23:31-35)

12.  A good reputation should be sought and retained. (22:1)

13.  Duties of parents:

A.   Godly parents are a blessing to children. (20:7)

B.   They should teach their children piety. (22:6)

C.   They should correct them when they do wrong. (23:13)

14.  Duties of children:

        Should bring gladness to their parents by obedience and clean living (10:1; 23:15)

15.  Duties of women:

A.   To realize their high position and be the crown of their husbands (12:4)

B.   To build up their houses (14:1)

C.   To avoid being contentious (19:13; 25:24)

16.  Please note that the above 15 subjects in no way exhaust the material in Proverbs.

CHRIST IN PROVERBS

1.    Wisdom is the important word in this book. It means more than an excellent attribute. The Wisdom of Proverbs is the incarnate Word of the New Testament.

2.    Wisdom is represented as dwelling with God from all eternity. (8:23-31; cf. Jn. 1:1,2; Heb. 1:2; Col. 2:3)

3.    When you read the book of Proverbs, put CHRIST instead of WISDOM in the verses. (I Cor. 1:30) You will see how the Lord fills the book with His presence.

OUTLINE

  I.    PRAISE OF WISDOM (1-9)

A.   This section is not the usual structure of a proverb.

B.   These chapters and verses can be grouped into paragraphs like prose writing.

C.   In this section Solomon sets the proper path for his “son” to follow.

 II.    PROVERBS FOR LIFE (10-24)

A.   This section is more what we think of when Proverbs is mentioned.

B.   Each verse is a different proverb.

C.   There is, for the most part, no relation between one proverb and the next.

III.   PRINCIPLES OF ORDER (25-29)

A.   The proverbs in this section are grouped in an order.

B.   The subject is discussed by a number of individual proverbs.

IV.   PRAISE OF VIRTUE (30-31)

A.   These last two chapters are ascribed to different people, and they are both proverbs on virtue.

B.    Chapter 30 sets forth virtue in life.

C.   Chapter 31 sets forth virtue in a woman.