The Zone Gathering

 Overview

When the Lord told Solomon “Ask what you wish Me to give you” (2 Kings 3:5), Solomon responded by asking for “an understanding heart to judge Thy people to discern between good and evil” (2 Kings 3:9).  The Lord answered Solomon, giving him “great wisdom and very great discernment and breadth of mind, like the sand that is on the seashore” (2 King 4:29).  Part of Solomon’s wisdom has been preserved — he wrote over 3,000 proverbs, several of which have been included in the Bible.

A proverb is usually a short saying or maxim which gives insight on life and human behavior.  The book of Proverbs, which is “wisdom literature,” is a compilation of true sayings that give wisdom and instruction.  Biblical scholars warn, however, that these sayings cannot be interpreted as prophecies nor be held as absolute doctrines.  They are not literal promises.  For example, while it is generally true that those who keep God’s commandments will enjoy “length of days and years of life” (Prov. 3:1-2), there is no ironclad guarantee.  The point is that it is important to keep God’s laws, no matter how long or short our earthly lives may be.

The theme of Proverbs, which is thought to have been written some time between 971 and 686 B.C., is obvious: wisdom and instruction (1:2-6).  And where does it start?  According to Proverbs 1:7, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.“  The Proverbs present a practical righteousness before God in every area of life.

Solomon wrote many of the proverbs included in the book (10:1-22:16 and chapters 25-29), but other writers contributed as well: “the wise” (22:17), Agur (30:1), and King Lemuel (31:1).  Many scholars believe that Solomon wrote the basic core of Proverbs but added some writings from other sources, giving credit to others when due.

Proverbs are inspired by God and should be savored and contemplated for all the wisdom they impart.  Unlike previous Bible Drills where we have examined the story or topical themes verse-by-verse, we won’t examine specific verses today.  Instead, let’s take a look at the overall structure of the book and encourage one another with our favorite proverbs.

Structure

Proverbs 1:1-7 provides an overview of the book, stating the author, theme and purpose.  Following the introduction, there is a series of exhortations each beginning with “my son” or “my sons.”  These messages introduce the concept of wisdom in the format of a father’s efforts to persuade his son(s) to pursue wisdom and thereby achieve godly success in life.  Wisdom rejects invitations to crime and foolishness, rewards those who seek it, and provides freedom and safety (ch. 1-4).  Wisdom shields one from sensuality and its consequences, from foolishness and laziness, and from adultery (ch. 5-7).  Wisdom is preferable to folly because of its divine origin and inherent benefits (ch. 8-9).

The bulk of Solomon’s proverbs begin with chapter 10 and continue through 22:16, with minimal amount of topical arrangement.  While there are small clusters of themes throughout, most of the proverbs are presented as single one-verse maxims.  Generally, chapters 10-15 contrast right and wrong in practice, and all but 19 use antithetic parallelism (i.e., parallels of paired opposite principles).  For example: “Wise men store up knowledge,/but the mouth of a fool invites ruin” (10:14). 

Chapters 16 through 22:16 provide self-evident moral truths.  All but 18 of these proverbs employ synonymous parallelism (i.e., parallels of paired identical or similar principles).  For example, “A wise man’s heart guides his mouth,/and his lips promote instruction” (16:23).

Proverbs attributed to other wise men are offered in chapters 22:17-24:34.  Proverbs 25:1-29:27 represent the second collection of Solomon’s proverbs and are thought to have been added to the book more than 200 years after his death.  These proverbs were copied and arranged by the “men of Hezekiah” (25:1) and further develop the themes contained in the first collection (Proverbs 10:1-22:16).

The last two chapters of Proverbs are a compilation of sayings by two other sages, Agur and Lemuel.  Agur’s words (30:1-32) are presented in clusters of numerical proverbs, so-called because of the references to numbers (e.g., “two things I asked of Thee,” “There are three things which are too wonderful for me,/four which I do not understand”).  Chapter 31, written by King Lemuel, outlines wisdom for leaders (31:1-9) and paints a beautiful picture of a “virtuous” or “excellent” wife (31:10-31).  The “excellent wife” passage includes an acrostic of 22 verses, each beginning with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet in consecutive order.

Challenge

The book of Proverbs contains 31 chapters chock-full of wisdom and instruction for daily living and godly righteousness.  Its length easily lends itself to reading a chapter a day.  Maybe a “proverb a day keeps the devil away” — or something like that.  At any rate, I hope that you take time to read through Proverbs and discover all of the nuggets of wisdom contained therein.  You won’t be disappointed.

What is your favorite proverb?  Please post a comment and encourage one another!

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