The Book of Wisdom

Tuesday Devotional: I’m excited because for the rest of 2020 we are going to be studying the book of Proverbs (which may very well spill over into the next year). This is one of my very favorite books that I’ve always wanted to study it in depth; so here we go. It’s packed so full of practical wisdom and straightforward guidance for everyday life. Hopefully after a year of studying this book we will be better equipped to make great decisions, have more wisdom and actually be a bit more wise! Note because there is sooooo much wisdom in this book to apply in our lives, this study may show up on Sundays or other days too! Please check out the Proverbs video overview HERE.

Description and introduction directly from Bible Gateway

Proverbs is an anthology of collections of sayings and instructions. Many of the sayings and perhaps some instructions were composed in the monarchic period (late eleventh to the early sixth centuries). Editing of the whole book was done in the early postexilic period, in the view of most scholars; at that time chaps. 1–9 would have been added as the introduction. Whether the material originated among royal scribes (as 25:1 seems to suggest) imitating common literary genres, or whether it arose among tribal elders inculcating traditional ways, is disputed. The origin of the material, however, need not be imagined in an either/or scenario. Folk wisdom and observations could surely have been elaborated and re-expressed by learned scribes: “What oft was thought but ne’er so well expressed” (Alexander Pope). There can be no doubt, however, that Proverbs is sophisticated literature by talented writers, winning readers with its compelling portrait of wisdom and inviting them to see life afresh, “wisely,” through its wit, originality, and shrewd observation.

The primary purpose of the book is to teach wisdom, not only to the young and inexperienced (1:2–4) but also to the advanced (1:5–6). Wisdom in the ancient Near East was not theoretical knowledge but practical expertise. Jewelers who cut precious stones were wise; kings who made their dominion peaceful and prosperous were wise. One could be wise in daily life, too, in knowing how to live successfully (having a prosperous household and living a long and healthy life) and without trouble in God’s universe. Ultimately wisdom, or “sound guidance” (1:5), aims at the formation of character.

In the ancient Near East, people assumed that wisdom belonged to the gods, who were wise by reason of their divinity; human beings needed to have wisdom granted them by the gods. Creation accounts of neighboring cultures depict creation in two stages. In the first stage, human beings lived an animal-like existence, without clothes, writing, or kingship (proper governance). Over time, the gods came to realize that such a low grade of existence made the human race inadequate as their servants, so they endowed the race with “wisdom,” which consisted of culture (e.g., kingship) and crafts (e.g., knowledge of farming, ability to weave). Such wisdom elevated the race to a “human” level and made them effective servants of the gods. Furthermore, divine wisdom was mediated to human beings through earthly institutions—the king, scribes (who produced wise writings), and heads of families (fathers, sometimes mothers). These traditional mediators appear in Proverbs: the book is credited to King Solomon, and kings are respectfully mentioned as pillars of society (e.g., 16:12–15); writings are a source of wisdom (1:1–7); the father instructing his son is the major paradigm of teaching. Proverbs differs, however, from other wisdom books in concentrating on wisdom itself, treating it as a virtually independent entity and personifying it as an attractive woman. Other books urge readers to perform wise acts, but Proverbs urges them to seek wisdom itself and portrays wisdom as a woman seeking human beings as disciples and companions.

Chapters 1–9 introduce the book, drawing attention to wisdom itself and its inherent value rather than exhorting to particular wise actions. The chapters personify wisdom as a woman and draw an extended analogy between finding a wife, or founding and maintaining a house(hold), and finding wisdom. The collections following chap. 9 consist largely of independent, two-line sayings, yielding their often indirect or paradoxical meaning only to readers willing to ponder them. To reflect on the sayings is perhaps what chaps. 1–9 mean by living with Wisdom and dwelling in her house.

The Book of Proverbs can make an important contribution to Christians and Jews today.

1. First, it places the pursuit of wisdom over the performance of individual wise acts. To seek wisdom above all things is a fundamental option and a way of life.
2. Second, it portrays the quest as filled with obstacles. There are men and women who offer a substitute for the real thing; discernment is required.
3. Third, the book teaches that acquiring wisdom is both a human task and a divine gift. One can make oneself ready to receive by discipline, but one cannot take so divine a gift.
4. Fourth, wisdom is in the world but it is not obvious to people entirely caught up with daily activities.

The instructions and the aphorisms of the book can free the mind to see new things. Christians will see in personified Wisdom aspects of Jesus Christ, who they believe is divine wisdom sent to give human beings true and full life. Yet there is a universal dimension to Proverbs, for in its attention to human experience it creates a link to all people of good will.

The original audience of the instructions and sayings seems to have been male. The father addresses his son, marriage is finding a wife, success often is serving the king or farming effectively. The book itself, however, expands the traditional audience of youths (1:4) to include older, more experienced, people (1:5). It broadens the father-son language by mentioning the mother and incorporates sayings on human experience generally. The father teaching his son becomes a model for anyone teaching a way of life to another person. The canonical process furthered such inclusiveness, for Proverbs was made part of the Bible that addresses all Israel.

The Book of Proverbs has nine sections:

1. Title and Introduction (1:1–7)
2. Instructions of Parents and of Woman Wisdom (1:8–9:18)
3. First Solomonic Collection of Sayings (10:1–22:16)
4. Sayings of the Wise (22:17–24:22)
5. Further Sayings of the Wise (24:23–34)
6. Second Solomonic Collection, Collected Under King Hezekiah (25:1–29:27)
7. Sayings of Agur and Others (30:1–33)
8. Sayings of King Lemuel (31:1–9)
9. Poem on the Woman of Worth (31:10–31)

Part II is judged by many scholars to contain

1. ten instructions 1:8–19; chap. 2; 3:1–12, 21–35; 4:1–9, 10–19, 20–27; chap. 5; 6:20–35; chap. 7)
2. three wisdom poems (1:20–33; chap. 8; 9:1–6 + 11, 13–18), and
3. two interludes (3:13–20; 6:1–19).

DAILY DEVOTIONALS

DAILY DEVOTIONALS are biblical based mini studies to encourage you, help you grow on your journey, and to inspire you to share with others!

• Sunday: Video teachings with a variety of teachers, bishops, and pastors.
• Monday: Hearing from God Each Morning (365 Daily Devotional) Joyce Meyer
• Tuesday: Study of a book in the bible along with scripture readings (Proverbs)
• Wednesday: Jesus Calling; Enjoying Peace in His Presence (365 Daily Devotional) Sarah Young
• Thursday: Becoming A Vessel God Can use; Donna Partow
• Friday: Our Daily Bread; that tiny little monthly booklet that reaches people around the world with the life-changing wisdom of the bible
• Saturday: Created For Excellence; 12 Keys to Godly Success, Kevin Baerg