Brief Introduction
The Book of Proverbs is by far the most tangible book of the Bibles Wisdom literature. For within it is the very wisdom of God given through King Solomon so as to make all who heed His counsels not only wise in their understanding and perception; so as to be able to avoid the personal pitfalls and destruction and ruin that comes through following sin and folly; but also, the Book of Proverbs has within it the potential to make you, yes even you, very discerning of all that is good and evil, of both counsels and people, which you will encounter in your generation, just as the generations before you also have. That said, for some they will not truly appreciate the invaluable treasure that is the Book of Proverbs until they have experienced the truth of the Book of Proverbs for themselves; that is its blessings and its judgments, that guaranteed will come through either heeding or rejecting its eternal councils, whether in ignorance, or in full knowledge of them. With that said wisdom need not be learned by suffering the consequences of one’s bad decisions and wrong choices, for the wisdom that leads to a rich and full and abundant life can be easily attained too by anyone who heeds the councils and the warnings of God given in this glorious book.
Proverbs 1:1–7
1 The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel: 2 To know wisdom and instruction, To perceive the words of understanding, 3 To receive the instruction of wisdom, Justice, judgment, and equity; 4 To give prudence to the simple, To the young man knowledge and discretion— 5 A wise man will hear and increase learning, And a man of understanding will attain wise counsel, 6 To understand a proverb and an enigma, The words of the wise and their riddles. 7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Vs. 1 “The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel”
Now Solomon the son of David, king of Israel, was God’s chosen heir of his father’s throne. David himself new this, was told this was the will of God through God’s prophet, and so from the time of Solomon's very youth his father David always emphasized to him to seek wisdom above all else, for having either military might, or an abundance of riches, is utterly useless, and can be more of detriment than a help, if one does not have the wisdom of God to guide them in how to use them. Wisdom then is the treasure that not only guides and guards’ one’s steps, but it is by wisdom that one has success. Therefore, King Solomon when he began to reign, and knowing his own naivety and inabilities as a young king, sought out God and asked Him for wisdom so as to be able to lead His people. Therefore, God gave him what He gave no other king before him, both wisdom and riches so as to make him a king by whom he could bring forth His life saving councils into this broken world (1 Kings 3:4-15; 4:20-34).
Vs. 2 “To know wisdom and instruction, To perceive the words of understanding,”
Now wisdom is never attained without following God’s instruction, for the two are invariable linked, same with understanding, for one cannot understand God unless one obeys God. These principals are all summed up in verse seven.
Vs. 3 “To receive the instruction of wisdom, Justice, judgment, and equity;”
And so, in this one must have a receiving heart, that is a humble heart that does not defy God, but willing receives His councils of Justice, judgment, and equity. For it is by these that one discerns good and evil, righteousness and wickedness, and thus learns how to live free from the perils of sin, and those who pursue it, how to live and pursue what is good and shun what is evil and only harmful to oneself and others.
Vs. 4 “To give prudence to the simple, To the young man knowledge and discretion—”
Therefore, Solomon in writing these proverbs for us wants to give us prudence; (tact, savvy), so as to know how to conduct ourselves, especially when we are most vulnerable to sin and influential as youths, being drawn this way and that by the moral climate and culture of the day; Godly guidance. Solomon also links knowledge with discretion, for it is through knowledge that ignorance is dispelled, and thus one attains to a sanctified common sense.
Vs. 5 “A wise man will hear and increase learning, And a man of understanding will attain wise counsel,”
A wise man then does not harden his heart or shut his ears to God’s councils, he listens! And so, in listening he increases his learning and thus his capacity to learn more. The antithesis to that is those whom you cannot correct or instruct, for they simply shut you down before you can even begin to reason with them. Therefore, unlike them, a man of understanding will attain wise counsel, and not just any counsel that pleases him, like them, but wise council that will guide him or her in the right way to go.
Vs. 6 “To understand a proverb and an enigma, The words of the wise and their riddles.”
Here Solomon is referring to the “hidden” meanings contained within certain proverbs and the like, where if one only takes them at a glance, they will miss the true application of them. Many of Jesus’ parables require one to see and look into the deeper meaning behind the surface implications of them. And so in the pursuit of Godly wisdom and knowledge there must also be an applied effort put forth by us all who desire to have it.
Vs. 7 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.”
To fear the Lord means to fear Person, His Word, His Judgments, and so His Divine Authority and Power by which He alone can save or destroy, all according to His own Will and Desires. The Fear of the Lord then means when God says something is wrong you shun it out of fear of Him. Like a child who fears the punishment of their parents, so we should not do and pursue those things that we know will bring His wrath and judgment on us (Prov. 16:6). Therefore, to fear the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, for by it one understands not only the Will of the Lord for them, but one also realizes their own accountability to God for all that they do and say. The antithesis then of fearing the Lord, of receiving His Word and His commandments, is those whom the Scripture calls fools, people who not only despise His Wisdom and His instruction for them, but make mockery of it and Him to their own eternal destruction and ruin. Having a teachable spirit then goes hand in hand with fearing the Lord.
Scripture Quotations
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