The Proverbs Prov 1:1-6 CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO
The proverbs are written for specific reasons and ought to be read with regularity.
They are to:
Know wisdom and instruction – Wisdom is the view God has on anything [we have the mind of Christ, 1 Cor 2:16]. Solomon prayed for wisdom and by it he determined the true mother of a living child by threatening to divide the child. God used wisdom to establish the earth and heavens (Ps 136:5; Prov 3:19) out of things that do not appear (Heb 11:3). Thus the wisdom of God is generally not apparent. For instance, for a man to be rich in the earth he should save and accumulate his wealth. But the Lord says that if he wants to be rich, he should give his wealth away (Prov 11:24-25; 13:7) [that’s not the way it would appear]. The world says that if you want to raise a child right you need to educate him [no child left behind], keep him away from the Bible and withhold any corporal punishment. The Bible says, on the other hand, you need to train him [Prov 22:6 using the words of God] and apply the rod of correction (Prov 22:15), otherwise you end up with a fool [he may be a well educated fool but he’ll be a fool nonetheless]. See, that’s not apparent. But when you dig through the Bible a bit you will know God’s wisdom.
Instruction is how to get a thing done [in this case God’s way]. Instruction is not just the impartation of knowledge but it is the giving of the knowledge in such a way that a man can use it. A lot of people KNOW that Jesus died to save us but instruction gives a man the gospel so that he can get saved and get out of hell. A lot of people will wind up in hell knowing that their sins were paid for and they will wind up there because of a lack of heeding God’s instruction in salvation.
Perceive the words of understanding – there are a lot of words spoken today, most of which are foolishness. But a person instructed in the proverbs will perceive the words of understanding when he hears them. His mind will recognize the words of someone who truly understands his subject and who truly knows the truth.
Receive the instruction of:
- Wisdom
- Justice
- Judgment
- Equity
The trouble today is that people are not governed by these four things and so you see a world in chaos – you must receive the instruction of these things in order to live a life in favor with God and man.
Give subtlety, knowledge and discretion to the simple and the young– young people live on foolishness today – these three things are essential for young people.
Understand proverbs, their interpretation and the words of the wise – the interpretation of a proverb is essential to “getting it” – a good study of the proverbs coupled with prayer and observation will guide a man safely through life.