Today, I am reading and commenting on  Proverbs 1-4.

The purpose of the Book of Proverbs is to help us gain wisdom and understanding.  It gives instruction on prudent behavior and how to do what is good and right.  Here in the introduction it tells us that these writings give prudence to the simple.  Then a little later it tells us that fools despise wisdom and instruction.  Both the word “simple” and the word “fool” have translator notes which tell us something important about them.  The translator note for “simple” says that the word translated there means someone who is gullible.  That is not that significant, since that is how we understand the word.  But, the note also says that it denotes someone who is without moral direction and inclined to evil.  Then the note for “fool” tells us that the word so translated implies someone who is morally deficient.  In our society today, we have a tendency to give the word simple, and to a lesser degree the word fool, the opposite connotation.  Our society thinks that someone who has clear moral direction and is inclined to do good is “simple” and that those who have moral principles are fools.  Once we understand that our society gets the meanings of those words exactly backwards we are on our way to true wisdom.  Doing so starts us well on the way to realizing the truth of the statement that fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.  There is much more in this passage, but I am going to leave you with this quote from the passage:
Trust in the Lord with all your heart
    and lean not on your own understanding;

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on  Proverbs 1-4.

We come now to the Book of Proverbs, which was put together to provide a means for gaining wisdom and receiving instruction in prudent behavior.  The writer makes clear that wisdom teaches us to not let sinful people entice us into violent or other sinful behavior.  Those who seek ill-gotten gain ultimately harm themselves.  But wisdom will save you from the self destructive ways of the wicked and perverse.  Wisdom is not hard to find, it calls to us loudly in the public square.  In fact, the ease with which we hear wisdom and know its truth is why the wicked want to silence some voices in the public square.  Wisdom, if allowed to speak, will drown out all other voices.  Seek insight and understanding and you will find the knowledge of God, you will understand that which is right and just.  Following the straight paths which wisdom shows us will allow us to live in safety without fear of harm.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on  Proverbs 1-4.

One gets the most out of Proverbs by taking note of Proverbs 1:7

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
    but fools^[c] despise wisdom and instruction.

All of it is important, but I think we often miss the important aspect highlighted by the translators’ note designated by that “c”.  That note points out that the word generally translated as “fool” in Proverbs, and much of the rest of the Old Testament indicates a person who is morally deficient.  We today view a fool as one who does things which they have not thought through, that a fool may be well-meaning but misguided.  However, Proverbs implies that foolishness results from trying to get away with the morally reprehensible.  You may imagine that doing something you know is wrong will result in positive outcomes for you, whether that will be pleasure, or wealth, or power, or something else which you think will benefit you, but, while you may get the outcomes you imagined, you will also get negative outcomes much greater than anything positive which comes from doing so.  On the other hand, you may imagine in certain circumstances that doing what you know to be the right thing will have negative consequences you do not wish to face.  Again, you may be correct, but you are passing on blessings of which you are unaware.  The writer of Proverbs tells us that doing the wrong thing will always come with a price higher than you would be willing to pay if you realized in advance you would have to pay it.  While doing the right thing always has a reward for which you would pay much more than whatever price taking that action costs you.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on  Proverbs 1-4.

The words contained in the Book of Proverbs are useful for gaining wisdom and understanding.  They will give insight to those who heed them.  They are words of prudence and discretion for those who have yet to acquire either while adding learning and guidance to those who are already wise.  Then the writer tells us the first building block of wisdom: Fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge (or as other translations put it, understanding).  One does not truly begin to acquire wisdom until one begins to fear God.  But perhaps one of the greatest insights one can get comes from the translators notes on verse 7 in chapter 1: the word translated “fool” here denotes a person who is morally deficient.  Which shows us that foolishness and moral deficiency are interchangeable.  Those who are morally deficient are foolish and those who are foolish are morally deficient.  Or to put it another way, no matter how simple minded or naive someone may be, if they are morally upright they will not be foolish.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Proverbs 1-4.

There is a meme which says, “Wisdom comes from experience, and experience comes from making mistakes.”  There is a lot of truth to that.  However, the Book of Proverbs tells us that there is another, less painful, way to acquire wisdom.  In fact, the Book of Proverbs was written to help us acquire wisdom without making many of the mistakes we might otherwise require to do so.  The book starts by telling us the essence of wisdom and where it comes from.  True wisdom comes from fear of God.  Its essence is twofold.  First, wisdom is disciplined.  Second, wisdom is avoiding evil, in particular avoiding those who do evil.

Further, the Book of Proverbs tells us that wisdom is freely available to all who seek it.  The writer not only says that wisdom is freely available to those who seek it, it calls out to everyone who passes by.  Truly, we have no excuse for doing foolish things, wisdom was right there warning us against them if only we had listened.  Once again there is a twofold method to find wisdom.  Seek knowledge of God and His commands, and choose to do what is right, just, and fair.  Knowledge of God and His commands will show us what actions are right, just, and fair.  And doing what is right, just, and fair is never foolish.