The book of Proverbs
is to be found roughly half way through the Old Testament (just after Psalms
and before Ecclesiastes). King Solomon wrote 3000 proverbs, 1005 songs, and
works on botany and zoology. The 31
chapters are principally written around 900 BC by King Solomon, king of Israel
and son of David and Bathsheba (2 Samuel 12:24). Attributed to King Solomon are the three books of the Bible: Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the
Song of Solomon.
He was the wisest man
that ever lived aside from Jesus Himself. There are at least 100 references to
“wisdom”, “wise men”, or “being wise” in this book. 153 verses make reference
to sin and iniquity, and over 70 references refer to the heart. In 1King
3:4-15, God told Solomon to ask for whatever he desired most earnestly.
Solomon asked for
wisdom so that he might be able to govern his people properly and wisely. That
put him in God’s favor and brought him rewards. The principles contained
within Proverbs make it a handbook of practical living that is valid for all
ages and people everywhere. Are you ready to discover what wisdom this incredible
book has for your life? Here are life lessons from the book of Proverbs.
Proverbs 1:7 (ERV)
- Knowledge begins with fear
and respect for the Lord, but stubborn fools hate
wisdom and refuse to learn. This verse teaches that the
fear of God is foundational to true wisdom; all other types of learning are
worthless unless built upon knowledge of the Lord Himself. Notice there is a
sharp contrast between the wise life and the foolish life.
More than 3,000 years ago, King Solomon realized it isn't
enough to just acknowledge God. We have to respect the Lord for who He is – the
great Creator of all that exists, the wise Architect of this incredible
universe, and the loving Father who is listening to your call out for help –
and waiting to teach you just a little more of the lessons of life.
Proverbs 3:5
(ERV)-Trust the Lord completely, and don’t
depend on your own knowledge. God is God and you are not. Quit pretending you know more
than the Creator of the Universe. This is a familiar passage to many. Verse
five is a complementary pair of commands. We are told, positively to trust the
Lord and negatively, not to trust our own understanding. Those two things are
mutually exclusive. In other words, if we trust in the Lord, we cannot also
depend upon our own ability to understand everything God is doing. Most of us
have a desperate desire to understand, but in so many areas we must acknowledge
that we cannot understand. Our limited understanding will lead us astray.
Proverbs 10:12
(ERV)-Hatred causes arguments, but love
overlooks all wrongs. “Be nice!” your mother used to tell you.
Caring about those around us isn’t always easy. But it’s so much better to live
in harmony than in constant strife. It all starts with “Love one another!”
When Solomon refers to guarding the heart, he really means
the inner core of a person, the thoughts, feelings, desires, will and choices
that make that person who he or she is. The Bible
tells us that our thoughts often dictate who we become. The mind of a person
reflects who they really are, not simply their actions or words. This is why
God examines the heart, not simply the outward appearance and what he or she
appears to be.
Proverbs 11:4
(CEV)-When God is angry, money
won’t help you. Obeying God is the only way to be saved from death. The dying rich man
instructed his butler to hang all of his gold in bags in the attic so when
death came, he could take the money with him on his way to Heaven.
After he died, the butler checked in the attic. Yes, the bags of gold were
still there. “I knew it,” the butler muttered. “Should I have
hung them in the basement?” It’s a silly story, but the truth is wealth is
temporary. However, virtue is eternal.
Proverbs 11:22
(VOICE)-Much like a gold ring in the snout of
a pig, so is a beautiful woman who lacks good judgment. Yes, she may
have a great smile. Sure, he looks like a classic Greek statue. But if
they don’t use the good sense God gives them, they are as useful as jewelry in
a pigpen. The book of Proverbs is a treasure trove of practical wisdom inspired
by our Creator God.
Each proverb is a short statement that uses an every
day, familiar illustration to teach moral, ethical, and
spiritual principles. These principles apply to all people. The real appeal of
this remarkable book is that it contains practical wisdom, understanding and
knowledge that people can understand easily at least on the surface.
Proverbs 12:19 (ERV) - Lies last only a moment, but the truth
lasts forever. Truth endures.
Lies will be eventually exposed
and that’s humiliating. When you tell the truth,
you don’t have to remember what you said. If you lie, you’d better take good
notes so you can keep your bogus story straight. Telling the truth empowers us
to change and grow. Change is not possible without confronting truth, and
truth is power. We should learn to use it and start bringing more integrity in
our lives.
Proverbs 14:31
(ERV)-Whoever takes advantage of the poor
insults their Maker, but whoever is kind to them honors him. Jesus
focused on the poor and marginalized during His earthly ministry. While He was
a king, he embraced the lowly and called the disciples to do the same. There
are countless examples in the Bible of
His commitment to helping those in need, and His desire for us to model the
same love in our lives. Jesus warns us about ignoring those in need.
1
John 3:17 tells us “Suppose
a believer who is rich enough to have all the necessities of life sees a fellow
believer who is poor and does not have even basic needs. What if the rich
believer does not help the poor one? Then it is clear that God’s love is not in
that person’s heart.” We have a calling to help those who
need help most.
Proverbs 15:1
(ERV) - A gentle answer makes
anger disappear, but a rough answer makes it grow. Too
often we react with anger, responding when we’re frustrated and emotionally
charged, when it’s precisely the time to speak softly. Instead of being a
reaction waiting to happen, we should follow the straightforward wisdom of this
Proverb and speak softly. By doing this, we refrain from stirring up anger and
causing more breakdown.
Proverbs 16:9
(ERV) - People can plan what they
want to do, but it is the Lord who guides their steps. This
verse is a great place to start if you want to understand what the book of
Proverbs is all about and what you can really take away from it. Proverbs is
the central book of the “wisdom literature” of the Bible. In addition to Job,
Psalms, Ecclesiastes and the Song of Songs in the Old Testament, Proverbs
teaches us how to avoid the pitfalls of life.
Proverbs 20:7
(ERV)-When people live good, honest lives,
their children are blessed. It’s important that you
start looking at your own values and what you want from the people that you
involve in your life. Ask yourself, am I living out a life of integrity and
self-respect? Am I being authentic in my personal relationships? If you’re
constantly allowing toxic people in your space, the answer to the previous
questions is probably no.
Proverbs 22:1
(ERV)-It is better to be respected than to
be rich. A good name is worth more than silver or gold. What’s
in a name? In centuries past, a person’s name was very important and even today
a person’s name carries a lot of meaning. A good reputation is so valuable. You
can’t buy it. You have to earn it – and protect it with a life of honesty,
generosity and integrity. You can put on perfume or aftershave and you’ll smell
good for a short time, but as good name is lasting. It stays with you wherever
you go and in every setting in life.
Proverbs 22:6
(ERV)-Teach children in a way that fits
their needs, and even when they are old, they will not leave the right path. Spending
time with children is
such an important investment in the future. At first glance this sounds like a
wonderful promise to parents exactly what every God-fearing parent would love
to have as a promise from the Creator of marriage and family. Christian parents
possess an unquenchable hope that their children will remain with the faith in
which they are reared.
If
their child departs for a while, the parents cling to the belief that the child
will return. It
isn’t a guarantee from God to parents that their children will stay in church.
While this verse doesn’t guarantee to parents that children reared faithfully
will keep their
faith as adults, we know that there are numerous benefits to teaching your
child the way and obeying God’s way of life.
Proverbs 25:16
(ERV)- Honey is good, but don’t
eat too much of it, or you will be sick. Wisdom and knowledge like honey are
sweet, desirable, excellent, and nourishing. People should take care to keep within due
bounds and not seek to be too wise or to exercise themselves in things too high
for them and aim at that which is above their capacity. Instead, they should
content themselves with what is within their reach. Don't be greedy. Don’t take
more than you need.
Proverbs 26:4-5
(ERV)-There is no good way to answer fools
when they say something stupid. If you answer them, then you, too, will look
like a fool. If you don’t answer them, they will think they are smart. The book
of Proverbs is statements
of common sense that have been observed and verified by people over the course
of centuries. Ultimately, Proverbs gives us keys to a better life now and
forever. Do you trust what God is telling you?
Proverbs 26:9
(ERV)-A fool trying to say something wise is
like a drunk trying to pick a thorn out of his hand. The bottom
line is
just because you can recite clever phrases doesn’t mean you’re
wise. It’s what you do with wisdom that counts. A wise person fears, reverences
and obeys the Lord; a fool despises God’s instruction and cannot be told what
to do. The wise person is wise because he has started at the starting place;
the fool has no foundation on which to build wisdom.
Proverbs 26:11
(ERV)-Like a dog that returns to its vomit,
a fool does the same foolish things again and again. While
this verse is disgusting, the lesson is that repeating mistakes over and over
makes no sense. We live in a time that tends to shrug its shoulders when
confronted with error. We’ve grown accustomed to being lied to, and many people
seem comfortable with the false notion that the Bible, too, contains errors. The doctrine of biblical inerrancy is
an extremely important one because the truth does matter. The issue reflects on
the character of God and is foundational to our understanding of everything
that the Bible teaches.
Proverbs 27:17
(VOICE) - In the same way that iron
sharpens iron, a person sharpens the character of his friend. We’ve
all seen this in action. Two
people complement each other to that they become far more than they could ever
be by themselves. No two people are exactly alike, which means that no two
friends will have the same way of relating to each other.
Some we can trust to help us with certain tasks that our friends will not
assist us in completing.
Proverbs 27:17 have such a friend in mine. The passage likens
the interaction between two faithful friends who are seeking the improvement of
one another to the sharpening of an iron stone or other iron tool against an
iron sharpener. Just as a man might sharpen the face of his sword against a
sharpening iron in order to make it more suitable for combat so does a faithful
friend equip his friend for success by constructive criticism.
Proverbs 29:18
(ICB)-Where there is no word from God,
people are uncontrolled. But those who obey what they have been taught are
happy. We’ve
all been in that terrible place where nobody knows what they’re doing. All you
can think about is getting out of there because nothing is going to be
accomplished. It is possible that in a quick reading of one translation of the Bible could lead to confusion as to this
verse’s meaning but if you pay attention to the sense of the text and the
meaning of the specific words used, the meaning of the verse is obvious. While
many people this verse is about the importance of vision and leadership, this
verse says nothing of the importance of having a church that is led by vision
or a visionary. Ironically, this verse should underscore the importance of
honoring God’s revelation and warn those who would water it down by intentional
or unintentional misuse.
Proverbs 30:5
(ERV)-You can trust this: Every word that
God speaks is true. God is a safe place for those who go to him. We live in a time
that tends to shrug its shoulders when confronted with error. We’ve grown
accustomed to being lied to, and many people seem comfortable with the false
notion that the Bible, too, contains
errors. The doctrine of biblical inerrancy is an extremely important one
because the truth does matter. The issue reflects on the character of God and
is foundational to our understanding of everything that the Bible teaches.
Proverbs 31:10
(VOICE) - Who can find a truly excellent woman? One who is superior in all that she is and
all that she does? Her worth far exceeds that
of rubies and expensive jewelry.
Without a doubt, God gives women strength. As with everything
God gives us, we then become the stewards of that gift. We also become
responsible to use it right and accountable for how we us it. A strong-willed
woman isn’t afraid to meet the world head-on. She’s undeterred by those who say
something can’t be done.
Her God-given passion produces clear-eyed purpose, deep
compassion and a bold spirit that has the power to change the world.
Ultimately, our goal is to approach scripture reverently and
prayerfully, and when we find something we do not understand, we pray harder,
study more and if the answer still eludes us, humbly acknowledge our own
limitations in the face of the perfect Word of God. The Book of Proverbs will help
you channel this wisdom.
“He who thinks he is leading, and has no one following him is only
taking a walk.” (African Proverb)[i]
[i] Sources used:
·
“21 Life Lessons from the Book of Proverbs” By Lesli White
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