Proverbs 1:2-3

“Their purpose is to teach people wisdom and discipline, to help them understand the insights of the wise. Their purpose is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives, to help them do what is right, just, and fair.”

As we embark on this trip through the Proverbs of the Old Testament, it’s important to remember that while these sayings are incredibly helpful for everyday living as followers of Christ (or anyone at all, for that matter), they are NOT promises. Given the uncertainty of life and the sinful nature of mankind, these wise sayings provide excellent guidelines rather than ironclad guarantees, and we would all be wise to remember that.

Wisdom. Discipline. Understand. Successful. Right. Just. Fair. From the very beginning, Proverbs urges us on to Christlike living. “Proverb” is the Hebrew word mashal which means comparison, similar, or parallel. In short, a proverb is a figure of speech in which the author uses comparison in order to present a pithy, poignant observation or instruction. A proverb is a timeless truth in the form of a simple illustration that exposes a fundamental reality of life. Proverbs are practical, easy to memorize, and imminently applicable to real life situations.

Apply them and you will experience their blessings. Ignore them and you will experience the natural consequences of a life of folly, ignorance, and foolishness. As we work our way through them in the coming weeks, we will be given wisdom in a wide variety of areas such as: Adultery. Anger. Borrowing. Bribes. Death. Discipline. Drinking/Drunkenness. Enemies. Family Life. Fear. Food. Gossip. Love. Pride. Riches. Sin. Sleep.

We would all do well to listen and obey…learn and apply…humble ourselves and submit to the Wisdom of our Loving Father.