Proverbs 1 Commentary — Wisdom Is Calling. What’s Your Answer?
Who Wrote The Book Of Proverbs?
The Proverbs Of Solomon
The book of Proverbs is attributed to King Solomon, according to Jewish tradition. And even though King Solomon may have authored part of the book, several other figures are also credited with having contributions. In particular, Agur, son of Yakeh(see Proverbs 30) and officials of King Hezekiah.
Although, it would seem that King Solomon, known for his wisdom, was a natural fit when it came to attribute a “book of wise sayings.”
King Solomon is also credited as the author of two additional books in the Bible, namely Song of Songs and Ecclesiastes.
The Wisdom Of Proverbs
Proverbs can be summarized as a book containing short, insightful statements of wisdom in order to live an optimal life.
The perspective behind the book of Proverbs is one that sees man as the lead participant in a game. The game of life, to be exact.
And the objective of the game is to strive to live an optimal life in a purposely deceptive world. The book of Proverbs is the cheat code that helps man unravel the confusion of the world.
And arrive at the truth in order to reach the ultimate reward from God.
Proverbs 1 Commentary, Verses 1 – 7
1.The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:
2.For learning wisdom and discipline; For understanding words of discernment;
3.For acquiring the discipline for success, Righteousness, justice, and equity;
4.For endowing the simple with shrewdness, The young with knowledge and foresight.
5.The wise man, hearing them, will gain more wisdom; The discerning man will learn to be adroit;
6.For understanding proverb and epigram, The words of the wise and their riddles.
What Is The Purpose Of The Book Of Proverbs?
The first six verses above of Proverbs chapter 1 answer this question directly.
And the main takeaway is this — if you earnestly receive and imbibe the messages within Proverbs — your ideas and actions in this world will reflect God’s attributes.
Or as verse three says, you would acquire “the discipline for success, righteousness, justice and equity.”
Imaging how different our world would look if a majority of mankind were to acquire “God’s” idea of “righteousness, justice and equity.” As opposed to the subjective, inconsistent and nonsensical “social justice” ideology prevalent today.
Fear Of The Lord Is The Beginning Of Knowledge
It would not be an overstatement to say that every person’s life unfolds according to their understanding of Proverbs chapter 1 verse 7.
7.“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and discipline”
The message is foundational in all our lives, but simple.
We must be aware that not only is there a Creator. But that everything begins to make sense when we have a healthy reverence of the role our Creator plays in our life.
The understanding of this verse shapes the kind of perspective you will have throughout your life. Will you be humble, trust in a “Higher Authority” than yourself and seek guidance? Or will you rely on yourself and made-man figures of authority to be your light in this world.
These are two different mindsets that lead to lifelong and divergent outcomes to a multitude of circumstances in life.
For one, as we’ll learn in many of the verses throughout the book of Proverbs, the concept of justice can only be upheld by the awareness of a transcendent authority.
People who don’t have knowledge of God can easily choose to backslide from societal standards set forth by man. They don’t have the “accountability” factor in the back of their minds provided by the understanding of a God that demands moral behavior.
Of course, I am not saying that people are unable to be good people without God. But think about this — how did you perceive your world when you lived under the scrutiny of your parent’s home?
In my case, my awareness and propensity for “doing the right thing” was heightened by the specter of parental authority.
This is the effect of verse 7 if you truly understand and internalize it.
The point is, “the fear of the Lord” is the foundational understanding one needs to lead an optimal life. Not only does it set God as THE moral standard.
But it also confers the type of humility and selflessness necessary to be vastly grateful and inquisitive about this world and its systems. Which leads to many wise realizations about our life and how to best navigate it.
Proverbs 1 Commentary, Verses 8 – 19
8.My son, heed the discipline of your father, And do not forsake the instruction of your mother;
9.For they are a graceful wreath upon your head, A necklace about your throat.
10.My son, if sinners entice you, do not yield;
11.If they say, “Come with us, Let us set an ambush to shed blood, Let us lie in wait for the innocent
12.Like Sheol, let us swallow them alive; Whole, like those who go down into the Pit.
13.We shall obtain every precious treasure; We shall fill our homes with loot.
14.Throw in your lot with us; We shall all have a common purse.”
15.My son, do not set out with them; Keep your feet from their path.
16.For their feet run to evil; They hurry to shed blood.
17.In the eyes of every winged creature, The outspread net means nothing.
18.But they lie in ambush for their own blood; They lie in wait for their own lives.
19.Such is the fate of all who pursue unjust gain; It takes the life of its possessor.
How Should We Serve God According To Proverbs Chapter 1?
If you look at this chapter closely, you’ll notice that verse 8 sets off an explanation of what success in the service of God should look like.
- You need to seek out good guidance and influences in your life. Then you need to be willing to take “constructive criticism.”
- Starting in verse 10 the idea is put forth that you need to stay away from evil (influences and people).
- You must understand that the struggle to attain wisdom is REAL. And you must take this call to learn wisdom seriously.
Specifically, God calls on you to seek HIS teaching/wisdom. And to avoid the influence of “wisdom” that is alien to God’s values. (Which in our time would mean avoiding the influence of a largely secular society.)
- You must understand that God exacts justice. The Almighty rewards the righteous. And He “punches down” on evil. Thus, our best bet to stay on the right track is to adopt a healthy “fear of the Lord” in our lives.
By understanding and applying these four concepts you actually make the world a better place and and serve your Creator’s Will.
Proverbs 1 Commentary, Verse 20 – 33
20.Wisdom cries aloud in the streets, Raises her voice in the squares.
21.At the head of the busy streets she calls; At the entrance of the gates, in the city, she speaks out:
22.“How long will you simple ones love simplicity, You scoffers be eager to scoff, You dullards hate knowledge?
23.You are indifferent to my rebuke; I will now speak my mind to you, And let you know my thoughts.
24.Since you refused me when I called, And paid no heed when I extended my hand,
25.You spurned all my advice, And would not hear my rebuke,
26.I will laugh at your calamity, And mock when terror comes upon you,
27.When terror comes like a disaster, And calamity arrives like a whirlwind, When trouble and distress come upon you.
28.Then they shall call me but I will not answer; They shall seek me but not find me.
29.Because they hated knowledge, And did not choose fear of the LORD;
30.They refused my advice, And disdained all my rebukes,
31.They shall eat the fruit of their ways, And have their fill of their own counsels.
32.The tranquility of the simple will kill them, And the complacency of dullards will destroy them.
33.But he who listens to me will dwell in safety, Untroubled by the terror of misfortune.”
The Call Of Wisdom…Will You Answer?
These latter verses in Proverbs chapter 1 express the personification of wisdom in order to emphasize its importance. Wisdom is so essential to our lives that it is being brought to life in the form of a woman shouting in the streets.
I firmly believe everyone experiences “the call” described in verse 20 at some point in their life.
The question is, will you answer? Or do you even hear the call?
If you don’t, odds are you are distracted drowning in secular, ungodly stimuli….like I was.
Fortunately, for me, I wasn’t fully submerged yet when I heeded the call.
The point is, your soul longs for a connection to the ONE whose image you were created in. Especially when things such as peace, stability, truth and love(among other things) are lacking in your life.
So “Lady Wisdom” cries out in some form or another. For me, “she” manifested in my deep yearning to leave a life of stress behind. And gain peace and stability.
The rest of my journey into the embrace of “Lady Wisdom” — is a deeply and gratifying history.
Consequences Of Rejecting Wisdom
In addition, another noteworthy aspect of this chapter are the stern warnings. And the dire consequences for not heeding “Lady Wisdom’s” call.
Verse 31 sounds flat-out ominous when it states, “They shall eat the fruit of their ways, And have their fill of their own counsels.”
Basically, mankind is being warned that sooner or later our rejection of wisdom will negatively catch up to us. And once this reality sets in, the outcomes in our lives won’t be too pleasurable.
Specifically, words such as calamity, disaster and misfortune are used in order to accentuate why you should desire knowledge. Ultimately, without Godly wisdom we are left to our own wits to navigate this complex existence. And that will surely be “no bueno” for us in the end.
For my part, I can attest that the more understanding I’ve gained about “God’s ways” over time, the more relief/peace has come into my day-to-day life. And that is the exact promise you find in verse 33 when it says, “But he who listens to me will dwell in safety, untroubled by the terror of misfortune.”
True indeed.
The Message Of Proverbs Chapter 1
You and I and everyone in this world has a decision to make. We can choose to seek God’s wisdom and be optimistic about our prospects in this world.
Or we can be prideful, unaware and ego driven and go at it alone. In which case, the prospects for “misfortune” entering our lives are assured.
In other words, Proverbs chapter 1 puts forth a clear theme of “reward and consequences” in relation to the degree in which you heed God’s wisdom.
The only question is…what will you choose when that inevitable time comes when “Lady Wisdom” calls out in your life?
