Blogging Through Proverbs Part I - 1:1-6

Studying: Romans 1-2, Proverbs 1

Memorizing: Romans 1:1-6

Reading: "900 Days, the Seige of Leningrad"

Entertainment Time: 1 hour

Thoughts: Good

"Blogging" through Scripture is something that I've wanted to do for a while now.  On and off throughout the years I've kept handwritten journals during devotional times.  While I think this is a good discipline, and I definitely like the idea of writing down throughts is a schnazzy leather bound book, I've often had trouble being consistent.  So essentially "blogging" my way through a passage is a way of simply journaling it, but publically with accountability.

So what you're about to read is not a sermon outline or necessarily a deep exegesis.  It's simply personal interaction with the text.

Proverbs holds a special place for me.  It has been a "revival" book of sorts in my life.  I can still remember the night during my college years when, after a very long period of absence from God's Word, the Lord began to revive my heart again, breathing freshness into my almost dead soul.  When I sat on my bed that night I took my Bible and just looked at it.  I asked, prayerfully "where do I begin?"  It had been so long since I had read.  Proverbs came to mind.  So I opened and read.  Taking a pen and a notebook I began to read and write, read and write, for several hours.  My soul was starving, and by the guidance of the Holy Spirit I feasted like a starving man.  I read through Proverbs for several days.  Then I moved on, and it seemed that because of that initial foundation, other parts of Scripture began to open up to me.  I would read other passages and my mind would keep jumping back to things I had learned in Proverbs.

So numerous times I have returned to Proverbs, especially when I am in need of (dare I say this and not sound Charismatic) "fresh wind."  No, I don't believe there's some magical formula "read Proverbs and all will be well" but I do know that every time I read it I learn something new.  The book contains very basic yet very profound things that just strike me.  It's instruction on life.  It's comprised mostly of the words of a father to his son teaching him how he ought to live.  It's "Living 101." 

"The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel; To know wisdom and instruction, to discern the sayings of understanding, To receive instruction in wise behavior, Righteousness, justice and equity; To give prudence to the naive, to the youth knowledge and discretion, A wise man will here and increase in learning, and a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel, To understand a proverb and a figure, The words of the wise and their riddles." - (Proverbs 1:1-6, NASB)

The word "wisdom," accurately summarizes the book.  But what is wisdom?  Wisdom is not necessarily "book smarts."  It is obvious even from experience that one can be "smart" yet not wise.  One may be able to parse the quadratic formula, yet not be wise.  During seminary one of my professors gave probably the simplest and most concise definition for wisdom that I've ever heard.  It's simply "knowing the right thing to do and the right way to do it."  Plain and simple, it's knowing how to live.  Thus, here Solomon endeavors to impart to his son (and us by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit) how to live wisely.

Now what is the right thing to do?  Well, practically speaking, that question can be asked in any number of situations depending on the context.  My car has a flat tire, so what is the right thing to do?  Fix it.  How?  Jack up the car, use the correct tools and replace the tire with a spare.  Suppose I drop a glass on the floor and it breaks, what's the right thing to do?  Clean it up. With a hammer?  Of course not.  I get a broom and dustpan and afterwards vacuum the floor.  That's basic wisdom for everyday life situations.  In these situations even unbelievers may possess "wisdom," so what about a believer.  What does it mean to live wisely before God?

"What is the chief end of man?" asks the Westminster Shorter Catechism.  "Man's chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever," it answers.  There's the answer.  There's the right thing to do. There's the goal of existence.  Whatever glorifies God and thus contributes to my enjoying him forever is the "right thing to do."  So then to be Biblically wise is to first know that goal and also to know how to attain it.  To live wisely before God means to know how to glorify and enjoy him forever.  

Solomon employs a great deal of terminology here, "discern, prudence, discretion, learning, etc."  These are the qualities of a wise man.  A wise man looks at a situation and discerns the best course of action.  He sees an opportunity and pursues it with prudence.  He uses discretion when restraint is called for.  And he is ever seeking to increase in knowledge through study and learning.  A wise man is able to look at life and is able to say "These things glorify God and contribute to me enjoying him forever."  But where does he get that wisdom?  Where does wisdom come from?