proverbs

greatly unrefined thoughts on lunch break (i wish i had time to polish them up, but alas here's my ramblings):

my buddy Andrew and I have been reading through the book of proverbs.... one thing I have noticed is that Proverbs calls people what they are. the loud, defiant woman? she's a fool. the man who takes a nap instead of working? he's a sluggard. This comes as a huge shock at first because our culture refuses to call people what they are, choosing rather to excuse them, victimize them, or classify their folly as an alternative lifestyle.


I believe Proverbs calls people what they are so that we know the way they are living is not an option.


When a young man in highschool meets a scantily-clad girl who is loud, defiant, hates her parents, and makes advances, he should say to himself “Proverbs 7:10 says you are a prostitute, I’m looking for a godly wife who is a gift from the Lord, not a whore who leads me to hell, no thank you.”

When a godly woman hears the loud, undisciplined women on Oprah spewing forth advice without knowledge like water from a toilet, she should say to herself “Proverbs 9:13 says those women are fools, I don’t want to be a fool, I want to be wise.”

Some of you will freak out, “that’s not nice! we can’t call people those terrible things!” The Bible does. So maybe we should too.

“My son, keep my words
and store up my commands within you.
Keep my commands and you will live;
guard my teachings as the apple of your eye.
Bind them on your fingers;
write them on the tablet of your heart.
Say to wisdom, "You are my sister,"
and call understanding your kinsman;
they will keep you from the adulteress.”

There is a huge blaring assumption in every Proverb. These Proverbs were written to keep us from becoming fools, sluggards, whores, and to shape us into wise men, diligent workers, good wives. In order to keep your teens from an adulteress, they need to be able to recognize who is an adulteress. In order to stay away from corrupt fools, we need to be able to spot them and call them out. Proverbs was written to children. They were meant to be taught through experience, as life is lived out. Your hanging out with your kids and they ask "why did this girl text me and ask to send filthy pics to me?" Because she's a whore, not a chaste, virtuous woman. "Why are the guys in my class avoiding their homework?" Because they are sluggards and not diligent workers. "Why are the guys at my job talking crap about management?" Because they are fools, not wise, lovers of discipline.

This does not mean that we do not love them. We still love them, pray for them, and preach the gospel to them with faith in the saving work of Jesus Christ to cut through their hardened hearts by the power of the Holy Spirit and grant them repentance of their folly and trust in Jesus Christ, the only Wise God.

I love the practical wisdom of the Proverbs.

Ultimately, we should love proverbs because Jesus is the primary author. All of Solomon’s wisdom came from Jesus Christ, the only Wise God. He declared to the foolish Pharisees that He is the One greater than Solomon. We seek wisdom because we seek Jesus, we love Jesus, we want to be like Jesus. In Christ Jesus are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.