Intro to Proverbs

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Well let’s take our Bibles together and turn to the Book of Proverbs. For the next few months we are going to be working verse by verse through this great book of the OT. And the title of our series is “Fearing Deity & Defying Stupidity.” 

And before we dive into the meat of the book of Proverbs in the coming weeks, I want to take some time today and overview this important book. I want us to spend our time today answering some fundamental, preliminary questions about Proverbs. And the six preliminary questions that I want to answer today are these: 1) Who, 2) What, 3) When, 4) Where, 5) Why, and 6) How. 

Who wrote Proverbs and to whom was it written?

What is a “proverb”? 

When was the book of Proverbs written? 

Where was the book of Proverbs written? 

Why study Proverbs? 

How do we apply the book of Proverbs? 

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Let’s start with this first question: 

1. Who wrote Proverbs and to whom was it written?

Well, there’s an easy and a difficult answer to that question. The easy answer is Solomon. He shows up in the first verse of the book, and the bulk of these ancient statements are attributed to him. And that shouldn’t surprise us, because Solomon, the famed king of wisdom, was said to have written 3,000 proverbs in 1 Kings 4:32. 

But here’s the fuller answer to that question. 

• Authors: Solomon and others inspired by the Holy Spirit (2 Tim 3:16-17; 2 Pet 1:21; Prov 1:1, 10:1, 25:1, 30:1, 31:1)

Proverbs 1:1 says, “The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel.” Proverbs 10:1 says, “The proverbs of Solomon.” Proverbs 25:1 says, “These also are proverbs of Solomon which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied.” So for most of this book, I’m going to say, “Solomon said this” and “Solomon wrote that.”

  But just so you know, there is also a reference to someone named Agur (30:1). And there is also an author named Lemuel (31:1). There are also the mysterious statements about “the sayings of the wise” in Proverbs 22:17-24:12, indicating that some other authors might have been involved in those proverbs. 

Some even believe that another author wrote Proverbs 1-9 as an introduction to Solomon’s proverbs starting in chapter 10. I understand where that view comes from and I’m sympathetic to it. But I am more inclined to view Proverbs 1-9 as a Solomonic composition.

But keep this in mind too. I like to emphasize this every time that we begin a new book of the Bible here at church. We believe in the “dual authorship of Scripture.” And by that we mean that God’s Word was written by human authors who were inspired or “carried along” by the Holy Spirit. 

2 Peter 1:21 states, “no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” Also 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.”

So there is both a human and a divine component to Scripture. Human authors like Solomon and Paul and Matthew and David are co-authors. And God the Spirit is a co-author. 

One of the implications of dual authorship is that the audience of this book is more than just the original readership. The original readers of Solomon’s proverbs were the Israelites of the OT. But since we believe in the dual authorship of Scripture, we believe “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable [to us] for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness…” (2 Tim 3:16).

The Holy Spirit has assured us that these Proverbs were written and preserved in such a way that it would address a broader context including the church here today, 3000 years later. So let’s also address this matter—to whom was Proverbs written?

• Recipients: Both OT and NT saints (2 Tim 3:16-17) 

When I was in Junior High, I had a youth pastor who really challenged us as kids to get into the Bible on a daily basis. It was the first time in my life that a relationship with God became a personal thing for me. I was in Sunday school as a kid. I was in AWANAs when I was younger. My parents read to me from the Bible and taught in my Sunday school. But at 13 years of age, it became clear to me that if my relationship with God was to grow and mature, I would have to cultivate it myself. And my youth pastor helped me make that transition. So I started reading the Bible for myself. And a whole new world of growth and relationship and spiritual nourishment was opened up to me. Do you know what book he steered me to read first? Proverbs.

And what’s interesting is how the book is addressed consistently to “my son?” The repeated refrain is “Listen, my son” (Hebrew: שְׁמַ֣ע בְּ֭נִי). Proverbs 1:8 says, “Listen, my son, your father’s instruction, and forsake not your mother’s teaching” (Hebrew: שְׁמַ֣ע בְּ֭נִי מוּסַ֣ר אָבִ֑יךָ וְאַל־תִּ֝טֹּ֗שׁ תֹּורַ֥ת אִמֶּֽךָ). I used to quote that verse to Alastair all the time. It’s as if the book of Proverbs is tailor-made for young boys and young men.

But that doesn’t mean that only young men benefit from this book. We can all glean from God’s Word, because it is “God-breathed” and profitable for us all. 

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Here’s the second preliminary question for us:

2. What is a “proverb”?

The second question we want to answer this morning is this: “What is a proverb?” A proverb, very simply, is... 

• A short pithy saying expressing a general truth or piece of advice

And proverbs are mostly conveyed through the medium of poetry. And when I say “pithy,” I mean concise, but also memorable. We have examples of proverbs from many cultures. Even in English we have our proverbs. For example, “Haste makes waste.” Or Benjamin Franklin’s “Early to bed, early to rise, makes a person healthy, wealthy, and wise.” We like to rhyme in English, when we use proverbs. Here’s another example, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.” I heard an adaptation of that proverb once that goes like this, “If at first you don't succeed, destroy all evidence that you tried.” There’s a short, pithy, piece of advice for you.

Well the Hebrew Proverbs are similar. They are short pithy sayings that express a general truth or piece of advice. For example: 

Proverbs 25:17 – “Seldom set foot in your neighbor's house--too much of you, and he will hate you.” 

Proverbs 26:1 – “Whoever meddles in a quarrel not his own is like one who takes a passing dog by the ears.” 

Proverbs 27:14 – “If a man loudly blesses his neighbor early in the morning, it will be taken as a curse.” 

Here’s one of my personal favorites: 

Proverbs 30:33 - “For as churning the milk produces butter, and as twisting the nose produces blood, so stirring up anger produces strife.” 

Lord, please protect our church from men and women who stir up strife!

Now the Hebrew word for “proverb” is מָשָׁל. The title of this book in Hebrew is מִ֭שְׁלֵי, which is the plural form of מָשָׁל. And that word is more inclusive than the English word “proverb.” It (מָשָׁל) can mean an adage or a maxim. But it can also be used for a parable or a riddle or an extended metaphor or other types of “wisdom sayings.” 

Jesus, you might remember was the master of wisdom sayings: proverbs, parables, extended metaphors. Jesus was the “true and better” Solomon. More on that later! 

But let me say another thing about a proverb. This is something that trips up a lot of people when they try to interpret this book of the Bible. A proverb communicates a truism not a promise.

• It communicates a truism not a promise

Let me unpack that statement for you a bit. Proverbs 15:1 says, “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a

harsh word stirs up anger.” Can we all agree that that is a true statement? It’s a good piece of advice, right? But let me ask you this, have you ever been involved in a situation where a soft answer didn’t turn away wrath? I have. Does that mean that God’s Word is untrue? No. Because what God communicates to us here in Proverbs is not a promise, it’s a truism. 

Let me give you another example: Proverbs 10:4 says, “Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth.” Is that a true statement? Yes. All things being equal, I agree. But have you ever seen a lazy person become rich? Have you ever seen a diligent person become poor? Yes. That’s the difference between a truism and a promise. This is the nature of what we call wisdom literature.

I was listening to James Dobson talk about this once. And Dobson was saying that one of the most frequent questions he gets is this: “The Bible says in Proverbs 22:6, ‘Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.’ So why has my son or daughter departed from the way that I have trained them up? Why have they abandoned the Lord? Why are they living an ungodly life?” It’s a heartbreaking question. And Dobson (who is not a theologian but a clinical psychologist) responded very tenderly and very pointedly that the book of Proverbs communicates truisms not promises.

Now are there promises in the Bible? Yes! Paul said, “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Rom 10:9). Is that a promise? You better believe it’s a promise! Jesus said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Matt 28:18). Jesus said, “I’ll be with you always to the end of the age” (Matt 28:20). Are those truisms or are those promises? They’re promises. 

But God’s Word in Proverbs is not communicating in the same way. It’s a different genre of Scripture. And so we need to read with a proper understanding of how the author is communicating. 

Now let me just add to that statement one additional point. Proverbs are sometimes situational. Let me give a great example of this. Proverbs 26:4-5 says, “Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you yourself will be just like him. Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes.” Those back to back verses are a perfect example of the nature of a truism. You can’t absolutize either of those statements because they conflict with one another. 

So which is it? Should we answer a fool according to his folly or not? The truth is that it’s both. Wisdom is not a science, it’s an art. It requires discernment. It’s situational in nature. And wisdom is like a toolbox full of tools to use for different situations. If the only tool you have in your toolbox is a hammer, then every problem looks like a nail. That’s not wisdom. Wisdom requires situational discernment. 

Now when we’re dealing with laws and commands and imperatives, there’s nothing situational about that. “Thou shalt not commit adultery” (Exod 20:14 KJV). Is that situational? Absolutely not! That is at all times and in every way a sin. When Paul commands us to “forgive one another, as the Lord has forgiven us” (Eph 4:32) … Is that a situational command? Absolutely not. Unforgiveness is a sin. Adultery is a sin. But when you’re not in the realm of sin, that’s when wisdom is needed to navigate the complexities of life. And the proverbs are helpful for that. 

By the way, that’s the nature of the genre of proverbs or what you might call “idioms” or “maxims.” Even with our English maxims this is true. One person might say, “Too many cooks spoil the broth.” And another person says, “Many hands make light work.” Which is it? Well, it depends on the circumstance. It depends on the situation. Wisdom has to decide where and when to apply the proverb.

And if we could go back to Proverbs 26:4-5 for a second, “answering a fool according to his folly.” Just so you know we as elders have very intentionally at times not answered according to a person’s folly. And there are other times that we have very intentionally answered a person according to their folly. And we’ve spent a lot of time deliberating over which was the proper course of action... which was the wisest course of action. That’s where James 1:5 comes in. “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.”

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Here’s the third preliminary question for us:

3. When was the book of Proverbs written?

Now these next two questions (when and where) are less involved. First of all when was the book of Proverbs written? Well it was composed, at least in part, in the tenth century BC. 

• Composed primarily during Solomon’s kingship (971–931 BC; see Prov 1:1; 10:1;1 Kings 4:29-32)

And Solomon was the perfect person to write the proverbs in this book, because he was a man who was gifted with profound wisdom. In 1 Kings 4:29-31, it says, “And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding beyond measure, and breadth of mind like the sand on the seashore, so that Solomon’s wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the people of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt. For he was wiser than all other men…” 

It was said about Solomon that he “spoke 3,000 proverbs, and his songs were 1,005” (1 Kings 4:32). Solomon’s wisdom was so profound that ancient rulers (like the Queen of Sheba) would come visit him to soak up his wisdom. The Solomonic Kingdom was the golden age of ancient Israel. It was a time of unprecedented peace and prosperity and literary production. That was the era, that was the milieu, in which most of the book of Proverbs was produced. 

But we also need to address another period in Israel’s history, when the kingship experienced a kind of renaissance. And that was during King Hezekiah’s reign approximately 250 years later. This is when the book of Proverbs was copied and compiled. 

• Copied and compiled during Hezekiah’s kingship (715–686 BC; see Prov 25:1)

Towards the end of the book, Proverbs 25:1 says, “These also are proverbs of Solomon which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied.” It’s possible that Solomon’s proverbs were not formally compiled and canonized until Hezekiah’s reign. Maybe even the other authors (Agur and Lemuel) were from Hezekiah’s kingdom, not Solomon’s. It’s impossible to know for sure. But it’s important to recognize from the time of King Hezekiah onward, the Proverbs were viewed as Holy Scripture for the people of Israel and then later the church of Jesus Christ. 

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But we can more confidently assert where the book of Proverbs was written. Here’s the fourth preliminary question for us:

4. Where was the book of Proverbs written?

Clearly, the Sitz im Leben for this writing was ancient Israel. 

• In ancient Israel

One of my favorite passages in the entire Bible is 1 Kings 3 where the Lord appeared to young Solomon. It was said of Solomon that he “loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father” (3:3). And when God appeared to Solomon he said, “Ask what I shall give you (3:5).” Talk about a golden ticket kind of moment for Solomon. Solomon was given carte blanche here to ask for whatever he wanted. And you know what Solomon asked for? Fast cars? Long life? Fame? Love? No. Solomon asked for wisdom. Much of the wisdom that is recorded here originated from that supernatural endowment in 1 Kings 3.

Let me ask you a question, “What would you have asked for if God had given you a blank check like that?” My guess is that most of us wouldn’t ask for wisdom. But I bet if you saw the world from God’s perspective, if you really knew the lasting benefit of wisdom and the fleeting virtue of so many other things that are valued in our world, maybe you would ask for that. Solomon asked God for wisdom 3,000 years ago in ancient Israel, and we have been reaping the benefits of that request ever since. 

Now let me add one additional statement to that question—where was the book of Proverbs written? As any commentary on Proverbs will point out and as many scholars have noted, there are some parallels between the book of Proverbs and other Ancient Near East (ANE) literature.

• There are some parallels with other ANE literature 

Tremper Longman has noted parallels with Sumerian literature, Akkadian literature, Northwest Semitic literature, and especially Egyptian literature. Some of the parallels with Egyptian literature are quite close, using even the same verbiage that Solomon uses.

It’s very possible that Solomon not only composed new proverbs as part of God’s Word, but he also compiled and stylized existing wisdom from the other cultures and gave them a vertical Yahwistic orientation. This just goes to show that all truth is God’s truth. I would cite this as an example of common grace in the ancient world. This is an example of “the image of God” (Gen 1:26-27) being evident even in non-Yahweh-fearing cultures. 

But here’s the thing that’s unique about the Biblical book of Proverbs. Whereas those other cultures might emphasize common-sense and the ideals of shrewdness, discernment, and even wisdom, only the book of Proverbs emphasizes the Fear of the LORD (Yahweh) as the source of wisdom. That’s unique in Proverbs. In other words, we’re not just reading Proverbs to get some good principles on how to handle money or how to have a better marriage. No, the principles in this book and the benefits they espouse are the residual benefits of something more important. Those are the outworkings of the greater thing. And the greater thing is fearing deity. We’re fearing deity and defying stupidity, not just defying stupidity for the sake of defying stupidity. 

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Here’s a fifth preliminary question for us:

5.Why study Proverbs?

So why study Proverbs? Why invest in this book? Why spend valuable time on Sunday mornings throughout our series studying this book? I’ll give you two answers to that question?

• To acquire wisdom (Prov 1:1-6; 9:1-12)

The purpose for the book of Proverbs is actually given in the first six verses of the book. Look with me at Proverbs 1:2-6.

The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:

To know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight,

to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity;

to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth—

Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance,

to understand a proverb and a saying, the words of the wise and their riddles.

I know that wisdom doesn’t sound sexy in this modern day world. But let me tell you… it’s got substance. Even as I read these terms here: “wisdom,” “instruction,” “insight,” “righteousness,” “justice,” “prudence,” “knowledge,” “discretion,” “learning,” and “guidance” … These are things that our world desperately needs right now. These are things that are in such short supply in our world. They are radically dissimilar from what this world is offering. If Satan had his way every person in this world would die young and stupid. And he’s getting his way too often in our world, even in our churches!

So why study Proverbs? Well, we need this stuff. And here’s a second reason:

• To escape the clutches of stupidity (Prov 9:13-18)

Battling stupidity is really a two-front battle. There is both an internal struggle and an external struggle. The internal struggle has to do with suppressing and eradicating the folly that is bound up in all of our hearts. Proverbs 22:15 says, “Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline will drive it far from him.” And if that word stupidity bothers your puritan sensibilities, let me show you that this is a Biblical word and a Biblical concept. “Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid” (12:1). 

The more common word in Proverbs, but not necessarily a nicer word, is the word “fool” (כְּסִיל). And the reality is that we all have a propensity for folly. We all have a stupid sin-nature, that we inherited from Adam and Eve. And as foolishness starts to well up inside of us, we’ve got to battle it and put it down. 

But the external battle is very real as well. Satan is actively working to entrap us and entice us into stupidity. All it takes is a momentary lapse in judgment or a reckless indulgence of the flesh, and we can undo years of wise action. Everybody agreed on that? All it takes is one relapse, one tryst, one angry thoughtless action, one drink too many, and we are in the devil’s grasp. And we can destroy our lives. 

One of the scariest passages in the Bible is Proverbs 9:13-18. Well get there in a few weeks. But let me give you a little taste of Lady Folly:

The woman Folly is loud; she is seductive and knows nothing.

She sits at the door of her house; she takes a seat on the highest places of the town,

calling to those who pass by, who are going straight on their way,

“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!” And to him who lacks sense she says,

“Stolen water is sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”

But he does not know that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.

That is as close to a horror movie as you’re going to find in the Bible. That is like Hotel California— “You can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave.” How do we combat Lady Folly? We acquire wisdom. We stay vigilant. We keep our guns loaded, and we sleep with one eye open. 

Why study Proverbs? To build an arsenal of weapons, to stockpile ammunition, that we can battle stupidity with. Just like Proverbs 1:5 says, “Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance.”

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Finally, here’s the sixth preliminary question for us:

6. How do we apply the book of Proverbs?

I’ll give you three answers to this question. Here’s the first.

• Vertically – The Fear of the Lord is the interpretational key for reading Proverbs (1:7)

We don’t read the book of Proverbs like we read a fortune cookie at the local Chinese restaurant. Everything begins and ends with the Fear of God. The Hebrew word for “fear” is the word יִרְאָה. I read a commentator who said once that the Hebrew concept of “the Fear of the Lord” is something more than reverence, but it’s something less than terror. That’s a pretty accurate perspective on “the Fear of the Lord.” 

And the companion concept to “the Fear of the Lord” is the Hebrew concept of “wisdom.” “The Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (9:10). The Hebrew word for wisdom is חָכְמָה. This is a word and a concept that we will come back to repeatedly throughout our series. And it’s clear from the Bible that חָכְמָה begins with a vertical orientation. Wisdom flows from a vertical tap, from God to us. 

There’s a sense in which even an unbeliever can take and apply these principles into their lives. There’s common grace that is available to the unbeliever in that way. Imagine how much better our world would be if we followed Solomon’s command to “rejoice only in the wife of your youth” (Prov 5:18). If infidelity was eradicated in our world, how much better a world would we have? 

What if everyone was diligent all the time, and laziness was completely eradicated? That would be great! But that’s not the ultimate focus or the primary motivational force in the book of Proverbs. “The Fear of the Lord” is the beginning of wisdom. That’s our ultimate goal. It’s to worship the Lord. It’s to obey the Lord. And I would even say this, “Without that overarching emphasis, I don’t think you’ll be successful applying the book of Proverbs.” The draw to stupidity is too strong in our world.   

So we’ll come back to this interpretational key throughout our series. The Fear of the Lord has to be our focal point and our primary motivation for applying the principles in Proverbs. So we need a vertical orientation. But as wisdom flows vertically, it should also spill out horizontally. We want wisdom which flows from the Lord, so that we can represent him before the world. 

And write this down as well. We want to apply Proverbs…

• Horizontally – Radical dissimilarity is attractive to the watching world (Gal 6:10; Matt 5:16)

In his book, The Pilgrim’s Regress, C. S. Lewis says the path of wisdom leads through a valley: “‘And what is this valley called?’ ‘We call it now simply Wisdom’s Valley; but the oldest maps mark it as the Valley of Humiliation.’” Wisdom is acquired through the valley of humiliation. And it makes us radically different and at the same time attractive to the watching world.

And godly wisdom can be applied into every sector of life. It blesses those closest to us. One of the best things that you can do, moms and dads in this room for your children, is take these principles in Proverbs and apply them liberally into your life. You will bless your children if you do that.

But wisdom also is a testimony to God’s power. Wisdom is about showing off God’s glory to the watching world. It’s about refining us and making us into something desirable and attractive, something dissimilar from what the world offers. 

I’ve read this poem before for you, and I want to do it again as we begin the book of Proverbs. This is a poem called,

 “When God wants to drill a man.”

When God wants to drill a man, And thrill a man, And skill a man

When God wants to mold a man To play the noblest part;

When He yearns with all His heart To create so great and bold a man 

That all the world shall be amazed, Watch His methods, watch His ways! 

How He ruthlessly perfects Whom He royally elects!

How He hammers him and hurts him, And with mighty blows converts him 

Into shapes and forms of clay Which only God can understand; 

While his tortured heart is crying And he lifts beseeching hands! 

How He bends but never breaks When his good He undertakes; 

How He uses whom He chooses And with mighty power infuses him; With every act induces him

To try His splendor out—God knows what He’s about.

In his commentary on Proverbs, Ray Ortlund says this, “Wisdom is the gospel of Christ reshaping us for royalty, as God places us on his anvil and we trust him enough to stay until his work is done.” God is shaping us and beautifying us through wisdom to make us attractive and dissimilar to the watching world. 

But we can’t just apply Proverbs vertically. We can’t just apply it horizontally. We also need to apply it Christologically. We need to read it even Christologically. And here’s what I mean by that. Write this down as well… 

• Christologically – Christ is the ultimate personification of wisdom (1 Cor 1:30; Col 2:3) 

Whenever we approach OT Scripture, we need to interpret and appropriate these truths in light of what Christ has done for us at the cross. I’ve spent a fair amount of time throughout my life thinking about how to do this with the book of Proverbs. Jesus said to the Pharisees, “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life” (John 5:39-40). On the road to Emmaus, after his resurrection, Jesus met with two disciples and “beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself” (Luke 24:27). I would love to have been there on that road, as Jesus explained these things to them. How would Jesus have handled the book of Proverbs? What would he have said about how those Scriptures bear witness to him?

Well, let me suggest two ways for you from the vantage point of the NT. First of all this. 1) Jesus is the true and better Solomon. Jesus said in Luke 11:31, “The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.” Jesus is the true and better Solomon. He’s the true and better wisdom-uttering King of Israel. He uttered unparalleled wisdom and “Fear of the Lord” that made people stop and marvel. But unlike Solomon his wisdom and Fear of the Lord lasted to the very end of his life, a life that he sacrificed vicariously for your sins and mine.

And secondly, 2) Jesus is the embodiment and the personification of wisdom. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 1:30, “Christ Jesus… became to us wisdom from God.” In Colossians 2:3, Paul says that in Christ is “hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” One of the things that I want us to take time to consider throughout our series is how the cross has impacted our assimilation of OT Scripture. Because we need to apply Scripture vertically, horizontally, and Christologically. And we’re going to do that throughout our series, “Fearing Deity & Defying Stupidity.”

I want to close this morning by invoking the promise of James 1:5. “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” Pray with me towards that end.

Taught by Tony Caffey

Senior Pastor of Verse By Verse Fellowship

Proverbs