“The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel; To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding; To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity; To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.”
Solomon was a man, a son (of David; the man after God’s own heart), and a king; he was the greatest man in all of history, except one. Solomon had wealth, honor, and wisdom, given to him by the owner of all things, receiver of all honor, and author of wisdom—God Almighty (I Kings 3:5–15). God was a man (Jesus Christ), a son (the son of God), and a king (the High King of Heaven); He is the greatest in all of history. It is on this foundation that the book of Proverbs is placed to elevate, magnify, and give credence to the 31 chapters that follow.
From this book, we are to learn wisdom, instruction, understanding, justice, judgment, equity, subtilty, knowledge and discretion—qualities not a few! The fool is displayed in all his foolishness, the drunkard in his stupidity, the sinner in wickedness. Lofty or low, themes from the book of Proverbs are written to affect multiple aspects of life.
Why should I read such an eye-opening, conscience-pricking, fault-revealing book? The obvious answer would be because it will ultimately help me in my Christian walk. Even a non-Christian who follows the principles from the book of Proverbs can attain a degree of material success. But to look more deeply, I believe that for a Christian, the study of Proverbs leads to a fuller, more complete, more accurate view and understanding of God. If Solomon was the wisest man because God gave him wisdom, a study of Solomon’s writings would reveal the character of God. A violin maker who learns his art from a master like Stradivarius is likely to produce a beautiful, high-quality instrument. When he sells it, he can say, “Stradivarius taught me how to make this; it’s pretty good.” The one who purchases the instrument takes it home and realizes that it has a beautiful sound and has been expertly crafted. He has been indirectly made aware that Stradivarius is a master violin craftsman. So, my goal is to see the Craftsman behind the wisdom of Solomon and learn more fully who He is and what He desires of me.
Rosemary Scheiman
10/22/2006
Proverbs 1:1–4
“The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel; To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding; To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity; To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.”
Solomon was a man, a son (of David; the man after God’s own heart), and a king; he was the greatest man in all of history, except one. Solomon had wealth, honor, and wisdom, given to him by the owner of all things, receiver of all honor, and author of wisdom—God Almighty (I Kings 3:5–15). God was a man (Jesus Christ), a son (the son of God), and a king (the High King of Heaven); He is the greatest in all of history. It is on this foundation that the book of Proverbs is placed to elevate, magnify, and give credence to the 31 chapters that follow.
From this book, we are to learn wisdom, instruction, understanding, justice, judgment, equity, subtilty, knowledge and discretion—qualities not a few! The fool is displayed in all his foolishness, the drunkard in his stupidity, the sinner in wickedness. Lofty or low, themes from the book of Proverbs are written to affect multiple aspects of life.
Why should I read such an eye-opening, conscience-pricking, fault-revealing book? The obvious answer would be because it will ultimately help me in my Christian walk. Even a non-Christian who follows the principles from the book of Proverbs can attain a degree of material success. But to look more deeply, I believe that for a Christian, the study of Proverbs leads to a fuller, more complete, more accurate view and understanding of God. If Solomon was the wisest man because God gave him wisdom, a study of Solomon’s writings would reveal the character of God. A violin maker who learns his art from a master like Stradivarius is likely to produce a beautiful, high-quality instrument. When he sells it, he can say, “Stradivarius taught me how to make this; it’s pretty good.” The one who purchases the instrument takes it home and realizes that it has a beautiful sound and has been expertly crafted. He has been indirectly made aware that Stradivarius is a master violin craftsman. So, my goal is to see the Craftsman behind the wisdom of Solomon and learn more fully who He is and what He desires of me.