Three Things to Remember When Reading Proverbs

“Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you are going to get.”

Though I have only seen it once, this famous saying from the movie Forest Gump is memorable, and most of us would say it is an accurate assessment of life.  Sometimes pleasant and sometimes distasteful, life serves us plenty of surprises.  We need wisdom to guide us regarding our choices and what to do when life does not turn out as planned. Similarly, the book of Proverbs offers us 31 chapters of succinct statements of practical wisdom regarding a variety of life topics.  

At MVBC, we recently began a sermon series in the book of Proverbs.  Some Proverbs are easy to understand, while others may leave us scratching our heads.  Timothy Keller, pastor and co-founder of The Gospel Coalition, called Proverbs the “hard candy of the Word,” indicating that we must roll them over in our minds, taking time to get to the center and gist of their meaning.

WHAT IS A PROVERB?

A proverb is a wise saying or an adage.  Many of us are familiar with sayings like, “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink,” or “Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.”  These are modern-day proverbs. They may require an explanation, depending on what country, or even what part of the country, you are from.  Here in Downeast Maine, we often have to explain what we mean to non-natives (also known as people “from away”) when we say things like, “You can’t get theyah from heyah” or “I was right out straight.”

Likewise, sometimes we need help understanding the Proverbs in the Bible.  As we dive into the book of Proverbs over the next several months as a church family, here are three helpful things to keep in mind as we study this book of wisdom.

1. Read Proverbs in light of other Scripture. 

Any time we read a portion of Scripture, it is important to keep in mind the big story of the Bible (creation, fall, redemption, restoration – also known as the metanarrative) as well as what we have learned elsewhere in the Word.  As we read through Proverbs, we must stay in context and avoid isolating the individual verses. If we do that, we are in danger of making God’s Word say something He never intended. 

For example, when we read Proverbs 21:17: “Whoever loves pleasure will be a poor man; he who loves wine and oil will not be rich,” we may think that Christians are not supposed to enjoy life or pleasure.  However, in the larger context of Scripture, we can recall that God “richly provides us with everything to enjoy” (1 Timothy 6:17), and eating, drinking, and enjoyment come from the hand of God (Ecclesiastes 2:24-25).  Therefore, we can understand that this proverb is not condemning all forms of enjoyment.  Instead, it points us to the truth that if we make pleasure our god, we will never be content and waste our money on empty pursuits. 

2.  Remember that Proverbs are succinct; they are not comprehensive.

Proverbs are concise statements.  They are not meant to be exhaustive regarding any subject matter.  Instead, they are short principles of guidance, similar to when I told my children, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” I didn’t mean that they should never address a problem or ignore conflict.  My motherly, sage advice was intended to caution their tendency to speak hasty, uncaring words that damage relationships. Likewise, the Proverbs are punchy but not panoptic.

And because proverbs are short, they are easily memorized, which makes them useful for godly living. The Holy Spirit can draw proverbs from our memory to empower us in the moment and guide us to godly conduct. For example, before I say something damaging, these words from Proverbs 12:18 can readily come to mind and stop me from sinning: “Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.”

3. Reach for the true object of wisdom - Jesus.

Sometimes there is a temptation to approach Proverbs as a self-help manual.  However, we should not read Proverbs to gain wisdom for our own personal advantage—to be revered by others or to get the upper hand.  Rather, as we read and endeavor to understand Proverbs, we must remember that knowing Jesus is the ultimate goal.  He is the Source of all wisdom and the object of our life’s pursuit. 

Proverbs 3:6 says, “In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”  I used to read the word “acknowledge” with an incorrect application.   For example, if you are at a party and you see someone across the room, you may wave or nod your head to acknowledge their presence.  But this word is so much more than a “head nod” to the Lord.  The Hebrew word yada is better translated “know.”  In all our ways, we are to know him deeply—know what he would think, what he would say, and what he would do. 

I have been married for nearly 28 years. Because of this, I know what my husband would say or how he would respond to a situation (just don’t ask us to play The Newlywed Game to prove it!) Similarly, the Father is calling us into an intimate relationship with Him, for this is where true wisdom lies.  Colossians 2:2-3 tells us that in Christ “are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” True wisdom is a person, and His name is Jesus.

As we read Proverbs together as a church family, our goal is to prayerfully become wiser Christians, fixing our eyes on the Author of all wisdom.  Life will inevitably serve us some delicious chocolates and some unpleasant ones.  May we commit to helping each other think biblically about whatever comes our way, savoring the wisdom that comes from above. (James 3:17)

If you would like additional help in studying this book of wisdom, here are some recommended resources by Pastor Zach:

• God’s Wisdom for Navigating Life: A Year of Daily Devotions in the Book of Proverbs

  by Timothy and Kathy Keller

• Proverbs: Baker Commentary on the Old Testament by Tremper Longman III

• Proverbs: A Shorter Commentary by Bruce Waltke and Ivan De Silva