Proverbs Chapters 1 – 2

Proverbs 1:1-2 ~ The Preface

The meaning and purpose of a Proverb; the meaning of knowledge & wisdom in the Old and New Testaments; what it means to know discipline.

 A proverb is supposed to cause us to know wisdom and discipline. The literal translation of instruction is the word discipline.  It is the Hebrew word mûsār. That is different than just listening to instruction; it is being instructed through discipline. The Greek Septuagint translation for this word is paideia, which is the word for child training. So, as a parent would discipline their child, a proverb is supposed to discipline people’s lives. You see the word discipline all through here and it might drive you crazy. I have known many people over the years who've complained to me that they are not disciplined people.  Well, life is going to get a little messy unless you are disciplined in some way.

Proverbs 1:3-7 ~ The Preface (continued)

That is what discipline does. It tells us to be straight up. No deception, sincere, honest, straight up. The Proverbs discipline us to act sensibly. Remember, the book of Proverbs covers all circumstances of life, shows us how God sees all these different circumstances. And it disciplines us to be sensible: to sense how God sees it; to line up with what is right with God; to make the decision that is right with God; and not try to maneuver and use deception. Just be straight up. You are either going to do it or you are going to disobey. Do you see the progression there? Being sensible. Sensing what God wants. Lining up with what God wants. Making the decision to do what God wants. And doing it straightforward without manipulations, or deceptions, or craftiness.

Proverbs 1:8-19 ~ The Instruction Concerning Peer Pressure

"How do you approach people?" they were asking.  I said, you know, I do not approach people by their race, or their gender, or their lifestyle.  I approach people for who they are—they are an influence.  Every person is going to influence my life in some way, is it going to be for the better or for the worse?  See, this all fits with what he is talking about, who you become in the inner person.  He is saying make a distinction.  I cherish my relationship with the Lord so much, and I understand me as a human being.  I am so influenced by certain kinds of people.  And those influences either help my relationship with the Lord or they hinder my relationship with the Lord.  And so, we have to make a distinction: not about race, not about gender, not about lifestyle, but influence.  How is that person going to influence my life?

Proverbs 1:20-33 ~ The Invitation by Wisdom

Jesus Christ is not just a prophet, He is God in the flesh. Revealing Himself to us and dying for our sins, so that we can, with Him, walk on that path.  When He saves us, His Spirit comes in and owns us and puts us on that path with Christ. Wisdom is not a psychological thought or principle. Wisdom is the person of Christ. And we read His word, He speaks to us, and whether we are aware of it or not, we have a response. Jesus said, If you are not for Me, you are against Me.

Proverbs Chapter 2 ~ The Instruction Concerning the Protection by Wisdom

Wisdom is relaying the consequences of not listening. There is a main path that God wants to keep us on and wisdom is saying, "Do not wonder off of the path." Do not go out into the jungle. No matter how good it looks, or how much confidence you have in yourself, there are spiritual forces out there looking to do damage to you. So then wisdom says, "You went off the path like I said not to do. Now you are off the path, and you are suffering the consequences for it. And you are calling out to me to come to you to help you. I will not do that."  See, there must be repentance. Repentance means you are going to get back on the path. The Lord’s hand is always out for us to come. But if we make the decision to disobey, we have to make the decision to repent. And it is the Lord who provides that return. It is the Lord who provides that cleansing and that ministry to us once we get back on the path again.