Proverbs 1:1-7
THE fools and the wise, like wheat and tares, are hard to distinguish at first glance. It’s hard to tell who are wise or foolish based on outward looks and achievements...add to the complication the different standards we use in defining who is a fool and who is wise. The book of Proverbs bridges this discernment gap by providing a credible standard from the point-of-view of ‘the fear of the Lord’. Wisdom is all about the fear of the Lord. Those who desperately depend on God are wise and those who despise God will also despise wisdom and godly instructions.
King Solomon, son of King David, is attributed to be the writer of most proverbs. The first seven verses from Proverbs, chapter one, gives a panoramic view on what to expect in the book of Proverbs. It’s crystal clear that true wisdom comes from the fear of the Lord. The fear of the Lord is not just a logo or a spiritual concept...it is a way of life that is fully dependent on God and because of this, God grants wisdom so we can survive and live above the daily grind. Wisdom and discipline are twins...it grants discernment to the naïve or simple and guidance in life’s most critical crossroads. It gives us eternal perspective on earthly issues and spares the wise from the consequences of foolish choices. The joys of living are increased more than the sorrows of folly because of wisdom. One of the greatest rewards of living wisely is the first-hand experience of a joyful life brought about by godly choices and standing on godly convictions. Surely, walking in wisdom has its own hard realities to face and its own high price to pay, yet the sum total of it all is still of much greater benefit and most glorifying to God when we live in wisdom.
As we go through the first seven verses of Proverbs, chapter one, let’s follow this route...our first stop is to know the purposes of wisdom, then we will take a closer look at the practices of the wise, and finally get acquainted with the principles of wisdom. Hopefully, after this discourse, we will humbly admit our need of wisdom and willingly accept God’s offer to grant it when we are ready to listen to the voice of wisdom. Make no mistake...wisdom is not a life without failure, rather, it offers not only opportunity to deviate from the snares of the fools but it also grants courage to rise up again and move on! So, come along and let’s begin the journey!