What Does The Book Of Proverbs Say For Today? Part 1

 

What Does The Book of Proverbs Say Today?

A Study by Bob Headrick

 

Introduction

 

While Solomon is the principle writer of the Proverbs chapter 30 is written by Agur, the son of the Queen of Massa and chapter 31 is the wisdom of the Queen mother written by Lemuel, the King of Massa.  It is believed that Solomon selected and edited the first 24 chapters himself from out of the 3000 proverbs he wrote and that chapters 25 thru 29 while his, were copied by the men of King Hezekiah.¹

 

            During the years as I have read Proverbs the LORD has shown me areas and issues that I needed to deal with in my life.  He also has shown me these teachings will help others in their daily life.  The principles of GOD are true for all who practice them, even those who do not have a personal relationship of salvation through the Blood of JESUS. The Book of Proverbs is full of the principles of GOD.  While the proverbs are all natural truths they also are Spiritual truths that we need to apply to our lives.  Rather than going through verse by verse, chapter by chapter, I am doing this study by subject.

 

            Whenever a scripture is referenced you should always go back and read it in context and pray to make sure you understand what the SPIRIT is saying and that it is correctly used by the speaker or author. The scriptures were originally written to a particular group of people in their language for a specific reason. It is important to understand this (context) in applying scripture to ourselves, especially doing word studies. It is necessary to understand the meaning of words in their original language so that we have a complete and proper understanding of how they apply to our lives.

 

I capitalize all proper and possessive pronouns that refer to the True and Living GOD and JESUS CHRIST and HOLY SPIRIT. I do all caps for GOD and LORD when they refer to the True and Living GOD and JESUS CHRIST and HOLY SPIRIT. I do not capitalize the titles or anything about the rebellious kingdom of satan.

 

In the Book of Proverbs some proverbs are short, just a verse, most are a couple of verses and some are several verses long. The proverbs were not originally written divided into chapter and verse, but these divisions do not affect the continuity and thought the verses express. Some Bibles have spaces and titles inserted in the proverbs that may be helpful to some or you can just ignore them as you study. Over the years I’ve made notes and cross references in the margin of my Bibles, these help me in my studies. Sometimes I’ll read the verses in a first person rather than the one they were written in, i.e. Proverbs 2:1-5, “My son, if you receive my words, and treasure my commands within you, so that you incline your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding; yes, if you cry out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding, if you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures; then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of GOD.” As:

“If I receive GOD’s Words, and treasure His Commands within me, then I will incline my ear to wisdom, and apply my heart to understanding; yes, if I cry out for discernment, and lift up my voice for understanding, if I seek her as silver, and search for her as hidden treasures; then I will understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of GOD.”

 

All scripture quotes are from the New King James Version Thomas Nelson Publishers² (some emphasis mine) I have incorporated the notes into the text for added emphasis (NU = these variations from the traditional text generally represent the Alexandrian or Egyptian type of text from the 26^th edition of the Nestle-Aland Greek New Testament (N) and the United Bible Societies’ third edition (U); thus the acronym NU. M = points of variation in the Majority Text from the traditional text. The Majority Text is whatever reading is printed in the published Greek New Testament According to the Majority Text).

 

Purpose

 

Proverbs 1:7 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” This is the theme of all the proverbs, if we are going to live by more than just the principles of GOD’s Word (anyone can do that) then we must have a personal relationship with the Father and that only comes through JESUS CHRIST.  JESUS said in Matthew 10:28, “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.  But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell (Gr. Gehenna).”  JESUS also said that the only way to know the Father is to know JESUS, Matthew 11:27, “All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father.  Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.” JESUS said in John 5:24-26, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My Word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.  Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of GOD; and those who hear will live.  For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself.” Conclusively, “JESUS said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6

 

Solomon explains the reason he wrote the Proverbs in 1:2-6. “To know wisdom and instruction, to perceive (understand or discern) the words of understanding, to receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, judgment, and equity; to give prudence to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion–a wise man will hear and increase learning, and a man of understanding will attain (acquire) wise counsel, to understand a proverb and an enigma, the words of the wise and their riddles.”

 

Many of the proverbs are the natural teaching of a father to his children by Solomon, all of the proverbs are the super natural teachings of GOD the Father to His Children.

 

Why?

 

“The Proverbs of Solomon the son of David, King of Israel:

To know wisdom and instruction, to perceive (understand or discern) the words of understanding, to receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, judgment, and equity; to give prudence to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion– a wise man will head and increase learning, and a man of understanding will attain (acquire) wise counsel, to understand a proverb and an enigma, the words of the wise and their riddles. The fear of The LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. My son, hear the instruction of your father, and do not forsake the law of your mother; for they will be a graceful ornament on your head, and chains about your neck. My son, if you receive my words, and treasure my commands within you, so that you incline your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding; yes, if you cry out for discernment, and lift your voice for understanding, if you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasure; Then you will understand the fear of The LORD, and find the knowledge of GOD. For The LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding; He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield for those who walk uprightly; He guards the paths of justice, and preserves the way of His Saints. Then you will understand righteousness and justice, equity and every good path. When wisdom enters your heart and knowledge is pleasant to your soul, Discretion will preserve you; understanding will keep you, to deliver you from the way of evil, from the man who speaks perverse things, from those who leave the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness; who rejoice in doing evil, and delight in the perversity of the wicked; whose ways are crooked, and who are devious in their paths; to deliver you from the immoral woman, from the seductress who flatters with her words…none who go to her return, nor do they regain (Lit. reach) the paths of life– so you may walk in the way of goodness, and to keep to the paths of righteousness, for the upright will dwell in the land, and the blameless will remain in it; but the wicked will be cut (destroyed) from the earth (land), and the unfaithful will be uprooted from it.” (Proverbs 1:1-9; 2:1-22).

 

1:7 and 2:5 sum up the reason Solomon wrote these proverbs to his son: “The fear of The LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. Then you will understand the fear of The LORD, and find the knowledge of GOD.” To fear The True and Living GOD – JEHOVAH; as JESUS taught, “But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you , fear Him!” Luke 12:5.

 

 

 

Fear of the LORD

 

¹ Fear = Terror, fear, reverence; to fear, reverence; fearing, reverencing.

² Fear = n. alarm; apprehension of danger; awe or reverence for GOD.

v.i. and v.t. to feel fear, be afraid; to be afraid of; have reverential regard for, as to fear GOD.

³ A. Verb “to be afraid, stand in awe, fear.” This verb occurs in Ugaritic and Hebrew (both biblical and post-biblical). The Bible attests it approximately 330 times and in all periods.  Basically, this verb connotes the psychological reaction of “fear” may indicate being afraid of something or someone. Used of a person in an exalted position, connotes “standing in awe.” This is not simple fear, but reverence, whereby an individual recognizes the power and position of the individual revered and renders him proper respect. In this sense, the word may imply submission to a proper ethical relationship to GOD…can be used absolutely (with no direct object), meaning “to be afraid.” One may be “afraid” to do something.

B. Noun “fear” The noun which appears 12 times, is used exclusively of the fear of being before a superior kind of being. Usually it is used to describe the reaction evoked in men by GOD’s mighty works of destruction and sovereignty (Deuteronomy 4:24). Hence, the word represents a very strong “fear” or “terror.” In the singular, this word emphasizes the divine acts themselves…may suggest the reaction of animals to men (Genesis 9:2) and of the nations to conquering Israel (Deuteronomy 11:25) “fear; reverence.” The noun appears 45 times in the Old Testament. It may mean “fear” of men (Deuteronomy 2:25), of things (Isaiah 7:25), of situations (Jonah 1:10), and of GOD (Jonah 1:12); it may also mean “reverence” of GOD (Genesis 20:11).

 

¹ LORD = He (who) is (ADONAI)

² Lord = n. a ruler or governor; a British nobleman.

v.t. to rule; to domineer; often used with it as to lord it over others.

³ LORD = “lord; master; Lord” Cognates of this word appear in Ugaritic and Phoenician. The form Adon appears 334 times, while the form ADONAY (used exclusively as a divine name) appears 439 times.  Basically means “lord” or “master.” It is distinguished from the Hebrew word which signifies “possessor” or “owner”. It basically describes the one who occupies the position of a “master” or “lord” over a slave or servant. In such contexts ADONAY is a formal divine name and should probably be transliterated if the proper emphasis is to be retained. In the form  the word means “Lord” par excellence or “Lord over all,” even as it sometimes does, in Deuteronomy 10:17, where GOD is called the “GOD of Gods, and LORD of lords”; Joshua 3:11, where He is called the “LORD of all the earth”.

 

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord, they would have none of my counsel and despised my every rebuke. Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way, and be filled to the full with their own fancies. My son, if you receive my words, and treasure my commands within you, so that you incline your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding; yes, if you cry out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding, if you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures; then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of GOD. For the Lord gives wisdom;

from His mouth come knowledge and understanding; He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly; He guards the paths of justice, and preserves the way of His saints. Then you will understand righteousness and justice, equity and every good path. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh (Body, Lit. navel), and strength (Lit. drink) to your bones. The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverse mouth I hate. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the HOLY ONE is understanding. For by me your days will be multiplied, and years of life will be added to you. If you are wise, you are wise for yourself, and if you scoff, you will bear it alone. The fear of the Lord prolongs days, but the years of the wicked will be shortened. In the fear of the LORD there is strong confidence, and His children will have a place of refuge. The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to turn one away from the snares of death. Better is a little with the fear of the Lord, than great treasure with trouble. The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom, and before honor is humility. In mercy and truth atonement is provided for iniquity; and by the fear of the Lord one departs from evil. When a man’s ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. The fear of the Lord leads to life, and he who has it will abide in satisfaction; he will not be visited with evil. By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches and honor and life. Do not let your heart envy sinners, but be zealous for the fear of the Lord all the day; for surely there is a hereafter (Future, Lit. latter end), and your hope will not be cut off. My son, fear the Lord and the king; do not associate with those given to change; for their calamity will rise suddenly, and who knows the ruin those two can bring? Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.” (Proverbs 1:7, 29-31; 2:1-9; 3:7-8; 8:13; 9:10-12; 10:27; 14:2, 26-27; 15:16, 33; 16:6-7; 19:23; 22:4; 23:17-18; 24:21-22; 31:30)

 

In the first chapter of the proverbs that Solomon published there is the introduction and reason for his making these public, ending with verse 6, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” This is followed by two proverbs of admonition, first to hear and obey parents and the reward of doing so, second to avoid sinners and the result of not doing so. Then an introduction to the SPIRIT of Wisdom verses 20-21, (remember Solomon did not write out the proverbs divided into chapter and verse). In verses 22-33 the SPIRIT of Wisdom is speaking of Her call to humanity to turn from simplicity, scorning, and foolishness and our refusal to do so and the consequences that result. In verse 29 She gives the reason they will have calamity, “Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the LORD,”. Solomon and the SPIRIT of Wisdom both connect receiving and growing in knowledge with fearing the LORD.

 

This is the most critical subject of this book and our lives, if we do not truly know GOD, who He is, His personality, what He has done, what He is doing, and what He will do we will not be fully obedient to Him and His Kingdom. GOD is our loving Father who forgives us all our sins because of JESUS’ Blood! JESUS is the Son of GOD who caused us to be adopted He has made us joint heirs of His Kingdom. The SPIRIT of GOD (HOLY SPIRIT) lives in us and gives us His Gifts and Fruit. THEY ARE THE ONE TRUE GOD! They are not three Gods. They created everything by Their Word, They sustain everything by Their Word, and Their Righteous judgment will happen to everyone ever born! We must have the proper balance of terror and reverence (both interpreted fear in the scriptures) of GOD who is LORD of Lords.

 

In his proverbs Solomon not only admonishes us to fear the LORD but he also teaches us the results of not fearing Him. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord, they would have none of my counsel and despised my every rebuke. Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way, and be filled to the full with their own fancies. The fear of the Lord prolongs days, but the years of the wicked will be shortened. My son, fear the LORD and the king; do not associate with those given to change; for their calamity will rise suddenly, and who knows the ruin those two can bring?” Proverbs 1:29-31, 10:27 & 24:21-21 While Solomon gave many examples of the results of sin and wickedness he must have learned from his father King David that, “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no GOD.’ They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none who does good.” “An oracle within my heart concerning the transgressions of the wicked: There is no fear of GOD before his eyes.” Psalm 14:1, 36:1 & 53:1, see the chapters on Fools and Wicked.

 

“My son, if you receive my words, and treasure my commands within you, so that you incline your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding; yes, if you cry out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding, if you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures; then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of GOD. For the Lord gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding; He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly; He guards the paths of justice, and preserves the way of His saints. Then you will understand righteousness and justice, equity and every good path.” Proverbs 2:1-9 JESUS told us in Matthew 6 to seek GOD and His Kingdom by humble service, which stores up eternal treasure in Heaven. When we are in His Will doing His Works then everything we need will be provided when we need it, but this only comes by treasuring the things of GOD and His Kingdom above all else. The Bible as GOD’s Divine Word to humanity is all the wisdom, knowledge and understanding we will ever need; under the guidance of His SPIRIT we can absorb, learn, understand and grow in the knowledge of the Glory of GOD.

 

“Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh (body, Lit. navel), and strength (Lit. drink) to your bones. The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverse mouth I hate.” Proverbs 3:7-8 & 8:13 When we are born again we become a new person, “Therefore, if anyone is in CHRIST, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17. We can no longer put up with the ways of the world, but we are not called to hate people, JESUS said, “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,” In Matthew 5:44. We do this by hating the actions and behavior of sinners and backsliders but loving the person. We must tell them of their sin but it is the HOLY SPIRIT who convicts them, if we try to do that it becomes condemnation which is more likely to drive people away. When we are living rightly before GOD then most sinners will not want to be around us and those that do are attracted by our love for them while we hold true to our principles of faith and obedience to GOD.

 

One more important thought on the fear of the LORD, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the HOLY ONE is understanding. For by me your days will be multiplied, and years of life will be added to you.”  “Do not let your heart envy sinners, but be zealous for the fear of the Lord all the day; for surely there is a hereafter (Future, Lit. latter end), and your hope will not be cut off.” Proverbs 9:10-11 &23:17-18 Why am I here and is there an afterlife are the two most important and asked questions and Solomon answers them. We are to know, love and serve GOD all the days of our lives for eternity.

 

In Proverbs there are 18 references to the fear of the LORD, I did not count but there are probably more verses in the Bible that deal with the fear of the LORD than any other subject. I’m going to write two of them, JESUS said in Matthew 10:28, “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell (Gr. Gehenna).” (Also see Luke 12:4-5) Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 12:13-14, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter; Fear GOD and keep His Commandments, for this is man’s all. For GOD will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil.”

 

Take the time to study what the Bible tells us about walking in fear of the Living GOD. Here are a few of the scriptures I found, Genesis 20:11; Exodus 1:17, 21; 14:31; Leviticus 25:17; Deuteronomy 8:6; Joshua 4:24; 1 Samuel 12:24; 2 Samuel 23:3; 2 Kings 17:39; 2 Chronicles 19:7, 9; Nehemiah 5:5, 15; Job 28:28; Psalm 2:11; 5:7; 19:9; 33:8, 18; 36:1; Isaiah 33:5-6; Jeremiah 2:19; Jonah 1:9, 16; Malachi 2:5; Luke 12:4-5 & 13-21; Ephesians 5:20-21; Philippians 2:12-13; 1 Peter 1:17; Revelation 14:6-7; 15:4; 19:5.

 

I also recommend John Bevere’s book ‘The Fear of the LORD’