The Book of Proverbs

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The Book of Proverbs
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of
knowledge,        but fools despise wisdom and
discipline. -Proverbs 17

• Part of the Legacy of King Solomon

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Whats A Proverb?

• A proverb is...
• a brief saying that offers a moral lesson.
• a timeless truth about common experience.
• a practical word of advice for everyday life.
• Can you think of
• some modern proverbs
• from our culture today?

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Proverbs From Other Cultures...

• Proverbs give insight into the values of a
  culture...
• Be slow in choosing a friend,
• but slower in changing him.      Scottish
  Proverb
• The best armor is to keep out of range.
       Italian Proverb
• Don't speak
• unless you can improve on the silence.
       Spanish Proverb
• If you want your dreams to come true, don't
  sleep.       Yiddish Proverb

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Proverbs From Other Cultures...

• Don't think there are no crocodiles
• because the water is calm.   Malayan Proverb
• Examine what is said, not him who speaks.      
  Arab Proverb
• Experience is the comb
• that nature gives us when we are bald.
       Belgian proverb
• The eyes believe themselves
• the ears believe other people.       German
  Proverb

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Proverbs From Other Cultures...

• The hammer shatters glass but forges steel.
       Russian Proverb
• A heart in love with beauty never grows old.
        Turkish Proverb
• He who wants a rose must respect the thorn.
        Persian Proverb
• If you want to be respected,
• you must respect yourself.       Spanish Proverb
  
• A journey of a thousand miles
• begins with a single step.      Chinese Proverb

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The Book of Proverbs

• King Solomon is the main writer of the Book of
  Proverbs. The original title in Hebrew is
  translated The Proverbs of Solomon.
• But it is also likely Solomon collected and
  edited proverbs other than his own. (Look up
  Ecclesiastes 129!)

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Why Read The Book of Proverbs?

• Having knowledge
• is not the same thing
• as having wisdom.
• Agree or disagree?
• Whats the difference?

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Why Read The Book of Proverbs?

• Knowledge the gathering of facts, figures,
  data
• Wisdom the ability to see people, events, and
  situations as God sees them.
• In the Book of Proverbs, Solomon reveals the
  mind of God in all kinds of everyday matters
• Personal Behavior, Business ethics,
• Money Matters, Parenting, Friendship,
• Politics, Revenge, Discipline, Ambition, Sex...

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The Search For Wisdom...

• Wisdom is the main character in the Book of
  Proverbs. Wisdom is often personified as a woman
  but represents a grand, divine wisdom that
  transcends the whole of history, peoples, and
  cultures.
• Solomon repeatedly encourages his readers to
  seek wisdom, get wisdom, and understand wisdom.
  He also tells usand repeats it that the fear of
  the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (17 910).

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Jesus Is The Fulfillment of Gods Wisdom

• Jesus Christ is the fulfillment and embodiment
  of Gods wisdom for the world. In Christ, in
  whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and
  knowledge (Colossians 23), we find the answer
  to our search for wisdom.
• The wisdom that is found only in Jesus in
  contrast to the foolishness of the world which
  encourages us to be wise in our own eyes. The
  Book of Proverbs repeatedly stresses the
  difference between the way of the world and Gods
  way. (Look Proverbs 1412 1625!)

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Characteristics of the Book of Proverbs

• Most proverbs are only two lines long and
  typically contrast opposite things or ideas.
• Proverbs often overstate or oversimplify in
  order to make the intended point. A proverb is
  addressing general experience and NOT every
  possibility or exception.
• Proverbs typically use word pictures or images
  to make their point. The reason for this is the
  belief that visualizing or seeing the truth leads
  to living or practicing the truth.

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Parallelism in the Book of Proverbs

• There are proverbs that contrast (the right way
  from the wrong way). They emphasize the
  importance of choosing correctly to avoid the
  fate of the fool. (Look up Proverbs 3.33 10.4
  12.5!)
• There are proverbs that compare. These proverbs
  make comparisons using similes. A simile is a
  word picture or image that is compared with
  something else using the words like or as
  (Look up Proverbs 10.26 25.25!)
• There are proverbs that complete or clarify the
  point of the first line. (Look up Proverbs 1.8
  18.6!)

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Complete the Handout on Proverbs

• There are THREE sections
• CONTRASTS IMAGES SIMILES
• Complete ALL THREE sections.
• You MAY work in PAIRS.

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HOMEWORK DUE TUESDAY, JUNE 8th

• 1. Finish the handout of the Book of Proverbs
  (if you didn't finish it in class!)
• 2. Completely memorize Proverbs 17.
• 3. Finish the Book of Proverbs assignment.
• Identify and interact with your favorite five
  proverbs.
• Identify and interact with five proverbs that
  confuse you.
• Create five original proverbs.