Reading Proverbs

 I remember as a child I heard my dad suggest that for months with thirty-one days, one should read a chapter of Proverbs per day. Since I was a child I suppose he thought, “a chapter of Proverbs-a-day will keep foolishness-at-bay”. Subsequently I have heard others suggest this too, often indicating it can be a life changing experience. 

In fact, my best friend in medical school could be considered a “Proverbs-Ecclesiastes” nerd as you can always catch him reading from these two books. There is a lot of wisdom in the practice of daily bible reading and if you are attempting daily readings from the book of Proverbs for a month, as one student to another may I suggest three principles that will help make this very fruitful.

1. Read Proverbs as Wisdom Literature

Wisdom literature is a category of ancient Near Eastern literature that deals with “how the world works”. Old Testament books like Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs belong to this genre— which was very common in many cultures in the time of the Old Testament.

The natural way many Christians read the “pithy” sayings in the Proverbs is as “certain principles”, “spiritual laws” or “divine promises”.

“The Bible says it, I believe it and that settles it.”

For example , 

Proverbs 10:2
Ill-gotten treasures have no lasting value,
    but righteousness delivers from death.

Reading this as spiritual laws mean that ill-gotten wealth ALWAYS have no permanent value and righteousness ALWAYS deliver from death. So if my wealth disappears suddenly due to a global recession or some poor financial decisions then it is because the wealth was ill-gotten anyway. Similarly, for a righteous person who dies suddenly in less than desirable circumstances, their righteousness must be suspect.

However, to read Proverbs as wisdom literature is to realise THAT IS NOT how wisdom literature works. They are not “sure-fire-principles-to-make-life-work”; instead they are reflections on how the world works.

Let me explain. 

Proverbs as wisdom literature is a collection of reflections on several concrete events with general principles drawn for general application. 

So we’ll understand that verse as “generally speaking,  righteousness delivers from death and ill-gotten wealth does not really last”. The point: choose righteousness and don’t go after ill-gotten wealth.

Now in this sense, the wisdom literature of the Bible differs from their contemporaries in that they are “reflections on how the world works under God’s sovereign, providential care” or simply, how God’s world works. 

So we can read Proverbs 10:2 as, “God’s people choose righteousness rather than ill-gotten wealth”.

There are other examples 

Proverbs 22:1
a good name is more desirable than great riches… 

That is generally speaking, and in a world that works the way God wants. I know several places as I am sure you do where great riches are more desirable than a good name, in fact with riches, you get to buy a good name!  Yet the child of God will still affirm (with God) that a good name is to be desired above silver and gold. For the believer, character matters, integrity matters.

Proverbs 22:6
 Train up a child in the way he should go;
even when he is old he will not depart from it.

This is not a mathematical formulae for parenting. Do this and your child will turn out well. Even if read more accurately to the Hebrew, “train up a child according to his bent…” this does not mean if parenting is tailored to every child’s distinct personality and preferences, then they will definitely turn out well, following the Lord, living righteously or walking in wisdom. This is a general principle — as a parent if you raise your child appropriately they are likely to turn up well-raised! So Principle: God wants you to pay attention to how you raise your children!

The implication of this is that biblical wisdom literature helps us recalibrate our value system and gives us the skill to live in this world as if we were living in the world to come. Did you catch that? True wisdom, biblical wisdom is knowing the will of God and doing it, not trying to game the system by identifying “ten laws for success” then start following those laws for the outcomes they promise.

This also explains why there are apparent contradictions in Proverbs— the most popular one is Proverbs 26:4— “do not answer a fool according to his folly…” and then Proverbs 26:5 says the exact opposite — “answer a fool according to his folly…”! 

Well, this is typical of wisdom literature — for example we say “opposites attract” and “birds of a feather flock together”. This reflects the multifaceted nature of life and how for every general principle there will be exceptions that may deserve their own general principles too!

So context matters. 

Now naturally you’ll ask, how then do I differentiate? How do I know what to do? That my friends is the goal of wisdom literature! To think deeply about these issues! And the answer to that is found in contemplation, not alone but in community. And in observation too— seeing how the wise handle seemingly identical matters yet in different ways and taking the time to ask them questions. That is how the skill of wisdom is learnt.

2. Read Proverbs as Poetry.

This is something all of us can do and get better at. In fact poetry is so pervasive in the Old Testament that it’s doubtful you can get anywhere without reading poetry. In fact many of the Prophets (Isaiah to Malachi) delivered their oracles in poetic form. But Proverbs is a collection of poetry from start to finish (except for introductory comments that set out the outline of the book).

Now what is poetry? Poetry is art— which means its goal is to stir up your affections (think emotions, imagination, the very seat of what makes us tic). But all art does that, so what makes poetry distinct? It is literary art— it uses language instead of brush strokes, pastel, water colour,  paint or scrap metal. And this literary form is characterised by (often) terse lines linked by rhyme and rhythm. Poetry also uses figures of speech (similes, metaphors, paradoxes, personification, etc) to clarify, emphasise or convey complex ideas. At other times these are used just for the sake of beauty.

For example,

Roses are red

Violets are blue

Remember my dear friend 

I will take a bullet for you

When we hear this, most of us will not get a gun to test the validity of the claim, instead we intuitively know it means that I will be there for you no matter what it takes. Said another way, we don’t understand this concretely or literarily but figuratively.

Proverbs 10:1
A wise son makes a glad father,
but a foolish son is a sorrow to his mother.

The idea here is that children who walk in wisdom are a source of joy to their parents. Some have wrongfully used this to mean that only mothers should be concerned when children do not turn out well (and “turn out well” in those contexts is often determined socioeconomically).

Proverbs 4:1
Hear, O sons, a father’s instruction,
and be attentive, that you may gain insight

This does not mean only fathers should instruct sons, but it also applies to sons heeding their mothers’ instructions, daughters heeding their fathers’ instructions and their mothers’ too. In fact the idea is that those under legitimate (spiritual) authority should heed those whom God has placed over them.

Proverbs 22:1
Folly is bound up in the heart of a child,
but the rod of discipline drives it far from him.

Proverbs 23:13,14
Do not withhold discipline from a child;
if you strike him with a rod, he will not die.
If you strike him with the rod,
you will save his soul from Sheol.

Taken concretely, every loving parent has to have rods kept at home and they must strike their children with these rods in regular fashion to show they love these children but more importantly, to save their souls from Sheol— the dwelling place of the dead.

However when we remember this is poetry, we understand that the idea here is that parental discipline and instruction safeguards children’s lives. So, “ Rod” is used figuratively there for “discipline”. The technical name for that is “metonymy”, where a word associated with an idea or concept is used to represent that idea (e.g the Crown for the British monarchy, tongue for speech, ear for attention, etc)

As you read Proverbs, remember this and be on the lookout for these figures of speech. And think through how the words speak to the depths of your heart —your imagination, your emotions and your reason too. Take time to think and reflect on what the point of the author is. This is especially easier with poetry since its wisdom is often unobtrusive, though demanding attention and thus it easily bypasses our natural resistance.

3. Read Proverbs As Scripture

“All scripture is God-breathed”, the apostle Paul told Timothy his protégé and he encouraged him to realise the immense value of scripture for teaching, reproof and instruction in righteousness. The book of Proverbs as such is an important resource for this. However to get the best out reading Proverbs, it has to be read in light of the rest of scripture, both the Old and New Testaments, read in light of God’s progressive revelation, where we read our own story— a perfect creation, a damning fall and a gracious redeeming God who works to undo the consequences of our rebellion and will ultimately consummate all things.

Reading Proverbs as Scripture means we will read it as the Word of God to us today, yet rooted in a specific historical, sociological, cultural, and literary context but with a message that transcends such boundaries and is ever applicable for all time. Reading Proverbs as Scripture means we will read it as message about Christ— the greater Solomon who has been made for us wisdom from God. We will approach the text with a holy, reverential attitude expecting God to speak to us as we read and that His Spirit will come to our aid in the faithful interpretation and application of the text.

This begins to happen when we ask of every text five basic questions: 

1. What truths about God does this reveal?

2. ⁠What truths about God’s creation does this reveal?

3. ⁠What truths about me does this reveal?

4. ⁠In light of God’s work of redemption, what difference does that make?

5. ⁠How do I apply these truths to my life today?

And applying the text sometimes involves pondering on some specific questions related to our context.

Swindoll suggests a couple:

• Is there a change of direction I need to make?

• ⁠Is there a prayer I need to offer?

• ⁠Is there a sin I need to repent of?

• ⁠Is there a habit that needs to change?

• ⁠Is there a challenge I need to accept?

• ⁠Is there someone I need to forgive?

• ⁠Is there someone whose forgiveness I need to request?

And you can trust the Holy Spirit in this process as he shines the light into the darkest parts of our hearts hid even to us.

Conclusion

Proverbs as a literary form are a staple in many cultures, what distinguishes Proverbs, the biblical text is that these sayings are based on faith in God as a covenant-keeping, creator-redeemer. As such they look to the end— and provide a theological (often rather than a practical) perspective.

Reading Proverbs is definitely life changing as all Bible reading is. In my own experience discussing Proverbs with people, the great challenge is realising that Proverbs reveal “contextual truths” rather than “spiritual laws” or “divine promises”. Life would be easier if it was the other way. As such we can identify those basic laws and principles that are certain for success and rearrange our lives based on those facts. But what then will be the place of faith? Trusting God and doing His will in-spite of the temporal outcomes? That is the challenge of Proverbs, seeing the world through a divine perspective and developing the skill needed to live as God’s people in God’s world today.