Life Isn’t Easy

Daily life is complex. How do we handle life’s problems? How do we deal with difficult people or uncomfortable situations? What do we say and how do we act? How do we express our emotions?

For Proverbs, a “wise” person can navigate life (and its inevitable problems) well (Longman 13-14).

The Skill of Living

Read Proverbs 1:1-6. What is the purpose of the Book of Proverbs?

Wisdom is the skill of living. It is a practical knowledge that helps one know how to act and how to speak in different situations. Wisdom entails the ability to avoid problems, and the skill to handle them when they present themselves. Wisdom also includes the ability to interpret other people’s speech and writing in order to react correctly to what they are saying to us (Longman 14-15).

The Meaning and Acquisition of Wisdom

The main Hebrew term for wisdom, chokmah, has a wide range of meaning. It describes the skill of working with one’s hands (Exodus 28:3; 35:35) or as a body of knowledge acquired through study (1 Kings 10:4; Daniel 1:4, 17, 20). The wise person possesses discernment (2 Samuel 14:20; 20:22; Exodus 1:10) and the ability to accomplish great things in and through others (Deuteronomy 34:9), including diplomacy (1 Kings 5:12), harmony (Deuteronomy 4:6), and prosperity (1 Kings 10:4–9). Throughout the Old Testament, wisdom was regarded as having great value (Proverbs 7:4; Ecclesiastes 7:11, 19; 9:18; Job 28:18). Wisdom could be gained from one’s parents (Proverbs 4:5, 11; 5:1; 31:26) and from the government (Psalm 105:20–22), and was known to come through discipline (Proverbs 29:15). One could also acquire it through observation (Proverbs 6:6), experience, and age (Job 12:12; 32:7); in fact, one was obligated to pursue it (Proverbs 2:2; 4:5, 7; 23:23). But however it was received, one must never imagine it came from any other source but God (Job 28:12; Proverbs 30:3; 1:20; 8:1, 33; 9:1) (Lennox 13). In what areas have you acquired a modicum of wisdom? How did you gain that wisdom?

Wisdom vs. Folly

Ultimately, in Proverbs, wisdom is a matter of how one responds to the will of God. The wise person is the one who knows what is right and wrong from God’s perspective and chooses to do the right thing. The foolish person may also know what is right or wrong, but he or she chooses to do the wrong thing. Yet, foolish behavior is more than just displeasing to God. The life of the fool is also self-destructive. When we shun God’s standards to follow our own desires, we will be frustrated, unhappy, and without hope (12:15) (Pechawer 81). Have you experienced or witnessed the self-destructive side of folly? Would you be willing to share what you learned from that experience?

The Way Life Actually Works

The Book of Proverbs looks at life and reflects on experience and encourages people to live on the basis of how life works. They don’t just leave people to live on the basis of their own experience; they assume that we can learn from other people’s experience, and they seek to pass on the reflection of wise men and women that arises from their experience. They assume that we learn from other people and learn from the past. We don’t have to keep reinventing the wheel. Anyone can become wise because they are made in God’s image and live in God’s world (Goldingay 4-5). What are some major life lessons you’ve learned from others or from the past?

The Measure of Success

Proverbs sets forth this measure of success: Success is found in living wisely in the fear of the LORD. To live wisely is to live beautifully—that is, to live a life that counts. Why is fear/reverence of the Lord so crucial in becoming wise?

The book of Proverbs reveals how you can have success in every aspect of your life. Do you want to have a joyous and fruitful marriage? Do you want to enjoy success in raising your children? Do you want to prosper in your career? Do you want to have fulfilling relationships with others? Do you want to learn how to speak with wisdom and grace? Study the Proverbs and learn to live by them (Newheiser 10).