This week's readings pick up where we left off last week: in the middle of a large section of two-line proverbs that offer counsel for wise living.  These proverbs continue all the way up to chapter 30, where we're introduced to a new person: Agur.  These proverbs have a different flow to them, yet still offer the same counsel to wise living.  From Agur we are introduced to King Lemuel who was inspired by his mother (note the contrast here to all the son/father language in the opening chapters).  And then we come to the epilogue, the well-known chapter on a wife of noble character.  While there are times that this section has been misused, it's a helpful conclusion to the Proverbs as it paints a picture of a wise person (in this case, a woman).  The overall challenge of Proverbs is that we embrace the ways of the Lord and engage in wise living.  Of course, that is only possible through the work of the Holy Spirit in us and the finished work of Christ on the cross.  Enjoy this last section of Proverbs!  We enter our rhythm of LEARN-READ-INTERACT.

From How to Read the Bible through the Jesus Lens, Michael Williams makes these points about Proverbs:

Phrase: Wise Order
Theme: God has placed an order in creation to which we should pay attention in order to live wisely.
Christ-Focus: Christ shows us what it means to live wisely (1 Corinthians 1:30).
Implications: We become wise when we let our lives be transformed by Christ's Spirit (Romans 12:2).
Questions: How do we go about developing the wisdom that finds its fulfillment in Christ?  Is it foolish to live according to biblical guidelines in today's world?

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