My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments. Proverbs 3:1
The book of Proverbs gets its name from the fact that it is a collection of wise sayings, or proverbs. These proverbs describe the normal pattern that prevails in this world.
The proverbs are not promises. So, for example, when the book of Proverbs says, “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it” (Prov. 22:6), that does not mean that good parenting guarantees godly children. The proverb describes a normal pattern. It does not promise a particular outcome.
Or to take another example, the book of Proverbs says, “A gracious woman gets honor, and violent men get riches” (11:16). Now clearly, this is not telling us to go and pursue violence in order to get money. Proverbs is describing the normal pattern of life, and the sad reality is that, in this fallen world, large amounts of money are amassed by men of violence.
The point of the proverb is to tell us that, even in this fallen world, a gracious woman (singular), who clearly cannot match the strength of violent men (plural), gains something more valuable than money. She “gets honor.” So grace, which looks so weak in this world, gets more than violence, which looks so strong.
As we consider the book of Proverbs, remember that the wisdom it contains is the very Word of God, and it has great application for our lives. Proverbs is in Holy Scripture because it is the Word of God. God breathed out these proverbs through Solomon, as He breathed out the psalms through David, or the book of Romans through the Apostle Paul.
Have you ever read or studied the book of Proverbs before? A great way to read through the book is by taking one chapter each day (there are 31 chapters) over the course of a month.
