PROVERBS - Spring Lake Church

PROVERBS
The Year of the Word
A year-long look at the entire Bible
AUTHOR
Solomon’s name appears at the beginning
of the three largest sections of this
book (chs. 1-9; 10:1-22:16; 25-29). 1
Kings 4:32 tells us that Solomon wrote
3000 proverbs, of which about 800 are
found in this book. Other unknown authors
are mentioned: “the wise” (22:17;
24:23), Agur the son of Jakeh (30:1),
and King Lemuel (31:1). Ecclesiastes
12:9 indicates that Solomon was a collector
of proverbs from others.
DATE
Solomon’s proverbs were written before
931 B.C. The proverbs in chapters
25-29 were collected by Hezekiah
about 230 years later. This gives the
book a completion date of around the
5th century B.C.
THEMES
Proverbs spells out its own purpose at the beginning of the book:
2 for attaining wisdom and discipline;
for understanding words of insight;
3 for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life,
doing what is right and just and fair;
4 for giving prudence to the simple,
knowledge and discretion to the young—
5 let the wise listen and add to their learning,
and let the discerning get guidance—
6 for understanding proverbs and parables,
the sayings and riddles of the wise. (Proverbs 1:2-6)
Proverbs deals with practical righteousness
in every area of life. Foolishness
or folly is presented in the book as one
who lived self-sufficient, as if there is
no God. Much of the book is dedicated
to contrasting wisdom with folly.
KEY VERSES
Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight. (Prov. 3:5-6)
CHRIST IN PROVERBS
Christ is wisdom incarnate: “...in order
that they may know the mystery of
God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden
all the treasures of wisdom and
knowledge.” (Colossians 2:2b-3) “It is
because of him that you are in Christ
Jesus, who has become for us wisdom
from God—that is, our righteousness,
holiness and redemption.” (1 Corinthians
1:30)

PROVERBS
The Bible gives us countless examples of how we should live our lives. The book of Proverbs, known
for its wise sayings, is full of great tips and advice that help us as we parent, handle our finances, and
strive to live godly lives. I would encourage everybody to read Proverbs from beginning to end as
reading a chapter each day will only take you a month.
Below are some of the more popular Proverbs.
Proverbs 8:1 "For wisdom is better than rubies, and all the things one may desire
cannot be compared with her."
The world teaches us that we should strive for wealth and popularity, but Proverbs tells us that we
should strive for godly wisdom. What do you desire? Are you seeking godly wisdom or are you working
hard to achieve other things?
Proverbs 13:7 "One man pretends to be rich, yet has nothing; another pretends to be
poor, yet has great wealth."
Many people waste money on things they do not need just to impress their friends and neighbors. This
proverb tells us to not waste our wealth on useless things, but rather to spend wisely and save. Are
there areas in your personal finances that need to be adjusted?
Proverbs 11:25 “A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be
refreshed.”
Doesn’t it feel good to help others in need? Compared to other people around the world (and even in
our own country), we live very blessed lives. When is the last time you went out of your way to help
someone in need? Take time this week to serve those around you.
Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths
straight.
Pray this week that you will TRUST the Lord with ALL your heart and that you won’t try to make
things happen according to your own plan. Let God direct your path and you won’t go wrong.
PREPARATION FOR NEXT WEEK: READ ECCLESIASTES 1-6, 12