Proverbs 1:1-33

The book of Proverbs is considered wisdom literature. As such it offers a set of instructions for wise living - a handbook for skillfully living a godly life. These truisms are not promises but warnings to live prudently or to be cautious, lest they face the negative outcomes desribed. Proverbs contains no new insights, new theories, or fads - just the very wisdom of God given to show us the value of the straight and narrow, the tried and true.

1:5 | Proverbs are often presented in two-line couplets that present either a similarity, such as here, or a contrast. The wise man and the man of understanding share this: both seek counsel from the wise (9:9).

1:7 | This verse presents the basic premise of the book: The Lord has all the answers to life. He is not only the beginning, but the Source of all knowledge and the only one who understands all mysteries. To fear the Lord is to have a sense of awe and utter respect for Him as the Holy One so that when He speaks, it is the final word (Job 28:28). Those who revere God in this way heed His instructions and can rightly understand their relationship to Him and the world He has made (Ps. 111:10; Eccl. 12:13).

1:8 | Every time you see the words My son in Proverbs, take note. What follows will be a set of instructions from Solomon to his own son on some aspect of life. To work through these sections carefully is to receive an education in how to disciple your own children.

1:10-19 | The answer to peer pressure is to refuse invitatins to wrongdoing from the wrong kind of people (sinners). To consent to their advances is the first step on the path of self-destruction (Ps. 50:18).

1:31-32 | Fools make a habit of continually rejecting wisdom; in return, they receive the fruit of their own way (Jer. 6:18). The final step in rebellion (complacency) is destruction.