Prostitutes, Gangs, and Investing: Wisdom: some have it and some do not

For further inquiries ask me or be helped by the commentary on Proverbs by Duane A Garrett in the commentary series The New American Commentary. My words are an over-view of how to look at and study the book of Proverbs

‘The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge’ goes the proverb in the beginning of the book by the same name. Seems simple enough. Then why are most other verses in this book quip sayings or caveats about day-to-day living? Exactly.

What does it mean to ‘fear the LORD’? Should we cower in a corner as God emulates a drunken Father who walks about not knowing if He may or may not beat us to death? Is it that kind of crippling, disabling fear that is spoken of here? Should we be constantly looking over our shoulder wondering when the Almighty Creator of all things will, on a lark, decide to come down and be mean? Fortunately this does NOT entail what it means to ‘fear the LORD.’

To fear God is to take into account all that He is and is capable of and what He wills and with all that in mind soberly live in a way that honors Him. Fear can be healthy and good. When you are swimming in the ocean it is good to fear the power of the waves and the depths and darkness of its area, and even sometimes the creatures that live inside it; but you are still enjoying the swim. You have knowledge of the ocean, you know there are creatures that can eat you, you know there can be undertows that drag you out to places where you’d rather not be but you still swim in it. You still can enjoy it; you fear it but you respect it and are wise when you enter it. This is all that fearing God is; it is not living on eggshells but it is living with a knowledge of God and His good boundaries which He has given to us.

Then why are there so many sayings? You’ll notice in proverbs that many times there seems to be confusing as well as contradicting words: ‘answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes’ in Proverbs 26 immediately follows the verse that says, ‘answer NOT a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him yourself.’ Soooooo, what to do: verse 4 or 5? You decide! That’s right; walking according to the fear of the Lord means having discernment and wisdom--of people, the situation, the words spoken, etc.. God gives people the freedom and responsibility to use their brains to decide what is best in any particular instance.

If you just jump to all the ‘practical’ sayings in proverbs as many businessmen have done over the centuries without taking into account the first seven verses of the book you miss entirely the benefit and point of the book. Proverbs is not about having the best portfolio at the end of your life nor is it about having a Fu-Manchu, being bald, wearing a robe, and spouting off one-liners as you sit on a mat with your legs crossed; Proverbs is about God and about living a life that honors him, EVEN in the seemingly insignificant day-to-day decisions and parts of life. It offers wisdom on how to quell a hot-tempered person; how to think for the future; what it means to carry a good name; how to honor the poor; how to act in a king’s presence; how a king or ruler should act; how to look for a spouse; how to raise children; the responsibility of families to educate their children—not the State; it gives us active wisdom.

Proverbs are wise even in their makeup as they are short and fairly easy to remember—this being so you WILL remember and follow them. Some give advice; some make us reflect; some are more intense than others and some are specific and others grander. The Proverbs seem all muddled together, but this is how life is—different things come up at random times. A thousand things can be coming at once but a Proverbs-trained mind will be ready for such life-chaos. Unlike other parts of Scripture many of the sayings can be taken out if its context, because there rarely is context. When studying, though, you will notice some proverbs are intentionally grouped together so be mindful and be smart.

As a rule Proverbs are wise generalizations. There are exceptions to everything but on the whole, Proverbs says, this is how life goes. Proverbs are not ambiguous like other passages in the Bible often are—this is why they are attractive to many; instead, these are straight-forward easily applicable words. Don’t think, yea I get it that I should not be one to take bribes but what does it REALLY mean; it REALLY means what it actually says, so take the wisdom as it plainly is; the Bible is not a huge puzzle: God putting you through a strainer for no reason.

As far as authors go, for our purposes it does not really matter. Some are entitled in the Proverbs themselves. They are collected and compiled works. Many other cultured had similar saying—for example the Egyptians—so the style is not unique.

When studying Proverbs it is helpful to know some of the intended sections of the book:
Chapter 1 verse 8 – 9.18 is targeted mainly to young men. You see in the beginning, ‘Listen, my son . . . ‘ and the father goes on listing out things and teaching for the next few chapters. It is interesting to note the things that are talked about. Essentially the young man is taught to steer clear of gangs—companions who are out for self-fish gain, quick to shed blood and violence, those who are always devising evil; and also to stay away from women who lack moral integrity—prostitutes, sluts, and adulterous women. For a young man learning what it means to be a wise, godly man these issues hit the heart. As I have been able to work with some kids I know these tendencies, especially in the urban setting, are real and the instruction Proverbs yields is incredibly insightful. Also in this section the father figure tells how both wisdom and folly are present if sought; both are calling out from the street corners saying and promising the very same things. So WISDOM is needed to discern that right way.

After 9.18 Proverbs goes to what we are most familiar with as little sections providing wisdom in seemingly every area of life. The exception to note is a grouping from 22.17 – 24.22 and this section is simply called The Thirty Sayings and that is exactly what it is.

Perhaps the most famous section is the Sayings of Lemuel (31.1 – 31.31). The first of its two sections tells how a king should rule and what he should be doing. The second section (10 – 31) is the picture of the mid-aged exceptional wife: one that all women should aspire and men should imitate.

There is so much good from this book of sayings that it can easily be disregarded as ‘not the gospel’ and ‘not spiritual enough.’ But those who would ignore the book of Proverbs ignore the blessings of the Lord and know not what it means to be in awe and reverence. We cannot ignore that life is full of complexities and baffling situations. The lazy and ignorant and foolish will have a price to pay if wisdom is not sought. God is graciously helping us be who He designed us to be. He speaks to us, telling us how we can best honor Him even in the smallest of life’s places. He loves His children and THAT is why He teaches us.

‘Where is Jesus?’ some might ask. I would answer that he is coming—some books to the right—but here we are to be guided by the Word of God—which Jesus is—and by guided by Gods great gift to His followers, the Holy Spirit.

Proverbs 19.2: ‘Desire without knowledge is not good, and whoever makes haste with his feet misses his way.’ Don’t be found lacking. God says in the book of James if anyone lacks wisdom let him ask God for it. Be the wise son or daughter and listen to the instruction of Proverbs.

I leave you with a quote from the afore mentioned commentator: ‘Wisdom is not some hidden treasure that has to be dug from the depths of the earth . . . wisdom is not abstract, secular, or academic but personal and theological. To reject wisdom is to reject God. The wise are at ease because they have genuine security; the foolish are at ease out of carelessness.’