Proverbs
Please read the first three chapters of Proverbs and skim the rest of the book. Choose a proverb or two that you think is a particularly good example of Hebrew contributions to human wisdom. Explain why you chose this proverb/these proverbs.
posted by Ancient Art at 7:28 PM
9 Comments:
I decided to quote verses 3-6 of chapter three: "Let not kindness and fidelity leave you; bind them around your neck; Then will you win favor and good esteem before God and man. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, on your own intelligence rely not; In all your ways be mindful of him, and he will make straight your paths." I chose these words because they seem relevant to today's world. Too many people do not treat others with kindness and because of that the world seems like a harsh place. A person cannot act out of hatred; he will have no friends that way. A person should strive to be kind and courteous.
The second part of this verse has great bearing on human history. People should rely on their wisdom because, face it, we are not all that wise. Many leaders tend to do things that they think is right, but it turns out to be the wrong decision. Look at the isrealites. Many times they did things out of their own "wisdom", worshipping other gods and following the examples of the neighbors. Where did that get them? Nowhere, except to a place of suffering and dismay and eventually they were conquered and would spend the next few centuries as a conquered land. I'm not saying that we are complete idiots. We should try to learn from our mistakes and not repeat them. However, as people we are prone to making mistakes and sometimes we need to step back and rethink what it is we are doing. Is it the best thing? Is it something God would do? And I think this is what the writer of Proverbs is trying to say.
Prov. 17:28 "Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding." I like this verse because if a person has no clue about what is going on, they can appear to be knowledgeable just by nodding their head. Reminds me of "better to keep your mouth shut and let them think you a fool than open your mouth and prove it."
My favorite proverb is 10:1, which states that "a wise child makes a glad father, but a foolish child is a mother's grief." For many families, the children try to seek acceptance by their father for whatever career /adventure/ job they enter. It is very hard for the child to make the father glad. When it happens, he's very glad. At the same time, our mothers are always glad of their children. It would take a very awful event for the mother to be in a state of grief over the failure of their child(ren). Later in 23:25, the author states that "Let your father and mother be glad; let her who bore you rejoice." Notice that the last clause states that let HER who bore you rejoice! Mothers are the part of the family that deeply cares about their own biological children, especialy when they do good and even bad things.
Another proverb that I like is 27:1. "Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring." If that is the case, we should fire all weathermen and psychics! We want to boast that tomorrow will be a better day. However, we have no control over the events that occur in the future, let alone in the past or the present. We should allow God to determine the events and consequences of tomorrow because today is never assurred because death sometimes knocks on the door-step wanting in the house.
In Proverbs 1:8 it says, "Hear, my son, your father's instruction,and reject not your mother's teaching." I find this to be a really good verse. I think that the parents and kids relationships have been emphasized throughout the Old Testement. This is a great verse to add to that. Most often as a kid you can learn from your parents mistakes. So when your parents tell you to do something often times they know what is best. So it is a foolish mistake by kids to go against their parents word because most often times parents know what is best for us. I think that this verse is a great verse, just kind of repeating the Commandment to obey your father and mother.
Another great verse is Proverbs 3:5 it says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, on your own intelligiance rely not." This verse is a great verse. It is telling everyone who tries to prove or point out the Bible's mistakes, that hey it doesn't matter if their is something wrong. It is like the arguement between the realists and those people, that hey you don't have to take the Bible word for word, it is the meaning that's important. I think this verse is saying that. Don't use your intelligiance to try to prove the Bible wrong.
The proverb i like is the warning agianst rejecting wisdom. he states that if we reject wisdom now we will pay for it later and i have found out that this is true through out history like in all the prophets told the Israelites about there ways and that they should change them but they didn't listen to the prophets.
The proverb i feel has the best information on how to gain knowledge is verse 7 in chapter 1. "The fear of the lord is the begining of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline. This verse lets us know that if we want to gain wisdom or have self discipline that having fear in the lord is the best place to start.
The verse that really stands out for me is 3:5 "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding..." This verse stands out for a number of reasons. One, it is a popular verse that I have heard many times. Secondly, this verse is clear and to the point. Don't try and decide everything on your own without thinking that the LORD is there to help you. Trust the LORD, even when times are tough. Why worry about something you have no control over. This verse simply states to trust in the LORD.
Another verse I think stands out is 15:3 "The eyes of the LORD are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good." Though it may seem odd to think that someone is watching you at all times, I think it is comforting to think that not only is the LORD watching the evil, but also the good. He sees both, good and evil, for every person. The some may find this verse disturbing, but I think others find it comforting.
While the whole book of Proverbs is a contribution from one person to the other, (father to son) one passage did stick out to me as a good thought provoking idea. Chapter 16 was particularly interesting to me as wisdom. Verses 1-6 declare, "To man belong the plans of the heart, but from the LORD comes the reply of the tongue. All a man's ways seem innocent to him,but motives are weighed by the LORD. Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed. The LORD works out everything for his own ends— even the wicked for a day of disaster.The LORD detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished. Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for; through the fear of the LORD a man avoids evil."
It stops one to think that what we are not only to understand God in the larger sense (praising in the temple... at Church on Sunday) but in a smaller- more personal sense. What WE do is because of what HE DOES. Interesting.
Proverbs 1:7 is a very good indication of Hebrew wisdom. "the fear of the lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
This passage is something that could even be appreciated by a total atheist, the ability to recognize that we as people are not all knowing.
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