Amos

							PROVERBS
The Book of Wisdom
               POETICAL BOOKS

   BOOK                THEME         QUESTION
                                  Why do bad things
                The Problem of
Job                               happen to good
                Suffering
                                  people?
                Prayer and        How to I approach
Psalms
                Worship           God?
                The Problem of
Proverbs                          How shall I live?
                Conduct
                The Problem of
Ecclesiastes                      Why am I here?
                Meaning in Life
Song of
                Love              How shall I love?
Solomon
Title of the book
The proverbs of Solomon the
son of David, king of Israel
(Proverbs 1:1).

               From the
               root word

               lv;m'
     Proverbs 1:2-4
2 To know wisdom and instruction,
To discern the sayings of
understanding,
3 To receive instruction in wise

behavior,
Righteousness, justice and equity;
4 To give prudence to the naive,

To the youth knowledge and
discretion,
     Proverbs 1:5-6
5 A wise man will hear and increase in
learning,
And a man of understanding will
acquire wise counsel,
6 To understand a proverb and a

figure,
The words of the wise and their
riddles.
     Exodus 28:2-3
2 "And you shall make holy garments
for Aaron your brother, for glory and
for beauty.
3 "And you shall speak to all the

skillful persons whom I have
endowed with the spirit of wisdom,
that they make Aaron's garments to
consecrate him, that he may minister
as priest to Me.
       Proverbs 1:7
The fear of the LORD is the beginning
of knowledge;
Fools despise wisdom and
instruction.


 • A Fear that Drives Away


 • A Fear that brings Wonder
       Psalms                      Proverbs
Books of Worship.           Books of Wisdom.
Speak to our Spirit.        Speak to our Intellect.
Life in the prayer closet. Life out in the street.
Teach us how to be          Teach us how to practice
holy before God.            our holiness before men.
Teach you to love the       Teach you to love your
Lord with all your heart    neighbor as yourself.
and soul and mind.
               Outline of Proverbs

1:1-6    1:7         10:1        21:1          30:1       31:1
Prologue Appeal to      One-verse maxims       Larger     Good
         Wisdom                                Couplets   Woman
Purpose Wisdom       Proverbs of Proverbs of   Words of   Words
of the   Personified Solomon     Hezekiah      Agur       of King
Proverbs                                                  Lemuel
    Themes in the Proverbs
     The way of Wisdom

 1311 Avoid son, give attentionit; not findwisdom;
  22 For they do the passin the my words;
   ForMy it,eat not you of wickedness,
1715 20 have directedbreadby do waylet go.
      I they of life to those who of them,
    Take hold areinstruction; to
 Guardawayfor allit uprightsayings.
  And her, fromin is violence.
  Turn health youear of your paths.
   I have led wine and pass body.
And drink theto shetheir wholeon.
     Incline your      to my life.
 1412 For they letof theheartstepsalltheythe
  23 Watchenterwalk,sleep unless like sight;
1816 21 Do not cannot path ofwith wicked,do evil;
    Do the over the righteous will not
      When you them depart from diligence,
    But not path your your the is your be
     Keep dawn,
   light of them in the midst of your (Proverbs
  For they flow the in the way of evil they
  Andfrom it proceed springs of life.heart.
 And do notare robbed of sleep unless men.
   impeded;
      make someone
That shines brighterstumble. (Proverbs 4:15-
    (Proverbs run, youand brighter until the full
      4:22-23). 4:13-14).
   And(Proverbs 4:20-21). not stumble.
         if you          will
      16).
   day.
      (Proverbs 4:11-12).
19 The way of the wicked is like darkness;

They do not know over what they stumble.
   (Proverbs 4:17-19).
       Themes in the Proverbs
       The way of Wisdom
       Principles of Work


Like vinegar to the summer issmoke to the eyes,
 2 Do you see a in teeth and his work?
He who gathersman not profit,a son who acts wisely,
   Ill-gotten gains do skilled in
Butisrighteousnessin those who a death. acts
 But will stand before kings;from son who
So he who sleepsto harvest is send him.(Proverbs
   He the lazy one delivers
   The LORD (Proverbs 10:5).
   shamefully. will not allow the righteous to hunger,
   10:26).
 3 He will not stand before obscure men. (Proverbs

 But10:26). thrust aside the craving of the wicked.
     He will
 4 Poor is he who works with a negligent hand,

 But the hand of the diligent makes rich. (Proverbs
    10:2-4).
    Themes in the Proverbs
    The way of Wisdom
    Principles of Work
        Skilled work will lead to success
        Diligent work will lead to success

            Go to the ant, O sluggard
         of the sluggard is and be wise,
The way Observe her ways as a hedge of thorns,
             Which, having no is a highway.
    But the path of the uprightchief,
                  Officer, or ruler;
                 (Proverbs 15:19)
      Prepares her food in the summer,
   And gathers her provisions in the harvest.
                 (Proverbs 15:19)
        Themes in the Proverbs
        The way of Wisdom
        Principles of Work
        Principles of Business and Finance


27        withhold good from riches will fall,
   Do not He who trusts in his those to whom it is due,
   But the righteous will to do it.
When it is in your power flourish like the green leaf.
28 Do not say to your neighbor,
                  (Proverbs 3:27-28).
"Go, and come back,
And tomorrow I will give it,"
When you have it with you. (Proverbs 3:27-28).
       Themes in the Proverbs
       The way of Wisdom
       Principles of Work
       Principles of Business and Finance
       Principles of Spiritual Speech


For lack of wood the fire goes out,
And where there is no whisperer, contention quiets down.
(Proverbs 26:20).
         Proverbs 22:10-14
10 Drive out the scoffer, and contention will go
out,
Even strife and dishonor will cease.
11 He who loves purity of heart
And whose speech is gracious, the king is his
friend.
12 The eyes of the LORD preserve knowledge,
But He overthrows the words of the treacherous
man.
13 The sluggard says, "There is a lion outside;
I shall be slain in the streets!"
14 The mouth of an adulteress is a deep pit;
He who is cursed of the LORD will fall into it.
          Proverbs 13:1-3
1 A wise son accepts his father's discipline,
But a scoffer does not listen to rebuke.
2 From the fruit of a man's mouth he enjoys good,
But the desire of the treacherous is violence.
3 The one who guards his mouth preserves his
life;
The one who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.
         The Excellent Wife
             Proverbs 31:10-31

 She conducts her affairs in such a way as
  to instill trust on the part of her husband
  (31:11)
 She is both hard-working and efficient
 She is not afraid to engage in business
 Praise is given both to her husband as
  well as to her
Lessons from the Proverbs
 The Universal need for Wisdom
 The Universal Arena of Wisdom
 What is Wise is also what is Good
 Principles rather than Promises
 A real view of the real world
 Christians are called to be street-smart