The Guides and Signs of Proverbs

Read Proverbs. The verses are always short, usually funny, and they teach how to live out God’s laws in everyday situations. Proverbs distills the Penteteuch into real life: fear the Lord; work hard; be honest; give generously. Also a few negatives: don’t be a sluggard; don’t get into bed with wanton women; don’t drink too much wine; don’t be a quarrelsome wife. There is an element of action here. Remember grammar lessons on sentence structure? The verb shows action. Proverbs are to be acted.

The book is an anthology of didactic poetry that is part of the Old Testament’s sapiental literature. It is written mostly by King Solomon. Recall that in 1 Kings 3:5-15, the Lord spoke to him in a dream and Solomon asked for discernment to govern well and to distinguish between right and wrong. His name comes from the same Hebrew word for peace, Shalom. It is fitting that this wise man would publish his teachings. Sages penning their wisdom was a common practice in the ancient Near East. Documents have survived from Egypt and Mesopotamia. Even we have Benjamin Franklin’s instruction: No gain without pain; If you lie down with dogs, you will rise up with fleas; haste makes waste.

Solomon sets forth his purpose in the very first sentence. It is to intruct the young and anyone else who desires to learn. “The proverbs of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel, that men may appreciate widsom and discipline, may understand words of intelligence, may receive training in wise conduct in what is right, just, and honest (1:1-3). He sets the theological groundwork of the first nine chapters with “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; wisdom and instruction fools despise (1:7).” They are Solomon’s proverbs but he knew that it all came from the Great I Am.

Then he gets to work setting forth the differences between those who seek wisdom and those who are fools. The choices are goodness, life, fidelity, truth and prudence or evil, death, adultery, falsehood and rashness. Solomon has no patience with sluggards (a word my kids love), quarrelsome wives (help, Lord), or fools in their folly (show me, Holy Spirit). Some of the verses are hilarious, as well as convicting.

“Go to the ant, O sluggard. Study her ways and be wise. She procures food in the summer, stores up provisions in the harvest. How long, O sluggard, will you sleep? A little more sleep, a little more slumber, a little more folding of the hands to rest (6:6-10).”

“A quarrelsome wife is like the constant dripping of a leaky faucet (18:13).”

“As a dog returns to its vomit, so fools return to their folly (26:11).”

I wonder who dared wake up the king: “If you loudly bless your neighbor early in the morning, he will take it as a curse (27:14).”

This one is apropos for certain children I know: “If you find honey, eat just enough – too much and you will vomit (25:16).”

Perhaps the king balked at eating his veggies: “Better a small serving of vegetables with love than even a fattened calf with strife (15:17).”

Solomon, weathly beyond measure, wrote, “Rich and poor have this in common: the Lord is the Maker of all (22:2).”

My personal favorite as I approach 50 years old: “Gray hair is a crown of splendor (16:31).”

There are some lovely words, too, worthy of committing to memory: “A gentle answer turns away wrath but a harsh word stirs up anger (15:1).” And “An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips (24:26).”

These are a culture’s collective common sense; not absolute truth, but true perspective on life. For instance, Proverbs 26:4 and 26:5 give opposite advice. One verse says to answer not the fool according to his folly, lest you too become like him and the very next verse says to answer the fool according to his folly lest he become wise in his own eyes. The book of Proverbs does not argue. It offers representative sayings that deserve consideration and the reader must discern which works where and with whom. They are guidelines for successful living, where successful means friendship with our Creator. Where successful means righteousness in the face of trouble. Where successful means peace and love. “For the Lord gives wisdom, from his mouth comes knowledge and understanding. He has counsel in store for the upright, he is the shield of those who walk honestly (2:6-7).”

From The Commentary of Saint Hippolytus on Proverbs in the third century: “Proverbs, therefore, are words of exhortation serviceable for the whole path of life; for those who seek their way to God, these serve as guides and signs to revive them when wearied with the length of the road.”

Yes indeed, sometimes we are wearied with the length of the road. Sometimes we are sluggards, fools, quarrelsome and loud. But we can be revived by God’s words that touch us with his lovingkindness, and then we can do these proverbial actions of a Christian and press on. Let’s learn from the Lord and walk honestly!

Allison Howell and her family are longtime residents of the Valley. They are Catholic converts and keep a hobby farm full of animals and children. This column is the opinion of the author and does not necessarily represent the views of the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman or its parent company, Wick Communications.