Day 1: Introduction

We’ve all heard proverbs like “The early bird catches the worm” and “A penny saved is a penny earned.” These short, memorable sayings make it easy to recall important principles. The Book of Proverbs contains pithy adages like these. They, too, teach valuable lessons. However, unlike folk wisdom, the proverbs in the Bible have the love of God and of His truth undergirding them.

What Proverbs Are

Proverbs by nature are general truisms. For example, Proverbs 16:7 reads, “When a man's ways please the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.” This is generally true, but there are exceptions: Jesus pleased the Lord perfectly, yet His enemies crucified Him. Additionally, a short proverb on a subject like finances won’t tell us all there is to know about the topic. Other proverbs provide nuance and perspective.

Nonetheless, some proverbs read like promises because they are promises. Promises in other Bible books anchor these proverbs as promises we can trust.

The Bible’s commands tell us the big picture of what God wants us to do. The proverbs teach us how to wisely act in areas the commands may not cover. They cover many facets of life and teach us how to wisely ...

• live a life God blesses
• defeat temptation
• make, manage, and spend money
• treat family, friends, and neighbors
• communicate

Poetry in Proverbs

Except for the titles that introduce its seven collections, the Proverbs are poetry. Hebrew poetry doesn’t rhyme, but it does order words in a way that emphasizes the poet’s point. Most poetic lines have two segments with parallel elements. Proverbs 1:7 below (which contains the book’s theme) is an example of a single poetic line with two segments:

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Notice that the phrase “the fear of the LORD” is parallel to “fools." Fools don’t fear the LORD. Also, “knowledge” is parallel to “wisdom and instruction." They describe the same things. This proverb compares how two types of people relate to wisdom.

Indeed, Proverbs often compares three types of people: 1) the wise/righteous, who fear the Lord; 2) the simple/youth; and 3) the fool/wicked. Everyone starts out simple and grows wise or foolish, depending on whether they fear the Lord.

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Today’s passage begins with the first collection’s title and describes Proverbs’ purpose. As you read it, ponder what you could gain from having more wisdom. End with a prayer for wisdom.