The Fear of the Lord, the Beginning of Wisdom

Proverbs 7 shows us the seduction of the simple. Without wisdom, temptation always wins, the immature lose, and catastrophe awaits.

In Proverbs 6:1-19, the father warns his son to watch out for the irresponsible, lazy, and wicked. Throughout the text, we learn what pleases and displeases God.

Proverbs 5:1-23 is God’s wisdom in marriage and life being imparted to man. The simple and naive can learn, but the fool may never understand.

Proverbs 4:10-19 is simple. It’s about choosing the right way. ‘The way’ is a motif throughout Proverbs. Two women are used to illustrate the way of the righteous or the way of the wicked.

This page contains all of Dr. Michael Easley’s recommended resources you need to engage in a comprehensive study of Proverbs.

Proverbs 3:13-18 is about something more precious and priceless than anything. It’s not something we grab out of a burning home, but the wisdom in understanding what wisdom is. The parallel is that when we find wisdom, we gain understanding.

Do you want wisdom? If so, there is a path to get it, but it’s not what you think. Wisdom is the deliberate pursuit of something whose origin is God; it is manifold and multifaceted. We must have a deep reliance on the Father.

Wisdom can be used for good or evil, depending on the context. Proverbs invites us to use Godly wisdom for good. When wisdom is used for good, it is righteousness which is serving the community according to the Word of God.

Proverbs is not a random or disorganized collection. Dr. Bruce Waltke argues that Proverbs is divided into seven collections. These divisions help us organize our thoughts and look at the book of Proverbs with a clear mind.

Have you heard the joke that maybe Solomon dropped his dissertation on his way to have it bound? Perhaps that’s why his Proverbs can seem so disorganized…but that isn’t the case at all.