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Wise Saying
By peace | February 3, 2008
God loves all men. He made us all to know him and love him in this life, and after having served him faithfully here, to be united with him forever in perfect happiness in a new and greater life after death. God has spoken to man at various times and in a variety of ways during the course of human history, gradually revealing his love to us and giving us deeper insights into the meaning and purpose of our own lives.
People usually appreciate advice when it is practical, down-to-earth, and based on experience. That is one reason why proverbs are part of the heritage of most cultures. The wisdom of experience is put into short memorable sayings that can be passed on from generation to generation. The biblical book of Proverbs is an ancient Israelite composition that preserves hundreds of such sayings.
God has many ways of teaching his people. In New Testament times he used apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers; in Old Testament times he used priests, prophets and wisdom teachers. The priests taught the law of Moses, the prophets stirred people with direct messages from God, and ‘the wise’ taught wisdom based on their own studies of life’s everyday affairs.
Some of the wisdom teaching, such as those in Proverbs, is concerned with what we observe to be the normal outworking of right and wrong in daily life. It says, in effect, ‘as a general rule, this is what happens’. Other wisdom teaching, such as those in Job and Ecclesiastes, is concerned with the apparent contradictions in daily life. It says, in effect, ‘there may be puzzling exceptions to the general rule, but life still has meaning.’
Wisdom teachers were therefore more than instructors who passed on pithy sayings — and Proverbs is more than a collection of pithy sayings. Certainly, such sayings dominate, for much of the book consists of two collections of Proverbs from Solomon along with teachings from other Israelite wise men. But the book also contains other forms of wisdom teaching. The lengthy opening section is a collection of lectures on the importance of choosing wisdom and avoiding folly, and the shorter closing section consists of three collections from other wisdom teachers. But the entire book is as profitable today as it was when first written.
In modern society, the worldview is different from that of the ancient world. But the underlying characteristics of human nature have not changed. Proverbs, by their very nature, are not absolute statements that apply to all people in all situations. They are observations based on experience, which means that in some cases one proverb is applicable(eg. many hands make light work) but in other cases another(eg. too many cooks spoil the brooth). One way Christians grow is by learning how to apply the Bible, including Proverbs, in the constantly changing circumstances of daily life.
Whether teaching theological truths or giving advice for living, the Bible rarely speaks in abstract language. It mostly uses picture language or gives real-life examples that anyone can understand. The writer of Proverbs spreads the benefits of wisdom to everyone. It is not just for the chosen few. In fact, people who think they need it least are the ones who need it most. Lack of wisdom caused ‘the rulers of this age’ to crucify the Lord of glory. And if people without wisdom are capable of that, they are capable of anything.
Topics: Faith, Spiritual Articles | 3 Comments »
August 31st, 2008 at 10:47 pm
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September 24th, 2008 at 4:40 pm
I am extremely impress with those quotes and the write up above, they are really interesting because life is not about how much one knows but how much one cares. To care one need to have peace; to have peace, one need love. And why because I was made to realize that love is peace.
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March 16th, 2009 at 2:38 pm
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