Week 33, August 11–17: Proverbs 4–23; Psalms 96–101

• Sun      8/11     Prov 4–6         
• Mon     8/12     Prov 7–8          Psalm 96
• Tue      8/13     Prov 9–11        Psalm 97
• Wed     8/14     Prov 12–14      Psalm 98
• Thu      8/15     Prov 15–17      Psalm 99
• Fri        8/16     Prov 18–20      Psalm 100
• Sat       8/17     Prov 21–23      Psalm 101

For this week’s reading, we continue through the book of Proverbs, where we began at the end of last week, and we keep moving through Psalms as well.

Proverbs is associated with Solomon. The first verse says, “The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel.” (1:1) This does not necessarily mean he wrote every single verse, but it does mean we are meant generally to see these wisdom sayings as having come from Solomon. We know from 1 Kings that Solomon was the world’s wisest man, and his wisdom was given to him by the Lord (1 Kings 3). It also says in 1 Kings that Solomon spoke 3000 proverbs (1 Kgs. 4:32). So when we read Proverbs (and Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon) we should have this background in mind. Solomon walked with God at first but did not remain faithful. The wisdom he began with did not remain with him. He did not consistently practice what he preached.

The theme of wisdom is a major focus of Proverbs. In the first section of the book, chapters one through nine, wisdom itself is described, exalted, and personified as a woman. The reader is exhorted to pursue wisdom diligently and value it and delight in it for the treasure that it is. The rest of the book, starting in chapter ten, is then made up with short sayings that apply wisdom to a wide range of topics and areas of life.

Wisdom can be defined in a number of different ways, but it generally refers to knowledge applied to everyday life. Godly wisdom as it is understood biblically has another important aspect that goes beyond more general definitions of wisdom. True wisdom begins with fearing God.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight. (9:10)

To understand life and to live it in the way that works best, we must know and worship the God who created all things. That is what Proverbs wants us to understand about wisdom. Wisdom is often thought of as practical advice, and that is part of what it means. But it’s more than that. It is not just about getting ahead in life or being good at life, it is about living a life pleasing to God and in line with the way he created us and the way he made us to live in the world he created. Wisdom does have a practical aspect to it, but biblical wisdom is also fundamentally ethical, spiritual, and devotional too. In some of the opening chapters, the language extoling wisdom and encouraging us to pursue it sound very similar to other biblical calls to listen to and walk in the law, or Torah. In Proverbs 3:1 it says, “My son, do not forget my teaching (Hebrew: Torah), but let your heart keep my commandments.” The reader is instructed several times to bind these words around their neck and write them on the tablet of their heart (3:1–3; 6:20–23; 7:1–3), which sounds very similar to what the Israelites were supposed to do with the words of the Torah (Deut. 6:4–9: 11:18–21).

Sometimes biblical law and biblical wisdom are considered to be distinct from each other. However, that is not how the Bible itself presents things. Both wisdom like we find in Proverbs and the instructions and commandments of biblical law are aimed at pleasing God and walking with him. As you are reading through Proverbs, notice how often the idea of righteousness is associated with wisdom. And on the other hand, the opposite of wisdom is folly, which is not exactly the same as sin but is often very closely related to sin and unrighteousness. That is to say, when we are urged to pursue wisdom and to choose its way, it is not just advice or a purely optional suggestion to put into practice in the gray areas of life. Walking in wisdom is living in god-fearing righteousness and something that should be pursued with our whole being in order to know God, worship him for who he is, and live the life he designed us to live before him.

As you move into the later portion of Proverbs, you will see the wide range of topics covered. You might find it somewhat challenging to read three of these chapters each day, and that is understandable. Proverbs is written in a format and style that is not meant to be read quickly. It is meant to be read and pondered, slowly and meditatively. So don’t be discouraged if you feel there’s not enough time to let it fully sink in. Remember, doing a read thru like this is not the only way to read the Bible. Reading through the whole Bible in a year is meant to give us broad exposure and the build our literacy and familiarity as we read it, hopefully many times, over the course of our life.

So as you are reading through, maybe jot down a few of the verses you find particularly meaningful to you or to what you are thinking about or experiencing. Then find a time to come back to these verses you noted. Set aside more than just a few minutes to read just a section, or even just one or two verses, then sit and prayerfully reflect on what it means and how you could put what it is saying into practice in your life. This would be a good practice to do with Proverbs and really with any part of the Bible as you are going through the reading. The Bible is rich with wisdom to guide our lives towards the God who revealed himself to us and who made us and loves us.