Overview of Proverbs

written by Newselph

 

Proverbs is a long book full of great advice. You could take one verse out of the whole book and spend forever thinking about the many ways it could apply to you. The big idea of the Book, however, can be summarized in chapter 1, verse 7: “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction”. While Proverbs is full of wonderful practical advice, it also wants to point us toward “the fear of the Lord”. In the Bible, “the fear of the Lord” doesn’t necessarily mean feeling afraid. Proverbs was originally written in Hebrew, but the biblical Hebrew word translated “fear” doesn’t translate to any one English word. While it can have to do with being afraid, it can also mean to have the proper awe or reverence for someone. This is how we should think about “the fear of the Lord”. So you might say, “to know who God is, and therefore revere Him as God, is the beginning of knowledge”. True wisdom, according to the Bible, starts with trusting God! The promise of Proverbs is that we don’t face life alone without good counsel. When you face the practical problems of life (and there can be tons), God is with you!

As you read these devotionals, remember that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom remember to trust Jesus!

— NewSelph