People of God, the book of Proverbs is a book of wisdom; it is a book of contrasts, and a book of success. Wisdom in that it teaches how God wants you to live in this world; contrasts because it teaches you how God does not want you to live in this world, and success, because it establishes the good life in the way God intends it to be. Wisdom, contrasts, and success are three key ideas in the book of Proverbs. Indeed this is God’s plan for His world through His people. It is a pity that the idea that the Bible applies to all areas of life is so neglected today. In fact, it is neglected even by Christians. The fundamental reason for claiming the Bible does not speak to all areas of life is that for some life is ghostly. The center of the Christian life is the spiritual center. The physical stuff is irrelevant. They only exist to distract us from the life to come. After all, if the ship is sinking, why polish the brass?[1] The book of Proverbs corrects this mindset. In fact, in the Hebrew Scriptures it is very difficult to find a distinction between the spiritual and physical. The soul is not a ghost-like figure wondering around divorced from your body. When the Bible addresses the soul/spirit, it is also addressing your bodies and when the Bible addresses the body it is also addressing your spirit. The implications of this thinking is revolutionary for how we think about the Scriptures, and for our purposes, at the very least, the affirmation that God is concerned about both spiritual and physical teaches us that the Bible is also interested in teaching us about life, stuff, wealth, poverty, food, wine, water, trees, and everything else under the sun. When God said that creation was very good, He meant it and we should not be shocked when he speaks to us about a variety of issues and when He demands that we conform into His image. Our goal as image-bearers is to mimic the life of God the Father, the Son, and the Spirit.
In these next few Sundays I would like to explore a little bit of this vast depository of wisdom found in Proverbs 10. The book of Proverbs is made up of seven collections. The longest of these collections begins in chapter 10-22. These are labeled the Proverbs of Solomon. As we read these proverbs the first thing we realize is that it does not seem to be very organized, but the organization is present. You will find the themes of creation and you will find in the end the theme of marriage and weddings. There is a purpose we are working toward;[2] there is a culmination we are seeking. Continue reading “Sermon: Proverbs 10:1-3”
