Praying through the Proverbs

Standard wisdom for families on road trips is that the wife had better pack a map, because no self-respecting man would ever stop and ask directions.  However lost they may get, what hours are added to the trip trying to weave a way back on the right route, a true man’s man is simply not interested in anyone’s imposition of directions.

All this changed with the advent of the GPS.  This is not merely because maps are becoming obsolete with the dawn of this new technology, but simply because men love consumer electronics!  Now, men are more than willing to confess their directional ineptitude, if only she will permit him go to the electronics store and buy a GPS.

Truth is, we are all directionally challenged.  Sin clouds our vision, and our idolatrous hearts want to carve out paths of our own choosing.  Yet, God is faithful.  He has not left us without a map, the lines of which trace the trajectory of redemption from a dignified beginning in a paradisiacal garden, to the fallout of the fall, to a cross and a tomb, neither of which could hold down the Redeeming Mapmaker, all the way to a consummate beginning in a new heaven and earth.  And right in the middle of that story, a trove of wisdom for the journey for those of us who live amidst the fallout of the fall, between redemption and consummation.

Wisdom has been a hot commodity in various cultures throughout human history.  One need not search far to find collections of wise maxims tuned for keeping one from folly.  These proverbs, whatever the culture from which they arise are typical in commonsensical and practical application of supposed truth to life.  Commonly, there is metaphor, poetic device, things to do, things to avoid, ways to live, all in short compass.  

Again, wisdom has always been in high demand, be it in ancient China: When a tree falls, the monkeys scatter (when a leader loses power, his followers are destabilized), or something my Daddy used to tell me, Pay a junk price, and you usually get junk (just because something is inexpensive, doesn’t mean it’s worth buying).  A quick web search turns up Irish proverbs, English proverbs, Chinese proverbs, African proverbs… a proverbial cornucopia of wise words.  And there is much wisdom to be mined in many of these sources.  God, in his common grace to human beings created in his image, has allowed the discovery of certain truths, even among those who do not acknowledge the source of truth.

The assumption, whatever the culture, whatever the epoch in human history, is that the wise person will take the wisdom and run with it – live it out.  Most proverbial traditions are concerned with being moral (conditioned of course by the norms of morality in any given culture), avoiding immorality, and escaping the immoral designs of others against oneself, etc.  Morality is good, of course.  But, all the moral maxims in the world cannot account for the rejection of maxims and rebellion against morality to begin with.

Something more is needed… some One more is needed.  This is why the biblical proverbs cannot be summarily tossed onto the generic pile of wisdom this world has to offer.  To think of the biblical Proverbs as mere good advice, is like calling a Stradivarius a fiddle.  Indeed, Proverbs in the Bible is not given so we can hear wise advice and run with it, but ultimately that we might run to and with the source of wisdom, Christ Jesus, who has become for us “wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption” (1Cor 1:30, ESV).

So much can be said about Proverbs.  However, lest this introductory essay become overlong and unwieldy, thus betraying the very nature of a proverb as a concise, pithy call to wisdom, let me suggest how we could think about Proverbs as much more than directions down the dead-end street of moralism for our grandchildren, but rather a map for the journey of obedience under the gracious reign of God in Christ.

CARE – As with any part of Scripture, care must be taken to interpret the literature of a particular book of the Bible properly.  While so much could be said about various minute principles of hermeneutics (the theory and practice of biblical interpretation) as applied to Proverbs, let’s consider just a few main ideas.  First, contrary to what may appear at first glance, Proverbs is not loosely strung together beads of wisdom.  There is a context and a trajectory, if we will take the time to notice.  Context is important, as has been said, “Any text without a pretext and a post-text is usually out of context.”  So, we see, for instance, in the first nine chapters of Proverbs an appeal of a loving Father to his son to pursue wisdom with particular emphasis on the sexual and financial aspects of life.  In chapters 10-31, be sure to read any given verse or proverb in light of the flow of the chapter it is in, as well as the paragraph or immediate verses around it.  You just might be surprised to see important connections.  Obviously, the end of the book, the famous woman of excellence, is a unit unto itself.  That makes obvious enough sense.  But, we should also see this as a wrap around contrast to much of what has been said about lady folly, the seductive, forbidden woman, earlier in the book.

Pay attention to recurring themes throughout the Book of Proverbs.  Wisdom is not some vague, nebulous concept.  In Proverbs it is applied to themes as varied, as relationships with neighbors, laziness vs. a strong work ethic, parenting, how to handle money and debt, sexual purity, a successful marriage, to name a few.  Can anyone deny the pertinence of these things to life in our modern culture, which carries with it the uneasy sense that spinning out of control is just a misstep or two away.  What this tells us, and what our children and grandchildren should learn, is that the Bible, which reveals God’s will, is imminently applicable and practical, as much in our day as Solomon’s.

It is also helpful to take note of the personifications or characters that play out the script of Proverbs.  In keeping with wisdom literature as a whole (Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon), we should expect to find the wise person (cf., Ps 1:1-6).  This is seen as Lady Wisdom crying aloud in the streets (Pr 1:20).  The wise son will heed her call.  In contradistinction, we find in the same space, the simpleton (1:22), who loves being simple.  By simple is not intended the superiority of complex obfuscation, but the danger of being simplistic.  The danger of their gullibility is seen in how dangerously close they are to outright scoffers and fools (1:22).  As a lot, their end is certain destruction (1:32).  Only the one who hears and heeds the voice of biblical wisdom will escape (1:33).  These characters, set out as if at the beginning of a play, carry the story of wisdom and folly, integrity and laziness, purity and debauchery in pages that follow.

Finally, recognize that many proverbs contain general truths applied generally.  By this I mean, Proverbs is not a vending machine of instant gratification, as if as soon as you do A, you are guaranteed to immediately have B.  Proverbs must be read in light of the whole of the Bible of which it is but one part.  In the correspondence of Scripture, we allow Scripture to interpret Scripture.  We interpret the less clear passages in light of the more clear passages.  While Proverbs contains many promises for the blessed, wise, useful life, other parts of Scripture remind us that God is in control, not just of history, but of our personal histories.  Hence, in his timing, for his purposes, things come to pass.  We are called to live according to wisdom and trust him with the chronology of what results, even if the results we desire take time to arrive.  We live according to his perceptive will, and leave to him the mystery of his decretive will.  In his most excellent commentary on Proverbs, Old Testament scholar, Bruce K. Waltke observes:

If God rewarded virtue immediately, the son would confound pleasure with piety, using piety and ethics to satisfy his prurient interests.  He would substitute eudaemonism (i.e., the system of thought that bases ethics on personal pleasure) for the true virtues of faith, hope, and love.  God develops the character of his saints by calling them to suffer for the sake of righteousness while living in the hope of eternal life.  In this way he teaches them virtue while upholding justice (Rom. 5:3-4; 2 Pet. 2:3-11).

This also bears upon those of us who would suggest a particular Proverb(s) to others, whom we may think need to walk more wisely.  As Tremper Longman III wisely notes:

A wise person knows the right time and the right situation for the right proverb.  Indeed, that is the prescription taught by the book of Proverbs itself, “Everyone enjoys a fitting reply; it is wonderful to say the right thing at the right time” (Prov. 15:23)!

The wise person knows the right time to speak the right word, and the right time to apply a principle expressed by a proverb.  Another wise man, Qohelet, often referred to as the Teacher of the Preacher, had this to say about the “right time” (Ecc. 3:1, 7):

There is a time for everything,
a season for every activity under heaven…

…A time to tear and a time to mend.
A time to be quiet and a time to speak up.

Proverbs are not magical words that if memorized and applied in a mechanical way automatically lead to success and happiness.  Consider Proverbs 26:7 and 9:

A proverb in the mouth of a fool
is as useless as a paralyzed leg.
A proverb in the mouth of a fool
is like a thornbush brandished by a drunk.

COVENANT – As we have noted, virtually every culture, at least ones of long histories, have their unique books and collections of wise sayings and maxims.  There is a great danger in viewing Proverbs as just another book of wisdom by not recognizing and acknowledging the covenantal framework in which the biblical Proverbs were said, written, and expected to be lived out.  Solomon, and the handful of other authors of Proverbs, gave their wisdom under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, so that those men, women, boys, and girls in the Old Testament who had been called out of this world’s system and away from its skewed values, would live differently.  Why?  Because they were the people of the Covenant of Grace, wherein God had promised that he would be their God and the God of their children after them (Gen. 17:7), the reward of which is union with the Seed [Christ Jesus] who would crush the serpent’s head (Gen. 3:15), and forgiveness and justification by faith in God’s promised Messiah (Rom. 5:1-2; Gal. 3:29).  Proverbs is covenantal living for covenant people.

Sages of many cultures and civilizations have looked around them, observed the created realm, tried to make sense of it all, at times succeeding because of common grace, and passed their thoughts along.  However, ultimately, apart from the God of wisdom, folly is the ever-present precipice over which one will ultimately go.  Man always is in danger of interpreting his world in a man-centered way.  For, how does one make sense of life and reality apart from the God of life and reality?

Solomon and the other writers of Proverbs saw things through covenantal eyes.  Again, Waltke:

Their wisdom, however, is not based on what theologians call natural theology.  They view creation through the lens of Israel’s covenant faith.  In other words, they derive truth from observing the created order and from experience, with the frame of reference of Israel’s covenants.  Without that frame the animal kingdom would teach the law of survival of the fittest (i.e., wickedness), not righteousness.  

CHRIST – Along with the covenantal context, we must look for the christocentricity of Proverbs.  In other words, what does Proverbs have to do with Christ?  As we have already said, wisdom has always been a hot commodity.  The Jews loved it.  After all, they were raised on Proverbs.  The Greeks prized Sophia (wisdom) and any teacher who could regale a crowd with his wise eloquence.  Yet, when we come to Colossians, we see Paul asserting to both Jews, who had failed to see the source of true wisdom in Messiah who had come, and Greeks, who had made an idol of their own wisdom, that, “in [Christ] are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Col 2:3).  What does this have to do with Proverbs?  Well, all the wisdom in this wise book has its source and embodiment in the person of Jesus Christ.

When Jesus met up with two disciples on the road to Emmaus, he taught them that the whole Old Testament was about him!  These two then found the eleven and told them they had seen the risen Lord.  Suddenly, he appears among them and reaffirms that the whole of the Old Testament was all about him (Luke 24:13-49).  That being the case, Proverbs is about Christ, first because Christ is not just wise, he is wisdom.  Lady Wisdom, that great main character is ultimately a type of Jesus Christ.  In Proverbs 8:22-31 we see wisdom brought into being by the Lord.  Yet, in John 1:1 we see that Jesus, the Logos of God created all things, including wisdom.  With that said, Wisdom, herself, is then involved in creation.  She, like Jesus, comes to earth and is rejected by fools and scoffers.  Both she and Jesus are the path to true life.  Jesus is the source of wisdom, because he is, in and of himself, perfect, ultimate divine wisdom.  Lady Wisdom in Proverbs is a reflection of who Jesus is, in and of himself.  Yet, Jesus in his person and work reveals his superiority to and fulfillment of Lady Wisdom, for he is the origin and full manifestation of true wisdom.

So, when we call our loved ones, our brothers and sisters in Christ, our children and grandchildren, and ourselves to live out wisdom of Proverbs, we are doing more than suggesting moralistic, outward conformity.  We are calling them to lean into Christ, who has become for us wisdom (1Cor. 1:30), because we are bereft of it, in and of ourselves.  Let us remind one another that it is not wise living that merits God’s saving grace, but rather that living wisely is the joyful response to God’s saving grace at work in our lives.  And, when we act foolishly, when we fail to live with integrity, purity, etc., we shall not despair, for we have One who has become for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption (1Cor. 1:30), and so we cling to Him in our weakness.  We must teach our grandchildren that the pursuit of wisdom and integrity is a hopeful process, even when they stumble, because they are united to Christ.  Wisdom is not some thing way out there, foreign, hard to access, impossible to imitate.  Wisdom is theirs as they learn of, live for, and love the Lord Jesus.  Calling them to wisdom is simply calling them to be disciples (which word in the Greek means learners) of Christ.

CONFORMITY – If anything is clear, it is that the covenantal, Christ-centered wisdom of Proverbs is so vastly different from much of the word-wrangling that has passed for wisdom teaching in various cultures.  One thinks of the virtual sport that the Greeks made of wisdom in ancient times.  Biblical wisdom is for living and dying… and everything in between.  And that everything in between is becoming more and more disconcerting as we see the way of the world around us, the world through which our children and grandchildren must learn to navigate.  Indeed, we live between the already and the not-yet.  Already he has redeemed us by that which in the worlds’ eyes seemed most foolish, but was God’s greatest display of wisdom – the cross of Christ (1Cor. 1:18-25), but not yet has he taken us out of this world so marred by the fallout of the fall.  The new heaven and new earth is a certainty, yet the trek there is beset with sin and temptation, not to mention the idols of our own crafting to which we are tempted to bow.  This makes Paul’s admonition take on a heightened urgency, “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil” (Eph. 5:15-16). 

To pray for our grandchildren’s growth in wisdom is a uniquely Christ-like thing to do.  You see, Jesus prays similarly for believers in his High Priestly prayer in John 17:7, when he asks his Father, “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.”  You see, to pray that our grandchildren will live according to Proverbs or any other part of that toolbox of sanctification that is the Bible is to pray for their growth in holiness and conformity to Christ (see Rom. 8:28-29).  Though your prayers be weak and inconsistent at times, though you own pursuit wisdom not always be exemplary, though your grandchildren ebb and flow in their interest in being wise, take great comfort in knowing that no one, not even you, is more committed to the sanctification of covenant children than God, himself.  That sanctification is a certainty (Rom. 8:30), for the God who causes our salvation, carries our salvation, and completes our salvation, as Paul says, “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Php. 1:6).  So, teach them wisdom, pray for them, and remind them that they and you, empowered by Christ (Col. 1:29), can do all things through him who strengthens you (Php. 4:13).

Pray with the aid of this little book that these three grandmothers have written.  Think of it as a GPS unit of sorts – a “Grandparents’ Prayer System”, as you seek to love and lead your little ones in biblical wisdom.  For, to pray for our grandchildren that they would learn and live out the principles of the Book of Proverbs is itself an act of obedience to Scripture, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him” (Jas. 1:5).  Did you catch that?  Yes, God gives wisdom.  We may readily admit that.  But, are you ready to believe in his generosity in giving?  Are you ready to believe that he does not reproach you for your own lack of wisdom or your grandchildren for their occasional forays into folly?  He will, with integrity, wisdom, and perfect timing supply your needs and theirs.  So, go on, ask in faith and don’t doubt (Jas. 1:6).  As John Newton (1725-1807, Come, My Soul, Thy Suit Prepare) has taught us to sing:

Thou art coming to a King,
Large petitions with thee bring;
For his grace and power are such
None can ever ask too much.

David Owen Filson
Pastor of Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church
Nashville, Tennessee