Proverbs

The book of Proverbs was written to be used as a wise set of rules that we should follow. That is why some of them were written as parables so that it would be easy for us to understand and remember.

The Hebrew word for proverbs (pronounced: mish-lay) actually means to compare as a parable or a story. The root meaning behind this word is to rule or have dominion. This would be someone who compares, as a rule, to help keep one on the right path. Or as parents we have dominion, or authority, to help set our children straight based on the Word of God. As stated in Deuteronomy 6:7 (NAS), "You shall teach them [God's Word] diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up."

The original Webster's dictionary of 1828 defines it as, "a canonical book of the Old Testament, containing a great variety of wise maxims, rich in practical truths and excellent rules for the conduct of all classes of men."

Examples of these definitions are shown between the fool and the wise man, The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, But a wise man is he who listens to counsel – 12:15 NAS. Other examples we see are in the first several chapters of the book of Proverbs. Solomon is emphasizing to a young man, as if his own son, to stray from the seduction of the adulterous wife, stay out of sin or watch out for the wicked.

Wisdom is also seen crying out in a similar manner. Now, is it possible that Wisdom is also the Holy Spirit that calls to us to help keep us straight? The Hebrew word for Wisdom (chah-ch-mah - keep in mind that "ch" is guttural) is feminine in gender, and the same word for Spirit in Hebrew (roo-ach) is also feminine in gender. If we truly believe that the three are one, then is it possible that Wisdom and the Spirit of God are also one in the same? I leave that up to you to decide because it goes beyond the scope of this writing (not to say that I might not pick it up myself sometime later on.)

Now when Yeshua (Jesus) walked the earth He also spoke in parables, and it was for a two-fold purpose:
  • He spoke with the same wisdom and teaching that the writers of Psalms did. And He was not trying to change what the Jewish mindset already understood with a new mindset.(Matthew 5:17-19; Revelation 22:16;Proverbs 30:6; Deuteronomy 4:2;12:32 )
  • He also spoke these parables as something that we could learn from to live our lives by.
I would like to sum it up with this for now from Proverbs 1:2. For me this is the key verse for all of Proverbs in Solomon's opening words. I personally translated this from Proverbs (hopefully I will have the rest of Proverbs 1 to post at a later date). It states: To know wisdom and correction, to understand with discerning words of understanding. Stay close to the Holy Spirit and He will lead, teach and correct you in all that you do (Proverbs 3:5,6). Until next time... Shalom!

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