All sorts of information bombard our world; however, a lot of it is unfruitful and unwise. According to one website, Americans consume around 100,000 words of data each day. That is equivalent to about 34 gigabytes of words every day. Truly, that is a lot of words and information passing through our brains. The question remains, “How much wisdom are we getting daily?” Another question is, “In our consumption of information, how much wisdom are we truly getting?” Lastly, “Where does a person turn to for wisdom?”

The Wisdom of the Proverbs

A person seeking wisdom need not look very far because one can find true wisdom in God’s Word. The Bible is still one of the best-selling and widely distributed books, which means there are many people who own a Bible or have access to one. Therefore, a person can have access to the best wisdom.

Throughout history, many people have sought God’s wisdom in all areas of life. However, one such individual, namely Solomon, was a man known for seeking and obtaining wisdom. Danny and Jon Akin state, “Solomon was the wisest man in Israel’s history because the Lord granted him a wish for wisdom (1 Kings 3).” Similarly, John MacArthur writes, “God had given Solomon such great wisdom that he was deemed to be the wisest man of all time. People from all across the land traveled great distances to learn from him and give him gifts to try to secure his wisdom” (MacArthur). According to MacArthur, Solomon spoke around 3,000 proverbs and wrote many songs. Undoubtedly, Solomon received much grace and wisdom from God.

What is a Proverb?

A proverb is not just an empty statement; rather, it is something that contains truth. John MacArthur states, “A proverb is a short, pithy saying that expresses a general principle of life and often gives advice on how to live wisely.” Similarly, Jon Akin says that a proverb is the sentence of wisdom found in the book [Proverbs]. In other words, proverbs are sentences, sometimes short sentences, and straight-to-the-point wisdom, but what is most important is it is God’s wisdom. We all need God’s wisdom. We are all foolish, make bad decisions, say bad things, and sometimes do things that are not wise. Therefore, we need God’s wisdom to help us to be wise and make wise decisions. Akin helps us better understand when he writes, “Proverbs is all about becoming wise in everyday life through a relationship with Jesus- through the gospel. It’s about the life of the kingdom that God always meant for humankind to live. When our vertical relationship with God is right through Jesus, we can be right with others and the world around us” (Akin).

In conclusion, Proverbs provides the reader with wisdom. It is the wisdom that humanity needs to understand how broken we are and how much we need Jesus. If I might encourage you, spend some time in Proverbs, getting to know the wisdom of God.

Questions

What are some of the rewards and benefits of wisdom? Of God’s wisdom?

What does it mean to “embrace” wisdom? How is this done? Why is it important?

What is your plan for gaining God’s wisdom through the Proverbs?

Resources

Christ-Centered Exposition: Exalting Jesus In Proverbs by Danny and Jon Akin

1 Kings 1-11, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes: The Rise and Fall of Solomon by John MacArthur