WISDOM FOR THE DAY

Verse 1

Solomon wrote both proverbs (wise words) and songs. In all, he collected 3000 proverbs (1 Kings 4:29-34). The Book of Proverbs contains many of them. This book teaches us how we should live. It explains the way of wisdom. It warns us about being foolish.

Verses 2-3

The wise person honours God, and God protects him. A foolish person refuses to obey God. There are many dangers for such a person. The Book of Proverbs explains these dangers.

Solomon tells us about four types of person. Each will benefit from Solomon’s wise words.

Verse 4

The simple person

Today, we should not call someone ‘simple’. We might offend him. He would think that we supposed him to be stupid.

In the Book of Proverbs, a simple person is someone who is not wise. By the word ‘simple’, Solomon means more than this. A simple person has not learned to be wise. So he is in danger. Evil people can easily lead simple people to do evil actions. But nobody is really good. ‘Everyone does evil things. Everyone fails when you use God’s standards’ (Romans 3:23). We are all simple people by God’s standards.

God wants the simple person to learn his wisdom. This begins when we invite God into our lives. Then God will help us to become wise. We must grow in wisdom, and we must grow in our knowledge of God.

Young people

The Book of Proverbs is poetry. Some poems are very short and other poems are longer.

The style of the poems may seem unusual. Sometimes, one line has the same meaning as the next. Sometimes lines contrast with each other. In other places, the meaning develops from line to line. Watch out for these different styles.

These poems help us to remember the proverbs.

The people believed that they should remember proverbs (wise words). Fathers taught proverbs to their sons. Mothers taught them to their daughters. Grandchildren learned them from their grandparents. Children had to use their memories. The adults tested the children’s memories.

In this way, children learned to be wise. In the future, when problems came, they would know the right thing to do.

For the same reason, we should learn Bible verses today. We should teach them to our children. In this way, we shall learn true wisdom.

Many things in the world change. There are new inventions, for example television. There are new illnesses, for example AIDS. There are revolutions and new governments.

Wisdom does not change. Solomon gave advice that is still good. He wrote wise words and they are still wise today.

Today’s young people will grow old. Wisdom that we teach them now will remain with them.

Verses 5-6

The wise person

A wise person loves wisdom. ‘He loves God’s law. He is always thinking about it.’ (Psalm 1:2).

He always wants to learn more. He is never too tired to think about wisdom.

He still makes mistakes. ‘Show a wise man how he is wrong! He will love you for your correction.’ (Proverbs 9:8). He even wants you to teach him. ‘Teach a wise man and he will become still wiser.’ (Proverbs 9:9).

We can all learn more. We can all grow in knowledge. The Bible teaches us God’s wisdom.

The intelligent person

Like the wise person, the intelligent person wants to learn. He will ask for advice. He is trying to understand God’s ways. As he studies, he will know more. He will even understand difficult words of wisdom.

Verse 7

When you learned English, you started with easy words. When you learn any subject, you must start with easy lessons. The first lesson in wisdom is that we must respect God. He made everything. He is greater than we are. We must give honour to him.

A person who does not know God may be clever. He may have many skills. We can learn many things from him. Such a person lacks something important.