Wise Words
0 comments | Posted by Steven Layson on 30 Apr 2011 in From Steve's Study ::
One of the most popular sections of any bookshop is the “How to…” section (that’s assuming you can still find an open bookshop!). You can find books on how to get a job, run a small business, work a PC, be a good dancer, build a deck, bring up children & lose 5 kgs, just to name a few. In recent years, a slightly different spin has been put on these with the “For Dummies” series. For example, there’s “Russian for Dummies”, “Currency Trading for Dummies”, “Tennis for Dummies” & even “World Poverty for Dummies”. All of these books offer “wisdom” (of varying amounts and quality) and they flourish because we all need help to live successfully.
These kinds of “books of wisdom” are nothing new of course. Ever since very ancient times, there have been collections of “wise words”, which aimed to help people make the most of their lives. One example of these ancient books of wisdom is in the Bible… the book of Proverbs.
Proverbs is a fascinating book, which is quite different in character to many of the Bible’s books. It consists mainly of a seemingly random collection of wise advice and life observations. In many ways, it is very similar to other ancient “wisdom” books.
There is, however, something that sets it apart; something that is not to be found in any of these other works, and it all has to do with the basis of wisdom. For the basis of wisdom in Proverbs is to be found in the “Fear of the Lord”. Some 14 times throughout the book we are reminded that “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (eg Proverbs 1:7). The fear they are talking about is not a “terror” or “panic”, but rather a reverential awe, a choice to live with God as the centre of everything we do. The book of Proverbs touches on all the ordinary, or mundane, parts of life, giving wisdom on how to live well. However, we will never understand true wisdom unless we learn to “fear the Lord”.
« He is Risen! Vengeance is mine!»
Commenting has expired or Comments are turned off for this article.
