Pro 1:6 | KingComments | STEP | Solomon has made the importance of his teaching in this book of proverbs penetratingly clear in the preceding verses. If we have understood at all the importance of a guide to and on the path of wisdom, we will desire to take in the contents of this book. This does not mean that everything is bite-sized in front of us. An apparent difficulty arises. Besides clear proverbs and words of wise men understandable to all, the book also consists of figures and riddles of wise men. This means that it is not always immediately clear what is meant. Often proverbs are “think-throughs”, riddles. We have to think about them and think through them. We will have to listen intensively to each proverb and look at it closely. In doing so, we must also pay attention to the context in which the proverb appears. So sometimes we need to think about a proverb and examine its meaning. When we do that, we will discover, to our surprise, that the proverb examines us. It prompts self-examination and questioning ourselves. The examination places us under the inquiring eye of God as He Himself speaks to us in this book. God puts His spotlight on our life so that we view it in His light. This should lead us to a conclusion that shows we have understood Him and adjust our life accordingly. This reflecting and thinking through a proverb is an important point to note at the beginning of this book. We need time to extract wisdom and allow it to penetrate us. Teaching is not always just there for the taking. We have to search for it, dig for it. This book is not a cursory novel that reads smoothly. But if we seriously seek wisdom, we are in the right place. If we are convinced of the importance of the search for wisdom, every effort will be rewarded. The significance that wisdom has for us will be measurable by our effort to obtain it.

‏ Proverbs 1:6

Proverb, Figure, Words, Riddles

Solomon has made the importance of his teaching in this book of proverbs penetratingly clear in the preceding verses. If we have understood at all the importance of a guide to and on the path of wisdom, we will desire to take in the contents of this book.

This does not mean that everything is bite-sized in front of us. An apparent difficulty arises. Besides clear proverbs and words of wise men understandable to all, the book also consists of figures and riddles of wise men. This means that it is not always immediately clear what is meant. Often proverbs are “think-throughs”, riddles. We have to think about them and think through them. We will have to listen intensively to each proverb and look at it closely. In doing so, we must also pay attention to the context in which the proverb appears.

So sometimes we need to think about a proverb and examine its meaning. When we do that, we will discover, to our surprise, that the proverb examines us. It prompts self-examination and questioning ourselves. The examination places us under the inquiring eye of God as He Himself speaks to us in this book. God puts His spotlight on our life so that we view it in His light. This should lead us to a conclusion that shows we have understood Him and adjust our life accordingly.

This reflecting and thinking through a proverb is an important point to note at the beginning of this book. We need time to extract wisdom and allow it to penetrate us. Teaching is not always just there for the taking. We have to search for it, dig for it. This book is not a cursory novel that reads smoothly. But if we seriously seek wisdom, we are in the right place. If we are convinced of the importance of the search for wisdom, every effort will be rewarded. The significance that wisdom has for us will be measurable by our effort to obtain it.