LESSON 01 - THE BOOK OF PROVERBS: AN INVITATION TO WISDOM

Youth 4th quarter 2024

October 6, 2024

MAIN TEXT
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.” ( Prov 1.7 )

LESSON SUMMARY
The book of Proverbs is a manual of daily ethics in which God is at the center of the life of the young Christian.

WEEKLY READING

MONDAY –  Pv 2.20,21 Walking in the path of the righteous

TUESDAY –  James 3:17 The wisdom from above is pure, peaceful and merciful

WEDNESDAY –  Pv 1.1; 10.1 Authored and compiled by Solomon

FIFTH –  Prov 25.1 Compilation that the “men of Hezekiah” transcribed

FRIDAY –  Pv 1,5 For the young man to hear and grow

SATURDAY –  Pv 1.22 The call of wisdom

OBJECTIVES
TO PRESENT an overview of the book of Proverbs;
TO UNDERSTAND the composition and structure of the book of Proverbs;
TO REFLECT on the invitation and call to wisdom in the book of Proverbs.

INTERACTION
Dear teacher, it is with great joy and with God's grace that we begin a new quarter, when we will have the opportunity to study thirteen lessons taken from the book of Proverbs, a divine manual for living and relating to God, ourselves, our family and society. The commentator of the lesson is Pastor Marcelo Oliveira, head of the Christian Education Sector of CPAD. He is an assistant pastor of AD in Augusto Vasconcelos – RJ: bachelor in Theology; specialist in Education (Management and Teaching); graduate in Literature and student in Psychology. Our prayer is that this quarter be filled with blessings that result in spiritual growth.

PEDAGOGICAL GUIDANCE
Teacher, when beginning a new quarter, it is essential to emphasize the importance and currentness of the topic that will be studied. This not only demonstrates the relevance of the lesson, but also awakens the interest of young people and encourages their active participation. To do this, begin the class by asking students to share their expectations regarding the study of the book of Proverbs. This allows them to express their ideas and get involved from the beginning. Take the opportunity to present the outline of the entire book, according to the diagram below:

I. INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOK, 1.1-6
A. The basic principles of wisdom, 1.7
II. FATHERLY ADVICE ON WISDOM

A. The result of foolishness or madness and that of wisdom, 1.8-32

B. The Benefits of Being Wise, 1:1-22

C. Wisdom and God. 3.1-20

D. Instructions on making decisions and being good to your neighbor, 3:21-25

E. The great value of wisdom, 4.1-27

F. Warning against adultery, 5:1-23

G. Warnings against folly, laziness, and depravity, 6:1-19

H. Further warning against adultery, 6:20-35

I. The Seductive Lure of Adultery, 7:1-27

J. The Reward of Finding Wisdom, 8.1-36

K. The choice between wisdom and folly. 9.1-18

III. COLLECTIONS OF PROVERBS

A. The Proverbs of Solomon, 10:1-22:16

B. The sayings of the wise, 22.17-24.22

C. More Sayings of the Wise Man, 24.23-34

D. More Proverbs of Solomon, 25:1-29:27

E. The Sayings of Agur. 30.1-33

F. The Sayings of King Lemuel, 31:1-9

G. The Worth and Greatness of a Noble Woman, 30.10-31

Excerpt from Christian Guide to Bible Readings. Rio de Janeiro: CPAD, 2013, p. 217.

BIBLE TEXT
Proverbs 1.1-7,20-23

Proverbs 1
1 The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel.
2 To know wisdom and instruction, to understand the words of understanding.
3 To receive the instruction of understanding, righteousness, justice, and equity.
4 To give prudence to the simple, and to the young man knowledge and discretion.
5 That the wise may hear, and increase in learning; and the learned may acquire wise counsel.
6 To understand a proverb and its interpretation, the words of the wise, and their riddles.
7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: fools despise wisdom and instruction.

20 Wisdom cries out loudly in the streets,
21 In the crossroads, in the midst of the tumult, she cries out; at the entrances of the gates and in the city she utters her words:
22 How long, O fools, will you love folly? And you scoffers, will you desire scorn? And you fools, will you hate knowledge?
23 Repent at my rebuke: behold, I will pour out my spirit upon you abundantly, and make my words known to you.

INTRODUCTION
What is wisdom? Is there a manual for how to live? How should we relate to God, to ourselves, to our family and to society? These questions will be part of this quarter in which the book of Proverbs is our object of study.

I- A BOOK FOR LIFE

1- The art of living. We recently studied the book of Psalms and saw that this book presents valuable lessons for our spiritual life. Unlike the Psalms, the book of Proverbs is a set of advice that brings valuable lessons for our way of living with God, with ourselves, with our family and with the society in which we live. It is a book in which the teachings come from revelation from above, and therefore are principles of faith, and confirmed in the life experience of those who live in a just and upright manner ( Prov 2:20,21 ). Therefore, what is found in the Book of Proverbs is not an idealized way of life, but a practical teaching that has God himself as its source of inspiration and, at the same time, is confirmed through the lifestyle of the righteous who live to glorify God. This does not mean that the book of Proverbs should be read as a recipe that brings a secret for every moment of life. Quite the contrary, Proverbs teaches us to be realistic, prudent and careful, knowing that we must be instructed by God to walk in such a way that we develop a righteous way of living, always starting with God ( Prov 1:7 ).
2- What is wisdom? In the Bible, the word “wisdom” has to do with the ability to live in the midst of any circumstance without losing sight of the virtues that identify a just and upright way of serving God. This means that wisdom is not linked to information or pure and simple cultural knowledge, but the ability to apply certain knowledge to overcome a problem in life. For example, academic training does not have the power to free you from the paths of delinquency ( Prov 1:11-19 ), or from the snares of seduction ( Prov 7:21-23 ). But the wisdom that comes from above instructs you and, at the same time, creates, from the inside out, the necessary instruments to make you reject what is evil and embrace what is good and glorify God ( James 3.17 ). Thus, wisdom and the ability to deal well, according to righteousness, in our relationship with God, with our emotions, with our daily diet, with sexuality, with our family, with our neighbor, with the whole society and its structure, with money and specific dimensions of our existence.
3- Literature of Wisdom.Along with Job, Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon, Proverbs is a book classified in the literary genre of wisdom or sapiential. It is a type of Literature that concerns itself with practical wisdom applied daily to the circumstances of life: How should we relate to God? To ourselves? To our parents? How should we relate to our neighbors? When faced with injustice, how should we react without being on the same level as the aggressor? When faced with suffering, how should we relate to God? What is the meaning of life? These and other questions are part of the human experience and are duly addressed in the collection of Wisdom Literature and, in particular, in the book of Proverbs, the object of our study this quarter.

THINK! 

Is there a recipe for living life?

IMPORTANT POINT! 

No. However, there are teachings that originate with God and have been confirmed by the experience of God’s righteous people that serve as learning.

SUBSIDY 1
Teacher, after presenting the theme of the quarter, explain to the students that “the book of Proverbs begins with a clear statement of its purpose: to lead people to seek wisdom so that they may live in a way that pleases God. The first chapters consist of Solomon’s fatherly advice to young people. Although most of the material in this section is directed to young people, all those who seek to be wise will benefit greatly from these texts and have discovered the source, value, and benefits of wisdom.” Personal Application Study Bible” Rio de Janeiro: CPAD, p. 834)

II- COMPOSITION AND STRUCTURE OF PROVERBS

1- Proverbs, authorship and date. Basically, we can say that “proverbs” are “sayings” or “maxims” that express a general truth. For example: “to fall is man’s doing, but to rise is God’s doing.” Although it is not in the Bible, it is a good popular saying. There are other proverbs in the secular context that express a general truth. However, those that are present in the Bible are inspired by God and, therefore, contain a broader meaning, not being limited to just a maxim or saying, but going back to the interpretation of an ethical teaching of the faith of the people of Israel. It is no coincidence that the word moshol, “proverbs” in Hebrew, has this broader meaning, as we have highlighted. They are maxims or sayings that express truths that serve as a principle of correct and just life before God. Furthermore, the authorship of the book of Proverbs and the wise Solomon (most of the proverbs and his authorship), the Arab Agur, another non-Israelite, Lemuel, and an unknown author. These authors wrote maxims or sayings, parables that express divine principles that can be applied to our daily lives. The approximate date of its composition is 970-700 BC, before the exile of the Jews.
2- The structure of the book of Proverbs. First of all, we must emphasize that the book of Proverbs was written as Hebrew poetry. For this reason, it is also called a poetic book. This information is important to observe the many images that are present in the book ( Pv 7.20-27 ) through comparisons, contrasts and parallelisms as very peculiar elements of Hebrew poetry. Thus, since it is also a poetic genre, it is not possible to establish a rigorously systematic organization. Therefore, for didactic purposes, scholars usually structure the book of Proverbs into three main divisions:
I- Discourses (1-9):
II- Collections of proverbs (10-29)
III- Appendices (3rd and 31st).
One important piece of information is the authorship and compilation by Solomon regarding chapters 1 to 24 (Pr 1.1; 10.1 ); and the compilation of chapters 25 to 29 by “King Hezekiah’s men” (Pr 25.1), although the authorship is Solomon’s. The first division (Chapters 1) provides an introduction ( 1.1-7) which presents the context and purposes of the Book of Proverbs and then opens a series of longer discourses that bring instruction, exhortations, warnings, and rebukes that encourage the fear of the Lord, illustrated by means of the contrast between the conduct of the wise and the conduct of the wicked (Chapters 1.8 – 9.18). The second division (Chapters 10.1 – 29.27) is a collection of the proverbs themselves, that is, of maxims or sayings, in which concise and lively phrases aim to settle in the Reader’s memory, reinforcing the teaching of the discourses present in the first division (1.8 – 9.18). And, finally, the third division (Chapters 30 and 31), called the appendix, which reinforces all the wisdom presented throughout the book, prioritizing a straight and fair relationship with our neighbor.

SUBSIDY 2
Teacher, ask students to name a popular saying that they know and like to use. After listening to the students, explain that the book of Proverbs is a true compendium of the wisdom of the Hebrew people. They are short sentences, but full of meaning and truths that were learned in the daily lives of the Israelites. Explain that most proverbs have their origin in the popular sayings of the people of God. These popular sayings were collected, grouped according to a logical sequence and compiled by the wise men, especially Solomon. However, this book is the Word of God. And God speaking through the circumstances of life. Also emphasize that there are several literary forms within the book, such as parables, poems, antitheses and comparisons.

III – INVITATION AND CALL TO WISDOM

1- The purpose of the Book of Proverbs (Prov 1:1-7). The purpose of the Book of Proverbs is set out in the introduction to the Book itself. Here, we highlight three expressions that reveal this purpose: “to know wisdom and instruction” ( Prov 1:2 ), “for knowledge and discernment for young men” (Prov 1:4 – NIV) “so that the wise may hear and increase in wisdom” (Prov 1:5). Consequently, two images appear at the end of the first division (1:8 – 9:18): the image of foolishness personified in a woman who seeks to seduce the naive young man (Prov 9:13-18) and that of Lady Wisdom who seeks to induce the young man to acquire wisdom and intelligence (Prov 8). They are perfect analogies of foolishness and wisdom respectively. That said, we can say that the purpose of the book of Proverbs is to instruct young people, shaping their character so that their lives are fully consistent between the timeless values ​​of God and the temporal circumstances of our human experience. Therefore, a book as old as Proverbs has much to say to you, because the issues it deals with are timeless, eternal; they do not arise from the external sphere of the human being, but from the issues of the heart that every young person presents in any context they find themselves in. The Book of Proverbs was written for you!
2- Everything begins with God (v.7). One of the precious lessons from the introduction to the book of Proverbs is that the biblical tradition of wisdom begins with God ( Prov 1.7 ). It begins with “the fear of the Lord,” that is, reverence for God, love for Him, trust in Him, and humility as a consequence of obedience to His commandments. Here, we must pay attention to the expression “beginning.” It refers to what comes first, the elementary conditions for taking any step forward. The “fear of the Lord” is the elementary condition for acquiring wisdom in relation to the things of God, with oneself, with one’s family and in one’s relationship with society. In fact, all the issues in our life, as well as our relationship with the world in which we live, will be organized when our relationship with God is in order and coherent with Him. There are no shortcuts. Everything starts with God!
3- Choose wisdom (Pr 1.20-23). ​​In verse 20, wisdom is personified in a woman who “cries out,” that is, she cries out in the streets, avenues, squares or wherever the young man is; and confronts them in a very direct way: “How long will you be naive? You have persisted in your naivety” ( Pr 1.22 ).NVT). The naive person here, or the fool, and the one who lacks prudence and understanding, has no conviction of his own and, therefore, follows the path of any fool (Proverbs 1.9). The Biblical Wisdom revealed in God makes the young Christian responsible for his life before Him, as well as before men (Proverbs 1.23). In this sense, the book of Proverbs invites us to mature, in order to follow the path of prudence and responsibility. Proverbs desire to forge a divine character within you.

CONCLUSION
In this lesson, we introduced the study of the book of Proverbs, we saw some particularities of this sacred Book, its organization and purpose. However, the most important thing is to respond to the invitation and call that the book makes to us to live in wisdom. So, do you want to grow in wisdom?

REVIEW TIME
1- How do the teachings of the Book of Proverbs differ from the teachings of Psalms? Unlike Psalms, the Book of Proverbs brings valuable teachings for our practical life, that is, it is a Book of ethics, a way of living in God, with oneself, in family and in society.

2- What is wisdom?
In the Bible, the word “wisdom” has to do with the ability to live in the realm of any circumstance without losing sight of the virtues that identify a just and upright way for those who serve God.

3- What are the main divisions of the book of Proverbs?
I- Discourses (1-9): II- Collections of proverbs (10-29) III- Appendices (3rd and 31st).

4- What is the purpose of the book of Proverbs?
The purpose of the Book of Proverbs is set forth in the introduction to the Book itself: “to know wisdom and instruction” (Prov 1:2), “for knowledge and discernment to the young” (Prov 1:4 – NIV) and “for the wise to hear and increase in wisdom” (Prov 1:5).

5- Where does the tradition of Biblical Wisdom begin?
The biblical tradition of wisdom begins with God (Prov 1:7)