Written by Solomon, Proverbs is not a random mismatch of disjointed concepts thrown together haphazardly. Instead, Proverbs was written in a systematic and orderly structure to accomplish some very important purposes. Our first six verses gives us these purposes and it would be wise to look at what is available for those who are willing to surrender their lives to the authority of God’s Word.


In Proverbs 1:2, there is wisdom in the book of Proverbs, and instruction on how to live life. Without this wisdom and instruction, we will find ourselves ending up in a culture and society much like we see around us today in America, which is not a positive statement. With all the education that abounds, one wonders why it seems that people have lost the ability to think. Any wisdom based on a foundation, other than the Bible, is worthless. In fact, most wisdom today is based on the religious belief called humanism and can only lead to decay, which is what we see going on in our society, culture, economics, and politics. Proverbs will reset a proper foundation for society as a whole, if people are willing to listen and obey. Lastly, there is a crossroads. We see the direction society is going, and it is not good. Doing more of the same is the quintessential definition of insanity. It is time for society to realize it has and is failing outside of God and the Bible.


Proverbs 1:3, two words jump out, especially today. These two words are justice and equity. In our society, with the push for social justice, and having equality, these words have lost their meaning. What is promoted today is an empty shell of what is true justice and equality. The only way to get the truth of these is to see how it plays out through the Scriptures themselves, and no, the Biblical and societal concepts of these words are not the same. Christians should not be deceived by this lie. Those who seek for justice and equality, from outside the pages of Scripture, will never receive that which they are seeking. 


Proverbs 1:4 states a goal is to give prudence to the simple. Prudence is a word that can mean shrewdness. Is this bad? Not necessarily. Jesus expresses this in Matthew 10:16. Do you see it? How we use the shrewdness can either make it good or bad. Notice who is getting the shrewdness, the simple. There are many who are simple, and show a lack of logic, common sense, and reasoning. They do not have the depth of knowledge needed to function in life. This is exactly what we see going on in our society. Have you ever wondered, “What is going on with people today?” They do not have a good mind. In fact, they are running toward a depraved mind mentioned in Romans 1:18-32. This is one more example of knowledge built on humanism. But to the young man, knowledge and discretion. How sadly this is lacking with young people today. It is painfully obvious that many today operate their entire life off emotion. They cannot control or contain their emotions, so they put it on full display for all to see.  We are seeing the entire demise of homes, states, and nations because emotions is the new test for truth. Jesus, in Matthew 10:16, talks about not throwing our pearls before swine, that is discretion. Spend time online watching the sad and utter embarrassment of people of all ages, and you will see an utter lack of discretion. Society is decaying  and our nation, from the highest to the lowest levels are rotting from the inside because the Bible and God has been denied and removed from all areas of life. 


Proverbs 1:5 changes focus. Now the focus is on wisdom and learning for the wise. Ask a wise man what they would want more of, and they will answer, “more wisdom.” Not more possessions, or power. Wisdom is the thing that should be sought, and with it, everything else falls in line. This wisdom that can do this is ONLY found in the Bible and in Christianity. But there is also counsel for the understanding. Knowing says we do not know everything. The outworking of that wisdom is the seeking of advice from those who do know. That is counsel. In Proverbs, this will be found. 


Proverbs 1:6 is to give an understanding of proverbs, riddles, and enigma. Sometimes an answer to a question is not usually a straight forward yes or no. Sometimes a story is told to illustrate this. Jesus did this when talking about the prodigal son, Luke 15:11-32. One ran from home and the other stayed. Most focus on the evil and returning of the younger son, but that is not what the parable is about. It is actually about the older son! This understanding, in our culture, is depleted and therefore, not being used. Proverbs will return this to society...if we submit to God’s Word.