Proverbs 1:3

"To know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight, to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity; to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth - let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance, to understand a proverb and a saying, the words of the wise and their riddles. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;  fools despise wisdom and instruction."
Proverbs 1:2-7

Continuing through the reason for the book of Proverbs with verse three.

"To receive instruction in wise dealings" I looked up "receive" in Strong's and there are 28 meanings! Wow! Unfortunately, it didn't specifically say which meaning matched this verse. But still, 28 meanings! Wise means prudence or good sense. Interestingly the word dealing is actually the same Hebrew word for wise, sakal. I guess using the same word in a row must be significant. Part of the purpose of the book of Proverbs is for us to get instruction in how to act with prudence or good sense. It seems like one phrase I hear more and more is common sense, as in someone has not shown common sense. This book helps us not just gain common sense but rather godly sense. I think that Proverbs should become required reading in schools!

"Righteousness, justice, and equity" The funny thing about these three words, is that when I looked them up they seemed to mean each other. So if repeating a word twice must be significant, then having three words that mean almost the same thing must really be significant. Righteousness means justice and rightness. Justice means just, right, act of deciding a case (court). Equity means evenness, uprightness, level. Do you see the similarity of these three words? This book gives us instruction that will help us showing justice; being even; and acting rightly.

This verse might be a short one, but it is packed full of such great things. I want to gain a godly knowledge in regards to good sense, rightness, justice, and being even. I can think that I have these things in my own strength. There are plenty of people who believe they have good sense, rightness, justice, and act evenly but God has a whole book in the Bible to instruct us in how to do these and be these. It makes me think of the verse "Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the heart." from guess where - Proverbs 21:2. We need instruction, I need instruction, in how to be and do what is really right. So thankful that God has provided this instruction!

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Proverbs 1:2

"To know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight, to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity; to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth - let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance, to understand a proverb and a saying, the words of the wise and their riddles. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;  fools despise wisdom and instruction."
Proverbs 1:2-7

Proverbs 1:2-6 is sort of like the blurb on the back of a book. I pick up a book and turn it over to find out what it's about. Instead of the back of a book this is how the book of Proverbs starts. I don't know about anyone else, but if I read this on the back of a book I would buy it!

"To know wisdom and instruction" This means to discern what is wisdom and admonition or discipline. Okay, not really liking admonition or discipline. The book of Proverbs explains that they go hand-in-hand with wisdom though. I mess up as much as anyone else and I need to be admonished. I need to discern to know what is true admonishment and discipline and what isn't. Satan would rather beat me up and make me feel shame and failure. It is important for me to discern what is real admonishment and what isn't.

"To understand words of insight" These words of insight are sayings. To understand them means to be acquainted with them. That means to have personal knowledge of them. As a teacher, I teach my students many examples of figurative language. The idioms or adages or metaphors that they understand best are the ones that they have used themselves. We need to become as familiar with the sayings of Proverbs.

Wow, this is just verse two. If the reason for the book ended at verse two I would still want to read it. I would like to know what is real wisdom and discipline, and I want to become so familiar with wisdom saying that my life would be full of wisdom. The next post will continue by examining verse three.

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