Proverbs - Wisdom from our Elders

I am on a roll - I finished Proverbs!

Again, as with Psalms, my lovely daughter suggested I may not want to read Proverbs straight through.  But did I listen?  Of course not.  And Proverbs was a much easier read than Psalms ever was.

All those little tidbits of wisdom.  

    Proverbs 16: 31 Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained in the way of righteousness.

    Proverbs 18:13 To answer before listening--that is folly and shame.

    Proverbs 19: 21 Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails.

I went into Proverbs thinking it was all written by King Solomon.  Surprise!  It was not.  Okay, most of it was based on the teachings of Solomon, but not all.  I found it interesting that Proverbs begins with the Purpose and Theme, much like a paper you would write for a class.  

Next comes the prologue.  Or, why was this written?  

The answer to why is pretty straightforward.  To provide wisdom.  And why do we need wisdom?  For the moral benefits and for our well-being.  To provide warnings against adultery, folly, adultery again, and the adulterous woman.  (Adultery was apparently a big issue for Solomon.)

Finally, the book moves into what I thought it was all about - the Proverbs of Solomon.

There are a lot of little snippets of wisdom here - many that are repeated over and over in just slightly different manners.  Don't gossip.  Be generous to the needy and poor.  Don't be lazy.  Control your temper.  Be Fair.  Discipline your children.  Don't be a fool. You get the picture.

Then some other people chime in with their words to the wise followed by a little more from Solomon.

Don't be a quarrelsome wife.  Don't eat too much honey (or you will vomit).  Pay attention to what you have - it will not be there forever.  Greedy people stir up conflict.

Next, a few words from Agur and King Lemuel.  

And finally the Proverbs 31 woman... The Wife of Noble Character.  I heard people reference that verse before, but I never really knew what they were talking about.  Now I do...sort of.  At first I thought she was an unrealistic superwoman.  I mean, who can do all she does?  Then I reread it again, and yes, I still think she is unrealistic. But, I also wonder if this was really meant as praise all good, hardworking, faithful women and not a rulebook on how to be a good wife as I have heard it described.  

Something to ponder, I guess.