Purpose of Proverbs

Ecclesiastes 12

Introduction:

What were they thinking: As a young teen ager, I sat in a locker room with my dad on vacation.  There were some other boys in that locker room telling jokes and carrying on as boys do.  I do not remember the joke, but I do remember the joke was slightly off colored.  I laughed.  Soon there after, my dad scolded me.  He stated that we were not to even laugh at those types of jokes.  His reasoning went this way: the things we laugh at we will eventually accept, and the things we accept we will eventually partake in.  

 

The dry moral teachings of Proverbs perhaps could cause the reader to limit the Proverbs to a system of dry morality.  “This book contains the main parts of pure and undefiled religion, and lays down the best of rules for the prudent conduct of life and for obtaining the favour of God and the testimony of an approving conscience.” (J.Jortin, D.D)

 

Proverb:  A short, pithy saying in frequent and widespread use that expresses a well-known truth or fact.

I.  Divine Inspiration of the Book of Proverbs

A.  Inspiration

1.  The test used to determine whether a book was part of the OT Canon was   inspired   authorship.

2.  An inspired author/prophet could be discerned utilizing the test given in Deut. 13:1-5; 8:14-22

3.  Practical Knowledge

a.  Solomon, Samuel, Daniel, Isaiah and Ezekiel all had   dreams   and visions which squares with God’s description of a prophet from Deut. 13:1 and Num. 12: 6-8

b.  The New Testament quotes the Old Testament over   600   times (all of the Old Testament books are quoted except Ezra, Neh., Esther, Eccles., and Song of Solomon).

4.  The Jewish Scriptures contained 22 books. This corresponds to our 39 books.

            B.  Application (2 Timothy 3:16,17)

1.  It has been accepted throughout all of Christian History that Proverbs is Scripture; therefore, Proverbs is “   inspired   ”

2.  Since Proverbs is “inspired,” it is also   profitable   for doctrine, reproof, correction, instruction in righteousness that the man of God may be:

a.  Perfect

                                    b.  Throughly furnished unto all good works.

II.  Purpose of the   Preacher   (Eccl. 12:9-14)

            A.  To teach the people   knowledge   (vs. 9)

            B.  To find acceptable   words   that will serve as (vs. 10-11)

                        1.    Goads  

                        2.    Nails  

C.  To remind us to keep the main thing, the   main     thing   (vs. 13-14)

~Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the   whole   duty of man

~For God shall bring   every   work into judgment, with   every   secret thing, whether it be   good  , or whether it be   evil  .

III.  Given Purposes of the Book of Proverbs (Prov. 1:1-6)

            A.  To know  wisdom  and    understanding  

            B.  To perceive the words of   understanding  

            C.  To receive the   instruction   of wisdom, justice, judgment and equity

            D.  To give   subtlity   to the simple

            E.  To give the young man knowledge and   discretion  .

                        ~A wise man will hear and will increase learning

                        ~A man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels

            F.  To   understand   a proverb

G.  To   understand   the interpretation of the words of the wise and the wise’s dark sayings

IV.  Application to Today