Week 24 Proverbs 2
I normally think of Proverbs as a book of Short Sayings (for instance: a prudent person foresees the danger ahead and takes precaution). But the Short Sayings Section of the book doesn’t really get started until chapter 10.
The first nine chapters are written in paragraphs that I wouldn’t necessarily call ‘proverbs’ (unless I called them Long Proverbs). Here’s a good example: my child, listen to me and treasure my instruction. Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding. Cry out for insight and understanding. Search for them as you would for lost money or hidden treasure. This doesn’t sound like a proverb to me. It’s more like a Proverbs Reader’s Advisory.
But whatever-all it is it’s a good how-to alert. A bible-reader’s basic job is to read the words. But it looks like the writer is thinking about a related – but different – question: what am I reading the words for? What’s the point of reading? And his answer seems to be that by submerging myself in the reading then I will understand what it means to fear the Lord, and I will gain knowledge of God.
On the one hand I can read the bible and grab some content – a kind of Fact Accumulation Exercise. But I can also potentially push through into the knowing-the-Lord domain. Which makes the basic task of reading a bit more than basic.
Note: quotes from Proverbs 22:3 2:1-4 5-6 (NLT)