In Proverbs, chapter one, verse one, a proverb is a short wisdom saying, comparison, or question that expresses a principle or observation about human behavior from God’s point of view. These proverbs are to instruct God’s people, especially the younger generation, on how to live to please God, have a happy and successful life, and avoid tragedies resulting from sin, as in verses two through six and fifteen to nineteen of this chapter.
Solomon, the third king of Israel, wrote many of these proverbs. Early in his reign, he prayed for wisdom, and God granted his request as in First Kings three, verses three through fourteen, and First Kings four, verses twenty-nine to thirty-two. Later in life, however, Solomon himself did not follow the wisdom God gave him. Failing to preserve in the fear of the Lord, he turned his heart away from God, as in First Kings eleven, verses one to eleven. Therefore, merely knowing or teaching moral principles from God’s Word is inadequate to ensure spiritual life; there must also be an ongoing fear of, dependence on, and responsibility to God, as in verse seven of this theme chapter.
The theme verse under The Purpose of Proverbs is the wisdom written through the servant of God by the Holy Spirit to inform all people of life on how to live from God’s point of view. Simply reading and saying the scriptures is one thing, but living and keeping them in the heart is another. The whole duty of the godly is to serve God and be a doer of His holy Word and not hearers only. Solomon is an example of how life can be at the beginning, but continuing as we grow in Christ and get older is life’s challenge for all believers who receive Jesus Christ.