A Proverbs 31 Woman: Part 6

The final characteristic of a virtuous woman is her excellence as person. Proverbs 31:30-31 "Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised. Give her the product of her hands and let her works praise her in the gates." She is a God-fearing woman. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, for the recognition of His power and might and overwhelming, and as man was created in His image, so was woman the apple of His eye. Crafted by God as an image of beauty and purity, a godly woman is a force that can be trusted throughout the most difficult time for she will endure. Her strength is tied to her love and support, just as she supports and loves her husband, so the two of them succeed together. Therefore she is to be praised above all others, for a virtuous woman demonstrates the love and compassion of God; displaying the best qualities that He has enabled a wife with and should be recognized for her efforts.

A Proverbs 31 Woman: Part 5

Through Proverbs 31:25-29, the virtuous woman is praised her role as teacher and a mother. These two roles will play a tremendous role in the development of her children, as is evidenced for the author is re-calling the words that his mother taught him. Her role as a teacher is shown in 25-26 for she is described as poised and wise. "Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she smiles at the future. She opens her mouth in wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue." I would call attention to "smiling at the future," for it seems all to often that people worry about what the future may hold; today the economy, wars and other things far beyond the control of the common individual. By remaining calm and optimistic she enables her household to feel the same way and draw from the same strength that she possesses. She is then described as a teacher with kindness and wisdom on her lips. I believe this verse requires little explanation outside of remembering your favorite elementary school teacher, and why years down the road you can still remember her that well. Virtues on display for all to see, and it makes a lasting impact. The 5th characteristic of a virtuous woman is the wonderful role of a mother. The smile of loving mother has served as a source of inspiration for artists, poets and sculptures throughout the ages. The ability to give birth and raise children has served as a mark of a woman's worth since the beginning of mankind, thus it should surprise none that it falls highest of the virtues save her love for God. Proverbs 31:27 "She looks well to the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and bless her; her husband also, and he praises her, saying "many daughters have done nobly, but you excel them all." The virtuous woman is praise-worthy and distinguished by her actions for she has served her family with love and compassion and therefore deserves to be recognized and loved for her efforts.

A Proverbs 31 Woman: Part 4

The Bible breaks in praise of the virtue of the wife as home-make to give praise to her virtue as a neighbor before returning again to her praise as home-maker. This continuation of recognition of a wife as a home-maker is important, for all to often in marriages a husband will lose focus on the efforts of his wife and the care that she provides for him; often one's he does not even see. In the 20th verse is the praise of her efforts as a neighbor, for she does not hold back from the poor or needy, rather providing what she can without asking for return. She extends a hand of love for God has blessed her and her family with more so that they can provide for others in their times of need. The author than returns to the praise of the wife in her role as a homemaker with verse 21 "She is not afraid of the snow for her household, for all her household re clothed with scarlet. She makes coverings for herself; her clothing is fine linen and purple. her husband is known in the gates, when he sits among the elders of the land. She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies belts to the tradesmen." The virtuous wife is described as prudent in her care of her family, refined and elegant, respected and industrious.

A Proverbs 31 Woman: Part 3

In continuation of the second virtue of the virtuous woman: her role as a home-maker Proverbs 31:16 "She considers a field and buys it; from her earnings she plants a vineyard." The first part of this verse discusses the care that a wife will make before using the families income to make a large purchase. Weighing the value of the purchase before opting either to turn down the offer or buy it. Far to often, large purchases are made irrationally and without proper consideration given. Than from this purchase the planting of a vineyard represents that she uses her purchase to the benefit of the family. Again, the focus is not on herself, but rather the family. In order for a marriage and a family to succeed the attention needs to be on the welfare of the family, not the individual. Proverbs 31:17 "She girds herself with strength, and makes her arms strong." This verse is in praise of the energy and enthusiasm of the virtuous wife, for it is through repetition and stress that strength is born. Therefore, to gird herself with strength, signifies how she accepts the struggles of the family and marriage and excels at them for she is made strong. Proverbs 31:18 "She senses that her gain is good; her lamp does not go out at night." A prelude to the parable of the 7 virgins who did not have lamp oil for the arrival of the groom that Christ will later tell. However, the message still bears true of the service as a good steward; taking proper care of that which has been entrusted to you to see its gain. Proverbs 31:19 "She stretches out her hands to the distaff, and her hands grasp the spindle." The diligence that is required to operate a spinning wheel is the message here that is the final verse in relation to the home-maker, the level of attention and care that is necessary to take care of a home and a family.

A Proverbs 31 Woman: Part 2

In continuation of the study of the Proverbs 31, we will continue to explore the qualities of the virtous woman having last one identified where the narration comes from followed by an analysis of her qualities as a wife. Now we transition into the second quality that the Bible devotes a large amount of time for it is the role of the woman, as the home-maker. I feel the need to again give pause and explain that these studies are not intended to be patronizing or sexist, rather I am writing as I understand the material, agree or disagree however much you wish. Proverbs 31:13 "She looks for wool and flax and works with her hands in delight." The virtuous wife takes the time and care to prepare the clothing of the day for her loved ones as an act of service not out of requirement, but out of love she provides for her family. Proverbs 31:14 "She is like merchant ships; she brings her food from afar." The gathering of food, modern day grocery shopping, is indeed another errand required for a family to function, however, the simile to a merchant ship implies certain charatersitics about the way she performs this task. A merchant is the in the business of trade to profit themselves, therefore they must be very careful and precise about the material that they select to sell, else it be their ruin. It is with this same level of care that a wife provides for her family, in selecting the better options for consumption and preparation. Proverbs 31:15 "She rises also while it is still night and gives food to her household, and portions to her maidens." The opening part of this verse describes the love and care that a wife provides while nursing her young. For with infants, feeding during the night is a common part of life that cannot be neglected. The second portion of this verse discusses that she gives portions to her maidens. With servants their livelihood was entrusted to the master during Biblical times, and fell upon the wife to ensure that the servants portions were allocated to them. Not to mother them, but to ensure they were taken care of per their rank.

A Proverbs 31 Woman: Part 1

As we have established in earlier posts, the author of this particular chapter of the Bible is up for debate. Regardless of the identity behind the author, the truth behind the author's words are rather specific and still hold true today. The words are being rehashed as to the virtues that the author was taught by his mother, focusing on alcohol and the finding of a virtuous wife. We shall now begin to look into the mother's advice on the makings of a Godly woman and the qualities to be sought in a wife. I realize that some readers may find these "virtues" to be old fashioned or bonds upon the equality of the sexes, and if you happen to feel that way, one my apologies, and two that's unfortunate. In this 3 part series we shall look at the 6 characteristics of a Godly wife: her virtue as woman and a wife, her devotion as a homemaker, her generosity as a neighbor, her influence as a teacher, her influence as a mother and finally her excellence as a person. Proverbs 31:10-12 Address the character of the wife. Praising her as with worth far beyond jewels, a rarity that is a blessing from God as described in Proverbs 18:22 "He who finds a wife, receives a blessing from God." She is meant to be found, a woman is meant to be pursued and therefore it is the man's responsibility to begin the courtship and romance; yes, to work to win her favor. For it is by pouring his time and energy into pursuing her that "the heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not evil, all the days of her life." A virtuous wife stands by her husband in love and supports him throughout all things. Providing a safety and security that cannot be found elsewhere; becoming an essential part of the home. The husband entrusts his wife with his material possessions and household for she has demonstrated her ability as a good steward throughout the courtship.

The Danger of a Strong Drink

The mother of King Lemuel is speaking on dangers of alcohol is the first matter addressed in Proverbs 31. Specifically it is addressed in Proverbs 31:5-7 as reads: "For they will drink and forget what is decreed, and pervert the rights of all the afflicted. Give strong drink to him who is perishing, and wine to him whose life is bitter. Let him drink and forget his poverty and remember his trouble no more." Lets take these verses one at a time. Understand that King Lemuel was placed in a position of authority with the power to use to rule so the perspective is written as one who is in authority. To drink and forget what is decreed and pervert the rights of the afflicted, lends itself to the idea of the destruction of the law and those under your charge. Expand on that thought; the destruction of the home and the family that you have. Same principle. How many times do we hear of abusive spouses, who commit crimes they later regret due to their lust for alcohol. It truly is a vile drink that does destroy even the most righteous man. It is said to let alcohol be given to those who are perishing and distressed; drinking away their sorrows. What this means is that finding your hope at the bottom of a whiskey bottle, is a trait that has been around for thousands of years. This does provide the benefit of forgetting one's misery and sorrow, but a at a cost for it wreaks complete destruction on the body. For in order to reach a point of forgetfulness, you have to consume far beyond what you should have.

Proverbs 31 Introduction

With the conclusion of Proverbs 10 in my last post we are now transitioning to the end of of the book of Proverbs for a different style of writing along with a rather specific message. Proverbs 31, is written by King Lemuel in reflection on the wisdom and words of his mother. As always with Biblical analysis the first step is to understand the author and what the inspiration behind their particular passage is. For King Lemuel, this is the only time in the Bible that he is mentioned by name or referenced to. As a result, this has lead to several theories about the truth of his identity; whether he was in reality Solomon operating under a pen name, or perhaps he was Hezekiah: the king of Massa, or that he was simply an Arabian prince that was selected by God to deliver a message. The name means "to God" and has the implication of "belonging to God." El (the basic name for God in Hebrew) on the end of Lemuel shows the name to be a compound of God. Personally, I think the name and context points to a poetic reference to Solomon. In Ecclesiastes, Solomon never uses his own name but presents himself seven times as the "Preacher" (Ecclesiastes 1:1, 2, 12; 7:27; 12:8, 9, 10). The shift in emphasis in Proverbs would call for a different construction. Through most of Proverbs, Solomon is giving words of wisdom to his son. In Proverbs 31, King Lemuel is repeating the words of wisdom given to him by his mother. Regardless of whether we assume the author to be Solomon, the message of this chapter is wisdom that would benefit King Solomon during his later years. These words contain the describe the dangers of alchole followed by the need for a virtuous woman.

Proverbs 10: 31-32

"The mouth of the righteous flows with wisdom, but the perverted tongue will be cut out. The lips of the righteous bring forth what is acceptable, but the mouth of the wicked what is perverted." Proverbs 10:31-32 There are two principles that come to mind in the reading of these two verses. You have the religious message, as to what is acceptable, aka pleasing to God, is also one who is blessed with wisdom. The second is the principle that some readers may be familiar with; being able to hold one's tongue against your personal desires. Holding your tongue, rather than cursing or some other manner of inappropriate behavior.

Proverbs 10:29-30

Proverbs 10:29 "The way of the Lord is a stronghold to the upright, but ruin to the workers of the iniquity." The lifestyle of the righteous is one that is not of this world and often draws persecution and/or segregation for the refusal to engage or accept matters of life that are against one's own beliefs. Therefore, it is necessary to have a defense against that opposition when it comes, not if, but when, for the believer has been promised that there will be rough times and we will be persecuted for our faith. In this proverb, the way of the Lord is described as a stronghold. The average defenses of a stronghold were designed with the intention to withstand the most fearsome of enemy attacks, a place to withdraw and regroup. The modern day stronghold is now the church. A unified body of believers who will band together to support and sustain each other throughout whatever trials may come. With a unified front, temptation will be unable to prevail. Proverbs 10:30 "The righteous will never be shaken, but the wicked will not dwell in the land." I included this second verse within the same post for the message resounds the same for the believer. The claim that "the righteous will never be shaken," is a proclamation that the way of the Lord is strong, sound, correct and resolute. However, the second portion of this verse deserves to be examined for it can be understood in a historical context or a spiritual sense. Historically, the land of Israel was originally inhabited when following the Israelites arrival to the promised land. They were then blessed by God to remove the scourge from their land. Regardless of the face they did not follow through with the instructions they received from God, the wicked were not allowed to dwell in the land of Israel. Disobedience aside. However, should we look at this verse from a spiritual analysis, the wicked are not allowed to dwell in the House of the Lord, only those who have been washed by the blood of the Lamb may enter through the gates of Heaven.

Proverbs 10:28 Part 2

Now we get to address the darker side of proverbs 10:28. We left off last with two questions unanswered:

1. What are the expectations of the wicked?
2. How do these said expectations perish?

The first answer is rather simple when you take a moment and think about it. What are the expectation of the wicked? Replace some of the words and re-read it. "What do all men desire?" Same question, different wording. The basic instincts and desires of mankind are the expectations of the wicked, for all humanity is wicked, for all have sinned. We can claim this for the ways of the righteous are desires that we seek to emulate the personality and image of God, whose ways are not our ways. Now how do these expectations perish? How many of the dead do you see looking for love, money or food? Not a whole lot, otherwise Quentin Taritino may have to make a few zombie movies in order to keep up with the rest of the world. The point is that in death, you take nothing with you. Its game over for material matters, you leave it all behind and all that matters than is what you have invested in eternal matters. Which as we established our not desires or expectations of the wicked, but rather the righteous.

Proverbs 10:28

"The hope of the righteous is gladness, but the expectation of the wicked perishes." Proverbs 10:28 This verse continues the them of chapter 10, with the contrast of the righteous vs the wicked. In later chapters the theme shifts to the contrast of the upright vs the wicked, two different principles that we will address when we get there. Here we are faced with the need to define 4 main points within this proverb to solidify an understanding its message.

1. What does the hope of the righteous pertain to?
2. Define gladness
3. What are the expectations of the wicked? How are they different than hope?
4. How do those expectations perish?

First question: the hope of the righteous is gladness, is what the proverb tells us. However, that is not the answer to the question at hand. The mention of hope implies a better future, a better tomorrow, however you wish to think about it. For the Israelites during the time of Solomon life was actually fairly well. However, soon to follow his corruption and fall would be a dark time for the land of Israel as we repeat the disobedience, enslavement, repentance, deliverance phase of history. Therefore, to have hope for a better tomorrow would lead us to believe the author is referencing eternal life. A life that cannot be tarnished by the world, and therefore is something that can be relied upon continually. Thus providing a matter or belief to have hope in. Second: Gladness, the knowledge that one day it will come to pass and will be enjoyed. This definition was the interpretation of Dr. Matthew Henry, and when this view is tied together with the hope of eternal life, you have the source of hope and the ability to have faith in it for your belief that it will come to pass. Interesting, that you cannot have one without the other. Joy, or gladness, requires a reason for its existence, and hope requires a belief that what you believe will one day occur. Continued on Part 2:

Proverbs 10:27

"The Fear of the Lord prolongs life, but the years of the wicked will be shortened." Proverbs 10:27 I do not believe a literal interpretation is the best place to begin an analysis of this particular verse. If faithfulness to God was the foundation for a long life, than we should see a clear distinction in life spans between the righteous and the wicked. However, if you read the paper on any given day that is not the case. Rather than justify the actions of the world by quoting Romans that "all have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God." Romans 3:23, and therefore all of our years have been cut short. I believe if we look at this verse from a different perspective we may gain a different insight. What I am referring to is when taken in context of the authors writing, some 2200 years ago, the average life was around the age of 45 years. With our modern medical miracles we have prolonged this and adapted, however, in Biblical times the law was given and contained rather specific instructions in regards to the preparation of food. If you look at these preparations they contain several medically sound principles for the prevention of contamination and spoiling of food, as well as avoiding ill prepared meat. Therefore, it can be regarded that the fear of the Lord, and consequently obedience to the law will result in a healthier lifestyle, and therefore a longer life. Follow the Bible, live longer.

Proverbs 10:26

"Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so is the lazy one to those who send him." Proverbs 10:26 As you may have noticed the length of entries have remained the same, but instead the level of analysis has started to increase upon each of the specific verses. This change has occurred as I have been studying I am finding that the wisdom that is in these proverbs requires more time and analysis than a mere glancing comment of one or two lines. With all that aside let us tackle this proverb in two parts, one the physical reaction and then the meaning behind it. Vinegar: For those of you who do not posses the patience to read the entire article provided, or simply do not care enough to, the important two facts to pull away are the following:

1. Vinegar is an acidic liquid processed from the fermentation of ethanol in a process that yields its key ingredient, acetic acid
2. Biblicaly is was not a pleasant thing, for it was sour wine

With this basic level of understanding it allows us to theorize the effects of vinegar to the teeth, the results following the same principle as leaving your tooth in a can of coke-a-cola. It will rot and disintegrate the enamel and eventually decompose the entire tooth. Hardly a pleasant experience. The same holds for smoke to the eye. Any person who has sat around a campfire can testify to the affects that sitting downwind of smoke can have upon your eyes. The smoke agitates the blood vessels until the burning sensation and irritation drys them out completely. With these two unpleasant, and potentially harmful activities are used to describe the frustrations of supervisor, manager, lord of the time, when dealing with a particular servant who is lazy in their duties. The best option that is found with smoke to the eyes, is to remove the source of irritation, in this case the lazy servant. Dismiss them from your charge.

Proverbs 10:24-25

10:24 What the wicked fears will come upon him, but the desire of the righteous will be granted. The purpose of lies are to cover the truth. For whatever, reason we come up with to rationalize it to ourselves. We do not want to hurt them, they would rather not know, its not important. All of these are simply self-rationalizing behavior designed to keep someone from finding out something about us. That which we fear will be found out. 10:25 When the whirlwind passes, the wicked is no more, but the righteous has an everlasting foundation. Ah, the triumphal story of good overcoming evil in the end. That regardless of whatever plots are devised, good will ultimately triumph, and for the most part this is the case. The reason, this seems to fail is based on our perspective. We look at it from the wrong time-line, looking at what we want to happen rather than the end game result, that we may not bear witness to.

Proverbs 10:21-23

10:21 The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for lack of understanding. The military overtone is noticed in this verse. What I mean by this Solomon understood war, and its techniques, and it is when there is not a clear and established line of communication, people will die. This can come from misunderstood orders, to not having the necessary supplies or amunntion to comlete the mission or even survive. The logistics of any military force is the absoulte backbone. 10:22 It is the blessing of the lord that makes rich. and He adds no sorrow to it. Wealth is not a sin. Wealth is a blessing from God that is given for us to manage and to provide good stewardship over. The parable that Christ will late discuss emphasises this message that he has much, and takes care of it, will be given more. People all to often forget the part about being a good steward of that which you have. 10:23 Doing wickedness is like sport to a fool, and so is wisdom to a man of understanding. A fool will enjoy the destructive acts of his work for the burden of sin is not known to him. A man who does not understand how lost he is cannot begin to understand how much pain he is actually in.

Proverbs 10:16-20

10:16 - The wages of the righteous is life, the income of the wicked, punishment. Your earnings reflect upon your character and your personal integrity. The conduct of business with others and thus your developed reputation are at stake with your line of work. 10:17 - He is on the path of life who heeds instruction, but he who ignores reproof goes astray. Have you ever tried to convince someone that what they are doing is wrong and/or harmful to themselves or others, and they will not listen? Same principle, you cannot prove someone wrong if they refuse to accept it. 10:18 - He who conceals hatred has lying lips, and he who spreads slander is a fool. Here is the basis for lying by omission is still considered lying. Regardless of the intent as to why something is not said, it can still cause great amounts of damage. 10:19 - When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable, but he who restrains his lips is wise. When to many words are said, errors will come to surface eventually, or leads to gossip and slander for the sake of having something to say. 10:20 - The tongue of the righteous is as choice silver, the heart of the wicked is worth little. The words of a mentor are distinctly remembered, due to the fact that we respect that individual for their merits and take lessons than to heart from them.

Proverbs 10:11-15

Proverbs: 10:11 - The Mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence. The righteous will always be willing to serve, to teach and to correct. A fountain of life is revival of the spirit from illness and depression. Proverbs: 10:12 - Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all transgressions. The greatest example of this is John 3:16, the transgressions of the world forgiven by God. As opposed to our "righteous anger" and all the solutions that provides. Proverbs: 10:13 - On the lips of the discerning, wisdom is found, but a rod is for the back of him who lacks understanding. Discipline will find those who act impetuously, whether by their own actions or loose words. Proverbs 10:14 - Wise men store up knowledge, but with the mouth of the foolish, ruin is at hand. The storing of knowledge is the learning process of education along with the physical storing of knowledge, books, libraries things of this sort. Proverbs 10:15 - The rich mans wealth is his fortress, the ruin of the poor is their poverty. 80% of America's current millionaires are first-generation, which means they assembled their own wealth. The security of wealth can provide peace within one's family. Poverty, or poor, are states of mind. You can be broke, but not poor. To admit your poor is to accept the situation as your lifestyle and wallow in your misery.

Proverbs 10:6-10

Proverbs 10:6 Blessings are upon the head of the just: but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked. Blessings and goodness will be given to the virtuous man, while unjust methods will ultimately be found out. Proverbs 10:7 The memory of the just is blessed: but the name of the wicked shall rot. Within every man is a desire to have an impact and be remembered for the things he accomplished while here on this world. The importance of this verse is evident if you recall names throughout history of both the blessed and the cursed. Lincoln, Moses, Hitler. Each name recalls feelings due to their actions while they lived. Proverbs 10:8 The wise in heart will receive commandments: but a prating fool shall fall. Wisdom is gained through experience and the wise will apply these lessons to themselves and their own lives. Proverbs 10:9 He that walketh uprightly walketh surely: but he that perverteth his ways shall be known. Ultimately all a man's deeds will be known, even if after he passes away. Proverbs 10:10 He that winketh with the eye causeth sorrow: but a prating fool shall fall. Trick and lies will never prosper.

Proverbs 10:1-5

Verse 1 "The proverbs of Solomon. A wise son makes a father glad, but a foolish son is a grief to his mother." The emotions and comfort level of the parents will be reflected by a child's actions. Verse 2 "Ill-gotten gains do not profit, but righteousness delivers from death," Ill-gotten gains references to any manner of wickedness or deceit used to obtain. Certainly gives a disapproval for Machiavellian methods. The deliverance from death I believe is referring to a spiritual death, for Abraham believed and righteousness was credited to him through faith. Verse 3 "The LORD will not allow the righteous to hunger, but He will reject the craving of the wicked." This verse in conjunction with verse 2 describes the providence that will be provided for the man of faith. That God will not forsake a man of righteousness and will provide for him spiritually. This should not be mistaken for matters of health and wealth, rather spiritual matters and the works of the Kingdom. Verse 4-5 "Poor is he who works with a negligent hand, but the hand of the diligent makes rich. He who gathers in summer is a son who acts wisely, but he who sleeps in harvest is a son who acts shamefully." We are called upon to be good stewards of the gifts that are provided to us. Verse five is in consideration of the passing of opportunity through one's own personal failures.

The fear of the Lord?

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction." Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the Lord is one of the Seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, as described in Isaiah 11:2-3 (also known as wonder and awe). This fear should not be misinterpreted as a fear of punishment due to one being in trouble, rather the fear of the Lord is a filial fear (the fear of offending someone whom one loves.) It comes from our understanding of the power and love of God and the mercy that He has displayed towards us. A similar feeling would be comparable to the fear of disappointing your parents or a beloved mentor. When they use the same line "I'm not mad, I'm just disappointed," and it hurts more than any punishment would. That is a shallow representative to the fear of the Lord. It is also said that this is the beginning of knowledge. My understanding as to why it is the beginning, is to realize the vastness of God's love and mercy. When we begin to understand all that has been and will be done for us, that creates the relationship for filial fear. From this, our desire to grow in that relationship continues and we seek a closer relationship to the Lord. The Bible discusses multiple times the infinite wisdom of God and as we grow in our relationship to Him; knowledge and wisdom are granted to us.

The Usefulness of Proverbs

Almost everyone has at some point in their respective life run across a verse that has been quoted to them or paraphrased from the Book of Proverbs. However, the actual study of these phrases and principles is often left to Preachers for Sunday morning sermons that the congregation sleepily follows along to and than never gives a second thought to as they argue over what to do for lunch that Sunday afternoon. My goal here is to attempt to penetrate the meaning behind these riddles and garner some amount of truth and wisdom all while enjoying a nicely warmed cup of Earl Grey tea. So let us begin: The book of proverbs we learn from the beginning was written by King Solomon, the son of David, King of Israel. The reason I begin here is that in any analysis of Biblical text we must first begin with a discussion of the author. However, I will fast forward through the book of Kings and his history to get the more critical factors. (For a review of Solomons, please read http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solomon ). I will attribute authorship to Solomon unless otherwise noted for in the later Proverbs there is still debate to the true authors, but more on that later. I'll conclude each post with the proverb to be discussed during the following post. Later this week, our discussion will focus on fear of the Lord and the meaning behind this phrase. Proverbs 1: 1-7 The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:

2 for attaining wisdom and discipline; for understanding words of insight;

3 for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair;

4 for giving prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young-

5 let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance-

6 for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise.

7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.