Proverbs exists in the canon so that God’s people might live in the joy of God’s presence. We could easily inscribe 1 Thessalonians 4:3 at the front of Solomon’s book: “For this is the will of God, your sanctification… .” Each of us is called by God to strive for “the holiness without which no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14). And God has graciously given us the means to do this: His Spirit speaking in His Word, including the words of Proverbs.

“An Apple a Day…”

Among other hobbies, I enjoy subjecting my loved ones to proverbial malaphors. “We’ll burn that bridge when we come to it.” “Get all your ducks on the same page.” “Too many cooks killed the cat.” Et cetera.

Saner minds spend time studying actual proverbs, since they are designed to help us pursue a good life. These cultural sayings can become especially useful at the start of a new year. “The early bird catches the worm” suggests I consider better sleep habits. Other proverbs may prompt me to improve my diet and exercise routines. “Strike while the iron is hot”… or at least while I still regret all the sugar I ate last month.

The Power (and Danger) of Proverbs

A proverb is a pithy saying that provides quick, memorable access to an alleged truth.[1] Like parables, proverbs present us with powerful images that can act as a sort of intellectual or ethical IV line, quickly and efficiently delivering meaning to the heart.

Perhaps more than we realize, we have all been shaped by the “simple sayings” that echo around us — for good, or for ill. For example, there are cultural proverbs which may lead us to believe that words will never hurt us (they will), or that God only helps those who help themselves (He doesn’t), or that no news is good news (except when it’s not).

A poor proverb takes me away from reality. So also a good proverb misapplied, which may be even more dangerous — if only for the fact that, since we know it is relevant in some situations, we are slow to realize when it is irrelevant to our own.

Do I Need the Book of Proverbs?

To ensure we are on good ground, we should turn to the inerrant, God-breathed Book of Proverbs. God never lies (Titus 1:2), and we can trust all that He tells us. Yet even here we are not safe if we misread the title as “Promises.”

It can be beyond painful to read verses like Proverbs 12:21 or 22:6 against your own experience and ask, “What went wrong?” These and other examples may lead us to conclude that the Book of Proverbs, far from being useful, is only applicable to a few people under the most ideal conditions. For the rest of us, Solomon’s treasury seems to have suffered the death of a thousand qualifications.

And yet, we cannot afford to ignore these 31 chapters of the Bible. God has given them to us, and He told us the reason why upfront:

To know wisdom and instruction,

 to understand words of insight,

 to receive instruction in wise dealing,

 in righteousness, justice, and equity;

 to give prudence to the simple,

 knowledge and discretion to the youth—

 Let the wise hear and increase in learning,

 and the one who understands obtain guidance… (Proverbs 1:2–5)

The Purpose of Proverbs

Proverbs should not be read as promises like Genesis 12:2 or John 11:25–26. Yet neither should they be discounted as mere statistical probabilities or, still worse, pious advice. As the Didache, an early manual on Christian living, put it, “There are two ways — one a way of life, and one a way of death — and a vast difference between the two ways.”[2]

Read More