Why are young people drawn to the book of the Proverbs? We thought they didn’t want to be lectured, to be preached at. Still, Proverbs is a young man’s favorite. Why? Because it is so genuine, so honest, so straightforward, so up front. Here we learn the way life is.
The very tone of the book is a square deal in a world of lies, masks and facades. Notice that not only is the tone of the book of Proverbs true to life, so is the structure.
Why do we struggle with the outline of the book of Proverbs? Educators tell us some people primarily learn in a sequential way, while others learn in a random manner.
In the first nine chapters you see proverbs strung together in a plot. Each chapter develops its characters and moves together to make a point. This is also the style of chapters 25, 30, and 31. Sometimes in life we have the luxury of learning big areas of God’s truth all at one time, and this is the way we should begin learning–line upon line.
But in most of the book, (ch. 10-24, ch. 26-29) the proverbs seem to be laid out in a random manner. One proverb may nestle in against other seemingly unrelated proverb. Isn’t this how we learn in most of life? We learn “here a little and there a little.”
So is there a lesson in the structure of the book? Certainly. At the outset we are instructed very similarly to the way a teacher would lecture a classroom of students, “This semester we will focus our class time on the study of Shunning Evil Counsel.” And so for thirty-three successive lessons one great theme is insisted on. Next semester, the topic will be Learning to Value Wisdom in twenty-two lessons. So go the first nine chapters.
But even the professional student knows that all of life is not like a classroom lecture. We also learn in the mix of life. I am confronted with random lessons on sloth, and finance, and cranky neighbors, and bad attitudes all at the same time. And so most of the book of Proverbs is written in just that way. All that I will ever need to know on anything does not come to me in a one semester series.
One strong point of the Proverbs is repetition. We tell teachers that repetition is reinforcement. Some things bear repeating. Matthew, Mark and Luke repeat many of the same sayings and events of our Lord’s life. But in each case there is a differing emphasis. So, too, in the Proverbs. There is repetition, but in different settings. We say that some of the hardest lessons in life to learn are the ones we thought we already knew. The Lord brings us into a new situation to learn an old lesson. Also note the development of thought in the way a saying is restated or added to, as it is repeated in the progress of the book.
Another strength of some of these proverbs is the charm and surprise of the obvious. We read a proverb and may think, “But of course! That is so obvious.” These proverbs commend themselves to our conscience because of their obvious good sense. The right response to the teaching of the Holy Spirit is to say, “Yes, this is obviously true.”
Sin by its very nature is irrational, and when we return to God we are also returning to sanity and what God intends to be “common sense.” We have heard the query, “Why do we call it ‘common sense,’ when so few have it?” Few have it when few know God’s ways.
We grant that there are layers of meaning in the proverbs. When I say that the truth of the Proverbs is often obvious, I do not mean that there cannot also be deep, hidden, underlying thoughts. Certainly we may discover both. On the surface, we see an immediate obvious lesson, that shows us where the vein of gold begins. In this way there is something for all of us.
But the proverbs are called “dark sayings.” There is a depth here that challenges the treasure hunter. “Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out” (Prov. 20:5, nkjv).
Solomon has laid out these proverbs like a skilled chef who takes common ingredients and sets them alongside one another in surprising and sometimes startling ways. The arrangement keeps our palatte fresh and wanting more.