Here is a small sample of a book recently released (1999) on the Proverbs by Louis Goldberg, formerly a professor of theology and Hebrew studies at Moody Bible Institute and now Scholar in Residence with Jews for Jesus. It is entitled, The Practical Wisdom of Proverbs.
Within the Old Testament, we note three classes of ministers with different functions. The priest ministered at the altar, offering up sacrifices on behalf of the people, thereby representing them before God. One of his basic tasks was to serve the people who came to worship. The prophet had an opposite ministry. Through various ways he received messages from God and delivered this word to the people, either through preaching or through prophecy, with its implications for the future. Therefore, the prophet represented God to the people. The functions of both priests and prophets can be seen in Jeremiah 18:18.
A third class of servants, however, is revealed in the same passage: the sage or wise man. His service was distinct from the prophet or priest, yet his wisdom was always in harmony with their message and function. Though the wise man did not claim inspiration for his counsel, the wisdom he possessed was given by God (Prov. 2:6). The wise man did not predict as did the prophet, but he had a most important function within Israel by giving practical advice to those who needed it.
The person who sought wisdom did not have to speculate or act as a philosopher. Neither Old Testament wisdom nor the wisdom described in the book of James should be confused with the Greek idea of intellectual knowledge, as good as it may be at times. Biblical wisdom is not theoretical. Rather it is a wisdom based on revelation from the God of truth Himself. God knows every situation a person will ever experience, and His divine revelation can provide a practical knowledge that will fit all the problems of life. Therefore, the person who wishes to be wise has access to wisdom that will help him sift right from wrong. Said the wise man of the Scriptures, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” (Prov. 1:7). Since knowledge can be applied to the problems of life, it’s as if the sage adds, “See to it that you put this knowledge into practice!”
Most of Proverbs is not to be applied exclusively to the Old Testament believer. The word Israel occurs only once, but the term man (translated from adam, a generic reference to all mankind) appears some forty-three times in Proverbs. With certain exceptions, therefore, the wisdom of the Old Testament is generally applicable everywhere to people of all times. The book of Proverbs is offered to all travelers along the road of life. We need not drift aimlessly in the currents of man’s speculations; for those who seek it, the wisdom of God is applicable to all life’s problems. (pp. 14-16)