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    Proverbs: A 12-Week Study
    Proverbs: A 12-Week Study
    Proverbs: A 12-Week Study
    Ebook110 pages1 hour

    Proverbs: A 12-Week Study

    By Lydia Brownback

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    About this ebook

    The book of Proverbs uncovers the foundation of wisdom, marks out the paths that make us wise, and points us to the ultimate source of all true understanding: Jesus Christ.
    Helping make sense of a unique book, this guide explains the biblical text with clarity and passion—uncovering its wise instruction for godly living that glorifies God and leads to blessing for his people.
    Over the course of 12 weeks, these studies explore books of the Bible and:

    - Ask thoughtful questions to spur discussion
    - Show how each passage unveils the gospel
    - Tie the text in with the whole story of Scripture
    - Illuminate the doctrines taught in each passage
    - Invite you to discover practical implications
    - Help you better understand and apply God's Word
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherCrossway Books
    Release dateJul 31, 2014
    ISBN9781433540257
    Proverbs: A 12-Week Study
    Author

    Lydia Brownback

    Lydia Brownback (MAR, Westminster Theological Seminary) is the author of several books, including the Flourish Bible Study series; Sing a New Song; and the On-the-Go Devotionals for women, and she is passionate about teaching God’s word.

    Read more from Lydia Brownback

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      Book preview

      Proverbs - Lydia Brownback

      SERIES PREFACE

      KNOWING THE BIBLE, as the series title indicates, was created to help readers know and understand the meaning, the message, and the God of the Bible. Each volume in the series consists of 12 units that progressively take the reader through a clear, concise study of that book of the Bible. In this way, any given volume can fruitfully be used in a 12-week format either in group study, such as in a church-based context, or in individual study. Of course, these 12 studies could be completed in fewer or more than 12 weeks, as convenient, depending on the context in which they are used.

      Each study unit gives an overview of the text at hand before digging into it with a series of questions for reflection or discussion. The unit then concludes by highlighting the gospel of grace in each passage (Gospel Glimpses), identifying whole-Bible themes that occur in the passage (Whole-Bible Connections), and pinpointing Christian doctrines that are affirmed in the passage (Theological Soundings).

      The final component to each unit is a section for reflecting on personal and practical implications from the passage at hand. The layout provides space for recording responses to the questions proposed, and we think readers need to do this to get the full benefit of the exercise. The series also includes definitions of key words. These definitions are indicated by a note number in the text and are found at the end of each chapter.

      Lastly, to help understand the Bible in this deeper way, we would urge the reader to use the ESV Bible and the ESV Study Bible, which are available online at www.esvbible.org. The Knowing the Bible series is also available online. Additional 12-week studies covering each book of the Bible will be added as they become available.

      May the Lord greatly bless your study as you seek to know him through knowing his Word.

      J. I. Packer and

      Lane T. Dennis

      WEEK 1: OVERVIEW

      Getting Acquainted

      Proverbs is a collection or anthology of individual proverbs that offers skill in the art of godly living. The book provides wisdom for reflecting God’s glory in the details of daily life and in one’s relationships. It demonstrates clearly that God’s ways are intensely practical and apply to every aspect of his people’s lives. The main emphasis of the book is to show that relating rightly to God involves, first, seeking to understand his truth, and second, embracing and obeying that truth. Clear throughout is that following God’s paths leads to blessing, whereas forsaking them leads to ruin.

      Proverbs, along with Job, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon, is part of the Old Testament Wisdom Literature. The first nine chapters of Proverbs are wisdom poems urging readers to pursue wisdom, and this sets the stage for how to read and apply the remainder of the book, chapters 10–31, which contain mostly concise statements that contrast wise and foolish choices. These contrasts are observations of how God has designed the world to work; they should not be taken as promises.

      There are four primary characters in Proverbs: the wise, the fool, the simple, and the scoffer. The wise embrace God’s covenant. Fools, on the other hand, are opposed to God, yet they are not beyond hope. The simple are those who remain uncommitted to either wisdom or folly, and because of that they are easily misled. Scoffers are proud and arrogant and scorn God’s ways. Other voices in the book include Lady Wisdom and Lady Folly, each of whom personifies¹ the characteristics of her name, and the Woman of Excellence, with whom the book concludes.

      Placing It in the Larger Story

      Proverbs advances the overarching theme of the Bible, which is God’s calling, preserving, and shaping a people for himself. Proverbs advances this theme uniquely through the offer of God-centered wisdom. In the four poems of chapters 1–9, wisdom is personified as a noble lady whom one should pursue. The personification anticipates the words of the apostle Paul: Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God (1 Cor. 1:22–24).

      Key Verse

      The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. (Prov. 1:7)

      Date and Historical Background

      King Solomon (c. 971–931 BC) is the author of many of the proverbs, and he gave oversight to the rest of the collection. His pursuit of wisdom and his interest in proverbs is verified in the Historical Books of Scripture (e.g., 1 Kings 4:29–34). Compiling proverbs and discourses on wisdom was a common practice in the ancient world, but only this collection bases its wisdom on the fear of the Lord, Yahweh (God’s covenant² name). The present form of the book dates to a later time than the reign of Solomon, but the collection as a whole bears his stamp.

      Outline

      As You Get Started . . .

      What is your understanding of how the book of Proverbs advances the storyline of the Bible?

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      How does the historical context in which Proverbs was originally compiled shape our understanding of the book?

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      How should we understand the personification of wisdom in Proverbs 8–9?

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      As You Finish This Unit . . .

      Take

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