Preaching Proverbs by Dan Phillips

8/16/2019 Preaching Proverbs by Dan Phillips

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PREACHINGPROVERBS

DAN PHILLIPS

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

ADAPTED FROM GOD’S WISDOM IN PROVERBS


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Introduction

The primary audience is pastors and others involved in teaching or leading

church Bible studies and fellowship groups. However, anyone involved in per-

sonal study, or in leading their children through Proverbs, should nd helpful

guidelines here as well.

I can only be brief and suggestive in dipping into a topic that itself would war-

rant part or all of the main body of a book. We shall consider some guiding

principles in approaching Proverbs in a teaching/preaching context, as well as

various ways of approaching the text.


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Proceed with Caution:4 Things to Remember

1) PROVERBS IS THE WORD OF GOD

When our Lord asserted that Scripture could not be broken (John 10:35), He

meant all of the Old Testament, and each part of the Old Testament. He meant

Proverbs, as well as every other portion. And so, Christ’s authorized represen-tatives were guided by the Holy Spirit to quote from Proverbs, as we see when

we compare the following:

Proverbs 3:11–12 with Hebrews 12:5–6.

Proverbs 3:34 with James 4:6 and 1 Peter 5:5.

Proverbs 11:31 with 1 Peter 4:18.

Proverbs 25:21–22 with Romans 12:20.

Proverbs 26:11 with 2 Peter 2:22.

This being the case, we must treat Proverbs with as much reverence as any

other portion of Scripture. It is not a mere book of maxims, such as portions of

Reader’s Digest or popular books of daily advice. Nor is Proverbs a collection of

human-viewpoint, experiential observations. It is God’s Word to us, written by

authors who were carried along by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:21).

Further, we must treat what Proverbs says about itself as bets a revelationof God. A student of Christ is not free to wave aside what the text of Proverbs

says about its own composition, formation, and meaning. Rather, all those re-

vealed and inscripturated facts are determinative for us.

An additional implication is that we mustn’t dismiss any proverb as banal or


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trivial. Or, to put it positively, we must approach each verse with the convic-

tion that it brims with revelation from God’s heart to ours. When we approach

the text itself in the fear of Yahweh (Prov. 1:7; 9:10; 31:30), we embrace the

stance of students, not critics. If the text seems shallow or banal, what that

means is that we have missed something. We must allow the text to challengeus, and never the reverse.

2) PROVERBS HAS A PARTICULAR LOCATION IN THE WORD OFGOD

As we read in Hebrews 1:1, “God spoke of old in many portions ...to the fathers

in the prophets” (DJP, emphasis added). Revelation unfolds, it develops— not,

to be sure, in God’s mind, to which all truth is simultaneously and intuitively

apparent; but to our minds. God did not explain baptism nor church order to

Adam... or, for that matter, to Abraham, or to Moses, or to Isaiah, or to Mala-

chi. God unfolded His plan and His revelation stage by stage.

Our reading, preaching and teaching of the Word must respect that order. We

must treat each portion of revelation as appropriate to the stage in which God

set it. While (as I will argue in a moment) we mustn’t forget later revelation,

equally we must not try to jam Solomon into a Christian church pew or pulpit.

The wise king lived under the law of Moses, in the context of its rules and ritu-

als, its promises and threats. We should teach his proverbs in such a way that

Solomon would own the gist of what we say. If an English-speaking Solomon

were forced to exclaim, “I have no idea how you got that out of what I wrote,”then we have misunderstood him.

And if we have misunderstood Solomon, we have misunderstood God.

3) PROVERBS HAS A PARTICULAR SHAPE IN THE WORD OFGOD

Again, Hebrews 1:1 tells us that “God spoke of old ...in many manners to the

fathers in the prophets” (Heb. 1:1 DJP, emphasis added). Scripture is not all

stories, nor all sermons, nor all correspondence. It is not uniformly prose or

poetry. As there are many kinds of owers and birds, God laid open His heart

through many styles of literature. We must recognize, understand and respect

the signicance of the shapes and forms He chose to use.

Proverbs was crafted in a distinctive genre by design. To ignore that fact and


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its implications is to fail to show sufcient respect to God, whose Spirit moved

Solomon to select proverbic poetry over all the other colors available on his

palette.

We should never forget this signicance in our own study and preparation.

But that is not all. Our audience most likely is not at all aware of the specic

shape of Hebrew poetry in general, or of proverbs in particular. We must labor

to ensure that they know what they are reading and hearing, so that they can

receive this portion of revelation as God intended.

4) PROVERBS MUST BE UNDERSTOOD IN LIGHT OF THEWHOLE WORD OF GOD

While Solomon had no idea what Jesus would preach, or what Paul would

write, God did have that knowledge.

To see Proverbs in a larger portrait, is simply to apply what Christ taught.

Schooled by Christ, we expect to nd all of Scripture pointing to Him in some

way or other (Luke 24:27, 44–47). When Paul said that “the sacred writings”

had abiding power to “make wise” unto salvation (2 Tim. 3:15), Proverbs would

have been part of his referent.

This understanding bars us from isolating any proverb from the whole, and

nding teachings at variance with the whole. Too many Christians have taught

Proverbs as if it were a moralistic collection of ethical maxims or spiritual

rules, by the keeping of which we can please God and secure a successful life(i.e., a life that goes the way we want it to). We can be rich, well-respected, and

healthy— and have terric kids!—if we only work the formula correctly.

Such a message not only is untrue to the genre and content of Proverbs, but it

would jar hopelessly with the whole of Scripture, and with the truth as it is in

Jesus.


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The Challenge ofTeaching Proverbs

As I explain in detail in my book, God’s Wisdom in Proverbs, No master-out-

line of Proverbs has convinced me, beyond this rudimentary skeleton:

1. Introduction and Motto (Prov. 1:1–7)

2. Proverb Discourses (Prov. 1:7–9:18)

3. Classic Proverbs (Prov. 10–29)

4. Guest Appendices (Prov. 30–31)

Such an outline, I understand, is hardly a preacher’s delight! The divisions do

not start with the same letter, and they are hopelessly lopsided. The rst is but

seven verses long, followed by nearly nine full chapters, followed by twenty full

chapters, followed by two.

Of course it would be readily possible to make further subdivisions. Clearly,

the discourses of the opening chapters subdivide into distinct sections, such as

1:8–19, 20–33, and so forth. But even within that section, there is no full una-

nimity among students of Proverbs as to where the divisions fall. The preacher

must study and decide for himself.

Then when one reaches the tenth through twenty-ninth chapters, however,

one abandons all hope of structure. It is, as I’ve said, possible to nd groupings

within those chapters, but they are only such as can be explained by associa-

tion in Solomon’s mind. There is no grand outline, however, tracing a ow of

thought through every verse from the rst to the last.


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This presents anyone with a challenge. It means that the vast bulk of the book

dees division.

How does one approach it?

How can one break it down into preachable sections?

Must one envision hundreds of sermons, devoted to a verse at a time?

What do we fnd?

The answer is that, for the most part, one nds that Proverbs simply is not

preached, not fully. It may well be that Proverbs is one of the least-preached

books in the Canon—or, to be more precise, one of the least preached-through

books.

While understandable, this isn’t preferable, given that Proverbs no less than

Romans is part of that whole of Scripture, which is God-breathed and prot-

able (2 Tim. 3:16–17).

So how do we do it? In the remaining section I will suggest several approaches

to Proverbs that will allow the teacher in Christ’s church to expose believers to

the wisdom of God in Proverbs.


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Approaches toTeaching Proverbs

1) OVERVIEW APPROACH

It is hard for me to imagine teaching Proverbs in less than one class, unlessone were conducting a whirlwind Old Testament Survey series—which I’ve

done. It would be possible, however, to teach Proverbs in overview, offering

just enough to get folks’ feet wet in the book, and spark their own individual

studies. One might sketch out a three-part series at minimum, thus:

Introduction to Proverbs: This would cover authorship and date, principles

for reading and understanding Hebrew poetry in general and Proverbs in par-

ticular, and a survey of major kinds of proverbs (evaluation, etc.). I cover these

introductory issues extensively in God’s Wisdom in Proverbs.

The fear of Yahweh: Rooting the concept in the entire Bible, and showing

how the concept frames the entire book (1:7; 31:30).

Selected subject studies: One could isolate the use of the tongue, marriage,

or work. Survey the texts, show how to combine them to form a fuller picture.

2) SUBJECT STUDIES APPROACH

With each of these major approaches, there will be repetition. But if one

planned an extended series in Proverbs, he could select as many subjects as

he wished, and develop them as fully as he thought protable. I’ve listed sevenexamples here. Refer to God’s Wisdom in Proverbs for a full treament of each

of these themes.

Who wrote Proverbs? Introduce Solomon and expound God’s gift of wisdom.


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Show how that wisdom blessed the kingdom he ruled, in practical ways. Ex-

pose how Solomon’s wisdom failed him, and suggest its recovery in Ecclesias-

tes. Tie all this into the text of Proverbs.

The fear of Yahweh: its OT background. Trace the many passages dealing

with the fear of Yahweh in the Old Testament. Take time to show the doctri-

nal, religious, and intellectual meaning and implications of this central Bibli-

cal theme.

The fear of Yahweh in Proverbs and beyond: Show how this concept

frames the entire book (1:7; 31:30). Discuss what this means for the interpre-

tation of the book. Then go into the New Testament to demonstrate its abiding

relevance to believers today.

Marriage: its meaning, potential, and hazards. Develop the proverbs that

warn of adultery and, in the process, dene marriage. Lift out the blessed life

of the woman of strength in Proverbs 31:10–31. Warn against the miseries of

life with the foolish wife.

Mate-selection in Proverbs: Sketch out the foolish man and woman, and

apply the lesson to principles for evaluating prospective spouses.

God’s will in Proverbs: Show God’s sovereign control over everything, and

His intent that we make our decisions freely, wisely, and responsibly within

the bounds of His Word.

Labor and employment in Proverbs: Ground this in Genesis 1 and 3, and

show Solomon’s championing of hard work, discipline, and excellence.

Obviously, many other topics could be singled out and opened up. See the in-

troductory section of Derek Kidner’s commentary (31–56), the appendix to

Longman’s commentary (549–578), or the topical index in Ross’ commentary

(897–903).

3) WHOLE BOOK APPROACH

Of course, this is a challenging approach. But done rightly, it could be a gate-

way to all of Scripture.

I would recommend always starting with introductory classes, dealing with


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authorship, poetry, principles of interpreting proverbs. Then simply dig into

the text and don’t come up until you’ve called for the excellent woman’s works

to praise her in the gates.

A men’s fellowship I participated in once took the approach of going through a

chapter a week, with a different man leading each time. Many of those attend-

ing were avid Bible students, and most weeks were rich times of fellowship and

learning. I still carry marginal notes in my Bible program, sharp observations

from “laymen,” taken from this class.

This approach could work with single or multiple teachers. One could set a goal

of a chapter a week and hit the highlights. Alternately, it would be possible to

touch lightly on some verses, but “camp” on others.

If one were not afraid of a very, very long series, approach it this way:

1. Chapters 1–9: nd the divisions that convince you, using the text and the

commentaries, and teach each discourse as a single class.

2. Chapters 10–30: Do a verse or (if you see a theme) a collection of verses

each class. Tie them in with all of Scripture. Charles Bridges’ commentary will

help particularly in nding illustrations in Scripture. In this way, Proverbs

could serve as a sort of catalog for the whole Canon.


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How does Proverbslegitimately point to Christ?

Many fault a certain approach to Proverbs as differing in no way from Jew-

ish exposition. “A rabbi could teach it that way,” is the criticism. Since Jesus

showed that all Scripture points to Him (Luke 24:27, 44–47), many preachers

feel driven to nd Him everywhere, and to distinguish their preaching fromrabbinic instruction.

Is this valid?

No, and yes.

It would be illegitimate to force Christ into the text in any way not intended

by God. How do we know what God intended? By the words, grammatically, in

their context. What the authors meant is what God meant.

However, at the same time we mustn’t forget the end of the story. Christ ful-

lled the law and the prophets in His person and work (Matt. 5:17). He is the

culmination of the law (Rom. 10:4).

So Proverbs does legitimately point us to Christ. But how? The answer to that

could ll a book itself. Let me just suggest a few ways:

1. CHRIST IS THE WISDOM OF GOD (1 COR. 1:24, 30)

In Christ are hid all the treasures of wisdom and understanding (Col. 2:3).

Thus, only Christ embodies the ideal of the Wise Man of Proverbs. Otherwise,

they really are either banal maxims or unattainable ideals. Solomon’s words,

taken to their fullest meaning (as we do with the royal Psalms), form a glori-

ous portrait, pointing us to the excellence of Christ. Only Jesus could perfectly

balance Proverbs’ virtues-in-tension, knowing (for instance) to be abrupt with


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the Rich Young Ruler, “teasing” with the Canaanite mother, and persistently

patient with the Samaritan woman. We would have been lost at sea.

2. CHRIST IS THE WAY (JOHN 14:6) AND THE LIFE LIVED IN BE-LIEVING UNION WITH HIM IS THE WAY (ACTS 9:2; 19:9, 23;

22:4; 24:14, 22).Proverbs constantly confronts us with two ways: the ways of wisdom and of

folly, of death and of life, of cursing and of blessing, of joy and of sorrow. Taken

in isolation, one might suppose that Solomon was a moralist, urging readers

to cherish values and build a life on them. However, he tells us at the outset

that everything hinges on fear of Yahweh (1:7), which he (or the nal editor)

reminds us of as we walk out the door (31:30). As I wrote in God’s Wisdom

in Proverbs this fear of Yahweh is a contentful relationship. That relation-

ship comes to full fruition in the incarnation of Yahweh in the person of Jesus

Christ, who embodies both the way and those values which characterize it,

such as truth and life (John 14:6). In this way, Proverbs points us to Christ,

the very embodiment of the way of God, of wisdom, of life, of truth, of blessing

and joy.

3. THE WISE AND UPRIGHT LIFE IN ITS PERFECTION IS UNAT-TAINABLE BY US BECAUSE, AS SOLOMON SAYS, “THERE ISNO ONE WHO DOES NOT SIN” (1 KINGS 8:46).

Taken as an expression of God’s holy and lofty standards, the dictums and

principles of Proverbs stand over against us, and they condemn us. We needmore than sage advice and pithy observations. We need atonement, we need

forgiveness, we need reconciliation with God, we need a wisdom and a righ-

teousness we do not natively possess. We need a Savior. And so in this way, as

with the Law of Moses, Proverbs points us to our need of Christ as our Savior.

4. CHRIST IS THE VINDICATION OF GOD’S JUSTICE (DAN. 7:13–14, 22; JOHN 5:22; ROM. 3:26).

There is a tension throughout Proverbs, though it mostly simmers beneath

the surface. By literary denition, generally speaking the proverbs depict re-

ality as black and white: there are wise people and fools; there are righteous

people and wicked. The wise/righteous are blessed, the fools/wicked are cursed.

However, none of this is universally true in the strict sense. By that, I mean

no man in himself is perfectly righteous, and godly behavior is not always


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instantly and pleasantly rewarded. All of this ultimately is squared away in

Christ, whose perfect righteousness is imputed to believers, who will perfectly

and nally judge the living and the dead, and who will usher in a new world

in which righteousness will be at home, justice will rule, and the knowledge

of God will ll the earth as water lls the seas (Isa. 11:9; 2 Tim. 4:1; 2 Peter3:13; Rev. 20–22). All the tensions in proverbs are fully and nally resolved in

Christ, and in Christ alone.

5. BOTH CHRIST AND HIS APOSTLES CALL CONVERTED BE-LIEVERS TO BE “WISE AS SERPENTS” (MATT. 10:16), AND TOWALK IN A WISE MANNER (EPH. 5:15; COL. 4:5).

But what is wisdom? What is it to be a wise Christian? What is it, more specif-

ically, to be a wise Christian husband, wife, father, child, employee, employer,

citizen? Where can a Christian nd details, principles, directions, instruction?

We nd this instruction in the Bible of Christ and the apostles: in the book of

Proverbs.


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Preaching Proverbs by Dan Phillips