Reflections on Proverbs 2

 

Proverbs 02 (Contemporary English Version)


1. My child, you must follow and treasure my teachings and my instructions.
   
2. Keep in tune with wisdom and think what it means to have common sense.
   
3. Beg as loud as you can for good common sense.
   
4. Search for wisdom as you would search for silver or hidden treasure.
   
5. Then you will understand what it means to respect and to know the LORD God.
   
6. All wisdom comes from the LORD, and so do common sense and understanding.
   
7. God gives helpful advice to everyone who obeys him and protects all of those who live as they should.
   
8. God sees that justice is done, and he watches over everyone who is faithful to him.
   
9. With wisdom you will learn what is right and honest and fair.
   
10. Wisdom will control your mind, and you will be pleased with knowledge.
    
11. Sound judgment and good sense will watch over you.
    
12. Wisdom will protect you from evil schemes and from those liars
    
13. who turned from doing good to live in the darkness.
    
14. Most of all they enjoy being mean and deceitful.
    
15. They are dishonest themselves, and all they do is crooked.
    
16. Wisdom will protect you from the smooth talk of a sinful woman,
    
17. who breaks her wedding vows and leaves the man she married when she was young.
    
18. The road to her house leads down to the dark world of the dead.
    
19. Visit her, and you will never find the road to life again.
    
20. Follow the example of good people and live an honest life.
    
21. If you are honest and innocent, you will keep your land;
    
22. if you do wrong and can never be trusted, you will be rooted out.
    

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Chapter 1 gave the beginning point for wisdom, which is a fear or respect for God. It described the outcome for those who forsake wisdom. In chapter 2 Solomon is addressing himself to those who are willing to be taught. In doing so, he comes at respect for God from the other direction. Whereas before he said that respect for God is the beginning point for wisdom, here he says that a pursuit of wisdom is the beginning point which will lead to a respect for God. They are tied up together. A person, therefore, who does not come at some point to a respect for God has not arrived at wisdom regardless of the amount of knowledge they may have attained.

Another contrast to chapter 1, is that rather than describing the outcome for those who forsake wisdom, chapter 2 gives a description of the outcome for those who pursue wisdom. The person who genuinely desires wisdom will, in pursuit of wisdom, come to a respect for God. In coming to God, that person will find wisdom. God is the source of wisdom. With it will come knowledge and understanding. It will bring with it an understanding of righteousness, justice, and integrity. There is an important point to be drawn from these verses (verses 6-9).  We tend to work from our understanding of justice and righteousness and expect God to operate out of that understanding. We are disappointed when He does not operate as we perceive He should, and some turn away from God. But these verses tell us it is the other way around. We don't start with our perspective, we start with God's perspective. Out of our pursuit of wisdom and understanding we learn from God what real justice, righteousness, and integrity are, then adjust our own understanding accordingly.

When we do this, we gain a new worldview and understanding of life. We gain with it discernment of things that are good and right. Therefore, "Discretion will watch over you, and understanding will guard you" (verse 11).  These will rescue us from the way and the people of evil. We will not be drawn in by those who would take us with them down the path of evil.  Instead, we will "follow the way of good people, and keep to the paths of the righteous" (verse 20).  The chapter concludes by again telling us the outcome for those who reject wisdom and pursue evil. They will be cut off from the land.