I’m working on outlining my morning devotions from Proverbs today, and I’m reminded that as I present these Proverbs to our church each day, I’m not just presenting a moral code or a few life hacks. The book of Proverbs is not for us just a religious version of some website with tips for happy living.
Jesus is the true Word and Wisdom of God (in a capital “W” sense). Jesus is the embodiment of the book of Proverbs and the wisdom of God. Isaiah 11 comes to mind…
Isaiah 11:1–2 | Then a shoot will grow from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him— a Spirit of wisdom and understanding, a Spirit of counsel and strength, a Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. (CSB)
AND, IN JESUS ARE HIDDEN ALL THE TREASURES OF WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE!
Colossians 2:3 | In him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. (CSB)
So, Jesus should be a significant part of our study of Proverbs.
Our study should look different than what could be found in a common Bible commentary on the book of Proverbs. Those resources are about defining words and explaining sentences. That has value. But we are studying God’s word as Christians, saved by the work of Christ and the grace of God. We come to the book of Proverbs not as commentators but as heralds of the gospel seeking to see the full picture, the real truth, the truth that can truly change lives.
There are a number of ways we see Jesus and the gospel in Proverbs…
The moral instructions in Proverbs function much like the Laws seen earlier in the Old Testament.
Romans 7:7 | What should we say then? Is the law sin? Absolutely not! But, I would not have known sin if it were not for the law. For example, I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, Do not covet. (CSB)
Romans 3:20 | For no one will be justified in his sight by the works of the law, because the knowledge of sin comes through the law. (CSB)
Galatians 3:24–25 | The law, then, was our guardian until Christ, so that we could be justified by faith. But since that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, (CSB)
The only hope we have of following the wisdom found within Proverbs is Jesus. (By the way, most of Proverbs came through the mind of Solomon who definitely did not live out most of what he knew and said. So, we aren’t just trying to be educated to his level.)
2 Peter 1:2–4 | May grace and peace be multiplied to you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. By these he has given us very great and precious promises, so that through them you may share in the divine nature, escaping the corruption that is in the world because of evil desire. (CSB
Philippians 4:13 | I am able to do all things through him who strengthens me. (CSB)
Titus 2:11–12 | For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, instructing us to deny godlessness and worldly lusts and to live in a sensible, righteous, and godly way in the present age, (CSB)
If we are successful at motivating and equipping ourselves and others to be more disciplined, more moral, more ethical, and more financially and relationally responsible without Jesus, then we have just created Pharisees (who were very very good at “the Proverbs”).
Philippians 3:4–7 | Although I have reasons for confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he has grounds for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised the eighth day; of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; regarding the law, a Pharisee; regarding zeal, persecuting the church; regarding the righteousness that is in the law, blameless. But everything that was a gain to me, I have considered to be a loss because of Christ. (CSB)
Acts 10:2 | He was a devout man and feared God along with his whole household. He did many charitable deeds for the Jewish people and always prayed to God. (CSB)
And then the rest of Cornelius’s story…
As I go through Proverbs in the next couple weeks preparing these devotions, I’ll come up with additional and more specific Jesus connections, and I’ll share those each day in my daily devotion video as I do.
