Wednesday Bible Study: A Deep Dig Into Proverbs XI

Last week I tried to bungle my way through the first part of this chunk of Proverbs 3, bungling because I tried to do it in my own power.  This time, lesson learned, and I am ready to tie things together.  We saw that the blessings of Wisdom came in two flights of four, and we learned that these are blessings for the next life (the Peter rule: Keep your eyes on Jesus in the storm).  We saw a PROFIT better than the purchase of silver, PRODUCE better than the digging of gold; a PRECIOUS VALUE like unto the Pearl of Great Price; and ALL of desire doesn't level with Her- She being Wisdom.


Now we move down to vv 16-18 and the other four blessings- and how they square with the other four.  First, and where I jumped the track and slid into the ditch last time, is the promise of Length Of Days.  And as we discovered, this is the promise of the next life.  You notice that in Proverbs, death is the reward for the unbeliever- not hell.  And we ALL die, don't we?  But this death that keeps being threatened isn't exactly mortal death.  I point you to Revelation 21:


Rev 21:8  But for the cowardly and unbelieving, and those having become foul, and murderers, and fornicators, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all the lying ones, their part will be in the Lake burning with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. 

This isn't turn off the lights and sleep forever-death.  And thus it is no wonder, when we look at our verses- which I forgot to repost, so here they are:


Pro 3:16  Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. 
Pro 3:17  Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. 
Pro 3:18  She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her; those who hold her fast are called blessed. 

- that we find Wisdom holding this promise of long life in Her RIGHT hand, which is the stronger/more important.  Think again about the Pearl of Great Price parable.  He sold all he had because the pearl was more PROFITABLE to him; and Jesus was telling us that this is what the Kingdom of God is like, that this long life-promise is of more profit to us than anything we hold on earth.

In that left hand are riches and honor- the PRODUCE of a life lived for Christ on earth.

And the PRECIOUS VALUE we gain by walking her path is a road to pleasantness.

Now I know the last two here I've sped through- they don't need a whole lot to look at.  But the last pairing has one very important word that needs looked at- ALL.

v 15 ....and all the things you can desire are not to be compared with her. 

v 17....  and all her paths are peace. 

So according to Wisdom, there's nothing you can want on earth that are as valuable, profitable, productive, as Her Peace.  'Peace ' here is the familiar 'shalom', but did you ever wonder what all is CONTAINED in that word?  It comes from a root word that has a lot of interesting facets to it.  Included among them are:

-to be SAFE

-to be COMPLETED

-to be friendly (or being a friend of God)

-having made AMENDS (through Christ)

- give again, repay again- perhaps BORN AGAIN (my speculation there)

-to PERFECT

-to make PROSPEROUS

Are any of these among YOUR desires?  Reminds me of Dolly Parton and Porter Wagoner back when I was a wee lad...

"Ya cain't buy 'em... you can only get 'em in boxes of Breeze..."

Except what you 'cain't buy' isn't towels, and you get them in the Book of Proverbs and not a box of Breeze!