The Message of Proverbs PDF
Preview The Message of Proverbs
The Bible Speaks Today J. Scries Editors: A. Motyer ( OT) John R W. Stott (NT) The Message of Proverbs Wisdom for life THE BIBLE SPEAKS TODAY Proverbs The Message of Wisdom for Lite DAVID ATKINSON 'N IVP Academic An imprint of InterVarsily Press Downers Grove, Illinois InterVarsity Press, USA P.O. Box 1400, Downers Grove, IL 60515-1426, USA World Wide Web: www.ivpress.com Email: [email protected] ©1996 by David Atkinson All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of InterVarsity Press. InterVarsity Press®, USA,is the book-publishing division of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/ USA®, a student movement active on campus at hundreds of universities, colleges and schools of nursing in the United States of America, and a member movement of the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students. For information about local and regional activities, write Public Relations Dept., InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA, 6400 Schroeder Rd., P.O. Box 7895, Madison, WI 53707-7895, or visit the IVCF website at <www.intervarsity.org>. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Puhlishing House. Distributed in the U.K. by permissicn of Hodder and Stoughton Ltd. All rights reserved. “NIV” is a registered trademark of International Bible Society. UK. trademark numher 1448790. ISBN 978-0-8308-8309-7 (digital) ISBN 978-0-8308-1239-4 (print) Contents General preface 7 Authoes preface 9 Bibliography 13 The wisdom of God 15 Part 1: Wisdom's portrait (1:1 - 9:18) 30 The town crier (1:20-33) 31 Wisdom needs to be searched for {2:1-9} 32 A winsome personality (2:10-15) 34 Wisdom celebrates life (3:13-18) 35 Wisdom likes to explore (4:1-9) 38 Wisdom stands for justice 39 Wisdom likes things ordered 40 Wisdom illustrates the pattern of creation (3:19-20) 41 The full-colour portrait (8:1-31) 43 Wisdom: her main features 52 Part 2: W"tsdom's instructors and Wisdom's detracton (1:1 - 9:18) 60 Ten fatherly talks 61 Wisdom's detractors 70 Gang violence (1:10-19) 71 Sexual prorniscuity 72 Laziness 77 Rejection of parental values 78 Problem pupils 79 The way of Wisdom or the way of Folly? 80 Part 3: W1Sdom's methods 83 The theology of lived expericnce 83 'An anthology of gnomes' 85 Fourfold structure 86 Wisdom's imagination 89 Appendix: A brief note on practical thcology, philosophy and education 95 Part 4: Wisdom's values: Foundations (10:1 - 22:16) 99 The wise sayings of Solomon 1O O The fear of the LORD 101 L~ 100 Justice 111 Character: a summary 118 Part 5: Wisdom's values: The practical dimension (10:1 - 22:16) 120 Family, marriage and parenthood 121 Diligence, creativity and hard work 124 Health 125 Security and safety 128 Material sufficiency 130 The importance of appropriate speech 133 The king's glory and the national honour 136 Animal welfare 137 Life, freedom and hope 138 Knowledge and understanding 139 Part 6: Wisdom's values: The words of the wise 144 Sayings of the Wise (22:17 -24:22; 24:23-34) 144 Proverbs of Solomon: Hezekiah's edition (25:1 - 29:27) 151 Sayings of Agur (30:1-33) 161 Thoughts from the queen mother (31:1-9) 165 Epjlogue: The wife of noble character: Wisdom at home {31:10-31) 166 Conclusion: Godiiness in working clothes 170 BST Old Testament seri es 175 BST New Testament seri es 177 BST Bible Theme seri es 178 About the Autho r 179 More Titles from InterVarsity Pr ess 180 Academic Textbook Select or 181 General preface The Bible Speaks Today describes a series of both Old Testament and New Testament expositions, which are characterized by a threefold ideal: to expound the biblical text with accuracy, to relate it to contemporary life, and to be readable. These books are, therefore, not 'commentaries', for the comment ary seeks rather to elucidate the text th.an to apply it, and tends to be a work rather of reference than of literature. Nor, on the other hand, do they contain the kind of 'sermons' which attempt to be contemporary and readable without taking Scripture seriously enough. · The contributors to this series are ail united in their convictions tbat God still speaks through what he has spoken, and that nothing is more necessary for the life, health and growth of Christians than that they should hear what the Spirit is saying to them through his ancient - yet ever modem - Ward. J. A.MOTYER J. R. W. STOTT Series Editors 7
The list of books you might like
