The “Pessimism” of Proverbs

Proverbs is a book designed to teach wisdom. That is its stated purpose:

To know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight, to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity; to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth.
Proverbs 1:2–4 ESV

Yet, these “simple youths” must already be wise to gain wisdom: “Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance” (Proverbs 1:5 ESV).

“Hear, my Son” – Deuteronomy & Proverbs

I’ve been trying to get in the habit of reading a consecutive chapter of the Bible each day. I often read the Bible because my projects are Bible-related, but I wanted to make a minimal regular addition to remind me of parts I may have not thought about. I reached Deuteronomy a few days ago…

Rereading #Deuteronomy after writing a book about #Proverbs is proving to be quite an experience. #SolomonSays #Wisdom #Bible #Solomon https://t.co/suEaPzE5zG
— SolomonSays (@SolomonsaysN) May 8, 2020

Women Gone Wise 3: More about Eve

This is my third post on Eve as a basis for Solomon’s Lady Wisdom (Proverbs 1-9).

Before I address anything else, I need to point out a mistake I made about Adam. I wrote,

Only her [Eve’s] reactions to subsequent events are mentioned, not Adam’s.

That’s technically true but an artificial division in the story. After God pronounced judgments on them but before God removed them from the Garden, Adam did make what sounds to me like a confession of faith:

The man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living.
Genesis 3:20

Women Gone Wise 2: Eve continued

When thinking of Eve as Wisdom, we obviously can’t base this on the fact that she sinned. Some elements of her role in the Fall may be worth looking at, but I think I should save that for later.

The reason Eve might be seen as a prototype for Lady Wisdom in Proverbs is the way she is mentioned after our first parents are driven from the Garden. Only her reactions to subsequent events are mentioned, not Adam’s. When their first child is born, we get Eve’s response, not Adam’s.

Women Gone Wise 1: Eve?

In my book, Solomon Says: Directives for Young Men (Amazon, Kindle), I don’t ask (or answer!) why Solomon portrays Wisdom personified as a female. The main reason I did not ask it is that I had no answer to give that I was confident about.

But Solomon does it without apology or explanation:

Wisdom cries aloud in the street, in the markets she raises her voice; at the head of the noisy streets she cries out; at the entrance of the city gates she speaks: “How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge? If you turn at my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make my words known to you. Because I have called and you refused to listen, have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded, because you have ignored all my counsel and would have none of my reproof, I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when terror strikes you, when terror strikes you like a storm and your calamity comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you.
Proverbs 1:20–27 {ESV)

What Would God Do If He Were In Your Shoes?

One of the things that becomes clear while seriously reading Proverbs is the Bible is a lot more focused on getting people to perform and make progress than many Christians are comfortable with. God is all-powerful and we are dependent creatures, so how can anything we do, or learn to do, matter?

For a while, some Evangelicals marketed the slogan “What would Jesus do?” as a diagnostic question for evaluating one’s behavior. It had problems as a form of ethical guidance, but it also, I think, got at the ultimate significance of human action.

Is Proverbs Addressed to Women?

Yes.

But one of the things about my book that might be causing some questions is that I argue that Proverbs is written to a young man.

Actually, in the introduction of my book Solomon Says: Directives for Young Men (Athanasius), I argue that the idealized person Solomon is addressing is a royal heir, a prince, one destined to inherit a throne.

Are You Powerless To Change? Or Too Impatient?

People are haunted by behaviors that sabotage their lives. Often, they pretend the sabotage isn’t happening. But even when they acknowledge it, they find changing their behavior difficult. They feel powerless, and sometimes even stop trying to change on the grounds that they are powerless.

More Audio: PaTheological Let’s Me Run on at the Mouth!

Todd Littleton’s an old friend and you can read his kind words about me here:

A Conversation with Mark Horne

The beginning may be a bit confusing because I was talking to an old friend who I’m connected to via social media and forgot “you” would be listening in. It may help to tell you that, at the beginning Todd is asking about my fitness regimen because he knows I am an amateur barbell addict and am trying to not lose what I have gained by improvising at-home programs.

#ICYMI Superheroes Don’t Do Hard Things

The way young people are exhorted to “follow their heart,” “dream big,” “reach for the stars,” and other clichés, one could easily get the idea that progress depends on people doing difficult or at least very hard things. People are essentially encouraged to do something “heroic” and thereby become heroes. Given the popularity of comic book movies, perhaps we can think about “superheroes” to rethink the mythology of doing hard things.

The idea of doing exceptional, amazing things certainly fires one’s imagination. But it is probably leading to disappointment, dissatisfaction, and nonproductivity in most cases. “The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty” (Proverbs 21:5 ESV). “A faithful man will abound with blessings, but whoever hastens to be rich will not go unpunished” (Proverbs 28:20 ESV).