Proverbs 10

Go around room and read passage verse by verse.

So far in Proverbs we have enjoyed a fairly narrative structure, that feels very conversational, and employs the use of characters like father’s and mothers, the adulteress, Lady Wisdom, and Woman folly.

As we move into Chapter 10, we find ourselves moving into a section that can feel kind of choppy, and at first glance it can be hard to discern a common theme.

To be sure we can see themes that tie the chapters together like work, money, sex, the tongue, authority etc...

But as we take a step back and do a birds eye view of these chapters, what can we see that gives unity to the passage?

Let’s take a look...

Themes in Proverbs 10:

1. Consequences (whether good or bad)

2. Contrast of righteous and wicked

3. Fruit of Spirit vs works of flesh

Even with these categories in place we still get the feeling like we need an even more bird’s eye view to understand not only what the Teacher is saying, but also how the Teacher was able to discern these things in the first place.

Have you ever wondered how EXACTLY Solomon got his wisdom?

Did he just get a brain dump of pure knowledge?

1 Kings 4:29–34 NIV

29 God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore. 30 Solomon’s wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the people of the East, and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt. 31 He was wiser than anyone else, including Ethan the Ezrahite—wiser than Heman, Kalkol and Darda, the sons of Mahol. And his fame spread to all the surrounding nations. 32 He spoke three thousand proverbs and his songs numbered a thousand and five. 33 He spoke about plant life, from the cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of walls. He also spoke about animals and birds, reptiles and fish. 34 From all nations people came to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, sent by all the kings of the world, who had heard of his wisdom.

We see from this passage that much of Solomon’s wisdom came from his study of the creation.

It is an important theological distinction to assert that creation is still good in the way that God created it.

Man has fallen and through man’s introduction of sin to creation we see creation groan (Romans 8)

But because God made creation good, much can be learned about God’s nature by observing His creation.

And Solomon didn’t just study plants and animals, Solomon had an incredible grasp of human psychology and culture.

Solomon’s God given wisdom allowed him to understand farther than any human ever had the good nature of creation, and the sinful direction that humanity had taken it in.

Creation Regained Slide

Al Wolters has helpfully given us a few categories for understanding the nature of the world around us.

Creational Norms

God’s laws for his creation can be seen in 2 categories.

Laws of Nature

Norms

The laws of nature we see evidenced in a rock falling to the earth when you drop it, the fact that a mother bird instinctively knows how to care for her young, these are excellent examples of how the laws God has given to nature are obeyed strictly and joyfully.

Dogs do dog things, rocks do rock things, stars do star things.

The study of this part of God’s law is what we see in the passage of first kings as Solomon gained knowledge of the natural creation.

But Solomon also has understanding of the second category.

Norms

Psalm 148:8 NIV

8 lightning and hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds that do his bidding,

Al Wolters points out that the wind here does not have a choice, but we do.

“But human beings do have responsibility, we are held to account for the way we execute God’s commandments, and we are liable to punishment if we do not execute them at all.” -Al Wolters

Wolters goes on,

“The command “Be just” must be applied to many different and complex human situations, nor is it always easy to determine in any given situation what justice requires. Yet it is our uniquely human task to put into concrete practice the requirements of the norm for justice.” - Al Wolters

So we see that there is something positively human about engaging in norms God has given for His creation made in His image.

Adam and Eve would have engaged with and obeyed these creational norms before sin entered into the creation.

What are some norms we see evidenced in the garden?

Stewardship

Worship

Sexuality

Work

The next category that Wolters uses can be called structure and direction.

Structure and Direction

Structure and Direction Slide

These norms that God has built into his creation make up the structure of creational living.

But faced with these norms, mankind often chooses sin.

This is the direction that angles away from the structural norms that God has created.

So, how does this apply to our text?

As we look at this chapter and the chapters that follow, we can see a couple things.

Solomon had an excellent grasp on God’s creational order

Solomon also had a wise understanding of man’s rebellion

And we can learn much from the Teacher about God’s creational order by applying this concept of structure and direction to the text.

So let’s try it

Two Questions

What is the good thing in God’s created order that is being acknowledged?

What is the sinful direction?

*Now apply this to any verse in the passage

Do you see how a robust doctrine of creation leads to wisdom and insight?