Proverbs – Introductory Section – Chapter 1-9

1:3 – instruction is very similar to discipling (from parents, teachers, and God, here) in

– which are public results of same.

[Marginal note – I'll bet Proverbs is a book either for or by givers (/financiers/economists etc.). Cf. my Old Testament course term paper in which I analyzed the Royal Bank newsletter in relation to the principles of ancient wisdom literature and discovered a strong resemblance. This is the way they are – cf. Solomon!]

1:1ff – to regular people, not just courtiers and the civil servants as in Amen-em-Hotep – "to know wisdom equals to have one's character express life as it truly is."

1:1-6 – lovely – regarding purpose of Proverbs – something for everybody, cf. Amen-em-Hotep's contribution in 22:17-21 (very interesting!)

1:8-9 – parents – the first teachers of wisdom to children.

1:18 – Bird brains – they can't even see they are walking into a trap set by themselves in broad daylight – even birds aren't that dumb.

1:10-19 – youth gangs and the quick buck for impatient youth – 'twas ever thus!

1:14 – "one purse – one brotherhood", yeah sure, oldest line in the book – and lots of kids get sucked in by it.

1:20-21 – wisdom is to be seen (and heard) everywhere – but note in James 3:13-18.

1:22 – the simple, the scoffers, and the incorrigible. Note (Matthew 5:22) Christ's condemnation of those who brand people publicly as incorrigible in mind and morals – cf._______ regarding_____(withheld) very interesting!

1:28 – wisdom has gained over time and effort – it is not available to be "called up" when one rejects it earlier in life.

1:31 – keep your words (and actions) sweet, you might have to eat them! (To the point of being stuffed!)

1:32 – a fork in the road is a small change leading to a very different destination (like a freeway interchange exit).

2:1f – wisdom, as pointed out in the New Testament needs vigorous choosing – "those who enter the kingdom do it violently" therefore –

2:5-9 – 12 – 16 – 20 – five benefits for chasing after wisdom:

2:17 – the high view of marriage – companion, covenant before God.

3:1-2 – wisdom is connected to quality, and quantity of life (neglected at your peril).

3:3 – loyalty and faithfulness are two of God's attributes and they come as part of wisdom (when it's chase down and maintained.

3:5-8 – on humility

3:8 – a cure for ulcers, aches and pains – humility – a correct evaluation (or at least in the range of accuracy) of self in perspective. Cf. Alcoholics Anonymous fifth step work and follow-up – it does bring "healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones).

3:9-10 – a Robert Tilton-ism – an attitude check – like tithes – God gives you 110% – you get 100% – 10% is an attitude check of you by what you do with it. Thanks comes off the top when it's real – safety (1:33) and assured supply is the only possible basis for gratitude gifts off the top – the secure are generous – security is based in God or it's not security.

3:11-12 – basis for the Hebrews 5:12ff passage on "discipline of God for purposes of growth to produce maturity".

[Marginal note – restarted June 5/92 with new paradigm: Proverbs is a giver's book – financier/economist]

1:2-3 – three public results of wisdom – righteousness, justice, and equity

1:5/9:9 – tie to (New Testament) "use what you have or it will be taken from you") – the wise have more wisdom added to them (cf. Deuteronomy 32:2 also – beautiful!)

1:7 – motto of the wisdom movement
– fear of the Lord – prompt and control (word?)
– it's substance not just it's a jump-off place

1:7 – "the fat ones" – the fools – the opposing group to the writer
– the basis for the giver-financier is the fear of the Lord. To them, a rejection of wisdom's discipline is a rejection of the Lord.

1:19 – gain by violence takes away the life of the possessor of such gain.

1:22 – satire is used to skirt and hide issues.

1:20ff – takes on a new punch when directed by giver financers to giver financers

1:29 – fear of the Lord now – equals knowledge, counsel, and reproof.

1:31-2 – they do it to themselves – it's how the universe works – no passion in the vengeance of wisdom ignored (walking off a cliff illustrates the law of gravity, it doesn't defy it).

1:33 – the realization of man's possibilities comes when we come under the discipline of wisdom.

2:1-4 – requirements of the listener: (receptivity and for "chewing one's cud"/reflection is desired:

– "a purity in heart can alone win her"

 

2:5-8 – result number one (of the persistent prayerful search for wisdom) – life in a river of knowledge, poured out from God through me (the Sage) cf. John 4:14 with Proverbs 1:23 – pouring, rivers, life – all givers' experience of reality.

2:6 – the closeness/identification of God and wisdom as in John 1:1, God and of the word. Could this be a clue to the way givers experience Christ, at least at the outset of their journey?

2:7 – note – it's not just stored wisdom, but that which facilitates results (e.g. good for kings to rule by (8:14-16) – sound wisdom is that which is good for something!

2:6-8 – but note the life-style choice requirements of its being utilized:

2:8 – note the parallelism between paths of justice and the way of his saints... oh if only!

2:9-11 – result number two (of the persistent and prayerful search for wisdom) – an integrated life (desire and duty). How to stay on the straight road (9:15) – provide a source for it.

Proverbs – is the book of connecting points – making the connections between aspects of life – in grounded form (versus theoretical/abstract form)
– wisdom literature generally (I hunch Psalms does the same thing in literature/poetry form which, no doubt, the mystics and compassion people can relate best to in their experience of depth in life)
– (so too the prophets for the integration of the just and righteous demands of God being as interfaced with the reality of our earthly/universal reality.)
– When I encounter wisdom literature such as this, I feel as if I'm staring into a bottomless abyss of practical wisdom, much like I suspect compassion persons feel upon encountering poetry such as Psalms.
– it's not "stimulating and exhilarating" as other literature is to me, it's more expanding of my base of contribution to the community, more like a gift-specific training manual
– [marginal note] actually, it's much bigger than this! – July 25/93]

2:9f – integration of self, results in consistency of walk – wisdom resulting from the search results in that constancy of integration. So true in my own journey as daily more wisdom pours in and through me and it enables this walk at_______ (withheld) better than the walk elsewhere in bad circumstances. Cf. Psalm 138:7-8 (how he protects us is outlined here in Proverbs perhaps).

2:10 – "knowledge will be pleasant to your whole personality" – I love it!

2:11 – cf. the "giver" [Judge Bell – from tax court – Chancellor at BU for five years] who spoke at convocation – "be balanced in life", loads of wisdom literature and "postpone judgment as long as possible, for when it must be made, you have lots more to work with"
– cf. also "the Jester offended the King and was sentenced to die. He pleaded for his life saying "if I can make my donkey talk, will you spare my life?" Yes, the king replied. "I'll need some time" how much? "A year" – very well, if you can make your donkey talk in one year I'll spare your life". As the jailer hauled the Jester off, he said to the Jester, "what did you say that for? You know you can't make your donkey talk!" I know, said the Jester but a lot of things can happen in a year – the king may die, I may die, and who knows, maybe my donkey will talk!"
– discretion – action ruled by understanding – it guards over you – give God some room to operate in your life.

2:9 – you will understand every good path:

or (?) –

2:12-15 – result #3 (of the persistent and prayerful search for wisdom):
– deliverance (from the temptation of/) from alluring evil men. See Matthew 6:13 (lead us not into temptation) and here is how it is done – deliverance from the way of evil – staying off the road in the first place.
– cf. dad's reaction to the hit song "please help me I'm falling in love with you; close the door to temptation, don't let me walk through" – "the guy should get the heck out of there – it's a choice (and there's help).
– so the persistent pursuit of wisdom (and the application of it) delivers one from bad road to darkness, perversion, gloating, and bragging of one's evil and crooked ways – tempting as they often are presented to us.

2:16ff – result #4 – (of the persistent and prayerful search for wisdom) – deliverance from the allurements of "loose" women. Of particular concern to commercial travelers (7:19) both for the man on the road and for the woman left at home – wife swapping over large geographic area! The diligent search for (and discipline of application of) wisdom, delivers from such problems.

2:17 – forsaking "companion of her youth", and "covenant with her God".

2:16 – "adventurous" (literally: foreign woman) – no stability from extended family. Cf.____comments to____(withheld) "when people immigrate they either leave their God behind or their sex life gets screwed up, how is your sex life?" – okay but I left God behind. (Cf. Moses in Exodus for part a, and exile for part B.). So what does that say about North America and its absolutely out-of-whack sexuality – having all immigrated in the past 400 to 500 years?

2:20 – result #5 – (of the persistent and prayerful search for wisdom) – you will inhabit the land.
– you get not just to sojourn, but to settle in and inhabit.
– wisdom (applied in its discipline) enables the growth of character and wholeness of those with staying power – to whom it is promised and from whom, in the long run, it will not be cut off.
– cf. Charlie Newcomb's comment that Jews have wandered and returned to God over the ages and that the current nationalist (and non-God-based) phase will correct as well. The wholeness of character types do indeed inhabit the land.

3:1 – Commandments equal cumulative voice of experience. Commentator says that for Proverbs, this is an adequate account of the will and character of God. – and that Job and Ecclesiastes challenge this assumption – cf. Paul (to giver's claim here) "eye says to hand I don't need you!" Interesting that it is other givers who say differently. (Especially if Paul had a high amount of giver himself).

3:1 – shalom and long life come from coming under the discipline of cumulative experience in the world. Cf. "120 year diet" and its shift of the Bell curve to the right – "to move that mountain of Bell curve distribution of stacked up corpses to the right on the age scale".

3:1ff – payoff in six types: (for actions):

3:3 – loyalty has a merciful dimension to it (cf. references).

– with reliability – it's there when people need it. But it has to be maintained like the Torah (see imagery) and written on your heart.

– cf. Ivan's comments about "normal Christian worker" by Watchman Nee – "listen beneath his words for it's God in us (Christ indwelling by his Spirit) that is our righteousness, God through Christ in us is our reliability and/or mercy – treasure in a clay pot – "I in you and you in me" etc.

3:4 – Good repute (understanding) – people can relate to reliability and merciful presence on a constant basis – we get understood and a reputation for all that over the long haul.

3:4 – objective understanding (as in Nehemiah 8:8) by God and man – a positive one in character.

3:5, 6 – these things give success – make one's paths straight (11:5)

3:8 – healing and refreshment – so right – from the three things listed. Cf. Paul – "many are sick, then week, and dying because they fail to discern the body" – are overly wise in their own eyes ("I don't need you") versus the refreshment and healing that comes as we "submit ourselves to each other" and the gifts God has for us in the body (real community) of Christ.

3:9-10 – the commentator says (Malachi 3:8-10) "prerequisite giving" is late and (Deuteronomy 26:1-11) "Thanksgiving giving" is early, and discounts the former.

– Bob Tilton has helped serve to bring out an insight that the giver needs to be aware of – a plugged up River is death to all, but especially to the giver – giving "ahead" creates a flow based on (on a pledge to pay) on God's fulfillment of it – (if it's to happen, you'll make it happen somehow) and creates expectation in stuck people.

– as he helps those (giver-encouragers) he does it by alerting them to this reality – get giving, and let the Rivers flow – the givers stay around, the other gifts move off with Thanksgiving for having been healed (at least that's my hunch regarding the breakdown of who stays to tithe in the long-term – unpolluted givers).

– there are Egyptian parallels to "prerequisite giving".
– cf. also_____(withheld) up north – "pay first" – not necessarily all that bad – like University fees – some involvement and expectancy. It's us and our problem that it addresses, our receiving capacity not his giving capacity that is addressed (and increased). But the fine line to downside abuse is "paper-thin" – especially for us – especially here.

Nevertheless,: 9,10 are true.

3:11-12 – base problem picked up in Job – problem of pain – pain does teach people (and encourager givers may well be aware of this – compassion persons are into the removal of pain, encouragers/givers aren't!).

3:13 – another beatitude to add to Jesus list (a response to "is anybody ever really happy anymore?"

3:13 – interesting tenses – happiness from having received wisdom – and happiness from continuing to obtain or draw forth understanding – cf. the "eight hours a day photography" phrase and gifts insight and how those grow and increase in depth over time.

3:14 – is the gain or the profit from the gain better than silver and gold – I think both as in :12 which indicates gain and gaining – it reflects the nature of the capital invested in life – each "after its own kind" – and he values wisdom as better capital. If this guy's a giver, he thinks in "profit streams and cash flows" as well as "capital investments".

3:16 and 17 – the best gift of wisdom is a long life – second-best, riches and honour. Pleasantness (versus physical danger) and peace (versus cares) are her walkways of life.

3:18 – "tree of life" has a fascinating connection of imagery in the Bible – even as replacement of the one Christ has put the axe to the root of, as Ivan said that January night in 1972 when life opened up in crisis of culture shock – "through the desert on a horse with no name" (a song) – 21 one years ago.

3:15 – "nothing you can desire" – a good line for a giver for whom "coveting" is a big problem – (cf. Paul). For we indeed "just do it" until somehow we're confronted with just how much we do it. Nothing can compare – so when we shift over and "seek to know only Christ and him crucified" we gain an abundance that makes the other pale in comparison. "Christ our wisdom..."

3:19 – "the Lord, by wisdom [not personified here] founded the earth". Our "laws of chance" are really our way of trying to put some semblance of "certainty" in a world which we refused to

– so we have terrors which are needless – we have indeed become estranged and anomie plagues us.

3:20 – torrents and dew are both from his knowledge.

3:21 – does wisdom escape (deviate) from us or do we deviate (loose sight of) wisdom – or is that just the precursor to its out-working in life (cf. Paul? On our thoughts being the granddaddies to death.)

3:22 – wisdom affects the inside (which gives life) and the outside appearance of a person (gives rise to graciousness). He who "glows in the dark" like some AA types, Saints, and native elders.

3:23f – freedom from fear is given to those who align themselves with the wisdom with which the universe/world is shot through with by God – the only real security.

– walking, sitting, lying down – how sweet it is!

3:25 – wisdom (and those aligned with it) can cope with any eventuality. Givers know this, stay cool, and unruffled, and walk in an amazing faith.

3:26 – cf. amen-em-Hotep parallel here: "be thou courageous before the people, for one is safe in the hand of God" (IB – page 805)

3:25 – "the ruinous storm of the wicked when it comes" – don't pre-fear it, relax (cf. Jesus – "have no worry of tomorrow" – of the world calamity's and rumours of wars – "in the world you will have tribulation but fear not, I have overcome the world" (John)

3:28 – similar to "he who gives quickly gives twice" both for wages and assistance.

3:27 – a withheld gift of action which is unnecessarily held back – really gets to a giver not just because of lost benefit/interest gain but because of the transfer of stewardship responsibility and the inability to exercise that responsibility. Don't ever mess with a givers money. Yet we givers do that. Cf. also Billy Graham organization pays bills on the day of receipt of invoice!

3:29 – violations of trust destroy community.

3:30, 31 – and don't envy those that go about life violently.

3:34 – Justice not Mercy – God regards us in the way we regard him – scorn or humility? What we experience often is a reflection of what we are – cf. photographers get pictures that reflect themselves.

3:35 – some trophy! Disgrace. Picture a team with a Grey cup and the Grey cup was a bitter cup of disgrace. Wise people carry away honour from the "reading of the will (inheritance) – fools carry away disgrace – interesting imagery.

4:2 – does this late-Jewish attitude (that one can only live what one is taught) reflect the rise of teacher researchers as teachers and the problem we too face in our educational system. This wisdom was found out by experience and therefore is authoritative.

4:3 – I was taught so young I was still the only kid in the family! (Taught the contents of verses 4-9)

4:7 – "the beginning of wisdom is this – get it" – a meaningless tautology or is there more to it? The smartest thing you can do is to chase down wisdom (regardless of your learning style) – be attuned to learning in life – "drive your own truck" – like what I'm doing in my project at white bear – learning is fun and very profitable to ourselves.

4:8 – prize highly literally "cast up a highway" (?!)/lift up (a song). Embrace.
– whether you express your high-valuation of wisdom by images of "casting up/away" or "holding close" – do it, for the results in life are fine indeed!

[Marginal note – 24 July/1993 –Insert:

1:1, and 2:6-9 – there is information for the world (givers, Tony robins etc.) and there is wisdom and information from God. The Proverbs of Solomon (or of the Solomon type) are provided "that men may know wisdom and instruction" etc.

Both types of wisdom purport to provide "instruction in Wise dealing" but Proverbs adds: also instruction in righteousness, justice, and equity

(The others most distinctly do not do this, quite to the contrary it's

2:6f – in 2:6f the thought continues – the wisdom God stores up and dispenses is for the upright, (the others write it off) and it is guidance for those heading that way. (He doesn't hand out information and assistance in the other direction).

2:9 – the "if's" of verses 1, 3, 4, are followed by the "then's" of verses 5, 9, (implied – 11, 16, 20).

– note – parallel thought in Matthew 5:6 – "Blessed are those that hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be satisfied".

– in 2:9, if you are open, hungering and thirsting after insight to apply in your life – "then you will understand righteousness, justice, and equity, in every good path"... etc.

– this is the essence of the introductory section and interweaves throughout it all with added and varying themes.

– That is, there are two types of sources of "wisdom literature": that from God, and all the rest. Not all wisdom literature is of God. "The Spirit will lead you into all truth". [Cf. "all God-inspired Scripture is good for...." – Hebrews]

– CF 3:21 "my son, keep sound wisdom and sound discretion

– See also James 3:15 for the same distinction

– I think what the world does in this area is at least:

– or rather, I don't know – anything except draw from "heaven" and "pour it into the earth".

Cf. James 3:15-18 on the nature and sources of good and bad wisdom.

– heady stuff! – (and I hunch like in Matthew 4, a lot of scripture slinging can go on here).

[End of insert]

4:10-19 – the contrasting journeys of a son into deeper and deeper darkness, versus into brighter and brighter light (from dawn to the noon day) takes on a human face in Luke 15:11ff (which Ellul sees as the first of four parables about wealth) – and the agony of many of us fathers as we watch our sons grow up – praying that they will take heed as to which of the two roads they enter upon (entry being so central to "givers"). The fruit of seeds planted is also central to givers as the focus is always on the initial choice – life grows things so watch out what you plant (verse 17 – "bread of wickedness and wine of violence")

– "wisdom" is a guide of a level of possible intimacy and closeness to that of a good wife – (and worth the bride price)

4:20-27 – a life principle versus "just a guide" – if it's to work at all – for all the person's life – note the balanced-living of the giver here – CF Tony robins and my multifaceted scheme of life – "the rule".

4:22 – in Proverbs, wisdom is a spiritual reality in which a person can participate – but not all do so "a new insight" apparently).

– I am the life (John 14:6)

4:20-27 – note the discipline implicit in the background work that has to take place for any of this to take effect – you have to want it, it is a choice in the midst of other choices. How we get there is not spoken of here, but Christ fulfills – "I am the Way, the truth, and the life," "abide in me and I in you" etc. etc. (cf. Paul on grace as well)

– the concept of interactive (middle voice in ancient Greek) versus active/passive voice only as the mode of our relationship with God is helpful here – we do have a part, and as the man said, we dropped the middle voice in modern languages as we got farther and farther from "Eden" – and we have problems.

5:6 – no path of her own – she's not going anywhere herself but to hell – now and later – and she loves company. Is this downside compassion person? I've met downside others and they are going somewhere and will do anything to get there.

5:14 – like the AA member who attends while either staying in the sauce or refusing to do step 1 1/2 (given the addiction what am I going to do about it? – whine?, or face life with dignity and courage and get on with things – especially getting on with my program".

 This step is a grief reaction to the loss of the ability to drink, takes time, and actually is faced by all people facing any disease.

 Diagnoses are not usually rolled with immediately. No blame is appropriate for step one (genetic/dominant culture pattern of behaviour) but full responsibility resides with step 1 1/2. The list of losses is typical of a sick living style:

they all say with remorse (with repentance or "turning around"... "how I hated discipline" etc.

5:15-19 – assistance by contrast – CF Charlie Newcomb saying "that married love is not presented as tempting and therefore we blow it". Here it is – a lovely encouragement to faithfulness in marriage.

5:21-3 – three results of sleeping around after marriage:

6:1 – CF uncle George's account of Pacific rim countries never defaulting on a debt – because the family would pay off all obligations if necessary to preserve honour!

6:11 – defenceless against poverty and want like a person before and armed men and a panhandler – and all because of failure to prepare (forethought) and show a little initiative (without being told to).

– the section (: 6-11) for the self-employed... and the employees – CF "corporate steeplechase" book which says the same amount of it is needed in both situations – dissipation of energy being the real problem of small business and that due to lack of interpersonal contact and therefore overreaction to any good/bad input that comes along.

6:11 – poverty, once admitted, is a resistible. Cf. Robert Tilton – who says that "it hangs on like sickness until God's revelation dispels it". Cf. all of Tilton's stuff about "attitude problem" here as well.

6:13 – an eye, a foot, and a finger – to cover up the results with apparent results – results of discord. Beautiful – was this the body language of Christ's accusers in John 7:53-8:11 where Jesus draws in the dust "... with perverted heart devises evil, continually sowing discord"... especially in this section of Proverbs theme of marital faithfulness – this being an insert!

6:15 – when the community comes down upon such a person – or even the realization of one's own actions – it is often quick and final. But the result says nothing about the cause because both Jesus and Judas died quick for seeming disruption, and real disruption.

6:16-19 – note Semitic world today and punishment of____(word?) Body parts (fingers cut off for theft etc.) – spirit and body linked and therefore blessing and punishment.

6:20-35 – wisdom – the antidote to the appeal of alien women! But parental discipline (here more or less "Law") must be kept alive. Then it will "speak to you" at the right time. I.e. your inner parent – after you go out from under the protective umbrella of the parental home.

6:22 – CF Job 12:8 where the plants will teach you ("evoke true thoughts") which native teachings claim also. Here, words of the elders, kept fresh will do so also – in the crunch they will come to you and help you select a better course.

6:26 – prostitution is fuelled by need and feeds greed; adultery is fuelled by greed and feeds need (so guys cf. 5:15-19).

6:28 – CF Tony Robins and his fake fire walk! The answers to most things is "no" [that is the default answer of the universe – it's easier to go from no to yes and yes to no one of change must be made] – but we are more interested in bending the laws of nature and life than coming under discipline of wisdom.

6:32 – lotteries are only at tax on stupidity, this sort of thing takes you.

6:34 – just as God's jealousy for his people makes him take action (see elsewhere) "walking off a cliff doesn't break the law of gravity, it illustrates it – how badly do you want to be an illustration, kid?"

7:1-5 – wisdom is the only protection against "the following:" but it demands an intimate bond to be of any use in this heat!

7:6 and 7 – he learns from experiential pattern! (Versus perceiver ways) – encourager-giver mixes likely high in wisdom literature.

7:7 and 8 – pre-thinking of consequences versus pre-thinking of process to pull it off. A bad road, Charlie!

7:10-12 – wily, restless, and loud – dragged about by her feet versus controlling her feet (note Romans 6:13)

7:10ff – a cock-and-bull story of some sort – whatever works – the kid gets sucked in – but he went that way. Here it's religion – like the conservatives who "pray for God's will" before hitting the sack while the Liberals just do it!

7:23ff – now there is a "confirmation class assignment" – write and ending to this story!

7:25 – her ways and paths (5:6) wander like St. Catherine's Ontario streets – where they just paved over where Laura Secord led her cow – here they paved over where this chick led her (ox-stupid) men/boys.

6:27 – CF the article in the Seventh-day Adventist journal about "adultery-proofing your marriage" that saved my neck back in 1983-4, which I was much better prepared to handle in the second commuting job (1990-93) with John Donne's "farewell forbidding mourning" poem imagery was used by Carol and I, and is the better model in such a situation.

8:3 – wisdom calls the "entrance to the portals". For givers, especially – as all the action is in the initial (investment, seed planting) decision – which rests upon "critical distinctions" (as Tony Robins puts it – the "giant within" for him being decision and its power of impact).

8:2 – in heights and paths we see en route and have to make changes of direction (cf. White Bear January 93 changes.

8:1ff – note call to life, versus call to death of "loose woman" – a "critical distinction".

8:1ff – God's initiative through wisdom is not understood by non-encourager/givers – the commentator (a teacher researcher) says it's only seen in chapter 1 to 9. For the encourager-giver, it is found in life (paths etc.) and is as strange to the teacher researcher as is the perceiver "seeing". To the teacher-researcher, "authoritative sources" carry weight (after doubting testing/– cf. Thomas in the Bible – and acceptance). They doubt and distrust experiential learning [my guess is that this is because they don't learn that way, and therefore have no way of evaluating its results – they learn from authoritative sources, therefore they insist on a footnote which attributes a statement to an authoritative source, which they are in a position to evaluate the quality of].

8:5 – fools (see references) are incorrigible? Why call? But "down-siding" of the gift is foolish.

8:11 – cf. Andrew Carnegie's [last-] Will which bequeathed the essence of "my best knowledge" to all Americans through Napoleon Hill [his ghostwriter] – if anybody wants to get rich, just follow my recipe.

8:6-9 – definition of "noble"/princely wisdom cf. James chapter 3 on this as well – "two ways".

8:15-16 – "by me rulers reign" – it is the basis of justice and power (word?) rule – interesting regarding their style of leadership.

8:13 – wisdom has:

8:17 – bogeying with the truth – the interactive list of seekers and the truth in wisdom (see Matthew 7:7ff ask seek and knock) – encouragers are interactive.

8:18-19 – cf. Henry Ford "I could lose it all and have it back in three years because of what I know, and know how to know.

8:17-21 cf. Matthew 6:33 "seek first the kingdom of God and all the rest will be added..."

8:22 – maybe this is the reality behind the stewardship of givers which they mis-handle – wisdom was God's first creation and – out of which all else flowed. If Christ was a perceiver-giver then as personification of upside giver, John's statement has interesting meaning (John 1:1ff).

8:22-31 – what an awesome passage!

– the "decisive moment" philosophy of creation of wisdom (carries into later parallels of wisdom so – see references) is very thought provoking.

– wisdom as a God-created phenomena which forms the pattern for the world and a reason for its creation

– a positive affirmation of the material world as a delight to God, as a nurseling to a parent (playing in the workshop of the craftsman, like Jesus in his dad's carpentry shop)

– the meaning of creation being disclosed in that creation-of-wisdom-moment-prior to the creation of the cosmos.

– God, then meaning created, then cosmos.

– We don't search for meaning is something to be created, but rather something to be discovered.

– (munch, munch, munch!...)

8:32ff – summary of the doctrine of two ways – key is the search for wisdom – man's choice is the decisive action of selection of one of these two ways.

– cf. Tony Robins on this also – "the power within"/the "giant within" for him is the power of choice/decision, because for the giver, that's where the true action is (except Tony Robins leaves God out of it)

– he fools with wisdom which is even bigger than he's aware of (as seen here) –

Robert Tilton (giver/encourager) has much the same outlook – the "promises of God" (i.e. all God's built-in laws/wisdom) work as soil "works" (it grows carrots – you don't have to "manage" carrots) – so selection of seed and seed plot is all important (cf. selection of a road/8/door here)

– after which things work themselves out as a matter of course – to "life" or "death" – the crop you get depends on what seed you sow. (Cf. Matthew 7:13-27 – "two doors, two trees, two houses".

9:1-6 and: 13-18 – in the world:

 

9:4 – the banquet of life invitation (cf. Jesus uses of this imagery as well)

9:6 – live and walk (when you eat of my feast (cf. New Testament – I am the life, the bread, the water etc.)

9:7-12 – conscious choice of scoffers are not the same as "the simple" of verse 4. This is open rejection, and the two groups in life are mutually exclusive – they consciously opposed wisdom. Cf. the current anti-church (church bashing) that is on the rise in North America.

9:7-12 – to those who have (right attitude) more will be given – the others lose what they think they have.

9:11 – the ultimate life-extension program!

Chapter 1-9 – all excellent reflective material on wisdom literature and encourager-giver place in life and contribution to the body of Christ.

– these folks are generators of it and stewards of this dimension of life.

[Section 2 – the actual Proverbs – order/sequence is from literary connections etc. which don't come in through English – so they appear to be random. The case for learning Hebrew – (as is____'s (withheld) commented that it [Hebrew] is a fluid, mystical language, inviting you to participate in its meaning – especially Psalms, I'll bet (or does this reflect a compassion persons mushiness?).

– the Proverbs are done one per page in order to both handle them thoroughly, and be able to move them about.]

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