My Favorite Proverbs - Lesson 2
I. Re-cap and Introduction
II. Consideration of Today’s Selection of Proverbs
A. Read these three verses, and then I’ll let you in on a secret:
“A person’s behavior may be tortuous and strange, even while his deeds are pure and upright.”
“The way of the guilty is devious, but the conduct of the innocent is upright.”
“The way of a strange person is fraudulent, even as the work of the pure is right.”
These are NOT different proverbs; rather, they’re different translations of 21:8!
1. What do you think each version means?
2. What’s different in each? Do you accept one over the other? Why?
3. Are you tempted to try to reconcile them? How would you do it?
B. “It is the honor of God to conceal a matter; but it is the honor of kings to search out a matter. The heavens for height, the earth for depth, and the hearts of kings cannot be fathomed.” Proverbs 25:2-3
1.What does it mean that God conceals matters?
2. What does it mean that kings search out matters? Who are we to interpret as kings? Kings, literally? What difference does our choice make?
3. Since science has taught us much about the matters the proverb says cannot be fathomed, is it possible for us to read other more clearly unfathomable matters into the proverb? What might they include?
4. What lesson do we take away from our study of this verse?
C.“Iron yahad to iron; so a man yahad with the penai of his fellow.” Proverbs 27:17
1. Yahad in Hebrew could be “joins” or is “together.” Others say the word is rooted in a word that means “sharpen” or “fierce.”
Penai mostly means “face,” but it could also mean “wits.”
Given all these vocabulary possibilities, think of different ways the proverb could be read.
2. Is there a good way to reconcile these possibilities? What meaning do you want to ascribe to the proverb after our study?
D. “Whoever tends a fig tree will eat its fruit, as one who keeps his master will be honored.” Proverbs 27:18
There
are SO MANY possible ways to think metaphorically about the meaning of a fig
tree and its fruit, as well as a student and his/her master. Suggest some.
Where does this proverb take you?