Proverbs Purpose #4: To Transform People

To give prudence to the simple,
Knowledge and discretion to the youth –
Let the wise hear and increase in learning,
And the one who understands obtain guidance (Prov 1:4-5, ESV).

A Push in the Right Direction

We’ve already seen that Solomon wrote Proverbs so we might know wisdom (partly by recognizing those who speak it) and live wisely. Solomon’s third purpose for writing is found in verses 4 and 5. He desires nothing less than the transformation of the simple person (“the youth”) into a wise person (who has “prudence”), and of a wise person (“one who understands”) into a wiser person (one who will “increase in learning”).

Remember that the simple person is the one at the crossroads. This person has not yet decided which fork in the road to take: the one moving toward the Lord (wisdom), or the one moving away from the Lord (folly). Solomon here offers a push in the right direction. His proverbs will help us to move toward wisdom.

Remember also that the wise person is not someone who has achieved enlightenment or some sort of spiritual heightening. Rather, the wise person is simply moving in the right direction. If you are moving closer and closer to the Lord, you are wise. Solomon’s proverbs will inject supplements into your tank so the fuel can burn cleaner, last longer, and move you down the road more quickly.

How to Respond

Some people should be comforted by this third purpose. It means you can start where you are and just move forward from here. It’s okay if you’re not as far down the road as that other person. What matters is that you get moving in the right direction. You shouldn’t sit still, lamenting the fact that you’re not as wise or mature in Christ as you should be or would like to be. You should just do something. Anything. If this description connects with you, then Proverbs 4:18 can be your theme verse: “the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until the full day.” You haven’t hit the sunrise yet, so just keep moving down the path.

Other people need to be rebuked by this third purpose. It means that you have tried to get by with being “simple” for far too long. You’ve been a Christian for 10, 20, 30 years or more, and you’re still content to have minimal involvement, minimal influence, and minimal responsibility. You’re happy to receive the church’s resources, investment, service, and instruction; but you’re unwilling to be a part of giving resources, investment, service, or instruction for the good of others. This attitude is simply unacceptable for a Christian called to wisdom.

It should be assumed that different people have different capacities and rates of acceleration in their growth in wisdom. That fact is not in question here. Rather, the chief question is are you accelerating at all or just sitting still in your walk with Christ? You can only remain simple for so long before you become a fool; but the proverbs extend much hope that it doesn’t have to be that way. So let’s add this new component to our definition.

Wisdom is:

1. Knowing the right thing to do in any particular situation.
2. Recognizing those who promote the right thing to do.
3. Doing it.
4. Always improving at both knowing and doing.

This post was first published in 2012.