Sermon text:
This morning we are going to look at the book of Proverbs and particularly 4 proverbs scattered out amongst Chapters 16, 17, and 18, which were our E100 reading this past Friday.
I love the book of Proverbs and prefer to refer to it as the Fortune Cookie Book.
The book of Proverbs has been traditionally attributed to Solomon, who as we read earlier in the E100 (1 Kings 3) is the son of David and the man that was told by God that he could have anything he wanted. Solomon asked for wisdom or a “discerning heart to govern [God’s] people and to distinguish between right and wrong.” Most scholars don’t think it is likely that Solomon wrote the entire book, but he definitely at least wrote part of it and may have had a lot to do with most of it.
I call the book of Proverbs the Fortune Cookie Book because it is really just a bunch of short sayings that may or may not be connected to the others around them. But although they may not be connected to the other Proverbs around them, they are all tied together as a whole with a united purpose.
The Proverbs cite both positive and negative rules of life. They clarify right and wrong conduct in a whole host of different situations. But their ultimate aim is to apply the principles of Israel’s covenant faith to everyday attitudes, activities, and relationships.