Biblical Common Sense?

There’s an ongoing discussion among scholars as to whether an official group of wise people composed the material in the book of Proverbs, or whether it originated at grassroots level.

Like their neighbours in the ancient Near East, Israel may have had schools attached to the royal court for the development of the nation’s leaders. But an increasing number of scholars suggest that the book of Proverbs can be understood just as readily in the context of the home, with its roots in the everyday insights of ‘ordinary’ people – in both rural and urban settings.

Proverbs 1–9 contains the repeated appeal of a ‘father’ to a ‘son’ which earths the instruction in a relationship of some kind. The ‘father-son’ language could be metaphorical for a teacher-pupil relationship, or it could represent a genuine family relationship, not least because a ‘mother’ is also mentioned (Proverbs 1:8; 6:20; 30:17; 31:1–9, 26), which is unusual compared to wisdom documents in other cultures of the time. From the very beginning of their existence, the people of God were called to pass on their faith to subsequent generations. The book of Proverbs may reflect the fact that such education largely took place in the family unit.

Perhaps we needn’t pinpoint a single source for wisdom. Every setting of life generates its own reflections on living well. Wisdom emerges within specific contexts and is exercised in specific contexts. Whether it was the home or the court or a mixture of both, there is something about the way this book came together, the factors which provoked it, which points to the opportunity to cultivate wisdom in our own contexts.

Whatever the context, a discipling relationship is in view. There’s a concept of discipling built into the relationship between the father and the son, which gives life to the instructions, admonitions, and exhortations. The father figure is also passing on a wider tradition, acknowledging his predecessors, seeing himself as a disciple and then a discipler. The ‘learner’, for their part, is called on to listen attentively, respond obediently, and assimilate carefully what is taught into their life, with the goal of the formation of godly character and a life lived in reverence of the covenant Lord.

The grounding of wisdom in real-life contexts encourages us to reflect on how we’re learning to be wise in the everyday. The ‘passing on’ element is a gentle challenge to ask who we might take further in the ways of being wise.

The Gateway Seven Series from LICC comprises seven studies from seven books that together will deepen your understanding of the whole Bible and impact your discipleship seven days a week. This blog post was extracted from 'Proverbs', you'll find the full range on our website, and a range of helpful resources below...