DISCOURSE 3. THE YOUNG MAN IS TO TRUST IN YHWH, TO FEAR YHWH AND TO HONOUR YHWH, AND IN VIEW OF THEIR GREAT VALUE IS TO FIND YHWH'S WISDOM AND OBTAIN UNDERSTANDING WHICH WILL BE HIS PROTECTION AND THROUGH YHWH'S CHASTENING ACTIVITY WILL RESTORE HIM TO MAN'S FIRST ESTATE. IN VIEW OF THEM HE IS TO OBS... [ Continue Reading ]
INTRODUCTORY EXHORTATION FOLLOWED BY THE REQUIREMENT TO TRUST IN YHWH, TO FEAR YHWH AND TO HONOUR YHWH (PROVERBS 3:1). Solomon here speaks of wisdom and understanding in terms of ‘my torah -- my commandments'. It is observance of these that will ensure longevity and wellbeing. In view of the Scriptu... [ Continue Reading ]
YHWH AS CHASTENING FATHER AND WISE CREATOR INCULCATES WISDOM AND UNDERSTANDING AS A TREE OF LIFE TO THOSE WHOM HE LOVES (PROVERBS 3:11). The reference to ‘my son' in Proverbs 3:11 (although in the Hebrew text not at the beginning of the sentence) points to the opening of a new subsection in the pass... [ Continue Reading ]
RESPONDING TO GOD'S WISDOM AND UNDERSTANDING WILL RESULT IN LIFE, PEACE AND SECURITY BUT MUST RESULT IN POSITIVE BEHAVIOUR TOWARDS OTHERS, FOR YHWH WILL BLESS THE RIGHTEOUS, LOWLY AND WISE WHILST HE WILL CURSE THE WICKED, THE SCOFFERS AND THE FOOLISH (PROVERBS 3:21). The first subsection of Proverb... [ Continue Reading ]
YHWH'S DEALINGS WITH BOTH THE RIGHTEOUS AND THE WICKED (PROVERBS 3:33). As regularly in the first four Chapter s (Proverbs 1:32; Proverbs 2:21; Proverbs 4:18) the section ends with a contrast between YHWH's dealings with the righteous/ lowly/wise and the wicked/scoffers/fools, although the language... [ Continue Reading ]