May 4 / Proverbs 2:1-8

Proverbs 2:1-8 Wisdom. Insight. Understanding. How does the author regard these things? With complacency? Passivity? Not at all! Do these things “just happen”? Do they just appear out of nowhere? No! The author makes it very clear that wisdom, insight, and understanding require intentionality. They are to be attended to, searched for, asked for. They …

May 3 / Proverbs 1:20-33

Proverbs 1:20-33 Wisdom cries aloud in the street, in the markets she raises her voice… (v. 20) Here we are introduced to the personification of Wisdom, a woman calling in the streets and markets, trying to get the attention of the “simple ones”, scoffers, and fools. And she has some good news: If you turn …

May 2 / Proverbs 1:8-19

Proverbs 1:8-19 Hear, my son, your father’s instruction, and forsake not your mother’s teaching… (v. 8) In other words: Listen up! Pay attention! Don’t be one of those fools who despise wisdom and instruction. (v. 7) My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent. (v. 10) If that is not good advice, I don’t …

May 1 / Proverbs 1:1-7

Proverbs 1:1-7 Today we get the preface to Proverbs. In the first verse we see that King Solomon is the primary author, though we learn later that there are other contributors to this book. We then learn that the purpose and goal of this book is to convey wisdom in its various forms: instruction, understanding, …

Introduction to Proverbs

As you may have noticed from the reading schedule, tomorrow we’ll detour away from the Psalms for a bit and dive into the Book of Proverbs, perhaps the central book of Old Testament “wisdom literature”. The first verse is a bit misleading as it appears to attribute the entire book to King Solomon, but Solomon …

March 14 /Job 42

Job 42 Then Job answered the LORD and said:“I know that You can do all things,and that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted.‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand,things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.‘Hear, and I will speak;I will question you, …

March 13 / Job 41

Job 41 Following on His description of Behemoth in Job 40:15-24, God presents Leviathan for Job’s consideration. Neither Behemoth nor Leviathan can be identified as any currently existing animal. Some have proposed the hippopotamus for Behemoth and the crocodile for Leviathan. However, barring excessive poetic license by God, the descriptions in Job clearly do not …

March 11 / Job 39

Job 39 God continues His questioning of Job, drawing examples from the animal kingdom to illustrate God’s superior knowledge and wisdom. He asks about mountain goats, wild donkeys, wild oxen, ostriches, horses, hawks, and eagles. God, of course, knows everything there is to know about all these creatures, for He is their Creator and Sustainer. …