Scripture Notes: Reality Check (Proverbs 1)

The first chapter of the Book of Proverbs gives us a sharp reality check. The author, traditionally King Solomon, tells us exactly what we need if we are going to truly flourish in this world and, more importantly, find favor with God and live within His will. 

The first thing Solomon does is invite us to get our priorities right. We need “wisdom and instruction” that lead us to “righteousness, justice, and equity” (Prov 1:2-3). We must learn prudence, knowledge, and discretion (Prov 1:4). We have to listen and discover how to work out difficult ideas and sayings using our reason (Prov 1:5-6). And how do we start? Solomon tells us: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” (Prov 1:7). We start with God. We pray to Him; we worship Him; we revere Him; we listen to His word; we humbly hear the wise people God places in our lives to instruct us. We submit to God, knowing full well that God is God, and we are not. That is the beginning of wisdom. 

Solomon does not stop there. He continues with a warning, urging us not to consent to the enticement of sin. He presents a vivid picture of what that temptation looks like and how sin appeals to our desire for wealth and recognition and belonging. But in the end, it only brings us misery. It catches us in a trap. So, as hard as it is, we must say no. We must not be fools who refuse to listen and scorn wisdom and good advice. We must not hate knowledge and turn our backs on the fear of the Lord. If we do, we will get exactly what we deserve: we will eat the fruit we have planted. 

We all need this reality check at times. We all get caught up in our own ideas and our own ways, and we try to make reality conform to ourselves rather than the other way around. But conforming ourselves to reality is wisdom, especially when we realize that God is our highest and best Reality.