See and Share the Pilgrim Vision
The Wisdom of Christ in Proverbs
by Phillip A. Ross
First Edition, 419 pages.
This study on Proverbs uncovers the biblical message of the Book Proverbs verse by verse in the light of Jesus Christ, like a commentary. Every verse is seen in the light of Christology, from the perspective of Christianity.
We cannot pretend to be other than Christians who live on the redemption side of the Cross, while Proverbs was written by King Solomon on the anticipation side of the Cross. Nonetheless, the Christian faith is founded on the eternal consistency of God. God does not change, nor does God's wisdom.
The God of Solomon, the author (and editor) of Proverbs, is the same God spoken of in the New Testament. In fact, the God of Solomon is Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. Thus, the present work acknowledges this fact of faith and applies it by reading Proverbs in the light of Jesus Christ. God's wisdom doesn't change.
From the Back Cover
Agur asks the Lord to give him neither 1) poverty, nor 2) riches. These two things are enumerated in the middle clause of verse 8. The first clause, then, is the condition or foundation upon which the gift can be given. And the third clause clarifies the fact that God gives poverty and riches, which denies the common illusion that man provides such things himself. It is a denial of self-reliance.
"Remove far from me vanity and lies" (v. 8) is a request to remove the scourge of self-deception. It is a plea, not merely for the revelation of God's truth, but is a commitment and/or desire to penetrate the vanity and deceit of one's own self-assessment of one's own material needs. The request for neither poverty nor riches requires a measure or standard by which poverty and wealth are to be measured. Agur asks that the standard not be his own self-assessment, which is tainted with sin and self-deception, but that God would use His standard, His measure to determine how much Agur actually needs and/or deserves.
The God of Solomon, the author (and editor) of Proverbs, is the same God spoken of in the New Testament. In fact, the God of Solomon is Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. Thus, the present work acknowledges this fact of faith and applies it by reading Proverbs in the light of Jesus Christ.
It might be objected that this treatment is not objective scholarship. Indeed, it is not. Scripture tells us repeatedly that objectivity is not possible for human beings, and that the belief in one's own objectivity is, in fact, a function of sin. Thus, the current study makes no effort to be objective. This statement will generate harsh criticism among the ungodly, who strive for objectivity and dependence upon human faculties and experience. But the derision the statement may cause does not effect its truth, but only confirms it.
Neither is Scripture to be a matter of mere scholarship. While scholarship is certainly important to a faithful understanding of Scripture, to make Scripture an object of scholarship is to turn it into either an historic curiosity or a present abstraction, neither of which are faithful readings of Scripture. The purpose of Scripture, and particularly of Proverbs, is the shaping of a biblical understanding of life that will serve as a foundation for practical living.
The Bible endeavors to be ordinary in the root meaning of the word. It provides the foundation of law itself, as well as the most important and practical laws, the Ten Commandments. In addition, we find a plethora of principles for daily living, and a gaggle of good advice about human nature. To overly spiritualize the Bible is to misunderstand its application to ordinary life. Similarly, to under spiritualize it is to ignore its transcendental power.
My intent is to follow the path between these twin errors, and I pray for God's guidance on my part, but also for God's guidance on your part—that the Lord Himself will correct my errors and provide you with understanding that is beyond my ability to communicate. Indeed, this is the only way that genuine understanding of God's Word is possible. I pray that the Lord crack the nut of your self-confidence that the seed of His presence may take root in your life.
