The book of Proverbs is not just a divine book filled with quips and maxims for life. The book of Proverbs was written and compiled with the objective that the reader can know wisdom and instruction; to understand words of insight, to gain instruction in righteousness, justice and equity. The proverbs are also are written to give prudence to the simple and knowledge and discretion to the youth (Pro. 1:2-4).
Many of the proverbs are written from the vantage point of a father who seeks to instruct his young son (Pro. 1:8-19; 3:1-12; 4:1-27). The young son is to take his father’s advice that he might mature into manhood. Such a son is his father’s delight (Pro. 15:20). A father intends to teach and train his son in the way that he should go in hopes that the son, when grown, will never depart from those teachings (Pro. 22:6).
The Hebrew word for “proverb” means “to rule.” The reader is to be ruled by the divine instructions that are written. These are words to live by. Like all of divine Scripture, the proverbs are profitable for the reader (2 Tim. 3:16). Reading, hearing, and obeying the teaching found within Proverbs will make one wise. On the other hand if the reader rejects the wisdom found in the book, they are considered fools. The book of Proverbs contrasts those who are wise with those who are foolish. The father intends to raise a wise man, and not a fool.
Wisdom is not just for senior citizens who have lived a full life. It is clear that the proverbs teach that even the youth can be wise. It is godly and spiritual to desire to be wise. James wrote that if we lack wisdom we can petition God to grant us wisdom (Jam. 1:5). God is capable of giving wisdom because He is wise (Rom 16:27; Jude 25) Godly wisdom is pure, peaceable, gentle, easy to be intreated, full of mercy, fruitful, and it is without partiality and hypocrisy (Jam. 3:17). Such wisdom is to be desired by the aged as well as by the young. When James says we are to “ask of God” when we lack wisdom, the Greek word for “ask” means to “beg, call for, or crave.”
Christians of all ages and status should crave godly wisdom. The tides of culture bring new challenges, and the Christian needs godly wisdom to help him navigate through those challenges. As the culture trades truth for tolerance, the Christian needs a wisdom that can only come from God. The type of wisdom that young people need will not be found in the halls of the universities, but it will be found upon their knees in prayer with open Bibles.