Who Should Read Them?

A look at the three main audiences of the Proverbs

Photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash

Don’t you just love reading after the wisest man who ever lived? Outside of Christ himself, Solomon was the man. For that reason, his writings in Proverbs is a manual for living and I might add for living well!

It’s one of the most practical books of the Bible and is full of instruction and advice for everyday living. It’s a book that should be read regularly and given a serious place in your life.

His Intended Audience

With that in mind, let’s look at a few pointers to help us study and incorporate its content into our lives. For starters, let’s look at who Solomon was purposely addressing in the book.

1) It was written to the simple (naïve). He wrote it so they can have prudence. (Prov. 1:4a)

2) It was written to the youth so they can obtain knowledge and discretion. (Prov. 1:4b)

3) It was written so the wise could become even wiser. (Prov. 1:5)

Let’s look briefly at the first group, “the simple.” The word “simple” does not mean ignorant or dumb. The Hebrew word used in this case is “peti,” which means, to be naïve, one who is gullible, easily susceptible to good or bad influence. The inference is that at times, they can be weak-willed or irresponsible.

Next, notice that Solomon says his writings give “prudence to the simple.” Prudence literally means, “to have forethought about a matter, to think something through, to get clarity.”

If you will take the time to simply read the Proverbs regularly, you will learn to how to biblically think through the matters of life.

The next purpose for the writing of Proverbs reveals an often overlooked purpose for the book. It was written to aid the younger generation. It’s a practical handbook for attaining to healthy conduct and grasping knowledge about God.

Ok, some of you are probably thinking, “what in the world will my kids get out of this book?” For starters, our kids don’t think like we do. They love stories that tell a story. They get the concept of “physical pictures of spiritual truths.”

Believe it or not, your kids can think outside the box, possibly better than you do!

Maybe it’s time to introduce your kids to the Proverbs. Don’t let them dive in alone but walk with them into the book. Maybe you can ask them what they see in certain verses. You might be surprised how they respond!

Finally, a study of Proverbs will take the wisdom you already have and build on top of it. The result will be a multiplication of wisdom in your life. Why? Because Solomon knew exactly what he was doing when he wrote them!

Conclusion

If you need wisdom for any situation, reading the Proverbs regularly is a must!

The bottom line is that the Proverbs help us make right choices and apply prudence (forethought) into all our dealings in life. Could you use some of that?

I challenge you to pick up the readings of the wisest man to ever live! Let God download the wisdom you need for daily living!

Go ahead…develop the “Proverbs Habit” today!