Proverbs 1

Proverbs Intro
Chapters 1-29 Written by Solomon
(Ch. 30 by Agur, Ch. 31 by Lemuel)

Pr 1:2 - Purpose of Proverbs is to teach people wisdom and discipline (I need both!)
Pr 1:3 - Purpose is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives, to help them do what is right, just, and fair

Pr 1:5 - let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance—

Pr 1:8 - Wisdom comes from parents' instructions to us

Pr 1:10-19 - Stay far away from sinners' influence

Pr 1:20-33 - Wisdom is personified as an announcer in the streets

She calls to the crowds, freely offering herself (point: it is not hard to get wisdom)
But
Pr 1:22 - "simpletons" (naive)
"mockers" (defiant toward true wisdom)
and "fools" (morally numb)
pay no attention to wisdom

Pr 1:26-27 - Consequences of Ignoring Wisdom:
"in trouble"
"disaster overtakes you"
"calamity"
"anguish and distress overwhelm you"

Pr 1:31 - If you ignore wisdom, you "must eat the bitter fruit of living your own way" (what a line!)

Pr 1:32-33 - Summary of this purpose chapter:

32 For the waywardness of the simple will kill them,
and the complacency of fools will destroy them;
33 but whoever listens to me will live in safety
and be at ease, without fear of harm."

Finally, each day, I'm going to write one wise or foolish decision I've made in life (usually related to that day's reading).

Wise/foolish decision #1:
By far, the wisest decision I've EVER made (see definition of wisdom above) is to surrender my life to Jesus in June 1981.