What is the principle thing?

Proverbs gives us the answer, it is wisdom.

In Hebrew the word for Proverbs is mishlei

and for

wisdom is hokhmah or Chokmah.

Hebrew: חָכְמָה, romanized: ḥoḵmā,

also transliterated as chokma,

chokhmah or hokhma strongs # 2451 & H2461.

The proverbs/mishlei, are for learning about hokhmah/wisdom.

They are also for learning about discipline –

The Hebrew word for discipline is musar.

Mishlei are for hokhmah and musar.

They are for understanding words expressing deep insight and for gaining an intelligently disciplined life, doing what is right just and fair. They are for learning wisdom and discipline and proverbs links these two together.

Wisdom is using and applying knowledge intelligently and appropriately, it is having the ability to understand and apply the knowledge gained.

Discipline/musar derives from knowledge based on experiences, including learning from mistakes.

We often say we are always wise in hindsight, looking back we see how we could have done things more wisely.

Proverbs teaches wisdom and encourages discipline and learning from others experiences.

The Jewish sages teach that Solomons proverbs are in the form of allegories and illustrations.

They also include important life principles and wise generalized truths.

The term hokhmah-wisdom, is prominent in Proverbs, Job and Ecclesiastes; occurring 189 times in these books and 346 times in the TaNaKH/old testament.

In its most basic meaning, wisdom refers to skill. Parallel terms found in wisdom literature include discernment, insight and knowledge. Related terms include moral discipline, prudence, shrewdness, sensibleness, intelligence, discretion, guidance and experiential knowledge.

In verse 7, the fear/reverent respect of Adonai is the beginning of wisdom\Knowledge; hear, learn, understand, the ability to counsel well, endowing with caution those don’t think; gaining an intelligently disciplined life.

Who would not want this?

Verse 22 tells us that fools hate knowledge.

So it is wise for us to not be fools!

In Hebrew/Israelite society those called sages or wise men developed alongside the priests/cohanim and the prophets/naviim.

Whereas the cohen/priest and prophet/navi had mainly religious duties, the wise men/ were more concerned with the practical side of life. The proverbs state generally accepted truths about Adonai and His relationship both to the good and the wicked but don’t address any details that existed in the many exceptions.

The main concern of proverbs is wisdom, which has its source in our Heavenly Father as creator and ruler of the universe, and yet it is available to people. Humanities relationship to life is divided into two opposing paths, first the path/way/road of the righteous and second, the path/ way/ road of the wicked. Moral excellence only comes from being in right relationship with our Heavenly Father, fearing Him, respecting Him and acquiring/ gaining wisdom.

Books where wisdom is written are Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon.

Job and Ecclesiastes deal with some of the more difficult things and complexity of life. The Psalms have several ‘wisdom psalms’. Song of Solomon offers wisdom on how to live wisely in courtship and marriage. These books include proverbial statements, debate questions, give intellectual reflection and instructions about mastering life and seeking life’s secrets.

The concept of wisdom pre-supposes that there is order at work in our Heavenly Father’s moral universe, and improper moral behavior threatens to disrupt and destroy this order.  Although some say they understand wisdom to be the pursuit of the right attitude in making sense of a disordered world, wisdom is more accurately the search for an order already embodied as part of our Fathers’ creation. This order already functions perfectly without human intervention, oversight, control, interference or meddling.

This wisdom is available and given to us for the purpose of knowing how to live in harmony with His creation.

Wisdom is not something we are born with or that we seem to be able to operate in naturally. It is not an inborn trait, a temperament or intellectual acumen, rather it’s a relationship to the Creator gained through experience. Some claim that there is no connection with the rest of the TaNaKH to the wisdom literature, however the fear of Adonai – obedience to the Torah of Moses, (instructions/law), creation theology and the call to love, obey and trust our Heavenly Father, does provide and show the agreement with the rest of it.

Proverbs 10:27 Fear of the Lord adds length to life. So wisdom is the principle thing, the first and most important attribute to acquire and we are to get wisdom and get understanding.

Job 28:28, the fear of the Lord is wisdom.

And we understand fear here, as reverent respect not as being scared.

The understanding is to depart from evil which is everything out of harmony with God, His will, plan and purposes. The kingdom of our Father exists and operates on faith and love but satans kingdom operates out of fear and hate, so it is easy to identify the origin of thoughts and actions that come into our lives as temptations.

Trust and follow in the simplicity of obedience, then the understanding will come. Keep the Lord as our primary goal and wisdom shall be given each day, don’t reverse order.

James 1:5 tells us that if we need wisdom we are to ask for it.

How do we apply the knowledge given in the wisdom to our lives? We are to remain in harmony with our Heavenly Father and listen to His Holy Spirit Who is Yeshua/Jesus abiding within our spirit, Who will never leave us nor forsake us.

He promises to give us wisdom liberally as much as we need whenever we need it and knowing we need it and ask for it, is wisdom in action!

Let’s stop moving forward with knee-jerk actions and reactions and instead ask for, and apply His wisdom for every decision we make; learning to be patient, waiting for that still small voice within prompting us that…

Faith will not work without patience, patience is the outward evidence of our faith in our Fathers timing and will. The more we trust and mature in our walk with Him, the less we will be wise in hindsight.

Shalom, shalom mishpachah/family

and cheverim/friends!

It’s all about Life and Relationship,

NOT Religion.

You are greatly loved and precious in His sight.

NOT SURE?

YOU CAN BE..

SAY THE FOLLOWING FROM YOUR HEART RIGHT NOW…

Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past.

I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name. Amen