By I participate in a bible study through High Tech Ministries every Thursday morning (virtually – so I can show up in my PJs if I’m really lazy). The meetings are a great way to start the morning or end the week/begin the weekend. I’ve had the pleasure of leading the group a few times, during which I prepare by doing lots of google searches on the chapter/verse (because every google search leads you down a different rabbit hole). I even engage ChatGPT to let it share its thoughts too…a very entertaining use of technology.
Several weeks ago I facilitated a discussion on Proverbs 4, which is all about wisdom.
The main themes are:
•Seek wisdom
•Stay on the right path
•Guard your heart
•Avoid the way of the wicked
If we’re seeking wisdom, then perhaps we need a definition of what wisdom is? Glad you asked (thank you, Merriam-Webster).
1 a: ability to discern inner qualities and relationships : insight
b: good sense : judgment
c: generally accepted belief
d: accumulated philosophical or scientific learning : knowledge
2 : a wise attitude, belief, or course of action
3 : the teachings of the ancient wise men
Source: Merriam-Webster dictionary
For this excercise, I broke the chapter up into chunks…and looked at different translations for each
I thought I had grabbed the King James version…but clearly there are no thou’s or -eths. This is the New King James version, which I presume tries to hold onto the original, but modernize the language…sorta like going to contemporary service at church. These verse’s embody a father’s instruction to his children. The key ideas: Wisdom is taught and passed down; Wisdom protects and honors you; You must actively seek it.
My bible study group is predominantly men. When I asked them who taught them the most important lessons in your life – most said their dad or their grandfather. Does gender play a role? What happens if you’re a single parent? How do you successfully fulfill both roles (of mother and father)? That’s a deep discussion which gets into the heartache of many broken families. As for me, I looked to both my parents for life lessons. During my teenage rebellion years (rebellion = sneaking out to see Rocky Horror Picture Show at the midnight movies), I’m sure I looked to teachers or my older brothers. Who provided you the lessons in life that made you who you are today?
The Message – sounds like a John Grisham novel. This version of the bible is quite contemporary, hoping to convey the message of the ancient bible verses without being a word for word translation. It almost reads like an infomercial ‘..it will add years to your life’. These verses got me thinking about STAR WARS and the dark path and Jedi mind tricks. There are lots of great images created…the road of wrongdoing getting darker and darker! I know I made some missteps growing up. I’m sure I still make missteps today. That’s part of what this Proverb is telling me…I have to work at staying on the righteous path.
Another modern translation that focuses on conveying the idea in easier to read/understand language. I bolded verse 23 as it is the big takeaway verse. What follows it are really strong instructions…that are sometimes hard to follow: Watch what you say; Watch what you look at; Stay on the right path; Don’t get distracted.
The bible is a wonderful guidebook, especially Proverbs. My sister has read all of it. I’ll be honest and say I haven’t (or if I did in my youth, I’ve forgotten). My eyes glaze over during Numbers. But Proverbs and Psalms, which we are reading right now, are solid choices to dive deep into, whichever translation you choose. I find it fun to read the scripture in different versions, just to see how the message might slightly be altered by word choices.
I will end with this translation of Verse 23:
“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”