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Preaching Proverbs

Preaching Proverbs. 2 Timothy 4:1-2.

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Preaching Proverbs

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  1. Preaching Proverbs

  2. 2 Timothy 4:1-2 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.

  3. The Genre of Proverbs: Sub-genre of larger genre called “Wisdom Literature” “For the precept is a lamp and the teaching a light” Prov. 6.23a. Wisdom is found in every book of the Bible, but there is a specific genre called Wisdom Literature. This includes Ecclesiastes, Proverbs, Job and the Song of Songs/Solomon. The goal is to provide the reader/listener the ability to make godly choices. Fee & Stuart, How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth, P. 206.

  4. Eugene Rice “Wisdom was an ideal of twenty-two centuries. It described the highest knowledge men were capable of and the most desirable patterns of human behavior. It mirrored man’s conception of himself, of the world, and of God.”

  5. Wisdom Literature “For the precept is a lamp and the teaching a light” Prov. 6.23a. There are two main types of wisdom: stable (or conservative) and subversive (or radical). Proverbs belong to the stable class. They uphold order and teach how to get along in this world (under the fear of God) with teaching often phrased as observations in the third person.

  6. Wisdom Forms • Proverb • Admonition (command or prohibition) • Numerical Saying • Rhetorical Question • Parental Exhortation

  7. Wisdom Forms (continued) • Controversy Speech or Disputation • Example Story • Confession or Reflection • Riddle • Allegory • Didactic Narrative Garret, Duane The New American Commentary: Proverbs, Ecclesiastes & Song of Songs (Nashville, Broadman Press, 1993) 29-32.

  8. Didactic Wisdom – Proverbs The plans of the righteous are just,        but the advice of the wicked is deceitful. Prov. 12.5 • Proverbs give guidance to the challenges we face: • How to get along with people. • How to make the right choices in personal and business affairs. • How to win God’s favor and avoid disaster • Proverbs concern all areas of life no matter how great or small. • Fox, Michael V., Proverbs 1-9 The Anchor Bible (New York, Doubleday, 2000) 7.

  9. “Proverbs are high points of human insight. To use a literary term, a proverb is a moment of epiphany (insight, revelation).” Ryken, Leland How to Read the Bible as Literature (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1984), 124.

  10. Proverbs are a universal literary form: Chinese: Talk does not cook rice. Sumerian: A donkey eats its own bedding. Spanish: He who knows little soon repeats it. French: All are not hunters who blow the horn. English: Call a man a thief and he will steal. Nigerian: A single partridge flying through the bush leaves no path. Modern American: “Time is money.” “No pain, no gain.” “Different strokes for different folks.”

  11. Proverbs Quiz (identify the reference) • Lazy people are soon poor; hard workers get rich. • Proverbs 10:4. • The lover of money will not be satisfied with money; nor the lover of wealth, with gain. • Eccles. 5:10. • “Physician, heal yourself!” • Luke 4:23.

  12. Proverbs are a universal literary form: What makes Proverbs used so universally?

  13. Literary/Rhetorical Characteristics: • Short. • Therefore, the rhetorical effect is . . . • Poetry.

  14. Poetic Devices • Repetition • Alliteration • Assonance • Simile • Metaphor • Rhyme • Compare and contrast Garret, Duane The New American Commentary: Proverbs, Ecclesiastes & Song of Songs (Nashville, Broadman Press, 1993) 38.

  15. Literary/rhetorical Characteristics: • Short. • Therefore, the rhetorical effect is . . . • Poetry. • Therefore, the rhetorical effect is . . . • Specific yet general. They are miniature “case studies.” • Therefore, the rhetorical effect is . . .

  16. “The essence of a proverbial saying is that it is based on observations of how things are in the world. It is a flash of insight into the repeatable situations of life on the world, and its aphoristic form not only represents insight but compels it . . . . Naturally, in the context of firm belief in God, the proverb comes to express insight into the way things are, or should be, in the world ordered by God and a challenge to behavior that God will reward.” Norman Perrin, The New Testament: An Introduction, 296.

  17. Train children in the right way, and when old, they will not stray. Prov. 22.6 (NRS)

  18. Theology of Proverbs 1.What is the main theme of Proverbs that separates it from other ancient wisdom literature? The fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom (Prov. 1.7). “Reverence for God determines progress in wisdom, and this reverence includes the moral dimensions of obedience and the spiritual dimensions of worship.” Murphy, R, “Religious Dimensions of Israelite Wisdom,” Ancient Israelite Wisdom (Philadelphia, Fortress, 1987), 452-456.

  19. Theology of Proverbs 2.How do Proverbs relate to the rest of the Old Testament? OT brings people together with God (now and forever). Covenant Theology Proverbs instruct how to live daily in this covenant. Through these proverbs, people will receive instruction in discipline, good conduct, and doing what is right, just, and fair. Prov. 1.3 (NLT)

  20. Theology of Proverbs 3.Do Proverbs teach a theology that the rich are favored by God and that the poor are sinners who are under His punishment? Those who fear God and live with diligence and integrity will have lives that are prosperous and peaceful, but those who don’t won’t. (Garret, paraphrase, p. 56.)

  21. Theology of Proverbs 4. What is the message of Proverbs concerning education and learning? My child, if you accept my words and treasure up my commandments within you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; if you indeed cry out for insight, and raise your voice for understanding; if you seek it like silver, and search for it as for hidden treasures—then then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. (Prov. 2:1-5)

  22. How to Preach Proverbs • Preach observations, not promises. • Do not preach selfish behavior, humanism, or materialism. • Preach thought units. • Use your imagination. • Show as well as tell. • Use case studies. Arthurs, Jeffrey Preaching with Variety, Chapter 7.

  23. How to Preach Proverbs • Case Studies that Reinforce Order: - “The Roving Spotlight” - “The Double Take” • Case Studies that Subvert Order - “Dueling Proverbs” -“Sometimes, but Not Always” Alyce McKenzie, Preaching Proverbs: Wisdom for the Pulpit (Westminster John Knox, 1996) 103-128; 134-135; 142-143.

  24. How to Preach Proverbs • Make your big idea “proverbial.” • Borrow the proverb’s movement. • Feature women. • Use some humor. • Be down-to-earth in your language. Arthurs, Jeffrey Preaching with Variety Chapter 7.

  25. 2 Timothy 4:1-2 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.

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