Proverbs 22:19 Commentary and Bible Study

Solomon tells us his motivation in writing the Book of Proverbs. He desires that we should take our confidence away from things that are not worthy of our trust and will let us down, and to put it in the living God who will honour that trust and not disappoint any who come to him for life and salvation. In telling us this he identifies the primary purpose of the book and gives us a principle which will help us to interpret it. He is completely clear that this is a spiritual book, intended to bring us to know God. This means that we cannot interpret the proverbs as simply moral maxims, limited to helping us handle our affairs in this world. They are not just human wisdom. They are designed to help us examine our behaviour before God, and to go further. They teach us not only how we should live before God, but how we should love him and trust him. Trust him for what? For forgiveness, for salvation, to make us his children, to lead us to heaven, to give us everlasting life in Jesus Christ. All the proverbs have this tendency. If therefore we are presented with a proverb which appears to address a very concrete earthly situation, we must carefully consider how this may be an example or an illustration and what is the spiritual principle enshrined in it.It is therefore the greatest possible privilege from the Lord to hear them, if they can do such lasting good to our souls. How we should store up the word of God, and make it our treasure in this passing world. It is given ‘even to you’, the Hebrew repeats the indirect object pronoun for emphasis, and the effect of this is to make us wonder that we are singled out to be given understanding by the Lord. Can it be that God has anything to say to one who has rejected his standards, dishonoured his name, and chosen to follow another master? Yes, he might well have words of threatening and judgment to say. But no, these are words of kindness, instruction, mercy, profit, which we least expect to hear. He speaks through his servant, Solomon, and he wants us to trust in his name because he knows this is the only place of safety for us. He has set his love upon us from all eternity and the provision of his word is part of his plan to bring us to everlasting joys in his presence.