As we look at chapters 16-31 of Proverbs this week, our author says that while Christians have long associated Wisdom with the Logos, the Word made flesh in Christ, Jewish scholars have understood Wisdom to mean teaching or instruction as embodied in Torah. He suggests we read this week with an eye toward matching the proverbs with the Ten Commandments.

I thought I'd give that a try today with the 1st Commandment, "I am the LORD your God... Worship no god but me." (Deut. 5:6-7, TEV)

The LORD alone is God, the Sovereign, the Almighty One, the Captain of the ship we sail called life. The consequences of this fact are many, according to Proverbs. We may put lots of effort and energy into making our plans – nothing wrong with that – but God, as the Sovereign, always has the last word (16:1, 9, 33). But if we will commit whatever we do to the LORD, He will see to it that our plans succeed (16:3). Most of us usually do what seems right to us at the time, but God – who alone is Almighty – is the One who judges the real motives of our hearts (16:2, 17:3). God, as Sovereign, works things out to achieve HIS goals, not ours. Even the wicked will eventually get theirs (16:4). When we trust in the LORD and live a life that is pleasing to Him, God blesses us and even makes our enemies live at peace with us (16:7, 20).

Has this been your experience?