Page 110 - The Poetic Books - Student Text

7. What does Proverbs borrow from Amenemope?

8. Who discovered some lost proverbs of Solomon?

9. How did King Lemuel describe his writings in Proverbs?

10. The description of the noble wife is also a description of whom?

11.5 Let’s Personalize this Lesson….

At the heart of Proverbs instructions from parents on leadership, is the concept of serving
others. A woman “provides food for her family and portions for her female servants”
(31:15). “She extends her hands to the needy (31:20b).” “She speaks with wisdom (31:26).
“This model of leadership portrayed is quite different from the model of other nations

“The human understanding of leadership is one of power and authority. Jesus denied
neither of these prerogatives of leadership, in fact, He conferred both power and
authority on the leaders He selected. But Christ was careful to explain to His disciples
that a true leader is a servant. Inherent in the image of a servant is humility, submission,
devotion, sacrifice, a concern for the welfare of those being served.”
179

The concepts in Proverbs on leadership are not often popular in OT times, in NT times, or today. Yet God
is the one who guarantees their power. These are inspired utterances. The principles are his principles.
Solomon was able to watch God’s hand in the life of his father and brothers before his own time came to
rule. Later kings could look back as well to see how the Proverbs difference worked out.

Solomon’s older brother Absalom successfully rebelled against his father for a time. David had to flee
Jerusalem to prevent a civil war with much bloodshed (2 Samuel 15:14). Despite his short-term success,
Yahweh was against Absalom and his self-centered leadership (2 Sam. 17:14). In the end he was
defeated, killed, and buried in the forest under a large heap of rocks (2 Sam. 18:17). He is a fitting
illustration of this parent/king connection in Proverbs. “What a lesson to all who disown the authority of
parents! What a warning to all who cast away the words of self-restraint! It is said by Jewish writers that
every by-passer was accustomed to throw a stone on the heap that covered the remains of Absalom,
and as he threw it to say, ‘Cursed be the memory of rebellious Absalom; and cursed forever be all wicked
children that rise up in rebellion against their parents!’”
180

179 Keith M. Bailey, Servants in Charge (Camp Hill: Wing Spread Publishers, 1979), 13-14.
180 W. G. Blaikie, The Second Book of Samuel (Minneapolis: Klock & Klock, 1978), 130
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