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Proverbs 1:1-7 (KJV) Introduction to the Book of Proverbs I'm excited to start sharing scripture from the Old Testament on the Circular Grace YouTube channel. This year my husband and I are following a daily Bible reading plan that includes a few verses from Proverbs. The plan will guide us through reading the whole Bible together in a year. I'm really enjoying the Book of Proverbs and they are perfect for sharing in Short video format. The respected commentators I share alongside my New Testament readings also provide some excellent commentary on the Old Testament. I thought it would be nice to provide a post to introduce the Book of Proverbs. Enduring Word Commentary I confess, that before reading this commentary, I knew very little about the Book of Proverbs. For instance, I hadn't really considered how unique the book is when compared to the rest of the Old Testament. This commentary provides a good overview on that uniqueness. a. The proverbs of Solomon: The Book of Proverbs is a collection of practical life wisdom given mostly in short, memorable statements. Though part of a larger body of wisdom literature that includes Job, Psalms, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon, the Book of Proverbs is unique. Proverbs is unique because it has no particular logical structure. It's a collection of individual statements. These statements are practical and provide wise examples to follow relating to everyday life. Apparently according to this commentator, they are in keeping with a style of ancient writing shared by secular ancient societies. There is scholarly debate as to whether the Book of Proverbs was a forerunner or a follower. Either way, we can have confidence that the Lord Our God is the origin of pure undiluted wisdom and so the superiority of Proverbs compared to any other ancient text is in no doubt. vi. “If Proverbs is the borrower here, the borrowing is not slavish but free and creative. Egyptian jewels, as at the Exodus, have been re-set to their advantage by Israelite workmen and put to finer use.” (Kidner) I was grateful for some clarity on what a Proverb is and is not. They teach wisdom but are not law. They are meant to be pondered and considered but require discernment in terms of their application. b. The proverbs : Proverbs teach wisdom through short points and principles but should not be regarded as “laws” or even universal promises. Illuding back to the previous point about the superiority of Proverbs compared to any other secular comparison. God blessed Solomon with immense wisdom and these Proverbs share that wisdom with us. Let's recap scripture for a clearer understanding (1 Kings 4:29-31 (kjv) 29 And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore. 30 And Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt. 31 For he was wiser than all men; than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol: and his fame was in all nations round about. Proverbs 1:1 God granted Solomon's request for wisdom that he would be a wise leader. I find the story of Solomon as told in the book of Ecclesiastes fascinating because despite his vast wisdom he was not obedient. He would be a very old man before he realised his desires had all amounted to vanity. We do however find examples of the application of his wisdom in the Book of Kings. c. The proverbs of Solomon : Solomon was the king of Israel famous for his wisdom. In 1 Kings 3:3-13 Solomon asked God for wisdom to lead God’s people and God answered that prayer. 1 Kings then presents a remarkable demonstration of Solomon’s wisdom, seen in his response to the problem of the two women and the deceased son ( 1 Kings 3:16-28 ). Solomon is not the originator of all the proverbs that makes up the Book of Proverbs. There is some debate as to whether he is the author of the book or wether he was responsible for gathering the collection together. ii. The opening, the proverbs of Solomon should not be taken to mean that Solomon was the author of all these proverbs. There are a few other authors specifically mentioned. Yet, it may well be that Solomon collected all these other proverbs and set them in his book. Whether Solomon was the collector or some unnamed later person, we can’t know for certain. If you are wondering why our Holy Bible contains the Book of Proverbs, Solomon explains at the very begining of the book that the purpose is to explain what wisdom is and is not. a. To know wisdom and instruction: In the opening of his collection of proverbs, Solomon explained the purpose of these sayings of wisdom. They are intended to give the attentive reader wisdom, instruction, perception, and understanding. I will leave you with a link to the full commentary. If you want a good introduction to the Book of Proverbs, I highly recommend it. https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/proverbs-1/ Bible Project Another resource that may be useful is provided by the Bible Project. I liked their headline that confirmed that wisdom is about trusting God! It reminded me of something I'd listened to earlier today about Eve and the fall. Eve's encounter with the serpent was the first example of failing to trust God. The fall was great! The Big Idea Wisdom depends on trusting God and leads to life, but folly starts with distrusting God and leads to death. https://bibleproject.com/guides/book-of-proverbs/ Bible Gateway I find this resource invaluable. I use the Bible Gateway frequently. It provides access to the complete Bible in numerous transitions. Alongside bible text they provide a wealth of other resources such as this complete verse by verse Matthew Henry commentary on the Book of Proverbs. If you'd like to find out more about Matthew Henry, an English Presbyterian Minister and Bible scholar (1662-1714), you'll find a nice write up on Got Questions. I liked the Henry quote from the article: “The Bible is a letter God has sent to us; prayer is a letter we send to him” ( Daily Communion with God ). https://www.gotquestions.org/Matthew-Henry.html For the Matthew Henry Commentary on the Book of Proverbs, follow the link. https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/matthew-henry/Proverbs I'd love to hear your thoughts on Proverbs as I share them on YouTube. Feel free to add thoughts, comments or questions below.

How scientifically reliable is the Evolution Theory taught in schools and presented in science museum? This very easy to watch film provides some clarity on the limitations of the evidence used as the foundation for what is taught as scientific facts in relation to how man evolved. Thoughts? Question? Opinions? Post a comment!

Introduction to Mark's Gospel This introduction to Mark's Gospel provides clarity on who the author is. If we are familiar with scripture we will know that Mark is not one of Jesus' 12 Apostle's. Watch to find out who Mark is and where he is mentioned in scripture. Alongside clarity on who Mark, the author of this Gospel is, I'll explain why we can have confidence in the authenticity of this Gospel written 2000 years ago. You'll hopefully find all manner of interesting facts but my intended purpose was to truly Glorify God as Creator and ultimately the Gospel Author. I wanted to magnify in our hearts, knowledge of the power of the Holy Spirit to bring us to Salvation through our belief and faith in Jesus Christ. I hope you enjoy watching and have some comments, thought and opinion to share.

Lesson 4 in the Genesis Study is now available. It's all about the mystery and majesty of the first day of creation. The awe inspiring truth that God added His light to the dark void He created in the beginning. I hope you'll join me in pondering the light that filled the universe before the sun was created.

I have added a new chapter from Ephesians to our Bible Bites page. I loved the message to be humble and gentle from Ephesians 4:2. What an everyday reminder to stay on the narrow path and avoid the temptation of putting ourselves on a pedestal and become judgemental. After uploading Lesson 2, I realised that it had some formatting issues when viewed on mobile. I've hopefully fixed these now. I also took the opportunity re tweak the opening paragraph. Please let me know your thoughts if you have a moment to read the lesson. I value your input and the opportunity to improve my content. Link to Bible Bites https://circulargrace.wixsite.com/welcome/items Link to Lesson 2 https://circulargrace.wixsite.com/welcome/general-7 Link to Lesson 1 https://circulargrace.wixsite.com/welcome/general-1

The second lesson in our study of Genesis is live. I've noticed an issue with formatting if viewed from a mobile and I will correct it in the near future. It's readable but a little messy in the section covering the old testament verses section. Genesis Lesson 2 https://circulargrace.wixsite.com/welcome/general-7

I'm pleased to announce that the Genesis Study page is live. The logical first step was to focus on the beginning and so the study begins with the first verse in the Holy Bible. It reads, "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth" Genesis 1:1 (KJV). Join me in pondering the profound revelation to us in this single verse. You'll find the link to the Genesis study in the 'pink' link section alongside links to Patreon and Youtube. I'll be linking to the discussion in Patreon and in the future a lovely app. You are welcome to join the discussion here or on Patreon (free for all). I'll be gradually adding links to bring the study from the different platforms together. Keep watching 👍