The words from the prophet Isaiah stir our gratitude for the Prince of Peace that was born to us. 

As we consider the meaning of the “son of man” we see how what was perplexing to Daniel in his vision of the throne room was answered in Jesus. 

Through the prophet Ezekiel, we are reminded that God has bound himself to his people and that all our hopes and God’s promises are met in Jesus. 

Through Jeremiah’s prophesy, we are reminded that the coming of the Messiah happens over the backdrop of sorrow. But we have a Lord who uses these times of sorrow and we can look forward in hope since we have a God who has come and will come again. 

Jesus sends his disciples to make disciples wherever they go, which is an extension of his earthly ministry. 

We’ve made it to the crown jewel of women’s Bible studies across America — Proverbs 31. Where do we begin with such a famous passage? Well first we need to read Proverbs 31 in the context of Proverbs 1-30, as the embodiment of wisdom in the form of an idealized wife. Proverbs 1 begins with a father instructing his son to seek after wisdom with all his might. Proverbs 31 ends with another father, King Lemuel, telling his son to seek after a wise wife with the same vigor. The choice of a spouse is the most critical earthly decision any human being makes. A wise man who embodies wisdom will find a wise wife and vice versa. Yet these words from King Lemuel come as inherited wisdom from his own mother. He’s giving his son grand’s wisdom, which we know, is always right. So we conclude our study in Proverbs by looking at how wisdom calls out the best in both men and women so that we might fulfill our royal calling as kings and queens tasked with exercising dominion over the earth. This is Understanding Proverbs. 

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Jesus, in his authority, gives his final command to the disciples and provides the all sufficient motivation to the church for why we live how he taught us to and invite others to do so as well. 

Proverbs extends the fear of the Lord beyond our own individual lives to the whole of society. A society that honors God will create an atmosphere in which the wicked “flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion.” The wicked walk around with a low-grade anxiety because they know that God and his righteous rulers will find them out. The righteous, on the other hand, act with boldness knowing that the Lord will bless their efforts. A righteous culture ensures the poor neither experience oppression or oppress others. “Evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the Lord understand it completely.” A society without God becomes morally corrupt in their perspective praising the wicked and oppressing the righteous. Those who seek the Lord must remain vigilant against evil to preserve the order and justice of society. This is Understanding Proverbs. 

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Proverbs purposefully repeats certain themes from different angles as a way of challenging our minds to consider the various ways that wisdom and folly manifest themselves in every day life. We’re presented with interesting and sometimes humorous characterizations of drunkards, fools, and brawlers as a way to alert us on who to avoid, who to befriend, and who to correct. If we take note of these characters we’ll be better equipped to navigate social situations with skill and prudence. There’s a homespun kind of wisdom that gets to the heart of how things work in the world that forces us to peer deeper into the habits and routines of life to unearth hidden wisdom. If we want wisdom we need to pay attention not only to God’s word, but God’s world. This is Understanding Proverbs. 

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Just as Jesus said would happen, he is resurrected and appears to the women waiting at his tomb. As he sends them to share the news with the disciples, the guards at the tomb are paid off to spread a false account, and we begin to see how the good news that Jesus has been raised in power and conquered death changes the world.