Every culture seeks advice about how to live. The “Dear Abby” of the Bible is the Book of Proverbs. It’s historical context seems to be training those destined for the royal household the actions expected of our courtier. In more recent times this book was also the “Dr. Spock” for families seeking guidance in child rearing. But the book is more than just good advice. Jesus and the Apostles quoted from the Book of Proverbs frequently. The advice that it offers is not a matter of the proper manners or etiquette. Rather, the way of life it proposes directs us into the moral and ethical behavior which God expects of us. We should imitate the ancestors and attend to the Book of Proverbs carefully.
