Prov 1

Proverbs 1

1-7
The first seven verses are a basic introduction with a purpose for the book. It says in verse 2 that the book is:
"2 for gaining wisdom and instruction;
for understanding words of insight; "
and it goes into a bit more detail about what people at different places should get out of it.
"7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and instruction."
I feel like this is an important verse. Like, truth comes from God, so if you are disregarding God than your are disregarding truth.

8-19
The next passage is speaking to his son, instructing him not to do as sinful men even when enticed.
"8 Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction
and do not forsake your mother’s teaching. "
This is a similar verse to the commandment "honor your father and your mother" (Exo 20:12) but it is refering more to what they teach you in specific. Why would your parents teach you anything to harm you. Also, the first part if God is our father and we are His children it is an instruction to pay attention to the Bible, I guess..? xP
" 10 My son, if sinful men entice you,
do not give in to them.
...
15 my son, do not go along with them,
do not set foot on their paths;
16 for their feet rush into evil,
they are swift to shed blood."
What I see from these verses is a young man being warned of temptation and the consequences. The sinful men try to tempt him with peer pressure and greed, but the warning is that if we do evil like the sinful men then we will be on the path to destruction.
"17 How useless to spread a net
where every bird can see it!
18 These men lie in wait for their own blood;
they ambush only themselves!
19 Such are the paths of all who go after ill-gotten gain;
it takes away the life of those who get it."
In 17 it is saying that if you can see the temptation than it should be easy to avoid. The other two verses say that even though they are out to do harm to others, they are actually doing themselves harm by doing evil and will buy their own death. "for the wages of sin is death" (Rom 6:23). But also, just being tempted is not a sin. 15 says 'do not set foot on their path', he is not on it yet, just by being tempted. Jesus was tempted by the devil in Matt 4. He never sinned.

20-33

These last verses are of someone, refered to as wisdom, speaking to 'you who are simple'. Wisdom is calling out to them and calling them to repent of their ways, but they do not accept, they choose to live the way the have been. So wisdom gives them over to what they want. If they don't want wisdom, then wisdom will do nothing for them. In 29 it says that they "did not choose to fear the LORD" which had not directly been mentioned until now. The last four verses are again that the wicked walk on the path to destruction, 'but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm." (33)

This, I think, is like when Jesus came to the world. He came and taught and yet people did not accept Him, they even crucified Him. This leaves two groups of people.

Those who reject him:
"30 Since they would not accept my advice
and spurned my rebuke,
31 they will eat the fruit of their ways
and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.
32 For the waywardness of the simple will kill them,
and the complacency of fools will destroy them; "
and those who accept Him:
"33 but whoever listens to me will live in safety
and be at ease, without fear of harm."

In Jesus we have hope that He will return and make His new kingdom where there is no pain, no disease, no sin. God is good and his plan for us is good too.

Ya. Wisdom literature is hard. xP

D.Fa