Be Skillful (Proverbs): God's Guidebook to Wise Living

The "Be" Commentary

by Warren W. Wiersbe

Beyond successful goal-setting and intelligent advice, acquiring and applying godly wisdom can guide the believer to a life of unbelievable fulfillment, as is shown in this powerful commentary on the book of Proverbs.

Genres: Christian, Nonfiction, Theology, Christianity, Reference, Biblical Studies, Old Testament

213 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

Warren W. Wiersbe, former pastor of the Moody Church and general director of Back to the Bible, has traveled widely as a Bible teacher and conference speaker. Because of his encouragement to those in ministry, Dr. Wiersbe is often referred to as 'the pastor's pastor.' He has ministered in churches and conferences throughout the United States as well as in Canada, Central and South America, and Europe. Dr. Wiersbe has written over 150 books, including the popular BE series of commentaries on every book of the Bible, which has sold more than four million copies. At the 2002 Christian Booksellers Convention, he was awarded the Gold Medallion Lifetime Achievement Award by the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association. Dr. Wiersbe and his wife, Betty, live in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Reviews

[Poiema · Rating 5 out of 5]

In his approach to the Biblical Proverbs, Warren Wiersbe quotes Cervantes to help define what actually constitutes a "proverb": 


"a short sentence based on long experience."


That's one of the things I love about Wiersbe; he mines primary meaning from the scriptures themselves, but is so well read that he can effortlessly draw from his vast knowledge of classics to illustrate further.


The title for this book was chosen because " we're seeking to learn from Proverbs the divine principles that can make us skillful, not in making a living, but in making a life."


Here are a few of the points he makes:


*Wisdom produces skill and success in relationships and responsibilities 


*Wisdom recognizes a moral law in operation in this world


*Wisdom is practical, not abstract


This is a rich commentary, and probably difficult to write because the nougats of wisdom seem randomly dispersed throughout the book of Proverbs. But Wiersbe is able to create focused chapters, tying things together and addressing money issues, listening and speech skills, family dynamics, guidance, and many other subjects. A valuable accompaniment to a Biblical study of Proverbs.

[Barbara Harper · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Be Skillful (Proverbs): God’s Guidebook to Wise Living, pastor and Bible teacher Warren Wiersbe notes, “We are living in the information age, but we certainly are not living in the age of wisdom” (p. 11, Kindle version).

The book of Proverbs is one of the Bible’s wisdom books. Of course, we can gain wisdom all through the Bible, but Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon, are grouped together as wisdom books.

Wiersbe goes on to say, “It isn’t enough simply to be educated and have knowledge, as important as education is. We also need wisdom, which is the ability to use knowledge. Wise men and women have the competence to grasp the meaning of a situation and understand what to do and how to do it in the right way at the right time” (p. 16).

“Biblical wisdom has little if any relationship to a person’s IQ or education, because it is a matter of moral and spiritual understanding. It has to do with character and values; it means looking at the world through the grid of God’s truth” (p. 17).

“Biblical wisdom begins with a right relationship with the Lord. The wise person believes that there is a God, that He is the Creator and Ruler of all things, and that He has put within His creation a divine order that, if obeyed, leads ultimately to success” (p. 17).

“The first essential for an effective study of Proverbs is faith in Jesus Christ so that you can honestly call God your Father. You can’t make a life until you first have life, and this life comes through faith in Jesus Christ (John 3: 16, 36)” (p. 26).

The bulk of Proverbs is made up of individual sayings. “Proverbs are pithy statements that summarize in a few choice words practical truths relating to some aspect of everyday life. The Spanish novelist Cervantes defined a proverb as ‘a short sentence based on long experience'” (p. 20). But these proverbs are not just clever sayings: they are God’s inspired Word and profitable for doctrine, correction, reproof, and instruction just like the rest of the Bible (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

Normally, Dr. Wiersbe’s comments follow the chapters of the book of the Bible he is discussing. In this commentary, however, he groups his remarks as to the categories in Proverbs: the contrast between wisdom and foolishness, diligence and laziness, the virtuous woman and the “strange” woman, etc., and characters like the drunkard, glutton, the simple, scoffer, fool, king, parents and children, and so on.

As to why God directed the writers of Proverbs to lay out the book this way, Wiersbe has a couple of suggestions. Most people didn’t have their own copies of the Scriptures. Short, pictorial statements would have been easier to remember that a lecture. Plus, “Just as the Bible itself isn’t arranged like a systematic theology, neither is Proverbs. What Solomon wrote is more like a kaleidoscope than a stained-glass window: We never know what the next pattern will be” (p. 22). Some make a practice of reading a chapter of Proverbs each day of the month. They receive wisdom on a variety of topics to carry with them throughout the day.

It had been a while since I had read Proverbs. I enjoyed thinking through it again along with Dr. Wiersbe’s insights.

[Mike Eccles · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another excellent Wiersbe commentary, but this time a little different. I wondered how he would deal with the nature of Proverbs with its (in the main) bite-sized wisdom. He addresses the problem by dividing his approach into two fundamentally different parts. For the first seven chapters his approach is quite conventional taking whole chapters at a time reflecting on wisdom and folly. From there he chooses themes covered in the remaining chapters, some very encouraging, others very challenging. He writes this way to aid study, but emphasises that the best way to read Proverbs is to read the book sequentially, as written. A wise an skillful approach.

[Anne (In Search of Wonder) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wiersbe always has such an organized approach to book studies, and my sometimes-type-A brain really appreciates this. I also appreciate how he tied in New Testament principles to reiterate and/or illustrate the concepts found in Proverbs. Additionally, his tidbits of information about historical and cultural practices helped to explain some of the more obscure proverbs that can stump the modern reader.

[A.M. Revere · Rating 5 out of 5]

Proverbs is one of my all-time favorite books of the Bible, but before I read this book by Dr. Wiersbe, I had no idea it was! This informational, interpretational, summarization of Proverbs absolutely opened my eyes. I loved how he applied each area of the book to our every day lives and pointed to Jesus. I'd recommend it to anyone! Because of reading this book, I found out that I love Proverbs, and I love reading it!

[Ed · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent study of the Book of Proverbs. The issue I have also includes a study guidebook at the end to use to teach students and to initiate questions that the student might have. Everything covered is supported by Scripture.

[Ruth · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's a good general introduction, but I couldn't help but feel that there was too much skimming over of more challenging teachings. Then again, that's what an introduction generally does.

[Mary Chambers · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know I've said it before, but I really like Warren Wiersbe's Be Series.

[Frans Kempe · Rating 3 out of 5]

A topical bibelstudy of Proverbs. It talks about the main areas the proverbs are addressing.

[Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a huge fan of Warren Wiersbe's commentary series. I usually read his book while I am studying that same book in Bible. I am working my way through Proverbs and have had such marvelous discovers, but not due to Wiersbe's book. Honestly, writing a commentary on Proverbs is not an easy task. How does one treat a book with hundreds of proverbs? One way is to do what Wiersbe does by treating broad subjects. That was not helpful as I worked through the book chapter by chapter and verse by verse. Two books, however have been very helpful, Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Bible and Proverbs: A Self-study Guide, by Irving L. Jensen. With these two tools I am learning a lot from Proverbs about practical ways to live a holy life.

[Clara Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started reading this book when I was reading the Amplified version of the book of Proverbs. As with all of Wiersbe's books this book is chocked full of insight to God's word. "The first step in receiving God's wisdom is trusting Jesus Christ and becoming a child of God." "If there weren't wisdom and order built into the universe(what most people call 'scientific law'), the farmer couldn't expect a harvest, the astronomer couldn't predict an eclipse, the scientist couldn't safely conduct an experiment, the pilot wouldn't be able to fly his plane, and nobody would know from one moment to another what the stars and planets would do next."

[Sean Harding · Rating 4 out of 5]

Proverbs is quite a difficult book to put into a commentary, and Wiersbe does quite a good job with his devotional commentary here.
Part of the "Be" series it is another commentary that encourages and challenges without being technical.
There are plenty of technical ones out there, but this is perfect for the morning devotion - I have a stack more Wiersbe to read, so they should, all going well, be coming up in the next little while.

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some good thoughts and great quotes, but I constantly ran into two problems:
1. This book is 30 years old and definitely feels dated. This is no fault of Wiersbe, but it definitely was distracting.
2. The layout of the book despite being topical feels disjointed and like it's trying to be exegetical which takes away from the enjoyability.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good summary of the themes in Proverbs. I prefer the beginning where Wiersbe commented on each proverb separately, rather than discussing themes as he did in part 2. There are some confusing verses throughout Proverbs and I was hoping for explanation and opinions about some verses. The themed discussions were good and good reminders of how to live.

[Joshua Jagelman · Rating 4 out of 5]

practical insights

This is an easy read of insights from proverbs gathered together in themes. There are excellent questions at the end of each section ~ for personal growth or group settings. Highly recommend this layman’s commentary.

[Marcus Goncalves · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author takes you through what really matters, God's Wisdom expressed in the Book of Proverbs. Warnings, admonishments, solutions to life's situations are shared in this great book.

[Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good in-depth study with many cross references that you can look up.

[Eugenia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a reference book for the book of Proverbs.

[Gail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good but not great book on Proverbs. There were some good insights - worth reading as a supplement if doing a study on Proverbs.

[Taryn McBee · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful commentary and study. I really enjoyed the topical approach to Proverbs!

[Carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Be Skillful is a study of the book of Proverbs. This is part of the Wisdom Literature of the Bible. Solomon asked for wisdom - heart that is understanding and the ability to discern between good and bad in order to be able to govern God’s people. Wisdom, however, is not only knowledge, as Ken Baugh points out in his introduction to this study: “Knowledge is knowing the right thing to do; wisdom is actually doing it…it’s choosing to apply that knowledge in ways that honor and please the Lord. True wisdom is seen through an obedient life.” This book instructs a child of God in the way of wisdom.

Warren Wiersbe says: “The book of Proverbs is about godly wisdom, how to get it and how to use it. It’s about priorities and principles, not get-rich-quick schemes or success formulas. It tells you not how to make a living but how to be skillful in the lost art of making a life.”

[R. Kent · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Commentary

This is another great commentary that makes an excellent source for a Bible study of Proverbs. The first four chapters are covered individually and the remaining twenty-seven chapters are covered in a subject formate. This makes it an excellent source for either an individual or group study of Proverbs. I highly recommend this book for a study of Proverbs.