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A Life That is Good: The Message of Proverbs in a World Wanting Wisdom
Somewhere out there is the “good life,” and we’re all scrambling to get it. Glenn Pemberton maintains in this book that we find the so-called good life not in good things but in living well—and the biblical book of Proverbs teaches us how to live that life. Though based on solid biblical scholarship, A Life That Is Good is not a textbook, commentary, or comprehensive study. It is instead a readable, practical guide to the wisdom found in the ancient book of Proverbs—wisdom on everyday living, speech, relationships, justice, money, and much more. Pastors and church groups in particular will love and benefit from this relevant guide regarding the message of Proverbs for today’s world.
254 pages, Paperback
Published September 20, 2018
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January 25, 2019
Paul wrote to the Corinthian church, telling them that the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom. It is easy to mistake Paul as an advocate of a Christian anti-intellectualism. Paul does value wisdom, just not the kind that devalues the cross. What is wisdom and what is its purpose? That would appear to be one of the purposes of the book of Proverbs. If you've spent time with this biblical wisdom book, you will know that it sometimes says things that can be viewed as harsh and unfortunate. It seems to make promises that life proves otherwise -- being good doesn't always lead to prosperity, and prosperity clearly is no marker of goodness. That being said, there is much in this book that has value for us today.
It has been sometime since I spent much time in Proverbs. I took a class on Proverbs way back in college, and what I remember most is being caught leaving early to play an intramural football game. Later, as a youth minister I would meet with a group of high school students at lunch for a conversation using a Proverbs booklet, which I believe used the Living Bible. The lectionary doesn't take us to Proverbs very often and I know better than preach on Proverbs 31 on Mother's Day.
With this preface, I come to Glenn Pemberton's thoughtful guide to the Book of Proverbs and the Wisdom tradition. The title describes well the point of the book. The way of wisdom points us not to the good life, but a life that is good. The book is designed to be used by groups, and therefore he includes at the end of each chapter a set of discussion questions and a "project challenge." In other words, if wisdom is designed to be practical, then there needs to be practical application.
These proverbs are the work of the Sages, as opposed to priests and prophets. He writes that "unlike prophets or priests, sages derive their understanding of God and life with God from what they see or experience, as well as what others have seen and experienced. They accept these insights as normative or God-given, just as a prophet regards a vision or a priest regards Torah to be God's message." (p. 9). In other words, the Sages look at the world around them and discern a word from God. As for the definition of wisdom, he points two levels. The first level has to do with a special skill or expertise. The second level builds on the first, and "expands the first meaning of to include living life as a whole with expertise, to live a life that is good." (pp. 9-10). This book, therefore, is a product of the Sages reflecting on life and offering words of guidance so that the reader might live a life that is good.
Pemberton recognizes that the book is a collection that developed over time. He also notes that the likely audience was young men preparing for life. The audience is most likely "naive young men who stand at a point in life when they must begin to take more responsibility for themselves and their decisions" (p. 20). While Wisdom is personified in feminine terms, women are not always portrayed positively. Two kinds of women are often contrasted -- woman wisdom and woman folly. Embrace the former and flee the latter. The way in which women are portrayed -- often as the seductress -- can cause us a lot of grief. We need to recognize the patriarchal context of this work, and recognize that the audience is young men. If we can affirm this, we can learn from these messages, even as we recognize the problematic nature of some that we read.
Pemberton divides the eleven chapters of the book into four parts. Part One is introductory. He introduces us to the Sages and their Book. From there he moves to the role of women in Proverbs, along with an overview of chapters 1-9. These chapters form a collection that describe Woman Wisdom and offers a brief collection of wisdom sayings. Chapter three concludes Part One by giving an overview of chapters 10-31. It is in this chapter that he lays out definitions and descriptions of a proverb. He does so in art by inviting the reader to think of other forms of proverbial sayings, noting along the way that translation can get in the way of meaning.
Part Two includes three chapters. The first (chapter 4) speaks of deforming character. That is, what it does it mean to be a fool. What happens to us when we take the wrong path? Chapter five invites to search for God in the Book of Proverbs, reminding us that the Sages looked not to revelation but to life itself for inspiration. So, what does God have to do with this? Finally in chapter 6 he takes not of the way justice and mercy are understood in the book of Proverbs -- what he refers to as the Wisdom of Merciful Justice.
These first six chapters provide the foundation for what will come next. Chapter seven takes note of what Proverbs has to say about speech. He points out that Proverbs has a lot to say about speech. He writes that for the Sages, "speech functions as both a thermometer and a thermostat." Regarding the former, "speech detects the wellness of a person's heart." As a thermostat, he writes that "our heart determines how we will live and is ultimately responsible for our speech that affects our communities, our families, and our own character development" (p. 134). From speech, we move to wealth and poverty. Again the Sages have much to say, some of which can be seen as wrongheaded (my word). The point here, again, is living a life that is good. That includes use of wealth and the reality of poverty. The Sages have words of advice for how to live appropriately. Finally, there is a chapter on leadership. Remember that the audience are young men, who may be on the verge of adulthood and the possibility of leadership. These young men might or might not be nobles. Whatever the case, there is always room for guidance on leadership. We could use some right now in our nation.
The final two chapters speak to our relationships (Part Four). One chapter focuses on friendship and the other other on family. I especially found the last chapter on family values insightful and intriguing. The author understands very clearly, that the ancient definition of family is very different from our own. We think in terms of the nuclear family, but the ancient world conceived of family much more broadly. There is much to learn, but we must be careful with how we read it and apply it.
Pemberton takes the Book of Proverbs very seriously. It's clear he's been teaching it in various capacities for many years. There is a deep familiarity here that makes the book very useful for conversations about Proverbs. For that reason I highly recommend it.
It has been sometime since I spent much time in Proverbs. I took a class on Proverbs way back in college, and what I remember most is being caught leaving early to play an intramural football game. Later, as a youth minister I would meet with a group of high school students at lunch for a conversation using a Proverbs booklet, which I believe used the Living Bible. The lectionary doesn't take us to Proverbs very often and I know better than preach on Proverbs 31 on Mother's Day.
With this preface, I come to Glenn Pemberton's thoughtful guide to the Book of Proverbs and the Wisdom tradition. The title describes well the point of the book. The way of wisdom points us not to the good life, but a life that is good. The book is designed to be used by groups, and therefore he includes at the end of each chapter a set of discussion questions and a "project challenge." In other words, if wisdom is designed to be practical, then there needs to be practical application.
These proverbs are the work of the Sages, as opposed to priests and prophets. He writes that "unlike prophets or priests, sages derive their understanding of God and life with God from what they see or experience, as well as what others have seen and experienced. They accept these insights as normative or God-given, just as a prophet regards a vision or a priest regards Torah to be God's message." (p. 9). In other words, the Sages look at the world around them and discern a word from God. As for the definition of wisdom, he points two levels. The first level has to do with a special skill or expertise. The second level builds on the first, and "expands the first meaning of to include living life as a whole with expertise, to live a life that is good." (pp. 9-10). This book, therefore, is a product of the Sages reflecting on life and offering words of guidance so that the reader might live a life that is good.
Pemberton recognizes that the book is a collection that developed over time. He also notes that the likely audience was young men preparing for life. The audience is most likely "naive young men who stand at a point in life when they must begin to take more responsibility for themselves and their decisions" (p. 20). While Wisdom is personified in feminine terms, women are not always portrayed positively. Two kinds of women are often contrasted -- woman wisdom and woman folly. Embrace the former and flee the latter. The way in which women are portrayed -- often as the seductress -- can cause us a lot of grief. We need to recognize the patriarchal context of this work, and recognize that the audience is young men. If we can affirm this, we can learn from these messages, even as we recognize the problematic nature of some that we read.
Pemberton divides the eleven chapters of the book into four parts. Part One is introductory. He introduces us to the Sages and their Book. From there he moves to the role of women in Proverbs, along with an overview of chapters 1-9. These chapters form a collection that describe Woman Wisdom and offers a brief collection of wisdom sayings. Chapter three concludes Part One by giving an overview of chapters 10-31. It is in this chapter that he lays out definitions and descriptions of a proverb. He does so in art by inviting the reader to think of other forms of proverbial sayings, noting along the way that translation can get in the way of meaning.
Part Two includes three chapters. The first (chapter 4) speaks of deforming character. That is, what it does it mean to be a fool. What happens to us when we take the wrong path? Chapter five invites to search for God in the Book of Proverbs, reminding us that the Sages looked not to revelation but to life itself for inspiration. So, what does God have to do with this? Finally in chapter 6 he takes not of the way justice and mercy are understood in the book of Proverbs -- what he refers to as the Wisdom of Merciful Justice.
These first six chapters provide the foundation for what will come next. Chapter seven takes note of what Proverbs has to say about speech. He points out that Proverbs has a lot to say about speech. He writes that for the Sages, "speech functions as both a thermometer and a thermostat." Regarding the former, "speech detects the wellness of a person's heart." As a thermostat, he writes that "our heart determines how we will live and is ultimately responsible for our speech that affects our communities, our families, and our own character development" (p. 134). From speech, we move to wealth and poverty. Again the Sages have much to say, some of which can be seen as wrongheaded (my word). The point here, again, is living a life that is good. That includes use of wealth and the reality of poverty. The Sages have words of advice for how to live appropriately. Finally, there is a chapter on leadership. Remember that the audience are young men, who may be on the verge of adulthood and the possibility of leadership. These young men might or might not be nobles. Whatever the case, there is always room for guidance on leadership. We could use some right now in our nation.
The final two chapters speak to our relationships (Part Four). One chapter focuses on friendship and the other other on family. I especially found the last chapter on family values insightful and intriguing. The author understands very clearly, that the ancient definition of family is very different from our own. We think in terms of the nuclear family, but the ancient world conceived of family much more broadly. There is much to learn, but we must be careful with how we read it and apply it.
Pemberton takes the Book of Proverbs very seriously. It's clear he's been teaching it in various capacities for many years. There is a deep familiarity here that makes the book very useful for conversations about Proverbs. For that reason I highly recommend it.
December 29, 2018
Pemberton has some helpful sections on the message and themes in the book of Proverbs that I will revisit. He also uses some fine arrangements that assist in organizing these ancient sayings, and writes with a pastoral heart and scholar’s eye.
However, his “apologies” on behalf of the cultural context this divinely breathed book arose out of were overblown, and his seemingly potential (?) willingness to reject Scripture if modern developments dictate is itself to be rejected.
However, his “apologies” on behalf of the cultural context this divinely breathed book arose out of were overblown, and his seemingly potential (?) willingness to reject Scripture if modern developments dictate is itself to be rejected.
October 21, 2019
Really solid introduction to Proverbs from an ethical instruction approach, following in the lines of Ellen Davis, Michael Fox and Dave Bland.
He stands in the tradition of Blenkinsopp of looking at the religious leadership of Israel through the lens of "prophet, priest and sage," with the sages rising later in Israel's history to provide moral and theological stability following the Babylonian exile.
The role of Proverbs, according to Pemberton, is two-fold: 1) to provide an introduction to the "content" of wisdom, and 2) to provide a strategy to "gain" wisdom (p. 15). These concepts guide Pemberton's thoughts as he moves from the broader concept of defining wisdom (Part 2, which includes a chapter on the place of justice in wisdom), to how one develops wisdom (Part 3) before concluding with a discussion on how to actualize wisdom (Part 4).
Although there are a couple of places where Pemberton stretches his reach a bit, especially in Part 4, Pemberton offers a solid introduction. Of special note in this volume are the selected readings at the beginning and discussion questions at the end of each chapter.
He stands in the tradition of Blenkinsopp of looking at the religious leadership of Israel through the lens of "prophet, priest and sage," with the sages rising later in Israel's history to provide moral and theological stability following the Babylonian exile.
The role of Proverbs, according to Pemberton, is two-fold: 1) to provide an introduction to the "content" of wisdom, and 2) to provide a strategy to "gain" wisdom (p. 15). These concepts guide Pemberton's thoughts as he moves from the broader concept of defining wisdom (Part 2, which includes a chapter on the place of justice in wisdom), to how one develops wisdom (Part 3) before concluding with a discussion on how to actualize wisdom (Part 4).
Although there are a couple of places where Pemberton stretches his reach a bit, especially in Part 4, Pemberton offers a solid introduction. Of special note in this volume are the selected readings at the beginning and discussion questions at the end of each chapter.
June 25, 2021
Glenn Pemberton has put together an excellent thematic study of Proverbs. In it, he demonstrates how the cultivation and practice of wisdom helps to attain "a life that is good." I recommend the book highly for use by small groups or adult Bible classes. Each chapter ends with thoughtfully worded scenarios and questions for discussion. The book also addresses the importance of recognizing genre in studying the Bible and how we should integrate contemporary wisdom, scientific findings, and cultural custom with that study. While you may not always agree with his conclusions, Glenn Pemberton raises significant questions that often are ignored or dismissed in Christian circles in America, but that should be investigated if we want our children and our society to know "a life that is good."
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews