Proverbs and Prophecies

Bilbo Baggins, according to Tolkien, was “mighty book-learned” and “he wrote poetry.” One of the great poems he wrote was about the Dúnadan, Aragorn. In a moment of annoyance at the doubts of Boromir concerning Aragorn's lineage, Bilbo bursts out the poem in support of Aragorn as the returning king and the one to wield the Sword of Elendil. His words included eight lines of poetry: four proverbs and four prophecies.

All that is gold does not glitter

Not all those who wander are lost; 

The old that is strong does not wither, 

Deep roots are not reached by the frost. 

From the ashes a fire shall be woken, 

A light from the shadows shall spring; 

Renewed shall be blade that was broken: 

The crownless again shall be king.

Of course, we read this poem and cherish it as one of the greatest written by Tolkien in The Lord of the Rings, but he writes that Bilbo himself didn't think it to be very good, but to the point. 

These days, I think that we could all use a few proverbs and prophecies that are to the point, to guide the way. Some of my favorites are from the Jewish King Solomon, the son of David.

He writes in Proverbs 1:20-21 (CSB), “20 Wisdom calls out in the street; she makes her voice heard in the public squares. 21 She cries out above the commotion; she speaks at the entrance of the city gates:”

Wisdom is public, it is not hidden or secret. Apparently, Bilbo got his wisdom from being “mighty book-learned.” Books are everywhere. If you can read or listen, you can find wisdom. And, for goodness sake, don't be so quick to judge a book by its cover! You never know what you'll find. If you can read the Silmarillion, you can read the Bible even easier. The genealogies are simple compared to Tolkien's giving of multiple names. Believe me.

Wherever men are, you will find the wisdom of men. Wherever God's Words are, you will find the wisdom of God. 

The city gates in biblical times were the busy places. The markets were conveniently located at the gates and all commerce flowed through them. Even the government leaders had their meetings at the gates. The teaching of the proverb is very clear: Be where the people are. Observe and listen. At the gates, you can see wise decisions and wise business dealings; but you can also see the actions of fools.

Even so, how to do we cut through all the commotion and confusion of fools to find true wisdom? Solomon gives us the answer to this at the outset of the Proverbs.

Proverbs 1:7 (CSB), “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and discipline.”

If we honor God's words first, and treat them as our standard for belief and conduct, it will help us to see past the mess of foolish ideas and behaviors we witness every day.

Wander on the paths of wisdom. Though it may seem to others you are lost, you are not. Your feet are sure and your time is coming. Let there be no doubt.

 

Note: CSB = Christian Standard Bible