The Proverbs of Dominion

Proverbs 1:1-7 (NASB)

1. The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel:
2. To know wisdom and instruction,
   To discern the sayings of understanding,
3. To receive instruction in wise behavior,
   Righteousness, justice and equity;
4. To give prudence to the naive,
   To the youth knowledge and discretion,
5. A wise man will hear and increase in learning,
   And a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel,
6. To understand a proverb and a figure,
   The words of the wise and their riddles.
7. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge;
   Fools despise wisdom and instruction.

These are the first seven verses of the Book of Proverbs. They are a "description of the writing and a recommendation of its importance and utility. Its object is partly moral and partly intellectual; it seeked to instruct in the way of wisdom, to edify those who have already made progress, and to discipline hearers to receive and assimilate the highest teaching." "It teaches what God requires of man, how God would have man behave in all circumstances of life; it teaches piety, duty, justice" (The Pulpit Commentary, vol. 9, p. iii, iv.). They are the foundation of the rest of the Book. They are the pillars which outline and support the Christian life.

So how do the Proverbs relate to dominion? According to Gesenius' Hebrew Grammar
the word which is translated "proverbs" in verse 1 is derived "from the verb mashal, signifying (1) 'to make like,' 'to assimilate,' and (2) 'to have dominion' " (The Pulpit Commentary, vol. 9, p. 1.). As is true for every are of life, being able to apply God's wisdom appropriately enables the believer to take dominion over the earth and the wicked alike.

Examples from the Book of Proverbs

• 2:21-22 For the upright will dwell in the land, And the blameless will remain in it; 22 But the wicked will be cut off from the earth, And the unfaithful will be uprooted from it.
• 12:24 The hand of the diligent will rule, But the slack {hand} will be put to forced labor.
• 17:2 A wise servant will rule over a son who causes shame, And will share an inheritance among the brothers.

Christians would be wise to take the entire counsel of Scripture to heart, to shed the wicked inclinations and ideas of our own hearts and return to God's Word for direction and guidance. Use the Book of Proverbs to train yourself and your family to think God's thoughts after Him. Use them to discipline your children - lovingly take them to God's Word and show them what God has to say about their particular sin. Implore your children to "Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight" (Proverbs 3:5,6).