Every Good Path

The Life of Faith as Journey and Quest

One of the main ways Proverbs depicts progress in wisdom is through the overarching motif of journey. Solomon’s lectures to his son present the life of faith as a wayfinding venture. Serving as a root metaphor, the image of journey (and quest) is employed throughout the whole of Proverbs, but it is vividly set forth in Proverbs 1–9. Essentially, one’s life is characterized by the path on which one walks. In its grand scheme, Proverbs presents only two paths to choose: the way of the wicked (2:12-13, 15; 4:19) and the path of righteousness (2:8-9; 4:11, 18). The journey of life will take us to many corners and crossings where we will have to choose a direction to walk—a way to live (1:20-21; 7:8, 12; 8:2; 9:15). As people journey through life, boisterous and seductive voices will entice us to crooked and cursed paths (1:10-14; 7:10-23; 9:13-18). To their contrary, sages, parents, and teachers urge us to forsake these serpentine byways and destructive detours, heeding the voice of wisdom and maintaining our course on the straight paths of righteousness (1:8-9, 20-33; 2:1-2; 3:1-2; 4:1- 2, 10-11, 20-21; 5:1-2, 7; 7:24; 8:1-36; 9:3-6)—“every good path” (2:9).

In life, each of the two paths leads to a specific and fitting destination: life or death, protection or punishment, security or condemnation (1:31-32; 2:18; 3:17, 23; 5:3-6). The wise refrain from wicked paths (1:15-16; 3:31; 4:14-15, 27; 5:8; 9:6), and embrace the way of righteousness (2:20; 3:6; 8:20; 9:6). The wicked forsake the way of godliness (2:13), and eagerly embrace perverse and wicked courses of wayward living (1:16; 5:7; 6:18). Only those on the paths of righteousness benefit from the Lord’s protection (3:17, 23, 26; 4:12, 26; 6:22-23); those on wicked paths face divine judgment (5:5; 7:27; cf. 3:33; 5:21-23). Even more tragic, those who walk on wicked paths actually bring about their own demise. One may summarize the overall instruction from Proverbs in this way: because “a man’s ways are before the eyes of the Lord, and the Lord examines all his paths” (5:21), we should “make a level path for [our] feet, and all [our] ways will be sure” (4:26). Essentially, all of our ways are known by God. Make sure you are walking on the right path!

In Proverbs, the journey imagery is enriched by also depicting faith formation as a quest—a specific kind of journey that requires intentionality, foresight, pursuit, discovery, and proactivity. Not only is the youth supposed to heed the voice of wisdom, he is also to use his own voice to call out for wisdom—to summon her with loud utterance and earnest intent (3:2-3). In the quest for wisdom, if the youth obtains and keeps wisdom (3:13-14, 18, 21; 6:20-21; 7:1-4; 8:10-11, 17, 32, 34-35), wisdom will guard and keep him (2:8, 11-12; 3:26; 6:22; 7:5). If the youth does not obtain wisdom, he will be caught by the deadly wiles of evil (3:26; 5:22; 6:2, 25, 31; 7:15, 22-23). When we view faith formation as a quest, we learn that disciples expend energy, effort, and resources to come into possession of wisdom, viewing it as a most valuable possession.

Life’s journey will bring us to many crossings, where we have to choose the kind of life we will live. Fundamentally, the character of our lives is shaped by the cumulative effect of these decisions. But life is more than just an amalgamation of isolated choices. The paths on which we walk lead us toward a specific destination. Lives ruled by the fear of God, seek for righteous routes, steer clear from perverse paths, and trek toward the blessing of God. Those who wander onto wicked and corrupt courses head toward destruction and death. Yielding to wisdom’s call, we are secure as we trek along the righteous paths. Even though the paths of righteousness are filled with surrounding threat, frightening foe, and incessant temptation, we are safe by God’s promising word and protective hand. Certainly, to walk the paths of righteousness does not mean one is free from danger or insulated from suffering. On the contrary, God guarantees to guard the godly who live in the midst of enemies, face an evil society, and are up against violent opposition. Those who possess wisdom are protected by her. But possessing wisdom is only a part of the grander picture that Proverbs presents. Solomon aims for something much larger and audacious: initiating his son into wisdom itself.

Key Ideas

• The pursuit of wisdom is a spiritual journey and faith pilgrimage.
• There are only two paths in life: the way of the wicked and the paths of the righteous. Each path leads to a fitting destination.
• The journey of faith involves the active pursuit of wisdom: life’s pilgrimage is a focused quest to discover and possess the precious and invaluable gem of wisdom.

Reflection Questions