Apparently there are laws in place to protect the consumer and ensure that advertisers don’t misrepresent their products. But who hasn’t ended up with a product that wasn’t quite as shiny as the one shown on television . . . or ended up with a gadget that seemed a lot slicker in the hands of the demo’er than it was when they used it at home . . . or didn’t quite do everything that its seller claimed . . . including making julienne fries (whatever those are). So, even though we, the consumer, are supposedly protected there’s still some caution . . . a hesitancy to buy in when something sounds almost too good to be true. But I came across a bold claim this morning . . . a product advertised in such a way that to believe it would be to run . . . not walk . . . to run and get it. This morning I encountered some truth in advertising . . .

The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel: To know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight, to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity; to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth — Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance, to understand a proverb and a saying, the words of the wise and their riddles. (Proverbs 1:1-6 ESV)

There’s always a sense of anticipation when I enter the Book of Proverbs as part of my reading plan. And part of that is because of the “hard sell” of the book’s early chapters. Wisdom is crying aloud in street . . . she raises her voice in the market . . . she tries to be heard over the noisy streets . . . and seeks to catch the sleeve of those who walk into the city gates (1:20). There is a full-court press by Wisdom to be heard . . . and heeded.

And the promise of this book is that Wisdom, at least in part, is encountered through these ancient writings of Solomon and others. These proverbs are bite-sized models of reality . . . God inspired insights as to the real mechanics of life. Swindoll said that wisdom is skillful living . . . and the claim of this book is that these Proverbs are profitable for building a toolkit of understanding in order that we might be adept at navigating the paths before us. And the claims are big . . . even though they don’t include making julienne fries (whatever those are).

The proverbs of Solomon aid in knowing wisdom . . . in gaining discipline . . . in sharpening skills of discerning . . . in receiving valuable course-correcting instruction in our dealings with others, in our pursuit of righteousness and justice. The promise is that they will produce a shrewdness in those who are naïve to the ways of this world . . . imparting the basis for skillfully maneuvering through the many choices and possibilities put before us. The bold claim is that, whether just a beginner at this wisdom thing or someone already possessing a certain level of wisdom, learning, and guidance, that through these vignettes of insight into real life, there is an equipping for the complex and perplexing enigma’s of everyday life.

Pretty bold promises. Talk about your truth in this advertising!

And I think part of what stirs my soul with this hard and aggressive “sales pitch” in Proverbs 1 is that the claims made by this book, are also the reality of what is offered in The Book. In the whole Word of God before me are depths of understanding . . . profitable for skillful living . . . ready to be illuminated by the Author Himself through the active agency of His Blessed Spirit . . . available to all who have hears to hear. Nothing is “oversold” . . . all the promises are “Yes” and “Amen” in and through the Son of God who saved me and now lives in me (2Cor. 1:20, Gal. 2:20).

That’s truth in advertising. Can’t wait to get started . . . maybe I’ll even figure out what julienne fries are.