Note the list of metaphors Solomon weaves into his instruction in this section…each one a telling picture: Light/Lamp (9), Tree (12), & Fountain (14).   Each is a picture of source and effect.   A lamp filled with oil provides light by which the blindness of the dark is cured.   A tree firmly rooted in fertile and irrigated soil produces life sustaining fruit. (The olive tree was the classic example in ancient times highly valued for its multi-functional and nutritious fruit). Thirdly, a fountain fed by springs provides an ever-new supply of water to quench the thirst of land and creatures who rely on this basic natural resource.   For Solomon, this relationship between source and effect is mirrored in the spiritual realm of life as well.   According to Proverbs, the sovereignly revealed wisdom of God is the vital source of human flourishing for the soul.   The Word of God is the lamp, the tree, and the fountain for the wise.

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