Proverbs 16
(1-3); Our plans and ways are rarely in perfect alignment with God's ways. This should drive us to be more like Him – not to make Him more like us. Our ways seem pure and right but they are often tainted with sin. If we commit our works to Him, we will see God establish those plans. In turn the plans of our heart will be in line with the Lord's 'answer'.
(4-5); It's all His; He made it all for Himself. What about the wicked, someone may ask. God made them too, but not wicked; they did that all on their own. However, even in the wickedness they will serve God's plans (Romans 8:28). Every proud heart is an abomination, but the Lord calls those proud hearts to repentance. When they rebel instead, even to the joining of forces, they will stand before the Lord and give account. Their sin will fall on them and they will be crushed in wrath.
(6); Atonement is provided for sin by mercy and truth (NIV says love and faithfulness). This is provision from His loving grace. Our response to that grace ought to be avoiding that sin. Atonement is gift to be avoided, since it is the fear of the Lord that keeps us from sin.
(7); Are your enemies at peace with you? There doesn't seem to be exceptions to this proverb; when our ways please the Lord the hostilities of our enemies cease. How does this take place? Probably in many different ways, some supernatural but probably not all; if our ways please the Lord we are loving, serving and outward focused. Our enemies are disarmed in this atmosphere.
(8-9); Having our needs met and living in righteousness is better than having lots of money and without justice. Many folks would argue that; they believe they can prove this proverb wrong. The state lottery feeds off this kind of thinking. These two seem to go together because a man's heart plans his ways. Our plans can justify wrong thinking or sinful inclinations. But God directs our steps, many times we don't like those steps because we confront our weaknesses and sin.
(10-15); This king described is a righteous king. We know that the only perfect king is Jesus, The King who is coming. Until then, mankind continues to attempt to rule themselves and repeatedly prove we are incapable. As the king goes, so goes the nation. The thone is established by God in rightesness; this is the only a throne can be successful. So wickedness must remain an abomination or the throne will be brought to ruin. The people respond to a righteous king. Even if they despise his right judgments they will respect him. The king determines life & death for the people.
(16-17); Wisdom and understanding serve us longer and better than riches which only works in this world. Our wisdom serves us spiritually also. There is a lot that money can't buy. Silver and Gold won't preserve your soul. The beginning of wisdom is fear of the Lord. We are led then from evil and shown a way consistent with that life.
(18-19); Pride leads to a fall, to destruction. We've proven it over and over again. We can see it coming in other's life. Yet, we still battle pride sneaking into our ways. It's pride that leads us to so many other sins. It's pride and self congratularoty attitude while sharing plunder that brings destruction. A humble and contented existence serves us well.
(20-24); This is the wise and prudent man who listens to instruction and trusts the Lord. His life will be blessed and prosperous. This is the wise in heart who makes good decisions. The gracious words of this man invite more learning. Understanding wisdom and prudence and applying them to life becomes a wellspring of life. The fool lacks this ability and finds his life a folly. The man's mouth reflects his heart and that invites more learning and instruction. It's an attitude toward wisdom that perpetuates further wisdom. The pleasant words, the wise word applied, is powerful when spoken into our life.
(25); Repeat of 14;12. We should probably assume we need to hear this more often.
(26); Because of sin, it's God-ordained that man will work by the sweat of his brow to provide for his stomach. Provision that costs us nothing, or wealth gotten without work leads to all kinds of problems.
(27-30); The ungodly, perverse, whisperer and violent all produce the fruit of unrighteousness. They are on a path to evil, not by accident, but it is thought out and purposeful. They sow strife, separate, entice, lead people to wickedness, devises perverse things to bring about evil.
(31); Long life can be a sign of God's blessing. We often say this gray hair comes from life and experience. Both make us wiser if we are teachable; we are teachable when we fear God.
(32); The man that controls his anger has won a great personal victory. This is a greater conquest than conquering a city. Our anger is sometimes an impenetrable stronghold of the enemy.
(33); Sometimes it feels like bad luck, poor circumstances or an act of nature. But nothing happens outside of the will of our Sovereign and Supreme Lord. There are no accidents; only circumstances with purpose, whether we understand the purpose or not.
©2017 Doug Ford
Proverbs 17
(1); The sacrifices referred to are peace offerings that were eaten by the person offering it and his friends. This was to be a celebration feast. But if the feast turned into fighting, bickering and contention then the purpose was lost. It would be better for a person to enjoy an dry morsel in serenity.
(2); The son that causes shame could lose his inheritance. It would then be given to the wise servant. An obedient son would be held in high regard by the father and the wise servant wouldn't be considered at all for a share in the inheritance. However, the wise servant is preferred over the shameful son.
(3); Trials and affliction purify much like the refining pot purifies silver and the furnace purifies gold. See 1 Peter 1:6.7.
(4); The evildoer and the liar live in a world of deception; this is normal to them, so they fail to see it when presented to them. The upright recognizes deceit and deal with it. "Live by the sword of deception, die by the same."
(5); The right response to the poor would be sympathy and kindness. The response to the calamity would be sympathy and compassion. God deals with these wrong responses. The poor and those dealing with calamity are in the God's care.
(6); Grandpa is renewed from the youth of grandkids. They are a joy and put a smile on his face. The kids revere their father, honor and oby him, while receiving instruction from him.
(7); Imagine the excellent speech of a fool (brings to mind politicians). Their life isn't consistent with the words, so the words have no affect. The noble is a leader of people, his words are needed by the people. When he lies, the people lose respect and his words are inconsistent with his life. This is worse than the fools excellent speech.
(8); The gift is highly valued. So whereever the man goes this gift of great value goes with him. Think of the gifts that Christ gives us; when we receive it and find it precious, we share that gift whereever we go bringing value to others.
(9); The man who covers transgressions imitates God, granting forgiveness and mercy. The man who repeats a transgression brings division and is a punishment unto himself. This is particularly true when the repeater has done so after receiving mercy and forgiveness for the first offense. The transgression has become more important than the friend.
(10); The fool is sufficient unto himself, finding his foolishness the only thing that matters. Therefore, the worst of corrections is ineffective. The wise man is teachable; and finds his wisdom in the counsel and lessons of others. He takes the advice to heart.
(11-13); The evil man only considers evil ways continually. The cruel messenger seems to be the man attempting to save the evil man. It would be better dealing with an angry bear than a fool deprived of his folly though. The good this messenger seeks to do, is repaid with evil.
(14); The quarrell begins as each side escalates, dredging up old offense or finding making up some out of nothing. Before long its an all-out war. This is like letting water go, it can't be gathered back up. It spreads and is absorbed; its too late.
(15); Justifying the wicked is like calling evil good; condemning the just is like calling good evil. Neither are consistent with the Lord. Judgment is made in truth. Justice isn't swayed by politics or change according to social status; nor should bribery enter in.
(16); The fool can set out to purchase or acquire wisdom, but without the heart for it, it can't happen. It starts with the fear of the Lord which isn't something to be purchased.
(17); A friend is a friend forever. Their love is sacrificial and unconditional and no amount of adversity could harm the friendship. What a friend we have in Jesus!
(18); The quickest way to lose a friend is become surety for him. Only one devoid of understanding would do such a thing; or one who has counted the loss. This act should be rare among friends. A friend would never ask of it, only offer it; a wise friend only offers if he's already given his surety for the friend.
(19-20); Transgression and strife are close cousins. To love one is to invite the other. Exalting your gate is to build a high gate, implying there is something of value inside. This invites destruction. Deception and perversity to draw one away from good and into evil.
(21); The parents of the fool and scoffer know no joy and only sorrow.
(22); Our joy is stolen by sin and strife of this life. Gloomy and depressed Chrisitans don't reflect the joy they claim. It happens. Our spirit is dried up; and we can't get our eyes off our own self and back on the Lord. The merry heart is important and precious and should be guarded.
(23); The lawless man finds a partner to pervert justice. That man is now lawless also and complicent in perverting justice. When justice breaks down, society breaks down. The Lord holds righteousness and justice dear.
(24); Wisdom is in sight; it is before the one who has understanding. Knowledge and counsel lead the seeker to right understanding and it is wisely put to work. The fool has no such concentration. His runs to his latest scheme until that fails and he finds another.
(25); A partner to verse 21; parents have so many dreams and desires for their children. Their hopes are dashed as their foolish son brings grief to the father and bitterness to mom.
(26); The perversion of justice offends God and is dealt with. This seems so commonplace in a world where truth is established by the media and its followers or by a person and a cause.
(27-28); More proof that it is better to be thought a fool and remain quiet than to speak and remove all doubt. Speaking for the sake of speaking doesn't equate to knowledge; it leads to foolishness. Shutting the lips and listening is wise; even the fool looks wise when he's doing this.
©2017 Doug Ford
Proverbs 18
(1); This is nothing more than human nature preserving and promotion 'self'. His isolation is to avoid other counsel and wisdom, a way of avoiding truth and preventing change. He needs no one; he is wise in his own eyes.
(2); The fools heart is all the undersanding he understands. He's self deceived into believing his heart, emotions and personal knowledge are complete and sufficient.
(3); The wicked man is the one who has cast off restraint of moral or ethical boundaries. The actions that follow bring shame and reproach. The man of God must be wise, sober and thoughtful; acting within the boundaries of obedience and Godly values.
(4); Deep waters often convey the unknown, uncontrollable and fear. Things that are hidden in the deep don't necessarily need to be conveyed by the mouth. The wellspring of wisdom flows fresh and clean and consistent. Someone once said, "What's in the well of the heart comes up in the bucket of the mouth."
(5); Justice should be blind. The wicked shouldn't have a different set of rules or punishments from the righteous, or vice verse. Unfortunately, we see the bias become more prevalent as the nation moves further from bibilical truth and godly values. Man's rule of law will never be better than morality. If we have no moreal or ethical boundary, the law can move based on feelings and emotions.
(6-8); The words of the fool bring strife and destrcution, violence and become a trap to himself. The words of gossip and slander are like special, irresisable treats that enter the man and become part of him.
(9); The first wastes time and the second wastes resources.
(10-11); We see a contrast of the wise man and the rich man. One runs to the Lord; his strong tower of protection and defense. The rich man runs to his wealth; he esteems himself for being rich and finds comfort and solace in it. Each run to hide in their place of comfort. When life threatens and our existence in question; money doesn't care, doesn't love and will always let us down.
(12); It's predictable; when you see hautiness, the desruction is just around the corner. When you see humility, honor is near.
(13); How good can the answer be when you don't know the question. It's like prescribing medication prior to finding out symptoms. Rash judgments and jumping to conclusions become leading indications for folly and shame.
(14); God has designed us to be maintained and directed by our spirit. When our spirit is healthly, we are healthy. It will fight back and sustain us when threats come. When the spirit is broken, the fight is gone out of us.
(15); A prudent heart feeds off knowledge; a wise mans ears feed on knowledge.
(16); A man's gift opens doors, creates a way & a path to greater opportunity. In the natural, the gift we bring might open doors to great men. The greater the gift, the greater the men. In the spiritual, the greater the faithfulness to exercise that gift, the greater the opporunity to use it.
(17); It's unwise to render judgment based on the tesimony of one. There are two sides to every story; many times the truth lies somewhere between, ignored by both. Hearing each side with the other present will cause both to start closer to the truth.
(18); Truth should prevail; this is particularly true with God's people. In those days when an argument was irreconcilable, they cast the lot to determine the outcome. Nobody was wront, nobody was right; the peace was maintained.
(19); It's harder to overcome a broken trust. The contention that comes from suspicion and mistrust keep both behind the bars of their pride.
(20-21); What is the fruit of your mouth? Is it good or bad? Imagine being filled with the filth we hear come from some folks mouths? Or the bitterness and hatred? Likewise, imagine the encouragement and peace we can offer others by a kind word. It is a choice of spreading death or life; we rarely think of it that seriously, but the bible warns us of the affect our words have on our self and those around us.
(22); Finding a wife is a gift from God; this is not the same as finding a woman or partner. It is imperative to get this right.
(23); It's the picture of the poor crying out in need and the rich answering harshly. God expects us to be gracious, loving and giving. Yes, there are folks who take advantage of others. God is able to deal with these swindlers.
(24); Friendship takes two. You can't have others as friends, yet not act as a friend to them. Friendship flows both ways. Our focus ought to be on offering kindness and care to others and not the other way around.
©2017 Doug Ford
Proverbs 19
(1-3); In contrast are two paths; that of truth and that of the fool set in his ways and unwilling to learn or seek knowledge. Ingrety can't be bought by any amount of money; it can't even be faked well with lots of money, though many try. The fool is on his path of ignorance and perversity. We shouldn't celebrate or desire ignorance; it isn't bliss, it's confusion and misdirection of life. Zeal isn't a substitute for knowledge. The fool's way will be twisted; he can't be godly. God offers knowledge and wisdom; to rejct is a foolish.
(4); The wealthy has more friends than he knows what to do with. Money attracts all kinds of folks like flies. The poor are succeptibe to being separated from their neighbor just for lack of money. We can imainge the neighbor distancing himself from the poor so his rich friends will still talk to him.
(5); Truth and justice will prevail in the long run. Some likes seem to go on and on and have a life; but in the end, the truth will prevail.
(6-7); Folks will crowd to nobility; to power and authority and money. They'll chase after someone with gifts to give or blessings to bestow. Think of the multitudes that chased after Jesus to be healed. But everyone hats the poor; even his friends snub him. Even as he pursues those friends, they ignore him.
(8); The one fills his heart with wisdom will prosper in his life and being, from the inside out. Good things will flow from this; it will bring prosperity to his life.
(9); Numbers 32:23; your sin will find you out.
(10); Luxury is misplaced with the fool; much like a fool ruling over princes. The lap of luxury and the throne are reserved for the wise.
(11); The wise man has discretion, allowing him to make wise judgments. He is patient, slow to anger and isn't looking for a reason to get angry and attack another. Blessed are the peacemakers. It is to his credit and his benefit to overlook a transgression. People will be trying to return that same grace to you. The angry man may get his pound of flesh but it will be to his shame and never to his glory.
(12); The favor of the king is gentle and quiet as the 'dew up on the grass'. This might make us complacent and forgetful of the king's wrath. The extremes of the king's response must be kept in sight for us to appreciate his gentleness. We know Jesus as the Lamb of God; we also know Lion of the tribe of Judah.
(13); We're given a picture of an unhappy home. The wife that is contentious with the husband's authority can damage the family structure and lead the son to foolishness. We can imagine the son taking sides with the contentious mom against dad.
(14); Inheritance of the house and wealth is all very well. But a wife can't be inherited; she is a gift from God, a blessing from above.
(15); The slothful man is in a deep sleep, wasting his time. His body suffers from hunger due to his laziness. Idleness is a sin; we will have to account for our time. The slothful is spiritually asleep, wasting his time and his spirit is starving as he wiles away the hours in idleness.
(16); The word is the word of life; to deny and despise it is death.
(17); Whether it be a meal, a cup of cold water, a coat or shoes; to help another is as if you were lending it to the Lord. He promises to repay it. I can't think of anyone else I'd wrather lend money to. Plus it heals, shares love, bond's people, draws them to Christ, opens their ears to hear.
(18); Discipline your son in love; be consistent and gracious but firm. To think it is loving to ignore discipline and allow a child to disobey is unloving and sets them on the path to destruction.
(19); The man of great wrath will deliver himself into his suffering by his unruly anger. He will hurt and alienate and cause suffering. These things are the quickest cure for the uncontrolled temper. To deliver him and alleviate his suffering removes the cure and causes him to go through it again.
(20-21); Seeking counsel is the attitude of a wise men, learning to listen and sorting out a matter is important. Determining the Lord's counsel and not being deceived by the devisces of a man's heart will get easier in time. Doing this day to day, across a lifetime, through the course of a multitude of decisions brings a man to wisdom.
(22); Be who you are. It's better to be poor and confess to being unable to offer a kindness than to offer it and never deliver. It's not just lying but it is hypocrisy.
(23); The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; wisdom leading to life. This life is one of contentment; abiding in Him; dwelling in the secret place of the Most High God.
1 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust."
The evil spoken of is the harm coming from morally objectionable behavior. To dwell with God gives us wisdom and discernment. Our life is guarded; we are able to deal with temptations and sin; making right judgments in our life to avoid fear and folly, to have a right response in all circumstances, a response born of fear and trust.
(24); It becomes all too easy to justify slothfullness. Where does it stop? Where is the line? The Proverb gives us a heperbolic example; it seems to show the extreme of slothfullness, but the point is important. Out nature is toward sloth. This will never cure itself, it grows to the point of destruction. The ultimate sloth won't lift his hand to provide for himself.
If this were a bowl of God's word, how many could claim this proverb as their own? How many are too lazy, too indifferent, to even feed their starving soul?
(25); The contrast is between the scoffer and the one of understanding; the simple looks on. If the words of the scoffer aren't rebuked, they are given some legitimacy in the mind of the simple. The man of understanding is reprooved and uses it to his benefit in gaining knowledge. The simple will observe and learn.
(26); The relationship with a father and mother are so critical to our development as we gorw up. As a child comes of age, the responsibility shifts to them. The child that uses his maturity to mistreat his father and chase away his mother brings shame and reproach. It's a sad picture of the family.
(27); Listening and receiving counsel and instruction keep us on the path of wisdom and words of knowledge. We must remain teachable; this requires humility that primarily comes from recognizing our place before God Most High and our worth without Him.
(28-29); The wicked and worthless seem to be everywhere. They seem to control so many aspects of our world. They desire to thwart the justice of the Lord, to mock His ways and disregard biblical morality. And while it seems they may be having their way at times, judgments are prepared for the scoffer and beatings for the fool. Each delivered to turn them from their ways.
©2017 Doug Ford
Proverbs 20
(1); H. A. Ironside asked the question, "Who can tell the woes, the borken hearts, the blasted lives, the lost souls, that have been the result of failure to heed the warning of the verwe with which this chapter opens?"
There exists within our culture a thousand reasons, represented by countless wrecked lives, to stay away from alcohol. Yet, so many believe they can rule over it. So many Christians argue why its okay in the face of the overwhelming evidence it's not a good idea, it's not wise. Yes, we can; yes we have liberty. But is it wise? Wine mocks and temps and draws one in; strong drink grabs you by the colllar and drags you out of your life into a broken and damaged existence.
(2); The king's wrath is similar to the roaring of the lion. Both mean extreme danger, to provoke either is to take your life in your hands.
(3); Anyone can start a fight; it takes no wisdom, no saavy. It is silly, foolish pride that keeps us from admitting we've been wrong and keeps us from ending a conflict. That same pride moves us to conflict when we feel we've been wronged. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God (Matthew 5:9).
(4); The lazy man is looking for a reason not to work. Today, his reason is winter, tomorrow something else. The net result is that his laziness drives him to begging, having nothing of his own to harvest. He is unwilling to work today to invest in his future, he leaves that to others.
(5); The fool, scoffer and mocker add their counsel at any opportunity. The prudent, is thoughtful and humble and keeps his counsel close. It isn't offer quickly, it doesn't come often and easily. It is the man of understanding that draws it out. It's available but it must be sought out.
(6-12); This section deals with purity, faithfulness and righteousness; the things that set God's children apart from others.
(6); Many proclaim their goodness; but a faithful man declaring the Lord's goodness is rare.
(7); The integrity of a man is passed to the next generation.
(8); The righteous judgment of the king moves our conscience; our sin is very evident to us.
(9); Who can claim a clean heart? No one; we might claim humbly proclaim a heart that is blameless by the work of the Lord.
(10); Honesty at the scales in the face of greed sets the man of God apart.
(11); As a childe knows his deeds, so does the parent know their deeds.
(12); The Lord gives us eyes to see, ears to hear to receive direction, wisdom and understanding. Will we?
(13); We sleep to live, don't live to sleep. Sleep is for our bodies to rest, heal and revive for another day of work; to provide for your self and family.
(14); A common deceit in the marketplace. During a negotiation, the buyer will talk down the value of what he wants to purchase. When he walks away with his purchase he brags of beating the seller out of his profit.
(15); There is no comparison; the lips of knowledge can't be bought or sold. They convey love, worth and advicse. The make peace, speak the gospel and offer hope. They speak of dreams, offer vision and guidance. They say hello and form relationships; they say goodbye to a friend on the deathbed.
(16); The proverb seems to advise taking the garment; holding them accountable to their pledge, particularly when done for the seductress. One has to step back from this and question what kind of people we are doing business with though.
(17); The bread of deciet seems so palitable and easy to take in. But then it seems to change, now hard and disappointing. The flavor is gone.
(18); The plans of man often fail even though counsel was sought. Often the cousel doesn't sort out the rash decisions, the pride, greed, or covetous attitude. Sometimes the counsel is clouded by the same sins. When war is considered, there should be no rash decisions. Pride, greed, covetousness should all be set apart. Wise counsel will help sort these things out.
(19); Oh the juicy gossip is always tempting; sharing secrets and offering stories to impress others. These tail bearers will manipulate you with their flattery; your story will be the next tale he shares with another. The advice is stay away; a tale bearer with no ear to bend with stories or flattery will run away.
(20); To honor your father and mother is to honor God who created us. To revile them is disrepectful, disobedient to both the parents and God. It reveals a prideful and arrogant heart that would reject the parents love. The child who reviles the parents is one who has stepped out of the light into the darkness. They will spend their life thrashing around in the dark, searching for their way.
(21); The ill-gotten wealth or inhertiance, gained hastily or by compromising integrity or character, will not be a blessing. The chasing after wealth at all cost might deliver money, but never joy and happiness. The soul could never find contentment in wealth not gained as a blessing from the Lord. That which is not a blessing from God isn't neutral, but a curse.
(22); Wait? Wait? But surely God wants me to get even; at least that's the way we think at times. The idea of letting the Lord handle justice His way is difficult for us. There is probably no other part of life in which we are so quick to do it our way. However, the Lord is more just than we could ever imagine. He has every resource at His hand? He can see the heart of the one who offended us and know their intention. Apparently we would be better served to exercise grace and mercy as we've expericneced from Him and allow Him to defend us.
Is it our secret fear that he will grant forgiveness and mercy to our enemy? Do we see in ourselves the idea those I offend should give me grace, but those who offend me should get justice?
(23); Justice is blind; true justice is the same for all. Having different weights of priority, importance, ethic or morality based on the circumstance or person is an abomination to God. It's no different that trading with false wieghts; its dishonoest and no good comes from it.
(24); How is it possible for us to walk with eyes toward eternity; abiding in an almighty God with a Christian worldview when we can't fully comprehend these things in our sinful flesh. God's ways look so foreign to us at times. We can't help but have our ways formed up by the thinking of the world. It takes determination and diligence to give heed to the way sof God. Therefore, we can't truly understand our own way. We yield to the God who bought us and paid for us; who brought us from death to life. See also Jeremiah 10:23-24; Psalm 32:8.
(25); It's better to not have devoted a thing at all than to devote it and then take it back. Is it holy to the Lord? Be careful of that declaration. Give it time, be sure, investigate. watch and pray. Don't let your mouth promise what your flesh can't deliver.
(26); It is the wise king that protects his throne and his reign. He roots out those who oppose him and elimiates them. When Christ sets up His kingdom and reigns, He root out the wicked from the earth.
(27); It is the spirit of the man that moves his emotions, forms his ethic and morality. This spirit is the lamp; the ligh is the Lord. It is the spirit the Lord enlightens and brings wisdom and understanding. It is the spirit that pushes away from foolish things, that parts from the ways of the scoffer, that has the fear of the Lord established and the seeking of wisdom and His ways. The spirit is the lamp that holds the light. The light is used to search the innermost part of our being, exposing ever part of our life to the light of the Lord.
(28); A partner to verse 26; the king isn't just preserved by eliminating his opposition but also by his righteousness. His throne is upheld in loving-kindness. This is maintaining the kingdom without forming new enemies; leading the people in a godly fashion.
(29); The young man glories in strength. That strength will wain in time and becomes replaced by patience, wisdom and understanding. The gray head of the old man conveys a sobriety, having the experiences of life; pain, suffering, victory and joy. The the gray hair is testimony to balance; the youthful strength and mature life experience.
(30); The world might read this as condoning abuse. However, we are by nature stubborn and prideful; strong-willed and bull-headed. The correction of the loving parent comes with pain to convey a lesson. Good things bring joy; evil and sin bring pain and brokenness. The earlier we learn these things the better we will be in our approach to life.
©2017 Doug Ford
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