Proverbs

Wisdom for everyone

Proverbs 21

 

(1); Every king ultimately answers to the Lord.  No king stands sovereign and powerful over the will of God.  God moves in the kings heart to do His bidding.

 

(2); Self righteousness is the sin that leads God's people away; sin is heaped on sin as we mistakenly attempt to justify ourself and our sin of self righteousness.  Because our heawrt is tainted, so our thoughts are tainted.  Our ways seem right; but God sees the heart; knowing the motive, why a thing was done and for whose glory.

 

(3); Was it okay to sin as long as you brought a sacrifice?  Should we sin so that grace might abound?  No, in both cases.  God calls us to obedience, not sacrifice. 

 

 

 

 

 

¹⁶         For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;

You do not delight in burnt offering.

¹⁷         The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,

A broken and a contrite heart—

These, O God, You will not despise. (Psalm 51:16)

 

 See also Is 58:5-14; 1 Sam 15:22

 

(4); A prideful heart taintes our life with sin.  Even the most mundane work won't be godly, pure or blessed when it is done with the prideful heart.

 

(5-7); Riches earned or received in an honest way are a blessing and bring satisfaction to our life that could never be attained in haste, decit or thievery.  Not only do they not experience this satisfaction, they bring judgement and destruction on themselves.

 

(8); The crooked man isn't a hint that something is off, it's an outright indicator of a bigger problem. The work of the pure is right.  Honesty, integrity reflect the work of a person of character; the work of a guilty man is rife with problems. 

 

(9); That little corner of the housetop is quiet, a place without contention and argument; a place of peace.  The contentious woman is contending for rule of the house; to have her way.  When the roles and order established by God are broken down, there won't be a happy home.

 

(10); We tend to find what we look for in people.  If it is wickedness and evil we desire, we will find it in the neighbor.  Contrast this with the neighbor who seeks to find some goodness or kindness in his neighbor; this he will find. 

 

(11); The simple can learn at the punishment of the scoffer.  This is leanring from the pain of others, this is wise not to have to suffer that pain also.  From the instruction to the wise, the simple can acquire knowledge.  If he is paying attention, the simple won't remain simple for long.

 

(12); Righteousness will prevail over wickedness, there can be no mistake.  It often seems as if the wicked are getting away with their ways.  They seem to prosper and be getting along just fine.  This can act as a deterrent to righteousness and a temptation to compromise; we can easily convince our self, "A little wickedness is surely no big deal, after all God hasn't judges those other people."  Wickedness is a debt that will always get paid in the end.  There is no winning and no good outcome.

 

(13); Imagine putting your fingers in your ears to avoid hearing the cry of the poor?  God gave you ears to hear and the very act of putting your fingers in your ears is admission to hearing the call and the need.  It's uncompassionate and selfish.  When the day comes that this person cries out, they won't be heard.

 

(14); A gift given quietly to someone bitter and hateful could silence them, calm them and change their demeanor.  If others find out about this gift and see the affect, it could appear as a bribe and they might bring that accusation.  This calls for care and wisdom.

 

(15-16); The just man finds great joy in justice.  By way of contrast, those workers of a iniquity find destruction in justice.  The man who parted from understanding finds death in justice. 

 

(17); The person who feels there is no price to high in order to provide pleasure for themselves will always be broke.  The one who believes he deserves the finest in food and drink will never have money.  There is not enough money or time to satisfy the appetites of the sinful flesh, it will never be satisfied and never stop desiring.

 

(18); This is justice.  The guilty, wicked and unfaithful pay to uphold right.  When grace comes into play though, the rules change.  It was the innocent in Christ that paid for the guilty; justice was served, right uphold and love displayed in an amazing way.

 

(19); This is similar to verse nine.  The contentious and angry women is on the other end of the spectrum from the precious grace, tender spirit and gentle nature given to her by God.  It's better to be a long way away; a tent in the wilderness might be sufficient.

 

(20); The desireable treasure and oil are the provisions for a rainy day; they are the nest egg of the wise man who made plans for his future because life is not just here and now.  The fool has no such though process.  He spends it all on him self in the presnt, giving no thought to the future.  It's his plan to eat, drink and be merry letting tomorrow take care of it self.

 

(21); A life is characterized by righteousness and mercy by a walk and work that happens day in and day out over the course of a life.  That person will become known as righteous and be given appropriate honor as such.  The highest honor would be to hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'" (Matthew 25:21)

 

(22); The strongholds of the mighty will always fall to the diligence and superiority of wisdom.  Wisdom is patient, seeking, hearing of counsel and acquiring kowledge.  It is analytical, mathematical, practical, ethical and efficient.  Wisdom isn't held back by pride; wisdom brings lessons from temporary setbacks and failings.  Wisdom never quits, grows tired or wears out.  It never expires, weakens or loses credibility. 

 

(23); The guard must be in place; not just a delay and a filter but a diligent guard.  Our words can harm so qucikly; inflict deep pain and sorrow in a flash.  They can cause words that don't quickly heal and damage trust that never mends. 

 

(24); The temptation is to ask, "So how do you really feel?"  There isn't much cryptic about this passage.  Scoffer is proud, haughty and arrogant; he has all the answers for himself and those around him.  Others are there to serve him and his needs.  His fall is near.

 

(25-26); The lazy man lacks desire and motivation.  He covets the fruit of labor but can't bring himself to do the hard work.  There is no lasting commitment to follow through to the end and reep a reward for hard work.  The righteous work and enjoy the fruit of their labors, not just to provide for themselves and their selfish desires, but to give to those in need.  They imitate God in his provision and grace toward us. 

 

(27); The lawless person bringing a sacrifice is by definition unrepentant.  Their life is characterized by lawlessness with no intention to change or admission that change is required.  They bring a sacrifice in hopes of getting away with sin a little longer.  The only way it can be worse is the intent to decieve God and others; playing the hypocrite, pretending to be repentant and hiding behind religion.

 

(28-29); The false witness can't maintain his story.  There is no consistency, integrity to is.  The story will crumble under the weight of the truth.  The truthful testimony is consistent and the truth can stand unchallenged.  It will bear up to scrutiny and examination.  We can imagine the lawless man who speaks a false testimony or relies on a false testimony hardening his countenance, determined by shear will to make it bear up.  All the best efforts will fail in time.  The upright is relaxed and rested in the truth; established and comfortable with nothing to hide.

 

(30-31); To be in the will of the Lord is to have all wisdom, understanding and counsel on your side.  No man, army, idea or philosophy will outwit or outsmat Him.  We don't rely on the size of the army or the superiority of armament, but on the Lord.  Whe a great comfort; what a great promise.  

 

 

Proverbs 22

 

(1); A good name is the ground trust is built on; it opens doors, provides opportunity, invites grace, forgiveness and another chance.  Certain things must be in place to have a good name; humility, character, integrity, prudence, honesty, trustworthinesss, commitment, reliability and consistency.  None of these can be purchased with money or acquired on short notice.  A good name is built day in and day out, over the course of a lifetime.  While it takes years to make a good name, it can be lost in a day; in a foolish action or decision.  Silver, gold and riches pale in comparison to a good name.

 

(2); As Christians, our prayer is 'thy will be done'.  Is the Lord's will more likely to be done or undone with money?  Riches are a tool the Lord uses just as poverty.  The Lord's ways aren't limited by money.

 

(3); The wise man has eyes to see by the Spirit of the Lord; he sees wickedness from afar and hides himself in the shadow of the almighty.  The fool continues on; entering into the wickedness and making punishment inevitable in their life. 

 

(4-5); Two paths in life are displayed;

 

·       The godly; a life of humility & fear of the Lord.

 

o   Bringing everlasting life, true riches and honor from the Almightly.

 

·       The perverse; an unguarded life with no moral or ethical boundaries

 

o   Bringing thorns and snares from many places.

 

 (6); Someone will always find the exception and argue this doesn't hold true.  To train up a child is to teach them the value of wisdom, character and integrity.  It's to establish the fear of the Lord and the reason for moral and ethical boundaries.  An adult life might take a different path, but not in ignorance; they will have to fight against the training they have.  The child brought up with none will not accidentally find the way they should go. 

 

(7); Debt crushes the spirit of a man.  The poor man who has put himself in debt to the rich man has made him ruler of his life.  The debt is ever before a man, a dark hole from which he struggles to escape.  Escaping doesn't always keep a man from ending up there again.

 

(8-9); Note the contrast of attitudes:

 

·       The sower of iniquity will reap a crop of calamity

 

o   As lord of his own life, he will respond with a rod of anger that will always fail. 

 

·       The sower of kindness and benevolence will reap a blessing

 

o   Imitating his Lord, he is blessed and this creates new opportunity.

 

(10); The scorner is the bad apple that can spoil the bunch.  He brings a poor attitude with not fear of the Lord.  Be tolerant of the scorner is to tolerate the distruction of the sheep; cast out the wolf and the contention will cease. 

 

(11); The one with graceful speech and a pure heart will find himself a friend of the king.  The grace of the speech reflects the purity of heart.  Both indicate much more that exists in the godly man who fears the Lord.

 

(12); The Lord maintains and guards His truth; it never fails.  His word (truth) goes out and doesn't return void.  The false words of the unfaithful come to nothing, the Lord will overthrow the error and the folly. 

 

(13); The excuses of the lazy man are creative; the energy put toward the efforts to avoid work should be applied to the work itself, the benefits are far greater.

 

(14); It's a trap that is set all around; those who please the Lord avoid this trap because their lives are far from it.  Those who part from God's ways enter into a minefield of ruin.  It's never too long before they fall into the pit.

 

(15); The natural inclination of a child is toward foolishness; it is loving discipline and correction that changes this inclination.

 

(16); Ones as foolish as the other;

 

·       Accumulating wealth at the expense of the poor will lead to want.

 

o   Maybe this will work for a time, but in the end God's truth will prevail

 

·       Giving your money to the rich, to find favor with them.

 

o   Amounts to giving where there is no need; makes the money meaningless and work useless. 

 

o   This amounts to throwing away your resource; bringin you to want.

 

 (17-21); The words of wisdom are available and before us.  The Lord will give us ears to hear if we truly endeavor to hear.  We don't have to qualify by some great feat; we don't have to seek these words out across the ages and across the world.  The Lord gives us His wisdom as we need it if we seek Him and abide in Him. 

 

(17); The inclination of your ear is purposeful; it's not just to hear but to let those words move us and change us.  There is a lot of knowledge out there.  It's offered from many directions.  We must be diligent to apply our heart to God's knowledge.

 

(18); Keeping God's wise words within us will be a pleasant thing for our life.  These words will spread throughout our being.  They will show up on our lips as we then speak them to others.

 

(19); It is trusting the Lord when we seek His wisdom daily, constantly and diligently.  He will instruct you today, right now!

 

(20); We might ask from verse 19, how will God speak to me?  How will He counsel me?  It's sometimes so hard to hear Him.  He's written His word and put it before us.  How often we ignore it and complain as it God were absent. 

 

(21); The words of God are:

 

·       Excellent

 

·       Counsels for our life

 

·       Knowledge for today

 

·       Answers for those seeking counsel from you

 

(22-23); The warning is agaisnt treating the poor differently because they are poor or afflicted.  'At the gate' is the place of justice.  The poor and afflicted should receive the same sentence, same tax, same justice as the wealthy or powerful.  The poor and afflicted have a defender who doesn't lose.  He will plunder the soul of those who plunder (same word, different form) them.  He will plunder the plunderer.

 

(24-25); We become like the company we keep.  We are warned away from those who are characterized by anger.  It will be subtle, when we aren't looking; like a snare we step into.  We'll become angry and furious and be characterized by it.

 

(26-27); Many have failed in this way; it seemed so easy to cosign for that person, to back them up.  After all, they were a friend and brother and would never hang you out.  Then it all changes.  Don't back a loan unless you are willing to lose the money.  Therefore, doing so ought to be rare.  Don't ask another and don't agree when asked.

 

(28); This repeats what was commanded by Moses in Deuteronomy 19:14. The Lord established their portion and the boundaries were established by landmarks.  To move the boudary was to attempt to change what God decreed. 

 

(29-30); Reward for the diligent is sure.  They are people of integrity, doing what's right all the time, even when no one is watching.  They work hard, as if for the Lord.  This is rare in this world; this person will be noticed.  The cream always rises to the top.

 

 

Proverbs 23

 

(1-3); Consider carefully what is before.  Everything may not be as it seems.  Be careful in accepting all his gifts and delights as if they were deserved and the ruler were honoring you.  There is deception in the food; the bill will come due.  The ruler sees you putting your self in debt to him and he intends to collect.

 

(4-5); What is rich?  It's always more than you have and more than you can get.  Don't spend your life pursuing something you don't have just to then spend your days worrying about how to keep it.  Be rich in eternal things.

 

(6-8); As we often see, important things happen around the table.  These can be important good and bad things.  Accepting the hospitality of a miser is warned against.  His motives run deeper than sharing a meal with you.  His heart isn't looking out for your best interest.  His miserly ways reveal he is looking out for his best, at your cost.  The meal you eat will cost you in some way.

 

(9); The fool has his heart set on other things; wisdom spoils his plans and offends him.  He doesn't want wisdom, he wants his foolish ways.

 

(10-11); See also 22:28 – to move the landmark is an attempt to change what God had established.  To enter the fields of the orphan is to take from the person that God carefully watches over.  The owner of the land, the orphan, and others have a mighty Redeemer who will take up their cause. We must be in the are of that same Redeemer, not trying to distance our self from Him.

 

(12); It's repeated often in a myriad of ways; remain teachable.  We never get too old, too wise to learn.  It doesn't come natural, we must apply our heart to it.

 

(13-14); Loving discipline is consistent with sound parenting.  Our Father in heaven chastens, disciplines, corrects and punishes us.  There is nothing loving about leaving a child to fend for himself against the sinful nature you passed on to them.

 

(15-16); What a joy it is for a parent to see and hear wisdom in the life of their child.  A great feeling of blessing and rejoicing in seeing a child overcome an inclination toward folly. 

 

(17-18); It could become easy to look at the carefree life of the lost.  They seem to be getting by just fine; eat, drink and be merry is their attitude.  This is so far away from a zeal for the Lord born out of fear and reverence toward Him.  This life is but a moment, it passes quickly; and while it seems important to spend time worrying about the here and now, there is a hereafter everyone should be concerned with.  We have a salvation today, but there is still a 'not yet'.  We have the joy of the Lord today, now; but still there is a 'not yet'.  Someday soon, our salvation, joy and hope will be experienced in totality and it will far exceed anything this world could ever offer and far exceed our wildest dreams.

 

(19-21); The father warns the son of ways of wine and gluttony.  So many have gone this way, sure that they could make a good life of it.  They went down that road determined to be different.  The father advises that no one will overcome the effects.  The son is to guide his heart away from people like this.  To keep company with these folks is to start down a path that is a slippery slope; where the losses are great, the gains are nothing. 

 

(22); Youth is confident and sure of their steps.  They often feel no need to listen to anyone; they feel as though they can conquer anything.  Yet, the parents offer advice of deadly traps and paths that lead nowhere.  How could a youth know?  Without ears to hear those who do, how will he ever know?

 

(23); There is no price too high for the truth, wisdom, instruction and understanding.  Yet, we should never sell these; no amount of money is enough to compromise our moral being.  To sell out the truth is to sell out your very morality and ethic. 

 

(24-25); Make your mom and dad proud.  Let them celebrate your life and righteousness.

 

(26-28); H.A. Ironside offered:

 

"Take my poor heart, and let it be

 

Forever closed to all but Thee.

 

Take my love, my Lord; I pour

 

At Thy feet its treasure-store."^[1]

 

In this crazy world, there is so much coming at us from so many directions.  We often fail to realize the affect these things have on our heart.  Our heart is the wellspring of life; what possesses your heart possesses your mind, mouth and life.  To give your heart to the harlot, be it literal or figurative, is to become a captive victim of the world.  Give your heart to the Lord for safekeeping.

 

(29-35); What a life this portrays.  There is no good outcome; woe, contentions, sorrow, complaint and wounds.  Alcohol consumes a life, day by day.  It is seeking and never finding.  It offers promises that only deliver destruction and a longing for more.

 

 

©2017 Doug Ford