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Proverbs

Proverbs 24-26

Wisdom for all
Wisdom for leaders

Proverbs 24

(1-2); Sometimes we have to look to the end of the wicked man to remember why we shouldn't be envious of them.  On the surface they seem to be getting by just fine.  Below the surface is a heart that devises violence.  It is a dark and confused existence, not understanding why they do certain things or not others.  They search and search and fail to feel any lasting contentment of fulfillment.  We aren't to be envious or desire to keep their company. 

 

(3-4); To fill our heart with the fear of the Lord and our mind with wisdom and understanding is to establish our life  and being as a home as a great storehouse of treasures.  The rooms will be filled with the rare, precious and pleasant furnishings of knowledge. 

 

(5-6); The wise man is strong by his ability to apply the knowledge he possesses to every situation in life.  He is the prudent man that doesn't rely on brute force, deceit or cunning to accomplish a task.  In the event war is called for, counsel is sought from many other wise men, not relying wholly on their own counsel.   (similar to 20:18)

97         Oh, how I love Your law!

It is my meditation all the day.

98         You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies;

For they are ever with me.

99         I have more understanding than all my teachers,

For Your testimonies are my meditation.

100        I understand more than the ancients,

Because I keep Your precepts.[1]

 

(7); The fool remains silent in the gate, lest he open his mouth and reveal himself.  He is ill equipped to offer counsel and judgment in the presence of wise men.  The idea of being an elder and judge will seem unattainable to the fool who is too busy investing in the moment, in his flesh and in his self gratification.  Wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord; comes in a multitude of days seeking Him.  It is never a place in which you discover or arrive, but a path you are on, a way of life.

 

(8-9); The plotting of evil starts in the heart.  To allow this devising of schemes to play out in life is to establish your self as a schemer.  This is the dark heart controlling your life, your actions and your mouth.  You will become the scoffer railing against righteousness and holiness in an effort to defend your ways and justify your schemes.  These ways are sin and an abomination to the Lord.  The scoffer deceives them self into ignoring these truths.

 

(10); The day of adversity is prepared for in a thousand 'normal' days.  These average days are to be used to strengthen and build our self up.  These are days of acquired rest, filling the store house with strength and knowledge.  Then when adversity comes, we stand strong.  The fool withers and faints having spent their days in foolishness and wasting of time.

 

(11-12); This may be a reference to a once prevalent practice of calling out the charges against the criminal that was being led to his death.  If anyone in hearing could offer a defense or testimony on their behalf they were to speak up, at which point the criminal would be returned to the tribunal where the new evidence would be heard.  We are not to remain silent in an attitude of "Am I my brothers keeper?"  If you remain silent when you could save your brother, you will be judged accordingly.

 

Can this not be applied to our Christian life?  As we see our families and neighbors on their way to eternal death, do we not have a responsibility to speak up?  Should we not speak on their behalf; pray, offer testimony, offer them the gospel and plead with the judge on their behalf? 

 

(13-14); As honey is eaten because it is sweet, so knowledge is taken in.  As honeycomb is eaten to deliver its sweetness, we know the wisdom offers hope and won't disappoint us. 

 

(15-16); The wicked rejoice at the fall of the righteous, maybe because it makes them feel better about their life of sin.  Misery loves company.  But the righteous will be lifted up for God can make them stand.  It is not by their strength and work they are righteous but because of the grace of Almighty God.  To rejoice in the fall of the righteous is to be glad at a child of God's moral or ethical lapse, pain or sorrow.  The wicked will also suffer such things but have no one to lift them from their dark place.

 

(17-18); This seems to be a balance with (15-16); the righteous should not celebrate the fall of their enemy.  Though they once celebrated your fall, we are not to look like them.  The Lord will deal with them; our hope is that they would repent and cry out to God; that He would extend His grace to them and they become our brother or sister.

 

(19-20); We are not called to fret over those who do evil.  It is not our job to silence them or judge them for their wickedness.  Nor are we to be envious of them because they seemingly get away with their wickedness.  They have no hope.  They are experiencing their best days and their hope will be extinguished within this life. 

 

(21-22); Fear God and fear those He's put in power.  We should pray for our leaders and hold them up in the difficult and thankless task of leading.  There will always be rebels and those who want to overthrow and bring change.  They always see greener pastures in the next guy.  However, the pastures are not always greener and a great fall, a great calamity is always near. 

 

(23-26); Partiality is not quickly forgotten.  To wink your eye to the wicked and give them a pass, calling them righteous will be seen by all who know of this inherent wickedness.  This testifies of your wickedness, not of the others righteousness.  Rebuking the wicked will gain the respect and delight of the people.  They will know you represent their best interest.  They will offer their esteem, by way of a kiss – the tradition of that time.

 

(27); Unfinished business is a monument to folly; a testimony to not counting the cost.  It's critical to have priorities straight and establish the support for needs (in the field) prior to building your home. 

 

(28-29); A child of God can't take part in being a false witness against their neighbor.  This is deception for the purpose of paying back some real or perceived wrong.  The truth should not be trifled with in this way; it is not ours to use and abuse as we see fit, especially to pay someone back.  We are called to be truthful and let the Lord defend out good name. 

 

(30-34); There is a lesson in the field of the lazy man; likewise in the vineyard of the man devoid of understanding.  They lack ethic, wisdom and purpose.  They are short sighted in their life.  The fields are overgrown with thorns (sin) and prickly nettles.  The wall is broken down so there is no protection and the boundaries are failing.  The wise man takes note that this came from:

  • A little nap here and there – after all it won't hurt
  • A good nights sleep – after all, it's important
  • A little folding of the hands – after all, too much work is boring

It adds up to a life of confused priorities, failing to steward what's been given to them, failing to provide for themselves.  Poverty comes like a prowler, sneeking into your life while you nap.  The needs of life overtake you like an armed man; there's little chance to defend your self or recover.

 

Proverbs 25

(1); The remaining proverbs (Ch 25-31) were gathered by Hezekiah's assistants some three hundred years after King Solomon.  They were for the King or those near him; they are particularly suited for leaders (of which we all are in some way).  The first section (25-29) was written by Solomon while the last two chapters were by others.

 

(2-3); God doesn't reveal everything to us.  His ways are far beyond what we might understand.  But this isn't to be an excuse for us to not search out His ways and will for us.  In fact, it's quite the opposite, we are called to seek Him and His ways.  It's to the king's glory to search out a matter before God.  Oh, what a reward when God reveals a mystery to us; it gives us a longing for that day when the mysteries of the universe are on disply before us.

 

The king searches out the heart of God; this is actually easier for him than searching his own heart.  In essence, the kings heart is unsearchable to him as searching the hearts of others.  The heart of the king is unsearchable as the leader making decisions that won't be popular among all his people.  This makes it all the more important that a king search for the riches of God's wisdom; lead in godly fashion, in wisdom and prudence. 

 

See Deut 29:29; Romans 11:33-34.

 

(4-5); Silver is purified and the dross is removed leaving the silver that is fine and valued.  For a king to be established in righteousness and be valued, the wicked must be removed from the kingdom.  See Solomon do this in 1 Kings 2. 

 

Likewise, Christ will purge the kingdom of wickedness when he sits on the throne and rules the world in righteousness. 

 

(6-7); Jesus offers a very similar advice in Luke 14:7-11.  Assuming an exalted position and then being asked to step down or step aside would shame you in the sight of all the others.  Being content with the lowly seat keeps our pride in check and keeps us from an embarrassing situation.  If somone finds you deserving of recognition and you are asked to step up, you do so from a place of humility. 

 

(8-10); It's important to pick your battles wisely.  More important than what can be gained is to understand what can be lost.  Many times, the argument we are so passionate about or emotionally inflamed, sounds ridiculous to those uninvolved.  We should take our dispute to our neighbor with every effort to work it out with them. 

 

Luke 12:57-59; Luke 14:31-33 

 

(11); A kind word to the lonely and forlorn, encouragement to the broken, hope to the lost and confused; all are kind words, highly valued.  Most of the time unplanned but perfectly timed, a gift from God by the mouth of a servant.  While its hard to imagine what the picture was that Solomon saw, it is clearly a beautiful picture as the backdrop and setting for a the golden apple set perfectly in prominence. 

 

(12); The rebuke offered kindly will be heard and acted on by an attentive ear.  The rebuke offered with indignation closes the ear and puts in place a barrier for future communication.  The kind rebuke is respected and respectful and thus a picture of a gold ornament.  While the indignant is disrepectful and reveals himself as unwise.

 

(13); The end of the matter is the refreshment of the soul of the master.  We can imagine the refreshing cool drink that might come from the snow during the hard work of harvest. It's likewise refereshing to have a reliable messenger.

 

(14); This parable pairs up with 18:16.  The man who boasts of a gift and then doesn't deliver is like that cloud that brought men hope of a rain but never delievered.  This man is seen as somone bringing a blessing and a kindness in some way.  The idea of actually delivering on the promise causes some to balk.  They become a disappointment, as well as untrustworthy. 

 

(15): Emotions, passions and plain obstinancy can be hard to overcome; as hard as bone.  Dealing with these things in patience and with a gentle tongue breaks the bone.  Meeting obstinancy with anger or emotions with demands fortifies the defenses. 

 

(16); Hone is good, but eating too much will make you sick.  Moderation and guarding against gluttony is called for in honey, among many other things in life.  See also 24:13,14.

 

(17); Don't wear out your welcome.  It's better to have a neighbor that longs to see you than one than one who longs to not see you.  This is similar to the honey of verse 16; moderation and guarding against over indulgence is important.

 

(18-19); With neighbors like this, who needs emenies.  This neighbor bears false witness against you; he is like a club, sword or sharp arrow.  He is an implement of war used to harm you.  Likewise, finding a man unfaithful and unreliable in a time of trouble makes a difficult time even worse.  Not only does he not help the current situation, he makes it worse by becoming a painful distraction.

 

(20); It's cruel to steal a person's coat in the cold weather.  An open wound already hurts but the man who pours vinegar on it makes it worse.  (The Septuagint translates the Hebrew word translated to 'soda' to Greek meaning 'wound'.  NIV has wound.)  Vinegar on soda neutralizes it and renders it ineffective for anything.  These two things are likened to the one who sings songs to a heavy heart; ineffective or neutral at best, cruel at worst. 

 

(21-22); Vengeance belongs to the Lord and is his business.  We aren't to be in the business of making or maintaining enemies.  In providing a kindness to your enemy, you have extended a peace offering and put the onus on him to respond in a like manner.  The kind response often surprises and disarms the enemy who is loaded for bear expecting an attack.  The burning coal may be the fire of judgment that has a purifying affect.  See Isaiah 6:6.

 

(23); The backbiter is always about his campaign of scandal, spreading his brand of strife and sorrow.  The angry countenance may be a response from the listener brought forth by the back biter or it may be a rebuke to silence him.

 

(24); This is a repeat of 21:9.  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.

 

(25); The gospel is the ultimate 'good news' from a far country.  It doesn't get any better than that.  Imagine the parched and weary sould longing for relief finally receiving a cold drink.  It would refresh and relief; bringing joy and a longing for mre.

 

(26); The polluted well or murcky spring will forever be suspect.  They won't be trusted for their purity ever again.  Such is the righteous man who stumbled in the presence of the wicked – when his faithfulness counted most.

 

(27); See verse 16; self aggrandizement is an ugly thing.  Any man will wear himself out trying to glorify such an unworthy soul. 

 

(28); A city with no walls has no defense from the enemy.  There are no boundaries of safety within which to operate.  So is the man with no rule over his spirit.  What seems like total freedom to a man will bring him to failure.  We all need boundaries to protect our self.  Man's bility to govern himself proves ineffectice since the garden.  We must submit to a higher authority; set aside our rule and reign submitting to that of Christ.

 

Proverbs 26

(1); Snow is out of place in the summer; rain is not welcome in the harvest; honor is wasted on a fool.  The fool will be ineffective at best and possibly down right dangerous in a place of honor. 

 

(2);  The fool is ever chasing after contentment and joy; seeking and searching and never finding.  His life is a 'flitting about' and an aspect of his life is the cursing of others.  This cursing goes out against all those who seem to stand in the way of his wealth, power, success or fame.  This curse may bother some, but it is to be seen as nothing lasting, nothing of power.  It's there and its gone, like the sparrow or swallow. 

 

(3); In our culture, the horse needs the bridle and the donkey needs the whip; apparently that was reversed in that culture at that time.  The whip and bridle brought the animal into submission and harnessed them so their movements offered value.  It is likewise for the fool.  They must be brought to submission and correction so their efforts may have value.

 

(4-5); It takes two to have an intelligent conversation.  The fool is not equipped for such things.  To answer a fool according to his folly is to reveal your own foolishness.  Yet, to not answer may lead the fool to believe he has mastered a matter.  A balance must be struck.  Don't sink to the level of the fool; yet, don't leave the fool incorrectness.  Whatever action taken must be taken in humility for the interest of the fool and those around him. 

 

(6-9); The fool is not trustworthy.  To give him a message and expect a good outcome is foolish in and of itself.  This is putting the fool in a place of accountability so that he may disappoint and bring harm to you.  That's not wise! 

  • Like a lame man - the fool is not equipped to hand a proverb
  • Like putting a Jewel among worthless stone - so is honoring a fool.
  • Like the thorn in the hand of drunk goes unnoticed - so is the proverb in the mouth of the fool.

 

(10); God will bring justice to the fool and nothing can change that.  The fool sometimes believes he got away with something, or that he can escape some punishment.  His life, his provision, earthly wages as well as spiritual wages are in the hand of God Almighty. 

 

(11); You can't change the stripes on a zebra, the spots on a leopard or the way of the fool.  Even though he may seem to turn away for a time, he is apt to return.  Like the Dog who's meal the body rejected didn't learn from that, but took it up again because that was its nature. 

 

(12); Goes well with verse five.  The fool acknowledges his ignorance and doesn't pretend to be more than he is.  But the arrogant man who sees himself superior is more  unteachable than the fool.

 

(13-16); The sluggard comes back into view.  His excuse this day is that there is a lion in the road.  Instead of possessing the motivation to resolve this in some way, he uses it as a an excuse. He is pictured as being fixed to his bed going back and forth as if hinged but fastened.  At the table, he is almost too lazy to bring his hand to his mouth with sustenance.  Yet, the lazy man has the answers; just ask him, he is wiser in his own eyes than seven men with sensible answers (and who aren't lazy).

 

(17); Sticking your nose in other people's business uninvited is like taking a vicious dog by the ears.  You will wish you had passed by.

 

(18-19); The neighbor is going to see into the heart of the matter and recognize the fruit of your actions.  Deception discovered becomes "I was only joking".  It leaves a man wondering what jokes he didn't discover.  It's like dodging the arrows and darts; one of these days you'll zig when you should have zagged!

 

(20-22); It's a simple fact that a fire won't keep burning if there isn't any fuel.  The fire of the tale bearer is also extinguished by not feeding it fuel.  Unfortunately it is so easy to fall into the trap of the tale bearer.  Innocent conversation quickly turn into whispered secrets.  Those secrets peak our curiosity and sinful nature that desires to hear of others failings or shortcomings.  Before long, we find that we've become the contentious man who is fueling the tale bearer. 

 

(23-28); We see the experts of deception; perhaps you know some:

  • Fake & Phony;  The fervent lips professing love while their heart is wicked
    •    Like cheap clay pottery covered with silver dross.
  • Deceit & hatred: He uses flowery words but but has hatred in his heart
    •    He speaks kindly but is full (seven=perfectly full) of abominations.
  • Can't hide it forever; the hatred is hidden by deceit.
    •    But the true person will be known publicly in time.
    •    You can't live life this way without it affecting you.
  • Evidence: the lying tongue hates those who are hurt by it.
    •    The flattering mouth is working its ruin

 

©2017 Doug Ford


[1] The New King James Version. (1982). (Ps 119:97–100). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.