Some Thoughts From Proverbs 29

Proverbs 29:27 ESV

²⁷ An unjust man is an abomination to the righteous,
    but one whose way is straight is an abomination to the wicked.

In our daily world there are many grey areas and this is as it should be.  Our knowledge is incomplete.  Our judgment is prejudiced.  And often we are timid.  But it is not so with God.

With God it is either/or. It is obedience or… It is righteousness or…. It is justice or….. And it should be so with every believer.

Unjust man should not receive our approval and we should never expect righteousness to be acceptable to the wicked any further than it profits him.

When Christ tells the believer to count the cost you can be sure there will be a cost. The true church can never expect to have the favor of the wicked. We have been, we are, and we must continue to represent Christ's righteousness. Therefore not to be an abomination to the wicked should make us very suspicious of what we are doing.

God's commandments are "straight” and the wicked will never accept them.

Some Thoughts From Proverbs 26

Chapter 26 is somewhat different although the longer context found here is also in other places. But what is unusual is the long description of a fool formed in verses 1-12. If this context was to be isolated the analysis of a fool is complete enough to give a sufficient warning.

Look at verses 4 and 5. The warning is plain, use caution in any conversation with a fool. This is based on two assumptions.

A.    The fool can be known. Though he may be a deceiver the marks he wears will always identify him.

B.   You will be, at some point, in a conversation with a fool. These verses contain simple instructions in a conversation with a fool:

1. Never answer a fool in kind. Whether it be senseless or vulgarity do not fall into this trap.

2. A fool requires reproof. The reproof may not profit but its desert is sufficient to require it.

It will serve you well to learn the dangers the fool presents and avoid him.

Some Thoughts From Proverbs 25

Proverbs 25:28

A man without self-control
    is like a city broken into and left without walls.

 I know of no better instructions for social accountability than this verse. When you see a person without self-control you see them at their weakest and worst. One of the great dangers of drunkenness is the loss of self-control.

Self-control is to have all your emotions and actions under good personal management. It is to not be a brawler nor to be an insulting speaker. Both word and deed are considered and disciplined.

The similitude in this verse is from that time period when one of a city’s main defenses was its wall. Babylon's wall was its unbreakable defense. If the wall could be broken or breached the city was without its primary defense. The city was defenseless against the attack, and left open to further predation.

What is the Chinese proverb? "I know he lost the argument because he got angry.”

Just as you don't pour out water, don't break down your walls.

Some Thoughts From Proverbs 24

Proverbs 24:12 cf 25:21

¹² Apply your heart to instruction
    and your ear to words of knowledge.

^25:21 for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty,
    and slumber will clothe them with rags.

There is a lot of talk about free-will, but little attention is given to responsibility. The writer of the Proverbs is greatly concerned with responsibility, how it is assumed and how it is evaded.

In verse 12 he examines one way of dealing with responsibility and informs you can't evade responsibility by claiming:

A. Ignorance. God who knows the heart is the One you are attempting to deceive.

B. Denying involvement. The fact of knowing includes involvement. Failure to know apparent need is the flimsiest excuse.

C. Disinterest. This is guilt by self-accusation. In human society the need of our neighbor met by disinterest is the sin of hate. There is no neutrality with the Law. Either you love your neighbor or you hate him. You have no choice whether you are to rescue his ox

No one will ever evade God’s claims upon him by claiming ignorance, for there is no one who does not know more than what he does.

Some Thoughts From Proverbs 23

Proverbs 23: 4-5

⁴ Do not toil to acquire wealth;
    be discerning enough to desist.
⁵ When your eyes light on it, it is gone,
    for suddenly it sprouts wings,
    flying like an eagle toward heaven.

 Compare I Timothy 6:10A  "For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil".

The Scriptures never condemn wealth. Abraham was immensely rich. It is in these verses in Proverbs we find the proper consideration of wealth. Between Proverbs and I Timothy there are some rules for the acquisition of wealth.

1. Verse 4 Labor is always with a view to payday. But to labor without any other consideration than for wealth alone is an exercise without hope.

2. Verse 5 Wealth in and of itself is famously unstable and the owner­ship of wealth alone is futile.

3. I Timothy 6:10A.

A. Money is never deserving of a believer’s affection.

B. The love of money is foundational to a believer's apostasy.

C. The "all" is noteworthy in its use in the ESV for it truly is here and more usually in all its useage, "all manners'' or “many different kinds".

The important takeaway is affection set on money gives all manners of entrance into the believer’s life.

                              “Be discerning enough to desist."

Some Thoughts From Proverbs 22

Proverbs 22:3

³ The prudent sees danger and hides himself,
    but the simple go on and suffer for it.

The “prudent'" are those informed by both the Word and the Law. The fact of their being prudent is no accident. They both receive and follow good counsel.

What is most interesting about this verse is the fruit of this prudence. Their insight has given foresight. They foresee danger. It is well said that hindsight is 20/20. But there the wise man gives that advantage to "the prudent."

It is well to learn from experience but it can be very painful. What the writer describes here is the "just say no" attitude. I pride myself on being a great muddy road driver. The first rule for driving in mud is “don't go there”. Stay on the paved highway. That is easy.

Foreseeing danger is not always easy or popular, but it is always profitable. Two things result from this foresight.

1. You do not wear the reputation of the sample.

2. You escape the suffering that the danger presents.

 We find here a teacher better than experience.

Some Thoughts From Proverbs 21

Proverbs  21:30-31

³⁰ No wisdom, no understanding, no counsel
    can avail against the Lord.
³¹ The horse is made ready for the day of battle,
    but the victory belongs to the Lord.

These two verses carry the sum total of the futility of opposing God.

 21:30  The counsel of man, be it scientific genius, military planning, political preparation or a co-operative endeavor, is never adequate to defeat God.

The present leadership of the U.S. is the best illustration of the saying “God can take a crooked stick and strike a straight lick”.

21:31 No matter how powerful, how terrible, how overwhelming the engines of war are, “the victory is the Lord’s.”  The failure to recognize this has kept the historians baffled when faced with irrational battle strategies.  Think of only two.  A)  Why did Spain begin a conflict with the U.S.A?  Their most prestigious military minds, which by the way were naval, warned them against this.

B)  Why did Hitler open up the front against Russia?  Yes, he needed the oil but he could have bought it.  They were allies at the time.  As mighty as the German engines of war were, the victory was the Lord’s.

Some Thoughts From Proverbs 19

Proverbs 19:11

Good sense makes one slow to anger,
    and it is his glory to overlook an offense.

This is the essence of the Proverbs attitude toward emotional outburst, and anger in particular. In this verse the writer is again concerned with retaliation. But it is a response engendered by an outburst of anger.  “Anger is controlled by "good sense.”  This is nothing less than behavior that is informed by God's law.

In both the Beatitudes and I Cor. 13, the believer is seen in a right relationship with his neighbor. I Cor 13: 4 describes the opposite of the anger here in 19:11.

I Cor. 13:4

 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude

The fruit of this ''good sense is the glory" of the patient, kind, person. This person passes by an offense. The offense is neither taken up nor leaves the offended resentful.

The ability to "overlook'' and leave resentment to others is a blessing far too seldom appreciated.

Some Thoughts From Proverbs 18

Proverbs 18: 1

Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire;
    he breaks out against all sound judgment.

This is another instance where it is easy to claim ignorance. It is not a clear statement about which one can be certain.

There seems to be a like thought in 17:19B.

 he who makes his door high seeks destruction.

It appears in both that rejection of counselors when difficult decisions call for help is the intent. In 18:1B the result of the isolation is antagonism to "sound judgement” or wise decisions.  In 17:19B the fencing away of help brings the destruction that counselors should be a help in avoiding. cf 15:12, 22, 30-31.

Proverbs 18: 2

A fool takes no pleasure in understanding,
    but only in expressing his opinion.

This is the way to judge TV Talk shows. The hosts of these programs love their own voice. What you heard 2, 6, 10 years ago you'll hear again today. They never seem to learn and they never fail to think they know.

Some Thoughts From Proverbs 17

Proverbs 17:3

³ The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold,
    and the Lord tests hearts.

The two illustrations of testing informs the reader of the tests that the Lord makes of hearts.

A. They are intense.

B. They are purifying.

C They are necessary.

D. They increase value.

E. They effect change.

D. They beautify.

G. They require time.

The effects may in some ways overlap and they may be more, but the list above when applied to the sanctifying process gives information of the experiences of a believer.

Because a believer is alive to feeling, it can be added that there it both joy and pain in sanctification. But it is certain God never deceives us about the pain nor denies us the joy.

Some Thoughts From Proverbs 15

Proverbs 15:33b

³³ The fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom,
    and humility comes before honor.

What a hard lesson to learn and how few learn it.

None of us for centuries have seen the Savior, but His beauty is still a wonder to the church. A great part of that beauty is His holiness of character.

 Basic to that holiness is His humility. When Paul in that matchless context, Phil 2: l-12 gives the model for humility, it is to Christ he refers, "Let this mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus”.

What greater model? None! What greater virtue? None?

"Before honor comes humility”.

Some Thoughts From Proverbs 13

Proverbs 13: 2b

² From the fruit of his mouth a man eats what is good,
    but the desire of the treacherous is for violence.

The cruelty and violence of humankind have overwhelmed those who have observed it. I well remember reading of soldiers coming to the prison camps in both Germany and Japan, when seeing what was happening there, sitting down and weeping. We read about the cruelty of people to small children and it begs the question, “How can this be?" “The desire of the treacherous is for violence".  Dear readers there is nothing new about cruelty.

Please consider Jeremiah 17:9, “the heart is deceitful above all things.  Who can know it?”

A puritan wrote, “There is enough tinder in the heart closest to heaven to start the fires of a new hell”.

Enough said!

Some Thoughts From Proverbs 12

Proverbs 12: l

Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,
    but he who hates reproof is stupid.

This verse is another of my favorites, cf 13:8; 15:5, 10, 12.

A car-chasing dog cannot be prevented from chasing cars. Tie him for a year and when he is turned loose he immediately begins his dangerous activity again. The danger cannot be taught him. His death by car is almost certain. But he is a brute. So is anyone who does not love discipline and seek reproof. Their destruction is inevitable.

Proverbs 12:3a

³ No one is established by wickedness,

     but the root of the righteous will never be moved.

A simple statement--in the purpose of God, wickedness is unacceptable.

Proverbs 12:5b

⁵ The thoughts of the righteous are just;
    the counsels of the wicked are deceitful.

Wickedness is natural, devious, and purposeful to the wicked person.

Proverbs 12:6

The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood,
    but the mouth of the upright delivers them.

While there is murder in words, just conversation is beneficial.

Some Thoughts From Proverbs 10

Proverbs 10: 9

⁹ Whoever walks in integrity walks securely,
    but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out.

This is not so much a promise as it is practical counsel. This is so because:

1. There is no fear of a destructive revelation of some past deeds.  The past is like the present.

2. Integrity is based on honesty. And it is a true proverb that an honest  man can have a poor memory while the liar must remember his stories.

3. Integrity is to be paid up. This person does not have fear the bill collector.

4. Finally integrity is an inheritance one can leave with great joy.

Some Thoughts From Proverbs 11

Proverbs 11:1

A false balance is an abomination to the Lord,
    but a just weight is his delight.

The plain statement here is that God abominates deceit, all deceit. But there is much more, for we are forced to see that righteousness before God is right conduct in the here and now.

The Scriptures tell us that God will defend the servant who is ill-treated; that He expects the poor to receive a just wage; that He is tender toward the widow and orphan; or that honesty, integrity, and pity on the part of a professor are important.

There is a statement in Romans 12:21, ''Do not be overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good," that cannot be overstated in its practical importance. Both in the negative and in the positive, Christianity is nothing if it is not practical.

Some Thoughts From Proverbs 9

Proverbs 9:7

⁷ Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse,
    and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury.

The" scoffer' 'is:

1.       Settled in his character. Do not expect him to change.

2.      Has no respect for the truth. Do not believe him.

3.      He neither learns nor improves. He repeats his drivel and has no concern for corrections.

4.      When he is heard he has accomplished his purpose

5.      He is in love with his words, the more destructive they are the more he loves them.

Some Thoughts From Proverbs 5

Proverbs 5:12

¹² and you say, “How I hated discipline,
    and my heart despised reproof”!

As the word love, so is hate.  It has the same meaning in the Old Testament and the New.

The Scriptures are replete with the use of this word.  “You that love the Lord, hate evil”; “Esau have I hated”.  In the New Testament, “Whoever hates his brother”; “The world hates you”.  So it is frequently used and is an expressive term. 

First it is not an emotion.

Secondly it is ethical.

Thirdly it is intellectual.

Fourthly it is never excusable.

Fifth, it is basic as a cause of evil.

What are we to conclude?  When it is written that God hates Esau, this is His purpose toward Esau that is revealed, not a sinister emotion.

Some Thoughts From Proverbs 4

Proverbs 4: 6

⁶ Do not forsake her, and she will keep you;
    love her, and she will guard you.

⁷ The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom,
    and whatever you get, get insight.
⁸ Prize her highly, and she will exalt you;
    she will honor you if you embrace her.
⁹ She will place on your head a graceful garland;
    she will bestow on you a beautiful crown.”

"Love her".  “Her" is the sum total of wisdom. The point of interest here is the use of the word love. This word has the same meaning in both the Old Testament and the New. When the meaning is determined here it will hold true throughout Scripture. It is the same in the “Song", in Isaiah, in I Cor. 13, and in I John. To know its meaning here is to know the scripture meaning of love.

The first to be noted is that it is not emotion. A father’s civil and ethical instructions are not the subject of familial emotions.

Secondly in context love is intellectual.

Thirdly "love" is commitment.   Note the verses which follow.

Fourthly love is promotional whether person or fact, you believe and communicate your belief.

Some Thoughts From Proverbs 3

Proverbs 3:2

² for length of days and years of life
    and peace they will add to you.

"Peace they will add to you”, cf Phil 4:7, 9; Romans 5:l.

The legacy of peace which is given to Christians through faith in Christ is often forgotten.

In Romans 5:l the benefit of justification is said to be "peace with God”.

 In II Cor. 5 the Christian ministry is said to be one of Reconciliation of man and God. We should then understand that establishing, encouraging, and enjoying this peace is one of the primary purposes of the Church.

 The writer of Proverbs points us to the Law and the Testimony as necessary to peace is the ongoing privilege of the Believer.

Some Thoughts From Proverbs 2

Proverbs 2: l

¹My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you,
³ yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding,
⁴ if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures,
⁵ then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.

⁹Then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity, every good path;

¹⁶ So you will be delivered from the forbidden woman,
    from the adulteress with her smooth words,

This chapter is one of my favorite in Proverbs. There is a conditional "if” in verse one, three, and four. The conditions in these verses control the rest of the chapter.

These conditions are followed by three “result” statements. “Then” in verse five, “then" in verse nine, and “so” in verse 16. The conditions stated must be met before the results can be expected.

Why do believers not experience these promises? They do not meet the conditions.

Some Thoughts From Proverbs 30

Proverbs 30:7-9

⁷ Two things I ask of you; deny them not to me before I die:
⁸ Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches;
    feed me with the food that is needful for me,
⁹ lest I be full and deny you and say, “Who is the Lord?”
or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God.

The wise states as a believer there are two necessities: one is truthfulness; the other is the supply of his needs. There are at least four plain points of application:

1.      In the social world honesty is primary. And God abominates the liar.

2.      It is not good to be without basic needs.

3.      There is a danger to being rich that makes it ordinarily undesirable.

4.      A believers basic needs are to be the subject of his labor and his prayers.

Christ teaches to pray, “Give us the bread of this day.”

Our needs are to be recognized as certain and timely.

9/28/18

Some Thoughts From Proverbs 28

Proverbs 28:5

⁵ Evil men do not understand justice,
    but those who seek the Lord understand it completely.

When believers place their spiritual well-being in political activities their inevitable loss is certain. Evil men do not understand justice. September 27 saw an important and most interesting drama playing out. One of the contested ideals was whether there should be a "presumption of innocence." One side saying yes. He is accused of a crime and therefore he must be presumed innocent. The other side saying "No! it is merely an advisory hearing and therefore the right does not apply."  What no one said.  This right is not statutory, advisory, civil, political, or even criminal--it’s constitutional. Every citizen has this as his birthright. It is not granted by political donation. But “evil men do not understand justice.”