Thoughts From Proverbs 27

Proverbs 27:12

¹² A prudent man sees evil and hides himself, the naive proceed and pay the penalty.

This verse contains a principle that is basic to a great number of the cautions and instructions in Proverbs.  It is “Precaution is better than escape”.

It is better to be cautious about what you say.  It is better to monitor your appetite.  It is better to   plant your field and then build your house.

It is better that your child not climb a tree than that their fall does not injure them.  This seems so simple that it need not be said.  But there is another principle that lies behind it.

A.    That a person prepare themselves that they can be prudent.

B.     That they are aware that there are dangers, ie. “don’t try to pet a strange dog with new puppies”.

C.     That it is foolish to think you are immune to danger, ie. “criminal companions are in every instance a danger”.  The only thing is to avoid them.

D.    Avoid those places where evil most commonly occurs, ie. “Where are there people most likely to find trouble…in a place of alcohol consumption, or a Sunday School class?”

Everything said above begins as a caution or is an unnecessary exposure to danger.