Generous

Proverbs 11:25 – A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.

Isaiah 32:8 – But the noble make noble plans, and by noble deeds they stand.

2 Corinthians 9:8 – And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

• ·         “Whoever sows generously will also reap generously”.
• ·         Conduct reveals character.
• ·         Through His abounding grace God can enable each Christian to abound in generous deeds.

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Generosity

Proverbs 11:24 – One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.

Proverbs 3:9-10 – Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.

Ecclesiastes 11:1 – Ship your grain across the sea; after many days you may receive a return.

2 Corinthians 9:8 – And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

Application:

• ·         Generosity is the path to blessing and further prosperity. By contrast, the stingy do not make friends and hurt themselves in the long run.
• ·         For those who bring to the Lord His tithes and offerings, God promises to pour out more blessing than they have room for.
• ·         Be adventurous, like those who accept the risks and reap the benefits of seaborne trade. Do not always play it safe.
• ·         Through His abounding grace God can enable each Christian to abound in generous deeds.

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Wrath

Proverbs 11:19-23 – Truly the righteous attain life, but whoever pursues evil finds death. The Lord detests those whose hearts are perverse, but he delights in those whose ways are blameless. Be sure of this: The wicked will not go unpunished, but those who are righteous will go free. Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout is a beautiful woman who shows no discretion. The desire of the righteous ends only in good, but the hope of the wicked only in wrath.

James 1:15 – Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

Psalm 119:1 – Blessed are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the Lord.

Zephaniah 1:18 – Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to save them on the day of the Lord’s wrath.” In the fire of his jealousy the whole earth will be consumed, for he will make a sudden end of all who live on the earth.

Romans 2:9 – There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.

Application:

• ·         The three stages—desire, sin, death—are seen in the temptations of Eve and David.
• ·         Those “whose ways are blameless” “follow his ways”.
• ·         In the day of God’s judgment, material wealth cannot buy deliverance from punishment.
• ·         With spiritual privilege comes spiritual responsibility.

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Reaps A Sure Reward

Proverbs 11:17-18 – Those who are kind benefit themselves, but the cruel bring ruin on themselves. A wicked person earns deceptive wages, but the one who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward.

Hosea 10:12-14 – Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, until he comes and showers his righteousness on you. But you have planted wickedness, you have reaped evil, you have eaten the fruit of deception. Because you have depended on your own strength and on your many warriors, the roar of battle will rise against your people, so that all your fortresses will be devastated—as Shalman devastated Beth Arbel on the day of battle, when mothers were dashed to the ground with their children.

Haggai 1:6 – You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.”

James 3:18 – Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.

Application:

• ·         If Israel would only do what was right, God would bless her.
• ·         Israel had been living a lie—and by lies.
• ·         A land judged by God is unfruitful.
• ·         Discord cannot produce conduct pleasing to God.

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

City Rejoices

Proverbs 11:10-16 – When the righteous prosper, the city rejoices; when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy. Through the blessing of the upright a city is exalted, but by the mouth of the wicked it is destroyed. Whoever derides their neighbor has no sense, but the one who has understanding holds their tongue. A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy person keeps a secret. For lack of guidance a nation falls, but victory is won through many advisers. Whoever puts up security for a stranger will surely suffer, but whoever refuses to shake hands in pledge is safe. A kindhearted woman gains honor, but ruthless men gain only wealth.

Proverbs 1:20-22 – Out in the open wisdom calls aloud, she raises her voice in the public square; on top of the wall she cries out, at the city gate she makes her speech: “How long will you who are simple love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge?

Proverbs 14:21 – It is a sin to despise one’s neighbor, but blessed is the one who is kind to the needy.

Proverbs 31:31 – Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

Application:

• ·         “City gate” was where the leaders of the city met to hold court and where the marketplace was located. Wisdom speaks neither out of heaven nor out of the earth, but out of the center of the life of the city, where communal experience of the creation order is concentrated.
• ·         Sharing food, lending money and defending rights are ways one can show kindness. Such a person “honors God” and “will lack nothing”.
• ·         “A good name is more desirable than great riches” and a woman, if she is kindhearted, will be accorded more respect than wealthy men if they are ruthless.
• ·         Honor comes through “humility” and “the fear of the Lord”.

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Make Their Paths Straight

Proverbs 11:5-9 – The righteousness of the blameless makes their paths straight, but the wicked are brought down by their own wickedness. The righteousness of the upright delivers them, but the unfaithful are trapped by evil desires. Hopes placed in mortals die with them; all the promise of their power comes to nothing. The righteous person is rescued from trouble, and it falls on the wicked instead. With their mouths the godless destroy their neighbors, but through knowledge the righteous escape.

Proverbs 3:5-6 – Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

Esther 7:10 – So they impaled Haman on the pole he had set up for Mordecai. Then the king’s fury subsided.

Jeremiah 45:5 – Should you then seek great things for yourself? Do not seek them. For I will bring disaster on all people, declares the Lord, but wherever you go I will let you escape with your life.’”

Application:

• ·         Be ever mindful of God and serve Him with a willing, faithful and obedient heart.
• ·         John Calvin said, “Man falls as God’s providence ordains, but he falls by his own fault”.
• ·         Baruch’s brother Seraiah would occupy an important position under King Zedekiah, but Baruch himself was not to be ambitious or self-seeking.

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Not Remain In The Land

Proverbs 10:30 – The righteous will never be uprooted, but the wicked will not remain in the land.

Psalm 37:9 – For those who are evil will be destroyed, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.

Proverbs 2:21-22 – For the upright will live in the land, and the blameless will remain in it; but the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the unfaithful will be torn from it.

Psalm 125:1 – Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever.

Application:

• ·         “Inherit the land” means receive from the Lord secure entitlement to the promised land as the created and redeemed sphere and bountiful source of provision for the life of God’s people. Those who hope in the Lord—i.e., trustfully look to Him to bestow life and its blessings as a gift—will inherit the land, not those who apart from God and by evil means try to take possession of it and its wealth.
• ·         God warned that if the people refuse to obey him, they “will be uprooted from the land”.
• ·         God’s “people” are also characterized as “the righteous” and “those who are good”, “who are upright in heart”.

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Way Of The Lord

Proverbs 10:29 – The way of the Lord is a refuge for the blameless, but it is the ruin of those who do evil.

Hosea 14:9 – Who is wise? Let them realize these things. Who is discerning? Let them understand. The ways of the Lord are right; the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them.

Psalm 27:11 – Teach me your way, Lord; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors.

2 Corinthians 2:16 – To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life. And who is equal to such a task?

Application:

• ·         The prophet Hosea concludes by offering each reader the alternatives of walking or stumbling—of obedience or rebellion.
• ·         Only those who know and do the Lord’s will can expect to receive favorable response to their prayers.
• ·         Ultimately there are two kinds of people: “those who are being saved and those who are perishing”. To the latter, testifying Christians are the smell of death, not because the gospel message has become evil-smelling or death-dealing but because in rejecting the life-giving grace of God unbelievers choose death for themselves.

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Fear Of The Lord

Proverbs 10:27-28 – The fear of the Lord adds length to life, but the years of the wicked are cut short. The prospect of the righteous is joy, but the hopes of the wicked come to nothing.

Proverbs 1:7 – The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Proverbs 3:1-2 – My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you peace and prosperity.

Esther 7:10 – So they impaled Haman on the pole he had set up for Mordecai. Then the king’s fury subsided.

Application:

• ·         Fear of the Lord is a loving reverence for God that includes submission to his lordship and to the commands of His word.
• ·         Fear of the Lord brings health to the body and “adds length to life”. When Solomon prayed for wisdom, God promised him riches as well as long life if he obeyed God’s commands.
• ·         John Calvin said, “Man falls as God’s providence ordains, but he falls by his own fault”.

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

The Righteous Stand Firm

Proverbs 10:25-26 – When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm forever. As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so are sluggards to those who send them.

Matthew 7:24 – “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.

1 Corinthians 15:58 – Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

Psalm 69:21 – They put gall in my food and gave me vinegar for my thirst.

Application:

• ·         The Bible often speaks metaphorically of God or Christ as a “rock”.
• ·         Because of Christ’s resurrection and ours, we know that serving Him is not empty, useless activity. All our efforts in service to Christ are invested in His winning cause.
• ·         “Gall in my food…vinegar for my thirst” was vivid metaphors for the bitter scorn they made him eat and drink when his whole being craved the nourishment and refreshment of comfort.

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

What The Righteous Desire

Proverbs 10:22-24 – The blessing of the Lord brings wealth, without painful toil for it. A fool finds pleasure in wicked schemes, but a person of understanding delights in wisdom. What the wicked dread will overtake them; what the righteous desire will be granted.

Proverbs 3:10 – Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.

Psalm 9:18 – But God will never forget the needy; the hope of the afflicted will never perish.

Matthew 5:6 – Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

Application:

• ·         For those who bring to the Lord His tithes and offerings, God promises to pour out more blessing than they have room for.
• ·         Those who forget God will come to nothing, but the needy and afflicted will not be forgotten by God.
• ·         “Hunger and thirst for righteousness” means have a deep longing for both personal righteousness and justice for the oppressed.

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Hold Their Tongues

Proverbs 10:17-19 – Whoever heeds discipline shows the way to life, but whoever ignores correction leads others astray. Whoever conceals hatred with lying lips and spreads slander is a fool. Sin is not ended by multiplying words, but the prudent hold their tongues.

Proverbs 13:3 – Those who guard their lips preserve their lives, but those who speak rashly will come to ruin.

Psalm 5:9 – Not a word from their mouth can be trusted; their heart is filled with malice. Their throat is an open grave; with their tongues they tell lies.

Psalm 120:4 – He will punish you with a warrior’s sharp arrows, with burning coals of the broom bush.

Application:

• ·         “The tongue has the power of life and death”. The ability to control the tongue is one of the clearest marks of wisdom.
• ·         The most frequent weapon used against the psalmists is the tongue. The psalmists experienced that the tongue is as deadly as swords and arrows. Perhaps appeals to God against those who maliciously wield the tongue are frequent in the Psalms because only in God’s courtroom can a person experience redress for such attacks.
• ·         As a weapon, the tongue is a sharp arrow and a searing fire, and God’s judgment will answer in kind.

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Wages Of The Righteous Is Life

Proverbs 10:15-16 – The wealth of the rich is their fortified city, but poverty is the ruin of the poor. The wages of the righteous is life, but the earnings of the wicked are sin and death.

Proverbs 3:1-2 – My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you peace and prosperity.

Proverbs 1:11-16,30-31 – If they say, “Come along with us; let’s lie in wait for innocent blood, let’s ambush some harmless soul; let’s swallow them alive, like the grave, and whole, like those who go down to the pit; we will get all sorts of valuable things and fill our houses with plunder; cast lots with us; we will all share the loot”—my son, do not go along with them, do not set foot on their paths; for their feet rush into evil, they are swift to shed blood…Since they would not accept my advice and spurned my rebuke, they will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.

Application:

• ·         Wealth brings friends and power—but ultimate security is found only in God. Poverty has no security—as it has no influence or friends.
• ·         Fear of the Lord brings health to the body and “adds length to life”. When Solomon prayed for wisdom, God promised him riches as well as long life if he obeyed God’s commands.
• ·         By contrast, the book of Proverbs teaches that wisdom brings the greatest riches people could ever gain.
• ·         To refuse wisdom’s “advice” is to suffer the consequences of one’s own foolish “schemes”.

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Store Up Knowledge

Proverbs 10:4,13-15 – Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth…Wisdom is found on the lips of the discerning, but a rod is for the back of one who has no sense. The wise store up knowledge, but the mouth of a fool invites ruin. The wealth of the rich is their fortified city, but poverty is the ruin of the poor.

Proverbs 2:1-5 – My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding—indeed, if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.

Proverbs 13:3 – Those who guard their lips preserve their lives, but those who speak rashly will come to ruin.

Application:

• ·         “Store up…within you” just as the psalmist hid God’s word in his heart to avoid sin.
• ·         The ability to control the tongue is one of the clearest marks of wisdom.
• ·         Wealth brings friends and power—but ultimate security is found only in God. Poverty has no security—as it has no influence or friends.
• ·         Many proverbs praise diligence and the profit it brings, and they condemn laziness as a cause of hunger and poverty.

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Love Covers Over All Wrongs

Proverbs 10:10-12 – Whoever winks maliciously causes grief, and a chattering fool comes to ruin. The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence. Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers over all wrongs.

Psalm 35:19 – Do not let those gloat over me who are my enemies without cause; do not let those who hate me without reason maliciously wink the eye.

Proverbs 4:23 – Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.

1 Peter 4:8 – Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

Application:

• ·         If we store up good things in our hearts, our words and actions will be good.
• ·         “For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of”.
• ·         “Love Covers Over All Wrongs” means it promotes forgiveness.
• ·         Love forgives again and again.

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Wicked

Proverbs 10:6-9 – Blessings crown the head of the righteous, but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked. The name of the righteous is used in blessings, but the name of the wicked will rot. The wise in heart accept commands, but a chattering fool comes to ruin. Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but whoever takes crooked paths will be found out.

Proverbs 13:3 – Those who guard their lips preserve their lives, but those who speak rashly will come to ruin.

Matthew 7:24 – “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.

Psalm 25:21 – May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope, Lord, is in you.

Application:

• ·         The ability to control the tongue is one of the clearest marks of wisdom.
• ·         The Bible often speaks metaphorically of God or Christ as a “rock”.
• ·         “Integrity and uprightness” are personified virtues.

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Disgraceful Son

Proverbs 10:4-5 – Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth. He who gathers crops in summer is a prudent son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.

Proverbs 27:24 – Be sure you know the condition of your flocks, give careful attention to your herds; for riches do not endure forever, and a crown is not secure for all generations.

Proverbs 19:26 – Whoever robs their father and drives out their mother is a child who brings shame and disgrace.

Application:

• ·         Many proverbs praise diligence and the profit it brings, and they condemn laziness as a cause of hunger and poverty.
• ·         Even kings may lose their wealth and power.
• ·         Children were expected to take care of their parents when they were sick or elderly. Robbing them and attacking or calling down curses on them were serious crimes.

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Not Let The Righteous Go Hungry

Proverbs 10:3 – The Lord does not let the righteous go hungry, but he thwarts the craving of the wicked.

Matthew 6:27,33 – Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?... But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Proverbs 3:1-2 – My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you peace and prosperity.

Application:

• ·         The phrase (“add a single hour) could also mean “add a single step to life’s journey”.
• ·         “His righteousness” is the righteous life that God requires.
• ·         Fear of the Lord brings health to the body and “adds length to life”.

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

The Dead Are There…Her Guests Are Deep In The Realm Of The Dead

Proverbs 9:17-10:1 – “Stolen water is sweet; food eaten in secret is delicious!” But little do they know that the dead are there, that her guests are deep in the realm of the dead. The proverbs of Solomon: A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son brings grief to his mother.

Proverbs 2:18 – Surely her house leads down to death and her paths to the spirits of the dead.

Proverbs 27:11 – Be wise, my son, and bring joy to my heart; then I can answer anyone who treats me with contempt.

Proverbs 16:4 – The Lord works out everything to its proper end—even the wicked for a day of disaster.

Application:

• ·         The banquet prepared by Lady Folly seems poorer than the wine and meat of wisdom.
• ·         A life of immorality leads to the destruction and death of all who are involved.
• ·         Wise children serve as a powerful testimony that the parents who have shaped them have shown themselves to be people of worth.
• ·         God is sovereign in every life and in all of history. God displays His power even through the wicked, and all evil will be judged.

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

The Fear Of The Lord Is The Beginning Of Wisdom

Proverbs 9:8-10 – Do not rebuke mockers or they will hate you; rebuke the wise and they will love you. Instruct the wise and they will be wiser still; teach the righteous and they will add to their learning. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

Proverbs 1:7 – The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Proverbs 2:1-5 – My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding—indeed, if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.

Leviticus 11:44 –  I am the Lord your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy. Do not make yourselves unclean by any creature that moves along the ground.

Application:

• ·         Fear of the Lord is a loving reverence for God that includes submission to his lordship and to the commands of His word.
• ·         “Knowledge of God” involves having a personal relationship with God and knowing what He is teaching.
• ·         Because of who God is and what He has done, His people must dedicate themselves fully to Him.

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

You Will Live

Proverbs 9:6-7 – Leave your simple ways and you will live; walk in the way of insight.” Whoever corrects a mocker invites insults; whoever rebukes the wicked incurs abuse.

Proverbs 3:1-2 – My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you peace and prosperity.

Proverbs 1:11-16 – If they say, “Come along with us; let’s lie in wait for innocent blood, let’s ambush some harmless soul; let’s swallow them alive, like the grave, and whole, like those who go down to the pit; we will get all sorts of valuable things and fill our houses with plunder; cast lots with us; we will all share the loot”—my son, do not go along with them, do not set foot on their paths; for their feet rush into evil, they are swift to shed blood.

1 Peter 4:4 – They are surprised that you do not join them in their reckless, wild living, and they heap abuse on you.

Application:

• ·         Fear of the Lord brings health to the body and “adds length to life”. When Solomon prayed for wisdom, God promised him riches as well as long life if he obeyed God’s commands.
• ·         The goal of sinful men is personal enrichment by theft or oppression, even if they have to commit murder.
• ·         Godly living can bring persecution.

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Eat...Drink

Proverbs 9:3-5 – She has sent out her servants, and she calls from the highest point of the city, “Let all who are simple come to my house!” To those who have no sense she says, “Come, eat my food and drink the wine I have mixed.

Psalm 63:1 – You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.

Isaiah 44:3 – For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants.

Isaiah 55:1 – “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.

Proverbs 1:11-16 – If they say, “Come along with us; let’s lie in wait for innocent blood, let’s ambush some harmless soul; let’s swallow them alive, like the grave, and whole, like those who go down to the pit; we will get all sorts of valuable things and fill our houses with plunder; cast lots with us; we will all share the loot”—my son, do not go along with them, do not set foot on their paths; for their feet rush into evil, they are swift to shed blood.

John 6:27,35 – Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”… Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

Application:

• ·         “Dry and parched land” was a metaphor for his situation of need, in which he does not taste “the richest of foods” supplied by the “river whose streams make glad the city of God”.
• ·         “Pour out my Spirit” is associated with the Messianic age.
• ·         Christ invited people to drink the water of life.
• ·         The goal of sinful men is personal enrichment by theft or oppression, even if they have to commit murder.
• ·         “Eternal life” is not something to be achieved but to be received by faith in Christ.
• ·         “The bread of life” may mean “the bread that is living” and/or “the bread that gives life”.

All Scripture verses taken from NIV