Rashly

Proverbs 20:25-27 – It is a trap to dedicate something rashly and only later to consider one’s vows. A wise king winnows out the wicked; he drives the threshing wheel over them. The human spirit is the lamp of the Lord that sheds light on one’s inmost being.

Ecclesiastes 5:4 – When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow.

Judges 11:35 – When he saw her, he tore his clothes and cried, “Oh no, my daughter! You have brought me down and I am devastated. I have made a vow to the Lord that I cannot break.”

Psalm 119:105 – Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.

Proverbs 27:19 – As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart.

Application:

• ·         In Scripture the fool is not one who cannot learn but one who refuses to learn.
• ·         All Jephthah’s efforts to assure for himself a position of power in Israel by manipulating God backfired. God will not be used!
• ·         “Lamp…light”, apart from which I could only grope about in the darkness.
• ·         The condition of one’s heart indicates one’s true character.

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Way

Proverbs 20:23-24 – The Lord detests differing weights, and dishonest scales do not please him. A person’s steps are directed by the Lord. How then can anyone understand their own way?

Jeremiah 10:23 – Lord, I know that people’s lives are not their own; it is not for them to direct their steps.

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.

Application:

• ·         Only the Lord can direct people’s steps.
• ·         David challenged Solomon to serve God “with wholehearted devotion”.
• ·         Be ever mindful of God and serve Him with a willing, faithful and obedient heart. He will remove the obstacles from your pathway and bring you to your appointed goal.

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

I'll Pay You Back

Proverbs 20:20-22 – If someone curses their father or mother, their lamp will be snuffed out in pitch darkness. An inheritance claimed too soon will not be blessed at the end. Do not say, “I’ll pay you back for this wrong!” Wait for the Lord, and he will avenge you.

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

Proverbs 24:12 – If you say, “But we knew nothing about this,” does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who guards your life know it? Will he not repay everyone according to what they have done?

Deuteronomy 32:35 – It is mine to avenge; I will repay. In due time their foot will slip; their day of disaster is near and their doom rushes upon them.”

Psalm 27:14 – Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.

Application:

• ·         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.
• ·         God knows even our thoughts and motives
• ·         Avenging is God’s prerogative, not ours.
• ·         Faith encourages faith.

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Tastes Sweet

Proverbs 20:10-19 – Differing weights and differing measures—the Lord detests them both. Even small children are known by their actions, so is their conduct really pure and upright? Ears that hear and eyes that see—the Lord has made them both. Do not love sleep or you will grow poor; stay awake and you will have food to spare. “It’s no good, it’s no good!” says the buyer—then goes off and boasts about the purchase. Gold there is, and rubies in abundance, but lips that speak knowledge are a rare jewel. Take the garment of one who puts up security for a stranger; hold it in pledge if it is done for an outsider. Food gained by fraud tastes sweet, but one ends up with a mouth full of gravel. Plans are established by seeking advice; so if you wage war, obtain guidance. A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid anyone who talks too much.

Proverbs 9:17 – “Stolen water is sweet; food eaten in secret is delicious!”

Job 20:18 – What he toiled for he must give back uneaten; he will not enjoy the profit from his trading.

Application:

• ·         Wisdom is valued more highly than gold or rubies.
• ·         “What he toiled for…he will not enjoy” was a common theme in wisdom literature.

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Pure...Clean...Without Sin

Proverbs 20:8-9 – When a king sits on his throne to judge, he winnows out all evil with his eyes. Who can say, “I have kept my heart pure; I am clean and without sin”?

1 Kings 8:46-49 – “When they sin against you—for there is no one who does not sin—and you become angry with them and give them over to their enemies, who take them captive to their own lands, far away or near; and if they have a change of heart in the land where they are held captive, and repent and plead with you in the land of their captors and say, ‘We have sinned, we have done wrong, we have acted wickedly’; and if they turn back to you with all their heart and soul in the land of their enemies who took them captive, and pray to you toward the land you gave their ancestors, toward the city you have chosen and the temple I have built for your Name; then from heaven, your dwelling place, hear their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause.

Ecclesiastes 7:20 – Indeed, there is no one on earth who is righteous, no one who does what is right and never sins.

Romans 3:22-24 – This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

Application:

• ·         No one is without sin—but those whose sins have been forgiven have “clean hands and a pure heart”.
• ·         “No one who does not sin” is a striking acknowledgment that sin is universal.
• ·         “No one on earth…righteous” is a sober Biblical truth.
• ·         “The glory of God” is what God intended humans to be.

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Deep Waters

Proverbs 20:2-7 – A king’s wrath strikes terror like the roar of a lion; those who anger him forfeit their lives. It is to one’s honor to avoid strife, but every fool is quick to quarrel. Sluggards do not plow in season; so at harvest time they look but find nothing. The purposes of a person’s heart are deep waters, but one who has insight draws them out. Many claim to have unfailing love, but a faithful person who can find? The righteous lead blameless lives; blessed are their children after them.

Proverbs 18:4 – The words of the mouth are deep waters, but the fountain of wisdom is a rushing stream.

Psalm 6:4 – Turn, Lord, and deliver me; save me because of your unfailing love.

Psalm 26:1 – Vindicate me, Lord, for I have led a blameless life; I have trusted in the Lord and have not faltered.

Psalm 112:2 – Their children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed.

Application:

• ·         A wise person’s words are refreshing and a source of life.
• ·         The Hebrew for “unfailing love” denotes a strong sense of goodwill, especially such as can be relied upon in times of need.
• ·         Obedience and trust are the two sides of godliness, as the Abraham story exemplifies.
• ·         The godly bring blessing to their children and to themselves—not least in the fact that through their children they are “ remembered” in the community.

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Wine Is A Mocker And Beer A Brawler

Proverbs 19:27-20:1 – Stop listening to instruction, my son, and you will stray from the words of knowledge. A corrupt witness mocks at justice, and the mouth of the wicked gulps down evil. Penalties are prepared for mockers, and beatings for the backs of fools. Wine is a mocker and beer a brawler; whoever is led astray by them is not wise.

Proverbs 31:4-5 – It is not for kings, Lemuel—it is not for kings to drink wine, not for rulers to crave beer, lest they drink and forget what has been decreed, and deprive all the oppressed of their rights.

Proverbs 23:20-21 – Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat, for drunkards and gluttons become poor, and drowsiness clothes them in rags.

Genesis 9:21 – When he drank some of its wine, he became drunk and lay uncovered inside his tent.

Application:

• ·         Proverbs associates drunkenness with poverty, strife and injustice.
• ·         Woe to the land whose rulers are drunkards.
• ·         The first person to make wine drank to excess.
• ·         Excessive use of wine led, among other things, to immodest behavior.

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Fear Of The Lord

Proverbs 19:22-26 – What a person desires is unfailing love; better to be poor than a liar. The fear of the Lord leads to life; then one rests content, untouched by trouble. A sluggard buries his hand in the dish; he will not even bring it back to his mouth! Flog a mocker, and the simple will learn prudence; rebuke the discerning, and they will gain knowledge. Whoever robs their father and drives out their mother is a child who brings shame and disgrace.

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.

Isaiah 51:18 – Among all the children she bore there was none to guide her; among all the children she reared there was none to take her by the hand.

Application:

• ·         Fear of the Lord is a loving reverence for God that includes submission to his lordship and to the commands of His word.
• ·         When Solomon prayed for wisdom, God promised him riches as well as long life if he obeyed God’s commands.
• ·         Robbing parents and attacking or calling down curses on them were serious crimes.
• ·         Children were expected to take care of parents who were sick or unsteady.

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Prevails

Proverbs 19:19-21 – A hot-tempered person must pay the penalty; rescue them, and you will have to do it again. Listen to advice and accept discipline, and at the end you will be counted among the wise. Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.

Isaiah 8:10 – Devise your strategy, but it will be thwarted; propose your plan, but it will not stand, for God is with us.

Isaiah 40:8 – The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.”

Lamentations 3:37 – Who can speak and have it happen if the Lord has not decreed it?

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

Application:

• ·         Only God’s plans and purposes will last.
• ·         The plans and purposes of the nations will not prevail.
• ·         No one is equal to God; so no one can override the Lord’s governing authority.
• ·         God is sovereign in every life and in all of history.

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Kind To The Poor

Proverbs 19:13-18 – A foolish child is a father’s ruin, and a quarrelsome wife is like the constant dripping of a leaky roof. Houses and wealth are inherited from parents, but a prudent wife is from the Lord. Laziness brings on deep sleep, and the shiftless go hungry. Whoever keeps commandments keeps their life, but whoever shows contempt for their ways will die. Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done. Discipline your children, for in that there is hope; do not be a willing party to their death.

Proverbs 10:4 – Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth.

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

Proverbs 13:24 – Whoever spares the rod hates their children, but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them.

Application:

• ·         Many proverbs praise diligence and the profit it brings, and they condemn laziness as a cause of hunger and poverty.
• ·         Sharing food, lending money and defending rights are ways one can show kindness. Such a person “honors God” and “will lack nothing”.
• ·         Parents are encouraged to apply the rod of punishment to drive out folly so that the child will not follow a path of destruction. The rod and a reprimand “impart wisdom” and promote a healthy and happy family life.

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Friend Of One Who Gives Gifts

Proverbs 19:4-12 – Wealth attracts many friends, but even the closest friend of the poor person deserts them. A false witness will not go unpunished, and whoever pours out lies will not go free. Many curry favor with a ruler, and everyone is the friend of one who gives gifts. The poor are shunned by all their relatives—how much more do their friends avoid them! Though the poor pursue them with pleading, they are nowhere to be found. The one who gets wisdom loves life; the one who cherishes understanding will soon prosper. A false witness will not go unpunished, and whoever pours out lies will perish. It is not fitting for a fool to live in luxury—how much worse for a slave to rule over princes! A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense. A king’s rage is like the roar of a lion, but his favor is like dew on the grass.

Proverbs 17:8 – A bribe is seen as a charm by the one who gives it; they think success will come at every turn.

Proverbs 10:15 – The wealth of the rich is their fortified city, but poverty is the ruin of the poor.

Psalm 133:3 – It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.

Application:

• ·         “A bribe is seen as a charm” is a sad commentary on human behavior.
• ·         Poverty has no security—as it has no influence or friends.
• ·         God’s blessings flowed to Israel through heaven’s dew that sustained life in the fields—epitomizing God’s providential mercies in the creation order.

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Brother

Proverbs 18:22-19:3 – He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord. The poor plead for mercy, but the rich answer harshly. One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Better the poor whose walk is blameless than a fool whose lips are perverse. Desire without knowledge is not good—how much more will hasty feet miss the way! A person’s own folly leads to their ruin, yet their heart rages against the Lord.

John 15:13 – Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

Psalm 14:1 – The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.

James 1:13-15 – When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

Application:

• ·         Christ’s love was demonstrated not only in His words but also in His sacrificial death.
• ·         The “fool” takes no account of God and does not hesitate to show his malice toward “the company of the righteous”.
• ·         Because God in His very nature is holy, there is nothing in Him for sin to appeal to.
• ·         The three stages—desire, sin, death—are seen in the temptations of Eve and David.

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Wealth...Is Their Fortified City

Proverbs 18:11-21 – The wealth of the rich is their fortified city; they imagine it a wall too high to scale. Before a downfall the heart is haughty, but humility comes before honor. To answer before listening—that is folly and shame. The human spirit can endure in sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear? The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge, for the ears of the wise seek it out. A gift opens the way and ushers the giver into the presence of the great. In a lawsuit the first to speak seems right, until someone comes forward and cross-examines. Casting the lot settles disputes and keeps strong opponents apart. A brother wronged is more unyielding than a fortified city; disputes are like the barred gates of a citadel. From the fruit of their mouth a person’s stomach is filled; with the harvest of their lips they are satisfied. The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.

Proverbs 10:15 – The wealth of the rich is their fortified city, but poverty is the ruin of the poor.

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

Application:

• ·         Wealth brings friends and power—but ultimate security is found only in God.
• ·         “The tongue has the power of life and death”. The ability to control the tongue is one of the clearest marks of wisdom.

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Name Of The Lord

Proverbs 18:10 – The name of the Lord is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.

Psalm 61:3 – For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe.

Exodus 3:14 – God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’”

Psalm 144:2 – He is my loving God and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield, in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me.

Application:

• ·         The reason David appeals to God: God has never failed him as a refuge.
• ·         “I AM WHO I AM” was the name by which God wished to be known and worshiped in Israel—the name that expressed His character as the dependable and faithful God who desires the full trust of His people.
• ·         “My loving God” is literally, “my unfailing love”; so called because God is the source of benevolent acts of love that David can count on—just as God can be called “my salvation” because He is the source of salvation.

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Who Is Slack In His Work

Proverbs 18:5-9 – It is not good to be partial to the wicked and so deprive the innocent of justice. The lips of fools bring them strife, and their mouths invite a beating. The mouths of fools are their undoing, and their lips are a snare to their very lives. The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to the inmost parts. One who is slack in his work is brother to one who destroys.

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

Proverbs 10:4 – Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth.

Application:

• ·         Favoritism of any kind was condemned in the law.
• ·         “The tongue has the power of life and death”.
• ·         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

Flog Honest Officials

Proverbs 17:25-18:4 – A foolish son brings grief to his father and bitterness to the mother who bore him. If imposing a fine on the innocent is not good, surely to flog honest officials is not right. The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint, and whoever has understanding is even-tempered. Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent, and discerning if they hold their tongues. An unfriendly person pursues selfish ends and against all sound judgment starts quarrels. Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. When wickedness comes, so does contempt, and with shame comes reproach. The words of the mouth are deep waters, but the fountain of wisdom is a rushing stream.

Jeremiah 38:5 – “He is in your hands,” King Zedekiah answered. “The king can do nothing to oppose you.”

Job 2:13 – Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word to him, because they saw how great his suffering was.

Application:

• ·         “The king can do nothing” not because of inability or lack of authority but through failure of nerve. Zedekiah feared his own officials.
• ·         “No one said a word to him” was a wiser response than Elphaz’, Bildad’s and Zophar’s later speeches to Job would prove to be.
• ·         A wise person’s words are refreshing and a source of life.

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Accept Bribes

Proverbs 17:8,18-24 – A bribe is seen as a charm by the one who gives it; they think success will come at every turn…One who has no sense shakes hands in pledge and puts up security for a neighbor. Whoever loves a quarrel loves sin; whoever builds a high gate invites destruction. One whose heart is corrupt does not prosper; one whose tongue is perverse falls into trouble. To have a fool for a child brings grief; there is no joy for the parent of a godless fool. A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. The wicked accept bribes in secret to pervert the course of justice. A discerning person keeps wisdom in view, but a fool’s eyes wander to the ends of the earth.

1 Samuel 8:3 – But his sons did not follow his ways. They turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and perverted justice.

Job 31:1 – “I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a young woman.

Application:

• ·         Perversion of justice through bribery was explicitly forbidden in Pentateuchal law.
• ·         “A bribe is seen as a charm” is a sad commentary on human behavior. Elsewhere, bribes are condemned.
• ·         To “look lustfully at a young woman” is to sin.

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Friend Loves At All Times

Proverbs 17:16-17 – Why should fools have money in hand to buy wisdom, when they are not able to understand it? A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.

Proverbs 27:10 – Do not forsake your friend or a friend of your family, and do not go to your relative’s house when disaster strikes you—better a neighbor nearby than a relative far away.

Leviticus 19:18 – “‘Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.

Ruth 1:16 – But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.

Application:

• ·         Do not fail a friend in need; when in need rely on friendship rather than on mere family relationships.
• ·         “Love your neighbor as yourself” was quoted by Christ, Paul and James. Jesus’ reaction, “Love your enemies”, was in line with true Old Testament teaching and was more in agreement with the middle-of-the-road Pharisees. Rabbi Nahmanides caught their sentiments: “One should place no limitations upon the love for the neighbor, but instead a person should love to do an abundance of good for his fellow being as he does for himself.
• ·         Ruth’s expression of loyalty and love discloses her true character.

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Acquitting The Guilty

Proverbs 17:8,14-15 – A bribe is seen as a charm by the one who gives it; they think success will come at every turn…Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam; so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out. Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent—the Lord detests them both.

Proverbs 18:5 – It is not good to be partial to the wicked and so deprive the innocent of justice.

Lamentations 3:36 – To crush underfoot all prisoners in the land, to deny people their rights before the Most High, to deprive them of justice—would not the Lord see such things?

Application:

• ·         Favoritism of any kind was condemned in the law.
• ·         People might deprive people of justice, but God never does. Contrary to what the wicked think, the Lord does see and will call to account.
• ·         “A bribe is seen as a charm” is a sad commentary on human behavior.

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

One Who Pays Back Evil For Good

Proverbs 17:9-13 – Whoever would foster love covers over an offense, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends. A rebuke impresses a discerning person more than a hundred lashes a fool. Evildoers foster rebellion against God; the messenger of death will be sent against them. Better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than a fool bent on folly. Evil will never leave the house of one who pays back evil for good.

Proverbs 10:12 – Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers over all wrongs.

Romans 12:17-18,20 – Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. ¹⁸ If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone…On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”

Application:

• ·         “Love Covers Over All Wrongs” means it promotes forgiveness.
• ·         Christian conduct should never betray the high moral standards of the gospel, or it will provoke the disdain of unbelievers and bring the gospel into disrepute.
• ·         Jesus pronounced a blessing on peacemakers, and believers are to cultivate peace with everyone to the extent that such peace depends on them.
• ·         Doing good to one’s enemy, instead of trying to take revenge, may bring about their repentance.

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Heart

Proverbs 17:3-8 – The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but the Lord tests the heart. A wicked person listens to deceitful lips; a liar pays attention to a destructive tongue. Whoever mocks the poor shows contempt for their Maker; whoever gloats over disaster will not go unpunished. Children’s children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children. Eloquent lips are unsuited to a godless fool—how much worse lying lips to a ruler! A bribe is seen as a charm by the one who gives it; they think success will come at every turn.

Proverbs 27:21 – The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but people are tested by their praise.

Psalm 4:7 – Fill my heart with joy when their grain and new wine abound.

1 Samuel 12:3 – Here I stand. Testify against me in the presence of the Lord and his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I cheated? Whom have I oppressed? From whose hand have I accepted a bribe to make me shut my eyes? If I have done any of these things, I will make it right.”

Application:

• ·         People must not become proud, and they must be wary of flattery.
• ·         “Heart” is Biblical language for the center of the human spirit, from which spring emotions, thoughts, motivations, courage and action—“everything you do flows from it”.
• ·         “A bribe is seen as a charm” is a sad commentary on human behavior.
• ·         Unlike his sons, Samuel did not use his position for personal gain.

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

In The Way Of Righteousness

Proverbs 16:30-17:2 – Whoever winks with their eye is plotting perversity; whoever purses their lips is bent on evil. Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained in the way of righteousness. Better a patient person than a warrior, one with self-control than one who takes a city. The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord. Better a dry crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting, with strife. A prudent servant will rule over a disgraceful son and will share the inheritance as one of the family.

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

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

Application:

• ·         Normally the righteous are prosperous and happy, but sometimes it is the wicked who are strong and prosperous, temporary though that may be.
• ·         God is sovereign in every life and in all of history.
• ·         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