Proverbs 10-11

 Proverbs 10

The Proverbs have a distinctive style of paired opposites, which was probably intended for two reasons. Firstly, it is easier to read than prose, with a lilt; secondly, the contrast of the two lines of the stanza clarifies the meaning in many cases. But none of this is universal. The style is modified often enough to make it not boring. Sometimes the paired statements are not thematically connected. In most cases the positive is first, followed by the negative but sometimes the order is reversed (negative first). In a few cases there is not a contrasting opposite, but a reinforcement or clarification of the first line of the stanzas.

The proverbs give a mixture of both insight into the natural order of things, and a glimpse into underlying spiritual truths. The natural order of things includes human character, relationships, and cause and effect. Underlying spiritual truths include Jesus’ relationship to His Father, His ultimate redemptive sacrifice, and God’s continuous watching over His children and caring for them. Sometimes the lines are blurred because it is all part of God’s economy, for example standards of morality are both spiritual and practical. Solomon comes down solidly on God having established these standards, and as their ultimate enforcer, although He has delegated that role to humans as much as is possible.

The themes of proverbs include

• The practice and blessings of righteousness, and the consequences of wickedness. 
• The positive and negative outcomes resulting from the things we say.
• The blessings of wisdom and how folly ruins lives. 
• True and worldly wealth contrasted.
• Miscellaneous odds and ends about diligent work and laziness, love and hate.

Insights into redemption and the future ministry of Jesus on earth: 

• A wise Son makes His Father glad (10:1a). Jesus is the beloved Son in whom the Father is well-pleased. (Matthew 3:17 & 17:5.)  
• The Lord will not allow the righteous to hunger (10:3a). Jesus would not send a hungry multitude away but supernaturally multiplied bread and fish to feed them. (Matthew 14:16-20, 15:32-38) And later, after cooking some fish to feed the disciples, He commanded Peter to feed His children/sheep. (John 21). 
• Love covers all transgressions (10:12b) - fulfilled in God’s propitiation through Jesus for our sins (1 John 4:10).

Proverbs 11

There are spiritual implications to moral actions (11:1), and also earthly, social implications.(11:10)

Proverbs 11:4 doesn’t really say whether a man’s righteousness brings God’s protection, or man’s approval. In either case, trusting in luck or evil manipulation for protection won’t work in the long run. Even humans apart from God recognize evil for what  it is, and its outcome.

Those with understanding know when to hold their tongue, but this does not mean total silence. (11:12) Rather, when it is possible to have a respectful conversation one should do so, whether with the Lord or fellow man. Silence before the Lord is often appropriate, but not always; our prayers delight Him (15:8). Simon and Garfunkel’s “Sound of Silence” mourns the lack of communication of the modern generation. It is wise judgment about when and what to speak that is commended. Don’t be a babbling fool.

That those who are kind benefit themselves (11:17) was echoed by Jesus blessing the merciful in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:7).

The contrast between wickedness and sowing righteousness (11:18) is echoed in Paul’s epistle talking about sowing and reaping in the flesh or to the Spirit. (Galatians 6:8-9) Paul says this in the context of saying God will not be mocked. While the law of sowing and reaping on earth is obvious (11:31), the ultimate reward of those who trust Jesus is in heaven, being in His presence. When this was quoted by Peter (1 Peter 4:18), he linked it to the suffering of the righteous (persecution) being different in outcome from the suffering of sinners. Suffering is thus both a cause (of spiritual growth - Hebrews  12:4-11), and an effect (the fruit of sowing sin).

The rewards of generosity and refreshing others (11:25) are restated by Paul as the rewards of sowing and reaping. (2 Corinthians 9:6) When it comes to financial matters, God sees and rewards the expression of the heart in cheerful giving, over and above the legalistic tithing, going beyond the promise of Malachi 3:10. (11:24-26)

It should be obvious that someone who ruins their family will have no inheritance because they destroyed it themselves. (11:29)

Solomon’s reference to the tree of life (11:30) goes back to the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:9, 3:22). In this case the proverb says that the wise, righteous person bears fruit that saves lives; saving lives for eternity is the fruit of those who preach the gospel. Those who receive the gospel have eternal life, having been saved from the punishment of eternal separation from God.

Proverbs 7-9

 Proverbs 7

Proverbs 7:1-5 Admonition to keep the commands of wisdom close, like a relative. Perhaps the wayward woman is a metaphor for other spiritual deceits that tempt us away from God, although this chapter is quite explicit. Making a decision upfront to obey wisdom is perhaps the only way to avoid disaster.

Proverbs 7:6-9 Just wandering around, checking out the neighborhood, going to see what temptations are out there (there is indeed a rush that comes with temptation by itself), is to not make a decision, which ends up being a decision. It indicates a lack of common sense. This is not scouting enemy territory, it is walking into it unarmed.

Proverbs 7:10-21 A detailed description of the seduction process. This includes an aggressive self-introduction by a taste of what is offered (7:13), a description of what is being offered (7:16-18), and a statement about the risk being taken care of (7:19-20). The reference to the husband is possibly based on the same understanding stated earlier of the offended husband destroying the adulterer (6:34-35). 

There are other temptations that lead to destruction. For example, alcohol and narcotic drugs are obvious ways to ruin your life, and the seduction process is probably pretty similar; an introduction to what is offered, a description of its consummation, and assurances that the risks are taken care of.  Beyond that, the temptation to get rich or become powerful follows a similar path. I am sure there are other paths to self destruction, and Solomon is here focusing on just one, but Satan has a bag of tricks, not just one.

Proverbs 7:22-23 Yielding to temptation and paying the price. Like an ox on its way to the slaughterhouse (imagine the blood and raw meat being produced from a formerly live animal), an arrow piercing a deer’s liver (certain, painful death), or a bird entering a trap. There are many efforts in literature to communicate the pains of hell. Solomon started it.

Proverbs 7:24-27 A summary of the admonition: do not stray into the path of the adulteress, for it leads to death.  

Is there the possibility of redemption when one has gone down this path? Jesus offered it to the woman caught in adultery (John 8:1-11). Did she receive His offer? We don’t know what happened after that incident. The offer was there - He did not condemn her. But He also admonished her to go and sin no more. Did she make a lifestyle change, to serve God rather than living by the flesh, by the habits and within the social framework she was used to? Was she able to change her life because of the humiliation and nearly being stoned to death? Ultimately, she could only be saved and forgiven based on Jesus’ (then future) death on the cross. What about us? Does God allow us to reap the fruit of our waywardness before death to motivate us to repent and change our ways while the opportunity is open?

Proverbs 8

Proverbs 8:1-4 The call of wisdom. Wisdom as an expression of God’s nature and character is not a separate divine being, but personification  of one of His attributes.

Proverbs 8:5-9 Wisdom describes her virtues. Wisdom speaks what is trustworthy, right, true, just, and upright. Being this virtuous may not sound like an interesting life, but the rest of Proverbs (really the rest of the Bible) tells of the joy and fulfillment of this life.

Proverbs 8:10-11 Contrasting the value of wisdom to worldly wealth. Nothing we desire can compare to wisdom, so it only makes sense to choose it.  

Proverbs 8:12-21 The role of wisdom in the affairs of life. Wisdom is the first of the gifts of the Holy Spirit identified by Paul. (1 Corinthians 12:8) Political power should be exercised based on wisdom (sadly not the case these days). Enduring wealth results from wise choices, because her blessings are based on righteousness and justice. Temporary wealth or political power may be obtained through evil injustice (slaveholders in the antebellum south, Nazi Germany, the USSR), but they will not endure.

Proverbs 8:22-31 The presence of wisdom in creation. Before Genesis 1:1, the Lord created wisdom. (8:22) Wisdom was there when the world was created. (8:23-26) Wisdom was present when the heavens were separated from the earth. (Genesis 1:6-8) (8:27) Wisdom was present when the ocean waters were separated from the land. (Genesis 1:9-10) (8:28-29) Wisdom was present celebrating the creation of mankind. (Genesis 1:26-27,31) (8:31) Humankind via wisdom is looking to creation as unfallen, but also has responsibility for it. (Genesis 1:26)

Proverbs 8:32-36 The blessings of finding and heeding wisdom. We need to seek and receive  wisdom (God) every day to receive the promised blessing. (8:34)

Proverbs 9

Proverbs 9 Wisdom’s final appeal before revealing her secrets

Proverbs 9:1-6 Wisdom invites us to her banquet. Jesus told a parable about a man who gave a great banquet and invited many; they made excuses as to why they would not come. In the end, the man threw the banquet open to any on the street and sent his servants to first invite, then compel the poor, crippled, blind, and lame to come to his feast. The point Jesus made was that we can get preoccupied with the affairs of life in this world and miss God’s kingdom, while the down-and-out are not thusly distracted and He takes them in.   (Luke 14:16-24)

There is a parallel between wisdom at the beginning Proverbs 9, and folly described in 19:13-18. Both prepare a meal. Both are at the high point of the city. (9:3&14) Wisdom sends out servants while folly herself calls out the invitation. (9:3&15) Both call out to the simple. (9:4&16) Wisdom offers meat and wine while folly offers bread and water. (9:2&17)

Jesus invites us to a meal, the Lord’s Supper, which is the ultimate call of wisdom. (Matthew 26:26-28) While there is a sacramental symbolism in celebrating the Lord’s Supper, perhaps the greatest lesson of both this chapter and Jesus’ parable is that we join with Him to dine. Just do it. It is wise to have supper with the Lord.

Proverbs 9:7-12 Contrast between the wise and mockers. God or self is the basic choice of life. Beware of self-reliance. Mockers make fun of both wisdom and those who choose to act wisely. The wise listen and love being corrected when they err. The wise receive instruction and that is why they are wise. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (9:10) is often repeated. The wise understand the rewards of wisdom, which means ultimately those who fear God recognize the ultimate eternal rewards He offers, as well as the temporal rewards of earthly obedience to Him. Those who mock Him, His words, and His ways will suffer both loneliness in this life, and eternal separation from God. 

Proverbs 9:13-18 Folly invites to her meal. See contrast with wisdom’s banquet, discussed above. Folly herself is simple and knows nothing, yet somehow folly lures people to the deep realm of death. The difference between folly and being simple is this. A simple person does not understand a lot of things (and we are all simple in that respect), but can try to do the best with what he does know. A fool doesn’t know much, but doesn’t care about doing the best, he simply does what he wants, he don’t need to listen, which inevitably means being drawn into temptation to some disastrous sin. We hear this today. Do what feels good! 

After this passage, Solomon moves on to the content of wisdom. Enough cajoling and warning.

Proverbs 5-6

Proverbs 5

Proverbs 5:1-8 Warning to stay far from the adulterous woman. Contrast this with the wife of noble character (31:10-31). Words of honey that belie the bitterness of gall (5:3-4) (gall being the contents of the gallbladder, i.e., bile), are the opposite of wisdom and faithful instruction (31:26). She gives no thought to the way of life but wanders aimlessly (5:6), contrasted with watching over household and not being idle (31:27). We can also contrast the adulterous woman to the bride of Christ, who is glorious having no spot or wrinkle, but is holy and blameless (Ephesians 5:27). 

Proverbs 5:9-14 Consequences of ignoring this admonition. The alternative to these consequences is to establish patterns of behavior that help you and others to honor God. Trouble in the the assembly of God’s people (5:14) might refer to church, but perhaps also refers to the gathering of His people at the last trumpet. 

Proverbs 5:15-19 The blessings of faithfulness in marriage. Focusing on your wife is the vaccine against adultery. The husband must love his wife as himself  for this to happen.  (Ephesians 5:33) In the situation where the wife is unwilling to participate in faithful intimacy, the husband is called to love her redemptively, as for example, Hosea loved Gomer even though she was unfaithful, as a symbol of God’s love for Israel. (Hosea 1-3)

Proverbs 5:20-23 The Lord sees and there are consequences for evil and foolishness. In the end, evil deeds reap consequences not because of rule-breaking, but because of a heart that loves sinfulness. It is a man’s responsibility to recognize that the Lord sees all of his ways, and knows what is in his heart, and acts accordingly. (Solomon’s prayer in 1 Kings 8:39.)

Proverbs 6 We can only become what God calls us to if we say ‘no’ to the opposite.

Proverbs 6:1-5 Admonition about pledging security for another person. Do whatever it takes to get released from being responsible for another’s debts. Co-signing on a loan is a very common practice, but Solomon warns very strongly against it. 

Proverbs 6:6-11 A lazy person will end up poor and hungry. Learn from ants who can’t be lazy - they set aside food in times of plenty so they won’t starve to death. Joseph set the example. (Genesis 41:46-57) Work hard and store up for hard times.

Proverbs 6:12-15 A troublemaker, a villain, will be destroyed without warning. If he escapes it in this life, what awaits him after this is worse. 

Proverbs 6:16-19 Seven things the Lord detests all relate to the misuse of body organs that the Lord created to be blessings: eyes, tongue, hands, heart, feet, and mouth. Lying and bearing false witness both relate back to Exodus 20:16. Hands that shed innocent blood points to Exodus 20:13. There are some things the Lord detests that are not in the big ten: pride, wicked scheming, rushing to evil, and sowing discord among the brethren. The New Testament speaks to some of this in the context of church membership, but one would think these behaviors would be ruled out by the love of the brethren. Sigh. Human nature is hard to overcome.

Proverbs 6:20-35 Do not commit adultery, because the offended husband will destroy you. Obviously adultery is forbidden in the big ten. (Exodus 20:14)  Not honoring your parents’ commands and teaching, which presumably say don’t do it, violates another one. (Exodus 20:12) Not lusting after another’s wife violates the ban on coveting. (Exodus 20:17).  Prophets during the nation of Israel’s existence repeatedly used adultery as a picture of Israel’s (and ultimately Judah’s) idolatry. This was to communicate how offensive this unfaithfulness was to God. And eventually God did allow both of the nations to be destroyed.

The story of the woman caught in the act of adultery that Jesus refused to condemn (John 8:1-11) shows the hypocrisy of society in Jesus’ day. Jesus did not say it was ok to commit adultery. His response (let the one without sin caste the first stone) put the accusers on the spot, because none of them was innocent. We don’t know if they all committed adultery, but they all had a guilty conscience. Jesus told the woman to go and sin no more. We can’t sin with the expectation of future forgiveness - that is putting God to the test. Jesus is no longer here in the flesh, but the spiritual dynamics of adultery are still active. Solomon’s advice, although given at the human level, embodies the eternal, spiritual principle of faithfulness. 

Proverbs 3-4

 Proverbs 3: How wisdom will bless your life

Proverbs 3:1-4 Love and faithfulness in your heart will win favor with God and man. Luke 2:52 states that as Jesus grew up, He increased n favor with God and man. Proverbs isn’t just about avoiding gangs and adulterous women; the promise of pro-active acts of righteousness is long life, peace, prosperity, love, and faithfulness. This is how heaven works.

Proverbs 3:5-6 Often quoted admonition to trust the Lord in all our ways, which, as the hymn says, means to obey Him; this passage promises that He will make straight paths for us. It is sometimes (often) a challenge to fully trust Him. That is the promise. 

But what does it mean to trust the Lord with all of your heart?

Proverbs 3:7-8 Health is promised to those who fear the Lord and shun evil.

Proverbs 3:9-10 Prosperity is promised to those who honor Him with their firstfruits. Tithing is not explicitly mentioned but the principle is there.  (Leviticus 27:30)

Proverbs 3:11-12 The Lord disciplines those He loves. It is a sign of being His child. Quoted in Hebrews 12:5-6, which elaborates. This principle requires that we recognize the spiritual realm’s influence on the natural. When we experience trouble after disobeying the Lord, these aren’t coincidences.

Proverbs 3:13-18 The true riches of God’s wisdom is not found in earthly wealth, but the tree of (eternal) life (Genesis 3:22). This life will be blessed with honor and peace.

Proverbs 3:19-20 The Lord used wisdom in the creation story revealed in Genesis 1:1-10.

Proverbs 3:21-26 The Lord will through wisdom bless your life with safety. But I have to wonder how to reconcile 3:25 with Job 1-2. Job’s ‘comforters’ used this principle to infer that Job had sinned and that caused his troubles. We know that, in the end, Job was vindicated and blessed, but the initial disaster that ruined his wealth and health and took his children seems inconsistent with this verse. The transcendent revelation that Job received after his tribulation reveals that merely human understanding of God and His ways is not on the same level as experiencing God’s presence hearing His voice directly. But He gave us this wisdom to guide us when we aren’t in His presence.

Proverbs 3:27-29 Deal respectfully with your neighbors.

Proverbs 3:30-35 Apart from avoiding violent gangs covered earlier (1:8-19; 2:12-15), on your own, do not take a perverse lifestyle - don’t be a fool, don’t mock others, don’t be wicked. In the end, fools like this will receive shame. 

Proverbs 4

Proverbs 4:1-11 A father’s admonition to his son to get and treasure wisdom, and do what wisdom says. The role of training of the young in right and wrong in their adult lives is incontestable. Some may reject their upbringing as adults, but most are profoundly and permanently shaped.

Jesus echoes 4:7 in His parable of the field and the pearl of great price (Matthew 13:44-46), that the kingdom (and wisdom) of God are so valuable that all other things are less valuable and can be discarded in favor of it. The beginning of wisdom is to recognize its value and live accordingly. The epistles promise believers a crown of righteousness (2 Timothy 4:8), a crown of life  (James 1:12), and a crown of  glory (1 Peter 5:4). A crown is a symbol of authority, of honor, a recognition, in the case of Proverbs 4:9 the glory that comes through wisdom.

Proverbs 4:12-19 Wisdom and wickedness contrasted with a metaphor of walking on a path. Once again, walking with the wicked is warned against. Those who practice (until they become perfect at?) wickedness and violence do not even understand where that path leads. They are stumbling in the darkness. Don’t set foot on that path!

Proverbs 4:20-23 Guard your heart and fix it on wisdom. Everything you do flows from your heart, just as Jesus said. (Matthew 15:15-20)

Proverbs 4:24-27 Keeping your mouth, eyes, and feet from evil is one of the practical aspects of wise living. In Hebrews 12:13, this is connected to the admonition to accept the Lord’s discipline and chastening. This follows a quote from 3:11-12 that the Lord chastens His sons whom He loves.(Hebrews 12:5-6) Do not turn to the right or left is not a political admonition, but a moral metaphor: live according to moral wisdom revealed by God.

Proverbs 1-2

 

Proverbs 1:1-7 The purpose and theme of Proverbs: moral and spiritual formation. The purpose of discipleship is for good living. (1:2-3)  Prudence is the opposite of naïveté. (1:4) Learning and growth is the essence of life; settling for current knowledge and status quo is a downhill path, as documented in the second law of thermodynamics. (1:5)

Proverbs 1:7 Reverential awe of the Lord’s nature and character is the starting point for wisdom. It is hard to distinguish this from worship of who He is, for what He is, and for what He does. Are fools ignorant of Him or deliberately rejecting Him? What would human wisdom look like apart from God? With God’s wisdom, we can deal with the highs and lows of life with confidence that comes from understanding the underlying eternal spiritual reality.

Proverbs 1:8-19 Warning against the invitation of violent men and thieves. Our parents were our first teachers, before we knew anything. As we grow up, we should only reject their teaching when they are in opposition to the wisdom of God.  Solomon goes at length to warn against the temptation to boys and young men to join gangs and engage in violent theft, because this simply will ruin the life of anyone who joins in. Some things haven’t changed.

Proverbs 1:20-33 The rebuke and invitation of wisdom. The rebuke by wisdom seems almost synonymous with the conviction of the Holy Spirit, who among gifts, gives wisdom. (1:22-23)  (1 Corinthians 12:8, Ephesians 1:17) Is the law of sowing and reaping (Galatians 1:7) built into nature so strongly that it doesn’t need divine intervention to enforce it? (1:31) 

The laws of nature are evident on several levels. Solomon does not speak of the basic laws of physics such as the laws of motion, gravitation, electromagnetism, and so on. But he does elaborate on the two levels of the Ten Commandments. The first four deal with our relationship with God (Exodus 20:3-11), and the remaining six deal with how we live in human society, with interpersonal relationships (Exodus 20:12-17). Solomon does not dive into Spiritual warfare in the same way as Daniel (for example), not explicitly mentioning Satan or demons, but the hint is there in spiritual causation. If we open the door to temptations such as covetousness leading to theft and violence (1:10-19) or illicit sexuality (5:1-23, 6:20-7:27), there is an implicit spiritual force that leads to destruction. Most of the rest of the book deal with wisdom for living in human society, but the underlying eternal principles are from and empowered by God.

Proverbs 2

Proverbs 2:1-11 God’s wisdom will guard your life if you seek and apply it. There are (at least) three words used here: wisdom, understanding, and knowledge. Unfortunately the Hebrew lexicon does not clearly delineate which are which, but that doesn’t matter because Solomon clearly intended to include the all of them in the scope of this writing.

• Wisdom - good judgment to make sound decisions
• Understanding - comprehension to grasp and interpret the meaning of something
• Knowledge - facts, information, skills  
• Skillfulness - proficiency at doing something

Unbelievers can gather knowledge and become skillful. Understanding the meaning of something will be limited apart from the spiritual dimension. Having good judgment to make wise decisions is extremely dependent on seeing the long-term impact of morality in making decisions, to weigh competing claims against the absolute scale of eternal values. The Lord gives wisdom and knowledge as a gift. (2:6)(1 Corinthians 12:8)

Making right decisions and taking right actions results in being better able to discern what is right, true, and wise progressively. We need to do what Jesus has already told us to, so we can progress in discernment.

Proverbs 2:12-15 Wisdom will save you from wicked men (1:10-19) This theme is repeated several times in Proverbs, as a pedagogical technique perhaps. It is boys and young men this is addressed to, and it is well known that multiple exposures to an idea are critical to its being remembered and taken into account. The fundamental precept is that it is impossible to hang out with lawbreakers, violent men and thieves, without digesting their lifestyle as ok or normal. The decision to abstain must be made first. That is wisdom.

Proverbs 2:16-19 Wisdom will save you from the adulterous woman (5; 6:20-7:27) Boys and young men also need the same warning as regards women who tempt natural male sexual desires. The judgment is severe:  None who go to her return again, nor do they reach the paths of life. (2:19) 

Proverbs 2:20-22 The righteous will live and the wicked will die. Cut and dried. Apart from salvation in Jesus, there is no hope. And we need Jesus both to pay the price for our sins (atonement), and to empower us to live according to God’s ways.