Proverbs 16-17

Proverbs 16

Proverbs 16:1-7 Seven truths about our relationship with Jesus. What is our response to these truths?

• 16:1 He gives us correct words to speak, especially to answer accusations. (Mark 13:11)
• 16:2 He looks at our hearts, not just our actions.  (Luke 9:47)
• 16:3 He will honor and bless plans that are fully committed to Him. (3:6;  Colossians 3:17)
• 16:4 He will bring everything to a just and fitting conclusion.  (Revelation 20:4,12-13)
• 16:5 He opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. (Isaiah 13:11, James 4:6, 1 Peter 5:5)
• 16:6 He demonstrated His love for us by dying to atone for our sins. (Romans 5:8) 
• 16:7 He goes beyond bringing peace, He blesses peacemakers. (1 Chronicles 22:9; Matthew 5:9)

Proverbs 16:10-15 Six truths about the King of kings, and good human kings.

• He is perfectly just, thus every word He speaks is also.
• Since honesty in commerce belongs to Him, He enforces it.
• His throne is established based on righteousness, and He detests it when we do wrong (not us, but our wrong actions).
• Since He is Truth incarnate, he places high value on humans who speak His truths.
• Although there is a day of judgment coming, the wise will receive His grace.
• His presence brings eternal life, and His grace waters and nourishes our earthly lives.

Proverbs 16:16 is echoed in Psalm 19:10, part of a song extolling the wonders of God’s ways. 

The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul;

The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.

The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;

The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.

The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;

The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether.

They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold;

Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.

Moreover, by them Your servant is warned;

In keeping them there is great reward.

Proverbs 16:17 echoes 15:19. This is the way, walk ye in it, a theme occurring frequently. (Mark 16:12) 16:20 echoes 3:5-6. Straight paths result in blessing. Trusting in the Lord means giving heed to His instructions. There is blessing in the fruit of obedience to Him, but more than that, the blessing is the closeness to Jesus that we experience when we hear His voice and pay attention to what He says, because He loves us so deeply.

Proverbs 16:18-19 contrasts the fruit of pride and humility.  Why is it better to be of humble spirit with the lowly? The proud may divide the spoils, but they will ultimately fall, and it is very hard to hit the ground at high speed. Things shatter. Bones are broken. One of the leading causes of death among the elderly is broken bones that result from falls. Not all of these falls are due to pride, and the young can heal, but why sign up for it? The humble are low in their own estimation, that is, they have a realistic appraisal of their station in life. If they are tripped up, they will not fall because they already understand their value in the Lord’s eyes. (See also Luke 14:8-11)

Proverbs 16:23-24 The heart is what makes ones’ words prudent, and these gracious words bring healing to body and soul.  Connection through conversation is one of the key elements of a healthy life. Gracious words are the fruit of a heart of love, and when received, Jesus provides a fountain of life. Don’t underestimate the impact of words.

Proverbs 16:25 Being deceived unto death is both an Old and New Testament theme. (Deuteronomy 11:16; 2 Corinthians 11:3) How does one discern truth from deception? There are several indicators of deception: consistency with Scripture; conviction of the Holy Spirit; conscience; the mouths of many witnesses. How were Adam and Eve first deceived? They were tempted by the desires of the body, they disregarded God’s words, and they didn’t take time to talk to the Lord about the serpent’s statement about Him. Whether their conscience or the Holy Spirit spoke to them is not recorded. But perhaps there is this implicit warning, that anything that prioritizes the bodily or earthly over the spiritual or the heavenly is suspect and should not be taken at face value. 

Proverbs 16:28 One probably doesn’t need Scripture to understand the perversity of troublemakers, and the sour fruit that gossip yields. (Romans 1:29) Some internet quotes: Whoever gossips to you will gossip about you. Gossip is the devil’s radio.  No one gossips about other people’s secret virtues. 

Proverbs 16:33 is probably what the apostles had in mind when they cast lots to select the replacement for Judas Iscariot (Acts 1:26). However, the word of God and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit are better guides to decisions. 

Proverbs 17

Proverbs 17:3 The Lord tests hearts. (Deuteronomy 8:12, 13:3; Psalm 26:2) Is it for His assessment? He already knows. He tests our hearts so that we will know ourselves.

Proverbs 17:8,15,23 contrast two views of justice. Fairness and rightness, vs. a commodity to be bought. Social order and peace cannot be built on bribes. Innocence and guilt cannot be sold to the highest bidder. People know this and accept bribes in secret. How does this relate to the world of modern business? Although goods and services may be sold to the highest bidder, these are not verdicts of rightness or fairness. Treating the poor fairly and rightly means not taking advantage of them by bribing officials, judges, or even corporate employees.

Proverbs 17:9 says that covering an offense fosters love. How far does this go? Hiding sin does no one any favors. However, there is a process with the church for handling offenses.  (Matthew 15:15-17) This proverb most likely points to the restoration of a fellow believer - only the minimum exposure unless there is brazen defiance, enabling restoration for those who repent.

Proverbs 17:13 perhaps overstates the duration of the consequences of evil, by saying it will never leave the house of the one who repays evil for good. According to the law of Moses, God visits the iniquity of the fathers on the children until the third or fourth generation. (Exodus 20:5, 34:7; Numbers 14:18; Deuteronomy 5:9)

Proverbs 17:16 asks a rhetorical question. Money can buy counselors and mentoring, but the fool cannot grasp what he gets from them. He just recognizes their product as a tool for success. But see 17:28.

Proverbs 17:17 The friend who loves at all times is of course Jesus. (Ephesians 2:13)

Proverbs 17:19 seems puzzling at first. Why would building a high gate  invite destruction? Two thoughts. First, perhaps it advertises something of value, inviting attack. More likely, in the context of quarreling, it means that someone who cannot be reasoned with but only continually argues  and fights, and does not accept correction or the truths of God that others bring (I.e., a fool), will ultimately reap destruction.

Proverbs 17:24 A fool looks for something other than the wisdom God offers, and will search the entire earth to find something that satisfies. They won’t find it, either in earthly treasure or other religions or philosophies. What they will find  instead is that God is there as well. (Job 28:20-24)

Proverbs 17:28 Why would a fool want to be thought wise and discerning? There is a hint that he is not totally foolish if he perceives advantage in being so perceived by others. Not that he is suddenly wise, but maybe there is hope he will thus turn. 

Proverbs 14-15

Proverbs 14 deals with the dimensions of life. Home and family (14:1); our daily walk(14:2); our speech (14:3); our work (14:4); our integrity (14:5); our decisions (14:6); our religion (14:9); our heart (14:10).

Proverbs 14:4 Working people have to deal with messy situations - problem solving is part of any job, such as raising a family or repairing automobiles. But the outcome of someone doing that job well - fixing problems, cleaning up messes - is abundant fruit. 

Proverbs 14:12 The devil is superb at deception - making things that are wrong appear to be right, leading one who thinks they are on the right road to death. To discern the difference between the appearance and the substance of rightness requires wisdom, and paying attention to what the proverbs tell us about wisdom. To reject, or simply to ignore these attributes leaves a person wide open to being deceived by Satan. The Holy Spirit goes throughout the world bringing conviction concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment. (John 16:8) Rejecting our inner sense of guilt or conscience puts us on the wrong road (way). 

Proverbs 14:17 speaks for itself, making a distinction between things done without time for reflection, which are foolish, and evil scheming, which takes time and effort to think about and plan for evil. Being constantly aware of the presence of the Lord in our lives should help protect us from foolish spur-of-the-moment actions. There is a difference between ignoring His voice, which opens the door to foolishness, and rejection of the Lord, which leads to contemplative evil planning.

Proverbs 14:21 & 31 talk about God’s perspective on the poor and needy. There are innumerable paths that lead to this condition, some innocent and some as a result of personal actions. These proverbs do not distinguish on that basis, but simply pronounce God’s blessing on those who are kind to them. It does not further specify what form that kindness takes, only that it is wrong to despise and oppress them. Whether this blessing extends to governmental programs or not, it is clearly true on an individual level. Blessing does not always mean giving material items like food or money. That could potentially just lead to worse problems like drug addiction or overdose, or encourage slothfulness. Blessing might be a kind word, or sharing the wisdom that leads to a prosperous and blessed life. Implementation details are up to the Holy Spirit to direct.

Proverbs 14:23-24 extols the fruit of hard work, which is profit. This implies that God blesses hard work. The opposite is not laziness, as one might expect, but mere talk. This is further expanded to say that wealth is the crown of wisdom, not to imply that being rich is in and of itself virtuous, but that the reward of wise labor is wealth. Profit does not always lead to wealth, unless those profits are wisely used. For example, an individual may squander their earnings in innumerable ways. In some countries, the profits from peoples’ hard work are completely taken and used for governmental purposes, and the people remain poor. Politicians talk. These are the self-perpetuating endless cycles of folly. ‘Nuf said.

Proverbs 14:32 The true test of our lives is when calamity, even unexpected death, occur. All of the pretense, the facade, organizations and structures that the wicked have built up can be destroyed in the blink of an eye. This principle is what led Job’s comforters to accuse him of hidden but gross sin. But Job clung to the second half of this proverb, in Job 13:15. He knew his condition, and clung to and trusted God. Later he justified himself, explaining that the first part of this proverb didn’t apply to him. And ultimately he was vindicated without dying, and received a transcendent revelation from God.

Proverbs 14:34 Beyond the personal level, sin and righteousness have consequences at the national level. The cause of these consequences can be seen in the natural outworking of disrespect, murder, adultery, theft, dishonesty, and covetousness resulting in social breakdown. At the spiritual level, God also judges individuals for their violations of these commands (Exodus 20:12-17), but they are tied to the previous verses (Exodus 20:3-11), which is the spiritual foundation of a functioning society. Nazi Germany, the DPRK, and Haiti are examples of the social embrace of evil leading to disaster. Disgrace is a level of consequence below disaster but is on the same road.

Proverbs 14:35 The King of kings delights in wise servants!

There are, of course, also verses on familiar themes, such as fools and folly, fear of the Lord, speech, and wisdom and the wise.

Proverbs 15:1 A gentle answer turns away wrath. Blessed are the peacemakers. (Matthew 5:9)

Proverbs 15:5,10,31-33  Paying attention to and heeding discipline and correction shows prudence, gives understanding, and makes one at home among the wise. Humility and fear of the Lord is an indication of wisdom and honor. (Exodus 2:12) There are two stages of leaving the path of God. In His mercy, the Lord allows stern discipline, before the undisciplined arrive at death. (15:10) Recognizing circumstances and events as the Lord’s discipline is the first step in responding by making changes in our life. For many, it is simply intuitive that certain things are from Him, to try to convince us to change, to purify our hearts and lives. If we respond, we are one step closer to what He has in mind for us. Either to fail to recognize His hand, or to recognize and reject what He is doing in our lives, is to choose to stay self-centered and earthly focused. Reread Hebrews 12:4-11. There are eternal consequences. Sharing His holiness is the essence of being in heaven.

Proverbs 15:8,29 Prayers of the upright please the Lord, and He hears them. The implication is that the wicked are so far from Him (by choice, mutually) that He has trouble hearing them. But He does hear prayers of repentance. 

Proverbs 15:11 & 28 The heart lies open before the Lord, and the righteous wisely weigh what comes out of it, to determine what is of the Lord, and what is of man. Even the righteous have human thoughts and need to discern what comes from the Lord.

Proverbs 15:15-17 deal with the consolations in poverty; that cheerfulness, reverence for the Lord, and love are better than the turmoil and hatred that often accompany wealth. There is not a one-to-one correlation, but the value of the former is greater than the value of the latter to our lives.

Proverbs 15:22 gives a recipe for success. Have many advisors. Listen to them. Ask the Lord to help discern whose advice is wise. Curiously this verse does not commend listening to your critics. Perhaps this is because even though wicked schemers may have insights others don’t, the Lord will not bless the fruit of their mouths. Fools have no insight into anything. 

Proverbs 15:25 See 16:18. It is not just the proud person, but all who dwell with him who suffer. The widow may be poor, but the Lord protects her.  

Proverbs 12-13

Proverbs 12 

Proverbs 12 is not just about good vs. evil or good vs. foolish, but about God’s ways vs. self and the world’s ways. (1 John 2:16) 

Proverbs 12:1 We grow in virtue and self-discipline through many individual intentions and choices.

Proverbs 12:4 reference to a wife of noble character is further explained in 31:10-31.

There are several implicit references to the Pentateuch.

Proverbs 12:6 Lying in wait for blood refers to Cain ambushing Abel. (Genesis 4:8) 

Proverbs 12:10 Care for animals’ needs refers to the charge given Adam (Genesis 1:29).

Proverbs 12:11 Working the land for food reference to God’s provision for Adam and Eve (Genesis 1:29, 3:17-19) 

Proverbs 12:17 Bearing false witness refers back to the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:16)

Proverbs 12:28 Immortality would have been the result of eating the fruit of the tree of life. (Genesis 3:22) 

Speech is addressed is several verses in Proverbs 12:

• 12: 6  The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood, but the mouth of the upright  will deliver them.
• 13  An evil man is ensnared by the transgression of his lips,
• 14  A man will be satisfied with good by the fruit of his words,
• 17 He who speaks truth tells what is right, but a false witness, deceit.
• 18  There is one who speaks rashly like the thrusts of a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
• 19  Truthful lips will be established forever, but a lying tongue is only for a moment.
• 22  Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord,
• 25  Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs it down, but a good word makes it glad. 

There seem to be two major themes in these verses. (1) There are both earthly and spiritual consequences for lying and evil words - failure on earth and judgment by God. (2) Good words and  uplifting truth result in both earthly blessing (healing, gladness, satisfaction) and eternal blessing, for preaching the truth of gospel.

Do fools reject evidence plus logic because they don’t understand, or because they don’t care? (12:15) In other words, is being foolish a condition of the mind, an inability to follow and grasp propositional content, or a condition of the heart, a predisposition to self-centeredness with disregard for eternal or moral values? Two people can see the same circumstances, with one seeing God at work and the other seeing meaningless, random events. For example, in the problem of pain, the  godly person sees divine intervention to bring discipline or revelation (as in Job), while another questions how a good and loving God could allow such things to happen. Questioning does not make a person a fool, but deciding God doesn’t exist does.  (Isaiah 22:13,  56:12;  1 Corinthians 15:32)

Proverbs 13

Proverbs 13:2-12  touches on the consequences of a lack of self-control

Proverbs 13:13-25 deals with actions and consequences.

Is Proverbs descriptive or prescriptive? Is being wise, righteous, foolish, or evil something one simply is, or one chooses to be? If the latter, and one wants to choose a character attribute that defines them, Proverbs simply says to do certain things. It is not a matter of putting on an act. If we do these things, we become what they are the fruit of. It might seem the reverse of a tree bearing fruit, it is the (admittedly absurd) picture of gathering apples together, and slowly an apple tree is built. Except that an apple tree does sprout from apple seeds, so it is not so absurd after all. Although Proverbs describes what a wise person or fool does, one can become that kind of person by doing these things. It goes both ways. A wise person who does things that are foolish eventually becomes a fool. But a wicked person who turns to the Lord can become righteous and do righteous acts, especially in the New Testament. Jesus offers not just forgiveness of sins, but redemption and a whole new life. The fruit of that new life is described herein.

Proverbs 13:1,10,13-16,18,20 deal with wisdom and how we respond to it. Respecting and receiving counsel or discipline from parent, others (as one ages), or the word of God brings life, favor, and wisdom. The fountain of (eternal) life is ultimately in God (Psalm 36:9), but in practical terms, wisdom brings life-giving advice.

Proverbs 13:1,16, 19, 20. The fool in one of these dimensions ultimately pays the price for not listening. His life is hard. Fools will not listen to rebuke, but display their folly for all to see, because to them turning away from evil is a horrible thought. And those who hang around them will also suffer harm.

Proverbs 13:5, 6, 9, 22, 25 contrast the righteous to the wicked. Wickedness is not described in great detail, just that a wicked man acts disgustingly and shamefully, in contrast to hating falsehood. (13:5) The fruit of wickedness is described in his lamp going out, most likely meaning he does not rejoice. (13:9) And he lacks basic necessities and has nothing to leave his children. What is the difference between fools and the wicked?  We might think fools are just ignorant while the wicked are evil by decision. But in the end, fools ignore wisdom, righteousness, advice, discipline, and ultimately God’s dealing in their life, so the outcome is the same. Either could repent and turn to the Lord. Perhaps the one difference is that the wicked have made a determined decision not to, while fools have not made that decision yet, but that is the road they are on.

Proverbs 13:1, 18, 24  Verses dealing with discipline & children’s training parallel 3:11-12.  (See also Hebrews 12:4-13.). It is wise to accept discipline and learn from it. Fathers are admonished to discipline their sons diligently.

Food for thought 

Proverbs 13:23 God provides food for the poor via unplowed, fallow ground, presumably through His spiritual touch, but the wicked who practice injustice steal even this provision from them. What awaits them in eternity?

 

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.