Proverbs 24-25

Proverbs 24

Proverbs 24:5-6 War on earth and spiritual wars are won through wise advice. With wise advisors come many ideas - how can we decide which are best? Pray! Paul described the armor of God for spiritual warfare as including the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit which is the word of God. (Ephesians 6:17) Paul does not mention advisors in this passage, because earlier in the epistle he explained that they are as the church one body. Implicit in this is that the local church body is a unit in God’s army fighting the forces of evil together. 

Proverbs 24:7 Fools should know enough to keep their mouths shut. They have built their lives on sinking sand - maybe someone will rescue them. (Matthew 7:24-27) That someone is Jesus if they will call on Him. The reason they are fools is that they do not.

Proverbs 24:10-12 speaks to times of great peril, for example during the Holocaust. Some helped the Jews being taken off to concentration camps, but relatively few. The nation of Germany ultimately paid the price. It took time and a war that claimed millions of lives, but there was eventually a tribunal at Nuremberg of the surviving leaders. 

Proverbs 24:17-18 Do not gloat over your enemies’ misfortunes. Pray for their redemption. (Matthew 5:38-47)

Proverbs 24:21-22 Honor and respect both the Lord and the King of kings - there will not only be a final judgment day, but in this life He can bring sudden calamity. In the context of the proverbs, one should also honor and respect earthly political authority, even when they rebel against God and His standards. The Lord will hold them accountable. (For example, Acts  12:21-23) We should pray for them. Daniel respected and prayed for Nebuchadnezzar and God got his attention. (Daniel 4)

Proverbs 24:23-25 Judges and juries hold court for the sole purpose of determining guilt and innocence, and sifting truth from lies. Not only do they lose any reason for existence if they do not, but they are accountable to the One who sits on the throne of Heaven, in addition to being cursed in this world. 

Proverbs 24:28-29 Don’t invent a reason for a fight with those near you. Even if they have gossiped about or slandered you, follow Jesus’ advice. (Matthew 5:38-48)

Proverbs 24:30-34 Time is precious and pays dividends on investments. Spiritual investment or spiritual poverty result in fruit or weeds in our lives, respectively. Prioritize important things in your daily schedule. Focus on what is important, and act accordingly. How much insight the Lord gave Solomon to write this about social media three thousand years ago!

Proverbs 25

The tongue can never be tamed, only harnessed: 25:12,14,15,20,23,28.

Proverbs 25:2-3 How do wisdom, responsibility, and grace interact in finding deep truth (root causes) and making things right? How do justice and redemption interact? The heart of Jesus for us, and for others, reconciles all these seemingly incompatible values. We understand, as Solomon did not, that it was through His blood. But the heart of the King of kings can never be fully fathomed by us.

Proverbs 25:4-5 Wicked leaders purporting to be part of God’s kingdom will ultimately be removed, so that His reign will be rightly established in our lives.

Proverbs 25:6-7 Jesus illustrated the concept of self-chosen humility preceding promotion in His parable of seating at a banquet. (Matthew 14:7-11) Being humbled by the King of kings would be worse.

Proverbs 25:11-12 Contrast the rebuke of a wise judge in a listening ear to a beautiful woman who lacks discretion. (11:22) Context and appropriateness are very important for our statements.

Proverbs 25:14 was alluded to by Jude in verse 12 of his epistle. It is a jump to go from people boasting about gifts never given to slandering and destroying things they do not understand, but they are going the same direction on the same road - away from Truth and Life.

Proverbs 25:18 Respect the ninth commandment. (Exodus 20:16) Lying is like attacking a person with a weapon. You may injure them, but you will start a fight that you might lose.

Proverbs 25:20 is a puzzlement. Most likely it means that when people are grieving deeply, it is best to say nothing other than “I’m sorry for your loss” and sit with them quietly. Job’s friends did this at first (Job 2:12-13). Sadly, that didn’t last.

Proverbs 25:21-22 Jesus cited this in the Sermon on the Mount. (Matthew 5:38-48) He didn’t include the part about heaping burning coals on the enemy’s head. 

Proverbs 25:24 Solomon’s contentious wives must have been widely known (21:9&19) since Hezekiah’s team recorded this over 200 years later.

Proverbs 25:26 A righteous person who yields to the wicked is a life that has promise to refresh others but doesn’t because their goodness is cancelled by evil they have yielded to. This might seem contrary to what Jesus did in accepting crucifixion rather than confronting and destroying Satan and his evil henchmen, but Jesus had a unique mission in bringing redemption through His blood. This also might seem contrary to Jesus’ advice in the sermon on the Mount. (Matthew 5:38-48), but Jesus was there focusing on loving the unlovable. We should love our enemies in a way that does not compromise our own integrity and ability to refresh others.

Proverbs 25:28 Lack of self-control in alcohol, money, sex, hobbies, etc. indicates a broken life, a character damaged by inner weakness, valuing appetites over values, and/or unmet emotional needs.

Proverbs 22-23

Proverbs 22

Proverbs 22:1 To have a good name written in the Lamb’s book of life far transcends mere earthly riches. (Revelation 20:19)

Proverbs 22:6 seems like a promise that is often unfulfilled. Many children of godly parents choose as adults to walk away from Jesus. They have free will. Having a godly upbringing increases the environmental factors encouraging faith, but ultimately each person must exercise their own free will to choose to follow Jesus. 

Proverbs 22:9 God’s blessing of those who are generous to the poor is repeated in Proverbs several times (e.g., 21:13,22:22-23) and by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6:4). Does this extend to nations? Does God’s blessing fall on nations that tax all residents and then provide welfare in various forms for the poor? It seems that taxpayers have no choice, and would not qualify for the blessing, since Gods looks at the heart. Voters and politicians who advocate for these programs and enact them might claim the blessing, except that they are using other peoples’ money, even though they would (presumably) pay their fair share of taxes. It seems that this promise applies more to private charities and the individuals who donate to them, and those who do the legwork of working directly with the poor. Giving to the panhandler on the street would seem to qualify, with the disclaimer that one doesn’t know if they will spend money thus received on drugs or alcohol rather than food and shelter. There is not a simple answer.

Proverbs 22:11 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. (Matthew 5:9) The King of kings is their friend.

Proverbs 22:14 This verse implies that when the Lord is angry with a man, He will allow them to be ensnared by the words of an adulterous woman, leading to further sin. Most likely this implies that man will be trapped by her sinful lifestyle, buying into it or at the very least unable to muster the resources to escape it, leading to consequences, perhaps destruction. This seems inconsistent with redemption, implying there is a point where God is so angry that He decides someone is beyond redemption. I have a hard time with this, other than maybe God confronts this man through the complete bankruptcy of his life, in which all he cares about (his marriage, relationships with children and friends, his career) is destroyed, and then he might turn back to God. 

Proverbs 22:17-19 Thirty sayings that might summarize all of the preceding content are introduced with this admonition: Trust in the Lord. (3:5-6)

Proverbs 22:21 Do not bear false witness. (Exodus 20:16; Matthew 5:35-37) Even if not under oath, tell the truth and (as Jesus says) say yes or no simply, without terms and conditions. But tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth. 

Proverbs 22:22-23 This is more direct than not giving to the poor. Exploiting them, taking advantage of them legally, means directly confronting the Lord, and He will inflict poetic justice as both prosecuting attorney and judge.  (Leviticus 24:17-21) Don’t get in that kind of dispute with the Lord.

 

Proverbs 22:24-25 We tend to let our friends lifestyles rub off onto us, and the temptation to be easily angered and hot-tempered runs directly counter to God’s grace and gentleness. The blessing of meekly inheriting the earth would thereby be missed. (Matthew 5:5)

Proverbs 22:26-27 Don’t co-sign promissory notes for others. In effect, you are taking out the loan yourself.

Proverbs 22:28 Do not steal property by moving boundary markers. Another form of theft, but the invocation of ancestors indicates stealing another person’s inheritance. Don’t!

Proverbs 22:29 A skilled workman is honored by the King. Implicit in his skill is hard work to follow the trade to which they are called. (for example Exodus 31:1-11) God will not waste their talent and devotion working for people who don’t appreciate it.

Proverbs 23

Rules of decorum  also show respect and humility, and warn us against overreach. (23:1-3,5,6-,22) Rulers and the rich put on a show of hospitality, but it is manipulative. Respect their position, but don’t covet their stuff. We must show respect in our hearts for the Lord’s table. He invites us openly and without hidden motives to partake of His supper. Participating with the right heart attitude is essential. (1 Corinthians 10:14-22; 11:23-34) 

Proverbs 23:4-6 The riches of faith will result in being carried off in the rapture, to be with the Lord, unlike earthly riches. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)

Proverbs 23:10-11further reinforces injunctions against theft of inheritance (22:28), especially of orphans, because Jesus is their defender.

Proverbs 23:13-14 Discipline with the rod will save children from death. (See also 22:6&15; Hebrews 12:4-11.)

Proverbs 23:20 likens drunkards and gluttons in only one aspect, that laziness and drowsiness will result in poverty. By contrast, 23:29-35 warns about consumption of wine and mixed drinks with detailed descriptions of the outcome: bodily woes, being poisoned (mind, body, and soul), hallucinations, nausea, numbness to pain, and obliviousness to the process.

Proverbs 23:22-25 Bodily ills and disappointments of old age (by contrast to alcohol abuse) can be offset by the joy of interaction with attentive younger generations.

 

Proverbs 20-21

Proverbs 20 - People wrestle with many kinds of sins, many of which are mentioned herein. Not an exhaustive list of the seven deadly sins (traditionally: pride, avarice, wrath, lust, envy, gluttony, sloth), but this chapter includes alcohol abuse, anger, quarreling, laziness, cheating, and gossip.

• 20:1 Wine can be enjoyed without being abused, but for some it is a path to ruin. We have hard liquor now, much stronger than wine; the risk is greater but the principle is the same.
• 20:2 Anger can lead to fights; don’t provoke a king. Especially the King of kings.
• 20:3 A fool does not know how to settle a dispute peacefully, or doesn’t care to.
• 20:4 Plowing after autumn prepares the ground for the next planting. Not doing it results in poor harvests the following year.
• 20:10 The Lord despises having scales and measuring cups that cheat buyers, and it grieves Him when people do so.
• 20:19 Even associating with a gossip encourages the practice. Don’t.

Proverbs 20:6 Jesus discussed God’s unfailing love in His last supper discourse (John 17:23) We can trust our fellow believers when we become one with them, just as Jesus and the Father are one. This is not automatic but depends on developing a relationship based on mutual values and joint activities. 

Proverbs 20:9 is echoed in Romans 3:23. All have sinned….

Proverbs 20:12 & 22 touch on divine and human interaction. The Lord made our eyes and ears, and we should listen to His voice; He will save us from evil, we are freed from the need to repay it.

Proverbs 20:15 was fulfilled by Jesus at the Last Supper; Jesus’ words that made the Father known to the disciples were truly a precious gem.  (John 17:25-26)

Proverbs 20:20 pronounces punishment for those who reject the command of Exodus 20:12 to honor father and mother.  Ephesians 6:2-3 contains the promise, but the consequences of rejecting it are both natural and spiritual, as stated here.

Proverbs 20:21 was illustrated in Luke 15:11-32. Although Jesus told the parable of the prodigal son to illustrate God’s forgiveness of and love for the wayward, the natural consequences of a young person receiving a large amount of money before he is ready can be catastrophic. 

Proverbs 20:22 repeats Moses’ saying “Vengeance is Mine” (Deuteronomy 32:35-36), repeated by Paul (Romans 12:19) and in Hebrews 10:30. Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, went beyond leaving revenge in God’s hands, to turning the other cheek, and prescribing forgiveness. (Matthew 5:38-42) We have ample opportunity to practice this while driving in heavy traffic.

Proverbs 20:24 was later echoed in Isaiah 50:10. The  prophet speaks for the Lord to tell the listener to obey His servant and walk in the dark by trusting in the name of the Lord and relying on God. 

Proverbs 20:30  By Jesus’ stripes we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5;  1 Peter 2:24)

Proverbs 21 A lifestyle that does not honor God does not take into account that Jesus is always with us and beside us.

Proverbs 21:2 The Lord weighs the heart, and found in David a man after His own heart. (1 Samuel 16:7)

Proverbs 21:3 & 27 The Lord accepts the doing of what is right more than sacrifice, and detests the sacrifice of the wicked, brought with evil intent. We can’t bribe God with sacrifices, nor could the ancient Israelites. Why sacrifice at all? The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart. (Psalm 51:16-17) The Mosaic ritual sacrifices were evidently meant to be a sign or symbol of repentance from sin and restoration of relationship with God. Sadly, just as they became empty rituals or attempts to bribe God into excusing continued sin, so is much of modern religion. God isn’t fooled. (Isaiah 1:11-15; Hosea 6:6)

Proverbs 21:5 Haste makes waste; some observations are timeless. In war there are tactics and strategy, and then the fog of war. Decisions made on the field of battle are important, but wars are won by strategy. 

Proverbs 21:9 & 19: With 700 wives, Solomon doubtless had a few that were contentious. Hence, his conclusion about the superiority of living in the corner of an attic or in a desert.

Proverbs 21:12 It is doubtless with sadness that Jesus allows the wicked to ruin their lives, perhaps hoping that reaping the fruit of wickedness will bring them to repentance. 

Proverbs 21:13 & 17 Jesus reflected on the rewards of giving to the poor in the sermon on the Mount, (Matthew 6:2-4) as a contrast to the warning that those who refuse to hear the pleas of the poor will not be answered by Him. But Solomon also reflects that one the causes of poverty is loving luxury items. People who could afford those things but buy them beyond their means become poor, and then plea for basic necessities. (There are other paths to poverty.)

Proverbs 21:21 The pursuit of God’s virtues - holiness and love - yields the best things in earthly life as fruit.

Proverbs 21:22 Joshua fought the battle of Jericho and the walls came tumbling down. (Joshua 6) His wisdom was to obey the Lord and do the foolish thing of marching around it for seven days.

Proverbs 21:30 Satan thought that his plan would succeed against the Lord, but he was defeated at Calvary. And he is far more powerful and crafty than any human. “Wisdom” apart from God is foolishness. 

Proverbs 21:31 Sennacherib besieged Jerusalem in 701 BC, but God supernaturally provided for the annihilation of his army. (2 Kings 18:17-19:36) There are so many factors in war that it is humanly impossible to control all of them. A seemingly invincible army can be wiped out by an infection. The homeland of a powerful empire can be decimated by a new weapon. An invasion by a mighty army can collapse due to logistical and supply bottlenecks. Internal political disagreements can unseat the ruling clique. War is hell and it is better not to start one unless it is the least worst alternative, or the Lord speaks unmistakably to start it. (Joshua 1:1-9)

Proverbs 18-19

 

Proverbs 18

There are several verses that warn about the power of the tongue, a few that uphold its power for good. James 3:1-12 repeats many of the negative themes.

18:1 Starting a quarrel against sound judgment does not profit anyone.

18:2 Talking without understanding is foolish.

18:4 Wisdom about God and Jesus and their ways is a fountain that becomes a rushing stream of life.  (Ezekiel 47:1-5)

18:6-7 Even though they experience the consequences of what they say, fools persist in foolish words, destroying their lives.

18:8 Gossip tastes good, but it wounds deeply as it makes its rounds.

18:13 Fools bring shame on themselves by answering before even hearing what another says. How do they know what the answer is supposed to answer? They don’t. That is part of being a fool.

18:17 Suing someone is not to be taken lightly. The initiator of a lawsuit may believe their case is ironclad, but there are two side to every dispute. Watch The Peoples’ Court to see how someone caught up in their own self-righteousness can be unraveled by cross-examination. 

18:20-21The power of life and death is in the tongue. This is not just the verdict in a capital offense trial. This is sharing the gospel and receiving it with a confession of faith to eternal life, or not. That is eternal life and death.

18:23 The poor in spirit have humility, the rich in the world become proud and do not recognize the foolishness of speaking out their spiritual emptiness.

Proverbs 18:9 compares slothfulness at work to destroying. What is destroyed? The opportunity to build God’s kingdom into our lives and others’.

Proverbs 18:10 identifies the name of the Lord (YHWH in the Old Testament, Jesus in the New Testament) as a fortress to which we can flee. This does not give us unlimited license to use His Name in any manner we choose (Acts 19:14-16), but has power to protect the righteous.

Proverbs 18:11 The wealthy in this world believe, mistakenly, that it it will protect them from anything. Only a faith in and walk with Jesus will do that, and Jesus warned His disciples that even they will endure suffering in this world. (John 16:33)

 

Proverbs 18:12 & 16:18 Pride and haughtiness are harbingers of a fall; are these the cause of the fall or just the fruit of an underlying deeper reality about a person’s spiritual condition? See Daniel 4:30-33 and Acts 12:22-23.

Proverbs 18:16 Whether this gift to gain admission to the presence of the great is a bribe like that condemned in 17:23 is unclear. This is not necessarily to buy a verdict, but to gain admission to speak. One must be careful about trying to buy entrance to God’s presence with gifts. He is looking for us to give Him our hearts, He doesn’t need our money. (Psalm 50:9-14) Giving as an act of worship could go two ways. We might worship to try to win God’s favor, perhaps the sense of closeness to Him. Or we could worship simply because of who He is and what He is like. Nothing wrong with wanting to be close to Him, and He often responds to heartfelt worship with His presence in a tangible sense. Our lives’ goal should be to live so close to Him and be so used to His presence that we don’t need to try to earn His presence, but simply accept it, and live with Him continually at our side.  (Psalm 84)

 

Proverbs 18:22 The very first wife was given to man in Eden. (Genesis 2:22-24) Solomon later waxes eloquent on the blessing of a good wife. (31:10-31)

Proverbs 18:24 The friend who sticks closer than a brother is later explained by Jesus. (John 15:13-17)

Proverbs 19 has many verses that Jesus elaborated on in the Sermon on the Mount and other teachings. He did not simply repeat them, but showed kingdom principles that these Proverbs embody. He showed how faith in Him, and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit enable His followers to live above mere earthly wisdom.

Proverbs 19 speaks to wealth and poverty several times. Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. Do not put your heart on earthly treasure,  but in heaven. You cannot serve God and mammon. (Matthew 5:3, 6:19-24)

• 19:1 The blameless poor are contrasted with the fool. 
• 19:4 From the world’s perspective, wealth is attractive and poverty to be avoided. 
• 19:7 Even the family of the poor, in addition to their friends, avoid them.
• 19:14-15 Wealth inherited from parents along with a house can be viewed entirely as earthly, but spiritual wealth can also be passed from parents to children, just as the Lord can give a prudent wife.
• 19:17 Generosity to the poor will be rewarded by the Lord. But don’t boast - keep it a secret. (Matthew 6:2-4)
• 19:22 Better to be poor than a liar - spiritual consequences will ensue from the latter.
• 19:24 A sluggard is so lazy he won’t even lift his hand to move food from the plate to his mouth, and will starve to death.

Folly

• 19:1 It is better to be poor than to be a fool who speaks perverse things, presumably to start fights.
• 19:3 The natural consequences of foolishness ruin people, but they blame God for making the universe, them, and their circumstances this way.
• 19:10 A fool can acquire luxury either by some sinful method such as lying, stealing, or cheating, hence it is inappropriate (and only temporary) that he live a lavish lifestyle.
• 19:13 Having a foolish child grieves a parent, and repeated efforts to rescue them from their folly and its consequences will ruin the parent’s life. In Jesus’ parable, the father gave up half his estate to let the prodigal son have his way, which doubtless reduced his lifestyle significantly, but he turned the prodigal son over to the Lord. Sometimes the fool has to come to the end of himself the hard way to come to sanity. (Luke 15:11-32)
• 19:29 Fools may avoid being beaten, but their actions have earned it.

Proverbs 19:5 & 9 speak to punishment of a liar, someone who pours out lies, not going free but perishing instead. The pure in heart will see a lie as an offense against God, and tell the truth even to their own detriment. Jesus went further to say that a simple, truthful yes or no is better than taking an oath about something. (Matthew 5:8, 33-37)

Proverbs 19:11 It is a kingdom principle, that one is worthy of glory if they overlook an offense. Jesus said to turn the other cheek, give your coat away, and go the extra mile. This runs so counter to our natural human nature that it is very hard (impossible) to do in our own strength. Hence, the need to give it all - getting even, revenge - to Jesus and trust Him to handle it. Forgiveness is sooooo… hard.  (Matthew 5:38-42)

Proverbs 19:14 once again identifies that a prudent wife (31:10-31) is a gift from the Lord.   Jesus talked about divorce from the perspective of the heart, that a man forces his wife to commit adultery when he divorces her, and commits adultery when he marries a divorced woman. Lusting after a woman not one’s wife is committing adultery in our heart. (Matthew 5:27-32) What does this have to do with a prudent (practical) wife? Solomon did not talk about romantic love in the Proverbs, that is the theme of the Song of Songs (a separate study). However, a prudent wife would know that appropriate romantic behaviors will reduce the risk of the husband going astray leading to divorce, and she will act accordingly. This helps protect both his soul and their relationship.

Proverbs 19:20 advises us to listen to advice and accept discipline. Calling these out separately suggests that the is both a practical and a wisdom dimension to this admonition. We need advice about our life’s direction and goals, and we need discipleship to shape our day-to-day behavior.