ARTICLES ON PROVERBS

Grow In GOD: Meditations on the Ancient Proverbs of the Bible

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Grow In GOD

2nd Edition

Meditations on the Ancient

Proverbs of the Bible

By S. J. Wickham


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GROW IN GOD (2nd Edition)

All Rights Reserved

Copyright © 2011 Steve Wickham

This SJCreative edition 2015 www.sjcreative.com.au

Supersedes first DoctorZed edition 2011

ebook ISBN: 978-0-9808361-7-2

ISBN 10: 0980836174

ISBN 13: 9780980836172

eBook distributed by www.sjcreative.com.au

Cover photograph: Sarah Wickham, 2010.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,

stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means

— electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other — except

for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of

the publisher.

For information contact: [email protected]

http://www.sjcreative.com.au/


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Acknowledgements and Copyright Information

Quotations from the NEW REVISED STANDARD VERSION

(“NRSV”) OF THE BIBLE are Copyright © 1989 by the Division of

Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ

in the USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Quotations from Eugene H. Peterson’s THE MESSAGE // REMIX

THE BIBLE IN CONTEMPORARY LANGUAGE (“Msg”) are

Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 by the

NavPress Publishing Group, Colorado Springs, Colorado. Used by

permission. All rights reserved.

Quotations from the GOD’S WORD TRANSLATION (“GWT”) OF

THE BIBLE are Copyright © 1995 by the Word Publishing, Inc.,

group, Grand Rapids, Michigan. Used by permission. All rights

reserved.

Quotations from the KING JAMES VERSION (“KJV”) OF THE

BIBLE have no Copyright information applicable but the author wishes

to acknowledge the process of authorship in this often much-cherished

1611 version.


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Preface to the Second Edition

The entire world turns on Wisdom, yet not many acknowledge that:

The God of the universe is its source

Its basis is in the nature of life

None can escape it.

If we agree that the source of Wisdom is God, we have to look at God’s

Word to be guided in it. The Bible has many areas that approach

Wisdom, but it’s in the Old Testament book of Proverbs that we find

the most direct references to our acquisition of it.

Grow In GOD is a devotional resource on those ancient proverbs. Its

thematic approach seeks to make the Scriptures applicable for living

today. Where applicable, the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

has been used as the core text, as I believe it to be soundest overall.

Some references, however, are made in the Bible paraphrase, Eugene

Peterson’s The Message. I trust you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed

writing it.

God’s speed, Steve Wickham.


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Proverbs 1:1-7 – Wisdom’s Invocation

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise

Wisdom and instruction.”

~Proverbs 1:7 (NRSV)

Called “the Prologue”, the first seven verses of Proverbs are an

appetiser to the rest of the meal; but instead of gaining weight we gain

in knowledge.

Time and again the later themes of Wisdom will remind us of these, the

earliest clues to the acquisition of Wisdom and understanding.

Wisdom Opens Us Up to Learn

From the biblical viewpoint, it could be argued that those who’ve had

their eyes opened to see the gospel and had their ears opened to hear the

gospel have allowed Wisdom to open their hearts and minds. This is

undoubtedly the blessing of the LORD. This is the meaning of Verse

2b, Chapter 1.


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Righteousness, Justice and Equity (or Fairness)

This triad of Wisdom principles comes up again and again. The godliest

of nations are constructed on these very statutes. They are not just

godly statutes; they’re Wisdom statutes, meaning they work with an

uncanny reliability, intrinsic to the very nature of life itself. They’re

presented again in Chapter 2, which in many ways is a refrain—at least

in part—of Chapter 1.

Since it’s a teaching text, Proverbs has many subtle patterns of

repetitiveness. In particularly the first nine chapters a father teaches his

son the rudiments for effective, moral living in an immoral world.

Righteousness, justice and fairness are three key attributes of holiness

that this father implores his son to gain. All else is loss in comparison.

Wisdom – for Both the Simple and the Wise

Whether it’s acknowledged or not, everyone needs Proverbs, or more

broadly, Wisdom. It is custom designed. It simplifies difficult concepts.

It teaches shrewdness, knowledge and prudence (Verse 4). So, the

young can find their true home in Proverbs; a seminary for living. It’s a


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school for both the young of age and the young of heart and mind

(‘young’ being the metaphor for those still to ‘grow in wisdom’).

For the wise too, Proverbs is an encyclopedia of God’s grace and

knowledge; a compendium for life. Through Proverbs they will acquire

greater skills for more meaningful relationships with God, others and

themselves.

As Eugene Peterson writes in The Message, Proverbs is a “manual for

living, for learning what’s right and just and fair.”

Summary

Proverbs 1:1-7 is thick with meaning. It portends the amazing growth

available to us as we venture into the glorious expanses of Living

Wisdom.

Come, explore!


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Proverbs 1:8-19 – Do Not Go Their Way

“Pay close attention, friend, to what your father tells you, never forget

what you learned at your mother’s knee.”

~Proverbs 1:8 (Msg)

The imagery of ‘family’ presents an infinite spectrum of emotions. Some

people are indebted to their families for their childhood development

and ongoing contributions to their personhood, whilst others grapple

with the abuse they once suffered at the hands of family.

Whatever camp we align with—and we may identify with both—we can

draw much edification for life from this passage in Proverbs 1:8-19.

Parental Advice

Whether we received the right advice, or whether we took it, is not

relevant in the present reading of the parent’s warning. God’s the

parent now.

The best of warnings come from loving parents. At times they

overprotected us, fear driving their love beyond goodness. I’m sure

every honest parent can identify.


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Yet, our parents have always issued the same advice with remarkable

passion and consistency. “Don’t go with them, son/daughter!” is the

imperative, for parents have vision that children cannot see.

Still we often went against our parents and did what pleased us. It

almost always backfired; our wisdom was revealed later as rank folly.

But this hopefully was how we learned, not to repeat our folly.

The Message of Proverbs 1:8-19

The idea presented in this section is of a young child sitting atop the lap

of a parent, being reminded of the most important of all warnings; a

warning that pertains not only to childhood, but to our entire lifespan.

“Bad companions” lay in wait. They scoop us up through validation

when we’re perhaps at a low ebb, yet once ensconced to their way, we

cannot easily extricate ourselves. This is a feature particularly of

religious sects, outlaw gangs, get-rich-quick schemes and any other

group or individual association that’s not purposed in good. Fear, envy

and greed reigns in the hearts of these, and ourselves as we deal with

their aggression.


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Our best action here is to listen to the advice of Proverbs and run from

these greedy scoundrels, promising much yet delivering in the end very

little apart from the parity of regret, for in that is wisdom beyond folly.

Our heavenly Parent—from the book of Proverbs—is saying to us: Do

not go their way. Go my way of seeking wisdom; it will be for you “a

fair garland for your head, and pendants for your neck” (Proverbs 1:9

[NRSV]).

Life will generally go smoothly for us if we follow.


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Proverbs 1:20-33 – Wisdom Makes Her

Stand

“Those who listen to me [Wisdom] will be secure and will live at ease,

without dread of disaster.”


This is where Proverbs 1 gets really personal. At each juncture of our

lives we’re presented with the same opportunities to invest with

Wisdom. In this section of Proverbs and other sections (for instance,

Proverbs 8:22ff and 9:4-6) Wisdom is personified as a woman. She

graces life with a constant invitation.

Wisdom’s Eternal Warning

The Fear of the LORD was introduced earlier (1:7) and now we discover

what stands to ‘collect’ us if we do not abide in this wisdom, and opt

instead to go our simple, mocking and foolish way. In any study of

wisdom the rank opposite (folly) must also be discussed.

In Proverbs, therefore, we cannot get away from folly, fools and

foolishness. Simpletons, mockers and common fools characterise three


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discreet manifestations of foolishness—something no one reading this

would want to attract.

Wisdom is paradoxically obvious. (Yet, the foolish flagrantly disregard it.)

She has decreed from streets and public squares; from the “busiest

corners” (1:21) she has made plain the gospel of good effect to anyone

with sight and hearing for her message.

We only need enquire of her and she will pour out her thoughts to us

(1:23). Indeed, she is constantly warning us and we know it each time we

escape the negative consequences of doing something silly, like talking

on a phone whilst driving or indulging in substance abuse, or telling that

‘little’ white lie.

The longer we engage in these actions, the more we know in our heart

that things are not going to end well.

The Impact of Those Consequences

The first time I truly heard the warnings of Proverbs 1:20-33 it was too

late for me, personally. For several years there had been warnings

within my first marriage but I didn’t heed them, and ignoring Wisdom’s

warnings meant that when ‘calamity came like a whirlwind’ (1:27) into


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my life the situation was beyond repair. However, I certainly

understood later as I regaled the impact of the consequences—

consequences that will last the rest of my lifetime, and indeed my

children’s lifetimes too.

Some things in life have finalising consequences, and still God can make

the best out of our folly when we genuinely turn back to him.

No doubt we’ve all a few stories to tell of warnings we didn’t heed, and

later cost us dearly. It’s the nature of Wisdom, which is the nature of

life—the way life generally works.

At some time we’ve all acted foolishly. But, let’s now turn for home.

Accepting Wisdom’s Counsel

James is the New Testament’s ‘wisdom book’ and James 1:5 (NRSV)

tells us plainly: “If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives

generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you.”

God and Wisdom are one and the same. God owns Wisdom. Wisdom

in Proverbs 1 is inviting us into her Presence. She wants to edify us; to

instruct and discipline us.


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But acceptance is more than simply agreeing we need it. It’s actively

chasing it. This is what the rest of Proverbs 1–9 is really about that.

When we go after Wisdom with sure intent we stand to reap the

generalised promise (at top): a life of relative ease, without threat of

disaster. (This is not saying that bad things will not happen to us, but

that we will probably not be the cause of those bad things.)

We must be deliberate and intentional about our heartrending search for

Wisdom.


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Proverbs 2 – The Value of Light Over Dark

“My child, if you accept my words and treasure up my commandments

within you...”


And so come the promises on condition thereafter.

I liken Proverbs 1 and 2, to Genesis 1 and 2, and Psalms 1 and 2.

Having started in one way in the initial chapters of each book we find

rapid departures in the following, despite the similarities.

This helps us have confidence that we’re dealing with a God who

genuinely understands and deals in the mysteries and complexities of

life. There are no formulaic answers.

Proverbs 2 has a twofold light-dark structure about it which pivots on

the child who’s being instructed turning an attentive ear to wisdom. In

this way it’s similar to Proverbs 1, and the remaining chapters,

particularly chapters 1–9.

‘If’ Is the Operative Word – Proverbs 2:1-11


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Like much Scripture, the promises contained in Proverbs 2 are

conditional on that third word in the profiled verse, “My child, if...”

So begins three short descriptive images (verses 1-4) designed to help

the mind comprehend what’s involved in understanding the fear of the

LORD (verse 5)—which leads to extensive blessings detailed in verses 6-

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The truth is, what we do and don’t do regarding Wisdom has both

immediate and lasting consequences. If we go Wisdom’s way, blessing

will follow us, and we will understand “every good path” (verse 9).

The Opposite Contrast – Proverbs 2:12-19

Rather like Psalm 1, which features three contrastive verses each,

Proverbs 2 changes direction at the halfway point, much like a golfer

turning after the ninth holes does, but this halfway point is not a turning

for home. It describes the consequences in store for those who don’t

lend their attentive ear to Wisdom.

Like the passage we found in Proverbs 1:8-19, this section advises us

not to go the way of people “who speak perversely, who forsake the

paths uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness, who rejoice in doing


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evil and delight in the perverseness of evil; those whose paths are

crooked, and who are devious in their ways” (verses 12b-15 [NRSV]).

There’s no wisdom in these, only folly; and, in that, regret... always.

Wisdom Saves Us

We’re all too easily lost to sin in no more salient a way than sexually.

Wisdom, however, will save us from the “loose woman” (verse 16) or

the charismatic man who does not have moral candour.

Perhaps this is the mark of virtue on each person alive. How do we

each handle our sexuality? A “loose” approach bounds us for trouble,

because there are predators about everywhere.

But Wisdom will guard us.

A Punchy Summary – Proverbs 2:20-22

Reminiscent of Psalm 1 is this punchy little morsel imploring us to

guard our wisdom. Again, it’s heavily contrastive and compelling in

reason.

Go with Wisdom, the other choice has no logic or sense about it.


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In life we must lie in the bed we make for ourselves. It’s always better,

therefore, if we make a clean bed.


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Proverbs 3:1-12 – Approaches to God

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart,

and do not rely on your own insight.

In all your ways acknowledge him,

and he will make straight your paths.”

~Proverbs 3:5-6 (NRSV).

It’s likely that at various times in our lives we’ve taken different

approaches to God, reproaching the Spirit at times, while truly

worshipping via our faithful deeds at others.

The first twelve verses of Proverbs 3 refer to our appropriate approach

to the Throne of Grace, particularly verse 5 and those following.

This ‘advice’ could be likened to the guidance we’d give a child who’s

coming into, yet are unaware of, God’s Presence. We’re all in this

Presence, via this fact: God is there—a prime witness to all that goes on

here. But the child’s not that aware yet. Neither were we as aware at

their age.

The Fear of the LORD Takes Shape


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Right relationship with God—the fear of the LORD—which is the

ongoing thread from beginning to end in Proverbs, and both implicitly

and explicitly also from Genesis to Revelation is also enunciated

through these initial twelve verses.

This is where it begins to take shape in the listener’s mind and heart.

We honour the LORD (verses 9-10), for instance, with the first fruits of

all we produce—be they words, acts, income, of ingenuity... not a thing

spared. This is good example of how our devotedness is to look; the

LORD is to be at the centre of the initiation of all our decisions. This is

not an easy transition to make, but it’s one that is necessary if we’re to

grow in Wisdom.

This section of Proverbs is benedictory; a fine daily reading and a

constant meditation of the heart cognisant of God’s continual Presence,

as evidenced through the motioning of life.

This concept also enshrines—as a consequence of right, just and fair

living—the idea of spiritual prosperity or “abundant welfare” (verse 2)

as ‘long life’ (a spiritual concept) is made a very real probability for

anyone serving Wisdom.


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Approaches to ‘Discipline’

This is a bolt that no one really wants to hear, but it is there all the

same.

“My child, do not despise the LORD’s discipline

or be weary by his reproof,

For the LORD reproves the one he loves,

as a father the son in whom he delights.”

~Proverbs 3:11-12 (NRSV)

This is proof that God loves every soul. “Discipline” surely means

anything that comes against us as discernible pain or discomfort, which

can therefore be purposed as opportunities for our growth in God’s

love.

This, of course, goes beyond the many things we cause against ourselves

through our own folly. Still, it’s easy to forget that these injustices with

little or even no evident causation are purposed for our growth. They’re

a lesson we can learn through the power of God, in the knowledge that

the purposes of those sufferings will soon be revealed.


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Love causes this discipline. Love is behind all proper acts; goodness is in

mind always, sometimes for now, other times for the future.

This is a difficult teaching. No one, I’m sure, feels entirely comfortable

extricating all of life to the reality of the final day—when we see the

LORD in all heaven’s glory. We all love some part of the world. It is

difficult too, to accept that everything that’s happened, is happening,

and will happen, is from God’s gracious hand.

But that’s life. We must take it on God’s terms or it makes no sense at

all.


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Proverbs 3:13-18 – The Tree of Life

“Happy are those who find wisdom,

and those who get understanding...

She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her; those who hold her fast

are called happy.”

~Proverbs 3:13, 18 (NRSV)

Most of us have had that ‘What is the secret to life?’ question humming

through our subconscious minds.

Following on from earlier in chapter 3 of Proverbs, verse 2 specifically,

comes a description of ‘true wealth’ in verses 13-18. There is hardly a

more reassuring message in the Bible in relation to our whole lives. It is

personified Woman Wisdom who carries the refrain for our acquisition

and possession; to “lay hold of her”.

Woman Wisdom – Giver of the True Wealth for Life

“Happy” in this version means “blessed”. Blessed are they—with true

wealth for life—who go to and with Wisdom.


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Perhaps we can see here that “life,” so far as the Old Testament

Scripture is concerned, is more about the quality or fullness of life from

the spiritual standpoint than the actuality of physical life and death.

Woman Wisdom

Which of us has not known the purest of girls, full in the esteem of

moral virtue and beyond temptation, or a mature married woman fit

completely for the tasks of life?

Possibly an image of a face or two springs to light in our minds.

Woman Wisdom is easy to picture, then, as the personification of

perhaps the most intrinsic aspect of God. Why wisdom is personified

we don’t know, but possibly of either gender the feminine nature is

most like God. For instance, females—as a sweeping generalisation—

are less inherently competitive, ambitious and covetous than men.

Not unlike Proverbs 3:1-12, this section also beckons upon meditation.

As we ruminate upon the words, our souls are seasoned in and through

the grace and peace of God. This then infiltrates our spiritual core.

Blessing in Both Hands


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“Long life is in her right hand;

In her left hand are riches and honor.”

~Proverbs 3:16 (NRSV).

This is succulently alluring language. Who seeing truthfully could not

be convinced as to the ways and benefits of Wisdom?

The Message has part B of this verse as “recognition,” therefore since we

pine for recognition, what is better than God’s recognition firstly, and

then humanity’s?

“Long life,” again, relates more to a thriving spiritual life than a long

physical life, though both are probably in sight.


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Proverbs 3:21-35 – Neighbourly Wisdom

“Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your

power to do it.

“Do not say to your neighbor, ‘Go, and come again, tomorrow I will

give it’—when you have it with you.”


Beyond the assurances for living wisely in Proverbs 3:21-26, this final

section of Proverbs chapter 3 (verses 27-35) focuses on how we are to

interact beyond the doors of the family home, and the crescendo. It

may even be seen to have applications of neighbourliness within the

home.

But, first, let’s have a look at what verses 21-26 might be saying.

Another Repetition to ‘Go’ With Wisdom

We tend, by nature, to be slow learners. It’s therefore understandable

that we will fail repetitively before we succeed, particularly in the

important—difficult to establish—aspects of life.


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Wisdom here is part of the resilience-set that, from retrospect, will stand

us in best stead. The greatest growth in our lives tends to happen after

a battle for the establishment of the visions God’s given us for a ‘new’

or better ‘us’ through holding on, sustaining, and praising God. Good

growth is hard.

There is a surety of shalom to be experienced in this cherished place of

growth as we reflect upon how far we’ve come with God (Wisdom).

Relatively contented we can be, and God affords us this satisfaction; our

faith is vindicated.

Ushering Forth the Golden Rule in Proverbs 3:27-32

These verses may all be summed up in the Golden Rule of Matthew

7:12a (NRSV): “In everything do to others as you would have them do

to you.”

This is the premise of the Christian message. Negatively set then, verses

27-32 pack in no fewer than five “do not’s” to help us understand

behaviours God has cursed from the beginning.

These involve the greed of retaining that which we could otherwise

give, deceiving people unsuspectingly, arguing without reason, and


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envying the callous. These are sins against others and against God too.

The “do not” pattern here foreshadows a pattern that returns in the

Sayings of the Wise (Proverbs 22:17 – 24:22) where half of the thirty

sayings start with “Do not”.

What this section is saying is, don’t abuse the trust and respect of

others, implied or otherwise. We do all we can to live at harmony with

all people and situations so far as it depends on us (Romans 12:15, 18).

The Crescendo

Not unlike the previous chapters, the last three verses solidify the

foregoing; contrasting life’s likely outcomes for those going with

Wisdom as opposed to those who don’t. In the words of The Message

the wise will receive honour whilst the wicked foolish will gain only the

“booby prize”.


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Proverbs 4 – Get Wisdom, Get

Understanding!

“Get wisdom; get insight: do not forget, nor turn away

from the words of my mouth.”


The direction and repetitiveness of Proverbs is getting continually

strained by the time we reach chapter 4 of Proverbs. The message is

unadorned. We are literally to go after and get wisdom and

understanding. Realistically, it’s only the earnest who’ll ever achieve this

lasting sense of the love for Wisdom.

The Parents’ Ongoing Imperative

As with all our loving parents this parent is not losing a single

opportunity to force home the message of wisdom in the mind and

heart of the young one being counselled.

No doubt, at some time, we’ve all needed this repetitive style of

teaching for the lesson to be learnt.


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There are warnings not to forsake this cherished-down-the-generations

teaching. In Jewish tradition it was passed per the oral tradition way

with each succeeding generation. Should even one generation not obey

this proven method for guaranteeing the safety of their spiritual

genome, disaster could’ve hit the nation of Israel. Imagine all that

moral virtue of the ancients finished in one or two foolish generations.

The language is therefore understandably desperate through verses 4c-9:

“keep my commandments, and live... get wisdom, get insight... do not

forget, nor turn away... Do not forsake her, and she will keep you; love

her, and she will guard you... The beginning of wisdom is this: Get

wisdom, and whatever else you get, get insight... Prize her highly” and

so on.

Life’s Most Important and Only Real Prize

If we choose to boil life down to only one thing, Proverbs’ parent is

saying Wisdom is all there is—the be all and end all of life itself.

GET IT!

DON’T MESS AROUND WASTING YOUR TIME.


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JUST GET IT!

Many might ask, then, from the practical viewpoint, “Just how do we

set about ‘getting’ this thing called Wisdom?”

The answer is simple, the more we focus on one thing to the exclusion

of all others, the more we travel closer to it, and our understanding of it.

Then, on arrival, we’ll find that Wisdom is the pursuit and acquisition

for every good thing; it’s bundled neatly under one easy to understand

and harmonious frame.

From This One Thing – Wisdom – Leads All Good Things

If we get Wisdom we get everything worthy in life. It really is that

simple; we have the tools to self-select the things of life. Discerning

God’s will becomes easier as new seasons of growth in Wisdom

continue to emerge like a blossoming flower.

Priority One: Wisdom.

Finding Wisdom really is a full priority situation calling all our lives

there.


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Proverbs 4:10-19 – Run From Those Bent

On Evil

“Do not enter the path of the wicked,

and do not walk in the way of evildoers.”


Seesawing through the book of Proverbs we come to another call to

detect the presence of wickedness and hence run from it. Proverbs

4:10-19 provides salient reasons to go Wisdom’s way.

This section of ten proverbs has a positive (4) – negative (4) – positive

(1) – negative (1) structure. It’s much like we’d see in a courtroom, with

the defence and the prosecution battling with each other during cross

examination. Each side has its opportunities on the stand and to cross-

examine. Nothing, it seems, is left to chance.

Temptation Comes ‘Facilitated’ via the Form of Deceptive People

People travelling the wrong track in life have a certain consistency

regarding a lack of care about them; and if they don’t care for


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themselves, they’ll care even less—if that’s possible—for us or other

innocent bystanders.

Wickedness and violence (verse 17) is the lot of those who we’re blessed

to see a mile off as they’re coming our way, and then to studiously avoid

even the barest confrontation. They want our blood. And we do not

want to go there.

There’s a propensity for evil within some people. This is like an

addiction. It can be temporarily relieved, but it will rise again. The

addict to wickedness is only on their ‘high’ for so long before the

cantankerous agent of Satan returns.

The Path of the Righteous

The very best thing about Wisdom is its multiplicity. It may start dimly,

but it will shine brighter with each coming minute (verse 18). From

sight to sound, it is an irrepressible voice that will speak louder as we

give it room to grow within us.

Wisdom is health, and long life (verses 10, 12) and every good way. The

path of the righteous is straight, yet narrow. Blessed are they who keep


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to it, for righteousness is not how we’re personally characterised; it is

rather the way we choose that characterises us.

There’s no better way of living the wisdom-life than foreseeing the bad,

evil and wicked things and giving them a wide berth.


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Proverbs 4:20-27 – Centring On the God-

Heart-Path

“More than all else you guard, watch your heart, for out of it, the

surges of life.”

~Proverbs 4:23 (Murphy)

This really is the nitty gritty of Wisdom’s gospel—the very heart of the

matter is the human heart. It’s the seat of the intentions and the source

of all our motives.

The heart can be morally or virtuously strong or weak, but we’re only

one or the other primarily via how much wisdom we tip in and draw

upon. Wisdom is therefore a moral imperative, not the ‘knowledgeable

intelligence’ that the world thinks it is.

Life – Real Life

Paraphrasing the intent of The Message’s verse 22 we find those who set

their hearts on Wisdom, seeking her with all their mind, soul, spirit and

strength, will be blessed in the incremental acquisition of the priceless

gift of God. They will truly live.


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These will bring meaning to verse 23 in the living of their lives,

understanding that the heart is salacious, no matter how far we progress

in the faith. Oh how we can never escape this fear of the LORD as the

way forward, to live! This is the reminder of the nature of life; we must

continually walk affirmatively in the Light to ward against the

encroaching darkness.

The straight path of God is healing.

Staying Straight on That Ancient Path

Jeremiah 6:16 talks about the ancient path of God—which is

presumably the way of Wisdom—as rest for our souls; that our souls

are designed to both need and pine after.

Wrangling with peace is the lot for each of us, yet there be one trillion

ways of attempting same. It’s a pity that there are miniscule ways to

follow the LORD amongst the countless counterfeits; those promising

much blessing but get us to Sheol instead.

As verse 27 implores, if we wish to live Wisdom’s way we daren’t shift

to the right or to the left of this ancient groove of God—the righteous,

just and fair way. The ancient path is a narrow way, one that’s too easy


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to miss (Matthew 7:13-14). Yet, it won’t be missed if we’re morally

adroit in Wisdom.

We must focus on these ancient words, ruminating for meaning,

edification, reflection and purpose for the ongoing living of life on the

straight-hearted path.


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Proverbs 5 – Plea for Sexual Purity

“Drink from your own cistern,

flowing water from your own well.”


Purity is realistically our biggest personal threat to the life of holiness.

We are by nature impure. Once we’re cleansed by the blood of Jesus,

it’s the continuously intermittent dilution of our newfound purity

acquired in his name by the New Covenant written in his blood. We

cannot remove the sin entirely from the sinner.

Proverbs chapter 5 is one constant exhortation to ward against the

“loose woman,” or appositely for females, the deceptively charismatic

man. The “lips” of both “drip honey” and there’s a dichotomy to

experience here. Ironically, they’re as “bitter as wormwood” (verses 3-

4) as an outcome of our interaction with them.

The Gender Inclusiveness of the ‘Sex Trade’

Although Proverbs 5 is written in a gender exclusive way, it’s not hard

to recognise the reverse, allowing welcome inclusivity. It matters little


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whether men are the victims of trickery or the perpetrators, because

they’re innately driven, as a generalisation.

It’s easy to see that if one gender is intrinsically motivated by something,

in this case sex, the other gender’s compulsion to satisfy it will create

supply and demand for both genders. Neither men nor woman can

extricate themselves from this insidious tension. It’s how we, by our

natures, work.

The Deceit Behind the Loose Woman or Deceptively Charismatic

Man

Anyone who acts deceptively for the ends of sex is generally playing a

power game, and one bent on evil.

And this brings about more urgent warnings from the parent to the

adolescent child. If the child’s given to any sense of naivety there is the

distinct chance they’ll fall for the trap, such is the flightiness and allure

of the deceit. Even the shrewdest of people need to be on high guard.


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The ‘Waters’ of Love

The passage in verses 15-18 provides rich imagery for the young man

who’s aware of the nature of his orgasm—the ejaculation. “Should [his]

springs be scattered abroad, streams of water in the streets?” (Verse 16)

It’s a rhetorical question; the allusion is for those seminal fluids not to

be shared beyond appropriate borders. Any man doing this risks death.

His “fountain” (verse 18) is to be shared only with his wife. She alone

should be privy to it; and hers only to him.

Lust is also in sight (verse 20) and we should know that God sees all

(verse 21).

Death Awaits Those Going into Sexual Sin

Over the course of this and the next two chapters—and also sprinkled

throughout the whole book of Proverbs—there is a high hearing and

coarse admonition for those who stray sexually.

This surely is tantamount to the worst of folly. Yet still there are those

risking life and years of good investment in Wisdom for a fling and a

fleeting jettison of cares.


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“They die for lack of discipline,

and because of their great folly they are lost.”



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Proverbs 6:1-19 – Be Diligent and Watch for

Deviants

“So do this, my child, and save yourself, for you have come into your

neighbor’s power: go, hurry, and plead with your neighbor.”


Proverbs’ imagery to date has been faultless, and chapter 6 does little to

divert from that relentless path. This chapter features several themes,

perhaps calling attention to the scatter-gun pattern that continues

through Proverbs 10 and thereafter.

This initial section (verses 1-19) focuses on four clear themes.

Escaping the Fowler’s Snare

The first verses concern the imperative to respond with care and speed

regarding finances, oaths and conflicts left undone and exposed.

This is genuinely about living the good fear of the LORD; if we don’t

respond to the perceived everyday dangers of living life in company we


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stand to be entangled in consequences that will need to be remitted;

those without quick reconciliation.

Life usually affords us many chances to set our affairs in order. If we

languish in a less diligent fashion we’ll only have ourselves to blame,

calling us back to the consequences of Proverbs 1:20-33.

Enter the Sluggard! – With Typical Indolence

The foregoing is the ideal precursor for the Sluggard to enter the fray;

however, slothfully is how he or she comes in, no matter the danger! The

Sluggard is as key a character in Proverbs as Woman Wisdom. He

makes several important cameos throughout the rest of the book, and

these are purposed to warn us against going his way.

The ant is the perfect contrast to the Sluggard. The ant has no master

yet is fully motivated to achieve its tasks, on time and on budget—every

time. The ant is always working, and always preparing the way during

any out-of-season downtime.

The Sluggard sleeps... a lot! Too much. Sleep is the image for not only

sleeping-in and lazing about on the sofa. It’s also a metaphor for a

sleepy attitude and approach to life. The Sluggard is destined for a


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particular strain of folly. One important facet of Wisdom, then, is the

heart drive; the resilience to be diligent and to rebound diligently.

Scoundrels and Villains

Two more fools with immoral intent—wrapped at times in one body—

come through the door next. They take the trade of deceit to the level

of the pathological. Little does this fool realise, however, that

everything he or she does is in full view of God—they’ll repay for their

misdeeds with disaster; and it’ll come without remedy (verse 15).

Many Things Does the LORD Despise

The meaning of verse 16—“six things the LORD hates, seven things that

are detestable to him”—is simple hyperbole. The list seems to grow the

moment it’s considered. Imagine how many more things could be

added to this list with a bit more thought. Simply put, the LORD

despises all sin (but importantly, never the sinner).

The general theme, however, is not about this but the deceitful heart, as

in, “haughty eyes, a lying tongue and hands that shed innocent blood”

(verse 17). Body parts complete the analysis via hearts devising

wickedness and feet sprinting to evil. This is clearly a person who has


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no regard for that triad of virtue introduced in chapters 1 and 2—

righteousness, justice and fairness.

Summary

It’s clear that Proverbs 6:1-20 takes a different tack to the previous five

chapters. Apart from verses 1-5, it departs temporarily from the

personalised parental advice and takes on a pattern we see much of

from Proverbs 10 onwards.

The person with morality problems can be seen in this section as lazy,

dishonest (verse 19), discordant, devious and stubbornly irresponsible;

they’re not quick to heed the warnings of life and are destined to learn

slowly if at all.

In sum, it describes times when we’ve gone those ways—and we all

have and are continually tempted to do so. We can all, perhaps, locate

these reactions within ourselves and the inferiority of our hearts at

certain times in our pasts.

Proverbs 6 calls us, today, to be diligent and to guard against deviancy.


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Proverbs 6:20-35 – Summons to Marital

Fidelity

“Can fire be carried in the bosom

without burning one’s clothes?”


Scarcely has one single person—male or female—who’s in a marital

relationship, or in the position to contemplate same, not considered

what it would be like to have an affair, leave a marriage or take up a

different life. The thought is common place for all.

Continuing the theme initiated in the previous chapter is the

repetitiveness known to the Proverbs’ Wisdom approach. Indeed, this

theme will continue into Proverbs 7 and it’ll occasionally recur

throughout the book. Clearly we’re slow learners, and particularly with

such important issues as these nothing’s to be left to chance!


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The Lust of the Eye – Our Snare

One of the ever present dangers of enjoying relationships with others is

the fleeting attractions that capture our attention. How else are most of

us to come close enough for sexual temptation?

We’ll generally know the person who we’re perhaps to become later

‘entangled’ with.

Even though Proverbs 6:20-35 centres on ‘the prostitute’ it’s clear that

when two people accede to the want of a fling or an ongoing affair that

both ‘prostitute’ themselves away from the partners of their youth

(Proverbs 5:18); those they’ve chosen for life.

After all, one has given cause for affection and the other’s given way to

it.

Neither person recognises the inherent danger and consummate folly of

such activity; even if they do, they choose blindness for a fleeting

tremor of ecstasy. But, oh how hearts will burn for this ‘little’

misdemeanour! Both, and indeed others, will be burned. The aggrieved

partner(s) will not be assuaged; their anger will revile the situation

(verses 34-35).


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If only those who were party to the infidelity knew how these

interactions would turn out!

Going Beneath the Deed of Infidelity

Often times our hearts hinder our progress; beneath our awareness they

devise schemes that would quake us, let alone the partner or anyone else

who knew our thoughts.

The heart belongs to the mind as the mind belongs to the heart. Both

reinforce what’s seen in the attraction. But in these we’re persuaded

and broken down over time. Suddenly what was once mere suggestion

has grown with our imaginations and now before us stands the

opportunity we perhaps dreamt of.

This is as insidious as it is inflammatory. No wonder we’re chided to

guard our hearts (Proverbs 4:23) and renew our minds (Romans 12:2)!

Two Varieties of Sin

Condemned not is the person who steals bread to feed their family—

yet, they’ll pay sevenfold, even to bankruptcy (verses 30-31).


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Still again lower, on a completely different scale, is the pathological sin

of serious contemplation and wilful disobedience to the laws of life.

Not only has the sin been pre-meditated it was flaunted in full view of

the birds (Proverbs 1:17). It invites destruction (verse 32).

Neither sin will go unpunished, but the latter one will also attract

condemnation. Only the LORD can forgive this of a person; and only

then with genuine repentance—which is often more than people are

willing to pay.


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Proverbs 7 – Avoiding the Pain of Folly

“... keep my commandments and live, keep my teachings as the apple

of your eye; bind them on your fingers, write them on the tablet of your

heart.”


Even though the core of the message in Proverbs chapters 5–7 finds its

source in temptations to sexual infidelity there is a broader lesson, one

we’re scarcely benefited in missing.

We’re seduced to many things in life more than merely those of the sexual

nature.

However, the imagery of being swept off into the glistening myrrh-filled

bedroom of the seductress is perfectly adequate for all issuances of

temptation. Seduction is the central idea.

“Lead Us Not Into Temptation...”

There is no coincidence in Jesus modelling this principle in his Lord’s

Prayer.


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Proverbs 7 profiles the seduction of a young man allured into the

clutches of the “adulteress,” and even though he’s kissed and is

promised much he’s led like an ox off to slaughter (verse 22). The

imagery of the young man’s fate due to his one decision, to go with her,

is compelling; destruction is soon to be his.

The parent’s “commandments,” stored for life, will ward the young man

against this temptation. He is taught to detect and run, not hesitating

for a second. (Of course, there similar issues here for young females

and I wrote an article to that end called, Keeping Girls Safe in a Twisted

World – Thoughts for Parents.)

Essentially, the parent is invoking this part of the Lord’s Prayer over

their child, requesting that they actually live it out. Wherever

temptation exists we’re to discern its presence and quickly run the other

way whilst warning those in our path of the impending danger.

Eye Witness Warning

It’s most interesting that this time the parent’s warning is an eye witness

account of just how easily and routinely the young man finds his way

following the Seductress to her chamber.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Keeping-Girls-Safe-in-a-Twisted-World---Thoughts-for-Parents&id=924985

http://ezinearticles.com/?Keeping-Girls-Safe-in-a-Twisted-World---Thoughts-for-Parents&id=924985


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The power of the eye witness account is undeniable; it makes for salient

imagery in the telling of the story.

Broad Scale Deceit – We All Fall – Then We Must Pick Ourselves

Up

The innate deceptiveness of the adulteress’s wisdom mixed with the

young man’s lust and naivety sees the whole thing go down written in

the language of blood—his blood.

The warning is basic, for there are truly many temptations in this life.

Think of drugs, gambling, success, or any number of substitutes. The

Tempter is suggestive and allures us to a demise we don’t see until it’s

often too late. The allure is all too mystifying.

We’ve all been there. Deceit to gain is laid before us, just as the lust of

our desires is tempted to be met. Rarely, if ever, however, are

erroneous desires satisfied, and certainly not via the Tempter.

The most fundamental shift here is our move away from the things of

God, for the Tempter will have achieved the evil objective of diluting

our cause, getting us running away from God, as well as snaring us

beyond hope. It is folly to do this, just as folly takes us there.


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Instead:

“Say to wisdom, ‘You are my sister,’

and call insight your intimate friend.”


These alone will keep us from the Seductress in any form she chooses

to deceive us.


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Proverbs 8:1-21 – Wisdom Speaks of God’s

Gift

“Does not wisdom call,

and does not understanding raise her voice?”


As Christians we’re apt to think of the greatest gift of God is the re-

birth in Christ. But perhaps God’s greatest, more fundamental gift is

the thing that underpins salvation—(being that) Jesus is Wisdom, as is

the Godhead.

We find it strange to conjure thought of something coming from where

Wisdom comes from; always there, eternally. As God was, is and is to

come... so was, is and will be, Wisdom.

Personification – “Wisdom”

One thing we need to continue to recognise within Proverbs is how

Wisdom is personified as a woman, and is hence capitalised: Wisdom.


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There are important reasons for this—besides the choice of gender—

for Wisdom becomes more real to us, like God, when it’s known as a

person would be known, with the possibility to attach to it human

qualities for our further comprehension. This enriches the character of

Wisdom for us.

Reminiscences of Proverbs 1:20-33

Wisdom makes another speech here, calling out to all, including the

simple, and the foolish—to all.

We are hearing Wisdom speak perhaps, as the case would have it, with a

sense of déjà vu. There is an echo of sense that fills our minds; we’ve

heard this before. Of course, there’s good reason for this. We all need

messages from Wisdom to ring continually through our minds, filtering

in and through our consciousness such that we might grow beyond

staying fixed in our plateaus of spiritual convenience.

Wisdom Calling – Proverbs 8:1-11

The truth is God’s calling to us in nothing more certainly than through

Wisdom; the agency of life, the LORD cloaked in the manifestation of

life, cause and effect, virtue, righteousness, justice and fairness.


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Wisdom calls to the whole of God’s creation, to humankind in its

totality.

It commands us to listen, for we’re quick to run the way away from

Wisdom in our transitory folly. Jesus called it Wisdom, that thing that

would be known wise of its children i.e. what comes after (Matthew

11:19). This is the adjudication of both wisdom and folly—how things

turn out. Wisdom is calling us to good things as they will turn out and

end up, via a process that is also blessed in love, good sense and truth.

The Character of Wisdom – How She is Known

Verses 12-21 tell us a lot of what Wisdom actually looks like, how she

interacts and what she values.

Wisdom dwells in and possesses characteristics such as prudence,

knowledge and discretion. These are sharply against pride, arrogance

and perverted speech. They embrace the much-cherished fear of the

LORD (Proverbs 1:7).

She is the modus operandi of kings, rulers and nobles—they rule

righteously with Wisdom. Anything less is a blight on a godless

leadership which rules over a cursed people. A sovereign power


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purposed in the vestiges of Wisdom knows the value of wisdom is of

more worth than all the world’s silver and gold.

Personal Benefits

Most applicably, Wisdom blesses the person who loves her, endowing

them with much wealth that money cannot buy, filling their treasuries

(verse 21).


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Proverbs 8:22-36 – Wisdom’s Self-Portrait

and Finding Life

“The LORD created me at the beginning of his work, the first of his

acts of long ago.”


Proverbs chapter 8 is the jewel in the crown of Proverbs’ Wisdom. We

could not get thirty-six more insightful verses of Scripture in one

delineated section regarding the character of Wisdom.

Here Wisdom’s case is made all the more compelling due to the place

she holds with God. Not before God, but there from the beginning she

has been.

In the Beginning

Without getting overly analytical, it’s safe to say that Wisdom was there

even before creation. She was the first of the LORD’s works.


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Verses 22-31 take us faithfully back to the creation accounts of Genesis

1 and 2 and suggest, “There was I [Wisdom],” an eye witness to the

splendour of that Divine set of feats.

Now that the credibility of Wisdom is firmly established we can safely

go on and venture with her into the meaning of verses 32-36: the

penultimate speech of Wisdom in Proverbs’ introductory section.

Finding Life

Blessed, Proverbs says, is the person finding Wisdom:

“For whoever finds me finds life

and obtains favor from the LORD...”


This verse is remarkably similar to a later proverb (18:22), for finding

Wisdom is like finding a good partner—a faithful wife for an honest

man, but no less the other way around.

Finding life is about establishing a life that works.


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How can ‘finding life’ end up being a life that doesn’t work—that

doesn’t truthfully serve us as much as we serve it?

No, God has more in mind for us, and Wisdom is the way. As we wait

daily at God’s gate, watching beside his door, we listen to the nuances

of Wisdom as they eek their way out. Wisdom is peace for us and every

good way.

Wisdom and Truth

Finally, Wisdom is most abundantly about finding the truth. Indeed,

Wisdom and truth should not be seen as separates but as twin siblings,

in allegiance for each other in highly complementary ways.

Truth sets aside the right way with a real sense of decisiveness. Truth

and Wisdom, then, collude to fuel assertiveness via faith, so that the

power of the Spirit is made known in us, and through us by our acts and

interactions.

This could otherwise be called a meld of competence and confidence:

pure dynamism.


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Proverbs 9 – Two Very Contrastive “Feasts”

“Come, eat my bread

and drink the wine I have mixed.

Lay aside immaturity, and live,

and walk in the way of insight.”


This chapter can be seen as a logical end point to the introduction of

Proverbs. Both Woman Wisdom (verses 1-6) and Woman Folly (verses

13-18) are given their last positions on the stand, beseeching in their

own ways for the allegiance of the listening public. In between these

two speeches lays some general maxims that seem awkwardly

complementary.

Wisdom’s Speech

As the first four verses of Proverbs 9 are read we get the distinct

impression that Wisdom has prepared herself for us and for our

presence with her. Much thought and planning has gone into the feast

she has laid out before us.


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Wisdom in real life is just the same. It’s doesn’t fail to run the distance.

It’s known to be appropriately attired for the time and circumstance it

attends itself to—which is the ever present moment.

And though Wisdom calls out to the “simple” and those “without

sense” she, in fact, calls to us all—every last one of us. Not that we

should be insulted with the use of tribal language. The fact remains,

those choosing to go Wisdom’s way, and not Folly’s, will have acceded

to Wisdom—they know they have room to mature.

They know the process of maturation will not complete itself until the

final day.

Folly’s Speech

Now, let’s hear with an impartial ear what Folly has to say. It’s with

godly humility that we take everything on face value; but with a prayer

for Wisdom to hear clearly.

So, as we ready ourselves we’re then shocked and appalled as soon as

she opens her vile mouth. She is “loud... ignorant and knows nothing”

(verse 13).


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This woman is the true essence of poverty in every meaningful sense.

She’s too intent on minding others people’s business for them. She’s

taken the easy way out and she’s bent on tantalising wannabes into her

‘palace of destruction’. Be aware whoever does go there reaps

destruction.

The General Maxims – Proverbs 9:7-12

The placement, arrangement and location of these proverbs have

bewildered many. They do not seem to fit between two heavily

contrastive speeches.

Perhaps this section of Proverbs fulfils is an echo to Wisdom’s depth—

knowing now the inherent shallowness of Folly.

These six proverbs cooperate to form a pungent warning to those

looking each way; to Wisdom and then to Folly. This is the jury

weighing the consequences of each choice.


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The End Reminds Us of the Beginning

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,

and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.”


Just as we commenced proceedings in the Prologue (Proverbs 1:1-7),

which called attention to the fear of the LORD, so we finish the

introduction to Proverbs.

There is no wiser investment in life than to install the right-sized fear of

the LORD in and through us. Staged as a feast, Wisdom is fulfilling and

generous, fuelling us for life. Let the feasting begin and ever continue!


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Proverbs 10:1-14 – Dates with Honesty

“Whoever walks in integrity walks securely,

but whoever follows perverse ways will be found out.”


The commencement of the Wise Sayings of Solomon doesn’t depart really

one iota in theme from the foregoing but the structure shifts markedly.

What mark the first fourteen verses of Proverbs 10 are the themes of

honesty and the straightforwardness of plain, unadulterated virtue.

Placed in terms of contrastive proverbs showing a juxtaposed “but,”

these initial proverbs clarify all we need to know about life.

Life is best lived plainly without reprise to ‘the common complication’.

This common complication is the lie, which we’re all (more of less)

routinely apt at plying.


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Fifty-Nine or Fewer

Bill Hybels states in his book, Making Life Work: Putting God’s Wisdom

into Action, that characteristically every sixtieth thing we say is a lie.

Every conversation we have puts us one closer to that lie—statistics say.

This lends great credibility to the proverb:

“The more talk, the less truth;

the wise measure their words.”

~Proverbs 10:19 (Msg)

It matters little whether our dishonesty comes in the form of the spoken

word or via the compilation of our acts—deeds promised but not kept,

or done surreptitiously—however, one obvious way we’re dishonest is

via the way we use our tongues, for the tongue is merely the hands and

feet of the heart. We do best to recognise that we have the propensity

to speak non-truth with our (many) words.

Peace is Found in the Commitment to Honesty and Truth

Decisiveness is peace, as is the commitment to broach only what we

see, and not acting on innuendo or assumptions.


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Making decisions only in the presence of fact—as far as that’s

achievable—is a sure-fire method for gaining and retaining our much

sought-after wellbeing. This is done through congruence of heart and

mind; freeing the mind from having to deal with the dissonance that

always comes from betraying the truth (for those without a seared

conscience).

Further Benefits of the Wisdom in Honesty

Charting the gauge, then, of the blessings accorded to the honest person

is we find they hold for themselves a worthy reputation where their

credibility is never in question for long (verse 7). They leave a lasting

legacy. Their lips contain not only knowledge, but trustworthy knowledge

(verse 13).

The purveyor of truth is contained within God’s provision—they toil

honestly, earning their keep (verses 3-5). They’ve satisfied their parents

and have vindicated the parent’s faith, and do not cause their parents

ongoing excessive grief (verse 1). They have a conscience for these

things. Finally, the honest person is teachable, sincere as they are about

what they know and don’t know (verse 8).


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With learning new things comes Wisdom.

Consequences Both for the Honest and Deceitful

The distinct comparison between these two leaves us under no false

impression.

The honest will be blessed with safety, provision, blessing and further

trust. The deceitful will receive grief themselves for the grief they inflict

upon others.


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Proverbs 10:15-21 – A Free Life is a

Disciplined Life

“Whoever heeds instruction is on the path to life, but one who rejects a

rebuke goes astray.”


The middle section (verse 15-21) of Proverbs 10 speaks of the Wisdom

of containing things within the golden realm of humility. But whilst

we’re musing on such conservative things, this is not suggesting we be

conservative in the breadth of our thought.

A Good Job Well Done

So-called ‘good’ people are into good things; it’s the essence of meaning

to everything they do. They accept the price tag for progress, and are

not insulted by the admonition of superiors. They may even thrive—

some might say, eccentrically so—on such disciplinary action. But they

know the immediacy of pain warrants a good (better) place in the end.


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Disciplined Speech

Patience is the golden insignia of the disciplined. They are inclined to

wait on the good word as well as deliberate over things in the balance

too.

But we can know that whatever is said by the disciplined will be like

treacle down the throat; it won’t stick there for want of clean water to

flush it down. Such speech is palatable and seasoned with salt. It’s

been worth waiting for; it’s the reply of the tongue.

A Calm Spirit

The essence of humility follows the self-disciplined person. Life can

teach them some very cruel lessons and instead of rebelling against

something that can never be beaten, this person has decided to become

a student of diligence in this existence we know as life.

How many of us genuinely grow when the times are rich and blessing

comes ever-abundantly to us?

No, it’s most recognised that, of the three ways the spirit goes, only one

leads to a path few take. This path is calming to the spirit, as it


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amplifies a crystal-clear sense of quiet confidence of capacity, and that

for life, however chiding the journey is or was.

Condensed Life

The morally wise are a meal in themselves, much as we saw in Wisdom’s

speech in Proverbs 9:1-6. Go to a good conference or lecture and leave

not empty-handed; the notebook is full and there are many thoughts

and ideas buzzing about the mind. There its legacy will last for days,

weeks, or a lifetime in some cases.

Condensing the survey of such matters of the heart is easier for the self-

disciplined person, for throwing out the chaff is common trade, only

the precious wheat remaining.

The disciplined life of mining knowledge and squaring away instruction

for coming seasons is a graft worthy of man or woman intent on life,

and that of Jesus-abundance (John 10:10b).


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Proverbs 10:22-32 – Wisdom to Expand Our

Lives

“The blessing of the LORD makes rich,

and he adds no sorrow with it.”


Special theses call for broad minds. The commonplace ‘fear of the

LORD’—commonplace in biblical circles—is perhaps the most

misunderstood of all concepts in the Divine realm. This fear of the

LORD does not limit us and our opportunities; instead it expands them.

Our territories are broadened when we impact our worlds with God’s

wisdom (1 Chronicles 4:10, the Jabez prayer).

Could it be that the broadness of our territories might also be speaking

about the length of life, or more accurately, how much value we might

pack into our lives?


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One Meaning of Long Life

‘Long life’ in Proverbs can be taken several ways. Notionally it means a

long physical life, which is something the ancients wouldn’t have taken

for granted as much as we may do.

Quality of life is a theme that can fit marvellously into the standing of a

‘long life’. A.W. Tozer was quoted as saying that he never worried

about the breadth of his ministry—he knew that if he worked tirelessly

on the depth of his ministry, and ardently developed his devotion to the

Lord—the Lord would add its breadth.

The same principle holds for us. The more we focus on doing well at

the process-end of things, by focusing on the doing, and less on

outcomes and what we’re getting or not getting, the more Wisdom will

unite with us to produce blessings beyond our earlier comprehension.

Means and Ends

Proverbs 10:22-32 talks a lot about life and the means to life that ends

well or not-so-well. As a means to an end, those following Wisdom

find a stronghold in God (verse 29) and have a glad hope as they ply


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their way in life (verse 28). Their way is assured and they won’t be cut

off like the one speaking perversely (verse 31).

A life with no added sorrow, as commended earlier, is not a life

protected from grief—for grief comes into all our lives, and it is

impossible to tell who will suffer grief, when, or why. The point is the

person after Wisdom is not causing any (or much) of their own grief.

There is little or no additional grief.

The means to promotion at work is generally via doing our jobs well

and adding to it the diligence, initiative and will to learn higher level

tasks. The diligent will also keep their jobs, as long as their employer

needs them, and progress is possible from wherever the industrious are

at. But, generally speaking, the lazy are living on borrowed time in the

employment stakes (verse 26).

The main point, however, is the more we focus on pleasing God,

despite the world, the more our boundaries will expand over the longer

term.


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Proverbs 11 – Direction to God and for Life

“With their mouths the godless would destroy their neighbors,

but by knowledge the righteous are delivered.”


As the contrastive proverbs continue on from Proverbs 10, there’s a

sense of the wonder in Proverbs’ imagery coming to life again. Gold

rings in pigs ears (verse 22), the tree of life (verse 30), and weighing

scales (verse 1) season Proverbs 11 nicely.

Integrity’s a Must

Woven through Proverbs is the idea of integrity, and in the case of latter

Proverbs 10 and all of chapter 11, the subject of righteousness.

Righteousness at some points gets a bad report simply because many

people perceive it as ‘self-righteous’ which is pride run awry. Instead,

these proverbs provide a picture of the character of true righteousness,

which is the humility of integrity within the interactions of life.


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This is one of the beauties of the contrastive proverb—it shows us both

positive and negative consequences for our actions.

Direction for the Path to Life

“Without good direction, people lose their way;

the more wise counsel you follow, the better your chances.”


Most find the path to life and to God through obscure and even oblique

means. It’s no straightforward adventure, this thing called life. In

theory it is, but it’s easier studied than lived out.

The way life is it’s pointing us to God.

One means for us to know God’s will and way for ourselves, within our

own affairs, is to have the integrity of humility to rely on trusted others

for their input as it pertains to our lives.

The diligent seeker is seeking not the approval of others, but

confirmation that their plans and actions are favoured (verse 27).

Looking for confirmation of the good way delivered is not the same as

seeking approval.


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Reaching the Spiritual Precipice

When we consider that the way to a rightful spirituality is via the avenue

of others, and how our interactions with others (and with God) are

contending in parallel with our personal journey, we’re at last motivated

to invest freely in each of our interactions. This is acknowledging that

resentment gets us nowhere.

We see here that integrity, righteousness and humility are only tested in

the midst of our relationships with others and the turning of life’s

wheel. Tough as that is at times, it’s often true.


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Proverbs 12 – Speaking Truth is Freedom

“Anxiety weighs down the human heart,

but a good word cheers it up.”


The giving and taking of advice, honest speech, diligence, blessings for

truth and curses for falsehood, all come together under the banner of

learning for living in integrity and freedom in Proverbs 12. It can be

hard to find themes out of such an apparent disparate mix of proverbs,

but these groupings are visible:

On Taking and Giving Advice

Those in search of Wisdom in life and the right way will listen to advice

(verse 15). They don’t mind learning the hard way even though it’s

sometimes humiliating, for they see that learning is a second chance at

success (verse 1). Unlike the wicked, the righteous are just in giving the

appropriate advice (verse 5). Their thoughts can be trusted for they

know they’re bound by an unspoken code of responsible care.


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How are we supposed to learn how to live life if we don’t take good

advice? Likewise, when we are finally in a position to give advice it’s a

weighty responsibility that we must not take flippantly. After all, who

really wants to lead people astray?

Honesty in Speech

Verses 6 and 13 tell us that the words of the wicked will ambush them,

but the words of those trying to live uprightly will deliver the speaker

from trouble. Our honesty will save us, for we’re never condemned for

being truthful about things.

When people are asked by authority figures what they know about

events of interest, we can quickly tell those who are going the right way.

Verse 17 states it in an obvious fashion. It doesn’t pay to lie in court, in

any sort of legal dispute or any time that the truth is being relied upon

punitively. Truthful lips won’t be betrayed like lying lips (verse 19).

God hates the latter, but delights in the former (verse 22).

We all know that on occasions when we have lied, our consciences

condemned us. If they didn’t, it wouldn’t be long before we would be

revealed as liars!


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Diligence Pays in Big Ways

There are at least three proverbs in this set that speak to one of the

great refrains of Proverbs: diligence. Verse 11 tells us how those making

the most of their opportunities will have plenty to eat. The diligent, we

learn, are destined to rule in some way, whilst the lazy will always be the

underling (verse 24). Further, the diligent value their possessions, and

make the most of them (verse 26).

Blessing and Cursing

As with the majority of the proverbs in chapters 10–15 the contrastive

quality (characterised by the use of the word “but”) makes it easier to

see both blessing and cursing in the same proverb.

Those with integrity are assured of a sound position in life—on ground

that doesn’t easily move, that’s good to trust (verses 3 and 7). Simple

blessings accepted are good for life; the pretentious life is folly (verse 9).

The fruit of those on the right path is multiplied (verse 12), and there’s

no harm for these, but trouble follows those who are off track (verse

21).


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Proverbs 13 – Walk As the Wise Walk

“Become wise by walking with the wise,

hang out with fools and watch your life fall to pieces.”


There are few patterns to be discerned from this chapter of Proverbs,

unlike those we’ve covered previously; with Proverbs 13 we begin to

plunge through uncharted waters as we breach the ocean of antithetical

wisdom.

These seem to be a smattering of all the various themes of the Wisdom

of Solomon.

Verse by Verse Themes

Verse 1 speaks like first verses often do; indeed chapter 12 features an

almost identical proverb: the wise love discipline.

Mouths, speech and eating dominate the next three verses. It appears the

fruitfulness of our speech and the food we eat have much more in


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common than we could’ve previously connected. The appetite of the

diligent is satisfied.

Both the righteous and righteousness uphold each other in verses 5-6.

Those with integrity hate falsehood and integrity guards the upright.

Verses 7-8 call us home to the wealth that must serve us and not we it.

We cannot serve both God and money (Matthew 6:24). Those with

truly great wealth rarely have much materially. Material wealth has the

habit of attracting the worst situations and temptations known to life; it

can be a bane.

The lamp of those taking advice grows ever brighter (verses 9-10).

Diligence makes a return in verse 11. Those saving diligently will keep

their growing fortune.

One of the brightest proverbs in this set comes next:

“Hope deferred makes the heart sick,

but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.”



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A proverb like this stands out for those whose hope is in God. When

our hopes are in God, and solely in God (per Matthew 6:33) our desire

is fulfilled—God has become our tree of life.

Respect for the commandments of the LORD is blessed with handsome

reward (verse 13).

Linking perhaps with verse 12, the fourteenth portent hearkens us to

accept good teaching—which is a fountain of life—to avoid the snares

known to an ignorant life.

God will bless the faithful in verse 15, and they’re quick to adhere to life

intelligently (verse 16). The faithful envoy brings sound and reliable

news which can be trusted (verse 17).

Keeping to advice and good teaching in verse 18 resound with earlier

advice to caution us against ignoring trustworthy instruction.

As we learned in verse 12, verse 19 now concurs, we know that the soul

thrives when its true desire is realised. How foolish, then, to choose an

unsatisfiable desire.


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Wise companionship is crucial for the acquisition of Wisdom in the

foremost verse, profiled at top.

The wise have a wealth of Wisdom and this is prosperity for them in

verse 21. The rewards of the wise also extend beyond their lifetimes;

they leave a significant legacy (verse 22). While the wanton sinner

leaves nothing of note.

It’s unfortunate that sometimes injustice sweeps the poor from the land

they’ve tilled all their lives (verse 23). No one can understand how life

can be grossly unfair.

Loving parents discipline their children, but they don’t love them—as a

matter of acting—in their anger (verse 24).

Desires fulfilled or never satisfied return in verse 25. Those living with

integrity are happy.


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Proverbs 14 – Blessings for the Trustworthy

Witness

“The heart knows its own bitterness,

and no stranger shares its joy.”


The usual suspects combine again in this chapter: diligence,

exhortations to truth, approaches to wealth, and the role of advice.

Diligence is Abundance

The first four verses speak roundly about diligence and the benefits of

being morally upright in our approach to life. Quite plainly, there is

abundance in the affairs of one whom walks with an attentive gait.

Respect in both speech and their ways apportioned to God-faith are

people who are diligently-true and the authentically humble.

The Truthful Walk Straightly

Verses 5-9 have the straight thread of honesty woven through them,

punishing deceit. Not only does the foolish mocker look in the wrong


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places for Wisdom, their foolishness has blinded them to the truth

that’s easy to see if they were genuinely interested in finding it. This

sort of person is never a good mentor. The prudent, on the other hand,

always give honest thought to their ways.

Advice on Handling Wealth

Neighbours and wealth combine in verses 20-24. The nature of life is

folly because it generally has little regard for the neighbour. Wisdom,

however, is the constant consideration and respect of one’s neighbour.

But who is one’s neighbour? One example is how the wise, driven by

their loving compassion, always reach out to the needy. Compassion

converts to work, flipping us back to that continual ‘diligence’ refrain

known throughout Proverbs.

At several points this chapter initiates the discussion about our attitude

to the poor—for instance, verses 20 and 31. It also opens up a theme

that will recur into Proverbs chapters 20–31. This theme is one of

monarchy and nationhood, and verses 26-35 speak about the character

of kingdom, in particularly the role Wisdom has in the reign of a

monarchy.


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Of course, we should know that there are ‘monarchies’ everywhere in

life; not simply in palaces or as heads of nations.

Each Heart is Unique

The foremost proverb (verse 10) is intriguing because it stands out from

this collection, but pleasantly so. It speaks an obscure and rational

truth.

Bitterness and joy only one heart can know. For the next, there’s an

altogether different resonance to that same stimuli of both bitterness

and joy. No one can truly experience another person’s lot.


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Proverbs 15 – A Patient Tongue Is a Tree of

Life

“A soft answer turns away wrath,

but a harsh word stirs up anger.”


We know when we’ve upset someone that they can often seem intent

on upsetting us as much as they themselves are upset, not realising in

that moment that their “harsh word” will usually create an angry

response in us. There goes any hope of quelling the situation!

This is the final chapter of predominantly contrastive “but” proverbs;

chapter 16 and onwards features different styles of proverbs. It’s

almost as if Proverbs is gradually maturing in structure over the 31-

chapter journey, or leading the reader onto the maturity it hopes to

instil.

The themes of Proverbs 15 are grouped as follows:


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A Patient Tongue Prevents Anger and Promotes Life

The “tongue” is a keyword and undercurrent of this chapter, which is

concentrated in verses 1-4. Patience exacted in life brings life to others.

It’s a quality that features subsidiary virtue, like compassion. In other

words, patience is made manifest via compassion (kindness would be

another example).

Verses 23, 28 and 30 also illuminate the earlier portion. Timeliness of

reply, for example, is a discretionary feature of the discernment in

Wisdom, leading to joy for both the giver and the receiver of the reply.

‘Weighing our answers’ also signifies that we care enough to prudently

deliver (in patience) our communication.

Issues on anger (wrath) come up in verses 1, 13 and 18. The perfect

answer to anger is patience.

Wisdom – A Journey through Discipline

“Discipline” is mentioned in Proverbs 15 three times (verses 5, 10, 32)

but the idea underpins other proverbs too. The simple message is, we

cannot achieve a heart known to Wisdom until we go through various

disciplining experiences along that journey. It’s tough, but true. Only


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then is there “treasure” to be had, once we’ve acquired a good measure

of Wisdom (verse 6).

Discipline is a necessary goad. It’s training us in our ways, and those

toward life—the abundant life.

Allusions to ‘Living’ and ‘Dying’

There is a vacillation between a couplet of proverbs (verses 10 and 11)

that speak of death for those wandering from God’s ancient path—that

Wisdom alone commands the destiny of all. This extends even to the

deeper reaches of that place known as the Sheol experience—that

bringing spiritual death.

Barring Genesis and Revelation, the alluring “tree of life” image is only

known to Proverbs. Proverbs is perhaps the only one, however, that

provides us with a description of what the tree of life looks like. This

tree is not a tree at all—it’s pointing us back to Wisdom; Wisdom is the

tree of life.


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“Better with Little” Contrasts

Hearkening back to a variety of verses, including Psalm 37, we find a

couplet of proverbs (verses 16-17) which speak against covetousness.

These implore us to look beyond the things of the world and instead

gain the things of true spiritual significance—that are of true worth for

actual life, joy, peace and happiness.

The fact of the matter is, we all struggle with the conquest for

acquisition, and envy for things we don’t have or for those we would

rather not have. Wisdom tells us to guard our hearts against the

trespass of things other than God first and foremost. This is the

essential message for the spiritual life.

Family Affairs

Three proverbs discreetly raise family concerns (verses 5, 20 and 27).

They speak to the need of children (of all ages) to respect a parent’s

correction and thought. The good son or daughter will rarely

compromise faithfulness in terms of family.


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Family is a blood-bond reality, not easily broken; it’s one that issues

constant respect for elders. But, equally, elders should be respectable,

so younger ones can be free, in a devoted way, to respect them.

More on Advice

The final three proverbs (verses 31-33) refresh that ever-vibrant

message in Proverbs to take advice and be in receipt of wise counsel for

plans.

In Summary

The further we go into Proverbs the more we find the chapters—

structurally, at least—blossoming in maturity, presenting us with an

aged, seasoned and appropriately-divergent collection of truth

philosophies.

Like uncorking a bottle of fine wine, Proverbs 15 suggests the

remaining chapters will reveal even more subtle nuances about Wisdom

to us.


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Proverbs 16 – Motives Are Weighed by the

LORD

“The highway of the upright avoids evil;

those who guard their way preserve their lives.”


For a chapter of Proverbs that’s so divergent on the surface, there is a

smooth theme of Wisdom—God’s superintendent elect—overseeing all of

life, weighing intent, plans, decisions and responses, and responding in

kind.

Those ‘Plans of the Heart’

The first six proverbs consist of two triplets that reinforce that:

1) In verses 1-3 the LORD never relinquishes control over the course of

life—Wisdom reigns as God’s superintendent via the way life works.

Everything serves Wisdom, not the other way around. Our motives are

also tested and found pure or false often in the way life outcomes play

out.


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2) Verses 4-6 echo the sounds of God’s justice as not only are our

motives in sight, but God’s too are made known.

Kings, Royalty and Authority Figures – Divining Our Hearts

It’s fitting to find many allusions in this chapter to kings and royalty, for

not only is God discerning the motives of our hearts—and also those of

‘kings’—but the kings of life are discerning motives also, in God’s

name.

“Just who are these kings?” we may well ask. Basically anyone in an

authority role over us is in a ‘kingly’ position, whether it’s situational or

more permanent. This would include police, magistrates, our managers,

teachers, and lecturers.

The respect of service to truth and to be faithful to kings is no doubt

important. After all, what use is deceit before someone who knows the

deceit before it is even uttered? And not just that, these people will

make us pay dearly for a loss of credibility if or when we do err—that’s

their job, to winnow out evil.

Verses 12-15 feature the main subset speaking of the kings’ character so

far as the exercise of Wisdom is concerned. Like God, kings “detest


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wrongdoing”. They take pleasure in hearing the truth and their “face

brightens” in the presence of an honest person. A king’s favour is no

fleeting or insignificant blessing.

As a reversal we also come to rely on our leaders’ sense of justice and

when they betray this trust they betray not only us but also their office

too.

The Influence of ‘Weights’ and ‘Weighing’

There are only two proverbs discussing weights and weighing, but they

underpin the current trickling through Proverbs 16.

Of course, verse 2 proclaims that our “motives are weighed by the

LORD,” which implies just how God uses Wisdom to try and convince

us to keep a straight heart; to be right-spirited on a good path and in the

Spirit.

Verse 11 is astounding in its simplicity. Honesty and balance are from

the LORD. Indeed, this is Wisdom—the law of balance. God has

established everything in balance. Pity not the folly of those thinking

they can catch God out. It’s never happened and it never will.


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Pleasant Words Promote Instruction

The five-verse subset in verses 20-24 links to the abovementioned

theme nicely. Those with “pleasant words” are appropriately

‘persuasive,’ meaning they can understand the needs of situations

without resorting to coerciveness. Words would not be “pleasant” if

they forced anything.

It is easy to see then that such pleasantry in our communications

encourages instruction. People drop their barriers and trust is enabled

when instruction comes in friendly and flexible ways.

It’s the heart, again, that’s at the root of Wisdom issuing the pleasant

words. This approach is “sweetness to the soul and health to the body”

(verse 24b [NRSV]).

Guarding Against the Perverse

Verses 27-30 provide a short model of perversity which warns us of its

nature as we see it approaching. Unlike the pleasant-worded style of

Wisdom, “scoundrels concoct evil” and their “speech is a scorching

fire,” motivating us to avoid these in Wisdom, for they are full of


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potentially explosive anger and certainly vociferous gossip. Their words

come back to haunt them.

There is a distinct lack of peace in the perverse one’s gait; they’re always

up to some sort of mischief. Consistent false speech or the dishonest

tongue reveals a perverse heart underpinning the thought-life of such a

person. Watch their subtle body language—it’ll give away vital and

obvious clues of things to be concerned about.

Patience – A Virtue of the Aged

In verses 31 and 32 stands a quatrain that helps finish the chapter in

positive terms before the final verse takes us straight back to verses 1-3

(the plans of the heart versus God’s decision, which is final).

Grey hair is not often seen as a positive mark in our rather vain cultures.

We would rather see it as the negative mark of physical aging rather

than as a sign of Wisdom.

However, for Proverbs and the ancients, grey hair is a “crown of

glory/splendor,” and those of advancing years have grown (hopefully)

in their mellowed patience, which is an attribute of higher personal and

interpersonal importance than that of the capacity to win great wars.


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Proverbs 17 – A ‘Peace and Quiet’ Life

“Better is a dry morsel with quiet

than a house full of feasting with strife.”


We’ve all perhaps been to a family lunch—maybe at Christmas time—

when everything was prepared, a feast to enjoy, and then an argument

starts. Before we know it tension fills the air and family members and

friends are at loggerheads. Times like these we usually want to wander

away to enjoy a “dry crust” in quiet peace.

Proverbs 17 is a peculiar collection of proverbs that have loose linkages

and certainly many of them speak about folly and why we should avoid

behaving foolishly. Due to the apparent lack of connection, there is a

selection of individual proverb themes discussed:

Testing Fires Growth (verse 3)

Verse 3 contrasts the firing of gold and silver in furnaces and crucibles

to the action of God ‘testing’ the human heart.


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In sum, this is an exhortation confirming that all difficulties we face in

life can be seen as processes for refining our characters. Difficulties,

pains and tests can be compared to the fire burning off character flaws

or impurities de-valuing our ‘precious metal’—the gold and silver

within; the notional flawless character.

God is interested in our refinement, growth and healing, and this is

shown via love. Difficulties are not destined to punish us

indiscriminately; they’re purposed to grow us from the motive of God’s

love.

Mocking the Unfortunate is Cursed (verse 5)

Again we’re reminded that God’s heart is endeared to the poor and

unfortunates of the world. Any injustice towards them raises God’s ire.

We see this also in people’s reactions of disgust at injustices aimed at

the needy.

Mocking the disabled or the intellectually impaired person is winning no

friends and could, in fact, be an example of the most immoral of folly.


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Forgiving Offenses (verse 9)

This is a vast Wisdom: to, like God, be slow to anger. Effrontery is

something we’re all tempted to dismiss aggressively; an offense

begetting an offense. Rarely do we see in our moments of being

transgressed, however, that there lies the ideal opportunity to foster

friendship.

This fits with earlier and later proverbs about even enemies living at

peace with the wise. The wise are not easily upset; they have patient

tempers. When we refuse to return fire the fight is voided.

Accept Discipline Eagerly (verse 10)

The theme of discipline is a vein of gold funnelling its way right through

the Wisdom literature, not merely Proverbs. One rebuke striking with

good impact is felt keener by a discerning person, than a hundred

repetitive lashes are felt by a fool.

This speaks for the truth in life that some people have to consistently

repeat. Others, however, respond immediately. Through this we can

see who the foolish and wise are easily.


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The Faithfulness in Friendship (verse 17)

Perhaps speaking further on the process of friendship from verse 9, we

find here that good friends and kin are born for pledged support during

times of adversity. Friendship such as this is certainly formed under a

Wisdom alliance, for Wisdom is a morally-enacted construct for life and

abundance. Friendship such as this is not buckling, even under

enormous odds.

Cheerful Heart – Great Medicine (verse 22)

With striking similarity to Proverbs 13:12 and 16:24, this verse illustrates

the endpoint in Wisdom; that the wise are good, ‘healing’ company to

be around. Pity the reverse, however.

Descriptions of Folly

Notwithstanding the disconnectedness of this chapter, the descriptions

about folly and its consequences are significant. Verses 4, 5, 11-16, 18-

21, 24 and 25 all present slightly different views on folly.

Themes surround waywardness of speech, and a lack of discipline, care

and judgment generally. One of the inherent mysteries of life is why,


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though they are capable, the foolish find it impossible to learn? Their

failure to learn is due not to intellectual disability, but to moral

ineptitude, or the lack of will to do it. They usually ‘know it all’ already,

thinking their wisdom superior, or they don’t value the Wisdom which

is accessed and enjoyed using the exercise of learning from life lessons

through application.

Silence is Mastery – Wisdom and Peace

Verses 27-28 round off this collection nicely, entering the charge to

Wisdom through silence when a blurted out reply might generally be apt

to us. Even the foolish are thought wise when they’re silent; how much

better do the wise appear when they restrain their speech?

More silence will lead to a ‘peace and quiet’ sort of life, which gets us

back to verse 1. Peace is accorded as an outcome for good deeds and

will sown. Peace is every good thing; the perfect gift from God.

Folly destroys peace. Wisdom unites with and commends peace.


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Proverbs 18 – Strength, Folly, Speaking and

Listening

“The words of the mouth are deep waters;

the fountain of wisdom is a gushing stream.”


Many scholars and casual readers have become confused about the

meaning in the above proverb. This is understandable because the

loose thematic threads that commenced in Proverbs 17 continue here.

Perhaps we imagine Wisdom is a river teeming with life; the words of

the mouth merely a shimmer of the now-exposed heart underpinning.

There are perhaps three general themes that are teased out of these

twenty-four verses:

Acts and Consequences of Foolishness

Like Groundhog Day (1993) there is more of the same so far as warnings

against folly are concerned. Fools have an opinion on everything (verse

2) and can be unfriendly to the extreme of irrational selfishness—

rejecting even kind acts that would be self-serving (verse 1).


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Speech is their deadliest giveaway. The fool opens their mouth to invite

a prompt beating (verse 6) and their “lips” are a snare to their soul—

meaning they’ll not be able to extract themselves from the

consequences of their unguarded words (verse 7). Gossip is just part of

the process leading to their demise (verse 8).

Folly joins with laziness in verse 9; it’s a destructive force. What doesn’t

build up inevitably destroys.

Strength, Power and Honour and Their Opposites

The LORD is the strong tower, and those in God know it and are made

safe (verse 10). Somehow, however, many of the wealthy and rich put

their faith in their own riches, thinking there’s eternal safety there (verse

11).

“Before destruction one’s heart is haughty,

but humility goes before honor.”


We seem to know that after a fall it was pride that caused it. This is the

same principle as that above (verse 11). Faith (strength) was placed in

our own devices and not Wisdom’s. It happens with remarkable


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consistency in life. When will we finally learn to lean on Wisdom and

not our own strength? That is Wisdom’s silent, though empathetically

firm reply.

Verse 14 talks about mental and emotional health. Strength to sustain

us during sickness—and most particularly these days, mental and

emotional sickness—is of double value. Perhaps it’s the people who are

at low emotional and spiritual strength that are most prone to

depressive episodes and other such ills? Therefore, it’s best to increase

our stocks of these sorts of emotional and spiritual strengths when the

times are good.

For added strength when there’s an argument, assertiveness in judgment

can keep two warring parties safely away from each other (verse 18).

We know that kin is a powerful ally (Proverbs 17:17); well, there’s a

flipside to that coin! That transgressed sibling is not forgetting the issue

lightly (verse 19). Conversely, favours exacted gain for us many a strong


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bond; this friend will endure loyally (verse 24).

Speaking and Listening Wisely

Listening skills are rarely executed, but we’re warned of their deep-

seated value. But it’s not only a good communication ploy; it is to our

“folly and shame” when we reply before listening (verse 13).

This, again, is counsel that our warnings will one day run out and we’ll

pay a big price for answering too swiftly. Indeed, we’ve all paid hefty

prices for failing to listen.

Verse 15 concurs. The person of discernment acquires knowledge

carefully through listening more than they speak. Additionally, it’s

known that the giver of gifts is given to greatness via the salubriousness

of their kindness (verse 16).

The wise are not so easily convinced, they don’t gullibly believe the first

account of everything; they reserve judgment until all the facts are

known (verse 17).

It appears most resoundingly, that our words are behind the acquisition

of our food (verse 20-21). Taken further, we see that even down to our


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employment there is a background to our speech. Could it be a loose

tongue is responsible for a limiting our chances at employment success

and promotion?


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Proverbs 19 – Six Portraits of Patient

Wisdom

“Better the poor walking in integrity than one perverse of speech who is

a fool.”


This chapter deserves a plaque beside it stating, “Here sits another

collection of loosely fitting proverbs.” But equally there are three fine

threads that are to be teased out, not that ‘themes’ are the be-all and

end-all.

More on Folly

It’s always good to get the ugliness out of the way first. Verses 24-29

are neat on folly. The sluggard sees food and instinctively plunges their

fist into the bowl, yet they’re not prepared to expend the effort it’ll take

to bring it back to their mouth (verse 24). This is indictment on the

things that are given to us that then go to waste.

The mocker makes a less-than-classy return in verses 28-29, inviting

their own beating at the filthiness of their arrogantly wild antics. In


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verse 26, the mocker is a good example to the simple; go that way and

punishment is yours. The classic fool shows disdain for their parents in

verses 13 and 26.

The ‘Poor’ Reality

Verses 4 and 7 repeat earlier themes of the vast injustices sweeping

through poverty. Indeed, ‘partiality’ is the theme of the bracket in

verses 4-7. These proverbs state that being poor is one of the quickest

ways to lose friends; this simply speaks the truth of humanity’s

propensity to live disloyally where receipt of things from others is

lacking. It’s a sad reality.

We generally favour those better off and those who are popular. The

challenge for patient Wisdom is to always be stooped in helping the

needs of those lesser off.

The Patient Wise (and Their Opposites)

Patience is one of those gentle threads meandering through this chapter.

Anger, we’ve already established earlier, is patience’s opposite. If we

rescue an angry person they’ll only fall again in their angry ways—we’re


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doing them no favours (verse 19). The folly of fools is self-inflicted, yet

ridiculously they blame God (verse 3). Those contemptuous of their

ways—ever jesting about in life—will bring about their own peril (verse

16).

Good parents are patient; they take time to instruct their children in

Wisdom (verses 18 and 27) knowing that Wisdom will preserve their

lives and hearken them to knowledge.

Six Actual Portraits of Patient Wisdom

There is a smooth undercurrent present in verses 8-23, with every third

proverb featuring an image pertaining to patient Wisdom. Verse 8 starts

this procession; here we learn that the person acquiring wisdom loves

their own soul—joy is Wisdom and Wisdom is joy, for these people.

It’s to the person’s own glory to overlook offenses, in what we shall call

grace-filled kindness; a classic image of patient Wisdom (verse 11).

Patience waits for a partner of the LORD’s choosing—this is no gift that

can be otherwise bequeathed (verse 14). Kindness makes another

splendid appearance in verse 17, and the kind, we already know, are

always rewarded.


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The key to the overall acquisition of Wisdom is to “listen to advice and

accept instruction,” which elevates humility and the moral strength of

self-esteem to not suffer too many identity crises along the way (verse

20).

Completing the sextet verse 23 is the type of proverb that calls us right

back to the beginning (cf. Proverbs 1:7; 1:33; 9:10). It’s the awed and

fully respectful fear of the LORD that leads to life, safety, and

contentedness.


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Proverbs 20 – There’s No Hiding From God

“The human spirit is the lamp of the LORD,

searching every inmost part.”

~Proverbs 20:27 (NSRV)

In every lurking corner is the soul that imagines no one’s looking. Very

fortunate are we that we have a God who neither sneers nor condemns

those blight-worthy and otherwise castigating little habits and practices

of ours. Praise God for his grace!

Integrity is Calling Us Home

One of the precious shards of Proverbs 20 is the cherished quality of

integrity.

We make claims about how good we are and how good our love is and

yet we’re often revealed as less than this (verse 6). God is calling us to

understand and accept the truth—goodness is God and only that which

is sanctified in God. True integrity is in understanding this eternal

paradox—goodness only comes from God; when we’re in God; when

we’re issuing the virtuous life.


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Verse 9 propounds the aforementioned with a rhetorical question:

“Who can say they’re without sin?” One admitting they’re inherently

sinful is paradoxically, for that moment, owning integrity. What a

twisted spiritual reality we live!

Integrity—like Wisdom (Matthew 11:19)—is known via its action (verse

11). If we can’t hide from God, we’re not hiding much from others

either. We wear our motives on our sleeves as we do ornaments or

stains.

The duplicitous are found wanting for integrity as they bark their

disapproval one moment whilst the next they’re boasting about it to a

different crowd (verse 14). It is cowardice personified. Oh those rare

lips; those speaking a knowledgeable truth—rarer than gold and rubies

(verse 15). This pair of lips is owned by the person with courageous

integrity.

Integrity, finally, is what characterises a monarch, any leadership or

administration (verse 28); without it, all is forlorn.


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Further Warnings Against Folly

Gossips, we know, are not only unreliable, they’re downright dangerous.

We’re best avoiding the gossip (verse 19). A humbling truth for those

of us scourged once with addiction—under that spell there’s no wisdom

(verse 1). We must strive to get beyond it. The foolish, as we’ve

encountered, are “quick to quarrel” and they add no honour to

themselves for this interaction of blight (verse 3).

When we receive goods that aren’t ours the benefits devised in our

minds inevitably backfire on us—this “food” becomes like “gravel” in

our mouths (verse 17).

All-Knowing God and Kings

A characteristic of God that’s bequeathed upon kings and leaders is the

ability to winnow the truth from circumstances (verse 8 and 26). From

their ‘thrones’ they have position to see.

Adding to the theme of integrity, God detests those without integrity

who apply “differing weights and measures,” and God somehow knows

this via Wisdom, in other words, by the way life works out (verses 10


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and 23). We can see by this that God sees everything (Ecclesiastes

12:14).

God’s justice is terrible. We shouldn’t seek to satisfy our own justice or

revenge, but instead wait upon the LORD for he will deliver us (verse

22). God’s judgment is often far worse than any justice we might have

meted out. We may rightfully pity them.

God directs our steps, as do our leaders (verse 24). We have no idea of

our way beyond the desires implicit of our plans.

With all this knowledge we’d be fools to fail to consider God. There is

no hiding from the LORD.


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Proverbs 21 – Take Care to Live Diligently

“The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance,

but everyone who is hasty comes only to want.”


When we think about life we can see we get plenty of warnings,

regarding the ways to live life and ways not to. This chapter of

Proverbs merely acts, then, like all the chapters of Proverbs, as a ‘gate’

to these ways; the ways to sound living via the Wisdom way.

Doing What Pleases God

One of the essential things to know, and correspondingly do, is aligning

life to what pleases God. Verses 2-3 and verse 27 major on this

concept. Whilst we often think our way is pure, it’s God who truly

weighs our hidden, underlying motives. The LORD’s will, then, is that

we’re honest with ourselves, acknowledging when our motives are

founded from our brokenness.

To do what is right and just is on a different realm of pleasing God,

more than merely sacrifice. The wrongly motivated sacrifice—as if we


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could fool God anyway—is detestable to the LORD, for we aren’t

respecting God when we forget how he wishes us to answer.

How despicable is it to bring an ‘empty’ sacrifice to God that comes

with the intent of shortcutting the very morality of God? How ridiculous

a thought it is, we’re all quite apt at doing it in our brokenness. What

good is sacrifice for selfish gain? That, of itself, is no sacrifice at all.

Shortcuts are the Long Way Around

We all suspect that with shortcuts comes re-work. Do something

poorly and we have to return and do it all over—that’s three trips

instead of one, which is not efficient, and there’s also the reputational

costs we must bear for our unreliability.

What’s profiled in the shortcut is folly through a lack of careful diligence.

Verse 5 (and to a lesser extent the bracket of verses 4-8) speaks of haste

being an enemy of the truly diligent person. It just so happens that a

key nuance of diligence is the part-virtue of prudence, or due care.

The carefully diligent person is mindful of preparing stocks for coming

months and does not devour irresponsibly all he or she has (verse 20).

The carefully diligent also know they need to work to end well, to give


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as much as they get, and issue control over their desirous craving (verses

25-26). The carefully diligent person is rarely rash with their words, for

they know the devastating power of the tongue (verse 23; cf. see James

3:1-12).

The LORD Loves Justice

At least three proverbs (verses 12-13, 15) major on justice. God cannot

abide in injustice, not ultimately. It’s not our human way to let injustice

continue unabated, but it’s worse still for injustice to be believed; we

need to be diligently prudent about what testimony we believe (verse

28).

God’s justice may not always be swift, but when it comes it is final.

The LORD Wins - Why Try Putting Things ‘Over’ God?

We all try this and we all fail, again and again. Wisdom is applying the

theory that God knows everything and that we might as well give up all

hope of ever getting the better of him. Verse 1 and verses 30-31

bookend the chapter providing a handy inclusio for those other proverbs

that centre on right and wrongly-motivated sacrifice.


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Why would we bother ‘submitting’ inappropriate sacrifices to God? It’s

rather like knowing we’ve done a poor job at something at work and

knowing it will catch up with us later, with vast reputational damage.

No one with ‘good sense’ would do it, and, still, we’re often caught out

doing the same thing as far as God’s concerned. We’re therefore apt at

acting like God doesn’t exist. This is general human nature.

Hope for Those Pursuing “Life”

Verse 21 takes us all the way back to Proverbs 3:13-18—to the allusions

of the Tree of Life, and what Wisdom holds in both her hands. How

could we possibly find anything more alluring than “life, prosperity and

honor”? (NIV)

And these three for the modest sum of righteousness and love.


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Proverbs 22:1-16 – The Value of a ‘Good

Name’

“A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches,

and favor is better than silver or gold.”


The real pot of gold is Wisdom and a legacy; nothing in this world

comes close in comparison. A choice surrounding legacy remains for

each of us. But know, true success is first achieved with credibility and

a good reputation.

Proverbs 22 is split into two parts. The first sixteen verses are

somewhat antithetical and loosely connected with each other. The

remaining thirteen verses introduce ‘the Sayings of the Wise’ (which will

be handled separately).

Some of the key themes in Proverbs’ chapter 22:1-16 include:


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Parenting Advice

Verses 6 and 15 are famous in the Christian fraternity regarding

approaches to parenting in the Wisdom tradition. But they’ve also

caused much consternation in some circles about what they mean and

how they’re to be applied.

When we “start” a child in the way they should go, and continue

nurturing that process throughout their childhood, we can feel

confident that such discipline will be ingrained so that even if they leave

the right path for a time, they will return to it.

Parents sometimes panic when, as their children grow up, they stop

their spiritual growth and going to church. Some even get into trouble.

This can be seen as normal; in some ways they’ll learn the easy way, but

other ways will be harder and they must be left to fall and learn for

themselves, but for a ‘quiet word’ every now and then.

All healthy young adults will seek to ‘find themselves’ and parents can

all too easily hinder that process by weighing in with too much of their

own advice. If they want advice they’ll come looking for it. Advice


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seems more sought as young adults mature. The ‘parental blackout’ is

usually only temporary.

The “rod of discipline” in verse 15 is not necessarily talking about

corporal punishment; it’s more about issuing consequences to promote

learning, and healthy growth and development. If we have a genuine

interest in our children we’ll do whatever it takes to help their long term

development, even if that means some pain for us and them in the

shorter term.

Finding a Good Name

Like Wisdom, the acquisition of a good name, reputation or credibility

is tantamount to the most basic form of fundamental success in life

(verse 1). Linked with this idea are those two things that bring

“[spiritual] wealth and honor and life”—these being humility and the

awed respect of the LORD so far as being positively motivated to live

aright is concerned (verse 4).

When others are at the centre of our thoughts for blessing, we too will

be blessed (verse 9). Those with a good name—who are pure hearted

and gracious in their speech—will work for nobles (verses 11 and 29).


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More Descriptions on Fools

Mockers, the wicked and sluggards (lazy people) come together to

illustrate ways that are not encouraged. Thorns and snares lie in wait

for the devious (verse 5), but those protecting themselves in Wisdom

will avoid them. The wise see the danger early and they take refuge or

select another route (verse 3).

When the squeaky-wheeled mocker has been responsibly and swiftly

dealt with, suddenly all is calm (verse 10). It doesn’t pay to pander to

the selfish, the immature or the greedy.

The sluggard is enslaved, and gives undue credence, to fear. They see

threats which don’t even exist (verse 13).

God is Above All and All-Knowing

Verses 2 and 12 have a common Proverbs’ theme in mind. Wealth is

no separator in life, though it may seem that way to us. God has made

all people equal; none are favoured a hair above others. All come under

God.


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God is the keeper of all Wisdom and the caretaking of knowledge is the

LORD’s domain. Nothing and no one will affect it, and those perjuring

themselves will feel God’s hot-breathed wrath.


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Proverbs 22:17-29 – Sayings of the Wise

(Part 1)

“Make no friends with those given to anger,

and do not associate with hotheads,

or you may learn their ways

and entangle yourself in a snare.”


The commencement of these thirty Sayings of the Wise provides the

perfect interjection in an otherwise seamless collection of scattered

proverbs.

The initial few verses provide something of a prologue, not unlike

Proverbs 1:1-7 and other places in the first nine chapters of the book.

There are five sayings here in the twenty-second chapter, three of which

are quatrains (verses 22-23, 24-25 and 26-27). Each of the initial verses

of these couplets details a cause and the latter proverb the effect.

This ‘cause and effect’ relationship is not foreign to Proverbs’ wisdom

or Wisdom itself.


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Do Not Exploit the Poor (verses 22-23)

We should know by now that the greatest avenger for the poor and

unfortunates of the world is the LORD. This is particularly so when

they are vagrantly denied the justice they are ordinarily due.

God is the silent avenger of these, allowing those scoundrels of deceit

and injustice just enough room with which to ensnare themselves. It’s a

vast folly to take advantage of the disadvantaged.

The penultimate verse 28 is also aligned with this thinking. The

boundary lines that existed before we were born should remain until to

the day we die so as not to defraud God—let alone the traditional

owners. What parallel could we make here regarding the indigenous

peoples of the world and their land being taken from them? Apology

and reconciliation—and indeed repatriation—is due them.

Do Not Associate with Angry People (verses 24-25)

As the quatrain at top suggests we’re at great risk of becoming ensnared

with the angry. Presumably this is either in learning by default their lack

of patience and tolerance in life, and adopting same, or by becoming co-

dependent in company with them.


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Whichever way we go angry people in our midst who behave

violently—as opposed to those given to occasional bouts, played out in

controlled ways—will sway our world along with theirs, tipping us off

the axis of reasonability, and at times into the scary unknown.

This is, but one, salient example of the co-dependent relationship in full

swing; the angered living with the scared. It is a constant seesaw of fear,

collusion and disharmony.

Do Not Make Deals with the Unreliable or Untrustworthy (verses

26-27)

Oh how we’ve all (no doubt) been stung by trusting the untrustworthy.

In some ways we don’t know until we trust someone or a situation. But

many times we will have that nagging voice inside us saying, “Don’t do

it—don’t trust them with this thing.”

We would do well to listen to this voice, and act on its behalf. If we do

choose to trust the person or situation, we should put wise controls of

gracious accountability in place to protect the future.


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Even less should we mortgage our homes for the sake of those given to

bad debt. There are, of course, many less significant examples of

“striking pledges” over the family home.

To the person of integrity, promises are binding, so we therefore should

take great care with what we promise.


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Proverbs 23 – Sayings of the Wise on Wise

Consumption and Self-Control

“Buy truth, and do not sell it;

buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding.”


Many of the previous chapters of Proverbs have been loose and

disconnected so far as structure is concerned. This chapter sees that

structure return via thirteen sayings (from Saying 7 to Saying 19).

Some of these sayings are one single verse; others are up to seven verses

long. But they discuss a central idea. And if there’s one main idea in

Proverbs chapter 23 it’s eating, gluttony, and associated lust and

greed—and warding against them all.

Minding the Lust of the Eye and Stomach (verses 1-8)

Sayings 7-9 major on a theme that’s easy to imagine from an eating

viewpoint. We all have our opportunities at coming to know ‘royalty’ in

life, whether it’s the CEO of the company we work for, a sports star, or


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a school principal. Knowing them is a privilege. But in our dealing

with them we’re not to ogle their wares, for these are deceptive.

Likewise, it’s useless for us to covet riches or anything that’s not ours.

We cannot attract others’ wealth without keeping our hands and our

interests off them.

We also have to be careful which invitations to events we accept. Some

people are set on inviting us, but not for the reasons we expect. These

people are counting the cost of every forkful we place into our mouths,

making us suddenly conscious of the uneasy feeling this produces in us.

Conversations with a Son (or Daughter) (verses 15-28)

Returning to the theme of Proverbs 1–9 a father addresses his son,

imploring him to “buy wisdom,” knowing that the boy’s very life

depends on its acquisition.

This set of parentally-related proverbs comprises Sayings 14-18. The

father will be ecstatic to know the son is on the right track, highlighting

a common parental objective. As the children are safe, so are we as

parents.


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In keeping with Psalm 37, warnings are issued not to fall envious of

those who are off-the-track in life. There is no life and no hope in

following these. Alternatively, it’s the rightful awed respect of God

that’s guaranteeing their hope, and only that.

Covering again the themes of gluttony and lust is the issue of elevating

food, alcohol and other substances to god level. Poverty becomes those

who raise these things to God’s level.

The son is urged to purchase Wisdom and hoard it. Perhaps it’s the

only safe thing to hoard. Many of the imperatives issued by the father

are calling the son back to the ever-strong familial bond.

Importantly, the lust of the eye (verses 26-28) concludes this subsection

on a rather graphic point. If the son keeps his heart and eye on

Wisdom he won’t be tempted away by the prostitute or wayward wife

bent on promiscuity. A heart or an eye without a positive focus is

destined to wander into the harm-filled way.


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The Misery of the Drink (or Drug) (verses 29-35)

This seven-versed Saying has a remarkable poignancy about it as we

consider a rogue of Western living—alcohol and other mind-altering

drugs—and their prominence directly or indirectly in all our lives.

Who has not been touched negatively from this nemesis of humanity’s?

Blows and beatings are custom-designed for the one caught up in the

nest of this serpent. It will be hangovers in the short term, and other

more dire consequences in the longer term. The allure of drink or the

drug is deceitful and it is sure to bite a hundred times worse than is

suspected. Addiction is both folly and a trap for younger players and

old alike.


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Proverbs 24 – Justice in Relationships

(Sayings of the Wise)

“Prepare your outside work,

get everything ready for you in the field;

and after that build your house.”


This chapter discusses the right order of things, and the above verse is

commended to just that philosophy—of getting our priorities right.

I recall a farmer I met when I was interstate. He and his family had

lived in a shed for many years, and perhaps still do, as they tended to

their farm, gradually building the main house. Whilst we do want to

eventually finish our ‘main houses’ in life, it’s best that we tend to the

foundations—our livelihoods and the security of our families—first.

Other themes of this chapter include:


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Do Not Envy the Wicked

Calling us back to the wisdom in Psalm 37—as was alluded in previous

chapters—verses 1-2, 14 and 19-20 read like they were transcribed

directly from the psalm itself.

The “wicked,” those plotting violence and setting out for trouble, are

never to be envied, only fled from. Alternatively, when we embrace

Wisdom, making her sweet to our souls, we will know a “future

hope”—our hope won’t be “cut off” as the wicked person’s hope will.

The Deeper Character of Wisdom

Shimmers of Wisdom’s deeper character flicker through in verses 3-6

(Sayings 21-22). Wisdom takes on the imagery of a house here;

“understanding” is the house’s foundations and through “knowledge”

its rooms are filled with much valuable furniture.

A wise person has strength and adds to it, but they must—and will—

always need advice and to seek confirmation of their ways.

Verses 13-14 (Saying 26) entreat us to find what is good and to take it

appropriately—whatever cost is required.


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Wisdom’s Too High for the Fool

A short exposé of folly is exacted in verses 7-12 (Sayings 23-25).

Sometimes the wise, or those seeking to grow in Wisdom, will worry

that a foolish person will be gifted the blessings of Wisdom without

paying the price to learn it. These proverbs set those minds at rest.

Wisdom is too high for the ignorant, the simple and the mocker.

Those denying knowledge of wrongdoing are not fooling God and how

pitiable it is for that person to “faint in the day of adversity,” for the

wise try and store their reserves for that time—God’s grace always

seems sufficient for them (2 Corinthians 12:9).

The Sluggard Makes a Return

A mini-portrait of the sluggard is set out in verses 30-34, returning us

back to Proverbs 6:9-11. The sluggard—a particular kind of fool—is

not given to diligence, “lacks sense [and] judgment” or is seen as stupid.

It’s from such a recount-of-observation that the father (or mother)

warns the son (or daughter) against such folly. Story-telling is an

important device in painting the parent’s imagery into the child’s mind

and heart.


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True Justice is the LORD’s

Even though the truly righteous person may stumble, they’ll not fall

entirely; not so the wicked. Verses 15-18 (Sayings 27-28) and verses 21-

26, 28-29 (Saying 30 and Further Sayings) all speak in their own way on

the theme of right and detestable justice.

We don’t act unjustly on those who’ve done little or no wrong.

Likewise, how foolish it is to “gloat” and let our “hearts be glad” when

our enemies fall. The LORD will see this and suddenly have pity on

them and appease their situation, with the embarrassment or judgment

falling on us instead.

To show partiality in judging—as highlighted previously—is not good.

Acquitting the guilty will bring about the people’s wrath, and cowardice

in sentencing is also not good. That ‘mercy’ will backfire.

Verse 29 is poignant—we cannot afford, as people of the LORD, to take

vengeance into our hands. The LORD repays each person “according to

what they have done” (verse 12). We must learn to trust this Divine

process entirely.


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Proverbs 25 – Kingship and Conflict

“Argue your case with your neighbor directly,

and do not disclose another’s secret;

or else someone who hears you will bring shame upon you,

and your ill repute will have no end.”


Credibility, reputation and a good name is a powerful concept. Like an

odious stench clings to a soiled ‘perfumed’ garment, so is our repute in

tatters after the use of poor judgment. This includes cowardly gossip.

Part of growing in wisdom is learning from our mistakes, and though

the abovementioned quatrain suggests the scourge of a bad reputation

will cling forever, we do know that our contexts change, and the future

is unknown. Reparation, and the writing of new pages in our personal

and interpersonal history, is not beyond us, given genuine repentance.

“Like” Proverbs

Something we haven’t seen a lot of as yet in Proverbs—certainly not in

one neat collection—is the appearance of the comparative proverb. We


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saw plenty of the contrastive proverbs earlier, but not those that help us

see images of likeness and fortify our understanding in almost familial

comparison.

There are eleven such “like...” proverbs out of the 28 verses in this

chapter.

Leaders and ‘Kings’

It is a good thing to bear in mind the right and wrong approaches to

‘royalty’ in life. Such people hold positions of authority over us and it’s

only the fool who disregards the appropriate respect for these.

The leader’s prerogative is to “search things out,” but their minds are

equally “unsearchable” (verses 1-2). In the same way we don’t put

ourselves up before the presence of our leaders—we, instead, wait to be

called. How shameful to be ‘put down’ in their presence (verses 6-7).

The ‘king’ over ourselves speaks to our self-control. Verses 27-28

highlight the nature of issues where ‘excess’ becomes us. We imagine a

walled city of ancient times being overrun by the enemy; collapse is

imminent and that’s never pretty, so best we restrain ourselves so far as

the desires are concerned.


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Approaches to Conflict

As ‘kings’ hold court, so are we to understand that conflict is always

better settled at home, before the scrutiny of nobles is compelled and

judgments are made binding (verse 8-10).

Living in harmony with our neighbours is well advised. We daren’t

outstay our welcome (verse 17). Likewise, it would be a stupid folly to

bear false witness against someone we must live next door or across the

road to (verse 18). This approach has no vision for the future.

When we do meet with trouble, how useless to us is the “faithless

person”? Liabilities like this linger for us. As does a nagging spouse—

never will there be rest (verse 24).

The right approach to our enemies is to quench their thirst and feed

their hungry stomaches, as per the quatrain in verses 21-22. When we

do this there’s the real possibility that our grace might compel a self-

generated sense of repentance on their behalf. In other words, our

genuine forgiveness of our ‘enemies’ encourages theirs.

Beautiful and ‘Fitting’


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Verses 11-13 and 25 carry the message of ‘peace with Wisdom and God’

to the reader. Consider a good word at the right time, especially from

afar; there’s hardly anything better. How much more pertinent is a

“wise rebuke to a listening ear,” as the edification is accepted with

humble delight?

What is not fitting (in verse 20) is the practice of singing “songs to a

heavy heart,” as we’re advised instead to—per Romans 12:15—“rejoice

with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep”.


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Proverbs 26 – Portraits of Folly and Right

Response

“Do not answer fools according to their folly,

or you will be a fool yourself.

Answer fools according to their folly,

or they will be wise in their own eyes.”


This above quatrain sitting has us thinking long and hard. How can we

reconcile it? This is just the point. Foolishness often has no valid

‘default’ response. Indeed, it is the perfect seminary for any sage’s

development in true wisdom—to wrangle with foolishness and

determine their own answers to it.

The structure in Proverbs 26 is neater than many previous chapters.

Written for beginners, it’s almost exclusively talking about fools and

their folly. There is a bracket of comparative proverbs on the topic

(verses 1-12) and thereafter two types of fool are spotlighted: the

sluggard (verses 13-16) and the malicious one (verses 17-28).


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Defining the Fool

Before we launch into these proverbs we should attempt a crude

definition of the fool. They can often be seen as those lacking sense;

one who is beyond good sense (until they choose to repent).

Folly, therefore, is based in moral ineptitude and not intellectual. It is, at

root, a sick or malformed, impetuous heart. The mind may still be

functional, but the ‘weak’ heart contorts the thought-world of the fool

toward a myriad form of wickedness. They cannot help themselves, it

seems, from doing foolish things.

The Comparative Proverbs – Little Images of Folly

These proverbs with the comparative “like” word connecting A and B

lines, as we learned from chapter 25, give us splendiferous insight via

their imagery into what folly actually looks and feels like. They are

edifying for the student of Wisdom.

For the fool, honour and the use of Wisdom are both absurdities

(verses 1 and 7-9). Wise words at the disposal of the foolish prove

docile and depowered.


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The fool is as unpredictable in method as they are in creating pain as the

consequence of their actions—imagine for a moment “drinking down

violence” (verses 6 and 10).

A consummate fool is wise in their own eyes (verse 12). Sure, we’ve all

been there, when we’ve suffered bouts of stubborn pride. The great

paradox of Wisdom is it resides happily in only the genuinely humble.

Wisdom is about high morality of character.

Folly is a repetitive mystery against sense (verse 11). Fortunately, those

who are unjustly cursed, slandered or accused are acquitted without

undue cost as they express faith in the Wisdom of God (verse 2). This

is why we let God handle our fights for vindication.

What Can We Learn from the Sluggard?

Earlier chapters have profiled the sluggard poignantly. Excuses are

their domain (verse 13) as they roll about their beds in a vacant sort of

dreaminess (verse 14) that mystifies the logical person who would just

itch to get out of that bed and get the day under way.

The hyperbolic imagery continues to astound in verse 15. How

confusing it is that the desire for gluttony is conquered by the sloth that


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sees the sluggard unable to bring the hand back to the mouth once it’s

grabbed the food from the dish.

Defying all manner of sense, the sluggard is wiser in their own eyes

“than seven who can answer discreetly” (verse 16).

What Can Prepare Us for the Malicious One?

The worst and most dangerous fool is the malicious one. These are the

types that make nightmare neighbours. They get involved in others’

fights in ways that inflame situations (verses 17 and 21).

There is a heart of depravity behind this fool as we see them feeding

with intent on “delicious morsels” which fortify the heart toward

wickedness (verse 22). Their speech can be pleasure-smooth, for they

are devious beyond normal means (verses 24-25), but they will

eventually be “exposed in the assembly” (verse 26). Justice is known in

the end as they reap the pain of their own deviant plans (verse 27), their

plans will backfire awkwardly and embarrassingly for them.

The malicious one is found in some surprising ‘offices’ in life. We are

best to be wary of these, and to particularly steer away when there’s a

deviant plot cooking.


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The one positive note in this section lies in verse 20. The person with

humble wisdom doesn’t add any fuel to the fire of conflict; since it dies

down of its own accord when we refuse to fight back.


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Proverbs 27 – The Truth, the Whole Truth

and Nothing but the Truth

“Do not boast about tomorrow,

for you do not know what a day may bring.”


Honesty is the undercurrent of Proverbs 27. Being that Wisdom is

highly relatable in the realm of morality, it is no short assumption to

conclude the enormous weight that honesty and truth have as veins

through it.

The following sub-themes are notable:

We Cannot Hide Our Hearts

As verses 2 and 17-21 commend, we’re unable to hide who we are.

Although we will often try to cover our real motives, these are quite

easily discernible to the wise, and certainly to those over us in life,

“winnowing” the measures of our hopes, dreams and plans.


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Why would we let our own lips praise our efforts when we know such

self-regarded ‘praise’ is either false, or at least worthless? Not to

mention how our credibility lies in tatters after we brag. Yet, we’re all

given to do it from time to time, especially, as life would have it, when

our hearts detect we’re not getting the recognition we perhaps feel we

deserve. It’s also an issue, ironically, when we’re lowly about ourselves

and insecure. Still, we are most tested in the motioning of life by how we

“receive” the praise we get (verse 21). That is a true test of our

burgeoning humility.

Fellowship exists not just for this purpose, but the value of a true friend

is their honest feedback (verses 5-6 and 17). Good friends, family and

partners detect deceit from within us and they become our better

consciences at times.

As we peer directly into a still pool of water we accurately see our

reflection; so it is with our hearts—our actions are the direct

representation of the image of our intentions deep beneath (verse 19).


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The Imbalances of Folly – Against Truth

The notion of imbalance is catapulted before our eyes in verses 13-14.

These cast forth the truth that imbalance is failing to live honestly; to

achieve a balance, a life must be as visible as truth and not overbearing.

Putting up our own security as a “pledge” for the unreliable person is

showing an unreasonable (and perhaps a nonsensical) amount of

compassion—it usually will not end well for those who do it. The

unreliable will usually default on their payments, leaving us out to dry.

It happens every day in this world.

Similarly, those given to ‘blessing’ people at inappropriate times will

wind up with egg on their faces (verse 14).

The form of imbalance continues in the quatrain that is verses 15-16.

Only heaven might help the spouse of the quarrelsome wife or stubborn

husband. These, as people, are not, for us, easily ‘resolvable’ (verse 22).

Their folly clings like a hard-worn curse.

Folly is stubborn, and in refusing to consider or handle the truth it

becomes despicable, and via provocation and jealousy excesses against

honesty are untenable (verses 3-4).


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Blessed Are They Who Hunger for the Truth

The bracket that is bookended by verses 5 and 12 has a loose but

tangible theme relating to both hunger and eating, and images of

proximity and distance.

It is the wound caused by a friend, dealing with us in truth, which can

be trusted. Only the untrustworthy flatter us when we need the rebuke

(verses 5-6).

When we’re full of our own wisdom, honey (which is cloaked as

“truth”) is not so sweet, but to the hungry—those seeking growth via

honesty with themselves—this honey is live-giving (verse 7).

Furthermore, truth is close to home and we’re blessed when we stay

there (verse 8). Honest feedback is as close as the friend; their words

should be like incense to us; beautifully fragrant (verse 9). In this way, a

warning is heeded and no suffering is added to the wise adhering to

advice which is freely given and received in trust (verse 12).


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Diligent Management of our Responsibilities

Wisdom is diligence just as diligence is Wisdom. These could hardly be

separated. Diligence is a virtue that is a practical, grounded thing.

Wisdom such as this is shepherding with care and concern for all of life

we’re personally accountable for.

Diligence, at root, is the practice of the character of honesty—of sight

and mind, and congruence between, whilst going about the affairs of life

with sound judgment.

Verses 23-27 provide us with a mini-portrait of our honest diligence in

the setting of the farm. These speak of remaining in the day’s priorities.

Dealing in these is commendable as today looks after tomorrow.


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Proverbs 28 – Riches, Justice and Judgment

“No one who conceals transgressions will prosper,

but one who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.”


Contracts and caveats are full of legal-speak and they spell out every

detail for proponents and all foreseeable sense of permeations regarding

default. In much the same way, Proverbs 28 covers some of the

pertinent items regarding riches, justice, and ultimately God’s judgment

through Wisdom.

This chapter also sees the return of the contrastive proverb, and with

fanfare. In fact, eighteen of the 28 proverbs are “but” proverbs

showing us the sweeping differences in life accorded by our various

acts.

Approaches to Wealth

Riches and all manner of ways of getting there, or not, are a

commanding theme here. Firstly, it’s better to be poor but blameless,

than to be rich and perverse (verse 6).


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Getting rich at the expense of others is a slippery wealth—it will not be

retained (verse 8). Some rich people attempt to put over ‘their wisdom’

on others, but even a poor person with insight sees through their ruse

(verse 11).

An eagerness to grow rich in life without the willingness to collect that

spoil of hard knocks is faithlessness; it will not be rewarded in the end

(verse 20). The blameworthy person who brandishes perversity will

ultimately fall (verse 18).

It really doesn’t pay to hoard material wealth irresponsibly.

Opposite Sides of Justice

Greedy people cannot live at harmony, for peace is always somewhere

‘over there,’ in places called “envy” and “comparison” (verse 25).

These people live at odds with even themselves, since they’re constantly

peering over the fence into others’ worlds.

Those eager to get ahead financially, against the needs of the needy, will

not go without punishment in the end (verses 20 and 27). Heaven help

a nation ruled by a wicked person; they will leave nothing good behind

and people will scurry for cover (verses 3, 12 and 28).


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The alternative route, which is one relatively few take, is the right-sized

life so far as balance and equity is concerned. The wiser person is not

trusting in their own resources, but in Wisdom’s (verse 26; cf. Proverbs

3:5-6). They receive for their faith a good and fair inheritance (verse

10).

It is important to note that Wisdom speaks kindly to the latter person

but tersely to the former; justice abides to both according to the fruit of

their attitudes and actions.

The Law and Judgment

Like many chapters and subsections in Proverbs there are catch-words

and word-plays everywhere. The one of note here is the word “law,”

but it’s used in different ways than we’d typically find in say Psalm 119.

Continuing the theme of just and wicked rulership, the “law” proverbs

give some insight into God’s justice via the hand of Wisdom.

The just will resist the hand of the wicked, for they uphold the law at

any cost (verse 4). A country with frail leadership will, in fact, have

many leaders and they’ll pull against each other (verse 2). Those flailing

the law or compromising justice will be shameful to their parents (verse


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7). Further, God despises the prayers of those who are deaf to the

needs and requirements of the law (verse 9).

Overall Message

The key theme to this chapter, and it fits with the entire Bible, is sewn

up in verse 13. Whoever is honest in life will thrive, while the dishonest

will fall. Seeing that we’re all found dishonest, or at least mistaken, so

great is God that we have penitence to fall back on.

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

~Matthew 4:17b (NRSV).


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Proverbs 29 – On Anger, Discipline and

Sovereign Justice

“The poor and the oppressor have this in common:

the LORD gives light to the eyes of both.”


As the collection of the proverbs copied by Hezekiah’s men—the

Further Wise Sayings of Solomon—concludes here we’re again given more

helpful images of the contrasts between Wisdom and Folly. Thirteen of

the 27 verses are contrastive “but” proverbs.

Anger Against Wisdom

“Anger” is a key word and concept in verses 8-11 and 22-23. Mockers

are known to be malicious, even against themselves, but wise people are

characteristically patient. It’s not a wise idea to resolve issues with an

arrogant fool in court; if we did that we could easily be entrapped to

their way or feel the wrath of their reputation.

The ‘malicious one’—who we met originally in Proverbs 26:17-28—

hates people with integrity. They want vengeance even if the person


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with integrity has done them no wrong (verse 10). The foolish, hence,

cannot rein in their anger; they do not control themselves and they will

feel the full weight of the punishing consequences (verse 22).

Discipline and Diligence

Familial proverbs in verses 3, 15 and 17 combine with proverbs on

masters and servants in verses 19 and 21. Both subjects highlight the

importance of prompt, appropriate and fair discipline—or ‘relationship

management’.

We already know that the foolish child inflicts shame on the parent, but

that a wise and diligent child brings joy.

The “rod of correction” (verse 15) is important here, despite the

imagery around corporal punishment. It’s more important that

correction is issued consistently and with consistency, on time and with good

feedback. If parents cannot issue corporal punishment sensitively and

entirely free of their own anger then they should do without it.

Discipline is about teaching, not anger (though there wouldn’t be many

parents who haven’t lost their temper with their children on occasion).


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Likewise, “servants” (which we can call ‘employees’) need to be shown

by example, so that designs for leadership intervention are modelled off

innovation, based in due diligence (verse 19). If a leader doesn’t do this

they can only blame themselves for the consequences in verse 21.

The Firm Threads of Justice

There are two tight collections of proverbs attending to justice (verses

4-7 and 24-26) as well as individual proverbs in verses 2, 12, 14 and 16.

It is arguable with due cause that verses 13 and 15 combine in this

section to produce yet another, third, collection.

Justice is a key theme running right through Proverbs. Indeed, with

righteousness and equity, the three make a triad of both wise means and

ends (see also Proverbs 1:3 and 2:9).

We’ve discussed before how nations groan under oppression, but

rejoice under a proactive administration (verse 2). ‘Boomerang justice’

for the wicked is highlighted in the quatrain of verses 5-6. Sow in

wickedness; reap also what the wicked reap: disaster.

The righteous get just reward for looking after the affairs, and justice, of

the poor and needy (verse 7). They rule with consistency and are not


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found tolerating lies (verses 12 and 14). Those not ruling with such

diligence are bound to have officials who follow suit (verses 12 and 16).

Good leaders, then, lead exactly how their organisations (or nations) are

to become. They are building, or supporting the growth of, a

productive, caring culture.

Sovereign Nuances in True Justice Based in Wisdom

We need to understand, finally, how important it is to trust in the

establishment of God’s justice and God’s timing (verse 25-26). It is best

to exercise patience and self-control. Godly leaders are followers after

Wisdom, whether they fervently or actively follow the LORD or not, but

by virtue of their actions they’d be seen as friendly to God. Therefore

their sense of justice is a Sovereignly-backed justice.


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Proverbs 30 – Wonderful Humility-

Confirming Mysteries

“Every word of God proves true;

he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.”


This chapter has overtones of melancholy Ecclesiastes, which is only

one chapter’s jump away, gently wafting right the way through it,

particularly in the early stages.

The following themes are certainly noteworthy:

Humble Sayings Revealing Wisdom

The Sayings of Agur, the son of Jakeh, begin contrarily, but in the best of

senses. To state initially (in verses 2-3) that he’s “the most ignorant of

men” and that he has no “knowledge of the Holy One,” offers humility

for what directly follows, in verses 4-9 and throughout the whole

chapter.


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Agreeing with Ecclesiastes 12:12 and Revelation 22:18 is verse 6.

Wisdom will reveal us as liars for adding to the inspired words of God,

as written in the Bible; because of this, all teachers of the Word of God

should tremble. This is enough for everyone ‘preaching’ to forever fall

back to humility (based in the moral dimension) and continually so.

Verses 7-9 hold nine lines of text in a pattern of invocation-request-

feared response. The sage is fearful of falling for falsehood and vanity;

therefore balance is what he prays for. This too speaks for humility. He

is acutely aware of his own propensity to sin, something we’re all

blessed to have the awareness of.

This entire section has signalled for us the wisdom of acuity of the

person carrying this message.

Familial Oracles

The midsection in verses 10-17 calls us home to the vital respecting of

relationships in the family, and in the workplace (verse 10).

Those wicked ones are described; the ones without the appropriate

respect of seniors, parents and elders. These are also those who are

insatiable in their desire for acquisition. Heaven only help the parents


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with “two [leech-like] daughters,” (or sons) who command gratuities in

disrespecting and greedy fashion, “Give! Give!”

When we consider the anatomy of the leech we see it has bilateral

suckers that attach themselves to the host. It’s not good for parents—

or society at large—that children become like this; spoiled beyond

repair. Wise discipline would have been the timely answer.

Verse 17 concludes this little arrangement in power-proverb manner. It

will not end well for children who “mock” a father or “scorn [the]

obedience” to a mother.

Five Important Foursomes Ushering Mystery

The first foursome we’ve partially covered already. They discuss things

noted as insatiable; the greedy grown child, the grave, a barren womb and

fire. Each of these is abyss-like in its own way.

Four things produce wonder in the sage (verses 18-19). For these he has

no answer, and all he does is marvel. Marvelling is in itself a sign of

Wisdom, for it appreciates there are things beyond answer—which

there definitely are in life. Perhaps with this proverb couplet is verse 20,


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since it provides the negative image of the know-it-all adulteress who

refuses to acknowledge her vast sin and the damage caused.

This is the perfect introduction to four things that are despised (verses

21-23). These are oddities that are so perverse Wisdom would seek to

spit them out of her mouth, including for interest, issues on sexual and

moral infidelity.

Four more things in verses 24-28 are found wondrous as they’re diligently

wise. The innovatively productive methods of ants, rock badgers,

locusts and lizards are again marvelled at.

Majesty is the fifth important foursome featured (verses 29-31). This

foursome is about movement; the “stately” gait.

Warnings for Those Planning Evil

Proverbs 30 concludes (in verses 32-33) with the visitation again of the

‘malicious one’ who is bent on trouble. The warning is to back out of

such wickedness before it’s too late.


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Proverbs 31 – Wisdom’s Resounding

Conclusion

“Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,

but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.”


This final chapter of Proverbs is a masterstroke penned in the character

of Wisdom herself. It comes in two main sections which are as

divergent as two entities could ever be.

The Oracle of King Lemuel’s

Verses 1-9 of chapter 31 are attributed to Lemuel’s mother; in keeping

with Proverbs’ Wisdom tradition, the teachings are handed down from

a parent to the child via the oral tradition.

Three separate and compounding imperatives in verse 2 cast over the

king the importance of the oracle being taught; one that is never to be

lost on him. These are important to us too.


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Like other areas in Proverbs—notably chapter 23 verses 29-35—the

issues of drunkenness are deplored for their weakening of us and our

characters. Drink in anything close to vast portions is for neither kings

nor vassals; anyone with a hope does not have a part in inebriation

(verses 4-7). Now, that’s a biblical statement on drinking and

drunkenness if ever there was one.

The king is to “speak out” for the justice of those without voice, of “all

children of passing away,” and of those who are poor and needy.

Again, the device of compounding the imperative is featured (verses 8-

9). Justice is the king’s most crucial pawn.

The Ode for a Capable Wife

The acid may well be on the husband as much as the wife for this

section. It almost appears that the writer of this section perceives it

impossible for a woman to climb these heights of character, and yet she

is described.

We are best being careful how we apply these standards, especially in

such a tenuous area as marriage and family. And, still, we’re to consider

them.


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What are the qualities of this woman—this wife of a noble man?

She is Trustworthy in verses 11-12. She is safety for him, a partner

who can reliably be leaned upon, for she is sponsored by the LORD.

She is Diligent in verses 13-19, 21-22, 24 and 27. Oh how Wisdom

owes a significant part of her very self to this one trait, diligence. It’s

only correct that the writer of these proverbs considers diligence as such

an important characteristic for the wife of a noble man that he has

written at least twenty-three lines of text dedicated to it.

Willing hands are hers and the tyranny of physical distance adds no

anguish to her. Rising early is a treat to such a woman; she is not only

capable but willing to work hard for her entire family, including the

leadership of the servant-girls. From dawn to dusk, and then beyond,

she is still working, and she is prudently purchasing both perishables

and land. She is not only mentally and emotionally strong, physical

strength is hers too. And above all—as a learner—she’s skilled too.

She is Kind and Generous in verse 20. Even if only one verse is

dedicated to her kindness it is foundational in her service to all. She


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reaches out passionately and unreservedly. She also teaches kindness

(verse 26).

She is Full of Faith in verses 21 and 25b. This woman doesn’t fear for

her household. Her diligence has served her and now she can

comfortably and confidently rest in her faith.

She is Her Children’s and Husband’s Delight in verses 28-29.

What a leader of the family is this wife. Many might be apt at thinking

the wife is not the leader; that the husband is. This view doesn’t take

into consideration the vital leadership role of the wife and mother in

every family. For the Proverbs 31 woman, her eminent deeds (in the

context of other wives) have “surpassed them all” in the esteem of her

family. They’re full of admiration for her. How might present-day

wives respond to such single-minded and single-sighted familial

devotion?

Aligning The Woman with Wisdom (Who’s Personalised as a

Woman)

Many chauvinists are unable to reconcile what was laid there nearly

three thousand years; Wisdom is a Woman. The final two verses of the


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900-odd sayings in Proverbs provide an excellent conclusion for they

take us back to the beginning—back to the fear of the LORD (Proverbs

1:1-7).

The woman of Proverbs 31 seems aligned—even a practical

manifestation—of the character that is raised up in Woman Wisdom.

“Praise” seems the connecting word-concept in verses 30-31 and this

wife of a noble man is both praised for her work and she’s to be praised

herself. Again I wonder, how might our contemporary “wives” respond

to such praise? How might simply that augment marriages like no other

thing?

Of two final verses—speaking not only of the wife of a noble man, but

also of Wisdom herself—there is now a present majesty about them.

If we gave Wisdom “a share in the fruit of [our] hands,” how might

Wisdom repay us? How might we be inadvertently praised, recalling that

it’s how we receive our praise that determines how wise we really are?

(Proverbs 27:21)


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Excursus:

Proverbs’ “Power-Proverbs” – Power for

Life!

Some sayings have divergent or fleeting relevance. Others, however,

command our attention all the way through life. The latter are “power

proverbs”.

The “power-proverbs” within the biblical collection known as Proverbs

stand classically through the ages, content to admonish all who pass by.

These tall cedars do not just tower so we would cower; they usher us

gently though a persistent message for power in life.

Take for instance:

“A person who will not bend after many warnings will suddenly be

broken beyond repair.”

~Proverbs 29:1 (GWT)


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We can now readily see here that such a power-proverb leaves a

resounding message within us and affects how we subsequently interact

with life. We’re not likely to be so keen to embrace our stubbornness if

we continue reflecting on this proverb.

Likewise, this, which could be considered as a concluding quatrain in

the initial chapter casts both bright and stark imagery before the reader:

“For waywardness kills the simple, and the complacency of fools

destroys them; but those who listen to [Wisdom] will be secure and will

live at ease, without dread of disaster.”


Other proverbs encompass powerful portions of truth, for instance:

“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”

~Proverbs 4:23 (KJV)

This is an astoundingly comprehensive proverb—one that echoes

through our eternal souls as we partake in the “issuing” of life. The fact

that the heart is the “source,” or the “wellspring,” of our lives is as

profound a truth as any of us will ever know, certainly as far as the

exercise of practical living is concerned.


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We’re beginning to see here the resolute breadth of stead that the

power-proverb commands in and through life.

The Imagery in Some Power-Proverbs

There is another terrific example of the proverbial power we’re framing

up here. The sextet in verses 9-11 of chapter six talks about laziness

against diligence. The power in this set thrusts an image into the

forefront of our minds that should compel us to live our lives in a

respectfully fearful way—to not sleep all our lives, but to get up early

enough to prepare for our days, for instance.

Another example is Proverbs 16:1, a saying with many parallels speaking

similarly of its Wisdom. We have our plans, yet the reply of the tongue—

meaning the way life works out—comes from the LORD.

Overall Comments

Just about every single or set of proverbs from chapter ten onwards has

power about it, whilst the first nine chapters share an introductory or

preparatory flow, as an overall imperative to the young student of

Wisdom.


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And, of course, it has to be acknowledged; one person’s power-proverb

is not another’s and vice versa. The LORD has blessed us all with the

ability to have our own perceptions and unique viewpoints on things—

each are perfectly qualifiable.

Blessed are those who select their power-proverbs and allow that

particular Wisdom to permeate their lives.

T H E E N D

Documents

ARTICLES ON PROVERBS