Proverbs 15:20-29
“Joy in Education, it's Path and Consequences”
Last week we looked at Proverbs 15:5-19
Phil taught from these verses on the consequences of accepting or rejecting instruction from verses 5-12 and then The Heart’s Superiority to Circumstances”
- This week we will continue the focus on education with a closer look at the issues of the heart and then the consequences of the heart’s direction.
-What is your goal or objective in teaching and educating your children? What do you want to see as the result of your teaching?
(pause)
- How are you doing at reaching your goal?
When you look at the Proverbs and listen to the “Proverbs for Parents” lessons that we have been doing, does it seem like your dropping the ball with your kids? I mean practically…maybe you feel like your not teaching them enough…maybe you feel like you are teaching them but they just aren’t getting it and you feel like a failure.
(Talk about Proverbs from a legalist perspective verses a gospel perspective).
We must remember the gospel and it’s implications in our lives and in our parenting and in our kids lives. We must remember that we are believers in grace.
So as we look at these verses today, I would like to encourage you to examine your goals in teaching your kids. I don’t believe there is a wrong answer to my initial question, however our motive and priority can be off. I hope to address that as an application to our lesson today.
Proverbs 15:20-29(Let’s read our verses for today).
Structure of the Verses
Verses 20-23 are a subunit that we can title “Joy in Education”
Verses 25-29 are a subunit that we can title “Consequences of Righteousness and Wickedness”
Verse 24 connects these 2 subunits by looking back at the first and forward to the 2nd.
“Joy in Education” verses 20-23.
-The previous subunits covered by Phil last week lead us to a point where we are forced to look at the intentions and desires of the heart. And it is within the intentions of the heart that reveal the path and ultimate consequences of the path that we are on.
- Let’s look at verse 20
OBSERVATIONS AND INTERPRETATION
-this verse parallels 10:1(read) with a twist. In 10:1 the emotion described in relation to the foolish son is grief to the mother. In 15:20 the strong word is “despises”.
-verse linked back to verse 13(read)
-The wise son does not despise his parents while the foolish son does. In some translations it refers to the son as “human being” suggesting disowning from the parents.
-as we will see the issue here comes down to whether a child is wise and accepts correction or is foolish and hates loving correction.
-This verse also shows that the one who really needs the instruction of parents and wise counsel rejects it-he is above that type of training revealing his prideful heart.
-The wise son makes his parents glad(Heb. Implies “rejoicing” or brings them joy. When your child does something right, or demonstrates wisdom in a situation does it bring you joy?
APPLICATION
Now here is the question…why? I want to take the focus off the wise son and focus on the glad father. Why is the father in this situation glad? This gets at the root of our lesson today.
(list selfish reasons, or morality only reasons why a child’s correct behavior brings joy).
- This verse sets the path for the rest of this subunit.
A quick question to ask in response to this verse, what is the attitude of all those involved in the training process? What is our motive for giving and receiving instruction?
Let’s Move on to Verse 21
OBSERVATIONS
-joy linked to verse 20 and previous verses
-both the wise and the foolish have joy(same word for joy as in v. 23)
-if we link this back to verse 20 we see that the foolish one takes joy in grieving his parents
-it is implied that the foolish one recklessly abandons the straight path.
-we see that path was also referenced in verse 19, linking this subunit to the previous verses.
APPLICATION
-look at this verse like a mirror for the heart.
-it speaks more of and reveals direction (path) like signs on the side of the road.
- there are 2 paths, the actions and intentions of the heart reveal the path that we are on.
-Joy/Happiness/Pleasure are not bad things. The question is what brings you joy? What brings you happiness and pleasure?
The answer to these things again reveal the path that we are on. They reveal a heart that has either been changed by God(regeneration) or a heart that is still dead in sin.
Verse 22
OBSERVATIONS
- We see a continuation of instruction
- We see a continuation of path
- We see why it is important to accept and take joy in wise instruction as it relates to life.
- The fool, already set in his way, who takes joy in folly, brings grief to those who would instruct him, has no hope of making wise decisions that lead to successful plans.
-some translations say “making void of purposes” or that plans will be disappointed”
-This does not mean that he will not have short term success, it does however mean that ultimately without Godly wisdom…the fools self serving plans will meet a dead a end.
- the wise person, takes joy in continually receiving Godly counsel. He received counsel as a child, and had joy in pleasing his parents. With that example set, he seeks counsel to make the best decisions.
APPLICATION
- Do you seek wise counsel
- Do you teach your kids the value of seeking instruction and wisdom?
Verse 23
OBSERVATIONS
- Not only does the wise person seek counsel…he takes joy in giving it
-Here we see the word joy again.
-It is obvious that joy is cultivated in both receiving and giving wisdom.
-A timely answer is like hitting the nail on the head.
-Have you ever experienced giving an answer that really helped someone. Do you recall the joy(not pride) in being able to provide such an answer?
APPLICATION
- Let’s teach our kids the value of giving a timely word.
- Often times kids can give the correct answer(when correcting a sibling etc) but it is not timely, reflecting a lack of wisdom.
-The answers we give must not only be appropriate in truth they must also be appropriate in time and motive(Job’s friends).
-In this section that we have seen that Joy comes from
- Seeing children receive wisdom
- In receiving wisdom
- In giving timely wisdom
-We have also seen that the foolish get joy in the exact opposite of these things.
- We have seen that wisdom starts with the parents in the home, implying that parents themselves must be wise, we have seen that after kids leave the home they continue to seek wisdom and to the point where they give wisdom to others.
-Again these verse describe a direction and do even though they can be used as a prescription to correct, they are more a reflection of the heart, hence the use of the word joy and path.
Verse 24. Which Brings us to the transition verse between these to subunits
- “path” connects back to verse 21
- “life” looks forward to the last word of verse 27
- This verse connects present joy with future joy and presence with the Lord who is the source of wisdom.
Part 2 verses 25-29
- Verse 25
-connects back to verse 24 by describing consequences
-house refers to everything sustaining in life
-Here we see that it is the Lord that sees the ultimate end of those on the path of life and death.
- Ultimately the righteous will inherit wealth and security v.6
Here it is the proud that have it but the Lord will tear it down
-The widows boundary is a symbol of what is humble and poor
Rejected by culture and the proud, with no hope for a future.
Spiritually this reflects “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of God.”
These are the one’s that the Lord will protect.
-God resists the proud but gives grace to humble
-Verse 26
-This links back to verse 22-23
-Fools plans are evil
- Abomination vs. Pure / Proud are evil…the humble are pure
-Again, we see the Lord as the deciding factor…not the plans of man.
-Evil plans are selfish, whether a blatant attempt to hurt others to benefit self, or simply being selfish without consulting wise council in humility…these plans are evil to the Lord. They are immoral and against His character.
- The exact opposite reflect purity. Words that are pleasant, unselfish, seeking the good of others are wise, are the result of Godly teaching and education and are pure to the Lord.
-In conjunction with verse 25 we see that the Lord judges the intentions of the heart(verse 3 and 11)
Verse 27
-God hates unjust gain
-again speaking to the intentions of the heart
-the heart of the greedy only thinks of self and will do whatever necessary to benefit from others
-The language here, which links back to verses 1:10-19 which speaks of a “murderous thug” and parallels here as a “corrupt shyster”
-The heart that is not instructed in wisdom…that rejects wisdom will perform acts that God hates and thus face His judgment.
No matter how much a fool gains in this world…it will come to ultimate ruin.
-”What shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul…”
-God hates bribes, if our heart is in line with God we will too.
-again, God is judge…those who are proud, and seek only self even to the point of unjust gains, will see his house come to trouble and ruin…linking this back to verse 25.
-Our integrity and character must not be compromised for bribes and unjust gain.
-spiritually, we cannot bribe God with our so called good works
Verses 28-29
- Linked chiastically righteous at the beginning of 28 & the end of 29 and then wicked at the end of 28 and the beginning of 29.
Verse 28
-This verse is the heartbeat of all our verses today.
-it is the heart that produces evil thoughts or pure words(v.26)
-it is the heart that is the source of being greedy or being generous(v. 27)
- it is the heart that is the key to giving good and timely answers(v. 23)
- Notice the contrast between “ponders” and “pours out” and the comparison from “heart” to “mouth”
-We know that our Lord said “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks”, we also know that man will give an account for every idle word.
I asked earlier what is your goal in teaching your children? I believe that Proverbs, right here and in many other places, shows us the correct answer…we need to be after their heart.
-many ways to manipulate our children into “correct behavior”
Into being “moral” but if we do not have their heart then they will only act the way we want them to so they can avoid whatever the consequences are. Basically, we make the outside of their cup clean but their inside remains dirty and after they leave the home… many fall away.
(read Shepherding a Child’s Heart page 6)
(read Malachi 4:6) last verse before the New Testament
Let’s look at the result of either having your child’s heart or not.
Verse 29
-we know that the Lord is omniscient and omnipresent.
-He knows and sees everything
-This verse speaks of whether you have a saving relationship with God or not.
-all of our verses have thrust us to this point…if your heart, or your child’s heart takes joy in folly, grieves those who try to provide wisdom, seeks selfish gain, does not desire to seek Godly wisdom, gushes forth thoughtless evil words, then you have the Lord’s assurance…your house will come to ruin…and the Lord is far from you and does not hear your prayers…you will face His wrath.
-However, if your heart takes joy in seeing your children respond to Godly wisdom, seeks Godly wisdom, provides Godly wisdom, is humble, gives thoughtful pleasant words, hates illicit gains, then your path is a path upward…the Lord is your sustainer and protector and He is near and hears your prayers.
-This is why we must have the hearts of our kids.
-The Bible tells us that their hearts are deceitful above all things and desperately wicked…
-we must teach them the wisdom from Proverbs, but if we stop there then we are only trying to modify behavior.
-They must know that Jesus lived the Proverbs to perfection and that it is His perfection that allows us to receive the benefits as described in our verses today.
-We must be gospel people, we must trust God to change their hearts through the gospel so that they are receptive to wisdom.
