A little real scary reading about sinners coming to entice sons (and daughters) to join them in their violent pursuit of easy money.
Proverbs 1.10-14 My son, if sinners entice you, Do not consent. If they say, "Come with us, Let us lie in wait to shed blood; Let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause; Let us swallow them alive like Sheol, And whole, like those who go down to the Pit; We shall find all kinds of precious possessions, We shall fill our houses with spoil; Cast in your lot among us, Let us all have one purse"— Lord, help me to hear and follow wisdom's call over the clamor of enticing sinners. |
It is both amazing and disturbing how good we are at convincing ourselves that we are the exception who can go down the wrong path and still end up at our desired destination. Here the warning is against easy sex with a "wayward woman" (CSB) with an obvious implied application for the daughter, too.
Proverbs 2.18-19 For her house leads down to death, And her paths to the dead; None who go to her return, Nor do they regain the paths of life— Lord, keep me seeking Your wisdom and walking down Your path. |
There's a fictitious story told about a wealthy businessman who was able to negotiate with God to bring whatever he could fit in one briefcase to heaven with him when he died. When he arrived at the pearly gates, St. Peter was curious to see what he had brought. The man proudly opened the briefcase to reveal a briefcase full of the finest gold bars money could buy. Peter looked with confusion and replied, "Paving stones!? Why paving stones?"
Proverbs 3.13-14 Happy is the man who finds wisdom, And the man who gains understanding; For her proceeds are better than the profits of silver, And her gain than fine gold. Lord, I want Wisdom and understanding and their fine proceeds. |
Two reasons for the wise son to avoid the wicked...
Proverbs 4.16-17
16 For they do not sleep unless they have done evil;
And their sleep is taken away unless they make someone fall.
17 For they eat the bread of wickedness,
And drink the wine of violence.
Lord, help me take firm hold of instruction and discern the wicked for who they are.
------------------------------------------------
While the Lord is watching and weighing all we do, say, and think, we usually find a way to get tangled up in our sin and their consequences all by ourselves.
Proverbs 5:21-23
For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD,
And He ponders all his paths.
His own iniquities entrap the wicked man,
And he is caught in the cords of his sin.
He shall die for lack of instruction,
And in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.
Lord, help me remember and live in your instruction.
------------------------------------------------
While all sins are damnable, not all sins are equal in their seriousness and consequences. For example...
Proverbs 6.30-32
People do not despise a thief
If he steals to satisfy himself when he is starving.
Yet when he is found, he must restore sevenfold;
He may have to give up all the substance of his house.
Whoever commits adultery with a woman lacks understanding;
He who does so destroys his own soul.
------------------------------------------------
In this tragic "case study" the young man lacking sense (csb) abandons his father's wise teaching and wanders down toward the immoral woman's location in the late evening. What could possibly go wrong?
Proverbs 7.7-9
And saw among the simple,
I perceived among the youths,
A young man devoid of understanding, Passing along the street near her corner;
And he took the path to her house
In the twilight, in the evening,
In the black and dark night.
Lord, give me a love for Your wisdom and the sense to stay away from places where and when extraordinary temptations are lurking.
------------------------------------------------
Chapter eight depicts Wisdom crying out to people and describing herself as much more than clever life hacks.
Proverbs 8.12-13
"I, wisdom, dwell with prudence,
And find out knowledge and discretion.
The fear of the LORD is to hate evil;
Pride and arrogance and the evil way
And the perverse mouth I hate.
------------------------------------------------
Wisdom is not the only one calling out to people. Folly is calling out to senseless people (csb) to engage in porn and easy sex, and they just don't have the sense to realize what a horrid trap it is.
Proverbs 9:16-18
"Whoever is simple, let him turn in here";
And as for him who lacks understanding, she says to him,
"Stolen water is sweet, And bread eaten in secret is pleasant."
But he does not know that the dead are there,
That her guests are in the depths of hell.
Oh! Lord, my God, please save me from being morally stupid.
------------------------------------------------
Proverbs 10:4-5
4 He who has a slack hand becomes poor,
But the hand of the diligent makes rich.
5 He who gathers in summer is a wise son;
He who sleeps in harvest is a son who causes shame.
Lord, give me the desire and ability to work hard and work hardest at the key times.
------------------------------------------------
These three sayings contrast the righteous and the wicked and highlight the value of righteousness.
Proverbs 11.3-5
3 The integrity of the upright will guide them,
But the perversity of the unfaithful will destroy them.
4 Riches do not profit in the day of wrath,
But righteousness delivers from death.
5 The righteousness of the blameless will direct his way aright,
But the wicked will fall by his own wickedness.
Lord, help me to seek, know, and practice righteousness.
------------------------------------------------
A triad of sayings about the tongue speaking righteousness, health, and truth.
Proverbs 12.17-19
17 He who speaks truth declares righteousness,
But a false witness, deceit.
18 There is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword,
But the tongue of the wise promotes health.
19 The truthful lip shall be established forever,
But a lying tongue is but for a moment.
Lord, give me a heart that overflows Your goodness and the good sense to keep my mouth shut when it doesn't.
------------------------------------------------
These sayings combine ethical speech with diligence. Traits or character qualities often cluster.
Proverbs 13.2-4
2 A man shall eat well by the fruit of his mouth,
But the soul of the unfaithful feeds on violence.
3 He who guards his mouth preserves his life,
But he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction.
4 The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing;
But the soul of the diligent shall be made rich.
Lord, help me please You with my words (and thoughts).
------------------------------------------------
We often focus on the aspect of the fear of the Lord that causes the wicked to cower and tremble, but the confidence that God is watching, weighing and rewarding can be a liberating force for good in our lives.
Proverbs 14.25-27
25 A true witness delivers souls,
But a deceitful witness speaks lies.
26 In the fear of the LORD there is strong confidence,
And His children will have a place of refuge.
27 The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life,
To turn one away from the snares of death.
Lord increase my confidence in You to reward good, and help me be bold to do good.
Proverbs 14.25-27
25 A true witness delivers souls,
But a deceitful witness speaks lies.
26 In the fear of the LORD there is strong confidence,
And His children will have a place of refuge.
27 The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life,
To turn one away from the snares of death.
Lord increase my confidence in You to reward good, and help me be bold to do good.
A humble, teachable heart is the evidence and fruit of the fear of the Lord.
Proverbs 15:31-33
31 The ear that hears the rebukes of life
Will abide among the wise.
32 He who disdains instruction despises his own soul,
But he who heeds rebuke gets understanding.
33 The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom,
And before honor is humility.
Lord, help me be humble.
------------------------------------------------
I see echoes of Vanity Fair and By-Path Meadow in these verses.
Proverbs 16.16-17
16 How much better to get wisdom than gold!
And to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.
17 The highway of the upright is to depart from evil;
He who keeps his way preserves his soul.
Lord, keep me pressing forward on the path and not getting sidetracked.
------------------------------------------------
Sandwiched among a warning about fools and strife are two sayings that warn against turning justice on its head.
Proverbs 17.12-15 12 Let a man meet a bear robbed of her cubs, Rather than a fool in his folly. 13 Whoever rewards evil for good, Evil will not depart from his house. 14 The beginning of strife is like releasing water; Therefore stop contention before a quarrel starts. 15 He who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the just, Both of them alike are an abomination to the LORD. (Also, note the bonus nature tip.). (Also notice the implied relationship between strife and the perversion of justice.) Lord, help me be a righteous steward of your justice. |
These two sayings are more part of chapter 19 and 24a is difficult to translate with certainty. One lesson from these two sayings is the importance of good friends.
Proverbs 18.23-24
23 A poor person makes supplications,
but a rich man answers harshly.
24 A person who has friends may be harmed by them,
but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
Lord, help me be a faithful and compassionate friend.
------------------------------------------------
I am thinking about the connections between despising God's commands and the poor.
Proverbs 19:16-17
16 He who keeps the commandment keeps his soul,
But he who is careless [or despises] of his ways will die.
17 He who has pity on the poor lends to the LORD,
And He will pay back what he has given.
Lord, help me take care with Your law and Your poor.
------------------------------------------------
Proverbs 20.8-11
8 A king who sits on the throne of judgment
Scatters all evil with his eyes.
9 Who can say, "I have made my heart clean,
I am pure from my sin"?
Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me, and know my anxieties;
And see if there is any wicked way in me,
And lead me in the way everlasting.
Psa. 139
------------------------------------------------
Proverbs 21:15-16
15 The exercise of justice is joy for the righteous,
But is terror to the workers of iniquity.
16 A man who wanders from the way of understanding
Will rest in the assembly of the dead.
Lord, keep me on Your way so that Your justice will be my delight.
------------------------------------------------
These are the first three of five sayings that form the introduction to the "Thirty Sayings of the Wise" and encourage the son to listen and apply himself to the words of the wise so his trust will be in the Lord. Parents and grandparents should teach their children wise sayings that help and encourage them tto trust the Lord
Proverbs 22.17-19
17 Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise,
And apply your heart to my knowledge;
18 For it is a pleasant thing if you keep them within you;
Let them all be fixed upon your lips,
19 So that your trust may be in the LORD;
I have instructed you today, even you.
Lord, help me trust You and lead others to do the same.
------------------------------------------------
Saying of then Wise #18 for the obedient son. It is very thought provoking that the heart affection for the father's teaching competes against the draw of the promiscuous woman. There is a lot of food for thought there.
Proverbs 23:26-27 (nlt)
O my son, give me your heart.
May your eyes take delight in following my ways.
A prostitute is a dangerous trap;
a promiscuous woman is as dangerous as falling into a narrow well.
Lord, help Your ways to be the object of my thoughts and desires.
------------------------------------------------
Sayings of the Wise # 26
There is no such thing as overeating when it comes to obtaining wisdom.
Proverbs 24.13-14
My son, eat honey because it is good,
And the honeycomb which is sweet to your taste;
So shall the knowledge of wisdom be to your soul;
If you have found it, there is a prospect,
And your hope will not be cut off.
Lord, help me love and enjoy Your wisdom more than any dessert.
------------------------------------------------
Thoughtful and appropriate responses, even to our enemies are pleasing to the Lord.
Proverbs 25.21-23
20 Like one who takes away a garment in cold weather,
And like vinegar on soda,
Is one who sings songs to a heavy heart.
21 If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat;
And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;
22 For so you will heap coals of fire on his head,
And the LORD will reward you.
Lord, give me the wisdom and thoughtfulness to be a blessing even to my enemies.
------------------------------------------------
An old twist on the modern understanding of combustion. There are three necessary elements to a fire: oxygen, heat, and fuel. In these sayings a gossip and / or a contentious man spirit fuel the fire.
Proverbs 26.20-21 20 Where there is no wood, the fire goes out; And where there is no talebearer, strife ceases. 21 As charcoal is to burning coals, and wood to fire, So is a contentious man to kindle strife. Lord, give me the heart and self-control of a peacemaker. |
Anticipating things that can go wrong and taking appropriate precautions instead of being naive...
Proverbs 27.11-13
11 My son, be wise, and make my heart glad,
That I may answer him who reproaches me.
12 A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself;
The simple pass on and are punished.
13 Take the garment of him who is surety for a stranger,
And hold it in pledge when he is surety for a seductress.
------------------------------------------------
We ask the question, "Would you do some sin for a million dollars?" But the sad fact is we will usually compromise for much less, (even a piece of bread?)
Proverbs 28.21-22
21 To show partiality is not good,
Because for a piece of bread a man will transgress.
22 A man with an evil eye [a greedy man] hastens after riches,
And does not consider that poverty will come upon him.
Lord, help me to be content and trust in you.
------------------------------------------------
Proverbs 29.8-9
8 Scoffers set a city aflame, But wise men turn away wrath. 9 If a wise man contends with a foolish man, Whether the fool rages or laughs, there is no peace. 10 The bloodthirsty hate the blameless, But the upright seek his well-being. At first glance, it is difficult to see (and not immediately obvious) what these verses have in common, but when you reflect, you see the common theme of aggressive self-interest and lack of self-control in all three verses. Lord, help me to value peace and Your ways more than my natural urges. |
This set of sayings make a point about a son who scorns his parents (a serious crime in the OT economy).
Proverbs 30.15-17 The leech has two daughters—Give and Give! There are three things that are never satisfied, Four never say, "Enough!": The grave, The barren womb, The earth that is not satisfied with water— And the fire never says, "Enough!" The eye that mocks his father, And scorns obedience to his mother, The ravens of the valley will pick it out, And the young eagles will eat it. Lord, give me the shalom and contentment in my heart to honor my parents (literally and figuratively). |
