Proverbs 17:1-14

Proverbs 17:1-14

Sometimes the depth of the Proverbs is lost on us because we may not grasp the cultural background of the original context. Such may be the case with the first proverb of this passage. In some translations, there is a footnote that reflects a literal translation, “a house full of sacrifices with (of) strife.” We live in a day of almost constant feasting. The caloric intake in our nation and the epidemic of obesity indicate we feast almost all the time. In the world of the Bible, most people had a more subsistence diet. Feasting occurred rarely, and even what they called a feast would seem meager to us. In that time, feasting was, for most people, reserved for the sacred feast, where the sacrifices were central to the meal. This gives us the context to understand this passage. We might expand or paraphrase this proverb this way: “It is better to have a small, humble religious meal with hearts that are content and peaceful than to be part of a great religious mealtime production and show while in conflict with God and others.” This has special application for our day, where we have received the idea that big churches with big productions and big personalities are inherently superior to less grandiose congregations. We must be careful of the outward trappings that are appealing but may not reflect an inner righteousness.

Verse 3 is an occasion for us to think of things a little deeper and a little more carefully. We look at the end results of the refined gold or silver and admire and appreciate their beauty. We say we want the same thing in our hearts; agreed! But have we considered the refining process from the perspective of the raw ore? Every part of the process of refining silver or gold into the finished metal would be what we call unpleasant. From pulverizing to a blast furnace to chemical treatment, every step is harsh. If the ore could speak, it would, no doubt, plead to stop the process at every step. Do we want to be genuinely pure and good and have a righteous heart? Be prepared for refining. It is painful but so worth it.

“Lord, grant that my sincere worship expresses a pure heart. “AMEN

Proverbs 16:17-33

Proverbs 16:17-33

In this passage we see the contrast between righteous and wicked people. It begins with the expression of the value of humility and avoiding the evil of pride. V. 17-18 What follows is the description of the humble wise man in verses 19-24. Each of these proverbs stands alone, but they also follow the theme of the humble-wise. Verse 25 is a sort of pivot or introduction to the evil plotter, the arrogant man. Three men, or aspects of the proud evil, are given in verses 27-29, and verse 30 tells about his conspiratorial signals. The last three verses offer a sort of conclusion.

Many hours could be spent in fruitful discussion as we compare and contrast the righteous and the evil. For the moment we will focus on vs 25-29. The evil man believes that his is the right way. Shaped by wrong motives, an absence of the Word of God, and his fallen nature, he vigorously takes a path that ends in death (v. 25). All of us work for that which we desire. The parable of v. 26 works at many levels, from the man putting in a garden to have food to the wicked man whose sinful desires move him on in his efforts. Those efforts are expressed in the description of 3 wicked men. Verse 27 is about the worthless man. This word means more than useless; it means by his uselessness he is destructive. Beyond being a non-productive person, his actions, rooted in gossip, lies, and deception, actually bring harm. Think of a completely corrupt criminal politician. In verse 28 we see the perverse man. As a society we no longer use the word "pervert" to describe people because we have lost the concept of what is right. To call a homosexual a pervert means there must be a right form of sexuality. This principle applies to all moral law. Finally, in verse 29, we have the violent man, who draws his innocent neighbor into his sin. Notice the use of the tongue to lead to such behavior. Long before we act with evil, we speak with evil.

“Lord, help me live a life of virtue and righteousness. AMEN.” 

Proverbs 16:1-16

Proverbs 16:1-16

Something wonderful happens in this passage that might easily escape our notice if we are not careful. We find ourselves very near the center of this book. In fact, 412 sayings precede this chapter, and 423 follow this chapter. At the beginning of chapter 16 we find an unusual construction of 7 proverbs or sayings that are built around the name of the Lord God. While chapter and verse notation and divisions were added much later, there remains at the center of this discourse on wisdom the name of the Lord.

As the church in America fell into the vanity of what is called ‘The Church Growth Movement,’ she tended to remove the Lord from the center of her life and practice. The focus has been shifted to how we feel about things, how we will want to live, or what might be helpful for us. I have sat through song sets in worship that never mentioned the Lord directly but only how we are supposed to feel. We have shifted from “How Great Thou Art” to “I'm trading my sorrows.”

Here in the middle of a highly practical book of wisdom literature, the arrangement is that the Lord is at the center. These seven sayings in verses 1-7 cover the whole of the majesty of a holy life. Each of these verses merits deep meditation and application. Verse 1 is about the interface of our deepest thoughts and the Lord bringing them out. In verse 2 we see that our motivations may seem pure, but only the Lord can rightly judge. Verse 3 is about the priority of honoring the Lord in our plans but trusting results to Him. In verse 4 we see that the Lord is firmly and safely in control. In verse 5 we see the Lord will deal with the most gross of all sins: pride. Verse 6 gives us a picture of the Lord's values and priorities. And in verse 7 we see that the one who honors the Lord is blessed even in difficult moments. In short, at the center of all things we find the Lord.

“Lord, help me to keep you at the center of my whole being. AMEN.”

Proverbs 15:18-33

Proverbs 15:18-33

Many years ago there was a young lady who occasionally attended the church I served. Her childhood was bad beyond decent conversation. At this point she was a 22-year-old single mom with one angelic little girl making between $60,000 and $90,000 a year as an adult entertainer, i.e., stripper. She was perpetually broke and would occasionally ask for food help from the church. Being a stripper, according to her, was expensive. You had to buy drinks and drugs for those in the club where you worked in order to get profitable shifts and customers. She was still a stunning beauty but looked closer to 35 years old than her actual 22. That life is hard on a person. 

One day she called and asked for food for her daughter. I was losing patience with her, and when I took over a small bag of groceries, I said to her, “Where are you going with your life? You are still pretty, but when your looks fade, what are you going to do? Will you start turning tricks for a living?” She answered, “A friend of mine tried to pimp me out this week.” I told her, “You need better friends. You need to think and see where your life will take you. If you don't like where you are going, choose a new path.” Thankfully, with the help of a godly lady in our church, who happened to be a former stripper, she made some course corrections. The moral of the story is found in verses 24-25.

The general destination of our lives is not a hidden secret. At some level we can see that our path will either lead us to life or lead us to ruin. By definition the person who is wise chooses the upward path. By doing so they gain real life and avoid Sheol, or ruin. When we are motivated by pride and determined to chart our own foolish course, God himself will bring ruin on our lives. (v. 25) How could a person making $90,000 a year live on the verge of poverty? Because the path of ruin begins to ruin life long before life ends. Once this girl chose the right path, including respectable work as a waitress, she had enough to live on even if she only made about a third of her former income.

“Lord, help me choose the path of life. AMEN.”

Proverbs 15:1-17

Proverbs 15:1-17

As human beings we want to live in an echo chamber, the place where we hear only our own opinions from others. We spout our opinions in hope that others will agree with us. Then we can cite their voice as evidence and proof that we were right all along. Social media has exacerbated this ancient proclivity. Within this text we have wisdom for dealing with our own misguided love for an echo chamber.

First we see two ways we can talk and teach people in verse 1. The question is not one of truth; it is how to present and how we respond. This is expressed in verse 2. Sometimes we need to say uncomfortable things, but it is possible to do this in such a way as to be about the underlying issue so that it does not seem like a personal attack. In contrast, what a fool says is provocative and is designed to bring others into a heated exchange that is foolish.

In verse 4 we see the underlying motivation of the fool's talk. Whereas words from the wise are about healing, the harshness of the fool's comments has its root in an inner perversion. If we provoke for the sake of provoking, there is something perverse in us.

Even if we, with the right motives and the most judicious and proper tones and words, find that someone rejects righteous counsel, the issue is theirs. We must not take responsibility for the behaviors and attitudes of others. In verse 12 we see that the scoffer will not love the one who gives correction. A scoffer is the one who mocks or derides. Interestingly, the word can be used for an ambassador. The one who is the representative of a position may mock those with whom they disagree but will not actually engage them or even go near them.

We see the reason in verse 14: while an intelligent person is seeking to understand even those positions with which they may disagree, the fool only wants to be in their echo chamber—to have their ideas, no matter how foolish, fed back.

“Lord, help me be humble in what I say and hear. AMEN.” 

Proverbs 14:19-35

Proverbs 14:19-35

The life we live is our resume. If someone were to claim to be a good money manager, how could you tell? "Are they wealthy?" is the best answer to the question. How can you tell if someone is a fool? The resume of life tells the story. That is the point of verse 24.

How is it that those who are suffering for Christ have such strength and resolve? Verse 25 tells us that their confidence is in the Lord, and in Him they have a place of refuge. If we lack stability, if we are falling apart, we ought to consider where we have placed our confidence.

Where do we live mentally and emotionally? Verse 30 is a real challenge. The health of the body is the cure that comes from the emotionally sound inner person. We use the word ‘stress’ to describe so much of our lives, and at the same time we are physically ill. How much of our physical ruin is the result of what the King James Version calls “envy,” the NASB calls “passion,” and the Hebrew calls “qinah” (pronounced kee naw)? It means color produced in the face. It can mean ‘anger,’ ‘zeal,’ ‘jealousy,’ or ‘passion.’ We were not made to run on high emotions all the time, and sooner or later our bodies will pay the price.

What causes this constant anxiety with which we live? Verse 26 is descriptive of the person who is not as susceptible to anxiety. Verse 32 gives us a picture of the fragilities and resilience of two groups of people. First we see the evil person is thrust down or driven away by their evil. The word ‘banished’ is a good way to think of this concept. The word carries the implications of ‘chasing off with violence’ and the way smoke is driven by the wind. The evil person's schemes fail, and they are totally undone by that single and momentary failure. In contrast, the righteous facing the greatest challenge possible, their own death, find a refuge. Face any setback without our God, and we will experience stress and banishment and hardship. But face them in faith, and even the most difficult moment, death, we can face in peace.

“Lord, help me find my confidence in You, not in myself nor circumstances. AMEN.” 

Proverbs 14:1-18

Proverbs 14:1-18

With each of the individual proverbs, we get the feeling that there is a history, and the proverb serves as sort of the expected moral of the story. I recall a young lady from early in my ministry. She was married to a really great guy: a smart, talented, devoted husband and engineer. They had two wonderful kids, a lovely home, and a bright future. She was raised in a godly home and was a fabulous vocalist. She was, however, attracted to the “bad boy” image and the wild party life. She abandoned her home, husband, and family to become the ‘old lady’ of a biker type. She ended up living with an abusive motorcycle gang member in a run-down trailer in a dumpy trailer park. The moral of the story is in verse 1.

What was broken inside of her that she would do such a thing? We can never know. But tragically, she didn't know either. If she had discerned her wounds, perhaps by godly counseling and inner healing, what was on the inside could have been healed and saved many people a great deal of hurt. There are some people who understand themselves, especially their weaknesses and vulnerabilities. That self-knowledge is not academic information; it is what makes them wise. But the girl was the worst kind of fool; in her deceit, she deceived herself. The moral of the story is in verse 8.

Her sudden irrational behavior caught everyone by surprise. Those who knew her best—husband, mom, and dad—were completely caught off guard. She played the role of devoted wife and mom until the moment she ran away. The picture I have of her is still of a prim, proper, and modestly dressed young mom holding an adorable baby girl whose hair bow is bigger than her face. The perfect picture of a happy, holy wife and mom. But she had the inner hurt and pain. She thought she could find what she was looking for riding on the back of a bike, dressed like a slut, with a mean man. Why? No one could know her secret heart. The moral of the story is in verses 10 and 13.

“Lord, help me see the condition of my heart and have the wisdom to live holy. AMEN.”