The excellent wife (Proverbs 31.10-31) August 11/2017

This famous poem is an acrostic in Hebrew. Each verse begins with a consecutive letter of the Hebrew alphabet, giving the reader the impression of a complete picture of this godly woman. She is no less valiant, being a reflection of Lady Wisdom herself.

The excellent wife is literally called a “woman of strength or valor” She is strong in competence and character. She is rare and precious, even far beyond jewels.

I sum, the excellent wife fears and trusts the Lord. More specifically, she is trustworthy, industrious, resourceful, enterprising, sound in judgement, successful, responsible, generous, dignified, strong, kind, and supportive to her husband and family. A wise son would be wise to pursue such a wife. For in doing so, he embraces wisdom.

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Admonitions to a King (Proverbs 31.1-9) August 10/2017

The book of Proverbs offers us many great lessons that can be applied to our everyday lives. We learn practical ways to gain godly wisdom, make good decisions, and live righteously.

The first nine verses in this chapter are lessons from a mother to a son on how a king should act. His mother warns him to not waste his strength on women that will ruin him. She urges him not to drink too much, and to speak up for the poor and helpless.

There are three lessons here that we can all apply to our lives:

1) Be careful not to partner with those that will lead us down a path of ruin.

2) Be careful not to crave alcohol, that it will cloud our judgment.

3) Speak up for those that cannot speak for themselves.

The opening exclamations display all the passion that only a mother could have for her son. She gets his attention. Her description of him reflects their closeness and her right to address him forthrightly. She was the one who bore him. Moreover, she presumably vowed repeatedly to dedicate him to God. The name Lemuel means “belonging to God”.

God’s wisdom is sometimes difficult to understand (Proverbs 30) August 09/2017

These verses are described as the “sayings of Agur,” a person unknown to us from Scripture. Scholars have debated and disagreed on the possible identity of this wisdom writer. Is it Solomon using another name as he shifts to another style of writing? Is the entirety of Verse One, which contains a Hebrew palindrome, a word which is the same written backward as forward, with riddle-like qualities, meant to express that God’s wisdom is sometimes difficult to understand? Agur’s four questions clearly convey the truth that none of us can fully attain to God’s wisdom. Yet, even while raising questions, the writer gives us practical wisdom which we can apply immediately.

Agur’s four questions call for the answer: NO ONE BUT GOD. No one but God can bring divine knowledge and wisdom down to man from heaven. No one but God controls the wind and the rain. No one but God has established the ends of the earth.

Agur challenges the reader to name this one who reveals knowledge and controls the cosmos. This is a reminder of God’s covenant name- Yahweh- and the relationship that entails with His people. Only in relationship with Him can wisdom be found.

To know the name, especially the covenant name “Yahweh” is to know the person of God as Creator and Redeemer and Revealer of wisdom.

Don’t miss your opportunity for change (Proverbs 29) August 08/2017

The book of Proverbs repeatedly teaches that the wise listens to rebuke while fool don’t. This chapter is no different. It actually describes a stubborn fool who, though reproved, refuses to listen.

A man who loves wisdom will certainly not love sin. A man who entertains sin wastes his wealth, thereby displaying a foolishness that grieves his family. A man who cherishes wisdom makes his father glad.

The fool lacks self-control, so he always loses his temper. He differs dramatically from the wise man who holds it back. The wise man is able to quiet the turmoil generated by fools.

The wise should trust God and not fear man. To fear man is to be anxious about what other people think and what they can do. The fool lives in fear and at some point, suddenly his opportunity for change ends and he reaps catastrophic results.

There are only two paths, and they are radically different. The wise will choose the path of righteousness and expect opposition from the wicked.

God’s glory and the king’s strength (Proverbs 25) August 4/2017

Is it true that God and the king have glory? When it comes to power and wisdom, there is a hierarchy from God to king to human subjects. God’s glory is displayed in the mysteries of His creation, which stress His transcendence and bring all human beings to an appropriate humility before Him.

The king’s glory is seen in his capacity to use God-given wisdom to understand some of the mysterious matters of God’s creation. The heart of the king is as enigmatic to their subjects as the mysteries of the heights of the heavens and the depths of the earth.

Though we are encouraged to search out a matter, to find God’s glory- No one can find it, unless God Himself reveals it to us. His ways are unfathomable and it takes the humility of a king to appreciate the magnitude of God and be okay with His inscrutability.

Sayings of the wise (Proverbs 24-23-34) August 3/2017

The second half of Proverbs 24 is known as “sayings of the wise”. This saying compares giving a right answer with “kissing the lips”. A right answer is straightforward, honest response to an inquiry. Such words reflect love, respect and intimacy. The greatest sign of affection and respect for another is to tell the person the truth.

The opposite of being straightforward destroys one’s personal integrity and undermines the justice system, which depends on honest testimony. Worse still, it displays a lack of trust in the Lord who judges justly in His timing.

We are not called to be rude, we are called to be truthful. The wise should never engage in a conversation without appropriate preparation.

“I could never draw the line between meanness and dishonesty. What is mean, so far as I can see, slides by indistinguishable gradations into what is dishonest.”

– George Macdonald

Building a home (Proverbs 24.1-22) August 2/2017

We learn here that by wisdom one builds, establishes, and fills a house with precious and pleasant riches. However, even more significantly, it applies to the incalculable blessing of a loving, stable family life that can only come by wisdom.

A wise man is strong in ways that go beyond human strength. Wise knowledge increases power.

Times of distress will test a person’s character. If a person is slack in difficult times, he proves his limited strength of character. But if he is always inquiring of the Lord, he proves himself to be rich in wisdom and strength.

I want to share the lyrics of a song with you today. This song is by Matthew Boswell. I believe it is appropriate for this chapter.

“Christ the sure and steady anchor, In the fury of the storm; When the winds of doubt blow through me,

And my sails have all been torn. In the suffering, in the sorrow, When my sinking hopes are few; I will hold fast to the anchor, It will never be removed. Christ the sure and steady anchor, While the tempest rages on; When temptation claims the battle, And it seems the night has won. Deeper still then goes the anchor, Though I justly stand accused; I will hold fast to the anchor, It shall never be removed. Christ the sure and steady anchor, Through the floods of unbelief; Hopeless somehow, O my soul, now, Lift your eyes to Calvary. This my ballast of assurance, See his love forever proved. I will hold fast to the anchor, It shall never be removed. Christ the sure and steady anchor, As we face the wave of death; When these trials give way to glory, As we draw our final breath. We will cross that great horizon, Clouds behind and life secure; And the calm will be the better, For the storms that we endure. Christ the sure of our salvation, Ever faithful, ever true! We will hold fast to the anchor, It shall never be removed.”

Right thinking leads to right living (Proverbs 23) August 1/2017

This chapter really is about the heart. The heart is connected to the mind; therefore, I need to have the right thinking in order to live right.

The wise will always consider carefully what or who is before him. That is, he will pay cautious attention to the context he is in, and act accordingly.

The writer of Proverbs refers to “food” pointing to the character of the host, who is testing the character of the guest. Demonstrating a lack of self-control, the guest will make a poor impression on the host and undermine his hopes. The wise on the other hand, make good impressions at opportune times.

Wise words are wasted on a fool. Good intentions notwithstanding, the fool always has contempt for wisdom. This is an exhortation to us all. We must receive discipline and knowledge. We must bring the wisdom we receive through our ears to bear on our hearts, rather than listen and forget.

Let the learner know truth! (Proverbs 22.17-29) July 31/207

 

This section of Proverbs 22 starts with an exhortation to incline your ear and hear diligently. The learner has ample motivation for heeding the teachings of Solomon and to have them ready on his lips.

The purpose of these teachings is twofold: The fist is that the learner might trust in the Lord- a personal, ongoing commitment to rely on God- The second is that the learner would know truth and speak honestly and reliably. Honesty is valuable to society.

The centrality of fearing the Lord is a crucial difference between Biblical wisdom and worldly counsel. Biblical wisdom will always have pleasant consequences for one’s life.

We must always be ready to internalize the teachings of the wise, that we can readily articulate them.

“A saying I heard years ago: ‘It doesn’t matter what you do. Just do something, even if it’s wrong!’ That’s the most stupid counsel I’ve ever heard. Never do what’s wrong! Do nothing until it’s right. Then do it with all your might. That’s wise counsel.”

– Chuck Swindoll

You are the temple of the Living God (Proverbs 20) July 28/2017

The Bible does not condemn all uses of alcohol. However, drunkenness is always condemned. The mischief of drunkenness: Wine is a mocker; strong drink is raging. It is so to the sinner himself; it mocks him, makes a fool of him, promises him that satisfaction which it can never give him.

The folly of drunkards is easily inferred. He that is deceived, that suffers himself to be drawn into this sin when he is so plainly warned of the consequences of it, is not wise; he shows that he has no right sense or consideration of things; and not only so, but he renders himself incapable of getting wisdom; for it is a sin that infatuates men, and takes away their heart. A drunkard is a fool, and a fool he is likely to be.

This chapter not only deals with drunkenness, it also deals with strife. Men think it is their wisdom to engage in quarrels; when in really, it is the greatest folly that can be. He thinks himself a wise man that is quick in resenting others, but the one that resents is a fool, and creates a great deal of needless vexation to himself.

In our journey of faith, it should be an honor for men to cease strife, to forgive and be friends with those who have hurt them. A wise man, a man of spirit, must show the command he has of himself by ceasing from strife, yielding, and stooping, and receding from his just demands, for peace-sake and for the glory of God.

A wise man, gains honor from being a peacemaker. The fool on the other hand, is quick to defend his honor and loses it. A man’s wisdom is of use to him for the pumping of other people, to get the knowledge of them. Those therefore who would keep counsel must not only put on resolution, but stand upon their guard.