Proverbs 18:10-11

The book of Proverbs gives us insights into so many different areas of life. The book gives us instruction on how to live our lives for God. Here is a proverb that gives us insight about God being a strong tower:

Proverbs 18:10-11 (ESV)

The name of the LORD is a strong tower;

the righteous man runs into it and is safe.

A rich man’s wealth is his strong city,

and like a high wall in his imagination.

These two proverbs can be read separately and believed and used for guidance in our daily lives. They are rich with meaning and conatin practical inspiration. The proverbs are actually laid out in a specific order, the way God intended. So, the two of these verses laid out back to back tells us the story God wants us to read. The combined message of the two proverbs tells us that there are two types of people in this world. Those who trust in the name of God and those who trust in the things they accumulate or possess. Their "imaginations" causes them to believe what they have accumulated can save them. Material belongings don't save. Only those who run to God and look for the cover of the Lord will find safety and a strong tower. That safety is not based upon "imagination" but on the true character of God. Those who "run" to God can find a strong tower. In Biblical context a "strong tower" has some vivid picture for us. We can run to a real strong tower or we can hope for a high wall based upon imagination. Two type of people. One trusts in God's character the other in God's creation. Which one are you?  When tough times come, these two various ways to deal with those tough come into focus.  Those who know God run to God and trust in the Lord. He is their "tower."    Those who don't know God run to their riches and things they have accumulated.  Those things don't last.   Yet, they run to them.  Tough times reveal our refuge.  Only the Lord can be our refuge.  

Proverbs 17:3

The book of Proverbs gives us insights into so many different areas of life. The book gives us instruction on how to live our lives for God. Here is a proverb that gives us insight about being tested:

Proverbs 17:3 (NASBStr)

The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold,

But the Lord tests hearts.

Proverbs 17:3 (ESV)

The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold,

and the LORD tests hearts.

Everyone in life will go through multiple examines.  Some will be in the arena of the mental.  Some in the arena of the physical.   Some will be in the arena of the spiritual.   That is what Solomon is talking about in the above proverb.   He is telling us that just like silver and gold is made better in a furnace so, too, God will put us through a test to improve our relationship with Him.  God is in the business of conforming His children to the image of His Son.    He uses "examines" to make that happen.  The word in the second line above is "tests".  The first time the word is used in the Old Testament was when Joseph saw his brothers.  He sent them back to their (his) father while keeping one of their brothers captive.  Note how the word us used below:

Genesis 42:15

... by this you will be tested: by the life of Pharaoh, you shall not go from this place unless your youngest brother comes here!

God puts us in similar situations in life to assure that we are refined to God's will for our lives.  God wants us to come forth as gold does in the refining fire.  Note how Peter states the same truth:

1 Peter 1:7

... so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

We can rest assured, however, that God is in charge of refining process.   Because we can rest assured that God is in charge of the process we can have peace, no matter the heat of the fire.  We can relax and even embrace the fire because we know who has the temperature gage in His hand.

Taking a test is typically a frightful thing for people. Yes, there are those who embrace having their knowledge or skill measured, but most people don't. It is not that we don't like the test but we don't like seeing the results. In this Proverb we read that not only that God tests our hearts (the measurement is that we are to love the Lord with "all" our hearts, souls and minds) but that the testing of our hearts is as natural as a refining pot is for silver and a furnace for gold. To really appreciate this proverb and to embrace the truth of it we have to remember what a furnace and a refining pot do for gold and silver ... they make it what it is supposed to be. Without the fire and without the furnace the silver and gold are only dull rocks. God's testing of us is not like a pop-quiz from a history teacher. God is testing us for the purpose of refining us. He is burning off the chaff to make us shine as gold and silver. Embrace the test today - you'll look better tomorrow.

Proverbs 16:29

The book of Proverbs gives us insights into so many different areas of life. The book gives us instruction on how to live our lives for God. Here is a proverb that gives us insight about evil men:

Proverbs 16:29 (NASBStr)

A man of violence entices his neighbor

And leads him in a way that is not good.

Proverbs 16:29 (ESV)

A man of violence entices his neighbor

and leads him in a way that is not good.

In Proverbs 16:27-30 we see Solomon giving us insight on qualities of the "evil man.”   In this particular proverb we see that the warning has to do with the "evil man" who attempts to seduce his neighbor to lead him into a way contrary to God's plan, or God's will.    It is important to understand the type of person we are being warned about, here.   The word used in the Hebrew for violence is "chamas."   As we read Vine's Dictionary of Old Testament Words, we read the following:  "This word appears about 60 times and in all periods of biblical Hebrew. Basically ‘chamas’ connotes the disruption of the divinely established order of things. It has a wide range of nuances within this legal sphere."  The person who is “chamas” wants others to be involved in “chamas” activity.   We often have those in the world who wish we would join them in the folly.  We would rather resist them.   And, we should.   Solomon warns us that these types of people are in our midst.   We are to be warned about them.   The wise, who seek God, avoid them and stay away from them.

Proverbs 15:23

Proverbs 15:23 (ESV)
To make an apt answer is a joy to a man,
and a word in season, how good it is!
It is so good to get an answer that is timely, truthful and appropriate.   It may be unclear if Solomon is talking about the speaker or the hearer, but either way he is focused on how a great answer is a delight.   A good answer to a question or to a problem is a joy.   When we are caught in a situation where we have to reach out to others and need a response to others, there willingness to respond to us appropriately comes to us a joy.   How sweet is an answer.   Solomon likes to talk about the concept of the issue of the "answer."  Over 15 times in Proverbs he uses this word and refers to the benefits or pitfalls of the "answer."  Note a couple besides our proverb above:
Proverbs 15:1
A gentle answer turns away wrath,
But a harsh word stirs up anger.
Proverbs 24:26
He kisses the lips
Who gives a right answer.
Proverbs 18:13
He who gives an answer before he hears,
It is folly and shame to him.
A wrong answer does harm to both the hearer and the speaker.   But a good answer, one based upon the principles of God's Word is a joy and a delight.   We ought to be careful how we answer but we ought not delay when God gives us the appropriate and truthful answer.   It is a joy and delight to the hearer.  If you have the answer, give it.  If you need the answer ask for it and know that when God gives it there will be joy and delight when you receive it.

Proverbs 14:8

The book of Proverbs gives us insights into so many different areas of life. The book gives us instruction on how to live our lives for God. Here is a proverb that gives us insight about wisdom and prudence: 

Proverbs 14:8 (ESV)

The wisdom of the prudent is to discern his way,

but the folly of fools is deceiving.

Proverbs 14:15 (ESV)

The simple believes everything,

but the prudent gives thought to his steps.

Proverbs 14:18 (ESV)

The simple inherit folly,

but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.

Proverbs 15:5 (ESV)

A fool despises his father’s instruction,

but whoever heeds reproof is prudent.

The Hebrew word for prudent is ‘ârûm; it means crafty, prudent, subtil.  It is translated in the Bible as: prudent 8, crafty 2, subtil 1.   At the start of the book of Proverbs, Solomon outlines his purpose for the book.  Note:

Proverbs 1:2-4 (ESV)

To know wisdom and instruction,

to understand words of insight,

to receive instruction in wise dealing,

in righteousness, justice, and equity;

to give prudence to the simple,

knowledge and discretion to the youth—

The entire book of Proverbs is to develop prudence for the person who wants to walk in wisdom.  Prudence is what happens when you have wisdom.  Wisdom without prudence just makes you pompous.   Prudence is the practical out-working of wisdom.   When we have more knowledge of God and more understanding of who God is, that gives us the day to day prudence we need to walk in that wisdom before others.   If wisdom is in the heart and the mind, prudence is shown in the shoes.   We walk more sure when we take God’s wisdom and put it to practical steps.  That is what the above four verses are teaching us.   Head knowledge does nothing for us.   Knowledge about God that impacts our walk before men is what God’s wisdom is all about.  

  

Proverbs 13:25

The book of Proverbs gives us insights into so many different areas of life. The book gives us instruction on how to live our lives for God. Here is a proverb that gives us insight about satisfaction:

Proverbs 13:25 (ESV)

The righteous has enough to satisfy his appetite,

but the belly of the wicked suffers want.

Imagine you have enough to "satisfy" your appetite? How is that even possible? Our appetites are like empty pits and to satisify them would be beyond miraculous. To prove the point look at the second line of the proverb: The wicked are still "hungry" and never "satisfied." What we learn from this proverb is that satisfaction is not based upon human terms but is a spiritual problem. The lost, the wicked, the unbeliever, has no way to satisfy his/her hunger as they don't know why they are hungry and don't know what they are looking for. The "righteous" are satisfied in their appetite because once they come to God their appetite changes. They are now hungry for righteousness. So, if you are given a heart that is righteous the desires of your heart are righteousness. When your desires are not met as you grow in Christ it is because your hungers are wrong. 

Matthew 5:6 (ESV)

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

Contentment and satisfaction are an illusion to the unbeliever.   The world offers much and delivers little.   The latest ad you read, heard, or visually received promises that the object, commodity or material good will produce in you or for you something satisfying.   And it does ... for a few weeks or months.   It then gets old and we need a new model or addition.    Being content with what we have is something only learned by the righteous.   Only those in faith of Christ's finished work can know true satisfcation and true contentment (see Philippians 4:11).  In the above proverb we see Solomon's take on satisfaction and contentment.  Before we read it and dismiss it, however, we need to remember that Solomon had so much gold he had to cover it with more gold and ivory.   He was the riches man of his time.   Yet, he knew enough about contentment that nothing he owned would provide it.  It was only provided by righteousness by faith in the coming Messiah.   Those who are wicked shop, buy, own and possess all the way to repeating that.   They get what their eyes desire only to realize their eye is never satisfied.  Believers can purchase the same thing that non-believers purchase and can find (or should find) satisfaction in not having the thing or having it.   True righteousness finds its satisfaction in a relationship with a risen God and not with a thing they can purchase.

Proverbs 12:1

 The book of Proverbs gives us insights into so many different areas of life. The book gives us instruction on how to live our lives for God. Here is a proverb that gives us insight a bit taking correction:

Proverbs 12:1 (ESV)

Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,

but he who hates reproof is stupid.

Not too many people would readily profess to "loving" discipline. On the other hand, even fewer would admit to "being stupid" and hating reproof. Our response to correction is a key to understanding our depth of wisdom and knowledge. True knowledge has a lot of aspects. Ture knowledge also includes a love for correction. Stupidity includes a hatered for correction. The Hebrew word for "stupid" is only used in wisdom literature (Psalms and Proverbs).  It means to be "brutish." To be a "brute" is to be animalistic.  If you think about an animal that is being disciplined, they recoil from it. So, too, can we.  It is not in our nature to love discipline. But, then again, wisdom and knowledge are not natural for us either. We are, by nature, hostile to God. Since we are not naturally accustomed to knowledge and wisdom it would be impossible for us to like discipline and reproof. It is only through the ministry of the Holy Spirit that a person can "embrace" discipline. In Hebrews 12 we read that every son of God is disciplined. Discipline is a sign of sonship. Our relationship to discipline is a way to secure knowledge and wisdom and to know you have knowledge and wisdom. Embrace it. It might go against your nature but at the same time it might be for your nature.

Proverbs 11:28

The book of Proverbs gives us insights into so many different areas of life. The book gives us instruction on how to live our lives for God. Here is a proverb that gives us insight about riches:

Proverbs 11:28 (ESV)

Whoever trusts in his riches will fall,

but the righteous will flourish like a green leaf.

Proverbs has much to say about money and personal finances.   It never condemns money, however.  It does condemn the trust in money that often happens with those who have it.  Actually, those who don't have it also seem to trust in it because they "believe" if they have it, life would be better.   God does not want anything to come between us and Him.  If our job comes between our relationship with God, that is the same as trusting money since our jobs are used to earn money.   Trusting in jobs, savings, money and the such is one way to fail in life.  We are not to make it our fortress, yet many do; See Proverbs 10:15.   On the converse side of this the righteous (those who trust in God and Him alone) will flourish like a green leaf (see Psalm 1:3 and Jeremiah 17:7-8).   God promises to make the righteous "flourish".   The word is often translated as "sprout."   The righteous brings forth something; something worthy.  The one who trusts God will have God as his root.   When you are rooted in God's Word and your faith is in God you will begin to grow ... like a green leaf.   God wants us to flourish.  The passage-way to that flourishing is not hard work or good luck.   The passage-way is faith in God and not to trust riches and wealth.    God does not condemn riches.  He just wants us to know that when we trust in Him our life will be like a green leaf in the spring.

Proverbs 10:25

The book of Proverbs gives us insights into so many different areas of life. The book gives us instruction on how to live our lives for God. Here is a proverb that gives us insight about our security as believers:

Proverbs 10:25 (ESV)

When the tempest passes, the wicked is no more,

but the righteous is established forever.

There is nothing more revealing to man than a storm in life.   We know very little about people until they are tossed into adversity, or a storm of trouble comes their way.   Like a real storm the winds and torrents of life tear apart all that is weak, useless and fake.   The beauty of a home made out of aluminum, wood and mortar can be flattened by the wind.   What people trusted in and prided themselves around can be gone, in just a few seconds.   This proverb is telling us the same thing about life.   A trouble in life will destroy the wicked because they can only trust in temporal things.   But, the righteous, who trusts in God, has a sure and steadfast foundation.  No storm of life can remove God as our foundation.   Because the wicked trust in themselves and their own possessions they  can't survive a violent storm.  This is where believers have an advantage in life and where we should excel.  Instead of fretting over difficulty the righteous should show that they are resilient and measured in trials.  We ought not to panic and act in shock disbelief.   We have an everlasting foundation.   Let's live our life the same in the storm as we do in the sunshine.   We have an anchor and foundation that can't be moved.  God loves us. He will NEVER allow any trouble to hurt us that He has no design for in our life.  If He designed the trouble (and He did), He also designed the trouble to impact us the way He wants.   The wicked, in trouble have no such thoughts.  They will soon perish.  The righteous (those declared righteous by God ... Romans 4-5) have no fear of trouble. We know it is a tool, chosen and designed by God, to conform us to the image of His Son.  

Proverbs 9:13

The book of Proverbs gives us insights into so many different areas of life. The book gives us instruction on how to live our lives for God. Here is a proverb that gives us insight about the noise of Lady Folly:

Proverbs 9:13

The woman of folly is boisterous,

She is naive and knows nothing.

Proverbs 9:13 (ESV)

The woman Folly is loud;

she is seductive and knows nothing.

Folly might try to camouflage herself in multiple ways.   She may paint herself up and sprinkle pretty perfume all about her (Proverbs 7).  She might even put a ring in her nose (Proverbs 11:22).    However, she can't help but boast of herself.   She can't help but tell everyone who she is.   Folly wants everyone to know she hates wisdom.  She will make herself known ... despite her desire to hide her mission of destruction.   "She is naive and knows nothing," says the second line.  The tragedy is not that she opens her mouth loud to all at the top of the mountain; the tragedy is that she knows nothing about what she is saying.  She knows nothing.   Yet, people follow her.  They follow her because she is loud and makes more noise than those who are silent with the truth of wisdom.   She is loud and others hear her over the truth.   We have the truth and we sit silent and Folly gets all the attention.   She gets all the ears.  We have to make sure we are speaking as loud as folly.   Wisdom has the truth and we can promote it.  Or, we can sit in silence and let Folly's big mouth get all the attention and lead hundreds and thousands down her path of destruction.

Proverbs 8:26

The book of Proverbs gives us insights into so many different areas of life. The book gives us instruction on how to live our lives for God. Here is a proverb that gives us insight about wisdom and creation:

Proverbs 8:26 (NASBStr)

While He had not yet made the earth and the fields,

Nor the first dust of the world.

Proverbs 8:26 (ESV)

before he had made the earth with its fields,

or the first of the dust of the world.

Solomon is continuing an argument to explain that God, by His Wisdom, created the universe.  There is a lot of talk about in our world of science and discovery of what was before anything was as it is.  Before there was an earth, dirt, mountains or anything, what was there?   Solomon is telling us in this proverb: Wisdom was there before their was any dirt.   The atoms of the world were proceeded by the Wisdom of God.   Everything we see was the result of God's Wisdom through the audible function of His Word.   When He spoke the world came forth.   His Word was spoken through His Wisdom.    Wisdom is Christ and Christ is Wisdom (1 Corinthians 1).   Solomon is telling us that Christ was there at the beginning and was the instrument of creation.  Even before the World was created we can rejoice that the wisdom we ask God to supply us, was there in the design and construction of this world.   When we rejoice over wisdom and have it provided by faith in Christ, we have the wisdom He used to form the earth.  So, when we ask for wisdom, remember what we are asking God to give us.  Scientists, bound by their rules of logic, start with science to determine how things came about.  That is all they have.  Their conclusion is that the concept of evolution is a legitimate, rational argument.   Even Christian scientists are in agreement that evolution is the best way to describe what we have. Yet, God’s Word is pretty clear: God designed it and God spoke it into existence!  What if both are right?  What if God created it all through His spoken Word but designed it in a logical evolutionary manner. God does not have to create it via evolution but He could have designed it so that man would logically see the design with the “human” rational mind.  But God is not obligated to live or create within man’s logic.  When He told Moses to speak to a rock that would pour out millions of gallons is water, was that logical based upon man’s logic? When Jesus told Peter to walk on water, was that logical?  No, on both accounts!  Yet, the water flowed from solid rock in the one case and became a solid rock in the other.  This is illogical.  It is illogical to believe God created the world to look like a world that would and could evolve, but in reality simply came into existence by God’s wisdom.  But we ought to start with what GOD says, first. Then go from there.  God’s wisdom was there BEFORE anything was made (however it was made).  That we know as truth!

Proverbs 7:5

The book of Proverbs gives us insights into so many different areas of life. The book gives us instruction on how to live our lives for God. Here is a proverb that gives us insight about avoiding temptation:

Proverbs 7:5 (ESV)

to keep you from the forbidden woman,

from the adulteress with her smooth words.

It doesn't take much for us to follow sin.  Like the proverbial fish who swims fast after shinny things, we dart to and fro hoping to bite into the latest flash that darts past our eyes.   Satan really cleans sin up in the beginning when we see it, so that we like what we see and we want it.   Typically that is through our eye-gate.  We like to see things and the “seeing” makes us succumb to sin.   But we are also attracted to sin via the other senses.  Chapter seven of Proverbs is all about how sin attracts us through those six senses.  In the above proverb we see that sin (personified by the adulterous women) uses flattery to get us to follow her.   She likes to tempt us be reassuring us with safe words ... "if we do this we will be safe ... no one will see."  She likes to tempt us by using assuring words ... "if we do this we can be comfortable."   She likes to tempt us by using complimentary words ... "you deserve this ... enjoy."   Flattery is the Devils way of getting us to look past the ugly-under-belly of sin and get us to enjoy something that was forbidden.   Notice the words he said to Eve in thy body of a serpent:

Genesis 3:4-5 (NASBStr)

The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

Satan loves to make us think we are like God and deserve to have the forbidden fruit he puts in front of us.  He diminishes the pain (surely you will not die) and exaggerates the benefits (you will be like God).   Don't let him use your ear gate the same way he uses your eye gate. The above proverb gives us a way to do, just exactly that.  When we adhere to the Word of God, to the Wisdom of God found in the Scripture, we can avoid this “tempter” and avoid the trap she sets for us.  God’s Word in our ears and our eyes focused on God’s plan will keep us from the adulterous woman.   

Proverbs 6:33

Proverbs 6:33 (NASBStr)

Wounds and disgrace he will find,

And his reproach will not be blotted out.

Proverbs 6:33 (ESV)

He will get wounds and dishonor,

and his disgrace will not be wiped away.

The above proverb is talking about a man who would commit adultery with another man’s wife.  Those that would sleep with and defile another man's wife, in God's eyes, are dealt with in many ways.  In this particular proverb Solomon mentions two of them.   He states that the adulterous man will suffer some type of physical harm (wounds) and some type of social harm (disgrace).   Note Paul’s words about sexual sins:

1 Corinthians 6:18 (ESV)

18 Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.

It is important to remember, here, that Solomon's father, King David, was one of these adulterous men.   When he sinned with Bathsheba his reputation was tainted for ever. Since we are mentioning it here, over 3,000 years later, it demonstrates the harm that sin did to one man's reputation.   The husband of the wife involved in adultery can rest assured that God will avenge this sin against him and his family.   If the husband was hungry and stole food to feed himself and his family, social harm might not come to him.   But, the man who steals another man's wife, will suffer great harm.  That is the argument that Solomon is making in this proverb and the few before it.  Solomon is not justifying stealing food.  He is simply saying that the harm of the reputation, because of adultery, has little comparison.  In today's society men might be able to play sports again or run for public office again, but their reputation is severally damaged because of their sexual sins.

Proverbs 5:17

Proverbs 5:17 (NASBStr)

Let them be yours alone

And not for strangers with you.

Proverbs 5:17 (ESV)

Let them be for yourself alone,

and not for strangers with you.

In this proverb, Solomon is continuing his warning to the man of the home.  He wants him to beware of what happens when the man goes astray and falls for the harlots trap.   What he has brought out, in the previous proverbs, is that unfaithfulness of the man can result in temptation and unfaithfulness to the wife.   Most don't think of this aspect of their promiscuous sin.   What Solomon is saying is that your wife ought to be "yours alone" and not a "strangers."  He is saying that your wife should be you soul intimate.  Failure to follow and stay at home with your wife can result in your wife's failure to stay there.   That doesn't mean the wife is free from guilt and responsibility.  It means that the husband of the house is the umbrella to the family.   Failure to hold the umbrella is equivalent of allowing the rain and storm to affect the wife.   The wife is to be the one the man finds fulfillment and enjoyment.  When our own faithfulness affects the home it affects that relationship.   Make no mistake, hidden promiscuity in your personal life can lead to open promiscuity in the life of your mate.