Proverbs 25:19

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 trusting men:

Proverbs 25:19 (NASBStr)

Like a bad tooth and an unsteady foot

Is confidence in a faithless man in time of trouble.

Proverbs 25:19 (ESV)

Trusting in a treacherous man in time of trouble

is like a bad tooth or a foot that slips.

The ability to trust someone is so valued in our society.  Within organizations we see so many teams fail for lack of trust.   When we talk to these groups about the concept of trust we are really talking about faith.   Trust has as its basis the concept and foundation of faith.  What we are saying when we say we don't trust some is that we don't have faith in them.   When we have no trust in God we are saying we can't put our faith in Him.   When we can't trust our co-worker we are saying we are not putting our faith in them.  When we don't trust our boss we are saying we can't put our faith in him/her.   The above proverb says that the inability to trust (put faith in someone) is as painful as a tooth ache or a foot you can't lean on due to injury or disfunction.  The NIV renders the "unsteady" foot as the "lame" foot.   If you are in trouble and you need someone to come to your rescue, it is painful to hope by faith in a man/women who can't or won't come through.   The ESV calls this person a "treacherous" man.  The pain of mistrust is worse than these two examples.   The inability to trust is based upon a "belief" that their character won't deliver in the time of trouble ... when you are counting on them.   We can only really count on God in times of trouble.  He is the one we can cast our faith upon to deliver us.  We can trust Him because He has never failed.  

Proverbs 24:27

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 priorities

Proverbs 24:27 (ESV)

Prepare your work outside;

get everything ready for yourself in the field,

and after that build your house.

 The truth in the above proverb is: Set your priorities correctly if you want success. The word picture we have here is that we must get a source of food ready before we attempt to build a home to live in. What good is building a home if you starve to death half-way through the building process. A wise person set’s their priorities straight. Don’t try to jump ahead of the things that need to be done first. You wouldn’t attempt to put the trusses on the top of a house where you hadn’t first laid the foundation. Don’t try to do something in your marriage, your job, your hobby, your community until you first lay out the proper priority. Prioritize you life and success will follow. Since we live in an instant gratification society the temptation is to want to have the house before the tilling the land.  We tend to treat the urgent over the beneficial in our society.   Sometime might be important, but it might not be of great benefit.   Decisions in life are about making choices between different priorities.  The hardest thing in life might not be to choose the good and avoid the evil.   That is a choice we at least know what we SHOULD do.  The harder decision is the choose between two good things.  Either choice might be good.   In the above proverb we are admonished to choose the one that gives us the best chance to also choose the other.  

Proverbs 23:26

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: 

Proverbs 23:26 (ESV)

My son, give me your heart,

and let your eyes observe my ways.

This proverb is the introduction to the many that follow, warning, once again, the young naive man to be careful around women of ill-repute.  Solomon is asking his son to take his heart and surrender it to God.   Solomon, here, is the speaker, but God is the author.   We are told in the Old Testament and the New Testament that we are to love The Lord God will all our hearts, soul and might.   It is the heart that the adulterous women (representing all folly) tries to seduce.   The first line of this proverb is telling the son to hand over his heart to God before the tempter comes to steal it away.   Once we commit it to God we have some protection from her charms.   The second line simply goes on and elaborates the first line.   When we give our heart fully to God we will have a change in our affections.   We will no longer delight in the things the adulterous women is about to say or show.   When we give our heart fully to God we get a change in what we delight in each day.   When we delight in something it is typically something we see with our eyes.  We see a new house, car, boat, clothes, or motorcycle and we "delight" in it.   The Hebrew word for delight is, "ratsah."   It means to be pleased with something or someone.   Its first use in the Bible is in Genesis 33:20 when Jacob uses it to acknowledge that God was "pleased" with him and accepted him.    When God enters our hearts He changes our attitude toward His Word.  When once we were hostile toward God (Romans 8:7-8), God changes our hearts and we delight in His Word (Psalm 1:2).   When we let our eyes ponder over God's Word like Josiah of old (1 Kings 22-24) we change what we see and what we delight upon.   God is so powerful when He changes our hearts.  He can literally change our appetites and desires.

Proverbs 22:28

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 into landmark: 

Proverbs 22:28 (ESV)

Do not move the ancient landmark

that your fathers have set.

This proverb is a summary of the command of God in the giving of the Law to Moses in Deut 19:14.  Solomon repeats it here and gives no reason.   In Proverbs 15:25 we read that God protects the land of the poor and/or widow.

Proverbs 15:25 (ESV)

The LORD tears down the house of the proud

but maintains the widow's boundaries.

God is concerned that greed and power are kept in check.  He tells us here that wisdom includes our following His basic laws and is reflected in how we treat the property of others.   God knows when we don't show mercy.   We can remove the boundary lines and secure more for ourselves but that would not be in the character of God.   We can move away from what our father's taught us and we can literally move the boundary of the culture of our homes, families, churches and communities.  God wants us to remember important, traditional and historical events, times, laws and property.   Foolish people attempt to move these things; or, at times, simply ignore them.   Holding too much onto tradition for the wrong person can make you Pharisaical.   However, leaving the ancient boundaries for the wrong reason or out of ignorance suicidal.  Hold on to what God gave us and keep the traditions He has established and the boundary lines He has ordained.

Proverbs 21:20

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 on the pleasures of life:

Proverbs 21:20 (ESV)

Precious treasure and oil are in a wise man’s dwelling,

but a foolish man devours it. 

In a proceeding proverb in this same chapter, Solomon has already spoken to this truth:

Proverbs 21:17 (ESV)

Whoever loves pleasure will be a poor man;

he who loves wine and oil will not be rich.

In verse 17 he seems to be talking about the mere "love" and/or "desire" for the pleasures of the life (wine and oil being the symbols of such).   He seems to be stating in that verse that when we love pleasure so much we will eventually lose any wealth we may accumulate.   In verse 20 he now adds another component and goes so far as saying wise people not only avoid the pleasures of "consuming” wine and oil, but we should see the wisdom in storing it.   If you simply read verse 17 you might think it wise to avoid the pleasure of life altogether.   Don't just not drink wine and consume oil, but avoid them, least their use distort your judgment and you become poor (which would not be a bad principle to follow or a fair interpretation of verse 17).  But, in verse 20 we see that Solomon is telling us that wise people actually accumulate things of this world, while the foolish swallow them up ... they only consume.  So, the emphasis of the two together is not teaching us to avoid things of life but to use them wisely.  The verse is not promoting storing up treasures on this earth, which Christ spoke against.  Solomon is telling us that foolish people only consume things and never value or hold things.  Gluttony is a sin of over consumption.   The glutton has nothing left because he consumed it all.   Wise people know the earthly value of the things of this earth.  They don't simply consume they use the things of this world appropriately to the glory of God.   If they trust in the things they accumulate they would be foolish, as well.   So, consumption and greedy accumulation have the same mother: Sin.    But, true wisdom knows how to accumulate for the purpose of using the things accumulated for the glory of God.

Proverbs 20:21

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 inheritance: 

Proverbs 20:21 (ESV)

An inheritance gained hastily in the beginning

will not be blessed in the end.

We live in a world that loves things “instantly.”  We want it NOW.  We don’t like to wait.   This includes everything from a burger to a flourishing business to a bunch of cash.  Each state lotto is a billion upon billon dollar enterprise.   Each week people pick a number and hope their ship load of money will come in the next Saturday night.   We don’t have a lot of patience for getting what we want. Even if it is a traffic light and the driver in front of us does not move fast enough.  We want what we want when want it.  This is especially true of youth (although the aged have not learned much over the years).  Children in particular want what they want.  A baby cries if they don’t get feed when they want and how fast they want.  When we feed them quickly to stop the crying, they learn that acting out gets them what they want.   They cry at night and we let them slip in our bed to avoid the noise.   The above proverb tells us the danger in this got-to-have-it-now as a life style.   In particular Solomon is telling us about wanting an inheritance.  We might wonder if Jesus was thinking of this proverb when He told the story of the prodigal in Luke 15?   The prodigal wanted his take now and then ran off and fell amount pigs.  When we rush after wealth, riches or whatever our inheritance holds, this proverb gives us great insight.  Hastily running after something that is given to you will not last.  Solomon is not telling us that an inheritance is bad.  He is simply telling us that when we put it at the center to drive or desires we fail to see God and gather His wisdom.   The entire book of proverbs is about gaining wisdom.   This proverb is telling us that gaining wealthy, hastily, is the wrong way.  

Proverbs 19:23

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 on finding satisfaction:

Proverbs 19:23 (ESV Strong's)

The fear of the Lord leads to life,

and whoever has it rests satisfied;

he will not be visited by harm.

In Maslow's hierarchy of needs the psychologist attempts to find the ultimate motivation behind man's attempt for what God already explains in the above verse:  Satisfaction.   Maslow's words don't come close to the power packed in these few words.    Man is constantly looking for his needs to be met and his life to be satisfying.  There is not a loss of voices who attempt to provide thoughts on, "how to be satisfied in life."   However, no human psychologist has ever published a best seller on the real answer: Fear the Lord.  If we want true satisfaction we have to be willing to cast ourselves down and exalt the King of Kings.   That is where satisfaction comes from ... from coming low in worship of the king.   Maslow's thought was that each man wants to be "self-actualized".   That's a cute way of saying they want to be the "master of the own soul."   But God tells us in this verse true satisfaction is about bending the knees in submission to God not puffing the chest to become your own god.   Communion with God will happen when we stand in Awe of Him.   That is when we find true satisfaction in life:  Having God "visit" us, or, have a relationship with us.   That is true actualization.

Proverbs 18:3

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 contemptuous people:

Proverbs 18:3 (ESV)

When wickedness comes, contempt comes also,

and with dishonor comes disgrace.

This proverb may have a double meaning when we look at the sense of it.  The more prominent meaning may be that when a wicked person (or, a person who is practicing wickedness) joins an organization or group then right around the corner, so too will contempt.   Like the oder from a skunk, you can't help but have contempt stink up the room.  People who bring scorn and wicked behavior also bring dishonor and contempt onto others.    A secondary meaning may mean that when someone is full of wickedness and scorn they bring dishonor and contempt to themselves.   I believe Solomon may have meant both meanings.  Wicked behavior and scorn always bring dishonor and contempt, on all who are in their path and wake.    Don't bring a scorner into your camp.  It will only mean dishonor for all those involved.  

Perhaps the story of Jacob (Israel) saw this happen when he discovered his oldest son (Rueben) having an affair with his dead wife’s (Sarah) concubine (Bilhah).  Notice what he says about Rueben upon his death:

Genesis 49:3-4 (ESV)

“Reuben, you are my firstborn,

my might, and the firstfruits of my strength,

preeminent in dignity and preeminent in power.

Unstable as water, you shall not have preeminence,

because you went up to your father's bed;

then you defiled it—he went up to my couch!

Reuben’s wicked act brought contempt to Jacob (Israel).   This is what Solomon is saying in this proverb.  

Proverbs 17:23

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 bribes and corruption:

Proverbs 17:23 (ESV)

The wicked accepts a bribe in secret

to pervert the ways of justice.

Wicked men in leadership prefer to accumulate possessions more than they prefer to enact justice.  That seems to be Solomon's statement in the above proverb.  We all know politicians and leaders who have tried to get rich or accumulate wealth and possessions and position based on subverted bribery.  The Hebrew word for“secret” (“bosom” in the NASB) conjures up in our minds the place of a child; a dear possession.  Solomon seems to be telling us that the person who is offering the bride has some sort of compassion, or passion for what they are offering.  This passionate bride is given to the one in high position who then subverts justice for the purpose of personal gain.   Note what Solomon has just told us a few verses back in the same chapter: 

Proverbs 17:8 

A bribe is a charm in the sight of its owner; Wherever he turns, he prospers.  

In one proverb a bride is used in corruption in the hands of a wicked man. But in the other proverb a bride is used as a charm in the hands of its owner. The assumption in the second proverb is that the owner of the bribe will use it in a way that is righteous to promote justice.  The use of favors and promotion to pave the way for communication and relationships stands in stark contrast to those who use the same tools to pervert justice and promote wickedness.

Proverbs 16:22

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 folly:

Proverbs 16:22

Understanding is a fountain of life to one who has it,

But the discipline of fools is folly.

Proverbs 16:22 (ESV)

Good sense is a fountain of life to him who has it,

but the instruction of fools is folly.

If you had a choice between having prudence or listening to the instruction of a fool, which one would you choose? This seems to be the path that Solomon is laying before us in the above proverb.  The purpose of the book of Proverbs is to give us prudence. That's the theme covered in chapter 1.  If we listen to God's wisdom and fear the Lord we will attain prudence; understanding.  But, in contrast, if we listen to the instruction that we get from fools we will only have folly.  Note how Solomon develops this theme in the next chapter in a similar proverb:

Proverbs 17:28

Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise;

When he closes his lips, he is considered prudent.

What Solomon seems to be telling us is that when a fool opens his mouth we have folly. But when a fool closes his mouth we get prudence. Prudence equals understanding.  People who do not seek God's face and His wisdom will end up giving us instructions that leads us to folly. People who fear the Lord will find that they are given understanding which gives them prudence for life.  When we listen to fools we will only gain folly.  Today’s fools can be in the highest places of our lands.  They expect us to hear them and heed them.  But, the truth is, they only spew foolishness.  True wisdom and understanding comes from Gods Word.  Good instruction should flow from God’s mind, not from a fools thoughts.

Proverbs 15:16

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 stuff:

Proverbs 15:16 (ESV)

Better is a little with the fear of the LORD

than great treasure and trouble with it.

We are a society of stuff. We love stuff. We love shinny stuff. We love plastic stuff. We love chrome stuff. We love techy stuff. We love BIG stuff. We love stuff no one else has. The only thing we like more than stuff? More stuff! We love to accumulate stuff. In Solomon's day he was a master of collecting stuff (1 Kings 1-10). Solomon had so much gold, he put gold on gold. Solomon had horses and ships and servants and women. He had stuff and that makes this proverb even more remarkable. Solomon knew what it was like to have so much stuff and the power of that stuff to pull you away from God. You could have all kinds of awards and achievements and accumulations and still have turmoil. It is better to have nothing and the fear of the Lord than to everything without Him.   God is the center of our lives and is the only One who can provide the peace we need when we have accumulated stuff. Stuff only works when we have God in the center of the stuff. When you have stuff with no center you have turmoil. When you have stuff with God in the middle you have the key formula.

Proverbs 14:13

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 laugher:

Proverbs 14:13 (ESV)

Even in laughter the heart may ache,

and the end of joy may be grief.

Only the heart knows the person. Society has done a great job of "masking" their pain with laughter and false joy. People drink to hide pain and start laughing even though their life is slipping away. We use competition, substance, friends, possessions and much more to fool the world around us into thinking we "have" and are "with it" and are happy. Solomon's Proverbs tells us the crude truth. Even when we hear laughter that doesn't mean the heart is full of real joy. Jesting is a common way for us to difuse stress. Like a valve on a pressure cooker, jesting simply lets off steam so the pot doesn't blow up. Don't be fooled by the fool who laughs when he/she should be fearful of the difficulty they are facing and should be crying out to God. Don't envy those you see laughing unless you know it flows as a fruit of the Spirit. Laughter is as much a drug to cover pain as the substance we use to generate the laughter.

Proverbs 13:18

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 into receiving instruction: 

Proverbs 13:18 (ESV)

Poverty and disgrace come to him who ignores instruction,

but whoever heeds reproof is honored.

The purpose of the wisdom literature was to provide instruction and discipline in the way of wisdom.  Following Solomon's instruction would keep the traveler on the correct path and in the right way of Fearing The Lord.   So, the above proverb continues with this theme by outlining what happens when we reject discipline.  The word for discipline appears over 50 times in the Old Testament and most of those occurrences are in the book of Proverbs.  To put yourself under discipline is the preference of God.   God loves to discipline us because He loves us.   He wants the best for us.   His Word teaches us that if we love discipline, blessings will follow.   If we reject His discipline we are neither acting as sons, or trusting Him as sons.  If we reject the disciplines of life we can expect both poverty and shame.  Not only will we have nothing but we will be in a place where the feelings of shame grip us.    However, when we embrace discipline and regard reproof, or correction in our lives we can expect to be in a place of honor.   The feelings of honor trump the feelings of shame.   One comes from embracing discipline and the other comes from rejecting it.  Shame is such a difficult emotion to overcome.  We can't overcome it on our own.  People attempt to cover their shame by accumulating wealth.  That wealth gives them status and, in the world's eyes, covers their shame.   However, outward wealth can't cover the pain of inward shame.  We buy things to "cover" our shame; to look different than we see ourselves.   We want to create a "new look".   Those who neglect the discipline of the Lord are doing this every day.   But, those "regard" (the Hebrew word for "keep" or "guard") the reproof they get (embracing and learning from correction) will find that they don't need wealth - and, yet, will be honored with position, property, power and prestige.

Proverbs 12:22

Proverbs 12:22 (ESV)

Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD,

but those who act faithfully are his delight.

Did you know God hates liars? Solomon lists several things The Lord hates:

Proverbs 26:27-28 (ESV)

Whoever digs a pit will fall into it,

and a stone will come back on him who starts it rolling.

A lying tongue hates its victims,

and a flattering mouth works ruin.

One of those listed is the liar.   Christ told the Pharisees they were just like their father the devil, who was a liar from the beginning :

John 8:44 (ESV)

You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

Since Christ stated in John 14:6 that he was the Way, the TRUTH, and the Life, we must hold to the truth.  God is truth.   That is why lying lips are an abomination to The Lord.   God delights, however, in those who deal faithfully.  Faith is a trusting act.   Knowing that God delights in our faithfulness should bring joy to our hearts.  We live to delight our God and right here, according to Solomon's pen, we have the formula.   God delights in the fact that we faithfully follow Him.   Those who lie cause His hatred to be demonstrated.   But, those who walk in truth have fellowship with God and delight Him.   Note the following:

1 John 1:6-7 (NASBStr)

If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.

God expects us to know the truth and walk in the truth.   We can't expect God's blessing if we live on the edge of the truth, or in the full lake of lying.   God is delighted by our walk in the light ... in truth ... and will fellowship with us.  Are you a delight to God or an abomination?