Proverbs 9:9

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 given instruction to the wise: 

Proverbs 9:9 (ESV)

Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser;

teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.

When you correct someone it reveals what their character is like. In Proverbs 9:7-9 we have a series of Proverbs that talk about what happens when you try to correct a scoffer … a fool. If you do you will only compile hurt to yourself. But, if you correct a wise person they will become even wiser. So, how a person takes your correction gives you a good indication as to how much more correction they should be given. Don't waste your time on the fool who rejects sound teaching and correction for it will only hurt you and do nothing for them.  The fool is someone who so rejects the truth of God's Word that they fail to understand and respond.  Their hearts will become hard and you will see that hardness in their reaction and rejection of God's truth.  It should be noted, however, that Proverbs is about wisdom.   When we see what the fool does, we need to know that wisdom responds differently.   Those who are wise will take the correction when it comes.   The righteous accept teaching ... in any form.   Even discipline and suffering is a teacher to the righteous.   The fool can not take correction.  The righteous can.  He learns from every teacher. We can become stronger as we listen to righteousness.

Proverbs 8:4

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 crying out:

Proverbs 8:4 (ESV)

“To you, O men, I call,

and my cry is to the children of man.

God wants to give us His wisdom.  Note what James says about this thought:

James 1:5-6 (ESV)

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.

In chapter eight of Proverbs we have the voice of Wisdom crying out.   She is crying out for us to follow her and embrace her.   The entire chapter is about Wisdom telling us about her beauty and about her benefits.   In the above verses we see “who” Wisdom is calling.   She is calling to all mankind.   She is calling all mankind and their children.   There is no one She is not calling out to hear Her benefits.   The issue is not the call.  The issue is the response.   Note what Solomon tells us in chapter one of this book:

Proverbs 1:23-28 (ESV)

23 If you turn at my reproof,

behold, I will pour out my spirit to you;

I will make my words known to you.

24 Because I have called and you refused to listen,

have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded,

25 because you have ignored all my counsel

and would have none of my reproof,

26 I also will laugh at your calamity;

I will mock when terror strikes you,

27 when terror strikes you like a storm

and your calamity comes like a whirlwind,

when distress and anguish come upon you.

28 Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently but will not find me.

When the world rejects God’s Wisdom, God rejects man’s reaching out to Him when they need Him.   He will “laugh” and when they call, He “will not answer.”    Wisdom is crying out and waiting for mankind to respond.   That is what Wisdom does every day.  Remember, Wisdom is the personification of Christ (see 1 Corinthians 1,2).   

Proverbs 7:21

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 the persuasion of folly:

Proverbs 7:21 (NASBStr)

With her many persuasions she entices him;

With her flattering lips she seduces him.

Proverbs 7:21 (AMP)

With much justifying and enticing argument she persuades him, with the allurements of her lips she leads him [to overcome his conscience and his fears] and forces him along.

Proverbs 7:21 (ESV)

With much seductive speech she persuades him;

with her smooth talk she compels him.

The women in Proverbs 7 is a picture of folly, as has been stated in these observations many times.   Her arguments for following hard after her are quite enticing and persuasive.   According to the above proverb she has a special sway on the simply one:  The naive one.   Those who have spiritual understanding have a way to fight off these persuasive messages.   Folly wishes to entice us to fall into her trap.  She uses her smell; her beauty (false as it might be); her comfort (brief as it may be), to seduce us and entice us.  Remember that God gives us warnings about how to avoid this enticement.   God speaks truth and allows us to know truth by following His Word.   If we are void of God's Word or not thinking of God's Word, we will fall into folly's enticement.  Notice how Solomon starts this chapter:

Proverbs 7:1-3

My son, keep my words

and treasure up my commandments with you;

keep my commandments and live;

keep my teaching as the apple of your eye;

bind them on your fingers;

write them on the tablet of your heart.

The one who is naive has no guideposts in their lives to protect them from seeing these enticement and seduction.   Seduction is not meant to be seen or observed.  That is what makes it seducing.   The only way to avoid her sweet whispers and tasty words is to be understanding God's Word and trust it and follow it.

Proverbs 6:21

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 holding to God’s wisdom:

Proverbs 6:21 (ESV)

Bind them on your heart always;

tie them around your neck.

God's word is not to be left on the coffee table, at church, or near the bed stand.  God's word is to be taken with you throughout your day.   Solomon tells us that we should tie it to our hearts and wear it around our necks.   He is not telling us that we are to literally carry God's word in tattoos or neckless shaped verses.   He is telling us that we should make sure that when we leave the house and interact with society that God's word should be our guidepost and compass.   Carrying God's word in our hearts is a key to waring off Satan.   Mediating on God's Word in our mind is the key to fulfilling God's word this proverb.   Reading God's word is not enough.   Dwelling on it and thinking on it is paramount to obeying it.    We should not neglect or miss where God tells us in this proverb to hang God's word.   He uses heart and neck in this proverb.   We don't know the depth Solomon means in this proverb.   But God does not use any needless words.   As we meditate on the proverb we could see that the heart controls the will while the neck controls the way.   Our necks won't turn our eyes anywhere our hearts have not already gone.  Or, we can stop our necks from following our eyes if we are anchored in our hearts by God's word.   Bind God's Word in your heart and save where your neck turns.

Proverbs 5:9

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 giving in to folly:

Proverbs 5:9 (ESV)

lest you give your honor to others

and your years to the merciless,

The warning is here in Proverbs 5, to let us know when we give in to "folly.”  Folly is personified in this chapter as an adulterous woman and throughout Proverbs.  When you do give in to folly, you will give your best to become your worst.   Sin costs! It ALWAYS costs! And the cost is always paid to others. They win and you lose. We are warned about sin because it is so "cruel" to us. We need to remember that although sin looks so good (see Proverbs 7) it always cost us a wage. Romans 6:23 states that "the wages of sin is death." The ultimate wage is death. But, the payment is done over time and when we sin we give our good years to cruel gods. Be warned.  In the immediate context of Proverbs 5 we are being told that when we fall into the sin of adultery we might experience a euphoric sensation physically, but we begin to pay for it immediately in a spiritual, psychological, and, in this context, materially way.   Solomon is telling us that when we choose to sin, using adultery as an example, we will lose out in our material goods.   He uses one of the greatest and most personal aspects of our lives to illustrate the cost of sin.   We love our stuff.  To think we may lose it over a momentary tryst, seems cruel.  But it is the truth.   The truth is we don't know it but it will happen.  Sin takes away what you love and what you own.

Proverbs 4:5

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 forgetting God’s word:

Proverbs 4:5 (ESV)

Get wisdom; get insight;

do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth.

We all have a chance to "acquire" something in life.   In fact, our entire life is about "acquiring."   Solomon tells us in this verse to "acquire" wisdom and to "acquire" understanding.   He is telling us that of all the things in life we can "acquire" we should make sure that we acquire wisdom and understanding.   In the second line he tells us a little more about the wisdom and understanding we will acquire.    He tells us that wisdom and understanding are the words that flow from the mouth of wisdom.   When we search in this life we can search for much.   But, our search ought to end with wisdom from the mouth of God.   Jesus tells us to "seek first the kingdom of God and all things will be added unto us."   Proverbs 4:5 is that same verse.   We are to "seek" or "acquire" the things of God and the things the proceed out of His mouth.    That is to be our greatest search.

Proverbs 3:6

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 what happens when we strive to know God:

Proverbs 3:6 (ESV)

In all your ways acknowledge him,

and he will make straight your paths.

How exactly does this proverb work?   Think about it ... we are told to "acknowledge Him" and, in return, He provides a straight path, free from mysterious bends and thunderous turns.   How?   The word "acknowledge" in the first line of this proverb is the familiar and used Hebrew word, "yada."   It means "to know."  It is used in a variety of ways in the Old Testament.   Solomon tells us that in relationship to "our ways" (our plans and paths) we are to "know Him" and we will receive the benefit of the second line of the proverb - a clear path ahead.   Perhaps what we have here is the act of the will that wants to come to know God better and deeper with every step we take.   With that meaning, we see that as we "acknowledge" God in our day-to-day lives (each step), we will desire that each of those steps gets us closer to an understanding of Him.   When we attempt to know Him in our daily walk we will find our walk is “straight.”  God wants our walk to be straight; free from bends and turns that lurk ahead for the unbeliever.   So, as we "get to know Him" in our steps we will find Him clearing and securing our steps.   What is your plan for today?  Use that "plan" as a method to get to know Him more.   Use that meeting, that event, that trip, that task, that relaxation as a way to "yada" God.   As we "yada" God, we walk straighter.

Proverbs 2:4

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 what we pursue:

Proverbs 2:4 (ESV)

if you seek it like silver

and search for it as for hidden treasures,

Our pursuits in life say something about what is in our hearts.   Jesus said, “Where our treasure is, so too will our hearts be.”  He knew that what we treasure is at the center of our hearts.   So, Solomon gives us the same thought, years prior to Christ.   But Solomon is trying to tell us to search for wisdom and understanding, just as we would search for riches or some hidden treasure.   We get that, don't we?   We know what it means to look for hidden treasure.  There have been books written and movies produced about looking for treasure.  There have been video games and board games developed around this theme.  There have been TV shows and reality shows on this subject.  There couldn't be a more appropriate way to convey how we should search for wisdom and understanding.   But, do we?  Do we actually pursue wisdom?  Do we search for her like we search for something hidden?   Do we think of wisdom as something we need to find and search for like money or wealth?   Let's find a way to search for wisdom the way we would what we value.   If someone told you they just lost a $10.00 bill on the ground we would stop and help them find it.  If they said they were looking for wisdom would you stop everything to help them search for it?  You can tell what is at the center of someone’s heart by what they talk about and what they pursue.  If we are pursuing Christ and the wisdom He gives FREELY, others will hear it when we talk and know that, at the center of our pursuits, is Jesus.   When we do that, nothing else seems valuable enough to search for it.

Additionally, have you ever wondered what the benefits of wisdom are for us?  If we pursue wisdom what will happen in our lives? It is worth forsaking all the world has to offer in order to pursue wisdom?  Let’s let Solomon’s own words answer the question.  This is why he tell us to seek her “like silver” and to search for her “as for hidden treasure:”

Proverbs 2:5 (ESV)

5 then you will understand the fear of the LORD

and find the knowledge of God.

Proverbs 2:9 (ESV)

9 Then you will understand righteousness and justice

and equity, every good path;

Proverbs 2:16 (ESV)

16 So you will be delivered from the forbidden woman,

from the adulteress with her smooth words,

Proverbs 2:20 (ESV)

20 So you will walk in the way of the good

and keep to the paths of the righteous.

Proverbs 3:2 (ESV)

2 for length of days and years of life

and peace they will add to you.

Proverbs 3:4 (ESV)

4 So you will find favor and good success

in the sight of God and man.

Proverbs 3:6 (ESV)

6 In all your ways acknowledge him,

and he will make straight your paths.

Proverbs 3:8 (ESV)

8 It will be healing to your flesh

and refreshment to your bones.

Proverbs 3:10 (ESV)

10 then your barns will be filled with plenty,

and your vats will be bursting with wine.

Proverbs 3:23 (ESV)

23 Then you will walk on your way securely,

and your foot will not stumble.

Is that a great benefit program, or what?

Proverbs 1:12

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 danger of sin:

Proverbs 1:12 (ESV)

like Sheol let us swallow them alive,

and whole, like those who go down to the pit;

Make no mistake, sin is out to destroy us.   Satan roams around like a lion seeking who he can devour (1 Peter).  We sometimes think of life as a series of events that we can succeed or fail to navigate.   However, life is about living for the glory of God.  That is the sole reason we have been saved.  We are hear to lift up our lives to the glory of God.   We are told that the heavens declare the glory of God.  But the heavens are not the only creation with that charge.   That is why sin is out to destroy us.  Sin, Satan and Society (the World) all want us destroyed.  The above proverb tells us that sin lies in wait to swallow us like the grave swallows the dead.   Sin wants to swallow us whole, just like a pit would if we were tossed into the pit.   Don't underestimate the passion of sin to seek our destruction.  Sin is serious.  This is why we are warned by Solomon.   This is why Paul tells us to put on the armor of God.  It is by faith that we seek wisdom to protect us from the trap sin sets for us.   Listen and believe Solomon's warning.   It will keep us from the pit.

Proverbs 30:1-3

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: 

Proverbs 30:1-3 (ESV)

The words of Agur son of Jakeh. The oracle.

The man declares, I am weary, O God;

I am weary, O God, and worn out.

Surely I am too stupid to be a man.

I have not the understanding of a man.

I have not learned wisdom,

nor have I knowledge of the Holy One.

Here are some awesome words that might puzzle those who are turning to Proverbs to find wisdom: Agur, the son of Jekeh, says he is "more stupid than any man" and that he does not "have the understanding of man." He goes on to say he has not "learned wisdom" or has not "the knowledge of the Holy One." These are some awesome words coming from an author, soon to be quoted in a book "full of wisdom" and written for those "seeking wisdom" (and the "answer of riddles” ... Proverbs 1). Why would Agur say such a thing? There is one thought that Agur is saying that he is not writing his own words but rather is copying out proverbs from someone else. That very well could be true. But, I think an alternative interpretation is that Agur has come to the understanding that he is not a Godly man and is not "qulafied to write" such heavenly and awesome truths. And, maybe that is the best way to become a writer of wisdom literature: You know you can't and that you are stupid ... it is only through God's power and through the Holy Spirit's ministry that Agur can compose such truths. We all should come to this understanding before we attempt to minister to others through the Word. Only God can make the "stupid" wise. Only God can turn man's frivolous words into God's powerful message. If it were not for God's power we would only be empty tools. God has the ability to give us meaning and give us a sound message. We may not have knowledge of the Holy One, but God can provide it.

The word “stupid” in the above verse is the Hebrew word, “baar.”   It means to be “brutish.”   A “brute” is a savage, violent person.   What Agur is saying is that, without God’s Wisdom (which he is about to write) he is simply a violent man, lacking any sense.   The book of Proverbs was written to correct that state of a man.  It is awesome that God used a brute to write to other brutes to change all of our bruteness by God’s amazing Word, received by faith.   We are brutes, without God’s Wisdom.  This is why we read God’s Word and Trust it.

Proverbs 29:3

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 children:

Proverbs 29:3 (ESV)

He who loves wisdom makes his father glad,

but a companion of prostitutes squanders his wealth.

Our children give us so much pride.   They can also give us much grief.   That is Solomon's truth in this Proverb.   Children who seek God's Wisdom give parents something to rejoice over.   Those who seek foolish behavior seek selfish gains and that will be an expensive journey ... for the parent.   They waste their inheritance who use their parents wealth for poor choices.   Poor choices by the son will affect the father; so Solomon gravely warns.   Our joy and happiness should not be tied to our children.   It should be centered in the sovereign will of God.   However, Solomon wants us to know that even if our center is Christ the poor choices of our children can add grief to the life. We would do well to raise them correctly and in light of this truth.   It is no harm to let them know that foolish choices affect the emotional state of the parent.   Parents can't blame the child for their emotional state for as the parent seeks God in the situation with the child they can find peace and safety.   But, the child should know that their choices don't just derail them.   They affect the parent, as well.

Proverbs 28:12

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 righteous and the wicked:

Proverbs 28:12 (ESV)

When the righteous triumph, there is great glory,

but when the wicked rise, people hide themselves.

This proverb is very similar to the following in the same chapter:

Proverbs 28:28 (NASBStr)

When the wicked rise, men hide themselves;

But when they perish, the righteous increase.

When you study leadership you will see that bad leaders depress the culture and good leaders improve the culture.    You don't have to go deep into any organization, country or culture to observe such truth.  However, unless you are familiar with Solomon's truth, stated above, you might not attribute "good" and "bad" leaders in a spiritual manner.    Leadership principles are not always, and perhaps seldom, taught in a spiritual manner.   Great leaders are Godly men and women.   Poor leaders are wicked and unbelieving men.   Now, that statement would not resonate with the vast majority of the public.   Yet, that is what Solomon is telling us in the above.   The difficulty is that we have many leaders "claiming" to be righteous who are wicked.  This self-proclaimed righteous leaders dissuade us and cause the public to run from the "righteous" leader as a result of hypocrisy and confusion.  Yet, the truth of the above proverb is not diminished.   Godly men and women, who practice Biblical principles in their leadership, will be leaders who are praised by their followers.  However, leaders who reject God's Word and follow principles established by the world that are contrary to God's Word will both fail to lead and fail to solicit praise and appreciation from their followers.  They, the followers, may be thankful for the income, position or power the wicked leader establishes, but that is because they, too, are seeking the wrong values in life.   God establishes all leadership.   Only those established in God's Word actually garner glory worthy a leader.   All the others are despised and, ultimately, rejected.

There are some who believe the proverbs are only observations of life and are "what should happen".    If that were the case this proverb is certainly a good example of a truth we can observe across the globe.   We know from other passages that God sets up rulers and takes others down (Psalm 75:7), so we have to read this proverb in light of that truth.  I personally believe the proverbs are more then mere observations of what should happen in life.   I believe they are principles to follow, promises to believe and/or precepts to obey.   They are profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction and instruction in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16-17).  So, when we see the above proverb we are to look at it as authoritative in our lives.   When Godly leaders are in charge we know that people are blessed and there should be and will be great glory.   When, on the other hand, evil men and women lead, people do not come out and rejoice, or publicly praise them.  They "hide" themselves.  They willing step into the background and don't want to associate with evil leaders.   People will follow evil if they think they can get something from it.  We might "observe" that some seek the evil person.   But the principle taught here is that as the leader goes, so goes the world (like those in some countries during our day).  These leaders will cause men to hid from following them.  They may not openly resist them, but they will withdraw from them.  They only follow out of fear and do not rejoice in them.   We ought to pursue and elect people who love God and Fear Him.