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.

Proverbs 27:20

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 about satisfaction: 

Proverbs 27:20 (NASBStr)

Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied,

Nor are the eyes of man ever satisfied.

Proverbs 27:20 (AMP)

Sheol (the place of the dead) and Abaddon (the place of destruction) are never satisfied; so [the lust of] the eyes of man is never satisfied.

Proverbs 27:20 (ESV)

Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied,

and never satisfied are the eyes of man.

The other day a 50 foot wooden cruise boat named, "The Pilgrim" caught my eye.   The wood work alone was enough to make you stare.  But, it was also outfitted with gold plating on every window, door or fixture.  Even the anchor was gold plated.   It was probably brass but from a distance, through my binoculars it looked like gold.   I was sitting on my own 42 foot boat, that is both our home and love.   Others, when we are out, stare at our boat.   You get the point.   Solomon is telling us that, like death and destruction, our lust is never satisfied.  We want what we don't have, or can't have, and we want what we don't need.  The eyes of man ... the portal for his lusts ... are always open and scanning the horizon to see what more is there.   We have car shows and bike shows and clothes shows and department stores full of things for us to behold with our eyes.  Commercials and marketing ads rely on the truth of this proverb to attract our wandering eyes to get us to respond to the lusts and buy.   We will never be satisfied.   Our eyes continue to take it all in.  It is only through Christ that we can be fully satisfied.  The heart of faith fills us with the glory of God that we will one day see complete.   It is through faith that God will take away the lust of the eyes to provide the satisfaction of the soul.

Proverbs 26:6

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 sending a message in the hands of a fool:

Proverbs 26:6 (ESV)’

Whoever sends a message by the hand of a fool

cuts off his own feet and drinks violence.

We live in a society where we are told how others act is none of our business. We are not supposed to care about their moral life or their habits. Yet, it is their habits and life that flow from their heart. If someone has poor habits and is morally corrupt than those habits flow from their inward belief and core values. What is in the well comes up in the bucket. Solomon is trying to impress upon us in this proverb that very fact. If someone rejects God at their core (the definition of a fool ... Psalm 53:1), than we are to be warned. Using them for something you depend upon is equally foolish. It is foolish to use a fool. If you send a fool to run an errand you can't depend upon him/her. Solomon is telling us that if their moral compass is off, so too will be their other GPS tendancies. They are not dependable if they don't have a core belief structure that includes a God-centered life. This is a far reaching and deeply troubling proverb when you are in business. Hiring fools for work is likely to make you busy watching for accountability issues. You will constantly have to watch them because you can't depend upont them. Could this be the reason we have so many "middle-managers?" We can't depend upon people who have no God-compass so we have to hire someone to watch them?

Proverbs 25:14

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 hypocrisy: 

Proverbs 25:14 (ESV)

Like clouds and wind without rain

is a man who boasts of a gift he does not give.

The imaginary in the above proverb is that of a farmer standing in his dry and dusty field with his eyes on the horizon.   He sees a small cloud and feels a slight breeze brewing.   It makes a promise of rain.   His lips are dry and his forehead perspired.   His crops long for the freshness of water from above.   The cloud gets closer and closer and bigger and bigger.   The wind gets harder and hotter.   The promise of rain is in the air.   But, alas, it is only an empty promise.   Nothing comes of the cloud and the wind.  It is an empty mirage of nothingness.   The farmer returns to the field dryer, dustier and more discouraged than ever.   The same feeling comes when someone promises to help with a gift but gives nothing.   The same feelings the farmer has, so too the poor man who thought a gift was coming.  So, too, the feelings God gets when a vow is vowed and then broken.   Wind and cloud without rain; promise with a gift.   A man who boasts of a high gift but gives none continues the drought of the poor man.  He withers up even still when no gift comes to moisten his parched heart.   Words without follow through are dead words.

Proverbs 24:12

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 God watching over us as we make excuses: 

Proverbs 24:12 (ESV)

If you say, “Behold, we did not know this,”

does not he who weighs the heart perceive it?

Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it,

and will he not repay man according to his work?

Excuses, Excuses! We are not always great with excuses! 

The sun was in my eyes so I couldn't catch the ball! 

My dog ate my homework that's why I don't have it! 

I'm not feeling good today and won't be coming to work ... I will, however, be playing golf this afternoon! 

When it comes to excuses man is the master. "The woman you gave me made me do it!" said Adam to God. We think our excuses are profound and valid. In the above proverb Solomon tells us that if we use the excuse, "We did not know this," God will find us out. God sees through excuses. He "weighs" the hearts. If you say I can't serve in church because I am too busy, God weighs the heart. This proverb says God "watches over the soul." If you say you can't forgive because the pain is too bad despite the fact that He provided the way and commands us to forgive, God watches and weighs the soul. God will render a man according to his work because God knows the heart and soul of man. When it comes to serving God and worshiping God and loving God and/or man we need to do away with the excuses. We need to realize it is sin in our lives that hinders us from obedience, confess the sin and find power in the resurrection of Christ, via Faith. No more excuses ... have Faith in God.

Proverbs 23:17

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 envying sinners:

Proverbs 23:17 (ESV)

Let not your heart envy sinners,

but continue in the fear of the LORD all the day.

This is obviously a "contrasting" example of Hebrew parallelism poetry. The first line states a premise and the second line contrasts the first. In the first line we are told to "not" envy sinners. The word "envy" here is the Hebrew word, qanah. It means to have a jealousy for something. We are not to look at those who reject God and want their status, possessions or seemingly pleasures for life. I love Asaph's poetry in Psalm 73. In that beloved psalm we see Aspah disobeying Solomon's command in the above proverb ... at least for a moment. But then he quickly moves to the second line of the proverb: But live in the fear of the Lord always. God doesn't want us to to just "avoid" a particular way of life. He wants us to live in a particular way - in the "fear of the Lord." The second line is not only a contrast to the first line (no one can "fear" God if they "envy" sinners) but is the antidote for the problem in the first line. You and I are to live in the fear of the Lord. When we do that we WILL NOT ENVY SINNERS. Yes, they contrast, but in one sense they compliment. The later is the medicine for the sickness of the former. Live both lines.

Proverbs 22:22-23

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: 

Proverbs 22:22-23 (ESV)

Do not rob the poor, because he is poor,

or crush the afflicted at the gate,

for the LORD will plead their cause

and rob of life those who rob them.

Having mercy is a reflection of God's character.  God sees our poverty of spirit and supplies us with Christ and the ministry of the Holy Spirit to care for that poverty (Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven - Matthew 5:2).  God gives.   God reaches out and touches our lives when we are rebellious and running away from Him.   So, to do the opposite, as suggested in the above proverb, is to act contrary to God and to act in the spirit of Satan.   To rob the poor of the little they have and to afflict the afflicted when they can't bear it, is not Godliness, but satanic.   But, don't think those who do such things are free of guilt and sin freely.    God pleads for the poor and the afflicted. If you are afflicted or poor, this is a comfort.  If you are the one robbing or afflicting, this ought to be a fearful thing.   God avenges the poor and the afflicted.   If you are poor and afflicted, these proverbs are good news.   If you afflict the poor and the afflicted, this is bad news. In Nehemiah’s day, he had to deal with those who did this very thing (Nehemiah 5).  Nehemiah had to stand in the gap.   We don’t know if he thought of this proverb, but he did put it into play.

Proverbs 21:9

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 marriage relationships:

Proverbs 21:9 (ESV)

It is better to live in a corner of the housetop

than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife.

God is blunt and to the point about His truths.   He doesn't hold back words when He relays His principles to us.  In this proverb he lays out a truth plain and simple for us to grasp.  He tells us what happens when we are in the home with a women (or, man) who is contentious in nature.   When a women (or, man) creates "strife" in her home, Solomon is telling us not to try to "fix" it.  We are to go to the farthest place in the home and allow the contention to cease.   He is not telling us to leave.  He is telling us to separate from the strife.   Strife in the heart needs work by the God of the Heart.   We can't fix what is hurting in the heart.  We don't "leave" it; we simply avoid it in a place we won't stir it.   In case we don't think God is sincere about this proverb He had Solomon pen the same words in Proverbs 25:24.   

Proverbs 25:24 (ESV Strong's)

24 It is better to live in a corner of the housetop

than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife.

God is telling us that there are times to avoid conflict and not try to fix it.   We separate ourselves and allow God to do a work.   When God does His work we can continue the relationship.  By going to the roof we won't say something we shouldn't.  By going to the roof we won't be hurt by something said.    By going to the roof we acknowledge our inability to solve the situation and we can wait for God to do His Work.    Faith pleases God and releases Him to do His thing.   Sometimes getting away gives the other person the space they need to work out what's causing their conflict.  Solomon says the same things in Proverbs 21:19:

(ESV Strong's) 19 

It is better to live in a desert land

than with a quarrelsome and fretful woman.

In this proverbs it is going to a “desert” land. If the roof is not far enough away, the separation to a place of the “desert” is appropriate.  Solomon is telling us  that when a soft answer does not turn away wrath, than being separated is another step.  We may never be able to appease.  We may not always able to accommodate.   But we should always be ready to be apart.

Proverbs 20:10

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 integrity:

Proverbs 20:10 (ESV)

Unequal weights and unequal measures

are both alike an abomination to the LORD.

Unless we lived in Solomon's day we may not understand this proverb.   Today when we buy food at the market, stores are required to print on the package the weight or measurement or size of the content.   It is hard to fool today's public.  But in Solomon's day when you went to a market and asked for a pound of a certain product they would put the product on one side of the scale and on the other side they would put the proper weight.   Crooked sellers would use false weight on one side thus making the product look more than it actually was.   Solomon uses the word "abomination" over 15 times in Proverbs.  He is not bashful in telling us what is abominable to God.   God tells us that lying, pride, arrogance, wickedness, and many more things are abominable to Him.  We wouldn't add crooked shop keepers to the same list.   But God hates anything wicked.  Even bad business practices.   How we do our business is as equally important to God as if we are untruthful or prideful or wicked.   Bad business practices are in God's view and hated by God.  So many people think they can cheat in their business and still be rewarded by God.    It is an abomination to God when we cheat others in our business.   God can and will avenge differing measures.   God stands for justice.  When we are not just God knows and hates it.

Proverbs 19:12

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 leaders:

Proverbs 19:12 (ESV)

A king's wrath is like the growling of a lion,

but his favor is like dew on the grass.

If you have ever been in the cross-hairs of a powerful leader you can relate to this proverb.  In my military days I was once chewed out by a Full-bird Colonel.  Scary!!  He was upset about something our unit did or didn't do and he simply used me as his focus for the message for us all.  I was an Acting-Jack Buck Sergeant at the time. I was 22 years old.  He was about 60.   Almost 20 years later I was also chewed out by a Superintendent of Schools who was frustrated by some action I had done (or not done).   I simply got up and walked away.   But, in each case, it was the "roaring of a lion."   The ruler who shows his wrath is scary.   God meant the ruler's wrath to be scary.  God's wrath, revealed, is more than scary ... it is frightening.  But, as horrible and fearful the ruler's wrath can be, it is so true of his grace.   As gentle as the dew hits the grace in the morning, so grace lays on those around the ruler.    God's grace is so comfortable.  His grace comes like rain on a hot day.   The king (ruler, leader, boss) who is living in the fear of The Lord will know when and how to use his/her wrath.   He or she will balance that wrath or administer that wrath with his/her grace.   However, the ruler who does not know God or has not experienced God's grace will not be able to minister in grace, other than the common grace given to all men.    God's grace is such a beautiful experience.  He forgives by grace, He heals by grace; everything we have in this life that is any ounce of good, is from God's grace.   Don't live in fear of the Lion.  Know His grace.

Proverbs 18:23

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 money:

Proverbs 18:23 (ESV)

The poor use entreaties,

but the rich answer roughly.

Money talks!!!   Solomon is providing us insight into the way society observes and responds to the aspect of wealth and poverty in our society.   The poor, because they are poor and have no influence, are left to beg and ask and request.   The rich, on the other hand, can say what they want and do so without the concerns of their hearers.   They can answer "roughly" because they are rich.  Bluntness is the tool of those who feel they have no want.   They can be rich in confidence.  They can be rich in many things and have no need to win the hearts and minds of others.   The poor on the other hand have a need.  They can be poor in friendship so they beg, ask and request for friendship.  The can be poor in influence and must act accordingly.   The contrast in Proverbs between the rich and poor is obvious by the many times the Spirt, through Solomon's pen, records these type of observations.  See further:

Proverbs 10:15 (ESV)

A rich man's wealth is his strong city;

the poverty of the poor is their ruin.

Proverbs 14:20 (ESV)

The poor is disliked even by his neighbor,

but the rich has many friends.

Proverbs 14:31 (ESV)

Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker,

but he who is generous to the needy honors him.

Proverbs 17:5 (ESV)

Whoever mocks the poor insults his Maker;

he who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished.

Proverbs 22:2 (ESV)

The rich and the poor meet together;

the LORD is the Maker of them all.

 We all should find ourselves poor in the spirit.   That is the only way we can truly find fulfillment.   Those who believe they have righteousness, without Christ, will never utter supplications.  They, instead, will speak roughly and proclaim their ignorance about God:

Psalms 53:1 (ESV)

The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”

They are corrupt, doing abominable iniquity;

there is none who does good.

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 justice:

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 16:8

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 wealth:

Proverbs 16:8 (ESV)

Better is a little with righteousness

than great revenues with injustice.

This is a much needed proverb for the day we live in.   In our world today we think that the accumulation of things brings peace, satisfaction and goodness.   However, the real measure of a person is not in the wealth they accumulate but how they handle wealth and how they use it to impact the world around them.   Wealth brings much corruption.  See:

Proverbs 15:6 (ESV)

In the house of the righteous there is much treasure,

but trouble befalls the income of the wicked.

Proverbs 15:16-17 (ESV)

Better is a little with the fear of the LORD

than great treasure and trouble with it.

Better is a dinner of herbs where love is

than a fattened ox and hatred with it.

As we read this we have to remember that Solomon was a very, very wealthy man.  He was the most wealthiest man in the world at the time.  And, we have to remember that God gave it to him.   God promised him all these riches because he choose wisdom over wealth.   God gave him wealth and the wisdom of how to use it.  Without God's wisdom wealth can and will corrupt.   Solomon is telling us that it is better to have no wealth than to have wealth that comes via injustice and ill gain.   It matters not how much wealth you have, it appears.   But, it does seem to matter, according to Solomon, what you do with it and "HOW" you got it.   Don't measure yourself by how big your bank accounts are.   Measure yourself by HOW they are filled and how you will dispose of them.