The Book of Proverbs & Other Wise Words

A Forward for my Dear Reader,

I apologize for the cluttered look of this paper. I know that it will need quite a bit of editing, and I ask for your forbearance while you boldly go forward with this work.
I had intended it to be just a bible study on the Proverbs 31 woman. That wasn't enough, and then I was going to add in the opposites for contrast, i.e., the Proverbs 5 woman and the Proverbs 7 woman. From reading this, you'd think that Solomon had some serious issues with women. Yup - he did! And still this wasn't enough. So I added explanations and definitions to whatever I could, so it's part dictionary as well. Then there were questions that I came up with, and still more questions that I found while looking up examples of other Proverbs Bible studies. I answered the questions I came up with, but did not answer the rest of the questions. I've added links to work I paraphrased, and links to other related subjects, such as a couple of puzzles based on this study in my portfolio. And, you guessed it, I still didn't have enough work. Turns out that I've included several chapters with overviews and questions. The studies end with the proverbs 31 woman instead beginning with it. This has been a bear to work on.

I've added a key to the Roman Road to Salvation, for any that were curious about that subject. I tried my best at bolding, using ML codes to break up this long paper into separate blocks for easier reading, and marking places to keep it from burning the dear reader's eyes. I highly doubt that I will be doing another writing of this size. It is a lot more than I have bargained for. I'm not sorry for having done this paper, but it is something that I'm afraid is not my forte' of work. The discipline to write such a long paper is well past my patience and desired stress levels.

Now, onward and forward with the writing:

1. I now realize what an undertaking this was. 2. I realize now how much I didn't know about this particular book of the Bible. 3. I wasn't nearly as clever or prepared as I thought I was. I have been meaning to put together my own study guide for the Proverbs 31 woman for quite a while. I had wanted to gear the study for those who are done raising their kids, those who have grandchildren, and those who are single. This proved to be a little difficult, so I added married women with children as well as older women and those who are working or owning a business. This makes for a more rounded view I believe. Also, I found out that these verses (31:10-31) are actually an acrostic poem using letters from the Hebrew language. This is becoming more of a research paper with a Bible Study attached I've also made up some questions, and found other questions to go along with the Book of Proverbs. I won't be answering all of the questions, but I added them for informational value. I also think I am going to do a Puzzle on the Book of Proverbs. If I do, I will list it below: There may be a couple of puzzles included, as I think I've already done one. There is a word search and a crossword.

CROSSWORD

Proverbs from the Bible  (E) wise sayings #2309010 by AmyJo-Thankful in heart

SEARCH

The Proverbs 31 Woman  (E) A paragon of virtue? Someone just trying to do their best and relying on the grace of God? #2307622 by AmyJo-Thankful in heart

For those who enjoy quizzing challenges, here are a couple of links you might be interested in:

https://www.hisfeet.com/bible-quiz/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiA04arBhAkEiwAuNOsI...

https://www.funtrivia.com/en/Religion/Proverbs-16861.html


Note: a wise person knows when she is exhausted. I have a little over 33k words for this one paper. At the end of the first draft, I will have a break and then work on my other outline. I plan on having 50k, but it is going to take me two papers to get enough words.

Some things to know about the Book of Proverbs.

What is a Proverb? A proverb is a short, generally known sentence of the folk which contains wisdom, truth, morals and traditional views in a metaphorical, fixed and memorizable form and which is handed down from generation to generation.

https://journals.openedition.org/lexis/6383#:~:text=A%20proverb%20is%20a%20short...

PROVERBS ARE PRINCIPLES, NOT PROMISES

It’s easy to assume the Proverbs are guarantees. If I live as it says, then this is the result. This is an understandable error. The Proverbs are very matter-of-fact. Yet the author is not intending to communicate an unbreakable promise from God, but rather a general principle of the best way to live, and a description of how that typically results in a flourishing lifestyle.

Most everyone has a grandmother or auntie who says, “You better do this, or else something bad is gonna happen!” This isn’t true in every circumstance, but generally, the principle is reliable. This is essentially the book of Proverbs.

*This isn't to say that God's promises are not true, it just means that there are no guarantees outside of a believer's salvation. Not everyone will obtain health and wealth, as this is a fallen world, and this is also not were our souls end up. That is a discussion for another time. I will add some verses for your consideration at the end of the paper, if you are interested.

PROVERBS IS DIVIDED INTO 31 CHAPTERS

This is obviously not critical to understanding the book, but it does create a simple strategy for study. Consider every day for the next month reading one chapter of Proverbs. Pro tip: don’t try to understand EVERYTHING on your first read. Just pick up one or two verses that stand out to you and reflect on them each day. Consider underlining them in your Bible and posting them on your social media accounts so that others can reflect on the verses with you.

The thought of fearing God might be uncomfortable. After all, the Bible teaches that God is like a father, God is merciful, and that He is love. Yet this is compatible with the command to fear Him. Wisdom is not possible unless you have a proper fear of the Lord. But what kind of fear?

Imagine you find yourself standing before the 8’2” Incredible Hulk. The sense of the word fear here is to have respect. But it’s more than the respect of your boss. It’s an acknowledgment that you are standing before an unstoppable power that holds your fate in the palm of His hand.

We need wisdom, but wisdom isn’t an end in itself. What we really need is God himself. The wisest person cannot reach God. We needed God to reveal himself to us. And nowhere has he done this more clearly and fully than in Jesus Christ. Jesus is the very image of God (Col. 1:15). If you want to know what God’s wisdom is like, it looks like Jesus.

Source: https://inspire.org/proverbs-three-things-to-know/

What religion is the book of Proverbs?

The Book of Proverbs (Hebrew: מִשְלֵי, Mišlê, "Proverbs (of Solomon)") is a book in the third section (called Ketuvim) of the Hebrew Bible and a book of the Christian Old Testament.

The universal character of the book of Proverbs makes it a useful bridge between the truth of God and those outside the Christian faith, including Muslims. The use of proverbs is very common in many Muslim cultures.

 

 

What is the purpose of this Book? Pastor Chuck Swindoll states the following:

1. To inspire reverence and obedience within the reader’s heart

2. To teach discernment - Discern is a crucial term. The Hebrew term means “to separate; to make distinct.” Discernment is the ability to look at a situation and clearly see all its moving parts. A discerning mind has the ability to think critically, to distinguish truth from error, and to anticipate the likely consequences of any given choice.

3. To develop alertness in the walk (that is in the walk of life; or perhaps the Christian walk of life)

4. To establish discretion and purpose in life (We all need a purpose in life, don't we?)

5. To cultivate keenness of mind (A sharp mind is a valuable asset.)

Proverbs states its theme explicitly very early in the book: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” (Proverbs 1:7). The fear of the Lord refers to our viewing Him with the respect He deserves. It means living our lives in light of what we know of Him, holding Him in the highest estimation, and depending on Him with humble trust. Only then, Proverbs teaches, will we discover knowledge and wisdom (see also 9:10).

Source: https://insight.org/resources/daily-devotional/individual/the-purpose-of-the-pro...


Proverbs are a simple way of expressing a well-known truth or adage based on common sense or experience. They are usually considered to be imbued with ancestral wisdom, passed down from generation to generation until they become part of a society’s oral tradition. This article will explore what anthropology, archaeology, and the ethnographic record can offer to the field of paremiology, which is dedicated to the collection and study of proverbs.

Speakers can use proverbs to impart knowledge, offer advice, teach or reinforce morals, make an argument, relieve interpersonal tensions, aid in understanding, or to console or inspire others.

https://hraf.yale.edu/knowledge-is-power-anthropology-of-proverbs/#:~:text=Speak...


Who wrote the book of Proverbs?

Traditional Attribution

Traditionally, the Book of Proverbs was believed to have been written by King Solomon, or at the very least, Solomon primarily. This assumption comes from a variety of factors. King Solomon was known as the wisest man who ever lived. He ruled over the kingdom of Israel after the reign of his father, David. He was the third king of Israel. Solomon’s wisdom, along with 1 Kings 4:32, which refers to him composing 3,000 proverbs in his long life have made him a prime candidate for the text's author. Additionally, section titles within the book—such as Prov. 1:1 (“These are the proverbs of Solomon, David’s son, king of Israel”)—seem to confirm that Solomon wrote at least a major portion of the sayings included in the text. Likewise, references to King Hezekiah, Agur, and King Lemuel have been interpreted as references to various other authors or contributors of Proverbs.

However, most Biblical scholars agree that we are unable to identify specific authors (including Solomon) with any certainty or accuracy. The wise sayings included in Proverbs were composed over many centuries, and there is evidence of a long period of compilation and editing. A period of time so expansive would necessarily point to the existence of multiple authors. The variety and diversity of writing styles throughout the book seem to indicate this as well.

Additionally, proverbs as a genre of wisdom literature tended to begin their lives as oral teaching and tradition, only being transcribed much later, and often without (accurate) attribution. Indeed, the third section of the Book of Proverbs shares much in common with the earlier text from Egypt, “Instruction of Amenemope”. With respect to the prologue of Prov. 1:1, most scholars agree that this was not intended as an assertion that Prov. 1-9 were written by King Solomon. Rather, they argue that this prologue was intended to refer to the book as a whole and was meant more as a reference of honor than of authorship. The legacy of Solomon’s wisdom may have led to otherwise anonymous proverbs being attributed to him by default. The phrase “Proverbs of Solomon”, may refer to proverbs contributed, commissioned, or repeated by the King. Or perhaps, it's a reference to proverbs written in the tradition of Solomon, but not directly tied to the man at all.

Source: https://www.alabasterco.com/blogs/education/who-wrote-book-proverbs#:~:text=Trad...

Interesting information about Solomon:

Solomon knew women. He married 700 princesses and had 300 concubines (I Kgs 11:3). God gave him great wisdom, and he used it to analyze life. He did not trust women; he found them more bitter than death (Eccl 7:25-29). He warned against whorish women (Pr 2:16; 5:3,20; 6:24; 7:5; 9:13-18; 23:27-28) and odious women (Pr 12:4; 19:13; 21:9,19; 25:24; 27:15-16; 30:21-23). A virtuous woman is rarer than rubies (Pr 31:10)!

Source: https://letgodbetrue.com/proverbs/index/chapter-11/proverbs-11-22/

Solomon, biblical Israelite king who built the first Temple of Jerusalem and who is revered in Judaism and Christianity for his wisdom and in Islam as a prophet. (I did not know that he was regarded as a prophet in Islam! )

Solomon for all of his wisdom, was not perfect; he also had feet of clay: (Just like everyone else, up to the time of Jesus)

The religion of Solomon was Judaism, the monotheistic religion of the ancient Hebrews. However, as related in the first book of Kings, Solomon had many foreign women among his wives. “His wives turned his heart after other gods” (1 Kings 11:4, NIV), and thus he built shrines to the gods of their religions. In the biblical account of his reign, God tells Solomon he will punish him for his apostasy by breaking up his kingdom after his death.

definition of monotheistic: mon·o·the·is·tic
/ˌmänəTHēˈistik/
adjective
relating to or characterized by the belief that there is only one God.

(definition found in the online Oxford dictionary.)

Source: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Solomon

Solomon's life was a lesson in mercy, grace, humility, wisdom, knowledge, obedience and disobedience.

Interesting facts about Proverbs:

3. The reign of Solomon represented the peak of prosperity for the nation of Israel.

4. Proverbs is written as Hebrew poetry. Hebrew poetry is terse and concise; it uses a lot of imagery, and generally, the second line complements or contrasts the thought of the first. Contemplating how the second line relates to the first is a profitable way to meditate on a proverb.

5. Proverbs states its theme right at the book’s beginning (1:1-7): its goal is to describe and instill “wisdom” in God’s people, a wisdom that is founded in the “fear of the Lord” and that works out covenant life in the practical details of everyday situations and relationships.

6. The book of Proverbs, the book of Ecclesiastes, and the book of Job all make up the Old Testament wisdom literature, and together they teach us an important lesson about the meaning of life.

7. Proverbs describes wisdom as “lady wisdom.”

8. A key term in Proverbs is of course “wisdom.” The word can have the nuance of “skill,” particularly the skill of choosing the right course of action for the desired result. In the covenantal framework of Proverbs, it denotes “skill in the art of godly living.”

9. Proverbs provides detailed instructions for His people to deal successfully with the practical affairs of everyday life.

How to relate to God - Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding. (Prov. 3:5)

How to relate to neighbors - Bad neighbors try to entice their neighbors to sin (16:29). Better is a neighbor who is near than a brother who is far away.” (Proverbs 27:10)

How to relate to parents -“Hear, my son, your father's instruction, and forsake not your mother's teaching” (Proverbs 1:8 ESV).

How to relate to government - Proverbs 28:2 When there is moral rot within a nation, its government topples easily. But wise and knowledgeable leaders bring stability.

How to relate to children. - Proverbs 22:6
“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.”


Source: https://yourmorningword.com/2020/09/16/10-fast-facts-about-the-book-of-proverbs/...

Basic outline for a 31 day personal bible study of the whole book: This is by far one of my favorites.


Proverbs 1: Wisdom That Shouts!

This wisdom in Proverbs makes itself undeniably obvious to us. It “shouts at us” right in the middle of where we exist. This wisdom contains the answers that we so desperately search for.

Proverbs 2: Simple Knowledge

This wisdom Solomon keeps speaking about isn’t simple knowledge that we learn by living life, learning from our mistakes, etc. It doesn’t just come by natural means. Godly knowledge comes by seeking God fervently by reading the Bible, talking to Him in prayer, and seeking His will for our lives specifically.

Proverbs 3: Love & Loyalty

We see it over and over. Love God. Love others. Seek God for wisdom, knowledge, and understanding and obtain fulfillment in life. We can sleep at night knowing that we aren’t in trouble.

Proverbs 4: More of the Same

Chapter 4 comes across as a reiteration. All four of these chapters word it a bit differently, but it’s altogether the same key points. I guess these principles really are important, right?

Proverbs 5: Polluted Streams

This is where things begin evolving and we get into some more detail as to what this wisdom & knowledge truly is. Solomon warns us of those who will try to deceive us specifically with sexual temptation.

Proverbs 6: Six Things That God Hates

This one is a really meaty chapter. We go from handling business deals the right way, to the trouble that goes along with procrastination, to the trouble with troublemaking, to the consequences of adultery.

Proverbs 7: The Infamous Harlot/Seductress

It seems adultery hasn’t changed much over the past few thousand years. If we pay attention, we can learn something that will change our lives forever.

Proverbs 8: You Gotta Trust God’s Word

This is one of those passages in the Bible that I love to read slowly and over and over again. I feel like I get a small taste of how amazing God is when I read it. I also feel an enormous sense of gratitude in knowing that He wants me to have the same wisdom that has been by His side since the beginning of time.

Proverbs 9: Wisdom vs. Folly

But one thing that stuck out to me in this chapter is that there are a lot of similarities between Wisdom and Folly. The difference is in what they are offering and the type of life that results in following each of them.

Proverbs 10: Righteousness vs. Wickedness

I’m gonna be honest here. This chapter makes my eyes cross (that probably happens to me when I read the Bible more than it does for most people). One of the things I like to do to eliminate some of that confusion is to break passages up into bite-sized chunks.

Proverbs 11: Where’s the Integrity?

God loves humble people with integrity who are righteous. During Solomon’s time, people found this right standing by following rules and giving God sacrifices when they fell short of these rules. Today, we find it through Jesus Christ.

Proverbs 12: A Little Bit of Everything

The righteous and upright have integrity. Let’s continue to ask God to help us become those people who the world can begin trusting again.

Proverbs 13: Our Whole Heart

The further we dig into these chapters, the more I realize how important it is that God has our whole heart. I mean, we have to be committed to Him for it to be possible for us to follow these instructions.

Proverbs 14: Priceless Wisdom

It’s easy to get in a habit of just living life without putting much thought into what causes you to be the kind of person that you are. But after studying these Proverbs, I’m now convinced more than ever that following Jesus is not a cakewalk. If anything, it is actually harder to be a Christian because you can’t just be who you want to be.

Proverbs 15: Speak Your Mind?

In this chapter, I’m noticing a lot of wisdom on watching your words. In this day and age where the vast majority expresses their opinion openly, it’s becoming more and more difficult to “think before you speak.” ESPECIALLY, online where we make comments without running the risk of consequence for our actions.

Proverbs 16: Providence vs. Creating Your Destiny

God is the one who is in control. We should take great comfort in that fact because it means that we don’t have to put so much pressure on ourselves to perform.

Proverbs 17: Minor Tweaks

God’s Word is alive. It tells us when we need to tone it down a notch or crank it up a bit. I can’t help but think that all these minor tweaks along the way are what will surely bring us closer to who we are in Him.

Proverbs 18: The Golden Rule (on Facebook too!)

Isn’t it fascinating how much social media has changed the way we communicate with one another? I’ve known myself to be guilty of saying some things that I normally wouldn’t be bold enough to say in real-life conversations.

Proverbs 19: Where Does Poverty Fit In?

The more mature I become as a Christian, the more I find that God doesn’t want us to worry about money. He doesn’t want it to control our lives because it has the power to control us to the point where we value it more than Him.

Proverbs 20: Just God

We all know that life isn’t fair. Sometimes the cards we are dealt don’t result in a winning hand. Does that mean that God isn’t “good?”

Proverbs 21: The Contentious Woman

Basically, she’s the kind of person that pretty much no one wants to be around. The people that do surround her are either (A) just like her or (B) stuck with her.

Proverbs 22: Common Bond

Proverbs 22 is so important because it tears down this facade of wealthy, healthy, successful = blessed by God. It levels the playing field because it doesn’t matter where you come from. Nothing we achieve enables us to get more of Jesus.

Proverbs 23: More Money, More Problems

Solomon, the same man who could have had anything he wanted, actually warns us about wealth.

Proverbs 24: A Balancing Act

Moderation is a good thing, not only because of what it keeps us from doing too much of, but because of the things that we need to experience just a little bit to still be effective in ministering to the lost and loving the unlovely.

Proverbs 18: The Golden Rule (on Facebook too!)

Isn’t it fascinating how much social media has changed the way we communicate with one another? I’ve known myself to be guilty of saying some things that I normally wouldn’t be bold enough to say in real-life conversations.

Proverbs 19: Where Does Poverty Fit In?

The more mature I become as a Christian, the more I find that God doesn’t want us to worry about money. He doesn’t want it to control our lives because it has the power to control us to the point where we value it more than Him.

Proverbs 20: Just God

We all know that life isn’t fair. Sometimes the cards we are dealt don’t result in a winning hand. Does that mean that God isn’t “good?”

Proverbs 21: The Contentious Woman

Basically, she’s the kind of person that pretty much no one wants to be around. The people that do surround her are either (A) just like her or (B) stuck with her.

Proverbs 22: Common Bond

Proverbs 22 is so important because it tears down this facade of wealthy, healthy, successful = blessed by God. It levels the playing field because it doesn’t matter where you come from. Nothing we achieve enables us to get more of Jesus.

Proverbs 23: More Money, More Problems

Solomon, the same man who could have had anything he wanted, actually warns us about wealth.

Proverbs 24: A Balancing Act

Moderation is a good thing, not only because of what it keeps us from doing too much of, but because of the things that we need to experience just a little bit to still be effective in ministering to the lost and loving the unlovely.

Proverbs 25: Vinegar in a Wound

We really need to be sensitive to how we interact with people who are suffering. Many times, I think we try so hard to be “happy, positive Christians” that we forget that we are really supposed to be suffering with these people.

Proverbs 26: How to Stop Doing Foolish Things

That little voice in our head warns us and, for whatever reason, we ignore it just long enough to not do what it tells us to do.

Proverbs 27: Flattery, Bragging & Jealousy

When was the last time you analyzed the way that other people perceive you?

Proverbs 28: Rulers & Laws

We are always supposed to support our leaders through prayer. We are supposed to love them, as we want to be loved.

Proverbs 29: Giving & Receiving Criticism

Always accept criticism from others with humility and take those things to God in prayer and by studying the Bible. You’ll likely discover that there were things that you thought you knew about Jesus that you really didn’t… and that is okay.

Proverbs 30: Poverty Nor Riches

Material things (specifically our lack or abundance of them) have a way of replacing God. According to the Bible, it’s perfectly okay to be content with what you have.

Proverbs 31: A Different Focus

Sure. We’ve all heard of the “Proverbs 31 Woman,” but what about everything else in the chapter?

https://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-study/explore-the-bible/a-31-day-journey-t...

Other Key Verses:

Proverbs 1:5, "Let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance."

Proverbs 1:7, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.”

Proverbs 4:5, "Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or swerve from them."

Proverbs 8:13-14, "To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech. Counsel and sound judgment are mine; I have understanding and power."

https://www.gotquestions.org/Book-of-Proverbs.html

Why study the book of Proverbs? It's an Old Testament book, right? Isn't it out of date?

Wisdom for Life

Many of us love the book of Proverbs for its practicality. Every verse seems to provide us with insight—some way to think or be—that will make our lives run just a bit more smoothly.

Advice vs. Wisdom

Definition of Advice:. guidance or recommendations offered with regard to prudent future action.



Definition of Wisdom: the quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgment; the quality of being wise. Or, the soundness of an action or decision with regard to the application of experience, knowledge, and good judgment.

(Definitions from Oxford Languages)

Why is biblical wisdom important?

Are you reaping the benefits of Godly wisdom? You will, if you meditate on God’s Word, ask the Lord for wisdom (James 1:5), and walk in the Spirit following the Holy Spirit’s guidance and instruction. Walking in wisdom helps us to make the right choices for our lives and protects us (Proverbs 2:11-16; 29:8). It equips us to handle difficult situations and relationships. Wisdom helps you work smarter, not harder (Ecclesiastes 10:10). Those who have God’s wisdom will show it in the way that they live. A wise person walks in righteousness (See Proverbs 10), not just what you do but who you are in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21). A truly wise person does what God’s Word says.

https://alexiscarucci.com/2021/03/17/benefits-of-godly-wisdom/#:~:text=Wisdom%20...

Seeking wisdom and not just advice requires more heart work, but it’s worth it! That’s because the wisdom found in Proverbs takes us outside of ourselves and our own lives to someone else—our covenant Lord. It teaches us that wisdom is not primarily about what we do but about who God is and what he’s done for us. That’s the heart of the book and the primary reason to study it.

Another way of say this is:

In 1 Corinthians 2, Paul writes about the difference between the wisdom of men and spiritual wisdom. The wisdom of men is “coming to nothing,” he says. “On the contrary, we speak God’s hidden wisdom in a mystery, a wisdom God predestined before the ages for our glory” (vv.6-7).

Paul then explains that God’s wisdom is no longer hidden in mystery because it has been revealed to us by God’s Spirit. What is this wisdom? In short: “Jesus Christ and him crucified” (v.2). It seems so simple—too simple, especially in the Information Age—for the idea of wisdom to be boiled down to this one simple truth. And yet, this is what Scripture tells us.

The temptation is to fill up our minds with as much “wisdom” as possible. We gather knowledge in an attempt to be the smartest in the room and because we find security in thinking all of our questions can be answered with a Google search.

But spiritual wisdom frees us from relying on our own knowledge. It frees us from having to answer every question, and it opens up our lives to the power of the Spirit. In this, paradoxically, Scripture says we are able to “evaluate everything” (v.15). When we are not sure what to do, where to turn or who to talk to, we have the Spirit. When we are confused, disheartened, angry, we have the Spirit. And this Spirit is wisdom. This Spirit gives us more than the entire archive of Wikipedia ever could. It gives us “the mind of Christ” (v.16).

https://shereadstruth.com/spiritual-wisdom/#:~:text=But%20spiritual%20wisdom%20f...“evaluate%20everything”%20(v.

Seeing Ourselves on Every Page

We find in Proverbs people like us—fathers, mothers, children, friends, colleagues. We find men and women of wisdom, and we find fools. We see the passionate and the lazy. We encounter those tempted by sin and those who do the tempting.

https://www.crossway.org/articles/why-study-the-book-of-proverbs/

Doubts and Inspirations: My journey through this topic -

Well, it's the start of the Bible Study/research paper/questions as it turns out to be. I'm fairly confident, however I'm not sure just the Bible study by itself will be enough words to complete this project. The goal is 50,000 and I'm far from that goal. I'm adding more and more content, and I'm sure that my "writing buddy" is going to be exhausted by all of the additional content that I've had to come up with just to make the writing goal. If I'm ever crazy enough to do this again, I think that I will try for fiction, and then maybe I won't hem myself in with just the available research on a non-fictional (to me, anyway) writing.

And here we start the inner monologue. I haven't written in a couple of days, and it's probably a combination of things. One, I get distracted by stuff around the house to be done. Normally, this isn't such a big deal, but I can see the signs. It isn't burnout, it's just on whether or not I want to continue to write. I see others with their 10k or 20k and it just starts stressing me out. I mean, this is my writing, and I shouldn't let what others are doing upset me, right?

I don't know if I just have a fear of doing a longer piece or not, or if I just am afraid of success. I was thinking about this inner monologue before I started typing, and it came out better in my head, . But there it is. What if I do this, and actually get most of it written? It would be something of a new thing for me, I think. What if I did succeed? Am I prepared for the fact that I might actually be able to write? I've always said that I might do short stories, or flash fiction, but that my main forte is writing poetry/prose. I guess this is an interlude to help me get back on course with my writing. I have a lot to do in order to catch up, but the kids usually let me type in peace. They are grown, so I don't have to "attend" to them like when they were younger.

Aggh, I'm still procrastinating! I don't really know what is wrong with me. I probably won't do a longer writing unless it is on my own terms and time frame. Working within a construct does kind of stress me out. Well, now that I'm done with this for a few minutes, maybe I can quit being distracted, and get back to work writing.

Another thing that struck me, is that I'm a divorced woman trying to do a bible study on a "perfect woman". Is there really such a thing? And who am I to try to come up with a Bible study? I mean, wouldn't I be considered "damaged goods" as far as the Proverbs 31 woman is concerned? I think about it, and I wonder. I mean I'm a believer in Christ, and as such, my past sins are washed away by my repentance and belief in Christ. Therefore, I should be able to do this without batting an eye, right?

Just because you are free doesn't mean that you don't get caught up in your own headspace from time to time.

I'm sure I will come back to this if I get stuck again.

Well, I'm stuck again. It's not that I don't want to do this, I think it's the time/word constraints that I have. This is a good topic. I wonder if maybe I'm stuck in my head a little as I am divorced and talking about "the perfect woman". Now there's a thought . What right do I have to go on about a topic that I am clearly unqualified to do so? I've covered this a bit in my head. Being forgiven doesn't mean I don't deal with consequences of my actions. It means that my sins are paid for by my Savior and I don't have to pay for them on my own.
I'll get through this, it's just taking me a bit of time to come up with the words.

And here I am, stuck again! (Who would have thought that I would have to scramble at only half way through the word count?}

Who knew there was so much to dig for in the book itself? I imagine God knew. Oh, why, did I set myself up for such a feat? Couldn't have God given me a story that I could have written out of my own head? Uggh!

Well, I've found an inspiration to answer my doubts. It comes through the story of David and Bathsheba. It starts with 2 Samuel 11:1-17.

11 In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king’s men and the whole Israelite army. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem.

2 One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful, 3 and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, “She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.” 4 Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her. (Now she was purifying herself from her monthly uncleanness.) Then she went back home. 5 The woman conceived and sent word to David, saying, “I am pregnant.”

6 So David sent this word to Joab: “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” And Joab sent him to David. 7 When Uriah came to him, David asked him how Joab was, how the soldiers were and how the war was going. 8 Then David said to Uriah, “Go down to your house and wash your feet.” So Uriah left the palace, and a gift from the king was sent after him. 9 But Uriah slept at the entrance to the palace with all his master’s servants and did not go down to his house.

10 David was told, “Uriah did not go home.” So he asked Uriah, “Haven’t you just come from a military campaign? Why didn’t you go home?”

11 Uriah said to David, “The ark and Israel and Judah are staying in tents,[a] and my commander Joab and my lord’s men are camped in the open country. How could I go to my house to eat and drink and make love to my wife? As surely as you live, I will not do such a thing!”

12 Then David said to him, “Stay here one more day, and tomorrow I will send you back.” So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next. 13 At David’s invitation, he ate and drank with him, and David made him drunk. But in the evening Uriah went out to sleep on his mat among his master’s servants; he did not go home.

14 In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah. 15 In it he wrote, “Put Uriah out in front where the fighting is fiercest. Then withdraw from him so he will be struck down and die.”

16 So while Joab had the city under siege, he put Uriah at a place where he knew the strongest defenders were. 17 When the men of the city came out and fought against Joab, some of the men in David’s army fell; moreover, Uriah the Hittite died.

Now is this is an action from a "man after God's own heart"? Not the action - this is the action of a bored man who should have been out on the battlefield with his men. Ya know - idle hands, and all?

Don't think for a moment that David got away with murder, though...See verses 26-27:


26 When Uriah’s wife heard that her husband was dead, she mourned for him. 27 After the time of mourning was over, David had her brought to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing David had done displeased the Lord.


God was displeased. But He didn't just give David a "tongue-lashing". There were real consequences to his actions.

The story continues 2 Samuel 12:1-22.

12 The Lord sent Nathan to David. When he came to him, he said, “There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor. 2 The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle, 3 but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him.

4 “Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him.”

5 David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, “As surely as the Lord lives, the man who did this must die! 6 He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity.”

7 Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man! This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. 8 I gave your master’s house to you, and your master’s wives into your arms. I gave you all Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more. 9 Why did you despise the word of the Lord by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. 10 Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.’

11 “This is what the Lord says: ‘Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity on you. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will sleep with your wives in broad daylight. 12 You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.’”

13 Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.”

Nathan replied, “The Lord has taken away your sin. You are not going to die. 14 But because by doing this you have shown utter contempt for[a] the Lord, the son born to you will die.”

15 After Nathan had gone home, the Lord struck the child that Uriah’s wife had borne to David, and he became ill. 16 David pleaded with God for the child. He fasted and spent the nights lying in sackcloth[b] on the ground. 17 The elders of his household stood beside him to get him up from the ground, but he refused, and he would not eat any food with them.

18 On the seventh day the child died. David’s attendants were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they thought, “While the child was still living, he wouldn’t listen to us when we spoke to him. How can we now tell him the child is dead? He may do something desperate.”

19 David noticed that his attendants were whispering among themselves, and he realized the child was dead. “Is the child dead?” he asked.

“Yes,” they replied, “he is dead.”

20 Then David got up from the ground. After he had washed, put on lotions and changed his clothes, he went into the house of the Lord and worshiped. Then he went to his own house, and at his request they served him food, and he ate.

21 His attendants asked him, “Why are you acting this way? While the child was alive, you fasted and wept, but now that the child is dead, you get up and eat!”

22 He answered, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept. I thought, ‘Who knows? The Lord may be gracious to me and let the child live.’ 23 But now that he is dead, why should I go on fasting? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me.”

Not only did David get rebuked in the most sternest of fashions, as punishment, the sword shall always be "with David". He shall know peace in his country no longer. And the son Bathsheba bore to him was struck down and died as well.

And it goes on to say in verse 24:

24 Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba, and he went to her and made love to her. She gave birth to a son, and they named him Solomon. The Lord loved him;

So came the origins of Solomon. It was a messy affair to start with; but God forgave David, and blessed him with another son.

24 Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba, and he went to her and made love to her. She gave birth to a son, and they named him Solomon. The Lord loved him;

When David was old and bedridden, he made Solomon his successor (1 Kings 1:28-53).

David Makes Solomon King
28 Then King David said, “Call in Bathsheba.” So she came into the king’s presence and stood before him.

29 The king then took an oath: “As surely as the Lord lives, who has delivered me out of every trouble, 30 I will surely carry out this very day what I swore to you by the Lord, the God of Israel: Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my throne in my place.”

31 Then Bathsheba bowed down with her face to the ground, prostrating herself before the king, and said, “May my lord King David live forever!”

32 King David said, “Call in Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet and Benaiah son of Jehoiada.” When they came before the king, 33 he said to them: “Take your lord’s servants with you and have Solomon my son mount my own mule and take him down to Gihon. 34 There have Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him king over Israel. Blow the trumpet and shout, ‘Long live King Solomon!’ 35 Then you are to go up with him, and he is to come and sit on my throne and reign in my place. I have appointed him ruler over Israel and Judah.”

36 Benaiah son of Jehoiada answered the king, “Amen! May the Lord, the God of my lord the king, so declare it. 37 As the Lord was with my lord the king, so may he be with Solomon to make his throne even greater than the throne of my lord King David!”

38 So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Kerethites and the Pelethites went down and had Solomon mount King David’s mule, and they escorted him to Gihon. 39 Zadok the priest took the horn of oil from the sacred tent and anointed Solomon. Then they sounded the trumpet and all the people shouted, “Long live King Solomon!” 40 And all the people went up after him, playing pipes and rejoicing greatly, so that the ground shook with the sound.

41 Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they were finishing their feast. On hearing the sound of the trumpet, Joab asked, “What’s the meaning of all the noise in the city?”

42 Even as he was speaking, Jonathan son of Abiathar the priest arrived. Adonijah said, “Come in. A worthy man like you must be bringing good news.”

43 “Not at all!” Jonathan answered. “Our lord King David has made Solomon king. 44 The king has sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Kerethites and the Pelethites, and they have put him on the king’s mule, 45 and Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king at Gihon. From there they have gone up cheering, and the city resounds with it. That’s the noise you hear. 46 Moreover, Solomon has taken his seat on the royal throne. 47 Also, the royal officials have come to congratulate our lord King David, saying, ‘May your God make Solomon’s name more famous than yours and his throne greater than yours!’ And the king bowed in worship on his bed 48 and said, ‘Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who has allowed my eyes to see a successor on my throne today.’”

49 At this, all Adonijah’s guests rose in alarm and dispersed. 50 But Adonijah, in fear of Solomon, went and took hold of the horns of the altar. 51 Then Solomon was told, “Adonijah is afraid of King Solomon and is clinging to the horns of the altar. He says, ‘Let King Solomon swear to me today that he will not put his servant to death with the sword.’”

52 Solomon replied, “If he shows himself to be worthy, not a hair of his head will fall to the ground; but if evil is found in him, he will die.” 53 Then King Solomon sent men, and they brought him down from the altar. And Adonijah came and bowed down to King Solomon, and Solomon said, “Go to your home.”

Solomon asks for wisdom

1 Kings 3:5-15

5 At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”

6 Solomon answered, “You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son to sit on his throne this very day.

7 “Now, Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. 8 Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. 9 So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?”

10 The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. 11 So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, 12 I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. 13 Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for—both wealth and honor—so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings. 14 And if you walk in obedience to me and keep my decrees and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life.” 15 Then Solomon awoke—and he realized it had been a dream.

How God Blessed Solomon: 1 Kings 4:20-28

That is a lot of provisions to be responsible for.

Solomon’s Daily Provisions

20 The people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand on the seashore; they ate, they drank and they were happy.
21 And Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. These countries brought tribute and were Solomon’s subjects all his life.
22 Solomon’s daily provisions were thirty cors of the finest flour and sixty cors of meal,
23 ten head of stall-fed cattle, twenty of pasture-fed cattle and a hundred sheep and goats, as well as deer, gazelles, roebucks and choice fowl.
24 For he ruled over all the kingdoms west of the Euphrates River, from Tiphsah to Gaza, and had peace on all sides.
25 During Solomon’s lifetime Judah and Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, lived in safety, everyone under their own vine and under their own fig tree.
26 Solomon had four thousand stalls for chariot horses, and twelve thousand horses.
27 The district governors, each in his month, supplied provisions for King Solomon and all who came to the king’s table. They saw to it that nothing was lacking.
28 They also brought to the proper place their quotas of barley and straw for the chariot horses and the other horses.

Solomon’s Wisdom: 1 Kings 4:29-34

29 God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore.
30 Solomon’s wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the people of the East, and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt.
31 He was wiser than anyone else, including Ethan the Ezrahite—wiser than Heman, Kalkol and Darda, the sons of Mahol. And his fame spread to all the surrounding nations.
32 He spoke three thousand proverbs and his songs numbered a thousand and five.
33 He spoke about plant life, from the cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of walls. He also spoke about animals and birds, reptiles and fish.
34 From all nations people came to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, sent by all the kings of the world, who had heard of his wisdom.

He returned to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the Lord’s covenant and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then he gave a feast for all his court.

God blessed Solomon for choosing wisdom (discernment) in governing the people of God. And because he did this God was pleased to give Solomon what he did not ask for as well.

So what could have ended as a calamity for David, turned into a blessing for Solomon, as David choose to repent of his sins, and God forgave him.

So, my thinking is this: God chose to forgive David; He also chose to forgive me. So I may be free to explore the depths of the book of Proverbs without feeling like a hypocrite.

 

What is the purpose of the Book of Proverbs?

Therefore, the chief aim of the book of Proverbs is to bring divine truth into proper focus, enabling us to look at life through God's eyes—from His eternal, all-knowing point of view—and then live accordingly. Proverbs teaches us how to gain wisdom from God's reproofs so that, in the power of the Spirit, we will obey.

five reasons God gave us this book of wisdom:

1. To inspire reverence and obedience within the reader’s heart

reverence: rev'-er-ens: In the Old Testament, "reverence" occurs as the translation of two Hebrew words, yare' and shachah. The root idea of the former is "fear." It is used to express the attitude toward God Himself, as in Psalms 89:7 the King James Version; or toward His sanctuary, as in Leviticus 19:30; 26:2.


obedience: According to Holman's Illustrated Bible Dictionary, a succinct definition of biblical obedience is "to hear God's Word and act accordingly."


2. To teach discernment

discernment: Proverbs 2:3-5 – Seek Discernment & You Will Discover The Knowledge of God. “For if you cry for discernment, Lift your voice for understanding; If you seek her as silver and search for her as for hidden treasures; Then you will discern the fear of the LORD and discover the knowledge of God.”

3. To develop alertness in the walk

alertness: Between verses 8-33 and verses 34-35 of Luke 21, we can also see a contrast in the awareness levels we need to have regarding the physical versus the spiritual. For the physical, we are to be aware but not over-attentive. For the spiritual, however, Christ raises the level of vigilance: "Take heed to yourselves," or be on guard! He exhorts us to be in a high state of spiritual alertness.

Source: https://www.bibletools.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/topical.show/RTD/cgg/ID/3015/Ale...

4. To establish discretion and purpose in life

discretion Proverbs 22:3. The operational definition of discretion is “the ability to avoid words, actions, and attitudes which could result in undesirable consequences.” A person practices discretion by thoughtfully considering the possible consequences before taking any action.

purpose: (Heb. yaas [["y]; Gk. boule [boulhv]). The Old Testament. The verbal root of the Hebrew word for purpose means to give counsel, deliberate, purpose, or determine. In five passages where the noun appears, four refer to God's purpose and one to the purpose of a person's heart ( Prov 19:21 ; 20:5 ; Isa 46:10-11 ; Jer 32:19 ). God's plans stand firm forever ( Psalm 33:11 ); his purpose will stand ( Isa 46:10 ). What God intends, what he has in mind, what he purposes and plans, what he pleases — these together give the basis for a theology of history. God stands in the center of history as One who Acts. He has a goal in what he does. Nothing can thwart his plan. His purpose is consistently related to what he does in the world.

Source: https://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/purpose/



5. To cultivate keenness of mind

keenness: 2. (superl.) Acute of mind; sharp; penetrating; having or expressing mental acuteness; as, a man of keen understanding; a keen look; keen features.

example: Philippians 1:9
And it is my prayer that your love may be more and more accompanied by clear knowledge and keen perception, for testing things that differ,


Source for 1-5: https://insight.org/resources/daily-devotional/individual/the-purpose-of-the-pro...

 

Proverbs Chapter 1

The book of Proverbs has been known as the book of wisdom from the very beginning. Most of the writing of Proverbs has been credited to the pen of Solomon. God has given Solomon the wisdom to rule his people fairly. Proverbs is actually a book of instructions on how to live a life pleasing to God and how to be more peaceful with all of mankind. It is a wonderful book for people of all ages to study how to live moral, peaceful lives. The purpose of the book is for moral instructions on everyday living.

The main topic is the fear of the Lord. In fact, the “Fear of the Lord” is mentioned fourteen times. Solomon’s instructions were very good. He would have been better off if he had heeded his own instructions. Solomon, in his later life strayed from his own teaching.

A “proverb” is a wise saying. It is similar to a parable; in fact it bears a hidden message.

Proverbs 1:1 “The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel;”

We see that these wise sayings are of Solomon, who is the second son of David and Bath-sheba. David and Solomon were each king of Israel for forty years.

The basic meaning of the Hebrew word for proverb is “comparison,” but it came to stand for a wide range of wise pronouncements including the byword lament and thought provoking sayings. In the Book of Proverbs, the word is used to refer to an aphorism or concise statement of a principle or to a discourse.

The word aphorism (literally “distinction” or “definition”, from the Greek: “from-to bound”) denotes an original thought, spoken or written in a laconic and easily memorable form.

Laconic means: brief and to the point; effectively cut short; “a crisp retort”; “a response so curt as to be almost rude”; “the laconic reply; yes”.

The proverbs are short pithy sayings which express timeless truth and wisdom. They arrest one’s thoughts, causing the reader to reflect on how one might apply divine principles to life situations. Proverbs contains insight both in poetry and prose; yet, at the same time, it includes commands to be obeyed. God’s proverbs are not limited to this book alone.

As Solomon became king of Israel, he sought and received wisdom and knowledge from the Lord which led him to wealth, honor and fame.



In verses 2-6 the two-fold purpose of the book is to produce the skill of godly living by wisdom and instruction (verse 2a), which is then expanded (in verses 3 and 4); and then to develop discernment (verse 2b), which is expanded (in verse 5).

Proverbs 1:2 “To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding;”

Wisdom is the key word of the book and basically means “skill in living.” It is used in the Old Testament to refer to a physical skill such as tailoring, metalwork and woodwork, spinning, engraving and designing, and warfare. Used metaphorically (as in Proverbs), it refers to the skill to live life successfully.

Instruction refers to moral discipline of one’s life, not to classroom instruction. It refers to the discipline of a moral nature.

Understanding means the capability to distinguish between true and false, good and bad, what matters most, and what does not matter at all. To the Hebrew mind, wisdom was not knowledge alone, but the skill of living a godly life as God intended man to live. This word looks at the mental discipline which matures one for spiritual discernment.

Solomon came to the throne with great promise, privilege and opportunity. God had granted his request for understanding and his wisdom exceeded all others. However the shocking reality is that he failed to live out the truth that he knew and even taught his son Rehoboam, who subsequently rejected his father’s teaching.

Proverbs contains a gold mine of biblical theology, reflecting themes of Scripture brought to the level of practical righteousness, by addressing man’s ethical choices, calling into question how he thinks, lives and manages his daily life in light of divine truth. More specifically, Proverbs calls man to live as the Creator intended him to live when He made man.

The recurring promise of Proverbs is that generally the wise (those of righteousness who obey God), live longer, prosper, and experience joy and the goodness of God temporally, while fools suffer shame and death. On the other hand, it must be remembered that this general principle is balanced by the reality that the wicked sometimes prosper, though only temporarily. Job illustrates that there are occasions when the godly wise are struck with disaster and suffering.

Proverbs 1:3 “To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity;”

Expanding the purpose and terms (of verse 2a), Proverbs engages in a process of schooling a son in the disciplines of

(1) Wisdom (a different Hebrew word from that in verse 2), which means discreet counsel or the ability to govern oneself by choice;

(2) Justice, the ability to conform to the will and standard of God; a practical righteousness that matches one’s positional righteousness;

(3) Judgment, the application of true righteousness in dealing with others; and

(4) Equity, the living of life in a fair, pleasing way.

Proverbs 1:4 “To give subtlety to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.”

“Wisdom” is the ultimate goal, so we see it mentioned here. “Instruction” can flow out from the greatest teacher of all time and still we will be no more the wiser. The point made here is to receive the instruction into your being and in so doing become the wiser. We have to receive the instructions for it to help us. We must open up “perceive” our understanding. The “equity”, “judgment”, and “justice” are the fruits of wisdom. A wise man will be just, etc.

To give “subtlety to the simple”: The purpose is to impart discernment to the naive and the ignorant. The root of “simple” is a word meaning “an open door,” and apt description of the undiscerning, who do not know what to keep in or out of their minds.

To the young, knowledge and discretion is to make one ponder before sinning, thus to make a responsible choice.

Proverbs 1:5 “A wise [man] will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:”

Be quick to listen and slow to speak is a very good way of learning. A man of understanding will want to be counseled by older, wiser men. They will be quick to be instructed by someone who has already experienced the same thing. These wise counsels can save many mistakes.

The wise believer will have the ability to guide or govern others with truth.

Proverbs 1:6 “To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.”

Jesus said that now we look through a dark glass. We cannot understand the secrets of proverbs and parables now. We understand them to the extent that the Holy Spirit reveals them to us. Even the disciples had Jesus interpret his parables. The Holy Spirit, working as a teacher, helps us interpret the hidden meanings.

Proverbs seeks to sharpen the mind by schooling one in “parabolic speech” and “dark sayings” that need reflection and interpretation. Study of the scriptures is sufficient to provide the wisdom for the perplexities of life.

Proverbs 1:7 “The fear of the LORD [is] the beginning of knowledge: [but] fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

There is very little left to say about this statement. We know the fear of anything other than God is lack of faith. This type of fear of God would cause reverent worship of him.

In James 1:5 “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all [men] liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.”

A fool does not even realize that instruction and wisdom will benefit him. He goes away ignorant as before, because he will not let anyone instruct him.

The fear of the Lord means submission to the Lord and His revelation. When one is afraid of something, he either runs from it or submits to it. The latter idea is in view here. It is a healthy fear, like the fear of electricity or the fear of one’s parents, which causes one to act in an appropriate manner. The beginning does not mean that “the fear of the Lord” is left behind in the course of acquiring wisdom, but that it is the controlling principle of wisdom.

Proverbs 1:8 “My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:”

The two people in the world who want you to have the best of everything are your mother and father. The instructions they are trying to get you to heed are to save you headache and troubles. They have your welfare at heart. Accept their instructions so that you can gain from their experience and not have to make the same mistakes they have already made. They wish you only good, not evil.

My son begins the first of 10 similar discourses in which the father appeals to the son to listen to his counsel and choose wisdom over folly. The mention of the Mother shows that the original setting of the book was the home, not the court or school.

Proverbs 1:9 “For they [shall be] an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.”

The greatest gift a parent can give to a child is the gift of good moral teaching. This “grace” above, I believe, is just that. These parents have set high moral standards and passed them on to­­ their children.

Chains about thy neck: refers to an adornment or thing of beauty in one’s life.

Proverbs 1:10 “My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.”

You see, we are a free moral agent. We decide whether we will sin or not. Just because the crowd is sinning, is no reason to get involved. Use your own free will and say “no” to sin, even if it is inviting. In the long run, we are responsible for our own decisions.

Sinners is a term reserved in Scripture to describe unbelievers for whom sin is continual and who endeavor to persuade even believers to sin with them. The sins of murder and robbery are used as illustrations of such folly.

Proverbs 1:11 “If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause:”

“Come with us”. The intimidating force of peer pressure is often the way to entice those who lack wisdom.

Proverbs 1:12 “Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit:”

The wicked devise a plot of deception in which the innocent are captured and victimized like one who is taken by death itself, as with Joseph (Gen. 37:20); Jeremiah (Jer. 38:6-13); and Daniel (Dan. 6:16-17).

“The Pit … Sheol” is the place of death. For the wicked it is a place of no return (Job 7:9), darkness (Psalms 143:3) and torment (Isaiah 14:11).

Proverbs 1:13-14 “We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil:” “Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse:”

This is the enlisting of the innocent without full disclosure of intent. Abundant spoil is promised by this outright robbery, which is made to appear easy and safe for the thieves and murderers.

Proverbs 1:15 “My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path:”

This directly confronts the invitation of (verse 11). Sin must be rejected at the first temptation, by refusing even the association that can lead to sin. Avoid the beginnings of sin (see 4:14).

Proverbs 1:16 “For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.”

This is warning not to keep evil company. There is guilt by association. You may not be guilty of their sins; but if you are caught with them, you will pay the terrible penalty with them. Many a youngster has gotten into serious trouble because he wanted to be part of the gang. Children’s favorite saying to parents is, “everyone is doing it”. Sometimes peer pressure causes a youngster to join a gang. He probably has no idea they are stealing or killing when he joins; but the longer he stays, the more deeply involved he becomes. The only way to avoid this is just what the Scripture advises. Don’t go with them in the first place. The time to say “no” is before you get in deep.

Proverbs 1:17 “Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird.”

As a bird flies into a net and is caught, so will the sinner get caught if he goes head long into sin. We know the net is there, but get into it anyway.

It would be ineffective to set up a net for catching a bird in full view of the bird. Taken with (verse 18), this analogy means that the sinner sets up his trap for the innocent in secret, but in the end the trap is sprung on him (verse 19). This greed entraps him. Stupid sinners rush to their own ruin.

Proverbs 1:18 “And they lay wait for their [own] blood; they lurk privily for their [own] lives.”

A person laying in wait to kill someone else is actually sealing their own doom.

Proverbs 1:19 “So [are] the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; [which] taketh away the life of the owners thereof.”

Greed for things that do not belong to you is certainly the cause of most sin toward your fellow man.

Verses 20-33: From this section of scripture (from verses 20-33), wisdom is personified as a prophetess calling in public places to everyone to come to her and learn. Three groups are especially singled out in the appeal: the simple ones, or untaught: the scorners, or scoffers; and the fools, or morally dull. The consequences of rejecting wisdom are immense as we see (in verses 26-28).

Similar personifications of wisdom occur later in this book (see 3:14-18; 8:1-36; and 9:1-12).

Proverbs 1:20-21 “Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets:” “She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, [saying],”

While enticement is covert and secret (verse 10), wisdom, with nothing to hide, is available to everyone, being found in the most prominent of public places.

Proverbs 1:22 “How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?”

An idle mind brings on sin. Wisdom is a gift from God, and we must pray to receive it. Knowledge is accumulated learning that we study and acquire by effort upon our part. Only a fool will turn away from the knowledge and wisdom of God.

Three questions reveal 3 classes of those needing wisdom and the downward progression of sin:

(1) The simple or naïve, who are ignorant;

(2) Scorners or mockers who commit more serious, determined acts; and

(3) Fools or obstinate unbelievers, who will not listen to the truth. Proverbs aims its wisdom primarily at the first group.

Proverbs 1:23 “Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.”

God is telling the people to learn by His reproof. God is offering to pour out His Spirit. God the Holy Spirit will reveal the meaning of the word to us if we will accept His Spirit into us.

What does reproof mean? After a lengthy study I came up with this: The sense is: “The Spirit will teach men the true meaning of these three words: sin, righteousness, judgment.”

God’s wisdom brings to bear against the sinner indictments for sin that demand repentance. To the one who does repent, God promises the spirit or essence of true wisdom linked to divine revelation.

Proverbs 1:24-25 “Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;” “But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would one of my reproof:”

Sinners who respond with indifference and mockery at God’s indictments increase their guilt (Rom. 2-5), and bring upon themselves the wrath of God’s mockery and indifference (verses 26-27). Some wait to seek God until it is too late.

Proverbs 1:26-27 “I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;” “When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you.”

Those who refuse the call of Jesus Christ as Savior or those who have not reached out to receive the Lord have nothing good to look for. In their time of trouble, they have no one to turn to. The Lord will have no sympathy for those who have rejected His salvation.

Notice the terms, calamity, terror, destruction, distress and anguish. All these terms describe the severe trouble of divine judgment. When sinners who have rejected wisdom call on God in the Day of Judgment, God will respond to their distress with derision.



Verses 28-32: God’s rejection of sinners is carefully detailed (in verses 28-32). This is the aspect of God’s wrath expressed in His abandonment of sinners (see Romans 1:24-28). No prayers or diligent seeking will help them (8:17).

Proverbs 1:28-30 “Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:” “For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD:” “They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof.”

There is a time when the Lord will turn his back on us if we totally reject the Lord. When that time comes, The Lord will not hear our plea anymore.

This shows that they had totally rejected everything that the Lord had offered them. They did not want to learn the ways of the Lord.

Proverbs 1:31-32 “Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.” “For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.”

The Ultimate punishment is God’s giving a people up to the result of their wickedness. (Romans 1:24-28).

This is just another way of saying: If you reject the Lord, you will reap whatever you sow. Having your eyes and desires set on things of this world can do nothing but destroy you. There is no eternity in earthly desires.

“And the prosperity of fools shall destroy them:” Willful carelessness or lack of appropriate care is intended here.

Proverbs 1:33 “But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.”

This is a beautiful description of the security and peace that comes when we are hidden in the Lord Jesus. Fear will not be a part of our vocabulary, because it is the opposite of faith. If we have faith in the Lord, there is no fear.

Proverbs Chapter 1 Questions

1. What is the book of Proverbs known as the book of?

2. Who penned the book?

3. Proverbs is a book of _______ on how to_______ ________ __________ __________?

4. How many times is the “Fear of the Lord” mentioned in proverbs?

5. What is a proverb?

6. How is a proverb and a parable alike?

7. Who was Solomon’s father and mother?

8. How long did Solomon reign?

9. What does “perceive” mean?

10. What three things here are fruits of wisdom?

11. A wise man will hear and ____________ __________.

12. Be quick to _________ and slow to ___________.

13. Who helps us to understand the hidden meaning of Scriptures?

14. What is the beginning of Knowledge?

15. Who despise wisdom and instruction?

16. Fear is ______________ _____________ ____________.

17. In James 1:5 we read how to receive wisdom. How do we receive it?

18. “Hear the instructions of thy ______, and forsake not the law of thy __________.”

19. What is the greatest gift a parent can give a child?

20. This “grace on the head” in verse 9, means what?

21. In verse 10 we are told not to be enticed to sin. How is that our decision to make?

22. Verses 11-16 is warning us against what?

23. What gets many innocent young people involved in sin today?

24. As a bird flies into a net and is caught, so the sinner ______.

25. What causes many people to sin against their neighbor?

26. An idle mind brings on what?

27. What is knowledge?

28. In verse 23, God is telling us to do what?

29. Those who reject the Lord will find the Lord doing what at His calamity?

30. In contrast, verse 33 is a beautiful description of what?

https://bible-studys.org/proverbs-chapter-1/

 

Proverbs 10
1
The proverbs of Solomon: A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son grief to his mother.

We see the joy or sorrow of parents. Most parents live the most part of their lives for their children. The children actually determine whether the parents are happy in their later years or not. There is not a more unhappy parent in the world than one who knows his or her child is caught up in sin and things of this world. There is no happier parent than one who knows that his or her offspring are all saved with their names written in the Lamb’s book of life. Children who are living for Jesus are a joy to any parent.

This grief is most deeply felt by the mother, who plays a more intimate role in raising a child.


2
Ill-gotten treasures are of no value, but righteousness delivers from death.

You see, all the wealth we can accumulate here on this earth will all be left behind when our heavenly Father says it is time for us to die. Be sure everyone will die. Treasures gotten through evil ways will seal your doom for all of eternity if you do not repent and turn from your wicked ways. You cannot buy your way into heaven. You certainly cannot use this ill gotten wealth to purchase eternal life.

The only thing that brings life eternal with Jesus our Lord is to be in right standing with Him. “Righteousness” is just that, being in right standing with our Lord. We put on the robe of His righteousness: white as snow, washed in His blood, when we accept Him as our Lord and Savior.

The greatest of all treasures and life, is gained by righteousness.


3
The LORD does not let the righteous go hungry but he thwarts the craving of the wicked.

Psalms 37-22-27 “For [such as be] blessed of him shall inherit the earth; and [they that be] cursed of him shall be cut off.” “The steps of a [good] man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.” “Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth [him with] his hand.” “I have been young, and [now] am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.” “[He is] ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed [is] blessed.” “Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore.”

How could I even add to all of this? God takes care of His own. You may have a few problems to strengthen you; but you will not go hungry, and you will inherit eternal life.

For a while, the wicked may seem to realize their desires, but in the end, God removes their accomplishments because they are evil.


4
Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth.

Poverty by itself is not evil, unless it is the product of laziness. This verse is in contrast to the sluggard.

Early to bed, and early to rise; maketh a man healthy, wealthy, and wise. How many times in our life have we all been told this by our parents, teachers, and friends? This “slack hand” above is speaking of a lazy person who will not work. You cannot have money unless you are willing to work to get it.

Get your priorities straight and work hard, and God will bless you abundantly even in this life. Laziness will get you nowhere but to the poorhouse.


5
He who gathers crops in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.

The timing necessary in agriculture can be applied to the general laying hold of life’s opportunities.

Harvest time is a time when we work from sunup to sundown to get the crop in. A person may lie in bed a little longer when it is very cold and the ground is too hard to work, but come harvest we must reap. We see here a two fold message. This is speaking of literal crops, but it is also speaking of the harvest at the end of the world.

Everyone who knows anything about the Lord should be working from sunup to sundown to get the harvest (wheat), of believers into the kingdom of God. If you can minister in any capacity, now is not the time to sit on the sideline. Get into the field and harvest the wheat (believers).


6
Blessings crown the head of the righteous, but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked. [1]

We have just been reading how the blessings are on those who do justly.

In James, we read that all good comes from God.

James 1:17, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”

This “violence” that covers the mouth of the wicked, later falls back upon his foul mouth.

Mal. 2:16 “For the LORD, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away: for [one] covereth violence with his garment, saith the LORD of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously.”

Hab. 2:17: “For the violence of Lebanon shall cover thee, and the spoil of beasts, [which] made them afraid, because of men’s blood, and for the violence of the land, of the city, and of all that dwell therein.”


7
The memory of the righteous will be a blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot.

This verse refers to the way a righteous person is remembered by man and God after his death.

Every time you do something good for someone you feel good about yourself. The blessings of the Lord are for those who live uprightly.

You never see monuments to the wicked. A good example of an evil one, who no one celebrates his birthday, is Hitler. No one wants to remember this evil one.


8
The wise in heart accept commands, but a chattering fool comes to ruin.

This “wise in heart” would be a humble person easy to teach, not a proud, highminded person. This “prating fool” is someone who is always bragging. The little meaning of prating is lip. This is someone who talks too much and lets his conversation trap him.

To finish the parallelism, the wise listens and is teachable and, therefore, will be lifted up. The fool, always talking, falls because he rejects God’s commands.


9
The man of integrity walks securely, but he who takes crooked paths will be found out.

Romans 6:4, “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”

The upright walk is the walk we Christians walk following Jesus. We will not stumble and fall, because we have the light of Jesus at our feet to light our way.

Those who walk in the dark are evil. Evil will be exposed. These are people who practice doing evil. Be sure your sins will find you out.

Those who have integrity or who live what they believe, exist without fear of some evil being discovered, while those who are perverse and have secret wickedness will not be able to hide it.


10
He who winks maliciously causes grief, and a chattering fool comes to ruin.

When we see winking eyes, the two involved are scheming to do you evil. This is ordinarily plotting to do evil.

We covered this in chapter 6:13-14. Fearing detection and to hide evil intentions, deceivers spoke lies to victims while giving signals with their eyes, hands and or feet to others in on the deception.


11
The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked.

Bitter and sweet water does not come from the same well. Jesus (at the well), told the woman, if she drank of the water He provided, she would never thirst again. Life everlasting comes with the mouth.

Romans 10:9 “That if thou shalt confess with the mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”

The Lord is the source of this fountain which then springs up in the wise man as wise speech, wise laws, the fear of the Lord, and understanding. As we said in the sixth verse, violence which has gone forth from the wicked, later falls back upon his foul mouth.

The wicked is in direct contrast. Their way leads unto death.


12
Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers over all wrongs.

In 1 Peter, we read that love covereth a multitude of sins.

1 Peter 4:8″And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.”

Hatred and murder are next of kin. Feuds throughout the ages have been caused by hatred. Sometimes a few generations after the original incident most of the haters do not even know why they hate. Forgiveness is a by-product of love. That is the way to stop all the hate, forgive them and love them.

True love seeks the highest good for another.


13
Wisdom is found on the lips of the discerning, but a rod is for the back of him who lacks judgment.

The wise man speaks good things. This is the same rod as the rod of correction we will read about later on in Proverbs. Children are sometimes difficult to train until the rod of correction is applied.

In this reference, corporal punishment applied to the backside is recommended as being the most effective way of dealing with children and fools.

They soon become wiser than they were before the rod was applied.


14
Wise men store up knowledge, but the mouth of a fool invites ruin.

James 1:26 “If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion [is] vain.”

The foolish always seem to want to talk about something they know nothing about.

James 3:1-10 “My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.” “For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same [is] a perfect man, [and] able also to bridle the whole body.” “Behold, we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.” “Behold also the ships, which though [they be] so great, and [are] driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth.” “Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!” “And the tongue [is] a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.” “For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind:” “But the tongue can no man tame; [it is] an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.” “Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.” “Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.”

A wise man is quiet and listens and soaks up information.


15
The wealth of the rich is their fortified city, but poverty is the ruin of the poor.

Money can buy many things and acquire many creature comforts that the poor cannot possibly have. It seems the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. There really is nothing wrong with having money. It is how you feel about your wealth and what you do with it that might become sin. Whatever state you find yourself in, be content. If you are poor, work hard and try to work yourself up. In America, if you really try, you need not stay poor.

While the rich man thinks he has his walled city for protection, the poor man knows he has nothing. Both should trust in the Lord as their only protection.


16
The wages of the righteous bring them life, but the income of the wicked brings them punishment.

Men, who do not labor in this life, generally have too much time on their hands. They have plenty of time to get into trouble. People who like to take shortcuts at making a living and do not labor to earn their living, wind up scheming against their neighbor to get what does not belong to them and wind up in sin. The earnings of the wicked provide more opportunities for sinning.

On the other hand, people who work hard and earn their living usually are honest. Law abiding citizens a great many times have deep spiritual convictions which bring eternal life.


17
He who heeds discipline shows the way to life, but whoever ignores correction leads others astray.

Instruction is something we should be eager to receive. It keeps us on the right path and keeps us from making mistakes. Only a fool refuses correction. You have completely stopped growing when you will not accept correction.


18
He who conceals his hatred has lying lips, and whoever spreads slander is a fool.

What really is a “fool”? Really, a fool is someone who has undeniable proof before them and still will not believe. They are not able to determine truth but will prefer to believe a lie.

Once in the Canadian Rockies, we were in a spot surrounded on every side by the most fantastic snow-covered mountains that I had ever seen. No two of them were alike in color or shape, and this man said, “only a fool could look at this and say there is no God”. You see, a fool has no understanding at all.

Lying is having no understanding of why we must tell the truth. A person who tells something untrue about someone else and tears down their good name has no understanding and is therefore a fool.

Both the harboring and venting of hatred are wrong and will be punished. Slander, (gossip or lies), is forbidden.


19
When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise.

The person who listens learns. Talking too much leads to sin. A loose tongued person is boring and noisy and really not very likely to learn anything new. When you are talking, you cannot listen.

Wisdom is to restrain the tongue since much speech risks sin.


20
The tongue of the righteous is choice silver, but the heart of the wicked is of little value.

As we have said in all these studies, silver is symbolic of redemption. A person, (Christian), who is just and upright, uses his tongue to tell others about the salvation of Jesus. As we have said before, the source of all that we are, good or bad, is in the heart. A person with a wicked heart is continually doing evil.

Tongue and heart are words used as parallel terms because they are inseparably linked.

Luke 6:45 “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.”

Choice silver means good words are scarce, precious and valuable.


21
The lips of the righteous nourish many, but fools die for lack of judgment.

The type of food that this is speaking of is spiritual food. In Matthew, we read in Jesus’ own words,

Matthew 4:4 “It is written man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God”.

The word of God proceeding from the lips of the righteous feed them spiritually. This is speaking of the salvation message. As we said, in the lesson above, a fool has no understanding and doesn’t want any. He will die in sin.

As sound teaching benefits many, the fool starves himself to death spiritually by his lack of wise teaching.


22
The blessing of the LORD brings wealth, and he adds no trouble to it.

Abraham was blessed of God because of his great faith. We see that God will pour out His blessings (not only spiritual, but physical as well), on those that love Him and walk in His ways. In our Genesis study, we saw this of Abraham. I will quote just one verse here to prove the point.

Genesis 13:2, “and Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold.” Abram (Abraham) had length of days, and a son in his old age (Isaac) because he had faith in God. He had no curse (sorrow) from God only blessings, because he walked uprightly before God.

The term “No Sorrow” means that none of the sorrow that is associated with ill-gotten wealth is associated with wealth provided by the Lord.


23
A fool finds pleasure in evil conduct, but a man of understanding delights in wisdom.

A fool (someone who lacks understanding), finds pleasure in sin. He is not only happy in the sin, he does evil to others as well. This just contrasted to someone who understands there is a better way.


24
What the wicked dreads will overtake him; what the righteous desire will be granted.

In James, we read that God answers the prayer of the righteous.

James 5:16 “Confess [your] faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”

Fear is not of God, those who are continually wicked fear judgment and punishment, because they know they deserve to die.

The righteous receive what they desire, while the wicked receive what they fear.


25
When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm forever.


A “whirlwind” comes up in a hurry, and is gone in a hurry and that is the end of someone evil, as well. They may appear to prosper quickly, but it is soon gone. The righteous is solid as a rock. In fact, they are lively stones building the foundation of Christianity on the earth.

1 Peter 2:4-5 “To whom coming, [as unto] a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, [and] precious,” “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.”

26
As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so is a sluggard to those who send him.

If you send someone out to do a job, you do not want him being lazy and laying around (sluggard). If you have someone this lazy working for you, it is painful to you just like it is painful to put pure vinegar on your teeth. It makes them burn.

Defined: As the acidity of vinegar causes the unpleasantness and pain to the teeth, and by softening and dissolving alkali of the bone, impairs their texture, and renders them incapable of mastication;

Smoke in your eyes causes you to cry, and I believe that is what is meant here. Truly someone who is supposed to do a job and won’t, will bring you tears. You can imagine how God feels when He calls us to do a job for him and we are too lazy to carry it out.
Defined: As smoke, by irritating the tender vessels, causes the eyes to smart, and prevents distinct vision; so a sluggish messenger is a continual vexation and loss to those by whom he is employed (see Isa 65:5).

27
The fear of the LORD adds length to life, but the years of the wicked are cut short.

As we studied previously in Proverbs:

Proverbs 1:7 “The fear of the Lord”

The fear of the Lord means submission to the Lord and His revelation. The fear of the Lord is a state of mind in which one’s own attitudes, will, feeling, deeds, and goals are exchanged for God’s.

When one is afraid of something, he either runs from it or submits to it. The latter idea is in view here. It is a healthy fear, like the fear of electricity or the fear of one’s parents, which causes one to act in an appropriate manner. The beginning does not mean that “the fear of the Lord” is left behind in the course of acquiring wisdom, but that it is the controlling principle of wisdom.

The recurring promise of Proverbs is that generally the wise (the righteous who obey God), live longer (9:11), prosper (2:20-22), experience joy (3:13-18), and the goodness of God temporally (12:21), while fools suffer shame (3:35), and death (10:21).

Ecclesiastes 7:17 “Be not over much wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time?”

You see, good lives lived for God sometimes bring long life. One of the commandments is to honor father and mother, and that promises long life. It is pretty easy to see how someone who lives the evil life is certainly in danger of early death. They visit places where killing and cheating is going on (such as beer parlors and gambling places). Fear of God keeps us walking a holy path.


28
The prospect of the righteous is joy, but the hopes of the wicked come to nothing.

In 1 Thessalonians, we see the blessed hope of the believer which brings gladness, because we will live with Jesus; but the wicked have no hope of resurrection to eternal life.

In 1 Thessalonians we read of the rapture.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.” For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.” “For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive [and] remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.” “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:” “Then we which are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” “Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”


29
The way of the LORD is a refuge for the righteous, but it is the ruin of those who do evil.

The blessings of God are for those who walk in the way of the Lord. Jesus calls himself the Way. The Way of the Lord is the path of the Light on which each Christian can walk uprightly and not stumble and fall.

God’s blessings are for those who obey him and walk in his commandments. The curses (destruction), are for those who work iniquity; who live after the flesh and not after the spirit.


30
The righteous will never be uprooted, but the wicked will not remain in the land.

In the “Sermon on the Mount”, Jesus said in Matthew:

Matthew 5:5 “Blessed are the meek for: they shall inherit the earth”.

Those who are in right standing with God are to reign with Christ. The wicked not only cannot expect good things now but certainly have no future to look to. They are doomed to hell.

Psalms 37:9-11 “For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.” “For yet a little while, and the wicked [shall] not [be]: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it [shall] not [be].” “But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.”


31
The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but a perverse tongue will be cut out.

32
The lips of the righteous know what is fitting, but the mouth of the wicked only what is perverse.


We read in Romans 3 of the evil mouth, tongues and throat.

Romans 3:13-14 “Their throat [is] an open sepulcher; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps [is] under their lips:” “Whose mouth [is] full of cursing and bitterness:”

You see this is describing an evil mouth. This mouth is an opening where the issues of the heart come forth. This person has an evil heart. The message from the heart is in the mouth.

Romans 10:9-10 “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”




Proverbs 10 Questions:

Proverbs Chapter 10 Questions

1. What kind of son maketh a glad father?

2. A foolish son is the heaviness of whom?

3. What generally determines whether a parent is happy in old age or not?

4. What kind of treasure profiteth nothing?

5. What is righteousness?

6. Verse 3 tells us God will not allow the righteous to ____________.

7. The steps of a good man are ___________ ____________ _____________.

8. What happens to the man who deals with a slack hand?

9. What does “slack hand” mean?

10. Where will laziness get you?

11. A son that sleepeth in harvest _______ ____________.

12. What does “harvest time” mean spiritually?

13. Blessings are on the ______________of the just.

14. Who was an evil person that people do not care to remember?

15. Who are the wise in heart?

16. Who is a prating fool?

17. In Romans 6:4, we find that Christians should walk in ______________ ______________ ____________.

18. Why will Christians not stumble and fall?

19. What are winking eyes usually a sign of?

20. The mouth of a righteous man is a _________________________.

21. In 1 Peter 4:8, we read that love covereth _______ ________________ _______.

22. What is a by-product of love?

23. Who is the rod for?

24. What is a rich man’s strong city?

25. If you find yourself with too much time, you might get into _____ ___________.

26. What will a person who is wise be eager to receive?

27. What is a person called who refuses instruction?

How is a fool described in verse 18?

What is a fool, really?

What is better than speaking a multitude of words?

The tongue of the just is as choice _________.

The source of all that we are good or bad is where?

What is meant by “the lips of the righteous feed many?

What did Jesus tell us in Matthew 4:4 about food?

Why was Abraham blessed of God?

What three things was Abram rich in?

A fool thinks mischief is what?

Who is a fool?

What does James 5:16 tell us about the prayers of the righteous?

What do those who continually sin fear?

In verse 25, the wicked are compared to what?

What are the righteous compared to?

Who is the cornerstone?

What is a sluggard?

What does verse 26 mean when it says “as vinegar to the teeth?

What is indicated by “smoke to the eyes”?

In verse 27, what prolongs years?

Why would you expect the sinful man to die early?

What blessed hope in 1 Thessalonians 4 do we see?

What is 1 Thessalonians chapter 4:13-18 commonly called today?

The blessings of God are for whom?

Curses are for whom?

In the “Sermon on the mount” what are the meek promised?

Romans 3:13 tells us what about the evil mouth?

What does Romans 10:9-10 teach us about the mouth?

Source: https://bible-studys.org/proverbs-chapter-10/

 

Proverbs chapter 23
New International Version

1 When you sit to dine with a ruler, note well what is before you,

2 and put a knife to your throat if you are given to gluttony.

3 Do not crave his delicacies, for that food is deceptive.

Here is a warning to exercise restraint when confronted with the luxuries of a wealthy ruler who seeks to lure you into his schemes and intrigues. Daniel is the classic illustration of one who lived by this proverb, refusing the allurements of the pagan monarch, which he knew could corrupt him. (See Daniel 1:8). This has to do with the kings food and wine so he asked the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself and asked to be able to eat vegetables and drink water.

4 Do not wear yourself out to get rich; do not trust your own cleverness.

5. Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle.

Labor for purpose is much more rewarding than laboring to be rich. First of all, you may never be rich; but if you are, it is fleeting in nature. Usually a person who gains great riches and has never been rich before cannot hang on to it, and it is soon gone.

The same chances that you took to get rich, you will still be taking to get richer (because one is never satisfied); and to get more, you endanger what you have. For sure when we die, we leave our earthly possessions behind. We came into this world naked, and we shall not take possessions with us when we leave. Riches are uncertain, Godliness is forever.

Rather than wearing one’s self out pursuing wealth, pursue the wisdom of God and what glorifies Him, and He will bless with prosperity as He chooses.

6 Do not eat the food of a begrudging host, do not crave his delicacies;

7 for he is the kind of person who is always thinking about the cost. 'Eat and drink,' he says to you, but his heart is not with you.

We see in this that a man with greed may invite you to eat with him, but he begrudges every bite you eat. He really has some motive for inviting you to eat that he hasn’t told you about.

This is the greedy one who, to be rich, hoards his riches, withholding from the poor and needy to keep and increase his own wealth.

This man is full of jealousy and even spite. He really cannot bear the sight of other’s happiness and joy.

8 You will vomit up the little you have eaten and will have wasted your compliments.

He invites someone to enjoy his courtesies, feigning generosity, while really being sickeningly hypocritical, as his real god is to take advantage in some way so as to increase his wealth at his guest’s expense.

This is just saying in the company of this man; this food is no good. Food eaten under begrudging eyes never tastes good. Good fellowship is what makes food good. You will really wish you hadn’t eaten it, and long to get rid of it to get this bitter taste out of your mouth. When you get this feeling at someone’s table, it is hard to find nice things to say.

9 Do not speak to fools, for they will scorn your prudent words.

You are wasting your time and his, to speak to a fool. This is true because fools hate wisdom.

We have learned in lessons before this one that a fool is not interested in learning anything. He will think you are just trying to act smart, and instead of appreciating you’re talking to him, it will make him angry

10 Do not move an ancient boundary stone or encroach on the fields of the fatherless,

We learned (in Prov. 15:25), about evil men who try and take the property of widows.

This is saying beware of trying to defraud someone, who cannot help himself, out of his land or property. God Himself will take up his cause and fight for him. You would be trying to defraud God. God will not hold him guiltless who tries to defraud the helpless.

11 for their Defender is strong; he will take up their case against you.

In a normal situation, the near kinsman would rescue the one who had fallen upon hard times or avenge in the case of a murder. “Redeemer” is applied to God as the Savior of His people since the helpless had no voice.

12 Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge.

This is saying let the desires of your heart be to learn, and in learning, accumulate knowledge. Listen to words of knowledge, turn on your understanding, and keep it in your heart.

13 Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you punish them with the rod, they will not die.

14 Punish them with the rod and save them from death.

We see here, that punishment should not be overlooked in training a child. If he cries, it is not because you are killing him. The child will survive the punishment and thus avoid an untimely or premature death due to sinful conduct.

A lesson learned where punishment is involved is remembered better. In the Old Testament, a rebellious child was killed. Rebellion was associated with witchcraft. This is just saying, whip him and drive the rebellion out of him, before it gets too much hold on him. In the long run, you will save him.

15 My son, if your heart is wise, then my heart will be glad indeed;

This has to be said by the person who is the instructor. The instructor rejoices more than the student when the student learns well. It is a good reflection on both. The instructor, because he has taught well, and the student, because he has learned well.

16 my inmost being will rejoice when your lips speak what is right.

In the NASE edition, the reins are actually speaking figurative of expressions of the inner man or the seat of one’s thoughts and feelings.

The result of discipline is the child’s wise choices, bringing the parents joy.

In Psalms 37:30 “The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment.”

We see, here, the reins of the teacher again. We know when righteous words come from the student’s mouth that righteousness is in his heart. For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

17 Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always be zealous for the fear of the LORD.

18 There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.

We see here, that sometimes sinners seem to be prospering in this world. We are not to envy them or their evil ways. Never look longingly at what they are doing.

Anyone who might envy sinners needs to know that their prosperity is brief. They will die (“be cut off”); then there will be a time when all iniquities will be dealt with and divine justice will prevail.

We must keep our eyes on the Lord and his teaching all the way. The overarching theme of this book and particularly the first 9 chapters is reverence for God. This reverential awe and admiring, submissive fear is foundational for all spiritual knowledge and wisdom.

Never let your eyes off the path of righteousness. Righteous living sometimes in this life seems not to be noticed by anyone. There is an end. The end is heaven, if you stay on the path that leads to God. The righteous will live forever.

19 Listen, my son, and be wise, and set your heart on the right path:

The way of wisdom is the only right way. These are the things that a good teacher teaches. First, the student has to open his ears of his understanding so that his heart may receive.

20 Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat,

21 for drunkards and gluttons become poor, and drowsiness clothes them in rags

Winebibbers are drunkards and riotous eaters of flesh are gluttons. Both are sinners and both are avoided by the wise man. People who take in a great deal of wine or other strong drink find that their thinking is affected and they cannot think clearly.

The “riotous eaters of flesh” are those who do not eat a balanced diet, but can eat several pounds of meat at one sitting. Alcohol and terrible excesses of food are very expensive and will take all of the money one can muster to buy all of this.

Even worse, is the fact that you cannot work drunk, and a glutton is so big he can’t work. You can easily see these people would be poor.
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22 Listen to your father, who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old.

We have discussed before that your father and your mother only want to help you. You are their own flesh, and they want even better for you than they had themselves.

Be glad when God is good to you and lets your parents live a long time.

The child in the home is to be willingly under the authority of parents with obedient submission to them as the agents of the Lord placed over him, obeying parents as if obeying the Lord Himself. The reasoning here is simply that such is the way God has designed and required it.

23 Buy the truth and do not sell it-- wisdom, instruction and insight as well.

Tell the truth at all cost. Whatever it takes of this world’s goods to learn the truth, do it. This world will pass away, but the truth is eternal. This “buy” is speaking of knowledge and understanding.

Obtain the truth at all costs. Then never relinquish it at any price.

24 The father of a righteous child has great joy; a man who fathers a wise son rejoices in him.

25 May your father and mother rejoice; may she who gave you birth be joyful!

As we learned (in Proverbs 13:24), about early childhood teaching is that it requires both parental discipline, including corporal punishment, and balanced kindness and love. There is great hope that the use of the “divine ordinance” of the rod will produce godly virtue and parental joy.

Such discipline must have the right motivation and appropriate severity. One who has genuine affection for his child but withholds corporal punishment, will produce the same kind of child as a parent who hates his offspring.

Parents are very proud of their children who live a righteous life. The joy of the father and mother of a child, who God has blessed with wisdom, and who has increased in righteousness and knowledge, is even greater than the joy the child has.

26 My son, give me your heart and let your eyes delight in my ways,


27 for an adulterous woman is a deep pit, and a wayward wife is a narrow well.


28 Like a bandit she lies in wait and multiplies the unfaithful among men.

We see some of the things of wisdom and understanding teaches (in verses 26, 27, 28). The first verse is another warning to listen to. The word “whore” (prostitute), is a very emphatic word showing just how revolting this sin is.

These terms refer to any immoral woman. Falling into her clutches should be as frightening as the prospect of falling into a deep pit or well, from which there is no escape.

We have said before that devastating diseases are associated with whoredom and homosexuality today. A man or woman of wisdom will not get involved in this type of sin. This sin involves the body, and the body (if you are a Christian), is the TEMPLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. This sin, more than others, involves God in the sin; and this is an abomination to God.

Don’t let the desires of the flesh; draw you out of fellowship with God.

29. Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaints? Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes?

A question drives home a lesson. This is what we see here. The teacher is asking these questions to get you to thinking seriously about what really does cause all of this; and then (from verse 30 through 35), the teacher gives us the answer.

30 Those who linger over wine, who go to sample bowls of mixed wine.

Lingering long at the wine is indicative of constant drinking, so as to induce drunkenness. Searching for more to drink indicates the same pursuit.”

31 Do not gaze at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly!

This describes wine when it is especially desirable and when it is most intoxicating, perhaps as “strong drink” or mixed with spices only and not water, as opposed to the “new wine”, which was fresh and unfermented or less fermented.

32 In the end it bites like a snake and poisons like a viper.

This recounts the hangover, but also the more than likely destructive consequences.

33 Your eyes will see strange sights, and your mind will imagine confusing things.

The delirium and distortion of reality are part of the drunkard’s miserable experience.

34 You will be like one sleeping on the high seas, lying on top of the rigging.

Here is the warning about the dizziness, sickness and confusion of the drunkard, like being seasick at the top of the mast, the most agitated point on a ship in strong seas.

35 They hit me,' you will say, 'but I'm not hurt! They beat me, but I don't feel it! When will I wake up so I can find another drink?'

The drunkard’s lack of sense is so severe that his first waking thought is to repeat his debauchery and dangerous sin.

These last six verses are talking about people who drink too much.

Alcoholism, drunkenness, and drugs are a real problem today. The hangover from alcohol is like the serpent’s bite the next day. The drunk cannot remember the terrible things he did under the influence of alcohol.

One of the worst things now is driving while drunk. When the driver of a car is under the influence of drugs and alcohol, the car becomes a deadly weapon.

Drugs can cause a hangover that lasts for literally years. Drug flashbacks can be devastating.

We see above that even though the person who was drunk was beaten severely, he wasn’t even aware of it at the time, because he was unconscious and didn’t notice. That part of his life is a blank. He can’t remember. He doesn’t even know who he was with, so he doesn’t know who beat him. This should surely convince you to leave drugs and alcohol alone.

In the previous chapter, Solomon introduced a series of thirty wise sayings (Proverbs 22:17–21) which he endorses yet did not necessarily write himself. The first five were found in chapter 22; the sixth through eighteenth are in this passage.

Greed and gluttony are dangerous, even when enjoying the hospitality of a host. It's important not to appear to take undue advantage of the host's generosity. At the same time, one should be careful not to allow generosity to sway good judgment. A cynical, manipulative host should be avoided since their charity is just a pretext for a bribe. Wealth, itself, is tempting, but part of godly wisdom is knowing when to stop chasing profit. This segment repeats warnings about fraud, in the form of moving boundary markers, and the pointless exercise of trying to educate a hard-headed fool (Proverbs 23:1–11).

Next are reminders about the value of proper child discipline. In this context, the intent is to help children learn to make good choices, in tune with God's will (Proverbs 1:7). Those who grow into adults, and who follow such teachings, bring their parents joy. As part of that perspective, Solomon encourages the reader not to be jealous of those who engage in sin—their hope is limited, while those who honor God can look forward to eternity. The passage warns about being associated with people who lack self-control. Not only will their immorality influence others, but they can also cause collateral damage with their poor choices (Proverbs 23:12–25).

In the same way, sexual sins should be taken seriously and avoided. The danger of lust is compared to a trap, or to an ambush from a robber. This advice is followed by the Bible's most extensive, detailed warning about the dangers of alcohol abuse. Over-consumption leads to personal woes, side effects, and a host of other dangers. While Scripture does not forbid all use of alcohol, it clearly labels drunkenness as a sin (Ephesians 5:18). The Bible also explains in direct terms what can happen when someone consumes alcohol carelessly (Proverbs 23:26–35).

Proverbs is best understood in context with the books of Ecclesiastes and Job. In Proverbs, “wisdom” is given in short, simple, general terms. Ecclesiastes represents wisdom based on observation and experience. This often shows how the general principles of the book of Proverbs don’t apply in absolutely every circumstance. Job represents wisdom based on the experience of suffering and injustice. All three come to the conclusion that God does indeed know best, and the most sensible course of action is to follow His will.

This chapter continues Solomon's collection of the sayings of wise men (Proverbs 22:17–21). These lessons continue through Proverbs 24:34. Here, Solomon addresses his "son," perhaps meaning a student, with warnings about money, gluttony, speaking in the company of a fool, dishonesty, withholding discipline from a child, keeping company with drunkards, and the abuse of alcohol. The description of alcohol's risks is the most extensive such caution given in Scripture.

https://www.bibleref.com/Proverbs/23/Proverbs-chapter-23.html

https://bible-studys.org/proverbs-chapter-23/

Proverbs Chapter 23 Questions

What should you do, if you are a man of appetite when you sit with a king?

What are the king’s dainties called in verse 1?

What reason should you not labor for?

Riches make themselves __________ and fly away.

What kind of labor is more rewarding than riches?

In verse 8, What is meant, “the morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit it up”?

What makes food good?

Why should you not speak wisdom in a fool’s ear?

Who will fight the battles of the fatherless?

Apply thine heart unto_______, and thine ears to the words of____.

What are we not to withhold from our children?

Rebellion is associated with what evil?

Who besides the one being taught, rejoices at the knowledge learned?

What is intended by “my reins shall rejoice”?

Let not thine heart envy whom?

In verse 20, he is warned not to be among whom?

What 2 shall come to poverty?

What do you call someone that overeats?

What lengths are we told to go to, to get the truth?

What do you think that means? (wasn’t talked about)

Which two want only the best for you in life besides God?

Obeying Parents is the same as __________ ______ _________ ____________.

The world will pass away, but truth is ___________.

Loving parents, which withhold corporal punishment, will produce the same type of a child as a parent who __________ their offspring.

What is a whore called?

What is another word for whore?

Why is sex sin worse than some other sins?

In verse 29, for what purpose are all these questions?

What is red wine describing?

Who is meant by “they that tarry long at the wine”?

A hangover is compared to what in verse 32?

The __________ and _______________ are part of a drunkard’s miserable experience.

What should these last verses in this lesson convince you not to do?

What does a car become in the hands of someone drunk on drugs or alcohol?

What is meant by “he that lieth upon the top of a mast?

 

 

Proverbs Chapter 20
We begin this chapter speaking of wine as a strong drink, thus beginning a new theme regarding temperance. Wine was grape juice mixed with water to dilute it, but strong drink was unmixed.

Eph. 5:18 “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit”.

While the use of these beverages is not specifically condemned, being intoxicated always is. Rulers were not to drink so that their judgment would not be clouded nor their behavior less that exemplary.

Proverbs 20:1 “Wine [is] a mocker, strong drink [is] raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.”

The meaning for “raging” is “arouses brawling”. A brawler is violent, loud and uncontrolled. This describes the personality of the drunkard.

One of the worse problems in our society today, many think, is the abuse of alcohol. My own personal opinion is that abuse of alcohol is a symptom of a much greater problem.

The problem is sin or lack of God’s security in our lives. Most people who drink heavily or in fact those who use drugs also, are running from reality. They feel that they cannot face their problems and they hide in alcohol and drugs.

Sin brings torment. The only way to stop drug and alcohol abuse is to have a national revival. Turn to God, away from sin, and He will bring you peace. There will be no reason to hide; you will have Jesus Christ as your help. Only a fool would refuse Jesus and live in the torment of drugs and alcohol.

This verse gives an example of what is and what is not the Lord’s will. Believers are not allowed to be intoxicated with alcoholic beverages; the reason for this prohibition is wherein excess; that is drunkenness leads to moral intemperance.

This is clearly contrary to God’s will. His will is that Christians be filled with (or by), the Holy Spirit. That is, they are to allow Him to fill them with God’s own life, character and virtues. The analogy between these two moral states is this: a person filled with wine is under its influence; similarly, a Christian is filled with the Spirit when He controls his thoughts, attitudes and actions.

Proverbs 20:2 “The fear of a king [is] as the roaring of a lion: [whoso] provoketh him to anger sinneth [against] his own soul.”

We discussed that fear of the king is fear of what he can do to you on this earth. If you provoke him to anger, you could lose your head or spend a lifetime in jail.

Men who resist governmental authority injure themselves (this can be seen in Romans 13: 1-5).

Proverbs 20:3 “[It is] an honor for a man to cease from strife: but every fool will be meddling.”

In our society today, many believe that they should avenge all wrongs themselves. The Bible teaches to be good to your enemies. Bless them that curse you. A fool keeps a strife going. He does not try to stop trouble. He meddles in other’s business and causes strife.

Proverbs 20:4 “The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; [therefore] shall he beg in harvest, and [have] nothing.”

I see in this sluggard (lazy person), someone who looks for just any excuse not to work. In this particular case, fields need to be plowed when there is moisture in the ground to keep from breaking the plow. If you miss the plowing time, there will be no reaping time. The cold is just an excuse not to work.

The sluggard says it is too hot to work in the summer. As I said, this is just an excuse not to work. He and his family will suffer for his laziness in harvest time. There will be no crop to gather.

Proverbs 20:5 “Counsel in the heart of man [is like] deep water; but a man of understanding will draw it out.”

This is the very reason, I believe, and that it is so important to study your Bible every day. If some day we were not allowed to have a Bible we could hold in our hand, we that have studied regularly would still have the Bible hidden away in our heart. No one could take that Bible away from us. This “counsel in the heart” is that kind of counsel.

The wise man has keen discernment reaching to the deepest intentions of the heart to grasp wise counsel.

There’s a song called “There is a River” and it speaks of a river from deep within that frees the soul from sin. This “counsel”, flows from way down deep in the heart, from a pure heart, stayed upon God. The good things that we have stored in our heart can be drawn up whenever we need them.

The Holy Spirit will quicken to us Scriptures that we have hidden in our heart as we need them.

Proverbs 20:6 “Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find?”

We must be very careful not to go around bragging on ourselves. The way of the world is for a man to brag on his own good traits. These very same people who are continually telling how good they are, are sometimes found wanting when they are tested to see just how much faith they really have.

There seems to be a lot more people who are eager to brag about themselves than there are those who are truly faithful to testify of God’s goodness.

Faith is not fact. Faith is believing when we cannot see with our physical eye. Just a few men in the Bible were listed among the faithful in the Old Testament (you can find a list of them in Hebrews 11).

Proverbs 20:7 “The just [man] walketh in his integrity: his children [are] blessed after him.”

We see by this that a just man lives his Christianity. He walks in his salvation every day. He walks uprightly before the Lord. People have great respect for him because they know that he walks uprightly before God.

Even his children are highly thought of by the community because of their father’s walk before God. We see this blessing of children from their father’s pleasing God in Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Those who have integrity or who live what they believe, exist without fear of some evil being discovered, while those who are perverse and have secret wickedness will not be able to hide it.

Proverbs 20:8 “A king that sitteth in the throne of judgment scattereth away all evil with his eyes.”

The king as judge “winnows” or “sifts” data as he discerns evil and good.

We know that the King of kings (Jesus Christ), can see directly through those who would stand before Him and lie. There is nothing concealed that He does not know. An earthly king, who was used to judging, would be pretty well able to tell the truth from a lie also.

If they have been judging very long, every story in the world has already been tried on them. Their experience with people would tell them who is telling the truth. No one would dare do evil in his sight for fear that their punishment for their sin would be even greater. Just one look in the king’s eyes and you would be compelled to tell the truth.

Proverbs 20:9 “Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?”

The answer is no one can make himself sinless. Only Jesus can cleanse our heart from sin. Our heart must be washed in the blood of Jesus to make us free of sin. His blood doesn’t just cover our sin; it does away with it entirely.

Those whose sin has been forgiven are pure before God.

Proverbs 20:10 “Divers weights, [and] divers measures, both of them [are] alike abomination to the LORD.”

God hates dishonesty.

This sin does not just bring harm to the sinner, but to the person he has cheated by false weights and measurements as well.

Proverbs 20:11 “Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work [be] pure, and whether [it be] right.”

Children do not conceal what they are. At a very early age, character starts forming, and a child is known as a good child or a bad child by the things he does and says.

Only the rod of correction and or God can change a bad child into a good child.

Proverbs 20:12 “The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the LORD hath made even both of them.”

God truly made our eyes and our ears, because we are His creation. Because God has given man the ability to hear and see, it should be obvious that He hears and sees everything.

I believe this is intended to mean the spiritual ear that listens and receives and the spiritual eye, as well, that sees things everyone does not see. In Revelation, over and over we are told that they have eyes to see and they see not and ears to hear, but they hear not.

These eyes (in verse 12), see and these ears hear. I believe this is saying that it is God that opens our understanding. We see spiritually and hear spiritually, because He opened our understanding to His secrets.

Proverbs 20:13 “Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; open thine eyes, [and] thou shalt be satisfied with bread.”

If you lie around sleeping all the time instead of working, you will not earn any money and you will be poor. If you work hard, you will have at least enough money to eat on.

Remember the ant back (in Proverbs 6:6-11)? There we said that “Folly” sends a lazy man to learn from an ant.

Proverbs 20:14 “[It is] naught, [it is] naught, saith the buyer: but when he is gone his way, then he boasteth.”

This is saying that it is wrong to run someone else’s merchandise down just so you can buy it cheaper.

The condition of the merchandise (in this verse 14), suddenly changes to better when ownership is changed as the buyer begins to brag about his cleverness.

Proverbs 20:15 “There is gold, and a multitude of rubies: but the lips of knowledge [are] a precious jewel.”

Gold and rubies are very valuable, but it is possible to have them if you have enough money. If you have enough money, they can be found.

I believe this Scripture is saying that a person who speaks in God’s knowledge is very scarce and hard to find. Wealth is a blessing when honestly gained, but wisdom is more desirable.

Proverbs 20:16 “Take his garment that is surety [for] a stranger: and take a pledge of him for a strange woman.”

We see in this that this man has carelessly put up his garment for security on another’s loan; and when the other man could not pay, they have taken his garment. His mistake was going on the note in the first place. It appears that he has learned a lesson the hard way; he lost his garment in the process.

Garments were common security for a loan but they always had to be returned by sundown. Anyone who foolishly has taken on the responsibility for the debt of a stranger will likely never be paid back, so he will never pay his creditor unless his own garment is taken as security.

The word that was translated “strange” describing this woman means foreign, non-relative, and adulterous. We see from this that the pledge (in the second part of verse 16), has to do with a woman other than his relative. Possibly, she is a woman of ill repute.

There is a story in the 38th chapter of Genesis where Tamar took pledge of her father-in-law, Judah. Read the whole 38th chapter to get the story. I believe this last half (of verse 16), is speaking of a pledge given to a harlot woman.

Proverbs 20:17 “Bread of deceit [is] sweet to a man; but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel.”

We see in this “bread of deceit” that he has nourished himself with the sins of the flesh. Hebrews calls sin a pleasure for a season:

Hebrews 11:25 “Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;”

Sin seems to be pleasure, but the end is sorrow and regret. This statement “His mouth shall be filled with gravel” means that this sin leaves a bad taste in his mouth. Gravel indicates grating of teeth.

Proverbs 20:18 “[Every] purpose is established by counsel: and with good advice make war.”

We see here again, good or wise counsel is a must. Only a terribly conceited person or a fool would refuse good counsel. War should certainly be gone into only after careful consideration. War is serious business and to jump into war unadvisedly could mean disaster.

Proverbs 20:19: “He that goeth about [as] a talebearer revealeth secrets: therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips.”

If a person talks about someone else to you (talebearer), they will talk about you when you are out of sight to someone else. A talebearer is to be avoided. They reveal secrets and stir up strife.

Those who love to spread secrets will flatter to learn them.

Proverbs 20:20 “Whoso curseth his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness.”

We see in this Scripture the opposite of “honor thy father, and thy days will be long upon the earth”.

Our mother and father’s love is probably more than anyone else’s. To curse them is, in essence, to curse yourself. This grievous sin will result in spiritual death.

Proverbs 20:21 “An inheritance [may be] gotten hastily at the beginning; but the end thereof shall not be blessed.”

This could imply an unjust method in gaining the inheritance, so that it will be lost by the same unjust ways or by punishment.

Usually, things that we do not earn don’t last. It is the old saying, “easy come, easy go”. An inheritance sometimes ruins the person receiving it.

I knew a family who were hard working people, and were just getting along fine. They received $100,000 dollars unexpectedly and it ruined their lives. The husband quit his job and started drinking. In a year, all the money was gone; he had no job and his wife had left him. He lost his house in order to pay the taxes on the $100,000. Their lives were ruined.

Unexpected inheritance can ruin you. Instead of it being a blessing, it winds up a curse many times, because we are not prepared to handle it. God knows just how much He can trust you with. Be content with what you have.

Proverbs 20:22 “Say not thou, I will recompense evil; [but] wait on the LORD, and he shall save thee.”

Vengeance is mine saith the Lord. The thing a fleshly man would do is go and get even, but if we are believers, we are not allowed this. We are to do good to those who persecute us. We must plead our case with the Lord, and He will see us through. The Lord is our shield and our defense.

It is God and not man that avenges evil and delivers us from the wicked.

Proverbs 20:23 “Divers weights [are] an abomination unto the LORD; and a false balance [is] not good.”

We dealt with this earlier in these lessons. The Lord hates dishonesty of any kind and especially dishonesty and trickery associated with it.

Proverbs 20:24: “Man’s goings [are] of the LORD; how can a man then understand his own way?”

This first man is taken from a word that means mighty man, and man in the second part means human creature. We see, then, that the man of God’s goings are of the Lord. How then can a human creature understand his own way?

As we have said before, if Jesus is our Lord, everything that happens to us, good and bad, has to be okayed by Him. A man of the world does not understand his own way. A worldly man just gropes around trying one thing and another until he finds the Way, which is Jesus.

Since a man cannot comprehend the unfolding purposes of God’s providence in his life, he has to walk in faith.

Proverbs 20:25 “[It is] a snare to the man [who] devoureth [that which is] holy, and after vows to make inquiry.”

To declare something sacred, meaning to promise it to God in consecration as an offering, was irreversible, and therefore serious. Remember in Acts 5 beginning with verse one about Ananias and Sapphira?

When we promise something to the Lord, it is very important to keep the promise. If you were not able to keep the promise, you shouldn’t have made the promise in the first place.

Proverbs 20:26 “A wise king scattereth the wicked, and bringeth the wheel over them.”

We see in this that the wise king is separating the bad from the good. In the wheel coming over the wicked here, we see the king conquering or perhaps even destroying these wicked.

Proverbs 20:27 “The spirit of man [is] the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly.”

The spirit of man is the breath that the Lord breathed into man that gave him life. You could even call it our conscience. The candlestick was in the church shining to remove the shadows. The Light of Jesus shines within all believers and destroys darkness. It searches out all the hidden sins and brings them to light.

We are told by Jesus in Matthew:

Matthew 5:16 “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven”.

God’s Light shining within us separates us from the darkness of the world. The light that is within us is the Light of Jesus.

Proverbs 20:28 “Mercy and truth preserve the king: and his throne is upholden by mercy.”

We see in this that if a king wants to continue to be a king he must not be cruel, he must be merciful. Just as we Americans say that George Washington was the father of our country, people living in countries that have kings, look on the king as the father of their country.

A king that rules with mercy and truth will be king for a long time.

Proverbs 20:29 “The glory of young men [is] their strength: and the beauty of old men [is] the grey head.”

This is a very true statement of young men. They are proud that they are strong. Young men will pump iron or exercise to make them even stronger. Paul warns about putting too much emphasis on the bodily exercise.

1 Timothy 4:7-8 “But refuse profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise thyself [rather] unto godliness.” “For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.”

The beautiful grey hair of an old man shows wisdom and experience. For a man to live long enough to have grey hair, God would have to have blessed him.

Proverbs 20:30 “The blueness of a wound cleanseth away evil: so [do] stripes the inward parts of the belly.”

Wise use of corporal punishment deters evil behavior.

These stripes in the belly indicate punishment that is felt with our inner most being. We are supposed to see in the bruises and in the stripes that correction has come for the sins in our lives.



Proverbs Chapter 20 Questions

What is wine in verse 1?

Strong drink is what?

What do most people think our greatest problem is today?

What is it really?

Why do people hide in drugs and alcohol?

What does sin bring the sinner?

How does the author think is the only way to stop drug and alcohol abuse?

Who is the only person who would refuse salvation through Jesus?

It is an honor for a man to cease from _________.

Why will the sluggard not plow?

If he doesn’t plow, what will he do in harvest?

Counsel in the heart of man is compared to what?

What is faith?

Where in Hebrews can you find a list of the faithful of the Old Testament?

In verse 7, the just man walketh in his ____________.

A king that sitteth in the throne of judgment scattereth away all evil with his _______.

Who is King of kings?

Who can say, “I have made my heart clean”?

How is the only way to cleanse the heart from sin?

What kind of weights and measures are an abomination to God?

A child is known by his __________.

Who made the seeing eye?

If you love sleep, what shall you come to?

Trying to run a person’s merchandise down to buy it, is what?

In verse 15, what is more precious than gold and rubies?

In verse 16, what has he put his garments up for?

What does the word that has been translated “strange” mean?

In the 38th chapter of Genesis, who took pledge of her father-in-law?

“Bread of deceit” means what?

What does “having my mouth full of gravel” mean?

Every purpose is established by what?

Who would refuse counsel?

What is a person that reveals secrets called?

What shall happen to a person who curses father and mother?

A hasty gotten inheritance sometimes ends how?

Sometimes sudden riches does what to a person?

If we are to recompense evil, what are we to do?

Who is our shield and defense?

The _________ ________ _______ goings are of the Lord.

It is a snare to a man that devoureth ______ ______ ______ ____.

In verse 26, a wise king scattereth the wicked, what else does he do?

In verse 27, what is the candle of the lord?

In Matthew 5:16, what are the Christians told to do?

What two things preserve the king?

What is the glory of young men?

What is the beauty of the old man?

Blueness of a wound cleanseth away what?

 

Proverbs Chapter 26

Verses 26:1-12: The fool is described in every verse. Most verses compare aspects of natural order that are violated with the behavior of a fool. The deteriorating nature of foolishness is seen as the description progresses from drink to vomit.

1 “As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, so honor is not seemly for a fool.”

We know that snow in summer is completely out of place and rain in harvest can ruin the crop. We know that it is completely out of place for a fool to be honored.

These damaging incongruities of nature illustrate those in the moral realm.

:2 “As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come.”

We see here, that a curse that is spoken without any foundation for the curse will not be harmful upon the one it is spoken. If any harm at all comes, it will be on the person who spoke it. The “bird” above has no particular place to go (wandering), and so is this curse without a cause.

In other words, a bird’s aimless motion without landing is compared to a fool who utters an underserved curse as it does not land either.

3 “A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the fool’s back.”

In all cases, these are used to try to control. The whip controls the horse. The bridle controls the ass and makes it go where it should. The rod of correction is to control the behavior of the fool.

4 “Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him.”

Have you ever heard someone say, “That doesn’t deserve an answer”? That is about what this is saying here. The question is perhaps intended to trap you. At any rate, a foolish question does not become wiser by giving a foolish answer. You see, to answer his ridiculous question would be as if you are saying this is a worthwhile question.

Taken together, these verses teach the appropriate way to answer a fool who is an unbeliever who rejects truth. He should not be answered with agreement to his own ideas and presuppositions, or he will think he is right. Rather he should be rebuked on the basis of his folly and shown the truth so he sees how foolish he is (verse 5).

5 “Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit.”

This seems like a direct contrast to verse four, but on a closer look it is quite the opposite. You must be very careful how you answer. As we said above, whatever you do, you must not give the impression that this foolish question deserves an answer. The only reason to answer at all is to show him not to be conceited.

6 “He that sendeth a message by the hand of a fool cutteth off the feet, [and] drinketh damage.”

A fool will not take the correct message that you sent, but will cause you so much pain with an incorrect message that you will wish you had never sent him. The damage he might do could be unrepairable. The “cut of the feet expression” just shows how useless it is to employ someone who is a fool to carry a message.

Self inflicted wounds come to the person who chooses to depend upon a fool.

7 “The legs of the lame are not equal: so [is] a parable in the mouth of fools.”

This is just re-emphasizing how slanted the message would be that a fool would bring. He would not be able to understand the parable and would bring a slanted message, leaning to one side or the other like a lame man. The message would be awkward and useless.

8 “As he that bindeth a stone in a sling, so [is] he that giveth honor to a fool.”

If you bind the stone to the sling, the stone cannot be flung and will never reach the mark. Honor given to a fool is undeserved and is very fleeting in nature. A fool is soon found out, and it would bring shame on the fool and on the one who bestowed the honor because of his poor judgment. The fool somehow never is able to hit the mark.

9 “[As] a thorn goeth up into the hand of a drunkard, so [is] a parable in the mouth of fools.”

A drunkard takes no care at all and injures himself without even knowing it. This is exactly what is being said of the fool explaining a parable. He injures himself severely in telling it and is so caught up in himself that he is not aware that he has injured himself. Just as the alcohol has dulled the pain of the thorn, pride has dulled the senses of the fool.

10 “The great [God] that formed all [things] both rewardeth the fool, and rewardeth transgressors.”

Jesus is the Judge of all, the just and the unjust (transgressors). We have mentioned so many times in all these lessons, John chapter one that tells that the word (Jesus), created all things. So we know the rewarder is Jesus.

Matthew 5:45 “That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.”

The reward, here mentioned, is not a good one. The transgressor, unrepentant, is headed for an eternity in hell, and the fool who has turned down salvation is headed there also. The reward of the righteous is eternal life.

Hebrew language is obscure on this so they can be many interpretations of what this verse is saying. Since it is impossible to know exactly what it said in the original, it is impossible to know exactly what it means. The translation might be: “Much brings forth from itself all; but the reward and the wages of the fool pass away.”

This could mean, reasonably, that although he who possesses much and has great ability may be able to accomplish all he wants, that is not the case when he makes use of the work of fools, who not only do not accomplish anything, but destroy everything.

11 “As a dog returneth to his vomit, [so] a fool returneth to his folly.”

Just as a dog is never through with the food that he has expelled and goes back to it, a fool who has momentarily rejected sin in his life, will return to it, as well. A fool must become wise to get rid of sin and stay rid of the sin. A fool will be enticed to sin the same sin all over again as his flesh calls him, because he has not learned anything from the first sin.

2 Peter 2:22 “But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog [is] turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.”

12 “Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? [there is] more hope of a fool than of him.”

The worst thing about someone wise in his own conceit is that he feels that he needs no improvement. He is in deep sin and is unaware of his need for help.

There are degrees of foolishness, with intellectual conceit being the most stupid and hard to remedy. This is applied to the lazy man (in verse 16 and the rich in 28:11).

At least a fool knows that things are not perfect with him. The fool, who realizes he is a fool, can be helped; but to feel you are perfect leaves no room for improvement at all.

This is a terrible situation: to get help from the Lord, we must repent, humble ourselves, and then the Lord will help us.

13 “The slothful [man] saith, [There is] a lion in the way; a lion [is] in the streets.”

We touched on this before. It is a feeble excuse to get out of work. There are no lions in the streets. They are in the jungle.

14 “[As] the door turneth upon his hinges, so [doth] the slothful upon his bed.”

The door is attached to the facing of the door and turns back and forth but goes nowhere. This is also what a lazy man does; he tosses and turns in bed, but doesn’t get loose from the bed and go to work.

The lazy man loves sleep so much that he seems to be hinged to his bed. He stays in the bed day and night and tosses and turns going nowhere.

15 “The slothful hideth his hand in [his] bosom; it grieveth him to bring it again to his mouth.”

The hand in the bosom just means he doesn’t have the heart to work even if it is to provide for food for his own table.

16 “The sluggard [is] wiser in his own conceit than seven men that can render a reason.”

This sluggard is so caught up in himself that he will not take advice from others. He doesn’t feel he should work to learn more either. He thinks he has all the correct answers with no effort upon his part at all. Not only 7, but any amount of people with good advice would be rejected by him if they did not totally agree with him.

The ignorant are ignorant of their ignorance.

17 “He that passeth by, [and] meddleth with strife [belonging] not to him, [is like] one that taketh a dog by the ears.”

Never, and I mean never, jump into someone else’s quarrel. Especially when a husband and wife are quarreling with each other. Meddling tells you right off that this is of no concern to the passer-by. Meddling is interfering in something that is none of your business.

If you pull a dog’s ear, he will bark and maybe bite you. The same thing will happen if you interfere in someone else’s problems. They will turn on you and injure you.

In Palestine, the dog was not domesticated and thus to grab any dog was dangerous. The aggressor deserved to be bitten for his unprovoked act.

18-19 “As a mad [man] who casteth firebrands, arrows, and death,” “So [is] the man [that] deceiveth his neighbor, and saith, Am not I in sport?”

The serious damage done by deceit cannot be dismissed as a joke.

To say that your ugly words were only teasing is just not enough. To hurt a neighbor is a really bad thing, but to them laugh and say it was a joke, after the damage is done is inexcusable. This type of behavior could cause the damaged person to harm, or perhaps even kill you.

20 “Where no wood is, [there] the fire goeth out: so where [there is] no talebearer, the strife ceaseth.”

This is just saying, stop adding fuel to the fire and the fire will die down. A rumor cannot damage anyone until it is told, Gossip is like the wood. It causes widespread damage. To stop the damage, stop the gossip. This continues in the next verse.

21 “[As] coals [are] to burning coals, and wood to fire; so [is] a contentious man to kindle strife.”

We see there, a situation where the coals of gossip have just about gone out, but a contentious man who loves trouble will go in there and rekindle the mess all over again. To make coals re-ignite you blow on them and add a little kindling (gossip), to the fire. This makes an even hotter fire than you had in the first place. This evil man wants to keep the quarrel going so he stirs it up a little and gets it going full blast again.

22 “The words of a talebearer [are] as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.”

Bearing tales is a very bad sin. The tongue is the evilest part of the body. It cuts at the spirit of man and destroys his inner most being, while a real knife cuts at the flesh of man. Cutting words that cut into our inner most being are hard to heal.

We covered this earlier in Proverbs when we said:

“The words of a talebearer are as wounds”: Or rather they are wounds; they wound the credit and reputation of the person of whom the tale is told; they wound the person to whom it is told, and destroy his love and affection to his friend; and in the issue they wound, hurt, and ruin the talebearer himself.

23 “Burning lips and a wicked heart [are like] a potsherd covered with silver dross.”

We see in this a worthless vessel (potsherd), covered with silver to make it seem from the outside to be very valuable. If you are looking at this from the spiritual standpoint, it makes it appear to be redeemed (silver). This person, mentioned here, has beautiful burning lips which seem to be affectionate. They are a deceit coming from a wicked heart.

A cheap veneer of silver over a common clay pot hiding its commonness and fragility is like the deception spoken by evil people. This silver dross may be taken as “glaze.” The point is this: just as glaze covers the rough pottery but cannot ultimately change its character, so the evil man cannot change his character by covering it with eloquent speech. This thought is expanded (in verses 24 to 28).

24-25 “He that hateth dissembleth with his lips, and layeth up deceit within him;” “When he speaketh fair, believe him not: for [there are] seven abominations in his heart.”

These “seven abominations in his heart” just mean that he is completely consumed with an evil heart. This “dissembleth” means that he uses words to tear apart everyone he sees. He is a very evil man. This man flatters you to try to destroy you. This is deceit to the utmost.

26 “[Whose] hatred is covered by deceit, his wickedness shall be showed before the [whole] congregation.”

We see what modern society calls a two-faced man. He appears to be one thing and is, in fact, something entirely different. We see in this, that this person will be found out. Whether in this life or not, we cannot say, but when he stands before Jesus, all will be known. He cannot deceive the Lord.

27 “Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein: and he that rolleth a stone, it will return upon him.”

This is just one more way of saying, what you sow you will reap. This just warns us that the fate we have planned for others comes home to us. Here again, this result may not come on this earth, but it shall surely come. The Judge of the whole world knows everything you do.

28 “A lying tongue hateth [those that are] afflicted by it; and a flattering mouth worketh ruin.”

This lying tongue goes along with deceit. Perhaps here we see this going even further to destroy someone. Undeserved flattery causes great problems for the person receiving the flattery. This flattery is ordinarily used to try to con someone.

Proverbs Chapter 26 Questions

In verse 1, what is compared to honor for a fool?

What is meant by “a curse causeless shall not fall”?

What is used to tame a horse?

What controls the way of the ass?

What drives foolishness from a man?

If you answer a fool according to his folly, what does it make you?

What is a fool apt to be, if you don’t answer him correctly?

He that sendeth a message by a fool is like doing what?

How are the legs of the lame described?

What is it compared to in verse 7?

What is meant by “bindeth a stone”?

How is the drunkard in verse 3 like a parable in a fool’s mouth?

Who rewards the fool and transgressors?

Who is the judge of all?

Who is there more hope for than a man wise in his own conceit?

What is the worst problem with being wise in your own conceit?

What ridiculous excuse did the slothful man make in verse 13?

What is meant by a door turning on its hinges?

What lesson is to be learned from the slothful who will not remove his hand from his bosom?

Why will the sluggard refuse to take advice from the 7 just men?

What does the word “meddleth” mean?

What happens when you pick up a dog by his ears?

Cruel teasing of neighbors is likened to a mad man’s what?

A talebearer brings what?

What is the contentious man in verse 21 attempting to do?

Do evil words destroy the body or the spirit? Explain.

In verse 23, the potsherd covered with silver indicates what?

How can you disassemble with your lips?

Hatred covered by deceit will be revealed to whom?

What does modern society call the man who covers his hatred by deceit?

What does undeserved flattery do to a person?

https://bible-studys.org/proverbs-chapter-20/

 

The book of Proverbs contains many brief but wise statements about how to live a godly life. Although the book was written in ancient Israel, its messages remain applicable in the modern world. As students study this book, they can learn wisdom that will help them draw closer to the Lord.

What is the main message of the Book of Proverbs?
The book of Proverbs contains many brief but wise statements about how to live a godly life. Although the book was written in ancient Israel, its messages remain applicable in the modern world. As students study this book, they can learn wisdom that will help them draw closer to the Lord.

Source: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs%2031%3A10-31&version=NIV)
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Source: https://www.google.com/search?client=opera&hs=3rk&sca_esv=582701142&sxsrf=AM9HkK...


I wanted to do a verse by verse writing about the Proverbs 31 woman. I am by no means an expert, however; I do have some experience being married for 16 years, and I have 3 - 30+ year old children whom I often draw from experiences. I am a Conservative Christian woman and I do want to be a help to others. By writing this, I am trying to help others, without denigrating anyone else's experiences. These are my opinions and I share them freely with anyone who wishes to learn from my life experiences. I do realize that I may not be "everyone's cup of tea" and I am OK with that.

This is an ambitious project. I also have found there are other proverbs about other types of women. Solomon, who is credited with having written most of the book of Proverbs has a unique position to observe the graces and antics of women. Solomon, third king of Israel (reigned c. 968–928 B.C.E.), is said to have had a harem that included 700 wives and 300 concubines (1 Kgs 11:3). His wives were to have included the daughter of Pharaoh, as well as women of Moabite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite origins (1 Kgs 7:8; 11:1). I would say that he was more likely a glutton for punishment. Most of these marriages are political in nature, as was the custom, but still!

 

Proverbs Chapter 30


This is a collection of proverbs written by an unknown sage who was likely a student of wisdom at the time of Solomon. Agur reflects humility (verse 1-4); a deep hatred for arrogance (verse 7-9); and a keen theological mind (verse 5-6).

Proverbs 30:1 “The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, [even] the prophecy: the man spake unto Ithiel, even unto Ithiel and Ucal,”

No one knows for sure who these names are. Some believe they are a description of Solomon and David.

Some think Agur addressed his wisdom perhaps to his favorite pupils, as Luke to Theophilus.

“Agur” means gathered (many believe this is fanciful name for Solomon). “Jakeh” means obey or obedient. Here again, many believe this to be a symbolic name of Solomon. “Ithiel” means God has arrived. This too, is believed not to be a person, but a symbolic name. “Ucal” means devoured. Here again, this name has no history before or after this mention.

Proverbs 30:2-3 “Surely I [am] more brutish than [any] man, and have not the understanding of a man.” “I neither learned wisdom, nor have the knowledge of the holy.”

This could be Solomon speaking, because it appears from this that the more he learned of God, the more aware he became of how little he knew. You do not learn wisdom. Wisdom is a gift from God. I think (verses 2 and 3 above), is a sudden realization that no man truly knows God.

This is a statement of humility and recognition of the reality that, apart from divine revelation, there would be no true wisdom at all. This is illustrated in the pursuits of Job (Job 3:3-26), and Solomon (Eccl. 3:1-15).

In verse 2, he is saying that he is no more than a brutish beast in understanding. Only the very wise realize how little they know. This makes me think even more that this is Solomon speaking. No one except God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit have knowledge of the holy.

Agur knew that he could not gain wisdom through human searching alone. Understanding is here associated with the holiness of God.

Proverbs 30:4 “Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what [is] his name, and what [is] his son’s name, if thou canst tell?”

These questions can be answered only by revelation from God. A man can know the “what” about creative wisdom through observation of the physical world and its inner workings, but cannot know the “who.” The “who” can be known only when God reveals Himself, which He has in Scripture. This is the testimony and conclusion of Job (Job 42:1-6), Solomon (Eccl. 12:1-14), Isaiah (Isaiah 40:12-17; 46:8-11; 66:18-19), and Paul (Rom.8:18-39).

The answer of course, is Almighty God, but I believe this is saying what mere man can know Him. For sure, someone bigger than you and I. Someone that mere man can only speculate about.

If we were to think of all the names in the Bible for God and could accumulate them into one name, that would be the name of the personality that created all of this. This would be the unspeakable name of God. We know that power will be given in it, over it, and under it; and that at the name of Jesus all will bow.

This is a good verse to use when witnessing to Jews. I was listening to Bott 91.5 radio recently and heard Marty Zweig, (who preaches the Christian word to Jewish people), say to read them this scripture down to the last sentence. Then ask them who this is speaking about. Of course they would answer God. Then read them the last sentence: “What is his name, and what is his son’s name, if thou canst tell”?

How would or could they answer? Of course, God’s Son’s name is Jesus.

Proverbs 30:5 “Every word of God [is] pure: he [is] a shield unto them that put their trust in him.”

(In verses 5 and 6), this moves from the uncertainty of human speculation to the certainty of divine revelation.

In John 1:1-3 we read. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” “The same was in the beginning with God.” “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.”

In Ephesians 6:16 we read: “Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.”

Our shield is our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Proverbs 30:6 “Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.”

This is a powerful statement on the inspired nature of God’s canonical Word to Israel. To add to God’s Word is to deny God as the standard of truth.

We are warned in the last book of Revelation not to add or take away from the Bible. Every man is a liar, but the Word of God is Truth.

Proverbs 30:7-8 “Two [things] have I required of thee; deny me [them] not before I die:” “Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me:”

The prayer of a true wisdom seeker. He seeks from the Lord honesty in heart and sufficiency in Him (away from the dangers posed by the extremes of poverty or wealth). If he has too much, he could cease depending on God, and if he has too little, he could be tempted to be as the sluggard.

This seems to be a prayer to God asking only 2 things for the rest of his life. Vanity and lies are one. He asked to not lie and be vain, and that he not be overcome by wealth and poverty. That he might be satisfied with whatever food the Lord provides.

This should certainly be our prayer, as well. Most sin comes because of vanity and lies and because of greed. God help us to walk in your ways and not our own.

Proverbs 30:9 “Lest I be full, and deny [thee], and say, Who [is] the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God [in vain].”

This is why he prayed to not be poor or rich. People find it easier to seek the Lord when they have needs in their life. Sometimes the wealthy feel so self-sufficient that they do not seek God.

This is a question reflecting extreme arrogance, “Who is the Almighty, that we should serve Him?”

The very poor sometimes turn their back on God, because they feel He doesn’t love them; and they steal and curse to drag themselves out of poverty.

Proverbs 30:10 “Accuse not a servant unto his master, lest he curse thee, and thou be found guilty.”

We see that slandering a man’s servant can backfire on you and bring a curse on you.



Verses 11-14: These proverbs condemn various forms of unwise behavior and are connected with this common phrase which points to the fact that certain sins can uniquely permeate a whole society or time period.

Proverbs 30:11 “[There is] a generation [that] curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother.”

Proverbs 20:20 stated “he who curses his father or his mother, His lamp will go out in time of darkness.”

This grievous sin will result in death.

The generation they are talking about is in the end times. (In 2 Timothy 3), it speaks of being disobedient to parents. This is our time. Children have no respect for parents. The commandment of God says honor your mother and father, but many in our generation do not.

Proverbs 30:12 “[There is] a generation [that are] pure in their own eyes, and [yet] is not washed from their filthiness.”

Proverbs 16:2 “All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes, But the Lord weigheth the spirits”.

Proverbs 20:9: “Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin.”

No one can make himself sinless. Those whose sin has been forgiven are pure before God.

In this same third chapter (of 2 Timothy describing the last days), it speaks of lovers of their own selves. Our generation is a rebellious generation which has a form of godliness, but denies the power thereof. Lust of the flesh is the sin of our day.

In our generation, the churches are forgetting that to be truly clean and pure, we must be washed in the blood of the Lamb. They are trying to take the blood out of our church services. Only the blood of Jesus can wash us and make us white as snow.

Proverbs 30:13 “[There is] a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up.”

Proverbs 21:4 A high look, and a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked, is sin”.

This too is our generation.

In 2 Timothy 3:2 we read. “For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy.”

Some of our churches are even telling their people that they can become God. We are an evil generation. Lucifer was tossed out of heaven for these same thoughts. Prideful and arrogant people are not humble. We must be humble to have God in our lives.

Proverbs 30:14 “[There is] a generation, whose teeth [are as] swords, and their jaw teeth [as] knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from [among] men.”

Proverbs 14:31 “He who oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker, but he that honoreth him hath mercy on the poor”.

It offends the Creator when one neglects the poor, who are part of His creation.

In 2 Timothy, again, our generation is lacking in natural affection. We are so caught up in ourselves that we do not bother with the needs of the less fortunate. The church has turned the poor over to the state.

To truly be able to sympathize with the poor, we need to have walked in their shoes.

Proverbs 30:15-16 “The horseleech hath two daughters, [crying], Give, give. There are three [things that] are never satisfied, [yea], four [things] say not, [It is] enough:” “The grave; and the barren womb; the earth [that] is not filled with water; and the fire [that] saith not, [It is] enough.”

These two blood sucking mouths of the horse leech, which lived off the blood of its victim, are used to picture the insatiably greedy.

A leach or a blood sucker hangs on until torn from the flesh. The greed for these things is over-emphasized in this “horseleech”.

Four illustrations of the greedy are given, all of which are parasitic in nature and characterize the heart of human greed.

The grave always has room for more. As long as one person is alive, there is room for that one more.

All women who have not been able to have a child are never satisfied. Many of them adopt because the desire for children is so great. The Hebrews thought it to be a curse. Most women feel cheated that they have not had children.

The earth drinks in all the water that is rained upon it.

The more wood that is put on the fire just makes it burn hotter. It will take all the wood you feed it.

Proverbs 30:17 “The eye [that] mocketh at [his] father, and despiseth to obey [his] mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it.”

This proverb vividly speaks to the tragic results of disregarding parental respect and authority and the destruction it brings.

We see here that the eye reveals what is in the heart of man. This person shall come to an untimely death, and his body will be left to the vultures. They peck the eyes of the dead out first before they eat the body.



Verses 18-20: Hypocrisy is illustrated by 4 natural analogies of concealment:

(1) An eagle leaves no trail in the air;

(2) A slithering snake leaves no trail on the rock;

(3) A ship leaves no trail in the sea;

(4) a man leaves no marks after he has slept with a virgin.

These actions are all concealed and thus serve to illustrate the hypocrisy of the adulterous woman who hides the evidences of her shame while professing innocence.

Proverbs 30:18 “There be three [things which] are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not:”

He is just saying in this, that these four things are a wonderful mystery which man cannot begin to understand.

Proverbs 30:19-20 “The way of an eagle in the air; the way of a serpent upon a rock; the way of a ship in the midst of the sea; and the way of a man with a maid.” “Such [is] the way of an adulterous woman; she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wickedness.”

Men look at the eagle flying through the sky and wish that they might fly, as well. There is no trace from where they came, or where they go, or even how they can stay up there in mid-air.

The amazing thing in this is how the snake slithers across a rock.

A ship in a large body of water leaves a mystery as to how it floats and how it finds its way to port.

The way of a man with a maid has been a mystery for all time. How two people destined of God to become one, can single each other out in all the mass of humanity, and find the mate so right for them that they will stay together until death do them part is one of the greatest mysteries to me.

If we were to look at these four things from a spiritual standpoint, we would see in the eagle the symbol of God. In the serpent, we see the symbol of Satan. We would see in the ship, the symbol of the church or the Christian on the sea of life; and we would see in the man with the maid, Christ and his bride (the church).

We see in this adulterous woman who covers her sin, a deception of not only deceiving others, but herself as well. Her heart is so hardened that she feels no guilt and shame.

Proverbs 30:21-23 “For three [things] the earth is disquieted, and for four [which] it cannot bear:” “For a servant when he reigneth; and a fool when he is filled with meat;” “For an odious [woman] when she is married; and an handmaid that is heir to her mistress.”

Like earthquakes, society is greatly agitated when normal roles are overturned, servants reigning, fools made rich, hated women married and maidservants becoming wives.

These four things make living very uncomfortable. They really are things which should not be. These four causes much pain to all parties involved.

A servant is really not suited to be a ruler, and sudden power many times turns the head of the person elevated.

This fool, who suddenly has more than he needs, over-indulges and makes himself even more of a fool.

This “odious woman” is an undesirable woman, perhaps because she is not attractive or has unattractive ways. If she does get married, she is ill-tempered and possibly will drive her mate away.

This handmaid, who obtains the wealth of her mistress, whether by death of the mistress or some trickery, would certainly cause her to be arrogant and difficult to get along with.

Proverbs 30:24-28 “There be four [things which are] little upon the earth, but they [are] exceeding wise:” “The ants [are] a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer;” “The conies [are but] a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks;” “The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands;” “The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings’ palaces.”

These verses picture 4 creatures which survive due to natural instinct. The wisdom seen in each of these reveals the beauty of the wise Creator and His creation and becomes a model for the principle that labor, diligence, organization, planning, and resourcefulness are better than strength, thus implying the superiority of wisdom over might.

These four are little in stature, but not in accomplishments. The natural instincts of all four make them very wise. We could take a lesson from each of them.

Ants live in communities and work together as a unit and survive through planning and labor. They are the opposite of the sluggard or slothful man. They are very industrious. Man could take a lesson from them in that they store in summer for use in winter.

These animals called conies live in the rocks for security. These probably refer to rock badgers who, though weak, survive by being diligent enough to climb and find sanctuary in high places.

The locusts act as one body and work together. These survive through careful organization.

The spider (actually this is a lizard), works with its hands and winds up in palaces. These creatures are resourceful and can make their home in inaccessible places, even in a palace.

Proverbs 30:29-31 “There be three [things] which go well, yea, four are comely in going:” “A lion [which is] strongest among beasts, and turneth not away for any;” “A greyhound; a he goat also; and a king, against whom [there is] no rising up.”

The three creatures and the king all picture wise, stately and orderly deportment. Each offers a glimpse of the Creator’s power and wisdom and illustrates the dignity and confidence of those who walk wisely.

We see in these four that they go with great poise and have no fear.

The “lion” is the king of the beasts and fears nothing in the jungle. He is king of the forest. A greyhound: A “greyhound” is very graceful in running and has great speed. The Hebrew word occurs nowhere else in the Old Testament. The literal meaning is: “one with loins girded;” and some have referred this to the stripes of the zebra, others to the “war-horse”

A he goat also; which with its long beard walks very gravely, and in a stately manner, before the flock; and the Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic versions add, “going before the flock”: This is certainly a stately sight, and may well stand parallel to the hero lion among beasts, and the bold he goat at the head of the flock.

The “king against whom there is no rising up” is because he has the confidence of his people, and they follow him willingly.

Proverbs 30:32 “If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought evil, [lay] thine hand upon thy mouth.”

We see here, that the proud, arrogant person will only make matters worse if he begins to talk and is warned to guard the words of his mouth even to shutting his lips by putting his hand over them.

The thoughts of the heart, if they are evil, must never be allowed to pass the lips, as well. The best advice in both cases is keep the mouth shut until you reconsider. Words can destroy you, if they are the wrong words.

“Hand on your mouth” means “stop your scheming and talking”, a gesture of awestruck, self-imposed silence.

Proverbs 30:33 “Surely the churning of milk bringeth forth butter, and the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood: so the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife.”

In all three cases, these are natural causes and effects to show that anger pressed beyond certain limits produces conflict.

In all three things above, pressure is being applied and bringing inevitable results in each case.

Wrath or anger forces strife between the angered persons.

Proverbs Chapter 30 Questions

What does “Agur” mean?

What does “Jakeh” mean?

What does “Ithiel” mean?

What does “Ucal” mean?

Who do most believe these are symbolic of?

What is meant by “being more brutish than any man”?

Why did he say, “I neither learned wisdom”?

What is suddenly realized in verses 2 and 3?

Who has the only true knowledge of the holy?

In verse 4, what questions are asked?

What name could we give in answer?

Every word of God is ________.

What is our shield?

Who created everything?

Why are we not to add to His words?

What did he pray for?

What does most sin come from?

What was he afraid of doing if he were poor?

Who should you not accuse to his master?

In verse 11, the generation curses whom?

When will this generation be?

What is meant by being pure in your own eyes?

What is the only way to be really white as snow?

What 2 types of people are not humble?

What are the teeth of those who devour the poor like?

What is said to have two daughters crying, “Give, give”?

What 4 things are never satisfied?

What shall happen to the eyes of one who mocketh his father?

What reveals what is in the heart of man?

What pecks the eyes out.

What 4 things are too wonderful to know?

What can we see symbolically in the eagle?

What do we see in the serpent?

What is the symbol of the ship on the sea?

What is the symbolic meaning of the man and maid?

What does the adulterous woman say when she thinks her sin is hidden?

What 4 things are hard to bear?

What 4 things are little, but exceedingly wise?

What 4 things are stately in their going?

If you have lifted yourself up too highly, what should you do?

The churning of milk brings forth _________.

The wringing of the nose brings __________.

The forcing of wrath brings what?

 

Proverbs 31 (which is dealing with the "ideal" or "perfect" woman has 22 verses (Proverbs 31:10-31)

With each verse I want to do the following:

1. Any breakdown of words that are used, and using other verses for references, if possible.

2. Personal experiences that I have had or have seen as example of the particular verse.

3. Questions that might make the verse more clear, or might prompt an idea on how to apply the verse.

4. Anything else that pops into my mind as I am studying/writing my paper.
(which turns out to be A LOT more than I bargained for...ugh!)

5. I ask questions at the end of each verse, and then at the end of my study, I repeat the questions with my own answers to them. At least in regard to Proverbs 31. There are many more questions I've found that I will share for the reader's own ponderings.

I will be using the Parallel Bible for study. It contains 4 different versions of the Bible - The NIV (New International Version), the KJV (King James Version), the NASB (New American Standard Bible) and the AMP (The Amplified Bible).

I plan on using these sources, and giving credit to any and all sources used in writing this paper.

I may update this outline, if it is called for. It has been quite a while since I've done a formal outline for any kind of writing, so please excuse the "rustiness" of this form. Also, at the end of the study, I've written out my answers to the questions I've posed. It is by no means an answer key, but just my thoughts on the questions is from my perspective. My own answers are not necessarily the "right" answers, they are just from my own poor mind.

Source: https://www.cbeinternational.org/resource/proverbs-31-woman-strength/?gclid=Cj0K...

 

Proverbs 31: 10 - 31 The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®

10 A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.

11 Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value.

12 She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.

13 She selects wool and flax
and works with eager hands.

14 She is like the merchant ships,
bringing her food from afar.

15 She gets up while it is still night;
she provides food for her family
and portions for her female servants.

16 She considers a field and buys it;
out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.

17 She sets about her work vigorously;
her arms are strong for her tasks.

18 She sees that her trading is profitable,
and her lamp does not go out at night.

19 In her hand she holds the distaff
and grasps the spindle with her fingers.

20 She opens her arms to the poor
and extends her hands to the needy.

21 When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
for all of them are clothed in scarlet.

22 She makes coverings for her bed;
she is clothed in fine linen and purple.

23 Her husband is respected at the city gate,
where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.

24 She makes linen garments and sells them,
and supplies the merchants with sashes.

25 She is clothed with strength and dignity;
she can laugh at the days to come.

26 She speaks with wisdom,
and faithful instruction is on her tongue.

27 She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.

28 Her children arise and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:

29 “Many women do noble things,
but you surpass them all.”

30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

31 Honor her for all that her hands have done,
and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

 

Verse 10: A woman of noble character. What is a noble character? The Encyclopedia Britannica defines this as

: having, showing, or coming from personal qualities that people admire (such as honesty, generosity, courage, etc.)
To have someone like that is worth more than rubies or anything, in my opinion. In this writing, the man should consider himself very blessed indeed to have such a paragon of virtue.

The Amplified Bible states this verse: An excellent woman (one who is spiritual, capable, intelligent, and virtuous), who is he that can find her? Her value is more precious than jewels and her worth is far above rubies or pearls [Prov. 12:4, 18:22, 19:14].

Definition of value: (Oxford Dictionary)
1.
the regard that something is held to deserve; the importance, worth, or usefulness of something.

2.
a person's principles or standards of behavior; one's judgment of what is important in life.
"they internalize their parents' rules and values"

Definition of worth: (Oxford Dictionary)

1. adjective:
equivalent in value to the sum or item specified

2. noun
the value equivalent to that of someone or something under consideration; the level at which someone or something deserves to be valued or rated.

*Proverbs 12:4 states:

"A wife of noble character is her husband's crown, but a disgraceful wife is like decay in his bones." (NIV)

Proverbs 18:22 states:

"He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord.: (NIV)

Proverbs 19:14 states:

"Houses and wealth are inherited from parents, but a prudent wife is from the Lord." (NIV)

This is something that is a continuous work in progress. No one just starts out noble. It is learned over time, through example and then by doing. It is a series of choices that is made. It is so easy to take shortcuts and to not put such an emphasis on having a noble character, but it is a discipline that is worthwhile to pursue.

I am no longer married (by choice ), but I still find that having a noble character is a worthy goal to pursue. It is a good example to set for my grown children (and grandchildren) or anyone that I might mentor. When I was younger, these verses were often preached, or women would have a Bible study about them. I guess it didn't "stick" as I am trying to do another study about this mysterious woman. I've seen good examples and I have seen poor examples. I would consider myself a poorer example, but it has been quite some time since I've been married, and I am learning to stand on my own two feet.

Questions for thought on verse 10 -

Why be noble?

What is the point?

What if I screw up?

Can I get back on track and learn from my mistakes?

Even having made these mistakes, would I still be considered "valuable" to God, or am I destined to be just "damaged goods?"

What are your feelings regarding worth and value? Are they the same?

What are your feelings regarding the above questions?

 

Verse 11: Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. (NIV)

The heart of her husband trusts in her [with secure confidence] And he will have no lack of gain. (AMP)

con·fi·dence
/ˈkänfəd(ə)ns/
noun
the feeling or belief that one can rely on someone or something; firm trust.
"we had every confidence in the staff"

the state of feeling certain about the truth of something.
"it is not possible to say with confidence how much of the increase in sea levels is due to melting glaciers"
a feeling of self-assurance arising from one's appreciation of one's own abilities or qualities.


Source: https://www.google.com/search?q=definition+of+confidence&client=opera&hs=H4W&sca...


I have to admit, that this one seems rather geared towards having a husband. But then I got to thinking, what about an employer? Surely having a noble woman would be a sound business decision. He (or She) wouldn't have to worry about being taken advantage of, having said noble woman working for him/her. Having "no lack of gain" sounds like a promise to me. Surely that would apply here? Homes that are "traditional" - man works, woman stays home - are fewer and farther between nowadays. Certainly more and more women have to work, due to circumstances beyond their control, or just because they want to work. So I am going with the Amplified version here for this verse.

a. The heart of her husband safely trusts her: The virtuous wife not only has the trust of her husband, but it is safely given to her. Her character is trustworthy, filled with integrity. She will speak, act, and live with wisdom – and therefore God’s blessing will be on their home (he will have no lack of gain). A foolish woman, who can’t be trusted, takes some measure of blessing away from the home, and this is often seen financially or materially.

i. “But in the whole delineation there is hardly any trait more beautiful than this—absolute trustworthiness…he seeks her confidence and advice. He has no fear of her betraying his secrets. He can safely trust her.” (Meyer)

ii. “He is confident of her love, care, and fidelity. He dare trust her with his soulsecrets, etc.; he doubteth not of her chastity, secrecy, or care to keep his family.” (Trapp)

iii. “Outside of this text and Judges 20:36, Scripture condemns trust in anyone or anything apart from…the Lord…. This present exception elevates the valiant wife, who herself fears the Lord, to the highest level of spiritual and physical competence.” (Waltke)

iv. “The greatest gift of God is a pious amiable spouse who fears God and loves his house, and with whom one can live in perfect confidence.” (Martin Luther’s description of his wife, cited in Bridges)

Source:https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/proverbs-31/

So, being married to such a woman would definitely be a boon to any marriage/home. Having such a woman in a place of business would be of benefit to the business owner.

Questions from verse 11:

In this day and age, is it still important to be married?

Is it even considered ideal anymore?

What qualities could be described in the Proverbs 31 woman that would translate into a solid employee?

Is it even possible to live up to the standards of the Proverbs 31 woman?

 

Verse 12: She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life (NIV).


This verse, I admit sounds like a wife and not a co-worker or employee. But I can draw parallels with this verse, if you will indulge me. The wife is supposed to bring good and not harm to her husband for their remaining days together (usually, until death do they part, ideally). But if we are going to use the employee idea, then it would be good as well to bring good and not evil to the business, right? For as long as she is working there. Her conduct would only bring benefit to the work, and she would be a mentor/role model for a business or work environment.

good - From the Hebrew word “towb” which means: pleasant, agreeable, good. (Note agreeable?)

harm - From the Hebrew word “ra” which means: bad, evil, disagreeable, malignant: of a woman.

Source:https://www.womanofnoblecharacter.com/she-brings-him-good-not-harm/

Verse 12 Questions:

If married, how can one bring "good" and not "harm" to one's husband?

If not married, how would one bring "good" and not "harm" to one's business/work ?

It isn't such a great idea to be "disagreeable" at home or at work, is it?

 

Verse 13:

She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands. (NIV)
She looks for wool and flax and works with willing hands in delight. (AMP)

Wool is the textile fibre obtained from sheep and other mammals, especially goats, rabbits, and camelids.[1] The term may also refer to inorganic materials, such as mineral wool and glass wool, that have properties similar to animal wool.

As an animal fibre, wool consists of protein together with a small percentage of lipids. This makes it chemically quite distinct from cotton and other plant fibres, which are mainly cellulose.[1]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wool

Flax, (Linum usitatissimum), plant of the family Linaceae, cultivated both for its fibre, from which linen yarn and fabric are made, and for its nutritious seeds, called flaxseed or linseed, from which linseed oil is obtained. Though flax has lost some of its value as a commercial fibre crop owing to the availability of synthetic fibres, flaxseed has grown in popularity as a health food, and flax remains economically significant in a number of countries around the world, including China, Russia, and Canada.

https://www.britannica.com/plant/flax


I pretty much knew what wool was, but wasn't so sure about Flax. So our paragon searches these out, and works with willing hands to produce product. I don't know if she does this just for the home, or as an outside business, but the verse states that she does this willingly, and with delight. So our noble woman is a crafter or has a part-time business outside of taking care of the home.

Well, Even if she isn't married, she can still do "side hustles" using her creativity to make a profit, or for the purpose of relaxing and sharing with family and friends. I learned to make a "triangle" pillow with yarn and a crochet hook this year. The pillows were of a Christmas tree, a Santa, an elf and a snowman. The other holiday pillows were of a ghost, Frankenstein, and candy corn. It's amazing once you learn something, how you can add different features. Same pattern, but with different yarn colors, I was able to make 7 different pillows. I am also learning to make hats, scarves, and ear warmers. I guess that would count as working with willing hands, or with delight. There are days that working with yarn is just so relaxing for me.

I also have a friend who actually spins her own yarn on a spinning wheel. That is getting pretty close to the Proverbs woman, although my friend enjoys this kind of "work". She is retired, and her children are grown. She has taught herself a lot of different things, including sewing, tatting, knitting, crocheting, and quilting. I'm sure she sells some of her work, but she does it mostly to share with her family and friends. She enjoys it immensely, and you can feel her love when she gives her work away.

A couple of YouTube channels that I look to for instruction and inspiration are:

For crocheting - Jayda InStitches - https://www.youtube.com/@JaydaInStitches

For quilting - ISeeStarsQuilting - https://www.youtube.com/@ISeeStarsQuilting


Questions for Verse 13:

What kind of things can you do in order to earn "extra" income?

Who would benefit from your expertise?

Do you have a business plan set up?

Could your side hustle actually become your main hustle? If so, how?

 

Verse 14
She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar (NIV).

She is like the merchant ships [abounding with treasure]; She brings her [household's] food from far away (AMP).

merchant ship
noun [ C ]
US /ˈmɝː.tʃənt ˌʃɪp/ UK /ˈmɜː.tʃənt ˌʃɪp/

a ship that is used for trade rather than for passengers or military purposes:
She is the wealthy owner of a small fleet of merchant ships.


Nowadays, we don't have to go to the local farmer's market and make due with what is there. There are so many ways to get food today. We can order from "local" markets, or the big box stores. Depending on where you live, there may be specialty stores, such as Asian, Mexican, organic, and other such stores with different types of cuisine. There are online delivery services that allow you to order fresh ingredients, have a recipe card, and you are on your way to creating something to eat - without going to the grocery store.
There is also the homesteading movement that tries to grow and use/sell as much produce/ other edible goods as possible. There are many type of podcasts that you can look up on YouTube: just type in homesteading in the search engine, and you will see many, many streams/podcasts, depending on what you are looking for.

Here are a couple of online delivery services:

HelloFresh

https://www.hellofresh.com/pages/meal-kit-delivery?page=pages&page=meal-kit-deli...

Blue Apron

https://www.blueapron.com/pricing?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw-pyqBhDmARIsAKd9XIN...


I have a couple of podcasts/streams that I enjoy listening to for inspiration on homesteading:

Acre Homestead:https://www.youtube.com/@AcreHomestead

Homesteading Family:https://www.youtube.com/@HomesteadingFamily

Living Traditions Homestead:https://www.youtube.com/@LivingTraditionsHomestead

Questions: Verse 14

If you are able to, would you be willing to become self-sustainable?

What is your thoughts on the self-sustainable movement?

If not possible, what steps could you do to help yourself?

 

Verse 15

She gets up while it is still night; she provides food for her family and portions for her female servants. (NIV)

She rises also while it is still night and gives food to her household and assigns tasks to her maids. (AMP)

Now this a switch from what you see in Victorian era shows. It is the servants who get up while it is dark outside, carrying on the tasks of the household, all the while waiting for the "bell" to be summoned to the owner's suites so that they can get their day started.

Here we have the "Lady" of the house getting up early to assign tasks to her maids, and to make sure there is food enough for everyone in the household.

Growing up, my mom and dad both worked outside the home, so the four of us sisters pretty much got ourselves ready for the day. Breakfast, making sure we had our lunch money, and getting dressed for school. Then after school, change into play clothes, doing laundry and possibly starting dinner, and making sure dishes were done as well.

Everyone has their routines for getting through the day. It seems we have swung the pendulum in both directions. Here the Bible is clear about whose job it is to get the household going. That isn't to say that there aren't other ways of doing so; it is just the preferred method (I'm NOT trying to step on toes here!) It is pragmatic, as usually it is the woman that carries all of the lists in her head, so to speak, and she is usually the one who knows what is going on. Obviously there are exceptions to this rule, and I'm sure others could find examples to refute this argument.

All the things that swirl through a mom's head in any given moment
Source: https://www.todaysparent.com/family/all-the-things-that-swirl-through-a-moms-hea...

Why Your To-Do List Never Ends
Source: https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2021/01/to-do-list-tasks-never-end/61...

How does your upbringing compare to that of the Proverbs 31 woman in terms of running the household?

Have you ever wished for a different upbringing?

If you do not have a family at home, how do you cope with your own mental lists?

Do you have someone to talk to if things have gotten (or are getting) out of hand?

 

Verse 16:

She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard. (NIV)

She considers a field before she buys or accepts it [expanding her business prudently]; With her profits she plants fruitful vines in her vineyard. (AMP)

Here we have someone who is industrious. This isn't just something that is limited to a married woman. She has a business acumen, and intelligently invests her money to make it grow. I'm sure there are more ways to invest money than in property; it depends on what is prudent or practical. There are retirement funds of all kinds as well. Savings for the future is always a good idea, once bills are paid. Finances have always been a struggle for me. I've gotten some good advice from the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace Course. It isn't easy, but once you get your finances under control, it becomes a lot easier to tackle other projects. And having a peace of mind doesn't hurt either, whether or not you are married.

Below are a few sites to check out:

https://www.ramseysolutions.com/dave-ramsey-7-baby-steps-rs-b26783?gad_source=1&...

https://www.irs.gov/retirement-plans/roth-iras

https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/investing/roth-401k-vs-401k#:~:text=If%20you%...

Questions:

1. Do I have what I need to be industrious?


2. Will it be easy?


3. Do you have a plan in place to become financially free?

If not, do you have someone whom you can talk to in order to get a plan in place?

 

Verse 17:

She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks. (NIV)

She equips herself with strength [spiritual, mental, and physical fitness for her God-given task] And makes her arms strong. (AMP)

vig·or·ous·ly
/ˈviɡ(ə)rəslē/
adverb
in a way that involves physical strength, effort, or energy; strenuously.
"she shook her head vigorously"

The Proverbs 31 woman is not a slacker. She has mental and physical strength to take care of business, whether it be at home or at a place of business. She doesn't rely on coffee to get her through the day, nor "power drinks". She takes care of her mind, body, and spirit. That way she can be of service to others.

Sometimes, that means self care, a self imposed retreat, or just a few minutes to close the world out and to focus on God. This too, requires discipline, and sometimes it means saying "no" to what might be a good thing. Getting enough rest is also important. Focusing on priorities is a must. Being distracted will only slow her down, and not allow her to get done the things she has planned out.

Questions for Verse 17:

Are you in good shape? Physically? Mentally? Spiritually? If not, what can you do to become fit?

Do you take time to do self care?

Are you someone who always says yes to things, rather than to think how they might affect the rest of your work?

 

Verse 18:

She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night. (NIV)

She sees that her gain is good;
Her lamp does not go out, but it burns continually through the night [she is prepared for whatever lies ahead].

prof·it·a·ble

adjective
1.
(of a business or activity) yielding profit or financial gain.
"a professionally run and profitable company"

2.
beneficial; useful.
"he'd had a profitable day"

Source: Online Oxford Dictionary

Many depictions of the excellent, godly wife (Proverbs 31:10) include diligence and responsibility (Proverbs 31:13, 15). Both literally and symbolically, she is depicted as bringing in necessary supplies (Proverbs 31:14) and making good business decisions (Proverbs 31:16). Here, "profitable" work is again commended. That is connected to the continued burning of a lamp: a symbol which implies foresight, planning, and sustained success.

Keeping one's lamp burning at night can be a metaphor for hard work (Proverbs 31:27). It also implies planning: to keep the light burning, it needs to be supplied with oil. This was part of the lesson in Jesus' parable of the ten virgins (Matthew 25:1–10). Diligence means planning such that needs are met. If a lamp goes out at night, it results in darkness. The godly woman looks ahead, so her family is supplied and cared for during hard times.

Source: https://www.bibleref.com/Proverbs/31/Proverbs-31-18.html

Questions for Verse 18

Do you have a plan in place to make sure your family or business is taken care of during hard times?

If not, what can you do to ensure the safety and viability of your family or business?

If so, what can you share with others to help them to be prepared for uncertain times?

 

Verse 19:

In her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers. (NIV)

She stretches out her hands to the [e]distaff,
And her hands hold the spindle [as she spins wool into thread for clothing]. (distaff - I.e. the staff that holds the textile fibers for spinning.) (AMP)

Here we see the Proverbs 31 woman hard at work. She doesn't just order her staff/servants to do the work, but she takes pride in being an example of industry. She leads by setting an example. She doesn't shirk her responsibilities.

I don't know of many who use a spinning wheel anymore, (I do have one friend that does) as it does seem to be a dying art. But there's nothing wrong with learning a new skill or skill set for work/business, and keeping up with the latest technology in the work place.

For further information:

https://www.google.com/search?client=opera&q=parts+of+a+spinning+wheel&sourceid=...

https://www.google.com/search?q=instructions+on+using+a+spinning+wheel&client=op...


Are you keeping up with the latest trends for your home/business?

Are you keeping yourself relevant with today's businesses?

How would you go about improving what you can do with your home/business needs?

https://www.google.com/search?q=keep+up+with+business+trends&client=opera&hs=bgd...

 

Verse 20:

She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy. (NIV)

She opens and extends her hand to the poor, And she reaches out her filled hands to the needy. (AMP)

need·y

adjective
(of a person) lacking the necessities of life; very poor.


Scripture commends those who care for the disadvantaged (Proverbs 14:31; 19:17; 31:9). As part of describing an ideal wife (Proverbs 31:10), this passage refers to a charitable, generous spirit. In contrast, the Bible condemns those who are greedy or who take advantage of the less fortunate (Proverbs 30:13–14). A generous spirit is not only morally upright, but it also brings personal success more reliably than being stingy (Proverbs 11:24–25).

https://www.bibleref.com/Proverbs/31/Proverbs-31-20.html

This woman doesn't just care for her family/business, she also is a helper in her community. She helps those who are less fortunate that herself, and doesn't shirk away from them. Whether she helps in a soup line, or makes things to give to the needy, she not only talks the talk, she walks the walk as well. She is an example of charity.

How do you help those who are less fortunate than yourself?

Are you active in your community; trying to make a difference?

What could you do to help others in your community?

Is there someone with which you could start an outreach in your community, or someone whom you could support in such an outreach with your resources?

 

Verse 21:
When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet. (NIV)

She does not fear the snow for her household, For all in her household are clothed in [expensive] scarlet [wool]. (AMP)

Proverbs 31:21
She is not afraid of the snow for her household
That her family should suffer through the rigour of a cold season, when it is frost and snow; for all her household [are] clothed with scarlet:
the Vulgate Latin version renders it, "with double" F21, that is, with double garments; and so the Septuagint and Arabic versions, joining the words to a following verse; and this, by some, is thought to be the better rendering of the words; since the scarlet colour is no fence against cold, no more than any other, whereas double garments are; and which may be applied to the garment of justification, or the robe of Christ's righteousness, as one; and to the garment of sanctification, internal and external, as the other; the one, even the righteousness of Christ, or Christ the Lord our righteousness, is an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the storm; a sufficient shelter from the cold of snow, and all inclemency of the weather; by which the vindictive wrath and justice of God may be signified: and the other is a screen from the malicious insinuations and reproaches of men. But had the word been designed to signify "double", it would have been in the "dual" number; as it is not, and is always used in this form for "scarlet"; and so the Targum, Jarchi, and Aben Ezra interpret it; which colour is an emblem of the blood of Christ, by which the church is justified, ( Romans 5:9 ) ; and all the household of faith, the whole family of Christ and household of God, are all justified by the same righteousness of Christ, consisting of his active and passive obedience, for the whole of which his crimson blood is put; it is a garment down to the feet, which covers all his people; they are all made righteous by the one obedience of Christ; they are all clothed in scarlet alike, all kings and priests unto God, all alike justified, and shall be glorified alike. The literal sense is, that if her household are clothed in scarlet in common; much more may it be thought that coarse and suitable garments would be provided for them, to protect them from the cold in winter F23.

Source: https://www.biblestudytools.com/proverbs/31-21.html#:~:t

This is something that I didn't know before. It makes sense, as the color scarlet really doesn't seem to help against the cold. But double layering is known to defend against the cold.

Are you ready for the changing seasons? Is your home? Is your work/business?

What are some things that you do in order to prepare for change of seasons?

Do you ask God for guidance in your preparations?

 

Verse 22:

She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple. (NIV)

She makes for herself coverlets, cushions, and rugs of tapestry. Her clothing is linen, pure and fine, and purple [wool]. (AMP)

cov·er·ing

noun

a thing used to cover something else, typically in order to protect or conceal it.

Not only is our paragon industrious, Her works are for practical purposes as well. Coverings for the beds in her home, tapestries for the walls, rugs for the floors. And these are made of quality materials, something that will look good and last for several seasons.

The industrious, excellent wife (Proverbs 31:10) is depicted using imagery common to ancient middle eastern homes. Earlier verses mentioned working with enthusiasm, also by referring to textile work (Proverbs 31:13, 19). This passage has also noted her ability to care for the basic needs of her household (Proverbs 31:14–15). The prior verse mentioned provision against cold weather (Proverbs 31:21); this reference implies a similar ability to arrange a home. Her skill and dedication include seeing to the clothes and bedsheets needed by the family. As with the last verse, the color is mentioned as an indicator of quality.

Purple dyes were originally made by drying secretions from a sea snail. This made them extremely expensive, so purple was associated with royalty and great prestige in the ancient world. When Paul and his missionary companions entered Philippi, they found a group of women praying by a river. One of the women was Lydia, a seller of purple (Acts 16:11–15). This suggests her business was high-class; purple robes were popular but pricey. Philippi was a Roman colony chosen to copy Rome's culture and spread that culture throughout Macedonia. Because the nobles of Rome wore purple garments, the Philippians followed the custom, likely contributing to Lydia's success as a businesswoman.

Source: https://www.bibleref.com/Proverbs/31/Proverbs-31-22.html#:~:text=ESV%20She%20mak...

Is your home taken care of no matter the season?

Do you take pride in your accomplishments at home/work?

What could you do to improve things at home or work?

Do you pray and ask God how He would have you proceed?

 

Verse 23:

Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land. (NIV)

Her husband is known in the [city’s] gates, When he sits among the elders of the land. (AMP)

https://www.womanofnoblecharacter.com/her-husband-is-respected-at-the-city-gate/...

https://missybaroff.wordpress.com/2013/08/14/her-husband-is-respected/

OK, this verse seems to just apply to married women. I mean, the husband is well known and respected because of the good works of his wife. He doesn't have to worry about her and can do his thing. If a woman isn't married, I suppose that her boss or herself would be known as being supported by a woman, but that doesn't sound like the way things were back in the day. Today is a different story as she would be known as an entrepreneur, putting herself out there. There is still a bit of a glass ceiling there for women, but gradually it is getting thinner.

entrepreneur

noun

a person who organizes and operates a business or businesses, taking on greater than normal financial risks in order to do so.

Why women are good entrepreneurs?

They have more effective communicational, organizational and networking skills than their male counterparts. Moreover their fiscally conservative approach reduces the risk of failure of their organizations. Women entrepreneurs account for improved economic growth and stability within a country.

Source: https://thebusinessfame.com/need-and-importance-of-women-entrepreneurs/#:~:text=...

What is the role of women in entrepreneurship?

In short, women entrepreneurs are those women who think of a business enterprise, initiate it, organise and combine factors of production, operate the enterprise and undertake risks and handle economic uncertainty involved in running it.

Source: https://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/women/women-entrepreneurship/women-entreprene...

What are female entrepreneurs called?
Many prefer to be called, simply, entrepreneur, while others suggest "fempreneur," woman entrepreneur, female business owner, businesswoman, or female founder.

Source: https://www.legalzoom.com/articles/what-do-mompreneurs-prefer-to-be-called

How are female entrepreneurs different?
Women tend to have lower growth aspirations than men do and prefer a “slow and steady” business to a fast-growing or risky business. Some of these preferences are explained by differences in risk aversion, dislike of growth-associated stress or a desire to achieve better work-life balance.

Source: https://www.google.com/search?client=opera&q=women+as+entrepeneurs&sourceid=oper...

 

Verse 24:

She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes. (NIV)

She makes [fine] linen garments and sells them;And supplies sashes to the merchants.

Scripture emphasizes once again that an excellent wife (Proverbs 31:10) is industrious and a good businesswoman (Proverbs 31:13, 15, 16, 18). Weaving is common in virtually every culture where women made clothes for themselves and family members. What's remarkable in this mention is the idea of productivity: she is hardworking and efficient such that she can provide for her family (Proverbs 31:21–22) and have additional items to sell.

This verse does not imply that women are obligated to provide income for their family, or to hold a job. It does, however, eliminate a biblical prohibition on women earning income. The literal words of the passage refer to things like spinning flax and making crimson and purple garments. The point is not that women must use those colors, or make clothes, to be godly. Rather, the broader idea is to commend a woman who is diligent and competent such that her family benefits from her efforts.

Source: https://www.bibleref.com/Proverbs/31/Proverbs-31-24.html

Questions for Verse 24:

Do you have a talent that you could use for the benefit of yourself or others?

Do you make time to develop this talent?

Have you asked God what He might have you do to be a blessing to others, either in the home or the workplace?

 

Verse 25:

She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come (NIV)

Strength and dignity are her clothing and her position is strong and secure;
And she smiles at the future [knowing that she and her family are prepared].(AMP)

strength
/streNG(k)TH/
noun
1.
the quality or state of being physically strong.
"cycling can help you build up your strength"

2.
the capacity of an object or substance to withstand great force or pressure.
"they were taking no chances with the strength of the retaining wall"

dig·ni·ty

noun
the state or quality of being worthy of honor or respect.
"a man of dignity and unbending principle"
a composed or serious manner or style.
"he bowed with great dignity"

a sense of pride in oneself; self-respect.
"it was beneath his dignity to shout

Source: Online Oxford Dictionary

1 Timothy 2:9
Likewise, I want the women to adorn themselves with respectable apparel, with modesty, and with self-control, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes,

1 Timothy 2:10
but with good deeds, as is proper for women who profess to worship God.

Strength and honour [are] her clothing
Strength, not of body, but of mind. The church is clothed with strength, as her Lord, head, and husband, is said to be, ( Psalms 93:1 ) ; and which she has from him; for though she is the weaker vessel, and weak in herself, yet is strong in him; and is able to bear and do all things, with a fortitude of mind to withstand every enemy, and persevere in well doing: and she is clothed with "honour"; with honourable garments, suitable to her rank and dignity; in cloth of gold, in raiment of needlework; with the garments of salvation, and the robe of righteousness; and she shall rejoice in time to come;
Aben Ezra interprets it of old age, or of the world to come; and Jarchi and Gersom of the day of death: having fulness of food and clothing, she is not afraid of want in old age, or in any time of distress that may come; and having a good name, laughs at death, and departs in peace; so these interpreters. The church of Christ fears no want at any time, nor need any of her members; they have a clothing that never waxes old, a righteousness that will answer for them in a time to come; their bread is given, and their waters are sure; they shall want no good thing; all their need is supplied from Christ; they have hope in their death, and rejoice then and sing, "O death, where is thy sting?" ( 1 Corinthians 15:55 ) ; they will have confidence in the day of judgment, and not be ashamed; shall come to Zion with everlasting joy; and shall rejoice with Christ, angels and saints, to all eternity.

Source: https://www.biblestudytools.com/proverbs/31-25.html


Can you smile at the future and whatever might come?

Do you have a plan in mind for retirement?

If not, what can you do to get ready for "old age" and/or retirement?

 

Verse 26:

She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. (NIV)

She opens her mouth in [skillful and godly] wisdom, And the teaching of kindness is on her tongue [giving counsel and instruction]. (AMP)

She openeth her mouth with wisdom
When she opens her mouth, for it is not always open, she expresses herself in a discreet and prudent manner; as well as speaks of things not foolish and trifling, but of moment and importance, and of usefulness to others: or "concerning wisdom" F1; the church and people of Christ talk of the wisdom of God in the works of creation, providence, and redemption; of Christ, the Wisdom of God, and as made so to them; of the Gospel, the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom; and of wisdom in the hidden part, or the truth of grace in their souls; of their gracious experiences; nor will they suffer any foolish, filthy, and corrupt communication to proceed out of their mouths, but speak the pure language of Canaan; what is for the use of edifying, and being taken out of the Scriptures is profitable for instruction in righteousness; see ( Psalms 37:30 ) ; and in her tongue [is] the law of kindness;
or "the law of love" F2, grace and mercy; which is the law of Christ, ( Galatians 6:2 ) ; speaking kindly and tenderly to everyone, exhorting to acts of mercy and kindness, and doing them herself: or "the doctrine of grace [is] in her tongue" F3; the Gospel, which is called the Gospel of the grace of God, and the grace of God itself; it is the doctrine of the grace and love of God the Father towards men in Christ, as it appears in their election in him and redemption by him; of the grace of Christ in his incarnation, sufferings, and death; and of the grace of the Spirit in regeneration, conversion, and sanctification; and which contains various doctrines of grace, as of justification, pardon of sin, and effectual calling; and of salvation itself, which is all of grace: and this doctrine of grace, in the several branches of it, the church, and all gracious souls, cannot forbear speaking of; it is often in their mouths, it dwells upon their tongues; and careful are they in other respects that their speech be seasoned with grace, and be such that ministers grace to the hearers, ( Ephesians 4:29 ) ( Colossians 3:6 ) .

Source: https://www.biblestudytools.com/proverbs/31-26.html#:~:text=Proverbs%2031%3A26%2...

What do you base your wisdom on?

Do you share your wisdom with others?

 

Verse 27:

She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. (NIV)

She looks well to how things go in her household, And does not eat the bread of idleness. (AMP)

The business of her house, her domestic affairs; that her children and servants have convenient food, and in due season; that they have proper clothing, and keep their garments close about them, and unspotted; that everyone does the business of his calling, her several officers, and private members; that a good decorum is kept, that all things are done decently and in order; that the rules of her lord and husband are observed; that the conversations of all in her house are according to the word of God, and becoming their character: she takes care of the sick and weak, comforts the feeble minded, and supports the infirm; she cannot bear them that are evil, whether in principle or practice; that are immoral in their lives, or unsound in their faith; but admonishes them according to the nature of their offences, and casts out the obstinate or incorrigible. The words may be rendered, "she looks well to the ways of her house" F4; that lead unto it, so Gersom; either her house below, the way or entrance into which is by faith in Christ, and a profession of it; and she takes care that none be admitted but such who have it: or the ways in it, the commands, ordinances, appointments, and constitutions of Christ, called the ways of Zion; and concerned she is that all in her family walk in them, and observe them: or her house above, which is eternal in the heavens; Christ's Father's house and, hers, in which are many mansions, and everlasting habitations; the way to this also is Christ, who is the true way to eternal life, the strait gate and narrow way that leads to it; without his imputed righteousness, and the regenerating grace of his Spirit, there is no entrance into it: besides this, there are lesser paths which agree and coincide; as the paths of faith, truth, and holiness, and the ways of Christ's commandments, which issue in it, and which the church and her true members are careful to look unto and observe. The Arabic version renders it, "the paths of her house are strait"; with which compare ( Matthew 7:13 Matthew 7:14 ) . Jarchi interprets these ways of the law, which teaches the good way, and to separate from transgression; and eateth not the bread of idleness;
of an idle woman, as Aben Ezra; or she being idle does not eat bread; she does not eat it without labour; it is "the bread of labour", of many labours she eats, as in ( Psalms 127:2 ) ; she labours for the meat which endures to everlasting life, ( John 6:27 ) ; the Gospel, that bread which strengthens man's heart, refreshes his spirit, is made of the finest of the wheat, contains the wholesome words of Christ, and by which men are nourished up unto everlasting life; and which particularly directs to Christ the true bread, the bread of life, of which if a man eat he shall never die, but live for ever; and on which true believers feed by faith; but though this is prepared for them, and is the gift of God to them, yet must be laboured for; it is not eaten without labour: believers read, hear, and pray, and diligently attend all ordinances for the sake of this food.

Source: https://www.biblestudytools.com/proverbs/31-27.html#:~:text=Proverbs%2031%3A27%2...”

What does it mean she does not eat the bread of idleness?
It is a word associated with laziness and slothfulness. Solomon coined the term “bread of idleness” in Prov. 31:27 to describe the antipathy of a virtuous woman. He said, “She eateth not the bread of idleness.” She does not make idleness a common event or occurrence in her life.

Source: https://www.google.com/search?q=proverbs+31%3A27&client=opera&sca_esv=581969934&...

Do you get distracted by what is going on around you, or are you focused on the task at hand?

How do you keep from feeling overwhelmed, whether at home or at work?

How do you keep focused on the task(s) at hand?

 

Verse 28:

Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: (NIV)

Her children rise up and call her blessed (happy, prosperous, to be admired);
Her husband also, and he praises her, saying,

bless·ed

adjective
1.
made holy; consecrated

Source: Online Oxford Dictionary

What is the biblical definition of blessed?
To be blessed is to be granted special favor by God with resulting joy and prosperity. In the New Testament, however, the emphasis is more on spiritual rather than on material blessings. God's promise to Abraham again serves as a foundation for blessings

Source: https://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/blessing/#:~:text=To%20be%20blessed%2...

Pursuing godly wisdom (Proverbs 1:7–8; 3:5–8) does not always bring a person fame. However, it is much more likely to bring someone good reputation (Proverbs 3:4, 35). An excellent woman (Proverbs 31:10) earns the respect and praise of her children and her husband. To bless a person is to say good things about that person. An excellent mother may receive compliments from her children about her love for them, her hard work on their behalf, or her caring attitude (Proverbs 31:21–25). Most importantly, they will appreciate her devotion to the Lord (Proverbs 31:26).

Naturally, a woman who exhibits the traits of this passage should expect her husband to show his appreciation. He is likely to tell others how fortunate he is to be married to her. An important way for him to reflect this appreciation is with fidelity: with no eyes nor desire for another woman (Proverbs 5:15–18). As far as he is concerned, he is married to the best woman on earth. He may echo the words of Solomon, "You are altogether beautiful, my love; there is no flaw in you" (Song of Solomon 4:7). Or he may use the phrasing given in the next verse (Proverbs 31:29).
Pursuing godly wisdom (Proverbs 1:7–8; 3:5–8) does not always bring a person fame. However, it is much more likely to bring someone good reputation (Proverbs 3:4, 35). An excellent woman (Proverbs 31:10) earns the respect and praise of her children and her husband. To bless a person is to say good things about that person. An excellent mother may receive compliments from her children about her love for them, her hard work on their behalf, or her caring attitude (Proverbs 31:21–25). Most importantly, they will appreciate her devotion to the Lord (Proverbs 31:26).

On the other hand, a woman who is unmarried may gain the reputation of being a good worker, or boss. She treats her co-workers/employees fairly and with wisdom; She is someone to be admired in the workplace. She works hard, and does not play favorites.

Is it important to you to be known for a good reputation?

Do you to have "fame" here and now ? Is it important to you?

Do you treat your family members/co-workers/employees fairly?

 

Verse 29:

“Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.” (NIV)

“Many daughters have done nobly, and well [with the strength of character that is steadfast in goodness],
[f]But you excel them all.”

sur·pass

verb
exceed; be greater than.

One thought on this particular verse:

Many daughters have done virtuously
This, according to Aben Ezra and Gersom, is what was said by her husband and children, and which seems to be right; especially they may be thought to be the words of her husband. By these "daughters" may be meant false churches, such as the church of Rome and her daughters, who is the mother of harlots, ( Revelation 17:17 ) . These are "many", when the true church of Christ is but one, to whom she is opposed, ( Song of Solomon 6:8 Song of Solomon 6:9 ) . These may do many virtuous things externally; may make a great show of religion and devotion; may have a form of godliness, without the power of it; and a name to live, and be dead. The Vulgate Latin version renders it, "many daughters have gathered riches"; or "have possessed riches", as the Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic versions, and so the Targum; and in this sense the phrase is sometimes used for getting riches and wealth; see ( Deuteronomy 8:17 Deuteronomy 8:18 ) ( Ezekiel 28:4 ) ; and may well be applied to the false churches, the church of Rome and her daughters, who possess great riches and large emoluments, which yet in a short time will come to nothing, ( Revelation 18:17 ) ; but thou excellest them all;
in real beauty, in true riches, in purity of doctrine, in simplicity of worship, in holiness of life and conversation, in undefiled religion, in doing good works, properly so called. Christ's church is "the fairest among women", ( Song of Solomon 1:8 ) . So Ambrose interprets the daughters of heresies and heretics.

Source: https://www.biblestudytools.com/proverbs/31-29.html#:~:text=Proverbs%2031%3A29%2...“Many%20women%20do%20noble%20things%2C%20but%20you%20surpass%20them,praise%20at%20the%20city%20gate.

[This] verse noted that a godly, rare woman (Proverbs 31:10) exhibits traits that inspire honor and praise from her family (Proverbs 31:28). Here is recorded an example of praise from her husband. This is the rough equivalent to saying, "you are the best wife in the entire world."

God always intended companionship in marriage to be a blessing. First Peter 3:7 exhorts husbands to "live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered." Showing honor to one's wife includes respect and consideration. This can include complimenting her in private and praising her in public. The husband of a faithful, hardworking, godly woman should tell her how much he values her and her contributions to their life. Also, he should tell others why he appreciates her so much.

Source: https://www.bibleref.com/Proverbs/31/Proverbs-31-29.html

For those women who are more career oriented, women are meant to be a blessing in the workplace.

8 Qualities that Women [can often] bring into the workplace:

*Of course this is not exhaustive, and not every woman brings all of these traits.

1. Inspiring leadership - by being an example to others, causing others to want to be leaders because of her actions.

2. Natural mediation - Attunement is just what the word itself implies. It is tuning into the power behind your human soul. It is increasing your awareness of that power, and building your relationship with it. And it is conscious openness to the source of all energy in the human experience and creating an unbreakable connection to that source.

Attunement is a mindfulness practice. It is a constant awareness, in the present moment, of the presence of the one power in oneself. And it is a heart response to that power.

3. Patience - the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset.

4. Team players - At its core, being a team player means being ready, willing, and able to support the team—no matter what lies ahead. In sports, the best team players are the ones who act unselfishly and make decisions for the good of the team.

5. Great organization and planning - Planning and organizing skills help you manage time, tools and resources to reach a goal. They help you work out what you need to do to achieve your aims. Planning is vital at all levels in the workplace.

6. Balance and diversity in the workplace - Understanding the advantages of diversity in the workplace can result in greater productivity, profitability and team morale. It can also lead to a reduced rate of employee turnover for your business.

7. Effective communication - the process of exchanging ideas, thoughts, opinions, knowledge, and data so that the message is received and understood with clarity and purpose.

8. Good work-life balancers - A healthy balance could be: meeting your deadlines at work while still having time for friends and hobbies. having enough time to sleep properly and eat well. not worrying about work when you're at home.


Source: https://www.iwecfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/8-Qualities-That-Women...

Questions for Verse 29:

What qualities do you believe you contribute to the workplace?

What qualities do you believe you could use some practice?

 

Verse 30:

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. (NIV)

Charm and grace are deceptive, and [superficial] beauty is vain,
But a woman who fears the Lord [reverently worshiping, obeying, serving, and trusting Him with awe-filled respect], she shall be praised.

de·cep·tive

adjective
giving an appearance or impression different from the true one; misleading.

vain
/vān/
adjective
1.
having or showing an excessively high opinion of one's appearance, abilities, or worth.

2.
producing no result; useless.
"a vain attempt to tidy up the room"


Proverbs 31:30

Favour is deceitful, and beauty [is] vain
A well favoured look, a graceful countenance, symmetry and proportion of parts, natural or artificial beauty, are vain and deceitful; oftentimes under them lies an ill natured, deformed, and depraved mind; nor is the pleasure and satisfaction enjoyed as is promised along with these; and particularly how do they fade F5 and consume away by a fit of illness, and through old age, and at last by death? And so vain and deceitful are the favour and beauty, the artificial paintings, of Jezebel, that whore of Rome; all her meretricious deckings, dressings, and ornaments; her gaudy pomp and show in her worship, and the places of it; see ( Revelation 17:4 ) . Jarchi interprets this of the grandeur and glory of the kings of the nations; [but] a woman [that] feareth the Lord, she shall be praised;
any single individual, man or woman, that fears the Lord; or a collective body of them, a society consisting of such persons, as the true church of Christ does; who have the grace of fear in their hearts, which is the beginning of wisdom, and includes the whole of religious worship, internal and external, private and public: such are taken notice of and highly valued by the Lord; his eye is upon them; his hand communicates to them much grace; and many benefits are bestowed upon them here, and great honour is conferred upon them, and great goodness is laid up for them.

Source: https://www.biblestudytools.com/proverbs/31-30.html#:~:text=30%20Charm%20is%20de...

It is appropriate to see a reference to "fearing" the Lord near the end of Proverbs, as the book began with a similar reference. Proverbs 1:7 says, "The fear of the Lᴏʀᴅ is the beginning of knowledge." This means properly understanding His role as Creator, and reverently seeking His will.

This comes at the end of a long chain of verses describing a rare, "excellent" woman (Proverbs 31:10). This godly wife is said to be trustworthy (Proverbs 31:11), hardworking (Proverbs 31:15), savvy (Proverbs 31:16), caring (Proverbs 31:20), prepared (Proverbs 31:21), dignified (Proverbs 31:25), and wise (Proverbs 31:26). As a result, she is praised by her family (Proverbs 31:28–29). Only here, at the end, is her physical appearance noted—and only to note that her moral and spiritual character are infinitely more important. Even the most beautiful woman's good looks will fade as age takes its toll. However, spiritual beauty never wears out. In fact, it grows when someone honors and seeks the Lord's will (Proverbs 3:5–8). A woman can grow ever increasingly spiritually beautiful as she properly follows God (Proverbs 1:5).

If a woman wants to stay youthfully attractive in old age, cosmetics will only go so far. And they can only be external and superficial. Yet by honoring God with her life, a woman will be beautiful and charming eternally. Peter understood this fact. He advised women: "Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious" (1 Peter 3:3–4).

Source: https://www.bibleref.com/Proverbs/31/Proverbs-31-30.html

Questions for Verse 30:

1. Explain some reasons not to depend on "beauty" or "charm" for being successful.

2. Do you ask God to prosper the works of your hands? Deut 30:9 says, “Then the LORD your God will make you most prosperous in all the work of your hands and in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your land.

 

Verse 31:

Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate. (NIV)

Give her of the product of her hands,
And let her own works praise her in the gates [of the city].

Give her of the fruit of her hands
According to Aben Ezra, these are the words of her husband to her children; exhorting them to give her the praise and glory that is due unto her. Jarchi interprets it of the world to come; at which time, it is certain, the graces of the church, and of all believers, which are the fruits of the Spirit in them, and of their hands, as exercised by them, such as faith, hope, love, humility, patience, and others, will be found to honour and praise; and every such person shall have praise of God, ( 1 Peter 1:7 ) ( 1 Corinthians 4:5 ) ; and also of men and angels; to whom these words may be an exhortation to give it to them; and let her own words praise her in the gates;
where her husband is known, in public assemblies; before angels and men, in the great day; when her works will follow her, and speak for her, and she will be publicly praised by Christ, as all the faithful and righteous will, ( Revelation 14:13 ) ( Matthew 25:21 Matthew 25:34-40 ) . The Septuagint and Arabic versions render it, "let her husband be praised in the gate"; see ( Proverbs 31:23 ) ; so Ambrose, who interprets it of the happiness of the saints in heaven.

Source: https://www.biblestudytools.com/proverbs/31-31.html#:~:text=31%20Give%20her%20of...

Psalm 128:2
For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee.

and let

Mark 14:7-9
For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always…

Acts 9:39
Then Peter arose and went with them. When he was come, they brought him into the upper chamber: and all the widows stood by him weeping, and shewing the coats and garments which Dorcas made, while she was with them.

Source: https://biblehub.com/proverbs/31-31.htm

Questions for Verse 31:

1. Do your works speak for you in the home/workplace?

 

There are other women of Proverbs as well. There is a Proverbs 5 woman and there is a Proverbs 7 woman. These women are entirely different than the Proverbs 31 woman as well see later in the study.


Other Proverbs Women that are mentioned:

Did you know there is a Proverbs 5 woman? Unlike our Proverbs 31 woman, she is immature, and wanting things her own way, without thought of anyone but herself.

Proverbs 5:5-6 "Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell. Lest thou shouldest ponder the path of life, her ways are moveable, that thou canst not know them."

What is a Proverbs 5 woman?
The woman of Proverbs 5 represents the unbridled soul who will use anyone and everyone to get what she wants. She is very good at getting what she wants, especially with her smooth words. Her true motive is nearly impossible to see and her harm is equally as difficult to detect.

The symbolic seductress Solomon refers to is thoughtless and carefree. This could just as easily refer to a man who tempts others to betray their marriage. This seducer fails to think about the path of life and ignorantly pursues a path far from God. All she thinks about is how to find someone who will satisfy her lust. This follows a common pattern of Proverbs depicting those involved in sin as foolishly headed towards their own doom.

Sin blinds and exacts a heavy toll on those who cater to the flesh and have no regard for God. Hosea 4:11–12 indicts Israel as having turned away from God in favor of "whoredom [meaning idolatry], wine, and new wine, which take away the understanding." The adulterous person lacks biblical understanding. He or she fails to see how evil adultery is and the bitter consequences it brings. Commonly, an adulterer or adulteress will rationalize the sin by blaming another person or reasoning that it was simply a product of his or her human nature.

Source: https://calvaryheightsbc.com/blog/2020/02/13/proverbs-5-5-6#:~:text=The%20woman%...

Source: https://www.bibleref.com/Proverbs/5/Proverbs-5-6.html

Advice in Proverbs often comes in the form of warnings. Those are especially aimed at what happens when a person gives in to sin in general: listing the risks associated with ignoring godly wisdom. This section of Proverbs focuses narrowly on the sin of adultery. While the language here evokes a woman tempting a married man, the principles are not meant to be applied to males alone. The concepts of sexual purity apply equally to both sexes and to all persons.

This chapter begins with the typical plea for the reader or listener to pay close attention. This book uses the term wisdom to mean an ability to apply godly knowledge. Discretion is closely related to that idea. This implies someone who can discern between different things. We see the same idea in related English terms such as discrete, discriminate, and discernment. The advice given here is vital, and Solomon is eager to see it followed (Proverbs 5:1–2).

A key aspect of avoiding sin is to avoid temptation. This is why Solomon strongly suggests staying far away from those who tempt us towards adultery. Avoiding situations where we're liable to be overcome is sound advice. As part of that warning, this passage also describes the consequences of adultery. Those include a loss of reputation, shortened life, possible legal trouble, and reduced prosperity. Worse, adultery leads to deep regret, looking back with sorrow on sinful choices. There is a reason why, even in a modern culture drenched in promiscuity, there is still a deep stigma against those labelled as marital "cheaters" (Proverbs 5:7–14).

Summarizing this section is a reminder that God knows and sees all things. A common thread in adultery is secrecy, but that's not possible in the eyes of an omniscient Creator. Another common thread is regret over consequences. Once adultery has been committed, it cannot be undone. God can—and will—forgive those who seek Him. But that forgiveness does not change the past. The damage to relationships, reputations, and bodily health are real, and those who ignore godly advice are liable to find this out the hard way (Proverbs 5:21–23).

Source: https://www.bibleref.com/Proverbs/5/Proverbs-chapter-5.html#:~:text=This%20chapt...–10.

The general instruction of this chapter is to avoid whoredom, and make use of lawful marriage, and keep to that. It is introduced with an exhortation to attend to wisdom and understanding, Pr 5:1,2; one part of which lies in shunning an adulterous woman; who is described by her flattery, with which she deceives; by the end she brings men to, which is destruction and death; and by the uncertainty of her ways, which cannot be known, Pr 5:3-6. Wherefore men are advised to keep at the utmost distance from her, Pr 5:7,8; lest their honour, strength, wealth, and labours, be given to others, Pr 5:9,10; and repentance and mourning follow, when too late, Pr 5:11-14. And, as a remedy against whoredom, entering into a marriage state is advised to, and a strict regard to that; allegorically expressed by a man's drinking water out of his fountain, and by his wife being as a loving hind and pleasant roe to him, the single object of his affections, Pr 5:15-19. As also the consideration of the divine omniscience is proposed, to deter him from the sin of adultery, Pr 5:20,21; as well as the inevitable ruin wicked men are brought into by it, Pr 5:22,23.

Source: https://www.biblestudytools.com/proverbs/passage/?q=proverbs+5:5-6

The person who disregards godly counsel about adultery experiences ruin and disgrace. Faithfulness in marriage brings a person exuberance and joy. No sin, including adultery, is hidden from God. Sin ensnares the adulterer and shows that he is foolish, undisciplined, and far from the Lord.

Source: https://www.google.com/search?q=summary+of+proverbs+5+5-6&client=opera&sca_esv=5...

 

Proverbs 7 Woman

Proverbs 7:22-27 (NIV)

22 All at once he followed her
like an ox going to the slaughter,
like a deer[a] stepping into a noose[b]

23 till an arrow pierces his liver,
like a bird darting into a snare,
little knowing it will cost him his life.

24 Now then, my sons, listen to me;
pay attention to what I say.

25 Do not let your heart turn to her ways
or stray into her paths.

26 Many are the victims she has brought down;
her slain are a mighty throng.

27 Her house is a highway to the grave,
leading down to the chambers of death.


In contrast to the Proverbs 31 woman, the Proverbs 7 woman is the prototypical “wild thing.” She's rowdy and has lost her moorings, deciding she's going to make her own decisions about how to live her life, about her sexuality, and about how to interact with men. She is not someone to be praised, and from the text, one that should not be emulated. Men would do well to steer clear of her path.

Sadly, she’s taken her cues from the culture around her; instead of taking to heart God’s Word. But the Proverbs 7 woman is also religious, just like the Proverbs 31 woman. In fact, according to the text, she is religious and married, unlike the Proverbs 5 woman.

Reckless would be the word to describe her. Living for today and having no regard for the future.

Source: https://jimdaly.focusonthefamily.com/two-women-proverbs/#:~:text=She%27s%20found...

Summary of Proverbs 7
Proverbs 7 describes a powerful story about the dangers of adultery and how the promiscuous woman seduces and allures her prey. In this passage, Solomon writes about staying away from the woman with seductive words, and not to go near her in the darkness of night or walk in the direction of her house.

For this woman will lead her victims astray and seduce them with smooth talk, even though the end is destruction. Her hosue is a highway to the grave that leads to the chambers of death. These are very serious warnings not to allow lust in our hearts and minds.

Furthermore, this chapter stresses the importance of wisdom as a means of protection against any sort of temptation. Finally, this chapter encourages the readers to seek God’s guidance, store the commands near to the soul, and bind wisdom on the tablet of your hearts.

https://conformtojesus.com/2023/04/24/avoiding-the-trap-of-temptation-proverbs-7...

The sum of this chapter is to exhort men to attend to the doctrines and precepts of Wisdom, in order to avoid the adulterous woman; the exhortation to keep them with care, affection, and delight, in order to answer the end, is in Pr 7:1-5. A story is told, of Solomon's own knowledge, of a young man ensnared and ruined by a lewd woman; it begins Pr 7:6. The young man is described as foolish, and as throwing himself in the way of temptation, Pr 7:7-9; the harlot that met him is described by her attire, her subtlety, her voice, her inconstancy, her impudence, and pretensions to piety, Pr 7:10-14. The arguments she made use of to prevail upon him to go with her are taken partly from the elegance of her bed, the softness of it, and its sweet perfume, and satiety of love to be enjoyed in it, Pr 7:15-18; and partly from the absence of her husband, who was gone a long journey, and had made provision for it for a certain time, Pr 7:19,20. By which arguments she prevailed upon him to his utter ruin: which is illustrated by the similes of an ox going to the slaughter, a fool to the stocks, and a bird to the snare, Pr 7:21-23. And the chapter is concluded with an exhortation to hearken to the words of Wisdom, and to avoid the ways and paths of the harlot, by which many and mighty persons have been ruined; they being the direct road to hell and death, Pr 7:24-27.

https://www.biblestudytools.com/proverbs/passage/?q=proverbs+7:22-27#:~:text=Pro...

 

Three different women. Many different perspectives. It's amazing how much one can learn from both, as a cautionary tale and an example in which to aspire. To have the fortitude of the Proverbs 31 woman, and NOT to have the characteristics of the Proverbs 5 and Proverbs 7 women. There is a lot of information, both in the Bible, about the life of Solomon and the wisdom that has been gleaned from the book.No one person can harvest it all. Indeed, it has taken a lot of reading and internalizing this work. Oh, to have the wisdom of Solomon, without the feet of clay!

 

 

Verse 10 Questions and my own answers to them:

Why be noble?

My answer: Why NOT be noble? It is certainly better to have a noble character, in my opinion, rather than to be of questionable morals.

What is the point?

My answer: The point is what you make of it. If you want the discipline that goes along with being noble, then you need to work for it. It isn't just an automatic thing.

What if I screw up?

My answer: Good news there is a thing called grace. 1 John 1:9 (NIV)

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Can I get back on track and learn from my mistakes?

My answer: If you want to do so. But it must be your choice.

Even having made these mistakes, would I still be considered "valuable" to God, or am I destined to be just "damaged goods?"

My answer: Again, God will purify us from all unrighteousness, if we but call out to Him and confess our sins. There may well be consequences for our actions, but the sin itself is forgiven when we confess. It will take time and patience to recover from the consequences of sin in man's eyes; but eventually things can be "forgotten". I have found this to be true in my own life.


What are your feelings regarding worth and value? Are they the same?

My answer: The definitions are similar, but I find value to be more internal, whereas worth is more of an external component.

What are your feelings regarding the above questions?

My answer: I feel like I've just skimmed the tip of the iceberg, and I'm sure that there are many more questions that could be asked.



Questions for thought: verse 11

In this day and age, is it still important to be married?

My answer: I think being married is a desirable outcome. Do I see myself ever marrying again? More than likely not. I do not knock anyone for their marrying or not marrying. I think the point of the Proverbs woman is to be gainfully employed, and a trustworthy co-worker; whether in marriage or business.

Is it even considered ideal anymore?

My answer: Again, I am pro-marriage; but to the extent that it is give/give and 100% on both parties. I was very young when I first got married, and to be honest, I had no idea what a workable marriage would be. I still had images of "fairy tale" endings, without a thought into how much work it would be. So, in retrospect, the fact that we "fought it out" for 16 years is no mean feat. If the opportunity to be married again would come to me, I would be very cautious in regards to getting married again. I would like to have the opportunity at a happy marriage, but I'm not really holding my breath for it.

What qualities could be described in the Proverbs 31 woman that would translate into a solid employee?

My answer: Responsible, Trustworthy, Dedicated, Intelligent, Thrifty are a few words that I would use in the context of a working woman to her employer.

Is it even possible to live up to the standards of the Proverbs 31 woman?

My answer: If it were not possible, I think that the Bible would not emphasize the characteristics so much. Philippians 4:13 states:

11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.

12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every
situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.

13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.



Verse 12 Questions for thought

1) If married, how can one bring "good" and not "harm" to one's husband?

my answer: by being loyal to him, and to do what you can to run the household successively.

2) If not married, how would one bring "good" and not "harm" to one's business/work ?

my answer: To be a role model, lead by example, and inspire others to work as you do in a positive way.

3) It isn't such a great idea to be "disagreeable" at home or at work, is it?

my answer: it is never a good idea to be disagreeable; especially just to be disagreeable. The old saying goes: you can attract more flies with honey than you can with vinegar.


Verse 13 Questions for thought

1. What kind of things can you do in order to earn "extra" income?

my answer: perhaps improving my crafting abilities in order to sell things on the side.

2. Who would benefit from your expertise?

my answer: I suppose my family could benefit.

3. Do you have a business plan set up?

my answer: not at this minute, it something I should work on.

4. Could your side hustle actually become your main hustle? If so, how?

my answer: with some practice, it might actually work for me.

Verse 14 Questions for thought

1. If you are able to, would you be willing to become self-sustainable?

my answer: if I were able to, I would homestead and try to become self sustainable with food

2. What is your thoughts on the self-sustainable movement?

my answer: if only I were a few years younger!

3. If not possible, what steps could you do to help yourself?

Try to do more "scratch" cooking and learn how to make clothes (I have basic lessons under my belt) but to practice more.


Verse 15 Questions for thought

1. How does your upbringing compare to that of the Proverbs 31 woman in terms of running the household?

My answer: When I was younger, I wanted someone to do these things for me (I guess that would be my mom), but when I grew up, I realized if I wanted things done, I had to do them myself.

2. Have you ever wished for a different upbringing?

my answer: no

3. If you do not have a family at home, how do you cope with your own mental lists?

my answer: I have a lot of lists going on, and sometimes they get out of control and stress me out, rather than help.

4. Do you have someone to talk to if things have gotten (or are getting) out of hand?

my answer: I pray, and I guess I could talk to friends and family if things got rough.

Verse 16 Questions for thought

1. Do I have what I need to be industrious?

Of course I do! You do too! We can do all things through Christ who gives us strength. 13 For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.

2. Will it be easy?

No, it does take perseverance and discipline, but the rewards may well outweigh any struggles to get there. Romans 8:18 Amplified Bible (AMP)
For I consider [from the standpoint of faith] that the sufferings of the present life are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is about to be revealed to us and in us!




Verse 17 Questions for thought

1. Are you in good shape? Physically? Mentally? Spiritually? If not, what can you do to become fit?

My answer: in a nutshell, not really. I need to motivate myself with self discipline.

2. Do you take time to do self care?

My answer: sometimes, but more often than not no.

3. Are you someone who always says yes to things, rather than to think how they might affect the rest of your work?

My answer: when I was younger, I liked saying yes. I suppose in some cases, I do still like to say yes, but I'm learning (still) to not always say yes, as to not stress myself out - writing more than 1000 words is stressful for me



Verse 18 Questions for thought

1. Do you have a plan in place to make sure your family or business is taken care of during hard times?

My answer: When my kids were younger, I did; but now that they are grown, they pretty much take care of themselves (and me).

2. If not, what can you do to ensure the safety and viability of your family or business?

My answer: not really. I need to do better.

3. If so, what can you share with others to help them to be prepared for uncertain times?

My answer: I don't really have any insights at the moment .


Verse 19 Questions for thought

1. Are you keeping up with the latest trends for your home/business?

My answer: I look at what is trending, and try to apply some of it, if I can.

2. Are you keeping yourself relevant with today's businesses?

My answer: I'm a work in progress.

3. How would you go about improving what you can do with your home/business needs?

My answer: more organized, more disciplined.


Verse 20 Questions for thought

1. How do you help those who are less fortunate than yourself?

My answer: through church programs, donating when I can.

2. Are you active in your community; trying to make a difference?

My answer: not as much as I could, I suppose.

3. What could you do to help others in your community?

My answer: give time, and talents as I have recourses.

4. Is there someone with which you could start an outreach in your community, or someone whom you could support in such an outreach with your resources?

My answer: There are plenty of outreach programs in my city.


Verse 21 Questions for thought

1. Are you ready for the changing seasons? Is your home? Is your work/business?

My answer: yes, for the most part.

2. What are some things that you do in order to prepare for change of seasons?

My answer: make more weather appropriate foods (I like to call them comfort foods).

3. Do you ask God for guidance in your preparations?

My answer: Not always, to be truthful, but it is not a bad idea, really.


Verse 22 Questions for thought

1. Is your home taken care of no matter the season?

My answer: I would say yes, for the most part.

2. Do you take pride in your accomplishments at home/work?

My answer: again, for the most part.

3. What could you do to improve things at home or work?

My answer: Not really sure at the moment, except maybe better organization.

4. Do you pray and ask God how He would have you proceed?

My answer: Working on it.


Verse 23 Questions for thought

1. Why women are good entrepreneurs?

They have more effective communicational, organizational and networking skills than their male counterparts. Moreover their fiscally conservative approach reduces the risk of failure of their organizations. Women entrepreneurs account for improved economic growth and stability within a country.

Source: https://thebusinessfame.com/need-and-importance-of-women-entrepreneurs/#:~:text=...

2. What is the role of women in entrepreneurship?

In short, women entrepreneurs are those women who think of a business enterprise, initiate it, organise and combine factors of production, operate the enterprise and undertake risks and handle economic uncertainty involved in running it.

Source: https://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/women/women-entrepreneurship/women-entreprene...

3. What are female entrepreneurs called?
Many prefer to be called, simply, entrepreneur, while others suggest "fempreneur," woman entrepreneur, female business owner, businesswoman, or female founder.

Source: https://www.legalzoom.com/articles/what-do-mompreneurs-prefer-to-be-called

4. How are female entrepreneurs different?
Women tend to have lower growth aspirations than men do and prefer a “slow and steady” business to a fast-growing or risky business. Some of these preferences are explained by differences in risk aversion, dislike of growth-associated stress or a desire to achieve better work-life balance.

Source: https://www.google.com/search?client=opera&q=women+as+entrepeneurs&sourceid=oper...


Verse 24 Questions for thought

1. Do you have a talent that you could use for the benefit of yourself or others?

My answer: cooking, sewing, crafting

2. Do you make time to develop this talent?

My answer: when I'm not writing, yes

3. Have you asked God what He might have you do to be a blessing to others, either in the home or the workplace?

My answer: I haven't really, but it is a good idea.


Verse 25 Questions for thought

1. Can you smile at the future and whatever might come?

My answer: for the most part, yes

2. Do you have a plan in mind for retirement?

My answer: at the moment, not really

3. If not, what can you do to get ready for "old age" and/or retirement?

My answer: I'm not really sure.


Verse 26 Questions for thought

1. What do you base your wisdom on?

My answer: on the Bible, and on my own common sense

2. Do you share your wisdom with others?

My answer: if asked, I share. I try not to be an "in your face" person


Verse 27 Questions for thought

1. Do you get distracted by what is going on around you, or are you focused on the task at hand?

My answer: I do tend to get distracted, a lot of the time.

2. How do you keep from feeling overwhelmed, whether at home or at work?

My answer: I haven't really figured that out, yet.


Verse 28 Questions for thought

1. Is it important to you to be known for a good reputation?

My answer: it is to me. It makes things a bit easier.

2. Do you to have "fame" here and now ? Is it important to you?

My answer: No, it is not important to me.

3. Do you treat your family members/co-workers/employees fairly?

My answer: I like to treat others as I would like to be treated.

Verse 29 Questions for thought

1. What qualities do you believe you contribute to the workplace?

My answer: I don't have a workplace at the moment.

2. What qualities do you believe you could use some practice?

Self Discipline and organization, and focus.


Verse 30 Questions for thought

1. Explain some reasons not to depend on "beauty" or "charm" for being successful.

My answer: beauty and charm can fade, and if that is your only attributes, you will quickly become irrelevant.

2. Do you ask God to prosper the works of your hands? Deut 30:9 says, “Then the LORD your God will make you most prosperous in all the work of your hands and in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your land.

My answer: I need to do so.


Verse 31 Questions for thought

1. Do your works speak for you in the home/workplace?

My answer: I'd like to think so, but I'm not so sure.

 

Other Questions to ponder for chapter 5, chapter 7 and chapter 31

1) Why did Solomon tell the reader to listen to his words in these two verses? (Proverbs 5:1-2)

2) What is this chapter five about, according to these verses of this book? (Proverbs 5:1-23)

3) What did Solomon say about the lips and speech of an adulteress in these verses? (Proverbs 5:3-4)

4) Where do the steps of an adulteress lead to verse five? (Proverbs 5:5)

5) What thought does an adulteress give to the long-term consequences of her way of life in verse six? (Proverbs 5:6)

6) What did Solomon encourage us to do in these verses? (Proverbs 5:7-8)

7) Why should a person keep away from the adulteress, according to these two verses? (Proverbs 5:9-10)

8) What happens to the person who does not stay away from the adulteress? (Proverbs 5:11-14)

9) How should a person satisfy his or her thirst, according to verse fifteen? (Proverbs 5:15)

10) Where should a person seek sexual fulfillment, according to these verses? (Proverbs 5:15-20)

11) What did Solomon say about intimacy in marriage in these verses? (Proverbs 5:16-17)

12) What is one of the reasons a person should stay faithful to his or her spouse in verse twenty-one? (Proverbs 5:21)

13) What sort of damage can the evil deeds and sin of a wicked person do in verse twenty-two? (Proverbs 5:22)

14) What did Solomon say was the downfall of a wicked man in verse twenty-three? (Proverbs 5:23)

1) What did Solomon urge us to do with his advice in these verses of this book? (Proverbs 7:1-5)

2) Why should we take Solomon’s advice, according to these verses? (Proverbs 7:1-5)

3) What is this chapter seven about, according to these verses of this book? (Proverbs 7:1-27)

4) Who did Solomon see outside his window in these verses of this book? (Proverbs 7:6-7)

5) Where was the person Solomon saw outside his window going to in verse eight? (Proverbs 7:8)

6) Who came out to meet the youth lacking judgment in verse ten? (Proverbs 7:10)

7) How did Solomon describe the woman who came out to meet the youth in these verses? (Proverbs 7:10-12)

8) What did the adulterous woman do in verse thirteen? (Proverbs 7:13)

9) What did the adulterous woman say, according to these verses? (Proverbs 7:14-20)

10) What did the adulteress invite the youth to do in verse eighteen? (Proverbs 7:18)

11) How did the adulterous woman entice the young man to come to her in these verses? (Proverbs 7:19-20)

12) What did the adulterous woman do to the youth in verse twenty-one? (Proverbs 7:21)

13) How did Solomon describe the youth’s conduct in these verses? (Proverbs 7:22-23)

14) Why did Solomon tell young men to avoid the adulteress, according to these verses? (Proverbs 7:24-27)

1) What did Solomon urge us to do with his advice in these verses of this book? (Proverbs 7:1-5)

2) Why should we take Solomon’s advice, according to these verses? (Proverbs 7:1-5)

3) What is this chapter seven about, according to these verses of this book? (Proverbs 7:1-27)

4) Who did Solomon see outside his window in these verses of this book? (Proverbs 7:6-7)

5) Where was the person Solomon saw outside his window going to in verse eight? (Proverbs 7:8)

6) Who came out to meet the youth lacking judgment in verse ten? (Proverbs 7:10)

7) How did Solomon describe the woman who came out to meet the youth in these verses? (Proverbs 7:10-12)

8) What did the adulterous woman do in verse thirteen? (Proverbs 7:13)

9) What did the adulterous woman say, according to these verses? (Proverbs 7:14-20)

10) What did the adulteress invite the youth to do in verse eighteen? (Proverbs 7:18)

11) How did the adulterous woman entice the young man to come to her in these verses? (Proverbs 7:19-20)

12) What did the adulterous woman do to the youth in verse twenty-one? (Proverbs 7:21)

13) How did Solomon describe the youth’s conduct in these verses? (Proverbs 7:22-23)

14) Why did Solomon tell young men to avoid the adulteress, according to these verses? (Proverbs 7:24-27)

http://my-ccm.com/old-testament-questions/questions-about-the-book-of-proverbs/


Other thoughts for the Use of Proverbs:

Proverbs from the Bible Non-Believers Might Like

1. “The desire of a man is his kindness: and a poor man is better than a liar.” – Proverbs 19:22 KJV

2. “Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.” – Proverbs 10:12 KJV

3. “A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.” – Proverbs 12:10 KJV

4. “A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.” – Proverbs 15:1 KJV

5. “Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith.” – Proverbs 15:17 KJV

6. “Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.” – Proverbs 17:28 KJV

7. “He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him.” – Proverbs 18:13 KJV

8. “Even a child is known by his doing, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.” – Proverbs 20:11 KJV

9. “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts.” – Proverbs 21:2

10. “The getting of treasure by a lying tongue is a vanity tossed to and fro of them that see death.” – Proverbs 21:6 KJV

11. “Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.” – Proverbs 27:1 KJV

12. Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger and not thine own lips. – Proverbs 27:2 KJV

13. “Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the sweetness of a man’s friend by hearty counsel.” – Proverbs 27:9 KJV

14. “Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.” – Proverbs 27:17 KJV

15. “He that giveth to the poor shall not lack: but he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse.” – Proverbs 28:27 KJV

https://intellectualtakeout.org/2016/06/proverbs-from-the-bible-non-believers-mi...

More Questions to ponder

The Book of Proverbs
Reflection and Discussion Questions

Chapter 1: Life is full of choices. Name a time when someone tried to
encourage you to turn your back on truth and wisdom. What did you learn
from that experience?

Chapter 2: In what ways does God's wisdom sustain you during your day
to day decisions?

Chapter 3: What is the biggest blessing you have received in your life since
fully relying on the wisdom found in God's Word?

Chapter 4: How do you stay on the path of wisdom during your Christian
walk?

Chapter 5: Today we were warned of the problems lust can cause in our
lives. Yet, God provided marriage to keep us from such sinful acts. How can
we pray for your marriage? Or your current relationship status?

Chapter 6- God's word is a lamp (verse 23) - it keeps us from evil. Verses
20-23 tell us we should bind it around our neck and we should think about it
day and night. What are some ways you practically live out these verses?

Chapter 7- Chapter 7 talks about the strange woman- who uses her words
and actions to manipulate those around her. We want to not be like her - and
guard our families from women (or men!) like her. What are some ways we
can protect ourselves from becoming this woman.

Chapter 8- Wisdom is better than rubies - do you pursue the wisdom of God
or the riches of man in your daily actions?

Chapter 9- The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. What is the
difference between wisdom and understanding - and how do you apply
those to your life?

Chapter 10- Chapter 10 deals a lot with the tongue. How can you speak
words of life and not hatred and lies to those around you today?

Chapter 11: Living righteously brings us life, how are we to pursue righteous
living?

Chapter 12: It is foolish to do what is right in our own eyes. When have you
chosen to listen to someone else's advice and not do what you thought
should be done?

Chapter 13: When we are corrected and accept it, we will receive honor.
How have you seen this come true in your life?

Chapter 14: Everybody has an opinion to share, but we must be careful to
consider where God is directing our lives. How do you weigh the opinions of
others before acting on them?

Chapter 15: When we speak we can bring life to those around us. How do
you strive to ensure that your words speak life?

Chapter 16 - Surrendering our ways to the Lord can be difficult. As women,
we have a tendency to want to control our circumstances. What is one tip
you can share that has helped you surrender your plans to the Lord?

Chapter 17 - This chapter speaks a lot about the tongue. What is one way
you can remind yourself to speak words of encouragement and blessing to
those around you today?

Chapter 18 - The tongue is a small but powerful member. Share with us one
instance when your soft words soothed an argument.

Chapter 19 - If we want wisdom, we must first learn to the fear the Lord.
What are three ways that the fear of the Lord is evident in your life?

Chapter 20 - Today we see what man can become if evil is allowed to reside
in his heart. What is one way that you allowed the Lord's light to shine even
in the hidden corners of your heart?

Chapter 21:
It is easy to see the flaws in others. Yet, often times we miss our own
spiritual flaws. What areas has God revealed to you that you need to work
on?

Chapter 22:
Today we are reminded to be watchful for those in need and extend
ourselves to help them. Think of something you can do to help someone you
come into contact with today.

Chapter 23:
It's easy to be tempted to sin. Even more so when we put ourselves in the
direct path of temptation.We are warned we need to be double guarded in
these moments. What are some ways that we can safe guard ourselves?

Chapter 24:
Today we are reminded not to envy sinners and their riches. How has God
worked on your heart in this area?

Chapter 25:
From today's reading we are given instructions on how to handle conflict
with others. What are some of the areas of dealing with conflict do you need
to work on?

Chapter 26- Lies and gossip go hand in hand. As women, we need to guard
ourselves around gossip. What are some practical ways you guard your lips
from lying and gossip.

Chapter 27- Iron sharpens Iron. Do you have accountable relationships?
What do you look for in these kind of relationships?

Chapter 28- Our hearts can't be trusted - but the Lord can be trusted. What
is something you need to let go and trust God for.

Chapter 29- Pride destroys- it will bring you low. Humility is when you keep
yourself low to begin with. How can you keep pride down and stay humble?

Chapter 30- God's Word is pure and can be trusted. Share about a time
when God spoke to you specifically out of His Word.

Proverbs 31:

Monday - Verses 1-14
How does it encourage you to realize the Proverbs 31 Woman probably
didn’t do all of the activities listed here in one day?

Tuesday - Verses 15-18
The woman in Proverbs 31 had a dream. She turned that dream into a plan
that kept her active and benefitted her family. Do you have such a dream?

Wednesday - Verses 19-22
The next season is fall. How are you preparing for the needs of your family
for the next season?

Thursday - Verses 23-27
Do you speak without a filter? In what ways can you work on being more
kind with your words?

Friday - Verses 28-31
What mundane task do you struggle with the most? How can you embrace
joy in that area as you serve the Lord?

https://womenlivingwell.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Discussion-Questions-Prov...

Chapter 15 Study Questions:

Bible Study Questions

1. How can the principle of a soft answer turning away wrath be applied in your daily interactions?

2. How does the concept of the Lord observing all actions affect your decision-making process?

3. Why do you think the sacrifices of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord?

4. What lessons can you take away from the comparison between the house of the wicked and the house of the righteous?

5. How can the wisdom from Proverbs 15 help you to manage conflicts or disagreements?

6. How does the theme of discipline and its rejection by fools apply to contemporary society?

7. In what ways do you think the continual feast of the joyful heart can be achieved?

8. How can you cultivate a heart that is wise and discerning?

9. What does it mean to fear the Lord according to Proverbs 15? How can this be practically applied in your life?

10. How can we find a balance between the pursuit of worldly wealth and the wisdom and fear of the Lord?

11. In what practical ways can you use your words for healing and knowledge, as advised in verse 4?

12. How does understanding that God sees everything, even the secrets of Sheol and Abaddon, influence your perspective on life?

13. What can you learn about humility from this chapter, and how can you apply it in your relationships?

14. Why do you think a gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit?

15. How does the theme of consequences play out in your own life?

16. Discuss the relationship between the fear of the Lord and instruction in wisdom.

17. How does the advice to "heed discipline" speak to current societal issues?

18. How can the principles in Proverbs 15 guide you in making major life decisions?

19. How can the understanding of the power of words as described in Proverbs 15 help you in your communication?

20. Reflecting on Proverbs 15:33, how does humility precede honor in your personal experiences?

https://biblehub.com/questions/proverbs/15.htm


Other Questions:

Read Proverbs 1:1-7. Reflect and respond to these questions:

x How would you summarize the main point(s) of these verses?

x What does the author say are some of the benefits of wisdom?

x Based on these verses, would you say everyone could be wise?

x What is the process one must go through in order to grow in wisdom and knowledge?

x In looking at v. 7, describe how both the head and heart are involved in the pursuit of wisdom?

Applying It to My Life

4. How interested are you actually in becoming a wise person?

5. What habits have you found helpful to grow in wisdom? What is a step you can take in order to
grow further in the days ahead?

6. How can the group be praying for you as we seek to grow in godly wisdom and share it with others
in our daily lives?

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/54d3f943e4b05aa2970304d9/t/5f5bc2c50d25b4...



Top 5 Commentaries on the Book of Proverbs


1. Bruce K. Waltke — The Book of Proverbs: Chapters 1-15; The Book of Proverbs: Chapters 15-31 (New International Commentary on the Old Testament, 2004, 2005).

2. David A. Hubbard — Proverbs (The Preacher’s Commentary, 2002).

3. Raymond C. Van Leeuwen — “Proverbs” in The New Interpreter’s Bible (1997).

4. Tremper Longman III — Proverbs (Baker Commentary on the Old Testament Wisdom and Psalms, 2006).

5. Derek Kidner — Proverbs (Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries, 1964).

https://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/top-5-commentaries-on-the-book-of-prover...





When people turn the book of Proverbs into a book of pragmatic advice, sort of an ancient book of life hacks, they are totally missing the point of the book as a whole. The book is promoting wise living as defined by – and motivated by – the Lord.

As Christians, it is our hope, our confident expectation, that all who put their trust in the Lord, even if they died in poverty and shame, will be raised in honor and glory at the coming of Lord Jesus Christ. That is the wisdom that the world finds foolish. That is the wisdom of the Spirit (see 1 Corinthians 2).

So, we do good NOT because we are trying to maximize our pleasure and minimize our pain; we do good because we fear the Lord. The result is the best possible life now, and also an unimaginably great life in the age to come.

https://radicallychristian.com/its-not-common-sense-what-i-noticed-when-i-read-p...

How much better
to get wisdom than gold,
to choose understanding
rather than silver!
Proverbs 16:16

The book of Proverbs teaches that there is a cost to following the path of wisdom.
Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding. Proverbs 4:7

A gift opens the way for the giver and usher him into the presence of the great. Proverbs 18:16
Many curry favour with a ruler, and everyone is a friend of a man who gives gifts. Proverbs 19:6
A gift given in secret soothes anger, and a bribe concealed in the cloak pacifies great wrath. Proverbs 21:14.
He who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth and he who gives gifts to the rich—both come to poverty.
Proverbs 22:16

Instruct a wise man
and he will be wiser still;
teach a righteous man
and he will add to his learning.
Proverbs 9:9

A sluggard does not plow in season, so at harvest time he looks but finds nothing. Proverbs 20:4
He who gathers crops in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son. Proverbs 10:5
He who works his land will have abundant food, but he who chases fantasies lacks judgment. Proverbs 12:11

Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about
the righteous life that God desires. James 1:19-20.

Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise. Proverbs 19:20.

Other Bible Studies on the Book of Proverbs:

| PROVERBS | SMALL GROUP STUDY
A GUIDE TO RIGHT LIVING

http://storage.cloversites.com/crosspointcommunitychurch/documents/Proverbs-Seri...

Proverbs: A 12-Week Study (Knowing the Bible) Paperback

https://www.amazon.com/Proverbs-12-Week-Study-Knowing-Bible/dp/1433540223

Proverbs - A Family Bible Study Guide

https://www.google.com/search?client=opera&sca_esv=585258922&sxsrf=AM9HkKndepKKx...


Theology of Work Project: Proverbs and Work

https://www.christianbook.com/theology-of-work-project-proverbs-and/978161970524...

A Woman of Wisdom: Proverbs, Dee Brestin Bible Study Series

https://www.christianbook.com/wisdom-proverbs-brestin-bible-study-series/dee-bre...



In conclusion

So, the book of Proverbs is concerned to give us practical guidelines for daily experience. It is a neglected treasure of the Old Testament, with untold riches lying in wait in its pages to guide our lives. It holds real, concrete advice that comes from the mind of God Himself. If we want wisdom, this is the fountain from which to drink. He who is foolish will neglect this fountain. He who is hungry for God's wisdom will drink deeply from it. We need to listen to the wisdom of God so that we can cut through the many distractions and confusions of modern life. But, as with the entirety of the Word of God, we need to be zealous to learn how to handle the book of Proverbs properly.


https://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/wisely-handling-book-proverbs

In my own words, the Book of Proverbs details different aspects of life; both for the "wise" or "godly" person, and for the "foolish" or "ungodly" person. There is no middle ground for the writer of Proverbs. It's all one way or the other.

There are many subjects that Proverbs touches on:
Children,
Money
Relationships, what to look for in a marriage partner
Gossiping
Being Quiet, and a host of others.

I am probably rambling on a bit, as there is just so much information. There are many Bible studies on the different elements of the wisdom offered by the writer of Proverbs (traditionally, Solomon). It turns out that he was a product of an adulterous union, but God's grace was there to overcome it. Solomon, in choosing the way of wisdom or wealth or the heads of his enemies, was profound, and God blessed him with the things he didn't ask for as well as wisdom. But even in doint this, Solomon was far from perfect , and because of later disobedience, the kingdom was divided in the rule of his son after him. As the saying goes, it was all "down hill from there".

This paper has shown me that I have a lot of work to do in my own life. Starting with self-discipline. I have procrastinated long during this writing challenge, and I could have taken quite a bit of stress off myself by not having done this challenge in the first place. I think part of it was that I had thought too small for a project such as this, and also because I didn't plan out quite as far as perhaps I should have. Lesson learned for the future.

Secondly, doing something in the "non-fiction" area ties you to more rules than with a "fiction" work. I'm also new to the giving credit where credit is due, and so I've littered my writing with several links to give the credit deserved by others. I have probably done this wrong, and so I apologize to those who have gotten this far in the reading of this work.

You could see in my paragraphs of "issues" that I had a lot of doubts during my writing. I was in my own headspace for a lot of this writing, and only when I "let go" a bit was I able to get some words out. I definitely do not see myself doing this work again. I expect quite a bit of "criticism" for my writing, and will bear it with good grace. I sure I could do better work, but I'm not quite sure how I would do so. That is a discussion for another day, dear reader.




For those interested in the "Salvation" message from the start of the paper, I've given the "Romans' Road" (taken from the book of Romans)

Romans Road of Scripture
1. Romans 3:10
As it is written:
“None is righteous, no, not one;
2. Romans 3:23
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
3. Romans 5:8
But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners,
Christ died for us.
4. Romans 5:12
Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through
sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned—
5. Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ
Jesus our Lord.
6. Romans 10:9-11
Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your
heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart
one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.”
7. Romans 10:13
For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Romans Road lays out the plan of salvation through a series of Bible verses
from the book of Romans. When arranged in order, these verses form an easy,
systematic way of explaining the message of salvation. There are many different
versions of Romans Road with slight variations in Scriptures, but the basic
message and method is the same. Many evangelical missionaries, evangelists
and lay people memorize and use Romans Road when sharing the good news.
Romans Road Clearly Defines:
1 Who needs salvation
2. Why we need salvation.
3. How God provides salvation.
4. How we receive salvation.

* you can print out a copy of this Road to Salvation using the link below: it only requires one sheet of paper.

https://firstpriority.club/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Romans-Road.pdf

 

 

 

Outline for story that came to me in a dream this morning. Working title: none at the moment

premise of the story:

A couple of "benign" demons are together for some time. somehow, the female ends up pregnant. It is a surprise, but what happens starts to make the community of demons and their friends worry.

I don't have names for the demons right now, so I will use she-demon for the female and he-demon for the mate. Other names will come eventually and I will describe them as best as I can. You have to understand this came out as a dream, so some of the details might be a little fuzzy.

She-demon was feeling a little "down" and after seeing a "demon" doctor, she learned that she was pregnant. It wasn't unheard of, but wasn't good news. Plus on top of that She-demon was a little easier to anger, and also started to act out a bit - being a "benign" demon meant that she wasn't a danger to others, like a full fledged demon might be. She-demon was starting to act more and more like a full fledged demon. This is definitely not good news. Something in the pregnancy was triggering the behavior change. It wasn't known if it was just a chemical imbalance, or if it was the "baby" that was causing the change. A careful eye would need to be watching She-demon just in case something would happen.

It was decided that the pregnancy somehow was messing with the "benign" aspect of She-demon and she was becoming more and more of a danger to those who were around her. The final straw was when She-demon attacked someone who was regarded as a friend. While the attack was serious, it wasn't fatal. This upset everybody and it was decided that She-demon would have to be isolated until a decision was made on whether the pregnancy should go on or not. This was especially upsetting to She-demon, as she wanted a baby badly. He-demon was torn as well. He wanted She-demon to be happy, but was terrified of what might happen should she attack someone else.

In my mind, I could see how the isolation might go badly for She-demon, and maybe she might have to be restrained a bit. perhaps like with heavy cuffs and chains to the wall. I could picture her going crazy little by little, snapping at anyone who tried to get close to her, or even tried talking to her. I picture the room a bit like the interrogation room of a police station might be, except there was a "bed" that would be along side of the room for She-demon to sleep on.

I can see a friend of She-demon studying and researching this type of pregnancy to see if there was any good outcome, but finding little, if anything that was helpful. I can see He-demon starting to give up hope for She-demon. It might even be that She-demon might be lost as well. This is definitely not a good thing for anyone involved. The benign demons were a close-knit and secret community and there were several opinions that were offered, as a way of figuring out what was best all around.

The ideas were to terminate the pregnancy and watch for any further changes to She-demon. Another idea was to terminate both She-demon and the baby in order to prevent anything getting outside of the community. As you could imagine, this was horrifying to some. He-demon was crazed, and for a moment it was feared that he would break out his mate and make a run for it. That would be a danger to the community as a whole. Luckily, he wasn't affected by the pregnancy as She-demon was, but he was wracked with fear for his mate.

She-demon was frantic for her baby, and was trying to understand what was going on inside of her. She didn't want to be mean or frightening to others, but she couldn't seem to help herself. She tried reaching inside of herself to see if she could "talk" to the baby to see what was going on. If she couldn't figure it out, she would either lose the baby or she and her baby would both be doomed.

I'm a little fuzzy on some of the details, as exactly how long a demon pregnancy is supposed to last. I'm not sure how big the community is, but that it is secret, and demons going off the reservation would be a capital offense. I'm not sure what kind of pregnancy would cause the benign demon to go full fledged, and how that would even happen.

I'm sure there will be a race against the clock kind of story, but as to a happy ending or just an understandable ending I'm not sure. I'm not fully invested into this story as yet, and it was a dream, so I may have forgotten some of the details in the interim between the dream and when I've written it down.

I'm not even sure of where the setting would be, but since it is kind of a "secret society" thing, it could be either an invisible community within a town structure, or it might pop into and out of time and that's why it isn't seen.

I would have to come up with a community, and round out the characters, with descriptions of who all and what all is going on. I would want to make it seem real, as to show the backstory as well as what is going on within the community. I'm not sure if there would be any interaction at all with "normal folk". I imagine any interaction would be a no-no. So whether that would be part of the conflict, or just the idea of conflict is still up in the air.

I would have to come up with a setting. I'm pretty sure that it would be modern times, and the genre would be fantasy/modern mix. I'm sure there would be a couple of characters that might take on "cringe" for the sake of amusement and to keep things from getting too heavy. I don't want a complete downer, and maybe I'd want to give a little hope.

I'm also not sure if the community will interact with the full-fledged demon community, but I'm fairly sure there might be, given that research is needed to see if She-demon can even be saved. I'd like to hold out hope for the baby, but I'm really not sure how that will go, especially since I am pro-life at heart. I guess we shall test the waters on this, and see where it will go. I know sometimes the characters will pull you into different ways, and you have to have a little discipline when it comes to letting the characters go their own way.

I'm thinking perhaps a larger town like Lubbock would make a good setting and the secret community can venture out in part of Old Town, but for the most part, venturing out is for drastic measures. I'm assuming that the story itself is a drastic measure.

Names - it's kind of funny, but I'm almost liking She-demon and He-demon, but I'm sure that I will come up with some credible names.

Astarte — The Phonecian epithet of Ishtar.

Azazel — A fallen angel in Christianity and Islam.

Belial — A personification of the devil in the New Testament.

Diablo — The Spanish word for devil, seen as a name on director Diablo Cody.

Empusa — A demon of Greek mythology who attracts and consumes men.

Hades — The Greek god of the underworld.

Keres — Female death spirits of Greek mythology.

Lucifer — Commonly considered to be the name of the devil.

Proserpina — Persephone's Roman epithet.

Shax — Considered a ruler of demons in demonology.

Abraxas
Apollyon
Amun
Balaam
Barbas
Foras
Helel
Kisame
Kishi
Lamia
Mania
Moloch
Narfi
Orias
Radna
Ronove
Vitani
Xaphan
Xezbeth
Zeldris

I think that those are a good start; I'll just have to sort out what characters will go with whom:

He-Demon -

She-Demon -

Baby demon -

Researcher/best friend -

Full fledged demon -

Head of benign community -

Head of full fledged community -

Jailor -

friend who is attacked -

Doctor -

nosy neighbors -

"homeless demon" -

bar keeper -

nurse -

I think that there is enough drama in just those characters that I've listed. There will be probably a bit of tongue-in-cheek humor to keep it from going too dark.

Behavioral changes can also occur during pregnancy and lactation. These behavioral changes can include: adaptations, depression, stress and anxiety, fatigue and sleep deprivation, and irritability, and can affect activity patterns and energy expenditure, dietary and non-dietary intake, and body weight.

Possible community names

Serpenburn

Demomere

Dreadfort

Frostbrooke

Scorchrest

Rippingburg

Weephelm

Fallenfall

Pyrehelm

Banemoure

Deathmoure

That should give a little bit of choice for community names for the demons. Perhaps I shall set out a couple of polls to see what resonates with the WdC community. I might just be surprised! LOL