THE WHOLE COUNSEL OF GOD IN PROVERBS—A verse by verse commentary on the book of Proverbs
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Proverbs 8:11
For wisdom is better than rubies;
and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.
Friend, why did you get up today? What is your greatest ambition for
life? Whatever you are pursuing, it is inferior to wisdom, for all the things
you can desire cannot be compared to wisdom. Why waste your life chasing
worthless things? There are great riches in wisdom. Make wisdom your highest
ambition and most important goal (Pr. 4:7; 16:16; 23:23)!
What is wisdom? It is the power of right judgment—the ability to know
what action pleases God and men in any situation. It is saying and doing the
right thing every time. It is recognizing truth and error, no matter the
efforts made to confuse or disguise them. It should be the pursuit of all men,
but it is sought and obtained by only a few. Most men are obsessed with foolish
distractions that will destroy them in this life and the next.
All the things men desire and spend their lives chasing could be listed
and condemned, but exposing the three most popular will easily condemn the
rest. These three common ambitions of men are: education, financial success,
and physical health; God thinks all three are foolish and vain (Jer. 9:23-24).
You have been warned. Do not waste your life.
From early on, many children are programmed to think education is life’s
most important goal. Getting good grades, going to college, and getting an
advanced degree from a prestigious university are viewed as grand and glorious
achievements. But God mocks them (I Cor. 1:19-21; 3:18-20; I Tim. 6:20-21)!
These educated fools acquire no wisdom, which is the fear of God and the truth of the Bible. Divorces, depression, discontentment, drugs, and family dysfunction expose their folly. An illiterate farmer that fears God is far better.
These educated fools acquire no wisdom, which is the fear of God and the truth of the Bible. Divorces, depression, discontentment, drugs, and family dysfunction expose their folly. An illiterate farmer that fears God is far better.
Others plan to be professionally successful and acquire wealth. They
want to be rich. They dream and slave to live in a fine home in an exclusive
area. They want to drive the best automobiles, eat at the best restaurants,
send their children to the best schools, and vacation in the most luxurious
resorts. But money creates as many problems as it solves (Eccl. 5:10-17); its
pursuit ruins the souls of men (I Tim. 6:6-10; Luke 12:13-21); it corrupts
character (Pr. 17:23; 18:23; 19:6); and you can take none of it with you at
death.
An even more foolish pursuit is health, physical fitness, or bodily
appearance—which are all losing battles until you die and wake up naked before
God (I Tim. 4:7-9). There is no discharge in this war (Eccl. 8:8). In spite of
all its efforts, vitamins, organic foods, health clubs, personal trainers, and
alternative medicine, mankind has not added a single year to human life
expectancy in the last 3,000 years since Psalm ninety and verse ten was written.
Instead of seeking to live longer, they should have used the days and years
they did have to live better (Ps. 90:12).
Friend, what is your ambition? What goal do you have for your life? If
it is one of these three pursuits that Scripture and nature expose as vanity,
you are wasting your life and the air on this planet. If it is something less
than these three lofty goals, you have made a terrible mistake. Solomon,
possessing the greatest combination of wealth, wisdom, and power ever experimented
with more things than you can even imagine. What was his conclusion? Fear God
and keep his commandments—true wisdom (Eccl. 12:13-14)!
Godliness with contentment is great gain, according to Paul in First Timothy six and verse six. Godliness is pleasing God by your thoughts, words, and speech—the
essence of true wisdom that Solomon exalted in this proverb. Contentment is
happiness and satisfaction with yourself and your circumstances, no matter what
they are. Together, godliness and contentment are the key to a wonderful life.
If you neglect or reject either, it would be better for you not to have been
born. Wisdom is better than rubies, and there is nothing else in life even
worth comparing to it. Seek wisdom today. Amen.
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Proverbs 7:6
For at the window of my house I
looked through my casement...
A picture is worth a thousand words. Object
lessons are always better than just theory. Rules with examples are better than
just rules alone. A window provided the frame for the painful view of a foolish
young man being seduced and destroyed by a whore. What a terrible picture
Solomon paints for us!
Whether this is an event in Solomon’s life or
his parable illustrating a common danger of life, it does not alter the lesson—the
warning is still very serious and true. But since the book is one of proverbs
and parables, not a history of Solomon’s life, the chapter is a parable. As a
parable, it gives additional instruction when we consider its words, warnings
and descriptions.
King Solomon did not merely watch passing
people. He observed, analyzed, considered, and drew wise conclusions from what
he saw. He did the same with the field of the slothful man in Proverbs chapter
24, verses 30 to 34. It is your duty to observe and consider the ways of the
world, for you can do it safely with the wisdom provided by the wise Preacher
through this inspired book of instruction.
The lesson again is about the strange woman, an
adulteress or whore (Pr. 7:5,8,10). The whole chapter is about her. The parable
teaches how the powerful temptations and wiles of a whorish woman can easily
destroy a foolish and naïve young man (Pr. 7:6-23). The only hope for
deliverance and safety is for him to stay far away from her (Pr. 7:8,24-27).
Solomon began by appealing to his son to remember
his instruction and warning about the strange woman (Pr. 7:1-5). And he
concluded by telling him the grave danger, how to be saved from her, and the
absolute necessity of caution (Pr. 7:24-27). In between the introduction and
conclusion is the graphic parable of sexual sin due to a bold woman.
Grasp the lesson from this short proverb’s
words. Parents and teachers must use plain, descriptive illustrations of real
life dangers. Theory, rules, frowns, and negative answers are not enough.
Solomon did not use the seventh commandment here: “Thou shall not commit
adultery” (Ex 20:14). Rather, he showed plainly the danger and dire
consequences of breaking that commandment. Do you know how to teach godly
wisdom for avoiding life’s problems? If you do know, do you do it with those
under your authority?
Whispering, backbiting, talebearing, and
slandering are heinous sins and the book of Proverbs condemns them all. But
holy use of real events for godly instruction in wisdom falls into none of
those categories. If real people are used, the events must be true, well known,
and not used to harm others’ reputations. The great apostles Paul and John
identified sinners by name, and even a whole nation by name, to illustrate
wickedness in their epistles (I Tim. 1:18-20; II Tim. 4:14-15; Titus 1:12; III
John 1:9-10).
Jesus said, “Remember Lot’s wife”. He did the
woman no harm; she had already ruined her reputation forever. In three words,
however, Jesus illustrated with great power the danger of worrying too much
about your worldly life (Luke 17:28-33). Do you see a pillar of salt by hearing
those three words?
Jesus described prayers by a Pharisee and a
publican. In just a few verses He showed the contrite heart of one and the
self-righteousness of the other (Luke 18:9-14). He did the Pharisee no harm.
His foolish prayer was true, well known, and used for holy instruction.
Jesus knew how to use current events as well.
When told about Galilaeans that had been killed by Pilate while offering
sacrifices, He made a lesson of repentance. And He used the story of eighteen
who died when a tower fell on them for further emphasis on repentance—this is
all found in Luke 13, the first five verses.
The Bible records many sins of many men, both
wicked and godly alike. The sins truly happened, were well known in Israel, and
were used for holy purposes of instruction. The sinners had been punished
openly, so all Israel would hear and would fear (Deut. 13:11; 21:21).
Consider Jude’s short epistle in the New
Testament. He warned in just a few verses about Israel in the wilderness (verse
5), the fallen angels (verse 6), Sodom and Gomorrah (verse 7), filthy dreamers
(in verse 8), Michael the archangel (in verse 9), brute beasts (in verse 10),
Cain ((in verse 11), Balaam ((also in verse 11) and Korah (as well), and Enoch
((in verse 14). Consider all the names mentioned and their particular sins or
virtues identified. Get the message? That is the lesson of this proverb—the use
of practical observations and illustrations to make powerful the rules of
wisdom.
Parents, can you use family members, neighbors,
and others for valuable object lessons to train your children? Can you take
current events of your city or nation to illustrate sin and its consequences?
If you can do this, have you actually done it to help save your children?
Academic instruction is of comparatively little
value, even in their chosen profession. The practical training of a godly
supper table is of much greater value. It is easy to make a living, but it is
much more difficult to live a godly life. Parents, keep your priorities right.
You cannot assign child training the local
school, or a Christian school, or a Sunday School. It is your job—it is a job
that God assigned you. Helping your children with their homework is not
training them (Pr. 22:6; Ps. 78:1-8; Eph. 6:4). Pagans help with homework every
night to make little pagans.
Teach spiritual truth, godly wisdom, holy
living, virtuous thinking, noble attitudes, and sober application of it all.
Child training is easy, if you will not follow the pagans in their worship of
academic instruction. Let your supper table be a feast of godly wisdom. Every
day should be a learning experience, for a window to the world presents many
pictures.
A father who can take either an infant’s temper
tantrum or an international political event and apply the word of God is a wise
and valuable father. His children will trust and fear his opinion. A father who
can speak plainly about the real aspects of life—such as sex, money, love, and
success—is a great father. His children will trust and seek his opinion.
Intelligence, education, nor eloquence is
needed. Every man is capable, for a farmer or mechanic who reads his Bible
every day and watches through his casement will have the wisdom to teach
children at every supper table. Fathers, will you rise to the opportunity and
train your children?
Solomon spent his life, not reading about sin
and the purpose for man, but experimenting with it all. You have incredible
experience and wisdom at your fingertips in the Bible. You do not need to
experiment like he did; you can learn from his findings and use valuable object
lessons for your own life for instruction from the real world passing by your
own windows.
Can you take current events and apply God’s
word to them? Can you apply Solomon’s proverbs to situations in life? It is
your duty as a Christian to grow in wisdom and knowledge to be able to discern
between good and evil and to teach others as well (Heb. 5:12-14).
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Proverbs 2:6
For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.
There is one Source of wisdom in the universe, and to look anywhere else is foolish and wasteful. All wisdom is in the LORD God Jehovah Himself, and He gives it to whomsoever He will. Knowledge and understanding are also His gifts, and He speaks them to men by His Spirit, His word, and preachers.
Wisdom, knowledge, and understanding are related aspects of the ability to judge rightly. They are the means by which you can identify truth and error, right and wrong, good and evil. They are the conditions for a blessed and successful life of peace and righteousness. Wisdom is not measured by IQ, by a college or university degrees, or by achievements. Wisdom is superior to these things.
Human intelligence is not the source of wisdom. Intelligence is a handicap. A humble laborer of modest intelligence who fears God will have greater wisdom than a genius trusting his analytical mind. For the LORD giveth wisdom! Parent, do not grieve over a below average child; you can teach him wisdom that will bring favor with God and men!
Human education is not the source of wisdom. Education is a handicap. A laborer with little formal education who fears God will often be far ahead of the city boy with a Ph.D. in molecular science. For the LORD giveth wisdom! The one sees God in every aspect of his simple life; the other hallucinates about big bang theories and monkeys. God has declared war against this approach to wisdom (I Cor. 1:19-20; 3:18-20; I Tim. 6:20-21).
Human diligence is not the source of wisdom. Though men seeking wisdom should apply themselves energetically to its pursuit (Pr. 2:4; 18:1; II Tim. 2:15), unless God blesses the effort, it will be in vain (Ps. 127:1-2; Eccl. 8:17). While reading and studying, a man of God must ask the Lord to guide and prosper his way in the Scriptures (Ps. 119:18; Matt. 13:17). The Pharisees and scribes knew the Scriptures thoroughly, but not with understanding.
Man comes into this world like a wild ass’s colt, and he goes out the same way—this is taught in Job chapter 11, verse 12. And during his life he suffers with a deceitful and depraved heart, so bad he cannot fully grasp it (Jer. 17:9-10). The most intelligent of these asses taught worship of the sun, the worship of Pharaoh, totem poles, and even insects, in the past (Is. 44:9-20; Rom 1:20-23). But today you can see new lows for humanity—men worship themselves and their own abilities! They see all their colleagues dying, yet they continue to spout the same ignorant filth (Ps. 49:10-13).
Even natural wisdom comes from the LORD. God gave Bezaleel great skill for making the intricate tabernacle of Moses—you can read about him in Exodus chapter 31, the first eleven verses. Where did agricultural wisdom come from, trial and error? No way! God gave it as a gift to some men—Isaiah chapter 28, verses 23 through 29. Inventors are not educated; they are created—Proverbs 8:12. Thomas Edison and others profited very little from school and typical traditional education. God gave them their inventive genius. And God takes such men away from a nation when He chooses to do so (Isaiah 3:1-5).
Spiritual wisdom is even more lopsided in its origin. Man by nature cannot and will not understand spiritual truth (Rom. 3:11; 8:7-8; I Cor. 2:14). God must powerfully recreate his soul in regeneration (I Cor. 2:15; Eph. 1:19; 2:1). And unless God does this, man is unable to understand anything of true or lasting value (John 3:3; 8:43,47).
What can you do to obtain wisdom? First, humble yourself and confess your great ignorance and helplessness. To obtain wisdom from God, a man must become a fool (I Cor. 3:18-20). You must humbly and meekly tremble before the Most High (Is. 57:15; 66:2). He will then teach you wisdom, knowledge and understanding.
Then you must ask for it. The LORD gave King Solomon great wisdom and largeness of heart, for his simple and noble request (I Kings 3:5-15; 4:29-34). And He offers the same liberal terms to any who will ask—James chapter 1 and verse 5. Instead of wishing you were Solomon, pray that you might be more like him (Jas. 4:2)!
Then you must read for it. The LORD has revealed His wisdom in the Bible. If a man will reject his own ideas and those of his ignorant race to trust the Holy Scriptures, he will gain in wisdom rapidly (Ps. 119:130; Is 8:20; II Tim. 3:16-17; II Pet. 1:19).
Fourth, you must listen for it. The LORD appoints, prepares, and sends ambassadors with His wisdom—they are called His preachers (Neh. 8:8; Eccl. 12:9-11; Jer. 3:15; Mal 2:7; Acts 8:30-31; 26:16-18). But they will only benefit those who hear them receptively and obediently (Acts 17:11; I Thess. 5:20-21).
Last, you must read and consider the books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. God gave these two special books, among the sixty-six books of the Bible, with more emphasis on practical wisdom than the other books. Those truly seeking wisdom will seek unto these two books to acquire wisdom by God’s kind gift (Pr. 1:1-7).
Reader, where have you been looking for wisdom? What have you been trusting for knowledge and understanding? Solomon wrote, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths”—that was Proverbs chapter 3, verses 5 and 6. Confidence in your own opinions and thinking is folly.
Why go to a wild ass’s colt for wisdom? Go to the Lord Jesus Christ, for in Him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Col. 2:3). Humble yourself today and confess your great need of Him. Ask for it; read for it; listen for it, and consider this proverb. He is the greatest Master of wisdom, knowledge, and understanding in the universe, and He will grant you much of all three by the power of the Holy Ghost for sincerely seeking them. Amen.
Why go to a wild ass’s colt for wisdom? Go to the Lord Jesus Christ, for in Him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Col. 2:3). Humble yourself today and confess your great need of Him. Ask for it; read for it; listen for it, and consider this proverb. He is the greatest Master of wisdom, knowledge, and understanding in the universe, and He will grant you much of all three by the power of the Holy Ghost for sincerely seeking them. Amen.
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Proverbs 4:2
Fathers have a crucial role in this world.
They are the main teachers of the family. Lazy fathers cost children more than
any other single factor in their lives. Solomon’s father—King David—had taught
him, and Solomon in turn taught his children. What can you do to build up
fathers by this proverb?
Fathers should teach good doctrine; they
should know their doctrine is good; they should tell their children it is good;
and they should press those children to keep it. Doctrine is teaching and
instruction—that’s what the word means. It is the set of principles which is
given as final truth on any subject. To truly be good doctrine, it must be
instruction or principles found in the Bible.
Godly fathers are not confused or timid men.
They know they have the truth and wisdom that the world does not have, and they
give it authoritatively to their children. God said of Abraham, “For I know
him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they
shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment” (Gen. 18:19).
Moses commanded fathers to teach their sons.
He ordered, “And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine
heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk
of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and
when thou liest down, and when thou risest up” (Deut. 6:6-7). Being a father by
Moses’ standards is a full-time job everyday—from morning until evening.
Joshua declared to the whole nation of Israel,
“Choose you this day whom ye will serve; but as for me and my house, we will
serve the LORD” (Josh. 24:15). It never crossed Joshua’s mind that he should
consult the local PTA, or PETA, or the ACLU, or the United Nations, or his wife
or children as to what religion they should have. He made the decision for
them. What a great father!
David said to his family, “Come, ye children,
hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD” (Ps. 34:11). This
doctrinal instruction from father to son can have far-reaching effects. The prophet
Joel described it this way: “Tell ye your children of it, and let your children
tell their children, and their children another generation” (Joel 1:3). Fathers,
communicating the truth to their children can guide four generations, or even
more! God has ordained that His truth and His wisdom is perpetuated in the
earth by father to son.
Where are fathers today? A worldly father lets
his wife abort her first pregnancy, divorces her when the one surviving child
is 7 years old, and during his weekends with his daughter approves chatter that
evolution is true, self-love is cool, and vegetarianism is wisdom from the
East. He praises her for coming out as a lesbian at 15 and lets her get a
tattoo on her forehead and studs elsewhere. He is a murderer and a scoundrel.
God will judge him severely for corrupting the first and most important office
his daughter met in her life. He has no doctrine himself, and he allows her to
believe lies. She will be a statistic in a perverse generation.
Where are fathers today? The typical Christian
father sends the children to Sunday School for a woman to teach, attends a few
Little League games, locks out adult channels on the television cable, earns
enough by hard work for two families to live on, sends his children to a
secular university, and pays for big weddings to carnal Christians or
unbelievers. He is AWOL—he is absent without leave! He has deserted his post. He
has failed his calling.
Fathers today are a despised species. They are
demeaned at school, ridiculed on television, mocked in movies, and ignored in
court. They are browbeaten at home by overbearing wives, who “need to say
something”. They are the butt of most family jokes. Kids learn to avoid them,
conspire against them, steal from them, placate them, and disregard them.
Real fathers laugh at this conspiracy. They
have an office and mandate from God, and they are going to do their job with
confidence and zeal. They fear no man, especially their wives and children.
They know they have more truth and wisdom than the local school board combined
and squared. They say boldly with this proverb, “I give you good doctrine!”
They establish boundaries and rules for their children
at an early age. They carefully teach what those children must do and what those
children can never do. They inquire about their lives, they follow-up on their
instruction, and they enforce their authority and rules for the children’s
profit. They say boldly, “Forsake ye not my law”, and they do all they can to
help the children remember it.
What is the textbook and manual for such
fathers? It is the word of God, the Holy Bible, the inspired Scriptures! These
fathers know that everything else is mere drivel and twaddle, the babblings of
egotistical idiots in love with themselves (Is. 8:20; I Tim. 6:3-5,20-21). They
despise any opinion contrary to God’s Word (Ps. 119:98-100,128). They know they
have wisdom, righteousness, and life that can make their children and nations
great (Deut. 4:5-10; 6:24-25; 32:46-47).
Where are the pastors to give fathers this
holy example? They have abdicated their office to the minister of music, to the
minister of sports, and the minister of building programs. They are browbeaten
by the deacon board and warned by the denominational headquarters to keep the
message watered down to be politically correct and keep the carnal and unregenerate
attending the church.
Pastors are a despised species. Their heroes
in the faith—mighty men who thundered sound doctrine in the past—are ridiculed
as Neanderthal tyrants out of touch with their feminine side, who preached a
male view of God and the psychologically-damaging concept of hell. They usually
get ten minutes to preach to sleepy hearers in sandals and tank tops, for
children’s theater, interpretive dance, Jesus rap, and fundraising took most of
the service.
Real pastors laugh at this conspiracy. They
also have an office and mandate from God—like fathers—and they are going to
blast the trumpet of repentance, reformation, and righteousness. They do not
care about numbers, since they know only eight were in the ark and twenty-three
million waterlog outside it! They will preach the word intensely, in spite of
marketing surveys showing universal demand for fables and entertainment (II Tim.
4:1-4).
What is their textbook and manual? The same
word of God, the same Holy Bible, and the same inspired Scriptures! They know
they are perfectly prepared for any and all ministerial work with only the
Bible as their helper (II Tim 3:16-17). They are not moved by men or angels
preaching or suggesting anything else (Job 32:6-10; Gal. 1:6-9; II Cor. 2:17;
4:1-2; 11:3-5, 13-15).
Listener, do you love sound doctrine? Or are
you part of the feminine movement to replace Bible preaching with entertainment
and sharing sessions? Could you stand all day to hear the word of God read
distinctly and the proper sense given as it was in Nehemiah chapter 8? Would
you this? Could you grieve for your sins, but celebrate for joy of
understanding God’s precious word (Neb. 8:9-12)? Would you ask for the same
kind of service to be held the next seven days—as it was in Nehemiah chapter 8?
Do you know how to find sound doctrine? It is
only in the Bible. It is your duty to search the Scriptures faithfully to see
if what you hear is right and true (Acts 17:11). It is your duty to prove all
things and hold fast that which is good, rejecting the rest (I Thess. 5:21). It
is then your duty to earnestly contend for that apostolic religion that once
delivered to God’s saints (Jude 1:3).
Do you know how to find sound doctrine? It is
only in Jesus Christ’s true churches, which are fewer and fewer every year. Can
you read II Timothy chapter 3 and verse 1 to chapter 4 and verse 4—21 verses—and
recognize that you live in the perilous times of the last days, when most
Christians and churches have left apostolic religion for a fluffy bundle of
compromising and worldly heresies?
Father, at your disposal is God’s truth and
wisdom—it is in the Bible and you can easily have a Bible. You should teach
your children; you should do it confidently and dogmatically; you should
enforce it. Your family’s future depends on it. Stand up, and be counted among
God’s mighty men. Do not weakly correct your children like Eli without
enforcing godliness in their lives. He painfully lost everything because he was
not strict and hard enough with them. You will soon stand before God and give
an account of the children He entrusted to your care.
Child, your father knows more than you can
even imagine. If he teaches you something, listen to him. If he does not teach
you, ask him to do so. When he teaches God’s Holy Scriptures and God’s doctrine
to you, pay attention! Humble yourself! Do not forsake his law—forget or
neglect or disregard—his rules. Honor him for his efforts. Thank him. Remember
his lessons. Obey his instruction. And then teach your children the same law, the
same doctrine from the Bible. You may alter the world!
Pastor, you are God’s ambassador and guardian
of His churches and people. You have good doctrine, for the Scriptures are
profitable for doctrine and for much more. Preach the word (II Tim. 4:1-4) —that’s
your job description! Wage war with your hearers to pull down every foolish
thought that they may have in their minds against God’s doctrine (II Cor.
10:4-6). Be a fire and a hammer like Jeremiah told you (23:28-30). The Lord is
with you! Amen.
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