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Antithetical Parallelism blessing character discernment father fool hate home honor integrity knowledge life view love memory mentoring mother mouth name pervert Prov 10.1 Prov 10.2-3 Prov 10.4-5 Prov 10.6 Prov 10.7 Prov 10.8 Prov 10.9 Prov 10.10 Prov 10.11 Prov 10.12 Prov 10.13 Prov 10.14 Prov 27.17 Prov Intro reputation righteous rod scoffer security shame strife Synonymous Parallelism tongue walk wicked words
 

A Look at Proverbs 10.13

Wednesday, August 26th, 2009

Prov 10.13
13 On the lips of the discerning, wisdom is found,
But a rod is for the back of him who lacks understanding.

The Parts

Parallelism Examined

13a

13b

(distinguishing words guide)

(force guides)
   

wisdom

him who lacks wisdom

 

Prov 27.17

Prov 27.17

lips of the discerning – the word “discerning” means “between.” Only by drawing distinctions between right and wrong, truth and error, can “wisdom” be heard! In a world of relativism, when most say there is no standard, no foundation, then to “discern” is a place of continual drift, such is our world! We’re suffering for discernment, insight, understanding, perception!

wisdom – “wisdom” in Hebrew is always “skill in living.” It’s not just knowledge!

rod – the “rod” is a corrective instrument, not punitive! Notice Prov 26.3 below. Consider Ps 32.3-4, where God’s “hand” was correcting David so he could be restored. Also consider Heb 12.3-11, the father’s discipline is to restore!

References to consider:

Prov 10.31
31 The mouth of the righteous flows with wisdom,
But the perverted tongue will be cut out.

Prov 13.3
3 The one who guards his mouth preserves his life;
The one who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.

Prov 26.3
3 A whip is for the horse, a bridle for the donkey,
And a rod for the back of fools.

Prov 14.3
3 In the mouth of the foolish is a rod for his back,
But the lips of the wise will protect them.

Isaiah 11.4
4 But with righteousness He will judge the poor, And decide with fairness for the afflicted of the earth; And He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked.

Prov 15.7
7 The lips of the wise spread knowledge,
But the hearts of fools are not so.

Sharpening for my life today:

Here is a great lesson on a key quality of character, discernment.

Learning to distinguish, and it’s always according to the reliable standard of God’s Word, is the key to “skill in living,” that is, “wisdom.”

Learning to distinguish brings the necessity of growing in understanding God’s Word. The writer of Hebrews well says in Heb 5.14,

14 But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.

So, maybe it’s time in your life to get in some “practice” in spiritual growth? Find a solid Bible teaching fellowship of believers, then ask the Lord to direct you to someone or some group where you can learn God’s Word!

The wisest man who ever lived, Solomon, prayed when he was established as King, 1 Kings 3.6-9,

6 Then Solomon said, “You have shown great lovingkindness to Your servant David my father, according as he walked before You in truth and righteousness and uprightness of heart toward You; and You have reserved for him this great lovingkindness, that You have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. 7 “Now, O Lord my God, You have made Your servant king in place of my father David, yet I am but a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. 8 “Your servant is in the midst of Your people which You have chosen, a great people who are too many to be numbered or counted. 9 “So give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?”

Be certain to read God’s answer to Solomon’s prayer, 1 Kings 3.10-12!

The Apostle Paul prayed for the believers in Philippi, Phil 1.9-11,

9 And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, 10 so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ; 11 having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

Learning to distinguish is essential to the kind of character that honors God (don’t miss that “discernment” is God’s Character!).

Learning to distinguish is essential to being guided by God!

Take an honest look at the things crossing your path, calling for your attention, inviting your participation, could be time for some of God’s guiding, wisdom, “distinguishing between”!

Remember, the wise, who distinguish, are guided by wisdom. Those who lack “distinguishing” are guided forcibly, like an animal which lacks understanding!

Prov 15.21 says “a man of understanding walks straight.” It’s a great way to go!

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A Look at Proverbs 10.12

Thursday, August 20th, 2009

Prov 10.12
12 Hatred stirs up strife,
But love covers all transgressions.

The Parts

Parallelism Examined

12a

12b

hatred

love

stirs up

covers

strife

all transgressions

 

Prov 27.17

Prov 27.17

hatred – this is more than a strong dislike, an emotion, this is a choice that separates, typically because you think certain things about someone or something.

stirs up – to arouse, awake, incite

strife – contention (root means judgment, judge)

love – this word in English is a pantheon of emotion covering everything from God, apple pie, and Chevrolets! The biblical word here is not an emotion! It’s a choice, a movement toward, to unite, a decision made because of how you think about someone, something.

covers – don’t miss the contrast with Prov10.11, where the “wicked” covers “violence”! Here “love” covers our next term . . . 

transgressions – (If you’re English translation is an NIV, which renders “wrongs,” this word is much more violent and powerful!) This is a violent, mean word of rebellion, tearing away! The fundamental direction is breaching relationship, breaking covenant! Remember, while God’s righteousness judges rebellion, His prime desire and work is to provide deliverance from rebellion and broken relationship with the Sacrifice who bears His just judgment! Note carefully Isaiah 53.4-6, 12!

References to consider:

Psalm 119.104
104 From Your precepts I get understanding; Therefore I hate every false way.

Psalm 31.6
6 I hate those who regard vain idols, But I trust in the Lord.

Psalm139.21-22
21 Do I not hate those who hate You, O Lord? And do I not loathe those who rise up against You?
22 I hate them with the utmost hatred; They have become my enemies.

Isaiah 53.4-6
4 Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed.
6 All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.

Psalm 51.1-4, 13-19
1 (For the choir director. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.) Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your loyal love; According to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity And cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I know my transgressions, And my sin is ever before me.
4 Against You, You only, I have sinned And done what is evil in Your sight, So that You are justified when You speak And blameless when You judge.

13 Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners will be converted to You.
14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, the God of my salvation; Then my tongue will joyfully sing of Your righteousness.
15 O Lord, open my lips, That my mouth may declare Your praise.
16 For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; You are not pleased with burnt offering.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.
18 By Your favor do good to Zion; Build the walls of Jerusalem.
19 Then You will delight in righteous sacrifices, In burnt offering and whole burnt offering; Then young bulls will be offered on Your altar.

1 Peter 4.8
8 Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.

Sharpening for my life today:

Here in this gem of words unfolds one of the great principles of our course of character.

Don’t miss that the Lord calls us to “hate,” i.e., choose to separate from things or persons! The Lord Himself, indeed, “hates,” chooses to separate from evil, unholiness, ungodliness, unrighteousness!

So, what have you been “loving” that the Lord “hates”? Maybe it’s time for a fresh, godly choice in your life?

“Love” thinks, i.e., chooses for the highest good of another, even at cost to self; then acts, i.e., the act of forgiveness!

Herein we can transcend “sin”!

Herein we can provide “deliverance”!

Herein we can “restore relationship”!

Herein we can be “like” God!

O, the course of character, God’s character, flowing through us!

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A Look at Proverbs 10.11

Thursday, August 13th, 2009

 Prov 10.11
11 The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,
But the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.

The Parts

Parallelism Examined

11a

11b

mouth of the righteous

mouth of the wicked

is

conceals

fountain of life

violence
sharpen_150x117

Prov 27.17

mouth – a figure of speech for what proceeds from the mouth, our words, our speech, indeed, our very heart, cf. Matt 15.18 below. Our mouth is the window to the world of our heart/mind!

mouth of the righteous – “righteous” is always tied to relationship, 1st with the Lord, then with those around us. These words are wisdom based, consistent, true, fair, loving, upbuilding.

mouth of the wicked – a “wicked” person is someone not in relationship; they’re only looking out for self! Therefore, the words are partial in truth, manipulative in direction, self‑satisfying, self‑promoting. There is no substance in these words (or in the life that speaks them!).

fountain of life – a source of vitality, strength, refreshment, healing, benefit

violence – almost always sinful violence. This is a characteristic of those judged in the Flood, cf. Gen 6.11 where this word parallels “corrupt,” and Gen 6.13 where it parallels “destroyed.”

This rendition “But the mouth of the righteous conceals violence” is preferable to the NIV, which follows Delitzsch (Proverbs Volume 1:212–13) in taking “mouth” as the object rather than subject. The NIV also translates “conceals” as “overwhelms” (also v6) which is forced and not the best translation of kasah. The idea is the wicked use their mouth, a figure of speech for their words, to cover/conceal their violence.
See: Duane A. Garrett, vol. 14, “Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs,” electronic ed., Logos Library System; The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2001, c1993).

Proverbs’ focus on character (noted in the previous verse) continues here. It is “character” which preserves, is blessed, and brings a blessing.

Prov 10.6-11
6 Blessings are on the head of the righteous,
But the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
7 The memory of the righteous is blessed,
But the name of the wicked will rot.

                        8 The wise of heart will receive commands,
                        But a babbling fool will be ruined.

                        9 He who walks in integrity walks securely,
                        But he who perverts his ways will be found out.

            10 He who winks the eye causes trouble,
            And a babbling fool will be ruined.

11 The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,
But the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.

References to consider:

Matt 12.34
34 “You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart.

Matt 6.21
21 for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Matt 15.18
18 “But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man.

Luke 6.43-45
43 “For there is no good tree which produces bad fruit, nor, on the other hand, a bad tree which produces good fruit.
44 “For each tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they pick grapes from a briar bush.
45 “The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.

Prov 13.14
14 The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life,
To turn aside from the snares of death.

Prov 4.23-24
23 Watch over your heart with all diligence,
For from it flow the springs of life.
24 Put away from you a deceitful mouth
And put devious speech far from you.

Sharpening for my life today:

Character in my life produces “fruit” in the lives of others. The converse is also true, lack of character is fruitless to those around me, reason, the focus is on “self” which robs from others to satisfy me, even with my words!

We can literally come alongside another with a “fountain of life,” i.e., blessing, strength, healing, comfort, power, and more, with the words with speak!

Take a second look at the “References to consider” and let this tip of the iceberg from God’s Word soak in. Our words are very important, they reveal our character, they reveal our relationship with the Lord and with others. Our words are one of the significant ways the Lord works in and through us to display His glory and bring His blessing!

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A Look at Proverbs 10.10

Wednesday, August 5th, 2009

Prov 10.10
10 He who winks the eye causes trouble,
And a babbling fool will be ruined.

Our Proverb is an insightful lesson in character. Lack of character, even just a “little,” destroys significantly. Lack of character, a “lot,” destroys greatly!

Parallelism Examined

10a

10b

he who winks the eye

the foolish of lips

causes

will be

trouble

ruined

winks the eye – often a form of deception, or an insinuation about a person, a mocking gesture

trouble – wounds, sorrow, pain, sadness – often to others and then to self, note that “ruin” is a personal payback!

foolish of lips – talks randomly, without wisdom, flippant, extreme, angry, know it all type

ruined – a very harsh result, thrown down, out, away!

So Character – So Fruit

Proverbs is building a theme for the wise to receive instruction in life. This focus on character confirms fundamental farming, what you sow, you reap.

Prov 10.6-11
6 Blessings are on the head of the righteous,
But the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.

7 The memory of the righteous is blessed,
But the name of the wicked will rot.

                        8 The wise of heart will receive commands,
                        But a babbling fool will be ruined.

                        9 He who walks in integrity walks securely,
                        But he who perverts his ways will be found out.

            10 He who winks the eye causes trouble,
            And a babbling fool will be ruined.

11 The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,
But the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.

References to consider:

Prov 6.12-13
12 A worthless person, a wicked man,
Is the one who walks with a perverse mouth,
13 Who winks with his eyes, who signals with his feet,
Who points with his fingers;

Prov 16.3
3 Commit your works to the Lord
And your plans will be established.

Sharpening for my life:

Character is crucial! Its lack not only destroys others, it destroys me! The lack of character can be seen on almost any nightly news! Our culture makes a very unbiblical move. It separates “character” from “performance.” Ones character is not really important “if” you can score that touchdown, make that basket, close that business deal, etc. We so reward “scoring” (notice how far down we keep score in even the games children play!) we come to believe winning is everything, and second place is only the first place of the losers! Consider that character is far more important to our Lord than any points scored. Maybe it’s time to score in character and give the Lord the glory in your life.

It’s vital to see that character is lived out, worked out, walked out, in the crevices of life! Consider where there are cracks in your character where the Lord’s testimony in your life is leaking away. Make a decision today to correct that crack by walking, talking, thinking, acting in godly ways.

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A Look at Proverbs 10.9

Wednesday, July 29th, 2009

Prov 10.9
9 He who walks in integrity walks securely,
But he who perverts his ways will be found out.

One of the common statements of today is “What you see is what you get.” Well, this isn’t an accurate statement and even less accurate in the spiritual realm! It would be far more accurate to say “What you see is not what you get”!

One of our struggles is how do you “walk” in integrity when it seems like all those around you get away with everything? The answer comes from a biblical understanding of “security.” Real “security,” biblical “security,” is tied to something greater than the here and now. It’s tied to God’s plan and indeed, tied to God Himself! Our Proverb is a great “gem” in the Bible for this truth.

 

Parallelism Examined

9a

9b

he who walks in integrity

he who perverts his ways

walks securely

his ways will be found out

integrity – from a root meaning complete, thus whole, healthy, soundness (of sacrifices w/o blemish, Lev 21.21-22 ultimately picturing Christ, Heb 9.14; 1 Pet 1.19). cf. Gen 19.1; Ps 101.2b. E.g., speech which is with integrity is always true, completely true.

perverts – twists, crooked, cf. Prov 28.18; 19.1; 11.20; 22.5. So “why” would you “pervert” something? You hope to gain or avoid something, meaning you are dissatisfied with what God has provided! To “pervert” is to reject the hand of God, even God’s equitable discipline and instruction.

security – well-being and security which comes from having someone or something in which is confidence. Does “security” mean you never encounter harm? No! With the longer focus on life of the wise, there is still “security” even in a place of harm.

security in pagan thinking – this is typically when someone thinks they have some degree of control over life.

security in biblical thinking – realizes you are without resources to control life and yet you have life itself in a relationship with God! It is His faithfulness, loyal love, truth, trustworthiness which sustains you!

found out – known for what / who they are!

References to consider

Prov 19.1
1 Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity
Than he who is perverse in speech and is a fool.

Prov 11.20
20 The perverse in heart are an abomination to the Lord,
But the blameless in their walk are His delight.

Prov 22.5
5 Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse;
He who guards himself will be far from them.

Prov 11.3
3 The integrity of the upright will guide them,
But the crookedness of the treacherous will destroy them.

Psalm 32.10
10 Many are the sorrows of the wicked,
But he who trusts in the Lord, lovingkindness shall surround him.

Psalm 84.9-12
9 Behold our shield, O God, And look upon the face of Your anointed.
10 For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand outside. I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God Than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord gives grace and glory; No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.
12 O Lord of hosts, How blessed is the man who trusts in You!

Psalm56.3-4
3 When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You.
4 In God, whose word I praise, In God I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid. What can mere man do to me?

Sharpening for my life today

As mentioned, what you see is not what you get!

With “integrity,” what you see is only a tiny portion of what you get (when you’re rewarded by your Father in heaven)! cf. Prov 4.18

The rule of farming again appears, what you sow, you reap.

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