Jan
23

A Look at Proverbs 10.27

By | Proverbs

Pr 10:27
27 The fear of the Lord prolongs life,
But the years of the wicked will be shortened.

Parallelism Examined

27a

27b

(the years of the righteous)

the years of the wicked

(who practice) the fear of the Lord

(who have not the fear of the Lord)

prolong life (days)

will be shortened (life/days)

Prolong –

Isa38.15: 15 years added to Hezekiah’s life!

Gen30.22-24: Rachel named her son with a request for another son, note NASB margin, “add to me” — Joseph in Hebrew!

Ps71.14: NASB margin, “add upon all Your praise” — pile up “Praise”!

Acts2.41, 47; 5.14; 11.24: God “adds to” the church of Jesus! This is a key to the message of Acts!

Years –

Also used of character, way, or life period

Isa16.14; 21.16: years of a hired man — wearisome, dreadful, wearing down

Isa61.2: year of favor — salvation through the Messiah, cf Lev25.10-11, year of release; Lev25.13, year of Jubilee; Dt15.1; 31.10, year of remission

Shortened – be short, impatient, vexed, grieved, inadequate

e.g. — Num11.23; Isa50.2; 59.1 — “the Lord’s hand is not short,” i.e., inadequate, unable to accomplish what is intended, desired, needed!

References to consider:

Wicked

cf Pr10.2, 3, 6, 7, 11, 20, 24, 25 for past looks at this person. The most basic characteristic of the wicked is a craving for evil, 21.10, which they absorb, 4.17.

Righteous

The righteous/wise path begins with a right relationship and response to the Lord, Pr1.7.

They commit their conduct to the Lord, Pr16.3.

They keep from evil, Pr16.6, 17.

Life belongs to the Wise

cf Pr10.16-17; 11.19; 14.27; 16.22; 19.23; 22.4

Sharpening for my life today:

This gem from Proverbs touches on key truth for a trait to be practiced!

As some our examples above show, e.g., Isaiah and Rachel, it is essential to recognize the Lord as the Author and Sustainer of Life! The wise, fruitful, godly life both has knowledge of the Lord and responds to the Lord in and through their life.

Putting the Lord is His place in our lives is far more than lip service, getting our religious card punched on a regular basis, or jumping through some religious hoop! Check out the theme of Proverbs below and spend some time thinking on this great direction for life. Ask, “Am I skirting issues, paying attention to the particulars of the Lord’s Word and Ways,” actually putting the Lord is His proper place in my life?

If the fear of the Lord is the awesome, reverential, trustful, obedience

 . . . where am I in awe of the Lord?

 . . . where am I in reverence of the Lord?

 . . . where am I in trust of the Lord?

 . . . where am I in obedience to the Lord?

Jan
13

A Look at Proverbs 10.26

By | Proverbs

Pr 10:26
26 Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes,
So is the lazy one to those who send him.

The Parts:

Parallelism Examined

26a

26b

This is “emblematic parallelism” where a “figure” is set next to a literal situation.

It has been called “cerebral cartooning” (William Mouser)!

One side is the picture, the other side is the caption.

Like vinegar to the teeth

(like) smoke to the eyes

So is the lazy one

to those who send him

Solomon has given us a riddle inviting our comparison.

We are called to “unravel” this picture!

lazy – sluggish, slow, heavy of movement. The root word is likely related to the word for “bone” which in the Old Testament is a picture of strength and health. We could say “lazy-bones” and not be too far off!

Compare:

            vinegar to the teeth –

            smoke to the eyes –

            lazy one to those who send him –

References to consider:

Understanding the Sluggard / Lazy

They make excuses to avoid work, Pr26.13; 22.13
Their way is blocked with thorns, Pr15.19
They will not begin things, Pr6.9-10
They will not finish things, Pr12.27; 19.24; 26.15
They will not face things, Pr22.13; 26.16; 20.4
They must be prodded, Pr6.6-8
They don’t understand time, Pr6.6-11
They learn too late, Pr6.6; 24.30-31

Contrast the Diligent:

Pr 10:4
4 Poor is he who works with a negligent hand,
But the hand of the diligent makes rich.

Pr 12:24
24 The hand of the diligent will rule,
But the slack hand will be put to forced labor.

Pr 13:4
4 The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing,
But the soul of the diligent is made fat.

Pr 21:5
5 The plans of the diligent lead surely to advantage,
But everyone who is hasty comes surely to poverty.

Sharpening for my life today:

Pr 15:19
19 The way of the lazy is as a hedge of thorns,
But the path of the upright is a highway.

Diligence is not a personality trait! It’s a moral issue! Diligence is a mark of maturity! It’s far better to tell someone “no” than to be unreliable.

If you struggle with diligence, what can you learn here and then do to grow in this area?

(consider: Pay attention to your responsibilities. Choose where to put your efforts. Seek the Lord’s provision of someone to come alongside you and mentor you in this area.)

 

If someone you’re working with struggles in this area, what can you learn here so you can share the Lord’s wisdom with them and help them grow?

(consider: Give them “small jobs” and let the develop success in diligence. Give them more “small jobs” so they build confidence, strength, and habits. Speak honestly with them, Pr27.6.)

Nov
30

A Look at Proverbs 10.25

By | Proverbs

Pr 10.25
25 When the whirlwind passes, the wicked is no more,
But the righteous has an everlasting foundation.

The Parts

Parallelism Examined

25a

25b

(when the whirlwind passes)

when the whirlwind passes

righteous

wicked

an everlasting foundation

no more

whirlwind – often used to describe God’s judgment, Isa29.5-8; Amos1.14; Nah1.3

wicked – (cf Pr10.2, 3, 6, 7, 11, 16, 20, 24) the wicked are typically people who threaten the community, e.g., violate the rights of others, violent, oppressive, greedy, plotting, trapping others, murdering, dishonest. It’s not so much a condition, but an action, a lifestyle.

foundation – used several times for the base of the altar, to found, fix firmly

References to consider:

Ps 5.4
4 For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness;
No evil dwells with You.

Hosea 8.7
7 For they sow the wind
And they reap the whirlwind.
The standing grain has no heads;
It yields no grain.
Should it yield, strangers would swallow it up.

Pr 1.27
27 When your dread comes like a storm
And your calamity comes like a whirlwind,
When distress and anguish come upon you.

N.B. — the fool, wicked base all their decisions on “today.” This is not so with the wise, righteous.

Mt 7.24-27
24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock.
25 “And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock.
26 “Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.
27 “The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.”

Sharpening for my life today:

Our Proverb is a gem for taking a look at daily life. Choices are critical!

What “choices” are you making today that will reap what you do not want in the coming days?

Make sure to look at the sidebar, the Seven Laws of the Harvest, it’s an excellent set of principles and practices for reaping God’s things in life.

Nov
22

A Look at Proverbs 10.24

By | Proverbs

Pr 10:24.
24 What the wicked fears will come upon him,
But the desire of the righteous will be granted.

The Parts

Parallelism Examined

24a

25a

fears

desire

of the wicked

of the righteous

will come upon him

will be granted (him)

fear / terror – an extreme sense of horror. The verb speaks of intimidation before a stronger or superior being or thing. It is a state where survival itself is threatened!

wicked – this noun is used over 266 times paralleling almost every word for sin, evil, and iniquity. A description of someone in contrast to the character and attitude of God, e.g., violates social rights, violent, oppressive, greedy, plotting against the poor, murder, community threateners, dishonest, self-serving. This person contrasts the righteous not only in lifestyle but in life results.

desire – long for, regard as beautiful. The verb often relates to what our “soul” (being) seeks, something for the depths of our being.

References to consider:

Ps 34:4.
4 I sought the Lord, and He answered me,
And delivered me from all my fears.

Ps 9:5.
5 You have rebuked the nations, You have destroyed the wicked;
You have blotted out their name forever and ever.

Ps 9:16.
16 The Lord has made Himself known; He has executed judgment.
In the work of his own hands the wicked is snared.

Pr 24:20.
20 For there will be no future for the evil man;
The lamp of the wicked will be put out.

Mal 4:3.
3 “You will tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day which I am preparing,” says the Lord of hosts.

N.B. – Such wickedness is not irreversible, cf Ps106.6; 2Chron6.37; Neh9.33; Dan9.5. It is confession / repentance the Lord really seeks.

Pr 13:12.
12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
But desire fulfilled is a tree of life.

Pr 13:19.
19 Desire realized is sweet to the soul,
But it is an abomination to fools to turn away from evil.

Sharpening for my life today:

The gem of God’s wisdom picks up from the preceding Proverb where the wicked take pleasure in their sin, yet, there is a day ahead that their conscience speaks about to them. Let’s make a note here, God’s provision of our conscience is a gift to prick, prod, and point us to the things we need to see in our lives. Rightfully so does the wicked have a gnawing inside of them, it is a gift of God to call them to repentance!

We would do well to consider “What do the wicked fear”? Our word for fear / terror is frequently used in promise-fulfillment motifs. It is suggested what is to be worried is what will “come upon” us. Scripture is consistent in the truth, what you sow, you reap, or called talionic justice.

At the heart of all “dread” is the thought of the wicked that they must stand before the Lord. This “dread” is frequently treated as a laughing matter, anesthetized with activity, alcohol, materialism, immorality, and many more masks! The truth of the Word of God is that there will be a day of reckoning.

At this point, our jewel from the Lord, sets a hope before the righteous of standing before the Lord. This is the hope of life! Read Ps 73, meditate on Ps73.24-28. Ahead of the righteous is the desire of life granted from the Lord. The conscience of those who walk with the Lord blesses those who love Him.

Take a moment and see if there’s something gnawing in your heart. Know the Lord restores all who turn to Him in faith! His blessing can be yours, now, and when you stand before Him!

Nov
17

A Look at Proverbs 10.23

By | Proverbs

Pr 10.23
23 Doing wickedness is like sport to a fool,
And so is wisdom to a man of understanding.

The Parts

Parallelism Examined

23a

23b

doing wickedness

(doing) wisdom

is like sport

(is like sport)

to a fool

to a man of understanding

sport – laugh, laughter, play. Wrongness is so much a part of the nature of the fool that it’s satisfying activity, he “laughs” at his “sport”! This is something in which he finds satisfaction. “Sport” is implied in our parallelism of the wise person with the fool. They have this in common! Each one does something just for the pleasure of it!

fool – (see Pr10.18 study)

wickedness – plan, device.

understanding –

References to consider:

Wickedness

Pr 12.2
2 A good man will obtain favor from the Lord,
But He will condemn a man who devises evil.

Pr 14.7
7 Leave the presence of a fool,
Or you will not discern words of knowledge.

Pr 21.27
27 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination,
How much more when he brings it with evil intent!

Pr 24.9
9 The devising of folly is sin,
And the scoffer is an abomination to men.

Pr 10.4
4 Poor is he who works with a negligent hand,
But the hand of the diligent makes rich.

Understanding

Pr 15.21
21 Folly is joy to him who lacks sense,
But a man of understanding walks straight.

Pr 3.13
13 How blessed is the man who finds wisdom
And the man who gains understanding.

Pr 9.10
10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

Sharpening for my life today:

Our gem touches the habits of our hearts! We might first want to notice that this jewel is not a contrast, “but,” { incorrectly translated by the ESV, NIV, NKJV Bibles } it’s a comparison, a commonality between the fool and the man of understanding. They have something in common!

The fool has no sense of sin because there is no moral foundation. Wrongness is such a part of the nature that it is satisfying activity.

The wise man has a sense of sin because there is a moral foundation. We can easily see that if sin is getting too close to us, it’s not because of our closeness to the Moral Foundation, the Lord and His Word!

Here we also find some insightful counsel. The person (or group) which commits sin and laughs it off is to be avoided! Such action not only clouds our ability to see, choose, act wisely, it is an abomination to the Lord and His Truth in our lives.

God’s Word and Ways in our lives brings blessing! We might just stop and reflect on this a little longer. What are we “laughing” about, “sporting” over, “making light” of? Sin is exceedingly deceitful! Here again, a great truth for habits of our hearts.

Pr 12.2
2 A good man will obtain favor from the Lord,
But He will condemn a man who devises evil.

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