Proverbs 17 Commentary Written and edited by Glenn Pease

PREFACE My goal in this commentary is to make this part of God's Word interesting and

informative, and to point out the humor that is often hidden in it. I quote many

sources, and often I have no name to give credit to the quote. The majority of quotes

that are from unnamed authors are from the internet source called Let God Be

True. If you find the name to connect with any quote I will be glad to give credit

where it is due. If any quote is not wanted in this commentary please let me know

and I will delete it. My e-mail address is glenn_p86@yahoo.com I will also accept

responses that can be added to this commentary if they contribute something to

enhance its value. May God bless you with laughter as you read of the folly that

human nature is capable of expressing.

1 Better a dry crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting, with strife.

"A meal of bread and water in contented peace is better than a banquet spiced with

quarrels." The Message

Better a home with peace and quiet

Than a house filled with chaos and riot.

Better to have only a little dry crust

Than to have angry hearts ready to bust.

Better is little for the survival of life

Than abundance that comes with great strife. Better you should live on the level of poor

Than be very rich with a heart that is sore.

Nothing is greater and better than peace,

For it will all other true values increase.

Such is the wisdom the Proverbs do teach,

So pray every day for this goal to reach.

Proverbs with this same focus:

15:16- Better a little with the fear of the Lord than great wealth with turmoil.

15:17- Better a meal of vegetables where there is love than a fattened calf with

hatred.

16:8- Better a little with righteousness than much gain with injustice.

1. Less can be more when with the less there is peace and quiet. You might not be

delighted with a mere dry crust, but it beats a feast with constant conflict. All your

good food will not make you happy and content when you are surrounded by strife.

It is not worth the price if getting rich leads to a house divided. If your kids are

fighting over who gets the most allowance, and who gets to drive the car, and your

wife will not stop pestering you to build a new addition to the house, and everyone in

the family is continually arguing over money, you are rich at too great a cost. Better

is less, if the less means there is no reason for conflict. Solomon wrote in Eccles. 4:6,

"Better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and chasing after

the wind."

2. We tend to think that any couple setting down to a supper with filet mignon and

all the trappings is happier than that couple setting down to a meal of soup and

crackers, but it is not necessarily so. The couple who is content and at peace with one another is the truly happy couple, and not the couple who can afford the most

expensive food. The goal is not to learn to live on dry crust, but to learn to live in

peace. The best of all is to have a house full of feasting and still have the peace and

quiet. If you can have the success and the riches and still have a home of tranquility,

then you are living the good life if you are grateful to God for his blessing on your

life. The folly is when people sacrifice their peace in order to get more. Better to be

content with much less and maintain peace. The ideal life is one where peace reigns

in the family, and this is the good life no matter what the quality of the food. Only

the fool sacrifices this quality for the sake of better food.

3. Solomon reigned during a time of great peace in the land. It was the best of times

with strife ended. Israel lived in peace with all nations. Solomon had a strong love

for peace with all people, and he saw peace as the way of wisdom. He wrote in Prov.

20:3, "It is to a man's honor to avoid strife, but every fool is quick to quarrel." In

26:21 he wrote, "As charcoal to embers and as wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome man

for kindling strife." In 30:33 he wrote, "For as churning the milk produces butter,

and as twisting the nose produces blood, so stirring up anger produces strife." The

fact is, Solomon wrote more about the folly of strife than all the rest of the Bible put

together. Strife is just plain folly, and eliminating it is wise, and the way to the good

life. Clarke wrote, "Peace and contentment, and especially domestic peace, are

beyond all other blessings." 4. "The Preacher tells us that saltine crackers in a calm and peaceful home are

superior to a filet mignon dinner with a tense and unhappy family. Here is wisdom

to direct our priorities. More emphasis, time, effort, money, and value should be

placed on peace and love in a family than the securing of food and things for the

family. But this choice runs totally contrary to our carnal, covetous, greedy, and

materialistic generation. Profane Americans say, "He who dies with the most toys

wins." But our Creator tells us, "He who lives a godly life content with what he has

wins" (I Tim 6:6; Heb 13:5). Here is a choice - do we follow the profane American to

hell or God to heaven? Do we live the life of vanity and vexation of spirit our society

promotes? Or do we choose the wise man's priority, knowing he had already tested

both ways by divine providence? Two people in love can be happy, peaceful, and

contented sharing peanut butter crackers, as dating couples know; and two people

can be miserable in the middle of luxury when differences and bitterness have been

allowed to creep in. Lord, save us from ourselves!" Author unknown

5. One of the things that robs a man of this home of peace and quiet is a

quarrelsome wife, for Solomon says in 19:13 that she is like a constant dripping, and

this leaves it a home with no peace. Solomon says in 21:9, "Better to live on a corner

of the roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife." He repeats this word for

word in 25:24. In 21:19 he wrote, "Better to live in a desert than with a quarrelsome

and ill-tempered wife." In 27:15-16 he wrote, "A quarrelsome wife is like a constant

dripping on a rainy day; restricting her is like restraining the wind or grasping oil

with the hand." Solomon had enough wives to know this from personal experience.

He makes it quite clear that the good life depends on finding the right wife, which

would be one that maintains the peace of the home, and avoids strife that spoils its

tranquility. In essence, he is saying that it is wise to marry a woman who will be

content with what she has than to marry a woman who will be forever nagging you

to do better so she can have more and better things. She will criticize, correct,

complain, and argue without stopping, and rob you of peace. Peace and quiet were

high on the list in Solomon's value system.

5B. It is not just Solomon, but the whole Bible is loaded with praising the value of

peace. I will list just a few of them to show it to be an important value in every life.

Isaiah 32:17: "The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness

will be quietness and confidence forever." Mark 9: 50 "Salt is good, but when it

loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be

at peace with each other." 1 Peter 3: 10: " For whoever would love life and see good

days must keep his tongue from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue

it." The good life, and the godly life, are found in peace with God and our fellow

men. Solomon went so far as to write in 16:7, "When a man's ways are pleasing to

the LORD, he makes even his enemies live at peace with him." Rom. 12:18 “If it is

possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” Rom. 14:19 “Let

us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.”

5C. The problem of strife in the home is usually not just the quarreling wife,

however, for both mates are stressed in our modern world. Someone wrote,

"Prototypical example- Family with both parents working all the time in high stress

jobs. Buying lots of stuff. But unhappy, stressed, arguing and not spending time

with the kids or with each other. Missing what's important to have lots of stuff." We

often have wrong priorities based on the value system of the world, and we sacrifice

the values of peace and quiet to this idol of our times. We engage in a rat race to find

the good life, when in reality we are losing it by this fervent search. Someone said,

""Happiness is a cat. Chase it and it will elude you, it will hide. But sit and

peacefully do your work, live your life and show your love and it will silently come

to you and curl itself upon your feet." It is in maintaining peace, and not kindling

strife, that true happiness is found.

5D. We need to be honest and admit that wives often have plenty of reasons to be

angry with their husbands. Males are handicapped in a number of ways that irritate

wives, as the following illustrates. I do not know the author, but any number of men

could claim it. "Like most men, if left to my own devices, I am pretty much a

barbarian. If it wasn't for my wife, my boys and I would be eating leftovers out of a

big Tupperware bowl, using our hands because there was no clean silverware. Our

thinking is that it is easier to buy new dishes than to clean the old ones. That is why

paper plates were invented. They originally had nothing to do with helping busy

ladies, they were made to keep men and boys from being poisoned by eating food

from plates that hadn't been washed since Noah made his big boat."

6. Henry's comments say it well, with the exception of sacrifices in place of feastings,

but that was the old translation. "These words recommend family-love and peace,

as conducing very much to the comfort of human life. 1. Those that live in unity and

quietness, not only free from jealousies and animosities, but vying in mutual

endearments, and obliging to one another, live very comfortably, though they are

low in the world, work hard and fare hard, though they have but each of them a

morsel, and that a dry morsel. There may be peace and quietness where there are not

three meals a day, provided there by a joint satisfaction in God's providence and a

mutual satisfaction in each other's prudence. Holy love may be found in a cottage. 2.

Those that live in contention, that are always jarring and brawling, and reflecting

upon one another, though they have plenty of dainties, a house full of sacrifices, live

uncomfortably; they cannot expect the blessing of God upon them and what they

have, nor can they have any true relish of their enjoyments, much less any peace in

their own consciences. Love will sweeten a dry morsel, but strife will sour and

embitter a house full of sacrifices. A little of the leaven of malice will leaven all the

enjoyments."

7. This goes along with Proverbs 15:17, which says "Better is a dinner of herbs

[vegetables] where love is, Than a fatted calf with hatred." The happy home is based

on the quality of the relationships at the table, and not the quality of the rations.

Poor food and good relationships win out over good food and poor relationships. It

is more important what you find in shopping for a wife than in what you find in

shopping for food.

7B. The cause for many conflict in the home is poor communication between mates.

The following story makes it clear that a fool has a hard time getting a point, and

this would lead to a good many conflicts. “A hillbilly farmer walked into an

attorney's office wanting to file for a divorce.

The attorney asked, "May I help you?"

The hillbilly farmer said, "Yea, I want to get one of those dayvorce's."

The attorney said, "well do you have any grounds?"

The hillbilly farmer said, "Yea, I got about 140 acres."

The attorney said, " No, you don't understand, do you have a case?"

The hillbilly farmer said, "No, I don't have a Case, but I have a John Deere."

The attorney said, "No you don't understand, I mean do you have a grudge?"

The hillbilly farmer said, "Yea I got a grudge, that's where I park my John Deere."

The attorney said, "No sir, I mean do you have a suit?"

The hillbilly farmer said, "Yes sir, I got a suit. I wear to church on Sundays."

The exasperated attorney said, "Well sir, does your wife beat you up or anything?"

The hillbilly farmer said, "No sir, we both get up about 4:30."

Finally, the attorney says, "Okay, let me put it this way. "WHY DO YOU WANT A

DIVORCE?"

"Well, I can never have a meaningful conversation with her."

8. An unknown author points out that this whole chapter is peace oriented. He

wrote,

"This Proverb outlines ways to bring peace; it states:

9 He who covers over an offense promotes love

(Don't bring up the past)

13 If a man pays back evil for good, evil will never leave his house.

14 Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam; so drop the matter

before a dispute breaks out.

19 He who loves a quarrel loves sin.

22 A cheerful heart is good medicine.

27 A man of knowledge uses words with restrain, a man of understanding

is even tempered.

9. Many proverbs revolve around the theme of something being better than

something else, and wise is the man who chooses the better, for it is the fool who

chooses that which is not better. Here are samples of this common theme in the

Bible and in culture.

Better a poor man whose walk is blameless than a rich man whose ways are

perverse

Better an open enemy, than a false friend

Better bend than break

Better die with honor than live with shame

Better do it than wish it done

Better late than never

Better one house spoiled than two

Better safe than sorry

Better to aim high and miss, than to aim low and reach target!

Better to be alone than in bad company

Better to be envied than pitied

Better to be lowly in spirit and among the oppressed than to share plunder with the

proud

Better to be safe than sorry

Better to have loved and lost, than never have loved at all

Better to light a candle than to curse the darkness

Better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife

Better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than a fool in his folly

Better to remain silent and appear a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all

doubt

9B. A new one we can add in the light of the next story is that better to let your wife

know what you are doing than to let her learn the hard way. A woman came home

to find her husband in the kitchen, shaking frantically with what looked like a wire

running from his waist toward the electric kettle. Intending to jolt him away from

the deadly current she whacked him with a plank of wood left by the back door,

breaking his arm in two places. Until that moment he had been happily listening to

his Walkman. You can count this man among the happy with a crust rather than a

feast with his out of step with contemporary gadgets wife.

10. This proverb has a universal aspect that applies to all of life. There are endless

comparisons where it fits. Better to have a 1998 Chevy in which you drive with

pleasant feelings than to have a Rolls Royce but face constant harping from your

spoiled wife. Better you live in a shack down by the river with a peaceful family than

live in a mansion with endless bickering and conflict. Better you wear garments that

are tattered and worn, but are loved by your wife and children than to wear the

latest fashions from Paris but have resentful kids and a bitter wife. The comparisons

are endless, and they all say the same thing: contentment with what you have and

are in all areas of life is enough for a happy life if your relationships are positive. On

the other hand, no amount of success and wealth can compensate for negative

relationships.

I Thess. 4:11 “Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life................"

2 A wise servant will rule over a disgraceful son, and will share the inheritance as one of the

brothers.

1. A servant who is so faithful, and so helpful, will become such an asset to the

family that he will be accepted as one of the family. In fact, if the family has a black

sheep of a son who has gone off and disgraced the family name, this servant will be

taken into the family as a replacement of that son. The end result will be that when

the inheritance is divided, he will be one of the brother who gets his share of it that

would have gone to the rebel son who is cut off from the family. This is a

tremendous motivation for the servant to be the best possible, and go beyond the

call of duty to make the family feel that they could not get along without him. The

lowest can become the highest when they are faithful to their duties, and so wise is

the servant who does his best in serving.

2. "A wise servant will be promoted over a foolish son. Consider. The son has the

inside track and his father's heart. But an employer cares for one thing -

performance! Thank you, Preacher! They do not care about age, color, sex, creed,

or nationality. They care about productivity, punctuality, integrity, obedience. They

resent foolish and lazy sons. And not only will a wise servant be promoted over a

son, he will be given an inheritance with the man's own sons - maybe an ownership

interest in the family business! A hard working servant will blow right past a lazy

son (10:5). Even kings will promote such men (14:35). Discrimination is just the

lying excuse of foolish, lazy, slow bellies! Wise men resent bellyaching sluggards,

who blame their circumstances rather than their foolishness and poor performance.

They are looking for men who will get the job done!" "Christian employees should

be the very best in the workplace (Rom 12:11; Col 3:22-25; I Thess 4:11-12; I Tim

6:1-2; Tit 2:9-10). For outstanding conduct on the job adorns the doctrine of God

our Savior and saves our religion from blasphemy far more than words." Let God

be True

3 The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but the LORD tests the heart.

1. Everything of value gets tested, and this is done to make sure that it is of value

and not a piece of junk, or something that will harm people rather than heal them,

or in some way help them achieve a purpose. There are literally tests going on for

just about everything you can imagine, and many you would never imagine, and so

it follows that if human lives and human hearts are of value, it is required that they

be tested. God tests the heart for the same reason that man tests the silver and gold.

They want a better product. They want silver and gold that a pure and of greater

value, and so they put them through the fire to burn away all impurities. The end

product is of greater value than the raw material, and so worth all the bother and

trouble involved in the smelting process. God applies this same truth to the process

of melting the hard hearts of people so they can be molded in such a way that they

bring blessings into their own lives and the lives of others. Such tested hearts

become the pure silver and gold of the spiritual life. They have the old man melted

away with all his impurities, and become pure sons of God with hearts that can

truly pray, "Not my will be thine be done."

2. Man has the equipment to smelt silver and gold, but there is no such equipment to

do this for the human heart. So God alone can provide the fire that is necessary to

purify the human heart. The Bible tells us that the heart is desperately wicked. It

tells us that more often than not it is as hard as nails, and not easily persuaded to

soften. It calls for a specialist to melt this stubborn steel of the inner life of man, and

God is just the specialist who can do it. He is the master refiner who can take a dirty

and corrupted heart through the fire of his testing and bring out a heart that is pure

and filled with praise to God and service to man. It is as if that heart has been born

again, for it is a new creation that longs to live for God and do his will. Before the

fire it was the worst of hearts, but after the fire it becomes the best of hearts. It is

the work of the master refiner, and it is a work of art. You can call it conversion,

justification or sanctification, but it can also be called our heavenly Fathers smelting

process. He has the patent on this process, and all the pain of it is designed for

pleasure just like the pain of the surgeon. The end product God wants is that which

is good for his kingdom and all concerned.

3. Let God Be True is a website with the study of Proverbs, and it states, "The

LORD can quickly find what is in your heart. He knows your worst fears, your

strongest temptations, your secret fantasies, your weakest moments, your trigger

points, and the sins that easily beset you. He can prove, assay, or refine you easily.

Tremble before Him! Worship Him! Humble yourself before He humbles you! He

uses the furnace of affliction to try our faith by adversity (Is 48:10). He uses the

furnace of infirmity to build our reliance on His grace (II Cor 12:9-10). And He uses

the furnace of temptation to measure our obedience (Gen 22:1-2; Heb 11:17-19).

With wisdom, we should rejoice in fiery trials, knowing they are perfecting us (Jas

1:2-4; Rom 5:3-5). We will recognize their great profit, not consider them strange,

and even pray for God to examine and prove us (Ps 26:2; 119:67,71,75; I Pet 4:12)."

4. This whole business of refining and smelting is a paradox, for it is not pleasant to

have bad stuff burned out of our hearts and minds. It hurts just like real fire hurts

the body. These fires of affliction test us and torment us in various ways and we

label it all as negative experience, and it clearly is. Yet, the end product is to make

us better people for having gone through the fire. So we usually look back when we

are made better and thank God for the pain, for now we enjoy the pleasure of being

better for the pain. But during the pain we are not happy with God for allowing us

to have to endure this pain. So the whole purifying process is filled with both

negative and positive emotions at different times. We both hate it and love it. We

despise the pain, but we delight in the pleasure. We are tormented by the pain, but

we treasure the pleasure at the end. It is just paradoxical, and so we can expect that

we will have mixed emotions about any testing that God sends our way. The point is,

one does not need to be positive about it all. It is okey to be like the Psalmist who

complains often about the trials of life, and cries out to God to stop the testing. A

child will deserve the whipping he gets for his impure behavior, but he will still hate

it, and risk more suffering by expressing anger at his parental torturer. This can

happen to believers also, and they lash out at their heavenly Father in anger at what

they have to endure. God can handle it just as parents do, so don't fret if negative

emotions sometimes overwhelm you toward God. It happens to the best of his

children.

5. The reality is that many do not go through the same fire as others. Some get a

finger burn and learn a quick lesson and do not touch the stove again. Others are

more stubborn and need a greater flame to reach their inner being. It is a mystery

that nobody has ever fully understood as to why some people go through so many

more trials than others. The final chapter, however, makes it clear that in the end all

will have to go through the fire. We tend to think that only the wicked will endure

the fire of judgment, but not so. All the redeemed will also have a time in the fire of

God's purifying judgment. Paul put it like this in 1CO 3:13 where he says, "Every

man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be

revealed by fire."The final test is to see what really survives of all you have done in

your life. If it is wood, hay and stubble it will burn up. You will still be saved, but

you will end up with no reward, for you contributed nothing to the kingdom of God.

You will have nothing to exchange with God for reward, for all you will have is

ashes, and in a place where even the streets are paved with gold, ashes are not an

asset.

6. The refining process of God is referred to in the following passages, and they

make it clear that the purpose is positive, and so if we can see from this perspective

we will be able to come to have positive emotions about the process long before those

who do not see the purpose. I Pet. 1:6-7 “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for

a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come

so that your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined

by fire--may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when

Jesus Christ is revealed.” Psalm 66:10 “For you, O God, tested us; you refined us

like silver.” Is. 48:10 “See, I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you

in the furnace of affliction.”

7. Dr. Joe Temple says that it is no blessing to miss out on the refining process,

unless it is a reality that you have little of impurities that need to be burned away.

He quotes Isa. 1:25 in The Living Bible. “I myself will melt you in the melting pot

and skim off your slag." That fits in better with the picture we are trying to

describe. God puts us in the melting pot and when the impurities rise to the top, He

skims them off as the refiner skims off the slag. The New American Standard

rendering of the Scripture presents this verse in other words which will help you to

get exactly what I am trying to say to you because the important thing is to

remember the impurities are there. In The New American Standard, we read: ``I will

smelt away your dross with lye, and remove all of your alloy." The word lye is a

better word for the translation for the word translated skim in your King James

Text. You know, one of the greatest criticisms that is leveled at the Church of the

Lord Jesus Christ is the criticism of hypocrisy. So often you feel everybody you

know is a hypocrite, and certainly individuals whom you are trying to reach will tell

you one of the reasons that they are not interested in coming to church, as they put

it, is there is so much hypocrisy. To be honest, most of us would have to admit that

their accusation is absolutely true, but I wonder if the reason the hypocrisy is there

so often is that so few of us have gone through the furnace of affliction, so few of us

have been in the fining pot.”

8. Dr. Temple goes on to point out that refining makes the metal have greater

strength, and makes it more useful for serving the purpose of God. All the silver and

gold in the Temple had to go through this refining process, and so it was for all who

would be the living temple of his people. He quotes Zech. 13:9, “And I will bring the

third part [the remnant] through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined,

and will try them as gold is tried: [then notice what happens] they shall call on my

name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The

LORD is my God.” He also quotes Job 23:10, “But he knows the way that I take:

when he has tried me, I shall come forth as gold.” The goal of all refining is to have

better people with a higher quality of life in the kingdom of God. It is not a bad

thing designed as punishment. It is a good thing designed to make you a better

person.

4 A wicked man listens to evil lips;

a liar pays attention to a malicious tongue. 1. People tend to like those who agree with their value system, and so a wicked man

will love the foul language that comes out of a man who is equally wicked. He has a

connection with evil language, for it is the language he speaks. If the tongue is

tearing down others with lies and misinformation he will listen intently, for he will

want to gather ideas on how he too can be so malicious with his tongue. The wicked

man is always open to new depths of evil, which he can achieve by paying attention

to those who have had more experience is the ways of wickedness. Just as wisdom is

ever seeking to advance and become wiser, so the fool is ever learning new depth of

folly. Each achieves the goal by the choice of who and what they listen to. Voices are

everywhere, and each gravitates to those voices that share a common value. The

wise listen to the Word of God, and the wicked listen to the lies of the father of lies.

Who you listen to determines your destination in life.

2. There are a number of proverbs that deal with lies, and all of them make it clear

that speaking them or listening to them is the way of the fool, and avoiding them is

the way of the wise.

6:19 A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among

brethren.

12:22 Lying lips are abomination to the LORD: but they that deal truly are his

delight.

14:5 A faithful witness will not lie: but a false witness will utter lies.

17:4 A wicked doer giveth heed to false lips; and a liar giveth ear to a naughty

tongue.

19:5 A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall not

escape.

3. "Solomon often condemns false lips, naughty tongues, and an evil mouth (6:17;

10:18,31-32; 12:13,22; 18:6-7,22; 21:6; 24:2,28; 26:24,28). And he praises godly and

gracious speech throughout Proverbs (13:2; 15:23; 16:13; 18:20-21; 22:11; 24:26;

25:11)." "But notice, this proverb does not condemn false lips or a naughty tongue.

It condemns the person who listens to such speech, and here we learn much wisdom.

To be truly holy and wise, we must avoid, reject, reprove, and eliminate the foolish

speech of others." Let God be True

4. Bridges gives us some examples from Scripture, "Here is a black, but true picture

of human nature. The wicked doer, not content with the stirring impulse of his

native lust, seeks foreign stimulants to give it increasing activity. Amnon thus

stimulated his own lust, by giving heed to the false lips of his friend. Ahab, to secure

his desired object, eagerly listened to the counsels of his murderous wife. The Jews

gave delighted ears to the flattering prophets in their wickedness. Active and intense

was the malice of the ungodly, in suborning false witness for our Lord s

condemnation. Yet there would not be so many open mouths, if there were not as

many willing ears to entertain them. But be it remembered, that the listening ears

share the responsibility of the naughty tongue ; as all are involved in the treason,

that are directly or indirectly acquainted with the plot."

5 He who mocks the poor shows contempt for their Maker;

whoever gloats over disaster will not go

unpunished. 1. How little do the youth understand that when they make fun of the poor student

who comes to school without the latest clothing, that they are showing contempt for

God. Parents need to teach their children not to make fun of those less fortunate, for

it could be the start of going down that road of the fool. How often do we as adults

realize that when we drive through a poor district and laugh at the pathetic houses

and cars of the people there, that we are showing contempt for our Lord who is ever

concerned about how we treat the very least. It is so hard for us as people blest with

a degree of wealth to not gloat over the disaster that leaves poor people living on a

level so low compared to us. We tend to gloat as if we are the sole author of our

better fate than them, and this pride rubs God the wrong way, and he will not let it

go by unpunished. The Bible makes it clear that God has a special place in his heart

for the poor, and to ignore that, and treat them with contempt is to spit in the face of

God. We do this in ignorance usually, and it is because we do not listen enough to

that which the Bible reveals about the poor.

1B. I like the way it is stated in this quote, "Why should I," asks Bishop Reynolds,

"for a little difference in this one particular of worldly wealth, despise my poor

brother ? When so many and great things unite us, shall wealth only disunite us ?

One sun shines on both; one blood bought us both; one heaven will receive us both ;

only he hath not so much of earth as I, and possibly much more of Christ. And why

should I disdain him on earth, whom happily the Lord will advance above me in

heaven?" The poor only lack in the area of material things, but the fact is, they may

be superior in the things of the spirit. To look down on them is folly, for in God's

eyes they may be the cream of the crop, and you be seen as the lesser than they. To

mock them is to be stupid in the eyes of God.

1C. Spurgeon felt it was a disgrace for a church not to have poor people in it. He

wrote, “When I hear of a church where they all are the wealthy and the upper class

of our society, then I always say farewell to them, for where there are no poor

people, the ship will soon sink. If there are no poor, then, Christ will soon give them

some, if they are a real Gospel church.” It is a shame when Christians with

abundance do not have personal friends in the church that they can benefit by their

abundance.

1D. Fortunately there are poor people who have a sense of humor about being poor.

One such person wrote, “I used to think I was poor. Then they told me I wasn't

poor, I was needy. Then they told me it was self-defeating to think of myself as

needy. I was deprived. (Oh not deprived but rather underprivileged.)Then they told

me that underprivileged was overused. I was disadvantaged. I still don't have a

dime. But I have a great vocabulary.”-Jules Feiffer

2. I have limited the gloating over disaster to the conditions of the poor because the

Bible does authorize the gloating over the disaster of the enemies of God and his

people. Someone stated, "Israel sings a song of triumph over the drowned corpses of

Pharaoh's armies; several Psalms speak of the joy of the righteous at the downfall of

the wicked (eg, Psalm 58); and the saints in heaven rejoice at the fall of the harlot

city Jerusalem in Revelation. Is such praise wicked? Is that what Proverbs has in

mind? That's not possible, since even the glorified saints in heaven rejoice over the

fall of Babylon the Great City." Who of us has not rejoiced at the wicked and cruel

man in the movies coming to a disastrous end with the good guy shooting him, or his

car going over the cliff? We are delighted that justice is finally done, and the wicked

man meets his disastrous but deserved end. Not to be happy at this would be

unnatural, for it is the very end that God would be delighted to see. So it does not

make sense to apply this to all disaster, but just to the disaster of the living

conditions of the poor in comparison to those on a level above them. Being mean to

poor people in any way is the way of the fool.

3. Having written the above, we have to face the reality that there is another

proverb that makes it clear that we are not to gloat over the fall of an enemy. This is

something different than the disaster of this proverb, for it is no disaster when an

enemy falls. It is a blessing, but we are not to gloat over it as if it is we who have

won. It is God's doing, and a blessing to us, but a disaster to those who loved the

enemy. Our gloating is self-centered pride and ignores the sorrow and pain on the

other side. The enemy soldiers who die in battle had no more choice than your

soldiers, and they have wives and children too who will suffer great loss. To be

unaware of this and carelessly treat them as nothing of value is to be without

compassion, which is very unlike our Lord. That is why we need to hear Proverbs

24:17-18. "Do not gloat when your enemy falls, when he stumbles, do not let your

heart rejoice, or the Lord will see and disapprove and turn his wrath away from

him." In other words, God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked. He has

compassion on all, and if you have no compassion, but instead delight in the death of

the wicked, you are on a different page from God, and he will change his attitude

based on your lack of compassion, and turn from his wrath. In other words, you

may be the one coming to the rescue of your enemy if you are gloating over his

defeat. God may just spare him due to your foolish spirit of happiness over the

disaster of another human being. The bottom line is, there is a time for gloating and

a time to refrain from gloating, and the wise will seek the mind of Christ to know

when each is proper.

3B. I have to admit that this does get confusing to try and distinguish when we can

gloat, and when we ought not to gloat. It is probably wise to avoid it always, but we

cannot escape that it has validity. We go back to Proverbs 1 and discover that

wisdom gets a kick out of the fall of the foolish. It laughs and mocks at the stupid

choices of the fool. Prov. 1:22 to 31 reveals the gloating of the wise over the stupidity

of the fool. It says,

22 "How long will you simple ones [d] love your simple ways?

How long will mockers delight in mockery

and fools hate knowledge?

23 If you had responded to my rebuke,

I would have poured out my heart to you

and made my thoughts known to you.

24 But since you rejected me when I called

and no one gave heed when I stretched out my hand,

25 since you ignored all my advice

and would not accept my rebuke,

26 I in turn will laugh at your disaster;

I will mock when calamity overtakes you-

27 when calamity overtakes you like a storm,

when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind,

when distress and trouble overwhelm you.

28 "Then they will call to me but I will not answer;

they will look for me but will not find me.

29 Since they hated knowledge

and did not choose to fear the LORD,

30 since they would not accept my advice

and spurned my rebuke,

31 they will eat the fruit of their ways

and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.

4. Clearly there is a time to rejoice with the Lord over the defeat of those who are

fools, and who go the way of folly. The defeat of evil and stupidity is a good goal,

and the believer is to rejoice when their is progress in overcoming all that is

spawned by the thinking of fools. The real enemy is not just people, but the thinking

and the world view of people. We are to rejoice with God when folly and stupidity

are brought down to defeat, but still rejoice that the stupid person can be redeemed.

The pleasure of the believer is not in the disaster of people being destroyed, but in

their stupid ideas and values being destroyed. We rejoiced over the defeat and

failure of communism, but there is no point in gloating over the poor masses that

suffer because of failed ideas. It is a constant battle to be so in tune with the mind of

God that we know what is appropriate feelings to have toward the disasters of the

world, and especially those that come upon our enemies. In movies it is quite

obvious that we are to rejoice when the bad guy get it in the end. In real life it is a lot

harder to determine what our response should be.

4B. Psalm 52:1-7 gives us an example where it is appropriate to laugh with God at

the disaster of the wicked. It is like a description of the land grabbing rich man in

the Western who cares not for the many poor people he drives off their ranches. We

always rejoice and laugh when the good guy brings this scoundrel to his grave. This

man is pure evil, and we can rejoice over his death, but not all enemies are pure evil.

We may have personal enemies that just differ in many ways and do not like us or

our way of thinking as believers. They are not in the same category with the wicked

who are opposed to all that God wills. We ought not to rejoice in their fall in the

same way as the fall of the wicked. This Psalm is dealing with God's enemies, and

they deserve nothing but the worst, and so it is valid to rejoice at their disaster.

1 Why do you boast of evil, you mighty man?

Why do you boast all day long,

you who are a disgrace in the eyes of God?

2 Your tongue plots destruction;

it is like a sharpened razor,

you who practice deceit.

3 You love evil rather than good,

falsehood rather than speaking the truth.

Selah

4 You love every harmful word,

O you deceitful tongue!

5 Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin:

He will snatch you up and tear you from your tent;

he will uproot you from the land of the living.

Selah

6 The righteous will see and fear;

they will laugh at him, saying,

7 "Here now is the man

who did not make God his stronghold

but trusted in his great wealth

and grew strong by destroying others!"

5. It could, of course, apply to that wicked gloating that comes into our hearts when

a friend or acquaintance has a dream collapse, or some bad thing happens to them.

It makes us feel good because we do not want anyone to have wonderful things

happen to them that leaves us behind. It hurts our self esteem to see even a friend

have blessings that put them on a higher level. This is wicked gloating, and we need

to catch it in its early stages before it becomes a full blown sin. It is a temptation

when it first comes into our minds, but if we hold on to it and rehearse it over and

over until we enjoy it, we are gloating over an evil thought, and this will be worthy

of judgment by God.

6. I want to share a number of verses in Proverbs that deal with the poor in order to

make an impression on all readers that it is folly to think less of the poor, and to

treat them in any negative way because they are poor. These verses make it clear

that God loves the poor, and he expects those who love him to love them as well, and

to treat them with respect. Modern translations may change some of the meanings,

but it was convenient to have them all compiled already in the KJV.

17:5 Whoso mocketh the poor reproacheth his Maker: and he that is glad at

calamities shall not be unpunished.

18:23 The poor useth intreaties; but the rich answereth roughly.

19:1 Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his

lips, and is a fool.

19:4 Wealth maketh many friends; but the poor is separated from his neighbour.

19:17 He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD; and that which he

hath given will he pay him again.

22:2 The rich and poor meet together: the LORD is the maker of them all.

22:9 He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the

poor.

22:22 Rob not the poor, because he is poor: neither oppress the afflicted in the

gate:

22:23 For the LORD will plead their cause, and spoil the soul of those that spoiled

them.

28:6 Better is the poor that walketh in his uprightness, than he that is perverse in

his ways, though he be rich.

28:8 He that by usury and unjust gain increaseth his substance, he shall gather it

for him that will pity the poor.

28:11 The rich man is wise in his own conceit; but the poor that hath

understanding searcheth him out.

28:27 He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack: but he that hideth his eyes shall

have many a curse.

29:7 The righteous considereth the cause of the poor: but the wicked regardeth

not to know it.

29:13 The poor and the deceitful man meet together: the LORD lighteneth both

their eyes.

29:14 The king that faithfully judgeth the poor, his throne shall be established for

ever.

6 Children's children are a crown to the aged,

and parents are the pride of their children.

1. Grandchildren are precious to old people, for they are the fruit of their children,

and this means they have lived to see their children successful in carrying on the

family name by producing new lives. This gives them hope that family values will

continue to be passed on from generation to generation. It is a crown of victory to

have lived to see these grandchildren, and the parent are proud of old mom and dad

for their successful raising of them to the point of bearing these new lives. This is a

picture of a happy family with three generations living in harmony and gratitude

for each other. These three generations represent the harmony of the trinity where

Father, Son and Holy Spirit dwell in perfect cooperation. It is the ideal of life to live

to see three generations so living. It is the blessing of old age to reach this level. Not

all can reach this level for various reasons, and it does not mean they cannot be blest

in many other ways, but this is the best for those with family. The unmarried and

childless need to find their glory and crown in a different area of life.

2. Someone wrote, " Solomon is exalting large and extended, functional and happy,

families. He is describing exceptional families." Many do not reach this level even

though the three generations exist. Some grandkids forsake the family values and go

after idols, and many families become dysfunctional and are not a blessing to

themselves or others. This is the picture of what God wills for each family, but it

takes a lot of wisdom to make it become a reality. The Jews failed often and had to

experience the judgment of God on the children who forsook Jehovah and went a

whoring after other gods. If this picture fits your family you should be praising God

daily for the gift of family, for by his providence you have made the wise decisions

that preserved your family in the midst of a world of family breakdown.

3. "Fathers are to train their children (Eph 6:4). Children are to obey and honor

their parents (Eph 6:1-3). Fathers are to secure an inheritance for their children

(13:22; 19:14; II Cor 12:14). Grandchildren are to rise up and honor their

grandparents (16:31; Lev 19:32). Grandfathers should oversee all of this to fulfill

their great calling and leave a heritage." "Old man or old woman, what investment

will you make today in your children's children? They will only crown you now and

after you are gone, if you guide, train, and warn them regularly in matters of

godliness and character. At this stage in life you should have more time and wisdom

to impart to them than at any other." Let God be True

4. Bridges, "This Proverb has its limit. What a crown of thorns to each other are an

ungodly progeny and graceless parents ! Little glory indeed did Rehoboam and his

son add to their fathers. As little was the godly Hezekiah dignified by his reprobate

parent. But in the ordinary course gracious children and parents reflect honor upon

each other. Such parents rejoice in the number and growth of their children. Such

children regard their father s name as their glory. Joseph was indeed a crown to his

aged father; as

was Jacob himself the glory of his child, even in a Heathen nation. A good root

maketh the branches to flourish......"

7 Arrogant lips are unsuited to a fool— how much worse lying lips to a ruler!

1. It is bad enough for a fool to act proud and superior to others, but even that folly

is not to be compared to the utter stupidity of a ruler who lies to his people. His

position is one that demands the greatest respect for the people he rules, and so to lie

to them is treason. We usually think of treason as the undermining of the

government by the people, but Solomon says it can also be the guilt of the

government toward the people. It is treason to lead people astray and lead them into

harms way by lies. That is evil and wicked behavior that is hatched in the flames of

hell, and there are few things a ruler can do that are more destructive to his people

than such lies. An arrogant fool who lies about his greatness is not as bad as the

arrogant ruler who lies about his goodness. The one pretends to be superior to

others when he is not, and the other pretends to be a benefactor to others when he is

not. Both are fools, for they use their speech in such a way that they hope will

deceive people, and such deception is folly. It is a disgrace for a ruler not to have the

highest regard for being honest with his people. He becomes less than the fool when

he lies and deceives them.

2. "Thankfully, there have been wise rulers who knew the value of truthfulness in

office. Louis IX of France (1214-1270) said, "If truth be banished from all the rest of

the world, it ought to be found in the breast of princes." And King Alphonsus of

Arragon, who read the Bible through fourteen times, declared, "One word of a

prince should be a greater security than a private man's oath." A king's divine

sentence cannot contain lies (16:10). Faithfulness, honesty, and truth uphold thrones

and leaders, for those under authority find comfort, peace, and security in the

certainty of their ruler's words. Great kings delight in righteousness and right

speaking, which flows from a pure heart (16:13; 22:11). They know that truth will

preserve their reign (12:19) and lies will corrupt their court (29:12).There has been

only one king whose lips never came close to lying - Jesus Christ - the Faithful and

True Witness (Rev 1:5; 3:14; 19:11). He is the Truth (John 14:6). He is the Word of

Truth (Jas 1:18). He brought grace and truth, and He bore witness to the truth

(John 1:14,17; 18:37; Rom 15:8)." Let God be True

3. Bridges, "Men naturally speak as they are. The lip is the organ of the heart. The

lip of exellency to speak suitably of high and lofty things evidently becometh not a

fool. A grave discourse on godliness becometh not an ungodly man. It carries no

weight, and,

so far from doing good, it often brings contempt. Christ would not accept even a

sound confession from the lips of Satan, lest it should bring an occasion of

stumbling. So unseemly was excellent speech from so corrupt a source ! Much less

do lying lips become a Prince the Minister and Guardian of truth. Yet in a world,

where self reigns supreme, such inconsistencies are but too prevalent. The pure

doctrine of our Divine Master alone secures Christian consistency in heart, lip and

life."

8 A bribe is a charm to the one who gives it;

wherever he turns, he succeeds.

1. Who says crime dosen't pay? Not the Bible, for Solomon says the man with a

bribe can succeed very well, and have it pay off in a big way by getting his will done

on earth rather than the will of God. A briber is in competition with God, and

sometimes he wins and comes out ahead. It is as if he has a magic charm that

enables him to overcome all the forces for good and achieve his evil and devious

goal. Whoever said money talks had it right, for money can persuade people to do

things that sweet and eloquent speech can never achieve. Solomon is acknowleging

that a bribe is an effective tool in getting things done, and it can work to the

advantage of those who want to do evil. All the verses of the Bible on the bribe deal

with condemnation of it as a great evil, but this and one other in Proverbs 21:14

imply that it has value "A gift given in secret soothes anger, and a bribe concealed

in the cloak pacifies great wrath." It is possible to buy your way out of serious

trouble with a bribe. It is a bad thing, but for the person in trouble who is willing

and able to come up with a bribe, it can be a blessing. It is paradoxical, but a fact

that an evil thing like a bribe can be a blessing. The best illustration is the

missionaries who go to nations where bribery is the way you get things done. They

have to bribe officials to get their liscense to drive or do other necessities in their

ministry. If they don't bribe they don't get to do their ministry,and so Christians

have to have bribe money to do God's work. It is evil, but believers are stuck with

having to cooperate with the evil system to do good.

2. The Bible has quite a bit to say about bribes. Here are the 12 other places where it

is dealt with, and you will note that they are all in condemnation of the bribe.

Exodus 23:8 "Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds those who see and twists the

words of the righteous.

Deuteronomy 16:19 "Do not pervert justice or show partiality. Do not accept a

bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous."

Deuteronomy 27:25 "Cursed is the man who accepts a bribe to kill an innocent

person." Then all the people shall say, "Amen!"

1 Samuel 12:3 "Here I stand. Testify against me in the presence of the LORD and

his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I

cheated? Whom have I oppressed? From whose hand have I accepted a bribe to

make me shut my eyes? If I have done any of these, I will make it right."

Job 36:18 "Be careful that no one entices you by riches; do not let a large bribe turn

you aside.

Psalm 15:5 "who lends his money without usury and does not accept a bribe against

the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken."

Proverbs 6:35 "He will not accept any compensation; he will refuse the bribe,

however great it is."

Proverbs 17:23 "A wicked man accepts a bribe in secret to pervert the course of

justice."

Ecclesiastes 7:7 "Extortion turns a wise man into a fool, and a bribe corrupts the

heart."

Isaiah 5:23 "who acquit the guilty for a bribe, but deny justice to the innocent."

Micah 3:11 "Her leaders judge for a bribe, her priests teach for a price, and her

prophets tell fortunes for money. Yet they lean upon the LORD and say, "Is not the

LORD among us? No disaster will come upon us."

Acts 24:26 "At the same time he was hoping that Paul would offer him a bribe, so he

sent for him frequently and talked with him."

3. It is a strong temptation to take a bribe, and people in power are offered bribes

all the time to make decisions that favor them. Government leaders are ever open to

receiving gifts for their votes on those issues that benefit the briber. The best of men

struggle with this issue, and sometime they fail to resist the pressure of the bribe.

Bridges wrote, "Does no bias of friendship no plausible advantage entice into a

crooked path ? Oh ! be resolute in a better strength than thine own in the resistance

of the sin. The conflict is not with violent temptation, or with open sin, but with

subtle, and apparently harmless, deviations from the strait path. Exercise thy "

integrity and uprightness," in the spirit of faith, and doubt not that they will " keep

thee." The man of God, thus walking with God will look down upon this corruption

with indignant abhorrence "Let thy gifts be to thyself Thy money perish with thee."

Easier said than done, as any senator will tell you.

4. Solomon is just acknowledging the fact that bribery works. It has great potential

power for evil to be achieved. Philip of Macedonia, the father of Alexander the

Great, said, "There is no fortress so strong, but it might be taken, if an ass laden

with gold was brought to the gate"! People will betray their own for the right price,

and we see this in the Bible. Someone wrote, "Covetous Balaam could not rule his

lust for the coins of Moab (Num 22:7-8,21; II Pet 2:15-16). Wicked Simon tried to

buy the apostolic gift of the Holy Spirit, but Peter would have none of it (Acts 8:17-

24). Of course, the Jews paid Judas thirty pieces of silver to betray Jesus Christ

(Matt 26:14-16); but they also bribed the guards who had been at His resurrection

(Matt 28:11-15)."

9 He who covers over an offense promotes love, but whoever repeats the matter separates

close friends.

1. The cover up sounds like evil only in our ears because of our national history

where the cover up is a term for hiding illegal behavior from the press and the

people. There is another positive view of the cover up here, for it is a cover up when

you know a person has fallen short of the glory of God, but you do not rip the cover

off and expose the guilty one to the eyes of the public. Instead, you hide the scandal

of his fall, and you cover it over with forgiveness so that nobody needs to know. The

guilty does not need to suffer disgrace because it is dealt with in private and all

parties are satisfied with the outcome. The offended are brought to the point of

forgiving the offender, for he has repented and God has forgiven, and so loving

people have also forgiven. The sin is never made public. On the other hand, you

have the no cover up legalist who insists that the public should know, and so he goes

to the press, or to friends and squeals on the offended. This demands that people

treat the fallen sinner as an enemy lest they condone his sin. The public scandal

forces people to break association, and they may never become friends again. The

blabber mouth and gossip destroys what could have been saved by a private dealing

with the issue with all who are involved in the offense. Wise people deal in private as

much as possible, and thereby show love. Fools make everything a public matter,

and add to the pain of all involved. If you are a hater or a lover can be discerned by

the way you deal with sensitive issues. Prov. 10:12 says, "Hatred stirreth up strifes:

but love covereth all sins."

2. Some wise words by the source Let God be True, "Covering a transgression is

how you show love and win friends. It is forgiving and forgetting personal wrongs

others do to you. A certainty of human relations is that others will regularly irritate

and offend you. But what you do with these personal transgressions is the key. By

ignoring the provocations and slights of others, you esteem them more important

than yourself - which is true love and friendliness (Phil 2:3; I Cor 13:4-7). Wise men

glory in the opportunity to pass over the personal transgressions of others; their

discreet wisdom defers their anger (19:11). See the comments on 19:11. Nothing

ruffles them, especially the minor irritations that commonly occur among men.

They know they have been forgiven much, so it is easy for them to forgive others.

They know they have beams in their own eyes, so they do not worry about the

specks in others' eyes."

3. One of the great acts of God in his infinite grace to fallen man is the covering over

of his sin. Mike Hays wrote, "Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose

sins are covered." (Psalm 32:1 NIV) God’s Word teaches us that when we confess

our sins to God then He in turn covers our sin and never brings them up again.

What a blessing! We see the same idea shared with us in Psalm 85:2.You forgave the

iniquity of your people and covered all their sins. Selah (Psalm 85:2 NIV)" Our

heavenly Father is involved in the greatest cover up in all of history, for in Christ he

covers up the sins of all who put their faith in him. He covers them with the white

robe of the righteousness of Christ, and he sees us as white as snow instead of black

as sin.

4. Solomon says it even stronger in this verse, "Hatred stirs up dissension, but love

covers over all wrongs." (Proverbs 10:12 NIV) God's love for us covered it all, and

when we have the mind of God we will not let hate rule our lives, and allow us to

become trouble makers. We will have his love that makes us peacemakers by being

willing to cover up the sins of others through the power of forgiveness. A life of hate

involves digging up dirt on others and making it an issue. Someone said, however,

that he who throws dirt is losing ground. It is the way of the fool and the loser. A life

of love involves seeking ways to help people be overcomers and cover up their follies

and mistakes, and get on the right path where God wants them to be. Hate pushes

people down; love lifts them up. Hate looks at the failures of others, but love covers

over the failures of the past, and focuses on the potential for success. By covering up

the past failures one is liberated to press on to be the better person he is capable of

being, and this is what love does for every sinner confronted.

10 A rebuke impresses a man of discernment

more than a hundred lashes a fool. 1.To the wise man a few words of rebuke have a greater inpact than a hundred

lashes on the back of a fool. A word to the wise changes things, but not to the fool.

Imagine the fool with his back bleeding after a hundred lashes saying, "I don't get

it, what did I do wrong?" The wise man after a few words of rebuke says, "I see. I

am sorry for what I did." Such is the difference between the wise and the fool. One

can be easily led to see their transgression, while the other can never seem to grasp

why people are offended by his behavior.

2. One of the things the Proverbs make clear is that one of the greatest

characteristics of the wise person is the ability to take rebuke as a blessing and a

gift, and one of the worst characteristics of the fool is the lack of discernment about

the benefits of rebuke. Read these verses below and make sure you are in the right

category in responding to rebuke.

9:8 Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love

thee.

12:1 Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge: but he that hateth reproof is

brutish.

15:5 A fool despiseth his father's instruction: but he that regardeth reproof is

prudent.

15:10 Correction is grievous unto him that forsaketh the way: and he that hateth

reproof shall die.

15:12 A scorner loveth not one that reproveth him: neither will he go unto the wise.

15:32 He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul: but he that heareth

reproof getteth understanding.

24:25 But to them that rebuke him shall be delight, and a good blessing shall come

upon them.

25:12 As an earring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold, so is a wise reprover

upon an obedient ear.

27:5 Open rebuke is better than secret love.

28:23 He that rebuketh a man afterwards shall find more favour than he that

flattereth with the tongue.

29:1 He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be

destroyed, and that without remedy.

29:15 The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his

mother to shame.

3. The wise listen to those who have a good reason to want them to be better people.

They try to see from their perspective and are willing to change when they see it as a

positive move. They appreciate the one who has given them the advice. Of course,

we know that there are people who will rebuke us because they are enemies of our

faith and conduct, and we certainly will not give heed to their advice to forsake our

stand on the Word of God. Critics of all kinds are not our friends, but some are, and

these we need to listen to in order to become more of what we can be to please both

God and man.

4. "How well do you take reproof? Do you only have to be told once you are doing

something wrong to change your conduct? Or do you need to be told repeatedly? Or

do a hundred stripes of punishment from men and God only harden you? This is the

acid test of wisdom. How well do you take reproof? A wise man is improved by a

single reproof, but a fool does not change, even with devastating punishment. A

fool's arrogance and stubbornness are so great, he cannot and will not learn." Let

God be True

5. A wise man is willing to change when it is made clear that he can be better than he is now. A fool will not change, for he is determined that he is already as good as

he can be. A fool is inflexible and unwilling to learn how to improve. This has been a

problem all through history for nations as well as people. Nations that cannot

change and learn new ways are doomed. Take the Romans for example: For

hundreds of years they fought and conquered the world, but then times changed.

Someone wrote this account: “They believed and highly organized infantry

formations, armed with spears and Sword. The Goths did not have the benefit of

iron discipline and great generals. They invented their tactics as they went along

and fought in informal units. The Romans were puzzled by this kind of guerrilla warfare. They did not understand that enemy that refuse to form of visible pattern

of battle, but struck at random. And the earlier days, the Romans had been able to

add that their battle array to fit the circumstances, as we saw at the Battle of the

Aum. But now they had been Supreme too long. They were set in their ways. That

loss the flexibility of strategy which is the essence of attaining victory " their lack of

ability to change led to their defeat.”

6. Part of the problem with change is that we always think that it is the other person who needs to do the changing. We tend to have a self-centered perspective that sees

only our perfection and the imperfection of others. Like the one girl who was saying

to the other, "I don't understand how boys can be so changeable-yesterday George

was just adorable, today I can't stand him." George will be better off eating crust

than feasting with this gal unless there is some changes in her perspective.

11 An evil man is bent only on rebellion;

a merciless official will be sent against him.

1. An evil man would not be evil if he was willing to conform to the rules, but he is

evil because he has only one purpose in life and that is to rebel against what God

and man have established as the way to the good life. He wants no part of it, but

seeks to get others to join him in disobeying the laws of God. He will not be held

accountable to anyone, not even God. He is a free man and nobody is going to tell

him what to do, or not to do. If you tell him not to do something he will go ahead

and do it just because it proves him not to be a conformist. Society has laws

established by wisdom to make life as best they can for the good of the community,

but he has no love for the community. They hate him, and he hates them back, so

why should he go by their rules? He leans only one way. If it is good, he will bend

the other way, for evil is his good, and not the good of God or man. He only cares

what he wants, and what anybody else wants is none of his concern. If hell is his

goal, he has found the perfect path, and it will take him there with great speed.

Some official will soon have his name on the most wanted list, and he will be

arrested and either confined or executed. He is a pure fool with a hint of goodness.

2. Rebellion is the foundation of sin, for all sin is due to refusal to obey God. Let

God be True wrote, "Rebellion brought sin into the universe. The devil rebelled

against his role in heaven - he wanted more (Jude 1:6). Adam condemned humanity

to death - physical and eternal - by rebelling against God's word in Eden (Gen 2:17;

Rom 5:12-14). God burned up Sodom for rebelling against God and nature's laws

for man-woman sex (Jude 1:7). And he opened up the earth to swallow Korah for

complaining against Moses (Num 16:1-34). The Lord, the great God, will punish

rebellion against His word or His authorities. He kept Moses from Canaan for

rebelling against His command (Num 20:24). He describes civil rebels as

comparable to rabid dogs needing to be put down (II Pet 2:10-12)."

12 Better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs

than a fool in his folly. 1. Here is a case where experiencing the better is not in the least inviting. It might be

better than meeting a fool in his folly, but it is far better not to meet either one, and

that is the path I prefer to walk. Meeting a bear robbed of her cubs is about as scary

and dangerous as any experience can be, and so I would rather be confronted by the

fool, and most people would make this same choice if they had a choice between the

two. This is an exaggerated way of saying how dangerous a fool can be to our lives.

It is telling us to avoid them like you would wild animals on the rampage. Be on the

lookout for fools, and go the other way. Hide from this like you would a wild beast

out to consume anything in sight. Wise are those who are never caught up in the

folly of the fool. If you want to be stupid just go and try calming a ferocious bear,

but don't be super stupid and try to lead a fool to change his attitude. 2. Let God Be True wrote, "Some fools are merely lazy and stupid, so they are not

very dangerous (17:16; 21:20; Eccl 10:15). While irritating and troublesome, they

are not a great threat to a righteous man. Their folly will do them more harm than

anyone else. For example, the folly of children and saints can be corrected (22:15;

Luke 24:25-26; I Cor 15:36; Gal 3:1). But other fools are malicious and scornful;

they are very dangerous (21:24; 26:12; 27:3; 29:20,22). The wickedness of

incorrigible fools cannot be corrected, no matter what you do (17:10; 27:22; 29:9).

The Bible calls these profane fools, "sons of Belial," or evil personified (I Sam

25:3,17; II Sam 23:6-7; I Kgs 21:10,13). They are brute beasts to be destroyed (II

Pet 2:10-12). Wise men stay far away from these wicked fools (9:6-8; 14:7)

2B. "A fool is in his folly when he is out of control and acting by base and profane

passions. Rage is the anger of a fool (14:29; 29:22; Eccl 7:9). Consider Cain killing

Abel (Gen 4:1-12)! Simeon and Levi destroying a city against their father's word (Gen 49:5-7). Doeg killing God's priests (I Sam 22:9-19)! Nebuchadnezzar heating a

furnace sevenfold for good men (Dan 3:14-22)! And Herod slaughtering Bethlehem's

little children (Mat 2:16)!"

3. Mike Hays tells this true account of just how dangerous it can be to be confronted

by a fool in his folly. What this story reveals also is that one can be a genius and still

be a fool. He wrote, "Ted Kaczynski was born on May 22, 1942, and grew up in

Evergreen Park, a working-class suburb of Chicago. He has the IQ of a genius. He

attended Harvard University and then the University of Michigan, where he

received a Ph.D. in mathematics in 1967. The same year, Dr. Kaczynski worked as

an assistant professor of mathematics at the University of California at Berkeley,

where he was widely recognized as a teacher who would gain tenure. He abruptly

resigned in 1969. Dr. Kaczynski was a mathematics whiz, but he took his genius and

spent his time and abundant gray matter on devising ways to terrorize people with

homemade bombs. Now he is spending his time doing time…for the rest of his time

on earth. Maybe you’ve heard of the Unabomber. Ted Kaczynski is living proof that

you can have a high IQ, gain a great education, come from a promising or

prominent family background, and yet absolutely ruin your life and the lives of

those around you."

4. Clearly, the lesson from the above story is that there are people that we are to

steer away from as companions, and as friends, for they are angry people inside,

and that anger can explode at any time and threaten the lives of those around them.

Solomon said point blank in 22:24, "Make no friendship with an angry man, and

with a furious man, do not go". There are people we have no business hanging out

with. There anger is dynamite, and it can be deadly. When they are a fool on top of

being angry, it is all the more important to avoid them even more than you would

avoid an angry bear.

13 If a man pays back evil for good,

evil will never leave his house. 1. To repay a good deed, or a good gift, or a helpful hand in time of need, by doing

evil to the benefactor, is to bring upon yourself a well deserved curse. You will pay

for that folly for the rest of your life. Who is so evil that they will pay back a good

person with a kind heart a kick in the face for their act of kindness? It is

unthinkable, and yet there must be people capable of such demonic folly or Solomon

never would have thought of such a thing. This is such unutterable folly that God

cannot let it go by. He has to make such a fool endure the folly of his ways

perpetually. He will be made to think of his folly endlessly. 2. "It is sin to repay evil for evil, for vengeance belongs to God (Rom 12:17; I Thess

5:15; I Pet 3:9). But it is even worse to repay evil for good, for that shows a brutish and devilish heart. The consequences for such vile conduct are certain - God will

severely judge you with perpetual trouble. It is your duty and privilege to return

goodness for goodness." "David killed Goliath for timid Saul and served him well (I

Sam 17:50-53; 18:5). But Saul was jealous of this godly man and tried to kill him, so

God destroyed his family and gave the ruling power to the tribe of Judah (I Sam

19:1; 25:28-31; II Sam 6:21). Much of His reign was ruined by the envy that

consumed his soul and left him hopeless in the end." Let God Be True

3. Let God Be True goes on to give some practical applications of this for children in

relation to their parents. "Have you rewarded your parents for the love, time, effort,

and expense they invested in you, while you were demanding food, dirtying yourself,

and then giving them teenage nightmares? When was the last time you took them

out to eat? Wrote them and thanked them for being great parents? Bought them a

gift? Spent a little on them in some way? Teenager! One of the vilest criminals in the

world is a child who disrespects and rebels against his parents! After all they have

done for you, how can you possibly mistreat them in the slightest way? You should

be honoring them like a king and queen! You deserve to die a painful death (Ex

21:15,17; Lev 20:9; Deut 21:18-21; 27:16; Pr 20:20; 30:17)!"

14 Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam;

so drop the matter before a dispute breaks

out. 1. Only a fool would ever weaken and break the dam that keeps his property from

flooding and washing away his home, and yet people are stupid enough to start

quarrels that do the same thing. Many a story can be recorded of rich people like

movie stars who start a quarrel with their mate and it leads to their property being

divided and the home being washed away by lawyers fees and child support. So

many fights are foolish from the start, for they can only do damage and not do any

good. Yet fools will pursue them to their detriment. A fool cannot drop a matter no

matter how stupid it is to dispute it. He feels compelled to break it open and let the

flood waters of anger come splashing into his life destroying it like the raging river

flowing over its banks. He may wish he would have dropped the matter when he is

going down for the third time, but it is too late at that point. Wise people look at the

consequences of the issues they bring to the floor, and when they see it will be costly

for no good reason they drop it. The fool just goes by the impulse to shout forth

everything he feels with no regard to the consequences, and he pays the price of his

folly.

2. There are so many ways to become a fool, but one of the easiest is to start a fight.

The Proverbs has several verses that deal with this folly. 17:14 The beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water: therefore leave off

contention, before it be meddled with.

18:6 A fool's lips enter into contention, and his mouth calleth for strokes.

29:9 If a wise man contendeth with a foolish man, whether he rage or laugh, there is

no rest.

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.

3. "It takes two to fight. Either party can avoid or end a fight by letting the matter

go. For once a fight has two combatants, it will get much worse. If an opening is

made in an earthen dam or dike, water does not settle for a small stream, but

quickly eats away the opening and violently escapes in a flood. In the same way,

strife will grow quickly. Wisdom demands we withdraw at the first sign of conflict.

If we stay and trade facial expressions, words, or blows, a small confrontation can

quickly escalate into a major fight. One foolish retort is followed by an angry

demand, which generates a spiteful contradiction, leading to a hasty accusation; and

soon both parties are foolishly flailing at each other with words or blows. Such

conduct is neither wise nor Christian! It is easy to see the beginning of strife, but

who can see and calculate the damage in the end?" Let God Be True

4. I know this is important in real life, but it would sure make Western movies

boring if there were no foolish fights, for how can the hero show his manhood

without being able to punch a whole group of cowboys in the bar into

unconsciousness? We know that it is all fake, but the reality is, there are hot headed

fools in bars every night and people are getting killed for no reason except that

people are fools, and they do not know how to drop anything that rubs them the

wrong way. The best way to keep a dam from breaking is to leave it alone, and that

is the key to preventing a conflict that leads to damage of bodies and relationships.

You just leave things alone that provoke fights, and find another way of releasing

your frustration. Only a fool says everything he feels like saying. A wise person uses

some common sense and refrains his mouth from vocalizing every thought that

comes into his head when someone is provoking him. If silence is ever golden it is

when an angry word will kindle a flame that will be hard to put out without getting

burned.

5. Unfortunately, the Christians of the early church found it hard to follow this

proverb. Steve Shepherd has compiled Scripture to show the conflicts of believers

then, and makes some comments.

James 4:1-3 “What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from

your desires that battle within you? You want something but don’t get it. You kill

and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not

have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you

ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.”

I Cor. 3:3 “You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among

you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men?”

II Cor. 12:20 “For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to

be, and you may not find me as you want me to be. I fear that there may be

quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, gossip, arrogance and

disorder.”

The Corinthians were apparently a quarrelsome lot and it was not good. Quarreling

is an indication of worldliness in a person’s heart, which can lead to other things.We

had a young deacon in one church who always had something to say at board

meetings even if there was no business to discuss. And the problem was, what he

wanted to say was always negative or of a quarrelsome nature. It seemed like he

always wanted to argue about something. Consequently, he didn’t influence many

people or win many friends.

6. Shepherd goes on, “When people want to argue and fight all the time they have a

problem deep within. Quarreling is an indication that someone is not getting their

way and this is nothing more than selfishness. And self is the biggest sinner of all!

Someone said, “A boy becomes a man when he walks around a puddle instead of

through it.” It may also be that a boy becomes a man when he is willing to walk

away instead of fight. Another person said, “One of the marks of a gentleman is his

refusal to make an issue out of every difference of opinion.”

7. In our culture it is often thought that one that backs down from a fight is a

coward, but the Bible has a different perspective. Prov. 20:3 “It is to a man’s honor

to avoid strife, but every fool is quick to quarrel.” Preceptaustin has this illustration

of the folly of fighting. "The newspaper reported a tragic incident of violence that

took place in a South American country. A peasant killed his best friend while they

were arguing about political differences. When asked why he did it, he replied with

these chilling words: "We began peacefully, and then we argued. I killed him when I

ran out of words."

8. History is filled with foolish conflicts that divide family and friends, and even

nations, and it is all because neither side was willing to stop it before it led to such a

division. For example: “Gilbert and Sullivan bought a theater and had such a fight

over the new carpet that they refused to talk to each other for years. They worked

together by mail and produced masterpieces of music. Gilbert would write the

words and send them to Sullivan. When they had to take a bow they did so from

opposite sides of the stage.” This stubborn refusal to prevent the division was pure

pride, and created a host of negative feeling that were totally unnecessary and

foolish. Many families have this same story, and do not realize the Bible calls them

fools. They would be mad if you told them this, but that is God’s label on them.

People are willing to admit they would never be stupid enough to break a hole in a

dam, but they are not willing to admit it is being totally stupid to break a

relationship with people they love. They are often even proud of this level of

stupidity that destroys more than flooding water could ever destroy.

9. Such folly is caused by starting fights that few wise sayings are more practical and

profitable for a happy life than this proverb.

When I have lost my temper,

I've lost my reason too;

I'm never proud of anything

Which angrily I do. --Jackson

He who conquers his anger conquers a strong enemy.

15 Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent—

the LORD detests them both.

1. Injustice in the courts comes in two categories, and both of them are hateful to

God. One is letting guilty people get by with their crime, and letting them go back

into society without having to pay any penalty for their guilt. The other is making

the innocent go to prison for a crime he did not commit. Unfortunately these two

things happen more often than we would like to believe. In Westerns the reason it

happens is because the big shot land barron has the sheriff in his pocket, and he has

to do whatever he is told no matter how illegal. Judges are also not beyond taking a

bribe to make decisions to the liking of the generous donor. Corruption in high

places is a frequent part of life, and this leads to all sorts of injustice. It was common

in Bible days, and it is common today. It is a great chapter in the depravity of man,

and God will have much to do in judging those who have perverted there judgments

in the legal systems of the world. Someone pointed out, "The conservative religious

leaders and the political appointee of the greatest nation on earth cooperated to

justify the seditious murderer Barabbas and condemn the innocent and just Jesus of

Nazareth." Both of the hateful sins of this verse were committed in the trial of Jesus.

2. Justice was a big deal to God, and Solomon made that clear in his Proverbs. He

wrote,

8:15 By me kings reign, and princes decree justice.

11:1 A false balance is abomination to the LORD: but a just weight is his delight.

16:11 A just weight and balance are the LORD's: all the weights of the bag are his

work.

17:23 A wicked man taketh a gift out of the bosom to pervert the ways of judgment.

18:5 “It is not good to be partial to the wicked or to deprive the innocent of justice.”

19:28 An ungodly witness scorneth judgment: and the mouth of the wicked

devoureth iniquity.

20:14 It is naught, it is naught, saith the buyer: but when he is gone his way, then

he boasteth.

21:3 To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.

28:5 Evil men understand not judgment: but they that seek the LORD understand

all things.

28:21 To have respect of persons is not good: for for a piece of bread that man will

transgress.

29:26 Many seek the ruler's favour; but every man's judgment cometh from the

LORD.

31:9 Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and

needy.

3. Steve Shepherd tells the story of how injustice can be very real in our courts.

"After a long two-week criminal trial in a high profile bank robbery case, the jury

finally ended its 14 hours of deliberations and entered the courtroom to deliver its

verdict to the judge.The judge turns to the jury foreman and asks, "Has the jury

reached a verdict in this case?" "Yes, your honor," the foreman responded. "Would

you please pass it to me," The judge declared, as he motioned for the bailiff to

retrieve the verdict slip from the foreman and deliver it to him.

After the judge reads the verdict himself, he delivers the verdict slip back to his

bailiff to be returned to the foreman and instructs the foreman, "Please read your

verdict to the court." "We find the defendant NOT GUILTY of all four counts of

bank robbery," stated the foreman. The family and friends of the defendant jump

for joy at the sound of the "not guilty" verdict and hug each other as they shout

expressions of divine gratitude. The defendant’s attorney turns to his client and

asks, "So, what do you think about that?" The defendant looks around the

courtroom slowly with a bewildered look on his face and then turns to his defense

attorney and says, "I’m real confused here. Does this mean that I have to return the

money?"

4. There is a movie about a man named Reuben Carter entitled, “The Hurricane”

and was made in 1999 and stars Denzel Washington. It is about a this man who was

a professional boxer and was accused of murder. He was sent to prison for 20 years.

He lost his career and 20 years with his wife and children. It was discovered that the

state withheld evidence and was overzealous to solve the case and he was

exonerated. He started an organization dedicated to freeing those wrongfully

convicted. This is a scary reality to face, for it means that innocent people are being

sent to prison often enough to have this man starting an organization to defend

them. There are flaws in our system of justice, and God hates it, and so should we.

That is why it is a civil duty to serve on juries, and hopefully help prevent this kind

of injustice. But when men are evil and convict the innocent just because of political

reasons, they should be made to pay for this cruelty with a conviction of their own.

If they escape prison, they will not escape the judgment of God, and this labels them

as fools.

5. Solomon does not have the gospel in mind here, but only writes of human justice.

In God’s plan the innocent One is condemned, and the guilty are set free, for Jesus

paid the penalty for our sin, and when we accept him as Savior we are set free from

the condemnation we deserve. This leads to the multitude of songs that believers

sing in rejoicing that though guilty, they can be restored to favor with God. Nothing

is lost that cannot be recovered in Christ. Even the past failure can be overcome and

success achieved. Thank God that his system allows for the guilty to be acquitted.

Amy Grant sings this song Innocence Lost

I can't relive my life

I can't retrace my tracks

I can't undo what's done

There is no going back

I chased a selfish dream

Did not survey the cost

Illusions disappeared

I've found my innocence lost

Some say it's lessons learned

Some say it's a living life

I say it's choices made

Knowing wrong from right

One night I fought to sleep

In my slumber I turned and tossed

I woke to a cloudy day

And found my innocence lost

Innocent child is a beautiful thing

Secure in her father's arms

Sleeps while a mother sings

There's no way to know

All the harm this world can bring

I miss my innocence

Oh, to be innocent

My heavenly Father

The way of eternal love

That overflows with grace

I can completely trust

My broken heart repaired

And all my sin forgot

I can be pure again

In spite of my innocence lost

In his eyes I'm a newborn child

Cuz I accept his love

I have a newfound hope

Though I've found my innocence lost

I can be pure again

I've found my innocence lost

“It is never too late to be what you might have been.”

16 Of what use is money in the hand of a fool, since he has no desire to get wisdom?

1. A lot of good it does the fool to come from a wealthy family, for he has no interest

in getting an education even if it is all paid for and he does not have to work to

enhance his future with greater knowledge and wisdom. His money is of no profit,

since he has no desire to gain what it can provide for him. The poor kid who longs to

go to college and has to work a dirty and exhausting job to afford it, is so much

wiser than this rich kid. Solomon was rich beyond measure, but he knew that money

is not an end in itself, and if it is not used to gain something more valuable it is

useless, and a benefit without advantage. The value of money is in what it can gain

for you that is more lasting and beneficial to you and others. If that goal is not

achieved, it is of no advantage to have it, for a poor wise person is far superior to a

rich fool.

2. Bridges, “A question of wonder and indignation ! Why a fool so blessed, if he have

no heart to improve his blessing ? Birth, religious privileges, talents, time, influence,

opportunity all are a price to get wisdom. If the fool throws it away, the account of

unprofitableness seals his sentence. The grand price is in our hand of in estimable

value. Yet how many thousand fools have no heart to buy, would rather lose it, than

labor for it ; rather go sleeping to hell, than toiling to heaven ! The Gadarenes threw

away the pearl. Herod eyed it with curiosity ; Pilate with indifference; the Jews

with scorn. The rich man preferred his own "goodly pearls" to it. Felix hoped to

turn it to his own selfish purpose. Agrippa dared not purchase it. Were not all these,

pictures of the every-day fool, that meets our eye? That which " is more precious

than rubies" is to him more worthless than a pebble. That which is more sweet than

honey is tasteless as the white of an egg.

3. “Fools pretend to want wisdom! They attend church, carry a Bible, drop a few

bucks in the offering, ask questions, compliment the preacher, and buy a religious

book now and then. But they have no heart for real learning, for correction and

instruction. They are totally content in their little fantasy world - trusting their own

imaginations and doing their own things. Reader! Can you prove you are any

different? Do you have a heart for wisdom? Reader, how eager are you for wisdom

and truth? And I mean God's wisdom and God's truth! - Not speculation about

political conspiracies, the monetary theories of the Austrian school of economics,

and alternative medical treatments. Do you crave knowing more about Christ Jesus

the Lord? If yes, what sincere efforts will you make for it today?” Let God Be True

4. Constable, “The idea here is that it is foolish for a fool to try to buy wisdom when

he does not have the brains to comprehend it, or does not intend to follow that

wisdom. Why go to school and pay good money for tuition if you do not plan to put

into practice what you are learning?”

5. Most of us who have spent the money for a higher education can remember

doubting that much of what we study will be of any practical help in our career and

future plans. We sometimes question why certain studies are important and

required. Mark Virkler, for example, wondered about his biology class. He wrote,

“My college courses required me to skim-read portions of the Bible and study

comparative religions, philosophy, and psychology. Of course, in order to be well-rounded, I was also required to take courses in biology and dissect small animals, so that I would be able to intelligently communicate with others who might have done

similar things (or something like that!). Actually, since college, I’ve never fulfilled that expectation. Maybe I have never run into another person who also dissected rats and felt it would be a great thing to discuss. Oh well, at least I am well-rounded. (A look at my stomach will confirm that.)” I just want to make one comment that knowledge is not the same as wisdom, for not all knowledge is of equal value, but wisdom is always of

great value, for it deals with a value system that seeks always to listen to the Word of God and make choices that please him. Knowledge can often help us do that, but not all knowledge has the ability to make us wise. A wise person, however, is always open to gaining new knowledge for the sake of having more wisdom in making right choices.

17 A friend loves at all times,

and a brother is born for adversity.

1. Love is not just a feeling, for a friend can love you and feel like you are making a

wrong decision, or feel like you are being too hard on your girlfriend, or too soft on

your brother. A friend can have a host of negative feelings about your behavior, and

yet still love you, for if he is really a friend he will love at all times, even when he

thinks you are being stupid. You might mess up your life by folly of one kind or

another, but he will be there by your side to help you get through the troubles you

have brought on yourself, or which have come from the hostility of others. Love is

not a feeling, but a choice, and a friend is one who chooses to stand by you even at

cost to himself.

Someday I hope with you to stand

Before the throne, at God's right hand,

And say to you at journey's end,

"Praise God, you've been to me a friend." —Clark

2. Solomon had high regard to the value of a friend, and he had much to say of

friends.

13:20 He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall

be destroyed.

17:9 He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter

separateth very friends.

27:9 Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the sweetness of a man's

friend by hearty counsel.

27:10 Thine own friend, and thy father's friend, forsake not; neither go into thy

brother's house in the day of thy calamity: for better is a neighbor that is near than

a brother far off.

27:17 Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.

3. Steve Shepherd tells this account of true friendship. “For tae kwon do star Esther

Kim, age 20, going to the Olympics has been a long-time dream. She came very close

to embracing that dream at the Olympic trials, where she was scheduled to fight her

best friend, Kay Poe, who was ranked number one in the world. But Poe had

injured her knee in the semi-finals match and could barely stand up. Obviously Kim

could have easily defeated Poe. But she believed such a match-up would hardly be

fair. In an instant, she decided to forfeit, automatically sending Poe to the Olympics.

The moment she made her decision, Kim knew it was right. "I thought, It’s not like

I’m going to be throwing my dream away. I’m just going to be handing it over to

Kay."Though some people were critical of her decision, Kim knows she made the

right decision. She says, "Even though I didn’t have the gold medal around me, for

the first time in my life, I felt like a real champion." That’s called sacrifice. It’s

called love and it’s also called true friendship. A friend loves at all times.”

4. Solomon wrote, "there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother" (Proverbs

18:24). We identify with David and Jonathan when we read about the bond between

them (1 Samuel 18:1). Jesus is the greatest friend of all, and he never leaves or

forsakes us, even when we are out of his will. He called his disciples his friends in

John 15:15, and Christians have sung all over the world the song, What a Friend we

have in Jesus.

4B. There is quite a story behind the man who wrote that famous hymn as told by

John Telford. He wrote, “Joseph Scriven was a man who experienced the friendship

of Christ during a life filled with trouble. As a young man in

Ireland, about 1840, his intended bride was accidentally drowned

the evening before their wedding. He had begun training as a

military cadet, but poor health forced him to abandon his dreams

of a career in this field. Moving to Canada, he became a servant

of the underprivileged, helping those who were physically

handicapped and financially destitute. but tragedy continued to

stalk his steps. Once again, the plans for a wedding were cut

short when his second fiancee' died following a brief illness.

It seemed that Joseph Scriven was destined to go through life

alone, knowing only the friendship of Jesus Christ. Through much

of his life he experience loneliness, meager pay for menial work

and physical illness. In Scriven's last illness a neighbor came

to visit him and the manuscript of this hymn which he had written

to comfort his mother in special sorrow was at his bedside.

Another neighbor asked if he had written it, and he replied, "The

Lord and I did it between us."

What a Friend we have in Jesus,

All our sins and griefs to bear!

What a privilege to carry

Everything to God in prayer!

O what peace we often forfeit!

O what needless pain we bear!

All because we do not carry

Everything to God in prayer.

5. When you spend time with God, you invest in a forever friendship.

Our life can be so very busy

That we have no time for friends;

But we must spend more time with Jesus,

For His friendship never ends. —Fitzhugh

“Time is a friend when you use it to strengthen your friendship with Jesus!”

I've found a Friend, oh, such a Friend!

He loved me ere I knew Him;

He drew me with the cords of love,

And thus He bound me to Him. —Small

5B. The wisest decision anyone can make in life is the decision to let Jesus come into

your life and be your greatest friend, for he is the only friend who can get you into

the eternal kingdom of God. An unknown poet put it like this:

Behold, a Stranger at the door!

He gently knocks, has knocked before;

Has waited long; is waiting still:

You use no other friend so ill.

But will He prove a friend indeed?

He will: the very friend you need;

The friend of sinners, yes, 'tis He,

With garments dyed at Calvary.

O lovely attitude! He stands

With melting heart and open hands;

O matchless kindness! and He shows

This matchless kindness to His foes.

Admit Him, ere His anger burn,

Lest He depart and ne'er return:

Admit Him, or the hour's at hand

When at His door denied you'll stand.

Admit Him, for the human breast

Ne'er entertained so kind a guest:

No mortal tongue their joys can tell,

With whom He condescends to dwell.

6. A friend is one who makes us feel good about ourselves, and they do so by making

us feel accepted for who we are. They do not impose expectations on us that make us

feel like we have to be something other than who we are. Someone wrote, “A faithful

friend affirms our worth. Queen Victoria said of William Gladstone, "When I am

with him, I feel I am with one of the most important leaders in the world." But of

Benjamin Disraeli she said, "He makes me feel as if I am one of the most important

leaders of the world."

6B. One of the greatest tragedies of life is never having someone who loves you at all

times. A freelance reporter for the New York Times was interviewing Marilyn

Monroe years ago. He knew about her past of going to one foster home after

another. The reporter asked Marilyn, "Did you ever feel loved by and of the families

with whom you live?’ She got teary-eyed as she told about the only time she felt

loved. She said, "Once, when I was seven years old, the woman I was living with was

putting on make-up and I was watching her. She was in a happy mood and she

reached over and patted my cheeks . . . for that brief moment I felt loved." She

could not live without love, and that is why she took her life. Life without love is

empty and painful, but the love of Christ is available to all who will accept it.

7. Job and Daniel had this in common that they each had three friends, but Job’s

friends were not a blessing in his adversity as were the friends of Daniel. Job’s

friends were a pain, on top of all the pain he had already suffered. They did not

encourage and strengthen him, but accused him of being the blame for his own

suffering. Such friends were a burden, but the friends of Daniel stood by him and

with him in adversity. The suffered together and refused to dishonor God by bowing

to a pagan idol. They stood strong by supporting one another, and God brought

them through the fire of adversity because of their faithfulness. Their love for God

and one another was not temporary so that it faded in the face of suffering. It was

perpetual whatever the consequences, and they were honored for such love.

Lord, help me be the kind of friend

That makes my friend secure,

So he can find new strength and hope,

His trials to endure. —D. De Haan

8. When the subject of friends is dealt with the names of David and Jonathan come

up as possibly the best known friends in the Bible. Jonathan loved David as his own

soul it says in I Sam. 18:1-4. They covered each others back and protected each

other even when the cost was great. Jonathan basically gave up the chance to

become king because of his love for David. David had a good number of wives, but

he said his love for this friend was greater than that of a woman in II Sam. 1:26.

That is a powerful statement that puts these two at the top of the friendship list.

9. It is hard to measure up to this level of friendship of David and Jonathan, but

there are many other levels that are still wonderful. We need to recognize too that

friends are not just sacrificing for each other all the time. They have fun together,

and often even tease each other, and play tricks on each other. They can even enjoy

insulting each other. This is true for boys and men anyway. Like the boy who said to

his friend, “Nobody likes me.” His friend responded, “Don’t say that-everybody

hasn’t met you yet.” Smart remarks and humor are a part of male friendships, and

things that would hurt another person are accepted as normal interaction with

friends. Friends are not sensitive to the words of each other. They can be heard by

outsiders as offensive, but to the friends they are just playfulness. By loving at all

times means, among other things, that their love does not retreat when the insults

are flying. You don’t talk this way to your acquaintances, for it would not be

acceptable. It is only close friends who have the right to be insulting and yet loved.

10. Spurgeon points this text directly at Jesus as the greatest friend of all. He wrote,

“ “A friend loves at all times.” Having once given his heart to his chosen companion,

he clings to him in all weathers, fair or foul. He loves him none the less because he

becomes poor, or because his fame suffers an eclipse. His friendship, like a lamp,

shines the brighter, or is made more manifest because of the darkness that

surrounds it. True friendship is not fed from the barn floor, or the wine vat. It is not

like the rainbow, dependent upon the sunshine. It is fixed as a rock and firm as

granite and smiles superior to wind and tempest. If we have friendship at all,

Brothers and Sisters, let this be the form it takes. Let us be willing to be brought to

the test of the wise man and, being tried, may we not be found wanting. “A friend

loves at all times.” But I am not about to talk of friendship at all as it exists between

man and man. I prefer to uplift the text into a still higher sphere. There is a Friend,

blessed forever be His name, who loves at all times! There is a Brother, who, in an

emphatic sense, was born for adversity! That Friend is Jesus, the Friend of sinners!

The Friend of man! The Brother of our souls, born into this world that He might

succor us in our adversities. I shall take the text, then, and refer it to the Lord Jesus

Christ. And unless time should fail us, I shall then refer it to ourselves as in

connection with the Lord Jesus Christ, showing that we, also, ought to love Him

even as He has loved us, always and under all adversities.”

11. Spurgeon continues, “Observe, that Christ was born, in the first place, for our

adversity—to deliver us from the great adversity of the Fall. When our parents’ sin

had blasted Eden and destroyed our hopes—when the summer of our joy had

turned into the winter of our discontent, then Christ was born in Bethlehem’s

manger that the race might be lifted up to hope—and His elect be elevated to

salvation. He restored that which He took not away. He rebuilt that which He cast

not down. He had never come to be a Savior if we had not been lost. Because our

adversity was so great—therefore so great a Savior was required and so great a

Savior came! Our Lord is born for adversity because He has the peculiar art of

sympathizing with all in adversity. No other but He can claim that He has ranged

high and low through all the territories of grief—only this Jesus Christ can

justly make that claim. Every pang that ever rends a human heart has first tried its

keen edge on Him. It is not possible, even in the extremities of anguish to which

some are exposed, that any man can go beyond Christ in the endurance of pain.

Christ is crowned King of Misery. He is the Emperor of the domains of woe. He is

able, therefore, to succor all such as are tempted and tried, seeing He is compassed

about Himself, also, with a feeling of our infirmities. Look to him suffering on the

tree. Look to Him throughout all His life of shame and pain and you will see that He

was born into adversity—and through being born into it, was born to sympathize

with our trials, having learned, as the Captain of our salvation, to be made perfect

in sympathy with those many sons whom He brings to Glory.”

12. As believers we have an elder brother born for adversity, and we need to learn

this as did Charles Stanley. An unknown author wrote, “ Several years ago Charles

Stanley said that he was struggling with some opposition. During that time an

elderly woman from his church invited him to her retirement community for lunch.

Although he was very busy and under serious pressure, he went and ate lunch with

her. Afterwards she took him up to her apartment and showed him a picture

hanging on her living room wall. It was a picture of Daniel in the lion’s den. She

said, "Young man, look at this picture and tell me what you see." Dr. Stanley looked

at the picture and saw that all the lions had their mouths closed, some were lying

down. Daniel was standing with his hands behind him. Stanley told the lady

everything he knew to tell her. Then she asked, "Anything else?" He knew there

must be, but he couldn’t see anything else. She put her arm on his shoulder and

said, "What I want you to see is that Daniel doesn’t have his eyes on the lions, he has

his eyes on the Lord."

18 A man lacking in judgment strikes hands in pledge

and puts up security for his neighbor.

1. Parents often co-sign for a loan that is needed by their children for a home or car,

or some major need they have. This is alright if the parents realize that they may

have to pay off that loan. What is folly is doing this for a friend or neighbor, for you

are sticking your neck out for someone you have no control over. If they stop paying

off the loan it will be your responsibility. You are taking a big risk, and Solomon

says this is not wise. It is even risky when it is your own children, for it is not

uncommon for your son or daughter to get divorced, and the loan you co-signed for

then comes back on you, and it may put an enormous financial burden on you that

you are not prepared to handle. It is just best to let people handle their own

financial decisions. If they need help along the way, you are free to help out, but the

responsibility remains with them, and you do not get legally entangled with it. It is

just not wise to become responsible for another persons debts, for their actions are

not in your control.

2. It is not wise nor fair to risk the security of your own family in order to help a

friend or neighbor. Your primary responsibility is to care for your own wife and

children, and not risk their future on an emotional decision to help a friend. A truly

good friend would not expect you to take that kind of risk. Bridges wrote, “A

prodigal, thoughtless kindness may gain us a popular name. But the principle,

closely examined, will be found to be another form of selfishness. There is no true

benevolence in rash engagements, which may involve our name and family in

disgrace or ruin.”

3. An unknown author gives us this wise guidance. “….what this really means is,

never sign a note for anybody unless three things are established first:

(1) You are willing to give the funds which you are guaranteeing to the maker of

the note. In other words, when you sign the bank note, determine in your heart that

you are willing and able to give this money to the person without being angry. If the

note is paid back by the maker, that's a fringe benefit.

(2) If your friend doesn't pay the note, you can afford to pay it off without

hurting your family.

(3) You will never have any animosity toward the maker, if you are forced to pay

the note.

Now I've learned the best way to lose friends is to sign a note for them. Because, if

they won't make the payments, and then begin avoiding you, they will often become

hostile to you. So the Scripture tells us, don't do it unless you can afford it, unless

you are willing to give it to them, unless your family is not hurt by paying it off and

unless you can keep on loving them even if you do pay it off.”

19 He who loves a quarrel loves sin; he who builds a high gate invites destruction.

1. This is a solid strike of condemnation to the troublemaker, for to love a quarrel is

the same as to love sin. It is a direct violation of the will of God. It is usually

connected with pride that a person will love quarrels, for they are convinced that

they are right about everything, and so must constantly be quarreling to prove that

they are right. They can never admit they are wrong, and so they never seek peace

by acknowledging that others may have a valid point of view.

2. Their stubborn pride so exalts themselves that it is like those who build a high

gate to protect their property. It is a clear sign to the thief that this is the gate to

break down, for there is something worth stealing behind it. The pride that exalts its

wealth is a challenge for others to take advantage of it, and the pride that exalts its

opinion on everything as the only source of truth challenges others to argue and

quarrel to prove him wrong. Pride in displaying your wealth, or supposed wisdom

provokes opposition. The high gate and the high opinion of your views on

everything is a challenge. People want to fight with you because your pride rubs

them the wrong way. They know you are wrong, but you will not concede, and so the quarreling goes on and on. You love it because it makes you the center of

attention, but Solomon says you are sinning in this, for it is all self-centered pride

that keeps the quarreling going. Humble yourself and admit you are wrong. Forsake

the know-it-all attitude, and seek peace rather than war. If you do not do so, you are

living in sin, and you will be held accountable to the God of peace who hates

quarreling.

3. Let God Be True wrote, “Real men love to fight. That is a lie! Fighting is sin and

leads to other sins. Men that love to fight love sin, because that is what they do by

their contention and vicious and vindictive spirits. Godly men are peacemakers

(Matt 5:9; Rom 12:18; Jas 3:17-18)! The only fighting you can justify is holy

contending for the truth (Neh 13:23-28; Jude 1:3). Real men look out for number

one. That is also a lie! Looking out for yourself and exalting yourself is arrogance,

conceit, and pride. Men that like to promote themselves are looking to be destroyed,

because that is what is coming (16:18; 18:12; 29:23). Godly men are humble and

meek and avoid publicity as far as possible (15:33; 18:12; 29:23). The two clauses in

the proverb are strongly connected. The first clause condemns fighting as sin, and

the second clause promises destruction to the proud. What is the connection? It is

pride that causes fighting (28:25)! "Only by pride cometh contention: but with the

well advised is wisdom" (13:10). All fighting would end without human pride.”

4. Peter J. Leithart wrote, “Verse 19b is a little difficult to understand, but Waltke

suggests that "raising up the door" refers to someone who tries to elevate his house

above those of his neighbors. Raising the door of a house is a figure of competitive

envy, the kind of competitive envy that keeps our consumer culture, with all its

conspicuous competitive consumption, humming along. Our neighbor gets a grill,

and we need a bigger one: We are "raising the door" on our house. Solomon says

that this kind of competitive building is destructive. More strongly, this kind of

competitive envy and construction actively "seeks destruction." It seeks the

destruction of the neighbor; when I show my neighbor my sleek new super-grill I

want him to cower in abject humiliation. But the proverb doesn't tell us who is

destroyed, only that destruction follows. The implication is that the one who raises

his door high will himself be destroyed. Because pride comes before a fall, and envy

is one form that pride takes.”

20 A man of perverse heart does not prosper;

he whose tongue is deceitful falls into trouble.

1. Out of a perverse heart come words designed to deceive, and such a dark heart

and deceitful tongue will be the duet that doubles all of the problems of ones life.

You cannot fool all of the people all of the time, and your lying tongue will catch up

to you and you will be forsaken by all who have listened to you. You may succeed

for a time, but in the end you will not prosper, and you will have plenty of

headaches in trying to regain any credibility you may have once had. When the

heart and tongue combine to do wrong, they become a persons own worst enemies.

They can lose for you everything you have worked for, and especially your

reputation and dignity.

2. Peter J. Leithart, “As the heart is, so the mouth speaks. From twisted hearts come

perverted words. And perverted words have effects just as devastating as the effects

of a twisted heart. It leads into evil. By "perverse language," Solomon refers to lies,

slanders, gossip, whispered conspiracies, seductions to evil. All of these are

preparations for a fall.”

3. “A bad heart or bad speech brings trouble. Either one is enough. Both will curse

you twice! If you allow evil in your heart, you will not find good coming your way in

life. If you allow your tongue to say evil things, you will fall into mischief because of

it. Here is a sober warning of certain consequences for not ruling your spirit and

speech. Beware! A froward heart is bad, contrary, difficult, hard to please,

obnoxious, perverse, proud, rebellious, unreasonable, and wicked. To consider its

opposite, a good heart is agreeable, easy to please, cooperative, gracious, humble,

polite, proper, submissive, reasonable, and righteous. Froward persons are evil,

rebellious, troublesome, and wicked. They are fools. The truth of the matter is that a

froward heart produces a perverse tongue. It is nigh impossible to have one without

the other, because out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks (Matt 12:33-

37). Therefore, an evil heart will bring corrupt speech, which brings the double

curse of this proverb. Keep thy heart with all diligence (4:23)!” Let God Be True

4. I like this insight from an unknown writer: “….crooked: This is the Hebrew word

iqqes which means crooked, perverse. This word often deals with the sin and the

twisting effects of a mind committed to doing sin. Clearly Solomon is saying that

people who twists everything to their own advantage and will not respect God's

boundaries; do not think about how to benefit others; they think about how to

benefit themselves and how to pleasure themselves even if it means others will

suffer. This is a mind that is more interested in self-gratification than it is in

producing useful ideas and actions………Solomon is giving us a huge clue in this

proverb on how to avoid a lot of pain and get a read on a person’s soul. What do

they talk about when they control the conversation? It will reveal what is in their

soul. If their speech is evil they are evil. If they talk about perverse things then they

are twisted. It may not have been fully acted on but it is moving in that direction.”

5. The evil heart and wicked speech go hand in hand in the Proverbs. What is inside

a man will come out and be conspicuous in his words. The fool can easily be detected

by his proud and loud talking that reveal his ignorance and folly. Here are some of

the proverbs that speak of this matter of the relationship of the heart and words.

4:23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

8:5 O ye simple, understand wisdom: and, ye fools, be ye of an understanding

heart.

12:25 Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop: but a good word maketh it

glad.

15:7 The lips of the wise disperse knowledge: but the heart of the foolish doeth not

so.

15:14 The heart of him that hath understanding seeketh knowledge: but the mouth

of fools feedeth on foolishness.

15:28 The heart of the righteous studieth to answer: but the mouth of the wicked

poureth out evil things.

19:3 The foolishness of man perverteth his way: and his heart fretteth against the

LORD.

22:11 He that loveth pureness of heart, for the grace of his lips the king shall be his

friend.

26:25 When he speaketh fair, believe him not: for there are seven abominations in

his heart.

28:26 He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall

be delivered.

21 To have a fool for a son brings grief; there is no joy for the father of a fool.

1. Lack of joy and abundance of grief is the price a father must pay when his son

turns out to be a fool. This is a sad picture of the emotional destruction that a child

can bring on his parents by ignoring everything he was taught. This fool of a rebel

has forsaken the wisdom of his father, and like the Prodigal has gone off into

adulthood to sow his wild oats and live the life of the godless. This happens all the

time today, just as it did in those days, and the pain of it is still just as great. The

Prodigal did eventually come home and produce great joy, and this still happens

today, but the fact is, many do not come back but die in their sins, which leaves their

parents in perpetual grief over them.

2. Parental neglect can be a cause for the child to become a fool, but sometimes there

is nothing that can change the determined foolish mind from going after a life of

folly. Prov. 27:22 says, “Though you grind a fool in a mortar, grinding him like

grain with a pestle, you will not remove his folly from him.” Parents often feel guilty

for a foolish child, and they think they have failed, but sometimes there is nothing

that could have made a difference. They just have a stubborn will that refuses to

listen to the wisdom that is available. They choose to learn the hard way, and it is

hard on everyone.

3. People are responsible for their own choices, and so you have evil kings in the

Bible who have sons who are godly. They grew up with a father who was not a good

influence at all, but they chose for themselves to go the way of godliness. Other times

we see godly kings who had sons who became ungodly, for they made the choice to

go the opposite direction of their father. Every man has the choice to be good or evil,

wise or foolish, and each will be held accountable for his personal choices regardless

of the type of training he had as a child. We too often try to blame the past and what

others have done to influence us one way or the other, but the truth is, the buck

stops here, applies to all of us. We become fools or wise depending on our own

willful choices. A fool has no one to blame but himself, but his choices, as this

proverb makes clear, hurt everyone who cares about him.

4. This truth is a motivating factor in moving parents to do all they can to be good

and godly parents in raising children. It is a heavy responsibility, but all of the labor

in being a good parent is light work compared with the heaviness of having a child

turn out to be a fool. It is worth the cost, and so learn all you can on how to be a

good parent, for that is being wise. To neglect this responsibility is foolish, for you

could be robbing yourself of joy in your later years because of rebel children.

22 A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

1. This is one of the most quoted of proverbs, and one of those most commented on,

for it links cheerfulness and health, and this makes it a major subject that is of

concern to everyone. Here is a medicine that does not need a doctor, or a

prescription, for it is free for the taking by having a cheerful heart. Who in all the

world does not need free medicine, and who in all the world does not need a cheerful

heart? It is like we have a personal medicine cabinet in our own heart and mind. Laughter is a remedy

For sorrow and for care;

It brings joy to troubled souls,

To damaged hearts, repair. —Sper

2. preceptaustin “The Bible isn't a psychology textbook, but it gives us the wisest

counsel for experiencing happiness here and now. Proverbs 17:22, for example,

assures us that "a merry heart does good, like medicine, but a broken spirit dries

the bones." That simple statement was recently corroborated by the extensive

research of Dr. Daniel Mark, a heart specialist at Duke University. The New York

Times article that reported his findings carried this headline: "Optimism Can Mean

Life for Heart Patients and Pessimism Death." The article begins with these words:

"A healthy outlook helps heal the heart."

3. Vernon C Grounds, “It's significant that our Savior said on several occasions,

"Be of good cheer" (Matthew 9:2,22; 14:27; Acts 23:11). Knowing that life is filled

with many crises, He encourages us with this word of reassurance: "Be of good

cheer, I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).

All your anxiety, all your care

Bring to the mercy seat, leave it there;

Never a burden He cannot bear,

Never a friend like Jesus. —Joy

4. F. B. Meyer. Our Daily Walk. “A HAPPY AND cheerful heart is a matter of

cultivation. We cannot afford to abandon ourselves entirely to our moods. There are

times when we feel depressed and sad, for no special reason, except that a mood is

on us! It is at such times that we need to anoint our heads, and wash our faces, that

we may not be consumed by our fretfulness, or impose our depression upon others,

for nothing is worse than to be a wet blanket! (Matt. 6:16-18.) On the other hand,

there is nothing more objectionable than to be always in the presence of a comic

person who thinks that every occasion must serve for frolic. After a time one gets as

tired of funny stories and perpetual punning as of gloom, but while avoiding this

extreme, we must not fall into the other of wearing a lugubrious expression and

giving way to a moodiness of spirit, which cannot be accounted for.

We may alter our dispositions and moods by a resolute action of the will. We can

refuse to look miserable, to speak mournfully, to be pessimistic, to pass on

depression. In a spirit of unselfishness we can put on a cheerful courage, array

ourselves in the garments of joy, anoint ourselves with the spirit of praise and

thankfulness, and go forth into the world to shed sunbeams rather than shadows on

the path of life. Do not nurse your sorrow of heart, lest your spirit and the spirits of

others be broken.”

Through all the changing scenes of life,

In trouble and in joy,

The praises of my God shall still

My heart and tongue employ. AMEN.

5. Michael Crews shows us that we need both optimists and pessimists, for each

contributes a value to life. He wrote, “I have heard the world can be divided into

optimists and pessimists. An optimist invented the boat; a pessimist invented the life

preserver. An optimist invented the airplane; a pessimist invented the parachute.

An optimist laughs to forget; the pessimist forgets to laugh.”

’Twixt the optimist and the pessimist,

The difference is droll;

The optimist sees the doughnut,

But the pessimist sees the hole. -McLandburgh Wilson

6. Crews continues, “Laughter is good for you. According to a study conducted by

the University of Maryland in Baltimore by Dr. Michael Miller, laughter releases

chemicals into the bloodstream that relax the blood vessels and reduces blood

pressure and heart rate. Miller, who is the director of the Center for Preventive

Cardiology at the university, interviewed 150 patients who had suffered heart

troubles and 150 who had not. Each patient was asked questions to measure their

response in typical day-to-day situations. The results showed that individuals with

heart problems were 40 percent less likely to respond with laughter.

Once again, science has finally caught up with the Bible! But have you and I?

The Great Physician’s prescription involves you learning to lighten up- to keep a

positive perspective on life, to smile and laugh as much as possible. That’s a healthy

thing to do, but also a holy thing to do. Do you need to lighten up this morning? Ask

God to help you develop a more positive attitude. And then for goodness sake, smile!

Laugh! Enjoy God’s gift of laughter.”

7. Bridges, “The gospel encourages humiliation not despondency. It deals in the

realities not of woe and despair, but of hope, peace, and joy. Its life and glory is

he, that " bindeth up the broken bones" who " will not break the bruised reed," or

crush under his feet " the prisoners of hope." Christian ! Show that you really find

God s ways to be " ways of pleasantness and peace ;" that you believe their joys, not

be cause you have read and heard of them, but because you have tasted them. If

they are happy, be happy in them. Joy is a for bidden fruit to the ungodly. But let it

be the adorning of thy profession. It is a sin against thy God to be without it. It is

disparaging his heavenly comfort to lay too much to heart his counterbalancing

afflictions. " Let the Lord be magnified, which hath pleasure" not in the misery but

"in the prosperity of his servants."" He giveth liberty to be cheerful, ground to be

cheerful and he will give thee an heart to be cheerful.”

8. A crushed spirit comes into all of our lives at some point. It is just a part of life in

a fallen world, and the reality of the loss of loved ones. But though they are real

tragedies that hit us, we are not to dwell in the valley of grief, for living there long

dries up the bones. It is bad for our health. Many mates who lose their spouse die

within the year, and one of the causes is the deep grief that they cannot get out of.

People in grief need to be with people and laugh and enjoy fellowship. They feel

guilty when they do this because they feel obligated to be sad for the one they have

lost. This is folly, however, for after a period of grief they need to get back to enjoy

the aspects of life they can still enjoy. They are killing themselves by not developing

a cheerful heart, and thanking God in joy for what they have had, and for what they

still have, and for all that lies ahead for those in Christ. It is wisdom to seek for

laughter and all that cheers the heart even when you are in grief, for it is the

medicine that will bring you out of grief to enjoy life again. If you do this, you will

be able to says with David in Psalm 30:11 “You have turned for me my mourning

into dancing; You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness…”

9. “A merry heart or broken spirit is a choice! They are not results of Fate,

temperament, genetics, or health. And they are not the result of circumstances, for a

cheerful person can choose to be happy in horrible difficulties, and a morose person

can ruin a wonderful time. You can have a continual feast through life, if you have a

joyful heart; but a person with a negative attitude can find something wrong with

every day (15:15)! Christian joy is a command (Phil 4:4; I Thess 5:16); but the

laughter of fools is sin (Eph 5:4; Eccl 7:6). Folly is no medicine: jesting is no balm.

Both are perverse and destructive. Solomon called them madness (Ecc 2:2; 10:13).

Our proverb is not teaching a foolish or naïve approach to life. It promises natural

blessings on the spiritual fruit and commandment of joy; and it condemns a

negative, critical, and unthankful heart.” Let God Be True

10. Laughter has been proven to be a great benefit to the body and mind, and wise

are those believers who develop a sense of humor. Spurgeon the great preacher was

a great example of using the gift of laughter. Someone wrote of him, “Spurgeon

laughed as often as he could. He laughed at the ironies of life, he laughed at comical

incidents, he laughed at the amusing elements of nature. He sometimes laughed at

his critics. He loved to share wholesome jokes with his friends and colleagues in

ministry. He was known to tell humorous stories from the pulpit. William Williams,

a fellow pastor who kept company with Spurgeon, was a near and dear friend in the

latter years of Spurgeon’s life. He wrote: What a bubbling fountain of humor Mr.

Spurgeon had! I laughed more, I verily believe, when in his company than during all

the rest of my life besides. He had the most fascinating gift of laughter…and he had

also the greatest ability for making all who heard him laugh with him. When

someone blamed him for saying humorous things in his sermons, he said, “He would

not blame me if he only knew how many of them I keep back.”

11. The most often quoted story of how laughter can cure disease is that of Norman

Cousins in his book The Anatomy of An Illness. He had an incurable disease, but he

did everything he could to make himself laugh by watching the funniest comedians

for long periods of time, and he laughed his way back to health. He then spent over

twenty years proving it power to cure by helping others do the same. He changed

the history of medicine, so that now doctors and nurses are even being trained in

how to make patients laugh as a part of their healing process. “Deborah Leiber, a

registered nurse and instructor in the nursing school at Oregon Health Sciences

University, believes it is important for her to help her students and patients laugh.

So she created the NFL (Nurses for Laughter). She teaches her nurses how to help

their patients to laugh and thus relieve anxiety. Richter wrote: "Cheerfulness is the

atmosphere under which all things thrive."

11B. I do not know the source of this article, but it confirms what I shared in the

previous paragraph. “Last week, on the editorial page of the Valley Morning Star,

Paul Harvey stated that for the last 10 years Norman Cousins has been on the staff

of the UCLA School of Medicine & is pioneering a new medical discipline:

"pyschoneuro-immunology." The article states, "Carefully controlled experiments

conducted by Cousins & his associates demonstrate that you - just by controlling

your mind set - can alter your temperature, your blood pressure & your blood

chemistry in a matter of minutes." It goes on to say, "There is now evidence that

cancer patients - liberated from depression - can actually activate the anti-cancer

capability of the immune system. ’The human body,’ contends Cousins, ’is far more

robust than people have been led to believe. A strong will to live, along with the

other positive emotions - faith, love, purpose, determination, humor - boosts disease-

fighting immune cells.’"

12. Dr. Frank Crane says: "To laugh is probably the best medicine ever

discovered. One hearty laugh is better that a wagon-load of roots and

herbs. Laughter is nature's defense against the world's burden."

A laugh can lighten the heaviest load;

A laugh can shorten the longest road;

Eyes serene and a sunny face

Are ever and always signs of grace.

The trusting heart that laughs and sings

Soars like a bird that has found its wings.

Anna B. Bryant

13. “A Swedish doctor, D. Lars Ljungdahl toured the U.S. teaching

that humor can help relieve pain. He said, "The hardier you laugh,

the more effect on symptoms." The laughter pushes the pain into

the background of the mind. He says, "It sounds paradoxical, but

we can be healthier even though the illness is not diminished." He

also said, "If you tell people you're a doctor, and that you treat people

with humor, they will laugh." Just telling people what he does already

starts the healing process. When he came to Minnesota one of his

favorite jokes was about Ole and Lena. They froze to death? They

went to a drive-in-movie to see "Closed for the Season."

14. In a biography of Abraham Lincoln this incident is recored: One day

during the most crucial period of the Civil War Lincoln called a

cabinet meeting, and announced that business of the utmost

importance would be considered. When his advisers gathered he

entered the room and glanced swiftly at the circle of anxious faces.

Then he quietly picked up a book by Artemus Ward and began to read

aloud one of it's most uproarious chapters. By the time he had

finished the chapter the indignation of the cabinet members was

painfully apparent. What did Lincoln mean by bringing busy men

there to hear a funny story. Finally Lincoln laid the book down

and sighed deeply. "Gentlemen" he said, "Why don't you laugh?

With the fearful strain that is on me night and day, I should die

if I did not laugh occasionally. You need this medicine as

much as I."

15. Here are some quotes about laughter that a wise person will take to heart.

A Jewish humorist said, "The very important thing in life is to

keep on laughing, and if there is nothing to laugh about, laugh

on credit."

Max Beerbohn, the essayist said, "Only the emotion of love takes

higher rank than that of laughter."

There are hundreds of thousands of species on this planet, but

only one can tell and laugh at a joke. Fulton Sheen said, "Man

is the only joker in the deck of nature."

Max Eastman says a dog laughs with his tail, but man is the only

creature that laughs with the right end.

John F. Kennedy use to say, " There are three things which are real:

God, human folly, and laughter. The first two are beyond our

comprehension. So we must do what we can with the third."

Give me a sense of humor, Lord,

Give me the grace to see a joke,

To get some pleasure out of life

And pass it on to other folk.

Laughter is an important part of life. Studies show

that babies often laugh around the tenth week. By

the sixteenth week, they are laughing out loud. This

laughter is one of the most precious sounds on the

planet, and happy are those parents and grandparents

who hear it often.

Beecher wisely said, "Laughing is as divine as crying, and joy will

remain after tears have been swept out of the universe."

16. An unknown author gives this wise advice:

Give yourself a present

When you first arise:

Put a smile upon your face,

A glint of humor in your eyes.

Look right into the mirror

And practice several smiles,

For a good sense of humor

Will lighten all your miles.

Draw from your memory

Some tidbit of delight,

To bring the sun out brightly,

Or sprinkle stars into your night.

Share a note of laughter,

A light and cheery jest,

With someone who is troubled,

Their chin upon their chest.

Neither pill nor tonic

Can lift up a friend,

Like a heart felt laugh,

And a smile shared now and then.

17. This proverb makes it clear as to the type of person you want to be, and the type

of person you want to hang around with. What type of person are you most

attracted to? Is it

Gloomy Gus

Grouchy George

Grippy Gordon

Weepy Wendy

Sadsack Sam

Snarling Sally

Depressing Dorthy

Distressed Daniel

No, You are attracted to

Funny Fred

Happy Harry

Pleasant Patty

Humorous Herman

Smiley Susan

Laughing Larry

18. Richard J. Fairchild has this prayer for his people. “Lord, we thank you for the

gift of joy -- the gift that comes from knowing you and knowing that your purpose

and will for us can never be thwarted -the joy that comes from knowing that you are

in charge - and that by hook or crook - your will will be done. Indeed Father, we

rejoice with Jerusalem over your promises to them - and to us... Lord, hear our

prayer...We thank you Father than in your wisdom you have appointed a time in

our lives for laughter -- and that laughter and a merry heart are means by

which you bring healing and wholeness to that which would be otherwise

dried up and without beauty or vitality . Indeed, O Lord, we praise you

for giving Abraham and Sarah laughter in their old age -- and for ever

since sending unto us those like Isaac who warm our hearts by their

presence -- those people and events who enter our life when we think it is

impossible and prove all our certainties to be entirely too limiting...

Thank you Lord for granting to us a sense of the ridiculous and the ability

to appreciate it when it comes to pass.... Lord hear our prayer.... Bring joy and

hope, laughter and wholeness, rejoicing and healing, today, O Lord, to the many

people and situations we lift up to you at this time...”

23 A wicked man accepts a bribe in secret to pervert the course of justice.

1. Secret things are going on all the time, and they are often evil things that rob

people of their rights to justice. It is wicked to the core, but they get by with it for a

time. They may never get caught in time, but God knows all of the secret things that

people do, and he hated it when it leads to injustice. Such people will be severely

judged by God, and so we have here another fool who thinks that because he can

fool man, he can get by with doing evil.

2. Let God Be True, “Rulers, judges, and witnesses must have great character. They

will face many attempts to buy their favor in order to pervert justice. Righteous

men are never moved by such offers. But wicked men will take secret gifts from

others, and they will overthrow true judgment to earn their abominable wages of

unrighteousness. Gifts here are bribes, a payment to corrupt a person and induce

him to act in the interest of the giver by perverting judgment. By their nature,

bribes are very secretive, for their discovery leads to severe punishment for both

giver and receiver. So they were hidden in the bosom, under the clothing, for a very

private transfer (21:14)…….God condemned bribes. He wrote, "And thou shalt

take no gift: for the gift blindeth the wise, and perverteth the words of the

righteous" (Ex 23:8). And again, "Thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt not

respect persons, neither take a gift: for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise, and

pervert the words of the righteous" (Deut 16:19). And the law included the almost

inexplicable case of taking money to execute men (Deut 27:25).”

2B. “Samuel was a man of great character and faith. He anointed Solomon's father

king of Israel. This noble man served the nation all his life. But here is what the

sacred historian wrote of Samuel's sons, "And his sons walked not in his ways, but

turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment" (I Sam 8:1-3).

The language is a perfect corollary to our proverb. So when he was near death,

Samuel asked the nation to swear to him that he had never taken a single bribe in

the discharge of his office (I Sam 12:3-5). It is a wicked nation that has corrupt

officials taking bribes. God condemned Israel for it on more than once occasion (Is

1:23; Ezek 22:12). The prophet Micah described a level of corruption that included

a general conspiracy for rampant bribery (Micah 7:2-4). But the prophet ended his

description with a warning of God's judgment that was coming.” Let God Be True

gives many examples of how this hated practice is a reality in our own government.

3. What we see is the reality of evil. Justice can be perverted. It is not God’s will, but

he allows the freedom of men to accept bribes and pervert justice. It is a great evil

he hates and will judge, but he does not stop it because it is his will that men be free

to choose good or evil. This freedom is the cause of most of the evil of history. People

wonder why God allows so much evil to be a part of history, and the answer is

obvious. If God did not allow free will to make bad choices, there would be no real

love for him and his will. It is only love and obedience to do God’s will if you are

free to not to it. You need to have a choice to be truly righteous, and you need to

have a choice to be truly wicked. Evil and good are in the choices we make, and

God’s plan is that man be free to make these choices, for that will be the basis for

the final judgment.

4. People often get upset at God for creating a world where so much evil is possible.

They fail to realize that good and evil are the whole point of life. These are the

choices that make or break us. These are the choices that enable us to be on God’s

side of the side of Satan. These are the two big questions on the test of life. What do

you choose? It is built into the plan of God, and seen in this light, even evil has a

good purpose, for it provides a clear choice that separates light and darkness, and

makes it clear where human loyalty and love stand. You can say thank God for evil

choices like breaking the Ten Commandments, for they provide me with an

opportunity to say to God, I choose your way, and thus I obey. This pleases God and

blesses your life. The good life is not just in what you do, but in what you don’t do,

and evil choices give you that opportunity to not do things for the glory of God and

the good of yourself and others. The presence of evil gives you the opportunity to

show the presence of holiness in your life.

24 A discerning man keeps wisdom in view,

but a fool's eyes wander to the ends of the earth.

1. Long range vision is foolish if it makes you take your eyes off of what is right

before your nose. To go in search for yourself as so many youth claim they are doing

when they roam the country or the world, is the choice of folly, for if you can’t find

yourself where you are, you will not be able to find it where you are not. It is a myth

that everything is better than where you are now located. It is the grass is greener

on the other side of the fence mentality. Wherever you go, you are still there, and so

location does not change who you are. Wise is the man who start right where he is,

and begins to discern what is the way of wisdom. Once he has that figured out, going

to the end of the earth may be a valid trip, but to wander off on that trip with no

idea of your purpose and goal is folly.

2. “You have seen fools. They bounce from one thing to another. They are excited

with this and then that. They are always seeking happiness and success, which they

never find. They love new things. They cannot focus on important matters. They are

easily distracted from their duties like children. They look in strange places for

answers. They dream. They talk a lot. They are not content. They are fickle,

unsettled, and easily confused. But a wise man is very different. He has

understanding as the guide and rule of his conduct. He is focused on all aspects of

life with the resolute purpose of keeping God's commandments. He has not

forgotten what he was taught, nor is he ignorant of the Scriptures. He searches the

Bible for knowledge and wisdom, and he proves all things by it (Acts 17:11; I Thess

5:21). He is content with life and confident in most any dilemma.” Let God Be True

3. The point is, you don’t have to go far to get wisdom. It is not found by going all

over the world and roaming here and there. It is within view of wherever you are if

that is your focus. The wise know that and develop the ability to keep their eye on

wisdom that is right there before them. The fool does not see it, and so he has to

wander the world in search, but never finding it, because if you can’t see it where

you are, you will never see it someplace else. The wise man always has wisdom in

view wherever he is, for that is his guide, for wisdom is the voice of God. The wise

man spends more time listening to this voice, and less time than most in talking.

4. Someone shared this delightful illustration: “Pianist Arthur Rubenstein who

spoke in eight languages, once told this story on himself: Some years ago he was

assailed by a stubborn case of hoarseness. The newspapers were full of reports

about smoking and cancer; so he decided to consult a throat specialist. "I searched

his face for a clue during the 30 minute examination," Rubenstein said, "but it was

expressionless. He told me to come back the next day. I went home full of fears, and

I didn’t sleep that night." The next day there was another long examination and

again an ominous silence. "Tell me," the pianist exclaimed. "I can stand the truth.

I’ve lived a full, rich life. What’s wrong with me?" The physician said, "You talk

too much."

5. Some good quotes on the wisdom of restraint are from Bridges.

- Josh Billings, “Silence is one of the hardest arguments to refute.”

- Silence is the wisest of replies.

- There are three times when you should never say anything important to a person:

when he is tired, when he is angry, and when he has just made a mistake.

- Let thy speech be better than silence, or be silent.

- Alexander Pope (English poet), “Be silent always when you doubt your sense."

- Well-timed silence hath more eloquence than speech.

- Calvin Coolidge, “I have never been hurt by anything I didn’t say.”

James 1:19-20 “My dear brothers, take note of this: 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.”

“Smart people look to the Lord and seek to allow Him to control both their words

and their tempers.”

6. Keeping wisdom in view means that the things that you need to achieve in life are

not far off in some other place, but right in front of you. Two famous men have put

their idea of success in similar paragraphs, and what is clear from their point of

view is that all that is necessary for success is near you all the time. They leave out

the crucial issue of accepting Christ and living to please God, but they deal with the

practical secular life, which is basically what Solomon is writing about.

6B. George Eliot, “That man is a success who has lived well, laughed often and loved

much; who has gained the respect of intelligent men and the love of children; who

has filled his niche and accomplished his task; who leaves the world better than he

found it, whether by an improved poppy, a perfect poem or a rescued soul; who

never lacked appreciation of earth's beauty or failed to express it; who looked for

the best in others and gave the best he had.”

6C. Robert Louis Stevenson, “To laugh often and much; to win the respect of

intelligent people and affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics

and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in

others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or

a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you

have lived. This is to have succeeded.”

7. Sarah Ban Breathnach has some wisdom along this same line showing that the

good life is not at the ends of the earth, but inside you. “I want you to become aware

that you already possess all the inner wisdom, strength, and creativity needed to

make your dreams come true. This is hard for most of us to realize because the

source of this unlimited personal power is buried so deeply beneath the bills, the car

pool, the deadlines, the business trip, and the dirty laundry that we have difficulty

accessing it in our daily lives. When we can't access our inner resources, we come to

the flawed conclusion that happiness and fulfillment come only from external

events. That's because external events usually bring with them some sort of change. .

. .We can learn to be the catalysts for our own change. . . .you already possess all you

need to be genuinely happy.”

8. Marie Edith Beynon adds this, “A greater poverty than that caused by lack of

money is the poverty of unawareness. Men and women go about the world unaware

of the beauty, the goodness, and the glories in it. Their souls are poor. It is better to

have a poor pocketbook than to suffer from a poor soul.”

9. The following story illustrates the folly of thinking the best is somewhere else in

the far corner of the world, when the reality is that contentment can be right where

you are. “I heard a story some time ago called "The Stonecutter."

Once upon a time a stonecutter lived all alone. Though he had aquired great

skills he was very poor. He lived in a tiny bamboo hut and wore tattered clothing.

One day as the stonecutter worked with his hammer and chisel upon a huge stone,

he heard a crowd gathering along the streets. By their shouts he could tell that the

king was coming to visit his humble villlage. Joining in the possession, the

stonecutter gazed in awe as the king, dressed in marvelous silk, was greeted by his

subjects.

Oh, how I wish I had the power and glory of the king, he thought. He has

soldiers at his command. There is no one more powerful.

His cry was heard in the heavens, and immediately the humble stonecutter was

transformed into a powerful king. He found himself riding on a great horse,

waving at the crowds of people who had flocked to see him.

This is power he thought.

As the summer progressed, however, the new king watched the effects of the heat

upon his people. Men and animals became weary, and plants withered under the

powerful rays of the sun. As he looked at the sky, the new king realized that the sun

was more powerful than any earthly ruler.

How I wish I was as powerful as that, he thought. I wish I were the sun.

Immediately, his wish was granted.

The stonecutter relished his new role as the sun. He gloried in the power he felt

as he surveyed the kingdoms below. As he sent his bright rays to the earth, he

watched kings and princes hide under their parasols; he watched as powerful

warriors became weak under his gaze. Even the crops in the fields were under his

command.

Then one day a tiny cloud moved over the land, shielding the earth from the sun's

bright rays. Seeing that here was something more powerful, he thought, I want very

much to be a cloud.

Again, his wish was granted. Now he blocked the sun's rays and felt important.

He gathered all his strength, becoming a gigantic cloud, and began to pour down

rain on the earth. Rivers formed where previously there were none, and water

flooded the streets of the cities and the farmland. Everthing--trees, animals, people-

- seemed to be awed by his power. Only the massive rocks were unswayed. Again

he had discovered something more powerful.

There is nothing, he thought, as powerful as a rock. How I wish I were a huge

stone. His wish was granted.

As a stone he remained motionless and powerful, unmoved by sun or wind or

rain. He felt exempt from all the forces that shape the existence of those around

him.

Then one day a man approached, carrying a bag. When he stopped, he pulled

out a chisel and a hammer and began to chip away at the rock. Realizing that the

man with the tools was more powerful than any rock, he cried out, "Oh, I want to be

a stonecutter."

Once again the heavens heard his cry, and he became a stonecutter. Once again

he lived in a bamboo hut and made his living with hammer and chisel. And he was

content.” -Martin Thielen

10. BRIGHTEN YOUR CORNER

The work that God assigned to us,

Unimportant as it seems,

That makes our task outstanding,

And brings reality to dreams.

So do not sit and idly wish

For wider, new dimensions

Where you can put into practice,

Your many good intentions.

But at the spot God placed you

Begin at once to do,

Little things to brighten up

The lives surrounding you.

If everybody brightened up

The spot where they're standing,

By being more considerate,

And a little less demanding.

This dark old world would very soon

Eclipse the evening star,

If everybody brightened up

The corner where they are!

~Author Unknown~

25 A foolish son brings grief to his father and bitterness to the one who bore him.

1. This theme is so often repeated that it is obvious that folly was the worst fear of

parents in Solomon’s day. To raise a child the best you can with all the wisdom you

can, and then see him turn out to be a fool is heart breaking. It is a crushing blow to

the hearts of loving parents, and it leads them to all kinds of bitter struggles with

guilt and loss of self-esteem. The folly of the son reflects back on them and ruins

their reputation in the community, at least with people who do not know them, and

of all the good training they gave their boy. People who know them intimately know

that there is no basis for guilt as if they were bad parents. They know the boy was

just a rebel and forsook all that he was taught.

2. When this theme comes up Solomon does not point to the parents at all as the

source of the problem. He points to the child as alone responsible for his choice of

folly. Nevertheless, the parents do need to make sure they are not training a fool by

their neglect to teach and give their son a good example. Let God Be True says,

“Mothers endure pain bringing their children into the world (Gen 3:16; John

16:21), and they work hard and long bringing those children to maturity (I Tim

5:8). But if they neglect training them in the way of the Lord, those children can

bring far greater grief and bitterness in the future than childbirth or thankless

years doing laundry (29:15)! What should you learn? Child training, though

requiring sacrifice and investment, has a fabulous return. It will save you from the

grief and bitterness described here, and it will bring great joy and pleasure to see

your children living in wisdom before God and men (10:1; 15:20; 17:21; 19:13, 26;

23:15-16,23:24-25; 27:11; 29:3, 17).” 3. Here are a few proverbs that show how serious it is to be a fool child.

17:25 A foolish son is a grief to his father, and bitterness to her that bare him.

28:7 Whoso keepeth the law is a wise son: but he that is a companion of riotous

men shameth his father.

28:24 Whoso robbeth his father or his mother, and saith, It is no transgression; the

same is the companion of a destroyer.

30:11 There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their

mother.

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.

4. Bridges, “Surely the Divine Spirit did not repeat the Proverb for naught.

Was it not to deepen our sense of parental responsibility and filial obligation? Can

parents be insensible to the prospect of this grief? Can children be hardened into the

unnatural selfishness of piercing a parent’s heart with such bitterness? The

mother’s anguish is here added to the fathers grief." Absalom was named His

Father s peace. Yet was he the source of his most poignant grief. This is not the "

weeping of a night," succeeded by a joyous morning," but the " heaviness that

maketh the heart stoop" perhaps for years perhaps to the end of days. Its

connection with eternity gives to the trial the keenest edge. To see a foolish son

hurried irrevocably into his fixed destiny Oh this to the godly parent is an awful

conflict.”

26 It is not good to punish an innocent man, or to flog officials for their integrity.

1. This is an understatement if there ever was one. It is pointing out that which is so

obvious that it sounds ridiculous when you read it. It is not only not good to punish

an innocent man; it is downright bad to do so. And to flog an official for being

honest is stupid behavior. It is as if Solomon has lost his marbles and is writing

nonsense. Is there a debate somewhere about the pros and cons of punishing

innocent people? Is it a question before the courts if officials should be flogged when

they are honest and upright?

2. The only way this proverb makes sense is to see it as a warning against the justice

of governments. It is wrong when a nation does not protect its citizens, but allows

the injustice of punishing innocent people. This happens under tyrants all the time, and governments arrest and imprison those who speak out against corruption.

Official who do not go along with the official line are taught a lesson by being

publicly humiliated as a warning to others who may want to go their own way

rather than toe the line of the party in power. The proverb is a condemnation of the

power abuse of leaders who deny human freedoms in order to suppress all

opposition. Sometimes a whistleblower who wants to stop government waste, or

some other abuse of authority will speak out, and is they who end up being punished

by those they point the finger at, and this is not good, but further abuse of power.

This is the way of the leader who is a fool, and not the way of a leader who is wise.

Solomon as a leader was very wise, and he led his nation for decades in a state of

peace without oppression of any persons. He is saying leadership that does not

follow his pattern is not good, and he knew there were many then, and we know

there are many now who do not follow this wisdom.

3. “It is not good to punish the just. When a government legislates or executes laws

that hurt upright citizens, it is not good. The expression "not good" is the figure of

speech meiosis, a deliberate understatement that is clearly understood by the

context and/or the nature of the matter (16:29; 18:5; 20:23; Ps 51:17; Ezek 36:31).

Rulers punishing just citizens is far worse than merely "not good"; it is an

abomination to the LORD (17:15)……God made rulers a terror to evil men, not

good men (Rom 13:1-6; I Pet 2:13-17). Abraham appealed to this virtue of God (Gen

18:25). Rulers abuse their authority and will be punished by God, when they are a

terror to good men (17:15; 24:23-26; Ex 23:7; Deut 27:25). He took Egypt's wealth,

for their violent oppression of the Israelites. He sent dogs to eat Queen Jezebel,

because she had Naboth killed for his vineyard.”

4. It is surprising how many times the innocent are falsely accused in the Bible.

Don’t feel bad if it happens to you, for you are in the best company. Look at this list

of Godly people who were condemned, and in some cases punished for what they did

not do.

ILLUSTRATIVE INCIDENTS OF FALSE ACCUSATIONS

...... Against Joseph by Potiphar's wife:..... Ge 39:7-20

....... Against Moses by Korah:..... Nu 16:3,13

....... Against the prophet Ahimelech by Saul:..... 1Sa 22:11-16

....... Against Abner by Joab:..... 2Sa 3:24-27

....... Against David by the princes of Ammon:..... 2Sa 10:3

....... Against Elijah by Ahab:..... 1Ki 18:17,18

....... Against Naboth by Jezebel:..... 1Ki 21:10,13

....... Against Jews, returned under Ezra:..... Ezr 4:6-16; Ne 6:6-8

....... Against Jeremiah:..... Jer 26:8,11; 37:13,14; 43:2,3

....... Against Amos:..... Am 7:10,11

....... Against Mary:..... Mt 1:19

....... Against Jesus:..... Mt 9:34; 10:25; 12:2-14; 26:59-61; Mr 3:22; 14:53-65; Lu

23:2; Joh 18:30

....... Against Stephen:..... Ac 6:11,13

....... Against Paul:..... Ac 17:7; 21:28; 24:5,6,13; 25:2,7; Ro 3:8

....... Against Paul and Silas:..... Ac 16:20,21

....... Satan falsely accuses Job:..... Job 1:9,10; 2:4,5

3. - - General scriptures concerning:..... Ex 23:1,7; Le 19:16; Ps 41:5-9; Mt 5:11; Lu

3:14; 2Ti 3:3; 1Pe 4:14

5. Sometimes the innocent about to be punished unjustly are clever enough to outwit

their enemies. Such is the case in the following story. “During Roman Emperor

Nero's regime two officials plotted to kill a noble captive who had insulted them, by

having him thrown to the lions in the public arena. However, under Roman law he

was entitled to a chance to live if he were lucky enough to draw the right slip of

paper from a helmet in which two slips were place, one marked "no," signifying

freedom, the other marked "yes", signifying death. As the time for the drawing

drew near, the Roman officials sought to make doubly sure that their victim would

not escape by marking both slips "yes," but a friendly guard warned the captive of

their action. Taken before his judges to make the drawing, he selected one slip and

immediately tore it to bits, saying "I am free." The Romans stared in anger. "One

moment--what did your slip say?" they cried. "read the one which remains,"

replied the captive as he moved toward the door.” We love it when the good guy

escapes the evil plots of the wicked. It is a common theme in cartoons, and in

movies. It is also a theme in the Bible where the righteous are so often delivered

from the hands of their enemies.

6. We get a kick out of cleverness in avoiding negative consequences, and sometime

even when we deserve them. Such is the following story: “A couple of young fellers

were fishing at their special pond off the beaten track when out of the bushes

jumped the Game Warden. Immediately, one of the boys threw his rod down and

started running through the woods like a bat out of hell, and hot on his heels came

the Game Warden. After about a half mile the fella stopped and stooped over with

his hands on his thighs to catch his breath and the Game Warden finally caught up

to him. "Let's see yer fishin' license, Boy!!" the Warden gasped as he grabbed him

by the collar. With that, the fella pulled out his wallet and gave the Game Warden a

valid fishing license. "Well, son," said the Game Warden, "you must be about as

dumb as a box of rocks! You don't have to run from me if you have a valid license!"

"Yes, sir," replied the young feller. "But my friend back there, well, he don't have

one."

27 A man of knowledge uses words with restraint, and a man of understanding is even-tempered.

1. Moderation in speech is a mark of an intelligent man. People who are forever

talking so much that you can’t get a word in edgewise are no fun to be around. For

one thing they are usually talking about themselves and their interests with little or

no concern about anybody else, and so they soon get boring. A wise man knows that you have to let others speak and express their views of they will feel left out. A wise

man knows that listening to others makes them feel accepted and important in a

relationship. To dominate the conversation to the point where others are not in the

conversation at all is so self-centered that it qualifies one as a fool, or at least a pre-

fool. Restraint is a mark of intelligence because it recognizes that nobody wants to

hear all that you know, and so there is a holding back so that one does not dominate

the conversation.

2. Along the same line, the wise man is moderate in his temper. He is not hot at some

times and cold at other times so that people are never sure if he is in a bad mood or

a good mood. You should know what to expect when you confront a man of

understanding, for he will not vary much at all from all the other times you have

met him. You can count on him being what he usually is in his temperament. Some

people are so up and down that you never know where they are at, and it makes it a

sensitive situation to be with them. You are not sure how you should talk to them,

for if they are very sensitive you can make them angry, and they might fly off the

handle and your relationship will be hurt. It is no sign of intelligence to be a loose

cannon aboard the ship of life. You present a threat to others because they cannot

judge what direction your emotions will take you. The intelligent man makes you

feel comfortable because you know he is stable and will deal with any situation with

a calm and reasoned attitude.

3. F. B. Meyer, in Our Daily Homily wrote, “It is a wise thing to say as little as

possible to man, and as much as possible to God. The ultimate test of friendship has

always seemed to me to be in the ability of true friends to be silent in each other’s

presence. In silence we best may open the heart to receive the infillings of the Divine

Spirit. When people are always talking to one another, even though they talk about

God, they are liable to lose the first fresh sense of God’s presence. Ordinary

conversation greatly weakens character. It is like the perpetual running of a tap

which inevitably empties the cistern. It seems to me disastrous when the whole of a

summer holiday is spent in contact with friends, however dear, who leave no time

for the communing of the soul with itself, nature, and God. We cannot be

perpetually in society, speaking to the nearest and dearest, without saying things

which will afterwards cause us regret. We shall have spoken too much of ourselves,

or too little of Christ, or too much about others; or we shall have allowed the things

of the world and sense to bulk too largely. Besides, it is only in silence and thought

that our deepest life matures, or the impressions of eternity are realized. If we are

always talking, we give no opportunity for the ripening of the soul. Nothing makes

the soul more fruitful than to leave it fallow. Who would pick a crop of fruit when

first it began to appear on the trees? Live deep. Speak as little as you may. Be slow

to speak, and swift to hear.”

4. Let God Be True does not pull any punches in dealing with the blabber mouth.

“How do you find a fool? Listen! If you hear a person talking loudly, quickly,

critically, or a lot, you have found a fool. A man with knowledge uses few words and

only talks when necessary. A man with understanding is calm, careful, gracious, and

helpful. If you are a fool, close your mouth - you may be able to deceive others into

appreciating you (17:28)! Could a blind man find you in a crowd? Are you usually

talking? Are you more interested in telling about yourself than asking about others?

Are you more interested in winning a discussion than hearing others' views? Is your

volume on the high side, your tone a little arrogant and cutting, or your comments

somewhat critical and negative? You are a fool!……..fools are odious! And they are

rightfully hated. They must always be talking (Eccl 5:3). They have an opinion, a

retort, an idea, or a suggestion. A fire burns in their mouths. They relieve it by

babbling. Their talk is mischievous madness (13:16; Eccl 10:12-14). They talk

without thinking (15:28). They are so irritating you want to beat them (18:6-7)!”

5. Bridges, “This restraint is most important under provocation. Passion

demands immediate judgment. A cool well-tempered understanding asks further

time for consideration. The fiery ebullition of the Apostles, their master judged to be

the want of an excellent understanding. Nehemiah, by repressing the first vent of his

righteous anger, gave a reasonable and convincing answer for the occasion. The

prophet wisely refrained even a message from God to a king in the moment of

passion. A little spark blows up one of a sulphureous temper, and many coals,

greater injuries, and reproaches are quenched, and lose their force, being thrown at

another of a cool spirit. Indeed a fool may purchase to himself the reputation of

wisdom let him only shut his mouth instead of exposing his folly to common

observation. He can not be known for a fool, that says nothing. He is a fool not who

hath unwise thoughts but who utters them. Even concealed folly is wisdom.”

6. Bridges quotes, “Dr. Good in his note on this verse in Job, gives a translation of

an Arabic poetical proverb

Keep silence then ,nor speak, but when besought ;

Who listens long, grows tired of what is told ;

With tones of silver though thy tongue be fraught,

Know this that silence of itself is gold.”

7. There is a ridiculous story that takes the restraint of speaking to the point of

absurdity, but I want to share it here. “Once upon a time there was a Prince who,

through no fault of his own, was cast under a spell by an evil witch. The curse was

that the Prince could speak only one word each year. However, he could save up the

words so that if he did not speak for a whole year, the following year he was allowed

to speak two words.

One day he met a beautiful princess (ruby lips, golden hair, sapphire eyes,) and fell

madly in love. With the greatest difficulty he decided to refrain from speaking for

two whole years so that he could look at her and say "my darling". But at the end of

the two years he wished to tell her that he loved her. Because of this he waited three

more years without speaking (bringing the total number of silent years to 5).

But at the end of these five years he realized that he had to ask her to marry him. So

he waited ANOTHER four years without speaking. Finally as the ninth year of

silence ended, his joy knew no bounds. Leading the lovely princess to the most

secluded and romantic place in that beautiful royal garden the prince heaped a

hundred red roses on her lap, knelt before her, and taking her hand in his, said

huskily, "My darling, I love you! Will you marry me?" The princess tucked a

strand of golden hair behind a dainty ear, opened her sapphire eyes in wonder, and

parting her ruby lips, said: "Pardon?" The moral of the story is, if you only get one

chance to say something, make sure you are loud and clear enough to get your

message heard.

28 Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent,

and discerning if he holds his tongue.

1. Silence is a great cover up of a fool's folly, for if he keeps his mouth shut nobody

will know what nonsense is going through his mind. A fool is not only thought to be

wise by keeping silent, he is at this point actually wise in this one aspect, for he is

making a wise choice rather than a foolish one, which would be the case if he opened

his mouth and let his tongue speak forth his folly. Wise is the man who chooses the

best of two ways, and so when a fool chooses silence rather than speech, he is being

wise. A fool has at least one option by which he can be wise for a short time, and

that option is silence. Speech is the clearest evidence of a fool, and so if he hides this

glaring evidence of his folly, he will be thought to be wise.

1B. Jacox wrote, “There is something at once of pathos and almost of humorous

reproach, in the appeal of the'Man of Uz, in his extremity, to his too didactic and

complacently dogmatical friends: " Oh that ye would altogether hold your peace!

and it should be your wisdom." Job is saying, you guys could get by with being

considered wise if you would just shut up and quit spouting all this nonsense. You

don’t have to be saying wise things to be considered wise. All you have to do is stop

saying things that are stupid and foolish. Saying nothing is often the key to fooling

people about your being a fool. They will not know if you keep quiet and do not let

them know. Job’s friends could not hide their folly because they would not stop

talking folly.

1C. Jacox who made a quite thorough study of the wisdom of being silent quotes

others who confirm the truth of this proverb.

A.“Denouncing in his strong dialect the vapid verbiage of shallow praters, Mr.

Carlyle exclaims, "Even Triviality, Imbecility, that can sit silent, how respectable is

it in comparison!" “Silence," says Confucius, "is a friend that will never betray."

B. “The Abbe' de Choisy hugged himself on the success of a discreet silence during

his residence in Batavia, where he had special reasons to beware of committing, and

of exposing, himself. " Often when I utter not a word, they suppose it is because I

don't choose to talk; whereas the real motive for my silence is a profound ignorance,

such as it is best to keep concealed from the gaze of mortals."

C. “A story is told of Zeuxis, how he reproved a certain Megabyzus, high priest of

great Diana of the Ephesians, who discoursed of pictures in the painter's studio with

so reckless an audacity of ignorance, that the very lads who were grinding colours

there could not refrain from giggling; whereupon quoth Zeuxis to his too-eloquent

friend, "As long as you kept from talking, you were the admiration of these boys,

who were all wonder at your rich attire, and the number of your servants; but now

that you have ventured to expatiate upon the arts, of which you know simply

nothing, they are laughing at you outright." Plutarch tells the same story of Apelles.

Again to draw upon Moliere: a fool who keeps his folly tonguetied, is not to be

distinguished from a savant who hold his peace:”

D. “The moral of one of Gay's fables is to the purpose-that one, namely, in which a

young dog, ignorant of game, gives tongue as lustily as if he knew all about it, and

gets well lashed for his pains. To the astounded puppy's remonstrance the whip

bearing huntsman replies: "Had not thy forward noisy tongue Proclaim'd thee

always in the wrong, Thou might'st have mingled with the rest, And ne'er thy

foolish nose confess'd; But fools, to talking ever prone, Are sure to make their follies

known."

E. “According to La Bruyere, everything tells in favor of the man who talks but

little; the presumption is that he is a superior man; and if, in point of fact, he is not a

sheer blockhead, the presumption then is that he is very superior indeed. His

comparative freedom from folly is positively presumed to exist in the superlative

degree. In another place the same observant philosopher describes in his best style

the sort of people who, by a grand talent for silence, win golden opinions from all

sorts of men; they look wise, and now and then enforce and reinforce the look by a

timely shrug of the shoulders, or significant shake of the head; but the assumed

depth of wisdom don't really go two inches down; scratch the surface, and you come

to the bottom at once.”

2. The other side of this is, beware of the man who never opens his mouth to express

his opinion, for he may be a fool hiding behind his silence, and not the wise man

other may think he must be. If he is a clever fool his silence may be designed to

entice you to follow him in some folly that will be costly. You still need to test the

silent man to see if he has anything worth while to say. He needs to be motivated to

speak at some point to reveal if he is wise, or just a silent fool. Abraham Lincoln had

his own slant on this matter when he said, "It is better to remain silent and be

thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt." So silence is the fool’s

hiding place.

3. Silence is golden is the saying, but in the case of the fool it is better yet, it is

platinum. The Swiss have this proverb, “Speech is silvern, Silence is golden.” When

the speech would be foolish, then the silence has to be more than golden, and such is

the case with the fool. Wyclif's Bible, 1382 also includes the thought - "Silence is

maad in heuen". [made in Heaven] In other words, silence is of great value, and in

the case of the fool, it saves his dignity and reputation. Ted Danson gives his own

personal testimony to the high risks of opening your mouth at the wrong time. It is

funny because most of us do the same thing at times. He said, “I am the king of the

faux pas. I call everybody by their wrong name, and I congratulate women who are

not pregnant. I’ve done so many awful things by mistake, and usually it’s things

that make me look totally foolish.”

4. Saul Bellow "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools talk

because they have to say something." Because this is so, this bit of wisdom will

probably not be very effective in changing the ways of the fool, for they have to

expound on everything regardless of their total ignorance of the issue.

5. This proverb is not saying that silence is always the best policy. It is just the best

choice for the fool. A wise person has to speak up and make a difference in the

understanding of all concerned. If a wise man stays silent and allows fools to go

ahead and make the decisions that effect the lives of many people, he is being a fool

for not talking and giving guidance to those who need his wisdom. Silence is not

golden when knowledge and wisdom are needed. It is sinful neglect to remain silent

in that situation.

6. Barbars Henry wrote,

Silence is not golden

When something should be said.

The truth should always be spoken

Even when we would rather suppress it,

Because we fear someone would be hurt.

There is a way to say whatever should be heard,

Especially when the loud voice of lies

Is quickly spreading its words.

Speak up! Tell the truth!

Humbly, calmly share what you know.

Then watch, listen, as the loud voice of lies

Retreats into silence.

7. Frankie Valli’s old song tells of the struggle with the proverb silence is golden and

the need to reveal the truth to someone who is loved.

Oh don't it hurt deep inside

To see someone do something to her

Oh don't it pain to see someone cry

How especially if that someone is her

Silence is golden, but my eyes still see

Silence is golden, golden, but my eyes still see

Talking is cheap people follow like sheep

Even though there is no where to go

How could she tell he deceived her so well

Pity she'll be the last one to know

How many times will she fall for his lines

Should I tell her or should I be cool

And if I tried I know she'd say I lied

Mind your business don't hurt her you fool

Silence is golden, but my eyes still see

Silence is golden, golden, but my eyes still see.