365 Reflections

When you go through a book of the Bible it's always interesting to find passages that are often lifted from that book for a single sermon or perhaps article and then realize how strange that passage is in relation to the rest of the book.  Proverbs 31 is one such passage. The passage on the excellent wife gets a lot of play perhaps on Christian teaching and books but it comes at the end of a book devoted to teaching young people wisdom from their elders.  Moreover, it focuses on what seems to be an impossible quest - to find a woman like this. Proverbs 31:10–11 (ESV) An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. 11 The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. Some commentators relate this woman to Ruth from the time of the Judges. Ruth worked hard, she was trustworthy and loyal. She impressed all who knew her as she left her home and people to align with Israel for the sake of her mother-in-law to whom she had no legal bind...

Proverbs 31:2–3 (ESV) What are you doing, my son? What are you doing, son of my womb? What are you doing, son of my vows? 3 Do not give your strength to women, your ways to those who destroy kings. In the beginning of this book, we are warned for several chapters about the dangers of immoral women and illicit sex. Now in the last chapter, the warning returns. This time from a different author. Wherein Solomon warned us in Proverbs 4-7, now king Lemuel writes about the same issue here.  We can clearly see the dangers of illicit sex in our world. The woman who is raped or the child who is abused speaks volumes about the disastrous power of sexual sin. Beyond them, the children from a divorced home, the ruined marriage from adultery, and the young person enslaved to pornography and distorting their minds are all sad pictures of the dangers and illicit sexual activity. So you can see why the King opens with the question, "What are you doing???" As if to say, stop going after wom...

Proverbs 30 describes one of the worst kinds of people. And I share this post with great concern that many people seem to have no problem adopting the very attitude described here: Proverbs 30:11–14 (ESV) There are those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers. 12 There are those who are clean in their own eyes but are not washed of their filth. 13 There are those—how lofty are their eyes, how high their eyelids lift! 14 There are those whose teeth are swords, whose fangs are knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, the needy from among mankind. Four basic realities about them are recorded: 1. They curse their parents. The very people who raised them and sacrificed for them are regarded as nothing. To be sure, some parents act terribly, but all parents are to be honored in spite of those mistakes. Being a parent is something you can only understand when you've done it. To curse them is to curse what you do not understand.  2. They believe they are always right...

Our lives are largely defined by who we trust. And in our world, we are given no end of options from which to choose. Will it be parents, friends, spouses, children, fans, followers or experts? Everyone is picking one of them every day.  But wisdom is found when we remember that God came down. He both formed us and lived among us. And Proverbs 30 invites us to examine the resume of Christ when examining who we trust.  Proverbs 30:4 (ESV) Who has ascended to heaven and come down? Who has gathered the wind in his fists? Who has wrapped up the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son’s name? Surely you know! Even in the book of Proverbs, the incarnation was foretold. Who is the one who holds the winds and waters in his hand? Who is the one who began the Earth? God. And the first question and last refer to the Son who would ascend to heaven and come down with the power of the Spirit to ignite the church.  Prover...

There's a problem in your life for sure. That problem is you.  Hard to hear in our seeking-to-feel-good culture, but healing.  Proverbs 29:1 (ESV) He who is often reproved, yet stiffens his neck, will suddenly be broken beyond healing. Wise living comes from more than just hearing it. You have to receive it. And sometimes we don't receive wisdom because we don't have the ability or willingness to let ourselves be challenged in what we assume is right.  This is the person described in Proverbs 29:1 along with other passages from the chapter. The image of a person not willing to receive correction. This is the person who is so utterly convinced they are right there is no changing them. And this person is their own worst enemy. Because disaster comes eventually and if we don't turn and change, it will come for us.  There are three proverbs that describe the person who cannot receive instruction in the chapter: Proverbs 29:9 (ESV) If a wise man has an argument with a f...

Proverbs 28 brings to focus the need for Godly authority in our lives and in our nations. Proverbs 28:1–2 (ESV) The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion. 2 When a land transgresses, it has many rulers, but with a man of understanding and knowledge, its stability will long continue. There's a reward to righteousness we do not talk enough about. Here it is: Confidence.  Think of how this Proverb addresses the fruit of sin - it causes people to fear and flee. We think sin is an embrace of freedom, it's actually slavery. And a slave is someone who lives in the fear of others. They let others dictate their lives. They have no confidence in being who they are because they have defined themselves apart from who God made them to be. If a child has no point of reference for authority, they have no assurance of self and fail miserably in life.  The same is true of a people group ("land"). A nation without a firm commitment to what God wants wil...

I cannot get past this Proverb as I read through Proverbs 27.  Proverbs 27:21 (ESV) The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and a man is tested by his praise. What a thought on which to meditate. Praise, not problems alone is a test of character. And like problems, the test of praise does not produce character, it reveals it.  What happens to you when people approve of you? That is what praise expresses. Someone or some group thinks you've done well, you're a stand-up person, you're on the top of your game. You've just entered a testing ground of character.  One textual note. In the original text, the word "tested" is not there. It is inferred and translated into "tested" by the ESV and "valued" by the NKJV. The point? You know yourself in relation to the consideration you place on others' opinions of you. And therein lies the danger.  Now if you know anything at all about people it is the temporary nature of their pra...

The art of not speaking is forgotten. Today everyone has something to say even when they don't have much to say at all. If something should be re-learned it is the art of letting our tongues stop and knowing to speak less. This is a great amount of Prover 27's emphasis.  Verse 1: Don't talk about what you're going to do. Proverbs 27:1 (ESV) Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring. What foolishness it is to think we can surmise our future. The best plan is the plan that expects plans to not go according to plan. So boasting about our plans do us very little good in the long run.  Verse 2: Do not talk about what you've done.  Proverbs 27:2 (ESV) Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips. This wisdom is in severely short supply. Our resumes are padded, our social media pages staged and our certificates hang on the wall to let people know that we matter. Our lives are not boring and dull.  The best k...

Want to know what's wrong with the world? Look for a moment at the warnings of Proverbs 26: Proverbs 26:1 (ESV) Like snow in summer or rain in harvest, so honor is not fitting for a fool. Proverbs 26:3 (ESV) A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the back of fools. Proverbs 26:6 (ESV) Whoever sends a message by the hand of a fool cuts off his own feet and drinks violence. Proverbs 26:9–11 (ESV) Like a thorn that goes up into the hand of a drunkard is a proverb in the mouth of fools. 10 Like an archer who wounds everyone is one who hires a passing fool or drunkard. 11 Like a dog that returns to his vomit is a fool who repeats his folly. Proverbs is a book of wisdom. And it is constantly reminding us of the damage fools and foolishness can do. We have developed an appetite for foolishness to our own detriment. Today school children learn about gender instead of history, about sexual abnormalities instead of science, and today's universities carefully censor...

Again and again, the wisdom of the tongue cannot be overstated in the book of Proverbs. Consider the emphasis of the timing and nature of our words in Proverbs 25.  Proverbs 25:11–13 (ESV) A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver. 12 Like a gold ring or an ornament of gold is a wise reprover to a listening ear. 13 Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest is a faithful messenger to those who send him; he refreshes the soul of his masters. Three facets of our conversation here that should be noted. First that it is timely. Our words have a right moment and a bunch of wrong ones. Wisdom puts them in the right place at the right time. Second, our words need to be truthful and given to those who will receive them. And finally, our words need to be faithful, that is, to scripture's truth as God has revealed.  Consider the proverb in verse 20 expressing a WRONG time for the WRONG word: Proverbs 25:20 (ESV) Whoever sings songs to a heavy heart is like one...

Proverbs 25:1–2 (ESV) These also are proverbs of Solomon which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied. 2 It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out. I love this notation about Hezekiah. He copied down the proverbs from Solomon. This no doubt is what led to his reputation as a righteous man. 2 Kings 18:2–3 (ESV)  (Hezekiah) was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Abi the daughter of Zechariah. 3 And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that David his father had done. Could it have been that Hezekiah not only read the Bible but saw the Bible (Solomon's writings at this point) as speaking directly to himself? And having heard God speak he search out the truth that His Word contained. When we think about great men, they are true seekers - always searching to uncover another mystery of the universe, the human condition, and how to make...

It's amazing how many times the Bible warns against being envious of evil people. It's found in Psalm 73, Psalm 37, Job 24 and many other places. Proverbs 25 opens with that very line. Proverbs 24:1–2 (ESV) Be not envious of evil men, nor desire to be with them, 2 for their hearts devise violence, and their lips talk of trouble. Seems the Lord knew this would be a problem for us for the oft-repeated warning should be noted. There will be a way in this world that seems advantageous which also jettisons the values and priorities of God's word. Don't fall for it. It's temporary. And eventually, the evil men come to an end.  Psalm 37:1, 10 (ESV) Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers!10 In just a little while, the wicked will be no more; though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there. Psalm 73:3, 18 (ESV) For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. 18 Truly you set them in slippery places; you ...

The sad thing about Proverbs is how often they are ignored. Proverbs 23:19–21 (ESV) Hear, my son, and be wise, and direct your heart in the way. 20 Be not among drunkards or among gluttonous eaters of meat, 21 for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and slumber will clothe them with rags. One of the warnings of scripture I find our current culture continually ignoring are those concerning drunkenness and overeating. Somehow the broad opinion in the country where I live (America) is that eating poorly or excessively is not all that bad, that we have slow metabolisms, an eating addiction or simply a disease. It's amazing how far we go to justify sins.  Notice the warning about gluttony. They wind up poor and disheveled. This is indeed what we see as people pay for higher health costs, more electricity, and higher overall costs of living to accommodate their destructive appetites. And the warning for the son of the Proverbs writer is - don't be around them. Get awa...

Proverbs 22:17–18 (ESV) Incline your ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply your heart to my knowledge, 18 for it will be pleasant if you keep them within you, if all of them are ready on your lips. There is nothing better than to have the Word of God applied to your heart. That means you memorize it. You have it "ready on your lips" when temptation or doubt or anxiety creeps into your life. You see, none of us are immune to the attacks of life against us. Even Jesus had to handle the temptations of the flesh. But His defense and ours if we will embrace it - is the Word of God - wisdom from heaven.  Now here in Proverbs 22:17 the books shifts from Solomon's sayings to the words of other wise people. And what follows are thirty sayings that we do well to apply to our hearts.  Many of these sayings are focused on behavior to avoid. The "do nots" if you will. Do not take advantage of the poor, do not hang with angry men, do not put up security for others, ...

Think of this verse for a bit.  Proverbs 22:1 (ESV) A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold. If you're not careful you'll fly right past it without noticing how counterintuitive it is to our culture. To have a good reputation - a "good name" - is better for you than great riches. Ask the average mom or dad in our culture what they most want for their children. I bet more would say a good paying job or to be happy than to have a good reputation.  Think of your own life for a moment. What do you spend more time cultivating? Your reputation as honest, good, and trustworthy or a higher salary, more influence or followers, likes, and such?  There's no substitute for a good name. And a good name is fragile. One big mistake can take decades of reputation and toss it in the garbage. Money can be made in an instant through luck and happenstance, but a good name takes years no matter who you are.  This betrays another c...

Sorry for the delay. Vacation and shoddy internet here in TN.  Wisdom is not knowing stuff. Lots of smart people are fools. And information alone does not guide a life. One needs to know how to interpret and apply that information in a strategic manner that benefits the greatest good.  As I have been trolling through Proverbs chapter by chapter I fully appreciate that this method is both too quick and far too broad of a study. Each verse could be it’s own study with supported texts and stories from around the Bible. But I also think that many of the chapters lend themselves to a theme. In Proverbs 21, I believe that theme is about knowing what to value.  First, in a world where leadership and important people are valued, the Proverbs show us what’s behind them.  Proverbs 21:1-3 (ESV) The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; he turns it wherever he will. 2 Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the heart. 3 To do righteo...

Wisdom is as much about what we avoid as what we embrace. I would dare say it may even be more about what we avoid. Consider that Jesus defined the way of salvation as narrow and the way of destruction wide. In other words, as Salvation is exclusively experienced through the narrow path of Jesus' blood so life is well lived when we avoid the many dangers that lurk around us - seeking to devour our futures.  Proverbs 20 starts by naming some hazards that lead to bad habits: Proverbs 20:1–4 (ESV) Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise. 2 The terror of a king is like the growling of a lion; whoever provokes him to anger forfeits his life. 3 It is an honor for a man to keep aloof from strife, but every fool will be quarreling. 4 The sluggard does not plow in the autumn; he will seek at harvest and have nothing. Four dangers we are alerted to. Wine, angering authority, strife, and laziness. These are put together I believe because they all...

The book of Proverbs seems to move from part to part in the human body to address where we may lack in wisdom. We are in chapter 10 and the emphasis is on the feet.  Proverbs 19:1–3 (ESV) Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity than one who is crooked in speech and is a fool. 2 Desire without knowledge is not good, and whoever makes haste with his feet misses his way. 3 When a man’s folly brings his way to ruin, his heart rages against the LORD. These first three verses make important points. Your feet, let by a crooked tongue will bring ruin and it reveals a tremendous lack of self-awareness and pride to blame God for your problems. First, check that you live what you believe, second, don't let desire dictate your steps, and third, walk carefully into your choices.  If we skip down a few verses, the theme picks up again. Proverbs 19:15 (ESV) Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep, and an idle person will suffer hunger. Proverbs 19:24 (ESV) The sluggard buries his ...

The Book of Proverbs deals quite heavily with the mouth and the instruction continues in Chapter 18.  Proverbs 18:1–2 (ESV) Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment. 2 A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion. Consider the source of foolish speech mentioned in this passage: Isolation. The implication is the more we are isolated the more we are given over to our own ridiculous notions. Humans are communal creatures and our growth comes from a connection to others. So it should be obvious that the opposite of communion will contradict our very humanness. When we are left to our own thoughts trouble begins. Perhaps this is why the post-pandemic mental health crisis is upon us. Lump global isolating lockdowns into an already isolating culture of personal "communication" devices such as phones and what did you expect? We are at this point a global self-isolating community expressing our opinions wi...

Proverbs 17:1 (ESV)  Better is a dry morsel with quiet than a house full of feasting with strife. This chapter of Proverbs largely deals with the problems created by speech. First is mentioned strife, which even when accompanied by plenty is so problematic poverty would be preferred! Proverbs 17:9 (ESV) Whoever covers an offense seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates close friends. The next troubling sort of speech is that of gossip. A true friend will make sure someone's troubled life is safe while a confession is made. But the person who travels with betrayed speech is divisive and unloving.  Proverbs 17:10 (ESV) A rebuke goes deeper into a man of understanding than a hundred blows into a fool. The responses of the fool and wise man are contrasted here. A wise man will receive the words that may hurt but ultimately heal him. A fool will never learn.  The chapter moves on to general wisdom sayings. Some of the important warnings: Proverbs 17:13 (ESV) If anyon...