MID AUGUST/MID SEPTEMBER SELECTION....The Book of Proverbs

[blyempowered]

SMH is right. Amazing how we kept up with these other 2 books. 

Right..... 

[blyempowered]

OMG.....what in the world? I'm so far behind it's not even right funny........smh!

Lord help! #thatisall

Ok, I'm going to try to catch up. What chapter we on?....LOL!

[Hasmonean1]

Just sticking my head in.  I guess I'll join you guys at about chapter 5 or so since I'm so late.  Good idea Britt.

[blyempowered]

I'm listening to Chuck Swindoll teaching on the book of Proverbs. Love what he's talking about. Here are some quotes:

"Psalms tells us how to get along with God. Proverbs tells us how to get along with one another."

"The people we spend time with have a greater impact on our lives than any other source."

"Proverbs are short statements that declare a profound truth designed to give us wisdom for living."

"In our day and age very little wisdom is directly communicated in homes."

[lordluvr]

Wow.  It's been a minute since I've peeped the "Book Club" link.  I'd love to join in on the discussions of Proverbs.  What chapter are you guys on now?

[blyempowered]

Wow.  It's been a minute since I've peeped the "Book Club" link.  I'd love to join in on the discussions of Proverbs.  What chapter are you guys on now?

I have no idea bro! Last chapter discussed was I think 3 or 4....SMH!

[lordluvr]

Wait...We can talk daily about pagan Christianity, but lose interest in the Proverbs???  2011 saints, I tell ya...

[blyempowered]

Wait...We can talk daily about pagan Christianity, but lose interest in the Proverbs???  2011 saints, I tell ya...

SMH! LOL!

[LaylaMonroe]

I'm trippin over how the ones who were PUSHING to do the Proverbs haven't been back since day uno. Smh!

And yeah, it definitely says something that we can stay focused on other books, but not the Word.

Anyway, y'all wanna start over, pick up from Ch3, or pick up where we should be at this point??

[lordluvr]

I'm trippin over how the ones who were PUSHING to do the Proverbs haven't been back since day uno. Smh!

And yeah, it definitely says something that we can stay focused on other books, but not the Word.

Anyway, y'all wanna start over, pick up from Ch3, or pick up where we should be at this point??

At the very least, I'd recommend picking up from chapter 3.  Though, obviously being late to the table, I wouldn't mind starting from chapter one.  But, since it has already been discussed, I doubt people would add much to what has already been said.

[blyempowered]

I read chapter 3 so I'll start with chapter 4 today and try my best to consistently read till the end.

[LaylaMonroe]

Well since today is the 3rd, let's just do one proverb a day starting with #3 today, and continuing each day. Coincidentally, that's what I was gonna suggest in the first place (starting on 9/1 so our chapters would coincide with the day of the month), but everyone seemed so excited I didn't think they'd wanna wait. Hmph!!!

LL, I'm volunteering you to be my accountability partner for this, please if you will.

I'm ready to try again!!!

[lordluvr]

Lol, I like the was I was volunteered. Just like my mom volunteered me to work the grill for my father's surprise birth anniversary cookout. That's gonna be a LOT of cooking!  Anywho, I'll gladly try to hold you accountable. Shoot, the task alone will help me be accountable. Lol

[blyempowered]

Well since today is the 3rd, let's just do one proverb a day starting with #3 today, and continuing each day. Coincidentally, that's what I was gonna suggest in the first place (starting on 9/1 so our chapters would coincide with the day of the month), but everyone seemed so excited I didn't think they'd wanna wait. Hmph!!!

LL, I'm volunteering you to be my accountability partner for this, please if you will.

I'm ready to try again!!!

Great idea!

[LaylaMonroe]

*now reading Proverbs 3*

[JustBritt]

*Forgot about this thread*

I'll hop back on the train.

[Hasmonean1]

Well praise the Lord!!!  In an effort to catch up I find myself a little bit ahead.

Chapter 3

There were a few things that stood out to me.  I'm going to refrain from commenting on the whole chapter as I most look forward to the input of my brothers and sisters.
In verse 2, there is a mention of length of days, and long life, and peace being added as a result of keeping the law and commandments.  It seems at first glance that length of days and long life would pretty much mean the same thing.  I see length of days in association with life in the body.  Ephesians  6:2-3  Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.  But we don't keep His commandments and live a life unto Him for only a long earthly existence.  Our main goal is to get that eternal life in the presence of God.  So I see the "long life" referring to eternal life after this natural life.  It can't get any longer than that.

In verse 13 it says "happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. A question came to me. Is it possible to get one without the other?  I would have to say so since there is distinction made between the two.  Maybe the distinction between the two here can be drawn in how they are encountered.  One is found and the other is gotten.  It may be a stretch but a person can find wisdom in the form of the Word but fail to use it or through another person but fail to take advantage of it. Also by personal life experiences. To get an understanding seems to be something we possess as a result of being taught directly or indirectly, however we must be careful take advantage of good understanding.  We can understand the consequence of wrong actions and yet still perform them to our own detriment. The benefits of obtaining both wisdom and understanding while putting them to good use is illustrated in versus 14-24.

I'm looking forward to commentary on versus 25-26 and also 27-35 among others.

[blyempowered]

Just got done reading chapter 4.

I took away a couple of things. First, the importance of godly parenting and then the importance of sticking on the godly path throughout life. I kept reading verses that emphasized the need of holding in the heart what the father (parent) teaches. It's like we shouldn't throw away what our parents taught us even as we grow old. That part lays on the child growing into an adult but it also puts weigh on the parents. If parents are going to be considered "Christian" parents they must teach Godly values for the child to hold on to. Many of our children growing into adults do not have a good foundation which leads to destruction, following the wrong crowd, trying to fit in, etc. The bible says to train up a child in the way they should go and when they are older they will not depart from it. Within this we must also understand the reality that some throw the teachings and impartation of the parents away.

My prayer is that I take what I've been taught and apply it to my life as I get older and I also pray that when I'm privileged by God to be a parent I'll provide the best Godly wisdom and counsel to my children so that when they are older they will not depart from what they've been taught.

[Hasmonean1]

Chapter 4

verse 11  The way of wisdom was and can be taught.  If we learn it's way then it should be more easily recognized and applied.  Time as well as trial and error can be saved when we are lead in the right direction.

verse 13  It is vital that we take what we've been taught and run with it.  Pastors and spiritual leaders give us the necessary lessons to preservation during spiritually challenging times.  We should not take it for granted because our very lives could depend upon it.

verse 23  We often see in Proverbs where it says to bind them upon or write them on the table of thine heart concerning the commandments.  Out of the heart are the issues of life.  If the Word is bound within our hearts then each and every issue life may present will be covered.



Chapter 5


In chapter 5 a warning goes out in reference to a "strange woman".  There was a strange woman back in the day that was the subject of a Rick James song (Mary Jane).  It wasn't until many years later that I learned he was singing about cocaine. Although chapter 5 is referencing women outside of the marriage, any addiction such as cocaine will have the same affect as that strange woman.  Families can be destroyed, wealth lost, health compromised, and lonliness as a result of iniquity.  The wife should be cherished and loved for she is the "good thing" and will have a directly opposite affect on a man's life than that of the strange woman.
   It always stuck me as being peculiar that Solomon had so much wisdom yet he had quite a few wives of varying nationalities who also served other gods.  They seemed to be strange women indeed.

[blyempowered]

Great insight Hasmonean1!

I'm about to read chapter 5. Me and a buddy I went to high school with are going to be accountability partners. We're going to read Proverbs everyday until we finish. We're also going to help each other grow in Christ.