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

[Hasmonean1]

Those are very good points Churchy.  We must maintain an humble spirit that will allow us to be taught.  That's why I love hearing the perspective of other believers.  I learned a long time ago that there is an opportunity to learn and grow stronger on any given  occasion.  Even if a minister is teaching or preaching on something we've heard many times in the past, we never know what new revelation might be gained.

[blyempowered]

True!

[Hasmonean1]

These short couplets are what we commonly recognize as proverbs (10:1 - 24:34)  They cover a wide range of topics.  Furthermore, statements do not apply universally to all people in every situation.  Rather, they tend to communicate the general truth that the life of those who seeks God fares better in the long run than the life of the wicked person. To do each chapter justice in one day would probably take the full strength of LGM.  It is therefore imperative that we draw from one another and get the measure dealt to us for these times.  With that said, I choose to expound upon choice verses as lead by The Spirit or items of significance in my life that may be presently helpful.

Chapter 10

vs 5  He that gathereth in summer is a wise son: but he that sleepeth in the harvest is a son that causeth shame.  This verse seems to address preparation.  While the earth remains seed time and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, and day and night will not cease.  It is our way in the natural as well as the spiritual.  Knowing that the harvest is great but the laborers are few, we should encourage ANY believer who is willing to roll up their sleeves and work as unto the Lord.  For his or her labor tendeth to life: but the fruit of the wicked to sin (vs 16).

vs 11  The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life: but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked.  As Christians, we want the words of our mouth springing as a well of life.
John 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. There was a prophet by the name of Michaiah whom the king of that time (Ahab) hated to hear from because he had nothing good to say pertaining the king.  When violence cover our mouths as the wicked, the same affect can come about in relation to those around us.  They will be vexed by our very presence for the things we would say.   Even if we do speak words of rebuke or reproof it should still lead to life.  vs 32  We should be lead by the Spirit to know what to speak and when to speak it in order to bring about life that is indeed a living sacrifice.

vs 12  Hatred stirreth up strifes, but love covereth all sins.  The love of Jesus truly has us covered.  The spirit of the enemy causes discord and calamity.  Which side will we find ourselves?

vs 30 The righteous shall never be removed: but the wicked shall not inhabit the earth.
This proverb reminds me of the parable of the wheat and the tares.  Matthew 13:30
Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.
  It's all about making it to that barn.  Not that we in and of ourselves are righteous but it's the righteousness of Christ that makes us righteous and with his stamp of approval we shall be alright.

[Hasmonean1]

September 11  (May God continue to bless those directly affected by terrorist actions)

vs 7 When a wicked man dieth, his expectation shall perish: and hope of unjust men perisheth. It seems that the expectation of the wicked man is tied to natural/carnal things.  Once he is dead, there is no longer a way for him to obtain those things.  Likewise the unjust man's hope is built upon things that are temporal.  We no these things shall fade away.  We seek those things which are eternal and will go beyond our present existence.  Their end is far from ours.  The gulf between us too great.

vs 8  Interesting verse.  I'll take more time out for that one later unless someone covers it here.


vs 14 Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety This reminds me of the 29:18 where there is no vision the people perish.  When there is a void of direction or accountability the people will indeed fall.  This would also go for bad counsel and the abundance thereof.  It is important to be able to discern wise counsel from foolish counsel.  It also a good thing to have people standing in the gap for you in prayer as well.  This verse also lends itself to the philosophy of safety in numbers.

vs 19 As righteousness tendeth to life: so he that pursueth evil Pursueth it to his own death.
As in vs 5 the righteousness of Jesus directs us and in Him there is life.  Those who follow Him in truth shall follow him to life.  The wicked falls by his wicked while pursuing foolishness for all of his days.  The very imagination of this person is evil and evil shall find him in the way.


vs 22 As a jewel of gold in a swine's snout, so is a fair woman which is without discretion.
I ran across this from another source.
Physical attractiveness without strength of character soon wears thin.  We are to seek those qualities that help us make wise decisions, not just those that make us look good.  Not everyone who looks good is pleasant to live or to work with.  While taking good care of our body and appearance is not wrong, we also need to develop our ability to think.

vs 24-25 There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty.  The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself
The secret to prosperity in riches is revealed according to the kingdom.  It goes to the one who is generous in giving.  We sang a song back in the day, "If you give unto the Lord, he will give it back to you", it goes on to say He will give you more to give.  This ideal goes hand in hand with seed time and harvest. The first part of vs 24 was interesting where it says "and there is that withholdeth more than is meet".  The bible doesn't teach against storing up but rather when we do it more than it be necessary, there is a danger of losing it and a progression towards poverty.

[blyempowered]

For accounability reasons I want to let everyone know ill be reading chapters 10 and 11 tonight.

[lordluvr]

Sorry I haven't been contributing.  I work outside now, and am not near a computer and don't really like typing long dissertations from my phone (Though, I do have a voice recognition app that I could use for dictation).  I appretiate the contributions of brothers Hasmo and bly.  Keep up the great work, guys.

[blyempowered]

Thanks LL!

Chapters 10 and 11.

Chapter 10:
-This chapter (as stressed already) begins a series of proverbs that covers various topics and shows one direction and what happens when we take that direction and shows a second direction and what happens if we take that direction. So here's some specific points that stuck out with me in this chapter.

-The direction that you choose to go in can determine what course your life has. Verse 12 says "hatred stirs up quarrels, but love makes up for all offenses." What happens when we choose to go in the direction of love? A lot of drama and unnecessary stress can be avoided when we choose the path of live. Let me back track to verse 2 which says "tainted wealth has no lasting value, but right living can save your life." When we go in the direction of wealth WITHOUT God, we stand a chance of losing our life. However, when we choose to live for God while he supplies our needs (Matthew 6:33), our lives can be saved. There are many people who have risked their lives JUST for money instead of seeking God's will.

-Last general thing I want to emphasize from this chapter is verse 19 which says "too much talk leads to sin; be sensible and keep your mouth shut." How many of us have got in trouble because of our mouth? How many of us have committed certain sins because of our mouth? On a personal note I'm becoming a little more outspoken. One of the problems with that is sometimes I talk at the wrong time and say the wrong them. Therefore I have to ask God to control my mouth so that I won't say anything that is mispleasing in His site.

Chapter 11:
-Let me talk about verse 4 which says "riches won't help on the day of judgment, but right living can save you from death." Wow! This is why I don't understand our emphasis on material possessions. The reality is that at the end of the day we will not take anything with us. Once we die we are gone. Everything we have earned here will be left here on earth. We should want the best for our lives but we shouldn't get so caught up in materialism that we forget who the focus is suppose to be about.

-Verse 12 says "It is foolish to belittle one's neighbor; a sensible person keeps quiet." Sometimes it's best not to share everything we know. There are many of us who have went through particular situations because people ran their mouths too much. One of the big thematic thrust of the scriptures is the issue of our mouths/tongues. We should use our mouth effecticely for God. We need the Holy Spirit to guide our mouths! Lord guide my mouth to know what to say, when to say it, where to say, why to say and HOW to say it!

-Last verse I'll discuss is verse 25 which says "the generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed." I love God because part of Him blessing me comes through me blessings others! I believe that the Christian life was intended for us not to just worry about our blessings but also about blessing others. Sometimes I wonder if we've became too self-focused in fear that God will not bless us. Sometimes I believe we need to get back to what it really means to be a Christian and part of this "discussion" needs to include how we view our neighbor in light of ourselves. We're so focused on self that sometimes we forget that we have to live and interact with others. I believe that when we bless someone else God will bless us! Lord allow us to be a blessing to others!

As Hasmonean1 indicated, there's so much so I'll discuss the verses that speak to me or the ones that really have something I want to stress!

[Hasmonean1]

Amen brother, very good commentary.  I'm just missing your prayer of application.    I missed it from your last two posts it's vital part your contributions.  I'm not being critical just encouraging I hope.

[blyempowered]

Amen brother, very good commentary.  I'm just missing your prayer of application.    I missed it from your last two posts it's vital part your contributions.  I'm not being critical just encouraging I hope.

My fault bro! I'll make sure to have it bro the rest of the way! Thanks for the reminder!

[Hasmonean1]

Chapter 12

vs 1 Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge: but he that hateth reproof is brutish.
There is a love that comes with learning that for many it just has to be in you.  That's one thing I had from the beginning.   After I got saved, I was enjoying Sunday School with the men and just absorbing so much.  Very shortly afterwards the pastor asked me to teach the young men.    What?  I'm good right here.  Nevertheless, I was obedient and went on to learn far more as a teacher than I ever would have as a student. 
The correction and honing of a credible person is indeed precious.  It can only make us better in whosoever area of life.  Alternately, there are some who can't be told anything.  To correct such a person is like an attack in there eyes.  A spirit like that can hold a person back from many things.

vs 10 A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.
This verse stood out to me.  It's a tale of two spirits where it concern animals in a person's possession.  Tender mercies here seems to extend beyond that of other humans.  Often times we here about treating our neighbor right.  The treatment of life God has put here on earth speaks volumes as to our spirit as well.

vs 12 The wicked desireth the net of evil men: but the root of the righteous yieldeth fruit.
Some people revel in the misfortune of the innocent.  These people can't wait to see who has done wrong today.  They seek those who have fallen to sin and beat them over the head to appease their spirits.  Some even directly join the torment of others with pleasure.  Thank God for the righteous though.  These people edify the brother or sister.  This person will reprove and rebuke but with an entirely different spirit or motive.  The result is a brother or sister who becomes highly productive.

vs 23 A prudent man concealeth knowledge: but the heart of fools proclaimeth foolishness.
It is not expedient that we should release everything that we know.  There are some things that go better unspoken for the sake of the body.  John saw much more than he released to us in Revelations.  He said there were some things he saw that were not lawful for him to speak.  A fool on the other hand "can't hold water" as some have said.  They will tell it without regarding the consequences.  It must be noted that even they themselves will sometimes be negatively affected by the foolishness they proclaim.

vs 25 Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop: but a good word maketh it glad.
This verse speaks in reference to depression.  Depression seems more dangerous to the average man because of our concealment of emotions.  It is therefore very important to lift one another up with good words.  How good is a word spoken in due season.  Death and life are truly in the power of the tongue.  So let us speak life into one another because we never know what a person might be going through.  Particularly let us continue to lift up Britt at the loss of her grandmother.  Many women are good at expressing their emotions and it is easier to recognize.  May God ease the heaviness that our brothers and sisters are feeling at this time.  Let something be said or done that will bless and restore.  This we ask In Jesus Name.

[phbrown]

Could someone explain 12:9 ... I don't really understand it...

[blyempowered]

Could someone explain 12:9 ... I don't really understand it...

The verse in the NLT (new living translation) says "better to be an ordinary person with a servant than to be self-appointed but have no food." To me it means it's better to be humble and with someone who has a mindset of service than to put yourself in a position and have nothing because you wasn't willing to go the humble route. Sometimes the humble route is not the popular route. Correction: the humble route is not a popular route at all. That's what I get from it.

[phbrown]

hmm ... got a follow up question



Would
The verse in the NLT (new living translation) says "better to be an ordinary person with a servant than to be self-appointed but have no food."

that verse mean the same thing if you said

"better to be an ordinary person with an employee than to be self-appointed but have no food."

meaning could I say employee instead of servant?

[blyempowered]

hmm ... got a follow up question



Would
The verse in the NLT (new living translation) says "better to be an ordinary person with a servant than to be self-appointed but have no food."

that verse mean the same thing if you said

"better to be an ordinary person with an employee than to be self-appointed but have no food."

meaning could I say employee instead of servant?

I guess it would depend on if the employee was a servant at heart. I'm going to look in a commentary or two and see what I find. This is a very good question you're bringing up!

[blyempowered]

I guess it would depend on if the employee was a servant at heart. I'm going to look in a commentary or two and see what I find. This is a very good question you're bringing up!

Ok in reference to 12:9, one of the cross references I saw was Luke 14:11 which states from the KJV "For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted." From the NLT it says "for those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted." So to me, verse 9 is dealing with humbleness and how we it's better to be humble than full of self because if we start humble God will elevate us.

[phbrown]

Ok in reference to 12:9, one of the cross references I saw was Luke 14:11 which states from the KJV "For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted." From the NLT it says "for those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted." So to me, verse 9 is dealing with humbleness and how we it's better to be humble than full of self because if we start humble God will elevate us.

What source do you use to look up cross-references?

[phbrown]

What source do you use to look up cross-references?

I just used the following link:

http://www.openbible.info/labs/cross-references/search?q=proverbs+12%3A9

It listed: Proverbs 13:7 and Luke 14:11

looks like I would be taking that verse out of context by substituting employee for servant.

[blyempowered]

What source do you use to look up cross-references?

My King James Life Application Study Bible has cross-references but you can go to studylight.org and that should have cross-references there.

[phbrown]

My King James Life Application Study Bible has cross-references but you can go to studylight.org and that should have cross-references there.

Thank you

[blyempowered]

Chapter 12

I saw about 2-4 major themes in this chapter.

1. Openness to learn. Verses 1, 15 and 23 emphasize the need for us to be open to learning and correction. What happens when we are not open to learning? We begin to go in the paths that we should not go. Now grant it we should have some firm opinions and perspectives on some things but we should be open to learning. We do not know everything. It doesn't matter how much college education we have, there are some things that are not taught in college that are essential to our everyday being. I would even make a case that when it comes to knowledge about God we should be open-minded. Everything we have been taught about God and church is not exactly correct. Let's be open to learning more and more about our faith and what is needed to live lives according to God's plan.

2. Our Words. I see the emphasis of words in verses 6, 14, 17, 18, 19, and 22. As we know through scripture what we say is very vital to our spiritual growth and development. Some of these verses emphasize why we should watch what we say. Many times we say it's not what you say but how you say it, yet sometimes it is about what you say. As Christians we should not lie and say things that go against the will of God. My Lord I have been guilty of saying things not pleasing in His sight. Lord I repent!

3. Money. It was interesting that some verses talked about hard work and being lazy. I believe that we must see our work as an investment into our future. Regardless of what type of work we do (self-employed, working for a company, etc) we must see work as an investment for the future, not just our future but our children as well.

4. Friendship. Verse 25 and 26 says "Worry weighs a person down; an encouraging word cheers a person up. The godly give good advice to their friends, the wicked lead them astray." Friendship should be about lifting each other up so that each person will be everything God intends for them to be. Many people lose out in life because of who they decide to have friendship with. We should evaluate our friendships to see if 1) we are being the best friend we can be and 2) if our friendships are helping us be better. If they are not then we should seriously pray about moving forward without them.


Prayer of Application: Lord we are grateful for everything we are learning in Proverbs so far. Lord allow us to continually be open to what you are teaching us. Lord we thank you for giving us the mindset to dig into your Word and learn more about how to live this life. Let us be dependent on you because we realize that without you we cannot make it. Lord allow us to not just read the Word but help us to APPLY what we are learning so that we will be the salt and light you call for us to be, in Jesus name, amen!