Devotions on Proverbs: Proverbs 1:8-19

 

B3 Proverbs 1:20-33

C1 Wisdom is personified pleading for those without wisdom to come and learn wisdom.

C2 Being wise in not automatically known.

C3 Parts

D1 Announcement and invitation in Proverbs 1:20-21.

D2 Her message in Proverbs 1:22-33

E1 People naturally love being simple. Proverbs 1:22

F1 Love is to desire and long for hence love in many different applications as spouse, family, friend, ideas, philosophy, etc. In our passage, it seems to refer to lifestyle and worldview.

F2 Simple: The basic verb idea is “be open, spacious, wide,” and might relate to the immature or simple one who is open to all kinds of enticement, not having developed a discriminating judgment as to what is right or wrong. (TWOT 1853a).

E2 Wisdom pleads for all to turn around, stop being that way, learn wisdom. Turn means to turn around, repent, turn from living in simpleness to return to God, etc. Proverbs 1:23 GW Turn to me when I warn you. I will generously pour out my spirit for you. I will make my words known to you.

E3 Rejection of wisdom in Proverbs 1:24-25 has consequences. A foolish past can be changed to a glorious future. Repeated rejection eventually results in lost opportunity to repent. This itself is a consequence of foolishness.

E4 The consequences of rejection in Proverbs 1:26-27. Choosing foolish decisions instead of wisdom leads to sad and painful consequences. It results in calamity, fear, desolation, destruction, distress, and anguish. Proverbs 1:26-27 GNB So when you get into trouble, I will laugh at you. I will make fun of you when terror strikes—27 when it comes on you like a storm, bringing fierce winds of trouble, and you are in pain and misery.

E5 Proverbs 1:28-31 gives the reason for not helping them. They repeatedly rejected wisdom and consequently made bad choices. They can’t blame God for what happened to them.

F1 Proverbs 16:16 GW How much better it is to gain wisdom than gold, and the gaining of understanding should be chosen over silver.

F2 Compare Moses in Hebrew 11:24-26.

F3 A few of the notes from Constable's Expository Bible Study Notes 2016 Edition Thomas L. Constable, Th.D.:

G1 Choices-the wise teachers bring us back to that familiar theme: the choice between wise behavior and foolish, between righteous conduct and wicked, has consequences that boggle the mind. [Note #71: Hubbard, p. 319.]

G2 The fool is one by his own fault, not by fate (vv. 30-31). [Note #72: Kidner, p. 60.] Wisdom laughs at the fool's calamity (v. 26), not because she is hard-hearted but because it is so absurd to choose folly (v. 26).

G3 The figure of laughing reveals the absurdity of choosing a foolish way of life and being totally unprepared for disaster. [Note #73: Ross, p. 910.]

E6 Being simple, that is, foolish always leads to bad outcomes. Proverbs 1:32-33 NCV Fools will die because they refuse to listen; they will be destroyed because they do not care. 33 But those who listen to me will live in safety and be at peace, without fear of injury.

C4 We learn the principle that when God initiates and offers, we do not resist.

C5 Wisdom comes from God, but we must read, study, apply. We will be tested.

C6 How can wisdom help us?

C7 Why do people resist God and His offer to know wisdom?

Devotions on Proverbs Proverbs 1:8-19

 

B3 Proverbs 1:8-19

C1 Here we read the general principle to avoid sin, to avoid seduction of sin by friends, pastors, leaders, politicians, family, etc.

C2 Choices have consequences.

C3 The foundation of seduction is a lie and sinful desire.

C4 The hook of seduction is something sounds too good to be true. This is so in relationships (love bombing), advertisements, salespeople, politicians, job interviews, etc.

C5 Eventually, all becomes known. God knows and will punish sin. Matthew 10:26 GNB So do not be afraid of people. Whatever is now covered up will be uncovered, and every secret will be made known.

C6 Questions

D1 Verse 19 is the summary verse. What is the main principle we must know?

D2 Name 3 applications of this principle.

D3 With reference to the 10 commandments (Exodus 20), what are some of the commandments that are disobeyed in this passage?

A Few Thoughts About Proverbs 1:1-7

 

Chapters 1-9

B1 General Instruction about wisdom

B2 Chapter 1:1-7 Why study Proverbs?

C1 Teaching—note the verbs—to

D1 To know wisdom and instruction

E1 Wisdom is knowing the facts and using and applying them in a godly way

E2 Instruction is obtaining facts

D2 To perceive words of understanding. Rote memory is not enough. We must understand what it means, and how to use it appropriately.

D3 To receive the instruction of wisdom, Justice, judgment, and equity

E1 These things that we must learn are either worldly or spiritual.

E2 1 Corinthians 3:19 NLT For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God. As the Scriptures say, "He traps the wise in the snare of their own cleverness.

E3 James 3:13-18 NLT If you are wise and understand God's ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. 14 But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don't cover up the truth with boasting and lying. 15 For jealousy and selfishness are not God's kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. 16 For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind. 17 But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. 18 And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.

D4 To give

E1 The simple (naive) prudence.

F1 We must prepare our children, so we must be prepared as Christians to teach these things.

F2 Prudence is knowing and using good judgment/good sense.

E2 The young and inexperienced knowledge and discretion

F1 Discretion is making plans and knowing the best way to achieve that goal. Often these things come from experience of success and failure. We study the Proverbs to learn from others experience. God teaches us how to choose and act wise.

F2 For all, but especially for the young and inexperienced who may be easily led astray.

F3 1 Psalms 19:7 GNB The law of the LORD is perfect; it gives new strength. The commands of the LORD are trustworthy, giving wisdom to those who lack it.

D5 To increase these things in a wise person in what they mean and how to use it.

E1 Further facts and applications

E2 Wise counsel

E3 Proverbs and parables

E4 Sayings and riddles

D6 Summary

E1 Fear of the Lord is beginning of knowledge

F1 Respecting His authority knowing that He can discipline.

F2 Jamieson, Fausset and Brown Commentary:

The grand inference of the whole book.

Fear God—The antidote to following creature idols, and “vanities,” whether self-righteousness (Ecclesiastes 7:16, Ecclesiastes 7:18), or wicked oppression and other evils (Ecclesiastes 8:12, Ecclesiastes 8:13), or mad mirth (Ecclesiastes 2:2; Ecclesiastes 7:2-5), or self-mortifying avarice (Ecclesiastes 8:13, Ecclesiastes 8:17), or youth spent without God (Ecclesiastes 11:9; Ecclesiastes 12:1).

this is the whole duty of man—literally, “this is the whole man,” the full ideal of man, as originally contemplated, realized wholly by Jesus Christ alone; and, through Him, by saints now in part, hereafter perfectly (1 John 3:22-24; Revelation 22:14).

E2 Fools despise wisdom and instruction

C2 Application

D1 We do not have this knowledge and ability to apply it innately.

D2 We must be taught. Psalms 119:130 MKJV The entrance of Your Words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.

D3 We must learn how to assess, understand, and apply to help ourselves and others.

D4 We must continually motivate ourselves and others to achieve more.

D5 It is better to learn from others rather than make a poor choice and suffer the consequences.

D6 Proverbs is not so much about rules as it is about principles that we can apply in many circumstances.

A Few Thoughts About Bible Principles

And from examples of success and failure.

From 1 Samuel 1-2:11

The people

B1 Eli

B2 Eli’s sons Hophni and Phinehas

B3 Elkanah, husband to Hannah and Peninnah

B4 Hannah

B5 Peninnah

B6 God

The setting

B1 Shiloh, the first center of Israelite worship in the Promised Land. A comment from the ATS Bible Dictionary on Shiloh (the place):

A famous city of Ephraim, about ten miles south of Shechem, and twenty-four north of Jerusalem. Here Joshua assembled the people to make the second distribution of the Land of Promise; and her the tabernacle of the Lord was set up, when they were settled in the country, Joshua 18:1; 19:51. The ark and the tabernacle continued at Shiloh, from B. C. 1444 to B. C. 1116, when it was taken by the Philistines, under the administration of the high priest Eli. In honor of the presence of the ark, there was "a feast of the Lord in Shiloh yearly;" and at one of these festivals the daughters of Shiloh were seized by a remnant of the Benjamites, Judges 21:19-23. At Shiloh Samuel began to prophesy, 1 Samuel 4:1, and here the prophet Ahijah dwelt, 1 Kings 14:2.

B2 Sacrifices probably referring to one of the 3 major feasts that all Israelite men must attend. Those are Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles.

B3 Eli is high priest. His sons Hophni and Phinehas are assistant priests. The two sons are controlling, brutal, lustful, seek only for themselves resulting in Israel hating them and even turning against God. We too often these days see controlling people/pastors in the church and ruining it. They died in war, because God hated them.

God’s rules in the Bible include:

B1 Things we must do and things we must not do.

B2 Principles we must do and principles we must not do.

B3 Example of people with godly success, which we must imitate, and examples of ungodly failure, which we must avoid.

The principles learned

B1 Don’t be evil like Hophni and Phinehas. It is an attitude that God hates. This attitude leads to action/deeds. What we really believe, we do. God punishes this severely. We do not know when, but it will happen. First death, then punishment. 1 Samuel 3:13-14 NRSV For I have told him that I am about to punish his house forever, for the iniquity that he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God, and he did not restrain them. 14 Therefore I swear to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be expiated by sacrifice or offering forever."

B2 Elkanah shares his food with his family. Good. We shouldn’t hoard or keep from our family. We are to take care of our family, not cause suffering. 1 Timothy 5:8 NIV Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

B3 Elkanah shares his food unevenly in giving Hannah twice as much. Bad. We should give to each equally as much as possible.

C1 James 2:8-9 NRSV You do well if you really fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." 9 But if you show partiality, you commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.

C2 Romans 2:11 NRSV For God shows no partiality.

B4 Peninnah verbally abused her co-wife. Bad. We need to treat others as we treat ourselves. Romans 13:9-10 GNB The commandments, "Do not commit adultery; do not commit murder; do not steal; do not desire what belongs to someone else"—all these, and any others besides, are summed up in the one command, "Love your neighbor as you love yourself." 10 If you love others, you will never do them wrong; to love, then, is to obey the whole Law.

B5 Elkanah should have just listened, which Hannah wanted, but instead gave some unwise statements. Bad.

C1 Unwise statements:

D1 “Hannah, why are you crying?” He surely knew about the verbal abuse. He seems to be sympathetic, but still should have been quiet and listen. God listens to us. We should should listen, too. Psalms 102:2 GNB When I am in trouble, don't turn away from me! Listen to me, and answer me quickly when I call!

D2 “Why are you so sad?” I think he knew but maybe didn’t recognize.

E1 He just should have been there for her. Just been. He doesn’t even have to say anything. Just be there.

E2 Jesus is there with you. Romans 8:38-39 GNB For I am certain that nothing can separate us from his love: neither death nor life, neither angels nor other heavenly rulers or powers, neither the present nor the future, 39 neither the world above nor the world below—there is nothing in all creation that will ever be able to separate us from the love of God which is ours through Christ Jesus our Lord.

E3 Why doesn’t Jesus stop the evil? He gives people the opportunity to help each other and to do what is right, but that/those person/s choose to do evil.

D3 “Am I not better to you than ten sons?”

E1 She is not asking for advice. This statement does not help at all. It doesn’t relieve her pain.

E2 Proverbs 15:13 ESV2011 A glad heart makes a cheerful face, but by sorrow of heart the spirit is crushed.

E3 Psalms 34:18 NRSV The LORD is near to the brokenhearted, and saves the crushed in spirit.

E4 Once when all hope was gone; I mean all hope. I received some wise counsel from a sister in Christ, “Len, trust God. Wait one year, and see how God will help you. You must wait.” Well, I lived through it, and at one year I looked back and saw how God helped me. Problems and troubles see were there, but God was there, too. Praise God!

B6 Hannah wept before the Lord. Good. We can be man enough to cry at times. Jesus wept. It will do you good to read Psalm 42.

B7 She prayed. This is where we must start. Psalms 102:1 NRSV A prayer of one afflicted, when faint and pleading before the LORD. Hear my prayer, O LORD; let my cry come to you. The whole of Psalm 102.

B8 Hannah does make a vow. Possibly good. When making a vow it must be for a specific thing, a specific time, and a specific offering. Did Hannah do this? Yes. We are not to vow to satisfy our lusts; compare Psalm 106:15 NKJV And He gave them their request, But sent leanness into their soul.

Lest I get too long of post, I will stop.

Study the Scriptures.

Praise God!

Psalms 31:24 NKJV Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart, All you who hope in the LORD.