Category: Bible

Counsel

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Proverbs 15:22 Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counsellors they are established. 

‘Counsel’ [Hebrew: tachbulah] helmsman; guide; counsel. Translated counsel (1:5; 11:14; 12:5; 24:6; Job 37:12); and advice (20:18).

‘Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counsellors they are established.’ A fool will not listen to wise counsel, as will the wise (12:15). Plans fail when there is no counsel, but succeed where many wise men counsel (15:22).

‘But in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.’ Safety, providing they are really counsellors and serve God (cp. 15:22; 24:6; Ps. 1:1).

Two ways of getting wisdom (19:20): Hear counsel and profit by it. Receive instruction (discipline) and live by it.

Folly

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Proverbs 15:21 Folly is joy to him that is destitute of wisdom: but a man of understanding walks uprightly. 

‘Folly’ [Hebrew: cikluwth], silliness. Translated folly (Eccl. 1:17; 2:3, 12-13; 10:1) and foolishness (Eccl. 7:25; 10:13).

‘Folly is joy to him that is destitute of wisdom: but a man of understanding walks uprightly.’ Folly is a joy to fools, but wise men walk sensibly.

The simple are born with a disposition to folly, but the wise embrace knowledge. The wisdom of the prudent is to direct his way rightly, but the folly of fools is to live deceitful lives (14:8,18). The crown of the wise is their riches, but the fool produces folly by his acts of foolishness (14:24).

Three discoveries of Solomon (Eccl. 2:13-17): There is no supreme good or lasting happiness in all the pursuits of science, no genuine satisfaction in unbridled lusts, and no true joy in folly; wisdom excels folly as much as light excels darkness. The wise man sees clearly and weighs carefully the consequences of all he does; whereas the fool has no guide to his reason and no check on his passions as he blindly walks, groping in unbridled lusts. Both the wise man and the fool die, but the wise man isn’t remembered any more than a fool.

A Wise Son

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Proverbs 15:20 A wise son makes a glad father: but a foolish man despises his mother. 

‘A wise son makes a glad father: but a foolish man despises his mother.’ A wise son honours his parents, but a foolish one despises them. A wise son is a pleasure to parents (3:12; 10:1; 15:20; 23:15-16; 24-25; 29:3). See Proverbs 17:21, 25; 19:13, 26; 20:20; 28:7, 24; 30:11, 17, referring to fools making parents unhappy.

Four commands to sons: Hear – 13 such commands in Proverbs (1:8; 4:1, 10; 5:7; 7:24; 8:6, 32-33; 19:20, 27; 22:17; 23:19, 22). Be wise – commanded 4 times (6:6; 8:33; 23:19; 27:11). Guide the heart in the right way (23:19; cp. 2:17; 11:3). Don’t be a companion of drunkards and gluttons (23:20-21. Cp. 26:9; Deut. 21:20).

Four death-penalty sins for sons (includes everyone): Stubbornness in accepting correction. Rebellion against parents. Gluttony – excess in eating and to get drunk.

The Slothful Man

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Proverbs 15:19 The way of the slothful man is as an hedge of thorns: but the way of the righteous is made plain. 

‘The way of the slothful man is as a hedge of thorns: but the way of the righteous is made plain.’ A lazy man imagines many obstructions in the way, but the righteous see none.

Romans 12:11 warns us not to be slothful (Heb. 6:12) in business but fervent in spirit.

Eighteen facts about the slothful: They are unteachable, careless, and indifferent (6:6-9). They love excessive sleep (9:9; 19:15; 24:33). They are irritating to others (10:26). They are servants to others (12:24). They are too lazy to cook food (12:27). They are wishful thinkers (13:4; 24:34). They have a life full of troubles (15:19). They are great wasters (18:9). They are lazy (19:24; 24:30-34; 26:14-15). They refuse to work (20:4; 21:25). They make the most senseless excuses for their laziness (22:13; 26:13). They are void of understanding (24:30). They permit property to ruin (24:31-34; Eccl. 10:18). They are too lazy to move themselves (26:14). They are conceited (26:16). They are unfaithful to trust (Matt. 25:26). They are unbelievers (Heb. 6:12). They lack business ability (Rom. 12:11).

Strife

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Proverbs 15:18 A wrathful man stirs up strife: but he that is slow to anger appeases strife.

‘A wrathful man stirs up strife: but he that is slow to anger appeases strife.’ A fiery-tempered man causes trouble, but a man slow to anger promotes peace.

Wrath [Greek: thumos, Turbulent passions; domestic and civil turmoils; rage; determined and lasting anger.] Wrath (Gal. 5:20; Luk. 4:28; Acts 19:28; 2Cor. 12:20; Eph. 4:31; Col. 3:8; Heb. 11:27; Rev. 12:12; 14:8, 10, 19; 15:1, 7; 16:1; 18:3); indignation (Rom. 2:8); and fierceness (Rev. 16:19; 19:15).

Strife [Greek: eritheia] Disputations; jangling; strife about words; angry contentions; contest for superiority or advantage; strenuous endeavour to equal or pay back in kind the wrongs done to one. “Strife” (Gal. 5:20; 2Cor. 12:20; Php. 2:3; Jas. 3:14, 16); “contention” (Php. 1:16; Rom. 2:8).

Three sources of sin (1Cor. 3:3): Thoughts: envying, state of the soul. Words: strife, contention in words. Deeds: divisions, sin in conduct.

Better is…

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Proverbs 15:16-17 Better is little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and trouble therewith. Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith. 

‘Better is little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and trouble therewith.’ Better is poverty with the fear of the Lord, than riches with troubles.

Proverbs 22:4 states that by humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, honour and life. Riches, honour, and life depend upon humility and fear of the Lord.

‘Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith.’ Better is a poor man’s dinner where love is than a rich man’s feast with hatred and strife.

Psalms 37:16 states that the little that a righteous man has is better than the riches of many wicked. This is always true due to the blessing of God upon the little. A righteous man is content with little under the most trying circumstances when he is blessed by his heavenly Father (15:16; 16:8; 1Cor. 10:31; 1Thess. 5:18).

Understanding

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Proverbs 15:14 The heart of him that has understanding seeks knowledge: but the mouth of fools feeds on foolishness. 

‘The heart of him that has understanding seeks knowledge: but the mouth of fools feeds on foolishness.’ A wise man seeks knowledge, but a fool feeds on foolishness.

We read in Philippians 1:9 that Paul admonishes that our love will abound yet more and more with the increase in God’s knowledge and His judgments. Knowledge of His Word is necessary for our growth and renewal of our minds, otherwise, the enemy will destroy our lives and faith in God (Eph. 6:10-18). Knowledge in God’s Word is never for self-gain in popularity or to use against others. It must be the light of the path you choose (6:23; Ps. 119:105) to enable you to do all to His glory (1 Cor. 10:31) and live a life with meaning.

‘Seeks knowledge’ – Four examples of seeking knowledge: Solomon (1Kin. 3:5-10; Pro. 19:8), the Queen of Sheba (1Kin. 10:1-29; Matt. 12:42), the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:28) and the Bereans (Acts 17:11).

The word fools means those who are perverse, those depending upon their own wisdom, which is foolishness to God (1:7; 12:15; 14:3, 9; 15:5; 27:22; cp. 1Cor. 1:20-25).

A Merry Heart

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Proverbs 15:13, 15 A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken. All the days of the afflicted are evil: but he that is of a merry heart has a continual feast. 

‘A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.’ A happy disposition shows in the countenance, but a gloomy one keeps the spirit broken.

3John 1:2 we learn that that we can prosper and be in health, AS the soul prospers. Psalms 1:3 says that the righteous shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that brings forth fruit in his season and his leaf also shall not wither and that he shall prosper, portraying a rich and fruitful Christian life (cp. John 15:1-8). Material prosperity is as much the will of God as soul and body health (Jos. 1:5-9; 1Sam. 2:7-8; 3Jn. 1:2).

‘All the days of the afflicted are evil: but he that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast.’ The afflicted are always sad, but the merry are always happy.

Before the LORD

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Proverbs 15:11 Hell and destruction are before the LORD: how much more then the hearts of the children of men?

‘Hell’ [Hebrew: She’owl], the unseen world, the place of departed spirits, the place of future and eternal torment. Found 12 times and always rendered “hell.” It is the same as “the lake of fire” found 5 times (Rev. 19:20; 20:10-15; 21:8).

Two facts about the natural heart (Jer. 17:9): It is deceitful above all things. It is desperately wicked. Scripture teaches that we cannot know our own hearts because of their deceitfulness.

Only God truly knows the heart, as stated in Jeremiah 17:10. He searches the heart and examines the innermost being to give to each person according to their ways and deeds. Through our choices, attitudes, and actions, God discerns the true intentions within us, and He will reward us accordingly.

Correction

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Proverbs 15:10, 12 Correction is grievous unto him that forsakes the way: and he that hates reproof shall die. A scorner loves not one that reproves him: neither will he go unto the wise. 

‘Correction is grievous unto him that forsakes the way.’ Correction is painful to the backslider.

‘A scorner loves not one that reproves him.’ Three examples of hating reproof: Ahab (2Chr. 18:7; Pro. 17:4); the Jews (Amos 5:10), and the Pharisees (Luke 7:30).

No man needs chastening by intense pain unless he is a rebel against God, as stated in Job 33:14. In that case, God allows satan to afflict him in a final effort to bring him back to Himself. God does not permit any such affliction as described in Job 33:19-22 unless it is necessary after rejection, as in Job 33:14-18, the only exception being this rare case of Job. The fact is that no other person, as far as we know, has been tried in the way Job was – as an example for others – and even this was not a chastening of God but all pain and consequences came from satan (Job 1:9-19: 2:7). We were given the book of Job that we might learn from his experience. However, his life story should not be used as an excuse for unbelief. Job did not have the Bible and its faith-building promises as we have today, so we are without excuse. Christians are to resist the devil in his attacks, and he will flee from them (Jas. 4:7; 1Pet. 5:8-9). One can be quickly freed from the adversities Job endured by appropriating the benefits now revealed in both Testaments (Ps. 34:9-10; 37:1-8; 84:11; 91:1-12; 103:1-4; Mat. 7:7-11; 8:17; 17:20; 21:22; Mark 9:23; 11:22-24; Luke 11:1-13; 18:1-8; 24:49; John 10:10; 14:12-15; 15:7, 16; 16:23-26; Acts 1:4-8; 2:38-39; 5:32; 1Cor. 12:1-11; 2Cor. 1:20; Eph. 6:10-18; Heb. 2:1-4; 11:6; Jas. 5:14-16; 1Jn. 3:21-22; 5:13-14).