Words Of Wisdom From The Proverbs For All People To Listen To & Heed – From Dennis's Desk

02.August.2025: Proverbs 1

Now let's begin learning from Proverbs 1. First of all, please notice that in most study Bibles, this proverb is divided into three main sections. Vs.1-7 tells us about the usefulness of Proverbs. Vs. 8-19 tells about the enticement of sinners. This is followed by Vs. 20-33 which is a section of verses telling us how wisdom warns people about what or what not to do. Now let's look at the first section of verses about the usefulness of Proverbs. In Vs.1 the speaker of the Proverbs is introduced to us. It is of course Solomon, the son of David; who was then the reigning King of Israel who had taken David's place. No one who I know has a problem accepting that Solomon, with God's direction & inspiration; stated the wise sayings of the Proverbs. In Vs.2 it states the purpose of the Proverbs. “To know wisdom & instruction & to discern the sayings with understanding.” NASV The rest of these introductory verses are in positive agreement that the purpose of these Proverbs is to make us wise in how we are to live & treat other people. Then Vs.7 is a transitional verse leading into the next section of verses concerning the enticement of sinners. Vs.7 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom & instruction.” NASV Then as the next section of verses begins, Solomon starts in Vs.8-9 with positive instructions. He tells sons or younger people to listen to & heed your father's & mother's instructions & teachings, because these things are useful & helpful for you. This also agrees fully with the instructions recorded for us in Heb.12:4-11 concerning children listening to and heeding the discipline of their parents. Now let's examine Proverbs 1:10-19 together. This section is all about the enticement of sinners & what they will say & do, to try to pull you into their tangled web of deception & lies. They encourage you to take advantage of other people, especially the weak, & innocent. They tell you to swallow them up, for they won't even be missed. They promise that this will make you wealthy, & that together we will take much spoil. However, Solomon says in Vs.15, “My son do not walk with them, instead keep your feet from their path. Why? Because their feet run to do evil. They hasten to shed blood.” In doing what they do, they lie in wait for their own blood & they ambush their own lives. We see this everyday, in the lives of the people of this world. So many are living in the filth of sin, & are living for sin & to sin each day. Vs.19 sums up this section of verses very well. It says, “So are the ways of everyone who gains by violence: it takes away the life of it's possessors.” NASV Therefore, make sure that you are not one with them! Instead, listen to the wise warnings spoken by Solomon, in this final section of Proverbs 1. In Vs.20 -23 it says this about wisdom. Wisdom shouts in the streets & the squares. It cries out to the people at the entrance of the gates of the city. This seems to indicate places in a city or town where many people pass & are more exposed to God's wisdom. I am not saying that this is taught here. However, I do believe that it is important that Christians do what they can to help people understand their need for Godly knowledge & wisdom in whatever ways that we can. These verses seem to be telling & showing these people the knowledge & wisdom they need to be pleasing to God. However, they are described as naive & simple minded; & as scoffers & fools who hate Godly knowledge. God through Solomon implores them to listen to His words of reproof & to repent. If they would He would enable them to gain godly knowledge & wisdom.

He also promised that He would pour out His Spirit upon them. However, they would not do any of those things. Therefore from verses 24-32 of Proverbs 1, God expresses His disappointment about them; & His rejection toward them with their future calamities & trouble in their lives. Because they refused to accept God's counsel & reproach, it says that He would laugh at their calamities and distresses for the future. They had their chances over & over to listen to God's instructions & to repent, but they would not. That sounds a lot like what Jesus said concerning the people of Jerusalem in Mt. 23:37-38. It says, “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets & stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling. Behold your house is left to you desolate! For I say to you, from now on you will not see Me until you say, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” NASV They now would reap the complicity of fools and would be destroyed, as will everyone who rejects God's knowledge & God's wisdom. However, Solomon did not finish this first Proverb on a totally negative note. In the last verse, Vs.33; He finishes leaving a glimmer of hope that you could be freed from evil. Vs. 33 says, “But he who listens to me shall live securely and will be at ease from the dread of evil.” The key concluding point is, will you listen to & obey God's instruction manual which is the Bible, & will you live faithfully for God on a daily basis?

09.August.2025: Proverbs 2

Today, I will continue the series by reading & studying Proverbs 2 together. After reading this proverb as a whole, I see it as being divided into two main sections of verses. Vs. 1-11 is the first section of verses. This group or unit of verses is quite straight forward & positive that pursuing Godly wisdom is a very good thing, & it results in blessings & security for us if we do this. In Vs.1 Solomon begins by using the phrase, “My Son.” This could have been Solomon's way of addressing his son Rehoboam, & giving him instructions about gaining Godly wisdom. However, regardless of who was the intended recipient of these instructions about wisdom. These instructions & truths about Godly wisdom apply to all of us who will read these instructions. As Vs.2-4 points out, this will result in understanding & discernment for those who treasure Godly wisdom in their hearts. Next in Vs.5-6 it says, “Then you will discern or understand the fear of the Lord & discover the knowledge of God, because the Lord gives wisdom, & from His mouth comes knowledge & understanding. So there again it points out that the Lord God is the source of true knowledge & understanding for mankind. Then through Vs.7-11 the same course of thought is expressed. These verses express the virtues of Godly wisdom. Vs.7 says that God stores up sound wisdom for the upright & He is a shield to those who walk in integrity (NASV). From what it says in these verses, Godly wisdom & knowledge will be provided & given to those who truly desire it; & will live rightly & justly in agreement with God’s wisdom. With all this in mind & available to us, it makes perfect sense that we should desire to have this Godly wisdom & to live in agreement with its teachings.

Now let’s move on to the last half of Proverbs 2, & read & study Vs.12-22. At this point in the chapter, Solomon changes course & addresses the effects of evil & evil minded people upon society; & even upon some who are among the righteous. In Vs. 12-22 he describes the spread of evil due to men who speak perverse things, causing some to leave the paths of righteousness; to walk in the ways of darkness. This is just one place in the Bible among many, that falling away from walking in the way of righteousness is possible & does happen. Here are some other scriptures that make this clear, that falling away from walking in the way of righteousness can & does happen to some people. Heb.6:4-6, 2Pet. Ch.2. Especially VS. 20-22, 1Jn.4:1-6, 2Jn.7-11, Gal.5:4. Sometimes this happens as a result of people following bad or evil leaders. He describes such people as delighting in doing evil, & rejoicing in evil rather than in doing good. Their ways are described as crooked & devious. Some also give up following the way of righteousness because of the discouragement that they feel. Now let’s focus our attention on Vs.16-19. Here Solomon describes the spreading of evil as an adulterous woman. He describes what an adulterous person does. She flatters others with her words. She leaves the companion of her youth, & she forgets the covenant that she made before God, & her paths lead to death. None who follow this evil adulterous will reach the paths of life. In the context of this proverb, what is being represented & described as adulterous is the straying away from the true God & His teachings; to following false teachings from false teachers. This is adulterating the word of God, & in a sense committing adultery toward God. Of course the actual sin of adultery in a marriage relationship is also very bad, but it can be forgiven, if the other marriage partner is willing & strong enough to forgive. We know that Jesus forgave the woman who had committed adultery who was brought to Him, as is written about in Jn.8:1-11. In this example Jesus actually protected her from her angry accusers who wanted to stone her. Jesus quieted the angry mob by pausing & writing something in the dirt with his finger. Then He said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” No one did, for they all realized that they were guilty of sin also. Then the mob dispersed, starting with the older ones. Then only Jesus & the woman were left standing there. Jesus said to her, “Did no one condemn you? She said, “No one Lord.” Then Jesus said to her, “I do not condemn you either. Go, from now on sin no more.” We know that Jesus did not condone her sin of adultery, but He did not condemn her for it either. Rather, He has the authority to forgive sins, & He did so; & He told her to sin no more. This example should give us all hope that God will be merciful & forgiving of our mistakes also. However, He does expect us to change & do what is right for the future & resist temptations. Then Vs. 20-22 summarize this Proverb. Therefore, you are to walk in the way of good men, & stay on the path of righteousness. The righteous will be victorious over sin & Satan, & will live with God spiritually forever. However, wicked evil doers will be cut off & have no hope; unless they repent and turn to God through obedience to the true gospel of Christ. This should always motivate me to seek Godly wisdom, & to have Godly knowledge & conviction that I have obeyed the true gospel of Christ & that I am living in agreement to the will & word of God.

29.08.2025: Proverbs 3

The general theme of this third proverb is the rewards of wisdom. This is also one of the proverbs that is quoted the most by Bible teachers & preachers, especially in regard to the early verses of Proverbs 3.

It is my experience that most people are very interested in receiving gifts or rewards. These early verses of Proverbs 3 teach us & tell us what to do to receive spiritual rewards & blessings from God. So let’s begin our study of proverbs 3 by reading Vs.1-12 as a unit of verses. In this proverb it is quite clear in the verse divisions, that the thoughts about gaining wisdom are given in pairs of verses. The first verse of the pair states or tells you what you are to do. Then the next verse tells you about the reward that you will receive if you do what the previous verse said. Let’s test this by looking in detail at vs.1-4.

In Vs.1 Solomon said, “My son, don't forget my teaching and keep my commandment.” Then in Vs.2 Solomon tells his son what the reward will be for keeping the commandments of one's father. The promised rewards include longer life here on earth, & more peace in one’s life. Now let’s test this again in Vs.3-4. There Solomon says, "Don't let kindness & truth leave you, but bind them around your neck & write them on the tablet of your heart.” Then in Vs.4 it tells us why we need to do this. The reward is that “You shall find favor & have a good reputation in the sight of both God & man.” So that is your reward for showing kindness to others & standing up for the truth & what is right. Next in Vs. 5-6 we have two of the most quoted verses from the Proverbs by teachers & preachers of God’s word. These verses were also part of my memory work when I was a child. These verses tell us to “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, & do not rely on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, & He will make your paths straight.” This is telling us that if we will really listen to God through His word, & try our best to live in agreement with God’s teachings, God will give you confident assurance that He will direct you in doing the right things in your life. That is truly a great blessing from God. Vs.7-8 are quite similar in content to Vs. 5-6. If you will listen to God & turn away from evil, it will result in healing for you; both in body & in Spirit. Next Vs. 9-10 teach about wealth & physical blessings. If you will give God the first fruits of what you produce. (First fruits) means the first & the best. Then God will bless you with plenty as a reward. Read Lk.6:38, & Mal. 3:8-12 as well. These verses make it clear that God is the greatest giver of all. He continues to pour both physical & spiritual blessings into our lives if we are being His faithful servants. Then in Vs.11-12, Solomon teaches that we must accept the discipline of the Lord. This is because as His children, we do need rebuking & discipline sometimes.

This is because sometimes we lose sight of our purpose & reasons for being here. We humans are weak, & we are prone to be led astray. Therefore, we need correction from God & from our fellow Christians at times to help us be doing the right & most important things. The reward of such discipline from God is to have the favor of God, & being a child of God in whom God delights. The word disciple comes from the root word for the word discipline. So to be a true disciple of the Lord, you need to be disciplined in how you live for Him each day. Regular Bible reading and Bible study and prayer, need to be part of our daily lives.

Now let’s proceed by reading the next section of verses from Proverbs 3:13-26. This section of verses from this proverb also contain lots of instructions which if followed will result in blessings and rewards for us. However, here the instructions & rewards are grouped a little differently. For example in Vs.13 Solomon says, “How blessed is the man or person who finds wisdom & understanding. Then in Vs.14-18 he describes the great value of wisdom. Wisdom is more profitable than silver or gold. Wisdom is more precious than jewels, & nothing that you desire compares with the value of Godly wisdom. Some of the other blessings of having this wisdom are having longer life & spiritual riches & approval from God. Vs.17 says that the ways of wisdom are pleasant & peaceful, & vs.18 describes wisdom as a tree of life & happiness to those who take hold of her. Then in Vs.19-20 there is a little change in thought & content, however wisdom is still the subject. These verses tell us that, “The Lord by His wisdom founded the earth & by His understanding He established the heavens. Through His knowledge the deeps were broken up, & the skies drip with dew.” These verses refer to God’s wisdom by which He created the world. You can read Gen. 1:6-10 to verify this. Then in Vs.21 Solomon again addresses his son, but what he says about wisdom is sound advice for all of us. He says keep sound wisdom & discretion, so that they will be life to your soul & adornment to your neck. This Godly wisdom will also result in security for your soul according to Vs. 23-24. Solomon explains more about that in Vs.25 where he says, “Do not be afraid of sudden fear or the onslaught of the wicked people when it comes, for the Lord will be your confidence to stand against it; & He will keep you from being caught by wicked people. Yes, God will be your refuge & your help to resist them. You can count on Him to be there for you.

Now let’s read the last section of verses from Proverbs 3:27-35. Vs.27-28 are about one subject. That subject is the willingness to give help when that help is deserved and due. In other words, don’t make excuses for not giving help, & what is asked from you; when you have it to give. This is especially true when it comes to paying servants & helping the poor & needy. Then Vs. 29-30 tell us not to devise plans to do harm to anyone including your neighbor who lives securely beside you. Do not contend or fight with a person without any cause, especially if he or she has not done anything against you. Instead you are to love your neighbor as yourself, & treat them as you want to be treated. Mt. 7:12 (The golden rule). Then the last few verses of this Proverb are about contrasts between the wicked & the righteous. In Vs. 31 Solomon says, “Do not envy a man of violence, nor practice any of his ways.“ Then Vs.32 tells us why we shouldn't do what wicked & violent people do. There Solomon says, “For the devious are an abomination to the Lord, but the Lord is close & intimate with His righteous ones.“ We must not do anything that will put our relationship with God at risk.

Then Vs. 33 says, "The curse of the Lord is on the house of the wicked, but He blesses the dwelling of the righteous.“ Then in Vs.34-35 it tells us that God rejects & scoffs at scoffers, yet He gives grace to the afflicted.“ He also promises that the wise will inherit honor, but fools show dishonor by what they do & say. Therefore, to conclude and summarize these verses of Proverbs 3. It is very clear that God is definitely on the side of His righteous ones helping them & blessing them with more wisdom. However, God is opposed to the proud & arrogant people, who think that they know better than God & everyone else. Such people are the fools in this world, & they don't have the wisdom to realize that they are wrong & foolish.

If you have any thoughts, or questions, about what I have written in these lessons. Please feel free to write back to me. Also, if you have any suggestions of how to improve their usefulness; I welcome your input as well. Thank you for taking the time to read, & I hope that you are finding things in these lessons that are useful for you & that you can apply to your lives.

26.09.2025: Proverbs 4

This proverb is also divided into three main sections of verses. Let’s begin our study by reading Vs.1-9 together as a unit. Solomon begins this proverb in a similar way to how he started some of the previous proverbs. He addresses what he is going to say to his son, or in this case to his sons, like he is giving them instructions & advice as a father. He is wanting to impart to them & to all who read this his teaching & understanding because it is right & needful for life. In Vs.2 he warns them not to abandon his teaching and instructions. Then in Vs.3-4 Solomon tells about when he was a son to David, and the only son of his mother. David taught Solomon to make sure that he held fast to his father's teachings & instructions. David also taught him to keep my commandments, so you will live. Then vs.5 seems to be a continuation of David’s instructions to Solomon. David tells Solomon to acquire wisdom! & Acquire understanding! Do not turn away from the words of my mouth. We must not forget that David was a prophet of God, as well as a man after God’s own heart. Especially toward the end of David’s life, it was David's purpose to instill in Solomon Godly knowledge & wisdom to be able to lead & govern the people of Israel for the future. Then in Vs.6-9 the subject is this Godly wisdom that Solomon has, & that all of us need; to be pleasing to God. This wisdom is spoken of & described by the feminine pronouns her & she in these verses. Vs.6 says, “Don’t forsake her, & she will guard you. Love her & she will watch over you & guide you. Then in Vs.7 it reads very similar to the first part of Vs.5. It says, “The beginning of wisdom is this: acquire wisdom, & with all your acquiring get understanding”, I believe that this means that we must use the wisdom we gain, & put it to use in understandable ways both for yourself & for others to understand & live by. Prize her means to be grateful for the Godly wisdom that you have received, & she will grant you more. She will honor you if you will embrace Godly wisdom & live by her directives. Then in Vs.9 it says, “She will place on your head a garland of grace, & a crown of beauty.” All these descriptive phrases describe the wondrous nature & grace & help that Godly wisdom has for us who will seek it & live by it.

Now let’s read the next section of verses from Prov.4:10-19. In Vs. 10 Solomon once more reminds us to accept the instructions & teachings of fathers & parents. If you do heed their instructions, your life will likely be blessed and extended. This is very similar to the promise of God given in the fifth of the ten commandments given to the Israelite. Ex.20:12 says, Honor your father & your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the Lord God gives you.” This indicates that if we will heed & accept the instructions & teachings of our parents when we are young, this will benefit us with a longer life for the future. Then in Prov.4:11 Solomon says, “I have directed you in the way of wisdom, I have led you in upright paths.” So here he is saying, my motives are pure & right; & according to God’s will. Therefore, when you walk, your steps will not be hindered. If you run, you will not stumble. He is saying that God will watch over you & protect you. Then in Vs.13 Solomon says, “Take hold of instruction, & do not let go. Guard her, for she is your life.” Again, the instruction & wisdom that Solomon is referring to here is Godly wisdom & instruction. These things are vital to our lives, to enable us to stay faithful to God. This is very important, because wickedness & evil are present all around us in this world. Vs.14-19 tells us about the temptations that Satan puts in our ways, & in the ways of the lives of other people. In Vs.14 Solomon warns us to not enter the path of the wicked, & do not proceed in the way of evil men. We are to avoid the path of the wicked, & turn away from it & pass by. Those are sound words of warning, & we should heed those words whenever possible. The reasons that this is true are described for us in Vs.16-17. It says, “For they cannot sleep unless they do evil, & they are robbed of sleep, unless they make someone stumble.” People who willfully are involved in doing foolish, sinful, & destructive things, don´t really care about innocent people who get hurt by what they say & do. Vs.17 describes their actions as well. “They eat the bread of wickedness & drink the wine of violence.” In our world today there are protests organized either for or against, almost everything imaginable. Some of the people who get involved in these protests don’t even know what they are protesting about. However, they are drawn in to participate in these things because of the emotional high & the violence that they think they can get away with by being there. We need to stay away & protect ourselves from such evil influences. Next, in Vs.18-19 Solomon gives a sharp contrast between the righteous & the wicked. It says the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn that shines brighter & brighter until the full day. However, the way of the wicked is like darkness. They do not know what they stumble over. Obviously, God hates evil & wickedness!

Now let’s read the last section of verses from Prov. 4:20-27. Here again Solomon begins this section saying, My son, listen to my words, & give attention to what I am telling you. He is encouraging his son & all who read these words to be careful to heed what he is saying. Vs.21 says, "Don't let these words depart from your sight, & keep them in your heart. Vs.22 tells us why this is so important. Those words are life to those who find them & live by them. In Vs.23 Solomon encourages us to watch over our hearts diligently, because from the heart flows the springs of life. This agrees with other scriptures from the Bible concerning heartfelt things. Read Rom.10:8-10 & Heb.4:12. These are just a few of the verses of scripture which speak & teach about heartfelt things. Of course, it is with our minds that we reason, & believe, & understand, & make decisions which are heartfelt. These things are not done by the heart which pumps blood through our bodies to keep us alive physically. Then in the final four verses of this proverb, Solomon again gives warnings. He says, “Put away from you any deceitful or devious speech from your mouth.” In other words. Be honest in all that you say & do. He also says, “Let your eyes look straight ahead & focus on what is in front of you. This is a warning to not allow ourselves to be attracted by evil allurements. The promise is that if you will be careful about where you go & about what you get involved in, God will be with you & He will help you remain faithful in your life. Then finally Solomon says, “Do not turn to the right nor to the left.” Stay focused on God & His way, & you will be established! Always turn away from evil!

17.10.2025: Proverbs 5 – The Pitfalls of Immorality

This proverb is divided into two main sections of verses. Vs.1-14 gives wisdom, knowledge and warnings about getting involved with an adulterous woman. This is followed by Vs.15-23 which gives us more instructions & wisdom & warnings about why it is much better & safer for you to be satisfied & to stay with the wife of your youth. In our world today, pornography is a huge problem & temptation for so many people. Open & free sex is readily available in most societies of our world. Therefore, I believe that it is important that Christians take instructions like these from this proverb very seriously, to help us defend ourselves from the onslaught of sexual permissiveness that is pushed on us by Satan & the world. We also need to teach & warn our children & grand-children about these sexual sins & pitfalls, so that they will not be consumed by immoral practices.

So let's begin by reading Vs.1-6. Here Solomon again addresses his son, likely Reaboam; & tells him to listen & pay close attention to the wisdom I am sharing with you. I believe that Solomon is speaking from his own personal experiences, as well as by the Holy Spirit of God directing him. Solomon shares his wisdom & understanding with his son here. Then in Vs.2 he goes on stating his purpose for saying these things to his son. Vs.2 says, “That you may observe discretion & your lips may reserve knowledge. Discretion is another word for thinking before you act, & understanding before you do something that you might regret. Then in Vs.3-6 Solomon starts talking about an adulteress, & what her words & ways are like. He says, that her lips drip honey & smoother than oil is her speech. In other words, she is enticing to look at & what she says especially to young men is very flattering. However, in Vs.4, Solomon says of the adulteress; that she is bitter as wormwood.. What does that mean? What is wormwood? My Bible concordance says that wormwood is a bitter green liqueur, also know as absinthe. It is highly toxic to a person's nervous system. So the effect of wormwood on a person's nervous system is like a mind altering drug. In the book of Revelation chapter 8:1 the name wormwood is given to a star which falls into a third of the earth's rivers & poisons those rivers. This of course is used in a figurative sense in Revelation & here in Proverbs 5 as well. However, just because it is used figuratively to describe what an adulteress is like & can do to you; doesn't make her any less dangerous for you & your soul. An adulteress effects upon men are described as a sharp two edged sword, which is able to kill & destroy & lead people to hell. Then Vs.5 says, that her feet go down to death & her steps take hold of Sheol. What does Sheol mean? My Bible concordance says that Sheol refers to the underworld or the realm of the dead, sometimes called Hades in the Bible. The word Sheol is used several times in both the Old & New Testaments, & sometimes it refers to hell. One other scripture that I want us to look at which speaks to the effect of an adulteress on men is Eccl. 7:26. In this verse Solomon said that he discovered that an adulteress woman is more bitter than death, whose heart is snares & nets, & whose hands are chains. That is quite a vivid description. However, Solomon does give us some hope & encouragement by saying that one who is pleasing unto God will escape from her, but the sinner will be captured by her. Therefore, with all of this being said about the adulterous woman, Solomon concludes this section of verses with Proverbs 5:6 which says, “She does not ponder the path of life, but her ways are unstable & she does not know it.” What does that say about such a woman? That she could be doing what she is doing out of ignorance. It says that she has not pondered or thought out her path of life & her ways are unstable, & she doesn´t realize it. She may even believe that she has been forced into being an adultress, & that she has no other options about how to live & be loved & cared for. So this is telling us not to condemn her, but teach her a better way to live, help her find that better way. Help her to change by teaching her and showing her the Godly way of life.

Now let's continue by reading Proverbs 5:7-14. In Vs.7 Solomon addresses all his sons, & commands them to listen to him & to obey what he is telling them. In Vs.8 he warns his sons to keep themselves far away from the house of an adulterous woman. Then in Vs.9-11 he tells them the reasons why. 1. You will give your vigor (energy) to others, & your years to the cruel one; which refers to Satan. 2. Strangers will be filled with your strength, & what you produce will go to the house of an alien. (someone not of your household) 3. At the end of your life you will be very sad & disappointed, & you will moan & groan when your flesh & body are consumed. Then in Vs.12-14 he states what will be the legacy of his sons who follow an adulteress. He says you will say, how I have hated instruction & my heart has spurned reproof. (rebuke & correction) I have not listened to the voice of my teachers, nor inclined my ear to my instructors. I was almost in utter ruin, in the midst of the assembly & congregation. This refers to the guilt these sons would have felt & had from being in a relationship with an adulteress, & trying to hide that guilt in the midst of the Jewish assembly. That guilt would cause a person to quit being in the assembly or congregation. So this is a stern warning to us as well, to not get involved in a relationship with an adulteress, because this will end up badly for you.

Now let's study the second half of this proverb. In Vs.15-17 Solomon tells his sons to drink water from your own cistern, & fresh water from your own well. Should your springs be dispersed abroad, like steams of water in the streets? The obvious answer is no! Let them be yours alone, & not for strangers with you. In these verses Solomon is illustrating the point that he is making to his sons. He isn't talking about literal water or springs in this context. Rather, he is instructing his sons to find wives for themselves from among their own people, & not from among strangers who they do not know. This is another way by which he warns them not to get involved with an adulteress & her ways. In Vs.18-19 he says, “Let your fountain be blessed & rejoice in the wife of your youth.” The wife of one's youth is described as a loving hind, & a graceful doe. Let her breasts satisfy you at all times. Be exhilarated always with her love.” This is so you won´t be tempted to look elsewhere to fulfill your sexual need for love. Of course these verses are referring to the husband & wife relationship in marriage. This oneness loving relationship between marriage partners is enough to meet the physical sexual needs of the marriage partners. Therefore, no husband should think that he has to go outside of the marriage relationship to have his sexual needs met. The same is true for a wife. Then in Vs.20 Solomon tells his son, why should you be exhilarated with an adulteress & embrace the bosom of a foreigner? Then in the last three verses of this proverb, Solomon reminds his sons & others of what will happen to them if they don´t listen to him; & they get involved with an adulteress. Vs.22-23 tell us that “His own iniquities (sins) will capture the wicked, & he will be held by the cords of his sin. He will die for lack of instruction, & in the greatness of his folly he will go astray.” Solomon is warning & telling his sons & all of us as well, don´t let this happen to you; for if you do it will result in judgment from God upon you. Remember God is watching & He knows & sees everything we do. Therefore, don´t allow yourself to be tempted in your flesh by an adulteress. If you choose to marry, make sure that the partner that you choose for life, has very similar spiritual values & morals as your own. Otherwise it is better to choose not to marry, for the well being & the salvation of your soul! This is because the pitfalls of immorality are huge, & can cost us our souls.

14.11.2025: Proverbs 6:1-19

Proverbs 6 is a long proverb of 35 verses. I have decided to only cover the first 19 verses in this lesson.

These verses are filled with lots of wisdom & instruction for us to learn from. There are several groups of verses from Proverbs 6 that are often read & used by preachers & teachers of God's word to make or prove a point, or to be the main text of a lesson. Letś begin by reading Vs. 1-5. Whenever I read these verses, it always reminds me of when I was young & serving in the U.S. Air Force. I had a friend who was serving with me. He had decided to buy a car for the first time, & to buy this car he had to qualify to borrow most of the money for the car & pay it off with monthly payments. Since he had no credit history, he needed a co-signer on the credit company loan document. He asked me to be his co-signer. I was very reluctant to do this, but he assured me that he would make all the payments on time, & I would not be obligated to pay anything. I was naive. I did read the contract. The interest on the loan was high, but my friend assured me that he could handle making all the payments. Therefore, I signed the contract as the second responsible person. That was the last I heard about that for over a year. My friend made the payments on time, no worries. However, then it became time for my friend to be discharged from the Air Force & his military service, & return to his home in North Carolina. A few months after this, I also finished my four years in the Air Force. I also returned to my home state of Wisconsin with my wife & our first child who was born while I was in the Air Force. Then while we were getting settled in our rented apartment, I received a notice in the mail from the credit company; that my friend was now behind on his car payments which I had co-signed for. Therefore, the credit company was now expecting me to pay for the amount that he was behind. This was very upsetting for me & my wife, as I had just started back at my job and we were living on just my wages. I immediately tried to contact my friend by phone & by mail, but I found out that he had moved & his phone & address had changed. No one seemed to know how to contact him. I then received a few more collection notices from the loan company showing that he was behind on the payments even more. Now, I was beginning to panic. Then I tried to contact him again, this time through the address of his parents. Finally about a week later, I did hear from my friend but he did not have the money to make the back payments. He again promised that he would try to get the money to make the back payments, or else he would try to sell the car & make the payments from what he could sell it for. To make a long story shorter, I ended up making two payments for him which I could not afford; before he finally sold the car & paid off the balance of the loan. I was actually lucky not to have to pay off the balance of the whole loan. Therefore, I learned the hard way not to give my pledge or promise on a loan for someone else. This can get you in big trouble. These first five verses also teach that if you have argued & spoken against or slandered another person, take care of the problem immediately. Vs.3 says, Go humble yourself before that person, whoever it is. In other words, apologize & ask forgiveness from that other person or people that you offended & from God as well. Also read Mt.6:23-26. If someone has something against you, stop what you are doing & go to that person or people; & admit your fault to them & ask for forgiveness & mercy. Vs. 4 tells me to do this urgently, don´t even sleep before you have tried to resolve the problem. Then Vs.5 illustrates this point as well, where he says; “Deliver yourself like a gazelle from the hunter's hand and a bird from the fowler.” You can avoid being killed or caught, if you will humble yourself & act wisely & obediently to God's instructions.

Now let's read Proverbs 6:6-11. This section of verses is all about ants & sluggards. Vs. 6-8 describe the way ants are & their work-ability. Most ants are very small creatures, but they are very wise & active. Ants don't have a chief officer over them telling them what to do, but ants are self starters & self motivated to work hard & fast through the summer; to gather food to meet their needs through the long winter. Solomon is telling the lazy sluggards to observe & learn from the ants about the importance of preparing & working hard. Then in Vs.9-11 Solomon describes the bad qualities of a person who is a sluggard. How long will you continue to sleep? Will you ever get up & do something positive to help yourself? Then in Vs.10-11 he describes what the behavior of a sluggard will lead to. Sitting around & doing nothing will lead you to poverty. You will have nothing like a vagabond or bum, & it will hurt you like an armed man. Therefore, these are great words that motivate us to not be lazy & sluggish; but to work hard & wisely like the ants. God expects this from us. Read 2 Thes. 3:6-13.

Now let's read Proverbs 6:12-15. These verses describe a wicked man & the things that characterize him. 1. He speaks perverse things like swearing or cursing, using God's name in vain & speaking evil about other people. 2. Vs.13 says that he winks with his eyes, signals with his feet, & points with his fingers. These things are not bad in themselves. However, often these things are done when people are secretly trying to deceive other people & that is wrong. This agrees with what it says in Vs.14 where it says, “That such a person with perversity in his heart continually devises evil & spreads strife.” Then in Vs.15 Solomon describes what will happen to such evil doers. “Calamity will come quickly upon such an evil doer, & he will be broken; & there will be no healing for him.” In other words, he will be done & gone & will not receive any mercy due to his evil doing.

Now let's read Vs.16-19. These verses have also been used a lot by preachers & teachers of Godś word to show the things that God hates, & that He will judge people severely for; if they remain guilty of these things. The teaching here is quite straight forward about the things that God hates, & Solomon gives us a seven point list. This is not a complete list of all the things that God hates, & that displease Him; but it is quite extensive & inclusive of what evil people do against God & against other people. An abomination is a hated thing which is detestable to God. These seven things fall into the category of being detestable & unacceptable to God. The first one listed is haughty eyes. Having haughty eyes means to be full of pride & full of self. In other words, considering yourself better than others & looking down on them. The second thing listed is a lying tongue. I think that we all understand that a liar is a person who speaks & tells things that are not true. They are false witnesses, & they know that they are telling lies. The third thing listed that God hates are hands that shed innocent blood. This refers to people who commit violent crimes & acts against innocent people, causing blood-shed or even killing them. Such people often start arguments with others to irritate them & make them mad enough to fight. Then these bullies start beating up the innocent violently with no remorse. Then the fourth thing God hates is a heart that devises wicked plans. This refers to the evil people who are more involved in the planning of doing bad things toward others. Such people are guilty of the intent or pre-meditation to hurt or harm another person. Their crimes include pre-meditated murder, or robbery, or extortion. This refers to people who plan to harm others, & then they often hire someone else to do the harmful deeds for them. Then the fifth thing listed that God hates, are feet that run to do evil. This refers to those people who allow themselves to be controlled by their past bad habits of doing evil & by their previous course of life. Such people struggle to change & often fall back into repeating their sins over & over. Then the sixth thing God hates is a false witness who tells lies. We already covered lying and being a false witness earlier. God hates any person who knowingly gives false testimony against God or people, or tells or teaches things that are not true. Then the seventh thing that God hates is a person who spreads strife among brothers. I believe that brotherś here refers to more than only physical brotherś in a family. In Solomonś time brothers likely meant all the Jewish people as brethren of the Jewish nation. Today, in the church we also have a special relationship with one another as Christians. We are brothers & sisters in Christ. We are called to be brethren in this relationship with each other. Therefore, we are to treat each other with lots of love and respect; & we should always be seeking each other's highest good. Therefore in all ways & in all things I must not allow myself to be selfish & divisive person, or to cause division in any way among my fellow Christian brethren. Please read 1Cor.1:10 & 1Cor.12:18-26, & the one chapter book of Jude sometime. It says a lot about ungodly false prophets & false teachers & others who believe lies & try to spread those lies among the true Christians. They try to cause divisions in the church. Never allow yourself to be a divisive person that pulls Christians away from God, to follow you or your beliefs. If you do, it will not turn out well for you or for them. Therefore do the things that God loves instead!

12.12.2025: Proverbs 8

This Proverb is all about Wisdom & what it does for us who truly seek Godly wisdom & want to live in agreement with such wisdom. I am going to divide up this proverb into several sections of verses to study it by giving my own paraphrase of how these verses read, & then making comments about what is taught in these sections of verses about Godly wisdom. Let's begin by reading Prov. 8:1-11 together.

Paraphrase of Vs. 1-11. Can you hear the voice of wisdom? She is standing at the city gates, & at every fork in the road, & at the door of every house. Listen to what she says. Oh people, listen to her calling for you! How foolish & naive you are. Let me give you understanding. O foolish ones, let me show you common sense! For I have important information for you. Everything I say is right & true, for I hate lies & every kind of deception. My advice is wholesome & good, there is no error in it. My words are plain & clear to anyone who has his or her mind open to receiving them. My instruction is far more valuable than silver & gold. For the value of Godly wisdom is far above rubies & nothing can be compared with it.

Comments on Vs.1-11 – Here wisdom is again described as feminine. This is written in Hebrew parallelism, which means that the second line is a restatement of the first line; just using different words. This is similar to Prov.1:20-22. The claims of Godly wisdom are stated in these verses. To impart excellent & right things. Vs.6,9, Knowledge & wisdom are things that we should desire. Godly wisdom is more valuable than silver, or gold, or jewels.

Now let's read Vs.12-13. Paraphrase of Vs.12-13. Wisdom & good judgment live together, for wisdom knows where to discover knowledge & understanding. If anyone respects & fears God, he will hate evil, because wisdom hates pride, arrogance, corruption, & deceit of every kind.

Comments on Vs.12-13 – One who hates evil fears God because he or she views evil from God's viewpoint & perspective. Read Prov. 16:6, 16-17, & Prov. 4:24

Now let's read Prov. 8:14-21. Paraphrase of Vs.14-21 – I Godly wisdom, give good advice & common sense & because of my strength; kings reign in power. I show the judge, who is right & who is wrong. Rulers rule well with my help & guidance. I love all who love me. Those who search for me shall find me. Riches, honor, justice, & righteousness are mine to distribute. My gifts are better than the purest gold & silver. My paths are those of justice & righteousness. Those who love me & follow me are wealthy, for I pour into their laps.

Comments on Vs.14-21. Vs.14 – Wisdom as a counselor. Adam Clarke observes, “Wisdom enables man to bring everything to his aid: To construct machines by which one man can do the work of hundreds.” Knowledge is power. Vs.17 – Wisdom desires to be sought after, & if people will seek it they will find it. Vs.21 – Wisdom will bless us with both physical & spiritual blessings.

Read Prov.8:22-26. Paraphrase of Vs. 22-26 – The Lord formed me Godly wisdom, in the beginning; before he created anything else. From ages past I am. I existed before the earth began, & the universe was created. I lived before the oceans were created, before the springs bubbled forth their waters on the earth. Before the mountains & hills were made. Yes, wisdom was born before God made the earth, & fields, & plateaus. Comments on Vs.22-26 – Wisdom is still speaking. It is more valuable than other things, because it existed before everything else as an attribute of God. God is Most Wise!

Vs.25 – We often use mountains & hills & trees as a gauge for comparing something as old. Example - “As old as the hills.” Godly wisdom existed even before there were hills.

Now, let's read Proverbs 8:27-32. Paraphrase of Vs.27-32 – I was there when He established the heavens & formed the great springs in the depths of the oceans. I was there when He set the limits of the seas & gave them His instructions not to spread beyond their boundaries. I was there when He made the blueprint of the earth & the oceans. I was always at His side. I was happy with what He created. Therefore, listen to me, Godly wisdom; for happy are those who follow my instructions.

Now, let's read Prov.8:33-36. Paraphrase of Vs.33-36 – Listen to my counsel & don´t refuse it & be wise. Happy is the man who desires to be with me, & that he watches for me daily at my gates, or waits for me outside my home! For whoever finds me finds life, & wins approval from the Lord. However, the one who misses me has injured himself irreparably. Those who refuse me show that they love death.

Prov.1:8 Comments on Vs.33-36. Vs.34 – One who seeks wisdom lives in a state of expectation & anticipation. He or she watches & waits for the Lord's return!