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

02.August.2025

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 instuctions. 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

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 itś 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

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.