PROVERBS 17
Solomon’s wisdom continued
Better is a dry morsel and quietness therewith
THAN an house full of sacrifices with strife verse 1
WEALTH
A WISE servant shall have rule over a son that causes shame
AND shall have part of the inheritance among the brethren verse 2
WEALTH
The refining pot is for silver – and the furnace for gold
BUT the LORD tries the hearts verse 3
HEART
A WICKED doer gives heed to false lips
AND A LIAR gives ear to a naughty tongue verse 4
MOUTH
Whoso mocks the poor reproaches his Maker
AND he that is glad at calamities shall not be unpunished verse 5
MOUTH
Children’s children are the crown of old men
AND the glory of children are their fathers verse 6
PARENTS
Excellent speech becomes not a FOOL
much less do lying lips a prince verse 7
MOUTH
A gift is as a precious stone in the eyes of him that hath it
whithersoever it turns – it prospers verse 8
WEALTH
He that covers a transgression seeks love
BUT he that repeats a matter separates very friends verse 9
MOUTH
A reproof enters more into a WISE man
THAN an hundred stripes into a FOOL verse 10
WICKED & RIGHTEOUS
An EVIL man seeks only rebellion
THEREFORE a cruel messenger shall be sent
against him verse 11
WICKED
Let a bear robbed of her whelps meet a man
RATHER THAN a FOOL in his folly verse 12
WICKED
Whoso rewards EVIL for good
EVIL shall not depart from his house verse 13
WICKED
The beginning of strife is as when one lets out water
THEREFORE leave off contention
before it be meddled with verse 14
MOUTH
He that justifies the WICKED – AND he that condemns the just
EVEN THEY BOTH are abomination to the LORD verse 15
MOUTH
Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a FOOL to get wisdom
seeing he hath no heart to it? verse 16
WICKED
A friend loves at all times – AND a brother is born for adversity verse 17
FRIENDSHIP
A man void of understanding strikes hands
and becomes surety in the presence of his friend verse 18
MONEY
He loves transgression that loves strife
AND he that exalts his gate seeks destruction verse 19
WICKED
He that hath a FROWARD heart finds no good
AND he that hath a PERVERSE tongue
falls into mischief verse 20
HEART & MOUTH
He that begets a FOOL does it to his sorrow
AND the father of a FOOL hath no joy verse 21
PARENTS
A merry heart does good like a medicine
BUT a broken spirit dries the bones verse 22
HEART
A WICKED man takes a gift out of the bosom
to pervert the ways of judgment verse 23
WICKED
Wisdom is before him that hath understanding
BUT the eyes of a FOOL are in the ends of the earth verse 24
WICKED & RIGHTEOUS
A FOOLISH son is a grief to his father
AND bitterness to her that bare him verse 25
PARENTS
Also to punish the JUST is not good
NOR to strike princes for equity verse 26
JUSTICE
He that hath knowledge spares his words
AND a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit verse 27
HEART & MOUTH
Even a FOOL – when he holds his peace – is counted wise
AND he that shuts his lips is esteemed a
man of understanding verse 28
MOUTH
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 1 Better is a dry morsel, and quietness therewith, than an house full of sacrifices with strife. (7378 “strife” [riyb] means contend, chide, debate, bitter conflict, heated often violent dissension, brawl, quarrel, legal case or process.)
DEVOTION: When a peace offering was offered in the Old Testament it was to be eaten by the offerer and his friends. So there was a time of sharing.
When we get together with other believers it is to be a time of sharing and friendship. It is not to be a time of strife.
Too often we can come to church services and find that there can be conflict in the congregation where one group is not talking to another group. Sometime it is even in the leadership of the church but this is not to be according to what the LORD wants for the church.
The LORD wants harmony in the church. Not only in the time of singing but in the time of fellowship. There are not to be the “in” groups and the “out” groups in a church.
It is to be a place of genuine fellowship with everyone attending. This is what was supposed to happen in the Old Testament as well as today but we find that when we attend some places where the name of the LORD is to be honored there can be strife.
Fellowship means a group of people who are getting along with one another with little strife where the strife has to be confessed and forgiven if there is to be genuine fellowship.
Solomon warned in the Old Testament that there were some groups even among the children of Israel that were not getting along and if we read the Old Testament we know that it happened too often.
When we talk of Christian fellowship we mean a group of people honoring the LORD with their time and talents and times of gathering with joy and celebration. Bitterness should not be a part of the time when genuine believers get together to worship and serve the LORD.
CHALLENGE: We are to examine our attitude before we gather together with other believers, so that, we honor the LORD with each gathering.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 3 The refining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold: but the LORD tries the hearts. (974 “tries” [ bachan] means to test, examine, prove, or tempt.)
DEVOTION: Our lives are a journey. The LORD is concerned with the inner man. HE looks at the heart of those who say they are followers of Christ. HE wants to see what motivates a person.
Those who are followers of Christ should be motivated to bring glory to God in all they do. It should never be for personal gain. Personal gain might come because the LORD blesses those who serve with the proper motivation.
We are pilgrims and strangers in this world. As we travel through this world we are being prepared for the next world. We are supposed to become more Christ-like while we live in this world after we begin to follow Christ. The LORD knows that we only grow by trials.
All through the psalms it tells of those who follow the LORD being afflicted or in trouble.
Here Solomon instructs his son that just like precious metals are being purified, we too need to be purified. In both cases it is through fire. Ours is the fire of trials. They are sent to test us or prove us. What are they proving?
Remember that there are two types of trials that come our way. When we sin the LORD chastens us to get us back on the right track. This can come in the form of weakness or sickness. The other type of trail is called pruning. HE cuts away the dead wood in our lives to make us more productive for HIM. Grape vines are pruned to produce more grapes. This is done not because of sin in our life but because of the fact that HE is maturing us.
The trials are sent to see whether we will get better or bitter. There is only two ways we can handle trials. The LORD wants us to get better or more Christ-like. Our selfish self wants to get bitter because we don’t think we deserve these trials. Who will win?
CHALLENGE: Accept each challenge the LORD sends our way as HIS way of showing us that HE loves us. We are part of HIS family. Encourage others to do the same.
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: 6 Children’s children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers. (5850 “crown” [atarah] means wreath, diadem, circlet, honor or authority.)
DEVOTION: What makes grandparents happy? What are some of the responsibilities that grandparents should consider when thinking and acting with grandchildren?
I grew up with three grandfathers. One was abusive to his granddaughters. One was verbally abusive to his grandchildren. The third was docile regarding caring about the grandchildren of his wife.
Grandparents have an awesome responsibility today. First they should pray for their grandchildren. They should pray that they become followers of Jesus Christ. Of our thirteen grandchildren eleven have made a commitment to Christ. The other two are growing to a point where they need to make a decision. Grandparents should pray for each of the grandchildren to have good examples at home. All of the grandchildren attend church on a regular basis with their parents. Grandparents should pray about the friends that their grandchildren have. This is still a work in process. The final prayer should be that they marry someone of the opposite sex that is a fellow believer. They are a long way off from this at this point.
Grandparents must take their responsibility seriously because they influence their grandchildren for good or for bad. If they see their grandparents love the LORD it will help them make the right decisions in their future. If the grandparents don’t care about the LORD, that will affect their future for eternity.
Grandparents who love the LORD as they get older want to know that their grandchildren will join them in heaven for eternity.
This verse also expresses the fact that a father in a home makes a difference. Too many of our families don’t have active fathers in the home. Too many families have only the mothers taking a spiritual interest in their children. This should mean the parents of these fathers should be on their knees before the LORD praying that they will be good spiritual fathers to their children.
CHALLENGE: Are you the spiritual grandparent you should be if you are old enough. Are you the spiritual father you should be to your children? You answer to the LORD regarding your family. Be the men you should be starting today, if you haven’t already started.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 28 Even a fool, when he holds his peace, is counted wise: and he that shuts his lips is esteemed a man of understanding. (2790 “holds his peace” [charash] means keeps silent, be speechless, to be silent, keep quiet, to be or become marked by absence of sound, not take action, be still or hold tongue.
DEVOTION: Some people like to talk all the time. They have something to say about everything and everyone. The Bible teaches that we are to hold our tongue. The book of James in the New Testament informs us that a tongue is has a deadly poison associated with it.
Here we find that even a fool or someone who is not wise that can keep quiet is counted by those around him as wise. Controlling our tongue is very hard especially when we are angry but it is one of the ways that people can judge what type of individual we are when the going gets tough.
Our thoughts are important. We need to keep focused on what the LORD would say in any given situation. We should be noted as individuals who are controlled in our speech at all times.
I have watched many individuals lose their temple and say things that they wished they had not said. It is hard to take back what was said especially by the person who was the target of the speech.
If we are to be wise and understanding in our speech we have to remember that we are also individuals who deserve the wrath of God at times in our lives and yet we find that the LORD is longsuffering with us. We need to be longsuffering with others especially if we want them to longsuffering with us.
Our words are important to the LORD and HIS glory in our world. People listen to individuals who claim Christ closer than others – some to use them to talk to others about how bad Christians are or to see if they want to become a believer. It is part of our witness.
CHALLENGE: We have to be slow to speak and quick to listen to good speech.
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DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
Sacrifices verse 1
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DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal) verse 3, 15
Tries our hearts verse 3
Maker verse 5
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Wise servant verse 2
Brethren verse 2
Evil doer verse 4
Wicked verse 4, 15, 23
Poor verse 5
Children’s children verse 6
Father verse 6, 21, 25
Prince verse 7, 26
Friend verse 9, 17, 18
Evil man verse 11
Brother verse 17
Father of a fool finds no joy verse 21
Son verse 25
Mother verse 25
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Strife verse 1
Cause shame verse 2
False lips verse 4
Liar verse 4, 7
Naughty tongue verse 4
Mocks the poor verse 5
Reproaches his Maker verse 5
Glad at calamities verse 5
Fool verse 7, 10, 12, 16,
21, 24, 25, 28
Transgression verse 9, 19
Repeats a matter verse 9
Evil verse 11, 13
Rebellion verse 11
Cruel verse 11
Folly verse 12
Reward evil verse 13
Strife verse 14, 19
Contention verse 14
Justifies the wicked verse 15
Condemns the just verse 15
Abomination verse 15
Void of understanding verse 18
Cosigner verse 18
Exalts his gate verse 19
Froward heart find no good verse 20
Perverse tongue fall into mischief verse 20
Pervert judgment verse 23
Foolish son is a grief to his father verse 25
Foolish son causes bitterness in mother verse 25
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Sacrifices verse 1
Wise verse 2, 10, 28
Brethren verse 2
Excellent speech verse 7
Covers a transgression verse 9
Love verse 9
Accepts reproof verse 10
Good verse 13
Just verse 15, 26
Wisdom verse 16, 24
Merry heart is good medicine verse 22
Man of understanding verse 24, 27, 28
Knowledge verse 27
Spares his words verse 27, 28
Excellent spirit verse 27
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
Not go unpunished verse 5
Destruction verse 19
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QUOTES regarding passage
Concentration of mind upon the one great object of gaining the knowledge of the Lord, and walking with Him;—this is the wisdom that absorbs the man of understanding. The fool, with no settled purpose, wanders aimlessly here and there, tasting of various theories, getting a smattering of everything, but all to no purpose. Of such are those against whom Paul warned Timothy, men who “heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears,” but who, after all, have no heart for the truth of God (which alone is wisdom), so are turned unto fables, “ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” The very opposite was that which characterized the great apostle himself, who could sap, “One thing I do!” (See Phil. 3:13.) (Ironside, H. A. (1908). Notes on the Book of Proverbs (pp. 221–222). Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Bros.)
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17:24. The first line of this verse is literally, “In front of a man of discernment (cf. v. 10) is wisdom.” A wise person finds wisdom in obvious places whereas a fool’s eyes wander and never discover it. (Buzzell, S. S. (1985). Proverbs. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 943). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
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24. before him] Set straight before his eyes as the mark to which they look. Others, following the LXX. and Vulg., interpret the verse, Wisdom is seen in the clear, stedfast look of the wise man as contrasted with the wandering gaze of the fool. (Barnes, A. (1879). Notes on the Old Testament: Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, Jeremiah, Lamentations & Ezekiel. (F. C. Cook & J. M. Fuller, Eds.) (p. 52). London: John Murray.)
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Ver. 24. Wisdom is before him that hath understanding, &c.] Is near him, to direct and assist him; it is before him as a rule to walk by, and it is the mark he aims at. A man of spiritual understanding has the book of wisdom before him, the Scriptures of truth, which are able to make a man wise to salvation; and he steers his course according to them; he sets Christ, the Wisdom of God, always before him; and keeps his eye on the mark for the prize, all the while he is running his Christian race: or, in the face of an understanding man is wisdom; it is to be seen in his countenance, which is grave and composed. But the eyes of a fool are in the ends of the earth; where wisdom is not to be found, it is far off from him; his mind is wandering after every object, is unsettled and unfixed to any thing; and which may be discerned in his eyes, which are roiling about and turning, first one way and then another; and which shews the levity and inconstancy of his mind. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 4, p. 454). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
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“Wisdom is before him that hath understanding; but the eyes of a fool are in the ends of the earth.” For the child of God, wisdom is as near as the Word of God and the Spirit of God. The Bible says, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God” (James 1:5). A fool looks everywhere else to find answers. Foolishness is evident today in the rejection of the Bible and the craving for false cults, spiritism, the occult, and oriental religion.
The floodgate to oriental religion was opened in the 1960s when flower power, rock and roll, the hippy culture, drugs, and Hinduism combined to offer a new age of enlightenment to jaded Western minds. About this time an obscure Hindu mendicant, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, began a religious movement in America. Arriving in New York in 1965 with seven dollars in rupees, a phone number, and a few battered cooking utensils, he started a cult in a storefront. By the time he died in Vrindaban, India, in 1977, his International Society for Krishna Consciousness had more than two hundred temples and farms in sixty countries, tens of thousands of followers and tens of millions of dollars. In the United States alone the movement had fifty-seven temples and farms, more than five thousand devotees, and thousands of uninitiated followers.
The basic idea behind the movement is reincarnation. “Worship” consists of endlessly chanting the name Hare Krishna. The devotees chant and beg for alms. Many early followers were drug-tranced hippies, others were heirs to fortunes, and some were doctors. They shaved their heads, put on robes, pestered people on the street and in airports, and opened vegetarian cafes and health-food stores. The movement degenerated into a number of competing cults that have been accused of murder, abuse of women and children, drug dealing, and swindles worthy of the Mafia. People interested in the whole unsavory story should read the book Monkey on a Stick by John Hubner and Linsey Gruson. In places the book is crude, but so is the cult.
The fool rejects the wisdom of the Bible. Off he goes to the ends of the earth to join some immoral, soul-destroying, mind-enslaving, Christ-denying, image-worshiping Hindu cult. (Phillips, J. (2009). Exploring Proverbs 1–19: An Expository Commentary (Vol. 1, Pr 17:24). Kregel Publications; WORDsearch Corp.)
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FROM MY READING:
(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)
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The Declaration of Independence contains four reference to God: as Lawmaker (“the laws of nature and nature’s God”); as Creator (“endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable right”); as Supreme Judge (“the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions”); and as Protector (“the protection of Divine Providence”) (p. 30, Rediscovering GOD in AMERICA by Newt Gingrich)
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Earnestly Contend
“It was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.” (Jude 1:3)
After Jude had responded to the Holy Spirit’s prompting to direct his thoughts away from writing a gospel account, the intensity of the growing battle for “the faith” came into focus. Perhaps Jude was aware of Paul’s observation that we do not “wrestle” against ordinary forces, but our battle deals with the “spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:12).
The special word chosen by the Holy Spirit to speak to this struggle in Jude’s letter was epagonizomai. The core word (agonizomai) is used in the famous passage “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7). Paul also notes what “great conflict” he felt for the church at Colosse (Colossians 2:1) and that Epaphras was “always labouring fervently” for them in his prayers (Colossians 4:12).
The object of this spiritual struggle was “the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.” Two matters are of importance in that little phrase. First, “the faith” is a specific designation used in the New Testament to incorporate the basic doctrines of the New Covenant. It does include, but does not limit itself to, the belief that results in salvation. The early churches were “established in the faith” (Acts 16:5). We are to “stand fast in the faith” (1 Corinthians 16:13) and to come to a “unity of the faith” (Ephesians 4:13).
Second, that body of doctrine was “once delivered to the saints.” Implicit in that comment is the responsibility of the Holy Spirit to “guide [the apostles] into all truth” (John 16:13). Both Old and New Testaments insist that we are not to add or subtract from the words of God’s Word. Jude’s epistle emphasizes the awful judgment that comes upon those who would distort or disdain what is “the faith.” (HMM III, The Institute for Creation Research)
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2 Timothy 1
Paul exhorts Timothy to rekindle his zeal for the Christian life and ministry.
INSIGHT
A number of years have passed between the writing of 1 Timothy and 2 Timothy. During that time, Timothy has faced great trial and opposition and is in danger of discontinuing his ministry. Paul writes a terse letter of exhortation, urging strength and constancy. A list of phrases used in this book include:”stir up,” “do not be ashamed,” “hold fast,” “be strong,” “endure hardship,” “be diligent, “flee youthful lusts,” “pursue righteousness,” and “preach the word!” In the heat of battle, short and powerful commands are easy to comprehend. (QuietWalk)
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GOD DWELLS IN US
No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. 1 John 4:12
God dwells in us. That is one of the grounds of my assurance, my certainty. “No man hath seen God at any time.” Very well, then, do we go on in doubt and almost in despair wondering whether there is a God? No! says John; “if we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.”
Now, I confess very readily that I approach a theme like this with fear and with a sense of awe. Consider the great statement in John 14 of this intimate union between the believer and God the Father and God the Son, of Their abiding in us and dwelling in us. We are familiar with chapters 14, 15, 16, and 17 of John’s Gospel, and here we have the same thing again. “God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.” And John goes on to say in 1 John 4:13, “Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit,” and in verse 15, “Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.”
At this point, like Moses, we take off our shoes! We are concerned with something that is glorious and magnificent, and so we have to be very careful as we handle it. The statement is that if we love one another, God who is love, God the Almighty, God the eternal, dwells in us. I think that the great thing at this point is to realize that we must not materialize that conception. We must not think of God in material terms; God is spirit. It is God, who is spirit, who dwells in us.
A Thought to Ponder: It is God, who is spirit, who dwells in us. (From The Love of God, p. 85, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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