PROVERBS 27
Let others praise you verse 1- 10
Boast not yourself of tomorrow
for you knows not what a day may bring forth
Let another man praise you – and not your own mouth
a stranger – not your own lips
A stone is heavy – and the sand weighty
BUT a FOOL’S wrath is heavier than them both
Wrath is cruel – and anger is outrageous
BUT who is able to stand before ENVY?
Open rebuke is better than secret love
faithful are the wounds of a friend
BUT the kisses of an enemy are deceitful
The full soul loathes an honeycomb
BUT to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet
As a bird that wanders from her nest
SO is a man that wanders from his place
Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart
SO does the sweetness of a man’s friend
by hearty counsel
Your own friend – and your father’s friend – forsake not
neither go into your brother’s house
in the day of thy calamity
for better is a neighbor that is near
than a brother far off
Wisdom protects our children verse 11- 22
My son – be WISE – and make my heart glad
that I may answer him that reproaches me
A PRUDENT man foresees the EVIL – and hides himself
BUT the SIMPLE pass on – and are punished
Take his garment that is surety for a stranger
and take a pledge of him for a strange woman
He that blesses his friend with a loud voice
rising early in the morning
it shall be counted a curse to him
A continual dropping in a very rainy day
AND a CONTENTIOUS woman are alike
whosoever hides her hides the wind
AND the ointment of his right hand
which betrays itself
Iron sharpens iron
SO a man sharpens the countenance of his friend
Whoso keeps the fig tree shall eat the fruit thereof
SO he that waits on his master shall be honored
As in water face answers to face
SO the heart of man to man
Hell and destruction are never full
SO The eyes of man are never satisfied
As the refining pot for silver – and the furnace for gold
SO is a man to his praise
Though you should bray a FOOL in a mortar among
wheat with a pestle
YET will not his foolishness depart from him
Hard work is rewarded verse 23- 27
Be you diligent to know the state of your flocks
AND look well to your herds
For riches are not for ever
AND does the crown endure to every generation?
The hay appears
AND the tender grass shows itself
AND herbs of the mountains are gathered
The lambs are for your clothing
AND the goats are the price of the field
AND you shall have goats’ milk enough for your food
for the food of your household
and for the maintenance for your maidens
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful (6482 “wounds” [petsa‘] means bruise)
DEVOTION: How many friends do you have? How would you define a friend? If you really had a need who would you turn to? Would they help you financially? Are they praying for you? Solomon still continues to remind his son that the LORD is in control of our time on earth. We can plan but we need to depend on the LORD for the completion of our plans.
Many of the verses in this chapter deal with friendship. This verse informs us that friends are loyal to each other. Friends are trustworthy. They are the ones who will tell us honestly when we are doing things that are wrong.
Sometimes friends might bruise our ego. Sometimes friends might have to physically stop us from doing wrong things. These occasions can leave bruises but they are to prevent us from further problems.
However, the contrast of this verse shows that there are people who will flatter us. These individuals are not looking out for our well-being but for what they can get out of us. They will lie to us to get their way. They are not protecting our future but their own. If they can get us in trouble for their personal benefit, they will do it.
Friends are ones who will sharpen us into better individuals. Sometimes there are friends of the family that are around to help us through hard times. We need to listen to friends who genuinely love us to give us good advice. When individuals have genuine friends they are blessed.
We need to be good friends to those who love us. Are we considered a friend to those around us? Are we giving good counsel to our friends? Do we genuinely care about those we say we love? How far are we willing to travel to help a friend?
Christ calls those who are followers of HIM, HIS friends. What a blessing!! The Holy Spirit gives us counsel on how we should act. Are we listening to HIM?
CHALLENGE: We should at times tell individuals that we are thankful for their friendship. Start now!!!
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 12 A prudent man foresees the evil, and hides himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished. (6175 “prudent” [‘aruwm] means shrewd, sensible, clever, a person who shows cleverness, sensibility, and sound judgment in decision making, or cautious)
DEVOTION: The LORD wants those who are followers of HIM to be individuals who are sensible in their judgments regarding matters of life.
There are many people who act before they think but the LORD wants us to think before we act, in fact, HE wants us to take time to pray and seek HIS counsel before we act because it will save us from making wrong actions.
Too often we fly by the seat of our pants in what we do and then regret what we have done because we realize that we should have thought more about what the LORD would want us to do in a given situation.
God doesn’t want us to act like those who have no sound judgment in their actions. Prayer is the best thing to do before we do anything that might be considered wrong. Sometimes the answer seems to be right but with more thought we can see that the consequences might be different than what we might want if we had taken the time to prayer and wait on the LORD.
Believers are supposed to be thought of as wise and this takes prayer and sometimes even fasting to find the right answer to any given action we might take.
CHALLENGE: Taking time to think and pray through a given situation will save us from wrong actions.
____________________________________________________
: 17 “As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.
The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982).
Friend – 2300 חָדַד, חָדָה [chadad /khaw·dad/] v. A primitive root; TWOT 605; GK 2523 and 2527; Six occurrences; AV translates as “sharpen” five times, and “fierce” once. 1 to be sharp, be alert, be keen. 1A (Qal) to be sharp, be keen. 1B (Hiphil) to sharpen. 1C (Hophal) to be sharpened. James Strong, Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon (Woodside Bible Fellowship, 1995).
DEVOTION: When iron is rubbed against another piece of iron it shapes and sharpens it. Similarly people can help each other improve by their discussions, criticisms, suggestions, and ideas. These influences can be good or negative and that constant rubbing will sharpen and enhance us over time. When I was in high school and wrestled, the coach would intentionally put better wrestlers against weaker ones to improve and force us to develop. In friendships the same truth occurs! As you spend time with people be aware that they are sharpening you and you are doing the same to them. The question will be, how sharp are you?
CHALLENGE: The sharpening process is happening in your life, is it for the good or evil? (Dr. Brian Miller – board member)
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 20 Hell and destruction are never full; so, the eyes of man are never satisfied. (7649 “satisfied” [sabea] means full, sated, surfeited, have enough, have excess, have plenty, or have abundance)
DEVOTION: The grave is never full. People are dying daily. They will die until the end of the Millennium. At the point the LORD will set up the Great White Throne and fill the lake of fire with all those who have rejected Jesus Christ.
Now we have to realize that human beings are never content without the LORD. They always want more. There is never enough possessions. Humans can fill up on food and see something that looks good and still try to eat it. They say one more thing will fill them but that is never true.
Solomon states that if the eye can see it, it will want it. He had all that money could buy. He had more wives and concubines that any other king the Bible recorded in history. He traveled and saw his world. Yet he never said it was enough, he stated that all was vanity or worthless.
The word “never” is so true in all of our lives. Contentment can only be found in a full surrender to the LORD Jesus Christ. Once we forget this promise to the LORD, we struggle with contentment again. God wants us to realize this because HE records this fact in HIS Word.
CHALLENGE: Contentment is hard to accept. Prayer will be the only way that our eyes will not look for more. When the bug hits, ask the LORD to help you become content with what HE has given you.)
_____________________________________________________________
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)
________________________________________________________
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
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)
Man verse 2, 8, 17
Stranger verse 2, 13
Fool’s wrath verse 3
Friend verse 6, 9, 10, 14, 17
Enemy verse 6
Kisses of an enemy are deceitful
Hungry soul verse 7
Father’s friend verse 10
forsake not
Brother verse 10
Neighbor verse 10
Son verse 11
Strange woman verse 13
Contentious woman verse 15
Master verse 18
Maidens verse 27
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Boast verse 1
Praising self verse 2
Fool verse 3, 22
Wrath verse 3, 4
Anger (unrighteous) verse 4
Envy verse 4
Secret love verse 5
Deceitful verse 6
Wandering from our place verse 8
Evil verse 12
Simple verse 12
Curse verse 14
Blessing a friend with loud voice
Contentious verse 15
Never satisfied verse 20
Foolishness verse 22
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Rebuke verse 5
Love verse 5
Faithful are the wounds of a friend verse 6
Hearty counsel verse 9
Wise verse 11
Heart glad verse 11
Answer him that reproaches verse 11
Prudent verse 12
Hide from evil verse 12
Sharpen friend verse 17
Wait on others verse 18
Honored verse 18
Satisfied verse 20
Praise verse 21
Diligent verse 23
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Solomon verse 1- 27
Forsake not friends or father’s friends
Riches are not forever
Lambs are for clothing
Goats are the price of the field
Maintenance for your maidens
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
Punished verse 12
Hell verse 20
Destruction verse 20
______________________________________________________________
Remember that all donations to Small Church Ministries are greatly appreciated. The treasurer will send a receipt, at the end of the year unless otherwise requested. Please be sure to make check out to “Small Church Ministries.” The address for the treasurer is P.O. Box 604, East Amherst, New York 14051. A second way to give to the ministry is through PayPal on the website: www.smallchurchministries.org. Also, if you can support this ministry through your local church, please use that method. Thank you. _______________________________________________________________
QUOTES regarding passage
23–27 People should preserve what income they have because it does not long endure. The last few verses of the chapter form a little poem about the preservation of income. Verse 23 provides the main instruction—take care of your livelihood (“appearance” meaning condition). The motivation for this is that riches do not last long (v. 24). The reasoning for wise care of income continues in the second half of the poem—the protasis is in v. 25 and the apodasis in vv. 26–27—if the growth is removed, then they can sell and use their livestock. The poem shows the proper interplay between human labor and divine provision. (Ross, A. P. (1991). Proverbs. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs (Vol. 5, p. 1101). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
___________________________________________________________
Faithful shepherd-service results in suited provision for oneself and those dependent upon him. Wealth is fleeting and riches soon pass away. See note on chap. 23:4, 5. Therefore the importance of earnest persistent endeavor and careful adherence to duty. Even a crown endureth not forever. Dynasties rise and fall in this world of changes. But he who plods on, husbanding his resources and wisely attending to the care of his flocks will have both food and clothing thereby; and what more does the wealthiest enjoy?
We may see in these verses also a picture of pastoral care among the sheep and lambs of Christ’s flock. His word to Peter was “Feed my lambs,” and “Shepherd my sheep.” Whereever He has implanted the pastor’s heart this will be the result. Such a one will look well to the state of the flock; not, however, with a view to pecuniary profit, nor as lording it over his own possessions, but out of pure love for the members of Christ. Nor will he be without reward. It is sure to come in the end, though he labor not for it. “When the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.” See Peter’s word to the elders in his first epistle, chap. 5:1–4. In Jacob’s defence to Laban we are reminded of what this shepherd-service may mean if carried out conscientiously (Gen. 31:40). (Ironside, H. A. (1908). Notes on the Book of Proverbs (pp. 392–393). Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Bros.)
_____________________________________________________________
27:23–27. These five verses are a brief treatise on life in an agricultural society. Earlier a cluster of five verses discussed the consequences of laziness (24:30–34). A farmer should care for his flocks and herds because they are a better investment than many things. Flocks and herds multiply through their offspring, but money when it is spent is gone (cf. 23:5) and being a king (having a crown) does not last. Hay and grass provide food for livestock, which in turn supply people’s needs for clothing (lambs’ wool), money (from selling goats), and milk and food for one’s family and servants. It is important to care for one’s resources, to work hard, and to recognize God’s provisions through nature. (Walvoord, J. F., & Zuck, R. B., Dallas Theological Seminary. (1985). The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, pp. 964–965). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
____________________________________________________________
27:23–27 This portion contrasts the common shepherd’s labor and God’s provision with the fleeting nature of uncertain riches and power (v. 24). Since all lands reverted to the original owners every 50 years, flocks were the staple wealth. Only by care and diligence could they be perpetuated and profitable. God’s providence aids this effort (cf. Ps 65:9–13) to properly use the blessings of the land (vv. 25–27). (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Pr 27:23–27). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
_____________________________________________________________
Ver. 27. And thou shalt have goat’s milk enough for thy food, &c.] The word for goats, in the preceding verse, signifies he-goats, which were sold to buy fields, pay servants or rent, or purchase the necessaries of life; and this here signifies she-goats, which were kept or their milk; and which was daily used for food in some countries, and is still in use for the same purpose in some parts of our kingdoms; and in medicine it has been preferred by some physicians above all others, next to the milk of women: and the diligent husbandman is promised not only plenty of this for his own eating, at least a sufficiency of if, but for his family. For the food of thy household; his wife and children: and for maintenance for thy maidens: or the lives of them, on which they should live; for, though men-servants might require strong meat, yet the maidens might live upon milk; besides, Atheneusy speaks of most delicious cheese made of goats’ milk, called tromilicus. The design of the whole is to shew that a man diligent in his business shall have a sufficiency for himself and his family; and, though it may be but the meaner sort of food and clothing he may get, yet, having food and raiment, be should therewith be content. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 4, p. 516). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
____________________________________________________________
Coming back to the theme of financial matters, Solomon gave some final advice about how to make money. Pointing to the success of those who persevere, he told us to look at the fields of the diligent: “The hay appeareth, and the tender grass sheweth itself, and herbs of the mountains are gathered” (Proverbs 27:25). Next Solomon told us to look at the farm of the diligent: “The lambs are for thy clothing, and the goats are the price of the field” (27:26). Then Solomon told us to look at the food of the diligent: “And thou shalt have goats’ milk enough for thy food, for the food of thy household, and for the maintenance for thy maidens” (27:27). We can learn from what we observe.
Note that in these verses there is no mention of animals being killed for food. In Solomon’s day, meat was probably not a prime item in the peasants’ diet. Meat was eaten on high days and holy days or to honor a guest.
The picture presented in Proverbs 27:25–27 is one of rural prosperity and peace. There are no internal dangers and no external wars. Such a delightful, ideal condition existed in Israel during the reign of Solomon and was the direct result of having a king on the throne who was, on the whole, a true shepherd of his people; he was diligent in promoting their welfare. This picture of Solomon’s reign is intended to be a preview of the millennial reign of Christ.
What a reign that will be! There will be no more war. Swords will be converted into plowshares and tanks into tractors. There will be no more natural disasters, no more droughts, no more deserts. The whole world will become a garden of Eden. New insights into the nature and structure of living things will open up vast new horizons in productivity. Modern experiments in genetic engineering give us a hint of the dramatic changes that will take place when Jesus reigns and all such research is guided by His almighty hand. (Phillips, J. (2009). Exploring Proverbs 19–31: An Expository Commentary (Vol. 2, Pr 27:25–27). Kregel Publications; WORDsearch Corp.)
_____________________________________________________________
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!!)
______________________________________________________________
The Lord fells the walls of Jericho.
INSIGHT
The Word of God often goes against all reason. Consider Joshua, a military strategist so brilliant that his campaigns are still studied today. He is standing afar, looking at the city of Jericho, pondering how to conquer it. The angel of the Lord appears to him saying, “Walk around the city several times and shout. That ought to do it!”
Can you imagine the response from the standpoint of military strategy? It is sheer nonsense. Yet it is a test of faith and obedience. Joshua believes and obeys, and the fallen walls are history. (Quiet Walk)
_______________________________________________________________
UNDERSTANDING CHRIST
For the works which the Father gave me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me. John 5:36
When you are faced with something that perplexes you about our Lord, the first thing to do is always to start with the Lord Himself and not with what He is doing. I am not surprised that people ask the questions they do about Christ, because if they are not right about His person, they will never understand His activities, and it is really for this reason that they cannot understand His death. The disciples only understood the meaning of His death after the resurrection; it was in the light of the resurrection that they knew He was the Son of God, that they began to understand the meaning of His death upon the cross. No one will ever understand the doctrine of the cross unless he has grasped the doctrine of the person.
This, in effect, is what our Lord was telling John the Baptist in Matthew 11:2-6: “John, you cannot understand what I am doing. But are you trusting Me, do you really know who I am, are you right about Me? You see, your question has led you to doubt Me in other things. You have allowed the things I am not doing to raise a query in your mind about My person. John, come back to the beginning—be right about Me. These are the things that I am doing. Only the Messiah could do these things; here are the works that authenticate Him. As I said to the people the other day, ‘For the works which the Father gave me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me’” (John 5:36).
A Point to Ponder: When you are faced with something that perplexes you about our Lord, the first thing to do is always to start with the Lord Himself and not with what He is doing. (From The Heart of the Gospel, pp. 48-49, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
___________________________________________________________________
Spirit, Soul, Body
“And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thessalonians 5:23)
The threefold nature of mankind reflects, to a degree, the triune nature of the Godhead. Just as each member of the triune God is complete and wholly God, yet distinct, so each aspect of mankind is also the whole, yet distinct. The body of man comprises the entire man, yet he also possesses certain soulish emotions, desires, and propensities; and finally, the total man is endowed with a spiritual, eternal nature, somehow reflecting the image of God.
These three reflect the three great creative acts of God during creation week, identified by the three usages of the Hebrew word bara, or create. “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” (Genesis 1:1); i.e., physical material. Later, certain of this physical material was granted consciousness (1:21), which man shares with animals. On the sixth day, man was created as a spiritual being “in the image of God” (1:27), setting him qualitatively distinct from the animals, though he shares body and consciousness with the animals.
As in our text, when the “God of peace” sets about the task of sanctifying representatives of sinful, fallen mankind, restoring such ones to a measure of Christ-likeness, He does so in the order mentioned, beginning with a spiritual awakening. Then, through the transformed spirit, the soul is reached, and finally the body, with its appetites and lusts.
The wisdom of man says just the opposite, claiming the inner man can be improved by changing outside influences, a mentality all too often reflected even in evangelistic efforts. God’s way is to start with the inner man—the root of the problem—and then affect the outer man. (JDM, The Institute for Creation Research)
______________________________________________________________
Our Father
This, then, is how you should pray: “Our Father . . .” Matthew 6:9
Most mornings I recite the Lord’s Prayer. I’m not worth much for the new day until I’ve grounded myself in those words. Recently I’d said only the first two words—“Our Father”—when my phone rang. It startled me as it was 5:43 a.m. Guess who? The phone display read “Dad.” Before I had a chance to answer, the call quickly ended. I guessed my dad had called by mistake. Sure enough, he had. Random coincidence? Maybe, but I believe we live in a world awash in the mercy of God. That particular day I needed that reassurance of our Father’s presence.
Think about that for a minute. Of all the ways Jesus could have taught His disciples to begin their prayers, He chose those two words—“Our Father” (Matthew 6:9) as the starting point. Random? No, Jesus was never less than intentional with His words. We all have different relationships with our earthly fathers—some good, some far less than that. However, praying in the way we should is not addressing “my” father or “your” father, but “our” Father, the One who sees us and hears us, and who knows what we need before we even ask Him (v. 8).
What an amazing reassurance, especially on those days when we might feel forgotten, alone, abandoned, or simply just not worth much. Remember, regardless of where we are and what time of day or night it might be, our Father in heaven is always near.
(By John Blasé, Our Daily Bread)
___________________________________________________________________
Four years later, I came across another groundbreaking work by Wilson, this time co-authored with Richard Herrnstein, called Crime and Human Nature. After looking at the data, they determined that crime is caused by the lack of moral training in the morally formative years. Now, that may seem obvious to you, but back in the 1980s, no social scientist was saying that. The common refrain was that crime was caused by poverty, racism, and social and environmental factors.
Yet in one stroke, Wilson and Herrnstein confirmed what I had been sensing for some time in our prison ministry: that we were losing a whole generation to crime — young people who had no moral grounding. We couldn’t address soaring crime rates unless we first addressed the breakdown of morality and the family. (Chuck Colson, BreakPoint Commentary)
________________________________________________________________
The Meaning of “Day”
“And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.” (Genesis 1:5)
Many people today, professing to believe the Bible, have compromised with the evolutionary philosophy that dominates our society by accepting its framework of geological ages. This system interprets the rocks and fossils in terms of a supposed 4.6 billion-year history of the earth and life culminating in the evolution of early humans perhaps a million years ago. In order to justify this compromise, they usually say that the “days” of creation really correspond to the geological ages, arguing that the Hebrew word for “day” (yom) does not have to mean a literal solar day.
Oh, yes, it does—at least in Genesis 1! God, knowing that the pagan philosophers of antiquity would soon try to distort His record of creation into long ages of pantheistic evolution (as in the Babylonian, Egyptian, Greek, and other such ancient cosmogonies), was careful to define His terms! “God called the light Day,” and that was the first day with its evening and morning. All subsequent days have followed the same pattern—a period of darkness (night), then a period of light (day).
One may quibble about the exact length of the day if he insists (e.g., equatorial days versus polar days), but there is no way this definition can accommodate a geological age. This is the very first reference to “day” (or yom) in the Bible, and this is given as an actual statement of the meaning of the word.
This ought to settle the question for anyone who really believes the Bible. One may decide to believe the evolutionary geologists if he wishes instead of God, but he should at least let God speak for Himself. God says the days of creation were literal days, not ages. “In six days the LORD made heaven and earth” (Exodus 31:17). (HMM, Institute for Creation Research)
_________________________________________________________________
Hebrews 4
As we labor to enter into God’s rest, we may call upon Christ for mercy and grace.
The Word of God is energized by the Spirit of God. Whenever Scripture goes forth, it never returns without accomplishing the work it was intended to do. This is because the written Word of God is “living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword” (v. 12). As we minister to others, the Bible must be central to all that we say and do. We must always remember that it is the Word which is alive, not our own insights, clever arguments, or interesting stories. (Quiet Walk)
_____________________________________________________________
We now have a Facebook page for Small Church Ministries – please invite others to join us on Facebook. Thank you. Look for the logo from the devotionals.
______________________________________________________________