Proverbs 11: 29 Heir or Servant

Proverbs 11: 29 (NKJV)

29 He who troubles his own house will inherit the wind,

And the fool will be servant to the wise of heart.

heir: 1. A person who inherits or is entitled by law or by the terms of a will to inherit the estate of another. 2. A person who succeeds or is in line to succeed to a hereditary rank, title, or office. 3. One who receives or is expected to receive a heritage, as of ideas, from a predecessor.

v. troubles: 1. To agitate; stir up. 2. To afflict with pain or discomfort. 3. To cause emotional strain or anxiety to; worry or distress. 4. To inconvenience; bother

servant: 1. One who expresses submission, recognizance, or debt to another


The first part of today’s verse talks about a person who agitates, or stirs up problems in their own home. This type of person brings worry, distress and emotional strain to all those around them. A person of this type can cause so much trouble that they could be “kicked out” or “disinherited” from the family, thus inheriting nothing but “wind/air” in the long run.

The second part of the verse goes on to say that a person that is foolish like this, will end up serving or owing others who are “wise of heart.” In past verses, we have seen that, in the Bible, God considers a person to be “wise of heart” when they follow His leading and teachings in their lives.

Several of the “Fruits of the Spirit,” which grow in those that DO choose to follow God and become born again so that His Spirit lives within them, are attributes that would be the opposite of “stirring up troubles,” but instead, will bring peace and love into the family.

Galatians 5:22-23 (NKJV)
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

Proverbs 11: 13 Gossip vs. A Faithful Spirit

Proverbs 11: 13 (NKJV)

13 A talebearer reveals secrets,

But he who is of a faithful spirit conceals a matter.

A “talebearer” is defined as “one who spreads malicious stories or gossip,” and the definition of the adjective, “faithful” is: 1. Adhering firmly and devotedly, as to a person, cause, or idea; loyal. 2. Having or full of faith. 3. Worthy of trust or belief; reliable. 4. Consistent with truth or actuality. To “conceal” means to 1. to cover and hide 2. to keep secret.

With these definitions, we can see that this verse warn us not to trust people who “gossip” or “spread malicious stories” about others. If we DO choose to trust someone like that, it would be very foolish, for they will NOT keep the secrets that we have entrusted to them, but will reveal them to others in ways that will cause harm.

Conversely, we need to choose our friends carefully to be sure that they have a “faithful spirit,” for then we can be sure that they will be loyal, reliable, and truthful. These types of friends can be trusted to hold our secrets in the strictest confidence.

Proverbs 11: 12 Neighborhood relationships

Note: Sorry I skipped a day… it was hubby’s and my 34th wedding anniversary and I played hooky over the weekend from writing my blogs… :)

Today’s proverb is one that speaks of neighborhood relationships, and the wise way to handle them.

Proverbs 11: 12 (NKJV)

12 He who is devoid of wisdom despises his neighbor,
But a man of understanding holds his peace.

First, let’s look at the definitions of the main words. The Online Dictionary gives the definition of the word, “devoid” as: Completely lacking; destitute or empty… and the definition of the word, “despises” as: 1. To regard with contempt or scorn 2. To dislike intensely; loathe 3. To regard as unworthy of one's interest or concern:

This verse, then, speaks of those that are completely lacking in wisdom and the fact that they tend to have no interest or concern for their neighbors. Throughout God’s word, His purpose is to draw people together in love and care for each other. We see that He feels that someone who doesn’t care about others is lacking in His wisdom.

The end of the verse goes on to tell us that “a man of understanding,” which we have seen in other studies in this book is a description of a “righteous man,” will “hold his peace…” Generally when THIS phrase is used, it means that person will hold his tongue or be very careful in the way that he handles situations. He will be in control of himself and his reactions to the problems that come up, and handle them in ways that God would lead him in. This, in turn, will lead to healing instead of further strife.

Proverbs 11: 5 & 6 Righteousness vs Wickedness/Lust

Both of our verses today, speak to us of those that are righteous as opposed to those that are wicked or lustful. As we have seen throughout our study of this book, this is the main theme of Proverbs, and is repeated in many different ways to emphasize it’s importance.

Proverbs 11: 5 & 6 (NKJV)

5 The righteousness of the blameless will direct

(Or make smooth or straight) his way aright,
But the wicked will fall by his own wickedness.

6 The righteousness of the upright will deliver them,

But the unfaithful will be caught by their lust (or their own desires).

As we have seen before, those that follow Godly paths in their lives are blessed by God. They are given wisdom and guidance from God which directs them in the ways they should go, and delivers them from problems that come up in their lives.

We have also seen that those who choose NOT to follow God, but their own lusts of the flesh, become more and more wicked. God has two definitions for the word, “unfaithfulness.” The one, most everyone is familiar with, speaks of one spouse betraying the other by having a lustful relationship with someone else.

The other definition has to do with not being faithful to God and His ways of love. We see this clearly in the following verses:

Leviticus 6:2-5 (NIV)

2 "If anyone sins and is unfaithful to the LORD by deceiving his neighbor about something entrusted to him or left in his care or stolen, or if he cheats him, 3 or if he finds lost property and lies about it, or if he swears falsely, or if he commits any such sin that people may do- 4 when he thus sins and becomes guilty, he must return what he has stolen or taken by extortion, or what was entrusted to him, or the lost property he found, 5 or whatever it was he swore falsely about. He must make restitution in full, add a fifth of the value to it and give it all to the owner on the day he presents his guilt offering.

In verse 6 of our verses today, we are told that the “unfaithful” WILL be caught, because their lust will lead them on, deeper and deeper into their sinful ways. The verse in Leviticus tells us what types of sin God considers “unfaithfulness” to Him, but it also speaks of being able to make restitution. The verses after this section speak of the blood sacrifices required to pay for these sins, and those of us that have accepted Christ as our Savior, know that He paid that price for our sins.

ALL of us have sinned, and God knows about it, so we have been caught. If we continue to go down the sinful paths, we will fall, but if we turn from them, accept what Christ did for us and choose to be righteous through Him, then we will be blessed and “delivered.”

Proverbs 11:1 Don’t Cheat Others!

Hi, fellow Wisdom Seekers! Today we will be starting a new chapter. Let’s see what the Lord has to teach us for today!

Proverbs 11:1 (NKJV)
1 Dishonest scales are an abomination to the LORD,

But a just weight is His delight.

The note in my NIV Bible says that, “In a culture with no bureau of weights and measures, cheating in business by falsification of standards was common…” God calls those that follow HIM to be very careful NOT to cheat others in any way! He says that cheating is an “abomination” to Him. The word, “abomination,” as defined in the Online Dictionary, means, 1. Abhorrence; disgust. 2. A cause of abhorrence or disgust. 3. an action that is vicious or vile; an action that arouses disgust or abhorrence.

This would be another form of lying, and John 8:44 (NKJV) says, that if you lie, 44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. Proverbs 6: 17 lists lying as one of the “Seven Deadly Sins” that God hates!

As we can see, God feels quite STRONGLY about cheating and lying, which go hand in hand. Revelation 22:14-15 (NKJV) makes this VERY clear! It says, 14 Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city [speaking of heaven]. 15 But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.

Lying and cheating are the exact opposites of everything the Lord wants of His people. This verse concludes with “a just weight is His delight” because God’s ways are ways of love, caring, help, and truth toward our “neighbors.” These things build up trust and confidence between His children (those that choose to follow Him), and eventually, we will all be living together in His kingdom, so we need to start building the type of relationships here that we will live with, forever, there!

Proverbs 10:26 Lazy Employees

Today, we are going to look at what God says about lazy employees, and how their employers feel about them.

Proverbs 10:26 (NKJV)

26 As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes,
So is the lazy man to those who send him.

According to my research, acids, such as vinegar, eat away at the enamel of teeth. This erodes the enamel and can cause sensitivity in teeth as well as cavities. Both of these situations can be very painful as most everyone knows. This pain can be either a nagging, throbbing type of pain, or it can be a sharp, stabbing type of pain.

Wood smoke has been proven to depress the immune system and can also damage the cells that protect the linings of the lungs. It can cause coughs, headaches, eye irritation, and irritate the throat. It is especially dangerous for children and anyone with asthma. Anyone that has been around a campfire knows that you want to stay upwind, and away from the smoke.

This verse says that these are the ways that an employer… “those who send him,” feels about an employee that is lazy. They are irritants of the first magnitude!