Proverbs 11: 14 The Need for Counsel

Proverbs 11: 14 (NKJV)

14 Where there is no counsel, the people fall;

But in the multitude of counselors there is safety.

Counsel: 1. The act of exchanging opinions and ideas; consultation. 2. Advice or guidance, especially as solicited from a knowledgeable person. 3. A plan of action. 4. Private, guarded thoughts or opinions: 5. A lawyer or group of lawyers giving legal advice and especially conducting a case in court.

Counselors: 1. A person who gives counsel; an adviser. 2. An attorney, especially a trial lawyer.

In the Jewish culture, as we have seen before, the elders and wise men of the community would gather at the gates or certain special places in the towns and cities to discuss important matters. Often the younger men (Jewish men were considered to be “men” after their bar mitzvah at age 13) would come to learn by listening to the elder’s discussions. This is one of the main ways that they would learn.

With this type of cultural life, the young person would learn how wise it was to listen to or “take counsel” from older, more knowledgable people around them. They would see that those that despised listening to, and learning from, these leaders would cause people to have many problems and fall into many of life’s “traps.” Conversely, those that do mingle with, and learn from, the wise, will make wise decisions.

We need to understand that when we have problems or big decisions to make, we should step back and find someone who is proficient in that type of problem or decision, and consult with them. It would be wise to discuss the various points, so that we will be able to make informed decisions before we make our plan of action. We should beware of trying to figure out “big things” without taking “counsel,” for God says that could cause us to “fall.”

Proverbs 11: 7 & 8 Results of Wickedness

Our two verses for today give more examples of the results of following a path of “wickedness,” and where it will lead…

Proverbs 11: 7 & 8 (NKJV)

7 When a wicked man dies, his expectation will perish,
And the hope of the unjust perishes.
8 The righteous is delivered from trouble,
And it comes to the wicked instead.

Way back in March when we were in Chapter 1, we looked at the way Jewish poetry is written. I thought it might be a good idea to review that information again for anyone new that may have joined us recently, as it helps us understand the book of Proverbs better.

The structure of Hebrew poetry is called “parallelism or intensification.” This means that the lines of each verse are parallel in some way and the second line intensifies or “concentrates” the meaning of the first one… if there is a third line, then the idea is even more powerful.

There are 4 main different types of parallelism. Sometimes the first and second lines are sort of the same, and the first just adds more emphasis to the second as in today’s first verse: “When a wicked man dies, his expectation will perish, and the hope of the unjust perishes.”

Sometimes, the second line is an illustration of the OPPOSITE of the first line, which enhances the meaning by doing something like illustrating a point from another angle as seen in the second verse of today’s study: “The righteous is delivered from trouble, and it comes to the wicked instead.”

Another type of parallelism paints a word picture to get the point across like we saw in the word pictures painted in the story of the grasshopper and the ant. The last type, continues the same thought in the second line as was introduced in the first, intensifying the idea presented, such as Prov. 1:19 which says, “Such is the end of all who go after ill-gotten gain; it takes away the lives of those who get it.”

Verse 7 tells us that the expectations and hopes of those that are wicked or unjust will perish. The online Dictionary give this as a definition of the word “expectiation:” something looked forward to, whether feared or hoped for. It gives the definition of the word “hope” as being, “A wish or desire accompanied by confident expectation of its fulfillment.”

With these definitions, we can see that the “wicked” or “unjust” will die sooner or later, and when they do, they will have nothing to look forward too being fulfilled. There will be no hope or expectation of seeing Heaven, for these people. Verse 8 goes on to say that they will receive the trouble that the people that follow God will be delivered from. We need to ask ourselves if we want to have God on our side to deliver us from trouble by following His ways and His righteousness that He gives freely, or if we would rather not follow God and lose all hope of any kind.

Proverbs 10:17 Be teachable…

Today’s verse contrasts between those that are teachable, and those that aren’t.

Proverbs 10:17 (NKJV)

17 He who keeps instruction is in the way of life,

But he who refuses correction goes astray.

Jewish children were supposed to be taught God’s ways from the time they are very young at the time these proverbs were written. Since this verse is based on this premise, following these Godly instructions would lead the young person into paths of blessing and life.

Conversely, those that don’t follow the instructions of their youth, are then corrected and disciplined, but refuses to accept that correction and learn from it, will end up going astray. If they continue to follow THAT pathway, as we have seen in prior verses, they will end up falling away from God and that will lead them to the opposite of abundant life. They will lead lives of pain, despair, etc. --- since THEY have CHOSEN to turn away from the God that wants to bless them. If they continue to turn their back on God and the only way to eternal life, THEY make the CHOICE to reject Heaven after this life and CHOSE to make Hell their eternal “home.”

Proverbs 10: 16 Use Money Wisely

Today’s verse is about the way we use our money.

Proverbs 10:16 (NKJV)

16 The labor of the righteous leads to life,
The wages of the wicked to sin.

We have seen in past studies that being “righteous” means to be morally upright, or without guilt or sin, and that by living a “righteous” life, we are blessed by God in many ways. The first part of today’s verse speaks of another way that God will bless us. It says that the ‘labor” or work, of the righteous will lead to life. God gives us each different types of work to do, and we are admonished to do EVERYTHING we do for the glory of God.

Some people work as mechanics, some in health professions, others as pastors, others have gifts of service… whatever God calls us to do, when we are seeking HIS righteousness first in our lives, will be blessed and lead us closer to Him. Eventually, THAT will lead us to an abundant life here. A life that is satisfying and blessed, not always with lots of money, but in peace and joy in our hearts and minds. We will also be given eternal life after we leave this one.

The second part of the verse, contrasts (as usual in the Hebrew form of poetry) with the first in that it is speaking of those that aren’t righteous, but lead sinful lives. It tells us that their “wages”: 1. Payment for labor or services to a worker… or 2. a recompense for worthy acts or retribution for wrongdoing, are spent on things that lead to sin in their lives, and “the wages of sin is death…”

Those that are “wicked” (1. Evil by nature and in practice. 2. Playfully malicious or mischievous 3. Severe and distressing:.4. Highly offensive; obnoxious ) spend their pay on things that lead them deeper into sin, and eventually, this will lead to their demise unless they allow God to change their ways.

Proverbs 10: 3

Proverbs 10: 3 (NKJV)

3 The LORD will not allow the righteous soul to famish,

But He casts away the desire of the wicked.

Today’s verse is another contrast between the “righteous” person and the “wicked” one. It contains a wonderful promise for those who choose the “paths of righteousness.”

NOTE: In most translations of the Bible, when the word “LORD” is in all capital letters, it has been translated from the Hebrew word, YHWH, which is so holy that many very devout Jewish people won’t even speak the word. When it has been translated from the Hebrew word, Adoni, it is written as “Lord,” and when the two Hebrew words are used together in the Old Testament, it is translated as “ Sovereign LORD.”

As we saw in our last study, the word, “righteous,” is defined in the Online Dictionary as: 1. Morally upright; without guilt or sin. The word, “famish,” is defined as: 1. To cause to endure severe hunger. 2. To cause to starve to death. This is a literal definition, and not someone who is just “very hungry,” but this is speaking of someone who is “starving to death!” This verse, then, says that God will NOT allow the righteous soul (a reborn soul) to starve to death. It is a promise we need to remember and have faith in.

To “cast away” is to: chuck out, discard, throw away, or throw out, and, as we have studied before, the “desires of the wicked,” could also be called the “lusts of the flesh.” Those that follow these “lusts” or fleshly desires are in direct opposition to the things of God, and they shall eventually be “cast away.”

Proverbs 10: 1

The Book of Proverbs is broken up into several parts. The first 9 chapters, as we have seen in our studies so far, were written by Solomon and specifically contrasted the value of searching for wisdom and the foolishness of following “folly” or our own sinful nature.

This next section that starts in Chapter 10 and continues through Chapter 22: 16 is a collection of single verse proverbs, in most cases. They are short, proverbs that are like “snapshots” of things that God would like us to see and remember. Throughout this section, we will probably only study one or two of these at a time, so that we can have time to meditate on them between each study. I may be able to start posting more often, as well.

Proverbs 10:1 (NKJV)

1 The proverbs of Solomon:
A wise son makes a glad father,
But a foolish son is the grief of his mother.

The first verse of this new chapter states that Solomon is the author of these Proverbs just like the beginning of the book did. There is a part toward the end that many believe was written by someone other than Solomon. It is interesting to note that in the Hebrew word for Solomon, the numerical value of the consonants add up to 375, the exact number of verses in this section of Proverbs. It is believed that these proverbs were taken from a larger number of sayings, but chosen for this reason.

Verse 1 reminds us that when a son makes wise choices in his life, his parents will be proud and happy, but that they (especially the mother, as mother’s tend to react more with emotions) are filled with grief when he follows a foolish path.

Proverbs 8: 14 - 17

In today’s verses, “Wisdom” continues her “instructions.” The last verse in today’s study promises that those that are seeking wisdom will find it.

Proverbs 8: 14 - 17(NKJV)

14 Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom;

I am understanding,

I have strength.

15 By me kings reign,

And rulers decree justice.

16 By me princes rule, and nobles,

All the judges of the earth.[a]

17 I love those who love me,

And those who seek me diligently will find me.

Verse 14 tells us that “sound” wisdom and strong, understanding counsel is given by those that have obtained Godly wisdom. The next two verses go on to say that kings and princes “reign… and decree justice,” through wisdom. I believe this is talking about “wise” kings, because there are many examples given in the Old Testament that speak of kings that were overthrown fairly quickly because they were evil and unjust.

Verse 17 tells us that “wisdom” will love those that seek her “diligently,” and that they will find her. The word “diligently” means, “persevering, painstaking effort.”

Wisdom doesn’t come to us “out of the blue.” It takes, time, study, and experience … in other words, WORK, to grow into being a wise person, yet this is what God wants from us. The more we study God’s Word and learn of His ways, and then PUT THEM INTO OUR LIVES, the wiser we will grow.

Footnotes:
[a.] Proverbs 8:16 Masoretic Text, Syriac, Targum, and Vulgate read righteousness; Septuagint, Bomberg, and some manuscripts and editions read earth.

Proverbs 8: 1 - 3

Today we start chapter 8 of Proverbs. This chapter is all about the “Excellence of Wisdom.” It goes over the attributes of wisdom and the things that result from following Godly wisdom. There are many principles in this chapter that, if followed, will bring prosperity in body, soul and spirit, and it even speaks of the possibility of getting “wealth” as well. This is a totally uplifting chapter with only the final verse again stressing the warning of NOT following wisdom.

Proverbs 8: 1 - 3 (NKJV)

The Excellence of Wisdom
1 Does not wisdom cry out,

And understanding lift up her voice?

2 She takes her stand on the top of the high hill,

Beside the way, where the paths meet.

3 She cries out by the gates, at the entry of the city,

At the entrance of the doors:

Chapter 8 again portrays wisdom as a woman calling out to those who would listen to her. As we saw in chapter 7, foolishness was portrayed as an adulterous woman who leads into the “lusts of the flesh” and this contrasts with those verses.

Verses 1 and 2 portray the call of “Wisdom” as a call to an abundant life of God’s blessings. It is a call that God wants all of His people to listen to and follow. It is there… out in the open… in obvious places… loudly proclaiming itself to any that would open their hearts to God’s call upon their lives.

Verse 3 continues with this idea and is also based on the Jewish customs of the day where the older men would gather by the gates and in public places to discuss important matters. The young person that wanted to gain knowledge and understanding would be free to go to these places and sit and listen, or be taught, about important issues of life, area news, etc. from men that had lived long lives and gained knowledge and wisdom through those lives.

By the time they reached this age, especially in those days, only the wiser men would still be around to be at these discussions. The ones that hadn’t learned wisdom, would have died, been incarcerated, or wouldn’t be interested in speaking in a group such as this.

I think that having respect for older people that have lived much of their lives and come to a place of peace and comfort through following God was God’s original plan for young people to learn. The book of Timothy in the New Testament covers some of these areas. If we take the time to learn from older people that have lived through “youth’s mistakes,” learned from them, then went to God and found Him to be a forgiver of those sins and a lover of their souls, then we can avoid many of the pitfalls that they have gone through.

In previous chapters and verses, we have seen that God’s plan was that parents started their children out young, teaching them at home to have respect for their elders, and guiding them to wise, interesting people of God. A young person that is taught that kind of love and respect from a young age, will tend to gravitate toward wise, older people throughout their lives. That would be what God would want for us as parents of very young children. Once they hit adolescence, it is much harder for them to talk to their own parents, but if they have been taught properly, through this principle, then they will gravitate toward other older people that they have grown to trust.

If we are older, now, ourselves, then we need to take the time to sit with younger people and share, WHEN THEY ask for advice or want to talk. Wisdom can’t be pushed on another, but it can be shared. These men, which sat at the gates, were available. They didn’t go out seeking and chasing down young people to preach at them.

Proverbs 5:15 - 23

First, I want to say that I am sorry that I’m late with this next study. My eldest son came from Florida to visit for Mother’s Day, and I was doing some major catch-up cleaning all this week. It is so nice to see him. He is the one that lost his wife this January, and I have been praying for him a lot. It is such a blessing to have him here for a few days.

This chapter’s first study set the scene of a parent teaching their young son about adultery and warning against it. The second section discussed the problems that this kind of sin can cause for the one who commits it. This section uses the symbolism of water for the young wife that the young man is engaged/ married to.

As we studied in Chapter 2, in old Jewish tradition, a child was “betrothed” (engaged… promised) at a very young age. A pact, legal promise, or “covenant” was made. The couple would grow to know each other as they grew up, and while the “groom” was building their house. When the father of the groom proclaimed the house ready, the young man would go and call to his bride (often at a time she didn’t know) and then they would have the marriage ceremony. (This also reminds us of Jesus promise and his return for his bride…)

In Chapter 2: 17-19, adultery was looked at from the side of the young woman that decided to be immoral, while in this chapter and verses, the warning against adultery is to the young man. Let’s read today’s verses:

Proverbs 5:15 - 23 (NKJV)
15 Drink water from your own cistern, And running water from your own well. 16 Should your fountains be dispersed abroad, Streams of water in the streets? 17 Let them be only your own, And not for strangers with you. 18 Let your fountain be blessed, And rejoice with the wife of your youth. 19 As a loving deer and a graceful doe, Let her breasts satisfy you at all times; And always be enraptured with her love.

20 For why should you, my son, be enraptured by an immoral woman, And be embraced in the arms of a seductress? 21 For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, And He ponders all his paths. 22 His own iniquities entrap the wicked man, And he is caught in the cords of his sin. 23 He shall die for lack of instruction, (or “discipline” – NIV) And in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.

Verse 15- 18 uses symbolism to warn the young man to satisfy his “thirst” (sexual urges) within his own marriage and home, and not by running around “in the streets.” The advice that is given, is for the young man not to stray, but to remain with the “wife of your [his] youth.”

Verse 19 reminds the young man of the beauty of his wife, and of their love when it was young, and urges him to “always be enraptured with her love.”

Verse 20-22 has the “father” reminding his son that everything that is done is seen by God, and thought about by Him. It is important for the son to keep this in mind as it will help him to resist the temptation to stray. Wicked men that don’t keep these things in their minds, will be “entrapped” by their own choices and caught in their sins. The picture is almost one of a spider’s web catching a curious bug…

The final verse of this chapter again warns that those that don’t listen to instruction or take heed of “discipline” will be led astray and can even die. Just as today there are so many STD’s (sexually transmitted diseases) that can kill your body, the same was true at that time also. Even more than that, as we have seen, sin can cause spiritual death as well, and sexual sin has a very strong attraction for many people.

I will finish this study with this scripture from 1 Corinthians 6:15-20 (NIV):
15Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! 16Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, "The two will become one flesh." 17But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit.
18Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. 19Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.