Postings on Proverbs...12:27

"Whoever is slothful will not roast his game, but the diligent man will get precious wealth" (ESV)

"A lazy man does not roast his prey, but the precious possession of a man is diligence" (NASB)

I love this Proverb. How do you hunt down an animal, kill it, but refuse to cook it, especially when there were no refrigerators? That animal is lost; the hunt was a complete waste of time. This illustrates what is, in fact, a very common occurrence for lazy people.

Who? A lazy man vs. A diligent man
What? Will not roast his game vs. will get precious wealth
Where? Anywhere
When? Anytime
Why? Because he's a fool vs. Because he's wise?
How? ???

Did you see that the ESV and NASB translate these verses differently? That's because "the syntax and meaning of key words is uncertain" (Waltke I:542) and because it is "hard to place the second [line] in a smooth grammatical form" (Longman 280).

The ESV balances not roasting game with getting precious wealth; the NASB balances getting prey with being diligent. Usually, you understand both lines by comparing them to each other, but here, the
second line is hard to translate into English. So, the proverb both discourages laziness and encourages diligence, but how exactly it does that second part, I'm not sure.

The first line shows how lazy people are notorious for not finishing what they start. Half read books, partially completed projects, aspirations without action litter their lives.

As a result, the lazy person cannot be trusted. Their inability to finish things robs them, not only of the satisfaction that comes from finishing things, but of people's respect. Their sloth becomes a stain on their character.

The people who suffer most are those closest to the lazy person, who live in frustration as their anticipation is consistently dashed upon the rocks of the lazy person's own sloth.

Can you imagine being the family of the guy who leaves for a day of hunting, comes home with a kill, but everyone goes hungry because he's too lazy cook it?

Ridiculous, right! And yet, how many wives are frustrated with husbands who have left their house a mess with incomplete home improvement projects?

Or, how many hate doing group projects with that one student who never finishes his or her work so everyone has to pick up their slack?

Or, how many people cover for that co-worker who cannot be trusted because they don't deliver on their promises?

Is this you? Your laziness is destroying your reputation and chaining you to unfulfilled expectations for yourself and those around you. Blessings come to those who finish what they start.

I hope that helps! TII!!!

Postings on Proverbs 12:26

"One who is righteous is a guide to his neighbor, but the way of the wicked leads them astray" (ESV)

Reading the first line of this passage was convicting. I have very little interaction with my neighbors. Now, "neighbor" is more than the people living on my block. Whoever I interact with is my neighbor, which deepens the conviction :/

Who? The righteous vs. The wicked
What? Guide to his neighbor vs. His way leads them astray
Where? Anywhere
When? Anytime
Why? ???
How? ???

I read this as a test on myself, am I guiding my neighbors down good paths? The answer is No because I don't even know them.

However, Waltke sees it differently: "The proverb admonishes extreme caution in choosing one's confidential friend because living in the context of wickedness leads one away from the path of life into that of death" (541).

The word "guide" means to search out, "denoting a careful, diligent, and penetrating examination in order to find what is concealed" (542), and, the word translated "neighbor" means "personal adviser or close friend" (542). So, this proverb counsels us to have our eyes wide open for people who are loyal and bring them close, make them your close friends.

If your eyes aren't open for this, you may be in danger for bringing wicked people close to you. Why? Because they are taking you where they're going already ("them" refers to "the wicked," not "the one who is righteous").

In other words, "there is actually a contrast between knowing where one is going (with the ability to lead others in the right direction) and being lost" (Longman 279).

Righteous people are out for the good of other people. They are not cul-de-sacs, keeping all their blessings to themselves; they are highways bringing their blessings to other people.

Who are you? Who are the people around you? Take this seriously. Are you a guide to the blind, leading them to Christ, or are you following the blind, leading you astray?

I hope that helps! TII!!!

Postings on Proverbs 12:25

"Anxiety in a man's heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad" (ESV)

This proverb in interesting. The wisdom is not immediately apparent to me. Is it simply "Be someone who speaks 'good words' to those in pain?" By contrasting "anxiety" with "a good word" I wonder if Solomon was implying that just as encouragement is word-based, so too is anxiety -- the words being spoken in the hidden caverns of one's own mind.

Who? Anyone
What? A man's heart weighed down vs. made glad
Where? Anywhere
When? Anytime? In hard times?
Why? Anxiety vs. A good word
How? Speaking

It seems to me that both sides of the proverb are picturing a man who's going through a time of "extreme emotional distress caused by...fearing to lose something vital to life" (Waltke 541). One side of the verse pictures him before the "good word" and other side shows his state after the "good word" arrives.

Sadly, anxiety attacks the very center of this man's being, his heart, "destabilizing all his behavior so that he wavers like the restless sea" (W 541), and crushing him with a mental burden that makes it nearly impossible to think about anything else.

Notice, there's no hint of condemnation in this verse -- though some anxiety is sinful. This person just needs relief. From where will it come? Being yelled at? Medication? Alcohol? Fun? No!

A "good word" attacks the anxiety, crushing it before it crushes him. These words are not flippant, but "personal and kind, pleasant and sweet, timely and thoughtful" (W 541). This is just one remedy for anxiety -- prayer is one (Phil 4:6-7) and faith is another (Matt 6:25-34) -- but I think it implies "a good word" spoken by someone to the burdened man.

So, maybe the wisdom here is, do you make people's problems better or worse by what you say? Do your words make people's burdens lighter or heavier? If you don't know what to say to a person who's anxious, keep these "good words" in mind: Psalm 42-43, Matthew 6:25-34, Philippians 4:6-7.

I also think of Jesus here, in Whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom (Col 2:3): "a bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not quench" (Matt 12:20).

Yes, He can break the hard heart, but He heals the broken heart. He has compassion. He encourages the fainthearted and helps the weak (1 Thess 5:14). Should we not do that same, considering how the Gospel is a proclamation that we were weak, dead in our sin in fact, and in need of the compassion of God so He sent His Word, the Gospel, to our hearts, gave us new life and now our hearts are glad?

Let this Gospel paradigm be your paradigm as you encounter weak, wavering, anxious, tormented people. Approach them the same way God approached you. Give them a "good word." Give them Jesus!

I hope that helps! TII!!!

Postings on Proverbs 12:24

"The hand of the diligent will rule, while the slothful will be put to forced labor" (ESV)

The question before you is, which would you rather do, rule over a labor force or be forced labor? Today, we are selectively diligent. We work hard at things we like -- like some hobby or working out, etc. -- but it's not our character. It's not what we are all the time.

Someone could see you at the gym and say "She's a hard worker," but at school you're slothful. We don't have a sense of honor that says "All of life is all for Jesus; therefore, I'm going to work hard at everything, as if I'm doing it for Him." This proverb wants to change that.

Who? The diligent vs The slothful
What? Will rule vs. Will be put to forced labor
Where? Anywhere
When? Anytime
Why? Because he's diligent vs. Because he's slothful
How? ???

Notice, both proverbs are predicting the future based on the present. Who you are now determines who you will become. Few, if any, think like this today. Everything is about instant gratification so all that most think about is the here and now.

Proverbs wants you think this about how your today is shaping your tomorrow, saying those who can govern themselves will govern others; those who can't govern themselves will be governed by those who can (Waltke 540).

I see this working at a high school. The kids who don't do any work, who barely skate by with C's and D's (sadly, this is mostly boys), are setting themselves up for the lowest paying jobs our society offers. "The hand that avoids any work ends up performing the most burdensome tasks, and whoever cannot govern himself loses his independence and comes to drudgery" (Waltke 541).

Who will you become? I hope that helps! Truth is Immortal!!!

Postings on Proverbs 12:23

"A prudent man conceals knowledge, but the heart of fools proclaims folly" (ESV)

I have a few questions as I get started: It can't be that the first man conceals all knowledge, so what kind of knowledge is he concealing and what circumstance is he concealing it? Is the 'knowledge' being spoken of parallel to folly, so that he's actually concealing wisdom from people? If so, why would anyone do that? Why does it seem like in the first line he's concealing what he should be proclaiming, and in the second he's proclaiming what he should be concealing?

Who? The prudent vs. The fool
What? Conceals knowledge vs. Proclaims folly
Where? Anywhere
When? Anytime
Why? ???
How? ???

I definitely don't want to be found in line 2, but I'm confused as to why I'd want to be in line 1. Why does it make one prudent to conceal knowledge, especially if that knowledge is God's wisdom?

Well, there are times to stay quiet and conceal knowledge (see Matt 7:6), so maybe this proverb is assuming one of those situations. This person "is not driven neurotically by pride to parade his knowledge.... He has the self-control to wait for the right situation and the prudence to know when to speak up. ... The verse does not mean that he hides his knowledge from those who seek it; rather, he hides it from fools who have no ears to hear it" (cf. 3:7; 10:14a; 11:13; cf. Matt 7:6)" (Waltke 539).

Oh, how the fool doesn't get this! They have no mouth-control. They can't help but display their lack of knowledge, and the sad thing is, they have no idea how "stupid" (Longman 278) they are and no idea how stupid other people think they are as a result of simply opening their mouth.

I found this interesting, "the heart" is substituted for the mouth in this proverb, confirming again the wisdom of Jesus' words, "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks" (Matt 12:34).

With this in mind, the fool's words are idiotic, and his heart motivation probably revolves around wanting to be esteemed, which is pride. So, in a desire to be esteemed, he blurts out moronic nonsense, so instead of being esteemed he disgraces himself.

What do your words say about you? What do your words say about your desires? Do you waste your time trying to convince fools of wisdom they keep disregarding? Do you find yourself saying the right thing at the wrong times?

I hope that helps! Truth is Immortal!!!

Postings on Proverbs 12:22

"Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are his delight" (ESV)

The contrast couldn't be any clearer!

Who? Those who lie vs. Those who act faithfully
What? Are an abomination to the Lord vs. Are a delight to the Lord
Where? Anywhere
When? Whenever it's time to tell the truth
Why? Probably because He is the truth and loves the truth
How? ???

Bottom line: I never want to do anything in the category of 'Things God Hates'! Liars "so repulse his nature that he casts them aside" (Waltke 539) -- I NEVER want that said of me!

It may be a good study to do, to find out all of the things God hates. I just did a quick search, and in Proverbs that phrase is used 12 times (3:32; 6:16; 11:1, 20; 12:22; 15:8-9, 26; 16:5; 17:15; 20:10, 23), most of the time, of deception.

I love this line from Longman: "It is a fundamental precept of the book that words ought to reflect reality" (278). How much better to be God's delight! How much better to rest in His favor!

The wisdom seems pretty clear to me: Are you a liar, or do you surround yourself with liars? You set yourself up for danger either way! If it's you, you can't be trusted. If it's your friends, they can't be trusted. Being someone that's trustworthy, meaning worthy of someone's trust, is not determined by your intentions; it's determined by your actions.

If you've been lying about something, confess it, quickly. That rot you feel inside of you is removed, instantly, when you confess. Make it a habit to avoid doing things that God hates, and people who do the same. Whatever it is that you want, that's motivating you to lie, is not worth it.

Now, in Christ, Christians are God's children and He loves us like He loves Jesus (John 17:24). This proverb, then, does not have to do with how a person is saved or how someone stays saved. This is concerned with one of many motivations for growth and change in the Bible, namely, living to please God.

Paul: "we make it our aim to please him" (2 Cor 5:9; see also 2 Timothy 2:3-6).

For the Christian, this starts as a desire to please Him that is then lived out in his daily choices and actions. To quote an old song, he "always feel like somebody's watching me." He is aware that God is there, so he makes pleasing God his goal.

How do you accomplish such a lofty goal? By avoiding the things God hates, and doing the things that are His delight, like telling the truth. I hope that helps! TII!!!

Postings on Proverbs 12:21

"No ill befalls the righteous, but the wicked are filled with trouble" (ESV)

Proverbs, remember, are principles to live by that are generally true, not promises or absolute laws of life. Everyone knows a Christian who gets harmed -- think of Job, or the persecuted church -- and everyone knows wicked people who avoid all kinds of trouble, for now.

What's really being said here? What's the skill this verse gives for living a good life?

Who? The righteous vs. The wicked
What? No ill befalls them vs. Filled with trouble
Where? Anywhere
When? Anytime
Why? Because of their actions? Their character?
How? ???

Longman says Solomon is so bold in this proverb "to encourage righteous rather than wicked behavior" (278), using the strategy of "pointing to the good things that follow from [wisdom] and the bad consequences that follow from [foolishness]" (82).

In other words, it seems to me this proverb is not saying "Evaluate a person's character by the trouble, or lack thereof, going on in their lives" though, often, you can understand how a person's been living based on the life they're currently facing.

Rather, I think this proverb is encouraging the reader to question which category she'd put herself in, righteous or wicked. Ultimately, if verses like Genesis 50:20 and Romans 8:28 mean anything, no ill befalls the righteous because it's all meant for and working for our good.

No promise like that exists for those outside of Christ.

Which one are you? I hope that helps! TII!!!

Postings on Proverbs 12:20

"Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil, but those who plan peace have joy" (ESV)

"You are what you eat" is a modern proverb, meant to get people to make sure they're eating well. However, biblical writers would modify that proverb to "You are what you think." Jesus said this best: "what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart" (Matt 15:18) and "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks" (Matt 12:34).

Notice, this idea is at the core of Proverb 12:20, but remember, it's not just written to show us how sin works itself out in peoples' lives. It's written to give us a skill to live by. What's the skill? How does this proverb help us live a beautiful life God's pleased with?

Who? Anyone
What? Devise evil vs. Plan peace
Where? Anywhere
When? Anytime
Why? deceit in the heart vs. have joy in their heart
How? ???

I struggled filling out the 5Ws & 1H above because the parallelism seems off. My question is Does 'have joy' refer to what's in their heart that produces the plan that leads to peace, or is joy the result of planning peace? Does 'have joy' go with What? Does it go with Why?

Waltke answers my question by calling this proverb an "imprecise parallelism," which "suggests that deceitful plotters do not have real joy, and counselors promoting peace are not deceitful" (538).

Before devising and executing evil, a person has to lie, ultimately, to themselves, that the evil they're planning is actually good for them. Once he's deceived himself, his victim is next.

The young son must be careful around those who are plotting evil -- stealing, lying, cheating, partying, etc. With deceitful hearts, they cannot be trusted. They've already convinced themselves that evil is good, so there's nothing stopping them from betraying you if they think it's in their best interest. Keep those people far from you!

However, though maybe less fun and exciting (don't fall for the fool's advice that all people, places and choice are to be determined by whether or not something is fun), those who "plan peace" have your best interests in mind. Bring those people close to you!

And, if you are the kind of person who "plans peace" for others, you'll experience what all the worshipers of fun really long for, joy.