Proverbs 10:23-32

TEXT Proverbs 10:23-32

23.

It is as sport to a fool to do wickedness;

And so is wisdom to a man of understanding.

24.

The fear of the wicked, it shall come upon him;

And the desire of the righteous shall be granted.

25.

When the whirlwind passeth, the wicked is no more;

But the righteous is an everlasting foundation.

26.

As vinegar to the teeth, and as smoke to the eyes,

So is the sluggard to them that send him.

27.

The fear of Jehovah prolongeth days;

But the years of the wicked shall be shortened.

28.

The hope of the righteous shall be gladness;

But the expectation of the wicked shall perish.

29.

The way of Jehovah is a stronghold to the upright;

But it is a destruction to the workers of iniquity.

30.

The righteous shall never be removed;

But the wicked shall not dwell in the land.

31.

The mouth of the righteous bringeth forth wisdom;

But the perverse tongue shall be cut off.

32.

The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable;

But the mouth of the wicked speaketh perverseness.

STUDY QUESTIONS OVER 10:23-32

1.

Cite illustrations of people who make sport of wickedness (Proverbs 10:23).

2.

Does Proverbs 10:23 mean that wisdom is sport to the man of understanding?

3.

According to Proverbs 10:24 what will come upon the wicked, and what will come upon the righteous?

4.

What whirlwind will take away the wicked (Proverbs 10:25)?

5.

How are the righteous an everlasting foundation (Proverbs 10:25)?

6.

What do the three things mentioned in Proverbs 10:26 have in common?

7.

How does the fear of Jehovah prolong days (Proverbs 10:27)?

8.

What shortens the years of the wicked (Proverbs 10:27)?

9.

What is meant by the expectation of the wicked perishing (Proverbs 10:28)?

10.

What is meant by the way of Jehovah in Proverbs 10:29?

11.

Why say the righteous shall never be removed when all must die (Proverbs 10:30)?

12.

Why say the wicked shall not dwell in the land when there are many wicked people living (Proverbs 10:30)?

13.

In what sense will the perverse tongue be cut off (Proverbs 10:31)?

14.

Why say the lips know when it is the mind that knows (Proverbs 10:32)?

15.

Which verse did the Paraphrase help you with the most?

16.

Which verse did the Comments help you with the most?

PARAPHRASE OF 10:23-32

23.

A fool's fun is being bad; a wise man's fun is being wise!

24.

The wicked man's fears will all come true, and so will the good man's hopes.

25.

Disaster strikes like a cyclone and the wicked are whirled away. But the good man has a strong anchor.

26.

A lazy fellow is a pain to his employerslike smoke in their eyes or vinegar that sets the teeth on edge.

27.

Reverence for God adds hours to each day; so how can the wicked expect a long, good life?

28.

The hope of good men is eternal happiness; the hopes of evil men are all in vain.

29.

God protects the upright but destroys the wicked.

30.

The good shall never lose God's blessings, but the wicked shall lose everything.

31.

The good man gives wise advice, but the liar's counsel is shunned.

32.

The upright speak what is helpful; the wicked speak rebellion.

COMMENTS ON 10:23-32

Proverbs 10:23. To do mischief is sport or fun to a fool. Hebrews 11:25 speaks of the pleasures of sin. Godliness would be boredom to him until converted. He is sure he is living the only way to be lived. He thinks he is smart, and that everybody else is missing out on the main thing of life. But don-'t forget that the man of understanding enjoys the way of wisdom too. Fools are not the only ones who enjoy themselves. Yes, godly people are happy too!

Proverbs 10:24. Many know they are not right, but outwardly they seem to act as if there is nothing to worry about. Yet, within them are lurking fears that come to the surface when they think they are going to die. As instantly as men cry out for God's mercy when they think they may suddenly die shows they have done some thinking ahead of time about their manner of life knowing it was not right. Their way of life finally catches up with them, but the righteous have hope as they look to the future, and that hope will be granted whether in answer to prayer for things here or in heaven in eternity. Notice the same truth in Psalms 145:19; 1 John 5:14-15.

Proverbs 10:25. Finally God's patience with the wicked comes to an end, and He sweeps them away with the suddenness of a whirlwind. After such a storm has passed, oftentimes it is only the foundation of a building that is left. The righteous are like that foundation, the wicked like the building that was carried away. Psalms 37 is a psalm that says the same thing over and over. Read it, noting the sudden destruction of the wicked and the continuation and blessing of the righteous.

Proverbs 10:26. See the Paraphrase on this verse. The teeth do not like vinegar nor the eyes smoke, and neither does an employer like a sluggard. Pulpit Commentary: In a country where chimneys are unknown...the eyes must have often been painfully affected by the household fire.

Proverbs 10:27. As a rule a person or a people given to sin will not live as long as a godly person or people. Sin soon burns its victims out like a roaring fire does the wood. Read Proverbs 9:11 and Psalms 55:23 in connection with this verse.

Proverbs 10:28. Several times does this chapter state this same truth. The righteous have much to hope for, and God does not disappoint them. The hopes of the wicked will be dashed to the ground as they perish. Psalms 112:10 and Proverbs 11:7 also speak of the expectation of the wicked perishing. Sin, then, is a losing game. Don-'t play it!

Proverbs 10:29. The way of Jehovah is followed by two statements: it is a stronghold (the utmost is protection) to the upright, but it is destruction to the workers of iniquity. When God rises to sift a people, not one kernel will be lost, but all the sinners will be destroyed (Amos 9:9). For God's special care of the righteous, see Psalms 91:1-12. It pays to do right. The backslidden people of Malachi's day said it didn-'t (Malachi 3:14-15), but look what Malachi 3:16 to Malachi 4:2 goes on to record.

Proverbs 10:30. And again the same lesson is emphasized. Never be removed is said of the righteous, but not dwell of the wicked. For the security of the godly see Psalms 125:1-2.

Proverbs 10:31. The good mouth brings forth good things like praise (Ephesians 5:4), edifying things (Ephesians 4:29), and truth (Ephesians 4:25) while the wicked mouth brings forth just the opposite, for which it will be destroyed.

Proverbs 10:32. The lips of the righteous know what to say, when, where, etc. The mouth of the wicked speaks the wrong thing. Proverbs, Ephesians, and James all have much to say on the use and the abuse of the tongue.

TEST QUESTIONS OVER 10:23-32

1.

What is fools-' attitude toward mischief? Toward godliness (Proverbs 10:23)?

2.

Do godly people have any fun in life (Proverbs 10:23)?

3.

Do the wicked ever have any inward fears? When do they come to the surface (Proverbs 10:24)?

4.

What about the wicked when the whirlwind passes? What about the righteous (Proverbs 10:25)?

5.

Who is compared with vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes (Proverbs 10:26)?

6.

What can shorten the life-span of sinners (Proverbs 10:27)?

7.

What often keeps the expectation of the wicked from coming to pass (Proverbs 10:28)?

8.

The way of Jehovah is what two different things to the upright and to the workers of iniquity. (Proverbs 10:29)?

9.

How is the security of the godly and the insecurity of the wicked set forth in Proverbs 10:30?

10.

What are some of the good things that issue from the mouth of the righteous? What are some of the bad things that issue from the mouth of the wicked (Proverbs 10:31)?

11.

What three Bible books have much to say about the use and the abuse of the tongue (Proverbs 10:32)?