LESSONS ABOUT WISDOM PROVERBS _KEITH SIMONS_ CHAPTER 20 V1 Wine is like a man who insults you. Beer is like a man who shouts at you. If wine and beer tempt you, then you are not wise. V2 An angry king is like a roaring lion. If you make the king angry, then you will die. V3 If a man avoids a... [ Continue Reading ]
A drunk might say that alcohol is like a friend to him. Solomon does not agree. A friend would not insult you. But wine and beer do this. Alcohol insults your mind and confuses your thoughts. It can hurt your body and put you in danger. It causes divorces and upsets families. A wise person should no... [ Continue Reading ]
This verse is similar to Proverbs 19:12. Do not make a king angry! He might order your death. See also the prayer in Acts 4:24-20. Sometimes people (and even kings) will oppose us, because we are Christians.... [ Continue Reading ]
A wise man tries not to argue. He is polite - see Acts 26:2-3. Sometimes he says nothing, to avoid an argument - see Mark 14:61. But sometimes he must speak, although other people will be angry (Mark 14:62-65). His wisdom will guide him to know what to say. A fool is evil and he hates wisdom. He lo... [ Continue Reading ]
Solomon uses humour here. The farmer in verse 4 was too lazy to plough his land. When the harvest is due, he gets a bad surprise. There is no food. Even a stupid farmer knows that he must plough the ground. This farmer was lazy, so he will be hungry. If we work hard, then we shall have enough food... [ Continue Reading ]
Sometimes it is difficult to help a friend. Often a friend does not want to talk. He does not want to explain his problems. A wise person will speak gently to his friend. The wise person will encourage his friend to explain the problem. The wise man must be slow and patient. He acts like a man who... [ Continue Reading ]
People often say that they are loyal to their friends. Troubles will test whether their words were true. Anyone can say such words. But when problems come, many people do not try to help their friends. In verses 6 and 9, Solomon tries to find an honest man. Many people seem honest. They say the rig... [ Continue Reading ]
The children benefit if their father is honest. If we are honest and good, then God will help our children. But only Jesus was really honest. Jesus is God (Colossians 2:9; John 10:30). If we trust God, then we are God’s children (Isaiah 53:10). So God is kind to us (1 John 3:1).... [ Continue Reading ]
In Solomon’s time, the king was also a judge. God is also a king and judge (Revelation 19:16; Revelation 20:11-12). God gives authority to human judges (John 19:10-11). So we must respect them. A human judge is God’s servant (Romans 13:1-5). A human judge does not allow lies in his court. He does n... [ Continue Reading ]
See verse 6. We cannot say this (1 John 1:8). Only Jesus can truly say this. However, if we trust in God, then God forgives our evil actions. We are God’s children. We do not continue to do evil things (1 John 3:9). But if we do evil things, then we should tell the truth to God. We should confess ou... [ Continue Reading ]
Shops use scales and measurements. If these are false, then the shopkeeper is cheating the customer. Solomon says that the shopkeeper has lied. God hates all lies.... [ Continue Reading ]
A good child behaves well. A bad child behaves badly. We test children by their actions. God tests everybody by their actions. We all must do the things that please God. (Matthew 7:20)... [ Continue Reading ]
God made our eyes and ears. Therefore, he knows how to see and to hear. God sees our actions. God hears our words. He knows the things that we have done. He is a fair judge. We cannot lie to God. V13 If you love to sleep, then you will become poor. Stay awake, and you will have plenty of food. V1... [ Continue Reading ]
This is similar to Proverbs 19:15. Sleep is good, but it is not good to be lazy. The lazy man becomes poor, because he refuses to work. The worker earns his wages, so that he has plenty of food.... [ Continue Reading ]
This buyer bargains for a cheap price. Perhaps he even cheats the seller. The buyer says that the seller is selling something bad. But later, he tells the opposite to his friends. He has bought something good at a cheap price. People do not always mean the things that they say. And many people try... [ Continue Reading ]
Gold and precious stones seem valuable. They are beautiful and expensive. But many people own them. And these things are not very useful. Knowledge is useful. Knowledge is more valuable than gold or precious stones. Knowledge is also rare. See Matthew 7:14.... [ Continue Reading ]
You cannot trust this man’s promise. He has promised on behalf of a foreigner. Perhaps the man is hiding an evil secret. Therefore, you must keep his coat, until he pays. See also Exodus 22:26-27.... [ Continue Reading ]
A man eats a meal. His food tastes good and sweet. He enjoys the meal. But suddenly, something is wrong. The meal tastes awful. He breaks his teeth. His mouth is full of stones! Evil actions are like this. Evil behaviour may tempt us and attract us. We might feel happy when we do an evil action. B... [ Continue Reading ]
Be careful when you make an important decision! When a king goes to war, people will die. He must not decide to go to war while he is angry. He must think carefully. He must obtain good advice, from honest advisers. See Luke 14:31-33. V19 If a man gossips, then he tells secrets. Choose friends wh... [ Continue Reading ]
You cannot trust this man. He gossips, so he will tell your secrets to everyone. We should not gossip. See James 4:11-12.... [ Continue Reading ]
We must respect our parents. God orders us to do this. See Deuteronomy 5:16, and Matthew 15:4-6. The second line of verse 20 means that this man deserves death. A man who insults his parents deserves a terrible punishment (Exodus 21:17).... [ Continue Reading ]
There are many ways to get money quickly. You might steal money. You might cheat other people. You might make an evil plan. These methods are all evil. If you do these things, then you will suffer punishments and troubles. You should earn money from your work. This is slower than if you steal. But... [ Continue Reading ]
Sometimes we want to punish people who hurt us. This is not a good attitude. We should forgive people (Romans 12:17-21). We should even love our enemies (Matthew 5:44). But God will punish evil people, if they do not ask God to forgive them. (See Deuteronomy 32:35.)... [ Continue Reading ]
This is similar to verse 10. Many people think that small lies do not matter. Solomon does not agree with this idea. Solomon repeats the lesson, because it is important. God hates all lies. V24 God directs a man’s life. This is why nobody can understand his own life. V25 When you promise to give... [ Continue Reading ]
We try to understand our own lives. We try to understand our experiences. Often we do not know why things happen. But God knows. He directs our lives. And he guides us. He is like a farmer who looks after his sheep (Psalms 23; John 10:1-11).... [ Continue Reading ]
Judges 11:30-40 explains this. Jephthah promised to kill and to give to God, whatever greeted him first. He expected an animal to greet him. However, his daughter greeted him. We should be careful about gifts and promises. It is better not to carry out a promise, than to do something evil. But you... [ Continue Reading ]
A farmer drives a wheel over the wheat, to separate the grain from the straw. Then he scatters the grain, so that the wind blows away the straw. A king attacks evil men. The king must protect his country, so his army fights against the evil men. This is like the farmer, who drives a wheel over the... [ Continue Reading ]
God even knows our thoughts. He knows whether our plans are good or evil. Other people might think that we are good and honest. But God knows the truth.... [ Continue Reading ]
Some rulers think that they should be cruel. Solomon’s own son, Rehoboam, thought this (1 Kings 12:13-14). He was wrong. Cruelty does not make a king safe. If a ruler is cruel, then the people hate him. They want a revolution and a new government. Love protects a king. A ruler should love the peopl... [ Continue Reading ]
We respect a youth’s strength. We call young people ‘champions’ and ‘heroes’ when they win in sports. We must also respect old people. Their grey hair reminds us about their long lives. Often old people have great wisdom. They are too old to be champions in sport. But they can still be our champion... [ Continue Reading ]
Nobody likes pain. But a wound often heals, whilst it hurts. The body removes the bad part of the wound, and this hurts. In Solomon’s country, judges might punish a guilty man with the whip. The second line means, ‘Punishment removes a man’s evil behaviour.’ No punishment is pleasant. But the inten... [ Continue Reading ]