PROVERBS
1:1-7 - Scripture speaks of different kinds of ‘wisdom’. In Proverbs, wisdom is closely associated with godliness. In Ecclesiastes, wisdom - viewed as mere human intelligence - is described as ‘meaningless, a chasing after the wind’ (1:12-18). This contrast is continued in the New Testament, where Paul describes Christ as our ‘Wisdom’, contrasting this Wisdom with ‘the wisdom of the world’ (1 Corinthians 1:18-25,30). The purpose of Proverbs is set out in its opening verses. Notice the vital connection between ‘understanding’ and ‘doing’ (2-3). We are to be ‘doers’ as well as ‘hearers’ of God’s Word (James 1:22). We are to ‘keep what is written’ in God’s Word (Revelation 1:3). The great theme of Proverbs is stated in verse 7: ‘The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge’. Christ is our Wisdom. We will never be wise unless we build our lives on Him (Matthew 7: 24-27).
1:8-19
- If we are to be saved, we must follow the Wisdom of the Proverbs:
‘Listen, my son, to your father's instruction’ (8). We must follow the
‘Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing’, the living Word, our Lord
Jesus Christ (Church Hymnary, 191). Satan is seeking to destroy
us - ‘let’s swallow them alive, like the grave’ (12). To ‘go along with’
those who do not honour the Lord Jesus Christ is to ‘rush into sin’
(15-16). To live by faith in Christ is to be ‘kept by the power of God’
for full salvation (1 Peter 1:5). There are choices to be made. You
remain a fool if you choose not to ask God for wisdom (James 1:5-8). The
fool is ‘a double-minded man’, trying to live for the Lord and for the
world at the same time. Will you be wise or foolish? - The choice is
yours. Remember this has more to do with the moral choices you make than
with how ‘well educated’ you may be.
1:20-33
- This section begins with the words, ‘Wisdom calls aloud in the
street, she raises her voice in the public squares’ (20) and ends with
the words, ‘whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease,
without fear of harm’ (33). The Gospel is not to be kept to ourselves.
Christ is to be proclaimed. Why is it so important that we tell others
about our Saviour, Jesus Christ? - It is because He offers salvation to
all who come to Him: ‘Everyone who calls on the Name of the Lord will be
saved’ (Romans 10:13). Later on, in Proverbs, we read. ‘he who wins
souls is wise’ (11:30). Those who are wise will pray for a greater
fulfilment of the Lord’s promise: ‘you will receive power when the Holy
Spirit comes on you, and you will be My witnesses ...’ (Acts 1:8).
Filled with the Holy Spirit, we will speak the Word of God boldly (Acts
4:31).
2:1-15
- There is a real call for spiritual growth here. We are to accept
God's words, storing up His commands, turning our ears to wisdom and our
hearts to understanding (1-2). If we are to grow in the fear and
knowledge of God, we must pray for insight and understanding. These
blessings are greater than silver and hidden treasure (3-5). In the
Christian life, there is both promise and warning. There is God’s
promise - you will be led in a way that ‘will be pleasant to your soul’
(10). There is His warning - make sure that you do not ‘leave the
straight paths to walk in dark ways’ (13). It is very important that we
take time to read God’s Word, since it is ‘the Lord’ who ‘gives wisdom’.
We must listen for God’s Voice, speaking to us through Scripture (6).
As we listen to Him, we will be led in ‘every good path’ - protected
and victorious (7-9).
2:16-3:4
- We read the warning about ‘the adulteress’: ‘her house leads down to
death’ (16-18). We also hear the warning of the Gospel: ‘the wages of
sin is death’ (Romans 6:23). We are told that ‘none who go to her return
or attain the paths of life’ (19). Left to ourselves, none of us would
return to God, none of us would find the way to life (Romans 3:10-12).
Some seek ‘prosperity’ (1). They seek ‘a good name in the sight of...
men’ (4). We must not, however, make these things the be-all and
end-all. There is more to life than material possessions, more than high
ratings in the popularity stakes. There is eternal life - ‘the free
gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord’ (Romans 6:23) -
and the forgiveness of sins - ‘justified by faith, we have peace with
God through our Lord Jesus Christ’ (Romans 5:1).
3:5-18
- ‘Grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus
Christ’ (2 Peter 3:18). If we are to know the Lord, we must come to an
end of ourselves: ‘Be not wise in your own eyes’ (7), ‘do not rely on
your own insight’ (5). True knowledge of God comes through faith: ‘Trust in the Lord...’ (5). True knowledge of God is heart-knowledge: ‘Trust in the Lord with all your heart’
(5). Knowing Christ involves growing in grace. We cannot get to know
God apart from the grace of God working within us. Growth in grace is
not always a smooth pathway (11-12; Hebrews 12:5-11). Never forget:
‘the Lord’s discipline’ is an expression of the Lord’s love. ‘Lord, You
are more precious than silver, Lord, You are more costly than gold,
Lord, You are more beautiful than diamonds, And nothing I desire
compares with You' (13-15; Mission Praise,447).
3:19-35
- ‘You will walk on your way securely... for the Lord will be your
confidence’ (23,26). Trusting in the Lord, we are to say, ‘He knows the
way that I take; when He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold’ (Job
23:10). Our faith is under threat. There is the danger of ‘sudden
panic’ (25). We are faced with the ‘man of violence... the perverse
man... the wicked... the scorners... fools’ (31-35). What are we to do?
Even in the most testing and trying times, we must hold on to this: God
is at work for our holiness - ‘Refiner’s fire, my heart’s one desire is
to be holy. Set apart for You, Lord, I choose to be holy, set apart for
You, my Master, ready to do Your will’ (Songs of Fellowship, 475). Submitted to God’s holy purpose, we rejoice in this: Nothing can separate us from His love (Romans 8:39).
4:1-9
- This is ‘a father’s instructions’ to his ‘sons’ (1). The father has
been a ‘son’ (3). He has wrestled with temptation. He has needed the
exhortation - ‘Let your heart hold fast...’ (4) - and the warning - ‘Do
not turn away...’ (5). Now, we turn to the divine Father and Son. The
Father does not keep His distance from us. Through the Son, He has come
near to us. Through the Son, we come to the Father (John 14:9,6). When
Scripture says, ‘Get wisdom’ (7), it means this: ‘Come to the Father
through Jesus the Son’. Wisdom brings ‘a beautiful crown’, ‘the crown of
righteousness’, ‘the unfading crown of glory’ (9; 2 Timothy 4:8; 1
Peter 5:4). Be wise. Be ready for the Lord’s Return (Matthew 25:1-13).
‘Purer... higher... greater - Our wonder, our worship, when Jesus we
see!’ (Church Hymnary, 374).
4:10-19
- ‘The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines
brighter and brighter until full day’ (18). Face the risen Son. His life
in us is like the rising sun. It begins with ‘the first gleam of dawn’.
It ‘shines ever brighter until the full light of day’'. Christ ‘dawns
on us like the morning light’ (2 Samuel 23:4). In a moment of discovery,
we say, ‘It’s just dawned on me’. It is very wonderful when Christ
reveals Himself, when He brings us out of our darkness and into His
light. This is just the beginning. There is so much more: ‘No eye has
seen, nor ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for
those who love Him’ (1 Corinthians 2:9). ‘Light has dawned that ever shall blaze... Light a flame within my heart... Let my flame begin to spread’ (Mission Praise, 422; Songs of Fellowship, 339).
4:20-27
- 'Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight
before you' (25). Living the Christian life is like 'walking a
tightrope' - We must 'not swerve to the right or to the left' (27;
Deuteronomy 28:14; Joshua 1:7; 23:6). Looking straight ahead, 'let us
fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith...'(Hebrews
12:2). In the face of life's many difficulties, you may ask, "Can I
'run with perseverance the race marked out for me' (Hebrews 12:1)?".
Keep your eyes on your own capacity for perseverance - and you will be
filled with thoughts of your own weakness. Keep your eyes on Christ and
His preserving power (1 Peter 1:5; John 10:27-29; Philippians 1:6;
Romans 8:37-39). You will grow strong - strengthened by Christ's Word:
'My grace is sufficient for you' (2 Corinthians 12:9).
5:1-14 - Being married:
There are many temptations - the ‘loose woman’ (3-6). Be positive:
Through ‘mutual love and respect’, let’s build ‘strong and happy’
marriages, in which ‘the marriage bond is honoured’. Singles:
Don’t spoil everything by getting entangled with those who are ‘loose’
in their commitment to believing in and living for Jesus Christ! Bringing up children:
There are many problems - the natural reaction of the child (11-12).
Our children are to be brought up ‘in the nurture and admonition of the
Lord’ (Ephesians 6:4). We need the tenderness - ‘I don't condemn you’ -
and firmness - ‘don’t sin’ - of Christ (John 8:11). Children: The
natural reaction - ‘I hate discipline. I will not listen’ - is the
sinful reaction. Pray for God's help - to ‘obey your parents in the
Lord’ (Ephesians 6:1-3).
5:15-23
- There is teaching here concerning faithfulness in marriage: ‘may you
rejoice in the wife of your youth... may you ever be captivated by her
love (18-19). We may apply this teaching to our relationship with the
Saviour. You loved Him so much in ‘your youth’. You were ‘rejoicing in
Him’. You were ‘captivated by His love’. ‘You were doing so well’, but
something happened - you have gone off course (Galatians 5:7-8). Is this
the story of your life? Return to ‘your first love’ (Revelation 2:4-5).
There is also a warning against unfaithfulness (20). This can also be
applied to our relationship with Christ. He ‘loved us and gave Himself
for us’. He calls us to be ‘holy... a radiant church’ (Ephesians
5:25-27). We belong to Him. Why settle for anything less than the Best,
anything less than our Lord Jesus Christ.
6:1-15 - ‘Save yourself... like a bird from the hand of the fowler’ (5). ‘He will deliver you
from the snare of the fowler’ (Psalm 91:3). In Scripture, we have both
the promise of grace and the call to faith: ‘By grace you have been
saved’ (Ephesians 2:5), ‘Your faith has saved you’ (Luke 7:50), ‘Keep
yourselves in the love of God’, ‘To Him who is able to keep you from
falling’ (Jude 21,24). Laugh at ‘the sluggard’ (6-11), but do not laugh
too quickly or too long: You may be laughing at yourself! Looking at the
sluggard is like looking into a mirror. We see so much of ourselves in
him! ‘A worthless man, a wicked man’ - ‘He “fancies himself”. He’s “a
chancer”’. He better watch out: God doesn’t share this man’s opinion of
himself - ‘calamity will come... he will be broken beyond healing’ (15).
6:16-35
- God’s Word is our ‘lamp’ and ‘light’ (23; Psalm 119:105). It leads
us in the way we are to go (22). It exposes the darkness of the ways we
are to avoid. It shows us the ‘things that the Lord hates’, the things
which are ‘an abomination to Him’ (16). Why does God list the ‘things’
which are not pleasing to Him? He wants us to watch how we live. He
wants us to keep on choosing His way. We must not allow things to drift.
Keep God’s Word in ‘your heart always’ (21). Let ‘the reproofs of
discipline’ keep you from straying (23). The world tells us, ‘Anything
goes. Do what you like. It doesn’t matter how you live’. God’s Word
speaks about sin: There is ‘no sense’ in it. It is the way of
self-destruction. It will not ‘go unpunished’ (32,29). Be careful to
obey God in everything.
7:1-27
- The way of obedience is the way of life: ‘keep My commandments and
live’ (2). This is not a shallow legalism. It is the result of the
working of the Holy Spirit in our lives. It is ‘walking in the Spirit’.
It is living as ‘a new creation’. We do not glory in our own obedience.
We ‘glory in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ’ (Galatians 5:16;
6:16,14). Obedience is a mark of spiritual maturity. The ‘mature’ are
‘those who have their faculties trained by practice to distinguish good
from evil’ (Hebrews 5:14). In His Word, God shows us how we are to live
and how we are not to live. We must ‘listen’ to God. We must ‘be
attentive’ to His Word, thinking on and doing ‘these things’ which will
glorify Him (24; Philippians 4:8-9). ‘Sin so easily entangles... let us
fix our eyes on Jesus’ (25-27; Hebrews 12:1-2).
8:1-36
- Hoping for ‘good luck’, some people expect good things to happen to
them - all the time! God says, ‘Seek wisdom. Be ready for the hard
times’. Wisdom comes from God. He speaks to us with words of wisdom
(2:6; 6-8). Wisdom is not only for ‘kings and rulers, princes and
nobles’. It is for everyone who loves the Lord (15-17). Wisdom calls us
to choose good rather than evil, life rather than death (13,35-36;
Hebrews 5:14; Deuteronomy 30:19). The way of wisdom is the way of
happiness (32-34). Our path may not be paved with gold. Wisdom is
better than ‘silver, gold and jewels’ (10-11). Christ is our Wisdom.
Receiving Him, we receive wisdom. Growing in Him, we grow in wisdom (1
Corinthians 1:30; 2:6). As you rejoice in Christ, remember: ‘He who
wins souls is wise’ (11:30). Don’t keep Wisdom to yourself. Share
Christ with others.
9:1-18
- There is, in verse 5, a Gospel invitation: ‘Come, eat of my bread
and drink of the wine I have mixed’. We eat bread. We drink wine. We
remember our Saviour (Matthew 26: 26-29). ‘The fear of the Lord is the
beginning of wisdom’ (10). ‘This sounds so old-fashioned’ - so the world
tells us. ‘The fear of the Lord’ - This is something we must not
forget. If we do not fear the Lord, we will forget Him. If we forget
Him, we are fools. What is foolishness? Is it a lack of education? No! -
It is a lack of obedience. When we do not ‘honour’ God, we are ‘without
sense’. ‘Claiming to be wise’, we show that we are ‘fools’. If we are
wise, we will keep ‘going straight on the way’, looking always to Jesus
Christ who is the true and living Way. He leads us from ‘the depths of
hell’ to the heights of heaven (13-18; Romans 1:21-22; John 14:2,6).
10:1-22
- What a difference there is between the ‘wise’ and the ‘foolish’. It
is the difference between ‘righteousness’ and ‘wickedness’ (1-2).
Throughout life, there are choices to be made. We may choose wisely,
being led by the Lord ‘in the paths of righteousness for His Name’s
sake’. We may choose foolishly, going ‘astray’, refusing to ‘call upon
the Lord’ (Psalms 23:3-4; 14:2-4). We must be very careful about the
choices we make. There is a ‘way that leads to life’ and a ‘way that
leads to destruction’ (16-17; Matthew 7:13-14). ‘Flee from the wrath to
come’. Choose Christ. Choose life. ‘He who believes in the Son has
eternal life; he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the
wrath of God rests upon him’ (Matthew 3:7; John 3:36).Choose Him now. ‘Now is the day of salvation’ (2 Corinthians 6:2).
10:23-11:11
- ‘With his mouth the godless man would destroy his neighbour’ (9) -
This kind of thing is going on all the time! There is no respect for the
‘neighbour’. An easy target, he is treated with contempt. He is
slandered without mercy. It is not without reason that God’s Word says
to us, ‘The tongue is a fire… With it we bless the Lord and Father, and
with it we curse men… My brethren, this ought not to be so’ (James
3:6-10). God knows what we are like. We ‘destroy’ people with ‘the
tongue’. It is character assassination. What drastic effects this kind
of thing can have: ‘a city… is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked’!
Can the blessing return again? God’s Word is clear - ‘By the blessing of
the upright a city is exalted’ - , but we must learn to speak and live
as ‘the upright’ and not as ‘the wicked’ (11).
11:12-31
- ‘He who wins souls is wise’ (30). ‘He who sows righteousness reaps a
sure reward’ (18). Righteousness is not purely a private matter. God’s
Word tells us that ‘those who turn many to righteousness shall shine
like stars for ever and ever’ (Daniel 12:3). Winning others for Jesus
Christ is not easy. To those who commit themselves to this great work,
God gives His precious promise: ‘He who goes out weeping, carrying seed
to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him’ (Psalm
126:6). In this work, we must remember: It is not what we do that makes the real difference. It is the Lord
working through us. Never forget: ‘Unless the Lord builds the house,
its builders labour in vain’ (Psalm 127:1). Always remember: When our
work is done ‘in the Lord’, it is never ‘in vain’ (1 Corinthians 15:58).
12:1-14 - The Word of God shows us the way we are not to go as well as the way we are
to go. We are told that ‘the root of the righteous stands firm’ (12).
We are warned: ‘he who follows worthless pursuits has no sense’ (11). Do
you have any sense? Here’s the most sensible thing you could ever do:
Let ‘Christ dwell in your heart through faith’. Be ‘rooted and grounded
in love… the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge’. Does it make any
sense to live a life of emptiness - ‘worthless pursuits’ - when you can
be filled with all the fullness of God’? What sense is there in living a
life that amounts to nothing - ‘worthless pursuits’ - when you can have
‘His power at work within you’? There are two ways: the way of giving
‘glory to God’ and the way of ‘no sense’ (Ephesians 3:17-21). Only one
‘Way’ makes sense - Christ (John 14:6).
12:15-28
- What harm can be done by ‘reckless words’ (18). We need to take care
how we speak. As those who belong to Christ, we have a special
responsibility. We are to ‘witness’ for Him. We are to give our
‘testimony’, declaring what He has done for us. We are to speak of the
‘one thing’ that is more important than anything else - what the Lord
has done for us: ‘I used to be blind, but now I can see’ (John 9:25).
This is what the Lord has done for us - ‘He has called us out of
darkness into His marvellous light’ (1 Peter 2:9). There is a better way
than the way of ‘lying lips’ (22). When the ‘lying tongue’ has no more
to say for itself, there will be one confession of faith which will
remain forevermore: ‘Jesus Christ is Lord’. This confession brings
‘glory’ to ‘God the Father’. Let it be your confession of faith: ‘Jesus
Christ is Lord’ (19; Philippians 2:11).
13:1-11
- ‘The light of the righteous rejoices’ (9). Jesus is our Light. He is
‘the Light of the world’. In Him we rejoice. Through Him, ‘we have now
received reconciliation’. We are no longer walking in darkness. We are
walking in the light with Him, giving thanks to God that ‘the blood of
Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin’ (John 8:12; Romans 5:11; 1 John
1:7). What a wonderful thing God has done for us in Christ. He has
‘called us out of darkness into His marvellous light’. Let us ‘declare
His praises’, rejoicing in His great love, His rich mercy and His saving
grace (1 Peter 2:9; Ephesians 2:4-5). Keep on rejoicing! There is light
at the end of the tunnel - even when you have ‘to suffer grief in all
kinds of trials’. Don`t lose sight of ‘the goal of your faith’ - ‘the
salvation of your souls’ (1 Peter 1:6-9).
13:12-25
- What do you do with the Word of God? How do you respond to the Word
of God? What a difference there is between those who respect God’s Word
and those who despise His Word. We have here a word of warning - ‘He who despises the Word brings destruction on himself’ and a word of promise
- ‘he who respects the commandment will be rewarded’ (13). Those who
keep on ignoring God’s Word are putting themselves in great danger - ‘He
who is often reproved, yet stiffens his neck will suddenly be broken
beyond healing’ (29:1). Those who take God’s Word seriously will find
‘great reward’ - God’s Word ‘revives the soul’, ‘makes wise the simple’,
‘rejoices the heart’ and ‘enlightens the eyes’. May your heart often
meditate on His Word. May your mouth often speak His Word (Psalm
19:11,7-8,14).
14:1-19
- ‘A perverse man will be filled with the fruit of his ways, and a
good man with the fruit of his deeds’ (14). Jesus speaks to us about
‘good fruit’ and ‘bad fruit’. He warns us not to be deceived by those
who have no real love for Him: ‘You will know them by their fruits’
(Matthew 7:15-20). How does good fruit grow in the ‘tree’ of our lives?
- ‘Blessed is the man... whose delight is in the law of the Lord... He
is like a tree planted by streams of water, that yields its fruit in its
season’ (Psalm 1:1-3). There is good fruit to be enjoyed when we take
delight in the Word of the Lord. There is bad fruit to be thrown away.
Let’s throw away the bad fruit - ‘...strife, jealousy, anger,
selfishness...’ - and enjoy the good fruit - ‘love, joy, peace...’. Let
‘the fruit of the Spirit’grow in you - ‘be filled with the Spirit’
(Galatians 5:19-24; Ephesians 5:18).
14:20-35
- ‘Righteousness lifts up a nation, but sin is a disgrace in any
society’ (34). Our nation can flourish again - by the preaching of God’s
Word and the praising of God’s Name. Times of blessing can come again -
if we will listen to God’s Word and sing His praise. Times of
blessing will not come if we refuse to listen to the Lord, if we will
not worship Him. We are living in difficult times - ‘dark powers are
poised to flood our streets with hate and fear’. We must learn to see
things as God sees them - ‘You stand appalled to see Your laws of love
so scorned and lives so broken. Pray for mercy - ‘Have mercy, Lord’.
Pray for revival - ‘Revive Your Church again’. Pray that Christ’s
‘glorious Cross shall tower triumphant in this land’. Pray that
‘righteousness’ will flow ‘like a never-failing stream’ (Mission Praise, 509).
15:1-33
- ‘The path of life leads upward for the wise’ (24). The wisdom which
leads upward is centred on Christ. He is the Way to the ‘Father’s House’
(John 14:2-3,6). ‘Better is a little with the fear of the Lord than
great treasure and trouble with it’ (17). Jesus teaches us the way to
live wisely: ‘lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven’ (Matthew 6:20) -
‘I’d rather have Jesus than silver or gold, I’d rather be His than have
riches untold...’ (Mission Praise, 319). ‘The lips of the
wise spread knowledge’ (7). Christ is our Wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:30).
We must not keep Him to ourselves. Share Him with others. Let people
know that Jesus is your Saviour. Let them know that He is your Lord.
Don’t just ‘believe in your heart’. ‘Confess with your lips that Jesus
is Lord’ (Romans 10:9). Your words will help others to find Him.
16:1-17
- ‘Wisdom is better than gold... understanding is to be chosen rather
than silver’ (16). What is wisdom? In 1 Corinthians 1:30, we learn that
Jesus Christ is Wisdom. To find Jesus Christ is to find Wisdom. How do
we find Jesus Christ? How do we find Wisdom? Jesus tells us - ‘Seek and
you will find’ (Matthew 7:7). For so many of us, the most important
thing is getting on in the world. Jesus says, “Do not lay up for
yourselves treasures on earth... lay up for yourselves treasures in
heaven’ (Matthew 6:19-20). Which world is more important to you - this
world or the world to come? Jesus puts this question to every one of
us. This is the question we must answer. May God help us to give this
answer - ‘I’d rather have Jesus than silver or gold... I’d rather have
Jesus than anything this world affords today’ (Mission Praise, 319).
16:18-33
- What a difference there is between a self-centred life and a
God-centred life. Where does the self-centred life lead us? - ‘There is a
way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death’ (25).
Is there a better way, a way that leads to true happiness? Yes! There is
the God-centred way: ‘He who gives heed to the Word will prosper, and
happy is he who trusts in the Lord’ (20). True happiness does not come
to those who seek it in the things of this world. It comes to those who
seek the Lord. ‘Trust and obey, for there’s no other way to be happy in
Jesus but to trust and obey’ (Mission Praise, 760). God invites
us to choose between two very different ways - our own way and His way:
‘the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in
Christ Jesus our Lord’ (Romans 6:23). Choose Christ!
17:1-12
- What kind of people are we to be? What kind of life are we to live?
We are to be God’s people - people who are learning to live a life of
‘love’ (9). How do we learn what love is like? We learn from God -
Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Father loves us - ‘God so loved the world that He gave His only Son...’ (John 3:16). In the Son, we see perfect love - ‘The Son of God loved me and gave Himself for me’ (Galatians 2:20). Through the Spirit, our lives are filled with love
- ‘The fruit of the Spirit is love’ (Galatians 5:22). We can only be an
influence for love if we are learning to be influenced by love. We are
to be people ‘under the Influence’. We are to live our lives under the
influence of God’s love. This is the Godly, Christlike, Spirit-filled
life - the life of love.
17:13-28
- ‘A friend loves at all times’ (17). Jesus speaks of His love for us -
‘Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for
his friends’ - and our love for Him - ‘You are My friends if you do what
I command you’ (John 15:13-14). His love comes first. Our love is a
response to His love: ‘We love, because He first loved us’ (1 John
4:19). Jesus didn’t wait until we obeyed His Word perfectly before He
laid down His life for us: ‘God shows His love for us in that while we
were yet sinners, Christ died for us’ (Romans 5:8). He didn’t start
loving us because we started loving Him. He loved us long before we ever
thought of loving Him. He loves us. He died for us. We are to love Him.
We are to live for Him. His love is a perfect love. Our love is to be a
growing love.
18:1-24
- ‘The fountain of wisdom is an overflowing stream’ (4). ‘The grace of
our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ
Jesus’ (1 Timothy 1:14). This is the ‘wisdom’ we must seek - the wisdom
which receives ‘salvation through faith in Christ Jesus’ (2 Timothy
3:15). True wisdom finds its overflowing joy in the Saviour: ‘The Name
of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe’
(10). We rejoice in Jesus. He is God’s Son - ‘You shall call His Name
Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High’
(Luke 1:31-32). He is our Saviour - ‘You shall call His Name Jesus,
because He will save His people from their sins’ (Matthew 1:21). He is
‘the Friend who sticks closer than a brother’ (24). Jesus is God’s Son.
Be wise. Let Him be your Saviour and Friend.
19:1-29
- ‘The fear of the Lord leads to life’ (23). ‘The friendship of the
Lord is for those who fear Him’ (Psalm 25:14). What a strange
combination - friendship and fear! We ask, ‘How can there be friendship where there is fear?’. Here, we have a special kind of friendship - ‘the friendship of the Lord’ - and a special kind of fear - ‘the fear of the Lord’.
Why is this friendship and fear so special? It’s because the Lord is
special! He is the God of perfect holiness - ‘Holy, holy, holy is the
Lord Almighty’. We must come before Him in ‘the fear of the Lord’ - ‘Woe
is me! I am undone; I am a man of unclean lips...’. He is the God of
perfect love. He calls us into friendship with Himself - ‘Your guilt is
taken away and your sin forgiven’ (Isaiah 6:3,5,7). We rejoice in ‘the
friendship of the Lord’. Let us respect Him with ‘the fear of the Lord’.
20:1-30
- ‘Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler; whoever is led astray by
it is not wise’ (1). We need to learn the truth of these words - before
it’s too late! There is a better way than the way of drunkenness. It is
the way of being filled with the Holy Spirit: ‘Don’t get drunk on wine,
which leads to wild living. Instead, be filled with the Spirit’
(Ephesians 5:18). We must not ‘live according to the flesh’. God calls
us to ‘live according to the Spirit’. He warns us against making the
wrong choice: ‘To set the mind on the flesh is death’. He shows us the
way of blessing: ‘To set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace’. ‘Set
your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth’.
May God help us to turn from ‘the works of the flesh’ and seek ‘the
fruit of the Spirit’ (Romans 8:5-6; Colossians 3:2; Galatians 5:19-23).
21:1-31
- ‘The victory belongs to the Lord’ (31). When defeat seems
inevitable, God comes to us with His Word of encouragement: ‘The Lord
your God is with you. He is mighty to save, a Warrior who gives victory.
He will take great delight in you. He will renew you in His love. He
will rejoice over you with singing’ (Zephaniah 3:17). God’s Word shows
us the way of victory. It is the way of faith in our Saviour, the Lord
Jesus Christ: ‘This is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith.
Who is it that overcomes the world but he who believes that Jesus is the
Son of God?’ (1 John 5:4). God ‘gives victory’ to us. We must receive
His victory by ‘faith’. Living for Christ is never easy - ‘In this world
you will have trouble’. Don’t let this get you down. Jesus says, ‘Be of
good cheer. I have overcome the world’ (John 16:33).
22:1-29
- ‘So that your trust may be in the Lord, I teach you today, even you’
(19). Many people say, ‘It’s not for me’. They know that others have
been greatly blessed through reading God’s Word. Still, they do not take
the trouble to read God’s Word for themselves. They can’t be bothered.
Receiving God’s blessing doesn’t really matter that much to them. Don’t
miss out on God’s blessing. God’s Word is for ‘you’. It’s not just for somebody else. It’s for you - ‘even you’.
Some people say, ‘I’ll read God’s Word tomorrow’. When ‘tomorrow’ comes
around, they’re still saying the same thing - ‘I’ll read God’s Word
tomorrow’! Sadly, their ‘tomorrow’ never comes. They never get round to
reading God’s Word. They’re missing out on so much. Don’t say, ‘I’ll
leave it till tomorrow’. Read God’s Word ‘today’.
23:1-18
- ‘Continue in the fear of the Lord all day long. Let reverence for
the Lord be the concern of your life’. To those who put Him first in
their lives, God gives His great promise of blessing, ‘There is surely a
future hope for you. You have a bright future. Surely you have a
wonderful future ahead of you’ (17-18). What a glorious future lies
ahead of those who love the Lord: ‘No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no
mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him’ (1
Corinthians 2:9)! We must not become ‘short-sighted’. We must look ahead
to ‘the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ’. God has
given us ‘His very great and precious promises’. Let us press on in
‘faith’, becoming more and more ‘active and effective in our knowledge
of our Lord Jesus Christ’ (2 Peter 1:3-11).
23:19-35
- ‘Keep your heart on the right path’ (19). How are we to do this? We
must seek ‘truth, wisdom, instruction and understanding’ (23). We must
give our hearts to Christ. He is ‘the Truth’ (John 14:6). We must open
our hearts to Christ. He is ‘our Wisdom’ (1 Corinthians 1:30). Opening
our hearts will mean opening our Bibles. Giving our hearts to Christ
will mean giving time to reading God’s Word. As we read ‘the
Scriptures’, we will receive ‘instruction’. We will learn about
‘salvation through faith in Christ Jesus’. We will receive ‘instruction
for right living’ (2 Timothy 3:14-17). As we read God’s Word, we must
pray that the Holy Spirit will give us ‘understanding’ (1 Corinthians
2:9-13). ‘Be filled with the Spirit’. ‘Let the Word of Christ dwell in
you richly’ (Ephesians 5:18; Colossians 3:16).
24:1-14
- ‘Wisdom is sweet to your soul. If you find it, there is a future
hope for you’ (14). How do we find wisdom? We read the written Word of
God, seeking God’s promised blessing: ‘The law of the Lord is perfect
and revives the soul. The Lord’s instruction never fails. and makes the
simple wise’. As we read God’s written Word, keeping our eyes fixed on
Christ, the living ‘Word’ of God’, we discover that He is the ‘Wisdom’
which is ‘sweeter than honey’and we rejoice in Him, our ‘Hope of glory’ -
‘You believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious
joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your
souls’ (John 1:1-2,14; 1 Corinthians 1:30; Psalm 19:7,10; Colossians
1:27; 1 Peter 1:8). ‘Ask God’ for ‘wisdom’.‘Seek and you will find’
(James 1:5-8; Matthew 7:7).
24:15-34
- ‘Though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again’ (15). We
are ‘kept by the power of God’. We do not raise ourselves. It is the
Lord who is ‘able to keep us from falling’. He ‘knows how to deliver the
godly out of temptations’ (1 Peter 1:5; Jude 24; 2 Peter 2:9). When our
‘faith’ is ‘tested by fire’, we must pray that God will give us His
victory: ‘Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning
fiery furnace’ (1 Peter 1:6-7;Daniel 3:17). When our strength is almost
gone, the Lord comes with His Word: ‘My grace is sufficient for you. My
power is made perfect in weakness’ (2 Corinthians 12:9), ‘Amazing
grace!... Through many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come.
‘Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home’ (Mission Praise, 31).
25:1-28
- ‘The Lord will reward you’ (22). The work done by God’s servants is
tested by fire: ‘the fire will test what sort of work each one has
done’. There is work of real ‘quality’ - ‘gold, silver, precious
stones’. There is work which has no real value - ‘wood, hay, straw’.
God wants us to think about the work we do in His Name. We are to
‘remove the dross from the silver’ (4). We are not to be content with
superficial work which does not lead to changed lives. Our words are to
be ‘apples of gold in a setting of silver’. They are to be words of
wisdom, words which are ‘better than fine gold’, words which ‘surpass
choice silver’ (11; 8:19). We are to bring God’s Word -‘good news’ - and
God’s Spirit -‘rivers of living water’ - to our hearers (25; 1 Peter
1:12,23-25; John 7:37-39).
26:1-28 - ‘There is a lion in the road, a fierce lion roaming the streets!’ (13). This is the voice of fear speaking. We need to speak with the voice of faith
- ‘I believed, and so I spoke’ (2 Corinthians 4:13). We know that ‘the
devil prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour’.
The devil can fill us with fear. We must not let him do this. We must
face him with faith - ‘Resist him, standing firm in the faith’ (1 Peter
5:8-9). When we ‘resist the devil’, standing firm in the faith, ‘he will
flee from us’ (James 4:7). Let us face the ‘roaring lion’ with faith in
an even more powerful ‘Lion’. Jesus Christ - ‘the Lion of Judah’ - ‘has
conquered’ Satan. He ‘has triumphed’ over him (Revelation 5:5). May
Christ’s ‘perfect love drive out our fear’ (1 John 4:18).
27:1-27 - ‘Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring’ (1). God speaks to us about today.
He says, ‘Now is the day of salvation’. Today, we are in ‘the valley of
decision’. We must make up our mind about Jesus Christ. Today may be
your last opportunity to act on God’s precious promise: ‘Everyone who
calls on the Name of the Lord will be saved’ (Joel 3:14; 2:32; Acts
2:21). Tomorrow may be too late. Your life may be over before tomorrow
comes. Tomorrow, you may hear God’s Word of judgment: ‘I never knew you.
Depart from Me, you evildoers!’. Tomorrow, you may face ‘eternal
punishment’ (Matthew 7:23; 25:46). Tomorrow need not be a day of
judgment. Choose Christ today. Let today be your ‘day of salvation’.
28:1-28
- ‘Blessed is the one who always fears the Lord. If you harden your
heart, you will be ruined’ (14). The blessing of God comes to us through
the Gospel of Jesus Christ our Saviour: ‘The Gospel is the power of God
for the salvation of everyone who believes’. To those who refuse to
come to Christ and receive His salvation, God issues His solemn warning:
‘Because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are
storing up wrath against yourself for the Day of God’s wrath, when His
righteous judgment will be revealed’ (Romans 1:16; 2:5). We receive
‘salvation’ through faith in Christ, ‘the Lamb of God who takes away the
sin of the world’. Those who reject Christ and His salvation must face
‘the wrath of the Lamb’ (John 1:29; Revelation 7:10; 6:16).
29:1-27
- ‘The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have
no such concern’. So many people have a ‘couldn’t care less’ attitude.
They have stopped listening to God’s Word and they have lost interest in
living God’s way - ‘Where there is no revelation, the people cast off
restraint’. For those who are ignoring God, refusing to listen to His
Word and turning away from the pathway of obedience, God has a stern
Word of warning: ‘If you get more stubborn every time you are corrected,
one day you will be crushed and never recover’. God is calling us to
leave the pathway of disobedience and disaster and walk in the way of
obedience and blessing: ‘Blessed is he who keeps the law’ (7,1,18).
30:1-33
- In verse 5, we learn about God’s Word. His Word is ‘true’. His Word
is ‘pure’. His Word is full of blessing for those who ‘put their trust
in Him’. Trusting in Him , we learn that ‘His Word is truth’. God’s Word
is full of blessing for those who ‘live according to His Word’. Living
in obedience to His Word, we find that His Word makes us ‘pure’. Through
His Word of truth, God leads us in the pathway of holiness, Jesus prays
for us: ‘Make them pure and holy through teaching them Your Words of
truth’. God’s Word is ‘more precious than gold’. May God help us to
‘hide His Word in our hearts that we might not sin against Him’ (John
17:17; Psalms 19:10; 119:9,11).
31:1-31
- ‘A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than
rubies... Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who
fears the Lord is to be praised’ (10,30). We are to seek ‘treasures in
heaven’ rather than ‘treasures on earth’ (Matthew 6:19-21). The riches
of this world will not last for ever: ‘All your riches and splendour
have vanished, never to be recovered... “Woe! Woe, O great city, dressed
in fine linen, purple and scarlet, and glittering with gold, precious
stones and pearls! In one hour such great wealth has been brought to
ruin!”’ There is one treasure which lasts forever - the treasure of
salvation. Let us praise our Saviour: ‘Hallelujah! Salvation and power
and glory belong to our God’ (Revelation 18:14-17; 19:1).
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