The Book of Proverbs: School of Wisdom - 30

Proverbs 30:1-33 (NIV)

Proverbs 30

Sayings of Agur

¹ The sayings of Agur son of Jakehan oracle ^a]">[a]: This man declared to Ithiel, to Ithiel and to Ucal: ^b]">[b]

² "I am the most ignorant of men; I do not have a man's understanding.

³ I have not learned wisdom, nor have I knowledge of the Holy One.

⁴ Who has gone up to heaven and come down? Who has gathered up the wind in the hollow of his hands? Who has wrapped up the waters in his cloak? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and the name of his son? Tell me if you know!

⁵ "Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.

⁶ Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar.

⁷ "Two things I ask of you, O LORD; do not refuse me before I die:

⁸ Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread.

⁹ Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, 'Who is the LORD ?' Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.

¹⁰ "Do not slander a servant to his master, or he will curse you, and you will pay for it.

¹¹ "There are those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers;

¹² those who are pure in their own eyes and yet are not cleansed of their filth;

¹³ those whose eyes are ever so haughty, whose glances are so disdainful;

¹⁴ those whose teeth are swords and whose jaws are set with knives to devour the poor from the earth, the needy from among mankind.

¹⁵ "The leech has two daughters. 'Give! Give!' they cry. "There are three things that are never satisfied, four that never say, 'Enough!':

¹⁶ the grave, ^c]">[c] the barren womb, land, which is never satisfied with water, and fire, which never says, 'Enough!'

¹⁷ "The eye that mocks a father, that scorns obedience to a mother, will be pecked out by the ravens of the valley, will be eaten by the vultures.

¹⁸ "There are three things that are too amazing for me, four that I do not understand:

¹⁹ the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a snake on a rock, the way of a ship on the high seas,
and the way of a man with a maiden.

²⁰ "This is the way of an adulteress: She eats and wipes her mouth and says, 'I've done nothing wrong.'

²¹ "Under three things the earth trembles, under four it cannot bear up:

²² a servant who becomes king, a fool who is full of food,

²³ an unloved woman who is married, and a maidservant who displaces her mistress.

²⁴ "Four things on earth are small, yet they are extremely wise:

²⁵ Ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer;

²⁶ coneys ^d]">[d] are creatures of little power, yet they make their home in the crags;

²⁷ locusts have no king, yet they advance together in ranks;

²⁸ a lizard can be caught with the hand, yet it is found in kings' palaces.

²⁹ "There are three things that are stately in their stride, four that move with stately bearing:

³⁰ a lion, mighty among beasts, who retreats before nothing;

³¹ a strutting rooster, a he-goat, and a king with his army around him. ^e]">[e]

³² "If you have played the fool and exalted yourself, or if you have planned evil, clap your hand over your mouth!

³³ For as churning the milk produces butter, and as twisting the nose produces blood, so stirring up anger produces strife."

Footnotes:

1. Proverbs 30:1 Or Jakeh of Massa
2. Proverbs 30:1 Masoretic Text; with a different word division of the Hebrew declared, "I am weary, O God; / I am weary, O God, and faint.
3. Proverbs 30:16 Hebrew Sheol
4. Proverbs 30:26 That is, the hyrax or rock badger
5. Proverbs 30:31 Or king secure against revolt

10 Facts About God:

1. He can ascend to heaven (v 4; Genesis 18:33, Genesis 28:12; John 3:13; Deuteronomy 30:11-12; Romans 10:6-7)
2. He can descend from heaven (v 4; Zechariah 14:5; Titus 2:13; Jude 14; Revelation 21:2,10)
3. He controls the wind (v 4; Ecclesiastes 1:6; Psalm 19:6; Matthew 8:27)
4. He controls the waters (v. 4; Job 26:8; Psalm 104:6-9; Proverbs 8:28)
5. He established the land out of the waters (v 4; Genesis 1:9-10; Jeremiah 5:22; Job 38:4-11; Psalm 102:25)
6. He has a name (v 4; Genesis 1:1; Exodus 3:13-15; 6:3; 34:14; Psalm 68:4; Isaiah 57:15)
7. He has a Son (Psalm 2:7; John 3:18; Matthew 1:21; Isaiah 9:6-7; etc.)
8. His every word is pure (v 5; Psalm 19:7; 2 Timothy 3:16-17)
9. He is a protector of all who put their trust in them (v 5; Psalm 91)
10.He will not tolerate additions to His Word (v 6; Deuteronomy 4:2; 12;32; Revelation 22:18)

6 Requests in 2 Petitions:

1. Deny not my petitions before I die
2. Remove vanity far from me
3. Remove lies far from me
4. Give me not poverty
5. Give me not riches
6. Feed me only my necessary food

6 Reasons for His Requests (v 9):

1. Let I be full, and
2. Deny the LORD.
3. Lest I say, Who is the LORD?
4. Lest I be poor, and
5. Steal, and
6. Take the name of God in vain

4 Classes of People:

1. Those who do not honor parents ( v 11; 20:20; Exodus 21:17; Mark 10:10-13).
2. Those who are self-righteous (v 12; Isaiah 64:4; Luke 18:9-14; Matthew 23)
3. Those who are full of vanity, pride, and insolence (v 13; Psalm 10:4; 73:6; Proverbs 8:13; 16:18; Daniel 4:37; 1 John 2:16)
4. Those who are cruel, greedy, and oppressive to the poor (v 14; 14:31; 22:16; 28:3; James 2:6)

5 Examples of Being Brought Low:

1. Lucifer (Isaiah 14:12-14; Ezekiel 28:11-17; Ephesians 2; Matthew 25:41; Revelation 20:10)
2. Angels (2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6-7)
3. Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:5-6)
4. Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 4)
5. Belshazzar (Daniel 5)

4 Examples-Honor Upholds the Humble:

1. Solomon (1 King 3:7-14)
2. John (John 1:26-27; 3:29-31)
3. Mary (Luke 1:38)
4. Angels (Isaiah 6:7)

6 Quartets (11-31):

1. 4 classes of men (v 11-14)
2. 4 insatiable things (v 15-16)
3. 4 inscrutable things (v 18-20)
4. 4 disquieting things (v 21-23)
5. 4 little wise things (v 24-28)
6. 4 graceful things (v 29-31)

4 Insatiable Things (v 15-16):

1. Hell , Hebrew: sheol, not the grave, but the place of departed spirits. Hell is never full, but constantly opening its mouth to swallow men)
2. The barren womb. It always craves a child (Genesis 16:2 (Genesis 16;2; 29:31; 30:1-2; 1 Samuel 1:6-20).
3. The dry earth. It longs for water to quench its parched surface (Deuteronomy 28:23-24; 1 Kings 18:1-6; James 5:13)
4. The fire. It is greedy for everything that burns (Mattthew :12; Mark 9:43-49; James 3:5; Jude 7)

4 Inscrutable Things (v 18-19):

1. The way of an eagle in the air
2. The way of a serpent upon a rock
3. The way of the ship in the sea
4. The way of a man with a maid

4 Disquieting Things (v 21-23):

1. An insolent slave when made king
2. An ill-mannered overfed fool
3. An ill-tempered woman
4. A servant maid married to her master becomes dominating and haughty

4 Little Wise Things (v 24-28)

1. The ants. They are diligent in preparing for the future. They have houses, towns, public roads, etc. They have some amazing habits

2. The conies. They are shrewd in protecting themselves from larger animals. Those referred to here were brown and larger than the ordinary rabbit, and lived in holes and clefts of the rocks.(v 26; Psalm 104:18). They were unclean for food (Leviticus 11:5; Deuteronomy 14:7). Their feet had sharp hoofs which enabled them to leap from rock to rock with great rapidity like a squirrel. They were so wary they were seldom caught by the hunter and it was almost impossible to trap one.

3. The locusts. They are harmonious creatures, having no king yet they band together as one and are very destructive (v 27; Judge 6:5; 1 Kings 8:37; Joel 1:4; 2:25). They always travel with the wind (Exodus 10:12-13, 18-19)

4. The spider. They are noted for their great flexibility and are curious creatures in the matter of building their houses and taking their prey. Some spiders spin webs, some dig holes in the ground making trap doors to them, while others having no webs, chase their prey upon the ground. The Bible deals only with those that spin webs.

4 Graceful Things (v 29-31):

1. The lion who is more majestic than any other beast
2. The greyhound who is exceedingly graceful and fleet
3. The he-goat who is both fierce and majestic as the head of the sheep
4. A king who walks boldly and gracefully among his loyal subjects and against whom there is no hope of rebellion.

The Book of Proverbs: School of Wisdom - 29

Proverbs 29:1-27 (NIV)

Proverbs 29

¹ A man who remains stiff-necked after many rebukes will suddenly be destroyed—without remedy.

² When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan.

³ A man who loves wisdom brings joy to his father, but a companion of prostitutes squanders his wealth.

⁴ By justice a king gives a country stability, but one who is greedy for bribes tears it down.

⁵ Whoever flatters his neighbor is spreading a net for his feet.

⁶ An evil man is snared by his own sin, but a righteous one can sing and be glad.

⁷ The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern.

⁸ Mockers stir up a city, but wise men turn away anger.

⁹ If a wise man goes to court with a fool, the fool rages and scoffs, and there is no peace.

¹⁰ Bloodthirsty men hate a man of integrity and seek to kill the upright.

¹¹ A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control.

¹² If a ruler listens to lies, all his officials become wicked.

¹³ The poor man and the oppressor have this in common:The LORD gives sight to the eyes of both.

¹⁴ If a king judges the poor with fairness, his throne will always be secure.

¹⁵ The rod of correction imparts wisdom, but a child left to himself disgraces his mother.

¹⁶ When the wicked thrive, so does sin, but the righteous will see their downfall.

¹⁷ Discipline your son, and he will give you peace; he will bring delight to your soul.

¹⁸ Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; but blessed is he who keeps the law.

¹⁹ A servant cannot be corrected by mere words; though he understands, he will not respond.

²⁰ Do you see a man who speaks in haste? There is more hope for a fool than for him.

²¹ If a man pampers his servant from youth, he will bring grief ^a]">[a] in the end.

²² An angry man stirs up dissension, and a hot-tempered one commits many sins.

²³ A man's pride brings him low, but a man of lowly spirit gains honor.

²⁴ The accomplice of a thief is his own enemy; he is put under oath and dare not testify.

²⁵ Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe.

²⁶ Many seek an audience with a ruler, but it is from the LORD that man gets justice.

²⁷ The righteous detest the dishonest; the wicked detest the upright.

Footnotes:

1. Proverbs 29:21 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.

The Book of Proverbs: School of Wisdom - 28

Proverbs 28:1-28 (NIV)

Proverbs 28

¹ The wicked man flees though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.

² When a country is rebellious, it has many rulers, but a man of understanding and knowledge maintains order.

³ A ruler ^a]">[a] who oppresses the poor is like a driving rain that leaves no crops.

⁴ Those who forsake the law praise the wicked, but those who keep the law resist them.

⁵ Evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the LORD understand it fully.

⁶ Better a poor man whose walk is blameless than a rich man whose ways are perverse.

⁷ He who keeps the law is a discerning son, but a companion of gluttons disgraces his father.

⁸ He who increases his wealth by exorbitant interest amasses it for another, who will be kind to the poor.

⁹ If anyone turns a deaf ear to the law, even his prayers are detestable.

¹⁰ He who leads the upright along an evil path will fall into his own trap, but the blameless will receive a good inheritance.

¹¹ A rich man may be wise in his own eyes, but a poor man who has discernment sees through him.

¹² When the righteous triumph, there is great elation; but when the wicked rise to power, men go into hiding.

¹³ He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.

¹⁴ Blessed is the man who always fears the LORD, but he who hardens his heart falls into trouble.

¹⁵ Like a roaring lion or a charging bear is a wicked man ruling over a helpless people.

¹⁶ A tyrannical ruler lacks judgment, but he who hates ill-gotten gain will enjoy a long life.

¹⁷ A man tormented by the guilt of murder will be a fugitive till death; let no one support him.

¹⁸ He whose walk is blameless is kept safe, but he whose ways are perverse will suddenly fall.

¹⁹ He who works his land will have abundant food, but the one who chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty.

²⁰ A faithful man will be richly blessed, but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished.

²¹ To show partiality is not good— yet a man will do wrong for a piece of bread.

²² A stingy man is eager to get rich and is unaware that poverty awaits him.

²³ He who rebukes a man will in the end gain more favor than he who has a flattering tongue.

²⁴ He who robs his father or mother and says, "It's not wrong"— he is partner to him who destroys.

²⁵ A greedy man stirs up dissension, but he who trusts in the LORD will prosper.

²⁶ He who trusts in himself is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom is kept safe.

²⁷ He who gives to the poor will lack nothing, but he who closes his eyes to them receives many curses.

²⁸ When the wicked rise to power, people go into hiding; but when the wicked perish, the righteous thrive.

Footnotes:

1. Proverbs 28:3 Or A poor man

11 examples of righteous boldness:

1. Moses (Exodus 32:20)
2. The prophet (1 Kings 13:1-10)
3. Elijah (! kings 18:15-18; 2 Kings 1)
4. Azariah (2 Chronicles 26:17-18)
5. Nehemiah (Nehemiah 6:11)
6. Three Hebrew children (Daniel 3)
7. Daniel (Daniel 6)
8. Jesus Christ (Matthew 27)
9. Stephen (Acts 7:51-60)
10.Paul (Acts 20:22-24)
11.Peter and John (Acts 4:18-20; 5:41-42)

5 examples of good statecraft;

1. Joseph (Genesis 47:15-26)
2. Samuel (1 Samuel 11:12-15)
3. Nathan (1 Kings 1:11-14)
4. Jeroboam (1 Kings 12:26-33)
5. Daniel (1:3-5; 6:1-4)

5 examples of praising the wicked:

1. Saul (1 Samuel 23:21)
2. Absalom (2 Samuel 15:6)
3. Nobles of Judah (Nehemiah 6:19)
4. False prophets (Jeremiah 5:30-31)
5. Jews (Acts 12:21-23)

5 examples of contending with the wicked:

1. Nehemiah (Nehemiah 5:7-11; 13:11)
2. John (Matthew 14:4)
3. Jesus Christ (Matthew 22-23)
4. Stephen (Acts 7)
5. Paul (Acts 22-24)

4 examples of ignorance of judgment:

1. Israel (Numbers 16:21)
2. Ahab (1 Kings 18:7)
3. The LORD's enemies (Mark 4:11-12)
4. Pharisees (Luke 11:42; 18:9-14)

7 reasons why they that seek the LORD understand all things:

1. Fear the LORD (Proverbs 1:7)
2. Give heed ot and obey truth (Proverbs 2:1-3:5)
3. Seek the LORD (Matthew 6:33; 1 Corinthians 1:30)
4. Are open to truth (Matthew 13:11-17)
5. Have the Holy Spirit (1 John 2:20)
6. Are freed from darkness (Acts 26:18)
7. Seek understanding (Proverbs 2:4-9; 4:7-9)

The Book of Proverbs: School of Wisdom - 27

Proverbs 27:1-27 (NIV)

Proverbs 27

¹ Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.

² Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; someone else, and not your own lips.

³ Stone is heavy and sand a burden, but provocation by a fool is heavier than both.

⁴ Anger is cruel and fury overwhelming, but who can stand before jealousy?

⁵ Better is open rebuke than hidden love.

⁶ Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.

⁷ He who is full loathes honey, but to the hungry even what is bitter tastes sweet.

⁸ Like a bird that strays from its nest is a man who strays from his home.

⁹ Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of one's friend springs from his earnest counsel.

¹⁰ Do not forsake your friend and the friend of your father, and do not go to your brother's house when disaster strikes you— better a neighbor nearby than a brother far away.

¹¹ Be wise, my son, and bring joy to my heart; then I can answer anyone who treats me with contempt.

¹² The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it.

¹³ Take the garment of one who puts up security for a stranger; hold it in pledge if he does it for a wayward woman.

¹⁴ If a man loudly blesses his neighbor early in the morning, it will be taken as a curse.

¹⁵ A quarrelsome wife is like a constant dripping on a rainy day;

¹⁶ restraining her is like restraining the wind or grasping oil with the hand.

¹⁷ As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.

¹⁸ He who tends a fig tree will eat its fruit, and he who looks after his master will be honored.

¹⁹ As water reflects a face, so a man's heart reflects the man.

²⁰ Death and Destruction ^a]">[a] are never satisfied, and neither are the eyes of man.

²¹ The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but man is tested by the praise he receives.

²² Though you grind a fool in a mortar, grinding him like grain with a pestle, you will not remove his folly from him.

²³ Be sure you know the condition of your flocks, give careful attention to your herds;

²⁴ for riches do not endure forever, and a crown is not secure for all generations.

²⁵ When the hay is removed and new growth appears and the grass from the hills is gathered in,

²⁶ the lambs will provide you with clothing, and the goats with the price of a field.

²⁷ You will have plenty of goats' milk to feed you and your family and to nourish your servant girls.

Footnotes:

1. Proverbs 27:20 Hebrew Sheol and Abaddon

8 examples of not knowing the morrow:

1. Jonathan (1 Samuel 23:17)
2. Abner (2 Samuel 3:9-10)
3. Ben-hadad (1 Kings 20:3-31)
4. Ahab (1 Kings 22:26-37)
5. Haman (Esther 5:12; 7:1-10)
6. Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 4:30-33)
7. Belshazzar (Daniel 5:24-31)
8. The rich fool (Luke 12:20)

5 examples of praise from others:

1. Saul and Jonathan (2 Samuel 1:17-27)
2. The centurion (Matthew 8:10)
3. John (Matthew 11:11; John 5:35)
4. Luke (Colossians 4:14; 2 Timothy 4:11)
5. Epaphroditus (Philippians 2:25)

5 examples of such "wounds from a friend" faithfulness:

1. Nehemiah (Nehemiah 5:7-13)
2. Jehu (2 Chronicles 19:2-11)
3. Jesus Christ (Matthew 23)
4. Stephen (Acts 7)
5. Paul (Acts 22:1 - 24:27)

6 examples of honoring servants:

1. Deborah (Genesis 35:8)
2. Joseph (Genesis 39:2-23)
3. Elisha (2 Kings 3:11)
4. Centurion's servant (Luke 7:8)
5. Disciples (Luke 12:37)
6. The soldier of Cornelius (Acts 10:7)

5 admonitions to farmers:

1. Make hay to feed the stock for the winter (Proverbs 27;25).
2. Feed the flock on the new pasture in the spring (Proverbs 27:25).
3. Sell the lambs to buy clothes (Proverbs 27:26).
4. Sell the goats to pay for the farm or pay the rent (Proverbs 27:26).
5. Use the goats' milk for the whole household and to maintain the servants (Proverbs 27:27). Milk is here put for all the products necessary for the home.