Choose Wisely by Reading a Proverb A Day, Proverb 1

by Chuck Ness

The purpose of Writing the book of Proverbs was to reveal the mind of God in matters high and lofty and in common, ordinary, everyday situations. Through Solomon, God shared His Wisdom, and He made sure that no topic was left to question. Matters pertaining to personal conduct, sexual relations, business, wealth, charity, ambition, discipline, debt, child-rearing, character, alcohol, politics, revenge, and Godliness are among the many topics covered in this rich collection of wise sayings. Without wisdom, knowledge is nothing more than an accumulation of raw facts, influenced by emotional feelings. Many highly educated people are in positions of power in the United States, but very few of those educated leaders have the wisdom needed to rule properly. One can say that they have been educated well beyond their intelligence. A cursory look at the court system will prove my point that knowledge without wisdom will only lead to an immoral society that eventually crumbles from within. Judges are supposed to be above the fray, and immovable to emotions. Instead, the vast majority of judges today are Godless individuals who are vacant of wisdom. So their rulings are totally based upon emotional feelings. We the people are to blame, because we ignored God's guidance in appointing our leaders. Instead of appointing God fearing men in positions of power, we chose those who would scratch our itchy ears to lead us. It is incumbent upon us to chose leaders who have faith in Christ, then and only then can we be assured that they will make wise decisions. Paul tells us that Christ is the Wisdom of God, so if you do not have Christ in your heart, it is impossible to make wise decisions. Instead our leaders continue to make decisions based upon man's wisdom. Yet we know that God uses foolish things to bring man's wisdom to shame. For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence. But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God--and righteousness and sanctification and redemption-- that, as it is written, "He who glories, let him glory in the LORD.1Corinthians 1:26-31 Now of the 31 Proverbs, only the first 24 were written by Solomon. King Hezekiah wrote 5, Proverbs 25 to 29, Agur wrote Proverb 30, and Lemuel's mother wrote Proverb 31. Many scholars believe Lemuel was in fact a nick name Solomon's Mother, Bathsheba, gave him. If so, then Proverb 31 would have been written by Bathsheba. Solomon wrote over 3000 Proverbs and composed 1000 songs, but the only Proverbs of Solomon that God decided to preserve for us are Proverbs 1-24. Like the New Testament epistle by James, it is impossible to get a chronological outline for a study since they all bounce from subject to subject, and no one can be sure of the dates. Other than to say that Solomon wrote most of the Proverbs in his younger years, and as he got older his many wives led him into idolatry. He did return in his late years, and that is when he wrote Ecclesiastes. Along with my daily routine of reading the Bible, I try to read through the book of Proverbs once a Month. It's an easy task when you consider there are 31 Proverbs. So all you need to know is what day of the Month it is. In the Months that have 30 days, or in the case of February, I just double up by reading more than one proverb so I can begin the next month with Proverb 1 on the first again.

Today is the 1st of the Month, so we begin with Proverb 1 (NKJV)

The Beginning of Knowledge

01 The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel:

02 To know wisdom and instruction,
00To perceive the words of understanding,
03 To receive the instruction of wisdom,
00 Justice, judgment, and equity;
04 To give prudence to the simple,
00 To the young man knowledge and discretion--
05 A wise man will hear and increase learning,
00 And a man of understanding will attain wise counsel,
06 To understand a proverb and an enigma,
00 The words of the wise and their riddles.

07 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge,
00 But fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Shun Evil Counsel

08 My son, hear the instruction of your father,
00 And do not forsake the law of your mother;
09 For they will be a graceful ornament on your head,
00 And chains about your neck.

10 My son, if sinners entice you,
00 Do not consent.
11 If they say, "Come with us,
00 Let us lie in wait to shed blood;
00 Let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause;
12 Let us swallow them alive like Sheol,
00 And whole, like those who go down to the Pit;
13 We shall find all kinds of precious possessions,
00 We shall fill our houses with spoil;
14 Cast in your lot among us,
00 Let us all have one purse"--
15 My son, do not walk in the way with them,
00 Keep your foot from their path;
16 For their feet run to evil,
00 And they make haste to shed blood.
17 Surely, in vain the net is spread
00 In the sight of any bird;
18 But they lie in wait for their own blood,
00 They lurk secretly for their own lives.
19 So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain;
00 It takes away the life of its owners.

The Call of Wisdom

20 Wisdom calls aloud outside;
00 She raises her voice in the open squares.
21 She cries out in the chief concourses,
00 At the openings of the gates in the city
00 She speaks her words:
22 "How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity?
00 For scorners delight in their scorning,
00 And fools hate knowledge.
23 Turn at my rebuke;
00 Surely I will pour out my spirit on you;
00 I will make my words known to you.
24 Because I have called and you refused,
00 I have stretched out my hand and no one regarded,
25 Because you disdained all my counsel,
00 And would have none of my rebuke,
26 I also will laugh at your calamity;
00 I will mock when your terror comes,
27 When your terror comes like a storm,
00 And your destruction comes like a whirlwind,
00 When distress and anguish come upon you.

28 "Then they will call on me, but I will not answer;
00 They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me.
29 Because they hated knowledge
00 And did not choose the fear of the LORD,
30 They would have none of my counsel
00 And despised my every rebuke.
31 Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way,
00 And be filled to the full with their own fancies.
32 For the turning away of the simple will slay them,
00 And the complacency of fools will destroy them;
33 But whoever listens to me will dwell safely,
00 And will be secure, without fear of evil."

Proverb 26:1 Only A Fool Would Want Rain At Harvest Time

by Chuck Ness

1.) As snow in summer and rain in harvest,
So honor is not fitting for a fool. Proverb 26:1

Very interesting in the way Solomon explains the folly of a fool in verse 1. No one but a fool would desire a snow blizzard in the middle of the Summer. Judea was primarily an agriculture society, so they needed the weather to be as it was meant to be. Just as a rain storm at harvest time would be a disaster for the farmer. So too would the weather needed for snow in mid Summer be a disaster to crops.

Israels climate is very similar to that of California's San Joaquin valley. It never, if ever, rains at harvest time, and it never snows in July. Imagine the mess a rain storm would create for workers and machinery in the muddy field as they sludge along to pick the crop, it would be very devastating.

In Northern California where I live, the walnut, and almond farmers lose millions if it rains when the trees are flowering. Their crop will be thin and they could very well fail to break even at harvest time.

Weather out of Season is a very undesirable, in fact it can and usually is very hurtful to the fruits of the earth. So only a fool would desire the weather to be different than God has ordained it to be.

When the Israelites told Samuel that they wanted a king like the other nations had, he told them their King was God, and warned them how a human king would treat them. In an attempt to bring them to their senses, he asked the Lord to send a thunder storm at harvest time to show them their folly. To Samuel, asking for a king was as foolish as asking for rain at harvest time.

“Is today not the wheat harvest? I will call to the LORD, and He will send thunder and rain, that you may perceive and see that your wickedness is great, which you have done in the sight of the LORD, in asking a king for yourselves.” So Samuel called to the LORD, and the LORD sent thunder and rain that day; and all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel.1 Samuel 12:17

If we have the faith of a mustard seed, we would accept things as they should be, and not desire the things that should not be. Whether it be rain or snow out of season, or a king to rule over us. It is but a foolish act to desire something which is not in our best interest. Who I ask, knows what is best for us besides our Lord and Creator, our Father in Heaven? So be wise in what you ask the Lord for, and understand that some things are not in our own best interest.

Proverb 26 (NKJV)

Honor Is Not Fitting for a Fool

01 As snow in summer and rain in harvest, 
00 So honor is not fitting for a fool. 

02 Like a flitting sparrow, like a flying swallow, 
00 So a curse without cause shall not alight. 

03 A whip for the horse, 
00 A bridle for the donkey, 
00 And a rod for the fool's back. 
04 Do not answer a fool according to his folly, 
00 Lest you also be like him. 
05 Answer a fool according to his folly, 
00 Lest he be wise in his own eyes. 
06 He who sends a message by the hand of a fool 
00 Cuts off his own feet and drinks violence. 
07 Like the legs of the lame that hang limp 
00 Is a proverb in the mouth of fools. 
08 Like one who binds a stone in a sling 
00 Is he who gives honor to a fool. 
09 Like a thorn that goes into the hand of a drunkard 
00 Is a proverb in the mouth of fools. 
10 The great God who formed everything 
00 Gives the fool his hire and the transgressor his wages. 
11 As a dog returns to his own vomit, 
00 So a fool repeats his folly. 
12 Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? 
00 There is more hope for a fool than for him. 

13 The lazy man says, "There is a lion in the road! 
00 A fierce lion is in the streets!" 
14 As a door turns on its hinges, 
00 So does the lazy man on his bed. 
15 The lazy man buries his hand in the bowl; 
00 It wearies him to bring it back to his mouth. 
16 The lazy man is wiser in his own eyes 
00 Than seven men who can answer sensibly. 

17 He who passes by and meddles in a quarrel not his own 
00 Is like one who takes a dog by the ears. 

18 Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death, 
19 Is the man who deceives his neighbor, 
00 And says, "I was only joking!" 

20 Where there is no wood, the fire goes out; 
00 And where there is no talebearer, strife ceases. 
21 As charcoal is to burning coals, and wood to fire, 
00 So is a contentious man to kindle strife. 
22 The words of a talebearer are like tasty trifles, 
00 And they go down into the inmost body. 

23 Fervent lips with a wicked heart 
00 Are like earthenware covered with silver dross. 

24 He who hates, disguises it with his lips, 
00 And lays up deceit within himself; 
25 When he speaks kindly, do not believe him, 
00 For there are seven abominations in his heart; 
26 Though his hatred is covered by deceit, 
00 His wickedness will be revealed before the assembly. 

27 Whoever digs a pit will fall into it, 
00 And he who rolls a stone will have it roll back on him. 

28 A lying tongue hates those who are crushed by it, 
00 And a flattering mouth works ruin. 

Seven Pillars of Wisdom Proverb 9:1

by Chuck Ness

In Proverb 9:1 we read that;

“Wisdom has built her house,
She has hewn out her seven pillars"

This is obviously a symbolic description, since Wisdom is personified. So what is this house and what are these “Seven Pillars” that wisdom has erected?

Many explanations exist regarding the seven pillars of wisdom in this passage. One idea is that, seven expresses completeness in Scripture, thus Solomon may be communicating that the application of wisdom results in a complete, orderly, well-furnished house, one that which lacks nothing.
Then there are commentators who see the seven pillars as describing a traditional banquet. So then, Wisdom’s call in Proverbs 9:5 would be fitting in that;

“Come, eat of my bread
And drink of the wine I have mixed”

I would be remiss if I failed to point out how many ancient writers often described the world as resting on seven pillars. If this was Solomon's meaning, it is possible that “her house” in Proverbs 9:1 is parallel in some way with the world. However, I offer this belief just to allow all thought to be considered I actually doubt this is what Solomon was referring to, because when he wrote he did so under the influence of the Holy Spirit. So we must look to the Strictures themselves for the answer.

Which brings me to 2 men who wrote extensive commentary on the Scriptures, John Gill & Matthew Henry. John Gill of Proverb 9:1 that;

”Wisdom has built her house”....”There are two other senses, which bid fairest one of them to be right;
(1.) Either the heavenly glory, the house not made with hands, Christ's Father's house, in which are many mansions for his people; and which is a city whose builder and maker is God, and is prepared by Christ; and stands firm upon the promises of God, the person, blood, and righteousness of Christ, and the grace of the blessed Spirit:
(2.) Or rather the church of Christ on earth, the house of the living God, the pillar and ground of truth; this is built by Christ upon himself, the rock and foundation; the materials of it are true believers, precious and lively stones; built up a spiritual house, and a fit and suitable habitation for God through the Spirit.

As for, she hath hewn out her seven pillars John Gill suggests 3 meanings;

(1.) Ministers of the Gospel, compared to pillars for strength and stability, and for their being instrumental in supporting the interest and church of Christ; in allusion to the pillars in Solomon's temple, Jachin and Boaz; see Gallatians 2:9 These are said to be "hewn", being polished, beautified, and adorned with the gifts and graces of the Spirit by Christ, and thereby fitted for their work and service; and said to be "seven", because there is a complete and sufficient number of them, which Christ has provided, and always will provide for his churches, as long as they continue in the world.
(2.) Though it may be these seven pillars may denote in general the firmness and solidity of this spiritual building, the church, and the continuance of it by the power of God;
(3.) Or they may have respect to the seven states of the church in so many periods of time, to last to the end of all things, signified by the seven churches in the book of the Revelation.”

Matthew Henry suggests that the house in Proverb 9:1 eludes to the place Jesus mentioned, “In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also”. (John 14:2) While the seven pillars could be a reference to the Temple Solomon built, or the schools of the prophets;

Here is a stately palace provided, Pro_9:1. Wisdom, not finding a house capacious enough for all her guests, has built one on purpose, and, both to strengthen it and to beautify it, she has hewn out her seven pillars, which make it to be very firm, and look very great. Heaven is the house which Wisdom has built to entertain all her guests that are called to the marriage-supper of the Lamb; that is her Father's house, where there are many mansions, and whither she has gone to prepare places for us. She has hanged the earth upon nothing, there in it we have no continuing city; but heaven is a city that has foundations, has pillars. The church is Wisdom's house, to which she invites her guests, supported by the power and promise of God, as by seven pillars. Probably, Solomon refers to the temple which he himself had lately built for the service of religion, and to which he would persuade people to resort, both to worship God and to receive the instructions of Wisdom. Some reckon the schools of the prophets to be here intended

Considering these interpretive options, it is likely that “her house” and “seven pillars” both refer to a home that is in proper order, with the use of “seven” emphasizing its completeness and all-sufficiency. Overall, Proverb 9 is presented in a chiastic structure, meaning the first and last portions are parallel ideas with the main point in the center passage. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding” The entire Proverb is devoted to the emphasis of seeking wisdom, avoiding folly, and finding this wisdom in the Lord.

God bless you all as you study to be approved and ready for the moment the Bride Groom comes for his bride.

Vengeance Is Mine Says The Lord, Proverbs 6:34-35

by Chuck Ness

Mind you, Proverb 6:34-35 was written some 2900 years ago when women had no power. It was normal for men to have multiple wives and concubines. After all, Solomon himself had some 700 wives and 300 concubines. However, times have changed, and women can be as vengeful if not more so than men when they find out their husband has been sleeping around with another woman.

This Proverb can be used for both both men and women. Prison is filled with those who have gotten revenge to the ultimate degree. Thus the Lord warns us all to not even give the thought of adultery a chance of planting a seed in our hearts. Vengeance is mine says the Lord, but in the moment of anger and hurt, logic and reason are often times far from ones mind. It is a sin that can destroy many lives.

Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but
rather give place to wrath; for it is written,
"Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord. Romans 12:19

Vengeance is Mine, and recompense;
Their foot shall slip in due time;
For the day of their calamity is at hand,
And the things to come hasten upon them.' Deuteronomy 32:35

The More You Know, The More You Know You Don't Know

by Chuck Ness

Solomon was blessed with much Wisdom and knowledge which allowed him to discover many things about the world around him. Solomon is credited with writing the book of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, the Song of Solomon, and 2 Psalms - 72 & 127. Throughout his writings Solomon shared the Wisdom and knowledge God had blessed him with. He was so admired by all the Kings and Queens of other countries that they sought out his Wisdom and paid tribute to him. Like Solomon, we too can better understand the world God created for us if we truly desire to.

It has always been my belief that everyone should try and learn something new everyday. It is something that I learned from an American history professor when I was in college. When asked by a student why he should learn history, she responded with something that stayed with me ever since. She said, "The reason we study anything is because the more we know, the more we know we don't know." Then she added another piece of philosophy all students should understand. "Those who forget the past, will inevitably repeat the same mistakes of those in the past over and over again".

Stop Being Greedy With The Light Of Christ

Proverb 18:1 A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire;
00 He rages against all wise judgment.

Proverb 18:24 A man who has friends must himself be friendly,
00 But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

In today's world, we fight against our desire to isolate ourselves from the world that is so dangerous and greedy. We feel as though we would rather not make new friends so that we will not be harmed or taken advantage of. This goes against what God created us to be and is thus very unwise, for we were created to be social and friendly with others.

Proverbs NKJV

Book Of Proverbs The purpose of Writing the book of Proverbs was to reveal the mind of God in matters high and lofty and in common, ordinary, everyday situations. Through Solomon, God shared His Wisdom, and He made sure that no topic was left to question. Matters pertaining to personal conduct, sexual relations, business, wealth, charity, ambition, discipline, debt, child-rearing, character, alcohol, politics, revenge, and Godliness are among the many topics covered in this rich collection of wise sayings. Without wisdom, knowledge is nothing more than an accumulation of raw facts, influenced by emotional feelings. Many highly educated people are in positions of power in the United States, but very few of those educated leaders have the wisdom needed to rule properly. One can say that they have been educated well beyond their intelligence. A cursory look at the court system will prove my point that knowledge without wisdom will only lead to an immoral society that eventually crumbles from within. Judges are supposed to be above the fray, and immovable to emotions. Instead, the vast majority of judges today are Godless individuals who are vacant of wisdom. So their rulings are totally based upon emotional feelings. We the people are to blame, because we ignored God's guidance in appointing our leaders. Instead of appointing God fearing men in positions of power, we chose those who would scratch our itchy ears to lead us. It is incumbent upon us to chose leaders who have faith in Christ, then and only then can we be assured that they will make wise decisions. Paul tells us that Christ is the Wisdom of God, so if you do not have Christ in your heart, it is impossible to make wise decisions. Instead our leaders continue to make decisions based upon man's wisdom. Yet we know that God uses foolish things to bring man's wisdom to shame. For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence. But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God--and righteousness and sanctification and redemption-- that, as it is written, "He who glories, let him glory in the LORD.1Corinthians 1:26-31 Now of the 31 Proverbs, only the first 24 were written by Solomon. King Hezekiah wrote 5, Proverbs 25 to 29, Agur wrote Proverb 30, and Lemuel's mother wrote Proverb 31. Many scholars believe Lemuel was in fact a nick name Solomon's Mother, Bathsheba, gave him. If so, then Proverb 31 would have been written by Bathsheba. Solomon wrote over 3000 Proverbs and composed 1000 songs, but the only Proverbs of Solomin that God decided to preserve for us are Proverbs 1-24. Like the New Testament epistle by James, it is impossible to get a chronological outline for a study since they all bounce from subject to subject, and no one can be sure of the dates. Other than to say that Solomon wrote most of the Proverbs in his younger years, and as he got older his many wives led him into idolatry. He did return in his late years, and that is when he wrote Ecclesiastes. Along with my daily routine of reading the Bible, I try to read through the book of Proverbs once a Month. It's an easy task when you consider there are 31 Proverbs. So all you need to know is what day of the Month it is. In the Months that have 30 days, or in the case of February, I just double up by reading more than one proverb so I can begin the next month with Proverb 1 on the first again.