This is part twenty six in my 31-day study through the book of Proverbs. The purpose of this study is to learn what God has to say in this book about wisdom and discernment. Yesterday I learned the value of being humble. It is far better to begin humble and be exalted than to begin proud and be brought to shame. I also saw that wisdom will teach moderation.

There is so much wisdom in today’s chapter that I hardly know where to begin! This is no doubt the funniest chapter in the whole Bible (which admittedly, does not contain a whole lot of humor) as it contains some striking statements about lazy and foolish men.

Verses 3 through 12 all speak about fools and the consequences their folly will bring to them. I found verses 4 and 5 particularly interesting for they seem to directly contradict each other. “Do not answer a fool according to his folly, Lest you also be like him. Answer a fool according to his folly, Lest he be wise in his own eyes.” How is it that these two verses can both display wisdom even though they seem to express opposite viewpoints? I believe the answer lies in the fact that no proverb will apply to every situation in life. While proverbs are pearls of wisdom, they are not always absolute statements. So when examining proverbs we must be careful to apply them properly. In this case we see that while we need to avoid falling into the trap of becoming foolish by answering foolishly, and thus becoming like the fool, at the same time we sometimes have to expose the fool’s folly so he is seen for what he is.

The next 4 verses speak of the character of foolish men. “He who sends a message by the hand of a fool cuts off his own feet and drinks violence.” Foolish men are untrustworthy. To entrust an important task to a foolish man is not wise, for it will damage me in the end. I am begging for trouble if I do this. “Like the legs of the lame that hang limp is a proverb in the mouth of fools.” A foolish man simply cannot grasp wisdom. As the legs of a man who is lame hang limply, so a proverb is useless to a fool. He will not and cannot understand wisdom. “Like one who binds a stone in a sling is he who gives honor to a fool.” The absurd notion of tying a stone in a sling, rendering it completely useless, illustrates the folly of giving honor to a fool. It would be ridiculous for me to pay homage to a foolish person. Strangely, as soon as I read this verse I thought of Hollywood and the way celebrities love to laud each other. They love to display their own folly and celebrate the folly of others. “Like a thorn that goes into the hand of a drunkard is a proverb in the mouth of fools.” In this verse we see the illustration of a man who is so drunk that he does not even realize that he has pushed a thorn deep into his hand. Similarly, wisdom will have no effect on a man who is drunk with his folly. In early verses we have read that wisdom pierces a wise man to his soul, yet wisdom merits a foolish man nothing.

In verse 11 we read a passage that Peter later repeats in one of his epistles. “As a dog returns to his own vomit, so a fool repeats his folly.” These are such powerful (and disgusting) words! All of us sin, so all of us can think of times that we, like a dog returning to its vomit, have returned to our sin. Rather than learning from our past mistakes, we return to them time and again. And isn’t that just the cycle of sin…

The thirteenth to sixteenth verses speak of lazy men, repeating several proverbs that have appeared earlier. “As a door turns on its hinges, so does the lazy man on his bed.” As I read this verse I could picture an old, rusty hinge lazily turning back and forth, groaning in protest with each movement. That is exactly the picture the author wished to portray to describe lazy men. The next verse is similar. “The lazy man buries his hand in the bowl; It wearies him to bring it back to his mouth.” This proverb reminded me of the children’s movie Toy Story 2. In that story there is a fat, obnoxious villain who steals a valuable toy. In one scene he falls asleep on his couch while eating a bowl of cheezies (don’t you call them cheese doodles in the US of A?). His hand, covered in that vile orange cheese power rests in the bowl as he sleeps. So the lazy man may make the effort to put his hand to the bowl, but will be too lazy to bring it back to his mouth. His laziness is so complete that it will keep him from even taking care of his basic needs.

“The lazy man is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who can answer sensibly.” This verse shows the delusions of foolish men. They are so convinced of their wisdom that they will not heed the advice of any number of people who disagree with them. I do not think there is any particular significance in using the number seven in this instance, except to show a significant number. The point is this: folly breeds delusion.

I know a man who is delusional in his folly. He is so sure of his beliefs that he will fight and argue endlessly to defend them. He has an overwhelming self-confidence and at the same time displays a terrible lack of humility. Most rational people have long since stopped even trying to speak with him, for his folly has consumed him. It is a terrible testament to the power of foolishness.

This is part twenty five in my 31-day study through the book of Proverbs. The purpose of this study is to learn wisdom and discernment from God's Word. Yesterday I learned that wise people surround themselves with trusted, godly counselors and then heed the counsel of these people during tough times. I also saw that I am to show equal love to both friends and enemies and never rejoice in anyone's trouble.

Chapter twenty five is prefaced with the words “These also are proverbs of Solomon which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied.” Hezekiah was a godly king who lived long after Solomon. During his reign there was a return to the Law of Moses and it seems that there was also a return to emphasis on wisdom. The proverbs were copied, either from existing documents or from oral tradition, so they could be widely distributed.

Verses 6 to 7 read “Do not exalt yourself in the presence of the king, And do not stand in the place of the great; For it is better that he say to you, “Come up here,” Than that you should be put lower in the presence of the prince, Whom your eyes have seen.” The meaning of these verses is clear and speaks of a continual theme in Proverbs. I am to be humble, lest I bring myself to shame. If I artificially assume a position of great honor but am not worthy of that position, I will have to suffer the humiliation of being rebuked and brought down to my rightful place. However, if I act with humility and place myself in a fitting position, I may receive a promotion to a greater place. It is far better to be exalted than demoted.

“Do not go hastily to court; For what will you do in the end, When your neighbor has put you to shame? Debate your case with your neighbor, And do not disclose the secret to another; Lest he who hears it expose your shame, And your reputation be ruined.” I am almost ashamed to admit it, but I enjoy those “real-life court shows” such as Judge Judy. I am continually amazed at the cases that get brought before the courts and I'm sure this goes a long way to explaining why the judges are always so grouchy. I cannot imagine going to court over a small, almost insignificant debt that a member of my family owes me, yet people continue to present their cases before these judges who then draw out the shameful stories that led to a the injury or accident for which plaintiff now wants restitution. As this proverb says, their secrets are disclosed to the masses, families are torn apart, and their shame is exposed, all for the sake of a few hundred dollars. How much better it is to settle things quietly with wisdom and humility!

Verse 14 speaks of the importance of following through with promises. “Whoever falsely boasts of giving is like clouds and wind without rain.” This verse made me think of a time when my father was without work and a friend stepped forward and offered him a job. When my father showed up at the man's business he explained that he no longer had any work for him. Just as clouds that bring rain to water the ground and bring relief from heat provide promise, yet often blow right on by, so this man's job offer just left my father disappointed and disheartened. Humans love to boast about what they can and might do, but to boast about giving without actually committing to giving is folly.

“Have you found honey? Eat only as much as you need, Lest you be filled with it and vomit. Seldom set foot in your neighbor’s house, Lest he become weary of you and hate you.” Though different proverbs, these two follow the same theme: know your limits. Know when to stop. Even something as good as honey can be nauseating when eaten in large quantities. Having friendly relationships with neighbours is wonderful, but continually abusing their hospitality will make them turn on me. A wise person will be able to avoid excess.

Some people always know what to do and say in difficult times while others do not seem to have this ability. I believe I fall squarely into the latter category. Verse 20 speaks about this. “Like one who takes away a garment in cold weather, And like vinegar on soda, Is one who sings songs to a heavy heart.” Making light of someone else's pain is often an embarrassed reaction people make when they do not know how to react in times of trouble. Yet this passage shows that to do that is like taking away someone's garment when it is cold. It is like mixing soda and vinegar (which does two things - it makes a neat chemical reaction that fizzes up for a few moments, but it also renders the soda and vinegar useless). As one seeking to be wise, I need to be careful in times of sorrow, remembering that it is better to say nothing at all and have people believe I'm a fool than to open my mouth and prove it.

This is part twenty four in my 31-day study through the book of Proverbs. The purpose of this study is to learn wisdom and discernment from God’s Word. Yesterday I learned that riches are fleeting, so to work myself to exhaustion in order to acquire them is foolish. I also learned that sin is addictive and though initially it provides joy, it always ends up bringing sorrowful consequences. I should avoid sin, trusting that with God’s power I can overcome it.

Verses 5 and 6 raise a theme that we have seen before in Proverbs. “A wise man is strong, Yes, a man of knowledge increases strength; For by wise counsel you will wage your own war, And in a multitude of counselors there is safety.” Several times the author has stressed the value of heeding the wise counsel of friends or advisors. As I read this today I was reminded of a story Bill Perkins relates in his book Six Battles Every Man Must Win. He says that when he speaks at men’s conferences he always calls the four biggest men in the audience up to the stage. He’ll walk up to these huge men one-by-one and give them a soft shove on the chest. Each one of them will stumble backwards, for it takes only a small push on the chest to knock a man off-balance. But then he will instruct the men to form a circle and link arms. When they do this he can push them as hard as he wants and they will not budge. There is strength in numbers and security in “linking arms.” I need to surround myself with trusted, wise people with whom I can link arms, trusting them to support me when I need their counsel.

Verse 7 reads “Wisdom is too lofty for a fool; He does not open his mouth in the gate.” A foolish man is out of his league when around wise men. When wise men gather (as they used to gather at the city gate) the foolish man will have nothing to offer, for anything he says will only prove his folly. Evidently the opposite must be a true - a wise man will be trusted for his wise counsel.

“He who plots to do evil will be called a schemer. The devising of foolishness is sin, and the scoffer is an abomination to men.” When I read these verses I thought of a friend of mine, who derived great pleasure from “plotting evil.” Though he never intended to carry out any of his schemes, he used to enjoy figuring out how he could rob casinos without getting caught or how he could avoid having to pay taxes. One day he realized that all of his plotting was just giving his mind over to evil thoughts and he made a conscious effort to avoid thinking about such things. I did not really think much about it, but after reading these verses I can see that he showed wisdom in doing so. This passage also made me ponder television and movies. If I am not to ponder evil schemes, why should I watch them unfold on the screen?

God tests our faith through times of adversity. After reading the tenth verse, it seems wisdom is also proven during times of trial. “If you faint in the day of adversity, Your strength is small.” Though I may display wisdom during times of “smooth-sailing” it is when facing difficulty that I will really see whether I not only have wisdom but can apply it as well.

Verses 11 and 12 say “Deliver those who are drawn toward death, And hold back those stumbling to the slaughter. If you say, “Surely we did not know this,” Does not He who weighs the hearts consider it? He who keeps your soul, does He not know it? And will He not render to each man according to his deeds?” These verses seem to say that God regards helping other people as one of my foremost responsibilities. He places such emphasis on this that even ignorance on my part is not a valid excuse. I may say “surely I did not know this” but God may still hold me responsible. Now evidently God will not punish me for not helping in matters I could not possibly know about, but the point is clear - I need to not just wait for opportunities to serve others, but actively seek them out. This clearly foreshadows Jesus’ teaching that I am to love my neighbor as myself.

I will close with verses 17 and 18. They read “Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles; Lest the LORD see it, and it displease Him, and He turn away His wrath from him.” Though my natural reaction is to rejoice at the afflictions of my enemy, God tells me not to do this. If I truly am to love others as myself then I should never derive pleasure from another man’s pain. I can never entirely remove compassion from him. God looks at this with such disfavor that it may cause Him to turn from punishing my enemy and instead chasten me. Truly God’s standards are so different from our flawed, human standards! When I read this passage I am reminded of Jesus’ words. As His was nailed to the cross He asked for His Father to forgive those who were causing Him such pain. What an example of the way we ought to treat our enemies!

This is part twenty three in my 31-day study through the book of Proverbs. The purpose of this study is to learn wisdom and discernment from God's Word. Yesterday I learned that God makes no partiality based on wealth - all men are equal in His eyes and will be judged by the same standards, regardless of their riches in this world. I also saw that if I train my children in the way of wisdom, they will learn to love it and not turn from it when they grow older.

"Do not overwork to be rich; Because of your own understanding, cease! Will you set your eyes on that which is not? For riches certainly make themselves wings; They fly away like an eagle toward heaven." This passage shows the folly of working myself to death for the sake of wealth. If I am wise I will realize that riches are only fleeting and seem to have a way of disappearing. To work myself to the point of exhaustion or illness simply to acquire wealth is a ridiculous waste. As I have noted several times in previous chapters, this passage passes no judgment on wealth, except to say that it is not work overworking for.

Many times through this book I have seen that fools are foolish by their own choice. Verse 9 speaks to this saying "Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, For he will despise the wisdom of your words." Foolish men hate wisdom, so when they hear it they will turn against the one who speaks it. It is better to share wisdom with those who are seeking to be wise than those who are content with their folly.

There are several verses in this chapter that speak of a parent's pride in having a child who proceeds down the path of wisdom. Verses 15 to 16 read "My son, if your heart is wise, My heart will rejoice—indeed, I myself; Yes, my inmost being will rejoice When your lips speak right things." As a parent, I know that my heart will rejoice when I see my children choosing wisdom over folly. I know there will be many times in life where they will forsake wisdom and choose evil, but I trust that generally they will proceed in the way of wisdom. When I hear wisdom from their lips I trust that "my inmost being will rejoice." Verses 24 and 25 continue "The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice, And he who begets a wise child will delight in him. Let your father and your mother be glad, And let her who bore you rejoice." When my children were born I was as proud as any father could be, rejoicing in the wonderful gift God had seen fit to grant myself and my wife. I trust that as they grow older I will be able to rejoice in their wisdom when they make right choices as much as I did in their birth. I know I will weep with joy when they show their intention to follow the One who gave them life.

What a challenge this is to raise children that love wisdom! If I raise my children poorly and send them down folly's path, I will be laying up sorrows for myself. Rather, I need to teach them wisdom so they can bless, encourage and cheer me throughout their lives.

The overwhelming theme of chapter 23 is drunkenness. The final seven verses contain an extended instruction regarding the love of drink. The author begins by showing some of the effects of alcoholism: "Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaints? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes?" Certainly these are the foremost results of living a life of drunkenness. The author answers his own questions by stating that these symptoms afflict "Those who linger long at the wine, Those who go in search of mixed wine." Though alcohol may taste wonderful and provide momentary pleasure, overconsumption causes it to bite like a serpent and sting like a viper. After several verses describing what it is like to be drunk, the passage closes with these words: "When shall I awake, that I may seek another drink?" The irony of alcoholism is that despite the terrible consequences - sorrow, woe, contention, complaints, and physical ailments - the drunkard continues to desire drink. The moment he awakes he desires it anew.

That is quite a description of sin in general, for every sin follows a similar pattern. All of us are afflicted by various types of sin and all sin has consequences. The consequences may be greater or smaller than those for alcoholism, but no sin is free from some type of result. At the very least, every sin causes us to scorn our God and pulls us away from Him. Yet we continue to return to our sinful behavior (as the Bible says, like a dog returns to its vomit). May we have the wisdom to desire correction, the discernment to see where sin is in our lives, and the faith to trust that with God's help we can overcome our sin!