Rev. Patrick Vincent
“He that walketh with the wise shall be wise.” – Prov. 13:20
Thomas Watson said, “Be among spices and you will smell of them. Association begets assimilation.”
Walk with them that are holy. Nothing has a greater power and energy to effect holiness than the communion of the saints.
Who are you walking with?
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” – Gen. 1:1
“in the beginning” in Hebrew is one word: reshith.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” – John 1:1
John here is connecting Jesus to the Creation event. At Creation was the Word, which is to say: Jesus.
Skip over to Prov. 8 (verses 22-31).
“22 ‘The Lord possessed me at the beginning of His way,
Before His works of old.
23 I have been established from everlasting,
From the beginning, before there was ever an earth.
24 When there were no depths I was brought forth,
When there were no fountains abounding with water.
25 Before the mountains were settled,
Before the hills, I was brought forth;
26 While as yet He had not made the earth or the fields,
Or the primal dust of the world.
27 When He prepared the heavens, I was there,
When He drew a circle on the face of the deep,
28 When He established the clouds above,
When He strengthened the fountains of the deep,
29 When He assigned to the sea its limit,
So that the waters would not transgress His command,
When He marked out the foundations of the earth,
30 Then I was beside Him as a master craftsman;
And I was daily His delight,
Rejoicing always before Him,
31 Rejoicing in His inhabited world,
And my delight was with the sons of men.’”– Prov. 8:22-31
This is Wisdom personified speaking. All scholars agree that Wisdom is, in fact, Jesus. Christ is the wisdom of the Father. Jesus is saying He is eternal, He was there with the Father at Creation, and that He delighted at His Father’s handiwork.
Jesus mentioning Himself as being “at the beginning” is the same Hebrew word: reshith.
So when Moses says “in the beginning,” he is not just referring to the start of time, but to a Person; Jesus. One could substitute “in the beginning” with “in Christ.” In essence, the very first words of the Bible are “in Christ.” Right from the start, the Bible begins by alluding to the Son. It’s a pretty amazing little nugget.
“For in Him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. All things were created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” – Col. 1:16-17 (also note Rom. 11:36 and 1 Cor. 8:6).
There’s a line from Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov: “If God does not exist, then everything is permitted.” In other words, we can do whatever we want. The inevitable result is the current culture in which we find ourselves. It’s the “you’re ok/I’m ok, do what you feel, if it makes you happy/do it, love is love” ideology. At its core is a rejection of God because He’s a cosmic killjoy. Of course this is not new news; a reading of Romans 1-3:20 will tell you as much.
Paul gives Man 3 major strikes: they worship the creation not the Creator, exchange the truth for a lie, and exchange natural relations for unnatural ones. The prevailing theme is that there is no fear of God before their eyes (3:18).
No fear, respect, or reverence of God are like termites in your spiritual house. Bite by bite, they will slowly eat the whole thing.
It’s not one big termite munching away. If so, we’d say: “Look at the size of that thing; Kill it!” No, it’s thousands of little ones silently eroding the integrity of the entire structure.
It’s also not all at once. If so, we’d say: “Look, this morning I woke up and half the house is missing! We gotta do something!” No, it’s spread evenly over a long period of time.
And it’s not on the outside where everyone can see it. If so, we’d say: “Look at all those termites all over the place! Disgusting!” No, they’re all on the inside. Undetected. Gnawing on the bones of your house.
Is God a lame cosmic killjoy? Does He not want us to have any fun and sidle us with a bunch of restrictions?
Or could it possibly be that He knows what lies at the end of a path without Him? Could it possibly be that He knows better and is actually looking out for us? Could it possibly be His ways are the best ways and ours lead to destruction? Could it possibly be that it breaks His heart every time one of His creations turn their back on Him?
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths” – Prov. 3:5-6
Please do not make the fatal mistake of allowing your heart to be darkened. Not fearing God is the root of our downfall. Fear Him, glorify Him, and do not allow the termites to Swiss-cheese your house.
Insights on Proverbs 29, 30, & 31:
29:
Just think about it: If you make the choice to be stubborn, then just one tiny degree change today – will mean a significant deviation over a lifetime. Imagine starting a ship on its course and being just one degree off: you are going to miss your destination by a long shot! Now imagine being too prideful to course-correct. Disaster!
Solomon offers another red flag; a flatterer. That person is just spreading a net for your feet.
There is a final call to social justice: the righteous consider the cause of the poor, but the wicked do not.
God gives light to the eyes of both the poor and the rich. He is in full control of all things at all times.
There is final call to discipline your kid; correct him and he will give delight to your soul.
If there is no vision, the people run wild. Does your church leadership have a vision?
2 red flags: the prideful man and the thief. Partner with neither.
30:
Chapter 30 is not Solomon, it is Agur.
Agur has a distinct style very different from Solomon. He sets up a structure in verses 15b-31 that is pretty interesting. Read it and see for yourself.
He has a great verse about every word of God is pure and that God is a shield!
31:
Chapter 31 is unique in the fact that it is not Solomon or Argur. It is also not King Lemuel, but Lemuel’s MOM! Isn’t that cool? It is what his momma taught him. I love that.
Guess what Lemuel’s mom taught him about? What do all mothers want for their sons? A virtuous wife. Verse 10-31 extol the strength & honor the virtuous wife wears, that her children grow up & call her blessed, & how beauty fades, but a woman who fears the Lord shall be praised.
Wow, what a way to end the book of Proverbs! And all the women said, “AMEN!”
Did you learn anything? Did this benefit you? Are you going to continue reading a Proverb a day?
Insights from Proverbs 27 for the 27th:
Verse 17 is one of my Life verses: “As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.”
This verse has served me well. When I have a dilemma or strife, I seek wise counsel. I hope you have someone you can go to for direction. If not, pray that God would put someone like that to pour into your life.
Iron sharpening iron is such a vivid and accurate metaphor. I envision a blacksmith hammering away on his anvil; FORGING. Or a butcher sharpening his blades; HONING.
The purpose of course is to be sharper, more efficient, and of better use for the Maker.
The literal translation says a man sharpens “the face of his friend.” Words can do that; change a person’s actual countenance. Allow the Holy Spirit to guide your mouth.
LISTEN WELL.
We influence each other; for good or for bad. Therefore, be careful who you listen to & who’s advice you let into your heart.
Insights from Proverbs 26 for the 26th:
There are lots of verses here that deal with the fool (4-12).
For instance: “do not answer a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him.” Sounds like an internet argument, doesn’t it? Who hasn’t gotten into one and how did it work out?
11 has a vivid (and let’s just say disgusting) image of what it’s like to keep on repeating folly.
16 reminds me of the armchair quarterback who thinks they can do better than the actual athletes in the game.
17: don’t meddle; it’s like yanking a dog’s ears… which will result in being bit!
Lots of good stuff here, but my favorite (and the one I have highlighted, underlined, and starred in my Bible – is 20: “Where there is no wood, the fire goes out.”
Man, this proverb could have saved me plenty of unnecessary strife.
Insights from Proverbs 25 for the 25th:
Chapter 25 is a smorgasbord of behavioral and relational standards.
Five of the verses address being neighborly. Man, having a good neighbor is so important! A bad neighbor can make your life so much harder than it has to be!
Are you a good neighbor or a difficult one?
We have GREAT neighbors. They are like family… and some literally are family! It is an incredible blessing. We look out for each other and do life together well. Not everyone is so fortunate. Imagine not trusting your neighbor. Imagine a neighbor that went out of their way to be difficult. Hey, life’s challenging enough without adding to it’s troubles.
As believers, we are ambassadors for Christ (2 Cor. 5:20). We represent Christians in general and Jesus in particular. Even if your neighbor isn’t so neighborly; bless them & pray for them (Matt. 5:44). Show them the wonderful love of Jesus. That is how our community should know us (John 13:35). Remember: Our lives may be the only Bible some people may ever read. Be intentional!
Are you being a good steward of the street on which God placed you?
(Eight out of ten of you are now singing, “Won’t you be my neighbor?”)
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Insights from Proverbs 24 for the 24th:
One of the most convicting sentiments in all of Proverbs is found in 24:11-12.
“Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter. If you say, ‘But we knew nothing about this,’ does not He who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not He who guards your life know it? Will He not repay each person according to what he has done?”
God guards all life.
He hears the millions of tiny voices that are prematurely aborted. He knows the hopelessness of those enslaved in sex-trafficking. He sees the tragedies resulting from racism. He laments all the lost marching straight into Hell via atheism or false religions.
God guards all life and He has entrusted us to act as His agents!
Rescue is the word that’s used; deliver, defend, pluck, snatch them away! They are heading toward slaughter! RESCUE THEM!
We cannot see social injustice and do nothing (or worse: claim ignorance). We cannot see the lost and not share the Gospel with them. We are compelled! (1 Cor. 9:16)
We may fool each other (or even ourselves), but we cannot fool He who weighs the heart.
Like I said; very convicting couple of verses.
Please read them for yourself. And also – Take your time. Wrestle with them. Savor them. They are so great. I hope that you do.
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Insights from Proverbs 22 & 23 for the 22nd and 23rd:
Kids have got to be trained. You don’t have to teach a kid to be bad; No, you have to teach them to be good. I’ve heard if you toss 1 ball in with 3 kids, you’ll immediately see 4 of the 7 deadly sins: greed, envy, wrath, and pride. Sharing is like the toughest thing to get your child (and some adults) to do, right?
The rod of discipline is necessary. Whatever that “rod” is: time-outs, taking away things for a disclosed time, and yes: spankings. Whatever it is, pick something and be consistent with it. Trust me: Your future self thanks you! (22:6 & 15, 23:13-14)
Time flies and so does money. All you have to do is look at $ and it’s gone. Solomon says your money will grow wings & fly away! (23:4-5) What’s more important is your relationship with the Lord, who will NEVER forsake you.
23:17-18 is a tender moment between a father and son. He brings his son in tight & encourages him. “It’s ok, son. God has a bright future planned for you. Chin up. Remain zealous for the Lord. He will be your hope.”
Wow. Fathers, take note.
Last thing – Solomon offers a scary image for those who like to party too much. It seems like fun, but in the end, it will bite you. It’s like sleeping on a raft in a raging sea. What a rough way to go through life! (23:29-35)
22:12 is interesting. Read it for yourself. Comment on what you think it means.
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Insights from Proverbs 21 for the 21st:
Of all the tasty treats that Solomon prepares for us in Proverbs 21 (and there are plenty!), it might surprise you that I’ve picked only one to discuss and which one. Verse 30:
“There is no wisdom or understanding or counsel against the Lord.”
This is a vital truth to pass on to the youth. They are bombarded by counter-Biblical sentiments on a daily basis through entertainment and the media. This systematic dismantling is even more aggressive in college.
The Holy Spirit guided the wisest man ever to say that no matter how intelligent a person or establishment, if it’s against the Lord – it will not stand.
Now more than ever, we need to communicate the truth to our youth!
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