Plymothian

Death and Destruction^[a] lie open before the Lord —
    how much more do human hearts!

²⁰ A wise son brings joy to his father,
    but a foolish man despises his mother.

Mocker

It is not against the character of God to have a good laugh, look at the aardvark and the duckbill platypus.  They are funny-looking creatures.  The humour within the book of Proverbs can come across as mocking at times.  However, the mocker is in a different category.  I think that our word ‘cynic’ might be close.  It could be someone who looks at healthy efforts to improve things and derides the one who is trying.  Especially without contributing a helpful solution;  Or it could be someone who regularly puts down their spouse, without really seeing that it is their own ego that needs help;  Someone, especially, who mocks the fervour and passion of those who are seeking God is a mocker.  With both the sluggard and the mocker passivity wins through.  They are non-contributing fools who thinks that they are entitled to the fruit of others’ labour.  Beyond just being lazy, the mocker scoffs about wise people’s choices to think and work.  The mocker deserves nothing but contempt, but we emulate them.  We invite them to parties to liven things up.  We put them in sports teams and on television.  They make us laugh with their mocking of others, their destructive abilities only becoming apparent when we become the subject of their jokes.

Don’t be a mocker.  Don’t encourage a mocker.  Love the mocker and help them to become active supporters of things that matter.

Questions

1. What does a mocker resent?
2. How are mockers different from those who have a good sense of humour?
3. Jesus seems to mock the pharisees and teachers of the law, wasn’t he a mocker?
4. Who do you know who is always mocking positive efforts by others?
5. How does the political system in the USA sometimes degenerate into a forum for mockers rather than proactive thought?

A gentle answer turns away wrath,
    but a harsh word stirs up anger.

The simple inherit folly,     but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.

³⁵ A king delights in a wise servant,     but a shameful servant arouses his fury.

True Riches

When the book of Proverbs is talking about riches it may refer to the riches of wisdom.  However, the Jewish people thought of the riches as literal and thought that riches were a blessing of God to the faithful.  This is why Jesus’ rejection of the Rich Young Ruler is so puzzling to Jesus’ followers.  Solomon himself had to choose between literal riches and the riches of wisdom.  He chose wisdom and this brought wealth in its train.  A wise person often accumulates wealth, but the real wealth is wisdom.

Questions

1. How does verse 24 combine wealth and wisdom?
2. What rots the bones?
3. How could someone do the best at preparing themselves for health and wealth?
4. How do some people today use God to make money?
5. How can we gain the riches of wisdom in today’s world?

The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways,^(G)
    but the folly of fools is deception.^(H)

The wise woman builds her house,^(A)
    but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.

⁷ Stay away from a fool,
    for you will not find knowledge on their lips.

Wise or Fool

In this passage the wise and the fool are set side by side.  The result is that we can measue ourselves on a continuum from utterly wise to utterly foolish and see where we fall.  The wisdom we seek is in the bosom of God.  This means that rather than try and execute better decisions, our primary path to wisdom is to seek God.  How do you do against the measuring stick of the first seven verses of Proverbs 14?

Questions

1. What kind of actions characterize the wise?
2. What actions characterize a fool?
3. How can a fool become wise (cf James 1)?
4. What does our culture present as wise?
5. How do you seek out wisdom in today’s world?

A longing fulfilled is sweet to the soul,^(AA)
    but fools detest turning from evil.

²⁵ The righteous eat to their hearts’ content,
    but the stomach of the wicked goes hungry.

Spanking? (13:24)

Spare the rod, spoil the child is not actually what the Bible says.  It has been quoted that way for years.  An accurate translation tells us that he who hates his child spares the rod.  Some people take this verse literally, so they say, and believe that the Bible mandates spanking here.  First of all, if the Bible were advocating a literal translation we should be using a rod and not the open hand on bare buttocks.  The rod , in a pastoral society, may be understood as a guiding shepherd’s crook rather than a good thrashing, six of the best, trousers down.  The principle is more clearly emphasized in the second half of the verse where one is to discipline their child if they love him.  This means that a constant plan for reformation is proposed.  Strict adherence to the letter of the law misses the principle behind it.  The principle here is that a parent who loves their child uses some form of discipline to guide their child along the straight and narrow.  It is not that someone who doesn’t spank their child doesn’t love them.

Questions

1. How do people see verse 24 as advocating spanking?
2. What does the verse emphasize?
3. How do you think ancient Israelites disciplined their children?
4. How are parents spoiling their children today?  How does the bible describe the parents’ feelings when they spoil their child?
5. What are good plans to discipline your children that you have seen work?

Going Deeper

My wife and I have been using Love and Logic with some success.

http://www.loveandlogic.com/ecom/p-123-toddlers-and-pre-schoolers.aspx

I have my students become familiar with Kendra Smiley’s book Be the Parent in order to support parents.

http://www.kendrasmiley.com/

A person’s riches may ransom their life,
    but the poor cannot respond to threatening rebukes.^(K)

¹⁸ Whoever disregards discipline comes to poverty and shame,^(Y)
    but whoever heeds correction is honored.

Not The Prosperity Gospel (But Health and Wealth Anyway)

The prosperity gospel, or health and wealth gospel, is a style of preaching that majors on the promises and blessings of God.  It takes passages like those in Proverbs and transforms them from principles that reflect reality into recipes for gauranteed success.  In some cases the prosperity gospel chides people who are not wealthy or healthy for their lack of faith.  Since everyone dies in the end, I guess they suffer from a serious lapse in faith at some point.  The major falsehood of the health and wealth gospel is that the individual is on a road, not to God, but to self.  They try and use God to further their own agenda.  The principles that God has built into the creation works with them when they make wise choices, but there are no gaurantees and God can not be manipulated.

However, riches and success do tend to follow from wise living.  When one seeks God and adopts His principles, poverty and strife are often lessened and sometimes eliminated.  Following God’s path leads to things being the right way up and peace and prosperity often follow.  The right response to godly success is to redistribute what we receive and bless others. 

Questions

1. Which verses in this passage talk of wealth?
2. Why does wisdom often lead to wealth?
3. What is often the financial outcome of foolishness?
4. Why are ‘prosperity gospel’ preachers so popular in North America?
5. In what ways does God actually want you to prosper?

Going Deeper

How would you evaluate this presenter’s views that God wants you to be rich and prosperous?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dU8_B6AYX5w&feature=relmfu

¹ A wise son heeds his father’s instruction,
   but a mocker does not respond to rebukes.

 ² From the fruit of their lips people enjoy good things,
   but the unfaithful have an appetite for violence.

 ³ Those who guard their lips preserve their lives,
   but those who speak rashly will come to ruin.

 ⁴ A sluggard’s appetite is never filled,
   but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.

 ⁵ The righteous hate what is false,
   but the wicked make themselves a stench
   and bring shame on themselves.

 ⁶ Righteousness guards the person of integrity,
   but wickedness overthrows the sinner. 

Discipline and Eating

According to its web site:  White Castle is more than a company. It’s an experience that transcends time, space and sometimes, rational thought. For almost a century our unique approach has made our food the answer to what you crave. And we’re planning on that continuing long past 100 years.  White Castle taps in to how we have an appetite or a craving.  It makes ridiculous claims about what craving a White Castle will give you.  Today’s passage makes similarly ridiculous claims but mixes craving and eating with the satisfaction of righteousness.  Someone who craves a White Castle may be satisfied for a moment.  The person who craves righteousness, wisdom, and goodness will be satisfied.  After a life of craving the right thing, they will be eternally satisfied.

Questions

1. How are images of craving and appetite used in this passage?
2. How is constant craving ultimately satisfied (no K. D. Lang answers)?
3. Why do those who satisfy momentary cravings always become dissatisfied?
4. Think of some of your friends.  What do they crave?
5. What do you crave?  Is it what God would have for you?

⁸ A person is praised according to their prudence,
   and one with a warped mind is despised.

 ⁹ Better to be a nobody and yet have a servant
   than pretend to be somebody and have no food.

 ¹⁰ The righteous care for the needs of their animals,
   but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel.

 ¹¹ Those who work their land will have abundant food,
   but those who chase fantasies have no sense.

 ¹² The wicked desire the stronghold of evildoers,
   but the root of the righteous endures.

 ¹³ Evildoers are trapped by their sinful talk,
   and so the innocent escape trouble.

 ¹⁴ From the fruit of their lips people are filled with good things,
   and the work of their hands brings them reward.

 ¹⁵ The way of fools seems right to them,
   but the wise listen to advice.

 ¹⁶ Fools show their annoyance at once,
   but the prudent overlook an insult.

 ¹⁷ An honest witness tells the truth,
   but a false witness tells lies.

 ¹⁸ The words of the reckless pierce like swords,
   but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

 ¹⁹ Truthful lips endure forever,
   but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.

 ²⁰ Deceit is in the hearts of those who plot evil,
   but those who promote peace have joy.

 ²¹ No harm overtakes the righteous,
   but the wicked have their fill of trouble.

 ²² The LORD detests lying lips,
   but he delights in people who are trustworthy.

 ²³ The prudent keep their knowledge to themselves,
   but a fool’s heart blurts out folly.

 ²⁴ Diligent hands will rule,
   but laziness ends in forced labor.

 ²⁵ Anxiety weighs down the heart,
   but a kind word cheers it up.

 ²⁶ The righteous choose their friends carefully,
   but the way of the wicked leads them astray.

 ²⁷ The lazy do not roast^[a] any game,
   but the diligent feed on the riches of the hunt.

 ²⁸ In the way of righteousness there is life;
   along that path is immortality.

Fortune Cookies

Marcus, my friend, has a point.  Proverbs look like a series of disconnected wise sayings from an explosion in a Chinese fortune cookie factory.  If we look at them individually, and forget Proverbs 1:7 (The theme of Proverbs), we see a string of impossible to remember randomness.  However, we do see terms that come up again and again:  Righteous, wicked, lazy, diligent, fool, and wise.  These create the big picture.  We can measure ourselves by how much we fall into one category or the other.  The solution as we see that we are still in need of correction is not just to roll up our sleeves and try harder.  Our solution is to look harder for God.  It is in finding more of God that we become the wise, righteous, diligent person that we long to be.  The wise person is blessed when they weep tears at the absence of righteousness (Mtt. 5).

Questions

1. What various characteristics do the wise have in this passage?
2. How is true wisdom obtained?
3. Do you have the time to sit still and know God?
4. Why do people want to rush through lives without biblical wisdom?
5. Pray that God will refresh your thirst for him.

¹ Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,
   but whoever hates correction is stupid.

 ² Good people obtain favor from the LORD,
   but he condemns those who devise wicked schemes.

 ³ No one can be established through wickedness,
   but the righteous cannot be uprooted.

 ⁴ A wife of noble character is her husband’s crown,
   but a disgraceful wife is like decay in his bones.

 ⁵ The plans of the righteous are just,
   but the advice of the wicked is deceitful.

 ⁶ The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood,
   but the speech of the upright rescues them.

 ⁷ The wicked are overthrown and are no more,
   but the house of the righteous stands firm.

Standing Firm

Wisdom helps things to endure.  A marriage endures if the couple is wise.  A nation endures if its leaders are wise.  A company endures if it makes wise decisions and has insight.  It is foolish to go it alone and take on the world.  It is best to find a mentor who has themselves endured.  If a marriage is shaky seek counsel from people who have made it through the years.  Learn from their strength.  If your business is shaky find consultants who have tricks of the trade to teach.  In business sometimes, fools whose companies fail go into consulting, so it is best to know who you are taking to.  Do not be proud.  Proud people can not hear advice from veterans and so they fail.  The simple truth of this is illustrated in the movie Cars.  Lightning McQueen won’t take advice from The King or Doc Hudson and so he fails.  It is when he finally listens to Doc that he is a success.

Questions

1. How do fools respond to correction and discipline?
2. What is needed for something to stand?
3. How are ‘teachability’ and wisdom connected?
4. What are people afraid of when they bristle at constant advice?
5. Who do you seek out to advise you?