Through the Bible - Proverbs

God, we do lift up Lorraine into Your hands right now and her family as she is going up to San Jose to be with them. Lord, we pray for her niece, Jen, and her family. We ask that You would be with her two young kids and also her husband. It is just a difficult time right now. We ask that You would comfort Lorraine and give her Your words of comfort to be able to minister to her family.

We pray for Hilda Santana that You would be with her tonight. Normally, she is here on a Saturday night, but we ask that You just touch and heal her from this infirmity, the sickness that she has been experiencing. We know that we experience the same sort of difficulties, trials, and sicknesses that those who do not know You experience. Yet, in the midst of it, Lord, we have an opportunity to shine Your grace, Your mercy, and Your joy, even in the midst of trouble.

We thank You for the good witness that we have seen in brothers and sisters who have gone through such difficulties. We ask that You would help us, if we were ever to face the same sort of thing, to be able to shine with Your grace and Your joy.

Lord, we do pray that You would speak to us tonight as we get into the book of Proverbs. Help us, Lord, to understand wisdom and knowledge. Help us to be those who walk on that narrow path that You have set before us, a path that is just littered with good works that You prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. I ask that we would walk in those good works and that people would see our good works and glorify You.

It is our desire and our joy to see other people in this world come to know You and glorify You as God. So bless this time in Your Word, we pray in Jesus' name. Amen.

Would you open your Bibles to the book of Proverbs? The book of Proverbs is an important passage of Scripture. How many of you read the 31 chapters of Proverbs over the last couple of weeks? Some of you? One of you? So you can tell Solomon when we see him that I did read it.

How many of you have read the book of Proverbs before? Many of you have. It is a little bit shorter than the Psalms. However, I have to be honest with you: studying through the Psalms was a little bit easier than studying through Proverbs. Proverbs is like reading a dictionary because it changes from one verse to the next in focus and direction.

When you read the epistles, particularly Paul's letters to the churches, they read just like a letter would, flowing from one thing to the next. They are very easy to connect and see the key themes of those books. But when you read the book of Proverbs, it jumps around from one topic to another, and some have found it to be a very hard book to outline. However, I believe there is a clear and cohesive outline, and we will look at that as we go through this tonight.

Before we do, I want to consider that this book is built upon a prayer that Solomon, the son of David and the king of Israel, offered to the Lord back in 1 Kings. We studied this when we went through 1 Kings. You may want to turn over to 1 Kings chapter 3. Solomon became king near the end of David's life. When he did, you may remember that he took a great sacrifice to the Lord, to the place where the tabernacle was at that time, in the area of Gibeon.

In 1 Kings chapter 3, we read in verse 5, "In Gibeon, the Lord appeared unto Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, 'Ask what I shall give unto you.'" Can you imagine if God came to you and made the same request? Whatever you want, just tell me what it is. What would you like to have? Some of us might think back to the genie-in-the-bottle sort of syndrome. What would we ask if we were given a wish from God for anything?

Here is Solomon, standing at the beginning of his leadership and rule over a nation. You would think that someone in his position might have a long list of things to ask for. Some of those things topping the list might be glory, honor, and strength. But notice what Solomon asked for in verse 6. Solomon said, "You have showed unto thy servant David, my father, great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth and in righteousness and in uprightness of heart with thee. And you have kept for him this great kindness."

That you have given him a son to sit on his throne as it is this day. And now, O Lord my God, verse 7, you have made thy servant king instead of David, my father. I am but a child; I know not how to go out or to come in. Thy servant is in the midst of a people which thou hast chosen, a great people that cannot be numbered or counted for the multitude.

Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad. For who is able to judge this thy so great a people? The speech pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this thing. God said unto him in verse 11, "Because you have asked of this thing, and have not asked for yourself long life, neither have you asked for riches for yourself, nor have you asked for the life of your enemies, but you have asked for yourself understanding to discern judgment, behold, I have done according to your words. Lo, I have given thee a wise and understanding heart, so that there is none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.

I have also given thee that which you have not asked for, riches and honor, so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days. If you walk in my ways and keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen also your days."

So, Solomon asked from the Lord for wisdom, an understanding heart, to know how to govern the people. Here is this great multitude of people, which Solomon said cannot even be numbered. He said, "Lord, I need to know how to take care of these people, how to answer all their questions, all their woes." He asked that the Lord would give him wisdom.

We read just over one more chapter in 1 Kings, chapter 4, verse 29. There it says, "And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceedingly much, and largeness of heart, even as is the sand of the seashore." Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country and of all the wisdom of Egypt, for he was wiser than all men.

He gives a list of some wise men there, and his fame was in all the nations round about. Notice this in verse 32: he spoke 3,000 proverbs, and his songs were 1,005. He spoke of trees, from the cedar tree that is in Lebanon even to the hyssop that springs out of the wall. He spake of beasts and fowl and creeping things and of fish.

And there came of all the people to hear the wisdom of Solomon from all the kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom. God granted him his petition, saying, "I'm going to give you what you've asked for. I'm also going to give you what you haven't asked for. You didn't ask for long life. You didn't ask for victory over your enemies. You didn't ask for riches. But I'm going to give that to you because you asked for a discerning heart to govern this people."

God granted him his petition and gave him great wisdom. His wisdom was so great that his fame spread throughout all the world at that time. Kings, queens, princes, and people from all over the world came to Solomon in the city of Jerusalem, not only to see the greatness of the temple he would build for God but also to hear his words. His words were so excellent that people wanted to know, "Who is this guy? Where does he come up with this stuff?"

We see just a small picture of his wisdom in 1 Kings chapter 3. After God had answered his petition, two women came to Solomon, bringing a baby. They were arguing over whose baby this was. They both claimed to have children, but one lady had rolled over on her child in the middle of the night, and the child died. Now they were fighting over whose baby it was.

Solomon said, "I know what we'll do. Give me a sword. We'll cut the baby in half and give both of you half." One of the ladies stood up and said, "No, no, no, don't do that." The other one said, "Yeah, that's a great idea." Solomon then realized, "Well, obviously you're not the mom." He took the baby and gave it to the one who said, "No, don't put this baby to death," because he could discern the truth of the situation.

As we come to the book of Proverbs, it is filled with his proverbial statements and wise sayings that he would give to the people. We are told in 1 Kings chapter 4 that he had a thousand or three thousand Proverbs, but in this book, there are only about 800 of them written down. We don't have everything that would be classified as the wisdom of Solomon, but there is a lot here to consider.

There are some great things in this book that challenge us, exhort us, and encourage us. I remember several years ago, a family friend of ours had gotten involved in some immorality and committed adultery. I remember talking to my dad one day about this guy, and my dad had been reading through the Proverbs every single day. He said to me, "You know..."

If he had only read the Proverbs, this would have never happened. I thought that was a very interesting comment, and it's very true, especially as you go through the first ten chapters of this book. Solomon had great wisdom and understanding on how to answer all the questions of the people. If you want to know how to live and walk in this life that God has given us, we really need to consider the book of Proverbs.

The book can be divided into six different sections. The very first section is really just an introduction. The first seven verses of the book provide an introduction, but they also declare the purpose and theme. It starts with a title verse in verse one: "The Proverbs of Solomon, the son of David, the king of Israel." This is a declaration of what is to come.

He states the purpose: to know wisdom and instruction, to perceive the words of understanding, to receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, judgment, and equity, to give subtlety to the simple and to the young man knowledge and discretion. A wise man will hear and increase in learning, and a man of understanding shall attain wise counsels to understand a proverb and its interpretation, the words of the wise, and the dark sayings.

Here, Solomon begins by saying, "Here's the whole point. Here's the whole reason for this." The sense of it, as you read, shows that the purpose of this book is fairly ambitious. I don't know if you noticed it when you read through, but this book essentially provides the understanding of how to live life. One man takes it upon himself to write a relatively small book on how to live life. If you want to know how to live, here he goes. This is what you're going to read.

It's as if you bought a camera for Christmas and gave it to someone. If they want to know how to use that camera, they're going to look at the manual, the instruction booklet. Now, guys, raise your hands. All the guys, put your hands up. How many of you would just take that camera and play with it until you figured it out? I asked the guys to raise their hands because that's what they do. They wouldn't read the manual. Let's be honest; we wouldn't. Of course, our wives would say, "You should read the manual." But no, we think we can figure it out.

How many of you have tried to do that with your life and failed? Yeah, most of us. We tried to do it on our own and figured we didn't need the instruction manual. Here, Solomon says, "Here's the instruction manual." Essentially, this book is to show you how to live.

If it didn't start with verse 7, the very first line in the instruction manual, you might as well just throw the instruction manual away. We are told there in verse 7 that the fear of the Lord is the beginning. It starts with the fear of the Lord. If you want to know how to live this life wisely and navigate through all the different pitfalls that could come in this life, it starts with the fear of the Lord. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

The very beginning starts with the fear of the Lord. If you want wisdom, understanding, and knowledge, you've got to start with the fear of God. Now, not fear in the sense of dread and terror, which is normally where our minds go when we think of fear. There are people who are afraid of God, but as you read through the 31 chapters of Proverbs, you find that the person who is afraid of God is the fool. It's the wicked one.

In fact, we read in Proverbs 28, verse 1, that the wicked flee when no one pursues. The person who flees from God is the one who is foolish. This person is contrasted with the wise in this book. There is a group that fears God with dread and terror, and they should fear God with dread and terror because a person living a wicked life will end at the judgment seat of Christ. There is coming a day of judgment, and it is appointed unto all men to die once, and then comes judgment.

A person who lives in foolishness and folly, as described in the book of Proverbs, is the one that Hebrews chapter 10 talks about when it says all they have to look forward to is a certain and fearful expectation of judgment. The only thing they have to look forward to is judgment, and that's not a happy thing to anticipate.

But there is another side. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. To fear in the sense of reverence and respect, because Solomon in the book of Proverbs reveals a God who knows everything. God is all-wise. He is all-knowing. All understanding is given unto God. He knows everything.

Out of the abundance of His knowledge and understanding, God has created this world. Everything that we see and don't see has been made by Him. He has also created man with our intellect, will, and emotions. All the depths of man are known by God, and the book of Proverbs makes that very clear. If you really want to know how to use this life, you should probably refer to the one who created it. You should respect the one who made it.

It all starts with reverence and respect for God. If you don't revere Him, if you don't fear and stand in awe of Him, then you're going to mess things up for sure. It begins with that understanding: if you want to govern this life correctly, you must submit yourself to the one who created all things. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. However, there are those who despise wisdom and instruction.

As you go through this book, you will encounter a group referred to as the fool, the evil one, or wicked men. These individuals do not want to hear the truth; they despise it. We read about such a person in Psalm 107. The psalmist describes someone who finds themselves in the prison house. In Psalm 107, verse 10, it says, "Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and in iron." Here, we have the picture of a person who is bound up. Why are they there? Verse 11 explains that it is because they rebelled against the word of God and contemned the counsel of the Most High. The whole reason they find themselves in this horrible position is that they did not want to listen to what God had to say. They rejected His advice and counsel, and as a result, they find themselves in the dark depths of the prison house.

Thankfully, God has sent for His light. Oh, that we would hear His instruction! The first portion, the first division of the book of Proverbs, consists of chapter 1, verses 1 through 7, which gives us the theme, purpose, and key to fulfilling this life and navigating through it. It starts with the fear of God. This leads us into the next division of the book, which spans from verse 8 of chapter 1 until verse 18 of chapter 9, continuing all the way through chapter 9. This section provides further instruction.

The instruction of a father is a vital aspect of life. Here we see Solomon speaking as if to a son, almost receiving instruction from his father, David. As you read through Proverbs chapters 1 to 9, you get the sense that perhaps David is the one speaking these things to Solomon. It is God's wisdom being conveyed to Solomon through his father. This instruction is so important; it is a necessity in life.

In fact, Proverbs tells us in chapter 22, verse 6, that fathers are to train up a child in the way that he should go. Why? Because when he is old, he will not depart from it. The duty of a father is to train his children—his sons and daughters—while he has the opportunity and holds the position of authority. While the children are in his house, it is the father's task to guide them in the way they should go.

If you want to know how to train your children, read Proverbs chapters 1 to 10. You will gain a good understanding of how a father is to instruct his sons. The instruction that comes to them is crucial, starting with how to choose friends. Proverbs chapters 1 and 2 clearly outline how to select good friends and which ones to avoid.

Why is this important? In 1 Corinthians chapter 15, Paul tells us a significant truth: "Be not deceived; evil company corrupts good habits." The wise father presented in Proverbs chapters 1 through 9 instructs his children on how to decide who their friends will be and who to stay away from. This guidance is essential because we can all look back at our lives and see how our friends influenced our direction at various points, especially during high school. The company you keep at that age can affect the rest of your life.

Therefore, it is crucial for the wise father to instruct his son to be careful about whom he associates with. He must ensure that he does not walk with the wrong crowd.

In the way of sinners, just like Psalm 1, David speaks to us about who it is that we are keeping company with. The company we keep is very important. We see again in Proverbs 9, verse 6, where the author, Solomon, says, "Forsake the foolish; stay away from the foolish," which is also synonymous with the wicked or the evil. Forsake the foolish and what? Live. So, obviously, the company that you keep is important. He continues, "and go in the way of understanding."

In Proverbs 13, verse 20, Solomon states, "He that walks with wise men shall be wise, but the companion of fools shall be destroyed." The company that you keep is very important. As a wise father, we see that we are to instruct our children. This includes not only your biological children but also those in our lives. We always stand as a Paul to Timothy's. What does that mean? When you read the New Testament, you see that there was a spiritual son in Paul's life, and that was Timothy. Paul was instructing him in the way that he should go.

As you have people who are under you, Paul told Titus that the older women are to teach the younger women, and the older men are to teach the younger men in the body of Christ. In a sense, you have spiritual children. One of the things you can do is instruct them to make sure they keep the right company. We are told in Proverbs 13, verse 20, that "he that walks with wise men shall be wise, but the companion of fools shall be destroyed." The one who hangs out with those that are wicked will find that he too will be destroyed.

It is important to consider what David says in Psalm 1: "Blessed is the man that walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful. His delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law, he does meditate day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that brings forth its fruit in season. His leaf also shall not wither, and whatsoever he does shall prosper."

However, the ungodly, as we are told in verse 4, are not so. They are like the chaff which is driven away by the wind. Therefore, the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

In Proverbs chapter 9, this wise father instructs his son on how to choose friends, especially at a younger age. As we move to Proverbs chapters 3, 4, 5, and 6, we see this young man growing. The son is getting older, and Solomon speaks very clearly. The father, speaking to the son, addresses the temptations of this world and how to navigate them as we go out into the world.

He discusses the temptations to pursue the pleasures of this world, including alcohol. He speaks frankly about the sexual temptations that exist and also addresses the allure of quick profits. Many young men, in particular, think they can make a million dollars before turning eighteen. They often believe that pursuing quick profits is the best way to achieve their goals. However, as we read through Proverbs, we see that those who try to make quick money are often walking a path that leads to destruction.

The wise father advises his son on how to navigate these pitfalls with clear exhortation. In Proverbs chapter 3, a verse that many of you likely know well, he offers the best way to navigate life in this world: "Trust in the Lord with all of your heart. Do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths." Trusting in the Lord with all your heart is perhaps the greatest advice one can receive.

The father emphasizes that if you want to steer through the various minefields of this world, you must recognize that we are in a battle. There is an enemy out there, and we battle against the world, the flesh, and the devil, who uses this world to get to our flesh. Navigating this minefield requires trusting in the Lord wholeheartedly and not leaning on your own understanding.

How many of you have read "Pilgrim's Progress"? I highly recommend that book as it follows Christian through the many challenges of this world. At times, he chooses what seems like a much better route, and there are often people standing on that path saying, "This is the way to go; this is the best way." However, Proverbs chapter 14, verse 12 warns us that there is a way that seems right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

This seems like the best path to go down, but the end thereof is the ways of death. He says to trust in the Lord and lean completely upon Him. In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He—this is so important—will direct your path. He is going to lead you and guide you.

How many of you have used one of those fancy GPS systems? When I went over to Germany this last January, Josh and I spent some time with my friend David Guzik. He told us that we could borrow his car and said, "Hey, check this out. I got this great new GPS system. It's really cool. Just put in the city that you want to go to and push enter, and it will tell you everything to do." That thing was pretty amazing. It led us—I’m telling you, I would have never found this city without it—because it showed us the shortest route, which was a crazy shortcut through the middle of the country. I would have just gotten on the Autobahn and gone straight there, but this had us going all through the back roads, saying, "Turn left in 300 meters." It even had a very proper English accent.

How much would we enjoy having that in our spiritual walk? We would love to have a spiritual GPS. Well, we do! If we trust in the Lord and lean not on our own understanding, in all our ways acknowledge Him. Ask, "Where do you want me to go with this, Lord? What decision do you want me to make?" In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.

The book of Isaiah speaks about a time in the future, a prophecy about a great highway of holiness. It says that even the dumb man shall not go astray, and I am so thankful for that. The Lord says things like that; even the fool will not go astray. As we walk with the Lord, we can also be on that highway of holiness now, navigating the things of this life.

So the counsel of a father to his son is to listen and trust in the Lord. But notice what he says. A lot of times when we read or even memorize Proverbs 3:5 and 6, we forget about verse 7: "Be not wise in your own eyes." Paul would tell us in the New Testament to take heed when you think you stand, lest you fall. He also told the church at Galatia that the one who thinks he is something when he is nothing deceives himself. Here, Solomon says...

Be not wise in your own eyes. Fear the Lord and turn away from evil. Fear Him; reverence Him. Don't be afraid of Him with dread and terror, thinking that He is going to harm you. Some people have this vision of God. I even saw a comic strip of this years ago. It depicted God, the gray-haired figure sitting up in heaven, looking at His computer screen while a man walked underneath a piano hanging from a crane. God's finger hovered over the button on the computer labeled "the smite button." Sometimes we think of God like that, fearing that He will drop a piano on us at any moment. We wait for Him to do something to us, believing that He just wants to make life miserable.

That's not what God wants. I remember when I was doing youth ministry here at the church. I had the privilege of leading the junior high group for four years, and we would go up to camp. In fact, the junior hires are at camp right now. Every year, we would attend winter camp and summer camp. The number one question I received from junior hires was, "What's God's will for my life?" They often asked, "What does God want me to do?"

So many times, even as adults, we think that God's will for our lives is some weird, obscure thing that we have to discover. We feel like we need to climb a mountain or stand in some strange position to figure it out. We think we have to do something extraordinary to understand what God's will is. Do you not realize that God wants you to walk in His will? If God desires for you to walk in His will, do you think He would make it really hard for you to figure out what it is? No, He tells us right here: don't be wise in your own eyes, thinking, "Oh, I'll figure it out on my own." Instead, fear the Lord and depart from evil.

Then what happens? Look at this: verse 8 states, "It shall be health to your body, to your navel, and marrow to your bones." You will have a strong, healthy life in the Lord, a spiritual life. We need to understand that sometimes, in this life and in our walk with the Lord, these physical bodies may fall apart. However, you will have a successful journey with the Lord in your spiritual walk when you trust in Him.

Verse 9 says, "Honor the Lord with your substance and with the first fruits of all your increase." Honor the Lord with everything that you have, and He will honor you as well. Proverbs chapter 1, verse 8 through the end of chapter 9 really deals with how we are to navigate the world as we walk through it. The key to this is found in Proverbs chapter 3, verses 5 through 8: trusting in the Lord.

Completely leaning upon Him, this life is way too big for us to handle on our own. We cannot do it in and of our own strength. We've got to trust in the Lord and lean completely upon Him. If we don't, we'll most certainly find ourselves falling into the pit. If we're not trusting in Him, we will find ourselves falling down constantly.

The great counsel of a father to his son is to trust in the Lord. This advice extends to a father speaking to his children in general: trust in Him. In chapters 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 of Proverbs, wisdom is personified as one to pursue, depicted as a beautiful woman. In contrast, folly is described as a wicked, immoral woman who will lead you down to the depths of hell. The message is clear: what path do you think is the best one to follow? Pursue wisdom, because wisdom is better than rubies, as we see in Proverbs 8, verse 11. Better than rubies and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it. All the things that man desires cannot be compared to wisdom.

The Proverbs of Solomon do not truly begin until chapter 10, verse 1, which marks the third section of the book. The first section presents the purpose and theme in Proverbs 1, verses 1-7. The second section contains the instruction of a father from Proverbs 1, verse 8, through the end of chapter 9. Now we come to the Proverbs of Solomon, the third section, which spans from Proverbs 10 to the end of chapter 24.

In Proverbs 10, verse 1, we read, "The Proverbs of Solomon: A wise son makes glad a father, but a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother." A wise son makes his father glad. As we go through these 15 chapters from Proverbs chapter 10 up until the beginning of Proverbs chapter 25, the majority of these one-verse statements are contrasts. We see this contrast in verse 1: a wise son makes glad his father, but the foolish son is heaviness to his mother. The contrast is constantly between the wise and the foolish, the righteous and the wicked. In verse 2, we see that the treasures of wickedness profit nothing.

But righteousness delivers from death. This contrasting theme goes back and forth, and it's a form of Hebrew poetry. We've looked at this before; it's called antithetic parallelism. All that means is that it's a contrast: walking one way or walking another. If you walk this way, this is what you're going to get. If you go that way, this is what you're going to get.

It's similar to what Moses told the children of Israel at the end of his life in the later chapters of Deuteronomy. He says, "I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day. I've set before you life and death, blessing and cursing. Choose life that you might live." He presents a clear choice: here is life and blessing, and here is death and cursing. What do you want to choose?

When you read through the book of Proverbs, you encounter the wise statements of the wisest king that Israel ever knew, and the contrast becomes very clear. We live in a world today that is heavily influenced by relativism. People want to water everything down and say, "Well, that's your truth, and I've got my truth." They claim there is no real truth—just a gray area where everyone figures it out on their own.

However, there is a way that seems right unto a man, but the end thereof is death. You can see the contrast. In this world we live in, such clear statements tend to grate on people. They resist this clarity, and I don't understand why. Man seems to think he can figure it out on his own, but every single one who tries often ends up dead in a gutter or in an insane asylum—one or the other. It's a sad, sorry situation, but that's typically where man ends up.

Not only do we have the contrasts given in these passages, but we also have descriptive or expressive proverbs. One example is found in Chapter 10, verse 26: "As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so is the sluggard to them that send him." This verse illustrates that if you put your trust in someone who is lazy, it is like vinegar to your teeth or smoke in your eyes. You know what it's like to get smoke in your eyes—the burning sensation. The same emotional discomfort occurs when you trust a lazy person. These are just general statements that convey important truths.

As you go through the book, another insightful proverb is found in Proverbs chapter 11, verse 22. It states, "A jewel of gold in a swine's snout, so is a fair woman which has no discretion." These proverbs provide very clear word pictures. Picture it for a moment: there is a dirty pig wallowing in the mire, and he comes up with a beautiful gold ring in his snout. Is that a pretty picture? It seems like such a waste, doesn't it? The same idea applies here; a beautiful woman who lacks discretion is similarly wasted.

Another contrast is seen in Proverbs chapter 14. In verse 12, it says, "There is a way which seems right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." In this passage, from chapter 10 through chapter 25, I have circled every single time the word "but" appears in these verses. There are many contrasts throughout.

For example, in chapter 16, verse 3, we find a descriptive proverb: "Commit thy works unto the Lord, and your thoughts shall be established." This illustrates a cause and effect; when you commit your way unto the Lord, your thoughts will be established.

In verse 7, it says, "When a man's ways please the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him." Verse 8 continues, "Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues without right." It would have been beneficial for the individuals who led Enron to have known that verse. It is better to have just a little with righteousness and integrity than to possess great revenues without righteousness.

Verse 9 states, "A man's heart devises his way, but the Lord directs his steps." It is wonderful to have the Lord direct your steps; He serves as our spiritual navigation system, our GPS. We need the Lord to guide us in that way. It is not the global positioning system but God's positioning system. The Proverbs truly reflect this as we fear the Lord, submit to Him, and reverence Him, recognizing that He knows best. After all, Father knows best.

It's not just a TV show. It really is true that when we submit to God as our Father, He knows what He is doing. Proverbs chapter 16 states in verse 18 and 19, "Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before the fall. Better it is to be of a humble spirit with the lowly than to divide the spoil of the proud."

Down in verse 20, it says, "He that handles a matter wisely shall find good, and whoso trusts the Lord, happy is he." "Happy" can also be translated, and is in some translations, as "blessed." It is a blessed one who trusts in the Lord. Proverbs chapter 16, verse 25 warns, "There is a way that seems right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." He said it a second time, didn't he? It must be important.

In verse 32, we read, "He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he that rules his spirit than he that takes a city." We put so much emphasis on those who are strong physically. We think, "Oh, how great are these people!" When you think of someone who is strong physically, the first person that comes to mind is the Terminator, Arnold Schwarzenegger. He is admired for his physical strength. But what about the person who is strong in spirit, who is slow to anger? He is better than the person who is strong physically. "He that rules his spirit is better than he that takes a city."

In chapter 17, verse 9, it says, "He that covers a transgression seeks love, but he that repeats a matter separates very friends." This is a very good principle for married couples to consider. Solomon says that the person who covers a transgression is seeking love. You know how it is; if you're constantly bringing up what someone said five years ago, it creates tension. "He that repeats a matter separates close friends." It will cause separation.

I have seen many times when I have counseled married couples who come to the church because they are bringing up something that happened ten years ago, and it is mentioned every couple of days. In verse 14, it states, "The beginning of strife is as when one lets out great waters or unleashes the water."

Therefore, leave off contention before it is meddled with. This is another important lesson for husbands and wives. The beginning of strife is like opening up a dam; the floodgates will come pouring out if you mess around with it. You know the buttons to push, don’t you? We all know what buttons to push, especially when you’ve only been married for a year and a half. You can discern what those buttons are within the first 48 hours. You don’t have to be married very long to know what buttons to push.

For some reason, I still visualize it in my mind like Dennis the Menace: "Don’t touch that button," and you’re just thinking, "I wonder what happens when I touch that button." You already know what happens when you touch that button; the floodgates are going to open.

Proverbs 17:17 states, "A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity." It’s so great to have those close friends in the midst of strife and adversity, especially during tough times. Some of the strongest friendships I have are those that have gone through difficulty with me.

When you meet guys who have been in the military, you realize that the friends made during combat are people you still remember to this day. You may not see them often, but there is still that kinship because, in the midst of adversity, those ties become even stronger. The same is true in marriage. I believe that the Lord allows married couples to go through very difficult, trying situations to make that relationship even stronger. However, it is only the Lord who can strengthen you to weather it and go through it in the right way.

We’re not moving quite as fast as I thought we would, but let’s look at Proverbs 17:28. "Even a fool when he holds his peace is counted wise, and he that shuts his lips is esteemed as a man of understanding." I think this is an important verse for us guys to hold on to. Even the biggest idiot in the world is thought to be wiser than Alex Trebek when he just doesn’t say a word. It’s better for people to think you’re a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt, as Chuck Smith has said many times before.

And it's true. Sometimes, just keeping your mouth shut is a very important lesson to learn. Proverbs 18:1 is particularly interesting: "Through desire, a man having separated himself seeks and intermeddles with all wisdom." Another version states, "A man who separates himself seeks his own desire and he wars against all wise counsel."

Sometimes, there is that attitude of, "I'm just not going to talk to you anymore until I get my way." The person who separates themselves often engages in a form of a temper tantrum, trying to manipulate the situation to get what they want.

Verse 13 is also important when disputes arise: "He that answers a matter before he hears it, it is folly and shame unto him." It is crucial to hear the whole story. I have had many instances where ladies in the church come to me seeking counsel regarding their husbands, but the husbands are not present. You hear one side of the story and think, "Oh yes, you're absolutely right; he's horrible." However, once you hear the other side, you realize there is much more to the situation.

It is important to have both parties sit down together. I will ask them, "What led us to this day? Why are we meeting today? What is the root cause?" I will listen to the wife first, then the husband. If you respond to a situation before hearing the whole story, it could lead to trouble.

Verse 17 aligns with this idea: "He that is first in his own cause seems just, but his neighbor comes and searches him out." The first person to plead their case often sounds right until you hear the other side and realize, "Oh, wait a minute. There is something here that I didn't understand." Therefore, it is essential to know the whole story before responding.

In verse 22, I love this one: "Whoso finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor of the Lord." It is important for us to remember that. Whoso finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor of the Lord. Yes, exactly. Sometimes it's hard, but I find that the Lord reminds me of this often.

Come on, guys, I have the same problems. My wife and I get into the same discussions that everyone else does, especially since we've only been married a year and a half. However, there are moments during a discussion when the Lord reminds me, "You've obtained favor from me. Whoso finds a wife finds a good thing." In fact, one of the things I have seen over the last year and a half...

There are a lot of things that wouldn't have changed or transformed in my life had I not gotten married. I sure thought I was a great communicator before I got married. However, what I found is that I'm good at talking to people, but not actually communicating with them. Thankfully, I've gotten better. You can ask Andrea; I hope I've improved.

I love this verse that stuck out to me a lot when I was younger in junior high: "A man that has friends must show himself friendly, and there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother." It is true that you have to be a friend to have a friend. This is important, and the Proverbs tell us this. This is the wisdom of God speaking here.

In Proverbs chapter 19, we read in verse 1, "Better is the poor that walks in his integrity than he that is perverse in his lips and is a fool." In verse 18 of chapter 19, we read, "Chasten thy son while there is hope and let not thy soul spare for his crying." My parents liked that one. There's also a passage that says, "Beat your child, he will not die." I think that was my parents' theme verse.

As you read through Proverbs chapters 10 to 24, these are the actual written-down Proverbs of Solomon. When you come to chapter 25, you read in verse 1, "These also are the Proverbs of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah, king of Judah, copied." King Hezekiah, whom you may remember from our study through Second Kings, was a great king in Israel. He came to a point in his life when they found the Word of God, and the Word of God transformed the nation.

It would appear that during the time of Hezekiah, he also found the Proverbs of Solomon. He then assigned his men to go and find more of Solomon's Proverbs that were written down, and they gathered them together during his reign. The next section of this book, from chapter 25 to the end of chapter 29, contains the Proverbs that were collected by Hezekiah but written by Solomon. Collected by Hezekiah, but written by Solomon.

Many of them you'll find as you read through these; some of them are repeats of ones that were already read through. However, there's one here in verse 11 of chapter 25 that I like: "A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver." The right word at the right time. Another translation says it is like golden apples in a silver basket. Wouldn't that be a great gift to receive?

He emphasizes that the right word at the right time is so perfect and important. I pray often that the Lord would give me the right word to say at the right time, especially when I'm driving over to the hospital to meet with someone whose family member just died. "Lord, give me the right word to speak right now because I don't know what to say." There have been times when people come up to me for prayer or counsel after a service, sharing their problems, and I'm going through my mind, wondering what in the world I am going to tell this person. "Lord, give me the right word, that word fitly spoken."

Verse 24 of chapter 25 is interesting: "It is better to dwell in the corner of a housetop than with a contentious woman in a wide house." He says it is better to dwell in the top of the attic than to have a huge, beautiful home with a contentious woman. The important thing to consider there is to avoid marrying a contentious woman. There are so many great things to consider as you read through this book.

Verse 23 of chapter 27 is one I love; I think it speaks directly to those in leadership positions at churches: "Be thou diligent to know the state or the affair of your flock and look well to thy herds." It is important to know the state of those you are leading, those you are ruling over in the body of Christ. Every single one of us is given a position of leadership, whether we realize it or not. Maybe it's the leadership of your own family, or perhaps it's leadership within the children's ministry or home fellowships—whatever it may be. God commits leadership to us, and it's important to know the state of your flock, those who are under you.

Verse 17 says, "Iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend." We love getting together to sharpen one another, and we need that. That's why the writer of the book of Hebrews would say, "Do not neglect the assembling together."

Of the body, it's important to gather together for fellowship and to be sharpened with each other. We could go on all night long looking at important verses in the book of Proverbs because there are so many of them, but I highly recommend that you take the time to read through it on your own.

The next section, the fifth section of the book of Proverbs, is chapter 30, which contains the words of Agur, the son of Jakeh. It seems to be, in one sense, a response to the wisdom of the Proverbs. As you read through it, you can see this response. There's even a prayer of confession as the person reads through. Perhaps it was this guy by the name of Agur; we don't know who he is, and no other background is given.

Then we have Proverbs chapter 31, a passage that is well known. We read the words of King Lemuel. This is the sixth division of the book, and Proverbs 31 speaks about a virtuous wife. There are several verses in the book of Proverbs that say to stay away from the contentious woman. But what does a virtuous wife look like? Proverbs 31 provides a beautiful picture of that. It begins with the words of King Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him. Many Bible teachers believe that this was actually Solomon's mother speaking to him, and he is writing under a different name. Solomon's mother was Bathsheba.

She speaks to him in verse 2: "What, my son? And what, the son of my womb? And what, the son of my vows? Give not thy strength unto women." You think of Solomon or Samson when you read that. "Give not thy strength to women, nor thy ways to that which destroys kings." It is not for kings—and I like to add, it is not for leaders. "It is not for leaders, O Lemuel. It is not for leaders to drink wine, nor for princes strong drink."

Why? There's a reason for it: "Lest they drink and forget the law and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted." So she says to stay away from these things; it's not for you as a leader.

Now, that's not to say that there are some in the body of Christ who have a glass of wine with dinner. I'm never going to tell someone that that's wrong. I don't see that in the scripture. But I hold for myself that as a leader, God has spoken to me, "It's not for you." That's fine; I have no problem with that. Perhaps the Lord may speak that to you as well in the leadership that God gives to you. But it's not a legalistic thing.

In the body of Christ, we should not partake of such things, as they pervert the judgment of those who are afflicted. The Bible says, "Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish and wine unto those that are heavy of heart. Let him drink and forget his poverty and remember his misery no more."

We are called to open our mouths for the dumb and in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction. We must judge righteously and plead the cause of the poor and the needy. This exhortation from the mother of the king to the king emphasizes the need to judge righteously for those who are oppressed.

In verse 10, it asks, "Who can find a virtuous woman? Her price is far above rubies." The heart of her husband does safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil. She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life. She seeks wool and flax and works willingly with her hands.

She is like the merchant's ships; she brings her food from afar. She rises also while it is yet night and gives meat to her household and a portion to her maidens. She considers a field and buys it with the fruit of her hands, and she plants a vineyard. She girds her loins with strength and strengthens her arms. She perceives that her merchandise is good; her candle goes not out by night.

She lays her hands to the spindle and her hands hold the distaff. She stretches out her hands to the poor and reaches forth her hands to the needy. She is not afraid of snow for her household, for all her household are clothed with scarlet. She makes herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple.

Her husband is known in the gates when he sits among the elders of the land. She makes fine linen and sells it, and delivers girdles unto the merchant. Strength and honor are her clothing, and she shall rejoice in time to come. She opens her mouth with wisdom, and in her tongue is the law of kindness.

She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also praises her. Many daughters have done virtuously, but you excel them all. Favor is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman that fears the Lord, she shall be praised.

These are important words—words that any young man should consider as perhaps the words from his own mother about the woman he might consider marrying. I am very thankful that I believe I have found a very virtuous woman, and I praise the Lord.

For that, these verses, as we read through the 31 chapters of Proverbs, are significant. I think it's no accident that there are 31 chapters in Proverbs and generally 31 days in a month. It is good to read a proverb a day. A proverb a day will keep you on the right way. The Lord desires that we would walk in the counsels of our Father, that we would lean upon Him, trust in Him, and He will guide and direct our paths as the God Positioning System.

If you want to know how to walk righteously in this life, read this book regularly. Memorize the verses that are in here. There is a way that seems right unto a man, but the end thereof is death. Oh, that we would be those who are on the highway of holiness, trusting in the Lord. Sometimes, it doesn't always seem to us, in our intellect, to be the right way, but God knows what He is doing.

I have definitely experienced that in a few things this last year. Sometimes I look at the path that I'm on and think, "This isn't right. We must have made a wrong turn somewhere." But the Lord knows what He is doing. I find that even the things He takes me through that I don't like always turn out for the best.

I was having a conversation with a friend of mine at the missions conference this last week. He was sharing with me some of the troubles he has been going through over the last eight years. As he did, I thought, "Man, my woes seem very small." Yet he said, "Even though I don't like the way things have gone in many different areas over the last eight years, I see that I had to go through those things. I had to go down that path, or else I would not have learned what I've learned."

Many of you are on that path; you know what I'm talking about. You are there on that path because God has set you there, and if you lean upon Him, He will bring it to pass.

Let's stand and pray. God, I do thank You that You have given us counsel like a father, wisdom, and understanding to know what to do, Lord, to know how to walk. I pray that You would help us to lean upon You, to trust in You, knowing that...

We may plan what we're going to do, but You direct our steps. Lord, help us to allow You to do that. As we trust in You, even if it seems like You're taking us in a way we don't completely want to go, we praise You, Lord, because You know best. You know all things; You are the all-wise God.

I pray that especially as we look at this year before us, 2008, You would help us, Lord, to trust in You, to lean upon You, and to see You do great things. We ask it in Jesus' name. Amen. Thank You.