GOD’S UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE OF VARIOUS ASPECTS OF LIFE

RETURN TO SYLLABUS

PROVERBS 19:1-15
Lesson #31
GOD’S UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE OF VARIOUS ASPECTS OF LIFE

• Memory verse: Your choice.
• For the purposes of our study the verses in this section are out of consecutive order in order to group them with other proverbs in the section that have the same theme.
• God’s perspective of poverty, wealth, and position:
  • ^“Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger.” (15)
    • Key words: slothfulness (laziness).
    • We have discussed laziness previously in our study and have observed that both in the Old Testament and the New Testament God does not bless the lazy person who will not work.
    • Activity makes for a healthy body and a healthy mind.
    • This proverb tells us that laziness in body promotes a dull mind, depicted by the words “deep sleep”. The result of laziness in mind and body is hunger.
  • ^“Wealth maketh many friends; but the poor is separated from his neighbour.” (4)
    • There are always people that will be attracted by wealth with the hope that you will share your wealth with him.
    • Likewise there are always people that will go out of their way to avoid helping a poor brother.
    • Many times even in churches Christians make judgments on avoiding those they think are unworthy of their friendship because they are from a lower economic level than they are.
    • This proverb and the next one fit perfectly together as two sides of the same coin.
  • ^“All the brethren of the poor do hate him: how much more do his friends go far from him? he pursueth them with words, yet they are wanting to him.” (7)
    • This poor man’s brothers and friends avoid him because he does not have money to benefit them, and they are tired of helping him.
    • We see in this proverb a worldly attitude of pride and selfishness. The world always looks at people and life situations with the question, “What’s in it for me?”
  • ^“Many will intreat the favour of the prince: and every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts.” (6)
    • Key words: intreat (See intreaties = to beg).
    • Human nature always looks for special favors and sees nothing wrong with bribes under the table.
    • It is this aspect of human nature that the lottery has as its base…”I deserve something I did not earn.”
      • Read 1Tim 6:17-19
      • God is the giver of all gifts. To trust in anything or anyone else is idolatry.
      • The believer in Christ should not presume upon the goodness of God by using your God-given money to trust in something else.
  • ^“The king’s wrath is as the roaring of a lion; but his favour is as dew upon the grass.” (12)
    • This proverb tells us that people fear governmental authority because those in authority have the power to affect our lives for good or bad.
    • However, what this proverb does not tell us is that all governmental authority will one day answer to God for their reign over us.
    • Governmental authority is put into place by God and is ultimately responsible to God. (Rom 13:1-7
    • However, the believer in Jesus Christ is supposed to help his brother. (Jam 2:15-16)
  • “Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.” (1)
    • Key words: integrity (moral soundness); perverse (corrupt/disobedient); fool (no God for me).
    • Implied in this verse is a parallel between a poor man of integrity and a rich man that is morally corrupt.
      • In God’s perspective, moral health is more important than physical wealth.
      • In God’s perspective, moral obedience has primary importance.
    • In the same way as Jesus, we are not supposed to show favoritism one to another based on wealth or any other criteria. (Rom 2:11)
  • ^“ House and riches are the inheritance of fathers: and a prudent wife is from the Lord.” (14)
    • Key words: prudent (caution).
    • You can inherit wealth and big houses from your parents, but you cannot buy a good wife.
    • A prudent wife is a gift of God. What attitudes of caution will the prudent wife express as she lives her life?
      • She knows that she does not merit God’s blessings and does not take them for granted.
      • She knows that she will answer to God for how she lives her life and will not presume upon God’s goodness.
      • She will weigh the consequences of her actions before making decisions.
      • She lives industriously and intelligently guided by the Holy Spirit.
• God’s perspective of the fool and his lifestyle:
  • ^“ The foolishness of man perverteth his way: and his heart fretteth against the Lord.” (3)
    • Key words: foolishness (lifestyle of the fool); perverteth (See Perverse = corrupt/disobedient); fretteth (irritated).
    • The lifestyle of the fool that does not acknowledge God corrupts his life because he has purposely cut himself off from God.
    • The fool that says there is no God for him corrupts his own life. Then he falls into the depths of sin and blames God and others when things do not go well in his life.
    • His irritation against God only confirms his decision that he does not want anything to do with God in his life.
  • ^“Also, that the soul be without knowledge, it is not good; and he that hasteth with his feet sinneth.” (2)
    • Key words: knowledge (power to know truth).
    • It is not good for a person that does not look to God for truth. We have seen in Proverbs that truth only comes from God and that God gives the believer in Christ the ability to know God’s truth.
      • Implied in this verse is the idea that the person that does not know God and His truth makes his decisions based on rapid, changing circumstances instead of basing his decisions on God’s truth.
      • Because of that he is quick to fall into sinful patterns in his life that become an evil lifestyle.
  • ^“A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall not escape.” (5)
    • Even in our society perjury is punishable as a crime. And yet how often we see people in the news commit this crime without criminal punishment.
    • However, this proverb tells us that the false witness will not escape God’s punishment.
      • Truth is the basic character of God, and He expects his believers to deal in truth.
      • If God’s character was not based on truth, we could not trust in:
        • His promises.
        • His Word.
        • His prophecies
        • His love for us.
    • We have a good biblical example.
    • Read 1Kin 21:1-16 The story of Naboth’s vineyard and Ahab’s false witnesses.
  • ^“ A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall perish.” (9)
    • Key words: perish (loss of life).
    • This verse is almost the same as verse 5.
    • However, now we learn that the false witness will not escape punishment but He will perish.
    • The word “perish” means loss of life. This can be his physical life or it can mean spiritual life separated from God in eternity.
  • ^“ Delight is not seemly for a fool; much less for a servant to have rule over princes.” (10)
    • Key words: fool (no God for me).
    • Neither a fool nor a servant is capable of handling important responsibilities that affect the lives of other people. A servant doesn’t have the authority and the fool does not have the capacity.
    • A believer in Christ that has been given positions of responsibility has the help of God to fulfill those responsibilities. God never puts us in positions where He does not supply the strength we need to do what God has asked us to do.
    • This is why this verse uses the word “delight”. Only the believer can “delight” in serving God because we do not serve Him in our own strength but in His provision. Jesus said his yoke is easy and His burden is light. (Mat 11:30)
  • ^“A foolish son is the calamity of his father: and the contentions of a wife are a continual dropping.” (13)
    • Key words: foolish (lifestyle of the fool); contentions (strife).
    • Equally devastating to a father is a son that says, “No God for me.” and lives a lifestyle of the fool, and a son that has a nagging wife.
    • “Continual dropping” is constant nagging like a dripping faucet. You can’t turn it off! The Israelites in the book of Numbers are the example.
• God’s perspective of the wise man and his lifestyle:
  • ^“He that getteth wisdom loveth his own soul: he that keepeth understanding shall find good.” (8)
    • Key words: wisdom (successful living); understanding (discern good from evil).
    • The person that seeks wisdom (successful living) seeks to live the way God wants him to live in a personal relationship through Jesus Christ.
    • The best thing a person can do to benefit his own soul is to receive Jesus Christ into his heart.
    • Because God wants us to discern good from evil, only in Jesus Christ can man make that distinction because the Holy Spirit is living inside of the believer.
  • ^“The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression.” (11)
    • Key words: Discretion (judge what is proper); transgression (lawbreaker).
    • A person that is slow to anger has a spirit of forgiveness for the little offenses that occur in his life. He passes over transgressions.
    • A believer in Jesus Christ that overlooks injustices done to him adds jewels to his crown in heaven.

Homework
Proverbs 19:16-29

• Application of Pro 19:1-15
  • Why do you think a person that hasteh with his feet sins? (2)
    • Sin is already in the heart of the non-believer and in rapidly changing circumstances he has no basis in God for wise decisions.
  • Explain what you think verse 11 means?
    • Slow to anger and a spirit of forgiveness will overlook many offenses from others simply because the love from God is functioning in his heart and life.
  • Use your humorous nature to find the proverb that relates to a leaking faucet!
    • Verse 13 is about nagging that is like a leaking faucet that you cannot turn off.
• Application of Pro 19:16-29
  • Read Pro 19:16-29
    • What is the very best thing a person can do for himself? (16)
    • When should a parent correct his children? (18)
    • When will we be wise according to verse 20?
    • Verse 21 refers to the counsel of the Lord. Where do I find this counsel?
• Memory verse: Your choice from Pro 19:16-29