Posted by Jeff Short on July 18, 2016 · 1 Comment
Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.
– Proverbs 3:17
Psalm 49 considers wisdom with poverty and riches with folly. David notes that fools are often increased with material goods, but those things cannot deliver the soul and they still die like a beast without understanding (Psalm 49:16-20). Jesus expressed the similar thought this way: “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” (Matthew 16:26). In this section of Proverbs, wisdom is shown superior to earthly substance. It’s more preferable than silver, gold, rubies, or anything else we can desire. Wisdom does not guarantee earthly prosperity in this life, but she does bring the best gifts and all her ways are pleasantness and peace. Pleasantness is delightfulness and beauty. Peace is a state of contentment and conveys the idea of soundness or health. The way of wisdom is the good way.
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Posted by Jeff Short on July 17, 2016 · 1 Comment
Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour.
– Proverbs 3:16
Wisdom is personified here as a woman with gifts in both hands. Clearly, wisdom is the better way of life. The gifts of long life, riches, and honor are considered the preeminent blessings of life. In a sense they stand for the best possible earthly life. The left hand is the weaker hand and the gifts of the left hand are the lesser gifts. The right hand is the strong hand and bears the best gift. In terms of earthly life, this is a general statement for we have already seen that the wise do not always live long nor are they always wealthy. In the spiritual sense, all who have wisdom from above have length of days, riches, and honor in terms of eternal life of blessedness with Christ.
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Posted by Jeff Short on July 16, 2016 · 1 Comment
She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her.
– Proverbs 3:15
Solomon continues to describe the blessed state of the man who finds wisdom and gets understanding. His situation is better than the rich because he has wisdom, which is better than riches. Theologically in Proverbs, to have wisdom is to have life. It is to walk with God and thus have everlasting life. Here wisdom is accounted more precious than precious gems. The word for rubies is uncertain, but the intent of the phrase is certain. The desires of men upon earth are not always for money or precious stones. Solomon further explains wisdom is better than anything than can be desired or dreamed up. The most active imagination cannot conjure anything comparable to wisdom in worth.
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Posted by Jeff Short on July 15, 2016 · 1 Comment
For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.
– Proverbs 3:14
Merchandise refers to trade and the profit from it. Here it is the profit from the trade of silver. Gain refers to income or even revenue. Fine gold is that which is mined. Both phrases are emphasizing the profit or gain from work expended. The real key in this verse is the word “better.” When we pair this verse with the verse before and those after, we find a most important distinction about wisdom. Wisdom is its own reward and, as a reward, is infinitely more valuable than anything upon this earth. Wisdom is far better than material gain and, therefore, getting wisdom is not about getting rich. Those who use the book of Proverbs to teach how to get rich or find prosperity prove they do not have wisdom themselves and are therefore unfit guides to the obtaining of wisdom.
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Posted by Jeff Short on July 14, 2016 · 1 Comment
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.
– Proverbs 3:13
Verses 13-18 teach that wisdom brings every good gift that we could receive. The word for happy is often translated as blessed. It refers to a state or condition of blessedness. So is the state of the man who finds wisdom. To find means to reach out after or to gain something by going after it. To get is to draw out, like digging some precious metal out of the earth. Once again, the pursuit of wisdom is mentioned but the rewards are also given in this section. The pursuit for wisdom is not a vain pursuit so long as we start with the fear of the Lord.
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Posted by Jeff Short on July 13, 2016 · 1 Comment
For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.
– Proverbs 3:12
Solomon explains why we should not despise nor be weary of correction. He compares God’s chastening as that of a father to his son. In the best case, a father corrects his son because he loves him and wants good for him. Of course, earthly fathers with even the best intentions fail in their corrections (Hebrews 12:9-10). We fail by being too severe, too soft, and having wrong motivations. Sometimes earthly fathers chasten their children for the father’s own convenience, but God always chastens out of his love for us and for our good. While expounding this verse, the writer of Hebrews also pointed out that it is not a pleasant experience (Hebrews 12:11). So there is added encouragement to endure and be trained up under it. Rather than fainting and assuming it a token of God’s displeasure, we are assured that it is a great sign of his love for us (Hebrews 12:7-8).
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Posted by Jeff Short on July 12, 2016 · 1 Comment
My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction:
– Proverbs 3:11
Verses 11 and 12 describe a crucial means of obtaining wisdom—the discipline of correction. The writer of Hebrews provides an exposition of this passage in Hebrews 12:5-13. To despise is to spurn or reject and the alternative is to endure or bear up under the chastening correction (Hebrews 12:7). The alternative is to be exercised or trained up under the correction (Hebrews 12:11). The writer of Hebrews also points out that the Lord’s chastening comes out love for his children and even his reception of them as children, i.e. he is a father to them (Hebrews 12:6). So as a perfect father, God always chastens his children for their good (Hebrews 12:10). Thus, we should not despise it.
Solomon admonishes that we are not to despise and neither are we to grow weary of his correction. Growing weary has the idea of coming to loathe or abhor it. He is obviously exhorting us to patience that the chastening might do the full work in us. The chastening is training and refining us and we should not kick against it or come to hate it. Judah grew weary of the Lord’s chastening and despised it in Isaiah’s day. Because of their disobedience and rebellion, God sent the Assyrians against them and rather than repenting and trusting in the Lord, they sought Egypt to help them against the Assyrians contrary to the word of God. They actually chided God’s prophets and told them to quit prophesying about the coming of Messiah because they wanted something more immediate and convenient (Isaiah 30:9-12).
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Posted by Jeff Short on July 11, 2016 · 1 Comment
So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.
– Proverbs 3:10
Plenty is the general consequence of walking wisely with our wealth. Wisdom is honoring the Lord first with our substance and increase. Wisdom teaches wise spending and saving (Proverbs 10:16). Wisdom also teaches that generosity is rewarded (Proverbs 11:24-25). Solomon has more to say beside this, but his verse points to the general reward of handling substance wisely. Wisdom tends to wise stewardship and saving and folly tends to waste and poverty (Proverbs 21:20). Wisdom doesn’t guarantee every individual riches in the way we think of riches. We also should not assume that having wisdom means we will never be in want (Philippians 4:12). Solomon also goes on to teach that wisdom itself is a greater reward than physical prosperity (Proverbs 3:13-15; 8:10-11).
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Posted by Jeff Short on July 10, 2016 · 1 Comment
Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:
– Proverbs 3:9
The word for honor means to be weighty or weighted down. When used with material substance, it means to be rich, i.e. weighted down with riches. Here wisdom directs us to weight down the Lord with our substance. It is a picture of abundant giving to the Lord and not a miserly, pinching sort of giving. The giving comes from the firstfruits, as described by the law (Exodus 23:19; Deuteronomy 18:4), and not from the latter remnant. When we give to the Lord, we give him of what he has given us. We give out of thankfulness (Deuteronomy 26:9-11) and also out of trust that the Lord will prosper us. Money and goods is one of the ways of life and the way of wisdom is to honor the Lord with it.
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Proverbs 3:17
Posted by Jeff Short on July 18, 2016 · 1 Comment
Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.
Psalm 49 considers wisdom with poverty and riches with folly. David notes that fools are often increased with material goods, but those things cannot deliver the soul and they still die like a beast without understanding (Psalm 49:16-20). Jesus expressed the similar thought this way: “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” (Matthew 16:26). In this section of Proverbs, wisdom is shown superior to earthly substance. It’s more preferable than silver, gold, rubies, or anything else we can desire. Wisdom does not guarantee earthly prosperity in this life, but she does bring the best gifts and all her ways are pleasantness and peace. Pleasantness is delightfulness and beauty. Peace is a state of contentment and conveys the idea of soundness or health. The way of wisdom is the good way.– Proverbs 3:17
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