Posted by Jeff Short on July 2, 2020 · Leave a Comment
Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.
– Proverbs 29:18
The word for
vision has nothing whatever to do with goal setting, program implementing, or advanced planning. It refers to the revelation of God given to the prophets who made it known to the people (1 Samuel 3:1). Every time it is used in the Old Testament, it is connected to a prophet, whether directly or by allusion. It is an authoritative and binding, “Thus says the Lord.” It is easy to see that since
no vision is contrasted with
the law, or Torah, in the second line.
When there is no prophet in the community giving God’s word to the people, they perish, or break loose. The word has three uses in the Old Testament. It refers to the loosing of hair as in cutting or unbraiding it (Leviticus 10:6; 13:45; 21:10; Numbers 5:18). It can also refer to letting loose in the sense of losing or letting slip in the sense of ignoring or rejecting. It is used that way a number of times in Proverbs (Proverbs 1:25; 8:33; 13:18; 15:32). It can also refer to let loose in the sense of running wild, as in out of control immorality (Exodus 32:25). In this saying it is set against the blessing of keeping the law, so it is probably that second usage of letting slip that is meant, though the third usage could be included. When there is no prophet speaking God’s word and keeping that word before the people, they let God’s word slip, but when they hold on to the law, the community is blessed.
Posted by Jeff Short on November 5, 2019 · Leave a Comment
Happy is the man that feareth alway: but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief.
– Proverbs 28:14
The saying contrasts two conditions—fearing always and hardening the heart. Proper fear causes one to avoid evil and the envy of sinners (Proverbs 3:7; 23:17) and is a mark of a wise man (Proverbs 14:16). Such fear leads a man to blessing, or happiness. Hardening the heart means avoiding the instructions of wisdom and warnings of conscience (Proverbs 21:29). Such hardening leads to mischief, or evil (Proverbs 24:16).
Posted by Jeff Short on December 20, 2017 · Leave a Comment
The just man walketh in his integrity: his children are blessed after him.
– Proverbs 20:7
The word for
just means righteous, or lawful, in conduct and character. Walking justly is another aspect of walking in wisdom, for the upright man fears the Lord (Proverbs 14:2) and his integrity is better than wealth (Proverbs 19:1). Just men are a blessing to others because of their wise and healthy speech (Proverbs 10:11, 21), wise leadership (Proverbs 29:2), and their flourishing (Proverbs 11:28, 30). The blessing here is more specifically to his children after him. The just man blesses the generations that come after him through living out his life in integrity (Proverbs 10:7; 13:22).
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Posted by Jeff Short on August 16, 2017 · Leave a Comment
He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good: and whoso trusteth in the LORD, happy is he.
– Proverbs 16:20
The word for
matter means a word, or something spoken. Here it refers to instruction, and we may infer it is the instruction of wisdom. The first phrase speaks of receiving instruction
wisely, or prudently. The second phrase promises the blessing of the Lord. If a man receives the instruction of wisdom well, he will be blessed of the Lord (Proverbs 13:15; 19:8; 24:3-5).
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Posted by Jeff Short on June 7, 2017 · Leave a Comment
He that despiseth his neighbor sinneth: but he that hath mercy on the poor, happy is he.
– Proverbs 14:21
The word for
despiseth means to treat with contempt or view as worthless. The word used is common in the Old Testament for sin. It means to miss the mark or the way. We infer from the parallel the neighbor is in some way needy, so to ignore or despise him is to miss the way of wisdom and righteous (Proverbs 11:12). It is a direct affront to our Creator (Proverbs 17:5) and a mark of the wicked (Proverbs 18:3). The contrast is to show
mercy, which is to bend down in pity to one beneath you. To show mercy is the way of wisdom and righteousness to acknowledge that both alike are created by God (Proverbs 22:2). The merciful thereby honor God (Proverbs 14:31). The merciful will also receive mercy and be
happy, or blessed (Proverbs 19:17; 28:27).
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Posted by Jeff Short on February 9, 2017 · Leave a Comment
The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.
– Proverbs 10:22
Labor without or apart from Divine blessing might lead to multiplied possessions, but it will not be without sorrow admixed (Proverbs 13:11; 15:6). There is a certain futility in all such labor, no matter the short-term gains (Psalm 127:1-3). When the Lord blesses wise, diligent labor, the increase is a blessing with joy (Ecclesiastes 5:19).
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Posted by Jeff Short on January 25, 2017 · Leave a Comment
The memory of the just is blessed: but the name of the wicked shall rot.
– Proverbs 10:7
The
memory of a person obviously speaks of that person after they are gone. Once a person has lived and died, their character and name are fixed. Their memory will either be a blessing or a stinking
rot. The memory of them will be determined by their character and way of life while they lived, whether
just or
wicked. This is wisdom’s long view of life. Wisdom considers the end of a thing before stepping foot in the path. It is pressed upon each of us to consider what sort of memory we would want to leave. The next step then is to seek wisdom and endeavor to live now in such a way that we come to that desired end. It would not be Divine wisdom to merely teach us to leave a good legacy on earth subject to the judgment of men. Divine wisdom teaches us that it is the judgment of God that matters and that should drive our life on earth (2 Corinthians 5:9-10).
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Posted by Jeff Short on September 19, 2016 · 1 Comment
Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth.
– Proverbs 5:18
Solomon admonishes to be delighted in your wife. The verses in this section emphasize the physical relation of a husband and a wife, but the physical relation is never entirely physical. This is one of the reasons Paul warned the Corinthians against fornication (1 Corinthians 6:15-16). The physical in marriage is one of the aspects of the bonding of husband and wife together. All these work together over time to deepen the bond in marriage physically, emotionally, mentally, etc.
The second phrase is laden with meaning. To rejoice is to be glad, it speaks of more than a resigned contentment. It is a happiness that is shared and enjoyed. The wife of your youth refers to the design of marriage to be one man and one woman for life (Ecclesiastes 9:9). God has designed for husband and wife to live together from youth and share all the experiences of life together. To grow old together and to stand by one another through all that comes. Neither a wife nor a husband should ever be worried about the love and loyalty of their spouse (Malachi 2:14). This is the path of wisdom and the path of a blessed and satisfying life on earth.
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Posted by Jeff Short on August 3, 2016 · 1 Comment
The curse of the LORD is in the house of the wicked: but he blesseth the habitation of the just.
– Proverbs 3:33
Those who turn aside from God’s word are an abomination to him and thus the curse is in their house. The Lord warned Israel of the curse if they departed from his law (Deuteronomy 11:28; Leviticus 26:14-16). Alternatively, those who receive his wisdom and keep it, shall be blessed (Deuteronomy 28:2-14).
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Proverbs 29:18
Posted by Jeff Short on July 2, 2020 · Leave a Comment
Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.
The word for vision has nothing whatever to do with goal setting, program implementing, or advanced planning. It refers to the revelation of God given to the prophets who made it known to the people (1 Samuel 3:1). Every time it is used in the Old Testament, it is connected to a prophet, whether directly or by allusion. It is an authoritative and binding, “Thus says the Lord.” It is easy to see that since no vision is contrasted with the law, or Torah, in the second line.– Proverbs 29:18
When there is no prophet in the community giving God’s word to the people, they perish, or break loose. The word has three uses in the Old Testament. It refers to the loosing of hair as in cutting or unbraiding it (Leviticus 10:6; 13:45; 21:10; Numbers 5:18). It can also refer to letting loose in the sense of losing or letting slip in the sense of ignoring or rejecting. It is used that way a number of times in Proverbs (Proverbs 1:25; 8:33; 13:18; 15:32). It can also refer to let loose in the sense of running wild, as in out of control immorality (Exodus 32:25). In this saying it is set against the blessing of keeping the law, so it is probably that second usage of letting slip that is meant, though the third usage could be included. When there is no prophet speaking God’s word and keeping that word before the people, they let God’s word slip, but when they hold on to the law, the community is blessed.
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