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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Posted by Jeff Short on July 9, 2016 · 1 Comment
It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.
– Proverbs 3:8
Following the three previous directions will render benefits. Health has the thought of healing and marrow of moistening, thus strengthening the bones. The navel and the bones point to strengthening the body within and thereby working out. It’s a picture of how wisdom works. It gets within us and works out at our lips, hands, and feet. Also, in general terms, wisdom is a healthier way of life than the way of folly.
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Posted by Jeff Short on July 8, 2016 · 1 Comment
Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.
– Proverbs 3:7
Solomon gives three directions to walking in wisdom. Being wise in your own eyes is to be resistant to correction and instruction (Proverbs 9:7-8; 13:1; 15:12; 26:12). It is a mark of a fool and of pride. So, first, Solomon teaches we must be humble to receive wisdom. We must confess we lack wisdom and seek it. Positively, he says to fear the Lord, which is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 1:7) and brings us to life (Proverbs 14:27). Lastly, he admonishes to turn back from working mischief. He counters our natural bent on all three points. Our natural inclinations are to think ourselves wise, not regard the Lord, and to go after evil. Walking in wisdom is counter to all three.
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Posted by Jeff Short on July 7, 2016 · 1 Comment
In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
– Proverbs 3:6
Acknowledge means to know or be aware of but also has a relational aspect to it that conveys fellowship. We are to acknowledge the Lord from verse 5 and do so in all of our ways. If we are to have fellowship with God in all our ways, then we must be walking in wisdom and not leaning on our own understanding. We must be in agreement with him in our ways. When we do this, he directs our paths. To direct is to make plain and the intention is that the Lord will make plain the way we should go. When we trust in the Lord, lean not on our own understanding, and acknowledge him in all our ways, then he makes the way plain before us. Making straight, or making plain, the way is contrasted with the crooked and perverse ways of the wicked also presented in Proverbs.
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Posted by Jeff Short on July 6, 2016 · 1 Comment
Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
– Proverbs 3:5
Trust and lean both point to being fully supported. It indicates a full reliance and not just a little help or aid. Our full reliance and full confidence is to be in the Lord and his wisdom. Solomon warns that we have a natural inclination and tendency (Proverbs 14:12; 16:25), but we are to abandon that for the heavenly wisdom. Paul speaks similarly that the natural mind has a bent and needs to be renewed (Ephesians 4:23; Colossians 3:10; Romans 12:2).
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Posted by Jeff Short on July 5, 2016 · 1 Comment
So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.
– Proverbs 3:4
Solomon gives the result of binding mercy and truth about your neck and writing them on your heart or mind. Favor is grace and understanding is discretion, some say success. This verse reinforces that mercy and truth have to do with personal relations. The qualities of wisdom make a man well received in general. The sight of God and man teaches that no one needs to advertise they have wisdom. It will be apparent to others. Solomon elsewhere reminds us that the wise don’t always find lasting favor (Ecclesiastes 9:15).
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Posted by Jeff Short on July 4, 2016 · 1 Comment
Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:
– Proverbs 3:3
Mercy and truth are often paired together and expressed of God’s faithfulness to his promises. In a sense the terms have to do with relation to man. Here they stand for uprightness in relation to our fellow man. Mercy is a selfless love and faithfulness. It is sometimes translated as steadfast love. Truth is opposed to falsehood and hypocrisy. It is for what is right. These are expressive of the integrity brought to one’s life by wisdom.
Solomon exhorts to not let them forsake or fail. In order to this, he commands them bound about your neck and written upon the table of your heart. The intent is not a literal writing or binding of the words on one’s body, but that they become a part of you through wisdom. Let them enter through wisdom and ever be a part of your character.
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Proverbs 3:11
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:
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.– Proverbs 3:11
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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