Proverbs 10

Proverbs 10:1-32  The Proverbs of King Solomon

 A wise son makes a glad father,

 but a foolish son is a sorrow to his mother.

• What can be worse than seeing that your son – who likely reflects you for the most part – is not wise?  It’s like a big banner that says, “Way to mess up the parenthood thing, brother.”
• Conversely, when the son shows he has wisdom, the father is proud (the good kind of pride).  
• I think of relatives and friends with kids who have to deal with the aftermath of lax parenting.  You can see the regret in their eyes when they talk about their grown “children”.  There is definitely sorrow there.

 Treasures gained by wickedness do not profit,

 but righteousness delivers from death.

• No profit in the real sense.  What does it gain a man to have the whole world but lose his soul?
• Short term gain from cheating, stealing … even in the smallest “no big deal” ways is wrong and there will be retribution.  No profit certainly.
• Choosing always to do right, based on what God says is right, is the way to life and to gain.  

 The Lord does not let the righteous go hungry,

 but he thwarts the craving of the wicked.

• God gives His children what they need.  He feeds the sparrows who don’t save anything up.  How much more does He love you?  But don’t confuse this.  The Psalmist even asks God to not give him any more than he needs, so he does not forget that he NEEDS God.  Then he asks Him not to give him less than what he needs so that he doesn’t steal and displease God.  
• And Solomon is not just talking about food here.  He’s talking about physical nourishment, sure, but he’s also talking about spiritual and psychological nourishment, too.  God will give it to us if we just believe in our hearts.
• "God thwarts the cravings of the wicked” is a tricky one to understand.  First question is, what do the wicked want.  The answer is, they want the same thing ultimately that we want.  They just keep trying to find it in other places that fade, that die, that spoil.  He allows the wicked to do wicked things:  sexual immorality, theft, drugs … but none of them feed them like God does.  He is letting His children make the mistakes they need to make to realize that they need Him alone.  His mind is above our minds.

 A slack hand causes poverty,

 but the hand of the diligent makes rich.

 He who gathers in summer is a prudent son,

but he who sleeps in harvest is a son who brings shame.

• Forget about money for a minute.  What feels better than a job well done.  Knowing that you worked really hard?  Is that not the real wealth?  
• I’ve gone through cycles in my life and working really hard and feeling great, then not working hard and feeling its effects.  Both feed upon themselves – working hard makes you want to work hard some more.  Being lazy makes you want to be lazy some more.  Strange how that is.  One is like a rocket shooting you upward.  The other is like a death spiral.  Not to generalize, but I imagine that is why you sometimes see such disparity in the amount of success or money there is in society.  It takes diligence.  Hoover said, “Opportunity is missed by most because it’s dressed in overalls and looks like hard work."

 Blessings are on the head of the righteous,

but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.

 The memory of the righteous is a blessing,

but the name of the wicked will rot.

• God blesses those who just listen to His instruction and follow suit.  
• The mouth (=head) of wicked people is always filled with violent thoughts.  They conceal that, of course, but it will come out sooner or later.  
• People remember those who are good according to God’s measuring stick of good and bad.  Their names live on.
• The memory of those who were wicked rots away.  We may remember their actions and the impact of those actions, though, so that we try not to repeat them.  

 The wise of heart will receive commandments,

but a babbling fool will come to ruin.

• Truly wise people – those with wisdom in their hearts, not just in their minds – are always open to improving.  They know that they are not perfect and can always gain from other perspectives, or at least strengthen their resolve.
• But those who are just spewing nonsense based on their own ignorant opinion, but nothing much more, will get no where.  They will be ruined.

 Whoever walks in integrity walks securely,

but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out.

• Follow the path – the flat, even, well-lit path – and you will be safe and secure.
• Go off-road and you get what you deserve, dummy.

 Whoever winks the eye causes trouble,

and a babbling fool will come to ruin.

• The guy who winks is usually up to something subversive – no good.  Even winking after saying something good usually communicates a message of superiority:  “I know – therefore I am better.”
• I am the worst at this, but I tease often.  I’m also kind, so most understand that I’m kidding and take it well.  But I’ve seen my own kids mimic this, but do it in mean ways.  I have to correct it, but it’s hard to correct when I do it myself.  First I need to correct it in myself.

 The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,

but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.

 Hatred stirs up strife,

but love covers all offenses.

• Sit and talk to someone who REALLY knows and lives the Bible sometime.  It really is like a fountain of life flowing from them.  That is why you feel so energized after you listen to a sermon.  It’s like spiritual fuel from a fountain.
• Hatred does nothing good.  It is a flawed human emotion.  We must forgive, not judge, not think of ourselves as better.  All of these things are hatred.  And we must not hate ourselves either – we were created in His image.  God don’t make no junk.
• Love (twu wuv), allows for forgiveness, patience, understanding.  It washes away the past.  God’s greatest act of love provided grace to us, the ones who offended Him.

 On the lips of him who has understanding, wisdom is found,

but a rod is for the back of him who lacks sense.

 The wise lay up knowledge,

but the mouth of a fool brings ruin near.

• When we seek to understand, we find wisdom.  
• Those who just don’t "get it" end up hurt in some way.  Not physically necessarily, but in some way.  Think back to the crooked path above – they will stumble by going off road.

 A rich man's wealth is his strong city;

the poverty of the poor is their ruin.

• Solomon is discussing the results of diligence and hard work.  Leveraging wisdom has its advantages in this world, too.  
• Not working very hard, acting like an idiot … this will end in spiritual and potentially worldly poverty.

 The wage of the righteous leads to life,

the gain of the wicked to sin.

• Paul said, "None is righteous – not one.”  We can only be righteous through Christ.  Through faith in Him.  And with him, our gain (our wage) is life eternal.
• The wicked sin and – without Christ – the wages of sin is death.  Spiritual death.  

 Whoever heeds instruction is on the path to life,

but he who rejects reproof leads others astray.

• Listen to – and apply – God’s instruction.  That is the straight and narrow path to eternity with Him.
• The problem with a drowning guy is, they pull everyone around them down with them.  This is like the guy who rejects good advice from God.  He not only hurts himself, but he convinces others to do the same.

 The one who conceals hatred has lying lips,

and whoever utters slander is a fool.

• Communication is key.  Don’t clench your teeth and say everything is “fine”.  This helps no one – especially not the teeth clencher.  
• Those who make others look bad – idiots.  They sometimes do this to make themselves look better, but it does the opposite.

 When words are many, transgression is not lacking,

 but whoever restrains his lips is prudent.

• "Better to remain silent and appear a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.”
• Quit while you’re ahead.  Restrain yourself.  Show prudence in communication.

 The tongue of the righteous is choice silver;

the heart of the wicked is of little worth.

 The lips of the righteous feed many,

but fools die for lack of sense.

• It’s amazing the wisdom that comes from those who’ve chosen to live a noble life of integrity.  Every word they utter is worth a million bucks.  They are a fountain of life.
• He has a good heart?  Actions speak the condition of the heart.  So, “he means well” usually is not true.  If he meant well, he would act well.
• The words of a righteous man help exponentially.  They have a ripple effect.  Not just for those that hear HIM, but those who hear those who heard HIM … and so on.  

 The blessing of the Lord makes rich,

and he adds no sorrow with it.

 Doing wrong is like a joke to a fool,

but wisdom is pleasure to a man of understanding.

• You see this all the time.  A bully trips another kid and he thinks it’s hilarious.  All this is … pride.  I’m better than that guy.  Look at him on the ground.  I – the better guy – made him fall.  This is pitiful.
• Read or hear wisdom – it feels good.  It fills you.  

 What the wicked dreads will come upon him,

but the desire of the righteous will be granted.

 When the tempest passes, the wicked is no more,

but the righteous is established forever.

• What the righteous desires is generally … well, righteous.  Anything prayed according to God’s plan will be granted.  
• The wicked, on the other hand, know what they are doing is wrong, they dread they will be punished, and that is because they know that they WILL be punished.
• When death comes, the wicked go to hell.  They are no more to God.  
• But those who believe in Him and live out the plan He has for them, they are given a place in heaven with Him.

 Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes,

so is the sluggard to those who send him.

• Carol just dealt with this last week.  A lazy son of a friend just couldn’t get off his sluggard behind to  paint Carol’s second bedroom as he said he would.  Now, his laziness is threatening her friendship with the sluggard’s Mom.  How does she now communicate to he friend that her son is a lazy guy.  If she does, her friend may take offense.  If she doesn’t, that will linger.  It’s like smoke to the eyes.  Leaves a bad taste in the mouth.

 The fear of the Lord prolongs life,

 but the years of the wicked will be short.

 The hope of the righteous brings joy,

 but the expectation of the wicked will perish.

• Reverence for the Lord gives you comfort and joy – making life enjoyable, not burdensome.  "My yoke is light.”
• The hope shining from believers has a positive affect on many, not just the believer.  All she comes in contact with benefit.
• Before the wicked person knows it, life will be over.  They will have wasted their lives on stuff that does not fill, does not give life. 

 The way of the Lord is a stronghold to the blameless,

but destruction to evildoers.

 The righteous will never be removed,

but the wicked will not dwell in the land.

• God’s truth is like a lighthouse in the storm.  Something steady to hold on to.  They will remain in His presence as long as they hold on.
• Likewise, those who don’t “hang on” - or even seek the lighthouse – will be tossed about in the waves and be swept away.

 The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom,

but the perverse tongue will be cut off.

 The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable,

but the mouth of the wicked, what is perverse.

• Only the righteous and wise know the true “right and wrong” … And they choose to do right, because they know that God loves them and would not lead them astray.
• The wicked trust only themselves and their thoughts and feelings – so they speak the nonsense they’ve built in their heads.  This is perverse to God and to those who know better.