Proverbs 27

Proverbs 27:1-27

Do not boast about tomorrow,

for you do not know what a day may bring.

• You are not in control.  No matter what you think or feel is true, He is in control.
• Ask anyone who has has a death in the family, or has contracted some horrible disease that threatens their life.  
• But also take comfort in this.  God is sovereign.  His plan is what’s best regardless of what we feel at a given point in time.  He knows what we don’t know.  
• Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.”  Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.  Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that.”  As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil.  James 4:13-16

Let another praise you, and not your own mouth;

a stranger, and not your own lips.

• Let your actions speak, not your words.  Talk is cheap.
• I’ve been this guy in the past, during my “I’m a pretty big deal around here” phase.  Talking about how good I am at this or that.  It is deflating and – honestly – just annoying to others.  
• Let others toot your horn for you.  And you – if anything – give credit to God from whom all blessings flow.  You are nothing but a bundle of HIS goodness.

A stone is heavy, and sand is weighty,

but a fool's provocation is heavier than both.

• The weight of stone and sand is nothing compared to the trouble stupidity can cause.  
• Putting up with fools is a serious burden.  It weighs on you.  Like having a conversation with a highly opinionated, but equally ignorant and stubborn person.  It just makes you tired.

Wrath is cruel, anger is overwhelming,

but who can stand before jealousy?

• Jealousy/envy is destructive.  Someone losing it and yelling at someone can certainly be hurtful, but envy permeates.  It becomes hate, and it’s like a poison, mostly to the one who has envy.

Better is open rebuke

than hidden love.

• Do not withhold love when you have love to give.  If rebuke is needed, rebuke.  But do it lovingly, and with loving intentions.  
• “Well, say something!”  You know the feeling.  Sometimes it’s better to get critiqued than to have someone neglect  loving you.

Faithful are the wounds of a friend;

profuse are the kisses of an enemy.

• Comes down to intentions.  Even if a true friend hurts you, you can rest assured that they meant well.  They were sincere, but simply hurt you in the process.
• Enemies will say nice things, but they are insincere.  Their intentions are not pure.

One who is full loathes honey,

but to one who is hungry everything bitter is sweet.

• We see this in America.  Q:  “Want to hear about Jesus’s free salvation?”  A:  “Nah, I’m good.”  We are full.  We are full with everything BUT God.  
• But to those in less fortunate, less distracted nations, the news of Jesus Christ is like cool water on a parched tongue.  

Like a bird that strays from its nest

is a man who strays from his home.

• For a bird to stray from its home is irresponsible, not to mention risky.  Someone will be hurt.
• A man straying away from his obligations to his wife and family is selfish and irresponsible.  He is called to love his wife like Christ loved and served the church, and to lead his children in the way.  To neglect this, even if he never leaves the home, is destructive.

Oil and perfume make the heart glad,

and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel.

• The sweetness and goodness of friends comes from the advice they give.  As iron sharpens iron, even if the advice is not what you wanted to hear.  Especially if it’s not what you wanted to hear, but what you needed to hear.

Do not forsake your friend and your father's friend,

and do not go to your brother's house in the day of your calamity.

Better is a neighbor who is near

than a brother who is far away.

• Never abandon your friends, or your father’s friends.  That way, you can always count on them when you need them.  Abandon them enough times and they may abandon you, too.
• It’s better to seek help from your neighbor who is right there than to go to someone who’s family, but is too far away.  Seeking help from a neighbor, also, will open the door to your neighbor knowing he can come to you if he needs help.  

Be wise, my son, and make my heart glad,

that I may answer him who reproaches me.

• If you show that you have wisdom, acting it out in life, a father is happy.  With that fuel, he can put up with all the negative stuff the world throws his way.  

The prudent sees danger and hides himself,

but the simple go on and suffer for it.

• Use your brain.  Don’t take unnecessary risks.  Show some sense – some prudence.
• Simple people ignore warning signs and statistics/probabilities, and they pay the price.

Take a man's garment when he has put up security for a stranger,

and hold it in pledge when he puts up security for an adulteress.

• Better take some collateral, because the likelihood of getting paid back is low when someone signs for someone they don’t know.  Better – advise him NOT to put up security for the stranger.  That would be the more loving thing.
• And if someone signs/vouches for someone who is already known to be untrustworthy, forget it.  You better get paid up front.

Whoever blesses his neighbor with a loud voice,

rising early in the morning,

will be counted as cursing.

• The Message paraphrase says, “If you wake your friend in the early morning by shouting "Rise and shine!" It will sound to him more like a curse than a blessing.”
• Not sure if this has some secondary, symbolic meaning as well, but I think the message is clear.  Don’t be a loud mouth in the morning.   People need some time to get rolling.  Be gentle.  Be kind and considerate.

A continual dripping on a rainy day

and a quarrelsome wife are alike;

to restrain her is to restrain the wind

or to grasp oil in one's right hand.

• Stepping delicately on this one ;) since my wife is reading this.  Heh.
• It’s said in Genesis that this will happen.  There is a tendency, due to the entry of sin into the world, that wives will “quarrel” in the absence of a man doing what he is called to do.  Even if she doesn’t, she really wants to.  
• Don’t try to "restrain" her.  Instead, figure out what’s causing it.  If you believe she has good intent (which is true 98% of the time), then something else is missing.  Check the Good Book for God’s instruction for husbands.  I’m betting you’re not doing something that she desperately needs.  
• For women, reverse my comments above for a grumpy, explosive, or distant husband.  

Iron sharpens iron,

and one man sharpens another.

• I leverage this verse often.  We are meant for community.  We need others to challenge us on our journey toward Christlikeness.  Likewise, others need us to help sharpen THEM.  
• If we choose the “I don’t need church, I just need God” approach, we will be unsuccessful in our journey.  Too many think that they don’t need to find a church family.  This is not true, and it’s certainly not biblical.

Whoever tends a fig tree will eat its fruit,

and he who guards his master will be honored.

• Loyalty, attention, being intentional and deliberate about providing someone else’s needs will always be honored and likely rewarded.
• My mind goes directly to marriage.  You want the best fruit of marriage, tend to it.  Guard it.  Be intentional about providing the care and feeding it needs to thrive and grow and prosper.  It will be time and effort well spent.
• Same with your job, your kids, your friendships, your community and your church.

As in water face reflects face,

so the heart of man reflects the man.

• For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.  Mattew 6:20-21
• Where is your heart?  Are your priorities straight?  Mine should be God, wife, kids, extended family, neighbors, then self, work, etc.

Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied,

and never satisfied are the eyes of man.

• Sheol and Abaddon = Hell and Destruction.  They are relentless.  
• So are our eyes – our desire for things that are not good for us.  The pursuit of anything but God is endless.  Earn $100K, you now want $150K.  Earn $150K, now it’s $250K.  It never ends.  The same with sex, job-related achievement, food, and so on.  Beware of idolizing anything but God.

The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold,

and a man is tested by his praise.

• Praise tests a person in that his reaction to it shows what he is really like.  
• If he gloats over it, he shows himself to be arrogant; he “knows” he is good. But if he accepts the praise modestly, he shows his humility.

Crush a fool in a mortar with a pestle

along with crushed grain,

yet his folly will not depart from him.

• Sometimes you want to beat sense into some people.  But God says it won’t work.  
• You can beat a fool half to death, but he still won’t get it.  

Know well the condition of your flocks,

and give attention to your herds,

for riches do not last forever;

and does a crown endure to all generations?

• Wealth is not permanent.  Not even nations last forever.  Think of the great Babylonian empire, the Roman empire, the power of Great Britain at one point … America.
• So, we should keep an eye on it.  Our economy will collapse – it’s just a matter of time.  Are you ready for that?  Don’t worry, but certainly prepare.

When the grass is gone and the new growth appears

and the vegetation of the mountains is gathered,

the lambs will provide your clothing,

and the goats the price of a field.

There will be enough goats 'milk for your food,

for the food of your household

and maintenance for your girls.

• God will always provide.  Once you’ve harvested all the wheat (so to speak), you still have your sheep that give you wool to knit clothing and goats that sell for a profit and buy what you need.
• You’ll have enough for the ups and downs.  Just do the work and trust him.