Contributor: Adewale Abiona
INTRODUCTION
Welcome to our first bible study of the year. Our prayer is that as you walk with God this year, you will never be put to shame. As we begin our study with the proverb challenge, we trust God to open our eyes and give us the listening ear and a teachable heart in Jesus’ name.
The Book of Proverbs is packed with wisdom and guidance and offers timeless advice for navigating life’s challenges. In our study of Chapters 1-15 today, we will look at some of the key points from each chapter and in some cases just an overview of the chapter.
We encourage us to take time to read the whole chapter in our own personal time.
CHAPTER 1: Verses 3-4, 7-9, 10, 20-23, 24-30
Those who cling to Gods word will receive knowledge and wisdom to navigate life and to handle complex in situations. Making right judgement call. This book will give great skill to teach the immature and make them wise.
To fear God is to honour and reverence Him, to obey His command and to follow godly counsel. Do not envy sinners. Don’t look at what they have and don’t join their quest.
Wisdoms warns us to turn away from foolishness - 2 Timothy 4:3 NLT
Vs24-30: Highlights the challenges those who refused godly counsel will be faced with.
CHAPTER 2: Verses 1-4, 7-11, 12-19, 20-22
If we accept God’s wisdom, follow His principles and listen to His voice, then we will walk in His fear and truly understand who God is. As we honour Him with our life, He will give us sound wisdom and guide our decisions. When we embrace God’s wisdom (His counsel), our heart will be filled with divine revelation. This will give our soul pleasure because fear and worries will be far from us. We will make right judgement that will deliver us from the patch of the wicked and saves our life.
Godly understanding will help us to stay on the right path, with godly people.
CHAPTER 3: Verses 1-2, 5-6, 9-10 & 11-12.
Keeping the Lord’s command will give us long life and peace. We are encouraged to trust in the Lord with all your heart and acknowledge Him in all our ways, rather than relying on one’s own understanding. If we want an overflowing blessing, then we must honour God with all that we have and the first part of our harvest. Do not reject the Lord’s discipline, and don’t be angry when you are corrected. The Lord corrects the one He loves, just as a father corrects a child he cares about.
CHAPTER 4: Verses 1-5, 14-19, 23.
In this King chapter king Solomon emphasised the importance of receiving wisdom from the elders and encourages us to follow his example and pursue wisdom as the supreme thing (vs3-4). It also gives various commands to avoid the paths of the wicked, and to stay on the path of the righteous, which is like the shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day. He told us to guard our heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life.
CHAPTER 5: Verses 3-4, 7-20
This chapter warns us (especially those who are married) about the dangers and consequences of adultery, which is portrayed as a seductive woman whose words are sweet, but whose end is bitter. The Proverb appeals to men to be faithful to their own wife, and to rejoice in the love of marriage. Keep away from adulterous woman and rejoice in the wife of your youth. The youth can as well take lesson about not getting entangle with a stranger when making marriage decision. Vs 9-12, Amos 3:3, 2 Corinthians 6:14-18.
CHAPTER 6: Verses 1-5, 6-11, 12-16, 16-19
This chapters warns of the danger of being a guarantor to a stranger. (Someone you don’t know, with and questionable character). Lazy people should take lesson from the ants. Lazy people will get poorer and will be a burden to others. The mischief of the troublemakers is that disaster will strike, and they will be destroyed. Vs 16-19 listed seven things that the hates:
1. Eyes that show pride,
2. Tongues that tell lies,
3. Hands that kill innocent people,
4. Hearts that plan evil things to do,
5. Feet that run to do evil,
6. Witnesses in court who tell lies, and
7. Anyone who causes family members to fight.
CHAPTER 7: Verses 6-25 (ERV)
This chapter repeats the warning against adultery in chapter 5, but with more emphasis on young man falling victim of an adulterous woman. It shows how a crafty and brazen woman lures a young and naive man into her house. The Proverb paint the picture a seduction scene and thought it was a movie and the fatal outcome of the affair.
It ends with a plea to a young man to listen to wisdom and avoid the path of the adulteress, which leads to death.
CHAPTER 8: Verses 1-9, 10-11, 13, 32 (ERV)
This chapter is about the need to embrace wisdom. Whoever finds wisdom finds life. Wisdom will not say anything that is wrong but the truth. Vs 5-6: You who are ignorant, learn to be wise. You who are foolish, get some common sense. Listen, I have something important to say, and I am telling you what is right. Vs10-11: Choose discipline over silver and knowledge over the finest gold. Wisdom is better than pearls, and nothing you desire compares with wisdom. Vs 13: To respect the Lord means to hate evil. I hate pride and boasting, evil lives and hurtful words.
Vs 32: Now, children, listen to me, if you follow my ways, you will be happy.
CHAPTER 9: Verses 1-6, 7-9, 10 (ERV)
This chapter shows the difference between the two invitations, and the results of accepting or rejecting them. It distinguishes between the wise and the foolish, and how they respond to instruction and correction. The chapter ends with a reminder in Vs10 that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and that knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. It once again stress that foolishness (described as a woman) is loud, stupid, and knows nothing.
CHAPTER 10: Verses 1, 11-12, 19, 30 (ERV)
This chapter shows compares the righteous and the wicked, the wise and the foolish, the diligent and the lazy, and other aspects of human conduct and character.
A wise son makes his father happy; a foolish one makes his mother sad. Love covers all offences. With many words, sin is not lacking. The righteous will never be uprooted.
CHAPTER 11 Verses 1, 3
Vs. 1: “The Lord detests the use of dishonest scales, but He delights in accurate weights.”
Vs 3: “Honesty guides good people; dishonesty destroys treacherous people.”
Here we see the benefits of righteousness and the pitfalls of wickedness in various aspects of life (vs 6-7). Vs 21 talks about beauty without discretion is like gold in the snout of a pig. Vs 25 explained that the generous will prosper and be refreshed, just as their good deed is refreshing to others.
The actions of the godly leave a positive impact on the people and in the community but the wicked is not so, people rejoice at their demise. (vs 10-11, 29-31)
CHAPTER 12
Whosoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but whoever hates correction is stupid(vs1).
The diligent will get the reward they deserve(vs24). Hash words break relationship, but a careful and a thoughtful word brings healing(vs18).
This chapter present the difference in character of the wise and the foolish. The wise are those that are disciplined and happy when corrected. It shows the contrast in the behaviour of the wicked and the righteous and what will be their end. One important thing and an encouragement for everyone who stand for the truth is that lies will soon be exposed(vs19). It also highlights the importance of a godly wife(vs5).
CHAPTER 13
In this chapter we see more of the consequences of our choices. If we are going to get the best out of life and fit into God’s plan and purpose for our life, we are encouraged to follow path of the righteous. Godliness guards the path of the blameless, but the evil ones are misled by sin(vs6). The rich can pay a ransom for their lives, but the poor won’t even get threatened. The life of the godly is full of light and joy, but the light of the wicked will be snuffed out (vs8-9). Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble(vs20).
CHAPTER 14
When we look at this chapter, it is very clear that the mouth of the fool is a rod that beats them(vs3). Laughter can conceal a heavy heart, but when the laughter ends, the grief remains(vs13). In other words, pain the ungodly might be hiding with a big smile, you may not understand. Vs19 goes further to say, “Evil people will bow before good people; the wicked will bow at the gates of the godly”, that is evil will never prevail.
In vs26-27 is a clear distinction of what those who fear the Lord get compared to the ungodly. “Those who fear the Lord are secure; he will be a refuge for their children. Fear of the Lord is a life-giving fountain; it offers escape from the snares of death”.
CHAPTER 15
In this chapter, we can see the impacts of the godly (wise) and the ungodly (foolish), wherever they are, in the family, community fellowship or the nation at large. Godly people are a treasure, bringing peace and harmony while the ungodly brings trouble. There is treasure in the house of the godly, but the earnings of the wicked bring trouble (vs6). Vs3 The Lord is watching everywhere, keeping his eye on both the evil and the good, and in vs8 it says The Lord reject the sacrifice of the wicked and honour the prayer of the upright. Vs 17 sum it all up for us, it is better to dwell where love is than where riches abound with wickedness. “A bowl of vegetables with someone you love is better than steak with someone you hate”.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, there is wisdom for everyday living, covering every aspect of our life. The choice is ours, to be wise and be saved or to be fools and reap the consequence that comes with it.
If you reject wisdom, you must embrace folly. This was described in Chapter 9:13-18 (TPT) “There is a way that people think is right, but it leads only to death” 14:12 – ERV.
You can rationalize it all you want and justify the path of error you have chosen, but you’ll find out in the end that you took the road to destruction 14:12 – TPT.
