Proverbs 12-15
Proverbs 12-15 continues the theme of contrasting righteousness
and wickedness. This can also be stated
as contrasting wisdom to foolishness, for those following righteousness attain
wisdom but those following wickedness have only foolishness to guide them.
We will take a closer look at three of the main themes in
these chapters: security, character, and
hard work. But before doing so, let’s
briefly touch on some of the other themes also included in the chapters.
Pleasing the Lord.
If you have a desire to put a smile on God’s face, Proverbs can help you
figure out what to do. Essentially God
is pleased with those who pursue righteousness.
Proverbs 15:8 & 9 say that the prayer of the upright pleases him and
that he loves those who pursue righteousness.
Proverbs 15:26 says that the pure please him. It’s interesting that he doesn’t give
particular tasks or actions as examples.
It is through following his ways, no matter what we do, that pleases him.
Better a little with love. Proverbs causes us to reflect upon what’s
really important in life – and it’s often the opposite of what we see around
us. Proverbs 15:16 and 17 emphasize that
it’s more beneficial to have only a little and to eat a meal of vegetables than
to have great wealth that is accompanied by turmoil and hatred.
Our own wisdom.
Proverbs 12:8 and 15 advocate using our own logic to think through what
we do. A prudent man gives thought to
his steps. But we are also warned in
Proverbs 12:12 that ‘there is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end
it leads to death.” We need to walk that
fine line between using the resources and brains God has given us and leaving
room for God to provide the final direction.
Only he can comprehend all the variables in a given situation.
Our tongues. It
is certainly not unusual for any book in the Bible to address the topic of what
comes out of our mouths. This is
especially so in Proverbs, which is drenched in verses warning us about the
damage the tongue can do. But it also
emphasizes the good that positive words can bring. Proverbs 12:25 describes the good the
listener receives: “An anxious heart
weighs a man down, but a cheerful word cheers him up.”
And Proverbs 15:23 describes the joy that the giver of a
timely word receives: “A man finds joy
in giving an apt reply – and how good is a timely word!” Being a bearer of wisdom through our tongue
not only benefits others, but it gives us joy as well.
In Proverbs 15:7 God compares the tongue to the heart, as if
they were one and the same: “The lips of
the wise spread knowledge; not so the heart of fools.” Out of the overflow of
the heart the mouth speaks. We are known
to be good or foolish by the consistent pattern of our speech. That is why God says in Proverbs 12:22 that
he “detests lying lips, but he delights in men who are truthful.” It is ultimately the heart God is interested
in and the words we say, or don’t say, reflect what’s in our hearts.
Child-rearing advice.
God is very practical and even provides advice on raising our
children. Proverbs 13:24 says that a
person ‘who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to
discipline him.’ God is the best father
around and he disciplines us for our benefit.
Proverbs has many verses on the wisdom of accepting correction. We are to likewise discipline our children and
teach them to accept correction for their own benefit.
Godly Advice. These
four chapters of Proverbs have an abundance of verses on distinguishing between
wise and foolish counsel and how important it is to our well-being to seek and
accept Godly counsel. In fact, we prove
ourselves to be wise when we accept Godly counsel (Proverbs 13:10). I find it encouraging to know that knowledge
comes easily to the discerning while the mocker does not find wisdom (Proverbs
14:6). There is so much information that
is thrown at us each day and so many different opinions, but if we seek God’s
wisdom, we will be granted correct understanding.
Now we will continue with a deeper dive into some of the other
themes in Proverbs 12-15.
Security
As the years pass, I realize more and more the correlation
between the feeling of security and a productive, joyful and peaceful
life. It is ultimately security that we
long for when we seek a spouse or a best friend – the security of knowing
someone will always be there for us.
When we place importance on a good job, we seek the stability of
continual food and shelter. We are even
addressing security when we seek peace of mind.
The constancy of emotional and mental health, especially in troublesome
times, gives us the security of knowing we can make it through the situation
and that life won’t always be this way.
One aspect of worry is the lack of a feeling of security. Not trusting God results in worry, which means
we believe the stability we long for is being denied to us.
God calls us to childlike faith. In Matthew 18:3, Jesus says that ‘unless you
change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of
heaven.” Eternity is built into our
hearts. The ways of the kingdom are what
we crave in the depths of our souls. And
the kingdom operates in complete dependence and trust on God, as a child does
its parent. We long for security because
it is planted in our hearts; it is our rightful inheritance.
Proverbs provides assurance that we can live with a sense of
security even while we are on this earth.
God is sovereign and in control even here. We may not understand all his ways, but we
can lay aside the worry of instability and trust that he has us in his
hands. Proverbs 12:3 and 7 tell us that
we are secure in our foundation no matter what the circumstance because “the
righteous cannot be uprooted” and “the house of the righteous stands
firm.” Security is even provided to the
offspring of those who follow God: “He
who fears the Lord has a secure fortress, and for his children it will be a
refuge” (Proverbs 14:26).
The ‘catch’ is that security is provided only to those who
pursue righteousness. The wicked are
given no such assurance. In fact, most
of the verses dealing with this theme contrast the security of the righteous
and the instability of the foolish.
Proverbs 12:21 says “the wicked have their fill of trouble.” Proverbs 13:6 says that “righteousness guards
the man of integrity, but wickedness overthrows the sinner.” And Proverbs 14:32 lets us know we always
have a place to go for help: “When
calamity comes, the wicked are brought down, but even in death the righteous
have a refuge.” And it’s reassuring to
know that God actively works on our behalf:
“The Lord tears down the proud man’s house but he keeps the widow’s
boundaries intact.” (Proverbs 15:25).
However, this stumbling block overtakes most of us at one
time or another: we don’t always see or
understand how God is protecting us. It
can, in fact, feel the exact opposite – as if we have been abandoned. For those times, God gives us the directive
to stand in childlike trust and declare His faithfulness even when it is not
apparent. Isaiah 55:8-9 declares that
His ways are not our ways and that is never as apparent as when we feel that
the wicked are prospering while we are perishing. Jeremiah echoes the thoughts of our hearts
in Jeremiah 12:1b, “Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all the faithless live at ease?” It seems that Jeremiah was at the height of
frustration and exaggerated a bit by saying that ‘all’ the faithless live at
ease. But doesn’t it feel that way
sometimes?
During those difficult times, we would do well to stand on
faith that in the end God will provide security and justice for His children,
as he promises. But it can also be
helpful during those times of distress to take a step back and determine if you
are looking at the situation from a Godly or a worldly point of view. What
is the definition of prosperity…of success…of well-being…of peace? Ask yourself if you really want the type of
prosperity the wicked enjoy. Although
much could be said about these topics, I encourage you to think through them on
your own. Search the scriptures and talk
to God about it. One thing is for
sure: the wicked will not attain
security beyond this physical world unless they turn from their ways and
embrace righteousness.
Hard Work
Hard word is extolled in Proverbs 12-15. The lazy are chastised not only for their
lack of effort, but for their wrong thought processes and bad character. Proverbs 12:11 says that the person who
chases fantasies lacks judgment.
Essentially, laziness is simply the result of wrong thinking and wrong
motivations. The motives are wrong
because the desire is to have an easy life without work. The thinking is wrong because the lazy person
is not weighing the consequences of their inactivity, such as a lack of some of
the essentials of life.
Proverbs 12:12 says ‘the wicked desire the plunder of evil
men.’ Again this is a character issue –
they are essentially coveting. They
desire the fruit of another’s labors.
This also implies dissatisfaction with what they have. The world certainly encourages this attitude
– just a little bit more and for less effort.
Lose weight by taking a pill!
Earn thousands of dollars while sitting in your easy chair! It is comes down to coveting, which requires
no hard work at all. It’s easier to
covet than to get busy and start producing.
But other proverbs assure us that hard work has it
benefits. Proverbs 12:14 and 14:23 remind
us that work rewards us and brings a profit.
Proverbs 12:24 says that ‘diligent hands will rule.’ We will be free to move forward and to direct
our course rather than be enslaved to others.
The only way to achieve fulfillment of desires is hard work. We can be like the sluggard that craves and
gets nothing or be diligent in our tasks and become fully satisfied (Proverbs
13:4).
As an added bonus, the security that we discussed earlier
comes into play here. Proverbs 14:1a
says that “the wise woman builds her house.”
A house does not magically appear by wishing it to be….it requires
effort to earn money, seek a house and move in.
Hard work assists us in our quest for security.
The practice of hard work extends to all of God’s
creation. Proverbs 14:4 rightly states
that it is from the strength of an ox that we have an abundant harvest. In our culture today we have new agricultural
techniques, but the machines are essentially replacing the hard word of the
ox. But look a little closer to home and
you witness the same scene. The bird
flying from place to place in search of food.
The squirrel burying its nuts in the fall to have food during
winter. All of God’s creatures are busy
at work on a regular basis.
I find Proverbs 15:19 to be one worth remembering when the
urge to procrastinate hits me. “The way
of the sluggard is blocked with thorns, but the path of the righteous is a
highway.” There have been many times
that the task at hand not only appeared large and difficult but actually became
so because I put off doing the task in the first place. It’s amazing, for example, how a small stack
of papers on the side of your desk can quickly turn into two huge piles when
left unattended to. Conversely, I have
been pleasantly surprised at the way diligence in one task can ease the
completion of the next. Sometimes the
tasks build on each other and sometimes they simple lend insight into more
efficient ways of completing the task the next time around. But one thing is certain, hard work on a
timely basis causes life to go on a smoother course than would otherwise be the
case.
Character
The last theme we will address is character. The issue of character is interwoven into all
the chapters in Proverbs. We even
touched on it the section about hard work.
It is interesting that many of the verses on character reference the qualities
of the fruit of the Spirit found in Galations 5:22, “The fruit of the Spirit is
love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and
self-control.” We completed a study last
year on the fruit of the Spirit. This
will be a good review.
Love Proverbs 13:24 A person “who
spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline
him.”
Joy Proverbs
12:20 There is “joy for those who
promote peace.”
Peace Proverbs
14:30 “A heart at peace gives life to
the body, but envy rots the bones.”
Patience Proverbs
14:29 “A patient man has great
understanding, but a quick-tempered man displays his folly.”
Kindness Proverbs
12:10 “A righteous man cares for the
needs of his animal, but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel.”
Goodness Proverbs 14:18 “The simple inherit folly, but the prudent
are crowned with knowledge.”
Faithfulness Proverbs
14:22 “Do not those who plot evil go astray? But those who plan what is good
find love and faithfulness.”
Gentleness Proverbs
14:16 “A wise man fears the Lord and
shuns evil; but a fool is hotheaded and reckless.”
Self-control
Proverbs 12:16 “A fool shows his annoyance at once but a
prudent man overlooks an insult.”
Proverbs helps us understand and apply the fruit of the
Spirit to our lives. It also reminds us
that ultimately it is by seeking after righteousness and building Godly
character that we will attain and display that fruit.
On a final note, as a wife, Proverbs 12:4 strikes right into
my heart: “A wife of noble character is
her husband’s crown, but a disgraceful wife is like decay in his bones.” This verse applies equally to the impact of
our character on all relationships.
Attaining Godly wisdom and building Godly character not only serves us
well, it is essential to being a positive influence to those in the world
around us.
Questions
- Choose one of the following and share your definition: success, prosperity, well-being, peace & contentment, security.
- Share your current state of security – do you feel secure or insecure in your life circumstances? Do you have a lot of worry or anxiety in your life? Share why you think you are feeling that way.
- Do you have a tendency toward hard work or laziness? Explain.
- Share a time when hard work paid off or when procrastination made a situation worse than it would have been it was dealt with immediately.
- Which of the fruit of the Spirit would you like to grow? What steps can you take to head in that direction?
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