Tag Archives: long life

John T. Polk II 4:00 am on 2013-07-22
Tags: , , long life, , smoke, , ,   

(#31) The Proverbs of Solomon 10:26-30-Being Lazy or Wicked Ends Badly

Proverbs 10:1-24:34 are randomly written, as if they were Judgments Solomon made about individual cases brought to him for Divine Wisdom (1 Kings Chapters 3 and 10), or simply God-given explanations about life. New Testament passages may help see the continuation of Wisdom offered through Jesus Christ.

Proverbs 10:26:

“As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, So is the lazy man to those who send him.”

Sending a “lazy man” on a mission is offensive like “vinegar to the teeth” and “smoke to the eyes.” Vinegar is unpleasant to teeth and causes them to be “set on edge.” Sins were never completely forgiven under Moses’ Law, hence there was a sense in which the children paid for their parents’ sins. The proverb, “The fathers have eaten sour grapes, And the children’s teeth are set on edge” (Ezekiel 18:2-3) was no longer to be used in Israel, once God chose a new people with a new covenant (Jeremiah 31:29-34), which He has chosen by the Gospel of Jesus Christ   (Hebrews 8:6-13; 1 Peter 2:1-5). Anyone who has ever grilled over an open fire knows what smoke does to the eyes. That irritation causes watering, similar to crying. The “lazy man” offends in both ways because he/she cannot be depended upon for any useful work.

Proverbs 10:27-28:

“The fear of the LORD prolongs days, But the years of the wicked will be shortened. 28 The hope of the righteous will be gladness, But the expectation of the wicked will perish.”

Honoring both “father and mother” was the first commandment in Moses’ Law “with promise” (Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 5:16) as pointed out in the New Testament (Ephesians 6:1-3). Learning from parental experience and instruction has beneficial physical effects on children. The stability of respect and reverence for parents never diminishes throughout one’s life. On the other hand, those who disdain, disregard, or disparage their parents walk through life on a rocky road with many pitfalls. “The righteous” always have positive blessing to look forward to, but “the wicked” have nothing but a great destruction.

Proverbs 10:29-30:

“The way of the LORD is strength for the upright, But destruction will come to the workers of iniquity. 30 The righteous will never be removed, But the wicked will not inhabit the earth.”

“Strength,” stability, and boldness to approach God in prayers (Hebrews 4:16) and other worship (Psalm 100:1-2) is for “the upright” (those who obey the “Upright” God, Deuteronomy 32:4). “Workers of iniquity” (dedicated sinners) are always under God’s condemnation (Psalm 6:8; Luke 13:23-28; Matthew 7:21-23).   Proverbs 21:15: “It is a joy for the just to do justice, But destruction will come to the workers of iniquity.”

All Scriptures and comments are based upon the New King James Version, unless otherwise noted.

#bible-study, #lazy, #long-life, #proverbs, #smoke, #vinegar, #wisdom, #workers-of-iniquity

John T. Polk II 4:01 am on 2013-06-19
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Studies in the Book of Proverbs #8

(#8) The Wise Trust God And Improve Their Lives 3:1-12

Following God’s Wisdom brings out the best qualities in us, as we learn to have total confidence in God’s guidance. Heeding Wisdom will give one:

Verses 1-2: Longer Life. “My son” is an expression used some 15 times in the first 7 chapters of Proverbs, for it is written as if Solomon is instructing his son. The way to “not forget” law is to “let your heart keep” the commands. This is explained in James 1:21-25 and applied to Christian obedience. Obedience comes from the “heart,” as do all our words (Matthew 12:35-37), sins (Mark 7:21-23), jobs (Ephesians 6:5-8). Blessings promised include “length of days” as in good health, “long life” as in living to old age, and “peace” as assistance to abundance or prosperity. Statistics show that those who regularly go to church live longer.

Verses 3-4: Better Relations. If “mercy” (feelings for the plight of our fellowmen) and “truth” (factual and accurate knowledge of our, and others’, actions) are written on our heart, we will wear them like jewelry. These two qualities of character are appreciated (“favor and high esteem”) among men and by God. All deep friendships are based upon understanding the friend, and honesty.

Verses 5-6: Higher Direction. Total trust in God in all our ways is possible because He made us (Genesis 1:26-27), greatly loved us (Ephesians 2:4-7), gave His Son for us (Ephesians 5:1-2). Why should we not believe He wants to help us make the best decisions in our lives? Trust “with all our heart” means we give up our “own understanding” and defer to His direction. It reduces tension to know what to do.

Verses 7-8: Better Health. To be “wise in your own eyes” is another way of describing “loftiness and arrogance and pride” (Jeremiah 48:29-31), but it takes “fear” (respect, awe) of the LORD, and the desire to “depart from evil” (or leave sinful practices, also known as repentance). By listening to God, we may keep our physical bodies from the dissipation and disease of sins, and live healthier and stronger lives, just as God promised His Israelites (Deuteronomy 15:26). Humility is the way of recognizing realistically our place in this vast world, without hypocrisy.

Verses 9-10: Better Prosperity.  Thank God first with whatever we prosper, and He will think of us when we prosper. “He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:6-7). God always has required that giving to Him come before any other consideration, and be freewill (Leviticus 23:37-38).

Verses 11-12: Better Attitude. A person who wants to be a spiritual “child of God” will accept some things that happen in life as God’s “chastening” (teaching) or “correction” (sometimes hurtful reminders not to stray from the path of good). No parent loves his/her child who will not “correct” (discipline) the child, when needed. These two verses are used to show Christians not to become discouraged at God’s correction, for it proves that God is dealing with them as a child whom He loves (Hebrews 12:3-11).

All Scriptures and comments are based upon the New King James Version,  unless otherwise noted.

#bible-study, #christian-living, #correction, #daily-bible-reading, #discipline, #god, #health, #life, #long-life, #mercy, #obedience, #practical-lessons, #pride, #proverbs, #sin, #teaching, #truth, #wisdom