Archive for August 2022

Esther 9-10, Proverbs 17:15-28, Luke 20:20-26, Philemon 12-25   Proverbs 17:15-28:   More acute, timely, and timeless wisdom from Proverbs. Read, learn, and inwardly digest!   We start with a proverb about justice:  “He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous are both alike an abomination to the Lord” (17:15).   It is as bad to excuse those who do evil as…

Esther 7-8, Proverbs 17:1-14, Luke 20:9-19, Philemon 1-11   Proverbs 17:1-14:   Take these proverbs, read them, reflect on them, and learn from them! We begin with some wisdom about home life and the household:  “Better is a dry morsel with quiet than a house full of feasting with strife” (17:1).   “A servant who deals wisely will rule over a son…

Esther 5-6, Proverbs 16:17-33, Luke 20:1-8, Titus 3:9-15   Proverbs 16:17-33:   It is easy to assume that evil is something obvious, rare, or unlikely to affect us. But the reality is subtler. Here is a set of Proverbs that press into various ways that we need to resist evil and develop Christlikeness in the pursuit of wisdom to the…

Esther 3-4, Proverbs 16:1-16, Luke 19:39-48, Titus 3:1-8   Proverbs 16:1-16:   This section appears to be subdivided into two broad areas: first, planning; second, justice. It ends with a summary statement regarding wisdom that expresses the conclusion that because of these themes, wisdom is very precious.  Therefore, choose wisdom!   First, we have an area that addresses the matter of…

Esther 2, Proverbs 15:18-33, Luke 19:28-38, Titus 2:11-15   Proverbs 15:18-33:   Here in this section, there are many wise words worth reflecting on, acting on, believing and practicing. First, a proverb about temper: “A hot-tempered person stirs up conflict, but the one who is patient calms a quarrel” (15:18). If you are in a situation where there is much…

Esther 1, Proverbs 15:1-17, Luke 19:11-27, Titus 2:1-10   Proverbs 15:1-17:   This section of Proverbs is subdivided into three subsections: speech, the Lord’s judgment, and the heart. Many of the proverbs turn up surprises, but once understood, grasp you by the lapels and urge you to listen to their truth!   First, we come across a series of proverbs…

Nehemiah 13, Proverbs 14:19-35, Luke 19:1-10, Titus 1:10-16   Proverbs 14:19-35:   More nuggets of gold to extract from wisdom’s goldmine of Proverbs! First, a proverb about the ultimate triumph of good: “Evildoers will bow down in the presence of the good, and the wicked at the gates of the righteous” (14:19). At times it can seem as if the…

Nehemiah 12, Proverbs 14:1-18, Luke 18:31-43, Titus 1:1-9   Proverbs 14:1-18:   This is divided into two sections, one dealing with a contrast with folly and wisdom, and the other delving more into the emotive aspects of the same theme. In both cases the point is: it is wiser to be wise! The first section contrasts folly with wisdom in…

Nehemiah 11, Proverbs 13:13-25, Luke 18:18-30, 2 Timothy 4:9-22   Proverbs 13:13-25:   This section seems to be divided into three main subsections, one related to instruction or speech, another to knowledge, and the third related to discipline. First comes a series of proverbs related to speech: “Whoever scorns instruction will pay for it, but whoever respects a command is…

Nehemiah 10, Proverbs 13:1-12, Luke 18:9-17, 2 Timothy 4:1-8   Proverbs 13:1-12:   This section of Proverbs calls us towards the wisdom that pleases and honors God, and therefore is the life that is most fulfilling for us. The first section is related to speaking:  “A wise son heeds his father’s instruction, but a mocker does not respond to rebukes”…