Proverbs: Timeless Wisdom for a Life of Blessing 9781595483898, 9781680319415

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Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible. Public domain. Definitions marked American Heritage Dictionary or AHD are taken from The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. 5th ed. Copyright © 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Boston. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked American Standard Version or ASV are taken from American Standard Version of the Bible. Public domain. Scripture quotations taken from the Amplified® Bible (AMP). Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission; www.Lockman.org. Scripture quotations taken from the Amplified® Bible (AMPC). Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission; www.Lockman.org. Andrew Wommack’s Living Commentary. © 2008 Andrew Wommack Ministries, Inc. Database © 2008 WORDsearch Corp. Scripture quotations marked Bible in Basic English or BBE are taken from The Bible in Basic English. Copyright © 1982 by Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. All rights reserved. The Houghton Mifflin American Heritage Electronic Dictionary or HMAHED. Copyright 1982–90. All rights reserved. Version 1.000. Scripture quotations marked The Living Bible or TLB are from The Living Bible, copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. The Living Bible, TLB, and the The Living Bible logo are registered trademarks of Tyndale House Publishers.

Scripture taken from The Message or MSG. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. Scripture quotations marked New International Version, New International Version (1984 edition), or NIV are from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Scripture quotations marked New Revised Standard Version or NRSV are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. James Strong, S.T.D., LL.D. Public domain. Strong’s Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary. Englishman-Strong’s Concordance, copyright 1993. Used by permission of Online Bible, Winterbourne, ONT. All rights reserved. Database © 2007 WORDsearch Corp. Scripture quotations marked World English Bible or WEB are taken from World English Bible™ version of the Bible. Public domain. Proverbs: Timeless Wisdom for a Life of Blessing ISBN 13: 978-159548-389-8 eISBN: 978-168031-941-5 Copyright © 2017 by Andrew Wommack Ministries, Inc. PO Box 3333 Colorado Springs, CO 80934-3333 Printed in the United States of America. All rights reserved under international copyright law. Contents and/or cover may not be

reproduced in whole or in part in any form without the express written consent of the publisher. Printed in Canada. All rights reserved under international copyright law. Contents and/or cover may not be reproduced in whole or in part in any form without the express written consent of the publisher.

Table of Contents Introduction Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Chapter Thirteen Chapter Fourteen Chapter Fifteen Chapter Sixteen Chapter Seventeen Chapter Eighteen Chapter Nineteen Chapter Twenty Chapter Twenty-One Chapter Twenty-Two Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four Chapter Twenty-Five Chapter Twenty-Six Chapter Twenty-Seven Chapter Twenty-Eight Chapter Twenty-Nine Chapter Thirty Chapter Thirty-One

Proverbs Introduction

I’ve been studying the book of Proverbs for over fifty years now, and it has brought me tremendous revelation. Recently, I finished an in-depth study of it, and it ministered to me so much that I wanted to share what I have learned with you. The principles found in Proverbs are really missing in our culture today. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that our society has drastically departed from the basic, foundational truths that can be found in the book of Proverbs. I have never put together any resource that teaches verse by verse through Proverbs. It’s a little different for me to teach this way as I usually take topics and then use various verses to teach those topics. There’s certainly value to that, but I chose to approach Proverbs differently. I will say up front that this will probably be more in-depth than what most people who get my resources are used to, but again, it is vital. Solomon said the reason he wrote the book of Proverbs was to provide subtlety, discretion, wisdom, and understanding and to keep people from being deceived (Prov. 1:4–5). You can see that this is critical information. This is exactly what our society needs today. It’s in short supply because people do not study the book of Proverbs. What Solomon teaches is so needed, yet sometimes the things that are needed the most are not appreciated. For example, I have a series called Humility: God’s Path to More Grace, which I consider to be one of my best teachings. There are truths in that series that have literally transformed my life and have made my life so much easier. But it has received one of the lowest television responses we’ve ever had. I believe it’s because people would rather go straight for dessert and bypass the vegetables! They don’t want to learn about those things that will help them and make them spiritually healthy; they just want the feel-good stuff. If I teach on healing, prosperity, or how to control your emotions, our response goes through the roof. But if I teach on things that people need but tend not to desire, they don’t want to hear it, or they think they already know everything they need to know on that subject.

I guarantee that the principles taught in the book of Proverbs are rare. Most people do not know these things. If they did, they wouldn’t live the way they do. Psalm 36:1 says, “The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes.” For those who read and understand the Word, when they see people living the way they do, they know it’s because people don’t reverence the Lord. People may say they believe in God, but with the way they live, the way they vote, the things they watch on television, the things they spend their money on—it all says that they have no fear of God. We need to learn about those things that will cause us to reverence, honor, and fear God more than we fear people so that we don’t just follow the crowd. The teaching in this book is taken straight from my Living Commentary electronic study Bible. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of footnotes that I’ve written on the book of Proverbs in the Living Commentary. This valuable software provides each verse along with corresponding commentary. As you “mouse over” a scripture reference, the entire verse appears. This keeps you from flipping through pages to find a verse. Along with the commentary, there are study references, definitions of Hebrew words, and a lot more. It really is a tremendous study tool, and it’s what I’ve used to compile this verse-by-verse teaching on Proverbs. Anyway, I know that this study on the book of Proverbs is going to help you in tremendous ways. Be blessed and receive all that the Lord has for you as you dive into these scriptures with me. Note: Throughout this volume are references to the Amplified Bible (AMP) and the Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC). The Amplified Bible was updated in 2015. Bible quotations in this text, taken from the older edition, are tagged with Classic Edition per publisher’s request. The New International Version was updated in 2011; however, the version’s name did not change. Bible quotations from the older edition have “1984 edition” added to the reference.

Proverbs Chapter One

1:1 The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel. Proverbs was written by King Solomon. Solomon was the son of King David, and when Solomon first came into power, he was overwhelmed with the responsibility of being king. God appeared to him in a dream and told Solomon to ask for whatever he wanted (1 Kgs. 3:5 and 2 Chr. 1:7). So, Solomon asked for wisdom to have understanding so that he could judge God’s people (1 Kgs. 3:6–9 and 2 Chr. 1:8–10). God was so impressed with Solomon for not asking for riches or honor or victory over his enemies that He told Solomon, “I’m going to give you what you asked for, plus I’ll give you riches and honor like no one else has ever had before” (1 Kgs. 3:10– 13 and 2 Chr. 1:11–12). Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people: for who can judge this thy people, that is so great? And God said to Solomon, Because this was in thine heart, and thou hast not asked riches, wealth, or honour, nor the life of thine enemies, neither yet hast asked long life; but hast asked wisdom and knowledge for thyself, that thou mayest judge my people, over whom I have made thee king: Wisdom and knowledge is granted unto thee; and I will give thee riches, and wealth, and honour, such as none of the kings have had that have been before thee, neither shall there any after thee have the like. 2 Chronicles 1:10–12 The wisdom that Solomon offers throughout Proverbs was given to him from God. This is not worldly wisdom. First Corinthians 2 contrasts the wisdom that comes from God versus wisdom that comes from man. The wisdom from man comes to nothing. It’s vain. We see people operating in worldly or secular wisdom—wisdom that completely goes against God’s Word. This is the reason for our society’s moral decay. We see our nation just doing foolish things.

You know, I went on a trip with some of the young men who work for me. We were in Berlin, and we looked at some of the things concerning World War II. I remember going through the Iron Curtain many times during the 1980s. But these young men and I went to Checkpoint Charlie. It is totally different now as a historical tourist attraction than it was when I went through there in the 1980s. I was sharing some of these things, and these young men were just amazed. They didn’t know these things. I said, “If you don’t know history, then you are bound to repeat it.” And we see this happening today. People make the same mistakes now that were made in World War II with Hitler. When Hitler planned to invade his very first territory and take it over, he gave orders to his army to retreat and turn back if there was any resistance at all. Yet when they invaded certain areas, many of those people just let Hitler’s troops walk through. Hitler could’ve been stopped in the beginning. There were about five or six times that he could’ve been stopped before he began to start taking over national resources from other countries and expanding his control. People are missing this today. First Kings 4:29–32 also talk about how much wisdom God gave to Solomon: And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore. And Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt. For he was wiser than all men; than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol: and his fame was in all nations round about. And he spake three thousand proverbs: and his songs were a thousand and five. Solomon spoke 3,000 proverbs. The book of Proverbs contains a little over 800, so what’s recorded isn’t all of them. Proverbs 25:1 says that Hezekiah’s men copied out these proverbs. Solomon had written them, but King Hezekiah, who came along hundreds of years afterward, copied them out. This book of Proverbs is divine wisdom

that was imparted by God, and it’s important that we understand that. A proverb is defined as “a short, popular saying expressing a well-known truth or fact” (Houghton Mifflin American Heritage Electronic Dictionary). It is what we would call an axiom or a principle to live by. Proverbs are God-given principles that would bring happiness to our lives if we would live by them. They would bring joy and riches. The things that people seek after today don’t come the way the world goes after them. They come through the Word of God and through the wisdom of God.

Living Commentary Proverbs 1:1 Solomon also wrote the books of Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon. First Kings 4:32 reveals that Solomon wrote 3,000 proverbs— much more than the proverbs recorded in this book. However, Proverbs 1–29 are all of Solomon’s proverbs that we have in existence today. Proverbs 30–31 were added to Solomon’s proverbs, supposedly by Hezekiah’s men when they copied out Solomon’s proverbs (Prov. 25:1). Solomon was the wisest man who ever lived, and it was by the divine inspiration of God that he gained this wisdom (1 Kgs. 3:12, 4:29–34; and 2 Chr. 1:11–12). A proverb is “a short, popular saying expressing a well-known truth or fact” (HMAHED). This pithy saying has much more meaning than meets the eye. These are unchangeable truths that transcend time and culture and should be used as benchmarks for conduct and beliefs by all of us today.

1:2–4 To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding; To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity; To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion. This is so powerful! If we had this kind of understanding, wisdom, discretion, subtlety, judgment, and justice, there wouldn’t be all the injustices and foolish things going on in our world today. If the book of Proverbs and the truths it represents were held dear and close to people’s hearts, our world would be much different. These verses are saying that one of the major problems we have today is that people have departed from the Word of God. Specifically, the book of Proverbs gives us these principles to live by, such as how to conduct justice. There is so much injustice around us today. There is so much prejudice, bias, lying, and deception. At the time of writing this, we recently had an election in America, and people misrepresenting the truth was so rampant. If people were to live by the book of Proverbs, this would cease. Verse 4 says that the book of Proverbs gives “subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.” Did you know that the only weapon Satan has against us is deception? He has been stripped of all power. He has no power to force anyone to do anything. He gains access to people because of a lack of knowledge. God said in Hosea 4:6 that His people perish for a lack of knowledge. The very purpose of the book of Proverbs is to equip us with godly knowledge.

Living Commentary Proverbs 1:2–4 [1:2] Solomon stated that his purpose for writing these proverbs was to instruct us in wisdom and to help us perceive words of understanding. Everyone needs more wisdom and understanding; therefore, everyone needs to study this book.

[1:3] Solomon continued to explain what these proverbs would accomplish. It’s the Lord’s will that everyone should have wisdom, justice, judgment, and equity (Eph. 5:17). It’s never God who doesn’t give, but we who don’t receive. That’s why Solomon placed the emphasis on us receiving these things. [1:4] The Hebrew word that was translated “subtilty” here means “trickery; or (in a good sense) discretion” (Strong’s Concordance). It was translated “wisdom” in Proverbs 8:5. The Hebrew word that was translated “simple” means “silly (i.e. seducible)” (Strong’s Concordance). So, this verse is saying these proverbs will give wisdom to those who are easily seduced. Satan’s only power is deception. That’s why the truth of God’s Word sets us free (John 8:32). So, meditating on these truths will keep us from being fooled by the devil and his agents.

1:5 A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels. The book of Proverbs isn’t only for those who don’t have knowledge and who are totally simple and without understanding. This book is for everyone. If you don’t have any wisdom in your life, if it seems like your life is a total mess, the book of Proverbs is for you. But if you are a wise person, the book of Proverbs will make you wiser. We all need this instruction, and our lack of the knowledge that the book of Proverbs provides is one of the reasons we experience so many problems in our lives.

Living Commentary Proverbs 1:5 The book of Proverbs isn’t only to help the foolish and ignorant. These proverbs will make a wise person wiser and give more

understanding to those who already have understanding. As Proverbs 9:9 says, “Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.”

1:6 To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings. This verse shows that the book of Proverbs was not written with just a superficial meaning. There is depth to it. You have to interpret it. You have to think about it. You have to take these truths and meditate on them. Proverbs 4:26 says that we need to ponder the path of our feet. The very way that this verse is stated shows that there are meanings to the truths of Proverbs that are beyond the obvious meanings that lie on the surface. This is one of the reasons that I love the King James Version. I’m not someone who is a King James-only person who thinks that all other versions are of the devil, and if you read any other version, you’re of the devil and you’re going to hell. I’m not against other translations, but I do believe that the King James Version was written the way this verse indicates. It was written so that there is depth to it. I have read these verses in Proverbs literally thousands of times, and that is no exaggeration, yet I always get something new out of them. There is substance to these verses that is below the surface. Many of the modern translations and much of modern preaching is like a mile wide and an inch deep. There’s no depth. The translators have made it so simple that they have taken away all of the deep meaning and understanding. The book of Proverbs requires us to meditate on it in order to absorb these truths.

Living Commentary Proverbs 1:6

By the very wording of this verse, we can see that proverbs need interpretation. Proverbs use allegory and similes to convey truth. This is prevalent in the book of Proverbs.

1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction. After Solomon discussed the purpose of Proverbs (1:4–6), he then said, in verse 7, that everything begins with the fear of the Lord. The fear of the Lord here is not talking about terror, but reverence, honor, and respect. Psalm 111:10 and Proverbs 9:10 say, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.” So, the fear of the Lord is not only the beginning of knowledge but also the beginning of wisdom. Everything starts with this. I’m going to make some statements that will be really offensive to some people, and I know I’ll be criticized, but it will highlight the difference between the course of our world today and what the Bible says. There are people today who are considered to be the intellectuals of our society—people running our universities, people who hold political offices, and so forth. These are the people who are respected and honored and who are put on the magazine covers. And they do not have the fear of the Lord. But Psalm 36:1 states, “The transgression of the wicked saith within [his] heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes” (brackets mine). When you hear people say, “I was born a male, but I feel like a female,” that is perverse. The world will say, “No, this is wisdom.” They’ll laud these people for their decisions. But it shows that they have no fear of God, and they do not honor God. They think God made a mistake and put the wrong person in the wrong body. That’s just foolishness. It is absolute stupidity. We’ve got people today who are politicians—presidents even— promoting this. Back in the 1960s, the U.S. had a president who put a man on the moon. In contrast, we had a president who put men in

women’s restrooms. You can say what you want to, but that shows they have no fear of God. They do not honor or respect God. They don’t understand the book of Proverbs. Some talk about how wise some people, like our university professors, are. The most liberal places in America are probably our universities. They’ve been co-opted and hijacked for liberal policies. Today’s universities produce people who do not fear the Lord. According to Proverbs 1:7, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” A lot of people today would despise the things that I’ve just said, yet what I’m saying comes directly from Scripture. You know what that means? It means that those people are fools! I know that’s politically incorrect, but this is exactly what the Scripture says. Psalms 14:1 and 53:1 say, “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.” A fool is a person who denies the existence of God. Yet Psalm 19:1–6 make it very clear that all of creation is constantly shouting out that there is a God. There are people who can’t hear that or see it, but the Bible says that there is no tongue, no language, no place on earth that the witness of creation isn’t there. Yet we have people running our universities today and others who are the movers and shakers of society, all denying the existence of God. That’s just totally foolish. When I go driving, I look around at the beautiful day and just think about how we live in an awesome world. It speaks of the majesty and glory of God. That’s what Psalm 19 is talking about. Yet there are many people who totally miss it. We need to start exalting the people God exalts and honoring those He honors—and not exalting people who deny the existence of God and come against everything that He stands for.

Living Commentary Proverbs 1:7

After Solomon’s introduction (Prov 1:1–6), this is his first proverb (see my note at Proverbs 1:6). Proverbs 1–9 gives proverbs that cover multiple verses. Then in Proverbs 10–29, with few exceptions, Solomon’s proverbs are basically one verse each. Any search for wisdom must begin with seeking the Lord as the source of all wisdom. Those who look for wisdom outside of the moral laws God has given are fools (Ps. 14:1 and 53:1). Proverbs 9:10 says, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,” as does Psalm 111:10.

1:8 My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother. Verse 7 says that the beginning of knowledge is the fear of the Lord, and here, in verse 8, Solomon begins to give some of this knowledge. He starts by talking about honoring your father and mother. I think it’s significant that the very first thing he does is lay a foundation that goes back to childhood. We need to honor our parents. In Ephesians 6:2, Paul said this same thing. One of the Ten Commandments is to honor your father and mother so your days would be long upon the land (Ex. 20:12 and Deut. 5:16). There are many of you who have rejected your parents’ authority. From childhood, there’s been rebellion in you, and you don’t respect your parents. You may not have connected the dots, but the problems that you have today—not being able to keep relationships going, not being able to keep a job, or always being in crisis—could be traced all the way back to your childhood when you were in rebellion and didn’t submit to your parents’ authority. We have a major lack of respect for authority today. Certainly, there are people in authority who do things wrong; there always have been. But we have some people today who have zero respect for authority. I could apply this in a million different ways, but we have entire cultures today that hate policemen and disrespect them. Are

there bad policemen? Yes. And if they are bad, they ought to be prosecuted. There are also bad preachers today, but that doesn’t mean that all preachers are bad. There are bad lawyers. That doesn’t mean all lawyers are bad. Every profession, every group, has bad people in it. There will always be evil people who misrepresent, but to reject authority is a major problem. One of the very first things that this wise man Solomon started saying by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit is that you need to listen to your parents. This doesn’t mean that you should never disobey ungodly commands. There are bad parents, but you can respect their authority while not obeying anything that is contrary to God’s Word. But honoring your parents is a beginning place for wisdom.

Living Commentary Proverbs 1:8 Solomon’s teaching on wisdom begins with an admonition to obey the instruction of your parents (Ex. 20:12 and Eph. 6:1). Rebellion in youth against authority is a seed that bears bad fruit all one’s life.

1:9 For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck. In other words, living a life of submission, respect, and honor for authority—for God and for those He places in authority over us—is like wearing jewelry. There are some women who wouldn’t dare leave the house without their jewelry. Sometimes, my wife will leave the house and forget to put on her earrings. She’ll say, “I feel so naked!” So, she always has a spare set of earrings that she carries in her purse, just in case.

Some people simply have to have their jewelry; they use it as ornaments. This proverb says that submission to God and to the authority He places in our lives is like wearing jewelry. It’s “an ornament…about thy neck.” We should be more concerned about how we look spiritually and about our attitudes than about physical appearance. That is a big indictment against our culture today. We put all of the emphasis on the external instead of on the values of the heart. This is a theme that will be repeated throughout Proverbs.

Living Commentary Proverbs 1:9 Obedience to parents looks good on you like fine jewelry. Many people are very concerned about their physical appearance and would never think of leaving home without their jewelry. But spiritually speaking, they leave home naked every day. In God’s sight, which is the only sight that really counts, wisdom and instruction are like clothes and jewelry. They make us pretty in His sight.

1:10–13 My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not. If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause: Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit. We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil. Throughout history, people have done evil. They entice others and abuse, kill, and take advantage of the weak. And this is what these verses are talking about. In verse 13, they make the promise that they will fill their houses with spoil. First Timothy 6:10 tells us that “the love of money is the root of all evil.” I can guarantee that when you see oppression, somewhere and somehow it’s because of the love of money. The evil people in these verses are saying,

“Come, and let’s take from these people. We’ll get their goods.” And it’s all because of money.

Living Commentary Proverbs 1:10–13 [1:10] Peer pressure is never good, even if it is positive peer pressure. God should be our sole source of inspiration. If we perceive God speaking to us through a person, then we should respond positively; but we need to make sure it is God we are responding to and not just the crowd. If we fail to do so and succumb to peer pressure, then when our peers go astray, so will we. [1:11] Wisdom begins with treating others properly. Don’t give in to the desire to hurt others. “Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD” (Lev. 19:18). [1:12] Throughout history, the ungodly have thought that killing those they abuse will allow them to get by with evil. From a human standpoint, that sometimes happens. But from God’s perspective, which is the only perspective that counts, that never works. “Be sure your sin will find you out” (Num. 32:23). Nothing is hidden that shall not be revealed (Matt. 10:26; Mark 4:22; Luke 8:17, and 12:2). Everything is naked and open before the eyes of the Lord (Hebrews 4:13). [1:13] The motivation behind all acts of bad treatment of others is always selfish. Here, Solomon described the desire to gain someone else’s substance. We also hurt others to advance our own worth or self-esteem. But all strife is rooted in selfcenteredness. “Only by pride cometh contention” (Prov. 13:10).

1:14 Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse. In other words, we’ll share what we have. This is a form of Communism. They’re saying, “Instead of doing things on your own, let’s be a group; and as a group, we can oppress more people and take advantage of them. We’ll all have one purse, and we’ll split it evenly.” They’re promising that a person can get more by being a part of the group than they ever could through their own personal actions. But what they aren’t saying is that the moment this person ceases to be what they want them to be, the moment they can’t use this person to promote their evil ways, this person will be one of those whom they take advantage of. I remember in school there were bullies and cliques, and there was pressure to become part of their groups. But once someone became part of a group, they had to submit to all of the group’s unwritten rules. They had to be a “rubber stamp” for everything the group wanted, and if they weren’t, they’d get cast to the outside. The groups used fear of rejection as manipulation, and that’s just wrong. That’s not how God operates. We don’t need to be like these people.

Living Commentary Proverbs 1:14 This is a continuation of the speech sinners use to try to entice others to join them (Prov. 1:11). They want you to join them so they can use your resources. They may say they care about you, but they are only after what you can do for them, as this verse reveals. Cease to be an asset and they will treat you the way they treat others.

1:15 My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path.

This is important. We can’t help but cross the paths of evil people. As we go through life, we’ll have people come our way who are evil, but that doesn’t mean we have to turn and go down their paths. We need to avoid evil.

Living Commentary Proverbs 1:15 Those who follow wickedness and wicked people do it because they see some advantage in it for themselves. But Psalm 1:1 reveals that avoiding the path of evil people brings the blessing of God. Any advantage of wickedness in this life is short-lived and brings the eternal rejection of God (Rom. 6:23). So, if we love life and happiness, we need to heed this proverb (1 Pet. 3:10).

1:16 For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood. In other words, they’re excited about this! They’re eager to do it. It’s easy to see the ungodliness in our nation today. One thing I have to say for the evil people in our world is that they are probably more committed to their cause than most Christians are to advancing God’s kingdom. They are seriously pushing their agenda.

Living Commentary Proverbs 1:16 These sinners (Prov. 1:10) are quick to do evil and don’t think twice of taking someone else’s life. If they will do this to others, they will do it to us when we cease to do what they want us to do.

In contrast to this, Jesus said He would never leave us nor forsake us (Heb. 13:5). He will be merciful to us, and our sins and iniquities He will remember no more (Heb. 8:12). Why would we want to serve anyone else?

1:17–18 Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird. And they lay wait for their own blood; they lurk privily for their own lives. If a person were to set a trap for a bird in the sight of that bird, it would never fall for it. They’re smarter than that. Even an animal that doesn’t have near the reasoning ability or understanding that humans have knows when a trap has been set for it. If we would get the perspective that is being presented here in the book of Proverbs, we would recognize the traps that evil people set for us. We would recognize that these people may promise substance and prosperity, but if we look at this through the Word of God, we’d know that God will hold them accountable. In life, it sometimes looks like people get by with things, but they never do. If not in this life, then in the future, when we all stand before God, these people will give an account for every word that they’ve spoken and everything they’ve done (Matt. 12:36). The people who oppress and rule—the dictators in the government, at your job, in your family, in your neighborhood—people who manipulate and intimidate, will someday stand before God. And everything’s going to look different. If you think about that and recognize that the end result of this lifestyle is total destruction, you would never fall for it. You would never follow these people. Verse 18 says, “And they lay wait for their own blood; they lurk privily for their own lives.” Evil people don’t see it this way. They think they’re getting by with taking advantage of people, but God will hold them accountable.

Living Commentary Proverbs 1:17–18 [1:17] Even an animal is smart enough to avoid a trap if they see it being set. Likewise, anyone who understands the truths related in this chapter will recognize that no one gets away with evil (Num. 32:23). Those who understand that don’t fall for the lies of the devil and his representatives. [1:18] Sinners (Prov. 1:10) think they are trapping others with their lies, but in reality, they are putting the noose around their own necks. God is the avenger of all such activity (1 Thess. 4:6).

1:19 So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; which taketh away the life of the owners thereof. This is a big statement. This verse is talking about greed or covetousness. Colossians 3:5 tells us that “covetousness…is idolatry.” There are people who say, “Well, I’m not an idol worshiper. I don’t have a Buddha or a figure that I burn incense to and pray to.” But being greedy for gain and desiring more of everything is idolatry. The second part of verse 19—“which taketh away the life of the owners thereof”—can be compared to what Jesus said in Luke 12:15: “A man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.” Life is not about getting all you can, canning all you get, and then just sitting on your can, waiting for your time to be up. That is not living, and this is one of the reasons that so many people are depressed, discouraged, and committing suicide. They have been chasing all of these things, thinking, If I just had a bigger house, bigger car, more fame, more glory… But that’s not where it’s at.

Living Commentary Proverbs 1:19 Greed steals a person’s life. It is in losing our lives that we really find life (Matt. 16:25). If we seek first the kingdom of God, the Lord will add all the things we need to our lives (Matt. 6:33). First Timothy 6:10 says, “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” We all need money to survive. God knows that (3 John 2; 2 Cor. 8:9, 9:8, and 10). But coveting money or possessions is idolatry (Col. 3:5).

Review 1:10–19 In verses 10 through 19, Solomon is basically speaking out against peer pressure. It’s amazing to me how people just follow the crowd. It’s like cows or sheep that have a herd mentality: one walks off a cliff, and the others follow it right off that cliff. We see the same thing in people. There’s a desire for acceptance, so people are always looking to be a part of a group. They don’t want to stand out and be separate. But, on the other hand, people will talk about how they are individuals and want to do their own thing. I remember having to write an essay when I was in high school, and this was during the hippie movement. The hippies would say, “We need to break away from the establishment. We need to be our own people. We don’t need to conform to all of these rules.” And they would preach about freedom and liberty. I wrote this paper and talked about how the hippies were promising freedom and liberty, but they themselves had established a new norm: A person had to be unkempt, wear tie-dyed clothes, smoke dope, and rebel against

authority; a person couldn’t wear wing-tipped shoes, and on and on and on. Anyone who did any of those things was totally rejected by the hippies; the hippies didn’t allow others to have freedom. They were proclaiming freedom, but they had a subculture that forced people to fit in and be exactly like them or those people would be rejected. The same thing happens today. Those in the gay community preach that we need to be tolerant and give them their freedom. Yet they take away freedom from everyone else. A very, very small percentage of the U.S. population is transgender, but they insist on forcing their beliefs on everyone else. Now our government is saying that it will take away the money it gives schools and universities unless they allow boys who feel like girls to go into the girls’ locker rooms. I once read about a transgender boy in Alaska who said he was a girl, so he petitioned to play sports on the girls’ team. He won all kinds of awards and medals, and the other girls complained because he’s a boy and it wasn’t fair for him to win. I don’t care what he says. All you have to do is look at your plumbing and you can figure out what you are. It’s not hard. God didn’t make a mistake when He made you, and just because you feel a certain way doesn’t mean you have to act on it. The gay community claims to promote tolerance, love, and acceptance, but there is zero tolerance on their part, zero love and acceptance for anyone who doesn’t embrace them and their perverted lifestyle. It’s a lie. It’s hypocrisy. This is just so simple. Don’t follow the crowd. God says we need to follow Him. I have a series entitled An Excellent Spirit. It’s about Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, and Daniel. These men were all promoted and became leaders in captivity under a foreign nation because they had excellent spirits (Dan. 2:48–49 and 3:30). One of the things that made them excellent was that they honored God and stood for God. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to bend and bow and

worship a demon god when everyone else did (Dan. 3:12). Daniel refused to quit praying to God when there was an order from King Darius to not pray to any other god for thirty days (Dan. 6:6–10). These men followed the Word of God, and because of it, God promoted them. Everyone wants these kinds of results. Everyone wants to be promoted. But if we follow the crowd that’s going down the wrong street, it won’t happen. We have to break this herd mentality.

1:20–21 Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets: She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying… This is a point that I really want to get across. We’ll see this again a number of times in the book of Proverbs. Solomon had just been talking about evil people trying to coerce others into following them. We all recognize that there are evil people who constantly try to seduce others and draw them into their lifestyle. But here, in verse 20, it says how wisdom is also crying without. God is shouting to people. Later in the book of Proverbs, it says that wisdom shouts from the housetops, on every street corner, and everywhere. God is trying to get His wisdom to people. There are some of you that may not even know why you’re reading this book. You know what? God is crying out to you. He is trying to get wisdom to you that is contrary to this world. Your first reaction might be to say, “This can’t be right,” and you want to reject it. But God has come across your path today trying to get wisdom to you. It’s important that you understand verses 20 and 21. They show that God’s wisdom is everywhere. God is trying to get His wisdom across to us. There’s an intuitive knowledge. God will tell us what is right and wrong. There are godly people who will proclaim the things of God, yet most people today just listen to the Siren song of the unbelievers because it’s so overwhelming.

There are people in high government positions and movie stars who make a lot of money, and they espouse values that completely contradict everything the Word says. Many people are tempted to follow them. But God’s wisdom is there crying out.

Living Commentary Proverbs 1:20–21 [1:20] This portrays wisdom as crying out to us. It isn’t elusive or hard to come by; it’s seeking us out. But few are listening to the voice of reason. It is being drowned out by all the voices of this world. (See my notes at Proverbs 8:2–3.) [1:21] In the previous verses (Prov. 1:10–19), Solomon spoke of evil people who try to entice us to follow in their evil ways. Certainly, every one of us has heard their Siren song. But wisdom isn’t quiet. Wisdom is crying out, too—not in some hidden corner, but in the city streets. God is everywhere, seeking to draw people to Himself. It is not wisdom’s lack of availability that’s the problem; rather, it’s the condition of our hearts that deadens us to God’s voice.

1:22 How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge? This verse tells us what God’s wisdom is crying out. Notice it says that the simple ones love their simplicity. In other words, this isn’t something that is done without knowledge. People choose to follow the crowd. People choose to accept the world’s standards instead of the Word’s standards. In your heart, God has spoken to you and you know better, yet you have chosen the way of the world. And you’ve delighted in it.

Living Commentary Proverbs 1:22 This is a great question. Proverbs 13:15 says that “the way of transgressors is hard.” Why would anyone choose a hard life? The answer lies in the Hebrew word pethiy that was translated as “simple ones” and “simplicity” in this verse. It means “silly (i.e. seducible)” (Strong’s Concordance). This doesn’t happen without being seduced. We were all seduced by the devil. That comes naturally with our sinful nature (Eph. 2:2–3). So, being silly or seducible comes naturally, but wisdom only comes by applying our hearts to it. Notice that the simple ones love their simplicity and the scorners their scorning. It’s a choice. People can change if they really desire it. The Lord is seeking them out and making Himself available to them.

1:23 Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you. Some of you reading this book may already be convicted even as we’re just getting through the first chapter of Proverbs. You may be saying, “I’m guilty. What do I do?” This verse says that if you will listen and begin to embrace these truths, you’ll discover that God will give you wisdom, and He will respond to you.

Living Commentary Proverbs 1:23 Like the point I was making in the previous note, the Lord is ready and willing to help anyone turn their life around. We don’t have to plead with the Lord to intervene. It may seem like that at times,

but that’s because the Lord reveals Himself to those who seek Him with all their heart. Jeremiah 29:13 says, “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” The Lord knows whether we are repenting because we have been caught and want out of our messes or are truly seeking Him with all our heart. When our hearts are right, the Lord is close at hand (James 4:8 and Ps. 138:6).

1:24–33 Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me: For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD: They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices. For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them. But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil. This is actually God speaking in these verses. The people He’s talking to hated knowledge. They didn’t act without knowing what they were doing. They did it deliberately and chose not to fear the Lord. These verses require some interpretation because we have a New Covenant where God promised to hear our prayers (1 John 5:14) and to never leave us nor forsake us (Heb. 13:5). Those who have entered into the New Covenant are not going to have the same degree of rejection from God because we now have a better covenant that’s not based on our performance.

Even still, these are truths to tell people that this is the wrong thing to do. People who don’t have this New Covenant will reap what they sow. People think they are getting by with homosexuality, adultery, lying, stealing, and corruption that is so prevalent in our society today, but I can promise you that “There is a way which seemeth right unto man, but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Prov. 14:12 and 16:25). It’s going to kill them. They will be destroyed. When they finally come to the end of themselves, they will find themselves reaping what they’ve sown, and it won’t be pretty.

Living Commentary Proverbs 1:24–33 [1:24] Beginning at this verse and continuing through to the end of this chapter, the Lord was basically saying that because these people hardened their hearts and refused His instructions, He would not answer their prayers and deliver them when their destruction came. They chose their path against all of the warnings the Lord gave them, and they would reap what they had sown (Gal. 6:7). Praise God for Jesus and the New Covenant we live under. Through faith in Jesus, the Lord will never leave us nor forsake us (Heb. 13:5). We have a better Covenant than these people and better promises (Heb. 8:6). Even under the New Covenant, there are still consequences that we have to deal with. But the Lord is always there to deliver us if we repent. His mercies are new every morning. Lamentations 3:22–23 says, “It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.” [1:25] People can’t “set at nought” (or “ignored” in the New International Version [1984 edition]) God’s counsel if it was never given, and they can’t do this accidentally. This is a choice, a

deliberate choice. One of the ways we do this is through the traditions and doctrines of mankind (Mark 7:13). [1:26] The Lord didn’t instigate this. Those who rejected His counsel started this. All the Lord was doing was giving them what they wanted. They wanted nothing to do with Him, and He fulfilled their wishes. Our nation has been systematically rejecting God and His precepts for a long time. We have wanted prayer out of our schools and God out of our textbooks. We are becoming an increasingly secular society. What’s the result? We got what we wanted. We now have guns in our schools and all types of ungodliness in our textbooks. Mayhem is taking place, and people blame God. “Why did He let this happen?” But it’s not God’s fault. He was told to back off, and He did. He turned us over to our own hearts’ desires (Rom. 1:24), and this is the fruit of that. A dire prophecy is given in 2 Thessalonians 2:10–12. It says that those who don’t receive the love of the truth that God extends to everyone through Jesus will be sent a strong delusion that they might believe a lie and therefore be damned. This is the same thing being related here. It’s therefore imperative that we humble ourselves and receive the truth of God’s Word. [1:27] Psalm 91:5–6 says that those who dwell in the secret place of the most High (Ps. 91:1) don’t have to be afraid of destruction. But this verse in Proverbs is describing those who rejected God’s invitation to follow Him and did it their way. There is a way that seems right unto man, but the end thereof are the ways of death or destruction (Prov. 14:12 and 16:25). [1:28] Numerous scriptures say that the Lord will hear our cries (Ps. 145:19) and be found when we seek Him (Matt. 7:7–8 and Jer. 29:13). But this verse and others show that is a limited-time offer. Genesis 6:3 says the Spirit of the Lord will not always strive

with man. He is long-suffering, but not forever-suffering. We can’t come to the Lord whenever we feel like it. No one comes to Jesus unless the Father who sent Jesus draws them to Him. (John 6:44). If the Father quits drawing us after our continual rejection of Him, we are doomed. If we continually reject the wooing of God’s Spirit, we have no guarantee that He will continue to draw us. In fact, this verse and others (see my note at Proverbs 1:26) show there comes a time when He will reject our calls for His help. Now is the accepted time; today is the day of salvation (2 Cor. 6:2). We need to respond now while the Spirit of the Lord is drawing us. [1:29] Notice this isn’t speaking of these people just neglecting knowledge; they hated it. This is describing someone who willfully rejected all of God’s conviction. This doesn’t happen accidentally. This is total rejection of God that can lead to God totally rejecting them (2 Tim. 2:12). Those who have made Jesus their Lord and Savior don’t have to worry about this. The Lord has sworn that He will never leave us nor forsake us (Heb. 13:5). But those outside of God’s Covenant had better run into it as quickly as they can. They have no guarantee that the Lord will extend His mercy to them forever. [1:30] This continues from the previous verse the explanation of why God wasn’t answering the cries of these people. They not only hated knowledge and the fear of the Lord (see my note at Proverbs 1:29), but they wouldn’t have any of His counsel and despised His reproof. God’s Word is given for doctrine and reproof (2 Tim. 3:16–17). So, this is describing people who hated God’s Word and the instructions He gave through it (2 Thess. 2:11–12). [1:31] God has never damned or judged anyone unjustly. Those who fall under His wrath chose it. They might not have known the full extent of what they were choosing, but they knowingly rejected God and all of His pleading with them to follow His ways. God just enforces their choices.

[1:32] Notice that the simple had to turn away. God put a “homing device” or “internal compass” inside of each one of us that is continually drawing us to Him so that we are without excuse (Rom. 1:18–20). No one will ever stand before the Lord and say, “You aren’t fair!” To go to hell, a person has to climb over thousands, if not millions, of times the Spirit of the Lord tried to convict them of their need for Him. Notice also that prosperity destroys people. It doesn’t have to be this way, but it often is. That’s because in prosperity, most people aren’t as keenly aware of their need for the Lord. They have all of mankind’s resources available to them to cope with their needs. They don’t see their need for the Lord as clearly. [1:33] In Proverbs 1:10–32, Solomon showed the foolishness of wickedness and its consequences. Here, he contrasted the blessing of those who receive his instruction with the plight of the ungodly. Those who harken unto God’s Word live in safety and don’t have any fear of evil because God is with them (Ps. 23:4).

Proverbs Chapter Two

2:1 My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee. The word “if” that’s used in this verse is huge. It makes everything that Solomon is saying here conditional upon you receiving God’s Word and hiding His commandments within you. So many people want all of the benefits that are spoken about in Proverbs 2, but they don’t receive the Word of God and hide it within them. The word translated “hide” here means “to hide (by covering over); by implication, to hoard or reserve; figuratively to deny; specifically (favorably) to protect” (Strong’s Concordance). This is saying that you have to take God’s Word, protect it, and hold on to it. You have to love God’s Word. I’m saying this in love