Our Words Rooted in God's Words of Wisdom~Bob Caldwell

Proverbs 15:1-16-33Our Words Rooted in God's Words of Wisdom 15:4 A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, But perverseness in it breaks the spirit. One of the primary themes of chapter 15 is the need to understand the good or evil impact of our words. Words can inflame a person into a rage or calm the storm of the soul. They can implant wisdom into the most perplexing situations or point others to their unexpected doom.Words have the power to become an expression of prayer to God that brings divine intervention into every facet of life. Words formed from a heart of love for God become the instrument of worship that can realize the greatest of all commandments. Words formed by wisdom can become our greatest contribution to humanity. What we say and what we teach become the hands that shape human society. However, because such great power comes with the words we speak, it is vital that we first accept the importance of how we listen and to whom we listen. Do we respect what God has uniquely given to us in His Word? Do we really listen to the wisdom of those who have gone before us? In "listening" to chapter 16, the wisdom in living our lives yielded to God's wisdom should be evident. With humility, we should sincerely yield the influence of God's Spirit as He weighs our thoughts in relationship to His Word. Without One wiser and greater than ourselves to evaluate our reasoning, our motivations and our chosen course of action, we set ourselves up for so many unnecessary troubles. This process of shaping our beliefs and our words by God's Word is, at times, learned by "trial and error." We find wisdom in being good listeners on our journey of life. Waiting on God to weigh our thoughts and direct our paths toward the best outcome is the treasure awaiting a good listener. To humbly yield to God as the world's greatest life coach is the best way to shape the thoughts that then shape the words that then become a reservoir of life to all who hear us.
Proverbs 15:1-16:33 A soft answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger. 2 The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly, But the mouth of fools pours forth foolishness. 3 The eyes of the LORD are in every place, Keeping watch on the evil and the good. 4 A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, But perverseness in it breaks the spirit. 5 A fool despises his father's instruction, But he who receives correction is prudent. 6 In the house of the righteous there is much treasure, But in the revenue of the wicked is trouble. 7 The lips of the wise disperse knowledge, But the heart of the fool does not do so. 8 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, But the prayer of the upright is His delight. 9 The way of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, But He loves him who follows righteousness. 10 Harsh discipline is for him who forsakes the way, And he who hates correction will die. 11 Hell and Destructionare before the LORD; So how much more the hearts of the sons of men. 12 A scoffer does not love one who corrects him, Nor will he go to the wise. 13 A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance, But by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken. 14 The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge, But the mouth of fools feeds on foolishness. 15 All the days of the afflicted are evil, But he who is of a merry heart has a continual feast. 16 Better is a little with the fear of the LORD, Than great treasure with trouble. 17 Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, Than a fatted calf with hatred. 18 A wrathful man stirs up strife, But he who is slow to anger allays contention. 19 The way of the lazy man is like a hedge of thorns, But the way of the upright is a highway. 20 A wise son makes a father glad, But a foolish man despises his mother. 21 Folly is joy to him who is destitute of discernment, But a man of understanding walks uprightly. 22 Without counsel, plans go awry, But in the multitude of counselors they are established. 23 A man has joy by the answer of his mouth, And a word spoken in due season, how good it is! 24 The way of life winds upward for the wise, That he may turn away from hell below. 25 The LORD will destroy the house of the proud, But He will establish the boundary of the widow. 26 The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the LORD, But the words of the pure are pleasant. 27 He who is greedy for gain troubles his own house, But he who hates bribes will live. 28 The heart of the righteous studies how to answer, But the mouth of the wicked pours forth evil. 29 The LORD is far from the wicked, But He hears the prayer of the righteous. 30 The light of the eyes rejoices the heart, And a good report makes the bones healthy. 31 The ear that hears the rebukes of life Will abide among the wise. 32 He who disdains instruction despises his own soul, But he who heeds rebuke gets understanding. 33 The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom, And before honor is humility. Proverbs 16 1 The preparations of the heart belong to man, But the answer of the tongue is from the LORD. 2 All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, But the LORD weighs the spirits. 3 Commit your works to the LORD, And your thoughts will be established. 4 The LORD has made all for Himself, Yes, even the wicked for the day of doom. 5 Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD; Though they join forces, none will go unpunished. 6 In mercy and truth Atonement is provided for iniquity; And by the fear of the LORD one departs from evil. 7 When a man's ways please the LORD, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. 8 Better is a little with righteousness, Than vast revenues without justice. 9 A man's heart plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps. 10 Divination is on the lips of the king; His mouth must not transgress in judgment. 11 Honest weights and scales are the LORD's; All the weights in the bag are His work. 12 It is an abomination for kings to commit wickedness, For a throne is established by righteousness. 13 Righteous lips are the delight of kings, And they love him who speaks what is right. 14 As messengers of death is the king's wrath, But a wise man will appease it. 15 In the light of the king's face is life, And his favor is like a cloud of the latter rain. 16 How much better to get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver. 17 The highway of the upright is to depart from evil; He who keeps his way preserves his soul. 18 Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall. 19 Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, Than to divide the spoil with the proud. 20 He who heeds the word wisely will find good, And whoever trusts in the LORD, happy is he. 21 The wise in heart will be called prudent, And sweetness of the lips increases learning. 22 Understanding is a wellspring of life to him who has it. But the correction of fools is folly. 23 The heart of the wise teaches his mouth, And adds learning to his lips. 24 Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones. 25 There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death. 26 The person who labors, labors for himself, For his hungry mouth drives him on. 27 An ungodly man digs up evil, And it is on his lips like a burning fire. 28 A perverse man sows strife, And a whisperer separates the best of friends. 29 A violent man entices his neighbor, And leads him in a way that is not good. 30 He winks his eye to devise perverse things; He purses his lips and brings about evil. 31 The silver-haired head is a crown of glory, If it is found in the way of righteousness. 32 He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, And he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city. 33 The lot is cast into the lap, But its every decision is from the LORD.
Proverbs 15:1-16:33 v. 1 the word of the Lord came to him – Hosea's authority rests upon the fact that his message and commission came to him unmistakably from the Lord. Thus, his message to the nation was by divine inspiration (Jer. 1:2, 4; Eze. 1:3; Joel 1:1; Jonah 1:1; Zech. 1:1; 2 Peter 1:21). v. 1 a soft answer – Speaking gently and kindly to someone provoked is a pacifier that will not return empty results. Volatile arguments are best quenched with soft words. Rude and abrasive words yield the opposite. Anger and wrath are their result (Judges 12:1-3, also see v. 18 study notes). v. 2 tongue of the wise – Knowledge as one of the spiritual gifts is to be used to edify those within hearing distance of the speaker. So it is with all knowledge gifted to men. It is not merely for the entertainment of its possessor but for the building up of others (Prov. 15:23). In contrast to the edifying wise tongue is the wounding foolish tongue which only steals life from its hearers. It is hurtful and corrupt (Prov. 12:23, 13:16, 15:28). v. 3 The eyes of the Lord – God sees all that happens on the earth (Job 34:21), There is nothing hidden from His eyes (Heb. 4:13). v. 4 tree of life – A wholesome tongue is one that heals and unifies, bringing comfort, love and hope. It is a peace maker (Rev. 22:2). The perverse tongue tears down and wounds the soul. Broken and bitter hearts are its fruit (Prov. 12:18). v. 5 his father's instruction – A father's instruction is given to save the life of the son. If the son hates the instruction then the son hates himself (Prov. 20:20, 30:17, 12:1). Should he receive and keep the father's correction he will live and be satisfied (Ex. 20:12). v. 6 much treasure – God blesses the house of the just with grace and contentment. No matter their monetary state. If they have learned to be content with much or with little then they have in themselves the greatest treasure of all (Phil. 4:11-13, Heb. 11:24-26). The wicked are not so for their eyes will never be satisfied and they forever strive against one another to fulfill their individual lusts (Prov. 17:1, 13:22). v. 7 lips of the wise – The wise man is a blessing to have around and the fool a burden. Knowledge is a gift that is to be spread. It is to be shared with those who are hungry for it so they may some day teach others (see v. 2 study notes). v. 8 sacrifice of the wicked – wicked men make their sacrifices to stop their guilty consciences from condemning them but their repentance is not genuine. God does not accept such sacrifices (1 Sam. 15:22, Ps. 51:17). God seeks a humble heart who is truly sorry. The prayers of the upright are a delight to God because they are laden with humility and genuine need of God. v. 9 the way of the wicked – This verse is coupled with verse 8 because of the nature of the wicked heart. Sacrifices were not intended to cover the sin of someone who intended to go on sinning. It is this manner of living that is an abomination to God. False repentance coupled with a pious image is a terrible disguise before God. v. 10 Harsh discipline – The backslidden Christian is usually offended and closed to any form of correction because of guilt incurred in their current state. A lack of humble teachability demands a more stern form of discipline in order to arouse them out of their spiritual slumber. He who hates and never receives correction will eventually destroy himself. v. 11 the hearts of the sons of men – There is nothing hidden on the earth that God does not see. His omnipresence is advantageous to judge the righteous and the wicked. His eyes see the intentions and attitudes of men's hearts and are so keen that even hell is not hidden from His eyes (Job 26:6, also see v. 3 study notes). v. 12 does not love one who corrects him – A scoffer. A rebel set out to defy God and all that is associated with Him. "Do not correct a scoffer or else he will hate you" (Prov. 9:8). Making a hardened scoffer aware of the end of his ways compels him into a deeper state of darkness. For fear of exposure he avoids light, wisdom and the righteous. v. 13 spirit is broken – The colorful spirit is shattered by the gloom of sorrow. A sick and anxious heart brings every form of grief (Prov. 13:12, 12:25). Nehemiah says the joy of the Lord is your strength (Neh. 8:10). v. 14 him who has understanding – The understanding man is too wise to believe he has arrived and thus he hungers for more of what there is to learn. His desire is greater understanding and his pleasures are wisdom and righteousness (1 Kings 3:6-12, Prov. 2:6, 2:10-11, Acts 17:11). A hunger for foolishness merely increases folly. It feasts on momentary gratifications and sensual pleasures are its delight. This is an unstable man. v. 15 the days of the afflicted – Severe and miserable are the days of trouble. Finding a place where joy and contentment lie keeps one healthy and full of peace (1 Tim. 6:6-10, also see v. 6 study notes). v. 16 little with the fear of the Lord – God cares for those who walk in His ways. Psalm 37:16 says, "A little that a righteous man has is better than the riches of many wicked." No one enjoys poverty but it is better with God looking after you for he can be your place of refuge and source of provision (Prov. 16:8, 1 Tim. 6:6). v. 17 herbs where love is – The meal satisfies the stomach but not the soul. A meal made with love is a meal that satisfies both the stomach and the soul. Dread and anxiety prepare the table full of hatred. There is neither contentment of the stomach or the soul. True thirst and real hunger are only quenched by love's hand of provision (Prov. 17:1, 21:19; 1 John 4:19). v. 18 stirs up strife – This verse is repeating what is said in verse 1. A man slow to anger will deliver a soft answer in a heated moment. Love covers all sins but hatred stirs up strife (Prov. 10:12). Thus a man who is wise will diffuse the situation before it gets out of hand (Prov. 17:14). The wrathful man stirs up strife all the more. v. 19 like a hedge of thorns – It is the lazy man who works the hardest in the end. His way is difficult because he refuses to take care of responsibility. He will have trouble for the rest of his life or until he commits to diligence (Prov. 10:4, 12:24, 13:4). v. 20 despises his mother – This is a repeat of an earlier comment given by Solomon (Prov. 10:1). Only in the previous verse he says a foolish son is "the grief" of his mother. In this verse he "despises" her. It is this disrespect for her that brings her sorrow. He does not keep his parents wisdom or instruction and rushes to the path of folly. His mother grieves for fear of his destruction. v. 21 destitute of discernment – "Ignorance is bliss." If a man is lacking discernment he probably lacks knowledge of the consequences of his foolishness. Thus his joy will soon be turn to turmoil as he begins to experience the result. An understanding man stays out of the way of such foolishness as to avoid it's consequences (Prov. 2:3-6). v. 22 without counsel – Wisdom is gained in doing your research. Before making plans it is important to gather good advice from wise people who are learned in the given area. You will make wiser decisions based on the knowledge of your experienced advisors (Prov. 11:14, 12:20, 24:6), v. 23 a word spoken in due season – Saying the right thing at the right time is the most effective form of counsel known to man. God is incapable of doing otherwise (Prov. 25:11-12, 24:26, 16:13). v. 24 winds upward – The thoughts and affections of the righteous are on things above (Matt 6:19-21). His pleasures are in godliness and living out God's commandments (Ps. 16:11, Prov. 6:23, Ps. 139:23-24). v. 25 destroy the house of the proud – God deals harshly with the proud because they contend with Him as if He were a man to be disputed. Their legacy will be destroyed because they neither honor nor revere God (Ps. 52:1-5). The weak and helpless widow God loves to protect. It is to His honor that He cares for the widow and the orphan (James 1:27). v. 26 Thoughts of the wicked – Mischievous and perverse are the thoughts of wickedness. There is no intent to do what is good or give of oneself for the well being of another. Only self centered exaltation and a zeal to gratify oneself. This is an abomination to God (Prov. 6:16-19). Cleanliness, sincerity and honesty are pleasing to God. Integrity and purity and being understood for a devotion to God is pleasant to Him (Ps. 19:14). v. 27 greedy for gain – Greed brings trouble upon the whole house. The lying and cheating; anger and envy all work their way into the family affairs of the greedy. The seeds of backbiting and devouring one another are rooted deeply in their envious hearts. A heart that detests such existence and abhors evil methods will live and know the fulfillment of life. v. 28 studies how to answer – The results of a good word spoken in due season (v. 23) is because of the diligent observation of the wise man. He observes and listens before he speaks that his words would be words of value and not vanity (Prov. 20:5, 15:23). The mouth of he wicked gushes with foolish and insensitive speech (Prov. 6:21; 10:11, 14; 11:11 ). v. 29 hears the prayers – The wicked cry out to God and He does not hear them (John 9:31). Those who know and walk with Him cry out and he attends to their cry (Ps. 34:15-18, 145:18-19,also see v. 8 study notes). v. 30 light of the eyes – The wonderful works of God are light to the eyes. His creation, His miracles and works among men. The just look to God for their hope and when that righteous hope is received it is a tree of life (Matt. 6:22-23, Prov. 13:12). a good report – Never is there a lack of time or excitement to hear good news (Is. 52:7). It can add peace and enthusiasm to the gloomiest day. v. 31 ear that hears – This phrase is talking about more than just hearing a rebuke. Even the scoffer, who hates correction, hears the rebuke, but only the wise man listens to/ heeds the rebuke (Prov. 9:8, 13:1). The teachable spirit will learn to be wise and surround himself with wise people (Prov. 13:20). v. 32 despises his own soul – Rejecting instruction causes foolishness to stay bound up in the evil heart. The doer is bound to repeat his folly again and again. Thus his soul is angry continuously and without help for a way out of his rut. He who listens to correction will grow in wisdom and learn form his mistakes (Heb. 12:25-28). v. 33 fear of the Lord – Humility is the key element to fearing the Lord. It shall bring honor to the wise as they obey the word of God and follow Him in His righteousness (Job 28:28, Ps. 111:10, Prov. 8:13). Proverbs 16 v. 1 The preparations of the heart belong to man – This chapter centers on the condition of ones' heart. The overarching theme is that God judges the heart more then he does actions. v. 2 All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes – This verse is similar to a verse in the book of Judges concerning the people of Israel. The writer of Judges concluded, "everyone did what was right in his own eyes" (Judg. 21:25). v. 7 He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him – In essence, Solomon is saying that the most effective way to be reconciled to ones' enemies is to first be reconciled to God. v. 15 like a cloud of the latter rain – The latter rain was accompanied by a cloud to cool the heat. The latter rain came in March or April and was essential for watering the crops. Solomon uses this description to describe the blessings of having a kings' favor. v. 18 Pride goes before destruction – One reason pride is strongly condemned in the Bible is because it violates the first principle of wisdom; the fear of the Lord. v. 21 prudent – Prudent is another word for being wise. A prudent person is able to exercise good judgment and common sense in all their affairs. v. 26 The person who labors, labors for himself – The strongest incentive for a person to work is to meet their physical needs (Ecc. 6:7; 2 Thess. 3:10). v. 33 The lot is cast into the lap – Casting lots was a form of decision making in ancient times. Those who cast lots believed God directed the process to a determined outcome. Lots were also cast in New Testament times. After Christ's ascension into heaven, the remaining eleven disciples cast lots in order to determine who the twelfth disciple would be, the lot fell on Matthias (Acts 1:26).
"A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, But perverseness in it breaks the spirit." –Proverbs 15:4 The power of words is immense, God. Band our tongues, give us pause when speaking, let us be eager to listen and slow to speak. Filter our every thought through Your word, Lord.