Proverbs Chapter 3

PROVERBS Chapter 3

I. Outline: I. The Whole-Hearted Disciple: 3:1-35 A. Glad Commitment: 3:1-10 B. Patient Quest: 3:11-20 C. Quiet Integrity: 3:21-35 “Whereas chapter 2 emphasized the moral stability which grows with wisdom, chapter 3 particularly promises serenity. This is seen as the fruit of a thoroughgoing godliness” (Kidner p. 63).

II.

Commentary:

3:1 The word rendered “teaching”, is actually “law” (torah). Here the word refers to the “home teachings”, the law of God which is impressed at home upon the child (Deut. 6:6-7). Christian parents need to ask themselves, “Do I believe in God’s law to the extent that I could call it ‘my law’?” Do I believe in it with my whole heart? Be forewarned, children can spot hypocrisy better than about any other sin. They can tell whether we really believe in God’s word or whether we inwardly resent God’s moral and doctrinal code. Unless we capture the “heart” of the child, we have lost them. Note the word “let”, the child does have freewill.

3:2 As in other passages, there are physical blessings to being godly. This is still true in the New Covenant (Ephesians 6:1-2; 1 Peter 3:10-12). Yes, there are times when the righteous die young (Psalm 73), but the general pattern has always been that a godly life equals a healthy and long life. See also 3:16; 4:10; 9:11; 10:27; 14:27; 15:24. The word “peace” carries the idea of

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wholeness, health and harmony. The righteous often have enemies, but what they have is inward, emotional and mental peace (Phil. 4:6-8).

3:3 “Bind them…write them on the tablet of your heart”-“Striking expressions for glorying in, meditating on and acting by these principles” (Kidner p. 63).

“Kindness” (hesed), could also be rendered faithfulness, loyalty, love, lovingkindness, mercy, fidelity or faithfulness to the covenant promises. “Truth”, implies such attributes as reliability, accuracy and dependability. Being kind and always telling the truth, absolute integrity of character. Such qualities are to be imbedded into the moral fiber of every young person. The heart is like a tablet on which can be written good or evil (Jeremiah 17:1). Note that truthfulness, a love for the truth, and kindness can leave of person! One can cease to be honest (Proverbs 23:23; Hebrews 3:12). Young people need to realize that they can become evil people, if they so choose. “Bind them” also suggests that such qualities can be easily forgotten or discarded.

3:4 Even to this day most people still value someone who is truthful and kind (Luke 2:52; 1 Samuel 2:26; Romans 14:18). The selfish person may receive more initial attention, but the godly person, while not mentioned as often, is respected by his or her peers, or at least by those people whose respect means something. “Good repute”-a good name or reputation. The Hebrew includes the idea of competence and effectiveness, and therefore a reputation for prudence.

3:5 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart”-At an early age one needs to learn that they don’t have all the answers within themselves. We were not designed to be self-contained and self-sufficient individuals. Human wisdom is never enough. Here we have a warning against self-deception or the exaltation of one’s own learning. “It also might be seen as a warning against ‘trusting your heart’, a common abuse among (professed) Christians” (Alden p. 37). The Bible is filled with passages which warn us that our heart, gut feelings, intuition, conscience or human think-so is a very unreliable measuring stick (Proverbs 16:25; 28:26; Jeremiah 10:23). Trusting in the Lord includes placing absolute confidence in the teachings He has given us and relying upon Him in continual prayer. The heart would include both our intellect and our emotions. Apart from God’s revelation, our intellect and emotions are completely unreliable, and end up easily mislead and perverted.

3:6 “In all your ways”-which covers the whole area of one’s life, public and private. In our home life, business dealings, recreational pursuits, etc…”Acknowledge Him”-this is not a nod of recognition but an intimate knowledge of God, one that admits the wisdom of His will, the rightness of His laws, His right to rule my life (Jeremiah 9:23-24; 1 John 2:4). This would include 2

praying before you start the day, praying before you set out on a journey, thanking Him for the food that we are eating, realizing that His word is vital if we are going to have a successful marriage or if we are going to have success in raising our children. “He will make your paths straight”-The promise here isn’t one of miraculous guidance, but rather that God is providentially able to clear the way of obstacles. “Proverbs teaches that those who follow wisdom have an easier, less problematic life (3:10,16; 24-25)” (Bible Knowledge Comm. p. 911).

Or, that their problems and trials only serve as stepping-stones towards success and maturity (Romans 5:3-5). Hence, doing things God’s way isn’t a burden (1 John 5:3). In fact, typically it is the least complicated (Matthew 11:27-30), and most efficient way. God doesn’t waste our time, and neither does He lead us down dead-ends.

3:7 “Do not be wise in your own eyes”-“Most times God is too small while our heads are too big” (Alden p. 38). “Young people who acquire wisdom need to remember that they did not become wise by themselves; wisdom comes from God” (Bible Knowledge Comm. p. 911). In addition, youth is often told by the world that their time and generation constitute a time in which God’s word doesn’t have the answers. Young people can be tempted to think that the wisdom of the past is completely irrelevant to their situation, and that they have seen or discovered something that nobody else has ever seen. (Romans 12:16). It is very easy to mock or ridicule godly parental instruction as being old fashioned, idealistic, unrealistic, detached from reality, or backward. “Fear the Lord and turn away from evil”-in contrast to pride and arrogance which only lead us into evil. Humility, a respect for God, realizing that without His Word we would be helpless against evil and temptation.

3:8 “more and more physicians today are realizing how important one’s mental and spiritual health are to one’s physical health. That relationship was well understood thousands of years ago. If you have a true assessment of yourself and if you really trust God, then you will be healthy and wise” (Alden p. 38).

3:9-10 One way that we honor and respect God is by giving to Him, by acknowledging that He is the source of all our blessings. Compare with Deut.

26:1-3, 9-11; Matthew 6:33; 2 Corinthians 9:6-10). Honoring God with the firstfruits or your best, is another act of humility. I realize that I am not a self-made man, that without God, I would have nothing (Acts 14:17). In addition, it is an act of trusting in the Lord. Often God stresses the fact that He can take care of the generous man (11:25; Haggai 1:3-11; Malachi 3:10-12). In addition, if we can’t be trusted to be wise and generous with money or material things, then God can’t trust us with greater things (Luke 16:11).

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3:11-12 Here is a blessing of a different nature, a blessing in disguise— chastening. But it is easily to resent correction, or resent the God who allows it to happen. “The pianist, artist, or athlete who accepts and acts in response to criticism is the one who excels; it is never easy to be corrected, but to be mature enough to take it and do something about it is a mark of wisdom….A child who is being spanked usually doesn’t believe the parent who says he is doing it because he loves him” (Alden p. 39). “To loathe the correction of Jehovah is to allow it to completely estrange us from him. We faint under it when, by dwelling or brooding over, or bemoaning the trial, the spirit sinks to faintness. To faint at correction ignores the belief in the truth that ‘all things work together for good to them that love God’” (P.P. Comm. p. 58). But how many times do we say in the midst of trial, “God, why did you allow this to happen to me?” Trial and testing for the believer, is actually proof that God loves you, and not the opposite!

(Hebrews 12:5-11). Correction can take the form of hardships, persecution, etc….Hence it is pure unbelief to argue that if God really loves me He would never allow anything bad to happen to me.

Point To Note: It is truly to the shame of many professed believers, that people in the world will sacrifice, put forth more effort, be more dedicated for some material pursuit, then we will for the things of God! (Luke 16:8) Look at the effort that the athlete puts into his or her earthly goals, look at the enthusiasm and sacrifice that others put into a career, investing in the stock-market, or creating new software. Look at the time and persistence that the salesman puts into selling his product. How much of a sacrifice are we willing to make for God, for spreading His word?

Look at what people are willing to endure to climb Mt. Everest! How much are you willing to endure to further the kingdom of God, or to gain eternal life?

3:13-15 Wisdom makes you a richer man than money ever will. So often we use the wrong standard when measuring true wealth and true success. In addition, money can never buy what wisdom can bring, i.e. moral character, courage, a happy family, a devoted mate, godly children, etc… Wisdom is a better investment than silver or gold because she never fails to pay interest.

Time spent gaining her is never lost or wasted time. Wisdom is even far more precious than the most exquisite forms of wealth. The word rendered “jewels”, could mean rubies or corals. “Regardless, the word implies something that is not merely expensive but rare and beautiful as well” (Garrett p. 82). We need to pursue wisdom and righteousness with the eagerness that others pursue earthly wealth (Prov. 2:4-5; 8:19; Psalm 119:162; 19:9-10). Note that “understanding” doesn’t happen by accident and neither do people just naturally grow into it.

True wisdom will bring happiness, while wealth can’t (Ecc. 5:10-12). Note the statement, “Nothing you desire compares with her”: Godly wisdom will yield a 4

blessedness, happiness, contentment and satisfaction, to which nothing else that man desires in this life can even compare.

3:16 Wisdom holds a rich bounty in both hands. “She is wisdom who holds long life in one hand, wealth and honor in the other. Her gifts are offered to anyone who will take them, but taking them involves marrying her or, in less graphic words, embracing or laying hold of wisdom” (Alden p. 40).

3:17 Far from making our lives miserable, true wisdom brings peace. “Long life with no thought for its quality could be a curse rather than a blessing” (Bible Knowledge Comm. p. 912). Hence the professed Christian who is miserable is lacking this wisdom. One can stand for the truth, one can oppose error, one can insist upon doctrinal correctness and still be extremely happy at the same time.

But how often does the world try to insinuate that the person who is insisting upon following God is really secretly evil or very frustrated and unhappy?

3:18 “She is a tree of life”-indicating that wisdom brings spiritual life, eternal life, but also renewal, refreshment and encouragement. Godly wisdom isn’t a curse, rather it is Life! How different is this wisdom from the conventional thinking of this world, where people almost kill themselves trying to live long, and “push themselves so hard in an effort to have fun that they make themselves miserable” (Alden p. 40). “Wisdom can make life both joyful and wholesome and thus counters the image of dour sobriety that many have of following her” (Garrett p. 82). But note that one must be dedicated to gaining wisdom, one must be willing to pay the price, “happy are all who hold her fast”.

3:19-20 “The lesson here is that if God used wisdom to make and run the world, how vital it is for us to have in order to occupy and subdue the earth” (Alden p.

41). Wisdom is essential to our survival! (3:20) Wisdom is behind the weather of this planet and the watering of the earth. “Only God would know how to lay out and operate such a vast, continual system” (Hunt p. 37). If you want to see the value of wisdom, just look at the design and complexity seen in the physical universe! Wow! I can have access to the same type of wisdom in running my life! The relation between God and wisdom in His creation will be discussed more in chapter 8:22-31. See also Psalm 104:24; Jeremiah 10:12.

3:21-22 “It is not enough to acquire wisdom; it must be retained at all costs. It is very possible that even if you have found wisdom you might also lose it. Just as marriage must be worked at in order to be good, so the use and application of wisdom also requires constant effort” (Alden p. 41). (Hebrews 5:14).

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3:23-26 It is becoming clear that wisdom means walking with God (23,26).

“Every parent naturally desires his or her child to be safe, and the primary benefit of wisdom promised here is personal security and freedom from anxiety…Proverbs never implies that people can be safe through their own wisdom. ‘Common sense’ and personal competence are soon exhausted if God’s protection is missing” (Garrett p. 83). Wisdom will keep the godly person from being entrapped by temptation (3:23), with wisdom we can sleep securely, knowing that God is ruling this world (3:24), and that nothing takes God by surprise (3:25). In addition, wisdom will prepare us to meet the arguments and assaults of the wicked. Confidence in God is never misplaced. In contrast, the wicked often stumble, they are plagued by worries and cares, they will be gripped by sudden fear. “All the phobias and fears of people today have no effect on us because we trust God and his power” (Alden p. 42) 3:27-28 These verses could be teaching punctuality in paying bills or generosity to the poor. Much like Galatians 6:10, “So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all men…”. “If not now, when? If not here, where? If not I, who?” Obviously, procrastination nor greed is a part of wisdom. Wisdom realizes that opportunities for doing good can be short-lived and limited. We must learn to buy up the opportunities (Ephesians 5:16). The expression, “those to whom it is due”, “may be laborers who have earned their pay, the poor who rightly plead for help, or suppliants at the city gates who call for justice. On the other hand, they could be those who have loaned money and deserve to be repaid” (Garrett p. 84). Compare with Deut. 24:14-15; Romans 13:7-8. Hence, one of the marks of foolishness, is delay, putting everything off until “tomorrow”, wanting to avoid our responsibilities or obligations.

3:29 Unlike the wisdom of this world, godly wisdom won’t take advantage of another human being. A great example of a violation of this passage is Jezebel’s conspiracy against Naboth (1 Kings 21).

3:30 “Do not contend with a man without cause”-This verse would certainly condemn frivolous litigation and the abuse of the legal system. In contrast, we are commanded to do everything possible to live at peace with our neighbors (Romans 12:18). “Certain people just love to argue. They either champion an unpopular cause or, for the sake of argument, take an opposite position” (Alden p. 43). God is not impressed by argumentative people, those who love to stir up controversy, or the person who is always playing the role of the devil’s advocate.

See 2 Timothy 2:23-26. The verse implies that godly wisdom will enable you to tell the difference between a matter of right and wrong, and a matter of indifference. Wisdom will enable you to tell when there isn’t an issue, or when there really is.

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3:31 It is a easy temptation to envy the wicked, especially when they appear to be successful. Our modern society often glorifies “a man of violence”. Note the statement, “do not choose any of his ways”. Such a person isn’t to be followed at all, there is absolutely nothing about them that is worthy of imitation. But how many of our modern “role models” are evil people? Compare with Psalm 73:117; 37:1-8; Proverbs 23:17; 24:1,19. The violent man often represents the allure of easy prosperity by violence, crime and unethical behavior. Our society tends to idolize the person who pushes, wheels and deals, breaks the rules, cuts corners, etc…Don’t envy the person who doesn’t care, who doesn’t have a tender conscience, who is only out for themselves. How often are we tempted to envy the person who can cheat, steal, swear, abuse, etc….and yet their conscience doesn’t bother them? God will now give additional reasons why we shouldn’t envy such a man in the least.

3:32 First of all, God hates such a person. The word “crooked”, includes the idea of being “devious”. “The overriding reason against hankering after the ways of the unscrupulous is that one must choose between God’s detestation and His intimate friendship” (Kidner p. 66). Such a person is “crooked” because they are doing what God never planned for man to do. An “abomination” is an abhorrence, something that disgusts God. Obviously, material success and prosperity isn’t always a sign of Divine favor. We need to realize that God counts as His enemies those who reject Him (James 4:4; Col. 1:21; John 3:36).

The world often glorifies and admires such a person, but God is disgusted with them, “for that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God” (Luke 16:15). “He is intimate with the upright”-His friendship is with the godly (John 15:14-15; Psalm 25:14).

3:33 The typical contrast of “curse” and “blessing” is found here (see Psalm 37:22; Deut. 11:26-26). This curse may result in constant misfortune.

3:34 “He scoffs at the scoffers”-Scoffers are often those who act like they know it all. God has His ways of humbling the arrogant (James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5). This may include the idea of causing their scoffing actions to boomerang on them.

Other ideas could be that such men will end up eating their unbelieving words, being deceived by their own dishonest arguments (2 Timothy 3:13), caught in their own traps, or God sees to it that their schemes end in failure and shame.

God hates arrogance, doubt, skepticism and criticism of His existence, nature or laws. In contrast, God gives favor to the humble.

3:35 The honor that the wise inherit not only includes respect from people (where the respect means something), but eternal glory and honor (Romans 2:7; 7

Matthew 25:21 “Well done, good and faithful slave”). In contrast, fools will only carry away shame as their portion. Hell is a place of everlasting shame and disgrace! (Daniel 12:2). In light of all of this, what a mistake to envy such a man or woman!

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