I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Proverbs 9-13.

    Both wisdom and folly extend open invitations to all who choose to listen. Wisdom offers us change and hard work, do what wisdom advises and live. Folly offers taking the easy way out, relying on deception. Folly fails to mention how her path always ends in death. In between these two examples the writer warns us that if we correct a mocker for mocking the innocent, they will turn their insults against us. And if we rebuke the wicked, they will turn their assaults against us. However, the wise welcome correction and change their ways when someone shows them how they were doing wrong.

    The rest of today’s passage contains a series of independent proverbs, each one composed of one or two sentences which make important points. Despite the fact that each of these proverbs is independent of the others there are several themes which are repeated. The writer mentions again that fools act wickedly and that the wicked behave foolishly. The righteous do what is wise, even when they are not wise. The writer emphasizes in these many proverbs something which all too many people fail to understand: Wisdom and righteousness go hand in hand, as do wickedness and folly. If you do not know what the wise action is, do what is right to the best of your knowledge and you will not be far off. If you know that an action is wicked or evil, you can be sure that it is also foolish. God honors those who are honest and straightforward, but He despises those who lie and are deceitful.

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Proverbs 14-17.

    Today’s passage contains many proverbs begging to be expanded. There are several which are at first glance obvious, but which contain much more than the simple truism they first appear. For example,

An honest witness does not lie;
a false witness breathes lies.

That seems so obvious that one wonders why even say it? But giving it the careful thought it deserves reveals that there is more to it than the obvious. There is both an element of advice about whose word to take when people’s testimony (and not just in court) disagrees. If one person has repeatedly lied while the other has been truthful, trust the latter. However, it also contains advice for how we lead our lives. If you always tell the truth, people will believe you when it matters. Every time you say something which is not the truth, you risk never being trusted again. Today’s passage contains many proverbs which are worded as advice about judging others but also contain advice on how to live our own lives.

    I am not going to take the time to review all of the proverbs within today’s passage for which I find value in doing that. Instead, I am going to take the time to hit on the high points of the writer’s advice. To some degree, all of the writer’s advice expands on choosing humility of pride. Living humbly will lead one to do almost all, if not all, of the other actions which the writer advises, while being full of pride leads to the actions which he warns against. The writer makes a second foundational point, all of his other advice, including the point I just made, flows from this. Fear of the Lord results in wisdom, not fearing the Lord results in folly. Early on the writer reminds us that this works both ways. While those who fear the Lord will do what is right, it is also true that those who do not know God but seek to do right will learn to fear the Lord. On the other hand, those who despise God will do evil and those who choose to do what is wrong will learn to despise God.

    Finally, I want to spend a few minutes going over some of the other advice the writer gives in this passage.

• Choose your words carefully

The right word at the right time can do wonders, while the wrong word can create disaster.

• Control your anger

Allowing anger to dictate your actions will lead you to do things which you will later regret. If the cause of your anger justifies an action there is time enough to take it once your anger has passed.

• Do not start arguments

What happens once you get someone worked up and angry will no longer be within your control and you may regret the results.