Tag Archives: Proverbs 9-13

Daily Bible Study

July 12, 2023 Bible Study — We Must Choose Whether to Listen to Wisdom or Folly

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

Both Wisdom and Folly sit in places of prominence and call to every passerby, “Let all who are simple come to my house!”  So, since both advertise themselves and call to us, how do we tell the difference?  Well, the writer informs us that righteousness and wisdom go hand in hand: righteous acts display wisdom, wicked behavior displays folly.  Further, the wise accept instruction and correction, while the fool resents anyone who makes them aware of their mistakes.  Further, the writer says that Folly promotes dishonesty and deceit.  The writer goes on from there to list a bunch of proverbs which help us act both wisely and righteously.  He tells us that the wise choose their words with care and think before they speak, while the fool allows their emotions to control their mouth.  The writer reminds us that we find what we seek.  If we seek good we will find it, and if we seek evil that is what will come to us.

 

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

Daily Bible Study

July 12, 2022 Bible Study — Wisdom And Folly Both Invite Us To Follow Them

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

Today’s passage begins with the writer telling us that both Wisdom and Folly invite us to follow them.  Wisdom seeks to offer us the benefits of learning and discipline, while Folly tempts us with the pleasure of getting away with what we know to be wrong.  The writer than goes on to give us one short proverb after another which illustrate what he means.  The mocker, the fool, hates those who call them out for doing wrong, while the wise love when someone shows them how they could act better.  The fool gets angry and combative when they feel like someone is trying to give them orders, while the wise recognize the benefit of listening to those with authority.  The wicked foolishly scheme  to gain unearned wealth while the wise delight in working to acquire more wisdom.

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

Daily Bible Study

July 12, 2021 Bible Study — The Wise Welcome Being Corrected For Their Mistakes

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

The wise and the righteous (but according to the proverb writer I repeat myself) welcome corrections when they make mistakes and rebukes when they do wrong.  On the other hand, mockers and the wicked (again the proverb writer says that I am repeating myself) insult those who correct them and abuse those who rebuke their wrong behavior.  Once again the writer makes clear that wisdom is there for all who will embrace its riches, but folly also calls forth offering pleasures.  The writer points out that the pleasures offered by folly disguise traps which lead to misery and death, while the riches offered by wisdom require effort and hard work. There are many valuable lessons to be learned by the various proverbs contained in today’s passage, but the one I want to highlight is that while wisdom will generally bring wealth, wealth is not what the truly wise most deeply desire.

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

Daily Bible Study

July 12, 2020 Bible Study Anyone Can Reap the Benefits of Acting Wisely

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.

Today’s passage continues the theme that Wisdom offers itself to all who will listen.  It does not take wealth, or special privilege to learn wisdom.  Of course, the same is true of Folly.  Foolishness offers itself to any who will take it.  Folly offers guilty pleasures but hides their true cost.  We live in an age where many speak of “privilege”, but the proverb writer reminds us that it does not take privilege to be wise and those born to privilege can be just as foolish as those born at a disadvantage.  More importantly, those born at a disadvantage can reap the benefits of wisdom if they so choose.  If you choose a life of self-discipline, good judgment, and wisdom you will reap the benefits they bring, no matter how much at a disadvantage you started out in life.

Daily Bible Study

July 12, 2019 Bible Study — Wisdom Or Folly, Which Will You Choose?

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.

Today’s passage starts with a personification of both wisdom and folly.  Both offer themselves to any who wish.  Wisdom offers using good judgment and accepting correction.  Folly offers hiding your actions from others and never admitting to doing wrong.  When the wise are corrected they change their behavior.  The fool denies having done wrong and strikes back at the one who offered advice. The rest of today’s passage consists of individual proverbs which do not have a common theme, except to distinguish wise actions from foolish actions.  However, there are several ideas which come up again and again.  One of those I already touched on.  The wise listen to criticism and seek to change their behaviors in light of it, even when the criticism is unwarranted.  The fool strikes back at those who criticize them, even when the criticism offers them an opportunity to avoid trouble.  The writer also includes multiple proverbs which warn us to limit what we say to that which is true, good, and helpful.  The fool speaks about that which they know little and babbles on revealing their ignorance.  The wise choose their words carefully, makes sure they have based their comments in facts, and shuts up when they have nothing more useful to say.  

Daily Bible Study

July 12, 2018 Bible Study — Folly and Wickedness Are Inextricably Mixed, As Are Wisdom and Righteousness

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.

Daily Bible Study

July 12, 2017 Bible Study — Wisdom Or Folly, Which Will You Choose?

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.

    Wisdom and Folly each call out to passersby, offering up rewards to any who will accept their offer. Those who accept Wisdom’s offer will experience life abundantly, while those who accept Folly’s will have short term pleasure followed by death. The wicked and the foolish resent correction, but the wise and the righteous embrace being told where they were wrong. The passage is filled with short proverbs (gee, I bet that comes as a surprise). There is no one theme, but they come back again and again to the same ideas: live your life with discipline, speak well of others, keep their secrets, avoid lies and deception, be straightforward and honest. The writer places an emphasis on the importance of what we say and how we say it. One other thing which the writer comes back to repeatedly is that foolishness and wickedness are indistinguishable.

Daily Bible Study

July 12 ,2016 Bible Study — Whose Invitation Will We Accept? Wisdom or Folly?

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

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

    Wisdom and Folly both call to us. They invite everyone in. It is up to us which of their invitations to accept. The wicked and the mocker reject rebuke and correction. Wisdom tells us to learn good judgment and to accept correction. Folly tells us that illicit pleasures are best. Having introduced us to Wisdom and Folly, the writer goes on with a list of proverbs which tell us what each of them teach us. There are many different points, but one which the writer keeps harping on is that the wise listen to advice and embrace those who tell them when they do wrong. It is foolish to think that you do not need advice and even worse to get angry at those who tell you that you are wrong. Listen to those who criticize your actions, even when you are sure you are right. Even when the criticism is unfounded you may be able to learn from it.

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    Another point which the writer stresses is that the wise use words carefully. They do not feel the need to convince others of their knowledge. The foolish on the other hand are quick to speak, convinced that their words will make others love them. The wise use their words to build others up, the fool uses his words to destroy even his friends. The fool thinks he can become great by making others look bad. The wise speak honestly and without deception. The fool tries to advance himself with deception and lies. The fool will be trapped by his words because he used them poorly. The wise will not face that problem because his words were truthful and uplifting.