Wednesday
Evening Bible Study
September 29, 2004
Proverbs 25
:1 …the men of Hezekiah king of Judah
copied out.
Hezekiah lived about 250 years after Solomon. He had some of his scholars pull out about
100 of Solomon’s proverbs and write them down.
:2-7 For Kings
:2 It is the glory of God to conceal a thing…
(Prov 25:2 ICB) God is honored for what he keeps secret.
Kings are honored for what they can discover.
God has not chosen to reveal all of Himself or His plans.
Kings need to investigate matters fully before making decisions.
:3 …the heart of kings is unsearchable.
(Pr 25:3 The Message) {3} Like the
horizons for breadth and the ocean for depth, the understanding of a good
leader is broad and deep.
:4-5 Take away the wicked from before the king,
and his throne shall be established in righteousness.
Silver becomes more valuable as the dross is removed. A king’s nation becomes more valuable when
the wicked are removed. A king’s rule
becomes more stable when wickedness is removed.
(Pr 25:4-5 The Message) {4} Remove
impurities from the silver and the silversmith can craft a fine chalice; {5}
Remove the wicked from leadership and authority will be credible and
God-honoring.
:6-7 For better it is that it be said unto thee,
Come up hither
Jesus said,
(Luke 14:7-11 NLT) When
Jesus noticed that all who had come to the dinner were trying to sit near the
head of the table, he gave them this advice: {8} "If you are invited to a
wedding feast, don't always head for the best seat. What if someone more
respected than you has also been invited? {9} The host
will say, 'Let this person sit here instead.' Then you will be embarrassed and
will have to take whatever seat is left at the foot of the table! {10} "Do
this instead--sit at the foot of the table. Then when your host sees you, he
will come and say, 'Friend, we have a better place than this for you!' Then you
will be honored in front of all the other guests. {11} For
the proud will be humbled, but the humble will be honored."
:8-10
Neighborly behavior
:7whom thine eyes have seen…
:8 Go not forth hastily to strive…
The last part of verse 7 really belongs to verse 8:
(Prov 25:7b-8 NLT) Just because you see something, {8} don't be
in a hurry to go to court. You might go down before your neighbors in shameful
defeat.
Be careful about making quick judgments about things. Sometimes things aren’t always as they seem.
Illustration
Looking Out (It’s not what it seems)
Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for
an hour a day to drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room’s only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat
on his back. The men talked for hours on
end. They spoke of their wives and
families, their home, their jobs, their involvement in the military service,
where they’d been on vacation. Every
afternoon when the man in the bed next to the window could sit up, he would
pass the time and entertain both of them by describing to his roommate all the
things he could see outside the window.
The man in the other bed would really live for those one-hour periods. His world would be broadened and enlivened by
all the activity and color of the outside world described by his new
friend. His descriptions of his
perspective were great. The window
overlooked a park with a lovely lake with ducks and swans. Sometimes children sailed their model boats. The park had flowers of every color of the
rainbow, and grand old trees, and squirrels played their games. There was a
fine view of the city skyline in the distance.
As the man by the window described all this, the man on the other side of
the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene. One warm afternoon the man by the window described
a wedding party taking pictures in the lovely park below. Later a parade passed by. Evidently a circus
was coming to town, and he told about the elephants holding each other’s tails
as they made their way down the street. Although the other man could not hear
the band, he could see it in his minds’ eye.
Then an alien thought entered his head.
Why should this other guy have all the pleasure of seeing everything
while I never get to see anything? It
didn’t seem fair. As the thought
fermented, the man felt ashamed at first.
But as time passed, his envy eroded into resentment and soon turned him
sour. He began to brood and found
himself unable to sleep. He should be by
that window and that thought now controlled his life. Late one night, as he lay staring at the
ceiling, the man by the window began to cough.
He was choking on fluid in his lungs. The other man watched in the dimly
lit room as the struggling man by the window groped for the button to call for
help. Listening from across the room, he
never moved, never pushed his own button, which would have brought the nurse
running. In less than five minutes, the
coughing and choking stopped, along with the sound of breathing. Now, there was
only silence - deathly silence. The following morning the day nurse arrived to
bring water for their baths. She found
the lifeless body of the man by the window, and he was taken away. As soon as it seemed appropriate, the man
asked if he could be moved next to the window.
The nurse was happy to make the switch and after making sure he was
comfortable, she left him alone. Slowly,
painfully, he propped himself up one elbow to take his first look. Finally, he
would have the joy of seeing it all himself.
He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed.
It faced a blank, bare wall.
Sometimes I get angry at people because of things I’m suspicious of. I’m finding that I can’t be quick about
drawing too much from my suspicions. I’m
often wrong and I’m a fool to put too much weight on my own suspicions.
:9-10 …Lest he that heareth it put thee to shame…
I wonder if this isn’t a continuation of the thought in verses 7-8 in
talking about not being too hasty in our judgments of other people.
(Prov 25:9-10 NLT) So discuss the matter with them privately.
Don't tell anyone else, {10} or others may accuse you of gossip. Then you will
never regain your good reputation.
Jesus said,
(Mat 18:15-17 KJV) Moreover
if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between
thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. {16}
But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the
mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. {17} And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the
church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as a heathen
man and a publican.
What’s important is that we learn to go to people directly when we have a
problem with them. Yet often what we do
is to talk to everyone else about the person before ever dealing with them.
:11-15 Faithful words
:11 A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in
pictures of silver.
(Prov 25:11 NLT) Timely advice is as lovely as golden apples
in a silver basket.
:12 As an earring of gold…so is a wise reprover
upon an obedient ear.
reprover – yakach – to prove, decide, judge, rebuke, reprove, correct, be right
(Prov 25:12 NLT) Valid criticism is as treasured by the one
who heeds it as jewelry made from finest gold.
Ears are made for hearing. What makes
an ear look really good is not just a nice piece of jewelry, but when a person
pays attention to wise advice or criticism.
:13 …so is a faithful messenger to them that send
him…
This is for those faithful guys who work at UPS, FedEx, and the Post Office
to deliver all our letters and packages.
(Pr 25:13 NLT) {13} Faithful messengers are as refreshing as snow
in the heat of summer. They revive the spirit of their employer.
Being a faithful
employee.
(Col
3:22-25 KJV) Servants,
obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but
in singleness of heart, fearing God: {23} And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily,
as to the Lord, and not unto men; {24} Knowing that of the Lord ye shall
receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. {25} But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he
hath done: and there is no respect of persons.
In a sense, we’re kind of like contract employees. We work for an outside consulting company, on
loan to our present employer. Jesus is
our real boss.
I wonder what kind of a “faithful messenger” I am for my real Boss? When I’m
faithful, I “refresh” my Master.
:14 Whoso boasteth himself of a false gift is like
…wind without rain.
A farmer looks forward to the rain.
When he sees clouds and feels the wind, he knows that rain is on it’s way – he hopes.
A person who claims they’ll do something, give something, or be something,
but doesn’t follow through – they’re like those empty clouds. Pretty disappointing.
:15 By long forbearing is a prince persuaded, and
a soft tongue breaketh the bone.
long forbearing – (literally, “long”
+ “nose”, it takes a long time for your nose to flare in anger) patience
breaketh the bone – can overcome
difficulties
Faithful words influence people.
Keys to influencing people:
Patience and gentle words.
I need to learn this because after all, these are the things that work best
on me. You need patience because I’m kind of slow to get things. You need gentle words because I tend to tune
out or react negatively to harsh words.
:16-17 Dangers of “too much”
:16-17 Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbour's
house; lest he be weary of thee, and so hate thee.
You don’t need too much of a good thing.
Too many candy bars (or honey) will make you sick.
Too much time at your neighbor’s house will make him sick of you.
(Pr 25:17 The Message) {17} And when you find a friend, don’t outwear your welcome; show
up at all hours and he’ll soon get fed up.
:18 A man that beareth false witness against his neighbour…
(Pr 25:18 NLT) {18} Telling lies about others is as harmful as
hitting them with an ax, wounding them with a sword, or shooting them with a
sharp arrow.
:19 Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of
trouble…
This is sort of the opposite of verse 13:
(Prov 25:13 KJV) As the cold of snow in the time of harvest,
so is a faithful messenger to them that send him: for he refresheth the soul of
his masters.
:20 …so is he that singeth songs to an heavy
heart.
(Pr 25:20 NLT) {20} Singing cheerful songs to a person whose heart
is heavy is as bad as stealing someone’s jacket in cold weather or rubbing salt
in a wound.
Sometimes we feel like we need to cheer up those are depressed. Be careful how you go about it.
(Rom 12:15
KJV) Rejoice with them that do rejoice,
and weep with them that weep.
:21-22 …For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his
head, and the LORD shall reward thee.
Paul quotes this:
(Rom 12:17-21 KJV)
Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight
of all men. {18} If it be possible, as much as lieth
in you, live peaceably with all men. {19} Dearly
beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is
written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. {20} Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst,
give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. {21}
Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
I don’t think this means that we look with glee on someone who is our enemy
and think to ourselves, “Oh boy, I get to heap burning coals on his head!”
I think the “coals of fire” speaks of conviction.
(Rom 12:20
NLT) …and they
will be ashamed of what they have done to you."
Carrying grudges can be deadly.
Illustration
Dr. S. I. McMillen illustrates in a chapter entitled “The High Cost of Getting Even,” from his book, None of These Diseases, how physical maladies including ulcers,
high blood pressure, and strokes are connected to harboring resentment and
hatred toward others. He says, “It might be written on many thousands of death
certificates that the victim died of ‘grudgitis.’”
Dr. McMillen describes how hating a person enslaves the one who hates:
The moment I start hating a man I become his slave. I cannot enjoy my work
anymore because he even controls my
thoughts. My resentments produce too many stress hormones in my body; I become
fatigued after only a few hours of work.
The man I hate may be miles from my bedroom, but more cruel than any
slave driver he whips my thoughts into such a frenzy that my inner-spring
mattress becomes a rack of torture. I really must acknowledge that I am a slave
to every man on whom I pour out my wrath.
Hearts can be changed if I help the one that has hurt me.
Jesus said,
(Mat 5:43-48 NLT) "You
have heard that the law of Moses says, 'Love your
neighbor' and hate your enemy. {44} But I say, love your enemies! Pray for
those who persecute you! {45} In that way, you will be acting
as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to
both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and on the unjust,
too. {46} If you love only those who love you, what
good is that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. {47} If
you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even
pagans do that. {48} But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven
is perfect.
Illustration
When the first missionaries came to Alberta,
Canada, they
were opposed by a young Cree Indian chief named Maskepetoon. But eventually he responded to the gospel and
accepted Christ. Shortly afterward, a
member of the Blackfoot tribe who hated Maskepetoon
killed his father. The chief rode into
the murderer’s village and demanded that he be brought before him. Confronting the guilty man he said, “You shall
ride my best horse and wear my best clothes.”
In utter amazement and remorse his enemy exclaimed, “My son, now you have
killed me.” The hate in his heart had
been erased by Maskepetoon’s forgiveness and
kindness.
Do you have someone that you’re angry with?
Is there someone at work that has made themselves your “enemy”?
:23 The north wind driveth away rain: so doth an
angry countenance a backbiting tongue.
(Pr 25:23 NASB95) {23} The north wind
brings forth rain, And a backbiting tongue, an angry countenance.
:24 …than with a brawling woman and in a wide
house.
This is exactly like Prov. 21:9 and very similar
to:
(Prov 21:19 KJV) It is better to dwell in the wilderness, than
with a contentious and an angry woman.
:25 As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good
news from a far country.
In Bible times, they didn’t have telephones, Internet, cars, or much at all
to hear about people who’ve moved far away.
It took time to get news from a far country.
Today I had a call from a gal that has been a part of our ministry for
years. She lives out in Temecula
now. She’s struggled with various
physical ailments, but mostly depression over the years. She called to tell me how well she’s
doing. She went off her depression
medication and things are looking up.
Good news.
There are people who are in great need of help with their lives. Sin has ravaged them. Satan has troubled them. They need some good news. They need news from a far country, from
heaven. They need to hear about Jesus.
There are others who know the Lord, but they too are thirsty for
encouragement. They too need good news
from heaven. Jesus said,
(Mat 10:42
NLT) And if you give even a cup of cold
water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded."
What are some things you could say to a discouraged Christian?
:26 A righteous man falling down before the wicked
is as a troubled fountain, and a corrupt spring.
(Pr 25:26 NLT) {26} If the godly
compromise with the wicked, it is like polluting a fountain or muddying a
spring.
As Christians, we are going to still sin from time to time. Yet when we find our lives being lived
continuously in compromise, our “spring” is polluted. When we try and give the “cup of cold water”
to those in need, something tastes a little funny.
Purity isn’t just something we want to do for our own sake, though that
alone is a HUGE reason to walk in holiness.
Our purity (or lack of purity) affects those around us, even when they
don’t know what we’ve done.
Jesus spoke harshly to the Pharisees because they had allowed their “cups”
to become polluted:
(Mat 23:25-28 NLT) "How
terrible it will be for you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees.
Hypocrites! You are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish,
but inside you are filthy--full of greed and self-indulgence! {26} Blind
Pharisees! First wash the inside of the cup, and then the outside will become
clean, too. {27} "How terrible it will be for you
teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! You are like
whitewashed tombs--beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead
people's bones and all sorts of impurity. {28} You try
to look like upright people outwardly, but inside your hearts are filled with
hypocrisy and lawlessness.
More than anyone, the Pharisees ought to have been wonderful vessels of
God’s Word. They ought to have had the
words to bring comfort and help to people.
Yet they had become more worried about what people thought of the
outside than what God saw on the inside.
:27 … so for men to search their own glory is not
glory.
Too much honey will make you sick.
(Pr 25:27 NLT) {27} Just as it is not good
to eat too much honey, it is not good for people to think about all the honors
they deserve.
Thinking too much about all you deserve will make you sick.
How will it make you sick?
You will be thinking too much about yourself and not enough about God and
others. Because we are all pretty much
selfish people, we all think we deserve far more than we get. And as a result you’re never satisfied and never
happy.
:28 He that hath no rule over his own spirit …
A city without walls was a city vulnerable to attack.
In ancient days, one of the things a conquering army would do was to tear
down the walls of the city it just conquered.
This would keep the people defenseless from further attacks from them. This would keep the city from rebelling
against they conquering king.
When we lack self-control, we too are vulnerable to the enemy’s attack.
How do I cultivate self-control?
1.
It is a fruit of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:22)
One of the things that the Holy Spirit wants to produce in my life is
“self-control”. I need to make a point of yielding myself to the Holy Spirit
and the things He wants to do in my life.
2.
Just do it.
Paul wrote,
(1 Cor 9:24-27 NLT) Remember that in a race everyone runs, but
only one person gets the prize. You also must run in such a way that you will
win. {25} All athletes practice strict self-control. They do it to win a prize
that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. {26} So
I run straight to the goal with purpose in every step. I am not like a boxer
who misses his punches. {27} I discipline my body like an athlete, training it
to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself
might be disqualified.
We’ve seen plenty of examples this summer of Olympic
athletes who exercised enough self-control to push themselves in their
training. They just “did it”.
I think sometimes we're looking for some kind of formula so that we relieve
ourselves of all responsibility in our spiritual walk.
The Holy Spirit is there to fill us.
He's there to give us power and ability.
You have the car, the tank is filled with gas, so
start the car and get going.
How to "Just Do It"
Illustration:
From -- John MacArthur, Jr. - "These are some things that have
helped me through the years: "
1. Start small.
Start with your room. Clean it, then keep it clean.
When something is out of place, train yourself to put it where it
belongs. Then extend that discipline of
neatness to the rest of your home.
2. Be on time. That may not seem very spiritual, but it's
important. If you're supposed to be
somewhere at a specific time, be there on time!
Develop the ability to discipline your desires, activities, and demands
so that you can arrive on time.
3. Do the hardest job first. Doing that will prevent the
hardest jobs from being left undone.
4. Organize your life.
Plan the use of your time; don't just react to circumstances. Use a calendar and make a daily list of
things you need to accomplish. If you
don't control your time, everything else will!
5. Accept correction.
Correction helps make you more disciplined because it shows you what you
need to avoid. Don't avoid criticism;
accept it gladly.
6. Practice self-denial.
Learn to say no to your feelings. Occasionally deny yourself things that
are all right just for the purpose of mastering doing it. Cultivating discipline in the physical realm
will help us become disciplined in our spiritual lives.
7. Welcome responsibility.
When you have an opportunity to do something that
needs to be done, volunteer for it if you have a talent in that area. Welcoming responsibility forces you to
organize yourself.