Proverbs Chapters 13 and 14 John Karmelich

1. I call this lesson, "The payoff for hard work."

a) One of the themes running through Proverbs is that there is a "payoff" to live a life pleasing to God. It's not just about heaven, but there are long term benefits for applying the concepts of biblical wisdom to our lives.

b) Success in life takes good planning and the determination to work for one's goals. The same applies to "spiritual success". Christians are called to make a difference for God. Part of "spiritual success" is about having the discipline to apply God's rules to our lives.

c) Like all of these lessons on Proverbs, that is not the intended theme of these chapters. The main topic is biblical wisdom. What I am adding in these lessons is some underlying themes. In this lesson, I'm going to comment every now and then on the importance and benefits of spiritual self-discipline as it applies to wisdom.

d) With that said, we're running a marathon today covering two chapters of Proverbs. I'm purposely keeping the introduction brief. We'll get back to this topic through the lesson.

2. Verse 1: A wise son heeds his father's instruction, but a mocker does not listen to rebuke.

a) Remember the key to understanding proverbs is to compare both halves:

i) In the first half, we have a wise son heeded his father's instruction.

ii) In the second half, we have a mocker not listening to rebuke.

b) Understand that this verse is not just about boys being told to listen to their fathers.

i) The point is that wise people listen to wise instructions.

ii) The second point is mockers don't listen to a good rebuke.

c) Let's define "mockers". The general idea is one who doesn't care about God. In their passive anger toward doing what is right, they make sarcastic comments. When told what should be done, the response is one of being flippant or sarcastic.

d) The main point of this proverb is to be willing to listen to good advice. That means to have a humble spirit. We can't let our pride get in the way of doing the right thing.

3. Verse 2: From the fruit of his lips a man enjoys good things, but the unfaithful have a craving for violence.

a) The term "fruit of his lips" refers to what a person speaks. It has nothing to do with eating. With that said, the second half says, "unfaithful have a craving for violence."

b) Ever meet a "hothead"? There are people who are angry at life and they are looking for an excuse to get into a fight. They hate their own lives and want to take it out on others.

c) Getting back to the "good guy" of this verse, the text is saying in effect, "If there is good on the inside, good will come out of one's mouth". In other words, if one is seeking God's wisdom and God's will for their lives, the "payoff" is one will speak good things.

4. Verse 3: He who guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin.

a) The general idea is that humans are imperfect people. Sooner or later, we all talk too much, and say something wrong. Therefore, it is wise to think before one speaks.

b) The second part says, "He who speaks rashly will come to ruin". It does not mean that if we say the wrong thing once, it will definitely ruin us. The idea is one who continually speaks first and thinks about it later is the type of person who gets in trouble.

c) Let's read this proverb in context of the previous proverb:

i) Verse 2 says in effect a wise man speaks good things.

ii) Verse 3 says in effect to be careful what you say.

iii) The two proverbs go hand in hand. Having good "verbal output" requires good input. This is about prayer, studying God's word and listening to advice of good godly people. At the same time, it is easy to blurt out the wrong thing. The proverb is simply reminding us to think before we speak.

d) In my profession, I occasionally have to give court testimony as an expert witness. It is the job of the opposing lawyer to discredit me as a witness. When that lawyer asks me a question, I always want to pause and think, "Why is he or she asking me this question? In order to give a wise answer, I need to ponder the question and not bluntly give out an answer. That too, is "wisdom".

5. Verse 4: The sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.

a) Here is a proverb that says in effect don't be lazy. A sluggard is a snail. It is a word-picture of laziness as a slug moves very slowly. The point is a lazy person may have desires, but they are too lazy to act out their desires.

b) There are statistics that show that most people who set out goals accomplish them. If one can have the discipline to make good goals and follow through, one will accomplish those goals. That is the idea behind this proverb.

c) Now let's read this in context of the previous two proverbs:

i) Verse 2 says a wise person speaks good things.

ii) Verse 3 says to think before one speaks.

iii) Verse 4 says to be diligent in one desire. All three are about one's effort.

iv) The main topic of Proverbs is about applying Godly wisdom to our lives. Putting these together, we are learning to think before we speak and having the diligence to apply God's laws to our lives so that we can have wisdom.

6. Verse 5: The righteous hate what is false, but the wicked bring shame and disgrace.

a) The idea of "righteous" is to be "right with God". The idea is to like what God likes and hate what God hates. If God hates sin, He wants us to hate it too. The idea is to have a motivational tool to avoid sin: We won't want to sin if we hate it in the first place.

i) One of the 10 Commandments is not to bear false witness. (Ref.: Exodus 20:16). That essentially means not to lie to someone. This proverb is teaching us not only to tell the truth, but to actually have a hatred of lying.

b) The second part says, "Wicked bring shame and disgrace". The key is to read this in context of the first half of the proverb. If the "good guy" hates to sin, then the "bad guy" doesn't think twice about sinning. The result for the "bad guy" is shame and disgrace upon themselves, whether they realize it or not.

7. Verse 6: Righteousness guards the man of integrity, but wickedness overthrows the sinner.

a) Again, "righteousness" is about being right with God. It is about loving the things God loves and hating the things God hates.

b) In the previous proverb (Verse 5), a righteous person hates lying.

i) In this proverb (Verse 6), one's righteous "guards" the man of integrity. To understand it, look at the second half: "wickedness overthrows the sinner".

ii) To put it another way, the bad things one does in life usually comes back to haunt them. At the same time, doing good things will naturally keep us on the right path.

iii) For example, if we don't steal, we won't end up in jail and be on an "honest" path in life. That is how righteousness "guards" someone of integrity. A wicked person doesn't care about right and wrong. Their actions will catch up with them.

8. Verse 7: One man pretends to be rich, yet has nothing; another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth.

a) Most proverbs are contrasting "good guy versus bad guy". In this proverb, we have a rare "bad guy/bad guy" illustration. Both halves are about doing something wrong.

b) The idea of this proverb is that in both cases, one is pretending to be something they are not. The first case is one who pretends to be rich.

i) For example, it maybe describing someone who is buying stuff on credit they really can't afford. The second half is about pretending to be poor. These are people who are so scared of being robbed they hide what they have.

ii) For example, someone in true need may ask for financial health, and we could lie and say we don't have any money to give them. That would be an example that falls in the second half of this proverb.

9. Verse 8: A man's riches may ransom his life, but a poor man hears no threat.

a) Here's a proverb that explains "how life works". If one has a lot of money, there is the risk of losing one's wealth. A poor person doesn't have to worry about that.

i) For example, if one is rich, someone may kidnap your children in order to demand a ransom. Rich people get sued far more than poor people in order to collect financial damages. The rich have a legitimate fear of losing their riches.

b) OK, this proverb is obvious. Why is it here? Is God commanding us not be rich? No. ☺

i) The reason the Book of Proverbs exists is that God wants us to have a happy and fulfilled life. Proverbs is God's way of saying, "Here is how I want you to live so you can enjoy life as much as possible".

ii) It doesn't mean God wants us to live a vow of poverty. This proverb is warning us not to live for wealth. Money is neither good nor bad. It is a tool to get things one needs or wants. The point is we are to depend upon God, and not our wealth. Our wealth cannot buy our salvation or happiness.

iii) This proverb is God saying in effect, "I want you to have the same peace of mind that a poor man has about being kidnapped: That is, no fear at all. I'm not against you making money. I'm against you having to worry about problems that come with those riches. I, God want you to trust Me, and not your money."

10. Verse 9: The light of the righteous shines brightly, but the lamp of the wicked is snuffed out.

a) One of the illustrations that Jesus used of Himself is that He is the "light of the world". (Ref.: John 8:12, 9:5). On another occasion, Jesus said in effect that those who follow Him are also "the light of the word". (Ref.: Matthew 5:4.) The difference between Jesus and Christians is that Jesus gives that light and we are to reflect His light.

i) The point of the illustration is that the same way a light (e.g., a lamp), gives off light, we as Christians are to "give off light". The idea is that our lives as Christians are to be living witnesses to the world around us. People should see our lifestyle and know that we are being witnesses for God.

b) This leads us back to this proverb. The point is the "light" of those who are living for God shines brightly. If we are making the effort "on the inside" to seek God, the natural output will be a "light" that is a witness to the world around us. It is an illustration teaching how we are to be witnesses to the world around us.

c) Now comes the flip side. ☺ Those that are wicked also "give a light", but it is a bad one.

i) The idea is for those who are wicked, their deeds will become known.

ii) The idea of "snuffed out" probably refers to eternal condemnation. In many cases, the life of the wicked is usually cut short.

11. Verse 10: Pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is found in those who take advice.

a) One of Jesus' 12 disciples was named Nathanael. When He first heard that the Messiah (Jesus) was from Nazareth, apparently that town had a bad reputation. Nathanael is famous for the statement, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" (Ref.: John 1:46.)

i) I open with that statement so I could ask, "Can anything good come out of pride?"

ii) The proverb says that pride only brings quarrels.

b) Let's define "pride" in this context: The idea is wanting to do our own will and not do God's will at any one moment. It is about putting oneself first. It is the opposite of the biblical definition of love, which is putting the needs of others before one's own needs.

c) Most fights come about when two people want things done their way, and neither is willing to compromise or give in. "Pride" comes in as we want it done my way.

i) A friend of mine used to joke, "My wife and I will stop arguing just as soon as she realizes that I'm right about everything." ☺

d) Now let's read the second part: "But wisdom is found in those who take advice."

i) The idea is that if we are wise, we are willing to listen. We don't let our ego's get in the way of taking advice from others. In other words, a teacher can't teach unless the student is willing to listen. Also note that wisdom is not just listening to good advice, but the willingness to actually take that advice!

12. Verse 11: Dishonest money dwindles away, but he who gathers money little by little makes it grow.

a) The general idea of this proverb is that those who make a lot of money fast by some dishonest scheme, usually lose it as quickly as they made it. Those who patiently work hard for a living usually keeps it as long as it took them to earn that money.

i) There is an appreciation factor when one takes a long time to develop some wealth and such people are less likely to spend it quickly.

b) One of my professors at college said, "The worst curse I can place on you is to be really financially successful early in life." He wasn't talking about dishonest gain, but those who struck it rich right after college. Now, over twenty years later, I can see he was right. I've watched the rise and fall of a few of my colleges as such. Yes, this proverb is talking about the fall of dishonest gain, but I believe an underlying point is that one who earns money slowly and honestly has a greater appreciation for it.

13. Verse 12: Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.

a) The idea of "hope" is to wait for something one believes will happen. The idea of this proverb is "hope" can be hard, if it takes a long time. When that desire is finally realized, it brings a sense of fulfillment to one's life.

b) I have to admit, whenever I set a long term goal, the final "thing" rarely turns out to be as satisfying as the journey to get there. One has to learn to enjoy the journey itself.

i) I will argue the key exception is our salvation. Let's face it, living the Christian life is difficult at times. Sin is always a temptation away. I'm "betting" my eternal life is far greater than any suffering I have to deal with in this lifetime. I suspect this proverb deals a lot with that issue. (See also Romans 8:23; 1st Corinthians 15:19.)

c) Let's discuss the term "tree of life". In the Garden of Eden story, there were a "good tree" mentioned called the tree of life. The reason Adam and Eve were banished from Eden is so they couldn't access this tree. (Ref.: Gen. 3:22-24). That tree is not mentioned again until the book of Revelation. Revelation 22 associates it with sustaining everlasting life.

i) Tying that to the proverb, it is saying when a long-term desire is finally fulfilled, it revives our life in the same sense the "tree of life" is associated with life revival.

14. Verse 13: He who scorns instruction will pay for it, but he who respects a command is rewarded.

a) The general idea is if we are willing to listen to good advice, we will be rewarded. If our ego gets in the way, we will suffer the consequences.

b) One can think of this verse in terms of our relationship with God. If we are willing to accept and follow the commands of the bible, we will be rewarded for that effort. If we shun those commands, we will eventually suffer. Both the good and bad are promises.

15. Verse 14: The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, turning a man from the snares of death.

a) This verse is saying in effect, "If we are willing to listen to God, it will keep us from the "snares of death". The first application is about salvation. The idea is the "wise" are those who are actually obedient to God in their lives.

i) A more immediate application is that "generally speaking", if we follow God's commands, we will live a longer and more satisfying life. Let's face it, if we steal and cheat, we will end up in jail or end up dead sooner.

16. Verse 15: Good understanding wins favor, but the way of the unfaithful is hard.

a) Here is a proverb that says in effect, "If we are willing to listen to God and follow His ways, we will live a more fulfilled and joyful life. If we are unfaithful to God, we only end up hurting ourselves."

b) This is another proverb where God is saying in effect, "Look, I'm not just speaking to hear myself talk. Listen up, not for My sakes, but for your own sakes!"

c) The verse says good understanding "wins favor". Who do we win favor with? The first answer is God Himself. The second answer is people around us. This verse is another example of how living a life pleasing to God makes us a good witness to those around us.

17. Verse 16: Every prudent man acts out of knowledge, but a fool exposes his folly.

a) How do you tell if someone is a good person or a bad person? We can't read people's minds. We can only watch their actions. A point of this proverb is we can tell if someone is prudent or a fool based on their actions. This proverb is saying in effect we can tell what is person is like on the inside based on how they act on the outside.

b) Let's remember what is "prudent" and a "fool".

i) The word "prudent" is a person who is acting wisely. In other words, the prudent are making decisions in life that are not sinful. They are doing the right thing.

ii) A "fool" is one who doesn't care about God's instructions of right and wrong. They are only interested in gratifying their own desires at the point of not caring who they hurt. A fool is one who is working their way to hell whether they realize it or not. Jesus said we are not to call people fools in the sense that we don't know who is saved and who is not. At the same time, we can discern foolish behavior.

18. Verse 17: A wicked messenger falls into trouble, but a trustworthy envoy brings healing.

a) Let's define a "messenger". It is one who is passing on information from one source to another source. The first half of the verse is saying that if such a messenger is wicked (e.g., they purposely lie or purposely gossip), that messenger will eventually get into trouble for not doing their job properly.

b) The "good messenger" brings healing. How does a good messenger "heal"?

i) Well, if the messenger is telling the doctor our symptoms, that's a good sign. ☺

ii) If the messenger is communicating something important about our lives to others, and we want that second person to correctly hear the messenger, that "heals" our need to communicate with others.

c) The underlying point of this proverb is about being trustworthy, not lying or gossiping to others and also, about being good "stewards". The term "steward" is about being responsible with a task we are given to help someone else.

i) If we work for a company, we are supposed to be good "stewards" for that company. That means to do one's best to honestly help that company make a profit. If we are self employed, we hold that same responsibility for a client.

ii) If we are responsible for raising children, we are "stewards to God" to raise them as responsibly as possible.

19. Verse 18: He who ignores discipline comes to poverty and shame, but whoever heeds correction is honored.

a) �The general idea is one has to keeping working at doing what is right. It ties to my theme that hard work in life for God pays off in our lifetime.

b) For example, a good marriage takes hard work. When one or both spouses start taking their marriage for grant it, is usually suffers.

i) Another example is one's occupation. Success requires one to keep focusing on one's goal. If one is lazy at work, one never becomes financially successful.

ii) Another example is our relationship with God. If we get too lazy to pray and spend time with God, He in turn says in effect, "OK, if that's what you want, try it on your own for awhile." ☺ That's usually when we get into trouble.

iii) The point is the good things in life require regular time and effort.

c) This leads back us to this proverb. The point is when one ignores discipline and being corrected when one is wrong, it leads to poverty and shame. There is honor when one accepts correction and keeps on working hard in life.

d) Another way of paraphrasing this proverb is, "Don't let our ego's get in the way of being corrected. If someone we know, love and respect tells us we're doing something wrong, be willing to listen and digest their advice!"

20. Verse 19: A longing fulfilled is sweet to the soul, but fools detest turning from evil.

a) Verse 19 falls along the same theme of self-discipline. Sooner or later, one does achieve a goal. Putting the effort into our time with God, with our spouses, our families etc., eventually does pay off. One also needs to step back every now and then and appreciate our blessings as opposed to the pity-party of thinking how hard it is to make it work.

b) The contrast is the fool. A fool doesn't care less about pleasing God. One can get to the moral point in life where they "can't stand not doing what is sinful". Once one goes down that path, I'm convinced there is an internal "need" to continue that lifestyle.

21. Verse 20: He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.

a) An attribute of wisdom is having wise friends. They "rub off" on us. This proverb is encouraging us to hang around and develop friendships with other godly people.

b) The older I get the more I realize the importance for men and women to have good friendships with members of the same sex, even when one is married. It not only helps in terms of accountability, but it also reminds us that