Week six will finish this section of Solomon’s short wisdom sayings in the book of Proverbs and begin his next section of longer wise sayings. Again we will only have time to cover some of the highlights from these chapters, so dig into anything else that interests you on your own!

Chapter 20 jumps right in with a warning against drunkenness. An overindulgence in alcohol takes away your ability to make wise decisions, and this is a topic Solomon will bring up multiple times in this section. In this verse specifically he mentions unwise speech and behavior caused by alcohol. The moral of the story is set wise limits if you consume “strong drink” (v. 1).

Verse 3 contains a bit of wisdom that everyone should apply to their lives, but I can’t help but think especially of those of us on social media. How many arguments have you seen in the comment section of someone’s page? Do the people participating in these quarrels seem wise to you? Solomon says they are fools. Of course there is always a time to take a stand for your beliefs, but in general, the wise work to keep the peace, rather than jump into arguments trying to prove themselves right.

Verse 6 asks where the faithful are found, and I think the answer comes in verse 7. “The righteous who walks in his integrity” is a faithful man. Because of this person’s example, his children are also blessed. Instead of being loud and boastful, we should quietly model these faithful qualities for our children.

Although verse 8 references a king, we can also apply this principle to any form of government. This verse tells us the role of government is to “winnow all evil,” or criminal activity, through judgement. To winnow is to sort the good and evil, and then remove the evil from the good. As we have seen in other verses, however, this must be done with righteousness in order to be done properly.

The question in verse 9 can humble us when we start to judge others. Looking inward and evaluating our own guilt should make us slower to judge others, because we do not want to be hypocritical. Otherwise we might hear Jesus’ words from Matthew 7:5: “You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the spec out of your brother’s eye.” Similarly, verse 11 is a check of our character. What we do says a lot about who we are, so we need to ensure that what we do lines up with what we say we believe.

Verses 10 and 23 cover an abomination we have already read about in chapter 11, but seeing how it is repeated twice in this chapter it bears mentioning again. God hates when we judge wrongly. He wants us to be fair and impartial, just as He is.

Verses 13-17 contain a series of proverbs relating to the topic of wealth. Verse 13 begins by relating laziness to poverty. Those who sleep the day away have done nothing to earn their keep. Paul even issues the command in the New Testament, “If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat” (2 Thessalonian 3:10b). A lack of motivation will lead to a lack in general. Verse 15 reminds us, however, that to have wisdom is even better than having wealth. And verse 17 warns that anything gained by dishonest means will not bring enjoyment for long.

Verses 18 and 19 advise us on who we should look to for counsel. We have seen in previous proverbs that it is wise to seek advice before making a plan, and verse 18 carries the idea of getting guidance in especially serious matters by using the example of war. We need to be sure that our counselors are people of wisdom who can keep conversations private. You do not want to share with someone who “goes about slandering” or who “reveals secrets” (v. 19).

Verse 22 reminds me of Romans 12:19: “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’” God is our avenger, and we must wait patiently, trusting that He will act on our behalf.

Verse 24 reminds us that God is sovereign even over our steps. This can be a hard concept to understand, just as the proverb says, but it should mean that we come to God with humility, knowing that He has the final say in whatever direction we go.

Verse 25 is a warning not to make rash promises. Always think before you speak, because God expects you to keep your word.

Verse 29 mentions both the young and the old and their positive attributes. The young can enjoy their strength, and the old can enjoy their gray hair, which is a symbol of wisdom. The message of this proverb is to enjoy whatever stage of life you are in. There are benefits to each, so don’t waste your time looking forward or looking back.

Chapter 21 begins with another verse describing God’s sovereignty. It should bring us peace to know that God’s plans will always prevail, even if we don’t fully understand how that happens. In pride, we may think we know what is right, “but the Lord weighs the heart” (v. 2).

Verse 3 reminds me that God’s main concern is how we treat other people. He doesn’t care about our religious rituals as much as He cares about our interactions with His people. In verse 7 the wicked are described as doing violence and refusing “to do what is just.” What we do, and don’t do, reflects our heart to God.

Verses 9 and 19 warn against being a quarrelsome wife. Both of these proverbs tell the husband it would be better to live in an isolated place, like the corner of a housetop or a desert, than to live in a house with a woman who argues all the time. This should cause us to evaluate ourselves and our communication with our spouses to make sure we are using our words to build our spouse up, and not tear him down.

All over Proverbs we have seen contrasts between the scoffer, the simple, and the wise. We know that the scoffer hates to be corrected and will not learn, but for the simple there is still hope. Verse 11 tells us that the simple can learn from seeing the scoffer punished. We have probably all seen someone experience the consequences of a bad choice and decided we did not want to experience that for ourselves. We can gain wisdom through others’ mistakes. The wise man takes instruction and internalizes it. He continues to grow and learn, and does not let a lesson go wasted.

Verse 13 is a strong warning to care for the poor, lest we be treated the same way we treat them. God has compassion on the poor, so we should as well.

Verse 16 talks about the “one who wanders from the way of good sense.” Wandering is usually an accident. You don’t mean to get off track, but you look up to find yourself in the wrong place. Proverbs warns us repeatedly that we must be intentional to stay on the path of wisdom, otherwise we will find ourselves “in the assembly of the dead.”

Verse 17 is another warning against over indulging in alcohol. This time the warning is that it will lead to poverty. “Pleasure” is not necessarily a bad thing, but when it becomes our all-consuming desire, there will be consequences.

Verse 20 is another proverb that is good to remember as a general statement. Generally, wealth is gained through wisdom and lost through folly. This is not always the case, but it is a good general principle to remember.

In battle, most people would want strength on their side, but verse 22 tells us that wisdom is better than strength. All over the Old Testament you can see God’s people defeating enemies stronger than them because they had God’s wisdom on their side. It makes me think of the saying, “Work smarter, not harder.”

Verses 23 and 24 contrast the person who “keeps his mouth and his tongue” with the “scoffer.” One keeps himself out of trouble, and the other falls into the pit of pride.

Verse 25 is another warning for the lazy. It is good to have desires and dreams, but unless we do something about them, they are worth nothing.

Verse 27 describes another abomination. “The sacrifice of the wicked” is fake. It is not brought with the true and pure intentions of honoring God. God hates to see people pretend to be sincere when He knows the “evil intent” in their hearts.

This chapter ends on the same note it began: God’s sovereignty. While we strive and search for wisdom, ultimately, we must bow before God’s higher wisdom. We do what we can, “but the victory belongs to the Lord” (v. 31).

Chapter 22 begins by saying a good name, or reputation, is better than great wealth. How do you earn a good name? By walking in the Lord’s wisdom. If you stay close to God, you can’t go wrong.

Verse 2 speaks to the equality between the rich and the poor. We all come into this world poor and dependent on God. We would do well to remember that in how we treat others. Although verse 7 says “the rich rules over the poor,” because the poor may need to borrow from the rich, the rich should not put undue hardships on the poor. Verse 9 commends the generous person who shares with the poor, which stands in contrast to the lender who makes a slave of the borrower in verse 7. Verse 16 warns “whoever oppresses the poor to increase his own wealth…will only come to poverty.”

Verse 6 is probably the most quoted proverb, and most claimed as a promise, so let’s spend a little time here. We have established over and over that proverbs are generally true statements, not promises. As parents, we should train our children to walk the path of obedience, rather than letting them wander wherever they want. Verse 15 tells us the child’s natural inclination is sin, so it takes discipline on the part of the parent to teach their child to go the right way. After that, we pray that they remember this training, but at some point it is up to the child to determine which way they will walk.

Verses 10 and 11 contrast a quarreling scoffer with someone who speaks gracious words from a pure heart. Which category do you find yourself in?

In verse 13 we see the sluggard come up with a ridiculous excuse to avoid going to work. It can be laughable the lengths people will go to protect their laziness.

Verse 17 begins the next section of Proverbs, which contains the 30 sayings of the wise. Many of these are longer than one verse, and they are arranged thematically. This section begins with a prologue that calls the reader to pay attention to these wise words. Not only should we hear these sayings with our ears, but we need to apply them internally (v. 17). Solomon says he gives us these wise sayings so “that your trust may be in the Lord” (v. 19). Gaining wisdom should not make us prideful but humble, as we realize how dependent we are on God.

Verses 22-23 contain the first wise saying, that the Lord acts on behalf of the poor. Verses 24-25 warn us to be careful who we choose as friends, because we will become like the people we spend time with. Verses 26-27 are a warning against putting up security or a pledge for another person. Verse 28 warns against stealing property, and the fifth wise saying, verse 29, tells us to do good work. As Colossians 3:23-24 says, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.”

Many of these wise sayings are things we have already seen in the book of Proverbs, but anything God deems important enough to be repeated should stand out as important to you.

Chapter 23 continues with thirteen more of these longer wise sayings. Verses 1-3 and 6-8 warn against a hospitality that is not really hospitable. In the first section, the person is eating with someone in authority who is said to offer “deceptive food.” It may be that this person is pretending to be hospitable because they want something from you, so be careful what you accept. In the second section, the person is eating with someone who is stingy, and is secretly resenting you for accepting their hospitality. Although the warnings here seem to be for the person accepting the invitation, we also need to evaluate the type of hospitality we are offering, lest we become like one of these two examples. 1 Peter 4:9 says “Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.” May we all live out this command well.

Verses 4-5 are a warning for the workaholic. When all you do is work to gain more and more, remember that you cannot take your treasures from this life into the next. Of course Proverbs encourages us to work. We have read the many warnings for the lazy person. But the key is to find the balance between working to support yourself and your family, and working for the things of God’s eternal kingdom.

Verse 9 tells us not to even bother speaking to a fool. They won’t accept the wisdom of your words, so you are just wasting your breath.

Verses 10-11 are another warning against stealing like we saw in the last chapter. Remember how God cares for the fatherless, and treat them the same way.

Verse 12 was our memory verse this week, and is a simple encouragement to stay dedicated to the search for wisdom.

Verses 13 and 14 teach that discipline builds character. The goal is to teach your children to follow after God and live their lives the right way.

Verses 15 and 16 express the parent’s joy at seeing their child do “what is right.”

Verses 17 and 18 should encourage you to make fear of the Lord (living a life pleasing to Him) your ultimate goal. It may seem as though sinners are experiencing success for a moment, but we have a future hope they do not have.

Verses 19-21 are another warning to avoid excess, in alcohol, in food, and in sleep. This lack of discipline will lead to a lack of wealth because you will squander what you have on your vice.

Verses 22-25 tell us the best way to fulfill the fifth commandment, honor your father and mother, is to get, and keep, wisdom.

Verses 26-28 warn against the adulteress. This woman is compared to a deep pit, a narrow well, and a robber, all of which are dangerous in their own way.

The final wise saying of this chapter is a long section on drunkenness. Solomon warns of the wine’s appeal, but also it’s consequences when abused. The person who overindulges will encounter problems with their sight, speech, and steps, and will leave themselves vulnerable. And yet, at the end of this chapter, we see the person drawn back to the drink. Like a dog returning to its vomit, this is truly unwise.

Which wise saying spoke to you the most this week? Are you applying what you are learning so that it is changing the way you live to be a lifestyle of worship to God?  I am praying the Holy Spirit is showing you any areas of your life that do not line up with wisdom as you study each week, and you are responding by bringing these areas into submission under Him.