Monday, March 28, 2011

Proverbs 11

False balance is an abomination but a just weight is His delight (v.1)

Pride leads to dishonor (v.2)

Humble leads to wisdom (v.2)

. Being humble = being submissive to God

- Micah 6:8 says "He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God?"

The integrity of the upright will guide them(the person) (v.3)

The crookedness of the treacherous will destroy them (v.3)

Riches do not profit in the day of wrath (v.4)

- Ezekial 7:19 says "They will fling their silver into the streets and their gold will become an abhorrent thing; their silver and their gold will not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the LORD. They cannot satisfy their appetite nor can they fill their stomachs, for their iniquity has become an occasion of stumbling."

- Zephaniah 1:8 says "Then it will come about on the day of the LORD'S sacrifice that I will punish the princes, the king's sons and all who clothe themselves with foreign garments."

Righteousness delivers from death (v.4)

Righteousness of the blameless will smooth his way. (v.5)

The wicked will fall by his own wickedness (v.5)

Righteousness of the upright will deliver them (v.6)

Treacherous will be caught by their own greed (v.6)

When a wicked man dies.... (v.7)
- His expectation will perish (v.7)
- Hope of strong men perishes (v.7)
. Job 8:13-14 says "13"So are the paths of all who forget God; And the hope of the godless will perish, 14Whose confidence is fragile, And whose trust a spider's web."

Righteous are delivered from trouble (v.8)

Wicked takes his place (v.8)

With his mouth the godless man destroys his neighbor (v.9)

Through knowledge the righteous will be delivered (v.9)

When it goes well with the righteous the city rejoices (v.10)

- Proverbs 28:12 says "When the righteous triumph, there is great glory, But when the wicked rise, men hide themselves.

When the wicked perish there is joyful shouting (v.10)

By the blessing of the upright a city is exalted (v.11)

By the mouth of the wicked it is torn down (v.11)

He who despises his neighbor lacks sense (v.12)

- Despise means belittle or shows contempt for

A man of understanding keeps silent (v.12)

He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets (v.13)

-Talebearer is a malicious slanderer, not merely one who is indiscreet

. Proverbs 16:28 says "A perverse man spreads strife, And a slanderer separates intimate friends"

. Proverbs 20:19 says "He who goes about as a slanderer reveals secrets, Therefore do not associate with a gossip."

He who is trustworthy conceals a matter (v.13)

Where there is no guidance the people fall (v.14)

-Steering, wise direction on the course of life is guidance.

. Proverbs 15:22 says "Without consultation, plans are frustrated, But with many counselors they succeed."

. Proverbs 20:18 says "Prepare plans by consultation, And make war by wise guidance."

. Proverbs 24:6 says "For by wise guidance you will wage war, and in abundance of counselors there is victory."

But in abundance of counselors there is victory! (v.14)

He who hates being a guarantor is secure (v.15)

- Stay out of debt! Those who get into it will suffer for it.

Gracious women attains honor (v.16)

Merciful man does himself good (v.17)

- Matthew 5:7 says "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy."

. The Lord calls the merciful blessed. They are blessed because they shall receive mercy.

Cruel man does himself harm (v.17)

He who sows righteousness gets a true reward (v.18)

- A true reward is an eternal reward, an enduring one.

. Hosea 10:12 says "Sow with a view to righteousness, Reap in accordance with kindness; Break up your fallow ground, For it is time to seek the LORD until He comes to rain righteousness on you.

. Galatians 6:8-9 says "For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 9 Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary."

. James 3:18 says "And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace."

Steadfast in righteousness will attain to life (v.19)

-Proverbs 12:28 says "In the way of righteousness is life, and in its pathway there is no death."

-Proverbs 19:23 says "The fear of the LORD leads to life, so that one may sleep satisfied, untouched by evil."

He who pursues evil will bring about his own death (v.19)

- Romans 6:23 says "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

. Evil in Proverbs 11:19= Sin in Romans 6:23

-James 1:15 says "Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death."

. Sin leads to death

Lord detests men of perverse heart (v.20)

Lord delights in those whose ways are blameless (v.20)

The wicked will not go unpunished, the righteous will go free (v.21)

Women should show discretion (v.22)

Desire of the righteous ends only in good; Hope of the wicked ends only in wrath (v.23)

One man gives freely yet gains even more (v.24)

-I think some of the things would be just a good thing.

Generous man will be prosperous (v.25)

He who waters will himself be watered (v.25)

- I think this part of the verse could have to do with spiritual growth and helping each other as brothers and sisters in Christ grow in the faith. When we help someone grow than in the process of that we will be helped as well.

But blessing will be at the head of him who sells it(grain) (v.26)

-This reminds me of Joseph in Genesis 42. It's kind of interesting that it reminded me of it and when I looked at the references it mentioned that same exact chapter in the list. Joseph did not withhold grain from his brothers but sold it to them and the Lord blessed Him for it.

He who diligently seeks good, seeks favor (v.27)

He who seeks evil, evil will come to him (v.27)

-Psalm 7:15-16 says "He has dug a pit and hollowed it out, and has fallen into the hole which he made. 16His mischief will return upon his own head, and his violence will descend upon his own plate."

He who trusts in his riches will fall (v.28)

The righteous will flourish like a green leaf (v.28)

-I love the description of the righteous in this verse

.Psalm 1:1-3 says "How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers! 2But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night. 3He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers."

.Jeremiah 17:7-8 says "Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD and whose trust is the LORD.
8"For he will be like a tree planted by the water, that extends its roots by a stream and will not fear when the heat comes; but its leaves will be green, and it will not be anxious in a year of drought nor cease to yield fruit."

He who troubles his own house will inherit wind (v.29)

The fruit of righteousness is a tree of life (v.30)

He who is wise wins souls (v.30)

Matthew 18:15 says "If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother."

.Not sure if this is what Proverbs is referring to or not but that is the only reference I could find in my Bible for it.

Last but not least I'm not sure as to what verse 31 means. Proverbs 11:31 says "If the righteous will be rewarded in the earth, How much more the wicked and the sinner!"

If anyone can tell me what they think that verse means that would be wonderful.

That is what I learned from Proverbs 11.