Click here to get a copy of RealAudio

TH1129: On-Line

Teaching Notes

PROVERBS

Please turn in your Bibles to Proverbs chapter 23, as we continue our study through the Word of God.

PROVERBS 23

VERSES 1-3

1. The warning is not that we should not over eat, which is important, but to be careful what this person wants. This meal may have many strings attached and after your done eating he may want to pull a few.

VERSES 4-5

1. Don't allow money to consume your life, those that do are never satisfied. Noticed how Paul warned Timothy about the destructive powers money has on people. In I Timothy 6:9-10 Paul said "But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." Don't focus on the temporary things of this world, but on the eternal. Paul also told Timothy "Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content." Be satisfied in what God has given you and don't focus so much on what money can do for you, but how it can assist in building up the kingdom of God.

VERSES 6-8

1. This is a person who tells you to eat up, there is plenty for everyone, but deep down inside he doesn't want you to eat a lot, but a little so he can have more for himself. And those thoughts in his heart will surface from his lips and will make you want to give back what you have eaten.

VERSE 9

1. A fool is someone who refuses to heed the Word of God, and you can waste a lot of time going no where with a person like this. Along those same lines, Jesus said in Matthew 7:6 "Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces." The pearls are God's holy truth, the wild dogs and filthy swine are those that refuse to listen and obey God's truth. We must discern what to say and who to say it to. If some people refuse to hear, then shake off the dust from your feet and move on, don't cast pearls before swine.

VERSES 10-11

1. If you start taking advantage of the orphaned, the poor and-so-on, watch out, for God is their defender. If you take advantage of them you are fighting against God and in the end, you won't win. It is as Psalm 10:14 says "But You have seen, for You observe trouble and grief, To repay it by Your hand. The helpless commits himself to You; You are the helper of the fatherless." God is their helper! Also in Psalm 146:9 we read "The LORD watches over the strangers; He relieves the fatherless and widow; But the way of the wicked He turns upside down."

VERSE 12

1. Notice, we are not just to listen with our ears, but also with our heart. Let the Word of God sink deep down into our heart, and like a surgical instrument, cut away the hardness that builds around it.

VERSES 13-14

1. In the days we are living in, some people are outraged by what Solomon is saying here. They see him promoting child abuse. Yes, child abuse is a big problem today, but that is not what Solomon is speaking of. He is talking about correcting a child with a smack on the butt. The whole intention is to prevent the child from growing up and being a rebellious, troublesome adult. A good spanking won't kill a child, but a lack of discipline can destroy him. We must be careful not to discipline our children out of anger, but out of love. Proverbs 19:18 says "Chasten your son while there is hope, And do not set your heart on his destruction."

2. Let me illustrate this for you with this illustration. A shepherd that had a wayward lamb who refused to obey but continually wandered away from the rest of the flock, is only looking for trouble. And the shepherd may have to break one of his legs, re-set it, and then carry that lamb close to his heart until his leg is healed. Out of that love and discipline that lamb will stay close by his shepherd, not wandering into dangerous areas and getting into trouble, maybe even killed. Now I am not saying go and break your child's leg, but many times that stubborn, rebellious will needs to be broken in love. You see, if you really love your children you will teach them and train them in the things of God, and at times you will have to correct them.

VERSES 15-16

1. There is tremendous joy when we see our children walk in the ways of God, make wise decisions. John said in speaking of those he lead to the Lord, "I have no greater joy than tohear that my children walk in truth." III John 4. On the other end there is pain when we see our children make foolish decisions and go against the ways of God.

VERSES 17-18

1. Perspective is everything folks. When we take our eyes off the Lord, we many times begin to covet what the world has. We desire to have the toys they have, the homes they have, the cars they have, the vacations they have, and-so-on. Solomon is telling us not to lose focus, keep your eyes focused on the Lord, walk in His ways, because the wicked are not going to get away with anything. You see, our reward is not found in this world, even though we are tremendously blessed, but when Jesus comes, our rewards will be with Him. This life is not all there is, even though some may live that way. This life is but a vapor in these bodies of flesh. Thus, what path are you taking in this life, one that leads to everlasting life in Christ, or everlasting punishment outside of Christ?

VERSES 19-21

1. Eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow you will be poor, if not monetarily, then definitely spiritually! Solomon is warning us to stay away from the destructive life of people that party all the time, for they will bring you down.

VERSE 22

1. This is one of the tragedies of our society, we don't look upon the wisdom of the elderly, our parents, and in doing so we don't learn those lessons that they have learned. Read the book of Judges and you will see the folly of not leaning from those that have made mistakes and those thatdid what was right. They found themselves in a cyclical pattern of sin, servitude, supplication, salvation and silence. Some seven times this pattern repeated itself because they did not learn the lessons. Godly parents are a blessing, learn from their wisdom, apply it to your life!

VERSE 23

1. How important is truth, wisdom, instruction, understanding in the things of God in your life? Are you willing to sell everything, go to great lengths to obtain these things of God, not willing to sell or sacrifice them for anything else? In Job 28:12-15 we read "But where can wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding? Man does not know its value, Nor is it found in the land of the living. The deep says, 'It is not in me'; And the sea says, 'It is not with me.' It cannot be purchased for gold, Nor can silver be weighed for its price." Then how do we obtain this wisdom? Job tells us that it must be mined like gold or silver or precious stones. That is you must dig through the Word of God and as you do you will find things that are more precious than these metals or stones, for these things are eternal truths, life changing truths.

VERSES 24-25

1. Solomon is admonishing his children to walk in the ways of the Lord so they could be proud parents, rejoicing in the path their children have taken.

VERSES 26-28

1. Notice the heart of Solomon here. He is pleading with his son's to listen to this warning, to pay attention and learn this lesson before they are taken captive by a harlot, a seductress. Once you fall prey to their enticing it is like falling into a narrow well from which you can't get out of. The point is that not only do women do this, but men also lie in wait to cause people to stumble, to sin, to fall prey to these promiscuous activities. Solomon speaks of the woman because he is speaking to his sons. In Proverbs 7:21-23 Solomon points out the cunning ways of these women. He says "With her enticing speech she caused him to yield, With her flattering lips she seduced him. Immediately he went after her, as an ox goes to the slaughter, Or as a fool to the correction of the stocks, Till an arrow struck his liver. As a bird hastens to the snare, He did not know it would cost his life." How many lives have been destroyed by these activities and how many more are lying in wait? Don't be a fool, don't go down that path to destruction, for Solomon said "Her house is the way to hell, Descending to the chambers of death." Proverbs 7:27.

2. In the next several verses Solomon is going to speak on drunkenness and its effects on our life. Remember what he said in Proverbs 20:1, "Wine is a mocker, Strong drink is a brawler, And whoever is led astray by it is not wise." Now he is going to continue that thought beginning in verse 29.

VERSE 29

1. That is how people wake up after a night of drunkenness. The pain, the fights, the heartaches they have caused, and they don't even remember. They wake up with bruises they don't even know how they got. And their eyes are red, blood shoot. "It doesn't get any better than this!"

VERSES 30-31

1. Solomon is speaking of wine after it has fermented, don't be enticed by it, taken captive by it. Why? He will explain.

VERSE 32

1. Alcohol is a poison, it will destroy your liver and brain cells, and lets face it, some of us can't afford to lose those brain cells we have.

VERSE 33

1. Some people act so obnoxious when they are drunk. They say and do things that seem to be out of character for them. And before to long you begin to see pink elephants or whatever before your eyes.

VERSE 34

1. When people are drunk they don't care where they lay down. They crash on park benches, lawns, floors, and-so-on. Sometimes they place themselves in a position where it takes their life!

VERSE 35

1. You may not feel it then, but you will the next day! And notice the bondage that they are in, after a night of drunkenness, they wake up longing for another drink, and they are slowly killing themselves.

2. The question many people ask is "Can we as Christians drink alcohol?" The Bible does not say that we can't drink, only that we are not to get drunk. In fact, Paul tells Timothy that a Deacon is "not [to be] given to much wine." I Timothy 3:9. The implication is they could drink but they were not to get drunk. I am going to share with you my personal conviction on this subject. I don't think we should drink and support an industry whose primary purpose is the production of a substance that is leading people into bondage. I think it is a bad witness, and I don't want to cause anyone to stumble. Why did Paul say Deacons could drink? I think one of the reasons was the water was so polluted that they mixed some wine in it to kill the bacteria. Then we shouldn't drink? No, that is my personal conviction. What you are to do is not get drunk. If you can drink without getting drunk, that is up to you. We have so many different alternatives today, which they did not have back then. And I do understand we are free in Christ, but let me give you a little test to use in whatever you do, not only drinking alcohol. Does it help me or hurt me? Doesit build me up or tear me down? Does it help me to grow or hinder my growth? Will this cause others to stumble or fall? When you apply your actions to those ideas I think you will have a clear indication of what you are to do and what you are not to do!

PROVERBS 24

VERSES 1-2

1. Notice what Solomon is saying here. The implication is that just because you are not involved in evil, if you enjoy watching it, you are partaking in it. Paul said in Romans 1:32 "who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them." Let me share with you about the number one talk show in the country, The Jerry Springer Show. Besides the immoral guests that are on his show they encourage violence as a means of solving problems. Now most people would not be caught dead in these kinds of lifestyles or solving problems in this manner. And yet for those that watch these shows, cheer for these fights, the reality is you are sharing in that same evil. Stay away from these things, they will affect your life and not for good.

VERSE 3-4

1. A home that is built upon Christ, filled with the love of Christ, is more valuable than all the riches in the world. As Joshua said "...But for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." Joshua 24:15.

VERSES 5-6

1. To rush into anything until you have prayed about it, sought wisdom of godly men or women, is foolish.

VERSES 7-9

1. A fools wisdom is not worthy to be spoken at the gate of city, for his words are empty. And by his actions, his rebellion against God, he is a fool lost in his sins.

VERSE 10

1. Where is our faith tested? In adversity, difficult times. Anyone can praise God during the good times, but our faith is really tested in the fire of trials and tribulations. But as we go through those times and we don't faint, our faith will shine forth to unbelievers. It is as Jeremiah 12:5 says "If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you, Then how can you contend with horses? And if in the land of peace, In which you trusted, they wearied you, Then how will you do in the flood plain of the Jordan?" In other words, the battle is going to be intense, tiresome, but don't give up, what do you expect in war? Look to the Lord to be your strength.

2. Now it is also easy to comfort someone who is going through a difficult time and tell them "Trust God!" But, that situation completely changes when we go through a difficult time. Job experienced this. He comforted many when they were going through difficult times, but now the circumstances have changed, and Eliphaz tells Job "Surely you have instructed many, And you have strengthened weak hands. Your words have upheld him who was stumbling, And you have strengthened the feeble knees; But now it comes upon you, and you are weary; It touches you, and you are troubled. Is not your reverence your confidence? And the integrity of your ways your hope?" Job 4:3-6. Have compassion on those who are going through tough times you may need their compassion soon. And believe what you are sharing with them.

VERSES 11-12

1. If you know someone is innocent and yet you don't stand up for them, God will hold you accountable. Dante said "The hottest places in Hell are reserved for those who in time of great moral crises maintain their neutrality."

VERSES 13-14

1. The knowledge we find in God's Word should be refreshing to our life, it gives us hope!

VERSES 15-16

1. This is not a moral stumble, but is speaking of trials, tribulations that we may go through. The righteous may get knocked down, but these things won't crush them for their hope is in God. Themore he gets knocked down, the more he gets up. Falling isn't bad, lying there is! You see, the trials of fire temper our lives just as steel is tempered in the fire. For the wicked, things are different. The fires that burn upon them will consume them just as wood is consumed in the fire.

VERSES 17-18

1. This is a hard one. Solomon tells us not to rejoice when our enemies fall, which is right, but his reason is not right. He says the reason we are not to rejoice is that God may have mercy on them and stop His judgment. Solomon wanted them to get blasted by God. Jesus tells us that we are to pray for them, for if we can have our enemy become a friend, we no longer have an enemy!

VERSES 19-20

1. Solomon is picking up on what his father, David, said in Psalm 37. Lets face it, we do fret over the evil that is permeating this land, but we must understand, God will deal with them. They are not getting away with anything.

VERSES 21-22

1. Solomon is telling us to avoid hanging around those who are moving away from the righteous standards of God and towards the popular opinion of the day.

VERSES 23-24

1. In other words we are not to have a different set of standards depending on who we are talking to or in the judgments that we are making. Deuteronomy 16:19 says "You shall not pervert justice; you shall not show partiality, nor take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous."

VERSE 25

1. What a blessing it is to have righteous judges, we don't see that too often today, but one day our Righteous Judge will rule and reign.

VERSE 26

1. Just as a sincere kiss shows affection and is desirable, so too is an honest answer to a person.

VERSE 27

1. "Take care of your business first, and then build your house." In other words, make sure you have the resources to build before you start.

VERSES 28-29

1. Commit it to God, God will defend our reputation as long as we take care of our character, how we walk. Vengeance is not our, it is the Lord's.

2. Now Solomon is going to speak out of an experience he had in these next 5 verses.

VERSES 30-34

1. As he walked by this lazy persons vineyard, it was overgrown with weeds, thorns, the walls were broken down. The result is that his vineyard was not going to produce fruit because of his laziness.

2. Now as Solomon considered this, so should we, for we too can receive instruction from it. You see, what was true for this vineyard is also true in our spiritual life. You have to cultivate a daily walk with the Lord. If you don't your life will be overrun with weeds that choke out the growth, and the result is our life will not be fruitful, but broken and overgrown with weeds. Don't become lazy in your spiritual life! As Paul said in Galatians 6:9-10 "And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith."