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TH1125: On-Line

Teaching Notes

PROVERBS

Please turn in your Bibles to Proverbs chapter 15, as we continue our study through the Word of God.

PROVERBS 15

VERSE 1

1. I have noticed over the years that if someone is really mad, by speaking a kind word, a soft answer, it many times causes them to retreat from their hostility. On the other hand, if you feed into their anger it will continue to grow. This principle is especially important in the marriage relationship. If your spouse is angry, say a kind word to them, listen to what they are saying, instead of fanning the flames!

VERSE 2

1. This goes along with verse 1. You see, we know what is right and what is wrong, we have that knowledge. We must then take what we know and apply it to our life, let it be seen in our actions towards others and the words we speak towards them. A fool, on the other hand, doesn't care what he says, he lets anything and everything flow from his lips.

VERSE 3

1. This can be comforting or convicting, depending on what you are doing. God is omniscient, He knows and sees all we do and the motivation behind it. We are told in II Chronicles 16:9 "For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him..." God searches the hearts of man to see who is loyal to Him, who He can work through. Also, we are told in Hebrews 4:13 "And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account."

VERSE 4

1. You can build people up by the words you speak, or you can cut them to pieces, break their spirit. That old saying "Sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me" is not entirely correct. You see, bones can heal over time, but harsh words can last a lifetime. They affect the heart. Be careful what you say.

VERSE 5

1. A person who hates correction, who hates instruction is a fool. I remember trying to put together birthday and Christmas presents for my children. And I was the type of person that did not need to read the instructions, I could put it together myself. And after awhile of having extra pieces, things not fitting together correctly, being tired of being a fool, I became wise and followed the instructions!

VERSE 6

1. A house that is filled with the love of God is so rich, such a treasure. It is a place of refuge from the storms of life. You see, trouble comes when we deviate from God's Word and heed our own counsel. And in doing that, our actions will affect the entire family.

VERSE 7

1. As Christians we are to dispense or spread the truths of God. As Jesus said in John 8:31-32 "...'If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.'" Let us share that freedom we have in Christ, those truths, with others.

VERSE 8

1. This is a hard one for many. God does not need, nor does He want the sacrifices of the wicked to do His work. Why? Because it looks like He accepts their actions, that He smiles down upon what they are doing, and He doesn't! In Isaiah chapter 1 God tells Judah that He is tired of their empty sacrifices and tells them He does not delight in them. If God doesn't want our sacrifices, what does He want? In Isaiah 1:16-18 we are told "Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil, Learn to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke the oppressor; Defend the fatherless, Plead for the widow. 'Come now, and let us reason together,' Says the LORD, Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.'" You see, when our heart is right with God then our actions, our sacrifice, will naturally follow. Many today try to buy God off with their good works, try to win favor with God by what they do. And David tells us what God is interested in when he says in Psalm 51:17, "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart; These, O God, You will not despise."

VERSE 9

1. Not only are the sacrifices of the wicked an abomination to the Lord, but the way he walks is also an abomination. The reason is simple, the path they are traveling on is in rebellion to God's path, the path of righteousness.

VERSE 10

1. Many people are living in rebellion against God and yet they believe they are serving Him. Remember Saul, who thought he was serving God by persecuting the Christians. And Saul has an encounter with Jesus on his journey to Damascus and Jesus says to him "...'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?'" Acts 9:4. And Saul, not sure who was speaking, said "...'Who are You, Lord?'" And Jesus spoke and told Saul "...'I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.'" Acts 9:5. Now this must have just pierced Saul's heart. He was very sincere in what he was doing, but he was sincerely wrong and not serving God but fighting against the work of God. When you fight against God you are not following His way no matter how sincere you are. And like Saul, who is Paul the apostle, it sometimes takes a harsh correction to get us back on track.

VERSE 11

1. As I said before, everything is open and naked before God, even our hearts.

VERSE 12

1. May we learn to be wise and patient, listening to what godly people are saying and receiving their counsel. It is as Proverbs 11:14 says "Where there is no counsel, the people fall; But in the multitude of counselors there is safety."

VERSE 13

1. It has been said that our face is the projection screen of our soul. If your heart is filled with the joy of the Lord, then that will be reflected in your face, your appearance will shine forth.

VERSE 14

1. A wise person will continue to seek understanding, will continue to grow. But a fool feeds on foolishness not godly wisdom.

VERSE 15

1. One of the reasons John wrote I John is so that our joy may be full. When we are filled with the joy of the Lord it is like a continual feast, their is contentment, satisfaction, fulfillment, and-so-on.

VERSE 16

1. How true this is. You can have all the wealth in the world and still be empty outside of Christ. But you can have very little in material possessions, wealth, and yet be tremendously rich IN Christ. As Paul said in Ephesians 1:3 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ."

VERSE 17

1. In a home where there is love and the meal may be vegetables to eat, it is more valuable, more precious than being in a home where you have all the fancy foods, and yet there is nothing but strife. As one person put it "Love makes one's difficult circumstances endurable, whereas hatred undoes all the enjoyments that good food might otherwise bring."

VERSE 18

1. Some people just feed on causing contentions. May we be slow to anger, speaking a kind word instead of a condemning word.

VERSE 19

1. Solomon must have had a lot of dealings with lazy people, for he speaks much about them. In this case a slothful man moves like he is going through a hedge of thorns, very slowly. On the other hand, we see the righteous forging ahead in their work, they are on a highway!

VERSES 20-21

1. Remember those beer commercials with a bunch of guys sitting around a camp fire drinking beer, and they say "It doesn't get any better than this!" That is true, for them it doesn't get any better. That is all they have to live for. We are told in I John 2:17 "And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever." You see, all they are striving for, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life is going to pass away. Thus, for the wicked that is as good as it gets, but for the righteous, we will abide with the Lord forever!

VERSE 22

1. The important part here is that we are not to seek just any counsel, but wise counsel, that which is according to the Word of God. It is as Proverbs 12:23 says "...But the heart of fools proclaims foolishness."

VERSE 23

1. How important it is to know not only what to say but when to say it. In Isaiah 50:4-5 we read the words of Jesus spoken in the first person. He said "The Lord GOD has given Me The tongue of the learned, That I should know how to speak A word in season to him who is weary. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear To hear as the learned. The Lord GOD has opened My ear; And I was not rebellious, Nor did I turn away." The pattern of Jesus' life was to get up early in the morning so that His day could be directed by His Father, and that should be the pattern of our life. May we have sensitive ears to hear so that the words that flow from our lips would be directed by God. May we be sensitive to what the Holy Spirit wants to do in our lives so that we may be guided by Him.

VERSE 24

1. God is preparing us for heaven, making us more like Him, and because of Christ, we are kept from the pit of hell.

VERSE 25

1. Pride is one of those things that God hates, and He will bring those that are filled with pride down.

VERSE 26

1. We have seen that the sacrifice, the way and now the thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord. What is God saying? He is saying that outside of Christ, outside of His righteousness being imputed into our lives, we are an abomination to the Lord. We are only accepted in the beloved!

VERSE 27

1. Some people will do anything for gain, but as you do you are impressing upon your children the same attitude, the same sin. Work honestly and you and your household will be better for it.

VERSE 28

1. It is very important that we don't develop diarrhea of the mouth and just spew out of our mouth all kinds of foolishness. Allow God to speak through you, study to show yourself approved. As Peter said in I Peter 3:15-16, "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed."

VERSE 29

1. Yes God hears every prayer but He is under no obligation to respond to those who are not His children. Isaiah 59:1-2 says, "Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, That it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy, That it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear." The only prayer the Father will always answer for the unsaved is a prayer of repentance, asking God to forgive them their sins and allowing the blood of Christ to cleanse them from their sins. And then you are adopted into the family of God!

VERSE 30

1. I don't know about you but a cheerful smile is something that is comforting to me and it seems that a smile is contagious.

VERSES 31-32

1. Throughout the Proverbs Solomon warns against not heeding wise instruction, being a "Mr. know-it-all!" Why? Because you won't learn anything and in your foolishness, you will be lead astray.

VERSE 33

1. You first must come to God, establish a relationship with Christ, and to do that you must humble yourself. A proud person doesn't see a need for God, a humble person can't see any hope for their condition without Him. It is when we humble ourselves before Him, that He will lift us up far higher than we could ever do on our own. As James 4:10 says "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up."

PROVERBS 16

VERSE 1

1. God is not going to bring to remembrance those things we have not learned. It is our responsibility to study the Word, to learn the Scriptures, and then, as we are speaking to people He will put upon our lips those things we need to speak. As Jesus was warning His disciples of what would come upon them, He said "But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you." Matthew 10:19-20.

VERSE 2

1. Does that not speak of the days we are living in? Man can justify anything he does, even murder! When you talk with people no one is a sinner, we all are going to heaven, all roads lead to God. But God will place the lives of the wicked in the balances of justice, and without Christ they are going to come up far short!

VERSE 3

1. Give it to the Lord, let Him work not only in you but through you. I think we become anxious over things when we commit our works to the strength of our own ability. In the Hebrew this verse can be translated that we are "To roll unto the Lord your burdens and your decisions."

VERSE 4

1. First of all God has created all things. Colossians 1:16-17 says "For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist." He not only created all things but He created them for His good pleasure. Revelation 4:11 says "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created." Thus, those that are completely satisfied are those that are doing what they were created for, worshipping God. Those that are frustrated, not satisfied, are those that are not doing what they were created for, and no matter what they do, they will never be completely satisfied until they do what they were created for, worshipping God.

2. Now here is a tough one, God creating the wicked, how can that be? Some take this to mean that God has created some people for heaven and others for hell, and you can't do anything about it. Wrong! We have a free will, and we can either accept what God has said for eternal life, or reject it. It is as Ezekiel 18:23, 32 says "'Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?' says the Lord GOD, 'and not that he should turn from his ways and live?' 'For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,' says the Lord GOD. 'Therefore turn and live!'" Yes God has created all things but man has chosen to rebel against Him. And God will use the wicked to fulfill His purposes, but one day that will all come to an end as righteousness fills this land.

VERSE 5

1. You can't fight against God and win. The ultimate rebellion will be during the tribulation period where the nations of the world join forces to fight against God, and Psalm 2 says that God laughs at their futile effort, their foolishness.

VERSE 6

1. How is atonement for our sins provided? First of all God's mercy is extended to us. We deserve death, for Ezekiel 18:20 says "The soul who sins shall die..." But instead of death God gave us life, but that atonement is also in truth. That means a holy and righteous God can't overlook sin. Thus God provided Himself as a perfect sacrifice to pay the penalty for our sins. It is when we accept Christ into our lives, when our sins are forgiven, that we should walk in the fear of the Lord, travel down that path that pleases Him.

VERSE 7

1. It is as Barnes said "Goodness has power to charm and win even enemies to itself." We must also understand that Jesus was righteous and perfect and they hated Him and crucified Him.

VERSE 8

1. It doesn't do you much good to be the richest man in Hell!

VERSE 9

1. Here we see a picture of man's responsibilities joining hands with the sovereignty of God.

VERSE 10

1. Even wicked kings or leaders, because of their position, are accountable to God in the way they are to rule because God has placed in us what is right and what is wrong.

VERSE 11

1. God is fair in all His dealings and as His representatives, so should we.

VERSES 12-13

1. Kings or leaders need to lead the people in a right manner, they are accountable.

VERSES 14-15

1. Kings had the power of life and death in their hands and only a fool would cross him or tempt him.

VERSE 16

1. Earthly treasures will fade away, lose their value, but godly wisdom will give you everything you need to live a life that will be pleasing to God. You can't buy wisdom.

VERSE 17

1. God hates evil and thus, as we go through life, traveling down the road, we too must hate evil and depart from it. I Peter 2:11-12 says "Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation."

VERSE 18

1. Pride has and will continue to destroy people's lives, even Christians!

VERSE 19

1. In other words, it is better to be poor and humble than rich and proud!

VERSE 20

1. When we read and apply the Word of God to our life, trusting in what God has said, there is great joy that fills our hearts. It is as the Lord told Joshua "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success."

VERSE 21

1. It is much easier to listen to instruction when it is done from a calm spirit, then from someone who is yelling or is using harsh words.

VERSE 22

1. Don't listen to the wisdom of a fool, it will only lead you astray.

VERSE 23

1. A wise person will continue to grow in his relationship with the Lord and use that wisdom in his own life as well as when he ministers to others.

VERSE 24

1. There is power in the words we speak. It can build up and be health to people, or it can cut them to pieces as Proverbs 12:18 says.

VERSE 25

1. We had this back in Proverbs 14:12, why does God repeat it? Because it is so important. Man thinks he is moving in the right direction but outside of Christ it is the way of death.

VERSE 26

1. Hunger can motivate people to work, even lazy people!

VERSE 27

1. An evil person not only loves to dig up dirt on people, but he loves to gossip and spread it.

VERSE 28

1. Gossip can and has destroyed many relationships, many friendships.

VERSE 29

1. The old saying "Misery loves company" is what these people are doing, getting others to join in their evil.

VERSE 30

1. There are people out there that love to deceive others, it is their way of life.

VERSE 31

1. It is not just having gray hair that makes you wise, but walking in righteousness, allowing God's Word to flow in you and through you, that does.

VERSE 32

1. This is an interesting one. Solomon is saying that it is easier to conquer a city than it is to control your own spirit, the words and actions that flow from your heart. "Peter the Great, although one of the mightiest of the Czars of Russia, failed here. In a fit of temper he struck his gardener, and a few days afterwards the gardener died. 'Alas,' said Peter, sadly, 'I have conquered other nations, but I have not been able to conquer myself.'"

VERSE 33

1. Think about this verse during election time if the person you voted for didn't get in, even if a wicked person beat him out. God is in control, He raises leaders and brings them down. We get upset when the unrighteous get in office and yet, are they not a reflection of the heart of this nation? Maybe God is giving us what we want, what we deserve?