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TH1131: On-Line

Teaching Notes

PROVERBS

Please turn in your Bibles to Proverbs chapter 27, as we continue our study through the Word of God.

PROVERBS 27

VERSE 1

1. All our days are numbered by God. Take advantage of the time God has given you and don't put things off. To many people are saving till they reach the golden years, and many times their dreams are never fulfilled. Moses said in Psalm 90:12, "So teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom." Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, and don't put off till tomorrow what you can do today. Tomorrow may never come!

VERSE 2

1. When I was growing up we called that kind of behavior "bragging." But today, because of our so-called fragile self-esteem, the psychologists call it "positive self-talk." It is still bragging and you don't need to praise yourself, let your character do all the talking.

VERSE 3

1. Why is there this warning about a fools anger? Because when he gets angry he is out of control. Road rage was not something even thought of some 20 years ago or so, and yet today it is a major problem on the roads of America. You see, without the Holy Spirit guiding you, your flesh is in control, and the works of the flesh are ugly. There is no self control.

VERSE 4

1. Jealousy is not the same as envy. You see, envy desires what you don't have. Jealousy is afraid of losing what you do have, and the effects can be deadly.

VERSES 5-6

1. If you love someone you will speak the truth, say what needs to be said. Think of it this way, if you had skin cancer you would not want to go to a doctor who patted you on the back and said "Don't worry, take 2 aspirins for the pain, you'll be fine!" Or, you would not want to hear that he was going to take your whole arm off, when that was not necessary. We are to speak the truth, no more or no less. Tragically the church is afraid to confront any sin and in doing so the kisses they are giving to those living in sin are deceitful and harmful.

VERSE 7

1. What happens if you just sit around and eat? You will gain weight. The solution to the problem is exercise. The same is true in our spiritual life. If we sit around and get fed, you beginnot to appreciate it and you get spiritually lazy, overweight you might say. The solution is to get out and share what you have learned, exercise you faith.

VERSE 8

1. A person who is discontent and restless will wander into trouble and away from the truths of God. Paul said in Philippians 4:11-12, "Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need." The reason he could say that is he was satisfied in the Lord and whatever else he was blessed with was just icing in the cake. David was able to say in Psalm 17:15, "As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness." His desire was to be conformed into the image of God, and that should be our desire. We should be satisfied in that.

VERSE 9

1. What a joy it is to be amongst the brethren and share the things of God. It is refreshing, soothing, sweet smelling. As David said in Psalm 133:1, "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity!" And the unity David is speaking of is not ecumenical but based in the truth of God's Word!

2. Listen to this report from the Palm Beach Post (FL), 3/31/98: "Jerusalem - Representatives of 50 Christian evangelical groups have agreed to make an unprecedented joint statement promising not to carry out missionary activity in Israel. As a result, Israeli legislator Nissim Zvili said Monday he would drop his sponsorship of an anti-proselytizing bill that has drawn protests from Christians around the world. 'This is better than a law,' Zvili said. In the statement, the Christian groups say they 'rejoice in the presence of the Jewish people in this country of their ancestors' and agree to avoid 'activities which...alienate them from their tradition and community.'" This is not unity based in truth, for it goes against what God has told us in Matthew 28:19-20, "'Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.' Amen."

VERSE 10

1. Close relationships are important, time should be invested in building them. A true friend is there in the good times and the bad, they are a comfort to our lives. Now your brother may live far away, so he won't be there when you need him like a friend. Build relationships. As Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 4:12, "Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken."

VERSE 11

1. It seems like Solomon was a strict disciplinarian with his children. And some may have come against his actions. And Solomon wants his children to bear the fruit of a good upbringing. It is as one person put it, "The teacher's one defense - the success of his students." My desire here at Calvary for all of you is to make sure you are the best fed and best loved sheep in town. And because I love you there are times I have to correct, but it is out of love. If I didn't love you I wouldn't care what you did!

VERSE 12

1. How wise it is to evaluate a situation before you get involved and it is to late. A fool just jumps in and suffers the consequences of his actions.

VERSE 13

1. Solomon has warned many times not to be responsible for another persons debt, and if you do, make sure you have some collateral so you are not taken.

VERSE 14

1. There is a time for shouting and praising the Lord and then there are times you need to be respectful of those around you.

VERSES 15-16

1. A person like this is irritating, difficult to restrain her, she does and says whatever she wants. No wonder Solomon moved from the rooftop to the wilderness!

VERSE 17

1. It is so important to have people in your life that will keep you in line, that will sharpen your mind through conversation, and yes, there may be even sparks at times, but the end result, if received, is you will keep yourself sharp instead of being dull.

VERSE 18

1. The idea is being diligent in the work that God has placed before us. If we are, we will be fruitful. As Jesus said in John 15:5-8, "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples."

VERSE 19

1. We can look into a pond of water and see our reflection, a very accurate reflection of our appearance. Now we can't see what is in our heart, only God knows. But what happens is many times what is in our heart is reflected in our actions, it shows people who we really are. Also, aswe allow God's Word, through the power of His Spirit, to speak to us, He will reveal to us what is in our heart, what needs to be purged.

VERSE 20

1. There is always room for one more in hell, it is never satisfied in the lives it has already destroyed. And a person who is not focused on the Lord will never be satisfied, they will always be wanting bigger, better, prettier, faster things. Arthur G. Gish illustrates: "Tolstoy tells of a farmer who had a lust for more and more land. Finally he heard of cheap land among the Bashkirs. He sold all he had, made a long journey to their territory, and arranged a deal with them. For one thousand rubles he could buy all the land he could walk around in one day. The next morning he set out and walked far in one direction and then turned left. He made many detours to include extra areas of good soil. By the time he made his last turn, he realized he had gone too far. He ran as fast as possible to get back to the starting point before sunset. Faster and faster he ran and finally staggered and fell across the starting point just as the sun set. He lay there dead. They buried him in a small hole, all the land he needed." The craving of our heart must be, and will be satisfied in Christ! As Psalm 107:9 says "For He satisfies the longing soul, And fills the hungry soul with goodness."

VERSE 21

1. Just as the refining pot and the furnace removed any impurities from these metals, praise will show what is in a man's heart. If he lets it go to his head, it shows his pride. If he receives praise in humility, giving glory to God, it shows that he has a humble heart.

VERSE 22

1. It seems that Solomon did not have much patients for fools. He is saying that you can't beat the foolishness out of someone, they just will continue in their folly.

VERSES 23-27

1. This is just a very wise outlook on life. Evaluate where you are and what you are doing. Don't take anything for granted. God wants us to do our part and He will do His. It is as Solomon said in Proverbs 16:1, "The preparations of the heart belong to man, But the answer of the tongue is from the LORD." Also, Jesus said in Luke 19:13, "...'Do business till I come.'" Continue working, preparing as a farmer does, and in time the harvest will be gathered in.

PROVERBS 28

VERSE 1

1. For a person breaking the law, their guilty conscience causes them to look over their shoulder, always fearful they are going to get caught. For the righteous, we don't need to be afraid, in fact we should be bold for we know we have not done wrong. Does that mean we will not haveproblems? Not at all. But those difficulties are coming not because of sin, but persecution for our faith.

VERSE 2

1. When you have wicked rulers you tend to have anarchy in the nation. Look at the Northern Kingdom of Israel, not one good king, and the result was lawlessness, wickedness. In a little over 200 years they had 19 kings. Zechariah lasted 6 months and was assassinated by Shallum who reigned for 1 month and Menahem killed him. You see, evil perpetuates evil and we can easily see that in this country.

VERSE 3

1. At times, when a poor person obtains wealth, power, it goes to their head and they do more evil on the poor than others do. They forget where they have come from, and that is always a sad state to be in.

VERSE 4

1. Why do they praise the wicked? In an attempt to justify their actions, their sin, they will not embrace the light, the truth and those who are walking in it, for it will expose the darkness that they are living in, it will expose their sin!

VERSE 5

1. They can't understand the things of God because they are spiritually discerned and their spirit is dead outside of Christ. Think of it this way for a minute. There is a very close link to morality and understanding the truths of God. You move away from the truths of God then morality is lost. You cling to the truths of God and morality will flourish.

VERSE 6

1. It is better to be honest and poor than rich and obnoxious.

VERSE 7

1. Be careful who you hang around with, it will not only bring shame to your earthly father, but your actions will also bring shame to your heavenly Father.

VERSE 8

1. Many have amassed wealth through unjust ways, and in the end, they will lose it. Many years ago there was a woman, I believe her name was Hatie Green, and she was one of the wealthiest persons around, and yet the stingiest. She had obtained her wealth in not the most upright manner. She was so cheap that she would purchase the New York Times for 5 cents, read it, fold it back up, and then give it to her son to resell to someone else for a nickel. Tragically her daughter committed suicide and her only son cut his leg bad enough to go to the hospital, but she took him to the free clinic. The doctors there recognized her and refused her treatment, and she took her son home without medical attention. The leg became infected and he finally had to haveit amputated. In her death he was the sole heir to the fortune and in 1 year he gave it all away seeing how destructive it was.

VERSE 9

1. God is not obliged to answer the prayers of people who are not His children, cleansed by the blood of Christ. And for those who are living in rebellion against God, it is hypocritical to then come before Him and ask of Him a certain request because you are in trouble. It is an abomination to Him. 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." Also, in Psalm 66:18 we read, "If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will nothear." You see, this is not my opinion, it is what God has said. The only prayer He will respond to for the unsaved is the repentant prayer of a sinner asking Christ to cleanse him and forgive him his sin. Then you become a child of God, and He will answer your prayer according to His will, what is best for your life. As Peter said in I Peter 3:12, "For the eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their prayers; But the face of the LORD is against those who do evil."

VERSE 10

1. Don't mess around with God's people or you will pay, He will turn the tables on you and you will fall into the traps you have set for them. Jesus said in Matthew 18:6 "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea."

VERSE 11

1. It doesn't take riches to be wise. A poor man who knows the Word of God and applies it to his life is wiser than a rich man, with all his degrees, who doesn't.

VERSE 12

1. There is great rejoicing when righteous people are leading, but when wicked are in charge, things deteriorate very quickly. Just look at this country at where we are at today. No longer issex outside of marriage looked down upon but is something that is done between consenting adults. A persons personal life is not the issue any longer as long as they are doing a good job. How sad!

VERSE 13

1. David found this out firsthand. For almost a whole year he tried to cover his sin with Bathsheba and physically, emotionally, and spiritually he was devastated. He said in Psalm 32:3-5, "When I kept silent, my bones grew old Through my groaning all the day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was turned into the drought of summer. I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, 'I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,' And You forgave the iniquity of my sin."

God is ready with forgiveness if we will come to Him and confess our sins. You see, there is that judicial forgiveness that comes when we ask Christ to cleanse us and frees us from the penalty of sins. Hebrews 10:17 says "...'Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.'" There is also what we might call parental forgiveness, that is when we sin and we come before God and ask Him to forgive us, confessing our sins before Him and that helps to maintainour fellowship with Him. I John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

VERSE 14

1. You look at the people who have hardened their hearts to the things of God, to His Word, and you can see the devastating results in their lives. Proverbs 29:1 says, "He who is often rebuked, and hardens his neck, Will suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy."

VERSES 15-16

1. Some people like to rule like dictators, but it only brings fear and devastation among the people. Look at Saddam Hussein, if you are not for him, you are dead. He has even killed members of his own family for coming against him. That is one of the biggest problems with human governments - they tend to lord over, oppress the people. That is not how God intended it to be.

VERSE 17

1. Civil law said that if you killed a man, premeditated his murder, you were to be put to death, Genesis 9:6. Now what would happen is a relative of that person, called the avenger of blood,would come looking for you, and would kill you as you did to their relative. Solomon is saying you are not to protect a murderer, justice must be paid or anarchy will reign.

VERSE 18

1. Walk in Christ, manifesting His love and in physical death you will have no fear.

VERSE 19

1. If you don't work you are going to have noting to eat.

VERSE 20

1. Do things in a upright manner and you will be blessed by God. If you don't, if you gain things through dishonest means, those blessings you think you have gained will not satisfy and you will be punished for your actions.

VERSE 21

1. Don't be a respecter of persons, or take a bribe to pervert justice. 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 22

1. Wicked people, foolish people, don't count the cost of their actions and are swallowed up by their greed.

VERSE 23

1. We need to be honest with each other. Using flattering words when someone is in sin will not help them but only hurt them. We must rebuke in love, correct in love when needed.

VERSE 24

1. Jesus said In Matthew 15:4-6, "For God commanded, saying, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and, 'He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.' But you say, 'Whoever says to his father or mother, "Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God"; 'then he need not honor his father or mother.' Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition." Jesus rebuked them for circumventing the law, putting a religious face on their sin. How sad when a person can steal from their parents and see nothing wrong with it.

VERSES 25-26

1. You are a fool to trust in our own heart, your own feelings, for God says our heart is desperately wicked, and we can't even know how wicked it is. We must trust in God's Word, and thus, if it goes against God's Word, I don't care how you feel, dismiss it, get rid of it, flee from it! As Jeremiah 9:23-24 says "Thus says the LORD: 'Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Let not the mighty man glory in his might, Nor let the rich man glory in his riches; But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the LORD, exercising loving-kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,' says the LORD."

VERSE 27

1. God is interested in the poor, and so should we. It is as Proverbs 19:17 says, "He who has pity on the poor lends to the LORD, And He will pay back what he has given."

VERSE 28

1. We long for the day when righteousness will fill this land, but that day won't come till our Lord comes and sets up His kingdom here on earth. As Psalm 97:1-6 says "The LORD reigns; Let the earth rejoice; Let the multitude of isles be glad! Clouds and darkness surround Him; Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne. A fire goes before Him, And burns up His enemies round about. His lightening light the world; The earth sees and trembles. The mountains melt like wax at the presence of the LORD, At the presence of the Lord of the whole earth. The heavens declare His righteousness, And all the peoples see His glory." And in II Peter 3:13 we read "Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells."