Proverbs 31

The book of Proverbs offers us many great lessons that can be applied to our everyday lives. We learn practical ways to gain godly wisdom, make good decisions, and live righteously.

Proverbs 31 is the last chapter in the book of Proverbs. It comprises sayings by King Lemuel taught to him by his mother. There is little known about King Lemeul and Agur. However, it is believed that both are from the kingdom of Massa located in northern Arabia. The name Lemuel means “devoted to God.”

The first nine verses in this chapter are lessons from a mother to a son on how a king should act. His mother warns him to not waste his strength on women that will ruin him. She urges him not to drink too much, and to speak up for the poor and helpless. We can all learn from these instructions.

There are three lessons here that we can all apply to our lives:

1) Be careful not to partner with those that will lead us down a path of ruin.

2) Be careful not to crave alcohol, that it will cloud our judgment.

3) Speak up for those that cannot speak for themselves.

Think about these three bits of advice and ask yourself how you can apply them to your life.

Verses 10-31 describe a woman of noble character. We have read quite a bit about women in the previous chapters of Proverbs. These verses describe a virtuous woman of strong character, outstanding abilities, and great compassion. She is trustworthy and brings good to others. She is an excellent wife, mother, and businesswoman. There is no mention of outward beauty. “Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised.” (v. 30)

The virtuous woman described in Proverbs 31 sets the bar high. It is a picture of ideal womanhood. It is overwhelming to even think about trying to be like her. However, we are encouraged to think about ways become more virtuous in our daily walk. What can you change in your life to become more like the woman described in Proverbs 31?

Proverbs 30

Read Proverbs 30:1 – 14. These verses are described as the “sayings of Agur,” a person unknown to us from Scripture. Scholars have debated and disagreed on the possible identity of this wisdom writer. Is it Solomon using another name as he shifts to another style of writing? Is the entirety of Verse One, which contains a Hebrew palindrome, a word which is the same written backward as forward, with riddle-like qualities, meant to express that God’s wisdom is sometimes difficult to understand? Agur’s four questions clearly convey the truth that none of us can fully attain to God’s wisdom. Yet, even while raising questions, the writer gives us practical wisdom which we can apply immediately.

In Verse Eight, he writes, “Give me neither poverty or riches,” that he might not fall into pride or theft. Here, his prayer is for moderation in his circumstances. Do you ever pray for “just enough,” so that you can meet your real needs, but avoid extremes? If not, why do you pray for more than you really need?

Read Proverbs 30:15 – 31. This section contains five numerical sayings, each in the “three plus one” format. Each set of sayings reflects on observations from nature and ties them to human life. Sometimes, the connections between the items in the list are difficult to discern. Perhaps the riddle-like quality of the connection is meant to remind us how we can’t always discern God’s wisdom because our capacity to understand is limited to those aspects which God chooses to reveal.

Read Proverbs 30:32 – 33. The final two verses of this chapter are a warning against the foolishness of pride. In keeping with the riddle-like quality of the remainder of the chapter, these two verses remind us that God is the ultimate power and that humility is the only truly wise approach to the things of this life.

Choose one proverb from this chapter, which fits your life today. Memorize it. Read it aloud several times, emphasizing a different word each time. Close your eyes and recite it. Repeat this process several times until you are confident you know it. Pray and ask God to bring it to mind several times today. Recite it mentally each time it occurs to you. At the end of the day, take a moment to consider how it has applied to your life.

Proverbs 29

Read Proverbs 29:1 – 16. These sixteen proverbs speak frequently about cycles of thriving in the lives of the wicked and the righteous. Those who choose righteousness thrive in the long run, and bring good things to those around them. Those who choose wickedness may thrive, but bring hardship and death to those around them. One particular verse jumps out in the middle of the passage. “A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control.” We tend to believe our anger is justified and therefore worthy of being expressed. Yet, Solomon teaches us that only a fool gives full vent or expresses fully his anger. While many of us keep our anger corralled, so that it does not manifest itself physically, fewer of us restrain our tongues. We feel compelled to explain why we are right and the other person wrong. We feel compelled to enlist the sympathy of others. In so doing, we often become the fool. Think about the last time you were angry. Did you feel compelled to tell the person at whom you were angry? Did you rehearse your anger in your head, keeping it alive? Did your anger accomplish what you hoped? Is your relationship better because you spoke?

Read Proverbs 29:17 – 27. The underlying theme of this passage is discipline. Sons and servants are disciplined in the hope that they will make wise choices. Pampering the same will result in future foolishness. Verse 18 is best known in its King James version, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” This verse is often quoted in political seasons as an admonition to candidates to lead better by casting good vision. But, this difficult-to-translate proverb has less to say about leadership than about discipline. The NIV translation gets it better, “Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint.” The word translated “revelation,” means a prophetic admonition from God, telling people to correct their behavior. In other words, if there is no discipline, people behave more and more foolishly. Consider your recent life. Is there an area in which you are “getting away with” a particular sin? Have you become more bold or careless in exercising it, because you haven’t been disciplined? Choose today to confess it and to turn away from that behavior before discipline comes.

Choose one proverb from this chapter, which fits your life today. Memorize it. Read it aloud several times, emphasizing a different word each time. Close your eyes and recite it. Repeat this process several times until you are confident you know it. Pray and ask God to bring it to mind several times today. Recite it mentally each time it occurs to you. At the end of the day, take a moment to consider how it has applied to your life.

Proverbs 28

Read Proverbs 28:1 – 12. These twelve proverbs call attention to the responsibility God presents to us of caring for the poor. Verse Three denounces anyone who oppresses them. Verses Four through Six call “evil” those who deny justice by forsaking the law, failing to understand justice, or living perversely. Verse Eight promises that those who charge high interest will have their own wealth taken from them. Each verse in this section contrasts those who take advantage of others, by wealth or power, with those who live righteously. We often dismiss the idea that proverbs such as these apply to us individually, because we don’t think of ourselves as wealthy, powerful, or lacking in justice. Yet, we live in a culture where the poorest have a higher standard of living that the majority of those living in other parts of world. If these proverbs aren’t directed at us, who are their intended recipients? Think about those with whom you interact regularly who are probably less-well-off than you, perhaps waiters, day laborers, part-time retail workers, janitors, etc. Do you withhold tips, bargain down a hourly rate to a level that can’t sustain a family, act rudely if you aren’t treated with “the-customer-is-always-right” deference, or demand better work that you yourself would give to the same task? Does your demand demonstrate justice? Are you in danger of being an “oppressor” yourself?

Read Proverbs 28:13 – 28. This passage deals with the fates of the wicked and the righteous. Which camp do you routinely identify yourself with? Verse Thirteen says, “He who conceals his sin does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.” How do you deal with your sin daily? Do you conceal it? Or, do you both confess it and renounce it, turning away wholeheartedly? Spend some time asking God to reveal any sins which you have concealed. Confess them, agreeing with God that they are sins, not just mistakes or oversights, but evil in the sight of God. Ask Him to help you renounce, not just making a quick promise to avoid them, but deliberately staying as far from tempting situations as possible.

Choose one proverb from this chapter, which fits your life today. Memorize it. Read it aloud several times, emphasizing a different word each time. Close your eyes and recite it. Repeat this process several times until you are confident you know it. Pray and ask God to bring it to mind several times today. Recite it mentally each time it occurs to you. At the end of the day, take a moment to consider how it has applied to your life.

Proverbs 27

Friends. Everyone has 'em, and hopefully at least one good one! I have come to realize that strong, godly friendships are rare. Looking at Proverbs, chapter 27 today, we read many things about friendships. Take a moment to read verse 6. In this context the wounds coming from a friend are not without necessity. The best kind of friend is one who loves you enough not to mind their own business, but who is willing to hurt your feelings for a moment for the sake of helping you turn away from sin. This idea leads us down to verse 17. We've all heard it before, "As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another." Iron actually sharpens iron by shaving away any tiny bits that make the blade dull. We can sharpen each other by helping to get rid of the sin bits in our lives that make our lives spiritually dull.

Honest and wise counsel given between friends is invaluable. It is an amazing thing to be in a friendship that can endure and withstand correction from each other. It is incredible to feel safe and loved for who you are despite flaws and inconsistencies that can be found in your life. And a friendship where you are supported and held accountable is a treasure, and truly a picture of the relationship God desires with us. I have closely seen the effects of people trying to live their lives for God, but who have gone years without any solid friends in their lives to hold them accountable, encourage them in their faith, and call them out when necessary. The result is destruction. God desires for us to have friends who we can pursue holiness with.

In the past few years I have been blessed with friends who have become my family. I fully grasp verses 9 and 10 when they reveal the value of a friend's advice and closeness. Verse 9 says "the pleasantness of a friend springs from their heartfelt advice." Ask yourself this... are you concerned enough for your friends to endure the uncomfortable conversation that might be necessary when speaking truth into their lives? Are your intentions to build them up and help them pursue God more purely? Then looking to verse 10, are you making your life available to your friends as a family member would? Sometimes friendships are forced or just happen, but the ones that you invest yourself in and become famliy with are chosen.

God divinely places people along our path for us to love and live in community with. These relationships can be a beautiful picture of the gospel and they fulfill God's design for creation. When the body of believers comes together with unconditional love for each other, pushing each other further in holiness, and laying their lives down for another God is glorified. Challenge yourself to be a friend you'd want to have, call each other out in love, and be family to one another. 

Proverbs 26

Read Proverbs 26:1 – 16. Each time we read a proverb about a wise person or a fool, we are given two opportunities. First, we can apply the proverb to ourselves as a prod toward future wisdom and a caution against future foolishness. Second, we can apply it to those whom we know, giving us the ability to respond to them appropriately. This section talks about our natural tendency to point out foolishness to the foolish in the often-vain belief that the fool will immediately respond with wisdom. Verses Four and Five make it clear that, while it is appropriate to speak truth, it is often impractical. We are called to discernment in how we use Proverbs. Consider the last time you witnessed foolish behavior. How did you react? Did you admonish the fool? Do you ignore it? What was the result? Would a different approach have led to better results?

Read Proverbs 26:17 – 28. This passage deals in depth with the act of quarrelling. Various forms of divisive speech are described, including gossip, deceit, insensitive joking, false charm, and inappropriate involvement in others’ arguments. Some of us find ourselves relishing disagreement. We only feel truly alive when we are angry and we are anxious to immediately point out the wrongheaded thinking of anyone nearby. Solomon points out again and again the foolishness of this lifestyle. Not only does it consume and destroy our relationships, it ruins us eventually, too. Consider the most recent argument or strong disagreement that you’ve had. What was the topic? Was the offense directed at you or did you adopt the offense of someone else? What could you have done to defuse the situation in a healthy way?

Choose one proverb from this chapter, which fits your life today. Memorize it. Read it aloud several times, emphasizing a different word each time. Close your eyes and recite it. Repeat this process several times until you are confident you know it. Pray and ask God to bring it to mind several times today. Recite it mentally each time it occurs to you. At the end of the day, take a moment to consider how it has applied to your life

Proverbs 25

Today we are introduced to what some call a book within a book. Proverbs 25 – 29 are provided by the scribes of King Hezekiah, but they are still cited as proverbs of Solomon. Verses 2-7 might be subtitled “On dealing with kings,” but the general principals apply well to those of us who will never be in the same room with a king.

Yet the majority of today’s reading centers on everyday life, from how to live in peace with our neighbors to dealing with our enemies. Patience and self-control are fantastic life tools. Are they in your tool box? Of course, the real question is not do you have them, but rather do you use them? I actually own a few tools that are still in their original package out on my work bench. They haven’t been used at all yet. Ironically, I’ve actually forgotten them when I needed to use them! How about you? The only effective tools are the ones we use.

Honey was one of the sweetest substances in the ancient world. It was viewed by many as a “good thing.” But too much of anything can be unhealthy, even to the point of making one vomit. I love the clarity of Solomon. No missing the point here. Solomon called for moderation. How often do we find something we really, really like and simply overload? Solomon extended his “don’t overdo it” admonition to other areas. It wasn’t simply about overeating.

Hezekiah’s scribes liked 21:9 so much they repeated it verbatim here in 25:24. Women tell us this is because men may not have been paying attention the first time.