The Ambassador Group

The Book of Proverbs

1. Proverbs: The Call of Wisdom

0. Proverbs: Introduction to the Book of Proverbs

2. Proverbs: From Ears to Feet

3. Proverbs: A Matter of Life and Death

4. Proverbs: Divine Wisdom

5. Proverbs: The Blessings of the Righteous

6. Proverbs: What You See Is Not What You Get

7. Proverbs: Dealing With Fights

8. Proverbs: Words of Wisdom

9. Proverbs: Words of Truth

10. Proverbs: Behind the Mask

11. Proverbs: Living By Faith

12. Proverbs: The Humility of the Wise

13. Proverbs: Women and Wine

Welcome to Words of the Wise, an introduction to the Book of Proverbs by Dr.

Edited for audio by the Ambassador Group.

Most men will proclaim each his own goodness, but who can find a faithful man?

Proverbs 20 verse 6, New King James Version To some degree, a great degree actually, we are all products of our environment.

Though heredity plays a big role, the values we hold come to us from what is around us, our home, our education, and our culture.

From infancy, we are impacted by what we see and hear.

Unfortunately, what we see and hear isn't always what is best for us.

The world around us is fallen, in every way, and it cannot help impacting us negatively.

Nevertheless, we have been given the promise of the Holy Spirit, and we have God's Word, which points us to something higher and better than the world does.

This exploration we will consider various proverbs and the practical truths they express, truths that if taken to heart and followed can indeed help us overcome the negativity of this fallen world and prepare us for a better world.

Let's listen to what Proverbs 20, verse 12 teaches us about the value of all humans.

The hearing ear and the seeing eye, the Lord hath made even both of them.

Unlike the theory of evolution, which considers us all to be nothing but chance, products of a mindless cosmos, the Bible teaches that all humans were created by God.

Acts 17 verse 26 says, And hath made of 1 blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation.

It is no accident, either, that the American historical figure, known for his integrity, Thomas Jefferson, believed in the equality of all humans, precisely because they were created by God.

It's in the Lord and in him alone that we have our equality.

Now, though we all have the same maker, this doesn't mean we are all the same.

Even identical twins don't wind up behaving exactly alike.

In Corinthians, Paul talks about our differences and stresses that they should not lead to a sense of superiority, but should instead help us see our need for 1 another.

He says, the eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of you, nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.

His words are found in 1 Corinthians 12 verse 21, New King James Version.

Listen to what Proverbs 20, verse 9 says, Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?

To the rhetorical question of the proverb, the answer, No 1, points to the tragic and hopeless condition of humankind.

Humans are all weak and mortal, and all the money and power in the world will not change that.

Yet in the context of the scriptures, this reference to human sinfulness should not lead to despair, because Jesus' death on the cross and his resurrection have paved the way for anyone, no matter how sinful, to have the promise of eternal life.

And this life comes solely through faith in Him, not by our works.

White, page 20 of her small, thin book, entitled Faith and Works, wrote, If man cannot, by any of his good works, merit salvation, then it must be holy of grace, received by man as a sinner because he receives and believes in Jesus.

Justification by faith is placed beyond controversy, and all this controversy is ended as soon as the matter is settled that the merits of fallen man in his good works can never procure eternal life for Him.

Do you ever find yourself feeling superior or inferior to other people?

If you do, remembering Jesus' words in John 3, 16, ask yourself what the cross tells you about the equality of us all?

Speaking about the reward of the righteous, Revelation 14 verse 13 says in the New King James Version, Their works follow them.

Only the future will testify to the real value of the individual.

People may boast now of their wealth, their knowledge, their physical prowess, and maybe this is all true, but what does it mean in the sight of God?

So often the traits and accomplishments and deeds that humans uplift as important or impressive are shown to be the meaningless dross that they really are.

After all, look at some of the despicable characters, often in the entertainment industry, who are all but worshipped and adored by fans.

What we idolize and worship presents a powerful testimony to how fallen we are.

Let's listen to 3 texts that reveal what is of true value to God.

The first text is Proverbs 20 verse 6 which says, Many claim to have unfailing love, but a faithful person, who can find?

This text says that God values faithful people.

The second text is Jeremiah 9 verses 23 and 24.

Boast of their strength, or the rich boast of their riches, but let the 1 who boasts boast about this, that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the Lord who exercises kindness and justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight, declares the Lord." This text says that God values that we understand and know Him.

And the third text is Mark 9 verse 35, which says, Sitting down, Jesus called the 12 and said, anyone who wants to be first must be the very last and the servant of all.

This text says that God values the heart of a servant.

So summarizing these discoveries, we can conclude that it is not the single sensational act of love or sacrifice that will demonstrate the high quality of your relationships, but the long and regular series of small actions that we perform day by day, patiently and surely.

The daily meal served to your spouse, the constant attention to a sick parent, the continued effort in your job.

All these humble acts throughout life are the evidence that your faith is authentic.

Enduring faithfulness is more valuable than intense but rare acts of love.

This principle holds true for our relationship with God as well.

It is more difficult and more valuable to live for God than to die for Him, if for no other reason than that living takes more time than dying.

The saint who lives for God is greater than the martyr who dies for Him.

Anyone can claim to believe in God and to serve Him.

Jesus said, He who endures to the end shall be saved.

The reference for those words is Matthew 24 verse 13, New King James Version.

How through patience, kindness, and willingness to meet others' needs can you reveal to someone something of the character of Christ?

How willing are you to do this, no matter the cost to yourself?

The question is, what practical lesson can we find in these texts?

Proverbs 20 verse 17 says, Bread of deceit is sweet to a man, but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel.

And Proverbs 21 verse 5 says, the thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness, but of everyone that is hasty only to want.

The thief who steals bread gets it faster than the 1 who has to work for it.

Salespeople who lie to sell their bad merchandise may become rich faster than the honest merchant.

Yet according to the proverb, the future will turn the sweetness into gravel, and the hastily acquired wealth will become poverty.

The text gives a number of examples to illustrate the accuracy of this observation.

Proverbs 20 verse 21 says, An inheritance may be gotten hastily at the beginning, but the end thereof shall not be blessed.

Proverbs 20 verse 21 speaks of the inheritance.

The mention of an inheritance obtained too quickly, implying that the parents are still alive, follows the condemnation of the 1 who curses his parents, as told in the previous verse, Proverbs 20 verse 20, which says, Whoso curseth his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness.

The association of these 2 proverbs is significant.

It is as if the son, or the daughter, curses the parents and also wishes them dead.

The child may even have plotted the death of the parents in order to get the inheritance.

The lamp he is presently enjoying, verse 20 in the New King James Version, warns, will become deep darkness and his curse against his parents will turn on him for as verse 21 in the same translation said, he will not be blessed at the end.

It says, Say not thou, I will recompense evil, but wait on the Lord, and He shall save thee.

This time the proverb addresses the victim who may be tempted to seek revenge for the evil that has been committed against him.

The counsel was just to, wait for the Lord, New King James Version.

Only then will you be saved, which implies that if you do seek revenge, you are taking a serious risk.

Proverbs 25, 21, and 22 emphasizes the same instruction, using the metaphor of heaping coals of fire on the enemy's head, an Egyptian ritual expressing repentance and conversion.

Proverbs 25, verses 21 and 22 say, If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink.

For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the Lord shall reward thee.

If you refrain from revenge, you will be saved by the Lord, and in the process, you will save your enemy, thus overcoming evil with good, as Romans 12, 21 says, Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

How can you learn to emulate the character of Christ more closely when it comes to overcoming evil with good?

Why is this so contrary to our inherent nature?

Why is death to self the only way to achieve this end.

Compassion for the Poor A person's character is measured less by wisdom or even religious commitments than by readiness to help the poor and the needy.

It is not what you have that makes your character, but what you give to your neighbor.

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The Book of Proverbs

8. Proverbs: Words of Wisdom

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