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.

Have I not written to you excellent things of counsels and knowledge, that I may make you know the certainty of the words of truth, that you may answer words of truth to those who send to you?

Proverbs 22, verses 20 and 21, New King James Version.

Some of this exploration's proverbs will show parallels with Egyptian texts.

Under inspiration, Solomon might have shaped these texts according to a specifically Hebrew perspective.

When we hear his proverbs, The words of the Egyptians meet the spirit of Israel's God, and thus they became divine revelation.

This observation is important, for it reminds us of the universal character of truth.

What is truth for the Israelite should also be true for the Egyptian, otherwise it would not be the truth.

Some truths apply universally to everyone.

The domain of these admonitions is common to both communities, that is, whoever you are, Whether a believer or not, and wherever you live, there are some things that you should not do.

The The Knowledge of Truth Let's listen to Proverbs 22, verse 17 and 18.

Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto my knowledge.

For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee.

What are you being told about how truth should impact your life?

The first duty of the student is to listen and pay attention.

The crucial point is that the seeker of truth must be earnest, must truly want to learn what is right and then do it.

But it is not enough for the student to listen or even to understand intellectually what is being taught.

Some people who have a lot of biblical facts in their heads have no real knowledge or experience with the truth itself, as Jesus said that he was the source of life experience.

Instead, truth should reach the innermost part of the human being.

The Hebrew phrase in Proverbs 22 verse 18, Within you, New King James Version, refers to the stomach.

The lesson should not stay on the surface.

It has to be digested, assimilated, and become an inner part of our beings.

Once the message has gone deep into our system and becomes rooted within us, it will then rise to our lips, and we can have a powerful testimony.

Now let's add Proverbs 22, verses 19 through 21, asking, what might an experience in truth do for us?

Verse 19, the first goal of the teaching of wisdom is not wisdom per se.

Proverbs does not aim at making more intelligent and more skillful disciples.

The teacher's objective is to strengthen the disciple's trust in the Lord.

Students should know why these words of truth, New King James Version, are certain.

They should know why they believe what they do.

Faith by definition is belief in what we don't fully understand.

Nevertheless, We still should have good reasons for that faith.

The last step of education is to share with others those words of truth we have received.

This is central to our whole calling as a people.

Take a few moments to think about how logical is your faith?

Can you explain the reasons why you believe what you believe?

What are the logical reasons for your beliefs?

Do you feel compelled to share your beliefs with your friends and family, whether they are your immediate or distant family?

What's your persuasive angle or strategy?

Robbing the Poor What is the warning in these verses?

Proverbs 22 verses 22 and 23 say, Rob not the poor, because he is poor, neither oppress the afflicted in the gate.

For the Lord will plead their cause and spoil the soul of those that spoil them.

Proverbs 23 verse 10 says, Remove not the old landmark, and enter not into the fields of the fatherless.

What is the combined warning repeated in both texts?

Though it's always wrong to steal, this prohibition concerns stealing from the poor and the oppressed, who are the most vulnerable.

They are truly helpless, and therefore they qualify for God's special concern, as the Israelites were instructed, found in Exodus 22, verses 21-27.

Thou shalt neither vex a stranger, nor oppress him, for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.

Ye shall not afflict any widow or fatherless child.

If thou afflict them in any wise, and they cry it all unto me, I will surely hear their cry, and my wrath shall wax hot, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless.

If thou lend money to any of my people that is poor by thee, thou shalt not be to him as an usurer, neither shalt thou lay upon him usury.

If thou at all take thy neighbor's raiment to pledge, thou shalt deliver it unto him by that the sun goeth down, For that is his covering only, it is his raiment for his skin.

And it shall come to pass, when he crieth unto me that I will hear, for I am gracious." The case of David, who killed Uriah in order to steal his wife, and Nathan's parable of the ewe lamb, 2 Samuel 12 verses 1-4, come to mind.

Robbing from the poor is not just a criminal act.

2 Samuel 12 verse 13 tells us, it is a sin against the Lord.

To take from someone who has less than what you have is worse than stealing.

Do these thieves think God doesn't see their actions?

Indeed, Proverbs 22, 23, in saying, If thou afflict them in any wise, and they cry at all unto me, I will surely hear their cry, implies that even if the thief gets away with no human punishment, God will repay.

The reference to the Redeemer, the Goel, Proverbs 23, 11, may even allude to the divine scenario of end-time judgment, Job 19, 25.

So this warning, along with others in the Bible, speaks against those who are interested only in the immediate gains of their actions, and not the long-term results.

They take possession and enlarge their properties at the expense of others, and they are willing to cheat and to kill for that purpose.

They may enjoy it now, but they will pay later.

This reasoning should not only discourage the thief, it should show that our ethical values are intricately tied to the sovereignty of God.

In England, some atheists had the following slogan placed on city buses, There's probably no God.

Though There are many retorts 1 could give in response.

If there were no God, then those who steal from the poor and are getting away with it now really have nothing to worry about.

Indeed, All those who have done great evil and seem to have gotten away with it, will, in fact, have really gotten away with it.

Does your faith in God and in His promises of judgment help give you peace of mind regarding all the injustice you see in the world now?

Being Jealous of the Wicked Being Jealous of the Wicked Proverbs 23 verse 17 says, Let not thine heart envy sinners, but be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long.

Proverbs 2, verses 1 and 2 say, My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee, so that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding.

And Proverbs 24, verses 19 and 20 say, Frighten not thyself because of evil men, neither shalt thou be envious of the wicked, for there shall be no reward to the evil man.

The candle of the wicked shall be put out.

Most likely it's not because of the actual sins that they might be committing.

Rather it's usually because of the immediate gain, wealth, success, and power that they achieve through their wickedness.

That's what people often covet for themselves.

Though of course, not every successful or rich person is wicked, some are, and they are probably the kind of people we are being warned about in these verses.

We see their good life, and from our perspective, especially if we are struggling ourselves, it's easy to envy what they have.

This though, is a very narrow and short-sighted view of things.

After all, the Temptation of sin is that its reward is immediate.

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The Book of Proverbs

9. Proverbs: Words of Truth

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