Posted on 07/20/2014 7:00:30 AM PDT by OneVike
Wine Is a Mocker
01 Wine is a mocker,
00 Strong drink is a brawler,
00 And whoever is led astray by it is not wise.
02 The wrath of a king is like the roaring of a lion;
00 Whoever provokes him to anger sins against his own life.
03 It is honorable for a man to stop striving,
00 Since any fool can start a quarrel.
04 The lazy man will not plow because of winter;
00 He will beg during harvest and have nothing.
05 Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water,
00 But a man of understanding will draw it out.
06 Most men will proclaim each his own goodness,
00 But who can find a faithful man?
07 The righteous man walks in his integrity;
00 His children are blessed after him.
08 A king who sits on the throne of judgment
00 Scatters all evil with his eyes.
09 Who can say, "I have made my heart clean,
00 I am pure from my sin"?
010 Diverse weights and diverse measures,
00 They are both alike, an abomination to the LORD.
11 Even a child is known by his deeds,
00 Whether what he does is pure and right.
12 The hearing ear and the seeing eye,
00 The LORD has made them both.
13 Do not love sleep, lest you come to poverty;
00 Open your eyes, and you will be satisfied with bread.
14 "It is good for nothing," cries the buyer;
00 But when he has gone his way, then he boasts.
15 There is gold and a multitude of rubies,
00 But the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.
16 Take the garment of one who is surety for a stranger,
00 And hold it as a pledge when it is for a seductress.
17 Bread gained by deceit is sweet to a man,
00 But afterward his mouth will be filled with gravel.
18 Plans are established by counsel;
00 By wise counsel wage war.
19 He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets;
00 Therefore do not associate with one who flatters with his lips.
20 Whoever curses his father or his mother,
00 His lamp will be put out in deep darkness.
21 An inheritance gained hastily at the beginning
00 Will not be blessed at the end.
22 Do not say, "I will recompense evil";
00 Wait for the LORD, and He will save you.
23 Diverse weights are an abomination to the LORD,
00 And dishonest scales are not good.
24 A man's steps are of the LORD;
00 How then can a man understand his own way?
25 It is a snare for a man to devote rashly something as holy,
00 And afterward to reconsider his vows.
26 A wise king sifts out the wicked,
00 And brings the threshing wheel over them.
27 The spirit of a man is the lamp of the LORD,
00 Searching all the inner depths of his heart.
28 Mercy and truth preserve the king,
00 And by lovingkindness he upholds his throne.
29 The glory of young men is their strength,
00 And the splendor of old men is their gray head.
30 Blows that hurt cleanse away evil,
00 As do stripes the inner depths of the heart.
The purpose of Writing the book of Proverbs by Solomon is to reveal the mind of God in matters high and lofty and in common, ordinary, everyday situations. It appears that no topic escaped King Solomon's attention. Matters pertaining to personal conduct, sexual relations, business, wealth, charity, ambition, discipline, debt, child-rearing, character, alcohol, politics, revenge, and Godliness are among the many topics covered in this rich collection of wise sayings.
Without wisdom, knowledge is nothing more than an accumulation of raw facts, influenced by emotional feelings. Many highly educated people are in positions of power in the United States, but very few of those educated leaders have the wisdom needed to rule properly.
One can say that they have been educated well beyond their intelligence. A cursory look at the court system will prove my point that knowledge without wisdom will only lead to an immoral society that eventually crumbles from within. Judges are supposed to be above the fray, and immovable to emotions. Instead, the vast majority of judges today are Godless individuals who are vacant of wisdom. So their rulings are totally based upon emotional feelings.
We the people are to blame, because we ignored God's guidance in appointing our leaders. Instead of putting leaders full wisdom in power, we instead chose those who would scratch our itchy ears to lead us.
Along with my daily routine of reading the Bible, I try to read through the book of Proverbs once a Month. It's an easy task when you consider there are 31 Proverbs. So all you need to know is what day of the Month it is to know which Proverb to read. In the Months that have less than 31 days, I just double so I can begin the next month with Proverb 1 on the first again.
Our king is not wise, and should meet the threshing wheel soon.
BTTT
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